Pilgrim's Progress

It's going to be a good week. For one I bought two boxes of girl scout cookies at church this morning -samoas and thin mints. The samoas get smaller and smaller every year, don't they? They are tiny and you are only allowed two per serving. Oh, but they are so good. Thin mints allow you a whopping four per serving, which I have already had today. The rest are in the freezer. Don't worry, I don't always check the serving content, but I'm trying not to be a glutton with every sweet item I buy and I've already checked that box for the cadbury mini eggs.

Second, I've decided that Sundays are bread making days. At least this week. This works out well because I just made a loaf of bread, called Pilgrim's Bread from More with Less. Granted I wanted it to be ready to eat with dinner and it is just now coming out of the oven at 10pm, so I don't have a review for you yet, but I do have a picture of it!



And it smells delicious.

Thirdly, I've decided to make soup this week. It's a week of soup, a soup of week. This quest should have probably come earlier in the winter season, but with more snow predicted for Lancaster this week, it is never too late.

I still haven't told you about the wonderful ginger-scallion broth we made on Thursday. But, I will give you the recipe very soon! And tonight, I have another soup recipe to share, this one is from a (another) great food blog that you probably already know about, The Wednesday Chef, but since I'm late coming to the food blogging scene, I'm still enthralled by it. Mine actually looked just like her picture too. At first it didn't, and in my head I already had started to blog about how it looked nothing like it, but I'm glad I waited. Here's a picture of the sauteed leeks part since her picture of the finished product is quite sufficient.

breakfast bruschetta

It's cold outside and it looks like it might snow. Our kitchen is about 10 degrees cooler than any other room in the house. If it was actually snowing it might sound inviting to go back there and cook something delicious, or try at least, but since it only looks like it might snow it is simply a room I want to avoid. I'll make it in there at some point today because I have a great little recipe for scallion-ginger broth. It calls for 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and since I bought my first-ever bottle of it this week I'm very excited to give it a go.

I'm also not in a hurry to get back there because I'm still savoring memories of this morning's breakfast. I sliced about 10 or so pieces of the baguette leftover from last night and popped them in the toaster oven that I've been trying to get rid of for months now, but oh so glad I still had it today! (Although they could have been easily broiled.)

Toppings:

-Nutella
-peanut butter
-Amish farm butter
-mixed berry preserves
-creamed honey

Don't they all sound so good? My favorite combination was a base layer of peanut butter topped with a swirl of nutella. The runner up was a generous smear of butter topped by a dollop of preserves.

I'm definitely doing that again.

the bourguignon's final stand

So when I left you last I was headed for bed with a belly full of red meat and red wine. Not the most terrible state to be in, but one that did not elicit the same amount of praise the dish has enjoyed in recent years.

It was a hard place to be -unenthusiastic about this French classic and standing against Julia Child, the Contessa, and the editors (and chefs?) of Everyday Food magazine. (I don't feel as bad about the standoff with the latter.)

Fortunately, my moment of reconciliation came on Monday night. I opened the fridge and there it was -the Dutch oven filled with boeuf and broth waiting for its final stand. Sigh. I turn on the gas burner. Click Click Click. I get out the match to light the gas burner. A poof of fire quickly shrinks to a low flame and I place the pot on the oven. I turn on another burner for the rice and lean against the counter.

And thought crosses my mind. Fennel. I have a bulb of fennel. This is not an original thought. But it is a thought that I was too tired to turn into actuality the night before. This is the beauty of leftovers. Leftovers really means that you have leftover energy, not leftover food. And leftover energy for me translates to a side dish.

As you probably know, fennel is a licorice-flavored vegetable. Its popularity is on the rise, and for good reasons. In my mind it is the perfect salad.

I cut off the stalks, took out the hard inner core and the tough outside layer, chopped it up, and threw in some flat-leaf parsley. The vinaigrette was just fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

And you are done. And it is delicious.

So, with our fennel bulb as the extended olive branch, our beef stew was enjoyed in all its richness. White rice was the needed starch and refreshing salad the perfect supporting dish.

The End.

Cadbury mini eggs and Velveeta

I bought my first bag of Cadbury mini eggs yesterday. Solid milk chocolate with a crisp sugar shell. Every year they get better and better, or maybe I just grow to appreciate them more and more. They were my mother's favorite Easter candy which allows me to eat almost an entire 8 oz bag in one day and not feel guilty. I think this candy is the sole reason why I will never be able to give up sweets for Lent. It's just not worth it.

