By Jessie on
Saturday, 27 March 2010 with 1 comment
The other week I was inspired to make my own pancake mix after seeing an episode of Nigella Express. I don’t think I have made pancakes from a boxed mix since elementary school, but I never thought to make my own so I can quickly make pancakes on the weekends. I threw the ingredients together in a plastic baggie last week. After our run today it was quite nice to whip up a stack of flapjacks and top them with a flavorful blueberry syrup.
This isn’t a lengthly post, I just wanted to share with you a time saving pancake mix that you can whip up in about five minutes, stick it on the shelf for future use.
Homemade Instant Pancake Mix
Ingredients
Pancake mix:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
Pancake batter:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
For the pancake mix:
Directions
Mix the above ingredients together and store in a jar.
For the pancake batter:
For each 1 cup pancake mix, add 1 egg, 1 cup milk, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Do not overmix.
Heat a flat griddle or pan over medium-high heat.
Spoon drops of 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the surface of the little pancakes, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides. A minute or so a side should do it.
Blueberry Syrup
Ingredients
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (not fake processed stuff!)
2 tablespoons of water
1 cups blueberries
Directions
Put the syrup and blueberries into a pan and bring to the boil.
Let bubble for 2 to 3 minutes, and then pour into a jug and bring to the breakfast table with the pancakes.
By Jessie on
Sunday, 14 March 2010 with 6 comments
The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.
One of the first fancy dates Robb and I went on was to the 35th St Bistro in Fremont on 16 August 2006. That was probably the first time I had ordered a meal that cost more than a year’s subscription to Cooks Illustrated. Not to mention, the first time either of us had asked a waiter to recommend a wine pairing for our meals.
Robb ordered an Ahi tuna steak and I ordered risotto. The rich, creamy and depth of flavors that permeated my first bite swept me off of my feet. And like that first bit of tiramisu, I was hooked. Bite after bite I kept discovering new flavors which still make me smile to remember. (I especially loved those fresh peas!) For some reason I wasn’t smiling in this photograph, but maybe it was because I had food in my mouth when Robb snapped the photo! Or maybe it was because I hadn’t tasted that delicious Italian comfort food yet.
This brings us to this past months’ Daring Cooks’ challenge. I have made risotto several times since my initial discovery. I am not sure if you could say that I cheated on this challenge since I ended up pulling from the freezer several quart-sized bags of turkey stock I made shortly after Thanksgiving. As a busy graduate student, this time saving measure (three hours!) allowed us to enjoy an early weekend dinner without much preparation. I adapted the risotto base to our tastes (and what we had on hand) peas and bacon! Though, I wish I had browned the rice in the bacon fat instead of olive oil… A good note for next time.
Risotto Base (used for Pea and Bacon Risotto)
Ingredients:
olive oil 2 fluid oz 60 ml
1 small onion, diced
rice 14 oz 400g
Any type of risotto rice will do. I use Arborio but the recipe itself says Vialone Nano. Another to look for is Carnaroli.
white wine 2 fl oz 60 ml
chicken or vegetable stock , simmering 2 pints 1 L
Directions:
Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Fry for a few minutes to flavour the oil.
Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly.
Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated.
Add enough stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width (about an inch or two). Don’t actually stick your finger in, it will be hot. Just eye it off.
Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed.
Repeat Step 5 making sure to leave aside approximately 100 ml. of stock for the final step. .
Repeat, save 100ml for the final stage.
Once you are at this point, the base is made. You now get to add your own variation.
While the risotto absorbs the stock, fry the bacon until crispy.
Before adding the final 100ml of stock, stir in 1/3 cup frozen peas and allow to cook through (about 2 minutes).
Now, add the remaining stock and:
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Then top with the crispy bacon (yum).
Put your feet up and enjoy with a nice glass of white wine. (Well, that is at least what we did.)
In conclusion:
What a great challenge. It’s so great to get back to the basics and remember that a delicious home cooked meal always tastes better when it’s made with lots of love and time.
By Jessie on
Saturday, 27 February 2010 with 9 comments
The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.
I think a squeal of excitement escaped when I saw this months’ challenge. Tiramisu. I still remember my first piece. Oh my, heaven on a plate (in a bowl, actually) it was. Though I cannot remember the occasion, I distinctly remember the smooth and oh-so-rich first bite. They had it right in Sleepless in Seattle (@7m45s):
Sam What is “tiramisu”?
Jay You’ll find out.
Sam Well, what is it?
Jay You’ll see!
Sam Some woman is gonna want me to do it to her and I’m not gonna know what it is!
Jay You’ll love it.
It’s a good thing for Robb that I now know how to make it. Though, it did take me an entire three days to prepare the individual components and assemble the entire dish. But, if planned out properly it is not quite as time consuming as it looks. We were required to make our own (1) ladyfingers and (2) mascarpone cheese. I was slightly nervous to try my hand at either of these (so many people have told me how difficult ladyfingers are to make properly) so I blocked off an entire evening, but they turned out perfectly on the first try. (Yum!) The following evening I made the zabaglione, pastry cream, and mascarpone. These needed to sit overnight to allow the flavors to meld together nicely. Then, on Monday nigh, I assembled the entire dish in my favourite 9” springform pan and stuck it in the freezer. We weren’t going to eat it until Wednesday. We invited Ruthie & Eric over to enjoy the finished product. I was thrilled to hear their rave reviews with my triumphant dessert.
