Bittman's Back (Olive Oil Cookies with Orange and Cinnamon)

I have to bring cookies to my church Advent Evensong on Sunday and wanted to make cookies that I would not have to go to the store to get ingredients. I looked in our Bittman book and found several recipes that would work, but this one stuck out because of the its simplicity and honestly it sounded like something older people would love.....not to sweet, sophisticated.....I am right I love them! They are not to sweet small cookies that satisfy your sweet tooth with out feeling like your teeth will fall out the moment you finish. I think with they are a perfect holiday cookie!

Olive Oil Cookies with Orange and Cinnamon
Spain
Makes: 2 dozen
Time: 40 minutes

These can be produced, if you like with lard or butter, but this is an ancient recipe from southern Spain and probably was originally made with olive oil. Terrific with sherry or coffee.

2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 extra virgin olive oil plus some for the cookie sheets
Grated zest of 1 orange or lemon, plus some of its juice if needed
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or some orange liqueur
Confectioners' sugar for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree. Combine the dry ingredients. Beat the egg with the olive oil, orange zest, and liqueur. Gently stir the liquid mix into the dry one, just until well combined; if mixture is stiff, add a little orange juice.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool further. Store in a covered tin for up to 3 days; sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

NOTE: While looking online I found this Bittman olive oil cookie too.

Garbage Casserole (Broccoli, beef, and cheese Casserole)

I know the name sound like a bad idea, Jason makes fun of me when I call a dish made out of left overs garbage anything. It comes from my childhood, my mom was awesome at making a new meal out of leftovers and one of my favorites was garbage soup (veggies, roast chicken, and noodles or rice). I had roasted broccoli from Thanksgiving I had frozen along with a few cans of condensed soup, so I decided to make a "garbage casserole". Never making anything like this I look on line and found this recipe and added to it. It is not bad if I say so myself, below is what I did to make the recipe my own.

1 lb. ground beef (93%)
salt and pepper
A few shakes of Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning Without Pepper
1 cup chopped roasted broccoli
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can cream of broccoli soup
1-1/2 soup can milk
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2- 1/2 cup cooked elbow pasta
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Put ground beef into a hot skillet add a few pinches of salt, pepper, and a few shakes of Goya seasoning, and brown. Add onion and cook till soften, add roasted broccoli to skillet and cook for about 5minutes until the broccoli is defrosted.

Stir the soup, milk, black pepper, and cheese and pasta in a 2-1/2 quart baking dish. Add the skillet mixture to the baking dish.

Bake at 400°F. for 20 minutes or until the pasta mixture is hot and bubbling. Turn of broil for 5 minutes to brown the top.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

OH MY GOODNESS!!! I made these cookies a week ago and they were really good! I added pecans, coconut, and coffee, along with the chocolate chips. I tried to make some today and a DISASTER!!! I put in 1-1/4 cup of flour instead of 2-1/4 cup!! A cup of flour short!!!!AHHHHHH!!! Well now Jason and I have some very flat buttery cookie crumble to put in ice cream.

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped nuts(optional)

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.

PAN RECIPE: Spread batter in greased 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 375°F. 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely; cut into bars. About 4 dozen bars.

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Simply add 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

SKOR & CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Use 1 cup finely chopped SKOR bars and 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in place of 2 cups chocolate chips; omit nuts. Drop and bake as directed.

ICE CREAM SANDWICH: Press one small scoop vanilla ice cream between two cookies.

HIGH ALTITUDE DIRECTIONS (classic cookies):
- Increase flour to 2-2/3 cups.
- Decrease baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Decrease granulated sugar to 2/3 cup.
- Decrease packed light brown sugar to 2/3 cup.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon water with flour.
- Bake at 375°F, 5 to 7 minutes or until top is light golden with golden brown edges.

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Total Calories: 120

Amount Per Serving %DV *
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 45mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Rate and Review RecipeYou must be logged in to rate and review recipes.
Sign up now. It's easy and free.

Awesome stuffing... and other thanksgiving foods

So... our Thanksgiving was successful! Slightly delayed due to an oddly misshapen turkey (our smoked turkey was somehow smooshed at some point in the smoking process, I think.... rather than the typical broad bird, this one was a bit lopsided and high in the middle... Veronica's mom thought it looked kind of like a goose, if that helps you visualize it).

