International Recipe Syndicate

Jalapeno Corn Muffin Recipe

2012-02-15T04:02:00.000-08:00

This recipe for jalapeno corn muffins is another favorite dish on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). They are a perfect complement to chicken gumbo or other types of soup. These jalapeno corn muffins are rich and spicy with a hint of salt.

The first time that we tried jalapeno corn muffins was at the restaurant Heaven on Seven in Chicago. We soon became regulars of this establishment and would have these for lunch along with a cup of their famous gumbo not only during the week of Mardi Gras but every week! If you're ever in Chicago, you should definitely pay Heaven on Seven a visit.

Recommended Equipment:
2 12 count muffin pans
food processor

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tspn baking soda
4 tspn baking powder
2 tspn kosher salt
5 tbsp sugar
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup corn kernels, frozen
3 - 4 jalapeno peppers, minced (I used a food processor)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease 2 12 count muffin pans (total of 24 muffins).
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk.
In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Add the corn and shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix so that the corn, jalapenos and cheese gets coated with the dry mixture.
Add the bowl containing the egg, milk, and butter mixture to the dry mixture. Mix together so that all of the ingredients are distributed evenly. Try not to over-mix the batter.
Divide the batter evenly to make a total of 24 muffins. Each cup should be roughly 2/3 full.

United States Louisiana [ print this recipe for Jalapeno Corn Muffins ]

Taiwanese Sweet and Spicy Wings Recipe

2012-02-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Taiwanese Sweet and Spicy Wings are fast and easy to make. They feature many of the classic ingredients used in East Asian cuisine such as garlic, ginger, mirin, fish sauce, and soy sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
cast-iron skillet

Ingredients:
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tspn crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tspn ginger, minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp dry mustard
8 - 10 wings (cut to make 16 to 20 pieces)

Preparation:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the chicken wings.
Place the chicken wings in the skillet and then pour in the sauce.
Place the skillet over high heat until the sauce begins to boil then reduce the heat to medium.
Cook for about 40 minutes, turning the wings frequently to coat them with sauce and cook them evenly. Remove the wings from the heat when the sauce becomes thick and sticky.

Taiwan [ print this recipe for Taiwanese Sweet and Spicy Wings ]

Book Review: Clean Start - Inspiring You To Eat Clean and Live Well

2012-02-09T22:02:00.000-08:00

We are barely into the new year and many of us have already ditched our New Year’s resolutions. Well don’t despair. Author Terry Walters gives us a second chance to improve our diets with her latest book, Clean Start: Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well. This book features over 100 vegan and gluten free recipes organized seasonally. Each recipe uses only healthy, fresh ingredients and most are quick and easy to prepare. Many of the recipes also feature full page photographs by Gentl and Hyers.

Throughout the book, Terry Walters stresses the importance of eating “Clean Food” – food that is whole, minimally processed, and close to the source for maximum nutrition. She is, indeed, dedicated to this pursuit. In addition to her books on this subject, she also has a blog, “Eat Clean, Live Well,” she serves on the board of directors of Urban Oaks Organic Farm – one of the largest urban organic farms in the country, and she has trained at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

Clean Start begins by making a compelling case for “Eating Clean.” It lists a simple set of recommendations for improving your diet and also provides a litany of benefits for both you and the environment:

Eat the colors of the rainbow. The more colorful your diet, the more nutrient rich.
Eat dark leafy greens every day. Try using a variety of greens to amp up the nutritional value of your salads, soups, sauces, stir-fries and even smoothies.
Eat all five tastes. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent are all found naturally and nutritionally in clean food.
Eat foods that are grown, not manufactured. Clean food comes from a green plant, not a processing plant – a farm, not a factory.
Skip the package. A package is the first sign that you’ve moved away from the source. Look for foods that don’t require a label to reveal what is inside.
Buy clean food and leave the rest behind. Make the difficult choice just once at the store so you’re not faced with making it every time you open your cupboard.
Buy and try one new clean food each time you shop. One new clean food a week and by the end of a year you’ll be feeling the benefits of eating clean and living well.
Know the source of your food. Make friends with your grocer, your farmer and your local producers. Understanding where and how food was grown or produced is essential to making healthy choices.
Buy local and organic when you can. Clean food is fresh and nutrient-rich. What you see is what you get – without a host of unwanted contaminants and byproducts that often accompany conventional growing, processing, and shipping.
Be nourished by your food and make peace with your choices. Make conscious choices, enjoy every bite and let your food and mealtime nourish your entire being.

Benefits of a Clean Start

The best benefit of a clean food diet is that you’re going to love your food and your mealtime. Here is just a small sample of what else you stand to gain. Other potential benefits include increased energy and vitality, a strengthened immune system, reduced inflammation, reduced acidity, greater heart health, improved mental focus, reduced risk of diabetes, healthy weight control, better absorption of vitamins and minerals, less exposure to genetically modified foods, pesticides, and growth hormones, and fewer complications from food sensitivities.
Impact on the environment include less packaging, less waste, less contamination, improved local environment and economy, increase in local jobs, maintains unique local foods, maintains crop diversity, creates a sustainable food system, less overproduction of soy, corn, and beets and less dependence on genetically modified food.

Finally, Terry Walters helps you get there by describing the tools needed, how to build a Clean Start pantry, and by providing valuable information about basic grains, legumes, greens, and vegetable stock. She also provides links to websites that can help you to source local ingredients for your recipes. These include:

Slow Food - www.slowfood.com
Local Harvest - www.localharvest.org
Environmental Working Group - www.ewg.org
American Farmland Trust - www.farmland.org

In our review of Clean Start, we tried three recipes: Herb Roasted Cauliflower with Shiitake Mushrooms, Pear Cake, and Asian Spinach with Peanut Ginger Sauce. The Herb Roasted Cauliflower was a fast, easy, and healthy dish. This method of pan roasting is gaining popularity among busy, working families (see interview with Chef Tyler Florence) and a key technique to master in order to prepare fast and healthy meals. The Asian Spinach was another all-around great side dish that works with almost any meal. Walters also provides a variation of this recipe if peanut allergies are a concern in your family. The steps required to prepare the Pear Cake were a little more involved but the end result was an outstanding dessert with just the right amount of natural sweetness provided by the grated pears and mashed bananas. We give Clean Start four stars out of five.

Related Posts:
Slow Fish Challenge

Chocolate Cake Pop Recipe

2012-02-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

This recipe for Chocolate Cake Pops involves making 2 recipes: Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. You will also need your choice of Candy Coating. We chose Dark Chocolate melts from Vermont Nut-Free Chocolates. Here are the recipes and how to assemble the Chocolate Cake Pops:

Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake
This recipe will yield 25 pops with the addition of ¾ cup of frosting and 18 ounces of candy coating for dipping.

Recommended Equipment:
8 inch round cake pan
a block of Styrofoam
lollipop sticks

Ingredients:
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 tspn vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Sift together flour, cocoa, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix with a hand-held mixer at low speed until just combined. Increase speed to high and mix for 2 minutes. The mixture will lighten and become thick.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Rich buttercream frosting made with cocoa instead of baking chocolate means no messy melting and easy one-bowl mixing. This frosting is perfect for icing cupcakes, decorating cookies, and adding to cake pop mixtures.

Ingredients:
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup milk
1 tspn vanilla extract

Preparation:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients at low speed. Increase mixer to high speed and continue mixing for 3 minutes or until the frosting is fluffy.

Candy Coating
Also known as confectionery coating, candy melts, or candy wafers, this is a chocolate substitute with a low cocoa-butter content, making it more stable and easier to use than regular chocolate. Candy coating also sets faster and harder than regular chocolate, which makes it perfect for dipping pops. There is a wide variety of brands, in a range of colors and qualities. Some popular brands include Wilton Candy Melts, Make ‘n’ Mold, and Merckens Confectionary Coating. We used Vermont Nut-Free Chocolates. You can find candy coating at specialty cake- and chocolate-making stores, craft stores, and many online stores including Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

Assembling the Cake Pops
Once you have your cake and frosting, you’re ready to begin the cake pop creativity. Crumble the cake into very fine pieces with your hands into a large wide shallow pan. Rake your fingers through to find any large pieces left and crumble them up as well. Show the kids how to do this and then let them finish the job.

Add the suggested amount of frosting. Scrunch the frosting in with your hands until the mixture is evenly distributed and holds together easily when you press it together. If the mixture is too dry, it will not hold together properly and crumble; if it is too wet, then the balls will not be able to hold their shape.

Shaping the Pops
Once you have the mixture at the correct consistency, it’s time to shape the cake balls. There are two different methods: hand rolling and pressing the mixture into small cookie or fondant cutters. Before beginning either method, line a tray with parchment paper to hold the shaped cake balls.

To hand-roll the mixture, measure out 4 teaspoons , which should make a round of around 1 1/2 inch diameter. Scrunch the mixture together lightly in your hand and then roll it between your palms to make the ball as smooth as you can. The rolled ball should be firmly packed so it will hold its shape. Using light pressure when rolling will be sufficient; you will not need to press your hands together very hard.

The ball is a good starting point for making other shapes. If you need an oval, just manipulate the shape by rolling your palms back and forth a little. A teardrop shape can be made by pinching one end and lightly flattening the sides. Once the cake ball is shaped the way you want it, place it on the tray lined with parchment paper.

To make the cake ball shapes using the pressing method, place the shaped cutter on the tray lined with parchment paper and press about 2 tablespoons of mixture into the shape. Turn the cutter over to see if the underneath is smooth, with no holes or gaps. If there are holes, turn the shape over again and press the mixture down firmer.

Once you are happy that the underneath is smooth, use your thumb and lightly press out the mixture onto the parchment lined tray, being careful not to break the shape. Once you have released the mixture, turn it over so the smooth side is on top and then gently press down on the shaped cookie mixture. This should help to flatten the other side.

When all of the mixture is shaped to your satisfaction, pop the tray into the refrigerator and chill for around an hour.

Dipping in Candy and Attaching Lollipop Sticks

Once you’ve made the cake balls, it’s time to dip them in candy coating and attach the lollipop stick.

Melting Tips

Melt your candy coating in the microwave on medium low at short bursts of 60 to 90 seconds. This might seem like a lot of work, but the coating can be very delicate and overheating will ruin a whole batch. If you prefer, you can use a double boiler on the stove top, but that involves a lot of extra cleaning up and is not so safe for the kiddies. If using the stove top, always use a double boiler; never use a saucepan directly on the heat.

If you’re using a block of coating, cut or break it into small pieces before melting. Candy melts or buttons are good to go as they are. Use a clean, dry, microwave-safe dish for melting and a clean, dry, metal spoon for stirring. Wooden spoons may have a little moisture in them, and you really don’t want to get any water in with your candy coating. Water will seize the coating, making it unusable for dipping.

Candy Coating Consistency

One of the most important things about dipping pops and other sweets on a stick is the consistency of the melted candy coating. Most brands, when melted, will be just a little too thick for a really smooth finish. Add some paramount crystals or vegetable shortening (like Crisco) when you melt the candy coating. The amount required will vary depending on the brand of candy coating you use. Start off with around 1 ounce of crystals per 14 ounces of candy coating during the melting process and add more as required until the mixture is fluid enough for dipping.

Securing the Stick

Is there anything worse than dipping a treat and losing the whole thing in the bowl of melted candy coating? Well, maybe, but with this simple trick the chances of it happening will be minimal. Here’s the secret: Make sure you dip the end of the lollipop stick in a little melted candy coating before you insert it into the cake pops, marshmallows, cupcakes, or other treats. Then pop them into the refrigerator to set for 10 minutes before continuing with the coating. How easy is that? It’s like yummy glue.

Dipping and Getting a Smooth Finish

Okay, you have your coating at the right consistency, the sticks are secured….time to start dipping. Make sure your dipping bowl is deep enough for the candy coating to cover the whole pop. Dip the pop and then lift it out of the melted candy. Holding the pop over the bowl to catch drips, gently tap the stick against your hand or the side of the bowl to remove excess candy coating. Remove as much excess as possible before you put the pop into the Styrofoam block to set.

Cake Pop Storage

Once decorated and set, cake pops should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Undecorated cake ball mixture can be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in an airtight container for 4 weeks. When ready to use, completely defrost in the fridge still in the airtight container.

Recipes courtesy of Sweets on a Stick by Linda Vandermeer

United States [ print this recipe for Chocolate Cake Pops]

Review: Brød & Taylor Folding Proofer

2012-02-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, we were asked if we would be interested in reviewing a folding proofer designed by Brød & Taylor. Until that point, we had never used a proofer before. We simply sought out the warmest location in the kitchen and hoped for the best. As you can imagine, consistency was thrown to the wind. And as anyone that has attempted to do a substantial amount of baking can attest, consistency and exact measurements are the two most important keys to success. So we decided to review this product to determine if it actually makes the process of baking any easier.

The proofer itself measures 18 inches by 14 1/2 inches. It was designed so that it could be easily stored in a drawer or cabinet and consume minimal space. When it is folded, it has a height of only 2 1/2 inches (see below).

When you unfold it.....

it has a height of 10 1/2 inches. This height was high enough to place a mixing bowl from a standard Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer inside with an inch or two to spare. The base, walls, and lid of the proofer are made of sturdy, reinforced polypropylene. There is an aluminum heating plate built into the base. The heating plate has the capacity to heat the inside of the proofer to temperatures between 70 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature can be set to the nearest degree using a digital control located on the side of the proofer.

An aluminum water tray rests on top of the heating plate and can provide humidity levels between 60% and 80%. A stainless steel wire rack that sits above the water tray is also provided.

For our evaluation of this product, we wanted to try it out on a variety of baking applications. So we used it to make Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Crumb Cake, Neapolitan Pizza Dough, Schnecken, Hungarian Bundt Cake, and Easy Artisan Bread. We also tried each of these recipes without a proofer as a control group. In each case that we used the proofer, our dough rose more (sometimes twice as much) than it did for the same recipe without a proofer. As a result, the recipes in which we used the proofer resulted in dishes with more complex flavors as a result of the enhanced activity of the yeast and the texture of each dish was lighter and chewier.

We never thought of a proofer as a necessity. However, after trying this product on each of these recipes, we found that we wanted to use it for all of our baking applications. If you do any kind of baking at all, this device provides a consistent, controlled environment and eliminates much of the uncertainty involved in developing properly formed dough. We recommend this product 100% if you are seriously interested in further developing your skills as a baker. We say "seriously" as this product currently has a retail price in the range of $150 (US).

Ivar's Clam Chowder Recipe

2012-02-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

About 20 years ago, I spent a summer working at Ivar's Captain's Table Restaurant on Seattle's Elliott Bay. The restaurant always seemed to be busy that summer. By closing time, we would be exhausted but laden with tip money from our labors. To lighten the load, we would spend most if not all of our tips on Henry Weinards or Red Hooks in Pioneer Square usually at J&M Cafe.

Reflecting back on those days, I remember one of the many benefits that employees enjoyed at the Captain's Table was all the clam chowder that you could eat during your (short) lunch or dinner break. The clam chowder at Ivar's was (and still is) so good that I never got tired of it. This is not the exact recipe used at the restaurant, but if memory serves me correct it comes very close.

Ingredients:
2 6.5 oz. cans minced clams
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced yellow onion
3 cups diced potatoes (about 3 Idaho potatoes)
3/4 cup flour
12 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups half-and-half, at room temp
1/2 tspn sugar
1/2 tspn dry, ground sage
1/2 tspn dry, ground thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, add the juice from the cans of clams. Set the clams aside for later.
Add the celery, onions, and potatoes to the saucepan. Add enough water to the saucepan to just cover the ingredients that you have added previously.
Place a cover on the saucepan and heat over medium heat for 30 minutes.
In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour to the butter and whisk until the mixture becomes golden brown.
Whisk the half-and-half into the butter and flour mixture (roux). Continue to cook this mixture over medium heat until it thickens (about 5 to 10 minutes).
Add the vegetable mixture to the cream mixture along with the clams, sugar, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Simmer over low heat until you are ready to serve. Serve with fresh sour dough bread.

United States [ print this recipe for Ivar's Clam Chowder ]

Pear Cake Recipe

2012-01-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

From Clean Start by Terry Walters...

The inspiration for this recipe came from my friend Vicki, who is hands-down the best baker I know. Her super-moist apple cake is just the right combination of light and sweet. And, while I've still not been able to convince her to share her recipe, this gluten-free pear version satisfied my craving with ease. I would like to think that someday Vicki might actually ask me for this recipe, but I guess that's unnecessary now!

Ingredients:
Dry:
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tspn baking soda
1/4 tspn sea salt
1/4 tspn ground cinnamon

Wet:
1 cup finely grated peeled D'Anjou pear (or pear sauce)
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated peeled D'Anjou pears
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 large banana)
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tspn almond or vanilla extract

Topping:
1 - 2 D'Anjou pears

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9-inch spring-form pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients until blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until blended.
Peal pears for topping and cut into halves. Scoop out cores and slice halves into thin slices and set aside.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix as briefly as possible to combine. Pour into prepared pan. Arrange pear slices as desired on top of cake and bake 45 minutes or until cake is lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on rack before removing pan.

Makes one 9-inch round cake.

Tip:
This recipe will require 5 or 6 whole pears, depending on the size of your pears - 2 for finely grating, 2 for coarsely grating, and 1 - 2 for decorating the top of your cake.

Serving Suggestion:
For an extra-special presentation, melt dark chocolate with a small amount of virgin coconut oil and drizzle back and fourth across each serving.

Recipe courtesy of Clean Start: Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well by Terry Walters

United States [ print this recipe for Pear Cake ]

Book Review: Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

2012-01-27T02:34:00.000-08:00

"You should never judge a book by its cover." After reading the book, Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci, I was reminded once again of the wisdom behind this age old advice. This book looks more like a paperback novel than a cookbook by a celebrity chef. And who combines astrology with cooking anyway? Sabra Ricci has done just that by drawing upon her life long interests in astrology and the culinary arts.

In this book, she has selected 8 super foods per astrological sign to support the health of the part of the body ruled by that sign. For example, the heart is ruled by Leo. In her chapter on Leos, Ricci includes recipes that feature heart healthy foods such as almonds, ahi, lobster, black beans, opakapaka, saffron, papaya, and tomatoes.

Sabra Ricci traces her love for food and astrology back to Sunday family breakfasts at her grandparents' house in Sacramento, California. Her grandfather was a big fan of the Galloping Gourmet TV program and would constantly try new dishes out for the family on Sundays. Then he would break out the Sunday paper and read everyone's horoscopes. With these early influences, Ricci went on to do extensive research in astrology and also graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She completed her externship at Napa Valley’s legendary Tra Vigne restaurant, working for founding chef Michael Chiarello. She then worked in Paris for Yes Catering Company whose events included parties for Michael Jackson, the Paris Polo Club and Lancôme, and lunches at the Louvre. Ricci now lives in Maui and regularly cooks for some of Hollywood's biggest celebrities. Here are some of their quotes:

"A truly talented chef and an amazing and inspiring person. So glad our planets crossed!" - Orlando Bloom

"Sabra, thank you for spoiling us. Every bite was a new experience." - Julia Roberts and her husband, Danny Moder

"Sabra is an alchemist. She cares deeply about everything she creates and lives in service to all of us - breakfast, lunch, and dinner." - Jim Carrey

As we mentioned earlier, this book does not look like a typical cookbook. There are no mouth-watering photos and the book itself is quite small. What is included, however, is a collection of over 100 easy, delicious recipes. We tried the Chicken Katsu, the Chocolate-Rum Pot de Créme, and the Wild Mushroom Risotto. Each of these recipes was easy and took very little time to prepare. The Wild Mushroom Risotto was rich and creamy and should indeed be considered "comfort food" as the author contends. The Chicken Katsu had a crispy texture on the outside and was moist and tender on the inside. The Asian inspired dipping sauce was a great combination with this dish. The Chocolate - Rum Pot de Créme was an excellent dessert combining rich chocolate with a hint of dark rum topped with whipped creme made from scratch. We give this book 5 stars out of 5. It has a solid collection of recipes that you can obtain for under 10 smackers $US.

