tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62239827521977066232024-03-05T16:13:28.733-05:00Mary's Food JournalFood from the Diner's PerspectiveAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-48014582237874379062014-01-05T16:58:00.000-05:002014-01-06T19:21:25.501-05:0018-Hour Rise Artisan BreadLast month my counterpart started baking bread again with the intention of crafting a variety of basic bread recipes that we could share. This is the first in what will hopefully become a series on different types of breads you can make at home.<br />
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This is a variation of the <a href="http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/">Sullivan Street Bakery's</a> No-Knead Bread. This bread has a long, slow rise and is steamed while it is baked in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, creating a loaf with a thick, chewy crust and a dense, slightly doughy flesh. It has a nice wheat flavor and keeps well when wrapped in freezer paper and left on the counter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe8sYepRD2JsacqUZgl8De4dbEqVFCQId9m7biJg9sxdFkb4PM-UId_70yl1qA20ri6qJv0nGmUqoZboncbluv_8kFZhEu3l9KL7CW8McZFZXX3zk2OgpJrNXJd0753JitQtamaFUrLw/s1600/IMG_6886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe8sYepRD2JsacqUZgl8De4dbEqVFCQId9m7biJg9sxdFkb4PM-UId_70yl1qA20ri6qJv0nGmUqoZboncbluv_8kFZhEu3l9KL7CW8McZFZXX3zk2OgpJrNXJd0753JitQtamaFUrLw/s1600/IMG_6886.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>You will need:</div>
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5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/2 cup whole wheat flour</div>
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1 teaspoon yeast</div>
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1 tablespoon salt</div>
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2 teaspoons sugar</div>
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3 cups water</div>
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olive oil (for coating)</div>
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Combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and water, working the dough with your hands. We use a very large ceramic bowl for this until the dough is fairly well-formed. Turn it out onto a wooden board to kneed it together. We use a pizza paddle which is ideal for this recipe.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx-tThRQ63zSO1GHLIJFnNRIxJnfE7J1cI20AgBJWklMpiVb05X_lEjYd5zsTQYrtkbHcCHrE5B22gvgG2zzHN8bj3DJJEkIvqQf03V2JBTFA7HpCyhWD8ltPLUuPqTh_UEG33q4NNgQ/s1600/IMG_6894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx-tThRQ63zSO1GHLIJFnNRIxJnfE7J1cI20AgBJWklMpiVb05X_lEjYd5zsTQYrtkbHcCHrE5B22gvgG2zzHN8bj3DJJEkIvqQf03V2JBTFA7HpCyhWD8ltPLUuPqTh_UEG33q4NNgQ/s1600/IMG_6894.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unsifted all-purpose flour</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Active yeast, unproofed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kosher salt</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White sugar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work it by hand</td></tr>
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Work the dough on your board, adding just a little more flour or water as needed until you have a fairly homogeneous mass. Now it is ready for the first 18-hour rise.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqVigAzAcIXAsCDS54yuUCu6TR-LLNEjTypuzmyQUfuwJ-Il4CgeM0TldrmHL5PnX10I1uXdha-siOvst21uVj0DumuE0zmMEsiPOHv4uRBI8Wv2AequPnLuA6Y5hhrUBkgMlJkUZtAQ/s1600/IMG_6926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqVigAzAcIXAsCDS54yuUCu6TR-LLNEjTypuzmyQUfuwJ-Il4CgeM0TldrmHL5PnX10I1uXdha-siOvst21uVj0DumuE0zmMEsiPOHv4uRBI8Wv2AequPnLuA6Y5hhrUBkgMlJkUZtAQ/s1600/IMG_6926.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work it on the board</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOeXmefWz2bumpQdk0SO0UMWhjbxTHb01UxqTHUGEvXTUALB6OSpjRU82SFUUFR0Haw8xvCmduOXonMdFgV-hSqXz8cbF39wFwcffRf5A9PzuySCRDoZq6F-RdyhM09DxE2tlOFnlaXs/s1600/IMG_6938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOeXmefWz2bumpQdk0SO0UMWhjbxTHb01UxqTHUGEvXTUALB6OSpjRU82SFUUFR0Haw8xvCmduOXonMdFgV-hSqXz8cbF39wFwcffRf5A9PzuySCRDoZq6F-RdyhM09DxE2tlOFnlaXs/s1600/IMG_6938.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work it all together</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LBWI95b3j-RLwV3oPLW-c_OewagWlYf88QUCTwBOkuWJbttOPN4TrDHHODD8H5qtIl0cY0TtpWZQ3tVU_N5wqfZ5tJIuMbe_eumAVy0Jp7fy_WukJM0z1Virozefndv4LqqE0F08PTY/s1600/IMG_6950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LBWI95b3j-RLwV3oPLW-c_OewagWlYf88QUCTwBOkuWJbttOPN4TrDHHODD8H5qtIl0cY0TtpWZQ3tVU_N5wqfZ5tJIuMbe_eumAVy0Jp7fy_WukJM0z1Virozefndv4LqqE0F08PTY/s1600/IMG_6950.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the first rise</td></tr>
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Place your dough back in the bowl and coat it with olive oil. Cover it and place it in a warm spot in the kitchen and come back tomorrow.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkN2_t53l17ugEG8O61DXkD_UCjWo4JuRIOrZHZanvjg6h6ACmBhSUFrtjmm1QYf17WVpk3ObLfxFk-Ls_i44zNGx28HPOcei5sFp5OGc1m_d4t3qWPIJQfJFri_nXH3JCdSMkws8lJI/s1600/IMG_6955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkN2_t53l17ugEG8O61DXkD_UCjWo4JuRIOrZHZanvjg6h6ACmBhSUFrtjmm1QYf17WVpk3ObLfxFk-Ls_i44zNGx28HPOcei5sFp5OGc1m_d4t3qWPIJQfJFri_nXH3JCdSMkws8lJI/s1600/IMG_6955.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coat it with oil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExOWRVYii6EodoTBTPE18-Vlj9Vge2VvJrTVd9zARzvl3GnkrBDt47yNoh7P_pCjHXQMVoWL0hC61O-aebgu1TZpDEuUIjGhq7J2DQ4I3zZKWuelO_gjcthwRpRCMnHK-ht9I7iji8m8/s1600/IMG_6963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExOWRVYii6EodoTBTPE18-Vlj9Vge2VvJrTVd9zARzvl3GnkrBDt47yNoh7P_pCjHXQMVoWL0hC61O-aebgu1TZpDEuUIjGhq7J2DQ4I3zZKWuelO_gjcthwRpRCMnHK-ht9I7iji8m8/s1600/IMG_6963.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover it up and leave it alone</td></tr>
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After 18 hours, work the dough to prepare it for the second, mush shorter rise. Work the dough with your hands on your board to work out any air bubbles from the yeast,but also to build structure. Kneading the dough helps the proteins in the flour bind together to create a nice, dense loaf.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzzxwSBgU4EG2Kz3ZA69hHX0_oIM-K43NNvwqY_auGUNHSQUTK1fkYfuIRPFLOkEvaRw0sfPvoDgxMgv63NhKpmnOtsM4GlQMVRvMaa86ei-n66Gz7FYznNDSILVzk1FN5Vmd5X_MW-E/s1600/IMG_6964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzzxwSBgU4EG2Kz3ZA69hHX0_oIM-K43NNvwqY_auGUNHSQUTK1fkYfuIRPFLOkEvaRw0sfPvoDgxMgv63NhKpmnOtsM4GlQMVRvMaa86ei-n66Gz7FYznNDSILVzk1FN5Vmd5X_MW-E/s1600/IMG_6964.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knead it and shape it</td></tr>
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Shape the dough into two round loaves. Dust them with flour and wrap each of them loosely in cotton cloth. Let them rise for about four hours.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZ45hLRXoDkGK-HJ99MNVkx15Js5CpxNPQOkMKglIQUwR1Pf9YuwjgjMe3D17ukA-_iPS6Y6ifSaZZvti4It-RD1aaT3-rIRTKrg0Tx9rSb-chpQQV6wS8E5QopKi2wDcPp7JwS7GyQI/s1600/IMG_6985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZ45hLRXoDkGK-HJ99MNVkx15Js5CpxNPQOkMKglIQUwR1Pf9YuwjgjMe3D17ukA-_iPS6Y6ifSaZZvti4It-RD1aaT3-rIRTKrg0Tx9rSb-chpQQV6wS8E5QopKi2wDcPp7JwS7GyQI/s1600/IMG_6985.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the second rise</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQFexcdM1ywCphUezDpAEovUMc7XMOMmBlhiEawf6H_kc2CX-IzZyY6_UswrvXqbtli7_WVdstKF3X0CC6ik2L42-LFgLC7RxU42BNMCTPp2zuDAWGgW3r_5Jw-CiIH_jg-ECANqFefs/s1600/IMG_6994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQFexcdM1ywCphUezDpAEovUMc7XMOMmBlhiEawf6H_kc2CX-IzZyY6_UswrvXqbtli7_WVdstKF3X0CC6ik2L42-LFgLC7RxU42BNMCTPp2zuDAWGgW3r_5Jw-CiIH_jg-ECANqFefs/s1600/IMG_6994.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four hours later - ready for the oven</td></tr>
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About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 500 with your cast iron skillets inside. Carefully place your loaves inside your skillets, one at a time. The pizza paddle is very good here also.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxF5dTxdbfCl2QLJYSRldrmTejbYs76Ij6D7wksjBDxedoVTnhJ5Ay4q3D33y9FW5TArERzoJOuP5dozhrC0XMSlBr_rAkJq4eI4Lshu2KqSTzABuXHecqUKlUDLxvEYcJyBEKVssJ9Y/s1600/IMG_7008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxF5dTxdbfCl2QLJYSRldrmTejbYs76Ij6D7wksjBDxedoVTnhJ5Ay4q3D33y9FW5TArERzoJOuP5dozhrC0XMSlBr_rAkJq4eI4Lshu2KqSTzABuXHecqUKlUDLxvEYcJyBEKVssJ9Y/s1600/IMG_7008.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baking in hot cast iron skillets</td></tr>
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Cover your loaves and let them bake for a couple of minutes. Then, add a bit of water to create steam. Do this again after about five minutes, and again at about ten minutes. After about 20 minutes of total baking time, remove lids and turn down the heat to 450. Back for another 10-15 minutes.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4h4yBAk9krFqoPy2wv3wz-dM8d04CiIpksaw-lBqDyqG7gHavE3toX0lPQR9Af36zeyAVOQ369de2oguru4l6VcoLX56tGVzm3frfCEggboliZXp12HHNWIEU-gliCe1OxubzAtpUQw/s1600/IMG_7010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4h4yBAk9krFqoPy2wv3wz-dM8d04CiIpksaw-lBqDyqG7gHavE3toX0lPQR9Af36zeyAVOQ369de2oguru4l6VcoLX56tGVzm3frfCEggboliZXp12HHNWIEU-gliCe1OxubzAtpUQw/s1600/IMG_7010.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First steam - a little water down the spout</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remove the lid for the second and third steaming</td></tr>
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Use a clean towel to remove your bread from the cast iron, placing the loaves on a rack and leaving the cast iron where it is until things have cooled down a bit.</div>
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This bread is delicious and is especially good with butter and honey. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-84653385881696725542014-01-01T10:17:00.000-05:002014-01-01T10:32:35.396-05:002013: The Year in Review2013 was another exciting year for us in the kitchen. We continued our exploration of cooking techniques, new and old, with delicious results. Here are our ten favorite posts from the last year:<br />
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/01/birthday-dinner-ballantine-of-pheasant.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Ballotine of Pheasant</span></a><br />
This was the first of many pheasant cooking techniques and our first (and so far only) foray into modernist cooking. We introduced meat glue into the classic ballotine meat binding process with passable results.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiDqUvIvCOthORbbM4QwRjQVw1W_n4tc2ZxalxMUz7knjC3Hz2humOuX-qXsO46TVC2bRCZo1ZDkrmhk1TUxEeyzu09Rd10TfKOkJfsyV3j58mqmSClKiF1FfqkLLcAIhExMBYC_EeEE/s1600/267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiDqUvIvCOthORbbM4QwRjQVw1W_n4tc2ZxalxMUz7knjC3Hz2humOuX-qXsO46TVC2bRCZo1ZDkrmhk1TUxEeyzu09Rd10TfKOkJfsyV3j58mqmSClKiF1FfqkLLcAIhExMBYC_EeEE/s1600/267.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-debone-whole-chicken.html"><span style="font-size: large;">How to Debone a Whole Chicken</span></a><br />
We demonstrate the deboning technique depicted in Larousse Gastronomique using the tools from our home kitchen, proving that with a little practice the hobbyist cook can master Olde World cooking skills.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDy1RzO5n0dg0Xekyi3BqA40YSWBkN4Lm4f3vUHKjJYyfLlMgUMszaSvFukXj6-BAiEw3AHD6Z7QxWyoAKHIv89tPuNTSOVxrC7f7Q6tokmIMmkitoSiHiCwnQHRNcD8lwFjIDIyKJGg/s1600/357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDy1RzO5n0dg0Xekyi3BqA40YSWBkN4Lm4f3vUHKjJYyfLlMgUMszaSvFukXj6-BAiEw3AHD6Z7QxWyoAKHIv89tPuNTSOVxrC7f7Q6tokmIMmkitoSiHiCwnQHRNcD8lwFjIDIyKJGg/s1600/357.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/02/traditional-bouillabaisse.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Traditional Bouillabaisse</span></a><br />
Every year we post a variation on my favorite seafood dish. In 2013, we went old school and replicated the process advocated by Larousse Gastronomique.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeqsaZ3SmY3Dz7VCSFMyrd_b-kgbrYDDiu4VmiC_2DshlGM5udegHo-eGH-otTRlFjHiyyD6y0q9j9cUZW4FEvkO5Xo_1-SCsHL4MsE1b77_JJfrZBFBm_HaskEHukdwrQTVU02CJN7A/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeqsaZ3SmY3Dz7VCSFMyrd_b-kgbrYDDiu4VmiC_2DshlGM5udegHo-eGH-otTRlFjHiyyD6y0q9j9cUZW4FEvkO5Xo_1-SCsHL4MsE1b77_JJfrZBFBm_HaskEHukdwrQTVU02CJN7A/s1600/007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/03/limas-and-ham.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Limas and Ham</span></a><br />
We delved more deeply into traditional Americana cooking last year, including this superior take on good old pork and beans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pxGly8dj9enr13CSNxOp0Yj1U8msmlAEH4S326DaXc1hENe6IQLkn3I8ZdGaLr9Q3gKpN1VsNLjH315SVPewlf3NZERm2vb8LACjq2pLKqh6G_IjcUvA4AcmU_2DcHMrT_DOzitEbUY/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pxGly8dj9enr13CSNxOp0Yj1U8msmlAEH4S326DaXc1hENe6IQLkn3I8ZdGaLr9Q3gKpN1VsNLjH315SVPewlf3NZERm2vb8LACjq2pLKqh6G_IjcUvA4AcmU_2DcHMrT_DOzitEbUY/s1600/098.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-primer-on-fiddlehead-ferms.html"><span style="font-size: large;">A Primer on Fiddlehead Ferns</span></a><br />
After seeing these tender little shoots appear at our local Wegmans for several springs, 2013 was the year we took the plunge. The result was one of my favorite meals of the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSgwU1dnrYAN1Nzb95y48rkR3gp277bUPuTGWUudCHXKzTEpnSmQPrDyJf83aIeM5_QK2fOoBObsOzUERUXngjbPlhStglkVQac0q3fyXCnNe5ACq07jZerm8KflgVuYtBTiTS4SyZ1Y/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSgwU1dnrYAN1Nzb95y48rkR3gp277bUPuTGWUudCHXKzTEpnSmQPrDyJf83aIeM5_QK2fOoBObsOzUERUXngjbPlhStglkVQac0q3fyXCnNe5ACq07jZerm8KflgVuYtBTiTS4SyZ1Y/s1600/019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-to-do-when-fishmonger-wont-fillet.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Filleting Fish and Prepping Fava Beans</span></a><br />
This two-for-one post shows how to fillet a fish in your own kitchen, as well as how simple it is to prepare the tender, buttery fava beans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiT6Gzr_svQVJaihMyp8z0ruWIhzZ88wOd8Rn0-MKoJcKw16f2ropd5j_5TOTOWALQDyHm461_NoNvA6qcTahB5iHUQ2s3FYW7CD0xabyjeFEmnUe3gjgJ6AMahp3eY2DiWVx806Kqs80/s1600/096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiT6Gzr_svQVJaihMyp8z0ruWIhzZ88wOd8Rn0-MKoJcKw16f2ropd5j_5TOTOWALQDyHm461_NoNvA6qcTahB5iHUQ2s3FYW7CD0xabyjeFEmnUe3gjgJ6AMahp3eY2DiWVx806Kqs80/s1600/096.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/08/ultimate-weekend-pancake-breakfast.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Ultimate Pancakes</span></a><br />
2013 was the year we perfected pancakes. The secret - cultured dairy. While buttermilk is a favorite, we used labne for a more delicate flavor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-74PqdPaHV_9jM-kt0RYpI-jx3ZQMHZOHjk-Lc66HrE3OoCzAVYGib5Ltap1NhdHduolHfkmUe3GiHG7-JVsDB6NuGLIcmzNJ8jOHVxQ03CShEj9appb1LoNnQ7cmYabycXfOYR9pITs/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-74PqdPaHV_9jM-kt0RYpI-jx3ZQMHZOHjk-Lc66HrE3OoCzAVYGib5Ltap1NhdHduolHfkmUe3GiHG7-JVsDB6NuGLIcmzNJ8jOHVxQ03CShEj9appb1LoNnQ7cmYabycXfOYR9pITs/s1600/032.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/11/all-about-gravy.html"><span style="font-size: large;">All About the Gravy</span></a><br />
Just in time for Thanksgiving, my counterpart shares his best gravy secrets.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik17frEtXZZc45NCqOiqooZ32ft_4YKnA9cC7R1Wk6EYAf4-ub9nLywOg9OIeXHzU7HQXcLUdhWccV8ZPpA-BlJBvcKPJzbFh0_bXefl4sIVUtaax8LuFfNqzYAf8nklrNTDG-ABk9hCE/s1600/420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik17frEtXZZc45NCqOiqooZ32ft_4YKnA9cC7R1Wk6EYAf4-ub9nLywOg9OIeXHzU7HQXcLUdhWccV8ZPpA-BlJBvcKPJzbFh0_bXefl4sIVUtaax8LuFfNqzYAf8nklrNTDG-ABk9hCE/s1600/420.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/12/weekday-coq-au-vin.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Weekday Coq au Vin</span></a><br />
We employed the slow cooker to achieve this classic French dish on a Thursday night, made entirely from ingredients found in most home kitchens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjAxn2KVxFi0-9g7pJBzRIt86C_w3dn1-pvdl0pjJMJRKjKZjOydyIQQP69ASZ-OSWUKUsC621Hk_3xaa4nqloiWhbaovmRH1besgf6KPz2ApgrRa2TCLwVSC_91cDxmI-B18dTaXx04/s1600/182+wlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjAxn2KVxFi0-9g7pJBzRIt86C_w3dn1-pvdl0pjJMJRKjKZjOydyIQQP69ASZ-OSWUKUsC621Hk_3xaa4nqloiWhbaovmRH1besgf6KPz2ApgrRa2TCLwVSC_91cDxmI-B18dTaXx04/s1600/182+wlogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/12/buf-bourguignon.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Boeuf Bourguignon</span></a><br />
We wrapped up the year with another French classic that was a big hit at the holiday potluck.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVfoLuophBbhmtkx3JMmoWHUnM3dwNKn_17SDu5rAssitmLkRqoMpIDRmwJEOmpjE-mZSG4i7umK9bxe1pro0vnX1OdogmGZJKQ_2er-9KRlwZcJfqGI6xV4nYrC7bC2irQ9wGg_xWqY/s1600/IMG_6821+wlogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVfoLuophBbhmtkx3JMmoWHUnM3dwNKn_17SDu5rAssitmLkRqoMpIDRmwJEOmpjE-mZSG4i7umK9bxe1pro0vnX1OdogmGZJKQ_2er-9KRlwZcJfqGI6xV4nYrC7bC2irQ9wGg_xWqY/s1600/IMG_6821+wlogo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And, our year in review wouldn't be complete without a shout out to last year's birthday gift to ourselves - the <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-vacmaster-p112-and-preparing-for.html">VacMaster VP112 chamber vacuum sealer for the home.</a> This one tool has reduced food spoilage and waste in our kitchen, allowing us to preserve cheeses, sauces, and leftovers for future use.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhRXp7aIcA5Ruwx8WIGLWB4nxPGW19QLVctVuDCx2AnQOm7ccSF_n-9JHdYZm2pihryonPqRuVVt_3652ohMwbOBnXPVOV66V7xwtJASKdVjk0MDGlFGeqSv9KjxYROkkxtiItnwru9c/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhRXp7aIcA5Ruwx8WIGLWB4nxPGW19QLVctVuDCx2AnQOm7ccSF_n-9JHdYZm2pihryonPqRuVVt_3652ohMwbOBnXPVOV66V7xwtJASKdVjk0MDGlFGeqSv9KjxYROkkxtiItnwru9c/s1600/038.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-71933438672443279832013-12-15T19:20:00.001-05:002013-12-15T19:38:00.673-05:00Bœuf Bourguignon<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">My favorite fellow foodie from work was gracious enough to invite me to her annual holiday party again this year. The last time, I was in the throws of Last Minute Holiday Panic and ended up bringing a store-bought cake (ugh). This year, I wanted to make up for that by providing something extra special that she and her guests might not ever make for themselves. I solicited the support of my very chefy counterpart, and after some discussion, we agreed on that classic French holiday party favorite: Beef Bourguignon.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef, wine, lardon, olive oil, and a bit of brandy - the basis for our dish</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like its chicken sibling, <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/12/weekday-coq-au-vin.html">Coq au Vin</a>, Beef Burgundy originated in French Wine country and was popularized in the States by the singular Julia Child. This traditional country stew is designed to give new life to middling cuts of beef. Basically, we are dressing up economical cuts of beef into something really quite special. And, chuck is an economical cut to be sure. Here are some of the things we considered when selecting our chuck: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Choosing Beef</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Beef should come from the Chuck section of the cow. Meaning the top muscle section that supports the neck and connects to the back of the ribs.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdEH_rEH0RzPsVK0aOnMZWvv7nCAYhbO2D-pR0S03gzFmtYEmiuJWLv316OiSbAlkJYZqTnlzYQFDRyu4QvwPeq1KOeYtALTtoPolYiqkk1KIfYIPFkfz9HqE6ka96q63o_WBJR7zTRQ/s1600/BeefCutChuck.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdEH_rEH0RzPsVK0aOnMZWvv7nCAYhbO2D-pR0S03gzFmtYEmiuJWLv316OiSbAlkJYZqTnlzYQFDRyu4QvwPeq1KOeYtALTtoPolYiqkk1KIfYIPFkfz9HqE6ka96q63o_WBJR7zTRQ/s1600/BeefCutChuck.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
