Sass & Veracity

Danish Braids: Daring Bakers June Challenge

Call me Murphy because if anything could go wrong, it already has.  You know when you get to the end of a very long post and you see that spinning wheel?  The one that indicates that something's not quite right with your browser?  Yes.  That would be me about 3 minutes ago.  And now I'm supposed to start over because the whole freaking thing is gonzo. *sob*  It all happened when I clicked on that link for the Daring Bakers Blogroll...Can you believe it?

It's 12:46 am, and it's posting day for the Daring Bakers, something I can't wait for each month.  And this month in particular, since I'm one of the hosts, you'd think I'd have things all wrapped up.  I've had Danish Braid on the brain for about three months now, from thinking about choosing the recipe, to choosing it, to testing it, and baking it four different ways...and now it's time to raise the curtain and what do you think?

*crickets...*

My browser quits on me and my post is lost.  Crappity crap crap.  It's kind of like not showing up for your own party.

It's bad enough living in the farthest Southwest corner of the U.S. and always, always, always being the very last to be able to post, counting the minutes until midnight, barely waiting for my time to let it rip.  But have my browser quit on me?  That's just wrong.

Ahhhhh.....I guess I should have written this post a month ago, right?  Set it to fly when the clock hit midnight?  But no.

I've had Italy on my brain along with Danish Braid, because we're leaving in two days.  Two.  So this is my punishment for not being ready.

Nevertheless, it's time to give this another go.  To write again that which has been lost.  Right?

Um, nope.  I have no energy at this point.  Forgive me.

With what little grace I have at this point (like, ZERO?), it is so important to me to say thank you to Ben of What's Cooking? for being my co-host for this month's Daring Baker Challenge.  THANK YOU BEN!   I know Ben would have more dignity than I do right now.  *sigh* Right Ben?

Okay, enough of the melodrama and on with the pastry.

Danish Braid anyone?

This completely fabulous recipe is Sherry Yard's from The Secrets of Baking, and what a lovely recipe it is.  Cardamom, orange, vanilla...and lots of options for making it your own.  If you've ever wondered about whether you could make pastry, this is the recipe for you to try.  But I'm biased. I could have eaten all of it myself.

DANISH BRAID

Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients 
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash:  1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1.    Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  On a lightly floured  surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick.  If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again.  Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2.    Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart.  Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3.    Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle.  Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover.  Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling.  This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished.  Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1.    Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid.  Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2.    Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3.    Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown.  Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature.  The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

DANISH DOUGH                 

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe) 
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
¼ cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine  yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed.  Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice.  Mix well.  Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth.  You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

BUTTER BLOCK
1.    Combine  butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free.  Set aside at room temperature.
2.    After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough  into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick.  The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour.  Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough.  Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter.  Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third.  The first turn has now been completed.  Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally.  Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3.    Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface.  The open ends should be to your right and left.  Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle.  Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third.  No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4.    Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns.  Make sure you are keeping track of your turns.  Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight.  The Danish dough is now ready to be used.  If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it.  To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze.  Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling.  Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes.  If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid.  (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet.  After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

Notes:

• I made two braids:  one with apple filling, and the other with a combination of strawberry jam & pastry cream.  I took the jam & pastry recipes from the Beatrice Ojakangas recipe for Danish Braid in Baking with Julia.  They are quickly and easily made in the microwave and were very good.
• I also made Danish Envelopes folded two ways.  Each had the apples described above, but also with a filling of 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 c. demerara, 1/2 egg,  and 1/2 tsp. vanilla well mixed and dolloped onto the apples. I sprinkled chopped pecans over the filling, baked them, and then drizzled dulce de leche over the top.  Mmmm....
• Speaking of those apples -- they're delicious.  This would make a beautiful pie filling or ice cream topping, or...add some nuts and just enjoy. 
• The egg wash for the top of the braid will produce a very brown crust, so be prepared. 
• Absolutely read the recipe several times before you begin.  The recipe is very straight forward unless it's not carefully read.
• Make sure you don't cheat on the 30 minute refrigeration times between turns.  The gluten needs to rest, and the butter to chill.
• If your kitchen is above 80 degrees F, the butter will most likely pose a problem, so make sure all your ingredients are cold to begin with, and if need be, refrigerate when necessary along the way to keep things cold.
• Make sure the "fringe" on the dough for the braid isn't cut too long or the filling will ooze out during the proof time, or even worse, during baking.  Hmmm...did I do this?
• I used green cardamom pods for this -- about 16.  It's time consuming to crack them and grind the seeds, but worth it.  The dough is very aromatic, and the pastry very special.

Please take time to visit the other Daring Bakers to see their sweet and savory, nutty, fruity Danish Braids.  They're amazing, as always, and far more entertaining than I am at this point.

Somebody needs to hose me down.

And here's a quick look at round two with my Danish Envelopes.  To get the rounded ones, I placed them in a Texas style muffin pan and wrapped the corners up over the filling.  Cute little things if I might say so myself.  Wish I had one right now, and I'd drown my sorrows in that yummy pastry.

Look how much nicer my dough was the next time.  All straight and perfect! Such lovely dough to work with. Okay, forget hosing me down.  Just wrap me in this dough, and I'll be happy.

 

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake

Three more days until we leave for Italy.  Only three.  Do you have any idea how crazy I am making sure everything is just so?  Perfectly arranged?  Meticulously organized?  I'm a stark raving madwoman. 

I feel like Martha must.

Or not.  I thought I'd be so smart and schedule posts on some of the Italian food I've been making so my blog wouldn't look forlorn while we were gone.  But have I scheduled those posts?  Um...no.  *looks at calendar on iMac and calculates possibilities...twitching...*
Where does the time go?

*regains composure...* I do have a very nice bittersweet chocolate cheesecake for you though.  Remember that luscious Cherry Gelato a few days ago?  Well, this was its accompaniment -- and what a perfect one it was.  The almond extract and cherries in the gelato played perfectly against the dark chocolate and the crunch of almonds.  In case you miss that line, I will repeat it later.  You know.  Just for effect.

The next day, it went perfectly with the mixed berries we had for breakfast, too. 