Oregon Chocolate Stout Cake Recipe

2012-01-25T04:03:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, there is a special place in your heart for a tall pint of Oregon stout on a winter's night. This chocolate stout cake may be the next best thing. The chocolatey flavor of stout goes naturally with the cocoa to make an outstanding cake. It tastes great with either a dusting of powdered sugar or with the vanilla - cognac icing. The choice of stout is up to you. We prefer either Obsidian Stout from the Deschutes Brewery or
Chocolate Stout from Rogue Brewery. Regardless of the brand that you choose, you won't be disappointed.

Recommended Equipment:
8 inch round non-stick cake pan

Ingredients:
cake:
10 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup of stout (we recommend either Deschutes Obsidian or Rogue Chocolate Stout)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn kosher salt
2/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
confection sugar

icing (if you choose to use it):
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tspn vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp cognac
milk

Preparation:
cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 8 inch round cake pan.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the stout. Add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for later.
Using a mixer, beat the egg, the egg yolk, and the sour cream.
Add the stout mixture to the egg mixture and mix to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the mixer and mix for 1 minute at low speed. You may need to use a rubber spatula to fold in any excess flour on the sides of the mixing bowl.
Pour the batter into the 8 inch baking pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. It is done when a fork inserted into the top of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool completely before icing or dusting with confection sugar.

icing (if you choose to use it):

In a saucepan, melt the butter and cook over low heat until the butter begins to brown. Remove from the heat.
Add the confection sugar, the vanilla extract, and the cognac to the saucepan and mix the ingredients until well combined.
Add milk, a little at a time while whisking until the mixture reaches the proper consistency.
Spread icing on the top of the cake and serve.

United States Oregon [ print this recipe for Chocolate Stout Cake ]

Chocolate-Rum Pot de Créme

2012-01-22T05:03:00.000-08:00

From Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci .......

Living in the Tropics for almost twenty years, I have become a big fan of dark rum. This is a combination of two of my favorites.

Ingredients:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup dark rum
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn pure vanilla extract
2 oz. shaved chocolate

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Mix the cream, rum, vanilla seeds, and the vanilla pod in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat until scalding. Pour the mixture over the chocolate in the bowl, remove the vanilla pod, and whisk the mixture until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks and granulated sugar.Temper the egg mixture with the warm chocolate mixture. Then return to the stove top over medium heat to thicken slightly and until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Divide the custard equally among eight 4-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and pour in water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the custards are almost set but still a bit jiggly in the center. Remove from the water bath and let cool for 30 minutes, then put in the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours.
Just before serving, whip the cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Serve the pots de créme with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with shaved chocolate.

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

Jamaica [ print this recipe for Chocolate-Rum Pot de Créme ]

Açai Ice Cream Recipe

2012-01-19T21:32:00.000-08:00

The first time that my wife and I tried a frozen yogurt made with Açai berries was during our honeymoon in a small town north of Rio de Janeiro called Parati. These berries are harvested in the Amazon region and taste great with yogurt, ice cream, or in juices. Like blueberries, they provide many health benefits are packed with anti-oxidants.

When we returned home, Açai berries were virtually unknown in the United States. As time passed however, Açai juice has become easier to find in markets. So we decided to try to make Açai ice cream. It turned out even better than the yogurt version that we had in Brasil. Here is the recipe.

Recommended Equipment:
ice cream maker (we used the KitchenAid Ice Cream attachment)

Ingredients:
2 cup whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
2 tbsp apricot preserves
1 10 oz. bottle Açai juice, we used Sambazon

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, mix together all of the ingredients over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture is scalding (but not boiling). Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Remove the vanilla bean and pour the mixture into a plastic, lidded container. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze it according to the instructions that came with your ice cream maker.
When the mixture reaches a "soft serve" consistency, transfer the mixture back into a plastic, lidded container and place the container in the freezer to harden for at least an hour.
Serve when ready.

Brasil [ print this recipe for Açai Ice Cream ]

Photos from Parati....

Easy Artisan Bread Recipe

2012-01-18T05:05:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a recipe for fresh baked bread like you get at Panera, give this recipe a try. It works best on the weekend since the dough takes considerable time to rest. Mix the dough Friday night, rest it overnight, then bake at 3 pm on Saturday and you have a fresh loaf of artisan bread to serve with dinner. The only thing easier than this recipe is using a bread maker but the end result doesn't look anything like this. We made this last weekend and used a couple of toasted slices to make the mole in the pork tenderloin in chipotle mole recipe. We also used the warm Dutch oven with the residue from the bread to roast the tenderloin.

Recommended Equipment:
Dutch oven
Stand mixer
2 cotton kitchen towels

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour + flour for dusting
1 1/4 tspn kosher salt
1/2 tspn active dry yeast
1 5/8 cup water
Preparation:

In the mixer’s bowl, add the flour, salt, and yeast. Using the hook attachment, mix the dry ingredients then slowly add the water. The dough should be sticky.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 18 hours at room temperature (between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit). The dough will have small bubbles formed at the top when it is ready for the next step.
Dust a counter top or other flat surface with flour. Turn the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the flour dusted surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the top of the dough. Then fold the dough once or twice upon itself. Cover it loosely with the plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, shape the dough into a ball with the seams facing down. Place one of the cotton towels on the counter and cover it with a thin layer of flour. Place the dough in the center of the towel. Dust the top of the dough with a thin layer of flour. Place the second towel over the dough. Let the dough rest again at room temperature (70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 hours. The dough should nearly double in size.
A half an hour before the dough has finished resting, place a Dutch oven with lid in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the dough has finished resting, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven and place it on the stove top. Remove the top towel from the dough. Place your hand under the bottom towel and turn the dough out into the Dutch oven so that the seams are now facing up. You may have to shake the dough a little to get it to slide to the center of the Dutch oven. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and the return it to the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid to the Dutch oven and then bake the bread for another 15 minutes. Bread is done when it turns golden brown.
Let the bread cool on a rack and then serve.

France [ print this recipe for Easy Artisan Bread ]

Wild Mushroom Risotto Recipe

2012-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone thinks of mashed potatoes and gravy or mac and cheese as comfort foods. But after tasting this risotto, you may just have a new favorite.

Ingredients:
6 cups beef stock (or substitute chicken or mushroom stock)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and julienned
1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 pound Principato di Lucedio Arborio rice
1/2 cup Courvoisier cognac
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Preparation:

Pour the stock into a stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Pour in the cognac and keep stirring until it is completely absorbed. Using a large ladle, add the stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue this process until all the stock is used and the rice is creamy.
Add the mushroom mixture to the risotto and continue cooking and stirring. Stir in the heavy cream and cheese and continue stirring. Risotto should have a very creamy texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

Italy [ print this recipe for Wild Mushroom Risotto ]

Book Review: The Slow Cook Book

2012-01-12T21:36:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of slow cooker cookbooks available today but how many give you recipes for both the slow cooker version and the traditional version? The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney does just that and much more. Whinney is both food writer and home economist. She has written for several magazine in the UK including Prima, BBC Good Food, Family Circle and Woman and Home. She is also the author of the Illustrated Quick Cook and co-author of the Diabetes Cookbook.

The Slow Cook Book contains over 200 recipes from around the World. From Borscht to Lebanese Meatballs, this book spans the globe to feature many classic international recipes. Like the many travel guides by DK Publishing, this book is well organized, easy and fun to use. The recipes seem to be well tested and many have outstanding photographs of the end product. In addition to the recipes themselves, Heather Whinney provides some great chapters on cooking techniques including choosing ingredients, adapting recipes to a slow cooker, as well as instruction on marinating, browning, sautéing, deglazing, reducing, and many other techniques. She also includes a cool section that helps you pare different recipes to create a perfect meal.

We give The Slow Cook Book four stars out of five. We really liked the emphasis this book placed on featuring a wide variety of international recipes. Indeed, it was difficult to choose which recipes to try for our review. We ended up choosing two curries: the Sri Lankan Coconut Pumpkin Curry and the Malaysian Mango Curry. For the Sri Lankan dish, we were able to use a pumpkin that we grew in our garden. This along with the coconut was a phenomenal combination with a spicy finish from the chilies. The Malaysian curry had the sweetness from the mangoes balanced with the heat from the red chilies. The third recipe that we tried was the Asian Beef and Bok Choy. This dish featured the rich flavor of slow cooked beef with the fresh, light taste of lightly cooked bok choy. We also tried the feijoada recipe but this dish did not match up to the versions of this Brazilian classic that we were able to experience in São Paulo and Rio. But to be fare, some versions of this recipe can take up to 2 days to prepare so it would be challenging to adapt it to a slow cooker and achieve the same results.

If you had to choose one book this year for someone that is interested in learning how to cook or to just cook better, we would recommend The Slow Cook Book. It has some solid chapters on cooking techniques, many delicious, easy to prepare recipes, and great introductions to some of the World’s best dishes.

Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

2012-01-11T05:00:00.003-08:00

I remember going to the shopping mall with all of my brothers and sisters and eating cinnamon rolls cached with vanilla icing at a restaurant chain called Cinnabon. Fortunately for my heart and waistline, I outgrew this habit. Every now and then, however, I have a breakfast craving for cinnamon rolls like the ones from the mall. You can make this dish as decadent as you want depending on how much icing (if any) you decide to use to top the rolls.

Recommended Equipment:
Stand mixer

Ingredients:
For the buns
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tspn instant yeast
1 tspn salt
6 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
5 1/2 tbsp shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tspn lemon extract

For the cinnamon-sugar mix
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tspn ground cinnamon

For the glaze
3 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 tspn lemon extract
1/3 cup warm milk

Preparation:

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, salt, and shortening together. Mix in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. Then mix in the flour, yeast, and milk until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the hook attachment and continue mixing the dough on medium for about 8 minutes. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. If it is too sticky add a little more flour.
Lightly oil a large bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and roll it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon to make the cinnamon-sugar mix.
Dust a flat surface with flour. Transfer the dough to the surface and roll it into a 14 inch x 12 inch rectangle that is about 2/3 inch in thickness. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up into a 14 inch log. With the seam side down on the counter, cut the log into 8 even pieces.
Grease a large baking pan and place the rolls on the pan about ½ inch apart from one another.
Cover the rolls with a clean towel or cloth and proof the rolls in a warm place for 1 and 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the rolls in the middle of the oven.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
After the rolls have been removed from the oven, whisk together all of the ingredients of the glaze together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle the glaze over warm rolls and serve.

Germany [ print this recipe for Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls ]

Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe

2012-01-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes bar food can make a simple, great tasting salad. When you combine romaine lettuce and red onions with Buffalo chicken, blue cheese dressing and celery you get a winning combination. You will only need about a cup of the Buffalo chicken to make this salad so you can use all of the ingredients below along with some toasted light rye bread to make chicken salad sandwiches the following day. We usually make this dish the night after making Buffalo Chicken pizzas as it uses up all of the left over Buffalo Chicken.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite wing sauce. I used Kroger brand.

1/2 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder.

1/2 red onion
blue cheese dressing
1 rib of celery, diced
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

Preparation:

Place the butter, chicken, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder, and 1/2 bottle of the wing sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Shred the chicken and add a little more of the wing sauce to the chicken, about 2 tbsp.
Place the butter, chicken, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder, and 1/2 bottle of the wing sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Shred the chicken and add a little more of the wing sauce to the chicken, about 2 tbsp.
Place the chopped romaine lettuce in a large salad bowl.
Top the lettuce with the sliced red onion, diced celery, about 1 cup of the Buffalo chicken, and the blue cheese dressing.

United States [ print this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Salad ]

Chicken Katsu Recipe

2012-01-09T05:00:00.001-08:00

This is the Japanese version of your grandmother's fried chicken! You won't even miss the skin with the panko crust.

Ingredients:
Katsu Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tspn peeled, finely minced ginger
1 scallion, white part only, finely minced

Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups vegetable oil

Preparation:

Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, but keep warm.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and seal. Place the bag on a cutting board and pound with a mallet until the chicken is 1/4 inch thick.
In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Put the panko crumbs in a third bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dip each piece into the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the panko.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 1 cup of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the chicken pieces, a few at a time, and cook until golden, turning once. Transfer pieces to the prepared baking sheet to drain excess oil. Spray another baking sheet with nonstick spray. Transfer chicken to the sprayed sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
Continue until all the chicken is cooked. Place the chicken on serving plates and serve with warm sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

Japan [ print this recipe for Chicken Katsu ]

Hungarian Bundt Cake Recipe

2012-01-07T04:37:00.000-08:00

Here is another cake that uses the yellow dough recipe. It also uses the same glaze as the German Coffee Cake recipe but is denser and slightly sweeter.

Recommended Equipment:
bundt pan

Ingredients:
2 units of yellow dough
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp shortening
1/8 tspn salt
1/2 tbsp water
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tspn cinnamon

glaze
2 tbsp butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla
1 tbsp milk

Preparation:

If you do not have any yellow dough on hand, prepare it now.
Grease the bundt pan.
Using a mixer, cream together the brown sugar, unsalted butter, shortening, salt, water, and honey. Spread this mixture evenly in the bottom of the bundt pan.
Divide the yellow dough evenly into eight to ten round balls.
In one small bowl, mix together the vegetable oil and melted unsalted butter. In another small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking pan.
Take each ball of dough, roll it in the butter and oil mixture, and then place it on the cooling rack for 10 seconds to drain. Roll the ball in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and place it into the pan. Repeat this process for each of the balls of dough.
Place the bundt pan in a warm place to proof for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the cake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients. When the ingredients are well combined and the glaze has thickened, drizzle over the bundt cake and serve.

Hungary [ print this recipe for Hungarian Bundt Cake ]

Asian Spinach with Peanut Ginger Sauce Recipe

2012-01-06T05:00:00.001-08:00

From Clean Start by Terry Walters...

This dish is inspired by the Japanese staple spinach gomae - spinach with sesame. Traditionally served cold in a pool of sauce, it tastes equally delicious warm. Tender baby spinach is one of the first greens to appear in the greenhouses each spring, when my mind and body are still in cooked greens mode. This recipe deliciously bridges the gap to warmer weather and more cooling preparations.

Ingredients:
8 cups firmly packed chopped fresh spinach
3 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tspn tamari (soy sauce)
1 tspn maple syrup
1/2 tspn toasted sesame oil or hot sesame oil
3 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts

Preparation:

Fill large skillet or Dutch oven with 1/4 inch of water and bring to boil. Add spinach and water-sauté until just wilted. Time will vary according to maturity and variety of spinach, but expect 30 seconds to 2 minutes at most. Remove from heat and set aside.
In bowl, whisk together peanut butter, ginger, tamari, maple syrup, sesame oil, and hot water. Drain spinach and squeeze to remove excess water. Place in serving dish, drizzle sauce over top, finish with chopped peanuts and serve.

Serves 4

Variations
If you're allergic to nuts, substitute sunflower butter and toasted sunflower seeds for the peanut butter and peanuts.

Recipe courtesy of Clean Start: Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well by Terry Walters

Japan [ print this recipe for Asian Spinach with Peanut Ginger Sauce ]

Book Review: Blood Sugar - Inspiring Recipes For Anyone Facing the Challenge of Diabetes and Maintaining Good Health

2012-01-04T05:00:00.001-08:00

If you have diabetes or if you are just interested in eating good food while watching after your health, then Blood Sugar by Chef Michael Moore is for you. Moore has been a chef for 26 years and has owned and managed restaurants in both London and Sydney including The Bluebird London. He is currently the chef and owner of Summit Restaurant and Bar in Sydney. Despite being extremely active, fit, and otherwise healthy, Michael Moore was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 35. Eight years later he suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain. Although there was no clear link between the stroke and his diabetic condition, this near death experience has caused him to be even more vigilant about what foods he eats. It also helped inspire this book which contains over 100 delicious, healthy recipes for home cooking.

In the opening chapters of Blood Sugar, Chef Moore lays out the framework he uses to categorize all foods. The categories he uses are Fire, Water, and Coal. Fire includes all highly processed, sugary, fatty, low fiber, low protein foods. Some of the foods that fall within this category include rice, white bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets, as well as many fruits and fruit juices. The body burns these foods quickly and when these foods are consumed, they immediately elevate blood sugar levels. His Water category includes most vegetables except for pumpkins, potatoes, and parsnips. These foods are high in fiber and have minimal effect on blood sugar levels. The third category is Coal and includes foods that are high in fiber and high in protein. The body burns these foods slowly. Some of the foods in this category include nuts and seeds such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Lean meats, fish, lentils, chickpeas, and beans are also included.

Diabetics rate foods according to their Glycemic Index which designates the impact that the particular food has on blood sugar (ie. Glucose) levels. Foods in the Fire category tend to elevate blood sugar levels and should be eaten in moderation. A healthy diet should rely heavily on foods in the water and coal categories as they help maintain sustained energy and promote the stability of blood sugar levels. Proper diet based on this framework combined with at least 20 minutes of exercise daily should lead to better overall health.

In our review, we tested 3 recipes from the book. The first recipe, Banana and Berry Iced Smoothie, was delicious and refreshing. It would be ideal for a spring or summer brunch. Be sure to prepare it two hours before guests arrive as it requires time to freeze to the proper consistency. The second recipe that we tried was the Power Food Salad which we found to be a nice combination of flavors, colors, and textures. It is a great tasting salad that would pair well with grilled meats or vegetables at a cookout. The third recipe in our review was the Baked Chocolate and Orange Pudding. This is a great tasting, healthy chocolate dessert with a hint of citrus flavor. It is amazing how good it tastes while having low sugar content. For its sweetness, the recipe relies on agave nectar, a natural sweetener that has a low glycemic index due to its slow rate of absorption into the bloodstream.

We give the book, Blood Sugar by Michael Moore, four stars out of five. The book provides a lot of useful information for diabetics and non-diabetics alike about eating better foods. All of the recipes that we tried were outstanding. The book is filled with delicious, healthy recipes that are accompanied by beautiful photographs of the dishes to match. With the projected growth of diabetes around the world, Michael Moore’s latest book will likely become a valuable resource to many families in the future.

Baked Chocolate and Orange Pudding Recipe

2012-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

This is really quick to make. Everyone loves this one!

