Sass & Veracity

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.

Garlic Beef & Shiitakes with Baby Bok Choy

There's an Asian market very near to where I take my son for guitar lessons each Thursday afternoon.  It's a dangerous place for me because every aisle contains ingredients for dishes I've often wanted to make, but was too lazy to find out where I might drive to purchase them before now.  Who would think that a market called Ranch 99 sold Asian food?  Certainly not me. 

Do I really need yet another excuse to buy food? I already shop at too many grocery stores as it is.  I do have a regular market that I won't ever give up because I know where everything is in the entire store.   And then there's Trader Joe's.  They have an eclectic assortment of yummy things at rock bottom prices -- especially in the deli and dairy.  But most of the time, they won't have something I can't live without, and that forces me to cross the street to pick up the rest of my list at Henry's.  Henry's is a Wild Oats store.  You know, bins full of flour and trail mix, or rolled oats.  On special occasions, I go to Whole Foods just because I love the produce and fresh seafood, meat, and deli counters. 

Now, I've found the Asian market.  *sigh*

If it wasn't bad enough the first time I oogled my way through the store, the second time, I grabbed noodles and hot sauce and baby bok choy that was only 69 cents a pound.  There's no way I could pass that up, even if I already had baby bok choy at home in the fridge.  You just never know when baby bok choy might come in handy.

But what happened always happens.  By the time I unpacked it all, I realized there was no way I could actually cook what I'd purchased. It makes me remember the days I actually used to be organized about all of this. There's only so much food that three of us can eat.

A few days passed.  Maybe more than a few.  Regardless, so many passed that I noticed the bok choy sprouting blooms.  No water -- just plenty of light from the window, and a snug wrap in the plastic it was packaged in.  Then the blooms actually grew some more.

Clearly, I had to do something with this lovely vegetable that was trying so hard to get my attention.

Garlic Beef with Shiitake Mushrooms was the answer.

1 lb. sirloin sliced very thin
1-1/2 tsp. corn oil
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, and sliced
4 cloves chopped garlic
1-1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
3/4 lb. snow peas
3 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
2 T. rice wine
3/4 lb. taiwanese noodles, pan fried

Beef Marinade

3-1/2 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine
2 T minced chopped garlic
1 T cornstarch

Oyster Sauce

1-1/2 c. beef broth
6 T oyster sauce
1-1/2 T rice wine
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1-1/2 T cornstarch

 

Cut the sirloin into slices as thin as you can get them.  For very best results, ask the meat cutter to do it for you.  If this isn't possible, make sure the meat is slightly frozen.  Combine beef with marinade in a plastic bag and let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Mix all ingredients for the oyster sauce together and set aside.

Prepare noodles according to the package directions.  Usually, the noodles are soft and need to be cooked for about 3 minutes in boiling water, then drained before adding to a skillet with oil to be fried.  To fry the noodles, spread them across the bottom of the pan and let sizzle until you can tell they've begun to hold together.  Using a wide spatula (or two) flip the noodles to the other side to brown as well.  Keep warm until serving.

Heat a large skillet (or wok) over high heat.  Add the oil and heat until very hot.  Add the beef slices and stir-fry until no longer pink.  If your beef is very thin, this will happen quickly.  Pour beef into a bowl and set aside. 

Add more oil to the skillet if necessary, and when hot, add shiitakes, garlic, and ginger, stir-frying until heated -- about a minute.  Then add the bok choy, stir-frying until heated, the white parts begin to lightly brown, and the greens to wilt.  Add the snow peas and rice wine and stir-fry for less than 2 minutes.

Add the oyster sauce and cook, stirring constantly until thickened.

Add the beef to the vegetables and mix lightly.

Cut the noodles into quarters, and spoon the beef over to serve.

Notes:  This was surprisingly good.  Although we expected to enjoy it, we didn't think we'd enjoy it as much as we did.  I found the original recipe in a Google search about an hour before starting the prep.  I'd been scanning my magazines and cookbooks for something we had all the ingredients for, and couldn't find anything.  Three ingredient Google searches always work.  It's amazing.  And, I was able to use much of what I purchased, except for the bok choy, which was on the menu a few more times that week.

I purchased the beef already cut (1/16"), artfully arranged, packaged, and frozen at the Asian market.  I saw it and had to buy it because I knew I'd find some creative way to use it.  The first dish I used it in (which won't be posted because I have no photos...), I  briefly marinated it and then wrapped it around a few pieces of thin asparagus before putting it under the broiler.  No recipe -- just fun on a Friday evening.

The rice wine is something I can purchase at my regular market:  Kikkoman's "manjo" Aji-Mirin or sweet cooking rice wine works fine.  I probably need to see what the Asian market has to offer in the way of rice wine, but I barely have room in my cupboard as it is, so I used what I had. The original recipe, which can be found here, says that sake can be used instead of rice wine.  Sake seems to be the only ingredient I didn't purchase at the Asian market! 