I think that my favorite part of the meal... aside from dessert which is OBVIOUSLY the best part of the meal, but in a category all its own... was the stuffing. We used this recipe. Amazing! ...With the homemade focaccia that I had made and half sweet / half hot Italian sausage. DELICIOUS! Actually... I'm tempted to make this again throughout the year. The next TWO DAYS we warmed the leftover stuffing in a pan on the stove for breakfast. AGAIN, DELICIOUS! I could seriously eat this stuff for breakfast at any point in the year. I'm not even sure what else to say about it other than that it was perfect. Great texture... really great flavor, all around wonderful.

What else was on the menu this year?

-Smoked turkey (thanks to Veronica's parents... and Godshall's Poultry)
-Homemade rolls (and the extra focaccia... which was also great for cold turkey sandwiches later)
-Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli
-Brown sugar baked sweet potatoes and acorn squash
-Roasted fingerling potatoes with rosemary (just with olive oil, salt and rosemary)
-Make-ahead turkey gravy (from the Noble Pig blog)
-Veronica's cranberry sauce
-Veronica's Mom's baked fresh ham and gravy (a surprise addition)
-Veronica's Mom's baked macaroni and cheese
-Veronica's Mom's collard greens
-My Mom's famous recipe (at least I think so) Four Tablespoons of Vanilla Chocolate Cake with Penuche Icing (google "penuche," it's kind of interesting... and delicious)
-Pecan pie (very interesting to make it in a springform pan rather than a pie plate... and good since I only have one pie plate... well... I didn't have a 9inch springform either, but I do now)
-Sweet potatoe pie (from to Joy the Baker... though both pies had Martha Stewart's pate brisee... though I'll probably get my Mom's pie crust recipe next time)

Some carefully planning for about the week leading up to the event meant that we weren't too stressed on the actual day (actually... about an hour before everyone arrived we found ourselves waiting on the turkey, so Veronica took a nap while I paced around being frustrated with having nothing to do).

Man, there were left overs! I now realize that "serves 8" on a regular day means that it serves 16 (at least) when you have so many different dishes. We were all stuffed, everyone took home food and we still had tons left in the fridge. (Note to self: Veronica's family are not big pecan pie eaters... That's just fine. Make it anyway. More for me. Thanksgiving only comes once a year).

Everything was really good. I had never made a sweet potatoe pie before and I'm not a conniseur, but I thougth this recipe was really good. I added some orange zest, but otherwise followed the recipe... oh, and going fridge to oven with a glass pie plate scared me (even though it was pyrex), so I had it on the couner rather than the fridge before it went into the oven... and the edge of my crust collapsed a bit (I took it out of the oven and propped it back up and it stayed mostly, but it wasn't the thing of beauty that I hoped it would be).

Among the leftover recipes were turkey sandwiches (of course), reheated stuffing, turkey hash (with the leftover fingerling potatoes) and the pot pie that Veronica mentioned in her last post. I made smoked turkey, sweet potato and black bean enchilladas (no real recipe... just threw stuff together and crossed my fingers).

A great week of preparation... a great meal... a great week of leftovers.

Bring on the Christmas food!

Turkey Pot Pie

Well it is a week after Thanksgiving and I still have some smoked turkey. I have been craving pot pie (the kind with puff pastry crust), looked around and found this one.....it is great!!!! I used celery instead of green beans, and made one big pie instead of individual ones. You should try this, it is delicious.

Makes 4 servings

5 applewood-smoked bacon slices
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
12 ounces peeled whole baby carrots (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 8-ounce package trimmed haricots verts or other slender green beans, halved crosswise
(3 stalks of celery chopped)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon crème fraîche
3 cups coarsely shredded chicken from 1 small purchased roasted chicken (skin removed)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed

Preheat oven to 450F. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Chop bacon. Add onion to drippings in skillet; sauté until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add next 3 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and boil until vegetables are almost tender and some liquid is reduced, about 8 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup crème fraîche, chicken, and bacon. Bring to simmer. Season with pepper. Divide among four 2-cup soufflé dishes.

Unfold puff pastry onto work surface; roll out to 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Top filling in soufflé dishes with pastry; fold edges down onto rims of dish. Brush top of crusts (not edges) with remaining 1 tablespoon crème fraîche. Cut small X in center of crusts; pierce all over with fork. Bake until crusts are golden brown and filling is heated through, about 22 minutes.
Test-Kitchen Tip: You can also make one large pot pie. Place the filling in a 9-inch-diameter deep-dish pie dish. Set the 12-inch pastry square over the filling, then fold down the edges onto the rim. Baking time will still be about 22 minutes.

