Culinary Alchemy

Going Nuts for Tillamook Vintage Cheddar - Cheddar & Walnut Wafers

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:37:00 +0000

So, Tillamook Cheese Factory, in Tillamook Oregon, has released a new product. Vintage White Sharp Cheddar.

Not to be confused with the Vintage White "Extra" Sharp or the Vintage White "Medium" that has been available for several years now. The Vintage White Sharp is aged for 9 months, as opposed to the Extra Sharp, which is aged for 2 years or the Vintage White Medium that is aged for only 100 days (~3 months).

Why am I so excited about this new product? Well, I know that annatto seed is perfectly harmless, but it has always bugged me that cheddar cheese is dyed orange on the left coast.

Vermont doesn't dye their cheddar, New York doesn't dye theirs either. So WHY on earth do the cheese companies on the Left coast dye the cheddar orange? It just reminds me of processed American cheese (yuck!). We are capable of discerning between Cheddar, dry Mozzarella and Monterey Jack, even if they are all the same basic color in their natural state. The excuse that I hear the most often is that milk color varies slightly (depending on cow breed and time of year) and the annatto dye ensures that the cheese will always be the same color. Poppy cock! I say. That is a silly excuse. There is a natural variation in cheese color with Brie, Gruyere, Pecorino Romano, Saint Andre, Gouda, Emmentaller, Gorgonzola and so on. I think it's time that the cheese manufacturers built a bridge and got over it.

Luckily, Tillamook Cheese factory has done just that and finally decided to leave out the annatto dye and call it "Vintage" White. Maybe, someday, we left coasters will get SO use to our cheddar being white that, 50 years from now, the orange dyed stuff will be considered "Vintage" instead. One can only hope. What makes me the most happy though, is that it's the same price as their "regular" orange Sharp Cheddar. I finally get my blessedly WHITE cheddar cheese without having to darken the door of a specialty cheese shop and spend a small fortune.

Woo Hoo! Ain't it purty?

To celebrate the mouthwatering deliciousness that is Tillamook Vintage White Sharp Cheddar, I have decided to go nuts, walnuts that is, and bake up some delicious cheddary wafers of utter decadence. They are similar to a savory shortbread, but with a delicate crispy crunch that is truly satisfying.

Cheddar and Walnut Wafers

186g (6.5oz) (1 1/2 cups) AP Flour
60g (2.1oz) (1/2 cup) Walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Grey Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
113g (4oz) (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks
142g (5oz) (1 1/4 cups) Tillamook Vintage White Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 large Egg Yolk
2 TB Heavy Cream

In the bowl of a food processor, combine Flour, Walnuts, Salt, Pepper, Cayenne and chunks of Butter.

Pulse until pea sized lumps still remain.

Add the shredded Sharp Cheddar and pulse again.

Until well combined and the mixture is like fine crumbs.

In a small bowl, whisk the Heavy Cream and Egg Yolk together.

Pour through the feeding tube of the food processor.....

Pulse until a soft dough begins to form.

Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc then wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while rolling the dough to 1/4 inch (~6mm) on a lightly floured surface.

Use a 1 1/2 well floured round cutter to cut out shapes.

Place about 1 inch apart on an ungreased, unlined baking sheet (please note that no parchment is needed)

Prick the circles with a fork in a cross pattern (to prevent a large bubble forming in the center)

Bake for 14-16 minutes, turning at 7 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Move to a rack immediately and allow to cool completely. (If you can)

Consume with delight! and Wine! (a nice Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz/Syrah)

Mangia!!
~~

Sweet Puptato Bones - Sweet Potato Dog Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:23:00 +0000

Hunter, my 60 lb Standard Poodle, has to put up with a lot of delicious smells coming from the kitchen that he never gets to sample. Usually, he just lays by the back door and watches me cook and, subsequently, eat whatever it is that I am throwing together. Occasionally, he will regale me with his interpretation of Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy (he's quite well read) while he's lounging by the door, but for the most part, he watches in silence.

There is one thing, though, that will bring on a litany of grunts, growls, barks and various other vocalizations that I didn't even know were possible by a canine. Sweet Potatoes. Anytime I am slicing, dicing, mincing, steaming, baking, boiling, mashing, or roasting them, Hunter goes absolutely berserk. So, in answer to his apparent love affair with this tasty tuber, I have decided to load up some Gluten-Free dog treats with fresh Sweet Potato. And use the tiny little dog bone cutter that I found at Kitchen Kaboodle on NW 23rd and Flanders, in Portland.

After all, who could possibly resist this sweet puppy face?

I know I can't... :)

Sweet PupTato Bones

285g (2 1/2 cups) (10.1 oz) Oat Flour
215g (1 1/2 cups) (7.6 oz) Brown Rice Flour
65g (1/2 cup) (2.2 oz) Chickpea Flour (Garbanzo Bean)
3 TB Golden Flax Meal
1 tsp Salt
1 large Egg
118ml (1/2 cup) Olive Oil
236ml (1 cup) Whole Milk
72g (2.5 oz) finely grated Sweet Potato (about 1/2 of a medium sized one)

I need to go on record as stating that I originally measured the ingredients by standard volume, then weighed these amounts to come up with the gram and ounce. Upon triple checking on the King Aurthur site and Aqua Calc, I figured I had done something wrong. My weights were significantly heavier than theirs. So I did it again.... And again.... And AGAIN. I kept coming up with the same weights, give or take a couple of grams. I was extremely frustrated, to say the least.

I do not know how the conversion amounts are figured on those sites for non-traditional flours. I spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with a knife, and this is what I come up with. Maybe they are sifting (several times) first, before measuring which, to me, is something you only do with cake. I'm just sayin'. Because of this, I have written the recipe in grams, which is technically the most accurate.

Combine Oat Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Garbanzo Flour, Flax Meal and Salt in a bowl, whisking well.

Add the Egg, Olive Oil, and Milk to the bowl.

Grate the Sweet Potato with a zester (the finer the better).

Throw in the grated sweet potato.

Stir until a soft dough forms.

Let sit for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 225F degrees.
Divide the dough in 1/2.

Roll 1 piece out to 3/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.

Cut small shapes with a well floured (rice flour) cutter. (the dough will still stick a little bit)

Place each bone on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Gather scraps together, re-roll and cut until you have filled at least 2 baking sheet. (they bake for a LONG time, so your gonna wanna bake as many as possible at one time)

Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 90 minutes, turning and rotating the pans every 30 minutes to ensure they bake/dry out evenly.

Cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.

Store in an airtight container.

Mangia!! (Yes, they are safe for human consumption)
~~

Florentine Facsimile - Nettle Quiche

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:57:00 +0000

It's time for another recipe with Stinging Nettles. Woo Hoo! I adore Nettles. They are one of my favorite "Flavors of Spring", along with Asparagus and Rhubarb. Normally I just steam 'em up and eat them or chop them into Nettle-Walnut Pesto, but I thought that I would do something special with them today. Mainly because the season is ending and they are beginning to go "to seed". Once that happens, they are no longer fit for human consumption. Well, I suppose you could still eat them, but the leaves get tough and sort of stringy. So, yeah, no.... not tasty.

I had already decided to make breakfast for dinner, cause I am a rebel that way, but I was disconcerted about the lack of a vegetable to accompany my Hash Browns and Bacon. Steamed nettles would have worked, but that doesn't sound very breakfasty. Then I got to thinking about frittatas and omelets, which while very much a breakfast food, usually do not contain that much veggie. Then it hit me. Nettles are like spinach and spinach is a key ingredient in Quiche Florentine. AH HA! Breakfast conundrum solved!

So, I set out to make a Florentine-esque quiche with Stinging Nettles and Bergkase cheese (though Havarti or Grasskaas would have been nice too) instead of the proverbial Spinach and Swiss.

Nettle Quiche

1 10-inch parbaked Pastry Crust
12 oz (340g) fresh Nettles
6 large Eggs
1 1/2 cups (350ml) Crème Fraîche
Kosher Salt
White Pepper
Dash of Nutmeg
1/2 Shallot, minced
Olive Oil
4 oz Bergkase (Havarti or Grasskaas)

Once you have partially baked your pastry crust at 400 for 15 minutes,

Reduce the oven temperature to 325F degrees and rinse your nettles well.

After rinsing them, blanch them for 2 minutes in boiling water, then drain them in a colander and let them cool enough for handling.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended.

Add the Creme Fraiche along with the Salt, White Pepper and Nutmeg, then whisk well until smooth.

Once the Nettles are cool enough, squeeze all the water out,

and give them a rough chop.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil and saute the shallot until soft.

