Strip Steaks and Fried Onions
Summertime... and the grillin' is easy...
Okay. It's three weeks to summer - but the grillin' is easy! Three weeks to summer and four weeks to retirement. The grillin' is going to be even easier.
Retirement. I still haven't totally wrapped my head around this one. I'm going to get checks in the mail and/or directly deposited into my checking account - and I don't have to get up and go to work. This getting old stuff ain't too shabby!
Of course, with four weeks to retirement, I still have four weeks of work - and methinks the paybacks are going to be fast and furious.
I have had a slight habit for years of embarrassing my coworkers. I'd shout out that it was somebody's birthday from across the store, walk up to a customer in the checkout line and let them know it was their cashier's birthday... little things to make people blush or stammer a bit. And I've been doing it for more than 16 years. I was rather hoping that since I've also been feeding these people for 16+ years that the good food might balance things out, a bit.
Naturally, I was wrong.
This morning when I walked into work, this was hanging on the wall - not in the breakroom, mind you... out in public.
Oh joy, oh rapture.
While I have never had any qualms about making someone else the center of attention, I really hate being the center of attention, myself. Really hate it. I now have 30 days of being it. Oh, joy, indeed.
Fortunately, I did get to negotiate my last day hours. There were a few folks who were trying to get me scheduled 11am-7pm so I would hit all shifts. I balked and said I would rather work a 5am-1pm shift and get out as early as possible. I finally agreed to a 7am-3pm. Personally... I'd rather slink out the back door at noon, unseen, but that's not an option.
So I'm just going to roll with it. Payback's a bitch - and I'm sure I deserve it.
To drown my sorrows, I cooked up some steaks, tonight. Rubbed a couple of strip steaks with the rib rub I made a couple of weeks ago and then topped them with fried onions. Fresh corn on the cob and blackberries and apricots soaked in pinot grigio.
Ice cream for dessert.
The livin' is easy... I just have to get through a few more days...
[countdown date=2018/06/29-15:00:00]
A mere [timer] until I punch out for the last time!
[/countdown]
Hamburger Buns
I'm not sure what it says about me when I'd rather bake homemade hamburger buns than drive a mile to the grocery store. I'm not in a real people mood, today, so it's probably best that I don't head out in public. My outrage level is past critical and I swear if I saw a MAGA hat on someone I'd have to cold-cock the SOB just on principle.
Best that I stay indoors. Besides, I haven't made buns in a while.
Hamburger Buns
- 1 packet yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 cup warm nonfat milk
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt
- sesame seeds
Proof yeast in warm milk and sugar. Mix in 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Save egg white for brushing on buns, later.
Add flour and salt to liquid and mix on low speed until all flour is incorporated. Add softened butter and continue mixing for 7 or 8 minutes. Dough will be soft and not pull away from bottom of bowl, but it shouldn't be overly sticky.
Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover, and allow to rise until doubled.
Punch down dough and form into 8 balls - each about 3 1/2 ounces. Place on a floured sheet pan and flatten. Cover with a towel and allow to rise, again, until doubled.
Brush with reserved egg white mixed with a bit of water. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
Place in a preheated 375°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Split, and fill with your favorite burger and toppings.
Banana Pound Cake Pudding
The problem with making desserts around here is there's only two of us eating them. There comes a point, once in a while, where something goes stale before we can finish it. I've pretty much stopped trying to freeze things, because... we keep running out of freezer space. If we had more freezer space, I would just fill it - I wouldn't stop making things. So... when something really good is starting to go stale, I think of ways to re-purpose it.
Like turning pound cake into a bread pudding.
A few ripe bananas and a couple of eggs made for a brand new dessert!
Banana Pound Cake Pudding
- bananas
- pound cake
- eggs
- sugar
- milk
- vanilla
- chocolate chips
- pinch salt
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cube pound cake. Slice bananas. In bowl, mix eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and pinch of salt.
Add pound cake cubes, banana slices, and chocolate chips. mix carefully and pour into a buttered casserole.
Bake about 40 minutes or until set.
Really simple. Really tasty.
Memorial Day 2018
It is dark and bleak outside. The rain is coming down in buckets. I guess it's kinda fitting for a Memorial Day weekend - the weekend where we're supposed to honor those who have died defending our country.
