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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Heaven: Recipe Thread - The Second Course
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Anna B
Shipmate
# 1439
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by LynnMagdalenCollege:
Combine 1 bottle Karo light corn syrup and 1 c. sugar with peel, along with enough water to cover. Wow, Anna, a bottle of corn syrup isn't sweet enough on its own?! No wonder it's called "candied" !!
I know. If one tastes the resulting syrup at this point---not that I would ever do such a thing, you understand---it induces a lightheaded state that redefines the phrase "sugar high." My mom used to use Karo corn syrup to revive her diabetic cat when he'd go off kilter. I figure that as a true daughter of the Land of Lincoln, it's the least I can do to keep the state's corn industry going.
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Bad Christian (TM)
Posts: 3069 | From: near a lot of fish | Registered: Oct 2001
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KenWritez
Shipmate
# 3238
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Posted
Tonight for small group I cooked, and worked out two recipes I thought came out very well! They are an entree and a dessert. Both are simple and don't require loads of prep.
Note: All measurements in US!
Dead Red Chili
(This is almost a beef bourgunion with beans, or perhaps a French version of chili: "chilé." I call it "Dead Red" because it's a great way to use up the half-filled bottles of red wine that seem to accumulate.)
+ 5 lbs steak beef, cut into bite size chunks or very coarsely ground ("chili grind")
+ 1 lb coarse ground pork or ground pork sausage
+ 32 oz beef stock (store bought is fine, I recommend Swanson's)
+ 1 T concentrated beef stock
+ At least one 750 ml bottle's equivalent of any dry red wine(s).
+ 1 bottle dark beer
+ 1/4 c vinegar
+ 1 cup orange, cranberry, or raspberry fruit juice (but not apple)
+ 6 medium white or yellow onions, coarsely diced
+ 2 T minced garlic
+ 2 x 6 oz. cans tomato paste
+ 15 oz can tomato sauce
+ 2 x 15 oz cans favorite beans, drained (pinquito, kidney, Great Northern, pinto, black, etc.)
+ Vegetable oil
+ Salt and black pepper to taste
1. In a large, thick-bottomed stockpot over medium high heat, add vegetable oil and heat until shimmering (just prior to smoking.) Sear the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding. Allow the beef to caramelize somewhat. Drain all fat and reserve it for another use.
2. In a frying pan over medium heat, fry the pork sausage until done. Break up pork into crumbled meat. Drain all fat and reserve it for another use.
3. Add beer and all red wine to the stockpot. (Add as much red wine as you like; I'd stop at 2 bottles.) Simmer and reduce by at least 1/2.
4. Add all ingredients to stockpot. Simmer on low heat for at least 4 hours, stirring often. If you can't stir that often, place a comal or a heat diffuser under the pot.
As an alternative to the stove, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack on the second lowest position. Bake the chili for the indicated time, stirring occasionally. Meat should be very tender and easily tined with a fork.
5. Remove chili from stove or oven. Serve in warmed bowls with cornbread, rice or buttered noodles. Serve with cold beer or ale, champagne, or a medium red, such as a Malbec.
Serves about 10-12.
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Cranberry Ricotta Surprise
(Because I was surprised this recipe--which I invented as I went--came out so well!)
+ 1 lb fresh cranberries, picked over for moldy berries or detritus
+ 1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese
+ 1 lb graham cracker crumbs (or enough crumbs to fully line the inside of a 9" x 9" baking pan plus 1-2 cups reserved)
+ 1 c + 3/4 c white table sugar
+ 1 1/2 c melted butter
+ 1/2 t vanilla
+ Pinch salt
+ Zest of 1 orange
+ 2 cups orange juice
+ 2 cups orange muscat wine or any muscat
+ 1 c water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan.
3. In a large bowl, add melted butter to cracker crumbs. Stir thoroughly to saturate crumbs with melted butter.
4. Using your hands, firmly pack the crumbs around the inside of the baking pan to build a crust. Add more melted butter if mixture is too dry.
5. In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (not cast iron) add cranberries, water, orange juice, zest, wine and bring to a boil.
6. Add 1 cup sugar, stir until all sugar is dissolved.
7. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped open, stirring every few minutes. (Note: Mixture will stick and burn if not stirred! Or if any of it gets on your skin.)
8. While mixture is simmering, in a medium bowl, add ricotta and 3/4 c suagr. Stir to combine.
9. Remove berry sauce from heat and allow to cool for several minutes. Add salt, ricotta cheese and vanilla. Stir quickly to incorporate cheese and vanilla.
10. Add mixture to prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle top of mixture with reserved crumbs.
11. Bake 30-45 minutes, depending on taste.
ALTERNATIVE: Do not bake this dessert. Instead, after sprinkling top of mixture with crumbs, chill dessert until mixture is firm but not hard.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Serves about 10.
[ 06. October 2006, 06:56: Message edited by: KenWritez ]
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"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd." --Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction
My blog: http://oxygenofgrace.blogspot.com
Posts: 11102 | From: Left coast of Wonderland, by the rabbit hole | Registered: Aug 2002
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babybear
Bear faced and cheeky with it
# 34
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Posted
Going back to apricots for a moment...
I made an apricot spong for my Mam, who is an apricot lover. It is based on a 3-egg Victoria Sponge recipe.
