Category — Cook's 100

I jumped on the bandwagon on Michael Ruhlman’s blog to join in on this summer’s BLT From Scratch Challenge, which was one to creatively make a BLT sandwich entirely from scratch, making the bread, the bacon, growing the tomato and lettuce, making the mayonnaise, and then sending in a writeup of the results.

Here is the basis for my entry, Panino del Po,  (Bacon Butty Italian Stylie, in Jamie Oliverese)

I made the  basic pancetta recipe from Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing with friends M and B some time ago.  Here is a picture of us with our lovely tied rolls of pork belly, ready to hang for curing.  As you can see, I was wearing the official Team Bacon t-shirt when we did it.

Pancetta, Rolled and tied, ready for cure

Here is what the results look like, sliced, before cooking.

Slices of cured goodness for the sandwiches

The tomatoes have been growing along, pretty slowly, but have changed to some lovely colors.  I think the micro climate near our driveway has been warmer than that of many others this year, despite our Minnesota locale.  I picked out two pretty tomatoes for the project.

A Jubilee and a Cuor di Bue

The one on the left is a Jubilee (I think).  The one on the right is a Cuor di Bue, which has taken over as one of my favorite tomato varieties.  You can see that it is shaped somewhat like the heart of an ox, which is the meaning behind its name.  Both of these varieties have dense “beefsteak” texture, and are juicy but not watery when you slice them. In the interest of giving credit where it’s due, I’d need to thank Whitewater Gardens for starting the seedlings, and my DH for helping with the watering of the plants.

While my love of Italian flavors is influencing my overall product, good toast was an essential for my sandwiches.  My current favorite bread for toast and club sandwiches is Pain de Mie.

The prepared pan and risen dough

I used Nick Kindelsperger’s recipe from The Paupered Chef.  I had better luck with this recipe than I have had with others.  This is the first time I’ve had a perfectly even colored crust. Since it came out so well, I’m happy to say I’ve now checked #78 of the Cook’s 100 off my list.

Even shape and even browning

For the mayonnaise (or otherwise emulsified sauce, also #54 of the Cook’s 100),  I chose the basic recipe using one egg yolk from Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, also by Michael Ruhlman, but not without prior research in the works of Julia Child and Simone Beck.  The main tipping point was not that quoting Michael Ruhlman again might provide me with a better chance at a prize in the challenge, but for the simple reason that I didn’t need two and a half cups of mayonnaise for only two sandwiches.  Ruhlman’s recipe yields about a cup, which was more than enough.

Mise en place for arm-strong mayo

I decided to use the mayonnaise as my arm workout for today.  And I’m glad I did.  It’s very satisfying to improve one’s understanding of the egg and emulsion, as Julia Child might say.  Beating the 1 yolk, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. lemon juice together with a teaspoon of water, then drizzling 1 cup of canola oil into it very very slowly while whisking constantly does, really, create a cup of mayonnaise.

After tasting the basic mayo, I flavored it with some balsamic vinegar (1-2 tsp.) to fit in with the other Italian flavors.

"Arm-strong" Mayonnaise

Finally, while Panino del Po was completely homemade, it does not contain lettuce, since we never got any lettuce planted.  Instead, to stay with the Italian flavor profile, and still use home grown ingredients, I used large basil leaves which we grew alongside our tomatoes in containers.

Sandwich fillings, ready while the bread is sliced and toasted

Here’s how the sandwich finally looked:

The end result, ready to eat

I’m no Donna Ruhlman, so the photos of this may not do the sandwich justice. This was a lot of fun to make and to eat.  It was well worth the effort.  This project entertained me several times.

The best blue food

After my parter in canning, C, had an adventure picking blueberries, and gave me some, I needed to make some blueberry pie.  This is not just because  a double crust pie is on the Cook’s 100.  As a Mainer, it’s important for me to have some Maine regional specialties every summer, and blueberry pie is a common Maine summer dessert.  The fact that I’m making them to coincide with my annual lobster dinner (I know it’s tough, but I as a Mainer, I MUST) this Saturday is just a happy coincidence.

