Instructional

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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Filed Under: Beverages, Desserts, Gifts, Holiday Food, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: Food gifts, food on a stick, homemade gifts, hot cocoa

Spicy Cocktail Nuts and a Giveaway! (Updated)

November 3, 2010 by Rebecca 76 Comments

We have a winner! Connie… You were picked by the random number generator.

“Connie

November 5, 2010 at 11:38 am

I am surprised you are out of the competition. Your recipes are so delicious and extremely helpful. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.”

Contact me for instructions on how to redeem your prize! Congratulations!

Aw, nuts!

…Or so I said when I learned that my tenure in the Project Food Blog competition was done. After a brief spell of sitting on my bar stool at my counter indulging in self-pity, I came to three conclusions.

I was truly proud of each and every entry I submitted to the competition because each one represented my approach and attitude toward food.
I was kind of relieved. I had a pumpkin carving party to attend that night and that meant I could really have fun without worrying about a deadline.
I have the most loyal, kind, sweet, and hilarious readers ever created. The emails and messages of support left on the Foodie With Family fan page were and are much appreciated. And truth be told, you guys kind of choked me up a little bit. Thank you for all your support for me both during and after the competition. You are awesome.

Now, that being said, I thought the most appropriate way to say ‘thank you’ and express my opinion about being foisted from the competish was to make some nuts. As in aw, nuts. As in I’m nutty. As in I’m nuts for you guys. As in… let’s just make these nuts already, eh?

Spicy, sweet, salty, and totally addictive, these nuts will become an instant necessity in your holiday food arsenal. You will dream about these. Years ago (and we won’t say how many because I might be having an aging crisis), a friend brought these to an event that I organized at the office*. Let’s just say that these didn’t make it past my desk to the buffet table. They stayed with me. And my friend wasn’t allowed to pass the desk until he jotted down the recipe for me. Because I’m just that kind of person.

*The aforementioned event -my brainchild- was “PigFest” wherein we spent each Friday in November bringing in dishes to pass with the express aim of expanding our stomachs to better hold the bounty that would be lain before us at upcoming holiday events. Who ever said advertising people were impractical?

Let’s talk about these nuts for a moment. You can serve them warm (kept that way in a little slow-cooker) or room temperature; either way has its advantages. You can change out the seasonings used to spice them up. You can ratchet up or scale back on the heat. You can swap out walnuts, cashews, peanuts, Brazil nuts or whatever floats your boat for the almonds. You can pour a bunch of the cooled nuts into a clean canning jar, wrap some ribbon or rafia around it and give it as a fabulous hostess gift. But what you can’t do is skip making these.

Before we go any further, let me tell you about this giveaway. Aside from the nuts, it is another way of saying thank you for being here! The nice folks at CSN (and have you LOOKED at their sites? They have over 200 of them! It’s like my own personal candy store! That bar stool link above is to one of their sites.) have offered a $50 gift certificate just in time to stock up with the gear you need to turn out the best holiday meals you possibly can. Thank you, CSN! So the rules. First, I’m tired of contest rules so we’ll keep it simple.

Da Rules

Leave a comment.
That’s it. You’re entered.
If you really need more rules, perhaps you should make them up and leave them in the comment area.
I love you guys.
Really. Those are all the rules.
Oh geez, you slave drivers. Okay. One more thing. I’ll pick the winner at random on Saturday morning at an as-yet undetermined time. Because I told you, tired of the rules.

Now, we cook.

Aw, nuts.

Spicy Cocktail Nuts

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

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
4 cups raw almonds (…or raw walnuts, pecans, or peanuts)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Emeril’s Essence, recipe follows (or whichever spice blend you prefer…)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together egg white and water until frothy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, Essence, cayenne, and salt. Add to the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Spread the nuts on the prepared pan and bake until dry, about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to separate. Let cool on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning)

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse

2- 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Yield: about 2/3 cup

Spicy Cocktail Nuts and a Giveaway! (Updated)

Author: Rebecca Lindamood

Recipe type: Snack, Appetizer, Hors d’oeuvres

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: Lots

Addictive. That’s the only word to describe these spicy, sweet, crunchy, roasty-toasty cocktail nuts. Make with almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts… You choose!

