Notes and Nonsense

     I can't bear to think about how long it's been since I posted here, so we're just going to jump right in as though I never left, pretending all is normal as one does when someone returns to church after a long absence for no apparent reason or evident excuse....


     I am nearly finished with the UNABRIDGED audio book of The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. It has taken me longer than War and Peace, my friends. Just when I'm ready to call it quits and move on to some truly thrilling story (like a John Le' Carre spy novel), something happens to keep me tethered to the darn story. Mr. Blake just found out that he, himself, without his own conscious knowledge mind you, stole the Moonstone in the dead of night from Rachel's sitting room. She saw him do it. YES! A mess of emotions and investigation follows. (This I'm guessing because there are at least 10 more chapters of tedious, British dialogue and details. When I read books the conventional way instead of listening to them, I'm able to skip over much of the descriptions of the rooms and that sort of thing, but when listening, I have no idea if I'll miss something crucial to the plot so I have to wade through tasseled bell-pull moments and the like.)

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     Last week, I started in making homemade corn tortillas and I find it hard to stop. My cousin Jeff Newton gave me a tortilla press a few years ago, so I dug it out and (quite literally) pressed it into use. They're not difficult to make; if you can knead, roll dough into balls, smoosh them flat, and fry, you have all the skills to make 'em.  The ingredients are simple: 2 cups masa corn flour mix, a good gouge of salt, enough hot water to make the flour form a stiff dough....like, maybe, 4-5 T. Stir all together until it pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl, knead for 5-6 minutes as you would playdough (the consistency should be a little stiffer than playdough, and will become more pliable as you knead), cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. Go make a margarita or something.

     After the dough is rested up and you're sufficiently refreshed, cut a freezer gallon Ziplock bag into two pieces and spray one side of each with non-stick cooking spray. (You'll only have to do this once, and go light.) Get your cast iron skillet on the stove and get it warming. You'll need it medium hot to do these little dandies.  As your skillet is warming, squeeze off a hen's egg size chunk of your tortilla dough, roll it into a round ball (it should be about the size of a golf ball or a little bigger), and place the ball of dough between the two greased plastics. I was able to use my tortilla press here, BUT if you don't have one (and who in the world WOULD?), you can press the tortilla flat using a glass 9 x 13 baking pan.  Peel it off the bags, toss it in the skillet, and cook it until it starts puffing up a little. Flip it, cook it a little more until there's a little browning.....voila! Tuck that tortilla into a warm, damp dishtowel (no need to put in the oven) and keep going.  You'll get about 10-12 tortillas this way.

   We filled ours with Mexican beef, a lime vinaigrette, onions, olives if you have them.  They're great for fish tacos, enchiladas, or rolling scrambled eggs and sausage up in. Whatever blows your sombrero off.

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     After all that, here's a prayer that hangs in my kitchen that I just love, so I'm sharing it with you:

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, 

and also something to digest.

Grant me a healthy body and the 

necessary good humor to maintain it.

Grant me a simple soul that knows

to treasure all that is good and that

doesn't frighten easily at the sight of evil, but

rather finds the means 

to put things back in their place.

Give me a soul that knows not boredom, 

grumblings, sighs and laments,

nor excess of stress, because of that 

obstructing thing called "I".

Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.

Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke

to discover in life a bit of joy, and

to be able to share it with others.

Amen.

-Saint Thomas More

   

Ham and Cheese Rolls

These are my new stash-in-the-freezer-for-branding-or-shipping rolls.  Cinnamon or caramel rolls are wonderful, but often we need something with protein to sustain us partway through the morning. The beauty of this dough is that it's incredibly flexible and CAN be made into cinnamon rolls as well, if you wish.  It's also very forgiving if you forget the eggs that are warming to room temperature in the bowl by the sink, as Shelly and I did the first time I made the recipe with her....we used that dough for a pizza crust and it was excellent! 

My friend Shelly (Reeves Smith) is the illustrator of some of my favorite cookbooks, but I believe the best one is 

Besides this roll recipe, it contains the recipe for Jan's Brownies (posted here under "Recipes" in the topic list), Stuffed Spud Soup, Fried Chicken Salad....and other ideas for slim, trim eating. 

