Football season is right around the corner, which means snacks for armchair QB's. This one doesn' take long and can be done the day before. Its actually better that way.
3 ripe fresh peaches
1 vidalia onion
1 red or yellow pepper, finely chopped
1 can fire roasted tomato
1 ear of sweet corn, nuked for 3 minutes wrapped in wet paper towel
1/4 - 3/4 cup of strained sweet chili sauce (if you want it with a little spicy heat - or experiment with other sauces, this ain't rocket science . . . . . . . .)
***you can add some chopped jalapeno to if your victims like a little more fire***
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of butter
Pit and dice the peaches (smaller chunks are better for chip dipping)
Dice 1/2- 3/4 cup onion (to avoid tears, use a sharp knife, dipped in cold water. Slice the onion, don't crush it, move chopped onion to covered bowl quickly)
Add butter to a large frying pan and melt it over medium high heat. Add the onion and heat for about a minute. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar over the onions, and cook for another 2 minutes to mellow the onion and absorb some of the sweetness of the sugar. Add the finely chopped pepper.
Slice corn from cob.
Add the peaches, and tomato, corn and lemon juice and stir.
With a small strainer pour about 1/4 cup of chili sauce into the strainer and use a spoon to work the liquid through the strainer leaving the chili flakes in the strainer.
Stir the sauce slowly into mixture and taste frequently until you have it where you want it.
Cool, and refrigerate in sealed container to let the flavors blend.
Serve with plenty of chips, its hard to stop munching on this stuff.
August 13, 2011
June 23, 2011
Maple Salad Dressing
Our friend John is a skilled maple syrup cook. In addition to his hunting and dog training hobbies, he organizes an annual maple syrup festival. He has shared his syrup with us and its very, very good. He also shared his wife, Linda's, Minnesota maple salad dressing. Those who have tried this say its fantastic.
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (do not use a corn syrup blended version)
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
salt & pepper to taste.
Add toasted sesame seeds to dressing before serving.
Go make a salad to try this on. You won't be sorry.
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (do not use a corn syrup blended version)
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
salt & pepper to taste.
Add toasted sesame seeds to dressing before serving.
Go make a salad to try this on. You won't be sorry.
April 3, 2011
Vension backstrap variations on a theme
Venison backstraps. What are they? Where do they come from? How do you cook them?
Depends upon whom you ask. The backstraps, “boneless loins”, “tenderloins” are found in the “saddle” or back of the deer, parallel to and on either side of the spinal column.
In the butchering process, they are easy to spot, and easy to remove with a little care and a very sharp knife. Preferably one with a small, short blade. You’re not digging to China here and every bit you waste, you don’t get to eat. The best backstraps are taken from a two to three year old deer, preferably a doe. This is why I do not hunt antlers. No matter how I cook antlers, they are always tasteless and . . .”gamey”
Its funny, but many people who will drool over the idea of filet mignon, will turn up their noses in disdain over the idea of eating this succulent morsel. “Deer? Its too gamy, only neanderthals eat deer.” Us neanderthals know better and in a contest for flavor between filet mignon and properly prepared backstrap, the backstrap wins hands down, every time. And, gamy? If you are eating truly strong, unpleasant tasting venison, somebody did not do their job right in harvesting, butchering and preparing the meat.
And like so many other things, how you prepare the backstrap is a matter of taste, choice, and personal preference. Everyone who understands just how choice this cut of meat is, will have their own favorite recipe. Here are some, shared with me by lifelong friends. There are hundreds more. Its not about which one is “best”. Do what you will.
I met my friend Bill in the third grade. We have been friends all our lives. He is also the best looking 60 year old man I know. That, of course, grates on me a bit, but what the hell, I’m a better pistol shot, so its an even trade.
Bill starts his backstrap preparation by removing the whitish membrane from the meat. The whitish membrane is not food. It does provide an off taste. Maybe this is where the “gamey” comes in for the uninitiated? Anyway, Bill partially slices his back straps down the middle lengthwise, leaving them an intact piece of meat. He then stuffs the straps with smoked oysters and wraps the entire backstrap with strips of a good bacon, held in place with toothpicks. Bill recommends that the bacon be boiled first. This helps to remove a lot of the fat that will cause grill flame ups, but does not crisp the bacon, or remove the good bacon flavor that will be imparted to the backstrap. He moves the whole, bacon-wrapped loin to a hot grill. He cooks the straps for about six minutes, then turns them and repeats the six minute cook, so that the meat is medium rare.
This is an important point. A lot of venison is ruined by people who overcook it. Venison is at its very best when served medium rare. You can cook it longer, but you will not enjoy it as much. It has very little fat content, as opposed to the overfed, hormone injected beef we eat today. It will become tough and nasty tasting if over-cooked. Properly butchered wild deer is also not as susceptible to pathogenic contamination as beef processed in a salugherhouse. I didn't say it, food experts say it.
When its done, Bill slices the strap into medallions for serving. This makes Bill very popular with friends and relatives. Having tried his recipe, I know why.
“Oh, oysters, oh barf! Oh wretch” Oysters, who could eat things like that??!!”
Take it easy, cupcake. A lot of people eat them, love them, savor them and, in my case, do a special little dance before savoring them on the halfshell raw, with a good Scotch or Irish whiskey chaser. When I do this in my favorite oyster bar, some people glance at me and whisper to each other. I could give a rat’s ass, as is usually the case.
But if you’re just not into oysters, then try Jack’s version. Jack was a childhood playmate. He was better at stuff than I was, but he was always the guy who tried to help you get better. I have a lot of respect for Jack. And he has been married to my friend and classmate Libby for like ever, and she pretty much likes him too, so there you go.
Jack coats his backstraps with olive oil (to do this right, you wash your hands thoroughly and then massage the olive oil into the strap with your nice, clean hands). He adds a little salt, which sticks to the olive oil, (see, he had a plan from the start). Then he coats the strap heavily with 3 tablespoons of assorted peppercorns and 3 tablespoons of mustard seed, that he has ground with a coffee grinder (which is an idea I had never thought of - see he is still helping me get better at stuff). While this product sits humming to itself, he prepares a reduction of beef broth and heavy cream, finished with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons of butter. He grills the backstrap to medium rare, slices it into medallions and serves it, topping the medallions with a little of the cream sauce. Libby reports it is “perfect every time.”
My variation on this theme is simply that while the backstrap is coated, (I use onion powder, garlic salt and some ground peppercorn), and sitting around contemplating its navel, I make a reduction of pinot noir, uncooked cherries and rosemary. Watch the reduction. Watched pots do boil. One second it will be “not ready” and a few seconds later, it will be “Oh hell where did it all go??!!” Cover that and let it cool a bit while you grill your strap, medium rare. Slice medallions and let people use whatever amount of the reduction sauce they desire.
All three of these methods serve up a wonderful venison meal. If you like your recipe better, that’s fine. Backstrap is the choicest cut of meat on a deer. If they made deer that were all backstrap, I would hunt them with a club if I had to.
Depends upon whom you ask. The backstraps, “boneless loins”, “tenderloins” are found in the “saddle” or back of the deer, parallel to and on either side of the spinal column.
In the butchering process, they are easy to spot, and easy to remove with a little care and a very sharp knife. Preferably one with a small, short blade. You’re not digging to China here and every bit you waste, you don’t get to eat. The best backstraps are taken from a two to three year old deer, preferably a doe. This is why I do not hunt antlers. No matter how I cook antlers, they are always tasteless and . . .”gamey”
Its funny, but many people who will drool over the idea of filet mignon, will turn up their noses in disdain over the idea of eating this succulent morsel. “Deer? Its too gamy, only neanderthals eat deer.” Us neanderthals know better and in a contest for flavor between filet mignon and properly prepared backstrap, the backstrap wins hands down, every time. And, gamy? If you are eating truly strong, unpleasant tasting venison, somebody did not do their job right in harvesting, butchering and preparing the meat.
And like so many other things, how you prepare the backstrap is a matter of taste, choice, and personal preference. Everyone who understands just how choice this cut of meat is, will have their own favorite recipe. Here are some, shared with me by lifelong friends. There are hundreds more. Its not about which one is “best”. Do what you will.
I met my friend Bill in the third grade. We have been friends all our lives. He is also the best looking 60 year old man I know. That, of course, grates on me a bit, but what the hell, I’m a better pistol shot, so its an even trade.
Bill starts his backstrap preparation by removing the whitish membrane from the meat. The whitish membrane is not food. It does provide an off taste. Maybe this is where the “gamey” comes in for the uninitiated? Anyway, Bill partially slices his back straps down the middle lengthwise, leaving them an intact piece of meat. He then stuffs the straps with smoked oysters and wraps the entire backstrap with strips of a good bacon, held in place with toothpicks. Bill recommends that the bacon be boiled first. This helps to remove a lot of the fat that will cause grill flame ups, but does not crisp the bacon, or remove the good bacon flavor that will be imparted to the backstrap. He moves the whole, bacon-wrapped loin to a hot grill. He cooks the straps for about six minutes, then turns them and repeats the six minute cook, so that the meat is medium rare.
This is an important point. A lot of venison is ruined by people who overcook it. Venison is at its very best when served medium rare. You can cook it longer, but you will not enjoy it as much. It has very little fat content, as opposed to the overfed, hormone injected beef we eat today. It will become tough and nasty tasting if over-cooked. Properly butchered wild deer is also not as susceptible to pathogenic contamination as beef processed in a salugherhouse. I didn't say it, food experts say it.
When its done, Bill slices the strap into medallions for serving. This makes Bill very popular with friends and relatives. Having tried his recipe, I know why.
“Oh, oysters, oh barf! Oh wretch” Oysters, who could eat things like that??!!”
Take it easy, cupcake. A lot of people eat them, love them, savor them and, in my case, do a special little dance before savoring them on the halfshell raw, with a good Scotch or Irish whiskey chaser. When I do this in my favorite oyster bar, some people glance at me and whisper to each other. I could give a rat’s ass, as is usually the case.
But if you’re just not into oysters, then try Jack’s version. Jack was a childhood playmate. He was better at stuff than I was, but he was always the guy who tried to help you get better. I have a lot of respect for Jack. And he has been married to my friend and classmate Libby for like ever, and she pretty much likes him too, so there you go.
Jack coats his backstraps with olive oil (to do this right, you wash your hands thoroughly and then massage the olive oil into the strap with your nice, clean hands). He adds a little salt, which sticks to the olive oil, (see, he had a plan from the start). Then he coats the strap heavily with 3 tablespoons of assorted peppercorns and 3 tablespoons of mustard seed, that he has ground with a coffee grinder (which is an idea I had never thought of - see he is still helping me get better at stuff). While this product sits humming to itself, he prepares a reduction of beef broth and heavy cream, finished with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons of butter. He grills the backstrap to medium rare, slices it into medallions and serves it, topping the medallions with a little of the cream sauce. Libby reports it is “perfect every time.”
My variation on this theme is simply that while the backstrap is coated, (I use onion powder, garlic salt and some ground peppercorn), and sitting around contemplating its navel, I make a reduction of pinot noir, uncooked cherries and rosemary. Watch the reduction. Watched pots do boil. One second it will be “not ready” and a few seconds later, it will be “Oh hell where did it all go??!!” Cover that and let it cool a bit while you grill your strap, medium rare. Slice medallions and let people use whatever amount of the reduction sauce they desire.
All three of these methods serve up a wonderful venison meal. If you like your recipe better, that’s fine. Backstrap is the choicest cut of meat on a deer. If they made deer that were all backstrap, I would hunt them with a club if I had to.
November 26, 2010
Yam Bake
This is from Kathy, a friend from high school back in Nebraska, who got it from her friend, Josie.
Okay, so I grew up in Nebraska, thinking yams were sweet potatos. First time I actually saw a sweet potato, I thought, "what the hell is that skinny yellow thing? "Sweet potato? Oh no its not! This is a sweet potato, big plump, dark brown, tasty orange flesh . . ." Wrong, as it turns out, that was a yam. Or so they said . . . .