As I had never made a blueberry pie before (though I’ve made many two crust pies), I sought the advice of those other New Englanders and cheffy types, the folks at America’s Test Kitchen. (That link will get you the recipe.  On their site you should be able to see a video of them making this pie, too.)

This recipe has two great culinary revelations, one in the crust, and the other in the filling.  The crust revelation is that they use vodka as some of the liquid in the crust, and the alcohol prevents the creation of gluten (as more water would), but evaporates away in the cooking.  This means that the dough is easy to roll out, but still comes out flaky.

The filling revelation is the use of an apple for added pectin for thickening, to help out the minute tapioca, as well as some tart flavor notes. You squeeze out most of the moisture from the apple (as in the kohlrabi recipe previously seen here on Slow and Sew), but the pectin remains.

I’m particularly proud of us for making these pies (I had the help of DH) on a weeknight after work. , and it’s a great reason to pull out the good tools:

It's not just for lefse, ladies and gents!

Once the pie crust is mixed up, and chilled, you roll it out.   Chris Kimball has a different shaped rolling pin, and rotates the  dough a quarter turn each time.  I think I’d need to really practice that method to get good at it.

Ready for the Onslaught of the Rolling Pin

I rolled out the two bottom crusts, put them in their pans, and set them in the fridge to stay cold (That’s Rose Levy Berenbaum’s biggest secret to great pie crust.  Keep those ingredients COLD.  Use your freezer, too.)

Keeping it Cold

Look- I’m even letting you see the inside of our refrigerator.  I knew you’d be thrilled.

With the shells chilling and ready for filling, it was time to address the filling portion of the recipe…   Time to cook down a portion of the blueberries into a jam, to cook out the moisture that would bubble out, or spill when cutting the pies.  This is accomplished with the saucepan, potato masher for squishing berries, and heat.

We're really cooking here.

Of course, the wooden spatula is now permanently navy blue and tan, but it was worth it.  After cooking half the berries down, then mixing the minute tapioca, sugar, and lemon zest with the remaining berries, and adding the hot and not hot berry mixtures, we had the filling.

Doling out tooth-staining goodness to the shells

Then, it’s back to the rolling action for the lid crusts.

With pretty little holes so the berries can breathe, and not explode

And then, to my best Bridget Lancaster impersonation, crimping the crust edges.

Seal 'er up, and get her in the oven! Egg wash Optional.

And finally, after baking in a 400F oven for 30 mins, and 30 mins more at 350F, here’s our result:

Aren't these pretty? I can't wait to cut into them!

The Biggie - Our Inherited Stock Pot

While doing a little freezer management this weekend, I decided it was time to pull out the bags of bones we got and make some stock.  Since we were left a lovely large stockpot by the previous owners of our house, this was a great time to pull it out and use it for what it was intended.  I knew we’d be around the house most of the weekend, so having something simmering away on the stove or roasting in the oven was no big problem.

Simmering but Not Boiling

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition of SLOW food.  Luckily, like making bread, this is a project that requires attention, but not immediate attention all the time,  once you get a few details right.  Understand in advance that timing is not exact, temperatures are not exact, and the quality of the result is mostly a factor of your patience, persistence, ( stubbornness,) and willingness to Do The Right Thing the Right Way.  It’s up to you to decide where on that continuum you are willing to be, whether your audience for the end result is going to know the difference, and how much your stock means to you.

Strained Stock Cooling In Ice Bath

Since this is my first attempt, I did not uphold the CIA standard (being able to read the date on a dime in the bottom of the pot) when it comes to straining, and my veg may have been roasted for less than the optimal level of caramelization.  I know that this does not make my stock suitable  for the base of a good quality demi-glace, but I know (hope!) the quality of ingredients alone will help make this better than your cheapo canned broth.  I am aiming low on the first try.

