Our Christmas Eve dinner was my 'infamous' "BBQ" Pork Roast. I have to say "BBQ" because this roast is never on the grill, isn't smoked, isn't touched by BBQ sauce. It's a slow cooked, braised roast in a "BBQ Style" sauce. It's tasty, no Kenny's Smokehouse, but tasty!
Pulled BBQ Pork
3 lb Pork Roast, boneless
2 TB Olive Oil
1 TB Mrs. Dash
1 TB Salt
1 TB Pepper
***
1 TB Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 TB brown sugar
2 TB apple cider vinegar
1/2 TB each, Oregano, Thyme, Marjoram, Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp each, Basil, Coriander, Cayenne
1 cup broth
1 can (12-14 oz) tomato sauce
Dry the roast with a several sheets of paper towel. Rub it lightly with olive oil, then rub in Mrs. Dash, Salt and Pepper. In a large pan, over high heat, sear each side of the roast for about 3 minutes per side (and ends). Remove from pan and place in a large slow cooker set to high heat.
Turn the heat in the large pan to medium-high. Add the remaining olive oil, when hot add the onions, stir, you'll start to bring up the bits that remain in the pan from the roast, cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine. Stir and allow the wine to reduce for about a minute. Add the brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Stir to incorporate. Stir in all the spices. Add the broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer. Pour over the roast in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes on high.
After 30 minutes, turn heat to low and cook for 6 and a 1/2 hours.
It make not take that long, but it's a slow cooker and can keep going!
When the roast is done, remove to a large bowl. If the roast is tied up, remove the string, then pull or shred the meat.
Pour the braising liquid in a large pan and simmer for about ten minutes. You just want to reduce it a little. Either serve on the side or pour over the pulled pork.
Enjoy!
Monday, December 26, 2005
VOTING!
Time to vote for Cookie Collection 2005:The Rules
The Contenders!!!
Bacon-Fat Ginger Cookies
Butterscotch Haystacks
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies
Oatmeal White Chocolate-Chunk Cookies with Spicy Spiked Cranberries
Rum Balls
Please vote on this page with a comment for which recipe you like the most!
.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Cookie Collection 2005
A contender for Cookie Collection 2005.
The secret to these delicious morsels is the sitting time. The rum soaks into the wafers creating a sweet but powerful kick. Each bite feels a bit like a shot and is sure to turn the corner of your smile up in tropical bliss. Will taste great served with a little eggnog or other rum yummies!
Rum Balls
½ pound vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup syrup (light corn syrup is great)
¼ cup rum (spiced is a nice treat, a high quality rum is not wasted here)
1 cup powdered sugar for rolling
1 1/2 cups pecan halves or quarters for topping
Crush wafers very fine.
Mix with sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon.
Add chopped pecans, syrup and rum.
Stir until well-blended and stiff.
Shape into one-inch balls. Any bigger and the rum punch might be a bit much.
Let stand one hour.
Roll in powdered sugar and pop a nut on each.
Store in a tight container for three days before serving.
A contribution from DC Food Blog
The secret to these delicious morsels is the sitting time. The rum soaks into the wafers creating a sweet but powerful kick. Each bite feels a bit like a shot and is sure to turn the corner of your smile up in tropical bliss. Will taste great served with a little eggnog or other rum yummies!
Rum Balls
½ pound vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup syrup (light corn syrup is great)
¼ cup rum (spiced is a nice treat, a high quality rum is not wasted here)
1 cup powdered sugar for rolling
1 1/2 cups pecan halves or quarters for topping
Crush wafers very fine.
Mix with sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon.
Add chopped pecans, syrup and rum.
Stir until well-blended and stiff.
Shape into one-inch balls. Any bigger and the rum punch might be a bit much.
Let stand one hour.
Roll in powdered sugar and pop a nut on each.
Store in a tight container for three days before serving.
A contribution from DC Food Blog
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Cookie Collection 2005
A contender for Cookie Collection 2005
Bacon-Fat Ginger Cookies
The New York Times's fashion critic, of all people, supplied this recipe. The key, she says, is to fry 1 1/2 pounds of cheap bacon and use the resulting milky bacon fat as shortening. Needless to say, I was fascinated. Being a modern cook, I don't save fat, but I know that my hypothetical praire ancestors did. I also know that they cooked with molasses a lot. So I agree with Cathy Horyn's conjecture that this recipe was probably the result of improvisation in a country kitchen. Ever wonder what 3/4 of a cup a bacon fat would look like? It's surprisingly appealing actually--not bacon-y at all.
The article containing this recipe was headed "Season's Drippings." That's all you need to know.
***
(adapted from Cathy Horyn's adaption from Nelle Branson's Trinity Episcopal Church Recipe Book)
Mix together in a large bowl:
3/4 cup bacon fat, cooled (from 1 1/2 pounds of cheap bacon)
1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I used fleur de sel, because that's what I had around)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Chill dough for a few hours in the fridge. Make youself a BLT.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I used greased and floured cookie trays, but Horyn says to use parchment. Form the satisfyingly pliable dough into 1 Tablespoon balls, roll in sugar, and place on the cookie sheet far apart (these babies really spread out). I sprinkled a little extra sugar on the tops of mine as I flattened them with the tines of a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, until dark and ginger snappy. Cool briefly, and then enjoy bacon as you've never tasted it before.
Submitted by Katherine from ToastPoint
Bacon-Fat Ginger Cookies
The New York Times's fashion critic, of all people, supplied this recipe. The key, she says, is to fry 1 1/2 pounds of cheap bacon and use the resulting milky bacon fat as shortening. Needless to say, I was fascinated. Being a modern cook, I don't save fat, but I know that my hypothetical praire ancestors did. I also know that they cooked with molasses a lot. So I agree with Cathy Horyn's conjecture that this recipe was probably the result of improvisation in a country kitchen. Ever wonder what 3/4 of a cup a bacon fat would look like? It's surprisingly appealing actually--not bacon-y at all.
