COVID 2020

2020. COVID. Lockdowns. Unemployment. Businesses closing. Borders closing. Political uprising. Protests from voices which needed to be heard.

We each had our own way of responding to the year, and many of us broke the monotony and anger cycles by starting new hobbies. We had more free time from not visiting friends and family. Same for me. I started several new hobbies which I truly enjoy, but I think I’m turning into a grandmother. Knitting, baking, making vinegar, canning. And I’ve taken to drinking tea and wearing cardigan sweaters. I plan to carry cough drops and hard candy. 

I do not deny the hardships many of us have faced, be it great loss or the whelming sense of  pent up emotions. Each of us have done the best we can with the tools we had. Well done, you! You’ve made it through 100% of your bad days. 

Besides turning into a grandmother, I’m returning to writing this blog so I can continue to document recipes that worked out well, and that I want repeat.  You’re welcome to join along. Let me know what you’ve tried in your own kitchen and what you’ve liked. Or what you want to try.

Sourdough Part 1

How I Treat a Sourdough Starter

Real talk. I couldn’t make a starter. I tried. I honestly did. In fact, I tried twice, but it got old before it’s time and just didn’t survive.

A very good friend gave me a starter. She knew my plight and took pity on me. 

The starter was healthy and came from a prestigious lineage: It was the child of Scout and the grandchild of Sprout. I named this child Scamp. It has since generated another offspring, Scooter. And then another sibling which I have passed to another of my best friends. 

That’s a beautiful part of sourdough. It’s alive and it’s a part of the celebration of life. It’s meant to provide for us just as we continue to sustain it.

First of all, I treat it like a pet. It needs food, water and a good growing condition. When I received it, it was in a glass quart canning jar. The lid was loose to let air in and out. It had already eaten so I fed it some more. 

100g starter

100g unbleached bread flour (I use King Arthur) 

60g room temperature water

I stirred all of the ingredients until it was well combined and the consistency of thick peanut butter, then put it back in the jar, lid loose on the top, and let it rest on the counter for an hour or two. Then into the fridge next to the milk. 

A week later, on Saturday morning, I took the starter out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter to warm up a little. I could have used it (or most of it) then, but I wanted to have a bit more to continue to grow and some to use. I split it into two and made sure I had enough to get 227g to cook with and still have more to grow. Now I have a lot of starter and usually make two loaves on the weekend and maybe biscuits or pancakes. 

Each week I repeat the process, usually on Saturday. If I need it midweek I take it out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for a day. If I’m a day or two late in feeding, It still seems alright. And I haven’t washed the original jar out. Scamp and Scooter are both happy and growing. 

For recipes, try:

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits 

Yields 6 biscuits that are too large for healthy eating 

120g unbleached flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, super cold (I put it in the freezer for a bit first)

227g sourdough starter, unfed/discard

A fist full of shredded cheddar cheese (I don’t really measure this. If you have both hands cupped, the loose shredded cheese fills your hands)

Water, as needed

Preheat the oven to 425°F with the rack somewhere in the middle. I also have a baking stone on that rack. (I don’t know if this adds anything to the experience other than making me look like I know what I’m doing.) Grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment. 

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a box grater, grate the butter into the flour and toss together until the mixture is sort of well mixed. Add the cheese and toss together some more.  Add the starter, mixing gently until the dough is cohesive. Add water if needed to bring it all together. I probably over work it and it always turns out fine.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gently pat it to about 1"-thick. 

Use a biscuit cutter to cut the biscuits. Use whatever size you want to get the biscuits you want. I use a vintage Bugs Bunny glass. The opening is about 3 inches across. It’s no biscuit cutter, but it works like a champ. 

Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top. 

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until they're golden brown.  The cheese on the bottom will get good and crispy.  

Don’t worry about how to store them. 

Sourdough Bread in One Day

227g Starter left out for 12-24 hours

604g Unbleached Bread Flour

2 1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 c lukewarm Water

You can use 1-2 tsp Yeast if you want a faster rise

Combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer. Mix on low with a dough hook until everything comes together in a smooth ball, then mix it for a couple minutes more for good measure. 

Lightly dust a clean smooth surface with flour. Dump the dough onto the counter.  It’ll be a bit wet and sticky. You want that. Knead the dough for 7 minutes. I like 7 minutes but you can probably do a little more or less. Some people do a lot less, but I haven’t tried their bread. The dough gets smoother, but it doesn’t get elastic like you see on the cooking shows on TV. I think that’s ok. 

