Monday, October 11, 2010
Recipe Geek is Going on Hiatus, Sort of
In the interest of time, I'm recombining my two blogs. I'm not sure if there's anyone who reads this one but not the other. If you do, and don't have the link, email me at oldbiddyblogging at yahoo dot com and I'll send it to you.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Date Nut Bread, sans nuts
Perhaps I was subliminally inspired by my recent dates with nuts from Match.com In any case, I picked up a big bag of dates at Sam's Club with the intention of making date nut bread. I'm breaking with tradition and posting this on both my blogs.
I used the recipe from my favorite cookbook. I'll list it here, since I can't post a link.
Date Nut Bread
2 cups chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
Combine dates, water and baking soda. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. The dates will soften up a lot from the combination of hot water and baking soda. They will also fizz a little. Good times!
6 tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used a combination of sour cream and milk since that's what I had)
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 9" loaf pan. Combine egg and milk and wisk to blend. Wisk in sugar, vanilla and melted butter, then add dates and the soaking liquid. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix, then add the liquid ingredients and mix until just blended. Add nuts. Bake for 55-60 minutes.
Anyway, that's the recipe. I have a confession to make - I forgot the nuts. I chopped them and toasted them but forgot to add them to the batter. Perhaps it was a subliminal thing - no more dates with nuts, ever! Perhaps I was a little distracted. The arborist was here giving estimates to my neighbors and I. He was a lot better looking than the Match.com guys. He can come climb my limbs any time.
In any case, the bread was really, really good. Soaking the dates made a huge difference. They were tender and the bread had a great, light texture and a slightly carmelly flavor. It was by far the best date nut bread I've ever eaten, even without the nuts. I took half the loaf in to work. It had mostly disappeared after a few hours, even though not everyone was around. I'll definitely be making it again, but next time I will add the nuts, and probably some chocolate chips too.
I used the recipe from my favorite cookbook. I'll list it here, since I can't post a link.
Date Nut Bread
2 cups chopped dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
Combine dates, water and baking soda. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. The dates will soften up a lot from the combination of hot water and baking soda. They will also fizz a little. Good times!
6 tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used a combination of sour cream and milk since that's what I had)
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 9" loaf pan. Combine egg and milk and wisk to blend. Wisk in sugar, vanilla and melted butter, then add dates and the soaking liquid. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix, then add the liquid ingredients and mix until just blended. Add nuts. Bake for 55-60 minutes.
Anyway, that's the recipe. I have a confession to make - I forgot the nuts. I chopped them and toasted them but forgot to add them to the batter. Perhaps it was a subliminal thing - no more dates with nuts, ever! Perhaps I was a little distracted. The arborist was here giving estimates to my neighbors and I. He was a lot better looking than the Match.com guys. He can come climb my limbs any time.
In any case, the bread was really, really good. Soaking the dates made a huge difference. They were tender and the bread had a great, light texture and a slightly carmelly flavor. It was by far the best date nut bread I've ever eaten, even without the nuts. I took half the loaf in to work. It had mostly disappeared after a few hours, even though not everyone was around. I'll definitely be making it again, but next time I will add the nuts, and probably some chocolate chips too.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans
It's been a while since I cooked quinoa, so I didn't remember the proper proportion of liquid to grain. I went online to look it up, and ran across this recipe. I had most of the ingredients on hand, and it sounded good and had very positive reviews.
I made it more or less as described in the recipe, with the following changes. I had some fresh corn, so I used that, I didn't have any cilantro, so I omitted it, and I only used one can of beans, as recommended by many of the reviewers.
It is pretty tasty, and I'll make it again. The combination of corn and quinoa always works well. I ate it with chicken leftovers, but it would be good in a burrito or with a little sour cream. I would probably take it in the opposite direction and increase the amount of quinoa and stick with one can of beans next time.
Don't believe the part about it making ten servings, though. I'll probably get 4 or 5 servings out of it.
I made it more or less as described in the recipe, with the following changes. I had some fresh corn, so I used that, I didn't have any cilantro, so I omitted it, and I only used one can of beans, as recommended by many of the reviewers.
It is pretty tasty, and I'll make it again. The combination of corn and quinoa always works well. I ate it with chicken leftovers, but it would be good in a burrito or with a little sour cream. I would probably take it in the opposite direction and increase the amount of quinoa and stick with one can of beans next time.
Don't believe the part about it making ten servings, though. I'll probably get 4 or 5 servings out of it.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Chicken Spiedies
When I moved here I noticed a weird murky-looking marinade at the grocery store. It was called 'spiedie marinade'. It's avaible in bottles or you can buy pre-marinated meat. I had no clue what it was.
It turns out it's a regional dish here in central New York. As with many dishes, there is debate as to who invented it, wth several people taking credit for it. Anyway, it's a Binghampton thing. Meat is marinated for a long time and then grilled on skewers. Once it's cooked, it's served on a roll. The original spiedies were made from lamb, but are more commonly made from chicken or pork now. It's also used for venison, which makes sense given all the deer around here.
I bought a bottle of spiedie marinade. It smells like Italian dressing. I soaked some chicken tenders in it for a few hours. It was pouring, so I didn't bother with skewers or charcoal, or bread.
The speidies were tasty - salty, tender, and with a slight flavor of garlic. I could see why they'd be tasty in a sandwich, especially with beer. Rugrat liked them too. I don't know what it is with regional Binghampton cuisine though - they are seriously into salt, with the salt potatoes and the spiedies. I'm glad I didn't serve them together.