So, what's the difference, you ask. Ha, glad you did.
Yams, it turns out are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier. 3 cups canned Sweet Potatos/Yams or 4 fresh ones
Sweet Potatoes on the other hand are members of the morning glory family, "Convolvulacea". (I've tried to say that 3 times now, it gets caught in my throat and makes me gag) The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist.
But here is the kicker, it is the ‘soft’ varieties of sweet potatos that are often labeled as yams in the United States. That's because firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.
Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!
I was right all along, and didn't know it. Story of my life.
So, now that you know, try this one.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup milk
Boil (if you use fresh yams) - mash and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
**For those of you who would rather nuke, than boil, wash the skins, cut off the ends, prick with a knife in a few spots, then try 6 minutess on high, and follow with 4 minutes.
Same difference, less energy.
Pour into 9x13 pan.
ADD TOPPING:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans
Mix together - will be crumbly. Sprinkle on the taters.
Bake 25 minutes at 350
When serving this big hit, be sure to encourage some sucker to ask about the difference between yams and sweet potatos. Sit back and lay it on 'em. Its what holiday feasts are for.
Okay, so I grew up in Nebraska, thinking yams were sweet potatos. First time I actually saw a sweet potato, I thought, "what the hell is that skinny yellow thing? "Sweet potato? Oh no its not! This is a sweet potato, big plump, dark brown, tasty orange flesh . . ." Wrong, as it turns out, that was a yam. Or so they said . . . .
So, what's the difference, you ask. Ha, glad you did.
Yams, it turns out are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier. 3 cups canned Sweet Potatos/Yams or 4 fresh ones
Sweet Potatoes on the other hand are members of the morning glory family, "Convolvulacea". (I've tried to say that 3 times now, it gets caught in my throat and makes me gag) The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist.
But here is the kicker, it is the ‘soft’ varieties of sweet potatos that are often labeled as yams in the United States. That's because firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.
Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!
I was right all along, and didn't know it. Story of my life.
So, now that you know, try this one.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup milk
Boil (if you use fresh yams) - mash and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
**For those of you who would rather nuke, than boil, wash the skins, cut off the ends, prick with a knife in a few spots, then try 6 minutess on high, and follow with 4 minutes.
Same difference, less energy.
Pour into 9x13 pan.
ADD TOPPING:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans
Mix together - will be crumbly. Sprinkle on the taters.
Bake 25 minutes at 350
When serving this big hit, be sure to encourage some sucker to ask about the difference between yams and sweet potatos. Sit back and lay it on 'em. Its what holiday feasts are for.
July 3, 2010
The Challenge Pizza
The challenge. Boo called at 5:30, tired hungry, “I’m in a mood for pizza, can you fix something?” Yes, I can. But she would be home in an hour.
So, I used the flatbread pizza dough recipe I posted here in June, 2009 (Can Real Men Make Pizza?) With a little variation.
I proofed the yeast by adding 2 1/4 teaspoons of dry active yeast to 1/4 cup slightly warm water. Then I added a teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. While that began to proof, I tossed two cups of all purpose flour into the bread maker with another tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons of honey and a ½ teaspoon of salt. The yeast mixture foamed up within about 7-8 minutes and I dumped it into the breadmaker, punched the “dough” button and walked away.
While the dough was working, I made a pizza sauce, using one 6 oz. can of tomato paste and 6 oz. of water, 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder (you can also use minced garlic - I was out), 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoons each of Basil, Marjoram and Oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Some people will added red pepper flakes to this, for a little extra heat. I don’t, but whatever floats your boat.
Stir this up over medium heat. If it boils, it will spit, so cover your pot. When its nice and hot all the way through, take it off the heat and let it sit covered, to blend up the flavors, while you work out your dough.
I then pulled the dough from the breadmaker. It was smooth and elastic, and maybe a bit sticky. I put it in a bowl, covered with a kitchen towel to let it rise, while I got busy on toppings.
Browned ground beef, sliced black olives and mushrooms, chopped roasted red peppers and Vidalia onion. I thought about ham and pineapple, but Boo likes beef-topped pizzas better, so do whatever you like.
When the toppings were ready, I set the oven to 400 F. and sprinkled some flour on the counter top. I dumped the dough, which had risen to roughly twice its original size, out onto the flour and rolled it around gently so that it picked up the flour and lost the surface stickiness. Then I pushed it out a bit into a roughly circular shape and got my hands under it, palms down, using the backs of my hands and the weight of the dough to gently stretch the dough.
I can toss pizza dough pretty well, but this is not a kneaded dough, and you can beat it up and tear it pretty easily, which is not the objective here. When it is stretched out to about the thickness you want, move it to your pizza stone and support it on the stone while shaping it out.
Then I spread the pizza sauce (leave yourself about an uncovered inch all around the outside edge) and the ground beef on the dough and popped it into the oven for 5 minutes at 400 F. Then I pulled it, added the other prepared toppings, reducing the heat to 350 for about another 5-6 minutes. That exposed edge is now rising and starting to firm up to the touch. When it starts to brown slightly, you're done.
Then I bumped the oven back up to 400 F. and spread my pizza cheese over the toppings. Back in the oven for about 5-6 minutes and pulled it just as Boo walked through the door.
The sauce is tangy, and only slightly sweet and the flatbread crust is crunchy at first, but then nice and chewy. Not working out on the dough keeps it from toughening up during the bake.
Start to finish. 1 hour. Enjoy.
So, I used the flatbread pizza dough recipe I posted here in June, 2009 (Can Real Men Make Pizza?) With a little variation.
I proofed the yeast by adding 2 1/4 teaspoons of dry active yeast to 1/4 cup slightly warm water. Then I added a teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. While that began to proof, I tossed two cups of all purpose flour into the bread maker with another tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoons of honey and a ½ teaspoon of salt. The yeast mixture foamed up within about 7-8 minutes and I dumped it into the breadmaker, punched the “dough” button and walked away.
While the dough was working, I made a pizza sauce, using one 6 oz. can of tomato paste and 6 oz. of water, 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder (you can also use minced garlic - I was out), 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoons each of Basil, Marjoram and Oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Some people will added red pepper flakes to this, for a little extra heat. I don’t, but whatever floats your boat.
Stir this up over medium heat. If it boils, it will spit, so cover your pot. When its nice and hot all the way through, take it off the heat and let it sit covered, to blend up the flavors, while you work out your dough.
I then pulled the dough from the breadmaker. It was smooth and elastic, and maybe a bit sticky. I put it in a bowl, covered with a kitchen towel to let it rise, while I got busy on toppings.
Browned ground beef, sliced black olives and mushrooms, chopped roasted red peppers and Vidalia onion. I thought about ham and pineapple, but Boo likes beef-topped pizzas better, so do whatever you like.
When the toppings were ready, I set the oven to 400 F. and sprinkled some flour on the counter top. I dumped the dough, which had risen to roughly twice its original size, out onto the flour and rolled it around gently so that it picked up the flour and lost the surface stickiness. Then I pushed it out a bit into a roughly circular shape and got my hands under it, palms down, using the backs of my hands and the weight of the dough to gently stretch the dough.
I can toss pizza dough pretty well, but this is not a kneaded dough, and you can beat it up and tear it pretty easily, which is not the objective here. When it is stretched out to about the thickness you want, move it to your pizza stone and support it on the stone while shaping it out.
Then I spread the pizza sauce (leave yourself about an uncovered inch all around the outside edge) and the ground beef on the dough and popped it into the oven for 5 minutes at 400 F. Then I pulled it, added the other prepared toppings, reducing the heat to 350 for about another 5-6 minutes. That exposed edge is now rising and starting to firm up to the touch. When it starts to brown slightly, you're done.
Then I bumped the oven back up to 400 F. and spread my pizza cheese over the toppings. Back in the oven for about 5-6 minutes and pulled it just as Boo walked through the door.
The sauce is tangy, and only slightly sweet and the flatbread crust is crunchy at first, but then nice and chewy. Not working out on the dough keeps it from toughening up during the bake.
Start to finish. 1 hour. Enjoy.
June 6, 2010
Put bacon in my what???
Okay, this wasn’t where I intended to go this morning, but on the way to a study of regional barbecue sauce styles, I got waylaid by bacon-infused (baconed) bourbon. This is Americana to the “Nth” degree, so I figured what the hell?
Why would a person do that?!! Bacon is bad!! Bourbon is alcohol, and its bad, bad, bad!! Let’s go have a tofu mocha and go for a jog. . . . Good, now they’re gone, and the rest of us adults, who are not deluding ourselves into thinking we’re gonna live forever, can talk. Apparently the idea is old. People have been infusing alcohol with fruits and all manner of things for centuries. It probably went along the lines of “Hmmmm, bacon is good. Bourbon is good. Hey, dude, you ever put bacon in your bourbon???”
The “Benton’s Old Fashioned” has become all the rage in the trendiest bars from San Francisco, to the Big Apple, and on to London, and Tokyo. Reportedly, asking for one in Edinborough can get your ass kicked, but all the bartenders there know how to make one anyway. Scots are loyal bastards, and they will not forgive America for bourbon any time soon. They’re also a lot tougher than most of us, so while there, keep your mouth shut and enjoy the single malts.
But elsewhere, the bacon does add a really nice smokey essence to a good bourbon. So, maybe we should start with what is a good bourbon. I did a little bourbon history lesson on this blog in June, 2009, when I put up the recipe for bourbon cake. Seven of the guys who laughed at me, later tried the bourbon cake and now they are making their own. (I’m just sayin’ . . .) However, since then, people have opined on occasion about bourbons left off the list, so at the end of this article, I will add some of their suggestions.
Once you make your bourbon selection, plan on adding one ounce of liquid bacon fat, rendered from a really good, smoky bacon, to 750 ml of bourbon, in a big wide mouth glass jar. You want the bacon fat cool, but not starting to solidify. Then seal it up and let it sit at room temperature for a minimum of four hours. It’s a taste thing, you’ll have to experiment to find the exact time on this. Ohhh, poor you!!!
Now put the jar in the freezer for at least two hours. The fat will congeal, and can easily be removed. You can run the bourbon through a strainer, and or a coffee filter to remove any residual fat solids.
So now you have baconed bourbon. What are ya gonna do with it? Well, from San Francisco to New Orleans, to New York, to London, to Tokyo and with a side trip to the Flagstaff House in Boulder, Colorado (one of the drop dead, hands down, best restaurants in the country), if you order a Benton’s Old Fashioned, this is what they are going to serve you.
2 oz baconed bourbon
1/4 oz maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and pour into a cracked ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a twist of orange. In San Francisco, they often rim the glass with bits of sweet, smoky bacon, fried up crisp. Enjoy.
Good bourbons? Here is a consensus from a survey taken of professional bartenders from all over the country and reported in Outdoor Life magazine. Pick your poison and have a bacony good time.
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old
Richer than molasses, this deep, dark bourbon checks in at an easy-sippin' 107 proof. If you want to respect your elders, there's no need to add water or ice. Just kick back, put your feet up and let Pappy do the rest.
Buffalo Trace
The flagship bourbon of the heralded Buffalo Trace distillery starts off with vanilla mint spiciness and mellows on the palate with a deep molasses finish. Keep a bottle of this in your liquor cabinet at all times and call it your 'house bourbon' and you'll be sure to impress your connoisseur friends.
Woodford Reserve
The official bourbon of the Breeder's Cup and Kentucky Derby, this 90.4 proof bourbon walks the line between complexity and mixability. You can enjoy its notes of corn, caramel and oak in a rocks glass by itself or you can use it in a mint julep or Manhattan.