Ingredients:
600 ml (20 fl oz) low-fat milk
zest of 1 orange
1 tspn vanilla extract
90 g (3 oz) agave syrup
2 tbsn cocoa powder, sifted
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter
3 thick slices seeded brown bread
cocoa and icing sugar, for dusting
sugar-free ice cream, to serve

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
Bring milk to the boil in a saucepan with orange zest, vanilla and agave syrup. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Mix cocoa to a paste in a cup with a spoon of cold milk, then whisk into the hot milk. Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over the top (ensure the milk is not boiling). Continue to stir.
Spread butter onto the slices of bread and arrange in a small baking dish. Pour the chocolate custard mixture evenly over the top. Allow to stand for 15 minutes to allow bread to absorb custard.
Bake in oven for 35 minutes. Dust with a little cocoa and icing sugar. Serve warm with some light or sugar-free ice cream.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Blood Sugar: Inspiring Recipes For Anyone Facing The Challenge of Diabetes and Maintaining Good Health by Michael Moore.

Australia [ print this recipe for Baked Chocolate and Orange Pudding ]

Herb Roasted Cauliflower with Shiitake Mushrooms Recipe

2011-12-31T07:02:00.000-08:00

When I first discovered how creamy and smooth cauliflower became when puréed, I knew it had much more potential than I had given it credit for in my cauliflower-hating youth. Now, I can hardly get enough. The caramelized mushrooms and Brussels sprouts in this recipe are a wining combination, and roasting brings out the earthy taste of the cauliflower even more. Serve it with French lentils or wild rice for a warm and tasty winter meal.

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower
1 1/2 dozen Brussels sprouts
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves (or 1 1/2 tbsp dried)
1/4 cup fresh oregano (or 1 1/2 tbsp dried)
2 tspn coarse sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare cauliflower by removing and discarding outer leaves and inner stems. Cut florets into small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Prepare Brussels sprouts by cutting away and discarding dry ends. Halve sprouts and place in bowl with cauliflower. Remove stems from shiitake mushroom caps, slice caps into 1/4 inch strips and add to vegetables.
With food processor running, drop in garlic cloves and process until minced. Add sage, oregano, salt, and oil and pulse briefly to chop herbs and blend ingredients. Remove from processor bowl and fold into vegetables to coat evenly. Transfer to a baking dish and roast 15 minutes. Remove from oven, toss to redistribute and prevent burning, and roast for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until tender.
Remove from oven and serve.

Tip: If Brussels sprouts are particularly large, you may want to cut them into quarters instead of halves.

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Clean Start: Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well by Terry Walters

United States [ print this recipe for Herb Roasted Cauliflower with Shiitake Mushrooms ]

Cinnamon Crumb Cake Recipe

2011-12-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

This is an easy recipe that takes only minutes to prepare when you have a supply of yellow dough on hand. It works as a dessert, snack, or breakfast. Try it with a cafe noir.

Recommended Equipment:
stand mixer
8 X 8 baking pan

Ingredients:
1 unit of yellow dough
3 tbsp melted, unsalted butter
3 tbsp vegetable shortening
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn honey
1/8 tspn salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation:

Grease the 8 X 8 baking pan.
Spread dough over the bottom of the baking pan. You do not need to form a lip.
Using a mixer, cream together the shortening, 2 tablespoons of butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and salt.
Add flour and mix in using your hands to form crumbs.
Brush the 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the top of the dough.
Evenly distribute the cinnamon crumb mixture that you have made over the top of the dough.
Set the baking pan in a warm place to proof for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place pan in the center of upper rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Let cake cool for 10 minutes then cut and serve.

Germany [ print this recipe for Cinnamon Crumb Cake ]

Power Food Salad Recipe

2011-12-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

A fantastic source of protein! I often add low-fat feta to this salad.

Ingredients:
1 X 150g (5oz.) can chickpeas
1 X 150g (5oz.) can 3 bean mix
1 large red onion, finely diced
1 green apple
2 large celery sticks
2 carrots
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
6 egg whites
1 cucumber, diced
1 cup fresh podded peas
1/2 bunch dill, leaves picked
180g (6oz.) hot smoked salmon, flaked
1 tbsp each pumpkin and sunflower seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
Low-fat feta cheese to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Rinse and drain chickpeas and mixed beans. Place into a bowl with finely chopped red onion. Using a juicer, juice apple, 1 celery stick and 1 carrot. Mix with lemon juice and zest. Pour this juice over chickpea, bean, and onion mix, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Lightly beat egg whites and pour into a large hot non-stick skillet (frying pan). Cook a few minutes each side, then turn the omelet out onto a board and roll up. Allow to cool and slice finely.
Drain the chickpea and bean mixture. Place into a large bowl, retaining the liquid. Add 1 diced cucumber, 1 diced celery stick, 1 diced carrot and the smoked salmon with all remaining ingredients.
Whisk half of the reserved liquid with olive oil and drizzle over the salad to serve. Crumble feta over the top if desired.

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Blood Sugar: Inspiring Recipes For Anyone Facing The Challenge of Diabetes and Maintaining Good Health by Michael Moore.

Australia

Kransekake Ring Cake Recipe

2011-12-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

Kransekake (Ring Cake) is a type of cake that is popular in Norway during the Christmas holiday season. It is served at weddings and other celebrations as well. The dough of this cake is made from almonds and confectioners sugar so the cake is somewhat dense, moist and chewy. It tastes a lot like a really good almond cookie. Kransekake is also different from most cakes in that it is baked as a series of rings that are plastered together with a sweet, almond icing and then adorned with a wide variety of candies or other decorations. Discover this cake this holiday season. It's fun to make and even better to eat.

Recommended Equipment:
spice or coffee grinder
tape measure or ruler

Ingredients:
cake:
6 cups of water
1 pound of whole almonds
1 pound of confectioners sugar
2 tspn almond extract
3 egg whites
potato flour (for dusting the rolling surface)

icing:
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tspn lemon juice
1 tspn almond extract
2 egg whites
your choice of candy for garnish. I used cinnamon imperials.

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add half of the whole almonds. After a few minutes, the almonds will begin rising to the surface of the water. As they do this, remove them from the saucepan when they hit the surface using a slotted spoon or strainer. Set them aside to let them cool. When you have removed all of the almonds from the saucepan, rinse them in cold water and remove the skins. Distribute them on a paper towel to let them dry completely. Wash the saucepan to use later.
Using your spice or coffee grinder, grind up the half pound of almonds that still have their skins. Pour the ground almonds into the large saucepan. Do the same with the almonds that have their skins removed. You may need to regrind any of the large pieces of almond that were not ground originally.
Add the confectioners sugar to the saucepan along with the almond extract and egg whites. Place the saucepan over low heat. Mix the ingredients together until they form a smooth paste that pulls from the sides of the saucepan.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease 2 to 3 baking pans.
Dust a counter top or other flat surface with the potato flour.
Roll the dough into 1/2 inch ropes. The length of these ropes will range from about 14 inches to 20 inches, varying in length by 1/2 inch each. So, you will make a rope of each of the following lengths: 14, 14.5, 15, 15.5, 16, 16.5, 17, 17.5, 18, 18.5, 19, 19.5, and 20 inches.
Form a ring from each of these ropes and bake them for between 12 and 15 minutes until they turn golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from the baking sheets to cool further. You can bake 2 to 3 rings on a single baking sheet.
After you have baked all of the rings that you were able to make from the dough, construct the icing. In a mixing bowl, mix together the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, almond extract, and egg whites using a wire whisk. When the icing mixture becomes thick and smooth add it to a pastry bag (or you can use a plastic freezer bag with one small corner cut). Pipe the icing onto the top of each ring. This will help to cement or secure the next ring that is placed on top. Start with the largest ring on the bottom and then add the ring that is 1/2 inch shorter next, until you have used all of your ring. You can add additional icing and candy garnish as you see fit.
Serve and enjoy! Store this cake in an air tight container with a couple of slices of apple to keep it moist and chewy.

Norway [ print this recipe for Kransekake (Ring Cake) ]

Schnecken Recipe

2011-12-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

Schnecken is a traditional German breakfast pastry usually served on the weekends. Schnecken means snail which that refers to the pastry's coiled shape. It is similar to a regular cinnamon roll but it is baked in a butter-sugar paste that becomes a caramel glaze. When the schnecken is removed from the oven, it is inverted and placed on the serving plate. The sweet, gooey, caramel glaze then runs down all sides of the schnecken making it an irresistible treat.

Note: you will need to prepare a batch of yellow dough before making this recipe for schnecken.

Recommended Equipment:
9 in. x 5 in. bread pan
rolling pin

Ingredients:
1 tbsp raisins
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp.
6 tbsp salted butter, at room temp.
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 unit of yellow dough
1/4 tspn cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1cup water

Preparation:

Soak raisins in a small bowl of water overnight.
Grease a 9 in. x 5 in. bread pan.
Beat together the salted and unsalted butter and spread it evenly on the bottom of the bread pan.
In a small bowl, create an egg wash by mixing together the egg and 1 cup of water. Set aside.
In another small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
Dust a flat surface, a rolling pin, and the dough with flour. Roll the dough out into a 4 inch by 18 inch rectangle. Dust off any excess flour from both sides of the rolled dough.
On one of the 4 inch ends of the dough, Wash a 1 inch section at the end of the dough with the egg wash mixture. Cover the remaining dough with the 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
Spread the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the buttered portion of the dough.
Drain the water from the raisins. Sprinkle the raisins over the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Roll up the dough toward the short end of the dough where you applied the egg wash. Try to keep the roll tight and straight. Seal the roll with the egg wash section.
Cut the roll into 3 even pieces and place them, cut-side up, in the buttered bread pan.
Let proof in a warm place for at least an hour until the rolls double in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the bread pan on a baking sheet to catch any excess butter that may bubble over the side of the pan. Place the pan and baking sheet into the oven.
Bake for 45 minutes. After baking the schnecken for 20 minutes, use a spatula to push down the dough back into the pan. Do this a second time at 40 minutes as well.
When the schnecken is golden brown on top, remove the pan from the oven.
Turn them out onto a serving dish. Let cool for 5 minutes then serve.

Germany [ print this recipe for schnecken ]

Yellow Dough Recipe

2011-12-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

In our quest for the best cinnamon breakfast dish for the holiday season, we prepared this batch of yellow dough. This recipe for yellow dough is a base component of three other recipes that we will be posting shortly. These include recipes for cinnamon crumb cake, schnecken (snail shaped cinnamon rolls), and Hungarian bundt cake. All of these are ideal for holiday gatherings because you can make the dough in bulk, freeze it, and then use it when you need it thus reducing the prep time on the day of the gathering.

After you make the dough, divide it into 8 units about 12 to 13 ounces each. (The piece in the picture is a little too big). Wrap each unit in plastic wrap and then package 3 to 4 units in a thick sealed freezer bag. If you use this process, you can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Recommended Equipment:
kitchen scale

Ingredients:
3 packages (0.75 oz. each) of instant dry yeast
2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tspn salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup egg yolks
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 cup water
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups winter (pastry) flour

Preparation:

In a medium to large mixing bowl, mix the yeast into the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add flour to the bowl and mix well.
Cover bowl with a towel and place in a warm place. Let rise until the dough doubles in size. This will take between 1 and 2 hours.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sponge with the salt, sugar, shortening, egg yolks, butter, milk, water, and flour. The dough should be soft, moist and sticky. If it is too wet and is more like a batter, add some additional flour.

Recipe makes about 6 1/2 pounds of yellow dough.

Germany [ print this recipe for Yellow Dough ]

Asian Beef and Bok Choy Recipe

2011-12-19T05:00:00.001-08:00

Bok choy is a versatile vegetable used frequently in Chinese stir-fries, appetizers, and main dishes. Also known as pak choi, it cooks quickly, so it is added toward the end of the cooking time.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2 inches (5 cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 dried chilies, left whole
2 star anise
2/3 cup Chinese rice wine or dry pale sherry
2 tbsp demerara sugar
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) beef shank, cut into bite-sized pieces
9 oz (250 g) bok choy, sliced lengthwise

Preparation:
In the slow cooker:

Preheat the slow cooker, if required. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until soft. Season with pepper, then stir in the garlic, ginger, chilies, and star anise.
Increase the heat, pour in the Chinese wine or sherry, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Stir in the sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Boil for a minute, then reduce to a simmer, add the beef, and stir to coat.
Transfer everything to the slow cooker and pour in just enough water to cover. Cover with the lid and cook on auto/low for 6 – 8 hours. Add the bok choy for the last hour of cooking, pushing it under the liquid slightly so it doesn’t go dry at the edges. Remove the whole dried chilies and serve with white rice.

Traditional method:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius). Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until soft. Season with pepper, then stir in the garlic, ginger, chilies, and star anise.
Increase the heat, pour in the Chinese wine or sherry, and let it simmer for a few minutes. Stir in the sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Boil for a minute, then reduce to a simmer, add the beef, and stir to coat.
Pour over just enough water to cover, cover with the lid, and put in the oven for 2 – 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender. Check occasionally that it’s not drying out, topping up with a little hot water if needed. Add the bok choy for the last 15 minutes of cooking, pushing it under the liquid slightly so it doesn’t go dry at the edges. Remove the whole dried chilies and serve with white rice.

Serves 4 - 6

Recipe courtesy of The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney

China [ print this recipe for Asian Beef and Bok Choy ]

Malaysian Mango Curry Recipe

2011-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is much lighter in flavor than lots of other curries. Plenty of lime, ginger, and cilantro make up its basis, and of course, you could always add some cooked chicken or fish if you wish.

Ingredients:
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 red chilies, seeded
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2 inches (5cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
8 shallots, very finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
14 oz. (400 ml) can coconut milk
1/3 cup hot vegetable stock for the slow cooker (1/2 cup for the traditional method)
Juice of 1 - 2 limes
1 tbsp demerara sugar (optional)
5 1/2 oz. (150g) vermicelli noodles, soaked in water and drained
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
Bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

Preparation:
In the slow cooker:

Preheat the slow cooker, if required. Put the turmeric, chilies, garlic, and ginger in a food processor, blend with half the oil to make a paste, and set aside. Alternatively, grind the ingredients with a pestle and mortar.
Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper, then add the paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few more minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and stock, and bring to a boil. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, cover with the lid, and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours.
Stir in the lime juice, to taste, and adjust the flavor with a little sugar and seasoning if needed. Stir in the noodles, mango, and cilantro.

Traditional method:

Put the turmeric, chilies, garlic, and ginger in a food processor, blend with half the oil to make a paste, and set aside. Alternatively, grind the ingredients with a pestle and mortar.
Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper, then add the paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few more minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with the lid, and leave to simmer for about 40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the lime juice, to taste, and adjust the flavor with a little sugar and seasoning if needed. Stir in the noodles, mango, and cilantro.

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney

Malaysia [ print this recipe for Malaysian Mango Curry ]

Book Review: the Bonne Femme Cookbook

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

It’s been said that the three nations with the deepest, richest culinary traditions are China, France, and Italy. The Bonne Femme Cookbook by Wini Moranville, provides a solid introduction to the French culinary tradition by introducing readers to the “bonne femme” style of cooking. Translated into English, bonne femme literally means “good wife” but this expression also refers to a culinary style that uses fresh, honest, simple, everyday ingredients and cooking methods. The bonne femme way is how the average French family cooks. They start with fresh ingredients that are in season and they transform these ingredients into simple, delicious dishes using the most basic techniques. The ingredients used are, for the most part, inexpensive and easy to substitute if unavailable. The Bonne Femme Cookbook was inspired by this simple style of cooking that the Author experienced during her many visits to France.

Wini Moranville is extremely knowledgeable about French cuisine and culture. She first visited the country with her high school class when she was only 17 years old and has returned to France often for both work and leisure. In fact, during the last 20 years she has spent each of her summer vacations in France. During her many visits, she has had extended stays in Burgundy, Fleurance, French Cataluña, and the Poitou-Charentes regions to name a few. She shares many of her experiences from these stays in the descriptions of her recipes as well as in special “Culinary Travels” sections that appear throughout the book.

The Bonne Femme Cookbook is packed with over 250 recipes ranging from French classics that use inventive, time-saving short-cuts to new dishes that use traditional French cooking methods and ingredients. In addition to the recipes, Moranville also includes several sections that focus on practical advice and techniques such as “using fresh versus dried herbs”, “stewing and roasting basics”, “prepping chicken”, and a “goat cheese primer” for example. As if this were not enough, the book is filled with beautiful illustrations by Nishon Akgulian and has a unique letter press cover.

In our review of the Bonne Femme Cookbook, we first tried an aperitif called a Kir that is made with crème de casis, cognac, and champagne. We found these drinks to be refreshing ice-breakers that would make a great start to any dinner gathering. We moved on to try the chicken calvados, a classic dish popular in Normandy. This recipe was fast and easy to prepare and featured the delectable flavor combination of chicken and apples. We also tried another classic French dish, Coq au Vin, in which the Author simplifies the recipe by using frozen pearl onions instead of boiling and pealing them in the traditional manner. Despite the instructions in this recipe to leave the skin on the chicken, we removed it to cut down on the amount of fat and the dish was still outstanding.

Based on the recipes that we tried, we give the Bonne Femme Cookbook five stars out of five. There are a lot of reasons to love this book. In addition to its many delicious, easy, time saving recipes that will appeal to any cooking enthusiast, the book is beautifully organized and illustrated. The Bonne Femme Cookbook may become a timeless culinary work in the same way that “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child has inspired chefs around the world. It is a must read in that it not only teaches the Bonne Femme way of cooking, but it also introduces readers to the cuisine, culture, and country that is France.

Spanish Lentils Recipe

2011-12-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

This classic Spanish dish of brown lentils relies on salty bacon, spicy chorizo, and paprika for its flavor. The lentils benefit from slow cooking as they become soft, tender, and don’t need soaking.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed and picked over for any stones
2 bay leaves
3 oz. (85 g) dried chorizo, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 small slice of bread
Salt
1 onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 oz. (75 g) thickly sliced bacon, cut into strips
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/3 cup hot vegetable stock, for both methods

Preparation:
In the slow cooker:

Preheat the slow cooker, if required. Put the lentils in the slow cooker with just enough water to cover, plus an extra 1/2 cup. Stir in the bay leaves and chorizo, cover with the lid, and cook on auto/low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy-based skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic, stirring, for about 30 seconds until softened but not browned. Remove and set aside. Add the bread to the pan and cook over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a food processor with the garlic and season with salt. Process into coarse crumbs, then set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan together with the onion and bacon. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the onion is soft and the bacon is cooked. Stir in the flour and paprika and cook for 1 minute before adding the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, then stir into the lentils for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Stir in the crumb mixture for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve with crusty bread.

Traditional Method:

Put the lentils into a large saucepan with 3 1/2 cups water, the bay leaves, and chorizo. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 35 – 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy-based skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic, stirring, for about 30 seconds until softened but not browned. Remove and set aside. Add the bread to the pan and cook over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a food processor with the garlic and season with salt. Process into coarse crumbs, then set aside. When the lentils are cooked, drain, then return to the saucepan. Stir in the crumb mixture until combined.
Add the remaining oil to the heavy-based skillet together with the onion and bacon. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until the onion is soft and the bacon is cooked. Stir in the flour and paprika and cook for 1 minute before adding the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, then stir into the lentils. If necessary, add a little more hot water to moisten the lentils. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney

Spain [ print this recipe for Spanish Lentils ]

Gluten Free Peanut Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe

2011-12-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

For all of you in search of a phenomenal gluten free and peanut free cookie recipe this holiday season, give this classic a try. Gluten free peanut free peanut butter blossoms are chewy, chocolatey, and SAFE!