(Actually, that's what I love about it: it was compiled before all the freedoms hit...gluten, dairy, sugar, flavor, etc...)

If you get it JUST for the brownie recipe and the illustrations, it would be money well spent.

Here's the dough recipe:

(I'm posting the picture so you can see the illustration, but will type the recipe out, too.)

Light Wheat Rolls

5 eggs (place in bowl of warm water to bring to room temperature)

1 cup water

1 cup milk

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 cups white flour (or 2 white/1 wheat...I've never used the wheat, so I can't say how it works here)

3 pkgs rapid rise yeast (or, if your yeast is in a jar, 6 3/4 teaspoons...I go 7, because 3/4 tsp??)

Additional 6-7 cups white flour

Heat the milk, water and butter until very warm (butter does not need to melt); set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, 3 cups of flour, and yeast. 

Crack the now-warmed eggs into the warm liquid mixture, then add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and mix well for about 3 minutes or until well combined. (Use your dough hook, here.) 

Add additional flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough is smooth and elastic...the recipe says 10 minutes, but that depends on your mixer and flour.  The dough should NOT be sticky in any way.  Place in greased pan and cover with greased plastic wrap to rest while you prepare the ingredients for your ham and cheese rolls, cinnamon rolls.

 OR form into dinner rolls right now, placing them in a greased baking pan, covering lightly with a greased  plastic wrap, letting rise until doubled in size. Brush beaten egg over the tops before baking in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Makes 3 dozen rolls this way.

Ham and Cheese ingredients:

1 lb ham, sliced or chopped into little cubes (we used leftover ham this way and it worked splendidly)

1 lb shredded cheese...or more at your discretion. (The recipe says to use cheddar, but there's nothing saying you can't use Swiss or pepper jack if that's what you have or prefer.)

1 cup softened butter

4-5 green onion tops, sliced (This, too, is optional in my opinion; if your family recoils from anything green, by all means leave it out.)

1 egg, beaten

Assembling the rolls:

Roll out 1/2 of your now well rested dough on a floured surface as though you're making cinnamon rolls.  Brush the dough liberally with the softened butter, making sure to go to the edges with it. Then, (and this is how Shelly says it's supposed to be done) lay sliced ham on top of the buttered dough. I sprinkled my sliced or diced ham over it and it was just fine; probably not as pretty, but it worked. Sprinkle 1/2 of your chosen cheese over the ham, and the onion greens over the cheese.  

Carefully roll the whole mess up like you would for cinnamon rolls....see Exhibit A:

Slice the roll into 12 sections, as evenly as you can. 

Then....and this is the unexpected part, at least for me....pinch the bottom of each roll to keep all the goody contained and put it in a well greased muffin pan...like so:

Crazy, huh?

I had to buy another muffin tin for this, because with only one tin this is an ALL DAY project.

Cover the now filled muffin pans with the greased plastic wrap and let rise for 20-30 minutes.

Brush the tops of the rolls with beaten egg before baking for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.

They should come out of the oven looking like this:

I'll give you a moment, here...

Remove the rolls from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

The recipe is supposed to make 30 rolls, but I found that it made 24 nice big ones for me.

It seems like a long process, but honestly, it's about the same as making homemade cinnamon rolls. Also, it's a very convivial recipe...it's much nicer to make it up with one of your best friends in the kitchen with you. 

Happy baking!

Fwicasseeing Wabbit Season

Before you read this post, go ahead and watch the Looney Toons video posted in the side bar.  It'll put you in the right frame of mind for this...

I'll just go mix up a cocktail whilst you do.

Isn't it funny?!  

Well, it is if you're not a duck...

Today I made rabbit for lunch. 

Technically, I made about 8 rabbits for lunch, I think.  

I tried not to count the little legs. 

I tried not to think about the meat being rabbit, for that matter.  "It's just meat.  You cook meat all the time. Cute meat, even. (I think cows are adorable.) It's just like fish or chicken or any old thing." Because really, that's what it IS. 

It's not Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit cottontail in a little blue jacket from Mr. MacGregor's garden...

I hope. 

If it was, he and his friends were really tasty!