Booker's
Aged six-to-eight years, this heavy duty bourbon is not for the light of tongue. At 121 proof it can be a little more intense than your average bourbon. But its notes of vanilla, tobacco and oak help you ride the long, intense finish.
Knob Creek
Sweet and rich, this 100-proof bourbon has hints of brown sugar and toasted nuts. It's aged nine years and was named National Whiskey Champion by Wine Enthusiast.
Eagle Rare 10 Year Old
This 90-proof well balanced bourbon is brimming with vanilla and toasted nut flavors which garnered it a double gold at the prestigious San Francisco spirits competition. If you're feeling flush, pick up a bottle of the even rarer Eagle Rare 17-year old.
Bulleit
Incorporating more rye into its mashbill than most other bourbons, Bulleit gives your palate an added spicy kick. The bottle that houses this 90-proof tipple was designed in tribute to the old-fashioned brown medicine flasks.
Maker's Mark
These distinctive wax-dipped bottles are like snowflakes-each one is different. But on the inside, each bottle contains the same smooth signature 90-proof bourbon that starts off with sweet corn and leather notes and sits on the palate with a long, rich caramel finish.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
The Thunder Chicken got its name after a distillery executive used to bring this bourbon on turkey hunting trips. This 108 proof bourbon is a blend of six, eight and 12-year old barrels that gives it hints of citrus, caramel and sweet tobacco.
George T. Stagg
The grand daddy of all bourbons, this 140+ proof bourbon has been nicknamed 'Hazmat' because of its high alcohol content. Add a little water to this 15-year old and it will open up the coffee, citrus and oak flavors.
Why would a person do that?!! Bacon is bad!! Bourbon is alcohol, and its bad, bad, bad!! Let’s go have a tofu mocha and go for a jog. . . . Good, now they’re gone, and the rest of us adults, who are not deluding ourselves into thinking we’re gonna live forever, can talk. Apparently the idea is old. People have been infusing alcohol with fruits and all manner of things for centuries. It probably went along the lines of “Hmmmm, bacon is good. Bourbon is good. Hey, dude, you ever put bacon in your bourbon???”
The “Benton’s Old Fashioned” has become all the rage in the trendiest bars from San Francisco, to the Big Apple, and on to London, and Tokyo. Reportedly, asking for one in Edinborough can get your ass kicked, but all the bartenders there know how to make one anyway. Scots are loyal bastards, and they will not forgive America for bourbon any time soon. They’re also a lot tougher than most of us, so while there, keep your mouth shut and enjoy the single malts.
But elsewhere, the bacon does add a really nice smokey essence to a good bourbon. So, maybe we should start with what is a good bourbon. I did a little bourbon history lesson on this blog in June, 2009, when I put up the recipe for bourbon cake. Seven of the guys who laughed at me, later tried the bourbon cake and now they are making their own. (I’m just sayin’ . . .) However, since then, people have opined on occasion about bourbons left off the list, so at the end of this article, I will add some of their suggestions.
Once you make your bourbon selection, plan on adding one ounce of liquid bacon fat, rendered from a really good, smoky bacon, to 750 ml of bourbon, in a big wide mouth glass jar. You want the bacon fat cool, but not starting to solidify. Then seal it up and let it sit at room temperature for a minimum of four hours. It’s a taste thing, you’ll have to experiment to find the exact time on this. Ohhh, poor you!!!
Now put the jar in the freezer for at least two hours. The fat will congeal, and can easily be removed. You can run the bourbon through a strainer, and or a coffee filter to remove any residual fat solids.
So now you have baconed bourbon. What are ya gonna do with it? Well, from San Francisco to New Orleans, to New York, to London, to Tokyo and with a side trip to the Flagstaff House in Boulder, Colorado (one of the drop dead, hands down, best restaurants in the country), if you order a Benton’s Old Fashioned, this is what they are going to serve you.
2 oz baconed bourbon
1/4 oz maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and pour into a cracked ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a twist of orange. In San Francisco, they often rim the glass with bits of sweet, smoky bacon, fried up crisp. Enjoy.
Good bourbons? Here is a consensus from a survey taken of professional bartenders from all over the country and reported in Outdoor Life magazine. Pick your poison and have a bacony good time.
Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old
Richer than molasses, this deep, dark bourbon checks in at an easy-sippin' 107 proof. If you want to respect your elders, there's no need to add water or ice. Just kick back, put your feet up and let Pappy do the rest.
Buffalo Trace
The flagship bourbon of the heralded Buffalo Trace distillery starts off with vanilla mint spiciness and mellows on the palate with a deep molasses finish. Keep a bottle of this in your liquor cabinet at all times and call it your 'house bourbon' and you'll be sure to impress your connoisseur friends.
Woodford Reserve
The official bourbon of the Breeder's Cup and Kentucky Derby, this 90.4 proof bourbon walks the line between complexity and mixability. You can enjoy its notes of corn, caramel and oak in a rocks glass by itself or you can use it in a mint julep or Manhattan.
Booker's
Aged six-to-eight years, this heavy duty bourbon is not for the light of tongue. At 121 proof it can be a little more intense than your average bourbon. But its notes of vanilla, tobacco and oak help you ride the long, intense finish.
Knob Creek
Sweet and rich, this 100-proof bourbon has hints of brown sugar and toasted nuts. It's aged nine years and was named National Whiskey Champion by Wine Enthusiast.
Eagle Rare 10 Year Old
This 90-proof well balanced bourbon is brimming with vanilla and toasted nut flavors which garnered it a double gold at the prestigious San Francisco spirits competition. If you're feeling flush, pick up a bottle of the even rarer Eagle Rare 17-year old.
Bulleit
Incorporating more rye into its mashbill than most other bourbons, Bulleit gives your palate an added spicy kick. The bottle that houses this 90-proof tipple was designed in tribute to the old-fashioned brown medicine flasks.
Maker's Mark
These distinctive wax-dipped bottles are like snowflakes-each one is different. But on the inside, each bottle contains the same smooth signature 90-proof bourbon that starts off with sweet corn and leather notes and sits on the palate with a long, rich caramel finish.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
The Thunder Chicken got its name after a distillery executive used to bring this bourbon on turkey hunting trips. This 108 proof bourbon is a blend of six, eight and 12-year old barrels that gives it hints of citrus, caramel and sweet tobacco.
George T. Stagg
The grand daddy of all bourbons, this 140+ proof bourbon has been nicknamed 'Hazmat' because of its high alcohol content. Add a little water to this 15-year old and it will open up the coffee, citrus and oak flavors.
June 5, 2010
Cookie Science
Okay, so last night I was sitting in bed, munching on a bedtime cookie (yeah, like you’ve never done that . . . .)
And while enjoying the chewy little devil, I started thinking about the texture and why it was nice and chewy, instead of brittle and crunchy. (I think about stuff like this a lot, I don’t know why . . .).
So, I decided to spend some time studying the chemistry of cookies to see if I could unearth the answer to that question. Turns out it can be based on a number of variables, so I thought I would collect them and write them down.
Obviously, the ingredients are the primary factor. So, lets take a look at them individually.
First, we’ll talk about flour. The majority of cookie recipes use all-purpose or pastry flour. But bread flour, which has a high protein content, and cake flour, which is high in starch, both produce cookies that tend to keep their shape and not flatten out or “spread” in the baking process. This is because of the gluten in the bread flour and the absorbant starch in the cake flour, which act to produce a similar results.
Next, we’ll add fat. Fat has an important role in the spread of a cookie. All things being equal, the more fat you use, the flatter and crispier your cookie will be. Using less fat results in cookies that are puffier, or “cake-like”. The majority of cookies are made with either butter, margarine or shortening. Whipped spreads should not be used for baking. (I know, they’re “healthier”, but they are primarily whipped water, will reduce to nothing in the baking process and end up tasting like crap. If you have to sit and worry about every morsel of butter that goes into your system, you have bigger issues than butter and you shouldn’t be baking cookies anyway.)
Of the three, shortening and margarine tend to be more temperature stable, and will help cookies keep their original unbaked shapes. Butter melts at right about 99 degrees fahrenheit –which is a much lower temperature than the melting point of other solid fats--resulting in a “melt-in-your-mouth” burst of flavor (because that just happens to be your own body temperature, give or take a few tenths of a degree).
But, cookies made with butter tend to spread out. Since butter is an essential ingredient for some cookies, such as shortbreads, if they are not holding their shape, you should lower the amount of butter in the recipe. You can also get the same result by lowering the, amount of sugar, or baking soda in the recipe.
Then there are baking powder and baking soda to consider. Baking powder and baking soda are used as levening agents in cookies. (You can also use stiffly beaten egg whites in some delicate cookies, but you have to blend it in gently so you don’t ’break” the foam.) Baking soda is actually bicarbonate of soda. Baking powder is a combination of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Why? Because Cream of tartar is acidic and sometimes you want your dough to be acidic. Baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the dough, which is what allows the cookies to brown in the oven. When you use baking powder, it does not reduce the acidity in the dough. So the cookies will turn out to be puffier and they will not brown as much.
Okay, now we’ll add the sugar. Sugar liquefies during the baking process. But the type you use will alter the product coming out of the oven. White sugar makes a crisper cookie than brown sugar or honey. Cookies made from brown sugar will absorb moisture after baking, helping to ensure that they stay chewy. Most chocolate chip cookie recipes contain both brown and white sugars. If you lower the amount of sugar called for in a cookie recipe, the final baked cookie will be puffier than its high-sugar counterpart.
You add eggs (or other liquids) to the cookie dough to act as an agent to bind the dry ingredients.. Liquids can either cause cookies to puff up or spread. If you use egg , you end up with a puffy, cake-like texture. If you use a tablespoon or two of water or other liquid instead of egg, it helps the cookies spread into flatter and crisper rounds. If you use only egg yolks to bind the dough, you end up with a rich tasting cookie with a generally crisper texture. If you use only egg whites, you end up with a cookie that is dry and cakey. You can alter this by adding extra sugar, but it ends up being a really sweet cookie, like a macaroon.
You can also alter your finished product by the mechanical processes you use.
Mixing
Mixing is important to the finished product. Some recipes call for you to cream the fat and sugars together until light-colored and fluffy. Other cookies call for almost a sandy texture, which you accomplish by cutting the fat into the flour. If you over-mix, you will add too much air into the dough. When that goes away in the baking process you end up with a big, flat cookie. The best route is to follow the recipe instructions. Or if you’re winging it, like I do, make sure that once you get all your dry and wet ingredients together, mix until just combined.
Temperature
Unless the recipe says differently, ingredients should be at room temperature before mixing. However, once its mixed, cookie dough can be chilled before baking so it holds its shape better. Rolled and cut-out cookies should be refrigerated before baking for sharper, clearer edges. Drop cookies, such as chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies, can be at room temperature before baking; the spoonfuls of dough will spread and flatten out to the desired result.
Equipment and Baking
Different baking sheets and ovens produce different results. Thin baking sheets convey to much heat and the cookie bottoms will brown too fast. Special insulated baking sheets allow air movement and help cookies bake much more evenly. Jellyroll pans (semi-thick rimmed baking sheets) are a really good baking tool. No matter which type you use. You have the choice of greasing the baking surface, using parchment paper or a nonstick pan liner. Each of these last two choices makes cookie removal and clean-up really easy.
Baking Temperature
Follow the recipe guidelines for baking temps. But cookies are usually baked in at a medium temperature of 350 degrees F. And only for eight to twelve minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. Then if you wish to enjoy chewy cookies, allow them to cool on the pan for three to five before transferring to a cooling rack. For crispier cookies, let them cool for only one minute on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
Hope this helps you understand more about cookie science. Now, go make some cookies.
And while enjoying the chewy little devil, I started thinking about the texture and why it was nice and chewy, instead of brittle and crunchy. (I think about stuff like this a lot, I don’t know why . . .).
So, I decided to spend some time studying the chemistry of cookies to see if I could unearth the answer to that question. Turns out it can be based on a number of variables, so I thought I would collect them and write them down.
