2011 January

Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate (Hot Chocolate Pudding)

January 28, 2011 by Rebecca 23 Comments

My Mom -known around these parts as Nana- does a lot of things very well. She remembers the name of just about everyone she’s ever met, plays a mean piano and a killer game of chess, makes stupendous lumpia, and always delivers a hug right when you need one (even if you don’t know you need one…)

And Nana isn’t your average, ordinary Nana… To hear her grandkids tell it, she’s a bit magical. She talks to her garden, creek stomps, climbs trees, fixes boo-boos, spins fantastic tales, rides her bike down dirt roads at warp speed wearing a long skirt, engineers popcorn explosions, walks barefooted in the snow, drinks full-caffeine espresso as a nightcap, wrestles like a pro and cuddles better than a dog*.

*That last one comes from my fourth born. Believe you me, from my boy that is a monstrously huge compliment.

Nana also makes the world’s best hot chocolate. Oh, her hot chocolate. Oh, yeah. After a hard day of hopping through snowy fields like rabbits and swinging from icy branches there is nothing quite like Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate to warm you down to your toes. Nana’s hot chocolate is like warm velvet; It’s thick, rich, smooth, and sticks to your lips like pudding. It’s not too sweet. It’s the bees-knees*.

*Incidentally, even the bees are happy at Nana’s house. When they wander in, she gets a clean mason jar and gently returns them to their native habitat.

Nana makes hers thick, but drinkable, very much like the hot chocolate served with churros in Spain or in Italy or France. Sometimes, though, when the muse strikes, I thicken it up to the point where it’s strictly spoon-fare. When I go that far, I almost always gild the lily, as I am wont to do, and top with chocolate shavings or ground cinnamon.

Hot chocolate pudding. Can you imagine something more decadent? (Well, if you accidentally splashed a thimbleful of dark rum or brandy over the top, that might be more indulgent.) Once you have this under your belt, you never have to worry about what you’ll make for dessert. I regularly bust this out after dinner with friends, sledding parties, and necessary moments*.

*I have my necessary moments; Everyone does. I mean the moments when only chocolate stands between you and googly eyes and head-spinning and pea soup spewing.

When Nana wrote down the recipe for her hot chocolate for her grandboys, she included this instruction, “Think of Nana and warm hugs (and the icy creek!)” … And look out, ’cause Nana’s coming at you with a big, warm hug and she just might ask you to climb a tree.

Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate (Hot Chocolate Pudding)

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
2-4 tablespoons sugar, or more, depending on sweet you like it (I prefer raw sugar for the caramel-like flavor it imparts here.)
4 tablespoons good quality Dutch process cocoa powder
2-4 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch (use less for a more drinkable product and more for a thick, pudding-like finish.)

Optional, for garnish:

Whipped Cream
Shaved Chocolate
Cinnamon Sugar
Graham Crackers, Waffles, or Pretzels for dipping

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and arrowroot powder or cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Take care to smash any lumps. Whisk the milk into the powder. The powder will not dissolve in the milk, so don’t worry. The goal is to simply to mix it at this point. Place the pan over a medium flame or heat and whisk constantly. Watch for the following changes. First, the powder will dissolve and it will begin to look like chocolate milk. Next, the mixture will darken and begin to thicken slightly; Take care to scrape the whisk across the bottom and sides at this point to prevent scorching. Finally, the mixture will become very bubbly and thick. When it reaches this point, remove the pot from the burner immediately.

Spoon or ladle immediately into serving dishes. Garnish as desired.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate (Hot Chocolate Pudding)

Author: Rebecca Lindamood

Recipe type: dessert, breakfast, snack

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 6 mins

Total time: 11 mins

Serves: 2

Thick, creamy, spoonable hot chocolate like that served with churros in Spain. It’s very like a hot chocolate pudding. Whatever you call it it is delicious.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
2-4 tablespoons sugar, or more, depending on sweet you like it (I prefer raw sugar for the caramel-like flavor it imparts here.)
4 tablespoons good quality Dutch process cocoa powder
2-4 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch (use less for a more drinkable product and more for a thick, pudding-like finish.)
Optional, for garnish:
Whipped Cream
Shaved Chocolate
Cinnamon Sugar
Graham Crackers or Pretzels for dipping

Instructions

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and arrowroot powder or cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Take care to smash any lumps. Whisk the milk into the powder. The powder will not dissolve in the milk, so don’t worry. The goal is to simply to mix it at this point. Place the pan over a medium flame or heat and whisk constantly. Watch for the following changes. First, the powder will dissolve and it will begin to look like chocolate milk. Next, the mixture will darken and begin to thicken slightly; Take care to scrape the whisk across the bottom and sides at this point to prevent scorching. Finally, the mixture will become very bubbly and thick. When it reaches this point, remove the pot from the burner immediately.
Spoon or ladle immediately into serving dishes. Garnish as desired.

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Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Chocolate, Desserts, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: Breakfast, dark chocolate, dessert, kid friendly, kids, quick and easy, quick meal

Bacon Jam, Avocado and Gorgonzola and Toasted Waffle Sandwiches | My Elvis Sandwich

January 27, 2011 by Rebecca 14 Comments

WARNING: This sandwich is dangerous. It is potentially habit-forming.

I apologize for what I’m about to introduce to you. Truly. Deeply. From the bottom of my bacon-enlarged bottom. I’d say my heart, but my bottom’s bigger, especially after discovering these sandwiches. And that’s a fact. Low-fat? Heck no. Loaded with whole-grains? No way. Low in sodium? Er, uh uh. There’s nothing at all redeeming about these other than the fact that they taste so darned good. Sometimes, though, that just has to be enough.

You might recall the bacon jam post of last week. (If you haven’t read it yet, hie thee hence and pronto! It’s going to change your life.)

Let me tell you a little story. Earlier this week, my husband went on a business trip. The minions, they were crushed. Then they got surly. And a house full of surly boys is no place for a tired mama. I thought fast and promised something I knew would turn the tide: waffles for dinner. It worked like a charm*. All the stink-eyes brightened up and there was much anticipation. The rest of the day was smooth as an egg.

*Yes. My children are that fickle.

At four o’clock, I realized something. I didn’t want waffles. At all. I wanted jangsanjeok or broccoli soup. But there was no way out; I had used the “P” word. I was crushed. Then I got surly.

Then I got inspired.

My hand brushed against the bacon jam while I was reaching for the pork sausage in the refrigerator. Then an avocado and a hunk of Gorgonzola magically appeared in front of my eyes. Well, they were right at eye level on the shelf, but -hey!- at least I noticed them. That was a minor miracle on that particular day.