Ingredients

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
4 cups raw almonds (…or raw walnuts, pecans, or peanuts)
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons Emeril’s Essence, recipe follows in notes (or whichever spice blend you prefer…)
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together egg white and water until frothy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, Essence, cayenne, and salt. Add to the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Spread the nuts on the prepared pan and bake until dry, about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to separate. Let cool on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning) Recipe by Emeril Lagasse * 2- ½ tablespoons paprika * 2 tablespoons salt * 2 tablespoons garlic powder * 1 tablespoon black pepper * 1 tablespoon onion powder * 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper * 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano * 1 tablespoon dried thyme Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Yield: about ⅔ cup

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Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast Foods, Gifts, Holiday Food, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Non-food recipes, Party Food, Project Food Blog 2010, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: food gift, Food gifts, frugal gifts, giveaway, kid friendly, kids, nuts, party food, quick and easy, Vegetarian

Ham and Swiss with Caramelized Onion on Rye Pizza

October 17, 2010 by Rebecca 30 Comments

Here we are in Challenge #5 in Project Food Blog from foodbuzz.com! Thank you all many times over for the support you’ve given me in the comments here, via email, and on the Foodie With Family Facebook fan page. (That’s an awful lot of effs.) The competition has been more fun than I ever expected it to be.

This prompt for this challenge stated, “One recipe, 100 variations! We’re challenging each of you to put your own spin on the same recipe. How you do it is up to you. …You’ll be asked to put your own spin on Pizza. For the purpose of this contest and challenge, we are defining pizza as having a solid base, a sauce and at least one topping.” Oh my. We are in my wheelhouse on this one, folks. My middle name is “Put My Own Spin On Pizza”.

Pizza. Can we pause for just a second?

(Contented sigh and wistful expression stealing over my face.)

I say -without a touch of hyperbole- that I could happily eat pizza every day of my life. From pepperoni-and-cheese to Hawaiian pizza to Chicago deep dish to more outlandish combos, I love it all, but, and this is a biggie*, I am choosy about my pizzas.

*I mean a big ‘but’ not to be confused with a big ‘butt’ which would be the inevitable result of me eating pizza daily.

I don’t order pizzas because I am, ahem, a little high-maintenance when it comes to pizza. If I’m going to pay twenty dollars for one meal, it had better be the best representation of that meal that ever was. And -God love them- the pizza joints around here just don’t measure up. Good pizza can take some serious planning and time, but my last minute cravings still have to be obeyed. So how does such a picky-pants get a quick pizza on the nights when you really need one?

Enter the freezer from stage left. You probably already know that it’s a good idea to keep frozen pizza dough on hand, but did you know that you can keep frozen partially baked pizza crusts, too? I’m sure you’ve seen the variety of pre-baked pizza shells you pick up in shrink wrap at the grocery store near the bread section. These are like that, except that they’re -wait for it- tasty.

There’s no real mystery to the process. On days when you find yourself with a little bit of time to spare, whip up your favorite pizza dough, portion it out and roll it or stretch it out like you’re going to make a pizza. Bake it for just a handful of minutes and remove from the oven before the crust starts to color to cool. Then freeze and wrap the crusts individually. Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind when making partially baked pizza crusts:

For the best results, use a pizza stone that preheats with your oven. Transfer your dough to and from the oven on a cornmeal dusted peel. If you don’t have a pizza stone, the next best option is a parchment lined pan dusted with cornmeal or semolina.
Get generous with the cornmeal or semolina. Use a good layer of cornmeal or semolina flour on your pan, peel or parchment; whichever vehicle you use to get your crust in and out of the oven. Since you’re not completely baking the crust, it is crucial to prevent the dough sticking before or after baking. This step provides a little insurance against sticking dough.
Cool crusts completely before stashing in the freezer. This simple step improves the final baked pizza, so don’t skip it.
To save room in the freezer, make a stack of crusts, separating each layer with parchment paper. After stacking, wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap or a large, resealable freezer bag. You can use the parchment separating the crusts beneath them during baking, too.

Frozen crusts ready to be topped.

When time is short and pizza calls your name, simply pull a crust from the freezer, top, and bake. It doesn’t get much easier than that. You can have a pizza done before the local place could have delivered one. There are a couple of tricks to getting the perfect pizza from your homemade frozen shells.

Use pre-cooked or mostly cooked toppings on pizza shells. Since the crust is already partially baked, you aren’t going to need to cook it as long. That means that your toppings aren’t going to cook as long, so you need the head start cooked toppings will provide. This means cooked, chopped meats are good (as is pepperoni since it’s already fully cooked.)
Don’t overload the crust! Okay, this rule applies to using fresh dough, too, but it bears repeating. As tempting as it is to put half a pound of cheese on your personal pan pizza, it just doesn’t work. The crust would be blackened before your cheese was all melted and bubbly. If you have too many toppings, your crust will suffer for it. Resist!
Break out the olive oil. Lightly brush the outer edge of your pizza crust with olive oil before topping. This helps develop a deep brown, crackling crisp crust. (Of course, if you prefer the paler variety, this can be omitted!)