Put it into a bowl big enough to let it double in size plus a bit more room. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a place that stays around 70°F. Let it hang out for a few hours.  It’ll spread out in the bowl and it won’t really look like it’s rising for a while. And then it will. If you’re using yeast, it’ll rise in an hour or so. If not, plan on three hours, but in either case, check on it every hour to see how it’s going. 

When the dough ball has doubled in size, cut it in half and put each half into a VERY well floured cloth (like a tea towel), loosely wrap and lay each dough ball into it’s own large bowl. Let rise for an hour or so. After about 35 minutes, set the oven: 

For the oven and the bake, here’s what I do.  Adapt as you need to.

I use a large Dutch oven with a lid. Preheat the oven, with the Dutch oven inside, to 475°F. (I know I was using grams before and now I’m using Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. What can I say? I’m cosmopolitan.) I cut a couple pieces of parchment paper and sprinkle each with cornmeal. When the dough is risen to your satisfaction (you don’t need to go nuts with waiting; it will rise more when it bakes), put the loaf onto the cornmealed parchment. Don’t shake off the extra flour. Take a very sharp knife and cut two deep slashes across the top. This keeps the loaf from splitting as it bakes. Using the parchment, put the loaf into the Dutch oven.  Spritz water with a spray bottle over the loaf and then cover with the Dutch oven lid. Turn the oven up to 500°F. Set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, take the lid off and turn the oven down to 475°F. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. The top should be a deep brown and the internal temp should be 190°F. Repeat with the other loaf. 

The hardest part is waiting while it cools, but give it a half hour. 

Jiggles

The heat of the summer recalls experiences of my youth.  I remember catching bugs in the field around our house.  In my mind, I can almost taste the lemonade we'd make.  I recall playing naked in the sprinkler in our front yard, and sliding across a slip and slide.  (I almost said, "like it was yesterday," but that would be awkward, and maybe illegal.) 

And I remember Jell-O.  What a wonderful food that combines the bright colors, the hyper-fruity flavors and the wonderful, jiggly bounce. 

While recently visiting my parent's home, my mom gave me a book (OK, Mom. You  "loaned" me the book): Joys of Jell-O.  It's a very quaint and charming bit of nostalgia--You can imagine the book or any of the recipes in it as a prop on the set of Mad Men.  The recipes are shameless plugs for all things Jell-O and General Foods (now Kraft Foods) brand foods, and it is clearly written for the 50's or 60's housewife.  (This particular copy appears to have been published in 1962.)  It speaks of tending to the children, pleasing the husband, and being the perfect hostess. 

A more recent and cosmopolitan tome, Hello, Jell-O, explores a more adult side of gelatin confections.  Elevated to a true art form, the author Victoria Belanger, creates works of culinary (and sometimes alcoholic) masterpieces.  Best of all, she's made her own mistakes and provides the solutions for your potentially faulty experiments.  I highly recommend this book.

These both inspired me to explore more possibilities.  As you may recall, in a previous post I tried using agar-agar to make vegan panna cotta, but it yielded less than stellar results (although it made a very good ice cream).  I've continued to play with agar-agar in various forms and with increasingly interesting results.  Then I learned more about molecular gastronomy and I journeyed farther down the gelatin path. 

There are also creations that seem like gelatin but use other ingredients to form a semi solid or slow moving liquid.  Jellies, jams, or my favorite, Turkish Delight.

I know this is but a short intro into fun things coagulated, but I hope you'll join me in exploring further. 

Tonight try:

Gelled Blueberry Dessert
4 1/2 cups Blueberry Nectar
2 packets Unflavored Gelatin
1 8oz container Mascarpone Cheese
Strips of Lemon Zest
fresh or frozen Blueberries

Pour one cup of blueberry nectar into a shallow bowl (more surface area is better) and sprinkle 2 packets of gelatin evenly over the surface.  Let rest.  Meanwhile (I realize I've never used that word in a recipe before. That changes now.)  boil the other three cups of juice.  Let boil for 10 minutes. 

In a large mixing bowl with a spout (which just makes the next step easier) whisk the cold bloomed gelatin together with the hot juice.  Continue to whisk for 3 minutes.  You really want all the gelatin dissolved. 