Ingredients:
1 bag of Hershey's Kisses milk chocolate
3/4 cup Sunbutter Brand Creamy sunflower seed spread
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
1 tspn vanilla extract
3/4 cup rice flour
3/8 cup tapioca flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Brand)
3/8 cup corn starch
1 tspn xanthum gum
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn kosher salt
granulated sugar (for coating cookies)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the wrappers from 36 of the Hershey's Kisses.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sunflower seed spread and the shortening until well blended.
Mix in 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and the brown sugar.
Mix in the milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, mix together the rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, xanthum gum, baking powder and salt.
Gradually mix the flour mixture in with the dough mixture.
Pour a couple of cups of granulated sugar into a small bowl.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar and then place it on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.
Remove the cookies from the oven and then immediately place a Hershey's Kiss in the center of each cookie.
Let cool and then serve. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 36 cookies

United States [ print this recipe for Gluten Free Peanut Free Peanut Butter Blossoms ]

Banana and Berry Iced Smoothie Recipe

2011-12-11T04:29:00.000-08:00

This is an iced breakfast treat. Use ripe fruit.

Ingredients:
3 large ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 cup non-fat natural yogurt
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup bran
1 punnet (150 g/5 oz.) raspberries

Preparation:

Blend bananas with lemon, agave, yogurt , milk and bran until smooth. Pour into a deep dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until semi-frozen for about 2 hours.
To serve, spoon balls of banana mixture and layer in tall glasses. Top with fresh raspberries; serve immediately.

Serves 4 - 6

Recipe courtesy of Blood Sugar: Inspiring Recipes for Anyone Facing the Challenge of Diabetes and Maintaining Good Health by Michael Moore

Australia [ print this recipe for Banana and Berry Iced Smoothie ]

Coq au Vin Assez Rapide Recipe

2011-12-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Chicken with wine is one of those special dishes I’ve found everywhere in my travels through Burgundy. Classic coq au vin can be fussy and time-consuming, as some recipes call for marinating the chicken in wine overnight and peeling a lot of petits oignons (here, frozen pearl onions are used – no one will know the difference). The assez rapide (pretty quick) recipe gets right to the heart of the classic dish without a lot of fuss.

The traditional wine for coq au vin is a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. But I’ve always enjoyed this dish most when made with that other Burgundian red – the terrific cru Beaujolais (made from the Gamay grape). To me, Beaujolais is the quintessential dinner-at-home wine – fruity, soft, and approachable – and it goes with everything. Get an extra bottle to drink with dinner.

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken breast halves and/or thighs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium-size carrot, peeled and diced
3 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cru Beaujolais, such as Beaujolais Villages, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Morgon, or Brouilly (not Beaujolais Nouveau); you can also use Pinot Noir
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 tbsp snipped fresh parsley, plus additional snipped fresh parsley or chives, or a combination, for the garnish
1/2 tspn dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
3 tbsp unsalted butter
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, stems trimmed, left whole if small, quartered or halved if larger

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Snip away and discard any excess skin from the chicken thighs. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in 1/2 cup of the flour, pat off the excess, and set aside. Cook the bacon in a braiser or oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the vegetable oil to the bacon fat left in the braiser; heat over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes (reduce the heat to medium if the chicken browns too quickly). Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the braiser.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot and shallots to the braiser; cook, stirring, until the carrots soften somewhat and the shallots are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Add the wine and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Return the chicken, skin side up, to the braiser and add the bacon.
Cover the braiser and transfer to the oven. Bake until the chicken is tender and no longer pink (the internal temperature should register 170 degrees Fahrenheit for breasts, 180 degrees Fahrenheit for thighs), about 1 hour.
About 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, cook the frozen pearl onions in a large saucepan according to the package directions. Drain and leave in the colander. In the same saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat; add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Return the onions to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a large platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf. Pour the juices and solids into a large measuring cup and skim off the fat. You want a total of 2 cups of pan liquid, including the bacon, carrot, shallots, and garlic in the liquid. If you have more, boil the liquid in the pot over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups. If you have less, add additional chicken broth to make 2 cups, return the liquid to the pot, and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour together to make a paste (a beurre manié). Add the beurre manié bit by bit to the cooking liquid, stirring with a wire whisk to blend away any lumps. Cook, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens, then continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Add the onions and mushrooms and heat through.
Divide the chicken among six shallow bowls. Pour the sauce over the chicken, dividing the bacon, mushrooms, and onions evenly. Top each serving with a sprinkling of parsley or chives and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe courtesy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook by Wini Moranville

France [ print this recipe for Coq au Vin Assez Rapide ]

White Ape Recipe

2011-12-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

The first time that we tried a White Ape was at the Christkindlmarkt a couple of weeks ago. Christkindlmarkt is a Christmas street market that is usually held during the four weeks before Christmas. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. One of the oldest of these markets was first held in Dresden, Germany in 1434!

The market that we attended had the customary stalls featuring ornaments, decorations, and other arts and crafts items. It also had a "bar tent" featuring a host of cold and hot winter drinks. We tried several different drinks and the White Ape was our favorite. Here is how to make it.

Ingredients:
1 cup hot chocolate
1 shot Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur
dash of cinnamon
whipped cream

Preparation:

Prepare hot chocolate as directed.
Add Irish Cream liqueur and dash of cinnamon.
Top with whipped cream.
Serve and enjoy immediately.

Ireland [ print this recipe for a White Ape ]

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe

2011-12-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

From Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition by Jodi Rhoden....

As I sat at the counter of the Pine Apple Grocery in Pine Apple, Alabama, James Huggins explained the origin of the town’s name. “Back in earlier days, there was a stage coach route through the area, and a stopping place here – a watering hole for the horses with a pine tree and an apple tree, so they called it Pine Apple.” Although the 2000 census listed Pine Apple as having 148 residents, a patron at the grocery (who was also a member of the City Council) guessed that the population had dwindled to about 70. Downtown Pine Apple, located at the corner of Pineapple Highway and Banana Street, has a post office, a town hall, a library, some empty storefronts, and the Pine Apple Grocery, host of the annual Pine Apple Hunter Appreciation Day. It was through James at the grocery that I met the cake lady Lois Mims, who lives just down the street. Lois makes cakes for her friends and family, and, like many cake ladies, is often commissioned to bake cakes for sale. Lois has a reputation as a cook in her community. “They all call me Big Mama,” she says. “Grown folk call me Big Mama. That’s because I used to do a lot of cooking and feed a lot of people, and I didn’t mind doing it. I enjoy feeding people. It makes me feel good.”

Like many other cake ladies, Lois doesn’t use written recipes; instead she relies on her memory, her intuition, and her experience to craft the perfect cake. “You talking about a recipe? I ain’t got a recipe. I just put my stuff in there, take my head, and use it.” Within minutes of meeting her, Lois proceeded to tell me how she makes several of her cakes, listing from memory the ingredients and methods for egg pie, cooked caramel icing, applesauce spice cake, yellow cake, lemon pie, coconut pie, and pineapple upside-down cake.

She recounted a baking story where she had to rely on intuition (and prayer) to get the right results: “One time I was making pies for some people, but I don’t have money to buy pie crust, and I can’t make them like my mama, so I said, ‘Lord, help me to make these pie crusts for these people because I don’t have no money.’ So I got up and I rolled them pie crusts, and they came out right. They say the pies were nice, they were good.”

Like many bakers, Lois credits her mother with teaching her to bake by feel rather than from recipes. She says, “There was a friend my mother used to cook for. My mother’s name was Allie, and when I was a little girl, he’d say, ‘Allie, she cook out the book!’ And I always thought, I wonder what he’s saying? After I thought about it when I was grown, I said, ‘I know what he’s saying! He’s talking about how good my mamma cooked, and she didn’t have to use a book’”

Lois Mims stopped baking this cake for a few years, but then her children started to ask for it again. Lois bakes her pineapple upside-down cake in a well-seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet.

Ingredients:
For the topping:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 15 oz. can of pineapple slices, drained and juice reserved
1 small jar of maraschino cherries (about 15), stemmed

For the cake:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp reserved pineapple juice from can

Preparation:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
To melt the butter for the cake, place 1 stick of butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet and set it in the preheating oven until the butter is melted but not sizzling. Pour the melted butter into a heat-proof mixing bowl, and set aside. Allow the butter to cool, but not solidify.
Place the remaining ½ stick of butter in the skillet and place the skillet back in the oven, until the butter is melted but not sizzling. Remove the skillet from the oven, and add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved; spread the brown sugar mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the skillet.
Place one pineapple ring in the center of the skillet on top of the brown sugar mixture. Arrange five pineapple rings in a circle around the center ring. Cut the remaining pineapple rings in half, and arrange the half-circles around the outside edge of the skillet, pressing them against the sides of the pan, cut ends up. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, and rest one cherry in each half-ring against the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Sift the flour and sugar together into the mixing bowl. Pour in the melted and cooled butter, eggs, milk, and pineapple juice. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are just combined and few lumps remain. Gently pour the mixture over the fruit in the skillet. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula to be sure to get all of the batter out of the bowl and into the skillet. Use the spatula to evenly distribute the batter, cover all of the fruit, and level the batter’s surface. Place the skillet on the center rack of the hot oven.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top of the cake is a deep golden brown and a knife inserted into the center batter comes out clean. Remove the skillet from the oven and set it aside onto a heat-proof surface to cool for 5 minutes.
Run a knife around the outside edge of the cake to release any cake stuck to the pan. Place a heat-proof plate, inverted, over the skillet. With gloved hands, grasp both sides of the skillet and plate together, and invert the cake onto the plate. Remove the skillet. If any pieces of fruit are stuck to the skillet, quickly transfer them back onto the cake with a fork. The brown sugar glaze should drizzle slightly around the cake. Allow to cool, then serve immediately. Pineapple Upside-Down cake will keep for two or three days at room temperature, or for up to a week covered and refrigerated.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
BAKING TIME: 40 to 45 minutes
COOLING TIME: 5 minutes prior to inverting, plus 1 hour before cutting

Recipe courtesy of Cake Ladies – Celebrating a Southern Tradition by Jodi Rhoden

United States Alabama [ print this recipe for Pineapple Upside-Down Cake ]

Poutine Recipe

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

Poutine is considered by many to be Canada's national dish. The name "poutine" is derived from Acadian slang for "pudding" or "a mushy mess" which is an apt description of this delicacy from the Great White North.

Poutine, in its most traditional form, consists a bed of French fried potatoes, topped with cheese curds and rich, brown gravy. The recipe originated in Eastern Quebec in the late 1950s but the inventor of this dish is disputed to this day. Most agree that the recipe for poutine was developed by one of two restauranteurs in the area, Fernand Lechance or Jean-Paul Roy.

Regardless of who invented poutine, today you can find it served throughout Canada and in some parts of the United States. In fact, this recipe is based on a version of poutine that we tried at a restaurant called Senate located in Southwest Ohio. This restaurant is a local favorite for its gourmet takes on regional, short-order specialties such as the Chicago Style Hot Dog. Their version of poutine sticks to the basics with the addition of shredded meat from pork spare ribs - a welcome addition to an already decadent feast. For simplicity, we used frozen french fries that are baked in the oven. If you don't mind doing a little more work, you can use this recipe for French Fries to make them from scratch.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, unsalted
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 pound pork from ribs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese curds
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1/2 of a 32oz. bag of French fries (I used Ore-Ida Crinkle Fries)

Preparation:

Preheat oven according to the directions on the bag of French fries.
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
You will need to divide the pork into two batches and cook one batch at a time in order to maintain the proper temperature in the skillet. Add the pieces of pork to the skillet and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes each side. Do not move the meat while it cooks. You want small bits of browned pork to stick to the bottom of the pan. When the pork has finished cooking, remove it from the skillet and set aside to cool. After it has cooled, cut it into smaller pieces.
Add the second batch of pork to the skillet and repeat step #3.
Place the french fries on a greased baking sheet and place them in the oven to bake.
Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium. Add the butter and flour to the skillet to make a roux. Using a wire whisk, stir the flour and butter mixture constantly until it turns light brown like the color of peanut butter.
Pour the beef stock into the skillet using the whisk to mix it in with the roux to make the gravy for the poutine.
Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally. When the gravy reaches the desired level of thickness, reduce the heat to low.
When the fries have finished baking, top them with the cheddar cheese curds and pieces of pork and reduce the oven temperature to warming temperature. Heat the fries for 5 more minutes.
Remove the fries from the oven and top with the gravy.
Serve hot.

Canada [ print this recipe for Poutine ]

Book Review: Ciao Italia Family Classics

2011-11-30T22:02:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Italian cuisine, Mary Ann Esposito is an institution. She is the host and creator of Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito, the United States’ longest running cooking program which has been on the air since 1989. She is also the author of 12 Italian cookbooks and also has a website, www.ciaoitalia.com.

In her twelfth cookbook, Ciao Italia Family Classics, Esposito admits that she is both a traditionalist and a minimalist as she strives to let the best ingredients shine on their own in all of her recipes. Strongly influenced by both of her grandmothers and her mother, the author has created an outstanding collection of recipes featuring many Sicilian and Neapolitan favorites. In addition to the more than 200 recipes, Esposito also includes a chapter entitled “Italian Pantry Basics” where she describes the key ingredients most commonly used in Italian kitchens. She also stresses the importance of planning meals and bringing the family back to the dinner table to eat together despite busy, hectic schedules. The author contends that eating together, in the Italian tradition, promotes conversation, togetherness, reassurance, and relaxation. She also talks about the importance of teaching children about good food so that they can make healthy choices as adults.

While reviewing Ciao Italia Family Classics, it became evident early on that this book is a must have cookbook for anyone who loves Italian Cuisine. Indeed, it was difficult to choose just three recipes from this book. They were all very appetizing and most were accompanied by amazing, mouth-watering photos. Each recipe also had an interesting anecdote in which Mary Ann Esposito draws from her rich Italian heritage to describe the origins of the recipe and its importance to her. We decided to try the Arancine Siciliane (Sicilian Rice Balls), Calzone di Ricotta alla Mamma (Mom’s Ricotta Cheese Calzones), and Cannoli alla Nonna Saparito ( Nonna Saparito’s Cannoli). Esposito’s recipe for the risotto is delicious enough, but to then to roll it into balls and deep fry it takes it to ethereal levels. The Arancine Siciliane is an amazing side dish or appetizer that you absolutely have to try. The Ricotta Calzones were equally delicious. This is a simple recipe that lends itself to experimentation. There are a multitude of vegetables and meats that could be added to the cheese calzone base to create incredible entrees. For dessert we tried an Italian classic, cannoli. This was also relatively easy recipe that resulted in a delicious dessert with a light crispy shell combined with a cool, creamy, chocolaty filling. It was difficult to eat just three of these!

We give Ciao Italia Family classics 5 out of 5 stars. It is packed with recipes of traditional Italian favorites that are easy and accessible. In addition, most recipes include beautiful photographs and interesting descriptions. It would be a cherished collection of recipes for anyone that loves Italian cuisine.

Louisiana Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is an easy recipe for a versatile, hot and sweet, Louisiana Habanero Hot Sauce. It works great as a regular hot sauce but it is also good to use as a dipping sauce for egg rolls, samosas, acarajé, malu paan, or other appetizers. You can adjust the overall heat by adjusting the number of habaneros to you own personal taste.

Recommended Equipment:
food processor or blender

Ingredients:
7 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1 15oz. can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tspn ground ginger
1/2 tspn ground coriander
1/2 tspn ground allspice

Preparation:

In a food processor or blender, add the peaches and heavy syrup. Pulse until the peaches are ground into a puree.
Add the habanero peppers, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, kosher salt, paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, and allspice to the food processor or blender.
Pulse mixture until it becomes a smooth liquid.
Pour the mixture into clean glass jars. Place caps on the jars and refrigerate at least one day before you use the sauce.

United States Louisiana [ print this recipe for Louisiana Habanero Hot Sauce ]

Cannoli alla Nonna Saporito Recipe

2011-11-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

From Ciao Italia Family Classics by Mary Ann Esposito....

The queen of all Sicilian desserts is definitely cannoli. Cannoli probably originally came from Arabs, who influenced so much of Sicily’s cooking. These crisp, flaky pastry dough cylinders are filled with sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta cheese, nuts, citron, and bits of chocolate. I cherish Nonna Saporito’s old recipe that originally called for sheep’s milk ricotta cheese for the filling but when she came to America, it was impossible to find, so whole cow’s milk ricotta was substituted instead. Whenever I make these, I use her old and very worn wooden forms, fashioned from a broom handle, but stainless steel forms are available in kitchenware stores.

Ingredients:
Filling
1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, well drained
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tspn ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped milk chocolate (4 to 5 small bars)
1/4 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

Dough
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp unsalted butter or lard
1 tbsp granulated sugar
4 to 5 tbsp dry Marsala wine
2 cups vegetable oil
colored sprinkles
confectioner's sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:

To make the filling, whip the cheese in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and chocolate. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to fill the cannoli shells.
To make the dough, place the flour in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter or lard and sugar and mix with a fork, or pulse, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly add the 1/4 cup of wine and shape the mixture into a ball; add a little more wine if the dough appears too dry. It should be soft but not sticky. Knead the dough on a floured work surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
Place the chilled dough on a floured work surface. Divide the dough in half. Work with 1 piece of dough at a time; keep the remaining dough refrigerated. Using a rolling pin or pasta machine set to the finest setting, roll the dough out to a very thin long rectangle about 14 inches long and 3 inches wide. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Place a cannoli form diagonally across one square. Roll the dough up around the form so the points meet in the center. Seal the points with a little water. Continue making cylinders until all the dough is used.
In an electric skillet(see note), heat the vegetable oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fry the cannoli three or four at a time, turning them as they brown and blister, until golden brown on all sides. Drain them on brown paper or paper towels. When they are cool enough to handle, carefully slide the cannoli off the forms.
To serve, use a long iced tea spoon or pastry bag without a tip to fill the cannoli with the ricotta cheese mixture. Dip the ends into colored sprinkles, arrange them on a tray, and sprinkle confectioner's sugar over the tops. Serve at once.

Note: If you prefer, you can fry the cannoli in a deep fryer. Be sure to fill the cannoli just before serving - any sooner will result in soggy shells.

Makes 14 to 18 cannoli

Recipe courtesy of Ciao Italia Family Classics by Mary Ann Esposito

Italy [ print this recipe for Cannoli alla Nonna Saporito ]

Kir with a Kick Recipe

2011-11-25T20:21:00.000-08:00

Un Kir, Sil Vous Plaît!
Not sure how to kick off a dinner gathering? You can't go wrong with a kir(rhymes with "beer" but is much more enchanting to drink). I've enjoyed it often in homes of families I've dined with, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a café or restaurant in France that does not serve this unofficial French national apértif. The drink was named after Félix Kir, a priest and hero of the French Resistance, who became mayor of Dijon after World War II and was said to have served the popular Burgundian drink at official gatherings.

