Another story about things that people don't know how to cook, but really everyone should. I have these two friends, a brother and sister, who shall remain nameless, but really, you know who you are. These two don't get to spend a whole lot of time together anymore, but none the less they were at his apartment and decided that they were going to make deviled eggs (or something like that). They needed hard boiled eggs.
So I get a phone call from "Jack" . . . "Um, Eva? How do you boil an egg? Mom said (method 1) just put the egg in water, bring it to a boil then pull it off the stove and let it sit in the water until it is cool." Now you'll notice here, first that I was not the first person they called . . . secondly that since they are now calling me, something has gone wrong, but they are too embarrassed to call their mother back. This method should work fine as long as you start with room temp water, make sure it comes to a full boil and not just a simmer before removing it from the heat. But given that he (as far as I knew it was only Jack) was having problems with that method, I gave them the next method.
Method 2: Put your eggs in cold water to cover and then bring them to a boil. When the water boils, remove them from the heat, cover tightly with a lid and set a timer for 13 minutes. Remove the lid, drain the water, give them a little shake to crack the eggs and top them with ice and water to cool them quickly. Now this is my favorite method because it is very consistent, and by cracking the eggs and putting them hot into ice water they tend (I won't say always) to peel easier, especially if you are using older eggs. Old eggs are great for hard boiled eggs because the longer they sit the more the membrane around the egg naturally separates from the shell, making it easier to peel.
So at this point I'm confident that my friend is on his way to perfectly cooked eggs and that this is in fact a fairly simple project. Little did I know how wrong I was. So about 3o min after the last call I get another call. . . from "Jill". Now I had no idea that they were together, thinking only that great minds think alike, but I soon found out how wrong I was. She was calling about, you guessed it, how to cook a hard boiled egg. I told her the method I just gave her brother to which she admits finally, "I'm with him, and we couldn't get that to work either. The eggs are not fully cooked in the middle. Don't know what we are doing wrong!" So, slightly amused, and wondering just how many eggs they think they've ruined I launch into Method 3.
This cuts out the possibility of undercooked eggs, though if you do the first two correctly this shouldn't be much of a problem. Also the problem with this problem is that you will have to cook a few extra eggs for testing. So in a pot cover the eggs with cold water. Bring to a boil. Let them boil hard for about 6-7 min. With a slotted spoon pull one egg out of the water and quickly chop it in half to see if it is cooked. If it is, drain the water, give the eggs a shake to crack them and top them with ice water to cool, and to make sure they don't over cook. If they aren't done allow to cook a bit longer and check another egg. It's a little more trial and error than the first two, but it does the trick.
To be honest, I don't know if my friends ever succeeded in getting their hard boiled eggs or if they just called someone else. Still I use all three of these methods for cooking eggs on a regular basis, though I've seen many more. Everyone has their own perfect way, some people add salt to the water or vinegar, others just have a certain amount of time they boil them for. Some people peel them hot, some room temp, and others, like me, cold. Just find a way that works for you.
PS
For a delicious snack with your eggs try making lavender egg salad.
6 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1/2 rib celery, finely chopped
1 TBS thinly sliced chives
1/4 tsp lavender, ground with a mortar and pestal
1 tsp dijon
1/4 cup mayo
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together
Friday, June 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Rotel Chicken
I'm sure by now you all think that I eat nothing but gourmet meals and spend all day cooking. Well the truth of it is that when I get home just like everyone else often the last thing I can think of is cooking dinner, especially after a long day in the kitchen. But we all have to eat and on those days where I am just too tired to do much else I tend to turn to my freezer and pantry. Luckily one of our favorite pantry meals is far better than the meals that most cooks eat after a long shift: things like taquidos, frozen pizzas, mac and cheese, chicken fingers, ramen, or just a bag of chips and dip and maybe some ice cream. Because , I tend to work breakfast I'm usually not this bad, and I do seem to have a little more time to cook, but still I'm not always in the mood to do more than the bare minimum.
This is a bare minimum recipe. Rotel chicken has 5 simple ingredients
chicken breast-this recipe will make enough sauce for 2-4 breasts
seasoned flour for dusting the chicken, just flour with salt and pepper. I keep some in a plastic container in the fridge for whenever I want to cook some chicken with a little bit of breading.
butter, a couple of TBS for the pan to make a little bit of pan roux
1 can, rotel
1/2 cup cream
Melt your butter in a pan, pound the chicken breast and coat them with the seasoned flour and sear in the pan. Once one side is cooked and you have flipped the chicken over add another tbs of flour and stir into the butter. Then cover with the rotel and cream. Cover and cook for 10-15 min, until the chicken is cooked through.
