tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30682305222840742982024-03-14T03:15:56.375-05:00CakeWalkA food blog, with occasional nods to other things made by me.rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.comBlogger414125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-31022326887495300392015-08-20T07:28:00.001-05:002015-08-20T07:29:24.101-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>I've moved! </b></h3>
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Please visit my new website at <a href="http://rcakewalk.com/">rcakewalk.com</a>.</h4>
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I will leave this blog active and the archives in place, but I have also
transferred the content to my new home where I will update from now
on. </div>
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Walk on over!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vj6qMZsy4U/VdXF_61siBI/AAAAAAAAKXw/umkLwsBs8hU/s1600/walk.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vj6qMZsy4U/VdXF_61siBI/AAAAAAAAKXw/umkLwsBs8hU/s640/walk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(<a href="http://www.theemotionmachine.com/the-power-of-walking">image</a>)</span></div>
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<br />rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-76955093214042676572015-08-06T20:17:00.000-05:002015-08-06T20:17:12.497-05:00Review: Primo Preserves & Tapenade.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Earlier this summer, I was invited to try some handmade preserves from <a href="http://yayprimo.com/" target="_blank">PRiMO</a>. I received the jars, and a charming handwritten note from the owner, and popped them into my china cupboard: excited to try them but waiting for just the right moment of inspiration to hit.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19637338853/in/datetaken-public/" title="Primo."><img alt="Primo." height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/19637338853_b0659506c6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Days passed, I admired the jars. I started the beginning of my own summer preserving, and tried to keep up with two active brothers who want nothing more than to be outdoors. Last week, I had a bit of a break when my 9-year-old was away spending a week in the country with my Mom and Dad. I have come to the conclusion that it is exhausting being interested in food when you have a picky eater. I had 6 days where I didn't have to worry one bit about what we were going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it was the best gift anyone could give me. We ate leftovers and had a rare dinner out, and I put it on the top of my list to make these jars (or part of these jars anyway) into something special to showcase them.</div>
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<a href="http://yayprimo.com/" target="_blank">PRiMO</a> is a small company in Denver, CO - and what first struck me was just how personable their PR person was. It seems the whole company is just as down to Earth - and when I tasted their food, I could see why. It's just like homemade, only with the convenience of not making it yourself. I have to admit, when I was contacted I wondered why a specialty food company would want my meager opinion of their preserves! I rarely purchase any jarred foods at all! But with a single taste of the Raspberry-Habanero preserves, I knew why. It's just really that good, and it tasted like I made it myself. Anything sweet and spicy is right up my alley (remember my obsessions with <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2011/07/strawberries-with-chiles.html" target="_blank">Strawberry-Guajillo Jam</a> and <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2010/08/jalapenos.html" target="_blank">Candied Jalapenos</a>?), and these were no exception. But as a time-saver, a gift to mail-order, or just a special indulgence, I can absolutely recommend trying out the PRiMO line of preserves and tapenades.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/20070297410/in/datetaken-public/" title="Primo Raspberry Habanero Preserves."><img alt="Primo Raspberry Habanero Preserves." height="427" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/512/20070297410_784bae6d0f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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I decided to make a jam tart with the spicy raspberry preserves, like the <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2010/11/daring-baker-challenge-november-2010.html" target="_blank">pasta frolla based crostata I had made for a Daring Baker challenge</a> 5 years ago. (5 years! Really?) When I cracked the jar to taste them, they were spicier than I thought (and I'm not complaining), so I quickly decided to alter the crostata to a cream cheese tart. I briefly par-baked the pasta frolla dough in small tart shells and then filled and finished baking them. I think they were a success - though I preferred them fresh from the oven than when they had aged in the fridge for a day or two... <br />
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The pasta frolla dough really tastes very similar to a shortbread. Any tart crust you like could easily stand in for it. Should you make the pasta frolla, be sure to save the scraps and re-roll them into cookies (dock them with a fork first). I baked a small dozen at the same time as the tarts, and enjoyed them alongside the morning coffee.<br />
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<b>Raspberry-Habanero Cream Cheese Tarts</b><br />
(4 4 1/2 inch tarts)<br />
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Pasta Frolla: (<a href="http://briciole.typepad.com/blog/" target="_blank">Simona at briciole</a>)<br />
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<li style="text-align: justify;">1/2 c. minus 1 tablespoon (100 g, 3 ½ oz) superfine sugar (I pulsed a half a dried vanilla bean with granulated sugar in the food pro)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 3/4 cup (235 g, 8 1/4 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">a heavy pinch of salt</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">grated zest of half a lemon</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">8 T. (4 oz. / 115 g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl</li>
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Pulse the sugar, flour, salt, and zest in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Empty to a large bowl and form a "well" in the top. (Basically, like how you would go about making homemade pasta.) Add the eggs into the center and beat them with a fork, incorporating flour from around the edges until it gets too difficult to use the fork. Switch to your hands, and gently knead the dough until it comes together into a ball. Form the ball into a disc and wrap in cling film. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.<br />
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To parbake, preheat oven 400. Roll the dough on a very lightly floured counter (or between plastic wrap or parchment) to about 1/8 inch thickness. Drape onto the tart tins and reposition the dough so that it isn't stretching but fully covers the bottom and sides. Press your fingers or the rolling pin across the top of the tins to remove the additional dough. (Save the scraps to re-roll for cookies, or to add decoration to the tops of the tarts prior to baking.) Place the tart shells on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until just barely browned.<br />
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<li>4 parbaked tart shells, bake them just long enough to set them and very lightly brown - recipe follows</li>
<li>4 oz. (113g.) room temperature cream cheese</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1/3 c. PRiMO Raspberry Habanero Preserves </li>
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After par-baking the tart shells, reduce the oven heat to 350.<br />
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Mix the cream cheese in a mediums sized bowl with a hand mixer until well blended. Add the eggs, and mix well, then fold in the preserves by hand using a spatula. Portion the mixture into the prebaked tart shells (bake any extra filling in a small ramekin alongside the tarts) and return to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the filling is slightly puffed around the edges and set in the center. <br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/20264135461/in/datetaken-public/" title="raspberry habanero cream cheese tarts."><img alt="raspberry habanero cream cheese tarts." height="427" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/347/20264135461_594b6d1bd1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">I liked these best when they had barely cooled to room temperature, but they were still good when chilled overnight.</span></b><br />
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For the tapenade, I decided to find some nice looking fish and bake it in parchment. One of my favorite, quick "go-to" recipes is some kind of white fish baked with olives, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and olive oil - I think it was something I read in Gourmet years and years ago. If you are nervous of cooking fish (and I usually am, since I don't cook it as much as I like), put it in parchment and into a 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes and it's perfect every time. Using a pre-made tapenade like this one, with just a hint of spice, makes it all the easier.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19637364343/in/datetaken-public/" title="Primo Chipotle Tapenade fish"><img alt="Primo Chipotle Tapenade fish" height="427" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/358/19637364343_8f300a8a55_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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You don't really need amounts for this recipe, just top fish fillets with ingredients in the proportion you like. I'll estimate my amounts for the super intrepid...<br />
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<b>Trout with Chipotle Tapenade, Tomatoes, & Sweet Peppers</b><br />
<b>3 servings </b></div>
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<li>3 fish fillets, I used lake trout, but any white fish will do</li>
<li>1 large heirloom tomato, sliced about 1/4 inch thick</li>
<li>2 sweet Italian red peppers, sliced about 1/8 inch thick </li>
<li>2-3 T. PRiMO Spicy Chipotle Tapenade</li>
<li>drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper</li>
<li>parchment paper</li>
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Preheat oven to 450.<br />
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Cut large sheets of parchment, and fold them in half (they should be large enough to encase the fillets with 1 inch to spare all the way around after they're folded), and cut them into hearts the way you used to make valentines in the 2nd grade (<a href="http://www.finecooking.com/videos/fish-in-parchment.aspx" target="_blank">here's a good tutorial</a>, and I swear, I thought about 2nd grade valentines before watching it!). Arrange a fillet on each, and top with tomato, peppers, and the tapenade. Fold the packet starting at the bottom edge and creasing incrementally on the way up around to the top. Place packets on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.<br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/20250039492/in/datetaken-public/" title="fish in parchment"><img alt="fish in parchment" height="426" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/293/20250039492_bdaf85a591_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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Alongside, I made one of the recipes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Ancient-Grains-Flavorful-Recipes/dp/1607745887/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Maria Speck's excellent new book Simply Ancient Grains</a>. I have quite a lot of rainbow chard growing, and made just a <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/20165037030/in/dateposted-public/" target="_blank">half recipe of the saffron scented yogurt </a>to top the bulgur salad she includes. Our plates seemed so full, but the food wasn't heavy at all and best of all it was ready in a very short amount of time.<br />
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It was nice having some free time to get some projects out of the way - and this project of tasting and reviewing was definitely a highlight. If you find yourself short on time, or just in need of a hostess (or personal) gift, look for PRiMO's line of handmade foodstuffs. I thoroughly enjoyed them!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclosure: PRiMO sent me the preserves and tapanade to try at no cost, but as always my honest thoughts and opinions are my own.</span></div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-37956985594582517892015-07-10T16:46:00.001-05:002015-07-10T16:46:48.083-05:00Diana Henry's Cucumber Yogurt Soup.<div style="text-align: justify;">
You might not believe that I've been meaning to write about this cold soup for more than a year. It's been about that long since I first read about it in Diana Henry's book <a href="http://amzn.com/1845338928" target="_blank">A Change of Appetite</a>. Last spring and summer I made it at least a dozen times, each time making it different and using the ingredients list as more of a suggestion. As written, it is fantastic. But it also is good using just about anything you have growing.</div>
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This soup is cold, and for someone who just can't quite warm up to chilled tomato based soups (I want to love them, I swear), this cucumber version I can't get enough of. It's better if you can make it at least several hours before eating, and it improves with a day or two of refrigeration, and no one will judge you if you pour it into a pint glass and just drink it with a straw. It makes good use of gracefully staling sourdough bread and nuts: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10646832/Cucumber-and-yogurt-soup-with-walnuts-and-rose-petals-recipe.html" target="_blank">Henry's original version</a> uses walnuts, but pecans and almonds are both useful substitutes. And someone out of yogurt could well use milk kefir, buttermilk, or sour cream as I have, all to good effect. I've never actually made it with the rose petals, chicken stock, tarragon, or white balsamic - instead a splash of floral rose flower water, dark balsamic or cider vinegar for a nuance of tang, and enough water to make it soup consistency. Click above to see the original recipe, since I will list the way I make this cold cucumber yogurt soup, with some of the things I've substituted.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19393704759/in/datetaken-public/" nbsp="" title="cucumber yogurt soup."><img alt="cucumber yogurt soup." height="640" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/343/19393704759_311e144f1e_z.jpg" width="426" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" justify="" src="/ </div>
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<b>A Riff on Diana Henry's Cucumber Yogurt Soup</b></div>
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serves 4-8 (I often make this just for myself, so I use one cucumber and the smaller amounts below. If using 2 cukes, use larger amounts of other ingredients.)</div>
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<li>1 or 2 large cucumbers. Don't peel an English cuke, but peel and seed other garden varieties.</li>
<li>1/2 - 1 c. walnuts. Or pecans or almonds. I frequently throw in a tablespoon of chia seed as well.</li>
<li>1 garlic clove, or as much garlic as you like. Henry calls for 4, but I don't like that much raw garlic.</li>
<li>scallions, walking onions, chives, or regular onions you like the flavor of raw - about 1/2-1 cup.</li>
<li>fresh dill if you are lucky and dried if you are me.</li>
<li>fresh mint, 10 leaves or so</li>
<li>4 dried pili-pili chiles. I got these from a friend and they are surprisingly hot. You can use as much or little dried chile flake as you like.</li>
<li>a 2 inch slice of sourdough bread, crusts mostly removed and torn into pieces.</li>
<li>1/2 to 1 cup yogurt. Greek yogurt or runny yogurt, or kefir, buttermilk, sour cream, or just more water if you want it to be dairy free.</li>
<li>enough water to make it a soup.</li>
<li>juice from 1/2 lemon.</li>
<li>at least 1/3 c. of olive oil. </li>
<li>1-2 T. of vinegar of some sort, wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or plain balsamic are all nice. Use a favorite.</li>
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The beauty of this soup is that it barely needs prep work. Just coarsely chop and toss everything into a blender. A high-speed blender makes extra-speedy work of it, a conventional blender may need more coercion to obtain the perfect texture. I usually blend before adding the olive oil and vinegar and add it through the top after tasting. This is a good soup to keep tasting and adding as you see fit. </div>
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If serving to others or if you are yourself not in a hurry, save bits of all the ingredients to use as garnish. I also like to garnish with things not in the soup as the mood strikes: hard boiled egg, radishes thinly slices, cherry tomatoes, baby greens from the garden... anything that strikes your fancy will likely work.</div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" data-footer="true" data-header="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19580266755/in/datetaken-public/" nbsp="" title="cucumber yogurt soup."><img alt="cucumber yogurt soup." height="426" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/417/19580266755_9672248e4d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div>
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<b>A Riff on Diana Henry's Cucumber Yogurt Soup</b></div>
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serves 4-8 (I often make this just for myself using one cucumber and the smaller amounts. Use larger amounts for 2 cucumbers and more servings. Add water to achieve the correct consistency.)</div>
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<li>1 or 2 cucumbers, unpeeled if English but peeled and seeded if a garden variety.</li>
<li>1/2 - 1 cup walnuts, pecans, or almonds, toasting optional. I also like adding chia seed on occasion.</li>
<li>1 garlic clove. Henry calls for 4, but I don't care for that much raw garlic.</li>
<li>scallions, walking onion, or any onion you enjoy raw, about 1/2 - 3/4 cup.</li>
<li>fresh dill if you're lucky, dried dill if you're me.</li>
<li>about 10-20 fresh mint leaves.</li>
<li>4-8 dried pili-pili chiles. A friend gave me these chiles that are surprisingly hot. Use any dried chile or chile flake you like.</li>
<li>a 2 inch slice (or larger) gracefully staling sourdough bread, most of the crust cut off, and torn into big pieces.</li>
<li>1/2 - 1 cup yogurt, Greek or runny yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, sour cream all work well.</li>
<li>juice of 1/2 lemon.</li>
<li>at least 1/3 cup olive oil, more for a larger portion.</li>
<li>1-2 T. vinegar of choice, balsamic, white wine, rice wine, apple cider - use something you like.</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
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The beauty of this soup is that it is all but made by tossing everything into the blender with very little prep work. If you have a high-speed blender, this is especially fast; a conventional blender might take a little more coercion to reach the right consistency. This soup is one that is best tasted several times while making and adding to your taste. </div>
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I also like to stir in any number of garnishes before serving, including any of the above ingredients that you might save aside to include on top. I also like hardboiled egg, baby garden greens, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced radishes, or other things lurking in the fridge that might need using up.<br />
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<a href="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/417/19580266755_9672248e4d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cucumber yogurt soup." border="0" height="426" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/417/19580266755_9672248e4d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the prettiest soup in person, with little flecks of bright green herb suspended in the mixture. I try not to puree it silky smooth (which I could do in my Vitamix), but leave it with some texture that lets you know that there are both bread and nuts in it. It truly is one of my favorite things, and a near perfect cold soup for hot weather.</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-41447389303097000932015-06-30T07:10:00.000-05:002015-06-30T07:10:03.133-05:00Peachy.<div style="text-align: justify;">
If polled, I think most people would agree that there isn't much better in life than a perfectly ripe peach. Maybe this is because a perfect peach is so fleeting, the window of perfect eating is gloriously small. Both over and under ripe peaches have their place fortunately, but for that split instant of perfection, one might wait all year.</div>
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Because I was raised in a rural, northern Wisconsin, our peaches came in lugs from Michigan or Colorado. My Mom canned quart upon quart to last us a whole year, something she still does and shares with me. It's a lot of work for something that can disappear so quickly - those glass quarts of peaches seem to be everyone's favorite. </div>
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I used to just drink the canned peach juice after the peaches were gone, but in the great sugar diet reduction of the past few years, I tried hard to be okay with just ditching it. Then I realized that I could be extending it by boiling the peach juice with ample amounts of ginger and then using it to flavor seltzer or other drinks. I simmer it for 10 minutes or so, with as much finely chopped ginger as I feel like, then let it cool and strain it through a nut milk bag. The summer I worked a little at my friend's cafe, we added some ginger-centric chai concentrate to coffee and were pleasantly surprised (but it was never on the menu). A touch in your coffee is a unique twist that you might end up liking! For me it was a flavor combination that at first seemed weird, but then I all of a sudden craved.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19275915191" title="peach ginger syrup. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="peach ginger syrup." height="640" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/331/19275915191_2b9e8f8a24_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As a kid, it might not have solely been my job to run down to the basement shelves to pick out a jam when we were out upstairs, but it seems like it was. And it also seems like my Mom used certain jars for certain things. I haven't asked her yet, but I feel like the peach jam was always canned in round jars - and I had totally forgotten about this until I was down in my own basement this week wrangling up half pints. I made small batches of <a href="http://foodinjars.com/" target="_blank">Marisa's</a> Salted Peach Jam (recipe in<a href="http://foodinjars.com/the-cookbook/" target="_blank"> Preserving by the Pint</a>), and just 2 1/2 jars of the<a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2014/08/peach-sriracha-butter.html" target="_blank"> Peach-Sriracha Butter</a> I can no longer live without. I canned the jam in round jars. And I thought all the while of how thankful I am for my Mom and her habit of providing me homemade peachy things for pretty much my whole life.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19261127932" title="salted peach jam. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="salted peach jam." height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/539/19261127932_752beb0a8a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Isn't that was preserving for yourself, you family, and friends is all about? Little glimpses into the past, to remember those days when you put the fruit into jars in the first place, a look back on my own childhood completely full of peanut butter and homemade jam sandwiches and who I ate those sandwiches with? Peaches then are much more than a once a year luxury; they hold some deeply rooted history underneath their fuzzy exteriors...<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19225751601" title="Untitled by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="639" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/506/19225751601_568cb1c1e3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And speaking of fuzzy exteriors, I made a pie last week without peeling the peaches. This was under advisement of <a href="http://www.bojongourmet.com/2015/06/white-nectarine-prosecco-sangria-ginger-elderflower-cookbook-announcement.html" target="_blank">the Bojon Gourmet (Alanna Taylor-Tobin), who is writing her first book</a>. Not peeling peaches for pie is a revelation, and I'm sold! I also can hardly wait to see her finished book that will feature gluten-free baked goods. It should be out next spring, and it's available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alternative-Baker-Artisanal-Reinvented-Gluten-Free/dp/1624142036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435604299&sr=8-1&keywords=alanna+taylor-tobin" target="_blank">pre-order on Amazon</a>.</div>
