Smoked Vanilla

White Chocolate Cheesecake

2012-01-28T15:48:00.003-07:00

This receipe is one of my favorites. They say good food takes time and this cake is no exception. It takes about 4 hours in prep and cooking time and then you have to refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Its worth every second.

First things First.
The Crust

1 1/2 cups vanilla waffers crumbs
4 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 TB unsalted butter, melted

In a blender or food processor combine the vanilla waffers and white chocolate and process until well blended. Mix in butter. Wrap the oustside of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Press the the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan then chill the crust in the refridgerator.

Filling
18 oz white chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
1/2 cup vanilla sugar or sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
4 large eggs
1 TB pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. set a shallow baking pan filled with water on the bottom rack of the oven.
Prepare the filling: In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Set aside to cool slightly.

In large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time waiting until mixture is smoothe between eggs. Beat in the white chocolate cream and pour into the prepared pan.
Set the cheesecake on the center rack and bake for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 250 degrees and bake for 1 hour longer. Without opening the oven, turn off the heat but leave cake in the oven for 1 hour. 3 hours total cooking time. Remove the cake and cool on a wire rack for 30 min.

White chocolate Ganache
8 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 TB unsalted butter
In a small sauce pan bring the cream and butter to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the white chocolate, cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth let cool to room temperature and pour the ganache over the cheesecake. Tipping the cheese cake to cover entire top. refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 8 hours.Garnish the cheesecake with fresh rapberries and serve with raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce
12 oz frozen raspberries thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 TB orange juice concentrate
In small pan drain berries through a seive. Pressing gently remove as much juice as possible. Simmer juice until reduced. Add sugar and orange juice concentrate. With a wooden spoon press teh raspberries through the stainer into the bowl. Stir to combine. Cool. Drizzel sauce over cheesecake and serve

Vanilla

2011-01-01T10:56:00.010-07:00

Vanilla planifolia was introduced to the Spanish in 1516 by the Aztec people who had been using it for chocolate beverages and as a medicinal plant. From the time the Spanish first tasted it they where hooked. They brought it back to Spain and introduced it all over Europe. The French adopted it and the king's greenhouses were the first to host vanilla plants.

However no matter how hard they tried the plants remained sterile. The flowers bloomed but never gave beans. To bear a fruit, the flower had to be pollinated, and natural pollination only occurs in Mexico, thanks to the melipone bee only found in Mexico.

A simple and efficient artificial hand pollination method was introduced in 1841 by a slave named Edmond Albius on Bourbon Island (Reunion) and is still in use today.

The flower is a hermaphrodite (both male and female), but there is no self-pollination because of the rostellum. Therefore it needs to be hand pollinated, flower by flower. The flower's life span is only hours. And usually between June and October.
To pollinate take the flower in one hand. Then with a splinter lift the stamen and move the stigma back and bring the male and female organs (anther and stigma) together. Once fertilised the flower withers and the ovary develops into a a pod called a "bean". The bean is mature after 9 months. From green it becomes yellow then brown. The bean should be left to harvest only when it has gone through all steps of maturity.

Preparation is made in three stages:

After the picking, beans are put in the shade, washed and dried.

They are put under the sun during the day and during the night wrapped in cloth for sweating. Their humidity ratio falls from 80% to 50-55%. The beans become flexible and have oily skins.

The last process is air-drying in the shade.

There are strict controls on quality through all stages of the process: picking, preparation, packaging and export. There are special committees who control beans. They classify The beans and send them out for marketing. You can purchase beans of different grades/qualities.

Once you have your beans there are many different things you can do with them. Making your own Vanilla extract is one of them.

Here's How.
You will need:
24 Vanilla Beans
80 proof Vodka 750ml bottle

For my first try at making vanilla extract I used this recipe. You can make it in bigger batches if you like. I used Smirnoff premium triple distilled vodka 80 proof. You need to have a vodka that's at least 35% alcohol. You will also need at least one ounce of vanilla beans (around 8 beans) per cup of alcohol. A 750ml bottle of vodka is 3 cups which means you will need 24 beans. Take the beans and split them down the middle and scrap out the seeds. Place the seeds and the cut bean into the bottle of vodka.(you will have to remove some of the vodka) Replace the cap on the bottle and shake. Now all you have to do is wait. Place the bottle in a safe place and let it age for at least 6 months. Shake the bottle periodically you can even smell it on occasion. After 6 months you have Vanilla extract. Make sure you get another batch started right away so you don't run out.