This isn't Veteran's Day weekend - it's not about people who have served in the military and lived to tell their tall tales. It's about those who have died.
And today, it's about those who are rolling in their graves wondering how their ultimate sacrifice has become this mockery of everything they died for.
While I'm a very political person in life, I really try not to transfer that here - this is about food and fun. But sometimes things are just so fucked up that I have to start shouting for people to open their eyes and see what is happening in our name.
We have Nazis marching openly in the United States. Nazis. More than 400,000 Americans died in World War II fighting Nazis and the Axis powers. They did not die so that 70 years after their deaths, these scum could come back and openly parade their hate.
We have a president who has fanned the flames of hate and intolerance, blatantly lying, blaming the ills of the country on immigrants and people of color, pandering to the fears of the uninformed.
The Trump administration is forcibly taking migrant children from their parents and placing them in separate detention centers. Let that sink in. The Trump administration is forcibly taking migrant children from their parents and placing them in separate detention centers. They did this in Nazi Germany. We have Nazis marching openly in the United States. What the fuck is wrong with this picture?
We have the National Football League capitulating to these racists and bigots by creating a rule that will fine players for kneeling during the National Anthem.
They have already blackballed Colin Kaepernick from every playing, again, yet, conveniently forget about Tim Tebow kneeling during the same song to protest abortion. Tebow, of course, is white.
Trump, in his pandering to his racist base, made taking a knee a show of disrespect for flag, country, and veterans, while completely ignoring the reasons players started taking a knee in the first place - the thousands of deaths of black Americans for the sole crime of being black in the wrong place.
Memorial Day. A day to remember our dead.
And a day to reflect on a dying country.
Pork Tenderloin
The planned dinner tonight was a pork tenderloin. Planned, as in I took a pork tenderloin out of the freezer. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but then, that's not unusual. I tend to kinda wing things, ya know?!?
After bacon, the tenderloin is pretty much the workhorse of the pig family. They're totally versatile - you can do absolutely anything to them. It's why I don't worry about what I'm going to do - almost anything works and I have two full canisters of propane. If all else fails, grill it!
I came walking in after an early day at work, and Victor smiled and opened the 'fridge. Sitting on a plate was that pork tenderloin - cut, pounded, stuffed, rolled, and tied - with a basting of the French dressing I made the other night! Be still my beating heart!
Victor made a stuffing of:
- pancetta
- bread
- onion
- carrots
- mushrooms
- garlic
- raisins
- green onion
- grated cheese
- salt & pepper
and then spread that on the pounded tenderloin. Atop that, he added:
- roasted long hot peppers
- shredded asiago, pepatto, and provolone cheeses.
He rolled it and tied it and basted it with the French dressing. I baked it off in a 400°F oven, basting it every 15 minutes with more dressing.
Along side the tenderloin were roasted red potatoes with parmesan cheese, garlic, and French herbs. Roasted in the same oven for about 35 minutes.
Dinner was perfect - and the best part was all I had to do was cut up a couple of potatoes and make Nonna baked fish. An easy meal, indeed!
And really really good.
Otway Fields Salts
Today was a great day. First, the nice UPS man arrived with my new mandoline blade. His arrival was perfect timing. Blanche heard the truck - she literally goes out of her mind over the UPS truck - and went tearing around the back yard, barking like a maniac. Meanwhile, the nice UPS man walked up the driveway and handed me the box, totally unbeknownst to her. The dog is not a bloodhound. But slicing is easy, again.
Second, the US Postal Service delivered Australian Salts - via Omaha. My cousin, Kathryn - an Omaha girl - has lived in Australia for years and knows how much I love to cook. She has sent me salts in the past, and, since she's on a Northern Hemisphere trip, right now, she brought some with her to mail to me locally.
How sweet it is. Or, rather, salty. You know what I mean...
The salts come from Otway Fields in Gerangamete, Victoria, Australia - way the hell down under.
It's a reasonably well known fact that I like different salts. At any given time there are probably 15 or 16 on the salt shelf - from all over the USofA and the world. They're fun, each is unique, and I get to tell people I have 16 different types of salt on my shelf like it's a doesn't everybody?!? sorta thing.