To make a classic kir, pour a teaspoon or two of créme de cassis (black currant liqueur) into a small, stemmed glass, then fill the glass with chilled white wine. Rarely served in a copius portion (about 4 ounces of wine will do), the drink offers a gleeful little lift that chases away any lingering funk your guests might have brought with them from their day.

The wine traditionally used to make a kir is Burgundy's Aligoté, a white that's much less distinguished than the more famous white Burgundies made from Chardonnay. In fact, some sources say that the kir may have been invented as a way to put this otherwise unimpressive wine to its best possible use. Hence, there's no reason to seek out Aligoté to make a kir. A good, lightly citrusy dry white, such as a California Sauvignon Blanc, works nicely. If you can't find an imported créme de cassis (most domestic versions are, I'm afraid, lackluster), use a raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord.

But experiment. There are creative spins on the kir all over France (I'm dreaming now of a rosé wine-based kir, spiked with a liqueur made from a local berry, that I once savored in the village of Thueyts in the Ardéche). And of course, if you're feeling really splashy, clink glasses with a kir royale - a kir made with Champagne or sparkling wine instead of white wine.

Cognac adds virility to the classic kir royale, which is made with Champagne and black currant liqueur. It's a dashing way to kick off the evening.

For each cocktail:
Ingredients:
3/4 ounce Cognac
1/4 ounce créme de cassis or Chambord
Chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
1 raspberry (optional)

Preparation:

Pour the Cognac and the créme de cassis into a flute; fill the flute with Champagne. Garnish with a raspberry, if you like.

Recipe courtesy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook by Wini Moranville

France [ print this recipe for Kir ]

Sri Lankan Coconut Pumpkin Curry Recipe

2011-11-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

This curry has an intense heat of chili running through it, which cuts through the rich, creamy coconut and sweet pumpkin. Use butternut squash if you can't get ahold of pumpkin.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds (900g) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 inches (5cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed, woody outer leaves removed, and finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
14 oz. (400ml) can coconut milk
2 cups hot vegetable stock for the slow cooker (3 cups for the traditional method)
pinch of dried chile flakes
about 6 packed cups spinach leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
In Slow Cooker

Preheat the slow cooker, if required. Heat half of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the pumpkin or butternut squash, and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes until it begins to turn golden. Add the chilies and cook for a minute more.
Add the remaining oil and then stir in the shallots, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. Add the lime juice and stir to scrape any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a little coconut milk and let it bubble for a few minutes. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, then pour in the remaining coconut milk and stock together with the chile flakes. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours.
Stir in the spinach and leave for a few minutes for it to wilt before serving. Taste and season, as necessary, and serve with rice.

Using traditional cooking method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celcius). Heat half of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the pumpkin or butternut squash, and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes until it begins to turn golden. Add the chilies and cook for a minute more.
Add the remaining oil and then stir in the shallots, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. Add the lime juice and stir to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pot. Add a little coconut milk and let it bubble for a few minutes.
Pour in the remaining coconut milk and the stock, and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, add the chile flakes, cover with the lid, and put in the oven for 1 hour. Check occasionally that it's not drying out, topping up with a little hot water if needed. Remove from the oven and stir in the spinach. It will wilt in the heat. Taste and season, as necessary, and serve with rice.

Serves 4 - 6

Recipe courtesy of The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney

Sri Lanka [ print this recipe for Sri Lankan Coconut Pumpkin Curry ]

Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Recipe

2011-11-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday because it has nothing to do with politics or religion and it is all about getting family and friends together to enjoy great food. Many of us are fortunate enough to be a part of a large gathering on this day. However, many people will be spending this holiday alone because they are far from home, have a small family, have to work during the holiday, and/or many other reasons. Although they won't be able to join members of their family and friends, they can still enjoy a quick and easy Thanksgiving dinner that can be prepared by one person in less than 20 minutes. Here's how to do it.

Ingredients:
3 boneless turkey or chicken breasts
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 and 1/4 cup water
1 10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 6 oz. package of your favorite bread stuffing mix

serve these along with chicken and stuffing for a fast and easy Thanksgiving feast.
1 can Cranberry
1 store bought pie
1 bottle of your favorite wine (we chose Fritz's Riesling - $13 per bottle)

Preparation:

Place the chicken at the bottom of a greased slow cooker.
Pour the condensed soup over the chicken.
In a bowl, mix together the stuffing, water, and melted butter. Distribute this mixture evenly over the chicken.
Place cover on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

United States [ print this recipe for Easy Thanksgiving Dinner ]

Limoncello Recipe

2011-11-20T05:08:00.000-08:00

Limoncello is an Italian citrus based liqueur that is usually served before or after meals. It originates from the Amalfi Coast region of Italy where lemons grow in abundance. Limoncello is usually served chilled and it is very popular in Italy during the warmer summer months. This traditional version of limoncello is lemon-based but similar liqueurs can be made from other citrus fruits. If you have the patience (this recipe takes about 35 days to make), limoncello is an easy liqueur to make at home. Staying true to this Italian classic, we used I Spirit Italian Vodka for this recipe.

Ingredients:
8 lemons
2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups water
2 vanilla beans
1 750 mL bottle of vodka (we used I Spririt Italian Vodka)

Preparation:

Wash the lemons and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Zest each of the lemons using a grater or vegetable peeler. Only use the outer yellow part of the rind.
Pour the vodka into a large glass jar. A large Mason jar should work for a single bottle of vodka. Be sure to save the vodka bottle for bottling the limoncello when it is finished.
Add the lemon zest to the jar.
Scrape out the small seeds out of the vanilla beans and add them to the jar along with the vanilla beans.
Put the cap back on the jar and let it sit in a dark place at room temperature for 30 days.
After 30 days have passed, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil for about 6 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool.
Using a sieve lined with a paper coffee filter, filter the lemon rind and vanilla seeds and bean from the limoncello. Pour the pure limoncello back into the jar.
Add the cooled syrup to the jar containing the limoncello. Gently mix the syrup in with the limoncello. Put the cap back onto the jar and let the mixture age for another 5 days.
After 5 days have passed, using a funnel pour the limoncello back into the original vodka bottle.
Store the limoncello in the freezer or refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. Serve the limoncello ice cold in shot glasses.

Italy [ print this recipe for limoncello ]

Interview: Chef Tyler Florence

2011-11-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

Chef Tyler Florence has hosted several programs on The Food Network including Food 911 and How to Boil Water and currently hosts Tyler's Ultimate. He is a graduate of the College of Culinary Arts at the Charleston, South Carolina campus of Johnson & Wales University.

In addition to his work in television, he has also developed three new restaurant concepts in the San Francisco Bay Area: Rotisserie & Wine in Napa, El Paseo in Mill Valley, and the Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco. Florence is also the author of several cook books including:

Family Meal
Dinner at My Place
Stirring the Pot
Tyler's Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time
Eat This Book: Cooking With Global Fresh Flavors
Real Kitchen

also mentioned in this interview:
Alexia Foods
Husk Restaurant - Charleston
McCrady's Restaurant - Charleston
The Lion - New York City
Wayfare Tavern - San Francisco

Book Review: 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes

2011-11-16T05:02:00.000-08:00

It’s been 10 years since the first edition of 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes, by Judith Finlayson, was released. The second edition of this slow cooker “Bible” has been revised by the author to include new, healthier recipes and to upgrade many of the existing favorites. Finlayson has kept about 100 of the original recipes and added new dishes that include whole grains, fish and seafood, and vegetarian and vegan dishes as well. In addition to these new recipes, the book has retained many of the old classics including 15 different recipes for chili.

The popularity of slow cookers has increased dramatically since this book was first released. As such, the sizes and varieties of slow cookers have also increased. In response to these changes, the second edition of 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes has added slow cooker size recommendations to its recipes and guidance for halving recipes.

In addition to a large collection of slow cooker recipes, Judith Finlayson includes an informative section in her book entitled, “Understanding Your Slow Cooker.” Her recommendations in this section help the reader to not only achieve success with the recipes included in the book but also provide helpful tips that can be used to create new recipes for the slow cooker. Some of the recommendations include:

Brown meat and soften vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker as this adds color, begins the caramelization process, and extracts fat soluble components that enrich flavor.

Use broth rather than water to reduce the quantity of liquid in the dish.

Cut root vegetables into small pieces to accommodate their slow rate of cooking in the slow cooker.

Pay attention to cooking temperatures. Use high temperatures when working with milk, cream, or leavening agents. When using large cuts of meat, use high temperature for at least 1 hour.

Use whole-leaf herbs and spices instead of their ground counterparts since they will release flavor more slowly and not degrade in the slow cooker. Add leafy greens, peas, seafood, milk and cream during the final stages of the cooking process as these can degrade as well.

In the course of our review, we chose three recipes that are strongly associated with the nations of their origin. These recipes were the Classic Boeuf Bourguignon, Lamb Korma with Spinach, and Hearty Carbonnade from France, India, and Belgium respectively. Each of these three recipes was fast and easy to prepare. Each had exceptional flavor and were very versatile in terms of pairing with side dishes.

We give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The author has successfully built upon the strengths of her original work and added a wealth of new information in response to new trends in slow cooker features and applications. This book would appeal to anyone looking for ways to prepare fast, easy, and healthy meals.

Chicken Calvados Recipe

2011-11-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

Calvados is the famous apple brandy of Normandy, and the bonnes femmes of Normandy often use the spirit to flavor their cooking. But don't feel you have to buy a bottle of the real thing for this recipe. If there's an apple brandy made in your region, reach for that over Calvados. As for the apples, use the best locally grown apples you can find. After all, the more local your products, the more true-to-France your cooking will be.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Calvados or apple brandy or 1/2 cup apple juice or cider and 1/2 cup white wine
2 small tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley or chives, or a combination

Preparation:

Place the chicken breasts, one at a time, between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness. (Alternatively, you can halve each breast horizontally, or butterfly them). Season both sides with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (in batches, if necessary) and cook, turning once, until no longer pink inside, 6 to 8 minutes (reduce the heat to medium if the meat browns too quickly). Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
Stir in the shallot and sauté briefly, until translucent. Remove the pan from the heat and add the broth and Calvados, taking care not to let the liquid spatter. Return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring with a wire whisk to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the apples. Let the mixture boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, turning the apples occasionally - this should take about 4 minutes, depending on the heat and your pan size; it will take closer to 7 minutes if you substitute apple juice and wine for the Calvados.
Stir in 1/4 cup cream and boil until the sauce thickens and the apples are crisp-tender. For a creamier sauce, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to boil until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken on four dinner plates, spoon the sauce and apples over the chicken, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe courtesy of the Bonne Femme Cook Book by Wini Moranville

France [ print this recipe for Chicken Calvados ]

Calzone di Ricotta alla mamma Recipe

2011-11-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

From Ciao Italia Family Classics by Mary Ann Esposito....

Whenever I visited my mother, I would take her out to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants. Mom was never one about ambiance; it was all about the food. So it was not surprising that she often liked to go to a nondescript, hole-in-the-wall diner where they made delicious ricotta cheese-filled calzones. They were as big as a platter and she often brought half of one home for lunch the next day. Mom could re-create anything, so instead of asking the diner folks how they made them, she created her own recipe with many filling variations, such as spinach and cheese or broccoli and cheese or sausage and cheese. Still, I loved the ricotta-filled ones the best because she did, too. The success of this recipe depends on the quality of the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.

Ingredients:
Filling
1 pound good-quality ricotta cheese, well drained
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella or provolone cheese, cut into bits
1 1/2 tspn fine sea salt
coarsely ground black pepper

Dough
1 cup warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 tspn sugar
3 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tspn salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Topping:
1 large egg, lightly beaten with a fork
coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top of calzones

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine the cheeses and salt and season generously with pepper and mix well. Cover and keep refrigerated while making the dough.
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Add the olive oil and 2 1/2 cups of the flour and mix by hand or on medium speed with the dough blade until blended. Add additional flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough begins to wind around the blade or is not sticking to your hands. Strive for a soft but not sticky dough.
Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. With wet hands knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into four equal-size balls and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. With a rolling pin, flatten each ball and roll into an 8-inch-diameter round. Spread 1/2 cup of the ricotta filling on one half of each round. Fold the other half of the round over the filling to create the calzone, or turnover, shape. Seal the edges with a fork that has been dipped in flour.
As you form the calzones, place them, 2 inches apart, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 20 minutes.
Brush the tops of each calzone with the beaten egg; sprinkle with the coarse salt and make an X with a scissors in the top of each one.
Bake the calzones for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Makes 4 calzones

Recipe courtesy of Ciao Italia Family Classics, by Mary Ann Esposito

Italy [ print this recipe for Calzone di Ricotta alla mamma ]

Kalimotxo Recipe

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Kalimotxo was invented in the early 1970s at a Basque festival in Spain. A couple of servers working at one of the stands where drinks were served (txosnas) noticed that the wine that they had purchased had gone bad and they decided to add Coca-Cola to it in order to balance out the sour taste. The drink was named after two friends of the servers: Kalimero and Motxo. Since then, Kalimotxo has become popular throughout Spain and other countries as well.

Our friend John told us about this drink which he had encountered during his travels in Spain. He claims that the actual recipe is literally quite fluid: 50% Coke, 50% wine at first. Then the ratio of wine becomes greater with each subsequent drink. However you decide to mix them is up to you as is the type of red wine that you use. My niece recommended Apothic Red as a exceptionally good, cheap red (about $10) so we decided to use this with the Coca-Cola and the results were very good. Here's to friends and family!

Ingredients:
Coca-Cola
Your favorite red wine
Ice

optional: you can also add a dash Ouzo, blackberry brandy, or anise for additional flavor.

Preparation:

In a glass, mix together the wine and Coca-Cola (50% wine, 50% Coke).
Add ice and serve.

Spain [ print this recipe for Kalimotxo ]

Arancine Siciliane (Sicilian Rice Balls) Recipe

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Nonna Saporito could do no wrong in her kitchen. She could wield a cleaver like a pro, cut up a chicken lickety-split, and roll out pasta without breaking a sweat. Her signature dish, chicken in wine, is to this day my very favorite and one that I have never been able to duplicate in taste. Never! And when she served it, she also made arancine-fried rice balls. I devoured them. Arancine are traditional Sicilian street food that has its beginnings in many foreign cultures. The rice and saffron from the Arabs, the sheep's milk cheese from the Greeks, ragú from the French, and tomatoes from the Spanish. No wonder they are so good! Do not attempt to make these with regular rice. Make them with Arborio, the short-grain, starchy rice used to make risotto. It has the heft to stand up to frying.

Ingredients:
Ragú Sauce
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced carrot
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tspn hot red pepper flakes
1 pound ground beef or pork
2 cups crushed plum tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup peas

Rice Balls
1 cup Arborio rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tspn saffron threads, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
4 large eggs
unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
4 cups canola or peanut oil for frying

Preparation:
Ragú Sauce

Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan and cook celery, carrot, and onion until the vegetables soften.
Stir in the red pepper flakes.
Add the meat and brown it well.
Combine the tomatoes with the wine and add to the meat, stirring the ingredients well.
Cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. The mixture should be thick, not watery.
Stir in the peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The sauce can be made several days in advance.

Rice Balls

Pour the rice into a 2-quart saucepan and add the chicken broth. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow the rice to cook, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Strain the saffron threads and add the saffron water to the rice. Stir well.
Off the heat, stir in the cheese, and add 2 of the eggs. Season with salt to taste. Let cool.

To assemble the rice balls:

Scoop up about 1/2 cup of the rice in the palm of your hand; form small orange-size balls then make an indentation in the center of each ball with your finger.
Fill the indentation with a generous tablespoon of the ragú.
Close the rice around the filling. Set the balls aside.
Put the flour in a shallow bowl.
Beat the remaining 2 eggs with a fork in another shallow bowl.
Coat the balls in flour, then the egg mixture. Roll the balls in bread crumbs to cover completely.
Heat 4 cups of oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit in a deep fryer of heavy-bottomed deep pot.
Fry the arancine in the oil until nicely browned. Drain them on paper towels.
Serve them hot with or without tomato sauce on the side.

Variation:
Make arancinette, small olive-size rice balls, for part of an antipasto; instead of ragú filling, use a mixture of diced ham and Italian fontina cheese.

Chef's Secret
After coating the rice balls in bread crumbs allow them to dry out, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before frying. This will help the bread crumbs stay put when frying.

Makes about 12 rice balls

Recipe courtesy of Ciao Italia Family Classics, by Mary Ann Esposito

Italy [ print this recipe for Arancine Siciliane (Sicilian Rice Balls) ]

Classic Boeuf Bourguignon Recipe

2011-11-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

To the French, this is comfort food - a long-simmered dish that evokes warm memories of childhood. To North Americans, it's great bistro food - flavorful and hearty, perfectly suited to a full-bodied red wine and lively evenings with friends. Either way, it's perfect for the slow cooker and great as a leftover since it's even better reheated. Serve with new potatoes in their skins, buttered noodles or plain white rice and a simple green vegetable such as beans or broccoli.

Recommended Equipment:
medium to large (3 1/2 to 5 quart) slow cooker

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
4 oz. chunk of bacon or salt pork belly, cut into 1/2-inch(1 cm) cubes
2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1-inch(2.5 cm) cubes, and patted dry
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tspn dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cracked black peppercorns
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
zest of 1 orange
chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain. Drain off all but 2 tbsp(30 mL) fat in pan.
Add beef to pan, in batches, and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
Add mushrooms to pan and cook until tops are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to stoneware. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and carrots to pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine and beef broth, bring to a boil and cook, stirring, and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Stir in bacon and orange zest. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until beef is very tender. Discard bay leaf. Just before serving, garnish liberally with parsley.

Recipe courtesy of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

France [ print this recipe for Classic Boeuf Bourguignon ]

Book Review: Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day

2011-10-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Do you like pizza? For most of us the answer is a resounding yes!! The third book by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoë François, Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, provide a wealth of information on how to prepare this world famous dish in your own kitchen in minutes. The key to doing this, the authors contend, is by mixing enough dough for many pizzas or flatbreads in advance and then storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. With a ready supply of dough already prepared, anyone can make a wide range of pizzas or flatbreads in 30 minutes.

The book includes an extensive discussion of ingredients including different types of flours, tomato sauces, cheeses, meats, seafood, eggs, yeast, oils, and sweeteners. The authors also discuss the four pieces of equipment that you will need (a baking stone, cast-iron pan, or perforated pizza pan, a pizza peel, an oven thermometer, and a dough scraper) to make pizza plus other, optional items that can make the job easier. A chapter devoted to helpful hints and frequently asked questions is also included that draws upon feedback that Hertzberg and François received about their earlier two books, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. After this valuable introduction to the basics of pizza making, the authors walk you through the process of making the book’s master recipe, Classic Pizza Margherita. By preparing this basic dish, the reader learns the key steps necessary to prepare any of the later recipes in the book. Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day includes over 100 different recipes for pizza and flatbread, as well as sauces, dips, and even desserts.