Cheese cake

2010-10-14T18:19:00.010-06:00

Carmel Chocolate

Raspberry

Stawberry

Plain

Aaaaaahhhhhhh Cheese cake....
The wonderful blend of Cream cheese, Vanilla, eggs and sugar.
These are some different varities of the same reciepe that I made for a wedding the other day.
You can add just about anything to this basic reciepe to make a totally different cake.

4- 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1Tb Vanilla extract
4 eggs
Vanilla waffers
1 stick butter

Crust
Blend 1 box Vanilla waffer into crumbs. Melt butter and pour into crumbs mixing well. Press mixture into 9 inch spring form pan.
Filling
Mix 4 pkg cream cheese (24 oz total) with 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract. (preferably homemade see previous post) Mix with electric mixer until well blended.
Add eggs one at a time. Pour mixture into prepared spring form pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Open door of oven and let cool in oven and then on counter till room temp. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to set.

Stawberry
Slice stawberries and laver on cake. Cover with strawberry danish desert topping.

Caramel Chocolate
In small sauce pan bring 1 cup heavy cream to simmer and remove from heat. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and cover for 15 min. Stir chocolate chips into cream until disolved. Pour into spring form pan over cheesecake and refridgerate untill set. Drissle carmel topping over cheese cake and serve.
You may also add 1 cup of melted chocolate chips into the cheese cake mixture before cooking.

Raspberry
Swirl Raspberry preserves into cheese cake befor cooking.
Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Stuffed Salmon

2010-07-27T21:32:00.006-06:00

I just spent 10 days fishing in Alaska. As I was standing in a river pulling in 15 pound salmon I came up with this recipe for Stuffed Salmon. When I got home I gave it a try. I think it puts the finishing touch on a fantastic trip. As the old fish saying goes "This ones a keeper!"

1 Fresh Salmon fillet
1 box long grain and wild rice mix
8 Shiitake mushrooms
1/2 onion
Butter
1 ceder plank

Prepare rice as per directions on box. Slice 1/2 of mushrooms and chop onion. Saute mushrooms and onion in butter and mix with rice. Remove the skin from the salmon fillet. Slice fillet down the center/middle of meat to make a thinner fillet.

Lay fillet on ceder plank and cover with rice mixture.

Roll fillet so the rice mixture is in the center and place on ceder plank. Season with salmon shake.

Cook salmon for 20 to 30 minutes or until desired taste.

Top with more sauted shiitake mushrooms and onions. Serve with fresh vegetables and wild rice.

Pulled Pork

2010-05-30T22:25:00.005-06:00

Pulled pork is probably one of the most cooked and eaten forms of BBQ. Its easy to make and boy is it good.
To start you need to buy a pork butt. Bone in or Bone out it doesn't really matter. Bone in is a little less expensive. I prefer it with the Bone in. (It gives my dog some BBQ too.)

You will want to clean and trim the butt. Then you will want to apply your rub. Don't be shy "Nothing beats a good butt rub!" you know.
Place the butt in the smoker and smoke at 220 degrees for 10 hours. Wrap in foil and smoke for another 2 hours. When the meat reaches 195 degrees (this is shredding temperature.)remove from smoker and the foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Now its time to pull.

This is where the fun starts. I like to use some rubber gloves. The big yellow kitchen glove's work great.

The meat is very hot and the glove's help keep your hands from getting burned. Place the meat on a cutting board and just rip it apart. The meat should shred easily. Once shredded add your favorite BBQ sauce and enjoy. Makes fantastic sandwiches. Just put on a bun and add a little Cole slaw. Fantastic.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

2010-01-30T10:55:00.003-07:00

Cheesecake is another one of my favorite desserts. It comes in so many different varieties. Basic, New York, White chocolate, Fruit topped and swirled the list goes on and on.
This is a recipe for a classic style Cheesecake with a sour cream topping.
Crust
1 1/2 cup Graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
8 TB Butter
1 tsp cinnamon
In medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Press crumb mixture into 9" spring form pan and chill for 1 hour.