It turns out it's a regional dish here in central New York. As with many dishes, there is debate as to who invented it, wth several people taking credit for it. Anyway, it's a Binghampton thing. Meat is marinated for a long time and then grilled on skewers. Once it's cooked, it's served on a roll. The original spiedies were made from lamb, but are more commonly made from chicken or pork now. It's also used for venison, which makes sense given all the deer around here.
I bought a bottle of spiedie marinade. It smells like Italian dressing. I soaked some chicken tenders in it for a few hours. It was pouring, so I didn't bother with skewers or charcoal, or bread.
The speidies were tasty - salty, tender, and with a slight flavor of garlic. I could see why they'd be tasty in a sandwich, especially with beer. Rugrat liked them too. I don't know what it is with regional Binghampton cuisine though - they are seriously into salt, with the salt potatoes and the spiedies. I'm glad I didn't serve them together.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Pork Chop Battle, part 2
Now that I have a fancy new gas grill, it was time to test the smoker capabilities. I opted to do smoked pork chops again, albeit with a simpler recipe.
I brined the pork chops for several hours in a mix of 1/4 cup of kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 4 cups water. I then put them on the grill, along with some wood chips. My grill is a bit different, so it's not necessary to soak the wood chips. You just drop them in. There's no direct flame so they don't burn up too quickly. Anyway, using the BBQ option resulted in a temperature of 350F, which was higher than the 250-275F that is recommended. The chops cooked quickly, in about 40 minutes. They were tender and moist and tasted like a cross between regular and Canadian bacon. The smoke flavor and salt level were just about right. They were not overwhelmingly smoky. I will definitely be making these again. If I feel like being a really anal retentive BBQ geek, I'll try cooking them more slowly at the recommended temperature.
I really like the infrared cooking so far. I like my meat on the rare side, without a really charred crust, and everything I've cooked so far has come out moist, rare but not underdone, and was nice and tender.
Next up: Chicken Spiedies
I brined the pork chops for several hours in a mix of 1/4 cup of kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 4 cups water. I then put them on the grill, along with some wood chips. My grill is a bit different, so it's not necessary to soak the wood chips. You just drop them in. There's no direct flame so they don't burn up too quickly. Anyway, using the BBQ option resulted in a temperature of 350F, which was higher than the 250-275F that is recommended. The chops cooked quickly, in about 40 minutes. They were tender and moist and tasted like a cross between regular and Canadian bacon. The smoke flavor and salt level were just about right. They were not overwhelmingly smoky. I will definitely be making these again. If I feel like being a really anal retentive BBQ geek, I'll try cooking them more slowly at the recommended temperature.
I really like the infrared cooking so far. I like my meat on the rare side, without a really charred crust, and everything I've cooked so far has come out moist, rare but not underdone, and was nice and tender.
Next up: Chicken Spiedies
Sunday, August 8, 2010
New Toy: Char-Broil Infrared Grill
OK, so I had a brief respite from my grill lust when I got the BBQ/smoker, but after a few days the gas grill lust returned. The smoker is good for the weekends, but I'm hungry and tired when I get home from work. I wanted to be able to throw some meat and veggies on the grill and eat within 30 minutes.
I got lucky on Craigslist - the full story is posted on my other blog. Suffice it to say I am now the proud owner of a brand new Char-Broil Red infrared gas grill. I like it pretty well so far. There are settings for high heat (clean/preheat) sear (for steaks, etc), grill, and BBQ/smoke.There is a U-shaped pan so grease never drips directly on the flame. That's good for me since I was always having grease flare-ups in my old mini-grill. I think the pan also serves to radiate/diffuse the heat so stuff cooks quickly and evenly. There were mixed reviews on the grill and the infrared. A lot of people really like it, and Consumer Reports gave it a high rating, but some people got lemons or were die-hard BBQ or gas grill snobs. Anyway, so far my grill isn't a lemon (knock on wood) and I'm always open to new technology, so I'm happy.
Last night I cooked some chicken breasts* and zucchini. The zucchini was a gift from the lady that sold me the grill. The chicken cooked in about 10 minutes, and the squash took 15. As it was cooking, it smelled really good, like a rotisserie chicken. That was a good sign. My old mini-grill always was pretty smoky due to the flare ups. At five minutes I took a look at it. It looked done on that side so I flipped it. At ten minutes it was done. I let it rest while the squash finished. Anyway, the chicken was really good - it was fully cooked but not charred on the outside, and it stayed very moist inside, even though I hadn't brined or marinated it. The squash was better than usual, but not perfect. I've never had much success with grilled squash. All in all, I was pretty pleased with my first attempt. I'm looking forward to cooking other stuff on it.
* this is my standard quick meal, so it's a good test.
I got lucky on Craigslist - the full story is posted on my other blog. Suffice it to say I am now the proud owner of a brand new Char-Broil Red infrared gas grill. I like it pretty well so far. There are settings for high heat (clean/preheat) sear (for steaks, etc), grill, and BBQ/smoke.There is a U-shaped pan so grease never drips directly on the flame. That's good for me since I was always having grease flare-ups in my old mini-grill. I think the pan also serves to radiate/diffuse the heat so stuff cooks quickly and evenly. There were mixed reviews on the grill and the infrared. A lot of people really like it, and Consumer Reports gave it a high rating, but some people got lemons or were die-hard BBQ or gas grill snobs. Anyway, so far my grill isn't a lemon (knock on wood) and I'm always open to new technology, so I'm happy.