Don’t you just love it when food speaks to you? The best things come when you least expect them. I was irritable, I was tired, I was hungry and the happiest sandwich in the world practically fell into my lap. Savoury and sweet bacon jam on toasted, crispy buttermilk waffles with perfectly ripe avocado slices and Gorgonzola cheese stuffed inside.

Great googly moogly!

This is my own personal Elvis Sandwich. Fried peanut butter, banana and bacon? Eh, alright. Elvis was onto something. But if he had ever had one of these he would’ve been converted in an instant. He would’ve started singing.

“Love me tender, love me true. Never let me go…”

Forget my warning. You need to get yourself one (or more) of these. Right. Now.

I never said I was high-class, that would just be a lie. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make myself another sandwich. I think I’d better stay away from the white bedazzled jumpsuits.

Bacon Jam, Avocado and Gorgonzola and Toasted Waffle Sandwiches | My Elvis Sandwich

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients per Sandwich:

2 leftover buttermilk waffles
up to 2 tablespoons bacon jam (recipe available here), slightly warmed
1/2 of a perfectly ripe avocado, sliced into strips
1-2 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium high heat. Lay the waffles on the surface of the pan and toast for about 1 minute. Flip the waffles over to toast the other side. Immediately spread up to 1 tablespoon of bacon jam on each waffle. Toast the second side of the waffles until golden brown and crisp. Transfer waffles over to a cutting board or plate. Sprinkle half of the Gorgonzola over the jam side of one waffle, top with avocado slices, and the rest of the Gorgonzola cheese.

Add the second waffle. Eat. Repeat.

One more time, please let me apologize for introducing you to this. I do. I’m so sorry.

What? No. I’m not laughing evilly right now.

bwahahahahaha

Bacon Jam, Avocado and Gorgonzola and Toasted Waffle Sandwiches | My Elvis Sandwich

Author: Rebecca Lindamood

Recipe type: Main, Lunch, Snack

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 1

Elvis had his sandwich and I have mine. Smoky, savoury, sweet bacon jam on toasted waffles with creamy avocado and melting Gorgonzola cheese. Love me tender!

Ingredients

2 leftover buttermilk waffles
up to 2 tablespoons bacon jam (recipe available here), slightly warmed
½ of a perfectly ripe avocado, sliced into strips
1-2 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Instructions

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium high heat. Lay the waffles on the surface of the pan and toast for about 1 minute. Flip the waffles over to toast the other side. Immediately spread up to 1 tablespoon of bacon jam on each waffle. Toast the second side of the waffles until golden brown and crisp. Transfer waffles over to a cutting board or plate. Sprinkle half of the Gorgonzola over the jam side of one waffle, top with avocado slices, the rest of the Gorgonzola cheese and the second waffle. Eat. Repeat.

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Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Charcuterie, Main Dish, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: Bacon marmalade, buttermilk waffles, frozen waffles, quick lunch, ripe avocado

Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins

January 25, 2011 by Rebecca 19 Comments

I got a bit of an unpleasant surprise while reading cereal box ingredient lists at the store the other day.

Let me back-track for just a moment or two, though. For years upon years upon years, drawing close to a decade and a half, I’ve been making a particular bran muffin. More of a Bran-ish muffin really… Why Bran-ish? Because it doesn’t fit in the normal bran muffin box. It’s lighter both in color and gut-bombability than the average bran muffin, gently sweet and über-easy. In fact, it’s simpler and more convenient than just about any other muffin in existence (aside from the ones you buy.) No cutting in of fats, no measuring ingredients with bleary eyes and un-caffeinated hands in the morning, no hungry children curled around your feet moaning while you try to rustle up breakfast*. Mix your wet ingredients, mix your dry ingredients, mix them together and stash in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. No joke.

*This recipe does not come with a guarantee that your children will wait patiently for the muffins. Mine don’t. I guess I should’ve just left that out. I got carried away. Please forgive me.

You may have encountered a version of this recipe before on the cereal box of a major breakfast cold-cereal manufacturer. It’s been around for what seems like eons. But this is where my unpleasant surprise popped into play.

I grabbed a box of my normal All-Bran and perused the ingredient list. HFCS. Ack. It’s presence had escaped my notice previously but once I know it’s there, I don’t buy*. I checked the store brand version. HFCS. I checked plain old bran flakes from all possible manufacturers. HFCS. Double Ack. I decided to play around with other cereals… Fiber One didn’t have HFCS nor did the store brand version of Fiber One. I opted for the store brand. Before you balk, Wegman’s (cue heavenly chorus singing the attributes of Wegman’s) store brands are almost always as good as or better than major manufacturer’s products.

*I am aware that educated people disagree on the matter of whether High Fructose Corn Syrup is a health hazard. Good people can disagree. I have read a great many research studies on the subject and decided that there is enough uncertainty to make me feel better eliminating as much of it from my family’s diet as possible.

I came home, mixed up my muffin batter and commenced griping my story to The Evil Genius. He grabbed the box and said, “HFCS! Ha, just kidding. But really? There’s aspartame in here.”

Aspartame in cereal? Seriously, Wegman’s? EW. Leaving aside any health concerns that are presented by aspartame, let’s just talk taste. It tastes chemically sweet. And not in a good way.

The muffin batter had already been mixed up, though, and I don’t waste, so we started baking anyway and hoped for the best. In a result that shocked no one, they were grossly and strangely sweet. The thing I found curious was how the high-fiber cereal didn’t break down at all after sitting in the refrigerator overnight or after baking. When the muffins were pulled open, they looked like I had made the batter with dried cat food pieces. They were unappetizing, to say the least. I know when I’m licked.

I decided that there were two options; find another all bran (small caps, not ™, thankyouverymuch) cereal or give up on these muffins. My little local grocery store did not have anything I wanted to use but unsurprisingly, Amazon had an option; an HFCS/Aspartame-Free real bran cereal. I took a leap of faith and ordered a package of six boxes. And happy days, the cereal worked perfectly in the muffins. No more cat-food, sickly-sweet aspartame muffins for us!

Why go to all the trouble for this muffin? Well, if the convenience of having it ready to bake off in mere moments doesn’t convince you, maybe the flexibility will. You can bake them plain, as is, with the batter straight from the refrigerator, or you can gussy them up a bit. Stir in frozen blueberries, raspberries, other berries or fruits, sprinkle with raw sugar or leave unadorned. Any way you choose, they’re the simple, perfect solution to a hot breakfast or afternoon snack.

