Good Eats Wrap Up- January

Writing a weekly post on our Good Eats Challenge was getting overwhelming. So many pictures and steps, I was getting stressed about getting it up each week. Then I thought, wait, I'm doing this because I think it is fun, not because I have to **hand to forehead**. So while we are still doing a weekly Good Eats recipe, I'm only going to post once a month about it. It is immensely fun to try new things each week and to spend time in the kitchen together so I want to share how it went with you all and hopefully pass some food inspiration on to you. Here's the run down of what we made since my last post.

• Pancakes: These were amazing! The best part is that the recipe is actually a recipe for "instant pancake mix" so you make the mix ahead of time and then add the eggs and milk when you want to make them for breakfast. They were fluffy and light. The key is definitely not over mixing. I hate lumps but I did what he said and they all magically disappeared when we cooked.  This one is a pantry staple for us now.
• Beurre Blanc: If you've ever been to a fancy French restaurant you've probably had this. Basically it means white butter and that is pretty much what it is. A sauce made of butter and white wine. Rich and delicate but oh so satisfying. We made it with Alton's Court Bouillon which is a classic (again) French poached fish. I thought it was great but Daniel thought it was a bit lacking in flavor. 
• Pizza: This one is fun. Basically it is all about the dough recipe. It is easy to make if you have a stand mixer and I love that it is something you can make ahead. The key to knowing when you've kneaded enough is using the window pane method. I learned it in bread making class. Basically you take a piece of dough and stretch it between your fingers as thin as you can get it. If you can see through it and it doesn't break you are golden.

He prefers the overnight rise method which is perfect if you are like me and don't like waiting for your dough to rise. Just make the dough the night before and pop it in the refrigerator to rise. It is ready when you want it for dinner the next day. We made a classic margarita pizza and jalapeno cheese bread.

• Baked Beans: This was a new experience for me and let me say, wow. Though any recipe that is equal parts bacon to main ingredient is a winner in my book (the proportion was one pound bacon to one pound beans). These were fantastic. Slightly spicy, slightly sweet and lasted for days. I will definitely be making these again (but maybe with a bit less bacon for my health).

• Pan Fried Tofu: Your classic tofu recipe. It was good, but I prefer more Asian flavors with my tofu. There was another recipe for a chocolate tofu pie that looked quite good though. I may have to try it sometime. 
• Braised Cabbage: This was kind of ho-hum for me. I wanted it to be more like sauerkraut but it ended up on the sweet end. We paired it with a delicious locally made sausage though and that totally made the dish.  We are big fans of "sausage in a bun" or upscale hot dogs if you will. Anyone who has read Terry Pratchett will understand. 

So there it is, the last few Good Eat's dishes we've made this month. I'm already looking forward to making next month's recipes! Hope you find some inspiration to try something new (or am I the only one who has never eaten things like Baked Beans?)

Cheers!