Jim's Place for Food and Booze

Pork Meatball Bánh Mì

2013-04-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Gosh! As I start to post this, I realize that it has been a very long time since I posted anything on this blog. A little more often, I tend to post to a Facebook page also called Jim's Place for Food and Booze where this will ultimately also show up. This recipe is special, though, so here I am.

Bánh Mì are spicy Vietnamese sandwiches that are full of fresh crunchy vegetables and yummy meats. This is a version with pork meatballs which Kathy and I think is very good, but I can almost guarantee that it will vary a bit each time I make it in the future.

I am only slightly embarrassed to say that I "borrowed" the photo above from the internet. This photo looks something like what I made yesterday (except that mine was messier). But I had no expectations when I was cooking that I would convert my effort to a post, so I never thought of taking a photo. I do have leftover meatballs, though, so I will get around to making this again soon and will replace the photo then Update: I found a photo I took the first time I tried Bánh Mì back in November. Not the exact one that I made from the recipe below, but close, and I like my own picture better than the one I had borrowed...

I made this recipe up the way I do most of my cooking -- I look at a number of recipes and then just do what I feel like. For this one, I relied on one I found on the King Arthur Flour site, and another one from the Lardo food truck in Portland, Oregon that was posted on the Eat St. web site. (The King Arthur site is a favorite of mine for both flour and supplies, and for recipes. And I know even though I have not been there yet that I will have to seek out Lardo the next time I am in Portland.)

The recipe that follows is not spicy enough for Leslie and Joe, and probably a bit too spicy for Lisa and (our other) Joe. But if you make it, you will know how much spice you like, and it will be good however you want to adjust it.

Pork Meatball Bánh Mì

Yield: 4 good-sized sandwiches

Ingredients

MEATBALLS
1	lb	ground pork
1	Tbs	sriracha
1	Tbs	fish sauce
1	Tbs	sugar
6		scallions, chopped
1		large egg
1/4	cup	Panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2	tsp	salt
SALAD
3		large carrots, grated
12		small radishes, grated (same volume as carrots)
3	Tbs	rice vinegar

1/4	cup	sugar
1/2	tsp	salt
1	Tbs	sesame oil
SRIRACHA MAYO
1	cup	mayonnaise
4		scallions, thinly sliced
1	Tbs	sriracha (more for Chithors and Elbles)
1/4	tsp	sesame oil
SANDWICHES
		baguettes, enough for 4 pieces 8"-9" long
4		jalapeño peppers, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
6		inch piece of English cucumber, thinly sliced
1		bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

How to Make

	For the meatballs: Mix together all ingredients. Only use enough Panko to bind the mixture without drying it out or making it heavy. Form 1" meatballs with damp hands. You should make about 24 meatballs, enough for 6 meatballs for each sandwich. Sear in a pan until golden brown on all sides. Place in a baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the meatballs’ internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 20 minutes.
	For the salad: Combine all ingredients and set aside.
	For the sriracha mayo: Mix ingredients together. You can adjust the amount of sriracha sauce to your desired level of spiciness.
	For the sandwiches: Slice the baguette pieces part way through and spread open. Spread the sriracha mayo on both sides, add a layer of cucumber slices, then top with meatballs, salad, jalapeno chunks, and a generous amount of cilantro.

Author: Jim Thoreen

Source: Adapted from a recipe found on the King Arthur Flour web site, and one from the Lardo food truck in Portland, Oregon, which was posted on the Eat St. web site. See links, below.

Notes

You may choose to use daikon radish in the salad, which is more traditional, but harder to find in rural America. I actually prefer red radishes to daikon, though.

I found Sky Valley Sriracha Sauce at a Whole Foods Market. It tastes very good, and is not filled with all the usual chemicals found in most commercial brands. Learn more about it, and where else you can buy it, at http://organicvillefoods.com/products/condiments/sriracha-sauce/

A good recipe at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/bnh-m-recipe started my at-home exploration of Bánh Mì . The King Arthur Flour company is a favorite of mine for both their flours and supplies, and their recipes.

The Lardo food truck, and now restaurants, in Portland, Oregon look like must-go destinations if you are lucky enough to be in that city. Their Bánh Mì recipe is posted at http://eatst.foodnetwork.ca/tvshow/recipe/133/pork-meatball-banh-mi/

Slaw with Cucumber and Jicama

2012-07-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

I don't think it is possible to use an entire jicama at one time, so I ended up with half of one that needed to be used. I also had some other miscellaneous partly used veggies in the fridge. This is the resulting slaw.