The Otway Fields salts are excellent. The last salts she sent were Black Garlic Salt and Smoked Garlic Salt. Otway Fields is known for their garlic. This time, Kathryn sent Black Garlic Salt and Jalapeno Salt! What gastronomic fun!
Naturally, I had to use them immediately!
First off was the Jalapeno Salt on thick potato slices - sliced with my new mandoline blade - and baked in a hot oven. Second, was the Black Garlic Salt on grilled burgers.
Ya know how some things just work?!? These just work. The Jalapeno has a rich jalapeno flavor with enough heat to be interesting but not enough to rip off your tongue. It's really done well.
The Black Garlic is just wonderful. It's garlicky but not a clove of garlic garlicky. It's unique - and both are something every home should have.
Thanks, again, Kathryn! We're going to have lots of fun with these!
Roasted Garlic Gnocchi with Pesto
Okay. I just had the best gnocchi I have ever had in my life. Really. No hyperbole, no exaggeration. Perfect pillows of flavor nestled in pesto.
O.M.G.
A dear friend of ours called him yesterday wanting a bit of gnocchi advice. Susan was attempting gnocchi for the first time and nailed it on her first try! We have very talented friends.
If your dough is right, the actual forming of the gnocchi isn't really difficult - it's just really tedious. Each one of those things is individually made. Every one.
Because I was working late, today, Victor was going to make dinner. Susan made gnocchi. He got the bug. Victor made gnocchi.
He's has been working on this recipe for a while and, tonight, he perfected it. Totally perfected it. I only stopped eating because there was nothing left to eat.
Perfect pillows of flavor...
Roasted Garlic Potato Gnocchi
- 2 cups potatoes, riced
- 1 head garlic, roasted
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
Roast garlic head for an hour. Cool.
Bake potatoes. Cool for 20 minutes. Rice potatoes and garlic together onto a sheet pan and cool to room temperature.
Mix potatoes/garlic, flour, cheese, and egg, along with salt and pepper, to taste. Only work until everything comes together. Don't over mix - they'll get tough.
Cover the dough and let relax for about 30 minutes. Longer is okay, but not all day okay.
Cut off a piece of dough and roll into a rope. Cut into 1" or so pieces and roll off the times of a fork - or, better yet, a gnocchi board - to form.
Cook in batches in boiling - but not heavily boiling - salted water for just a minute or two. There are a lot of variables, so test one after a minute and a half.
Top with your favorite sauce.
Perfect pillows of flavor.
The pesto was the perfect choice for a sauce, as well. Anything would work - a red sauce would be fine, browned butter would work. But the pesto and the subtleness of the roasted garlic was a perfect marriage.
There were fried long hot peppers and stuffed olives to much on and mix in.
My stomach is smiling!
Sweet and Spicy French Dressing
The latest issue of Fine Cooking magazine has arrived just in time for tonight's dinner! I was at the produce market yesterday and was planning salads for dinner, tonight.
The store, Gentile's in Newtown Square, is about 15 minutes from us - depending on traffic, of course. I used to go there quite often, but my schedule and theirs hasn't been working out all that well. That's about to change.
One of the many things I like about them is being able to buy lettuce in its natural state - not chopped up in a plastic bag. Actual heads of romaine - gritty sand and all - is my idea of heaven. Even their baby greens and lettuces are loose - no plastic bags there, either. And the prices are great, as well.
I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have bought bottled salad dressing in my life - we always just make one, usually an oil and vinegar-based with fresh herbs when we have them, sometimes a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing, even a buttermilk ranch when we have buttermilk in the house. No recipes are involved. Ya just make salad dressings. Okay. I take that back. Victor just makes salad dressings. He makes 99.9% of our dressings.
As I was getting the salads ready, today, he came into the kitchen and asked if I wanted him to make a dressing. For once, I said no - and pointed to the magazine. The June/July issue has 8 different dressing recipes - most of which are variations of things we already make - but the Sweet and Spicy French Dressing sounded different. We made a really good French dressing when I worked at Pirro's, lo, these many years ago, but my addled brain as never quite remembered what we did back then. When I saw this - which is not triggering any sort of memory - I thought I'd give it a shot.
