Gastronomy

A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants.
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Antipatros
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

For when really slow cooking with lots of mesquite isn't in the cards:

Hadassah-WIZO Organization of Edmonton, Great Hadassah-WIZO Cookbook (1985)

Savoury Sake Beef Brisket

4 lb. brisket of beef
1½ cups sake
2 cups onion, sliced
1 cup apple sauce
¼ cup tomato paste
1½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp. thyme

Place brisket in a large ovenproof glass or enamel pan. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Pour over beef and marinate over¬night in refrigerator, then for 2 to 4 hours at room temperature before cooking. Turn meat fre¬quently so it absorbs flavour evenly. Cover pan with foil and bake at 325°F (I60°C) for 2½ to 3 hours. Turn meat twice during cooking. Remove meat from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 6 - 8.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
Hoosiernorm
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Hoosiernorm »

Antipatros wrote:Possum, anyone?
They are greasy little bastards, not as bad as ground hog which is gamey as hell (Usually due to eating soy beans all summer). They both make a better jerky but it's the oily as hell. I've never eaten a cooked leather shoe but I imagine it taste better than possum jerky.


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Marcus
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Marcus »

Another good reason to eat (read "avoid") farmed salmon:
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/sho ... 7170-Yummy

Hoosier,

All wild game with which I'm familiar, puts its fat on the meat, not in the meat as is "marbled" beef. Trim off the fat.

I've eaten 'possum . . not bad . . ;)
"The jawbone of an ass is just as dangerous a weapon today as in Sampson's time."
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Antipatros
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Here's one Marcus (and others) might enjoy:

Northern Wilderness Cookbook, vol. 1

http://www.scribd.com/doc/58040477/Nort ... k-Volume-i (full text in PDF format)

The Government of Canada produced The Northern Cookbook in 1967 as a centennial project. It is reputedly amazing, and the best place to turn if you have a yen for jellied moose nose or other northern delicacies. But, of course, the feds don't have it available online.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

There was a fabulous (but lamentably shortlived) restaurant here called Indochine. It did French-Vietnamese fusion food, mainly. The tamarind soup was miraculous.

Le Colonial's Spicy Tamarind Soup

Recipe for Spicy Tamarind Soup from New York's Le Colonial Restaurant. Here is a classic Vietnamese shrimp soup from Chef Viet Tran

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/le ... arind-soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cups chicken stock
16 small shrimp, cleaned (save the shells for the recipe's stock)
2 stalks lemongrass
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 cup loosely packed, diced pineapple
4 pieces okra, cut into 4 pieces each
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces tamarind paste (available in Asian Grocery Store)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups bean sprouts, loosely packed
10 leaves Asian Basil (check the Asian grocery store, if not available, use dill instead)
lime juice to taste

Directions

1.Serves 4 or more

2. Heat oil in a 2 quart saucepan. Add chopped garlic, lemongrass and cayenne pepper. Stir briefly until garlic starts to brown, then add tamarind paste, chicken stock and shrimp shells. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain into another saucepan and bring to a boil again. Add shrimp, pineapple, tomato, okra, salt and sugar. Adjust seasoning, if necessary by adding lime juice and salt. Add bean sprouts. Serve piping hot, garnished with Asian basil or dill. Bring potatoes, leeks, stock, bay leaf and thyme to a simmer until potatoes are tender (20-25 minutes). Remove bay leaf. Add heavy cream and simmer 5 minutes. Purée. If serving cold, cover and chill. Either way, garnish with chopped chives.
Shortcut method: Both Knorr and Mama Sita's produce excellent tamarind soup base mixes. (They may be labelled Sinigang Sa Sampalok Mix; look for them in stores catering to the Filipino community.) Mix with water according to package directions and cook with your chosen protein, veggies, fruit, or noodles.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Although this booklet is undated, it was presumably produced between 1952 and 1966, the only years when Dow Breweries operated independently.

Jehane Benoit, Cooking with Dow

http://archive.org/details/cu31924059386585
Cooking with Beer

An old art comes into its own

Writing this booklet was a pleasure because I would like beer to be considered a desirable ingredient of many a tasty simple family dish. The use of beer in cooking is a very ancient custom and no country or people can lay special claim to it, because beer of some sort has been and is still being made in almost every land where grain is grown. The earliest written record of this ancient and honorable beverage appears on a Mesopotamian clay tablet of several thousand years before the Christian era and shows it was used in cooking as well as a beverage.

The recipes you will find in this book have been tested by me and tasted by many who were always pleasantly surprised; no wonder, since the recipes are for the most part traditional and belong to the everyday family cooking of many lands: Germany, Spain, China, England, France, Belgium, Italy and even America.

Although beer is naturally most often thought of as a beverage, you should experiment in cooking with it. Beer added to a dish enriches its flavor and increases its tastiness; like wine, it does its work of flavoring and tenderizing during the cooking, and its flavor often disappears. Beer has another advantage; it can be served as a beverage at all times and with almost every food. Even more, there are some dishes that demand it, such as curries, Mexican chili, cheese, mutton chops, oysters, clams. Try it with salmon, cold cuts and potato salad. When you make these recipes, you will feel, like me, that beer has its place in fine dining....

Colonial Beer Soup

Although this light beer soup hails from American colonial days, it has a definite French influence and is often referred to in papers relating to early Quebec days.

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups cold water
2 cups Dow Ale
3 whole eggs, well beaten
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 slices unpeeled lemon

1. Blend together the flour and the 2 tablespoons cold water. Add the 2 cups of cold water and the beer. Boil 10 minutes stirring often.

2. Beat together with a rotary beater the eggs, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar. Add to hot beer consomme and the slices of lemon. Bring to a boil, while beating with a rotary beater. Simmer without boiling until light and foamy.

TO SERVE: Serve this soup after a ski party, as the Swiss do. Fry large slices of bread on both sides in butter, over medium heat. Place a slice of bread on each plate. Pour on hot soup. Serve with grated cheese to taste.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Roasted Potato Salad with Seeded Mustard and Balsamic

(Chef Judy Wood)

2 lbs. baby potatoes, cut into halves or quarters*
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. thyme
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. seeded mustard
½ cup green onions, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, mashed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, toss the potatoes, garlic, thyme and olive oil together. Place them onto a baking sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes at 400⁰F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a bowl, mix together the potatoes, mayo, balsamic, mustard, green onions, and egg and season with the salt and pepper.