From PressureCookerDiaries.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the actual Chuck Eye Roll, there are a combination of different meats, varying in toughness. The Tender top portion is the Chuck eye, and underneath that is a tougher bottom section. This roast is not usually used for Dry Cooking, but is used for BBQ and stews. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfiSTTKDNgMbXDjmamBEv9cKuPObvVCa2XtK_h0RnFfo-FutVaTQ1b4BA5UPw01kroiVoKf2YQ-mOC_6Yv72TwRBysatoiPi4UNJIrWo_7w2nJrP3IabWaPg2mOaWHeA2k7wA1ARVuBM/s1600/IMG_6635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfiSTTKDNgMbXDjmamBEv9cKuPObvVCa2XtK_h0RnFfo-FutVaTQ1b4BA5UPw01kroiVoKf2YQ-mOC_6Yv72TwRBysatoiPi4UNJIrWo_7w2nJrP3IabWaPg2mOaWHeA2k7wA1ARVuBM/s1600/IMG_6635.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicely marbled, corn-fed beef means you could skip larding the beef</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">We also researched several approaches, including the classic recipe from Julia Child, as well as the very brief entry in Larousse Gastronomique. My counterpart crafted a recipe that seemed to capture the essence of the dish. Here is his recipe with my photos.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0Q448cSNLCK2UAbp2fOOjUmlnw99_pbkd2-MN-m5Pu8zNV5JIOO3JNc8bLu0kyUy70vCkYRPrIn8DCiSqfca7W_0IvZ_fzn0avL7VdR2qCSoBWpJVRaQzjuKnbDbrj_LJHEGUreRS_o/s1600/IMG_6633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0Q448cSNLCK2UAbp2fOOjUmlnw99_pbkd2-MN-m5Pu8zNV5JIOO3JNc8bLu0kyUy70vCkYRPrIn8DCiSqfca7W_0IvZ_fzn0avL7VdR2qCSoBWpJVRaQzjuKnbDbrj_LJHEGUreRS_o/s1600/IMG_6633.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All you need for beef burgundy</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ingredients</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8 oz. (generous) Pork Belly </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 lbs Beef Chuck Roast or very thick chuck steak from the Chuck Eye. (“Beef Chuck eye Roll”)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Olive Oil.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">White Flour for dusting</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6 Cups of Burgundy Wine (1.5 liters)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 Large (restaurant size) Carrots</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 Leeks</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 Large (restaurant size) Onion </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Celeriac Root. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 ½ Small Pearl Onions</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2 lbs. Small White New Potatoes</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bouquet Garnie, of Bay Leaf, Thyme, Sage, and a little oregano</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Salt for seasoning the meat</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1 Cup (8oz) Tomato Paste (Goya Latino, Salsa de tomato)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 sprigs Thyme</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Directions</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cook Pork belly in Olive Oil. To prepare the pork belly, freeze it until it is firm, and then slice it with a sharp knife. Cut it down into small strips and fry it in a heavy pot with a generous pour of olive oil.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH95C3sKs1ZOoXN3bzTk8kpUVjnPwFZ9I0Ts2Oq_G_R135_n_X2ADUH9OwuDLvMUB1rBt04B4mGIxD_uH2aBgQa-B_xtIr4RGuM2QQrQ0ecoF6KxnbSNceP6Tixrd0Tc9Ny4ioGZ0Ss10/s1600/IMG_6645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH95C3sKs1ZOoXN3bzTk8kpUVjnPwFZ9I0Ts2Oq_G_R135_n_X2ADUH9OwuDLvMUB1rBt04B4mGIxD_uH2aBgQa-B_xtIr4RGuM2QQrQ0ecoF6KxnbSNceP6Tixrd0Tc9Ny4ioGZ0Ss10/s1600/IMG_6645.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sliced pork belly fat is a good source of lardon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv8_bNs4A9iuxxlnOFG45wggRHFqFrjztwuEE5v2jFgecwIDHpeF0I1zsG0d02qLZwaSK_-Tr3FQQ_fgyXGjAJk77NtBkS5ZGakP6zbsv0GZERWQQVm9HyKkEzEUAfA0SpKIWsEaAuhI/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqv8_bNs4A9iuxxlnOFG45wggRHFqFrjztwuEE5v2jFgecwIDHpeF0I1zsG0d02qLZwaSK_-Tr3FQQ_fgyXGjAJk77NtBkS5ZGakP6zbsv0GZERWQQVm9HyKkEzEUAfA0SpKIWsEaAuhI/s1600/IMG_6703.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fry it up until it is crisp</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cube beef and dry. Trim off any fat or gristle using a sharp knife or kitchen shears.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Season with Salt, Pepper, with a little ground Oregano and a little ground sage, then dust with white flour. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMz4YGtf7Upz_YXyYOFryNhYeglxYyB1JbJZQmFwJaqFnkAMDGAk3sWfEf87lp4M7-4fZ3WdKrV5dd2Jc67ksM0Szx6tIScu8rBuc-1Ue0LIx80VzOA34Sl_h16LtBgh8azroPe5789o/s1600/IMG_6666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMz4YGtf7Upz_YXyYOFryNhYeglxYyB1JbJZQmFwJaqFnkAMDGAk3sWfEf87lp4M7-4fZ3WdKrV5dd2Jc67ksM0Szx6tIScu8rBuc-1Ue0LIx80VzOA34Sl_h16LtBgh8azroPe5789o/s1600/IMG_6666.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just dust it, do not bread it</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, place it in a warm oven at 175 for a few minutes to dry.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNg77wgNT05kZIPhV4BsVW0JeIby34i3GtDptP9IaV4rk6HEh5FRDrVAFb4Yav7ckfC1rmvr6LeIpsJLBCDNKehSjcNBViWrj1tSM5Upz4hLmSb3xu8J3p4DDZuUVA8XJ9kl5e4bUiuYU/s1600/IMG_6708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNg77wgNT05kZIPhV4BsVW0JeIby34i3GtDptP9IaV4rk6HEh5FRDrVAFb4Yav7ckfC1rmvr6LeIpsJLBCDNKehSjcNBViWrj1tSM5Upz4hLmSb3xu8J3p4DDZuUVA8XJ9kl5e4bUiuYU/s1600/IMG_6708.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A warm oven is a good way to dry meat</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fry in Pan, high heat, until Gratin (Brown Crust) is formed on the outside of the meat. Remove the meat and separate out the pork belly and discard.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcLFTU_du1P53kuDxFyLrqO1Nw6B2BHM3hnD9kkPmbo9hLJAjMAxxvmQXAnc7ZCev3ggi7JwIFyRrWFmpUqFdbRfL04zqca7JwLGSpwN8jWURKvzDcDIlV20s5ueYLKJaDRhDI8knMUc/s1600/IMG_6716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcLFTU_du1P53kuDxFyLrqO1Nw6B2BHM3hnD9kkPmbo9hLJAjMAxxvmQXAnc7ZCev3ggi7JwIFyRrWFmpUqFdbRfL04zqca7JwLGSpwN8jWURKvzDcDIlV20s5ueYLKJaDRhDI8knMUc/s1600/IMG_6716.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried beef browned with lardon</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add 1 large onion, and Thyme. Continue to cook in the fat. Deglaze the pan with ½ of a bottle of Burgundy Wine.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pour Beef mixture over vegetables in the stewing pot. Add a generous pour of brandy and flame it to burn off the alcohol.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Transfer to a large roasting pan and add the rest of the bottle of burgundy.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxzON-ag16eGG6tpicynWusr0cWJtFe67HAwDUJhju-SWc65LWBw-cYUJ3NyvIrfXDkTUS3vTzC3wMfk5Odl1GHNtvcPpdUZ6-IqFtT5dyH4K3GamzbXQx935h8fGfn7JWp52U1GvHSA/s1600/IMG_6797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxzON-ag16eGG6tpicynWusr0cWJtFe67HAwDUJhju-SWc65LWBw-cYUJ3NyvIrfXDkTUS3vTzC3wMfk5Odl1GHNtvcPpdUZ6-IqFtT5dyH4K3GamzbXQx935h8fGfn7JWp52U1GvHSA/s1600/IMG_6797.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add the entire bottle of wine</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bake for about an hour at 350, then add small potatoes. If you do not see the sauce bubbling, turn up the heat. Bake for 1 more hour, and then add pearl onions. Portion out some of the sauce and thicken it with sugar, a can of tomato paste, and some potato starch. Add the sauce to the pan and bake for 1 further hour. Total bake time is about 3 hours. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-67030699808275051512013-12-15T15:17:00.001-05:002013-12-15T15:18:15.817-05:00Holiday Baking: Return of the FruitcakeA few years back, I decided to learn how to make fruitcake. It is a holiday classic, and I strongly felt that it should be in my repertoire. I found a clever little recipe on Epicurious that called for only a couple of varieties of dried fruit, and I worked with it until i got it just right. At the request of my counterpart, I chose to give it a rest last year and pulled it from the cookie basket. And I heard about it. So, at the request of those regulars on the cookie lit, I brought it back this year.<br />
<br />
My variation of this recipe cuts back significantly on the fruit and leaves out the booze entirely. What you have left is a light, most, golden cake with sweet maple flavor and a handful of compatible fruits - dried fruits instead of the usual candied concoctions.<br />
<br />
Here's my take:<br />
<br />
1/2 pounds pitted dried cherries, chopped<br />
1/2 pounds dried apricots, chopped<br />
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
6 large eggs, room temperature<br />
1 teaspoon run flavor<br />
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter angel food cake pan, a standard loaf pan, or six mini loaf pans. Toss the chopped dried fruit with 1/2 cup flour in large bowl to coat.<br />
<br />
Combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Beat butter and<br />
both sugars in another large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the rum flavoring, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in dried fruit mixture. Using a small soup ladle, spoon the batter into prepared pan, flattening to eliminate air pockets. This technique is particularly useful if you are baking min loaves. Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean and cake is deep golden brown, about 90 minutes for a full-sized cake, or about 60 minutes for mini loaves.<br />
<br />
The original recipe also includes a hard sauce that I omit because it doesn't package well, and I tend to give to families and co-workers. Here is a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Dried-Cherry-Almond-Fruitcake-107514">link to the recipe in Epicurious</a> for you to work with as you like.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-19258751102592200032013-12-15T15:00:00.002-05:002013-12-15T15:00:58.586-05:00Holiday Baking: Butterscotch BrowniesThe one no-fail, sure-fire, knock-it-out-of-the-ballpark cookie recipe I include in my cookie basket every year is my mother's butterscotch brownie recipe. I grew up eating these - not just during the holidays, but all year round. Friends, neighbors, and co-workers alike snarf these down with child-like abandon, and I know I would hear about it if I stopped including them.<br />
<br />
My mother's recipe comes from The Boston School of Cooking cookbook by Fannie Farmer. A single batch makes a small 8x8 square pan of brownies - hardly enough to get through the season. This year, I made two triple-batches. Here's the triple-batch recipe.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1 cup butter - this is two full sticks</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3 cups brown sugar, packed</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3 eggs</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3/4 teaspoon salt</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2 1/4 cups flour</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3 tsp baking powder</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Melt the butter the butter on the stovetop over low heat, making sure it doesn't get too hot. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. When the butter has just about melted, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then add it to the remaining ingredients, folding everything together with a large spatula or wooden spoon. Even though I have the Kitchen Aid Pro, I still prefer to mix these by hand. I've tried getting modern and fancy with this recipe and it hasn't worked for me, although my mom adds chocolate chips and walnuts to this recipe these days.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">One the batter is well,mixed, spread it into a buttered 9x13 pan. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 and use a toothpick to check the doneness. Cool on a wire rack.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">And that's it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-38373633133986092982013-12-15T10:21:00.002-05:002013-12-15T10:21:46.402-05:00Holiday Baking: Spiced Apple CookiesI like a little spice cookie and am always looking for new recipes to incorporate spice into my holiday cookie basket. I found <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/2214-spiced-apple-cookies">this interesting recipe</a> on Food52 from user Kelsey the Naptime Chef, who credits a neighbor for this recipe. It's a straight-forward recipe that results in a moist, cake-like cookie with a nice apple pie-like flavor as promised by the baker.<br />
<br />
Serves 3 dozen<br />
<br />
1 cup raisins <i>I omitted these out of personal bias</i><br />
1/2 cup shortening <i>I used butter instead - this does change the flavor and character of the cookie, but I was not disappointed with this choice</i><br />
1 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed<br />
1 egg<br />
1/4 cup whole milk<br />
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1 cup chopped walnuts <i>I also omitted these as with the raisins</i><br />
1 cup chopped unpeeled apple (seeds and core removed)<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 375.<br />
<br />
2. In a small saucepan add the raisins and fill with water until raisins are just covered. Bring to a boil and then<br />
remove pan from heat. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Drain raisins and reserve.<br />
<br />
3. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together shortening and brown sugar. Then, beat in the egg<br />
and the milk.<br />
<br />
4. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg. With the mixer<br />
on low, slowly add this to the shortening mixture. Beat until everything is well blended.<br />
<br />
5. With a wooden spoon stir in the nuts, apple and drained raisins. Drop by heaping teaspoonful onto cookie<br />
sheet. Press the tops of the cookies down slightly with two fingers. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. <i>In my oven, these took about 15 minutes.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I had no troubled with this recipe, and I really liked these cookies, but my counterpart felt they could use a bit of icing. The next time I try this recipe, I'll take his advice.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-48978202011476875512013-12-15T09:29:00.000-05:002013-12-15T09:29:45.220-05:00Holiday Baking: Figgy Pudding Butter CookiesLast year, I decided to try to incorporate fig into my holiday baking. It's one of those traditional holiday flavors, and many classic recipes can be found that feature dried fig. But, when it comes to incorporating figs into my annual holiday cookie basket, I've had little success. Last year I tried <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2012/12/holiday-baking-fig-and-date-pinwheels.html">Anise Fig and Date pinwheels</a>, a challenging recipe that I am not entirely sure ended up tasting the way it should. This year, I opted for what I hoped would result in a sweeter cookie with a more pronounced fig flavor - <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/2275-figgy-pudding-butter-cookies">Figgy Pudding Butter Cookies from Food52.</a><br />
<br />
First, a note on the level of difficulty, because the recipe appears to be simple enough. This recipe calls for powdered sugar, which means you will end up with a very different dough that what you get with granulated sugar. It will be stiff and tacky and unforgiving. If you are a seasonal baker like me, this is probably outside our weight class and should be either left to the uber bakers out there or tackled outside of the holiday baking marathon when there is quite frankly too much else going on to pull this off.<br />
<br />
Still, I thought I could do this and tried to time it so that the dough had the requisite 2+ hours to chill and I wouldn't have to deal with it until immediately after lunch. This did not help. The recipe calls for rolling and cutting the dough into think circles that most likely bake into golden crisps. I couldn't get my dough to roll and ended up making drop cookies that I tried to flatten. This was a mistake. The dough does not want to flatten in this manner, and it didn't. I ended up with mis-shapen cookie blobs that also did not have the strong fig flavor I was seeking.<br />
<br />
This recipe also calls for icing the cookies. You must do this. The flavor of the cookie was enhanced by a mild royal icing, although the recipe calls for an adult brandy-laced icing that I felt would be too strong. This might also have been a misstep, but I wasn't sure how the brandy icing would set.<br />
<br />
So, here it is as it appeared on Food52 by member HelenTheNanny with some additional notes from my own experience. She notes that this her own creation and provides a photo with the recipe of what these should look like:<br />
<br />
Serves 3 dozen small cookies<br />
<br />
For the Cookies:<br />
<br />
1 tablespoon orange zest (from one orange)<br />
8-10 large dried Turkish or Caliymirna Figs (the light brown ones)<br />
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
3/4 cups (or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened<br />
3/4 cups Confectioners sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
<br />
For the Brandy-Sugar Glaze:<br />
<br />
1 1/2 cup Confectioners sugar<br />
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened<br />
