tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60793556985421020652024-03-13T22:38:13.280-07:00A Budgie full of MilletSuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-56065675629294932912013-02-03T00:02:00.000-08:002013-02-03T01:04:13.117-08:00Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies or Rocky Road Cookies<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPyKHqiYb0oO9qF5MocmFTsXI8F7GC7yW95T-W9ZVPGb6QZ18rOYtWFO8B_5KvoTk2SC_oF4b_fNQgxUba_qA2dWDySnxIdN_Gdobt_79zE1VK5uqNYB8O83L3wUWxFbMd6RSWtzAqdDK/s1600/375222_10150569267185631_675385630_11538136_838859252_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPyKHqiYb0oO9qF5MocmFTsXI8F7GC7yW95T-W9ZVPGb6QZ18rOYtWFO8B_5KvoTk2SC_oF4b_fNQgxUba_qA2dWDySnxIdN_Gdobt_79zE1VK5uqNYB8O83L3wUWxFbMd6RSWtzAqdDK/s320/375222_10150569267185631_675385630_11538136_838859252_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies. Add Marshmallow and Nuts for the Rockie Road Variety.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
What I'm about to share with you is one of the best things I've ever made.<br />
<br />
It all started one day when my older sister came home from a pizzeria, raving about the most amazing cookies she ever had.<br />
<br />
Cookies? The best ever? From a pizzeria? What kind of nonsense am I hearing?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Of course, I asked her if she brought any home for me to try for myself. Unfortunately, she did not, but described them as really chocolatey and fudgey cookies full of nuts and marshmallows, and how I needed to recreate them asap.<br />
<br />
Leave it up to my sister to request something from me with no reference to go by :-)<br />
<br />
It basically sounded like rockie road in cookie form. Easy enough. Just make a chocolate cookie and throw nuts and marshmallows into it.<br />
<br />
I never attempted a chocolate based cookie before. I usually make peanut butter cookies (I'll post a recipe of that in the future), but figured making a chocolate cookie wouldn't be so hard.<br />
<br />
I looked up generic chocolate cookie recipes, but they were for chewy cookies. My sister said they were definitely fudgey; like a brownie.<br />
<br />
Some more messing around with various chocolate cookie recipes and I came up with the following<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Double Chocolate Brownie or Rocky Road Cookies</span><br />
<br />
2 sticks butter<br />
3/4 cups granulated sugar<br />
3/4 cups brown sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
<br />
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup cocoa powder<br />
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch (this is what keeps the cookies soft and fudgey)<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
<br />
1 cup chocolate chips<br />
1 cup marshmallow (for Rocky Road variety)<br />
1 cup walnuts (for Rocky Road variety)<br />
<br />
<i>Directions</i>:<br />
<div class="instructions">
<br />
1. Sift the flour, Cocoa powder, baking soda, corn starch baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0o2sby_aD6kyvtKmq7a8dQwReFM6EjHA_TfbCHg5vwmTwSylY-RtCZGmnn_mL8LMcXPrb87Rj6kWIIOG0_tbWjGEKYPNdooJI_cU0ufbV6Zd8Rfi0tu0zQHJgRt4Dfh4YkeISjrPuRwYH/s1600/IMG_3341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0o2sby_aD6kyvtKmq7a8dQwReFM6EjHA_TfbCHg5vwmTwSylY-RtCZGmnn_mL8LMcXPrb87Rj6kWIIOG0_tbWjGEKYPNdooJI_cU0ufbV6Zd8Rfi0tu0zQHJgRt4Dfh4YkeISjrPuRwYH/s320/IMG_3341.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. In a large bowl or mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the
butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5
minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhx0YZAz5jny_A7yrt_t6Bpl6012Ac-2shzJBgVOXBjudELchuVBSPl1uqfKHDbPPoIZ5GFzC2uSziiJkbwF__FOUEepkLf4QzobChvf5l5G4RzeKlWRP26GZFKKTbL-KzHAR-GFe2NsP/s1600/IMG_3340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhx0YZAz5jny_A7yrt_t6Bpl6012Ac-2shzJBgVOXBjudELchuVBSPl1uqfKHDbPPoIZ5GFzC2uSziiJkbwF__FOUEepkLf4QzobChvf5l5G4RzeKlWRP26GZFKKTbL-KzHAR-GFe2NsP/s320/IMG_3340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
3. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, being sure to incorporate well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgjuztYcdgEBSA-OuKFxTXVWYJhXw74UC7IHOPwXR6BeLLVWmXZFCD6eQEVaSsXHKvks0rvFig-VCdnHTm-vwzxSf_P_mE1fID2W0ittdX4lpld4CvLXT_Eav92-GTdX0GAiISmtArfbl/s1600/IMG_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgjuztYcdgEBSA-OuKFxTXVWYJhXw74UC7IHOPwXR6BeLLVWmXZFCD6eQEVaSsXHKvks0rvFig-VCdnHTm-vwzxSf_P_mE1fID2W0ittdX4lpld4CvLXT_Eav92-GTdX0GAiISmtArfbl/s320/IMG_3342.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJjbKKW7t7meHXHXKUG5T1WeY9Y4xqVLIPZPnTIbshmrDJXTBJ76rHHFVEsao80uZjlNT7HzkGnzu1FD6TW9OAingmsv1LuPVjUil9SGMEkpNKNhXhSLDSoMzTR0ckGr2byQdpkcVn_z7/s1600/IMG_3344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJjbKKW7t7meHXHXKUG5T1WeY9Y4xqVLIPZPnTIbshmrDJXTBJ76rHHFVEsao80uZjlNT7HzkGnzu1FD6TW9OAingmsv1LuPVjUil9SGMEkpNKNhXhSLDSoMzTR0ckGr2byQdpkcVn_z7/s320/IMG_3344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
4. In two batches and with the mixer on low, carefully but quickly add
the flour to the butter, sugar and egg mixture, mixing just enough to incorporate it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aSYLMumJX_3yuU2Jrkg5oePKMQHYrrVv0viSHLDR_5Slfz23g59vb1vfyi_-V4lmCMytTPZe_oumcki02FAkzkmAHWF0i32jzeCpQ51j3kWEADGV0ktKHqHbZGU2DI78pnUEtGvH9I_x/s1600/IMG_3346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aSYLMumJX_3yuU2Jrkg5oePKMQHYrrVv0viSHLDR_5Slfz23g59vb1vfyi_-V4lmCMytTPZe_oumcki02FAkzkmAHWF0i32jzeCpQ51j3kWEADGV0ktKHqHbZGU2DI78pnUEtGvH9I_x/s320/IMG_3346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="instructions">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRlF_2FPswjPXaqa3jzBtF77Fh9TKn6q5X_DHCY4KWpT7NFZGwsAKJWNodOD9Q_xPsGZz-7XmA9Yo-wqFZx9qy9OJH1kGzanLJAoLOVC8u1QXLsOS48a9agQtpX9luJMeahYC_ENK6XZR/s1600/IMG_3347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRlF_2FPswjPXaqa3jzBtF77Fh9TKn6q5X_DHCY4KWpT7NFZGwsAKJWNodOD9Q_xPsGZz-7XmA9Yo-wqFZx9qy9OJH1kGzanLJAoLOVC8u1QXLsOS48a9agQtpX9luJMeahYC_ENK6XZR/s320/IMG_3347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
5. Stir in
the chocolate chips. Stir in marshmallows and walnuts at this time if using.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyZ8mIQ5r7m1uOGBDTrzajGFtz54TBP2KXyf9rDwFPltUODxSoj35SnL0KP5m5lpjnZXicwP7ZpjbqwpOP6YypZYguhjOd2IBufCtF6MYKQkorISFMnXhTO4hA6HgKCtWehqc3Og0meU_/s1600/IMG_3350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyZ8mIQ5r7m1uOGBDTrzajGFtz54TBP2KXyf9rDwFPltUODxSoj35SnL0KP5m5lpjnZXicwP7ZpjbqwpOP6YypZYguhjOd2IBufCtF6MYKQkorISFMnXhTO4hA6HgKCtWehqc3Og0meU_/s320/IMG_3350.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I use mini chocolate chunks and no nuts or marshmallows personally.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
6. Roll out dough into 3 oz portions and refridgerate for 2 to 3 hours. Try to be patient.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tnulPxhSpmkt3ctmdBjlQ5Z37szSzCEmI7-S68iPAcn1ATumtekyCZiplNGtqD_yNfK2aqnG_dR51LV1uRACPZvMjuAi495FLASxcxjj338ZZCCJ-DY-BX6V1UU2ZMiyTxZWxyPb5swx/s1600/IMG_3351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tnulPxhSpmkt3ctmdBjlQ5Z37szSzCEmI7-S68iPAcn1ATumtekyCZiplNGtqD_yNfK2aqnG_dR51LV1uRACPZvMjuAi495FLASxcxjj338ZZCCJ-DY-BX6V1UU2ZMiyTxZWxyPb5swx/s320/IMG_3351.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
7. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with
parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (I highly recommend this if
you go with the Rock Road variety)<br />
<br />
Bake six cookies at a time. Place each ball onto the baking sheet and don't press down.<br />
<br />
Bake for 11 minutes. Take cookies out of the oven and let cool slightly. They will look underdone, but trust me, they are baked. Remove cookies and place on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature or eat warm.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3Yk3v1xIBBPNthV78oE_ij3HcEumg_PmxJbv9pUvv84CjOHnGF9ZxHuEkPQBkX7N4MTAnJ2kIWJbxG7J3Ru0uaj55u8t-lyddgGUkAT3PdE_m_3WykSgFa0rOpSq8UVvWksgnHLgq78t/s1600/392011_10150569267005631_675385630_11538135_818943502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3Yk3v1xIBBPNthV78oE_ij3HcEumg_PmxJbv9pUvv84CjOHnGF9ZxHuEkPQBkX7N4MTAnJ2kIWJbxG7J3Ru0uaj55u8t-lyddgGUkAT3PdE_m_3WykSgFa0rOpSq8UVvWksgnHLgq78t/s320/392011_10150569267005631_675385630_11538135_818943502_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzMEyM6xfLLCEhOgu5Awiy7lJHh9SW5k6sz9NJtDhPJXbeAgrkDwLsXvDQbc-DjIkXmuvsqX3B-cwZ3TlgxSZ8LJ9-a6utrgi0yAHvY9apq6MaEeafXCAEuLwds6sQzqUu1ntkC4rhbO1/s1600/168927_10150137334235631_675385630_8623119_7318617_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzMEyM6xfLLCEhOgu5Awiy7lJHh9SW5k6sz9NJtDhPJXbeAgrkDwLsXvDQbc-DjIkXmuvsqX3B-cwZ3TlgxSZ8LJ9-a6utrgi0yAHvY9apq6MaEeafXCAEuLwds6sQzqUu1ntkC4rhbO1/s320/168927_10150137334235631_675385630_8623119_7318617_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockie Road Cookies</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-39801447865549957312012-10-29T21:02:00.001-07:002012-10-29T21:04:03.096-07:00Beef Wontons<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMtpE3rZ2LQ7RAWAoW9mjE2WTHdVxHkTZxjiFzTJ5z5NMKZtjXD9FyT9eLV8EUckzyOiQSr1JkvpzINMmyFfetVPiYgMRoTN0i2wd1H__Nc2XhD37wuQX6dIxfE9ek-cwO-uF2pnkbiBK/s1600/283543_10150316514750631_675385630_10032706_3673322_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMtpE3rZ2LQ7RAWAoW9mjE2WTHdVxHkTZxjiFzTJ5z5NMKZtjXD9FyT9eLV8EUckzyOiQSr1JkvpzINMmyFfetVPiYgMRoTN0i2wd1H__Nc2XhD37wuQX6dIxfE9ek-cwO-uF2pnkbiBK/s320/283543_10150316514750631_675385630_10032706_3673322_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan fried Beef Wontons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Wontons are easy to make. They can be stuffed with a variety of fillings; sweet or savory. Wontons are one of those dishes that everybody just loves.Whenever I make them, I make a huge batch so I can whip some up whenever the mood strikes me.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<b>Beef Wontons</b><br />
<br />
1 pound ground beef<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger<br />
1/4 cup chopped cilantro <br />
2 teaspoons soy sauce<br />
1 tablespoon rice vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon granulated sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil<br />
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br />
Wonton wrappers, as needed<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
Combine ground beef with the chopped cilantro, grated ginger,
soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar,
sesame oil and black pepper.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNCfsxV5DeSMSt8g1WXHo2G-FuM22TzS4IxqQYuYeJqd6rGdQcXSgmHEOrjn9iropWrGhnpcYTGN0RqnaBpqNe6lJRqLBj3SANajhE5dcki4P_VKUXwCS7nue3FZohTj87bM_NJ-2FK0V/s1600/268174_10150316514575631_675385630_10032703_2785371_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNCfsxV5DeSMSt8g1WXHo2G-FuM22TzS4IxqQYuYeJqd6rGdQcXSgmHEOrjn9iropWrGhnpcYTGN0RqnaBpqNe6lJRqLBj3SANajhE5dcki4P_VKUXwCS7nue3FZohTj87bM_NJ-2FK0V/s320/268174_10150316514575631_675385630_10032703_2785371_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Filling mixed and pre-portioned out for easy filling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To fill the wontons, lay one wonton skin in front of you. (Cover the
remaining wonton skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying out).
Moisten all the edges of the wonton wrapper with water. Place a
heaping teaspoon of wonton filling in the center.<br />
<br />
Lightly dampen the sides of the wrapper with water (using your
finger or a small pastry brush).<br />
<br />
Fold wrapper in half to form a triangle. Gently pressing the wrapper together & removing any air.<br />
Take the two ends & fold them over & secure together with a little water. Continue until all are done.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4HdO66oymSStE2nWFaW4TbHo9F_UgI47UXBjziBhab-uBeyHesYtzlyZ5ShkASvrWEWm8I3AHKiSaEgE58syllV5Of0Ie_szTYa707LtuAyyqifaSJlygpvGaonFAq-xpHjkEE89b0wm/s1600/282733_10150316514630631_675385630_10032704_5966234_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4HdO66oymSStE2nWFaW4TbHo9F_UgI47UXBjziBhab-uBeyHesYtzlyZ5ShkASvrWEWm8I3AHKiSaEgE58syllV5Of0Ie_szTYa707LtuAyyqifaSJlygpvGaonFAq-xpHjkEE89b0wm/s320/282733_10150316514630631_675385630_10032704_5966234_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wontons Filled and ready to cook.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To cook the dumplings, mix together 1 tablespoon vegetable oil with ¼
cup water and bring to a simmer in a large frying pan. Arrange the
amount of dumplings you want to cook in the pan, so they’re not touching. Cover the dumplings completely with a pot
lid. This lets the dumplings fry and steam at the same time.