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The past several years, we've had a peach truck delivery at numerous locations in our area. It's called <a href="http://www.tree-ripe.com/" target="_blank">Tree-Ripe Citrus</a>, and you can find Midwest schedules and drop point locations <a href="http://www.tree-ripe.com/locations/" target="_blank">here</a>. Their peaches come from Georgia, and are reliably good. I split a case with my in-laws last Tuesday and Wednesday morning I came into the kitchen to find <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19241010566/in/dateposted-public/" target="_blank">my eater baby had bitten into 6 of them</a>. Most likely, he was looking for the perfect peach because most of them were rock hard having just been picked. He didn't yet know that he needed to wait and be patiently look them over twice daily, but maybe he somehow knew that in continuous trying he would find that perfect one. The one to drip down all over him and the one that will start him on his way to his own memories of all things peachy.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/19241006536" title="peaches. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="peaches." height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/545/19241006536_639c0fdccb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/png; border: medium none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 33px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 2804px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-34152536831035528912015-06-05T13:38:00.002-05:002015-06-05T13:38:29.293-05:00Food Update, Smoked Salmon & Ramp Tart.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Where does the time go? I feel as if I barely look at the Internet anymore, rarely read the blogs that I once read voraciously and with total vigor. I have slipped back into the old fashioned habit of cookbook reading from front to back (or did I never really abandon that notion?), devouring the written word the way God intended: inscribed into a tangible medium.</div>
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When I do have time to make the Internet rounds, I find that other people are likely as busy as I am. A handful of people I checked up on recently haven't been posting in several months, perhaps now their blogs are even defunct. Others are busy with other work and are posting less seldom. It bothers me that I don't make the time to sit in the glow of the computer and update what has been going on in my own personal world of food - especially since I've feel so happy in my kitchen lately.<br />
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My kitchen was painted in late March, and when cleaning it out, (it was off limits for 5 days when ceilings/walls were repaired before painting) I reduced my clutter. I was lucky to get a new fridge a couple weeks ago when my old one was keeping things at a balmy 60 degrees. The new one is larger inside but almost seems smaller outside, and I took the opportunity to cleanse it of years old condiments: preserved kumquats from 2011? Imported capers packed in salt that expired in 2011? Both were probably still fine to consume, but it feels so good to be lighter. It feels so good not to re-clutter the fridge, enjoy the bright light through the new shelves when I open the doors. The new fridge causes me to cook less, too. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/18429040696" title="salmon ramp tart by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="salmon ramp tart" height="426" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8887/18429040696_90592f807f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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What's that? Cook less? Probably because I am more in tune with the leftovers and I re-create things using them without needlessly making more. Believe it or not, I notice a difference in my food budget too. Being creative on what seems to be an empty fridge - but really it's never been more full. I vow not to make more condiments before I actually run out this time.</div>
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Craving smoked salmon, I picked up an 8 oz. package a couple weeks ago and somehow decided on making Megan Gordon's smoked salmon tart with a remarkable cornmeal and millet crust. It was so good I made it two weeks in a row, but adding more ramps than I did in the first rendition. One thing I noticed this year above other years is just how long ramp season is. Being a teacher caused me to spend more time outside and in the woods, and what I thought was really a fleeting 7-10 days of a season really stretches the better part of a month or more. I spent the days of ramps well, but not overdoing it... adding a single one here or there for a twist, eating <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/18450610762/in/dateposted-public/" target="_blank">really good soft cooked scrambled eggs with them butter-sauteed inside</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17834785663" title="ramp ribbons. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="ramp ribbons." height="426" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8829/17834785663_6c6ba23d9d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/18267755680" title="ramps & onions by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="ramps & onions" height="427" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8886/18267755680_72f8bd50ba_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Maybe a month ago or longer already, I came across the <a href="http://www.teamyogurt.com/" target="_blank">TeamYogurt </a>site after <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/260294053439706295/" target="_blank">a friend pinned this brilliant Nutmeg Crunch</a>. I felt so out of the loop. AND totally inspired to make heat-set yogurt again after a very long hiatus. My room temp culture had conveniently just died, so I figured I didn't have much to lose using a store bought Greek yogurt as a culture. I read <a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/yogurt.html" target="_blank">an article on the National Center for Home Food Preservation site</a> that recommended heating the milk to 200 degrees and holding it there for 20 minutes before cooling and then culturing for 7 hours. I've streamlined my process now, and it doesn't take me all that long now that I've got the hang of it again. I heat my milk to between 185-200 in a makeshift double boiler, hold it for 10 minutes, and then cool it rapidly (it only takes 5 minutes) by pouring the hot milk into the bowl I'll culture it in. Then I sink that bowl into a larger bowl of ice water and stir it infrequently for 5 minutes. It seems like a mess of bowls and timing, but it is easier done than said, and by the time I'm putting the cultured milk into the dehydrator to keep warm I'm nearly done with the clean up.<br />
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My yogurt has a gorgeous flavor now that it's several generations old - and a velvety buttermilk texture. I used it in the salmon tart.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/18455478055" title="heat set yogurt by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="heat set yogurt" height="640" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/351/18455478055_134563fdf9_z.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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Megan Gordon wrote this recipe using creme fraiche, which is also easy to make, but in the spirit of using what I have I used the yogurt. I love the texture of this tart so much. It keeps well for a few days for lunches and the ratio is sound for pretty much any ingredient you would want to add. Err on the shorter side of baking for a more custardy interior, but bake fully if you intend to pack for lunch or picnic. And if you still spy a few ramps, by all means use them in their entirety. The tart crust is just perfect. With the additional of a couple tablespoons of confectioner's sugar, I really want to make it as a base for a lemon curd. In my experience, you can never go wrong with millet!<br />
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I appreciated that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607745003?ie=UTF8&tag=randohouseinc5711-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1607745003" target="_blank">her book Whole Grain Mornings</a> was written in weights, and I made the crust using them. Her conventional measurements are also below. If you don't have ramps, make this with onions and add a clove or two of minced garlic with the onions of your choice.<br />
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<b>Smoked Salmon & Ramp Tart</b> (adapted from <a href="http://asweetspoonful.com/" target="_blank">Megan Gordon</a>)<br />
serves 4-6 as a main course (with a salad)<br />
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for the crust:<br />
<ul>
<li>65 g. (1/2 c.) cornmeal</li>
<li>90 g. (3/4 c.) white wheat or whole wheat flour (I used the Lonesome Stone Milling organic all-purpose)</li>
<li>3/4 t. kosher salt</li>
<li>85 g. (6 T.) cold butter, cut into bits</li>
<li>3-4 T. ice water</li>
<li>45 g. (1/4 c. millet) </li>
</ul>
Butter a 9 inch tart pan (or springform pan, like I used) well and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the cornmeal, wheat flour, and salt together to blend. Add bits of butter and pulse several one-second pulses until it resembles a coarse meal with bits of visible butter. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until the dough starts to hold together when you pinch it. Add the millet and pulse 2 times more to evenly distribute it. Transfer it to the buttered pan and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Cover it, and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour and up to a day.</div>
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for the tart:</div>
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<ul>
<li>olive oil</li>
<li>4-5 ramps, leaves cut into thin ribbons and bulbs/stems finely chopped</li>
<li> enough chopped onion to equal about 1/2 c. with the chopped ramps</li>
<li>1 cup whole milk</li>
<li>3 eggs</li>
<li>1/4 c. yogurt </li>
<li>1/2 t. dried dill (use a couple tablespoons of fresh if you have it) </li>
<li>1 t. kosher salt</li>
<li>black pepper to taste</li>
<li>4 oz. smoked salmon, cut into small pieces</li>
</ul>
After your crust has chilled and you're ready to bake your tart, preheat the oven to 375. Remove the chilled tart base from the fridge and place on a sheet pan. Pre-bake it for 15 minutes just to dry out the top a little bit. Meanwhile saute the chopped ramps (reserve the leafy ribbons separately) and onions in a little olive oil until just wilted and soft - 5 minutes or so. Beat the milk, eggs, and yogurt with the dill, salt, and pepper until well combined. </div>
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Spread the onions evenly over pre-baked base , then scatter the salmon pieces over evenly. Pour the eggy custard over the top and sprinkle with the ramp ribbons and more pepper if you think it needs it. Bake in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the top is set and browned to your liking.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/18455459285" title="salmon ramp tart slice by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="salmon ramp tart slice" height="480" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/279/18455459285_ee60a0aa02_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>This one is slightly underbaked to have a fluffier texture inside. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17644649274/in/dateposted-public/" target="_blank">This one I baked more completely</a>. (You can see that it almost has a cheesecake look about it, and it is pleasantly dense.)</b></span><br />
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This recipe is a keeper for so many reasons, the least of which is the absolute ease with which it comes together. It looks complicated, and it's not. It's the perfect all-in-one food. It's vegetarian without being laden with cheese. It's equally good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's exactly the type of thing that would fit nicely into the "Genius" category that I'm also so fond of lately.<br />
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Now that our school year is wrapping up, I'm looking forward to a little more online time, but I'm sure that our summer will be busier than ever. There is a lot to cram into 3 short months of warm weather! All the time I feel cursed by the convenience of the Internet. I wonder if I could ever go back to the way things were in the 90's. Conscious decisions not to be checking my phone/mail all the time are one thing, but I am not sure I could give up the convenience of the camera in my back pocket...</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-52848668845768131102015-04-29T14:36:00.001-05:002015-04-29T14:36:59.171-05:00More Cabbage? Genius.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mere moments after last weeks obsession with red cabbage slaw, I began reading a hard copy of <a href="https://food52.com/shop/products/1817-genius-recipes-signed-copy" target="_blank">Genius Recipes</a>. I missed the <a href="https://food52.com/blog/6070-fergus-henderson-s-red-salad" target="_blank">Fergus Henderson Red Salad</a> when it appeared online a couple of years ago - and who knows, I might have overlooked it by not being completely obsessed with red cabbage at the time. I'm only mentioning it because it is genius, as is the rest of the Kristen Miglore book which feels so good in the hands. With 'gestures of balsamic' and 'healthy splashes of olive oil', it is exactly the right evolution from my red slaw when plated with Greek yogurt and candied jalapenos. A short and sweet paragraph encouraging you to give it a go.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17125073029" title="red salad. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="red salad." height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8736/17125073029_bb86dabd69_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-91489901692500176602015-04-20T15:35:00.003-05:002015-04-20T15:35:45.687-05:00Purple Slaw, Spicy Baked Tofu, and Food52 Love.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I came a little late to the <a href="https://food52.com/" target="_blank">Food52</a> party, but still it's a website I've enjoyed for several years. There is always plenty of inspiration when the pantry seems bare but really is well stocked, and the community setting is comforting in the big world of Internet food. When I see something tagged with "<a href="https://food52.com/recipes/search?q=genius+recipe" target="_blank">Genius Recipe</a>" or "How to Make _____ Without a Recipe" (or <a href="https://food52.com/blog/category/177-not-recipes" target="_blank">Not Recipes</a> as they are called), I'm always sure to give particular attention. I think about cooking without recipes pretty frequently - especially since I tend to cook what I find on sale and also what needs to be used up, often on the fly during this homeschooling year. </div>
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Last week, organic purple cabbages were on sale at my food co-op and when shopping on that cool Sunday evening after a weekend out of town with my boys, I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed cilantro and a fresh hot pepper and and some kind of slaw. The next day, half of it became a medium-spicy concoction that really hit the spot. What I had originally thought would be more Asian in flavor turned out to be more Southwestern/Mexican and I couldn't get the "without a recipe" moniker out of my head. The second half of the cabbage was made into a similar slaw, only instead of letting the cabbage drain in a mixture of salt and sugar, I decided to just add some candied jalapenos and their juice. It was spicier, and even better than my first attempt. I'm pretty sure you could add anything to the slaw to make it good; just be sure to keep a rainbow of colors.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17025241818" title="Untitled by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7612/17025241818_ffe578ae7f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Purple slaw, topped with spicy baked tofu.</b></span><br />
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I'm not so good at typing up a non-recipe - they beg to be told word of mouth. Basically, toss the cabbage and salt (and a tad of sugar if you want it nuanced with sweetness) together (you could add the peppers and carrots to the salted mix if you like, or if you forget add them after). Let it stand at room temp for an hour to draw out some moisture. Then drain it well and add the rest of the ingredients. You can omit the mayo and use Vegenaise, or skip the creamy mayo component altogether and use a couple tablespoons of cider or rice vinegar. Just taste and go with it! It tastes better after it sits a day, and stays remarkably crunchy for nearly a week.<br />
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<b>Purple Slaw</b> (vegetarian, vegan option)</div>
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serves 4-6 depending on serving size</div>
<ul>
<li>1/2 head of small purple cabbage (about 1 lb.), cut into quarters and thinly sliced</li>
<li>about 1 t. kosher salt </li>
<li>1/2 red bell pepper (or more), thinly sliced</li>
<li>1-2 carrots, peeled and grated</li>
<li>1/2 small bunch of cilantro, minced</li>
<li>1-2 small hot peppers, thinly sliced (or several slices of <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2010/08/jalapenos.html" target="_blank">candied jalapeno</a> and a tablespoon of their brine, minced if desired</li>
<li>1-2 spoonfuls mayonnaise (I like Hain Safflower mayo despite the non-health benefits of that particular vegetable oil...) </li>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17028141749" title="spicy baked tofu. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="spicy baked tofu." height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7654/17028141749_d6f48500c3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Baked tofu is another non-recipe. I used to follow a more rigid approach to baked tofu, but recently I've been making it this way with exceptional results. I cut a 1 pound block of firm tofu into two even slabs, press it for at least a half hour but usually longer in a makeshift contraption of dish towels and plates and weights (cast iron pans). Then I slice the drained tofu again into 4 total slices. In the bottom of a baking dish, drizzle in a fair amount of sriracha, an equal amount of maple syrup (or honey), and roughly the same amount of olive oil. Turn to fully coat, add a little salt and pepper if you feel like it, and let it sit overnight if you want - or just bake it at 425 right away. I've been using my toaster oven to bake, which probably runs a little hotter than 425 due to the compact baking space. I just watch it, and turn it about halfway through. When it looks done, it's done. I like nibbling it warm, or cubing it cold and adding it to other things. Like the purple slaw (picture above), or these spring rolls I made for lunch today using the same slaw and more candied jalapenos... I am totally remembering these for picnic season.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17026548158" title="purple slaw spring rolls by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="purple slaw spring rolls" height="427" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8818/17026548158_b702e69b09_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last week, I used a spicy tofu slice in a grilled sandwich which is also worth noting! I had a few tablespoons of leftover red chard from the night before (just fried in olive oil with shallot - I'm always surprised at how good greens are this way, and I shouldn't be), some avocado, and sourdough with the crusts cut off and spread on the outside with mayo. Last summer, Food52 highlighted <a href="https://food52.com/blog/10792-gabrielle-hamilton-s-grilled-cheese-sandwiches" target="_blank">Gabrielle Hamilton's method for grilled cheese</a>, which was the way a friend of mine made grilled sandwiches more than a decade ago but I had forgotten about it. It was a wonderful sandwich.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17212995555" title="Untitled by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8809/17212995555_9a9d26031e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>That's a sprinkling of those Urfa Biber chile flakes I'm still obsessed with...</b></span><br />
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While spreading the Food52 love around, I will mention the latest book to come from their collective: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Food52-Genius-Recipes-That-Change/dp/1607747979/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429561485&sr=1-1&keywords=food52+genius+recipes" target="_blank">the Genius Recipes book</a>. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my list. It includes things like Marella Hazan's tomato sauce and Michael Ruhlman's chicken. Simple things that always work and are always good - and now all found in one tome. I don't really need to read it before being sold on it. Genius is genius.</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-63563068384452087112015-04-08T17:07:00.000-05:002015-04-08T17:07:51.795-05:00Whole Wheat Banana Bread.<div style="text-align: justify;">
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As much as I love long and slow bread, there is ample room in my heart for quick breads. Nailing down a favorite would prove difficult: I have spent sleepless nights envisioning almond poppy seed bread or lemon poppy seed bread, I've picked up my walking pace to get home and make <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/01/sunday-brunch-dorie-greenspans-oatmeal-breakf-1.html" target="_blank">Dorie's Oatmeal Breakfast Bread</a>. A few weeks back I caught a nasty flu bug and lost my appetite for the better part of two weeks. The experience left me completely over sugar. It's weird; I still have absolutely no taste for anything sweet (though <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16851081817/" target="_blank">this berry trifle I made for Easter dinner</a> did hit the spot I admit...). Five pounds lighter as I head into spring is a good thing I suppose, and with that new-found lightness I went back to my baking schedule slashing sugars even more than before. I'm wondering if it will stick and I'll turn into one of those people who don't look so forward to dessert...</div>
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B.S. (before sickness), I had devoured two baking books: Ovenly by Erin Patinkin and Agatha Kulaga and Huckelberry by Zoe Nathan. I baked quite a bit from each, admiring both equally for their creative flavors and make ahead ease. I can't quite get over the Ovenly adaptation of Mollie Katzen's whole wheat banana bread, which I in turn adapted further and have been making weekly. My boys like it so well I haven't been able to branch out from banana, but I would really like to try it with pineapple puree that's been well drained. The fruit and maple syrup make it plenty sweet, so I cut out the sugar all together and no one's the wiser. And of course, extra virgin olive oil is standing in nicely for the recommended flavorless oil.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16851064267" title="whole wheat banana bread by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="whole wheat banana bread" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7649/16851064267_109912d0c4_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<b>Whole Wheat Banana Bread</b> (adapted from Ovenly)</div>