The recipe is yet again from the April '08 issue of Gourmet magazine which I've cooked my way through as we've prepared for our vacation. Okay, so maybe I do have some things to write about.  If I stay up until dawn's crack each night, I'll be sufficiently exhausted to actually sleep on the 79-hour flight ahead of us).  Pigs will fly, of course, before that happens.

Evidently, this recipe was inspired by a dessert the author enjoyed in a restaurant in Perugia, Italy.  Although we will have to wave out the window of the Eurostar Alta Velocita as we pass Perugia at about 300 km/h on our way to Florence, I can say that I will remember the tang of this dessert.

 
Notes:

• The original recipe, Torta di Cioccolata al Forno con Vaniglia e Nocciola, can be found here.
• I used whole raw almonds in an equal quantity instead of the hazelnuts called for.
• Make sure you use the whole wheat crackers called for.  It seems a bit odd, but they create an excellent crust with a pleasant crunch instead of the sometimes too sweet crust that cheesecakes can have.
• I used a convection setting, and the cheesecake still needed to be in the oven longer than I expected -- the full 90 minutes.  Usually, the convection setting cut down a bit on the cooking time.  Keep an eye on the center and insert a wooden pick to test for doneness.  The crust will crack and drop -- it's expected to.  I'm not one to fuss over a cracked top on my cheesecake, so no biggie.
• I used a standing mixer in the first step to "whisk in cream cheese" with the melted chocolate and butter for the crust.  Even at room temp, the cream cheese wouldn't exactly "whisk" with a normal kitchen whisk.  I had fun thinking about it, though, while I was lifting my Bertha from her throne in my kitchen.
• When the directions mention to "whisk together eggs and sugar...until mixture has a mousse-like consistency" please know this took at least 5 solid minutes of mixing on medium (KA 4).
• This is an interesting cheesecake.  The combination of the bittersweet chocolate, cream cheese, sour cream and nuts provide an intensely tart taste with crunch.  Nice.  Creamy, too.
• The berries are simply turbinado sprinkled over and let to macerate for about 30 minutes.  Simple.
• I'm thinking cherries left to macerate would be lovely over this and that heavenly Cherry Gelato.

Next time...right?  But wait.  I just saw two new gelato recipes...one for pistachio, and the other for a dark chocolate.

Heavens.

Buttery Garlic Knots with Rosemary...and Girth

 If anyone had told me even two years ago that I'd have a group of friends I baked with, I'd have considered that it was possible, because I do have a group of friends I cook dinner with on a regular basis.  But if I'd been told the baking friends lived thousands of miles away, some in countries outside the U.S., and that when we baked we questioned and deliberated about all things "culinary" such as:

• wild yeast
• electrician's tape for bits and parts
• proofing temps
• girth
• green & black garlic
• who's that soccer player?  Beckham?
• kitchen humidity levels
• anatomically shaped knots
• tassles
• starters
• celebrities
• Star Wars
• packages; and
• boy toys...Ahem...

Where was I?  Oh, yes, and that all this "talk" happened in day long chats by instant messaging on Skype, I would have said, absolutely no way!

But it's a complete riot and absolutely so educational.  Of course, it'd be a lot more fun if most of my fellow "bakeanistas" weren't in another time zone.  It's a bit of a challenge to drag my sorry self out of bed on a weekend morning at 7:00 when I'm sorely in need of my beauty rest, but I wouldn't miss it for the world.  Nope.  Just the thought of being able to spend a day in my kitchen in front of my iMac (like that's unusual?..) with my jammies on and no worry about make-up or eyebrows or brushing my hair is sheer heaven. You know, when the rest of the sane world is out enjoying time at the park, or the beach, or taking care of gardening.  Yes, like that.  And who knows whether our keyboards will ever be the same, but some are experimenting with SaranWrap coverings.  Snorting coffee through one's nose could damage them.

The nice thing about these cyber baking chat sessions is that they remind me of what it's like to see a neighbor outside her house and yell over to her that you've got a fresh pot of coffee on.  Feh.  Or a mimosa.  Time zones, remember?  And because she has a friend on the way over, who was going to meet up with her neighbor, and they were getting ready to go out with two friends....You get it, right?  Except that doesn't happen in my real neighborhood.

Hence, bakeanistas.  With two dudes added for good measure.  They bake, okay?

From one session to the next, there's no telling who will join in because it's impromptu.  And sometimes, people are busy, so they just pull up a chair and chat.  They decide not to bake.  But as each in the group proceeds through the recipe or its variations (because we like to mess around with it) photos of our little baked yummies start flying back and forth so we can oooh and ahhhh one another's accomplishment. 

Or not.  Sometimes, things don't always go the way we'd like.  It's a bit challenging gossiping and trying to bake and type all at the same time so there's bound to be a problem.  Yeast doesn't exactly stop working when you've got errands to run, right? 

Thankfully, this dough is very forgiving -- as in after you've throw it across the room to get it off your hands because it's so sticky. Just kidding.



Buttery Garlic Knots with Rosemary

for the dough...
1 c. whole milk
3/4 c. unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/2 c. warm water (105 degrees F)
1 tsp. plus 1/2 c. sugar, divided
1 envelope plus 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
3 lg. eggs, room temp
5-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp. salt
1 T melted butter

for the filling/topping...
5/8 oz. garlic (3 lg. cloves)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T butter, melted
1-1/2 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. sea salt

In a medium pan over low heat, warm milk adn 3/4 c. of butter until it melts.  Stir occasionally to prevent milk from burning.  Let cool to 120 degrees F.

Combine warm water, 1 tsp. sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and slet stand for 5 minutes until it softens and begins to puff.

In the bowl of a standing mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and remaining sugar at low speed until blended.  Beat in the milk mixture.  Gradually add 2-1/2 c. of the flour, 1/2 c. at a time until blended smooth.  Replace the whisk with the dough hook.  Add the yeast mixture, salt, and 2 cups of flour, 1/2 c. at a time, and beat at medium low speed (2 on the KA mixer).  You will have a very wet and loose dough that climbs the dough hook but falls back down into the bowl by this time. 

