Kitchen Bounty

Potato Soup with Bacon, Leeks and Cabbage

2012-02-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

Nothing prescribes SOUP like cleaning our your fridge! I had all the following on hand: 1/2 pack of bacon, 3 sad leeks, celery that had seen better days, a cabbage head, carrots and potatoes which were starting to sprout, two almost-used tubes of tomato paste, some reserved chicken stock. Soup was the logical and forgone conclusion.

Soups such as these are actually easier to make than a chicken or turkey soup which involves preparing a stock. This one was a knock-out! A real keeper.

Don't skimp on the bacon--it's what flavors the soup. I usually use the center portion or the parts that have the most meat and less fat. Since I had one Idaho potato on hand, I used it as the thickener since it is starchier than the waxy red potatoes. It worked out perfect.

Yes, it's a lot of chopping. Pour yourself a glass of wine. Put on some great music. Chop, chop, chop. Open a window when you saute the bacon to make your neighbors envious . . .

Don't omit the smoked paprika. It imparts an earthiness at the end one can't achieve with regular paprika - or anything else, for that matter. I had a large slice of smoked hog jowl that I placed on top of the soup as it simmered. I also had the rind from a wedge of Parmesan cheese that I added. If you don't have a rind, just add a slice. It will melt into the soup as it simmers.

1/2 cup chopped bacon (don't be stingy)
3 cups chopped red potatoes
1 med-large Idaho potato
1 cup chopped leek (white and light green parts only)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup sliced carrots
2 cups chopped cabbage
Dried thyme leaves, a few good pinches
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry, white wine
2 gloves garlic, minced or pressed
1, 4 ounce can/jar mushrooms, liquid drained and reserved
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
4-5 cups liquid, (I used half canned chicken stock)
1 rind from a hard cheese, such as Parmesan

Wash the potatoes. Peel any parts that are sprouting. Cut in half, then cut each half into thirds. For the Idaho potato, peel and cut off the ends; discard. Now cut what's left in half. Split each leek down the center to check for sand and dirt; wash. Then slice.

In a heavy stock pot, saute the bacon until it begins to render its fat, is still pliable, and just beginning to crisp. Remove. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan and add the leek, celery, carrots, onion. Saute until soft. Salt and pepper to taste, being careful of the salt since the bacon has plenty. Move veggies to the side and add some of the white wine to de-glaze the pot of the brown bits at the bottom.

Stir in the garlic, thyme and tomato paste. Cook just until fragrant being careful not to burn the garlic. If necessary, add a bit more of the wine. Add the red potatoes and stir to coat.

Add the liquids, including the juice from the canned mushrooms. Give a good stir. Add the two chunks of Idaho potato and cheese rind.

I had a bit of fresh thyme from the garden, so I added it.
Be careful with thyme . . . less is more. It's my favorite herb.

Bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. The Idaho potato will have softened and begun to come apart. Remove hog jowl (if using) and with the back of a spoon, mash the Idaho potato against the sides of the pan to thicken the soup.

Add the mushrooms and shredded cabbage. Re-cover and simmer another 20 minutes or so. Add paprika last and stir.

Soups are the perfect food to share. Everyone appreciates a bowl or jar of homemade goodness.

Chicken and Dumplings

2012-02-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

These dumplings are light and airy, not heavy
and glutenous--and certainly not "biscuit-like."

While chicken and dumplings is a meal I did not grow up with, it's one I plan to grow old with. I really didn't discover it until mid-age. Think of it as a de-constructed pot pie. It's comfort food at its best: warm and filling. And it goes together pretty easily.

For some people, "dumplings" are a rolled-out affair similar to pasta and can be purchased pre-made and frozen. I prefer the dropped-type--soft and airy to soak up the broth. I don't shred the chicken but leave it whole on the bone. And I use chicken thighs for their meaty, juicy character. They usually come four to package, perfect for this recipe. And they are inexpensive.

I used baby carrots . . . but still cut them up.

I do recommend a heavy-bottom Dutch oven. I use cast-iron, enamel-lined. For light dumplings, use part all-purpose flour and, if you access to it, White Lily flour; if not, use cake flour. Some people prefer to add part cornmeal for a sturdier dumpling.

Serves 2-4

Chicken Base

1.5 - 2 pounds, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/4 cup all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion (part leek works well, too)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon dried type leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons sherry (optional)

Dumplings

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup White Lily Flour or cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons shortening, lard, butter or chicken fat
1/2 cup buttermilk

Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut along the bone on the underside of each thigh being careful not to go all the way through. this release the meat and allows it to cook evenly.

Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture. Heat pan. Add about 1 tablespoon peanut oil if you have it, or cooking/olive oil. Brown chicken evenly on both sides, about 10 minutes or so, working in batches, if necessary. Remove to a plate.

Remove the oil/fat from the pot and, if desired, use some of it to form your dumplings. Wipe out the pot.

Add a bit of olive oil to the pot and add the onion, half the carrots, and the celery. Saute until soft. Add the pressed garlic, thyme, and turmeric. Stir until fragrant.

Add the chicken broth and, if using, the sherry. Bring to a simmer and then nestle the chicken pieces in the "soup" mixture, returning any juices that have collected on the plate. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until meat is tender, adding the rest of the carrots about half-way through. When done, add the frozen peas just before adding the dumplings.

Make the dumplings:

Add dry ingredients to a small food processor. Pulse.

Add whatever fat you are using. I used 1 tablespoon lard and 1 tablespoon chicken fat. Pulse just until blended. Place mixture in a small bowl and add the buttermilk, stirring gently until flour is incorporated.

Drop by heaping tablespoons on top of chicken, using one spoon to dislodge the dough from the measuring spoon. Allow to cook uncovered for ten minutes. Cover and simmer for ten more minutes.

The steam will cook the dumplings and they will have doubled in size. They will also thicken the "stew."

Now, if you'll excuse me . . . I have a plate to lick . . .

Chicken Livers and Pasta

2012-02-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

Chicken livers. Either you love 'em or you hate 'em.

"Liver" is one of those words with which we have a love/hate relationship. I had my first chicken livers when I worked in a restaurant during high school. I loved 'em. The texture was silky and luxurious. They were simply paired with onions and paprika. In this recipe, I use smoked paprika, bacon, brandy and a bit of hot sauce. Served with a garlicky pasta, it's a classic but inexpensive meal.

For the "bacon," I used sliced and smoked hog jowl. If you use bacon, it should be a bit on the thick side.

1/3 cup chopped "bacon"
8 oz. chopped onion
12 oz chicken livers (about 8, which have been cut in half for a total of 16)
2 cloves garlic, pressed and divided
8 oz. vermicelli
3 tablespoons brandy
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
4-8 dashes Tabasco sauce
Butter and olive oil
All-purpose flour

Rinse livers well removing fat and gunky parts. Cut in half/separate the livers. Allow to drain in a colander.

Cut bacon into matchsticks. Slice onions and measure out the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Place about 1/2 cup of AP flour on a large plate.

Saute bacon in pan just until it browns and renders its fat. Remove bacon to drain and cool. Leave the fat in the pan.

Dredge the livers in flour.

Add one teaspoon butter and one teaspoon olive oil to pan along with the bacon fat. Add flour-coated chicken livers and sautee on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a separate plate.

Add 1 - 2 teaspoons butter and one teaspoon olive oil and one tablespoon brandy. Scrape up bits from bottom of pan. Add chopped onion. Sautee until volume is reduced by half, adding 2 tablespoons brandy during the cooking process and 1/2 cup stock, adding more when needed.

At this point, begin adding stock to loosen up all the bits
on the bottom of the pan.

When carmelized and thick, add the garlic and stir just until fragrant. Add the smoked paprika and Tabasco. Stir. Add the chicken livers. Reduce heat and simmer for several minutes.

Boil the pasta.

In a medium bowl, add pressed garlic clove, Kosher salt, bacon and several drizzles of olive oil.

Drain pasta and add to bowl tossing well. Taste for seasonings.

To serve, mound pasta on a plate and place livers on top. Sprinkle with parsley or celery leaves.

Organ meat! It's what's for dinner! I licked the plate . . .

Notes: I initially used 8 oz. of livers but should have used 12 oz, about 16 pieces. Livers are usually connected, so you have to cut them in half. Eight whole livers will result in the 16 pieces.

Oeufs en Concotte (Baked Eggs)

2012-02-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

Baked eggs offering their warm, yellow yolk like the sun itself. Perfect
to take off the chill of a winter's morn.

It was chilly this morning with a thin layer of ice on the birdbath. I wanted eggs for breakfast, but not fried, scrambled or boiled. Omelet? Nay.

Baked eggs seemed the perfect ticket.