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1 loaf</div>
<ul>
<li>2 bananas, mashed to equal 1 cup</li>
<li>3/4 c. whole wheat flour</li>
<li>3/4 c. ap flour</li>
<li>1/4 c. flaxseed meal </li>
<li>1 T. baking powder</li>
<li>1 1/2 t. baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 t. kosher salt</li>
<li>1/2 c. maple syrup, preferably dark</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1 t. vanilla</li>
<li>1/3 c. Greek yogurt (regular yogurt or buttermilk also works, sour cream was suggested)</li>
</ul>
Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the center. Grease a 10x4 (or 9x5) loaf pan with butter and set aside.<br />
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In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the maple syrup with the eggs, olive oil, and vanilla until well blended. Add the yogurt and mashed banana and whisk until nearly smooth.<br />
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Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, taking care not to over mix. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely. Try to resist slicing it until it has cooled at least 1 hour.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/17056999682" title="whole wheat banana bread by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="whole wheat banana bread" height="427" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8779/17056999682_0a43e35a7b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm pretty sure the best way to eat this is with a good amount of butter, and it's your call if you would like to toast it first. If you forgot to buy salted butter like I did last time I was shopping, just sprinkle the top with a little flaky salt. This bread ages very well, the wheat flavor deepening and the flax becoming more nutty tasting the next day. Stored at room temperature, you can easily keep it for 4 days or so - it would likely fare longer if stored in the refrigerator. You could easily add nuts, but I like the soft texture without them for a change of pace.</div>
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<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary">We had one warm week last month, enough of a breath to carry us through the early part of spring that seems perpetually cool and damp. It's good quick bread weather for a while yet and I don't mind. Once the world heats up, I don't have the craving for fast bakery like I do just now. Then I like to let the warmer weather work its magic on the wild yeast and daydream of baking outdoors in an earth oven. Meanwhile we're keeping an eye on the daffodils and magnolia trees, eagerly anticipating the first of the chives which miraculously seem to have grown overnight due to the rain. Sometimes it's easy to wish away this type of weather, but all too soon summer will arrive and I'll wish for these cool, dreary days! Better make some more coffee, slice some bread, and enjoy it while I can.</span></div>
rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-91584334446840099722015-03-18T13:27:00.001-05:002015-03-18T13:27:58.601-05:00Old is new again: Chocolate Olive Oil Bundt Cake.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don't spend so much time around adults. Because of this, I find that I carry on whole conversations with myself in my head. As I'm washing the dishes I think about recipes, where things originate and who changed them to accommodate what was in hand. I'll waiver my opinion if necessity was the mother of invention, or if times changed and so did palates. I'll wonder just how many times the same chocolate cake was recycled and made new. And then I'll revisit my stacks of old timey recipes and see what I would do differently or if I would even bother making half of them anymore.</div>
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I don't make nearly as much dessert as I used to (although it would seem that is usually what I end of writing about), and when I do feel the need to make something I slash the sugar mercilessly. I almost make a point to see how much I can cut before a boy will notice, and to my endless amazement it never happens. They see chocolate. They eat. Maybe that is just the way our brains work. (That also works with adding vegetables into chocolate covered things: zucchini, squashes, carrots, and beets have all been eaten this way too, none the wiser.)</div>
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I might not have a knack for a lot of things, but I have the uncanny ability to remember desserts that were eaten and enjoyed and who ate them and enjoyed them. My special skill allows me to recall then that the last time I made this recipe, a faded photocopy of a Hershey's chocolate bundt cake that my mom wrote upon in her perfect penmanship her mark of highest approval "very good!", was in 2011 when we had a houseful of my husband's friends over to watch the Pacquaio/Marquez fight. For that occasion I didn't cut the sugar or use olive oil, I made it pretty much as directed and frosted it with melted chocolate chips. And it was eaten completely. But my tastes have changed since 2011, and one thing that I find myself loving even more than less sugar is olive oil and chocolate together. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16788488886" title="olive oil chocolate bundt. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="olive oil chocolate bundt." height="479" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8753/16788488886_3edd3693a8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For at least the last year, pretty much every time I see a baked good call for canola or sunflower oil - any "flavorless" oil really -I use olive oil instead. I never worry about the density or richness of olive oil overpowering things... and maybe because I love the flavor of good olive oil so much it never does. I am able to find the once elusive <a href="http://www.californiaoliveranch.com/" target="_blank">California Olive Ranch</a> oil easily now, and it is my baking staple.<br />
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This cake lasts well for about 4 days if covered well. I generally store cake at room temperature, and this one develops better flavor on the second day - although the texture is really very nice the day it is baked. You would do well to serve this sans frosting and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or just dusted with powdered sugar. I made half of the recommended amount of frosting "glaze", which is glossy when first topped and then dries matte. Beating the batter well causes the cake to dome up (as seen in the picture above), but when inverted it isn't noticeable. <br />
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<b>Chocolate Olive Oil Bundt Cake</b> (adapted from Hershey's)<br />
serves 8-12<br />
<ul>
<li>1 2/3 c. ap flour</li>
<li>scant 1 c. sugar</li>
<li>1/2 c. cocoa powder (I use a blend of natural and dutch cocoa)</li>
<li>1-2 t. espresso powder, optional </li>
<li>1 1/2 t. baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 t. baking powder</li>
<li>1 t. kosher salt</li>
<li>1/2 c. olive oil </li>
<li>1 1/2 c. buttermilk</li>
<li>1 t. vanilla</li>
</ul>
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Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan and set aside.</div>
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Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder (if using), baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Measure olive oil, buttermilk, and vanilla into a smaller bowl, and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer (or by hand if you like) for a full 3 minutes, making sure the sides are scraped well into the batter.</div>
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Pour into prepared pan, and bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting and allowing to cool completely before frosting.</div>
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<b>Chocolate Glaze</b></div>
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(double this amount for a thicker topping)</div>
<ul>
<li>2 T. sugar</li>
<li>2 T. water</li>
<li>1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
Bring the sugar and water to a just boil in a small saucepan, stirring to be sure the sugar is dissolved completely. Remove from the heat and stir in chocolate chips, stirring well with a spatula to melt them evenly. Immediately spoon (or spatula) the thick glaze onto fully cooled cake.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16192009804" title="olive oil chocolate bundt. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="olive oil chocolate bundt." height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7611/16192009804_cdd4c0b602_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have no completed cake picture. In part because I didn't feel like setting up a tripod in the fading light just before the daylight savings time change... but also in part because I feel the increasing need to only photograph things when I feel like it. Another thing I think about when washing dishes is if there are any food bloggers that can tell stories without the aid of photography? While the two go hand in hand, sometimes it's more important to just eat the end results and be satisfied with the enjoyment of cake. Especially when they have been few and far between.</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-33226515448394433022015-02-06T16:01:00.000-06:002015-02-07T10:01:31.679-06:00Decades, Sprouted Wheat.<div style="text-align: justify;">
In two weeks, I'll have been married for a decade. A decade. That frame of time seems both long and short as I look back over it. Time in general has started to feel completely relative in nature: in perpetual fast forward as I look at my boys growing bodies day by day, in slow motion as I watch things in the kitchen sprout and grow, in stubborn reverse as I look back over the things that might have been or could have been if events hadn't played out the way they did. </div>
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A decade, almost all of it full of slow food and homemaking as a profession. I don't know many who do their taxes and put "homemaker" down in the box - every year I think of that. The term, also in print on my boys' birth certificates, seems antiquated and humbling and yet it is the thing I am most proud of. I never dreamed I'd even have children let alone have the autonomy to watch them closely every day, hold onto the minutes, the hours, the years and try (at times) to remember to not wish them away. I never knew how happy tending a home full time would make me, and I worry that if I ever had to be doing something else full time it would kill me. I watch over my home, the center of which is (of course) this kitchen, and there is nothing else I'd rather be doing.</div>
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Another relationship began 5 years ago, the one involving wild yeast. That relationship parallels the ones with my husband and children in <span class="dbox-bold" data-syllable="per·plex·ing·ly, "><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">perplexingly</span></span> similar ways. Living, breathing, growing, changing, I can't neglect it and I can't ever predict it. Just when I think things are going horribly, out pops a tremendous and amazing reminder that slow and steady wins the race. That glorious things can come from strange circumstance.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16271282038" title="sprouted wheat, Ball jar. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sprouted wheat, Ball jar." height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/16271282038_69465cc4e5_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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In the new batch of cookbooks rented, I've been enjoying Peter Reinhart's Bread Revolution. It focuses on sprouted wheat breads both with conventional yeast and wild yeast and also a host of quick bread and baked good recipes using sprouted grain flours. When I had first sprouted my own wheat a few years back, I couldn't get over the flavor of it - but I did notice the difference in how it baked. Reinhart of course is able to explain this better than I ever could, and leave it to him to come up with a whole book full of recipes highlighting how to use it in the very best way.<br />
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Sprouted sourdough almost seems redundant. After all the process of culturing regular flour with the wild yeast innoculant renders the whole loaf already easier to digest, a true whole and fermented food. Before reading about it, I never thought the result would be that much better but boy was I wrong! The flavor is incredible; it's wheaty, earthy, and almost sweet. It makes the best toast I've ever eaten.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15836448114" title="sprouted wheat berries by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sprouted wheat berries" height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/15836448114_c5f5a79892_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16273072987" title="sprouted wheat flour by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sprouted wheat flour" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/16273072987_f5af3014bf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The dough seems harder to work with, it's stickier (Reinhart advises oiling your hands, but I just used water and folded the dough in the bowl I mixed in rather than putting it on the counter each time) and more "relaxed" in feel than dough made with regular flour. I didn't pay good attention to the time when I began and had to get up in the night to form my dough into a loaf - and then rather than set more nighttime alarms, I decided to cold proof it in the fridge until morning. All of my variables and I was sure the bread wouldn't be anything to speak of, but like sourdough always does it surprised me with it's wonderfulness.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16271257378" title="009 :: 02.04.15 by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="009 :: 02.04.15" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7317/16271257378_61bb0cfc4b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Click the photo to read the baking notes.</b></span></div>
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Isn't that always the way? The bread always changes the rules just when you think you know it all. And there is always, always something more to learn. I made this loaf alongside a whiter one, plain sourdough as I'm used to making. The boys all wanted this one before the other and it really was that unique. When toasted, it became brittle and almost graham like. There is just the heel left, and I'm saving it for breakfast tomorrow with more marmalade. I will eat it slowly and plot my next sprouted baking experience.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15836446574" title="sprouted toast. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sprouted toast." height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7440/15836446574_2f962eda4a_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>I still can't decide if I should make another batch of the kumquat & blood orange marmalade...</b></span></div>
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I seem to save the heels of bread to toast and eat myself, like I save up all the small moments in my day to day family life that one day I'll likely use to comfort and warm myself. In another decade, my oldest boy will likely be out of the house and the growing baby boy will be almost a teenager. I will be greyer and telling more tales of bread, hopefully still learning more and more about it. </div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-57475450114222892352015-02-01T20:26:00.000-06:002015-02-01T20:26:19.357-06:00Kumquat & Blood Orange Marmalade.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've had marmalade on the brain. It kind of started with the several jars of it still left on the shelves from last year around this time. It was a good and bitter marmalade, but very soft set - runny even - and I was not grabbing it for my toast as I thought I would. The thing about old jars on the shelf is that they translate as food clutter to me, and I feel true guilt about it. Fortunately, a conversation with <a href="http://mostlyfoodstuffs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Deena</a> some time ago led me to remember that her friend used up old marmalade in granola so that's what I did. I strained out the citrusy bits and subbed it for the honey or maple syrup. It's good granola: a not stop-dead-in-your-tracks good, but more of a serviceable good. And it's nice and crunchy too. It will not be a bother to eat.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16233564400" title="marmalade granola by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="marmalade granola" height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7359/16233564400_0f81597656_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It seems with less time to do actual experiments in the kitchen, I have more time to daydream about what I would do if I did have the time. I think about what ingredients I'd like to work with and which flavors I'd combine, and then when the time presents itself I'm more than ready to make the most of it. I'd been thinking about combining kumquats and blood oranges for weeks now, since I first saw the two of them popping up on my grocery trips. I wanted to add chiles too because we all know that I'm a complete sucker for sweet and spicy things. Late last week I finally got my kumquats and blood oranges, and on Friday night after the boys were all in bed I got to begin my 2015 marmalade.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16233312798" title="blood oranges. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="blood oranges." height="426" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8600/16233312798_8be6e17996_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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This marmalade may exist in some form somewhere else, but if it does, I don't know about it because I did absolutely no research on it. I combined techniques I've read about and done in the past with the wisdom of Linda Ziedrich's ratios, and am beyond pleased with the result. This marmalade is a good balance of sweet and tart and doesn't really read as bitter the way some marmalades do. As a bonus, it's also a gorgeous color. <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16235055577" title="kumquat blood orange marmalade by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="kumquat blood orange marmalade" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7316/16235055577_391ebfd93c_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I started tasting a variety of dried chiles after I tasted the sugared blood orange juice/kumquat and orange peel mixture. My original thought was to use guajillos (my favorite) or mulato chiles but I didn't want to overpower the pretty unique citrus flavor going on. Then I turned to my new favorite chile flake the <a href="http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/urfa-biber-turkish-chile-pepper" target="_blank">Urfa Biber</a> and decided it was just a little too strong. I settled on <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15799153564%22%20title=%22new%20aleppo%20pepper%20by%20R%20Gagnon,%20on%20Flickr%22%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/15799153564_c529915b3e_z.jpg%22%20width=%22640%22%20height=%22480%22%20alt=%22new%20aleppo%20pepper%22%3E%3C/a%3E" target="_blank">New Aleppo</a>, which has a spicy, almost strawberry flavor to it. I'm calling it New Aleppo after <a href="http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2014/05/16/a-brutal-war-destroys-a-city-and-a-spice/" target="_blank">reading this article on how the Aleppo now available from northern Syria is unfortunately impossible to get</a>. It's a horribly sad thing, for more reasons that just the loss of a spice. <br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16235094917" title="kumquats & blood oranges by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="kumquats & blood oranges" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7435/16235094917_0ac3f8c791_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16394992046" title="kumquat blood orange marmalade (2) by R Gagnon, on
Flickr"><img alt="kumquat blood orange marmalade
(2)" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7299/16394992046_6c3e1fa627_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </b></span></div>
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Begin the day before you'd like to can and use organic citrus if possible.</div>
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<b>Kumquat & Blood Orange Marmalade</b><br />
makes about 2 1/2 pints <b><br /></b></div>
<ul>
<li>1 lb. blood oranges</li>
<li>10-12 oz. kumquats</li>
<li>5 cups filtered water, divided</li>
<li>4 cups granulated sugar</li>
<li>1 t. Aleppo pepper (optional but encouraged)</li>
</ul>
Wash all the citrus well. Peel the blood oranges with a potato peeler, leaving behind the white pith. Slice the peel into the thinnest shreds you can and place them in a large preserving pot. Quarter the remaining oranges, pith and all, and pop them into a smaller pot with 2 cups of water. Bring them to a boil, lower to a simmer and cover them with a lid. Cook for 30-45 minutes until they are fully soft and can be easily mashed with a masher. Let them cool slightly. Meanwhile:</div>
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Slice the kumquats as thin as possible into rounds. Nick out any seeds and save them on the side. Add the kumquat slices to the orange shreds in the preserving pot, tie up the seeds in a small piece of cheesecloth, and add 3 cups water. Bring the pot up to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit overnight at room temperature.<br />
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When cool enough to handle, pour the mashed blood orange into a jelly bag (or similar) and allow to drain for awhile. (If you get impatient as I do, squeeze the bag to glean as much juice as possible in a shorter amount of time. Generally, this isn't something canners recommend since it can cause cloudy preserves - but I'd always rather have the quantity that the clarity!) Transfer the juice to a jar and refrigerate until you are ready to continue.<br />
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Ready jars, lids, rings, and a boiling water bath. Add the blood orange juice, sugar, and Aleppo pepper to the preserving pot (you should have 4 - 4 1/2 cups of total liquid), stirring well over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Then bring the mixture up to a boil over medium high heat. Stir regularly at first and constantly towards the end. Heat to 220 degrees or to desired set on a cold spoon or plate. Take the pot off the heat and let it stand 5 minutes before ladling into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then remove the canning pot from the heat and let the jars stand in the water for 5 minutes before transferring to a towel-lined countertop.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16235618717" title="blood orange juice by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="blood orange juice" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/16235618717_41e92484b1_z.jpg" width="426" /></a> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>I was surprised at
how colorful it the blood orange juice remained. At the bottom you can
see the sediment that comes from squeezing the jelly bag, I figured it
was good pectin and I suspect I was right.</b></span></div>
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When researching my book, I consulted with the Master Preserver at the extension office in Madison about sterilizing jars. I never used to sterilize jars in boiling water before canning sweet preserves, and she advised me that this is not the proper thing to do - or at least proper for sweet (non-vinegar) things that are processed 10 minutes or less. Ever since then, I dutifully put my clean jars in my water bath as the water is coming up to a boil and I let them simmer away until filling them. I still always wonder just how many people do this, but I always then suppose it's not really adding that much work to a small batch of preserves.</div>