Cabbage, jicama, cucumber, red bell peppers and red onion. Dressing of rice vinegar, a tiny bit of agave nectar (used because I am told it does better things to your system than refined white cane sugar), some olive oil, and a bit of salt.

As an aside, the oil is from the olive business that has been developing over the last several years right here in the Texas Hill Country. And while I think some people from Texas tend to brag about their state just a bit too much (especially about its politics), I have to say the olive oil here could stand up to just about anything from Italy, Spain, or California.

This slaw should go well with the Los Angeles food truck carne asada that I am going to try this afternoon. It is a Korean-Mexican fusion recipe that you can read on the NY Times. (see the link) Interesting article even if you think the recipe sounds odd, although I am betting the recipe will be a keeper.

Passenger Cocktail

2012-07-14T20:05:00.000-05:00

The only thing you probably need to know about the Passenger Cocktail is that it is so good that it almost made Kathy like gin. Almost.

I had this in Austin at Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar on South Congress in Austin. Outstanding place to eat. Right next to Hotel San Jose (expensive), and a block or so from the Austin Motel (cheap), both great places to stay when you are in Austin.

You will note that there is no mint in this picture. I didn't have any today when I took the picture. The Passenger Cocktail is much better with mint, but a splash of Peychaud Bitters is pretty good if you don't have any mint on hand.

The Passenger

Almost good enough to turn Kathy into a gin drinker.

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

1 1/2	oz	Dry Gin
1/2	oz	St. Germain
1/2	oz	Fresh Lime Juice

		San Pellegrino Aranciata (a type of orange soda)
		Mint

How to Make

Pour into an ice-filled Collins Glass and top off with San Pellegrino Aranciata. Stir and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Source: Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar in Austin

Cucumber Kimchi

2012-07-14T17:54:00.000-05:00

My friend and coworker Stephanie Dukes offered me a two-foot-long cucumber fresh from her dad's garden. It was unlike any store bought cucumber I have had - not as wet inside, and just slightly hairy on the outside. It was one of the best cucumbers I have had, and it deserved a special treatment. Kathy and I had just tried a great new local Korean restaurant, but their cucumber kimchi was just not spicy enough, and I thought maybe I could make one more to my taste. Here is my resulting recipe. I hope Stephanie brings me more of those cucumbers.

One thing I discovered as I researched recipes was that there is no standard recipe for cucumber kimchi. (And no standard English spelling either.) My suggestion is use this recipe as an idea instead of a formula. I like mine spicy and you may not. Next time I make it, I will probably use less sugar, and make sure I have rice vinegar, but you might like it just the way I made it. (It is pretty tasty as shown below.)

Serve this with your favorite bulgogi, perhaps this one from one of my favorite food journalists, Mark Bittman of the the NY Times.

Cucumber Kimchi

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients

6		medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into chunks about 2 ½ x ¾ x ¾ inches.
		Kosher salt
6	cups	rice wine vinegar (or regular white vinegar if you don't have rice vinegar)
2	cups	sugar (maybe a little less if you prefer)
4		garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4	cup	fresh ginger matchsticks
3		large shallots, very thinly sliced

6		scallions, green tops sliced in 1" pieces, the white parts more thinly sliced
6		small radishes, very thinly sliced
1	cup	shredded carrots
1	Tbs	chili garlic sauce
1	Tbs	cayenne
1	Tbs	hot paprika
1/2	cup	Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

How to Make

1. Place the cucumbers in a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle the cucumbers generously with the salt. Allow to rest at room temperature until the cucumbers have exuded liquid, about 2 hours. Rinse the cucumbers, dry them well, and set aside.

2. In a large, nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and onions, bring to a simmer, and remove immediately from the heat.

3. In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the cucumbers, carrots, and radishes. Pour the vinegar mixture over them, add the chili garlic sauce, cayenne, hot paprika, and fish sauce, and toss well.

4. Correct the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and cover with plastic wrap. With a paring knife, punch a few holes in the plastic wrap and place the bowl in a cool, dark place. Let the mixture pickle for 24 hours. Transfer the kimchi to a tall glass jar or jars and seal tightly. Use or refrigerate.

Author: Started with a recipe by Ming Tsai, but modified with ideas from a number of other internet recipes I found. Ming Tsai's recipe can be found at this link: http://ming.com/foodandwine/recipes/season-1/cucumber-kimchee.htm.