Sweet & Spicy French Dressing
adapted from Fine Cooking magazine
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp. celery seed
- 1/8 tsp. powdered onion
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1/4 tsp. grapefruit bitters
Mix all ingredients in a pint mason jar and shake well to mix.
It did the trick. Very well, in fact. Sweet, tangy, just spicy enough...
The salads had romaine, hard cooked eggs, tomatoes, blanched green beans, shredded carrots, stuffed olives, green onions, and thin slices of grilled skirt steak.
And since we were good, we both get big slices of cake for dessert!
Bourbon Glazed Pound Cake with Peaches
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”
― Oscar Wilde
I must admit that I didn't realize that was an Oscar Wilde quote until I went to look it up. I was thinking of the first part - Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - and had no idea the second part existed. Oscar was a bit snarky.
I was going to use the quote - as I knew it - and then state how I didn't necessarily agree with it. I think being inspired by someone is the sincerest form of flattery. That someone can inspire you to do more or be more creative is truly a great thing. So much more than merely copying them.
Back in my professional cooking days, I knew the value of making something the same way and the right way every time. When a place is known for something, that something has to be consistent. And if two or six or ten people are making it, they all need to make it the same.
But cooking at home is so much different than cooking for the public. At home, I love the randomness of what we can do. I love taking a recipe from a James Beard Award Winner and thinking I wonder what I could do with that?!?
And that's pretty much what I did with Dolester Miles' Bourbon Glazed Pound Cake.
Dol Miles is truly an inspiration. And playing with a recipe of a James Beard Award Winner is fun and exciting. It's not about making it better because, let's face it - she's a James Beard Award Winner. I'm definitely not. Whenever I play with someone else's recipe, it's about playing with that genius and seeing what else can be done with it - it's not about improving their recipe, it's about making something different based upon the same idea.
So... while at the produce market, this morning, I picked up some peaches. Ripe peaches. And my first thought was that bourbon and peaches go together really well. I wonder what would happen if I topped the cake with peach slices and demerara sugar before baking it?
The rest, as they say, is history.
I followed the recipe on the Bake From Scratch website except I topped the cake with bourbon-soaked peach slices and then sprinkled it all with demerara sugar before putting it in the oven. The recipe states 1 hr to 1 hr and 15 minutes for baking. Mine took 1 1/2 hours.
For over 30 years Dolester “Dol” Miles has served as Executive Pastry Chef at Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega, Bottega Cafe, and Chez Fonfon, creating a legacy of delicious desserts and leaving a lasting mark on the Birmingham dining scene.
I have never been to Birmingham, but I now have a serious reason to visit.
Sunday Seafood Supper
It's Sunday. That's a use up what's in the house day, because Monday is shopping.
I had some cod that I wanted to use, and also peppers from last night... I thought a pepper and tomato sauce with spaghetti might be nice - and then I saw the two sweet potatoes. Tomato became potato, spaghetti became ravioli, and a dinner was born!
It can be frightening to see how the creative process unfolds around here. Even with a written recipe, nothing is certain. But that's half of the fun.
The sauce was simple. I baked two sweet potatoes and then riced them in our still-new ricer. Into the pot with it went a couple of cups of chicken broth to thin. I would have used clam juice but I didn't have any - added to shopping list for tomorrow.
I sauteed an onion and red, yellow, orange, and green peppers in a splash of olive oil, then added 3 cloves of minced garlic. Then a hefty cup of white wine.
It cooked down a bit and then I added the sweet potato, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. I had maybe a cup of heirloom cherry tomatoes, so I cut them in half and added them to the pot.
Next, I started the raviolis boiling.
When the sauce was all hot and bubbly, in went the cod chunks. They poached for about 5 minutes, the ravioli were drained, and dinner was served.
A really fun take on a pasta sauce.
Chicken Stew, Drop Biscuits, and Royal Weddings
Okay. I'm not a royal watcher. I have nothing against filthy rich people who never have to worry about where their next tin of Beluga 000 is coming from, I just have nothing in common with them. I mean... I've been to a lot of weddings in my time, but I've never known the bride to wear a gown that cost more than my house. Not that any of the brides I've known weren't worth a dress like that, it's just that they've all been a bit more practical. Then, again, when your father-in-law is slated to be the next King of England, practical takes on a whole new meaning.