I usually serve this on top of brown or jasmine rice, but it is delicious on top of pasta, mashed potatoes or what about a bed of lightly sauteed vegetables. Just because food is simple doesn't mean it can't taste good. And it's funny, of all the delicious foods I make this is what Mark asks for the most.
This is a bare minimum recipe. Rotel chicken has 5 simple ingredients
chicken breast-this recipe will make enough sauce for 2-4 breasts
seasoned flour for dusting the chicken, just flour with salt and pepper. I keep some in a plastic container in the fridge for whenever I want to cook some chicken with a little bit of breading.
butter, a couple of TBS for the pan to make a little bit of pan roux
1 can, rotel
1/2 cup cream
Melt your butter in a pan, pound the chicken breast and coat them with the seasoned flour and sear in the pan. Once one side is cooked and you have flipped the chicken over add another tbs of flour and stir into the butter. Then cover with the rotel and cream. Cover and cook for 10-15 min, until the chicken is cooked through.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad? . . . why yes, I think I will
This post is for my sister. She keeps telling me that she wants my caesar dressing recipe. One of her favorite meals my mom makes for us is a chicken caesar salad with tortellini (if you haven't noticed we like tortellini around here) sunflower seeds and of course some grilled chicken. Krys, I'm sorry but I had to change this up a little bit, I've been missing my Northwest smoked salmon!
I found these neat cedar papers at the store the other day. Like making a cedar plank salmon they let you individually wrap small pieces of salmon for one person and get a light smoke on them as you grill your fish. Bought ourselves a side of sockeye salmon and cured it for 2 days. The point of curing your fish is to bring out some of that moisture as well as to infuse some nice flavor. You use salt as wells as sugar to balance the flavor and moisture of your finished product. Because this was going to be a longer cure I made mine with more sugar than salt, I flavored it with pepper and lemon thyme
1/4 cup salt (use good salt here, sea salt is preferable)
1/2 brown sugar
1 TBS lemon thyme, chopped
1 TBS cracked black pepper
if you don't have lemon thyme add some lemon peel (take off with a potato peeler) and regular thyme, or maybe try some dill. Mix the cure together and then pack onto the salmon. Wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 day, but not more than 3.
Then rinse the fish, cut it into the portions you want for meal. Wrap in soaked cedar paper (or if you can't find any, lay the pieces out on a cedar plank) and grill until cooked to your liking. Now you can of course do anything you want with this salmon. Maybe serve with with sticky rice and stir-fried vegetables, or on top of asparagus risotto with glazed baby carrots, or marinated beets. As I said before, Mark and I are having Caesar salad.
So first things first, we need dressing. I really like making (and teaching about) this dressing, because it has most of the ingredients used to emulsify liquids with oil. This will make about 2 cups of dressing which will be plenty for dinner as well as a few more meals, and the dressing will last a good week or two in your fridge, so don't be afraid that you are making too much. Start with a base of
1 hard boiled egg
1 egg yolk
2 oz Parmesan, grated
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp anchovie paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TBS lemon juice (or 2 TBS cider vinegar)
1 tsp, fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS water
Blend this together in a food processor or if you have it with an immersion blender. Then slowly drizzle in 1 cup salad oil while the blender is running. Be sure to use a mild flavor oil so as not to overpower your dressing. As you blend it it will become thick like mayonnaise. If it gets too thick to mix well add a little bit more water and continue blending. The flavor in the end should be slightly salty and a little spicy from the garlic and anchovie paste then it should have a little bite of sour from the lemon juice or vinegar.
As for the salad itself use a sturdy green, traditionally romaine goes in a caesar salad, but I like the green leafy part myself more than the heart of the lettuce so my preference leans toward green or red leaf lettuce if I'm just making the salad for myself. I also like some shredded Parmesan and some kind of crouton. For mine I made some baguette crostinis, which were rather nice for scooping up my salmon. These are simple, just baguette sliced thinly brushed with olive oil and seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper, toasted until crunchy. Toss your lettuce, parmesan and anything else you want mixed into your salad with about 1 tbs of dressing per serving. A bed of lettuce goes down on the plate and is topped with the salmon and a little more parmesan.