Obviously, the ingredients are the primary factor. So, lets take a look at them individually.
First, we’ll talk about flour. The majority of cookie recipes use all-purpose or pastry flour. But bread flour, which has a high protein content, and cake flour, which is high in starch, both produce cookies that tend to keep their shape and not flatten out or “spread” in the baking process. This is because of the gluten in the bread flour and the absorbant starch in the cake flour, which act to produce a similar results.
Next, we’ll add fat. Fat has an important role in the spread of a cookie. All things being equal, the more fat you use, the flatter and crispier your cookie will be. Using less fat results in cookies that are puffier, or “cake-like”. The majority of cookies are made with either butter, margarine or shortening. Whipped spreads should not be used for baking. (I know, they’re “healthier”, but they are primarily whipped water, will reduce to nothing in the baking process and end up tasting like crap. If you have to sit and worry about every morsel of butter that goes into your system, you have bigger issues than butter and you shouldn’t be baking cookies anyway.)
Of the three, shortening and margarine tend to be more temperature stable, and will help cookies keep their original unbaked shapes. Butter melts at right about 99 degrees fahrenheit –which is a much lower temperature than the melting point of other solid fats--resulting in a “melt-in-your-mouth” burst of flavor (because that just happens to be your own body temperature, give or take a few tenths of a degree).
But, cookies made with butter tend to spread out. Since butter is an essential ingredient for some cookies, such as shortbreads, if they are not holding their shape, you should lower the amount of butter in the recipe. You can also get the same result by lowering the, amount of sugar, or baking soda in the recipe.
Then there are baking powder and baking soda to consider. Baking powder and baking soda are used as levening agents in cookies. (You can also use stiffly beaten egg whites in some delicate cookies, but you have to blend it in gently so you don’t ’break” the foam.) Baking soda is actually bicarbonate of soda. Baking powder is a combination of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Why? Because Cream of tartar is acidic and sometimes you want your dough to be acidic. Baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the dough, which is what allows the cookies to brown in the oven. When you use baking powder, it does not reduce the acidity in the dough. So the cookies will turn out to be puffier and they will not brown as much.
Okay, now we’ll add the sugar. Sugar liquefies during the baking process. But the type you use will alter the product coming out of the oven. White sugar makes a crisper cookie than brown sugar or honey. Cookies made from brown sugar will absorb moisture after baking, helping to ensure that they stay chewy. Most chocolate chip cookie recipes contain both brown and white sugars. If you lower the amount of sugar called for in a cookie recipe, the final baked cookie will be puffier than its high-sugar counterpart.
You add eggs (or other liquids) to the cookie dough to act as an agent to bind the dry ingredients.. Liquids can either cause cookies to puff up or spread. If you use egg , you end up with a puffy, cake-like texture. If you use a tablespoon or two of water or other liquid instead of egg, it helps the cookies spread into flatter and crisper rounds. If you use only egg yolks to bind the dough, you end up with a rich tasting cookie with a generally crisper texture. If you use only egg whites, you end up with a cookie that is dry and cakey. You can alter this by adding extra sugar, but it ends up being a really sweet cookie, like a macaroon.
You can also alter your finished product by the mechanical processes you use.
Mixing
Mixing is important to the finished product. Some recipes call for you to cream the fat and sugars together until light-colored and fluffy. Other cookies call for almost a sandy texture, which you accomplish by cutting the fat into the flour. If you over-mix, you will add too much air into the dough. When that goes away in the baking process you end up with a big, flat cookie. The best route is to follow the recipe instructions. Or if you’re winging it, like I do, make sure that once you get all your dry and wet ingredients together, mix until just combined.
Temperature
Unless the recipe says differently, ingredients should be at room temperature before mixing. However, once its mixed, cookie dough can be chilled before baking so it holds its shape better. Rolled and cut-out cookies should be refrigerated before baking for sharper, clearer edges. Drop cookies, such as chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies, can be at room temperature before baking; the spoonfuls of dough will spread and flatten out to the desired result.
Equipment and Baking
Different baking sheets and ovens produce different results. Thin baking sheets convey to much heat and the cookie bottoms will brown too fast. Special insulated baking sheets allow air movement and help cookies bake much more evenly. Jellyroll pans (semi-thick rimmed baking sheets) are a really good baking tool. No matter which type you use. You have the choice of greasing the baking surface, using parchment paper or a nonstick pan liner. Each of these last two choices makes cookie removal and clean-up really easy.
Baking Temperature
Follow the recipe guidelines for baking temps. But cookies are usually baked in at a medium temperature of 350 degrees F. And only for eight to twelve minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. Then if you wish to enjoy chewy cookies, allow them to cool on the pan for three to five before transferring to a cooling rack. For crispier cookies, let them cool for only one minute on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
Hope this helps you understand more about cookie science. Now, go make some cookies.
May 15, 2010
Baked Beans Midwestern Style
There are two kinds of people in the world, at least when it comes to baked beans. You either like them Boston style, or you like them “saucy.” There are, I suppose, people who are somewhere in between. To them I say, grow a set and make up your mind! It like the 11% of people surveyed leaving a movie theater. 62% of them liked the movie they just paid $11.00 to see. 27% didn’t like it and 11% are “undecided.” Whatever. If you're an 11%'er, next time, tell them the movie sucked, the direction was poor and the actors seemed to be on drugs. Big secret? They really don't care. Police Academy III was proof of this.
But, anyway, if you grew up in the Midwest, chances are, you might just be a saucy bean fan. Van Camps, with its one elusive chunk of thick cut bacon per can. Another more current favorite is Bush’s. Brown sugar makes it tastier than the tomato sauce based Van Camps, but there is still the one chunk of bacon per can. Boston style is just too dry for my tastes. I’m a loutish pagan, what can I say?
But if you’re in my camp then you might want to try your hand at making your own version of the saucy beans. You don’t have to copy this recipe slavishly. Branch out, experiment! All this does is give you a really yummy place to start.
Soak one pound of northern beans in 8 cups of cold water, overnight. Yes, this is one of “those recipes” but there is some fun stuff to do today.
Chop four to six slices of thick cut bacon into nibbles. What’s a nibble? How the hell should I know? I once stuffed a whole brownie in my mouth with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese in the middle. Yes, I know, if it wasn’t for the neighborhood bullies I had to run from constantly as a kid, I would have weighed 260 lbs at my high school graduation. Point is, a nibble is whatever you want it to be. You’re cookin’ this.
While that is cooking (to tenderr, not to crispy) in your pot, add two thick slices of sweet onion, chopped fine. I use a slam chopper. No more tears, just like my shampoo. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic, a teaspoon of your favorite mustard (I used sweet Bavarian) a tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar (Balsamic also works), a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce (I hope you’re stirring this over low heat), 1/4 teaspoon of Turmeric (I don’t know why, maybe just to make people think you’re really good at this), 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke. A buddy of mine adds two joints of finely chopped southern leaf to this, but hey, you're eating baked beans here. Do you really want to end up with the munchies after you've had the beans?
Keep stirring occasionally over low heat for a few minutes. Now, while you are pouring yourself two fingers of brown liquor over ice, (the mark of a true food wrangler) add a tablespoon of brown liquor to your sauce. No, not brandy. If you drink brandy, you’re probably not into baked beans anyway. I used 16 year old Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey. (Look, bite me, okay? My wife gets it for me because she thinks I’m the cat’s ass, for some reason, but then,she's incredibly kind). I would have used Jack Daniels, but I’m out right now.
Now let that simmer, covered, for about 5-10 minutes after adding half a cup of water. By the way, if you don’t drink your tap water because of a heavy mineral taste, don’‘t use it in your cooking as if it doesn’t matter. It does.
Take the sauce off the heat, let it cool and refrigerate over night. Tomorrow, about half an hour before bean time, you will drain and rinse the beans, add them to the sauce with a half stick of butter (oh, wait, I forgot, you still think you’re gonna get out of here alive, don’cha, you poor deluded bugger? Wrong!! Go for it, live a little!!) and stir over low heat until the sauce and beans are throughly mixed. No more than 15 minutes.
Serve the beans with whatever (I did them with pulled pork on fresh homemade bread, layered over coleslaw with a slice of pineapple on top - a tip from Boo's cousin, Kevin. Yeahhhh, Kevin!!). Okay, that’s a starting point. Now go do better and report back (I know you can).
But, anyway, if you grew up in the Midwest, chances are, you might just be a saucy bean fan. Van Camps, with its one elusive chunk of thick cut bacon per can. Another more current favorite is Bush’s. Brown sugar makes it tastier than the tomato sauce based Van Camps, but there is still the one chunk of bacon per can. Boston style is just too dry for my tastes. I’m a loutish pagan, what can I say?
But if you’re in my camp then you might want to try your hand at making your own version of the saucy beans. You don’t have to copy this recipe slavishly. Branch out, experiment! All this does is give you a really yummy place to start.
Soak one pound of northern beans in 8 cups of cold water, overnight. Yes, this is one of “those recipes” but there is some fun stuff to do today.
Chop four to six slices of thick cut bacon into nibbles. What’s a nibble? How the hell should I know? I once stuffed a whole brownie in my mouth with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese in the middle. Yes, I know, if it wasn’t for the neighborhood bullies I had to run from constantly as a kid, I would have weighed 260 lbs at my high school graduation. Point is, a nibble is whatever you want it to be. You’re cookin’ this.
While that is cooking (to tenderr, not to crispy) in your pot, add two thick slices of sweet onion, chopped fine. I use a slam chopper. No more tears, just like my shampoo. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic, a teaspoon of your favorite mustard (I used sweet Bavarian) a tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar (Balsamic also works), a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce (I hope you’re stirring this over low heat), 1/4 teaspoon of Turmeric (I don’t know why, maybe just to make people think you’re really good at this), 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke. A buddy of mine adds two joints of finely chopped southern leaf to this, but hey, you're eating baked beans here. Do you really want to end up with the munchies after you've had the beans?
Keep stirring occasionally over low heat for a few minutes. Now, while you are pouring yourself two fingers of brown liquor over ice, (the mark of a true food wrangler) add a tablespoon of brown liquor to your sauce. No, not brandy. If you drink brandy, you’re probably not into baked beans anyway. I used 16 year old Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey. (Look, bite me, okay? My wife gets it for me because she thinks I’m the cat’s ass, for some reason, but then,she's incredibly kind). I would have used Jack Daniels, but I’m out right now.
Now let that simmer, covered, for about 5-10 minutes after adding half a cup of water. By the way, if you don’t drink your tap water because of a heavy mineral taste, don’‘t use it in your cooking as if it doesn’t matter. It does.
Take the sauce off the heat, let it cool and refrigerate over night. Tomorrow, about half an hour before bean time, you will drain and rinse the beans, add them to the sauce with a half stick of butter (oh, wait, I forgot, you still think you’re gonna get out of here alive, don’cha, you poor deluded bugger? Wrong!! Go for it, live a little!!) and stir over low heat until the sauce and beans are throughly mixed. No more than 15 minutes.
Serve the beans with whatever (I did them with pulled pork on fresh homemade bread, layered over coleslaw with a slice of pineapple on top - a tip from Boo's cousin, Kevin. Yeahhhh, Kevin!!). Okay, that’s a starting point. Now go do better and report back (I know you can).
May 5, 2010
Venison Pot Pie
“There’s no way in hell that you’re gonna get me to eat venison”, my buddy Jim declared. Knowing what he is missing by taking such a stand, I decided to see if I could find a recipe that would turn his world around and change his mind. This may very well be the one.
