tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63465058427374614522024-03-04T21:49:37.530-08:00 Shining SpoonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-22047771468839196162012-12-25T13:53:00.002-08:002012-12-25T23:19:40.175-08:00Seahorse Cookies<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Seahorse cookies are legend in our family. My grandma used to make hundreds of cookies every December and bring them out </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">one tin at a time, one tin after another, to be happily seized upon by all of the aunts and uncles and cousins. Grandma made lots of types of cookies, but the seahorses were everyone's favorite. These tender almond-flavored sugar cookies are iced with vanilla buttercream and studded with cinnamon red hots and colored sprinkles. They're pretty unusual as Christmas cookies go, which makes for a unique and special family tradition. I think of Grandma every year when I bake these cookies and I think of her again every time I pull a cookie from the tin. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: justify;">My grandma shaped every cookie by hand, first rolling the dough into little snakes and then forming wreaths, candy canes, and--for reasons that escape me--seahorses. Merry Christmas, have a seahorse! In honor of Grandma, we follow a very strict protocol when we make these cookies. Wreaths must be green with three red hots, candy canes must be white with three red hots, and seahorses must be pink with one red hot for an eye. We love these cookies for the memories, but they also happen to be pretty delicious. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Seahorse Cookies</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Recipe from Virginia McGovern. Makes 8 dozen cookies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><i>Cookies: </i><br />1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup sugar<br />2 eggs<br />1 teaspoon almond extract<br />4 cups flour<br /><br /><i>Icing:</i><br />6 tablespoons unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 lb powdered sugar<br />1/4 - 1/2 cup milk or cream<br />1 tsp. vanilla extract</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Use a mixer to cream together the butter, sugar, and salt (or use salted butter and omit the salt). Mix in the eggs one at a time, then the almond extract, then the flour. If the dough seems dry, sprinkle it with a few drops of water until it just sticks together and doesn't crack when press your hand into it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I usually divide the dough into three big balls, then divide each piece into 32 smaller balls by halving the dough four times (the balls should be slightly less than 1" each). The dough should then be chilled in the refrigerator until it a is bit firmer and easier to work with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shape the cookies by rolling the balls into little snakes, then forming them into wreath, candy cane, and "S" shapes. Press down lightly until the cookies are a little less than a quarter inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should not brown at all and will seem a bit soft when they come out of the oven, but they should taste dry (not doughy) if you bite into one, sort of like very tender shortbread. Cool the cookies in the pan until they firm up a bit, and then move them to a cooling rack until they are completely cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Make the icing by combining all the ingredients in the mixer. Add just enough milk or cream to get a spreadable consistency. Dye the frosting with food coloring, then spread it on the cookies and immediately decorate them with red hots and sprinkles. Allow the cookies to sit out for a bit, until the icing hardens slightly. Then transfer them to an airtight container (a Christmas tin?) and share generously--this recipe makes 96 cookies! </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-3607763891412569172012-06-11T19:36:00.001-07:002012-12-26T21:32:32.610-08:00Black Bean Salad<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsdnS2BTIhQ_J5jIjhWVVTR58T3-yui_ISgUOgiGoztCO4L9Y_QyuG5kMFCGho_l_CgpP_yftNNsP8yhbzUmvXmz0S7Ve53Yt-4MbD7uBpaJuSiaEIVF6q9dZs6g35iOOyxASehhLmuI/s1600/Desktop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsdnS2BTIhQ_J5jIjhWVVTR58T3-yui_ISgUOgiGoztCO4L9Y_QyuG5kMFCGho_l_CgpP_yftNNsP8yhbzUmvXmz0S7Ve53Yt-4MbD7uBpaJuSiaEIVF6q9dZs6g35iOOyxASehhLmuI/s320/Desktop.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A friend of mine brought this bean salad to a Kentucky Derby party a few weeks ago. It was a bright, warm, blue-sky day, the guests wore sundresses and seersucker, and there was a very nice potluck spread. I wasn't particularly excited about the bean salad when I spooned it onto my plate, but I took one bite and fell in love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I made the recipe myself for the first time this weekend, and it easily earns a top spot on my list of quick, easy, worthwhile dishes. It's basically beans, corn, bell peppers and onions in a cumin and cilantro vinaigrette. The acid and sugar are nicely balanced (you won't notice the sugar and you won't feel like you got knocked over the head with a bottle of vinegar), and the other flavors are savory and refreshing. It's really very tasty. Also reasonably healthy. And vegetarian. One recipe makes a little over 10 cups, so it feeds a lot of people. Keep it in mind for potlucks or cut it in half for a smaller group.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Black Bean Salad</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adapted from a recipe shared by Logan Casey. Makes 10-12 generous servings. </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups cooked kidney beans, rinsed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups of raw corn, sliced from 2-3 cobs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 sweet bell peppers (red, yellow or orange), chopped the same size as the beans</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 red onion, chopped the same size as the beans</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup red wine vinegar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 tablespoons fresh lime juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tablespoons sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 tablespoon ground cumin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 teaspoon ground dried mild chile (or chili powder if that's easier to find)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 clove crushed garlic</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">dash of hot pepper sauce, or to taste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus a little extra for garnish)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Put all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller bowl until the sugar is mostly dissolved, then pour the dressing over the salad. Mix everything up and marinate for at least a couple of hours and no more than a day or two. Garnish with additional freshly chopped cilantro.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-45430827215806887862012-04-30T09:41:00.001-07:002012-12-26T21:28:34.472-08:00Pork Carnitas<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Carnitas is one of those special dishes in which a tough, humble cut of meat is transformed, through hours of slow heat, into something really wonderful. Each bite of pork is full of flavor, incredibly tender, and pleasantly crisp around the edges. It makes a tasty filling for tacos or enchiladas or whatever else you can think of. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I researched lots of recipes before working out an approach that I think is particularly easy and delicious. It takes a long time--you'll need to be home for a good half day-- but it involves very little work. Big chunks of pork braise uncovered in the oven for several hours, then the meat is shredded and returned to the oven to essentially "fry" in a bit of the rendered fat. The end result is juicy and flavorful with crispy edges. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll share a few quick lessons learned through trial and error:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">No need to trim the fat from the meat. It's easier to cook the meat as it is and then discard any big pieces of fat at the end. The big chunks of cooked pork need to be pulled apart into bite-sized pieces, and the globs of fat are pretty easy to spot and remove while you're at it. Plus it's good to have the extra fat in the pan while the pork is braising (see next point).