I will say that the Cadbury experience will be different in future years because these eggs, the Crunchie (if you haven't had one, you must), and other treats will no longer be coming from jolly old England. I'm sure you saw the headlines several weeks ago, but the reality of the sale suddenly hit home as I bit into my first pastel pink mini egg. Now the Confectioners will be manufactured by the same people who bring you Velveeta. The same people who manage California Pizza Kitchen microwavable pizzas will soon have the rights to this legendary chocolate company. I'm sure we won't be able to taste the difference, and the packaging will most likely remain the same. But it won't be the same.

As of now Kraft has no plans to close the Cadbury plants in England and relocate them to the U.S. But my guess is that it is only a matter of time.

Read all about it.

excusez moi

Okay, I've been informed that there is a big scene in the movie, Julia and Julia involving beouf bourguignon. I have not seen the movie, but I guess I should now.

To do: watch all blockbuster hits before heading to the kitchen.

All I can say is that I hope hers turned our better than mine. Our stew was tasty no doubt, and the meat was really tender, but it was way too heavy --too rich to be eaten on its own. I'm not looking forward to leftover beef tonight, but hopefully adding some egg noodles or rice will entice me.

Can someone tell me if Amy Adams also made Rye bread to go with her beef? How uncanny would that be? Actually it was this loaf of bread that saved the meal. It also saved us from certain life as vegetarians.

Here is the recipe in case you want to try it! It is from More-With-Less.

Ruggenbrot
(Rye Bread)

Dissolve in large bowl:
1 tablespoon dry yeast in
1 cup warm water

Add:
1 cup scalded milk, cooled
1 tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons melted fat or oil
2 Tablespoons molasses or brown sugar
2 cups fine rye flour

Beat until smooth. Slowly blend in:
4 1/2 cups white flour (I only used about 4 cups)

Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead 5-10 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes. Punch down and divide dough into 2 equal portions; shape into loaves. Place in greased bread pans, cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Butter tops after removing from oven.

boeuf bourguignon

Any recipe that uses almost a full bottle of wine is worth a try. This beef stew no longer needs to be kept on the pages of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In fact, the March issue of Everyday Food features the dish as a simple French meal perfect for a weekend dinner. It's true!

First I had to learn to pronounce it and then I learned to cook it. Bourguignon = Bore-gin-yawh

Lots of people list this recipe, but we chose to follow Barefoot Contessa's version in her cookbook, Barefoot In Paris, which gives a cooking time of 1 1/4 hours, as opposed to the traditional 3 hours. Yikes!

Below is the exact recipe. We tweaked it by using:
-2 pounds of stewing beef instead of 2 1/2 pounds
-3 slices of bacon instead of 8 oz. and it was not applewood smoked
-We didn't have any cognac or brandy. Note to self: Get some!
-We used shameful McCormick ground pepper. Note to self: Find lost pepper grinder!
-Chicken broth instead of beef broth
-1 onion instead of 2, and eliminated the frozen pearl onions
-dried thyme instead of fresh

Perk: Sunday blues are dulled by foresight of delicious Monday leftovers to start the week.

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon good olive oil
* 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
* 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
* 2 yellow onions, sliced
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
* 1/2 cup Cognac
* 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir
* 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 pound frozen whole onions
* 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

believing in bologna

If you woke up this morning and wished you had something more than a bowl of cereal and a banana on tap for your Saturday morning breakfast, but did not have the energy to whip up some pancake batter, all is not lost.

Turn your attention to lunch. Your standard cold-cut sandwich can be made so much more interesting by adding a second meat. Try bologna.

Yes, bologna. No, not Oscar Myers. Next time you buy deli meat, supplement your purchase with a 1/4 pound of bologna. Even just a couple of slices will do. There are lots of different types of bologna so don't forget to ask to sample them. Last week I got sweet Farm style, this week it is Lebanon.

Perk: No lingering pancake fatigue.

to market to market to buy a fat pig

It's Friday and for me that means a trip to Central Market in downtown Lancaster. My title is misleading though, because i will not be buying a pig from the Amish butcher this trip. No, I don't think I will be eating pork for a very long time due to an uncomfortable bout with food poisoning last week. The pig was not the culprit, but it remains in the contaminated category -guilty by association.

On a tastier note, I want to share a great recipe for Pizza Dough in case, like us, you are without a good pizza place nearby. We adapted a recipe from a cookbook classic, "More-With-Less" by adding cornmeal as suggested by Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything."

Combine in large bowl:
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon or 1 package of yeast

When dissolved, add and beat until smooth:
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)
1 1/4 cup flour

If you are using a kitchen aid mixer, attach your bread hook at this point, or if you are doing this by hand, then knead away and add:

1/2 cup of cornmeal
1 1/2 cups of flour

Once you've added the cornmeal, started kneading in the additional flour 1/2 cup at a time. Allow time in between each scoop to make sure the dough needs the full amount. You may also add more flour if it is needed. The dough should be fairly smooth and elastic to the touch and should separate from the sides of the metal bowl. This should take between 5 to 10 minutes of kneading.