I hope you enjoy the photographs and recipes. Seriously, try it!
TIRAMISU
(Recipe source: Carminantonio’s Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007 )
This recipe makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar/50gms
1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon/1.25ml vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup/175ml whole milk
For the whipped cream:
1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (I used 25%)
1/4 cup/55gms sugar
1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract
To assemble the tiramisu:
2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)
1/2 cup/110gms sugar
1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese
36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)
2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder
Method:
For the zabaglione:
Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.
Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.
To assemble the tiramisu:
Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8” by 8” should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.
Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.
Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.
Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.
MASCARPONE CHEESE
(Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese
Ingredients:
474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Method:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.
It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.
LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2” to 3” long) ladyfingers.
Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner’s sugar,
Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.
Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5” long and 3/4” wide strips leaving about 1” space in between the strips.
Sprinkle half the confectioner’s sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.
Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.
Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.
Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.
Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
By Jessie on
Sunday, 14 February 2010 with 2 comments
The 2010 February Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.
I was excited when I saw February’s challenge! Hummus and pitas (especially the Trader Joe’s Pitta Chips = yum!) is one of Robb’s and my favourite appetizers. I was really please with how the pita bread turned out. Even though several of my pitas didn’t puff up like I had hopped, the rest of them turned out perfect. Regardless, they were delicious! I allowed my sponge to “rest” for one hour before making the dough. I think that was perfect.
Yet, I was not so pleased with the hummus. The lemon flavor was overpowering. I even diluted it with an extra can of chickpeas, but it didn’t help. I will provide you with my usual recipe and hopefully you can try that! I always add a healthy amount of parsley to my hummus, that is why it’s a nice green colour.
Pita Bread
Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook
2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)
Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.
5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn’t puff up, don’t worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.
This recipe is our stand-by for hummus. Adapted from Gourmet | August 1994.
Hummus
Ingredients:
2-4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
a 16- to 19-ounce can chick-peas, rinsed and drained
1/3 (or less) olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
In a food processor blend together garlic, chick-peas, lemon juice, oil, and cumin, scraping down side, until smooth. Add parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and pulse until just combined. Hummus may be made 2 days ahead and chilled. Makes about 2 cups.
By Jessie on
Monday, 8 February 2010 with 2 comments
We bought a vacuum.
Finally!
For several years I have had my eye on a Miele. They are sleek, beautiful and powerful. But expensive. While we were visiting our parents last month, we fell in love with the Stankeys' new Dyson DC14 (I think that is the correct model). Having both grown up with canister vacuums we began looking at the Dyson DC23. Which, as usual, was quite out of our budget. Of course, being the brandnew coupon clipper that I have become, I decided to find a way to buy the best vacuum for our buck.
Here is how I did it:
Due to the incredible generosity of Robb's aunt and uncle, we found ourselves with a gift card from BestBuy. From there I discovered a 10% off coupon available every so often for BestBuy Reward Zone members (this is a completely free rewards program, similar to your Safeway Club Card or REI Co-Op Membership). Today I signed up and checked out their Featured Offers which included an offer on select Dyson Vacuums. Apparently this deal has been happening since earlier this year (according to a forum post at SlickDeals):
Own a Dyson today at almost half the price.
Exclusive to Best Buy rewards members.
From the sleek, beautiful design to the bagless HEPA filter that traps 99.9% of dust mites, pollen and ragweed, Dyson makes carpet care look like glorified cleaning.
And now you have an exclusive Reward Zone program opportunity to clean up and save big. Act today and bring home one of these select Dyson vacuums:
* $220 off Dyson DC17 Animal with HEPA filter and pet-cleaning features. Regular price is $549.99. Reward Zone price is $329.99.
* $170 off Dyson DC25 Blueprint with Dyson ball control and HEPA filter. Regular price is $529.99. Reward Zone price is $359.99.
* $180 off Dyson DC17 All Floors with HEPA filter and Level 3 Root Cyclone technology. Regular price is $449.99. Reward Zone price is $269.99.
These exclusive offers are in-store only and require a coupon.
If you are in the market for a new vacuum, I suggest you head over to the Reward Zone and sign yourself up and promptly print out the coupon for one of these Dyson vacuums. This is exactly what we did this morning. We realized that if we wanted a Dyson at this price we couldn't get a canister, at least now. But after spending time testing out the Dyson Blueprint we realized that the vacuum was exactly what we wanted.
And we fell in love.
We left the store, vacuum in hand, $260 less in our bank account, but with a smile on our faces. (Jessie was skipping for joy).
Needless to say, we are very pleased with our new vacuum. And our house is much cleaner.
If you are wondering about the title of this post (“There’s a Stormtrooper in Our Closet”) it’s because many of the reviews for the product mention its likeness to a Stormtrooper. I’ll let you be the judge…
Also, right now at Dyson is giving away a Blueprint. Hurry and enter before 1 March!