Add the chopped nettles and heat through.

Spread the warm Nettle/Shallot mixture over the bottom of the Quiche crust.

Sprinkle with 2 oz of the Bergkase.

Gently pour the custard over the Nettles.

Sprinkle with the remaining Cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is just beginning to set.

Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

A delicious, if rebellious, dinner. :)

Mangia!!
~~

Wordless Wednesday - Long Day of Chasing Frisbee; Where am I Gonna Sleep?

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:06:00 +0000

Loathsome Luncheon - The Classic Limburger Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:19:00 +0000

I released the proverbial feline from the confines of my satchel the other day, in my post on Macaroni with Cauliflower & Taleggio, when I mentioned that I loved cheese with some stank to it. I was not kidding. So, I am coming clean about one of my food consumption habits of questionable social acceptance.

I love Limburger Cheese. I don't get it very often, cause it's difficult to find, so when I DO find it, I relish every last slice. And no, I don't wear a clothespin on my nose when I eat it. ;)

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Limburger use to be extremely popular around the turn of the century.... The other century, not the recent one. (which is technically the turn of the millennium) My great-grandpa Wes use to eat it at the Round House in The Dalles all the time. It was so popular back in the 20's that there were multiple manufacturers in the United States producing upwards of 10 million pounds every year; and they could barely keep up with the demand. Sadly, only the Chalet Co-Op of Monroe Wisconsin remains. Though they still make over 800,000 lbs of the stuff every year. So somebody, other than myself, is out there eating it too.

First made by Trappist monks in the historical Duchy of Limburg, which now days constitutes parts of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, it's name is actually derived from the town of Limburg where is was sold. This washed rind cheese, similar to real Muenster (American versions are much more mild in flavor) or Appenzeller, enjoys extreme popularity in Germany to this day. After the curd is formed, it is salted and placed out on pine boards in the aging room.

(Image courtesy of Farm to Table Wisconsin)

Then it is washed down with a bacterial solution of brevibacterium linens. (which is also used in making Raclette, Muenster and Port-du-Salut) This goes to work on the cheese curd, turning it from a crumbly acidic chunk of something similar to feta, into a soft creamy unctuous block of deliciousness. Sure is smells. The bacteria used are the same ones that live on the human body and are partially responsible for body odor, but once you move past the smell, (which really isn't THAT bad) the flavor is so unbelievably mild that it's amazing.

Now I will warn you, that after the cheese reaches 6 months of age, it's a little to pungent for me as well. My favorite age is between 4 and 5 months. If you have an issue with the smell, you can greatly reduce the aroma by cutting off the rind as soon as you bring it home, and disposing of it in your outside garbage can. Then you should be able to simply keep it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Me? I like the rind, so I do what my Great-Grandma Ruby would have done.

Once I have opened the wrapper, and released the dogs of war, I simply place it in a sealed Mason jar to contain it's odoriferousness and prevent my refrigerator from smelling like the Chalet Co-Op's aging room.

So how do I eat my Limburger? I prefer the classic way. Besides, it gives me an excuse to imbibe a good German Dopplebock. :)

Classic Limburger Sandwich

Dark Rye Bread
Spicy Brown Mustard
Sweet Onion (be it Maui, Mayan, Vidalia or Walla Walla)
Chalet Limburger Cheese
German DoppleBock

Lay out your slices of Dark Rye Bread (you can use a lighter Rye, but "Dark" Rye or Pumpernickel are the best) and spread with Spicy Brown Mustard.

Lay out slices of Sweet Onion on one side.

Slice the Limburger, as best you can, cause it can be REALLY soft, and lay them on the other side.

Bring both pieces of bread together and there you have it.

The Sweet Onion, spicy Mustard and Limburger on hearty dark bread just play so unbelievably well together.

But they are topped off by a nice dark German beer such as a Dopplebock.

MMMMMMMMMM!

If you will please excuse me, I must return to my Corrupt Canape, my Repugnant Repast, my Fetid Fodder, this most Malodorous of Meals.... Heaven on bread!

Mangia!!
~~

Capturing Sunshine in a Jar - Honey Blood Orange Marmalade (part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:50:00 +0000

I have decided that I am not going to break posts up anymore. I have done it twice now, and while it worked really well the first time with Sauerbraten, this particular journey through preserving didn't turn out nearly as well.

I had initially intended to use Honey in my Marmalade. Well I did, but I only replaced half of sugar with honey because I was ill prepared and did not have enough to use ALL honey in my recipe. On some level, considering the strength of the honey flavor in the Marmalade, I think I am glad that I did not have enough Orange Blossom Honey. Even with only 1 1/3 cups of Honey in the recipe, the Honey is REALLY strong.

I first I thought it was a little strange that the honey should be so pronounced. My parents ALWAYS canned their fruits and preserves with honey, when I was growing up, and the honey flavor wasn't this pronounced. Then I remembered something.... Something deep in the back of my brain. They didn't use Orange Blossom Honey or Clover Honey when they were canning and cooking; they used Vetch Honey.

(Image courtesy of The Peace Bee Farmer)

Vetch honey is extremely light and pale with little to no flavor other than "sweet". It's perfect for canning purposes when you want the true flavor of the fruit to come through. (Mom and Dad knew best) Alas, it's almost impossible to find now days. Which is a shame. Vetch isn't being planted as a cover crop anymore, at least not here in the Pacific NW, so if you want it, you have to order it from a "Specialty Honey Supplier". I hate ordering food products over the internet. Besides, I am so use to using what's available in the store, that I didn't even think about it. Don't get me wrong; Orange Blossom Honey is delicious, but I don't think it's a good Honey for canning. Lesson Learned.

I suggest using the lightest honey you can find for this recipe. Then it will be perfectly delicious!

Blood Orange Marmalade

Liquid, Zest, Membranes and Pips from Part 1 (that have been soaking all night)
Honey at the rate of 2/3 cup per cup of liquid
Sugar at the rate of 1 cup per cup of liquid

OK, now that the boiled mixture has sat overnight, it's time to remove the cheese cloth bundle.

Place it in a strainer and press out as much juice and pectin as possible.

Measure the liquid and zest you have..... I had 5 cups, which you need to return to a large pot.

Now, if you are using Honey, I suggest a 2/3 cup per 1 cup of liquid ratio. If using sugar, the standard is 1 cup Sugar per 1 cup of liquid.
I used 1 1/3 cup Honey, cause that was all I had left (I thought I had another jar in the pantry)

and 3 cups of Sugar.

Place the mixture over medium high heat and stir until everything is dissolved.

Place a thermometer in the pot and boil until it reaches 220 degrees.

While the marmalade is boiling, place your jars on a baking sheet and move them to a 225 degree oven to warm up. (I did 8, I only needed 6)

Place your water bath kettle over high heat and bring to a boil.

Boil your lids in a small amount of water in a sauce pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the flame and set aside.

Once the mixture has reached 220 degrees, remove the pot from the flame and skim the foamy goo off the top.

Remove the jars from the hot oven, carefully, and ladle the hot mixture into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of room at the top.

Hold each jar with a pot holder, and wipe the threads of the jars with a damp paper towel before placing lids on top and screwing down the rings.

(See the mess on the pan in the back? That is where I forgot to grab the jar with a pot holder and spilled a whole jar all over the floor when I tried to wipe the rim - oops!)

Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water, bring back to a boil if necessary.

Process for 5 minutes, unless you are above 1000 ft, then process for 10 minutes, before carefully removing the jars from the hot water and placing them on a folded towel.... then wait until you hear a popping noise coming from the jars (they seal as they cool)

Store in a cool dry place until you are ready to pop open a jar,

and enjoy on a scone or, my personal favorite, Portland French Bakery's "Seeded Harvest".

A sultry russet sunset on toast! Yum!

Mangia!!
~~

Wordless Wednesday - Hedgehog Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:41:00 +0000

Capturing Sunshine in a Jar - Honey Blood Orange Marmalade (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 01:53:00 +0000

Spring is a bittersweet time for me. Sweet, as the tree buds begin to unfurl with that intense green, bringing the land back to verdant life. Bitter, for I must bid a sad farewell to my favorite winter time treats. For it is the Spring that heralds the end of Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon season. :( But all is not lost. At least not this year.

I watched. I waited. I planned. I schemed. I snatched up some of the last Blood Oranges that were available this year. Muah ha ha ha ha!

Now is the time to set my master plan in motion........ to preserve their Blood Orange-ness, to be enjoyed during the Spring, Summer and Autumn months which, though overflowing with warmth and sunshine, are sadly devoid of the bright and sunny flavor of Blood Oranges.