One tablespoon at a time, add enough flour to form a firm but sticky dough ball.  The dough ball will pull away from the sides of the bowl and not flop back to the sides.  It will feel like "fly paper" when you touch it.

Pour 1 T melted butter in a large bowl (4 qt.) that can be fitted with a lid or plastic cling wrap.  On a very lightly flour dusted counter, and with lightly floured hands, turn the dough out and give it 3-5 quick hand kneads to form a good dough ball.  Then put it in the buttered bowl, turning it over to coat evenly.  Cover the bowl tightly, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough, fold it over in half, then in half again, and brush with melted butter.  Cover the bowl again and let rise again in the same warm, draft-free place until double, about 1 hour.

About 10 minutes before the last rise, in a large skillet, melt 2 T butter with 2 T extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and stir until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes.  Add the fresh rosemary and sea salt, mix well and scrape into a bowl.  Set aside.

When the last rise is done, you're ready to shape the rolls, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work space and cut it into 16 even pieces.  Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into a rope about 11-inches long and flatten it.  Spoon about 1/4 tsp. of the garlic rosemary mixture along its length, then fold lengthwise and press the edges together.  Twist lenthwise, then shape into a knot of your choosing.  As you finish, place each on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Then let rise for about 45 minutes to an hour, until puffed.

Before the end of this last rise, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake the knots for about 15 minutes, until golden.  Remove from oven and brush with remaining garlic rosemary mixture or use to dip.

Notes:  This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation of an adaptation....you understand, yes?

• The original recipe -- or at least ONE of the original recipes is from the King Arthur Flour site and can be found here.  A toadally luscious recipe.  But then Lis had an idea...
• The adaptation I used was from Bon Appetit, or was it Saveur? I'm not sure, because Breadchick found it.  But I think it can be found here.
• I made the adjustments to include the flattened, ropes twisted with olive oil, garlic, butter and rosemary, which are favorites.  If I was stuck on a desert island, I'd have to have both.
• When mixing the dough, and right at the end adding flour "one tablespoon at a time...?"  Well I added 14 of those tablespoons to get my dough to the point where I could remove it from the mixing bowl and give it a few shoves before slapping it in that buttahed bowl for it's first rise.  And it takes patience to do that, lovingly watching the side of that bowl to see what that dough is inclined to do.  Because bread dough has personality, and you just never know.  Patience is not something I understand.  Ever.  And if it looks like I do, it's because I'm faking it.
• In discussion, a few of my beloved bakeanista friends thought that cutting back on the sugar by half would be good.  The knots aren't too sweet, but taste tests performed by the victims in my house agreed that maybe a bit less sugar would be nice.  I wasn't too sure, however, because their mouths were full of garlicy, buttery goodness.
• I made 16 knots:  8 with the garlic rosemary mixture baked inside the dough as described above, and 8 with just the mixture brushed over the baked knots.
• Everyone agreed that putting the garlic mixture inside the knots AND brushing it over the top was the best way to collapse with a full stomach, a smile on your face and garlic on your breath.

Now don't forget to check out the other bakeanistas to see what they've created -- Especially Mary of The Sourdough.  This session was all her heavenly garlicy idea.  And then there's Helen, Lis, John,  , Chris, Sara, Marce,& Tanna.

We were missing a few of our bakeanista buddies this time:  Ben, Laura,  Ivonne, and Stephanie, but I'm sure they'll join in next time.  And I'm never sure just when "next time" is with this group of oven loving,  instant-messaging maniacs.  But I'll guarantee that whenever it is, I'll be there...

...with my girth belted in.

Oh.  My.

Fresh Cherry Gelato

When my husband and I got married oh so many years ago, we couldn't afford an extravagant honeymoon, but we were able get away for a few days just to dream a little about possibilities.  So we headed to San Francisco and stayed at what was then the Four Seasons Clift, a luxurious hotel where fluffy white robes waited for us, chocolates were placed on our pillows after housekeeping turned down our beds for the night, and room service --  decadently ordered on our first night there --  introduced us for the first time to gelato.

I'll never forget the heavenly, creamy texture, and the just right sweetness of the vanilla scoops we enjoyed that night.

The hotel has changed ownership since then, and although still beautiful, it barely resembles the traditionally elegant place we spent the first few days of our married life.  It's now a sleek, sophisticated looking place that I'm not sure I'd feel entirely comfortable in.

I wonder if they still have gelato on their room service menu?

Next week,when we taste our first sample of gelato in Italy (and the following 10 or 15), I know we'll smile and remember those three perfect days.

Cherry Gelato
gelato della ciliegia

1/2 vanilla bean
3-1/2 c. whole milk
pinch of salt
1/2 c. turbinado
2 T cornstarch
1/2 lb. fresh bing cherries, pitted
2 T turbinado
1 tsp. pure almond extract
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Prepare an ice bath.  You can do this by 1)  setting a metal bowl in a sink of iced water; or 2) a larger bowl or pan.

Pour milk into a small saucepan and add a pinch of salt.  Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and using the end of a butterknife, scrape the seeds from the pod and stir into the milk.  Drop the pod into the milk as well, and then cook over medium heat, barely bringing to a boil.  Remove from heat.

In a small container, mix cornstarch and sugar, then add 1/2 c. of the hot milk, stirring well.  Immediately, pour back into the pan of hot milk, and bring to a simmer, stirring until it begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.  Using a fine mesh strainer, pour the mixture through into the metal bowl, stirring occasionally, and cool to room temperature.  Remove from the ice bath and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

To prepare the cherries, in a food processor, pulse cherries, sugar, and both extracts until chopped finely, and chill along with the milk mixture.

Pour the milk mixture, the cherry mixture and all juice into an ice cream maker, and freeze, about 20 minutes.  Scrape from bowl and place in a sealable container in your freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes: 

• This recipe was found in the June 2008 issue of Gourmet in the "Letters" section, sent by a woman who was inspired by her yearly trips to Italy.  Lucky woman!
• The whole milk used for this recipe is quite the refreshing change from the heavy cream used in other ice cream recipes I've tried.
• I don't have a cherry pitter and was surprised at how easy it was to use my paring knife to cut along the crease in the cherry, then with my thumb, pull the flesh from the stone.  Your fingers will, however be stained when you're done!
• The almond extract lends a remarkable flavor to this.  Don't leave it out thinking the vanilla will be enough. 
• I served this with an Italian chocolate almond torte and the combination of flavors was excellent.
• The torte is coming soon...