Last night I cooked some chicken breasts* and zucchini. The zucchini was a gift from the lady that sold me the grill. The chicken cooked in about 10 minutes, and the squash took 15. As it was cooking, it smelled really good, like a rotisserie chicken. That was a good sign. My old mini-grill always was pretty smoky due to the flare ups. At five minutes I took a look at it. It looked done on that side so I flipped it. At ten minutes it was done. I let it rest while the squash finished. Anyway, the chicken was really good - it was fully cooked but not charred on the outside, and it stayed very moist inside, even though I hadn't brined or marinated it. The squash was better than usual, but not perfect. I've never had much success with grilled squash. All in all, I was pretty pleased with my first attempt. I'm looking forward to cooking other stuff on it.
* this is my standard quick meal, so it's a good test.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
My new smoker/smoked prok chops and salt potatoes
My brother and some of my coworkers are total barbeque geeks. I've been listening to them yap about barbequing and smoking meats, and they were a bad influence on me.
I bought a charcoal grill/smoker. It was on sale for $19. I've been wanting to get a nice big gas grill, and still intend to do so, but finding this was part of my good shopping karma this weekend.
It's nice and small and light, but I can still fit a small turkey in there. When I'm not using it I can stash it in the garage. I like its' design better than my old round one. I'm giving the old one to a grad student.
I got some pork chops, rubbed them down with a spice rub, and then looked at the instructions. Ooops. The grill needs to be cured before the first use, to seal the finish and get rid of paint odors. I cheated and let it cure for two hours, added a few more charcoal briquets and then started cooking the pork chops. I had trouble maintain the proper temperature (250F), so I should've added more earlier. After an hour I gave up and finished off the pork chops in the oven. They smelled pretty good as they cooked. They were moist and smoky, and the rub was tasty. They were somewhere in between smoked and baked. I don't recommend cooking them this way, but it is useful to know that rub is so tasty, especially since I have a lot left over.
My brother reminded me that smoked food is best paired with something blander, so it's not so overwhelming. I used this advice as an excuse to make salt potatoes, which are new potatoes cooked in a saturated solution of salt water. They are a regional dish here, and there's even chemistry involved, so of course I wanted to try them. The salt raises the boiling point of the water and also denatures the protein in the potato, so they get really tender and creamy. They are usually served with melted butter. What's not to like?!?! (Admit it, you really want to try them) Anyway, to take away the guesswork of either preparing a saturated solution or measuring out salt, they sell bags of potatoes packaged with bags of salt. [I found it kind of funny that the potatoes were packaged in Sacramento, where the workers were probably wondering WTF about the salt.] I prepared them according to the directions. The salt/water mixture was pretty close to saturation. I ended up putting the lid on the stockpot so they wouldn't splatter salt all over my nice clean kitchen. After about 20 minutes, they were done. I'm not sure if I didn't cook them quite long enough - they were soft and starchy like baked potatoes, rather than being creamy, but after sitting in the presence of butter for a while they became creamier. As you might expect, there was no need to add more salt, but they weren't overwhelmingly salty. (Be forwarned that I like my potatoes very salty, though.] I may make them again, especially since I still have some potatoes left.
I'll post more once I successfully use the smoker.
I bought a charcoal grill/smoker. It was on sale for $19. I've been wanting to get a nice big gas grill, and still intend to do so, but finding this was part of my good shopping karma this weekend.
It's nice and small and light, but I can still fit a small turkey in there. When I'm not using it I can stash it in the garage. I like its' design better than my old round one. I'm giving the old one to a grad student.
I got some pork chops, rubbed them down with a spice rub, and then looked at the instructions. Ooops. The grill needs to be cured before the first use, to seal the finish and get rid of paint odors. I cheated and let it cure for two hours, added a few more charcoal briquets and then started cooking the pork chops. I had trouble maintain the proper temperature (250F), so I should've added more earlier. After an hour I gave up and finished off the pork chops in the oven. They smelled pretty good as they cooked. They were moist and smoky, and the rub was tasty. They were somewhere in between smoked and baked. I don't recommend cooking them this way, but it is useful to know that rub is so tasty, especially since I have a lot left over.
My brother reminded me that smoked food is best paired with something blander, so it's not so overwhelming. I used this advice as an excuse to make salt potatoes, which are new potatoes cooked in a saturated solution of salt water. They are a regional dish here, and there's even chemistry involved, so of course I wanted to try them. The salt raises the boiling point of the water and also denatures the protein in the potato, so they get really tender and creamy. They are usually served with melted butter. What's not to like?!?! (Admit it, you really want to try them) Anyway, to take away the guesswork of either preparing a saturated solution or measuring out salt, they sell bags of potatoes packaged with bags of salt. [I found it kind of funny that the potatoes were packaged in Sacramento, where the workers were probably wondering WTF about the salt.] I prepared them according to the directions. The salt/water mixture was pretty close to saturation. I ended up putting the lid on the stockpot so they wouldn't splatter salt all over my nice clean kitchen. After about 20 minutes, they were done. I'm not sure if I didn't cook them quite long enough - they were soft and starchy like baked potatoes, rather than being creamy, but after sitting in the presence of butter for a while they became creamier. As you might expect, there was no need to add more salt, but they weren't overwhelmingly salty. (Be forwarned that I like my potatoes very salty, though.] I may make them again, especially since I still have some potatoes left.
I'll post more once I successfully use the smoker.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Crock pot pulled pork
Some of the grad students and postdocs at work are major foodies of the meat 'n barbeque type. They're always talking about what they're cooking for dinner or what kind of meat is on sale, the merits of different types of barbeque sauce, etc. This week they were talking about cooking meat in the crock pot, and they also started talking about how they get good deals at the local Smart and Final type store, Mainesource.