And finally, since I’m on a hint-sharing binge, I want to let you in on some of my favorite ways to use pre-baked crusts.

Get creative. Experiment a little. I’ve found that most of my favorite sandwiches (Reubens, Smoked Turkey with Cheddar, and French Dip Sandwiches, just to name a few…) translate very well to the pizza medium. Have fun with it.
Make a build-your-own-pizza bar on movie night. I have not yet met a kid who isn’t in love with the idea of building his or her own pizza. Lay out bowls with toppings and sauces and give each person their own pre-baked crust. I guarantee happy faces. (Psst… It’s a great way to use up odds and ends from the refrigerator, too. Got a little leftover cooked chicken and some hot sauce? Hello, Buffalo Chicken Pizza!)
Miracle last minute bread. I have, on more than one occasion, pulled a pizza shell from the freezer, topped it with cheese and tossed it (on its parchment square) straight onto the rack of a hot oven until the cheese was melted and bubbly. Ta da! It makes almost instant crispy bread to serve alongside hearty soups in lieu of crackers. Dunked into a steaming bowl of sausage and white bean soup or a humble tomato soup, this really shines!

To help get you started on stocking your freezer I’m sharing one of my favorite pizza crusts; onion rye. Rolled thin, this crust gets cracker-crisp and holds up well to all kinds of pizza toppings. It is an obvious choice for my favorite game of “turn this sandwich into a pizza”.

This crust serves as a perfect compliment to the flavors of a classic deli Ham and Swiss on Rye. Tender balsamic caramelized onions provide the sauce on a pizza that is so good that you’ll be ready to bake another one as soon as you take a bite of the first. And what’s to stop you since you already have all those crusts in the freezer?

For a printer friendly version of this recipe with no photos, click here!

Ham and Swiss with Caramelized Onion on Rye Pizza

Ingredients for Onion Rye Pizza Shells:

Yield: 4 individual sized crusts, 2 small crusts or 1 medium-large (note: Yield has been modified to to reflect the quantities specified in the recipe. I always double recipes -yes, even my own- and based my original yield on the fact that I doubled my recipe. I’m sorry for any confusion!)

1-1/4 cups water
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg yolk
2-1/4 cups bread flour
2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup rye flour (Use light, medium or coarse, depending on how strong you like your rye flavor. I use coarse. Rye? Because I love it.)
1 Tablespoon malt powder or sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of white pepper
2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
2-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
Optional: 1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water until frothy, caraway seeds and coarse salt for sprinkling over the edge of the crust.

Bread Machine Instructions:

Combine water, oil, egg yolk, bread flour, white whole wheat flour, rye flour, malt powder, salt, pepper, onion flakes, and instant yeast in the pan of your bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Program for a simple dough cycle and press start.

Stand Mixer Instructions:

Combine water, oil, egg yolk, bread flour, white whole wheat flour, rye flour, malt powder, salt, pepper, onion flakes and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn the mixer on the lowest setting. Continue mixing until a smooth and elastic dough is formed. Place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Hand-prepared Dough Instructions:

Use a whisk to combine bread flour, white whole wheat flour, rye flour, malt powder, salt, pepper, onion flakes and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the water, oil and egg yolk and mix with a sturdy spoon until a cohesive dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

To Prepare the Pizza Crusts:

Preheat the oven (with a baking stone, if you have one) to 425°F.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, punch down to deflate, and divide into 4 equal pieces. I find a bench knife is the easiest tool for this job. Form each piece of dough into a ball.

Gently flatten the dough balls and cover with a tea towel. Remove one dough ball from beneath the towel and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch it into an approximately 10-inch circle. A rolling pin gives you the super thin, cracker-crisp crust which I prefer in this recipe.

Dust a peel (or parchment lined pan) generously with cornmeal or semolina flour, lift the dough circle and place on the cornmeal. If desired, brush the outer 1/2-inch of the crust with the egg wash then sprinkle with caraway seeds and coarse salt. Use the peel to slide the dough directly onto the stone (or place pan in the oven.) Bake for 4 minutes, or until air bubbles start to puff up on the dough. Remove the now partially-cooked crust from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Gently pierce any air bubbles in the center part of the crust (the part you will top) while the dough is still hot. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

When all are completely cool, place each on a square of parchment that is the same size as the crust. Stack the crusts and parchment and wrap tightly with a double-layer of plastic wrap or put in a large, resealable freezer bag before freezing. These are best when used within 3 months of being made.