Taste for seasoning!

Serves 6.

*(Personally, I use 3+ lbs. of Yukon Gold potatoes or other flavourful variety. 2 lbs. would mean a very high dressing: spud ratio.)
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

I recently came across a reference to The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook by Flora Annie Steel -- one of the many married women who attracted the lust of the young Rudyard Kipling -- and first published in 1888. This guide to running a household in British India appeared in ten editions. It was also, bizarrely, often cited in American books of the period as an essential reference for young wives. I wouldn't have thought that advice on hiring a punkah-wallah in the Punjab would be particularly useful in hiring an Irish scullery maid in Boston, but what do I know.

But, thought I, it might have some interesting recipes. Surely Archive.org would have such an influential work. It doesn't, perhaps because the work is back in print thanks to our friends at Oxford University Press, bless their hearts.

I did, however, find this fascinating volume:

A.R. Kenney-Herbert, a.k.a. "Wyvern," Culinary Jottings (1885)

A treatise in thirty chapters on reformed cookery for Anglo-Indian exiles, based upon modern English and Continental principles, with thirty menus for little dinners worked out in detail, and an essay on our kitchens in India

http://archive.org/details/culinaryjottings00kenn
CHAPTER XXVIII

Our Curries

We are often told by men of old time, whose long connection with the country entitles them to speak with the confidence of " fellows who know, don't you know," that in inverse proportion, as it were, to the steady advance of civilization in India, the sublime art of curry-making has gradually passed away from the native cook. Elders at Madras — erst-while the acknowledged head-centre of the craft — shake their heads and say "Ichabod!" and if encouraged to do so, paint beautiful mouthwatering "pictures in words" of succulent morsels cunningly dressed with all the savoury spices and condiments of Ind, the like of which, they say, we ne'er shall look upon again.

Looking back myself to the hour of my arrival in India, I call to mind the kind-hearted veteran who threw his doors open to me, and, pouring in the oil and wine of lavish hospitality, set me upon his own beast, killed the fatted calf, and treated me, indeed, as a son that had been lost and was found. It rejoiced this fine old servant of honest John Company, I remember, to give "tiffin" parties at which he prided himself on sending round eight or nine varieties of curries, with divers platters of freshly-made chutneys, grilled ham, preserved roes of fishes, &c. The discussion of the "course," — a little banquet in itself — used to occupy at least half an hour, for it was the correct thing to taste each curry, and to call for those that specially gratified you a second time.

Now, this my friend was, I take it, a type of the last Anglo-Indian generation; a generation that fostered the art of curry-making, and bestowed as much attention to it as we, in these days of grace, do to copying the culinary triumphs of the lively Gauls.

Thirty years ago fair house-keepers were wont to vaunt themselves upon their home-made curry powders, their chutneys, tamarind and roselle jellies, and so forth, and carefully superintended the making thereof. But fashion has changed, and although ladies are, I think, quite as fond of a good curry as their grandmothers were, they rarely take the trouble to gather round them the elements of success, and have ceased to be cumbered about this particular branch of their cook's work....

The actual cooking of a curry presents no special difficulty. A cook who is an adept with the stew-pan, and who has mastered the art of slow, and very gentle simmering will, whether a Frenchman, an Englishman, or a mild Hindu, soon become familiar with the treatment of this particular dish.

The knotty points are these: — First the powder or paste, next the accessories, and lastly the order in which the various component parts should be added.

Concerning powders, it behoves us to proceed with caution, or we shall soon lose ourselves in a maze of recipes. Speaking of them generally, however, it is not, I think, commonly known that curry-powders improve by keeping it carefully bottled. One of the causes of our daily failures is undoubtedly the lazy habit we have adopted of permitting our cooks to fabricate their " curry-stuff," on the spot, as it is required. Powder should be made in large quantities under the eye of the mistress of the house, or that of a really trustworthy head-servant. It should then be bottled, and corked securely down.

I shall presently give a very valuable receipt for a stock household powder, one that was surrendered to me by an accomplished chatelaine, on the eve of her departure from India, as a token of the sincerest friendship. But for those who wish to avoid trouble and yet to have good curries, I strongly advocate the use of Barrie's Madras curry-powder and paste. I am not employed as an advertising medium. My advice is not the advice of a "gent" travelling for Messrs. Barrie and Co., it is the honest exhortation of one, my friends, who has the success of your curries very closely at heart....

Assuming that we have procured, or made, a really good stock powder, the accessories next present themselves for our consideration. These are very important, for, with their aid, a clever cook can diversify the flavour, and style of his curries; without them — be the powder or paste never so well composed — the dish will certainly lack finish, and the true characteristics of a good curry.

Prominently among them stands the medium to be used for the frying of the onions, with which the process commences. This most assuredly should be butter. The quantity required is not very great, and surely it may be assumed that people who want to have a good curry will not ruin it for the sake of a "two ounce pat of Dosset!" for be it noted, that tinned butter of a good brand is admirably adapted for this work.

Among other adjuncts that may be written down as indispensable are the ingredients needed to produce that suspicion of sweet-acid which it will be remembered, forms a salient feature of a superior curry. The natives of the south use a rough tamarind conserve worked, sometimes, with a very little jaggery or molasses, and a careful preparation of tamarind is decidedly valuable. Why, however, should we not improve upon this with red currant jelly and if further sharpness be needed, a little lime or lemon juice? In England, and I daresay in India also, chopped apple is sometimes used, and perhaps chopped mango, in the fool-days of the fruit, would be nice. A spoonful of sweetish chutney and a little vinegar or lime juice can be employed, but I confess that I prefer the red currant jelly as aforesaid.

There are also certain green leaves which are undoubtedly not to be despised as flavouring agents. By their means flavours can be effectively changed. I will speak of them again when discussing the process of curry-making step by step.