So anyway, I went to Mainesource after work. They had boneless pork roasts for cheap. I bought one since it looked like it was the right size for my crock pot, and I remembered hearing that you could make pulled pork that way. (I don't have a gas grill yet, although I do have my trusty charcoal grill.) I found a recipe on the internet for North Carolina style pulled pork a la Crockpot, and then proceeded to take liberties with it, since I didn't have any barbeque sauce.* (Besides, that would blur the line in barbeque sauce styles, not like I'm the least bit authentic, a Californian living in upstate New York, cooking it in a crock pot) I rubbed the roast with an applewood spice rub, put it in the crock pot, and then put about half a can of diet coke in there since some of the other recipes called for coke or ginger ale. I also added a few drops of liquid smoke for good measure. Better living through chemistry, baby! I set the crockpot on low and let it cook overnight. The house smelled deliciously of fake barbeque. I also made the sauce, so that it would have time for the flavors to develop. The smell of barbeque permeated my dreams, and I dreamt that I was grilling. It also made Rugrat wake up extra early and start pestering me. I got up and examined the contents of the crock pot. The meat was falling apart. I plopped it into a bowl and pulled off the fatty bits, and shredded the rest. I have enough for about 8 or nine portions, plus some for the cats.
It didn't have that nice mix of tender inner bits and slightly dried out but flavorful outer bits, but it had a nice clean, mildly smoky flavor and good texture. I could only taste the slightest hint of the cola flavor. There was very little fat. With the vinegar sauce, it tasted pretty authentic. Even though I'm planning on getting a grill, I'm sure I'll make the crockpot pulled pork again, especially in winter when I don't want to go outside.
*NC style barbeque doesn't use tomatoes at all. Instead, the pulled pork is served with a sauce made of vinegar, black and red pepper, hot sauce, and a bit of sugar. I'm not really crazy about traditional barbeque sauce, so I like NC barbeque a lot.
So anyway, I went to Mainesource after work. They had boneless pork roasts for cheap. I bought one since it looked like it was the right size for my crock pot, and I remembered hearing that you could make pulled pork that way. (I don't have a gas grill yet, although I do have my trusty charcoal grill.) I found a recipe on the internet for North Carolina style pulled pork a la Crockpot, and then proceeded to take liberties with it, since I didn't have any barbeque sauce.* (Besides, that would blur the line in barbeque sauce styles, not like I'm the least bit authentic, a Californian living in upstate New York, cooking it in a crock pot) I rubbed the roast with an applewood spice rub, put it in the crock pot, and then put about half a can of diet coke in there since some of the other recipes called for coke or ginger ale. I also added a few drops of liquid smoke for good measure. Better living through chemistry, baby! I set the crockpot on low and let it cook overnight. The house smelled deliciously of fake barbeque. I also made the sauce, so that it would have time for the flavors to develop. The smell of barbeque permeated my dreams, and I dreamt that I was grilling. It also made Rugrat wake up extra early and start pestering me. I got up and examined the contents of the crock pot. The meat was falling apart. I plopped it into a bowl and pulled off the fatty bits, and shredded the rest. I have enough for about 8 or nine portions, plus some for the cats.
It didn't have that nice mix of tender inner bits and slightly dried out but flavorful outer bits, but it had a nice clean, mildly smoky flavor and good texture. I could only taste the slightest hint of the cola flavor. There was very little fat. With the vinegar sauce, it tasted pretty authentic. Even though I'm planning on getting a grill, I'm sure I'll make the crockpot pulled pork again, especially in winter when I don't want to go outside.
*NC style barbeque doesn't use tomatoes at all. Instead, the pulled pork is served with a sauce made of vinegar, black and red pepper, hot sauce, and a bit of sugar. I'm not really crazy about traditional barbeque sauce, so I like NC barbeque a lot.
Monday, July 12, 2010
No shopping experiment, the flip side
Once I got to Ithaca and got my kitchen set up, it was time to stock my cupboards..and my fridge..and my freezer..and my liquor cabinet. Yes, I'm in the process of replacing many of those things that I systematically ate up a few months ago. I spend a lot more than I'm used to spending at the grocery store, due to all those random supplies.
Part of me wonders if it would be cheaper to just never cook, and just grab ready made stuff at Wegman's, microwave dinners, and/or eat in the restaurants/dorms* around campus. I did this in grad school, aided by the presence of the MIT food trucks and the 24 hour coffee house, and I sort of did this as a postdoc and in the early years at the startup company, since they fed us. And I'm sure there will be times when I revert to that when things are super busy. But to make that work, you have to commit to it 100%, like I did when I was a grad student with no kitchen. Going half and half gets pricy and time consuming- I ended up buying stuff I didn't use, and spending too much time going out to find food.
* As a perk, faculty and staff can go to the all-you-can eat dorm lunches for $6. Even when I was a young undergraduate biddy working in the dorm cafeteria, some 20+ years ago, it cost at least that much. As a result, we didn't see many non-students. The postdocs in the group are big fans of this, and they bring along some of the grad students. These are some big eaters, too.
Part of me wonders if it would be cheaper to just never cook, and just grab ready made stuff at Wegman's, microwave dinners, and/or eat in the restaurants/dorms* around campus. I did this in grad school, aided by the presence of the MIT food trucks and the 24 hour coffee house, and I sort of did this as a postdoc and in the early years at the startup company, since they fed us. And I'm sure there will be times when I revert to that when things are super busy. But to make that work, you have to commit to it 100%, like I did when I was a grad student with no kitchen. Going half and half gets pricy and time consuming- I ended up buying stuff I didn't use, and spending too much time going out to find food.