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I might have to make time for another small batch of this marmalade since it was so good I ate almost half of a little 4 oz. jar at breakfast time today. But maybe I'll just appreciate the small batch I have and not over preserve. I do seem to be eating less and less sweet preserves, and not because I don't whole-heartedly love them. Maybe something else will spark my interest in the next few weeks of winter and I can daydream my way into another good combination. I had better save some room on the shelf for that.</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-84174390821953953712015-01-11T13:02:00.003-06:002015-01-11T13:02:59.800-06:00Apple Hazelnut Blueberry Muffins. And, organization.<div style="text-align: justify;">
2015 is off to a good start. Late last year, I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/1607747308/davidleboviswebs" target="_blank">Marie Kondo's bestselling book</a> on organization after <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/12/holiday-gift-guide-for-2014/" target="_blank">David Lebovitz mentioned it online</a>. It's the kind of book that repeats itself for emphasis, but I didn't mind it. I took away a lot of good advice, and have taken to paring down tons of worldly possessions that aren't doing me any good and might do someone else better.</div>
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Harder than getting rid of paper and toy clutter is getting rid of clothes. I HATE shopping for clothes, and really it's not a stretch to say I can't recall the last time I shopped for clothes (not counting the desperation trips to the super thrift right down the street), so I tend to packrat them even if I don't figure I'll ever wear them again. Inspired, I did get rid of some clothes but, it's harder still for me to part with t-shirts. Some upwards of 20 years old, t-shirts are my fashion life. At least most of them are now filed in an orderly fashion in my drawers, <a href="http://youtu.be/bs7Lk6WOM7Y?list=PLulYOXes3ap47u7tCgQkrne1Y-HxlbKaQ" target="_blank">folded just one more time in half</a> than my previous t-shirt fold has saved me tons of space in my dresser - I have room in my dresser that I never knew existed. Thank you David Lebovitz. Your power of suggestion has saved my (organizational) life.</div>
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In addition to well organized sock and t-shirt drawers, I took another organized cue and started my new year with a solemn vow to make sure my kitchen is completely tidied up before going to bed. The kitchen is my domain; I spend almost my whole day in it, or the attached dining room where my son is doing his schooling work. It's a pleasant, south-facing space that has good light and is generally fairly clean. But I am of the ilk that does not dry her dishes but rather waits for them to dry. I do other things when they dry, but I do not take out a towel and dry them. I'm stubborn that way. I realized that having to empty the dish rack in the morning and then tidy the rest of the kitchen/dining area was causing me stress before our school day even began. </div>
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After a week of spotlessness before bed, I can attest that I feel better coming into my space in the morning. It makes for more peaceful breakfasts, and helps the day get off to a good start. It just makes me happy in general not to be thinking about how I should scrub out the sink as my kid is trying to do his math. (I also let the breakfast dishes dry in the rack, but before starting on lunch, I start with a clean space again. I find I'm doing less dishes this way too - just 3 times a day instead of what seemed like endlessly.) </div>
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Other things making me happy in general are muffins. Muffins are not usually something I get overly excited about - they are utilitarian and something I usually make out of necessity (even though that never stops me from trying to find really good ones). Ordinarily I'd rather make tea cakes or quick breads, anything in a loaf pan really and I'm not sure why. Muffins have a good place in a kitchen with kids, that's for sure. And having a supply of them for the inevitable snack request is just good thinking as a parent I guess.</div>
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I've been enjoying the recipes in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Grain-Mornings-Breakfast-Recipes-Seasons/dp/1607745003/ref=as_sl_pd_tf_ssw?&linkCode=wss&tag=cake035-20" target="_blank">Whole Grain Mornings</a> (Megan Gordon) for weeks now. It's a great book of breakfasty inspiration, which I kind of need in the box-cereal free environment that I've created for ourselves. We eat plenty of oatmeal and other porridge, but I don't break out of my smoothie mold easily, and I've that one particular son that is so picky. The book is arranged by season, and the winter season is where I began, making Morning Glory Oatmeal (steel cut oats, carrot, raisins, coconut, why didn't I think of that??) and Pear Hazelnut Oat Muffins. Those muffins! I first made them in my clean kitchen before bed, getting the ingredients measured (the whole book has metric weights! YES!) for quick morning assembly. I got 15 muffins instead of 12, and we ate them by the multiples. When warm, like a portable bowl of comforting oatmeal and when cool like moist slices of cake. Like any quick-bready recipe, I cut the sugar in half and didn't miss it at all. And then I started playing around with the flavors. I'm fairly certain anything you add to these muffins will be a good idea.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16217103401" title="apple blueberry hazelnut muffins. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="apple blueberry hazelnut muffins." height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7560/16217103401_2028227f94_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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I actually only topped some of my muffins with nuts instead of baking them inside as Megan suggests. The baby likes nuts and isn't allergic, but I'm not too fussy with chopping so I then have to pick through the whole muffin as he eats it. My older boy doesn't care for hazelnuts (I know, right? More for me.) so I put them only on the top of some of them as a solution for us all. I like how they get all naturally toasted, and it's like staking a claim to as many muffins as I like. Or as many muffin tops as I like.<br />
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Megan reduces the oven heat immediately after adding the muffins to the oven. I didn't do this, and in several batches the muffins were all fine. You may choose to lower to 375 after the muffins hit the oven if you want.<br />
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<b>Apple Hazelnut Blueberry Muffins</b> (adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Grain-Mornings-Breakfast-Recipes-Seasons/dp/1607745003/ref=as_sl_pd_tf_ssw?&linkCode=wss&tag=cake035-20" target="_blank">Megan Gordon</a>)<br />
makes about 15 muffins <br />
<ul>
<li>75 g. (3/4 c.) rolled oats</li>
<li>120 g. (1 c.) AP flour (I used wheatier <a href="http://www.lonesomestonemilling.com/Products.html" target="_blank">Lonesome Stone AP</a>, which is like a white whole wheat) </li>
<li>60 g. (1/2 c.) whole wheat pastry flour</li>
<li>3/4 t. baking soda</li>
<li>2 t. baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 t. cardamom</li>
<li>1/2 t. freshly ground nutmeg</li>
<li>3/4 t. kosher salt</li>
<li>215 g. (1 c.) peeled and shredded apple - 1-2 apples (do the shredding just before assembling to prevent browning)</li>
<li>62 g. (1/3 c.) granulated sugar </li>
<li>85 g. (6 T.) unsalted butter</li>
<li>240 ml. (1 c.) yogurt/milk mixture (she calls for buttermilk, I make the milk about the thickness of buttermilk)</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 1/2 t. vanilla</li>
<li>1 c. blueberries fresh or frozen (add frozen still frozen and not defrosted) </li>
<li>hazelnuts enough to top muffins, about 2 T. chopped nuts per muffin</li>
</ul>
Preheat the oven to 425, line muffin tin with liners or butter them well if you prefer. <br />
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In a small bowl, combine oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Mix well to combine. </div>
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Melt the butter over low heat, and shred the apple. Put the sugar in a large bowl that will become your mixing bowl. Add the butter, and stir well to combine and start to dissolve the sugar. Then, whisk in the yogurt/milk (or buttermilk), eggs, vanilla, and shredded apple. Add the dry ingredients and fold/stir it in gently. Finally fold in the blueberries.<br />
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Fill the muffin tins almost to the top. Top with coarsely chopped nuts if desired, and bake 22-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely. The texture of the muffin changes as it cools - it sets up more as it gets cooler. I've had good luck keeping them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16241225685" title="hazelnuts. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="hazelnuts." height="426" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8585/16241225685_7907b594db_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In a way, this recipe reminds me of <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/01/sunday-brunch-dorie-greenspans-oatmeal-breakf-1.html" target="_blank">Dorie Greenspan's Breakfast Bread</a>, which includes applesauce and oats (and I also make it with half the sugar, and just a nut topping). She calls the bread "almost puddinglike" inside and these muffins, at least while warm, would remind you of that description. I would expect you could use fruit sauces instead of the shredded fruit, especially if baking by weight. I'll probably try using applesauce or pearsauce or maybe even pureed mango or something. I do know for certain that I'm not done with these muffins.<br />
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Can a muffin make you more organized? I like to think so. Having that little, generally nutritious something to pop in a hungry mouth on a whim is pretty nice. I might make a point of more muffins, and maybe even stashing some in the freezer. I got away from muffin freezing because I tended not to grab them and then months would pass and I'd discard my labors. But with muffins this good, there's no need to freeze. For breakfast, snack, or even as a dessert, they have helped my year get off the ground in a very nice way. A nicely, organized way!</div>
rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-6691204128093429852014-12-31T14:29:00.000-06:002015-01-08T21:11:43.278-06:00"A pep talk for wilted saladmakers."<div style="text-align: justify;">
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"A pep talk for wilted saladmakers" was what Mollie Katzen hand wrote into her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Broccoli-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081266/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420056721&sr=1-1&keywords=enchanted+broccoli+forest" target="_blank">Enchanted Broccoli Forest</a> cookbook all those years ago. 12 years after she wrote it, I picked up a copy at a local bookstore, I was barely 18 and a burgeoning vegetarian. I cooked through both of her handwritten books for years, and still pick them up when in need of inspiration. Or in need of a pep talk for my wilted saladmaking. </div>
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To me, salads (like sandwiches) are always best when someone else makes them for you. The love that goes into something so simple, or just really good ingredients that have been treated nicely so that they reciprocate: that can't be faked. And I swear that if a friend or restaurant makes me a salad it's better by far than one coming from my own hands.</div>
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I likely ate a record number of vegetables in 2014. I ate them steamed and raw, roasted, braised, and fried. But very seldom do I make a proper "salad". I know this is true when last week I had a lot of leftover salad greens and made a salad for supper and my husband said, "Wow. A salad." (And he ate every biteful I loaded onto his plate.) And the reason I had made the salad in the first place was that when I had friends visiting, E told me she's been favoring a honey mustard vinaigrette - so I made one up for lunch that we compiled of greens and roasted veggies, some cheese and chopped prosciutto. Man that salad was good. Probably because I only helped with the salad, and I was surrounded by good company. I had extra vinaigrette, and we ate it and then I made more for Christmas Day. It was good a vinaigrette. I will write it down in a minute.</div>
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In November, I met my friend <a href="http://mostlyfoodstuffs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Deena</a> in Chicago at we ate at Little Goat Diner. I had been to the diner once before, and couldn't wait to go back. We shared a salad called <a href="http://illuminechicago.com/2014/03/13/the-little-goat-shares-with-illumine-the-chickpea/" target="_blank">the Chickpea</a>, which when read looks like a plain old salad. I mean, you expect when reading the ingredients of a salad to just get a bowl of vegetables and then dutifully eat them... even when you also know that eating a "salad" in a good environment, made by talented people and enhanced by the company of a good friend is going to blow you away. That salad came out in a gigantic bowl in front of us and I am still thinking of it to this day. </div>
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In December, I ate a salad at <a href="http://goodkindbayview.com/" target="_blank">a newer local restaurant</a> with one of my best friends. We didn't know how much food to order and at the last second added on a salad to our order. Again, I didn't expect to have a plate of salad overtake me for weeks after. The ingredients were: Shaved Brussel Sprouts | Honeycrisp Apple | Pecans | Balsamic Shallots | Blue Cheese Croutons | Roasted Garlic Dressing. More garlic than I've eaten in one place at one time in just about forever and it was definitely the plate we licked the cleanest. If I frizzled up a bunch of shallots, broke out my mandoline for brussel sprout shaving, and used my own bread for croutons I couldn't mimic that salad I don't believe. </div>
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If anyone did, I needed a pep talk for wilted saladmakers.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/16157933285" title="chile olives by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="chile olives" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7480/16157933285_6de5d89be3_c.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Maybe the dining events of the past 2 months have challenged me to want to make a really good salad, one that could stand on its own and be eaten a number of ways. (It could also be that I am so sick of sweets that I can hardly wait for the calendar to change tomorrow and I can impose self-induced sugar-freedom.) This salad is one I am happy with. I thought all morning about eating it for lunch today (the baby liked it too - the chickpea part anyway... he can actually say "chickpea", which is all the more endearing), after eating a different version last night. It's the kind of thing that gets better with age. Keep the components in separate containers and have instant breakfast, lunch, or dinner with very little fuss.<br />
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Chile olives are among my most treasured things. My co-op used to carry them, and they haven't now for several months. I was overjoyed to find them at Whole Foods, even if sometimes it means making a trip there just to get the blasted olives. I'm sure you could substitute other brined olives and some chile flakes of your choosing. The dressing for the chickpeas is versatile and can be used in other things. It keeps as well as all homemade dressings do when stashed in the fridge, for a week or so.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15970620580" title="chickpea salad. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="chickpea salad." height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7531/15970620580_ebdcb9ae99_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last night I ate this salad with buttered sourdough toast and topped with runny-yolked fried eggs for supper, and today I ate it just plain for lunch. I'd imagine it would be good in a number of different ways as well, including being wrapped up in a tortilla or another piece of lettuce of some sort. I'm a big fan of the kale salad Dr. Weil popularized; even though kale's superstardom is waning just slightly, massaged kale salad is still good and makes an awesome pizza topping and omelet filling. I especially love that it gets better with age, 4 days in the fridge and it's just as good as the first day, probably even better.</div>
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I swear that I love chickpeas more after I learned how to perfectly cook them, and I have <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hummus-for-real-recipe.html" target="_blank">Alton Brown</a> to thank for that. I alter my method <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2014/10/full-of-beans.html" target="_blank">to include brining the garbanzos overnight</a>, and then I often just cook them on the stovetop instead of dragging out my slow cooker. When cooked with a tiny amount of baking soda, they always end up with creamy centers. </div>
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<b>Chickpea & Kale Salad </b>(inspired by <a href="http://littlegoatchicago.com/" target="_blank">Little Goat Diner</a>, Heidi Swanson <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-Every-Day-Well-Loved/dp/1580082777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420056503&sr=1-1&keywords=super+natural+every+day+well-loved+recipes+from+my+natural+foods+kitchen" target="_blank">chickpea wrap recipe</a>, Dr. <a href="http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02206/Tuscan-Kale-Salad.html" target="_blank">Andrew Weil's massaged kale salad</a>, Elisa Girard's description of viniagrette, <a href="http://goodkindbayview.com/" target="_blank">GoodKind</a>'s use of extra garlic.)<br />
makes about 4 good servings.<br />
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Chickpea part:<br />
<ul>
<li>1/4 cup chile olives </li>
<li>3 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained</li>
<li>1/4 cup honey-mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)</li>
<li>1 t. urfa beiber chile flakes (a new favorite of mine, <a href="http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/urfa-biber-turkish-chile-pepper" target="_blank">found at the Spice House</a>), or other chile flake you like</li>
<li>salt and black pepper </li>
<li>Aleppo pepper for sprinkling</li>
</ul>
Pulse the chile olives in a food processor until finely chopped. Add in 2 cups of the chickpeas and pulse to chop coarsely, about 6 1 second pulses. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the vinaigrette, reserved 1 cup of whole chickpeas, and chile flakes and season to taste with salt and pepper. (If it seems dry, add a little more vinaigrette.)<br />
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Kale part: <br />
<ul>
<li>1 good sized bunch of lacinto kale</li>
<li>juice from 1/2 a lemon</li>
<li>3 T. extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>2 or 3 garlic cloves</li>
<li>salt</li>
<li>shaved pecorino cheese (optional)</li>
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Remove the stems from the kale and slice thinly. Mash the garlic cloves with salt on a cutting board with a chef's knife to make a paste. Then blend the paste with the lemon juice and olive oil to make a dressing. Add extra salt if you think it needs it, then combine with the sliced kale and massage it for 5 minutes. I know, it seems silly to be standing around with your hands in a bowl of greens, but it does seriously do something magical to them. Add cheese if using and that's it.<br />
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<b>Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette</b> - mix all the ingredients well (I swear by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/BODUM-Schiuma-Black-Turbo-Milk/dp/B000V5VGHU/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1420056382&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=bodum+frother" target="_blank">this little device</a>.)<br />
makes about 1 1/4 cups, recipe is easily halved<br />
<ul>
<li>2 T. white wine vinegar</li>
<li>3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>4 t. dijon mustard</li>
<li>2 T. (or so) minced shallot</li>
<li>2 T. honey </li>
<li>salt and black pepper</li>
<li>4 T. plain whole fat yogurt (optional. It is good with and without.)</li>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15970619710" title="chickpea salad. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="chickpea salad." height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7532/15970619710_8268898522_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Will 2015 be the year of the salad for me? I kind of think so. I'm anxious to turn the page on the heavy and well sugared foods of late December and say good morning to a lighter, brighter, more vegetable infused diet in January. If you have good salads to share, please send them my way! <br />
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Happy New Year!!</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-33879310971563258962014-12-05T15:55:00.000-06:002014-12-05T15:55:50.888-06:00Book Review: Fermented Vegetables.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm so happy to see the book I've already read and immensely enjoyed popping up on all kinds of gift lists and book recommends lately, but with every mention I have felt more and more guilty that I didn't write a more timely review. I have read quite a few books this year, but this one struck more of an immediate chord with me than many others. Yes, I went through a fermenting phase, but this book reminded me of all the things exciting about the natural world, how simple things like vegetables have been handled and transformed for storage for as long as humankind has needed hold on to the season. It also reminded me of just how beautiful the finished products can be, as varied and colorful as all of nature. The Shockeys refer to the palette of vegetables, and that term definitely fits.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15651083799" title="fermented veg book by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="fermented veg book" height="800" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7481/15651083799_f0b16ac92e_c.jpg" width="600" /></a> </div>
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It's gorgeously written too, I would challenge you not to read every word as I did back in October over a long weekend at my Parents farm, imagining yourself in a world of homesteading and pickling. I sat in my Dad's comfortable chair with a stack of sticky notes and made a list of things to pick up at the Amish farm stands before leaving to come back to the city... sort of wishing I could just stay out in the country without coming back at all.<br />
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I made time the night I got back to start a kimchi. I never made a vegetable ferment that started by brining the whole cabbage cut in quarters, and it really worked well. Not overly fond of fermented garlic, the only modification I made was to cut the garlic content way back. I packed three quarts before bed that night, and then only had to wait a long 12 days for it to ferment at room temperature before it was done to my liking.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15630030917" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Kimchi. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Kimchi." height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15630030917_99040907a3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15195776693" title="Kimchi. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Kimchi." height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/15195776693_7cab272f43_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I can't say I've had kimchi more than seldom, but I remember the first time like it was yesterday. Our high school had open campus for lunch; so long as you didn't drive anywhere you were free to roam the town (population 850). Fortunately for me, I met a new student my sophomore year that quickly became a friend. Her mother was Korean, and in her little kitchen, mere steps away from the back door of the wood shop where I tried to spend as much of my high school career as possible, I discovered all kinds of interesting flavors I had never encountered before. <br />