</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Traditional carnitas recipes call for obtaining lard and cooking the pork in that, but I find that the meat itself renders enough fat during its long stay in the oven to more than get the job done. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some recipes call for browning the meat on all sides before putting it in the oven. However, the part of the meat that is above the surface of the braising liquid at any given time gets nice and brown from the dry heat of the oven. So even without browning the meat ahead of time, you wind up with a flavorful, nicely browned exterior.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Avoid shredding the meat while it's still hot. It's important to give the pork a quick rest to let the juices redistribute through the meat. I was in a hurry and shredded the meat right away once, and the pain of burnt fingers wasn't nearly as upsetting as the disappointment of dried-out carnitas.</span></li>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Carnitas</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Serves 6-10 hungry people.</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3-5 pounds pork shoulder, with or without the bone (Choose what sounds good for the number of people you're feeding and adjust the seasoning amounts accordingly. No matter how much I make, I never seem to be lucky enough to have leftovers, so you might want to overestimate a little on portion sizes). </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tablespoon kosher salt</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tablespoon ground dried mild chiles (or chili powder if that's easier to find)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 teaspoon ground cumin</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3-5 cloves garlic, sliced or roughly chopped</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1-2 bay leaves</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the meat into 3-5 squarish bricks and put it in a 9x13" glass pan (or any oven-proof dish) with some space around each piece to allow the meat to brown on the top and sides. Between the pieces of meat, sprinkle the kosher salt, chile powder, cumin, garlic, and bay leaves. Add enough water to come about a third of the way up the meat and swish things around to evenly distribute the seasoning in the liquid (everything should be in the water, not on the meat). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Put the pan in the hot oven, uncovered. After one hour, take the pan out and use tongs to turn each piece of meat. Return the pan to the oven and continue to turn the meat once every 30 minutes. The pork should develop a nice dark crust as it cooks. If it doesn't, the meat might be too crowded or you might want to turn up the temperature in the oven a bit. Cook for a total of about 3.5 hours, or until the meat falls apart when you poke it with a fork. There should be very little liquid (and plenty of fat) in the pan at the end. Don't let the liquid evaporate completely;if it does, add a little extra water to the pan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest in the pan for about 15 minutes, then use your hands to pull it apart into bite-size pieces. Discard any large sections of solid fat. Pour off most of the rendered fat from the pan (keep a tablespoon or two in there), then return the meat to the pan and stir. Put the pan back in the oven for another 30 minutes to allow the carnitas to get crispy at the edges.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Serve the finished carnitas in whatever format you like (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, etc.). Black beans and any good green sauce makes great accompaniments (I like <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/01/salsa-salvation-ninfas-green-sauce.html" target="_blank">this</a> sauce for tacos or <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2012/04/enchiladas-verdes-recipe.html" target="_blank">this</a> for enchiladas).</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-41396293438338431032011-01-23T18:07:00.000-08:002012-12-25T10:36:48.564-08:00Deep, Dark French Onion Soup<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwuOFCQTWZagspG91oz2I4fDmPxppPXiurQIKeCM1RPB8lnU6BfKEjI0KxlE3DwnpSQVPS4meV85Zl_fqs3qS-D06LRptIQV8GVSwMsBuqrSsMnpy4cspFp7UcJWRBD1eQUjq8-RMtXk/s1600/onion+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwuOFCQTWZagspG91oz2I4fDmPxppPXiurQIKeCM1RPB8lnU6BfKEjI0KxlE3DwnpSQVPS4meV85Zl_fqs3qS-D06LRptIQV8GVSwMsBuqrSsMnpy4cspFp7UcJWRBD1eQUjq8-RMtXk/s320/onion+soup.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This soup will make you cry. Tears of joy? Perhaps. But long before there can be any joyful crying, there will have to be some plain old onion-fumes-in-the-eyes crying. Without a doubt, peeling and slicing <i>six</i> onions will send tears streaming down your cheeks. But, have courage! Brave the fumes! A bowl of this hearty, full-flavored soup is worth every last tear.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The great thing about this recipe is that all of its deep, rich flavor comes straight from the onions. This is not soggy, pale onions floating in beef broth. It is <i>onion</i> soup. Before the broth is added, the onions are caramelized and deglazed, caramelized and deglazed, over and over, to create a soup thick with intense onion flavor. And, in case the prospect of hours of careful onion watching doesn't appeal to you, this recipe calls upon your (unwatched) oven to do most of the work. The soup can be made with a traditional beef base, but it's also good with vegetable stock or even water. Most of the flavor comes from the onions, so the vegetarian version has plenty of flavor. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The recipe begins with a mountain of sliced onions. The onions spend a few hours in the oven, then they go to the stove top, where they become sticky and sweet and beautifully caramelized. The pot is deglazed multiple times to produce lots of browned onion flavor. Then the onions are simmered with some stock, a splash of sherry, a few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf. Finally, the soup is poured into crocks and topped with Gruyère croutons. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>French Onion Soup</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adapted from<b><i> </i></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Illustrated/dp/B000069YW9?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2d2921; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Cooks Illustrated</span></i></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000069YW9" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; cursor: move; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>, January 2008. Makes 2 quarts, or six big bowls.</span></span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds--do not use sweet onions because they will get too sweet and gummy).</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 tablespoons butter</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">kosher salt</span></span></li>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup water for deglazing</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup dry sherry</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 cups chicken broth, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups beef broth, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups water </span></li>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">or 6 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water</span></li>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ground black pepper</span></span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 baguette</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated</span></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdu5K0v8_yVaeSNRmuaYqPhiXqlBPPBm_FZ30CE61ufTF9N_iudKU7FGnRT_eB3KW1EqA7fz-3q5YX0KxDt8k0dQmgeN71OwtgNSyKY_x3PQUnszv1TNd-0TKr449ANV6uGIP-vPO4rvc/s1600/onions+for+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdu5K0v8_yVaeSNRmuaYqPhiXqlBPPBm_FZ30CE61ufTF9N_iudKU7FGnRT_eB3KW1EqA7fz-3q5YX0KxDt8k0dQmgeN71OwtgNSyKY_x3PQUnszv1TNd-0TKr449ANV6uGIP-vPO4rvc/s320/onions+for+soup.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. (The onions are going to be in the oven for several hours, so if you want to cook something else at the same time, like a chicken or a pot roast, you can turn the temperature down to 350 degrees with no problem).