Wedding Kuchen

2 tsp active dry yeast (reduce by 25% if using instant)
1 1/2c sugar
3 eggs
1 c cream
1 c sour cream
1 c milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2c shortening
2 tsp powder
1 tsp soda
9 c flour
pinch salt

Topping: 3 pkg graham crackers, crushed
               4 c cream
               4 c sugar

Mix a small amount of flour with the yeast (active dry, no need if using instant) and dissolve in 1/2c warm water. Stir in remaining ingredient, but only half the flour. Add the remaining flour to make like pie dough. Refrigerate overnight.

Roll to 1/4" thickness. Put in 7" foil pie tin. Pour 2 gravy ladles of topping cream over crust. Sprinkle with crackers and sugar. Bake about 15 minutes at 350*F. Let cool about a minute before removing from tin.

From Dan's grandmother Lenertz.

Cardamom Bread

170g (3/4c) milk
2 eggs
1# flour (a cup of flour generally weighs between 4 and 5.5oz)
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast (reduce to 1 tsp if using instant)
3oz sugar (scant half cup)
1 tsp freshly ground cardamom (double or triple if using pre-ground)
1/4c butter

Mix dough by hand or machine. Form into 1 large of 2 small round loaves and prove until it doesn't spring back when gently poked (30 minutes to an hour, depending on conditions). Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350*F for 25-30 minutes (for small loaves).

I frequently use 60%-75% white flour and 40%-25% whole wheat flour.

Use a Dutch oven for better rise and a thinner crust. My 3qt is just a tad too small for the large loaf--one can see where it hit the lid. 30 minutes or so at 350°F covered, then 15-20 minutes at 325°F uncovered to brown.

Slightly modified version of my grand aunt Delia's recipe.

Sweet Spice Blend

From Elizabeth David's English Breads and Yeast Cookery

2 parts nutmeg (1/4 oz)
2 parts pepper (white, black, or Jamaica) (1/4 oz)
1 part cinnamon bark (1/8 oz)
1 part cloves (1/8 oz)
1 part dried ginger root (1/8 oz)

Grind and use within a couple of weeks. I generally use 1/8 oz each of white pepper and Jamaica pepper (also known as allspice). Very good in miniature impossible pumpkin pies.

12 October 2016

Lemon Curd (microwave)

2 large eggs
1c (7oz) sugar
7/8c lemon juice (from 4 lemons)
zest from two lemons
1/2c unsalted butter

After straining, the end result tastes fine, but it's really too much work. I don't like scrambled eggs in my curd, and it's too difficult to tell when it's done. It never actually seemed to thicken properly, but it did turn out in the end. I'd much rather pull up an stool and read for 10-15 minutes whilst whisking/stirring on the stovetop.  Yielded 1 7/8c.


Lemon Curd (stovetop)

3 large eggs
1/2c juice (from 3 lemons)
1/2c sugar
4T butter (salted)

This was a pleasure to make. Yielded 1 3/4c.

28 August 2016

Canned Corn, raw pack

24 5"-6" ears Bodacious corn, picked the evening of 25 August (from Robert)
1/2tsp salt per pint

11psi for 55 minutes, dial gauge canner.

Yielded 10 pints.

16 August 2016

Chokecherry Jelly

1 3/4c juice
2c sugar
24.5g regular Sure Jell

Yielded 3c.

This one came in last. First was Sure Jell No sugar, second was Ball Classic.



Chokecherry Jelly

2 1/4c juice
1 1/4c sugar
24.5g Sure Jell No Sugar

Yielded 3 1/2c.

We liked this one the best.

15 August 2016

Chokecherry Jelly

1 1/2c juice
1c sugar
2T Ball Classic pectin

Yielded 2c.

This one came in second. First was Sure Jell Low Sugar, third was regular Sure Jell.

31 July 2016

Chokecherry Juice

6# chokecherries (from Mom)
3c water

Yielded 1qt juice.

30 July 2016

Apricot Jam

1qt apricots (from Sylvia)
1/8c lemon juice
1 1/2c sugar

Yielded 3 cups.

Pineapple Ice Cream

2 eggs
2c milk
3/4c vanilla sugar
1pt cream
Tish salt
8oz crushed pineapple, drained

Heat milk to 170*F. Whisk together eggs and sugar. Pour cream into a bowl in an icebath. Temper egg mixture and combine with milk. Heat to 180*F-185*F. Strain into chilled cream. Add salt. Stir, cool to room temp and refrigerate to 40*F (at least 2 hours). Stir in pineapple and freeze.

Yielded 3 pints. It's easier/less messy to dump pineapple in after the base, rather than stirring it in.

Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

1# ground meat (beef, turkey...)
8 oz neufchatel cheese
2c shredded cheddar
10oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
6 oz bacon bits
Couple of dashes hot sauce, optional

Brown and drain meat in large skillet. Over low heat, stir in cheeses, tomatoes, bacon bits, and optional hot sauce. Cook, stirring, until heated through. Keep warm in crock pot for serving.

