Sass & Veracity

Sliders and Bratwurst are Quick Game Day Food

It's Friday, and much of the food world seems to be focused on one thing:  Super Bowl food. Okay, so maybe not, but I had to start this somewhere, right? Maybe it would be more accurate to say 50% of us use it as an excuse to have a party. What would game day be like without food?  We have to have something to munch on while watching those commercials! 

This year, we have no plans to attend or host anything *yes*, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals just might make it a good game for a change. Too often, it's not entertaining in my opinion, so food helps make it an occasion -- and not a fancy one with a lot of prep.  We go easy on the appetizers -- chips, salsa and guacamole -- have a meal at half-time.

It's casual meal usually of chili or ribs.  But it could be this instead: a spin on traditional stadium food, and which can be put out allowing people to graze at their leisure.

Southwest Sliders in honor of the Cardinals...

 

...and Bratwurst Dogs with Peppers & Onions in honor of the Steelers.  

I'm not sure who I'm pulling for, but I am a Zonie by birth.  ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

Tuiles and Orange Yogurt Sabayon

Thursday:  8:10 am

I swore I'd not be late on this month's Daring Baker's challenge.  I even mentioned to others I'd complete it two weeks into the month, but time has a way of passing so quickly these days and before I knew it, this week was upon me and bearing down hard.

Two days ago, I cut some forms for the tuiles we are to have made.  And even yesterday, I retrieved some egg whites from the freezer to thaw so I could begin work.  But did I?  No.  So here I am today just getting started.

I know what you're thinking.  What a slacker.  And you'd be right, but it's only a bit after 8am, and I've got plenty of time even with the refrigeration time that's required for the recipe.

I'm thinking that zabaglione or pots de creme should go with my tuiles.  But I'll let you know.  So come back later even though you've got hundreds of others to visit.  I'll be posting in stages.  This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

11:12 am

The good news is that it's still Thursday.  Even better?  I'm done with the tuiles!  They're very easy to make, but do require a 30-minute refrigeration time before baking, and if you're me, then you forgot to turn on the oven and had to wait an addition period of time after the cookies were were already on the chilled baking sheets.  It never fails...

Very few ingredients are needed to make tuiles:  only 1/4 c. softened butter, 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour, 2 large egg whites, and a splash of vanilla.

 

The soft butter and powdered sugar are mixed to a paste, the egg whites added gradually while stirring to bring the mixture together.

The flour is added gradually as well, stirring, but not over-mixing until everything comes together.  A splash of vanilla is incorporated and then the whole mixture goes into the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Line the baking sheets with parchment or silicone and chill them as well.

Use some cardboard to cut out the shape you'd like to use.  I used corregated cardboard and then pinched the inside edges before using an offset spatula to spread batter over the forms.

If you'd like, add some of the cocoa powder to a small amount of the batter and mix well before spooning it into a decorators bag with a plain tip.  Make whatever decorations you'd like and then put the sheets into a 350 degrees F oven for about 7 minutes or until the edges of the tuiles are barely brown.

Remove them immediately from the pan with a thin edged spatula and use wooden spoon handles or rolling pins to shape them.  But you really have to hurry, because if you don't, then yours will be as flat and crisp as mine, poor little cute things.

Have some fun making other shapes, too, and maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to twist a few!

Okay, off to make the dessert they'll go in.

6:30 pm

Yes, it's late.  A lot later than I thought I'd be, but the goings on of a day tend to make some things take longer than I'd like.  Especially this dessert which, by comparison, is very easy.

Orange Sabayon

1 lg. egg

1 lg. egg yolk

1/3 c. sugar

zest of 1 orange

1/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 T lemon juice

For the dessert...

1 orange

0% fat Greek yogurt

Prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to set the top pan of a double boiler.

In the top of a double boiler pan, whisk the eggs until foamy.  Gradually mix in the sugar whisking until well combined.  Add the juices and the zest, mixing well.  Place the pan over a gently simmering pan of water and stir the citrus mixture constantly until the mixture thickens like a pudding.  Place the pan in the ice bath and continue to stir until it cools.

