What Eye 8

Caesar Salad Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 22:51:00 +0000

We dined on fresh house-made Caesar salad at Caesar Cardini's original restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico where the epic world-renowned salad dressing was first born. The surprise was that it uses LIME juice instead of lemon. It also calls for raw egg yolk, which, hey, am not going to waste a good egg on that. This is my tweaked version. Instead of egg yolk, use mayo (yes, it does have raw egg in it, but there's no waste). And anchovy paste, which comes in convenient squeeze tubes is easier to use and store than anchovy filets. And I almost never have Worcestershire sauce on hand, but soy sauce makes an excellent substitute, and we always have that handy.

Makes four servings.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely minced (use garlic press)

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Shake together and drizzle over Romaine lettuce.

▢Black pepper

Belgian Waffle: Ur Eggy Fluffy Goodness

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 18:05:00 +0000

Belgian Waffles vs Other Waffles

Belgian waffles feature more egg content, making them richer and cakier. They also have the added step of fluffed egg whites, which, when folded back in the batter, add fluff to the finished waffles.

Many waffle recipes call for two or three eggs, but this one--the UR Belgian--calls for four beautiful, rich eggs.

These are my daughter's favorite and not as much trouble to make as they sound.

Pictured are the baby waffles using the Williams & Sonoma baby waffle iron. They're roughly the size of English muffins.

~~~~~~~~~~

4 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup butter (half a stick), melted and cooled

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

OPTIONAL

Maple syrup

Melted butter

Whipped cream

Fruit

Separate egg yolks from the whites. Put the yolks in a medium bowl and add in the sugar, cooled liquid butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the egg yolk mixture, again, beating until smooth.
Put the egg whites in a large bowl and fluff using a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in fluffy egg whites into batter, mixing lightly only until incorporated. There will be lumps of fluff--no worries!
Heat up your waffle iron, spray with non-stick spray, and cook according to waffle iron directions.
Removed cooked waffles and place bottom side UP in a casserole dish and place in the oven at the lowest heat, uncovered.
Continue cooking and transferring waffles to the warm oven.
Melt a stick of butter and a 1/2 cup maple syrup and serve alongside the warmed waffles.

Also great with whipped cream and fruit.

Pumpkin Cupcakes (or cakes) with Cream Cheese Frosting—Perfect for Fall or Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 19:56:00 +0000

Looking for something easy and wholesome (don't tell the kids I said that) to feed the little ghouls this time of year? Sick of the sickeningly sweet treats folks eat under the guise of Halloween goodies? Yeah, me too. Here's an easy and quick, semi-healthy recipe you can whip together, make your whole house smell like Autumnal celebrations, and have youngsters following you around, grinning ever after. Simple pumpkin cupcakes (or cakes). Simple cream cheese frosting. No fuss. Great rewards.

Make them fancy, if you wish, with Halloween cupcake liners and black licorice candies to decorate the tops.

Recipe makes two dozen cupcakes OR two loaf cakes.

The Wet

3 cups raw sugar (or white sugar)

2 cups or one can of pumpkin (I've used fresh pumpkin before and believe it or not, you cannot tell the difference—not to mention that canned takes way, way less time)
1 cup (two sticks) unsweetened butter OR vegetable oil
3 eggs

The Dry

3 1/2 cups unbleached wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

Optional: ground ginger and allspice

Cream together the butter (at room temperature or melted) and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Fold in the pumpkin puree and stir until mixed. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until uniform looking. Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir only until moistened. Do not over-mix.

Fill cupcake papers 3/4 full (most recipes call for 2/3 full, but this one looks better fuller), and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes (or put in two buttered and floured loaf pans and back for 50 to 55 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into one comes out clean. Let cool or chill before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup butter (two sticks), softened to room temperature
8 oz cream cheese (whipped cream cheese works well, too)
4 cups confectioners sugar (1 1 lb. box)

With a large fork, mash the butter and cream cheese until blended. With a mixer, beat in the confectioners sugar, one cup at a time. When well-mixed, turn the blender up and beat until smooth and fluffy (it will only take a couple of minutes). Let the cupcakes cool down and then frost them.

A note about cream cheese frosting: in warm weather, you will want to keep this chilled--otherwise, it can sag. Keep refrigerated and you will have some of the simplest, most delicious frosting ever.

Tom Ka with Tofu (or Tom Yam) Soup: The Perfect Fix for Flu Season, with Variations

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Sat, 07 Sep 2019 18:25:00 +0000

When I went to Thailand and had this soup for the first time I think my whole world just flipped right over on me all at once--it was the most remarkable taste experience ever. The flavors just blew me away--piquant, sour, spicy, rich, amazing! You have to try it.

And you can easily make either Tom Yam or Tom Ka with a simple substitution. This soup is simple to make, but what's tricky is having the ingredients on hand. Because I love this so much, I stockpile fish sauce, coconut milk and dried shiitake mushrooms (although the original calls for straw mushrooms).

My hubby grows lemongrass in the garden year-round, and we have a lime tree that contributes a leaf here and there. You can make this without lime leaf and lemongrass, but add some lime zest to substitute. I think you are going to love this special and wonderful soup--one of the great wonders of the culinary world! And a quick fix when you feel yourself coming down with a flu bug. Nothing clears your head like the piquant vapors of this magical soup.

Tom Ka Gung with Variations

4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 (12 ounce) can coconut cream (Not the reduced fat kind. Fat makes it taste DELICIOUS!)
2 cups chicken stock (I use the chicken stock paste that comes in little jars, Better Than Bouillion brand. It has no MSG and is all-natural. Plus, stored in the fridge, it lasts a LONG time.)
2 cups water
2 sprigs lemongrass, root (two inch sprigs, chopped into tiny slices)
1 kaffir lime leaf (or other lime leaf, tossed in whole--like bay leaves, you just fish them out before serving) (optional)
1 lime, juice of
1 can diced tomatoes, or 2 medium tomatoes, diced--with juices
4 garlic cloves (or more depending on your preference)
1 (19 ounce) package silken tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 pound shrimp (optional)
1 cup mushrooms (Any kind, such as white, shiitake, portobello, straw, white, etc. I mostly use shiitake because I keep a giant container on hand, but the most authentic is straw mushrooms, which you can find canned in the Asian section of grocery stores.)
1 tablespoon red chili paste (I like Sriracha brand. Add more to taste. If serving to kids--my five-year-old likes this soup--then add ketchup instead. A small amount of ketchup tastes good--trust me!)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root (Thai recipes call for galanga, but it's tricky to find--ginger root works fine instead)

Garnishes 

 

Chopped cilantro
Thai basil, for garnish
Hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha
Diced hot chili peppers

Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, and water to a heavy put, and begin to simmer while adding the other ingredients (except for garnishes and shrimp or other fish).
After the spices have "relaxed," add either the shrimp or chunks of salmon and stir only until cooked (two or three minutes).
Garnish and serve.

Variations

Vegetarian Soup Instead

* To make this soup vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock, and leave off the prawns. You've already got tofu, so that's a great protein source. Lastly, if fish sauce is a no-no, then substitute Bragg's Amino Acids (like soy sauce).

Tom Yam Instead

* To make Tom Yam instead of Tom Ka, do everything the same, except substitute more chicken stock to replace the coconut cream.

Tri-tip into Bulgogi: From Blah into Bravo JUSTLIKETHAT

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:18:00 +0000

Chances are, if you have dined in a Korean restaurant, or are lucky enough to have Korean friends or family, you probably have already tasted bulgogi, a thinly sliced marinated sesame beef barbecue that is indescribably delicious. And, if you live in California, you have probably been served tri-tip barbecue so many times it's a ho-hum deal. Growing up on the east coast, I had never heard of tri-tip. But when I moved out west, it took only a week or two to encounter my first tri-tip.