Leave covered for about 4-5 minutes. Remove the lid and turn the
dumplings over. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from frying pan.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowwh2Lak_sz5v1FCQFpJYA0zc1NWpqF1mgkSZJ7lepmQlQh-LcPewJxp45bZxEllZzXKARGB6vnohgrc5LhvKbtqBSu_2tGrAQjRdo1tc6lxzYTaU_q5V4FLh1EoJNYuTkUMOQPXblcG9/s1600/261321_10150316514810631_675385630_10032707_8167967_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowwh2Lak_sz5v1FCQFpJYA0zc1NWpqF1mgkSZJ7lepmQlQh-LcPewJxp45bZxEllZzXKARGB6vnohgrc5LhvKbtqBSu_2tGrAQjRdo1tc6lxzYTaU_q5V4FLh1EoJNYuTkUMOQPXblcG9/s320/261321_10150316514810631_675385630_10032707_8167967_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside money shot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-9098629662044636142012-09-05T17:18:00.000-07:002012-10-29T21:03:51.276-07:00Homemade Vanilla ExtractReal Vanilla Extract is super expensive. The few months ago, I paid $8 for a 4 oz bottle of Bourbon Vanilla Extract and as of today, it's halfway done. I thought about looking online to see if I could buy vanilla extract in bulk from one of those restaurant supply, but found out I could make it by myself cheaper and easily.<br />
<br />
Making vanilla extract yourself will guarantee quality and you'll
know exactly what went into it. Your vanilla will be free of the artificial colors and corn sweeteners found in even high-quality vanilla extracts. Hand
crafted vanilla extract is a great gift that will last a lifetime. Like a fine wine, vanilla extract matures with age.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
So, what is vanilla extract? Vanilla extract is made by transferring the flavor and aromas of vanilla
beans into alcohol, usually vodka. Vodka
is the alcohol of choice because it has a neutral flavor.<br />
<br />
How many beans are used in how much alcohol? This is an easy one – it’s regulated by US law. Seriously.<br />
From the <a href="http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=169.175" target="_blank">FDA 21CFR169:</a><br />
<ul>
<li>Extract is 70 proof/35% alcohol.</li>
<li>Extract contains 13.35 oz. of bean per gallon of alcohol. </li>
<li>The quality of the beans doesn’t matter for these regulated proportions, only the weight.</li>
</ul>
What does this mean?<br />
<br />
13.35 ounces of vanilla beans per gallon of extract is single fold
(single strength) vanilla extract. As most vanilla beans are ~120/pound
or 7.5 beans per ounce of weight. A gallon of extract is 128 fluid
ounces, so that would mean ~98 beans per gallon or<b> <span style="font-weight: normal;">6 whole
beans (0.8oz) to make 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of single fold vanilla
extract.</span></b><br />
<b><b><br /></b></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;">Because of the lack of technology of mechanical extraction, I'm using </b>1 ounce (30 grams, 7-8 beans) per 1 cup (250ml) of 40%(80 proof) alcohol.<br />
<br />
Where to get Vanilla Beans?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx2xPFaRKLJuYAyVTOMIo6dEUuUBt-BD0k4EKLrWxW6brq4vDZ0I6XzjODM8aBqycaBh_qIt7Hc0-CfaCj7Yg50jhVAEzJrkg8PvlQnaAT2i9YS_sACYS_riM-RUSvXi6kfgkHH_SxMSh/s1600/IMG_3585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpx2xPFaRKLJuYAyVTOMIo6dEUuUBt-BD0k4EKLrWxW6brq4vDZ0I6XzjODM8aBqycaBh_qIt7Hc0-CfaCj7Yg50jhVAEzJrkg8PvlQnaAT2i9YS_sACYS_riM-RUSvXi6kfgkHH_SxMSh/s320/IMG_3585.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what a pound of Vanilla Beans look like!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I found this awesome company on eBay of all places called <a href="http://myworld.ebay.com/vanillaproducts/?_trksid=p4340.l2559" target="_blank">Vanilla Products USA</a> that sells a pound of Grade B, extract quality vanilla beans for only $26.95. That gives enough vanilla beans to make a Liter of vanilla extract with plenty of left over beans.<br />
<br />
<br />
Why Grade B?<br />
<br />
For the purposes of making vanilla extract, we want to use Grade B
beans if possible. “Why?”, you may ask. “Isn’t gourmet always better?”<br />
<br />
No.<br />
<br />
Grade B beans have less water weight. You get more bean for the buck
because you’re not paying for water. This also means that less water
ends up in your extract.<br />
<br />
With Grade A you pay for appearance, which doesn’t matter to us.<br />
<br />
We get the same beans as Grade A, but at a fraction of the cost.<br />
<br />
<br />
What kind of vodka to use?<br />
<span style="color: maroon;"><b></b></span><br />
Use a 75-80 proof vodka. Consider a decent quality brand, as you could have this extract for 10
years or more. Buying an expensive brand of vodka will not make a difference.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZbOsEfnmNRhi76tAn6srp8aBlcKoC1-9Xm_N4V8BdUZogm5K2ylVyZ-uGwmlDJywhuZgs7XBIuZ4hliouFNdwA3J9Pgcbz2jamQ-3YrAbC8cVapD_lA-DuA_pLVMc5dZju6slkA6aYNG/s1600/IMG_3586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZbOsEfnmNRhi76tAn6srp8aBlcKoC1-9Xm_N4V8BdUZogm5K2ylVyZ-uGwmlDJywhuZgs7XBIuZ4hliouFNdwA3J9Pgcbz2jamQ-3YrAbC8cVapD_lA-DuA_pLVMc5dZju6slkA6aYNG/s320/IMG_3586.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used Smirnoff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Vanilla Extract<br />
<br />
1 Liter bottle of 80 proof Vodka<br />
4.22 oz of Grade B vanilla beans<br />
<br />
Cut the vanilla beans into 1/4 inch pieces. No need to split the beans open and scrap out the seeds or "caviar"<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3ucF2AKo782s72dafu_oMAfD-wxwISlpcGsQgEGxrDY1_7RvmEK0-wgsBHNVQpZC7WBtCprzmIkAUVhPDIXvP5_2wyZyWxLMFIKrFBL86Loy-bg1vA_OJYLxmgUh3GAmJSHW3u-Is0B0/s1600/IMG_3588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3ucF2AKo782s72dafu_oMAfD-wxwISlpcGsQgEGxrDY1_7RvmEK0-wgsBHNVQpZC7WBtCprzmIkAUVhPDIXvP5_2wyZyWxLMFIKrFBL86Loy-bg1vA_OJYLxmgUh3GAmJSHW3u-Is0B0/s320/IMG_3588.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choppity, chop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="instructions">Open your bottle of vodka. Put the vanilla beans in the bottle, wipe the top clean and replace the cap. The entire process takes about 10 minutes. Store it in a cool, dark place for the next few months.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zszV0LSwY5OYE78ljrL1FrnzCvkFb8SoQrF4m4aWYrnu4nsVCuufZunCPMfzVRiene9FADSFnfm50q8TLQxVFo8mx_9W2tLeaXlezgl-JUPBOCKdnCBeVwEjhyc0dLBuZMramTvWepYU/s1600/IMG_3594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zszV0LSwY5OYE78ljrL1FrnzCvkFb8SoQrF4m4aWYrnu4nsVCuufZunCPMfzVRiene9FADSFnfm50q8TLQxVFo8mx_9W2tLeaXlezgl-JUPBOCKdnCBeVwEjhyc0dLBuZMramTvWepYU/s320/IMG_3594.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanilla Extract freshly made. This will need to hang around for the next few month for the vanilla extract to develop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Week 1 – Shake the bottle vigorously every day for at least the first
week. Seed and cottony fibrous chunks will swirl in the bottle, this is
normal. By the second or third day the extract should be a bit darker.<br />
<br />
<br />
Week 2,3, and 4 – Shake the bottle a few times a week.<br />
<br />
Week 5 – Congratulations, you have a very raw vanilla extract! If
you want vanilla seeds in your recipe give the bottle a shake before
pouring.<br />
<br />
Month 2 – Month 6 – Give it a shake when you can be bothered.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzASOhYAEBlhl9ai6ZyOocThDR_gPt8-biOomOL6hfoTHbMU5QZdVNSsHGEVSDtLYNXATGbufa4Otk3WJc-cZCebGbjlM3md20rRfOtyRArtkjF8MOxcoA6dRmsGYl8TmiV3w8inDIC5l/s1600/IMG_3597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzASOhYAEBlhl9ai6ZyOocThDR_gPt8-biOomOL6hfoTHbMU5QZdVNSsHGEVSDtLYNXATGbufa4Otk3WJc-cZCebGbjlM3md20rRfOtyRArtkjF8MOxcoA6dRmsGYl8TmiV3w8inDIC5l/s320/IMG_3597.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaken for the first time. What a lovely golden color.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Filtering<br />
<br />
After 6 months it’s time to clean up the extract.<br />
<br />
Why clean up the extract?<br />
<br />
Vanilla beans are fresh for about 12 months.<br />
<br />
Extraction has pretty much happened at 6 months.<br />
<br />
Eventually the pods have to be removed or they’ll dry out as you use the extract and the beans become exposed.<br />
<br />
Maturing<br />
<br />
Like a fine wine, vanilla will mature and ‘improve’ indefinitely… or so they say. This is a good thing, because a liter of vanilla extract will last an average person decades. <br />
<br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-42620825019590198102012-06-13T20:12:00.000-07:002012-06-13T20:19:10.255-07:00Bacon Onion Marmalade Redux<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfsFsXg-P1RP1N15unB8goy48lqjmayFtw4W4HEU0Fv0_W_aPyVDvHYVVJzrCPNziHCT7cP7rcD1F3JI5qoJ5GnOaXHHwUuePcgBj5Xd2xCq2CUm1h5qMd1ZeqReAcf6vh6yOX5wAv35p/s1600/IMG_3436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfsFsXg-P1RP1N15unB8goy48lqjmayFtw4W4HEU0Fv0_W_aPyVDvHYVVJzrCPNziHCT7cP7rcD1F3JI5qoJ5GnOaXHHwUuePcgBj5Xd2xCq2CUm1h5qMd1ZeqReAcf6vh6yOX5wAv35p/s320/IMG_3436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Onion Marmalade with Goat Cheese on Ciabatta </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My friend <a href="http://saucysmile.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Josephine</a> invited me, my boyfriend, and a bunch of other wonderful people over to her place for a Bacon Extravaganza.<br />
<br />
She challenged us to make anything we
wanted, as long as bacon was a key ingredient.<br />
<br />
I knew immediately that I needed to revisit my <a href="http://abudgiefullofmillet.blogspot.com/2012/02/onion-bacon-marmalade.html#more" target="_blank">Onion Bacon Marmalade</a> I made a while ago and up the bacon big time.<br />
<br />
Hence, Bacon Onion Marmalade was born.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Before we get to the recipe, here's some pics of what everybody else made:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM0sFao_joGFXT_scpfnoR7x2la63lHzqNJaUrpLWKJ8gMyW2R5vbf9PIetLpynN-JtrxAxzZdA3FXAbuWnJwVyz0WhXB_iKf3y2XfEpZuay61I3yAN4352SIbZeQwCnYwd9W0gEYp0Jr/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG"></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM0sFao_joGFXT_scpfnoR7x2la63lHzqNJaUrpLWKJ8gMyW2R5vbf9PIetLpynN-JtrxAxzZdA3FXAbuWnJwVyz0WhXB_iKf3y2XfEpZuay61I3yAN4352SIbZeQwCnYwd9W0gEYp0Jr/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOM0sFao_joGFXT_scpfnoR7x2la63lHzqNJaUrpLWKJ8gMyW2R5vbf9PIetLpynN-JtrxAxzZdA3FXAbuWnJwVyz0WhXB_iKf3y2XfEpZuay61I3yAN4352SIbZeQwCnYwd9W0gEYp0Jr/s320/IMG_3437.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Scones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpibWrXXbVLMm8Ki2JkjHwxQSc2lboHj9ZRT9Tyq_jG_LSbfX0Av7C47WA-BbNfKNt1voJcUnjpVZkGzu2fcTUVWGC6nrHsRGcde8kA479ZG2jQOxK7C2Ogw4jTrollMerqqqyLrFI5LIh/s1600/IMG_3439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpibWrXXbVLMm8Ki2JkjHwxQSc2lboHj9ZRT9Tyq_jG_LSbfX0Av7C47WA-BbNfKNt1voJcUnjpVZkGzu2fcTUVWGC6nrHsRGcde8kA479ZG2jQOxK7C2Ogw4jTrollMerqqqyLrFI5LIh/s320/IMG_3439.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">Frisbee Salad - Fiddlehead Ferns, Garlic
Scapes, Alfalfa Sprouts, Orange Zest, Coffee Glazed Bacon, Peach
Balsamic, Chives, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Balsamico, Pignoli Nuts, Dried
Cranberries.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1f2VAibJEbEydSNXmk_paRxPUVGbn_w5xLOxLBt7fIZNZY5xKo99cHUvQGH8rK_GSC8SlkqGQo3h8gulqnTA2aVmVBkM2xtohKZh4c5zPT4LmB5b-NAyLCuE3di-gI_NhWaJIc_4Z_i5Z/s1600/IMG_3440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1f2VAibJEbEydSNXmk_paRxPUVGbn_w5xLOxLBt7fIZNZY5xKo99cHUvQGH8rK_GSC8SlkqGQo3h8gulqnTA2aVmVBkM2xtohKZh4c5zPT4LmB5b-NAyLCuE3di-gI_NhWaJIc_4Z_i5Z/s320/IMG_3440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">Panchetta Crisps 3 ways: Mascarpone/Maple, Fig/Brie, and Gorgonzola/Pear.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eYlEV5ChWJ1AdkSJVvDQHWItP3RVxEyRIkgDwf7IE9nXljoIDnaG6uRuGdOB08GG-XP2m79ZHLTtntoVHHBeWR6B0ng6pQgIaAvgnudRtejxahb4iHjeof5Yvk7SlOYjiEG9ELr0hNb4/s1600/IMG_3441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eYlEV5ChWJ1AdkSJVvDQHWItP3RVxEyRIkgDwf7IE9nXljoIDnaG6uRuGdOB08GG-XP2m79ZHLTtntoVHHBeWR6B0ng6pQgIaAvgnudRtejxahb4iHjeof5Yvk7SlOYjiEG9ELr0hNb4/s320/IMG_3441.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork Belly with Red Wine reduction sauce and Apples</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNJA92ropcxH_PsL5Oz8ZO9VwXe0L2BKEurJ-H2IJllILUjXao7JjQJmgPn7jzr2azuLbaPJeU_E22Bvag4Q0egbIgWMsU6mQNIvz7jhToJztFn6ubWCBIdyfcHtw5Wf2-F7s582FKrAK/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNJA92ropcxH_PsL5Oz8ZO9VwXe0L2BKEurJ-H2IJllILUjXao7JjQJmgPn7jzr2azuLbaPJeU_E22Bvag4Q0egbIgWMsU6mQNIvz7jhToJztFn6ubWCBIdyfcHtw5Wf2-F7s582FKrAK/s320/IMG_3443.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Creamed Corn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWghUBxusZrSo8QzNsCxUulBngT3ke_6JsHsH8rDKFgsQIC4jUAWhXW547arcoG73AMy9cD2XOzhNxKEqw1BWE26zAq26NtYLuzopQV9Yt6Vfw-eyqOu4ydx-FrniTlXUMpQ3t5cFedIXx/s1600/IMG_3444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWghUBxusZrSo8QzNsCxUulBngT3ke_6JsHsH8rDKFgsQIC4jUAWhXW547arcoG73AMy9cD2XOzhNxKEqw1BWE26zAq26NtYLuzopQV9Yt6Vfw-eyqOu4ydx-FrniTlXUMpQ3t5cFedIXx/s320/IMG_3444.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Wrapped Sweet and Smokey Chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNlpDyWXKLPeWNMv2cx8RVQ-XkI0GwGBUX06I8CbbAZD7ue9N3NPQwC1spuFI38QLC97q-_l4P8V53a2DjZhVq0j78B076WNboLh3BLNFHeVSGvSvrvBqnVNdt5uJTc_x5ZNK08PJdY2o/s1600/IMG_3448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNlpDyWXKLPeWNMv2cx8RVQ-XkI0GwGBUX06I8CbbAZD7ue9N3NPQwC1spuFI38QLC97q-_l4P8V53a2DjZhVq0j78B076WNboLh3BLNFHeVSGvSvrvBqnVNdt5uJTc_x5ZNK08PJdY2o/s320/IMG_3448.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Cheddar Biscuits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_B_OL-CrnB0ZZM1v1KlmOF-YSdwpf0VfGk3bfTSbDwU70ebVtPcnI6_SHc0qZ14CaW4q20yMz8FTMeQZQ8uFMRAGYTB7Cof_XNXJOqeWTeDeEL1JGqhs4FtcAvMFyzFc8iyQyaE9qYYJ8/s1600/IMG_3455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_B_OL-CrnB0ZZM1v1KlmOF-YSdwpf0VfGk3bfTSbDwU70ebVtPcnI6_SHc0qZ14CaW4q20yMz8FTMeQZQ8uFMRAGYTB7Cof_XNXJOqeWTeDeEL1JGqhs4FtcAvMFyzFc8iyQyaE9qYYJ8/s320/IMG_3455.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">Peanut Butter Cheesecake dipped in dark chocolate bacon ganache topped with fleur de sel.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhTSeOC6_NNsTcW3KJWm5gDRwJV1IgbF5QM53R_A_kjpowyapjc7F3YwV0aHkr4U9DeW889uTbkBcr5MmLAn6Bq2jE82Wv9q9zg4MS3ErVv6An-7SG0uCe02d0dXTCczU2lXqOpfz_PXt/s1600/IMG_3460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhTSeOC6_NNsTcW3KJWm5gDRwJV1IgbF5QM53R_A_kjpowyapjc7F3YwV0aHkr4U9DeW889uTbkBcr5MmLAn6Bq2jE82Wv9q9zg4MS3ErVv6An-7SG0uCe02d0dXTCczU2lXqOpfz_PXt/s320/IMG_3460.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">Bacon, Bourbon, Chocolate and Cherry Bread Pudding.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bacon Onion Marmalade</span><br />
<br />
2 lb Onions (sliced thin)<br />
1 lb bacon<br />
3/4 cup white sugar<br />
3/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar<br />
1 cup strong brewed coffee<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Directions</i>:<br />