Tips

Check out recipes - you will see there is no such thing as a standard recipe for cucumber kimchi. Adjust to your own taste!

Daikon seems to be more traditional than the red radishes I used.

Ming Tsai's recipe use 3 medium red onions, halved and cut into 1/8-inch slices instead of the shallots and green onions, and 4 tablespoons Korean chile flakes (kucho karu), or 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes, instead of the garlic chili sauce, cayenne, and hot paprika.

Buffalo Chicken with Avocado-Goat Cheese-Jicama Relish

2012-07-01T21:24:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe that my daughter Lisa pinned on Pinterest, and Kathy had her eye on it for a while before she remembered to suggest that I make it sometime. Glad she did. Among other things, it is the very first time that I really liked jicama -- I will like it always from now on.

Lisa found Buffalo Chicken with Avocado-Goat Cheese-Jicama Relish on the Elly Says Opa! blog, and I have added that blog to my favorites.

I feel better after reading Elly's description of her results - her breading didn't stick very well either. (Next time I will do the flour-egg-coating routine.) I don't feel so bad about mine now. Anyway, my chicken may have been a little ugly, but it was delicious!

Buffalo Chicken with Avocado-Goat Cheese-Jicama Relish

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4		medium chicken breasts, about 4-5 oz.
2/3	cup	buffalo/wing sauce
1	cup	breadcrumbs
2	Tbs	canola oil
1		large avocado, diced

1	cup	peeled and diced jicama (about 1/2 of a jicama)
3	oz	goat cheese, crumbled
2		radishes, thinly sliced and halved
2	Tbs	chopped parsley or cilantro
		Juice of 1-2 limes

How to Make

1	Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/3″ thickness. Place in a dish or bag and toss with the buffalo sauce. (You can do this in advance and just leave in the fridge or do this in the beginning, before starting the rest of your meal).
2	Season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the buffalo sauce and dredge in the breadcrumbs.
3	Add 1 Tbsp. canola oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place 2 of the chicken breasts in the oil. Cook until chicken is done, flipping once, approximately 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, add the remaining oil, and cook the second batch of chicken.
4	Meanwhile, make the relish. Combine the avocado, jicama, goat cheese, radishes, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste; add lime juice and lightly mix to combine.
5	Serve the relish on top of the buffalo chicken.

Source: Elly says Opa! blog

Web Page: http://ellysaysopa.com/2012/02/14/breaded-buffalo-chicken-with-avocado-goat-cheese-jicama-relish/

Tips

When I looked at this recipe, I thought it probably needed a bit of cornmeal in the breading. I processed some corn meal in my spice grinder to get something like a coarse corn flour and used that in the coating with the bread crumbs. Really a great addition!

I had the same problem that Elly at Elly Says Opa had -- the breading didn't stick very well. Next time an egg wash after flour and before bread crumbs.

Author Notes

*If you don’t want to pound your chicken, pan-fry it as usual for about 2 minutes per side and then move to a 375° oven to finish cooking. If your chicken is too thick, the coating will burn before the inside is cooked thoroughly.

This is a picture of Elly from her Elly Says Opa! blog. She is a cutie, and she has at least a kajillion good recipes. She is from Chicago, my favorite city in the world -- and that also says something good about her. You ought to try her blog sometime.

Pullman Sandwich Loaf

2012-05-20T08:59:00.001-05:00

I have seen these Pullman Loaf Pans for years, and they seemed like a good idea, but I just never got around to trying one until recently. It turns out that it makes a great loaf of sandwich bread, and the recipe I am sharing today is what Wonder Bread should have been -- it has a great potato bread flavor that is just slightly sweet, and a substantial texture. Unlike the large, puffy slices you get with commercial sandwich breads, the texture allows a fairly thin slice that is a much more reasonable size.
The pan that I bought is 13" long and comes from USA Pans, which I highly recommend. Their pans are commercial-grade and reasonably priced, and have a non-stick surface that is silicone based (instead of that scary Teflon stuff). And they are made right here in the good old U.S.A.

After I bought the pan, I searched for good recipes and found the one below on the King Arthur Flour web site, one of my go-to places for bread recipes and flour. (Turns out that King Arthur also likes and sells USA Pans products.)

