Daring Bakers Challenge: Chocolate Eclairs

I still can't believe I'm a member of one of the coolest cliques on the 'net. For real.

It's Daring Bakers time! :)

This month's challenge was hosted by Meeta K of What's For Lunch Honey and Tony of Olive Juice. The challenge du jour was chocolate eclairs. Meeta chose a recipe from Pierre Hermé's book: Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé.

I am not particularly fond of eclairs. I really don't enjoy biting into dough filled with creams. As a matter of fact, someone brought in some Krispy Kreme doughnuts to work last night and I was afraid they'd all be custard or jelly-filled. I snagged a few (yeah, I should have only taken one) Original Glazed and was as happy as I could be.

Eclairs consist of 3 parts: Choux pastry or cream puff dough, pastry cream or creme patisserie filling, and a chocolate glaze. We had to use the choux pastry recipe (posted below), some element of chocolate, but we could get creative with the filling.

As creative as I am, I decided not to get creative with the filling and do a simple vanilla creme. Instead of the original chocolate glaze, I made a simple chocolate frosting.

The recipe also said to slice each eclair horizontally, then fill. I've never made eclairs that way, and I wasn't about to start today. I filled them the old fashioned way, by using my steel to "make a way for ducklings"and stuck in my piping tip to fill up the shell.

I was slightly disappointed we had to use this choux recipe because I keep choux in the freezer for special occasions and snacks. The chocolate icing was awesome. The choux really didn't taste that great. I don't know if it's because I halved the recipe or the recipe itself. The choux puffed like it was supposed to, and usually that's an indication something is amiss. I don't know Pierre, so I don't want to defenestrate his recipe, but...

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé (makes 12 Éclairs)

1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the
boil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium
and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very
quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You
need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough
will be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your
handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.
You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do
not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you
have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it
should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes: Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately. You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.


1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by
positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with
waxed or parchment paper.

2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.
Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers.
Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.
The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20minutes.
Notes: The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Vanilla Pastry Creme makes 2 cups

1 1/2 cups non-fat milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Bring milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Transfer to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Pour into medium bowl. If eggs curdle or cook, pour mixture through a sieve or strainer before pouring into the medium bowl. Stir in vanilla. Press plastic onto surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Nik's Chocolate Icing

1/4 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Refrigerate to firm up.

Iron Cupcake: Chili Pepper

I'm entering my ultimate cupcake in the ultimate challenge: Iron Cupcake. Hosted by Sandy at No One Puts Cupcake In A Corner, this month is the first ever global challenge. Every month she hosts a real, live event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since we all can't be there to experience the magic, she is bringing the magic to us in the form of this event.

I'm competing to win prizes from here, there, over here and over there, too. I've been stressing out over this little pan of cupcakes all month. These prizes are so incredibly awesome and I desperately want to win any contest I enter, so I brought out the big guns, and made my signature recipe: Chili-Lime Chocolate Cake. The recipe has been tweaked for cupcake-dom because the original cake is a little too moist to enjoy as a cupcake alone. More flour and less liquid, an awesome cupcake do make :)

So, voting will begin on Sunday, August 31st at 12 noon at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open throughThursday, September 4 at 12 noon.

Don't think I won't be reminding you incessantly...

So this luscious little ditty is a lot chocolaty, a little spicy, and cooled down with a sweet, creamy, sumptuous avocado buttercream. The the texture of the avocado makes it perfect to blend in with butter and sugar. The cream doesn't lose it's sheen or color after mixing. It's my best invention yet!

Chili-Lime Chocolate Cupcakes
with Avocado Buttercream
makes 6 cupcakes or 4 giant cupcakes

2 cups cake flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
4 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tsp salt


Sift flour and sugar into large bowl.
Bring butter, cocoa, and lime juice, to a boil in saucepan. Alternatively, using a heat-safe mixing bowl, warm in the microwave on HIGH for 2 1/2 minutes. Pour over flour mixture and mix well. Add buttermilk, baking soda, chili powder, vanilla, eggs and salt and mix well.
Pour into greased and floured muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.


Let all ingredients come to room temperature before starting.

Avocado Buttercream
makes 2 cups

2 large avocado, ripe, pitted
2 tsp lime juice
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature
16 oz confectioners' sugar


Combine all the ingredients in large mixing bowl and whisk or mix at slow speed until smooth. If stiffer icing is needed, or if the weather is very warm, add a little extra sugar. Firm up buttercream in refrigerator until it is just pliable enough to not melt when decorating the cupcakes.

After decorating cupcakes, place in refrigerator to set icing.

A Restaurant Review

I'm trying my hand at restaurant reviews nowadays. I have a new blog set aside just for this new endeavor, but I've decided to give you a sneak peek into what's going to be going on over there.

Some food critics don't like to give scathing or unfavorable reviews to establishments for various reasons. I'm not a food critic (hahahahaha) so I can say what I wish.

I will say that I visited this local establishment no less than five times and I was as honest, discriminating, and nice as I could be without bashing the place in its head and leaving it for dead on the sidewalk.

Ganache in Greensboro, NC is known for its decadent cakes, wide selection pastries and breads. Many a Triad bride has scheduled a wedding appointment to view and taste samples of confectionery bliss. Many a prom date has stood in front of the bakery counter salivating over the ornate displays in the front entryway of the restaurant. After all the fanfare and flourish has subsided, it’s time to get to the nitty gritty of this Greensboro restaurant.

Ganache has a new sheriff in town, executive chef, Andy Furness. Furness brings a new outlook and a book full of menu ideas with him. This chef has only been seated for a short time and his overhaul of the menu is apparent with the advent of some new menu items. Overall, the dinner menu is small and has few stand-out dishes.

Furness classifies the revamped menu as American regional seasonal cuisine. It includes Southern classics such as Low Country Crab Cakes ($23) and Charleston Whitefish ($22), along with new favorites such as a Newcastle Bread Bowl ($8). “Farm To Fork” is another idea that is new at the restaurant. It boasts of using local produce, products, and regional agricultural centers to feed guests. Rudd and Goat Lady Dairy farms are just two of the local vendors featured on the menu.

Proscuitto wrapped pork tenderloin ($23)

The menu and the ideas behind it are lofty and ill-executed. The food is often served cold, without advertised garnishes, or overcooked. This diner believed in the menu and everything it stood for, but time and time again, disappointment arrived on a ceramic plate.