The article containing this recipe was headed "Season's Drippings." That's all you need to know.
***
(adapted from Cathy Horyn's adaption from Nelle Branson's Trinity Episcopal Church Recipe Book)
Mix together in a large bowl:
3/4 cup bacon fat, cooled (from 1 1/2 pounds of cheap bacon)
1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I used fleur de sel, because that's what I had around)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Chill dough for a few hours in the fridge. Make youself a BLT.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I used greased and floured cookie trays, but Horyn says to use parchment. Form the satisfyingly pliable dough into 1 Tablespoon balls, roll in sugar, and place on the cookie sheet far apart (these babies really spread out). I sprinkled a little extra sugar on the tops of mine as I flattened them with the tines of a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, until dark and ginger snappy. Cool briefly, and then enjoy bacon as you've never tasted it before.
Submitted by Katherine from ToastPoint
Cookie Collection 2005
A contender for Cookie Collection 2005.
Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1 2/3 cups cinnamon chips (1 - 10 oz bag Hershey’s brand cinnamon chips)
Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
Combine flour and soda, add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in oats and cinnamon chips (batter will be
stiff). Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or
until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute, remove from pan to wire rack.
Original recipe also calls for 3/4 cup raisins, but I always omit them.
Contributed by Terri in WI.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Wisconsin Delicacy
Most folks probably don't think of foods from Wisconsin as delicacies. We have a few:
Venison-Huntin' season is probably over by now. Venison is deer, when it's in the consumption phase. I've never had it at a restaurant in WI, because everyone makes it at home. I have seen it on menu's around the DC area, as a fine, extra special special. We mostly make it into sausage. Venison can be gamey...depends on what the deer have been eating all season. Corn from the farmers fields or bark and twigs.
Brats-That's not brat, as in "you rotten child." It's Braught, as in a long 'a' sounds. Awwww. Another sausage. Finely seasoned and super tasty. Always grilled. Always. You can parboil them first, so they are for sure cooked through. I like to grill mine to a super crisp, then give them a nice long bath in beer, butter and onions, until cooked through. Heaven on a bun! And yes, Johnsonvilled Brats are the way to go and they are available in some markets in the DC area.
And finally:
Cheese Curds! What is a cheese curd:
"A cheese curd is an orangish cheese by-product that feels like Silly Putty but tastes a lot better. It was invented accidentally by UW cheese scientists attempting to create an object of pure cholesterol that would still squeak. Rats who are fed this remarkable food develop an unusual capacity to polka and drink beer."
While not 100% true, it's pretty close. "But seriously, folks, cheese curds are fresh, young cheddar cheese in the natural, random shape and form before being processed into blocks and aged. (Cheddar cheese is typically aged from 60 days to 4 years before being sold.) Unlike the aged variety, curds lose their desirable qualities if refrigerated or not eaten for a few days (the squeak disappears and they turn dry and salty). This means that even if you can find them in ordinary supermarkets, they are probably a few weeks old, and inedible or at least unremarkable."
You can find Wisconsin Cheese Curds at Eastern Market...if you are lucky. They might be white, they might be orange. That's just coloring added.
The squeak is a sign of super fresh yummy tasty cheese curds! It's the moist cheese rubbing on your teeth as you chew. If you have fresh cheese curds and they are not squeaking....1) they were made wrong or 2) go brush your teeth, drink a beer and try again.
I'm dwelling on the cheese curd because in the past two weeks, I've recieved about 5 pounds of them! I was given a bag that was purchased at Eastern Market...really good, but alas, not day old! Another package that was a gift from Terri in WI. Those I haven't opened yet, as they were sealed up really well. And I just got another two pounds from my mom. I opened to taste these as they were just twisty tied. Squeakin' like you wouldn't believe! Yum yum yum.
We Wisconsinites eat our cheese curds either as just straight up fresh tasty cheese morsels or we batter them (not with too much anger though) and then fry them. OMG! OMG! You East Coasters can take your Mozz sticks and shov.......well those are good as well, but nothing like a fresh Wisconsin Cheese Curd that's been beer battered and fried to golden brown and delicious!
We have some other tasty treats, from the fresh water fish variety and the kugel...the danish kugel...oy!
And that folks is all I can say about Wisconsin food today.
Check out this site for some of the stolen qoutes from above and a "recipe" for fried Cheese Curds.
Venison-Huntin' season is probably over by now. Venison is deer, when it's in the consumption phase. I've never had it at a restaurant in WI, because everyone makes it at home. I have seen it on menu's around the DC area, as a fine, extra special special. We mostly make it into sausage. Venison can be gamey...depends on what the deer have been eating all season. Corn from the farmers fields or bark and twigs.
Brats-That's not brat, as in "you rotten child." It's Braught, as in a long 'a' sounds. Awwww. Another sausage. Finely seasoned and super tasty. Always grilled. Always. You can parboil them first, so they are for sure cooked through. I like to grill mine to a super crisp, then give them a nice long bath in beer, butter and onions, until cooked through. Heaven on a bun! And yes, Johnsonvilled Brats are the way to go and they are available in some markets in the DC area.
And finally:
Cheese Curds! What is a cheese curd:
"A cheese curd is an orangish cheese by-product that feels like Silly Putty but tastes a lot better. It was invented accidentally by UW cheese scientists attempting to create an object of pure cholesterol that would still squeak. Rats who are fed this remarkable food develop an unusual capacity to polka and drink beer."
