Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Basic Whole Wheat Pancakes
Italian Easter Bread The Resurrection of a Great Family Recipe
Easter is a very underrated food holiday. What red-blooded, red meat eater doesnt salivate at the site and smell of a garlic-studded roasting leg of lamb?Ive always enjoyed the simple pleasure of a properly cooked hard-boiled Easter egg, and its colorfully decorated shell. And, of course, theres the chocolate eggs, tucked down in pink plastic excelsior grass.
Remember how you would slowly lift the egg out of the basket and immediately gauge the weight. In a millisecond you knew if it was a feather-light, hollow chocolate shell, or heavy and dense - filled with solid chocolate or some other exotic goo.If you were lucky enough to grow up in an Italian-American home, theres a good chance you got to enjoy the smell of freshly baked Easter bread, with its unmistakable anisette aroma filling the air.
The smell was heady, but so was the sight of those glossy iced braids, bejeweled with candy sprinkles (click here for the icing recipe). The sweet, spicy, eggy, buttery taste was complex, but at the same time, familiar and comforting.This loaf of Easter bread is one of my favorite holiday traditions, and an authentic family heirloom recipe. Made the same way as my mother, and her mother, and her mothers mother made it. I hope you give this a try, and remember, its never too late to start and old family tradition. Happy Easter! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100 degrees F.)
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp aniseeds
1 1/2 tbsp anise extract
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
*CLICK HERE for the icing recipe!
Meatballs Soup
Now i cook it for my family.
Ingredients
3 quarts water
1 lb ground chicken or any meat
2 eggs
6 med potatoes
1 med onion
2 carrots
oil
Salt, Pepper, Bay leaf, Parsley, Dill.
Cut into cubes onion. Shred carrots and put in the oiled skillet. Cook until golden brown.
Boil water.Add bay leaf and salt. Put meat and eggs in the bowl add salt, pepper. Make medium size balls. Roll in the flour. Put in the boiling water. Boil for 1 min.
Add greens.
Enjoy with 1/2 tsp of mayo in your plate.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
By food blogs for crockpot recipe inspiration
The Internet is full of search engines recipe, recipe sites and food blogs, so it is simply a pleasant afternoon browsing you can enjoy. Can learn new recipes to discover new combinations of herbs and spices use with your favorite meat and eat fish or drool colorful photos.
Food of blogs can really be a real inspiration if you are stuck in a rut to prepare skew it Abendessen.Wenn, the same cooking over and make you a few new ideas not only to may have themselves a new challenge in the kitchen, but so can something new and tasty for your family.
Why are crockpot recipes popular again
If you regularly read food of blogs or use recipe search engines, perhaps you have noticed crockpot very coveted sind.Sie were in the middle of the last century recipes already popular but then seemed to be less so in the coming decades. These days are slow cookers really back in fashion. This is mainly because the modern lifestyle requires it.
Work with parents from all day can be difficult to make good quality meals. If both MOM and Dad home on five or six in the evening, after a long day at work, thought to make dinner from scratch can be a daunting sein.Dies is one of the main reasons that crockpot to cook again in a big way. Some ingredients in the crockpot in the morning to take and leave the meal to perfection by itself to Cook is very tempting.
It is the rage, and why you now enjoy a renewed popularity wonderfully at home to a warm meal that is ready to eat all required.the why were Crockpots when you started.
Modern slow cookers have come a long way since half a century.There is even a "smart pot" well, this is the new improved Crockpot.Dies is a programmable crockpot has more temperature levels, better features and improved reliability.Slow cooking has always been a time saver, but with this new wave of Crockpots and Smartpots can even more.
Food of blogs with crockpot recipes
There are different types of food of blogs.Detail some restaurants, recommend and shows photos of restaurant meals.Other on recipes with corresponding photos of the delicious dishes you can make if you follow the recipes.
There are hundreds of food of blogs with slow cooker Rezepte.Wenn old crockpot can use it, some of the newest and most exciting crockpot recipes to machen.Wenn not, why not invest in a slow cooker or even a "smart pot", so can some simple slow cooker recipes to impress your family?