1. Place a large, non-reactive pan over medium-low heat. Add the bacon.
The goal and render the fat. Once the bacon has crisped, remove and put
aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.<br />
2. Turn up the heat to medium, add the onions. Stir to make
sure the onions are coated with the bacon fat. Cook covered with a tight
lid for about 20 minutes. Continue to cook stirring every 5 to 10
minutes until the onions begin to turn golden brown.<br />
3. In the meantime, crumble the bacon. We will be adding this back to the pan later.<br />
4. Add the sugars, half of the crumbled bacon, balsamic vinegar and coffee to the onions.
Cook over medium to medium-low heat until vicious. This will take a couple of hours.<br />
5. Remove half of the bacon/onion mixture and process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add the pureed bacon/onion mixture and remaining half of the crumbled bacon back to the pan and combine.<br />
6. Remove from heat and let cool before storing. Place in a glass or
heat resistant container. Cover and refrigerate. Some of the fat may
become solid at the top after cooling. Scrape it off and discard if you
like. Additionally, if the marmalade become too thick after cooling,
simply reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds and it should spread
pretty easily.<br />
<br />
After making the new version of my marmalade, I discovered it tasted overwhelmingly of onions and a very slight bacon flavor. This wasn't good in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, the resulting recipe was delicious and a definite improvement if I was aiming for an Onion Bacon concoction. However, I was aiming for something more bacon.<br />
<br />
So, I crisped up another pound of bacon.<br />
<br />
I crumbled it up and stirred it in to half of the Onion Bacon mix.<br />
<br />
The results. Victory.<br />
<br />
In the end, I had 2 spreads. An Onion Bacon Marmalade and a Bacon Onion Marmalade. Score.<br />
<br />
<br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-74510828834419664782012-04-17T14:00:00.000-07:002012-05-05T17:56:16.464-07:00The softest fluffiest 100% Whole Wheat Bread you will ever eat!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhWj8b9lVX0yGWM6Cb0XNnZcIXx8IcDTqEAzTnyQaXVmM01LiaSF-fwjdGK2xYd-P_ZhEufzfFJwxTnnkobqma-Neb_X2Y6c1rhIhV29xmiEa-e_QOi3_VToMyi7UMXjv_Uv-xQ_ioPsA/s1600/IMG_3327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhWj8b9lVX0yGWM6Cb0XNnZcIXx8IcDTqEAzTnyQaXVmM01LiaSF-fwjdGK2xYd-P_ZhEufzfFJwxTnnkobqma-Neb_X2Y6c1rhIhV29xmiEa-e_QOi3_VToMyi7UMXjv_Uv-xQ_ioPsA/s320/IMG_3327.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft and Fluffy 100% Whole Wheat Rolls. Yes, it's possible.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My mom's boyfriend's doctor has informed him that he has to switch to whole wheat breads/pastas etc. I had a bag of whole wheat flour lying around. I've been wanting to try my hand at making a whole wheat bread, so this seemed like the perfect excuse to try making one!<br />
<br />
The problem with whole wheat breads--especially 100% whole wheat--is that they tend to be more dense and chewy than their white flour counter part. Most whole wheat bread recipes call for a mixture of whole wheat and white flours to help combat that.<br />
<br />
Luckily, I have a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Laurels-Kitchen-Bread-Book/dp/0812969677" target="_blank">"The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking."</a> In her book, Laurel Robertson states that anybody can make fluffy 100% whole wheat breads as long as they knead the dough for a long time until it passes the window pane test and you let the dough rise three times. While she provides tons of 100% whole wheat recipes in her book, I decided to use my own, and follow her techniques.<br />
<br />
I decided to use the bread recipe I used for the April Daring Cook's Challenge, but use whole wheat flour instead of white flour and omit the mashed parsnips. I also used granulated sugar instead of the maple syrup as the sweetener.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
100% Whole Wheat Rolls<br />
<br />
Tangzhong<br />
<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1/6 cup whole wheat flour<br />
<br />
Whisk
together the cold water and whole wheat flour (there should be no lumps) and
cook over low heat (stirring all the time) until the temperature reaches
149ºF or until the spoon you’re stirring with leaves a trace. The
mixture should have the consistency of something between crème anglaise
and pastry cream. Leave to cool down to room temperature.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1oo4uo0BK1aBaJ1zd12B68Ch-Ihxhi4U_48PBIwMJXwmQ63UtuTfjpz-bxj4THHimMlHWlGptsDV-3gVc5wZkg0vUtXrhkC-5mtZofjvHv_7hZrnvMyL1YPqKP1fgzOlg1dTx7Bxwx1-/s1600/IMG_3306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1oo4uo0BK1aBaJ1zd12B68Ch-Ihxhi4U_48PBIwMJXwmQ63UtuTfjpz-bxj4THHimMlHWlGptsDV-3gVc5wZkg0vUtXrhkC-5mtZofjvHv_7hZrnvMyL1YPqKP1fgzOlg1dTx7Bxwx1-/s320/IMG_3306.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN38_gnqzlwaVUN1w8xUvQsAxkgX9qohm06ADA0BuiTAuyRlqbvs9-SWFtZv3qF3OX1xfrT6p3KiU7M8e-YpEflsHt1MXPDR0dMRT79QU50Mns8Id3EhLY118xwD19IqZUaBoxwM_xBeg4/s1600/IMG_3308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN38_gnqzlwaVUN1w8xUvQsAxkgX9qohm06ADA0BuiTAuyRlqbvs9-SWFtZv3qF3OX1xfrT6p3KiU7M8e-YpEflsHt1MXPDR0dMRT79QU50Mns8Id3EhLY118xwD19IqZUaBoxwM_xBeg4/s320/IMG_3308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour<br />
3 tbsp+2 tsp sugar<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
All of the tangzhong<br />
2 tsp instant<b> </b>yeast<br />
3 tbsp butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)<br />
<br />
Directions<br />
<br />
1. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl of a
stand mixer. Make a well in the center. Add in all wet ingredients:
milk, egg, and tangzhong.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTWXc4EhCRDeN1brbM56Sqlg4-9Ommso4dMLv4E_w483_zJCE9XtnY5mGwawY3dpY_21B2FZ9LLDXKq2EISFyRw5TUgIlEZuAH0o4vmpNDj6-bHIezKP70hXlLAfnKtuRy6Pyg_h0HD6z/s1600/IMG_3309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTWXc4EhCRDeN1brbM56Sqlg4-9Ommso4dMLv4E_w483_zJCE9XtnY5mGwawY3dpY_21B2FZ9LLDXKq2EISFyRw5TUgIlEZuAH0o4vmpNDj6-bHIezKP70hXlLAfnKtuRy6Pyg_h0HD6z/s320/IMG_3309.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread ingredients ready to be mixed together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
2. Fit the dough hook attachment on your stand
mixer and begin mixing on medium speed and knead until your dough
comes together and then add in the butter and continue kneading. Keep
kneading until the dough is smooth, not too sticky on the surface and
elastic. Keep kneading until your dough has achieved window pane.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCiE9T978YlYwn8Vb7eeNu-mPNul56JU-XcC-lAVfYnuuiALSHsunDI_EjqdEt6v5nRpA2bWR4ynasVHiRNGpr4H2BY_4yS1Lsm6saLqcl3j5TA5aM6fKksFrB-pN5bKCHO4LLWLf1kMI/s1600/IMG_3313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCiE9T978YlYwn8Vb7eeNu-mPNul56JU-XcC-lAVfYnuuiALSHsunDI_EjqdEt6v5nRpA2bWR4ynasVHiRNGpr4H2BY_4yS1Lsm6saLqcl3j5TA5aM6fKksFrB-pN5bKCHO4LLWLf1kMI/s320/IMG_3313.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention I love my KitchenAid mixer?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Gqr3Yz3sblMZqu3EKonL1KMsP3derILATciJGVphyVpETOXQ3frAx8Rs7_blrdLg-LDj5W11_z1IctZCC98utyEds-s-hTuBF4IM4tcbsK-uDl1e8FDa2q51L4VE4L66OgPUNYcRK_Pg/s1600/IMG_3317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Gqr3Yz3sblMZqu3EKonL1KMsP3derILATciJGVphyVpETOXQ3frAx8Rs7_blrdLg-LDj5W11_z1IctZCC98utyEds-s-hTuBF4IM4tcbsK-uDl1e8FDa2q51L4VE4L66OgPUNYcRK_Pg/s320/IMG_3317.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window pane achieved! It took about 30 minutes of kneading in the KitchenAid to reach this point.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
3. Knead the dough into a ball shape. Take a large bowl and grease with
oil. Place dough into greased bowl and cover with a wet towel.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsPIJkDDwPW3Ff8Li3NKVyea1WOriYOx7Lr9-RNK_r5IrdkzioQ0gbJlUb88B40EeWKQPP1Nd6_D14PJMnzfsLBIXZZ2wDJlIc9ykC0IgFl8gNc4F4jzzoVbvyyaSVvBmw943f-kSQBrx/s1600/IMG_3318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsPIJkDDwPW3Ff8Li3NKVyea1WOriYOx7Lr9-RNK_r5IrdkzioQ0gbJlUb88B40EeWKQPP1Nd6_D14PJMnzfsLBIXZZ2wDJlIc9ykC0IgFl8gNc4F4jzzoVbvyyaSVvBmw943f-kSQBrx/s320/IMG_3318.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the first rising.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
4. Let
it proof until it’s doubled in size, about 40 minutes.<br />
<br />
5. Punch down dough completely and let proof a second time until double in size, about 40 minutes. <br />
<br />
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and punch down.
Divide into 10 equal pieces, rolling each into a ball (I find a kitchen
scale very helpful for this). <br />
<br />
7. Place buns,
seam side down, on a baking sheet coated lightly with cooking spray (or
use parchment paper). Tuck ends under and cover. Repeat until all the
buns are prepared this way.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsxMCv5iKvcU6tzXfVuyG2EeV8UJeTMEQvbFz3RraqDEUf0782fgY__dQxHqMpik_ThDOwmDQDMtVIZMk2zhzbHii1gAV6Q1sERY4vJhBm3dxa_tCTiDchifQ6EJkNdyzv1FDehZoXEOj/s1600/IMG_3322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwsxMCv5iKvcU6tzXfVuyG2EeV8UJeTMEQvbFz3RraqDEUf0782fgY__dQxHqMpik_ThDOwmDQDMtVIZMk2zhzbHii1gAV6Q1sERY4vJhBm3dxa_tCTiDchifQ6EJkNdyzv1FDehZoXEOj/s320/IMG_3322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made rolls because I planned on taking them for Easter dinner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
8. Lightly coat formed buns with cooking spray, cover and let rise, until double in size, about 40 minutes<br />
<br />
9. Bake at 375 degrees
for 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Lightly coat baked buns with cooking spray and cool on a wire rack.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWLklCMXWxV9YsfymuwanfGoKJSBjptTRoGMlBaDJ86wB6Fj5Sr1dxeiLlXJQnYinZXb4I70XZ_GUS3RG3O06DkBkHxB9Sr_Zns3BJ80iJpQMGhd-wuZ9DLQDzmIFCsSSS6P2Q5dKlDKC/s1600/IMG_3323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWLklCMXWxV9YsfymuwanfGoKJSBjptTRoGMlBaDJ86wB6Fj5Sr1dxeiLlXJQnYinZXb4I70XZ_GUS3RG3O06DkBkHxB9Sr_Zns3BJ80iJpQMGhd-wuZ9DLQDzmIFCsSSS6P2Q5dKlDKC/s320/IMG_3323.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of the oven and cooling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
10. Enjoy your fluffy soft rolls!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgHyhU89WJCBuXr61uKxg7U3RJ9jrXeU-z72pL01U6Qr4bIWEHtC24xYRb_SZWNhpg88e2WFBnMmm2miYqb2Vjifpl4RNwT8UX9dHkEzfRqvE-zKsVMFiqrJgr94kmPYFPMqTWMC_1utS/s1600/IMG_3330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgHyhU89WJCBuXr61uKxg7U3RJ9jrXeU-z72pL01U6Qr4bIWEHtC24xYRb_SZWNhpg88e2WFBnMmm2miYqb2Vjifpl4RNwT8UX9dHkEzfRqvE-zKsVMFiqrJgr94kmPYFPMqTWMC_1utS/s320/IMG_3330.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft and squishy 100% whole wheat bread.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I'm so glad I followed Laurel's advice on Whole wheat breads. They came out fantastic! I liked them even better than any white bread I've made. I think this will be my standard soft bread recipe.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-63808065219368687612012-04-14T12:30:00.000-07:002012-04-14T12:30:01.764-07:00The Daring Cook's April 2012 Challenge: Create Your Own Recipe!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SFMy2EGiUaVIjc_JT6aXgna1Jly6wKi1NMcDnnzYFhqb8vm87HweJduUyPUwAmBr-Obp9h4q7XMfoKxp-lBNzGOkHOxMicHXbhmIO71MKH4rgCLmn9hVfY2iDBFW0uCPiYyHzx3d9HAF/s1600/IMG_3291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SFMy2EGiUaVIjc_JT6aXgna1Jly6wKi1NMcDnnzYFhqb8vm87HweJduUyPUwAmBr-Obp9h4q7XMfoKxp-lBNzGOkHOxMicHXbhmIO71MKH4rgCLmn9hVfY2iDBFW0uCPiYyHzx3d9HAF/s320/IMG_3291.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goat Cheese and Strawberry Jam filled Parsnip Buns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Our April 2012 Daring Cooks hosts were David & Karen from
Twenty-Fingered Cooking. They presented us with a very daring and unique
challenge of forming our own recipes by using a set list of
ingredients!<br />
<br />
They required us to use at least one ingredient from each of the following three lists – to
force us to think carefully about flavor combinations.