To Make a Ham and Swiss with Caramelized Onion Pizza

Ingredients for Two Personal Pizzas :

2 frozen Onion Rye pizza crusts
4 large cooking onions, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
a pinch each of salt and sugar
balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 thin slices of good quality deli ham (I used honey baked ham.)
2-1/2 thin slices of Swiss cheese
Optional, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard mixed with mayonnaise for dipping

Begin by making the caramelized onions: Melt the butter over low heat in a heavy-bottomed mid-sized saucepan. Put onions in the pot, sprinkle the pinch each of salt and sugar over the onions and toss to coat with the butter. Stir occasionally until onions begin to become soft and start giving up their juices. Continue cooking over low for about 35 minutes, adding a splash of balsamic vinegar any time the onions begin to look as if they’re drying out. The onions are done when they are so tender it seems they’re melting. They should be moist, but not sitting in pools of liquid. Remove from the heat.

Preheat oven (and baking stone, if available) to 500°F.

Take two Onion Rye Crusts (and their parchment squares) from the freezer. Divide the caramelized onions evenly between the two crusts, spreading near the edges. Fold the ham slices gently onto the crust, covering most of the onions. Arrange the Swiss cheese slices evenly over the top and use a peel or your hands to slide the parchment and crust onto the pizza stone or directly onto the oven rack. Bake for 6-9 minutes, depending on how crispy you prefer your crust. Six minutes will give you a softer, lighter colored crust, while nine minutes will yield a pizza like the one in the photographs here.

Let cool 5 minutes before slicing. If desired, serve with the dijon mayonnaise for dipping.

This is my fifth entry in Project Food Blog over at Foodbuzz.com. Did you like this recipe and the post? I’d appreciate your vote of support! Voting is now open. To show your support for Foodie With Family, you can click here or on the orange “Vote for Me” tab in the Official Project Food Blog Contestant widget in the upper right sidebar. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting me this far and for your continued support!

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast Foods, Getting Creative With Leftovers, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Main Dish, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: budget friendly, Déjà Food, Food Preservation, Frugal Food, kid friendly, kids, leftovers, party food, quick and easy, quick meal

Pretzel Wrapped Smoked Sausages & Cranberry Mustard

October 10, 2010 by Rebecca 36 Comments

I’ve made it to Challenge #4 in Project Food Blog from foodbuzz.com! I am having so much fun being part of this competition and I need to thank you so much for your continued support! The prompt for this challenge was: “Sure, you can take a pretty picture. But your task here is to go above and beyond and use photography to create a step-by-step, instructional photo tutorial. It could be anything from how to bone a chicken to how to make your favorite recipe, but your photos need to guide the reader through the steps.”

The only chickens around here are quite alive and would probably not appreciate having their bones removed just now, so I’m opting to share one of my family’s all-time favorite foods. Tighten up those apron strings and join in because this recipe is a must have for football or hockey viewing and upcoming holiday parties. Maybe you should make it just because you can. I’ve been known to do that…

A sausage in the hand is worth two on the fork. Or so I’ve heard it said.

That everyone loves finger food is one of the immutable laws of the universe.* Portable and filling, hand-held foods are a real kid, husband and crowd pleaser.

*The law -as written by me- states that any food that may be transferred from plate to mouth by way of hand or stick is exponentially more appealing and tasty than one which requires utensils or cutlery. I have yet to meet anyone who contests the law.

Soft pretzels and cocktail sized smoked sausages are in the upper echelon of snackery.* Soft pretzels at their best are a chewy, salty, satisfying contribution from the bread world. Cocktail sized smoked sausages offer a low-effort delectable umami punch in a cute little package.

*Their superiority is also an immutable law. I offer proof. What disappears first on a party buffet? If they are present, the answer is unquestionably soft pretzels and cocktail sausages. On another note, is snackery a proper word? If not, I claim this newly coined word in the name of Foodie With Family. I have a flag and everything.

These morsels? These are the cream of the crop. Pretzel Wrapped Smoked Sausages (with or without the divine Cranberry Mustard) combine the best of everything from the grab-and-go food world into two savory, chewy, dunkable, adorable-to-behold bites. And oh, what bites they are! This is far and away the most requested birthday, special occasion, just-because-I’m-craving-it recipe in my arsenal.

A word of caution… Make the whole batch. Don’t be tempted to halve or quarter this because you will eat more than you thought you would and so will anyone standing around you. That tray of pretzel sausages above was cleaned in 5 minutes flat. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about leftovers. But, leftovers -if, by some miracle, you have them- freeze beautifully when wrapped in foil and a resealable bag.