While not 100% true, it's pretty close. "But seriously, folks, cheese curds are fresh, young cheddar cheese in the natural, random shape and form before being processed into blocks and aged. (Cheddar cheese is typically aged from 60 days to 4 years before being sold.) Unlike the aged variety, curds lose their desirable qualities if refrigerated or not eaten for a few days (the squeak disappears and they turn dry and salty). This means that even if you can find them in ordinary supermarkets, they are probably a few weeks old, and inedible or at least unremarkable."
You can find Wisconsin Cheese Curds at Eastern Market...if you are lucky. They might be white, they might be orange. That's just coloring added.
The squeak is a sign of super fresh yummy tasty cheese curds! It's the moist cheese rubbing on your teeth as you chew. If you have fresh cheese curds and they are not squeaking....1) they were made wrong or 2) go brush your teeth, drink a beer and try again.
I'm dwelling on the cheese curd because in the past two weeks, I've recieved about 5 pounds of them! I was given a bag that was purchased at Eastern Market...really good, but alas, not day old! Another package that was a gift from Terri in WI. Those I haven't opened yet, as they were sealed up really well. And I just got another two pounds from my mom. I opened to taste these as they were just twisty tied. Squeakin' like you wouldn't believe! Yum yum yum.
We Wisconsinites eat our cheese curds either as just straight up fresh tasty cheese morsels or we batter them (not with too much anger though) and then fry them. OMG! OMG! You East Coasters can take your Mozz sticks and shov.......well those are good as well, but nothing like a fresh Wisconsin Cheese Curd that's been beer battered and fried to golden brown and delicious!
We have some other tasty treats, from the fresh water fish variety and the kugel...the danish kugel...oy!
And that folks is all I can say about Wisconsin food today.
Check out this site for some of the stolen qoutes from above and a "recipe" for fried Cheese Curds.
Sonoma
I'm not really in the mood to post this morning, but wanted to get this started at least.
Lord & Lady B, DancerinDC and I went out for a loverly holiday fun night last night. Lady B asked Tom where we could go that would be fun, hip, but not full of posers and kids (i.e. college kids out to get drunk). He gave us some suggestions and we went with Sonoma Restaurant & Bar on Capital Hill.
I Loved It!
Sonoma is where il Radicchio was back in the day. You walk in through a heavy velvet drape and come into a large room with a giant wine bar as the focal point. The rest of the room is dimly lit with simple tables along both sides. I pulled up a seat at the bar and looked at the wine menu. Several pages of wines sorted by body types...light and crisp, bold and full, etc. I was in a celebratory mood so I went with a glass of prosseco, Italian sparkling wine. Yum! With the exception of the prosseco, all the wines are in this giant climate controlled case and the wine isn't poured from the bottom, but a tap!!! What fun. Wine on tap! Probably 60 wines...all very affordable! Seriously!!!
The restaurant was a bit chilly when I got there, but it did warm up just enough once the place filled with peeps.
After some wine, we ordered some nibbles. What I loved about the menu is that you can order cheese and meats as your nibbles. We ordered a three cheese board. All the cheese were cow's milk cheese. I really loved them all! They were served with these impossibly light crostini that were to die for. And some spreads, but I was too infatuated with the cheese to go with spread.
Then we ordered the half charcuterie board...three sides of meats, shaved meats...we did sopressatta, coppa(salami???) and prosciutto. All were really tasty, as were the accompaniments...the grilled foccaccia, yum! The spiced nuts...yum! Mustard...which i don't normally like...yum! And wine soaked figs....careful, they will spill their juicy on you if you don't go careful! YUM. YUM! YUM>!>!>!>!>!
We did all this at the bar. The cheese board was really a taste of cheese. The meats were a little more filling.
We then moved upstairs. The second floor is all couches and comfy and cool. The problem. You can't order anything other than the cheese board and the charcuterie. So if you want to order something more, stay downstairs. Second...the staff person up there was a total tool and frankly, had no idea what he was talking about. After some more wine upstairs...which isn't really the same stuff as downstairs...for whatever reason we don't know...we moved across the street for some quick, chips and salsa and some greasy yummy Mexican.
I really want to go back and try some of the actual dinner items off their menu...or just drink more wine and have tasty nibbles. I enjoyed this place alot. GO!
Lord & Lady B, DancerinDC and I went out for a loverly holiday fun night last night. Lady B asked Tom where we could go that would be fun, hip, but not full of posers and kids (i.e. college kids out to get drunk). He gave us some suggestions and we went with Sonoma Restaurant & Bar on Capital Hill.
I Loved It!
Sonoma is where il Radicchio was back in the day. You walk in through a heavy velvet drape and come into a large room with a giant wine bar as the focal point. The rest of the room is dimly lit with simple tables along both sides. I pulled up a seat at the bar and looked at the wine menu. Several pages of wines sorted by body types...light and crisp, bold and full, etc. I was in a celebratory mood so I went with a glass of prosseco, Italian sparkling wine. Yum! With the exception of the prosseco, all the wines are in this giant climate controlled case and the wine isn't poured from the bottom, but a tap!!! What fun. Wine on tap! Probably 60 wines...all very affordable! Seriously!!!
The restaurant was a bit chilly when I got there, but it did warm up just enough once the place filled with peeps.
After some wine, we ordered some nibbles. What I loved about the menu is that you can order cheese and meats as your nibbles. We ordered a three cheese board. All the cheese were cow's milk cheese. I really loved them all! They were served with these impossibly light crostini that were to die for. And some spreads, but I was too infatuated with the cheese to go with spread.