Are you having trouble finding an HFCS or artificial sweetener free cereal? Try our new favorite from Amazon. If you click on the link below and buy it from Amazon.com, we’ll get a very small commission. It doesn’t change your price at all, but disclosure feels good. Come on, gimme a hug.

Oh, and if you would like to save a bit on the cost, you can ‘Subscribe and Save’. It takes 15% off the listed price and there’s automatic free-shipping, regardless of order total. There’s no obligation past your one order; you can cancel ‘Subscribe and Save’ at any time. I use it for our coffee, water filter replacements, coconut oil and other essentials. And no. They’re not paying me to say this. I just really, really like the service! How can you beat free delivery of things you need anyway?

Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Gently adapted from the Kellogg’s All-Bran Muffins recipe
Yield: About 54 Plain Bran Muffins, or more than 60 Bran and Fruit Muffins or Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

5 1/3 cups all-natural bran cereal (I recommend Nature’s Path Organic Smart Bran)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat germ
2 1/4 cups raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
4 cups buttermilk (You’re culturing your own right? No? Try this dead-simple method.)
1 cup neutral oil (like canola or vegetable oil)
4 large eggs, beaten

Optional additional ingredients for baking:

frozen berries, small pieces of frozen stone fruits such as peaches or plums, or small diced apples or pears
chocolate chips
raw sugar for the muffin tops (You can use granulated white sugar if necessary.)

To prepare muffin mix:

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until evenly moist. Scrape the muffin mix into a large container (of about 1 gallon capacity or larger) with a tight fitting lid.

Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using. Label the container with the date the batter was mixed.

You can store and use the batter for up to 6 weeks.

To bake Plain Bran Muffins:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Fill the prepared muffin wells 2/3 full. If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack.

To bake Bran and Fruit Muffins or Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.

Scoop the desired amount of muffin batter into a bowl and gently fold in your chosen fruit or chocolate chips.

Fill the prepared muffin wells 2/3 full. If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. There may be some fruit juice on the skewer, but there shouldn’t be any sticky batter.

Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack or towel.

Six Week Bran Cereal Muffins

Author: Rebecca Lindamood

Recipe type: breakfast, bread, quick bread, snack

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 32

Muffin batter that throws together in minutes and is usable for six weeks?!? You bet! Have fresh muffins whenever the urge strikes when you have this on hand!

Ingredients

5⅓ cups all-natural bran cereal (I recommend Nature’s Path Organic Smart Bran)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat germ
2¼ cups raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
4 cups buttermilk (You’re culturing your own right? No? Try this dead-simple method.)
1 cup neutral oil (like canola or vegetable oil)
4 large eggs, beaten
Optional additional ingredients for baking:
frozen berries, small pieces of frozen stone fruits such as peaches or plums, or small diced apples or pears
chocolate chips
raw sugar for the muffin tops (You can use granulated white sugar if necessary.)

Instructions

To prepare muffin mix:
In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until evenly moist. Scrape the muffin mix into a large container (of about 1 gallon capacity or larger) with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using. Label the container with the date the batter was mixed. You can store and use the batter for up to 6 weeks.
To bake Plain Bran Muffins:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Fill the prepared muffin wells ⅔ full. If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack.
To bake Bran and Fruit Muffins or Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tins with paper sleeves or spray the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.
Scoop the desired amount of muffin batter into a bowl and gently fold in your chosen fruit or chocolate chips.
Fill the prepared muffin wells ⅔ full. If desired, sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.
Bake for 15-20 minutes for standard sized muffins or 10-12 minutes for mini-muffins. Muffins are done when a straw, skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. There may be some fruit juice on the skewer, but there shouldn’t be any sticky batter.
Allow muffins to rest in the tins for 5 minutes then gently turn out onto a cooling rack.

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Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: blueberries, Breakfast, budget friendly, dessert, Frugal Food, kid friendly, kids, quick and easy, quick meal

Jangsanjeok | Korean Simmered Teriyaki Style Beef Patties

January 21, 2011 by Rebecca 22 Comments

I got goodies in the mail this week. Score! It was a massive package of unexpected food-related goodies from my brother and his wife in Korea. Hat trick! In this magical box, Nate and Sun Hwa packed ramen, Korean coffee, laver, spicy tuna and a fantastic Korean foods cookbook. I promise I will cook my way through the book eventually, but the thing that jumped off the pages and screamed “EAT ME!” the most was the luscious looking Jangsanjeok.

There was no accompanying description of the dish, but the ingredients spoke for themselves; beef, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, green onions, honey. Oh my, yes. When someone says, “What sounds good to you for dinner?” my brain steers -on auto pilot- to some combination of those tastes. Those are my flavors.

There might not have been a description, but there was a photo and it was glorious. Small squares of beef in a sticky, dark mahogany sauce dusted with chopped nuts. Heck to the yes. The sauce was so deeply colored that it was almost black. I needed this badly. A closer study of the ingredient list revealed that I had everything (or a decent substitute for everything) required by the recipe.

My first attempt was, while satisfactory, not spectacular. I found the quantities specified to yield a dish that was too salty for my tastes. I love salt. I’m obsessed with salt. I collect varieties of salt. I bleed salt. But the way I wanted to eat the dish -pretty little sticky squares of garlicky beef perched atop a bed of steamy rice- didn’t work. When the beef was nibbled at delicately in between bites of banchan and rice, it worked just dandy.

However…

Delicate nibbling does not seem to be the favored approach at our dinner table. I liken my boys’ eating more to a contest. It’s not a contest between brothers, oh no. It’s a personal challenge. You can almost see them thinking, “If I eat this quickly and quietly, she will keep giving me more food. Need more food.”

This is hogwash as my children eat nearly constantly from waking to sleeping. I regret introducing them to Lord of the Rings so early in life. They now feel it is their birthright to eat breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper. If one of the seven is omitted the weeping and moaning and gnashing of teeth is Biblical in proportion. I’m fairly certain they all must have tapeworms. And this brings me to my point…

Eaten in the mode of my sons, the salt in this dish was overwhelming. I modified the recipe to reduce the salt content in the sauce and was thrilled. The raw sugar I prefer in this dish gives it a subtle molassesy flavor and contributes to the gorgeous lacquered appearance of the beef patties. Finally, I threw sesame seeds over everything for a little pop of that wondrous toasty, nutty sesame flavor.

Redolent with flavor, beautiful to the eye, family-friendly, simple and economical to prepare, and made with ingredients that are easy to find, Jangsanjeok is now a part of our regular meal rotation.

I think everyone should blow a collective kiss toward Daegu, Korea right now. Thank you, Nate and Sun Hwa!