Tri-tip goes by other names: sirloin or knuckle roast. Tri-tip is the corner piece that is cut off when slicing sirloin steaks. Usually not as tender as the rest of the sirloin, it is just as flavorful and takes well to marinating and grilling. Santa Maria barbecue is just that, marinated and grilled tri-tip. Not much to it, just sugar, garlic, pepper, and salt and the technique of slow-grilling. Why then the avid following of a simple barbecue style?

In the same way as tri-tip barbecue, bulgogi is the most common barbecue of Korea. Ho-hum to those who grew up there and ate it often, but lavishly exciting and exotic to the rest of us.

Tri-tip, bulgogi . . . what's the connection? Bulgogi recipes call for sirloin roast. And tri-tip is sirloin, only less expensive than sirloin steaks. If you have access to tri-tip from your local grocery or warehouse store, then why not, instead of serving the usual tri-tip barbecue, take a tip from Korea, where some of Earth's best barbecue comes from--and add a few more simple ingredients and slices, and voila! You've got irresistible bulgogi--to wow your friends and loved ones, with no more effort than any other barbecue. With bulgogi, you get a lot of wow factor for your effort.

2 pounds sirloin tri-tip, sliced thinly across the grain on the diagonal bias
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
3 tablespoons mirin sweet cooking wine
3 scallions, chopped (optional--if you substitute chopped white onion, the chances are good that the beef will be cooked before the onions are--raw onion is not yummy to most folks, so I’d either use scallions or skip onions altogether)

Serve with:

Chili paste, like Sriracha brand
Toasted sesame seeds
Green leaf lettuce leaves
Steamed jasmine rice

Arrange the raw tri-tip on the cutting board, and with a very sharp knife, slice across the grain in thin slices (1.8 inch or so). In a resealable large plastic bag, add the sliced tri-tip to the remaining ingredients. Let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours, or longer, if you have time.

Cook the beef in one layer in a nonstick pan, along with the marinade. Alternately, you could cut each piece of meat thicker--in 1/2 inch slices to make little steaks. Then you could grill those 1/2 inch bulgogi steaks on the grill--this is how we chose to cook it, but authentically, bulgogi is sliced thinly. Another option is to cut the meat into 1 inch cubes and then, skewer them and grill them on a grill.

Serve with steamed rice and allow diners to wrap each piece of bulgogi (if sliced thinly) in a lettuce leaf roll. If sliced thickly, then serve as is, with a salad.

Cacao One-Bowl Triple-Chocolate World's BEST Easy Brownies—for Your Valentine or for You?

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 20:47:00 +0000

Cacao Powder may be the secret of the brownie universe. Not cocoa, but cacao, which is raw. If you don't believe there's much difference, try a blind taste-test. Cacao is more subtle, more rich. Cacao powder is fantastic—in oatmeal, in cappuccino, and in batches of homemade brownies—and it is off-the-charts delicious. Here’s the brownie recipe I came up with that is insanely easy—everything mixes in one bowl and the baking pan is lined, so there’s no buttering and flouring necessary. Super-fast to make and guaranteed to win you admiration.

Makes 16 larger or 32 smaller brownies

2 ½ sticks unsalted butter
2 ½ cups turbinado (raw--also called "demerrara") sugar
1 ¾ cups cacao powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large organic eggs
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup cacao nibs
8 ounces chopped Belgian or other quality semisweet chocolate bar (do not use chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 13” × 8” baking pan (a lasagna pan) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Melt the butter in the microwave in a large microwave-proof bowl until just melted. When cool to touch, add in the sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Stir gently to mix.
Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, but do not over-mix.
Stir in the nuts and chopped chocolate chunks. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 35 to 40 minutes until set but not firm (should be slightly moist in the center).
Let cool completely on a rack or, if you are in a hurry, in the refrigerator.

NOTE: This recipe doubles beautifully! Use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. The cooking time is the same, just be careful not to overcook (it cooks faster on the outside than the inside). These brownies do not rise--this is a rich recipe without leavening. They spread a bit and firm up, but are moist and rich and incredibly delicious. In fact, I believe these to be the most delicious brownies I've ever tasted--but you must use cacao nibs and cacao powder and raw turbinado sugar to get that effect.

Homemade for the Holidays: Part 1—Pistachio Bark

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Sat, 02 Dec 2017 19:12:00 +0000

Pistachio Bark—Easy Homemade Gift

Remember when we were little and many families used to make homemade Christmas and holiday gifts to exchange? Rum cake, the dreaded fruit cake, truffles, fudge, homemade jellies, potpourri? Ever want to thumb your nose at big box stores and, well, go all-old school on 'em and make your own holiday gifts? Well, you can. And some of the make-your-own holiday dessert gifts I'll be telling you about are so simple, any kid with a bit of supervision can make (others will take a few more steps and be trickier). I'll be featuring homemade gifts over the next few weeks—ones that have worked for us in the past.

First, I'll start with the easiest, tastiest, most-satisfying gift that anyone can make. I guarantee this gift will be well-received. Even if you don't prefer sweets, this gift is gorgeous and it's a sure-thing for bringing to the office and sharing or for hostess gifts for those numerous holiday parties that spring up. Looks like you spent a fortune or a long time crafting. Shhh. Your secret is safe with us.

Super-easy Pistachio Bark

1/2 pound artisinal dark chocolate (Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy both sell wonderful bulk Belgian chocolate bars for about $4 a pound)
1/2 pound artisinal milk chocolate
1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips (if you can find artisinal white chocolate, get that instead--I have a hard time finding good bulk white chocolate)
1 1/2 cups shelled salted roasted pistachio nuts (again, Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy have great ready-to-eat pistachios)

Melt the dark and milk chocolate together on the top of a double-boiler. If you don't have one, fake it with a stainless steel or other heat-proof bowl atop a pot of boiling water (the bowl must be larger than the pot rim in order to work--you don't want a wobbly bowl).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as the wax will melt and you'll be eating it. Get parchment paper in the baking section of any supermarket.
Add 3/4 cup (half) of the pistachios to the melted chocolate and stir them in lightly.
Pour the chocolate-nut mixture on the parchment paper, spreading it out until it's no more than 1/4" thick (it will be irregularly shaped—no worries).
Put in the freezer or the refrigerator to firm slightly.
Melt the white chocolate on the top of the double-boiler or using the pot of boiling water and bowl trick, noted above.
Remove the baking sheet and drizzle the white chocolate lightly across the surface of the dark chocolate. Do not mix it in.
Here is another trick: to make the white layer look beautiful, get a chopstick and lightly slide it across and back and forth over the surface of the white chocolate to make delicate swirl patterns. Try to cover as much of the dark chocolate to the edge as possible--but DO NOT work the white chocolate in. Use a light touch.
Sprinkle on the last 3/4 cup (the remainder) of the pistachios and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Break the pistachio bark into irregular pieces. Wrap in cellophane food gift bags and package decoratively, as preferred.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Almond Flaxseed Rolls for Your Thanksgiving Feast

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 00:56:00 +0000

Lovely little girl checking out a basket of my Almond Flaxseed Rolls

While not especially sexy, flaxseed is good for us humans—all that DHA in the flaxseed oil does our brains and nerves good. And any excuse to substitute a little plain flour for almond meal is good, too—higher protein and less gluten. That's why I put these ingredients together. After literally making hundreds of loaves of boring white bread, I realized that with these two tweaks, I could make healthier—and still yummy—bread. Perfect for Thanksgiving feasts. Enjoy!

3 1/4 cups unbleached wheat flour
1 cup almond meal (can get at Trader Joe's or Bob's Red Mill brand)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed (Bob's Red Mill or Viva Labs brands are great)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup raw sugar (or any sugar, really--raw just tastes great!)