Then we ordered the half charcuterie board...three sides of meats, shaved meats...we did sopressatta, coppa(salami???) and prosciutto. All were really tasty, as were the accompaniments...the grilled foccaccia, yum! The spiced nuts...yum! Mustard...which i don't normally like...yum! And wine soaked figs....careful, they will spill their juicy on you if you don't go careful! YUM. YUM! YUM>!>!>!>!>!
We did all this at the bar. The cheese board was really a taste of cheese. The meats were a little more filling.
We then moved upstairs. The second floor is all couches and comfy and cool. The problem. You can't order anything other than the cheese board and the charcuterie. So if you want to order something more, stay downstairs. Second...the staff person up there was a total tool and frankly, had no idea what he was talking about. After some more wine upstairs...which isn't really the same stuff as downstairs...for whatever reason we don't know...we moved across the street for some quick, chips and salsa and some greasy yummy Mexican.
I really want to go back and try some of the actual dinner items off their menu...or just drink more wine and have tasty nibbles. I enjoyed this place alot. GO!
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Restaurant Week
DC's next Restaurant Week is scheduled!
January 9 to January 15, 2006.
If you haven't tried Restaurant Week, it's great fun. You can head out and try new restaurants. The participating restaurants offer 3 course pre-fix menu for lunch at $20.06 or a 3 course pre-fix menu for dinner at $30.06. I generally try to catch the lunch menus. I've enjoyed all the restaurants I've tried in the past.
Yum Yum, Enjoy!
One of the restaurants participating in the upcoming Restaurant Week is:
Bistro d'Oc
518 10th Street, NW
Washington, DC
(202) 393-5444
I was there last night. Not bad. Service was very casual. Lots of animal innards on the menu, perhaps to a fault. But I did have a tasty Croque Monsieur avec Pommes Frites. (Hot ham and cheese on a croissant with fries). The space is nice, I was a bit chilly from sitting next the window. The nice thing, the wine is like $6 a glass...cheap for this town...I had two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc that I really liked. Anywho...I'd go back, but it wouldn't be the first choice.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Toss in your cookies
We have five more days to have cookie recipes turned in for Cookie Collection 2005!
As it stands now, we have three contenders...I know...I know...I've had cookies from people out there who haven't turned in a recipe yet...come on kids!!!! You know you wanna.
As it stands now, we have three contenders...I know...I know...I've had cookies from people out there who haven't turned in a recipe yet...come on kids!!!! You know you wanna.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Cookie Collection 2005
A non-contender for Cookie Collection 2005.
I made these cookies on a whim in April 2003, during the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. I ate the entire batch. Ooops. I tried saving some for J-lo, but was worried they go bad before he had a chance...sorry.
Cherry Blossom Festival Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries
Preheat oven to 300
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt with a whisk and set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend the sugars at medium speed. Add the butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.
Add the flour mixture and the white chocolate chips, blend at low speed until just mixed. Add the dried cherries, just until mixed.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 22-24 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.
I made these cookies on a whim in April 2003, during the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. I ate the entire batch. Ooops. I tried saving some for J-lo, but was worried they go bad before he had a chance...sorry.
Cherry Blossom Festival Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries
Preheat oven to 300
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt with a whisk and set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend the sugars at medium speed. Add the butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.
Add the flour mixture and the white chocolate chips, blend at low speed until just mixed. Add the dried cherries, just until mixed.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 22-24 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Chicken Coconut Soup (Tome Kha Gai)
This is from Fine Cooking magazine's special 101 Chicken Recipes issue.
Yields 4-5 cups, serves four as a starter or two as a light meal.
This soup is a treasure; a quintessentially Thai dish that you can make at home simply, quickly and with great success. To easily get all of the ingredients, your best bet is an Asian market. However, many supermarkets now carry stalks of lemongrass (look for it in the produce section) and fish sauce, which is usually in the international foods aisle.
Chicken Coconut Soup (Tome Kha Gai)
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
2 TB. fresh lime juice
2 TB. fish sauce (nam pla)
2 scallions (white and green parts), trimmed and sliced very thinly crosswise
6 fresh or frozen wild lime leaves, torn or cut into quarters
OR substitute the peel from one lime; use a vegetable peeler to peel wide stripes, then slightly bruise the strips
10-12 thin slices of galangal
OR 10 to 12 thin slices of fresh ginger
8 to 10 fresh hot red and green Thai chiles, stemmed and lightly pressed with the side of a knife
OR 3 or 4 serranos, thinly sliced
2 TB. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 boneless chicken breast cut into bite-size chunks or sliced across into strips
1/4 white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed and thinly sliced to yield 1 cup (NOT IN MY HOUSE)
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk (shake the can very well before opening)
1 14 oz can of low-salt chicken stock or 1 3/4 cups water
Trim away and discard the root end and the top of each stalk of lemongrass, along with any brittle leaves. Pound each stalk lightly with one of the cans of broth or coconut milk. Cut each stalk crosswise into 2 inch lengths and set aside.
In a large serving bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, scallions, cilantro and half the lime leaves. Set the bowl aside.
Near the stove, place your small piles of the galangal (ginger), lemongrass, remaining lime leaves, chiles, chicken and mushrooms (NOT IN MY HOUSE).
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk and broth. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves ou have reserved. Add the chicken and those stinky mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors and cook the chicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot soup over the seasonings in the serving bowl and stir well.
Serve Hot!
This is a tasty soup. It took me a while to find all the ingredients, I had to get most of them at Whole Foods. Anyone know of an Asian market? Obviously I do not do mushrooms. I also didn't have the scallions, I forgot. No loss, as far as I can tell. I used the juice of one lime, I didn't measure it. That might have been a mistake, I may have used too much, as the soup was extra sour. But really, it was incredible! Lots of powerful strong flavors!!!