The popular and highly lauded whiskey switch ribs ($12) were dry, over-smoked, and a pitiful excuse for meat on a bone. Risotto, which appears in no less than three dishes is indeed a little rice, but Uncle Ben would be disappointed if he knew what was passing as al dente in this restaurant.

The best dishes are the salads. The Brutus ($9), a deconstructed Caesar salad topped with a luscious, goat's milk and Parmesan custard not only embodies the creativity the rest of the menu tries to capture, but it's well-executed. The caprese salad ($8) is simple, yet classic. It's fresh and sure to be electrified by a generous pouring of balsamic vinegar by your own hand.

The best part of any meal at Ganache should be the dessert, but the bakery fails here as well. The precision and care that is taken into consideration when designing and assembling the cakes is not applied to the taste and fillings of them. The words "soaked" and "layered" appear far too often on the dessert menu. The application of these descriptions has yet to be seen (or tasted). Every cake tested, tasted of, well...nothing. If more time were spent on the wholesomeness of the desserts instead of the outside, this diner would be more apt to stay after an obligatory coffee.

Not to discourage diners from partaking in any dessert, the cheesecake offerings are plentiful and flavorful. The Kahlua and Chocolate Mousse cakes are the only ones worth your dime.

Attempting to tout itself as an after-work hot spot, Ganache does employ crafty and skilled bartenders. The wine lists and beer menu are unmatched in the area. With half-priced wine on Thursdays and a lower-priced Lassez Faire bar menu, these might be the restaurant's only redeeming qualities.

The decor and atmosphere lend helping hands to make every diner feel welcome, appreciated, and wrapped with hospitality. Since the food is not at its greatest, your view can help ease that pain.

Butterscotch wood-paneled walls take you around the rotunda that is the seating area, and up to a scenic rooftop patio. The restaurant is festooned with local art from the Marshall Gallery in downtown Greensboro. Behind the black granite bar, and more cushioned seating, there are open-tinted windows revealing the kitchen and bakery. To watch the bakery artisans and chefs at work makes one wonder what is really going on in the kitchen.

Ganache may only be known as a chocolate couverture for desserts but Ganache should be known as a restaurant and bakery with far to go for top-notch billing.

Ganache Bakery
403 North Elm Street
Greensboro, NC 27401

http://www.ganachebakery.com/

My Cuban-American Kitchen

I don't have much of anything witty, educational, historical, autobiographical, or allegorical to share about today's recipe. I've been thinking about when I used to live in Miami and how I loved every minute of it. I wish I were there now: living on the beach, going to parties, eating my way through South Florida, living the good life. The people I met, the places I visited, it was always so awesome. If it wasn't so friggin' expensive, I'd probably still be there.

I made Ropa Vieja today. I posted about it back in February when Castro gave up his throne leadership. This time I included pictures. This time I put my heart and soul into the pot. By using my hands to rip the tomatoes, I felt moved, like something out of Like Water For Chocolate (yes, I know they were Mexican in there, not Cuban).

Ropa Vieja Serves 1 or 2

Ropa vieja means old clothes in Spanish. This meat is cooked, shredded like rags, then cooked again.

1/4 lb skirt or flank steak
1 carrot, shredded
1 small red onion, sliced
1 bay leaf (1 tsp ground bay leaf is OK)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large pinch, paprika
1 large pinch, chili powder
1 large pinch cumin or cumin seeds
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp cider or white vinegar
1-2 fresh tomatoes, not chopped, but ripped*
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Combine beef with garlic, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cumin and olive oil. Add salt and pepper, mix well and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, no more than 24 hrs. When ready, put meat in a saucepan with, the onion, carrot, and bay leaf. Cover with vegetable broth/stock by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim, if needed.

When meat is very tender, remove from broth. Set aside. and strain broth through a sieve and discard vegetables. When meat is cool, cut off any fat and pull into shreds. Return broth and meat to heat. Add tomatoes, oregano, parsley, 1 tsp cumin. To rip the tomatoes, just squeeze them until the juices and seeds run into the pan. Rip the tomato, skin and all, into bite-sized pieces and let them fall into the pot. Don't forget to wash your hands afterwards! Simmer to reduce by half, about 20 - 30 minutes.
Serve with white or yellow rice.

I served mine over couscous seasoned with peas, garlic, and butter.

Conscious Musings: An Essay

I felt compelled to get a little academic this weekend and write a little essay about food. So that you don't get bored while reading, I've provided you with some of the best of my personal cellphone photography pics.

After two months of Conscious Eating, I have another look at some of the food we eat and how we eat it.

The influx of cooking shows on television can make any viewer feel like a celebrity any night of the week. Technology and its sources have flooded the market making a gourmand out of any and everyone. Transcontinental travel, the Internet, multiculturalism, and global awareness make it impossible to be left in the dark about food. These are high times for international cuisine. These are also agonizing times.


Concerns and eyebrows are rising for consumers and food industry leaders concerning nutrition, diet, food sanitation, and safety. Cooks have turned away from mass-marketed sources. Cooks have turned toward inexpensive, sustainable efforts to ensure that quality, nutrition, and hunger needs are met. Recent national recalls of vegetables, meats, and pet foods send out a cause for concern as well.

Home cooks have turned to homegrown resources to pick up where the food industry has failed them. “Victory gardens” have turned into community gardens to produce safe food for families. Local slow food movements are gaining ground in communities to make the public aware of alternatives to mass-produced foodstuffs. As everyone can tell by their grocery bills, food costs are getting higher each month. Cooking for sport and personal enjoyment is not an option for many singletons or for families anymore. The search is constant and furtive for inexpensive venues and establishments to purchase high quality, low cost products.

Frozen foods and convenience entrees have been an ever-popular trend in home and professional cooking. Since Swanson introduced the first “TV dinner” in 1956, the frozen food industry hasn’t been the same. Modern food preservation, storage, and transportation have made fresh and exotic foods readily available to consumers and professional cooks. As savvy consumers, we demand flavor, quality ingredients, and a need to feel as if we’ve traveled to an exotic place outside our local grocer’s freezer section.

Since the inception of the American Frozen Food Institute, the industry has reached new heights. This national trade association represents all aspects of the frozen food industry supply chain, from manufacturers to distributors to suppliers to packagers. AFFI also provides regulations for safety and sanitation of frozen foods and monitors the delivery and marketing of frozen foods as well. Frozen foods are not only an integral part of home life, but commercial industries depend on them to better our lives.