Filling
4 PK cream cheese (2 Pounds)
3 eggs
1/2 cup vanilla sugar or just plain sugar
2 vanilla beans (roe)
1 tsp lemon juice
Preheat oven to 370 degrees
In electric mixer beat cream cheese and eggs one at a time until smooth. Add sugar and the roe from the vanilla beans. (cut bean length wise and scrap out roe with knife use roe for cheesecake and place pod in container to make vanilla sugar).Add lemon juice and gently mix. Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake at 370 degrees for 30 min. The cake should be slightly soft in the middle but hot all the way through. Do not over bake or cake will split. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool.

Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 TB sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Combine ingredients and spread on cooled cheesecake. Bake at 425 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. remove and cool to room temperature and then chill in refrigerator for 3 hours.

Strawberry topping
2 Cups fresh strawberries
1 tsp orange juice
1 tsp lemon juice
Fresh strawberries
Combine 2 cups strawberries, orange juice and lemon juice in blender and blend until smooth Add a few drops of water if the sauce is too thick. Drizzle over slice of cheesecake and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Caramel Pecan Turtles

2010-01-23T08:48:00.003-07:00

"Just one more won't hurt me!" "Hey! Who ate all the cookies?"
These are a cookie I made for a Great cookie Exchange back in 2005. I love vanilla and these are a good way to taste the flavor of it.

Cookie
1/2 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/2 cups of Vanilla sugar/ granulated sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 TB Milk
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
4 to 5 cups flour

Cream shortening, Butter and sugars together. Add milk, beat in eggs one at a time, add vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix into sugar mixture. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out with
2 1/4" cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove and cool on wire rack.

Caramel Topping
This recipe makes more caramel then you will need but its nice to have in the fridge for other snacks. Caramel corn, dipping apples, Ice cream. Just pop into the microwave for a few minutes stir and pour.

1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup vanilla sugar/ granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup butter
dash salt
Pecan halves
Mix all ingredients together and bring to boil. Boil for 5 min stirring constantly. Drop spoon full of hot caramel in center of each cookie. Place 3 pecans around caramel.

Chocolate Topping
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Melt chocolate in double boiler stirring until smooth. Drop by spoon full in center of cookies. Cool

I hope you enjoy these cookies the vanilla sugar really gives them a great taste. If you do not have any vanilla sugar you can try adding more vanilla to your taste.

Slow smoked BBQ Ribs

2010-01-18T19:24:00.009-07:00

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word BBQ.
"Ribs"
Ribs are the true American comfort food. There's not much better then sitting down to a slab of slow smoked, fall off the bone, sauce running down and dripping off your elbows Ribs. I love watching people bit into a a perfectly done rib and see the smile in their eyes as the meat pulls away from the bone and the taste of the rub and sauce mingle together to make a perfect culinary delight.

Any one can make the perfect rib. All you need is the right equipment and a little bit of patience. But if your a regular follower of this blog you already have plenty of that. As they say good food takes time and ribs are no exception.

To begin you need to fire up your smoker and get it up to temp. 180 to 220 degrees is the BBQ temp. A couple of racks of pork ribs, (spare or baby back,) some of your favorite rub, a bottle of mustard, a spray bottle of apple juice, some aluminum foil and a love for good food and some Friends to share it with.

First you need to prepare the ribs. Rinse them off and pat dry and trim off any excess fat and meat. Then you need to remove the membrane off the bone side of the ribs. To do this slide your knife under the membrane on the left side of the rack and pry it upwards.

Take hold of the membrane and slowly pull across the slab. If your lucky it will all come off in one piece. If not then remove all pieces the same way. It takes practice but you'll get the hang of it.

Next you need to apply a layer of mustard all over the ribs(both sides). Yep that's right mustard. Don't worry you wont be able to taste it after the ribs are cooked. The mustard is a binder to keep your rub on the meat. You don't have to use it if you don't want to. If your skeptical about the taste I suggest you try it both ways you will be surprised at the out come.

