Tuesdays

Market day is to Tuesdays like chocolate is to milk. However in this case I get to combine all four ingredients.

Every Tuesday I go to the market. And every Tuesday at the market after my bag is heavy with groceries, I spend my last 75 cents on a styrofoam cup of chocolate milk to sip on my walk home. The cup of milk (I'm sure they use whole), a lid and a straw all for under a dollar. I imagine they came up with this size and container for little children who are likely to spill its contents, but it is also perfect for take away. It is beyond goodness.

Simplicity and Decadence join hands.

I walk home with a bag on each shoulder, my dog's leash in one hand and my chocolate milk in the other. I'm like a yoked cow or a person carrying one of those boards over her neck with a sap bucket hooked to each end. And, I'm happy.

The dog at the end of the leash:

Take Out Fake Out

Pretend this is a twitter update: Aunt Debra's Pickled Eggs Are So Good.

Blog:

So victory came in two forms this weekend. On Friday night we overcame the urge to get take-out and on Saturday night we overcame the urge to get take-out. I don't think that one's goal should always be to fight these cravings, but the meals that resulted from the decision to hold back and head back to the kitchen proved to be worthwhile.

Friday night we took our leftover turkey chili, added some chopped broccoli, ricotta and mozzarella cheese and made calzones. I worried that they would taste like chili wrapped in pizza dough, which is exactly what it was, but the transformation was successful. Amidst the dough and cheeses the chili lost its distinctive flavor -in the best way possible. And the broccoli was saved from a life ending in the refrigerator.

Saturday night instead of making a sudden, sharp right-hand turn into a strip mall with an ambiguous Chinese restaurant in it, we made shrimp and grits. The recipe came from the Month Of May Everyday Food magazine, although there are lots of ways to make it, of course. This is an easy and tasty version with broiled tomatoes on the side.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Here is our edited version of the recipe for the Shrimp with Grits:

1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned grits
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
4 teaspoons of flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup light cream
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Broiled Tomatoes

1. Cook the grits according to the package instructions
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and scallion whites and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour. Whisk in broth and cream, dissolving lumps from flour and scraping up browned bits from skillet, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. To serve, top grits with shrimp mixture and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve with tomatoes, if desired. We desired.

Broiled Tomatoes
Place 4 halved tomatoes, cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil until lightly charred.

The Best Almost Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

They would have made the Best Ever list, I know it. I can say that because they will never be put to the test. This morning my chocolate chip cookie dough went straight into the trash instead of straight into the Almanac. I don't have a great history with chocolate chip cookies, but I was headed for redemption with this batch. My butter was at room temperature. I had some top shelf vanilla extract on hand. And for the first time my teaspoon of baking soda was not going to come from the box in the refrigerator. It would come from the brand new box in my cupboard reserved for the sole purpose of making these cookies. No longer will my baking soda work double duty as a deodorizer and a rising agent!

I should have been wary, as stars do not generally align in the kitchen (or anywhere). For while so many of my ingredients were in tip top shape, others were not. I pulled out my plastic bag of dark brown sugar and saw a peculiarity. Why would I open the bag on one end with scissors and then turn the bag over and tear a hole in each corner of the other end? The questioned remained unanswered as I went about my business packing my measuring cups with the sugar and emptying them into the mixer.

You may know where this is going, and soon enough I put the pieces together. Unfortunately, it was not me who had opened the bag of brown sugar on both ends.

I thought too long over the fate of the dough. So much waste. But then I pictured the little buggers. And then I flashed back to a rerun of Little House On the Prairie when Pa discovers that the town's supply of cornmeal has been invaded. Here ends the story.

Aunt Debra's Pickled Eggs

This week I decided to put an end to my latest craving and called my Aunt Debra to get her recipe for pickled eggs. I had one of hers a couple summers back and I have yet to forget it. I'm not sure if it is the South Jersey soil where they grew up or the blood in their veins but that side of the family across the board has a hankering for anything sour, anything tart, anything pickled.

All of you who snack on a hard-boiled egg in the afternoon or add one to your lunch bag, Hear Ye Hear Ye. And if you don't, you might after this read.

But first, set up shop. On Monday I went to the grocery store and picked up a jar of sliced jalapenos and a two-litter bottle of distilled white vinegar. Today I went to the market and got a dozen farm fresh jumbo brown eggs. Brown are the Best!



"Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink can go in," she told me, "but the Worcestershire sauce is key." Roger. I selected my mason jars (I'll get to that later). I laid out all my ingredients and went to boiling my eggs.



The task lost a little of its romantic edge when I was peeling the dozen eggs. I learned once how to make this an easy job, I think it has something to do with rinsing them with cold water after you take them out of their boiling bath. But, I remembered that after the fact and was left with little bits and pieces of shell to flake off.