150g (6oz) Self Raising flour
150g (60z) castor sugar
150g (60z) margarine
3 medium eggs
9 ready to eat dried apricot halves
Make a small dice of the apricots, either by using a knife, or popping the apricots in a food processor. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Grease a ring mould (Bunt cake tin), and cook at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for about 15 minutes. When the cake is cooked, remove from the time and apply an icing glaze whilst the cake is still warm.
The important part of the recipe is the ratio of apricots to egg, 3 apricot halves to each egg. This ratio gives a gentle apricot flavour to the cake, and then little chunks of apricot.
You could use any sponge cake recipe you like. You could also change the type of tin you use, eg a sandwich tin, or a Swiss Roll tin. A good filling would be the cream cheese icing/frosting often used on carrot cake.
Posts: 13287 | From: Cottage of the 3 Bears (and The Gremlin) | Registered: May 2001
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Flausa
Mad Woman
# 3466
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by babybear:
apricot spong
Mmmmmmm ... sacrilicious ...
Posts: 4610 | From: bonny Scotland | Registered: Oct 2002
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babybear
Bear faced and cheeky with it
# 34
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Posted
Flausa: ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
I am after some low GI recipes, particulary for evening meals. I can't 'do' beef, chillies or eggs; they do not agree with my stomach.
Thanks,
bb
Posts: 13287 | From: Cottage of the 3 Bears (and The Gremlin) | Registered: May 2001
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Keren-Happuch
Ship's Eyeshadow
# 9818
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Posted
Chickpeas are low GI, according to the can.
We had a chickpea and bacon dish in Greece which was fab. My attempt to reproduce it yesterday wasn't bad either.
Dry fry some bacon cut into tiny dice - they're more for flavour than noticing so use to taste.
Add one tin of chickpeas, half a packet of passata, some herbs (I used parsley, oregano and a bay leaf), black pepper, a dash of Worcester sauce and a dash of ketchup (not very Greek but they tasted nice!). Simmer for 30 mins to 1 hour, making sure it doesn't dry out - I had to add quite a lot of water.
Sorry that's all a bit vague, but it's one of those experimental things!
We served it with cous cous, and I think that's low GI too. Don't know about the bacon!
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Travesty, treachery, betrayal!
EXCESS - The Art of Treason
Nea Fox
Posts: 2407 | From: A Fine City | Registered: Jul 2005
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The Great Gumby
Ship's Brain Surgeon
# 10989
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
We had a chickpea and bacon dish in Greece which was fab. My attempt to reproduce it yesterday wasn't bad either.
I can vouch for that. If the bacon's a problem, a pinch of salt would probably do instead - the bacon mainly seems to be there to flavour the sauce.
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The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. - Richard Feynman
A letter to my son about death
Posts: 5382 | From: Home for shot clergy spouses | Registered: Feb 2006
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chukovsky
Ship's toddler
# 116
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Posted
Meat has no GI (or rather, no glycaemic load) as it has no carbohydrate.
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This space left intentionally blank. Do not write on both sides of the paper at once.
Posts: 6842 | From: somewhere else | Registered: May 2001
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Lynn MagdalenCollege
Shipmate
# 10651
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Posted
quote:
KenW said:
I call it "Dead Red" because it's a great way to use up the half-filled bottles of red wine that seem to accumulate.
Not at my house ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) At my house, it's the white wine that sits around and goes historic on me.
Flausa, I was reading "sacrilicious" and "spong" and I can't tell you how long it took me to figure out that BabyBear meant "sponge" - !!! *slaps forehead*
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Erin & Friend; Been there, done that; Ruth musical
Posts: 6263 | From: California | Registered: Nov 2005
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Josephine
Orthodox Belle
# 3899
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Posted
I adore pumpkin bread, and I used to have a recipe for it that was absolutely divine. Sadly, I lost the recipe, so I'm in search of a new recipe favorite pumpkin bread recipe.
Please post your favorites!
Thanks!
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I've written a book! Catherine's Pascha: A celebration of Easter in the Orthodox Church. It's a lovely book for children. Take a look!
Posts: 10273 | From: Pacific Northwest, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Mamacita
Lakefront liberal
# 3659
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Posted
Here are two of my favorite pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Bread
4C flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 can (2C) pumpkin
2C sugar
1C milk
4 eggs
1/2 C soft butter or marg
2 C chopped pecans
Sift together first 6 ingredients. Mix together pumpkin, sugar, milk, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and butter to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spread into well-greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. (Note: I've found it cooks better in two smaller loaf pans rather than the larger one.)
Frost-On-The-Pumpkin Bars
These always get rave reviews:
4 eggs
1 2/3 Cup sugar
1 16-oz can pumpkin
1C vegetable oil
2 C sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 350. Beat together in a small bowl the eggs, sugar, oil, and pupkin until light and fluffy. Sift together the dry ingredients, add to pumpkin and mix thoroughly. SPread batter evenly in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool, then frost.
Frosting:
1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 C powdered (confectioners') sugar
In small bowl, beat cream cheese and add butter. Mix until blended. Stir in vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Frost and cut into bars.
(Note: The bars are quite moist; you can possibly cut back to 3 eggs if you're using large ones, or fiddle a little with the eggs/oil ratio)
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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Posts: 20761 | From: where the purple line ends | Registered: Dec 2002
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John Holding
Coffee and Cognac
# 158
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Posted
Pumpkin Pie
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup tinned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
[or I suppose you could cook and puree real pumpkin, but that's a lot of work]
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. each of cinnamon, ginger, allspice
Beat eggs,
Add spices, sugar, pumpkin and mix
Add milk and mix
Pour into Pie shell - probably 8 or 9 inch
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes
Bake at 350 degrees F until set - if you put a knife in the centre and the cut stays or it looks dry in the cut then it is done.