Jangsanjeok | Korean Simmered Teriyaki Style Beef Patties

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Adapted from ‘A Korean Mother’s Cooking Notes’

Ingredients for Beef Patties:

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon finely minced green onion
1 tablespoon finely minced (or pressed in a garlic press) garlic
4 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Simmering Sauce:

5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice
6 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
2 tablespoons honey
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1-1/2″ piece of ginger, thinly sliced*
3 whole small dried red chilis (can substitute 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, can also reduce to suit heat preferences.)
2 whole green onions, ends trimmed

Optional for Garnish:

Toasted Sesame Seeds
Minced Green Onions

*If you like the idea of having fine threads of cooked ginger adhered to your food with a sticky sauce (and I do, oh, I do!), peel and julienne the ginger before adding to the pot. If you’d prefer no ‘stuff’ sticking to your food (alas, this is my three youngest children’s preference…) simply slice the ginger into thin coin-shaped pieces before adding with other ingredients.

Preheat oven to broil (High Broil if your oven allows you to differentiate) with the oven rack between 6 to 8 inches from the heating element. (Alternately, you can heat your gas grill to High or lay a bed of hot coals in your charcoal grill.)

Combine beef with all the other patty ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Mix well with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Divide the meat into two portions. Pat each portion into a square or rectangle that is about 1/2″ thick on a rimmed baking sheet. The patties do not have to be shaped perfectly, but try your best to get them evenly thick in order to promote even cooking.

Broil or grill the beef for about 3 minutes on the first side. Carefully flip to prevent breakage. One spatula underneath and one spatula pressed lightly against the top works well for the manoeuver. Return the patty to the broiler or grill and cook until cooked through. This took 4 more minutes under my broiler. Do not give in to the temptation to cook the beef rare or medium. (It will become tender later as it simmers in the sauce.) Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely.

While patties cool, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a large skillet or braising pot.

When the patties are completely cool, cut into squares that are about 1-inch to 1 1/2-inches in size. Bring the sauce ingredients to a boil over medium high. Stir well, then add the patties to the sauce. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, basting the patties and turning occasionally, until the sauce has been reduced, is thick and syrupy and has been mostly absorbed.

These can be served over rice with ginger scallion sauce, as a snack, or as part of the banchan in a traditional Korean meal. I like a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Jangsanjeok | Korean Simmered Teriyaki Style Beef Patties

Author: Rebecca Lindamood

Recipe type: Main

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

Try out this Korean classic tonight. Chances are you have everything you need for these small squares of beef in a sticky, dark, garlicky sauce served on rice.

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon finely minced green onion
1 tablespoon finely minced (or pressed in a garlic press) garlic
4 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for Simmering Sauce:
5 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice
6 tablespoons raw sugar (can substitute white granulated sugar if necessary)
2 tablespoons honey
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1-1/2″ piece of ginger, thinly sliced*
3 whole small dried red chilis (can substitute 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, can also reduce to suit heat preferences.)
2 whole green onions, ends trimmed
Optional for Garnish:
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Minced Green Onions

Instructions

Preheat oven to broil (High Broil if your oven allows you to differentiate) with the oven rack between 6 to 8 inches from the heating element. (Alternately, you can heat your gas grill to High or lay a bed of hot coals in your charcoal grill.)
Combine beef with all the other patty ingredients in a medium size bowl. Mix well with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Divide the meat into two portions. Pat each portion into a square or rectangle that is about ½” thick on a rimmed baking sheet. The patties do not have to be shaped perfectly, but try your best to get them evenly thick in order to promote even cooking.
Broil or grill the beef for about 3 minutes on the first side. Carefully flip to prevent breakage. One spatula underneath and one spatula pressed lightly against the top works well for the manoeuver. Return the patty to the broiler or grill and cook until cooked through. This took 4 more minutes under my broiler. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely.
While patties cool, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a large skillet or braising pot.
When the patties are completely cool, cut into squares that are about 1-inch to 1½-inches in size. Bring the sauce ingredients to a boil over medium high. Stir well, then add the patties to the sauce. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, basting the patties and turning occasionally, until the sauce has been reduced, is thick and syrupy and has been mostly absorbed.
These can be served over rice with ginger scallion sauce, as a snack, or as part of the banchan in a traditional Korean meal. I like them with a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.

Notes

If you like the idea of having fine threads of cooked ginger adhered to your food with a sticky sauce (and I do, oh, I do!), peel and julienne the ginger before adding to the pot. If you’d prefer no ‘stuff’ sticking to your food (alas, this is my three youngest children’s preference…) simply slice the ginger into thin coin-shaped pieces before adding with other ingredients.

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, kid food, Korean Food, Main Dish, Meat, Party Food, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: banchan, budget friendly, Frugal Food, kid friendly, kids, Korean, party food, quick and easy, traditional food

Bacon Jam (a.k.a. Oooh-Mommy! Jam)

January 17, 2011 by Rebecca 105 Comments

You know food is going to make you happy when it smiles at you. (Probably could’ve made a buck selling a smiling egg yolk on eBay, but honey? There was no way I was walking away from this breakfast. And even if I did, there were twelve people waiting to take over the job for me this morning.)

My love of bacon has been pretty well documented (proof of my bacon-obsession) but I can honestly tell you that today’s recipe, Bacon Jam, is the my favorite way I’ve ever eaten it.

I’m just going to say right here -at the beginning- that this is one of the hardest pieces I’ve ever written. I’ve flogged my brain for hours, but the fact is, there aren’t enough superlatives to describe how core-shakingly good this bacon jam is. It is umami jam. It is Ooo-Mommy jam.

Since every way I conceived to ‘splain this jam ends up sounded like a big, fat cliche in my brain (lip-smacking, mouth-watering, etc…) I thought a few anecdotes about the power of this Ooooh-Mommy, holy-cow, sweet-crappy-pappy-this-is-good jam might do the job.

While this jam was cooking, a neighbor (who we haven’t met in the three years we’ve lived here) came over to introduce himself. He didn’t say as much, but I assume the smell drew him since he kept looking over at the stove where my pot of bacon jam bubbled away. He left as a friend. He’ll be back. I’m sure of it.
I was chatting with my friend, Krysta, who lives on the opposite coast, telling her how the scent of the cooking jam made me want to gnaw my own leg off at the ankle. She realized she had the ingredients and decided to make it right then and there. Within an hour she was drooling all over the place. Ask her. She’ll tell you.
When my beloved, The Evil Genius, tasted Bacon Jam for the first time, his eyes rolled back into his head and he said, “Ooooh- Mommy.” While my husband is a food guy, those are reactions that he just doesn’t have. That equals spectacular food.
We had a grown-up slumber party last night (Okay, not just grown-ups. Four adults and nine children. The kids were tucked in and it was party time, Foodie With Family style. We were hard-core. We broke out the Gilbert and Sullivan and sang along. You haven’t played a drinking game until you have to take a sip every time someone in ‘Pirates of Penzance’ says ‘duty’!) This morning, breakfast was toasted slabs of fresh homemade bread smeared with bacon jam that we heated in a cast-iron frying pan next to sunny side up eggs. Our friends and their kids have now moved into our house.