2 tablespoons Brandy<br />
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract<br />
<br />
1. Sift together flour, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a bowl and set it aside.<br />
<br />
2. Dice figs into small chunks and put them in a saucepan with the milk. Heat on low, stirring occasionally for<br />
about 15 minutes. <i>When I did this, I didn't pay attention and I let my milk boil. The figs and the milk kind of homogeonized into a thick sauce. I don't think this is what HelenTheNanny intended. This might also explain the trouble I had working with this dough.</i><br />
<br />
3. Put 1 1/2 sicks of softened butter in the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix<br />
on med-high until the butter is fluffy, about two minutes.<br />
<br />
4. Sift 3/4 cup of confectioners sugar into the fluffy butter and mix until smooth.<br />
<br />
5. Add in one egg and reduce speed to low.<br />
<br />
6. Add in flour mixture and mix until just combined.<br />
<br />
7. Strain the figs from the milk. <i>When I did this, I only got about a tablespoon of liquid. I feel I must note again that I don't think this is right. </i>Add them, along with the orange zest, to the dough. Fold in until the<br />
ingredients are evenly distributed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.<br />
<br />
8. After the dough has cooled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll out the<br />
dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on a<br />
parchment lined cookie sheet, spaced one inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are<br />
golden brown.<br />
<br />
9. While the cookies are baking, combine all the ingredients for the Brandy-Sugar Glaze in a saucepan on<br />
med-low heat, and stir often, until the sauce comes together. After the cookies have cooled, use a fork to<br />
drizzle the warm glaze on them. <i>I used the traditional royal icing but probably should have just made Helen's glaze.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
So, if any readers try this out at home, try not to deviate the way I did. I may try this one again as written when I can focus on it. If it works out for me, I'll let you know.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-59537065479439747122013-12-06T05:43:00.001-05:002013-12-06T08:44:54.864-05:00Weekday Coq au VinWhat I love most about winter is my counterpart invariably pulls out Le Gastronomique for a little old school comfort food. This week, he tried his had at that old classic Coq au Vin. As the name implies, this is basically chicken in a wine sauce. And it is a very old recipe with some accounts tracing it back to Julius Caesar in Gaul. A variant of the dish first appeared in print in 1864. Then, about 100 years later, Julia Child brought it to the U.S. in her seminal cookbook and featured it often on her cooking show.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcN_8BDa65Cr8wula5mnbUHIREHAqc8EBuYJGISTTNqO2rjzgX1zlC2aybqy6aCoM17Kc-tRRYKpSstOf8ioB3kf2Ipm-xdxv1TbU0yRZTM6OVZyfu7T0BN_-frobqXmR-fd_IDXZeEo/s1600/050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcN_8BDa65Cr8wula5mnbUHIREHAqc8EBuYJGISTTNqO2rjzgX1zlC2aybqy6aCoM17Kc-tRRYKpSstOf8ioB3kf2Ipm-xdxv1TbU0yRZTM6OVZyfu7T0BN_-frobqXmR-fd_IDXZeEo/s1600/050.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The basis of Coq au Vin - chicken and wine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The recipe was most likely developed as a means of preparing old rooster, so there is a certain amount of time devoted to simmering the chicken in the wine to help season it. Even if you used a conventional bird from the grocery store, you still want to allow sufficient simmering time for that authentic flavor to develop. You need to create a sauce that is flavorful enough to both compensate for the mildness of the slow-cooked meat, but also complements it without overpowring it. And, while many have tried, there is no real getting around the long, slow cook required to get this right. But there is a way to mitigate it so that you can even have authentic coq au vin on a school night. The trick is the slow cooker.</div>
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<div>
So, the night before, you will have left overs because you will be prepping your authentic coq au vin. One of the truly nice things about this dish is that it does not require any esoteric ingredients. We had everything we needed on hand for this without needing to stop by the grocery store. And in the 30-45 minutes it takes for your leftovers to reheat in the oven, you will be able to brown your meat and prep your veg.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You will need:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>About 4 pounds of chicken, cut up (We used a pack of chicken thighs with the skin on that we deboned)</li>
<li>About 3 oz of bacon, also cut up</li>
<li>Onions</li>
<li>Mushrooms</li>
<li>Leek</li>
<li>Carrot</li>
<li>Potato</li>
<li>A heavy hand of Mediterranean seasoning on our chicken</li>
<li>Brandy</li>
<li>About half a bottle of a nice wine</li>
<li>A bit of habanero sauce or some other hot sauce to help cut the richness of the dish</li>
<li>A bit of sugar to help cut the bitter</li>
<li>A bit of flour</li>
</ul>
<div>
First, brown the bacon in a heavy pot. While it is browning, season the meat. We recommend sage, thyme, oregano, savory, white pepper, salt, and a bit of that habanero sauce. Place the chicken skin-side down directly on top of the bacon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkQ4sFfAeIiZqCgxCq6qf5_899kGXNP3HcC0fFYILYdnZsMUrD2D1vhI3A5-dczepYhfp86d2D_uoGNA1_jEMltQS_y5azMumZRb4A6vfPc4rff6fN2-ud5iXEitaRnwrpZ9Ga4sKDPM/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkQ4sFfAeIiZqCgxCq6qf5_899kGXNP3HcC0fFYILYdnZsMUrD2D1vhI3A5-dczepYhfp86d2D_uoGNA1_jEMltQS_y5azMumZRb4A6vfPc4rff6fN2-ud5iXEitaRnwrpZ9Ga4sKDPM/s1600/053.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start with a nice base of bacon</td></tr>
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</div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Continue to cook the chicken in the bacon fat while you prep your veg, remembering to turn the chicken a couple of times with your tongs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8g8XHjPrvG2KnPCpq2AOi2du1F5R2wOxgZgCoUD83qEKJyEDRl4d5j4xnM13GoR1_XZtbZ-_j2hSiR3zZ2r5g5JFlGWeEjFsVYHZsETT5nyNhl_BNpIOCEb3_osG1erwoAx2-Wez0q4M/s1600/065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8g8XHjPrvG2KnPCpq2AOi2du1F5R2wOxgZgCoUD83qEKJyEDRl4d5j4xnM13GoR1_XZtbZ-_j2hSiR3zZ2r5g5JFlGWeEjFsVYHZsETT5nyNhl_BNpIOCEb3_osG1erwoAx2-Wez0q4M/s1600/065.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavily seasoned chicken cooking in the bacon</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
You'll also want to sprinkle a handful of flour over the chicken. This will mix with the fats and will help things thicken in this first cooking.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1onAc9sP_Qcemzf8K5hlwqK26buOXtEslTe89UuXTwIwCdD5KU8DFYpnw_PPVrThrU6n0m-NhOsylpPCt3B_Mtno3iEgsEe8VCF3omDI6oRCoZk8NSwOaR6ljC42aWjAe2p_T3ZARA2Q/s1600/097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1onAc9sP_Qcemzf8K5hlwqK26buOXtEslTe89UuXTwIwCdD5KU8DFYpnw_PPVrThrU6n0m-NhOsylpPCt3B_Mtno3iEgsEe8VCF3omDI6oRCoZk8NSwOaR6ljC42aWjAe2p_T3ZARA2Q/s1600/097.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little flour never hurts</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div>
And, prepping the veg is not so bad for this dish as you will want large chunks of veg. Make sure to peel the potatoes and carrots, and to thoroughly clean your leek.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVs5ZlyQicM3fQpzjApq3RpLUm1-9vk2Wq5I0l_aUpons3SxSeeR4R3Ra9d759UiXmLfEoiCCBENsPboPDcGC45GY_95b1dAtRGyUTrLT7yDX_Sb9HQtW1gsEUjdyJA0zykQNqcZRSXk/s1600/143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVs5ZlyQicM3fQpzjApq3RpLUm1-9vk2Wq5I0l_aUpons3SxSeeR4R3Ra9d759UiXmLfEoiCCBENsPboPDcGC45GY_95b1dAtRGyUTrLT7yDX_Sb9HQtW1gsEUjdyJA0zykQNqcZRSXk/s1600/143.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large chunks of veg</td></tr>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once the chicken has cooked through and the outside has browned, add a generous pour of brandy to the pot. If you have the time and you want to be truly authentic, light it up and flame it off. We passed on this step and just let the heat of the pot cook off the booze.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8uYaoJAFHyS8K7TL75mk4MEKt7tvqeHzE8LtQXH8WBL_wyD2M1zuweX4txpZXmVMBo9pdlu51zPw0Itqh4MjEujd77w13RKc5ciJjlW77Ppyo83-izlw5H8w8UQf6P5l-_j_27Y3Ba4/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8uYaoJAFHyS8K7TL75mk4MEKt7tvqeHzE8LtQXH8WBL_wyD2M1zuweX4txpZXmVMBo9pdlu51zPw0Itqh4MjEujd77w13RKc5ciJjlW77Ppyo83-izlw5H8w8UQf6P5l-_j_27Y3Ba4/s1600/086.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When it looks like this, it's ready for the booze</td></tr>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You'll also want to add that nice wine, and also a bit of sugar. While the French may say you'll get the sugar from the wine, we used a domestic and were not hedging our bets.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZdjtViLzLCCoyUVeHRp1rsisqg7-jfIDPUEwiunM0JsTLg-T7IRjOEQGUqpEhOxQ7MBQUyJeTd0DHoHu7ecMNN1EtW7QsmX_ekwPF-ZFez5MuCIOTnvGlZnK4w7DuJG_3G0DlcK2Xhc/s1600/111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZdjtViLzLCCoyUVeHRp1rsisqg7-jfIDPUEwiunM0JsTLg-T7IRjOEQGUqpEhOxQ7MBQUyJeTd0DHoHu7ecMNN1EtW7QsmX_ekwPF-ZFez5MuCIOTnvGlZnK4w7DuJG_3G0DlcK2Xhc/s1600/111.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A splash of brandy</td></tr>
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</div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5LZt-ci1RsRByiIGlLvgxRgb3M0SC_4BtA4naDQgmc9J2VC_DBw0OXUPla10iWG10r4yT_1L1tFA9beM950Ta8IUxxzw-EICYzDgN2ueKbJx_e2aBylFFoF8WrbnLHNlRvzaw8HpweE/s1600/124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5LZt-ci1RsRByiIGlLvgxRgb3M0SC_4BtA4naDQgmc9J2VC_DBw0OXUPla10iWG10r4yT_1L1tFA9beM950Ta8IUxxzw-EICYzDgN2ueKbJx_e2aBylFFoF8WrbnLHNlRvzaw8HpweE/s1600/124.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lot of wine</td></tr>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Give the wine some time to cook as well. Then, gently transfer the contents of your pot to your 2-quart measuring cup. Once it has cooled a bit, place a lid on it and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to mingle.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnxXlrYNgsqaZU55uSjiR0DH2fA2VTjgbdMIRykrc3CqU9kAYMoScADCvDtiRTSegu93gniUORP0mmB9zm-niSl36gXTk1HAtyw9WUQgXqOkMg4inA46ktih_MsdL5SwRk4OBOp9Y46M/s1600/134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnxXlrYNgsqaZU55uSjiR0DH2fA2VTjgbdMIRykrc3CqU9kAYMoScADCvDtiRTSegu93gniUORP0mmB9zm-niSl36gXTk1HAtyw9WUQgXqOkMg4inA46ktih_MsdL5SwRk4OBOp9Y46M/s1600/134.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When it looks like this, it's done for the night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w4d92CeMcpCVDZAZLAdDPbBR0R8vuV8VPoIs7ESVf74LHGSLG4qpvs2fOhQtIHeh4utD3DkHRSh6dvwjrcB1SzD17SLreozMYDaU-BhBy7ZUdD9h4lvQNAaRK9fy6cT23PnMVH12XEw/s1600/140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w4d92CeMcpCVDZAZLAdDPbBR0R8vuV8VPoIs7ESVf74LHGSLG4qpvs2fOhQtIHeh4utD3DkHRSh6dvwjrcB1SzD17SLreozMYDaU-BhBy7ZUdD9h4lvQNAaRK9fy6cT23PnMVH12XEw/s1600/140.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large measuring cup is ideal for overnight storage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bag up your veg for the night also.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next morning, get out that slow cooker. Place the potatoes in first at the bottom of the pot. Then add the rest of the veg. Then place the meat on top, pouring the liquid from the meat over the whole thing and add a couple of cups of water as well.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Set your slow cooker for 4-6 hours and go on your merry way to work. When you get home, your coq au vin will be cooked, and you'll just have to make the sauce. This is a necessary and quick step, so don't get over-excited and skip it, no matter how good the kitchen smells.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt92aE7uy-9eHSmtdyPYf7RB_nvdUknUQode2ZqqRteyXi9nNryrXL3G4RYYZYvS4rJPlZILzLHinu1lcGhZgg-kArvsouwnxIs8I3YuNF2uwj0YV7Ma6jL9yg5pw8NY_1X0a7WLVbwuY/s1600/161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt92aE7uy-9eHSmtdyPYf7RB_nvdUknUQode2ZqqRteyXi9nNryrXL3G4RYYZYvS4rJPlZILzLHinu1lcGhZgg-kArvsouwnxIs8I3YuNF2uwj0YV7Ma6jL9yg5pw8NY_1X0a7WLVbwuY/s1600/161.JPG" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I came home to on Thursday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Empty the contents of the slow cooker into a colander to strain the sauce from the meat and veg. Then strain the liquid again through a mesh colander or something similar. This is also a necessary step to remove the sediment from the sauce. Here's a photo depicting why you should do this.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YrBoHP71srOk5b6-0MIA-cjc-6YE_9EQ38_iDkv3uL6zpILxcxLin9LqH4cUnzvHrWgPUASyrZ-0GjpcmPDitHwQueQdutbpQYZ8CPQ7PdZqY7DeRz0hCFFa_lWW9rkwEAkLU60OIWE/s1600/186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YrBoHP71srOk5b6-0MIA-cjc-6YE_9EQ38_iDkv3uL6zpILxcxLin9LqH4cUnzvHrWgPUASyrZ-0GjpcmPDitHwQueQdutbpQYZ8CPQ7PdZqY7DeRz0hCFFa_lWW9rkwEAkLU60OIWE/s1600/186.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why you need to strain that sauce</td></tr>
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<div>
Place the strained sauce in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Dissolve some potato starch in a bit of water and add it to the sauce and simmer until slightly thickened.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYLWmXUvJUue6KLC_KEoVKFROHYBoGF2pLvXyU3SsAcsE-V1nJddr9dPZW8myDgafl-OocSbkVWlxdkHUPhf8QUED4mTxTF2gt0vKxCHuk4NWZyJIZbDiTyykJX3ePL-jjJq25zJ0C9I/s1600/172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYLWmXUvJUue6KLC_KEoVKFROHYBoGF2pLvXyU3SsAcsE-V1nJddr9dPZW8myDgafl-OocSbkVWlxdkHUPhf8QUED4mTxTF2gt0vKxCHuk4NWZyJIZbDiTyykJX3ePL-jjJq25zJ0C9I/s1600/172.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thickening the sauce on the stovetop</td></tr>
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Arrange your chicken pieces and veg in a wide, shallow bowl and top with the sauce. And go easy on that sauce. That golden color and delicious flavor comes from animal fat. Plus, the surprise best-tasting element of this dish - the onions. They come out sweet and fatty and melt in your mouth. And that's how you get coq au vin on a Thursday night.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyYXlb1zwlWfLiWFNgn5oWf8jbRlyVKA_EF9p4fJuIMwLl0HxQfDe_se_5BXEm1ycXeZYqEBslDfjX9qDHvDO-mdPPjK4RrPba9KheVvPmuzyEphdc5lBqJB6xwvPEhnpn_vloTIMEQY/s1600/182+wlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyYXlb1zwlWfLiWFNgn5oWf8jbRlyVKA_EF9p4fJuIMwLl0HxQfDe_se_5BXEm1ycXeZYqEBslDfjX9qDHvDO-mdPPjK4RrPba9KheVvPmuzyEphdc5lBqJB6xwvPEhnpn_vloTIMEQY/s1600/182+wlogo.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weekday Coq au Vin</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-76404152561863447362013-11-26T13:33:00.000-05:002013-11-26T13:33:28.629-05:00Holiday Baking: Old School Pumpkin PieI've never made a pumpkin pie. This is primarily because I've never had a pumpkin pie that I like as much as a good fruit pie. So, for the holidays, my counterpart gets what was traditional for my family growing up in close proximity to Wisconsin's cherry orchards - a nice tart cherry pie. Even on Thanksgiving.<br />
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This year I decided to give the man a break and muster up a home made, fresh pumpkin pumpkin pie. I always kind of liked my mom's approach. She uses a standard recipe but doubles the spice except for the clove, which she halves. This creates a nice spicy pie. But, there's still something weird about the texture of most pumpkin pies. Maybe it's the prevalence of canned pumpkin?<br />
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I did a bit if research and found an old-school recipe for <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/15143-meta-given-s-pumpkin-pie">pumpkin pie on the Food52 blog</a>. And, by old school, I mean it predates the era in which I was raised, where condensed milk was as ubiquitous in the kitchen as flour, sugar, and eggs. I feel as if the women who raised me put that stuff in everything. My first fudge recipe called for a fair amount of the stuff.<br />
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And, maybe this is also part of my issue with pumpkin pie. I can't get beyond that tinned milk flavor of so many fillings. So when I found a recipe that used good old fashioned cream, I knew I had a winner.<br />
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Food52 attributes this recipe to Meta Given, who published the two-volume Encyclopedia of Modern Cooking sometime in the 1940's. It calls for caramelizing the pumpkin, as well as limiting the spice to cinnamon and ginger. It also bakes in about 25 minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOTZk60qzoB3d6WOWVhFuOU1qRKJSR3CNwjF54i7pkCWgXVVoXeBXHzevFmvEm2hKIZ87WhTHyp9zq5P9y__OJ82a6Yz9C2w_e3WzeQtbJxMMppEIcTLxvDHqE5ZWllqCiVBAZR2Jqoo/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOTZk60qzoB3d6WOWVhFuOU1qRKJSR3CNwjF54i7pkCWgXVVoXeBXHzevFmvEm2hKIZ87WhTHyp9zq5P9y__OJ82a6Yz9C2w_e3WzeQtbJxMMppEIcTLxvDHqE5ZWllqCiVBAZR2Jqoo/s1600/009.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a><br />
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For Meta Given's Caramelized Pumpkin Pie you will need:<br />
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A 9-inch pie pan lined with pastry (I like the Deluxe Butter Pastry from Joy of Cooking)<br />
1 3/4 cups cooked pureed pumpkin<br />
3/4 cups sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup cream<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
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To prepare the pureed pumpkin, you'll want a sharp knife, a kitchen shears, and a vegetable peeler. First, cut the pumpkin into quarters and use the kitchen shears to cut out the seeds an all those little threads. Then, use the vegetable peeler to peel the skin. Roast them in the oven at about 350 until the internal temperature of the pumpkin is 140 or so. While your pumpkin is roasting, you can prepare your crust.<br />
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When your pumpkin is out of the oven and has cooled a bit, use a parking knife to cut it down into smaller pieces. Then mash it with your potato masher before pureeing it with an immersion blender.<br />
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Make sure to roll out your pie crust and get it in your pie pan before you start the filling. This comes together quickly, and the recipe calls to pour the fresh-from-the-stove-top filling into a chilled pie shell. So, get your crust in your pie pan and place it in the freezer to chill while you make the filling. Also, I made enough pie crust for two pies. This is a good thing to do if you are making a recipe for the first time, or if you are a holiday baker only and haven't really baked since new year's brunch. This way, if the pie doesn't turn out, you've got another crust on hand to quickly try again.<br />