I really hope you enjoy this as much as I do. This dressing is quite versatile and great not only for caesar salads but as a dressing on pasta salad, or maybe a dip for artichoke or any other vegetables. And as always, remember a meal is better shared with people you love.
I found these neat cedar papers at the store the other day. Like making a cedar plank salmon they let you individually wrap small pieces of salmon for one person and get a light smoke on them as you grill your fish. Bought ourselves a side of sockeye salmon and cured it for 2 days. The point of curing your fish is to bring out some of that moisture as well as to infuse some nice flavor. You use salt as wells as sugar to balance the flavor and moisture of your finished product. Because this was going to be a longer cure I made mine with more sugar than salt, I flavored it with pepper and lemon thyme1/4 cup salt (use good salt here, sea salt is preferable)
1/2 brown sugar
1 TBS lemon thyme, chopped
1 TBS cracked black pepper
if you don't have lemon thyme add some lemon peel (take off with a potato peeler) and regular thyme, or maybe try some dill. Mix the cure together and then pack onto the salmon. Wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 day, but not more than 3.
Then rinse the fish, cut it into the portions you want for meal. Wrap in soaked cedar paper (or if you can't find any, lay the pieces out on a cedar plank) and grill until cooked to your liking. Now you can of course do anything you want with this salmon. Maybe serve with with sticky rice and stir-fried vegetables, or on top of asparagus risotto with glazed baby carrots, or marinated beets. As I said before, Mark and I are having Caesar salad.
So first things first, we need dressing. I really like making (and teaching about) this dressing, because it has most of the ingredients used to emulsify liquids with oil. This will make about 2 cups of dressing which will be plenty for dinner as well as a few more meals, and the dressing will last a good week or two in your fridge, so don't be afraid that you are making too much. Start with a base of
1 hard boiled egg1 egg yolk
2 oz Parmesan, grated
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp anchovie paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TBS lemon juice (or 2 TBS cider vinegar)
1 tsp, fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS water
Blend this together in a food processor or if you have it with an immersion blender. Then slowly drizzle in 1 cup salad oil while the blender is running. Be sure to use a mild flavor oil so as not to overpower your dressing. As you blend it it will become thick like mayonnaise. If it gets too thick to mix well add a little bit more water and continue blending. The flavor in the end should be slightly salty and a little spicy from the garlic and anchovie paste then it should have a little bite of sour from the lemon juice or vinegar.
As for the salad itself use a sturdy green, traditionally romaine goes in a caesar salad, but I like the green leafy part myself more than the heart of the lettuce so my preference leans toward green or red leaf lettuce if I'm just making the salad for myself. I also like some shredded Parmesan and some kind of crouton. For mine I made some baguette crostinis, which were rather nice for scooping up my salmon. These are simple, just baguette sliced thinly brushed with olive oil and seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper, toasted until crunchy. Toss your lettuce, parmesan and anything else you want mixed into your salad with about 1 tbs of dressing per serving. A bed of lettuce goes down on the plate and is topped with the salmon and a little more parmesan.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Seafood Lasagna, Fail. . . This time
When I was really young my family went to Charleston and we ate at
his restaurant on Market Street, right down near East Bay. I ordered
the Seafood Lasagna. It was fabulous. All the flavors melded together
beautifully, it was beautiful, had wonderful texture and aroma. I don't
remember anything else about the trip. Don't know who I went with, why
we were there or even how old I was, but that lasagna has been a
burning beacon in my memory of food. Finally this week I decided it was
time to create it for myself.
Mark and I had two days off together and in a row, so we decided to
head to Aiken to spend some time with my Dad this father's day week, we
would make it for them. We had a few hang ups, though, some special
diets in the house, so we decided to make it with thin slices of
eggplant and zucchini instead of pasta noodles. So I got my seafood:
scallops, muscles, shrimp and oysters, packed them in my cooler and took
the drive, in a huge storm to Aiken. Steamed the muscles in white
wine, lemon thyme and garlic until they just popped open, reserved that
liquid to do a light poach on the other seafood. Then made up a little
roux and used my now delicious poaching liquid and some cream to make a
white sauce to go in between the layers. Thinly sliced and grilled the
zucchini and eggplant and layered them with the sauce, some seasoned
ricotta and mozzarella and seafood. Everything was going so well.