In our review, we tried two different types of dough, the Savory Brioche and the “Crisp-yet-tender Pizza Dough (Naples Style).” Using this dough, we made the Balthazar Goat Cheese and Onion Pizzette, the Turkish Spiced Flatbread (Lahmacun), and the Individual Breakfast Pizza in a Cup. We wanted to make the recipes during the week, so we decided to mix up the two different types of dough on Sunday using a standard Kitchen Aid stand mixer. We then stored the dough in the refrigerator to use as needed during the week. On Monday, we wanted to try the Balthazar Goat Cheese Pizzette so we used some of the Savory Brioche dough. While the oven heated up to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, the dough warmed up to room temperature, and we prepped all of the toppings. With baking time only 8 minutes, we were indeed able to prepare a restaurant grade pizza dish in about half an hour. The next morning, we tried the breakfast pizza in a cup again using more of the Savory Brioche. This dish was easy to prepare and would be ideal for serving to guests at a weekend brunch since it takes very little time to make using ingredients made in advance.

The book includes a short interview with the authors in which Zoë François was asked to name her favorite recipe. Her response: the Turkish Spiced Lamb Flatbread. So we had to try this recipe too. For this recipe we used the Crisp-yet-tender pizza dough with seasoned ground lamb, onion, parsley, lemon and tomato. We could see why this recipe was the author’s favorite. It had a great combination of rich flavors accented with the fresh acidity of the tomatoes and lemon. This is also another good recipe for entertaining or an easy meal during the week as the spiced lamb can be prepared and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.

Overall, this is an outstanding book for working parents that are interested in serving healthier meals to their families during the week. It provides a system that, with a little planning, can be used to create healthy, delicious dishes from scratch in less than an hour. We give this book four out of five stars.

Goat-Cheese Stuffed Peppadews Recipe

2011-10-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe for Goat-Cheese Stuffed Peppadews comes from Grey’s Anatomy star Jessica Capshaw, who hosted a party at her Southern California home last month. The menu featured several easy, delicious, low calorie dishes all of which will be featured next month in SELF Magazine. Other recipes in this feature include Shrimp and Grits Cakes, Turkey Meatballs with Sage and Cranberries, Parsnip-Leek Soup with Lump Crab, and Speakeasy Sparkler.

In addition to these recipes, Capshaw and her husband Christopher Gavigan, an avid environmental advocate, have included some eco-friendly tips for hosting your own get-together. These include going to RecycleBank.com to pledge to recycle and receive up to $50 in coupons on party fare, using mini-pumpkins or apples from your local farmer’s market as a centerpiece instead of flowers flown from far-away locales, and using washable dinnerware or items made from renewable materials from bambuhome.com instead of disposable plates and cups.

As a side note, Jessica was joined last week on Grey’s Anatomy by another actress, foodie, and IRS contributor, Sharon Muthu. Last summer, Muthu and fellow actor, Noshir Dalal represented the International Recipe Syndicate at the Beverly Hills Farmer’s Market Chili Cook-off by cooking up a batch of Arrogant Bastard Chili for a host of distinguished judges including Food Network's Aarti Sequeira.

This recipe for Goat-Cheese Stuffed Peppadews and Arrogant Bastard Chili are both great choices for easy, great tasting recipes to entertain friends this Fall. Check out the upcoming November issue of SELF for more recipes from Jessica’s SOCAL Holiday Party.

Goat-Cheese Stuffed Peppadews

The bite-size sweet red peppers in this recipe are a tasty, low-cal vehicle for delicious cheese; plus, their mild heat can help warm you up from the inside out as the temperature begins to drop.

Ingredients:
1 jar (14 oz) Peppadew Mild Whole Sweet Piquante Peppers or Italian cherry peppers, pickled or brined (found in pickle aisle)
4 oz goat cheese
1/3 cup fromage blanc or quark cheese, drained in a strainer for at least 1 hour
2 tbsp finely chopped scallions
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, divided

Preparation:

Drain Peppadews upside down on a rack. If necessary, and taking care not to slice peppers open, pare bottoms so they sit flat.
In a food processor, blend cheeses, scallions and 2 tbsp parsley.
In a bowl, season cheese mixture with salt and black pepper.
Fill a pastry bag (or resealable bag with a corner snipped) with cheese mixture; chill 1 hour.
Pipe cheese evenly into each pepper.
Sprinkle tops with remaining 2 tbsp parsley.

Make-ahead tip:
You can prep the cheese filling 24 hours in advance and store it in the bag in the fridge; remove it 1/2 hour before needed. Stuffed peppers can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours.

THE DISH:
126 calories per 2 stuffed peppers, 7 g fat (4 g saturated), 10 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein

Serves 8

United States [ print this recipe for Goat-Cheese Stuffed Peppadews ]

Breakfast Pizzas in a Cup Recipe

2011-10-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Take the ever-loved breakfast combo of bacon and eggs, bake them on a crisp pizza crust, and you have an exciting twist on tradition. Shake it up a bit with sausage, Canadian bacon, or even huevos rancheros toppings. These pizzas are a quick, easy, and fun way to eat a traditional breakfast.

To create a more festive breakfast treat try baking the individual pizzas in muffin pans.

Ingredients:
1 pound (grapefruit-size portion) lean or gluten-free dough or Savory Brioche dough.
6 strips of bacon (or breakfast sausage or Canadian bacon)
6 oz. of cheddar cheese (or your favorite), shredded
6 large eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
butter or oil for greasing the pans

Preparation:

Prepare and measure all toppings in advance. Render the bacon, sausage, or Canadian bacon, break it up into pieces and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, with the racks in the center and top third of the oven. Grease two baking sheets. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form them into balls.
Roll out and stretch the crusts: Flatten each piece of dough with your hands and/or rolling pin on a work surface to produce a 1/8-inch-thick round. Dust with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the surface. Use a dough scraper to unstick the dough as needed. Transfer to the prepared muffin pan.
Grease the pans and lay the dough into the wells.
Layer the ingredients into the dough cups, crack the egg over the top of each. Don't overfill these, or the contents will spill out of the cups.
Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven. Check for doneness in 5 to 8 minutes, at this time, turn the pan around in the oven if one side of the pizzas is browning faster than the other. It may take up to 5 minutes more in the oven.
Serve hot from the oven.

Makes six 4-inch pizzas

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

United States [ print this recipe for Breakfast Pizzas in a Cup ]

Hearty Slow Cooker Carbonnade Recipe

2011-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

On a cold winter day, there is nothing more satisfying than the aroma of a hearty beef stew bubbling away. This classic Belgian dish, cooked in beer, is one of the best. Serve with mashed potatoes or hot buttered noodles and plenty of bread to soak up the luscious sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
medium to large (3 1/2 to 5 quart) slow cooker

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
4 oz. chunk of bacon or salt pork belly, cut into 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) dice
2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1-inch(2.5 cm) cubes, and patted dry
4 onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp granulated sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tspn dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tspn salt
1 tspn cracked black peppercorns
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups flat beer

Preparation:

In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain. Set aside.
Add beef to skillet, in batches, and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and continue to cook and stir until onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add reserved bacon and beer and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Pour mixture over beef (in the slow cooker). Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until meat is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

Belgium [ print this recipe for Hearty Carbonnade ]

Lamb Korma with Spinach Recipe

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

A korma is an Indian dish of meat or vegetables braised in a minimal amount of liquid. This version, although very simple, is delicious and benefits from the addition of spinach and yogurt to enrich the sauce. Serve with fluffy rice, preferably basmati, a steamed vegetable and Indian bread.

Recommended Equipment:
large (approximately 5 quart) slow cooker

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder roast, trimmed, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm)cubes, and patted dry
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced ginger root
4 cardamom pods, split
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cracked black peppercorns
1/4 cup water
1 to 2 long red or green chiles, minced
1 pound fresh spinach, stems removed, or 1 package (10 oz./300 g) spinach, washed, and finely chopped
1/2 cup yogurt
hot cooked rice

Preparation:

In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add lamb, in batches, and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, cardamom pods, turmeric, mustard seeds, salt, and peppercorns. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add water and stir.
Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until lamb is tender.
Stir in chile pepper to taste. Add spinach and stir well, pushing the leaves down into the hot stew. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes or until spinach is soft. Stir in yogurt and serve over hot cooked rice.

Variation:
Beef Korma with spinach: substitute 2 pounds (1 kg) stewing beef for the lamb.

Serves 6 to 8

Recipe courtesy of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

India [ print this recipe for Lamb Korma with Spinach ]

Turkish Spiced Lamb Flatbread ( Lahmacun ) Recipe

2011-10-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

From Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François.....

My friend Serap is a native of Istanbul and now owns Depot 62, a Turkish restaurant in Manchester, Vermont. She introduced my family to this richly spiced lamb-covered flatbread. When it came to the table. she sprinkled it with fresh parsley, squeezed a lemon over the top, and then rolled it up like a crepe. Of all the delicious foods she presented to us this was the most loved - Zoë

Makes one 10-inch flatbread (makes enough lamb for 4 flatbreads)

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (peach-size portion) lean or gluten-free dough
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tspn ground cumin
1 1/2 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn paprika
1 pound ground lamb
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tspn salt
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
flour for the pizza peel

Toppings:
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped yellow or white onions
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 lemon, cut into quarters

Preparation:

Prepare the spicy lamb: Place a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft but not brown. Add the spices and cook for a minute, then add the ground lamb. Cook the lamb until it is evenly browned, breaking it up as it browns. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and parsley. Set aside to cool before topping the flatbread. The lamb can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Preheat a baking stone to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle a pizza peel liberally with flour. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1/4 pound (peach-sized) piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
Stretch the flatbread: Flatten the dough with your hands and/or a rolling pin on a work surface, or directly onto the wooden pizza peel, to produce a 1/16-inch-thick round (about 10 inches across). Dust with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the surface. Use a dough scraper to unstick the dough as needed, and transfer to a pizza peel if you haven't already stretched the dough on one. When you are finished, the dough round should have enough flour under it to move easily when you shake the peel.
Add the meat: Spread 1/3 cup of the meat evenly over the disk of dough. Save the remaining meat for more pizzas or freeze.
Slide the flatbread onto the preheated stone. If you're using a sheet pan, place it right on the stone. Check for doneness in 5 to 8 minutes, the crust should be baked through but remain pale and soft.
Serve immediately with chopped parsley, onions, tomatoes, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Cut into slices or roll up the flatbread like a crepe and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

Turkey [ print this recipe for Turkish Spiced Lamb Flatbread (Lahmacun) ]

Balthazar Goat Cheese and Onion Pizzette (Little Pizza-Tarts) Recipe

2011-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

From Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François.....

These pizzettes were inspired by a savory tart that my cousin, chef Riad Nasr, serves at Balthazar in New York City. It is a mix of quintessentially French bistro flavors: caramelized onions, goat cheese, and thyme. They go well with many of our crusts but my two favorites are the Cornmeal Olive Oil and the Savory Brioche dough. - Zoë

Makes six 4-inch pizzettes

Ingredients:
1 pound of (grapefruit-size) lean or gluten-free dough or Savory Brioche dough
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 bay leaf
2 tspn fresh thyme (or 1 tspn dried)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 oz. soft chévre (goat cheese), at room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg yolk

Preparation:

In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, onions, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion are golden. This may take 20 to 30 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, add some water to the onions, 2 tbsp at a time.
In a small bowl mix together the cheeses and the egg yolk until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, with the racks in the center and top third of the oven. Grease two baking sheets. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form into balls.
Stretch the pizzette crusts: Flatten each piece of dough with your hands and/or a rolling pin on a work surface (or shape the disk by hand) to produce a 1/8-inch-thick round. Dust with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the surface. Use a dough scraper to unstick the dough as needed, and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
Add the toppings: Distribute the goat cheese mixture equally among the 6 dough rounds, spreading evenly, then add the onions.
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven. Check for doneness in 10 minutes; at this time, turn the baking sheets around in the oven if one side of the pizzettes is browning faster than the other and switch the pans from the top and the bottom rack. It may take up to 5 minutes more in the oven.
Allow to cool, preferably on a wire cooling rack. Serve warm, not hot.

VARIATION: Caramelized Onions, Sautéed Potatoes, and Fresh Pecorino
Add 2 tbsp of wine to the onion mixture while caramelizing. Once the onions are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan and sauté 1 thinly sliced potato for about 3 minutes, just to soften. Replace the cheese mixture with 3 ounces of grated pecorino cheese (or any other hard grating cheese). Roll out the pizzettes and distribute the toppings evenly over them, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake as above.

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

France [ print this recipe for Balthazar Goat Cheese and Onion Pizzette ]

Savory Brioche Recipe

2011-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Traditional brioche is sweetened with a bit of sugar or honey and is used in savory recipes as well as desserts. For this book we decided to go to extremes: a dough that is sweet for our dessert pizzas and this version, with no sugar at all, for the savory pies. They are both rich and flavorful, but in two distinct ways.

Makes enough dough for at least eight 1/2 pound pizzas or flat-breads (about 12 inches across). The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsp granulated yeast
1 tbsp Kosher salt.
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preparation:

Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, and eggs with the water in a 5 quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
Mix in the flour and butter without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy duty stand mixer (with paddle). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
Cover (not airtight), and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
The dough will be loose, but will firm up when chilled. Don't try to use it without chilling for at least 3 hours or until firm. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Or store the dough for up to 3 weeks in the freezer in 1/2 pound portions. When using frozen dough, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before use.
On pizza or flatbread day, roll out or stretch the dough into a thin round and finish with your favorite toppings, using many of the recipes in this book.

Recipe courtesy of Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

France [ print this recipe for Savory Brioche ]

Book Review: Ice Cream Happy Hour

2011-10-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

It’s never too early to get ready for summer. As the temperatures here begin to drop into the 50s and 60s, we’re already making preparations for next summer by trying a few recipes from the new cookbook, Ice Cream Happy Hour, by Valerie Lum and Jenise Addison. The book includes over 50 recipes for ice creams, sorbets, sundaes, and floats. The book is unique in that all of these desserts “merry” ice cream with alcohol to create a host of uniquely delicious desserts.

Authors Lum and Addison met while working together at a boutique beer shop in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. One night after work, they had a craving for a root beer float when they wondered what a chocolate stout float might taste like instead. Through trial and error they developed this and many other recipes included in Ice Cream Happy Hour. One key step that makes many of these recipes possible was in fact perfected by authors Lum and Addison. This technique is the process of combining alcohol spiked gelatin with custard to make booze infused ice cream.

We tried two recipes from Ice Cream Happy Hour. The first was Maple with Bourbon Ice Cream. This recipe takes a little patience since you have to wait several hours for the custard to cool completely before spiking and churning it to get the ice cream. However, the end result was a restaurant grade dessert with perfect texture and flavor. The second recipe that we tried was the Margarita Sorbet. This recipe had fewer steps and was easier to make. This dessert tasted just like a frozen margarita in sorbet form. We really liked this book because it gives you a basic set of steps that are used to make all of the recipes. Once you have tried a few of the desserts, you have all of the tools that you need to make your own creations. We give this book four out of five stars.

Margarita Sorbet Recipe

2011-10-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Fresh lime juice is key for this sorbet's flavor. Don't use concentrate and don't even think about using the plastic lime-shaped squeeze bottles.

Recommended Equipment:
ice cream maker

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cold water, divided
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 limes
1 1/2 cups cold fresh lime juice
1/2 packet (1/2 tablespoon) gelatin
1 1/2 ounces cold (refrigerated) Cointreau
2 1/2 ounces cold (refrigerated) white tequila (I used Tequila Partida Blanco)

Preparation:

Make the syrup. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water and the sugar and lime zest and simmer over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and steep for at least 15 minutes.
Cover and chill the syrup for at least 4 hours.
Once the syrup is completely cold, add the juice. Pour the cold lime juice into a large bowl. Stream the cold syrup into the juice and whisk until combined.
Dissolve the gelatin in the remaining 1/2 cup of cold water. Pour 1/2 cup of cold water into a small saucepan and evenly sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes so that the gelatin can absorb as much water as possible. Gently warm over low heat and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved into the liquid, about 3 minutes.
Spike the syrup with cold Cointreau, tequila, and gelatin mixture. Pour the gelatin into a mixing bowl and whisk in the cold alcohol until combined. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
Churn the sorbet for at least 20 minutes. Due to the alcohol content, you may wish to churn it longer to get the desired thickness. If you don't want to serve it immediately, or you want a firmer texture, transfer it to a freezer-proof container and freeze for several hours before serving.

Makes about 1 quart.

Recipe courtesy of Ice Cream Happy Hour by Valerie Lum and Jenise Addison

Mexico [ print this recipe for Margarita Sorbet ]

Swedish Pancakes

2011-10-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

When our daughter is in the mood for pancakes, we usually make this recipe or the one for yogurt pancakes because they only require basic ingredients and are so fast and easy to make. This recipe makes pancakes that are thicker than crêpes and thinner than traditional pancakes. If you have fresh fruit on hand, this recipe for fruit pancakes is another good option.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tspn salt
2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

toppings:
confection sugar
maple syrup
strawberries and whipped cream

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and salt.
Add the milk and eggs to the mixing bowl and mix well until all of the ingredients are well combined. The batter will be thin compared to traditional pancake batter.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancakes.
Dust the pancakes with confection sugar before serving.
Serve hot with maple syrup or strawberries and cream.

Sweden [ print this recipe for Swedish Pancakes ]

Compote of Apples (Compote de Pommes) Recipe

2011-10-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

This recipe for compote of apples can be used as a stand alone dessert or it can be used as a topping. Compote of apples can also be served at breakfast with pancakes or French toast.

Ingredients:
6 fresh apples - I used McIntosh
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon

Preparation:

Peel the apples and cut out their cores.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the water, 3 of the apples, and the sugar. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.
When the apples are blanched, remove the apples and leave the remaining syrup in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium low.
Add the remaining apples to the saucepan and cook them down to a jelly.
Pour the jelly over the apples and top with pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon.

France [ print this recipe for compote of apples ]

Maple with Bourbon Ice Cream Recipe

2011-10-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

As a taste tester said of this recipe's surprisingly enticing flavor pairing, "This ice cream makes me want to get in a fight and eat some pancakes." A key component in our Nor'easter Float, this ice cream was inspired by the restaurant Char No. 4 in Brooklyn, where they use maple syrup in their version of the drink.