Blood Orange Marmalade is my master plan. It's a bit of a departure from the famous Dundee brand Marmalade, made with Seville Oranges, but I feel that this is the best way for me to preserve my Blood Oranges for future enjoyment.

There is no way around it. Making marmalade is more time consuming than making jam or jelly. It's a big chore, and as such, it takes a couple days. Granted, 8 -12 hours of that is waiting time. So technically, if you started early in the morning, you could make it in a single day. I didn't get started till this afternoon, so it will take me 2 days to complete.

This is mainly because I am being stubborn. I know, you are gasping with surprise, right? The whole process can be sped up if you add powdered or liquid pectin from the store, BUT I am all about the good old fashioned way of doing it. The way it was done before you could buy pectin in a box, or pouch, from the grocery store. You see, the membranes and pips of the orange contain a significant amount of pectin. So I am boiling and soaking them to release as much pectin as possible in order to achieve a good set on my marmalade. I feel that it will give my marmalade a more authentic flavor. Then again, maybe not.... Who knows, it's not like store bought pectin actually tastes like the apples that it is made from. So lets just call it an OCD moment and leave it at that. :)

I am breaking the post up into 2 parts, simply because of the wait time on the pectin transfusion.

So let's get started, cause day 1 takes the most effort........

Blood Orange Marmalade

9 Blood Oranges
2 Lemons
6 cups Water
1-2 cups Orange Blossom Honey (this will be determined by the amount of liquid you have left over after you simmer the juice and zest together with the membranes)
1-2 cups Granulated Sugar (again, this will be determined by the amount of liquid you have left over after you simmer the juice and zest together with the membranes)

Begin by removing the peel from the Blood Oranges with a vegetable peeler. (this will take off the outer layer and leave most of the pith behind.... The pith is bitter, so you don't want that part.)

Next, julienne the peelings to your chosen size. (I like mine very finely julienne, you can opt for simply chopping if you like, or mincing, or dicing, or matchsticks... Your choice)

This is the part that takes the most time.... because I wanted my strands of peel to be super fine.
You should end up with about 2 cups worth of Blood Orange Zest.

Place the julienne zest into a medium pot and cover with about 6 cups of water.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.

While the zest is simmering, begin juicing the Blood Oranges and the Lemons. (be very careful with the Blood Oranges, the pith is much more delicate and they will rip and tear very easily)

Filter the juice into a measuring cup, reserving the pulp.

Your should have 2 cups worth of juice.

Next, begin scraping the remaining membranes or the Blood Oranges, as well as the Lemons, away from the piths using a knife or a spoon; whichever is easiest for you.

Place all the scraped membranes, pips and the pulp you strained out of the juice into a large doubled square of cheese cloth.

Tie the cheese cloth into a nice little bundle with kitchen twine.

The zest should be done cooking by now, so strain it and reserve the liquid. (You should have about 4 cups.)

Add 4 cups of the zest liquid, along with the zest, into a large pot.

Add the strained juice.

Place the bundle of membranes, pips and pulp into the pot as well.

Bring to a boil, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cover.... letting it sit for 8-12 hours and allow as much pectin as possible to permeate the liquid.

And that is the first part.... Whew!

Stay tuned for Day 2 when we turn this sticky messy Blood Orange Soup into beautiful jars full of sunshine.

Mangia!!
~~

Chickens Capering To-and-Fro - Chicken Piccata

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:28:00 +0000

Spring has sprung, though the rain has begun. That means that it's time for a springy type recipe. I can think of nothing quite so bright and sunny as the flavor of lemon mixed with the pungent green bite of capers. So, I chose to make Piccata sauce. It's one of the pan sauces I go cuckoo for.

Piccata, in it's simplest form, is a Lemon, Wine, Butter and Parsley pan sauce, usually served over Veal Scallopini (thinly sliced veal that has been dredged in flour and fried in butter). The beauty of this simple sauce is the innumerable permutations it can take in the hands of any given cook at any given time. No pigeonholing allowed. My mom, for example, always adds 1 tsp of Honey and skips the wine. I add Capers and the Lemon Zest to mine and use the Parsley for a garnish at the end. You can substitute Chicken Stock for the Wine, if you like. You can replace the Lemon with Blood Orange, Ruby Grapefruit or Lime, if so inclined. You can even chose Duck, Pork or Lamb, instead of the Veal. It really just depends on what blows your hair back, floats your boat, turns your crank or what drum beat your are dancing to at the moment you are making it. Sometimes I like to play it a little Loosey Goosey.

This has become evident in the popularity of "Chicken Piccata" vs the original Veal version. While I personally do not quail at the thought of consuming Veal (no grousing), especially with the new laws regarding crating, I still find that the chicken variation is my favorite. Someday, I would like to try this with duck and orange though; sort of a twist on Duck al'Orange.

The most difficult part of this dish is the "scalloping" or "butterflying' and pounding of the chicken breasts. The pieces need to be fairly thin, so they cook quickly; which is the whole point of this particular dish. In all honesty, if I had planned better, I would have purchased either Chicken "Tenders" or Chicken "Cutlets", then the hard part would have already been done for me. (I am getting lazy) LOL

Chicken Piccata

3-4 Chicken Breasts, about 24 oz (or Tenders or Cutlets)
4 TB AP Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp Sweet Paprika
2 TB Olive Oil
3 TB Unsalted Butter
1/3 cup Dry White Wine
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
2 TB Capers, drained
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
thin slices of lemon for garnish

“Scallop”, Butterfly or pound the chicken to between 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick. (I usually do a little butterfly-ing followed by a little pounding, cause one end of the breast is always thicker.)

Mix Flour with Salt, Pepper and Paprika.

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.

Heat the Olive Oil and Butter in heavy skillet or sauté pan.

Brown quickly on both sides giving the chicken sufficient time to cook meat thru.(about 2 minutes per side)

Move to a warm platter, garnish with lemon slices and tent to keep warm.

Pour off all but 2 TB of the fat.

Add wine and lemon juice to deglaze the pan.

Heat to a boil while scraping the bottom of the pan to release the fond.

When reduced by half add the lemon zest; stir to combine.

Add capers and stir.

There is your pan sauce.

Pour piccata sauce over chicken.

Serve immediately, with a smattering of freshly chopped Parsley, if desired.

MMMMMMMMMMMMM!! I'm happy as a Lark.

Mangia!!
~~

Wordless Wednesday - Life of a Cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:01:00 +0000

White Cake cupcakes, filled with Lemon Curd and topped with toasted 7 minute frosting

Got Curd? - Lemon Curd

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:37:00 +0000

I just realized, when making cupcakes for Easter, that I have never posted my Lemon Curd recipe. This kind of surprised me a little, cause I make it all the time. But sure enough, I've covered Meyer Lemon Curd, Caramel Blood Orange Curd, and Key Lime Curd. But alas, not a peep regarding regular good old simple Lemon Curd. Lemme tell ya, there ain't nothin' better on a scone. Well, except maybe Blood Orange Marmalade. But that is another post.

So, in the interest of covering all the bases; here is my Lemon Curd recipe (cause the proportions are a little different than the Meyer Lemon one)

Lemon Curd

4 oz unsalted Butter, melted
1 cup Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs Whites
2 tsp Lemon Zest
3/4 cup Lemon Juice
pinch of Salt
6 large Egg Yolks

Melt the butter in a bowl over simmering water and set aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl place Sugar, Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice, Egg Whites and Salt.

Place the 6 Egg Yolks into the bowl of cooled melted butter.

Whisk the ingredients in both bowls until homogeneous.

Add the Yolk/Butter mixture to the Sugar/Lemon and whisk until well combined.

Place the bowl over simmering water.

Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 172F (78C) degrees, or until it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain through fine mesh into a clean bowl, to stop cooking and remove the spent zest or any egg specks.

Cover on the surface with plastic, to prevent any crusting, and leave to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Once completely chilled, serve with scones, crumpets or fill your cupcakes with it ;)

Mangia!!
~~

Funky Cabbage Flowers - Lumaconi al Forno con Cavolfiore

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 05:50:00 +0000

If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you are probably aware of just how much of a cheese head I am. In fact I have never met a cheese that I didn't like.