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Here's something else that will help, especially with this recipe. Basically, you've got three main components: the pumpkin, your dry ingredients, and your wet ingredients. Premix the sugar, salt, and spices and set aside. Then, beat your eggs and pre-mix the egg, cream, and milk.<br />
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Now you are ready to caramelize your pureed pumpkin. Place it in a heavy saucepan over direct heat. I started mine out on high heat and watched while it looked (and smelled) like it was scorching. It stuck to the pan and really made me more than a little anxious. So, I turned the heat down a bit and kept going. The recipe says it should take about 10 minutes to caramelize. And, after about 5 minutes, the scent changed, and it did indeed begin to smell a bit like caramelized sugar. After about 8 minutes, the pumpkin was starting to brown and had achieved a slightly dry texture.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLBdlu8sfo1N1-7xKdY19b0Z_xPwyu8NaAjV84nvdA_KDpxfTtSRcK5bZs0pbX2EMn2x2aIm4Ocg-hKT-obkkLGsbORzyS8f5ClhlJRG0TapJ8ICGgNfMB8iewaOJAwUgGSEEfeLhlGc/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLBdlu8sfo1N1-7xKdY19b0Z_xPwyu8NaAjV84nvdA_KDpxfTtSRcK5bZs0pbX2EMn2x2aIm4Ocg-hKT-obkkLGsbORzyS8f5ClhlJRG0TapJ8ICGgNfMB8iewaOJAwUgGSEEfeLhlGc/s1600/023.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caramelized Pumpkin</td></tr>
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Remove the pumpkin from the heat and fold the sugar mixture into the still-hot pumpkin. Use a good spatula, too, as the sugar is going to react with the hot pumpkin. As I mixed the sugar, I noticed that all the pumpkin residue that I saw sticking to my pan came right off and mixed in with the rest.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeM66qkdzNeMwCpLbT3zSdd13HKYq-DBXJtyU60G45Yjzy3StXWnuBEympOP6vEdSc8NG-ZqTdVsQ5CFqmZ5nLtaNJ4Tv1LRF3jLmFukSM2mgFxBF8Z53w0U8JjgwGHXMyjNexBi0o0g/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeM66qkdzNeMwCpLbT3zSdd13HKYq-DBXJtyU60G45Yjzy3StXWnuBEympOP6vEdSc8NG-ZqTdVsQ5CFqmZ5nLtaNJ4Tv1LRF3jLmFukSM2mgFxBF8Z53w0U8JjgwGHXMyjNexBi0o0g/s1600/025.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With sugar and spice</td></tr>
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Once everything is well combined, mix in the cream mixture. I used my immersion blender, but a hand mixer would probably be more appropriate.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUzWDeFcDqIm6C8k4niwRa9uXqkge5odw-pQ46nENCTQaI-as9M_EXtCreeV7v9jOTcRf14-EfqpSu4UcqY0RXxqolVsKXCBEWQpuVFCvavdhmSMUb96iSkBCa8EL8PgyCRb_NtvEHEo/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUzWDeFcDqIm6C8k4niwRa9uXqkge5odw-pQ46nENCTQaI-as9M_EXtCreeV7v9jOTcRf14-EfqpSu4UcqY0RXxqolVsKXCBEWQpuVFCvavdhmSMUb96iSkBCa8EL8PgyCRb_NtvEHEo/s1600/026.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With cream and egg mixed in</td></tr>
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Now, here's the second area of concern for me. The filling is liquid. Like really liquid. I got a little concerned that I had skipped a step or something. But, no, it is supposed to be this way. There are eggs in there, and they will cook. So, I removed my pie shell from the freezer and used a small soup ladle to gently transfer my steaming hot pie filling into the very chilled pastry, ladling some off into a small glass dish to serve as a taste test. This is another good thing to do if you are trying a new recipe as it gives you a chance to sample the filling before the pie is out on the table in front of guests.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr68TlPhDW_GTvvo4NMZaoP-i5dgcj2lcd2ex7tC6VGHagd0Wyq15CuByqtihMqZR-Q5BqLu2ynQGwtrTC3ixHFrP_kgd7R0jUXeCTP4YNI4FJOBqWe9Qga8tfz0xS1NBfqMjvevWDnU/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr68TlPhDW_GTvvo4NMZaoP-i5dgcj2lcd2ex7tC6VGHagd0Wyq15CuByqtihMqZR-Q5BqLu2ynQGwtrTC3ixHFrP_kgd7R0jUXeCTP4YNI4FJOBqWe9Qga8tfz0xS1NBfqMjvevWDnU/s1600/028.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the oven</td></tr>
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Bake the pie in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until the filling has set. The recipe says this is when it is slightly jiggly and the area in the center is still liquid. It also says that a pumpkin pie that has been cooked properly has a smooth surface that has not cracked. My pie cooked in about 30 minutes and was somewhere in between these two guide posts.<br />
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Plus, it looked burnt. So, after allowing my taste test some time to cool, I gave it a try. This is a unique pie filling that does indeed taste strongly of pumpkin. The light spicing of ginger and cinnamon allow the actual flavor of the pumpkin to dominate, as the recipe promised. Plus, there is an undertone of caramel that is subtle but noticeable. The texture is clearly an egg-based filling, although not quite a custard. Overall, I am pleased. I hope my counterpart is also.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPHq6QqhHqpVsguwVwdbxLqYp2ZOGWnwMBQy7DXoKPHNhGc1Q4KkG5El-jHAIAn6wLRG06943ASIVh8G91JrruMB7t1_uex3d4FjCodgv3rJ0yd5V4CJ62xtUYA2AzACrs028wmeBtZ8/s1600/034+wlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPHq6QqhHqpVsguwVwdbxLqYp2ZOGWnwMBQy7DXoKPHNhGc1Q4KkG5El-jHAIAn6wLRG06943ASIVh8G91JrruMB7t1_uex3d4FjCodgv3rJ0yd5V4CJ62xtUYA2AzACrs028wmeBtZ8/s1600/034+wlogo.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-55445780322057085972013-11-23T15:44:00.000-05:002013-11-23T15:44:26.983-05:00The Importance of Mad Cake SkillsI don't think you can actually consider yourself well-versed in the kitchen and the culinary arts unless you can pull off a Special Occasion Cake. My counterpart and I have had a couple of opportunities to test his skill in this area. The first was last spring when our favorite couple got married in an intimate and touching celebration with their families.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/merry.wit/media_set?set=a.3830576560596.2170332.1163333179&type=3"> We provided the cake</a> and were privileged to be the only non-blood relations at the ceremony. The second opportunity came earlier this month when their daughter (actually, his daughter and her step daughter) turned 16. We've known her since infancy,and when she asked us to make her birthday cake, we gladly rose to the occasion.Which is kind of why this is important. You never know when you may need this skill.<br />
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So, our Sweet 16 birthday girl chose the Candyland game for her theme and requested a red velvet cake decorated with this theme in mind.</div>
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Our first task was to find a suitable recipe. There is a vast plethora of recipes for red velvet cake out there on the world wide web, ranging from the mayonnaise-based cake I remember from my 1970's childhood to those that rely on buttermilk and acidulation to achieve the characteristic velvety texture. After a little bit of research, we learned that the original red velvet cake got both its texture and color from the alkaline levels from the cocoa that is its primary flavor. Most cocoas today are processed differently than 40 years ago, so we rely on food coloring for the red color and other form of acidulation for the moist, velvety texture.<br />
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Here is the recipe we finally used. This will make enough for a three-layer, 6-inch smash cake that's about 9 inches high.</div>
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You will need:</div>
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2 1/2 sticks butter</div>
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3 eggs</div>
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1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla</div>
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3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour</div>
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2 1/4 cups sugar</div>
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1-2 tablespoons red gel food color mixed with 2 tablespoons water</div>
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3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa</div>
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1 1/2 cups buttermilk</div>
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1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar</div>
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</div>
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First, preheat your oven to 350 and grease and flour your cake pans. We highly recommend spring-form pans because they are the easiest to remove the cake from. Also, we like to line the bottoms of our spring-form pans with parchment paper. This will help you remove the bottoms with minimal damage to your cake.</div>
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Cream together butter and sugar like you would for cookies. Add your eggs and beat for about a minute or so. Then beat in the vanilla until it is blended in.</div>
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Mix together the cocoa and your food coloring and water mixture. If you don't like the color, add some more food coloring, a little at a time, until it is your preferred intensity. We used 1 tablespoon of food coloring and got a cake that was more on the pink side. When you feel you have the right amount of coloring mixed in, beat this into the butter mixture until blended.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R37Bb6DaOc31QkCCYeW8t7Fk4g1e89ePHmdecsNWH8gxMk5BRtGYGZpht8XlHrzgEQOKuy0_aCGR5YSeFqBQC0Ue28u7XrPS-hq-dQCyq5Q_f5u48Eg5m7xhm9_0p5ZeinoZ4ldWQgw/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R37Bb6DaOc31QkCCYeW8t7Fk4g1e89ePHmdecsNWH8gxMk5BRtGYGZpht8XlHrzgEQOKuy0_aCGR5YSeFqBQC0Ue28u7XrPS-hq-dQCyq5Q_f5u48Eg5m7xhm9_0p5ZeinoZ4ldWQgw/s400/019.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the strength of our food coloring</td></tr>
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<div>
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<div>
Sift together the flour and salt. Slowly combine into the butter mixture, alternating with your buttermilk. If you are using an electric mixer, you'll want to keep things at low to medium speed.</div>
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<div>
Combine the baking soda with the vinegar. Then gradually blend this into your batter.</div>
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<div>
Spoon the batter into your cake pans, keeping in mind that the batter will expand somewhat while it bakes. The recipe said this should bake in 22-28 minutes. Our cakes baked through in about 35-40 minutes. So, you'll want to make sure the batter has set and is no longer jiggly, and that a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean before you consider your cakes to be done.</div>
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Cool them on a wire rack and pop then out of those spring-form pans to cool completely before you decorate them. You'll want to do a dirty frost and let the cakes rest several hours before you decorate them in earnest. We let our cakes sit in the freezer overnight.</div>
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If you've never made a Special Occasion Cake before, the dirty frost is like a layer of primer. It helps lay down a smooth and even base for additional icing, ganache, fondant, or any number of other things. Plus it picks up any loose cake crumbs and prevents them from showing through your carefully planned out decorations.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOl-GtqzyvxduKsHCFhpMN_6nV6gWZTCDn9FRAI6BQMGtBNSI98c07TOpR7WdGB_3mbtHNQAIrq2a1PSCMNs89MRFcGLD02GLLnxLl3EPdHnRY0U-Ki4fvANxZIatIZZ_2hDMGKRxpf8g/s1600/093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOl-GtqzyvxduKsHCFhpMN_6nV6gWZTCDn9FRAI6BQMGtBNSI98c07TOpR7WdGB_3mbtHNQAIrq2a1PSCMNs89MRFcGLD02GLLnxLl3EPdHnRY0U-Ki4fvANxZIatIZZ_2hDMGKRxpf8g/s400/093.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dirty Frost</td></tr>
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After the dirty frost had set, we assembled the cake and frosted it again. If you are working with a large cake or multiple layers, wooden dowels are very handy. We used these for our multi-layered tiered wedding cake last year but did not need them for our much smaller smash cake. Also remember that a cold cake is easier to work with. If you are decorating your cake in summer, turn on that AC. If it's winter, turn down the heat and put on a sweater. </div>
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<div>
In keeping with the Candyland theme, my counterpart stacked up three layers to create his own rendition of Gumdrop Mountain. He made the middle layer an inch smaller in diameter, allowing him to create some topography.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNtUa_9m4b055XB3KQrSSa-9ySvzIv5HhwNEqdS8fXl6Mdhxc6g7tNaQT7HwVpas-3BiONkravo4Bqsa4ax4XMVFnwUl3tYiodW_A93toXPI19T2hMTmZ4DdCVW6VMEnruqUWhljm_dA/s1600/116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNtUa_9m4b055XB3KQrSSa-9ySvzIv5HhwNEqdS8fXl6Mdhxc6g7tNaQT7HwVpas-3BiONkravo4Bqsa4ax4XMVFnwUl3tYiodW_A93toXPI19T2hMTmZ4DdCVW6VMEnruqUWhljm_dA/s400/116.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two layers high</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbR4IXCjfWgA58-lRHMSrNjDGZzCoQ-6qr4Yhs3rFpyUpaSjkVgAqMCGE5o6ZPZ_GJujElgbqy8JflChSHBFykjOyW2PVH5ILcBppwjL8LhX1n1HIICVyfjA-BFKH2dAUNF1SHTsVOx8/s1600/145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbR4IXCjfWgA58-lRHMSrNjDGZzCoQ-6qr4Yhs3rFpyUpaSjkVgAqMCGE5o6ZPZ_GJujElgbqy8JflChSHBFykjOyW2PVH5ILcBppwjL8LhX1n1HIICVyfjA-BFKH2dAUNF1SHTsVOx8/s400/145.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fully assembled</td></tr>
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To get the look and feel of the mountain, he wrapped the whole thing in fondant. Which is one of the great things about fondant. You can use it to transform your cake into just about anything, giving it a smooth, clean, uniform finish. You can make your own (which we tried once. Once.), or you can buy it ready-made in a variety of colors. And, because Baltimore has its very own celebrity cake-baker, our local Micheal's carries his full line of cake-decorating supplies, providing us with a full rainbow of brightly-colored fondant to work with.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXsz-Qfdq8SMG6BoS6PuXccjcMQ4JDuN_y1r34noZ7T_QYy93HaU7y4JqemXjvDwtt9c4K946kLAINXp9tmlCZVaz8QEpsnidwVbP2YRV0YTdIpJjdynEtFPvDPsRyv3pLX23cy1S8I8/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXsz-Qfdq8SMG6BoS6PuXccjcMQ4JDuN_y1r34noZ7T_QYy93HaU7y4JqemXjvDwtt9c4K946kLAINXp9tmlCZVaz8QEpsnidwVbP2YRV0YTdIpJjdynEtFPvDPsRyv3pLX23cy1S8I8/s400/031.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes</td></tr>
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Your fondant will most likely need to be rolled out. If you have a pasta roller, that works nicely here. Remember to use powdered sugar here the same way you would use flour for pasta or pie dough.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0N5s0wu8qDBvb5QJC0uBHBLmnK4E3ymSheYJKsAGzVhyi5b3CDccQ7vn2ZlX3JFUszWVqKmhls19VktvMdhhFLhKIxyOwbveY91jOdpsodf5QQ73SqX6KM7PJW-eL46n22BjHY3kHuTs/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0N5s0wu8qDBvb5QJC0uBHBLmnK4E3ymSheYJKsAGzVhyi5b3CDccQ7vn2ZlX3JFUszWVqKmhls19VktvMdhhFLhKIxyOwbveY91jOdpsodf5QQ73SqX6KM7PJW-eL46n22BjHY3kHuTs/s400/034.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First roll the fondant flat</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQzdXc0YVXjVMYNAP1kBfWKY3LV1pyBEVcSfWS3prUw5rx-Da4shCi4Phjvu9_Pj-ZvgaXPw71HBi3JqBVzh-_FZteOQV6NC5UeeCbY2FnG99XhJpLIIRIs4E685BHG0Un6Iz6H_NW6s/s1600/045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQzdXc0YVXjVMYNAP1kBfWKY3LV1pyBEVcSfWS3prUw5rx-Da4shCi4Phjvu9_Pj-ZvgaXPw71HBi3JqBVzh-_FZteOQV6NC5UeeCbY2FnG99XhJpLIIRIs4E685BHG0Un6Iz6H_NW6s/s400/045.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then run it through the pasta roller</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZZMJNOYpLfv2vl-dnENK8jGEzotYbNOjRUnlLNxo5pyvtmHBjONJBEmdSyW39AACUnPEKVV7tVbc7AqREWyfQ9FzVtPuW_RUWRDdwyRffjlr2RDnP6_xYt90eGGW4-WTiN9XM6cAX5k/s1600/054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZZMJNOYpLfv2vl-dnENK8jGEzotYbNOjRUnlLNxo5pyvtmHBjONJBEmdSyW39AACUnPEKVV7tVbc7AqREWyfQ9FzVtPuW_RUWRDdwyRffjlr2RDnP6_xYt90eGGW4-WTiN9XM6cAX5k/s400/054.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty strips of fondant</td></tr>
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Remember also to avoid direct contact with the fondant if you can help it. This will ensure a smoother finish to your decorations and will also lengthen the shelf life of your leftover fondant. We used paper towels to maneuver the larger pieces of fondant into position as well as to brush off excess powdered sugar.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK27fnRBetZStuQrlp3Isiq0-HTzzUklYDe5rbHlLVjpf10NY6fxOv3qvcCgDMnyk5G-KatSSyU2Uns6vMnv2kmfSlZcPvQ4dw6Up85640AZLlooiHRTuG_8zTzHUIKAaxycb3xRcQ4w4/s1600/165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK27fnRBetZStuQrlp3Isiq0-HTzzUklYDe5rbHlLVjpf10NY6fxOv3qvcCgDMnyk5G-KatSSyU2Uns6vMnv2kmfSlZcPvQ4dw6Up85640AZLlooiHRTuG_8zTzHUIKAaxycb3xRcQ4w4/s400/165.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper towels help</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
We ended up with a green mountain with a white snowcap on a pink field. We also created part of the game board out of fondant squares that we ran up the side of the mountain. We finished it off with candy boulders.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOK1dKv9DUMa6u3a63sDiGvNmRKL00GUND7z56W-amUFJvT8CX9k6ug_26HpgrYvr45Tjo5Gx-p1eg2op3lKI6D9hqer5O732V3UgkqDqB-T89kIPn_QL0qO_y263irMQAVFGRdI62s8/s1600/089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYOK1dKv9DUMa6u3a63sDiGvNmRKL00GUND7z56W-amUFJvT8CX9k6ug_26HpgrYvr45Tjo5Gx-p1eg2op3lKI6D9hqer5O732V3UgkqDqB-T89kIPn_QL0qO_y263irMQAVFGRdI62s8/s400/089.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building the game board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwYgYmpoypHs63xXCYQdj4KtbQ-Lkn17t9ssWufzDHXMCwERnqVu0PktDVUs03BUSFbP5vOnZF7V6l61CFcO1RcmatC2VYsdo293W_qEqQLiV1X4iHyBZiQQ7px7JuKrL0G7j2fdsIBs/s1600/185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwYgYmpoypHs63xXCYQdj4KtbQ-Lkn17t9ssWufzDHXMCwERnqVu0PktDVUs03BUSFbP5vOnZF7V6l61CFcO1RcmatC2VYsdo293W_qEqQLiV1X4iHyBZiQQ7px7JuKrL0G7j2fdsIBs/s400/185.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anchoring it at the top</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFMuLz4OU2Vuy91cYkuYOWG9Sh4K0Ynpdk_f85JIlq4zHT3bWNTPd74KbNrZmjdRGiw_KD1PMr8rCl9CQkn93RQFWtZfmxLpE9xwx6Qww4s3gonqfcPq_aqBk04qKhz9RYRj7cnScgsM/s1600/189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFMuLz4OU2Vuy91cYkuYOWG9Sh4K0Ynpdk_f85JIlq4zHT3bWNTPd74KbNrZmjdRGiw_KD1PMr8rCl9CQkn93RQFWtZfmxLpE9xwx6Qww4s3gonqfcPq_aqBk04qKhz9RYRj7cnScgsM/s400/189.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little icing to secure it</td></tr>