Some feel that with all the technology that enables foodservice to be faster and more convenient, the need for chefs and other culinary professionals will be eliminated or greatly reduced. This is all but true. The science and professionalism of food is of utmost importance when food is prepared for frozen use. Anyone who has attempted to re-heat or oven-bake a foil-wrapped chicken after being in the freezer, the taste isn’t the same. The meat isn’t quite as juicy. The color isn’t as flush and inviting. Chefs, scientists, nutritionists, technicians, and the occasional artist all weigh in to create meals for kings and queens of convenience.

A number of casual dining establishments utilize individually quick frozen foods, frozen entrees and main course meals to serve you. Anywhere from six to 15 minutes after ordering, a freshly nuked gourmet meal can be plated and brought to you. A number of households choose to go the same route.

In the end, whether you prefer fresh and natural foods to frozen convenience foods, you have those choices because of the myriad of global influences on our world.

Mmm...grocery store cake

Morning Glory

I did not discover biscuits and gravy until I was nearly 20 years old. I never had it growing up. In our house we had brown gravy. And that was it. You got in trouble if your gravy wasn't dark enough. Roux was cooked until it was red, gravy was cooked until it was dark brown. Kitchen Bouquet was not allowed. I thought Kitchen Bouquet was the decoration on the dining room table.



The 1st time I had biscuit gravy, I was at summer camp. Attempting to broaden my horizons, I ponied up to the bowl and dug in with my soup spoon. I should have seen the signs: it had no sausage in it. It tasted like Elmer's paste with pepper in it. Boy was I sorry! Blecch!



The next time, I was in college and a friend suggested I get a biscuit with gravy at one of the local campus eateries. I fell in love. One biscuit with a generous portion of gravy was only 79 cents. Two biscuits, $1.89. There was real sausage, spice, creamy goodness, and a hot crusty biscuit underneath. At that moment, I understood the lure, the joy, the phenomena, that is the gravy biscuit.

Biscuits and gravy are cheap, filling, and incredibly easy to make. It could be one of those dishes a child first learns in the kitchen. It could be taken up a few notches on the elegance factor by using rabbit, venison, or merguez sausage. The biscuit could turn into brioche, naan, or chapati with an apricot or peach compote. Who knows?

My gravy turned out to be a little thick, but nobody complained. Well, not to my face they didn't. And if they want to continue to eat at my house, they won't do it then either.

But I digress...

Biscuits & Gravy Serves 4-5

1 (one) 12oz tube spicy pork sausage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6-8 freshly baked biscuits

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, break it up with a wooden spoon or fork. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet. Whisk the flour into the fat and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. While whisking, pour the milk slowly into the skillet and bring the gravy to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Stir in the sausage and season with salt and pepper. Split the biscuits in half and divide them among plates. Top each biscuit with some of the gravy and serve immediately.

It's another Frugal Friday. Check it out...

The whole meal was only $3.89. You could even add a couple of eggs for a few cents more.

Weekend Herb Blogging

This is the first unadulterated year of my professional culinary life. Even though I know a lot, I'm learning and experiencing new things every day. I will be so happy when I look back next year and say, "Hey, I remember when I cooked..." or "It's time for [enter awesome seasonal product here] again!"


This week, I am participating in my first Weekend Herb Blogging Event.
I know it's not the weekend, but it's close enough. Especially since so many states are taking it down to four-day work weeks.



Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen has been doing this for over three years, which I think is amazing. I'm a creature of habit, but I can't commit to a nail polish color much less an event that takes place the same time every week.

This week, Srivalli of Cooking4AllSeasons is the gracious hostess.


You want to hear it? Here it goes...

I have recently gotten into some lavender.




A fellow blogger was gracious enough to cut some for me and I've been trying to incorporate it into as many things as possible, to bring out it's delicate, unusual scent and flavor. According to my favorite book, Culinary Artistry, lavender pairs well with fruit, ice creams, lamb, rabbit and stew. I'm not ready to dive into the latter three of the group, so fruit and ice creams, it is!



Berries are on my mind because they were on sale at the grocery this week (4 pints for $6) and I don't like them much. I like their flavor, but the texture gives me the willies. It's something I think they call squidgy. If I could just get past the initial biting down, masticating and swallowing thing, I'd be fine. The same goes with shrimp, oranges and rare meats.



I took a few for the team and made a sugar-free/fat free lavender sour cream blueberry ice cream. It was so smooth, creamy and delicious, that I really wish I could get get on the berry train more often.

This craptastic photo was brought to you by: NikSnacks.

::Show me the light, the beautiful light::

Sugar-free/Fat-free Blueberry Lavender Sour Cream Ice Cream
makes a scant pint and a half

1 cup fresh blueberries
1/8 cup Splenda or Z sweet (erythritol)
2 cups nonfat milk
3 Tbsp fresh or dried culinary lavender
1 pkg sugar-free/fat free white chocolate pudding
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
juice of 1 lemon

Put the blueberries, lavender and Splenda, into a medium nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 3 minutes. Alternatively, use your microwave to produce the same results (I did).

Strain blueberry mixture into a new bowl or puree the ingredients in a blender or food processor and then add back to the bowl. Add the nonfat milk and pudding mix. Whisk until all is incorporated. Stir in sour cream and lemon juice. Taste and add more Splenda or other sweetener, if needed. Refrigerate mixture until chilled (about 30 minutes). Alternatively, freeze this mixture to make a churn-free version of this recipe. Otherwise, after chilling, churn according to ice cream maker manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Next was a lavender chocolate cake. Last fall, I picked up a little square of New Tree Tranquility chocolate from Sur La Table. It's luscious lavender chocolate is lifted with a bit of lime. I saved the box (it's the size of a matchbook) so every time I look at it, I can remember the taste. I read the ingredients, vowing to recreate my own bar of chocolate. The chocolate bar hasn't happened, but cake is so much better than a chocolate bar anyway!

I combined a whoopie pie recipe from my friend, Adam, with my personal chocolate cake recipe to produce some rather moist cakes. I think put too much sour cream and milk. But it's nothing that a little flat icing and a few squidgy blueberries couldn't solve.