Pain de Mie (Pullman Sandwich Bread)

This delicious, fine-grained loaf is perfect for sandwiches and toast -- including French toast and melba toast. (That's what King Arthur Flour people say.) This is 10 times better than any white sandwich bread you can buy at the store, and it's as easy to make as it is to go get store bought. (That's what I say.)

Yield: 1 Loaf (13" pullman pan)

Ingredients

2/3	cup	(5 3/8 ounces) milk
1	cup	(8 ounces) water
6	Tbs	(3 ounces) butter
2 1/4	tsp	salt
3	Tbs	(1 1/4 ounces) sugar

1/4	cup	(1 1/8 ounces) Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
3	Tbs	(1 1/4 ounces) potato flour
4 3/4	cups	(20 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2	tsp	instant yeast

How to Make

1	Manual Method: In a large bowl, combine the milk, water, butter, salt and sugar. Add the dried milk, flours and yeast, stirring till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it's smooth and supple. Because of the relatively high fat content of this dough, it's a real pleasure to work with. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
2	Mixer Method: Combine the ingredients as above, using a flat beater paddle or beaters, then switch to the dough hook(s) and knead for 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.
3	Bread Machine Method: Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your machine, program the machine for Manual or Dough, and press Start. When the cycle is finished, remove the dough and proceed as follows.
4	Lightly grease a 13 x 4-inch pain de mie pan. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, shape it into a 13-inch log, and fit it into the pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until it's just below the lip of the pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen (it may rise even more slowly in a cool kitchen; don't worry, this long rise will give it great flavor).
5	Remove the plastic, and carefully place the cover on the pan, let it rest an additional 10 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, carefully remove the lid, and return the bread to the oven to bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until it tests done; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will register 190°F. Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf.

Oven Temperature: 350°F

Source: King Arthur Flour

Web Page: http://www.kingarthurflour.com

Tips

If you live in the sticks, you might not find potato flour. I just find the plainest instant mashed potatoes I can, the ones in little packets, and use that instead. Works great!

I don't need a big box of nonfat dry milk sitting around when I only use a little bit for this bread. Find the small packets and buy a few to have around.

I saw on the King Arthur web site that you could use powdered buttermilk in place of the nonfat dried milk.

I happen to have an electric knife that gets used very infrequently. (I got it primarily for cutting biscotti, but that is a recipe for another time) It is perfect for slicing this bread into slices that are just the right thickness for sandwiches -- just enough bread to hold the contents without overwhelming them. Of course, the knife works just as well if you want to cut the bread thicker for some really awesome French Toast.

Thai Country Curry

2012-03-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

This Thai Country Curry, Gaeng Bah, is one of my favorite Asian dishes. It is especially good on one of those days when you have been eating too much meat lately.The main ingredient is Japanese eggplant, those skinny purple ones, and it has just a bit of pork for flavor.The recipe is very flexible -- make it spicy or not, add different vegetables like corn, summer squash, or, if you must, snow peas.

Thai Country Style Curry (Gaeng Bah)

Served with jasmine rice, this spicy Thai dish makes a hearty one-dish meal. It is a flexible dish -- feel free to add other vegetables like corn or summer squash, or snow peas. Add delicate vegetables at the same time as the basil and chiles. You may also substitute beef for the pork.

Yield: Six servings.

Ingredients

For the Stock
2	cups	chicken stock
3		green onions
6		kaffir lime leaves, torn
2	stalks	lemon grass, lower portion smashed and cut into 1 inch lengths
6		black peppercorns
2	cups	water, approximately
For the Curry
3	Tbs	vegetable oil
2-3	Tbs	red curry paste
1	Tbs	red chili paste
1/2	lb	trimmed pork shoulder, sliced into thin strips 1 1/2 by 3/4 inches
		the stock


3	Tbs	fish sauce
1 1/2	Tbs	palm sugar (may substitute turbinado or white cane sugar)
2		unpeeled Japanese eggplants, in 1-inch dice (about 3-4 cups)
15		green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
	handful	fresh graprao basil leaves, or other fresh basil leaves
6		kaffir lime leaves, torn
1/2		red bell pepper, sliced into long thin strips
1-2		serrano chiles, sliced thinly on diagonal
		chopped cilantro, for garnish