</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Slice the onions. Cut each onion in half, pole to pole. Then cut off the roots and tips, peel away the skin, and cut the onions into quarter-inch slices. It's best to slice them with the grain (pole to pole) instead of against the grain (like onion rings) because this helps them to hold a nice texture--soft strips instead of gooey mush.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Put the onions in a a dutch oven with three tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Put the lid on and bake for one hour. Then, take the onions out, give them a stir, and put them back in the oven for another hour and thirty minutes, this time with the lid slightly ajar. Stir once after about an hour. The onions will be reduced in size and pale brown in color.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Move the dutch oven to a burner on the stove top. Cook the onions over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. The liquid should evaporate after about 15 minutes. When that happens, turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until the onions are brown and a dark crust forms on the bottom of the pan. (Keep scraping and scraping the bottom of the pan until the crust on the bottom is so dark and dry that it's difficult to scrape it up and you're worried that it might start to burn). Stir in one one fourth cup of water to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom and sides until all of the brown bits are mixed in with the onions.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Repeat the browning and deglazing process three more times, always letting a dark crust form on the bottom of the pan before adding water. Stay close to the stove or set a timer for one or two minutes at a time so that your onions don't accidentally burn. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally, brown the onions one final time and then deglaze with one half cup of dry sherry. (The sherry adds acidity to balance out the sweetness of the onions and another nice layer of flavor. If you decide to skip it, deglaze with water and consider adding a dash of mild vinegar). Cook for several minutes, then stir in the chicken and beef broths, two cups of water, and a teaspoon of kosher salt. (You can use all beef broth, but the combination of beef and chicken rounds out the flavor nicely. If you're making a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken and beef broths). Add the thyme and bay leaf. (Six sprigs of thyme sounded like a lot to me the first time I made this recipe, but it's just the right amount and it's a key flavor in the soup. Be sure to use fresh thyme. You can tie the sprigs together with a piece of kitchen twine or put the thyme and bay leaf into a large tea ball). Turn the heat up to high until the soup begins to bubble gently. Immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All that remains to be done is to garnish the soup. Cut a baguette into one-half-inch slices. Toast the bread under the broiler very briefly. Then, you have two options. Option one: ladle the soup into broiler-proof crocks. Place the baguette slices on top of each bowl of soup in a single layer. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top and broil for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Option two: figure out how many baguette slices are needed to cover each soup bowl. Arrange the slices on a cookie sheet in close groups, one cluster for each bowl of soup. Sprinkle cheese over the top of each group of bread slices and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes, then use a spatula to transfer each group of cheesy baguette slices (together as one) to the bowls of soup. I like the second option because it's a little bit easier and can accomodate any kind of soup bowl, but putting the little crocks under the broiler can be fun too.</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-89487357203415611002010-12-02T12:28:00.001-08:002012-04-30T09:49:55.087-07:00Thank You, Glorious Hot Oven!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZT7IYKnEGb9-RruUAkHr9Xy5tteUfSrA8EcWJQdidcmdVUH_NSg64jkMpX0XdSXCFyglyoE-FSV8C03GaZs4EXXaMNjVElr8XoIurngoz2WXkPcymrrBKQWdX-QGnk3APbpfjSMqHWM/s1600/Shining+Spoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZT7IYKnEGb9-RruUAkHr9Xy5tteUfSrA8EcWJQdidcmdVUH_NSg64jkMpX0XdSXCFyglyoE-FSV8C03GaZs4EXXaMNjVElr8XoIurngoz2WXkPcymrrBKQWdX-QGnk3APbpfjSMqHWM/s200/Shining+Spoon.jpg" width="200" /></a>Toward the end of September, a gas leak was discovered at our apartment complex. The city turned off the gas while they inspected the problem, and we were left without heat or hot water. After one long week of taking very quick, very cold showers and boiling big pots of water on the stove for baths (the only time I've ever appreciated having an <i>electric</i> range), we finally got our hot water back. But, two and a half months after the big shut-off, the gas line to our furnace is <i>still </i>out of commission. On this wintry day in December, we are relying on one small space heater to keep our entire house warm (we have blown some fuses, yes we have!). And when I say the space heater is keeping the house warm, I use the word "warm" very loosely. It's pretty chilly.</div>
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So I'd like to issue a big, hearty thank you to my oven for churning out lots of wonderful supplementary heat (along with some pretty decent food) over the past few months. Any meal that emerges from a hot oven is a treat at this time of year, but I've devoted myself to the oven with a special intensity lately. Dishes that require long hours of slow roasting or braising create the opportunity for lots of luscious, wonderful heat to leak out of the oven and into the house. These dishes also tend to be meltingly tender with lots of deep caramelized flavor. Both outcomes are most welcome. I've dusted off old some old recipes from winters past and also discovered some good new recipes in my quest to make the oven serve double duty both as both a food-cooker and a house-heater. Some recent oven-as-furnace favorites include pot roast with root vegetables (3.5 hours oven time), a <a href="http://www.shiningspoon.com/2011/01/deep-dark-french-onion-soup.html"><b>french onion soup</b></a> that uses oven-braised caramelized onions (2.5 hours oven time), <b><a href="http://www.shiningspoon.com/2012/04/pork-carnitas.html">carnitas</a> </b>with corn tortillas and green sauce (4 hours oven time), and roast chicken with roasted smashed red potatoes (1.5 hours oven time). Recipes to follow. Stay tuned. Thanks again, oven!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-3852343104301062702010-11-02T00:21:00.001-07:002012-12-25T12:07:46.898-08:00Whole Wheat Banana Bread<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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This banana bread recipe uses whole-wheat flour, which gives the bread a hearty, nutty flavor and makes it seem just a little bit healthy (try not to pay attention to the butter or sugar in the recipe, or the "healthy" illusion will be ruined!). Note that this banana bread is easy to overbake. Pull it out of the oven the very minute it's done for a moist, dense, loaf. And, for the best banana flavor, use very ripe bananas.</div>
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<b>Whole Wheat Banana Bread</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Cookbook-Molly-ONeill/dp/1563053373?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b><i>New York Cookbook</i></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-color: initial !important; border-width: initial !important;">, edited </span>by Molly O'Neill, recipe contributed by Bette Duke. Makes one loaf.</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 large eggs</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup sour cream</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3/4 cup whole wheat flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3/4 cup all-purpose white flour</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)</li>