But Alas, it was not to be. I didn't account for the fact that not
only would the seafood leach some liquid but that there would not be
pasta there to absorb it. Also the vegetables would leech their own
liquid. Sigh. So when we cut into it the lasagna was all soupy, even
though it tasted fabulous (and sorry I didn't get a picture of the
mess). So how do I resolve this problem? the obvious solution is to
make it with the pasta, which would help a lot, but I was trying to make
it low carb, so maybe eggs? or some corn starch mixed into the sauce
so it would thicken up while baking? Honestly, I don't know what the
best solution would be, but I intend on finding it. And you know what,
we ate, and enjoyed it anyway, so in the end it was just nice to have a
good family meal.
UPDATE: 7/3/12
Made some eggplant parmesan at work this week that had basically the same makeup. It did not have the seafood which may have caused a good bit of the extra liquid, so I still have to make this again to see if it worked, but I mixed a couple of eggs and some cornstarch with the ricotta. It really tightened up the whole thing and didn't effect the flavor at all. Maybe good luck on your low carb adventures!
Mark and I had two days off together and in a row, so we decided to
head to Aiken to spend some time with my Dad this father's day week, we
would make it for them. We had a few hang ups, though, some special
diets in the house, so we decided to make it with thin slices of
eggplant and zucchini instead of pasta noodles. So I got my seafood:
scallops, muscles, shrimp and oysters, packed them in my cooler and took
the drive, in a huge storm to Aiken. Steamed the muscles in white
wine, lemon thyme and garlic until they just popped open, reserved that
liquid to do a light poach on the other seafood. Then made up a little
roux and used my now delicious poaching liquid and some cream to make a
white sauce to go in between the layers. Thinly sliced and grilled the
zucchini and eggplant and layered them with the sauce, some seasoned
ricotta and mozzarella and seafood. Everything was going so well. 
But Alas, it was not to be. I didn't account for the fact that not
only would the seafood leach some liquid but that there would not be
pasta there to absorb it. Also the vegetables would leech their own
liquid. Sigh. So when we cut into it the lasagna was all soupy, even
though it tasted fabulous (and sorry I didn't get a picture of the
mess). So how do I resolve this problem? the obvious solution is to
make it with the pasta, which would help a lot, but I was trying to make
it low carb, so maybe eggs? or some corn starch mixed into the sauce
so it would thicken up while baking? Honestly, I don't know what the
best solution would be, but I intend on finding it. And you know what,
we ate, and enjoyed it anyway, so in the end it was just nice to have a
good family meal.UPDATE: 7/3/12
Made some eggplant parmesan at work this week that had basically the same makeup. It did not have the seafood which may have caused a good bit of the extra liquid, so I still have to make this again to see if it worked, but I mixed a couple of eggs and some cornstarch with the ricotta. It really tightened up the whole thing and didn't effect the flavor at all. Maybe good luck on your low carb adventures!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Tortellini Salad
I do not have a green thumb, and yet this year I have attempted an herb garden. It's beautiful! I have a couple different types of thyme, some chives, cilantro, oregano, tarragon, a bay tree and tons of basil. I am so proud of how well it's done, but I've gotten to the point where I need to find something to do with all this basil. I think in the end I'm just going to make pesto and freeze it, but for now I am having fun playing with the fresh stuff. Most fun of all. . . I made a video for you! This is showing you how to chiffonade basil, a technique that turns your leafy herbs or greens into beautiful thin strips that are great in salads, as garnish or you can use it for say collards, and cut thicker strips and it simply makes a great way evenly chop it up. In a small sautee pan melt
1 tbs butter, add in
1/4 red onion, small diced and
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
cook on low heat with a pinch of salt until the walnuts are lightly toasted. Let cool.
In a bowl mix
9 oz container fresh tortellini, lightly boil and cool in ice water10 oz jar marinated mushrooms, I used Bella Famiglia mixed mushrooms. Be sure to drain well
1 roasted red pepper, roughly chopped
lastly add your cooled nut mixture.
This dressing is really simple, if you do it right it will emulsify at least for a little bit, but if it separates on you don't really worry about it, it's not necessary for this salad, it will be tasty no matter what! Start with
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp anchovie paste (optional, but it really gives it just that little bit of extra flavor)
1 TBS Parmesan snow (I like using block Parmesan and using a micro-plane to grate it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 TBS champagne vinegar
Then slowly whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil
Lastly mix in 1 TBS freshly chopped Basil
toss the dressing with the rest of the salad, and voila! tortellini salad. I garnished with a little bit of parmesan I had in the fridge, but if you want a really pretty garnish make curls out of your block parmesan by using a peeler to take strips out of the cheese. This will give you beautiful large curls and will show off that nice cheese.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wait a minute, you don't know how to do . . .That?