Yields 4-5 cups, serves four as a starter or two as a light meal.
This soup is a treasure; a quintessentially Thai dish that you can make at home simply, quickly and with great success. To easily get all of the ingredients, your best bet is an Asian market. However, many supermarkets now carry stalks of lemongrass (look for it in the produce section) and fish sauce, which is usually in the international foods aisle.
Chicken Coconut Soup (Tome Kha Gai)
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
2 TB. fresh lime juice
2 TB. fish sauce (nam pla)
2 scallions (white and green parts), trimmed and sliced very thinly crosswise
6 fresh or frozen wild lime leaves, torn or cut into quarters
OR substitute the peel from one lime; use a vegetable peeler to peel wide stripes, then slightly bruise the strips
10-12 thin slices of galangal
OR 10 to 12 thin slices of fresh ginger
8 to 10 fresh hot red and green Thai chiles, stemmed and lightly pressed with the side of a knife
OR 3 or 4 serranos, thinly sliced
2 TB. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 boneless chicken breast cut into bite-size chunks or sliced across into strips
1/4 white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed and thinly sliced to yield 1 cup (NOT IN MY HOUSE)
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk (shake the can very well before opening)
1 14 oz can of low-salt chicken stock or 1 3/4 cups water
Trim away and discard the root end and the top of each stalk of lemongrass, along with any brittle leaves. Pound each stalk lightly with one of the cans of broth or coconut milk. Cut each stalk crosswise into 2 inch lengths and set aside.
In a large serving bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, scallions, cilantro and half the lime leaves. Set the bowl aside.
Near the stove, place your small piles of the galangal (ginger), lemongrass, remaining lime leaves, chiles, chicken and mushrooms (NOT IN MY HOUSE).
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk and broth. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves ou have reserved. Add the chicken and those stinky mushrooms. Return to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors and cook the chicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot soup over the seasonings in the serving bowl and stir well.
Serve Hot!
This is a tasty soup. It took me a while to find all the ingredients, I had to get most of them at Whole Foods. Anyone know of an Asian market? Obviously I do not do mushrooms. I also didn't have the scallions, I forgot. No loss, as far as I can tell. I used the juice of one lime, I didn't measure it. That might have been a mistake, I may have used too much, as the soup was extra sour. But really, it was incredible! Lots of powerful strong flavors!!!
Cookie Collection 2005
Not a contender for Cookie Collection 2005
Poundcake Cookies
Makes 4 to 5 dozen small cookies
Pastry chef Ann Amernick brushes these tender cookies with a sweet-tart glaze using a soft-bristled paintbrush. Just one swipe imparts the perfect amount. These are best served the day they are baked.
The cookies are based on the old-fashioned approach to poundcake that calls for a pound of each ingredient. Weighing the ingredients is encouraged but not necessary.
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
8 ounces (scant 1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
8 ounces eggs (about 4 large eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
8 ounces (scant 1 1/4 cups) flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (between 1 and 2 large lemons)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack over newspapers, a brown paper bag, paper towels or wax paper to catch any drips.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter and sugar for about 4 minutes. The mixture should be light in color and texture but not fluffy.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition just until combined. Add the vanilla or lemon zest and mix for about 2 minutes.
Add the flour in 3 additions, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure the ingredients are completely incorporated the dense dough. Drop teaspoons of the dough onto the baking sheet or fit a pastry bag with a No. 6 or 7 Ateco tip and pipe the dough onto the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then rotate the sheet front to back.
Bake for about 5 more minutes, until cookies are lightly golden and just firm to the touch. The cookies will spread out; they should be a little soft, not crisp.
In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. The mixture should be smooth and somewhat runny.
These are tasty treats. Made them tonight, after staring at the recipe for sometime. If you like poundcake that isn't wet and greasy or oily, these will totally satisfy. They really are small bite sized poundcakes. The glaze is tasty, but I think what might be fun, is making a 'raspberry' glaze out of jam, as a way to spruce these up with a little different flavor. I went with lemon zest instead of vanilla extract.
Poundcake Cookies
Makes 4 to 5 dozen small cookies
Pastry chef Ann Amernick brushes these tender cookies with a sweet-tart glaze using a soft-bristled paintbrush. Just one swipe imparts the perfect amount. These are best served the day they are baked.
The cookies are based on the old-fashioned approach to poundcake that calls for a pound of each ingredient. Weighing the ingredients is encouraged but not necessary.
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
8 ounces (scant 1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
8 ounces eggs (about 4 large eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
8 ounces (scant 1 1/4 cups) flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (between 1 and 2 large lemons)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack over newspapers, a brown paper bag, paper towels or wax paper to catch any drips.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter and sugar for about 4 minutes. The mixture should be light in color and texture but not fluffy.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition just until combined. Add the vanilla or lemon zest and mix for about 2 minutes.
Add the flour in 3 additions, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure the ingredients are completely incorporated the dense dough. Drop teaspoons of the dough onto the baking sheet or fit a pastry bag with a No. 6 or 7 Ateco tip and pipe the dough onto the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then rotate the sheet front to back.
Bake for about 5 more minutes, until cookies are lightly golden and just firm to the touch. The cookies will spread out; they should be a little soft, not crisp.
In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. The mixture should be smooth and somewhat runny.
These are tasty treats. Made them tonight, after staring at the recipe for sometime. If you like poundcake that isn't wet and greasy or oily, these will totally satisfy. They really are small bite sized poundcakes. The glaze is tasty, but I think what might be fun, is making a 'raspberry' glaze out of jam, as a way to spruce these up with a little different flavor. I went with lemon zest instead of vanilla extract.