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla and mix until very well-blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the flours, salt, and baking soda. Add half the flour mixture to the batter, then the mashed bananas, then the other half of the flour mixture, stirring well to incorporate each addition. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake 45 minutes to an hour. Begin checking the bread with a cake tester or knife as soon as you think it might be done. The moment you find that the tester comes out clean, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. If in doubt, it's better to underbake than to overbake. Sometimes the center doesn't rise quite as much as you think it should, but you'll enjoy this bread much more if it's a little bit doughy than a little bit dry.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-22949429710308212062010-08-25T21:53:00.000-07:002012-12-25T12:09:58.699-08:00Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizikmY445LjtnoK8i_AkhTmioElYBIHS4Apv_BzFk2XyE29rXXdQkXI52WQHGjEQ3wGUgwoG7cplfYA_oDVj070o_WyLae-W6bZ6ibtPuABL46QWycPDaKWhdobs4QxsQAq_2BrGpdq-8/s1600/spinartdip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizikmY445LjtnoK8i_AkhTmioElYBIHS4Apv_BzFk2XyE29rXXdQkXI52WQHGjEQ3wGUgwoG7cplfYA_oDVj070o_WyLae-W6bZ6ibtPuABL46QWycPDaKWhdobs4QxsQAq_2BrGpdq-8/s400/spinartdip.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The summer before my senior year in high school, I worked as a file clerk in the accounting department at my dad's company. The job was terribly boring, but the experience provided me with a really nice recipe for spinach and artichoke dip. Our payroll clerk brought a big bowl of this spinach and artichoke dip to every office party and it's delicious. This particular recipe is different than most because it doesn't have any mayonnaise or sour cream in it. Instead of being slightly tangy, the flavor is soft and mild. The dip is cheesy and creamy and very good.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The recipe is simple. You stir together cooked spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese and heat it gently until everything melts together. The cream cheese makes the dip soft and smooth, and the Parmesan gives it a nice sharp, salty flavor. Tortilla chips, wheat crackers, or thin baguette slices all make nice accompaniments. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Spinach and Artichoke Dip</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adapted from a recipe shared by Robin Roitz. Makes about 2 cups.</span></span></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed (fresh spinach is good here, but frozen works just as well)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts in water (again, fresh artichokes are a fine choice, but canned artichoke hearts are tasty and easy)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 8-ounce package cream cheese</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup (3-4 ounces) grated or shredded Parmesan cheese</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Begin by steaming the spinach over low heat in a covered saucepan with a little bit of water until the spinach is soft, about 5 minutes. Drain the water from the pan and press a spoon against the spinach to squeeze out any additional water. Give the artichoke hearts a rough chop and add them to the saucepan with the spinach. Mix in the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and stir over low heat until all of the cheese is melted and fully incorporated. You can stop there and get right to the eating, or you can spoon the dip into a crock or a small, shallow casserole dish and bake it in a hot oven until it's bubbling. The dip is best served warm, but you can also serve it at room temperature if you thin it with a little bit of milk or water. A clove or two of minced garlic is a nice addition if you want a little kick.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-18531316284479170002010-08-10T15:15:00.000-07:002011-09-20T14:20:54.689-07:00Colorado Cherry Bars<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTymD3ZX6pwkOft5xzO_EuoEUkID8JtrjR6UygcpwgAN0EmzLxmDXp706afN550Hw2ko0rN1n9JpbQPRCkMeelNOAFJKX9pOlt2eCpbMu3y34VyL33pxTb962v3ru-_0cr5SP_pOYBqVA/s1600/cherry+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTymD3ZX6pwkOft5xzO_EuoEUkID8JtrjR6UygcpwgAN0EmzLxmDXp706afN550Hw2ko0rN1n9JpbQPRCkMeelNOAFJKX9pOlt2eCpbMu3y34VyL33pxTb962v3ru-_0cr5SP_pOYBqVA/s320/cherry+bar.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've made batch after batch of cherry bars this summer, and they always seem to hit just the right note. Their rich fruit flavor and crumbly, buttery crust make them a pleasure to eat. And, their tidy, portable form makes them perfect for picnics. No fork or spoon required.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I grew up in Colorado, and before I moved away I discovered this cherry bar recipe in a Junior League of Denver cookbook. As far as I can tell, nothing about these bars has anything to do with Colorado, but I like the "Colorado" in the original recipe name because it makes me think of home. Today (this very day!), my brother is moving back to Colorado, and I've decided to mail him some cherry bars as part of a housewarming care package.</span></span></div></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">These bars are great because they take only about 5 minutes to put together (plus another 30 minutes to bake), and with the exception of the cherry preserves, the ingredients are all pantry or refrigerator staples. So, if you're careful to always keep a jar of good cherry preserves on hand, you can throw together a batch of these sweet, tasty treats at a moment's notice. <br />
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The starting point for the recipe is a crumb mixture made of oats, flour, and brown sugar, mixed with lots of melted butter. Some of this mixture gets pressed into the pan to form a bottom crust and the remainder is used as a crumb topping. Cherry preserves form the middle layer. The bars go into the oven until the top is lightly browned and the cherries are bubbling through to the surface.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The key to making this recipe outstanding instead of just pretty good is using high-quality cherry preserves that are slightly tart and filled with lots of whole fruit. I like Bonne Maman preserves</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, which seem to be available at most grocery stores. Cherries are the best fruit for this recipe because of the way their tartness counterbalances the very sweet crust, but other fruits work well too. Blueberry, peach, or strawberry preserves all produce nice results if you stir in a just a little bit of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar for added zing. </span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Colorado Cherry Bars</b></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Colore-Celebrating-Culinary-Artistry/dp/0960394672?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Colorado Colore: A Palate of Tastes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0960394672" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by the Junior League of Denver. Makes 16 bars.</span></span></span></div></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></span></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">1 1/2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick-cooking)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">1 cup packed light brown sugar</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">1 (13 ounce) jar of cherry preserves </span></li>
</span></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan and set it aside to cool slightly. </span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;">In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the oats and brown sugar and stir to mix. Pour the melted butter into the mixture and stir first with a spoon and then with your hands until the mixture is moist and crumbly.</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;">Press 2/3 of the crumb mixture into a greased 8x8-inch pan. Spread the preserves over the surface of the crust, leaving a 1/4" border around the edge of the pan (to prevent the preserves from bubbling out to the edges, where they will burn and stick). Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the crumb mixture over the top. Squeeze the crumbs together as you take them from the bowl to give the topping a texture like small pebbles. Try to cover the fruit entirely with the crumb mixture, if possible.</span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;">Bake for about 30 minutes, until the bars are brown and bubbly. Cool completely, then cut into squares.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-12501992872484662342010-06-06T16:50:00.000-07:002011-07-27T12:29:56.374-07:00Corn with Green Onions and Quinoa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4H84lO8-1NvammfyYndj60yCQ9NYOr5QfMp_RbrUrGrf46YwNzH1CaZ5QIYpZ9HP48xH6wtbOXKUMHcALK_Qd7IkCBRDcjbXh_JBM1jOwIYOBFg4bwKrsP0C72nY_VBCVqsot3U4qHE/s1600/7-corn+quinoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4H84lO8-1NvammfyYndj60yCQ9NYOr5QfMp_RbrUrGrf46YwNzH1CaZ5QIYpZ9HP48xH6wtbOXKUMHcALK_Qd7IkCBRDcjbXh_JBM1jOwIYOBFg4bwKrsP0C72nY_VBCVqsot3U4qHE/s320/7-corn+quinoa.