Google Blogger is having growing pains, so since I cannot get to the Macaroni Bowl, I will have to post the image I just scanned in to the Table and move it later.

Dull dry and tasteless

That describes the whole wheat bread I have made in the past. . .now I know why!
Bread makers read this article and ask Santa for a home flour mill.
Totally unrealistic you say? Me, too. So what's a gal to do?

Belly Bombers Part Deux

Joe just found the copy of the first recipe Helen sent us for Zeppolas or Zeppoles or Seppola or whatever spelling of Belly Bombers you prefer.

Here it is:

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
3 pounds ricotta, drained
6 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Mix ricotta and eggs.
Sift flour, sugar and baking powder together.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring until smooth.
Drop by tablespoons into hot oil, 3" deep.
Fry until golden brown.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Cajun Rub and Wet Mop

Cajun Rub

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Hungarian paprika (no fillers)
1/4 cup black pepper, coarsely ground
3 Tablespoons basil, dried
3 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons onion powder
2 Tablespoons oregano, dried
2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper flakes (more to taste)
2 Tablespoons white pepper
2 Tablespoons thyme, dried

Method:
Stir together and use as a rub.

Wet Mop Finish

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Tiger sauce
1/2 cup Worchestershire sauce
6 ounce can of tomato paste
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoon steak sauce
1 teaspoon chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1 Tablespoon vinegar
bourban to taste (up to a cup)

Method:
Combine all ingredients. Add bourban to taste one tablespoon at a time.

Satay Seasoning for Q

Satay

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 Tablespoons Nam Pla (fish sauce)
1 Tablespoon curry powder
pinch turmeric powder
1/2 tablespoons coconut cream skimmed off the top of a can of refrigerated coconut milk
3 Tablespoons palm sugar

Method:

Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small cast iron skillet and then grind with a mortar and pestle. Place all the ingredients in a zipper bag with thinly slice pork loin or chicken pieces. Refrigerate overnight. Slide meat pieces on skewers and smoke or grill. Serve with peanut sauce and cucumber relish

Nam Jim Satay (Peanut Sauce)

Ingredients:

4 ounces of roasted (unsalted) peanuts without skins or a quarter cup of natural peanut butter (found in organic groceries-- no trans fat like the national brands)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 chopped red shallots
2 Tablespoons Sambal Oeleck (red pepper and garlic paste)
1 teaspoon Nam Pla (fish sauce)
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 stalks lemon grass, peeled and mashed in to a paste (add a little of the coconut milk, if needed)
1 Tablespoon tamarind paste
1/4 cup palm sugar
2 Kaffir lime leaves, shredded, then mashed to a paste
lime wedges
Method:

First grind or crush the peanuts to a fairly fine powder and add the remaining ingredients to make a smooth paste. Each person squeezes the lime wedges to add juice to taste.

Cucumber Relish:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon palm sugar
1/4 cup cucumber, finely diced
2 red shallots, finely diced
3 Thai chile peppers, thinly sliced

Combine the ingredients and refrigerate overnight.

Satay should be served with a small bowl of the peanut sauce and cucumber relish for each person.

Char Sui rub for BBQ Pork

Cha Sui

Ingredients:

1/2 cup saki
2/3 cup hoisin sauce
2/3 cup tamari
1/2 cup palm sugar (substitute light brown sugar if palm sugar is not available)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teapoons black bean paste
1 1/2 teaspoon chinese 5-spice powder

Method:
Place all ingredients in a zipper topped bag and add a 3 pound pork loin. Let set overnight for best flavor development.

We use this BBQ Pork in steamed buns.

Honey Jamaican Jerk for Q!

Jamaican Jerk Rub -- makes one cup of rub

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons onion powder
6 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
2 Tablespoons ground allspice
2 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons cayenne
4 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dried ground habanero or Scotch Bonnet chile peppers

Method:
Combine and store in jar.

When ready to make the rub add enough honey to make a paste and
2 Tablespoons Tobasco brand pepper sauce, in your choice of habanero, chipotle, green or red chile pepper flavors.

Stewed Tomatoes and Okra

It's my favorite time of the year for gardening. Unfortunately the extreme heat and drought are playing havoc with my harvests but today I picked a few tomatoes, hot peppers, green beans and okra. I usually fry the okra but today I making it in to another favorite dish: Stewed Tomatoes and Okra. It's a southern thang.

INGREDIENTS:

6 to 8 ripe tomatoes
2 cups okra, rinsed, trimmed and sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 tablespoons sugar (more or less)
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Italian flat-leaf parsley to garnish
2 tablespoons bacon drippings

PREPARATION:

In a small cast iron skillet, sauté the onion in the bacon drippings over medium heat until softened, not browned. For a low fat version, dry sweat onions until barely carmalized.

Core tomatoes; place in boiling water for about 15 to 20 seconds, then into ice water to cool quickly; peel. Cut tomatoes in wedges, squeeze out seeds if desired.Combine all ingredients in a slower cooker (Crock Pot). Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove bay leaf (or omit entirely if you don't like the flavor of bay laurel.) Sprinkle top with parsley, if desired. Serve as a side dish or freeze in portions for soups or other recipes.

Flour Flour Flour, More on Flour

USDA equivqlents
Ingredient 1 cup 1 tablespoon 1 teaspoon
White flour 125 gm 7.8 gm 2.6 gm
Whole-wheat flour 120 gm 7.5 gm 2.5 gm
Strong white flour 140 gm 8.75 gm 2.9 gm
Rye flour 100 gm 6.25 gm 2.1 gm

I Go On Record

Hot Dogs are my favorite food. But not just any hot dog. Wimmer's weiners. Coarse grind, natural casing. When they go on sale I stock up because they are too expensive for my budget otherwise. I would rather have them than a sirloin steak.

Grill Mark Revisited

You can brand your food with your custom initialed branding iron and you won't have to worry about the cross hatch design or a conveyor belt and convection oven. It would make a terrific Father's Day gift from the boys. . .maybe you should hint a little. . .or a lot.

We haven't had the grill or the smoker out once this year. And I don't mean just this season, it hasn't been used for more than a year at all. Airport Guy and I haven't even been to judge a contest in at least two years, although he is talking about joining the KCBS judging class so he can judge at sanctioned events.

As if he has the time with working two jobs.

