November Daring Cooks - Soufflé

Dave and Linda from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen chose Soufflés as our November 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge! Dave and Linda provided two of their own delicious recipes plus a sinfully decadent chocolate soufflé recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s recipe found at the BBC Good Food website.

When I saw November’s Daring Cooks challenge was to make a soufflé I admit, I was super confident intimidated! I never had the opportunity to try a soufflé, let alone make one. I only knew what I saw in movies, sit-coms and cartoons – any form of disruption, from a sneeze to the slamming of a door would cause the soufflé to collapse. Oh the horror!

Dave and Linda, our hosts, provided three recipes for us to try (two of which were their own design!). I chose to use their crab and artichoke soufflé recipe, which included crab, artichoke, Gruyère and chives. This sounded delectable, but I decided to throw in my own twist: wild-caught Alaskan salmon, dill-havarti cheese, sautéed leeks and dill. Yum!

Making a soufflé (at least for me) was an udder whirlwind of activity. Start to finish it can easily take over an hour to complete (absolutely worth it!). Being prepared and well organized will greatly increase the odds of success because the process can be jam-packed with things to do! Unfortunately, my soufflé didn’t end up rising as much as I would have liked. Next time I will make sure to fill my ramekins completely and possibly use a collar, I think that will solve my problems. Making a soufflé may be technically challenging, but I found they are not as delicate as I was lead to believe and far more forgiving! 

Rise or fall, they taste delicious! 

Salmon, Dill and Leek Soufflé

Adapted from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen's Crab and Artichoke Soufflé

Ingredients

1 cup cooked salmon meat, flaked and lightly-packed

½ cup finely chopped, lightly sautéed leeks

2 large egg yolks

3 large egg whites

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cream of tartar*

1 cup dill-havarti cheese, shredded

½ tsp white pepper

1 Tbsp non-salted butter

1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp dried dill

1 cup  milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Additional butter and bread crumbs or garlic powder for preparing the dishes

* If you can’t find cream of tartar, a dash (~ ½ tsp) of lemon juice can be substituted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 ˚F

2. Prepare dishes – you can use one 2-quart (US)/1.9 litre or six 1-cup/240 ml soufflé dishes – by buttering the dish, then coating with bread crumbs. (You may have some left over soufflé mixture if you go with the smaller soufflé dishes.)

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the flour to make a roux. – you just want to get the flour evenly blended to a paste, not cook the roux for any length of time. Gradually stir in the milk, mixing all the time. Add herbs, then the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and you have a thick sauce. Remove from heat.

5. Beat the egg yolks well and gently warm them by adding some of the cheese sauce, very slowly and whisking constantly. Gradually stir the egg yolks into the cheese sauce until well blended.

6. Add the leeks and flaked salmon to the cheese sauce.

7. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until at the stiff peak stage.

8. Fold the whites in thirds into the sauce.

9. Spoon the mixture into your baking dish and level the tops using a spatula. Be sure to wipe up any spills and make sure the edge is clean.

10. Bake for 40 min if you’re using a large soufflé dish or 25 min if using smaller dishes – the soufflé should be richly browned.

_____________________________________________

For Dave and Linda's original recipe, the two additional recipes for this month's challenge and to see pictures of soufflés made by other daring cooks go here. 

October Daring Bakers - Doughnuts!

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

What an October!! Well, what started out as a month I'd rather skip has turned into an epic adventure thanks to the San Francisco Giants!! And the pumpkin doughnuts from this month's Daring Bakers challenge yielded the perfect orange for cheering with a doughnut in hand during these October ballgames. GO GIANTS!

I've never had the pleasure of chomping down on a warm, homemade doughnut fresh out of the deep fryer before this month. But hoo-de-doo were they delish! I suppose one of the best things about making homemade doughnuts is that there is no use cringing over calories and fat content (that freaky thing) .... they're going to be delicious, they're going to be homemade, so just close your eyes, take a deep breath and succumb to doughnut heaven! 

So, get ready to make some doughnuts today. You know you want to. It will make everything better. 

And GO GIANTS!