Our family friend, Sparky, asked the other day if I would cook rabbit if he brought some cleaned meat.  Well, sure!  Why not?! How hard could rabbit be? It's stringy, dark meat. Roast the dickens out of it.  Little sauce and spuds...shazaam!....lunch.  

And really, that's all it took. 

I found a recipe on the internet that had been scaled down from a recipe by a chef in Reno, NV, so it gave the impression of being more reputable than, say, one clipped from the back of Backwoodsman magazine. (Those recipes make me nervous. I can never tell if they're a joke or not. Especially when they suggest snipe can be substituted for rabbit or skunk....highly suspect....)

It seemed the only trick was cooking the rabbit for 3 1/2 hours at 350 degrees in a covered roasting pan. 

Hunter's Rabbit

 Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 rabbit, cut into 6 to 8 portions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 medium-size mushrooms, quartered or sliced
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch dried thyme
Pinch dried parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup red burgundy wine
1 to 2 cups beef broth
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To a large warmed skillet over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Sprinkle the rabbit with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the rabbit to the hot oil and brown on both sides. Remove the rabbit to a medium-size casserole dish.(If you are making a LOT of rabbit, put it in a black enamel roasting pan. And stick that bad boy in the oven while you go on to the next part; a little extra roasting won't hurt it.)

In that same skillet, over medium heat, add more olive oil. Add the mushrooms and shallots (AND 2 T minced garlic cloves) and saute for about 2 minutes (or until the onions are nearly caramelized...it'll be all right). Transfer the mushroom mixture to the casserole. Sprinkle the flour, thyme, parsley and the bay leaf over the rabbit and stir in the tomato sauce, wine, and the beef broth.(OOOOKKAAYY...just put the flour and spices in a bowl, pour the wine and broth over them and wisk until smooth. Really. It's a better method. Then pour the whole mess over the meat.) You may add a pinch more of salt and pepper if you wish. Cover with foil and put in the oven to bake until the rabbit is tender, stirring every hour (Don't bother stirring...just roast the heck out of it. It will work! I promise!), about 2 to 3 hours. Rabbit meat should pull off easily from the bone with a fork. Remove from the oven and serve. (Preferably over mashed potatoes, because the broth is to die for...)

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Recipe courtesy Frank Vargas, chef at Louis' Basque Corner in Reno, NV.

I forgot to take pictures of the finished product! A doubled recipe served one intrepid young girl, two bottomless pits of men, and one rather worried cook, with only enough leftovers for a small evening warm over for one person.  

We'll certainly be making this again, and are thinking of using....oh, I don't know....duck?

  

How to Get Yourself Uninvited From Potlucks For The Rest of Your Life

1. Volunteer to bring a JELL-O salad to the next community potluck.

2. Dig out your vintage "Joys of JELL-O" pocket cookbook circa 1967. (My Aunt Bert bought one for me on our Lewistown trip yesterday.)

3. Locate the recipe for Molded Chef's Salad on page 69. (Don't get distracted by the glossy Ring-Around-The-Tuna...garnished with curly endive and radish roses on page 65!)

4. Read through the recipe to ensure you have all the ingredients.  It could be tricky.

(You realize this is a lime JELL-O based recipe, right?  With tuna?  And hardboiled egg? 

AND an anchovy-mayonnaise dressing?)

5. Assemble ingredients according to the recipe.  

6. (You may need a bit of wine in order to fulfill this next step.  Or a gas mask.)  Pour the lime JELL-O in the circular mold, then add the tuna mixture and egg as directed.  (Be STRONG!  This is gonna get you out of COUNTLESS potlucks in the future!!!)  

7. Chill the completely disgusting JELL-O mold in the fridge for 2-3 hours until firm. 

8. Prepare the Creamy Anchovy Dressing...if you're still game.  Mayonnaise and anchovies mixed to put atop a lime-tuna-egg-vegetable salad.  It's...remarkable. And greyish.  (Another glass of wine would not be the worst idea, here...)  

9. Unmold the now-firm Molded Chef-Salad on a plate of crisp lettuce leaves.  

(It may not look EXACTLY like the picture in the JELL-O recipe book.

All the better!  Remember our mission?  No potlucks for the rest of your life!)