BBQ Beef Loin with Green Peppercorn Sauce

For the last two years, we've been experimenting with roasting meat on our barbeque.  You know, roasting it as in it could have been in our oven roasting type roasting.  And there are some who would argue that because we have a gas grill, that's not barbeque, but I gave up on that battle a few months ago.

Although we have a rotisserie on our barbeque, we most often use the method of roasting meat away from the flame.  We set it above a shallow pan to collect the juices, or sometimes filled with water, on the center rack.  Then we turn on the burners on either side of it, keeping a close eye on both the internal temperature of the meat, and under the hood of the barbeque.

The recipes I've tried vary:  marinated beef, pork pibil, herb crusted tenderloin...technically, the outcome is dependent upon temp -- just like your oven. 

The nice thing about cooking on the barbeque is that you don't have to heat up your house.  Thankfully, we rarely need to turn on the AC here, but turning on my oven would make us want to.  Even though I know the hood can take care of the heat the oven puts off, turning it on would suck any cool air the AC put out.

And sometimes, salad just isn't enough.

Hence -- barbeque.

 

Our most recent experiment with roasting meat on the barbie was with a recipe from the June 2008 issue of Gourmet:  "Smoke-Roasted Pepper-Crusted Beef Top Loin with Green Peppercorn Sauce."

Green pepper corns you say?  Well when you're me, you've probably experimented with those, too.  In fact, you've probably looked for them in your favorite pay more than you want to grocery stores, but couldn't find them.  You've called around to no avail, until you think of Williams-Sonoma.  And guess what?  They had them, so thinking you just may have another occasion in life to need green peppercorns, you purchase two cans.  Just.  In.  Case.

So yes, I had them.  The only problem with these little lovely things outside of the picture on the can, is that you don't need more than a tablespoon or two.  The last time I used them, I stored the remainder in a baggie and put it in the fridge.  After a month or so, the brine took on a bit of a grey cast, and so they ended up in the trash.  There was no using that science experiment for our Father's Day dinner, so I had to open my second can.  The remainder of that can is in the freezer.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll find out that I won't have to waste the tasty beauties this time.

If you've never had them, when you look at them, you want to have them taste like capers.  After all they're green, round, and small, right?  Um, no.  They're not spicy, but they do taste of pepper if you can imagine that without the kick.  And yes, they taste of their own earthy briney flavor as well.

But what happens when you sauce a piece of tender and lovingly roasted meat with them?  After said piece of meat has been coated in a salty, black peppery crust?

Well.

Salt & Pepper-Crusted Beef Loin with Green Peppercorn Sauce
feeds 10-12 easily

2 4-lb beef loin roasts
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. freshly ground pepper (coarse)
3-4 T kosher salt

Sauce
1 cup brandy
1/4 c. green peppercorns in brine, rinsed
2 c. beef stock
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 c. chopped parsley

Mix the salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub the beef with the olive oil, then sprinkle on all the salt and pepper, taking time to press it into the meat on all sides so it will form a type of coating.  Set both roasts on a baking rack set in a baking pan that will fit in your barbeque. Using the indirect heating method (meat will not be sitting directly over the heat source). 

Preheat barbeque to an internal temperature of 325 degrees F, and roast the beef until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each roast registers 135 degrees F for medium rare, 145 degrees F for medium, and 160 degrees F for well done. (Please see notes below on this.)  This takes about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.  Remove the roasts from the grill when done and cover with foil for about 15 minutes before carving.

While the beef is roasting, make the peppercorn sauce...
Bring brandy and peppercorns to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat until the brandy is syrupy, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the beef stock and reduce the liquid by one third -- about 20 minutes.  Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until just thickened, about 20 minutes more.  Turn the heat to low and add the butter in pieces, stirring to melt before adding another.  Add the chopped parsley, season to your liking and serve by pouring over slices of the beef.

Notes:  When we began to experiment, we didn't rely upon one source of information.  Yes, we considered the basic recipe we were using, but we also used information from grilling cookbooks with general guidelines for roasting meat on the barbeque, our oven cooking guidelines, and our handy-dandy talking thermometer's guidelines which were much different than those given in the original recipe this time.

About the salt & pepper rub...we halved the recipe and it was still so salty that you had to avoid eating the part of the meat the rub was on.  This did not make me happy.  Strangely, the next day, the left overs weren't as salty.  Did the seasoning settle in over night, or what?  We've had run-ins with salt & pepper rubs before and understand their concept, but jeeze this was a lot of salt.  So I'd say cut it down to a quarter unless you want to waste the meat the seasoning is on.

Why two roasts and not one?  There were none in the 6-8 lb. range which is what the original recipe called for.  Logic.

About the smoke...we have this little drawer that we fill with different kinds of wood that sort of smolders and fills up the barbeque with heavenly aroma of whatever it is -- like mesquite, or hickory, or applewood, or...Now can I actually tell what kind of wood we burned for a particular roast?  No.  In fact, I probably couldn't tell you whether there was any wood smoking during the cooking time.  But we still use it.  It gives my husband something to do while he's watching the numbers on his thermometer.

And the green peppercorn sauce...well, it was quite delicious.  In fact, we're going to give this recipe a go on steaks, with much less salt and pepper, and really pay attention to the sauce.  I just happen to have another quarter cup of green peppercorns in my freezer!

This was Father's Day Saturday dinner.  Where's the dessert?  And what did we have for Sunday breakfast?

You'll have to wait for that...

Summer in a Pie: Very Berry!

The local weather widget  on my Mac's dashboard says it's 90 degrees outside right now, but I don't believe it.  Although it does seem to be quite a bit warmer than what the weather guy reported this morning, it's still not that hot.  I'll believe 80.  Maybe.  I can feel a nice breeze -- refreshingly cool, but the sun is scorching!  No complaints, however.  None at all.  Actually I'm sort of amazed that when summer officially began a couple of days ago with the ending of school, the ever-present June Gloom we're accustomed to has disappeared.