Cookie Collection 2005
A contender for Cookie Collection 2005.
I hope my heart-tugging story of cookies healing a homesick heart will win out of the more imaginative and superior recipes.
So this comes completely off the top of my head because it's burned into my brain. This chocolate chip cookie recipe is the first evidence of my foodie status. I was studying abroad in Lancaster, England and I was feeling mighty homesick. It's hard for a perky SoCal boy to break into the more reserved (until they have a few pints in them) British social circles. Everyone in my building were these totally fratty rugby players. That day I went on a trip to Edinburgh with the other American Junior Year Abroad students. It was there I met what would become my two oldest and closest friends in the world - Lord and Lady Lancaster. They were a couple from UT Austin and we actually had a friend in common (a high school friend of Lady Lancaster). We all ended up having a bout of homesickness and felt the deep seated need for a burrito. We spent hours roaming the streets of Edinburgh searching for a burrito. We were all despondent over not having found a single burrito in the whole city of Edinburgh. On the bus ride home, I suggested that we could make chocolate chip cookies to address our homesickness. this was the days before the internet where you could just look up a chocolate chip cookie recipe. We decided to test our memory and just make up the recipe based on what we could remember. Through the course of the cookie making I met everyone on the Lancasters' floor and they became my close circle of friends. Wayne spent the rest of the year saying, "COOKIES" whever he'd see me. I am still friends with them to this day and Lancasters live a 15 minute walk from me and J on capitol Hill. As it turns out J knows mutual friends of theirs. Small world.
Anyway, this is what we came up with. As it turns out we were right on the money and it is exactly what's on the back of a bag of Nestle Toll House chocolate chips.
2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 chocolate bars chopped finely (chocolate chips didn't exist in England when I was there) In one version we made in England, there was a run on regular choclate bars and we used chopped up frozen Mars bars.
Cream butter and sugar together. In England we did this by hand, taking turns until it was done. Unless you are wanting and intense forearm workout, use a mixer. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Drop by the tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Contributed by one of the boys at DC Food Blog.
"Votes" will be accepted from 1159pm, December 26, 2005 until 1159pm, December 31, 2005.
I hope my heart-tugging story of cookies healing a homesick heart will win out of the more imaginative and superior recipes.
So this comes completely off the top of my head because it's burned into my brain. This chocolate chip cookie recipe is the first evidence of my foodie status. I was studying abroad in Lancaster, England and I was feeling mighty homesick. It's hard for a perky SoCal boy to break into the more reserved (until they have a few pints in them) British social circles. Everyone in my building were these totally fratty rugby players. That day I went on a trip to Edinburgh with the other American Junior Year Abroad students. It was there I met what would become my two oldest and closest friends in the world - Lord and Lady Lancaster. They were a couple from UT Austin and we actually had a friend in common (a high school friend of Lady Lancaster). We all ended up having a bout of homesickness and felt the deep seated need for a burrito. We spent hours roaming the streets of Edinburgh searching for a burrito. We were all despondent over not having found a single burrito in the whole city of Edinburgh. On the bus ride home, I suggested that we could make chocolate chip cookies to address our homesickness. this was the days before the internet where you could just look up a chocolate chip cookie recipe. We decided to test our memory and just make up the recipe based on what we could remember. Through the course of the cookie making I met everyone on the Lancasters' floor and they became my close circle of friends. Wayne spent the rest of the year saying, "COOKIES" whever he'd see me. I am still friends with them to this day and Lancasters live a 15 minute walk from me and J on capitol Hill. As it turns out J knows mutual friends of theirs. Small world.
Anyway, this is what we came up with. As it turns out we were right on the money and it is exactly what's on the back of a bag of Nestle Toll House chocolate chips.
2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 chocolate bars chopped finely (chocolate chips didn't exist in England when I was there) In one version we made in England, there was a run on regular choclate bars and we used chopped up frozen Mars bars.
Cream butter and sugar together. In England we did this by hand, taking turns until it was done. Unless you are wanting and intense forearm workout, use a mixer. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Drop by the tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Contributed by one of the boys at DC Food Blog.
"Votes" will be accepted from 1159pm, December 26, 2005 until 1159pm, December 31, 2005.
Cookie Collection 2005
A contender for Cookie Collection 2005
"A Holiday Cookie Recipe With Spirit!"
Oatmeal White Chocolate-Chunk Cookies with Spicy Spiked Cranberries
Ingredients:
1 cup dried cranberries
6 tablespoons Scotch whiskey
1 teaspoon habanero chile powder
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, slighty softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups white chocolate chunks
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Directions:
Place the cranberries, whiskey and chile powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes or until the cranberries have absorbed most of the liquid. Set cranberries aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare several baking sheets with cooking spray or butter. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Use a mixer to beat the butter, shortening and both sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add the egg and corn syrup and beat until fluffy. Beat in the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Stir in the oats, cranberries and chocolate.
Refrigerate the batter for at least 10 minutes. Drop the dough in tablespoon sized balls onto the baking sheets, spaced about 3 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at time, for about 12 minutes or until the edges are golden. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Contributed by Chilefire
"Votes" will be accepted from 1159pm, December 26, 2005 until 1159pm, December 31, 2005.
"A Holiday Cookie Recipe With Spirit!"
Oatmeal White Chocolate-Chunk Cookies with Spicy Spiked Cranberries
Ingredients:
1 cup dried cranberries
6 tablespoons Scotch whiskey
1 teaspoon habanero chile powder
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, slighty softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups white chocolate chunks
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Directions:
Place the cranberries, whiskey and chile powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes or until the cranberries have absorbed most of the liquid. Set cranberries aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare several baking sheets with cooking spray or butter. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Use a mixer to beat the butter, shortening and both sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add the egg and corn syrup and beat until fluffy. Beat in the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Stir in the oats, cranberries and chocolate.