Remember that food of blogs in the voice written means the blog owner be, not necessarily with all agree could you say he or she hat.Eher than anything, read what believe on food of blogs, why not customize the recipes? this means read recipes and Anpassung.Verwenden basic idea but tweak the ingredients and spices to come up with a new and delicious slow cooker recipe of their own.
Can recipe search engines and blogs about food, to search recipes, discover new cooking techniques or only to some suggestions for new dinner ideen.Wenn are you in a cooking rut, you try why not browse some food of blogs and inspire something new in the kitchen?
RecipeDirectory.org where the network search for recipe sites
Uh Oh! SpaghettiOs
Denise from the blog ChezUs has posted a “gourmet” homemade version of the retro classic, Chef Boyardee SpaghettiOs, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t look at a picture of SpaghettiOs without smiling.I don’t even remember if I was fed SpaghettiOs as a child. I’d ask my mom, but like any good Italian she would probably never admit to it. Regardless, I’ve always been fascinated by the SpaghettiO. Why hasn’t the ring caught on as a pasta shape?
You would think that the shape’s popularity as a canned foods staple would have caught on with pasta makers, homemakers, and chefs, but that hasnt been the case. Did Chef Boyardee have a gang of thugs from Piacenza, Italy, that “recommended” others not use it? Since there’s no way to know for sure, let’s assume he did.
Anyway, I applaud Denise and her fearless attempt to bring SpaghettiOs into your lives sans cans. Her recipe looks delicious, and I’m sure it will be making an appearance here in video form someday. Get the recipe, and read her post here. Enjoy!
Photo (c) ChezUs
Monday, April 28, 2014
Bibliophile’s shrimp sandwich
While this is hardly Icelandic, I will say that Icelanders have a fondness for sandwiches filled with mayonnaise-based salads. Shrimp salad is one of the most popular. This is a healthier option that uses less mayonnaise.
2 slices of sandwich bread (I prefer whole-wheat, but French is just as tasty). When I intend to eat a sandwich like this while reading, I use pita bread.
1 small handful frozen arctic shrimp, thawed and drained
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
1 slice sandwich ham (optional)
mayonnaise (see note)
pepper or fresh chives
Spread mayonnaise on each bread slice according to taste. Put ham slice (if using) on one bread slice and top with egg. Top egg slices with shrimp, grind some pepper over it or sprinkle it with finely chopped chives and close the sandwich.
OR
Finely chop the ham and mash the egg with a fork. Put into a bowl with shrimp and 2 tbs mayonnaise. Give it a grind of pepper and mix everything together and fill the sandwich. This method requires more mayonnaise than the other.
Variation:
2 slices of bread
1 handful of frozen arctic shrimp
2 slices of sandwich ham
1 pineapple ring, finely chopped or mashed, and drained
mayonnaise (see note)
garlic to taste
Same processing methods as above.
A note on mayonnaise:
The favourite brand of mayonnaise in Iceland is Gunnars Majónes, which is thick and creamy with a slightly sour flavour that reminds me of sour cream or yogurt. If the ingrdients in a salad or dip are well drained, it holds well together. I tried using Hellmann’s mayonnaise to make this shrimp salat and I do not recommend it. The mayonnaise becomes soupy and merely coats the ingredients rather than hold them together and the salad has an unpleasant, almost metallic, vinegary taste that does not go well with those ingredients. If you want to approximate the taste of Icelandic mayonnaise, try making it at home, make it thick, use oil with a mild flavour, use as little vinegar/lemon juice as possible, and add a bit of mustard.
Sunday night dinner Chickpea Basil burgers
We all love burgers, at least most of us. This one is way easier than the mixed vegetable burgers, where you have to clean, cut and prepare an assortment of veggies. This one has just two main ingredients - chickpeas and potatoes. Add to this your favourite greens and spices and you have some really filling burgers ready. Eat them as it is, or as an open sandwich or inside a burger bun. Choice is yours. Pair it with slices of fresh cucumber and tomatoes, lettuce if fresh ones are available - to make up for the lack of vegetables in the burger. I like it with a kick of sharp mustard like Colemans but ketchup, barbeque sauce, pepper sauce, anything is fine.