Into the mason jar went the jalapenos, the garlic, eight shakes of Worcestershire sauce, three drops of Melinda's Hot Sauce, one teaspoon of dry mustard powder, several peppercorns, a healthy pinch of salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Then I added enough white vinegar to fill the jar up to the middle knuckle of my thumb. I heated the mixture in the microwave to get the juices flowing and shook it. It was at this point that I noticed my perfect vintage mason jar wasn't quite doing the job. As I sloshed, liquid oozed.

After invigorating the base liquid, I rolled in eight eggs. Over them I poured more vinegar, filling the jar up to its brim and covering the eggs. I gently shook which lead to gentle oozing. But, the job was done. Now we wait. 2-3 days. Preferably three.



While you are waiting, you can make Quinoa Tabbouleh from Thekitchn.com. Delicious. Their picture turned out much better than mine. We added about twice the amount of lemon juice.

(Okay so if you have paid attention to my timeline, you will know that I haven't tried the eggs yet. But, if they are anywhere near Aunt Debra quality, we will be in good shape.)

On the Scone Fence

So, I'm pretty sure the scones I made this morning are better than the scones I delivered to my prospective coffee shop client a while back. This would explain why I haven't heard back from them. I've sent the owner two emails following up and still no word. But we all know that a follow-up email is like no follow up at all. If I really wanted this to happen, I would have stopped by the day after I dropped them off and then stared at him in silence until he succumbed. I didn't do this and the "info@" email account to which I wrote isn't the most sure-fire way to contact someone. I'm not giving up yet. Actually I was intentionally stalling while I tried to figure out how to get my kitchen up to spec. And while I was scanning the incomprehensible PA Department of Health website, a successful baker/sconer suggested that I look into renting a kitchen that is already certified. Brilliant! She went on to say that she wakes up at 2 in the morning or 2 at night rather to bake all 400 scones by 6am for her wholesale clients. I should should have listened to her when she said "You don't want to know." This little tidbit will weed out the faint at heart, including mine. I'm not at that point yet, I realize. But, 2am. So, while no one follows up with me, I'm taking a personal inventory and imagining some grim figure waving his fist in my face asking, "Do you really want to do this or not?!"

I got a little closer to answering YES! to this question when the Blackberry Scones came out of the oven this morning. They were fluffy by all standards and the definite definition of delicious. Another conquest from Everyday Food. May edition.

Here is a picture and here is the recipe:



1 cup raspberries or blackberries
2 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick of cold unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk.

In a food processor blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter in bits and pieces until is it looks crumble with pea size pieces of the mixture throughout.

Combine the egg yolk and buttermilk in a bowl. Slowly add this liquid until dough sticks together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Flatten a bit until it is roughly 1 inch thick. Cut or pull out 2x2 inch squares, again roughly, and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 15-18 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Sous Dishwasher?

Yesterday, after exhausting my will to flip through my own cookbooks for the millionth time, I walked down to the library to see what I inspiration I could find. It was a tried and true Monday, complete with sour mood and grave facial expressions. I had spent the weekend away from my kitchen and my computer and when you do that, you are asking for Monday glum. I walked away with two books and one movie added to my request list (all of which I don't expect to see for some time), and one CD and one cookbook in my bag. I brought home The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook. I miss the days when Martha Stewart's name stood on its own without the word "Living" next to it. Regardless, I checked out Martha S. Living's book for my re-entry day. This volume is clearly her answer to the Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything. So far, I stand in support.

For one is has the clearest explanation I have seen yet for "the Sponge", an intimidating step/ingredient in making sour dough breads and ciabatta loaves. Right now I have a bowl of it sponging away in my refrigerator. Two, it gave me a reason to buy all those vegetables in the above picture. The recipe: Chunky Vegetable Potpie. It was an all day affair. I had to roast the veggies and then saute the shallots and garlic and then pull out the food processor to make the biscuit dough to spread on top of the dish. I don't know that I will make it again for a while, but it served as a delicious and needed reminder that avoiding a messy kitchen should not be your main aim in cooking. And, I admit that this is sometimes my forethought. Endless were the bowls and measuring utensils used.

I think that someone should include at the end of his or her cookbook an acknowledgment of those who washed all the dishes. Or maybe someone will someday include an epilogue as to how many dishes they have washed to get to the point where they don't have to wash any more dishes.

It's equivalent to Project Runway. You have to start your career by sewing your own garments, but by the end it is someone else's job.

Nothing Says Spring Like Barley

I remember my mother's reluctance to turn on our oven when the weather got warm. I remember wondering what we were going to eat for dinner during those summer months and how we were going to cook. The challenge is here again: how to feed yourself and others while avoiding the large appliance that takes up too much space in your kitchen.

Can one eat mangos for breakfast, lunch and dinner and survive? Will avacado smeared toast give your body all it needs?