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Now I wish I knew if her mom made her kimchi from scratch, but at the time I didn't want to spend much time in the kitchen and probably wouldn't have thought to ask about such things. I can't remember what I tried alongside the kimchi that day, but I'm sure it contained rice - I didn't know that some people kept constant pots of rice going in small electric cookers, that rice was integral to a whole culture and was eaten with every meal. I never have traveled to Asia, but those days in 10th grade have stuck with me and every so often I get a real craving for those types of flavors...<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15817826481" title="kimchi by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="kimchi" height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5613/15817826481_f563526642_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's easy enough to eat a spoonful or two of fermented veg right from the jar, likely with the fridge hanging open when you're pondering what else to eat for lunch. But I thought that since I made such a lovely kimchi with the <a href="http://www.fermentista.us/blog/" target="_blank">Fermentistas</a>' help, I would make myself a more complex rice bowl. I chopped up a good amount of kimchi, steamed some kale, found some already roasted beets, made a 6 minute egg and a simple dressing with ginger and sesame oil. Then I ignored the silly amount of dishes I made for myself and sat down to a very nice lunch.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15634871980" title="kimchi rice bowl. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="kimchi rice bowl." height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7541/15634871980_882e0e4ecb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">It was really good, and satisfied my craving for Asian flavors.</span></b></div>
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I wasn't able to start fermenting all of the things that piqued my interest in <a href="http://www.fermentista.us/#fermented-vegetables-the-book-section" target="_blank">Fermented Vegetables</a>, but I am so excited to have this book as a resource for the upcoming seasons. Whether you have fermented forever or have never fermented before, this book really is an excellent resource for cultivating a growing addiction or lighting a fire under a timid, first timer. It has reignited the passion I once had for fermenting, and is going to be a first stop for new ferments for a good long while I suppose!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of Fermented Vegetables for review, but as always my opinions are my own.</span><br />
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-20082784223516833152014-11-12T22:34:00.000-06:002014-11-12T22:34:52.848-06:00Quince, year two.<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Just one more week and things should slow down a little bit." I think that has been my mantra since September 2nd when our school year began. Instead of slowing down, we're spiraling head first into the holiday season and I know full well that when I have the time to blink twice it will be the new year.</div>
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For this monthly edition of trying to keep up with my food blog, I bring you quince. This is the second year now I've had quince, and I had much more to use than last year. When I picked them up from <a href="http://www.kooala.biz/" target="_blank">Klee's</a>, they were already picked for a week and fully perfumed. <a href="http://www.thejoykitchen.com/recipe/quince-jelly" target="_blank">I read about storing them with the linens (along with using the spent fruit to make membrillo) in this very charming article. </a>Instead of a brilliant green, most of them were already bright yellow. Being pretty new to this fruit, I wasn't sure how ripe they would get, how long they would hold. I pledged to do my best to get them preserved as soon as I could, and 10 days later I made good on my promise.<br />
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Just the day before I got them, I learned that quince, along with their relatives apples and pears, are related to roses - which is probably old news to you, but was a revelation to me. I started to taste quince in a different way, I could feel the velvety rose petals ambling for my olfactories; I felt like I was dealing with flowers instead of fruit.</div>
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But meanwhile: my 100th loaf of sourdough this year: </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15156289743" title="100 :: 11.07.14 by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="100 :: 11.07.14" height="479" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7559/15156289743_e5aae116fa_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>I started my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/sets/72157639799684236/" target="_blank">2014 loaves project</a> in January, not really sure how many loaves of sourdough bread I bake in a year. Turns out it will be more than 100... </b></span></div>
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The one thing I wanted to make first with the quince this year was membrillo, the sliceable fruit paste made from naturally pectin-heavy quince pulp. I made two batches, using different methods and (obviously) differently aged fruit. The membrillo I made first with the just ripe fruit was redder and set more readily than the one I made more than a week later, but my variables were many so it's hard to say what factors played a part in it. I set both experiments to gel in lightly oiled ramikens and pudding cups, and let them sit in the open air after unmolding them. (The second batch had to spend a few hours in the dehydrator to become sufficiently cured.)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15773888441" title="membrillo by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="membrillo" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7515/15773888441_3919f6ff27_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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I'm very happy with my membrillo. I wrapped each piece in waxed paper and layered them in a zip top bag. I proactively bought myself a piece of manchego cheese to enjoy some with, but haven't made the time for making some fancy crackers - so my gourmet snack or appetizer is waiting for me to catch up I guess.<br />
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The second quince experiment came to me by way of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saltie-Cookbook-Caroline-Fidanza/dp/145210302X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415849446&sr=1-1&keywords=saltie+cookbook" target="_blank">Saltie - that cookbook crush that I've had since last spring</a> that is still going strong. Saltie candies quince to use in a quince lassi (yogurt, honey, candied quince?? I'm definitely in.), and it turns out that candying quince is about as effortless as it gets. Except that I popped it into the low temperature oven too late in the day and had to set a night alarm to keep checking on it. Now that the actual baby is sleeping pretty consistently through the night, I create the kitchen project that needs sporadic monitoring. I don't really value sleeping through the night when I have the excitement of things like this.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15156336703" title="candied quince. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="candied quince." height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7485/15156336703_19a32e5264_z.jpg" width="479" /></a></div>
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The candied quince is a tad gritty - but in the way that a pear is a little bit gritty. It's a pleasant gritty, and it's hard to stop nibbling after a single little cube. The syrup is very thick (you can see it in the jar that I turned upside down), and it does have some movement. I have the two jars stored in the fridge and as I think of them I keep turning them head over heels every few days. I have not tried the lassi yet, but I will. I've been trying hard to rein in my sweet teeth. I've made more than one apple galette in the past two weeks. I like to think I've gotten rather good at the galette; I barely use any sugar (and I never measure the dark brown that I use in it, only that I grab what I can with my thumb and 3 fingers and sprinkle it over the apples), then I add a few spoonfuls of applesauce and some cinnamon and nutmeg. The applesauce in this one was spiked with quince.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15590959450" title="apple(quince) galette. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="apple(quince) galette." height="427" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7552/15590959450_47b8ccc409_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I got my haul of quince, I also got some more apples that I had destined for apple pie filling. Omer's wife, Candy, freezes the peeled sliced apples with spices in portions enough for pies and that sounded pretty good to me. But man if those apples didn't stand around the kitchen for a whole week, every day ticking by with me feeling more and more guilty that I hadn't tackled the lot of them and gotten them tucked into the deep freeze. I finally conceded and just turned them into more sauce: but it was the best sauce ever because most of those apples were <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15779108342/" target="_blank">Belle de Boskoop</a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15779108342/" target="_blank"> variety</a>, and I decided that I would call it my "reserve sauce" and add some spent quince pulp. I have yet to can it - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15775761285/in/photostream/" target="_blank">I have 4 quarts worth of sauce waiting for me</a>... I think I'll schedule it for tomorrow evening if I can swing it.</div>
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The pulp for my reserve apple(quince)sauce came from making quince syrup. Again, I made two batches, the first redder and maybe a touch more floral and the batch a week later less so, but still every bit as delicious. I didn't mean to repeat myself, but I enjoyed the flavor of the syrup so much that I kind of had no choice.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15775754075" title="quince syrup. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="quince syrup." height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5603/15775754075_15aaaf2b91_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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The last thing I made was quince jelly. I used the fruits that had been at home with me for about a week, and the flavor of the jelly is probably a little milder than if I had used them at what I think might have been their peak of ripeness. But the color and set of the jelly is so good that I don't care.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15590953820" title="quince jelly. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="quince jelly." height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5616/15590953820_5126833c0e_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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It's like the palest champagne color, and so pretty that I forgave it for being a little too vigorous and boiling over (ALL over) my freshly detailed stove top. (Note to self: stop being so cheap and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Signature-Enameled-Cast-Iron-4-Quart/dp/B0076NOI7A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415851547&sr=8-2&keywords=le+creuset+outlet" target="_blank">invest in a 7 quart preserving pot</a>.) I quickly ladled out several scoops to a bowl (and even still had some boiling over...) and was so surprised when it set. This little jar was the result of a very big mess, but I take some comfort in the 7 other perfect jars nestled on the canning shelf. I'm going to have a lot of sweet stuff to work my way through this season! Fortunately it will remind me of these busy fall days, the generosity of the orchard, the pleasure of learning new things, and enjoying the mess along with the organized.<br />
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Monday morning was chilly and I started my oven at a low temperature and roasted the last 6 quinces to make a jar of jam <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2013/11/reflections-of-preserving-season.html" target="_blank">like I did last year</a>. I kept poking at them with a knife every so often, getting up from my coffee at the table where one son was doing school work, and the other was busy underneath with his own contrived works. I wondered where I got so lucky to cultivate a home life like this, I wondered why it passes so quickly even when I try so hard to slow our lives down. But winter will hopefully help me out with this, help us nestle in beneath the snow and not really need to go anywhere. If winter is gracious, it will help us all in our patience and remind us of what now lines the basement shelves.</div>
<br />rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-60083112349912121322014-10-10T15:23:00.005-05:002014-10-10T20:10:02.894-05:00Full of beans.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I guess I really wasn't kidding that I am on the once-a-month blogging track. It wouldn't pain me so much if there weren't so many things I wish I could write about, but my days are full not only of food but of little humans and plenty of learning.</div>
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Keeping a whole foods kitchen, preparing almost all we eat from scratch takes time - more time than I previously realized. When you start out on such a journey and then just keep adding and building, towering ever upward, pretty soon you can start to feel like our ancestors likely did: spending most of your time and energy finding and preparing food. While I've cut back on the ferments, there are still plenty of things to plan ahead for. And while still on the path of economic recovery, humble things tend to take the center of our plates.<br />
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I treat meat like most other non-American cultures, as a condiment rather than a "deck-of cards" portion served alongside traditional side dish vegetables and starches. Years ago I overdid it on the green salad making (having one a day sometimes 2 for more than a year...) and I can barely make a green salad now to save my soul. If you make me a green salad, I'll happily eat it - but otherwise I get my greens sauteed or added to something baked. What then to make for dinner? So often I feel frustrated that my older son is still as picky as he is, and he recently added eggs to the list of things he doesn't currently like. Sometimes I feel just plain worn out considering what to cook around here.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15473559646" title="pintos & garbanzos. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="pintos & garbanzos." height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3933/15473559646_50d60f8190_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Beans are usually my answer when I feel like the pantry is looking bare except for jars and jars of miscellaneous grains, nuts, and seeds, and we don't feel like pulling a whole chicken from the freezer. Beans are probably the one thing I can get every family member to eat simultaneously and without fuss. Just about any bean makes my list too. Bulk Kidney, Navy, Pinto, Black, and Great Northern, rare stashed Tepary or meaty Good Mother Stellards or handfuls of long cooking legumes like garbanzo beans often push their way into my cooking life by default. <br />
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I justify the cost of eating less meat by buying mostly organic beans and legumes. If I keep a sharp eye, my co-op will sell almost all of the standard varieties on sale 5 lbs. at a time, at some point during the year. I collect my beans carefully, choosing them wisely, tenderly bringing them home, and housing them in quart canning jars. Dried beans keep a remarkable long time. I feel like I have an ace in the hole having a whole shelf of them to choose from.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15310039808" title="pintos. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="pintos." height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3945/15310039808_de89cff711_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have cooked beans all matter of ways. I have soaked them 12 hours and then carefully cooked them in a barely simmering pot of water without salt. I have taken them off the shelf, rinsed them, and pressure cooked them for 20 minutes which wasn't enough and then re-pressure cooked them for longer. I've put them unsoaked in a pot of water and cooked them for hours and hours and still ended up with chalky insides. I've put them in a crock-pot and hoped for the best, frustrated that it took the day and I still had mealy beans.</div>
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I now swear by brining beans. Emma Christensen wrote the article that I most refer to based on and endlessly tested Cook's Illustrated method and some solid science by food scientist Harold McGee. It's titled "<a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/think-salt-is-the-enemy-of-perfect-beans-think-again-196470" target="_blank">Think Salt is the Enemy of Perfect Beans? Think Again.</a>" I think again every single time I make any type of bean or garbanzo bean (which should be properly titled garbanzo legume). I've referred so much to that article that it nearly comes up automatically when I begin to type brine into my search engine. For some reason, I can't remember the ratio of salt to water, of water to bean quantity. Oh well. It's good to know the Internet exists - and good to know people like my Mom who say things to me like, "well, about how much salt? I'm not going to measure, that's too much monkeying around."</div>
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The morning I want beans for dinner (and we're early risers over here), hopefully 7-8 hours before, I throw a half pound of dried beans with a spoonful of kosher salt in a half gallon canning jar and fill it with water enough to cover by several inches. I'll stir it well with a chopstick. And I'll admire it on my counter for the bulk of the day. This works particularly well with pinto beans destined for refried beans. After the brine, I rinse them well and add them to a pressure pot. I add another small spoonful of kosher salt and just enough water to cover by about 1 inch and lock on the lid. I bring it up to pressure over high heat, and when the gauge starts to rattle, I turn it down to medium and time it for exactly 4 minutes. Then I remove it from the heat and let the pressure come back naturally (without the quick-release method of running the pressure pot under the faucet). Perfect beans. Every single time. In 4 minutes. ...and 8 hours of beforehand thought.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/6460665237" title="Magic Seal by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Magic Seal" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6460665237_0c21983e9c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>My pot is old and secondhand, I try not to worry that it's aluminum since my beans are barely in it.</b></span></div>
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The 4 minute pressure rule is my standard for most brined beans. I've tried it with different types of white beans, black beans, and red beans. Every once in a while, they will be too soft or need to be cooked some more - but those occurrences are pretty rare.</div>
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Garbanzos get a slightly different treatment. I soak them 8-12 hours, actually I aim for 24 hours if I'm thinking that far ahead, and I give them the same brining as the other types of beans. When I go to cook them, (I rinse them well and) I add in a 1 t. of baking soda per pound of beans. If I pressure pot them, I start with 8 minutes, then let the pressure come down naturally and check them. But this week, I decided with just a half pound to cook them on the stovetop. It took barely an hour for perfect beans, creamy still composed pebbles that would work well in a salad (or getting picked up gingerly by a baby), mashed for felafel, or blended completely smooth for hummus.<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hummus-for-real-recipe.html" target="_blank">Alton Brown is where I got the baking soda idea</a>. I make my hummus somewhat like he does, but I always like to add in cumin powder and some cayenne. I also use my bean cooking water to help blend it. Being thoroughly soaked and drained, I don't find any "digestive" issues from using the cooking water, and I figure there is more flavor.<br />
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I've come to think of most of my raw ingredients as good friends. I'm not much of a meal planner, and I exploit their different attributes as I'm considering our dinner hours. I'm getting better at thinking ahead for meals, especially since I'm not able to grocery shop on a whim anymore, and often I'll cook twice as many beans as I need and freeze a half pound in their cooking liquid to further help me swiftly pull supper out of my sleeve. Even with dried beans, I feel like they make a quick meal. I feel savvy that I don't shell out for canned beans which don't often taste the best and are really quite expensive by comparison... not to mention they don't often sit well in the belly either.<br />
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Do you have a pressure pot? Do you use it to get quick dinners on the table? Please share!</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-15883432185770777742014-09-06T12:51:00.002-05:002014-09-06T12:51:36.744-05:00The flying time. (Bigger Batch Ginger Granola)<div style="text-align: justify;">
I can't really believe that I've turned into one of those once-a-month bloggers, but here it is, almost a whole 4 weeks since I wrote about anything. Life is a maze of homemade breakfasts, lunches, and dinners; at the end of the day I have no idea how food appears in a finished form and is completely cleaned up after. As I slink into bed, I'm fast asleep before I can make it 2 pages into a book.</div>
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For the past several years, the first day of school coincided with my birthday. I am actually never full of birthday dread, but I kind of started feeling a sense of dread that first year I had to drop my oldest son (now 8) off for school. I hated the idea of him leaving home, but also knew it was time. After the first pre-K and kindergarten years, I actually started looking forward to the first day of school and more free time to myself. The time to make laborious <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Daring Baker challenges</a>. The time to make whatever struck me as I drank my morning joe and caught up on the Internet. The time to take myself out for coffee once in awhile and actually read in peace and quiet.</div>
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This year on my birthday, instead of extra free time, I became his teacher. I sat with him at the kitchen table after his first homeschool lesson at my counter, one on how to make ice cream base (and other egg based custards)... because when I am intrepid of starting something, I start by doing something I know. And you know what? I realized that I know more than I think I do, and that he wants to learn as eagerly I always have and had always hoped he would.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14971478039" title="Untitled by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5583/14971478039_040ffd3758_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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He learned that eggs are really amazing things, that they can thicken things like ice cream when heated. He learned the meaning of the word tempering, and got to see that happen. It felt nice to see him barefooted and excited for the impending ice cream later that day as he took the first steps into learning at home. Later, we spent the morning in the field nearby discovering insects and admiring the weather. Something happened that I wasn't expecting: I went from that person happy to have all the time in the world to myself to the one who actually enjoyed spending time with her kid again. It is so easy to drop him off somewhere and not take an active part in his life other than to be occasionally annoyed when he doesn't listen or doesn't pick up his Legos after the millionth time I've stepped on one. It is a true pleasure to consider all of my actions as they affect him (and his little brother), to improve on my patience, and turn my daily life into a learning experience for him. It's only been a week, but so far it's the best week I can remember in a long time.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15154633991" title="079 :: 09.03.14 by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="079 :: 09.03.14" height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/15154633991_ce5c9d1452_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Hybrid sourdough, made with starter and a pinch of commercial yeast...</b></span></div>