Chocolate Lavender Cakes

1/2 cup Smart Balance, softened
3/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1/2 cup Eggbeaters
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bran flakes
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp culinary lavender
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and Splenda brown sugar together with a hand mixer or by hand, until smooth and creamy. Add the Eggbeaters slowly, until incorporated. In medium bowl sift the dry ingredients: flour, bran, cocoa powder and salt. Stir well until everything is evenly distributed throughout. Set aside.

In a small bowl or sauce pan, stir together milk and lavender. Microwave milk for 3 minutes or bring milk to a boil and remove from heat. Let milk and lavender steep for 4-5 minutes. Strain. Add vanilla and sour cream. Alternate between wet and dry, pour the dry ingredients and the milk mix into the creamed Smart Balance and Splenda, mixing by hand or with a hand mixer until all is incorporated. Drop the batter on the baking sheets by heaping tablespoon full, and leave 2" for the batter to spread out. The done cakes should look like little cakey cookies, and be somewhat firm to the touch. Let cool on the pans for 1-2 minutes, and then cool on wire racks.

Last, but not least: Lavender-smoked white peaches with clover honey

This was a masterpiece. I've been toying with my smoker for a few months now and I've had some disasters, some hits, and more than a few misses. These peaches were right on.

I mixed alder chips with 2 Tbsp dried lavender buds and smoked the peaches for about 10 minutes. In the photo, I put them atop a low-fat sugar cookie and drizzled the clover honey. I just had give myself a reason to use my fingers to eat it!

Omnivore's 100

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and do this, too. It might be fun. For you and for me.

How the Omnivore's 100 works:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.

2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.

3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

4) Optional: Post a comment at Very Good Taste, linking to your results.


MY OMNIVORE'S 100 (68 out of 100):

1. Venison (marinated in juniper berries, apple cider & black pepper...whoa, buddy!)

2. Nettle tea (I have yet to discover nettles anywhere near where I live)

3. Huevos rancheros

4. Steak tartare (the only thing I refused to try in culinary school)

5. Crocodile (I'm highlighting this. I've had alligator. They're like cousins or something)

6. Black pudding (hell to the no)

7. Cheese fondue

8. Carp

9. Borscht (I hate beets)

10. Baba ghanoush

11. Calamari

12. Pho (what is this? noodles?)

13. PB&J sandwich (before the teenage onset of my dibilitating allergy, yeah...)

14. Aloo gobi

15. Hot dog from a street cart (a dirty dog...my favorite)

16. Epoisses

17. Black truffle

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes

19. Steamed pork buns (I've always wanted to try these from the place down the street)

20. Pistachio ice cream (before...you know...)

21. Heirloom tomatoes

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Foie gras (and I never want this to cross my lips again)

24. Rice and beans

25. Brawn or head cheese (see foie gras)

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (thank you, stupid man at farmer's market; now this is a good story. remind me to tell it to you one day...)

27. Dulce de leche

28. Oysters (apparently, they help you love longer...)

29. Baklava(that whole walnut/pistachio thing...)

30. Bagna cauda

31. Wasabi peas

32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl

33. Salted lassi

34. Sauerkraut

35. Root beer float

36. Cognac with a fat cigar

37. Clotted Cream Tea

38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O (have youu ever been to a college party? ever?)

39. Gumbo (it runs in my blood)

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects

43. Phaal

44. Goat's milk (I had milk sensitivities, so my mom tried to give me this.)

45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more

46. Fugu

47. Chicken tikka masala (yesterday, actually! here)

48. Eel

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (I live 2 blocks from the original store. Be jealous, bitches)

50. Sea urchin

51. Prickly pear

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (Yeah, the #1)

56. Spaetzle

57. Dirty gin martini (my 1st martini was one of these. blecccch)

58. Beer above 8% ABV

59. Poutine (let me start with a cheese curd, and then I'll think about it)

60. Carob chips

61. S’mores (OMG...)

62. Sweetbreads

63. kaolin (I had to look this up. what is it? a rock?)

64. Currywurst

65. Durian (I found this yesterday in the Asian grocery near my house. Should I buy it?)

66. Frogs’ legs

67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (all of the above. These are classified as bread in my book)

68. Haggis

69. Fried plantain

70. Chitterlings or andouillette (my grandma made me do it!)

71. Gazpacho

72. Caviar and blini

73. Louche absinthe

74. Gjetost or brunost (so gross...)

75. Roadkill (I'm not even gonna explain this one)

76. Baijiu

77. Hostess Fruit Pie (only the crust. The insides are gross)

78. Snail

79. Lapsang Souchong

80. Bellini

81. Tom Yum

82. Eggs Benedict

83. Pocky

84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu

85. Kobe beef (Japanese and everything...yeah...)

86. Hare (the gamey-est thing I ever put in my mouth. I thought it was still alive)

87. Goulash (my mom likes this a lot)

88. Flowers

89. Horse

90. Criollo chocolate

91. Spam (Hawaiians eat it all they want...)

92. Soft shell crab

93. Rose harissa

94. Catfish

95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox

97. Lobster Thermidor (it takes like 45 hours to make. no wonder it's $1000 on the menu)

98. Polenta

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

100. Snake

My Italian-American Kitchen

Today's dish was inspired by Goodfellas and The Sopranos. I've been watching Goodfellas practically non-stop since Saturday night and I felt this intense urge to have sausage and peppers when I woke up this morning.

I have The Sopranos Family Cookbook but I'd never used it before today. I'd leaf through it, but I never took it to the kitchen to make anything.

When I graduated from undergrad, I stayed at my parents for a few months and did three things: looked for a husband, read the newspaper (mostly the Celebrations section on Sundays to see if anyone I knew was getting married), and cook. I joined The Good Cook Club and bought 20 or 30 cookbooks, five or so which I still have yet to use. I generally don't make recipes from my books. I like having them around to use as references. I use my textbooks from culinary school more than anything else, but most of those just cover the basics, things I knew before donning a chef's toque.


Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes, and Onions Serves 4
adapted from The Sopranos Family Cookbook


1 lb potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks (I used Yukon Gold)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 medium vidalia onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 6" to 8" green Thai eggplant
1/4 cup lemon infused olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound Italian-style turkey sausages


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread the vegetables in a single layer in one more more shallow roasting pans; do not crowd them, or they will not brown. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
Roast the vegetables. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sausages and vegetables are cooked through. Serve hot.

Theirs.

Mine.