<br />
<br />
<b>List 1</b>: Parsnips, Eggplant (aubergine), Cauliflower<br />
<b>List 2</b>: Balsamic Vinegar, Goat Cheese, Chipotle peppers<br />
<b>List 3</b>: Maple Syrup, Instant Coffee, Bananas<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
I was really excited to do this challenge because it reminded me of one of my favorite shows "Chopped" on Food Network.<br />
<br />
I always thought the dessert round was the hardest and most exciting of the 3 rounds, so I decided to go for a dessert like item. <br />
<br />
After mulling over the list (fortunately, I had a whole month instead of 20-30 minutes like the "Chopped" chefs), I decided to go with parsnips, goat cheese, and maple syrup as my chosen ingredients.<br />
<br />
My dish: Goat cheese and Jam filled Parsnip Buns.<br />
<br />
The bread recipe I used is similar to a potato bread recipe, but subbing boiled and mashed parsnips for the potatoes and maple syrup for the sugar. I also read about a Japanese method of bread baking that helps keep bread soft and moist called "tangzhong," so I decided to implement that into my bread as well.<br />
<br />
Goat Cheese and Strawberry Jam filled Parsnip Buns<br />
<br />
Parsnip Buns<br />
<br />
Tangzhong<br />
<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1/6 cup flour<br />
<br />
Whisk together the cold water and flour (there should be no lumps) and
cook over low heat (stirring all the time) until the temperature reaches 149ºF or until the spoon you’re stirring with leaves a trace. The
mixture should have the consistency of something between crème anglaise
and pastry cream. Leave to cool down to room temperature.<br />
<br />
2 1/2 cups bread flour<br />
1 cup boiled and mashed parsnip<br />
3 tbsp maple syrup<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
All of the tangzhong<br />
2 tsp instant<b> </b>yeast<br />
3 tbsp butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature)<br />
<br />
Filling<br />
<br />
4oz log of goat cheese<br />
1 jar of strawberry jam (you won't be using the whole container) <br />
<br />
Directions<br />
<br />
1. Combine the flour, salt, maple syrup and instant yeast in a bowl of a
stand mixer. Make a well in the center. Add in all wet ingredients:
milk, egg, mashed parsnip, and tangzhong. Fit the dough hook attachment on your stand
mixer and begin mixing on medium speed and knead until your dough
comes together and then add in the butter and continue kneading. Keep
kneading until the dough is smooth, not too sticky on the surface and
elastic. <br />
<br />
2. Knead the dough into a ball shape. Take a large bowl and grease with
oil. Place dough into greased bowl and cover with a wet towel. Let
it proof until it’s doubled in size, about 40 minutes. <br />
<br />
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and punch down.
Divide into 10 equal pieces, rolling each into a ball (I find a kitchen
scale very helpful for this). Working with one ball at a time (cover
remaining dough to prevent drying), roll dough into a 5-inch circle.<br />
<br />
4. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons each goat cheese and strawberry jam in the center of the circle. Carefully fold the edges of each round up and around the filling. You
can't get any of the filling on the edge or it simply won't seal. Pinch
all of the edges together and seal as well as possible (although be
careful to not strech the dough too thin on the filling side...).<br />
<br />
5. Place buns,
seam side down, on a baking sheet coated lightly with cooking spray (or
use parchment paper). Tuck ends under and cover. Repeat until all the
buns are prepared this way.<br />
<br />
6. Lightly coat formed buns with cooking spray, cover and let rise in a
warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled
in size.<br />
<br />
7. Bake at 375 degrees
for 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByc6JRgplXSqn6CK8xebqjOXDdfgbpUszYR0kcjdf4DHOt6JgSu-OKorE_0I46I5IWO5jyVlz4Zru8FEH6tj8VgIDgBM7xyyVeQqpDDQP7oFvtkFBTL7vGRE2AtjnU9jtYryfWdJSPM2X/s1600/IMG_3278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByc6JRgplXSqn6CK8xebqjOXDdfgbpUszYR0kcjdf4DHOt6JgSu-OKorE_0I46I5IWO5jyVlz4Zru8FEH6tj8VgIDgBM7xyyVeQqpDDQP7oFvtkFBTL7vGRE2AtjnU9jtYryfWdJSPM2X/s320/IMG_3278.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of the oven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These were such a success. The buns themselves were soft and sweet and the filling gooey and yummy.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-17760632653038641542012-04-02T20:00:00.000-07:002012-04-02T20:00:00.149-07:00Homemade Mayonnaise<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h2ifPFmIic3z_M9tHDsOsNNqXEPKtb0ng4LSun_YoaTmrR09HS16XspMBI9jCUPnU07hegpJEYrQjL3-ae2WHsKC7_4ijibjyrJzeP1IYtYzwKONFKfmrCrAIGEzIyjWppH2U2DlUe4N/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h2ifPFmIic3z_M9tHDsOsNNqXEPKtb0ng4LSun_YoaTmrR09HS16XspMBI9jCUPnU07hegpJEYrQjL3-ae2WHsKC7_4ijibjyrJzeP1IYtYzwKONFKfmrCrAIGEzIyjWppH2U2DlUe4N/s320/IMG_3207.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Mayonnaise. Better than store brought. A little on the yellow side because of the added mustard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I wanted to make tuna salad, but I realized I didn't have any mayonnaise only after I had all of my other ingredients ready. Then I remember seeing a post on <a href="http://cookingweekends.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cooking Weekends</a> for making mayonnaise. I've seen recipes for homemade mayo before, but they've all used immersion blenders. Cooking Weekends was the first recipe for mayo I've seen using a handheld mixer. Since I have no immersion blender and have a handheld mixer, I knew this was the recipe for me!<br />
<br />
Homemade Mayonnaise (inspired by <a href="http://cookingweekends.blogspot.com/2012/03/homemade-mayonnaise-chicken-salad.html" target="_blank">this recipe</a>)<br />
<br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
A pinch of kosher salt<br />
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard<br />
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEkfnDdKTeysBjUdKm_37rnOLySVJQ8yCHQcMYvj-IYPcKfMZhk8CDuH8UF3lUMcIJCeN1mo2qEQLB_4rtngCAuU2LyIjbdEK6GzCVWtjO2SwMUVMyDg60Xz4kAqvhiSKs3CnskxMl7A3/s1600/IMG_3195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEkfnDdKTeysBjUdKm_37rnOLySVJQ8yCHQcMYvj-IYPcKfMZhk8CDuH8UF3lUMcIJCeN1mo2qEQLB_4rtngCAuU2LyIjbdEK6GzCVWtjO2SwMUVMyDg60Xz4kAqvhiSKs3CnskxMl7A3/s320/IMG_3195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg yolk, Dijon mustard, salt, and lemon juice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
1. Add egg yolk, kosher salt, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice into a bowl. Beat the egg yolk mixture until it lightens in color. Continue to beat while adding in drops of oil until you have used up about a tablespoon of oil. The yolk mixture will look creamy and smooth.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPK_Y7HcL8SBR9CbPc4CLSWPrDOU9kU6gYRDEiKQkjuXxvuy7FAJXtiWhGsKu_G-lWExF1YVE5pExDRu90EVjLax71YDR7rguJvMSImYWt8zmELJbvvhl60_U5ZHswE3P6Xr_h7eQHzb5/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPK_Y7HcL8SBR9CbPc4CLSWPrDOU9kU6gYRDEiKQkjuXxvuy7FAJXtiWhGsKu_G-lWExF1YVE5pExDRu90EVjLax71YDR7rguJvMSImYWt8zmELJbvvhl60_U5ZHswE3P6Xr_h7eQHzb5/s320/IMG_3196.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slowly adding in the oil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
2. Once you have added about a tablespoon or so of the oil successfully,
you can add it a bit more quickly in a very
thin stream.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-WzQgayvutOMtLf_rjw1wYokfAtuR64QWMhs2nbD1ZtMTAcptgiYLSk7-iUEGUXrXkiTkg_iZkKkYsMBp_fFR8__aP7Zlyry2a4ftIwHGxLhMPukAxJ-PkhktTvKan4TRryYYIv8tYGy/s1600/IMG_3198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-WzQgayvutOMtLf_rjw1wYokfAtuR64QWMhs2nbD1ZtMTAcptgiYLSk7-iUEGUXrXkiTkg_iZkKkYsMBp_fFR8__aP7Zlyry2a4ftIwHGxLhMPukAxJ-PkhktTvKan4TRryYYIv8tYGy/s320/IMG_3198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just about done</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
3. When all of the oil has been added, taste the mayonnaise and beat in more
salt and lemon juice as needed.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com2Woodhaven, Queens, NY, USA40.6901366 -73.856608740.6780966 -73.876349699999992 40.7021766 -73.8368677tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-13183369272281804672012-03-27T15:47:00.002-07:002012-04-01T22:09:55.047-07:00The Daring Baker's March 2012 Challenge: Lions, Tigers, and Bears, oh my!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYVZhtbFnbet7J06EIf3uoROcyWEFV9F7LqyYasdnE3qkus9IP9sk6oetTN7LoibT8fOm7eqwdwTlr0rgaYfkp0q2fw9qApLdpFkdE0DK8NeF88DztReTRRa0KXrCwWyYP2FvZqiYyLz7/s1600/IMG_3226.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYVZhtbFnbet7J06EIf3uoROcyWEFV9F7LqyYasdnE3qkus9IP9sk6oetTN7LoibT8fOm7eqwdwTlr0rgaYfkp0q2fw9qApLdpFkdE0DK8NeF88DztReTRRa0KXrCwWyYP2FvZqiYyLz7/s320/IMG_3226.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch Crunch Tuna Melt!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses!
Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious
sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also
challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!<br />
<br />
Technically, Dutch Crunch doesn’t refer to the type of bread, but rather
the topping that is spread over the bread before baking. In Dutch it’s
called Tijgerbrood or “tiger bread” after the tiger-like shell on the
bread when it comes out of the oven. The final product has a delightful
sweet crunch to it that makes it perfect for a sandwich roll.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
I had never heard of Dutch Crunch bread before and was excited to try making some. I was gifted a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer last Christmas and haven't used it for bread making yet. My usual go-to bread recipe is a no knead recipe that goes in the refrigerator for a few days before use.<br />
<br />
It's a lean dough (no oil, eggs, etc), and no so appropriate for dutch crunch, so I decided to use the soft white bread recipe provided by Sara and Erica.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b>Dutch Crunch Bread</b><br />
<br />
Dutch Crunch Topping<br />
<br />
2 tablespoons active dry yeast<br />
1 cup warm water <br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
1½ cups rice flour (white or brown; NOT sweet or
glutinous rice flour) (increase by 1 cup or more for home-made rice
flour) <br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a whisk; beat
hard to combine. The consistency should be like stiff royal icing –
spreadable, but not too runny. If you pull some up with your whisk, as
shown below, it should drip off slowly. Add more water or rice flour as
necessary. Let stand 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
2. Coat the top of each loaf or roll with a thick layer of topping. We
tried coating it with a brush but it worked better just to use fingers
or a spoon and kind of spread it around. You should err on the side of
applying too much topping – a thin layer will not crack properly.<br />
<br />
3. Let stand, uncovered, for any additional time your recipe recommends.
With the Soft White Roll, you can place the rolls directly into the
oven after applying the topping. With the Brown Rice Bread, the loaves
should stand for 20 minutes with the topping before baking.<br />
<br />
4. When baking, place pans on a rack in the center of the oven and bake
your bread as you ordinarily would. The Dutch Cruch topping should
crack and turn a nice golden-brown color. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCnp63-TMKBpqXlHr1iCDpAvuNlwhBJAigStwIn3ezaFVa7tu7bQSqnF_zEDnoIsl3t9QIyPUfATHL0tAT3fxitNKnAoNZ9KELFVLTfT5MR9zeGDgo8HFSWdQ6w8JxYHDne7esukFjoFt/s1600/IMG_3190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCnp63-TMKBpqXlHr1iCDpAvuNlwhBJAigStwIn3ezaFVa7tu7bQSqnF_zEDnoIsl3t9QIyPUfATHL0tAT3fxitNKnAoNZ9KELFVLTfT5MR9zeGDgo8HFSWdQ6w8JxYHDne7esukFjoFt/s320/IMG_3190.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made my own brown rice flour using my little Magic Bullet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-C2EhcKE24MXm33_wnWwtPDMia_YpagNb_XjnU_Pz7E8znAuOULMXe1FJ4cHTxo-cPsVoAHhifcvINQ7UpYXzvbpOODmeJKiK8y6FU0QMoOzFZd_VGM8wLiJ4UPEfeosBTnbc3Khd1ZM/s1600/IMG_3192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-C2EhcKE24MXm33_wnWwtPDMia_YpagNb_XjnU_Pz7E8znAuOULMXe1FJ4cHTxo-cPsVoAHhifcvINQ7UpYXzvbpOODmeJKiK8y6FU0QMoOzFZd_VGM8wLiJ4UPEfeosBTnbc3Khd1ZM/s320/IMG_3192.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sifting to make sure the flour is fine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
Soft White Rolls<br />
<br />
1 tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast<br />
¼ cup warm water <br />
1 cup warm milk <br />
1½ tablespoons sugar<br />
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (plus additional olive or vegetable oil for greasing bowl during rising)<br />
1½ teaspoons salt<br />
Up to 4 cups all purpose flour<br />
<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer or large mixing bowl, combine
yeast, water, milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit for about 5
minutes (The mixture should start to bubble or foam a bit and smell
yeasty).<br />
<br />
2. Add in vegetable oil, salt and 2 cups of flour. Using the dough hook
attachment or a wooden spoon, mix at medium speed until the dough comes
together. (The photo to below is with the first 2 cups of flour added).<br />
<br />
3. Add remaining flour a quarter cup at time until the dough pulls away
from the sides of the bowl.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NXKqkSBAAfpCPRsmMGLPM-SYVo9vx4O8bpmD2s-ts2Si9kgHDV9C2jUtx0KMiQu8jBG1_NbfFnwBH4XYVhYyfM5WpasseLJtk9D8ecD3as2SCHM-_vryytVzNwhdce6BwewSJ4KC666q/s1600/IMG_3185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NXKqkSBAAfpCPRsmMGLPM-SYVo9vx4O8bpmD2s-ts2Si9kgHDV9C2jUtx0KMiQu8jBG1_NbfFnwBH4XYVhYyfM5WpasseLJtk9D8ecD3as2SCHM-_vryytVzNwhdce6BwewSJ4KC666q/s320/IMG_3185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hate hand kneading. The dough hook on my Kitchen Aid is a life saver!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 4 minutes, until smooth and elastic.<br />
<br />
5. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled (or more) in size.<br />
<br />
6. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface
and divide it into 6 equal portions (if you’d like to make rolls) or 2
equal portions (if you’d like to make a loaf) (using a sharp knife or a
dough scraper works well). Shape each into a ball or loaf and place on a
parchment-lined baking sheet (try not to handle the dough too much at
this point).<br />
<br />
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes while you prepare the topping.<br />
<br />
8. Coat the top of each roll or loaf with the topping as described
above. While the original recipe recommends letting them stand for 20
minutes after applying the topping, I got better results by putting them
directly into the oven.<br />
<br />
9. Once you’ve applied the topping, bake in a preheated moderately hot
380ºF/190°C/gas mark 5 for 25-30 minutes, until well browned. Let cool
completely on a wire rack before eating.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqmT_e9EGwBJ5ubD4Er-X52rRa2Uo3ABv9OLgQj0EGuiEyr7hZfVHJ_fRWbMddsNantJmen15mxSzgM9DzviPU5nZTtc2JMvHYN6xbdgGy3TB97ZEds6v9BhyphenhyphenqoN71TPyqfiAVH4wIk7S/s1600/IMG_3216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqmT_e9EGwBJ5ubD4Er-X52rRa2Uo3ABv9OLgQj0EGuiEyr7hZfVHJ_fRWbMddsNantJmen15mxSzgM9DzviPU5nZTtc2JMvHYN6xbdgGy3TB97ZEds6v9BhyphenhyphenqoN71TPyqfiAVH4wIk7S/s320/IMG_3216.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch Crunch Rolls cooling off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc_d1hFY0P_Q1-OCfZvt8ITEIYRhYUeF53PATaG2CXU2xbRj23T0ZsmbhgBOprkMymql0G9_tiTkpeHpbOG2IorzegIDZrZHAizevmXCZoah1ByI0rqAjNxQ32iTcS42p88SElBm-mMrc/s1600/IMG_3220.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAc_d1hFY0P_Q1-OCfZvt8ITEIYRhYUeF53PATaG2CXU2xbRj23T0ZsmbhgBOprkMymql0G9_tiTkpeHpbOG2IorzegIDZrZHAizevmXCZoah1ByI0rqAjNxQ32iTcS42p88SElBm-mMrc/s320/IMG_3220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-28856264268917367242012-03-14T03:00:00.000-07:002012-03-14T03:00:07.737-07:00The Daring Cooks' March 2012 Challenge - Brave the Braise!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZdmTio11UXBZyPt4qVGWjHqqNpqEdSoUev3tDtU6TJ91LuXubV0ovAVSQXvug8GHwuAYe5OL1mOhZWTkcDrT-9XYpKfUy-upx7r2UmS9vH8m6VWB-rJweRY-q-35QCVS-jqf1vmMyqSC/s1600/IMG_2762.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711229620022519426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZdmTio11UXBZyPt4qVGWjHqqNpqEdSoUev3tDtU6TJ91LuXubV0ovAVSQXvug8GHwuAYe5OL1mOhZWTkcDrT-9XYpKfUy-upx7r2UmS9vH8m6VWB-rJweRY-q-35QCVS-jqf1vmMyqSC/s400/IMG_2762.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic</span></div>
<br />
Braving the Braise!