This is a recipe you can make up as you go depending on ingredients you have on hand. I had some mushrooms, smoked hog jowl and onion. I also had cheese. On one I used a combo of Parmesan and fresh rosemary. On the other, I used Pepper Jack. I preferred the pepper jack.

You may, of course omit the onions, mushrooms and bacon. It's up to you. Even though I sauteed the mushrooms, they made the egg whites a bit more watery than I would have liked, but it was perfect for dunking crusty bread.

A few mushrooms, bacon slices, some chopped onion
2 eggs
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
Pepper jack cheese
Pepper
Boiling water

Fry bacon or smoked hog jowl until brown and not overly crisp. Remove from pan and allow to drain.

Remove some of the fat from the pan add the chopped onions and mushrooms and saute until onions are soft and mushrooms have released their liquid. Remove from pan and allow to drain.

I love smoked and sliced hog jowl!

Butter a ramekin and pour one tablespoon heavy cream in the bottom. Add some of the mushroom/onion mixture. Add some crumbled or torn cooked bacon.

Fill a shallow pan with boiling water. Place ramekin in the pan to begin warming the cream and vegetable mixture.

Carefully, break two eggs per ramekin. (I break each egg separately on a saucer then slide it into the ramekin ensuring an unbroken yolk.) Put a bit more cream over the eggs and then cover with cheese.

Place pan into a pre-heated 375-400 F degree oven. Bake for ten minutes until set. The whites will have set up and it should still be "jiggly." Remove from oven. I left mine in the hot water bath for a few minutes before removing. The yolk was just the way I liked it: creamy and custardy but not runny.

Serve with hunks of a crusty, artisan bread.

(Notes: I probably would not have made this if I didn't have my Breville countertop oven. Since I purchased it, I haven't turned on my standard oven once!)

Apple Pie with Whisky

2012-01-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

The whisky in this recipe is nuanced, not overt. Its smokiness blends beautifully with the apples and spices.

Inspired by the Little House on the Prairie books when I was in grade school, the first thing I ever attempted to bake was an apple pie. I had picked some wild apples that grew in the woods. In my mind, I was already there. My chance came when my parents left for the evening. Needless to say, I gave up with the crust and when my parents arrived home, it wasn't to a pie and I was scolded for making a mess.

Now, I'm usually the family designated pie maker. Time and practice . . .

When I had my small art studio and had to compete with bigger and better-funded businesses, I used apple pie as a lure for special events. I couldn't afford a caterer, but I could cook. For one art opening, I borrowed a client's kitchen and made a half dozen pies. With cheese and wine, it was a hit. Later, I switched to apple cobbler which was easier to prepare. And then soups in the autumn and winter.

Apples, of course, are the key to a good pie. You want apples that are crisp, not soft and mealy. I usually use and recommend a variety of apples with at least one or two being Yellow Delicious. The only exception are Honey Crisps, and that is what I now use whenever possible. I don't care if their price is double normal apples. They're "abnormality" is worth the price.

I'm not a believer in a large two-crust, fruit-filled pie. They get soggy in the middle and are often under baked. I prefer a six or seven-inch pie which has a great ratio of crust to fruit. A pie plate is measured from the bottom, side to side; not from the top, rim to rim.

The recipe for pie crust is below.

Honestly, folks. I've made a lot of apple pies in my lifetime, but this is my favorite, by far.

Makes one seven-inch pie

5 cups peeled, chopped apples (about 3 lbs before peeling and cutting), preferably Honey Crisp or a blend which includes one or two Yellow Delicious
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons of flour (start with one tablespoon)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg (optional)
4 allspice berries, crushed
2-3 tablespoons whisky
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 tablespoon cold butter

Peel your apples using a plastic shopping bag. It makes cleaning up much easier. It's not necessary to core your apples. Just begin slicing around and around the apple. And then chip away and the top and the bottom.

Mix the flour, white and brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice in a small bowl. Set aside.

Mix the whisky and vanilla in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the apples and allow to sit several minutes. If your apples are on the sweet side or just a bit bland, add a bit of lemon juice.

Roll our your bottom crust and place in pie dish. Sprinkle two tablespoons of the spice/sugar mixture over the bottom. Add remaining to the apples in the bowl and toss well to coat. Taste. Re-adjust seasonings, if necessary. If your apples are unusually juicy, sprinkle with a bit more flour.

Add apple mixture evenly to pie plate. Do not mound it in the center, you want the apples to cook evenly. Dot with the butter. Place top crust on top and gently press around the rim of the plate.

Gently press dough around rim of plate
to create a tight seal so filling
does not seep out while baking.

Crimp the edges. Cut a vent hole in the center and make four slashes around it being careful not to go too near the edge or it may bubble over when baking.

The pie itself is the sun. The hole in the center is Earth. The slashes are the four
directions of N, S, E, W. The pie becomes that
which made the apples . . .

Using strips of tin foil, cover the edge of the crust to prevent burning.

Place in a pre-heated 400 F degree oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove tin foil strips and bake for another 10 minutes until juices begin to appear.

Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Notes:

Whiskey is the British and Canadian spelling. Whisky is the American version. Brandy is fermented grapes. Whisky is distilled grain.

Allspice berries are incredible and I recommend grinding your own.

Here's a trick: when you're adding your spiced apples to the pie shell, you may notice they are leaving behind a lot of liquid. Remove the apples with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the liquid. To the liquid, add a good teaspoon of cornstarch and mix to dissolve. Evenly spoon the mixture over the apples. It will make a nice thickener.

PIE CRUST

Nothing instills greater fear in a a cook or baker than the dreaded words "pie crust." It's almost become a "voodoo" recipe replete with a strange dance of ingredients from vinegar to egg white to vodka. It's now possible to buy wonderful dough premade, a real convenience, especially around the holidays. But when the package costs as much as a bag of flour, I'll make my own. And the food processor makes it pretty easy.

I also use lard. That's right. lard. It's actually healthier for your than butter. Here's my usual spiel:

One tablespoon of lard has 10 mg of cholesterol. By contrast, one tablespoon of butter has 30mg of cholesterol. What about fat content? Well, one tablespoon of lard has 13% fat, of which six is saturated fat. By contrast, one tablespoon of butter has 11% fat, of which seven is from saturated fat.

One tablespoon of Crisco all-vegetable shortening is 12g of total fat of which 3 is saturated fat but contains no cholesterol.

I've mixed equal parts of lard and butter, which works well, too. But now I just use all lard. It makes for a great-tasting, flaky crust. And it makes it easy to roll out.

I don't make large pies, especially fruit-filled pies. They can get soggy and be difficult to cut and to serve. I'd rather make two, seven or eight-inch pies than one ten-inch pie. To me they offer the perfect ratio of crust to filling. And I never mound the fruit a mile-high. Why? Again, I like a good ratio of crust to filling and the sides of the pie bake quicker than the middle. A pie is not a cake. It does have to rise in the middle.

Makes one crust for a 6 or 7-inch pie plate

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cold lard (or one tablespoon cold butter and 3 tablespoons cold lard)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1-2 teaspoons white sugar
3-4 tablespoons cold water

Place the flour and salt in processor. Whirl to combine. Add the cold lard/butter and pulse just until crumbly and lumpy.

Remove top and add 3 tablespoons of the cold water. Replace top and pulse for several seconds. If needed, drizzle in the the last tablespoon of cold water a little at a time while pulsing until a dough balls forms clean from the sides. Done.

Remove to a floured surface and knead once or twice. Cover in shrink wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Repeat process for second batch. No need to clean or wash the food processor.

To roll: Sprinkle your work surface with flour. (I use a sheet of plywood and when I'm done I just take it outside to whisk off the flour etc. for easy cleaning). Begin pressing and shaping your ball of dough into a round using your hand.

The key to rolling our your dough is to keep it moving. Flip over several times and sprinkle with a bit more flour. If you keep it stationary in one spot, it will usually end up sticking to the surface. As it thins out, you should still be able to shift it from the flour beneath it.

Roll to one inch larger than your pie plate.

Gently lift the dough and fit into plate. Fill with filling and proceed with top crust. Crimp. Vent. Bake.

If you have scraps of dough, which I did here, re-roll and make into leaves. Wet the bottoms with water and gently press on top of crust.

My New Breville Counter-Top Oven

2012-01-25T06:25:00.000-08:00

This isn't your ordinary "toaster oven."

For about a year now, I've had my eye on a Breville counter-top, convection oven. With some Christmas money, I finally purchased it a week ago. I couldn't be happier.

Why a counter-top oven? For one thing, since I'm single, I don't need a standard-sized oven for most of what I bake, roast or broil. I hate having to turn on the oven to bake a small casserole or to cook a frozen entree. Second, since I rent, the ovens are never that great. The current oven isn't self-cleaning and, when I have to dial high temperatures, I find it gets too hot. I can take the counter-top oven with me when I move. It will save a lot of time having to get used to a new one.