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Maybe this doesn't leave the free time to myself as I've had in the past. I got behind on using milk kefir and popped my culture in the fridge for the week to rest. My sourdough starter took on a perplexing ailment about a week and half ago and I patiently nursed it back, wondering all the while if I'd have to begin again from scratch. I thought it had been infected by a wandering mold spore, or cross contaminated by the kefir. It didn't look or act like itself until I decided to bake anyway using the insurance of a bit of commercial yeast. The very next day, the starter looked better: active and bubbly, sweet smelling. Like it just knew that I was going to get serious if it didn't behave. Just like a real boy.<br />
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More than a week ago, I decided to make my new favorite granola - a gift to myself for my birthday. Ever since I first had it, <a href="http://www.bojongourmet.com/2013/09/gingersnap-granola.html" target="_blank">the Bojon Gourmet's Gingersnap Granola</a> has been my absolute favorite indulgence. I actually didn't make it for quite a long time because I can't stop eating it. Some time ago, I saw America's Test Kitchen make an almond granola that had similar clumping power and I figured I could combine the two recipes and come out with a bigger batch of similarly addictive gingery granola. It's been on my mental list of things to write about for a while now, and I guess this Saturday off inspires me to get it down before it is lost to time once again.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15134569526" title="ginger granola. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="ginger granola." height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/15134569526_75df3896e3_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Don't forget to line the sheet pan with parchment or you will not have attractive clumps after you chisel your way to the bottom of the pan. I only forgot once, as you can imagine. Ordinarily, I don't like to have sugar in granola, but this I consider dessert so the small amount doesn't bother me. In fact, if you have some of this on fresh, homemade ice cream (maybe even <a href="http://www.bojongourmet.com/2014/08/vanilla-buttermilk-ice-cream.html" target="_blank">this new buttermilk version that Alanna made</a>?) it's about the best dessert ever.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Ginger Granola</b> (adapted from <a href="http://www.bojongourmet.com/2013/09/gingersnap-granola.html" target="_blank">the Bojon Gourmet</a> and <a href="http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/6977-almond-granola-with-dried-fruit" target="_blank">America's Test Kitchen</a>)<br />
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">5 c. rolled oats <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">4 t. ground ginger</span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">½ t. allspice</span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">¼ t. cloves</span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 c. almonds, chopped</span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/3 c. maple syrup </span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/3 c. packed (2 1/3 ounces) light brown sugar </span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">4 t. vanilla extract</span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 t. kosher salt </span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c. olive oil</span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As much chopped crystallized ginger as you like</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and
heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a large bowl, toss the oats with the spices and chopped almonds. In a 2-cup measure or equivalent, whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until well blended, then whisk in oil. Pour the liquid mixture over the oats until thoroughly coated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheet and
spread across sheet into thin, even layer (this amount makes one standard 18x13 or 17x12 sheet pan). Using a makeshift tamper (I like to use the <a href="http://greenwoodwoman.blogspot.com/2012/01/potato-mashers-and-porridge-spurtles.html" target="_blank">Scottish potato masher</a> my parents gave me, but a meat mallet or even a heavy glass would also work), compress oat mixture until very compact by tapping it into place on the pan. Bake until lightly
browned, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking. Remove
granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can stir in chopped, crystallized
ginger, or like me, store the broken chunks of granola separately and then add them when you are ready to eat it. (Granola can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks they
say, but I think it lasts longer – if you can keep your hands out of it.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/15154635001" title="ginger granola. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="ginger granola." height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/15154635001_ea5e73ee87_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's maybe a little less decadent by using almonds instead of pecans, but the more utilitarian nut makes it something I can make on a whim instead of only on occasion since I always have almonds in the pantry but not always pecans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">M<span style="font-family: inherit;">y kitchen life seems to be changing ag<span style="font-family: inherit;">ain for now<span style="font-family: inherit;">. T</span>hings get do<span style="font-family: inherit;">ne<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in a <span style="font-family: inherit;">more <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">utilitarian</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> way<span style="font-family: inherit;">, with plenty of attention to deta<span style="font-family: inherit;">il (since there is no removing that f<span style="font-family: inherit;">rom my bei<span style="font-family: inherit;">ng) but maybe with les<span style="font-family: inherit;">s flourish</span></span></span></span>. M</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ost mor<span style="font-family: inherit;">nings I<span style="font-family: inherit;"> seem to</span> prep my dinner before the breakfast dishes are even clear<span style="font-family: inherit;">ed which is a dramatic change for me. I find myself thinking <span style="font-family: inherit;">like my great<span style="font-family: inherit;">-grandmother, </span>Gram and no doubt my <span style="font-family: inherit;">Mom</span> did<span style="font-family: inherit;">, <span style="font-family: inherit;">planning the next meal (or<span style="font-family: inherit;"> even the next seve<span style="font-family: inherit;">ral) </span></span>when the current one is still <span style="font-family: inherit;">on my lips<span style="font-family: inherit;">. But t<span style="font-family: inherit;">h<span style="font-family: inherit;">at's what you do when you do it from s<span style="font-family: inherit;">cratch<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span> I'm imagining <span style="font-family: inherit;">when</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I have the time to write again, I'll probably have some helpful ti<span style="font-family: inherit;">ps for <span style="font-family: inherit;">quick scratch cooking<span style="font-family: inherit;">! <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-37742663206236732462014-08-14T09:51:00.001-05:002014-08-14T09:51:43.248-05:00Peach Sriracha Butter.<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the surprising blessings that came along with having children was getting to know my neighbors. I live in a small neighborhood of about 3 streets wide, a collection of maybe 100 homes that before kids I knew nothing about. Introverted by nature, I politely went about my day coming to and fro without much interaction with the community around me, exchanging a few pleasantries maybe but not really knowing anyone personally. Kids changed that. Suddenly, you begin to run into the same people while running after a toddling youngster: you discover that your kids play well with their kids, you are on a first name basis with every dog on the block, and you find that the people around you are really interesting and creative and lend a huge impact to your daily life.</div>
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Monday I spent part of the morning with a few lovely women as our children played hard together. There seems to be an unstated rule that conversation can be quickly interrupted for any number of reasons, which is actually quite nice. It frees you from the rigor of conducting yourself in a more proper manner; I've never felt like I've been very good at moderating the flow of conversation, so stopping one abruptly to run after a child and then starting up a new one suits me pretty well.</div>
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My friend Susan is a musician and we got to talking. She was saying how she had material that had been on hold since before her son was born (5 years) and how she should never do that because it interrupts the process. I immediately thought about my own creative processes. If I don't take the time to document something that really inspires or excites me within a day or so of making it, I just let it go. "Of the moment" is so much part of the thing that makes my writing mine, makes it relevant to me as I look back on it.</div>
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It's really not so unlike preservation as I capture that split second that the food goes in the jar, I also sieze the feeling around it - the light in the kitchen creating pictures that echo the weather outside and even the time of day I had the time to muster the thoughts to the page. Making that time seems ever more difficult as the summer is in full swing and there are so many things that just pop up on a day to day basis. Prioritizing my online life falls to the back of the line, even when there have been so many things worthy of sharing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14722457360" title="peach sriracha jam. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="peach sriracha jam." height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5552/14722457360_ae2873fea7_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Food in Jars' Peach Sriracha Jam (Honey Sweetened Peach Chutney) I made last week. </b></span></div>
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The summer is the heaviest preserving season, and traditionally I think I've been much more creative than I've been this year. Short both on time and money, I didn't overdo or overthink my pantry shelves. I have smaller batches and just enough based on what was eaten most heavily last year. Where I used to make the time to stand stirring the pot with excess, I now stirred it with just enough - thankful for it and happy I knew where to turn for solid recipes when I didn't have the wiggle room for experimentation.<br />
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I got peaches at two different times, and split both with neighbors. (You can read about the first peach adventure <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2014/07/recent-preserving.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) Quickly enamored of the <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2013/08/honey-sweetened-peach-chutney/" target="_blank">honey-sweetened peach chutney that Marisa McClellan posted on her site Food in Jars</a>, I turned to her latest book as the peaches softened and I felt guilty just eating them all standing alone over the sink. I made the small batch last week and was totally addicted. I had exactly 2 lbs. of precious peaches left, and got to thinking that making the recipe into a more homogenized butter might be a pretty swell idea. It takes a little longer for the boiling butter to thicken and it spatters up the stove something terrible, but all in all I think it's worth it. It's like a spicy peach ketchup, and I've been trying it on everything. And, just as you'd suspect, it is good on everything.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14908774762" title="peach sriracha butter. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="peach sriracha butter." height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14908774762_d724875672_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Peach Sriracha Butter</b> (adapted from <a href="http://foodinjars.com/the-cookbook/" target="_blank">Marisa McClellan's recipe in Preserving by the Pint</a>)<br />
yields about 2 half pints<br />
<ul>
<li>2 lbs. peaches, pitted and pureed (I used a Vitamix, but you could use a regular blender)</li>
<li>1 c. granulated sugar</li>
<li>juice of 1 lime</li>
<li>1/4 c. Sriracha sauce</li>
</ul>
Combine the peach puree, sugar, and lime juice in a preserving pot (I used a 3 quart shallow saute pan, despite the spattering issue). Over medium high heat, cook and stir frequently until the butter reduced and thickens, 20-30 minutes. You should be able to draw the spoon through the butter and the trail doesn't fill in quickly. Just before hitting the right consistency (aim for a thick ketchup), stir in the Sriracha and bring back to a simmer until thickened.<br />
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Pour into sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14909128975" title="sriracha by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sriracha" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5559/14909128975_f298b88f53_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Does anyone ever remember tossing out a bottle of Sriracha? It seems to just last forever, and then disappear...</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peaches have now come and gone. I really shouldn't dare make any more sweet preserves for the year, </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> but have enough extra for gifts and special occasions. I have too many open jars of jam floating around the fridge in a never-ending tetris game of space. I'll have to invite a lot of the neighbors over to help me polish them off!</span></span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-33270216838470311392014-07-25T19:37:00.003-05:002014-07-25T19:37:37.692-05:00Recent Preserving (Part 2)<div style="text-align: justify;">
It seems whenever Friday afternoon rolls around I become nostalgic in a way, for the way things were before I had my own family and the weekend loomed like a glittering jewel before me. A good part of my single life, I held 2 jobs - and there were plenty of weekends spent working I'm sure, but in retrospect I had this miraculous thing called "free time" which seems to come with alarming infrequency lately.</div>
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Sunday afternoon, I got a couple of pounds of gooseberries from <a href="http://www.kooala.biz/" target="_blank">Klee's</a>. I made the time to work them into jam right away Monday morning since they were pink and soft. They were mixed varieties, that when commingled with sugar transformed into a singular flavor that I still can't describe. They are tropical I swear, a Midwestern answer to passionfruit. My <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14604357101/in/photostream/" target="_blank">little tester jar of gooseberry jam</a> the other week told me I should stop shy of the 220 degree gel point, so I boiled to 118 degrees and was rewarded with a softer set. I'm going to write down the recipe, since it bears remembering my process. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14531382368" title="gooseberries. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="gooseberries." height="427" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14531382368_5d692d3d19_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Gooseberries are naturally high in acid. Green gooseberries higher of course than those that are picked and allowed to blush - but with the blush their tartness mellows just a bit and makes a "prettier" finished preserve. There really aren't a whole lot of gooseberry jam recipes out there I noticed in my digging. Even the county extension website was vague (and why don't those conventional sources use weights?? This plagues me: I am a scaling addict.). To be extra "safe", I added the juice of a half lemon. There is definitely enough natural pectin that you should never dream of using a box of liquid or powder.</div>
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<b>Gooseberry Jam </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
yields about 4 half pints (I got 3 jars and one mostly full to eat now)</div>
<ul>
<li>2 lbs. gooseberries, tops and tails trimmed</li>
<li>1/4 c. water</li>
<li>1 1/2 c. granulated sugar</li>
<li>1/2 lemon, juiced</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Combine the gooseberries and water in a large preserving pot and smash casually with a masher to crush most of the gooseberries. Heat over medium heat and cook until the gooseberries break down a little, about 10 minutes. Then add the sugar and lemon juice, increase the heat to medium high and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until you reach your desired firmness - about 118 degrees as I mentioned above. You'll feel the thickness of the jam increase as you stir, and the jam should sheet nicely off the spoon you are stirring with. </div>
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When the jam is ready, pour into sterilized jars, top with lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14737904533" title="gooseberry jam. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="gooseberry jam." height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3901/14737904533_2b7e8f189d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This week, I also did pickles. My mother-in-law wanted a dozen jars and bought me a half bushel of cucumbers at the farmer's market on Tuesday. By Tuesday evening, I had done 22 quarts (losing one to a broken jar). I used my Gram's pickle recipe, misjudging the amount of brine I'd need two times, causing me to pause and make more. That worked out all right, especially with a new baby walker anxious to try out his new skills at my feet in the kitchen. Maybe I'll always associate his first steps with a mountain of pickles; that's kind of a nice thing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14557928247" title="pickles. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="pickles." height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2939/14557928247_c91b638253_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>This recipe is the only pickle that tastes like a real dill pickle to me. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441313044/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1441313044&linkCode=as2&tag=cake035-20" target="_blank">The recipe is in my book</a>! </b></span><br />
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By late evening, I had the pickles mostly done. I had about 5 pounds of cucumbers remaining and I was too tired to think about more pickles. They sat for 2 days in the fridge before I put them to their final rest in jars. I tried two kinds of refrigerator pickles that I'd not made before. The first were these <a href="http://cookeatshare.com/recipes/jan-s-refrigerator-garlic-dills-310453" target="_blank">turmeric spiked whole dills</a> that <a href="http://www.ivymanning.com/" target="_blank">Ivy</a> recommended. I used the recipe as a template, since I was low on fresh dill. I used Spice House pickling spice and extra dill seed. I used Bragg's cider vinegar even though I "killed" it by heating it to a boil. I love the taste of Bragg's so much that any other vinegar doesn't taste like vinegar to me. A half recipe of the brine filled two quart sized jars just fine.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14557275927" title="refrigerator pickle by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="refrigerator pickle" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14557275927_146280256c_z.jpg" width="481" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>This Weck jar is slightly bigger than a quart though, I think... </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sliced the remaining pickles to 1/8 inch on my mandoline and made a big jar of refrigerator pickles. I got the recipe from my Parents, who had gotten it from someone in the '90's. I remember the plastic pail of bread and butter pickles as being too sweet and kind of flabby, not really my favorite things 20 years ago. But I modified the recipe and so far I think they are one of my favorite pickles ever! In part, because I left out all traces of celery seed. There aren't many things I dislike, but I've come to the realization that celery seed is kind of one of them.</span><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can't seem to keep my fork out of this jar. After 2 days, the cukes are still pretty crisp. I kind of winged the recipe, making just 1/4 of the brine (which was simply equal parts sugar and white vinegar, with the addition of 1 tablespoon of kosher salt), and adding a half onion and extra brown mustard seed. This recipe is so quick, just mix everything and pack it into a jar. I'll give the proportions for a whole batch - but keep in mind it's pretty forgiving. The cukes give off their own liquid when allowed to rest in the salted vinegar brine, so after a few more hours the jar above was completely filled with liquid.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bread & Butter Pickles</span></span></b></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 of an ice cream pail of thinly sliced cucumbers (remember when everyone ate ice cream from a gallon pail??) (I'd slice about 1/8 inch thick)</span></span> </li>
<li>4 c. granulated sugar</li>
<li>4 c. white vinegar</li>
<li>1/4 c. salt</li>
<li>1 1/2 t. turmeric (I added extra)</li>
<li>1 1/2 t. mustard seed (I added extra)</li>
<li>1 1/2 t. celery seed (I omitted it) </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Combine everything in a large bowl (the ice cream pail if you are following the '90's approach) and mix well. Place in the fridge and let sit for 4-5 days before eating if you can. The pickles will last at least 6 months under refrigeration. (I prefer to store in glass of course, I just mixed everything in a bowl and packed into the more-than-quart glass jar seen below. I love that jar, my Mom gave me some honey in it once and I can't bring myself to give it back to her...)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14741369454" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="bread & butter pickle by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="bread & butter pickle" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5581/14741369454_7d1d266aec_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Part of the reason I might have a new-found love for these bread & butters is that I've been making single cucumber batches of James Peterson's Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts from his Kitchen Simple cookbook. I am a voracious reader of cookbooks, and <a href="http://www.jimcooks.com/" target="_blank">I think one of my favorite authors is James Peterson</a>. His books seem like friends to me, and the Kitchen Simple book in particular has become my trusted ally in quick summery eating. His salad has equal parts sugar and rice wine vinegar (the unseasoned kind), some chile peppers and plenty of cilantro. It's so good. I'd imagine I could do up a quart similar to the bread and butters and munch on them for a month or so and I might just have to get more cukes to do that.</div>