* As a perk, faculty and staff can go to the all-you-can eat dorm lunches for $6. Even when I was a young undergraduate biddy working in the dorm cafeteria, some 20+ years ago, it cost at least that much. As a result, we didn't see many non-students. The postdocs in the group are big fans of this, and they bring along some of the grad students. These are some big eaters, too.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Garlic Scapes, part 2: Pesto
I continued my experimentation with the garlic scapes tonight, and made pesto. I had some basil, so I made basil/scapes pesto rather than the scape-only version.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), top flowery part removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 cup walnuts
appx 1 cup olive oil
1 cup grated parmigiano
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
Method:
Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated. Add more oil if mixture is too dense. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add cheese; add salt and pepper. Makes about 12 ounces of pesto. Keeps for up to one week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
The garlic scape flavor is much stronger than the basil flavor. You could adjust the proportions to suit your preferences.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), top flowery part removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 cup walnuts
appx 1 cup olive oil
1 cup grated parmigiano
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
Method:
Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated. Add more oil if mixture is too dense. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add cheese; add salt and pepper. Makes about 12 ounces of pesto. Keeps for up to one week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
For ½ pound short pasta such as penne, add about 2-4 tablespoons of pesto to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated.
OM NOM NOM NOM! OMFG this is so damned good, and I'm not even a big pesto fan. I have a wimpy little food processor attachment, so I wasn't able to get it as smooth as I wanted, but it didn't matter. I put some in pasta and mixed a little bit into some yogurt for a salad dressing.
The garlic scape flavor is much stronger than the basil flavor. You could adjust the proportions to suit your preferences.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Garlic Scapes, part 1
I went to the Ithaca farmers' market today. I'll blog more about the farmers' market later, but for now I want to report on my introduction to garlic scapes.
Garlic scapes are the stems that grow from certain varieties of garlic. They curl up into big curliques. The flower bud is at the end. Apparently the bulbs get bigger if you cut off the stems so they don't sap the plant's energy.
This is all news to me - I don't know if California garlic is the same type. A lot of people at the farmer's market were selling them. I was curious so I bought some.
The woman who was selling them told me that they were good in pesto, roasted, or in scrambled eggs. A quick survey of the internet confirmed those suggestions. Tonight I roasted a few alongside some asparagus. I cut them into 4" pieces. When raw, the texture is like a green bean and the flavor is a mix of garlic and pepper. When roasted, the flavor mellows a lot and they get kind of chewy, like a roasted green bean. They went well with the asparagus and the roast beef.
I am looking forward to trying them in pesto and scrambled eggs.
Garlic scapes are the stems that grow from certain varieties of garlic. They curl up into big curliques. The flower bud is at the end. Apparently the bulbs get bigger if you cut off the stems so they don't sap the plant's energy.
This is all news to me - I don't know if California garlic is the same type. A lot of people at the farmer's market were selling them. I was curious so I bought some.
The woman who was selling them told me that they were good in pesto, roasted, or in scrambled eggs. A quick survey of the internet confirmed those suggestions. Tonight I roasted a few alongside some asparagus. I cut them into 4" pieces. When raw, the texture is like a green bean and the flavor is a mix of garlic and pepper. When roasted, the flavor mellows a lot and they get kind of chewy, like a roasted green bean. They went well with the asparagus and the roast beef.
I am looking forward to trying them in pesto and scrambled eggs.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
No-shopping experiment, conclusion
The goodbye lunches and dinners have started and I'm done with the no-shopping experiment. I've packed up many of my kitchen implements, spices/seasonings and small appliances, and taken a lot of the remaining food over to my mom.
I can't believe how much stuff I had left over after four months of not buying anything other than produce and dairy. I used up all the cuts of meat and soups, but had lots of odds and ends like bacon, cheese, leftover ham, etc. I ate my way through lots of oatmeal, barley, and quinoa, but still had lots of split peas and lentils. I used up large quantities of flour, sugar, nuts and butter but lost momentum once I started packing up my kitchen.
So anyway, the take-home messages are that I buy way too much stuff and don't use it up in a timely manner, and that if there is ever a famine, shortage of specific ingredients, or another period of unemployment in my future, I will be all set. I'm going to try to be better about not buying so much stuff. Being 150 miles from the nearest Costco and Trader Joe's should help.
In an appropriate bookend to the no-shopping experiment, a Sprouts market is opening up near my CA house the day that the movers get here. I've heard good things about it, but I'm glad it didn't open up any sooner or I'd have even more stuff left over.
I can't believe how much stuff I had left over after four months of not buying anything other than produce and dairy. I used up all the cuts of meat and soups, but had lots of odds and ends like bacon, cheese, leftover ham, etc. I ate my way through lots of oatmeal, barley, and quinoa, but still had lots of split peas and lentils. I used up large quantities of flour, sugar, nuts and butter but lost momentum once I started packing up my kitchen.
So anyway, the take-home messages are that I buy way too much stuff and don't use it up in a timely manner, and that if there is ever a famine, shortage of specific ingredients, or another period of unemployment in my future, I will be all set. I'm going to try to be better about not buying so much stuff. Being 150 miles from the nearest Costco and Trader Joe's should help.