Freezing Stock in Ice Cube Trays

If nothing else, I know what it takes to do this now, and I’ll do a better job on my second time through.

I should mention that my source for basic rules and proportions is Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook, so we don’t go to the detail that Ruhlman does in The Making of A Chef, or as Madeline Kamman does in her books.  But Bourdain is adamant that YOU MUST NOT LET IT BOIL – EVER!, among other points that he won’t compromise on.  I really enjoy his writing style in the Les Halles cookbook.  He provides detail where necessary, but admits that even a basic stock is better than canned, even if you don’t have the time to go to the lengths of the CIA version, which I’m sure is excellent.

I didn’t use salt or peppercorns in mine, so I won’t have the typical over-seasoning issues you can run into with canned broth, which can be very salty.  Feel free to consult some of these or any other sources, and Do What You Think is Right.

And remember, once you have the right simmer temperature on the stove, making stock gives you plenty of opportunity to read a book, nap, or catch up on TV.  And no reason for guilt about it either- you’re REALLY COOKING!

Equipment:

• Stock pot
• Roasting pan(s)
• Pot holders
• tongs
• Spoon for skimming
• Pyrex measuring cups
• ice cube trays and plastic containers for freezing
• bowl similar vessel for skimmed dregs
• strainer
• cheese cloth
• large pot for holding skimmed results

Ingredients:

• Beef bones  (for those of us who are near where they raise veal, but can’t buy it or its bones anywhere, or those who don’t like veal, for whatever reason)
• Onions
• Celery (half as much as you have onions)
• Carrots (half as much as you have onions)

Process:

1. Roast your bones in a medium low oven, turning them occasionally, until everthing is brown but not black.
2. Peel and chop the onions, carrots, and celery into big chunks. Roast them in the oven until they are well caramelized.
3. Put bones and roasted veg in stock pot with COLD water.
4. Put the pot on the stove at medium low heat, and bring it up to a simmer.
5. Do Not Let Your Stock Boil. EVER.
6. Keep the stock at a simmer (See #5) for about 8-20 hours.
7. Skim off the fat, scum, and icky stuff that rises to the top regularly.
8. When your stock is clear of scummy stuff and an appropriately long time has passed, allowing flavor to develop,  strain the stock into a large pot through cheese cloth.
9. Strain it again.  Repeat as many times as you can stand.  You can dispose of the bones and other detritus now.
10. Cool the stock by placing the pot in an ice bath.  This is important to get the temperature down from the safe high temps to a safe low temp (through the icky bacteria zones) as quickly as possible.
11. Refrigerate, or freeze, in ice cube trays for small amounts, or in larger containers.  (After the ice cube blocks are frozen, transfer to a zipper bag for easier storage)

Note to Readership:  Rather than provide crystal clear, journalist-quality photographs, or magazine-quality “food porn” shots, the staff at Slow and Sew and her partner(s) are experimenting with artistic variety and time lapse in the documentation process.  Please enjoy our latest efforts.*

Dilly Beans, Ready for Maturing

C, author of Zig Zag, and my cohort in canning, became my partner in pickling this week.  She’d gotten about 25 pounds of green and yellow beans, and wanted help making Dilly Beans, since her family likes pickles.  I was happy to help, because cooking with C is fun, and I’d actually made dilly beans last summer with L, my “local Mom”, and they turned out well.   Did I mention that dilly beans are EASY????  The recipe below, modified from one we found on cooks.com, is for 4 pints of dilly beans.  We tripled this, to make about a dozen jars.