Note: The sauce is runny after making the recipe I saw the comments and many people used potatoes in the pie which helped thicken the sauce. Others added equal parts butter and flour to help thicken (about 1 tablespoon of each).

Focaccia

I don't think I've ever thought about Thanksgiving as much as I've thought about it this year. Usually, I just have to show up and eat. Very little preparation involved other than making sure not to eat a large breakfast. Well, this year we're hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner. It should be small and fairly low key, Veronica's parents, brother, godfather and us. Just 6 at the table. I'm sure it will be plenty of fuel for blog posts.

I didn't think I was going ot post about this recipe when I started it. It was really just preparation for Italian sausage and bread stuffing for the big day. Atypically for me when it comes to a recipe from epicurious.com, I went full steam ahead without reading the reviews. Well, I got part way through and started to freak out. I had mixed up the dough, gone out for some quick errands and shopping and found the dough not quite as risen as I hoped or expected. It went ahead with the recipe and read the comments after setting it back in the slightly warmed oven for the second rise. Some of the reviewers said that theirs turned out "dry" and "crumby" and many of the suggestions recommended cutting back on the flour... too late.

I went the full duration on the first rise and extended the second rise a bit. After dimpling the dough and brushing on the oil and salting it, I could see that maybe it might not be light and fluffy if baked immediately. I had essentially just punched down the dough, so it made sense to give it a few more moments to rise. I left it go for about another 30 minutes to rise before heating the oven. I think it worked. It tastes great and is pretty light. I also took the recommendation to start it in a 500 degree oven for the first 5 minutes and then cut it back, so maybe that helped.

Tonight, I chopped it up and toasted it in the oven, cooled it and put it in a plastic bag until Thursday. I ended up only needing about half of it for the stuffing recipe, so I cut up the remainder and threw it into the freezer. I'll pull it back out on Wednesday and have a second option to my homemade bread rolls. Focaccia, check.

Tomorrow is pie crust, chocolate cake and sweet potato pie filling. Wednesday night I'll bake the pies (the second is pecan) and frost the cake (with penuche icing). (Veronica takes a quick trip to Chicago tomorrow, returning on Wednesday just before midnight). Everything else will happen on Thursday. We're shooting for a 4pm dinner, which should give us enought time to not feel too pressured.

Hmmm... Veronica is just finishing up the cranberry sauce. Our next post?

Snickers for Dad

OH MY!!! Jason and I made this as a possible Christmas present for my Dad. My Dad loves Snickers, but because of a story that happened years ago (I can't tell the story just in case this story might get me sued) he has not had a Snicker for decades. I looked on the internet to find a recipe to make them at home. This was pretty easy and well worth the little extra time to make them rather then buying them. This is soooooooo good! Yes I know it is not a Bitman recipe, but boy this is going to stay in the recipe box to be used FOREVER!!!

Things You'll Need:
1/4 c. light corn syrup
2 T. Butter
1 T. vanilla extract
1/8 c. peanut butter
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. powdered sugar
35 indv. Kraft carmels
1 c. dry- roasted unsalted peanuts
1-12oz. bag milk chocolate chips


1) In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup corn syrup, 2T. Butter, 1T. vanilla, 1/8 cup peanut butter and 1/2 tsp. salt. Mix on high until creamy.

2) Add 3 cups powdered sugar slowly with mixer still on high until it looks like dough.

3) Remove dough from the bowl and with your hands, press into a greased 9x9 inch pan. Refrigerate.

4) Melt the caramels in a small pan over low heat.

5) When the caramel is soft, mix in the peanuts.

6) Pour the mixture over the refrigerated dough in the pan. Let cool in the refrigerator.

7) When the refrigerated mixture is firm, melt the chocolate over low heat in a double broiler or in a microwave oven set on high for 2 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking time.

8) When mixture in the pan has hardened, cut it into 2x1 in. sections.

9) Set each chunk onto a fork and dip into the melted chocolate. Tap the fork against the side of the bowl or pan to knock off any excess chocolate.

10) Place the chunks on waxed paper to cool at room temperature, or refrigerate for quicker cooling.