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So what do I, "unemployed" for some 8 years already, do on a Friday evening now? Afternoon has come and gone since I started writing this, and a spanakopita of sorts is just about to come from the oven, concocted of fresh chard and kale and some frozen spinach unearthed from the freezer. The new baby walker opted out of a nap to practice his craft and is already asleep at 6 pm. The window are flung wide open with the coolness of our most excellent summer weather ever. I don't feel the pangs of sadness I once did that I don't do anything exciting come Friday night, instead I take pleasure in the hard work of the week and get ready for a country visit so I can hopefully bring some more work home with me. It's really the best kind of life.</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-9997798139121525362014-07-10T11:00:00.001-05:002014-08-08T14:20:06.872-05:00Recent Preserving.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I use the term "recent" loosely. It was Monday when I finally got the jars I had my imagination set on completing, and it was Monday when I made the decision to ditch the second little batch of delicious honey-sweetened strawberry-thyme jam (<a href="http://foodinjars.com/the-cookbook/" target="_blank">from Food in Jars' latest book, Preserving by the Pint</a>) that had been waiting for me in my covered red leCreuset pot for 4 days. (It smelled fermented, and sadly the berries did not have a pleasant flavor.) Time with two little boys and summer and birthdays got the better of me; I remind myself that it's okay to let things go back to the Earth when time slips like that. That's my Mom's quote, and I think of her each time I forget about some precious leftovers, or get too ambitious and forget to mind my real-life timing.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14575584726" title="red & white currants by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="red & whitecurrants" height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5578/14575584726_9d325715f4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last Saturday, we went to <a href="http://www.kooala.biz/" target="_blank">Klee's Out on a Limb</a>. I discovered them last year, and make no qualms about calling them my personal orchard now. It's maybe a 20 minute drive, but feels more rural than that. This was the second time I've gotten currants, and not being within days of giving birth as I was last year, I was able to pick them myself (with Candy's help). I tried every variety and since the blackcurrants weren't quite ready, I got red and white. White currants. I think I mentioned 50 times how beautiful those things are, making up for the flavor I felt wasn't quite as good as the red seeing as they weren't as tart. After 5 lbs. in my bucket, I tried some pink currants too - and those had quite a lovely flavor. I have to rein myself in from a currant only preserving season. I think I love them that much.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14597978842" title="white currants by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="white currants" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3892/14597978842_1b2704f9e5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Transluscent, they look like pearls or fish eggs. My eager baby-eater liked them very much. </b></span> </div>
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<a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2013/07/currently-currants.html" target="_blank">Last year, I made cordials out of them</a>. Both were great, though I probably preferred the shrub that turned viscous and thick, a mouth-coating thickness from all the pectin. I actually just finished off the bottle, only tippling tiny cupfuls here and there because it was so sweet. Aged a year, it was still wonderful. I agonize over investing in good rum to make more, and as I do, the extracted red currant juice ages in my fridge. I should decide to can it or freeze it before typing any more, so it doesn't succumb to going back to the Earth too.</div>
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I also have a small amount of non-juiced currants left which I need to get into vinegar. Red currant drinking vinegar was my favorite flavored vinegar last year, it barely lasted me a month! I might try it with the white currants and see how I like it. (Note to self: must also invest in another SodaStream seltzer cartridge.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14604358131" title="floating white currants by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="floating white currants" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/14604358131_1ce209b158_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14421001988" title="currant jam by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="currant jam" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5498/14421001988_df76b8eae2_z.jpg" width="479" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Seedy currant jam.</b></span><br />
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Last year, I only made currant jelly - which is so easy I'm not sure there is an easier preserve to tackle. Only slightly more work was currant jam, which uses mostly currant juice (I used red) and a pound of whole, stemmed currants. For juice, you don't need to remove the stems so the process is truly efforless. The 20 minutes spent gingerly plucking the white currants from their tiny green stems was worth it - and I thought the color contrast was beautiful even though I knew it would fade with the cooking.</div>
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The jam itself is nicely seedy, tasting tart like the currant jelly, but more interesting and maybe kind of nutty with the seeds. I read that currant seeds are quite healthful too (especially in the blackcurrants, but I figure the other colors must be as well), so it seems like a worthy offset for a sugary preserve.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14607597725" title="peach chutney by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="peach chutney" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/14607597725_ecfc4723c2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Nearly a week before the currants, I split a case of peaches with a neighbor. It's the 3rd year I've had "peach truck" peaches, which come from Georgia and are dropped nearby at a number of locations locally. (The service is <a href="http://www.tree-ripe.com/" target="_blank">Tree-Ripe</a>.) I feel like we hit the jackpot, since they harvested <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14389993968/" target="_blank">Berta peaches</a> for the first trucks of the season. They were some of the best peaches I've had in years, true "drip-down-your-wrist" fruits, with excellent flavor and color. I made a half batch of <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2013/08/honey-sweetened-peach-chutney/" target="_blank">Marisa's Honey Sweetened Peach Chutney</a>, which I altered slightly to account for my extra spice addiction. A friend gave me a jar of dried <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piri_piri" target="_blank">Piri Piri chiles</a> last year, and I hadn't used too many of them. I added 15 to the pot - which turned out to be pretty spicy. I fished 4 of them out as I was tasting, but boy those have some good flavor. I also added extra brown mustard seed, and probably more fresh ginger.<br />
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Another great thing about this recipe is Marisa's trick of removing peach skins. Simply cut the peaches in quarters, remove the pit of course, and cover with boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, and the skins slip right off. Amazing! I used the same method to make some fresh peach salsa for our tacos last night, I don't think I'll ever blanch a peach traditionally ever again.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14604355341" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="peach chutney, toast. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="peach chutney, toast." height="428" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3920/14604355341_22de71df06_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>This stuff is so good that I might use the last of the peaches to make another batch - maybe less spicy for gift giving. I'm definitely hoarding the 4 jars for myself.</b></span></div>
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In with my currants from Klee's, I had a handful (literally, 58 g.) of gooseberry. I have never tried gooseberry. I can't describe how excited I get to try new things, and at the orchard, I nibbled a bunch of different varities. (I need to remember to bring a notepad and pen there, I can only remember choice things: like that the Newtown Pippen apple was Thomas Jefferson's favorite, and which tree was the mammoth Wolf River variety...) The gooseberries will be on more by this weekend, so I made the tiniest batch of jam ever to see what I could expect.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14421206527" title="handful of gooseberry by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="handful of gooseberry" height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5507/14421206527_1290886522_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>I used a 6 inch stainless saucepan for this jam. </b></span></div>
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On some reading, I let them sit around until they were pretty soft and had turned from their bright green to a more rosy color. Then I topped and tailed them (that's a Linda Ziedrich term that seems to really stick in my brain), and weighed them in at a mere 56 g. I added a tablespoon or so of water and steamed them a minute or two to get them softened before adding the same amount of sugar and cooking them down. It was such a small batch that the whole process took less than 10 minutes. The color and flavor were incredible. I'll have to make time to get down there for more!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14604357101" title="gooseberry jam by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="gooseberry jam" height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5537/14604357101_f4166c4a54_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I really just couldn't get over the color, which I figured was about as close to watermelon-colored as I could describe. The tiny seeds even look like melon seeds too - which I thought was interesting. The flavor of gooseberry jam was different than I expected, though I'm not sure at all what I was expecting. It has a tropical nuance to it, nicely tart but not as tart as the currant it seemed. It feels pectin rich, and has a very firm set - I could have probably simmered it a little less. My tiny batch filled half of a 4 oz. pimento jar, more than I expected, but definitely not enough to satisfy my new gooseberry obsession.<br />
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It's a good start to the season, which I have to remind myself is actually here. It's a pleasantly cool summer, with only a handful of 80 degree days so far. It's filled with walks and bike rides (my older son just discovered how fun his first bike can be, and has developed an obsession of his own), fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants meal planning, and yet another year of a struggling garden. I remind myself that it's not important right now to be cataloging what I do. But, still I love the photographing, and if I seem quiet here, there are still notable things going up on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/CakeWalk/395179431114" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>. If you have some gooseberry ideas for me, shoot them my way. We'll see what comes of them!</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-23515983887847278092014-06-29T22:15:00.002-05:002014-06-29T22:15:48.765-05:00Yeasted Apricot Upside Down Cake<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before I start, maybe I should say that this isn't the most amazing cake I've ever eaten. True, I did love it for the sum of its parts, for the deliberate act of assembling its components, for its subtle mix of simple flavors. But I think it's possible to love a cake purely for the process of making a cake. That is how I love this cake. I love this cake with all of my old soul.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14351982209" title="yeasted apricot cake. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="yeasted apricot cake." height="426" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5073/14351982209_9beefbbe10_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Last year I found a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seasonal-Fruit-Desserts-Orchard-Market/dp/B006QS0OTM" target="_blank">Debora Madison's Seasonal Fruit Desserts</a> at the library. It may no longer be in print, but I loved it so much I found a used copy online, and I'm so glad I did. It's become a manual I consult whenever I have extra fruit on hand, and it's consistent in the new inspiration and techniques it teaches me. </div>
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Ripe apricots in hand, I began my search online for what to make with them when I remembered she had a recipe for a yeasted pear cake, baked in a cast iron skillet upside down style. Obsessed as I've been with mint lately, I was really looking for a way to combine some perfectly ripe apricots with fresh mint... and preferably in some type of cake since it has been awhile since I've made a cake. Fortunately, I decided on this old-fashioned skillet cake. I was happy for a few occasions to share it, since it is a good sized cake and not really a "good keeper", although I have been appreciating it gracefully staling cold from the fridge and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I can't complain.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14535216811" title="browning apricots. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="browning apricots." height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5154/14535216811_b717d82942_z.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
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With only 6 tablespoons of sugar, this is a decidedly unsweet confection. The apricots turn soft and jamlike and make this the perfect thing to have with coffee or tea (or with the aforementioned ice cream, the ice cream adds a little extra sweetness and helps the dry crumb go down a little easier). I played around with the spices a little and think I could have maybe been a little more aggressive, but in a way it works because the apricots are the stars of the show.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14351985129" title="browned apricots by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="browned apricots" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3853/14351985129_06b1e94c9f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Make sure you take note of each part of the process, enjoying the steps
as you go. It's not a one-bowl cake; it requires some finesse,
especially when working with a soft and somewhat sticky dough. The
texture of the cake is akin to a biscuit, and as Madison says, it
is best warm. I would store any leftovers in the refrigerator and try
to eat them within a few days. The texture changes, but it's still good.<br />
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I used <a href="http://www.lonesomestonemilling.com/Products.html" target="_blank">Lonesome Stone Milling</a>'s organic all purpose flour which is wheatier than most, more like a "white wheat" available in the regular grocery. The recipe is written for a 10 inch cast iron skillet (oddly enough, that's my number 8 skillet), you could use a well buttered 10 inch springform or cake pan and brown the fruit with the butter in a skillet first if you don't have cast iron that size.<br />
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<b>Yeasted Apricot Upside Down Cake </b>(adapted from Deborah Madison)<br />
makes 1 10 inch cake<br />
<ul>
<li><b> </b>6-7 ripe apricots, washed (but not peeled) and halved</li>
<li>2 T. dark brown sugar</li>
<li>8 T. (1 stick or 4 oz.) soft butter, divided</li>
<li>1/4 c. warm water (100 degrees)</li>
<li>1/2 c. warm whole milk (100 degrees)</li>
<li>1/4 c. granulated sugar</li>
<li>2 1/4 t. active dry yeast</li>
<li>2 1/2 c. ap flour, divided </li>
<li>1 t. cinnamon</li>
<li><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14515473806/in/photostream/" target="_blank">1 green cardamom pod, seeds removed and crushed</a></li>
<li>1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature</li>
<li>1/2 t. almond extract</li>
<li>1/2 t. kosher salt</li>
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Melt 3 T. of the butter in the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. After it melts, brush it well up the sides of the pan and add the dark brown sugar and the apricot halves. Toss the apricots in the bubbling mixture to coat, and then let them brown slightly on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Turn them all cut side down and arrange them as you like and remove the skillet from the heat.</div>
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Put the warm water and milk in a small measuring cup and add the yeast and 1 t. of the sugar from the measured 1/4 c. of granulated sugar. Set aside to proof, and meanwhile whisk together 2 c. of the ap flour with the cinnamon and cardamom.</div>
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In a bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if working with a hand mixer), add the egg and egg yolks, almond extract, remaining sugar, and salt. Working with the paddle attachment, beat in the yeast mixture on low speed, then add the flour/spice mixture (also at low speed) 1/2 c. at a time until it is all incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high, and add the soft butter. Beat for 2-3 minutes until the batter is smooth and glossy. By hand, stir in the remaining 1/2 c. flour, and turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. (It will still be sticky, use a bench scraper to help you maneuver it.) Knead it gently a few times, then pat into circle the same size as the skillet holding the apricots. Lay the disc over the fruit, and slide the whole pan into a plastic bag to rise for 30-40 minutes.</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350. Once the oven is hot and the cake is noticeably risen, remove it from the plastic bag and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14535218281/in/photostream/" target="_blank">bake until golden brown</a> and a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes.</div>
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After removing from the oven, immediately invert by placing a cake plate over the pan and flipping it carefully. As Madison recommends, serve it warm with whipped cream (she also recommends sabayon) - I say go for the vanilla ice cream.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14558717783" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="yeasted apricot cake by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="yeasted apricot cake" height="426" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2935/14558717783_27eed03eac_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Just prior to baking.</b></span></div>
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Of all the many cakes I've made over the years, not many yeasted cakes come to mind (a noteable exception is the <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-december-2012-daring-bakers.html" target="_blank">panettone</a>), and this one seems to be versatile enough that with mindful spicing, you could use just about any fruit that comes to mind. I'd imagine using a whiter flour would result in a slightly less dense cake, but I like this old-timey texture and depression-era sweetness. It's satisfying.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14352114809" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="apricot cake slice by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="apricot cake slice" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5596/14352114809_67dc1df274_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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This slice is 3 days old, and I took the picture tonight just as the sun was about to fall behind the trees. It's not photogenic really, but it shows the texture of the cold cake pretty well. I always think there are two types of people (well, 3 really if you count "pie" people) those who refrigerate cakes and those who don't. I am one who doesn't. I don't like cold cake, I like cake about to fall apart under the weigh of my fork - or better, under the weight of <i>thinking</i> about my fork. But this is a sturdy cake that I love and I hope you'll love it too. If you happen to try it with other seasonal fruits, let me know will you?<br />
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(P.S. A couple weeks ago when I was just starting to see apricots pop up at my food co-op, I made <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14353113157/" target="_blank">this apricot jam</a>... it's a winner. I'm eating it nearly every day (it's particularly good in vinaigrette with really good olive oil and Bragg's cider vinegar) and I am still not tired of apricot!)</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-10667012077419207912014-06-09T21:40:00.001-05:002014-06-09T21:40:58.472-05:00Risen in Water.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over breakfast this morning, I was paging through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Grains-Modern-Meals-Mediterranean/dp/1580083544/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402365662&sr=1-1&keywords=ancient+grains+for+modern+meals" target="_blank">Maria Speck's Ancient Grains for Modern Meals</a>. Ordinarily I read cookbooks cover to cover, starting at the beginning and gradually making my way through each recipe, story, and picture in sequence as the author intended. Maybe time is so short for me lately that I bucked my trend and just headed for the guts and the pictures, making a moment or two to think about my meals for the week between pureed mouthfuls fed to the baby bird. How I happened to see the recipe for Floating Sesame Loaf is a mystery. I wasn't perusing the book for bread to be sure, but the name alone conjured such an image that we endured the little baby bird squawking for a few minutes when I read the recipe twice through.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14196942788" title="dough rising in water. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="dough rising in water." height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3882/14196942788_5e7261afe8_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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Could it be that this bread could work? It seemed to be an impossibly wet loaf, spending some time rising in cold tap water before maneuvering into the oven. Still shy of more sourdough since <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14345810811/in/photostream/" target="_blank">last weeks fail</a> (I did start more loaves today however), we kind of needed some bread today, and I am not one to see a recipe like this without immediately stopping everything to give it a shot.<br />