How to Make

Prepare the Stock
1	Simmer the stock, green onions, 6 torn kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass and peppercorns for about 15 minutes. Strain into a 4 cup measuring bowl, and discard solids. Add enough water to stock to bring to 4 cups.
Prepare the Curry
1	In a large saucepan over low heat warm the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the curry paste and chili paste. It should sizzle, but not spit and pop wildly; if it does, remove from the heat for a moment. Press and stir the paste into the oil and cook until fragrant, about 3 or 4 minutes.
2	Add the meat and stir fry to brown and coat with paste. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat absorbs most of the paste and oil and becomes shiny.
3	Add the stock and bring the curry to a boil. Add the fish sauce and sugar, the eggplant, and the green beans. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are barely done. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, remaining 6 lime leaves, and red pepper strips and green chiles. Cover and let stand for about 7 minutes. Add additional fish sauce, to taste.
4	Serve with jasmine rice, and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Author: Adapted from Real Thai, by Nancie McDermott

Mexican Food Heroes

2012-01-29T11:34:00.000-06:00

Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless are my Mexican food heroes.

Chiles Stuffed with Picadillo

2012-01-29T11:07:00.002-06:00

Made these chiles poblanos (the dark one), anaheims (long green one), and jalapenos (small one) stuffed with picadillo yesterday, and I would have to say I am pretty proud of how they turned out. I served them over a tomato-chile sauce, with mexican rice, and a really good, simple salad that Kathy made -- romano, avacado, and parmesan cheese with a simple vinaigrette.

Roasting and peeling the chiles takes a little time but is really simple. Just put them under the broiler turning occasionally until the skin blackens, then put into a plastic bag for a while. The skin can then be rubbed off with a paper towel.

The picadillo filling is a flavorful mix of beef, tomatoes, herbs and spices, raisins, olives, and capers that can also be used as a filling for empanadas or enchiladas. The recipe comes from Diana Kennedy, one of the leading experts on Mexican food -- I think of her as the Julia Child of Mexican cooking.

The tomato-chile sauce recipe comes from Rick Bayless, who owns Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, my favorite Mexican restaurants anywhere in the USA.

I chose not to batter and fry the chiles because I was thinking healthy, and wanted to avoid the mess, and mainly because I was just too lazy. Instead, I just baked them at 375° until they were piping hot.

I love the battered and fried chiles, but these turned out so good that I think I will leave the frying to restaurants in the future.

Recipes follow. Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon when you are just hanging around the house!

Picadillo

Apart from chiles, this stuffing can be used for enchiladas and tamales. Some cooks prefer to use a variety of meats or one or the other of pork, beef, or chicken. Any leftover stuffing can be frozen.

Yield: About 4 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

3	Tbs	melted lard or vegetable oil
1		medium white onion, finely chopped
4		garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 ¼	lb	tomatoes, finely chopped
3		black peppercorns, crushed
3		cloves, crushed
½	tsp	dried thyme or 1 t. fresh leaves
½	tsp	dried marjoram or 1 t. fresh leaves
1	Tbs	dried Oaxacan oregano leaves or ½ T. Mexican oregano
2		Mexican bay leaves or 1 bay laurel, finely crumbled

½	cup	raisins, roughly chopped
20		almonds, skinned and roughly chopped
1	Tbs	large capers, roughly chopped
10		green pitted olives, roughly chopped
3	cup	meat (pork, beef, chicken or mixture), cooked, shredded and chopped
		Approximately ½ c. reserved meat broth
1	Tbs	pineapple or other fruity vinegar (optional)
		Salt to taste
2	Tbs	sugar, or to taste

How to Make

1	Heat the lard in a wide pan or deep skillet and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the tomatoes and fry over fairly high heat until reduced and thickened.
2	Stir in the herbs, spices, raisins, almonds, capers, and olives and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be fairly dry. Add the meat and the rest of the ingredients and continue cooking until all the ingredients are well combined. The mixture should be moist, not juicy, and shiny.

Author: Diana Kennedy

Source: Oaxaca al Gusto, published by University of Texas Press

Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chile Sauce

Quick and easy, and very good. Great with Chiles Rellenos.

Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 1/2	lbs	ripe tomatoes, boiled or roasted, peeled and cored
		OR
1		28 ounce can good quality tomatoes, drained
		Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 3 to 5 chiles serranos or 2 to 3 chiles jalapenos) stemmed

1/2		small onion, chopped
1		large garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1	tbs	lard or vegetable oil
		salt, about 1/2 teaspoon

How to Make

1	The tomatoes: For a more refined sauce, seed the tomatoes. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a blender or food processor.
2	The puree: If you want a milder sauce, first seed the chiles. Then chop them into small bits and add to the blender or processor, along with the onion and garlic. If using a blender, stir to distribute the ingredients evenly, then process the mixture until pureed ( but still retaining a little texture).
3	Frying the sauce: Heat the lard or oil in a medium-large skillet over medium-high. When it is hot enough to make a drop of the puree really sizzle, add it all at once and stir constantly for about 5 minutes, as the puree sears and cooks into a thicker, more orange-colored sauce. Season with salt and remove from the fire.