WAFFLES!

OK. Shaming myself into posting didn't work. But, Veronica said that she hadn't posted because it was my turn. That was enough (sort of. it still took another week for me to post). Don't worry (I know, you weren't), we've been cooking, baking and eating... we just haven't been posting about it. Hopefully I'll get caught up on a few recipes soon, but for right now... breakfast.

I love Joy the Baker. I love my wife a whole lot more... and I've never actually met Joy the Baker... but she's great. While not posting anything on our blog, I've been checking hers (and a few others) pretty much every day. Well, on Wednesday, she posted this! As if I weren't craving a weekend enough at that point! Well... even though I forgot to get bacon at the market yesterday, today was waffle day.

These waffles are delicious. wonderful. perfect. They're a yeast based waffle, which is absolutely amazing. They kind of remind me of my grandma's sour dough. On top of everything, they're SUPER easy and don't require more than a stir in the morning. I mean, seriously, no measuring or anything in the morning. REALLY, just a stir. You mix it up the night before, let it bubble and do it's thing for 1-1 1/2 hours and then toss it in the fridge. You pull it out of the fridge 1 hour before you want to make your waffles and give it a stir and that's it! (I took mine out of the fridge, gave it a stir, and crawled back into bed for another hour. PERFECT!)

Note, this recipe uses instant yeast. Why do I point this out? Because I didn't notice the word "instant" until I got to the point where I should add it to the recipe. I have active dry yeast, which needs to be bloomed in warm water first. Oops. Well, I threw about 2 teaspoons in about 1/3 c. water with a tablespoon of King syrup (picked up on our trip to VA last weekend), gave it about 5 minutes to do it's thing, and then threw it in. I added a little more of each of the flours to compensate for the extra liquid. Next time I'll probably hold out 1/2 cup of the warm milk and a tablespoon of brown sugar to get it started.

My apologies for posting this on Sunday, the longest point from another weekend, but at least we're heading into Thanksgiving and you could give these a try on Friday. Mmmmm.... Turkey and gravy over warm waffles. Are you making these on Friday? I might be, too.

Lame

OK... This is a bit of a lame post, but it's better than nothing. It has been far too long since I've posted anything (I'm aware of that), so I'm hereby committing to posting something substantial in the next three days. (Hopefully fear of public shame will force my hand.)

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken, Caribbean Style

The direction say that mixing the chicken up for marinating is mess and boy is it!!!

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 2 hours, largely unattended


8 chicken thighs (I used boneless chicken breast)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 ground all spice ( I did not have any do I used 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon clove)
2 Tablespoon minced garlic (so I have to admit I read this wrong and put ginger in, after see the mistake I added garlic too.)
1 Scotch bonnet seeded, and minced, or cayenne to taste (I used cayenne)
1 egg
1 cup flour
Corn oil for deep frying
Lemon or lime wedges for serving


1. Toss the chicken in a bowl with salt, pepper, curry, allspice, garlic, chile, 2 tablespoons water, and the egg. When thoroughly combined, blend in the flour, using your hands. The mixture will be a mess! Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with the other ingredients and coat the chicken-ti will never be perfect, so don't spend too much time on it. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to a day.


2. When you're ready to cook, put about 2 inches of oil in a skillet or large deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil reaches about 325 degrees- a pinch of flour will sizzle-you can begin to fry chicken. Dredge each piece in any flour that remains in the bottom of the bowl and gently place in the oil. Do not crowd; cook in batches if necessary (this chicken will stay hot for a good 15-20 minutes). Fry, turning 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned all over, about 20 minutes. At that point the piece will be done but if you want to make sure, make a small slit in each piece and check for blood.



3. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold with lemon or lime wedges.



Rate:

Veronica:

Jason:

Lamb Shanks with Lentils

We have had a small piece of leg of lamb in the freezer and I thought we should use it before it got freezer burn. I LOVE lamb shanks....I think they might be my favorite thing to eat!!! I am always on the look out for a good lamb shank. So I bought three lamb shanks and used the piece of leg and tried this recipe.

Lamb Shanks with Lentils
(France)

Makes: 4 servings
Time: At least 2 hours, largely unattended

3/4 pound dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I used a large leek)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 bottle dry red wine
4 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a roasting pan or flameproof casserole and stir; bring to a boil on top pf the stove, then nestle the lamb shanks among the lentils, cover the pan (aluminum foil will do), and put in the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and cook, undisturbed, for about an hour.

