My pizza experiment had a big night tonite with the consumption of four different pizzas at our weekly game night so that our frends could help us test (and enjoy) the pizzas. They hadn't had Malnati's pizza before, but they were still able to weigh in on the taste and texture of the dough and on the tomatoes and cheese varieties. In my picky fashion, I gave them the whole spiel about the history of Chicago style pizza and Malnati's. Hopefully I didn't annoy them too much. Or, if I did, then hopefully the delicious pizza helped make up for it.
The four pizzas I tested tonite were mostly for the sake of testing the amounts and types of oils/fats in the dough. After testing several crusts and baking multiple pizzas, I have gotten pretty close to the correct recipe. However I hadn't nailed down exaclty what sort of fat is used. It really seems like there should be butter in Malnati's dough, but Marc Malnati always says it's just oil. Most recipes give a combo of olive and vegetable oil, sometmes corn oil. I made some with those oils and some with butter - one with cold butter and one with melted butter. And honestly, the ones with no butter seemed much closer to Malnati's.
I actually think I am done testing now. Maybe next time I make some pizza I'll play with the recipe a tad, but mostly I think I'm not going to get much closer. Tonite's selections were very very close to the real deal. All of us agreed that Pizza A was tastiest and Dan and I definitley thought it was passable for a Malnati's mimic. I'm happy enough with the recipe that I'm going to call it good.
We've had a lot of pizza in the last few days and there is still a ton left over. Luckily I'll never get sick of it!
Happy eating!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
The Malnati's Pizza Experiment, Part II
I am well on my way to discovering a recipe that mimics my beloved Malanti's pizza. I began by making a pizza with a version of my basic quiche crust, without researching online at all. I knew that looking online would present me with a neverending avalanche of forum posts and recipe-site trolls and it would just be confusing. So I did some cooking and tweaking before I even started to do any research online. That way I could put all the nonsense into perspective.
I'm so glad I waited. When I finally dove into the online arguements today, I did indeed find what I was afraid of. Luckily I was armed with the experience of cooking my own pizzas to help me sort it all out. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there regarding how to reach an actual authentic Malnati's style pizza crust.
The advice that seemed to ring the most true came down to the use of yeast. Most people who seem to actually know what Malnati's pizza is supposed to taste like seemed to agree that the yeast in their recipe is just for taste and not for leavening (or rising), the way most breads use yeast (including pizza dough). I wrote last time that I supsected they didn't even use yeast. This is because I know that the crust doesn't end up with the texture of something that is leavened with yeast. However, I hadn't considered that they might just use the yeast as a flavor. You can put the yeast in without letting it rise and without developing much of the gluten in the dough.
Essentially, what that would be is a standard savory pastry dough (like my quiche crust), but with yeast added for flavor. That's what I'm working on now. And by "working on now," I mean, there's a pizza in my oven as I type. I'm not sure if it's the right crust yet, but it sure smells right!
One thing that I'm still unclear on is the type of fat used to make the pizza-pastry crust. I'm still using mostly butter and a little olive oil, but many suggestions out there in the interwebs say to use a combo of olive oil and some type of neutral veggetable oil, like corn oil. Perhaps this is indeed what Malnati's uses, instead of butter, I don't know, but it sure tastes like butter in their crust to me, so I'm still clinging to that ingredient for the moment. I hope this pizza pie gets a little closer to my goal.
The experiment rolls on...
I'm so glad I waited. When I finally dove into the online arguements today, I did indeed find what I was afraid of. Luckily I was armed with the experience of cooking my own pizzas to help me sort it all out. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there regarding how to reach an actual authentic Malnati's style pizza crust.
The advice that seemed to ring the most true came down to the use of yeast. Most people who seem to actually know what Malnati's pizza is supposed to taste like seemed to agree that the yeast in their recipe is just for taste and not for leavening (or rising), the way most breads use yeast (including pizza dough). I wrote last time that I supsected they didn't even use yeast. This is because I know that the crust doesn't end up with the texture of something that is leavened with yeast. However, I hadn't considered that they might just use the yeast as a flavor. You can put the yeast in without letting it rise and without developing much of the gluten in the dough.
Essentially, what that would be is a standard savory pastry dough (like my quiche crust), but with yeast added for flavor. That's what I'm working on now. And by "working on now," I mean, there's a pizza in my oven as I type. I'm not sure if it's the right crust yet, but it sure smells right!
One thing that I'm still unclear on is the type of fat used to make the pizza-pastry crust. I'm still using mostly butter and a little olive oil, but many suggestions out there in the interwebs say to use a combo of olive oil and some type of neutral veggetable oil, like corn oil. Perhaps this is indeed what Malnati's uses, instead of butter, I don't know, but it sure tastes like butter in their crust to me, so I'm still clinging to that ingredient for the moment. I hope this pizza pie gets a little closer to my goal.
The experiment rolls on...
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Malnati's Pizza Experiment
I'm attempting to make my own Malnati's pizza at home, in a multiple-day experiment to attempt to figure out how to capture mysteries of the Chicago-style pizza.
I feel it's very important for the world to know the truth about Chicago-style deep dish pizza. It is a subject very near and dear to my heart. I grew up eating it, and there's nothing like it in the world. Many people have heard of Chicago-style pizza, and I've seen it put up against New York pizza in taste tests on various television shows. Such comparisons are pointless. When people hear the word pizza they think of a particular thing. Chicago-style pizza isn't really the same thing at all. I wish it had a name besides pizza, actually. It's like comparing Texas-style chili to New England clam chowder. They both go in a bowl, but there's no comparison. That's the problem with Chicago-style pizza being put in the category of pizza. It is its own thing.
People's misunderstanding of what Chicago-style pizza is, is exacerbated by the fact that there is a type of regular pizza called 'pan pizza' which many people are familiar with, so when they hear that Chicago-style is deep dish, they think it just means that. Add to that the fact that there are numerous places claiming to serve "Chicago-style" pizza that simply aren't, and you have a very confusing topic. There's a pizza place here in Denver whose sign reads "the original Chicago style pizza" and I fume every time I drive by. They ARE NOT the original Chicago-style pizza! Their pizza is just pan pizza. They're not even making it right.
Here is the truth: Uno's first served the original Chicago-style deep dish pizza many decades ago. However, Lou Malnati's father, who cooked for Uno's at the time, was credited with the actual invention of the pizza. In 1971, Lou Malnati opened his own restaurant. Uno's and Malnati's still fight over who actually gets credit for inventing the pizza. I side with Malnati's. But either way, if you aren't eating pizza at Uno's or Malnati's, you aren't eating the original Chicago-style pizza. Many places even in Chicago don't make it like they do. And if you've never had Malnat's (or Uno's), you don't know what you are missing. It is something very special, and there's nothing in the world that tastes like it.
There are a few very important things that make Malnati's pizza what it is. First of all, the crust is totally different. This is very important: It's NOT regular pizza crust in a deeper pan. I've seen restaurants all over take a standard yeast pizza dough and put it in a deep dish pan and call it Chicago style. But actually, Malnati's dough is more like a pie crust. It is buttery and flaky and I'm pretty sure they don't even use yeast at all. Second, they put layers of sliced (not shredded) cheese on the bottom. Third, they don't use tomato sauce - they use crushed canned whole tomatoes with no cooking or seasoning, layered on top of the cheese. Really the whole thing is more like a pie or a casserole than it is like what you think of as pizza.
I have finally decided to figure out a way to cook a Malnati's style pizza at home. The main problem is going to be the crust, since theirs is a secret recipe. I have determined to turn my kitchen into a test kitchen until I figure out how to make a pizza that is close enough to my beloved Chicago style. I created my first one tonite.
I started with my basic savory pie crust dough, the one I use for quiches and the like. That is just flour, salt, baking powder, and cold butter mixed together, and then water added until it forms a dough. For the pizza, I instead left out some of the butter, which I melted, and mixed with olive oil and water, to add during the water stage. I oiled my cast iron skillet and pressed the dough into it the way Malnati's does. For cheese, I used mostly mozzarella and a little bit of provolone because I couldn't find the type of mozz I wanted to use and I thought that combo would get me a little closer to the right flavor. Then I seeded some whole canned tomatoes and hand crushed them and topped the cheese.