And I'm still getting used to my Breville. But, so far, so good. Yesterday I baked a pie and it came out great--evenly browned on top without having to turn it around halfway through, thanks to the convection feature. Roast three chicken legs for dinner? No problem.

I baked this apple pie in the Breville and it was
evenly browned all over. Just look at that crust!

The only downside is that it comes with just one rack. Eventually, I'll order another one. The top of the oven can get hot, but it's really handy to put your finished dish on top to keep it warm (and it prevents you from cluttering it up with junk). You can also order a special bamboo cutting board that fits on top. I'll probably do that, too. The broiling pan is extra-heavy duty and sturdy. It also comes with a 12-inch pizza pan.

Is it complicated? Not in the least. I thought it might be, but I was dead wrong. Simply dial what you want to do, such as bake, toast, pizza, re-heat, and the temperature and time is automatically configured for you. But you may manually change it just as easily. It weighs less than my microwave oven even though they are comparably sized.

Overall, I'm very impressed the way it cooks food so evenly. And it heats up in less time than a standard oven. And, it just looks good.

It also toasts bread, but I'll do that in my toaster unless I'm going to do bagels or thicker slices.

On the flip side, I can certainly see this in kitchens where a standard oven is not adequate and a second one is not an option because of financial or configuration issues. For those who entertain a lot, it's a must. And around the holidays when everyone needs more oven space, this is the perfect solution.

Breville makes several models, but I chose this one based on user recommendations from around the Internet. It's 1800 watts and has the convection feature.

I had a store coupon for 20% off the 250.00 price. A bit steep but, in the long-run, I think it will have been a good investment.

Stale Bread for Breakfast

2012-01-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

A local grocery store carries a brand of fresh-baked Semolina bread I like very much. They'll usually only put out a few loaves, so when I see one, I grab it. I keep it in the paper wrapping to preserve the crisp crust. (The wrapper also reminds me of something my grandmother would have had around her kitchen from a loaf she purchased at a Chicago bakery.) Needless to say, it goes stale in a few days. No matter. That's when I have it for breakfast. Yes, breakfast. Don't turn up your nose!

This only works with a quality artisan bread that adapts well to soaking up the liquid. Anything else will turn into a paste.

Stale, artisan bread, broken apart
Olive oil (use a good quality olive oil)
Salt and pepper
Boiling water
Onion powder (optional but recommended)

Place your stale bread in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and just a pinch or two of onion powder. Now begin pouring the boiled water over the bread. It will immediately begin to soak through like a dried sponge. Turn pieces over and drizzle with more hot water. Heel ends require a bit more soaking. Stir. Taste for seasonings. If crusts are still hard, add a bit more water so it sits in the bottom of the bowl and turn bread crusts so they rest in it. Break apart and enjoy.

With a bit of grated hard cheese, this makes for a quick lunch. It's warm and filling. Sometimes I'm tempted to use milk, sugar and cinnamon, and for children, that would be great. But I enjoy the plain simplicity so much, I never deviate from the original plan. Enjoy, and remember your grandma!

Below is a video showing how Clara from "Great Depression Cooking" makes this:

More Tales from the Grocery Store: Trash Talk

2012-01-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Grocery Shopper:

Thank-you for choosing our store for your shopping needs. We really and truly appreciate that you visit us and spend your hard-earned money. There is just one thing. Please take all your trash with you as you exit the store and parking lot.

I'm really happy that you took the time to compile a shopping list. But it has a limited reading audience. Trust me on this. It is not a best seller and never will be. STOP leaving them behind. I'm tired of taking them out of carts, picking them up off the floor and chasing after them in the parking lot. Just throw the damn thing away!

Printing flyers costs a lot of money. I'm glad you picked one up when you entered the store. But when you are finished, either put it back, throw it out, or take it with you.

Shopping carts are not trash cans. Below is a list of the most common items left behind:

Sani-wipes
Kleenex
Out-dated coupons
Sample cups
Napkins and toothpicks
Scratched-off lottery tickets
Empty cigarette packs
Candy wrappers
Beer bottles and cans
Empty chew tobacco cans
Water bottles
Toy wrappers
Receipts

The cart should be returned in the same condition upon entering the store: empty!

Please do not use the carts in the parking lot to clean out your car! And whomever left that king-sized, stained bed pillow in the cart a few months ago, well, that was just GROSS! We're not Goodwill. Old license plates, single mittens and gloves do not belong in grocery carts. If you fill a cooler with beer or soft drinks, do not leave the packaging in the cart.

I'm glad you enjoyed your meal at McDonald's and Bo Jangles, etc., but the parking lot is not a garbage can. When you throw the used wrappers and bag outside the car door, things happen to it: like wind blowing it all over.

Speaking of fast meal joints, a science primer: a liquid is neither plastic nor paper. So when depositing drink containers in receptacles clearly marked "Plastic Only" or Paper Only" please empty them of whatever liquid remains in them. The only thing that is plastic on most soft drink cups is the lid and the straw. If it's a coffee cup, its just the lid.

I know it's difficult to shop with children, but if you use the kiddie carts we provide, and if you feed your children while you shop, please clean up cookie crumbs, cracker crumbs, snotty tissues etc. from the cart before returning it.

Grocery carts are not cages. Leave your pets at home or in the car (someone once brought a rabbit!). This applies to humans. Please remove your children from the basket of the cart so we can fill them with your bags of groceries.

Spills and accidents are embarrassing. But please don't walk away from one if you created it. The quicker we can clean it up, the easier (and safer) it is on everybody.

A store is no different than a home. That applies to you, guys, who work outside. Working boots covered with mud, clay, tar, grass belong outside, not inside. Don't make me tell your wives.

And to those few who think it cute to shop barefoot, you will be told to exit the building.

And, as always, leave your dirty, germ-infested recyclable bags at home.

Thank-you for shopping at our store.

KB Top Ten Recipes of 2011

2012-01-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

My perennial top recipe, Apple and Onion Casserole, was knocked down to third place this year. I'm always surprised at the popular reaction to a new recipe. Kugelis is an example. It's one of my favorite "comfort" foods that I grew up with. I never thought viewers would like it, too. Kreplach is another example. But, to be fair, that recipe made it to stumbleupon.com and I got over 1,000 in just one day! (So, please, push that SU submit button!!!)

Food blogs follow a cycle. Right now, we're coming out from the holiday cycle which is the most popular. Viewership will go down a bit now with spikes around holidays such St. Patrick's Day and Easter.

Recipes also follow the seasons. This summer, for example, the recipe for raspberry cake was immensely popular.

People are looking for recipes that are easy, inexpensive, but taste great. That's the theme I see here.

As always, thanks for stopping by. And a special thanks to my viewers in the UK, Canada and Australia!

1. Kitchen Bounty: Kreplach How can you go wrong with stuffed pasta? I could easily eat this every week. And they freeze beautifully.

2. Kitchen Bounty: Stove-Top Brownies I have three recipes for brownies that I've been meaning to try. But why bother? This one is easy, moist, dense and filled with chocolate.

3. Kitchen Bounty: Apple-Onion Casserole This is one of the first recipes I ever posted. And it's still wildly popular. Last month I paired it with Italian sausage and chicken for a winter-hearty wonderful meal: Kitchen Bounty: Chicken with Sausages, Apples & Onions. Speaking of sausages:

4. Kitchen Bounty: Homemade Sausages I was really pleased to see these make the top-ten list since I'm rather proud of them. A plastic bag and ground pork is all you need. And the results are incredible. Related is a separate recipe for lamb sausages: Kitchen Bounty: Homemade Lamb Sausages with Feta, Rosemary, Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

5. Kitchen Bounty: Kugelis (Potato Pudding) I was thrilled to watch this family-favorite zoom onto the top-ten list. What's not to like? Potatoes, ham or bacon and a dollop of sour cream.

6. Kitchen Bounty: Canned Salmon and Rice Casserole I almost didn't post this recipe that I doctored up from an old cookbook. It gets lots of hits on the web-site. As does it's sister recipe for patties: Kitchen Bounty: Canned Salmon Patties. I recently found out that canned salmon has the longest shelf life of any canned meat. So if you are stockpiling for Armageddon, you may want to begin hoarding this.

7. Kitchen Bounty: Crescent Roll Cheese Cake Squares Yum! Easy and delicious. Cream cheese, sugar, and pastry.

8. Kitchen Bounty: "Craft" Macaroni and Cheese I never tire of making this or adding new combinations of cheese. Rich and satisfying, it's not the stuff from a blue box!