To create a light dessert, section an additional orange and place the segments in a wide-mouthed glass.  Make sure they're well drained or the juice will pool in the bottom of the glass.  In a small bowl mix 1/2 of the chilled sabayon and 1/4 c. of the yogurt.  To serve, mound the orange yogurt sabayon over the oranges.  Don't forget to include the tuiles!

Notes:

• The tuiles are surprisingly easy to make.  Unfortunately, I baked mine for 7 minutes instead of 5 while I was looking for the browned edges and then didn't move quite fast enough to get them positioned over the rolling pin and wooden spoon handles.  I did have a chance to try it with another batch, so know not to bake them quite so long.
• The sabayon is also easy to put together.  If you wanted to fatten it up a bit, you could mix it with whipped cream and/or a bit of mascarpone.

Chunky Chocolate and Walnut Cookies

I try not to post sweets two days in a row.  I know it's not like there's a rule somewhere that I should be following, so it must have happened without my realizing it.  In much the same way that sweets are savored when they're available around here, I plan when they'll be posted as well, hoping to break the stream of savory recipes I always have ready and waiting. Well, it sounds good, anyway.  In my next life, I'll be Martha.  Okay, so maybe not.

It's not like you can gain weight looking at photos, right?  They show up on the computer screen and look great, but looking isn't synonymous with ingesting or digesting. Jumping up to grab a snack bar, more of this or a little of that after drooling over aforementioned food on your computer screen does not count in this particular situation.

If you're my youngest son, evidently, you don't gain weight actually eating cookies, either, and I must confess; I've been trying to fatten him up. With half a year until his 17th birthday, he's just over six feet and weighs in at a willowy 146. I know it's all about HGH, and I had my opportunity to bask in the glow of eating and not gaining decades ago, but clearly that time has passed.

Evidently, he's inherited both my husband's and my skinny genes.  Goodness knows we're no longer using them.  And that would be genes -- not jeans -- because he's not one for skinny jeans.  Instead, when shopping for pants, we have to decide just how small the hip size can be to maintain some modicum of bagginess he prefers, and a belt takes care of the rest.

What does this have to do with food, you ask?  Cookies.  It's about cookies.  And this week, Chunky Chocolate Walnut Cookies, to be specific.  Yes, it's Week Three, and I'm still making cookies for my boy.  I think it's because it's a helluva lot easier than committing to exercise regularly even though I've been sort of trying to maybe think about possibly getting off my rump to do that, too.  I logged about 10 miles walking last week.  Not bad, right? 

Does it count that when I got home from my 4-mile walk yesterday, the first thing I did was reach into the bag of cookies I'd made for my son last week?  I only had one.  Truly.  I did.

They're rich, they're chocolatey, and if you're me, then your tastebuds sing when you bite into a piece of walnut, too. No pecans in these babies.  They're light and soft and have given me pause about milk chocolate since I'm a devout fan of dark chocolate.  Did I mention the chunks are dark?

Mmmm....

Italian Almond Orange Cake: Mediterranean Meal's Dessert

A week ago, I decided to ask friends over for dinner -- friends I've known for a very long time.  It's the group I've mentioned before; the females know each other by profession, and the husbands by default.  It works and we all enjoy getting together to eat. 

It's a good thing we enjoy each others company, because this time, the food was less than stellar.  Sure, I'm being my usual critical self, but still.  Maybe it was because the week of warm temperatures had lulled me into thinking summer was around the corner and I was daydreaming.  Or that I'd quietly enjoyed taking my time in the kitchen that day thinking about the sequence of what I'd make first, then next, swearing I'd have good photos to use this time.  It was truly my favorite kind of day. But I know cooking for a group of people needs to be more than just pleasant time spent in the kitchen for it to be delicious as well.

