Thursday, January 10, 2008
Frustrated
Why do cookies get hard? Why don't they stay soft? Ahhh, thank goodness for white bread and ziplocs.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Beef Stew
For me, my dad made the best Beef Stew. I think that it was my dad who gave me my love to cook and bake. He should be a chef.
Back to the stew . . .
So, our church celebrated Christmas Sunday night and we feasted afterwards. I asked Ben what he wanted to take for the feast and he said Beef Stew. Beef Stew? Um, okay?!?! I hadn't made beef stew before. I didn't know how. I thought about things I had seen on the Food Network and no, I hadn't seen beef stew. How does one make beef stew? Well, I winged it, to say the least. To my surprise, it turned out very well. ( I would say that Dad taught me well!) I even had someone ask for the recipe! Yay! So here it is:
Beef Stew
Makes: A LOT!
5 carrots
6 medium potatoes
1/2 of a small/medium onion (mine was about the size of a tennis ball)
3 1/4 lb. 'beef cuts for stew' (found at your local megamart - it's already cubed for you and says it's "for stewing")
12 oz fresh peas
a bag of frozen green beans (use fresh in season)
4 medium garlic cloves
2 quarts of beef stock (make sure its stock, not broth!)
1 small can of tomato paste
salt (We use kosher.)
pepper (Nothing beats freshly ground!)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
Carrots: The carrots need to be peeled and cut to about an inch in length.
Potatoes: The potatoes should be cut so that they are similar in size to the carrots. This will help every thing cook evenly.
Onion: To chop the onion you will want to thinly slice it. Then thinly dice it.
Garlic: All you need to do to the garlic cloves is smash them with the side of the knife or the bottom of a can. ;) Once they're smashed, take off the skins.
Beef: Salt and pepper your beef before you put it in the pan.
Heat your biggest pot to high and add in the olive oil. Wait until the oil is wavy, then add your smashed garlic and beef (after it's been salt and peppered of course). You will want to add it in at least 3 batches to ensure that it browns. When each batch is browned, pull it out onto a plate. The meat won't be fully cooked yet - we'll get back to in in a few minutes. (Oh, and leave the garlic in the pot.)
Now you can add your onions, carrots and potatoes. Leave them alone for a few minutes so that they can caramelize. Stir them to caramelize the other sides.
Once your veggies are browned, add your beef back in. You will also add in the whole can of tomato paste at this time. Stir in the paste and cook for about 5 minutes.
At this time salt and pepper everything and stir. Then add both containers of stock. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot and get the food off the bottom. This is called deglazing. Bring to a boil for 30 minutes. Add the peas and green beans, and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through. If you are planning on serving soon (within 20 minutes), let the stew simmer on low. To reheat for later use, place on medium for 20 minutes.
smashed garlic: The garlic will be cooked for such a long time that it will 'melt' into the stock. There is no need to cut it smaller.
browning: Browning meat intensifies its natural flavors. It is caused by the "Maillard Reaction" and is closely related to...
caramelization: Caramelization converts the sugars in a fruit or vegetable so it tastes sweet (like caramel). It also softens the fruit/veggie (so, be careful, or you'll over-caramelize it and get burned mush!)
deglazing: By the time you have stirred in the tomato paste and allowed it to cook, there will be a residue of caramelized food stuck to the bottom of your pot. By adding the stock, allowing it to boil, and scraping the bottom of the pot, you can get that residue off, thus deglazing the pan. The residue will add lots of flavor to the stew.
Back to the stew . . .
So, our church celebrated Christmas Sunday night and we feasted afterwards. I asked Ben what he wanted to take for the feast and he said Beef Stew. Beef Stew? Um, okay?!?! I hadn't made beef stew before. I didn't know how. I thought about things I had seen on the Food Network and no, I hadn't seen beef stew. How does one make beef stew? Well, I winged it, to say the least. To my surprise, it turned out very well. ( I would say that Dad taught me well!) I even had someone ask for the recipe! Yay! So here it is:
Beef Stew
Makes: A LOT!
5 carrots
6 medium potatoes
1/2 of a small/medium onion (mine was about the size of a tennis ball)
3 1/4 lb. 'beef cuts for stew' (found at your local megamart - it's already cubed for you and says it's "for stewing")
12 oz fresh peas
a bag of frozen green beans (use fresh in season)
4 medium garlic cloves
2 quarts of beef stock (make sure its stock, not broth!)
1 small can of tomato paste
salt (We use kosher.)
pepper (Nothing beats freshly ground!)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
Prep Work
Carrots: The carrots need to be peeled and cut to about an inch in length.
Potatoes: The potatoes should be cut so that they are similar in size to the carrots. This will help every thing cook evenly.
Onion: To chop the onion you will want to thinly slice it. Then thinly dice it.
Garlic: All you need to do to the garlic cloves is smash them with the side of the knife or the bottom of a can. ;) Once they're smashed, take off the skins.
Beef: Salt and pepper your beef before you put it in the pan.