Then again, there are 2 cheeses that I do not consider to be cheeses. One is the so called "American Cheese". While I will admit that it does have it's uses in some, though very few, culinary pursuits, I find the fact that it is often labeled as "Processed Cheese Food Product" to be extremely disturbing. The other is the Brunost/Mesost/Mysuostur/Myseost (Brown cheese), usually sold under the red Ski Queen label as Gjetost. (yay-toast) This is a "whey cheese", like ricotta. Unlike ricotta, however, this whey is cooked down until all the milk proteins caramelize. It's similar to what happens when you cook sweetened condensed milk to make dulce de leche. This gives it a really sweet flavor and a texture kind of like cold peanut butter. Eww! Sorry, this "cheese" does not speak to my Scandinavian roots. Nope, not a bit.

Bring on the funk!

It's true, I like my cheeses funky. The funkier the better. Seriously. Good cheese should take you to Funky Town, otherwise you are wasting your time. Look at Parmigiano-Reggiano. There is a reason people refer to it as stinky cheese. YET, it is of such paramount importance in SO many dishes that it has been dubbed the "Undisputed King of Cheeses". Then there is Brie, the Queen. Somewhat more subtle, but she don't smell like roses either. There is definitely a slight ammonia odor to Brie and to a larger extent Camembert. Roquefort.... Really goes without saying. Limburger? I actually LIKE Limburger, 1950's cartoon tropes aside, spread on Rye with Brown Mustard and Onion. YUM!

Needless to say, I was all kinds of excited when I saw Food & Wine's Taleggio and Cauliflower Mac & Cheese. I am all about Cauliflower; especially in pasta dishes. I have to admit that it smells funny when you are boiling or steaming it, but the flavor is always so delicate. Taleggio is the same way, it's a pungent smelling cheese with a decidedly delicate flavor. It's a washed rind cheese made from autumn and winter milk, after the cows have been brought down from the high pastures in the mountains. Think of it as an Italian version of Brie or Camembert, in a way. As it ages, it becomes softer on the inside, to the point of becoming gooey. I was intrigued with the idea of this funky couple gettin' down with some baked pasta. Taleggio is an EXCELLENT melting cheese.

Besides, I can always use another excuse to eat Taleggio, aside from consuming it with fresh peaches. LOL

Taleggio & Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

(adapted from Food & Wine)
1 Cauliflower, cut into florets
1 TB Butter
3 Tb Olive Oil
1 large Shallot, finely chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Rosemary, minced
Black Pepper
4 oz White Wine
12 oz Heavy Cream
6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
8 oz Taleggio, remove rind and cube
1 lb Lumaconi or Conchiglioni (go with the shells)
4 Tb Panko

Preheat the oven to 450F degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, break down the cauliflower into 1 inch florets.

Remove the rind from the Taleggio.

Cut into 1/2 inch chunks.

Cook the Cauliflower in the boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Move to cold water to stop cooking, then drain and let dry slightly.

Melt Butter with Olive oil in a large saute pan.

Add the Shallot and saute for 3 minutes.

Add Garlic & Rosemary, sauteing for 1-2 minutes more.
Add Cauliflower and cook for about 8 minutes, until it begins to brown.

Add White wine and cook until evaporated.

Remove the pan from the flame and add the Heavy Cream along with 4 oz of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, then stir to combine.

Add the chunks of Taleggio and stir. (The sauce will thicken as the Taleggio melts and pulls everything together)

Let the sauce cool while you boil the pasta.

Drain well.

Return to the pot.

Pour the unctuous Cauliflower & Taleggio sauce over the pasta.

Toss to coat well.

Spoon 1/2 of the pasta to a 13x9 inch baking dish and sprinkle with 2 TB of the Panko.

Spoon the remaining pasta over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 2 TB Panko.

Top with the remaining 2 TB Panko and 2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (until it begins to bubble and brown)

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MMMMMM Creamy, Crunchy, Cheesy, Cauliflowery goodness. Smellin' kinda funky, but tasting divine!

How funky is your Mac & Cheese?

Mangia!!
~~

Wordless Wednesday - The Springing of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:01:00 +0000

(Courtesy of my nephew Blaine)

Rooting Through Recipes - Root Beer Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 14:55:00 +0000

My nephew has 2 great loves in his life. OK, 3 if you count his girlfriend, but we are talking about food right now. Chocolate covered Cherries and Root Beer. I am fairly sure that he does not consume them both at the same time, then again, he IS 19, so it's quite possible that he does. Because of his love for chocolate covered cherries, it has become a tradition for me to make him a Black Forest Cake for his birthday. But this last October was a little bit different.

With the loss of my Grandmother, his Great-Grandmother, in October things just went all kinds of crazy 'round here and in with all the hubbub going on around his birthday... Well, his cake was sort of forgotten this last year. Poor kid. :(

Since that time, I have been attempting to compile all of Grandma's recipes (lord have mercy, but there are tons) into some semblance of a cook book. While going to the box of cake recipes (Yes, it was a box. A BIG box) I came across an interesting one for a Root Beer cake. I am familiar with Coca-Cola cake, but I had never heard of Root Beer cake. I don't think it was one of Grandma's regular offerings. Then again, she did A LOT of baking for A LOT of people.

I asked my nephew if he thought it sounded interesting, since he is such a root beer nut. He was ALL over the idea. That is, with the proviso that I use A&W Root Beer. LOL

So, even though it's 4 months late.... Happy Birthday Blaine!

Root Beer Cake

with Root Beer Ermine Frosting

1 cup (8 oz)(226g) Unsalted Butter (plus more for the pans)
2 1/2 cups (10 oz)(283g) Cake Flour (plus more for the pans)
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 cup A&W Root Beer
3 tsp Root Beer Extract
1 1/2 cups (10.5 oz)(300g) Granulated Sugar
4 large Eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Butter and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans.

Place Flour, Baking Powder and Salt in a medium bowl, whisking to combine.

In a small pitcher, combine Root Beer and Root Beer extract.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add Eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition before adding the next.

Flour and Root Beer mixture, alternating, beginning and ending with the Flour.

Beat 1 minute longer to ensure everything is homogeneous.

Divide batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning once, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Move to a cooling rack and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Turn the cakes out and allow to cool completely.

While you are waiting for the cake to cool, go ahead and make.............

Root Beer Ermine Frosting:
3/4 cup Whole Milk
1/3 cup Root Beer
3 1/2 TB AP Flour
healthy pinch of Salt
1 cup Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Root Beer Extract

Combine Milk, Root Beer and Flour in a saucepan, whisking until the flour "dissolves".

Place over medium flame and cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens enough for a line to show on the surface for 10 seconds before sinking into the mixture (I use a soap making term for this, called "Trace")

Remove from the flame and pour into a bowl to stop the cooking.

Cover on the surface with plastic wrap to prevent crusting.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat Butter and Sugar until fluffy.

Add Root Beer extract and beat until combined.

Once the Flour/Milk mixture is still warm, but not hot (a little warmer than "lukewarm"), set the mixer on medium speed and begin adding the flour mixture to the Butter mixture, 1 TB at a time, beating well after each addition.

Once you have added all of the Flour mixture to the Butter, beat for an additional 3-5 minutes.

You should hear the tell tale "slapping" sound that Butter Creme frosting makes.

Frost the cake, reserving about 1/2 cup for piping purposes and top with "Root Beer Barrel" Candy.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. (Ermine frosting needs to stay refrigerated cause it begins to melt above 70 degrees)

It's REALLY not as sweet as you would think. Which surprised me, but so moist and dense, yet tender that it would not have mattered HOW sweet it was. It's just delicious.

Mangia!!

My Frond-ness for Fennel - Linguine con le Sarde

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:37:00 +0000

I figured, since I just finished touting the healthy deliciousness that is Fennel, I should probably post a recipe that uses something other than the bulb. I mean, there ARE other parts to the plant, and as I stated in Risotto al Finoccho, they are all edible. This particular recipe utilizes the feathery leaves.

Normally, when I cook Italian cuisine, I tend to stay in the northern area of the country. True, I venture down to Lazio, on occasion, and delve into Campania for San Marzano Tomatoes and Mozarella di Bufala. I even dip my toe in Abruzzo for Montepulciano. (which is awesome with lamb by the way) Most of the time, however, I tend to stay around Emilia-Romagna and it's northern neighbors Liguria, Piemonte, Aosta, Lombardia, Trentino, Veneto, and Friuli. Heck, my last Fennel recipe was a risotto and risotto is a Northern Italian dish, at least for the most part. But today, I wanna take a trip south.... WAY south. Across the water. Though it's really not all that much water. The Destination? Sicilia (Sicily). In particular, Palermo. For that is where this dish hails from. Though I have heard it said that the invading Moors are actually responsible for this dish, which is why it contains Currants.