Chickpeas are vegetarians best friends to catch up with protein requirements. Not to mention how loaded in fibre and folic acid they are. Two of these patties provide 25% of your daily fibre requirement and 35% of your folic acid requirement. Combine chickpeas with rice or bread and you get a high quality protein from the meal from a combination of various amino acids. The fibre content not only keeps your full for longer but also helps lower bad cholesterol. Fibre also makes sure your sugar levels go up gradually and this is of special benefit for diabetics.
Ingredients
1/2-3/4 Cup dried chickpeas - soaked in lots of water overnight
1/2 cup mashed potato
1/3 cup chopped basil leaves or any other herbs / greens
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Besan / gram flour if required
2 tsp olive oil or vegetable oil
To assemble
Bread of your choice (6 burger buns or 12 slices of bread)
Sliced tomatoes, cucumber, washed and dried lettuce leaves
6 cheese slices (optional)
Ketchup, mustard
Directions
- Pressure cook the chickpeas with 2 cups water for 8 minutes or so. (After 3 whistles, lower the flame and keep on sim for 7-8 minutes)
- Drain and mash with a heavy mortar or till coarsely mashed in a food processor.
- In a large bowl, mix mashed chickpeas, potatoes, chopped basil, pepper, salt, red chilli powder.
- Sprinkle gram flour or bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet.
- Divide this into six balls, flatten into thick patties and place on a lightly greased non-stick tava / skillet on a medium flame. Grill each side for 5-7 minutes, till golden brown using little olive oil.
- Remove and keep aside.
Lightly toast the bread for the burger on the same hot skillet. Apply mustard on both slices. Place the cucumber and tomato slices, cheese slice and place the hot burger on the top. Cover with more salad if you like and a slice of bread or the other half of burger bun.
Eat / serve immediately.
Note
If you mash the chickpeas in the food processor, make sure you use the pulse function so it does not turn into a paste, after which it will be tough to shape them into burgers.
You can prepare these upto the shaping into patties stage and freeze them keeping a layer of cling film / butter paper in between and directly grill them on the pan for a weekday dinner.
Cranberry Marshmallows
Ive been interested in making marshmallows for a while. The big problem with them is that they are so very, very sweet. I hoped that by using unsweetened cranberry juice, it would tone them down a bit, and it works very well. These are the least-sweet seeming marshmallows Ive ever had. Id like to try them with lemon or lime juice as well but I have not gotten around to that yet.
If you wanted to accentuate the pinkness of these, you could add a drop or two of red food-colouring to the mixture as you beat it.
60 marshmallows
15 minutes prep time at either end, with a wait in the middle for setting
2/3 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
2 tablespoons gelatine powder
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon salt
about 1/4 cup corn starch
Put the cranberry juice into a mixing bowl, and sprinkle the gelatine evenly over the top of it. Set this aside. Have your electric mixer set up and ready to go. Line a large cookie tray with parchment paper, then butter the parchment paper throughly.
Put the sugar, water and salt into a pot and bring to a boil. Boil steadily for 5 minutes, but DO NOT let the mixture caramelize - if you get the slightest indication that it is going to do that, remove it from the heat at once.
As soon as the boiling syrup is ready, pour it steadily into the juice and gelatine mixture and begin beating it at once. Beat on high speed for at least 5 minutes, until it is very stiff and fluffy.
Scrape the mixture onto the prepared pan and spread it out as evenly as possible, into a rectangular shape about an inch thick. Let it set thoroughly for several hours, then cut it into squares, using a knife dipped in corn starch between each stroke. Put a few of the cut up marshmallows into a bag containing a bit of corn starch and shake until evenly coated. Remove the marshmallows from the bag, shaking off any excess corn starch and set them out to dry slightly. Repeat with the remaining ones. Thats it: marshmallows!