Then there is that most important item the cocoanut. This, as everyone knows, is added to a curry in the form of "milk," i.e., an infusion produced by scraping the white nutty part of the cocoanut, and soaking the scrapings in boiling water. This, strained, is the "milk" required in curry-making. The quantity to be used depends upon the nature of the curry. Malay curries, for instance, require a great deal of "milk." The point in connection with this adjunct, however, that must not be missed, is the period at which it should be added. If put in too soon, the value of the nutty juice will be lost, — cooked away, and overpowered by the spicy condiments with which it is associated. So we must reserve the "milk," as we do cream or the yolk of an egg in the case of a thick soup or rich sauce, and stir it into our curry the last thing just before serving.

The strained milk extracted from pounded sweet almonds can be put into a curry very advantageously: it may be used alone, or be associated with cocoanut milk. One ounce of the latter, to twelve almonds, will be found a pleasant proportion. When cocoanuts cannot be got, almond milk makes a capital substitute.

Curries cannot afford to dispense with the assistance of some stock or gravy. It is not uncommon to hear people say that they have eaten far better curries in England than in India, the chief reason being that Mary Jane will not undertake to make the dish without at least a breakfast-cupful and a half of good stock.

Let us now consider attentively the actual details of curry-making, and since we cannot proceed to work without a good powder or paste, we can hardly do better than commence operations by studying the recipe for a household curry-stuff, concerning which I have already spoken. If faithfully followed, it will, I am sure, be found most trustworthy. It runs as follows: —

4 lbs. of turmeric ... ... Hind, huldi.
8 lbs. of coriander-seed ... , , dhunnia.
2 lbs. of cummin-seed ... .., , jeera.
1 lb. of poppy-seed... ... , , khush-khush.
2 lbs. of fenugreek ... ... , , mayt hi.
1 lb. of dry-ginger ... ... , , sont.
½ lb. of mustard-seed ... .. , , rai.
1 lb. of dried chillies ... , , sooka mirrch.
1 lb. of black pepper corns. , , kala mirrch.

Do not be alarmed at the quantity, remembering my previous statement that curry-powder improves by keeping, if carefully secured. The amount when finally mixed will fill about half a dozen bottles of the size in which tart fruits are imported. Accordingly, if disinclined to lay in so large a stock at a time, the obvious alternative of sharing some of it with a friend can easily be adopted....

The coriander-seed and fenugreek must each be parched very carefully, i.e., roasted like coffee berries, before being pounded, and the other ingredients should be cleaned and dried, each separately, and, when pounded, should be well sifted.

In order to preserve the proportions after the seeds have been powdered and sifted, it is necessary to obtain much larger quantities of the various ingredients in the first instance. Coriander-seed, for example, is very oily and only a part of it will pass through the sieve: twenty-four ounces of the seed will not yield more than eight ounces of powder: eight ounces of turmeric root will give four of powder; cummin-seed loses about one-third of its original weight in the process of sifting, and dried chilli skin about half.

Weights having been tested, then the whole of the powders should be mixed, a quarter of a bottle of salt being sprinkled in by degrees during the process. The bottles, thoroughly cleansed and dried in the sun, may now be filled and corked tightly down, the tops being securely waxed over....

This is a stock powder, the flavour of which can be varied by the use of certain spices, and green leaves, garlic, onions, green ginger, almond, cocoanut, &c., at the time of cooking the curry.

The spices, which should be used according to taste and discretion, are these: — cloves (laoong), mace (jawatri), cinnamon (kulmi darchini) , nutmeg (jaephal), cardamoms (eelachi), and allspice (seetul chini gack), A salt-spoonful of one, or at most of two, of these aromatic powders blended, will suffice for a large curry. Dr. Kitchener's precept, viz., that the mixing of several spices is a blunder, should never be forgotten.

The green leaves that are often useful when judiciously introduced are: — fennel (souf), "maythi bajee," lemongrass (uggea-ghas), bay-leaves (tajipatha), "karay-pauk," "kotemear" leaves (green coriander), &c.

When green ginger is used it should be sliced very fine, and pounded to a paste; a dessert-spoonful being sufficient for one curry....

I strongly advocate the very capital plan of making a fresh paste of some of the above adjuncts, in sufficient quantity for the curry in hand, and blending it with the stock powder when cooking the latter. Here is a reliable recipe: — One small onion, one clove of garlic, one dessertspoonful of turmeric, one of freshly-roasted coriander-seed, one of poppy-seed, a tea-spoonful of Nepaul pepper, one of sugar, one of salt, and one of grated green ginger. Pound all these with sufficient good salad oil to make a paste. Also pound twelve almonds, and one ounce of cocoanut, with a little lime juice to assist the operation. Then mix the two pastes, and stir into them a salt-spoonful of cinnamon or clove-powder. A heaped up tablespoonful of this paste to one of the stock powder will produce a very excellent result. Additional heat can be obtained by those who like very hot curries if red chilli powder be added to the above ingredients according to taste. This paste will keep if put away carefully and covered up.

Having satisfied ourselves as to the composition of our powder and paste,

We may now work out, step by step, the process to be followed in cooking a chicken curry....

The excerpts are from pp. 285-294.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Lamb Vindaloo
(Taj Mahal, Calgary)

1 lb. stewing lamb, cut in chunks
2 onions, chopped
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 potatoes, in large chunks

Spices:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 heaping tsp. white chili pepper
1 tsp. garam masala

Sauté onion, ginger and garlic in oil until mixture turns a nice golden brown. Add the salt and paprika and mix well. Stir in chopped tomatoes and cook mixture over medium-low heat until most of the moisture evaporates and a thick paste forms.

Add meat and potatoes to pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add ¼-½ cup of water. Cover and simmer meat for at least 30 minutes, until very tender. Uncover and cook to thicken sauce if necessary — the vindaloo should be a dark, reddish-brown colour. Stir in vinegar and white chili pepper and mix well. Serve garnished with garam masala and chopped fresh coriander (cilantro). Serves 4.