I've been flipping through my cookbooks, wishing I had remembered to pick up a fennel bulb at the market or another cucumber and some feta cheese to make a nice gazpacho or a greek salad, or this chilled cucumber soup I've been wanting to try. But none of those can help with tonight.

I settled on this "Creamy Barley Salad with Apples" from Real Simple. I have barley on hand from all those wintery soups. I have apples aplenty which is good, but it also means that we have already had apples for lunch and this dish might border on overload. Maybe I will omit the apples. But what I'm really excited about is the Baked Strawberry Custard that is just out of the oven. Yes, I used the oven, but it is turned off now and won't be turned back on for the rest of the day. Maybe the challenge above can be changed to a guideline with a "just do your best, that is all anybody can ask" subtitle.

I'll let you know how the salad goes. The Custard is from Everyday Food, April edition, p. 106.

Update:
The salad was great, as it turned out. Perfect for an unseasonably warm spring evening. Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 hefty teaspoon dijon mustard
2 stalks celery sliced (I substituted snow peas)
1 apple, thinly sliced (I used golden delicious)
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 bunches arugula (I used red leaf lettuce)

In a medium saucepan, combine the barley, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1/2 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until barley is tender and water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, lemon juice, mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add celery, apple, mint, and mix.

Break up the barley, add to above mixture, and toss to combine.

Serve over lettuce.

Margarine Madeleines

Hello! I hope yous had a nice weekend. Mine was good, thanks. I didn't end up making strawberry shortcake, but my grandmother had all the ingredients on hand for Coconut Madeleines, except for butter, so that was that. Note the pale complexion that is exclusive to products made with this butter substitute. They were still a treat, light and spongy.



They are not hard to make, just hard to get out of the pan. If you are a detail-oriented person you will enjoy the challenge. If you are not, then make sure to butter and flour the pans thoroughly.

This is what came before the cookies and a cup of tea:

-Roasted Pork with Potatoes served with homemade Mustard-Horseradish-Honey sauce
-Succotash (I've never had this dish of lima beans and corn outside of this region and I don't plan to, but it is delicious.)
-Coleslaw with Apples

That was on Sunday. On Saturday night it was dinner at Tony's in Atlantic City. I must have been 12 years old the last time I was out to eat with my grandparents. And I'm pretty sure we went to Tony's Baltimore Grill. You like their food because you are told to like their food, and only then do you grow to like it on your own accord. It's an institution - a place that stood before the casinos came to shoo people off the beaches and usher them inside. Now it caters to the new clientele with a "seat yourself" sign and a bar in the back that is open 24 hours. But, my grandparents still make it in for special occasions. When you are in their company the only thing you are allowed to order is Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce which is okay because it is probably the only thing worth ordering. Each booth has its own juke box, and if you are as lucky as we were, the booth behind you will play tunes loud enough for you to enjoy for free! Our waitress, Tina, was a nice and abrupt young women with tattoos on her forearms and a tight blond ponytail. She sort of flung the dishes of pasta at us, but in an unoffensive way. She said words like "yous" in reference to our table, and took a cigarette break after our food had arrived. All of these elements added up to a wonderfully quintessential Tony's night.

Stop in next time you're in Atlantic City. Just bring a friend.

Here is the recipe for the Coconut Madeleines:

1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, to grease the pans
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly grease and flour the madeleine pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, (I used the whisk attachments), beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light yellow and fluffy. Add the butter and mix. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and stir into the batter with a rubber spatula. Stir in the coconut.

With a soup spoon, (this is Barefoot Contessa being so exact, not me) drop the batter into the pans, filling each shell almost full. Bake the madeleines for 10 to 12 minutes, until they spring back when pressed. Tap the madeleines out onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper (did not do that) and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

A New Leaf of Basil

While I do abide by the principle of "the truth shall set you free", upon sober reflection, it would have been best if I had left out the bit about the beefaroni in my last post. Not that this blog's aim is to make me look like a gourmet chef, which clearly I am not, but I still have my pride to contend with and moments like those are best left unmentioned. No harm done, I know, I know. But lesson learned and let's move on.

And to turkey tacos we go; slowly chipping away from the mass amount of meat I bought this week. They were a triumph. And the secret ingredient: basil. The pound or so meat was seasoned with 4 teaspoons of chili powder, one teaspoon of salt, half teaspoons each of paprika, cumin, dry mustard, sugar. First, brown the meat, drain the meat and return in to the stovetop. Add a cup of water and those spices. Simmer for 20 minutes or so. Then get all your toppings together. We chose tomatoes, chopped spinach, onions, cheese, salsa and sour cream. And basil. Don't forget the basil.

Large flour tortillas were all we had on hand, and I could barely make it through one.

Off to New Gretna today. I'm hoping my grandmother will allow me to make strawberry shortcake for Easter!

P.S. No word from the bakery. Must follow up with vigor next week.