9. Kitchen Bounty: Fresh Raspberry Cake Everyone who takes a bite from this light, airy and fruit-studded cake always says the same thing: recipe, please!

10. Kitchen Bounty: 4-Hour Roast Chicken This is a favorite of my British and Canadian viewers--as is the raspberry cake.

The following also deserve worth mention and are next in order of popularity:

Kitchen Bounty: Easy Ham and Bean Soup Deelicious!

Kitchen Bounty: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Pigs in a Blanket) Yes, they take some time to prepare, but so worth the effort!

Kitchen Bounty: Fines Herbes My favorite herb combination. No kitchen is complete without them.

Chicken-Leek-Mushroom Pie (with Bacon)

2012-01-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

A British classic. Now I know why!

What we call "pot pies" here in America were called savory pies in Ireland, England and Scotland. The chicken-leek pie is classic British fare. And leeks do make the dish. I also added mushrooms and, since I now live in the South, I added smoked hog jowl--bacon to you Northerners.

I became so frustrated with this recipe that I almost gave up and threw it out. The sauce was too thin and not at all what I wanted and I felt the chicken overcooked. Instead, I covered the meat/leek mixture and put it in the fridge. I doctored up the sauce (cream cheese does wonders) and put it over some whole-grain pasta. The following day I re-examined my recipe and amended it. I'm glad I did.

Don't even begin to think of this a Banquet frozen pot pie. The savory leek-and-thyme chicken mixture with a cheese-garlic Bechamel sauce and topped with a flaky crust is insanely, lick-the-dish-clean delicious and worthy of a white-linen table cloth.

Meat Filling

10-12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1 heaping cup) chopped into chunks
2 medium leeks, sliced (about two cups)
1 small onion, chopped, 1/2 - 3/4 cup
4 ounces sliced baby button mushrooms (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped, thick-sliced bacon or skinless, smoked and sliced hog jowl (or pancetta)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon pressed garlic or finely minced
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmiganno-Regianno cheese
Turmeric for color (optional)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

I almost threw away this old pan. It's great for throwing in chopped veggies.

Place bacon in heavy saucepan and begin to sautee. When it begins to brown and render its fat, add the mushrooms. If necessary, add a drizzle of olive oil. You don't necessarily want the bacon to turn "crisp." This is easier to do if the bacon is a thick slice or if your are using smoked hog jowl. When mushrooms have yielded their liquid and reduced, remove to a bowl.

Smoked, sliced hog jowl is cheaper than bacon and,
in my opinion, better. The fat is "buttery."

Add a bit of olive oil and butter to pan. When hot, add the leeks and onions, cooking over medium heat until leeks are wilted and the volume is reduced by half. The mixture will just begin to turn a bit brown and leeks will have become soft and pliable. Remove to bowl with mushroom/bacon mixture.

Give the pan a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of butter. Add chicken and quick fry until golden. Don't crowd the pan and do in two batches (which is what I did). If necessary, de-glaze pan with a bit of dry white wine. Remove chicken pieces to separate bowl.

Keeping the chicken in large chunks prevents over-cooking.
Remember, the chicken will also bake in the oven.

When done, add all ingredients back to pan. Add dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently so flavors meld.

At this point, the mixture may be cooled, covered and refrigerated until the next day.

To make the sauce:

Add butter to a medium pan. When melted, add the garlic and stir until fragrant. You don't want it to brown and if it begins to do so, remove from heat immediately.

Add the flour and stir for about two minutes over medium-low heat to cook out the flour taste. If it turns a bit golden, don't be alarmed.

Now begin adding the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. When tiny bubbles show around the side of the pan, that's a sign to add more liquid. (This is not going to be a super thick sauce.) Add stock a little at a time. When it turns the consistency of heavy cream, add the cheese and stir until melted. Add a few sprinkles of turmeric until it turns light gold in color. Taste for seasonings.

Place meat mixture in a large bowl and begin mixing in the sauce. You may find you don't need all of it. You will end up with a total of about 2.5 cups of mixture.

Distribute mixture evenly among four, four-inch ramekins.

Divide cold puff pastry into four squares. Wet the rim of ramekins and place one square over each pot, pressing down gently around the edge. Cut a vent in the center. (At this point, I only did two and returned the other two to the fridge to prepare the following day.)

Place filled and topped pies in refrigerator while oven is heating.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool a bit before digging in.

Meatballs

2012-01-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

Garlic. Parsley. Cheese. That's a good meatball.

A bad meatball disguises itself as meatloaf. Meatballs should have a certain complexity to their taste, which includes cheese, parsley and lots of garlic. And the mixture should be lightly handled to avoid stone-like balls when cut into. I actually prefer my meatballs served with plain, buttered noodles. But simmering them in a tomato sauce will give an added depth and tenderness.

15 meatballs

1/2 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped curly parsley
1 tablespoon garlic, pressed
1-2 tablespoons grated onion
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or similar
1/4 teaspoon all-purpose black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
6 dashes Tabasco Sauce or to taste
3 sprinkles/shakes ground allspice

Melt butter and add to dried bread crumbs. Be sure your parsley is finely minced. If you don't have a garlic press, finely mince your garlic.

Place all ingredients into a bowl and with a wooden spoon or spatula, begin folding and mixing. Avoid using your hands because they tend to squeeze the mixture. You want to keep it as light as possible. Cover and place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Lightly spray a wire rack and place it over a sheet pan.

Begin forming golf-ball sized meatballs by gently rolling between your palms. Don't squeeze. Use a light touch.

Place on rack and bake for about 20-25 minutes. If you are going to add them to sauce, bake for about 15 minutes. They will finish cooking in the sauce.

NOTES: If you sub Italian sausage for part of the pork, omit the allspice and/or Tabasco depending on spiciness of the sausage you are using.

Three-Ingredient Tomato Sauce

2012-01-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

Unctuous! Great for bread dipping! Keep the pot partially covered
to avoid "stove splatters." Notice the splatters along the edge of the pot.

This recipe, from Marcella Hazan, the Italian cookery writer, is all over the Internet. Most people "swoon" over its ungarnished simplicity and taste, but I also found the opposite, people who made it and didn't think it anything special. I'm somewhere in the middle. But I have a tough time with any tomato-based sauce since my taste buds recoil at acidity and sourness.

So I made this.

It's actually quite good. It's not going to have a ton of flavors like most pasta sauces, but that's the point. A bit of cheese is all one really needs. I thought maybe I'd miss garlic, but I didn't. My favorite way to eat this was simply dipping in pieces of torn bread to hold the unctuous sauce. And when I paired it with meatballs, it was really all I needed. It complemented the savory meatballs perfectly without stealing the show the way some sauces can.

I've always added butter to my tomato sauce. It just makes it more mellow, and I'm not ready to throw out my standard tomato sauce recipe for the acidically impaired. Or my jar of Prego.

So, will I make it again. Yes, especially in the summer when I have fresh basil at hand.

I love a can with great, colorful graphics.
These are actually produced in Indiana
and get consistently good reviews.

1, 28 ounce can plum tomatoes, such as Muir Glen or Tuttorossa
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion peeled and cut in half

Place tomatoes in a heavy pan. Add the butter and onions. Bring to a simmer, occasionally breaking up the tomatoes, and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour or until you notice the yellow sheen from the tomatoes releasing their fat. (I kept the pot partially covered). Remove and discard onion.

(Notes: It's important to use a heavy-bottomed pan. You want a good, constant simmer so the the tomatoes thicken up. Use real butter. The recipe suggests San Marzano tomatoes, but, to tell the truth, I sometimes find them "watery.")

Scrambled Eggs

2012-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Eggs are amazing; their versatility, endless; their culinary requirement, a necessity. They take up little storage room and their shell is their own packaging! They are a powerhouse of protein, vitamins and amino acids. A large egg is only about 70 calories. They are, in fact, one of the healthiest foods to eat.

The "scramble" in scrambled eggs is a bit of a misnomer. You only want to "scramble" the eggs before cooking them. Once they hit the pan, you want to FOLD them so they keep their light, airy texture. I prefer mine on the custardy side, not overdone.

The addition of three ingredients elevates this humble food to a more adult level: cream cheese, green onion, Tabasco sauce. I used a chive/onion-flavored cream cheese, but plain is fine, too. (Scrambled eggs with a glass of Champagne is a killer!)

3 eggs
1 teaspoon finely minced green onion
1.5 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
4-6 drops Tabasco sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, add the green onion to the cream cheese and blend well. Set aside.

In another small bowl, beat/scramble the eggs using a whisk or hand beater until lemon in color, light and frothy and no egg white is visible. Mix in Tabasco.

Melt a bit of butter in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add egg mixture and then dollops of the cream cheese mixture. When eggs begin to set, begin folding with a spatula and gently working in melted cream cheese.