I used a large skillet because I no longer own a wok.  It took up too much room in my cupboard, and my skillet works just fine.  It's all about making sure the heat is high enough to cook the food without burning it, but keeping it as crisp and fresh as possible.  My husband loves to do the skillet thing, so he was on this task.  Of course, I wasn't quite sure my skillet would every be the same again!

Chicken Korma: A delicious gift.

I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with a lovely young woman whose family is from Afghanistan.  Being the foodie I am, I inquired about the type of food her family enjoys and asked if she could bring a recipe for her favorite dish.  Based on her description, I knew it would be something I'd enjoy as well and couldn't wait to see what recipe it would be.

A few weeks went by and I teased her with questions about where the recipe might be.  She is a busy college student, very close to finishing her degree, and so had to consult with her mother about my request.  I never once considered what I was really asking for, and am now a bit humbled by the experience.

I've mentioned that my mother made certain dishes in her own way, but I have no exact amounts of ingredients to pass along -- only the memorized motions from numerous times I watched my mother and then began making dinner for my family myself while growing up.  I began to wonder how I'd feel if someone asked me for such a recipe.  What would I write without actually making it and writing down the steps? 

Early this last week, she handed me a print out of the recipe.  I was immediately excited because I'm hopeless when it comes to trying new recipes, let alone new cuisine.  It's my favorite thing to do.  Giddy would describe my reaction quite well.  I read through the recipe while she was standing by in case I had questions, and took some notes along the way, mentally planning for when I'd prepare it.

Thursday it was.  Good thing I'd spoken to her, because my version of the "garlic paste" and "ginger paste" listed in the ingredients may not have matched hers.  To me, garlic paste is created when I sprinkle salt on minced garlic and work it through. And "rooster" hot sauce is not something I would have understood had I not asked, but vaguely recalled a very large bottle of hot sauce I've seen on the shelves at the grocery store with an image of a rooster on it. 

Sheepish doesn't quite describe how I feel right now, knowing that this dish was most likely prepared and served just to ensure that the recipe could be written down and given to me.  In spite of my incredible need to apologize for being so bold, I'm now just thankful that I had the opportunity to make this dish.  The entire time I read and chopped, and stirred, and simmered, I thought of family and how good food becomes a story that binds people together. 

What a lovely experience!

I'm going to write this recipe in a different way than I normally do with the original preceding my interpretation which is lighter in color and italicized.  Be careful not to count both in the total amount of ingredients!

Chicken Korma
Time to Cook:  approximately 1 hour.

Ingredients for 5-6
Chicken (combo)
    about 1-3/4 lbs. or 11 chicken drumettes from the wings
2 onions thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, cut and quartered
    1 red pepper, seeded, and cut into large dice
1 medium potato, cut and quartered
    1 large russet, un-peeled and cut into large dice
2-1/2 T tomato paste
2-1/2 T vegetable oil
3/4 T curry powder
    approximately 1/2 T curry powder (this is what she cautioned about using too much of and to taste it...)
1/2 T salt
1/2 T pepper
1 c. water



Materials:
Pot or deep pan

Homemade sauce:  1 batch = 1 jar
Add all ingredients into blender until it has a "smoothie" consistency.

Garlic Paste - 1 batch
    1 entire head of garlic, peeled, about 2 oz.
Ginger Paste - 2-3
    same quantity of fresh ginger, peeled, about 2 oz.
1 lemon
    juice of one lemon
Salt & Pepper 1:1
    season to taste
3-4 T "Rooster" Hot Sauce
    1 T Tuong ot Sriracha
Rub the chicken with the homemade sauce and set prior to cooking.  (I left it sitting while I was preparing the chopped vegetables and the rice I served it with.

 

How To:

1. Place a pot or deep pan on medium heat.  Add the vegetable oil
2. When oil is heated, add the thinly sliced onions.  Stir evenly until golden brown.
3. Once golden brown, add the sauced chicken.  Add the homemade sauce.  Stir evenly until all the sides of chicken are evenly heated and tough. (I browned the drumettes until a nice dark crust could be seen on the bottom of the pan.)
4. Once everything is evenly heated, add the tomato paste, bell pepper, curry powder, salt, and pepper.
5. Stir all ingredients together for about 5-10 minutes to get the spices and juices of the sauce, chicken, and vegetables to mix well together.
6. Once mixed, add the potatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes.
7. Finally, add a cup of water and stir evenly.
8. Slowly simmer, cover, and stir the korma, on low heat until the potatoes are cooked.
9. Ready to eat.  Yummy.

Notes: I used a food processor to puree the garlic and ginger which comes together quickly and smells heavenly!  She explained that the garlic paste and ginger paste be mixed in the same quantities, so that's what I did.  I cut way back on the Rooster Sauce because my husband said he had to be able to eat it and although he does eat spicy food, I could tell that 3-4 T would be too much for both he and my son to handle.  My loss!  I chose a large, deep skillet for this dish to maximize the space on the bottom of the pan and did not cover it at any point in the cooking process.  Spend the extra time to get the onions nice and brown; they add such flavor to this dish.  Don't overcook the potatoes as leaving them firm, but done adds a good texture -- especially with the brown rice I served it with. Using the drumettes most likely cut down on the overall cooking time.  I could see that with using an entire chicken, or larger pieces, that a lid would be necessary and more time to ensure the chicken was done.  I'll have to try that next time, and there will be a next time.