We had home-grown Italian Vegetable Marrow fritters last night. They were yummy. Any time you take a perfectly healthy veggie and fry it in hot oil, you make it A. not as healthy; B. twice as tasty.

Italian Vegetable Marrow Fritters

Ingredients:

Mix the 'wet' stuff in a large bowl:
2 cups well-drained shredded zucchini
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of half and half

Mix the 'dry' stuff in a smaller bowl:
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup All Purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian flat-leafed parsley

Pour dry stuff in to wet stuff and stir with a spatula.
All your ingredients need to be cold. Put the mix in the refrigerator until well chilled. It will absorb less oil when cold.
Using a scant number 8 scoop (a quarter cup size) drop in to hot oil and fry until golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. (marinara, ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing, sweet and sour. . .all are good choices.)
Tarka loved them, too. Spoiled rotten dog.

Willing to Fake It

Ellie doesn't understand just how much of an obessions this has become: I want that machinery.

Other than that, I have nothing to say. Except that MLB sucks.

(Oh, and today's grilling went particularly well: some red peppers, some zucchini, some mushrooms and some garlic -- all roasted on the grill, then skinned and tossed togather. The meat was sausage and chicken thighs -- hot dogs for the boys. Very nice. I've gained 10 lbs in the last two months.)

Faking It

Forget geometry.

Forge your grill marks like nine out of ten of the top fast food chains do. (I worked for the now-defunk Rax. Our claim to fame was that our products were 'real' unlike the 'formed' products of our nearest competition.)

1. First, they drop the chicken breasts into a big pot full of salt, oil, sugar, extra chicken fat and chemicals so it can marinate. This process causes the chicken to swell up as it soaks in all those juices and flavors that make 'em taste like chicken. (Sort of like when the grocery stores make their hamburger. . .85% lean is a fat quantity not a water, salt and chemical quantity. . .no standards exist for how much water your butcher can add. Want good burgers/ Grind your own meat!)

2. Then they add artificial "fillers" to bring up the weight to the correct amount.

3. From there, they go on a conveyor belt ride for cooking and branding. This is the process known as "spreading." This is preparing the meat for fake chargrilling!

4. Now the chicken gets pressed down and cooked with jets of hot air blown over them in a convection oven so the extra ingredients added to the chicken are not removed by the cooking process and result in weight loss.

5. At this point, each chicken breast is given the fake "backyard grill" look with what are known as "char marks" from a branding wheel that burns artificial grill marks on the chicken.

6. Next the "grilled" chicken is frozen and shipped to your fast food restaurant where it is microwaved. Viola! Grilled chicken. Or beef burgers. Or pork 'riblets.'

Grill Marks

I really dig my new grill -- the one Alane got me for my birthday. Aside from feeling the need to use all the grill space (and it has quite a bit) I have also felt a compulsion to sear our burgers so as to leave perfect gill marks on both sides. Pointless, really, but there's something about the look of the "grate" on the face of a perfectly done burger. I am getting better at it (though sometimes I get my perpendicular all confused with the rest of my euclidian geometry and I stand there baffled for a few seconds at a time staring at the burger at the end of my spatula, lining up in my mind how I need to lay it back down -- burgers aren't supposed to be this puzzling).

Stuffed Italian Vegetable Marrow

Stuffed Italian Vegetable Marrow

8 small Italian vegetable marrow (smaller are more tender)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup of 4 or 5 cheese blend
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (if using lamb use thyme alone)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound of ground veal or lamb

sauce, recipe follows
freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese

Wash Italian vegetable marrow and trim ends.

Hollow about 3/4 inch from center of each Italian vegetable marrow squash. A cannoli tube will work or a piece as does a length of 3/4" to 1" clean copper pipe. (It works beautifully for stuffed cucumbers, too.)

Cover with boiling water, blanch 3 minutes, and drain well and allow to cool enough to handle.

Combine the egg, cheese, Italian spices and pepper in a bowl.

Mix in ground meat. Fill Italian vegetable marrow with meat mixture being careful not to over-stuff and rupture the tubes. If you suffer a "blow out" turn that side down in the bowl.

Arrange Italian vegetable marrow in a single layer in an oiled shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese. (Save leftover sauce for another dish.)

Bake at 350 degrees F until center of squash reaches 160 degress.

Serve hot. Makes 8 servings

Simple Sauce

1 cup of chopped sweet Spanish onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of finely snipped Italian flat-leafed parsley (no stems)
1/4 teaspoon of dried basil leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 pint homemade tomato sauce
1/2 cup of veal stock

Dry sweat onions until tender. Stir in the garlic and parsley, basil, thyme, tomato sauce and beef broth.

Simmer gently until flavors are blended about 30 minutes being careful not to scorch the sauce.

Update on Kitchen Aid

We received our second replacement mixer. It is a step up in size although it is last year's Limited Edition Model. I have only made one dish with it so far and it performed satisfactorily.

I have, however, been reading on-line reviews by other dissatisfied users who had the exact same problems with no power, poor service and gear box grinding. Two people who received my email as forwards wrote to me and thanked me for saving them from making the same buying error we did. Both wrote to say they were investigating the Viking Stand Mixer as a suitable alternative.

Good for them. I am pleased that our misfortune is helping at least someone else make a better buying decision. And it is manufactured in Italy. A thousand watt motor compared to our 575 watt upgrade. . .and it is rated for a full five pounds of flour although it does not say what grade or type of flour. The recipes for bread in their accompanying cookbook call for bread flour not AP flour as does Kitchen Aid.

After trying the pizza crust recipe in Kitchen Aid's book Joe said, "Even the dog was disappointed." Enough said.

Cucumber Raita Recipe

This is one of my all-time favorite summer recipes.

Cucumber Raita


2 cups plain low fat yogurt
1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seed
paprike

Line a colander with cheesecloth and place a large bowl under the colander. Scrape yogurt into colander and let sit, covered and refrigerated overnight. Discard the liquid that has drained into the bowl and proceed with the recipe. Add the onion, cucumber, lemon juice, mint and cilantro and mix well. Sprinkle a little paprika on the top if desired, or if you enjoy the taste of cumin you can add a teaspoon of cumin seed.

Kitchen Aid Sucks

A Poor Kitchen Aid Experience
I have a serious rant about Kitchen Aide and I am putting the word out in the best way I know how: the Internet through E-mail and blogging. A poor product is one thing: anything man made can have flaws . . .but poor customer service is a CHOICE.