Refrigerate the batter for at least 10 minutes. Drop the dough in tablespoon sized balls onto the baking sheets, spaced about 3 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at time, for about 12 minutes or until the edges are golden. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Contributed by Chilefire
"Votes" will be accepted from 1159pm, December 26, 2005 until 1159pm, December 31, 2005.
Cookie Collection 2005
A contender for the Cookie Collection 2005
Butterscotch Haystacks
1 container of fried Chinese noodles
1-6oz package of butterscotch chips
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 cup of peanuts
Melt butterscotch chips in a double boiler, add peanut butter, noodles and peanuts. Mix well and drop small haystacks on wax paper to cool and harden. Enjoy!
Butterscotch Haystacks
1 container of fried Chinese noodles
1-6oz package of butterscotch chips
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 cup of peanuts
Melt butterscotch chips in a double boiler, add peanut butter, noodles and peanuts. Mix well and drop small haystacks on wax paper to cool and harden. Enjoy!
Contributed by Lady Brandenburg
"Votes" will be accepted from 1159pm, December 26, 2005 until 1159pm, December 31, 2005.
Carrot-Ginger Soup
A contributed recipe from Terri in WI.
Ginger Carrot Soup (serves 8)
2 Tbls sweet cream butter
2 onions, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Tbls fresh grated ginger
1 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper
sour cream
parsley sprigs for garnish
In a 6 quart pan, over medium heat, add butter and onions, cook until limp. Add
broth, carrots and ginger. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer
until carrots are tender.
Remove from heat and transfer to blender. Blend in batches, using a towel over
the blender cover because it'll leak and make a mess (always does when I'm making
it!), pulse first, then puree until smooth. Return to pan, add whipping cream.
Stir over high heat until hot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with dollops of sour cream and parlsey for garnish.
**Terri's comments**
I use baby carrots. Less fuss, you don't have to peel or even cut them up,
and they're sweeter. I just think they make the soup taste better.
I've grated the ginger, pushed it through a garlic press, and chopped it.
It ends up that chopping it works best... it seems you won't tend to get
the fine hair-like strands of ginger in the soup if you chop.
I've used chicken broth, boullion (sp?), vegetable broth and part canned
broth/part water and it all seems to work fine. The vegetable broth seems
to smell different when you're cooking it, I was a little worried the first
time I tried it, but it ended up tasting just the same in the end.
DO NOT skimp on the whipping cream! I usually cut the recipe in half, but
end up still using close to a cup of cream. It really makes the recipe.
Don't think about the calories, just enjoy!!
Finally... another DO NOT skimp... the sour cream. Full fat, lite, fat
free... whatever you like! It's always better with the sour cream.
Pumpkin Pudding
A contributed recipe from The Kara:
According to Dr. Andrew Weill, carotenoids in pumpkin are a group of antioxident pigments that give carrots, pumpkins, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches, mangos and other yellow/orange fruits and veggies their color. Carotenoids are strongly cancer protective and including all the colors of the rainbow in your meals can really help!
PUMPKIN PUDDING
Thanks for the contribution Kara!
According to Dr. Andrew Weill, carotenoids in pumpkin are a group of antioxident pigments that give carrots, pumpkins, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches, mangos and other yellow/orange fruits and veggies their color. Carotenoids are strongly cancer protective and including all the colors of the rainbow in your meals can really help!
PUMPKIN PUDDING
One 12 oz. can of fat free evaporated skimmed milk
One sugar free/fat free packet of vanilla pudding (Jell-O)
One 15 oz. can of 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby's)
One 15 oz. can of 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby's)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (best if you use actual vanilla extract)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Cool whip or whip cream to top
Stir evaporated skim milk and vanilla pudding together. After combined, add in can of pumpkin and mix well (there will probably be a few lumps, but that's alright). Stir in vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes (I like it cold). Serve with cool whip or whip cream on top.
Thanks for the contribution Kara!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Cookie Collection
Hello all,
In the spirit of the season....ok, whatever, humbug,....I would like to try something!!!
Thanksgiving has it's turkey, Easter has it's ham. Christmas has cookies.
And if you know me, you know I like me some cookies, OK!
I have a prize and someone, anyone, everyone is eligible to win it! But I'm not telling you what it is....it's foodie related...that's all I'm sharing!
How do you win?
Send me a cookie recipe that you've made, it doesn't have to be your own, just one that you've made. I will post all the recipes I receive on the blog. I will accept recipes up until December 25. At which point I'll open up the democratic voting process.
The recipe that earns the most "Mmmm, that looks soo good" comments will recieve the prize and bragging rights for the next year!
Fine Print:
To get you started on ideas!
*!*!*!*!
In the spirit of the season....ok, whatever, humbug,....I would like to try something!!!
Cookie Collection 2005
Thanksgiving has it's turkey, Easter has it's ham. Christmas has cookies.
And if you know me, you know I like me some cookies, OK!
I have a prize and someone, anyone, everyone is eligible to win it! But I'm not telling you what it is....it's foodie related...that's all I'm sharing!
How do you win?
Send me a cookie recipe that you've made, it doesn't have to be your own, just one that you've made. I will post all the recipes I receive on the blog. I will accept recipes up until December 25. At which point I'll open up the democratic voting process.
The recipe that earns the most "Mmmm, that looks soo good" comments will recieve the prize and bragging rights for the next year!
You ready to Bring It?
Fine Print:
- *From the time of this post until 1159pm, December 25, 2005, cookie recipes will be accepted.