Eggs should still appear a bit "wet" when done. Slide onto a plate. Salt and pepper to taste.

Notice the "folding" ripples
and the creaminess of the cheese.

Notes: I used Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese flavored with onions and chive.

(If you like this recipe, be sure to click the SU submit button below.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T06:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my KB viewers and followers an eventful, successful and

HAPPY

NEW

YEAR!

Savory Palmiers

2011-12-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

"Palmier" (pal-mee-ay) is French for little palm leaf, the shape they resemble.

These may look complicated, but they are ridiculously easy to prepare. As an hors d'oeuvre, they're amazing if only because of their beautiful appearance. And the fillings are endless. For this, I chose the classic palmier: pesto/parmesan/prociutto. A bit on the salty side, but perfect with cocktails! Next time, I'll keep it simple and go with goat cheese and garlic. You don't have to be a fancy pants--Velveeta and some deli ham will work just as well.

The key to making these is to keep the puff pastry cold. As soon as it begins to warm, it becomes sticky and difficult to handle. Other than that, these are a snap to prepare.

1 sheet puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm)
2 oz. softened cream cheese
2 oz. jarred pesto
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
3-6 slices paper-thin slices prosciutto* (or other fine deli ham)

Mix cream cheese and pesto together.

Lightly flour your counter and unwrap your pastry sheet. If necessary, lightly roll to form a perfect square--about 10 x 10 inches. Evenly spread with cheese/pesto mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan and carefully lay the ham slices on top:

Begin rolling at one end until you come to the middle. Then begin rolling at other end. You now have two coils joined in the middle. Squeeze/roll a bit to form a roll. At this point, wrap in cling wrap and place in freezer for about 20 minutes to firm the dough.

Preheat oven to 400 F. degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove log from freezer and with a very sharp knife, slice into about 3/8-inch slices--larger than 1/4-inch and not bigger than 1/2-inch.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden, rotating pan after first ten minutes.

Allow to cool just a bit and serve while warm and flaky.

(I debated to post this recipe because I found it overly salty. But, then, I'm not a huge fan of pesto and I should have known better with the Parm. which is very salty. And with cocktails, the saltiness may be a plus. In the final analysis, I figured this recipe was more about technique and presentation than taste.)

*I think prosciutto is over-rated and way over-priced. You could just as easily use any type of deli ham and I wish I would have.

Sausage-Stuffed Chicken Legs with White Sauce

2011-12-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

A de-boned chicken leg is stuffed with sausage
and served with a cheesy Bechamel sauce and onions.

De-boning a chicken leg is really quite simple. Having a sharp knife is essential even though you do more "scraping and pulling" than actual cutting. Stuffing it is even more fun. For this recipe, I simply used Italian sausage, but you could use a bread or apple stuffing as well. Soon, I'll try a potato stuffing. The first time I made this, I had some bottled Alfredo sauce on hand, which I used instead of the Bechamel sauce. You can go that route. Or you can add a bit of stock to the pan before baking to give you some gravy juices. I've done that, too. I prefer the Bechamel. It's really not difficult to make and the taste and texture beats anything you can get in a jar.

Look for large drumsticks. Processors simply cut through the bone that joins it to the thigh. That's unfortunate since you won't get a flap of skin on the underside which makes for a neat fold.

1. Wash and dry your drumsticks. Begin by cutting/scraping around the top to loosen it from the bone and joint. This is the most "complicated" part of the task.

2. Holding your knife at an angle, scrape downwards or, using your fingers, begin pulling the meat downwards. It will release pretty easily:

3. Grab the "ball" of meat and simply pull. You may need to make a small cut or two at the base to release it from the base of the bone:

4. Now simply turn the inside-out drumstick right-side in. Below is the completed, boneless leg, backside and front.

STUFFED CHICKEN LEGS (Serves 2)

4 plump chicken legs, de-boned
2 Italian sausage links (I used Johnsonville mild)
1 yellow onion, sliced
Poultry seasoning (I use Bells)
Olive oil

SAUCE:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely minced onion or shallot
1/2 teaspoon finely minced or pressed garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup whole milk
Nutmeg
1/4 cup freshly grated cheese, such as Parmesan or Gruyere

Remove sausage from casings. Divide into 4-5 parts and stuff it into each chicken leg being sure to fill the "handle" of the drumstick. Also be sure to push the meat of the leg back into place as you go.

Sprinkle with poultry seasoning.

Notice the leg in the lower right-hand corner. It still had some skin from the thigh so I was able to neatly fold it over.

Pull skin over legs and shape and plump to make them look nice.

Slice an onion into rings and place in the bottom of a baking dish/pan. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toss to coat. Neatly arrange stuffed chicken legs on top, meat side up.

Looking at these, one would never guess they are boneless.

Bake at 375 F degrees for 15 minutes. This will firm the stuffing. Remove from oven and turn skin-side up. Melt a bit of butter on each leg and return to oven. Raise temperature to 425 and bake for another 20 minutes, basting once with pan juices.

Remove and allow to cool while preparing the sauce:

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until soft (I had some mushrooms on hand, so I added them, too). When soft, add the garlic and swirl until fragrant. Add the flour. It will turn into a paste. Cook for several minutes while stirring constantly. Begin adding the liquid a little at a time and whisking to avoid lumps until liquid is used and sauce has thickened. Remove from heat. Add several grates of fresh nutmeg. Stir. Stir in cheese until melted. Taste for seasoning. If sauce thickens too much before serving, just add a bit more liquid.

To serve: place a few spoonfuls of sauce on plate followed by some of the onions and then a stuffed chicken leg.

NOTES: Never add liquid to a glass baking dish that is hot. It will shatter. Add liquid before placing it in the oven. If desired, cut away the tendons from chicken leg.

I think it would be interesting to replace the bone with a mozzarella stick wrapped in ham or proscuitto. I used just a splash of brandy on the legs when I put them in the oven.

Mushroom Lasagna

2011-12-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Earthy mushrooms sauteed in brandy and then layered between ribbons of pasta, a garlicky bechamel sauce, and three cheeses. Oh, my!

I scaled this recipe to fit a 10 x 7 dish, so it's perfect for a few people. As a first course to, say, a roast-beef dinner, it would be gorgeous.

Lasagnas require many steps, so have everything measured, sliced and diced, and ready to go. I really wanted a smoked mozzarella but my market didn't have it so I settled for fresh. You may forego the mozzarella and simply add Gruyere if you wish. The Parm. keeps the recipe light but "cheesy." And don't skip the brandy. I think it makes the dish. For extra flavor, I add chicken stock the bechamel.

I buy a pre-packaged variety of mushrooms at my market that include crimini, shitake and oyster and then I add baby bellas. Always soak your "no-cook" pasta in hot water before using. I love Barilla sheets which are flat. I don't get frilly-edged pasta at all.

12 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced and chopped
3 shallots, chopped (a good 1/2 cup), divided
2-4 tablespoons brandy
1.5 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
1 cup fresh-grated Parmasan/Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
Mozzarella, preferably smoked, 1/2 of a fresh round or shredded
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
8 no-cook lasagna noodles (I use Barilla)*
Olive oil and butter for frying mushrooms

Shallots make all the difference!

Add some olive oil and butter to a large pan. When melted, add 1/4 cup of the chopped shallots and cook until translucent. Add sliced and chopped mushrooms and cook over medium heat until they release juices, about 10 minutes. Add brandy and continue to cook until liquid is re-absorbed into mushrooms and the mixture becomes "syrupy." Add a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Fill a pan with hot tap water and submerge your no-cook pasta sheets as you prepare the sauce. (A bread pan works great.)

In a medium saucepan, add the 1/4 cup butter. When melted, add the remaining 1/4 cup shallots and cook just until translucent and soft. Add the pressed garlic and just stir to combine for a bit. Now add the 1/4 cup flour. The mixture will thicken immediately. Lower heat a bit and continuously stir the paste to cook the flour just until it gets a bit "nutty." Be careful not to burn the garlic or shallots. Begin adding the milk a little at a time, working away any lumps and keeping the mixture moving at all times. Whisk in the chicken stock and continue stirring. Add a dozen grates or so of fresh nutmeg. Stir. Remove from heat and blend in 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese. Taste for seasonings and re-adjust as needed. Set aside.

If your sauce is too thick, don't be afraid to add more liquid.
It should easily coat the back of a spoon when done.

Remove pasta sheets to drain. Lightly spritz/butter a 10 x 7 x 2 casserole dish. You will make four layers of pasta. Cut sheets to fit the dish. Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.