My very first Daring Cooks and certainly not last. <br />
<br />
The March, 2012 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Carol, a/k/a
Poisonive – and she challenged us all to learn the art of Braising!
Carol focused on Michael Ruhlman’s technique and shared with us some of
his expertise from his book “Ruhlman’s Twenty”. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
So, what exactly is braising?<br />
<br />
Traditional cooking methods may be classed as how heat is conducted
through the food. First is moist heat (poaching, simmering, steaming or
boiling) where heat is conducted through some sort of liquid; be it
stock, sauces or steam.<br />
<br />
The second method is dry heat (roasting, baking,
broiling, sautéing, pan frying) where heat is conducted by hot air,
radiation or hot fat. Different methods are suited for different kinds
of food.<br />
<br />
Braising, from the French “braiser”, offers us a combination
cooking method – dry heat followed by moist heat. Typically, meat is
seared in hot fat which helps to add flavor and aromas, improves color
(browning), and texture (crust). It is then submerged in liquid and
cooked slowly and gently at low heat. <br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
So, I was in the mood for chicken last Friday night, but was indecisive about what I wanted to make. I had two recipes in mind that I've never made before: Slow roasted chicken or Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic.<br />
<br />
A quick informal poll on Facebook helped in my decision of going with the 40 clove garlic chicken. It worked out because not only did I accomplish making a very tasty dinner, I also completed my first Daring Cooks Challenge!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKujylYYWIkeH3QHTQuMhc2j9JWAaG7YmYZwqQcGI-l8ZyHQNdQPCLDmaJOD0riM3ZSvMZ8O7Hy8ykSDN_z0FBUzo2g33wGHFyN51l9q6jhejjTyfcUQjjGFk58NxYpSaqTTcE3xA3t5k-/s1600/IMG_2754.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711223845716384978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKujylYYWIkeH3QHTQuMhc2j9JWAaG7YmYZwqQcGI-l8ZyHQNdQPCLDmaJOD0riM3ZSvMZ8O7Hy8ykSDN_z0FBUzo2g33wGHFyN51l9q6jhejjTyfcUQjjGFk58NxYpSaqTTcE3xA3t5k-/s400/IMG_2754.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Most of the ingredients for 40 clove garlic chicken. I went the easy route and got a container of already peeled garlic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've always had my eye on this recipe, but have been reluctant to go ahead and try it because of its use of 40 whole cloves of garlic. I love garlic, but would it be too overwhelmingly<b><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #0055bb; cursor: pointer;"></span></span></b> garlic?<br />
<br />
Well, yes.<br />
<br />
It is garlicky, but in a very good way. The garlic slowly cooks with the chicken and white wine and becomes soft and very sweet, infusing its flavor into the white wine and chicken sauce. It doesn't exhibit the pungent, sharp flavor raw garlic normally has. Cooking totally transforms the garlic.<br />
<br />
I used a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-with-forty-cloves-of-garlic-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">recipe</a> by Ina Garten, but altered it slightly because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, but it still turned out fabulous!</div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic (based on Ina Garten)</span><br />
<br />
40 peeled cloves of garlic (I went with already peeled garlic to save time)<br />
8-10 pieces of chicken thighs and legs<br />
Kosher salt<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 tablespoon unsalted butter<br />
2 tablespoons good olive oil<br />
1 3/4 cups dry white wine<br />
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning<br />
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
1. Separate the cloves of garlic (if you decided not to go the already peeled route) and peel. Set aside.<br />
<br />
2. Dry the chicken thighs and legs with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W-8rsnhUh6jgAlw8aiTnRBVHtwFJGl1nAjrIOiho7WuUcmZ95MxUS8jsIXqIyCi1XmZNedC-Otbbm4gqbs-a334doRgN9ohwvWD9sjFDzvTpYlJePc_9DmkV-kMQGb7CvxCS_A2sFb-d/s1600/IMG_2756.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711234277340305074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W-8rsnhUh6jgAlw8aiTnRBVHtwFJGl1nAjrIOiho7WuUcmZ95MxUS8jsIXqIyCi1XmZNedC-Otbbm4gqbs-a334doRgN9ohwvWD9sjFDzvTpYlJePc_9DmkV-kMQGb7CvxCS_A2sFb-d/s400/IMG_2756.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-size: 78%;">Sautéing the chicken</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfT6EoDCZSVg9WKNquIAcLGH-xu2DMUddqyYuDskhuwE7LUMm8_EYHrBKX_pSU8S0wrujcKrm9PM8ljsm4Mwvia_2CSiUKBRHpC3cTt0uJXyhK6abuTVJdYOW-qsv54v54cDX8WSRkc7Y/s1600/IMG_2757.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711234643287265378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfT6EoDCZSVg9WKNquIAcLGH-xu2DMUddqyYuDskhuwE7LUMm8_EYHrBKX_pSU8S0wrujcKrm9PM8ljsm4Mwvia_2CSiUKBRHpC3cTt0uJXyhK6abuTVJdYOW-qsv54v54cDX8WSRkc7Y/s400/IMG_2757.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Nicely browned crust.</span></div>
<br />
3. When all the chicken has been browned, add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUz7y0uy7z-YdyJG3wDXhlAAewrPYsT1E4t0heVN-Q5wTBuDIasJFXn1EdbOPHF5ArQHy7QxQmkPWVq6KCfHTyptIOSKH8qMBJqMd7IPgnuKXnXsfE6q4KqeAYSCnAZAotOnrjamKxpHR/s1600/IMG_2759.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711235121424501730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUz7y0uy7z-YdyJG3wDXhlAAewrPYsT1E4t0heVN-Q5wTBuDIasJFXn1EdbOPHF5ArQHy7QxQmkPWVq6KCfHTyptIOSKH8qMBJqMd7IPgnuKXnXsfE6q4KqeAYSCnAZAotOnrjamKxpHR/s400/IMG_2759.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Browning whole garlic cloves</span></div>
<br />
4. Add the white wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the dried Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxnhitLRJoT3IxzWznekw6uO3-scJei-IHi8-B5XzrJJbOeQ3oKnG2tFexvX9Gqfg7VivpzSLNgYwFr3kY9cle04NYuXvtWRDHU3R0CrwRc3G7Nmcr2pa8gWZYbd7q5ngp2RYmDB_4j_C/s1600/IMG_2764.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711235897504206530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxnhitLRJoT3IxzWznekw6uO3-scJei-IHi8-B5XzrJJbOeQ3oKnG2tFexvX9Gqfg7VivpzSLNgYwFr3kY9cle04NYuXvtWRDHU3R0CrwRc3G7Nmcr2pa8gWZYbd7q5ngp2RYmDB_4j_C/s400/IMG_2764.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">The white wine I used. A chardonnay by Francis Coppola. Yes, the guy who directed "The Godfather." Did you know he makes wines too?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKzIRW8pkrO-5sVB11Dt2mn5GPTnHpeUgPjgxCXhbfiz2VpodnYPdvRFKabWa_NBF0zwRpWUrpQNY6ssKTS_UJOZEcfg1sVdByH_N3T1gHoJ85RATFDNtLGvLDqAL8xN4mXnIP3OcnEAv/s1600/IMG_2760.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711235446760004242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKzIRW8pkrO-5sVB11Dt2mn5GPTnHpeUgPjgxCXhbfiz2VpodnYPdvRFKabWa_NBF0zwRpWUrpQNY6ssKTS_UJOZEcfg1sVdByH_N3T1gHoJ85RATFDNtLGvLDqAL8xN4mXnIP3OcnEAv/s400/IMG_2760.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Chicken, garlic and white wine ready to simmer together</span></div>
<br />
5. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPZxf15mbzcO3G4aZIUCGEA-mBuAZCWOaHXJGaYXzpZvFIiKJKMN9feRdtDJ4OJV-8BMS7wT16c2JJN2KFypfPeMjqhmVNI_gUrkf9Far5ab4A0a8v9oy6zbrW_BoMIaCD-aCnEuH5tj_/s1600/IMG_2761.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711235643786984242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPZxf15mbzcO3G4aZIUCGEA-mBuAZCWOaHXJGaYXzpZvFIiKJKMN9feRdtDJ4OJV-8BMS7wT16c2JJN2KFypfPeMjqhmVNI_gUrkf9Far5ab4A0a8v9oy6zbrW_BoMIaCD-aCnEuH5tj_/s400/IMG_2761.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Dinner is served!</span></div>
<br />
I went with simple brown rice as a side to help soak up the wonderful garlicky wine wine sauce.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CQmt7O_JGTani2cmbJPnJRZ6TRbIBv9cE2_w3WYp2rsjlQMX-k8WGWZr4M-3WPYFByc5WQaD5l7BjcznvFIC-wlTlhJBweRYKnVDXI8Dv4af5AFNVB6lk0JqtZh5YFMRKL1hW-OCuT__/s1600/IMG_2765.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711240449312879938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4CQmt7O_JGTani2cmbJPnJRZ6TRbIBv9cE2_w3WYp2rsjlQMX-k8WGWZr4M-3WPYFByc5WQaD5l7BjcznvFIC-wlTlhJBweRYKnVDXI8Dv4af5AFNVB6lk0JqtZh5YFMRKL1hW-OCuT__/s400/IMG_2765.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">My plate</span></div>
<br />
My boyfriend however, had his with slices of sourdough bread, so he could spread the softened cloves of garlic onto it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73rTo7lEk0h1aXeuGiwIuLK9eLh2y3dUXvLZqyo8lvZ9O12Hjh6DCbiYusOmfivnhRQpDR-na-ADLwUNrmEaDYSz_CZ2xKSqSHuMRMTmHZkUqiqtp78v6sdDK5zVarh2iZbFqrnLxS2l1/s1600/IMG_2767.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711241078631153746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73rTo7lEk0h1aXeuGiwIuLK9eLh2y3dUXvLZqyo8lvZ9O12Hjh6DCbiYusOmfivnhRQpDR-na-ADLwUNrmEaDYSz_CZ2xKSqSHuMRMTmHZkUqiqtp78v6sdDK5zVarh2iZbFqrnLxS2l1/s400/IMG_2767.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 78%;">I think he made the better choice.</span></div>
<br />
Next time I make this, I'll serve it with slices of sourdough and a simple salad.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEu2znxLdrmWZIioIWqaNb40hyphenhyphenRezZL_eZ3leaguCQYNAaGX9ExQuUei-8vxy4bYK_zW4tvULN9ESvL12gbogq9PzBZvIiT4N0jNtmeuQ3T2sOPIT10BcGw2oZ1VW6hhH2CGKe4Jd104G/s1600/IMG_2768.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711241189621436018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEu2znxLdrmWZIioIWqaNb40hyphenhyphenRezZL_eZ3leaguCQYNAaGX9ExQuUei-8vxy4bYK_zW4tvULN9ESvL12gbogq9PzBZvIiT4N0jNtmeuQ3T2sOPIT10BcGw2oZ1VW6hhH2CGKe4Jd104G/s400/IMG_2768.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">Yum!</span></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-49351262607478212562012-03-07T20:21:00.000-08:002012-03-07T20:25:46.137-08:00"Ghetto" Sous Vide<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNtzy8kX_DhyMJ_LxlXFFBXSR5n7PNVmEX6_Jmktb3ehedwNRdqpuUlLEhk04ap20THRn2PfrtKKuI2RksBTAbFjonNYGcd6kosNu7RpTUCUjABfhatTuiYX5APEFeOglnUPB7DFPQ-65/s1600/384005_10150588262460631_675385630_11605870_1336403299_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNtzy8kX_DhyMJ_LxlXFFBXSR5n7PNVmEX6_Jmktb3ehedwNRdqpuUlLEhk04ap20THRn2PfrtKKuI2RksBTAbFjonNYGcd6kosNu7RpTUCUjABfhatTuiYX5APEFeOglnUPB7DFPQ-65/s320/384005_10150588262460631_675385630_11605870_1336403299_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">Inside shot. Perfect medium rare all the way through. The meat was like butter. Served with some homemade ciabatta.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sous-vide is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for a long time. The intention is to cook the item evenly, not overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same 'doneness' and to keep the food juicier.<br />
<br />
Typically it's done in these expensive machines that circulate the water and maintain it at precise temperatures. They go for about $1000, but you can get a <a href="http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/product.aspx?productid=34&deptid=1&AdID=170" target="_blank">small home version</a> for about $299.<br />
<br />
Not wanting to drop so much money on a device I won't be using often, I discovered on <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/cook-your-meat-in-a-beer-cooler-the-worlds-best-sous-vide-hack.html" target="_blank">Serious Eats</a> a hack, if you will, to cook items sous-vide, without spending lots of money. They suggest using a large beer cooler to help maintain your desired temperature in order to cook your food of choice.<br />
<br />
I thought it would be easier for me to just use a large pot of water on a stove and a thermometer and just adjust the heat from time to time.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
For my first experiment, I decided to sous-vide an already vacuumed packed Rack of Lamb by Trader Joe's. It was already seasoned!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvuns_QXuyXi3i6uUd2NXLZAI7c6ICehCJ8Y_b09e7dmooz7XfyeGB0EqGonI5ybDwOFQogfnTrYWd3ChAmMZJJZ88fQoezmkEsIoRBCtox58FYpE44JNWW6Tgn7C1CeBK1p6m1QLk5IF/s1600/400949_10150588261465631_675385630_11605864_1013253373_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvuns_QXuyXi3i6uUd2NXLZAI7c6ICehCJ8Y_b09e7dmooz7XfyeGB0EqGonI5ybDwOFQogfnTrYWd3ChAmMZJJZ88fQoezmkEsIoRBCtox58FYpE44JNWW6Tgn7C1CeBK1p6m1QLk5IF/s320/400949_10150588261465631_675385630_11605864_1013253373_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">Preseasoned frenched rack of lamb in 140 degree water bath for 3 hours for medium rare.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqXjF4U8Lmmx69mJgO7yzWcpcjoRo-HhoRt0NLzL2v5ipQwlTMl9IsTbjmbo35Hc_jop3nkQN9OpI9crRNgFzJLlS0mJ1Kd6iR54qWMvSOm-I3PUjPhO-0OO-o3VnNHOhjPoPRWlw8UVH/s1600/403765_10150588261945631_675385630_11605867_1084119952_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqXjF4U8Lmmx69mJgO7yzWcpcjoRo-HhoRt0NLzL2v5ipQwlTMl9IsTbjmbo35Hc_jop3nkQN9OpI9crRNgFzJLlS0mJ1Kd6iR54qWMvSOm-I3PUjPhO-0OO-o3VnNHOhjPoPRWlw8UVH/s320/403765_10150588261945631_675385630_11605867_1084119952_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">How it looked taken out of the vaccumed sealed bag.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw2HvYKOTYvUoJdvxnFHLqcakmQy3-qfYNIzVLJluOjpkTUj_Q7frCWNiAH1am7hlpoPKFK2VX6wCRo2NKq6AUpAGlJ6z4qBJPB8-zWD14lEUn-66k1xDb1qU0IDHmMnrKi6UXyfSDFdA/s1600/402628_10150588262165631_675385630_11605869_1605985594_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw2HvYKOTYvUoJdvxnFHLqcakmQy3-qfYNIzVLJluOjpkTUj_Q7frCWNiAH1am7hlpoPKFK2VX6wCRo2NKq6AUpAGlJ6z4qBJPB8-zWD14lEUn-66k1xDb1qU0IDHmMnrKi6UXyfSDFdA/s320/402628_10150588262165631_675385630_11605869_1605985594_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">It was looking kinds sad, so I seared it up on the stove a bit.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So afterthoughts. The meat was awesome and I totally get the hype about sous-vide cooking, but I would only something like this for very special occasions or if I had the time, as tending to a pot of water for 3 hours is pretty excessive.<br />
<br />
I may play around with this technique for smaller items. I hear sous-vide works wonderful for eggs and they take a shorter time to do.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com1Woodhaven, Queens, NY, USA40.6901366 -73.856608740.6780966 -73.876349699999992 40.7021766 -73.8368677tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-60883233543278842282012-03-02T14:48:00.000-08:002012-03-02T14:48:00.691-08:00Degustation!I've been wanting to check out the tapas bar, <a href="http://degustationnyc.com/" target="_blank">Degustation </a>for a while now.<br />
<br />
It was so delicious! I've been to several fancy-ish places to dine in the past year and this is the only one I would return too.<br />
<br />
<lj-cut text="My meal, course by course">Unfortunately, I don't remember exactly what all the items are because we did a chef tasting menu and a lot of the items we had were not present on their current menu.</lj-cut><br />
