Three years ago today I started this blog. (You can read post #1 here.) I was a food writer totally embedded into the New Hampshire and New England food scene. My favorite restaurants knew me by name, I knew where to buy the best pastries, and I had my favorite farm stands and food shops. Plus, I had made life-long friends I would terribly miss. All of which added up to my being very nervous about moving halfway across the country.
Life has changed a lot in three years. Now I have a new husband (and last name to go with him), a downtown apartment home in Topeka, and new important people in my life. I also have my favorite area restaurants, food shops, and farmer's markets. That's one of the nice things about the foodie world...you can always find someone to talk with about food.
I was excited three years ago at all of the possibilities my new life would offer. Turns out, those possibilities went beyond my wildest dreams. Yes, I miss New England from time to time. But I adore my city home on the prairie.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
There is one candy The Picky Eater and I agree on—Reese’s
Peanut Butter Cups. We buy the mini ones and keep them in a 1930s
refrigerator-ware dish made by The Hall China Company for Westinghouse. However, these little bites of chocolate-peanut butter goodness don’t stay
around our house for long.
These treats are scrumptious! Since the recipe calls for
graham cracker crumbs and chocolate, I added some mini-marshmallows on top of
half the recipe for s’mores-like flavor. The Picky Eater loved the
non-marshmallow ones—he gave them his famous three-thumbs-up! (So good he needs
another thumb. He’s so cute.) Now we have a new candy for our vintage dish.
You can find the recipe here, and be sure to check our more
of Mary’s delicious creations.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Brined Pork Chops
Do you smell it? Each evening, the aroma of grills cooking
delicious things wafts through the windows of our van as I ride along for the
first few stops on the Picky Eater’s courier route. To me, those tantalizing smells
are the true signal that summer is fast approaching.
George Foreman grill, but I keep stopping in stores to stare at the cast iron grill pans. I see one coming to my kitchen in the near future. (This picture is part of the scenery we see on the route. Isn't Kansas beautiful!)
I've read for some time about how brining is a good way to
prepare meat for the grill, especially pork. The salt in the brine not only
helps to draw flavors into the meat, but it also keeps the moisture inside as
the meat cooks.
The chops were delicious. Even the Picky Eater loved them,
asking, “Can we have these again?”
You bet we will!
One tip about this recipe: Be sure to use kosher salt. Regular table salt will
make the chops too salty to eat. Also,
don’t brine the chops for more than 4 hours, for the same reason.
Brined Pork Chops
Adapted from Taste of
the Midwest
by Dan Kaercher
8 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves, coarsely crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons whole allspice, coarsely crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
3 bay leaves
4 bone-in pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Flour, for dusting
2 to 3 teaspoons oil, for frying
To make the brine: Combine the water, kosher salt, brown
sugar and spices in a large saucepan. (I crushed the spices with my meat
mallet, but you can also use the bottom of a saucepan or small skillet. Just
push until you hear the spices crack.) Stir over medium-high heat until the
mixture comes almost to a boil and the salt and sugar are dissolved. Cool the
mixture to room temperature, and then cover and place in the refrigerator to
chill, at least 2 hours.
To make the chops: Put the pork chops into the brine
solution. Cover and place back into the refrigerator to chill for 2 to 4 hours.
(Do not go over 4 hours.) Make sure the brine completely covers the meat. (You
can do this in a zippered plastic bag or a bowl.)
Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry with paper
towels. Allow the chop to sit out for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
Place the oil in a skillet (I used cast iron) and preheat over
medium heat. Dip the chops into flour to coat, making sure to shake off any
excess. Place in the skillet and cook for 7 to 10 minutes per side, or until
the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
To grill, preheat the grill. Reduce the grill to medium heat
and cook the chops over indirect heat. (The burners under the chops are off,
but the ones to the side are on.) Cover the grill and cook for 35 to 40
minutes, turning the chops halfway through the cooking time.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Angel Food Cake for Mother's Day
I was excited when Mom requested an angel food cake for
Mother’s Day. (It doesn't take a lot to make a food writer happy!) She had given me
a 10-inch tube pan last year, and while I’d used it for a couple of recipes, I’d
always wanted to try an angel food cake.