The centre should look and feel firm-ish.
Serve slightly warm with crystallized ginger and/or whipped cream.
The amount of spice can be increased to taste, but that's probably the minimum amount of sugar. You can use whole milk or partly skimmed, but it's hard to get the custard right if you use no-fat milk.
I normally make double or triple this, but then we usually have people for dinner. Any custard over what the pie shell(s) will hold can be cooked in custard cups.
John
Posts: 5929 | From: Ottawa, Canada | Registered: May 2001
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Emma Louise
Storm in a teapot
# 3571
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Posted
This isnt at all meant to be an attack - and probably shows a mistaken belief Ive inherited from childhood...
but if you buy the pie crust, and you buy the tinned pumpkin ... can you really say you made it without any guilt?
I think if you can it would ease my (self imposed?) burden on myself to cook "from scratch" which is usually what I think of if I think "cooking". (ie heating a tin of something up for dinner isnt really cooking....)
Posts: 12719 | From: Enid Blyton territory. | Registered: Nov 2002
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comet
Snowball in Hell
# 10353
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Posted
free yourself.
canned pumpkin is not cheating. its not the same as pumpkin pie filling. its just pumpkin. it's just saving a step. and not really any more expensive!
and if i couldn't buy frozen crust i wouldn't ever make pie. my crust sucks.
my pumpkin pie, however, is divine.
I add the seasonings. I choose the quality of cream. I invented the recipe, and change it every year. I do the beating and the sampling and the baking. it's still art.
Comet
[ 07. October 2006, 06:08: Message edited by: cometchaser ]
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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions
"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin
Posts: 17024 | From: halfway between Seduction and Peril | Registered: Sep 2005
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KenWritez
Shipmate
# 3238
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Posted
I had a marvelous experience tonight and since my wife was there with me, you guys are the only ones I can tell right now.
The Sturdy Wench had gone through a miserable last few weeks at work, so she was ready to be treated like an adult. She and I went to a new restaurant specializing in "big, rich dishes" and big wines. According to one of the owners (a master sommelier who chatted with us at closing), this restaurant is all about food and wine and not about snobbery or chef's personalities. They're all foodies themselves and they care about what they present to their customers.
Their food and wine bore out that philosophy completely. Something making the evening absolutely special was we were able to try some foods one or the other of us never had before: Foie gras, carpaccio, black truffle, turnips, caramelized onions in wine.
It's a small restaurant, seats around 40 people, located in an unfashionable part of town. (Two doors down a beer joint had their front door open to catch a breeze and prominently displayed was their sign, "No t-shirts, tanktops jerseys." Ah, the irony of juxtaposition.) But the interior is well designed and decorated with light taupe walls and white-painted side pillars, fluted molding, and corbels. The chairs are simple dark cherry armless and the tables are covered with the standard white cloths.
We were met with a small bread plate on which were four slices of a crusty whole olive baguette and several slices of sourdough next to three small ramekins of butter, baba ghanouj and foie gras. The baba ghanouj was a fine puree and we are used to a much coarser blend.
A word on foie gras. The word is "amazing." I, too, dislike liver. The only form of it I will eat is braunschweiger, and that loaded with onion and yellow mustard. While the SW didn't care for foie gras (she hates liver in any form), I basked in its velvety richness, the succulence and power of it, its' elegant yet simple earthy taste and aroma. This is food for the gods. When we left the restaurant, I had swiped clean the ramekin courtesy of a piece of sourdough. My sister would have been horrified, but after tasting this I took no prisoners. Foie gras or my sister's sensibilities? No need to think. Screw her sensibilities.
Starters was the beef carpaccio, with fried capers, arugula, hard-boiled egg slivers, parmesan-reggiano cheese shavings.
The Sturdy Wench ordered the marinated grilled tri-tip with haricot verts, roasted potato, and onions caramelized in red wine reduction.
I ordered the veal and black truffle meat loaf with baked macaroni and cheese, creamed turnips.
She had a 2004 zinfandel from Esca and I had a pinot noir from a winery whose name I have forgotten. The zin was wonderful; rich, fruity, smooth. I wouldn't order mine again, the barnyard aroma was a bit strong for my taste (although it smoothed out after decanting for about 30-45 minutes) but the Esca was delicious all the way through.
The SW and I shared our plates so we could try everything. The tri-tip was one of the finest pieces of meat I've ever had. It had been marinated overnight in a Cuban chimichurri sauce and then grilled to rare doneness. The meat was absolutely tender and the taste was smoky, beefy, with citrus undertones. The onions were rich and complemented the beef.
The potato was creamy without being soggy. didn't get any beans, she beat me to them.
The meat loaf was rich with a more understated beef taste with the distinct grain of typical meat loaf, seeded with truffle and herbs. The creamed turnips were baby turnips, cooked to an al dente creamy goodness. The mac and cheese was simple and hearty rotini, baked with a crispy top. The flavor of cheese carried through very well.
We were too full for individual deserts, so we split a chocolate hazlenut tort with strawberry coulis and premium vanilla ice cream with crumbled pistachio nut.
The owner said while they don't have the room for cooking classes, they do in-home catering and cooking classes. Their price was very reasonable so I think that will be my birthday present next year. I want to learn how to make that trip-tip, the potatoes and the meat loaf.