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Now, this did take some time. We took several breaks, placing the cake back in the freezer to rest several times. As mentioned previously, a cold cake is easier to work with.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiPqJvAg24JHYykoaMc2h3aCAYqLYdnyW6kBmxJ2y6fpDulVFyQbZ8NlNZEjFLSxnVj_hHNmKs1V10APrIE6O0QWX4wr9z3olST-BfiMpQzoGwRmPANCS8VZPUmQIyW7Jv5sHxFf8nV0/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiPqJvAg24JHYykoaMc2h3aCAYqLYdnyW6kBmxJ2y6fpDulVFyQbZ8NlNZEjFLSxnVj_hHNmKs1V10APrIE6O0QWX4wr9z3olST-BfiMpQzoGwRmPANCS8VZPUmQIyW7Jv5sHxFf8nV0/s400/066.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Sweet 16 cake topper</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhKv7pFM-_RTH-7abTsBYumP8qDTMHRD-6R0VkKc8id0PjoS3QAuzNsuHtlmPTgH8VzESVgPyR29kQIAKWLmpAP9NtBtylhjmyi-aWclHIRJ-0x2xZz6FVpLMi7-qk9EnpeyYAt0mxy0/s1600/193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhKv7pFM-_RTH-7abTsBYumP8qDTMHRD-6R0VkKc8id0PjoS3QAuzNsuHtlmPTgH8VzESVgPyR29kQIAKWLmpAP9NtBtylhjmyi-aWclHIRJ-0x2xZz6FVpLMi7-qk9EnpeyYAt0mxy0/s400/193.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right in place atop the cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our finished product was the centerpiece of a candy buffet at the Sweet 16 party, and looked as if it deserved to be there. Which is why this skill is important. You never know when yo will have the opportunity to contribute to a big day in the life of a young person. While it was honor enough to create a wedding cake for this couple, being approached by their daughter/stepdaughter for the Sweet 16 birthday party was truly a blessing. I am proud that my counterpart had the skills to pull it off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij5u9M3Do96_7KLkaUbfPht9SdPxu3oqOnWMGpbDTPYAu0cWaRtJoqQUjqB1jkFtMlWCDLldEy-1b6sNGBlkMO7enp4kb3W9f34VduiVRHIwmAHao_9YcOyrdfgNNC7OIIysdoo4gnQc/s1600/223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij5u9M3Do96_7KLkaUbfPht9SdPxu3oqOnWMGpbDTPYAu0cWaRtJoqQUjqB1jkFtMlWCDLldEy-1b6sNGBlkMO7enp4kb3W9f34VduiVRHIwmAHao_9YcOyrdfgNNC7OIIysdoo4gnQc/s640/223.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product - we made this sh*t!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-69676752334932784742013-11-17T18:08:00.005-05:002013-11-17T21:32:36.052-05:00All About the GravyThanksgiving is about 10 days away, so it's time to get serious about cooking again. The nice thing about Thanksgiving is that it is really all about the meal - that opulent turkey dinner that most of us only muster this one day of the year. And because that turkey is really the cornerstone of the day, you want to bring your A game.<br />
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To help prepare for this major cooking event, today's posting is all about the gravy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipsYZ0hTIYy_YgllN8dnh3yq7k41ON8-eWuug6_gB2N_SEOgvQzlA8MK6PTenljrn-3dIlFw25UAmDTQZG1tX2_nfLeqUGQVXlRIoR-oZKyLXdPJCpaluhdagmYDOovojlLafHkaLFrs/s1600/420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipsYZ0hTIYy_YgllN8dnh3yq7k41ON8-eWuug6_gB2N_SEOgvQzlA8MK6PTenljrn-3dIlFw25UAmDTQZG1tX2_nfLeqUGQVXlRIoR-oZKyLXdPJCpaluhdagmYDOovojlLafHkaLFrs/s1600/420.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect giblet gravy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But first, an important note about the turkey, because the wrong bird will stop you dead in your tracks. I bring this up because over the last few years I've seen an increase in turkeys that come with a sad little packet of pre-made gravy instead of the traditional packet of neck and giblets. Read the packaging carefully and make sure you pick up a bird with the giblets. Pull them out of the carcass, and trim the ends off the wings, and set them all aside for a moment.<br />
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Here's also a nice trick for roasting that will keep the bird moist and flavorful. Turkeys are pretty lean and are prone to drying out in the cooking process. While a free range bird is less likely to dry out than conventional birds, many of us keep it from drying out by adding fat like butter. Put the butter away and try this: Mix dried rubbed sage and salt into a couple of tablespoons of duck fat and rub that on the exterior of your turkey. Duck fat is easy enough to come by. Sometime between now and Thanksgiving, pick up a duck and treat yourself to a duck dinner. Drain off the fat and save it until Thanksgiving.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsz_QEF-TQE6drjGyVF4wXgI8SS4Uzs58IVO4cUCtHG0enV2v2gR0JRlR04wmVXZgggfkCW7l3Mhyphenhyphenhjrzy6N0rW4ucxCKCY5gxLpvi8zvp0zf72RTzNfHrLd-Cq42ylyJDERwK5nV6YI/s1600/225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsz_QEF-TQE6drjGyVF4wXgI8SS4Uzs58IVO4cUCtHG0enV2v2gR0JRlR04wmVXZgggfkCW7l3Mhyphenhyphenhjrzy6N0rW4ucxCKCY5gxLpvi8zvp0zf72RTzNfHrLd-Cq42ylyJDERwK5nV6YI/s1600/225.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neck, giblets, wing tips, and butter</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once the turkey is in the oven, go back to those giblets. Now, most of us just cover them with water and leave them on the back burner to stock all afternoon. The key to a really flavorful giblet gravy is to brown them first - neck and all - in about a tablespoon of butter with some more sage and maybe a bit of oregano.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirepoix</td></tr>
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A bit if veg will also boost up the flavor. You'll want to add some carrot, leek, onion, and celery hearts as if you were preparing a mirepoix. Let the veg cook until softened. Then add a couple of cups of water to the pot and throw in about half a bullion cube. Now you can set it aside to simmer while the turkey roasts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giblet stock</td></tr>
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When the turkey is cooked through, you'll want to let it rest for a moment. While it is resting, go ahead and cut off some of those nice fatty bits near the butt. And, if you really want all those juices, pull the stuffing and turn the bird on its end to let everything drip down into the roasting pan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letting gravity do its thing</td></tr>
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With giblets, stock, pan drippings, and some nice fatty meat, you are now ready to make your gravy. You will also need flour, butter, olive oil, heavy cream, and some variety of flavoring like Worcestershire sauce. We use a bit of sriracha sauce and some Pik-a-Peppa.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little extra flavor</td></tr>
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Start with a simple roux. In a heavy pan, melt down 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add to that about 4 tablespoons flour and mix with a spatula until the flour has blended with the fats and has cooked off. This is important because cooked flour makes sauce but raw flour only makes paste. Mind the heat so that you don't end up at the other extreme with scorched flour as this is not appropriate for this application.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooked flour makes a sauce</td></tr>
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Add your flavoring to the roux along with some heavy cream.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Then, remove your turkey from the roasting pan and place it on a platter because it's time to add the drippings.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan drippings</td></tr>
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Use a spatula to scrape everything off the sides and bottom of the pan and carefully pour it into your gravy. Then, take those giblets off the back burner and strain the stock into the roasting pan to deglace the remaining sucs and add this to the gravy, keeping the heat fairly low.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making use of the giblet stock</td></tr>
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Now, before you add the giblets, you'll want to get out the immersion blender to smooth out the roux. If you have a uniform texture to your gravy before you add the meat, your gravy will be much more like a sauce. Which is actually what it is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emulsification</td></tr>
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You'll now want to mince the giblets and that fatty turkey butt meat and add them to the pot. And, finally, you'll take on the neck. This will need to be done by hand to ensure you get the maximum amount of meat without also getting any of the bone. And it's worth it. This is some tender flavorful meat. Carefully pick as much as you can from the neck and mince it up before adding it to the gravy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giblets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neck meat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just needs a quick stir</td></tr>
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Give everything a good stir. If it is not as thick as you'd like, get out the potato starch.You can find this at Asian markets, as well as at some kosher grocers. Mix a little with some water before adding to your gravy; then give it a couple of minutes to thicken up.<br />
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And, that is the perfect Thanksgiving gravy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-87004193295452971872013-11-10T17:14:00.001-05:002013-11-10T18:33:25.356-05:00Sea Urchin Is Not for EveryoneI love food. I really do. I love trying new things and experiencing new flavors and textures. I love finding the limits of my palate and visiting that edge regularly. The first time I try a new food is like a little adventure that I embrace with eyes (and mouth) wide open, both feet forward, ready for whatever it brings.<br />
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This is how I found myself on Friday night starting down a piece of sea urchin sushi. I am a seafood fanatic, and sushi is easily my favorite way to eat fish. There's so much flavor and texture and opportunity for that new and amazing experience that I so enjoy. I've pushed the sushi envelop much further than my counterpart, trying it all, from the rubbery octopus to the quite fishy mackerel (which took several tastings for me to embrace raw mackerel, but embrace it I have) to the fairly exotic conch. So, faced with the sushi menu at the Golden Szechuan Inn in Bel Air and not wanting another roll of grilled eel or spicy tuna, or even a California roll, I walked right up to the deep end of the pool and dove in.<br />
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I ordered the sea urchin.<br />
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After two decades of rabid sushi consumption, I thought I was ready for anything. When Japan House was still in business over by the Aberdeen Clarion, I would regularly sneak in a sushi lunch in the middle of my Saturday errands. I even tried the oshinko, a vegetarian roll consisting of rice wrapped around picked horseradish. And, maybe because I was a regular, the sushi chef asked me if I knew what I was ordering, as if trying to warn me. When I smiled and shrugged and said, "Not really, but I'm game", he smiled back and said "OK". It reminded me of when my cat ate a stinkbug for the first time and proceeded to lick the floor in an effort to get the taste out of his mouth.<br />
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Even that did not prepare me for sea urchin.<br />
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When it arrived, my counterpart pulled the visor of his cap down low over his eyes and hunched into his usual California roll and salmon and avocado roll. The sea urchin I got looked a bit like an orange human tongue resting on a block of rice wrapped in nori. But I could look past this. What caused me a moment of consternation was that it jiggled. Even though it seemed a bit wobbly, I was still expecting something fairly solid. So, I took a deep breath, dipped it in some wasabi, and popped the whole thing into my mouth.<br />
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What happened next was amazing. The sea urchin proved to be as wobbly and semi-solid as it had appeared on the plate with none of the tongue-like meatiness I was expecting. It kind of squished when I bit into it. And, as I chewed, I noticed that it was sticking to my teeth. I thought for a moment that fish should not stick to your teeth.<br />
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And then I got the full flavor - musky and bitter and completely unique. And I thought of the oshinko. And once again was reminded of my cat and the stinkbug.<br />
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After I swallowed, I took a drink of water. Then I took a drink of tea. Then I ate all the pickled ginger on my plate. Then I took a break. Then I ate my raw mackerel, which tasted quite bland in comparison.<br />
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Then my counterpart looked out from under his cap and asked if I had finally crossed a culinary line. Had I perhaps just gone too far this time. I considered the musky, bitter, pungent film that lingered on my molars and in the back of my throat and conceded that, yes, perhaps I had.<br />
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Then I posted a photo on Instagram and one of my friends recommended Johnny's Sushi across the river in Perryville, where I could probably do a bit better. Will I try it? But of course!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-74532569923145331922013-11-04T19:29:00.000-05:002013-11-04T19:29:15.102-05:00Counting Points, and Surviving the Holiday BuffetQuite recently, I went in for my annual physical. There I was made to step on a scale and was then forced to acknowledge my actual weight and discuss the health ramifications. Now, it wasn't too bad. It's certainly been worse. But it wasn't actually good either. So I signed up for Weight Watchers' online program and have been counting Points ever since. And I've lost 10 pounds, affirming my belief that Weight Watchers still is the safest easiest way to lose weight.<div>
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And, this past weekend I think I blew through all of them - all my daily Points, most of my Anytime Points. I almost tapped into my reserve of Activity Points. This past weekend was Halloween weekend, a candy free-for-all that for all practical purposes marks the beginning of the holiday food fest that will continue right up until breakfast on the morning of January 2 when we abandon brunches and return to our sensible morning oatmeal in a state of mild shock.</div>
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Thus heralds another cycle of Holiday Party Tips. And, in case anyone thinks this is premature, the Indian Festival of Lights was this past weekend, and Hanukkah is right around the corner, taking place in November this year.</div>
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<ol>
<li>Don't Go to a Party Starving - This is tried and true common sense. If you don't eat something before a big holiday party, you will gorge yourself. I'm not talking about a full meal or anything, but you should get a little something in your system right around the time you start getting ready, like an apple or some nuts. Something to fill the void without feeling like a pre-dinner to the actual dinner.</li>
<li>Don't Drink Your Calories - Wine, beer, cocktails all pack calories, and empty calories at that. Plus once many of us get a little liqoured up, our inhibitions fall to the wayside, and we tend to graze meaninglessly putting any old thing off the buffet into our belly. So, following this guideline actually accomplishes a couple of things, in addition to helping you dodge a hangover. Many diet gurus recommend the gin and tonic as the party drink of choice for those who wish not to indulge. This is a good choice as it comes in fairly low on the caloric content and doesn't mix well with most foods, forcing you to take a break from the buffet. It's also kind of bitter which makes it difficult to drink quickly, minimizing the number of them you can consume over the course of an evening. If there is only wine at the party, good luck. Wine is the greatest destroyer of good intentions known to mankind, both dietary and otherwise. Whatever you drink, remember to have a glass of water (not soda or juice) between</li>
<li>Chose Your Calories Carefully - At a typical holiday party you will be presented with a barrage of foods, many of them specialties that we only eat this time of year. Many of them will also be things pulled from the freezer and reheated prior to guests arriving. I'm talking mini quiches, egg rolls, those questionable meatballs in cream of mushroom soup - these items are not fresh-made. They were created in a warehouse and flash frozen gods know how long ago. Ask yourself what you really want to eat. I stick by the "real food" guideline and usually do OK with things like veggies and dip, shrimp cocktail, and the fruit and cheese platter.</li>
<li>Be Honest With Yourself - This piece of advice is about those inevitable food traps - those items that we know we shouldn't eat but seem powerless to resist. Mine is buffalo chicken anything - wings, dip, sliders. I can't help it! I love the hot and tangy pepper sauce and the creamy bleu cheese dressing, and because it is chicken, I can usually convince myself that it's not the worst thing on the buffet. I would be wrong. But, if it's on the table, I know I will partake. I'll dodge every other questionable food choice (including dessert) to indulge a bit here. And that's the trick,. A little honesty about your favorite bad food will allow you to enjoy it without feeling the need to a) give up entirely on your healthy eating plan because of one "slip" and go hog wild, or b) feel like crap because you were faced with temptation and lost. (If it was resistible, it wouldn't be very tempting, now would it.)</li>
<li>Keep Track of Things, or Calories In, Calories Out - This is essentially what I am doing with Weight Watchers Online, only I have a Points allowance. You can keep track of your eating and exercise with a number of online tools and apps. My favorite free app is MyFitnessPal. It allows you to track your weight and has a pretty extensive database of foods, exercises, and normal activities (shopping anyone?) to help you stay on top of things. This is especially important if you (like me) enjoy food and end up dancing along the edge of your healthy weight range.</li>
</ol>