Pour into 6 ramekins, leaving 1/4 inch of space below the top.  Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until the gel does not stick to your finger when you touch it. 

Spread the mascarpone over the top of the blueberry gelatin up to the top of the ramekin, evenly.  Let set in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes. 

To loosen the gelatin from the ramekin, set into hot warm water, up to the edge of the ramekin for 15 seconds. (Follow the instructions.  Make it on the hot side of warm, but not hot.)  Run a butter knife between the ramekin and the gelatin to separate it.  Wipe the ramekin dry, and place an inverted plate over the top of it.  In one fluid motion, turn over the plate and ramekin and give it a slight jiggle.  Lift the ramekin up to release the gelatin.  A properly turned out gelatin mold is one of the greatest satisfactions in life. 

Garnish with blueberries and lemon zest on the plate. 


Balsamic Pearls
Usually I buy Elsa 12 year Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, but for this recipe I used a grocery store brand common to balsamic vinaigrettes.  It yielded spectacular results, but choose as you will.  Agar-agar is a gelling agent made from seaweed.  It's especially useful in that it doesn't liquefy below 88 degrees F, and melts at 136 degrees F. 
3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon Agar-Agar
1 quart Vegetable Oil, chilled in a Mason jar (I keep a Mason jar of oil in the refrigerator all the time, now)

In a sauce pan, add the vinegar and agar.  Whisk until the agar is well mixed.  Put the pan on a medium high burner and whisk for 3-5 minutes as the liquid comes to a simmering boil.  Remove from the heat. 

Using an eye-dropper or pipette, drop individual drops of hot balsamic into the cold oil.  They will coagulate on top, but keep adding slow drops.  The slower you go the smaller the pearls will be, so play with that. 

When you've used all the vinegar and the pearls are now mostly sitting on the bottom of this oil, pour the Mason jar through a sieve, catching the oil in a container underneath (recycle! and your plumbing will love you.), then remove the catch container and run cold water over the pearls to remove the oil. 

Use on a caprese salad or as you would a balsamic drizzle. 


Turkish Delight (Traditional)
Sometimes a gel doesn't include gelatin.  You can find rosewater in most Arabic or Indian specialty shops.

4 cups granulated Sugar

1 1/4 cups Cornstarch

1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

4 1/4 cups Water

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Rosewater

1 cup Confectioners Sugar

Vegetable Shortening

 

In a 9x9 inch baking pan, lube the sides and bottom with shortening. Line with wax paper and grease the wax paper. (You think that's a lot of slippery?  Wait until you see the sticky.  You'll be happy.)

In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, granulated sugar and 1 1/2 cups water on medium high heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Combine cream of tartar, 1 cup corn starch and remaining (room temperature) water in saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until all lumps are gone and the mixture begins to boil. Stop stirring when the mixture has a glue-like consistency.

Stir in the sugar mixture. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Once the mixture has become a golden color, stir in rosewater. Pour mixture into the wax paper-lined pan. Spread evenly and allow to cool overnight.

Once it has cooled overnight, sift together confectioners sugar and remaining cornstarch.

Turn over baking pan containing Turkish delight onto clean counter or table and cut with oiled knife into one inch pieces. (Don't spare the oil.)

Coat with confectioners sugar mixture. Store in an airtight container in layers separated with wax paper.

Welcome Back

Hello again.  Miss me?

I needed this hiatus. My posts became increasing preachy and I needed some time to refocus.  I didn't know it would be a year, but there you are.

In the mean time, I've still been cooking.  We've been travelling (Florence, Venice, Slovenia, Marrakesh).   I took my first cooking class.  I've been experimenting with gelatin and agar agar.  I don't have an oven but I do have crazy good skills for finding alternate heating sources to cook food.  I've explored more wild foods.  We've fallen in love with even more restaurants.

I promise to share all of it with you. 

So where to go first?  How about a few recipes and then we ease back into all this?  Here's two.  Please enjoy.

Chicken & Mushroom Mac n Cheese
2 Chicken Breasts
1 large Clove of Garlic, minced
Olive Oil
Mushrooms, chopped
Butter
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Cream
Salt & Pepper
1 1/4 cup Orzo (dry measure), cooked and drained
Parsley, chopped and Cheese, grated

Slow cook chicken breasts, with salt and pepper in olive oil and garlic. Remove chicken from pan, leaving drippings and garlic. Add mushrooms and increase heat to sauté. When mushrooms have cooked, chop the chicken and add back to the pan, and reduce the heat to low.