Note: White chili pepper is several times hotter than cayenne. For a milder sauce, substitute cayenne pepper.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Thai Lamb Curry

1 lb. lean lamb, cubed
olive oil
1 tbsp. minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yam, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, sliced
1 red bell pepper, slivered
3 green onions in 1” chunks
chopped cilantro

Sauce:

1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tbsp. curry powder or Thai curry paste
1 tsp. hot chili sauce (chili sambal)
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. minced lime rind (or ½ tsp. crushed kaffir lime leaves)
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt

Sauté lamb in olive oil until ir begins to brown. Add ginger and garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Stir in sauce ingredients; cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour or until lamb is tender and sauce thickens.

Add yam cubes and carrot and continue to simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in slivered pepper and green onion and cook 5 minutes more. Thicken with a little cornstarch solution if necessary. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with rice. Serves 4.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Uniquely Indian spices and sweet honey take apple cake to next level

http://metronews.ca/food/319418/uniquel ... ext-level/
http://emilyrichardscooks.ca/

A delicious blend of Indian spices plus apples and honey make this a great cake for snacking or dessert. It’s perfect to enjoy with a glass of ice tea on any summer weekend or bring along to a family get-together.

1. Line a 2-litre (9-inch) square baking pan with foil, allowing 5-cm (2-inch) overhang on 2 sides of pan; grease foil.

2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat egg with brown sugar until thick and creamy. Combine milk, oil and honey; add to egg mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in apples; spread in prepared pan. Bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

4. Honey Almond Glaze: In a small saucepan, bring honey, apple juice and cardamom to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

5. Place cake on wire rack and gently poke several holes in cake with fork. Carefully pour warm glaze over cake. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then lift cake out of pan using foil “handles.” Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 325 ml (1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) ground almonds
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) each baking powder and baking soda
• 4 ml (3/4 tsp) ground cardamom
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground nutmeg
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) each ground cloves and salt
• 1 egg
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) packed brown sugar
• 50 ml (1/4 cup) each milk and vegetable oil
• 50 ml (1/4 cup) liquid honey
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Honey Almond Glaze

• 125 ml (1/2 cup) liquid honey
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) apple juice or water
• 0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) ground cardamom
• 50 ml (1/4 cup) toasted sliced almonds
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Beef Empanadas

Post by Antipatros »

Beef empanadas are convenient for picnics, backpacking, taking a lunch to work, etc. Here is a semi-traditional Chilean recipe from the Antipatros archives and one from America's Test Kitchen with some reworked elements. Both avoid deepfrying as the cooking method.

Empanadas

Dough:

1 kg flour
salt
¼ kg shortening
½ tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1¾ cups warm milk

Filling:

1-1¼ lbs. lean ground beef
2-3 large onions, minced
3 tbsp. shortening
salt, cumin, oregano, cayenne to taste
1 tsp. flour
1 cup beef broth
½ cup raisins
2 hardboiled eggs, sliced
pitted black olives

To make dough, beat shortening with a wooden spoon until fluffy and gradually stir in flour and baking powder. Add eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Mix in the milk. Knead with a little flour until you have a smooth dough that doesn’t stick to your hands.

Brown ground beef until almost cooked. Stir in onions, shortening, salt, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Mix in the flour and add the beef broth. Cook for 20 minutes or until smooth and thickened. Add the raisins. Cool.

Roll dough out to about ¼” thick and cut into 4”-5” circles. Put a couple of tbsp. of filling on each circle of dough and top each with a slice of boiled egg and two black olives. Moisten edges of dough with water or milk and fold dough over filling. Press well to seal.

Place empanadas on greased cookie sheet and brush with a mixture of beaten egg and milk to glaze. Poke each meat pie with a fork to let steam escape. Bake at 350-400⁰F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking often to make sure they don’t burn.

Makes 1½-2 dozen.

Beef Empanadas on America's Test Kitchen Season 11
uF3CyhL5KhE

Beef Empanadas

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/reci ... ocid=23634

Serves 4 to 6 as an entrée

The alcohol in the dough is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor—do not substitute for it or omit. Masa harina can be found in the international aisle with other Latin foods or in the baking aisle with the flour. If you cannot find masa harina, replace it with additional all-purpose flour (for a total of 4 cups). After step 5, the empanadas can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Ingredients

Filling

1 large slice hearty white sandwich bread , torn into quarters
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound 85 percent lean ground chuck
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup raisins, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Dough

3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
1 cup (5 ounces) masa harina
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1/2 cup cold vodka or tequila
1/2 cup cold water
5 tablespoons olive oil(for baking empanadas)

Instructions

1. FOR THE FILLING: Process bread and 2 tablespoons chicken broth in food processor until paste forms, about 5 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add beef, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and pulse until mixture is well combined, six to eight 1-second pulses.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, cayenne, and cloves; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking meat into 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add remaining ½ cup chicken broth and simmer until mixture is moist but not wet, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, eggs, raisins, olives, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

3. FOR THE DOUGH: Process 1 cup flour, masa harina, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and process until homogeneous and dough resembles wet sand, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 2 cups flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into large bowl.

4. Sprinkle vodka or tequila and water over mixture. Using hands, mix dough until it forms tacky mass that sticks together. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces. Transfer dough pieces to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

5. TO ASSEMBLE: Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions, place 1 baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. While baking sheets are preheating, remove dough from refrigerator. Roll each dough piece out on lightly floured work surface into 6-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick, covering each dough round with plastic wrap while rolling remaining dough. Place about 1/3 cup filling in center of each dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Trim any ragged edges. Press edges to seal. Crimp edges of empanadas using fork.

6. TO BAKE: Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over surface of each hot baking sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Brush empanadas with remaining tablespoon oil. Carefully place 6 empanadas on each baking sheet and cook until well browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Cool empanadas on wire rack 10 minutes and serve.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Wondering what to do with a superabundance of fruit? Try this recipe from The Bon Appétit Dinner Party Cookbook (1983):

Pineapple-Papaya Chutney

Any fruit that is not fully ripened, such as peaches, apricots, plums, mangoes or apples, can be substituted for the pineapple and/or the papaya.