I know this will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I cannot help myself. I LOVE Sardines. They are simply delicious and they're amazingly good for you. Besides being virtually mercury-less, unlike some other long lived fish, sardines are chock-full of Omega-3 fatty acids and loaded with calcium. They're really like health food in a can, I swear. But we aren't done yet. This dish contains Pine nuts as well. Those little nuggets of cholesterol lowering yumminess. Pine nuts are high in Oleic acid (a mono-unsaturated fat which helps reduce LDL and increase HDL production) and rife with Vitamin E (a fat soluble antioxidant). Now once we add in the cancer fighting, anti-inflammatory power for Anethole, from the Fennel, and you have a pasta dish of such healthy proportions, it is truly a fearsome thing to behold.

So this one is for the fish lovers out there.

Linguine con le Sarde

1/2 cup dried Currants (those would be Zante Currants, black currants are hard to find)
2 oz Fennel leaves (about 3 bulbs worth of fronds, depending on how they are trimmed up)
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Panko
1/2 cup Pine Nuts
3.5 oz Shallot, minced
5 Anchovy Fillets
3 4-oz cans Sardines (they are about 3 oz after draining)
pinch of Saffron
Salt and Pepper to to taste
1 lb Linguine (or more appropriately Bucatini)

Begin by soaking the Currants in enough hot water to cover them for 15 minutes.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the fennel "feathers" and blanch for 2 minutes.

Remove them with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and chop them roughly.

2 TB Olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat.

Toast Panko in the hot oil, tossing frequently, until all crispy and golden.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Wipe the pan and toast the pine nuts too.

Set them aside as well.

Add 1/2 cup Olive oil to the pan.

When heated, saute the shallot until soft. (about 5 minutes)

Add Anchovy fillets and cook, stirring, until they break apart. (about 3 minutes more)

Add the Sardines and stir them in carefully, you don't want to break them up too much.

Add the Currants and Fennel, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, drop the Linguine into the same water you blanched the Fennel fronds in.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Pine Nuts.

When the pasta is done, quickly remove 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Drain the Linguine well.

Pour the Linguine back into the pot and toss with 2 TB Olive oil. (this will help the sauce cling to the pasta)

Pour the Sardine mixture over the Linguine and toss gently.......

adding pasta water as necessary until everything becomes well blended and moderately "saucy".

(I only needed 3/4 cup of the pasta water this time)

Pour into a warm serving bowl

Then sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the toasted Panko.

Serve with remaining Panko to be used at the diner's discretion.

And here is the gratuitous extreme close up shot.... :)

Mangia!!
~~

Food & Wine and Fennel - Risotto al Finocchio

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:37:00 +0000

Over the years that I've been posting anecdotes, recipes, and pictures, as well as some exceedingly boring stories of my childhood, here on Culinary Alchemy, I have made no bones about the fact that I adore Fennel. Sadly, that adoration sometimes borders on obsession. But I figure, hey, if I don't blog and talk about how delicious fennel is, then who will?

Honestly, I believe it is one of those vegetables that gets ignored in the United States. We just don't consume enough fennel here. Then again, we don't consume many leeks either. But that is another post. It could be because all the grocery stores mistakenly label it "anise"... Silly grocery stores. They don't even look alike.

This is Anise.......

Which looks more like Yarrow or a flowering Fern......

This is Fennel......

Fennel looks like Dill Weed, but with an edible white bulb at the bottom.

So now that we have established that grocery store owners are obviously not botnists....

Let me dispel the myth that Fennel tastes like Licorice. It doesn't, not really. At least the bulb and fronds don't really taste like licorice... Sweet, yes. Licorice-y, not so much. The seeds on the other hand? Well, I'll give ya that one. They do have a flavor that is decidedly similar to anise seed and/or licorice root. The active ingredient, that most people perceive as licorice-ness, is Anethole. It is found in the Fennel seeds in much higher concentrations than the leaves, stems or bulb of the plant. The funniest part about this is that actual licorice root contains only an infinitesimal amount of this "anethole". The flavor of licorice really comes from a chemical called "glycyrhhizin" which is 30-50 times sweeter than table sugar. Unlike sugar, it's sweet flavor builds up and then lingers afterwards. In essence, it pummels your taste buds with sweetness. Then it continues to linger and hang around like an unwelcome house guest. So, technically, the flavor of licorice is really nothing more than a taste bud overload. This is very different from the "fresh" taste of the anethole found in Anise, Star Anise and Fennel. Though to be fair, candy manufacturers cheat and use anise and fennel oils in their licorice products as a filler for the more expensive glycyrhhizin.

If you want to taste REAL licorice, you'll have to order it over the internet from the Netherlands or possibly Italy, where they revel in the true flavor of the root.

The point though, is that we should ALL be consuming more anethole. It's GOOD for you. I cannot stress this fact enough. Anethole is an Anti-Inflammatory as well as a Cancer fighter. Anethole has the amazing ability to shut down the inter-cellular signaling system called tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-mediated signaling. By doing such, it prevents the release of an inflammation-triggering molecule called NF-kappaB. Being high in vitamin C is also a bonus, since it's a water soluble antioxidant that boosts your immune system and assists in keeping your joints lubricated. It also contains a healthy dose of Folate, which is necessary to convert the blood vessel damaging Homocysteine into less dangerous molecules.

It's a boon to the cook due to the fact that ALL parts of the plant are edible and taste slightly different, thus it provides multiple textures as well as multiple degrees of flavor depending. The bulb is almost celery like in texture making it perfect in cooked preparations as well as being eaten raw. The stems are more tender and great for seasoning soups. The delicately flavored feathery leaves are excellent in salads for both texture and beauty. The seeds, which come from a different cultivar than the bulb/stem/leaves, are of great importance when making sausages. I think you would be surprised to find how many different sausages contain fennel seeds, in varying amounts of course, but they are there. Then there is the infamous fennel pollen. What can I say? It's the strongest flavored of them all, so a little goes a long way.

This is obviously one of my soap boxes. I simply love the stuff. All parts of it. So imagine how thrilling it was to see that the last issue of Food & Wine magazine featured a Risotto recipe containing Fennel. I was absolutely beside myself with giddy delight. Risotto is the great love of my life, and pairing it with one of my favorite vegetables is enough to throw me into a swoon. (I guess I truly am a food geek)

I had to change the recipe slightly though. Not that I think I am an expert of anything, but I felt there was something missing from the recipe when I read it. I do cook A LOT of fennel, so I am fairly opinionated as to how it should be cooked and what it should be augmented with. (OK, that does make me sound just a bit ego-centric doesn't it?) How bout if I just say, "I know what I like with my Fennel". I stayed open minded until the very end, and followed the recipe... but when I tasted it, right before removing from the heat to let it rest, I was right, it was missing "something".... Citrus is always the perfect accompaniment to fennel. In fact, I think it tastes a little odd if it's missing... Thus, my addition.

Fennel Risotto

(Risotto al Finocchio)

3 cups Chicken Stock
1 cup Water
2 TB Olive Oil
1/4 of a Fennel Bulb, finely chopped
1/2 a Shallot, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
1/4 cup White Wine (Look for citrus flavors)
1 TB Butter
Zest of 1/2 an Orange (Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon or Minneola are nice)
1 oz Ricotta Salata or Mizythra

Combine Chicken Stock and Water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. (Please note the gratuitous shot of my Corningware 4 cup Sauce Maker) LOL

Heat olive oil in a saute pan set over medium flame.

Add the Fennel ans Shallot, sweating them slowly (about 15 minutes) until they start to caramelize and turn soft and sticky.

Add the Rice and cook until it begins to smell nutty.

Add the white wine and stir until absorbed.

Begin adding stock, and stirring, one ladle at a time.....

Continue adding the stock until the rice it al dente and well coated in creamy goodness.
Remove from the flame and add Butter and Orange Zest, then cover and let rest for 3-5 minutes.

Stir the risotto and serve with shaved Ricotta Salata or Mizythra.

I opted to try the Lamb Sausage as well and serve them together.....

The Risotto was phenomenally delicious, but the lamb sausage was a little TOO warm and pretty much masked the fennel as well as the lamb itself. I will cut the red pepper flake in half the next time.

Mangia!!
~~

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling - Guinness Fondue

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 03:07:00 +0000

St. Patrick's Day is HERE!!!!!

It's that time again.... Yes, it's time for me to don my sacred, if a little scruffy, Guinness hat and do something fun and interesting with this most Irish of brews.

Come on..... "Say ya like my hat, Shannon!"