I'd been in the mood for Mediterranean flavors and had a boneless leg of lamb in the freezer. Something Moroccan seemed perfect for the evening and although I scanned many recipes that sounded truly delicious, I settled on one from a cookbook one of my older sons had given to me:  The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by Tess Mallos.  The only problem is that the lamb meat would need to be cut into chunks for the Seksu Bil Lahm or Couscous with Lamb and Vegetables.  It seemed a waste to cut the leg of lamb up for the dish even though the flavors were exactly what I'd wanted.

The night before the party, I changed my mind and chose a different recipe instead.  You know what they say about changing your mind at the last minute, right?  So...

...this post won't be about the Moroccan Spice-Rubbed Leg of Lamb.  Lovingly rubbed, basted in an interesting honey-lemon syrup, and roasted to an internal temp of 145 degrees, the meat was too done for me...

...and it won't be about the Seafood appetizer with Romesco Sauce I made because I sort of threw it together and will have to try it again, writing down the ingredients.  It's a bit challenging to do all of that when people are waiting to eat...

 

...nor will this be about my second attempt to make a Briami me Feta or Greek Vegetable Casserole with Feta.  Even though the layers were oh, so patiently put together, and carefully seasoned before baking for 90 minutes, the very thinnly sliced potatoes were not done. Par-boiling is definitely in order next time.  And there will be a next time because the flavor of this casserole was truly delicious -- especially with a bite of the lamb.  Maybe next time, the lamb needs to be layered in the casserole.

No, this will be about the dessert, which is where my day began last Saturday morning in my kitchen.  It will be about the Sformato di Aanci or Orange and Almond Cake that was so very moist and delicious.  Jenny of All Things Edible, an old Daring Baker friend has a new house and is celebrating with a Housewarming.  Join in on the celebration and send her a recipe to share before January 30th.  The more the merrier, right?  We think so!

Shepherd's Pie with Beef, Pork and Lamb

It's raining here today, so I'm as subdued as the grey skies.  After two mornings of very early morning walks as I attempt to get back into the "I, too, can be fit!" swing of things, I'm content to sit in the quiet sipping my coffee.  Thoughts come and go but hover around memories of our trip to the UK a few years go -- the winding roads in Wales, ancient castle ruins tucked between soft green hills, engaging after dinner conversation with local farmers at an old country house, and Pub food.   

Last night, my husband's parents came by for an impromptu celebration in honor of my mother-in-law's birthday, and it seemed perfect to make a shepherd's pie.  I love to cook for them, and for years, they've indulged my culinary whims.  When we get together, inevitably, talk turns to travel, and specifically travel to the UK.  My father-in-law has always wanted to go, and so he graciously indulges us yet another sharing of our time there as we think of ways to get him there before too much longer.  He's 80 now. 

Of course the talk turns to food and a pub we enjoyed in Bath.  I don't remember the name of it because we made several attempts before we found one that would allow us to enter, my husband talking to someone inside while my son and I waited on the street.  Although pubs are more accepting of children than they used to be, not all of them are, and it was mortifying to my son that his presence caused us to have to search.  I felt badly for him knowing I would have been embarrassed as well. Finally we found one, and were led to the back, away from the bar to a small room.  So much for my romantic notions of cozy tables, old plastered walls and a roaring fire, no matter if it was the middle of summer with temperatures so uncharacteristically hot that everyone was talking about it.

Thank goodness for the waiter who indulged my husband with good-natured humor in answering a question about the rules of Cricket. He chided us about ordering "extra cold" beer and served us a meal of Shepherd's Pie that was truly memorable. 

Shepherd's Pie is a traditional English dish made of minced meat -- usually lamb -- and vegetables, then covered with mashed potatoes before baking.  If the dish contains beef, then it's referred to as a Cottage Pie.  Regardless, it's comfort food at its best, and one that will leave you smiling well into the evening after the plates have been cleared from the table.  You may have to waddle to bed, however, because it's quite filling.