Author: Rick Bayless

Source: Authentic Mexican - Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico

Curry Pickles

2012-01-29T09:27:00.000-06:00

I have been making these curry pickles for nearly 30 years. But although I really like them, I have been lazy in the recent past and it has been a number of years since I made any.

This weekend I got a wild hair and decided to try them using a shortcut. Rather than trying to find pickling cucumbers (probably a tall order this time of year), I bought a couple of big bottles of dill gherkins from Costco and repurposed them.

The recipe calls for aging them for three months to reach full flavor, but I'm sure that I will open one jar up in about a week to see if the conversion process is going to work. If not, I guess I will look for some pickling cucumbers a little later this year.

Curry Pickles
For best flavor, age pickles for three months before opening. Excellent with cold pork, chicken or roast lamb.
Yield: about 7 pints

Ingredients
8 lbs slender, small cucumbers, well scrubbed

2 1/2 quarts cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup coarse salt
1/3 cup dry mustard
1/3 cup curry powder
1/3 cup pickling spice
1/4 cup mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground red pepper

How to Make

1. Bring large amount of water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, trim all stems and blossoms from cucumbers, discarding any cucumbers that are soft.

2. Add cucumbers to boiling water and blanch 30 seconds. Drain well; pat dry. Pack tightly into clean, hot jars to 1/2 inch from top.

3. Combine remaining ingredients in stockpot and bring to rapid boil. Ladle enough hot brine into 1 jar just to cover cucumbers. Run plastic knife or spatula between cucumbers and jar to release any air bubbles. Clean rim and threads of the jar with a damp cloth. Seal jar with new, scalded, very hot lid. repeat with remaining jars.

4. Transfer jars to gently simmering (180°F to 190°F) water bath and process for 10 minutes. Let jars cool on rack. Test for seal. Store pickles in cool dry place.

Loni Kuhn

A Complete Guide to the Pleasures of Preserving, Bon Appetit / September 1982 p.80

Bourbon and Ginger

2011-08-28T15:34:00.000-05:00

Bourbon and Ginger Ale is a good old standby when you're too lazy to make a real cocktail. And it feels right, too -- I have vague recollections of the men I looked up to when is was little drinking them. "I'll just have a bourbon and ginger", they would say, and it must have stuck way back there in my earliest memories. I still have one on occasion, but my tastes now go to something a little more adventurous, a bit more spicy.

So I recently tried a couple of recipes I came across in a site called Creative Loafing Tampa, which I think must also be the name of one of those rags that you find in the little free racks by the real estate flyers in restaurants and mini marts. Amazing what you can find with Google.

Both recipes use bourbon or rye (please don't use any of the good stuff for these -- they have enough citrus and sweet to offset anything but serious rotgut). They are both really good, one surprisingly so, since it calls for maple syrup for the sweetener!!!

Ingredients for the Nor'easter.

I put both recipes together on one page because I thought you might throw the Nor'easter recipe in the trash without even trying it, like I just about did. (Sounded just about as bad as recipes that include Southern Comfort or Malibu Rum, but I digress.) Anyway, by the name, and the fact that it uses maple syrup, I will attribute the recipe to some creative sole in Maine or maybe Vermont. And in combination with lime and a nice spicy Ginger Beer, the maple flavor makes a very nice cocktail. I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients for the Cablegram.

The other drink is called the Cablegram and it sounded a bit tastier before trying it. Still tart from citrus, this time lemon, and spicy from ginger beer, and I like it a little better than the other one.

Both cocktails are keepers, so don't go cutting the Nor'easter off the page when you print these out.

Hemingway Daiquiri Update

2011-08-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

Here is an update on my previous post about the Papa Doble (Hemingway's Daiquiri). This new Hemingway Daiquiri recipe, from a post in the Houston Press by John Kiely, is less sweet, more tart, and a lot better than my previous recipe. I think an excerpt from Kiely's post describes the experience very well:

Whoa. The Papa Doble shut down my face for a long 10 seconds, and put my tongue's sour buds on blast. The second taste wasn't much easier, but halfway through, I enjoyed it, and by the end, I preferred it.