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Regardless of what anyone says, the holidays are about eating - sharing meals and special foods with family and friends, showcasing our favorite recipes, baking little treats for our neighbors and coworkers. Take my sensible advice or completely disregard it - just remember to have fun. Enjoy the company around you. And, enjoy the food.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-90235628389249044662013-10-26T15:26:00.000-04:002013-10-26T15:26:17.625-04:00Review: "Julie and Julia"Julia Child lived a most fascinating life. She was the wife of a diplomat and got to travel the world, eventually finding herself in Paris. She fell in love with the cuisine, and the rest is history. About a decade after her arrival in Paris, she was back in the US and preparing for the publication of her now-seminal cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Shortly thereafter, Public Television gave her a cooking show, and she brought French cuisine into suburban kitchens across America.<br />
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The story of how she took on the Parisian culinary scene and joined forces with a couple of like-minded women to produce a classic cookbook is such an interesting story on its own, one wonders why Nora Ephron didn't just tell it and let audiences marvel at this fearless and engaging woman. Instead, she interposes the life of this brilliant cook with that of modern-day would-be food blogger Julie Powell.<br />
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On the surface, Powell's quest to work through Child's cookbook over the course of a year and blog about her progress seems similar to Child's quest to master French cooking and then get her cookbook published. And Ephron certainly tries to find parallels. But the story of Julie Powell and her blog just doesn't stand up to the story of Julia Child's life in France and how she learned to cook. Placing the two side by side feels like a gimmick, much the way Powell's blog may have felt like a gimmick to Child when she learned of it. Instead of a well-written movie about an exceptional individual, "Julie and Julia" feels like a gimmick within a gimmick. Powell seems shallow, self-absorbed, narcissistic in comparison to the open and adventurous Child.<br />
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Meryl Streep is wonderful as Julia Child, and Jane Lynch turns in another brilliant if brief performance as her sister. Streep even masters Child's distinct manner of speech, achieving her melodious voice without going over the top into parody. She brings an animation to her portrayal of Child that makes it one of the best characterizations of an actual person I've seen in some time.<br />
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Amy Adams should be cute as a button as Julie Powell. Instead, she comes off as shrill and unlikable. I don't think it's her fault, either. The way the character of Julie Powell is written, only 1990's Meg Ryan could make her likable. With an equally unlikable choppy bob haircut, I was left wondering of that wasn't really who Ephron had in mind when she crafted this character.<br />
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Powell's story also comes off as rushed and condensed. Instead of a young woman searching to find her voice through her genuine love of cooking, the story of Julie Powell moves from emotional crisis to emotional crisis. She comes across as obsessed with Julia Child with her husband actively supporting hr until the scene in which he suddenly changes his mind and abruptly leaves her. There is little build up to this plot turn and it feels forced. Of course, all is resolved in a few days, and Julie completes her quest, gaining the attention of the mass media and the support of her mother to boot.<br />
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Compare that to the Childs being investigated for anti-American activities under the urging of Senator McCarthy, and one wonders why Ephron could not find a sufficient story just in their life.<br />
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Toward the end of the film, Julie Powell receives a call from a representative of Julie Child and learns that Child doesn't care for her blog. She wonders aloud if perhaps Child feels somehow as if she is being used. Indeed, she and her memory are - especially by this film.<br />
<br />
Being a food blogger, many people who know me thought I would enjoy this film. The scenes about Julia Child were wonderful and made me wish I could cook brilliant and wonderful food. I would love a full-length feature about this amazing woman. As for Julie Powell, I'm sure her blog was an interesting novelty at the time. I often think I would also gain immense recognition if only I had a catchy gimmick. Ultimately, I think neither woman was served well by this film, though. I am, however, inspired to read Child's account of her life in France and have a new and stronger respect for her.<br />
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"Julie and Julia" has been available on Netflix for some time. If you haven't seen it yet, it is worth watching if you stick with the Childs in France.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-12424961836267296012013-10-06T09:37:00.000-04:002013-10-06T09:37:34.423-04:00Sunday Morning Banana BreadLast week we purchased a beautiful bunch of bananas for the week and then promptly forgot about them, which means today they were perfect for banana bread. We had enough for two loaves - one for us and an extra for a grieving friend. Who doesn't feel a little better after a slice of home made banana bread?<br />
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While I have Gareth's grandmother's banana bread recipe, I opted for the recipe from The Joy of Cooking as the ancestral Dirlam recipe omits the quantity of bananas needed and how to prep them. I believe this was Edith's secret that she took to the grave with her, thus ensuring that no one else would be able to create her recipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvEPwYcvQxBxFwP0QEGc8lQUA-JOcUlWYLRZRK9AdWke6gvwtHQ25968j69PZw3HzErSdBQfJADL-Q_Enp6RNJpfQX2Y_LY9fseduv6lJ31BL9IlfxkMnlWpPih3oQU1nu38kUQCqCw8/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvEPwYcvQxBxFwP0QEGc8lQUA-JOcUlWYLRZRK9AdWke6gvwtHQ25968j69PZw3HzErSdBQfJADL-Q_Enp6RNJpfQX2Y_LY9fseduv6lJ31BL9IlfxkMnlWpPih3oQU1nu38kUQCqCw8/s400/079.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Joy of Cooking recipe is pretty straightforward and was easy to double. I'll provide the recipe for a single standard size loaf.<br />
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All ingredients need to be a room temperature. You will need:<br />
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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
5 1/3 tablespoons butter<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2 very ripe bananas, mashed<br />
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Move your oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350. Mash your bananas and set aside. Also, lightly beat your eggs with a fork and set those aside as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mashed bananas</td></tr>
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Combine your dry ingredients except the sugar, and set that aside also.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dry ingredients</td></tr>
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Cream together your butter and sugar like you would do for sugar cookies, using a mixer (or if you're old school, a wooden spoon). Once the butter and sugar are creamed, gently mix in your eggs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter and sugar before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztZGGvk9lDfLnc4g1GTpALCrADmjIE52Y2IB8oUhvcTSQR5HgduaKJ99b1BDmF4plUt1sARxCQ_Mu-8IuOm-H-O_nwB8KaqEb5EbQPrXRx6RSF7Ewp7g5sgNX7-aZDYplvQCplMzT55Y/s1600/092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztZGGvk9lDfLnc4g1GTpALCrADmjIE52Y2IB8oUhvcTSQR5HgduaKJ99b1BDmF4plUt1sARxCQ_Mu-8IuOm-H-O_nwB8KaqEb5EbQPrXRx6RSF7Ewp7g5sgNX7-aZDYplvQCplMzT55Y/s400/092.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter and sugar after</td></tr>
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Combine your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and mix until blended. Then add your bananas and continue mixing until blended into a smooth batter. At this point, you can also fold in about 1/2 cup of nuts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsl66G5ldG09hfJE-H3ZKUW4aVHpAs_3vGO8Ob17G8ok4sBaBmxI4tRxb8WCDtvz4ao8ZQw3cU55jkLbX4g40tSAwKkFsBaRaflknKsU_fnPhK8ANHPE33ROQa-XnabARbullE0qKtPY/s1600/103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsl66G5ldG09hfJE-H3ZKUW4aVHpAs_3vGO8Ob17G8ok4sBaBmxI4tRxb8WCDtvz4ao8ZQw3cU55jkLbX4g40tSAwKkFsBaRaflknKsU_fnPhK8ANHPE33ROQa-XnabARbullE0qKtPY/s400/103.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batter</td></tr>
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Pour the batter into a greased 8 1/2 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about an hour. The best way to determine if your bread is done is the toothpick test. If a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, it's done.<br />
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Let your loaf cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana bread</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-9828841662938636612013-09-29T09:40:00.000-04:002013-09-29T09:40:38.620-04:00Reflections on National Hunger MonthSeptember is National Hunger Month, and many of us have been reflecting on the state of food availability in this country. While ironically this month Congress cut $40 million from the federal food stamps program, the CEO of Panera joined many others in attempting to live off the per-person food stamps allocation of about $4.50 a day. News about inaccuracies in expiration dates on perishable foods prompted the creation of a new venture in Massachusetts to round up these items, determine their actual remaining shelf life, and resell them at discount prices.<br />
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My counterpart and I have been discussing a series on austerity cooking in which we also attempt to create a meal based on the food stamps budget. While we have been planning this experiment, our understanding of food availability and hunger in this country has changed.<br />
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Most people have read about "food ghettos" - the lack of grocery stores and fresh foods in many low income neighborhoods that results in people purchasing low-nutrition pre-packaged foods from convenience stores that now have expanded food options. Any fruits or vegetables t these locations are poorly kept and expensive. People without a reliable means of transportation frequently have alternative to this dubious choice. Wal-Mart has started to address this in some urban areas (including the one I live in proximity to) by providing regular shuttles from our food ghettos out to their closest stores, providing low income families access to fresh meats and produce at a low cost.<br />
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But access to food is only part of the issue. Another problem for low income families is food spoilage. Once the fresh food is in the home, what tools are in the low-income kitchen to keep it from going bad before it can be eaten? This is where attempts by well-to-do folks like myself (and the CEO of Panera) to recreate the food stamps budget only cover a fraction of the reality for low income families.<br />
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Speaking for myself, my counterpart and I have a really, really good kitchen. We have a set of professional kitchen knives that includes the professional sharpener. We also have a butcher's block cutting board. These items are important, especially if you are buying family packs of meat that still have bone and skin to get a lower per-pound price. Without good equipment to clean the meat, a non-trivial percentage ends up in the trash. Unless, of course, you have the time to stock the skin and bones.<br />
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Which we often do. We have a prosumer anodized aluminum set of pots and pans that includes a sizable stock pot. We regularly stock meat remnants and aging produce to prevent waste in our own kitchen. And many people living in austerity conditions no doubt do the same. Which brings up the issue of storage.<br />
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You've got your family pack of meat that now needs to last you several weeks. You also have several weeks worth of stock that can quickly be transformed into soup or sauce for a casserole. Here's the most significant difference between my yuppie kitchen and the typical low-income kitchen - I've got a prosumer vacuum sealer. I can portion things out, vacuum seal them, and put them in the freezer (which is as big as a standard fridge - another notable difference here) for future use. We use the same approach for leftovers. And, for food items to be stored for just a few days, we have those nice glass snap-lock containers with the inner seal. As a result, very little goes bad in our kitchen.<br />
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When we consider austerity cooking on the federal food stamps budget to raise awareness about food scarcity and hunger in this country, it's also important to note that those of us who choose to engage in this temporary experiment need to also remember that we still have significant advantages over the families who live like this every day. We have time. We have tools. We have storage space. We can ensure that what we spend our money on is properly stored and doesn't go to waste.<br />
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Which to me is the double insult of poverty - the heartbreaking realization that when you can get your hands on good, fresh food, it will just go bad before it is all consumed. The good knife not only allows you to get the most from your meat, it also enables you to quickly turn fresh produce into food. The ability to quickly and easily chop vegetables down ensures that more of them will end up in your meal, adding both flavor and nutrition, as well as preventing spoilage and waste because they are actually being eaten in larger quantities.<br />
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Probably the most important tools to prevent this are one good reliable knife that is kept sharp, a good cutting board, and proper storage containers. In this case, the vacuum sealer is not exactly in reach, but containers with a proper seal are. As the cooling weather prompts more food drives for area soup kitchens and shelters, those of us who are better off should pause and consider the need for these additional kitchen items and how we can get them out to our struggling and hungry neighbors. Basic items that we take for granted, like zipper seal bags and good cling wrap, can add days to the shelf life of leftovers and perishable foods.<br />
<br />
As National Hunger Month comes to a close, my counterpart and I will continue planning our well-to-do version of austerity cooking. I will be mindful of my portion size and what I throw away. And I will continue to give thanks for all that I have.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-52516837890390355972013-09-15T09:03:00.001-04:002013-09-15T09:43:00.260-04:00First Pumpkin of the Season in About 30 MinutesWe first started seeing fresh pumpkin for sale at the beginning of the month when we were in Wisconsin. At the time, we thought little of it - they have a different growing season than we do here in Maryland, and this seemed about the right time for the squash in that part of the country. But, when we were out procuring food items this weekend and saw them all over the place out here, we rejoiced, for pumpkin season has arrived in Maryland. We stopped by Hopkins Produce on Route 155 and picked up a couple of small but attractive pumpkins and created our first pumpkin meal of what will hopefully be a plentiful season.<br />
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Pumpkin works well with chicken and curry, which is the basis for <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2011/10/pumpkin-soup.html">our pumpkin soup recipe</a>. But by the time we completed our shopping, we were hungry and impatient and getting a little cranky, and we really did not want to take the 45 minutes or so required to roast the pumpkin. So my counterpart devised a shortcut.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First pumpkin of the season</td></tr>
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Since it was just the two of us and we had a birthday party to attend later in the evening, we wanted just a small lunch to tide us over. Gareth cut off a small section of the pumpkin, skinned it, and cut it down into small pieces (small pieces cook more quickly, and if they look the same, they cook the same.) Then, instead of roasting them in the oven, he pan-friend them on the stovetop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cW4phWRjhVlb9rFmXl1rRsFjkewQjF_W5JXO83_9PztOT3TrKRalZpSe7rxG08ChzoJFWXxS8WmoreR9RTLXpC1RrYFb41BrWCoUWmebBZ5MpKzPsB1wxXUnvjov__ssWNFEIJbuM04/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cW4phWRjhVlb9rFmXl1rRsFjkewQjF_W5JXO83_9PztOT3TrKRalZpSe7rxG08ChzoJFWXxS8WmoreR9RTLXpC1RrYFb41BrWCoUWmebBZ5MpKzPsB1wxXUnvjov__ssWNFEIJbuM04/s1600/029.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diced pumpkin cooking on the stovetop</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
In a separate pan, he also cooked up some chicken thigh meat, cut off the bone and dusted with a mixture of flour, sriracha sauce, and a Punjab tandoori powder. He cooked the meat in a bit of olive oil, periodically draining the fat off into the pumpkin.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XoX0KxTfxV66IlJf7zmSgS8NC3vA8K3Jy3jR0kToF4nKJRx0EhCHQQZkrP9PBQ5WRJXPUzgVenQE01HwU3lwLz0bNB1Bcx8CmA3iQccDMKzjjOQht7e6iDRaKTd6HiJHhlG7OGc4AjI/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XoX0KxTfxV66IlJf7zmSgS8NC3vA8K3Jy3jR0kToF4nKJRx0EhCHQQZkrP9PBQ5WRJXPUzgVenQE01HwU3lwLz0bNB1Bcx8CmA3iQccDMKzjjOQht7e6iDRaKTd6HiJHhlG7OGc4AjI/s1600/003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boned chicken thighs dusted with flour and Punjab red curry</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-JSLhZfLfKq7HTRcc3-WT4U-Lb_08DrqCRzfYKS1YZdk3RDhmZlQRqNAHZkTDvikkzzdvNNc-qDtPSS7_Tu3F7vfJpuMxzutWjw-NTdEFjYSxKD_ZRdxIAPYeD6ikm_hXd5WxSAbPN8/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-JSLhZfLfKq7HTRcc3-WT4U-Lb_08DrqCRzfYKS1YZdk3RDhmZlQRqNAHZkTDvikkzzdvNNc-qDtPSS7_Tu3F7vfJpuMxzutWjw-NTdEFjYSxKD_ZRdxIAPYeD6ikm_hXd5WxSAbPN8/s1600/011.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draining that yummy animal fat into the pumpkin</td></tr>