I received a new stand mixer for Christmas made by Kitchen Aid and sold at Sam's. Joe saved up for a very long time to get it for me in appreciation of my making pizza for him for 18 years.

It's performance was pathetic from day one but we managed to limp along for six months before it quit altogether. It's elliptical orbit was supposed to make better contact with the food it was mixing, but instead it made contact with the bowl, scratching it and completely throwing the bowl off it's pins. You could not begin to hold the bowl on to the machine even with both hands! It would heat up, give off the 'hot electrical' smell and quit.

When we called Kitchen Aid, their first response was that it was 'operator error.' Sorry folks, but after being a professional cook, I am smart enough to snap a bowl in place over two pins and a button snap at the back. It was insulting on top of having to cope with a mixer that did not live up to even the least of my expectations.

Joe, my hero, called them and they sent a replacement. It worked one time,then the next Sunday night while making pizza dough, got hot and quit in the middle of mixing 5 cups of bread flour. And the same little snippy customer dis-service agent argued that a 5-quart mixer should not have to handle that load. For thirty minutes she tried to tell him that it was customer error.

She then had the audacity to suggest we make half a pizza, wait half an hour and make the other half of the pizza. What planet does she live on? A $300 machine can't make a single crust pizza? Does that mean I make a half of a loaf of bread at a time, too? That machine should make half a dozen loaves of bread every day of the week for years for that kind of money.

Joe asked to speak to a supervisor and read the instructions right off of page eleven to her. The book said no more than '12 cups' of flour. So five cups of bread flour is too much when the instruction booklet says 12? Hummph! and hogwash! And that the machine should not run for more than six minutes at a time. . .Six minutes? SIX MINUTES?

What if I had been making a really stiff dough like pasta? Oh, yeah, that's right. . .it wouldn't make semolina pasta dough at all when I tried it. . .that's right -- 2 1/2 cups of semolina would not mix and knead smoothly enough on a $300 machine to run through the pasta extruding attachment we purchased separately and it was an electric attachment, not the old hand-cranked one I have used for years.

The Oster Kitchen Center we had previously mixed 8 cups of flour for 3 loaves of bread or two pizza crusts at a time at least 3 days a week for nearly 20 years with no complaints from it or me (plus using the blender, ice cream freezer, food processor, shredder and meat grinder attachments daily) until I finally wore it out. . .not the motor wearing out, mind you. . .the connector that held the attachments to the motor was so worn down that it was unusable, but the motor fired up just fine. And, yes, it routinely made double batches of semolina pasta dough that I ran through my hand cranked Atlas pasta machine. And ground sausage for half an hour at a time. That's a bit more than the six minutes I am being told I can run this machine at a time.

The result? I am E-mailing and blogging my dissatisfaction in hopes that this spares anyone else from purchasing a piece of junk. Yeah, they are sending us a new machine, but we don't think we should not have had to put up a fight to get it plus they do not guarantee that it will be any better than the two we have had already. . .. Period.

Will I be able to make sausage? Pasta? Bread? Pizza crust on the new machine or will it just take up space on my counter top? I am so disappointed for both my sake as a cook and Joe's because it was a gift from him that he worked long hours at his second job to purchase for me.

Please pass this along to anyone and everyone you know that is a serious cook or knows a serious cook. Kitchen Aid does not equal quality in my opinion. Such a shame.

Spiced Almonds

My mother made these at Christmas and they were pretty darned tasty.

CINNAMON SPICED ALMONDS Makes one cup

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup whole almonds

METHOD:

Pour sugar and water into small saucepan over high heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

Stir in cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally so the nuts don’t burn, until water dissolves and crystals form, about four to six minutes.

Transfer immediately to a buttered sheet of wax paper and separate with a fork.

Belly Bombers

Joe and I have made them. . .the recipe from the Castle:

Helen Mastandrea's Zepolli

Ingredients:

1# ricotta cheese, (drained well if watery)
2 cups flour
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat eggs with sugar and vanilla.
Mix flour and ricotta cheese.
Add egg mixture to flour mixtures.
Drop by spoonfuls into deep fryer of hot oil.
When browned, remove and drain. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Sugar-Powdered Belly-Bombers

I'm seriously considering getting myself a deep-fry vat and setting up shop at next year's Italian Festival here in Berea. How can you hold one of those events and not sell those things? I was so disappointed... I even wore dark-colored shorts so the powdered sugar would leave the obligatory trail-marks.

Anyway, last time I made anything resembling a zeppole it was using pizza dough (I think I was making fried calzone at the time and decided to drop a few dollops of the dough into the hot fat -- the end product was tasty and will kill you, but at least you'll die happy).

Does anyone have the proper recipe for zeppole dough?

The garden is officially planted. A major celebration is going on in my head! The last five rows of corn went in to the ground last night just before dark. And we had a real blessing last night: rain. Only a bit, but a bit is more than we have had for some time and I am truly grateful for every drop. Not grateful enough to shower in a bucket to use the water to water plants on our 'no watering' days, but close to it.

Since gardening is about the cycle of life, tomorrow I go hoe weeds then spread rabbit straw & manure in the vegetable patch. Next out come two rows of spring crops that are finished (bolting or setting seed) and in go two rows of zinnias. It's time for the second planting of Market Green Beans along the fence where the ornamental gourds failed to make any progress. Also in goes the replanting of marigold seed. I have never had marigold seed fail before, but with the drought anything is possible.

We picked 8 one gallon bags of broccoli yesterday plus a gallon bag of spinach and peas. There is no room in our refrigerator, but as soon as I can beg space in a friend's freezer, I will pick the remaining peas and collards and get those two rows ready for summer crops. I will try to wait for a night where rain is predicted before I transplant anything more. The dahlias I just planted were definitely saved by last night's rain.

And as always, I am hauling mulch around to cover the pots of flowers up that get moved in at frost: begonias, elephant ears, caladiums and calla lilies. All on the north side. The south side has two flower beds, one untouched and waist high with weeds and one done and redone after Tarka dug it up to wallow in the cool mud. She is such a blessing in our lives that I don't begrudge her a simple pleasure or two. I have now blocked her access to the flower bed with yet more fencing and flower pots.
(Four flower beds total that she has dug out. . .two are abandoned and two are replaced and blocked from her digging.)