Smear a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place one layer of pasta without overlapping. Cover with some sauce. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the mushrooms and then sprinkle with 1/3 of grated Parm.
Place down layer 2 of pasta. Spread with some sauce and then another third of mushrooms and 1/3 third of Parm.
Place down layer 3 of pasta, spread with sauce and remaining mushrooms, but this time top with your Mozzarella.
Place down layer four of pasta. Spread with rest of sauce and top with remaining 1/3 grated Parm. (I added a bit more).

Go easy on the cheese. Keep things light.

Cover lasagna with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and raise temperature to 500. Bake just until the top begins to brown a bit and lasagna is bubbly. Keep an eye on it. Allow to rest for a good 20-30 minutes before slicing.

By the time mine was done, I had lost the natural light:

*Barilla no-cook flat lasagna sheets measure 3.5 x 6.5 inches. It's important to always soak no-cook sheets in water first. I used half of a box, 8 sheets, about 4.5 ounces

Fried Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

2011-12-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

Simple. Basic. Classic.

Whenever my grandmother babysat, we were guaranteed two foods: potato pancakes (latkes) and dumplings (Kreplach). To this day, nothing instills greater excitement in my family than the promise of those two foods. Our tongues literally quiver in anticipation. As Catholics, potato pancakes were a given on Friday, the day of no meat. They were certainly economical, but time-consuming in their preparation. My mother labored with a mountain of potatoes to grate.

I deviate from my mother's and grandmother's recipe in three ways: I drain the potatoes after shredding which allows them to cook quicker and crisper and less mushy in the center. I fry them in peanut oil. My mother and grandmother got out the can of Crisco and melted great mounds of the white stuff. I've also used olive oil, but peanut oil can withstand high temperatures without burning. I also now use two grates: one small and one large with is more visually appealing and which gives a really great "crunch" to the outer edges.

Wonderfully crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside.

Sorry, but a blender of food processor just doesn't cut it when grating potatoes for latkes. It's a labor of love and best done by hand. The small holes on a box grater are too small and will result in a mush. You want about five grating holes to an inch.

With a salad and a side of fruit, these can be a meal in themselves. Traditionally, they are served with sour cream or applesauce. They go well with just about any wine, but I still prefer a tall, cold glass of milk. They also go well with smoked sausages or leftover ham. I just love them with butter and salt. My mother loved them with cottage cheese.

Notice the crispy, crunchy edges as a result of using two sizes of grating.

Makes about 14-16 pancakes

1.5 - 2 lbs. Idaho potatoes, peeled
1/2 of a small onion, about 4-6 oz. leave root end intact
1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, sightly beaten
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
A few shakes all-purpose black pepper
Peanut oil for frying

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. (warm) and line a baking sheet with foil.

Add peanut oil to a heavy frying pan (I use a cast-iron pan) at least 1/4 inch in depth. The oil does not need to cover the potatoes when frying. Turn heat to low-medium to begin to heat it up and keep an eye on it.

Cut potatoes into fourths so they are easier to fit into your hand while shredding. Shred five of the quarters on a medium-fine grate. Grate the remaining three on the large holes of a box grater. Grate the onion on the large holes of the box grater (keeping the root end intact prevents the onion from coming apart while grating it).

This grater has five holes to the inch. Perfect.

Transfer potato mixture into a seive and jiggle out most, but not all, of the potato juice, pressing down a bit. Save the juice and allow it to rest.

Beautifully "shredded" and not at all mushy.

Allow the juice to rest.

Carefully pour off the liquid which will reveal
the potato starch that has settled to the bottom.

Place drained mixture into a bowl and add the slightly beaten egg, flour, salt and pepper.

Gently drain the potato liquid being careful to leave behind the white potato starch which will have settled to the bottom. Add starch to potato mixture and mix through.

Raise heat on oil and when shimmering, add forkful of potato mixture forming in a round and pressing down a bit. Do not overcrowd the pan. When edges begin to turn brown, flip and fry other side. DO NOT WALK AWAY from frying the pancakes. They can burn suddenly and easily. You will have to adjust heat as you fry.

Never walk away from the pan. Do not crowd the pan. Adjust heat as necessary.
The heavier the pan, the better. I prefer my cast iron frying pan.

When golden brown, remove to drain and then place on baking sheet in oven to keep warm while preparing subsequent batches.

Serve with butter, sour cream, apples sauce, cottage cheese and salt and pepper.

If you've never had these, congratulations. You're now an addict!

Chicken with Sausages, Apples & Onions

2011-12-02T06:21:00.001-08:00

A great autumn blend of flavors!

When I tell people I'm making apples with onions, they turn up their nose, "Ewwww!" I tell them they don't know what they're missing. In fact, it has been one of the consistent top, all-time recipes for Kitchen Bounty.

At first, I just made this recipe with chicken, apples and onions. And it was great, but I wanted something a bit more. Pairing chicken with sausages is nothing new in Europe. And I just happened to have some sweet Italian sausage on hand, so I added a few links-- and it made the dish. Sometimes I serve with a simple side of noodles or savory stuffing. Either way, this is sure to be a favorite from your kitchen. And the only noses turned up will those inhaling the wonderful aroma as this bakes.

1 large yellow onion peeled and sliced for a final weight of 8 oz.
2 sweet apples, cored, unpeeled, and sliced for a final weight of 8 oz.
4 bone-in chicken thighs (or two leg quarters), skin on
2 Italian sweet sausages, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seed
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or several pinches dried thyme flakes)
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon Cognac
1 tablespoon butter, cut into fourths
Poultry seasoning (I use Bell's*) Buy Bells
Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Remove any extra fat or skin, if desired. Season the underside well with poultry seasoning a bit of salt and pepper. Sometimes thighs have a "hinge" of skin which I like to fold over the seasoned meat. Turn over and sprinkle tops with Old Bays. Set aside.

Slice the peeled onion into thick 1/4-inch slices and then cut the slices in half.

Core, but do not peel the apples. Cut in half, And then cut each half into thirds. You want the slices to be a bit on the thick side. For this recipe, I used one Gala and one Golden Delicious.

Heat just a bit of olive oil and butter in a pan. Add the onions and cook just until they begin to show color. Add just a bit of salt. It's not necessary to cook them all the way through. Add the fennel seed and apples. Stir and cook just until apples begin to take on a bit of color.

Evenly spread apple/onion mixture in a 10 x 7 dish. Add the one tablespoon of Cognac to the hot pan to deglaze and add two tablespoons of chicken stock and just a bit of butter. Simmer for a minute or two and then drizzle the mixture evenly over the apples and onions. Scatter thyme springs on top.

Place chicken thighs on top of apple mixture and tuck in sausages.

Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and skim one piece of the quartered butter over each thigh. Turn over the sausages. Return to oven for another 15 - 20 minutes, removing once to baste chicken with the juices and bake until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to sit a good 20 minutes or so to allow juices to settle and absorb. Serve each thigh with one sausage and a spoonful of apple/onion mixture.

Serves 2-4.

NOTES: I used Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage. I placed several julienned strips of smoked pork jowl over each thigh before baking, but I realize that is something many people may not have access to. If desired, fry two strips of bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and fry your onions in the bacon fat along with just a bit of olive oil. Crumble the bacon over the apple/onion mixture before you add the chicken.

A note on liquor. If you're like me, you don't have a variety of "hard liquor" on hand. I buy the tiny 4 oz/50 ml bottles of liquors that I use most for cooking. They are inexpensive and handy to have. Grand Marnier, Cognac, Brandy, Rum, and Amaretto are the ones I use most.

*Bells Seasoning is a blend of rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, marjoram, thyme and pepper. I love it. You can find it at: www.brady-ent.com

Star "Rolls" in the Kitchen

2011-11-28T05:22:00.001-08:00

Whenever a sheet of tin foil zips across the metal teeth of a roll, I think of my Grandma Mary who called it "one of the greatest inventions." She, of course, lived through The Great Depression and WWII when anything "metal" was considered dear, indeed. And worth saving. She rarely crumpled up a piece to toss into the garbage. Instead, it was wiped down and neatly folded to be used again. And again. Along with pieces of twine, rubber bands, and paper bags.

During this, our own Great Recession, tin foil isn't cheap. And, if you're on a budget or just trying to make ends meet, like me, you, too, may think twice about wadding up a sheet and non-chalantly shooting it into the garbage. I find myself wiping it down, folding it neatly, and storing it in the cupboard. Why not?

But for my money, the star "roll" of the kitchen is paper towel. On occasions when I accidentally run out, I go crazy. Nothing can compare to its utilitarian necessity or invention. How did people survive without it? They must have had piles of dishrags, towels, sponges, mops. And that, of course, meant extra work of washing and drying them. And then folding and storing.