10. Plate the salad, garnishing with the anchovy dressing, and present it to your family for a "taste test".  

I will spare you the gagging and spewing of green JELL-O into the garbage can, but suffice it to say that you will have a Get-Out-Of-Potlucks-Free if you take this little gem to the next one.

Sara Hags, I challenge you to a wine pairing with this dish...

I didn't read through the cookbook very carefully when I was in Lewistown, just enough to see that the original cook (Margaret Argenbright) had written notes on her favorite recipes about who she'd served, the date, and whether the recipe was good or not.  She did NOT have a note on this recipe, but there was a smudge on the corner of the page indicating that she, too, had probably stopped at this recipe and marveled at the incompatibility of the ingredients and flavors. 

Good luck and keep jelling!

Crazy Cukes

This is going to seem ridiculous in its simplicity, and you'll wonder why I'm even posting such a recipe because surely I'll remember it until I die, but I wanted to share it.  Kind of like a dumb joke that you can't keep to yourself.  Or something.  

I started making this when I tried a recipe for Korean Tacos made from beef short ribs, which I always have an overabundance of and no real inspiration for using them.  The tacos were amazing (yes, I'll post that recipe later) but the cucumbers were what we couldn't keep out of!  

Paper thin slices of 1 cucumber mixed with paper thin slices of red onion, a good splash of sweet-and-tangy rice vinegar, salt and pepper to taste...shazaam!...fresh pickles you'll be hiding from your family and lying about the existence of.  And you won't even be ashamed of it.  

For those of you needing more specific measurements, let's say:

1 cup of paper thin sliced cucumber

1/2 cup of paper thin sliced red onion

1/8 cup of sweet and tangy rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Four grinds of fresh ground pepper (or more to taste)

Toss in bowl and let sit for 5 minute if you can bear waiting that long. 

These are exceptionally good on roast beef sandwiches.

And if the bowl empties in 10 minutes, just add more cukes and onions to the brine...no problemo!

Grownup Macaroni and Cheese

Or, as the rest of the world calls it...Alfredo.

My kids used to be mac and cheese lovers, but their tastes have refined a little and now they prefer noodles with homemade Alfredo sauce.  It's still creamy and cheesy but not so in-your-face, I think.  About a year ago, I found an Alfredo recipe that keeps us licking the pan long after the noodles are gone...and last night, it occurred to me that it's one I should put on the blog because it's probably one I'll want someday when I'm in, say, Florida or someplace, and at least if it's in the Chronicles I'll be able to locate it.

I didn't take a picture because we ate it like starving Italians.  Besides, it's just creamy white sauce on white noodles...how exciting is THAT in a photo?  The sauce, however, IS exciting.  And simple.  You'll be wrecked for Alfredo sauce anywhere else after this, I think.  (It's the ultimate comfort food...soft, creamy, starchy, garlicky, smooth. If you have a rough day, whip up some Alfredo and all will be better.)

Alfredo Sauce

1. In a sauce pan on low heat, melt 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) and add a good heaping teaspoon of crushed or minced garlic from a jar. (If you're the ambitious type and like to go to all the work of mashing your own garlic, use maybe a clove and a half.  What the heck, use 2!)  When the garlic starts smelling warm and sweetish....

2. add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to the butter/garlic and slowly heat it for about 5 minutes....until it's really warm but not boiling because next you'll...

3. whisk in to the warm cream/butter/garlic mixture about 1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan cheese.  (If you don't have fresh, one of those bags or containers of pre-grated will work just fine. That's what I use and it just requires a little more whisking, that's all.) Stir constantly over low heat (preferably still with your whisk) until the parmesan has melted and smoothed into the cream.  I usually add a little fresh grated pepper here, but you do what you want.

Pour over noodles of any shape or size, stir to cover every little inch of them, serve immediately.  We had ours with rigatoni noodles last night and the big opening caught and held more sauce than regular noodles, so each bite was full of creamy love.  

You'll want to have some crusty bread to clean up any sauce left in your bowl.

Then, when nobody is looking, lick what you can from what's left after the bread treatment. 

That's it.  You're a rock star! 