And then, of course, is the simple fact that my proletarian self kinda bristles at the concept of royalty in the first place. That someone should be elevated and deemed more worthy simply because of the accident of birth into a particular family is mind-boggling. And what a family it is! The current Queen's uncle - the one who abdicated - was a nazi sympathizer, and her grandfather is pretty much responsible for the colonization and subjugation of half of the world. There are only 22 countries in the entire world that Britain hasn't invaded at one time or another. Think about unrest in Iran and British Petroleum - Apartheid in South Africa. Gandhi in India. Ireland.
But it's a lot more fun to watch the pomp and pageantry and imagine ourselves sitting in the coach than to think of how they got the coach in the first place.
All that being said, I do have more respect for William and Harry as human beings than the spawn of the current White House occupant.
And maybe there's a possibility that the upcoming generation of royals can make some amends for the sins of the past. Welcoming a biracial woman into the royal family is certainly a start, if not history-making in and of itself.
A Gospel Choir in St George's Chapel may have been a first, as well...
I'm warming to them...
While the newlyweds and their 600 closest family and friends were dining on
- Scottish Langoustines wrapped in Smoked Salmon with Citrus Crème Fraiche
- Grilled English Asparagus wrapped in Cumbrian Ham
- Garden Pea Panna Cotta with Quail Eggs and Lemon Verbena
- Heritage Tomato and Basil Tartare with Balsamic Pearls
- Poached Free Range Chicken bound in a Lightly Spiced Yoghurt with Roasted Apricot
- Croquette of Confit Windsor Lamb, Roasted Vegetables and Shallot Jam
- Warm Asparagus Spears with Mozzarella and Sun-Blush Tomatoes
- Fricassee of Free Range Chicken with Morel Mushrooms and Young Leeks
- Pea and Mint Risotto with Pea Shoots, Truffle Oil and Parmesan Crisps
- Ten Hour Slow Roasted Windsor Pork Belly with Apple Compote and Crackling
- Champagne and Pistachio Macaroons
- Orange Crème Brûlée Tartlets
- Miniature Rhubarb Crumble Tartlets
we had chicken and biscuits.
It was good.
And I'm going to have to see about making a couple of those dishes... The pea panna cotta sounds intriguing, as does the chicken with roasted apricot.
And champagne and pistachio macaroons...
Yeah... I'm warming to them...
Cherry Crumb Pie
It may seem early for cherries, but after tasting some this morning, I knew they were coming home with me!
It seems I haven't made a cherry pie in a while - or, I didn't blog about it. That's a possibility, albeit remote, since any time I make a cherry pie I have to casually mention how I won 2nd Place in the Cherry Pie Cook-Off at the Cherry Festival in San Leandro back in 2000. No brag. Just fact.
So... armed with my trusty cherry pitter, I went to work.
It didn't take long to pit 2 pounds of cherries, and I hardly ate any at all whilst doing it!
Then it was mix the cherries with a splash of kirsch, sugar, and tapioca - and a bit of vanilla.
I had a crust in the freezer left from another baking project, so I rolled it out...
And filled it with those luscious cherries.
Then I made the crumb topping with butter, flour, oats, and just a pinch of cinnamon...
That went on the top and into the oven.
Less than an hour later... Perfection!
I'm not sure this one is enter-into-a-contest-worthy, but it's pretty darned good.
Cherry Crumb Pie
filling
- pastry for single crust pie
- 2 lbs cherries, pitted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp kirsch
- 2 1/2 tbsp instant tapioca
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
topping
- 2/3 cup flour
- 2/3 cup rolled oats
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- pinch cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Roll out crust and fit into pie pan. Flute edges and refrigerate until ready to use.
Mix pitted cherries with sugar, tapioca, kirsch, vanilla, and salt. Let sit, stirring occasionally, for about an hour for tapioca to set.
Place in pie shell.
Make topping. Mix flour, sugar, oats, and a pinch of cinnamon. Stir in butter.
Bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake another 20 or so minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.
Not bad at all for a spur of the moment creation!