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My first impressions were that this dough was beyond unruly; I tried hard not to add too much additional flour, using a bench scraper to work it into a rough round and transfer it quickly to a pot of cold water. It stays there for 15-30 minutes, enough time for the dough to rise to the top of the water. Maria Speck says the dough when plucked from the water and allowed to drain in your hands should feel like cold clay, and it did. I fought my impulse to let it bench rest for a short time and followed the recipe to the letter: quickly and without much flour forming it into a round and plopping it down on some parchment to rise for another 20 minutes. In retrospect, I could have easily added a little extra flour to make things easier on myself - but I can't complain with the lightness of the finished bread.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14382572154" title="floating bread by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="floating bread" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/14382572154_0473d4b307_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I could tell that it wasn't going to be a tall loaf, but I wasn't sure what more I could expect. I used <a href="http://lonesomestonemilling.com/" target="_blank">Lonesome Stone Milling</a> wheat bread flour (12% protein), I'd say it was kind of a "white whole wheat" if I were trying to explain the flour. That flour has an excellent flavor, and a few tablespoons of toasted sesame, a teaspoon each of sugar and some commercial yeast were all the simple ingredients. I baked it at 425 as directed, but I baked it in a cast iron pot since that is what I'm comfortable using. I transferred the loaf parchment and all to the pot and baked it 20 minutes with the lid on and 10 without.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14382577714" title="floating bread (2) by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="floating bread (2)" height="427" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5312/14382577714_37f8f9ccd4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was pretty good about letting it cool to room temperature. It was soft, and smelled so sweet - despite the minuscule amount of sugar in it - and it was nearly impossible not to want to eat it warm with honey and butter. The crumb was perfect sandwich style crumb, and really I couldn't believe a straight yeast bread could happen so quickly, without kneading, and with fairly little mess. I think with a little practice, this technique could prove to be a good experiment with sourdough - but maybe I'll wait until I can carve out a little more devoted time to myself before embarking on that.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14403720863" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="floating bread by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="floating bread" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5490/14403720863_e9616bbef8_z.jpg" width="428" /> </a></div>
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I won't forget about this bread, risen in water, relaxed (tricked?) into gluten formation by sheer science with no real help from me. Tomorrow morning, we've already decided to turn it into french toast which I'm sure will be great with some extra sesame sprinkled on before griddling.<br />
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I've decided that I can't print the floating bread recipe here, I wasn't finding too much information about it on the Internet, and Maria's book is so lovely it's worth finding a copy and reading about it in her words. If you have tried a similar type of bread that spends some time rising
in water, please drop me a line and let me know! I'm really curious why
there isn't a whole lot of information online... I'm planning to scour
the library for obscure German baking books and doing some more research
1980's style.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14196987100" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="with radishes by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="with radishes" height="426" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14196987100_ea6af6e4a0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-66070579555657823052014-06-07T10:34:00.002-05:002014-06-07T10:34:24.563-05:00Rhubarby.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last Sunday evening we pulled back into town, four of us stuffed into the car that seemed to shrink fast with two boys in the backseat and so many plants and eggs and luggage and leftovers nestled in around us that it was hard to move. The baby and I went out to the farm for a 4-day weekend, and my husband and a school-worn 2nd grader had come to pick us up. Sunday morning, my Dad picked me some rhubarb. That always seems to be tricky thing. How much do you want? Not too much? Once you get to slicing through the stalks, you lose track of how much rhubarb is not too much. I figure I had a paper sack with about 30 pounds, so much that he had to tie it up well with garden twine to contain it to the bag. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14366263885" title="Ash-rhubarb comparison. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="Ash-rhubarb comparison." height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5076/14366263885_8f2949003f_z.jpg" width="479" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>With baby for scale. This rhubarb patch is huge. </b></span></div>
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I remember the days when I practically lived behind the windshield. Almost every weekend it would take me exactly 4 minutes to pack everything I'd need; I'd toss all of it into a green army duffel sack that I actually still have but is going unused in the basement. Now, it takes me way too much time and planning to get out the door. I have to tuck all the cultures in, I have to bake bread to bring along. I have coolers in the summer to keep all the stuff I bring to and fro cool. An extra son makes backseat real estate a premium, and I absolutely refuse to drive a minivan so these sardine days will be with us for the foreseeable future...</div>
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But the rhubarb was worth it. I didn't bring any dessert with me this time because I knew my Mom would have something rhubarby baked, and she did. It was great. In fact on Saturday, I ate rhubarb dessert 3 separate times. But when I lobbed the heavy bag into the basement fridge on Sunday night I wondered if I'd get through it without having to sacrifice any to the compost pile. It took the week, but I did it. I'm proud to admit I had zero waste, even though that rhubarb patch grows like crazy and when I can't reach it I'm blessed with neighbors who are happy to share.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14162484749" title="rhubarby. by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="rhubarby." height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5542/14162484749_e2af1241d2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I got to meet Marisa McClellan (<a href="http://foodinjars.com/" target="_blank">Food in Jars</a>) in person when she was in the Chicago area in April, and was freshly inspired by her and her books. I made a tiny batch of her Rhubarb-Rosemary jelly (a single canned jar, actually and a mostly full one to enjoy now) from her new <a href="http://foodinjars.com/the-cookbook/" target="_blank">Preserving by the Pint</a> book after the rhubarb had been prepped and sitting in the pan with water for 24 hours. It seems each day I feel I get nothing accomplished, and when I fall into bed exhausted at the end of the day, I realize that I actually accomplish tons. Sometimes preserving might go on hold for a few hours but thankfully it's a forgiving process.</div>
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Encouraged by my Mom's bright pink rhubarb dessert, which when asked she told me she just baked with the pinkest parts, I set out making rhubarb juice concentrate using just the pinkest parts of the stalks. Why didn't I ever think of that? For years, my rhubarb endeavors were "industrial green" as I had taken to calling them. Delicious, but utilitarian. The concentrate was from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402154229&sr=1-1&keywords=ball+home+preserving+book" target="_blank">Ball Home Preserving book</a>, and had lemon and orange zests and juice in it. It's really very nice, and 4 1/2 pints are probably a perfect quantity for me as the sole rhubarb consumer.<br />
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Then with a glass of rhubarb juice in hand, I made myself a crisp.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14366258805" title="rhubarb crisp by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="rhubarb crisp" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/14366258805_b2b980a486_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the interest of time, I noted the process on flickr if you click the photo. I still have some left - it's marvelously tart. <br />
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Thursday I made 2 9x13 pans of <a href="http://rcakewalk.blogspot.com/2010/05/rhubarb-kuchen-or-in-which-i-divulge.html" target="_blank">Rhubarb Kuchen</a> and yesterday I delivered them to my friend Ginny who shared them. And somehow in between line-dried batches of laundry I also managed to get a batch of Marisa's Rhubarb Vanilla Jam with Earl Grey done yesterday too (the recipe is in <a href="http://foodinjars.com/the-cookbook/" target="_blank">her first book</a>, and <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2009/03/vanilla-rhubarb-jam/" target="_blank">also on her site</a>) - and in the company of a napless and fairly cranky kid who grasped at my knees for dear life pretty much the whole time I was stirring the canning pot. <br />
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I really can't get over the difference using just the pinkest part of the rhubarb stalks! I think this is one of the nicest rhubarb jams I've had ever. I left some of the errant earl grey tea leaves in for asthetics.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14179784337" title="rhubarb vanilla jam with Earl Grey by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="rhubarb vanilla jam with Earl Grey" height="426" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3923/14179784337_c2c89152a8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All of that pink rhubarb left me with an amount of green rhubarb, which I think tastes just as fine as the rosy base of the stalk if not conjuring a more vegetal side of rhubarb. Yes, I could do something savory with it... but I wouldn't bother trying to get the boys to eat it. Instead, I chopped it up and was amazed to find I had exactly the 2 1/2 pounds that Deborah Madison calls for to make a green rhubarb puree in her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seasonal-Fruit-Desserts-Orchard-Market-ebook/dp/B007SGM2AA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402155027&sr=1-1&keywords=seasonal+fruit+desserts" target="_blank">Seasonal Fruit Desserts book</a> that I was fortunate to find a copy of. I have to pick up a grapefruit later today to make it, but look forward to her tarts made with a corn flour base and barely spiced green rhubarb puree.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14364751762" title="green rhubarb by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="green rhubarb" height="639" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3863/14364751762_07cc4fda81_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hopefully, that can wait a few days until the rhubarb crisp is gone. It does seem to me that sliced rhubarb keeps well in the refrigerator if stored in plastic. That's probably a good thing.</div>
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-92144752874539702612014-05-20T19:05:00.001-05:002014-05-20T19:05:26.043-05:00Sourdough Surprises May 2014: Sandwich "Buns".<div style="text-align: justify;">
So it's been a few months since I made time for the <a href="http://sourdoughsurprises.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sourdough Surprises</a> baking group but it's not because I didn't want to do it. Time seems to be going even faster now that the weather has turned for the warmer, and just yesterday I realized that it was close to the 20th and that I had just happened to bake my rolls in the morning. Technically the challenge was for a sandwich bun, and these are bun-shaped so I'm going with it. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14232111495" title="sourdough rolls by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sourdough rolls" height="426" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14232111495_0ab0f98e16_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't usually mess with rolls. I don't know why, maybe because bread lasts longer and stales slower? Because it's less monkeying around? I've been following a few bread boards on Pinterest, and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/344595808960985426/" target="_blank">when I saw these</a>, I knew I had to make them. Made of heftier grains and plenty of water, I suspected they would be a good sandwich roll, and I was right. I made just a dozen and only one remains 24 hours later.<br />
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After baking, with just enough time for them to come to room temperature, they were actually nice and soft - despite me misting them with water to try and encourage a crustier crust. I used Kosher salt instead of fine salt, and when eaten plain, I would have preferred them a touch saltier. However, made into a sandwich with some type of salty cheese, they were perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14252294593" title="sourdough rolls by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sourdough rolls" height="426" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2912/14252294593_9c64f97146_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Not so creative, but delicious asiago cheese and cucumber sandwich.</span></b><br />
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They are heartier than most soft buns, but I think when using deeper tasting grains that is acceptable. I'm still using the local <a href="http://www.lonesomestonemilling.com/" target="_blank">Lonesome Stone Milling flours</a> (except for the spelt, which I ground myself from co-op spelt berries), and the taste is so so good. By today, they really had developed some great flavors. In fact, I'm thinking of making them again for tomorrow.<br />
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The recipe is incredibly simple: just mix up the dough and autolyse without the salt for 45-60 minutes, then add the salt and give it a few folds at 30 and 60 minutes. Just wait until the next day, let it laze about on the counter for awhile and bake them. I used a baking stone, and shoveled them in using a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal. They are pretty sticky; use a bench scraper to help you cut them and gently form them into rough pieces. The dough was so sticky I had trouble using a lame to slash - resulting in domed tops. By the last pieces, I figured out to use a serrated knife - those rolls baked into a more appropriate shape. <a href="http://www.myitaliansmorgasbord.com/2013/07/20/bread-for-breakfast-foolproof-sourdough-rolls/" target="_blank">Here is the recipe I used</a>, I didn't alter it at all except to make a half batch.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14231868964" title="sourdough rolls by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="sourdough rolls" height="427" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2934/14231868964_1b5f37e8ed_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I would like to experiment more with soft buns - and I'm sure the baking group will have lots of inspiration, have a look below! I hope to be more on track for the summer months with <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14231868964%22%20title=%22sourdough%20rolls%20by%20R%20Gagnon,%20on%20Flickr%22%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2934/14231868964_1b5f37e8ed_z.jpg%22%20width=%22640%22%20height=%22427%22%20alt=%22sourdough%20rolls%22%3E%3C/a%3E" target="_blank">Sourdough Surprises</a> participation!<br />
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3068230522284074298.post-35176457009199934272014-05-14T12:14:00.000-05:002014-05-14T12:18:56.010-05:00Butter Tortillas.<div style="text-align: center;">
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I'm sure you've heard we are once again living in <a href="http://business.time.com/2014/01/09/were-in-a-golden-age-for-butter-consumption/" target="_blank">the golden age of butter</a>. Butter makes everything better, and I can't tell you how liberating it is to just use it without the guilt of the low-fat '90's plaguing me. My whole outlook on fat has obviously changed for the better over the past several years, and strangely I not gained a single pound in the process (well, not counting the gains and loss of baby weight...). While eating more fat, I have also never purchased less prepared food in my life: in part due to our economic status, but even more because whenever I read a label, I lose my appetite.<br />
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There are quite a few "convenience" foods that I haven't bought it ages and canned beans and tortillas top the list. For years, I quietly made my own corn tortillas using Maseca and an aluminum tortilla press that someone gave me years ago. I never made flour tortillas; my Mom always made them without a recipe, and hers were untouchable good. Then two things happened. My aluminum press broke, and Deena posted about some <a href="http://mostlyfoodstuffs.blogspot.com/2010/06/whole-wheat-tortillas.html" target="_blank">whole wheat flour tortillas</a> that I tried and loved. They were made with a ratio, not by feel and I could handle that.<br />
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I used her post as my only recipe for a long time, probably exclusively for about a year after my tortilla press bit the dust. Then by chance, I was leafing through Peter Reinhart's Crust and Crumb - still one of my favorite bread books ever. How had I never seen there was a tortilla recipe there? How could a tortilla made with softened butter be bad? I had to experiment.</div>
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<a href="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/13991452500_d4d5ce27ed_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tortillas" border="0" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/13991452500_d4d5ce27ed_z.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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Not only are these consistently good, I found that I could use virtually any flour and have them turn out wonderfully. I've used all whole wheat and part whole wheat, high-protein bread flour, or spelt, or whatever I've had ground and needing to be used up. I remember to take out some butter early in the day and by the time I'm ready to mix up the dough it's soft and ready to go.</div>
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Before being forced to master the flour tortilla, I never let my cast iron heat up long enough. Awhile back, my Mom bought me a double burner cast iron comal when we were shopping at our favorite "junk shop". It was like new, and took very little reseasoning to get it conditioned. This allows me to make tortillas twice as fast. A batch of 8 can be done in about 20 minutes if I let the iron heat for about 10 minutes before I'm ready to start griddling them. And 20 minutes standing over my stove tending to the rest of the meal simultaneously makes me feel like the best kind of multitasker. </div>
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I like to mix up the tortilla dough several hours before using it. It seems to hydrate the dough - and somehow makes the whole process feel like less work. Many times, I'll cook the tortillas before I even start the rest of the dinner - nestling them in blankets of tea towels to keep them warm and pliable. I used to try to roll them too thin, now I aim for a slightly more substantial feel. I'm also lucky to have a <a href="http://www.silpat.com/roulpat.html" target="_blank">Roul'Pat</a> for my counter, which lets me use less flour when rolling too. I use that for all of my breadmaking as well, so I'd recommend it as a good investment if you do a lot of baking, or as a gift for someone you know who does.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/13991459908" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="tortillas by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="tortillas" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7374/13991459908_dc0b998dd5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>I form the dough into balls, and then let them sit up to several hours until I'm ready to griddle them.</b></span><br />
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I find this makes the perfect amount for one meal with perhaps a few leftover depending on our appetites. Double the recipe easily if you'd like more. They do hold well for a few days in the refrigerator, but then I like to steam them in some sort of creative stovetop contraption before serving them. If toasted, they become nicely brittle: make them into homemade chips or tostada shells easily by baking them for 10 minutes or so at 350. </div>
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<b>Flour Tortillas made with Butter</b> (Peter Reinhart's ratio)</div>
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<li>8 oz. (1 3/4 c.) bread flour (I like half whole wheat and half AP flour most of the time)</li>
<li>big pinch of salt</li>
<li>2 oz. (half a stick or 1/4 c.) room temperature butter</li>
<li>4 oz. (1/2 c.) warm water</li>
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Combine flour, salt, and butter in a large bowl and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until it is evenly coated and no large pieces of butter remain. (I usually taste the dough to see if the salt is to my liking.) Pour the warm water over and use your hand or a wooden spoon to form a rough dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead a few times to form into a smooth round ball. (Because I like to let the dough sit for so long, I don't spend too much time kneading it as time is my ally in hydrating and developing the gluten. If you are going to use the dough soon after making, knead for 2-3 minutes to form a better dough.)</div>
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Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a tight round. Cover with a bowl (the same one used for mixing works) or plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Heat iron skillet over medium to medium-high for 10 minutes before cooking them (a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate quickly - you'll need to reduce the heat then because the cast iron retains heat so well). Roll out each ball of dough to about an 8 inch circle using a bit of flour. Try not to have an excess of flour as you transfer them to the pan or they can burn on the griddle. Cook on the first side until large bubbles start to form, then flip and cook the on the opposite side. Once browned, flip over if needed to finish cooking on the first side. Meanwhile, you can roll your next tortilla and have it ready to go by the time the first one is finished cooking.</div>
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Stack the just cooked tortillas in a stack of tea towels to keep them warm.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rcakewalk/14198230993" title="tortillas by R Gagnon, on Flickr"><img alt="tortillas" height="426" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/14198230993_91e28bc54b_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So just why haven't I bought another tortilla press yet? In part because flour tortillas are just so good. I also really do not want to waste money on another cheaply made aluminum press. I have my eye on <a href="http://www.mexgrocer.com/50409-87289.html" target="_blank">this $75 beauty</a>, but better I want to have my brother make one for me. With wooden plates more than an inch thick, it won't warp and will always press a tortilla perfectly flat... not to mention it will be something I'll have forever. I'm actually glad I don't have one yet because in the time frame since I've been missing it, Mexico went corn-GMO free - so the <a href="http://www.mexgrocer.com/2440.html" target="_blank">Maseca</a> of the future will be better for all of us.<br />
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Necessity is the mother of invention, and in my case, the mother of mastery since I no longer am phobic of making sub-par flour tortillas. They still aren't my Mom's, but they are very good and I can make them almost as fast as corn tortillas. I generally make something involving the tortilla once a week, so this past year I might have made as many as 30 dozen tortillas, and I am now completely sold on them made with butter. <br />
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Just this week I saw that America's Test Kitchen released a tortilla making video, not using butter but also using warm water. Give it a look for some science behind that - and for another recipe to try. <br />
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rcakewalkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13646758033700076277noreply@blogger.com4