Day 7: Bread

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

-Ecclesiastes 9:7

I couldn't WAIT for this day on the Lenten challenge! BREAD! 

And I realize this is probably not the most contrite, appropriate verse for Lent, but I like it and I always eat my bread with joy. (Okay....AND drink my wine with a merry heart.)

Do you see the gorgeous cutting board that it's resting on?  That was made especially for me by a talented young man in Michigan named Andrew Dykstra! I got this surprise box in the mail yesterday, full of books, coffee, notes and a funny picture....and a beautiful cutting board made of ash, maple, cherry, oak and an African wood that he couldn't remember the name of.  It's big enough to be really useful, pretty enough to leave out, tough enough to use daily.  I'm so honored to have it!

This is a two-fer post.  You get the recipe for the Cranberry Sunflower Bread, too!  

Ingredients:

2/3 cup dried cranberries                                            1 cup rolled oats

2 cups HOT water                                                      2 eggs, beaten

2 pkgs active dry yeast                                               2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup honey                                                             1/3 cup shortening

1/4 cup molasses                                                         6 cups all purpose flour

1 cup warm water (for the yeast)                                 1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, soak cranberries in hot water. In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast, honey and molasses in 1 cup warm water. Let stand until creamy, about ten minutes. Drain and chop the cranberries, reserving the liquid; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the reserved water, oats, eggs, salt , shortening and 2 cups of flour. Mix until well blended. Then stir in the yeast mixture. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has started to pull together, add the cranberries and the sunflower seeds.
3. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
4. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into the prepared pans. (The dough can also be formed into longer loaves and placed on lightly greased baking sheets.) Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then decrease heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Turn out of pans a few minutes after removing from oven. You can brush all sides with a little butter or margarine, if desired. Don't cut this bread too quickly, it tastes best slightly warm or at room temperature.

This recipe actually makes enough for 3 smallish loaves or 2 large ones with a bitty-baby-tester loaf! 

It's a fine, sweetish bread that makes swoony toast.

Batching it...

Extreme luxury, for me, is when the Farmer and kids are gone (once in a blue moon) for lunch and I can prepare whatever my heart desires.  I've never understood women who look around, find themselves alone and pour a bowl of Yucky Charms cereal.  "I don't have to cook!", they say defensively.  No, you don't HAVE to cook, but you MAY cook...whatever in the world you've been longing for.

You see, as a wife and mom, I plan meals trying to suit the tastes of my family (within reason), our activities (lots of physical work means sturdier fare), even the weather.  I attempt to get the food groups in, make sure the meals are decently healthy, and that there are no onions that can be seen with the naked seven year old eye.  It's a big job, three times a day, 350 days a year at least.

When I'm alone, I don't HAVE to cook, either.
But it's on those days that I joyfully take stock of what my palate has been longing for that no one else would enjoy or be satisfied with and prepare myself the good stuff.

Today, it was a big ugly salad.
(Don't stop reading here! When I say, "salad", I'm talking about a bowl of food that has lettuce as a garnish, really.  Stick with me!)

I'm alone, so I don't have to hurry to get it on the table in time.  I don't have to get it to the table at all, truth be told.

I begin by setting the mood...
Pour a small glass of Chardonnay. (Horrors! It's only 11:00 a.m.!)
Find a Sophia Loren movie about treasure hunting in the Greek islands...yep, that will do.  It was almost a French subtitled movie, but I like Sophia's voice.  The whole point of it is to have something on that no one else in the family would tolerate any other time.  It's my meal!  It's my soundtrack!

Already it's fun, isn't it?

I take out a huge bowl for the salad.  I won't make the salad to fit the bowl, but I want room to toss and swirl and shake up the whole mess.  Salads that j-u-s-t barely fit in the bowl are very annoying to me and I don't need that sort of stress when I'm making this soul meal.

I make a little pillow of lettuce and cabbage in the bottom of the bowl to welcome the rest of the ingredients. Cabbage has a more satisfying crunch and stronger flavor which makes the salad seem a little more substantial.
Also, it will hold up under all the other good stuff, where lettuce alone sort of gives up and wilts a bit.