Last year at this time I made Lemon-Caraway Cabbage and Buckwheat Pilaf.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Old fashioned recipes are still the best cook
It seems, like every day until a new medium offers online or on TV for recipe fans. Click cable channels, dedicated to the cooking have emerged, and individual programs offer an in-depth look at specific types of cooking, cooking and recipe-s. And on the Internet, there are more resources for new and old fashioned favorite recipe-s as well as forums and communities, search and other cooks recipe s share. More resources than ever available recipe fans are it everywhere, and new recipe-s that nobody has ever heard are invented every day. Even in the face of all new recipe s and styles, good old-fashioned recipe s Cook is still the number one favorite of Americans as well as good for people in other countries.
While implements our cooking tools and ingredients have changed dramatically over the last century (think of the microwave oven and Grease-free ingredients, for example), the favorite recipe-s are still those that well before a century until were cooked. Old fashioned favorite traditional meals to make always or most of meals cooked for families in the United States and other nations around the world.While changed how we cook the food has not really we essen.Obwohl it on different types can appear the old-fashioned favorites are still s reflected in recipe only as often as they were a century ago.
And can anyone really blame for enjoy old-fashioned cooking and recipe s more than new-age, bland strange food served in some new restaurants to?Recipe-s durchzuhuschen are those that our grandmothers and great grandmothers their families many years ago, and some people count recipe family s as your most valuable possessions behandelt.Sie commit this family recipe-s memory and passed your kids as heirlooms that are treated with reverence and respect. In fact, is even propose a small change in Grandmas traditional recipe enough some of todays chefs in their own home kitchens anger.
But wait: what about new Bold-frei and healthy eating crazing have covered much of the nation?For some, it is heresy, traditional family recipe s in fat to transform versions free of charge or healthy, it is still in fact possible but luckily, this traditional recipe-s create, while you taste similar to healthier Zutaten.Zum luck, many new healthy ingredients as our traditional less counterparts, so most people not much of a difference bemerken.Aber only probably better is not to be sure, the most traditional Diners mention you out of your way to your meal you eat a little healthy ging.Lassen and enjoy, and can healthiness your traditional recipe, your own secret be healthy!
Visit Blogger contest to find the best online Recipe contests and sweepstakes online.
I Know Everything About Cupcakes!!!
Let me start by saying I appreciate this, I really do. Not only because youve taken the time to notify me of cupcake news and events, but because youre obviously getting into cupcakes yourself. Admit it. Just a little...ehh??Saturday, April 26, 2014
Mughal Karahi
Ingredients
- Mutton ½ kg
- Yogurt 250 gm
- Onion chopped 1
- Bay leaf 1
- Boiled tomatoes 3
- Green chilies chopped 4
- Walnut ground 25 gm
- Garlic 4 - 5 cloves
- Ginger 1 piece
- Oil ¼ cup
- All spice powder 1 tsp
- Turmeric 1 tsp
- Chili powder 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder 1 tbsp
- Cardamom powder ½ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Heat ¼ cup oil in pan, add 1 chopped onion, 1 medium piece of ginger and 4 – 5cloves of chopped garlic. Sauté till brown.Now add ½ kg mutton and fry well.In a bowl mix together 250 gm yogurt, ½ tsp cardamom powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tbsp chili powder and 1 tsp turmeric. Add yogurt mixture to the pan.
- Now add 1 – 1 ½ cup water, cover and cook till mutton is tender.Add 3 boiled & chopped tomatoes, 25 gm ground walnut, 1 bay leaf and salt to taste. Fry well on high flame.Lastly sprinkle with 1 tsp all spice powder and serve.