Back to my well-deserved book reading. This time next year I hope to be the proud owner of a tiller. No diamonds and gems for this girl. Love me? Give me tools. More power. Ah, power tools. Power! Power! Power!

Aunt Phyllis' Chicken Cacciatore with Portobellos and Sage

Chicken Cacciatore with Portobellos and Sage

If your Dutch oven is large enough to hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding, brown all the pieces at once instead of in batches. The Parmesan cheese rind is optional, but we highly recommend it for the robust, savory flavor it adds to the dish. An equal amount of minced fresh rosemary can be substituted for the sage. Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion , chopped
6 ounces portobello mushroom caps (about 3 medium), wiped clean and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 medium cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 piece Parmesan cheese rind (2 inches, about 1 ounce), optional
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves
salt and ground black pepper

Method:
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add four chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook, not moving them until skin is crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer browned chicken to large plate; brown remaining chickenthighs, transfer to plate, and set aside.

2. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add onion, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until moisture evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, remove and discard skin from browned chicken thighs. Add garlic to pot and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping pot bottom with wooden spoon to loosen brown bits. Stir in stock, tomatoes, thyme, cheese rind (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit salt if using cheese rind), and pepper to taste. Submerge chicken pieces in liquid and bring to boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 45 minutes, turning chicken pieces with tongs half way through cooking. Discard cheese rind, stir in sage, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.

My Kitchen Garden

Blogging recipes is next to impossible when I spend my days in the garden. I hope that all of you forgive my absence.

Gardening is a gift from God. It is pure pleasure to watch a seed grow in to a plant and bear fruit. . .or vegetables. . .or, my favorite, flowers.

In my 30' x 120' garden patch I am attempting to raise:
Autumn planted:

• garlic

Herbs:

• common sage


• common thyme


• variegated thyme


• creeping thyme


• Greek oregano


• basil


• cilantro


• Italian flat leaf parsley


• chives


• Chinese chives


• catnip


• French tarragon


• rosemary


• lemon grass


• ginger root


• galangal root


• turmeric

Cool Weather Crops:

• peas


• snow peas


• cabbage


• bok choi


• broccoli


• collard greens


• spinach


• green onions from plants


• sweet Spanish onion sets


• French red shallots


• red onions


• red potatoes


• white potatoes


• carrots (more for the flowers than the carrots--they look like Queen Anne's lace but are easier to grow)

Warm Weather Crops:

• Jack O'Lantern pumpkins


• Jack Be Little pumpkins


• sugar pie pumpkins


• butternut squash


• spaghetti squash


• zucchini squash


• Italian vegetable marrow (cocozelle squash)


• muskmelon


• Hearts of Gold cantaloupe


• Hale's Best cantaloupe


• sweet potatoes


• green bell peppers


• orange bell peppers


• habanera hot peppers


• jalapeno hot peppers


• poblano hot peppers (very slow growing this year)


• Greek pepperoncini peppers (very slow growing this year)


• Italian Marconi peppers (ditto)


• moon and stars watermelon


• sugar baby watermelon


• okra


• roma tomatoes


• Japanese eggplant


• Black Beauty eggplant

I have yet to plant in a 20' x 30' space:

• Market green beans


• corn

In and around the 2 acres we rent:
Perennial Flowers

• purple coneflower


• hollyhocks


• asters


• astilbe


• coral bells


• carnations


• pinks (dianthus)


• dwarf Shasta daisies


• Canterbury Bells


• dahlias


• bleeding heart


• double orange daylilies


• sedum


• striped grass


• various other lilies


• trumpet vine (what a pest, but the hummingbirds love it!)


• morning glories


• yellow iris

Annual Flowers

• petunias (they sometimes self-seed)


• cleome (ditto)


• sweet peas (also self-seeding)


• milkweed for the hummingbirds


• marigolds


• cannas


• gladiolas


• zinnias, zinnias, zinnias!


• nasturtiums


• coleus


• begonias


• Reiger begonias


• elephant ears


• caladiums


• calla lilies

Perennial Fruits and Vegetables

• asparagus


• strawberries


• raspberries


• blackberries


• blueberries

Fruit and Nut Trees

• cherries


• peaches


• apricots


• apples


• black walnuts


• buckeyes (we gather the nuts for squirrel food)


• mulberry (I love them!)

Flowering Trees and Shrubs

• redbud tree


• purple smoke tree


• pink weigela


• red weigela


• butterfly bushes (buddleia davidii)


• forsythia


• Euonymus burning bush


• Golden euonymus


• Emerald variegated euonymus


• peonies

I will post again after the garden is in and the weeds under control!

Super Easy Frittata

This was how we used up some of the Easter ham. It turned out so well that it is going to be a family favorite for a fast breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 large bag of hashbrowns with onions and peppers
6-8 eggs
1 cup diced ham
3/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice (we used a Mexican blend)

Heat large cast iron skillet, add 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter. When thoroughly melted, pour in the hashbrowns, turn the heat to medium low and let the bottom brown. This is your "pie crust."

Add the layer of ham and pour eggs over. Pop in to a 325 degree oven and bake until eggs are set. Add cheese and let melt over the top under broiler.

Serve with salsa, quacamole and real Mexican sour cream.

Pass the hot sauce.

In a really big hurry? Layer the hashbrowns, ham, eggs and cheese in a microwave casserole dish and nuke until done. . .you won't have the crispy bottom on the potatoes, but it will be tasty just the same.

St. Joseph's Cream Puffs

Sfinge di San Giuseppe
Ingredients:
Pastry
1 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 eggs
grated orange peel
grated lemon peel

Filling
1 pound ricotta (Italian pot cheese)
2 Tablespoons chocolate
2 Tablespoons sugar
orange peel
crème de cacao

Method:
Combine flour, butter, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until the mass leaves the side of the pan. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a little grated orange and lemon peel. Drop by tablespoon on a baking sheet; bake at 400° F. for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350° F. for another 25 minutes.

Stir until smooth the ricotta, chocolate, sugar, a little grated orange peel, and a generous dash of crème de cacao and use this to fill your puffs when they have cooled.

Cannoli and Cannoli Filling

Cannoli Filling Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract (for the cherry filling) or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for the chocolate chip filling)
3/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted
candied cherries, chopped (to taste)
cannoli shells

Method:

In a saucepan, slowly whisk 1 cup of the milk into the cornstarch. Whisk until smooth. Let stand about 20 minutes. Whisk again. Add the remaining milk and sugar to the milk-cornstarch mixture and stir over a low heat. A stick blender works well for this at the beginning but you will want to switch to a flat-bladed wooded spatula to keep it from sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. If using a stick blender be careful not to beat in too much air.