That means tonight will be perfect for an outside dinner, after I scrape the hard water deposits off the glass on the patio table.  So much for Martha living here, right?  I'll light some little votive candles, throw a couple of Duraflame logs in the chiminea, and hope the clouds don't return so we can enjoy what promises to be a very warm evening.

This first truly summery night deserves an after dinner treat that I've had my eye on since the June issue of Gourmet surfaced in my mail stack.  I couldn't exactly get past the full page glossy photo and the homey looking aspect of the strawberry pie.  Was that jello?  Oh. My.

And what a perfect way to celebrate the Strawberry Moon Festival, hosted by Cooking in Cleveland, a site that features "homecooking with seasonal, locally grown produce."

Is it cheating that I added blueberries?  I can't resist the way they look with strawberries.  Okay, and their crunch is quite lovely, too. 

I'll let you know how the dinner goes.

Very Berry Pie

First the crust...
1 pkg. shortbread cookies (about 5 ounces)
2 T turbinado
2 T very cold butter

Then the berries...
1-1/2 lbs. fresh strawberries
1/2 c. fresh blueberries
3/4 c. turbinado
1/3 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2-1/4 tsp.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the berries first...

Choose the best strawberries to leave whole.  You'll need as many as it takes to cover the bottom of your pie pan -- about 15.  Hull them and set them aside.  Cut the remaining strawberries into 1/4" dice and put them in a medium bowl with the blueberries.  Gently mix in the sugar and lemon juice and let sit to macerate for at least 30 minutes.

Now make the crust...
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse all the shortbread cookies to fine crumbs.  Then add the sugar and butter, pulsing until the mixture resembles large crumbs that hold together.  Press the mixture into a 9" pie pan, evenly distributing it across the bottom and up the sides.  Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Let cool completely.

Okay, back to the berries...
Position a fine mesh strainer over a large measuring cup and pour the berries into the strainer to drain for about 5 minutes.  Pour some water over the berries until 2 cups of liquid are measured.  Set the berries aside and pour the liquid into a small pan.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let soften for a minute.  Then over medium heat, stir the liquid until the gelatin dissolves and it just begins to simmer, about 8 minutes.

While the juice is heating...
Prepare an ice bath by setting a metal bowl in a larger container of water and ice cubes.  Pour the berries into the metal bowl.  When the juice on the stove reaches a simmer, pour it over the berries and stir gently and frequently until the mixture begins to "mound" as you stir it.  This takes about 30 minutes.

Now for the pie...
Spoon enough of the berry mixture into the pie crust to cover the bottom.  Then arrange the hulled whole strawberries stem side down in the crust.  Mound the remaining berry mixture over and around the whole strawberries making sure the gelatin doesn't run up over the crust.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, then serve with whipped cream mixed with mascarpone, a little sugar, and a dash of vanilla.

Notes:

• This took longer than I though it would, so I rewrote the directions to allow for as little down time as possible.  If you use granulated sugar, the berries may macerate more quickly.  Or, if your berries are more fresh than mine seemed to be, perhaps that could speed up the process.  My berries generated 1 cup of juice after sitting for 30 minutes.  With the addition of 1 cup of water, the liquid was still very sweet. 
• The original recipe and directions can be found here.
• Since we haven't actually gotten to taste the pie yet, I can only say that I suspect this will not look all that perfect after it's cut.  But I'll come back with some photos, just to stick with my customary brand of veracity. 
• On the notion of buying local...I noticed that my berries came from as far away as Stockton, which is in Northern California.  They also came from Salinas, Santa Maria, and Oxnard, which is the closest.  This is certainly not local, but it's also not Chile which is where our berries come from in the off season.  I could rage on right now about the cost of food and gasoline, but won't.  That's why I have another blog. I've been known to blow off steam there.

And the weather?  Feh.  In the time that it took to write this post, not only has the temperature dropped to 85 degrees, but the clouds have formed, and a dense fog is slowly creeping up the hill.  The houses on the ridge with the zillion dollar view of the Pacific are now lost in the fog.

So much for dinner outside unless we want to freeze our rumps off.  At least we'll have a "sunny" pie, though, right?

Update:  The fog did lift, and somehow, it was clear and sunny again.  So did we eat outside?  Nope.  I'm a lazy butt sometimes.  But the pie turned out great!  Outstanding berry flavor that's not too sweet.  And the crust?  Jeez!  It makes the pie!  The only problem is that it doesn't come out of the pan as well as you'd think and does crumble a bit.  It isn't too delicate, it's just stuck.  But pick up the pieces, crunch them a bit, and then sprinkle it over.  You won't want to miss a crumb.  Trust me.

Roasted Swordfish & Mediterranean Vegetables

I cook such a wide variety of dishes and flavors from a seemingly crazy selection of recipes, that as much as you'd think I'd be satisfied with regard to food -- I'm not.  Good thing I'm the cook, right?  Otherwise, that would sound truly ungrateful.

It's difficult to explain, but at times like this, I need something to eat that really stands out:  a dish whose flavors come together perfectly, and no matter how many times I've had it before, I know it will be  perfect.  That I will never need to tweak the recipe -- although I have -- because it's just right the way it's written.

AND...it's healthy!  So that means I can submit it to all the lovely foodies at Equal Opportunity Kitchen and their Tried, Tested and True...Take Two event which is focused on not only good, healthy eating, but to building much needed awareness of the important cause of organ donation. Healthy food, healthy organs, right?

Although I've mentioned Michael Chiarello's recipes in past posts, I haven't shared this one in particular.  That's odd because in my wild world of cooking, this reigns as one of the few recipes I've made again and again.  "Swordfish with Mediterranean Tomato Sauce and Linguini" is one of many outstanding recipes in his cookbook, Flavored Oils:  50 Recipes for Cooking with Infused Oils. I've tried over half the recipes in this book over the years, but this recipe is the best. 