Colonel Standhurst’s Beef Curry
Preparation Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
½ kg good beef cut into medium pieces
2 big tomatoes pureed
3 cloves, 2 pieces of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoons ginger paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 onions chopped
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
2 teaspoons chilly powder
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil
2 potatoes pealed and each cut into 8 pieces
Wash the meat and the potatoes. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, bay leaves, ginger paste and garlic paste. Fry for a few minutes. Add the meat and the chilly powder and mix well. Keep frying on low heat for some more time. Now add the tomatoes, salt, mint leaves, potatoes, and mix well. Add sufficient water and cook till the meat is done and the gravy is thick. If cooking in a pressure cooker turn off the heat after 6 whistles. Serve hot with rice.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Milwaukee 6509 31 12 Amp Sawzall Reciprocating Saw Kit
The Milwaukee 10 Amp Sawzall Reciprocating Saw is the most durable reciprocating saw on the market, and at only 7.1 pounds, it offers the best power to weight ratio in its class. The saw offers a 0-3000 strokes per minute variable speed trigger with 3/4in. stroke length and a Quick-Lok blade clamp for fast tool-less blade changes. Gear protecting clutch extends gear and motor life by absorbing high-impact forces. The rubber boot provides superior gripping, and the adjustable shoe provides longer blade life and more cut control. The blades can even be clamped upside down for special cutting needs. Volts: 120, Amps: 12, Variable Speed: Yes, Stroke Length (in.): 3/4, Strokes Per Minute (SPM): 0 - 3,000, Brake: Yes, Tool Length (in.): 18, Tool Weight (lbs.): 7.1, Case Included: YesPrice: $240.00
Click here to buy from Amazon
Pasta with Spring Spinach Pesto
As soon as I stopped posting, the weather improved and weve been in the garden almost non-stop ever since. We are still way, way behind where we would like to be. Ill post about that a bit later.
Meanwhile, this is something Ive been playing around with this spring. As you see, its pretty flexible. Almost all the measurements are fairly approximate, and you should emphasize whatever elements you like. In particular, the cheese you use will make a difference. Ive mostly been using some nice creamy chevre, but any soft cheese should do. The spinach gives it more body than a regular pesto, so it can go on thicker too. Some sliced asparagus added to the pasta at the end of the cooking would go well.
I would have liked to use some wild leeks (ramps) in this, but I havent seen any around here this spring. I haz a sad; the world is plainly going to hell in a handbasket. I know, I know; shut up already, and eat.
4 servings
20 minutes prep time
450 to 500 grams (1 pound) dry pasta
6 to 8 cups spinach
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped onion greens
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sunflower, pumpkin or nut seeds
1 to 2 tablespoons rubbed basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
salt as required - depends on the cheese!
150 to 200 grams soft creamy cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup light cream or chicken broth
a little grated Parmesan to serve over the top
Put a large pot of salted water on to cook for the pasta.
Wash and pick over the spinach, and rinse it again. Drain well, and chop coarsely.
Wash and trim the onion greens. You can use onion tops, wild leeks, garlic tops, leeks, chives; whatever greeny oniony stuff you can get your hands on. Again, chop them coarsely.
Heat the butter in a large skillet, and cook the onions until soft. Add the well-drained spinach and cook it down. Meanwhile, put the basil and cheese into the bowl of a food processor. When the spinach is soft and completely wilted, add the spinach and onions to the food processor, and whizz until well chopped. Add the cheese, and process again. Add the cream or broth, to make a loose, flowing but not liquidy sauce. Taste, and adjust the salt.
Toss the cooked, drained pasta with the sauce. If you are cooking capellini, it should not go into the boiling water to cook until the sauce is ready. If you are cooking regular pasta, done in the 9 to 11 minute range, the pasta should go in to cook as soon as the onions go into the pan with the butter.
Last year at this time I made Pizza with Asparagus, Mushrooms, Fiddleheads & Ramps, and Fried Onion Rings.
SANDRA’S RADIANT KIELBASA and BROCCOLI FRIED RICE
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| A complete, radiant, and delicious meal you can quickly prepare with leftover rice... |
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Eggplant Potato Bean Pepper Stir Fry
This was inspired by some of the dishes a Malaysian-Chinese room-mate of mine used to make. He used potatoes more as a vegetable, while I had always used them as a starch. He would have served something like this with rice for sure, although I served it as-is with some pan-fried fish on the side. Every single veggie is from our garden, which is always a thrill when that happens.