Continue stirring until it is thick and smooth like pudding. Remove from heat. If you scorch it, throw it out now and start over before you add the expensive ingredients because the scorched taste will not be covered by the additions (trust me on this!)

Divide pudding in to two portions. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to one portion and almond extract to the other. You may choose to add cinnamon to the portion with the almond extract but we find it to be too much cinnamon. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surfaces of the fillings to keep "skins" from forming. Cool completely.

Divide ricotta cheese in half and fold into each pudding mixture gently. In one half sitr in chocolate chips, in the other half stir in the pistachios and candied cherries. Pipe the filling into cannoli shells.

Dust the cherry-filled cannolis with powedered sugar. Dip the ends the chocolate chip cannoli into melted chocolate and then dust with powdered sugar when the chocolate has set.

Cannoli Shells

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup white wine (keeps them tender, or so I have been told.)
1 egg yolk, beaten
oil for frying

Method:

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Using a fork, blend in the white wine. When dough forms a ball, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1/3 of the dough out into a big circle as thinly as possible. Cut into 8 (5-inch) circles. Wrap each circle around a cannoli form, and seal with egg yolk. You can use the pasta roller for this but the circles are a bit smaller.

If you choose to re-roll the cuttings, you will find that they are not as light, but they are still good. Or, you can fry them up as little pieces and dust them with cinnamon sugar and they will disappear quickly as a sweet snack. Maybe before they reach the table.

Fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown. Remove with tongs and drain on rack turned upside down on paper towels to wick oil away. Turning the wire rack upside down gives the shells just enough room to drain without laying on the surface of the towelling where they could re-absorb the oil and get soggy. (An Alton Brown trick!) Carefully remove shells from forms while they are still hot or they stick.

Maria Rose's silcone glove would be good for removing the shells! Keep a bottle of aloe vera gel on the counter if you tend to burn yourself frequently like I do.

Chicken Merlot

Chicken Merlot

Ingredients:

4 pounds chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 pound Cipolline Onions onions, peeled
2 cups Merlot
2 cups organic or homemade fresh chicken stock, defatted
3/4 lb. fresh button mushrooms, stems trimmed

Method:

Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Dredge pieces in flour. In heavy, large skillet, heat oil; brown chicken pieces on all sides. Reduce heat. Season with pepper; add bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Arrange onions around chicken, cover and cook over low heat about 10 minutes, turning chicken halfway through.

Stir in Merlot and enough of the chicken stock to almost cover chicken. Cover, simmer slowly 1/2 hour. Test chicken for doneness and remove those pieces that are done. Continue cooking rest until chicken and onions test done.

Return all chicken to the pan, add the mushrooms and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat chicken and vegetables. If you prefer a cream sauce, add a bit of fresh cream to the sauce at the end and heat through but do not boil. Serve with Parmesano Reggiano cheese.

Prsciutto Chicken with Rosemary

Prosciutto Chicken with Rosemary

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (or 8 split breasts) boned and skinned
8 slices of prosciutto ham
8 slices Parmesan Reggiano
1 pint of half and half
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
1 cup of brandy
1 quart of organic chicken broth
rosemary
nutmeg

Method:
Open the split breasts and lightly pound flat. Place a slice of proscuitto and a slice of Parmesan Reggiano cheese on each breast. Roll up as a roulades and tie with cotton kitchen string.

In a deep cast iron skillet like a chicken fryer, sweat the onion in the butter and olive oil and add the chicken roulade lightly browning on allsides.

Pour the brandy over the chicken and let it evaporate. Add the cream, a sprig of rosemary, a pinch of nutmeg and the broth.

Cook over a low heat for about 45 minutes turning often. Remove the roulads and let sit for 15 minutes, tented, for juices to 'settle.' Slice the roulades.

Remove the spent rosemary and thicken the sauce with a roue and serve with pasta. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary.

This recipe does not freeze well as the sauce loses it's velvety smoothness.

Comfort Food for a Cold Morning

Warm Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
1 quart heavy cream
6 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 French baguette, stale
2-3 Granny Smith apples
1 pound Kraft caramels, melted, or a jar of caramel ice cream topping, heated in microwave (lid off).

Method:
Cut bread into cubes and lay out overnight to dry. Place bread into large bowl. Mix cream, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread. Let set in refrigerate overnight to soak up much of the liquid. Alternate layers of bread mix, apples and caramels in a buttered casserole dish. Bake at 300 degrees in a water bath for 45 minutes to an hour, until set. Serve with whipped cream.

General Tso's Chicken

I have no idea who this General Tso is. . .but his chicken certainly out-ranks the Colonel's in culinary appeal and tastiness.

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN
Ingredients:

Chicken:
1 egg
1 1/2 lbs chicken 3/4 inch cubes
1 cup flour
oil for deep frying

Sauce:
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons mirim (if you don't have mirim, substitute saki and increase honey to taste)
3 tablespoons honey (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese chili garlic paste (more or less to taste)
12 black peppercorns (or Chinese peppercorns if you can find them!)
Dried pepper flakes if you want this really hot!

Vegetables for stir-fry
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, shredded
1 green pepper seeded and cut into shoestrings
1 red pepper seeded and cut into shoestrings
1 carrot, peeled and cut into shoestrings

Method:
Beat egg, dip chicken and coat with flour and deep-fry until golden. Drain on rack set over paper toweling, so that the chicken does not sit in the oil.

In bowl, combine water, soy sauce, cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, mirim or saki, honey, hoisin, chili paste, and peppercorns and hot pepper flakes if you want extra heat.

Heat oil in wok and add ginger, stir fry for a few seconds and then add carrots. When they begin to soften, add peppers. Push vegetables up on to sides of wok and add garlic lastly. . .once again, if you burn the garlic, start over--there is no salvation for burnt garlic.

Stir the vegetables down to the center of the wok and add sauce and meat, stiring until the sauce thickens and coats everything

Serve on rice. Stir fried baby bok choi is often served with this dish, but Joe prefers it with the veggies listed. . .I can eat baby bok choi and leave the rest. (grin)

Caponata

This is one of my favorite dishes that I serve with grilled or broiled garlic toast (baguettes sliced thinly and run under the broiler, then swiped with a little roasted garlic oil.)