The original recipe had red and green bell peppers and only white onions were listed. I used an infused olive oil instead of extra virgin or light olive oil and I added slices of a Thai green eggplant, too. I am not a huge pork fan, but I love the pieces of fennel, peppers, and garlic in Italian sausage. I used Italian-style turkey link breakfast sausages instead of bulk pork sausauges the original recipe calls for.

The best part of cooking is being able to change and adapt recipes to make them yours (or palatable for multiple members of your dinner party). Usually in my case, I have only 2 or 3 of a recipe's ingredients and I substitute and wing my way to a great dish.

Not too shabby, I think.

No Shake But Plenty Of Fries

My inspiration came from Judy at No Fear Entertaining. She had some "happy burgers" with sliced bleu cheese, caramelized onions, and it just seemed to be the perfect dinner for her cute family.

I usually don't get to cook dinner during the week (because I work at night), so lunch is my big meal (as it should be). I started out making the meal all about the burger, but then I wanted fries. And then I decided I had to do balsamic caramelized onions instead of regular caramelized onions....


It really was all about the fries though.


I used my regular hamburger recipe but I put some crumbled bleu cheese in and on top of the raw burger. I've been seeing pre-made burgers sold in the meat department of my grocery store already mixed with cheese or with crumbled cheese on top; So, I decided to try it and see what's up.

I felt like I was a McDonald's employee. Well, I really don't know how they feel, but...

Look at my little caprese garnish LOL

I put the balsamic onions on the side because I didn't want them to detract from the bleu cheese. The cheese was why I made the meal in the 1st place. And no, that isn't one of my homemade buns. It's a bun left over from...before I bought Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. And I don't remember a time before this book entered my life, so...pffft.


Balsamic Caramelized Vidalia Onions

1/2 lb Vidalia onions, sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp light olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning

Over high heat, sauté the Vidalia onions in the vinegar, oil, pepper, and seasoning until they are browned. Continue cooking until all of the liquid has evaporated.

For advice on making fries, click here.

Healthy Lunch, Happy Child

As another school year pokes it's ugly face into the room, it's time to gear up ourselves and our kids for the next 180 days.

I don't have kids yet, but I used to be one and lunch was the only part of the day I looked forward to because it was something I could control.

I think it's important to educate your little ones on making good choices in the school cafeteria. Every day in middle school, I got friendly with pizza, fries, ranch dressing, and fruit punch. Occasionally some corn would enter the scene, but not often. While my more sophisticated friends were choosing the bottled water, I’d head straight for the drink machine and wait for a can of fruit-flavored sucrose water to pop out.

Not until high school did I pay attention to what was on the menu du jour. Fries were great, but I’d feel sluggish during history class in the afternoon. Cookies were totally awesome, but I’d feel the sharp pangs of hunger well before the 3:00 bell. My mom is great, but I wish someone had schooled me on proper nutrition at lunch time early on.

Kids need good food and things they know and feel comfortable eating. It makes no sense to send along an alfalfa sprout and Swiss sandwich if Ned really doesn’t like sprouts.

1. Let your child pick out his or her own insulated lunch container, cups, etc. Funky colored plastic wrap, cool cups with straws and lids, brown paper bags he/she can decorate. All of these items can be found at the Dollar Tree or other discount store!


2. By making the food enticing, colorful, and appealing to the eye will more than likely get your child to eat.



3. By freezing a water bottle or juice box, this can serve as the cold pack in the lunch box. Simply put it in a plastic bag or wrap with paper towels to prevent potential leakage onto food (or the cute note you added at the last minute).



4. Empower your kid to help you. Getting involved in choosing, making, and packing the lunch is practice for later…when you’re able to unleash them to make lunch themselves. Your child knows what he/she likes.

The following are just a few examples of things to send Alexander and Whitney off to school with:

Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad
Serves 8
Adapted from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2


2 plum tomatoes, diced
20 basil leaves, chiffonade
½ medium red onion, sliced
8 white mushrooms, sliced
34 slices turkey pepperoni, sliced into strips
8 oz reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb pasta (wagon wheels, stars, rotini, ABCs, etc)
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 Tb tomato paste
1/3 cup Kraft fat free Italian dressing

Combine all ingredients, chill, serve.
Combining the tomato paste with the dressing helps distribute and incorporate it better into the salad.

100% Wheat Bread (makes 2 loaves)
1 ½ cups warm water (100-110 F)
1 ½ cups warm milk (100-110 F)
1 ½ Tbsp+ 1 tsp salt
½ cup honey
5 Tbsp oil
6 2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1. mix yeast, salt, honey, oil, and milk with water.
2. mix in flour
3. let rise 2 hours with lid slightly ajar
4. Refrigerate from 7 to 11 days
5. If using immediately after rising, shape dough into loaf, buns, balls, etc.
6. Place in loaf pan or on a baking sheet and let rest for 1hr 40 minutes.
7. Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes
8. Cool completely before slicing

Special Sandwiches
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 tsp low-fat mayonnaise
2 tsp no sugar added peach or apricot jam
2 slices (2 oz) no salt added ham or Canadian bacon
2 slices low fat or no-salt Swiss cheese

Spread bottom halves of bread with mayonnaise. Spread the top halves with jam. Tear each slice of meat in half and arrange on the bottoms. Tear each slice of cheese in half and arrange on the top. Add lettuce, sprouts, cucumber or carrot slices, if desired. Alternatively, use a slice of Bibb or Boston lettuce instead of bread.

Sugar Cookies makes 20 cookies
4 oz Smart Balance buttery spread, room temperature
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ cup egg substitute
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
2. Cream the Smart Balance and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or by hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, baking soda, salt, and beat at medium speed until incorporated. Add egg substitute and beat until incorporated.
3. Add flour and mix slowly, just until blended.
4. Scoop dough using ice cream scoop, melon baller in 1-inch increments. Roll ball of dough between palms until smooth. 5. Space evenly on cookie sheet. Using a drinking glass, flatten each ball to about ¼ in thick.
6. Bake cookies 12 minutes or until cookies are golden and somewhat firm to the touch. Let cool completely.

As I Fall Down

Yesterday, it was chilly in my part of North Carolina. It was rainy, breezy with a high of 73 degrees F. And I was mad about it. My friends were calling or texting me with, "Oh! Look" or "Can you smell that? That smells like Fall!" waiting for me to match their excitement. I met each and every exclamation with an exclamation of my own.