Don’t think for a moment, though, that in the presence of such glorious snack food that this Cranberry Mustard is a throw-away recipe. You have never had a mustard quite like this one before. Ruby-hued, tart, thick, and sweet with that mustard pop, it compliments everything from smoked sausages to venison to roast turkey. More unique than its lovely color is the fact that, unlike most homemade mustards that have to age for weeks, this one is ready to eat straight from the pan. May I make a suggestion that will have you naming your next-born children after me? Have Cranberry Mustard at your next Thanksgiving table. I have six words to say that will convince you: Leftover turkey sandwiches with Cranberry Mustard. I believe that says it all, no?

For a printer-friendly, photo-free version of these recipes, click here!

Pretzel Wrapped Smoked Sausages

Yield: About 76 pieces.

Ingredients for the pretzel dough (Ingredients and bread machine method from the Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook):

4 cups (1 pound and 1 ounce by weight) bread flour (High-gluten flour)
1 tablespoon malt powder or sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

Ingredients for the pretzel bath:

2 quarts water
2 tablespoons baking soda

Additional Ingredients:

2 (14 ounce) packages cocktail-sized smoked sausages
1 egg white whisked together with 1 tablespoon of cool water until frothy
coarse salt

Optional:

melted butter for brushing the finished pretzels

To prepare pretzel dough with a bread machine:

Add all pretzel dough ingredients into the pan of the bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Program the bread machine for the dough cycle and press ‘start’. Allow the machine to complete the cycle.

This is how the dough looks when it is completed. If you are using one of the alternate dough preparations listed below, your dough should still be smooth and elastic like this.

To prepare pretzel dough with a stand-mixer:

Fit your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add all of the pretzel dough ingredients to the work bowl. Turn the stand mixer on using the lowest setting. Keep the mixer on ‘low’ for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, remove the dough hook from the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and doubled in bulk; about 35 minutes.

To prepare pretzel dough by hand:

Add dry pretzel dough ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix lightly with a whisk. Add the milk and water to the bowl and stir well with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter top and knead until a smooth and elastic dough forms. Place in a clean bowl covered with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy and doubled in bulk; about 35 minutes.

To assemble the pretzel wrapped sausages:

Empty the sausages into a bowl for easiest access. Line 3 half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Turn the risen dough out onto a clean counter top. (Do not flour the counter top!) Use a bench knife or spatula to pinch or cut off a piece of dough about the size of a ping pong ball. Cover the bulk of the dough with a clean towel to keep it from drying.

Squash the piece of dough flat. Using the pads of your fingers and the palms of your hands, roll the piece of dough back and forth, gently moving hands away from each other. If you call on your play-dough snake making experience to get the right feel for the movement you’re on the right track.

Continue rolling the dough until it forms a long cord with a diameter of about 1/4-1/2 of an inch. Hold the end of the dough cord to the end of the cocktail sausage with one hand. Use the other hand to coil the pretzel dough around the sausage down to the other end.

Use a bench knife or spatula to cut the excess dough cord.

Wind the last bit of dough cord tightly at the end and pinch the loose ends into the dough coil. Don’t worry about perfection. You’re working with sausages and pretzel dough. Whether it ends up a perfect finished coil or not it will still taste like a dream!

Place, pinched sides down, on the prepared parchment lined pans. Let rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

To boil and bake the pretzel wrapped sausages:

While the pretzel dough is rising, preheat oven to 400°F and bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the baking soda to the boiling water. Carefully lower up to 8 pretzel dough wrapped sausages into the boiling water with your hands. Take care not to drop them from on high as that will cause the boiling water to splash. Allow them to simmer for about 45 seconds. The pretzel dough will become puffy and some ends may come untucked. As soon as you reach this stage…

…Use a slotted spoon to lift each piece from the water, drain and return to the pans. Brush each piece with the frothy egg wash.

Remember that the sausage is already salty, so use a light hand in sprinkling the coarse salt.

Bake the trays for 16 minutes each, or until the pretzels are a glossy golden brown. Remove from the oven. If desired, brush the finished pretzels with melted butter and cool for 5 minutes before transferring the pretzel sausages to a serving platter.

Cranberry Mustard

Adapted gently from The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Yield: A little over 8 ounces.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 generous pinches ground allspice

Bring red wine vinegar to a boil in a stainless steel pan. Remove from heat, add yellow mustard seeds, swirl the pan and cover tightly. Let the pan sit at room temperature for about an hour or until the seeds have absorbed almost all of the red wine vinegar. Scrape the soaked seeds into a blender or food processor fitted with a stainless steel blade.

Process until most of the seeds have been crushed. Do not process until completely smooth as you still want a grainy texture with some whole seeds. Add the cranberries, Worcestershire sauce and water and process until the cranberries are finely chopped. Here is where you start getting an idea of just how gorgeous this mustard will be.