Yes, the flavors of the "tomato sauce" are my favorite, and yes, the pretty packets of fish and vegetables with pasta are something that can be special for a few friends who will think you've been slaving over a hot stove all day, or just the right touch to a special occasion dinner.  But my favorite aspect of this dish is that it takes almost no time to prepare from start to finish, and gives the impression that you've really put some time and expertise into it.  Plus, the packets make controlled portions, so going back for seconds isn't an option. 

I've never quite gotten the hang of folding the parchment exactly the way the directions describe, but it's most likely from my lack of patience. But if you're like me, wrap these bundles of deliciousness you own way.  Just make sure you try them.

Swordfish with Mediterranean Tomato Sauce and Pasta

3 c. fresh picked tomatoes, cored, seeded, & cut into thin wedges

salt & pepper to taste

1 T fresh oregano, chopped

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

2 lg. cloves garlic, minced

1/4 wedge red onion, cut into thin slices

2 T capers, rinsed & roughly chopped

1-1/2 orange or yellow bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded & chopped

12 pitted Kalamata olived, halved

2 T lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 T pepper olive oil

6 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. pasta

4 swordfish steaks (5 oz. each)

Put tomatoes in a large bowl & season with salt & pepper.  Add the oregano, parsley, garlic, onion, capers, peppers, olives, lemon juice, pepper oil, and 4 T olive oil.  Toss lightly and set aside at room temp for about an hour, allowing flavors to mix, and juices to accumulate.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Cook pasta until al dente, drain and toss with 2 T extra virgin olive oil, then set aside.

Cut 4 large pieces of parchment, at least 12" long.  Spoon a half cup of pasta on the center of each piece, top with a spoon of the tomato mixture, then place a piece of fish on top of that.  Finish by spooning more of the tomato "sauce" over the fish.  Bring the edges of parchment up over each piece of fish, folding and creasing as you might a lunch bag.  You can also "scrunch and twist" if you prefer.  The idea is to keep all the sauce in each package.

Place the packages of fish on a baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes.  Depending on how well sealed the packages are, they may puff up, and brown.  Place each package onto a dinner plate to serve, allowing diners to open their own.

Notes: Although I've made this dish each time by experimenting with traditional folds for the parchment, this time, I left them all open, drawing the edges up and scrunching them so they'd not fall flat during the baking time.  A few of the piece of pasta did brown and get a bit crunchy, but it wasn't a big deal.

About the pepper oil...Consorzio is the absolute best, but I have tried others (Trader Joe's sells it) if you can't find it in your area. You can also add a bit of chili oil instead if you don't mind some spiciness, but not the whole 2 tablespoons.

Of course you can purchase roasted peppers, but it's so easy to make your own by cooking them right over your gas stove, or under the broiler until they're black.  Then cover them with a dish towel for at least 15 minutes before you peel off the black, cut, core, and seed them.  Make sure you do not rinse them with water or you'll lose all that lovely flavor you created with the roasting.

This recipe works with other types of fish, too:  sea bass, halibut, cod, snapper...They're all delicious.  The tomato mixture is one of the best around and it's great for bruschetta or as a pasta sauce without the fish.  It's really tasty!

 

Grilled Rib-Eyes with Tomatos & Kalamatas

I have a tendancy to skip the sections in food magazines like "Quick Kitchen" in Gourmet, or "Too Busy to Cook" in Bon Appetit.  I look at the photos, am sometimes mildly curious, then realize there's nothing to do.  What is that?  Do I long for the torture that inventive recipes sometimes entail? 

Who knows, but recently a photo of steak simply displayed on a plate caught my eye.  Steak with Olives somehow got past my filter, bothering me each time I thumbed through the April issue of Gourmet until I finally gave in, realizing it was an easy way to make my husband's suggestion for a sunny weekend "Summer's Here" celebratory dinner come to fruition.

With Bellinis.

*sigh*  He said he was in the mood for a fruity drink, and this is a person who doesn't normally drink.  His comment of, "You know, margaritas..." was heard, but I'd seen something about Bellinis somewhere and had white peaches on the brain.

And I'd seen the Steak with Olives for days and days, okay, months...scoffing at me from the magazine pages, challenging me each time I searched for something more interesting.  I was winning until I found the rib eyes on sale at my grocery store.  Nothing stimulates my brain like steak, a sale, and gorgeous weather.

Well, it sounds good anyway, right?

Suffice it to say I'll look more closely at those "quickie" recipes from now on.  They're a great springboard for other things...like the other recipe I saw for Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Parmesan.

So this was our dinner.

Grilled Rib Eyes with Tomato & Kalamatas

4 bone-in rib eyes
4 garlic cloves, sliced
olive oil
1/2 c. pitted kalamatas, cut in half
1/2 c. flat parsley
2 T. fresh oregano
1 c. grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 green onions, chopped
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Salt & pepper the rib eyes on both sides and cover them, keeping them at room temp for 15 minutes before grilling.  Heat the grill for about 5 minutes just to get it hot.

If you're making the potatoes and asparagus, they'll need to go on the grill first because they take about 20 minutes to prepare.  While they are grilling, make the tomato & kalamata "sauce."

So here are the ingredients for the potato dish:

Potatoes & Asparagus with Parmesan

1/2 bunch thin asparagus, with woody ends trimmed
1-1/2 lb. red-skinned potatoes, cut into eighths
olive oil
1/3 c. freshly grated parmesan
salt & pepper to taste

Leave the peelings on the potatoes and trim any dark spots.  Combine potatoes and asparagus in a dish and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  (I pass the olive oil over the veggies a couple of times, nothing great.)   Using a basket or a tray for your grill, spread the veggies out, turning frequently until browned, about 20 minutes.  The asparagus will cook more quickly, so you have to watch it and move it away from the flame on your grill.  When all is nicely browned and cooked through, put in a serving bowl and toss with the parmesan.  Taste before serving and correct seasoning.

While the potatoes and asparagus are on the grill...Make the tomato and kalamata "sauce."  Using a nice skillet (old cast iron...) over medium heat, warm the olive oil and briefly saute the garlic slices.  Add the red pepper flakes and stir.  Then immediately add the kalamatas, stirring until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.  Then add the tomatoes, doing same, making sure they don't get too soft.  Add the parsley and oregano, tossing with the other ingredients.  Salt and pepper. 