Recommended Equipment:
ice cream maker

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 egg yolks
2 tspn molasses
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
pinch f salt
1/2 packet (1/2 tbsp) gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1/2 cup cold (refrigerated) bourbon - I used Maker's 46

Preparation:

Reduce the maple syrup. In a small saucepan, heat the maple syrup over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
Scald the milk, cream, and brown sugar. Mix the milk, cream, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Continue heating until the mixture is steamy and makes a slight sizzling noise when you move the pan.
Whisk the egg yolks and temper with one-third of the scalding mil mixture. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Then while whisking the eggs, slowly stream in about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture.
Thicken the custard over low heat. Pour the egg and the milk mixture that you have just tempered into the rest of the milk mixture in the saucepan and stir continuously on low heat with a heatproof spatula or flat ended wooden spoon. Make sure you scrape the bottom evenly while you continuously stir. The custard is thick enough when you can draw a line on the back of the spoon with your finger and the line retains its shape.
Whisk in the molasses, maple syrup, lime juice, and salt.
Strain, cover, and chill the custard for at least 8 hours. When covering the custard, be sure to use plastic wrap so that it is directly touching the entire surface of the custard and none of it is exposed to air.
Once the custard is completely cold, dissolve the gelatin in the cold water. Pour 1/3 cup of cold water into a small saucepan and evenly sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes so that the gelatin can absorb as much water as possible. Gently warm over low heat and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved into the liquid, about 3 minutes.
Spike the custard with the cold bourbon and gelatin mixture. Pour the gelatin into a mixing bowl and whisk in the cold alcohol until combined. Stream the alcohol and gelatin mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the custard mixture. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
Churn the ice cream for at least 20 minutes. Due to the alcohol content, you may wish to churn it longer to get the desired thickness. If you don't want to serve it immediately, or you want a firmer texture, transfer it to a freezer-proof container and freeze for several hours before serving.

Makes about 1 quart

Recipe courtesy of Ice Cream Happy Hour by Valerie Lum and Jenise Addison

United States [ print this recipe for Maple with Bourbon Ice Cream ]

Book Review: Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm

2011-10-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

What did I know about oysters? In retrospect, next to nothing until I read Shucked, by Erin Byers Murray. In fact, my only experience with harvesting shellfish was limited to a couple of hours spent digging clams at a beach behind my sister’s apartment in Winthrop, Massachusetts. The only thing that I remember was the pain in my lower back and the relief that I felt when the tide finally rolled in and we had to call it quits for the day. It’s hard work! Yet the author of this book left her comfortable 9 to 5 job at Daily Candy to work for an oyster farm in Duxbury, Massachusetts for 18 months! Not since George Plimpton has a writer been this “imbedded” to cover a story and learn all that there is to know about delivering oysters from farm to table.

During her work at Island Creek Oysters, Murray did everything from separating and sorting oysters according to size and shape, a process known as culling, to washing and bagging oysters, to even working in the company’s front office. She was also responsible for managing the “seed” or baby oysters that would be nurtured until they were big enough to be planted in the company’s leased oyster beds in Duxbury Bay. A mistake made during this phase of her assignment could have cost the company its future crop of oysters, an error that could have been devastating to the company financially. Despite the mental and also physical challenges that came with this undertaking, Murray was able to capture a unique insider’s view into oyster farming and its place in the growing farm to table, slow food movement.

I’ve read this type of story many times before and each time I read it I love it even more. The Hero’s Journey, when an unlikely hero faces daunting physical and mental obstacles. With perseverance and a little help from mentors along the way, the hero becomes a master in their own right. Through the course of the book, the author takes this journey from oyster culling novice to “momma-seeda,” master of the “seed” to confidant of the company’s founder. Against this backdrop, Murray gives us an inside look at what it is actually like to work on an oyster farm – from production to marketing to customer relations. She also provides a historical account of the company itself from its modest beginnings to one of the most sought after brands of oysters today. In addition to having its oysters on the menus of marquee restaurants such as Per Se and The French Laundry, Island Creek now has its own restaurant in Boston, a venture with Boston-based Harpoon Brewery, and a philanthropic arm raising money through its annual Island Creek Oyster Festival for a business development project in Africa.

Murray has masterfully recounted this story along with her own experiences to create an intriguing look at what it takes to get oysters from farm to table. And if this were not enough, the book also includes an oyster or clam recipe at the end of each chapter. We tried one, Berg’s Baked Oysters, and it was fantastic. We give this book four out of five stars.

Berg's Baked Oysters Recipe

2011-10-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

From Shucked, by Erin Byers Murray....

Berg's off-the-cuff cooking methods came in handy a number of times that summer. This is his riff on the classic Rockefeller; it can be pulled together in minutes flat. Though Oysters Rockefeller might seem like the first course to some staid sit-down dinner, these are best eaten outside, on someone's deck, under the fading summertime sun - preferably near the water.

Ingredients:
2 dozen Island Creek Oysters
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
3 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp butter
Couple handfuls of shredded Parmesan

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Shuck the oysters, making sure to separate the bottom muscle but keep the meat intact in the shell.
Top the meat with a couple pinches of spinach, 1/4 teaspoon garlic, a small pat of butter, and a couple of pinches of Parmesan.
Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until Parmesan is melted.

Serves 6

Recipe courtesy of Shucked by Erin Byers Murray

United States [ print this recipe for Berg's Baked Oysters ]

Asian Mignonette Recipe

2011-10-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

This recipe for Asian Mignonette is a new twist on the classic Breton recipe. We used to make this and serve it up with a few dozen Quilcene Oysters which were easy to get in Oregon and Washington. It goes great with most types of oysters, however. If you need more heat, feel free to add more Sriracha Sauce.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1/2 cup Rice vinegar
1/4 cup Sake
8 peppercorns, ground
1 pinch sea salt
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Preparation:

Mix together all of the ingredients and refrigerate for a half hour before serving.
Shuck oysters.
Serve mignonette and oysters on ice with lemon slices.

Japan [ print this recipe for Asian Mignonette ]

Book Review: Ramen To The Rescue Cookbook

2011-10-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I haven’t cooked ramen noodles since my college days at Oregon State University when time and more importantly money were in short supply. I remember that when I was ready to graduate, I was completely sick and tired of eating ramen. So when I was asked to review the book, Ramen to the Rescue by Jessica Harlan, I approached the task with some trepidation. Anyway, the book begins with a brief history of ramen noodles and how the instant version is made. Harlan then draws upon her experience as a kitchenware writer for about.com and Clean Eating Magazine to recommend “must-have” kitchenware as well as suggesting pantry items needed to prepare her ramen based dishes.

This book is rather small as cookbooks go but is packed with over 100 recipes. Most, including the two that we tried, use only the noodles from the ramen noodle package and do not include the sodium laced flavor package. Instead, each recipe builds its flavor from fresh vegetables, seasonings, and other ingredients that are combined with the noodles to create fast, healthy, great tasting meals.

In our review, we made Pad Thai and Cold Sesame Noodles. Both dishes were incredibly easy to make. In fact, we didn’t even need to buy any additional ingredients other than the ramen noodles in order to make them. We liked the fact that the book includes both small recipes (1 to 2 servings) and extremely large recipes (8 to 10 servings). This is a great little cookbook for large families or anyone who wants to learn how to make faster, easier, and more economical meals. We give Ramen to the Rescue three out of five stars.

Hangtown Fry Recipe

2011-10-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

This recipe was developed in California during the Gold Rush. Apparently a miner had just "struck it rich", discovering a substantial amount of gold on his claim. To celebrate after a night of celebration, he went into a restaurant and asked for the best breakfast that money could buy. The cook made up what is now known as the Hangtown Fry, named after the preferred sentence by the town's law enforcement community of the day.

Ingredients:
6 fresh, shucked oysters
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
6 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp milk
4 strips of bacon
2 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour and bread crumbs. Set aside.
Shuck 6 oyster; Place oysters and liquor in a bowl. Set aside
In another mixing bowl, beat the 6 eggs. Whisk in the milk and the liquor from the oysters.
In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Discard all but about 1 tbsp of bacon fat and add the butter to the skillet.
Dip the oysters in the egg mixture and then roll them in the flour and breadcrumbs.
Fry the oysters in the skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds each side or until lightly brown.
Move the oysters to one side of the skillet and pour the egg mixture on the other side.
When the egg begins to thicken, crumble the bacon onto the egg and move the oysters onto the egg as well.
Fold the egg over like an omelet allowing any uncooked egg to cook.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with cilantro garnish.

Serves 2 to 3

United States [ print this recipe for Hangtown Fry ]

Cold Sesame Noodles Recipe

2011-10-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

At once sweet, spicy, nutty, and cool, cold sesame noodles have always been one of my favorites on Chinese take-out menus. This is ideal picnic fare. The noodles will stay fresh for a few hours even if they're not refrigerated, and there's nothing in the dish that will spoil.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp + 1 tspn rice vinegar
1 tspn soy sauce
1 tspn brown sugar
1/4 tspn minced garlic
1/2 tspn grated fresh ginger
1/2 tspn sesame oil
1 package ramen noodles, any flavor
1 tbsp sesame seeds plus more for garnish
1 scallion, green and light green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup diced peeled cucumber

Preparation:

In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Cook the ramen noodles in boiling water for 2 1/2 minutes (discard the ramen seasoning). Drain in a colander then return the hot noodles immediately to the pot. Add the sauce and stir to coat completely. Stir in 1 tbsp sesame seeds. To serve, place the noodles in a bowl and top with the scallions, cucumber, and additional sesame seeds. The noodles will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 to 3 days. If the noodles clump together, break them up a little with a fork before serving.

Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Ramen To The Rescue Cookbook by Jessica Harlan

China [ print this recipe for Cold Sesame Noodles ]

Pad Thai

2011-10-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

This traditional Thai noodle dish is usually made with long, chewy rice noodles, but ramen noodles make a fine stand-in. You might be surprised to learn how few ingredients the sauce contains, considering it achieves such a complex-tasting balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Look for tamarind paste and fish sauce in the Asian section of your supermarket, and refrigerate what you don't use for this dish; both ingredients last for months.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp tamarind paste
3 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tspn soy sauce
1/2 tspn Thai chili paste
1 package ramen noodles, any flavor
2 tspn vegetable oil
3 oz. baked tofu, Thai flavor
2 scallions, light green and white parts, thinly sliced
1 large egg

Garnishes:
2 tbsp chopped peanuts
1/4 cup mung beans
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 lime wedges

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, combine the tamarind paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until thickened and the brown sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and 1/2 tspn chili sauce or to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Break the ramen noodles into 4 pieces and cook in boiling water for 3 minutes, or according to the package directions (discard the ramen seasoning). Drain.
Heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Add the noodles, tofu, and scallions, and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and break the egg into the pan. Stir the egg into the noodle mixture until the egg is scrambled, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the sauce into the pan and cook until all of the ingredients are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to combine all the ingredients.
To serve, transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the peanuts, mung beans, cilantro, and lime.

Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Ramen To The Rescue Cookbook by Jessica Harlan

Thailand [ print this recipe for Pad Thai ]

Book Review: 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes

2011-10-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

If you’re like me, you think of rice cookers as somewhat one dimensional – they cook rice. After reading 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes, by Katie Chin, I realized that this is simply not the case. Rice cookers can be used for a wide range of culinary applications from cooking healthy grains and legumes, soups, steamed dishes, desserts, and one pot (slow cooker type) meals. Katie Chin draws upon her experience as a private chef and food consultant specializing in Pan-Asian cuisine, to create a diverse set of delicious recipes specifically designed for slow cookers.

Chin provides detailed descriptions of the three major types of rice cookers including simple on/off cookers, fuzzy logic cookers with complex self-monitoring capabilities, and induction heat models) as well as instructions on how to use them with her recipes. She also explores the different types of rice, grains, and legumes available along with cooking charts that describe how to prepare them. Each chart includes the type of rice, grain, or legume along with the amount of liquid, cooking time, and recommended settings to use for each type of rice cooker.

During our review of this book, we chose two Thai recipes, Thai Fish Curry on Jasmine Rice and Chicken with Fresh Mint and Basil. We also chose two European recipes, Risotto Milanese and Buttery Smashed Kohlrabi. Both Thai recipes were easy to prepare and had a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavor. The choice of Risotto Milanese was a difficult one because Chin’s book includes seventeen different risotto recipes! All of which looked amazing and I’m sure we will try many of them in the near future. Anyway, the Risotto Milanese turned out great, had perfect texture and flavor along with a dramatic presentation with a bright yellow hue with crimson accents from the saffron. We pared this dish with Italian Meat Balls topped with a velouté sauce paired with a 2000 Chateau Pomerol – the dinner was 5-star! Risotto has a reputation as being rather labor intensive in its preparation, however, Chin’s recipe only involved adding the ingredients to the slow cooker and stirring the Abrorio rice three times during the 30 minute cooking cycle – SO EASY. We also wanted to try a recipe that involved steaming vegetables so we chose the Buttery Smashed Kohlrabi. This dish tasted similar to mashed potatoes and it could be used as a lighter, healthier side for a steak or chicken entrée.

We give Katie Chin’s 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes five stars out of five. The recipes that we tried seemed very well tested. We followed the measurements and instructions explicitly and all four recipes that we tried turned out perfect without any need for minor adjustments. Even more impressive, we achieved these results despite the fact that we were using a crude, 20 year old, on/off type rice cooker (see below). The book includes so many tempting, delicious recipes that it should appeal to most cooks regardless of their preference in cuisine. Katie Chin has drawn from both Asian and European classics to create the definitive collection of rice cooker recipes.

Buttery Smashed Kohlrabi

2011-10-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Kohlrabi is a derivative of the cabbage plant, but its flavor is at once milder and slightly sweeter than its kin.

Tip:
For a smoother consistency, use a food processor or blender to mash the kohlrabi mixture.

Recommended Equipment:
Medium to large rice cooker with a steamer basket; fuzzy logic or on/off

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 large kohlrabi, peeled and cut into cubes (about 4 cups/1 L)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup whole or 2% milk (approx.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
snipped fresh chives

Preparation:

Place 4 cups (1 L) water in the rice cooker bowl and set the rice cooker for the Regular or Steam cycle.
Spray the steamer basket with cooking spray. Place kohlrabi in the basket. When the water comes to a boil, place the basket in the rice cooker. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
When the timer sounds, check to make sure kohlrabi is tender. If necessary, continue cooking, checking for doneness every 3 minutes.
Transfer kohlrabi to a large bowl. Add garlic, sour cream and butter; mash with a potato masher or fork, adding milk as needed, until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, garnished with chives.

Variation:
Buttery Smashed Bacon Kohlrabi: Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped cooked bacon with the garlic.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe courtesy of 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin

Germany [ print this recipe for Buttery Smashed Kohlrabi ]

Chicken with Fresh Mint and Basil Recipe

2011-10-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

This simply prepared dish takes me right back to my honeymoon in Chiang Mai. The combination of fresh mint, coconut milk, Thai basil and chiles is magical.

Tip:
Be careful when handling chile peppers. They contain oils that can burn your skin and especially your eyes. Wear rubber gloves or try generously greasing your fingers with shortening.

Recommended Equipment:
Medium rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off

Ingredients:
1 cup Thai jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 Serrano chile peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
3/4 cup packed fresh Thai basil leaves, thinly sliced, divided
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) pieces
2 tbsp granulated sugar
pinch freshly ground white pepper
3 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

Preparation:

In the rice cooker bowl, combine rice, coconut milk and water. Set the rice cooker for the Regular cycle. At the end of the cycle, hold rice on the Keep Warm cycle.
In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic and shallots for about 2 minutes or until shallots are softened and translucent. Add Serrano peppers and two-thirds of the basil; stir-fry for 1 minute or until basil wilts. Add chicken and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add sugar, pepper, fish sauce and water; stir fry for about 2 minutes or until sauce bubbles and thickens. Add mint and the remaining basil; stir-fry for 5 to 10 seconds.
Fluff rice with a wooden spoon or plastic paddle and scoop onto serving pates or into bowls. Top with chicken stir-fry. Serve immediately.

Variations:
Shrimp with Fresh Mint and Basil on Thai Jasmine Rice:
Substitute 1 lb (500 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, for the chicken breasts.

For a spicier version of this dish, replace the Serrano peppers with 1 Thai chile pepper, sliced, with seeds, or add 1 tspn (5 mL) Thai chili sauce (such as Sriracha).

Serrano Peppers
The Serrano pepper is a smaller version of the jalapeño but is said to be five times as hot! Serranos have thin walls, so they don't need to be charred, steamed or peeled before use. They are perfect for salsas, relishes and garnishes, and taste great when roasted. They are commonly used in Thai and Mexican dishes.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe courtesy of 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin

Thailand [ print this recipe for Chicken with Fresh Mint and Basil ]

Italian Meat Balls

2011-10-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

If you never seem to have time to cook during the week, try this recipe for Italian meatballs. You can make these on the weekend and heat them up in the microwave (for about 1 minute) when you need them during the week.

We will cover them in a simple tomato sauce before they go into the oven. In addition, we made a velouté sauce that can be poured over the meatballs when they are served. This sauce is optional but very easy to make.

The Italian meatballs can be eaten as a stand alone dish or they can be added to your favorite pasta (such as Risotto Milanese) and sauce. Regardless of how you decide to use them, they will save you time during the week.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
2 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tspn salt
1 1/2 tspn black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms, ground

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a large casserole dish.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pork, beef, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and porcini mushrooms.
Using your hands, form golf ball sized meatballs.
Place the meatballs into the casserole dish and place the dish into the oven.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the casserole dish containing the meatballs from the oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cover the meatballs with your favorite spaghetti sauce. I used canned pizza sauce.
When the temperature in the oven has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place the meatballs back into the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remove the meat balls from the oven and serve hot.

Italy [ print this recipe for Italian Meat Balls ]

Issan Samaga Wattakka Soup (Pumpkin Soup with Shrimp) Recipe

2011-09-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe for Issan Samaga Wattakka Soup is similar to the recipe for Soupa de Jerimum, a Portuguese dish. This is most likely attributed to the Portuguese influence in Sri Lanka during the Colonial Period when Portugal's trading empire stretched from Lisbon to most of East Asia.

The flavors of these two soups are quite different, however, as Issan Samaga Wattakka features shrimp instead of sausage. Issan Samaga Wattakka is also seasoned with spices popular in Indian cuisine such as cumin and coriander while Soupa de Jerimum relies on parsley and sage.

Recommended Equipment:
blender or food processor
large pot or Dutch Oven with a lid

Ingredients:
1/2 (approximately 4 1/2 pound pumpkin)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tspn kosher salt
3 + 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups yellow onions, diced
1 leak (white portion until it turns a deep green), sliced into rounds
1 bay leaf
2 tspn brown sugar
1 tspn ground black pepper
2 tspn coriander, ground
2 tspn cumin seeds, ground
1 tspn chile powder
1 tspn cayenne powder
1 32 oz. box of chicken stock (about 5 1/2 cups)
2 tbsp vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined

Preparation:

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy interior. Reserve the seeds for garnish (see recipe for baked pumpkin seeds). Cut the tough outer layer of the pumpkin from the softer flesh of the interior. Cut the flesh into small 1/2 to 1 inch cubes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin cubes, 2 tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 tspn salt.
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp flour. Stir the mixture continuously for about 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture becomes the color of peanut butter.
Add the pumpkin cubes and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the onions, leek, brown sugar, black pepper, coriander, cumin, chile powder, and cayenne.
Cook over medium heat until the onions become clear and translucent.
Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and puree.
Pour the pureed pumpkin mixture back into the large pot and add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and 2 tbsp of vinegar.
In a skillet over medium heat, place 2 tbsp butter and the minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until the shrimp turns color about 3 minutes.
Remove the shrimp and pour the garlic and butter to the pot.
Chop up 1/2 of the shrimp into small pieces and then add all of the shrimp to the pot.
Serve hot garnished with baked pumpkin seeds.