The only difference this year, is that I chose to use Draught instead of the Extra Stout. Though I must admit that I had to rack my brain a little to come up with something this time. It had to be REALLY good since I messed up last year and missed St. Patrick's Day all together, being absorbed in my quest for Sauce Nantua and Mahi Mahi Mousseline.

Then it struck me. I love Traditional Irish Soda Bread, so I should do something with that. But Guinness Soda Bread just didn't sound all that appetizing. I may bake my Soda Bread unconventionally, but that is simply because I lack a bastible (Dutch Oven), but I am a purist when it comes to my ingredients. So I thought about using it in bread pudding with Guinness. But I am really stuck on the Irish Whiskey Bread Pudding I usually make..... I mean, why drink beer when you can have whiskey, right?

Then, since I was cooking all sorts of German food this last week, it suddenly hit me. Fondue! Soda Bread would make excellent dipping fodder. Hmmmmmmm Would Guinness make an decent base for a nice Cheddary fondue? You bet your shamrocks it does... Use a nice Irish cheese (I chose Kerry Gold Dubliner) and you are all set for a Swiss classic with a seriously Irish twist.

After all, aren't we ALL a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day?

Guinness Fondue

(With Toasted Irish Soda Bread)

Olive Oil, in a spray can
1 Loaf Traditional Irish Soda Bread (with no frills)
14 oz Dubliner (Kerry Gold), shredded
1 TB AP Flour or Corn Flour
1 tsp Mustard Powder
1 clove Garlic, sliced
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 1/4 cups Guinness Draught
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Cube the Irish Soda Bread and lay it out on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil.

Toast bread in the oven at 350F degrees for about 10 minutes, just until it begins to color; set aside

Toss shredded Dubliner with Flour (either AP or Corn) and Mustard Powder in a medium bowl or a zipper bag, set aside.

In a small sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic until it becomes fragrant.

Remove the garlic slices and add Guinness and Lemon Juice to the saucepan.

Bring to a simmer and slowly add the Cheese, a little at a time, stirring until completely melted before adding more.

Once all the cheese has been incorporated and everything is silky smooth, move to a fondue pot or a small crock pot set on low.

Dip toasted chunks of Irish Soda Bread until your hearts content. (No fondue forks? Skewers work well)

Don't forget to chase it all down with another Guinness. :)

Want something Green? Forget the artificially dyed Pilsner.... Dip chunks of Granny Smith apple.

But my favorite dipper of all, is crispy bacon.... Muah ha ha ha!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
~~

For other Guinness Stout recipes see....

Guinness Cake with Bailey's Frosting

Guinness Ice Cream

Guinness Mousse

The Black and Tan - Stout Brownie & Malted Gelato

Into Bushmills instead of Guinness? Check these out instead.....

Irish Coffee (Caife Gaelach)

Irish Whiskey Bread Pudding

Wordless Wednesday - Fennel Risotto with Lamb Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 07:12:00 +0000

German Comfort Food - Sauerbraten (part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 06:30:00 +0000

In Sauerbraten Part 1 we began marinating the roast. I know that all of you have been religiously turning your roast in the marinade every 12 hours for the last couple of days, right? Excellent! Now it's time to complete the transformation from just another roast, to that ever so evocative of German dishes.... Sauerbraten.....

As I eluded to in the previous post. You will require about 6-10 Gingersnap cookies to finish off the gravy. You did remember to get some gingersnaps, right? If you forgot, you can always use stale Gingerbread (crumbled up) or even go so far as to use Gingerbread Cookies (crushed), if you have some lying around. I never do, so I opt for the gingersnaps purchased from a grocery store. Luckily, I have not eaten all of them as well. :)

Saurbraten

(Part 2)

4 TB Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Water
6-10 Gingersnap cookies, pulverized (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Remove the roast from the refrigerator and let is warm up for about 1/2 hour.

Remove the roast from the marinade to a stack of paper towels and dry the roast thoroughly, for just as Julia says, "Wet meat doesn't brown as well."

Strain the marinade into a large bowl, to remove the miscellaneous adjuncts. (Coriander seeds, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns, Onions, Carrot, etc.)

Wash the pot and preheat the oven to 300F degrees.

Place the clean pot over medium heat and melt 4 TB of Unsalted Butter.

Once the butter has melted, place the roast in the pot and sear on all sides, until nice and brown.

By all sides, I mean even the ends.

Once the roast is all browned and delicious looking, pour the marinade over the top.

Bring the marinade to a boil, on the stove.

Cover.... and move to your preheated oven for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours.... Turning the roast every hour.

This is usually when I put the cookies into a ziploc bag.

And smash them into infinitesimal crumbs with a rolling pin, then set them aside until everything is ready for them to meet their gravy thickening destiny.

Once it has braised to a nice and tender slab of deliciousness, remove from the oven.

Extract the roast from the marinade and slice it up (as best you can, it will fall apart for the most part).

Tent to keep warm whilst you finish the gravy.

Pour out the marinade into a measuring cup.

You need at least 1 1/2 cups of marinade/meat juices, I usually have about 2 cups. (which is OK by me, cause that just means more gravy)

Add this back to the pot and fortify the marinade with 1/2 cup Water.

Bring this to a simmer over medium flame and add the Gingersnap crumbs.

Stir them in well, then bring the whole thing back to a simmer again.

Continue simmering until the sauce thickens into a rich and deliciously spiced gravy.

Lay it out on a warm platter and douse it with gravy.

Don't forget to save some back for your guests..

Serve, with Spaetzle & Mushrooms and Fried Red Cabbage.

MMMMMMM Germany on a Plate!

Fütterung der Raubtiere!!
~~

Little Sparrows in Butter - Spaetzle

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 04:49:00 +0000

It's been a long time in coming. I figured since I was going to all the trouble of making Sauerbraten, that the perfect side dish would be Spaetzle. Since my braten is still sauer-ing in the refrigerator, this is the perfect opportunity to blog about these delectable little German sparrows. For that is what Spaetzle means.... Little Sparrows. Personally, I don't think they look anything like birds, but who am I to judge?

Spaeztle is a form of egg noodle flavored with nutmeg; at least in it's basic form. So the ingredient list is fairly short - eggs, milk, flour, salt and nutmeg. Now as far as how to form noodles? Well, opinions abound as to how it should be done.

You can smear the dough across a board and cut spaetzle into a pot of boiling water with a knife.
You can use a press (that looks like a potato ricer).
You can even go to a kitchen gadget store and purchase a "spaetzle grater" contraption.

Honestly, though I am all for cool kitchen gadgets and stuff, I prefer to use what I already have lying around. A rubber spatula and my steamer insert from one of my pots. The holes in the bottom are JUST the right. (which happens to be 1/2 cm or about 1/4 inch in width) You can also make use of a colander as long as there are enough holes in the bottom and they are a little on the larger side.

I simply hold the steamer insert over the boiling water and press the batter/dough through the holes with my spatula in a sweeping motion. Simple, easy and no special gadgets need apply.

Afterwards, I like to saute them briefly in butter and sprinkle with a little German cheese such as Bergkase. Noodle Nirvana!

Spaetzle

(with Bergkase)

2 large Eggs
59 ml (2 oz) (1/4 cup) Whole Milk
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp White Pepper, ground
1/4 tsp Nutmeg, grated
127g (4.5oz) (1 cup) AP Flour
3 quarts Salted Boiling Water
2 TB Unsalted Butter
Bergkase, grated

First, combine the Eggs, Milk, Salt, Pepper and Nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Whisk everything together until well combined.

Add the Flour and stir (with a spatula, not a whisk - I forgot to remove it) until......

you have a soft, somewhat sticky, dough.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the gluten in the flour to relax a little.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and salt liberally (make it like the ocean)

Grab your steamer insert or a colander.....

(the holes should be at least 1/2 cm or a little less than 1/4 inch in diameter)

Place it over the boiling water and load it up with the chilled dough.

Rub your spatula back and forth to force the batter through the holes.

Boil the spaetzle for about 4 minutes (or until they float)

Meanwhile, begin heating 2 TB Butter in a large skillet set over medium flame.

Remove the spaetzle from the water with a skimmer.

Add to the hot skillet and toss with the melted butter.

Remove from the heat when all glossy with buttery goodness.

Finish off with some grated Bergkase if you like.

MMMMMMM and now for a totally gratuitous extreme close-up.....

Fütterung der Raubtiere!!