I wonder if I can get anyone here to volunteer as tasters? ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
This was one of the best restaurant ecperiences of my life, and it could only better when shared with good friends and loved ones. This is what good food and good wine are all about, bringing people together and letting the edible art on their plate and in their glass tell them how much they're loved by the people around them.
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"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd." --Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction
My blog: http://oxygenofgrace.blogspot.com
Posts: 11102 | From: Left coast of Wonderland, by the rabbit hole | Registered: Aug 2002
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Alfred E. Neuman
What? Me worry?
# 6855
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by KenWritez:
... I wonder if I can get anyone here to volunteer as tasters?
<waves hand from back of room> That was the most orgasmic culinary experience I've read for some time. I'll gladly volunteer to taste the results of your cooking lessons!
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--Formerly: Gort--
Posts: 12954 | Registered: May 2004
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Lynn MagdalenCollege
Shipmate
# 10651
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Emma.:
but if you buy the pie crust, and you buy the tinned pumpkin ... can you really say you made it without any guilt?
What Cometchaser said - (assuming you're buying pumpkin in a can, and not pumpkin pie filling in a can (and, this time of year, one must read the labels carefully!). My mom's pumpkin pie, always built off canned pumpkin, is brilliant and has ruined me for less noble pies, I tell you.
Ken, you are entirely right, foie gras is amazing. And yeah, I suspect you'll actually need to run a lottery to narrow down the field of prospective tasters! Count me in, please!!! (hey, I'll let you see the exceedingly low budget movie I produced-- not that it's worth seeing, mind you, just a rare curiosity! ![[Snigger]](graemlins/snigger.gif) ).
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Erin & Friend; Been there, done that; Ruth musical
Posts: 6263 | From: California | Registered: Nov 2005
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
Unfortunately, the only place you can buy cans of pumpkin in the UK is Jerry's in London so we do have to puree the stuff.
Also, we only have pumpkin in the supermarkets for a few weeks at the end of October in the run up to Hallowe'en. I love pumpkin soup and fried pumpkin seeds, but only get them once or twice a year. Unless you grow them yourself or cook and freeze them yourself, of course.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Flausa
Mad Woman
# 3466
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Mamacita:
Here are two of my favorite pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Bread ... Frost-On-The-Pumpkin Bars
Mamacita, I've just used one of your pumpkin pie recipes that you've previously posted and yum! So I will be making another trip to the store to buy another pumpkin (and chopping, steaming, straining, and pureeing it, cuz no tinned pumpkin available here) to try one of those recipes. I also intend to freeze some of the pumpkin so I'll have it available for another time of year. I may even be willing to give pumkpin soup a try if comet posts her recipe (I'm always looking for different vegitarian recipes to try for when Jack the Lass comes to visit)!
Posts: 4610 | From: bonny Scotland | Registered: Oct 2002
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Anna B
Shipmate
# 1439
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by KenWritez:
I had a marvelous experience tonight and since my wife was there with me, you guys are the only ones I can tell right now.
The Sturdy Wench had gone through a miserable last few weeks at work, so she was ready to be treated like an adult. She and I went to a new restaurant specializing in "big, rich dishes" and big wines. According to one of the owners (a master sommelier who chatted with us at closing), this restaurant is all about food and wine and not about snobbery or chef's personalities. They're all foodies themselves and they care about what they present to their customers.
Their food and wine bore out that philosophy completely. Something making the evening absolutely special was we were able to try some foods one or the other of us never had before: Foie gras, carpaccio, black truffle, turnips, caramelized onions in wine.
It's a small restaurant, seats around 40 people, located in an unfashionable part of town. (Two doors down a beer joint had their front door open to catch a breeze and prominently displayed was their sign, "No t-shirts, tanktops jerseys." Ah, the irony of juxtaposition.) But the interior is well designed and decorated with light taupe walls and white-painted side pillars, fluted molding, and corbels. The chairs are simple dark cherry armless and the tables are covered with the standard white cloths.
We were met with a small bread plate on which were four slices of a crusty whole olive baguette and several slices of sourdough next to three small ramekins of butter, baba ghanouj and foie gras. The baba ghanouj was a fine puree and we are used to a much coarser blend.
A word on foie gras. The word is "amazing." I, too, dislike liver. The only form of it I will eat is braunschweiger, and that loaded with onion and yellow mustard. While the SW didn't care for foie gras (she hates liver in any form), I basked in its velvety richness, the succulence and power of it, its' elegant yet simple earthy taste and aroma. This is food for the gods. When we left the restaurant, I had swiped clean the ramekin courtesy of a piece of sourdough. My sister would have been horrified, but after tasting this I took no prisoners. Foie gras or my sister's sensibilities? No need to think. Screw her sensibilities.
Starters was the beef carpaccio, with fried capers, arugula, hard-boiled egg slivers, parmesan-reggiano cheese shavings.
The Sturdy Wench ordered the marinated grilled tri-tip with haricot verts, roasted potato, and onions caramelized in red wine reduction.
I ordered the veal and black truffle meat loaf with baked macaroni and cheese, creamed turnips.
She had a 2004 zinfandel from Esca and I had a pinot noir from a winery whose name I have forgotten. The zin was wonderful; rich, fruity, smooth. I wouldn't order mine again, the barnyard aroma was a bit strong for my taste (although it smoothed out after decanting for about 30-45 minutes) but the Esca was delicious all the way through.