Pumpkin Doughnuts:

Recipe Source: Bon Appetit

Preparation time:

Hands on prep time - 15 minutes

Chilling time - 3 hours

Cooking time - 10 minutes

Yield: About 24 doughnuts & 24 doughnut holes

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour 3.5 cup / 840 ml / 490 gm / 17 ¼ oz

Baking Powder 4 teaspoon / 20 ml / 24 gm / .85 oz

Table Salt 1 teaspoon / 5 ml / 6 gm / .2 oz

Cinnamon, ground 1 teaspoon / 5 ml / 6 gm / .2 oz

Ginger, ground ½ teaspoon / 2.5 ml / 3 gm / .1 oz

Baking Soda ½ teaspoon / 2.5 ml / 3 gm / .1 oz

Nutmeg, ground ¼ teaspoon / 1.25 ml / 1.5 gm / .05 oz

Cloves, ground 1/8 teaspoon / .6 ml / ¾ gm / .025 oz

White Granulated Sugar 1 cup / 240 ml / 225 gm / 8 oz

Butter, Unsalted 3 Tablespoon / 45 ml / 42 gm / 1.5 oz

Egg, Large 1

Egg Yolk, Large 2

Pure Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon / 5 ml

Buttermilk ½ cup + 1 Tablespoon / 135 ml /

Pumpkin 1 cup / 240 ml / 285 gm / 10 oz (Canned pure pumpkin or fresh cooked and pureed pumpkin – DON’T use pumpkin pie mix!)

Canola Oil DEPENDS on size of vessel you are frying in – you want THREE (3) inches of oil (can substitute any flavorless oil used for frying)

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

Powdered (Icing) Sugar 2 cup / 480 ml / 250 gm / 9 oz

Whipping Cream (About 32% butter fat) 4 Tablespoon + more if needed / 60 ml

Directions:

1. Whisk together the first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (the mixture will be grainy and not smooth). Beat in egg, then yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk; beat in pumpkin. Using rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 4 additions, blending gently after each addition. Cover with plastic; chill 3 hours.

2. Sprinkle 2 rimmed baking sheets lightly with flour. Press out 1/3 of dough on floured surface to 1/2- to 2/3-inch (12 mm to 15 mm) thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch (65 mm) -diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Arrange on sheets. Repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches. Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.

3. Using 1-inch (25 mm) diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make doughnuts and doughnut holes.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels. Pour oil into large deep skillet to depth of 1 1/2 inches (40 mm). Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 365°F to 370°F (185°C to 188°C). Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry doughnuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool completely.

Thanks soo much to Lori of Butter Me Up this was such a fun challenge! If you'd like to see the magic the other Daring Bakers cooked up check this out! 

Don't Stop Believing!

Doug Pensinger | Getty Images

         Ooooh 

                  ooooh,

 WE'RE HALFWAY THERE!

                                                                  

October Daring Cooks - Dolmades!

Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

    A dolma by any other name…

töltött káposzta        Hungarian

       σαρμάδες           Greek

         يبرق                   Aleppo

сармa/sarmam        South Slavic

        sarmale           Romanian

   محشي ورق عنب           Arabic            

 kələm dolması      Azerbaijani

     gołąbki                   Polish

      голубцы               Russian 

        japrak              Albanian

This month's Daring Cooks challenge was to make stuffed grape leaves. This dish has truly survived the test of time. Originating in Turkey while the Ottoman Empire still had power over most of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, the idea of the dolma has travelled far and wide. 

As there are many different names for these tasty morsels, there are also many varieties of fillings and wrappers. Fillings are only limited to the imagination of the person preparing the dolmades (the plural of dolma). However, generally speaking, fillings tend to include rice, onion, parsley, herbs, spices and minced meat (or not!). Wrappers can also be widely variable. While grape leaves are traditional wrappers, chard, kale and cabbage may also be used.

It's so satisfying rolling each of the little dolmades, tucking them snuggly into the gentle embrace of my favorite pan, savoring the aroma while they cook and finally feeling connected to that far off land, over a hundred years ago when the adventures of the dolma had just begun. 

Additional Resources: Wiki-Dolma, Wiki-Sarma, Wiki-Ottoman

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice with Apricot Tamarind Sauce/ Yebra

Adapted from Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Michael J. Cohen. Published by Harper Collins, 2007

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients for hashu/filling:

1 pound (455 gm) ground (minced) beef

1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 1/3 oz) (65 gm) short grain rice

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) all spice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) cinnamon

1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use ½ tsp.**

¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) white pepper

1 onion, chopped **optional**

1 cup (5½ oz) (150 gm) pine nuts **optional**

Directions:

1.Soak rice in water, enough to cover, for 30 minutes. Combine meat, rice, allspice, vegetable oil, cinnamon, salt, white pepper, and if desired, onion and pine nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Ingredients for assembly:

1 pound (455 gm) hashu/filling (see recipe above)

36 preserved grape leaves, stems trimmed, drained, rinsed and patted dry

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

6 dried apricots – or more if you desire

3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamarind concentrate **if you can’t find it, you can omit it**

¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon (15 ml) (9 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use 1.5 tsp.**

Notes:

If using grape leaves preserved in brine, to remove salt put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers, and leave them soaking for about twenty minutes, then change the water a time or two using fresh cold water.

If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.