Use a silicone or rubber spatula to scrape the cranberry/mustard seed mixture back into the stainless steel pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 5 minutes.

Whisk in the sugar, mustard powder and allspice until completely incorporated. Simmer until reduced by third, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer into a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.

The mustard is ready to use immediately, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. This is the only mustard I’ve ever found myself sneaking by the spoonful straight from the jar. Yes, it is that good.

This is my fourth entry in Project Food Blog over at Foodbuzz.com. Did you like this recipe and the post? I’d appreciate your vote of support! Voting is now open. To show your support for Foodie With Family, you can click here or on the orange “Vote for Me” tab in the Official Project Food Blog Contestant widget in the upper right sidebar. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting me this far and for your continued support!

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Holiday Food, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Meat, Party Food, Project Food Blog 2010, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: kid friendly, kids, party food, Snacks

Falafel (Savory Chickpea Fritters)

September 26, 2010 by Rebecca 32 Comments

This post is my entry for the second challenge in Project Food Blog: The interactive competitive series of culinary blogging challenges for the chance to advance and a shot at the ultimate prize: $10,000 and a special feature on Foodbuzz.com for one year. I want to send out a big “Thank you!” to all of you who cast your votes for me.

The category for this challenge is “The Classics”. Foodbuzz says, “Any food blogger worth their salt can make a classic dish sing, but can they go outside their comfort zone and tackle a foreign cuisine?” In other words, they want we-the-contestants to tackle a classic dish from a foreign cuisine. They also asked that we render said dish faithfully.

…I made another rule for myself, though. I wanted my classic foreign dish to be made entirely of items that I already had on hand. Yes, the rules require me to render the foreign dish faithfully, but I have to render my blog faithfully, as well. We do real food here, folks. The kind of food that makes your mouth, heart, mind and pocket-book happy. It wouldn’t have fit the bill if I ran up to the city and bought fifty bajillion exotic ingredients that aren’t available out here in Amish country. I wanted to prove that you can whip up a fabulous ethnic feast on items that can be grown in your own yard or found in any two-bit grocery store in the back-forty.

Did I succeed? Oh yeah. Big time.

A meatless meal can be a hard sell in this home. My crew is a real meat-loving bunch. My eldest boy once described himself as ninety-eight percent carnivore and two percent omnivore.

Let that sink in for a moment.

While I do insist on the occasional meatless meal, let’s just say my guys don’t usually beg for them. Well, at least they didn’t until I rediscovered falafel. Real falafel.*

*I’ll quantify that in a moment…

Aside from being so good that you crave it even after immediately eating it, it seriously does a body good. Made from ground chickpeas, it is packed so full of nutrients that I feel like the fine print on a prescription drug commercial listing them all here; mega-protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, Vitamin C, thiamine, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B, and folate. Not only that, but it’s low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Moreover, you know I love a recipe that’s mouthwatering, nutritious and cheap, right? Well, hello! Falafel isn’t just inexpensive, it’s dirt cheap. Score!

I spent my long-ago vegetarian years eating a lot of falafel. Back in the (vegetarian) day, I ate the stuff that came in dry mix boxes (yes, me!) but once or twice I had excellent versions at Middle Eastern eateries. The boxed stuff just isn’t my bag, so to speak, anymore. It’s expensive and doesn’t taste fresh. Mainly because it isn’t. The contest provided just the push I needed to learn, after all this time, how to make my own falafel from scratch. A little fiddling around with soaked chickpeas resulted in a recipe that rivals the best falafels I ever ate in restaurants. In fact, I’d say (in sotto voce) it’s the best falafel I’ve ever had.

While the history and origins of the dish are contested (not surprisingly) the general consensus is that falafel was originally created in Egypt. It has since spread throughout the Middle East as a staple food and is even considered the National Snack of Israel. One bite of a savory, steaming hot chickpea fritters, and it’s obvious why it’s so well loved. The crispy outer crust yields to a spicy, garlicky interior that is impossibly light for being made from such hearty beans.

Unlike most dishes made with chickpeas (i.e. hummus), falafel is made with dried beans that simply have been soaked, not cooked. That makes this dish easy-chickpeasy. Soak, blitz in the food processor with other ingredients, rest, pan fry, done. Such a small amount of work for such a massive pay-off at such a tiny price. This kind of discovery is thrilling, I tell you!

Whether you stuff it in pitas or simply serve as a finger food with a variety of dipping sauces (like Tahini Sauce or *gasp* ketchup), Falafel is sure to please even the pickiest eaters.

Allow me to set the stage.

Me: “Dinner time!”

Two Youngest Boys: “I don’t wanna eat vegetables!”

Me: “Boys. Come try these fritters.”