The verdict on my first attempt is, let's say, 6 out of 10. Cheese was almost perfect. Tomatoes were great, but I should have put more on. I used grated parmiggiano reggiano insteaad of pecorino which is what I think they use, and that was fine. The main problem was of course the crust. My crust was a good start, but it didn't taste like Malnati's pizza crust... it tasted like my quiche crust. I'm going to fiddle with the recipe and do some online research and try again in a couple days. I even made sure to stock up on butter so I could make as many crusts as I needed to get it right.
I am determined to figure out how to make Malnati's pizza at home. I will keep you updated as I work it all out. Wish me luck!
Happy eating!
I feel it's very important for the world to know the truth about Chicago-style deep dish pizza. It is a subject very near and dear to my heart. I grew up eating it, and there's nothing like it in the world. Many people have heard of Chicago-style pizza, and I've seen it put up against New York pizza in taste tests on various television shows. Such comparisons are pointless. When people hear the word pizza they think of a particular thing. Chicago-style pizza isn't really the same thing at all. I wish it had a name besides pizza, actually. It's like comparing Texas-style chili to New England clam chowder. They both go in a bowl, but there's no comparison. That's the problem with Chicago-style pizza being put in the category of pizza. It is its own thing.
People's misunderstanding of what Chicago-style pizza is, is exacerbated by the fact that there is a type of regular pizza called 'pan pizza' which many people are familiar with, so when they hear that Chicago-style is deep dish, they think it just means that. Add to that the fact that there are numerous places claiming to serve "Chicago-style" pizza that simply aren't, and you have a very confusing topic. There's a pizza place here in Denver whose sign reads "the original Chicago style pizza" and I fume every time I drive by. They ARE NOT the original Chicago-style pizza! Their pizza is just pan pizza. They're not even making it right.
Here is the truth: Uno's first served the original Chicago-style deep dish pizza many decades ago. However, Lou Malnati's father, who cooked for Uno's at the time, was credited with the actual invention of the pizza. In 1971, Lou Malnati opened his own restaurant. Uno's and Malnati's still fight over who actually gets credit for inventing the pizza. I side with Malnati's. But either way, if you aren't eating pizza at Uno's or Malnati's, you aren't eating the original Chicago-style pizza. Many places even in Chicago don't make it like they do. And if you've never had Malnat's (or Uno's), you don't know what you are missing. It is something very special, and there's nothing in the world that tastes like it.
There are a few very important things that make Malnati's pizza what it is. First of all, the crust is totally different. This is very important: It's NOT regular pizza crust in a deeper pan. I've seen restaurants all over take a standard yeast pizza dough and put it in a deep dish pan and call it Chicago style. But actually, Malnati's dough is more like a pie crust. It is buttery and flaky and I'm pretty sure they don't even use yeast at all. Second, they put layers of sliced (not shredded) cheese on the bottom. Third, they don't use tomato sauce - they use crushed canned whole tomatoes with no cooking or seasoning, layered on top of the cheese. Really the whole thing is more like a pie or a casserole than it is like what you think of as pizza.
I have finally decided to figure out a way to cook a Malnati's style pizza at home. The main problem is going to be the crust, since theirs is a secret recipe. I have determined to turn my kitchen into a test kitchen until I figure out how to make a pizza that is close enough to my beloved Chicago style. I created my first one tonite.
I started with my basic savory pie crust dough, the one I use for quiches and the like. That is just flour, salt, baking powder, and cold butter mixed together, and then water added until it forms a dough. For the pizza, I instead left out some of the butter, which I melted, and mixed with olive oil and water, to add during the water stage. I oiled my cast iron skillet and pressed the dough into it the way Malnati's does. For cheese, I used mostly mozzarella and a little bit of provolone because I couldn't find the type of mozz I wanted to use and I thought that combo would get me a little closer to the right flavor. Then I seeded some whole canned tomatoes and hand crushed them and topped the cheese.
The verdict on my first attempt is, let's say, 6 out of 10. Cheese was almost perfect. Tomatoes were great, but I should have put more on. I used grated parmiggiano reggiano insteaad of pecorino which is what I think they use, and that was fine. The main problem was of course the crust. My crust was a good start, but it didn't taste like Malnati's pizza crust... it tasted like my quiche crust. I'm going to fiddle with the recipe and do some online research and try again in a couple days. I even made sure to stock up on butter so I could make as many crusts as I needed to get it right.
I am determined to figure out how to make Malnati's pizza at home. I will keep you updated as I work it all out. Wish me luck!
Happy eating!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Homemade Veggie Burgers
I like some types of veggie burgers, and I do eat them on a regular basis. My favorite are the Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime - which are a type that is meant to actually taste like an actual burger. There are lots of veggie burgers out there, though, and many don't really try to mimic an actual meat burger taste... some just taste like veggies or beans or what have you, and are delicious in that way rather than in a meaty way. That is the type of veggie burger you tend to find in restaurants or if it's homemade. I've never actually made a homemade veggie burger; I've always stuck with the pre-made frozen ones. The closest thing I've come to making something like that would probably be the bean cakes - such as black bean cakes or bean and rice cakes that I've made. For some reason today I decided to try my hand at making my own real homemade veggie burger patties so I spent all afternoon fiddling around in the kitchen. I thought I would share my results with you.
I made my veggie burgers out of beans and bulgur wheat. I get bulgur wheat at the bulk section of my grocery store and it can be used for all kinds of things. It's a main ingredient in tabbouleh, and that's what I've mostly used it for. I happened to have some in the house, though, and I thought I might be able to use that in the burger. I cooked some beans (after soaking them for a while), and ran them through the food processor until smooth but still a little chunky (like refried beans).
To the beans and bulgur wheat, I also added a little bit of dried bread crumbs, and some minced onion and shredded zucchini (that I pre-cooked). I was going to serve the burgers with feta and tzatziki so I added marjoram and parsley for a Greek themed flavor. I was very worried about the burgers being dense and gummy so I tried to mix the mixture gently and keep some air in it. I had to decide whether to put in egg as a binder and decided against it and figured I would use it as is first. So I formed a couple of patties and sauteed them with oil on a hot skillet.
The verdict on the burgers was great! They got a nice brown crust on the outside and the flavor was good. However, they did start to crumble and fall apart. We ate the burgers like that, but then I went back and added egg to the rest of the mixture. I made six more patties out of the remaining mix and those are in the freezer right now for some future veggie burger meals. Lack of egg notwithsanding, I'm actually pretty proud of my first foray into veggie burgerdom! The bulgur wheat was actually a really good addition. And even though I wasn't really going for meat flavor, they actually were relatively meaty tasting.
I was worried the results would be somewhere between disaster and meh, but I'm relieved that my burgers turned out pretty good. The addition of the feta and tzatziki made them actually quite yummy. Of course it takes a lot to make something with feta not yummy!
Happy eating!
I made my veggie burgers out of beans and bulgur wheat. I get bulgur wheat at the bulk section of my grocery store and it can be used for all kinds of things. It's a main ingredient in tabbouleh, and that's what I've mostly used it for. I happened to have some in the house, though, and I thought I might be able to use that in the burger. I cooked some beans (after soaking them for a while), and ran them through the food processor until smooth but still a little chunky (like refried beans).
To the beans and bulgur wheat, I also added a little bit of dried bread crumbs, and some minced onion and shredded zucchini (that I pre-cooked). I was going to serve the burgers with feta and tzatziki so I added marjoram and parsley for a Greek themed flavor. I was very worried about the burgers being dense and gummy so I tried to mix the mixture gently and keep some air in it. I had to decide whether to put in egg as a binder and decided against it and figured I would use it as is first. So I formed a couple of patties and sauteed them with oil on a hot skillet.
The verdict on the burgers was great! They got a nice brown crust on the outside and the flavor was good. However, they did start to crumble and fall apart. We ate the burgers like that, but then I went back and added egg to the rest of the mixture. I made six more patties out of the remaining mix and those are in the freezer right now for some future veggie burger meals. Lack of egg notwithsanding, I'm actually pretty proud of my first foray into veggie burgerdom! The bulgur wheat was actually a really good addition. And even though I wasn't really going for meat flavor, they actually were relatively meaty tasting.
I was worried the results would be somewhere between disaster and meh, but I'm relieved that my burgers turned out pretty good. The addition of the feta and tzatziki made them actually quite yummy. Of course it takes a lot to make something with feta not yummy!
