fish & chips

For St. Patrick's day. We had some lovely Great Lakes perch from Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks. I dipped it in a basic beer batter, fried it, and scarfed it down with some chips, salt and vinegar, and beer. Greasy and delicious.
Beer batter: 1 c flour, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. paprika, 2 tsp. salt, fresh ground pepper, 1 egg, 1 bottle beer.

king cake

Hope you had a good Mardi Gras! I made a mini king cake with a pecan, brown sugar, and golden raisin filling. It is really more of a pastry than a cake. I think it will be lovely leftover with a cup of tea or coffee. The recipe was kind of huge, so I quartered it.

hearty breakfasts

I love breakfast, especially anything with eggs. Here are some nice ones I've enjoyed recently. From the top, the veggie skillet at Cozy Corner (Thanks Allison for turning me on to the wonders of the skillet!), duck confit hash and eggs at Marigold Kitchen in Madison, and baked eggs with oil preserved tomato, cured tuna roe, and creme fraiche at Blue Duck Tavern in DC. Finally, Jon and I love to eat at Lula here in Chicago, where they always have a delicious farmer's market hash with eggs on the brunch menu. It's always different, using whatever veggies are in season. So, anyway, I decided to make my own with what I had on hand: sweet potatoes, onion, brussel sprouts and delicious Cedar Valley bacon. (And, of course, a poached egg!)

lemon curd

I had so many egg yolks left over from all those marshmallows that I decided to make a big batch of lemon curd. I used the same recipe for the lemon cake filling I made for my mom's birthday. I froze most of it, but some I had on one of the delicious Wolferman's English muffins (they are gigantic!) we got for Christmas. I felt like I was eating a big ol' slab of cake for breakfast.

blue cheese souffle



Tried Ina's recipe for blue cheese souffle last night, although I used Point Reyes Blue instead of Roquefort, because that's what I had on hand. The recipe is for 1 big souffle - she said serves 2, can you imagine? I made four little ones, I think that was about the right size for a single serving. We ate them with an arugula salad - simple and yummy. I think the recipe would be even more delicious with goat cheese...I will have to try that soon. I got a fancy new phone (lost mine on NYE - curse you Estelle's, why are you open 'til 5 am?) so I've included  a video of the exciting moment when they came out of the oven.

Christmas marshmallows

I've been neglecting the blog due to a busy holiday season. Oops! I hope everyone had a good one. Here are the Christmas marshmallows I sent out. I made tins of 3 flavors; vanilla, chocolate, and peppermint. I am very happy with the way they turned out, especially since they got rave reviews from my nephews.

sweet potato gnocchi

With sage, chestnuts, and brown butter. I made these once before and they are super yummy - sweet and nutty, tasting like fall. Somehow the last batch were more elegant - these turned out a little more large and lumpy-lookin'. Let's call it "rustic." This recipe is from the October issue of Gourmet magazine 2009. (RIP) Be aware when frying sage that your neighbors will think you've been smoking pot all day.

marshmallows

So, I was so enamoured by the marshmallows I bought in Madison, I decided to make them for Christmas presents this year instead of cookies. Time to practice! I found a great recipe online, which worked really well. I had a super-delicious brunch at Southport Grocery and Cafe yesterday: A chorizo, goat cheese and arugula omelette - yum! They also have a gorgeous little market there with all the fancy food things I love, so I bought some rose water (among other things). My marshmallows were raspberry-rose flavored, and I added a few drops of red food coloring to make them pink. So purty! I am very pleased with myself, as I don't often make candy and when I do, it usually becomes a sticky disaster involving serious burns and a good deal of cursing. I tried a marshmallow in a cup of Vosges "La Parisienne" drinking chocolate,which is really thick and rich - just like Maxim's. It melted into a gooey delicious chocolate-marshmallow soup - the best treat on a cold November day.