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fresh corn is sweet, delicious summer fare. It's good on the cob, but for something different, try a quick sauté with green onions. And, for something more substantial, mix in some tasty, high-protein quinoa. This dish is good by itself, and it's also great with grilled chicken, steak, barbecue ribs, grilled veggies--basically any of the usual suspects at a summer barbecue.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Start by cutting the corn from the cob. Get out a baking dish (something you might make brownies in), stand each ear of corn on its tip in the middle of the dish, and cut along the cob from top to bottom with a sharp knife. The kernels drop into the dish, and the sides of the dish should be high enough to prevent the corn from bouncing out onto the counter but not so high that they interfere with the action of the knife. Once the kernels are free from the cob, mix in some sliced green onions and sauté over high heat in a little olive oil until the corn is hot and lightly charred, a few minutes. Toss with cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper for a quick, lovely summer dish. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've provided specific quantities below, but you can use as much or as little of any of the ingredients as you like. You need some corn, some green onions, some butter and olive oil for the pan, and some cooked quinoa. The only ingredients that really need to be measured are the quinoa and stock. You can use any amount of quinoa, but the ratio of quinoa to liquid should be one to two, by volume.</span></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Corn with Green Onions and Quinoa</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Cooking-Everyone-Deborah-Madison/dp/0767927478?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone</b></span></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0767927478" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </i>by Deborah Madison. Serves 2-4 as a main dish or 4-6 as a side dish.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup quinoa</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups chicken or vegetable stock</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 ears of corn, shucked, with kernels sliced from the cob</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 bunch of scallions, sliced, including the white and green parts (reserve some of the greens for garnish)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 teaspoons butter</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 teaspoons olive oil</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">salt and pepper</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pour the stock into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Measure the quinoa into a sieve and give it a brief rinse under cold water (Quinoa has a natural dusting of a bitter substance on the outside of each grain to discourage critters from eating the seeds. Some quinoa does not require rinsing, but better safe than sorry if you're not sure.) Add the quinoa to the boiling stock, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed and the grains are soft and slightly chewy.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil over high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the corn and green onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are bright green and the corn is slightly charred, about 3 minutes. The corn will be somewhat crunchy. If you prefer softer corn, cook over medium heat for a longer time. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the quinoa is ready, stir it into the skillet with the corn and green onions. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in lots of salt and freshly ground pepper, and garnish with the reserved sliced green onions. Enjoy hot or at room temperature.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
What is quinoa? Read this description...</i></span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15749697"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>Quinoa: A Sacred, Super Crop</b></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">" by Nicole Spiridakis on NPR.org </span></blockquote></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-22054599405432479472010-05-26T13:34:00.000-07:002013-10-15T08:39:57.651-07:00Brown Sugar Cookies<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In most cookies, the flavors of butter and sugar serve as a backdrop for more exciting ingredients like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit. In typical sugar cookies, butter and sugar are the stars of the show. It's true that butter and sugar can be pretty exciting all on their own, and I love sugar cookies for their pale, plain, buttery sweetness. These <i>brown </i>sugar cookies are like typical sugar cookies, but the sugar and butter are replaced with brown(!) sugar and brown(!) butter. The result is a sugar cookie with deep brown color and warm toffee flavor. These cookies have crisp exteriors and soft, chewy insides. Mmm.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brown Sugar Cookies</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from</span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Illustrated/dp/B000069YW9?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cooks Illustrated</span></span></i></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000069YW9" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Makes 2 dozen cookies.</span></span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup granulated sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups packed dark brown sugar (this should be fresh and moist)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 teaspoon baking powder</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tablespoon vanilla extract</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Start by browning the butter. Melt 10 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, then continue to cook until the milk solids in the butter turn a dark golden brown color. Be careful not to let the butter burn. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. Use a light-colored so that you can see the color of the butter. Transfer the brown butter to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the bowl and allow the fresh butter to melt together with the brown butter. (This step adds some fresh butter flavor to the cookies and helps the hot butter to cool more quickly). Set the butter aside for 15 minutes. Note: if you're going to use an electric mixer, you should put the butter in the bowl of the mixer. However, you can definitely make this recipe without a mixer, if you don't have one handy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While the butter is cooling, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar. Rub the mixture between your fingers until it is well-combined. This mixture will be used to coat the cookies before they go in the oven. Set the mixture aside for now.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set the mixture aside. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Take the bowl with the melted butter in it and add the remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and the salt. Stir until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. Stir in the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until the dough is well-combined.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Form the dough into 24 balls, each about an inch and a half in diameter. Roll the dough balls in the reserved sugar mixture and place them on the prepared cookie sheets with about 2 inches between each cookie. The cookies need about 12-14 minutes in the oven. It's hard to tell when the they're done because the dough is dark, so they don't really change color as they cook. Instead, poke the cookies gently to decide whether they're ready to come out. They should be somewhat firm around the edges, but still fairly soft in the middle. If you're not sure, it's better to underbake than to overbake. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes, until they are firm enough to move, then transfer them to a rack and let them cool to room temperature. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lots of cookies taste best warm from the oven, but these cookies are actually better a few hours later. The cookies come out of the oven with a doughy center and crunchy exterior, but given some time, the center becomes firmer, the edges become softer, and a nice chewy texture develops throughout the cookie.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Store in an airtight container. Note that both the dough and the cookies freeze nicely, if you want to enjoy some cookies now and save the rest for another day.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-44789724941408733862010-05-10T20:00:00.000-07:002012-06-20T09:12:13.521-07:00Stuffed Strawberries with Mint<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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It's strawberry season, and the first ripe, red berries of the year are showing up at the market. Usually, I'm quite happy to give strawberries a quick rinse and eat them straight out of the berry bowl. But when the occasion calls for something more elaborate, this stuffed strawberry recipe is a perfect choice. The berries are filled with sweetened, lemon-spiked cream cheese and topped with fresh mint. They are elegant and delicious, perfect for a dinner date or a brunch with friends. </div>