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons buttermilk powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast

The dough balls on a pizza stone sprinkled with semolina

Warm up the water gently in a microwave--only until it is about body temperature. Add the yeast. Stir and set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a microwave and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir in the yeast-water and mix and knead the dough. Let rise an hour (the first rise).
Knead the dough again. Let rise an hour (the second rise).
Drizzle olive oil on the dough (to make it easy to handle) and divide the dough into 24 golf-ball sized rolls. Roll each dough bit until it is fairly uniform (don't obsess). If you have a pizza stone or baker's stone, sprinkle it with corn meal or semolina flour. Let rise one hour (the third and final rise).
Bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes.

The finished rolls

Notes:

This is a great recipe to throw everything in a bread machine on the Dough cycle and push the Start button. The proportions are for a large-sized loaf or 24 rolls.
If you prefer loaves to rolls, this recipe will make two smallish loaves.
If you don't have a baker's stone or pizza stone, use a baking sheet—the crust won't be as chewy, but that's okay too.

Don't You Dare Buy Ready-made Stuffing for Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 19:15:00 +0000

Homemade Dressing
for the Holidays
If You Can Sing "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme," You Can Make Stuffing (dressing) from Scratch. Stuffing. Ahhhh. Maybe my favorite part of my favorite holiday. Growing up with four siblings, stuffing disappeared the fastest and was the most worth fighting over when it came to leftovers (if there were any). Who doesn't love stuffing? When I lived in Japan, where no one had a big enough oven to roast a turkey, even if they knew what one was or could afford to procure one—what I missed the most about American food was, not surprisingly, turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce. Simple, yes, if you live in the states. Exotic and impossible if you life overseas. Now that I am back home, I serve my family a turkey-stuffing-cranberry meal about once a month—I cannot get enough of it.

Growing up in a large household, my parents wisely took some shortcuts when it came to cooking. And stuffing was one of them. I never had honest-to-goodness homemade stuffing until I was all grown up and discovered how to make it myself. What a thrill to realize how easy it is. And the rewards are GREAT—when you serve it, be sure to mention you made it from scratch. You will hear oohs and ahhs. No store-bought stuffing mix can compare in any dimension. You too can do this—have confidence. Stuffing is so simple to prepare, you will wonder why you never thought of doing it yourself before now.

One last note: I dined at a friend's house for a holiday party recently. He was so excited to have made stuffing from scratch, but it was the most gosh-awful stuff you ever tasted. He had just tossed in the celery and tossed in the other ingredients--with NO sautéing, no herbs, no butter, and no chicken stock. The stuff he called stuffing was dreadful, pasty bread bits with hard chunks of celery. Don't let this happen to you.

Basically, stuffing is comprised of two steps: “Creating the Croutons” and “Sautéing the Savories.” And you hardly need a recipe. Once you know how to do it, you can whip stuffing up easily with no props. Are you ready? YOU CAN DO THIS!

Creating the Croutons


The croutons you just made

Take a loaf of bread that you find delicious—ones loaded with nuts and whole grains are wonderful for stuffing. Sourdough works great too. Anything but white bread (too fluffy—needs to be a bit sturdier). I'm a fanatic—I make loaves of "stuffing" bread to use (chock full of fresh herbs). But pick a bread you already like. Day-old bread is fine too. You will need about eight cups worth of croutons. If the loaf of bread is large, you may not need the whole loaf.

Cut sliced bread into strips and then again crosswise into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes. Place the croutons on a baking sheet without overlapping, if possible. Toast lightly in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Scoop all the croutons into a large bowl.

Sautéing the Savories

Celery, onions, butter, and chicken stock


The savories, sauteed and ready to roll

Chop up one large onion (sweet ones like Walla-walla or Vidalia are especially yummy for this) and about 6~8 stalks of celery (slice each stalk lengthwise first and then crosswise to make smaller pieces). Sauté the onions and celery in 6~8 tablespoons butter (use butter unabashedly, but start with the lesser amount and see if it needs more later, depending on the quantity of croutons you have), along with the following herbs (fresh if you can get them, and chopped coarsely): Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. Does that sound familiar? It's part of the refrain from a Simon and Garfunkle song, Scarborough Fair. Yup. It's the herbal code for stuffing (and poultry seasoning). If you have a choice of parsley, use Italian flat leaf instead of the curly kind—but fresh is always preferable to dried. How much of each herb to use? Fresh, maybe 3 tablespoons each. Dried, maybe 1 tablespoon each. It's important to sauté the herbs so that the fragrance and flavor get infused. Add in about 1/2 cup of dried cranberries if you have them (makes it irresistible—sautéing plumps them). Once the onions are slightly translucent and no longer crunchy, remove from the stove.

Stir this sautéed herb mixture into the croutons. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth—slowly—so that you can gauge when to stop adding. (Keep jars of all-natural chicken stock concentrate in the fridge for uses such as these. I recommend “Better Than Bouillon” brand, by Superior Touch. You can get it at Trader Joe’s or other high-end grocers. Cubed bouillon is too salty and has too much artificial stuff, along with MSG. Chicken stock that comes in cans and cartons is good but too pricey.) This is the trickiest part—if you add too much broth, the stuffing becomes mushy. Too little and it's chokingly dry. Just right is slightly moist, with mouth “give.” Just right is not too crumbly and holds up on the plate. Add salt to taste (I especially recommend Vege-sal vegetable salt). And more melted butter, if needed. Toss lightly and serve as is or use about half to stuff bird. Keeps well for several days.

Notes:
— You can add variations for fun: toasted chopped nuts (pine nuts are fabulous, macadamias are decadent, chestnuts if you can get them, almonds if they are slivered thinly), chopped dried fruit such as apricots (go easy on the fruit and cut it small), other herbs such as marjoram or tarragon, etc.
— Some folks love cornbread stuffing. To make it, add chopped pork sausage to the sauté and use crumbled homemade cornbread (not that sweet kind like they serve at Boston Market—eyuck!) instead of wheat bread.
—To bake or not to bake? This dressing recipe is complete right here--but if you like baked dressing, cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes or so until browned on top.
— Be sure NOT to use Pyrex when toasting your croutons in the oven (a baking sheet is perfect). Like a doofus, I used a Pyrex pan as an overflow and voila! It exploded. I'm not the first person to have this experience, lest you laugh at me. I did a quick search and found an entire page on ConsumerAffairs.com dedicated to people who've had exploding Pyrex experiences. Just use a standard baking pan and you will be fine.

Omuraisu: Ketchup Rice, Japanese Style

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 21:12:00 +0000

Ketchup and rice? In an omelet? You gottabekidding! Nope. Trust me, this is delicious and fiendishly simple. Omeraisu, or omuraisu, is eaten all over Japan, and millions of Japanese cannot be wrong. A scene from a famous classic Japanese movie, Tampopo, shows a chef teaching a young boy how to make omeraisu. It could not be easier.

"Omuraisu," is a portmanteau that combines the words Omelet and Rice. The red substance in the rice is the common condiment, ketchup. Don't let that turn you off, though, omeraisu is sheer genius! It's delicious and easy to prepare--plus what a great way to use a bit of leftover rice for breakfast the next day. Most often it's made from fried rice that has chicken in it, but what I remember from living in Japan was simpler--rice sauteed in ketchup then set aside. A simple omelet prepared the usual way. When the egg is almost set, top with ketchup-rice mixture, and then close up the omelet, topping with a small dollop of ketchup. Sounds yucky? Hardly--it's delish.

Now, what I usually do for fun is the same thing, only with salsa instead of ketchup--mix in salsa with the rice, set aside, make omelet, and then add the salsa-rice mixture back and close up the omelet. Serve with cilantro and avocado slices--super-delish! Mexican-style, Japanese-style, European dish. Whatever you call it, call it all gone--everyone will eat it up if you don't go into too much detail about how you made it. Three cheers for rice for breakfast!