Speaking of these friends… While we collectively munched our breakfasts, our dear Daytons, Pamela and Jon, helped us hash out just why a Bacon Jam topped piece of toast with a fried egg was superior to the traditional fare of bacon, eggs, and toast. Jon observed that with Bacon Jam and fried egg on toast, you get the taste of bacon, egg, and toast in every bite. Because of his keen insight, he got double rations and the ability to choose the keyword the next time we all indulge in our Gilbert and Sullivan proclivities.

This post is special for one other reason. The aforementioned Krysta happens to have a pretty stylin’ food blog. You have read Evil Chef Mom, right? I really did tease her about the salty, sweet, meaty, maple-y, coffee-tinged dutch-oven-of-joy that I had just created, and she really did inventory her pantry and chill-chest and make her own batch. We waxed rhapsodic over our new discovery. And more than that, we decided that we both needed to post this at the very same time, because Bacon Jam turned us into giddy little teenage girls who buy and wear matching Johnny Depp* t-shirts. Hop on over to Evil Chef Mom and read Krysta’s reflections on the recipe. She tried the recipe using Martha Stewart’s original instructions (using a slow-cooker.)

*Or somebody. But probably Johnny Depp. Because he could be the Bacon Jam of actors. Or not. But probably he is.

You can join the Bacon Jam Club, Krysta and I aren’t exclusive. We want the whole world to know this joy. Just be warned, once you try it, it’s like the mob. There’s no going back.

Bacon Jam (a.k.a. Oooh-Mommy Jam)

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Inspired by Martha Stewart and The Perfect Pantry

Yield: About 6 cups. (You can easily halve this recipe.)

Ingredients:

3 pounds bacon
4 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife or a pan and peeled
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups very strong brewed black coffee
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bacon slices into one inch strips. Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid.*

*Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator. That’s too much flavor to trash!

Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic.

Stir well and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.

Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren’t sticking, adding 1/4 cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade. Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the Bacon Jam is a spreadable consistency. Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one month or the freezer for up to six months!

Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.

I do believe that breakfast just doesn’t get much better than this…

5.0 from 17 reviews

Bacon Jam

Author: Rebecca Lindamood

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 32

Salty, meaty, chewy, sweet, savoury, smoky, bacony goodness. Bacon is crisped and made into the ultimate breakfast spread with maple syrup, onions, coffee, brown sugar and pepper.

Ingredients

3 pounds bacon
4 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife or a pan and peeled
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
1½ cups very strong brewed black coffee
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cut the bacon slices into one inch strips. Add the bacon to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings into a heat-proof jar with a tight-fitting lid.*
*Save the bacon drippings in the refrigerator. That’s too much flavor to trash!
Place the Dutch oven back over the medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Stir well and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the onions are mostly translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and drop heat again, this time to low.
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil hard for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, stir the browned bacon into the onions and liquid.
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure things aren’t sticking, adding ¼ cup of water if it seems to be drying out. When the onions are meltingly soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, remove the dutch oven from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the Dutch oven to the work bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a blade. Fit the lid in place and pulse several times or until the Bacon Jam is a spreadable consistency. Scrape into a jar (or jars) or a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Can be served cold, room temperature or warmed.

Notes

The bacon jam could take up to 3 hours to reduce to a syrupy consistency. Just stick with it!

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast Foods, Camping Food, Charcuterie, Component Foods, Condiments, Eggs, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Meat, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: bacon jam, Bacon marmalade, budget friendly, food gift, Food gifts, Food Preservation, Frugal Food, frugal gifts, kid friendly, kids, party food

15 Ways to Eat Your Popcorn

January 14, 2011 by Rebecca 10 Comments

This is a reprint of my column that ran in yesterday’s issue of the Record-Eagle.

“I don’t understand all these things people are doing to popcorn. Why bother? Popcorn is perfect with just a little salt on it.” Thus said my father while we chatted on the phone a couple weeks ago. At the time of our conversation I wholeheartedly agreed with him. As soon as I put the phone back on the hook, though, my brain started saying, “Well, what about that whiskey caramel bacon popcorn? Oh yeah. And what about chipotle kettle corn? And, and, and…” You get the idea.

*As I wrote this column I had the Paul Simon song, ‘Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover’ going through my head. While I normally love this song, I had just watched an episode of ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ on dvd with Dinah Shore singing the aforementioned song. It was wrong. That’s all. Just wrong. If you don’t believe me, look that one up. A more accurate way of phrasing this would be “While I wrote this column I had the Dinah Shore version of ‘Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover’ going through my head and making me feel crazy.”

Popcorn is the ultimate snack food. Portable, filling, inexpensive, tasty and customizable, popcorn can be eaten the way my dad prefers it or gussied up for company. Don’t forget that popcorn is a whole grain and whole grain equals healthy. Because you still have the germ and bran of the grain, you retain the biggest source of vitamins and minerals in any plant. Popcorn also delivers mega doses of fiber and anti-oxidants (specifically, polyphenols) in a low-calorie, gluten-free vehicle. Of course, adding butter and cheese and other goodies does away with the low-calorie benefit, but hey… at least you’re starting out ahead of the game.

For the very best tasting and healthiest popcorn, step away from the microwave. Forget the fact that microwave and popcorn have been grafted together culturally. Microwave popcorn, like many pre-packaged foods, is full of ingredients that are questionable for you, thereby negating some of the wonderful health benefits of popcorn. When you air-pop or stove-top pop your popcorn, you retain control over what goes into the finished product: Omit any items to which you have aversions or sensitivities and make it taste exactly how you want it to taste. Who doesn’t like a little control every now and then?

Superbowl and hungry crowds loom: I can’t think of a better time to get knee-deep in popcorn. Grab a heavy pan with a lid and a capacity of at least eight quarts and I’ll walk you through fifteen of my favorite ways to eat popcorn.

*All of these methods require using a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot with a capacity of at least eight quarts and a tight fitting lid.