Cold things to add on top of the greens?  Today I had green onions, orange bell pepper, poblano pepper, and pinapple.  I've been eating carrots and tomatoes out of the garden, so they're sort of...ordinary.  The orange bell pepper looks pretty against the other green-y things and makes me smile.

Here's where it gets sort of wild.
Here's where my heart does a happy little flitter...these next steps are what make this salad "ugly", but in a magnificent way.

I get out a big non-stick frying pan and plop a good dollop of real butter in the bottom.  While that's melting, I add some chopped garlic (from a jar in the fridge) and a liberal amount of powdered chipotle chili pepper.  And shake a little salt, for good measure. From the freezer, I pull out the hoarded shrimp that's already been deveined and cooked...and I toss about 6 or 7 in with the spicy butter.  They'll saute and soak up the flavor while I have a couple sips of wine and move on to the next step.

(Sophia is working two different treasure hunters against each other to her advantage and I do believe she's making nearly as much progress as I am with my salad...)

I take out another, smaller non-stick frying pan and in this one goes the bacon bits (I had to use the Kirkland ones, but usually have a little pre-cooked bacon in the fridge) and the French's french fried onions.  I turn the burner up and toast the little morsels of goodness until both are nice and crispy and smell heavenly.  These I dump on the greens, then use the same pan to toast up the sliced almonds.

While the almonds are toasting, I take the sweet little shrimps out of their butter bath and add them to the ever-growing "salad".  (If you make this, you'll want to save the spicy shrimp butter to dip your sourdough toast in. It's amazing...)

I scatter the almonds over the whole thing, then get my vinaigrette out of the fridge to finish this project.  First thing in the week, I made a simple dressing of olive oil, vinegar and sweet red chili sauce (the kind you find in the Chinese cooking aisle at the grocery store). Shake it up, pour it over all, then take my fork and stir the salad up until it's all messy and pretty.

Then, I pour a leetle more Chardonnay in my wine glass, take my meal to the living room, sit cross legged on the couch, watch Sofia dive for a dolphin statue and eat my salad.  (She obviously eats salads with more lettuce and less bacon...poor thing.)

The whole thing takes about an hour...a really wonderful hour, when I think about it.  I'm too full for the spicy butter and toast, so I save that for later.  It will be a happy reminder of the meal I made for myself.

*Note, here, on salads.  When I make a salad for myself, I usually end up with a funny balance of sweet, spicy, crunchy, salty, both clean and complex flavors.  I realize though, that sometimes one of the most comforting things is simplicity.  If your life has felt out of control and you're tired of complex things, one of the nicest salads would be a wedge of iceburg lettuce and a favorite creamy dressing poured over the top.  That would be happy soul-food, too.

*I DIDN'T take a picture because if you want to make this sort of salad for yourself, you shouldn't be trying to make it look like mine.  Perhaps you'd put the crunchy fried onions and bacon on the bottom.  Maybe you'd grill chicken instead of using shrimp.  You might drink milk instead of white wine.  Whatever rattles your can...

Now that Sophia has landed the treasure, her man and my wine glass is empty, I need to go clean up the kitchen so it looks like I didn't eat anything but a p.b. and j. for lunch when the family gets back....

Day 27: Post Your Favorite Recipe

It's impossible to say what my favorite recipe is, but I'll post one that I love, one of my comfort foods.

It comes from my friend Anne, whose family made Vermont Maple Cookies for Christmas when she was growing up.  I invited her to come make cookies with me in preparation for one of our Dutton Cookie Days and she brought this recipe with her.  We had Vermont Maple Cookies EVERYWHERE, because we decided to double the batch and hadn't really looked at how many the original made...4-5 dozen, depending on how big you make them.  Cookies on every surface.  And in the background, Veggie Tales with the classic (and never to be forgotten to Anne) "If It Doesn't Have A Tail, It's Not A Monkey" song.  I think we had to make something like 3 batches of frosting and by the time we were finished, we were hot, sticky and giggly from the effort...or maybe from the sugar high.

They were a BIG hit at Cookie Day!  Imagine, if you will, cookies that taste like itty-bitty maple bars.  Bite sized maple bars. Except better, because they're all maple-y and not deep fried.  

