Olykokes

also knows as Donuts.  MMMM donuts... Nothing gets you through grief like comfort food, and donuts are one of my favorites.

We used Alton Brown's recipe and it turned out ok. Not the best donut I've ever had, but still quite tasty. And let's face it, sprinkles make everything taste better!

Cooking long involved meals always gets my mind off of things, so it seemed like a good time to start up our Good Eats challenge again. We made it half way through the second cook book before I got pregnant and too sick to want to cook so we picked up where we left off. Clearly I need to work on my photography too.

Cheers!

February Good Eats Wrap Up

I meant to get this out before I left for Mexico but alas, it wasn't in the cards. We are still working our way through Alton Brown's Good Eats Cookbooks. I am amazed with how far we have gotten (though we did start way back in June). I was a short month so we didn't get many Fridays but we did enjoy what we had!

After last month we ran in to a few snags in our cooking plans. We didn't have a grill, smoker, or pressure cooker so we ended up skipping ahead a few recipes. Don't worry, I tagged them, so when there is time/money they will be made (it wouldn't be a true challenge if we didn't actually make everything in the book).  Here's the run down.

• Fried Chicken: Probably my favorite recipe in the whole book so far. It was juicy and slightly spicy and perfectly cooked. The only change I would make would be to use less salt (it is a problem in the early recipes) but I still managed to eat basically half a chicken so I call it a success. I will warn you the paprika gets really dark and you'll think you burned it but never fear, it is fine. 
• Lobster: This was our Valentines Day dinner but it was a bit of a flop. No amount of Alton's assurances that Lobster is basically brethren to cockroaches will make me buy a live lobster and kill it. We used lobster tail and I think I've decided I just don't like lobster. Call me strange. 
• For the last Friday before we left we departed from tradition and made something new in the series. For those of you who don't follow the cult of Alton you may not know that Good Eats has ended. But, for the last episode he made the worlds best chocolate cookies, Chocapocalypse Cookies. These were amazing. Four types of chocolate, nibs and very little flour. I just couldn't pass them up and neither should you. 

We've got pot roast planned for tonight's Good Eats (another first for me) and I'm looking forward to it. 

Cheers!

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!

Good Eats Challenge Week 20: Flan

One of my favorite quotes about food is this one from Wag the Dog: "There is no difference between good flan and bad flan." After this recipe I think I may be on board with this concept (depending on how you read that sentence). Nothing really went wrong it just wasn't that interesting.

Here's the recipe I used from Alton Brown

Ingredients

Software:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half-and- half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar

An assortment of jams, preserves, or dessert sauces such as:

• Blueberry jam
• Apricot preserves
• Butterscotch ice cream topping
• Hot fudge ice cream topping
• 6 eggs

Hardware:

• Roasting pan large enough to accommodate 8 custard cups with at least 1-inch to spare around
• 8 custard cups
• Glass or stainless steel bowl with a spout
• Fine mesh strainer
• Small nonreactive saucepan
• A kettle boiling water
• Whisk

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the saucepan, combine the milk, half-and-half, vanilla, and sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.

Next, place 1 to 2 tablespoons of each topping into each of the custard cups. The topping should come a few millimeters up the side of the custard cup.

Separate 3 of the eggs using the slotted spoon. Reserve the whites. (Note: Freeze the whites in ice trays. After the whites are frozen, place the frozen cubes into zip-top freezer bags. The frozen whites can be frozen up to a year.)

Place a mixing bowl on a rubber pad or a wet towel to prevent the bowl from spinning out of control. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining whole eggs and the yolks. Whip the eggs with a whisk until slightly thickened and lightened in color. While whisking the eggs, drizzle in about a quarter of the hot milk. Now whisk the tempered eggs back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a glass or stainless steel bowl with a spout. Pour the egg mixture through the strainer in order to catch any curdled egg bits or particles that may be in the mixture.