Plain Salted Popcorn. Add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, canola oil or vegetable oil and 3 unpopped popcorn kernels to the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid. Place pan over medium-high heat and cover. When the oil is sizzling hot and the three test kernels have popped, remove the lid and add 2/3 of a cup of unpopped popcorn. Immediately replace the lid. When the kernels start popping, use oven-mitted hands to hold the lid on while firmly shaking the pan back and forth every 5 seconds. When the popping slows down to a pop or two every few seconds, remove the pan from the heat. Turn the popcorn into a lid and sprinkle lightly with fine salt. And this is where my Dad would stop… but not me!
Basic Kettle Corn. Follow the instructions for Plain Salted Popcorn up until the test kernels pop. When you add the 2/3 of a cup of unpopped popcorn, also add 2/3 of a cup of granulated sugar (either raw or white). Immediately replace the lid and use oven-mitted hands to hold the lid in place while shaking the pan back and forth vigorously every five seconds. When the popping slows down to a pop or two every few seconds, remove the pan from the heat and turn the popcorn into a large bowl. Sprinkle lightly with fine salt and use a long handled spoon to stir gently. Be careful- the hot sugar can burn! Let cool to slightly warmer than room temperature before attempting to eat.
Chipotle Kettle Corn. Follow the instructions for Basic Kettle Corn, but add ½-1 teaspoon of ground chipotle powder to the popcorn with the salt. Stir gently and cool before eating. For more detailed instructions, see here.
Bacon Kettle Corn. Replace the coconut/canola/vegetable oil with an equal amount of bacon grease and follow the rest of the Basic Kettle Corn instructions. Along with the salt, add crispy crumbled bacon before stirring.
Bacon Chipotle Kettle Corn. Follow the instructions for the Bacon Kettle Corn, but add ½-1 teaspoon of ground chipotle powder along with the salt and crumbled bacon.
Hot Sauce Popcorn. This is exactly what it sounds like. Sit down with a bowl of Plain Salted Popcorn and a bottle of your favorite hot sauce. Shake a bit over the top, eat and repeat.
Chili Butter Popcorn. Prepare popcorn using instructions for the Plain Salted Popcorn. Melt 4 tablespoons of salted butter and stir in 1-3 teaspoons of chili powder, to taste. Drizzle over popcorn and toss to coat before serving.
Garlic and Parmesan Popcorn. In a microwave safe bowl, add 3 tablespoons of butter and ½-1 clove of garlic (minced or crushed through a garlic press) and cover with plastic wrap. Heat on HIGH just until butter is melted, about 30 seconds. Remove plastic wrap, stir, and add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Follow the instructions to make Plain Salted Popcorn. When you turn the popcorn into a bowl, drizzle with the garlic butter mixture and grate a generous amount of fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. Toss to coat, then serve.
Pizza Popcorn. Prepare like the Garlic and Parmesan Popcorn, but stir in ½ teaspoon of dried oregano and 1 cup of diced stick pepperoni.
Super Health Boost Popcorn. Follow the instructions for the Plain Salted Popcorn, using extra virgin coconut oil as the fat (and reducing the amount of fat to 1 tablespoon.) After turning the popcorn into a large bowl, sprinkle with a small amount of fine salt, 1 teaspoon of ground flaxseeds and 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes. Toss to coat before serving.
Croutons. Really! Use any of the savory popcorns as a healthier substitute for croutons on salad, Cheddar Cheese and Beer Soup, or Corn Chowder. Try it sometime, you’ll be surprised how delicious it can be.
Sweet and Salty Popcorn Trail Mix. Follow the instructions for Plain Salted Popcorn. After salting, let the popcorn cool completely before tossing in 1 cup each of M&Ms, salted peanuts, chocolate chips, and thin pretzel sticks. Store in a wide-mouthed, airtight container.
Mega Healthy Popcorn Trail Mix. Follow the instructions for Plain Salted Popcorn but omit the salt. When the popcorn is completely cooled, stir in 2 cups of dried cherries or cranberries, 1 cup of raw cacao nibs, 2 cups of whole almonds and 1 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut. Store in an airtight container.
Way Too Good Toffee Chocolate Popcorn (inspired by Heather Arndt Anderson of Voodoo and Sauce) Prepare ½ cup of unpopped popcorn kernels with 3 tablespoons of fat like you would the Plain Salted Popcorn but omit the salt. When the popcorn has been turned into a bowl, stir in ½ cup slivered almonds and 1 cup dried cherries. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside. In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt together ½ cup of light corn syrup, 1 cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup of butter and ¼ teaspoon of salt over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow to boil hard for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the popcorn. Stir with a long-handled wooden spoon and turn onto the silpat lined pan. Sprinkle a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top and let the entire thing stand until completely cooled. When the chocolate has returned to a firm state, use your hands to break into serving sized pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Muddy Buddy Popcorn (Inspired by the Chex Muddy Buddies recipe) Place 9 cups of plain popped popcorn into a large bowl. Set aside. Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup natural peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) and ¼ cup butter (you can substitute margarine, but do not use tub or spread products) to a 1-quart microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH for 1 minute. Remove the bowl, stir, and heat again on HIGH for 30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth when stirred. Mix 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract into the chocolate. Pour over the popcorn and stir until evenly coated. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar over the popcorn and toss until evenly distributed. Transfer to a cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Cool until the chocolate is set up. Store in an airtight container.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Camping Food, Desserts, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: how to make popcorn, unpopped popcorn

How to Render Duck Fat and Make Duck Cracklins

January 12, 2011 by Rebecca 10 Comments

“Duck fat! Hoo ha ha!…*”

*Like Shark Bait, Hoo Ha ha! from ‘Finding Nemo’.

“crackLINS! crackLINS! crackLINS! crackLINS! Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck. NO GOOSE!” went the chant from my children who -just two hours before- were making wet gaggy noises while watching me break down a duck into breasts, leg and thigh portions and a hearty pile of duck fat and skin trimmings.

Boy did I change their tune. Just look at those cracklins. Can you blame them?

It’s now duck town around here, people. I’ve signed on for Charcutepalooza (the brainchild of Mrs. Wheelbarrow and The Yummy Mummy). At current count, there are about one hundred bloggers participating in this group organized by our illustrious leaders.

Charcutepah-whah you say? It’s a mashup of Charcuterie (The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing Meat and the title of the Michael Ruhlman book of the same name.) and Lollapalooza (an annual music festival involving a great many tattoos and alternative rock acts and questionable behavior.) There will be one project per month (all projects from recipes gleaned from Michael Ruhlman’s Charcuterie. Meat is mandatory. Questionable behavior and tattoos* are optional.