I'll give you a moment, here, to wipe the drool off your computer keyboard...

Rather than just type the recipe, I scanned the copy I have, complete with stains and splotches and notes.  

Ricotta Gnudi with Pomodaro Sauce: Recipe 4

I really should have prefaced this ENTIRE series with:
You remember, right, that I'M NOT THE PIONEER WOMAN, REE DRUMMOND?!?
Now that you know that I know that you know, there will be a lot less pressure with the photographs.
That's all.

Something else we need to clear up right away before you put in the time reading this post...
I have no idea how to pronounce "gnudi".  I say it with the "g" sound, because if I don't, it sounds a little...risque, if you know what I mean.  If my kids ask, it's "g-nood-ee" or as I told them last night, cheese dumplins with red sauce.

And that's basically all they are!

Here's the Bon Appetit photo, so you know what they SHOULD look like:

Aahhh, yes....charming and rustically elegant.  

Makes you want to turn on some Boccelli and pour a glass of Cabernet, doesn't it?

That's what I wanted to do, when I started the recipe!

I also reminded myself that if it seemed wrong, measure or ingredient-wise, to make my own judgement call.

In the magazine, they give you the gnudi recipe first, but after looking through the whole thing, I realized it would be more logical and calm to make the sauce first and have it simmering, waiting for those dear little dumplins to arrive, so that's how you're going to get the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt

Preparation

• Pulse tomatoes with juices in a blender to form a coarse purée. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomato purée and sugar and season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until sauce is slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/02/quick-pomodoro-sauce#ixzz2JaXqWg4h

It smells cozy, it looks impossibly Italian....

you'll want to pour another glass of wine before you continue, in celebration of your brilliant sauciness and also to fortify you for the dumplin' process. 

(I was generous with the salt and it was a good thing; otherwise, the pomodoro is sorta...flat.  Also, and this is my own judgement call, it would have been a little richer with a glug of red wine, but I was trying to follow the spirit of the recipe.)

Here's the recipe for the ricotta gnudi:

Ingredients

• 16 ounces ricotta (about 2 cups)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano plus more
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more
• 3 cups Quick Pomodoro Sauce (click for recipe)
• 
  

Preparation

• 
  Mix ricotta, egg, egg yolk, pepper, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl until well combined. Add 1/2 cup flour; stir just until combined and mixture forms a ball (mixture will be soft and moist with some bits of ricotta remaining; add more flour by the tablespoonful if it feels wet).  
• Dust a rimmed baking sheet generously with flour. Using 2 large soup spoons, shape heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into football shapes; place on baking sheet and dust with more flour (you should have 30).
• Cook gnudi in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and tender, 5-6 minutes (gnudi will quickly float to surface; continue cooking or gnudi will be gummy in the center).
• Using a slotted spoon, divide gnudi among bowls. Top with Quick Pomodoro Sauce and more Parmesan.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/02/ricotta-gnudi-with-pomodoro-sauce#ixzz2JaZ9fGHh

I used the Parmesan cheese and ended up adding quite a lot more flour.  I think they should say, "The dough will be the approximate consistency of chocolate chip cookie dough, before you add the chocolate chips.", but I'm guessing that would be (and may have been) edited out.  Pity.  

Also...here's a little something you should know...it's IMPOSSIBLE to make football shapes of gnudi dough with two tablespoons.  Spare yourself the frustration and just plop the portions on the cookie sheet; you can go back and roll them between your palms as you drop them in the boiling water.  

These are the little dumplin's after having been mixed, plopped and rolled.  They're waiting their turn in the hot bath!

They look happy, don't you think?

They made ME happy, because I could smell warm cheese, noodles and brilliant Italian red gravy...mmm!

I served them as they cooked, so everyone could have fresh love in a bowl!

The Farmer gamely ate his bowl, then dug around for the leftover cinna-ribs in the refrigerator. Can you believe it?

Maggie ate ONE and requested the leftover homemade chicken noodle soup from lunch. Ouch!

Angus...dear boy...could tell this was not turning out the way I had pictured it, so HE tried it...

...ate it all gone and asked if I'd please put some in his lunch tomorrow because he liked it that much!