Put the rib eyes on.  I'd tell you how long to leave them on, but you probably have your own ideas.  We like ours medium to medium rare, which means that on each side they need to grill about 4 minutes, maybe 5.  I like to do the hand poke method.  Make a fist and hold your fist lightly.  In other words, don't clench it.  Now, poke the skin between your thumb and your first knuckle.  It will be a bit soft, but not too soft.  That is what the meat should feel like on your grill if you want it cooked "medium."  Less is more rare, more is well done.

If you're not as prepared, you can let the meat sit briefly, covered with foil and then make the tomato kalamata sauce. 

To serve, spoon some of the tomato kalamata mixute over each steak, and add some of the potatoes and asparagus alongside.

Lip-smacking delicious.  Seriously.

Notes:  The quick recipe excluded tomatoes, onions and oregano.  Huh?  I love olives, but come on.  Give me some substance here.  The flavor with the grilled steak on my version is excellent.  Cut down on the amount of steak and it's a nice dinner.  No need to have a whole steak.

I'm still out on what the butcher labeled these steaks.  The bone looked mysteriously like that of a T-bone, but what do I know?  I'm too lazy to look it up right now. 

Make sure your potatoes aren't too big and that you leave the skins on.  That's where all the vitamins are, right? And wonder of all wonders, I didn't choose to parboil the veggies like I normally do.  I don't like dried out grilled veggies that taste like a grill, and parboiling with a final grilling usually works wonders, but I thought, what the heck?  And thanks to the grill master, it worked.  Very nice flavor!

And the Bellinis?  Well, the peach puree I made just didn't sit right with the bubbly I purchased.  Too dry?  Probably.  I'm not one for cloyingly sweet drinks.  Good thought with some research, but I'll have to do more.  And my hunkster will have to wait for a better "fruity" drink.

I know.  Strawberry margaritas are a no brainer.

Almost Cochignano's Meatballs with Marinara & Papardelle

In less than 30 days, we're leaving for Italy.  It hasn't quite set in yet, even though I've been swamped with securing lodging, booking reservations for the busier sights, and familiarizing myself with three very different cities for our 12-day vacation.  I've found a cute apartment (with a kitchen I'm planning on using) in Rome a couple of blocks from the Piazza Campo de Fiori (which has an outdoor morning market) where we'll be for four nights.  Then we're off to Sorrento near the Amalfi Coast for three nights so the menfolk can wallow in all that's Pompeii & Vesuvius and I can oogle over the vistas with some limoncello.  We'll finish up in Florence, or right outside of Florence in an old, old  farmhouse.

Yours truly is our travel agent, and let me tell you, it's a lot of work!

So how are we getting ready for all of this?  With food, of course.  Italian food.  And although I'm attempting to find recipes that are related to the cuisine we may find in each of the areas we'll be visiting, as long as it's Italian, we're fine.  It will be truly interesting once we're there to compare authentic Italian cuisine with what we've always thought it's been and know we're in for some surprises.

In celebration of that, I'm starting with a recipe I found recently for Spaghetti & Meatballs.  It seemed appropriate to begin with something so many are familiar with, and with a recipe that varies from one  family to the next, each with its own secret ingredients. 

My family is not Italian -- at least not that I know of, but there are a few skeletons in our many closets!  The spaghetti we had for dinner when I was growing up was looked forward to even though it was made from ground beef, a can of tomato paste, a package of Shilling's spaghetti mix, and some water.  We'd ask for spaghetti noodles, but most often ended up with penne or ziti, my mother not especially wanting to deal with the mess we'd have made slurping long, tomato sauced pieces of pasta. 

When I saw Angelo "Squatty" Coschignano's Meatballs with Billy's Sauce in the April issue of Gourmet,  I couldn't pass up the recipe. And true to my sorry form, I hadn't planned it in advance, but was able to pull it off with what I had on hand.  Okay, so not exactly the recipe, but good enough for me to imagine what the real deal must taste like.

To die for.

Angelo Coschignano & Billy -- whoever you are, thanks.  Thanks very much!

Papardelle & Meatballs

For the Sauce
2 1/2 c. water
1-1/2 tsp. good chicken bouillon
1/2 oz. dried porcinis                                             
1/2 lb. piece top round (whole)
chicken parts (neck, gizzard, liver, heart)
1/3 c. olive oil                                             
5 bacon slices, coarsely chopped                                             
  2 lg. onions, coarsely chopped                                             
1/2 c. coarsely chopped fresh basil                                             
1/4 c. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley                                             
4 garlic cloves, smashed                                             
2 (28-oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice                                             
14 oz. marinara sauce (jar)                                             
1/4 c. dry red wine                                             
2 T sugar
1/4  c.  grated Parmesan

Hydrate the porcinis with 1 c. of very hot water and let sit for about 20 minutes.  (You may need to filter the water to remove sediment before using it.) Heat the remaining 1-1/2 c. water and add the bouillon, stirring until dissolved.

Heat the oil in a large, deep pot, and when hot, saute chicken parts and piece of sirloin until beginning to brown.  Add bacon and continue to fry until soft, 3-5 minutes.  Add the onions and saute about 7-8 minutes, until soft and golden.

Add the basil, parsley, and garlic, stirring it in, about 3 minutes.

Stir in all the tomatoes and sauce, then add the wine, sugar, mushrooms, and their water, as well as the chicken bouillon and mix well, cooking until it reaches a simmer.  Add the parmesan all at once and stir it in.

Let sauce simmer over a very low flame for about 2 hours until very thick.  Add salt and pepper to taste.




For the Balls
1 lg. garlic clove, chopped
3/4 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. Sweet Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
2 T chopped fresh basil
1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 c. grated fresh Parmesan
1/3 c. Italian seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
1 lg. egg
1/2 c. olive oil

1 lb. papardelle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

About half way through the sauce simmer time:

Mix all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl.  Use your hands to squeeze everything through your fingers making sure all is incorporated.  Dampen your hands, and make about 18-20 nicely rounded balls.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil until very hot and brown the balls in small batches until browned on all sides. 