<lj-cut text="My meal, course by course"></lj-cut><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5025031790_751fb9ac69.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Our amuse-bouche. The item on the right was a mini burrito type thing filled with pureed mushroom, the middle; a mini croquette filled with a tomato cream and the left was a fried piece of fish skin with a vinegarette.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/5024420765_a3e5c0ff47.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A crudo of hamachi (young yellowtail) dressed in a citrus vinegarette and topped with cilantro and mini potato chips.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5025033084_0f5b1a7bd5.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Watermelon and tomato gazpacho. I normally am not crazy about gazpachos, finding them too acidic, but this one was very good. I think the watermelon's sweetness helped balance out the tomatoe's acidity quite nicely.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5024421761_c106850aa9.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The chef's version of Eggplant Parmesan. A flash fried piece of eggplant topped with shredded Parmesan cheese with house made mozzarella cheese, basil, and tomato sauce.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5024422307_c26812caf5.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A salad of grilled squash and mushrooms, dandelion leaves, house made ricotta cheese, strawberries and a poached quail egg. Dandelion greens are really interesting. Very bitter flavor. I'm not sure how I feel about that.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5025034850_63303fe05a.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A freebie dish! Grilled octopus with celery and red onions dressed in a jalapeno vinegarette with a tomato dust. I thought the octopus was way too tough and rubbery in this one. The flavors were really nice in this one though.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5024423893_eba531272b.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My number one favorite dish out of all the courses. Fried sardine on top of a sardine and tomato risotto. All topped with a sunny side up chicken egg. I really liked the bold flavors of this dish.I loved breaking the yolk of the egg and then mixing everything up together.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5024424467_b79ba80451.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was a favorite as well. A slow cooked scrambled egg with greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese stirred in, topped with croutons and scallions and a shard of lamb bacon. I love my scrambled eggs loose and these eggs were as loose as you could get them. It was like a porridge consistancy. The saltiness of the cheese and the tanginess of the yogurt made these eggs sing. This is a dish I'm gonna try to recreate in my kitchen one of these days.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5024424981_8486238146.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Rabbit terrine with pickled okra and radish. This was the only dish I was meh about. Yeah, I know it's <i>rabbit</i>, but this tasted like cold cuts I could get from any deli. A salami sandwich would give me the same satisfaction this dish gave. I guess it was just me, because the rest of my dinner mate loved this.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5025037842_87908cc30b.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My third favorite. Wagyu steak and a hash brown on top on creamed spinach with fried peppers and a sweet onion reduction. This is the first time I've had wagyu beef, so I was excited about this dish. The wagyu was prepared so rare, it was practically raw, but it just melted in my mouth. This was a nice version of a classic steak and potatoes dinner.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5025031466_5e830b6414.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Another freebie! "Peanut butter and Jelly" The chef said this is a new item on their menu and we were the first people to try it. This is a house made grape soda with peanut flavored foam on top. We were instructed to take the whole glass in one shot, but this dish had a physics problem. We all noticed after taking our shots that we got all the "jelly" but no "peanut butter." The peanut foam was all in the bottom of our glasses and we needed a spoon to get to out. This would have been much nicer if we could have gotten them together. Oh well. I guess the chef needs to work on this more.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5024426141_43c8a8760f.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Dessert! Also the last course. A caramelized torija with strawberries. This tasted like a very rich bread pudding made with brioche with a brulee'd coating. This was really good. This was really well balanced. Sweet, but not too sweet. Sour, from the strawberries. Creamy and crunchy at the same time. Some parts of the torija were over brulee'd so those reminded me of eating toasted marshmallows (note: I adore toasted marshmallows). Alice, one of the girls I ate with, couldn't finish her dessert, so I got double of this. Score!<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5025039076_908491cf07.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Even though I had all that food, I was still feeling kind of hungry. So was my friend Nejii, but Nejii's always freaking hungry. So, we decided to get some Bon Chon Chicken after wards. Alice and Steve looked at us like we were crazy because they were stuffed to the gills. I've never had Bon Chon Chicken before, but it was so good! This is soy garlic flavor. I need to figure out how to make this glaze.</div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-38320456022812299762012-02-29T14:36:00.000-08:002012-02-29T14:36:00.328-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5344736/macgyver-chef-poached-chicken-and-couscous-in-a-coffee-maker">Poached Chicken and Couscous in a Coffee Maker?</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/08/500x_Coffee_Maker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2009/08/500x_Coffee_Maker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I think my mom would get mad at me if I tried to do this with her coffee maker, lol.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-79843500544720492772012-02-27T13:31:00.000-08:002012-02-27T13:31:00.666-08:00The Daring Bakers' February, 2012 Challenge: Quick! Gimme a Flavor!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvqjrIM9pPxAYQ3flX9YX1jTUggfzulDCDwH3MaRwSfjMzzH_e0PJwatdMwG_ZihyphenhyphenzfxQR2O1aEmV4yNRy78M7rro9-XOo6YeQT658fg7dFqhjfSU4VFYy2hKsIE2cRAO5Kqa9ral4iyc/s1600/IMG_2817%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvqjrIM9pPxAYQ3flX9YX1jTUggfzulDCDwH3MaRwSfjMzzH_e0PJwatdMwG_ZihyphenhyphenzfxQR2O1aEmV4yNRy78M7rro9-XOo6YeQT658fg7dFqhjfSU4VFYy2hKsIE2cRAO5Kqa9ral4iyc/s320/IMG_2817%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer Cheese Bread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last
minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own.
She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves
from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create
new flavor profiles.<br />
<br />
Check out the post <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/64_Quick_Breads_-_DB_Feb_2012.pdf" target="_blank">HERE </a><br />
<br />
I decided to go with a Beer Bread recipe because ever since I've heard of beer bread, I've been obsessed with making some and never really had a valid excuse to whip some up until now.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b>Beer Cheese Bread</b><br />
<br />
<span itemprop="amount">1/4 cup <a href="http://abudgiefullofmillet.blogspot.com/2012/02/onion-bacon-marmalade.html" target="_blank">Onion Bacon Marmalade</a></span> <br />
<span itemprop="amount">1/4 teaspoon</span>
<span itemprop="name"> freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
<span itemprop="amount">1 </span>
<span itemprop="name"> garlic clove, minced</span>
<span itemprop="amount"> </span><br />
<span itemprop="amount">13 1/2 ounces</span>
<span itemprop="name"> all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)</span>
<span itemprop="amount"> </span><br />
<span itemprop="amount">3 tablespoons</span>
<span itemprop="name"> sugar</span> <span itemprop="amount"> </span><br />
<span itemprop="amount">1 tablespoon</span> <span itemprop="name">baking powder</span>
<span itemprop="amount"> </span><br />
<span itemprop="amount">1 teaspoon</span>
<span itemprop="name"> salt</span><br />
<span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup</span>
<span itemprop="name"> shredded Pepper Jack cheese</span> <span itemprop="amount"> </span><br />
<span itemprop="amount">1/2 cup</span>
<span itemprop="name"> shredded Cheddar cheese</span> <br />
<span itemprop="amount">1 </span>
<span itemprop="name"> (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)</span> <span itemprop="name"> </span><br />
<span itemprop="name">Cooking spray</span><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 375°<br />
<br />
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a
knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl,
stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion bacon marmalade, garlic, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASTOGvrgafecx1zK6-DJ-RGA_Oie5I1PAQRPMsMyvxeRm__qFnwcNdq6DrqXRljx4vNopGWH0mQOir9EPXnwogMRNWGTZnzlNvorbGShU_DJzV52Qkacy8b9jj0PBptyVoGHHERgVhCu1/s1600/IMG_2803%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASTOGvrgafecx1zK6-DJ-RGA_Oie5I1PAQRPMsMyvxeRm__qFnwcNdq6DrqXRljx4vNopGWH0mQOir9EPXnwogMRNWGTZnzlNvorbGShU_DJzV52Qkacy8b9jj0PBptyVoGHHERgVhCu1/s320/IMG_2803%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't be beer bread without the beer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQvJ8uRQDKiZd80LILEGRtXjX5K9pI8Lo9zl3JsHI102JH6rVpH1riFWTFHNFzXj0h510wUnvE-H3J9A2UTja5GtNal9OozCdUnRTThf5dIt3vRFB_BSbPyqAhZ3DhJXZZAi7eg2YXQPd/s1600/IMG_2805%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQvJ8uRQDKiZd80LILEGRtXjX5K9pI8Lo9zl3JsHI102JH6rVpH1riFWTFHNFzXj0h510wUnvE-H3J9A2UTja5GtNal9OozCdUnRTThf5dIt3vRFB_BSbPyqAhZ3DhJXZZAi7eg2YXQPd/s320/IMG_2805%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the oven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
3. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking
spray. Bake at 375° for 60
minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick
inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a
wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwU9fqhaX_ckuHB8of7Rf6tgDbp0522a0kLvxXYwEjRLCSZUPi8xRm5_ndGqRuWInUB2ckm0iuNPzrRxgN9ZrAuTx5n48BlX8PWzT3Tztg4G9BsuD6IF7ydld7kDgoT43TkI1n1kQ_ZJ_/s1600/IMG_2810%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwU9fqhaX_ckuHB8of7Rf6tgDbp0522a0kLvxXYwEjRLCSZUPi8xRm5_ndGqRuWInUB2ckm0iuNPzrRxgN9ZrAuTx5n48BlX8PWzT3Tztg4G9BsuD6IF7ydld7kDgoT43TkI1n1kQ_ZJ_/s320/IMG_2810%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPg2dWvichiWa83cpkUkc-Xo_t_aWIGjL1bLD9mdJhfhxYaqQ1KlQHvHQUL6GEghpp7oYN9L3rt8QUvj5eVQdO751I0WgkOwamwUAZi4kZeXgmWgbdCqcd1ezdi1Y_grnNWWu38ohoeIvO/s1600/IMG_2818%5B1%5D" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPg2dWvichiWa83cpkUkc-Xo_t_aWIGjL1bLD9mdJhfhxYaqQ1KlQHvHQUL6GEghpp7oYN9L3rt8QUvj5eVQdO751I0WgkOwamwUAZi4kZeXgmWgbdCqcd1ezdi1Y_grnNWWu38ohoeIvO/s320/IMG_2818%5B1%5D" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topped with leftover <a href="http://abudgiefullofmillet.blogspot.com/2012/02/pulled-pork.html" target="_blank">BBQ Pulled Pork</a> for dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<br />Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-79717790699256304102012-02-25T14:39:00.000-08:002012-02-26T14:50:17.708-08:00Pulled Pork<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBZs03MZyPvXUA1taFPnd-UUKzrf0p5GB-J7foIqurf-Cb29ZwhOq6HxGW0rth2geN0RMiSSbmGuI4xln3vi_ogfHHSxobsR-ixNvxGiiy6xSsD2NAg8Y1zKNYYMxjgEIem2tPn7LY8i_/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBZs03MZyPvXUA1taFPnd-UUKzrf0p5GB-J7foIqurf-Cb29ZwhOq6HxGW0rth2geN0RMiSSbmGuI4xln3vi_ogfHHSxobsR-ixNvxGiiy6xSsD2NAg8Y1zKNYYMxjgEIem2tPn7LY8i_/s320/IMG_2796.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had President's Day off. What better way to spend a day off than slow roasting a whole pork shoulder for hours and hours?<br />
<br />
I absolutely love pulled pork because it's so cheap and easy to make! I got a 5.5 lb pork shoulder from my local grocery store for about $6!<br />
<br />
You can't get any easier than seasoning a shoulder and then literally placing it into a low oven and walking away.<br />
<br />
I decided to go a little more complicated with my seasoning though. I made my own rub using salt, sugar and various spices such as paprika, cumin and garlic powder.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Pulled Pork<br />
<div class="recipecard">
<br />
1 whole Pork shoulder<br />
<br />
<b>Dry Rub</b><br />
1/4 cup kosher salt<br />
1/2 cup white granulated sugar<br />
1 tbsp paprika<br />
1 tbsp black pepper<br />
1 tbsp cumin<br />
1 tbsp onion powder<br />
1 tbsp garlic powder<br />
1 tbsp cayenne pepper<br />
<br />
Mix well and store in an air tight container.<br />
<br />
<b>Pork shoulder preparation:</b><br />
<br />
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch
in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto
the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the
surface. Coat all sides. Store leftover rub for future use. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is
facing up before cooking.<br />
<br />
Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree
oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or
thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the
temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm
function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven
until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLPIwicYZF1aSYTwmrucOHWB801bxyCbNXpAXrIfEz8MkWkO7H3jKmCgdWT1aHJOWLct3g6QPdqQIpYe0onf9XV7dkKU8wV7OLzVqvHvPPd6lyu9keCXIvQ0IBQ6Jp9UPwk4yl4PtEQB5/s1600/IMG_2780.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLPIwicYZF1aSYTwmrucOHWB801bxyCbNXpAXrIfEz8MkWkO7H3jKmCgdWT1aHJOWLct3g6QPdqQIpYe0onf9XV7dkKU8wV7OLzVqvHvPPd6lyu9keCXIvQ0IBQ6Jp9UPwk4yl4PtEQB5/s320/IMG_2780.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork Shoulder seasoned and ready to go into the oven.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKiEE1AWhW_eRo96P7GYA8P-gojNqTwJLhcm51_yrBz__ttavmA6Be3AA_dRg2dSZyYi62eC09RYNSRdfwDWM5v8e-s_nUyeU4t9xti-9LZN7ziLD_R8Tn8bh-Kb8CVKiHYCQ2x82lT7J/s1600/IMG_2782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKiEE1AWhW_eRo96P7GYA8P-gojNqTwJLhcm51_yrBz__ttavmA6Be3AA_dRg2dSZyYi62eC09RYNSRdfwDWM5v8e-s_nUyeU4t9xti-9LZN7ziLD_R8Tn8bh-Kb8CVKiHYCQ2x82lT7J/s320/IMG_2782.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting internal temperature of the Pork Shoulder. Please ignore the fact that I have my thermometer set on chicken :-p</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsPr3icowJUZ8fEgioOcoGmJImttgETfw45alsqKPaPZcvzeewH-ir3BXge6GZL1ZMzUNNNbrGnuu-mAP41pp94g584bY1ekDWaHB72mQh18Y1WeHI7vcoPUDhU9na7oK1tuGhBvn4xaU/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxsPr3icowJUZ8fEgioOcoGmJImttgETfw45alsqKPaPZcvzeewH-ir3BXge6GZL1ZMzUNNNbrGnuu-mAP41pp94g584bY1ekDWaHB72mQh18Y1WeHI7vcoPUDhU9na7oK1tuGhBvn4xaU/s320/IMG_2787.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half way through the roasting process.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgON9NkpnfbNf2UEcdHKwkxW0yRKInv07ikAel4TG7umfU_WUAY64yGy9QBaWfuRY-bYWZrBLCKEx2e_uYLAxaq9NiVsqAmNGzBX6ZKsaaxLIdUea0dAzjmfH__vk2Oz_EvGMXI7rp8mgLZ/s1600/IMG_2786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgON9NkpnfbNf2UEcdHKwkxW0yRKInv07ikAel4TG7umfU_WUAY64yGy9QBaWfuRY-bYWZrBLCKEx2e_uYLAxaq9NiVsqAmNGzBX6ZKsaaxLIdUea0dAzjmfH__vk2Oz_EvGMXI7rp8mgLZ/s320/IMG_2786.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Internal temperature at 158 aka "The Stall." The temperature stayed here for about 4-5 hours while all the connective tissue in the pork breaks down. This is why slow roasting pork takes an obscenely long time. Turning up the heat won't help.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When the shoulder