Tamarind is actually fairly easy to find.  There is a paste that is in package already made up.  You can find it at Asian, Mexican or Indian grocers.  You can also find the pods (a little more difficult) and make it yourself.  It is akin to a sweet/tangy tea flavor. If you can’t find it, you can skip the sauce all togheter. The grape leaves will be just as delicious without the sauce. But we hope that those that can find it will use it.

Directions:

1.Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, vein side up. You can trim the little stem if you would like.

2.Place about two teaspoons (10 ml) of the filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge.

3.Roll the leaf end to end, starting from the stem edge. As you roll, fold the sides of the leaf in toward the center. The leaf should resemble a small cigar, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (50 mm to 65mm) long.

4.Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

a.(You can freeze the stuffed grape leaves at this point. Just line a baking sheet with wax paper. When firmly frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag place back in the freezer.)

5.In a medium saucepan put in the vegetable oil and then place the filled grape leaves in the pot.

6.Place apricots in between the stuffed grape leaves. Cover and cook over low heat for 5- 8 minutes or until the grape leaves begin to sweat.

7.Using all three tablespoons, place a little of the tamarind concentrate, if using, over the rolls.

8.Combine lemon juice, salt, and water then add to pan, filling it ¾ full.

9.Weigh down the grape leaves with a heat proof plate or board to prevent them from unraveling. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes.

a.Alternatively, place the saucepan in an oven preheated to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and cook for an hour.

10.Spoon cooking liquid over the grape leaves occasionally. You will know they are done, when the grape leaves are neither soupy nor dry.

11.Tilt pan sideways over serving platter, allowing the grape leaves to tumble out. Try not to handle them individually to reduce unraveling.

a.Alternately you can try spooning them out very gently.

  

September Daring Cooks - The Art of Food Preservation!

The September 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by John of Eat4Fun. John chose to challenge The Daring Cooks to learn about food preservation, mainly in the form of canning and freezing. He challenged everyone to make a recipe and preserve it. John’s source for food preservation information was from The National Center for Home Food Preservation.

 

"...steam was generated beyond the power of the canister to endure. As a natural consequence, the canister burst, the dead turkey sprang from his coffin of tinplate and killed the cook forthwith."

News report of an early canning industry accident (1852)

Whenever I fully immerse myself in the kitchen during a project I get a sense of power. I get the opportunity to create. To experiment. To provide. During WWI home cooks found the power to prolong the surplus from their victory gardens through canning, allowing commercial goods to be distributed to the army. Likewise, the depression of the 1930s and WWII also gave home cooks a reason to preserve their homegrown food. We've come a long way from from WWI, but that's no reason to loose sight of the power of home food preservation.

This month's Daring Cooks challenge gave me the chance to experience the power to preserve. This month's host, John from Eat4Fun, challenged us to test the waters of food preservation. He provided recipes for canned apple butter and a bruschetta topping as well as oven roasted tomatoes using the freezing method for preservation. 

I chose to make apple butter and the bruschetta topping. This was not my first experience in home canning, but the challenge did give me the opportunity to try new recipes and continue practicing the canning method. I've also tried my hand at pickling and making strawberry-lavender jam. 

Additional Resources: Miss Vickie

Want to learn more about the Daring Cooks? Check this out! 

Let's get canning! 

Canned Bruschetta Topping

Recipe Source: Bernardin Canning Website

Ingredients
3.5 lbs. Roma Tomatoes
5 cloves Fresh Galic
1 cup Dry White Wine
1 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
2 T. Granulated Sugar
2 T. Dried Basil
2 T. Dried Oregano

Headspace: 1/2"

Processing Time:

20 minutes for altitude of 0 ft (0 m) to 1,000 ft (305 m)
25 minutes for altitude of 1,001 ft (305.1 m) to 3,000 ft (915 m)
30 minutes for altitude of 3,001 ft (916 m) to 6,000 ft (1,830 m)
35 minutes altitudes above 6,000 ft (1,831 m) to 8,000 ft (2,440 m

1. Place 7 clean half-pint mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Heat lids in hot water, not boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.

2. Wash, seed and chop tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces (about 9 cups), set aside. 

3. Combine garlic, white vinegar, white wine, balsamic vinegar, water, sugar, basil and oregano in a deep stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a full boil; reduce heat. Stirring occasionally, boil gently, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 

4. Pack tomatoes into a hot jar to within 3/4 inch (2 cm) of top rim. Add hot liquid to cover tomatoes to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more tomatoes and hot liquid. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining tomatoes and hot liquid.

5. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars – 20 minutes.

6. When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.

7. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

 

Reduced Sugar Apple Butter

Recipe Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Ingredients
4 lbs. Apples
1 cup Apple Cider
1/2 cup Sugar (or Sucralose, Honey, Agave)
1 T. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Allspice
1/4 t. Cloves

1. Wash apples well and remove stems. Peel and cut apples into quarters or eighths and remove cores.

2. Combine unpeeled apples and cider in an 8-quart saucepan. Cook slowly and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until apples are very soft (falling apart).