Why so tart? Hemingway's father suffered diabetes, so Ernest simply avoided sugar in his drinks. Brilliant move, at any rate. Once your palate adjusts to a lower level of sweetness, the flavor of liquor and other ingredients take up the slack, usually resulting in a better cocktail.

I went through my menu of sixty-nine cocktails, removing sweetness wherever possible, but ironically, not so much from the Hemingway Daiquiri, just half of a teaspoon of simple syrup, as Maraschino keeps the tartness at bay. Thank you, Ernest Hemingway.

I think this is now one of my favorite cocktails...

The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

2011-07-24T21:24:00.002-05:00

Bobby Flay is a bit of a food dork, but I love his Throwdowns on the Food Network. And he, along with his trusted helpers Stephanie Banyas (Bobby's business assistant and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute) and Miriam Garron (a graduate of Peter Kump's Institute of Culinary Education) really crank out some AWESOME food.

His recipe for spaghetti and meatballs from the Meatballs Throwdown is absolutely the best I have ever eaten anywhere! Throw in an Italian sausage or three with the meatballs, and it gets even better.

The Throwdown judges thought this was a bit spicy and loved it. If you are a spice wimp, just cut back some on the crushed red pepper.

Bobby Flay lost this throwdown. His opponent, Mike Maroni and his Grandma Maronis Meatballs 100 Year Old Recipe and his sauce must be pretty passable too.

Link to a printable recipe for your file: Bobby Flay's Spaghetti and Meatballs
And a little clip from the show: Meatball Throwdown

Cod with Mustard Sauce

2011-05-17T20:47:00.000-05:00

Here is a recipe that is simple, takes only a few minutes to make, and is worthy of serving to your favorite company. Cod with Mustard Sauce would be best with fish that just came out of the ocean, but mine was made with frozen Cod that just came out of the Costco, and it was still wonderful. You don't need anything fancy with it. I had some green beans, leftover coleslaw, some fresh mango, and a little glass of Jacob's Creek Riesling (also from Costco). This was so simple that I did not imagine how good it was going to be, and I ate it all before blog pictures could happen.

Speaking of Costco, I think I have said it before, but I will repeat that I highly recommend it for the quality of its meats, cheeses, and seafood. In particular, they carry frozen fish that contains nothing but fish. Flash frozen in individually wrapped pieces, and no preservatives or other chemicals. Good wines cheap, too - I rarely buy wine anywhere else.

The recipe comes from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, one of the very best general cookbooks - great for everyone from beginning cooks to the most advanced. Great present for newlyweds, but if you don't have it on your bookshelf you should buy it for yourself.

Jambalaya

2011-05-15T20:13:00.000-05:00

Pretty good day today - got a few errands done, set up the new rain gauge (ok - I know that's wierd), and, most importantly, got to talk to my wife, my daughter, my son-in-law, and my grandbaby twins. Skype is a wonderful thing. Kathy is in Champaign helping Leslie take care of the babies who are getting fat and sassy, but that is no reason that I can't fix a nice meal. Wish they were all here to enjoy it with me, but I'll get to see them all soon.

Tonight's meal was a nice Jambalaya, which was based on a recipe from Emeril Lagasse - his Clean Out the Ice Box and Freezer Jambalaya recipe. I love it, because it is just an idea - do only what you want! Preceded by a Sazerac cocktail, which I have previously posted, and served with a tangy coleslaw (cabbage, lime, cider vinegar, parsley, minced jalapeno, onion, and mayonnaise) and an Abita Amber beer, which I found in the beer fridge.

This really is a recipe that you don't have to follow. Just make sure that you use liquid in proportion to the amount of rice you use. Everything else is whatever you want to make it. Tonight - no shrimp, and added some tomato paste with the rice after the chicken was browned. Substitute freely - I ran across some Johnsonville Andouille at the store today, which was the inspiration for this meal, but use some nice Kielbasa or some other spicy pork sausage that serves as your inspiration. I went heavy on the cayenne, which I happen to like but could be left out depending on who is eating with you. (Kathy likes lots of cayenne too, but if my dad was here, there would be none - I would add some Crystal hot sauce or Tobasco when it was served.) Whatever is leftover in the fridge is fair game. Beef, pork, any kind of shellfish -- it's all good.

I hope you will try this, and if you do, let me know what you added and how you liked it.