I have to say, I am pooped. Been working hard, working out, and trying to get so much done it makes my head spin. I have not had time for any fun baking projects, or special meals. Heck, I've been ordering take-out way too much this week. But I wanted to start a little segment that answers some of the funny questions I've been getting most of my "adult" life (adult in this case being a relative term meaning, once I moved out of my parents house, and most of my friends were too).
I have been cooking from a very young age, and there has always been good food at my house. There was delicious thick cut sirloin steak, grilled in one giant piece to a beautiful medium rare then sliced for us to share with sweet potatoes served with honey, butter and brown sugar not to mention a beautiful fresh vegetable salad. Or stir fries made from any number of meats and vegetables, over brown rice (dinner tonight actually). Often we would just have a simple grilled chicken but there were always peppers, onions and mushrooms to be had, sauteed up with sliced potatoes and cajun seasoning . I would often help my dad with his famous Chile Relleno Casserole which now that I think about it I will have to make soon and blog about for your eating pleasure. Anyway, food is second nature to me, something that was just part of life, not some scary, complicated thing that mom or dad did in the kitchen that I wasn't allowed near until it was time to wash dishes. It was this time when I was young learning to use a knife next to my father (and learning what to do when I got a really bad cut), or helping my mom with one of her parties, that I really developed my passion for cooking, and eating, delicious food.
For me the thought of someone leaving home not knowing how to do simple cooking tasks was just inconceivable. I mean, really, shouldn't everyone know how to keep themselves fed, clothed and clean? Well they don't. Some people, I suppose, only learn these things when forced to be out on their own. And when trial and error doesn't work, they find someone to ask. I don't know why, but it seems, more often than not, that someone is me.
I remember one of the first times this happened, one of my room mates asked me to teach him how to make spaghetti. I sent him to the store with a list of things like onions, basil, oregano, garlic Italian sausage, tomato products and any other things needed to make a beautiful meat sauce. Get a call from him at the store, and it went something like this, "um, Eva? Why do I need all of this stuff? Don't I just need a can of spaghetti sauce, some ground beef and some noodles?" I seriously thought I was going to die. But I simply asked "Wait a minute, you don't know how to do. . . That?!?" So I amended my list, and he came back to the house with just what he wanted, a can of sauce, beef, noodles, Parmesan, and for good measure some frozen garlic bread. Can't have spaghetti without garlic bread you know.
After dispelling the idea that one cooks pasta in the same manner as rice I began the lesson. First things first, you need a big pot of slightly salty water, you want lots of space for the pasta to move around so it doesn't stick together. Secondly, oil floating on top of your water does nothing to keep it from sticking together, so don't waste your oil that way, just wait until after the noodles are cooked to drizzle oil on and toss them to keep them separated. While your water is coming to a boil, turn the oven on and pop the garlic bread in. Brown the meat, drain all that excess fat, add the sauce. Bring it to a simmer and turn off, you just need it hot, not trying to add extra flavor. Once the water comes to a boil throw the noodles in the pot, and give them an occasional stir.
Lots of people will tell you lots of different ways to check your pasta. I remember growing up there was the theory that pasta, when finished cooking, could be thrown up on the wall or ceiling and would stick. This might be true, but it leads to pasta on walls and ceilings. . . I find the best thing to do is start by looking at the cook time on the box, if it says 10-12 min, set a timer for 10, pull a piece out and bite off a piece of it. If it is still white on the inside and crunchy, it needs to go longer. If it's not white any longer, but still chewy, it needs to go longer, it's done when it is tender with just a little bit of bite, but not soggy. If it is all soggy looking take it out quick!!!! (By the way, at this point in the lesson I'm pretty sure he was lost and just wanted me to cook his dinner, but still you got to give him credit for trying.) Next, drain the pasta in a colander, yes, I know this seems obvious, but after the "Don't I cook it like rice?" comment I'm saying it.
The rest, of course, is just a matter of putting sauce on noodles, topping that with cheese and being on your way. Not forgetting the garlic bread, or turning the oven and stove off!
To most of you reading this you know all of these things, and I hope this has been a fun antidote of good times, but to that one person who really doesn't know. I hope this helps, and no, you are not stupid, you just didn't know. And you know what? We love you anyway!