3. If your apples have been peeled, using a potato masher, mash them in the pot. If your apples have not been peeled then position a food mill or strainer securely over a large bowl. Press cooked apples with cider through the food mill or strainer to make a pulp. Be sure to collect all the pulp that comes through the food mill or strainer; for example, scrape any pulp clinging under the food mill into the bowl.

4. Combine pulp with sugar and spices in an 8-quart (about 7 ½ litre) saucepan. Simmer over low heat, stirring frequently. [Tip: Use an immersion blender to mix in the spices and to create a smoother apple butter]

5. When cooking down the apples, you want to leave the lid ajar or use a splatter screen. This will allow for evaporation. Another trick is to support the lid by laying two wooden spoons across the top of the pot.

6. To test for doneness, spoon a small quantity onto a clean plate; when the butter mounds on the plate without liquid separating around the edge of the butter, it is ready for processing. Another way to test for doneness is to remove a spoonful of the cooked butter on a spoon and hold it away from steam for 2 minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon.

This stuff is good, pho real!

I often enjoy any opportunity to abandon all other responsibilities in order to spend the entire day in the kitchen. The laundry could be piling up. The puppy could be nipping at my heels for playtime. The house could be in complete disarray. Yet the minute I think of a fun cooking project, any chance of getting my to-do list whittled down is completely lost. 

I couldn't remember my last all day cooking adventure, so when Eric said he wanted us to make pho, the traditional way, I jumped at the chance! Although making pho from scratch is time consuming, it's really not that difficult. You may be able to buy a huge bowl of pho from your favorite Vietnamese restaurant for under $10, but who can resist a steaming bowl of fresh pho right from your own kitchen? We can't!

It was all about layering flavors. Beef bones boiled in water created a simple broth to act as the base. Charred onion and ginger added a mellow, sweet flavor. Star anise, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, cloves and cardamom came together to round out that perfect pho taste. 

Jalapenos, limes, bean sprouts, cilantro and basil topped the bowl off and all we could do was sit back, take a deep breath and savor every last drop in each of our bowls.

  

Now it's your turn to try - it'll be photastic!

Vietnamese Pho - Beef Noodle Soup

This recipe is from Jaden Hair over at Steamy Kitchen, she adapted this recipe from 

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen.

THE BROTH
2 onions, halved
4″ nub of ginger, halved lengthwise
5-6 lbs of good beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle
1 lb of beef meat – chuck, brisket, rump, cut into large slices [optional]
6 quarts of water
1 package of Pho Spices [1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbl coriander seeds, 1 tbl fennel seeds, 5 whole star anise, 1 cardamom pod, 6 whole cloves - in mesh bag]
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (halve if using regular table salt)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 inch chunk of yellow rock sugar (about 1 oz) – or 1oz of regular sugar

THE BOWLS
2 lbs rice noodles (dried or fresh)
cooked beef from the broth
1/2 lb flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin as possible.
big handful of each: mint, cilantro, basil
2 limes, cut into wedges
2-3 chili peppers, sliced
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha hot sauce

Char: Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.

Parboil the bones: Fill large pot (12-qt capacity) with cool water. Boil water, and then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.

Boil broth: Add ginger, onion, spice packet, beef, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the beef meat and set aside (you’ll be eating this meat later in the bowls) Continue simmering for another 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning – this is a crucial step. If the broth’s flavor doesn’t quite shine yet, add 2 teaspoons more of fish sauce, large pinch of salt and a small nugget of rock sugar (or 1 teaspoon of regular sugar). Keep doing this until the broth tastes perfect.

Prepare noodles & meat: Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible – try freezing for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Remember the cooked beef meat that was part of your broth? Cut or shred the meat and set aside. Arrange all other ingredients on a platter for the table. Your guests will “assemble” their own bowls. Follow the directions on your package of noodles – there are many different sizes and widths of rice noodles, so make sure you read the directions. For some fresh rice noodles, just a quick 5 second blanch in hot water is all that’s needed. The package that I purchased (above) – needed about 45 seconds in boiling water.

Ladling: Bring your broth back to a boil. Line up your soup bowls next to the stove. Fill each bowl with rice noodles, shredded cooked beef and raw meat slices. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. the hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish.

Chocolate cake makes everything better.

Little miss puppy chewed her leg splint off.

Kitty boys were throwing a tantrum for second helpings of dinner. 

I remembered I get to drive all three of the furry children 45 minutes to the vet tomorrow. 

It was a bake-a-cake-at-10pm kind of night.