Chocolate Chip Peanutbutter Chewies or Vote Pimpin' Cookies

I know.  You've already been to the Well Fed Network.  You've scanned the five contendahs in the Best Food Blog: Humor category and you immediately see me.  And then you think, "Wait.  What in hell is she doing there?" and I'd say, "Exactly."

Because there's a pretty famous person on that list.  Okay, so even he isn't winning.  But still. 

I'm thinking I can bribe you with cookies -- especially because I'm behind on that semi-sort of kinda resolution thing I never really made but have found myself roped in to.  Just because you haven't seen a cookie here in more than a week doesn't mean I've given up. Oh no.  I'm ready and have cookies waiting in the wings.

I can tell you already, though, that making cookies for my kid's lunch isn't saving me any money.  The routine goes somethink like this:  It's Sunday evening (which means last minute, right?) and I think about what ye ol' larder holds, peruse the unruly contents, then flip open the big cookie book and desperately look for a recipe that doesn't need butter.  I'm exaggerating a bit, but it has happened, and yes, there are cookie recipes that don't include butter.  Can you even imagine?  Totally sacriligious if you ask me.

If I choose the recipe first and then go to the store to shop for the ingredients, I come home with enough groceries to feed half the neighborhood.  This is not cheap. There will never be a day when I "run" to the store only for a pound of butter.  I mean, come on -- the grocery store is a far too glittery place. So lunch cookies end up costing a bundle and I might as well get back to purchasing Little Debbies for his lunch.

So I bring you cookies today -- cookies made without a trip to the grocery store.  Cookies that didn't cost me an arm and a leg.  Cookies I'm willing to share to squeeze votes from you, your mailman, your UPS driver, and your distant relatives.

Deal?

Jambalaya with Andouille Shrimp and Chicken

You know when people ask, "Where were you when...?"  Yes, well on Inauguration Day, on the auspicious occasion of the inauguration of the first African American President this great country has had, on this amazing day when so many people around the world were tuned in to it all, I decided to resume work on my speck in the bloggosphere while I was watching.  I'd begun this post days before, but was interruped by something and saved it until opening it today. So from this day forward, I'll forever connect Obama to jambalaya.  I won't be able to avoid the connection whether I want to or not. Now my sister?  Well, she was on the Mall and got to see him deliver his speech.  Me?  I'm writing about food. 

I'd like to say I've been on vacation and that's why I haven't written lately, but honestly, the time away has been more about working on admin issues here.  Although I've learned quite a bit about websites and CSS and can fake code like the best of the posers since I've started blogging, suffice it to say that countless hours were spent last week reading through instructions to connect some dots that weren't designed to go together.  Call me stupid tenacious.  Or stubborn.  Okay, how about a royal pain in the ass? 

I was less than thrilled with this ultimate waste of time which nagged at me so much, the idea of doing anything but that at my Mac was impossible. The silver lining on that one is that I was able to focus!  Nice. So right now, I'm calling it a truce to cool down a bit before I decide to choose a different route.

What better way to do that than talk about food, right?  Exactly.  And what better food to discuss than Jambalaya?  No, I'm not from New Orleans, and to my knowledge, no one in my family is Cajun that I know of....but I love the flavors, the ease with which it comes together, and the sheer number of variations available.

Jambalaya is a One Pot Wonder that can be made with what you have on hand -- almost.  And the pay off is big.  The resulting flavors remind me of a dish that has cooked for hours.  It's easy on the budget, too.  It takes a bit more effort than fried rice, but nowhere near the energy that risotto or paella take, so even my son has manned the Wolf long enough to put a nice meal of Jambalaya together before with very little bossing from his mother.

Are you sold? No?

Okay, but maybe I've got you thinking...

But wait!  I also just found out (and I'm getting the impression I should have known quite some time ago...) that I've been nominated for Best Food Blog:  Humor by Haley of Appoggiatura.  Goodness!  This is so cool because I'm someone who never even won the "Who can spoon the most cotton balls blindfolded" game at baby showers.  Talk about a lifetime of feeling incompetent. 