Pressure Cooker Mac & Cheese (ATK)

8oz elbow macaroni
4oz sharp cheddar, shredded
4oz Monterey Jack, shredded
1tsp salt
1 tsp mustard powder
pinch cayenne
12oz can evaporated milk
(1c frozen peas)

Put pasta, salt, cayenne, mustard and 2c water in pot and bring to high pressure for 5 minutes. Quick-release pressure and add milk to pot. Simmer 2-3 minutes, til sauce is slightly thickened and pasta is done. (Stir in peas and heat through.) Remove from heat and stir in cheeses, a handful at a time, til melted.

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Adaptations/changes:
1 7/8c water in the Fagor 4qt.
1 Siling labuyo pepper, dried, instead of the cayenne
Cheese amounts aren't always accurate--we use half a block, so if it comes in a 7oz block, we end up using 3.5 instead of four.

Our favourite cheddar cheeses to date are (in order of preference):
1. Organic Valley's Raw Sharp Cheddar (Azure, 8oz pkg)
2. Black Creek Extra Sharp White Cheddar (Marketplace, 7oz pkg)
3. Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar (Cashwise, 7oz pkg)
4. Black Diamond Sharp White Cheddar (Marketplace)-this was surprising, as this is our favourite eating cheddar. Maybe we need to try the extra sharp.
5. Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar (Marketplace, 8oz pkg)-not much flavour at all.

We haven't played around much with the Jack cheeses, have just used Crystal Farms Monterey Jack and Sierra Nevada Creamy Raw Jack (Azure, 8oz pkg). And, when we did try the Sierra Nevada, we paired it with the Organic Valley Cheddar, so we don't know if it was just the cheddar that was so good, or the combination.

1 May 2016

Muffin Loaf (Elizabeth David, English Bread and Yeast Cookery)

1# all-purpose flour (strong plain over there)
1 tsp dry yeast (1/2oz fresh)
1/2oz salt (2tsp)
5oz cold milk
5oz hot water
2T olive oil

Whisk together flour and salt and warm in a low oven (285*F, 5 min or so). Mix the milk and water, and proof the yeast in a little of it. Stir the yeast and the rest of the milk/water mixture into the flour, working it into a smooth pliable dough. Work in the olive oil. Dough will be fairly soft. Cover and let rise till it is quite spongy and at least doubled in size (took a smidge over an hour--warmer day today).

Deflate the dough and knead it for a couple of minutes. Form into two small loaves (we did one larger loaf) and place on a floured baking sheet (we used cornmeal and a baking stone). Cover with a heatproof bowl, and let rise 15 minutes or so, to recover volume. Bake at 425*F for 15 minutes (we did 20 due to the one larger loaf) and remove the bowl. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

If using a tin, try to find a shallower one. Baking will take an additional 10-15 minutes. Take them out of the tin(s) when they shake out easily, and finish baking them on their sides.

If one doesn't use the inverted bowl, the rise/volume won't be as high, and the crust won't be as thin and crackling. A baking bell is another option.
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Now, this one I liked better (than the ATK version). It still isn't English Muffin bread (to my mind) but the flavour is better, and it toasts better. This one needs to be tried again using bread flour and maybe a tad more liquid. Dan thinks it's too salty, so maybe we'll cut back a little on that, too. Or maybe not.

30 April 2016

English Muffin Bread (Cook's Illustrated All-Time Best Bread Recipes, 2014)

27.5oz bread flour
1.5T instant yeast (I used 1T active dry)
1T sugar
2tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3c whole milk

Whisk together dry ingredients. Heat milk to 120*F and stir into dry ingredients. Cover and let rise til bubbly and doubled, about 30 min. (My house is on the cooler side, and I used less yeast; it took a little over an hour)

Stir down dough and place into two greased and cornmealed 8x4 loaf pans. Cover and let rise til dough reaches the edge of the pans, about 30 minutes. (Actually took about 45 min).

Bake in 375*F oven about 30 minutes, rotating pans/positions halfway through. Bread should register 200*F. Let cool completely on wire rack.

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I don't know about this one. It has a funny flavour (could it possibly *be* the baking soda, or am I suspicious of it so I just *think* I'm tasting it? I dunno?) There aren't many holes, and the ones that are there are quite small. It doesn't have the chew that I want. Also, I don't think it toasts very well. And there's not enough salt. Even Dan agrees. I am a bit disappointed; however, I am ALWAYS disappointed in so-called English Muffin Loaves. They aren't very chewy, and don't have much for holes. I may try this again, using half water half milk (more chew?), and maybe a bit more liquid (more holes?).

24 April 2016

Stone Ground Mustard

1/8c brown mustard seeds
1/8c yellow mustard seeds
1/4c cider vinegar
1/8c chardonney

Cover and soak 8 hours to 3 days.

Whiz half in the food processor with 1/2tsp brown sugar, and half with 2T honey. Let sit for 1-2 days (we did 2).

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We like the honey mustard better (by far!) on brats, and I think I'll like the sugar version better in my egg salad. More mustard-y.

Salmon Croquettes

Recipe from The Evening Standard Book of Menus by X. Marcel Boulestin.