has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a
couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan
is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to
retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhel8hx65AW8vtKQZdCOd7nz_OAS9bOuJx8y4S-3jVWGSPMeJnaLzrueUU6Kxo7aiqGRkCgvSCu5KVW5HGfSRqI9CdAWSlzIMVDJUGmXZh6l2vdJMLfGDdefw1Nc77D6rbDatkeFRFuIBQs/s1600/IMG_2791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhel8hx65AW8vtKQZdCOd7nz_OAS9bOuJx8y4S-3jVWGSPMeJnaLzrueUU6Kxo7aiqGRkCgvSCu5KVW5HGfSRqI9CdAWSlzIMVDJUGmXZh6l2vdJMLfGDdefw1Nc77D6rbDatkeFRFuIBQs/s320/IMG_2791.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All done! This bad boy took me 13 hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When the
temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven.
Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove
the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks,
it will pull apart very easily. Mix in your favorite BBQ sauce. Serve.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyYXs0PMfUFYCKwdJZcwuJCunrYcKHUb9FYXYn6ajCsTIQhTJrx0AOR_Aue0XxrJXezfaJXJleUV2d4r1fPMfJuJWR4YeDaxRuSExBl9zqt7SdLfQHh9-S1Q1Tn4-w3xMtYNWfpq4y0Ge/s1600/IMG_2794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyYXs0PMfUFYCKwdJZcwuJCunrYcKHUb9FYXYn6ajCsTIQhTJrx0AOR_Aue0XxrJXezfaJXJleUV2d4r1fPMfJuJWR4YeDaxRuSExBl9zqt7SdLfQHh9-S1Q1Tn4-w3xMtYNWfpq4y0Ge/s320/IMG_2794.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bone slides out really easily</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ky3cK8D1AbV5FzscY3dEwN-4Xbm1id2Hdfic4Pn5EkW_8EYbNXx-z_LVeJOpP5YwWBssFOSPg31BJ0jnswM6zhZhzp5JRoVmNpQlFiniksHvuFX4aeMi_t6wkgDqGFG7zv9JlgL7CY4v/s1600/IMG_2795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ky3cK8D1AbV5FzscY3dEwN-4Xbm1id2Hdfic4Pn5EkW_8EYbNXx-z_LVeJOpP5YwWBssFOSPg31BJ0jnswM6zhZhzp5JRoVmNpQlFiniksHvuFX4aeMi_t6wkgDqGFG7zv9JlgL7CY4v/s320/IMG_2795.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulled and dressed in a BBQ sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwoQrucubWPq10EPLbe1pkrIp8k4RjnuBaraIMN6bXatB_-fvcwTTXzbfeA3mL2jN_wkMxxv1Im8JlQWDpobcc5WfexuHa5-JdVzTtYw2IEoojJSHoI4xh1ec-DxKEQqgkptAHLZqL1V0/s1600/IMG_2797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwoQrucubWPq10EPLbe1pkrIp8k4RjnuBaraIMN6bXatB_-fvcwTTXzbfeA3mL2jN_wkMxxv1Im8JlQWDpobcc5WfexuHa5-JdVzTtYw2IEoojJSHoI4xh1ec-DxKEQqgkptAHLZqL1V0/s320/IMG_2797.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piled high on a potato bun, ready to be enjoyed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
This made a lot of pulled pork! It fed me and boyfriend lunch and dinner for 3 days!Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com0Woodhaven, Queens, NY, USA40.6901366 -73.856608740.6780966 -73.876349699999992 40.7021766 -73.8368677tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-26726127301536426522012-02-23T16:16:00.000-08:002012-02-26T14:51:50.203-08:00Experimental Tart Dough<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqdrndplyznALo7bYx07T7mVLFOpZq7CH0SYfSTuRz79hL0XlR8DlXM9QdEl3RXc6C5tjg5Lk20Emhrl42Ox5OZ9w8Ksfl0hOVEC5l9OFv7Jjv0krQ9J3UB20ycbyQSYpJf6cl-q8CuVt/s1600/381568_10150495741830631_675385630_11239700_1351703758_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqdrndplyznALo7bYx07T7mVLFOpZq7CH0SYfSTuRz79hL0XlR8DlXM9QdEl3RXc6C5tjg5Lk20Emhrl42Ox5OZ9w8Ksfl0hOVEC5l9OFv7Jjv0krQ9J3UB20ycbyQSYpJf6cl-q8CuVt/s320/381568_10150495741830631_675385630_11239700_1351703758_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very first try at making a tart!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I picked up these mini tart pans at Bed Bath and Beyond the other day. I don't normally make tarts. In fact, I've never made a tart!. It was an impulse buy.<br />
<br />
What am I going to do with these mini tart pans?<br />
<br />
Make a tart, of course.<br />
<br />
I was fully planning on whipping up a small amount of standard pie crust dough to line one of the pans with, but while looking through various food blogs, I noticed a recipe on <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/" target="_blank">David Lebovitz's</a> food blog for something he called <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/05/french-tart-dough-a-la-francaise/" target="_blank">French Tart Dough</a>.<br />
<br />
His French Tart Dough looked a lot like Cream Puff Dough (Pâte à Choux if you wanna be fancy) without the eggs!<br />
<br />
His recipe calls for combining your fat, water, sugar and salt and slowly heating it in an oven for 15 minutes. This is done to slowly brown the butter and create a layer of flavor that way.<br />
<br />
I decided to skip that and treat the recipe as if I was making a batch of Cream Puff Dough (minus adding the egg, of course). I quartered the recipe so it could fit one mini tart pan.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b>Experimental French Tart Dough</b> (based on David Lebovitz)<br />
<br />
1 oz unsalted butter<br />
1/4 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />
1 tablespoons water<br />
1/4 tablespoon sugar<br />
A pinch of salt<br />
1/4 cup flour<br />
<br />
1. Place the butter, oil, water, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about a minute or two).<br />
<br />
4. Transfer the dough a bowl and beat for a minute or two to release the steam from the dough.<br />
<br />
5. Transfer the dough to a 4-inch mini tart mold with a removable bottom and spread it a bit with a spatula.<br />
<br />
6. Once the dough is cool enough to handle, pat it into the shell with the heel of your and, and use your fingers to press it up the sides of the tart mold.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8phjEoHjr1-a6-pJFYIYP88QnxKizuAlCXX0PbwkIK3wyiip41RALQfQOAL5ydIzX5l59ceCOOQ1U3vqT3FOGYM7XTkRhSMX4dU2fK6Il1PzOcZm5fi9HsoiJ2OJKc41KciCIV92ek8Lr/s1600/389401_10150495643350631_675385630_11239414_245887341_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8phjEoHjr1-a6-pJFYIYP88QnxKizuAlCXX0PbwkIK3wyiip41RALQfQOAL5ydIzX5l59ceCOOQ1U3vqT3FOGYM7XTkRhSMX4dU2fK6Il1PzOcZm5fi9HsoiJ2OJKc41KciCIV92ek8Lr/s320/389401_10150495643350631_675385630_11239414_245887341_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think next time, I'll make a bit more dough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
7. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork about ten times, then bake the tart shell in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP3EgBI3HKdTsQF4x1Q4q-GjdTlnf6dkrG-g4ZwFLBkl_fQUDArxMIp6Dy15NtoqN0o1fFC1v7XVBIjVF9OlbMRice59KQuN8J9erKHqvJMoXS7ktBj409kSuOMUSxs1NTrHN4wKYMKZ2/s1600/386696_10150495643545631_675385630_11239416_1751399832_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP3EgBI3HKdTsQF4x1Q4q-GjdTlnf6dkrG-g4ZwFLBkl_fQUDArxMIp6Dy15NtoqN0o1fFC1v7XVBIjVF9OlbMRice59KQuN8J9erKHqvJMoXS7ktBj409kSuOMUSxs1NTrHN4wKYMKZ2/s320/386696_10150495643545631_675385630_11239416_1751399832_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrinkage! Baking the crust confirmed that I need more dough next time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So now I had this baked tart shell. Now, what to fill it with? <span class="hasCaption">Can you believe I decided to take a tackle at
making a tart, but didn't give any thought about a filling? I decided on a lemon curd for the filling. </span><span class="hasCaption">I got some blackberries in Chinatown as well
so thought I'd top the tart with some. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ4hCeZgDxJIQBCihMkWJyoOB6mkvZ9hsTKLt7Uclma5HFYg1vTQ_dH8UPkhBADaCIUPs98dB8rYg2K6pLTV6yRSFBwz0ljicbbszePK1jc3B8KnlvCm_BqthBwj4cPKp0gno35WVrm_P/s1600/376030_10150495643940631_675385630_11239420_1828520167_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ4hCeZgDxJIQBCihMkWJyoOB6mkvZ9hsTKLt7Uclma5HFYg1vTQ_dH8UPkhBADaCIUPs98dB8rYg2K6pLTV6yRSFBwz0ljicbbszePK1jc3B8KnlvCm_BqthBwj4cPKp0gno35WVrm_P/s320/376030_10150495643940631_675385630_11239420_1828520167_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="hasCaption">I should have added less curd to
the tart before I did this. Oh well. Live and learn.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In the end, I subjected my family to the tart.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eIaLRjA8YdFu66ZRwNIFeUJR1n5xuzFMG_CghhC6GQEBN6CVDKJwzaniVFEv4gZLui0goUw8BnKTm_Cf8kNPuNKitAJhGDPU59-9uo01cWNfAkxdZWUC4xbPJ6obt-GNwvS0p7OZEQoH/s1600/373895_10150495742135631_675385630_11239703_1131349560_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eIaLRjA8YdFu66ZRwNIFeUJR1n5xuzFMG_CghhC6GQEBN6CVDKJwzaniVFEv4gZLui0goUw8BnKTm_Cf8kNPuNKitAJhGDPU59-9uo01cWNfAkxdZWUC4xbPJ6obt-GNwvS0p7OZEQoH/s320/373895_10150495742135631_675385630_11239703_1131349560_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nom, nom</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I think they were pretty happy with it. I for one was pretty pleased with how the tart shell came out.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com1Woodhaven, Queens, NY, USA40.6901366 -73.856608740.6780966 -73.876349699999992 40.7021766 -73.8368677tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-62668401170147093592012-02-21T03:00:00.000-08:002012-02-26T14:51:59.895-08:00Small Batch Cream Puffs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsYVdOGRm4kskeFp9gn_7bK3mVud1nqgAdTWDQ-X3Gz37nh0wthREIIkhig_PjaCnh1tZb0Xk3sQtD6Jb6F_zwmOBBPl0Wm9ounBHTLcyinDrjP1ShwF7k_pW9CTf0OaVvSM2mAQiddjf/s1600/384535_10150489323980631_675385630_11220445_637221022_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsYVdOGRm4kskeFp9gn_7bK3mVud1nqgAdTWDQ-X3Gz37nh0wthREIIkhig_PjaCnh1tZb0Xk3sQtD6Jb6F_zwmOBBPl0Wm9ounBHTLcyinDrjP1ShwF7k_pW9CTf0OaVvSM2mAQiddjf/s400/384535_10150489323980631_675385630_11220445_637221022_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cream Puff with Vanilla Ice Cream and Strawberry Sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I love desserts. Then again, who <i>doesn't</i>? I'm serious though. Put any kind of dessert in front of me and I go right it, and have a hard time stopping.<br />
<br />
No self control. It's such a shame.<br />
<br />
If only I could make a small amount of my favorite treats without making a full batch and potentially eat it all.<br />
<br />
Well, after messing around with ratios, I discovered I could in fact make a small batch of cream puffs.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Small Batch Cream Puffs<br />
<br />
1/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon white granulated sugar<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1 large egg, lightly beaten<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<br />
<br />
2. In a bowl sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.<br />
<br />
3. Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour mixture. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about a minute or two).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
4. Transfer the dough a bowl and beat for a minute or two to release the steam from the dough. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten egg and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADT6w6njOLlgusvX2RiGtcWSaYV88SZBhTmG8ZGonE7w4kLhb4uhU_aBk8GAwIWM0rcvgi0Mfg-Gw-7aLykmFyyvd4m9d3KZWCvswuUiapzbsVj-LB8mQhPYwJuK8Ikc0RT7098qiTiqE/s1600/386212_10150488933120631_675385630_11218983_1935535776_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADT6w6njOLlgusvX2RiGtcWSaYV88SZBhTmG8ZGonE7w4kLhb4uhU_aBk8GAwIWM0rcvgi0Mfg-Gw-7aLykmFyyvd4m9d3KZWCvswuUiapzbsVj-LB8mQhPYwJuK8Ikc0RT7098qiTiqE/s400/386212_10150488933120631_675385630_11218983_1935535776_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixing Cream Puff dough by hand is a good arm workout!</td></tr>
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5. Spoon or pipe 4 mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcrWj7D5mrKBEq9rgHpz3cVimJkOg6r0O9xcbByn04GI4HotHCttR8TKTwzEoO8NJtQaS1xjSXFBNLPzrPH2oc3XrIp5SoiK0HuXMUqLi8gNmJ2Df2jzrYYJiZ9KC1IjxrFdDtC4ERWPv/s1600/388461_10150488933330631_675385630_11218984_235720924_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcrWj7D5mrKBEq9rgHpz3cVimJkOg6r0O9xcbByn04GI4HotHCttR8TKTwzEoO8NJtQaS1xjSXFBNLPzrPH2oc3XrIp5SoiK0HuXMUqLi8gNmJ2Df2jzrYYJiZ9KC1IjxrFdDtC4ERWPv/s400/388461_10150488933330631_675385630_11218984_235720924_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cream Puffs, ready to be baked</td></tr>
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6. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are dry inside. Turn the oven off and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells dry out for a further 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwsTP6nnX1bCYcrCxLtaP6LKUdqcC6QkrHyr-PptdlszEpESs9Gl54HF_byn7pSyrJyuJNIxmZblmK9wC6ai2OQAmInLmoPh425QBWYZ2y9xr5kCfAQQyMv7SJTxbFUCaz2R6avVKunvz/s1600/392009_10150488932920631_675385630_11218982_1967937247_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwsTP6nnX1bCYcrCxLtaP6LKUdqcC6QkrHyr-PptdlszEpESs9Gl54HF_byn7pSyrJyuJNIxmZblmK9wC6ai2OQAmInLmoPh425QBWYZ2y9xr5kCfAQQyMv7SJTxbFUCaz2R6avVKunvz/s400/392009_10150488932920631_675385630_11218982_1967937247_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked and cooling</td></tr>
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To Assemble:<br />
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Split the pastry shells in half and fill with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Spoon some strawberry sauce on top (I make a super simple one with sliced strawberries macerated in a bit of sugar, just to make it juicy). Place the top half of the pastry shell on the ice cream and enjoy.Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com3Woodhaven, Queens, NY, USA40.6901366 -73.856608740.6780966 -73.876349699999992 40.7021766 -73.8368677tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-83109913144536323182012-02-16T15:02:00.001-08:002012-02-26T14:52:08.285-08:00Onion Bacon Marmalade<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Y25m1M-q65k9o4y_9fifclnb84QX2-XOSAbgeJVRhbQbBlO6HaGUODGaRcbA6HAZX0ANkAmohrY2IT1PZEzLyWq1UyufHcx7Lzx8jH-TGSuVdsf7oXy8LeDgLKoS4qunqBxHgkyTKSdx/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Y25m1M-q65k9o4y_9fifclnb84QX2-XOSAbgeJVRhbQbBlO6HaGUODGaRcbA6HAZX0ANkAmohrY2IT1PZEzLyWq1UyufHcx7Lzx8jH-TGSuVdsf7oXy8LeDgLKoS4qunqBxHgkyTKSdx/s320/IMG_2749.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 78%;"> Onion Bacon Marmalade. Sweet. Salty. Smokey.</span><br />