Which must explain my obsession with food, right?  I'm sure there's a couch for me somewhere... If you have the time, check out all the great nominees in all the categories and vote, vote, vote.

Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Hazelnuts

The weather here has been remarkable for the past few days with temperatures reaching nearly 80.  Blue skies stretch on forever, and because it's so dry, visibility is about as clear as I've seen it in a while.  I've had the patio door open during the day, and a few windows open at night to move the air around and keep the house from getting stuffy.

But wonder of all wonders?

I actually got off my rump and went for a walk today, pounding the asphalt of my old route back and forth through the neighborhood across the street -- the one that affords me a breathtaking view of the San Diego skyline, Mission Bay, and the beach each time I make it to the end of a street.  Down the hill and back takes me about 45 or 50 minutes, and I'm proud to say that although I haven't walked for more than a month -- make that two --  everything seems just fine.  No aches or pains -- yet.  When I got back home, I put a salad together just for me.

Although I finally broke down yesterday and went to the grocery store for some produce and other necessities, I did have half a butternut squash in the fridge left over from the scarlet runner bean soup I made last week. 

Wait.  Squash in a salad? 

That's what I thought until I saw the piece in next month's issue of Food & Wine in "Six Hearty Winter Salads."  The Butternut Squash Salad with Hazelnuts had my name all over it.  And if you're too chilled about the prospect of a salad in the wintertime -- it's a warm salad.

How can you refuse?  Mumbling about not liking squash doesn't count.

 

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

Somehow, it seems I've gotten myself into what appears to be a New Year's resolution.  Since I'm not one to make resolutions, I guess it chose me by default.  In my attempt to use what we had on hand to cook and bake as much as possible this month, I decided to bake my son some treats to pack in his lunch for school.  My pantry is stuffed, so the possibilities are endless.

If you saw his lunch, you'd argue with me about whether it actually resembled what you or I might call a standard lunch, but it helps put calories in his tall lanky frame until he can come home in the early afternoon to eat another meal before dinner.

He's fairly accommodating and knew I was going to be cutting back on my habitual trips to the grocery store, so readily agreed to go along with what looks like may become a Monday ritual.  Since I have absolutely no rituals, this should be interesting.

But I'm thinking about it, and like the idea:  1)  I can try many new recipes; 2) I know what ingredients are going into his treats since they're coming out of my pantry; 3)  it will keep my pantry under control; and 4) I'd like to think it will save some money, but I truly wonder about it.  I'll have to get out my calculator once in a while to figure it out.

With two weeks down and about 37 to go, I'm two for two, so can't call my new practice a success yet, but I'll keep you posted as the year unfolds.

Last week, the Resident Teen enjoyed a batch of Banana Chocolate Chip Bars.  I had some rather sad looking bananas sitting around and instead of putting them in the freezer for another day (and most likely trash day because months would go by before I used them...) I decided they'd go to good use as a lunch treat.  

Glazed Crumb Cake with Cardamom and Pecans

We weren't snackers or dessert eaters when I was growing up, so the idea of crumb cake didn't occur to me until I had my first job fresh out of high school working in a grocery store when I was 17.  They came individually wrapped, and if I kept my eyes open, I could find a few on the day-old bakery rack for 10 cents. But it wasn't just crumb cakes.   I remember being fascinated by all the packaged baked goods, amazed that the selection was so huge.  It was like being in a strange kind of food Disneyland having my very own income and anything I wanted to purchase at my fingertips.

My mother didn't keep too many "goodies" in the house beyond what was packed in our lunches, and even then, variety was almost non-existent.  And grocery stores in general were an oddity to me because she shopped at the Navy Commissary, and rarely took us with her.

So when I came across this recipe for crumb cake in an old magazine, I had to try it, remembering my long ago fascination with those oh-so-moist little cakes and the crumbly tops that make a sweet mess each time you sink your teeth into one.

There will be no hiding the fact that you've had your hand in the sweets!