Equipment

• water bath canning kettle with lid and rack
• jar gripper
• pint jars with new canning lids and rings (wide mouth ones make this easy)
• paring knife
• cutting board
• colander
• large bowls
• sauce pan
• large pot
• liquid and dry measuring cups
• tongs
• spoon or spatula

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green beans (or mix of green and yellow), trimmed
• 4 cloves of garlic (or more)
• 4 heads of dill (or more)
• jalapeno chilies, cayenne peppers, or banana peppers (4 or more)
• 1/4 cup canning or pickling salt
• 2 1/2 cups white vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups water

For those of you who have not canned or pickled anything, here are two of your best friends:

Acid medium- also doubles as window washer, Roundup substitute, and french fry condiment

Basic white vinegar is what provides the acid necessary for the preservation, as well as that tangy flavor.

Pickling/Canning Salt, which kills bacteria

As the label says, it’s Plain Salt, Nothing Added (no iodine, anti-caking agents, etc). This is your other pal in the preservation chemistry.

Process:

1. Wash your jars in very hot water (if your dishwasher has a sterilizing rinse, this is a great feature) and soap to get them as clean as possible.  For extra safety, you can boil them in water for five minutes.
2. Trim the ends of your beans, and wash and drain them.
3. Peel the garlic cloves
4. Cut your chilis to suit (remove seeds, slice in pieces, or leave whole), depending on your tolerance for hot things.
5. Put the salt, vinegar, and water in a pot to boil, so that the salt completely dissolves.
6. Put the lids for your jars in water, and boil it.
7. Stuff beans into the jars, with garlic cloves, chilis, and dill heads.
8. Fill the jars with the salt/vinegar/water solution (aka a brine), leaving 1/4 inch head space in the jars.
9. Put lids on jars, screw down the rings.
10. Put sealed jars in the canning kettle with boiling water, and cook for 10 minutes.
11. Remove jars (with tongs- they’re HOT!) and let them cool.
12. Store jars in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks to allow the flavor to develop.

Here are some photos of our processing….

Peeling garlic by shaking them around in two bowls

Really, this method does work.  Take your garlic cloves, throw them in a bowl, and put another bowl the same size on top of it, rim to rim, and then shake it.  Makes the papery stuff come right off.  Also an opportunity to work on your maraca technique.

Adding lids after filling jars

Here we’re adding the (HOT) lids to the jars, before processing.

The Canning Kettle, from our local hardware store

Unloading the beans from the canner

Arty Time Lapse Photo

* Yes, the dorks are still trying to figure out the camera, but it sounds so much better when we present it that way, doesn’t it?  Who says engineers can’t do spin like marketeers?

Israeli Couscous Salad, a la Whole Foods, supposedly

This is my copy-cat recipe, which I found on Chowhound, posted by ach77.  Mainly this is because I had some Israeli couscous, and I like couscous salads in the summer.  I have visited Whole Foods stores before, but the nearest one is at least 2 hours away, so I am not as up on their regular repertoire of salads available for purchase.  I was willing to believe the poster on Chowhound that this was a tasty facsimile.

I made three diversions from the recipe ach77 posted:

1. I had safflower oil instead of canola
2. I used white wine vinegar, since I have no champagne vinegar, and since champagne *IS* white wine, I’m doing as well as I can.  Those of us in SE Minnesota like to DRINK our champagne (or Cava from Spain), not make vinegar out of it!
3. I added the diced meat of 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs that were cooked in chicken broth, as a creative way to use leftovers.

I’m not sure if this will still fit in Lauri’s definition of a copy cat recipe, as I have never tasted the original, but it sure looks good, smells good, and has great flavors.  DH and I both like this with chicken… I guess I should try it without the chicken sometime, too.