Boys: “Hey! Those are fried! Can I have them? Do I have to share? Can I eat it with my hands? Can I stab it with a toothpick?”

Me: “Yes.”

Boys descend on plate like a swarm of locusts in the Holy land. Silence and an empty plate.

For the record, my carnivorous crew didn’t like the falafel. They loved it. They inhaled it. They fished for little crunchy bits left on the plate. My little man who keeps promising he will like vegetables when he turns eight ate nearly his weight in it then asked whether we could have the ‘Middle Eastern hushpuppies’ again tomorrow. I’d call that an enthusiastic endorsement.

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

Falafel

2 cups dried chickpeas
1 onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dried cumin
2 teaspoons Kosher salt or sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper, to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
8 to 14 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Canola, vegetable, safflower or peanut oil for frying.

Optional for serving:

Pita bread
Tahini sauce (see recipe below)
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped onions

Rinse and pick over the dried chickpeas, removing any debris, discolored or misshapen beans in the process. Place the chickpeas in a bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of cool water. Place the bowl, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Drain the chickpeas and place in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Add the onions, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt and cayenne to the work bowl, fix the cover in place and pulse until everything is finely ground but not pasty. Sprinkle the baking soda and 8 tablespoons of the flour flour over the ground chickpea mixture and pulse again until it is evenly combined. Scrape the falafel mixture into a mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix in the remaining flour until the mixture does not stick to you as much. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cooking.

To cook:

Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.

Heat about 3/4 of an inch of oil to about 375°F in a high-sided, heavy-bottomed pan. While oil is heating, form the falafel mixture into ping pong size balls, using about 1-1/2 Tablespoons at a time.

When oil reaches the right temperature, drop about 6 balls in at a time. Fry for about 1 minute, flip the balls and fry for an additional minute. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the falafel to the lined plate.

Serve hot with a side of tahini sauce or stuffed into pita halves with chopped tomatoes, onion and tahini sauce.

Get ‘em while they’re hot, boys!

Tahini Sauce

Adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt if Greek yogurt is not available)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a blender, cover, and process on high speed until completely smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Serve over fried falafel or salad greens.

This is my second entry in Project Food Blog over at Foodbuzz.com.Did you like this recipe and the post? I’d appreciate your vote of support! You can cast it for me here! Or you can simply click on the yellow orange “Vote for Me” tab on the “Official Food Blog Contestant” badge up in the left sidebar. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Beans, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Instructional, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Main Dish, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: budget friendly, Israeli National Dish, kid friendly, Project Food Blog

Home “Sun”dried Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic

September 14, 2010 by Rebecca 18 Comments

I signed up for Foodbuzz’s Project Food Blog contest this weekend. It’s a huge competition with multiple challenges, great publicity and a big old cash prize at stake. After each challenge, hundreds of participants will be cut. I have to clue you in on something. I am a secretly competitive person. And a perfectionist. What this boils down to is that I usually don’t compete unless I know I can win. Clever and super mature tactic, right? That is what makes this such a huge departure for me. There is a massive amount of food blogging talent involved in the competition and I have no idea where I stand in this crowd. This is scarier than playing Boggle with my Grandma. But for once, it doesn’t matter. Don’t get me wrong. The competitiveness? It’s there. It’s on like Donkey Kong. I care big time. More importantly though, I’m on a mission to become a better blogger for all of my readers because you folks make blogging so much fun. That’s why I’m diving in head first.

This post is my first entry in the competition. The Challenge, “Ready, Set, Blog!” is for me to distill the essence of who I am as a food blogger in one post. I have discovered I have a marked tendency to get sappy when I have to talk about what motivates me. But it’s food AND family! How could I not?

On September 20th, Foodbuzz will open the competition up to popular votes from the public-at-large. I’ll let you all know when the vote opens up just in case you want to throw your support behind little ol’ me. Whew. Thanks for coming along on the ride.

“Love is the only cure for irritability, for irritability is only another manifestation of self-centeredness. And love that takes a man outside himself and centers the focus of his attention on the well-being of others is its only cure.”

-Granville Walker

A major proverbial switch flipped in my brain the first time I read that. The mega-life changing kind of switch that makes you look at just about everything differently. We’re talking epiphany, people.

I realized food and family are both utterly dependent on love to thrive. And I’m not talking about all hearts and flowers and goo-goo eyes all the time. I mean the real love; the love described by Granville Walker. The love with arms that hugs the scared four-year-old climbing into bed in the wee hours of the morning. The love with legs that keeps you walking alongside and balancing a child’s bicycle even though your back (and arms and neck) are all aching. The love with spine that reminds you that when you’re saying “absolutely not” to them banging that yellow jacket nest with wooden swords that you really do want the best for them. The love with hands that crafts the food that goes beyond mere sustenance to keep them all going….