*There are tattoo rumors. Just how devoted are we to meat? We’ll see!

It’s common knowledge that I live in. the. middle. of. nowhere. This is by choice. I like living way out here. But I do occasionally miss the easy access to some of the finer things I crave; artisan meats, cheeses, etc… So what’s a gal to do?

Nothing.
Become independently wealthy and have Armandino Batali open up a satellite store in my barn.
Learn to make it myself.

With the organization of Charcutepalooza, option 3 seemed the most sensible choice.

This month’s project is Duck Prosciutto. The recipe calls for two duck breast halves (or one whole duck breast, boned and separated.) Our local meat market had whole, all-natural ducks for $3.89/pound ~or~ boneless, skin-on breasts for $12.89/pound. Holy moly. Whole duck it was. After removing and trimming the duck breasts and beginning the process of curing them, I had most of a duck left to turn into food.

The leg and thigh quarters were a no brainer; salt, herbs, garlic and spices and into the fridge to become duck confit (post forthcoming). This left a biggish carcass, a duck neck, a bunch of fat and skin, and some offal. The offal became the teensiest and cutest little old pâté you ever did see. The carcass and neck jumped into a roasting pan to brown up then become stock. And the duck skin and fat… Well, that’s where the magic happened.

Slowly rendering the fat away from the skin and little bits of meat clinging to it left us the ultimate culinary two-fer; golden duck fat and crispy duck cracklins.

Duck fat gives you French fries that are good enough to make you religious. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, “Duck fat is proof that God loves man and wants him to be happy.” Cracklins are like refined bacon. Are you hungry yet? You ought to be.

Let’s get cracklin.

For a photo-free, printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here!

How to Render Duck Fat and Duck Cracklins

Ingredients:

1 pound of duck fat and skin trimmings (You should be able to get this from one duck after you have removed the breast, leg and thigh meat. Alternately, you can hit up your friendly local butcher for duck fat and skin trimmings.)
1/4 cup fresh water

Cut the skin and fat into pieces that are roughly 1-inch in size. Put in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pan with a capacity of at least 3 quarts. A wider bottomed pan is more efficient for this application.

Pour the water over the trimmings and place the pan, partially covered, over the lowest heat possible. As the trimmings and water warm up in the pan, fat will begin rendering (being made liquid) and water will start evaporating. This will sound a bit like a gently sputtering boil.

The white fatty bits will slowly transform into lightly golden brown, crispy goodies. As soon as they reach this stage, use a slotted spoon to remove the cracklins to a paper towel lined plate. The process can take anywhere from an hour to three hours, so I don’t recommend leaving the pan unattended for long. When the cracklins are on the lined plate, sprinkle with salt, to taste, and set aside. These can be eaten as a snack, baked into cornbread, sprinkled over salads or hearty soups like croutons, or used just about anywhere else you would use crisped bacon.

Turn your attention to the duck fat. For the clearest duck fat, line a fine mesh strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. If you’re in a hurry, a stainless-steel fine mesh strainer alone will suffice. Carefully pour the hot liquid fat through the strainer (lined if you so choose) into a jar or other clean, food-safe receptacle with a tight fitting lid. Fit the lid in place and store your liquid gold in the refrigerator for up to a year. It will become semi-solid and opaque in its chilled state, this is to be expected. Use duck fat to roast potatoes, make the ultimate French fries, sear or confit meats, or whatever sinful tasks you devise for it.

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Filed Under: Charcuterie, Component Foods, Food Preservation, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: Charcutepalooza, Charcuterie, Food Preservation, kid friendly

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

January 6, 2011 by Rebecca 61 Comments

[First published in November 2009]

I’ve received lovely notes from many of you inquiring after my absence here. First, let me thank you all for caring enough to ask. Second, let me explain why I’m reposting this.

My husband and I have visited his Aunt Patti in the Houston Heights area the last couple years just before Christmas. Patti welcomed us lavishly and generously, putting us and other family members in a bed and breakfast near her home, treating us to delicious meals, making us feel at home and loved and special beyond words. Aunt Patti’s sweet tooth is legendary.

This year, my sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law and various uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews made homemade meals for her (due to her MS, she was no longer able to cook for herself), dozens and dozens of cookies, cakes, chocolate toffee, breads, and anything else that we thought would sound good to her.

We brought silly Christmas ornaments to play ‘White Elephant’ and to decorate a small tree for her bedroom so she would laugh when she looked at it. And believe me, those ornaments were laughable.

We talked, we laughed, we ate. And we ate and ate and ate. And when it was time to go, we hugged. We talked about how we were already looking forward to seeing each other next Christmas. Aunt Patti said how much she had loved the hot-chocolate-on-a-stick I had mailed to her the previous year. I promised I would send a batch sometime shortly after the New Year. I meant it.

On January 3rd, we received a phone call from my husband’s brother that Aunt Patti’s house had burned to the ground and that both she and her caregiver, Lisa, were missing and presumed dead. I was sure he was wrong. I hoped he was wrong. He had to be wrong.

He was not.

In the last three days, both Aunt Patti’s and Lisa Sanders’ remains have been found. I can’t send another batch of Hot Chocolate on a Stick to Aunt Patti. And while that’s the least of the concerns, when you miss someone, the little things seem bigger. I had failed to deliver on a promise. So do me a favor, would you? Please make a batch of these. Eat them or -better yet- share them with someone else. Patti would’ve loved it.

In Loving Memory of Evelyn “Patti” Worthington and with eternal thanks to her caregiver Mary Elizabeth “Lisa” Sanders.

Now that I have the attention of the entire state of Minnesota, please allow me to expound.

This is one of the most clever ideas I’ve seen out of the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Circle lately. (And they’re no creative slouches over at King Arthur.) In the most recent e-newsletter* from their test kitchen they included a recipe for Cocoa Blocks.

*If you’d like to receive their free e-newsletter, you can click this link and look for the sign-up box in the lower right hand corner of the page.

Oh sweet merciful heavens. Cocoa blocks. Very utilitarian name, no? Nothing against my King Arthur folks, because I really do love them, but I think the name doesn’t do justice to these little beauties. I’ve renamed them. Henceforth, they shall be called Hot Chocolate On A Stick.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick is a creamy chocolate confection that is much like an ultra-rich fudge. You can, as the new title indicates, put these blocks of chocolatey goodness on sticks for ease in swirling it in hot milk or nibbling.

Or, if you’re a rebel (or not from the Midwest), you can simply leave the squares alone and stir them into your hot drinks. Or you can go another step, as I am wont to do, and skewer a marshmallow on top of the block of chocolate.