In an appropriate bookend to the no-shopping experiment, a Sprouts market is opening up near my CA house the day that the movers get here. I've heard good things about it, but I'm glad it didn't open up any sooner or I'd have even more stuff left over.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Almond Pseudo-Croissants
I love almond croissants. The best almond croissants I've ever had were at a coffee stand in the New Orleans Intercontinental. Sheila and I were there for the ACS meeting, and I think we had almond croissants for breakfast every morning. That was a fun meeting! (Perhaps a bit too fun in some ways, but that's a story for my other blog.)
I've always wanted to make croissants, and had planned to do it while I still had a lot of time on my hands. In the traditional recipe, you make a square of butter, put it on top of the dough that's been rolled out, fold it up like a letter, and chill it. Ever so often, the dough is rolled out, refolded, and returned to the fridge. This results in flaky layers. At the end, the dough is rolled out, cut into triangles, and rolled into the traditional croissant shape. It's a time consuming process. Like making baguettes, it's probably best left to professionals.
I didn't do much cooking for a while. By now, a lot of my kitchen is packed up already, and I'm improvising when it comes to ingredients. I still wanted almond croissants, though. I found the following recipe, which uses similar techniques as the no-knead breads that I've been making.
Yeast, water, milk, and egg yolks are combined. Meanwhile, flour, butter, and sugar are combined. The butter is cut into the flour until the mix is crumbly. The liquids are then mixed in, and the dough is allowed to chill in the fridge overnight. Then you roll it out, cut it into triangles, and spread it with an almond paste mixture. The wedges are rolled up and baked.
I had to grind up some rock sugar, since I was out of the regular stuff. There were still some larger chunks left in, but it wasn't noticeable in the final product. I also used bread flour instead of regular flour. Sacre bleu!
Anyway, they certainly were easy. The dough rolled out nicely and was easy to handle. It was somewhat slow to rise, though, but that's pretty typical for the refrigerator doughs. The croissants were moist, buttery, and tasty. They did not have the flaky croissant texture, but were quite good. I ate one for breakfast and had another one for my picnic lunch at Point Reyes. My parents finished off their batch already and raved about them.
I can see making these again, but shaping them and letting them rise in the evening, and then just baking them in the morning. The dough would also be a great base for cinnamon rolls.
Someday, I'll find a real croissant recipe and make the traditional style ones. I have a mental image of myself doing this in Ithaca, on a snowy weekend. It's a nice image. It's not quite as likely as me shoveling snow from my driveway, of course, but I'm going to hold onto my illusions as long as possible.
I've always wanted to make croissants, and had planned to do it while I still had a lot of time on my hands. In the traditional recipe, you make a square of butter, put it on top of the dough that's been rolled out, fold it up like a letter, and chill it. Ever so often, the dough is rolled out, refolded, and returned to the fridge. This results in flaky layers. At the end, the dough is rolled out, cut into triangles, and rolled into the traditional croissant shape. It's a time consuming process. Like making baguettes, it's probably best left to professionals.
I didn't do much cooking for a while. By now, a lot of my kitchen is packed up already, and I'm improvising when it comes to ingredients. I still wanted almond croissants, though. I found the following recipe, which uses similar techniques as the no-knead breads that I've been making.
Yeast, water, milk, and egg yolks are combined. Meanwhile, flour, butter, and sugar are combined. The butter is cut into the flour until the mix is crumbly. The liquids are then mixed in, and the dough is allowed to chill in the fridge overnight. Then you roll it out, cut it into triangles, and spread it with an almond paste mixture. The wedges are rolled up and baked.
I had to grind up some rock sugar, since I was out of the regular stuff. There were still some larger chunks left in, but it wasn't noticeable in the final product. I also used bread flour instead of regular flour. Sacre bleu!
Anyway, they certainly were easy. The dough rolled out nicely and was easy to handle. It was somewhat slow to rise, though, but that's pretty typical for the refrigerator doughs. The croissants were moist, buttery, and tasty. They did not have the flaky croissant texture, but were quite good. I ate one for breakfast and had another one for my picnic lunch at Point Reyes. My parents finished off their batch already and raved about them.
I can see making these again, but shaping them and letting them rise in the evening, and then just baking them in the morning. The dough would also be a great base for cinnamon rolls.
Someday, I'll find a real croissant recipe and make the traditional style ones. I have a mental image of myself doing this in Ithaca, on a snowy weekend. It's a nice image. It's not quite as likely as me shoveling snow from my driveway, of course, but I'm going to hold onto my illusions as long as possible.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Cornmeal Pancakes
I've tried a few recipes for cornmeal pancakes. None have worked very well. Nonetheless, I was undeterred. This morning I got one of my cooking emails and it featured pancakes. Since it was breakfast time and I was hungry, I took a look. (This is one advantage of being unemployed.) The cornmeal pancake recipe caught my eye because I have cornmeal and four that need to be used up. So I did some spur of the moment cooking.