The SW and I shared our plates so we could try everything. The tri-tip was one of the finest pieces of meat I've ever had. It had been marinated overnight in a Cuban chimichurri sauce and then grilled to rare doneness. The meat was absolutely tender and the taste was smoky, beefy, with citrus undertones. The onions were rich and complemented the beef.
The potato was creamy without being soggy. didn't get any beans, she beat me to them.
The meat loaf was rich with a more understated beef taste with the distinct grain of typical meat loaf, seeded with truffle and herbs. The creamed turnips were baby turnips, cooked to an al dente creamy goodness. The mac and cheese was simple and hearty rotini, baked with a crispy top. The flavor of cheese carried through very well.
We were too full for individual deserts, so we split a chocolate hazlenut tort with strawberry coulis and premium vanilla ice cream with crumbled pistachio nut.
The owner said while they don't have the room for cooking classes, they do in-home catering and cooking classes. Their price was very reasonable so I think that will be my birthday present next year. I want to learn how to make that trip-tip, the potatoes and the meat loaf.
I wonder if I can get anyone here to volunteer as tasters?
This was one of the best restaurant ecperiences of my life, and it could only better when shared with good friends and loved ones. This is what good food and good wine are all about, bringing people together and letting the edible art on their plate and in their glass tell them how much they're loved by the people around them.
You made that up.
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Bad Christian (TM)
Posts: 3069 | From: near a lot of fish | Registered: Oct 2001
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Moth
Shipmate
# 2589
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Posted
Dearie me. I have just had a double culinary disaster! My apple crumble (made with apples from my tree in the garden) has boiled over, and my baked apples have exploded!
I wouldn't mind, but these were to take to a barbecue this afternoon! I should have stayed in the kitchen, rather than browsing the ship!
I have sort of salvaged the crumble by wrapping the now very sticky dish in a cloth; the baked apples are beyond salvation, though probably quite tasty!
The caremalised apple that boiled over out of the crumble, is, however, very, very good, and I'm eating it now. The way today is going, I'll doubtless spill it on the keyboard any minute now, but never mind!
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"There are governments that burn books, and then there are those that sell the libraries and shut the universities to anyone who can't pay for a key." Laurie Penny.
Posts: 3446 | From: England | Registered: Apr 2002
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
Dave took me on a motorcycle tour of Brittany a couple of years ago. On the advice of one of my work colleagues, we discovered the logis de France .
A logis is a 2 star hotel, with an excellent restaurant attached. We would arrive late and in motorcycle leathers, and the proprieter of the restaurant would knock up a little multi-course gourmet feast.
One night, for example this included Kir royale, foie gras pan fried with fruits including ripe figs (this was excellent), turbot, pork cooked with caramelized apple and iles flottante (a sort of marshmallowy meringue floating in an eggy custard) or chocolate mousse.
When we went to Mont St. Michel, our logis produced an amazingly good value feast, which included a mountain of assorted shellfish topped with langoustine, an excellent bottle of Muscadet and a choice of puddings to follow. The crepes Suzette was pretty fantastic. What crowned it all was the magnificent view of the salt marshes around the craggy medieval "island" that we enjoyed while we were eating.
When we stopped off in the "enchanted forest" of Arthurian legend, Broceliande, we stayed in the old inn in the village. They had mixed up our reservation, so were surprised to discover they had an extra pair of bikers for the evening. The proprietress popped off to the kitchen and put together a pair of seafood salads, just what we wanted on a hot August evening, strewn with prawns and salmon and garnished with caviar, perfectly complemented with cold Chablis and excellent breads from the village bakery. We were totally disarmed, and it turned out the reason for the disorganisation was that the son of the house was getting married in the old abbaye in the village the next morning - we enjoyed watching the couple trundle round the village in a horse and cart piled high with the bride's white lace train.
We hadn't intended to hit gastronomic high spots every day - it just seemed to happen that way, as good food is so important in French culture.
I think France may be your spiritual home, ken.
Btw, I have just finished Kate Muir's book "left Bank". Her character Olivier evokes the spirit of French gastronomy very well!
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Penny Lane
Shipmate
# 3086
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Posted
At RuthW's request in another thread, here is my pumpkin bread recipe. My college roomie's mother used to send this to us:
Mrs. D's Pumpkin Bread
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup oil (OR 1 cup applesauce) **
3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsps salt
Mix ingredients together well and pour into two greased 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 350F.
** Original recipe calls for oil. In an effort to reduce the fat content, I began substituting the applesauce. It's more tender with the oil and a bit denser and chewier with the applesauce, but is really good either way. I usually add a dash or two each of white pepper and ground ginger in addition to the spices listed.
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Posts: 1130 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2002
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Lynn MagdalenCollege
Shipmate
# 10651
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Unfortunately, the only place you can buy cans of pumpkin in the UK is Jerry's in London so we do have to puree the stuff.
Thank you for the link - I thought it would be Jerry's but instead it's a lovely short essay on pumpkins, how to bake them, and several recipes.
Ah, Welsh Dragon! I forgot about the logis de France - in 1990 I made a trip w/some friends and my son, 20 that year, and our driving portion from Paris down to Avignon took us through lovely valleys with fall-changing leaves. We took our time and stayed in 3 different places... lovely indeed! Great image, the bride and ooodles of lace in the horse-drawn cart...
I have some comparative pumpkin bread baking to do now - what a sorry state.