In sauce pan on medium high heat, melt the butter, then add the cheese and cream, stirring constantly.  When the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth, stir in the chicken and mushroom mixture. Stir in the orzo.

Serve with a little grated cheese and chopped parsley on top. 


Thai Chili Bitters
1 tsp Cloves
10 Juniper Berries
1 tbsp Allspice Berries
1 Bay Leaf
1 tbsp Black Pepper Corns
1/2 star of Anise
6 Green Cardamom Pods
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
2 Thai Chilies
Gentian Root Extract
750 ml Everclear

Follow the basic recipe for Bitters that I posted in 2010. 

After you've strained and filtered the bitters, pour it into a large non-reactive pot.  Reduce it over a very low heat.  This is the purest alcohol you can get and it's extremely volitile.  It will reduce quickly and you want it down to about 1/5 of it's original volume.  Use extreme caution if you are using a gas stove, because it could explode!  Do not cover.  Don't stir.  In fact don't even make this recipe unless you've got the fortitude to wade across a lava flow carrying that old lady who was too stubborn to leave her home until it was too late, even though Peirce Brosnan warned her to go.  But if you decide to make it, you will be rewarded with a spicy little number to accent your gin or rye.

Are You Ready for Some Over-Eating?

It's that time again.  Two teams take the field.  One will emerge the victor; the other....

Honestly, I'm indifferent to the teams involved, but the ritual is wonderful.  People all over the country get together and enjoy the most glorious exhibition of television advertising and gastronomic over-indulgence.  This is the most American of all celebrations!  That is the part I love.

I've recounted the legend of our previous game day adventures to a land so distant (we have to drive for more than an hour, so that makes it distant in Colorado) and a home so wonderful (it truly is a lovely home with beautiful hosts) and all of the bounty laid before us (e.g., lobster, crab legs, mannicotti, key lime pies, flowing beverages, and dozens of snacks) that a Roman Saturnalia would pale in comparrison!  I am certain this year will be no exception, I will offer a recap soon.

(For those of you concerned about my diet, I enter into today guilt-free.  I will try not to over indugle, but rather I will enjoy to my heart's contentment.  Then I will return happily to my life of watched calories and extra exercise.  Besides, I am still a glutton at heart.)

I also accept this day and this party as a challenge.  I like to push the boundaries of what I've done before and create something bold.  To that end, I present to you:

Mac and Cheese Bites
3/4 cup shredded Gouda
3/4 cup shredded Sharp White Cheddar
3/4 cup shredded Fontina
1 14oz bottle of Guinness (less a sip)
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 tablespoons Flour
8 pieces of Bacon, cooked and crumbled
12 oz of Shell Macaroni, cooked and drained
many Won Ton Wrappers
Canola Oil for frying
Egg wash

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Over a low heat, stir in the flour and salt to make a roux--a thick paste.  Stir in the Guinness and the milk.  Stir in the cheese, a 1/2 of a cup at a time, allowing it to melt completely before adding the next next 1/2 cup.  The sauce will continue to thicken.

Stir in the bacon bits and the macaroni.

Pour the mac and cheese into a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.  Allow the casserole to cool completely.

Heat oil to 375 degrees in a large Dutch oven or fryer.

This next part is best when you do it with a friend.  Taking 1 spoonful at a time, center on a won ton skin.  Brush the edges with an egg wash and seal.

Place no more than 4 or 5 won tons in at a time or the oil will cool too much and the food become greasy.  Cook until golden brown on all sides.  Let drain on an elevated rack.

To rewarm, place in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes.

This recipe makes a somewhat bitter mac and cheese.  You can change the cheeses to something sweeter, or you can compliment with great sauces.  I am going to serve warm with dipping sauces.

A Little Wedge of Heaven

This past week, I took a friend (and prospective client--he says, with hope in his heart) to one of the most charming little restaurants in Longmont, which, curiously, is not at all known for being a restaurant.  Cheese Importers in Longmont, Colorado is the "Home Depot of Cheese," comparable for the vastness of its refrigerated warehouse (customers are offered complimentary, in-store parkas for their cheesing pleasure).  Linda and two of her children, Clara and Samm, provide impeccable customer service, patiently answering questions, managing the charm of the Market Europa, communicating with restaurants and stores across five states for their wholesale business, and importing an extraordinary selection of cheese and other merchandise.  I'll circle back around to Linda and Cheese Importers in a moment, but first a few thoughts on cheese.