Equipment

• cutting board
  
• chef’s knife
• nonstick skillet (for roasting nuts)
• pot with lid (for cooking Israeli cous cous)
• large bowl for salad
• small bowl for mixing dressing
• whisk
• rubber spatula
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• Microplane grater/zester or vegetable peeler
• citrus reamer (optional)

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry Israeli couscous (uncooked)
• 1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 scallions
• 3 Tbs safflower oil
  
• 1 1/2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
• zest of one orange
• juice of 1/2 of the zested orange
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric (or more)
• 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• salt
• pepper
• (Optional: 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cooked)

Prep:

1. (If you’re going to use the chicken, cook it in salted water or chicken broth, in a covered pot or Dutch oven on high heat for approximately 20 minutes.  Drain the chicken, and cool it.  I did this a day ahead, and refrigerated it.  Once the chicken is cold, dice it.)
2. Bring a pot of salted water (approximately 1 quart of water, maybe as much as 2) to a boil.  When the water is boiling, add the couscous, stirring it to prevent it from clumping or sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Cook for about 10 minutes, or until al dente.  Drain it in a colander, but don’t rinse it.  Set it aside and let it cool.
3. Dice the scallions.
4. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet (as demonstrated here with pine nuts), then let them cool and chop them.
5. Zest your orange with the grater, or peel off the zest with a vegetable peeler and dice it up.
6. Combine the safflower oil, vinegar, zest, and juice from the orange with the turmeric, tarragon, and time.  Whisk together to make the dressing.  Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
7. Put the couscous, cranberries, (chicken), pecans, and scallions in a large serving bowl.  Drizzle with the dressing, and stir until everything is well dressed.
8. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate.  The flavors will develop and meld in the refrigerator, and get better over time.

How I endear myself to my husband

After discovering that A) Deviled Eggs were on the Cook’s 100, and that B) we have lots of eggs from our CSA piling up in the fridge, and remembering C) my husband’s fondness for deviled eggs (He LOOOOOOOOVES them), thus I was committed.

My next step was to find my recipe, and see if I had everything I needed.  After 20 minutes of searching through pieces of paper, cookbooks, and magazines, I found it, or at least the sheet of paper that had the relevant information on it- the ingredients, and the directions. (Do any of us really need a picture of a deviled egg?  Haven’t we all seen them at countless picnics?)

Equipment

• pot
• stove
• bowl
• fork or other mashing device
• knife
• cutting board
• rubber spatula
• measuring spoons
• pastry bag and tip (or a plain old teaspoon will work)

Ingredients

• 7 large eggs (cold)
• 3/4 tsp. mustard (grainy or Dijon)
• 3 Tbs. mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire (pronounced Wouh-steh-sheer, for those not from New England) sauce
• salt
• pepper
• Tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)
• dill, paprika, or other herb/spice for garnish
  

After finding the recipe, I needed to take quick stock of the pantry and see whether I had all of the ingredients, and to be honest, I was worried I wouldn’t have any mayonnaise.  It’s not one of our regular food items around here.  Luckily I only needed about a quarter cup, and that was about what was in the bottom of the little jar, probably purchased when I last made deviled eggs for a picnic.  I know, I COULD make my own mayonnaise, and I promise to blog when I do, but this time, I sighed in relief.

There are probably scores (that’s groups of 20 for you young ones, and no, don’t ask me why groups of 20 have a name) of methods for hard boiling eggs, but I always use this one:

Procedure for Hard-boiled eggs:

1. Place eggs in pot (medium sized), and cover with 1 inch of cold water.
2. Put pot on stove (covered, if a cover is available – it makes the water come to a boil faster),  over high heat, and bring the water to a boil.
3. When the water boils, remove the pot from the heat, cover (if it isn’t already), and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10 minutes.
4. After the 10 minutes, pour off the hot water, and cover the eggs in cold water with ice cubes added, and let them sit for 5 minutes, to stop the cooking and cool.

I have found that this method produces perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs, without the possibility of a green ring around the yolks.

Procedure for Deviling Your Eggs:

1. Peel the hard boiled eggs.
2. Slice them in half lengthwise with a knife.
3. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl, and mash them with a fork until there are no large lumps of yolk remaining.
4. Arrange the whites on the serving dish, discarding the two worst looking ones.
5. Add the mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, mixing with the spatula to combine.  Adjust seasonings, adding a few drops of hot sauce if you like it.  If you don’t like the stiffer consistency that this filling has, feel free to adjust it by adding more mayonnaise.  (I personally like it the way it is, with less mayo than most recipes)
6. Using a spoon, or your pastry bag, fill the cavities in the whites with the yolk mixture , mounding the filling about 1/2 inch above the surface of the whites.
7. Sprinkle with herb/spice garnish as you desire.  Paprika is classic, but I used fresh dill from our garden.
8. Serve at room temperature.