Place the browned balls in a large baking dish and cover them with 1 qt. of the tomato sauce.  Cover the dish with foil and bake about 30 minutes until the balls are cooked through.

Pour over cooked papardelle and sprinkle on some parmesan.



Notes: Okay, so I have no idea where to get veal neck bones, which is what the original recipe called for.  I don't exactly keep those things in my freezer. Not only do they make me feel a bit squiggy around the edges, but there's just no way I'd end up with them left over from something else.   I do, however usually have other less squiggy odds and ends in my freezer for any number of reasons, and decided that a chunk of top round and some chicken parts I would work just fine. 

And the mushrooms?  Well, the original recipe called for porcini bouillon, and I spent about two seconds marveling over the idea that such a thing existed before I remembered that I had a packet of dried porcinis in my cupboard.  You know what they say about a well-stocked pantry, right?  Well.  Actually, I purchased these in Virginia while visiting my sister last Christmas and wasn't about to leave them there.  There's no way she'd use them ever, and how sad is that?  So I packed them up and brought them home and see how handy they were? 

Other substitutions?  Oh yes. The top round.  Instead of chopping it, I decided it was all about the flavor, so cooked it and the chicken parts in the sauce and then removed them.  All that nice caramelly brown stuff on the bottom of the pan was able to flavor the sauce just fine.  As much as I can say that the beef was very nicely cooked and shredded easily after simmering in that lovely tomato sauce(the menfolk picked at it until it was gone), there was no way I was going to leave it in the sauce since the sauce was destined for meatballs.  Who ever heard of pouring a meat sauce over meatballs?  Okay, I'm sure someone out there has, so the line forms at the left and you can set me straight.



What else?  Well.  The original called for day old Italian bread soaked in 1-1/2 cups of milk, squeezed, then the milk tossed.  Not only did I not have Italian bread, I couldn't bring myself to even use a stale loaf of sliced bread and then throw out all that milk.  Sorry.  No criticism on the original recipe, because I have soaked dried bread before, but the liquid went in the sauce.

I know there's something else...OH!  The tomato paste.  I actually didn't have any.  So much for my well-stocked pantry, right?  But I did have half a jar of very good marinara, and so used that instead figuring that the intensity of the flavor would be a somewhat decent substitute. 

So the outcome?  The sauce was very good.  It was thick, and a pleasant combination of tomato tartness, mellowed to a rich, bacony lusciousness.  The balls?  The jury said they weren't juicy enough, but the outspoken part of that jury was my mother, and she thinks everything needs a ton of fat in it.  I am wondering what the bread would have added to these, thinking it may have lightened them up a bit.



The sauce recipe makes about 2 quarts, so you'll have lots of leftovers to experiment with.

Like one of the grilled pizzas we had a few days later.  Mmmmmm.....

Grilled Pork Kebabs with Cucumber-Mint Yogurt Sauce

Although I'm a fairly exploratory cook, rarely hesitating to try something new and different, I understand that this is a very relative thing, with some considering leaving the pieces of chopped onion in their marinara a bold step.  That would not be what I'm referring to.  I would also not have in mind the liver my mother used to put on our plates -- fried in bacon fat and onions, dry and mealy textured.  To eat and enjoy that ever would require bravery beyond the call of a foodie's duty, and a persistent fear that one's palate would be forever ruined by its presence in one's mouth.

But I digress.

I'd say that at this point in my life, Saveur is deserving of some of my tastebuds' wanderlust, each month setting food in front of my eyes I may have not known of before.  And although I have to admit it will take quite a bit more -- well, guts --  to try all the cuisines I've read about in the years I've enjoyed Saveur, I do try two to three recipes each month. 

As odd as it may seem last month, with "American Crab" plastered across the front of Issue Number 111, it was the article, "Bold Flavors, Ancient Roots," that captured my attention over and over again.  Perhaps it was the dark, richly colored fava bean stew -- something I knew I wanted to try.  Or maybe it was just another temptation to wallow in yet another area of the Mediterranean, something I'll always enjoy.

The best four years of my childhood were spent in the south of Spain.  And although Spanish cuisine is quite different from that of other countries surrounding the Mediterranean, I will always be drawn to anything that comes from that region.

 

One of the recipes featured in the article on Cyprus is Souvlakia Hirina or "Pork Kebabs with Cucumber-Mint Yogurt Sauce."  It caught my eye because I continue wonder about savory dishes laced with not only oregano and thyme, but cumin, and cinnamon.  At one point, cinnamon in any dish containing meat isn't something I'd spend time wondering about, dismissing it as something that belonged in baked goods.  But I've learned that there's very little I don't like to eat, as long as the flavors push my thinking about what constitutes great flavor.

For a change, I made the recipe exactly as written.  Scary, don't you think?  But quite tasty -- and perfect for the barbeque...

Notes:  Okay, so I lied.  We put this on the grill instead of under the broiler.  It seemed like a no brainer and it paid off.  The meat did turn a bit red from the wine, but that doesn't interfere with good flavor.  The cinnamon was definitely noticeable, but subtle, and very nice in the combination of spices.  The cucumber yogurt sauce was interesting.  I'm used to dill being in yogurt sauces, and so it took a bit of getting used to.  The recipe makes quite a bit, so unless you're one to really pile on sauces, I'd cut the recipe in half.

This would be a terrific starter, grilled on smaller skewers, or sauteed, then each piece pierced with a pick ready to dip.  Don't forget to buy or make some pita bread.  It's terrific that way.

The salad is just another one of my impromptu dinner salads.  Roast the fresh corn either on or off the cob.  You can do this on the grill, then scrape it off, or scrape it first into a dry skillet until caramelized.  Choose whatever greens you enjoy and add them to your salad bowl.  Par boil green beans, then a soak in cold water to stop the cooking.  Add them to the greens.  You can also either grill or saute the greenbeans after the parboil, but make sure not to overcook them.  They need to have a bit of a crunch.  Add chunks of fresh tomato, chopped green onions, the corn, and sprinkle on some fresh feta.  The dressing is my usual extra virgin olive oil and lime with salt and pepper. 

Not exactly Mediterranean inspired, but healthy, right?