Omeraisu

2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 small onion, finely chopped (optional, but authentic)
1/2 cup chicken breast or ham, cut into small pieces (optional, but authentic)
butter
ketchup
6 large eggs
salt and pepper

Sauté the chopped onion until transparent in butter. Add the chicken or ham and sauté until done. Add the rice and toss until heated through. Add about 3 Tbs. of ketchup and toss rapidly. Season with a little salt and pepper, and then set aside.
Melt more butter in the frying pan. In the meantime, crack the eggs into a bowl, add a little salt and pepper and whisk until well-blended. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and make an omelette that is still slightly runny in the middle.
Add the rice mixture to one half of the still-cooking omelet. Flip the other half over to cover all the rice, and cook through, without allowing a skin to form on the omelet. Slice the cooked omelet into as many pieces as their are diners (three or four) and slide the chunks onto warmed plates.

More Protein than a Pancake, More Substantial than a Crêpe—It's a Crêpecake!

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Tue, 02 May 2017 19:09:00 +0000

Granted, I love crêpes—light, airy, eggy wisps filled with yummies and topped with yummies, but tricky to make well. And I love pancakes, too—who doesn't?—although pancakes do not love me (uggghhh—all that starch!). So what's a hungry foodie to do? Take the best of both worlds and you get, voila, a crêpecake. A freshly made light-fluffy-tender-moist cake—lighter and richer than a pancake, chock full of eggs like a crêpe. Crêpecakes. You'll never go back to plain pancakes again. And your family will get more protein and a better breakfast or brunch meal out of the deal. No need to serve eggs on the side, because crêpecake already have the egg base covered.

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
4 eggs, separated
1 cup unbleached white flour
Dash salt
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons butter, melted,
Extra butter and non-stick spray (like Pam) for the frying pan

Optional: 1 cup whole, fresh blueberries or chopped strawberries to add at the last minute to the batter

Serve with little bowls of:

Warmed maple syrup
Melted butter

How to Make Crêpecakes

Here's the secret: use your mixer to whip up the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Set aside while you make the rest of the crêpecake batter.
Mix the egg yolks into the milk until well-blended.
Stir the dry ingredients together, and then stir in the egg yolk-milk mixture a little at a time. Stopping as soon as blended (it will be lumpy—don't fret!).
Stir in the melted butter s-l-o-w-l-y, so as not to over-work the batter.
Fold in the fluffy egg whites a little at a time.
If you are adding fruit, add it now.
Heat a nonstick frying pan on medium heat, testing to see if a drop of water dances on the surface. Add a small amount of butter, and spray the pan with nonstick spray.
Pour about a heaping tablespoon of batter for each crêpecake. Cook on one side until bubbly on top and toasted a bit on the sides (one to two minutes). Flip and finish cooking for 30 seconds to a minute. Crêpecakes should be light brown on each side.
Continue in this way, adding a small amount of butter and/or nonstick spray for each batch. Remove each batch to a covered Dutch oven kept in the oven on the lowest heat, until all are ready to serve.

· Drizzle with melted butter and maple syrup and enjoy the accolades.

· Crêpecakes freeze beautifully—just store in a plastic freezer bag and reheat in a microwave or toaster over for a quickie breakfast treat.

Sangria: The Taste of Joy and Summertime

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Mon, 01 May 2017 19:31:00 +0000

¡Sangre, Sangria, San–gracias!
From the Spanish word for blood, sangre, comes the bloody well delightful wine punch, sangria. Sangria is wine when it dons a fiesta dress, puts a flower behind its ear, and starts to PARTY! Sangria is the taste of joy and summertime, and can't be beat for "awe versus effort" factor. Remarkable, in fact, that a beverage served only in warm regions or when the summer sets in in earnest, a beverage that makes guests lurch toward it with gigantic grins, could be so ridiculously easy to make. The hardest part, really, is deciding which kind to make, what variations to play with, and how best to use what you have on hand. (Two major pieces of joy in cooking are 1) Getting the most awe for your effort, and 2) Using what you have on hand first. If you are struggling to make a dish that hardly raises an eyebrow, you're not going to be a happy chef. Nor will you be if you have to dash off to the store for ingredient-hunting expeditions!)

Sangria Breakdown
Here are the nitty gritty factors about sangria. Once you know these, you can whip up your own sans recipe. Just pour, chop, mix, ice, and enjoy!

Start with any kind of wine you like--cheap wine, fine wine, sparkling wine, dessert wine, red wine, white wine--it all tastes fabulous when sangriad. (Note: cheap wine may give you a residual yucky feeling the next day, unless you go with a good brand, like Two-buck Chuck. More on this later.)
For each bottle of wine you use, add roughly HALF the equivalent quantity of other liquids. The liquid portion could be sparkling water (good because it adds no sugar), fruit juice, sweetened sodas (like ginger ale), lemonade, or a combination. Only add more than that with caution, or your sangria will become too diluted. Feel free to add less, though, for a more potent version. But taste test to be sure.
Add about two cups of fruit per bottle of wine--fresh, frozen, or a combination. Mixed fruit, all-one-fruit--you are the designer of this punch. But I do recommend you use at least a bit of fresh citrus--because it lends such a punch to the punch. Use fruit that looks pretty floating in the sangria, like peaches and sliced strawberries. Yum! Probably best to avoid bananas or any starchy fruit, but pretty much anything else goes nicely in sangria. Pineapple. Blueberries--why not?
Add a kicker, if you like, in the form of 1/4 cup of booze per bottle of wine. This could be brandy or a flavored liquor, such as Grand Marnier, Kirsch, Chambord, Triple Sec, Limoncello, etc. Stay away from whiskey, bourbon, and dark liquors, but rum or vodka work wonderfully. The kicker step is optional.
Taste the pre-chilled sangria to see if it's sweet enough. If not, you may want to add a bit of simple sugar. (Simple sugar is just sugar mixed with water, and then microwaved so that the sugar dissolves. You do not want crunchy sugar crystals in your drink!) I don't add sugar to my sangria, but it's all good. If you usually add sugar to your sangria, I'd suggest adding a fruit juice first, and then tasting it. It may be sweet enough as is.
Cover, and let the fruit, wine, and liquid mixture rest in a refrigerator for at least two hours if you have time. This lets the flavors have a chance to mingle and get happy before their big debut. Chilling means you won't have to add ice. Ice will dilute and change the proportions of your mix-mastering.
Garnish, if you like, with a few slices of fresh fruit. Citrus looks lovely, a giant strawberry would work. Pineapple too. Have fun with it.

Sangria Suggestions

If you live within proximity to the almighty foodie heaven called Trader Joe's, you are in luck! They sell a delightful, inexpensive wine of Napa Valley vintage called "Charles Shaw," owned by the Bronco Wine Company, and that costs a meager $1.99 per bottle. You heard right. (Surely it's more than that just to bottle the stuff.) Affectionately known as Two-buck Chuck, this stuff is decidedly NOT rotgut--it's a drinkable wine, and the absolutely best option for sangria-making. But you can use whatever wine you have on hand. Probably not a great idea to bury a truly high-end wine in a punch, but, hey, if you are feeling magnanimous—or desperate—go for it.
Don't forget the option of using champagne! Oh, how lovely those bubbles taste in a sangria. Whoo-hoo! You are gonna love it!
You can add a bit of spice by squeezing some grated ginger root into your sangria. Guaranteed to be a fun surprise for your guests. Love the combo of champagne-peaches-ginger juice-ginger ale. I made that for a Christmas party, and it was da bomb! Ginger juice works better with white-wine based sangrias than red ones, though.
Think about keeping some choice frozen fruit on hand--like mixed berries, mango, or pineapple--these not only are fruit that may not be in season otherwise, but the sheer coldness of the frozen fruit kicks the sangria up a notch. But if you do use frozen fruit, at least add SOME fresh fruit. Why? Because the frozen fruit isn't as pretty, usually, as fresh fruit is. Part of the appeal of sangria is visual. Think circles of citrus dancing lazily in frosty glasses. Guests languishing happily around your patio table.