German Comfort Food - Sauerbraten (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 05:45:00 +0000

I love my comfort foods. Macaroni and Cheese, Lasagne, Corned Beef Pinwheels, Chicken and Dumplings, Boeuf Bourgaignon, Lentil Soup, Biscuits and Gravy, Stroganov, and Pasta Carbonara, to name just a few. There is one comfort food though, that I don't make very often. This is mainly because, as a single person, there is no possible way I can eat my way through a 4 lb hunk o' beef. Something of that size is better regulated to the proverbial "holiday get together". Sadly, those usually already include a large turkey, a BBQ, or a leg of lamb, leaving no room for an additional large roast.

I speak not of Pot Roast, per se, but of that most quintessentially "German" of dishes on this large blue marble. Sauerbraten (Sour Roast).

As luck would have it, we are going to have a small get together with a family friend, so it's time that I whipped this recipe out and brushed the cobwebs off. And it's a good thing, because Sauerbraten takes a little forethought. You must begin marinating the meat 48-72 hours ahead of time.

So what exactly IS sauerbraten? Well, it's sort of Germany's answer to Boeuf Bourgaignon. Though considering the antiquity of the recipe, it's more correctly stated that Boeuf Bourgaignon is France's answer to Sauerbraten. Legend has it that the recipe stems from when Julius Caesar was shipping in meat for his legions during one of his campaigns against the Thuringians. In order to preserve the meat, it was stored in amphora full of vinegar. Since the Romans had a tendency to simply colonize the areas of their conquests and merge with the local peoples, the defeated Thuringians, Bavarians, and Saxons were eventually exposed to this soured meat. The flavor was well received and eventually became part of the local cuisine.

Granted, the Thuringians, as well as several other tribes that inhabited the area in Europe that we know today as "Germany", originally used this method of marination on Horse meat. Horse can be a very tough chew, but the vinegar marinade has the added benefit of tenderizing the meat. While I am normally a stickler for tradition, I will be foregoing the horse meat for this recipe. While I have eaten A LOT of things that most people would not, from Opossum to Bear and back again, but I find the idea of eating horse to be somewhat horrifying. I know it is still eaten in Europe; France, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands & Iceland just being a few, but I find horses to be too intelligent to be eaten. I am not even overly fond of them, but when you look them in the eye, you can see that they have a level of self awareness beyond that of a sheep, cows and pigs. Heck, they are even smarter than goats (being from a goat dairy, it really annoys me to say that). Sorry, I firmly believe that it's on par with eating your dog, your cat or a dolphin. But that is just how I feel about it.

Thus, when I make Sauerbraten, I use a big chunk of beef. Parts such as the Bottom Round, Top Round, Rump or Chuck are good choices and tend to be cheaper pieces of meat. Basically anything you would use for a Yankee Pot Roast will be just fine.

But we gotta get this chunk of Bovine marinating, so it's time for me to quit yappin and get to cookin.
I am going to do this post in 2 installments because of the amount of time required. It will give you a chance to follow a long it you want. :)

An old Corningware 5 quart pot works GREAT for this, since it goes from the stove to the refrigerator to the oven to the table. LOVE this stuff. (That is why this recipe will be posted to Corningware411 as well)

Sauerbraten

2 Onions, sliced
1 rib of Celery, chopped
1 Carrot, chopped
4 Bay Leaves
7 whole Clove Buds
1/2 tsp Coriander Seed
3/4 tsp Black Peppercorns
2 1/2 cups Water
1 1/2 cups Red Wine Vinegar
3 1/2 - 4 lb Beef Roast

Later you will need (just so there are no surprises in the second installment)
1/2 cup Water
1/3 cup crushed Ginger Snaps

Grab a 5 quart pot and add the Onions, Celery, Carrot, Bay Leaves, Cloves, Coriander and Black Peppercorns.

Pour in the Water and the Red Wine Vinegar.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat and add the meat to the hot marinade.

Turning to coat.

Cover again, and place in the refrigerator.

Turn the meat every 12 hours for at least 2 days (48 hours) but preferably 3 days (72 hrs)

Your patience and perseverance will be rewarded.
~~

Through the magic of the Blogverse you can Fast Forward to Sauerbraten Part 2

Big Bowl of Bavarian Brew - Bavarian Beer Cheese Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 03:05:00 +0000

I have a love affair with all things Alpine in origin. By Alpine, I mean anything and everything that comes from the Alps in Europe. Especially the food. Whether it's the French Alps and a tartiflette, the Swiss Alps and a classic Fondue, the Italian Alps and Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinesi, the Austrian Alps and kaspressknödel or the Bavarian Alps and Kasesuppe... I love them all. And why should I not? For every single one of the afore mentioned dishes contains my favorite culinary ingredient..... Cheese. Not just any cheeses mind you, but the most flavorful group of cheeses known to man. Alpine cheeses.

Yes, I will concede that Parmigiano-Reggiano is still the undisputed king of cheeses and that Brie is the beloved queen, but all the grand dukes of cheese-dom are located in the alpine region of Europe. Bitto, Raclette, Gruyere, Emmental, Bergkase, Cambazola, Beaufort, Fontina val d'Aosta, Comte, Reblochon, Graukase, Weissbier, Castelmagno, Butterkase, Gorgonzola, Tilsiter, Appenzeller, Bundnerkase, Tomme de Savoie, and so many others that it boggles the mind. To heck with the moon, it's the Alps that are made of cheese. And I love them all.

Man may not be able to live on bread alone, but add a slab of cheese and he's good to go.

Cheese simply makes everything better, from apple pie to soups. And soup is what I am going to talk about today; Kasesuppe or Bavarian Cheese Soup. Now don't think this is a thick and heavy soup, like some sort of Campbell's Broccoli Cheese concoction in a can. Oh no my friends. This soup has just enough cheese in it to make it unbelievably savory, yet still brothy and soup-like. Utter deliciousness in a bowl. Cheese Nirvana, if you will.

Traditionally, Kasesuppe is thickened with soaked day-old bread, but I am cheating today and simply using flour and butter to thicken it. What is truly important with this soup is the choice of cheeses. You can use cheddar, but you have to be more careful with the heat, because cheddar has a tendency to clump up very easily when overheated. Smooth melting cheeses such as Emmental and Gruyere are the traditional choices, but I have found that a mixture of Tilsiter and Bergkase or Bergkase and Weissbier are just as tasty.

In my opinion the best beer choice is a dark (dunkel) Munich lager but there are several wheat beers, both dark and light, that would be fairly tasty as well. Ayinger comes in a 500ml bottle, meaning there will be just over 4 oz left for the cook to enjoy while making the soup. :)

If you are having an issue finding a good Bavarian style beer, go ahead and try a Sam Adams Boston Lager. Your looking for a rich malty beer that has not been over-hopped, (as is SO popular now days) so IPA's are definitely out.

Bavarian Beer Cheese Soup

(Kasesuppe)

4 oz Unsalted Butter
3 cups (12 oz) Celery, diced
3 cups (12 oz) Onion, diced
1 Carrot, grated
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
8 TB (1/2 cup) AP Flour
6 cups Chicken Stock
12 oz Munich Dunkel Lager (Bavarian Dark Lager)
1 tsp White Pepper
Pinch of Kosher Salt
4 oz (1 cup) Bergkase or Tilsiter or Emmental, grated
4 oz (1 cup) Sharp Cheddar or Weissbier or Gruyere, grated

Melt butter in a large stock pot.

Add the vegetables and saute until tender.

Add the garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour, stirring to prevent clumping.

Cook the flour until it begins to smell nutty before adding the Chicken Stock, stirring to prevent lumps.

Add the Dark Lager.

Season with Kosher Salt and White Pepper, then bring everything to a simmer.

Hold at a simmer for 10 -15 minutes. (until the soup begins to thicken)

Remove the pot from the flame and add the cheese.

Stir until the cheese has melted completely.

Serve. (with croutons or crusty bread if desired)

Mangia!!
~~

A New Way to Enjoy Earl Grey - Earl Grey and Blood Orange Shortbread

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:16:00 +0000

Shortbread often comes in pairs. Or at least it does when I am making it. :)

I have been drinking a lot of tea over the last few days, because I have been fighting a cold, and nothing is quite as satisfying as Earl Grey with lemon. It really is my ultimate tea.... I will admit to having a soft spot for first flush Darjeeling, but Earl Grey is my all time favorite. It's bright, rich, bold and exotic. It stands to reason that lemon is an excellent accompaniment to Earl Grey Tea, especially when your ill, since it already contains oil of Bergamot Orange. It's the perfect pairing, which is why Earl Grey is traditionally served with slices, not a wedge, of lemon to be added at the drinkers discretion and allowed to languidly float upon the sea of "Grey" within the cup. Sometimes, the lemon slices are even spiked with a clove in the center. But I will refrain from talking about British tea traditions as that would fill several posts.