Happy eating!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Carrot Butter
I made something that was new to me the other day when I had High Tea with my friends: Carrot Butter. I'd seen it made by Chuck Hughes on his show, Chuck's Day Off, and thought it sounded interesting. He served it over risotto, if I recall correctly. Coincidentally he mentioned juicing your own carrots to use to make the butter and I had recently bought a juicer. So I figured I would give this carrot butter thing a try and serve it as a topping for the scones with our Tea.
It was a very simple process. You simply juice several fresh carrots, or pick up a bottle of carrot juice at the store. I've found bottled carrot juice with the other fresh and organic juices near the produce section. You have to reduce the carrot juice to a syrup consistency by gently simmering it in a saucepan. It can take a while, depending on the amount of juice you have, maybe 45 minutes. Reduce it however much you want - the longer it goes, the more concentrated the flavors are.
When it's reduced, you let it cool a bit, then slowly whisk in about half as much butter as carrot syrup. Chuck melted the butter first, and he used the carrot butter warm and melty. I wanted it to be spreadable, so I didn't want to let the butter melt all the way and separate. So I used room temperature butter and made sure my syrup wasn't too hot before I whisked the butter in. Then I poured it into a container, and let it cool in the fridge. I was using salted butter, but if your butter is unsalted you'd probably want to add some salt. I suppose it would be neat to add other seasonings as well, like curry or cayenne or cinnamon or something. I might try that sometime.
We had the carrot butter with the savory cheese scones I made and they were great. I also had it on toasted french bread later in the week. It is really delicious! It might seem a little out there, but actually it was kind of a nice way to add a little pizazz to such a common spread. I vote thumbs up on the carrot butter.
Happy eating!
It was a very simple process. You simply juice several fresh carrots, or pick up a bottle of carrot juice at the store. I've found bottled carrot juice with the other fresh and organic juices near the produce section. You have to reduce the carrot juice to a syrup consistency by gently simmering it in a saucepan. It can take a while, depending on the amount of juice you have, maybe 45 minutes. Reduce it however much you want - the longer it goes, the more concentrated the flavors are.
When it's reduced, you let it cool a bit, then slowly whisk in about half as much butter as carrot syrup. Chuck melted the butter first, and he used the carrot butter warm and melty. I wanted it to be spreadable, so I didn't want to let the butter melt all the way and separate. So I used room temperature butter and made sure my syrup wasn't too hot before I whisked the butter in. Then I poured it into a container, and let it cool in the fridge. I was using salted butter, but if your butter is unsalted you'd probably want to add some salt. I suppose it would be neat to add other seasonings as well, like curry or cayenne or cinnamon or something. I might try that sometime.
We had the carrot butter with the savory cheese scones I made and they were great. I also had it on toasted french bread later in the week. It is really delicious! It might seem a little out there, but actually it was kind of a nice way to add a little pizazz to such a common spread. I vote thumbs up on the carrot butter.
Happy eating!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Homemade French Fries
I love potatoes in general, and french fries are obviously one of the most delicious ways to prepare them. Even though making french fries is a relatively simple task, I used to always buy the pre-cut frozen bags. It's silly, really, when you realize how easy it is to just cut your own fries. Purchasing the frozen bags of pre-cut fries really is unnecessary once you know what you're doing. Here are a few guidelines to easily making your own fries at home.
Everybody has their own opinion about what sort of potatoes are good for each particular use. There are waxy, starchy, etc. etc. For french fries I think good old russetts are great. I peel them, because I have to limit my potassium intake, but they are great unpeeled too. To cut fries, simply slice the potatoes into roughly rectangular planks and then cut the planks into fries.
One great tip I've picked up is to transfer the fries to a cold water bath as they are being cut, and let them soak for a few minutes. Not only does the water help prevent browning, but it washes off extra starch, and keeps the fries cool and crisp.
There are many ways to fry a french fry. It's useful to use a deep fryer or cast iron dutch oven, but most sturdy saucepans will do as long as you are very careful. A lighter-weight pot doesn't hold the temperature vey steady, and it's easirer to knock over or even just bump, sending hot oil sloshing all over the place. A smaller pot will require multiple smaller batches of fries. It's very important to not fill any vessel more than about half way, leaving plenty of room for the oil to bubble up without spilling over. A good frying temp is somewhere around 350, but it really depends on the thickness of the fries and how you like them done.
As far as actually frying the potatoes, I have a two-step method. After patting them dry (drops of water will cause the oil to spatter), I fry them (in batches) for a few minutes, just until they barely start to take on color, and then drain them on paper towels. Then I fry them a second time, letting them get nice and golden brown. Frying them twice helps them get golden and crispy while keeping the insides just right.
Salt, pepper, garlic, or any other seasonings go on asap once the fries are done frying the second time. Yum! French fries! There's nothing like a batch of freshly made fries.
The used oil, as long as it's not too dark, can be filtered and used for deep frying again.
Happy eating!
Everybody has their own opinion about what sort of potatoes are good for each particular use. There are waxy, starchy, etc. etc. For french fries I think good old russetts are great. I peel them, because I have to limit my potassium intake, but they are great unpeeled too. To cut fries, simply slice the potatoes into roughly rectangular planks and then cut the planks into fries.
One great tip I've picked up is to transfer the fries to a cold water bath as they are being cut, and let them soak for a few minutes. Not only does the water help prevent browning, but it washes off extra starch, and keeps the fries cool and crisp.
There are many ways to fry a french fry. It's useful to use a deep fryer or cast iron dutch oven, but most sturdy saucepans will do as long as you are very careful. A lighter-weight pot doesn't hold the temperature vey steady, and it's easirer to knock over or even just bump, sending hot oil sloshing all over the place. A smaller pot will require multiple smaller batches of fries. It's very important to not fill any vessel more than about half way, leaving plenty of room for the oil to bubble up without spilling over. A good frying temp is somewhere around 350, but it really depends on the thickness of the fries and how you like them done.
As far as actually frying the potatoes, I have a two-step method. After patting them dry (drops of water will cause the oil to spatter), I fry them (in batches) for a few minutes, just until they barely start to take on color, and then drain them on paper towels. Then I fry them a second time, letting them get nice and golden brown. Frying them twice helps them get golden and crispy while keeping the insides just right.
Salt, pepper, garlic, or any other seasonings go on asap once the fries are done frying the second time. Yum! French fries! There's nothing like a batch of freshly made fries.
The used oil, as long as it's not too dark, can be filtered and used for deep frying again.
Happy eating!
Friday, January 13, 2012
I Dreamed A Dream
Dream big.
You may recall that in my previous post about High Tea, I mentioned that as I was setting the table I realized I didn't have a teapot to use. What a silly predicament! To serve Tea with no teapot. In fact I didn't even have anything sortof similar to a teapot... no coffee pot either, no jug, no pitcher, not even a camping coffee pot. I had the carafe from our coffee maker or a good ol' regular saucepan. I used the saucepan.
We have a gift card to Macy's that we got from returning a few things we got for Christmas that we absolutely couldn't use. For instance, one thing I got was some perfume. I won't be able to ever use it because with my migraines I've become extremely sensitive to those sorts of smells. (I can't even smell Dan's cologne - which I got for him last year because I loved it. Now it triggers a bad reaction.) I hate having to return gifts, but we may as well get some use out of the giver's effort and thoughtfulness. I hate to see that go to waste. At any rate, when I started looking online for things from Macy's to use up our gift card, the first thing I wanted to look for was a teapot.
I found a few I liked and one topped the list. It was just the right shape, but the design and color were just ok. After searching through all the teapots and categorizing them by price (and excluding all the freakishly girly ones, which is most of them), this was the one at the top of the list of the ones I could afford. Our budget is super-tight (medical bills running rampant over it), and if I don't get a teapot with this gift card, I'm not getting one anytime soon. I had an idea of a teapot style I wanted in my head, and this teapot wasn't it, but it was good enough.
Then all of a sudden I saw a different one. It was actually the same teapot but with a different paint job. And it was AWESOME. It was actually the teapot I saw in my head! It was just the right color, perfect shape and size, flowery and pretty but not too girly, cobalt and shades of blue just like I wanted, no pink, etc etc. I'm not kidding - I'm surprised this teapot even exists: if I were to design one, it couldn't be more perfectly exactly the thing I was looking for! Even the teacups & saucers are great (if I ever want to complete the set). I love them!