Apply your rub next. Don't be stingy really put it on there you can always make more.

Your smoker should be up to temp by now so you can place your ribs right on the grill. Place them meat side up. Slow smoke the racks at 180 to 220 degrees for 4 hours. I like to mist the ribs once an hour with apple juice. This helps keep the meat moist. But remember if your looking your not cooking.

After 4 hours it's time for the Texas crutch. Wrap the racks in aluminum foil and place them back in the smoker for another 2 hours.

What this does is help the meat get a little more tender and separate from the bone. Some people think that this is cheating. You can skip this step and leave them in the smoker if you like. After 2 hours open the foil and check the ribs. You should see the meat Begin to pull away from the bone.

Close the smoker and let the heat dry the ribs a little another 20 minutes should do the trick. Remove them from the smoker and place on a cutting board and slice. I like to place the racks meat side down with the bone end away from me and using a sharp knife cut down between two bones. Serve the ribs naked with sauce on the side. That way you and your guest can have as much or as little sauce as they like. Enjoy

VIOLA the perfect rib.

Prime Rib

2010-01-02T08:53:00.004-07:00

Prime Rib, Does it get much better?
Take your fork and cut into a slice of prime rib its amazing how tender and juicy it is. As you place it in your mouth your taste buds explode with the flavor. Smoke, salt and spices mingle with the beef to form a culinary experience like no other. It's no wonder prime rib cost so much. I paid $110 dollars for a 18 pound roast around Christmas time. Which is cheap compared to other times I've paid over ten dollars a pound before.
Like most good foods prime rib takes time. Time to prepare, time to cook and time to eat. You begin with preparing the the rub, in prime ribs case the crust.
Crust/rub
2 cups Kosher sea salt
3 T Hi-I-Que rub (or your favorite rub)
4 T Garlic powder
2 T Freshly ground Black pepper
Mix together and add enough water to make a thick paste.
Once the Crust/rub is ready. Take your prime rib roast and trim the fat cap to 1/8 inch thick. Lightly mist roast with apple juice (or water) and add paste in layers to fat cap. Paste should be approx 1/2 inch thick. Wrap meat in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat your smoker to around 250 degrees.

Place meat on grill and cook for 3 hours. (Mist with apple juice or water every 1/2 hour to keep crust moist.) Then turn your smoker down to smoke setting and smoke for 2 hours. Return smoker to 250 degrees and cook meat until internal temp reaches 125 degrees for Med rare or 145 degrees for med well. When prime reaches desired temp remove from grill and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and Enjoy.

Pork loin for 1 to 200

2009-12-20T13:59:00.007-07:00

1 pork loin
1 bottle Hi-I-Que all purpose butt rub or your favorite rub.
1 spray bottle of apple juice.
30 to 40 of your favorite friends and neighbors.
I recently cooked pork loin for a church party of around 200. You can make this same recipe for just you or you can enlarge it for as many as you like. (If you have the room to cook it)

Pork loin is a wonderful cut of meat and has a wonderful flavor. It always amazes me how many different cuts of meat come from the pig and how different they all taste. The loin is located on the back of the hog. There is 2 of them, one on each side of the back bone. Other cuts that come from the loin are Canadian style bacon, loin chops and pork chops.
Today we will be cooking the whole loin. Depending on how many people you are going to feed you may want to purchase or cut your loin down to size. Here I used a whole loin 10 to 12 pounds. In the pictures I'm cooking for 200 but you'll do the same things but with less meat.

To prepare the loin remove it from the package and trim off any excess fat, you want to leave the fat cap intact it helps add to the flavor and keeps the meat moist. Rinse the loin in cold water and pat dry. Liberly cover entire loin with your favorite rub. You may let the meat marinate for 1 to 2 hours or you can place it right on the grill. Place the meat with the fat cap up.