Cheese is too large a topic for me to cover in one sitting, but I hope to provide a few general concepts to make your cheese exploration more enjoyable. First, ignore the high-brow jargon.  Like wine, cigars and perfumes, cheese making is steeped in rich tradition and pretension.  Start learning for yourself, and develop your own senses according to what you enjoy.  Think of texture, color, smell and taste.  Do you a prefer mild, neutral essence that melts easily and blends with other flavors, or do you want a hard cheese that slaps your taste buds out of their stupor?  Or maybe you'd like to try a sweeter, crumbly cheese veined with pungent blue-green mold that can stand on its own--and sometimes has to because of the smell?  Get to know what you prefer.  Soon, you'll be noticing commonalities between cheeses you like. 

Next, don't be afraid to ask for help.  Not sure what rinds can be eaten and which should be removed?  (I'm still not always sure--so don't feel bad!)  Ask.  Not sure if the sudden bloom of fine white hairs on your cheese is a sign of future gastro-regret?  Just ask.  Does this cheese work well in a grilled cheese sandwich?  What wine would pair well with this?  What crackers, cured meats, olives or fruit would accompany that cheese?  Ask away! 

Once you've got a handle on where your tastes run, begin to branch out.  Start looking at the names of the cheese and their region of origin.  Look at the ingredients and consider how and how long it's been aged.  And then pass your love and experience on to others.

While you can probably get some assistance from the deli counter or cheese island at the local supermarket, the staff at Cheese Importers is adept at providing you with much of the help needed to become a budding connoisseur.  Besides being able to answer nearly every cheese-related question thrown at them, they also have samples to taste, and the little restaurant portion of Market Europa uses their own product.  (I had a artichoke heart and fontina panini and a cup of gazpacho.)  They can tell their story better than I can, so if you're in the area, please give them a visit.  If you aren't, visit their website.  I think you'll agree that there is something unique in what they do.

Tonight for dinner, try one of these cheese-inspired dishes.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

4-6 slices (4"x1"x1/8") of Fontina Cheese

2 slices of Sandwich Bread (a small crumb, with the crusts not too crusty)

Butter, at room temperature

Get a heavy, well seasoned skillet heated to medium hot.  Butter the two slices of bread.  Drop a pat of butter into the skillet; the butter should melt in about 10 seconds and should start to brown in 40 seconds.  Swirl the skillet to evenly distribute the fats across the bottom of the skillet.  Gently lay the bread, butter side DOWN into the skillet.  Reduce the heat to medium, and lay the cheese on the open face of the bread.  Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese, butter side UP.

Cook for 2 minutes or until the bread toasts to the color you like.  Then flip the sandwich over.  Cook for 2 minutes more.  Serve.


Three Cheeses and Macaroni
3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
3 tablespoons Flour
1 1/2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 lb Goulda, shredded (or other mild cheese, like a mild white cheddar)
1/2 lb Fontina, shredded
1/4 lb Asiago, shredded
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 lb (uncooked weight) of large Shell Pasta (Conchiglie), cooked and drained

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter on medium high heat.  Sprinkle in the flour and whisk together until it makes a paste or roux.  Cook for a few minutes more, until the roux starts to get some color.  Add in the milk, and continue to whisk until the roux is completely dissolved.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook and stir until the milk thickens and becomes bubbly. 

Add in the cheese, a handful at a time, and stir until completely melted before adding the next handful.  When the last of the cheese has been added and melted, stir in the cream and cayenne pepper. 

Cook and drain the pasta and pour the cheese sauce over the hot shells. 

Serve in bowls--gooey and delicious!


Parmesan Crisps
4 oz block of Parmesan, grated on the fine holes of a box grater
Ground Black Pepper

Heat oven to 300 degrees. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Measure lightly heaping tablespoons of cheese and place in individual mounds on the parchment.  Flatten the mounds to about 1/8 inch, leaving a few inches between cheese mounds.  Sprinkle lightly with pepper. 

Bake on the center rack for 5-6 minutes.  Let cool, then remove to a plate for serving.