...And, Macy's has none of them. The reason it hadn't come up in my search for 3 hours is that they have none of them to buy! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I did a quick search, and there are plenty of those teapots our there in cyberspace. Just not at Macy's, which is the only place I'm allowed to shop right now. Son of a crap. I showed Dan and whined my best tortured whine, but there's simply no way to fit it into our budget right now. It's not very expensive, but unfortunately, paying for prescription meds has to come first.
This photo is the lovely teapot of my dreams. The pattern is called "Veronica" by Denby. Cute, right? I decided not to even order any of the other teapots because I'd rather hold out for this one. I am spending my gift card money instead on a few other kitchen tools I've been needing. I'll buy it someday, just not right now I guess. Everybody needs a dream, I suppose! Mine right now is a teapot. Dream big!
Happy tea-ing!
You may recall that in my previous post about High Tea, I mentioned that as I was setting the table I realized I didn't have a teapot to use. What a silly predicament! To serve Tea with no teapot. In fact I didn't even have anything sortof similar to a teapot... no coffee pot either, no jug, no pitcher, not even a camping coffee pot. I had the carafe from our coffee maker or a good ol' regular saucepan. I used the saucepan.
We have a gift card to Macy's that we got from returning a few things we got for Christmas that we absolutely couldn't use. For instance, one thing I got was some perfume. I won't be able to ever use it because with my migraines I've become extremely sensitive to those sorts of smells. (I can't even smell Dan's cologne - which I got for him last year because I loved it. Now it triggers a bad reaction.) I hate having to return gifts, but we may as well get some use out of the giver's effort and thoughtfulness. I hate to see that go to waste. At any rate, when I started looking online for things from Macy's to use up our gift card, the first thing I wanted to look for was a teapot.
I found a few I liked and one topped the list. It was just the right shape, but the design and color were just ok. After searching through all the teapots and categorizing them by price (and excluding all the freakishly girly ones, which is most of them), this was the one at the top of the list of the ones I could afford. Our budget is super-tight (medical bills running rampant over it), and if I don't get a teapot with this gift card, I'm not getting one anytime soon. I had an idea of a teapot style I wanted in my head, and this teapot wasn't it, but it was good enough.
Then all of a sudden I saw a different one. It was actually the same teapot but with a different paint job. And it was AWESOME. It was actually the teapot I saw in my head! It was just the right color, perfect shape and size, flowery and pretty but not too girly, cobalt and shades of blue just like I wanted, no pink, etc etc. I'm not kidding - I'm surprised this teapot even exists: if I were to design one, it couldn't be more perfectly exactly the thing I was looking for! Even the teacups & saucers are great (if I ever want to complete the set). I love them!
This photo is the lovely teapot of my dreams. The pattern is called "Veronica" by Denby. Cute, right? I decided not to even order any of the other teapots because I'd rather hold out for this one. I am spending my gift card money instead on a few other kitchen tools I've been needing. I'll buy it someday, just not right now I guess. Everybody needs a dream, I suppose! Mine right now is a teapot. Dream big!
Happy tea-ing!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
High Tea
In the last few days I have learned a lot about tea and scones. As I discussed in my previous post, I got two tea-related cookbooks from friends: one with scone recipes, and one that had miscellaneous recipes for tea. And when I say tea, I mean Tea, the meal, not tea, the drink. I have never attended nor hosted Tea. I don't know much about it. I have never cooked nor eaten a scone.
Today I wanted to try out a scone recipe from my new cookbook, and I thought, 'why not serve the scones with tea this afternoon for my husband and I?' But if I were going to do that I may as well make a couple other little things to eat as well. Then I figured if I'm going to do all that I should invite over our friends Phil and Jenn, whom we haven't been able to see in quite a while (my darn illness). So instead of having a little tea with my scone, suddenly I was preparing a full High Tea.
High Tea means a tea service that is much more elaborate and meal-like than just Tea, "regular" Tea. It is more often served later in the afternoon and can substitute for dinner. This is all stuff I've learned (from my new book) just in the last couple of days. Despite the trend that many things served at Tea or High Tea are often sweets, I actually made mostly savory things. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for what I was able to put together, considering we only have the last bits of miscellaneous stuff in the pantry and fridge, since I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow and hadn't planned on Tea when I last grocery shopped.
I ended up putting together a few finger sandwiches, some mini lettuce wraps, mini lemon tarts, and of course the scones, which were cheese scones. I also served toppings for the scones: mustard, marmalade, and get this: homemade carrot butter. I'm going to talk about the carrot butter in a separate post since it deserves it's own. Then of course we had every type of tea I had in the house, sugar, vanilla sugar, and milk. I didn't have any lemons left in the house to serve as wedges and I'm sure some people would think that was highly abnormal, but oh well. I did what I could.
I got out some of my "good" china (which is nice but not extremely fancy or anything) and put the sugar in the nice china sugar bowl and got out my grandmother's silver footed bowl and did the table up. The odd thing is that, the one thing I don't own is a teapot. Nor do I have anything that can really substitute for a teapot. I just put a pot of boiling water out and we ladled it. Funny having Tea and realizing you don't have a teapot. Anyway, we sat and tea'd and ate and talked and it was wonderful. I will definitely make scones again and also I promised Phil and Jenn that we'll doTea again sometime, hopefully soon.
Happy tea-ing!
Today I wanted to try out a scone recipe from my new cookbook, and I thought, 'why not serve the scones with tea this afternoon for my husband and I?' But if I were going to do that I may as well make a couple other little things to eat as well. Then I figured if I'm going to do all that I should invite over our friends Phil and Jenn, whom we haven't been able to see in quite a while (my darn illness). So instead of having a little tea with my scone, suddenly I was preparing a full High Tea.
High Tea means a tea service that is much more elaborate and meal-like than just Tea, "regular" Tea. It is more often served later in the afternoon and can substitute for dinner. This is all stuff I've learned (from my new book) just in the last couple of days. Despite the trend that many things served at Tea or High Tea are often sweets, I actually made mostly savory things. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for what I was able to put together, considering we only have the last bits of miscellaneous stuff in the pantry and fridge, since I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow and hadn't planned on Tea when I last grocery shopped.
I ended up putting together a few finger sandwiches, some mini lettuce wraps, mini lemon tarts, and of course the scones, which were cheese scones. I also served toppings for the scones: mustard, marmalade, and get this: homemade carrot butter. I'm going to talk about the carrot butter in a separate post since it deserves it's own. Then of course we had every type of tea I had in the house, sugar, vanilla sugar, and milk. I didn't have any lemons left in the house to serve as wedges and I'm sure some people would think that was highly abnormal, but oh well. I did what I could.
I got out some of my "good" china (which is nice but not extremely fancy or anything) and put the sugar in the nice china sugar bowl and got out my grandmother's silver footed bowl and did the table up. The odd thing is that, the one thing I don't own is a teapot. Nor do I have anything that can really substitute for a teapot. I just put a pot of boiling water out and we ladled it. Funny having Tea and realizing you don't have a teapot. Anyway, we sat and tea'd and ate and talked and it was wonderful. I will definitely make scones again and also I promised Phil and Jenn that we'll doTea again sometime, hopefully soon.
Happy tea-ing!
Monday, January 9, 2012
It's Scone Day!
We got an awesome Christmas gift a couple weeks ago from our awesome friends Donna and Bob. They know how I've been entertaining myself while being stuck at home, tethered to my dialysis machine, by cooking foods, old and new, and babbling about it here. They put together a lovely basket with sortof an English teatime theme, including a tea-time recipe book and a scone recipe book. I have never made scones and I'm excited to try a few of these recipes, which sound delicious.
I've been thumbing through the books and I picked out a couple of recipes to try. I'm going to give it a shot and I'll post more when I'm done. Wish me luck!
I've been thumbing through the books and I picked out a couple of recipes to try. I'm going to give it a shot and I'll post more when I'm done. Wish me luck!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Welsh Rabbit
Welsh Rabbit is a funny name for multiple reasons. It's just silly sounding, first of all, especially since it doesn't seem to have anything to do with what it is (which is cheese sauce on toast), and especially when someone says "rarebit" instead of rabbit. But once you know where the name came from, it's actually even funnier. It's basically a big dis of the Welsh. Since it is a meatless dish, made to use up leftovers or make due when the day's hunt went badly, it came to be known as "Welsh Rabbit" as an insult, as in, "those men in Wales are terrible hunters." Those crazy Englishmen. They sure know how to throw the insults! (Like in Family Guy: "Oh Reginald.... I disagree!")