The Process
Heat your biggest pot to high and add in the olive oil. Wait until the oil is wavy, then add your smashed garlic and beef (after it's been salt and peppered of course). You will want to add it in at least 3 batches to ensure that it browns. When each batch is browned, pull it out onto a plate. The meat won't be fully cooked yet - we'll get back to in in a few minutes. (Oh, and leave the garlic in the pot.)
Now you can add your onions, carrots and potatoes. Leave them alone for a few minutes so that they can caramelize. Stir them to caramelize the other sides.
Once your veggies are browned, add your beef back in. You will also add in the whole can of tomato paste at this time. Stir in the paste and cook for about 5 minutes.
At this time salt and pepper everything and stir. Then add both containers of stock. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot and get the food off the bottom. This is called deglazing. Bring to a boil for 30 minutes. Add the peas and green beans, and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through. If you are planning on serving soon (within 20 minutes), let the stew simmer on low. To reheat for later use, place on medium for 20 minutes.
Bolded Terms:
smashed garlic: The garlic will be cooked for such a long time that it will 'melt' into the stock. There is no need to cut it smaller.
browning: Browning meat intensifies its natural flavors. It is caused by the "Maillard Reaction" and is closely related to...
caramelization: Caramelization converts the sugars in a fruit or vegetable so it tastes sweet (like caramel). It also softens the fruit/veggie (so, be careful, or you'll over-caramelize it and get burned mush!)
deglazing: By the time you have stirred in the tomato paste and allowed it to cook, there will be a residue of caramelized food stuck to the bottom of your pot. By adding the stock, allowing it to boil, and scraping the bottom of the pot, you can get that residue off, thus deglazing the pan. The residue will add lots of flavor to the stew.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Bread
I love to bake bread. So, a while ago, I started baking bread for our church. It's used for the Eucharist (aka Communion). I pretty proud of it, even though I shouldn't be, but everyone likes it. So tonight I am working on two batches for Sunday. We are going to celebrate our Liturgy in the morning and on Sunday evening (aka Monday morning) we'll celebrate our Christmas Liturgy. Our Liturgical calendar is based on the "Old Calendar" (Julian) which falls 13 days behind the "New Calendar" (Gregorian).
Back to the Bread . . . Most bread recipes include sugar (for the yeast to eat), oil (I'm not sure why), and some have warmed milk (another one I'm not sure of). In our traditions, the bread that will become the Host should be as pure and simple as possible. This means that it can only contain flour, salt, yeast and water. This was kind of difficult at first. Most of the proper church recipes are dry or hard or really flat tasting. So, this was officially the first recipe I have ever created. It's definitely not fool-proof though. I am pretty much the only one who can use this recipe. (That's not a good thing.) It's not that the recipe is fussy it's just getting the right balance which changes with the weather. I guess it's a learned technique. Ben and I watch a lot of Alton Brown on "Good Eats."
Well, here's the recipe and technique. Let me know what you think.
3 1/4 C Bread Flour (keep extra around)
2 teas. instant yeast
1 teas. Kosher Salt
2 cups hot water
1) Prepare the Yeast
To prepare the yeast, you need to bloom* it in hot water. I use hot tap water. It's not quite as hot as my faucet will go but just about. I put about 1/4 C in a small bowl or cup along with the yeast. Set the rest of the water aside. I let this set about 10 minutes. (A note: Usually, the hotter the water, the quicker the bread will rise. However, if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.)
2) Prepare the Flour
I use a Kitchen Aid, with the hook attachment, to mix my bread. So, in the mixer bowl, add the flour and the salt. Mix this for just a moment.
3) The Bread
When the yeast has bloomed*, add the yeast-water to the flour-salt mixture while the mixer is on low speed. If there is still yeast in the 'cup', use some of the extra water to 'rinse' out the cup into the mixer(which is still going at this point). You will want to watch your bread as it comes together. Stream in the extra water until the bread flour has all been combined into the dough. You will want to err on the side of slightly too much water. You can now use extra flour, added slowly, to 'soak up' some of the water. You will want to keep your dough in the mixer to knead it. (This method takes less human muscle. ;) ) You can add small amounts of flour to make sure the dough does not stick to the bowl, especially at the bottom of the bowl. You will know if you have added to much flour because the ball of dough will have a 'foot' slapping around in the bowl. I usually knead the dough in the mixer for about 10 minutes. I then take it out and knead for a few moments. For church, I split the dough into five rounds and then put them into individual sandwich zip-top baggies. If you aren't using the bread for religious purposes, then I would split the dough in two and put each half into individual gallon size bags. Make sure, when sealing the zip-top baggies, to leave plenty of air in them. This will give the bread more room to rise. (A note: I like to let my bread rise while I am running my portable dishwasher. The top of the dishwasher is the perfect warm spot for bread rising.)