2. Uncover and stir the lentils gently; season with salt and pepper. Re-cover and cook for about 1 hour more, until the lentils are very tender and the lamb begins to pull away from the bone; if at any point the mixture threatens to dry out, add more wine or water. And don't worry about overcooking the lentils; just make sure the lamb is done. When the lamb is tender, uncover the pan, raise the heat to 400 degrees, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, just to brown the top a bit. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating.

Rating:
Veronica:
Jason:

Braised Ribs (roast) with Spicy Adobo

The other week Jason (who LOVES spicy food) made some pimenton. So now we have a 32 oz. jar of pimenton and I was wondering how in the world we were going to use it all. I looked and saw this recipe.



Braised Ribs with Spicy Adobo
(Caribbean)


Makes: 4 servings
Time: At least 1 1/2 hours


3-4 pounds spareribs, more or less, separated into individual ribs (I used a roast)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered (I chopped it since Jason like it that way)
2 teaspoons fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
1 tablespoon pimenton
2 cups chopped tomatoes with their liquid (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon wine vinegar

1. Place a large deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add the ribs, (roast). Cook, turning as necessary and sprinkling with salt and pepper, until they are well browned, at least 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.


2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Turn the heat under the pan to medium and add garlic, onion, oregano, more salt and pepper, and pimenton. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is well softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the ribs, cover, and put the pan in the oven.

3. Cook until the ribs are tender and just about falling from the bone, an hour or more. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat gently before serving.

Lassi Meethi

Jason and I love Indian food and when we go out we will sometimes share a mango lassi. I saw that the Bittman book had a lassi recipe than had a mango option, so we decided to try it. I made it this morning (because the mango I bought was not looking so good). We both tried it and it is good I like it, but next time I think I might put extra mango and less cardamon.

Lassi Meethi (Sweet Yogurt Shake)
India

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 10 minutes

2 cups whole -milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon, or to taste
2 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt
1 cup ice cube

Combine all the ingredients in a blender with 1 cup cold water. Blend until smooth and serve.

Mango (of other fruit) Lassi
Add 1 cup pulp of mango, peach, or other fruit to the mix.

Rate:
Veronica 7
Jason 7.3

Beef Daube

We had a roast in the freezer and wanted to try something new. We had all of the ingredients for this (except for the orange, which Veronica ran out to get while I got this started)... Oh, and we had some cubed pancetta in the fridge, so I used that rather than bacon. It was pretty good... but we decided we'd probably not repeat this too regularly.

After I started cooking this, I looked online to find that there wasn't much consistency between recipes. I'm trusting Bittman on this one. Some others coated the beef in flour before cooking it (sounds like a good idea, but I don't know that this needs any thickening)... Others had you put the vegetables in in large pieces and then fish them out before serving (seems a bit wasteful to me... if you're going to cook them, why not eat them)... Others changed up the seasonings a bit.

Bittman suggests a Beef Daube with Olives and Dried Fruit as a "superior" recipe, but Veronica and I don't really dig olives and didn't have dried fruit in the house, so...


Beef Daube (France)
Makes 4 servings
Time: at least 2 hours, somewhat unattended

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound good-quality slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 pounds boneless beef chuck or brisket, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 large onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh rosemary sprig or 1 teaspoon dried
2 or 3 strips orange peel
1 cup rough red wine, preferably from the south of France-something like Cahors or Cotes-du-Rhone
1 T. red wine vinegar
Stock or water as necessary

1. Put the olive oil in a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole with a lid and turn the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and has given up most of its fat, about 10 minutes. REmove with a slotted spoon, add hte meat, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, turning the cubes as they brown and sprinkling them with salt and pepper, until the meat is brown and crisp all over, at least 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and orange peel, along with some more salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar and let them bubble for a minute, hten return the meat to the pan.

3. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently for about an hour, then add the bacon. Re-cover and continue to cook until the meat is tender, adding a little more liquid if the mixture threatens to dry out. Depending on the meat, the dish could be done in as little as 30 minutes more or in three times as long.

4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before reheating.