Then I read Molly at Orangette lament about how the summer has flown by and she has yet to put on a bathing suit. Is it OK to admit that I cried aloud at this statement? I, too, have yet to don my tankini and wade in any sort of water.

Pretending to be severely depressed at this information, I made myself some chili.

As there are wars about how to spell, what goes, what does not, how to serve and how to garnish chili, I am not about to step into that stew pot. In my depressed state, I could care less about all of the above.
Note: I'm not really depressed. Just disappointed that summer is coming to a close in the near future.

16-ounce bags of navy, pinto, and red kidneys were only 33 cents each. Why not? A 1lb package of 97% lean ground Black Angus beef was only $1.37. I always have snippets of veg hanging out in the fridge...so why not? And there was some left over sausage tomato gravy in the freezer.
This batch rivals the Cincinnati chili made back in March. And that stuff was goooood.

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup kidney beans, dry
1/4 cup pinto beans, dry
1/4 cup navy beans, dry
4 cups water
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 cups water (or 1 cup water and 1 cup sausage tomato gravy)
1/4 cup triple sec
3 tsp Texas Pete hot sauce (or other red pepper sauce. Not Tabasco)

Cover beans with 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Bring heat to a simmer and cook for about an hour. Add water in 1 cup increments to ensure beans stay covered with water. This will vary on the freshness of your beans. Drain.

Heat oil in a stock pot or heavy saucepan. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, oregano and triple sec to beef. Sear the meat until it begins to turn gray; drain off excess fat. Add tomatoes, water/sausage tomato gravy and beans and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir in Texas Pete during last portion of cooking time. Taste for seasoning.

NOTE: You can soak your beans overnight if you plan on making chili the night before.

Many beans have enzymes called oligosaccharides and we humans can't digest these when we eat them. The digestion of oligosaccharide-filled legumes fortunately (well...better out than in, I suppose) produces flatulence. Soaking beans beforehand, adding vinegar and any other wives' tale about how to prevent this is false. You can reduce the enzymes, but not eliminate them. That's nature at work, folks.

This post is an entry to Frugal Fridays. Check us out. Jerry's doing great stuff over there--all by the seat of his pants.

Lights, Camera, Action!

I've been teaching cooking classes for a little over half a year. My first class, last November, "Soups & Stews" gave me such a rush of energy and excitement, that I knew I belonged in the kitchen, in front of people, sharing my love, skill and craft of food.

Back in early July, I mentioned that a local TV station came to interview me and film portions of my monthly cooking class. Well, the video has finally been posted and you can click here to get a peek into what I do.

Of course you can see the pics I post and read (and hopefully try) the recipes, but you get to see me in action a little bit. I take pride in telling people that ALL of the recipes I produce at Best Health are of my own creation unless noted (ie the Books & Cooks series). I get inspired by other cooks and their dishes, but everything else is mine.

The design of my blog has changed, how I record my recipes has changed, but not much else.

January: Heart & Soul Food
February: Sweet Tooth, Healthy Heart
March: Books & Cooks: Emeril Lagasse
April: Books & Cooks: Rachael Ray
May: Books & Cooks: Paula Deen
June: Cooking In The Season and Passion For Picnics
July: Made To Marinade and Summer Salads
August: Healthy Lunch, Happy Child (Friday, August 15)

The video was filmed during July's Made To Marinade class.

I hope you enjoy!

The Souls Of Hungry Folk

I've been incredibly busy trying to test recipes for my next two cooking classes, write material for this blog, a potential local freelance endeavor and for a food blog I'm trying to start at my place of employment. I haven't heard anything back from anyone and I am chomping at the bit. Money and patience are wearing thin. I gave myself a goal last summer to have done something with my life by summer 2008. Summer is here and it's waning. I know I have a little over a month of summer left, but I will be so happy when my ship (preferably a BMW 3 Series convertible...) rolls in

So below you'll find a sample post I submitted for a newspaper food blog. Feel free to comment. I really want to know: What do you think?


An article in NYTimes last week discussed the fact that Harlem's face is changing and so are its restaurants. Commenters on this topic at Serious Eats talk of their regional "soul food" establishments and how the food is good. Most mention fried chicken, collard greens, fried okra and African-American communities.


What exactly is soul food? Is it really just as simple as fried chicken and biscuits (with gravy, black eyed-peas and collard greens, too)? Or is it comfort food? Food that takes you back to a time and place where food, people, and life was simple?




Can soul food be a bowl of borscht? An egg roll? A plate of fries?



What do you think?

Royal Foodie Joust: September

All rise! Hear ye, hear ye...Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes...Now entering the arena, in honor of the presiding recipe for the month of September at the Foodie Forum created by the Left Over Queen, I hearby to enter Orange Tea-brined Chicken. You may be seated...

First, a congratulations should be offered up the the winners of August's joust:

Kittie of Kittens in the Kitchen, Nuria of Spanish Recipes and Marija of Palichinka (who also made a foursome of awesome ice cream for my blogging event)

As winner, Kittie picked whole grains (or at least they have to be whole at the start of the recipe), ginger (in any form) and citrus (any, in any form).

Whole grains are no joke. It consists of three parts: the bran--the rough, flaky outershell, the germ--the embryo or center of the wheat and the endosperm--surrounds and protects everyone else in the kernel . The word whole pertains to the grain in its entirety. Nothing is lost in the process of making whole wheat flour, so I do believe it qualifies as a whole grain! By contrast, white flour contains only the endosperm. Depending on the type of wheat (hard, soft) the gluten content of the flour changes.

The inspiration for this recipe came from here. I tweaked it to elevate it, make it my own, and to ensure it came out a winner in my kitchen. I ate the entire pan! I shared a little, but I ate every single piece of chicken in the pan for dinner that night (and was looking around for some more!) It was that good. It was banging. Bang Bang Chicken, if you will. Ha ha ha.

Orange Tea-Brined Chicken Serves 2-3

5 bags Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Tea
4 Tbsp kosher salt
2 cups water
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 egg, beaten with 2 Tbsp water
¼ tsp granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil, for frying

Orange Sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp orange juice
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
1/2 cup sugar (I used granulated erythritol, Z Sweet)
½ teaspoon ginger root, grated
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons green onion
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

In a clean plastic container, add 2 cups water, 4 Tbs salt and tea bags. Microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Alternatively, add ingredients to a small sauce pan and bring to boil. Let tea steep for 8-10 minutes. Squeeze bags dry and let brine completely cool. Add chicken and refrigerate a minimum of four hours, up to 24 hours.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Use fork to sift or mix contents together. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer , pot, wok or rondeau until completely cooked.