This isnt exactly a stir-fry since it doesnt happen very quickly, but I dont know what you would call it. Close enough for me.
4 servings
40 minutes prep time
Prepare the Veggies:
450 grams (1 pound) potatoes
250 grams ( 1/2 pound) green beans
250 grams (1/2 pound or 2 large) long Chinese eggplants
1 large onion
1 large red pepper
Wash the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Put them in a pot with water to cover, and bring them to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile wash, trim and chop the beans. Wash and trim the eggplants, and cut them into 1 cm wide slices. Cut the slices in half if they are large. Peel and chop the onion coarsely. Wash, trim, deseed and chop the red pepper into bite-sized pieces.
When the potatoes have boiled for 10 minutes, put the green beans in a colander, and drain the water from the potatoes over them to blanch them, but keep the potatoes in the pot so they are separate from each other. Rinse them both in cold water, and drain again.
Make the Sauce:
1 tablespoon peeled, minced ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons arrowroot or corn starch
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablepsoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sucanat or dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
The ginger and garlic dont exactly go into the sauce; peel them and mince them and set them aside.
Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Finish the Dish:
3 to 4 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a very large skillet. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minute until they are lightly browned.
Add another tablespoon of oil, and the eggplants. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes.
Add the onions, pepper, and green beans and a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the ginger and garlic, stir in well then add the sauce ingredients, still stirring. As soon as the sauce thickens - in moments - remove from the heat and serve.
Last year at this time I made Peach Jelly with Mint.
What is Up
I Guess Theyll Let Anyone Write a Cookbook!
If you follow me on Twitter you probably know, but Im officially announcing here on the blog that Ive signed an agreement with Parragon Publishing to do a cookbook!If everything goes as planned, it will eventually be four cookbooks , all focusing on American food (or at least what I consider American food).
I can’t give any firm dates or titles yet, but you will be the first to know. In addition to the regular distribution channels, Ill be able to sell them here for a special discount price, only available to my loyal Food Wishes fans. Stay tuned for more info in the coming months.
The Open Sky Project
I was contacted recently by an ecommerce start-up call Open Sky, and asked if I would be interested in being a "Shopkeeper" for their Home & Garden category. Their mission statement is "to connect consumers to experts and the products they love and use." Since I get so many emails about what products I use and recommend, I decided to go for it.
My Open Sky store is just getting started, and they only have a few products sourced so far, but eventually you will be able to find a wide range of my favorite kitchen and cooking-related products. By the way, the shopkeepers are given a share of the revenue, but NOT paid to endorse specific products.One reason I decided to get involved was the companys founder is John Caplan, who was one of the founders of About.com. Theyve also signed on some very high-profile foodies including one of my blogger role models, Michael Ruhlman. Stay tuned!
Now Warming Up in the Bullpen…
My mother Pauline is having some work done to her shoulder in a few weeks, so Ill be traveling to New York to help her out, and steal more of her recipes. I keep telling her she is too old to become the first female short reliever for the Yankees, but she just wont listen. She thinks this surgery will add at least 5 mph to her fastball, and who am I to argue.
SFQ and a Very Special Surprise Package
I will make the official announcement on Cyber Monday, but this years "please send me some money because Im going broke doing free videos" holiday gift offering will include a sneak preview of my wife Micheles soon to be famous San Francisco-style barbecue sauce, SFQ. The package will also include a small wooden bonus gift that will be sure to cause a "stir" (literally, thats your clue).Last year many of you supported the site by forking over your hard earned cash and purchased the Food Wish Favorites Vol. 1 DVD, containing 12 recipe videos that you could have watched for free online. I hope we can expect the same fantastic effort this year. It makes a huge difference. Stay tuned!
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
If youve been following the blog for a while you know things always slow down a little bit around the holidays. That will certainly be the case this year, especially with the unexpected travel back east, the cookbook project, gift package sales, and all the other normal holiday distractions. So, if you see a few days go by in between posts, do not be alarmed! Im fine. Just really busy. Enjoy!