Most paper towels today are just about as strong as a "rag." But since they are disposable, they are really more sanitary. In fact, that's how paper towels really got started back in 1907. They were used for "medicinal" purposes in schools--to wipe runny noses of children to prevent the spread of colds and flu. They were then called "Sani-Towels." It wasn't until 1931 that they were introduced in the form we know today, but it would take a few decades before they caught on as an everyday kitchen staple and a grocery aisle all to themselves.

Window washing, cleaning up pet (and human) "accidents" require paper towels. But so do the following: skimming off grease from a stock or gravy, absorbing grease when microwaving bacon, lining refrigerator vegetable bins, liners between dishes and pots, emergency toilet paper. The list goes on and on. And, unlike tinfoil, paper towels are biodegradable.

Plastic wrap is another star of the kitchen, although it's debut didn't occur until well after WWII. But it's rise was meteoric and I can still remember the neighborhood excitement when "sandwich" bags appeared, replacing the old stand-by, wax paper.

Plastic wrap is a storage unit in-and-of itself. It is indispensable for covering leftovers. My favorite use is to wrap wet paint rollers and brushes with it and then put them in the freezer until needed the next day.

Wax paper doesn't get much use in my kitchen. I use it primarily to spread out bread crumbs for dredging, measure flour when baking or to cover a dish loosely, such as a pie. Of course, as a child, it was used regularly to grease a metal slide or to iron leaves between two sheets for school projects.

I keep a roll or freezer paper handy although I don't use it much. Once something goes into the freezer . . . it's a certain slow death and I tend to forget about it until I exhume the anonymous frozen corpses one by one . . . and usually toss them into the garbage. A roll of parchment paper is a must for baking.

Although they are now mostly built-in, my first dishwasher was an apartment-sized portable that rolled on wheels. I worshipped it. My last kitchen didn't have a dishwasher and was really too small even for a portable (which are difficult to find). I went insane. Never again. Never.

Foil, plastic, paper all on a roll. They may be supporting roles, but they're crucial and essential to the star of the show: the cook.

Sausage and Sage Stuffing

2011-11-19T04:51:00.001-08:00

Ready for the oven with slivers of unsalted butter to give a crisp top.

The five ingredients for Thanksgiving? Turkey. Cranberry sauce. Sweet potatoes. Pumpkin pie. Stuffing. Some might add green-bean casserole and, if you are one of those unfortunate souls, I shall pray for your culinary redemption.

We all grow up with a "stuffing." My grandmother did rice stuffing. I grew up with the traditional, American favorite of pork and sage. Some prefer fruit stuffings. I do not like the addition of fruit to my stuffing. My feeling is that if one wants fruit, make it as a sidedish. Fruit in stuffing can be overpowering and not everyone likes it.

Stuffing at the turn of the last century had more to do with economy and stretching a meal, I believe, than in gastronomical feats. Hence, locality dictated ingredients. If you lived on a coast, stuffing was made from oysters and rice. In the Midwest, apples and fruits. In the South, sweet potatoes. Urban areas used chestnuts and dried fruits, such as prunes. Pennsylvania Dutch used potatoes. Older cookbooks usually had a section reserved just for stuffings which then were called "dressings." Recipes ranged from "Potato and Celery Dressing," to "Liver Dressing."

You don't have to use dried bread, but dried will soak up the stock when you add it. Finding dried bread cubes can prove difficult, but a good grocery store will often stock them made from their own bread. Packaged, seasoned bread "chips" have many unwanted ingredients, including fructose corn syrup.

Use turkey stock, not chicken broth, to make your turkey stuffing. Add the rinsed neckbone and giblets with a bit of carrot, celery and onion to pot and just cover with water. Simmer for a few hours and use that liquid to make your stuffing and your gravy. Or buy a package of turkey wings or turkey necks and do it that way. If you need to "stretch" your stock, then add some canned chicken stock.

Making your own turkey stock makes all the flavor difference in the world.

Because of fears of bacteria, it is no longer recommended one actually stuff the bird. Usually, the bird is finished cooking before the stuffing leaving behind bacteria that has seeped into the stuffing. It's important to take the temperature of both the bird and the stuffing. Stuffing is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 150 F. degrees.

Stove Top Stuffing sells over 60 million boxes of the stuff (sorry, couldn't resist) every Thanksgiving. And with good reason. It's good. Add your own turkey stock and some sausage, and it's even better. And the quality and consistency is, well, consistent, and it's something our taste buds have grown up with. But for the holidays, I prefer to keep corporate blends behind as much as possible. I'll start from scratch.

The recipe below is sufficient for a half dozen people. You'll want to double it for more.

24 ounces dried bread cubes (about 13-14 cups)
8 ounces diced onion (a heaping one cup)
8 ounces diced celery (a heaping one cup)
1/2-1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon all-purpose pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
16 ounces sage sausage
1 teaspoon pressed garlic or finely minced
1 heaping tablespoon freshly minced sage
3 tablespoons freshly minced curly parsley
1/2 teaspoon or more poultry seasoning or Bell's Poultry Seasoning
1/2 - 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
2-4 cups homemade turkey stock
2 small/medium eggs

It's important to have everything diced, cut weighed and ready to go. You'll be using pots and pans and bowls, so have your counter and kitchen cleared of clutter before proceeding. I weighed the bread cubes, onions and celery to be more accurate.

Using the largest bowl you have, add the dried bread crumbs, poultry seasoning or Bell's and the Parmesan cheese. Mix through.

Use the largest bowl you have for easy mixing.

Add just a bit of olive oil to a 12-inch skillet and brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. I use a pastry blender. When done, remove to a separate bowl.

In the same pan, melt the six tablespoons of butter and add the onions and celery, cooking over medium heat until tender and opaque and just beginning to turn brown. Add the garlic and stir through just until fragrant and scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan as you go.

Add cooked sausage to onion/celery mixture and mix through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add one cup of turkey stock. Remove from heat. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add one cup turkey stock, the eggs, chopped parsley and sage. Whisk until well blended.

Add the sausage mixture into the dried bread cubes, mixing with a spoon and your hand to incorporate well. Now begin mixing in the egg mixture. It's important to mix well.

Now comes the trickiest part when making stuffing. How much more liquid to add? If you are actually going to stuff a bird, you want the stuffing mixture a bit on the fluffy or dry side. If baking, you want it a bit more moist. I ended up using another 1.5 cups of turkey stock. Begin by adding 1/2 cup at a time.

A bit on the wet side? A bit on the dry side? It depends on one's preference. But no one likes dried-out stuffing.

Transfer stuffing mixture to a greased deep bowl or casserole dish. This is the second trickiest part of making stuffing. I prefer a large oven-proof bowl. If using a casserole dish, it will cook sooner and be crispier.

Dot with butter and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350-400 F degrees F for about 20-30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until crisp and brown, another 15-20 minutes. Remember, it must register at least 150 F degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Chances are, it will read higher and that's fine.

Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and filled with flavor.

Notes: I added just a pinch or two of Cayenne pepper when I added the sausage to the onion/celery mixture. That's entirely optional.

My favorite Thanksgiving movie: Pieces of April:

Pieces of April (2003) - Check Trailer - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHbSYpNjPa8

Don't Make This!

2011-11-17T05:56:00.001-08:00

If you're a food blogger, you cook. But not everything turns out as expected. Sometimes, it's even better than expected. Other times, not so much. If a recipe doesn't turn out I either just forget about it and move on. Or, if I think it has merit, I'll make it over and over and over until I think it worthy to post on Kitchen Bounty. We learn from mistakes, especially in the kitchen.

I recently made this "easy apple pie" that has been circulating the food blogosphere. You simple pile in apples on a single pie crust and fold it over. I thought, What a great idea! And so simple. It's one I'll put to rest. It didn't have enough apple filling, but you couldn't really put in anymore or the whole thing would fall apart. And without the structure of a pie dish to keep it in place, there were lots of tiny tears that split open during the baking. I would have been better off making a small pie and just using a crumble topping to end up with a great pie. Of course, I ate it . . .

Last time around this year I remembered a recipe for barbecued chicken in the oven. I often made it when I was a young school teacher and had fond memories of it. That was then . . . this is now. It was okay. Nothing really special. And then I realized back then there just wasn't the plethora of specialty bottled barbecue sauces one has easy access today. So why bother making one's own?

I made this lemon/tarragon/honey/garlic chicken the other day. It looked so beautiful I just knew it was going to be wonderful. It wasn't. The lemon was overpowering. I used fresh tarragon which is strong; I prefer the dried. But it's worth several experiments and I'll keep tweaking it until I get it right. Stay tuned.

I made these chicken legs the other week. Man, they were good!!! I used fresh herbs that I minced with garlic and butter, and then slipped the butter mixture beneath the skin and baked them. But as often is the case, when I finally came around to posting the recipe (which I didn't write down as I went), I couldn't quite remember the amount of herbs. So I have to start over. Stay tuned, again.