Place dough ball in greased bowl (I use olive oil), and let rise until doubled. Place in warmer place for a faster rise and in a cooler place for a slower one. On average allow 45 minutes to an hour.

Then, take dough and divide to form two dough balls. Pat and stretch to fill 2 greased pizza pans. For me, this is the most difficult part. Let rise 10 minutes.

Now you can move on to your toppings. The cheesier and the saucier the better!

To cook pizza, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. Just check the bottom to see if it is as brown as your desire.

molasses for dessert

This posting is for those of you who did not check out the "Martha Stewart's Favorite Cookies" DVD from your local library.

With leftover lentils on the docket for this eve, here is a great and fast cookie recipe. They are legitimately chewy and surprisingly delicious.

Perk: You only have to dirty one mixing bowl bowl.

Preheat oven to 375

Combine and sift with fork:
1.5 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in with wooden spoon:
1/2 cup shortening melted and cooled
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup rolled oats

(The dough will be thick and clumpy, but keep stirring a bit longer and it will smooth out.)

Scoop out dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I used a coffee bean scooper.
Press them down with the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar.

Bake for 12 minutes

* Optional: Give half or more of the batch to neighbor unless you have lots of kids

learning to love lentils

I've had a couple of bad run-ins with lentils, but I'm not quite ready to give up on them. Part of the problem was that I began to expect too much out of them. I wanted my lentil burgers to be moist, and they weren't. I wanted my lentil soup to be interesting and it was dull.

I'm sharing this recipe with you because it is a delicious way to give lentils another try. It was one of the first times I remember enjoying them and I want to get back to those days. My friend Rebecca Trego shared this recipe with me and its worth a try. Let me know what you think.

"Lebanese Lentils"

1 cup lentils
6 cups water
2-3 boullion cubes, depending on your taste
3/4 cup long-grain white rice

3 large onions, slivered
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
dried thyme (optional)

Cover lentils with water, add salt and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. Stir in rice and cook for 20 minutes. Saute onions in oil over medium heat until golden brown. Drain oil from onions into lentils and rice and set onions aside. Continue cooking lentils and rice until moisture is absorbed. To serve, arrange lentils on a platter and spoon onions over top. Individual servings of Lebanese Lentils are traditionally topped with Salata.

"Salata"

Toss salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients until well blended. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Place over the Lebanese Lentils.

Ingredients:

1 small head romaine lettuce, torn
1 small head iceberg lettuce, torn (I’ve also substituted spinach or arugula for one or both of the lettuces above)
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 green onions, thinly sliced (I usually don’t put onions in the salad since there are already a ton of onions put on the lentils)

5 sprigs parsley, minced
3 sprigs mint, minced
2 small cucumbers, peeled and sliced (sometimes I don’t put the cucs in since they aren’t always in season)

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsalmic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Poor Man's Polenta

So last night we needed something to supplement the not-quite-enough leftover chili portions from the weekend and the "simple" salad, or side dish of lettuce we had on hand. Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian has a creamy polenta dish that looks amazing, but it is not quite appropriate in terms of caloric content for a monday night side serving.

I flipped through Barefoot Contessa's newest cookbook, Back to Basics, and found her recipe for Creamy Cheddar Grits. Perfect! We cut her proportions in half, mimicked the flavors but used just a hand-full of cheddar cheese (probably about 1/4 of a cup), 1 tablespoon of butter, and just 2 tablespoons of half-and-half. 1 teaspoon salt and a generous sprinkling of pepper added just the right flavor. They ended up cooking for about 10-12 minutes, instead of 45 minutes. And most importantly, they were creamy and flavorful and satisfying.

I thought maybe this dish would conjure up unwanted breakfast nostalgia, but instead it was an easy starch alternative!

Recipe:
(simplified Creamy Cheddar Grits from Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics)

Bring 2 cups water to a brisk boil
add 1 teaspoon salt
pour in 1/2 cup old-fashioned grits while stirring

lower heat and cook 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. keep lid on when not stirring.
Add hand-full of cheddar cheese (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons of half-and-half
Stir until creamy and cheese has melted
Add pepper to taste

365 Days to Eat

What: Food Blog
Where: East Chestnut Street, Lancaster, PA
Who: Mulsa and Eric Baldwin
Why: To build a recipe and cookbook review --the ones to be tried and the ones to be avoided.

*Disclaimer: All cooking errors will be hereby blamed on severely limited counter-space.