It's not that different than the other recipes I tried. Probably the use of buttermilk/baking soda, or the ratio of flour to cornmeal, helped. In any case, these ones worked. (I did have to substitute milk/lemon juice for the buttermilk) The pancakes were tasty and had a slight crunch from the cornmeal, and had good body so that it wasn't hard to flip them. I ate them with maple syrup (yet another thing I'm trying to use up) but they'd be even better if there were bacon or sausage involved. (yes, i still have bacon and sausage in the freezer, so another batch may be made before I leave)
It's not that different than the other recipes I tried. Probably the use of buttermilk/baking soda, or the ratio of flour to cornmeal, helped. In any case, these ones worked. (I did have to substitute milk/lemon juice for the buttermilk) The pancakes were tasty and had a slight crunch from the cornmeal, and had good body so that it wasn't hard to flip them. I ate them with maple syrup (yet another thing I'm trying to use up) but they'd be even better if there were bacon or sausage involved. (yes, i still have bacon and sausage in the freezer, so another batch may be made before I leave)
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Thursday, May 13, 2010
Recipe geek restaurant review: Cheesesteak Shop and Adamson's French Dip
I'm mostly done with the contents of my freezer, and have started making the rounds of local restaurants that I've been meaning to try. The first two places, the Cheesesteak Shop and Adamson's French Dip Restaurant, are in the same shopping center. It's about half a mile from where Missy and I grew up. We spent a lot of time there, since there was a drug store and a grocery store. Now's it's restaurant central, with a Popeye's, a pho place, a chinese place, a cheesesteak place, and a French Dip place.
Anyway, two nights ago I wanted to try the French Dip place, but it was closed, so I went to the cheesesteak place and ordered a small chicken cheesesteak for $5. It was tasty, not quite as good as the premier place, but tasty nonetheless. The chicken was chopped up in very small bits, philly style, rather than in stir-fry size pieces. There was ample amount of cheese, so it was an ooey gooey delight. I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, the Yelp reviewers were right. It was not very big. If you's hungry, order a larger one or get double meat.
Tonight I stopped off at Adamson's French Dip after I went walking. It's an interesting place. It's located in the middle of the parking lot in a former camera store. It's mostly take-out so there are just a few tables. It serves beef, chicken and pork cooked in a wood fired oven. The star item is, of course, the French Dip. I got hooked on French Dip sandwiches when I was in college. They're like pizza - even when they're bad they're still good. But this one was probably the best one I've tried. The meat was amply marinated and juicy, so the au jus was hardly necessary, but it was nice. The bread was squishy and yummy. A sandwich was $7. It had about three times as much meat as my cheesesteak. The fries were good too. They tasted like old-school McDonald's fries from my childhood, so they must be cooked in beef lard. Everything was on the salty side, which was fine by me since I love my meat and potatoes to be salty.
I'll do some reviews on stuff other than meat/cheese sandwiches in my next update.
Anyway, two nights ago I wanted to try the French Dip place, but it was closed, so I went to the cheesesteak place and ordered a small chicken cheesesteak for $5. It was tasty, not quite as good as the premier place, but tasty nonetheless. The chicken was chopped up in very small bits, philly style, rather than in stir-fry size pieces. There was ample amount of cheese, so it was an ooey gooey delight. I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, the Yelp reviewers were right. It was not very big. If you's hungry, order a larger one or get double meat.
Tonight I stopped off at Adamson's French Dip after I went walking. It's an interesting place. It's located in the middle of the parking lot in a former camera store. It's mostly take-out so there are just a few tables. It serves beef, chicken and pork cooked in a wood fired oven. The star item is, of course, the French Dip. I got hooked on French Dip sandwiches when I was in college. They're like pizza - even when they're bad they're still good. But this one was probably the best one I've tried. The meat was amply marinated and juicy, so the au jus was hardly necessary, but it was nice. The bread was squishy and yummy. A sandwich was $7. It had about three times as much meat as my cheesesteak. The fries were good too. They tasted like old-school McDonald's fries from my childhood, so they must be cooked in beef lard. Everything was on the salty side, which was fine by me since I love my meat and potatoes to be salty.
I'll do some reviews on stuff other than meat/cheese sandwiches in my next update.
Monday, May 3, 2010
No shopping experiment update/Pedrick Produce/artichokes
I haven't cooked very much unusual stuff lately, so there's not much to post here. Nonetheless, the no-shopping experiment is going well. I'm into the home stretch. The frozen fruit is getting eaten, and the frozen veggies are gone. I cooked a roast tonight. It had been in the freezer for a year and a half, but it tasted ok. I've got a few pork chops and a turkey left. The turkey is getting cooked on Mother's Day, and a lot of the unopened canned foods and dried goods are getting donated to the postal service food drive.
I visited Missy this weekend. As usual, I stopped off at Pedrick Produce on the way back. It's in Dixon, a few miles from Davis. They specialize in really cheap produce. You can get a great deal, if you don't mind buying big bags of whatever is in season. It's usually very fresh, and I end up buying huge quantities and sharing the bounty with my parents. My favorites are the watermelons for $0.09/lb, and cherries and asparagus for $0.99/lb. Other items of interest are the extensive selection of grains, beans, dried fruit, candy, seasonings, etc. There's also a wide variety of hot sauces, homemade style tortillas, and pies. It's always really crowded, but it's worth the wait. I recommend stopping there if you're on Highway 80.
Anyway, the no-shopping experiment means that I haven't hit up the dried goods lately, but I still pick up produce. We're at an in-between season here. Strawberries are going strong, but it's been rainy so the quality isn't up to par. I scored some pears, mangos, and jumbo artichokes. The artichokes were 5 for $4. If I'd gotten them at the farmer's market they'd cost at least $2/each.
I cooked them up tonight since my parents were coming over for dinner. They take about an hour, but are easy. Just cut off the stem* and top, place them in a pot, and cook in salted water with a bit of lemon juice until tender. Serve with melted butter, balsamic vinegar, or salad dressing. These were the first ones I've had this year, and it really hit the spot.
* The stems are pretty tasty. Cut off the discolored end, peel, and cook with the artichokes.