Place the custard cups into the roasting pan. Evenly distribute the custard into the custard cups, going short on the first pass. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and pour boiling water into the pan just under the level of the custard.

Cook the flans for about 40 minutes, or until they wobble slightly when the pan is wiggled, about 40 minutes. You can also insert a paring knife midway between the edge and the center. If it comes out clean, the flans are done. Using tongs, remove the cups from the pan to a towel-lined sheet pan. Allow the water in the roasting pan to cool before discarding. Cool, cover and chill.

When you are ready to eat turn the flan out on to a plate and serve. My caramel one came out great

My jelly one however didn't come out quite so great

Blech. Honestly the best part was the caramel so that isn't saying much for the recipe. I did however use the other recipe from the episode to great success.

I actually made 7 quiches with my leftover ham. It is a really easy recipe. Mix 2 eggs and 1 cup of half and half together with a pinch of nutmeg and pour over your filling.Bake at 350 for 25-35 min. I made two ham and spinach, two ham and leek and two ham and fennel. I stuck them in the freezer so now I have a quick and easy dinner ready for whenever I need it. Got to love leftovers right? We also made a bunch of turkey enchiladas to freeze so I am well stocked for the next few months. Anyone else have good leftover recipes? I love finding ways to re-purpose just about anything, including food. 

Cheers!

Good Eats Challenge Week 19: Mussels

So I've been dreading this Good Eats Challenge because I'm a little squeamish about shellfish (OK, I'm down right insanely picky about everything but that is what this challenge is addressing). So far on this first time journey I've had meatloaf (loved it!), shrimp cocktail (delicious!), and soup (not amazing but satisfying) so I figure there is a first time for everything. The recipe was exceedingly simple and easy to make and (i'll admit) not too bad.

Here's the recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 large leek, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped
• Pinch kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 20 mussels
• 1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups white wine
• Chopped parsley

Hardware:

• 8-quart nonreactive, stainless steel stockpot
• Metal colander or steamer insert

Directions

In the stockpot, sweat the garlic, leeks, and salt in the olive oil until softened over medium-low heat.

 Place the mussels in the colander and spray them with cold water to remove any excess dirt or grit. Remove any beards with a pair of needle-nose pliers.

Add the chopped tomato and the wine to the stockpot and turn the heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer. 

Insert the colander of mussels into the stockpot and cover. After 3 minutes, check to see if the mussels have opened. If some are still closed, cover the pot, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Discard any unopened mussels.

Place the mussels in a serving bowl. Remove 10 mussels from their shells and add them to the stockpot. Using a stick blender or a bar blender, puree the mussels until the liquid is of a sauce-like consistency.

Pour the sauce over the mussels and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread.

Daniel was a good sport and tried them first

Since he didn't run out of the room screaming I figured they couldn't be too bad so I tried a few. I have to say they were pretty tasty. Some were more bitter than others but the sauce was really what made the dish. I think I ate half a loaf of bread sopping it up. YUM! All in all I say I wouldn't be afraid to try mussels again but I don't think I'd add them to my weekly menu. The sauce however would make a great stew base which I just may have to try one of these days soon. Anyone else tried something they didn't think they would like recently and found out they were wrong? I was shocked how much I liked the meatloaf (I know, weird right?) I'm thinking of doing an all Good Eats Thanksgiving this year. I'm working on the menu now. 

Cheers!

Good Eats Challenge Week 18: Post Thanksgiving Soup

Ok, I know I'm jumping the gun like Peir1 here on my holidays but I had leftovers and I wanted to use them up. Since it was a great soup it will definitely be added to my arsenal for post Thanksgiving leftovers. It is super straight forward and has very little steps (in fact I hardly took any pictures because let's face it, boiling water isn't that interesting).  


Here's the recipe

Ingredients

• 2 quarts vegetable stock
• 1 turkey carcass
• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen mixed vegetables (I used Trader Joe's Soyccotash) 
• 1/2 cup rice
• 2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the vegetable stock and the turkey carcass in a large soup pot over low heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the remaining ingredients to the stock. Cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove the bones before serving.