Rating:
Veronica - 7 overall (10 as far as beef stews go)
Jason - 6.9

Cabbage and Potato Soup

This past weekend Jason and I had indoor BBQ and I made myself some crispy kale. Having no idea what to do with the left over kale I turned to "the book". I found this recipe and thought I could use a few different ingredients. BOY oh BOY this is good! I used a 1/2 lb. of smoky chicken sausage instead of bacon, kale not cabbage, and two cups pork stock (homemade) and six cups beef stock (store bought). Instead of the caraway seeds I used rosemary.


Cabbage and Potato Soup
(Poland)

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 35 minutes

2 thick slices bacon, diced, optional
1 medium onion, diced
1 small head of cabbage, preferably Savory, cored and shredded
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
2 medium large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup of croutons

1. cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, occasionally, until some of the fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook- or cook the onion in 2 tablespoons butter or oil (I used butter) if you are not using bacon (I used chicken sausage)-stirring until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the caraway seed and potatoes and lightly brown the potatoes, about 5 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Thin with a bit of water or stock if the soup seems too rich. Garnish with the croutons and serve immediately.

Simple Fruit Soup

My mother has brought us over some strawberries and blue berries, so I bought some black berries and made this soup. I was great light and refreshing.

Simple Fruit Soup
(Central/Eastern Europe)

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes plus chilling time

1 qt. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, huckleberries or a combination, picked over and trimmed as necessary, washed and, if necessary, sliced
½ c. sugar (plus more if needed)
1 lemon, washed and thinly sliced
1 t. ground cinnamon (plus more if needed)
1 c. yogurt or sour cream (plus more for garnish)

1. Combine the berries, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and 1 quart water in a medium saucepan, and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries fall apart, 10-15 minutes.

2. Cool the mixture at least until tepid to avoid burning yourself, the puree in a blender. Taste and add more sugar or cinnamon if necessary. Chill, then stir in the yogurt. Serve cold. Garnish with more yogurt.

Rating:
Veronica 6
Jason 7.3

Ginger Tea

Jason made this FANTASTIC ginger ice cream, but what to do with the left over ginger? I found this ginger tea recipe, so I decided to try it. Wow! It was great! When I was in Chicago there was a tea shop that had a ginger tea zinger which I drank everyday. I have not found a tea that good in Philly until last night. I made it with half the sugar and half splenda again, because I wanted to save on the calories. I tell you if you love ginger you will love this!

Salabat (Ginger Tea)
(Southeast Asia)

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 15 minutes

1/2 cup fresh ginger, rinsed, chopped or sliced (don't bother to peel)
1/2 cup brown sugar

1. In a small saucepan, combine the ginger and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Strain, the add the sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved. Taste and adjust the seasoning (you can add more water if it is too strong or of course, more sugar). Serve hot or iced.

Ginger Ice Cream

or Why has it taken me so long to make ice cream

or Mark Bittman, you're my hero

I've had an ice cream maker for several years. Wow! Now that I think of it... a lot of years!

I've made one or two sorbets in it and haven't been completely happy. They didn't freeze right and were really runny when I put them in the freezr and then really ice-like after sitting in the freezer for a while. Mostly, my ice cream maker has sat on the shelf.

While Veronica was teaching a voice lesson at the house the other day, I took the opportunity to sit in our third floor bedroom (our most "finished" room in the house, we've painted it, added art and shelves and plants... it's our guest room/workout room, but I rarely just spend time there). I ate my lunch and looked at cookbooks... one of which was Mark Bittman's "The Best Recipes in the World." We got this cookbook as a wedding gift and with a billion other things going on at the time (as you can imagine), we didn't get to cooking out of it straight away. This was actually my first time cracking it open... of course, straight to the desserts section.

I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but found this recipe and decided then and there to try it. It was a few days later that I brought the cookbook downstairs and Veronica started looking at it and we decided to begin our own "Julie & Julia" sort of blog... only... us and Mark Bittman. The tagline on the cover of the book reads "More than 1,000 International Dishes to Cook at Home." We both love food and enjoy international dishes so this seemed perfect. Add to this a growing desire to make more food (preferably from local ingredients) rather than buying packets of chemicals and the timing for this was right. The "local ingredients" part will be an ongoing challenge... a goal rather than a rule... but I'm looking forward to this.

OK... too much... on with the recipe:

Ginger Ice Cream (Southeast Asia)

Makes: about 1 pint

Time: 20 minutes, plus chilling and freezing time

2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups milk or half-and-half

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup minced candied (crystallized) ginger

1. Combine the ginger and milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring just to a boil, stirring. Cover and let set for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, with a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the youlks and sugar together until thick and slightly lightened in color.