I told you it was an epiphany.

Since you’re here, I’ll assume that you don’t view food as a simple necessity. You -like me- think of food preparation far beyond the basic calories in vs. calories out. If it was as basic as that, with no emotion or art attached, we’d all be walking around like Charlton Heston in ‘Soylent Green’ before his epiphany. Food is a creative outlet, sensuous pleasure, science experiment, math formula, historic treatise and cultural study all rolled into one. And like it or not, the food we make speaks volumes about who we are and how we view life and love.

In food, much as in life, the best things come with a good head-start and a healthy dose of patience and selflessness. Sundried tomatoes have long been a staple on most food-lovers’ shelves. They command a premium price at even the lowest quality and are sometimes pumped and plumped with odd additives and preservatives that are both unnecessary and undesirable. We can easily make them at home using the simplest and healthiest ingredients possible without sacrificing any of the flavor and convenience of the store-bought counterpart. And it doesn’t hurt anything at all that you can make a far superior product for a much lower price tag.

The key, as with all food preservation, is to start with the best produce you can buy or grow. There’s not much to be done to the tomatoes before drying, but -oh!- the possibilities when they’re done. The favorite mode of consumption around these parts is to shake a handful from the jar, insert directly into the mouth and chew. If that’s a little too country-cousin for you, we have more options; serve a bowl full -as is- along with thin slices of good cheese as finger food at a party, soak in warm water for 30 minutes before draining (save that liquid for adding to soups or stews!) and tucking into pizzas or sandwiches or pasta, or stir into polenta or risotto for bursts of intense tomato flavor. In short, use these anywhere you would use a store-bought sundried tomato.

Living where I do, using the sun to dry tomatoes is a sketchy proposition at best. We just don’t have enough hot daylight hours to accomplish the task before mold sets in to ruin our efforts. That’s where creativity comes in to save the day. While a dehydrator is certainly more convenient, don’t let the lack of one stop you. Your household oven can do the job admirably.

This is so worth your time, effort and love. Oh, it is so worth it.

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

Home “Sun”dried Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic

Ingredients:

4 cups cherry tomatoes of any variety. Using a blend of types will give you beautiful variations in color and shape.
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, preferably Genovese, washed and very thinly sliced (otherwise known as chiffonaded basil.)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt or sea salt

Wash your cherry tomatoes, examining them for bad fruit or soft spots. Trim away any soft spots and remove any stems. Halve all of your cherry tomatoes. If you have any particularly large cherry tomatoes, quarter them so they will be the same size as the others. The more uniform your pieces, the more evenly they will dry. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on a cutting board and sprinkle with the Kosher salt, chiffonaded basil and minced garlic. Press the garlic and basil gently into the tomato halves.

…And here you need to make a decision. If you have a dehydrator, use the first set of instructions. If you do not, use the second set of instructions to dry your tomatoes.

Dehydrator Instructions

Transfer the tomatoes, cut side down, onto your dehydrator trays. Do not overcrowd or they may not dry well. Some garlic and basil will fall from the tomatoes; this is expected. When all of your tomatoes have been arranged, scrape the basil and garlic that remains on the cutting board evenly over the dehydrator trays. Dehydrate for 6-12 hours (at 135°F if your dehydrator has an adjustable thermostat) or until they are very shriveled. They should be rather leathery and remain slightly pliable when warm but they should not be at all moist when you use a fingernail to dig into the centers. When they reach this stage, allow to cool before transferring to an airtight container for storage. stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container, these should be good for up to one year. Stored wrapped in foil and then in a resealable plastic bag, they will remain delicious for up to 18 months.

Oven Dehydrating Instructions

Preheat your oven to 130-140°F. On some ovens, this will be the “keep warm” setting. If your oven does not go this low, you will need to use your very lowest setting, prop the oven door open by about 4 inches, set a small fan near the opening to keep air circulating, and reduce the cooking time (watching them carefully for scorching) for the most even results.

Line a baking sheet (or two, depending on the size) with foil. Arrange the prepared tomatoes cut side down on the foil-lined sheets. Scrape the basil and garlic that remains on the cutting board evenly over the tomatoes. Dehydrate for 6-12 hours or until they are very shriveled. They should be rather leathery and remain slightly pliable when warm but they should not be at all moist when you use a fingernail to dig into the centers. When they reach this stage, allow to cool before transferring to an airtight container for storage. stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container, these should be good for up to one year. Stored wrapped in foil and then in a resealable plastic bag, they will remain delicious for up to 18 months.