I think DH would appreciate it if I made these more than once or twice a year, but to be honest, I don’t think of it.  I always eat a few, and enjoy them, but it doesn’t cross my mind nearly as often as a treat, as say, CAKE.

It was such a long winter, EVERYTHING looks like a snowboot

My friend CD and I, on somewhat short notice, decided that peak strawberry season was upon us, and we needed to make some jam, since neither of us had done it (though I had hulled many berries for jam with my Mother about 30 yrs. ago(!)  Boy… time flies.) .   It’s always more fun to dive into a new culinary adventure when you have a trusty sidekick.  You really need someone to be there and laugh with you (or at you, depending how it goes).

We drove over the river to Trempealeau, WI, to the Berry Patch, a local grower and vendor of strawberries and raspberries, and got ourselves a few flats of berries.   I drive by the Berry Patch every day on my way to and from work, so we knew it was the right time when the stand is open and they wheel out their giant model strawberry so you can see it from the road.

After a quick trip to our local Ace Hardware for new lids for our jars, and then a quick trip to the grocery for pectin and sugar, we were in business.
Well, almost in business.  Then we needed  a recipe.  We found a few, along with pictures and advice, from here.  After a bit of research, we decided to make the recipe that used more pectin, less sugar, and a shorter cooking time. Yes, we canned our jam, since neither of us wanted to use the freezer space for freezer jam, and when we found out the canning part is only 5-10 minutes in boiling water, it didn’t seem like that much more time to spend.

At this point, we started cleaning, hulling and slicing berries.

In their clean state, and hulled and sliced

Connie brought her egg slicer, which turns out to work really well for slicing the berries (except for the really HUMONGOUS ones).  I used the alternate method (paring knife).  And, of course, we immediately realized that 5 flats of berries was more than enough for the number of jars we had.  We ended up freezing more than half of our berries, as we determined sleep was going to be more important to us that night than making jam for the metropolitan area.

No, she was not being held at knifepoint, gunpoint, or against her will

In case any of my dear readers were fooled into thinking I was a real photographer, these photos should reveal the truth.  This was about take 4, and yes, C was startled by the flash.  But she’s got a really cool apron on, doesn’t she?

After measuring out our ingredients (6 cups of strawberries, about 4 cups of sugar, and a pack and a half of pectin), we got on with it, cooking the berries, adding the sugar, bringing the heat up slowly to prevent foaming….

Cooking the Berries

Doesn’t that look delicious?  Don’t you wish this was a scented blog?

After we got the cooking done, and had skimmed off bits of foam when it reared its pepto-pink head, it was time to fill our (previously sterilized) jars.

Yes, I got caught off guard, too.

So, we spooned the hot jam into the half pint jars, added the lids (boiled in water) and the rings, and dropped them into the boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  There are no pictures of that part, as we needed all the hands we had to get this done, and prevent burning ourselves with boiling water or hot jam.

But here’s some evidence that we were able to finish it…

Jam, fresh out of the canner

As you can see, Slow And Sew does not only not have the budget for professional photographers, it does not have the budget for food stylists, either.  The white stuff that you see on the jars are the minerals that precipitate out of our water after it’s been boiled.  It wipes off the jars, and does no harm at all.

(You could lick it off, if you’re calcium deficient, I suppose.)

Each of us ended up with 8 half pints of jam, about 3 quarts of frozen berries, and some berries to eat fresh.

So far, the jam has proven to be tasty on toast, tasty on bread, and a jar was happily received as a birthday present last week.  I may have to hide a jar or two to pull out in the depth of winter.