4) The second Knead
After about an hour or after the dough has at least doubled in size, I knead the dough for a second time. I only knead it for about 5 min or so per loaf. I like to make sure the loafs are semi-round. For loaf pans, make your dough cylindrical. Then place the bread on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet or in your loaf pans. If you choose to use loaf pans, I would line them with a piece of parchment on at least 3 long sides(2 sides and a bottom). Let these loaves rise for about 10 minutes.
5) Stamping
If using this recipe for religious purposes, you will want to stamp the bread shortly before it goes into the oven. I usually hold my floured, plastic stamp down for about 20 seconds.
6) Bake
Bake your bread at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. You will want to start checking after 25 minutes. I don't think that it will need more that 40 minutes. To test the doneness, tap the top of each loaf with your fingers or the back of a spoon. The loaves should sound hollow.
7) Cooling
It's important to let your bread cool fully before consuming. Do not pack it up until it has cooled, as well.
Well, there it is. If you try it out, let me know. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Thanks for reading.
Back to the Bread . . . Most bread recipes include sugar (for the yeast to eat), oil (I'm not sure why), and some have warmed milk (another one I'm not sure of). In our traditions, the bread that will become the Host should be as pure and simple as possible. This means that it can only contain flour, salt, yeast and water. This was kind of difficult at first. Most of the proper church recipes are dry or hard or really flat tasting. So, this was officially the first recipe I have ever created. It's definitely not fool-proof though. I am pretty much the only one who can use this recipe. (That's not a good thing.) It's not that the recipe is fussy it's just getting the right balance which changes with the weather. I guess it's a learned technique. Ben and I watch a lot of Alton Brown on "Good Eats."
Well, here's the recipe and technique. Let me know what you think.
3 1/4 C Bread Flour (keep extra around)
2 teas. instant yeast
1 teas. Kosher Salt
2 cups hot water
1) Prepare the Yeast
To prepare the yeast, you need to bloom* it in hot water. I use hot tap water. It's not quite as hot as my faucet will go but just about. I put about 1/4 C in a small bowl or cup along with the yeast. Set the rest of the water aside. I let this set about 10 minutes. (A note: Usually, the hotter the water, the quicker the bread will rise. However, if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.)
2) Prepare the Flour
I use a Kitchen Aid, with the hook attachment, to mix my bread. So, in the mixer bowl, add the flour and the salt. Mix this for just a moment.
3) The Bread
When the yeast has bloomed*, add the yeast-water to the flour-salt mixture while the mixer is on low speed. If there is still yeast in the 'cup', use some of the extra water to 'rinse' out the cup into the mixer(which is still going at this point). You will want to watch your bread as it comes together. Stream in the extra water until the bread flour has all been combined into the dough. You will want to err on the side of slightly too much water. You can now use extra flour, added slowly, to 'soak up' some of the water. You will want to keep your dough in the mixer to knead it. (This method takes less human muscle. ;) ) You can add small amounts of flour to make sure the dough does not stick to the bowl, especially at the bottom of the bowl. You will know if you have added to much flour because the ball of dough will have a 'foot' slapping around in the bowl. I usually knead the dough in the mixer for about 10 minutes. I then take it out and knead for a few moments. For church, I split the dough into five rounds and then put them into individual sandwich zip-top baggies. If you aren't using the bread for religious purposes, then I would split the dough in two and put each half into individual gallon size bags. Make sure, when sealing the zip-top baggies, to leave plenty of air in them. This will give the bread more room to rise. (A note: I like to let my bread rise while I am running my portable dishwasher. The top of the dishwasher is the perfect warm spot for bread rising.)
4) The second Knead
After about an hour or after the dough has at least doubled in size, I knead the dough for a second time. I only knead it for about 5 min or so per loaf. I like to make sure the loafs are semi-round. For loaf pans, make your dough cylindrical. Then place the bread on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet or in your loaf pans. If you choose to use loaf pans, I would line them with a piece of parchment on at least 3 long sides(2 sides and a bottom). Let these loaves rise for about 10 minutes.
5) Stamping
If using this recipe for religious purposes, you will want to stamp the bread shortly before it goes into the oven. I usually hold my floured, plastic stamp down for about 20 seconds.
6) Bake
Bake your bread at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. You will want to start checking after 25 minutes. I don't think that it will need more that 40 minutes. To test the doneness, tap the top of each loaf with your fingers or the back of a spoon. The loaves should sound hollow.
7) Cooling
It's important to let your bread cool fully before consuming. Do not pack it up until it has cooled, as well.
Well, there it is. If you try it out, let me know. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
s l i c e
Hey. I just want to write about food. I want to explore food and create new recipes. I hope to open a bakery . . . someday. Know something I don't? Tell. Teach. Comment. Call. I want to learn all that I can and share it with you along the way.
Also, do you want to know about a particular food? What it tastes like, where/how its grown, how to prepare it? Let me know and I will find out for you.
Thanks for reading!
Also, do you want to know about a particular food? What it tastes like, where/how its grown, how to prepare it? Let me know and I will find out for you.
Thanks for reading!
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