CAPONATA

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, (about a pound) unpeeled, finely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green olives (Greek)
1/4 cup chopped ripe olives (Kalamata)
1/4 cup drained and rinsed capers
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2-3 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (not balsamic)
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
chiffonade of basil for topping
grated parmesano regiano cheese for topping

Method:
Purchase only female eggplants. Peel and soak in milk for at least half an hour. (Reconstituted dry-powdered milk is okay for this since you are just going to pour it down the sink after the eggplant has soaked.) Squeeze dry between layers of toweling. Heat a large skillet (remember; hot pan, cold food--less sticking!)(Use a stainless steel skillet, not cast iron or aluminum this time since vinegar reacts with those two metals). When skillet is hot, add oil and sweat the onions, then green pepper, then eggplant and mushrooms, and lastly garlic, pushing each vegetable to the outer edge to remain warm while each addition gets the central heat. Simmer covered until all vegetables are cooked through and soft but not mushy. The garlic goes last because you burn the garlic, you start over with all new veggies in a new pan. . .and garlic burns easily, so keep it low and slow.

Refrigerate overnight before serving. Top with a chiffonade of fresh basil and a few gratings of parmesano-reggiano cheese.

On the Lamb

Had dinner this evening with my college pal Gene. We met up at a nice old Irish pub in Bronxville, had a beer, then got a table in the dining room -- very grown up stuff (but with his wife and kids off in New Hampshire and mine off in Ohio, we can do such things).

He got the beef, and I got the lamb. I like to get lamb when I'm out because it's something I rarely prepare on my own. These were good little chops, well situated at the ends of long ribs, nicely frenched. Good stuff.

The vegetable choice was a bit disappointing: "Would you like turnips or mixed?" Wow. Can't remember the last time someone offered me turnips as a side. Gene begged off: "No, had that for breakfast." I went for the mixed -- which seemed to have come out of the freezer. Restaurant frozen vegetables is a pet peeve of mine, but I was focusing on the meat which was pretty good, so all is well. I also opted for the baked potato, but probably should have gone with mashed -- baked isn't what it was back in the days before lactose intolerance drove me from sour cream. Oh, the lost days of youth...

It is booked. I shall descend upon Spumoni South, socialize with the littlest Mastandrea, drink limoncello with the Nebraska contingent, pay homage to the Big Kahuna, eat lots of macaroni, and after but a few days return myself to the NY/Cleveland fray.

Oh, and there'll be more. Lots more.

Chipotle en Adobo Sauce

Chipotles en Adobo Sauce

Ingredients:

10 whole chipotle peppers (smoked, dried red-ripe jalapeno peppers purchased or home-smoked)
1/3 cup onion, diced and sweated until soft
5 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 Tablespoons Kecap Manis (substitute ketchup if you can't find the "original ketchup")
1 teaspoon tomato paste
3 cups water
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
sugar, to taste, if needed (omit if using ketchup)

Method:
Combine all ingredients and simmer over a very low heat for 1-2 hours until the chiles are very soft and the liquid has been reduced. Can also be done in a low-temp' oven.
Divide up into 8 oz portions and freeze.

Kitchen Chemistry--or Making Something Old New Again

It's hard to believe that it has been over a week since I last blogged. Joe didn't starve in that length of time, but I was bored and did not want to trek to the store.

I remembered back to a time when I added Jalapeno jelly to my sweet and sour pork recipe (it was great!), so I decided to combine another two of our favorite flavors and make a chipotle sweet and sour pork. I added a can of Chipotles en Adobo Sauce to my duck sauce recipe and finished the sweet and sour pork traditionally with onions, green peppers and carrots, but I left out the pineapple! (oops). . .a nice smokey,hot, but-not-too-hot addition to a pretty ordinary meal. . .

Chipotle chile [chee-POT-tleh] peppers are smoked jalapeno chili peppers. Chipotles date back to region that is now northern Mexico City, prior to the Aztec civilization. Culinary anthropologists believe that the Aztecs smoked-dried the chilies because jalapenos are difficult to dry and/or keep from spoiling.

Chipotle Duck Sauce
Ingredients:

1 can Chipotles en Adobo Sauce, chopped (or make your own--look for the recipe in the next post)
1 cup dried, unsulfured apricots (their color is darker--the result of the apricots not being treated with sulfur dioxide, but that is just fine in this recipe and healthier)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

Method:
Place the appricots in enough water to barely cover in a sauce pan. Simmer until tender, then finely chop.
Add the garlic, sugar, corn syrup, and vinegar and chipotles with their sauce.
Bring the liquid to the boil, stirring constantly so the mixture does not scorch.
Stir together the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved, then add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling apricots.
Stir rapidly for about 15 seconds, until the mixture is thickened and has a glazed look.
Transfer the sauce to a bowl or container. Let cool,cover and refrigerate. The duck sauce will keep for several days in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Creole Seasoning

Once upon a time, Emeril posted this seasoning recipe on the web. He now sells a commercial product, so if you don't want to make it, buy it.

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried leaf thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container. Makes about 2/3 cup. I omit the salt and we like it a whole lot better that way.

Gumbo

Roux
1 part white flour--Wondra makes the easiest roux
1 part bacon grease (do not use olive oil)

Heat the fat in a large caset iron skillet over medium heat. Add the flour gradually, stirring constantly. The roux will continue to darken after it has been removed from the flame so take it off the heat a little before it is light-coffee colored. Cool slightly.

Stock:
I keep a bag in the freezer where I toss in the stock ingredients as I have them left over from other projects.

2 gallons filtered spring water (chlorine and such have no place in soup!)
chicken bones, backs, necks browned in oven and added to stock pot
shrimp heads and shells
Onions
Celery
Carrots
Garlic
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
parsley stems
1 bayleaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
Simmer in crock pot and refrigerate over night. Skim off fat. Strain all the solids out through a cheese-cloth-lined strainer before reheating.