Start with venison steak. Well, actually, you’re going to want to start with the pastry crust, but this is my recipe, so I’ll cover that later.*** Now back to the venison pie filling. Use three small venison steaks, about a pound of uncooked venison. Cut the venison into bite-sized cubes. Pour some herb infused olive oil into a skillet. Seasoned cast iron is best providing more uniform heat and no hot spots. Saute medium to finely chopped onion and minced garlic over medium heat, taking care not to burn the garlic. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the venison, keeping the heat low enough to brown without burning. Add salt and pepper to taste, or don’t, its your pie.
You can also add chopped mushrooms if you wish. I didn’t, but only because Boo isn’t crazy about them. But I think they add a lot of flavor to a dish like this. As the venison slowly browns, add a sprinkle or two of caraway seed and some seedless red grapes. I used a dozen, you decide. But crush them to expose the inner flesh and toss ‘em in, skins and all. This is going to add a really nice slightly tart character when blended with the caraway essence and tawny port wine.
After five minutes, add an ounce and a half of tawny port wine and simmer uncovered for about seven minutes, to allow the alcohol to boil off. Now you have options. You can add water and then later thicken your sauce, or you can add a pre-mixed canned gravy. I used turkey gravy, but chicken will work as well.
Then once that is well mixed into your now nicely browned and seasoned venison, you can add whatever vegetables you intend to use in your pie mix. I used a frozen mixed vegetable, but if you do that, be sure you thaw the vegetables before adding them in. About now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 425 f.
If you feel that you want a thicker sauce, after incorporating the vegetables, you will pick up some water there, you can thicken it with some cornstarch dissolved in cold water. Stir, as it boils lightly, until the sauce has reached the consistency that you want.
*** Now, let’s think about the pastry crust. If you are going to use a single crust, then this recipe will work well. One and a quarter cups of flour, mixed with a quarter teaspoon of salt, and then blended in a food processor with a stick of cold, hard butter, chopped into small chunks until it resembles meal. Then add up to a quarter cup of ice cold water. Continue to blend until it rolls into a ball. Remove and roll out into a rough circle between two floured sheets of waxed paper. Refrigerate until you need it, which, by the way is now.
Pour your pie mix into a deep walled pie dish. Cover the mix with the pastry, trimming of the excess and doing a two finger pinch around the rim to seal the pastry. Into the oven it goes, for fifteen minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 f for another thirty minutes. You’re gonna like this a lot, but just a hint. Pot pies always taste better on day two after the flavors have melded. So don’‘t be afraid to refrigerate and savor it as a left over, later.
Start with venison steak. Well, actually, you’re going to want to start with the pastry crust, but this is my recipe, so I’ll cover that later.*** Now back to the venison pie filling. Use three small venison steaks, about a pound of uncooked venison. Cut the venison into bite-sized cubes. Pour some herb infused olive oil into a skillet. Seasoned cast iron is best providing more uniform heat and no hot spots. Saute medium to finely chopped onion and minced garlic over medium heat, taking care not to burn the garlic. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the venison, keeping the heat low enough to brown without burning. Add salt and pepper to taste, or don’t, its your pie.
You can also add chopped mushrooms if you wish. I didn’t, but only because Boo isn’t crazy about them. But I think they add a lot of flavor to a dish like this. As the venison slowly browns, add a sprinkle or two of caraway seed and some seedless red grapes. I used a dozen, you decide. But crush them to expose the inner flesh and toss ‘em in, skins and all. This is going to add a really nice slightly tart character when blended with the caraway essence and tawny port wine.
After five minutes, add an ounce and a half of tawny port wine and simmer uncovered for about seven minutes, to allow the alcohol to boil off. Now you have options. You can add water and then later thicken your sauce, or you can add a pre-mixed canned gravy. I used turkey gravy, but chicken will work as well.
Then once that is well mixed into your now nicely browned and seasoned venison, you can add whatever vegetables you intend to use in your pie mix. I used a frozen mixed vegetable, but if you do that, be sure you thaw the vegetables before adding them in. About now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 425 f.
If you feel that you want a thicker sauce, after incorporating the vegetables, you will pick up some water there, you can thicken it with some cornstarch dissolved in cold water. Stir, as it boils lightly, until the sauce has reached the consistency that you want.
*** Now, let’s think about the pastry crust. If you are going to use a single crust, then this recipe will work well. One and a quarter cups of flour, mixed with a quarter teaspoon of salt, and then blended in a food processor with a stick of cold, hard butter, chopped into small chunks until it resembles meal. Then add up to a quarter cup of ice cold water. Continue to blend until it rolls into a ball. Remove and roll out into a rough circle between two floured sheets of waxed paper. Refrigerate until you need it, which, by the way is now.
Pour your pie mix into a deep walled pie dish. Cover the mix with the pastry, trimming of the excess and doing a two finger pinch around the rim to seal the pastry. Into the oven it goes, for fifteen minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 f for another thirty minutes. You’re gonna like this a lot, but just a hint. Pot pies always taste better on day two after the flavors have melded. So don’‘t be afraid to refrigerate and savor it as a left over, later.
February 6, 2010
Foccacia by any Other Name
Boo likes flatbread pizza, so today she challenged me to come up with a recipe for flatbread. Here are three, the third, naturally, being the most work and the best flatbread. Did you know foccacia is Italian for "flatbread"? I didn't.
All three require "proofing" your yeast in warm water. Not too warm, or it will kill your yeast and then it really will be "flat" bread. Slightly warmer than room temperature should be fine.
Flatbread Pizza Dough
3/4 cup warm water, sprinkle with a packet of dry active yeast and wait for it to foam. Add 2 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp salt (You know what a "tsp" is, don'cha, we've been over this before), 1/8 tsp pepper . Knead until it's smooth and snaps back when you stretch it. (Cover with plastic while you get your toppings chopped and ready.) Cut into three parts for three different pizzas.
Roll one out into a broad oval with shoulders (okay, like a rectangle, but not) and put whatever you want on it. Some ideas include grilled chicken, tomatoes, basil, light sprinkle of shredded asiago and mozzarella, chevre crumbles, and toasted pine nuts. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, until the edges are good and brown. If you cover the crust completely with cheese, it will not bake properly. If you just have to have that much cheese, half bake it with no toppings ande then interrupt the bake to add the cheese and toppings.
Then check in with your cardiologist for a stress test. This is actually a pretty good no frills recipe.
or,
Flatbread Pizza dough (for those with a mixer and dough hook)
3 cups unbleached flour, plus more for dusting a work surface
2 tsps fine sea salt
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3 tblspns olive oil
1. Process the flour and 2 tsps salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook until thoroughly mixed, or about one minute.
2. Put the yeast in another bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup warm water, then 2 tblspns of the oil. Let it rest until it foams, about 10 minutes, then pour this mixture into the center of the flour. Mix the flour and yeast solution until its mixed thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup warm water to the flour and mix again until the dough pulls together in a single, inseparable glob.
3. Dump the glob out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead the dough by working it with the heel of your hand. Push outward and pull the inside edge over the top. Repeat the process over and over to create a smooth ball of dough free of stickiness. This should take 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Brush a clean, stainless-steel bowl with the remaining tablespoon oil and put the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and proof at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. When the dough has risen, divide it in half, or thirds for thinner pizzas, and shape the pieces into balls that will later be patted into the traditional pizza shape. These dough balls can be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 2 months.
or,
More Work, Better Dough
2 tblspns yeast
3 cups warm water
2 tblspns light corn syrup
7 tblspns olive oil
8-10 cups unbleached flour
1.5 tblspns salt
1 tblspn minced garlic
1 tblspn rosemary
2 tspns oregano
1/2 tspns ground black pepper
Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in large bowl till it foams, about 5-8 minutes, add the rest of the water, 6 tblspns olive oil and all the corn syrup.
Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, then add salt, garlic and rosemary. Add more flour (a cup at a time would be wise) and mix this until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Flour your work surface. knead the dough 5-10 minutes till its non-sticky. Add a little (I said a little!) flour to make the sticky go away if you need to. Grease another bowl, roll the dough in a ball in this bowl until the outside of the dough ball is coated with oil. Cover and proof (let it rise) for 2 hours in a warm place. Punch it down, knead it for four minutes, then cover and proof it again for 1 hour. Punch it down and spread it into a 12 X17 pan. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with the oregano and black pepper. Cover with your favorite toppings, or if you simply cannot think of anything to put on this see the recipe above.
bake 30-35 minutes.
All three require "proofing" your yeast in warm water. Not too warm, or it will kill your yeast and then it really will be "flat" bread. Slightly warmer than room temperature should be fine.
Flatbread Pizza Dough
3/4 cup warm water, sprinkle with a packet of dry active yeast and wait for it to foam. Add 2 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp salt (You know what a "tsp" is, don'cha, we've been over this before), 1/8 tsp pepper . Knead until it's smooth and snaps back when you stretch it. (Cover with plastic while you get your toppings chopped and ready.) Cut into three parts for three different pizzas.
Roll one out into a broad oval with shoulders (okay, like a rectangle, but not) and put whatever you want on it. Some ideas include grilled chicken, tomatoes, basil, light sprinkle of shredded asiago and mozzarella, chevre crumbles, and toasted pine nuts. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, until the edges are good and brown. If you cover the crust completely with cheese, it will not bake properly. If you just have to have that much cheese, half bake it with no toppings ande then interrupt the bake to add the cheese and toppings.
Then check in with your cardiologist for a stress test. This is actually a pretty good no frills recipe.
or,
Flatbread Pizza dough (for those with a mixer and dough hook)
3 cups unbleached flour, plus more for dusting a work surface
2 tsps fine sea salt
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3 tblspns olive oil
1. Process the flour and 2 tsps salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook until thoroughly mixed, or about one minute.
2. Put the yeast in another bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup warm water, then 2 tblspns of the oil. Let it rest until it foams, about 10 minutes, then pour this mixture into the center of the flour. Mix the flour and yeast solution until its mixed thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup warm water to the flour and mix again until the dough pulls together in a single, inseparable glob.
3. Dump the glob out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead the dough by working it with the heel of your hand. Push outward and pull the inside edge over the top. Repeat the process over and over to create a smooth ball of dough free of stickiness. This should take 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Brush a clean, stainless-steel bowl with the remaining tablespoon oil and put the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and proof at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. When the dough has risen, divide it in half, or thirds for thinner pizzas, and shape the pieces into balls that will later be patted into the traditional pizza shape. These dough balls can be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 2 months.
or,
More Work, Better Dough
2 tblspns yeast
3 cups warm water
2 tblspns light corn syrup
7 tblspns olive oil
8-10 cups unbleached flour
1.5 tblspns salt
1 tblspn minced garlic
1 tblspn rosemary
2 tspns oregano
1/2 tspns ground black pepper
Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in large bowl till it foams, about 5-8 minutes, add the rest of the water, 6 tblspns olive oil and all the corn syrup.
Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, then add salt, garlic and rosemary. Add more flour (a cup at a time would be wise) and mix this until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Flour your work surface. knead the dough 5-10 minutes till its non-sticky. Add a little (I said a little!) flour to make the sticky go away if you need to. Grease another bowl, roll the dough in a ball in this bowl until the outside of the dough ball is coated with oil. Cover and proof (let it rise) for 2 hours in a warm place. Punch it down, knead it for four minutes, then cover and proof it again for 1 hour. Punch it down and spread it into a 12 X17 pan. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with the oregano and black pepper. Cover with your favorite toppings, or if you simply cannot think of anything to put on this see the recipe above.
bake 30-35 minutes.
December 12, 2009
Knock You Naked Brownies
Okay, I admit it. I'm a purist, an elitist, but a person has to go with what they like - or don't like. I am not a big fan of "gooey" brownies. I like chewy brownies. I really like chewy brownies with chopped walnuts in them. Its the sweet-bitter, juxtaposition of flavor elements, yin and yan - whatever. I especially do not like brownies with caramel in them, on them, near them - well, you get the picture.
However, I also know that not everyone shares this affliction. So here is a brownie recipe straight from the Salt Creek Restaurant in Breckinridge, Colorado, which is to the snow crowd in Winter what Spearfish Canyon is to bikers in August - a very, very cool place to be.