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Erin & Friend; Been there, done that; Ruth musical
Posts: 6263 | From: California | Registered: Nov 2005
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Penny Lane
Shipmate
# 3086
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Posted
My favorite pumpkin pie recipe is on the label of Libby's brand canned pumpkin found here. I add extra spices though. (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice, white pepper) I always prefer mine to anyone else's
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~Penny
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
I found canned pumpkin online here . (scroll down a bit)
I might get some in at some stage - does anyone have an opinion on the sort they sell & its suitability for pumpkin pie?
[edited to add - cross posted with Penny Lane, and it is the brand she is recommending!]
[ 07. October 2006, 21:04: Message edited by: welsh dragon ]
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Penny Lane
Shipmate
# 3086
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by welsh dragon:
I found canned pumpkin online here . (scroll down a bit)
I might get some in at some stage - does anyone have an opinion on the sort they sell & its suitability for pumpkin pie?
[edited to add - cross posted with Penny Lane, and it is the brand she is recommending!]
Yes, and no! What shows in the link is pie filling . It's already spiced and sweetened. What I use (and recommend) is the plain tinned pumpkin (same brand name, different product)
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~Penny
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Penny Lane
Shipmate
# 3086
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Posted
OK...on the same site, I found the canned pumpkin here .
Yikes! Can't believe the price! It's under a dollar here.
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~Penny
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Lynn MagdalenCollege
Shipmate
# 10651
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Posted
sheeesh, 4.40 pounds for the pie filling? At 2.89 the tinned pumpkin is better, but still so expensive - sorry, guys! I know it would cost more to ship it, but perhaps the next time I fly to the UK I'll bring some canned pumpkin...
And yeah, the Libby's pie recipe is very nice, exactly as is - I'll have to try your additions of allspice and white pepper, Penny
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Erin & Friend; Been there, done that; Ruth musical
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Lynn MagdalenCollege
Shipmate
# 10651
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Posted
oooh, thinking of recipes that we get from packaging, my late and well-beloved Dad used to make fudge from the Hershey's Cocoa tin and one time they had a different selection of recipes on the container! He wigged out and from then on made sure to keep the paper label, back in the days when they had paper labels, for future reference. But now you can find it online - the only difference I see is that they now recommend lining a pan with foil (rather than lots of butter... but lots of butter has its own appeal!)
[ 07. October 2006, 21:39: Message edited by: LynnMagdalenCollege ]
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Erin & Friend; Been there, done that; Ruth musical
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Penny Lane
Shipmate
# 3086
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by LynnMagdalenCollege:
oooh, thinking of recipes that we get from packaging,
They changed the recipe for Fantasy Fudge printed on the Kraft marshmallow creme jar. Fortunately, the original (and superior) one is available online. My favorite fudge recipe (well, ok, fudge-like, if you're a purist...) is appropriately called 'Instant Relief Fudge'...perfect for those times when you Must Have Chocolate.
4 T butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 C light corn syrup (Karo)
1 T water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb confectioners' (powdered) sugar
(optional: 1/2 C chopped nuts or 1 C miniature marshmallows)
Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat. Stir in corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Remove from heat and immediately stir in confectioners' sugar. *Spread into buttered 8-inch square pan. Cool and cut into squares.
From the * on is optimistic. In reality, as soon as the sugar is fully mixed in, one is spooning healthy chunks into one's mouth. After one is slightly sick, then the balance can be spread in a much smaller pan and left to cool. Let's be real here!
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~Penny
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Amazing Grace
High Church Protestant
# 95
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by cometchaser:
free yourself.
canned pumpkin is not cheating. its not the same as pumpkin pie filling. its just pumpkin. it's just saving a step. and not really any more expensive!
and if i couldn't buy frozen crust i wouldn't ever make pie. my crust sucks.
my pumpkin pie, however, is divine.
I add the seasonings. I choose the quality of cream. I invented the recipe, and change it every year. I do the beating and the sampling and the baking. it's still art.
I didn't realize till just now that the "filling" had the eggs and cream already in it! I thought it was just pre-spiced.
My paternal grandmother, whose pies were To.Die.For., always used canned pumpkin (she, of course, mixed her own eggs and cream in).
Neither my mother nor I, despite our other kitchen accomplishments, can "do piecrust" (although I keep trying) and my instructions are to get a pumpkin pie (and sometimes a berry pie - we all loves our berries) from a particular bakery whose PP are even better than Grandma's en route. (Meaning no disrespect to her memory - hers were the gold standard.)
Mom's Thanksgiving motto is "Keep it simple". Most things we make (my mother's giblet gravy is seriously good stuff), some things we buy. Before she got arthritis so bad, she was more than capable of putting on T-day dinner for six with some "strong man" help from my dad (and table-setting/dishwashing help), without making herself crazy and stressed out and not very thankful. Delegating the pie (and playing to her strengths) is part of the plan .
Christmas is more flexible because we didn't feel socially obligated to eat pumpkin pie. *Sigh* - now I'm remembering my maternal grandmother, who used to make things like eclairs and buche du Noel for Christmas dessert, for twenty people - totally from scratch. I miss them both.
Charlotte
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WTFWED? "Remember to always be yourself, unless you suck" - the Gator
Memory Eternal! Sheep 3, Phil the Wise Guy, and Jesus' Evil Twin in the SoF Nativity Play
Posts: 6593 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003
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Lynn MagdalenCollege
Shipmate
# 10651
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Posted
buche de Noel? Is that rather like one of those mini cream puff/profiterole wedding cakes popular in parts of Europe? (oooh, just looked it up - a yule log cake! I've had this, I just didn't know the name - buche de noel) how neat that you come from an elegant cooking tradition! My family cooking tradition involves the tremendous skill (which I don't believe I have) of feeding 25 men noontime dinner in the middle of threshing, where the whole thing has to be hot, good, ready to go, all at the same time.