And since we’re playing with marshmallows already, why not make them homemade*? That opens up the possibilities of all kinds of decadent flavor combinations; mocha chocolate with cocoa marshmallows, orange chocolate with vanilla marshmallows, plain chocolate with raspberry marshmallows, or pure chocolate and vanilla marshmallows.

~~~ ~~~

*Last year Val posted a homemade marshmallow recipe in our Homemade Christmas Gifts series. (See that post here!) Homemade marshmallows, if you’ve never had them, are a completely different animal than those little round foam-like jobbies you get in bags at the grocery store. They’re ethereally light, sweet and endlessly customizable. Have a hankering for an orange flavored marshmallow without the nasty food coloring? It can be done. Want a mocha marshmallow? (Just try finding THAT at your local mega-mart.) It’s only moments away. You get my drift, right?

So if you combine luscious, velvety, rich fudge with light-as-air homemade marshmallows it should follow that what you’ve created is heavenly. And it is. Oh, it is! Not to put too fine a point on it, but having these in my kitchen was the only thing standing between me and a potential sale of my children to the gypsies early career apprenticeship commitment for my children. I hid in the bathroom with a ‘Hot Chocolate on a Stick’ and nibbled my irritation away.

I could’ve taken a cup of hot milk to the bathroom with me, but I was in a hurry, people. I needed the chocolate and I needed it fast. The kids, on the other hand, found the stash while I was hiding (and small price to pay for the peace it brought me) and stirred theirs into hot cups of milk. I hear tell that they enjoyed it immensely. The chocolate rings around their mouths bore out their testimony.

Kid tested. Mother approved.

~~~ ~~~

May I recommend that you whip up a batch or two or three of these? Keep one batch for yourself. Wrap one batch in plastic and pretty ribbons for gift-giving. And that last batch? Well, give it away one at a time to your kids’ teachers, bus drivers, your preacher, the mail carrier, the elderly man or woman down the road who lost their spouse this year, the gal in the apartment two doors down who looks a little lonely, or anyone else who looks like they could use a good dose of seasonal cheer.

First, a marshmallow refresher!

Homemade Marshmallows

This is mainly Val’s recipe, but I’ve added a few of my own notes.

Follow this link for the original post and a printable version of this recipe.

Ingredients:

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or other flavor extract)
Confectioners’ sugar

Line 9 x 9-inch or 8 x 8-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it using your fingers or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil. As soon as it is boiling, set the timer and allow to boil hard for 1 minute.

Carefully pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, starting on low and moving up to high speed. Add the salt and beat for between 10 and 12 minutes, or until fluffy and mostly cooled to almost room temperature. After it reaches that stage, add in the extract and beat to incorporate.

Grease your hands and a rubber or silicone scraper with neutral oil and transfer marshmallow into the prepared pan. Use your greased hands to press the marshmallow into the pan evenly. Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.

Sprinkle a cutting surface very generously with confectioner’s sugar.

Remove marshmallow from pan and lay on top of the sugar.

Dust the top generously with sugar as well.

Use a large, sharp knife to cut into squares.

Separate pieces and toss to coat all surfaces with the sugar.
Store in an airtight container.

Now for the Hot Chocolate on a Stick!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

½ cup heavy cream
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
3 cups semisweet chocolate (3 cups chopped chocolate bars or chips)
3/4 cup unsweetened baking chocolate (4 ounces)
wooden sticks, lollipop sticks, candy canes or bamboo skewers
optional, crushed candy canes, marshmallows and/or cocoa powder

Line an 8 x 8-inch pan or a 9 x 9-inch pan with foil and set aside.

Combine the cream and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it is steaming, but not boiling, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching.

Add all of the chocolate and remove from the heat. Allow the chocolate to melt, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, whisk firmly until it is thick and shiny. You can add a few drops of flavoring extract or oil at this point, or add some powdered espresso or vanilla. Whisk vigorously again to incorporate the flavoring (if used.)

Use a rubber or silicone spatula to spread the mixture out evenly in your prepared, foil-lined pan.

Allow to cool at room temperature 12 hours or overnight so that it firms slowly.

Take the fudge from the pan and remove the foil. Place on a cutting board.

Using a knife heated with hot water and wiped dry, cut the fudge into 36 equal-sized cubes. You can either stick a lollipop stick (or candy cane) into the center of each block or leave as is. Additionally, you can press the cut sides of the fudge into crushed candy canes, roll them in cocoa powder or top with marshmallows.

Eat immediately or wrap tightly and store at room temperature.

If you make more than one batch and use different flavorings for the marshmallows or chocolate, you can use different colored ribbons to indicate the flavors. Silver for mocha chocolate and vanilla marshmallows, gold for plain chocolate and raspberry marshmallows, for instance…

Hey… Someone’s snuck off with my raspberry marshmallow Hot Chocolate on a Stick…

Oh well, I’ll make more.

Remember, it’s Christmas time!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Author: Rebecca Lindamood Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Recipe type: dessert, candy

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 36

This creamy chocolate fudge confection can be nibbled in its pure form, skewered on a stick alone or with homemade marshmallows and simply eaten or swirled into hot milk for a hot chocolate that is second to none.

Ingredients

½ cup heavy cream
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1¼ cups)
3 cups semisweet chocolate (3 cups chopped chocolate bars or chips)
¾ cup unsweetened baking chocolate (4 ounces)
wooden sticks, lollipop sticks, candy canes or bamboo skewers
optional, crushed candy canes, marshmallows and/or cocoa powder

Instructions

Line an 8 x 8-inch pan or a 9 x 9-inch pan with foil and set aside.
Combine the cream and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it is steaming, but not boiling, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching.
Add all of the chocolate and remove from the heat. Allow the chocolate to melt, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, whisk firmly until it is thick and shiny. You can add a few drops of flavoring extract or oil at this point, or add some powdered espresso or vanilla. Whisk vigorously again to incorporate the flavoring (if used.)
Use a rubber or silicone spatula to spread the mixture out evenly in your prepared, foil-lined pan. Allow to cool at room temperature 12 hours or overnight so that it firms slowly.
Take the fudge from the pan and remove the foil. Place on a cutting board.
Using a knife heated with hot water and wiped dry, cut the fudge into 36 equal-sized cubes. You can either stick a lollipop stick (or candy cane) into the center of each block or leave as is. Additionally, you can press the cut sides of the fudge into crushed candy canes, roll them in cocoa powder or top with marshmallows.
Wrap tightly and store at room temperature.

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