2. Strain the milk, then stir about 1/2 cup of it into the yolk mixture and beat. Stir the warmed egg mixture back into the milk and return to the pan. Heat, stirring constantly, until thick, 10 minutes longer. The mixture is ready when it thickly coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn with your finger remains intact.

3. Cool in the refrigerator, then stir in the candied ginger and freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions.

Truth time: I made this through step two the first time and got a bit concerned. I used a mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the yolks and sugar and maybe there was too much air in them... maybe I heated it too fast... long-story-short... it curdled... and I decided that it was trash... and I hate throwing away food.

On attempt number two, it was looking nice and creamy until it reached a boil on the stove. It started to look like it could curdle, so I pulled it off of the heat right away and stared to cool it down. It was quite thick the next evening when I put it in the ice cream maker and I think the refrigeration was key to the ice cream making part. By the time I had scraped the bowl into the freezer bowl, it had started freezing to the sides. Bittman mentions before the recipe that this is very rich (and I made it with the half and half... first time... it's dessert... why not?) and that you can add some additional milk or half and half before freezing, so I drizzled in a bit more.

Next time: I'll make it with 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half... or maybe 2 cups half and half and 2 cups milk and just double everything. :)

Rating:

Veronica - 9.8

Jason - 9.6

Provence-Style Chicken

Provence-Style Chicken
(France)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 40 to 50 minutes

Serve over rice and with some crusty bread.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 chicken leg-thigh pieces, each cut into 2 pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 anchovy fillets, minced (optional)
1 red bell pepper, steamed, seeded, and chopped
large pinch of saffron threads (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram (preferred), oregano, or thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons drained capers (I chopped them)
2 cups cored and chopped tomatoes (canned are fine), with their liquid (I used fresh from my mom's garden)
1 cup good-quality black or green olives (or a mixture), pitted
chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1. Put the oil in a large deep skillet, preferably non-stick, and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the chicken pieces, skin side down and brown well seasoning with salt and pepper and adjusting the heat and rotating the pieces so they brown evenly, about 10 minutes. When they are done, transfer them to a plate.

2. Add garlic and anchovies if you're using them and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to take on some color, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and the bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 10 minutes. Add saffron, herb, and capers and stir, then add tomatoes and olives. Stir, bring to a boil, and return the chicken, skin side up, to the skillet.

3. Cover and cook over medium-low heat-the mixture should bubble, but gently-until the chicken is done, 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish and serve.

I made this because I had some extra chicken legs. I did omit the anchovies, bell pepper, and olives.

Rating:
Veronica: 8
Jason:

Cinnamon Tea

Jason's grandmother makes a meadow tea, which is very refreshing on a warm summer day. I picked this recipe next because it is made just like meadow tea, which I love. It is delicious. I made it the first time half sugar half splenda and omitted the pine nuts, it was really sweet. I think for next time I will make it with no sugar.

Cinnamon Tea
(Korea)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time

Always served ice cold

5 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon pine nuts, lightly toasted


1. Combine the cinnamon with 1 quart water and the sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Cool, then chill.


2. To serve, fish out the cinnamon sticks and pour into cup or glasses. Garnish with the pine nuts.

Pears "Poached" with Butter and Cream

So Jason and I have decided to jump onto the Julie and Julia band wagon, but we are putting our own twist on it. We are going to go through the book "The Best Recipes In The World" by Mark Bittman. Here is the first of what we hope are many wonderful dishes!

Pears "Poached" with Butter and Cream (France)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 45 Minutes

Great hot with a little sour cream or creme fraiche

4 Tablespoons butter
4 not quite fully ripe pears, peeled, quartered, and cored
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1/3 heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Put the butter in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When the butter foam subsides, add the pears and sugar; cook, turning the pears occasionally and allowing them to brown a bit, until quite soft, 15 to 20 minutes (longer if the pears were not nearly ripe).

2. Add the cream and cinnamon and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until cream thickens a bit, about a minute. Put skillet in the oven and cook until the mixture browns on top, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.


I served this with a little non-fat yogurt which helped to balance the sweetness of the pears and sugar.



Rating:
Veronica - 8.5
Jason - 8.8