- *Anyone is eligible, just send recipes to me at scotteichinger 'at' msn 'dot' com and say you're submitting a recipe for Cookie Collection 2005. Forward this post to friends & family, the more the merrier.
- *In the instance of a tie, the competing cookie recipes will be placed in the "Cookie Jar of Death" for a 'to the finish' battle, the cookie recieving the most votes at that point will be declared the winner.
- *"Votes" will be accepted from 1159pm, December 26, 2005 until 1159pm, December 31, 2005.
- *To prevent fraudulent voting, I'm contracting Diebold to come up with a foolproof voting system.
- *The recipe doesn't need to be your own creation, just one that you have made (with or without help of a mom or grandmother), provide tips & suggestions if you have them.
- *There are only two people not eligible to win the prize, but they are eligible & encouraged to submit recipes. (That's me & DancerinDC)
- *You can submit as many recipes as you like, the more the merrier!
- *To recieve the prize, you will need to submit, privately to me, your address.
- *Questions? Comments? Snide Remarks?
To get you started on ideas!
*!*!*!*!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Warm Bowl of Love
As winter has arrived, it's time for soup. Last night I made my Chicken Dumpling Soup. I know it was my grandmother's recipe and one of the few things that my mother made well. Whenever my grandmother made it, the soup was a full days affair.
Although the soup can be a full days affair, I do take a few liberties to quicken the recipe up. Last night I made it faster than ever before...it only took about an hour, maybe an hour and a half...and the funny thing is, I didn't even use some of the 'shortcuts' I've done in the past.
A while back, Giant had chicken thighs on sale, so I bought and extra pack and thought I'd save them for the "Tagine Chicken." No, I used those last night. When they thawed out, I put them in a large kettle and covered with water, allowing about and extra inch of water, to accommodate the veg.
I used 1/2 a head of celery, including the leaves, roughly chopped. About 1/2 lb of baby carrots, roughly chopped. And 1 onion, cut into eight pieces. Threw in 2 bay leaves and a few peppercorns. A tsp of salt. And because I thought why not, a shake or two of 'poultry' seasoning.
I allowed the pot to simmer for about 1/2 hour. This cooks the chicken and extracts all the flavors from the veg.
I removed from the heat and scooped out the chicken. I strained the stock and discarded the veg.
While the chicken cooled, I prepared the final veg. The carrots, onion, celery. When cool to touch, I removed the chicken meat from the bones, taking care not to get any extra fat, skin and other unpleasant by products of meat-gristly stuff. I added the chicken meat back to the pot.
Again, simmer until the veg are tender.
Dumpling. Last night was the easiest time I've had with the dumplings...don't know why. I used two eggs, and about 2 cups of flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash and some more poultry seasoning. Drop bite size pieces of the dough into the soup. They float almost immediately, but based on size can take sometime too cook. I usually allow at least ten minutes before serving.
The soup was great. Using the chicken thighs brought a whole extra layer of flavor via the perfect flavor vehicle...FAT! I did have to skim off about two-thirds of the fat, otherwise it would have been too much....but chicken fat provides this amazing mouth feel and flavor that a homemade soup needs!
I hope you have an opportunity to try this soup....I'm sure my grandmother would love to know more people are enjoying her soup.
As I think the original recipe post says, use boneless/skinless breasts for a healthy version of the soup. When I do that, I do add some boullion cubes for extra 'chicken' flavor. If you want an inbetween version, use chicken pieces and just remove the skin. You'll get some of the flavor, but less of the fat.
Although the soup can be a full days affair, I do take a few liberties to quicken the recipe up. Last night I made it faster than ever before...it only took about an hour, maybe an hour and a half...and the funny thing is, I didn't even use some of the 'shortcuts' I've done in the past.
A while back, Giant had chicken thighs on sale, so I bought and extra pack and thought I'd save them for the "Tagine Chicken." No, I used those last night. When they thawed out, I put them in a large kettle and covered with water, allowing about and extra inch of water, to accommodate the veg.
I used 1/2 a head of celery, including the leaves, roughly chopped. About 1/2 lb of baby carrots, roughly chopped. And 1 onion, cut into eight pieces. Threw in 2 bay leaves and a few peppercorns. A tsp of salt. And because I thought why not, a shake or two of 'poultry' seasoning.
I allowed the pot to simmer for about 1/2 hour. This cooks the chicken and extracts all the flavors from the veg.
I removed from the heat and scooped out the chicken. I strained the stock and discarded the veg.
While the chicken cooled, I prepared the final veg. The carrots, onion, celery. When cool to touch, I removed the chicken meat from the bones, taking care not to get any extra fat, skin and other unpleasant by products of meat-gristly stuff. I added the chicken meat back to the pot.
Again, simmer until the veg are tender.
Dumpling. Last night was the easiest time I've had with the dumplings...don't know why. I used two eggs, and about 2 cups of flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash and some more poultry seasoning. Drop bite size pieces of the dough into the soup. They float almost immediately, but based on size can take sometime too cook. I usually allow at least ten minutes before serving.
The soup was great. Using the chicken thighs brought a whole extra layer of flavor via the perfect flavor vehicle...FAT! I did have to skim off about two-thirds of the fat, otherwise it would have been too much....but chicken fat provides this amazing mouth feel and flavor that a homemade soup needs!
I hope you have an opportunity to try this soup....I'm sure my grandmother would love to know more people are enjoying her soup.
As I think the original recipe post says, use boneless/skinless breasts for a healthy version of the soup. When I do that, I do add some boullion cubes for extra 'chicken' flavor. If you want an inbetween version, use chicken pieces and just remove the skin. You'll get some of the flavor, but less of the fat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