How and Why to Use a Knife Steel – Our Most Cutting Edge Video Ever
I dont think there have been any official government studies regarding the use of knife steels, which is a good thing since that would have been a really silly use of taxpayer money (unlike investigating the sexual arousal in anesthetized female rats…true story).However, if such a study was done, I believe wed learn that most home cooks have no real idea what this very important tool is for. Many think its a knife sharpener, and when their knives get dull, they pull it out, only to be sorely disappointed that "it doesnt work."
A knife steel is made to keep a sharp knife, sharp, and will do so for quite a while if used properly. By the way, most cuts in a kitchen are due to dull knives, so this video may save you a visit to the ER. If you don’t have a steel, go buy one, theyre only about $20, and worth every penny!
If your knives are dull, please take them to professional knife sharpener (every city has one), and for a few dollars per knife you can have the edge put back on them. Then, using the simple technique youll see in this video, youll keep that sharp edge for a very long time. One thing I failed to mention in the clip, wipe the knife after using the steel – there will be a small amount of superfine metal dust produced. Enjoy!
Déjà vu
No, you’re no going crazy, I have done this lesson before, but it was for About.com, and Ive wanted to do a Food Wishes version for a long time. Im glad we straightened that out [rim shot].
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Ramadan Apricot Drink Qamar Al Din قمر الدين
Ingredients
Serves 6
3 cups of water
Sugar to taste
Optional Flavourings:
1 tablespoon Orange blossom water
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Refrigerate, serve cool or chilled.
Duck Fat Green Garlic Home fried Potatoes Skin for the Win
1 cup duck skin and fat trimmings
View the complete recipe
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
End of Summer Garden Update
So, ugh, where was I? Not so much in the garden, although there has been a lot going on there. Also, Dad came and stayed with us for a week to visit and to give his caregiving partner a break. Its kept me too busy and distracted to post anything.
We did finally get this little formal garden in front of the garage completely dug and edged. Good thing, as I had ordered 19 (19!) peonies to go in this fall. Not all in this bed, but it is known as the Peony and Iris Garden, as that is what is mostly to be there. Along with a row of colchicums to give a little interest in the fall.
Now that the addition to the house is finished, it was time to do some landscaping. Originally it was just going to integrate the addition into the rest of the space, but of course we expanded on that. One thing we did was to get rid of the weedy overgrown "orchard" that the previous owners had planted. Its now a formal strolling garden, and all it needs is a few plants... off to a start with 7 peonies, some camassia and a handful of martagon lilies.
In the vegetable garden, things are winding down. These are Red Noodle long beans. They are not really hardy here, but I tried growing them last year. They did extremely badly, but I did get a couple of dozen seeds out of them. This year they did much better. They were still rather late to produce, and gave it up as soon as it got even a little cool at night, They would be worth growing again if we loved them, but I think we decided they are more of a novelty and are going to save the space for something else next year.
Regular beans are mostly still going pretty well, although there are some signs of cold stress in the leaves. We planted a number of these quite late, after we pulled out early determinate peas, and it worked out quite well. Of course, the long hot summer helped. In more normal seasons if we wanted to do this, we would probably have to get those peas in as early as possible by covering the bed with a hoop house.
In spite of the long hot summer, tomatoes and melons are pretty much done. Powdery mildew arrived right on schedule, and on top of the septoria spot on the tomatoes was a game ender. Peppers are chugging along churning them out. Those bushy things in the front are borage plants. I put them in to help attract pollinators to the melons. Next year I will do it again, but put in a lot fewer. I forgot how perfectly enormous they get.
Sweet potatoes are still in, although we are watching the temperature every day, and keeping them warm under a hoop house. The soil cannot go below 55°F or they will be seriously damaged. We intend to pull them at 60°F. Right now seem to be getting down to 62°F at night, but as long as days are reasonably sunny and temperatures are steady we can leave them in. I hope. The potatoes next to them are dug, and onions are just about ready to come out too.