Now the cake is this summer’s go-to dessert!
For some reason, I thought angel food cakes were hard to
make. Silly me! They’re not difficult at all, as long as you keep a few
pointers in mind.
First, if you don’t have a tube pan with a removable bottom,
I suggest you get one. Since angel food cakes must be baked in an ungreased pan so
the cake can cling to the sides as it rises, a removable bottom will save you a
lot of headaches when it comes time to take the cake out of the pan. However,
if you don’t have one, don’t let that stop you. Just line the bottom with
parchment paper before you add the batter.
The key to a great angel food cake is in how you whip the
egg whites—soft and fluffy, but not stiff. The cream of tarter in the recipe will help stabilize
the egg whites, making your job a bit easier. Also, have the whites at almost
room temperature (60 to 70 degrees) before whipping.
Another key is to cool the cake upside down. Some tube pans
have little metal “feet” to hold them up, but you can also invert the pan and
prop it on the neck of a bottle or an inverted funnel while the cake cool. Just
don’t try to remove the cake from the pan for at least 1 1/2 hours.
This angel food cake turned out light, moist, and delicious!
However, it did look a little lopsided thanks to one side getting a bit squished during the trip from Kansas
to Missouri . We topped each piece
with sliced strawberries in sugar (the frozen kind found at the grocery store,
per Mom’s request) and fresh whipped cream. (Here's Mom with her cake. I did see her munching on a plain, hand-held slice, too. Why not? It was her day!)
The best thing about this cake, besides being fat-free, is
the variety of toppings you can serve with it. Fruits, flavored glazes,
frosting…just use your imagination.
Next time, the only thing I would change, besides squishing
the cake in transport, will be to add the optional almond extract. Mom noticed
it was missing. Now I have an excuse to make it again…and again…and again.
Angel Cake
Adapted from Joy of
Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker
1 cup sifted cake flour (sift the flour before you measure)
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups egg whites (between 10 and 12 eggs, depending on
the size)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Separate you egg whites and set aside so they come to room
temperature (between 60 and 70 degrees.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have at the ready a 10-inch
ungreased tube pan. If your pan doesn't have a removable bottom, line the bottom with parchment paper.
Sift together the cake flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt, three times. (Yes, three times! You want
everything light and airy.) Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl if you’re
using a hand mixer, place the egg whites, water, lemon
juice , cream of tarter
and flavorings. Beat on low speed for 1 minute to combine, and then increase
the speed to medium high and beat until the mixture is a foam that holds a soft
shape when you lift the beaters and has increased in volume 4 to 5 times, which
takes about 3 to 5 minutes. (Mine took 4 minutes.)
Continue to beat on medium-high speed while adding the
remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes. At
this point the mixture should hold soft, glossy peaks that bend over at the top
when you left out the beaters. (Do not beat until stiff!) You want a mixture
that holds a shape but can still be poured into a cake pan.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Sift a fine layer of
the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over the top of the egg mixture. Using a
rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour until it is just combined. Continue to
gently add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Don’t stir
or mix the batter…just keep folding until there are no traces of the flour
left.
Pour the batter into the tube pan. Spread the top gently to
level, and then run a thin metal spatula through the batter to release any
large air bubbles. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out
clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. (Mine took 35.)
Remove the cake pan from the oven and cool the cake in the
pan, upside down, for 1 1/2 hours to keep the cake from collapsing. Some pans
have little metal feet to hold it upside down, but if not, just place the
center of the tube pan onto the neck of a bottle or an upside down funnel to
hold the cake while it cools.
To remove the cake from the pan, slide a thin knife between
the cake and the pan to help it release, both the outside edge and the inner
tube. With a removable bottom, you should now be able to lift the cake out of
the pan. Then just slide the knife between the cake and the bottom to remove
completely. (If the tube pan doesn't have a removable bottom, just turn the pan
over and gently tap until the cake comes out.)