They are called "Knock You Naked Brownies" and no, there is no vegetable material of questionable legality involved - if you know what I mean. It is not my recipe, but a lot of people like them, so here you are.
1 package German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup and 1/2 cup evaporated milk-keep them separate
1/2 cup melted butter
1 14 oz package of vanilla caramels
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl (why do they always add that? - Anybody really gonna try to stick all this in a small mixing bowl? Come one!!), combine dry cake mix, nuts, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for eight minutes.In the microwave (read up on the process before you do this - cleaning the inside of the atomic oven can be a real bite if it gets away from you) or top of a double boiler melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer. Cover with chocolate chips. Chill for about an hour or until the caramel is hard. Press the remaining batter on top of morsels. Return to oven and bake 28 minutes (or less for gooier brownies). Let cool before cutting.
Hope you enjoy them.
However, I also know that not everyone shares this affliction. So here is a brownie recipe straight from the Salt Creek Restaurant in Breckinridge, Colorado, which is to the snow crowd in Winter what Spearfish Canyon is to bikers in August - a very, very cool place to be.
They are called "Knock You Naked Brownies" and no, there is no vegetable material of questionable legality involved - if you know what I mean. It is not my recipe, but a lot of people like them, so here you are.
1 package German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup and 1/2 cup evaporated milk-keep them separate
1/2 cup melted butter
1 14 oz package of vanilla caramels
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl (why do they always add that? - Anybody really gonna try to stick all this in a small mixing bowl? Come one!!), combine dry cake mix, nuts, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for eight minutes.In the microwave (read up on the process before you do this - cleaning the inside of the atomic oven can be a real bite if it gets away from you) or top of a double boiler melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer. Cover with chocolate chips. Chill for about an hour or until the caramel is hard. Press the remaining batter on top of morsels. Return to oven and bake 28 minutes (or less for gooier brownies). Let cool before cutting.
Hope you enjoy them.
October 18, 2009
Something else to do with Pheasant
A quick review of the web, or any number of wild game cookbooks, will reveal that there are lots and lots of recipes for pheasant. Its a lean muscled game bird. It does not sit around the barnyard developing a nice layer of fat. So its easy to overcook, dry out, and make tougher than trace leather. I know this to be true. As a youngster, I once boiled one and then fried it for my father and brother. It was inedible, but the legs could be used to drive a 10 penny nail.
Some people insist that pheasants must be "hung" to "improve the flavor". This process involves hanging the bird outside by its feet until it starts to decompose to "tenderize it" Those that employ this technique usually allow for three days if its humid, and up to six days in a cool breeze. Personally, I've never tried it and to each his own I guess. The recipe below is simply one way to present pheasant in a manner which emphasizes the flavor and texture of the bird.
Rule of thumb. One pheasant can feed two normal people, or 1.5 gluttons. So, depending upon how many people (or gluttons) you are serving, calculate accordingly. This is not a "how to skin and clean" recipe, I am assuming you have a dressed bird, ready for cooking. If you don't know how to get it to this stage, Google it.
Cut the flesh from the bone and into roughly cube shaped portions. When you try this, you will understand why I say roughly. The lower legs contain a number of tendons. These can be stripped from the meat with a sharp knife. Don't obsess over cube shapes, just do the best you can.
Now mix the cut up meat in a bowl with just enough molasses to coat each piece. Add three dashes of liquid smoke and two of soy sauce, stir well and set aside to marinate.
Saute some vidalia onion (yeah, I use vidalia a lot in cooking, I love the flavor of this sweet onion) in butter over low heat. After a few minutes (use your own judgment - I don't know how much heat you are using, okay?), add some chopped, sweet red pepper. A few minutes later add a sprinkle of pine nuts, a dash or two of sage and thyme and a little salt and pepper. Continue to turn this with a spatula until the nuts turn slightly yellow (watch this like a hawk, pine nuts are easy to burn). Then remove the mixture from your skillet and set it aside.
Now lightly flour your pheasant. If you just dump the flour into the marinade, you will have a sticky mess. So, use tongs to move meat from the marinade bowl to a separte bowl for flouring, a little at a time. When that's done, move the floured meat to the skillet you sauted the onion mixture in and return to low heat. You are probably going to want to add some more butter to the skillet to prevent the floured meat from scorching, which is a bad thing. Cook this, turning frequently with a spatula until the floured meat is browned throughly, taking care that it does not burn the flour coating. About five minutes before its done, add the onion, pepper mixture back into the skillet to warm it and blend the flavors. This results in a tender, slightly sweet pheasant, but does not overwhelm the taste of the bird.
I have served this over pasta with a light cream sauce, which was very tasty. Some might object to the cream sauce, or the butter. If low calorie cooking is a big deal for you, you might want to stay away from this blog.
Some people insist that pheasants must be "hung" to "improve the flavor". This process involves hanging the bird outside by its feet until it starts to decompose to "tenderize it" Those that employ this technique usually allow for three days if its humid, and up to six days in a cool breeze. Personally, I've never tried it and to each his own I guess. The recipe below is simply one way to present pheasant in a manner which emphasizes the flavor and texture of the bird.
Rule of thumb. One pheasant can feed two normal people, or 1.5 gluttons. So, depending upon how many people (or gluttons) you are serving, calculate accordingly. This is not a "how to skin and clean" recipe, I am assuming you have a dressed bird, ready for cooking. If you don't know how to get it to this stage, Google it.
Cut the flesh from the bone and into roughly cube shaped portions. When you try this, you will understand why I say roughly. The lower legs contain a number of tendons. These can be stripped from the meat with a sharp knife. Don't obsess over cube shapes, just do the best you can.
Now mix the cut up meat in a bowl with just enough molasses to coat each piece. Add three dashes of liquid smoke and two of soy sauce, stir well and set aside to marinate.
Saute some vidalia onion (yeah, I use vidalia a lot in cooking, I love the flavor of this sweet onion) in butter over low heat. After a few minutes (use your own judgment - I don't know how much heat you are using, okay?), add some chopped, sweet red pepper. A few minutes later add a sprinkle of pine nuts, a dash or two of sage and thyme and a little salt and pepper. Continue to turn this with a spatula until the nuts turn slightly yellow (watch this like a hawk, pine nuts are easy to burn). Then remove the mixture from your skillet and set it aside.
Now lightly flour your pheasant. If you just dump the flour into the marinade, you will have a sticky mess. So, use tongs to move meat from the marinade bowl to a separte bowl for flouring, a little at a time. When that's done, move the floured meat to the skillet you sauted the onion mixture in and return to low heat. You are probably going to want to add some more butter to the skillet to prevent the floured meat from scorching, which is a bad thing. Cook this, turning frequently with a spatula until the floured meat is browned throughly, taking care that it does not burn the flour coating. About five minutes before its done, add the onion, pepper mixture back into the skillet to warm it and blend the flavors. This results in a tender, slightly sweet pheasant, but does not overwhelm the taste of the bird.
I have served this over pasta with a light cream sauce, which was very tasty. Some might object to the cream sauce, or the butter. If low calorie cooking is a big deal for you, you might want to stay away from this blog.
October 12, 2009
Apres Grouse Hunt
Okay, so you went Grouse hunting and actually came back with birds. You did better than I did, so now what are ya gonna do with the succulent little devils? Well, you might try this one.
Ruffed Grouse Amandine
Naturally, you need to start with Ruffed grouse. You'll also need salt and pepper, some bacon slices, a half cup of melted butter, some blanched almond slivers, a teaspoon of lemon juice and buttered toast.
Once the grouse is (are) rinsed clean, and after you have made sure to remove any remaining shot, sprinkle the grouse inside and out with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350. Cover the breast(s) with bacon and fasten it with string or wooden picks. Place the grouse on their backs in a baking pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender, basting it frequently with 1/4 cup of the melted butter.
Combine the remaining butter, almonds, and lemon juice. Five minutes before the grouse are done (don't freak here, a minute or two one way or the other is not gonna mess this up), remove your string or toothpicks and bacon. Pour the butter-almond mixture over birds. Serve them on the buttered toast. A tossed salad and a sauteed mixture of butternut squash and yams, sprinkled with brown sugar, would be really tasty with this.
Ruffed Grouse Amandine
Naturally, you need to start with Ruffed grouse. You'll also need salt and pepper, some bacon slices, a half cup of melted butter, some blanched almond slivers, a teaspoon of lemon juice and buttered toast.
Once the grouse is (are) rinsed clean, and after you have made sure to remove any remaining shot, sprinkle the grouse inside and out with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350. Cover the breast(s) with bacon and fasten it with string or wooden picks. Place the grouse on their backs in a baking pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender, basting it frequently with 1/4 cup of the melted butter.
Combine the remaining butter, almonds, and lemon juice. Five minutes before the grouse are done (don't freak here, a minute or two one way or the other is not gonna mess this up), remove your string or toothpicks and bacon. Pour the butter-almond mixture over birds. Serve them on the buttered toast. A tossed salad and a sauteed mixture of butternut squash and yams, sprinkled with brown sugar, would be really tasty with this.
September 30, 2009
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Okay, a friend reminded me that Thanksgiving is coming up in a few weeks, so the idea here is to take traditional Thanksgiving fare and prepare it in a non- traditional way. Everybody seems to like sweet potatos so let's start with that.
To make the Gnocchi:
You can either bake 2 pounds of sweet potato in the oven at 425 deg. for 40 to 50 minutes, or you can use your microwave and have them fully cooked and tender in about 8 to 11 minutes, using far less energy. But either way, once they’re done, cut them in half and scoop the sweet potato into a large bowl. Mash it thoroughly and measure out two cups. Return that to the bowl and feed the rest to your dog.
If he won’t eat it, send it to my house, mine will.
Add 2/3 cup whole milk Ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix this thoroughly.
Add 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour, blending this 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a soft dough.
Now sprinkle some flour on a flat work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch thick rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch long pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork to score the surface. Transfer the formed gnocchi onto a large baking sheet.
Now, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in 3batches and cook until tender but still firm when you bite into it. Stir the Gnocchi occasionally, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, moving it back onto the baking sheet. Build a tent with foil to keep it warm, while you finish the remaining gnocci.
For the Brown Butter sauce:
While the gnocchi are cooking, melt ½ cup of butter (yeah this is another low calorie recipe, but hey, its for the holidays, so suffer through it)in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add two dozen fresh sage leaves. Let this cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in a teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, a teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Stir this gently to keep it from bubbling up. When bubbles are gone, toss the cooked gnocchi in the brown butter. Transfer the gnocchi to a serving dish and serve it right away.
To make the Gnocchi:
You can either bake 2 pounds of sweet potato in the oven at 425 deg. for 40 to 50 minutes, or you can use your microwave and have them fully cooked and tender in about 8 to 11 minutes, using far less energy. But either way, once they’re done, cut them in half and scoop the sweet potato into a large bowl. Mash it thoroughly and measure out two cups. Return that to the bowl and feed the rest to your dog.
If he won’t eat it, send it to my house, mine will.
Add 2/3 cup whole milk Ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix this thoroughly.
Add 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour, blending this 1/2 cup at a time, until it forms a soft dough.
Now sprinkle some flour on a flat work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch thick rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch long pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork to score the surface. Transfer the formed gnocchi onto a large baking sheet.
Now, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in 3batches and cook until tender but still firm when you bite into it. Stir the Gnocchi occasionally, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi with a slotted spoon, moving it back onto the baking sheet. Build a tent with foil to keep it warm, while you finish the remaining gnocci.
For the Brown Butter sauce:
While the gnocchi are cooking, melt ½ cup of butter (yeah this is another low calorie recipe, but hey, its for the holidays, so suffer through it)in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add two dozen fresh sage leaves. Let this cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in a teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, a teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Stir this gently to keep it from bubbling up. When bubbles are gone, toss the cooked gnocchi in the brown butter. Transfer the gnocchi to a serving dish and serve it right away.