(Turns out, he was being a good sport, too.  The kid has a future in politics, I'm afraid...)

I loved the gnudi and the sauce.  And I'm not just saying that!  

It was warm, cheesy, peppery and soft, covered with sauce that is deceptively simple but tastes very authentic.  I sent some to my friend, Joni, and we'll see what her verdict is....

Jenga Ribs: Recipe 2

I decided to do the ribs for our evening meal so the kids could join us (Maggie's a first-rate carnivore), and afternoons are better for slow, easy cooking in the oven.  I could imagine them coming in the door after school and smelling the ribs...mmmm!

It was a good plan.
Sadly, it was a faulty recipe...for our household.

Here's the recipe...see what you think:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon (packed) light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 racks St. Louis-style pork spareribs (4-4 1/2 pounds total)
• Prepared barbecue sauce

Preparation

• Whisk garlic powder, salt, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, pepper, cumin, onion powder, cinnamon, and coriander in a small bowl to blend. DO AHEAD: Spice blend can be made 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 300°. Rub ribs all over with spice blend and wrap each rack individually in foil, crimping seams to seal tightly. Place both racks on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake ribs until fork-tender, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Ribs can be made 2 days ahead. Open foil packets and let ribs cool completely. Rewrap tightly and refrigerate on same baking sheet.
• Preheat oven to 425°. Cut racks between bones into individual ribs. Divide ribs between 2 foil-lined rimmed baking sheets and bake until heated through and golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
• Layer ribs on plates in alternating directions, 3 ribs per layer. Serve ribs, passing barbecue sauce alongside

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/02/jenga-ribs#ixzz2JTIJXIzh

The only modification I made was to use beef short ribs instead of pork.

Did you see that?

"The only modification I made..."

Several friends are wondering if I changed medication or something, because I ALWAYS modify recipes!

I prefer to think of it as "enhancing"...

In this case...this ONE CASE!!!...I should have followed my instincts and changed what I thought was an iffy amount of cinnamon in the rub.  

I could see a hint of cinnamon, perhaps a dash, just to make you think, "What IS that flavor...I can't quite place it...?"  It would drive my friend Traci nuts, because it would be familiar, yet out of place.  (I like to mess with her that way.  She's an incredible cook and usually identifies every little subtle ingredient in a recipe when she tastes it. It's SO FUN to stump her!)  

I'm hoping the recipe had a typo...a teaspoon measurement when there should have been a 1/2 teaspoon...because the rest of it was great! I felt like I was concocting some sort of secret dry potion, there were so many various seasonings in the works.  And the ribs looked very sexy after their rub down, don't you think?

I wrapped them each individually, like the recipe said, again ignoring instincts that said, "Grill them a little first, idiot! Smoke 'em up for flavor, THEN bake 'em!" but I was determined to FOLLOW THE RECIPE!  (Have I pointed out that I didn't deviate from the instructions at all??  This is huge, folks...and costly, as it turns out.)

Weather like this helped me make the decision to ignore instincts and blindly follow Bon Appetit's instruction:

We'll try it their way, just this once...

The little foil packets were tucked into a 275 degree oven around noon, all cozy and spicy, and left to tenderize and tantalize.
About an hour in, I could tell something was dreadfully wrong...it smelled like a garam masala meat from India roasting!  If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was in a marketplace, waiting for a street vendor to dish me up some lamb and rice.
YIKES!
That was NOT the flavor I was hoping for!
But it's the one we got.

I didn't take pictures of the finished product, all cooked up and ready to serve, because it was VERY unappetizing...even in color.  Sort of a dark brownish-grey.  I KNOW.  Ick!  The meat was very tender, but we couldn't taste it at all, for the intense cinnamon-ness.  Even Maggie, who loves most any meat set before her, pushed it aside and ate more oven fried potatoes and coleslaw.  It was unsalvageable, even with barbeque sauce.

I don't think it's a bad recipe...I just think it's unbalanced the way it is published!
As for me and my experiment in closely following directions in a recipe and respecting its boundaries?
I don't think I'm a bad cook....I just think I'm a little unbalanced the way I was created.
And the balance is in the favor of good cooking instincts.  I'll know better and trust that, next time!