squash soup

I just ADORE my new wooden recipe box from Rifle Paper Co. in Florida. I had to wait a long time for it, but it finally came! Now I just have to fill it up with delicious recipes. This Fall I've been making a lot of soups, including a super healthy acorn squash soup:

1 acorn squash
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
olive oil
butter
salt
pepper
curry powder
cinnamon
1 cup (or so) chicken stock
splash of milk

Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Lightly grease cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash halves cut side down on a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed cookie sheet and poke holes in the rind with a sharp knife. Bake at 375 F for about an hour or until soft when pressed. Roughly chop onions, garlic, carrot and celery. Sautee in a little (2 tsp) butter or olive oil until tender. Add a little curry powder and cinnamon if you like. Allow cooked squash to cool somewhat before scooping out and adding to sauteed vegetables. Add chicken stock and a little milk until the soup has the desired thickness. Simmer slowly until the carrots and celery are really soft, then blend to a smooth consistancy - I used an immersion blender that my mom gave me. It is a Cuisinart and it works great. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like a ton of black pepper!

Cottage Pie

Another reason to welcome colder weather: heavy filling foods. I make this a lot in the winter. I don't really use a recipe, but will try to record how I make it as best I can.

1 lb. ground beef (from Cedar Valley Sustainable)
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1/2 onion
2 large russet potatoes
5 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp. flour
1 c. stock (I used chicken this time)
salt and pepper to taste
dash of worcester sauce

In a large pot, boil potatoes until tender (I poke them with a skewer to check). Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a pan over medium heat. Chop celery, carrots and onions and add them to the pan. Add salt and pepper (and worcester) to taste, lower heat and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. By the way, you can use whatever vegetables are handy, I often include peas. Mash together 1 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour with a fork, then add paste to meat mixture and stir in with a wooden spoon. Add stock and cook until mixture thickens. Place meat mixture in the bottom of a baking dish.
Make mashed potatoes: Drain potatoes in a collander, then, using kitchen towels to handle hot potatoes, gently peel them with a knife or your fingers. The skins should come right off. Mash potatoes with remaining butter (add as much as you like, I'm just estimating 4 tbsp.) and a splash of milk, just so as to get the right fluffy consistancy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread mashed potatoes over mince, I used a fork to make the wavy pattern. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes, until the sides start to bubble or the top gets browned. I usually make it ahead and just leave it at room temp until ready to bake. It might need less time if you are putting it in while it's still hot from the pan, or more time if it's coming from the fridge. Yum Yum!

chocolate chip cookies

Simple, but yummy:

3/4 c sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 c butter
1 tsp baking soda
2 c chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together in electric mixer. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture gradually to wet mix until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfulls onto parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 f. for about 10-15 minutes, until browned at the edges. I like them more crisp and therefore brown all over. My husband likes them chewy, so I cook some 'til just the edges are brown.

fried chicken dinner

This month we got a whole cut-up chicken in our meat share from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm. I have been wanting to make fried chicken for a while, but hacking up a whole chicken has seemed somewhat daunting, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Ordinarily, I'd just dust the chicken with flour, salt and pepper, but Jon's love for KFC inspired me to try to make an extra crispy crust. This is how I made it:

Soak 1 whole cut up chicken in 1/2 gallon buttermilk and about 1/2 c salt and some pepper for a few hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from brine and place pieces, a few at a time, in a large ziplock bag with about 2 cups flour seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste. I probably used about a teaspoon of each.

Dip coated pieces in a slightly beaten mixture of about 2/3 c milk and an egg yolk, then return to bag for a second coating of flour.

Meanwhile, heat about 1 c vegetable oil and 1/2 c lard or shortening in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium to low heat.

Place chicken pieces (a few at a time) in skillet and fry slowly for about 1/2 an hour, until brown and crispy all over. Try to avoid turning too often or the crispy batter will fall off. Drain on paper towel-lined plate.