3 cups pineapple chunks (½-inch chunks)
1¼ cups white vinegar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 hot green peppers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
½ cup chopped preserved ginger
½ cup seedless raisins
½ cup chopped papaya
½ fresh lime, peeled, seeded and chopped
¼ cup chopped pitted dates
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground red pepper
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, stirring frequently. Stir in lemon juice and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Antipatros: A Major Grey chutney (made by substituting underripe mango for the pineapple and papaya in the recipe) is heavenly on burgers.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
Posts: 644
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Cedars Deli

Post by Antipatros »

"Let's have lunch at Cedars Deli," said my wife. That is a highly appetising prospect, even in a mall food court, so I took no persuading.

It just happens that our first date was at Cedars (another location -- not in a food court!) many years ago. But how has Cedars endured since the 1980s when so many other restaurants have come and gone? How does it attract redneck cowboys, Sikh businessmen, university students, and many others to Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine, which is not the most familiar here? It's simple: the food is fresh, delicious, very reasonably priced, and served without undue delay.***

Owner (and cookbook author) Mary Salloum never expected to run a restaurant, let alone a small empire of them, but divorce left her scrambling to make a living. What marketable skills did she have? Well, she could cook... If only the bank would back her.... It did, but at an extortionate prime plus 4% interest rate, proving that it expected her to fail. Instead she was an immediate success and has never looked back.

Here is one of her cornerstone recipes, the basis of the falafel sandwich that my wife and I both selected.

Baked Falafel

http://mintgreenapron.blogspot.ca/2011/ ... lafel.html

Makes 2-3 dozen depending on the size.

This recipe makes quite a quantity, so either halve the recipe or stick half in the freezer to heat up for a last-minute dinner idea as I do.

You should start soaking the chickpeas the night before you plan on making these. Make sure that the chickpeas are quite dry after draining, otherwise you will need quite a bit of flour to make them hold together. If they are quite dry, you may be able to get by with no flour at all, especially if you want to fry them.


2 cups dry chickpeas
1 small onion, cut in quarters
1 small potato, peeled and cut in quarters
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
up to 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) whole wheat flour
up to 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) corn flour, or more whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
olive or grapeseed oil

1. Soak chickpeas for approximately 24 hours in 4 times as much water as beans. Drain.

2. In a food processor, place onion, potato and garlic and give it a little whirl. Add chickpeas and process until finely chopped. Remove to bowl and add spices and flour, starting with a few tablespoons and increasing until the mixture begins to hold together. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let stand for 2-3 hours.

3. Just before baking, add baking soda and mix thoroughly. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Add a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush a tablespoon or two of oil on it. Place in oven for 3 minutes to heat pan.

4. For small falafel, take approximately 2 tbsp falafel mix and shape into a ball, flatten lightly. Repeat with remaining mix and place on hot-from-oven baking sheet.

5. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes each side, or fry if desired. Bake them for less time if you intend to freeze and reheat them later, longer if you intend to serve them immediately.

6. Serve with pita bread, thinly sliced lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, tzatziki or hommous. (Hot sauce if you want!)

One of my favourite foodie moments involved Mary`s recipe for fatoush, a bread salad in the same family as Italian panzanella. Faye Levy reprinted it in the Jerusalem Post, saying it was the best recipe she'd found. So we had the recipe for a Lebanese dish as prepared by a Lebanese woman in Calgary, selected by a Jewish woman in California and published in an Israeli newspaper for a worldwide English-speaking audience. Talk about the globalisation of food.

Fatoush

http://saudigrrl.proboards.com/index.cg ... hread=3129
See also: http://www.lacuisinehelene.com/2012/06/ ... salad.html

2 small (6-inch diameter) pita breads
8 romaine lettuce leaves, washed, patted dry
1/2 bunch radishes (about 8 medium-sized), cleaned well and thinly sliced
2 green onions, washed, dried, chopped
4 to 5 salad cucumbers, peeled, sliced or diced
2 medium tomatoes, washed, cored, cut into chunks
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 large clove garlic, peeled, crushed
2 tablespoons ground sumac
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees or turn on the broiler.

Slice each pita bread in half horizontally. Place the pitas on a baking sheet and crisp them in the oven 6-8 minutes.

Remove the pitas from the oven; when they are cool enough to handle, break them into bite-size pieces. Place the pieces in a large serving bowl.

Tear the romaine into bite-size pieces and add them to the bread.

Add the radishes, green onions, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley and garlic. Gently toss to combine all ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sumac, lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and mint. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 2 hours before serving.

Adapted from "A Taste of Lebanon" by Mary Salloum

125 calories (51% from fat), 7 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 13 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 379 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 43 mg calcium, 2 grams fiber.

(***) It also doesn't hurt that Cedars' halal certification is displayed prominently, and the menu clearly indicates which dishes are vegan, or lacto-ovovegetarian, or comply with Canadian Heart and Stroke Society guidelines. Patrons can see at a glance what meets their particular requirements.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Antipatros
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Suggested musical accompaniment

From Leon E. Soniat, Jr., La Bouche Creole (1981):

The other day, as I strolled through the "new" French Market, I couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness for what had been done in the area in the name of progress and remodeling.

It was beautifully, and, I guess tastefully, rebuilt-and of course some of the buildings of the old market were certainly in need of repair — but as I observed the gift shops, restaurants, and other tenants, I got the overall sense that something old had been destroyed just be¬cause it was old. It seemed to me almost like chrome plating an old piece of fine pewterware to renew it.

As I meandered along, nostalgia began to rear its sentimental head, and I hearkened back to the twenties, when the conglomeration of buildings was the hub of a confused cacophony of the most delightful sounds, sights, and smells. I began to reminisce about my tri-weekly visits with Memere, who with her shopping basket on her arm, went through the vegetable, poultry, and meat sections, and finally went on to the seafood places where the most interesting and intriguing sights and smells were to be found.

There we found mounds of freshly caught fish, including redfish, red snapper, catfish, trout, flounder, and pompano. The bins or wire boxesof crabs and crawfish were the next interest-getters. I would stare in amazement as the men in their rubber boots and aprons, with abso¬lutely no fear of the snapping claws, would reach in barehanded to handle the crabs and crawfish. Also, there would always be large mounds of fresh turtle meat. I would stand spellbound, watching the meat move and twitch, even after it had been cut from the turtle. Tra¬dition had it that it would not stop moving until the sun went down. But long before sundown, Memere usually had a couple of pounds of the meat well on the way to becoming a delicious TURTLE SOUP.