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The first time I came across the concept of a onion and bacon spread, it was in the form of an ice cream sandwich my boyfriend got at an ice cream shop. It consisted of two chocolate cookies, chocolate soft serve and a layer of caramelized bacon and onions.<br />
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Yeah, the thought of bacon, onions and ice cream didn't phase us in the slightest. We were quite excited, in fact.<br />
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The ice cream sandwich in question was just ok. There were too many flaws going on with it. The cookies were too hard...the ice cream too soft...the bacon too chunky and way too salty.<br />
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While the sandwich to me was a "meh," I still couldn't get over the bacon onion spread they used. While it wasn't perfect, I knew it had potential. Maybe if I could recreate it and go easier on the bacon and heavier on the onions.<br />
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Hense, Onion Bacon Marmalade was born.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Onion Bacon Marmalade</span><br />
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1 lb Onions (sliced thin)<br />
4 slices bacon<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wH6MqsVdAAd4MSt9Fy6FVhKDHl9cI6cY6a26PGiCRw2kiJE4o65Hh5QUNJiIImxQJPFYiZa9SvxkZn8ziTI5ZlDzQPZnGwSOm1K42Trxau_nX2MuVmtyq6Yz7_4Hom7Uo_Yb1qGi2kp3/s1600/IMG_2746.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709872781881334290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wH6MqsVdAAd4MSt9Fy6FVhKDHl9cI6cY6a26PGiCRw2kiJE4o65Hh5QUNJiIImxQJPFYiZa9SvxkZn8ziTI5ZlDzQPZnGwSOm1K42Trxau_nX2MuVmtyq6Yz7_4Hom7Uo_Yb1qGi2kp3/s400/IMG_2746.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 78%;">1 lb of sliced onions. I cried tears of joy when it was over.</span></div>
<i>Directions</i>:<br />
1. Place a large, non-reactive pan over medium-low heat. Add the bacon. The goal and render the fat. Once the bacon has crisped, remove and put aside.<br />
2. Turn up the heat to medium, add the onions and salt. Stir to make sure the onions are coated with the bacon fat. Cook covered with a tight lid for about 20 minutes. Continue to cook stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until the onions begin to turn golden brown.<br />
3. In the meantime, crumble the 4 strips of bacon. We will be adding this back to the pan later.<br />
4. Add the sugar, crumbled bacon and balsamic vinegar to the onions. Cook over medium to medium-low heat until vicious. This took about an hour for me, but that was because I kept the heat more on the low side.<br />
5. Remove from heat and let cool before storing. Place in a glass or heat resistant container. Cover and refrigerate. Some of the fat may become solid at the top after cooling. Scrape it off and discard if you like. Additionally, if the marmalade become too thick after cooling, simply reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds and it should spread pretty easily.<br />
This marmalade came out pretty delicious. It was sweet, salty, and smoky all at the same time. It was mostly smooth with the occasion bit of bacon to provide texture. The next day, the flavors meld together and tasted even better. I wish I had made more. This recipe only makes about a quarter cup.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidz7FGx2RRqZyc6ajDHzrpRRZPrBD4NsOQhwV57jOA92NjR0_ltJ-1As1-QSfETDujEGHRMMKcngNL_NA-Xm-OaXc3u_kfvTyRWpJH4NMwzyGnc9WSMxXJuekXr_f3Lv5IF-VCfv0B3nrI/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidz7FGx2RRqZyc6ajDHzrpRRZPrBD4NsOQhwV57jOA92NjR0_ltJ-1As1-QSfETDujEGHRMMKcngNL_NA-Xm-OaXc3u_kfvTyRWpJH4NMwzyGnc9WSMxXJuekXr_f3Lv5IF-VCfv0B3nrI/s320/IMG_2748.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 78%;">Onion Bacon Burger! The other burger was topped with a 4 cheese mixture for my boyfriend. Don't worry, he added the marmalade to his burger too.</span></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-48837571825028160132012-02-15T15:04:00.000-08:002012-02-15T15:11:58.324-08:00A come back! (Hopefully)So my friend, Michelle, decided to start a food blog (visit her at <a href="http://sciencecooks.tumblr.com/">Science Cooks!</a>). After reading her first post, I remembered I too had this food blog, but sadly never had the time to update. It's such a shame too because I love taking pictures of the food I make and showing it off.<br /><br />Well, no more! Thanks to Michelle, I've decided to make the time and update this long neglected blog at least once a week.<br /><br />See you soon!Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-12707085852627120572009-07-29T20:50:00.000-07:002012-02-20T10:18:13.449-08:00My First.I was ten years old when I brought my very first cook book.<br />
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It was at Bellvue Hospital at one of those book sales they used to hold in the lobby.<br />
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I had 20 dollars on me at the time and I spent the whole 20 on The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crockers-Ultimate-Cookie-Book/dp/0130844926">Betty Crocker's Ultimate Cookie Book</a>. Mom at hearing how much I purchased the book for said it was expensive and how could a cookie book cost so much money, but I didn't care.<br />
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I was excited to have it and looked through the pages over and over and over again on my train ride home, trying to decide which cookie would I bake first. I couldn't decide because everything looked good and all the pictures of the cookies looked so delicious. The even had recipes for brownies and bars too. To me, this cook book was totally the best thing ever!<br />
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Everything I've baked from that cook book came out delicious. When my neice and I decide to bake cookies together, this is the cook book I give her so she can choose what cookie we're going to make, so I guess it wasn't such a waste of money after all, lol.<br />
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Today, even though my cook book collection has grown bigger, the Betty Crocker's Ultimate Cookie Book is still the first book I look through when I decide I want to make cookies.<br />
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<img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3770465317_637bcbbee3.jpg" /></div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079355698542102065.post-15389636524723837552009-07-27T15:23:00.000-07:002012-02-26T14:52:30.212-08:00West Indian Black Cake<span style="font-family: times new roman;">My mom and I made black cake today. Black cake is a Carribean dessert--kind of like a cross between a rum cake and a fruit cake, but ten times better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">It wasn't always like that though. The first time I ever had a slice of black cake, I was a young girl and I hated it. It was much too dense--not light and fluffy like all the other cakes I've eaten previously, it had that alcoholic burn from all the wine in it, and it had this deep caramel flavor; so deep, it almost borderlines burnt. I did not find this appealing at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">As I got older, I came to love the flavors associated with black cake for exactly the same reasons I hated it when I was a kid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">The only times we would ever get to eat black cake was when a special occasion came up--like a wedding for example. My mom always wanted a recipe for it for years, but nobody would ever give her one. I have a cousin who can make a really nice black cake, but she refused to share the recipe. She however had no problem with us placing an order with her and paying her for a cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">My mom told me she once long ago tried to make a black cake herself with no recipe; trying to guess what went into one based on what it tasted like and the vague details she was given by various people. She said it came out </span><i style="font-family: times new roman;">alright</i><span style="font-family: times new roman;">, but my older sister said it just didn't taste like the black cake she knew and loved at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">One day, I decided to do a regular old Google search online on Black Cake. There had to be a recipe online </span><i style="font-family: times new roman;">somewhere</i><span style="font-family: times new roman;">--someone willing to share the secret to the cake my mom always wanted to know how to make.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">I found several recipes. All of them varying such as what kind of alcohol to use or mixtures of fruits to be added, but the key points were always the same. Soak dried fruits in alcohol for several days at least and the use of something called browning--a very dark caramelized sugar thinned out with some water. One can make their own browning, but you can also buy it in a west indian grocery store. My mom luckily keeps a bottle of the stuff around.</span><br />
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<img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/3755619287_3bab65a2d1.jpg" style="font-family: times new roman;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">I quickly wrote down some versions of the recipe and presented them to my mom, telling her we should make one this coming weekend. So on Thursday, my mom brought a bottle of red wine, a box a prunes, a box of raisins, and a jar of maraschino cherries. We threw all the fruits into a half gallon Mason Jar and poured in the whole bottle of wine for it to soak until Saturday. Some recipes I saw called for rum or a mixture of rum and wine, but mom claims St. Vincent (where my family is from) uses just red wine, so that's what we went with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">After soaking in its wine bath for about 2 days, we put the fruits and wine together into the blender to pureed everything into a smooth mixture. We followed everything according to the recipe and then we came to the last step: adding the browning. All of the recipes I've read said to just add browning until desired color is reached, so that's what we did.</span><br />
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<img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3756417848_c8beaf5c25.jpg" style="font-family: times new roman;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">We added a tablespoon of browning, but the batter didn't seem to change any color. Mom and I looked at one another and shrugged. We added a couple more teaspoons, but it just got a smidge darker. We were getting concerned. Wasn't this supposed to be black cake? Why wasn't the batter getting black? The recipes I obtained offered no tips on whether the batter should be getting black or would it remain a brown color. After adding what I believe to be about half a cup of browning, we decided to stop in fear of ruining the recipe. We also decided to take a leap of faith and put the now medium brown batter into cake pans and bake them anyways. We figured maybe all the sugar in the batter would make the cakes darken when we put it into the oven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">After half an hour in the oven, mom decided to take a peek to see if our theory was right. It was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">The cakes darkened up beautifully and looked just like the black cake we've eaten so many times before. We finished baking the cakes and took them out to cool. When they were properly cooled, we had our first slice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">It was exactly how black cake is supposed to be: dense, smooth, boozy and delicious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman;">We won't be placing any orders with my cousin anymore.</span><br />
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<b>Black Cake</b></div>
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<b>Ingredients:</b></div>
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<b>Cake:</b><br /><br />2 sticks of butter<br />1 cup sugar<br />6 eggs<br />1 tsp vanilla essence<br /><br />2 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp grated nutmeg</div>
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<b>Fruit Base:</b><br /><br />12 oz pitted prunes<br />12 oz raisins<br />8 oz maraschino cherries<br />1 liter bottle Red wine</div>
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<b>Browning:</b></div>
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1 lb brown sugar<br />1/2 cup boiling hot water<br /><br />(or just buy a bottle of browning from a west indian grocery store)</div>
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<b>Have on Hand:</b></div>
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1 more bottle of red wine</div>
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<b>At least Two Days Before:</b></div>
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Place prunes, raisins and cherries in a Mason Jar. Pour in Red wine. Leave in a cool corner, covered, to soak up the liquor.</div>
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<b>On the Day Of:</b></div>
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<b>Blend Fruit Base:</b></div>
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Pour the soaked fruit and juices into a blender and blend until thick and still a bit chunky (like tomato sauce)</div>
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<b>Prepare Browning:</b></div>
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If you want to make your own browning, burn sugar until caramelized, add hot water gradually. Mix well and leave to cool.<br /><i><br />Please be extra careful at this stage as a ‘browning’ burn is NOT a fun thing!</i></div>
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Once that is done…</div>
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1. Preheat oven to 300F<i> (no that’s not a typo)</i><br />2. Cream the butter and sugar.<br />3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate<br />4. Add vanilla essence<br />5. Mix and sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.<br />6. Gradually add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture<br />7. Mix in fruit base puree and ‘browning’ The batter will only become a medium brown color. This is ok.<br />8. Pour batter into greased tins that have been doubly lined with brown paper or parchment paper<br />9. Bake for 1 1/2 hours<br />10. Once removed from the oven soak the tops with additional wine. Don’t be surprised if the top of the cake starts to look pale and ‘weird’. (We skipped this step because we were impatient. It still came out good)</div>Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06955888233983862672noreply@blogger.com1