Sri Lanka [ print this recipe for Issan Samaga Wattakka Soup ]

Risotto Milanese Recipe

2011-09-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

Legend has it that risotto Milanese dates back to 1574, when a stained-glass artisan, Zafferano, added the saffron he used for his paintings to his daughter's wedding risotto. It became (and still is) the talk of the town!

Tips:
If you don't have saffron, omit the hot water, increase the chicken broth to 3 cups(750 mL) and replace the saffron with 2 tspn(10 mL) ground turmeric, adding it with the broth.

The risotto will hold on the Keep Warm cycle for about an hour, but you'll need to add 1/4 cup(60 mL) more broth for a creamy consistency. Wait until you're ready to serve before folding in the Parmesan, seasoning and garnishing.

Recommended Equipment:
Medium to large rice cooker; fuzzy logic (preferred) or on/off

Ingredients:
1 tspn crushed saffron threads
1/4 cup hot water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 tspn butter, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arbrorio rice
1/4 cup white wine
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine saffron threads and hot water; set aside to steep.
Set the rice cooker for the Quick Cook or Regular cycle. When the bottom of the bowl gets hot, add oil and 1 tbsp (15 mL0 butter and let butter melt. Sauté onion for about 3 minutes or until softened and translucent.
Sauté for about 4 minutes or until rice is mostly translucent and only a dot of white remains. Stir in wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until evaporated. Stir in saffron infused water and broth. Close the lid and reset for the Porridge or Regular cycle. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Stir two or three times while the risotto is cooking.
When the timer sounds, check to make sure the risotto is al dente. If necessary, continue cooking, checking for doneness every 5 minutes. Fold in the remaining butter. Fold in Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Recipe courtesy of 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin

Italy [ print this recipe for Risotto Milanese ]

Holupki (Gołąbki) Recipe

2011-09-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Holupki originated in Poland but is popular and is known by other names throughout Eastern Europe. They are made with a mixture of ground beef and pork formed into a fist sized ball. This is then wrapped in lightly steamed cabbage and cooked slow and low with sauerkraut and tomato sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
Large pot or Dutch Oven with a lid

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 egg
1 yellow onion, diced
4 + 1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 head of cabbage
1 jar sauerkraut
1 12oz. can tomato soup

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, mix together the pork, beef, uncooked rice, egg, diced onion, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients so that they are well combined. Set aside for later.
In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the head of cabbage to the pot and boil for about 5 minutes or enough time for leaves to loosen up so that you can peel them off the head. You may have to peel a few cabbage leafs off then return the head to the pot to loosen more leaves. The leaves should be tender enough to peal off of the head without tearing them. After you have peeled off most or all of the leaves, pour out any remaining water and dry out the inside of the pot.
Form small, handful sized balls of the meat mixture and wrap each with a single cabbage leaf.
Place the wrapped balls of meat (Holupki) in the bottom of the large pot.
When the bottom of the pot is covered with Holupki, cover them with a layer of sauerkraut.
Repeat steps 3 through 5 until you have wrapped up all of the meat.
Add 1 cup of water and 1 can of tomato soup to the pot.
Place cover on the pot and cook over low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

Poland [ print this recipe for Holupki ]

Thai Fish Curry on Jasmine Rice

2011-09-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

There are hundreds of different kinds of curry, but I like this one because the red curry sauce gives the fish a delicious tangy flavor.

Recommended Equipment:
medium rice cooker; fuzzy logic or on/off
blender or food processor

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Thai jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
2 1/4 cups water
2 tspn ground cumin
2 tspn ground coriander
1 tspn minced ginger root
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup tamarind paste (see tip below)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tspn Thai red curry paste
2 lime leaves, minced (optional)
1 1/2 pounds skinless swordfish or red snapper, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 cup diced seeded tomato
fresh cilantro sprigs
lime wedges

Preparation:

In the rice cooker bowl, combine rice and water. Set the rice cooker for the Regular cycle. At the end of the cycle, hold rice on the Keep Warm cycle.
In blender, combine cumin, coriander, ginger, coconut milk, tamarind paste, fish sauce and Thai red curry paste; purée until smooth.
Pour sauce into a wok or large nonstick skillet and add lime leaves (if using). Bring to a boil over high heat. Add fish, mushrooms, chopped cilantro and brown sugar; reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Gently stir in tomato and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
Fluff rice with a wooden spoon or plastic paddle and scoop into deep serving bowls. Top with fish curry and garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Tip:
Tamarind paste is the tart pulp that surrounds the seeds of the tamarind pod. It is used much like lemon - to provide acid - and is commonly added to grilling glazes, barbecue sauces and curries. It can be found at Asian markets. If you can't find tamarind paste, you may substitute lemon or lime juice mixed with a bit of brown sugar.

Coconut Milk:
Coconut milk adds a delicious flavor to rice and is used in many Thai, Southeast Asian, West African, West Indian and Hawaiian recipes. It contains essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that supply a host of benefits to the human body, including strengthening bones and promoting healthy brain development. Because it's non-dairy, it's wonderful for lactose-free diets.

Recipe courtesy of 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes by Katie Chin

Thailand [ print this recipe for Thai Fish Curry ]

Velouté Sauce Recipe

2011-09-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

Velouté is a basic sauce that along with Béchamel, Allemande, and Espagnole is know as one of the four French "mother sauces." It goes great with lasagna and meatballs or it can be used as a base to make more complex sauces. You start by making a roux (flour and some kind of fat) and then add the stock of your choice.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp butter, unsalted
2 1/2 cups beef, vegetable, or fish stock
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour.
Using a whisk, stir the mixture continuously until it turns the color of peanut butter - about 4 minutes.
To finish the velouté sauce, add the stock of your choice slowly as you whisk. Cook until the mixture begins to boil then reduce the heat to simmer.
Serve when the sauce reaches the desired thickness.

France [ print this recipe for Velouté Sauce ]

Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

2011-09-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Chicken Vindaloo comes from Goa, the former Portuguese trading outpost on the West Indian coast. It is a unique fusion of Indian and Portuguese cooking that is now popular in one form or another throughout most of India. It is both sweet and spicy with a hearty chicken based sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
food processor
mortar and pestle or spice grinder
cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven with lid

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
3 tbsp fresh ginger, diced
4 red chilis
2 tspn brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

for spice mix:
1/2 tspn cardamom, ground
1 tspn cinnamon, ground
1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn turmeric powder
1/2 tspn peppercorns
1/2 tspn toasted fenugreek seeds
1 tspn cloves
1 tbsp cumin
4 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tspn mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Cilantro

Preparation:

In a small bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in the vinegar. Add the chilis, diced garlic, and ginger to the vinegar mixture and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.
Add the vinegar mixture to a food processor. Pulse the mixture to form a paste.
Pour the paste into an air-tight container and then add the pieces of chicken to the paste. Stir the chicken so that all of the pieces are well coated with the paste. Seal the container and then refrigerate for 2 hours.
While the chicken marinates, construct the dry spice mix. Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind the peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, cloves, and cumin into powder. Pour this powder into a small bowl along with the cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and turmeric. Mix well and set aside.
In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and mustard seeds over medium heat.
When the seeds begin to pop, add the diced onion and cook until the onion begins to turn golden brown.
Add the chicken and the paste/marinade to the skillet and cook until the chicken begins to brown.
Add the dry spice mixture to the chicken and place a lid on the skillet. Reduce heat to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the mixture becomes thick. Stir the mixture occasionally.
Serve hot over steamed Basmati rice with cilantro garnish.

India [ print this recipe for chicken vindaloo ]

Watermelon with Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar

2011-09-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

In the past, I've mostly used balsamic vinegar in marinades and salad dressing. However, I recently received a sample of Aceto Balsamico di Modena from The Artisanal Kitchen and I wanted to use it in a dish in which the vinegar's taste stayed intact and was not diluted by other overpowering flavors. I decided to try a simple combination of watermelon cubes with a turn of fresh ground pepper topped off with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. This turned out to be an interesting and amazingly complex tasting dish for such a simple recipe.

Ingredients:
watermelon cit into 1 inch cubes
1 turn of fresh ground black pepper
1 tspn balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Slice the watermelon into 1 inch cubes.
Lightly sprinkle 1 turn of fresh ground black pepper.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar evenly over the cubes of watermelon.

Italy [ print this recipe ]

Acarajé Recipe

2011-09-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

The first time that I tried acarajé was at the airport in Salvador, Bahia (located on Brazil's central coast region). 3 ladies wearing traditional Bahian attire (see below) were sitting just outside of the terminal in a make-shift kitchen consisting of a couple of large metal pots, a butane burner and a few coolers. They recommended their acarajé, a specialty of the region. These deep-fried cakes consisting of mashed beans, shrimp, and spices were so good that I found myself ordering them throughout my stay in Salvador. This is a simple recipe. You can form acarajé as cakes or balls depending on your preferred serving size.

Recommended Equipment:
food processor or blender

Ingredients:
1 15oz. can navy beans, drained
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 Serrano pepper, diced
1 cup of fresh shrimp, chopped
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn black pepper
3 tbsp manioc or tapioca flour
oil for frying

dipping sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 shrimp. finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 to 3 dried hot peppers
3 tbsp dendê oil (palm oil)
1/4 tspn salt

Preparation:

Place the beans, onion, Serrano pepper and shrimp into a food processor and pulse to form a smooth paste.
Add salt, pepper, and flour and mix the ingredients until they are well combined.
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil for deep frying.
While the oil heats up, form the acarajé using your hands. You can form them as balls or paddies - it's up to you. You can even garnish them with small dried shrimp pressed into the pattie if you prefer.
Serve hot with dipping sauce.

dipping sauce:

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the shrimp, onions, and hot peppers.
When the onions become clear and translucent, add the dendê oil and salt to the skillet and reduce the heat to simmer.
Serve when all of the acarajé are ready.

Brasil [ print this recipe ]

Book Review: The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook

2011-09-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook, by June Hersh, is an extensive collection of recipes using kosher meats. Additional recipes for soups, side dishes, sauces and chutneys are also included that use creative substitutions in order to keep kosher. Hersh has conferred with a cast of expert butchers from across the United States to create an insightful guide for all things involving the selection, preparation, and seasoning of kosher meats. Recipes range from traditional kosher dishes such as Matzo Ball Soup and Chicken with Prunes Tsimmes to more contemporary recipes like Korean Kalbi Ribs and Beer Basted Chicken.

We decided to try two Romanian dishes from the Kosher Carnivore, the Spicy Grilled Mititei and the Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad along with the traditional Martha’s Excellent Matzo Ball Soup Recipe. The Mititei reminded me of simple street food that you might find served late night on the streets of Bucharest. The seasoned pieces of skewered ground beef, grilled over charcoal flame and served with a tangy dipping sauce were delicious. Many of the recipes in this book include ”Behind the Counter” sections where Hersh provides vital information about buying the cut of meat in the recipe as well as how to make comparable substitutions if it is not available. “Side Notes” is another useful section included in many of the recipes where the author makes other helpful suggestions. In fact, the side note to the Mititei recipe suggested that we serve it with the Eggplant and Tomato Salad so that is exactly what we did. This recipe also turned out great and was indeed a perfect paring with the Mititei. The tomato, eggplant, olive oil, and fresh basil in this salad, together made a great tasting, healthy Mediterranean style dish.

The next day, we tried Martha’s Excellent Matzo Ball Soup. This recipe called for us to first make the broth from scratch, add the garnish of carrots and fresh dill, followed by hand-made matzo balls. We used the excess chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches (not kosher but they did go really well with the soup). Anyway, this matzo ball soup was a good base recipe and the matzo balls turned out perfect. However, the broth was little light on flavor so I added some celery and some poultry seasoning along with the recommended kosher salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.

We believe that the Kosher Carnivore will appeal to most cooks, regardless of their faith. The kosher methods used for selecting, preparing, and seasoning meats and avoiding the mixture of meat and dairy products are consistent with safer, healthier cooking in general. The book’s chapters on cooking methods for meats and building flavor were very informative. The discussion of which types of animals and which cuts of meat are kosher was also very interesting. Until reading this book, we had no idea that wine could be kosher or non-kosher, but it can. Hersh provides a useful reference in the Kosher Wine Society's website where you can pair wine with food or vice versa. The Kosher Carnivore’s collection of recipes is its main strength, however. The book includes many upgrades of classic dishes as well as a wealth of contemporary favorites to explore. June Hersh was very inventive in her creation of healthier, kosher versions of entrees and side dishes alike. For example, her recipe for creamed spinach uses olive oil instead of cream and butter to deliver the same great tasting dish without all of the fat. Indeed, wholesome, healthy ingredients are a prevailing theme throughout most of Hersh’s recipes. Any cook will find some favorite recipes in this book. We give the Kosher Carnivore four out of five stars.

Related Article:
12 Kosher Wines Besides Manischewitz

Martha’s Excellent Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

2011-09-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

There might not be a more iconic use of chicken than in “Jewish penicillin,” homemade chicken soup. There’s actually some scientific explanation of why chicken soup has medicinal powers, but for me, it’s all about the taste. One of the best bowls of chicken soup you can find in New York is served nightly at Blue Ribbon, Eric and Bruce Bromberg’s wonderful restaurant. Their Grandma Martha’s soup is a mainstay on their menu, and her ethereal matzo balls are legendary. The Bromberg brothers write that her soup and matzo balls are “a return to simpler things, simple things that if done just so can transform life and lead to so much more.” With that introduction, we present Grandma Martha’s Excellent Soup and Matzo Ball recipe.

Ingredients:
For the broth
1 whole 3 to 4 pound) hen
1 tbsp kosher salt
4 celery stalks with leaves, cleaned and chopped
3 carrots, cleaned and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
3 whole unpeeled garlic cloves
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs dill
1/2 tspn whole black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves

For the garnish
Carrot rounds (blanched until soft)
Chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Matzo balls
1 cup matzo meal
4 eggs
1 oz. rendered chicken fat (schmaltz)
1/2 oz. kosher salt
1/2 tspn double-acting baking powder
2 oz. seltzer

Preparation:

For the broth: Rub chicken with kosher salt, inside and out. Let stand 15 minutes. Rinse well under cold water. Pat dry with paper towel. Put chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil. Impurities will rise to the top; skim them off and discard. Add the rest of the broth ingredients. Bring back to a boil, skim again, then reduce to simmer. After simmering for 45 minutes (or until chicken is cooked) remove chicken from the pot. Take the meat off of the bone (save meat for another meal) and put the bones back in pot and cook for 1 hour more. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth. Cool in the refrigerator. When cool, the fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to remove.
For the matzo balls: In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the seltzer and mix well. Add seltzer and set the mixture aside, covered, in the refrigerator, for 1 hour. Fill a large-diameter pot three quarters full with water and bring to a simmer. With wet hands roll the matzo mixture into 1-ounce balls. Lower balls into water on a slotted spoon. Cook until the matzo balls are tender, 45 to 60 minutes (test with toothpick or do what Eric Bromberg does and cut in half). The balls should be light and fluffy in the center. Let the matzo balls cool.
For soup: Bring the broth to a boil with the carrot rounds, the dill, and the matzo balls. Season to taste. The soup is ready to serve when the matzo balls are warm in the center.

Serves 8 to 10

Start to Finish: Under 2 1/2 hours

Recipe courtesy of The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Book by June Hersh

Israel [ print this recipe ]

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad Recipe

2011-09-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

Every Romanian household serves a version of this classic dish. Some insist you chop the eggplant with the side of a ceramic plate, others argue that only wood can come in contact with the temperamental vegetable. Truth is, chop as you please and add garlic and herbs to your taste.

Recommended Equipment:
hak-messer (mezzaluna)

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, cut in half lengthwise, stems and ends removed.
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 cup drained diced canned tomatoes
1 tspn sweet or hot Hungarian paprika
1/4 tspn ground cumin
1/4 tspn dried oregano
1 tspn kosher salt
1/4 tspn freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation:

Preheat the broiler and lightly oil a small rimmed baking sheet. Place the eggplant halves, skin side up, on the baking sheet and broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source until the skin begins to crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the eggplant from the baking sheet and place in a colander to drain. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, remove any large seeds, pull out the eggplant meat, and discard the skin; set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, paprika, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat, until everything is heated through and fully incorporated, about 5 minutes.
Toss in the eggplant and stir to combine. Set aside to cool. When the mixture is cool, chop by hand using a hak-messer (mezzaluna), or pulse in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. You don’t want to over process and lose the texture or cause the mixture to become thin and runny.
Stir in the parsley, basil, and lemon juice. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 4 to 6

Start to Finish: Under 45 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Book by June Hersh

Romania [ print this recipe ]

Spicy Grilled Mititei Recipe

2011-09-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

These garlicky little bites of ground meat are Romania’s answer to trendy street food. They are crowd-pleasers hot off the grill and served on long bamboo skewers with dipping sauce or simple grainy mustard. The texture of these little sausages can vary from dense and meatball-like to authentic and spongy when seltzer and baking soda are added.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
4 to 5 garlic cloves
1 tspn kosher salt
1 tspn sweet or hot Hungarian paprika
1/2 tspn freshly ground black pepper
Generous splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp seltzer or club soda, optional
2 tspn baking soda, optional

For the dipping sauce
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tspn ground cumin
Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Put the ground beef in a medium bowl.
Grate the garlic using a Microplane over the meat so the garlic juice is included; you want about 2 tablespoons total.
Add the salt, paprika, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and parsley. For a more authentic spongy texture add the seltzer and baking soda. Use your hands to thoroughly blend the spices into the meat.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
Combine the dipping sauce ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to cook, light the grill or preheat the broiler and take the meat out of the fridge.
Wet your hands and form the meat into rounds the size of a golf ball, then elongate them into 3-inch thumb-like shapes.
Grill or broil for 4 to 5 minutes, turn them over, and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer. Serve with the dipping sauce or mustard on the side.

Makes 12 pieces.

Start to Finish: 15 minutes to prepare the meat; at least 4 or up to 24 hours to rest in the fridge; under 15 minutes to grill.

Recipe courtesy of The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Book by June Hersh

Romania [ print this recipe ]

Shoo-Fly Pie Recipe

2011-09-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Shoo-fly Pie is extremely popular in Pennsylvania however this rustic, mildly sweet molasses treat originated in Canada. Apparently, this pie was named "shoo-fly" because flies would be so attracted to the sweet molasses filling that they had to be constantly "shooooo-ed" away.

Regardless of how this Shoo-Fly Pie got its name, you should give it a try this Autumn. It has an unusually mild, almost-licorice taste with the texture similar to pecan pie. Try a slice with a cup of cafe noir or Indian Coffee.

Ingredients:
All-Purpose Pie Crust

For the filling:
1 cup molasses
1 tspn baking soda
1 cup warm water
For the crumbs on top:
2 cups flour
1 tspn cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:

Prepare an all-purpose pie crust. (You will only need to use one of the two crusts).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar.
Add the butter to the flour mixture and mash the pieces of butter into the flour using a wooden spoon so that the butter forms fine crumbs.
In another mixing bowl, dissolve the baking soda into the warm water. Add the molasses. Whisk the mixture until foamy.
Pour molasses mixture into the chilled pie crust.
Sprinkle the flour/crumb mixture over the top.
Place the pie in the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until crust is browned and the filling is set, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Canada [ print this recipe for Shoo-Fly Pie ]