The first thing she did was melt ¾ cup butter in a heavy soup pot. Then she would gradually add about 8 tablespoons of flour, stirring constantly. This would be cooked over low heat until the roux was a nice medium-brown color. Memere then added ½ pound of chopped lean ham, 1 cup of chopped onion, 3 coarsely chopped medium-sized tomatoes, ¾ cup chopped celery tops, 1 chopped bell pepper, and 4 toes of garlic, finely chopped. She thoroughly mixed it all together and cooked the mixture over a low heat until the vegetables browned (about ½ hour).

Then 2 pounds of turtle meat were chopped into small pieces and added, together with 2 teaspoons salt, ⅔ teaspoon black pepper, 2 pinches cayenne pepper, 4 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon powdered thyme, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, 4 cups beef stock or 3 cans beef consomme, and 1½ cups water. All of this was brought to a boil, and then lowered to a simmer and cooked for 2½ hours.

About ½ hour before the soup was done, 1 teaspoon Worcester¬shire, 2 thin slices of lemon, and 4 tablespoons of sherry were added. Ten minutes before it was finished, ⅛ cup finely chopped parsley was added. (If the soup needed thinning, a little water was added, too.) When everything was done, the soup was allowed to "set" for 15 min¬utes in the pot so the seasonings would blend. What a soup this made!

Just before serving, you could add 2 sliced hard-cooked eggs. Dig down deep when serving the soup to get the solids at the bottom. Have a big slice of crisp French bread ready to eat with the soup, too. Serves four to six.

Turtle Soup

¾ cup butter
8 tbsp. flour
½ lb. lean ham, chopped into small pieces
1 cup chopped onion
3 medium-sized tomatoes, coarsely chopped
¼ cup chopped celery tops
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic toes, finely chopped
2 lbs. turtle meat, chopped into small pieces
2 tsp. salt
⅔ tsp. black pepper
2 pinches cayenne pepper
4 bay leaves
½ tsp. powdered thyme
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
4 cups beef stock (or 3 cans beef consomme)
1½ cups water
1 tsp. Worcestershire
2 thin slices lemon
4 tbsp. sherry
⅛ cup finely chopped parsley
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

From the restaurant where both Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse earned their epaulettes:

Commander's Palace turtle soup recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food ... index.html
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Chili

Post by Antipatros »

When you think of superb chili, what is it that stands out in your mind? Is it the intensity of the spices, or the complexity of the mix? Does it contain beans, or is it Texas style? Or is it the context in which it is eaten -- watching a great football game with friends and family; around a campfire; etc.?

I ordinarily cook chili without a recipe, simply guided by the ingredients and my own mood and tastes. But this is the one friends and family request:

Chef Paul Prudhomme, Texas Red Chili

From Seasoned America

http://www.grouprecipes.com/82743/texas ... s-red.html

Seasoning Mix:
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. ground guajillo chile pepper***
1 tbsp. ground arbol chile pepper***
2 tsp. dried sweet basil leaves
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

5 pounds beef top round, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 dried ancho or poblano peppers***
3 dried arbol pepper or any small, thin hot red chile pepper***
6 dried serrano or guajillo peppers***
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 lbs. salt pork, Boston pork butt, or bacon cut into 1/4-inch dice (if you use salt pork, rinse some of the salt from the rind and pat dry) shopping list
6 cups chopped onions
6 cups chopped green bell peppers
3 cups chopped celery
2 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
4 bay leaves
6 cups beef (preferred), pork, or chicken stock
8 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled and smashed, with their juices
1 tbsp. ground cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine seasoning mix ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl. Make 6 tablespoons plus 2 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the seasoning mix all over the meat and work it in well with your hands.

Place the dried anchos, arbols, and serranos on a baking dish and dry them in the oven until brittle about 10-13 minutes. Let cool. Then crush them with your hands into the bowl of a food processor and blend to a fine powder. There should be about 7 tablespoons in all.

Place the cornmeal in a small skillet over medium-high heat and toast flipping the cornmeal and shaking the skillet constantly, until the cornmeal is light brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the salt pork, pork butt, or bacon in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cover and cook, uncovering the pot occasionally to scrape the bottom until the salt pork is a deep brown color, about 30 minutes. There should be a film on the bottom of the pot that looks like ground red pepper. Remove the salt pork from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Turn the heat up on high, and when the fat remaining in the pot is hot, add half of the beef to the pot. Cook, turning once or twice until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Then brown the remaining beef and remove to the bowl.

Add 4 cups each of the onions and bell peppers, 2 cups of the celery, the garlic, and the remaining seasoning mix to the pot. Stir well, cover, and cook 8-10 minutes. Add the bay leaves, cover, and cook uncovering occasionally to stir, about 15 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pot, about 6 minutes. Stir in the ground peppers and the browned beef. Cook until the meat sticks hard and forms a hard crust on the bottom of the pot, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the browned salt pork and 1 cup of the stock in the container of a blender and process until thoroughly blended.

When the meat has formed a crust on the bottom of the pot, stir in the salt pork/stock mixture and scrape the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes, the remaining 2 cups of onions, 2 cups of bell peppers, 1 cup celery, and 1 cup of stock. Scrape the bottom of the pot well and cook, uncovered, 12 minutes. Cover the pot and cook over high heat 8 minutes. Add the toasted cornmeal and 1 cup more of stock to the pot and scrape the bottom. Stir in the remaining 3 cups of stock and the cumin. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer, scraping occasionally if the mixture starts to stick, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Makes about 18 cups.

Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight and reheat before serving. Fantastic with toasted corn tortillas.

***Note: These are the chile peppers we used. You can use whatever is available in your area, whole dried or ground, but be sure to buy pure ground chile peppers, not commericial chili powder.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

The thermometer reading of 0.3C when I woke up this morning may explain my craving for this.

Norma MacMillan and Wendy James (eds.), Cooking in Colour:

Salt Beef

Overall timing: 3.5 hours plus 2 weeks salting.

To serve 8-10.