Soup:
4 tablespoons roux (more if you want it thicker and richer)
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole chicken cut up or equivalent in thighs
2 pounds okra, more if you love it as much as I do
2 large onions, chopped
2 pounds smoked andouille sausage, cut in to 1/2-3/4 inch chunks
1 bunch green onions, chopped, tops only
1 bunch Italian flat-leafed parsley, chopped
salt, black pepper, cayenne

Method
In a very large pot, boil two quarts of the stock. Once boiling rapidly, add the roux which will foam up rapidly. Add the rest of the water, slowly, stirring constantly. Saute the onions, bell pepper, garlic in bacon grease and add, along with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Add the chicken and simmer half an hour. Add okra and continue to simmer until chicken is tender and okra is no longer gooey. Add smoked andouille, green onions and parsley, simmer a few minutes and serve over steamed rice.

If you want a seafood gumbo, add shrimp, mussels and lump crab (or whole blue crab) and simmer 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and mussels opened fully. Discard any mussels that do not open. Then continue to add the smoked andouille, green onions and parsley and simmer a few minutes and serve over steamed rice.

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

4 quarts water or chicken stock (preferred)
1 lb small red beans (soaked overnight)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced, tops and bulb
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup flat leafed Italian parsley, minced
2 cups celery, sliced
1/2 cup tomato sauce or catsup
1 sweet bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot sauce (or chipotle, which adds a smokey flavor)
2 whole bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds smoked Andouille sausage (cooked and thinly sliced)
1/2 to 1 pound pickled pork (cut in 1" cubes and rinsed, or substitute smoked ham hocks

Cooked rice

Drain soaked beans and cover with boiling water or stock, add ham hock and simmer until beans are tender. If the ham is salty, taste beans before salting. Keep beans covered with stock at all times. Skim any foam off the top of the pot. Saute the onions, garlic and celery until translucent. Saute the bell pepper. Add the sauted vegetables and the remaining ingredients, except Andouille sausage, to the bean pot, except rice and simmer on low about an hour. Adjust seasonings. Add Andouille sausage and heat through. Remove bay leaves. Serve over rice with chipotle sauce on the side for those people who want to heat things up a bit more.

Crab Stuffed Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Crab Stuffed Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

4 large portobello mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed
olive oil to coat mushrooms

For sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 ounce package cream cheese

For stuffing:
1 (7 1/2 ounce) can crabmeat, drained and flaked
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped


Dash white pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Brush mushrooms with olive oil, grill.

In saucepan melt 3 tablespoons butter; blend in flour, milk, broth and wine. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. Cool slightly and stir in cream cheese, continuing to stir until melted. (You can substitute heavy cream, but be careful not to curdle it over too-high heat.) Set aside.

In skillet, sweat onions until transparent but not browned. Stir in crabmeat, breadcrumbs, parsley, and pepper.

Divide crab mixture in to four portions. Place 1/4 in the center of each grilled mushroom in broiler-proof dish. Cover with cheese sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and paprika and place under broiler for 2-5 minutes until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly.

Focaccia from Puglia

Focaccia from Puglia
Ingredients:

1/2 pound small boiling potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees F.
1 cup water, room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 1/3 cups (500 grams) durum (hard wheat) flour
2 teaspoons sea salt

Topping:

3 tablespoons first cold pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt


Method:
Peel the potatoes and boil them until they are tender. Drain and press them through a ricer. Use the potatoes while they are still warm about 105 to 115 degrees. Using them too hot will kill the yeast.

Whisk the yeast into the warm water in a large mixer bowl and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the room-temperature water and the olive oil.

Add the mashed potatoes, salt, and 1 cup of flour at a time and mix with the paddle blade so that the dough comes together well. Using a flexible cutting sheet aids in pouring the flour in to the bowl. Always stop mixer before adding dry ingredients to avoid a cloud.

Knead with dough hook for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough is velvety, elastic, smooth, and a bit sticky. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Finish kneading by hand for 1 minute on a lightly floured bench so that the dough loses its stickiness.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

When the dough has risen, divide in half and pat each half in to a round on a peel or on a semolina-dusted baking sheet. Dimple with fingertips, oil and salt. Let rise, covered, until nearly doubled again.

Top with cheese or your choice of other toppings like olives, roasted red peppers, artichokes, pancetta, etc.

Slide dough rounds on to heated pizza stone in a 400 degree oven, or slide baking sheet on to lowest rack in oven and bake until golden brown and the edges and bottom are crispy. Spritzing the oven with a water mist in the early stages of baking aids in forming a good crust.

Friselle Pugliesi

Friselle are twice-baked, bagel-shaped Puglian savory (not sweet) biscotti-like roll.

Friselle Pugliesi

Biga:
Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon dried yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cup water at room temperature
3 3/4 c unbleached bread flour

Method:
Stir the yeast into the 1/4 cup warm water and let proof for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining water & then the flour 1 cup at a time.

Mix with a paddle blade for 3 or 4 minutes. Leave the biga in the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap & let it rise at cool room temperature for 6 tp 24 hours. The starter will triple in volume & then collapse. It will be wet and very sticky when it is ready to be used. Cover and refrigerate if not using at once. To use the biga scoop out the needed amount while it is cold.

Friselle
Ingredients:

1 1/4 ts Dried yeast
1 3/4 c Warm water
2/3 c Biga Pugliese
3 3/4 c hard wheat bread flour or half and half semolina and bread flour
2 1/2 ts Salt

Method:
Stir ingredients together: dry in one bowl, wet in second bowl. Add wet to dry.

Knead on a very lightly floured board until the dough comes together.

Set in an oiled bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape each one into a cylinder 8" long by rolling it on a lightly floured bench with the palms of your hands. Connect the ends forming rings about 4" in diameter.

Set each ring on a parchment or silcone pad-lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel as they are finished. Let rise until double in bulk, about an hour. While they are rising, bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil and preheat oven to 400F.

Put the friselle two or three at a time into the boiling water. Turn them over to submerge both sides but leave them for only 1 or 2 minutes in all.

Remove carefully and drain on paper towels.

Set the friselle on oiled baking sheets & bake for 20 minutes until golden and toasty.

Remove from the oven let them cool slightly and then cut in half horizontally. Set them cut side up on the baking sheets. Reduce the heat to 350F and return the friselle to the oven for 15 minutes until crisp and crunchy.

Use for bruschetta:

Finely chop a bowl of plump, sun-ripened tomatoes and set them on the table with salt, pepper, olive oil, freshly picked basil, and a large bowl of water.

Take a frisella and dip it in the bowl of water, holding it for a second or two before putting it on your plate. Slather it with the chopped tomatoes, and season them to taste with the various condiments and herbs. Enjoy, with glass of white wine.