I love cheese sauce in all forms. I love Welsh Rabbit's Scandinavian, French-adopted cousin, fondue. Like fondue, Welsh Rabbit is traditionally a way to get dinner on the table when all you have is stale bread, cheese, and some sort of wine or ale. However, for whatever reason, I've just never gotten around to actually serving Welsh Rabbit. Ever. I am not sure why this would be. I've made a million versions of cheese sauce to have on and in numerous types of things, just never toast. Well, I finally got around to serving it for dinner yesterday. It was delicious and easy and I have absolutely no freaking clue why such a meal wasn't already in my cheese-loving repertoire. Shame on me. I'll make up for it by serving it regularly from now on.
I made my Welsh Rabbit with white wine, and I used cheddar cheese, swiss, and a little monterey jack. The toast I simply brushed wtih a little olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan before baking. I served half the toasts with chopped tomatoes and half without to see how that went, and I actually did like the tomatoes very much. But, come on, there's not much you can do to white wine-cheese sauce over bread to make it bad.
I also boiled some cauliflower to have on the side, so I basically just piled the toast, tomatoes, and cauliflower on the plate and just doused everything in the cheese sauce. Yum, right? Of course.
Happy eating!
I love cheese sauce in all forms. I love Welsh Rabbit's Scandinavian, French-adopted cousin, fondue. Like fondue, Welsh Rabbit is traditionally a way to get dinner on the table when all you have is stale bread, cheese, and some sort of wine or ale. However, for whatever reason, I've just never gotten around to actually serving Welsh Rabbit. Ever. I am not sure why this would be. I've made a million versions of cheese sauce to have on and in numerous types of things, just never toast. Well, I finally got around to serving it for dinner yesterday. It was delicious and easy and I have absolutely no freaking clue why such a meal wasn't already in my cheese-loving repertoire. Shame on me. I'll make up for it by serving it regularly from now on.
I made my Welsh Rabbit with white wine, and I used cheddar cheese, swiss, and a little monterey jack. The toast I simply brushed wtih a little olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan before baking. I served half the toasts with chopped tomatoes and half without to see how that went, and I actually did like the tomatoes very much. But, come on, there's not much you can do to white wine-cheese sauce over bread to make it bad.
I also boiled some cauliflower to have on the side, so I basically just piled the toast, tomatoes, and cauliflower on the plate and just doused everything in the cheese sauce. Yum, right? Of course.
Happy eating!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Scary Things About Juice
We all know that fresh produce is always more nutritious than packaged foods, but recently I learned something that really brought it home, and more than a little freaked me out. I read an article regarding the process a standard bottle of juice goes through before it gets to your grocery cart. I'm not talking cheapo juice, or the flavored corn syrup we all just call juice... I mean real, supposedly high-quality juices.
As it turns out, most of what we buy on grocery store shelves has sat around for so long, that manufacturers have to add in what is called a "flavor packet" just to get the juice to taste like what it should taste like. Most juices sit on shelves for a least a few months and some up to a year before the flavor packet is added and then it's sent to a grocery store. There are various reasons why this happens this way, which I won't get into, because my point isn't really the reasons behind it, but the impact on us, the consumers.
We all know that fresh produce loses nutrients over time. Juice an apple and you have a lot of nutrients. Come back to the same glass the next day and the nutrients have reduced significantly. Come back six months later, and... well, you see my point. The fact that they have to add in flavor packets is evidence that the nutritional value is basically nil. Flavor packets in, for example, apple juice, are part of the manufacturing process for basically every major apple juice brand on your grocery store shelf. A flavor packte isn't listed on the ingredients because it isn't required to be. Basically, except for the vitamin c which is added to the bottle, you may not be drinking more than flavored water, from a nutritional standpoint.
You think when you are drinking apple juice that you are getting the benefits of what is in an apple. But nope! Just another screw-you from our fabulous food manufacturing system. If you want your kids to have the nutition of an apple, they are going to have to eat an actual apple. Or... like I've decided... you could just make your own juice.
Yup, I'm one of those people now. I bought a juicer. Take that, food manufacturers! I will still buy crummy store juice sometimes, but I wanted to give this whole juicing thing a try, now that I know the evils of grocery juice. It's a little more expensive but it's certainly healthier. I already made apple juice and it was soooooooo good. Like fresh cider from the cider mill. And I certainly will be getting more nutrients than the bottled kind (not to mention none of those evil plastics chemicals everyone is screaming about now).
I also bought a bag of oranges and I'm looking forward to delicious fresh squeezed oj in the morning. I guess I'm a juicer-owner.
Happy drinking!
As it turns out, most of what we buy on grocery store shelves has sat around for so long, that manufacturers have to add in what is called a "flavor packet" just to get the juice to taste like what it should taste like. Most juices sit on shelves for a least a few months and some up to a year before the flavor packet is added and then it's sent to a grocery store. There are various reasons why this happens this way, which I won't get into, because my point isn't really the reasons behind it, but the impact on us, the consumers.
We all know that fresh produce loses nutrients over time. Juice an apple and you have a lot of nutrients. Come back to the same glass the next day and the nutrients have reduced significantly. Come back six months later, and... well, you see my point. The fact that they have to add in flavor packets is evidence that the nutritional value is basically nil. Flavor packets in, for example, apple juice, are part of the manufacturing process for basically every major apple juice brand on your grocery store shelf. A flavor packte isn't listed on the ingredients because it isn't required to be. Basically, except for the vitamin c which is added to the bottle, you may not be drinking more than flavored water, from a nutritional standpoint.
You think when you are drinking apple juice that you are getting the benefits of what is in an apple. But nope! Just another screw-you from our fabulous food manufacturing system. If you want your kids to have the nutition of an apple, they are going to have to eat an actual apple. Or... like I've decided... you could just make your own juice.
Yup, I'm one of those people now. I bought a juicer. Take that, food manufacturers! I will still buy crummy store juice sometimes, but I wanted to give this whole juicing thing a try, now that I know the evils of grocery juice. It's a little more expensive but it's certainly healthier. I already made apple juice and it was soooooooo good. Like fresh cider from the cider mill. And I certainly will be getting more nutrients than the bottled kind (not to mention none of those evil plastics chemicals everyone is screaming about now).
I also bought a bag of oranges and I'm looking forward to delicious fresh squeezed oj in the morning. I guess I'm a juicer-owner.
Happy drinking!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Cherry Spice Cookies
I have a few dried cherries left from a bag of dried Michigan cherries we bought. I wanted to make some sort of cookies with them, and this recipe is what I ended up with. I found a recipe online that sounded about right and then altered it to suit what I was going for, which included adding rum-soaked cherries. Below is the final recipe. These cookies are lightly spiced, and if you want lots of spice, you can double the amounts of cinnamon and ginger. Another option is to use some other type of dried fruit, such as cranberries, or even some chopped up dried apricots.
Cherry Spice Cookies
2 T rum (or other liquor)
1/4 c dried cherries, roughly chopped (or other dried fruit)
2/3 c canola oil (or other neutral veggie oil)
1/2 c sugar, plus extra
1/2 c brown sugar
2 T honey
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
Pour rum over dried cherries in small bowl and allow to soak at least 10 minutes (up to a few hours for stronger flavor). In large bowl, beat oil, sugars, honey, and egg until well mixed. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and seasonings. Sift flour mixture ove wet ingredients. Add cherries. Stir batter until just combined.
Add extra sugar to shallow bowl or plate. Make balls of batter about an inch to inch and a half wide, and roll balls in sugar. Place on baking sheet (sprayed with nonstick spray) about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 14-16 minutes or until edges just barely start to get golden. Allow to cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
I hope you like my cookie recipe. Happy holiday baking!
Cherry Spice Cookies
2 T rum (or other liquor)
1/4 c dried cherries, roughly chopped (or other dried fruit)
2/3 c canola oil (or other neutral veggie oil)
1/2 c sugar, plus extra
1/2 c brown sugar
2 T honey
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
Pour rum over dried cherries in small bowl and allow to soak at least 10 minutes (up to a few hours for stronger flavor). In large bowl, beat oil, sugars, honey, and egg until well mixed. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and seasonings. Sift flour mixture ove wet ingredients. Add cherries. Stir batter until just combined.