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My mom has been making these strawberries for years, and everybody loves them. She flips them upside down, balances them on their leafy tops, cuts an 'X' halfway down into the the berry, and pipes the filling into the resulting star-shaped cavity. I prefer to hull the strawberries and pipe the filling in from the top. Either way, the berries look great and taste even better. </div>
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In the classic version of this recipe, the sweetened cream cheese filling is flavored with lemon zest and lemon juice. For a chocolate version, skip the lemon and add cocoa powder and a little bit of chocolate, orange, or hazelnut liqueur. Garnish with chocolate shavings, candied orange peel, or chopped hazelnuts.</div>
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<b>Stuffed Strawberries with Mint</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from a recipe by Cheryl McGovern.</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">2 pints strawberries (about 1.5 pounds)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">4-6 tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">zest from one lemon (about 2 teaspoons)</li>
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In a medium bowl, use a fork to beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with the petal tip (The star tip makes the filling look pretty, but you have to worry about lemon zest clogging the opening). If you don't have a pastry bag, you can spoon the filling into a resealable plastic bag and use scissors to cut off one corner. Rinse the berries in a colander, then pat them dry. Use a small paring knife to cut the hulls out of the berries. Pipe some filling into each strawberry, then garnish with a small mint leaf. Arrange on a plate and serve, or prepare in advance and refrigerate for up to four hours before serving.</div>
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<i>This looks like something that might be worth trying....</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/dining/26curi.html">"Prolonging the Life of Berries" </a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/dining/26curi.html">by Harold McGee</a> </span></blockquote>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-45829935038287452872010-05-05T14:33:00.001-07:002010-12-02T19:43:25.733-08:00Mujadarrah: Lentils, Rice, and Onions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrymY3mI1IlGIbHYDV6jJdenCqVbm0ljBRpF-W2ezapGun4misnanFcC7QTk16PC8tqV7OT-OcN0wZozK1JK3Pxxf3moNOSacAhPc-YduYhZSOWfLE1zWFCJNQTJNy8eot2axgMKFgwM/s1600/4-mujadarah+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrymY3mI1IlGIbHYDV6jJdenCqVbm0ljBRpF-W2ezapGun4misnanFcC7QTk16PC8tqV7OT-OcN0wZozK1JK3Pxxf3moNOSacAhPc-YduYhZSOWfLE1zWFCJNQTJNy8eot2axgMKFgwM/s320/4-mujadarah+(4).jpg" width="280" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrymY3mI1IlGIbHYDV6jJdenCqVbm0ljBRpF-W2ezapGun4misnanFcC7QTk16PC8tqV7OT-OcN0wZozK1JK3Pxxf3moNOSacAhPc-YduYhZSOWfLE1zWFCJNQTJNy8eot2axgMKFgwM/s1600/4-mujadarah+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This simple Middle Eastern dish has very few ingredients. It's made with lentils, rice, and onions, plus a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. The recipe is uncomplicated. You boil lentils and rice in salted water. Meanwhile, you fry some onions. Then, you stir everything together and add black pepper. That's the whole recipe. It's quite simple. In fact, it's almost <i>too </i>simple. It's so simple that you might expect it to be a bit blah. But prepare to be surprised. This plain-Jane recipe produces delightful results. It is rich and earthy and entirely satisfying.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">French green lentils are ideal in this dish because they have a firm texture and hold their shape nicely. Brown lentils are a fine alternative, but they'll produce a slightly mushier finished dish. Lentils are full of protein, which makes this an excellent vegetarian main course. The rice in the recipe provides a bright, starchy accompaniment to the lentils. Long-grain white rice works well, as does brown rice. At the heart of this dish is the onions. Dark ribbons of deeply-caramelized onions should punctuate every bite. Ordinary yellow onions cook down nicely without falling apart. The onions should sizzle slowly in olive oil until they are very brown and soft. Finally, a good amount of freshly ground black pepper is an absolute must. It adds a spicy note and focuses the flavor of the dish.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now, for a side dish. And a story. My family was visiting last weekend and I decided to prepare mujadarrah with a cucumber salad for dinner. My mouth was watering at the thought of cucumbers with a garlicky yogurt dressing, but there was a problem. I had gone to the store earlier and bought a cucumber for the salad, but it was nowhere to be found. I searched high and low, with no luck. My mom suggested that I might have left the cucumber at the store. Or, perhaps it had rolled out of the bag of groceries and been forgotten in the car. She volunteered to go out and look for it. After a few minutes, she came back into the house. "I looked everywhere," she said. Then, in a somber voice, "I regret to inform you that your cucumber has been the victim of a hit and run accident." My poor cucumber had fallen out of the bag onto the street outside my house and been run over by a car! It was very sad. It was sad for the poor, mangled cucumber. It was sad for those who had wanted to eat the cucumber. In the end, we bought a replacement cucumber for the salad. It tasted bright and fresh alongside the heavier flavors of the mujadarrah. I definitely recommend the combination. Just do your best to keep your cucumber safe from reckless motorists.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><br />
Mujadarrah</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Cooking-Everyone-Deborah-Madison/dp/0767900146?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone</span></b></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0767900146" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span>by Deborah Madison. Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">3 tablespoons olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 large or two medium onions, halved from pole to pole and sliced crosswise<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">2 cups water<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">2/3 cup lentils<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">1/3 cup long-grain rice<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4c_H01uBTGcf1Gd_qxiuOLcXEIm91vuLHzVSn_B1BZULIqIjFD6fpr4rSLHGnEznE1p8ZmObmQUfmT2K06AuiL6oVLKllQlqfAkPqscULNBoOWZU1lUUfLPqRXBxebBxNTt7B0JHdpZg/s1600/4-mujadarah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4c_H01uBTGcf1Gd_qxiuOLcXEIm91vuLHzVSn_B1BZULIqIjFD6fpr4rSLHGnEznE1p8ZmObmQUfmT2K06AuiL6oVLKllQlqfAkPqscULNBoOWZU1lUUfLPqRXBxebBxNTt7B0JHdpZg/s320/4-mujadarah.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Place the onions in a large skillet with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions begin to brown. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep brown color. The heat should be high enough that you can hear the onions sizzle, but not so high that the onions become charred. It should take 20-30 minutes for the onions to fully caramelize. Turn off the heat and set the onions aside until the rice and lentils are finished cooking.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">While the onions are cooking, bring two cups of water to a boil in a saucepan with a lid. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the lentils, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, stir in the rice, cover the pot, and simmer 15 minutes more. (<i>Brown rice version</i>: Use the same amount of water and salt. Add the brown rice to the water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, stir in the lentils, cover the pot, and simmer 30 minutes more.