2 lbs. coarse salt
4 ozs. sugar
1 tbsp. saltpetre
1 oz. pickling spice
4 bay leaves
1 sprig of thyme
5 lbs. silverside or brisket of beef
3 large onions
5 cloves
1 stalk of celery
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 lb. medium carrots
2 medium turnips
1 lb. leeks

Put salt, sugar and saltpetre into a large saucepan with pickling spices tied in muslin. Add bay leaves, thyme and 8 pints (4.5 litres) water and heat gently, stirring, till sugar and salt have dissolved. Bring to the boil, then pour into bowl and cool.

Add meat to bowl, making sure that salt solution covers it. Cover with clean tea towel and leave to soak in cold place for up to two weeks. Turn meat occasionally.

To cook, remove from pickle and wash under cold running water. Put into a large saucepan with one onion, peeled and spiked with cloves. Chop celery and add to the pan with peppercorns. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil slowly. Skim, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2.5 hours.

Meanwhile, peel and chop carrots and turnips. Peel remaining onions and slice thickly. Chop leeks. Add vegetables to pan, bring back to the boil, and simmer for 30 minutes. Use strained cooking liquid to make a sauce.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Cheap like borscht

Post by Antipatros »

Edmonton Hadassah-WIZO, The Great Hadassah-WIZO Cookbook:

Beet Borscht

2 lbs. short ribs or brisket
2 pieces sour salt [citric acid crystals]***
6 beets
2 medium onions
2 tbsp. sugar
1 clove garlic
salt
pepper

Simmer beef in water to cover. Skim to clear. When no more scum rises to the top, add sour salt, peeled and sliced onions and beets, sugar, and seasoning. Mince garlic; add to broth. Cook about 3 hours until meat is tender. Correct seasonings; serve hot.

***(Note: Juice of 1 large lemon may be substituted for the sour salt.)

Beet and Rhubarb Borscht

6 large beets, peeled
1 1/2 lbs. rhubarb
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. short ribs with bone
water
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt
pepper

Place whole beets, rhubarb, onion and short ribs in a 4-quart (4L) soup pot. Add cold water to fill 3/4 of the pot. Boil gently for 3-4 hours. Remove beets, dice, and return to soup. Season to taste with sugar, lemon juice, and salt and peper.

National Doukhobour Heritage Village, Inc., Ethnic and Favorite Recipes (1984):

Russian Borsch

3 quarts water
1/4 lb. butter
2 cups potatoes, cubed
1/4 cup carrot, chopped fine
1 tbsp. salt (canning)
1 pint tomatoes, mashed
1 medium onion, chopped fine

Bring water to a boil, add all ingredients and cook until potatoes are done -- about 15 minutes. Take out 3/4 cup of potatoes and set aside.

Prepare:

2 tbsp, grated beets
2 tbsp. dill (fresh or frozen), chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 tbsp. green or red peppers, chopped fine
2 cups shredded cabbage

Mix and add to first mixture. Cook about 8 to 10 minutes. Mash the 3/4 cup potato in 1/4 cup fresh cream and 1 tbsp. butter. Add some hot liquid into mashed potato, mix and add to rest of vegetables and boil only about 1 minute.

When fresh green vegetable leaves are available, chop them real fine and use in borsch the same way as cabbage:

winter lettuce
beet leaves
spinach
young rhubarb leaves, scalded first then used
nettle leaves, scalded then used
potato leaves
leaf from horseradish
green onion
Swiss chard
young cabbage leaves
dill or dry dill, stem with seed. Put into pot on top for a while for flavour; after it's cooked, then take it out.

You can either add cream or just leave it plain, then you don't have to mash potatoes.

Mrs. Pauline Sukorokoff, Canora
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Location: Alaska

ATK . . .

Post by Marcus »

Antipatros wrote:uF3CyhL5KhE
Just saw this . . I can't stand America's Test Kitchen as they are, in my mind, the very antithesis of all that cooking should be about.

Can't stand their hype: This or that recipe "perfected;" The "best way" to cook whatever; etc.

Can't stand the way they reduce cooking to chemistry, formulae, and process.

To my mind, Jacques Pepin is what cooking is about and should be about.

"Cooking is an act of love." —Jacques Pepin

That said, ATK does have good product reviews, and I do have a couple of their cookbooks . . ;)
"The jawbone of an ass is just as dangerous a weapon today as in Sampson's time."
--- Richard Nixon
******************
"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."
—John Calvin
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Re: Gastronomy

Post by Antipatros »

Certainly the oddest sandwich I've had in some time:

Swedish-style egg, dill and beet on dark rye

http://food.chatelaine.com/recipes/view ... n-dark-rye

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 4 Servings

Nutrient:
256 calories
12g protein
30g carbohydrates
10g fat
5g fibre
461mg sodium

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 beets, cooked, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp hot horseradish
4 slices dark rye bread, preferably roggenbrot

Directions
1. Stir rice vinegar with sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add beets and onion. Set aside to marinate.

2. Cover eggs with water in a medium saucepan. Boil for 7 to 8 min. Remove eggs and plunge into a bowl filled with very cold water. Let cool for 5 min, then peel and thinly slice.

3. Stir sour cream with dill and horseradish in a small bowl.

4. Spread a layer of sour cream mixture over each slice of bread. Top with pickled vegetables and egg slices.

Substitution Tip: If you're pressed for time, drain bottled sliced beets and pat dry with paper towels before using.

I found it necessary to double the amount of brine from that stated in the recipe above. Letting the mixture pickle overnight in the fridge worked well. Also, I was out of horseradish, so I used wasabi powder instead. Dense, black pumpernickel also substituted admirably.

For a further Swedish touch:
Nyponsoppa or rose hip soup is an everyday classic among Swedish desserts. Along with a few macaroons or almond flakes, plus a dollop of whipped cream on top, this soup suddenly turns into party food. Rose hip is very rich in vitamin C and the soup is a gorgeous red in color, making it a pleasure to eat in a country that is too cold and wintry dark much of the year to allow the cultivation of oranges.
Nyponsoppa

by Lena Katarina Swanberg and Carl Jan Granqvist

http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle ... ponsoppa-/

4 servings

100 g (4 oz) dried rose hips
1 liter (1 qt) water
1 tbsp. potato flour
40 g (¼ cup) sugar

Preparation

Soak the rose hips in half the water for a few hours. Then boil them soft in the same water. This may take 20–30 minutes depending on their thickness. Blend in a mixer and pass through a sieve. Boil the rest of the water. Stir potato flour into a little cold water. Beat the mixture into the water and boil again. Add the mashed rose hips and sugar. Taste and let cool.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:33 pm

Re: ATK . . .