Scampi rant

“Scampi” is a type of shrimp or prawn in Italian so “shrimp scampi” is a redundancy. That is like saying “cheese formaggio!"

Phylum Crustacea, Malaconstracans, specifically Decapods (meaning 10 legs) includes all lobsters, crabs, shrimp and prawns. The latter two have over 2000 types!

The U.S. imports approximately 90% of the shrimp that finds it's way to the table or the bait shop (tiger prawns, whiteleg shrimp, giant prawns and blue shrimp) from countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia.

The remaining 10% of shrimp comes from the Southeast U.S. including brown shrimp, white shrimp and pink shrimp. Three other shrimp varieties (spot prawns, Northern shrimp from Newfoundland, and U.S. farmed whiteleg shrimp) are less common but available in the U. S..

But, whatever you call them, this recipe is so easy, it is a shame to pay big bucks for it in a restaurant when you can just as easily make it at home.

Scampi with Garlic Butter

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
4 large garlic cloves, minced
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley

Method:
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until barely translucent. Add the shrimp and sauté until they begin to turn pink, tossing several times. Do not let the garlic burn or you start all over with fresh garlic. Add the lemon juice and white and reduce for about 1 minute. Add the salt, pepper and parsley. Toss well; serve immediately over hot pasta.

Feeling political? Religious? A bit of both?
Please visit God Hates Shrimp for an interesting view on this yummy sea creature.

Focaccia

Indeed, bread is art. No matter how much kitchen chemistry you have stored in your brain, the final result comes from the experience of baking bread. It's in the way it looks, feels and kneads.

The good doctor has spurred my interest in focaccia, so I did a bit of reading this week on it's origins. Carol Field's book, Focaccia calls focaccia a 'one-dish meal, a snack, or food for a picnic or a light meal. . .served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. . . .'

The earliest beginnings of focaccia are so ancient that they cannot be traced, but the roots of any bread, especially raised flat breads like modern focaccia, are planted in the unleavened flat breads that were cooked over a fire rather than baked in an oven. Indeed, the word 'focaccia' is derived from the Latin word 'focus,' the word for fire.

Even with it's humble origins, it's greatness did not go unrecognized. It was truly a food for the gods, as the Romans offered it up as a sacrifice. While we don't offer up even a smidgeon to anyone in the pantheon of heaven, we still enjoy focaccia.

Every region of Italy has it's own focaccia recipe and Apulia does, too. First I am going to present the more common, or basic focaccia recipe we use:

Focaccia

Ingredients:
Biga
1 package active dry yeast
2/3 cup 105-115 degree warm water
1 cup all-purpose unbleached white flour (not bread flour)

Dough:
1/2 cup 105-115 degree warm water
1/3 cup dry white wine or malt beer
1/3 cup extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached white flour (not bread flour)
additional bench flour (I use semolina for a crunchy bottom crust)
coarse salt

I use my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl to make the biga by sprinkling the yeast on the water and when foamy, stirring in the flour using the paddle blade. I let it sit for half an hour or more, covered, until it begins to rise well. I have forgotten about it and left it for longer even so long that it has collapsed in on itself and still revived it. . .but I don't suggest that!

Continuing to use the paddle blade, I add the water, wine (or malt beer) and oil to the sponge and stir in one cup of the flour and the amount of salt you prefer. I use about a teaspoon of coarse salt (adjust the salt by the type you are using. . .they all have different degrees of saltiness). I then stir in the rest of the flour. The dough will is soft and sticky and needs to be scraped down off the sides to form the dough ball.

I scrape down the paddle and switch to the dough hook to knead for 6-8 minutes or until the dough is soft but not wet and it takes on a sheen. (You may have to add up to another 1/4 cup of flour, but remember, this is a soft dough.)

I turn out the dough, using a scraper, on to the a sheet of parchment, oil the bread and cover to rise for about an hour.

I punch down the dough after it has doubled in bulk, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with semolina. I pat the dough into a rectangle on the second sheet of parchment paper, leaving fingertip-dimples in the dough and let rise a second time, or transfer the dough on baking sheet, wrapped, to the refrigerator to rise for 6-8 hours. If I am making it right away, I oil the top with roasted garlic oil and let it rise until double in bulk again. If it is going to be for the evening meal or the next day, I remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let rise for 2 hours before baking.

I top the focaccia bread with just the olive oil and a little salt if I am going to use it for our favorite antipasto toppings at the table. We like rosemary and parmesan cheese if we are serving it with gravy (tomato sauce), but other toppings can be anything from artichoke hearts to olives to pancetta or roasted red peppers. There are as many toppings available as the imagination can dream up.

I preheat the oven to 425 and transfer the bread to the hot baking stone after half an hour to an hour. Well at least I did before I broke the pizza stone. Matter of fact, I have broken three since I started cooking at age seven. . . . That's their biggest draw back--they break! I don't have a pizza peel either and not because I broke it. It's just as easy to use a cookie sheet and parchment paper with a sprinkling of semolina and they store a lot more easily.

If the focaccia has risen on the baking sheet in the refrigerator, I transfer it to a warmed baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until the bread is golden. If I have thrown the ball of dough in to the refrigerator (it works well either way.) I pat it out on the same sheet I bake it on and let it warm and rise for a couple of hours before baking. Whatever method works best for you, remember not to put a cold baking sheet in to a hot oven. . .it's the surest way I know to warp it.

When the good doctor makes his next batch, perhaps he will add to this post. . .

Bread Is Art

All this talk about the chemistry of breadmaking makes me wish I had more time to make the stuff. Or the patience to do it right. More often than not, I wing it. For Christmas I wanted to make as much bread as I had supplies for but I only had one envelope of instant yeast (one of those triple-pouches). So I read the directions on the back (!) to see how much water you would use with each packet, I multiplied by three, and filled a large measuring cup with that amount. Then I started mixing -- figuring I'd add flour until it felt right. Yeah, some salt. And a little bit of olive oil. That was it.

The hooks on our mixer were smoking... figuratively of course. In the old days I'd knead it out myself. That was then; this is now.

I spread out a couple of focaccia pans that day. They rose, they baked, and they came out OK. But as I mentioned several days ago, it was the portion of dough that I tossed in the icebox for the next day that really came together nicely.

From now on, overnight refrigeration is will be standard operating procedure for all my focaccia exploits.