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As the pumpkin continued to cook, he mashed it up, eventually employing our favorite tool, the immersion blender, to puree it with some heavy cream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uzze3Lmyef65wIV-hy8AP4x07yPcVrQTIRaOqAGhslpsjXMR-S8P-XswQ84fzjFOqmyREFTIlvnHlpCUg86fTNWsLKSVNy6JmaU99x0z76vwEepiYCtOgRgL1RZH9FeWQQlh4CNq7Vc/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uzze3Lmyef65wIV-hy8AP4x07yPcVrQTIRaOqAGhslpsjXMR-S8P-XswQ84fzjFOqmyREFTIlvnHlpCUg86fTNWsLKSVNy6JmaU99x0z76vwEepiYCtOgRgL1RZH9FeWQQlh4CNq7Vc/s1600/043.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puree the cooked pumpkin with a little cream</td></tr>
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<br />
To finish the dish, he added a little white onion and garlic that had been gently sauteed, and a little chicken stock. (A note about chicken stock is that if you have a vacuum sealer, you can vacuum seal your stock and lay it flat on one of your freezer shelves to save space. You can also crack the sheet of stock to use a portion of it in your cooking.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pzm1vf0VH5YvqZBqlcGSnkX9nQ1VRpuSK2qvrX7-7wd6E3hMWyNkxmMI1Cp5asAwkHXjuz4rOf46VK1t6Dj9ylFGkjE3YqB2j5a-rMP5LE22uIuIkh4a4NgKw1lQ_WBwY8FGEnqFZTc/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pzm1vf0VH5YvqZBqlcGSnkX9nQ1VRpuSK2qvrX7-7wd6E3hMWyNkxmMI1Cp5asAwkHXjuz4rOf46VK1t6Dj9ylFGkjE3YqB2j5a-rMP5LE22uIuIkh4a4NgKw1lQ_WBwY8FGEnqFZTc/s1600/040.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vacuum-sealed stock keeps longer and saves space</td></tr>
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<br />
And there you have a very nice dish that has all those good flavors of pumpkin soup in about 30 minutes. Serve with a little buttered bread on the side and you have a perfect fall meal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2Yrt5zwNu3tlFwR6XqumrdpBMQVmzLAlCQzXGkd4YkrVRjTuOxn7dOwlOvqH7I47slsHinRx3ZdyueRKTp5t2OrjejJdGlwZzxN_CjDTURQSpsRVz5fjbhPlTjzDiH0IMSlnjfuQUnE/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2Yrt5zwNu3tlFwR6XqumrdpBMQVmzLAlCQzXGkd4YkrVRjTuOxn7dOwlOvqH7I47slsHinRx3ZdyueRKTp5t2OrjejJdGlwZzxN_CjDTURQSpsRVz5fjbhPlTjzDiH0IMSlnjfuQUnE/s1600/049.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30-minute curried chicken with pumpkin</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-64298493017803320802013-09-14T11:54:00.000-04:002013-09-14T11:54:05.958-04:00Food From the Dieter's Perspective, Part 2Mostly I write about what I am eating, how to make it at home, or where to find it in my area. I also spend a lot of time considering the impact of food on our health and our overall sense of well-being. So every once in a while, <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2011/05/food-from-dieters-perspective.html">some of these thoughts end up in the blog.</a><br />
<br />
And today I am thinking about the ramifications of enjoying food. It started last night at a happy hour to send off one of my favorite coworkers to her next job, which should have been a really good time. Then someone took a group shot. And I saw myself. And I was shocked. I have become a pillow, and a very lumpy one at that. One of my friends was generous enough to claim that it was the sweater I was wearing, but this was clearly not the case. (But I love her for saying so anyway.) And it hung over me like a dark cloud of failure. How had this happened?<br />
<br />
Many of us women have spent most of our lives dieting in some manner, or at least convincing ourselves that food is just fuel to keep us healthy and active but not to be enjoyed. I know I've spent a good portion of my life since puberty afraid of what would happen if I actually started enjoying food.<br />
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And this is not the same as eating for enjoyment. I'm talking about enjoying what you are eating, and what this can lead to. And I eat some highly enjoyable meals. And my worst fears have come true. When I regularly eat food that I enjoy and I consistently take pleasure in my meals, I am 15 pounds heavier and 2 sizes larger than when I chose the more Spartan "food is fuel" outlook.<br />
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But I also see things like anxiety, depression, and insomnia subside. My concentration improves, and so does my productivity. I am good with a normal 8 hours of sleep and do not feel the need to nap. The truth is, my slimmer, lighter self comes at a price - my overall sense of well-being. When I diet, I am cranky, and not just because of food deprivation. Mealtime is transformed from an enjoyable sensory and social experience to something to be dreaded, a minefield of bad choices and regrets. And this detracts from my quality of life.<br />
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When I was younger, I really did fear that my greatest assets were physical, and that once my beauty faded, so would my perceived value. So, the trade off of security for beauty seemed like a fair one. As I have gotten older, though, my perception of myself has changed, as has what I want my life to look like, to feel like. While in my own residual self-image, I am still 125 pounds (and I am always deeply troubled by reminders that this is not actually true), I also see the value in a consistent level of comfort, happiness, satisfaction, peace.<br />
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And maintaining this peace requires food, and food that I enjoy. I don't think I am alone in this realization. Which is why so many women my age appear to "let ourselves go". It's not just shifting hormones, changing metabolism, or genetics. I am not lazy or no longer concerned with my appearance. I am just concerned with so many other things as well, and the struggle to maintain a certain weight often seems like so much vanity when compared to my effectiveness at work or how well I am sleeping and getting along with others or the state of my home life.<br />
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It's difficult for me to accept my current girth. I was always anxious that enjoyable meals would result in this. But, I do not have those telltale symptoms of pending obesity that I exhibited when I joined Weight Watchers - there's no blood sugar issues or shortness of breath or brain fog and mental fatigue. My joints don't ache or cry out in protest when I engage in physical activity. And most of the time I feel pretty good - as long as I am eating home-cooked meals.<br />
<br />
And I think that is an important distinction. What we eat most definitely impacts not only our health, but how we feel, both physically and emotionally. While last night's photo was a shock, I will not take the drastic actions of my younger self. I will continue to enjoy my meals and my dining experiences, just maybe in smaller portions. And I will accept that my long-term sense of well-being does not depend on me being a size 6.<br />
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And, in closing, here is the shocking photo from last night. I am on the left, raising my glass in celebration, healthy and happy and completely at ease.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-17852454217537886132013-08-25T07:12:00.001-04:002013-08-25T07:19:59.671-04:00Ultimate Weekend Pancake BreakfastPancakes are tricky, although most people do not realize this. To get a light, fluffy pancake, you need to sacrifice flavor. But for a truly flavorful pancake, you almost always end up with something closer to a crepe. Personally, I'll take the flavor over the fluffiness. But, recently my counterpart came up with a recipe that provides both. The key - acidulation. By adding things like vinegar and cultured dairy, you give the baking powder a boost and can scale back on it a bit. You also inject the batter with a little savory zing, adding more depth to the flavor. If you serve these up right away, they are light, fluffy, and flavorful - pancake perfection.<br />
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For the batter you will need:<br />
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1 1/2 cups self rising flour<br />
(or add two teaspoons baking powder)<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
1/3 cup milk<br />
1/3 cup cream<br />
1/3 cup labne (or Greek yogurt)<br />
1 tablespoon corn syrup<br />
1 tablespoon brown sugar<br />
1 teaspoon white vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
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Mix everything together, and mix it well. Use your submersion blender to truly homogenize your batter. You won't regret it.<br />
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Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. The longer the batter rests, the fuller the flavor will be. And here's another key to flavorful pancakes - something wonderful happens when you mix eggs and flour. The longer they are exposed to each other, the richer their combined flavor. But. most of us do not want to wait a full day for our pancakes. This recipe is enough to serve two today and two again tomorrow, making it the ultimate weekend pancake breakfast recipe.<br />
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Once the batter has rested, lightly oil your omelet pan with a little light-tasting oil like grapeseed. Cook one pancake in the pan over medium-low heat. Gently check the underside and flip when it is a golden color. Continue to cook until the other side is also golden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_vLn-hFvabTBT9bs3H7PK_J05Z8pn1TLHHChC31s9hfRODIQPZV048FUEo5aRHYj2dW2Kgc178WpkYkfLq2sMfouB8CLSHFCXCut1zTzzx5dZj85EaiChrIvIXpZowMeSm7kR5ORwlo/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_vLn-hFvabTBT9bs3H7PK_J05Z8pn1TLHHChC31s9hfRODIQPZV048FUEo5aRHYj2dW2Kgc178WpkYkfLq2sMfouB8CLSHFCXCut1zTzzx5dZj85EaiChrIvIXpZowMeSm7kR5ORwlo/s640/031.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the pan</td></tr>
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Serve these bad boys up topped with fresh strawberries and maple syrup with a little bacon on the side, and enjoy your weekend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the plate</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-16381521544458004662013-08-18T19:23:00.001-04:002013-08-18T20:10:08.585-04:00Summer Steak is a Beautiful ThingAny day that starts with pancakes and ends with steak is a good day, regardless of what happens in between. And, while I was not conscious enough this morning to capture the pancakes, I did manage to get something of tonight's steak.<br />
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This Sunday's dinner was a tribute to summer foods, and summer foods are truly wonderful. We picked up some fresh corn on the cob from the Hopkins produce stand just down the street from us that we worked into a beautiful medley with some red peppers and fresh fava beans on the side.<br />
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And the steak - a couple of 12-ounce striploins from <a href="http://www.dartagnan.com/">D'Artagnan</a>. These are strip steaks cut from the loin near the butt-end just below the ribs. It's cut from a tender part of the cow, albeit not as tender as the ribeye. My counterpart topped this all natural pasture-grazed beef with a garlic-jalapeno caramel glaze.<br />
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Now those who doubt that a garlic jalapeno caramel will work out here, just consider the typical steak sauce and then remove what doesn't work. What you end up with is garlic, peppers, salt, sugar, and vinegar. This was the basis for our sauce.<br />
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First, my counterpart sauteed slices of garlic and jalapeno in olive oil. He then added salt and a generous pour of sugar and continued cooking it until the sugar dissolved. He added a healthy pour of mild white vinegar, plus a good pour of white wine and continued to cook it, using a deglazing motion with a spatula to remove any residue from the pan. He finished it with a bit of King syrup and let it boil for a few minutes before removing it from the heat to rest.<br />
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The corn medley began with our fresh corn. If you are planning on removing it form the cob, here's another use for the MAP torch in the kitchen, once again proving that it's not just for creme brulee.<br />
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After you have husked your corn, use the torch to sear off the remaining corn silk, being careful not to actually sear the corn. Once that's done, cut the cobs in half and use a knife to gently cut off the kernels.<br />
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With corn that fresh and pristine, we wanted our red peppers to achieve a similar perfection, so Gareth took the extra step of skinning them. This can be done with a vegetable peeler and a gentle touch. Once peeled, he sliced them, as well as some onion and leek. This was our medley for this evening, and one that would prove to work out well with our caramel.<br />
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The best way to cook a steak is medium rare, While I have long maintained that this is a bit over-cooked, Gareth took care to cook tonight's steaks to this generally-accepted state of perfection. To do this at home, you'll want a generous amount of olive oil heated in a heavy skillet until just about smoking. First, pat down the steaks to remove any moisture. This will prevent things from becoming a bloody mess in your skillet.<br />
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Using two sets of tongs, carefully sear each side of the steak, starting with the fatty edge. If you do this right, you'll end up with a thin exterior that is seared and an interior that is red and slightly warm and just cooked enough to be on the civilized side of raw. When cooked in this manner, the juices are sealed inside, and you can cut through the tender meat easily with a sharp knife.<br />
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When all sides have been seared, remove the steaks from your pan and let them rest. The best way to do this is to set a small rack over a plate and rest the meat on the rack. This will allow some of the oil to drain.<br />
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The garlic and jalapeno caramel provided a bold counterpoint to the tender, mild steak, and was a great compliment to the sweet corn medley. With starchy fava beans on the side, this was a most excellent summer meal.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-77345110555342085172013-08-08T21:10:00.001-04:002013-08-08T21:10:33.605-04:00Perfect PestoWe were both driving home from our separate jobs in our separate cars when we both heard the same story on NPR and both had the same thoughts about dinner tonight. With the abundance of fresh basil this time of year and the rising cost of pine nuts, on this evening's program they featured <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/08/209604826/dont-let-the-price-of-pine-nuts-keep-you-from-pesto">a recipe for Pistachio Pesto</a>. It was presented by the author of an Italian cookbook, and even though we disagreed with her about basil (she says it's sweet when it's really a bitter) and olive oil (she says it's fruity when it's actually nutty), we trusted her on the whole pistachio as a substitute for pine nuts thing.<br />
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It's been a while since we have had pesto. I have had a long-standing prejudice against nuts that has been respected for about eight years now. But, after <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/04/mary-cooks-poussin-with-pomegranate.html">my own personal cooking experience</a> with them a few months back, I was able to identify the root cause of my nut issue (the skin that clings to the nut after it has been shelled - disconcerting in its texture and bitter flavor), and the nut prohibition has been lifted. This is our first dinner featuring nuts since.<br />
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Your basic pesto is basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil. You could stop there if you wanted and still have something quite nice to toss with your pasta. Or you could go a little further and end up with something truly amazing.<br />
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Your first step is to cook that garlic. Mince it and brown it on the stovetop with minced onions. This will cut the bitterness and will release what natural sugars exist in these bulbs. Once they are translucent with golden edges, add some coarsely chopped nuts - for our dinner, we used pistachio, but you can also substitute macadamia nuts for a more mild nut flavor.<br />
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Let the nuts cook until heated through. Then, toss in the chopped basil, but also add some fresh oregano and parsley. These additional herbs will cut the bitter of the basil and bring out its sweeter notes. it will also boost the aroma and fresh flavor of your pesto.<br />
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Don't let the herbs cook too long before you pull it from the heat. Let it cool slightly, and the toss it with finely grated hard cheese - say, asiago or romano - and a dollop of a soft cheese like a mild goat cheese. Add some olive oil to help bind it together and it's ready for pasta. <br />
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Pesto pairs well with mild protein like chicken. Tonight, we roasted some chicken thighs and then topped them with uncured bacon and a little goat cheese. </div>
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Served over <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/homemade-pasta.html">hand cut pasta</a>, this was pesto perfection. The pistachio was a little stronger than the traditional pine nuts, but was less bitter and really did work out very well in this application. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-88630601545428406892013-08-04T19:21:00.000-04:002013-08-04T19:21:06.780-04:00Sunday Chicken and DumplingsMaybe it was the beautiful weather we've been having lately. Maybe it was the complete cleaning we did on the kitchen yesterday. Maybe it was because I got up early and made a pie. For whatever reason. tonight I was treated to a proper Sunday dinner of chicken and dumplings.<br />
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This is one of those quintessential American dishes created out of necessity in the New World. An easy way to get meat, veg, and bread in one pot, the dish provided a complete meal that can be cooked on the hearth or over an open fire. And it can (and should) be made from simple New World vegetables that most of us have on hand.<br />
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You'll want to start with a stock. If you follow the simple "waste not, want not" philosophy, this is not difficult to muster. My counterpart happened to have a ham bone from our <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2013/03/limas-and-ham.html">Limas and Ham</a> meal a while back in the freezer. That plus the vegetable remnants from the week's dinners plus some carrot, leek, and onion, and we had a hearty bullion in progress.<br />