Told you it was simple. I halved the recipe and used duck instead of turkey because that is what I had, but it would work well for any poultry. It was a little gross boiling bones but the house smelled so deliciously of duck that It was worth it. Seriously, I would make duck candles if I could. The pièce de résistance was the duck skin chips I made to top it off. I saved all of my duck skin and put it on a foil lined pan with a baking rack on it (this holds the skin up away from the fat that melts making it crispy). 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven and you have the best kind of bacon ever. 

It was warm and satisfying. Just what I need now that the temps have been dipping down below 40 at night. Yum! I know duck is not usually a staple in most kitchens but give it a try, you won't be disappointed.  

Good Eats Challenge Week 17: Meatloaf

Ok, so this may come as a shock to most Americans (at least it was a shock to all of my co-workers) but I have never had meatloaf before in my life. My mother never cooked it. Probably because she rightfully believed none of us would eat it. We were a picky bunch. To this day I still have problems with lots of foods. I wont eat stew or anything I can't figure out what each ingredient is. That being said, I'm very adventurous when it comes to cooking at home. And, as Daniel pointed out, isn't trying new things what this challenge is all about? So I sucked up my squeamishness at weird looking food and gave it a shot (though truth be told I don't ever plan to make the applesauce we skipped. Gross!). Honestly, I'd eat this meatloaf again and again and again. It was delicious. Easy to make and it lasted all week since it called for over 2lbs of meat.  We actually cooked this two weeks ago but I didn't want to leave it out.

Here is the recipe courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients

• 6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 18 ounces ground chuck
• 18 ounces ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. 

Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.

Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. (I just free formed it since that was how he did it on the show) Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.

Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Cook for another 20-25 min or until it reaches 155 degrees. Enjoy!

Obviously my loaf didn't stay too loafy but I didn't care. We both went back for seconds of this dish. The glaze was great too. Nicely spicy with a hint of sweetness. Add this one to your recipe files because this is a keeper! The Chocolatier at work said her favorite meat combo is equal parts lamb, pork, and chuck so I may have to try that sometime soon. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cheers!

Good Eats Challenge Week 16: Fish and Chips

This weeks challenge was officially the best ever (so far). I love fish and chips but hardly ever get it because it isn't usually what I want if we end up out to eat. As usual, Alton Brown makes it easy and fun to recreate.

Here is the recipe from Food Network

Ingredients

For the fries:

• 1 gallon safflower oil
• 4 large Russet potatoes
• Kosher salt

For the batter:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Dash Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 bottle brown beer, cold
• 1 1/2 pounds firm-fleshed whitefish (tilapia, pollock, cod), cut into 1-ounce strips
• Cornstarch, for dredging

Directions

Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Heat the safflower oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 320 degrees.

Using a V-slicer with a wide blade, slice the potatoes with the skin on. Place in a large bowl with cold water.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Whisk in the beer until the batter is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Note: The batter can be made up to 1 hour ahead of time.

Drain potatoes thoroughly, removing any excess water. When oil reaches 320 degrees, submerge the potatoes in the oil. Working in small batches, fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are pale and floppy. Remove from oil, drain, and cool to room temperature.

Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees. Re-immerse fries and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on roasting rack. 

Season with kosher salt while hot and hold in the oven.

Allow oil to return to 350 degrees. Lightly dredge fish strips in cornstarch. Working in small batches, dip the fish into batter and immerse into hot oil. When the batter is set, turn the pieces of fish over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

 Drain the fish on the roasting rack. Serve with malt vinegar.

Delicious! If you have any left overs you can reheat them by baking them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. That crisps them back up and keeps the fish moist. We snacked on them while carving pumpkins from our pumpkin patch adventure. Yay for fried food and cocktails. The best Saturday night.

Cheers!