¡Viva la Sangria!

Greens, Greens, Glorious Greens

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 15:37:00 +0000

Funny thing about greens--I never really liked them until my hubby taught me how to make them. Growing up, all I ever got was canned spinach (it was the culinarily unenlightened 70s). The first time I ever had spinach salad, I was an adult--and I thought it was the yummiest thing I had ever tasted! Finally, hubby is a greens devotee, and a gifted gardener, and he grows lots of them. (He makes a crispy collard greens that is to-die-for too--amazing.)

Anyway, I finally figured out that the way to really enjoy greens is to dress them like you would salad--with some sort of oil and some sort of vinegar or lemon juice, and salt, if needed. Also great with veggie or chicken stock. Voila! Greens that I cannot stop eating. So many kinds of vinegar that make greens fun--rice vinegar, umeboshi (pickled plum) vinegar, spicy vinegar with those little peppers in it (that's big in North Carolina, where I'm from--and I swear it is YUMMY!). Also good with garlic, bacon or ham (sorry, vegetarians!), hot sauce--you name it!
Eww--I love creamed greens too--ever make creamed spinach? Just make a white sauce and add frozen or slightly sautéed fresh spinach--add parmesan cheese, if you like--it's heavenly. I figure we could all do well to have more greens in our lives. So whatever gets them into our mouths is good.

One big thing to consider with greens is how tender/tough they are. Because that affects the cooking time completely. The more tender, the less they need done to them (thus spinach is great raw and to cook it takes only seconds--just enough to wilt it).

So here's my rough approximation of where some greens lie on the tender/tough scale:

Spinach
The tenderest of all. The "king" of greens. Most mild flavor too. What's not to love? Great wilted, great fresh. I'd eat spinach every day if I had the option. Also, makes your tummy feel good.

Swiss Chard
The leaves are delightfully tender but the stems can be anywhere from somewhat tender (and lovely) to very tough (and inedible). Try using just the green leaf if there is any doubt about the stems. Tastes similar to spinach, with a texture that is only slightly beefier.

Dandelion Greens
If fresh, needs only about 10 minutes in salted, boiling water to soften. They do age quickly, though, and can turn bitter and tough soon. But if you get them when they are tender, they are truly delightful! Greeks love them. They are great in Japanese shabu-shabu--one pot communal cooking, like Swiss fondue.

Kale
Somewhat chewy--needs more cooking than chard, has more robust flavor (e.g, somewhat more bitter) than chard. You may want to cut out the stems. Vegetarians eat them raw and they can easily go in green smoothies. I have to admit, kale isn't my favorite green--but, kale makes the top of the most nutritious green leafy veggies list.

Collard Greens
The toughest and most robust of all, but worth it. On the positive side, you can't hurt them. You can cook them for 20 minutes, forget about them, and when you come back, they are delicious and tender. Needs lots of seasoning, though.

Mustard
I'm not that familiar with mustard greens. How are they? Where do they fall on the tender/tough scale? Let us know here at What I 8.

Turnip Greens
I love turnip greens when they are served (in the South, look no further than Cracker Barrel, of all places!), but haven't found them available in stores.

More on Greens:
Health benefits--may be one of the healthiest foods on planet Earth. Seriously. Check this out:

CookingGreens.com

From MakeMeSweatX.tumbler.com

Crab-Stuffed Sole: So Simple Yet Gourmet All the Way

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 14:11:00 +0000

Want a dish to impress, but have little skill in crafting intense, complex gourmet meals? This is one sure to win you kudos--and fake out anyone enjoying it that you have a master-chef's talent--all without fuss.

The dish is basically thin white fish, in this case sole (but you can use tilapia, flounder, or fluke too), wrapped around a homemade crab cake mixture. Crab cakes are simple to put together. Probably the reason why mere mortals (non-chefs) do not make them often is because of the deep-frying part. But do remember, crab cakes are lovely and delightful simply baked on their own.

Crafting the Crab Cakes
12 ounces fresh lump crab meat, picked over for cartilage, or two cans of crab meat, drained
1 egg
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced shallot or chives
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, or prepared bread crumbs such as Progresso, as needed (if using prepared bread crumbs, omit salt and pepper)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the crab meat, egg, bell pepper, shallots, mayonnaise, and mustard. Add sufficient bread crumbs to bind the mixture just enough to form into cakes; start with a little and use more if you need it. Set aside.

Surrounding the Sole
1 pound of Dover sole or other thin white fish (tilapia, flounder, fluke), thawed, if previously frozen

Take each piece of fish and put enough crab cake mixture in it to give it body. Wrap the fish around the crab cake and place the bundle open-end down in a lightly oiled casserole dish. In this way, continue wrapping and placing each fish until you create all the fish bundles. If there is any crab cake mixture left, tuck it inside the fish--it's too good not to use it up.

Sprinkle with paprika, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, etc., as you prefer. Last night when I made this dish, I used Old Bay. It has salt and celery seed and other mild spices in it and this gives a bit of color and a bit of salt.

Bake in a 375 degree oven until the crab cakes within the sole are cooked through, about 25 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Suggested accompaniment: risotto and salad

Grilled Curried Lamb Shish Kebobs—Savory, Summery, Ecstasy

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 15:43:00 +0000

Nothing says Spring savory fun like kebobs (kabobs). And the secret of fabulous kebobs is marinating in advance. When the meat and veggies soak in a piquant marinade, they evolve into something different altogether, something irresistible when grilled. Now, you have to be generous with salt—marinating is not a good time to ration salt. Salt brings out the gorgeous flavor of meats. And lamb, ahhhhh, the king of all meats, for serious omnivores. Get as fresh a lamb leg as possible and as local as possible (not always an option—stores around here carry mostly New Zealand or Ozzie lamb, which is a bummer—why aren’t there more U.S. lamb ranches?). We always make some vegetable-only kebabs, too, for our vegetarian friends (marinate the vegetable separately to keep it all copacetic). Don’t be afraid of kebobs. Just take it in two steps: marinate the pieces the first day and load the kebobs and grill the second day.

Meat Preparation:

1 boneless Leg of Lamb (three to four pounds--can substitute beef tri-tip)

2 tablespoons Ground Cumin Seeds

2 tablespoons Ground Coriander Seeds

½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (optional)

½ teaspoon Ground Cardamom Seeds

½ teaspoon Ground Fennel Seeds

1 teaspoon Ground Black Peppercorns

1 teaspoon Salt per pound of meat used

1 tablespoon Grated Ginger Root

1 tablespoon Crushed Garlic

½ cup Olive Oil—or more to get slightly sloshy consistency

Vegetable Preparation:

4 to 5 cups Assorted Vegetables [Cut in 1 to ½ inch chunks]

Use summer squash, zucchini, patty pan, Vidalia or other sweet onions, green onions, mushrooms, asparagus, green, red, or orange peppers, etc. Veggies that don’t work well are both hard veggies (such as potatoes, parsnips, and carrots—because they won’t cook through in the same amount of time as the rest of the items on the kebobs) or soft veggies (because they’ll fall apart—don’t use tomatoes or white mushrooms, though portabellas would be good).

1 tablespoon Ground Cumin Seeds

1 tablespoon Ground Coriander Seeds

½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric

½ teaspoon Ground Cardamom Seeds

½ teaspoon Ground Fennel Seeds

½ teaspoon Ground Black Peppercorns

1 teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon Grated Ginger Root

1 tablespoon Crushed Garlic

3 tablespoons Olive Oil—or more to get slightly sloshy consistency

Putting It All Together

Make this recipe one day in advance to knock your guests out with ecstasy. If you are short on time, at least prepare it in the AM and grill it in the PM—but no less time than that, as the spices won’t get into the meat and veggies otherwise.