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While the stock is simmering on the back burner, prep your veg. And you really will want to stick close to those familiar American vegetables for this dish - carrots, peas, celery, potatoes, things like that. If you want to dress up this dish, adding trending and esoteric veg will not produce the desired results. Fresh herbs are the way to go - thyme, basil, and oregano are good choices. You can also slip in some fresh garlic and a minced jalapeno. We used carrots, potato, onion, and leek, plus some garlic and the sneaky jalapeno. Cook the veg in a heavy pot or dutch oven on the stovetop in a little oil, starting with the carrots as they take longer to cook.<br />
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For the chicken, you can really do whatever you want. You'll be cooking it on the stovetop first, so whatever suits your fancy. In my childhood, I had this dish with quartered chicken still on the bone, and this is what I always think of with this dish. This evening, we cooked up some boned, skinned chicken thighs. However you prep your chicken, remember to save the drippings as they will be used later.<br />
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Once the chicken has cooked through. add it to the dutch oven with your veg. Strain your stock and add that too, saving some to the side to deglaze the chicken pan. Drain the drippings into a small dish and let cool. Then, deglaze the pan, gently scraping up the chicken sucs and add this also to your dutch oven, along with fresh herbs and sriracha sauce. (I know, it's this year's flavor trend, but it deserves the attention. It adds a little kick to most dishes, and food without a little kick is less satisfying. My counterpart has been sneaking the stuff into everything he cooks for years. For better or worse, sriracha is the new garlic.) Keep this at a simmer while you prep your dumplings.<br />
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Dumplings are a really wonderful bread because they cook from the steam that rises off of the pot. They are light and airy and soak up the juice from the chicken. Here's the best dumpling recipe ever:<br />
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1/2 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
2 cups self-rising flour<br />
2 eggs<br />
A little salt and some fresh herbs <br />
The drippings from the pan you used to cook your chicken<br />
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That's it. Mix the dairy and the eggs together. Then add the salt and herbs and the chicken drippings. Set aside until everything else has finished cooking. Then mix in the flour, adding more if needed to pull everything together into a sticky dough. Using two spoons or spatulas, drop your dumpling batter on top of your chicken and veg, spacing them far enough apart so that they do not touch as they will expand while cooking. from the recipe above, we got six very large and fluffy dumplings.<br />
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Cover the whole thing and cook in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes. Our chicken and dumplings came out hearty and rich and zesty with light, airy dumplings that soaked up the rich sauce. We had ours with a dollop of sour cream and a home made berry pie for dessert, making it a proper Sunday dinner that would make our grandparents proud.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-34738857843099125532013-07-23T19:42:00.003-04:002013-07-23T19:42:26.296-04:00Shrimp with Beurre BlancWhile I was at work today, my counterpart whipped up a beurre blanc sauce. This is another one of those things that you can do yourself at home if you know a couple of things.<br />
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Beurre Blanc is not a classic French sauce - it's actually fairly modern, having allegedly been discovered by accident about 100 years ago <span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.1875px;">by Chef </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Clémence Lefeuvre. She was supposedly working on a </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Bearnaise</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> and she forgot to add the egg yolks. She still ended up with a decent emulsification, so she plated up. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">For us non-French chefs, life does not always go so well. A</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">nyone who has ever played around with a recipe and thought that mixing vinegar, wine, and shallots together was a good idea might claim that no one would do this on purpose, and that all the butter in the world might not save the sauce. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">Turns out there is a bit of an art to it.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Your basic beurre blanc starts with vinegar and wine, and the wine makes a difference here. You'll want a very sweet white like Champagne to cut the bitter edge off the rest of the ingrdients. You'll want two parts wine to one part vinegar, and you'll want to reduce it.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">Once you have your reduction, you'll also want to add any combination of shallots, leek, and garlic. Traditionalists will stick to shallot, but leek and garlic add a little depth.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">You'll also want about half a stick of butter, cut into about five or six pieces. Once the shallots, etc., have cooked, add the butter, reserving two pieces for later. When the butter has melted and is integrated into the sauce, remove it from the burner and add the two remaining pieces of butter to melt at their own pace.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINTvyoeSqU-b9y-58NIDRZy4raiipFa0tPv5m9smBu0P7wlBXnvZeqHirr7Tkcq_YFaTT5GDB8H40QNfFsSj9v_Pxu5rn8fG-1a-b4LoZFoijVN0mpcgtDBMVuTvovHfQPVVi-jIoSag/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINTvyoeSqU-b9y-58NIDRZy4raiipFa0tPv5m9smBu0P7wlBXnvZeqHirr7Tkcq_YFaTT5GDB8H40QNfFsSj9v_Pxu5rn8fG-1a-b4LoZFoijVN0mpcgtDBMVuTvovHfQPVVi-jIoSag/s640/004.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beurre Blanc - white butter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">This will result in a sauce that is sweet, tangy, buttery, and surprisingly light. The Champagne will cut through the bitterness and will bring out the subtle sweetness of the shallot that is otherwise overpowered by its bitterness.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPlNPiKDgMPZiiPyq3wj1NmM2osaF0TcTPTIOrZ9prXV9d6UYi5UR8ezGzTM5YLDGvNoXT-aSLS-on1pap0A72yYMARBqFjaw9XMmTyR9nOUVQx1i-B2p076IA_vfrNa7WYWnPSLjLe8/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPlNPiKDgMPZiiPyq3wj1NmM2osaF0TcTPTIOrZ9prXV9d6UYi5UR8ezGzTM5YLDGvNoXT-aSLS-on1pap0A72yYMARBqFjaw9XMmTyR9nOUVQx1i-B2p076IA_vfrNa7WYWnPSLjLe8/s640/001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh shrimp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">This sauce is an excellent partner for seafood, and my counterpart served it over fresh shrimp that he sauteed with a little jalapeno, leek, and peas. Pasta tossed with a Spanish goat cheese and a smattering of lima beans rounded out things out nicely. </span>It was completely unexpected for a Tuesday, and it was completely delicious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMhuISUNY9BDIMHvy37KsCLkcM1eE5BeRayPrYwwiJ_tk01brL0EIzrq2wnPHFJFSqnnnvUdJL2NaSqm-BFLf2DsCua9kP-YJpBHyk_uN2ecsZzpZXxH025nyviROahKKmyfPLVkP2aA/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMhuISUNY9BDIMHvy37KsCLkcM1eE5BeRayPrYwwiJ_tk01brL0EIzrq2wnPHFJFSqnnnvUdJL2NaSqm-BFLf2DsCua9kP-YJpBHyk_uN2ecsZzpZXxH025nyviROahKKmyfPLVkP2aA/s640/012.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beurre Blanc over shrimp</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-62901878973310610512013-07-21T19:47:00.000-04:002013-07-21T19:47:32.593-04:00What to Do When the Fishmonger Won't Fillet Your Fish, and How to Prepare Fava beansThere is nothing better than fresh food, especially fresh fish. This weekend we took the drive down to the HMart in Ellicott City with a good friend to visit their seafood counter for some fresh tilapia. The fish was beautiful, as usual - plump and clear-eyed and silver. And the really nice thing about the fish counter at the HMart is that they will clean it up for you and even offer several levels of cleaning. We usually go for gutted, scaled, and filleted and end up with pristine fish. At this week's visit, we were informed that the trained professionals do not fillet tilapia. They did do a fine job of the rest of the cleaning, though, and packed our fish in ice for us for the long drive back to Harford County.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVY90K5Ki9Vy7bfS0EndKvIarK4fanPNJIwZ-AA8IVuclRHVdOWKmnC2JNtvML7dSZnSgh3uV1qMHmi3H1PzUyCDzBg8eFOK_dgsJfvMPobD9w_AN4bxJs51dDyiVSBhsjuTGWNVFLOs/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVY90K5Ki9Vy7bfS0EndKvIarK4fanPNJIwZ-AA8IVuclRHVdOWKmnC2JNtvML7dSZnSgh3uV1qMHmi3H1PzUyCDzBg8eFOK_dgsJfvMPobD9w_AN4bxJs51dDyiVSBhsjuTGWNVFLOs/s640/087.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tilapia with fresh herbs</td></tr>
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The object of filleting is to remove the fish from its skeleton in two unmarred steaks. Which is why we prefer to have professionals do it for us. But, you can do it at home. You will need:<br />
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<ul>
<li>A boning knife</li>
<li>Kitchen shears</li>
<li>Pliers</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WVBQqWi-2Uw4Kyv6uo0JZp4GpguzA8JEkIjkv_5n36gwZJaBg7vGNtPrsu3QQwd0i95Y4gVdOqVfMrvT7P8-sNXWadeUsIwwS-xmpWlHYiUUW2xFW_JAd-ktGjNQv_kiIVCOaXPrpMw/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WVBQqWi-2Uw4Kyv6uo0JZp4GpguzA8JEkIjkv_5n36gwZJaBg7vGNtPrsu3QQwd0i95Y4gVdOqVfMrvT7P8-sNXWadeUsIwwS-xmpWlHYiUUW2xFW_JAd-ktGjNQv_kiIVCOaXPrpMw/s640/007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scaled and gutted, but not filleted</td></tr>
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Use your boning knife or your shears to remove the gills and fins from around the top of the spine. Then, use your boning knife to cut along the spine, tip to tail. Then take a second cut along the dorsal side of the fish. Using your boning knife, gently cut the fish off of the bone, starting at the spine. Use your kitchen shears to cut through the last if the flesh at the ends of the rib cage.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WgUlc6j2N2mXabMRlrKjj9fs-c-Rg2ezK1hfkXbHXbfR_AM_8EPUlW-OOuN7A-zorMh-n_wK__6r5G2de4j3vX4LmGa-XjtYb8VrKLVk48k-rejMTfcJKDQhFJhjo3Em-IWqdYVTPbQ/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WgUlc6j2N2mXabMRlrKjj9fs-c-Rg2ezK1hfkXbHXbfR_AM_8EPUlW-OOuN7A-zorMh-n_wK__6r5G2de4j3vX4LmGa-XjtYb8VrKLVk48k-rejMTfcJKDQhFJhjo3Em-IWqdYVTPbQ/s640/008.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remove the gills and fins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6v62VpH_oNuK5R43PMy3FSl1chIEt8xbYwwRtJCTv3R5xIYwdSKEBtNS2EoBwRWcbAmhfovGwoiZiUsqIUUDWKYQTW_Qib9_fAcwMSZBDtZp-2e6xRyGUjK-kJkd5kP1NrOiBnonmDY/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6v62VpH_oNuK5R43PMy3FSl1chIEt8xbYwwRtJCTv3R5xIYwdSKEBtNS2EoBwRWcbAmhfovGwoiZiUsqIUUDWKYQTW_Qib9_fAcwMSZBDtZp-2e6xRyGUjK-kJkd5kP1NrOiBnonmDY/s640/013.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut tip to tail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc_oxReh7CogWHMwd_BXNQmatrkQZMLBKcr1-aW30xK02mBPJfOzIG5NLboWTxfTCB0hABvBF04cZIBmywesPRKpGimFZvNPYGBXNdPIhgej4pHKPxFWXvds-fC3VE7rYVfJIJ3JcDNs/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc_oxReh7CogWHMwd_BXNQmatrkQZMLBKcr1-aW30xK02mBPJfOzIG5NLboWTxfTCB0hABvBF04cZIBmywesPRKpGimFZvNPYGBXNdPIhgej4pHKPxFWXvds-fC3VE7rYVfJIJ3JcDNs/s640/021.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gently ease the fish from the bone</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIUAN42H3kHFkZ_0ZiFuZ3hxIpvkDLvv0kiJHKGftZcCbMJfetQXRelo1JNimO-cv6aRdn-lkrJJBVaSdMQZGgDhmTj70UYRdXUEpv7tQ0HmFt-B02OXVOd2N0ztpVoERnyzCzuisenU/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIUAN42H3kHFkZ_0ZiFuZ3hxIpvkDLvv0kiJHKGftZcCbMJfetQXRelo1JNimO-cv6aRdn-lkrJJBVaSdMQZGgDhmTj70UYRdXUEpv7tQ0HmFt-B02OXVOd2N0ztpVoERnyzCzuisenU/s640/035.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use the kitchen shears for the final cut</td></tr>
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<div>
Once you have your fillets cut, use the pliers to remove any stray bones from the fish. Also, if you wait until after they are cooked to skin your fish, most of the time it will peel right off.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish fillets, done at home</td></tr>
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You can use the fins, gills, and bones for a very nice fish stock. Place them in a pot of water with some onion and leek, salt, pepper, and a moderate pour of white wine and Thai fish sauce. Let it simmer on the back burner to use for a sauce later.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish stock - future sauce</td></tr>
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And we had plenty of time for our fish stock to simmer this evening as we decided to pair it with fresh fava beans. This large, tender legume has a bad reputation for being fussy to prep. This is because it's a two-step process - once you get the beans out of the pod, there is a membrane that also needs to be removed. This is not as much work as it sounds. The pods are thick and furry on the insides but they come apart fairly easily. Once all your beans have been removed from their pods, dealing with that extra membrane is pretty easy, too. Just steam the beans for about 30 seconds and that hull loosens up. Removing it is similar to removing the red skin from Spanish peanuts.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fava beans</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removing the membrane</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepped and ready to cook</td></tr>
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Cooking favas is also easy. They cook through in about 15 minutes on the stovetop in a bit of olive oil. We mixed ours with some asparagus and a bit of cooked potato we had from Friday's dinner.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Favas and asparagus in olive oil</td></tr>
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While the favas were cooking, we broiled the fish following the technique for <a href="http://whatmaryeats.blogspot.com/2012/04/mary-cooks-easiest-fish-ever.html">The Easiest Fish Ever</a>. We also got back to that fish stock.</div>
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We strained the stock and combined it with heavy cream and butter over low heat. We added fresh herbs to flavor it and a little potato starch to thicken it up. We got a rich, slightly creamy sauce with a strong umami element that didn't overpower the delicate tilapia.</div>
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A little jasmine rice rounded out our Sunday night dinner, making a pleasing end to a beautiful summer weekend. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451782345512827010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223982752197706623.post-10739523758338711962013-07-16T19:26:00.001-04:002013-07-16T19:26:36.999-04:00Mary Cooks: Shrimp BurritosHere's a quick and easy summer meal that comes together fast and doesn't heat up the whole house. By keeping this burrito simple, the light flavor of the shrimp and fresh salsa come through for a satisfying dinner that doesn't leave you feeling bloated. As if the heat weren't already enough.<div>
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For my Shrimp Burritos, you will need start with the salsa. Salsa in its simplest form is tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Many feel that cilantro is a must. While it does add a little palate-cleansing freshness, personally I can live without it. What I need in my salsa is citrus.</div>
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For tonight's salsa, I used heirloom cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, a little garlic, and a little shallot. I also learned why you should take inventory of your ingredients before you start cooking. Once I had everything cut and ready for the immersion blender, I realized that we had no citrus fruit in the house.</div>
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In a move that my counterpart is sure to comment on later, I added a splash of lemonade. Here's why this works: It adds the necessary zip that comes from citrus (lemon, lime, orange, whatever). But it also adds some sugar to cut the bitter in the peppers, garlic, and shallots without clashing with the sugar in the tomatoes or blunting the heat from the peppers. I pulsed the immersion blender about five times and placed the salsa in the fridge to chill.</div>
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For the shrimp, you will want to steam them on the stovetop. How long this takes will depend on the size and quantity of your shrimp. I used four tiger shrimp that were only partially defrosted. They cooked through in about 15 minutes. Also, you should steam your shrimp in the shells and shell them once they are cooked.</div>
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And, if you are using large shrimp like mine, you'll want to cut them up once they are shelled. </div>
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Once the shrimp is cooked and cut, you'll also need an avocado and some sour cream. Note that I am forgoing the beans and cheese ans they will weigh this down and won't taste right here. Well, maybe the right kind of cheese, but certainly not the beans. I am also omitting the cabbage slaw that usually adorns fish tacos. I consider the cabbage to be a proper culinary mistake on the tacos and certainly a disaster here.</div>
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To prep your tortilla, heat it in a flat skillet over low heat on the stovetop. You'll want to warm it so that it loses some of its stiffness. This will make it easier to roll and will prevent tearing.</div>
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To assemble the burrito, place the warm tortilla on a large plate. Add the avocado first, placing it in the center. Then place the shrimp on top of it. Spoon the sour cream on one side of the shrimp and the salsa on the other side. Carefully fold up the bottom over the filling. Then bring one of the sides over and line it up with the other and roll tightly, tucking in the bottom securely.</div>
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And that's it - avocado, shrimp, sour cream, and salsa. The whole thing came together for me in about 30 minutes. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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