I visited Missy this weekend. As usual, I stopped off at Pedrick Produce on the way back. It's in Dixon, a few miles from Davis. They specialize in really cheap produce. You can get a great deal, if you don't mind buying big bags of whatever is in season. It's usually very fresh, and I end up buying huge quantities and sharing the bounty with my parents. My favorites are the watermelons for $0.09/lb, and cherries and asparagus for $0.99/lb. Other items of interest are the extensive selection of grains, beans, dried fruit, candy, seasonings, etc. There's also a wide variety of hot sauces, homemade style tortillas, and pies. It's always really crowded, but it's worth the wait. I recommend stopping there if you're on Highway 80.
Anyway, the no-shopping experiment means that I haven't hit up the dried goods lately, but I still pick up produce. We're at an in-between season here. Strawberries are going strong, but it's been rainy so the quality isn't up to par. I scored some pears, mangos, and jumbo artichokes. The artichokes were 5 for $4. If I'd gotten them at the farmer's market they'd cost at least $2/each.
I cooked them up tonight since my parents were coming over for dinner. They take about an hour, but are easy. Just cut off the stem* and top, place them in a pot, and cook in salted water with a bit of lemon juice until tender. Serve with melted butter, balsamic vinegar, or salad dressing. These were the first ones I've had this year, and it really hit the spot.
* The stems are pretty tasty. Cut off the discolored end, peel, and cook with the artichokes.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
OM NOM NOM!
Like many Ag schools, Cornell has a store where they sell dairy products made on campus. The Dairy Bar is located within walking distance of the chemistry department. Sadly, I haven't been there yet, but they sell milk, yogurt, ice cream, cider, and cheese. mmmm
Monday, April 12, 2010
Matzo ball soup
When I woke up this morning I had no clue that I would be making matzo ball soup today. However, my mom stopped by with 10 lbs of matzo crackers and I could not refuse a few boxes. (No, we're not Jewish, but they were clearing them out at Costco and we both like them.) She told me she used to make matzo ball soup all the time when she lived in Boston. Thanks to my freezer clearing efforts, I had turkey stock in the freezer and a chicken breast in the fridge, so I decided to give it a try.
I used the recipe over at the Cooking for Engineers website.* They give a pretty complete description, but here's the short version, and my modifications.
2 qts turkey stock
1 leek, sliced thinly (I only used the white part)
1 chicken breast, cubed
Bring the broth and chunkies to a boil, then simmer.
Meanwhile, combine
2 matzo crackers, ground finely in the blender - measure out 1/2 cup
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs of the broth
Blend together and let it rest for a few minutes. The ground crackers will slowly absorb the moisture. Salt and pepper to taste. Wet your hands and shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and drop them into the simmering broth mixture. Cook for at least 15 minutes.
The balls sank to the bottom at first and then floated back up. I was pretty hungry so it smelled really good. The soup was tasty and I'm glad I added the leek. It added a certain je ne sais quoi. The matzo balls themselves were tasty gut-bombs. I think I should've actually measured out my matzo meal. (Two crackers make a slight bit more than 1/2 cup, but I dumped it all in.) Next time I'll be more careful. Nonetheless it was a tasty dinner for a blustery spring day.
I used the recipe over at the Cooking for Engineers website.* They give a pretty complete description, but here's the short version, and my modifications.
2 qts turkey stock
1 leek, sliced thinly (I only used the white part)
1 chicken breast, cubed
Bring the broth and chunkies to a boil, then simmer.
Meanwhile, combine
2 matzo crackers, ground finely in the blender - measure out 1/2 cup
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs of the broth
Blend together and let it rest for a few minutes. The ground crackers will slowly absorb the moisture. Salt and pepper to taste. Wet your hands and shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and drop them into the simmering broth mixture. Cook for at least 15 minutes.
The balls sank to the bottom at first and then floated back up. I was pretty hungry so it smelled really good. The soup was tasty and I'm glad I added the leek. It added a certain je ne sais quoi. The matzo balls themselves were tasty gut-bombs. I think I should've actually measured out my matzo meal. (Two crackers make a slight bit more than 1/2 cup, but I dumped it all in.) Next time I'll be more careful. Nonetheless it was a tasty dinner for a blustery spring day.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The light at the end of the tunnel
I reached critical mass on the no-shopping experiment recently. My freezer is noticeably less full, even though I keep putting tupperware containers of soup in there. I can even see the floor, if i move stuff around. There is also free space in my cupboard now. I've used up at least 20 lbs of flour, and may need to buy more before I move. I've also used up 4 lbs of steel cut oats (do the math - I eat them for breakfast almost every day) I should make it, assuming that I cook the remaining turkey and roast.
I'm not so worried about condiments, dried goods, etc. I've certainly been running my supplies down, but it's easier just to pass those along to my mom. I'm running down my liquor cabinet as well but will take that with me.
I'm not sure if the no-shopping experiment has been good or bad for my diet. It's a wash. I weigh the same as I did when it started. I keep telling myself that if I weren't doing the no-shopping experiment I'd eat fewer carbs and would lose weight, but I suspect I'd also eat more tasty pre-prepared stuff and it would balance out.
I'm not so worried about condiments, dried goods, etc. I've certainly been running my supplies down, but it's easier just to pass those along to my mom. I'm running down my liquor cabinet as well but will take that with me.
I'm not sure if the no-shopping experiment has been good or bad for my diet. It's a wash. I weigh the same as I did when it started. I keep telling myself that if I weren't doing the no-shopping experiment I'd eat fewer carbs and would lose weight, but I suspect I'd also eat more tasty pre-prepared stuff and it would balance out.
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