Marinate the lamb chunks, the spices, and the wine and oil (listed under Meat Preparation) in one large Zip-lock freezer bag. Keep refrigerated for one to two days, turning the bag each time you open the refrigerator to distribute the marinade. If the marinade is not sufficient to coat all the pieces luxuriously (if lamb leg is too big), then double the marinade quantities.

In the same way, marinate the veggies in the spices and wine and oil (listed under Vegetable Preparation) in a large freezer bad and turn every time you open the refrigerator door.

When you are ready to grill, use wooden skewers and alternately skewer meat chunk, veggie chunk, meat chunk, veggie chunk, etc., leaving at least an inch at the bottom and the top of the skewer.

Grill, turning occasionally, until you see some charring on the edges of the onions and the meat looks cooked through.

Enjoy with rice and a salad for a terrific and simple summer meal.

Key words: kebob, kabob, kebab, skewer

Any Way You Like It Beef Stew

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 00:05:00 +0000

My five-year-old started a new school recently, with a fresh crop of kids and a fresh crop of kid's parents. Word got out that I was a professional writer and a foodie with a food blog, and I've been fielding questions--which I love. One that made sense and I never really thought about before is this, "How do you make beef stew?" Beef stew is so essential, so basic to cooking. It's like chicken soup. A sandwich. Hard to imagine using a recipe for these things. They just are, is all. You throw a bunch of stuff you like in and voila--comfort food.

But the truth is, at some time in the ancient recesses of my past, I must have watched Mom make her simple yet wonderful beef stew and figured out the beef stew meme. Over the decades, as my palate has evolved, so has my beef stew meme. Now it's up to a foodie writer to look with fresh eyes at this and break it out into steps. It's not a recipe, but more like a way of creating the gestalt of beef stew from the sum of its parts.

Searing the Beef
Use good quality beef for good quality, tender stew. We love sirloin for stew in my house. If you want to go crazy, filet will definitely reward you. But sirloin (or tri-tip, which is a portion of the sirloin) is perfect. Do not use chuck if you can avoid it, but if that's what you have on hand, by all means, go for it.

Cut two or more pounds of beef into 1" cubes, roughly, and dredge in flour, salt, and pepper. Sear these dredged cubes in some olive oil in a sturdy pot, preferably a Le Creuset or iron dutch oven, turning and cooking lightly, until they are light brown on the outside (beef should be raw inside). Remove from the pot and set aside.

Onions and Garlic, Oh My!
Sauté sweet onions (at least one large or two medium onions) cut roughly (large triangles) in more olive oil until they are slightly translucent (but not caramelized). Add in many cloves of fresh, crushed garlic (half a bulb--maybe 10 cloves). Do not sauté for long, to avoid turning the garlic bitter. Add in sliced organic carrots, roma tomatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes--your favorite veggies--in as large a quantity as you like. (See Embellish and Enjoy below for more add-in ideas.)

Wine and Then Dine
Add back in the beef to the pot and pour in at least half a bottle of dry red table wine. One bottle will reward you, but then again, who has an entire bottle of wine lying around just for cooking? I recommend Trader Joe's Two-buck Chuck (Charles Shaw) for this purpose, but any inexpensive and not sweet red wine will do. Also add in an equal amount of beef stock. I prefer the concentrated stock that comes in jars--the Better than Bouillion brand lasts a long time in the referigerator and has no artificial ingredients.

An Herb and a Spice Are Oh-so-nice
Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bay leaves, culinary lavender, fresh rosemary, sage--these are all optional, depending on what you have handy. Fresh herbs are always better than dried.

Simmer Until It Smells Great
Simmer this intoxicating mixture--light bubbles, not heavy ones--until the beef is cooked through, the flavors are melded, and the veggies are cooked. You probably will not need to add flour to thicken the sauce as the flour from dredging the beef--plus the potatoes--will thicken the stew.

Total cooking time will likely be at least an hour.

Serve over jasmine rice or with bread.

Embellish and Enjoy

Add in what you love and what you have on hand:

White or portobello mushrooms, cut in bite-sized pieces, and added 10 minutes before serving time
Swiss chard, cut into strips, without the stem portion—again, added toward the end of cooking time
Fresh fennel, in bite-sized pieces
French green beans (haricot verts), in bite-sized pieces
Fresh peas, added a few minutes before serving
Sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips--whatever root veggies are handy. These need to cook longer, so add them at the beginning.
You can make the same stew using lamb leg meat instead of beef. Shanks work well, too, although before serving you may--or may not--wish to cut the bones out. Lamb is incredibly delicious, but the disadvantage is that as leftovers, it doesn't last as long. (We enjoy eating our stew the next day as lunch.)

Don't Throw out That Turkey Carcass! Transform It Instead

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 15:33:00 +0000

Got a half-gnawed turkey carcass squatting in your refrigerator? Had your fill of plain old turkey meat by now? Running out of inspirational recipes for how to disguise those Thanksgiving leftovers? Well, here's a delicious innovation, and no one you serve it to will notice it's recycled turkey meat: Turkey Curry. If you are thinking curry is too much trouble, you've got a good point, although I've got a solution for you. And if you think curry consists of merely tossing in some curry powder, you are missing out on the ecstasy of real homemade curry.

To make turkey curry, I've included some shortcuts—good shortcuts that won't compromise the delightful fragrance and savoriness of curry. Shortcuts that will make your curry come to life sooner but will still allow you to create an authentic curry.

Curry that is meat-based consists of three basic steps: Rousing the Roux; Spicing It Up; and Picking the Bones. Usually with homemade, authentic curry you will sauté the roux until it turns golden brown before adding it to your curry. My biggest cheat is this: pour the roux ingredients into the pot and let the stew itself cook the roux. (This cheat saves about 15 minutes.)

Here is how you transform your sorry turkey carcass into a gourmet treat—with ease:

Rousing the Roux
Peel two medium onions and cut into large chunks (no need to cut onions pretty or small—these are going in the blender). Peel 10~12 cloves of garlic (if you are using crushed bottled garlic, use about 2 tablespoons). Peel about 2 inches of fresh ginger root (do not substitute ginger powder—it is NOT a good cheat). Chop coarsely. Add the onion, garlic and ginger root to the blender and pour in about a half cup of water—enough to help puree the veggies. If you like a hot-spicy curry, add seeded hot peppers to the roux--jalapenos work beautifully. If this is to be served to a family, skip the peppers, though—black pepper (which you will add later on) is enough to give your curry a little bite. (You can also serve finely chopped peppers on the table, so guests can add in as they like.) Blend on high until the roux is a nice slushy consistency—like that of a snow cone (this is cheat #1—pureeing the roux in the blender saves time over chopping small and grating the ingredients). Pour the roux into a large sturdy stew pot (a four- or five-quart pot).

Spicing It Up
In the stew pot, place the turkey carcass and any stray pieces of sliced turkey meat you have. If the turkey is too large for the pot, crack it around the ribs and break it into two large pieces. You MUST use the bones to make this work. Why is it essential to use the bones? Because bones, my dear, are the crucial part of any truly wonderful meat-based soup or stew. Bones lend a depth and irresistibility to your savory dish that cannot be achieved otherwise. Plus, meat that clings to the bones is the most tender and succulent. Make friends with stew bones—they are a blessing for any savvy cook. Add a few cups of water—enough to provide a base for the curry (about 1 inch in the pot) but not too much—you don't want your curry to be watery. Pour in the slushy roux you just made. Add three or so tablespoons of butter (butter is essential too—there's not much fat in turkey).