Allow the cake to cool completely before wrapping or
frosting. If stored in an air-tight container (or wrapped in plastic wrap) the
cake should stay moist and fresh for 2 to 3 days. When serving, cut the cake
with a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Minute Steaks and Skillet-Roasted Chicken for Two
Have you ever watched “America ’s
Test Kitchen” on PBS? I've been a fan for years. Filmed in a
2,500-square-foot-kitchen in Cambridge , Massachusetts ,
this is where the delicious recipes for Cook’s
Illustrated and Cook’s Country
magazines are created, as well as the ones for the television program.
What I love about this television show and the magazines is
how the folks in the test kitchen try out every imaginable recipe for a dish
until they develop what they feel is the perfect one. They also test kitchen equipment
and ingredients to find the best taste, performance, and value. Since the magazines do not contain advertising, I feel secure that I'm getting an honest opinion.
For a food writer, the Test Kitchen’s efforts are priceless.
While I will test different ways to create a recipe, their work often points me
in the right direction and saves me a lot of time. Sometimes I think
their final recipe is a little too complicated, but not often. And I may change
ingredients or steps from time to time, but their basic ideas offer a sound
foundation from where to start.
Recently, I was thrilled to receive the America ’s
Test Kitchen book Cooking for Two 2013.
It’s perfect for my household, which consists of The Picky Eater and me. Plus,
each recipe includes the detailed explanation as to how it was created. I
immediately started flagging recipes to try.
Here are the first two, both of which were hits in our
house:
First, I made the Weeknight Roast Chicken, which is done in
a skillet and only takes an hour! Instead of making the sauce in the recipe, I
made gravy in the skillet.
I loved it! The meat was moist and the skin nicely browned. The
Picky Eater liked it, but he wanted the meat to be more fall-off-the-bone. Oh
well, I guess I’ll have to try it again!
Next, I made the Minute Steaks with Garlic-Parsley
Butter…except mine had garlic-rosemary butter since I was out of fresh parsley.
The recipe called for spreading the just-cooked steaks with a compound butter,
but instead I melted the compound butter in the still-hot skillet to get any
left behind steak flavor and cook the garlic just a bit. Since the Picky Eater doesn't like garlic, I left his steak plain and he topped it with his favorite
sauce—ketchup. I, however, happily poured the melted butter over my serving.
We both loved this one! The Picky Eater has already
requested we have it again. (He said, “I give it three thumbs up and I only
have two thumbs!” Sometimes he can be a little silly, but he’s cute.)
I can’t wait to try more recipes in this cookbook. I’m just
getting started!
Weeknight Roast Chicken
Adapted from Cooking
for Two 2013 by the Editors of America’s Test Kitchen
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Place a 12-inch oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) into
the oven on a rack place in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 450
degrees F.
In a small dish, mix together the salt and pepper. Dry the
chicken with paper towels, and then rub the entire bird with olive oil. Next
rub the salt/pepper mixture all over the chicken. Tie the legs together with
kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the back.
When the oven and skillet are preheated, place the chicken
into the skillet. Roast in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the breast
meat reaches 120 degrees and the thighs reach 135 degrees. Turn the oven
off—yes, you turn off the oven!—leaving the chicken inside for another 25 to 35
minutes, until the breast reaches 160 degrees and the thighs reach 175 degrees.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 20 minutes before
carving.
Minute Steaks with Garlic-Rosemary Butter
Adapted from Cooking
for Two 2013 by the Editors of America’s Test Kitchen
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon dried ground rosemary or 3/4 teaspoon minced
fresh rosemary
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 (6-ounce) cubed steaks
2 tablespoons oil
In a small dish, mix together the butter, rosemary, garlic
and Worcestershire sauce until combined. Set aside.
Place the flour into a shallow dish. Pour the oil into a
12-inch non-stick skillet (I used cast iron) and heat over medium-high heat
until the oil just begins to smoke. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels,
season with salt and pepper, and then coat with the flour, being sure to shake
off the excess.
Fry the steaks on one side until they reach a deep brown,
about 3 minutes. Turn the steaks and continue to cook for an additional 1 to 3
minutes. Remove the steaks to serving plates.
Turn off the heat under the skillet and pour any excess fat.
Add the butter to the skillet and cook until just melted, scraping any steak
bits off the bottom. Pour the melted butter over the steaks and serve.
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