I also made some tasty drop biscuits using this recipe. For both the chicken and the biscuits I used  homemade lard - yum! The book that taught me how to render the lard is called "Jam it, Pickle it, Cure it" and it is a great resource. I am out of lard now, so I will have to make some more and take some pictures as I'm doing it. Needless to say, this was not the healthiest meal I've ever made, but we had a salad to go with it...as if that makes up for all the lard. Ha!

cornbread

I found a great cornbread recipe here. I also add about a cup of shredded cheddar which makes it super moist and delicious. Seriously, this is the best cornbread ever. I like it toasted (or burnt?) for breakfast.

scallop pasta

I made some pasta with seared scallops last night. I don't really have a recipe, but here's basically what I did:
I cooked some diced bacon (Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm), then drained it on paper towels. After pouring out the bacon fat, I sauteed some diced onion and garlic in a little olive oil and a little butter. Then I added a tiny bit of white wine and chicken broth, reduced it, and added some chopped spinach and the bacon, as well as a little lemon zest. I cooked some thin whole wheat spaghetti in salted water until it was not quite al dente, and added it to the sauce with about a cup of the pasta water. Then while that simmered, I seared the scallops (dried with paper towels and seasoned with salt and pepper) in a very hot cast iron skillet with some butter, just until they browned on each side, flipping once. Then I put the pasta in the bowl with the scallops on top.

plum cake

They have lovely little Italian plums at the farmer's market right now, perfect for this "Rustic Plum Cake" from Cook's Illustrated. I love this recipe because it is dense and almondy, studded with tart bright jewels of fruit. I have also made the cake with apricots in the spring. I serve it with whipped cream sweetened with a little powdered sugar and vanilla. Two notes: Use a bit more brandy and jelly than recommended when cooking the fruit. Also, be sure to just rest the fruit on the surface of the batter before putting it in the oven, if you press in the plums at all the cake will swallow them up as it bakes.

quiche

Yummy quiche of spinach, goat cheese, and delicious thick-cut bacon (and eggs) from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm. I don't really have a recipe, but this is basically how I made it:

Crust:

1 c. flour

4 tbsp. cold butter, cut up

pinch salt

ice water

In a food processor (or with your hands) mix butter, flour, and salt. Add a little ice water until the mixture comes together into a dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate about 1/2 hr. On a floured surface, roll out dough with a rolling pin and gently place in pie/quiche dish, being careful not to stretch it. Cover with tin foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 425 F for about 5 mins, then remove weights and bake about 5 more. Then turn down oven to 350, fill pie shell and bake another 1/2 hour or more, until eggs are puffed up and the top is slightly browned.

Filling:

3 or 4 eggs, depending on how deep your dish is

About 1 cup of cream, milk, or half and half

salt, pepper

About 3 oz. cheese (I used goat-Gruyere is great too)

A large handful of veggies (I used spinach, defrosted and with the water squeezed out)

4 or 5 large slices of thick-cut bacon, cut up and sauteed

Spread meat and veggies over the bottom of the crust, then top with shredded or crumbled cheese. Slightly beat eggs with cream and salt and pepper, then pour evenly over fillings. Then bake as above. Allow to cool before serving.

lemon squares

To bring to a barbecue. A very simple recipe:

2 c. flour

1/2 lb. butter

1 t. baking powder

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons' worth)

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 t. freshly grated lemon peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, powdered sugar, and butter (I use a food processor) and press into the bottom of a greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake 20 mins. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients and whip thoroughly. Pour lemon mixture over baked crust and bake another 25 minutes (or until edges brown). Dust with powdered sugar and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

First of the summer!

I bought some lovely strawberries and rhubarb at the first farmer's market of the season. I thought about making a pie (my favorite kind), but this way we can enjoy this summer flavor all year long.

I used 8 quarts of strawberries, 2 lbs. of rhubarb, and about 11 cups of sugar. No pectin, so it is a softer jam, a little firmer when refrigerated. This made about 9 pints.