September 23, 2009
Sweet butternut squash tossed with pasta
As I said in the previous trout recipe, this is a nice adjunct to the fish. Read through the recipe and you will find your list of ingredients.
One good reason it works well with the fish is that you can do it in the same 450 oven that you are using to roast the trout (fish - whatever). The biggest pain here is the peeling, seeding and chunking of the squash, but its worth it, believe me. So preheat a cookie sheet for the squash as well.
Then, prior to starting the fish, peel (a vegetable peeler works really well here - Grandma could do it with a paring knife, but she had real skills), seed and chunk your squash and then toss it with a medium to large sweet onion, cut into 1-inch chunks, 2 big handfuls of spring mix, 1/3 packed cup of torn up fresh basil leaves, and about a dozen fresh sage leaves (also torn up), enough minced garlic to approximate 5 cloves, 1/3 cup good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, a packed tablespoon of brown sugar (light or dark), and salt and fresh-ground black pepper (to taste). Some people add red pepper flakes (or not depending upon your own preference).
Pull out the oven rack holding the cookie sheet (carefully - remember its hot) and pour the vegetable mix onto the hot sheet and spread it out. This is going to bake for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender, turning the vegetables two or three times during roasting.
As the squash becomes tender, cook your bow tie pasta until its tender, but not mushy. Then drain it and set it aside.
Now here is the tricky part. Once the squash is tender, you will need to turn on the broiler to caramelize it. But you have to watch this closely. No cell phones, no kids in the kitchen, no mixing a martini. Its gonna take about five minutes. You can't focus for five minutes?? Your mother could do this in her sleep and she learned it from your grandmother. You need to turn the pieces often. Anticipate about 5 minutes under the broiler. You want crusty brown edges on the squash and wilted, almost crisp greens. But if a friend calls to talk about life, you're gonna mess this up and burn it, so be advised.
Okay, if you made it through this step without screwing it up, you have potential. Scrape everything into a big serving bowl. Add 1/2 cup of half-and-half, the hot pasta, and 1 cup of shredded Asiago cheese. Toss it to blend everything up, taste it to see if you want to add more salt and pepper, or you can add more of the cheese if you feel so moved. Serve this hot with the fish, or whatever dish you wish.
One good reason it works well with the fish is that you can do it in the same 450 oven that you are using to roast the trout (fish - whatever). The biggest pain here is the peeling, seeding and chunking of the squash, but its worth it, believe me. So preheat a cookie sheet for the squash as well.
Then, prior to starting the fish, peel (a vegetable peeler works really well here - Grandma could do it with a paring knife, but she had real skills), seed and chunk your squash and then toss it with a medium to large sweet onion, cut into 1-inch chunks, 2 big handfuls of spring mix, 1/3 packed cup of torn up fresh basil leaves, and about a dozen fresh sage leaves (also torn up), enough minced garlic to approximate 5 cloves, 1/3 cup good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil, a packed tablespoon of brown sugar (light or dark), and salt and fresh-ground black pepper (to taste). Some people add red pepper flakes (or not depending upon your own preference).
Pull out the oven rack holding the cookie sheet (carefully - remember its hot) and pour the vegetable mix onto the hot sheet and spread it out. This is going to bake for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender, turning the vegetables two or three times during roasting.
As the squash becomes tender, cook your bow tie pasta until its tender, but not mushy. Then drain it and set it aside.
Now here is the tricky part. Once the squash is tender, you will need to turn on the broiler to caramelize it. But you have to watch this closely. No cell phones, no kids in the kitchen, no mixing a martini. Its gonna take about five minutes. You can't focus for five minutes?? Your mother could do this in her sleep and she learned it from your grandmother. You need to turn the pieces often. Anticipate about 5 minutes under the broiler. You want crusty brown edges on the squash and wilted, almost crisp greens. But if a friend calls to talk about life, you're gonna mess this up and burn it, so be advised.
Okay, if you made it through this step without screwing it up, you have potential. Scrape everything into a big serving bowl. Add 1/2 cup of half-and-half, the hot pasta, and 1 cup of shredded Asiago cheese. Toss it to blend everything up, taste it to see if you want to add more salt and pepper, or you can add more of the cheese if you feel so moved. Serve this hot with the fish, or whatever dish you wish.
September 22, 2009
Roasted trout nested in green herbs
This dish does not absolutely require trout, you can do it as well with other freshwater fish, but it does not work at all well with fillets. As you will see, you want the whole fish, skin on to do it right.
But, isshhh (Minnesotan for "OOOOh icky!") you've never had fish with the skin still on? Well, relax, you don't eat the skin. Okay, some people do, but they're uncouth savages, mostly from Nebraska and Texas, so what can I say?
Some purists (read prissy little yuppies) insist that the trout simply MUST be "organic". If you catch it from a stream, you can relax, it doesn't get any more organic than that. Course, its been eating bugs, but hey, you eat fish, so no pointing of fingers.
Preheat the oven to 450 with a cookie sheet to keep it company. While the oven and the sheet are heating up, wash your fish and pat it dry. Score the sides with a sharp knife down to, but not through the bones (3 or 4 cuts along each side should do the trick). Rub the fish inside and out with a good extra virgin olive oil, making sure you work the oil down into the slashes in the flesh. Then line the cavity moderately with some fresh minced garlic. Rub some of the garlic down into the slashes as well with some salt and pepper. Okay, if you absolutely must, use organic sea salt. I have no idea how that changes anything, but it might make you feel better about yourself.
For green herbs use thyme, parsley, oregano, lavendar, basil, sage and just a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Wash them and pat them dry. Pour some olive oil on the cookie sheet (remember, its hot, so be careful not to burn yourself moving it in and out of the oven)and build your bed of green herbs in the oil. This will impart wonderful scents and flavors to the fish (and the house for that matter) and will also keep it from sticking to the cookie sheet while it cooks.
Place the fish on the bed of herbs and then into the oven for 8 to 12 minutes or slightly more if you feel you need to. The fish is done when the flesh is white clear through. Don't overcook it. You want it to be moist and full of flavor when you serve it (or why else would you go to this much trouble?!!).
When its done, lift the fish, bed of herbs and all onto your serving plate. This goes really well with some sweet roasted butternut squash over greens and bow tie pasta. I'll bring that one on board next.
Serve the trout, as you would with any freshwater fish, with a nice Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc. Or a Budweiser, but if you do, I'll never speak to you again, so its up to you.
But, isshhh (Minnesotan for "OOOOh icky!") you've never had fish with the skin still on? Well, relax, you don't eat the skin. Okay, some people do, but they're uncouth savages, mostly from Nebraska and Texas, so what can I say?
Some purists (read prissy little yuppies) insist that the trout simply MUST be "organic". If you catch it from a stream, you can relax, it doesn't get any more organic than that. Course, its been eating bugs, but hey, you eat fish, so no pointing of fingers.
Preheat the oven to 450 with a cookie sheet to keep it company. While the oven and the sheet are heating up, wash your fish and pat it dry. Score the sides with a sharp knife down to, but not through the bones (3 or 4 cuts along each side should do the trick). Rub the fish inside and out with a good extra virgin olive oil, making sure you work the oil down into the slashes in the flesh. Then line the cavity moderately with some fresh minced garlic. Rub some of the garlic down into the slashes as well with some salt and pepper. Okay, if you absolutely must, use organic sea salt. I have no idea how that changes anything, but it might make you feel better about yourself.
For green herbs use thyme, parsley, oregano, lavendar, basil, sage and just a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Wash them and pat them dry. Pour some olive oil on the cookie sheet (remember, its hot, so be careful not to burn yourself moving it in and out of the oven)and build your bed of green herbs in the oil. This will impart wonderful scents and flavors to the fish (and the house for that matter) and will also keep it from sticking to the cookie sheet while it cooks.
Place the fish on the bed of herbs and then into the oven for 8 to 12 minutes or slightly more if you feel you need to. The fish is done when the flesh is white clear through. Don't overcook it. You want it to be moist and full of flavor when you serve it (or why else would you go to this much trouble?!!).
When its done, lift the fish, bed of herbs and all onto your serving plate. This goes really well with some sweet roasted butternut squash over greens and bow tie pasta. I'll bring that one on board next.
Serve the trout, as you would with any freshwater fish, with a nice Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc. Or a Budweiser, but if you do, I'll never speak to you again, so its up to you.
August 22, 2009
Seedless blackberry jam
This is pretty easy stuff, but it turns out great jam. Very fruity and flavorful and best of all, no seeds to get stuck in your teeth.
Use 6 half pint cartons of blackberries (or more - just adjust your proportions)
You have to watch these like a hawk. They develop mold very quickly. Don't use moldy fruit.
I boil them in 2 cups of water. Keep a lid on the pot, you don''t want a reduction sauce here. You can start your water bath now, getting the water temperature up to boiling gradually. Wash any jelly jars, vacuum lids and tops you intend to use to store your jam.
Stir the berries and crush until they are soft and break up easily. Once you have a sort of mushy consistency, pour into your food strainer so that you can work the fruit pulp and juice through the strainer, trapping the seeds behind.
Measure your strained product. You want 3 3/4 cups of juice and pulp. Add water to make up any difference. Now set to boil, on medium heat, adding one package of powdered fruit pectin such as Sure Jell, keeping 4 cups of sugar close by.
Stir slowly until it reaches a rolling boil you can't stir down. During this time, the color of the product has been almost a cloudy wine red. Add all the sugar and stir constantly. You will see the color turn to a dark black and the liquid will seem to clear up. Once it returns to a boil, boil for exactly one minute. Stirring reduces foaming so you should not have an issue with foam. If you do, take it off the heat after one minute and skim the foam before jarring.
Make sure your jars are hot. Pouring hot liquid jam into cold jars is an experiment in the cataclysmic expansive properties of glass. In other words they break.
Pour the liquid within a quarter inch of the top, lid and screw on the top. Once all your jars are filled and sealed, move to the water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and set out to cool. You should hear the lids seat within a few minutes.
You've got jam!!
Use 6 half pint cartons of blackberries (or more - just adjust your proportions)
You have to watch these like a hawk. They develop mold very quickly. Don't use moldy fruit.
I boil them in 2 cups of water. Keep a lid on the pot, you don''t want a reduction sauce here. You can start your water bath now, getting the water temperature up to boiling gradually. Wash any jelly jars, vacuum lids and tops you intend to use to store your jam.
Stir the berries and crush until they are soft and break up easily. Once you have a sort of mushy consistency, pour into your food strainer so that you can work the fruit pulp and juice through the strainer, trapping the seeds behind.
Measure your strained product. You want 3 3/4 cups of juice and pulp. Add water to make up any difference. Now set to boil, on medium heat, adding one package of powdered fruit pectin such as Sure Jell, keeping 4 cups of sugar close by.
Stir slowly until it reaches a rolling boil you can't stir down. During this time, the color of the product has been almost a cloudy wine red. Add all the sugar and stir constantly. You will see the color turn to a dark black and the liquid will seem to clear up. Once it returns to a boil, boil for exactly one minute. Stirring reduces foaming so you should not have an issue with foam. If you do, take it off the heat after one minute and skim the foam before jarring.
Make sure your jars are hot. Pouring hot liquid jam into cold jars is an experiment in the cataclysmic expansive properties of glass. In other words they break.
Pour the liquid within a quarter inch of the top, lid and screw on the top. Once all your jars are filled and sealed, move to the water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and set out to cool. You should hear the lids seat within a few minutes.
You've got jam!!
June 22, 2009
Bread Bowls for fun and profit
Have you ever sat there, in the trendy cafe, slurping yummy soup from a nice warm, tasty bread bowl, and while munching on the tasty bowl, wondered how the hell they made that thing? Me too (okay, so maybe it has never even occurred to you and I'm just weird - - bite me, okay?). Today, it did. So, I spent some time figuring this out and here is the result. I tried it, it works, and its not hard at all.