I got the bright idea to just shake it all in a Tupperware container. Less mess and clean up was easy. Why I'd ever thought of this before is beyond me!

Meanwhile, combine 1 cup water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice or apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic, and green onion in a wide-mouth measuring cup or directly in a medium saucepan. Blend well and bring to a boil. Slowly pour stir cornstarch mixture into sauce, turn off heat, and stir or whisk sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with fresh green onions.

Yum!

Okay, one more time...


There was about1 1/2 cups sauce left over, so I plan on using it on pork later in the week.

The Whistle Stop Cafe Has Nothing On Me

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe was a beautiful book and an even more vivid film. I was around 10 years old when the movie premiered and I did not understand the significance or phenomena of the film until much later (probably college).


I don't like to fry food much because I really like my arteries. I feel guilty every time I lift my stock pot up to the stove and pour oil into it. On the other hand, not having that pot or cast iron dutch oven available, doesn't feel right. It's like not having milk or bread in the house.

After a day or night of munching on crispy, oily food, I go full-force with my real diet. If there is a product that is reduced or void of sugar, fat, sodium, cholesterol, chemicals, particulate matter, free radicals...you get my drift...I'm going to buy it.


I buy nonfat milk, sugar-free Red Bull, fat-free sour cream, sugar free/fat free instant pudding, Diet V-8 Splash or Light Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail, Pillsbury reduced sugar frosting, reduced fat cheese...if I'm going to eat it and it can be reduced in any way, why not? I understand that fat adds flavor, but there are hundreds of other ways to make food taste just as good as the transfat filled, sucrose/glucose plumped goods that are out there.


I want to live a long time. I want to look like my mom and aunt when I'm 50+ years old. We get mistaken for sisters all of the time. My mom just turned 56 last Saturday and she looks 35. I look about 16 lol (or at least the guy where I buy my liquor says so).

I got the bright idea to make a BLT with 2 all-bacon slices, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, fried green tomatoes, onions, all on a flaxseed bun. Ok, there was no special sauce, unless you count reduced fat mayonnaise. Or cheese (even though in retrospect, that would have been OK) And no onions. That's just sacrilege.

The original juicy fruit. It's gonna move ya. Juicy, soft...it gets right to ya.

I wish I was eating this right now. Soft bread, creamy mayonnaise, sweet bacon, hot & salty & tart tomatoes, cool & crisp lettuce. Oh, my Lord, help us.

The reason why it's called a BLT.

Fried Green Tomatoes
1 extra large egg
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 green tomatoes, sliced

In a small bowl whisk together egg and milk. In another small bowl mix cornmeal and flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; use more or less oil to reach about 1/4 inch in depth.
Dredge tomato slices first in egg mixture, then in cornmeal mixture. Carefully place slices in hot oil and cook until browned on both sides.
Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt.

For Real, Dough

It's like discovering you can tie your own shoe for the first time.


...being able to pour your own drink at the dinner table...

...being able to recite your address and phone number without hesitation...

...driving without a licensed adult...

I love making my own bread at home.
I'd never liked making bread before because I hate babysitting yeast. You put it all together and let it sit. Play with it, let it sit. Play with it some more, repeat, repeat, repeat. And I don't believe in bread machines. The tooth fairy, Easter bunny and unicorns, yes. Bread machines, no.

My #1 go-to culinary book is Culinary Artistry by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg but my #1 favorite book of all-time (for the next 12 years, at least, I'm sure) is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

I never could have imagined the joy and fulfillment I feel for this book and its contents. I feel as if I've just had a baby or a new puppy brought to me to love, care for and groom.

My heart palpitates, eyes dilate, and palms sweat when I think about this book. I think I'm in love.

I know I've talked about the affairs I've been having lately: biscuits, cornbread and gravy (white bread's cousin by marriage) but nothing, and I mean NOTHING can compare to the beauty that blooms in my kitchen every day with Jeff and Zoe by my side (or at least propped up on the counter between the microwave and spice rack).

Look at this bread. Really look at this bread. Isn't it beautiful?

El pan, bitches!

I made a bunch of rolls to refrigerate and freeze so that I can thaw or bake as I need them. My apartment is small, it gets hot if you yawn too long; so I try to avoid cutting on the oven as much as possible. I sprinkled each bun with some pretty pink Hawaiian sea salt.

Buns/Bread

from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

1/2 cup warm water (no warmer than 110 F)

1/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk

1 rounded tsp yeast

1 rounded tsp salt

1 rounded tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 well beaten egg (optional)

course sea salt (optional)

In a plastic or Tupperware container with a lid (that you won't close completely) mix or stir together water, yogurt or buttermilk, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the flour all at one time. Stir everything together (using a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or your hand) making sure there are no dry spots. Put the lid on the container and let it rise for 2 hours, the dough should rise and then to fall again.

You can form the dough into buns after this time period or put it covered (with the lid slightly open) into the fridge to use over the next 7 days or so. (When ready to make the buns pull off 3 to 4 oz pieces of dough. Stretch the dough in your hands a little, turning it under itself to form a ball. Place the ball with the smooth side up on a baking pan let rise for 30 minutes. Before baking, brush each bun with the beaten egg and sprinkle the tops with coarse seal salt. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 350 F. Let cool before slicing.

I went to the island of Kauai nearly two years ago. They don't let you bring anything on the plane to the mainland. The only things I could keep were this salt and a bruised up pineapple.

Aloha to you, too, dear reader. Aloha to you too. :)

Hawaiian sea salt, also called alaea [pronounced: ah-lie-ah] takes its name from the islands' red volcanic clay. On the island of Kauai, the sediment of iron oxide-rich red volcanic clay, called alaea, seeped into the ocean from the rivers. When the red ocean water became trapped in puddles and pools, evaporation created alaea sea salt. The clay imparts a subtle flavor that is more mellow than regular salt. A traditional seasoning in Hawaiian dishes, it can be used on pork (think pulled pig and luaus), fish and marbled cuts of beef. It's also very pretty on vegetables. And bread.

Don't ever forget the bread.