Add extra sugar to shallow bowl or plate. Make balls of batter about an inch to inch and a half wide, and roll balls in sugar. Place on baking sheet (sprayed with nonstick spray) about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 14-16 minutes or until edges just barely start to get golden. Allow to cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
I hope you like my cookie recipe. Happy holiday baking!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Blue Cheese Fritters And Stoplights
My sister might remember this, I don't know. Long, long ago, she took me out to the tapas restaurant in Grand Rapids and then out to a few bars for my b-day. My TWENTY-FIRST b-day. Oh yeah. Par-tay. We had a few drinks. I remember few things from that night, partially because it was quite a long time ago . I remember having a shot called a stoplight at one point. I vaguely remember running into some old high school classmates (that I wasn't even really friends with in hs) and to their astonishment, suddenly asking them for a cigarette for some reason (we'll blame that one on the stoplight). Yeah, it was an interesting night. But despite all that silliness, after a decade and a half, I clearly remember the blue cheese fritters we had at the tapas restaurant for dinner.
I love cheese. I love blue cheese. And I've certainly had blue cheese in various forms in my possession many times over the last 15 years. But for some reason I've never gotten around to trying my hand at making homemade blue cheese fritters, despite intending to all that time. I really don't know why I never tried to make them. Well, last night I finally did. I had a little blue cheese in the house, and I was cooking, and I thought, 'hey, I could try to make those fritters I once had'.
I didn't use all blue cheese for the filling. I used about half blue cheese crumbles and half shredded mozzarella. I grated a little bit of onion into the batter. I used a tiny bit of flour - a mixutre of chickpea flour and regular flour - with a tiny bit of egg to bind it. Salt and pepper too, of course. I added just enough egg until it seemed wet enough to hold together. I formed little balls and then rolled the balls out to make oblong shapes, and refrigerated them until they were nice and firm so that I could coat and fry them without them melting everywhere.
I wanted the coating to be crisp, so I used panko. I coated the fritters in more chickpea flour first, then egg, then the panko. When they were fried, a few did actually melt a little out of the coating, but mostly they held together fine.
I surprised Dan with my creation, and he and I both enjoyed the fritters while we watched a rerun of Big Bang Theory. I had a spicy cherry sauce that I'd made to go with something else that also went fine with the fritters, but what really went well with them was a little balsamic glaze that I happened to have. The vinegary tang really offset the richness and earthiness of the blue cheese.
I can't believe it's been so long since I turned twenty-one. I'm an old geezer. But I'm an old geezer with lefttover blue cheese fritters in the fridge!! Yum!
Happy eating!
I love cheese. I love blue cheese. And I've certainly had blue cheese in various forms in my possession many times over the last 15 years. But for some reason I've never gotten around to trying my hand at making homemade blue cheese fritters, despite intending to all that time. I really don't know why I never tried to make them. Well, last night I finally did. I had a little blue cheese in the house, and I was cooking, and I thought, 'hey, I could try to make those fritters I once had'.
I didn't use all blue cheese for the filling. I used about half blue cheese crumbles and half shredded mozzarella. I grated a little bit of onion into the batter. I used a tiny bit of flour - a mixutre of chickpea flour and regular flour - with a tiny bit of egg to bind it. Salt and pepper too, of course. I added just enough egg until it seemed wet enough to hold together. I formed little balls and then rolled the balls out to make oblong shapes, and refrigerated them until they were nice and firm so that I could coat and fry them without them melting everywhere.
I wanted the coating to be crisp, so I used panko. I coated the fritters in more chickpea flour first, then egg, then the panko. When they were fried, a few did actually melt a little out of the coating, but mostly they held together fine.
I surprised Dan with my creation, and he and I both enjoyed the fritters while we watched a rerun of Big Bang Theory. I had a spicy cherry sauce that I'd made to go with something else that also went fine with the fritters, but what really went well with them was a little balsamic glaze that I happened to have. The vinegary tang really offset the richness and earthiness of the blue cheese.
I can't believe it's been so long since I turned twenty-one. I'm an old geezer. But I'm an old geezer with lefttover blue cheese fritters in the fridge!! Yum!
Happy eating!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thanksgiving Is Here Again
The 6 weeks of the holiday season from before Thanksgiving though New Year's Eve is both wonderful and depressing for me. It is my favorite time of year, but ever snce I moved to Colorado - and away from my family - the best part of the holiday season is mostly absent for me. Spending time with my family and all our fabulous and silly traditions is obviously not happening out here. A couple of times since my move I have been able to fly back to the Midwest to spend Christmas with my family. However, I have not been with my family for Thanksgiving in a long time. The loss is even more enhanced by the fact that my in-laws don't exactly welcome me with open arms. The loving, warm family time the holidays are in my memory aren't an option for me out here.
Last year I hosted Thanksgiving at our house and had my husband's family over. I made everything except the turkey and stuffing, which his father, the cook of his family, made and brought over. It was hard work and I wore my sick little body out. This year, even if I wanted to host Thanksgiving, there would be no way. No matter how sick I thought I was last year, this year I am much more so. Plus, it's been a particularly rough couple of weeks. I have had three emergency room visits just this month, and almost ended up there yesterday (I still might). I definitely am not hosting Thanksgiving.
Dan's parents are hosting the dinner this year. I did tell them that I would bring something over if I had the energy. I recently harvested lots of sage from my Aerogarden (to freeze before it went bad), and sage being such a quintessential Thanksgiving herb, I wanted to use that for my if-I-can-I-will dish. So, I got the idea to make gnocchi, and serve it with a simple sage-butter sauce. I figured I could make a butternut squash and potato gnocchi, and that would be festive. Plus it coud be my main dish as obviously I won't be eating any turkey. If I can find a couple of hours in the next few days in which I'm feeling not so sick, I can make the gnocchi and just freeze them. That way if I'm not feeling great on turkey day I will still be able to bring the dish.
I'm glad I can celebrate Thanksgiving with a festive meal, but I do seriously miss my family this time of year. I am very thankful for my whole family and all their love and support. I am also thankful for all the things that keep me going, even if I am sick: things like my dialysis machine, and my medications, and my awesome doctors. I am well aware that 50 years ago, I wouldn't even be here. So, despite my limitations, I can only be grateful for all that I have.
I know this post is a bit more serious than most. But on Thanksgiving, it's good to look around and take stock. I am very thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving eating!
Last year I hosted Thanksgiving at our house and had my husband's family over. I made everything except the turkey and stuffing, which his father, the cook of his family, made and brought over. It was hard work and I wore my sick little body out. This year, even if I wanted to host Thanksgiving, there would be no way. No matter how sick I thought I was last year, this year I am much more so. Plus, it's been a particularly rough couple of weeks. I have had three emergency room visits just this month, and almost ended up there yesterday (I still might). I definitely am not hosting Thanksgiving.
Dan's parents are hosting the dinner this year. I did tell them that I would bring something over if I had the energy. I recently harvested lots of sage from my Aerogarden (to freeze before it went bad), and sage being such a quintessential Thanksgiving herb, I wanted to use that for my if-I-can-I-will dish. So, I got the idea to make gnocchi, and serve it with a simple sage-butter sauce. I figured I could make a butternut squash and potato gnocchi, and that would be festive. Plus it coud be my main dish as obviously I won't be eating any turkey. If I can find a couple of hours in the next few days in which I'm feeling not so sick, I can make the gnocchi and just freeze them. That way if I'm not feeling great on turkey day I will still be able to bring the dish.
I'm glad I can celebrate Thanksgiving with a festive meal, but I do seriously miss my family this time of year. I am very thankful for my whole family and all their love and support. I am also thankful for all the things that keep me going, even if I am sick: things like my dialysis machine, and my medications, and my awesome doctors. I am well aware that 50 years ago, I wouldn't even be here. So, despite my limitations, I can only be grateful for all that I have.
I know this post is a bit more serious than most. But on Thanksgiving, it's good to look around and take stock. I am very thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving eating!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Simple Curried Vegetable Soup
Here's an idea for a simple way to jazz up your basic vegetable soup. Adding curry seasonings and coconut milk turns a standard vegetable soup into something more interesting. Make it a little spicy if you want, to perk you up on a blah, chilly day. If you have them, some fresh herbs finish the soup nicely.