One of my mom's piecrust secrets is using lard - it is better than either butter or shortening, makes for a very lovely flaky crust, as long as you don't overwork it. Obviously not vegan...
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Erin & Friend; Been there, done that; Ruth musical
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rosamundi
Ship's lacemaker
# 2495
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by LynnMagdalenCollege:
One of my mom's piecrust secrets is using lard - it is better than either butter or shortening, makes for a very lovely flaky crust, as long as you don't overwork it. Obviously not vegan...
I was taught to make shortcrust pastry with half butter and half lard.
Deborah
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Moo
Ship's tough old bird
# 107
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Posted
I'm allergic to lard (and everything else that comes from a pig), so I make my pie crust with butter.
I cut frozen butter into pieces and put it in the food processor with flour. Then I pulse it until the butter is in very small pieces. Then I put it in a bowl and add just enough ice water to make it all stick together.
The flour you use to make pie crust is also very important. Flour that has a lot of gluten makes tough piecrust. I use White Lily flour, which is available in the South. Elsewhere, look for pastry flour.
Moo
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Kerygmania host
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See you later, alligator.
Posts: 20365 | From: Alleghany Mountains of Virginia | Registered: May 2001
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Flausa
Mad Woman
# 3466
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Posted
Well, I grew impatient waiting for comet to post her soup recipe (and Jack's over for lunch today), so here's what I've come up with (mixing some recipes together to come up with something that is very tasty, rich, and very autumnal).
Coconut-Curry Pumpkin Soup
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
2-3 carrots
500 g pureed pumpkin
1 sweet potato
1 tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp garam marsala
4-5 cups good vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
Saute onions, garlic and carrot and sweet potato in butter or oil with the spices until onions are tender. Simmer in vegetable stock until the carrots and sweet potato are tender. Add the pumpkin puree and blend until smooth in a blender or food processor. Return to stove, add the coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes (do not allow to boil).
Enjoy!
Posts: 4610 | From: bonny Scotland | Registered: Oct 2002
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Welease Woderwick
Sister Incubus Nightmare
# 10424
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Posted
Welsh dragon's talk of the logis reminded me of a night a group of us spent in a gite one night. The lady of the house didn't realise that vegetarian don't eat meat [the French, on the whole, do not understand veggies very well] but she was up to the challenge and produced an omelette that in it's folded siize filled a meat platter and was filled with sauteed turnip! It was spectacular!
There were eight of us at the table and there was food left over - I shudder to think how many eggs went into it!
[ 08. October 2006, 13:02: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
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I give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.
Fancy a break in South India?
Accessible Homestay Guesthouse in Central Kerala, contact me for details
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Posts: 48139 | From: 1st on the right, straight on 'til morning | Registered: Sep 2005
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Yangtze
Shipmate
# 4965
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by KenWritez:
The Sturdy Wench ordered the marinated grilled tri-tip with haricot verts, roasted potato, and onions caramelized in red wine reduction.
Er, what's 'tri-tip'???
And as far as I'm concerned the least said about foie gras the better
(Cruelty aside, the one time I tasted it I thought it tasted revolting, far too fatty - your mileage obviously varies )
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organic cotton, fair trade cotton, linen
Sometimes I wonder What's for Afters?
Posts: 2022 | From: the smallest town in England | Registered: Sep 2003
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welsh dragon
Shipmate
# 3249
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Posted
Dave seemed to like it at the time (but was surprised when I wrote the above to think that it was foie gras we had had). He also raised ideological objections (in retrospect). So we might think twice about having foie gras again when dining out...
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Amazing Grace
High Church Protestant
# 95
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Yangtze:
quote:
Originally posted by KenWritez:
The Sturdy Wench ordered the marinated grilled tri-tip with haricot verts, roasted potato, and onions caramelized in red wine reduction.
Er, what's 'tri-tip'???
And as far as I'm concerned the least said about foie gras the better
(Cruelty aside, the one time I tasted it I thought it tasted revolting, far too fatty - your mileage obviously varies )
Tri-Tip is a triangular-shaped piece of beef.
It's central to California central coast-style barbeque, marinated and barbequed. In the funny way such things happen, it was originally popular in cattle country because it was cheap meat and needed to be marinated to be tasty, and is now pricey because it's "traditional" and thus in demand (sort of like skirt and flank steak). Like flank steak, it is served sliced.
KW - Here's how I do it. Bonus recipe for Lamb on a Stick!
Re foie gras - had it once, when I was treated to dinner at a two-star restaurant in San Francisco (Aqua). Very, very interesting but I'm not a huge fan.
Charlotte
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WTFWED? "Remember to always be yourself, unless you suck" - the Gator
Memory Eternal! Sheep 3, Phil the Wise Guy, and Jesus' Evil Twin in the SoF Nativity Play
Posts: 6593 | From: Sittin' by the dock of the [SF] bay | Registered: Jul 2003
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fabula rasa
Shipmate
# 11436
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Posted
Oh my word! I'm having MAJOR transatlantic culinary flashbacks! ![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
Thank you so much to John Holding and Penny Lane for the recipes and PL and Curiosity killed... for info on where to find tinned pumpkin in the UK. I had no idea it was available and had resigned myself to pureeing it--so ![[Overused]](graemlins/notworthy.gif) !