You should have your smoker or grill preheated. If using a smoker smoke the meat for 1 hour then raise the temp to 250. Cook loin for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until internal temp reads 165 degrees. Mist with apple juice every 1/2 hour. Remove from grill and slice into 1/8 inch slices and serve hot. Loin should be very juicy so make sure you prepare to catch the juices when you slice it. A whole loin will feed 30 to 40 people, you can cut down the loin before cooking or you can just purchase a loin that has already been cut depending on your need. I purchase whole loins and then cut them into 3Rd's. I found that one third of a loin is plenty for my family. And the left overs make great sandwiches.

Smoked Turkey

2009-11-29T14:25:00.006-07:00

Since its the holiday season I've had a few people ask me about smoking a turkey. Smoked turkey in my opinion is the very best way to eat turkey. The smoke adds a flavor that you just can't get from an oven.
Smoking a turkey is really easy. When smoking a turkey you will not want to stuff the turkey. You are using low temps and the stuffing will not get hot fast enough to keep it out of the danger zone. I like to smoke my stuffing in a casserole dish the last couple of hours with the turkey.
I began with a 18 pound turkey. Use your favorite wood and let it enhance the flavor of you bird. (I used apple wood this year)

Set your smoker at 180 to 220 degrees.
Prepare Turkey. I use my own rub but you can use any you like. Old bay seasoning works nice.

Rub the bird with olive oil and then rub your seasoning into the skin.
Place bird on grill and and begin smoking. This will take upwards of 10 to 12 hours. Mist the bird with apple juice every couple of hours to keep the skin moist. After 8 hours start taking the temperature of the bird. I like to take the temp in the breast and the thigh. I don't like to trust the pop up thermometers. I never can seem to get them to pop up. The temperature of a finished bird should read 165 in the breast and 175 in the thigh and the juices should be clear. You can increase the temperature after 8 hours to speed up the cooking time. Just make sure to check the temp so you don't over do it. Once you get to temp remove the bird from smoker and enjoy.

Click on images to get a better view.
Smoked Turkey is very juicy and flavorful. You will never go back to a plan old oven turkey again. And there is no oil to spill over your floor and start a fire.
Good luck and happy holidays.

Beef Brisket

2009-11-24T20:33:00.006-07:00

Beef brisket was perfected in Texas. The brisket is one of toughest cuts of meat it is cut from the breast or lower chest of the cow. Once rubbed and slow smoked it becomes a very tender and delicious cut of meat.
All good things take time and brisket is no exception in fact its the perfect example as anyone who has tried a brisket that wasn't done properly can attest.
Over the years I've prepared many a brisket. In competitions and at home for myself and many others.
When purchasing a brisket you will find that there are a few different cuts. Whole, point and flat. I prefer using a whole brisket.

10 lb whole brisket
Rinse the brisket and trim fat cap so it is even but do not remove entirely. The fat helps keep the meat moist and adds a lot of flavor. Place brisket on prep board and rub with mustard and your favorite rub. Brisket rubs are a closely and sometimes a jealously kept secret. And is a subject for another time. But for are purpose here today you can use any of your favorite seasoning salts or there are a variety of rubs sold in stores. Use any kind of prepared yellow mustard. This helps the rub stay on the meat. You will not be able to taste the mustard after its cooked.

Use the rub generously. You want to have a lot of flavor in the meat. Massage the rub into the meat and then place on the smoker. Brisket is best done Low and Slow. You want to set your smoker at 180 to 220 degrees. Some smokers are easier than others to keep at this temp. (I use a Treager pellet smoker.)
The choice of wood is up to you. I prefer pecan wood but hickory or mesquite are wonderful also.

Place the brisket on the grill with the fat cap up. Smoke at 180 to 220 degrees for about 8 hours. mist brisket with a spray bottle of apple juice every couple of hours to keep meat moist. Remove brisket from smoker and wrap with aluminum foil. Place back in smoker and cook for another 2 hours. Remove from smoker and let rest for 15 min. Slice brisket and serve.

You can cut some of the brisket into chunks and place in a aluminum pan with some BBQ sauce and return to the smoker to make burnt ends.

Let me know how it goes
If you have any comments or questions feel free to post them here.

Smoked Cre'me Brule'e

2009-11-20T18:57:00.006-07:00

Since I brought up Cre'me Brule'e lets start there.