Post by Antipatros »

Marcus wrote:
Antipatros wrote:uF3CyhL5KhE
Just saw this . . I can't stand America's Test Kitchen as they are, in my mind, the very antithesis of all that cooking should be about.

Can't stand their hype: This or that recipe "perfected;" The "best way" to cook whatever; etc.

Can't stand the way they reduce cooking to chemistry, formulae, and process.

To my mind, Jacques Pepin is what cooking is about and should be about.

"Cooking is an act of love." —Jacques Pepin

That said, ATK does have good product reviews, and I do have a couple of their cookbooks . . ;)
My perspective is quite different. I like some of the recipes from America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Country, and they do some innovative things to improve traditional dishes. I find the product reviews and taste tests mainly annoying. E.g.:

1. I use and prefer Oxo Good Grips measuring cups, which their testers despised. I like getting an accurate amount quickly, not sloshing the liquid out of the cup as I raise it to read the side graduations, then adjust the amount of liquid, read it again, etc.

2. Their recent taste test of steak sauces may well reflect the American palate, but not mine. Whining about HP Sauce being "too vinegary", having "too much tamarind", etc., and choosing the insipid A-! Sauce instead is not the way to my heart.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Marcus
Posts: 2409
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 2:23 pm
Location: Alaska

Re: ATK . . .

Post by Marcus »

Antipatros wrote:2. Their recent taste test of steak sauces may well reflect the American palate, but not mine. Whining about HP Sauce being "too vinegary", having "too much tamarind", etc., and choosing the insipid A-! Sauce instead is not the way to my heart.
Anyone who uses commercial/industrial steak sauce of any type or brand gets what they deserve whether from Cook's Country or whomever.

While sometimes impractical and perhaps impossible, we like Jack Lalanne's advice: "If man made it, don't eat it."

Just kidding, Antipatros, more or less. Good thing we're not all alike. Yes, ATK does come up with some good ideas from time to time . . can't deny it. It's their whole approach, their "hook" if you will, that turns me off. The whole thing—"test" kitchen—sounds like a chemistry lab. Cooking is art, cooking is organic. Cooking is not mechanical or formulaic.

Anyway, to each his own and all that. Not my intent to offend. Have you ever watched Jacques Pepin cook or read any of his cookbooks? Another favorite of mine is Anthony Bourdain
"The jawbone of an ass is just as dangerous a weapon today as in Sampson's time."
--- Richard Nixon
******************
"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."
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Antipatros
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Re: ATK . . .

Post by Antipatros »

Marcus wrote:Have you ever watched Jacques Pepin cook or read any of his cookbooks? Another favorite of mine is Anthony Bourdain
Jacques Pepin is a culinary genius. Even so, he says his wife is a better cook. (Kitchen diplomacy or fact -- you be the judge.)

I especially enjoyed his collaboration with Julia Child, because then there were two geniuses at work, but often disagreeing.
Be not too curious of Good and Evil;
Seek not to count the future waves of Time;
But be ye satisfied that you have light
Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

--T.S. Eliot
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Marcus
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Re: ATK . . .

Post by Marcus »

Antipatros wrote:Jacques Pepin is a culinary genius. Even so, he says his wife is a better cook. (Kitchen diplomacy or fact -- you be the judge.)

I especially enjoyed his collaboration with Julia Child, because then there were two geniuses at work, but often disagreeing.
Ha . . :lol: . . a genius indeed. As for his wife, I'd bet Jacques was hoping to get lucky . . ;)

Yes, and the thing I recall them arguing over most was black or white pepper. Julia did not like black specks in a white sauce, Pepin used black pepper exclusively claiming white pepper was inferior in taste. Interesting because Pepin was easily the more artistic of the two where presentation is concerned. I think I recall him once saying, "You take the first bite with the eyes."

I did a turkey/vegetable chowder last night, leftovers tonight. Here's how I go about such things:

Our freezers are well-stocked with fish, fowl, red meat, and some sausage-type stuff as well as with veggies. Some months ago we cut up an organic turkey and vacuum-sealed and froze the pieces. I started with one drumstick and from there checked some recipes for likely veggies. Broke the drumstick and simmered it for over an hour, removed the drumstick, and reduced the boiling water from three pints to less than a pint. Removed the meat from the bone. Settled on potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, corn, mushrooms, and peas for the veggies (all organic or from our greenhouse). Diced the potatoes and carrots, simmered them for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile fried the chopped celery and diced mushrooms in lard in a dutch oven till soft. Combined everything in the dutch oven, added the reduced stock from the drumstick, another 1/2 pint of homemade chicken stock, and the water used for the potatoes and carrots combined with a couple tablespoons of flour (organic). When things just started to simmer, added organic cream until things looked creamy enough. Salt and pepper at this point. Simmered the whole mess for another half hour or so and turned it off to rest until supper time. Turned out pretty good, lots of fun and a fair amount of merlot in the doing . . how does one write a recipe for such a thing?

Came to cooking late in life . . to my great regret . . absolutely love cooking and baking bread. Not too keen on deserts . . leave that to my wife.

Here's a recent plate: rye bread with pickled herring, homemade goat cheese, and Pepin's molasses cured salmon . . .
IMG_1569.jpg
IMG_1569.jpg (88.31 KiB) Viewed 4256 times
"The jawbone of an ass is just as dangerous a weapon today as in Sampson's time."
--- Richard Nixon
******************
"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."
—John Calvin
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Marcus
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Fake blueberries . . we're being scammed . .

Post by Marcus »

"If man made it, don't eat it." —Jack Lalanne

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"The jawbone of an ass is just as dangerous a weapon today as in Sampson's time."
--- Richard Nixon
******************
"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."
—John Calvin
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