My favorite brand has got to be the Tao of Tea's Organic Earl Grey, which is the perfect balance of rich Assam and Bergamot oil. I like their Smoked Earl Grey too, but it doesn't translate as well into one of my most loved winter drinks, the London Fog. A London Fog, is a delicious concoction made from Earl Grey steeped in steamed milk, with a hint of vanilla syrup. True, Earl Grey is not normally served with milk, because the Bergamot oil could potentially curdle the milk, but I find it to be a winter time necessity in dreary winter environs, such as the Pacific Northwest. (and I have never had one curdle on me) After all, oil of Bergamot is second only to lavender in it's ability to act as a stimulate and anti-depressant, while simultaneously acting as a sedative and relaxant, giving you an overall sense of well being.

Now that I have expounded upon the liquid wonder that is Earl Grey, lets move on to something more solid... Shortbread.

Just like ground coffee, ground tea is an excellent addition to Shortbread. Earl Grey's ability to play well with other flavors in such goodies as Chocolate Truffles and Pots de Creme makes it the perfect candidate for baking. It also lends itself well to other additions such as vanilla, almond, and a myriad of citrus zests. Add the zest of a Blood Orange and you have something even more exotic and out of the ordinary. Have a taste for Lavender? Try Lady Grey tea with Meyer Lemon zest instead.... (though it really should be called Countess Grey, which is the accepted feminine form of Earl. I'm just sayin) Black tea not really your thing? Try Earl Green (Green tea with Bergamot oil) with Tangelo zest. They are ALL delicious.

Earl Grey and Blood Orange Shortbread

2 oz (57g)(1/4 cup) Granulated Sugar
4 oz (113g)(8 TB) Unsalted Butter
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 tsp Earl Grey Tea leaves
zest of 1/2 a Blood Orange (about 3/4 tsp)
6 oz (170g)(1 1/3 cup) AP Flour

Combine Sugar, Butter and Salt in the bowl of your mixer.

Beat until light and fluffy, while you grind the Earl Grey leaves into a powder.

Add the Earl Grey Powder along with the Blood Orange zest, and beat again until everything is combined.

Slowly work in the Flour,

you have a crumbly mixture.....

Turn the dough out onto a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap and work into a log with your hands.

Refrigerate the log for 1-2 hours, or until nice and firm.

Preheat the oven to 325F (162C) degrees.
Slice the log into 1/4 inch (6mm) slices.

Place on an AirBake pan or on a regular pan lined with Parchment. (AirBake pans are excellent for shortbread - I always forget that I have them)

Bake for 13-18 minutes, or until the edges just begin to change color.

Move to a rack and allow to cool completely.

Serve with tea of your choice..... (or coffee)

Me? I double up and enjoy these with a cup of Earl Grey. :)

Mangia!!
~~

Melancholy Mommy - Espresso Shortbread with White Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Yep, sooner or later you know it had to happen. Another shortbread recipe. This one is my mother's fault. She purchased some shortbread at the grocery store after reading the ingredient list, which seemed to be OK, since if contained Flour, Sugar, Butter and Coffee. Sounds OK to me too. BUT (there's that big but again) They had dipped the shortbread in fake white chocolate, composed of Palm Kernel and Palm oils with some cane juice and ground coffee.

While I applaud their use of cane juice, I really get annoyed when companies try to pass off Palm Kernel oil and Palm oil as being white chocolate. (ie. Nestle White Morsels, Guittard "Au Lait" and several "White Chocolate" candy bars like Hershey's Cookies and Cream) They aren't EVEN close. White Chocolate, being made from Cocoa Butter, melts in your mouth at 98 degrees (just like regular Chocolate). Palm Kernel oil doesn't "melt" until about 107F (I use to make soap). Thus it leaves a greasy feeling in your mouth. To make a long story short, it's like eating sugar laden Crisco. YUCK!

Needless to say, my mom was a little upset that they had ruined a perfectly good shortbread. She thought she could power past the fake coating. Alas, she could not. I tried one, they were gross.

So I made these especially for her, to lift her from her melancholy state of mind. Now she's all kinds of happy... and somewhat hyper for that matter.

Espresso Shortbread

1 1/2 tsp Espresso Powder
1 1/2 tsp Hot Water
Pinch of Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
4 oz (8 TB) (113g) Unsalted Butter
2 oz (1/4 cup) (57g) Brown Sugar (you can use Granulated Sugar if you like)
6 oz (1 1/3 cups) (170g) AP Flour

Coating:
1 1/2 oz REAL White Chocolate
1/8 tsp Espresso Powder

Combine Espresso Powder and Hot Water in a small bowl, stirring with a fork or spoon until dissolved.

the pinch of Cinnamon,

and the Salt, stirring to combine.

Place Butter in the bowl of a mixer along with the Espresso mixture.

Beat until well combined, then add the Brown Sugar.

Continue beating until everything is smooth and creamy looking.

Slowly incorporate the Flour, just until the dough begins to pull together into little clumps.

Turn the crumbly dough out onto a piece of waxed paper and press together into a disk with your hands.

Wrap the disk with the waxed paper, then wrap the whole thing with plastic wrap to retain moisture.

Chill the dough for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325F (162C) degrees and turn the disk out onto a well floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch (6mm) thick.

Using a well floured cutter, cut out shapes.

Move, with a floured spatula, to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 13-18 minutes or until the bottoms are just beginning to color and the shortbread feel firm to the touch in the center.

Move to a cooling rack.

Combine White Chocolate and Espresso powder in a small bowl.

Melt the White Chocolate in the microwave stirring until smooth.
Grab a large paint brush (I find it easier to paint than dip) and paint half the shortbread with espresso chocolate.

Let your imagination run wild...... :)

Allow the chocolate to sit for at least 1 hour to firm up again.

Then box them up and give them to your mother. :) Just don't let her eat more than 2 at any given time or you may find her bouncing off the walls. ;)

Mangia!!
~~

Goin' Green; Spring Green That Is - Gremolata

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Wingerd) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:10:00 +0000

Well, it's official - 12 days ago Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and spring is on the way. Or at least, it is suppose to be. I am beginning to think that Punxsutawney's predictive powers propose no promise of pacifying the North Pacific's propensity for protracting it's piercingly polar presence. Then again, knowing that nefarious Nor'easter that nailed New England, it's fair to figure that Phil's forest floor forecast is faulty.

But even though it seems that Spring won't "spring" for another six weeks hence, there is no reason that you cannot "taste" springtime on a plate. I am speaking of the infamous gremolata. For nothing tastes quite as "green" as gremolata. OK, Pesto tastes green too, but I have already posted about that. :)

Gremolata recipes are fairly varied, but it's safe to say that they ALWAYS contain lemon zest. Without the lemon zest, Gremolata looses it's sunny disposition and tastes more like a rainy day. Which is sad indeed. As far as other ingredients are concerned, there is a little more fluidity. Usually it involves some combination of Garlic, Mint and Parsley; mainly because Gremolata is the key ingredient in Ossobucco alla Milanese (braised veal shank). Tone down the Mint, or remove it completely, and Gremolata's verdant visage is a welcome addition to seafood and vegetables as well.

I take a little bit more of a pesto route when I make Gremolata and include nuts, pistachios in particular, but they are not necessary. I do this because Gremolata is devoid of both cheese and olive oil, unlike Pesto Genovese, and the nuts give the "sauce" a little more body and substance without "pesto-izing" it too much. But that is just my own personal preference.

My newest favorite vehicle for Gremolata conveyance is the Cauliflower "steak". But as I stated earlier, it is also magically delicious over shrimp and fish.

Gremolata

1 bunch of Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley (none of that soapy tasting curly stuff)
2-3 cloves of Garlic
2 TB Pistachios
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Zest of whole Lemon

Normally I would break out my mega mezzaluna for something like this, cause I prefer the texture created by hand chopping, but I was in a hurry. Luckily, Gremolata doesn't emulsify as easily as pesto does, since it contains no Olive oil. Thus, you can cheat with a food processor and still retain some form of texture.

In the work bowl, add Garlic, Parsley and Pistachios and give it several pulses to break everything down.

Add a pinch of Salt, and pulse again.

Add Lemon Juice, and pulse.

Add Lemon Zest and pulse briefly.

Serve over Cauliflower Steak or Shrimp.

mmmmmmm

Fear not, my friends, though spring be late,
And Old Man Winter doth fulminate,
Your appetite may yet be sate,
With Springtide greetings on a plate.

Mangia!!
~~