This is one of my favorite desserts it's not only smoked it has vanilla in it. (The best of both worlds. How can you get any better than that.)
To make Cre'me Brule'e you will need
6 Egg yolks
1/4 cup Sugar
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Vanilla bean roe or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine egg yolks and sugar and whisk until dissolved and egg yolk is thick and light in color. Add Cream and Vanilla. Stir gently.
Pour mixture into ramekins and place in water bath.
Smoke at 300 degrees for 75 minutes or until edges are set, but still slightly loose in center.(you can also cook in your oven at 300 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes)

Remove from smoker/oven and place on wire rack to cool. Remove from wire rack and chill for at least 2 hours.
You can serve the Cre'me Brule'e right from the ramekins by just sprinkling each one with 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar and melting it with a small hand-held torch or place it under your oven broiler until the sugar melts.
I prefer to remove it from the ramekins and make golden cages of sugar to go over it.(As seen in the Picture)

Blowing Smoke

2009-11-20T17:51:00.002-07:00

Another one of my many hobbies and food weaknesses is Barbecue. I've competed in BBQ competitions and won a few awards. I love to smoke foods. It, like vanilla, gives the food a taste that you can't get just any where. I've smoked everything from cookies to prime rib. I've even won a first place for my smoked Cre'me Brule'e (Thats right smoked Cre'me Brule'e) I'll smoke anything once. (I'm starting to sound like a drug addict.) I have recipes for smoked apple pie, Cheese cake, Chocolate chip cookies and many other foods and desserts that I will share over time in this blog.

Homemade Vanilla

2009-11-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so I've been experimenting with homemade Vanilla extract. I have always loved vanilla and the flavor it gives to things. I never dreamed that vanilla could be as simple and as complicated as it is. Vanilla extract is quite easy to make yet it takes a lot of time and patience. Like many things vanilla gets better with age.
Vanilla comes from the cured seed pod or bean of the vanilla orchid. The seed is a long dark brown pod containing thousands of tiny seeds. There are a few different varieties of vanilla beans. Planifolia, Tahitensis, Bourbon and Mexican to name just a few. Each one has its own flavor variation.
Vanilla extract is made by transferring the flavor of the vanilla bean into alcohol. I use Vodka. One ounce of beans per cup of Vodka works great and delivers a great product. I've purchased my beans from www.saffon.com
This is a great site and has good prices. Vanilla beans can be very expensive. So shop around.
Being LDS and from Utah I can't just go to my cabinet and pull out a bottle of vodka. I first had to get over the fear of having a someone see me buying a bottle and then because I live in Utah I couldn't just go to the store and buy a bottle either. I had to go to the state run liquor store. Then when I got there I had to choose from all the different kinds of vodka. Who knew that there would be an entire wall of vodka. (Not someone like me who has never even had a drink before.)So I had to ask what the difference was. The person that I asked. (A short heavy set man in a tank top and ripped Levi's.) He held up the bottle he was holding and said "If ya buy the cheep crap it taste like your drink'n battery acid and if ya buy the expensive stuff it goes down smooth like silk." I settled for a bottle of Smirnoff Premium triple distilled vodka 80 proof. You need to have a vodka that's at least 35% alcohol. After your adventure at the liquor store you need to add your beans. First you need at least 8 beans per cup of vodka. So I purchased a 750ml bottle of vodka (3 cups), which means you need at least 24 beans. Take the beans and split them down the middle.

You can scrap the seeds out if you like or just leave them in the pod. Place the seeds and the cut beans into the bottle of vodka. You may have to remove some of the vodka first since the beans will displace the liquid. Replace the cap and shake the bottle. Know comes the hard part. Place the bottle some where safe and let it age for 6 months to 6 years. Shake the bottle periodically and give it a good sniff. MMMMMMMMMMM
After 6 months you have Vanilla extract. Use as much as you like. You can always make more.
I started out buying one pound of Planifolia beans and 750 ml bottle of vodka. I have recently moved up to making a gallon at a time to give away as gifts for christmas. I have even tried ageing the vanilla in a oak barrel. Which gives it a slight oak flavor. I was going to try smoking some beans in my smoker and see how that turns out.