PS. I want to do more of these, and I have a few more stories to tell, but if you or someone you love has questions of your own, please let me know! I am always happy to teach someone that the kitchen does not have to be a scary place, and that sharp knives are always better than dull ones!
I have been cooking from a very young age, and there has always been good food at my house. There was delicious thick cut sirloin steak, grilled in one giant piece to a beautiful medium rare then sliced for us to share with sweet potatoes served with honey, butter and brown sugar not to mention a beautiful fresh vegetable salad. Or stir fries made from any number of meats and vegetables, over brown rice (dinner tonight actually). Often we would just have a simple grilled chicken but there were always peppers, onions and mushrooms to be had, sauteed up with sliced potatoes and cajun seasoning . I would often help my dad with his famous Chile Relleno Casserole which now that I think about it I will have to make soon and blog about for your eating pleasure. Anyway, food is second nature to me, something that was just part of life, not some scary, complicated thing that mom or dad did in the kitchen that I wasn't allowed near until it was time to wash dishes. It was this time when I was young learning to use a knife next to my father (and learning what to do when I got a really bad cut), or helping my mom with one of her parties, that I really developed my passion for cooking, and eating, delicious food.
For me the thought of someone leaving home not knowing how to do simple cooking tasks was just inconceivable. I mean, really, shouldn't everyone know how to keep themselves fed, clothed and clean? Well they don't. Some people, I suppose, only learn these things when forced to be out on their own. And when trial and error doesn't work, they find someone to ask. I don't know why, but it seems, more often than not, that someone is me.
I remember one of the first times this happened, one of my room mates asked me to teach him how to make spaghetti. I sent him to the store with a list of things like onions, basil, oregano, garlic Italian sausage, tomato products and any other things needed to make a beautiful meat sauce. Get a call from him at the store, and it went something like this, "um, Eva? Why do I need all of this stuff? Don't I just need a can of spaghetti sauce, some ground beef and some noodles?" I seriously thought I was going to die. But I simply asked "Wait a minute, you don't know how to do. . . That?!?" So I amended my list, and he came back to the house with just what he wanted, a can of sauce, beef, noodles, Parmesan, and for good measure some frozen garlic bread. Can't have spaghetti without garlic bread you know.
After dispelling the idea that one cooks pasta in the same manner as rice I began the lesson. First things first, you need a big pot of slightly salty water, you want lots of space for the pasta to move around so it doesn't stick together. Secondly, oil floating on top of your water does nothing to keep it from sticking together, so don't waste your oil that way, just wait until after the noodles are cooked to drizzle oil on and toss them to keep them separated. While your water is coming to a boil, turn the oven on and pop the garlic bread in. Brown the meat, drain all that excess fat, add the sauce. Bring it to a simmer and turn off, you just need it hot, not trying to add extra flavor. Once the water comes to a boil throw the noodles in the pot, and give them an occasional stir.
Lots of people will tell you lots of different ways to check your pasta. I remember growing up there was the theory that pasta, when finished cooking, could be thrown up on the wall or ceiling and would stick. This might be true, but it leads to pasta on walls and ceilings. . . I find the best thing to do is start by looking at the cook time on the box, if it says 10-12 min, set a timer for 10, pull a piece out and bite off a piece of it. If it is still white on the inside and crunchy, it needs to go longer. If it's not white any longer, but still chewy, it needs to go longer, it's done when it is tender with just a little bit of bite, but not soggy. If it is all soggy looking take it out quick!!!! (By the way, at this point in the lesson I'm pretty sure he was lost and just wanted me to cook his dinner, but still you got to give him credit for trying.) Next, drain the pasta in a colander, yes, I know this seems obvious, but after the "Don't I cook it like rice?" comment I'm saying it.
The rest, of course, is just a matter of putting sauce on noodles, topping that with cheese and being on your way. Not forgetting the garlic bread, or turning the oven and stove off!
To most of you reading this you know all of these things, and I hope this has been a fun antidote of good times, but to that one person who really doesn't know. I hope this helps, and no, you are not stupid, you just didn't know. And you know what? We love you anyway!