Not too long ago, I made a pumpkin/chocolate cake that I knew had to be a knockout. It even had sour cream. Dud. It would have been ten-times better as cupcakes, but then that meant frosting, washing an extra pan. Was it really worth it? No.

To be safe, I usually take pictures of whatever I'm cooking. In spring and summer, it's a cinch. But in the fall and winter, it's difficult without natural light. And it slows down the cooking time considerably. But I've learned the hard way it's better to have one good picture ready if a recipe turns out great.

My next recipe is for a sweet-potato upside down "cake." It's from an older cookbook written at a time when pecan-halves weren't the price of three gallons of gasoline! But I'll splurge because it's a "holiday" dish. And it just sounds really good. We'll see. And, hopefully, so will you!

Make Your Cranberry Sauce Now--And Other Thanksgiving Suggestions

2011-11-14T04:26:00.001-08:00

It pays to keep holiday meals simple but delicious. Prepare as much as you can ahead of time. Plan one to two WOW dishes, not the entire meal. Don't go overboard with "decorations." Remember, what you put up you have to take down. Leave all the complications for family relationships. Take a deep breath. You still have Christmas and New Year's to go . . . Keep the liquor cabinet well stocked.

Everyone has an opinion about cranberry sauce. A lot of people hate it. And for good reason. It's often overly tart if not just disappointingly sour.

My "sauce" is not cooked. And, trust me on this, people will eat it. And want more. But it has to be made in advance so the berries marinate in the sugar. The longer it marinates, the better it becomes. I will have a bowl in the fridge from now until fresh cranberries disappear in the markets.

Kitchen Bounty: Cranberry Relish Everyone Will Like

I think Thanksgiving is just as much about apples as it turkey and sweet potatoes. Try my casserole for sweet potatoes layered with apples. It's a bit more grown up than yams with marshmallows.

Kitchen Bounty: Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole

If you've never had apples with onions, you're in for a treat. And don't turn up your nose a the combination. It's actually Kitchen Bounty's top recipe.

Kitchen Bounty: Apple-Onion Casserole

For some reason, sweet potatoes and pumpkin are the only "orange" allowed at Thanksgiving. Try carrots.

Kitchen Bounty: Baked Carrots

Mashed potatoes don't have to be boring. A bit of dried onion and fresh garlic bring them to a new level. Use real butter and cream. And don't use an electric egg beater.

Kitchen Bounty: Mashed Potatoes

If your main dessert is the traditional pumpkin pie, a scoop of apple crisp alongside is a nice treat. And it's easier to make than an apple pie.

Kitchen Bounty: Apple Crisp

Appetizers are a great start to any holiday meal. Try shelled fish, such as clams, oysters or shrimp for a stellar beginning to the holiday season. Serve with cold Champagne. Cheers!

Kitchen Bounty: Oysters a la Rockefeller

Kitchen Bounty: Broiled Clams with Garlic Herb Butter

Kitchen Bounty: Lazy Baked Shrimp

Kitchen Bounty: Baked Shrimp

If you have a hunter in the family who insists on venison, I've got the perfect recipe for you!

Kitchen Bounty: Roast of Venison

More Tales from the Grocery Store: Women's Purses

2011-11-11T04:58:00.001-08:00

Women love to shop. But not for groceries. The sooner that endeavor is over, the better.

Even when they leave with a full cart of bagged goods, they are already worrying about unloading it and putting it away. I've been to homes where groceries are removed from the car but that's as far as they get--the kitchen floor. Perishables are grudgingly put away. The rest of the household graze out of the scattered purhcases like feed bags or rummage through the sacks like street people.

Were the purchases clothes and/or accessories, well... such a cart of loot would be unloaded immediately, tried on, flaunted and lovingly put away.

But I have observed this rather strange, unique phenomenon amongst the female species. To make grocery shopping more appealing and motivating, women often bring the largest purse they own. It's one occasion when a saddle bag becomes feasible--they plunk it into the cart as though it were a horse. Giddy up! Astride the child seat, it rides with them as though it were their trusty friend Tonto. And they fiddle through its cluttered interior, elbows resting on the cart handle, as they meander the aisles happy not to have to lug it on their shoulder and to have something, anything, as a diversion to the task at hand.

When they check out, the purse stays put. They. Will. Not. Move. It. And who can blame them? It weighs more than a bag of canned groceries! I need to re-fill that cart with their groceries as I bag them. After they unload their purchases onto the conveyor belt, they still guard that purse. But I can't wait. I have to re-fill it as I bag.

I used to be polite and trot over to it. Now I just yank it forward. Most women become alarmed. "MY PURSE!!!" It amuses me to see their terrified faces as though I'm going to steal it and run out the door. No one can run burdened down with a weight like that. Not even the best of New York muggers.

The situation is complicated when they choose one of the compact, small carts. The purse takes up most of the space. Where to put the groceries as I bag them? Simple. Right on top of the purse. Most women get the idea and move it. Many couldn't care less. Oh, well . . .

Women also love, love, love, to have the exact change. Down. To. The. Penny. The line behind them can be a a mile long. No matter. If it takes all day, they are determined to rummage through that purse for the exact change! They then lay it down. Coin. By. Coin. OMG! Don't even get me started if they write a check. It takes forever, like putting on makeup.

But, WAIT!

Are they done yet? NO. They put everything back into their purse. Look around. Have I forgotten something? Oh, let's check the purse one last time. Where are my keys.... Do they move aside to do this so the next person in line can move forward? Never.

Men could care less. Men love a quick get away. I think they're wired for it. They only carry what will fit into their pockets. They pull out a wad of bills and that's that. They don't even care about a thank-you. And they're gone. They got what they wanted. I guess . . . it's kind of like sex.

P.S. And remember, please leave your dirty, filthy, germ-infested, dog-hair-covered, stored-in-the-car-trunk recyclable bags at home. They're nothing more than dirty laundry. [The other day a woman brought in a bag that was truly disgusting. When they're stained and dirty, I just put them inside a plastic bag and stick it in their cart. Well, this woman was in last week again--but she had all brand new recyclable bags.

Sweet Potato Pie #1

2011-11-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

Potatoes are unassuming in their appearance but gracious and generous in their bounty and versatility. Nothing could be truer than the sweet potato.

I never had sweet potato pie until I moved to North Carolina. It's not quite as sweet as pumpkin pie and I prefer it over that old stand-by. I looked over several recipes and put together one I thought I would like. It was good, but it needs some more experimentation. Still, the pictures came out grand.

My recipe had 1/2 cup melted butter. I thought it a bit excessive but went with it. It ended up making the crust too soggy, by one main complaint, and by the end of baking some had risen to the top of the pie which I absorbed with a paper towel. Next time, I will only use 1/4 cup and maybe I will pre-bake the shell a bit before adding the filling. I'll use three eggs next time, not two, to give it volume and I will increase the amount of the dry spices. I used one tablespoon of rum which gave a great taste.

At the last minute, I decided to put the mashed potatoes through a sieve for a smoother texture.

I've read that baking the potatoes gives a better texture and taste than boiling. I may try that, too.

Baking temperatures were all over the map. As was sugar. Some called for as much 1.5 cups of sugar. Some called for baking at a very high temperature then lowering it. I settled for 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 being brown sugar and I baked it at a consistent temperature of 350 for about 45 minutes and it came out perfect without any cracks, even after it cooled, perhaps because of all that butter.

1.5 cups mashed sweet potatoes, about 3 large
1/2 cup butter (next time I will use 1/4), melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten (next time I will use 3)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon} you may want to increase this amount or add another 1/2 teaspoon or so of pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg} since nutmeg is strong, be careful about increasing this too much
1 tablespoon dark rum, spot on (or whisky or brandy)
1 9-inch pie crust

Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees.

Boil potatoes until soft when pierced with a knife tip or fork. Drain. When cool enough to handle, remove from skin. It will peel right off. Mash or put in a food processor and/or work through a sieve.

Roll out pie crust and fit into a nine-inch pie plate. If it's a bit smaller, that's even better. Set aside or pre-bake for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Add mashed sweet potatoes to a large bowl and mix with the butter until fluffy. Whisk in the eggs. Add the evaporated milk and whisk. Add sugars, flour, spices and vanilla. Whisk well. Taste and re-adjust seasonings if necessary. Add the rum and mix.

For mixing, I used an old-fashioned hand-held rotary beater.

Pour custard mixture into pie shell and bake in center of oven for about 45 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely. Top with whipped cream.

Notes: I've read where it is not a good idea to prepare the mashed sweet potatoes ahead of time and then refrigerate since it creates a "watery" pie. Just saying . . .