I actually took this photo last week. The corn is now out. We have decided not to try growing any next year. I think we got about 6 cobs out of that patch this year. Raccoons, squirrels and rats got all the rest, in spite of the electric fence. I think it was too dry for the fence to work well, and the drought also made the animals pretty desperate, but still, corn is just so much work for so little return for us. Were sad about it, but no more corn.
The grass needs cutting, I am way behind! This bed was late planted potatoes (in the end of July we threw in all the old sprouty ones in the basement from last year) and beets. Beets are plainly doing well and the potatoes look much better than expected. We will leave them to the last possible moment... whethere there are actually any taters under there remains to be seen.
Soy beans are out, peanuts are persevering and Arikara dry (yellow) beans are just reaching maturity. This is another bean bed planted late, after having had peas in it in the early spring.
Every year we swear we will support our pepper plants. Every year we look at them and think they are growing so sturdily and well, and dont get around to it. Every year the ripening peppers reach critical mass and the plants start toppling. Every year we swear we will support our pepper plants next year, for sure...
This is where the corn was planted. It is now out, and spinach, lettuce and a few other quick growing greens have been planted to overwinter under a hoop house, and be harvested in the spring.
Still have the tomatoes and cucumbers to pull out. They are almost dead, but still putting out the odd fruit. However, by the end of next week I suspect they will be gone. Time is getting short to get everything cleaned up for next year. Coming up (I hope) this week as well: canning a batch of tomatillo salsa and a batch of green tomato chow-chow. Okay, time to get busy...
VEGETARIAN CHILI
The inspiration for this dish was from Cook’s Country. I saw this episode this weekend where the chef prepared
INGREDIENTS:
- Pasta sauce or tomato sauce, 1-1/2 to 2 cups.
- Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon.
- Onion, medium-sized, 1.
- Garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
- Soy granules, 1 cup.
- Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
- Cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon.
- All spice powder (can be substituted with garam masala), ½ teaspoon.
- Oregano, ¼ teaspoon.
- Fresh parsley, ¼ cup.
- Brown sugar, a little. (I used agave nectar here).
- Salt and pepper as per taste.
PREPARATION:
To cook the soy granules, drop them in boiling water and let them cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove and let the nuggets or granules sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Drain the water and wash them twice and remove excess water from the granules or nugggets. Run them in a blender or food processor and blend everything into a smooth paste. Dice the onion finely. Heat a pan with some olive oil. When the oil turns hot, add the chopped onions and sauté for a few minutes until it is tender. Then add the garlic and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the powders and fry for a few minutes by adding a little more oil if needed. Then add the herbs, tomato sauce or pasta sauce, and tomato paste along with some salt and pepper. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the blended soya nuggets, mix everything well and cook closed for another 5-7 minutes. Serve hot over pasta with some grated cheese on top.
STEEPED BITTERGOURD JUICE/TEA AND SOME FACTS ABOUT HbA1c
I wanted to share a healthy soup idea with this post. This is from my mother-in-law. She always prepares a soup like this just before lunch for my father-in-law to keep his blood sugars under control. This is just bittergourd steeped juice/tea. Steeping the bittergourd like this concentrates all the essential juices even more than making a side dish or gravy with bittergourd. Drinking raw bittergourd juice is also very good for blood sugar control but I found that too bitter for me, so I just drink a steeped juice. I feel that making small changes like these goes a long way in preventing diabetes or pre-diabetes if you are in the risk group. I usually boil some slices of bittergourd (may be from a whole bittergourd) in a cup of water (sometimes I even microwave it for 2 minutes) and strain it and drink the water. I found this bitter for the first couple of times but eventually I acquired a taste for this and these days the bitterness doesn’t bother me.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Congratulations
My son Steven (Steve) got engaged to Shona last week and we had an informal engagement party at Shonas parents house. I made these Martha Stewart cupcakes to celebrate the occasion. More pictures of the engagement over at Serial Crafter.