PS. I want to do more of these, and I have a few more stories to tell, but if you or someone you love has questions of your own, please let me know! I am always happy to teach someone that the kitchen does not have to be a scary place, and that sharp knives are always better than dull ones!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Streusel Berry Muffins
I had an old friend in town this week for the Spoleto festival here in Charleston. We had planned on going out for breakfast, but after a few days of heavy eating on her part and realizing that she was staying just a short walk from my apartment we decided to just have a simple breakfast at the hotel. Now we could have gotten food at the hotel, but my thoughts immediately strayed to muffins. I love all kinds of muffins, banana nut, bran muffins, chocolate chip, but my favorite are always berry muffins. Not wanting to go to store again I root around in my freezer to find a giant bag of mixed berries from costco. Perfect!
These muffins are not like the traditional muffin batter. Most muffins are made with melted butter or vegetable oil, sugar, flour, eggs, etc that have been gently mixed together into a thin batter which causes tunneling in the batter. These muffins are made more like a pound cake. They have that rich texture, but they are made with less sugar which allows the sweetness of the berries to really dominate the flavor of the muffin. Also they have a crumbly streusel topping over the top, giving them a crunchy and sweet little extra pop. The other little extra that actually makes for a nice full flavor is the addition of some whole wheat flour instead of just all-purpose flour (not to mention whole grains are always better for us).
I would recommend just using a hand beater for this because it is such a small batch that it won't mix well in your stand mixer. Beat together:
1/2 stick softened butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
when this mixture gets fluffy add
1 egg and mix until well incorporated
In a separate bowl mix
1 1/3 cup ap flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
and measure out
1 cup milk and
1 tsp vanilla
continuing to use the hand beater, slowly add flour mixture while alternating with the milk mixture until it is all incorporated. Now clean out your beater and switch to a large rubber spatula. As I said I used frozen mixed berries from costco, these include blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, but feel free to use whatever fresh berries you have about or maybe just pick one of the berries for a simpler flavor. Using your rubber spatula fold in
1 1/2 cup berries
divide evenly into a greased muffin tin, I made 6 muffins, but the nice thing about the tins is for the most part the same amount of batter will fit in one tin no matter how big or small they are.
Finally they will get a struessel topping. I like oatmeal in mine and I generally make a bunch at a time and keep it around in my freezer to have to make a quick fruit dessert. It's simple
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour (I like using whole wheat)
2 TBS quick oats
a pinch of salt
quickly mix with a hand mixer until it just comes together and forms clumps. Don't over mix it or it will just become paste. It's okay to still have chunks of butter. Take this and sprinkle over the top of your muffins and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Longer if you are making big muffins, a little less if you are making mini muffins.
These were so great served warm with a little bit of salted butter and of course with some wonderful company. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
These muffins are not like the traditional muffin batter. Most muffins are made with melted butter or vegetable oil, sugar, flour, eggs, etc that have been gently mixed together into a thin batter which causes tunneling in the batter. These muffins are made more like a pound cake. They have that rich texture, but they are made with less sugar which allows the sweetness of the berries to really dominate the flavor of the muffin. Also they have a crumbly streusel topping over the top, giving them a crunchy and sweet little extra pop. The other little extra that actually makes for a nice full flavor is the addition of some whole wheat flour instead of just all-purpose flour (not to mention whole grains are always better for us). I would recommend just using a hand beater for this because it is such a small batch that it won't mix well in your stand mixer. Beat together:
1/2 stick softened butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
when this mixture gets fluffy add
1 egg and mix until well incorporated
In a separate bowl mix
1 1/3 cup ap flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
and measure out
1 cup milk and
1 tsp vanilla
continuing to use the hand beater, slowly add flour mixture while alternating with the milk mixture until it is all incorporated. Now clean out your beater and switch to a large rubber spatula. As I said I used frozen mixed berries from costco, these include blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, but feel free to use whatever fresh berries you have about or maybe just pick one of the berries for a simpler flavor. Using your rubber spatula fold in
1 1/2 cup berries
divide evenly into a greased muffin tin, I made 6 muffins, but the nice thing about the tins is for the most part the same amount of batter will fit in one tin no matter how big or small they are.
Finally they will get a struessel topping. I like oatmeal in mine and I generally make a bunch at a time and keep it around in my freezer to have to make a quick fruit dessert. It's simple
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour (I like using whole wheat)
2 TBS quick oats
a pinch of salt
quickly mix with a hand mixer until it just comes together and forms clumps. Don't over mix it or it will just become paste. It's okay to still have chunks of butter. Take this and sprinkle over the top of your muffins and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Longer if you are making big muffins, a little less if you are making mini muffins.
These were so great served warm with a little bit of salted butter and of course with some wonderful company. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
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