By the way, the same exact recipe works great for your basic tomato soup, as well. Instead of broth, you can add tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes, fresh or canned. Also delicious.
Curried Vegetable Soup
1 Tbsp each veg oil and butter
chopped fresh veggies, about 2 cups or so (potatoes, carrots, celery, peppers, squash, onion, etc.)
1 tsp curry powder or more
dash each: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper
4 cups veggie stock (or water and bouillion)
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, basil, or mint (optional)
Depending on veggies used, sautee some and boil others. Sautee onions, celery, and other similar veggies in oil and butter until just soft. Add curry seasonings as desired to oil and stir until warm. Add stock and remaining veggies (such as potatoes and carrots). Bring to a boil and let simmer until veggies are cooked through. Stir in coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Stir in fresh herbs just before serving.
Happy eating!
By the way, the same exact recipe works great for your basic tomato soup, as well. Instead of broth, you can add tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes, fresh or canned. Also delicious.
Curried Vegetable Soup
1 Tbsp each veg oil and butter
chopped fresh veggies, about 2 cups or so (potatoes, carrots, celery, peppers, squash, onion, etc.)
1 tsp curry powder or more
dash each: cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper
4 cups veggie stock (or water and bouillion)
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, basil, or mint (optional)
Depending on veggies used, sautee some and boil others. Sautee onions, celery, and other similar veggies in oil and butter until just soft. Add curry seasonings as desired to oil and stir until warm. Add stock and remaining veggies (such as potatoes and carrots). Bring to a boil and let simmer until veggies are cooked through. Stir in coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Stir in fresh herbs just before serving.
Happy eating!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Mushroom Stroganoff
When I was young, my mom's stroganoff was one of my favorite dishes. When we got to choose the dinner on our birthdays, I sometimes chose stroganoff. When she had a big pot of it bubbling away on the stove all afternoon, I loved the smell of it filling the house. Since most people think of beef when they think stroganoff, it may seem odd to have it as a vegetarian dish. But, the mushrooms are really the main flavor of the dish anyway. Mushroom stroganoff is rich and delicious, but healthier and easier to make.
Here's my recipe for stroganoff. You can use any mixture of button, crimini, and/or portabella mushrooms. If you want beef in it, it's as simple as browning some and adding it with the liquids.
Mushroom Stroganoff
10-12 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/2 small carrot, shredded
2 Tbsp each: veg oil and butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c water
2 c veggie stock
1/2 c tomato sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 bouillion cube or better-than-bouillion paste
dash each: dried marjoram, thyme, smoked paprika
corn starch
sour cream
In soup pot, sautee onions in oil and butter a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms, carrot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, on low, about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add water, stock, tomato sauce, soy sauce, bouillion, and seasonings. Simmer gently, partially covered, about an hour.
Scoop out about a half cup of sauce; mix with a little corn starch and sour cream to make a slurry. Stir slurry into sauce to thicken as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve over noodles or rice with extra sour cream.
Happy eating!
Here's my recipe for stroganoff. You can use any mixture of button, crimini, and/or portabella mushrooms. If you want beef in it, it's as simple as browning some and adding it with the liquids.
Mushroom Stroganoff
10-12 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/2 small carrot, shredded
2 Tbsp each: veg oil and butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c water
2 c veggie stock
1/2 c tomato sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 bouillion cube or better-than-bouillion paste
dash each: dried marjoram, thyme, smoked paprika
corn starch
sour cream
In soup pot, sautee onions in oil and butter a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms, carrot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, on low, about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add water, stock, tomato sauce, soy sauce, bouillion, and seasonings. Simmer gently, partially covered, about an hour.
Scoop out about a half cup of sauce; mix with a little corn starch and sour cream to make a slurry. Stir slurry into sauce to thicken as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve over noodles or rice with extra sour cream.
Happy eating!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Cinnamon-Ginger Apple Crisp
The smell of apples baking in the oven is one of the best smells in the world, if you ask me. When fall rolls around, it's the perfect time for baking apples. Apple crisp is delicious, and easier to make than some other dishes, like pie, since it's freeform and very forgiving.
The only trick to apple crisp is to get the apples cut the right thickness so that the apples are cooked but not overcooked when the topping gets crisp. If you want a thick and very crisp topping, cut the apples thicker. A thinner or less crisp topping, the apples can be thinner. It's not rocket science.
Today I made some apple crisp with not just cinnamon, but also ginger sugar that I happened to have leftover from making crystalized ginger. I saved the remaining ginger-flavored sugar crystals. But, it would be just as easy to mix regular ground ginger in with the cinnamon and sugar. I've never used ginger in an apple crisp before today, and I absolutely loved it. Dan enjoyed it, too; in fact he thought it would be good with a whole lot more ginger. Maybe I'll go nuts with it next time.
Here's my basic recipe for apple crisp with ginger and cinnamon. Play around with the flavors as you see fit. You can add other fruits to the mix, or add oats or nuts to the topping.
Cinnamon-Ginger Apple Crisp
4 baking apples, same or mixed, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each: cinnamon, ground ginger, and sugar (or ginger sugar)
1 Tbsp butter, cut in very small pieces
topping:
1/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
dash each: cinnamon and salt
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut in very small pieces
Sprinkle apples with lemon juice as they are cut to avoid browning. Layer sliced apples evenly in small baking dish. Sprinkle with seasonings. Dot with butter pieces.
In bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in small pieces of butter and mix gently with fingertips until mixed but crumbly (some pieces of butter should remain). Sprinkle on top of apples. Bake in oven until apples are cooked through and topping is golden brown and crisp, 20-40 minutes (depending on thickness of apples).
Serve warm or room temp, alone or with ice cream.
Yum! Happy autumn eating!
The only trick to apple crisp is to get the apples cut the right thickness so that the apples are cooked but not overcooked when the topping gets crisp. If you want a thick and very crisp topping, cut the apples thicker. A thinner or less crisp topping, the apples can be thinner. It's not rocket science.
Today I made some apple crisp with not just cinnamon, but also ginger sugar that I happened to have leftover from making crystalized ginger. I saved the remaining ginger-flavored sugar crystals. But, it would be just as easy to mix regular ground ginger in with the cinnamon and sugar. I've never used ginger in an apple crisp before today, and I absolutely loved it. Dan enjoyed it, too; in fact he thought it would be good with a whole lot more ginger. Maybe I'll go nuts with it next time.
Here's my basic recipe for apple crisp with ginger and cinnamon. Play around with the flavors as you see fit. You can add other fruits to the mix, or add oats or nuts to the topping.
Cinnamon-Ginger Apple Crisp
4 baking apples, same or mixed, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each: cinnamon, ground ginger, and sugar (or ginger sugar)
1 Tbsp butter, cut in very small pieces
topping:
1/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
dash each: cinnamon and salt
3 Tbsp cold butter, cut in very small pieces
Sprinkle apples with lemon juice as they are cut to avoid browning. Layer sliced apples evenly in small baking dish. Sprinkle with seasonings. Dot with butter pieces.
In bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in small pieces of butter and mix gently with fingertips until mixed but crumbly (some pieces of butter should remain). Sprinkle on top of apples. Bake in oven until apples are cooked through and topping is golden brown and crisp, 20-40 minutes (depending on thickness of apples).
Serve warm or room temp, alone or with ice cream.
Yum! Happy autumn eating!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes
I really love Morningstar Farms' Italian Sausage. It is one of those vegetarian meats that I crave. They really did a great job with the flavor and texture of the sausage. I love to make Italian sausage sandwiches, but recently I wanted to try something new with the sausage. After browsing recipe sites online, I settled on the idea to make something baked with potatoes. I ended up making this dish, and I was very happy with the results.
Basically, it's a pile of potatoes, Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and other veggies, topped with a simple tomato sauce and then baked. I melted cheese on top as well. I suppose the same dish could be made with raw veggies and sausage and just baked for much longer, but I found it quite easy to par-cook everything and only bake it for a short time. Finishing it all in the oven helped everything come together and allowed the potatoes to absorb all the great flavors.
Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes
4 Italian sausage links
2 medium russett potatoes, cubed
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
dash each: salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, dried oregano
olive oil
16 oz diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese (optional)
Boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water until just under al dente and drain well. In the meantime, sautee sausage in a little oil until fully cooked and golden brown. Add onions, peppers and celery to the sausage pan and cook just until soft. Slice the sausages on the diagonal, making four pieces from each link.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a medium baking dish. Layer the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Layer sausages on top of the potatoes. Layer onions, peppers, and celery on top of the sausage. Sprinkle on the minced garlic. Pour tomatoes and sauce over the veggies. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper. Top with fresh basil.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Top with cheese if desired and return to the oven just until melted. Serve in shallow bowls with bread.
I hope you enjoy this idea. Happy eating!
Basically, it's a pile of potatoes, Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and other veggies, topped with a simple tomato sauce and then baked. I melted cheese on top as well. I suppose the same dish could be made with raw veggies and sausage and just baked for much longer, but I found it quite easy to par-cook everything and only bake it for a short time. Finishing it all in the oven helped everything come together and allowed the potatoes to absorb all the great flavors.
Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes
4 Italian sausage links
2 medium russett potatoes, cubed
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn or chiffonade
dash each: salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, dried oregano
olive oil
16 oz diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese (optional)
Boil the potatoes and carrots in salted water until just under al dente and drain well. In the meantime, sautee sausage in a little oil until fully cooked and golden brown. Add onions, peppers and celery to the sausage pan and cook just until soft. Slice the sausages on the diagonal, making four pieces from each link.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a medium baking dish. Layer the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Layer sausages on top of the potatoes. Layer onions, peppers, and celery on top of the sausage. Sprinkle on the minced garlic. Pour tomatoes and sauce over the veggies. Sprinkle again with salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper. Top with fresh basil.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Top with cheese if desired and return to the oven just until melted. Serve in shallow bowls with bread.
I hope you enjoy this idea. Happy eating!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Potatoes are a great vegetarian staple. They are universally useful as side dish or main, and there are a million ways to use them. A simple baked potato with butter and sour cream is one of my favorite things. But, if you have a few extra minutes, turning that baked potato into a twice-baked potato can really up the yum factor.
When making twice-baked potatoes, as in making regular mashed potatoes, it's important to remember that overworking the potatoes develops the gluten in them, which is what can make some mashed potatoes gummy. You want to go ahead and mash them as much as you want, just don't keep going with it. Some people use a food mill or potato ricer to accomplish this. I don't have one, so I just use an old fashioned potato masher and just try to not overdo it. I've seen some people put their cooked potatoes into a stand mixer, turn on the paddle, and let it go for 15 minutes. For the life of me I can't imagine why you'd want to do that. The potatoes will never be creamy and delicate again once you work the gluten that much.
Twice-baked potatoes can literally be just the baked potato, mashed, and baked again, but when most people say twice-baked they also mean that they've added a thing or two to the mix. I like to add a lot of stuff to the mix. Cheese, sour cream, mustard, milk, butter, seasoning, you name it, I throw it in there. I don't, however, usually put the potato mixture back into the original potato skin shells. To get the potato out of the shell while leaving the shell totally intact is a difficult task. I prefer to just scoop out all the insides and discard the shell, instead just baking the whole thing in a small baking dish.
Here's a general recipe for twice-baked potatoes. You can leave out any of the additions, except for milk or cream; at least a little moisture is needed for mashing the potatoes. Otherwise, everything is optional.
Twice-Baked Potatoes
4 medium russet potatoes
2 Tbsp milk or cream plus extra
1/2 cup loosely packed shredded cheese(s) of your choosing
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, divided
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp brown or dijon mustard
dash each: garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika
Bake the potatoes as you normally would until fully cooked. Allow to cool enough to handle; scoop out the insides and mash with a little milk or cream as needed. Stir in 1 Tbsp butter, cheese, sour cream, mustard, and seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes evenly in a small baking dish. To get brown parts, score or make peaks in the potatoes. Dot the top of the potatoes with remaining 1 Tbsp of butter, cut into little pieces. Bake until golden brown on top, 20-30 minutes.
Happy eating!
When making twice-baked potatoes, as in making regular mashed potatoes, it's important to remember that overworking the potatoes develops the gluten in them, which is what can make some mashed potatoes gummy. You want to go ahead and mash them as much as you want, just don't keep going with it. Some people use a food mill or potato ricer to accomplish this. I don't have one, so I just use an old fashioned potato masher and just try to not overdo it. I've seen some people put their cooked potatoes into a stand mixer, turn on the paddle, and let it go for 15 minutes. For the life of me I can't imagine why you'd want to do that. The potatoes will never be creamy and delicate again once you work the gluten that much.
Twice-baked potatoes can literally be just the baked potato, mashed, and baked again, but when most people say twice-baked they also mean that they've added a thing or two to the mix. I like to add a lot of stuff to the mix. Cheese, sour cream, mustard, milk, butter, seasoning, you name it, I throw it in there. I don't, however, usually put the potato mixture back into the original potato skin shells. To get the potato out of the shell while leaving the shell totally intact is a difficult task. I prefer to just scoop out all the insides and discard the shell, instead just baking the whole thing in a small baking dish.
Here's a general recipe for twice-baked potatoes. You can leave out any of the additions, except for milk or cream; at least a little moisture is needed for mashing the potatoes. Otherwise, everything is optional.
Twice-Baked Potatoes
4 medium russet potatoes
2 Tbsp milk or cream plus extra
1/2 cup loosely packed shredded cheese(s) of your choosing
2 Tbsp butter or margarine, divided
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp brown or dijon mustard
dash each: garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika
Bake the potatoes as you normally would until fully cooked. Allow to cool enough to handle; scoop out the insides and mash with a little milk or cream as needed. Stir in 1 Tbsp butter, cheese, sour cream, mustard, and seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes evenly in a small baking dish. To get brown parts, score or make peaks in the potatoes. Dot the top of the potatoes with remaining 1 Tbsp of butter, cut into little pieces. Bake until golden brown on top, 20-30 minutes.
Happy eating!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
A Good Soup Is Hard To Find
It's so difficult to find a good vegetarian soup! Anybody who reads this blog knows that I love me some soup. Being a vegetarian, however, makes it very, very difficult to find a good soup that fits into my diet. Vegetarian canned soups at the store are plentiful, but exremely disappointing. Restaurant soups are almost always non-vegetarian. I usually end up making my own soups at home. But, when I want soup the most -- when I'm sick with a cold or a fever -- making soups is the last thing I want to do, or sometimes am even capable of doing. Dan's always willing to run around like a crazy person all over town finding and getting me whatever I want when I'm ill, but the problem still remains that no soups that I want or can eat seem to be out there.
I have been fighting off a cold or something for a few days now, and all I've wanted is soup. After an exhaustive search online, Dan stumbled on a soup restaurant that we've never noticed before: Zoup. It's a chain, and there is one in Denver. It's not really near us at all, but the drive isn't so bad as long as it's not rush hour. We checked out the online menu, and the first thing I noticed is that they marked each of their soups whether it's vegetarian. They have numerous selections every day, and from what I've seen they have two or three vegetarian options daily, which for a (non-vegetarian) restaurant is actually quite a lot.
Dan ventured out to bring home every one of their soups that I was willing to eat so I'd be stocked up when he went off to work. Each soup was good. I wouldn't say it's the best soup I've ever had, but it's good enough that I'm totally willing to establish it as a regular soup-getting place for when I can't make the soup. And really, that's saying a lot. Because it's so difficult to find a good vegetarian soup!!
I have been fighting off a cold or something for a few days now, and all I've wanted is soup. After an exhaustive search online, Dan stumbled on a soup restaurant that we've never noticed before: Zoup. It's a chain, and there is one in Denver. It's not really near us at all, but the drive isn't so bad as long as it's not rush hour. We checked out the online menu, and the first thing I noticed is that they marked each of their soups whether it's vegetarian. They have numerous selections every day, and from what I've seen they have two or three vegetarian options daily, which for a (non-vegetarian) restaurant is actually quite a lot.
Dan ventured out to bring home every one of their soups that I was willing to eat so I'd be stocked up when he went off to work. Each soup was good. I wouldn't say it's the best soup I've ever had, but it's good enough that I'm totally willing to establish it as a regular soup-getting place for when I can't make the soup. And really, that's saying a lot. Because it's so difficult to find a good vegetarian soup!!
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