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the rice and lentis are cooked, stir in about two thirds of the caramelized onions and lots of black pepper. Stir very gently so the lentils don't fall apart. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the mujadarrah in a big bowl with the remaining one third of the onions piled on top.</span></div><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Cucumber Salad</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Serves 2 to 4.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 English cucumber, peeled or not, according to taste<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 clove garlic, minced<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">2-3 ounces of plain greek yogurt<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Slice the cucumber lengthwise into fourths or eighths. Slice the cucumber crosswise to make bite-sized pieces. Place the cucumber in a colander in the sink, sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt, and toss to coat. After about 30 minutes, some water will have drained from the cucumber and it will be very crisp. In a medium-sized bowl, stir the cucumber together with the garlic and a few big spoonfuls of yogurt. Taste and add more salt if necessary. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-22591005384265631302010-04-22T22:00:00.000-07:002010-12-02T19:44:46.154-08:00Tiny House Salsa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0Vrkak7v2fYZixEaoVAqOdpSkzqNxDOcvc7S2fIWMn1MURH6d5Y4l26XBpf5mrG0wk-7ViKfuT6Ilhw8jZhr0JLWG8X2oT7br4ARF861uKNAUcFT33CHHBEu59fd2oRggJCR-vyGetE/s1600/917+wall+st.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0Vrkak7v2fYZixEaoVAqOdpSkzqNxDOcvc7S2fIWMn1MURH6d5Y4l26XBpf5mrG0wk-7ViKfuT6Ilhw8jZhr0JLWG8X2oT7br4ARF861uKNAUcFT33CHHBEu59fd2oRggJCR-vyGetE/s200/917+wall+st.jpg" width="175" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll be in Michigan for about two more weeks, finishing up various grad school tasks that I can't do from home in California. I'm staying in my old apartment in Ann Arbor, which I've begun referring to as "tiny house." It's a quirky little upstairs apartment in a ramshackle old house with very low ceilings and no parallel lines or right angles to speak of, anywhere. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's been a longer-than-usual trip, and tiny house is starting to wear on my nerves. In particular, the kitchen makes me sad. It's always been small and scruffy, but now it's also severely under-equipped. I took loads of kitchen gear with me when I moved away last spring, and my little kitchen in Michigan is left with a few odds and ends and not much else. Three weeks into the trip, I've had my fill of canned soup and pasta, the only things I'm able to make.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxpWvMvIPpfec9dMPRzbP-IP7XGmfTl91qUnmvr4DtTuUS8Zi0r1jZC-QxMlhQtrUQJZjWD3oSOCf4ijq569jZhTRaCySGCzqPgu6O0qkJrKWM5N3Lbsu8Ble9bzbEXNaW1wjy4dLoKA/s1600/3-salsa+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxpWvMvIPpfec9dMPRzbP-IP7XGmfTl91qUnmvr4DtTuUS8Zi0r1jZC-QxMlhQtrUQJZjWD3oSOCf4ijq569jZhTRaCySGCzqPgu6O0qkJrKWM5N3Lbsu8Ble9bzbEXNaW1wjy4dLoKA/s320/3-salsa+(5).jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, I finally invested in a sharp knife and a small wooden cutting board, and I am happy to report that I'm feeling much better. Chopping things up can be therapeutic, and eating chopped-up things feels pretty good, too. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last weekend I used my new tools to make my favorite fresh salsa. It's one of those recipes where you have to trust your judgement on all the quantities because the ingredients are a little bit different every time you buy them. The starting point for this salsa is a fantastic pico de gallo recipe from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Border-Cookbook-Authentic-American-Southwest/dp/1558321039?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Border Cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1558321039" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. Their recipe calls for fresh tomatoes, green and white onions, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. It has a really nice flavor, but I've made a few adjustments to account for the fact that garden-ripe tomatoes and small, spicy jalapeño peppers aren't always easy to find</span>.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfNOSfSMQm0mIaNymg5g-k05l2K19FG-Q2rJeews5cb5BH6Zw0rPLiBaiorxkfj9E21Ac7eGwLOcxA7CgmHuFK9mBJDvpEXO3WdqSnP-sSpUJUPYu2uPH54Ll54qs25Up_v6cVjTmT5A/s1600/3-salsa+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfNOSfSMQm0mIaNymg5g-k05l2K19FG-Q2rJeews5cb5BH6Zw0rPLiBaiorxkfj9E21Ac7eGwLOcxA7CgmHuFK9mBJDvpEXO3WdqSnP-sSpUJUPYu2uPH54Ll54qs25Up_v6cVjTmT5A/s200/3-salsa+(4).jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Unless I have access to really nice summer tomatoes, I prefer to use high-quality canned tomatoes in this salsa. A mixture of crushed and diced tomatoes makes for a chunky salsa with a thick, smooth base. Jalapeños provide heat in the original pico de gallo recipe, but the jalapeños at my grocery store are sometimes (often) huge, bitter, and decidedly un-spicy. So, I've started using a mixture of jalapeños and serrano or habañero peppers to make certain that the salsa has some kick. </span><br />
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</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After everything is chopped and mixed together, it's a good idea to let the flavors intermingle for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then to taste the salsa and add additional amounts of the ingredients as necessary to get a nice balance of flavors. It's also important to stir in a good amount of salt to brighten up the salsa and make it taste more like a condiment and less like some kind of weird gazpacho. I like to make a large batch of this salsa. It's great with chips, but it also tastes amazing on tacos, over beans and rice, or mixed with avocado for a quick guacamole. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Fresh Salsa</b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapded from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Border-Cookbook-Authentic-American-Southwest/dp/1558321039?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">The Border Cookbook: Authentic Home Cooking of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico</span></b></i></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1558321039" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. </span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3-4 cups of tomatoes:</span></li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 lbs chopped fresh tomatoes, squeezed gently to remove seeds and excess juice, or</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">one 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, drained, and one 14-oz can of crushed tomatoes, or</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">any combination of the above that seems appealing</span></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 bunch green onions, white and green parts, sliced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 of a large white onion, finely chopped (reserve the other half in case you decide you need more onion flavor)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3-4 jalapeños, finely chopped with ribs and seeds (consider buying a few </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">serrano or habañero peppers to add as needed for additional spiciness)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">juice of 1 lime (less if the lime is very juicy/sour/big)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">two good handfuls of cilantro, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">lots of salt (I like to use 3-4 teaspoons)</span></li>
</ul><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stir everything together and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer. Adjust the flavors and serve.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On a related note, here's an interesting article about the flavor of cilantro..</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span> </span></span><br />