The aroma of this dish cooking almost from the start was beyond wonderful.  I truly enjoyed making it, and eating it.  I had more for lunch the next day, and it's even better because all the flavors have had more time to blend.  I also added more of the Rooster Sauce to bump up the heat.  Totally delicious!

A bit of research:  As stated in wikipedia, Korma is generally characterized as a mild curry dish that originates from India and is usually made with yogurt or coconut milk. However, I did read a different reference that stated the foods of Northern India and Pakistan are actually influenced by that of Afghanistan, introduced to the area by a sultan sometime in the 900's.  I am far from being a food historian, so I'm not sure how accurate this information is.  Korma is often made with chicken, beef, or lamb, and a small amount of vegetables such as potato or onion.  To give you an idea of how different the ingredients in Korma can be, I'm including a few different recipes I found as a comparison to this one if you're interested.

Kofta Challow
Chicken Korma with Aniseed
Special Chicken Korma
Navratan Korma
Vegetable Korma

Or check out a variety of other recipes here.

Pot Roast with Winter Root Vegetables

With four men type folk in my life, I can guarantee that what is lovingly referred to around here as "roast beast" will be on the Sunday dinner menu from time to time.  They like it whether it's a rump or a chuck, braised or roasted, on a spit or formed into a roulade and stuffed with sauteed mushrooms and garlic, or spinach.  Period.

My mother taught me how to make a chuck roast sometime around the 7th grade, and it was the same each time I made it even though it's not on any family recipe card that I've ever seen: season some all purpose flour with salt and pepper, and coat the roast on all sides. Put a spoonful of bacon fat into the pot, heat it up and then brown the roast on all sides.  Pour some water into the pot, covering the meat and simmer after bringing it to a boil.  About 30 minutes before serving time, add to the pot chunks of peeled and quartered russet potatoes, a few carrots, and a few stalks of celery.  Correct the seasonings, put the lid back on the pot and cook until a fork inserted into the potatoes and carrots goes smoothly.

It's been quite a while since I've made a roast beef quite like that, but it got dinner on the table and no one complained.

Now, roast beef is more something I've seen in one of my magazines, or in a cookbook I'm thumbing through while looking for the perfect recipe.  I haven't found it yet, so I keep searching and experimenting, entertaining myself while feeding the guys something they enjoy.

Last Sunday, the recipe for "Pot Roast with Winter Root Vegetables" in this February's issue of Bon Appetit caught my eye because I was planning a gluten-free dinner for my oldest son who just turned 29 and has been recently diagnosed with Celiac's Disease.  The recipe excludes any flour thickener, instead calling for a rub containing sweet paprika and brown sugar among other spices.  It also called for celery root instead of celery, which I wanted to try, and quite a bit of fresh garlic, which is always high on my list.  The pot roast was quite tasty, creating a very rich sauce due to the heavy browning which I made sure to scrape up as the red wine went in.  Speaking of the red wine, I used a Twin Fin California Merlot.  The "fins" referred to are on the back of a vintage car and if you knew my son, you'd understand.  The celery root was delicious.  The flavor of celery is pronounced but without the sometimes soggy, stringy texture of regular celery.  Since I didn't see too many pieces left on the guys' plates, they must have liked it, too.  Not bad for such an ugly little root!

I served the roast with a simple green salad of mache and a spicy green mix, some tomatoes and ricotta salata tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette.  Lovely "Smashed Potatoes," courtesy of 101 Cookbooks were enjoyed by all, very easy to make and a nice change from the more traditional mashed or boiled potatoes.  I also decided to try the "Carmelized Green Beans" from Saveur Issue #109 (and if you haven't read it yet, oh my goodness, it's all about butter...), which I made with Plugra instead of the Lescure Beurre des Charentes suggested in the recipe.  As much as I though I'd enjoy this recipe, it was disappointing.  I don't know how anything can go wrong with good butter, but we've gotten used to eating green beans that are quickly parboiled, and then roasted or sauteed.  We like the crispness of them, and missed that in this recipe as the cookbook author said we might.

 

Last, but not least, I made the birthday boy a flourless chocolate cake courtesy of the Gluten-Free Goddess which was totally excellent.  I would have loved to taste it again the next day as it is supposed to be even more delicious after sitting overnight, but I packed up the leftovers to send home with the birthday boy.  *sigh*  (Hopefully, it isn't in the back seat of his car under his laundry.)  Although I've made dense chocolate cakes before, most have had flour added.  This recipe comes together perfectly, and puffs up quite nicely.  Like I said -- excellent!

In retrospect, it was a great evening having all my guys around the table for a change, just like we managed at least four times a week when they were growing up.  Plus, the food was delicious, hopefully helping the birthday boy realize that having Celiac's will take some responsibility on his part, but by no means condemn him to a life of food he won't enjoy.

He just needs to stop eating fast food.

Pigs will fly first, of course.