Lastly, add in your curry spices: 2~3 tablespoons of ground cumin; 2~3 tablespoons of ground coriander; 1 tablespoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon of cardamom (if you have it); a teaspoon of ground fennel (if you have it). Out of all the curry spices you can use, the two essential ones are Cumin and Coriander—these are necessary to make your stew taste like curry. Others are simply good to add (like turmeric and fennel and cardamom) but not crucial. If you are using curry powder, add about 6 tablespoons or more. Newbies to curry-making are always surprised at how much spice goes into a curry. Release your inhibitions—curry takes LOTS AND LOTS OF SPICE. Be bold. It'll be okay—you will not over-spice it. Herein lies cheat #2: you are adding in pre-ground spices, rather than toasting and grinding your own spices. (Sometime when you have enough time and are feeling adventurous, see How to Make Your Own Curry Powder for the most wholesome and flavorful curry powder that you create yourself—it makes wonderful gifts, too.)

Simmer (a low boil—not a roiling boil) the turkey, spices, roux, and butter with the top off the pot—so you can watch the curry and make sure it doesn't stick; so you can stir it occasionally to mix the bones around; and so you can add water if necessary. Let simmer for about one hour. Sure, your turkey meat has already been cooked. You won't be cooking the meat, you will be cooking the roux (cheat #3), and you are simmering to maximize the flavor from the bones. When the turkey is ready, the meat will be falling off the bones. Taste the sauce and add enough salt to make it ecstatically scrumptious—expect to use about a tablespoon or so. (I recommend Vege-sal vegetable salt. Kosher salt is also yummy.)

Picking the Bones
This is the hardest and most time-consuming of the steps. But you can do this too. Just pour yourself a glass of wine, turn on some loud music, and hum along. You are magically transforming an unwanted turkey carcass into a pot of love, so be joyful. Turn off the curry. Scoop out the large pieces of turkey carcass and transfer them to a large cutting board. Let cool until you can safely touch them. Pick off any desirable pieces of meat that still cling to the bones and add that meat back to the pot. Discard the rest. Continue scooping, cooling and then picking until all the bones and stray inedibles are removed, discarding the flotsam and adding back the good stuff as you go along. While working, chop up the large pieces of meat so they will be easy to eat—nothing should be larger than an inch or so.

When you are finished picking out the undesirables, you will have a pot of delightful, savory, stewy, fragrant curry. The consistency of the sauce is a light slush—not too thick, not too thin. There should be plenty of bite-sized turkey bits. And you will be a turkey-transformation hero.

What to Do with All This Swiss Chard? Part I

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 17:16:00 +0000

When the Swiss chard comes in in southern California gardens, it REALLY comes in. As in, gargantuan-sized leaves that loom menacingly over smaller, less ballsy plants. One could use a leaf as an umbrella, easily. So what do you do with it all? Another pan full of sauteed greens? Well, I love sauteed greens, but sometimes you would like a change. Last night, we had our favorite foodie couple over for supper. I made this simply Swiss chard soup [recipe below] and that was all they talked about. How remarkable! You can't tell there's chard in it--or sweet potatoes. The two flavors work synergistically to create, well, something else entirely. So here is . . . something else entirely.

Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Soup

2 medium or one large onion
2 tablespoons olive oil and more to drizzle
8 cloves garlic, crushed
About eight cups of chopped green Swiss chard, white stems excluded
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (I like to use Superior Base brand Better Than Bouillon chicken stock concentrate--it's cheap and easy to use--just store the jar in the refrigerator and reconstitute with water)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a sturdy stock pot, saute the onions in the olive oil until they are tender and starting to caramelize. Add in the garlic and saute only for a minute or two. Add in all the other ingredients except salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and falling apart. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in an upright blender. Add in seasonings to taste and drizzle with olive oil before serving.

How Lentils Could Save the Earth, Part II

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:03:00 +0000

In the first installment of "How Lentils Could Save the Earth," I introduced the almighty, super-studly, protein-rich lentil, and explored where it came from, how it's used, and why it's a fabulous, inexpensive and should be an important part of our diets. Now, I'd like to share a nifty recipe that has the power to change your mind about lentils forever--if you didn't love them already, you will after one bite of this.

Coconut Lentil Curry, with Garden Vegetables

1 medium onion
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
10 cloves minced or crushed garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
6 cups water
1 12 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup lentils (the standard size--not the small ones), rinsed and sorted
2 medium or 1 large zucchini, cut into chunks or half discs, as you prefer
1 (14 to 16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, or 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 large or 3 medium carrots, cut into half discs
3 cups fresh greens (spinach is particularly wonderful, as it melts right in. If using Swiss chard, remove the spines and use just the leaves, chopped)
Salt to taste, but add only after lentils are cooked

Saute the onions in the butter or ghee until tender and translucent.
Add all the ingredients except the greens and the salt to a pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are well-cooked (no more than 30 minutes). Taste the soup and add salt to taste. I recommend using either Vege-sal vegetable salt blend (it's tasty and works like vegetable stock), or Himalayan pink sea salt, which has fantastic health properties. Anyway, be sure not to add salt until after the beans are cooked (this is true of all beans, as salt hinders bean water absorption). If using Swiss chard, add now and cook until tender (five minutes). If adding spinach, add and cook only for one minute, until wilted.
Serve over basmati rice, or basmati rice pilaf. Also include minced, fresh chili peppers, for your guests to add in as they like. This dish is also wonderful when sprinkled with cayenne powder and/or smoked paprika.

Wonderful Infographic Illustrates Beer Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 01:09:00 +0000

There really are only two kinds of beer: ales and lagers. Lagers are too difficult for most homebrewers, as they require cold storage--although it can be done, I've heard. I have brewed only a variety of ales, from pale ale to Belgian tripel to oatmeal stout. I've brewed with freshly harvested hops that grow in our front yard and even tried all-grain brewing myself (and failed--I need help on that part). Much to learn--fun and scary but worth studying.

by Humboldtarian.

Ultimate Cornbread: Make It Perfectly Every Time with This Secret Ingredient

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 18:06:00 +0000

I love cornbread. Can't resist it. Forget that I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina where every kitchen cabinet has corn meal in it somewhere and where I ate cornbread a couple of times a week for my entire childhood. Nope, loving cornbread is even deeper. It's loving corn. Grain for grain, corn is more delicious than wheat, don't you think? Sure, wheat is fabulous--unless you have gluten digestion issues--but corn is fattier and has that, I don't know, irresistible corniness to it. Homemade corn tortillas, which you can get anywhere in Mexico? Well, that is just heaven for me. Grits? Can't get enough. Corn on the cob? You guessed it. And popcorn? What sane human can resist popcorn?

So, loving corn like I do, I admit to spending a lot if time searching for the perfect cornbread recipe. It's gotta be rich and moist. It's gotta be crumbly but not crumby. It's gotta be lightly sweetened, not sweet. After years, no, decades, I think I have found the perfect cornbread--and it involves, of all the weird things to add to cornbread--yogurt. And not just any yogurt, but Greek yogurt (I use FAGE brand). Why? Maybe because Greek yogurt is so protein-rich it locks in the moisture. Definitely, Greek yogurt makes anything you bake with it more substantial food. Remember, as I wrote in my article, Lose Weight & Feel great: What a High-Protein Diet Can Do for You--protein is the good guy. Eat a good portion and you'll feel better--and less hungry--longer.

But forget all that--Greek yogurt cornbread is delicious. Simply the best. Here's how to make it happen:

The Wet
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

The Dry
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup raw/turbinado sugar
1 cup corn (roasted corn is especially good)

Mix the Wet ingredients together in one container, being sure to blend the eggs well. Mix the Dry ingredients together in another container. Combine the two and stir only until blended.

To make muffins, fill buttered muffin cups 3/4 full of the batter and bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.

To make cornbread, fill a buttered 9" square baking dish with the batter and bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes (until center has risen and is cooked through--a wood toothpick inserted should come out clean).

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As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway"

Best. Pot. Roast. Ever.