<blockquote><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html?scp=1&sq=cilantro&st=cse"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;"><b>"Cilantro Haters, It’s Not Your Fault"</b></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by Harold McGee</span></blockquote></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-29436779424069636712010-04-02T08:20:00.000-07:002012-12-26T21:34:21.289-08:00Lemonade is for Lovers<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After the gloom of winter, the first few days of spring feel pretty magical. The sun's rays are bright and warm. The air is charged with happy energy. It's time to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let out a long, contented sigh. Summer is on its way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, can I interest you in a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade? The lemons will be bracingly sour. The sugar will be pleasantly sweet. The ice cubes will chime in the glass. And the sun will shine down on the whole concoction in a most becoming way. I can give you a bendy straw, if you like. What do you say? How about some lemonade?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have a little lemon tree in a clay pot on our patio, and our tree is suddenly heavy with lots of big, gorgeous lemons. Are they ripe? We weren't sure, but we figured even the sourest lemons would make decent lemonade. As it turns out, the lemons <i>are </i>ripe and the lemonade we made with them was fantastic.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's common knowledge that lemonade is made of lemon juice and sugar and water. I don't have any special lemonade recipe to share. The main purpose of this post is just to write the word "lemonade" a bunch of times so that you'll be inspired to make some. Lemonade. Lemonade. Lemonade. Also, I'd like to suggest that you make your lemonade according to the common knowledge recipe (lemon juice, sugar, water), instead of resorting to a powder or a concentrate. It will take just a tiny bit of effort and taste much better than any other lemonade out there.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Start by squeezing the juice from four or five lemons. Pour the juice into a jar. Next, make some simple syrup. Mix one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a saucepan and heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Pour this syrup into a second jar. Now you're ready to mix up some lemonade. Fill a glass about 3/4 full of ice and water. Stir in tablespoonfuls of lemon juice and simple syrup until your lemonade tastes just right. After you've enjoyed that first glass of lemonade, stash your jars of lemon juice and simple syrup in the refrigerator so that you can mix up additional glasses of lemonade whenever the sun is shining and the mood strikes. Or, scale up and make a pitcher for a crowd. Yum.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6346505842737461452.post-76017377878810922392010-04-01T02:03:00.001-07:002012-12-25T12:11:43.015-08:00Russian Cabbage Soup<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Wde_y-CB3IY3D49vTIfLQIuEy6XSoGCeuPmnVVL2MmMxo0kiNurdQb87mUEng7brrFGkIu2h0YpyKsnLhrgvyst7ziOaTSI1g8iRmkJHNTiccZnrIeP8mSGWXhQLwIgj9yqcmxE6O8o/s1600/2010-03-23+camera+3-23.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455023185613422546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Wde_y-CB3IY3D49vTIfLQIuEy6XSoGCeuPmnVVL2MmMxo0kiNurdQb87mUEng7brrFGkIu2h0YpyKsnLhrgvyst7ziOaTSI1g8iRmkJHNTiccZnrIeP8mSGWXhQLwIgj9yqcmxE6O8o/s320/2010-03-23+camera+3-23.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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This cabbage soup, or <i>shchi</i>, is a good soup. It tastes good. It's full of good, healthy, vegetables. The ingredients cost next to nothing. And it's easy to make.</div>
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You should make some of this soup right now, even if you're not hungry, because you will certainly want some later, after the flavors have melded a bit and the soup begins to call to you from the stove top or the refrigerator: "Eat me right now. I am hearty and delicious. I will not disappoint. I am a <i>good </i>soup."</div>
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I'll admit that the words "cabbage soup" wouldn't ordinarily set my appetite on fire and send me running for a wooden spoon and a stockpot. But the combination of flavors in this soup succeeds in turning ho-hum cabbage into something special. Leeks and carrots lend the soup mild sweetness. A tomato adds bright acidic flavor. And a modest addition of sauerkraut gives the soup a hefty tang that enhances the flavor of the fresh cabbage. A blob of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh dill provide the finishing touches that make this soup sing.<br />
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Darra Goldstein notes that <i>shchi</i> is "the most Russian of soups." Traditionally, winter versions of this soup are made with fermented cabbage only, while summer versions forgo the fermented stuff in favor of lots of fresh cabbage. Goldstein's recipe combines fresh and fermented cabbage to produce a light soup with rich undertones. To make the soup, begin by softening a carrot, a leek, and an onion in butter. Then add beef stock, a chopped tomato, some sauerkraut, and heaps of raw cabbage. Simmer the soup until the cabbage is tender. Very simple, very tasty. And, happily, cabbage is very good for you. Yay.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPB_6hiIhxz_RcGq_gaeCHV_FbabGwVxVfklMVF3GcslfjUMDQOCMZU918b0bI_JAn34971rUxbuHZc1xwVmW9Luw-Av_OgAJPfMSui1mwGOSLiRP6yd_kAIUkBqGpkUI67njnD9rS7c/s1600/shining+spoon.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455073522642138546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPB_6hiIhxz_RcGq_gaeCHV_FbabGwVxVfklMVF3GcslfjUMDQOCMZU918b0bI_JAn34971rUxbuHZc1xwVmW9Luw-Av_OgAJPfMSui1mwGOSLiRP6yd_kAIUkBqGpkUI67njnD9rS7c/s320/shining+spoon.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 240px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><b>Russian Cabbage Soup</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Russia-Cookbook-Russian-Hospitality/dp/1880100428?ie=UTF8&tag=shinspoo-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitalit</span></b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">y</span></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1880100428" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=shinspoo-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1880100428" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></b></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Darra Goldstein. Serves 4 to 6.</span></div>
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<li>2 tablespoons unsalted butter</li>
<li>1 medium onion, coarsely chopped</li>
<li>1 small leek, white part only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced</li>
<li>5 cups beef stock (or vegetable stock, if you prefer)</li>
<li>1 small head of white cabbage (about 3/4 pound), quartered, core removed, and thinly sliced</li>
<li>1/2 cup fresh sauerkraut, drained but not rinsed</li>
<li>1 tomato</li>
<li>salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>sour cream for garnish</li>
<li>chopped fresh dill for garnish</li>
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Melt the butter in a large stockpot and stir in the onions, leeks, and carrots. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Do not let the vegetables brown. <br />
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Meanwhile, cut a small "x" in the skin at the bottom of the tomato and submerge it in boiling water until the skin begins to curl. Remove the tomato from the water and peel the skin away with your fingers, then slice the tomato in half and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomato coarsely. You can use canned tomatoes or a few tablespoons of tomato paste in a pinch, but fresh tomato is really nice in this soup.<br />
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Turn the burner to high and add 5 cups of beef stock to the pot with the onions, leeks and carrots. Stir in the cabbage, sauerkraut, and tomato. When the soup comes to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup is ready when the cabbage is tender. The soup is overdone when the cabbage is a mushy, soggy mess. Try to avoid this sad fate. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.<br />
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Ladle the soup into serving bowls, then put a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. Don't skip the sour cream if you can help it, but if you do choose to leave it out, try adding a little bit of sauerkraut juice or a dash of vinegar to the soup to get the right salty/sour/sweet balance. Sprinkle with finely chopped dill and serve.<br />
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