You're So Peachy Keen

I have been bombarded with peaches in the past few days. Someone at work had a huge basket and I offered to take some off their hands and create something delicious. I toggled between sweet and savory for a while. I decided to combine both. I made a peach compote and put it on puff pastry to make a tart of sorts. It went over big at work. If you'd like to try my recipe, I think it'd go over big at your work, too.

Spiced Peach Tart

4-5 peaches pitted, peeled, small dice
2 oz peach flavored or regular vodka
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water or peach juice
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed according to directions
powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Place peaches, vodka, orange juice, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, reduce mixture until syrup is thick. Add black pepper and remove from heat. Cool.
Cut puff pastry into 2X2 inch squares. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray and place each square in a muffin tin or cupcake wrapper. Place 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of compote in center of square. Bake in 400 degree F oven 10-12 minutes. Cool 5-10 minutes. Pour powdered sugar in a mesh strainer or sieve to sprinkle over each tart. Serve.
May be made one day in advance (without powdered sugar).

Homemade Brilliance

Did I mention that I love food? Have I made mention of that fact on this blog yet?

I hope so, because I got to share my love and craft of food with some friends who'd never eaten my food before last night. I banged out another creative, sweat-producing dinner for my people.

Antipasti:
Handmade designer vegetable pasta

with sausage tomato gravy

Main:

Cheesesteak pizza

Side:

Garden salad with cornbread croutons

Dessert:

Peach ice cream with snickerdoodle cookie garnish

Designer pasta? What's that? Have you seen alphabet, wagon wheel or star-shaped pasta in the store? What about spinach fettucine? Designer pasta is a mixture of the two: different colors (red, yellow, green, purple, pink) and shapes. CLICK here for examples.


I posted a dish that used Mother's In Law Tongue pasta, a designer pasta, in May. I wanted to try my hand (literally) at making my own, so I did!


Fresh pasta dough is easy to make and even easier to cook. I am not an expert or even a faux-authority on pasta. I only know of what Mario and Emeril have taught me.



Fresh Pasta Makes 1 lb of pasta total
from foodnetwork.com

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided in half)
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup golden beets, diced, cooked, cooled
5 oz frozen spinach, drained dry


Mound one divided portion of flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour, add two eggs and beets. Using a fork, beat together the egg mixture and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you incorporate the eggs, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape (do not worry if it looks messy). The dough will come together in a shaggy mass when about half of the flour is incorporated. Do the same for the other portion of flour, eggs, and spinach.

Start kneading the dough with both hands, primarily using the palms of your hands. Add more flour, in 1/2-cup increments, if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any left over dry bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes.
Repeat the former instructions for the spinach pasta as well.

The two piles of dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board with flour when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. Roll and form as desired.

I faced two challenges when I set out to make my pasta: no pasta maker and no pizza cutter. I am not a fan of one-type use kitchen gadgets (an avocado peeler? corn holders? please) and I don't make a lot of pasta, so there is no need for me to get a pasta maker. I don't want corn meal, semolina, or flour all over my kitchen. I don't have a Kitchen Aid mixer with attachments galore (if you'd like to donate one to my kitchen, I'll gladly take it), and I'll get another pizza cutter soon.

I'm resourceful chick. I made it work. I was going to scrap the whole idea but I spent too much time kneading and waiting, so I had to follow through.


I rolled out small pieces of each dough very thin, using my rolling pin, dusted with flour. I was going to use a chef's knife to cut rustic pieces, But I got creative at the last minute. I had a pair of unopened pinking shears in the hall closet. After a quick 3-sink compartment wash, they turned into kitchen pinking shears. Cut, cut. Snip, snip.

You can kind of make out the ragged edge on one of the noodles. I swear, I'm not going to do this again. Well, if I were on a TV show and I had to, I would. But other than that? NO.

Sausage Tomato Gravy

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, minced
4 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound Italian bulk sausage, sliced, casing removed
8 slices bacon, sliced into lardons
2 (28-ounce cans) diced plum tomatoes, including the liquid
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a stock pot or over moderate heat, warm the oil and cook the onions and garlic, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, not brown. Add the sausage, bacon, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, so meat does not stick, until brown. Add the tomatoes, herbs, and salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Let's talk about cornbread. Now, I know about cornbread. Cornbread and I, yeah...we're kind of dating. But we're not seeing each other exclusively. He knows about Biscuits, Gravy, and Roast Chicken.


Good cornbread starts with good cornmeal. Just like grits, they come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Cornmeal=polenta.


Cornbread Makes 12 muffins or corn sticks

2 Tbsp butter
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 eggs
3 Tbsp honey or agave syrup
1 1/2 milk
2 Tbsp oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put the butter in your baking vessel of choice and place it in the oven while it's warming up. Sift meal, flour, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Beat eggs, milk and oil in the well. Alternatively, beat the eggs, milk and oil in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into greased muffin tins, 8-inch square baking pan or cast iron corn stick molds. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.




Spiced Cornbread Croutons

2 cups left over (dry) cornbread, cut into cubes
1 stick butter, salted
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cornbread cubes in a bowl. Add butter and seasonings to a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Melt butter in the saucepan and stir occasionally, until all butter has melted and foam subsides. Pour butter over evenly cubes in bowl and toss to coat. Pour the contents on a baking sheet and bake until cubes are lightly brown and crisped, around 15 minutes.

Peach Ice Cream Makes about 1.5 quarts


2 cups heavy cream
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup sugar or alternative sweetener
4 medium peaches, peeled, small dice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat both creams, sugar, and peaches in a small saucepan only until the sugar is dissolved. Alternatively, microwave this mixture in a microwave-safe bowl, until the sugar is dissolved. Strain into a bowl to rid mixture of lumps, stir in vanilla, cover and chill well. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions. Spoon into a freezer container and allow to chill in the freezer for a few hours.



Snickerdoodles Makes 45-50 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar or Z sweet sweetener
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon





Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly oil a cookie sheet and set aside.



Cream or blend together butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, or by hand. Blend until butter is softened. Add egg substitute, water and vinegar. Mix briefly. Add flours, salt and baking powder. Mix on low speed, until dough is formed. Do not overmix.
Remove dough from bowl and place on a floured work surface. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a circle and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate approx. 1 hour, allowing dough to chill.
Remove dough from refrigerator and roll cookies into 1-inch balls or roll out onto a floured work surface to desired thickness to cut with cookie cutters. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Roll the balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Place cookies on prepared sheet.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the back. Cool on a wire rack.