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 03:31:00 +0000

Usually when it comes to food, there's the two out of three rule: cheap, yummy, easy—pick two and call it good. But when it comes to pot roast, you really can have all three. Pot roast is inherently simpler to make than stew, in which the meat has to be dredged and seared, and the concoction can cook only so long before it disintegrates (you have to watch it). With pot roast, you assemble your ingredients, toss them into the crock pot, set the timer, and ta-da! You have supper. It even has the decency to make its own sauce.

And disintegration? No problem and part of the fun, actually. Lastly, chuck roast is a common, el cheapo cut of beef--perfect for making pot roast. Now, there is the concern about blandness. I've been served bland pot roast many a time (and I would never complain--home-cooked food is inherently good for you--food made with love has to be healthy, right?), so I sought to jazz up the bland factor with a few simple add-ins and I think it worked. My hubs said this is the best pot roast ever. I think so too (the bacon and smoked paprika give it a certain something extra) and I hope you will agree. No need to tell everyone how easy it was to prepare. Let them fawn over you. And smile, knowingly.

Best. Pot. Roast. Ever.

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into largish cubes
5 or 6 organic carrots, peeled, sliced at extreme diagonals about two inches deep
1 medium sweet onion, halved and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste
3 cloves of garlic, whole, peeled (no need to crush)
1 tablespoon beef stock concentrate ("Better than Bouillon" brand is excellent)
3 or 4 pieces bacon, cut into inch-long pieces (no need to cook)
1 chuck roast, 2.5 to 3 lbs.
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon corn starch added to 1 cup water, dissolved

Add the veggies to the crock pot first. Plop the whole chuck on top of it. Add the other seasonings and the corn starch-water mixture. Set the crock pot to six hours on high or eight hours on low. Halfway through the cook time, turn the roast--if you are there. (If you are away from home, no worries.) When it's finished, move the chuck to a cutting board, slice out the bones (make a dog happy with those), and cut the now illegally tender beef into largish chunks. Stir to coat everything with the rich, brown sauce, and serve over rice.

Turmeric Turkey Meatballs: The Anti-cancer Comfort Food

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 21:36:00 +0000

Golden, glistening, savory curry meatballs

Note: This ORIGINAL recipe has been selected for publication in the Lehman's Diamond Jubilee Cookbook.

Comfort food doesn't always have to be something familiar. How about turkey curry meatballs in a warm, creamy curry sauce? Not even real curry, curry-flavored. Savory, sumptuous--like Swedish meatballs, only kicked up a notch with lots of warming curry spices and especially the magically anti-cancer turmeric. (If you are looking for more anti-cancer turmeric recipes, look here.)

Making the Meatballs

2 pounds lean ground turkey (or beef, chicken, lamb, etc.)
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons ground cumin seeds
2 tablespoons ground coriander seeds

Mix the meatball ingredients together until well blended. Form into ping-pong ball sized meatballs, and fry in a nonstick or seasoned iron skillet with enough olive or other vegetable oil to make sauteing easy (1 to 2 tablespoons). Fry about 1/3 of the meatballs at a time, without crowding, turning until meatballs are almost cooked through but still pink inside. Set aside and continue frying the rest of the meatballs. Don't fuss too much--the meatballs need not be perfectly round (mine flatten out a bit while frying).

Curry Gravy

I call this curry gravy instead of curry sauce, because real curry sauce is based on an onion-ginger-ghee slurry that is sauteed. This is instead a curry-flavored white sauce--a delicious savory sauce you might want to use for other things--to top veggies, for instance (broccoli or asparagus are particularly good with curry gravy). (I explain how to make curry sauce here.)

1/4 cup butter (four tablespoons or half a stick)
1/4 cup white flour
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half 'n half
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 to 2 tablespoons ground turmeric (to taste)

In the bottom of a large, heavy saucepan, whisk the butter and the flour over medium heat until the flour lumps disappear (making a roux). Add in the other ingredients, whisking constantly until the gravy thickens and all ingredients are fully integrated.

Curry Meatball Synergy

Add the meatballs gently into the still bubbling gravy in the large heavy saucepan. Let boil gently for about 10 minutes, tossing gently to make sure all meatballs get enough sauce to cover and cook them through (the meat juices will also flavor the gravy beautifully).

Serve over steamed jasmine or basmati rice, and serve with lightly sauteed green vegetables that you can also ladle the curry gravy over (makes it easy--no need to season the veggies!).

Notes:

Serves 6 (1/3 pound each) to 8 (1/4 pound each)
This dish is the perfect party food--you will be a major sensation and have your handiwork devoured if you bring this to a potluck

Super Bowl Treats: Pick-up Food for a Small, Casual Foodie Party

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 00:03:00 +0000

Jiggelos
First of all, I'm making gelatin shooters, "jiggelos," that are NOT made using Jell-o brand. (Who uses that stuff anymore? Ick--we are not kids, nor hospital patients. Artificial what goes in there??) Knox unflavored gelatin, and fruit juice and alcohol. The alcohol proportion is one part for three parts of liquid. Add gelatin to the hot liquid, stir to dissolve, and then when the mixture is cool, add the alcohol. Instead of pouring into cups--so Plebian!--pour into a large mold and cut individual shapes out of the collective. I used twice as much unflavored gelatin as in regular gelatine--thus making, "Knox Blox." The resulting jiggelos stand up well for ages, and need no refrigeration. I made Margarita jiggelos, using Grand Marnier, Sauza Tres Generaciones tequila, and homemade limeade (the limes came from a friend's yard). Also, pina colada jiggelos using coconut rum, coconut milk (unsweetened), pineapple juice, and simple syrup. Decorated with unsweetened shreaded coconut. YUM!

Curried Meatballs in Curry Gravy

Here's the real recipe I wrote for this outstanding--and original--dish. I'll be mixing ground turkey and beef together, along with ground ginger, and other curry spices (cumin. coriander, turmeric), and eggs, to form the meatballs. Then, I make a white sauce, and add in curry spices. I've made this many times for my family--with this original recipe, I am making a variation of Swedish meatballs with a curry flare, instead of making authentic curry--which I often do, that starts from a roux and has an onion base--to take this dish into comfort food category

Homemade Crab Egg Rolls

The secret to making egg rolls is that anything you stir fry can also go into an egg roll. The difference is, the stir-fry bits must be small. After you make the stir-fry, add some cornstarch to thicken--a loose sauce will spoil the egg roll wrappers. Deep fry in peanut oil until golden. I serve with an apricot ginger dipping sauce (to apricot preserves, add water to thin a bit and grated, fresh ginger root--stir thoroughly).

Greek Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Any salad at a Superbowl party has to be able to stand up--hour after hour--and not wilt. So no lettuce need apply. I'm making a Greek salad of chunks of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese and Greek salad dressing (olive oil, wine vinegar, Greek oregano, salt, and pepper).

Raspberry Ice Cream

Smoked Chili Bark: Homemade for the Holidays, Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (BroderWriter) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 19:42:00 +0000

Bark--peppermint bark, pistachio bark, and chili bark, to name a few--has got to be one of the easiest and most gratifying candies to make. People simply love this simple dessert and how few think to make it themselves. Next time you get invited to a potluck, and you need to make something impressive but don't have the time to think about it, here's the answer: Smoked chili bark. Simply smashing and with a surprisingly light, smoky afterburn.

12 ounces dark chocolate
3/4 cup chopped unsalted nuts (pistachios, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, pecans--or whatever you have on hand)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle (smoked jalapeno) peppers (available cheaply at Cost Plus World Market)
1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt the chocolate in either a double boiler over boiling water or in a large bowl placed over a pot of boiling water. Once melted, stir in all but a handful of the nuts and all of the ground spices, continuing to stir until well-blended.

Pour the mixture out onto either waxed paper, parchment paper, or a silicone non-stick mat on a baking sheet. Spread to make the bark as this as desired.

Sprinkle with the remaining nuts and press the nuts lightly in. Sprinkle the top with more smoked paprika. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Break up into bite-sized pieces.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Part 5: Chili Bark