Now, there's another American thing I'd like to get but can't remember what it's called. They're large, thin, very densely chocolaty wafers used for making something called "ice box cake"--layres of the wafers interspersed with whipped cream. (Kind of like an extended Oreo, but MUCH better.) I think they used to come in a yellow box. Can any kind passing Yank remind me of the name? And does any UK resident have any idea where to get them? (Couldn't see them on cybercandy.)
And now, not that I could ever top Ken, but my recommendation for the best Stateside culinary experience ever.
I will preface this by saying two things--I was very very very lucky to spend 10 years living around the corner from Chez Panisse, and love California cuisine. And I'm not much of a meat eater--it just doesn't really float my boat.
Having said that, the most incredible meal I ever had was at a place in San Diego called "Ruth's Chris's Steak House" [sic]. IIRC, there was an original "Chris's Steak House" somewhere (New Orleans???), and then someone named Ruth copied it...you get the idea.
They take top quality Aberdeen Angus (you know, the kind where each animal has its own human slave, who hand-picks the juiciest clumps of grass and feeds it to said beast while he reclines listening to the more soothing bits of Chopin...). Then they put it in a special oven at about 800 degrees, so it gets sealed immediately, and is sort of flash-cooked. It's utterly, utterly amazing. I was with an older friend--a v v trad Brit who never darkens the doors of anyplace that doesn't have at least two Michelin stars. He said it was the best beef he'd ever eaten.
I think Ruth's Chris's are in several places. If there's one near you, save your pennies and go try it.
here endeth the advert...
Posts: 465 | From: scepter'd isle | Registered: May 2006
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Penny Lane
Shipmate
# 3086
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by fabula rasa:
Now, there's another American thing I'd like to get but can't remember what it's called. They're large, thin, very densely chocolaty wafers used for making something called "ice box cake"--layres of the wafers interspersed with whipped cream.
Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers. They're actually sometimes difficult to find here. When they're available, they're usually found with the ice cream toppings, for some strange reason. The ice box cake you mention is delightful and so easy. Just layer whipped cream between wafers, making a 'log', then cover the entire with whipped cream. Refrigerate to let the cream soften the wafers, then slice on the diagonal to serve so the layers show. The recipe is on the package.
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~Penny
Posts: 1130 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2002
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
I do a similar pudding with ginger biscuits and cream - sometimes brandy whisked into the cream, or cocoa or both. Stick the biscuits together to make a log and then coat with cream, left to blend overnight.
You can also present it as a hedgehog by changing the shape and using sliced almonds as spines and currants for eyes and nose.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Jengie jon
Semper Reformanda
# 273
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Posted
When I still ate milk products I did a similar one with Tate and Lyle's Jamaica Ginger Cake, but I guess it could be done with their chocolate one, but the texture would be wrong.
Jengie
p.s. Imagine doing a baked Alaska with one of those cakes.
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"To violate a persons ability to distinguish fact from fantasy is the epistemological equivalent of rape." Noretta Koertge
Back to my blog
Posts: 20894 | From: city of steel, butterflies and rainbows | Registered: May 2001
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Penny Lane
Shipmate
# 3086
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I do a similar pudding with ginger biscuits and cream - sometimes brandy whisked into the cream, <snip> You can also present it as a hedgehog by changing the shape and using sliced almonds as spines and currants for eyes and nose.
That sounds divine. I'll have to keep that in mind. The hedgehog sounds cute, too.
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~Penny
Posts: 1130 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2002
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KenWritez
Shipmate
# 3238
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by The Prophetess:
You made that up.
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
[ 09. October 2006, 00:27: Message edited by: KenWritez ]
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"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd." --Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction
My blog: http://oxygenofgrace.blogspot.com
Posts: 11102 | From: Left coast of Wonderland, by the rabbit hole | Registered: Aug 2002
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KenWritez
Shipmate
# 3238
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Posted
I know how foie gras is produced, veal and chicken as well. My family was in the dairy industry, after all. My conscience is untroubled when I eat these foods, so it's not an issue for me (shrug). I realize some people have different opinions and I respect them.
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"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd." --Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction
My blog: http://oxygenofgrace.blogspot.com
Posts: 11102 | From: Left coast of Wonderland, by the rabbit hole | Registered: Aug 2002
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Lynn MagdalenCollege
Shipmate
# 10651
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Posted
I don't eat veal, but primarily because I don't like the taste of it, although I'll admit I'm more disturbed by the treatment of mammals than by the treatment of birds. I would love to see a world in which factory farming was not a reality - but that's not a world that we inhabit, and hardly any can (do you know how much hard work it is, being a "farm wife"?! *yikes!*). But hey, if any of y'all want to set up your compassionate farm and massage your cattle, etc., I'll be very happy to buy from you.
Ruth's Chris Steak House (yes, Ruth bought out the existing "Chris Steak House" and stuck her name on the front) does all that - and they put butter on the steak, too... just in case it wasn't high enough in flavor and fat content!
Thanks for the recipe, Flausa - sounds yummy!
KenW, I think Anna was pulling your proverbial leg. I know, I know, we're supposed to leave your proverbial leg for the Sturdy Wench... but hey, sometimes it happens (here's hoping I'm right - at least, I though it was very funny!).
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Erin & Friend; Been there, done that; Ruth musical
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