Here is what you need:
2 tablespoons yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour
separated and beaten whites of 4 eggs
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add sugar, salt, and 3 cups flour. Beat mixture for 3 minutes. Then add the rest of the flour. Knead the dough on a floured surface till its smooth and elastic. Put it in a greased bowl and cover it so it will rise. Punch it back down when its double in in size. Then divide it into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Cover the balls on a tray sprinkled in corn meal. Let this rise until they double in size again. Brush the balls with egg white (it'll glaze them and give them the rich color). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Cut off the tops, scoop out the bowl and fill with the yummy soup. The soup? That's another story . . . . .
Here is what you need:
2 tablespoons yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 cups flour
separated and beaten whites of 4 eggs
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add sugar, salt, and 3 cups flour. Beat mixture for 3 minutes. Then add the rest of the flour. Knead the dough on a floured surface till its smooth and elastic. Put it in a greased bowl and cover it so it will rise. Punch it back down when its double in in size. Then divide it into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Cover the balls on a tray sprinkled in corn meal. Let this rise until they double in size again. Brush the balls with egg white (it'll glaze them and give them the rich color). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Cut off the tops, scoop out the bowl and fill with the yummy soup. The soup? That's another story . . . . .
June 19, 2009
Lasagna con l'agnello, la melanzana ed i peperoni dolci
Okay carnivores and non-carnivores. Here is a little Northern Italian dish you can whip up without much effort and really create an impression on friends and family. Its on http://foodandstuffbyjim.blogspot.com/ too so if you like it, you know where to find it.
It comes from the area around Trento in Northern Italy, and is called lasagna con l'agnello, la melanzana ed i peperoni dolci, which translates roughly into lasagna with lamb (or not, if you make a vegetarian version), eggplant and sweet peppers. Yes, I know, some of you are from Minnesota ( as in "eggplant??!! Oh, iscchhh . . .I couldn't eat eggplant its the . . . . texture, the color, the shape") But you gotta get a grip on this dysfunction at some point. Seriously now, Italians ( and lots of other people) have been eating eggplant for centuries. When was the last time you read about "Italians die from ingesting poisonous eggplant?"
So here is what you do. Set water on to boil for your lasagna pasta. It would be best if you made homemade pasta. You either know how or you don't. If you don't, that's another issue, but for now you can buy some at the store. No, its no where nearly as good, but it will do. When the water is boiling, salt it and toss the pasta in for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. How much? Enough to provide at least two layers of pasta with goodies packed between them. This will hold true for all the other ingredients. How much should you use? Depends on how much you are planning on making. its up to you. I'm not your mother . . . . . .
In the meantime, take your spud peeler and peel the skin off the eggplant. It's white and firm underneath. Slice that in half inch slices and then cut the slices up into what ever bite size morsels float your boat. Have one half of a Vidalia onion chopped medium finely also. Sauté the eggplant in olive oil over medium heat. When it starts turning sort of a golden color (I said "starts turning" - pay attention!!) toss in the onion. Stir it around. When the eggplant has completed the color change, pull it off the heat into a bowl and set aside (saving whatever oil is left in the skillet. ("Set aside means you may now take a drink from the adult beverage you poured yourself before starting this project . . . You didn't pour one?? What are you, a beginner?!!)
Now you are going to brown the lamb, which should be in ground form (you can substitute beef, pork, buffalo, venison, anything but turkey - turkey will pull the flavor out of this dish like lightening - I suppose even tofu - although personally I'd just as soon shoot myself in the head, but hey, that's just me . . .). At the same time, slice the sweet peppers lengthwise into four or five pieces. Sauté them in the skillet used for the eggplant. While all this is happening, finely chop up a bunch of Kalamata olives. Enough to provide some for each layer of your lasagna. You are also going to want to slice up some goat's milk cheese that you put into the freezer to harden (not freeze) it. It does not have to be uniform, its going to melt in any case.
So now, with all this done, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then line the bottom of your baking dish with pasta. Cover it with eggplant and onion, then with meat (or not), then some of the cheese and the olives and the peppers and then finally with your favorite pasta sauce. Another layer of pasta and repeat the process. I do this for two in a small baking dish and only use two layers. You know who you are feeding, make your own decision. When you have added the sauce on top of the last layer, you can sprinkle on some Romano if you wish, but you will not need it, trust me. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. Its gonna start smelling really good in the house in about 20 minutes.
When done, this is a meal. Serve it with a soft medium wine and some fresh garlic bread.
It comes from the area around Trento in Northern Italy, and is called lasagna con l'agnello, la melanzana ed i peperoni dolci, which translates roughly into lasagna with lamb (or not, if you make a vegetarian version), eggplant and sweet peppers. Yes, I know, some of you are from Minnesota ( as in "eggplant??!! Oh, iscchhh . . .I couldn't eat eggplant its the . . . . texture, the color, the shape") But you gotta get a grip on this dysfunction at some point. Seriously now, Italians ( and lots of other people) have been eating eggplant for centuries. When was the last time you read about "Italians die from ingesting poisonous eggplant?"
So here is what you do. Set water on to boil for your lasagna pasta. It would be best if you made homemade pasta. You either know how or you don't. If you don't, that's another issue, but for now you can buy some at the store. No, its no where nearly as good, but it will do. When the water is boiling, salt it and toss the pasta in for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. How much? Enough to provide at least two layers of pasta with goodies packed between them. This will hold true for all the other ingredients. How much should you use? Depends on how much you are planning on making. its up to you. I'm not your mother . . . . . .
In the meantime, take your spud peeler and peel the skin off the eggplant. It's white and firm underneath. Slice that in half inch slices and then cut the slices up into what ever bite size morsels float your boat. Have one half of a Vidalia onion chopped medium finely also. Sauté the eggplant in olive oil over medium heat. When it starts turning sort of a golden color (I said "starts turning" - pay attention!!) toss in the onion. Stir it around. When the eggplant has completed the color change, pull it off the heat into a bowl and set aside (saving whatever oil is left in the skillet. ("Set aside means you may now take a drink from the adult beverage you poured yourself before starting this project . . . You didn't pour one?? What are you, a beginner?!!)
Now you are going to brown the lamb, which should be in ground form (you can substitute beef, pork, buffalo, venison, anything but turkey - turkey will pull the flavor out of this dish like lightening - I suppose even tofu - although personally I'd just as soon shoot myself in the head, but hey, that's just me . . .). At the same time, slice the sweet peppers lengthwise into four or five pieces. Sauté them in the skillet used for the eggplant. While all this is happening, finely chop up a bunch of Kalamata olives. Enough to provide some for each layer of your lasagna. You are also going to want to slice up some goat's milk cheese that you put into the freezer to harden (not freeze) it. It does not have to be uniform, its going to melt in any case.
So now, with all this done, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then line the bottom of your baking dish with pasta. Cover it with eggplant and onion, then with meat (or not), then some of the cheese and the olives and the peppers and then finally with your favorite pasta sauce. Another layer of pasta and repeat the process. I do this for two in a small baking dish and only use two layers. You know who you are feeding, make your own decision. When you have added the sauce on top of the last layer, you can sprinkle on some Romano if you wish, but you will not need it, trust me. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. Its gonna start smelling really good in the house in about 20 minutes.
When done, this is a meal. Serve it with a soft medium wine and some fresh garlic bread.
June 7, 2009
Catshead Biscuits
This recipe comes from the South, some say Missippi (Delta Catshead Biscuits), and some say Kentucky (Mountain Catshead Biscuits) either way, its an old, old biscuit that has been handed down many, many times and Grandma always did it by touch and feel. But then, Grandma was a lot smarter than we are, so we're gonna use a recipe.
2 cups self rising flour
1 cup buttermilk (okay, so a 2:1 ratio - got it?)
use a lump of shortening about 1/8 of a cup in size. You can use real butter, margarine, lard or solid vegetable shortening. It must be at room temperature to blend smoothly into the dough. If you try to use some soft dairy spread because all your neighbors have sworn off butter, 'cuz "its bad", this won't work. They all contain so much water that they won't work for any baking purposes.
Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl. Most flours today do not need to be sifted, but it doesn't hurt either. Push the flour to the sides of the bowl to form a depression in the center. Place the shortening and a little of the liquid buttermilk (you can get it in powdered form and it stores like forever)in the center and start stirring with a big spoon. When the shortening is blended, add the rest of the buttermilk, mixing just until blended and the dough forms a ball. The dough should be a little on the moist side.
Place wax paper on a flat surface and sprinkle flour on it. Roll the dough out on the wax paper. Don't knead the dough. Handling the dough excessively will make the biscuits tough. The less you handle it and the more moist the dough, the better your biscuits will be. Just pat the dough down gently until it's about an inch and a half thick.
Then cut out the biscuits and place them in a greased cast iron skillet. If you don't have one (how in the hell do you make cornbread without a cast iron skillet!!??) you can use a metal or glass pan, but it won't be right and the spirits of Grandmas from all over the South will come and sit on the foot of your bed and chant "dumb ass, dumb ass" over and over and keep you up all night. Its your call. Whatever you use, be sure it is small enough so that the biscuits are all close together, touching - Remember, you want the biscuits to rise up, not out to the side. Another reason for this is that when the biscuits bake with their sides touching, you can pull them apart easily, but those sides will be very soft and tender, not hard and brown. This is a very important part of making good biscuits.
Bake in a 400 degree oven just until the biscuits are light brown.
You can brush melted butter on the tops of the biscuits when they are done, or before you place them in the oven. They do not rise as much as buttermilk biscuits.
You should eat them hot from the oven, with butter, honey, home made strawberry jam or go really deep South and try molasses. Gwan, I double dog dare ya . . .
2 cups self rising flour
1 cup buttermilk (okay, so a 2:1 ratio - got it?)
use a lump of shortening about 1/8 of a cup in size. You can use real butter, margarine, lard or solid vegetable shortening. It must be at room temperature to blend smoothly into the dough. If you try to use some soft dairy spread because all your neighbors have sworn off butter, 'cuz "its bad", this won't work. They all contain so much water that they won't work for any baking purposes.
Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl. Most flours today do not need to be sifted, but it doesn't hurt either. Push the flour to the sides of the bowl to form a depression in the center. Place the shortening and a little of the liquid buttermilk (you can get it in powdered form and it stores like forever)in the center and start stirring with a big spoon. When the shortening is blended, add the rest of the buttermilk, mixing just until blended and the dough forms a ball. The dough should be a little on the moist side.
Place wax paper on a flat surface and sprinkle flour on it. Roll the dough out on the wax paper. Don't knead the dough. Handling the dough excessively will make the biscuits tough. The less you handle it and the more moist the dough, the better your biscuits will be. Just pat the dough down gently until it's about an inch and a half thick.
Then cut out the biscuits and place them in a greased cast iron skillet. If you don't have one (how in the hell do you make cornbread without a cast iron skillet!!??) you can use a metal or glass pan, but it won't be right and the spirits of Grandmas from all over the South will come and sit on the foot of your bed and chant "dumb ass, dumb ass" over and over and keep you up all night. Its your call. Whatever you use, be sure it is small enough so that the biscuits are all close together, touching - Remember, you want the biscuits to rise up, not out to the side. Another reason for this is that when the biscuits bake with their sides touching, you can pull them apart easily, but those sides will be very soft and tender, not hard and brown. This is a very important part of making good biscuits.
Bake in a 400 degree oven just until the biscuits are light brown.
You can brush melted butter on the tops of the biscuits when they are done, or before you place them in the oven. They do not rise as much as buttermilk biscuits.
You should eat them hot from the oven, with butter, honey, home made strawberry jam or go really deep South and try molasses. Gwan, I double dog dare ya . . .
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