Mash together equal amounts cooked salmon and potato (We used a 6oz coho fillet and a 6oz Rooster potato). Add a small onion melted in butter (1T), an egg yolk, an egg white well whipped, and a small amount of cream (1T). Season with salt (1/4tsp), pepper (a sprinkle), and nutmeg (a sprinkle). Form into small balls and fry like any fritter.

I preferred patties; Dan liked the balls. We needed more salt, some cayenne, and maybe a little dill. Would be excellent as larger sandwich patties.

Eggs Scrambled with Parmesan and Rosemary

4 large eggs
1/2c Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, chopped (1/4"-1/2" pieces)
2T unsalted butter
4 slices bread, toasted
1/2tsp fresh rosemary

Whisk together eggs and cheese. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. When butter sizzles, reduce heat to low and add egg & cheese mixture. Cook, stirring gently until set but creamy, about 2 minutes. Spoon eggs onto toast and sprinkle with rosemary. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2.

German Pancake, Lodge-style

3 eggs
1/2c milk
1/2c flour
1/4tsp salt
1T butter

Heat 8-10" cast iron skillet in oven (450*F). Combine ingredients. Melt butter in skillet, swirl to coat. Pour in batter, bake for 12-14 minutes. Can double recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan. Can get by with just two eggs, but three makes it bubble up more. Also, I prefer the eggier flavour/texture. Serves 4.

Nacho Potato Soup

1 pkg au gratin potatoes (we just use dried potatoes)
11oz corn, drained if canned
10oz diced tomatoes, drained
1 small hot pepper, sliced
2c water
2c milk
8oz Velveeta

Combine first five ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes (until potatoes are tender). Add milk and cheese; cook and stir til cheese is melted.

Sweet and Spicy Garlic Shrimp Sauce

1 1/2T soy sauce
1T ketchup
1T honey
1tsp chili garlic sauce

Use as a stir-fry sauce. Saute a clove of garlic and about 1T chopped onion if desired. Good with shrimp, pork, beef, duck, venison. From Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking.

Budget Magic

1 1/4c Magic Milk Mix
1 1/4c water or vegetable water (we use water in which we have soaked some dried mushrooms)
1T butter
Seasonings to taste (we use dried mushrooms)

Mix together and cook until thick. No need to cook if it's going into something that will be cooked 30 minutes or longer. Replaces one can cream soup in casseroles and such.

Magic Milk Mix

4c dry milk crystals
1c flour or 2/3c cornstarch
1tsp salt

Mix and store in airtight container.

Peppery Scalloped Potatoes

10 3/4oz can 'cream of' (we like mushroom) soup or one recipe Budget Magic or other substitute
1 1/2c milk
1/2tsp salt
1/8tsp cayenne (or to taste)
5c potatoes, thinly sliced
1/4c butter, melted
1/4c flour

Combine soup, milk, salt, and cayenne. Set aside. Place 1/3 of the potatoes in a greased 9x13 pan; layer with a third of the soup mixture, butter, and flour. Repeat layers twice. Bake, uncovered, at 350*F for an hour and twenty minutes.

Slow Cooked Whole Carrots

2# whole carrots, peeled (widest part should be from 3/4" to 1 1/2")
1T unsalted butter
1/2tsp salt

Bring water, butter and salt to a simmer in a 12" skillet. Cut a parchment cartouche for the pan, cutting a hole about an inch in diameter in the center. When water is simmering, remove from heat and place carrots in a single layer in pan. Top with cartouche, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.

Bring carrots to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, until water is nearly gone. Turn heat up, and shake pan gently until all water is evaporated. Serves 8.

Tomato Soup

1# can tomatoes
2c milk
1/2tsp salt
scant 1/2tsp baking soda

Heat milk & tomatoes in separate pans. When tomatoes boil, add soda and salt. Also pepper to taste. Stir well. Add milk to tomatoes and serve.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 c shortening
0.75 c buttermilk

Combine dry ingredients; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and knead gently. Roll out to half inch thickness and cut with 2.5" cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes at 450*F, until golden.

Our shortening of choice in this recipe is butter, and we generally use buttermilk powder.

Smashed Potatoes (America's Test Kitchen)

2# small red potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp  salt
4oz cream cheese
4T unsalted butter

Savory Pork Chops Master Recipe

4 bone-in pork chops
2 T all purpose flour
0.25 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
0.25 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
0.25 cup water
0.25 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
1T oil

Mix flour, salt, and mustard in a large zipper bag. Coat chops, and brown in oil (about 5 min each side). Pour off excess fat (if any). Mix water, soy sauce, ketchup, & marmalade and pour over chops. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, turning once.

Chinese-Style Fried Brown Rice

    2 cups short grain brown rice

2.75 tsp salt

1 (12-ounce) pork tenderloin

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup water

5 teaspoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon 5-spice powder

pinch cayenne pepper

3 teaspoons safflower oil

3 eggs

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

6 scallions

1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

from America's Test Kitchen

17 January 2016

Mayonnaise

2 yolks
300mL olive oil (Gourmet Chef)
2T white wine vinegar
1/2tsp salt
1/4tsp lemon juice

First batch curdled, so enter double batch. Ended up with a little over a cup and a half. Can definitely taste the olive oil. It's different. Very good in chicken salad.