Kitchen Notes: Hard Apple Cider

A month after I started fermenting a batch, I thought I should write up the recipe.. you know, in case I get the urge to make more. I didn't actually start with a recipe; just a process. Despite Washington state being a leading producer of apples in the US, procuring fresh pressed apple cider is not cheap. For raw, unpasteurized cider, it costed $4/half gallon locally procured. 

2013-11-08, day 2 fermentation going strong

Timeline

Nov 3 - procured equipment (1 gallon glass jug w/ cap, fermentation lock)
Nov 7 - added yeast to fresh sweet cider
Nov 16 - added 1/8 tsp pectin enzyme (for liquid clarity)
Dec 1 - CO2 has stopped and the water in the fermentation lock has leveled out
Dec 14 - a lot of sediment at the bottom

Batch 1 Ingredients

1 gallon fresh pressed apple cider (raw, unpastuerized)
1/2 packet champagne yeast

I used the potassium metabisulfite powder (also known as a Campden tablet) to sterilize the gallon-size glass jug, as well as the liquid funnel, fermentation lock, stopper, etc. Wikipedia says that you can also use this stuff to neutralize tear gas. I didn't add any directly to the cider to kill off the wild yeast. I'll just have to wait and see what happens to the end product.

After two weeks at an average kitchen temp of 62 degrees F, the batch stopped producing CO2. At the moment, all I need to do is transfer the fermented liquid to clean containers and then maybe let that sit for another three months.

This process is a result of looking at the recipes at Imbibe Magazine. Nearly every site says to pasteurize the cider with heat (not to let it boil) or use a Campden tablet. I did not do this step. There's a chance that the wild yeast will make the cider taste better, or worse. I want to see what impact the wild yeast has on it. Besides, I have another gallon of raw sweet cider in the freezer if I were to make a second batch.

2013-12-14, have not touched the cider. It's still in the fermenting container. Has a much lighter, blonde color after the pectin enzyme was added. And, definitely does not smell like sweet cider anymore. Smells alcoholic.

Roasted Carrots

A lot of foods are tastier when roasted: garlic, bacon, bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, etc. I usually have carrots in the fridge as a stock-making component, or to add to soups and stews. Because carrots are really low in calories (25 per medium carrot), it seems like a lot of trouble to bake them. Nevertheless, here is the recipe.

In the Pacific NW, I grow thyme outside and it is winter hardy. There has already been a dusting of snow and nearly two weeks of freezing temperatures. The plant seems to be doing fine.

Ingredients

a bunch of organic carrots, trimmed and split lengthwise
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Wash the carrots. No need to peel them. Trim off the ends, then halve the carrots lengthwise. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil on top of the carrots and toss the carrots to coat with oil.

2. Sprinkle on a generous amount of fresh thyme leaves. Add salt and black pepper.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Simple Stovetop Mac and Cheese

There are times when I reach for that 99-cent box of mac 'n' cheese at the store and pause for a long time on the cheese sauce ingredient list. Surely, there must be a better way to get my fix for this besides making a huge batch of it and then freezing individual portions. Besides, this is one dish that doesn't taste all that great reheated, or frozen then reheated for that matter.

Ingredients

1/2 lb elbow macaroni
10 oz shredded cheese, preferably cheddar
2 eggs
6 oz evaporated milk
1/2 tsp hot sauce
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Bring to a boil in a large pot enough water to cook macaroni. When pasta is al-dente or almost soft, drain and put back into the same pot. Add butter to pasta and stir until melted.

2. Add egg mixture to the pasta and stir to combine. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted.

Measurements can be halved to make fewer servings. You can make this with unsweetened rice milk. I've read elsewhere that you can simmer a cup of rice milk until it is more concentrated like an evaporated milk substitute; but, why not just use 6 oz of rice milk instead. After all, rice milk is just the byproduct of ground rice and water. I would not go so far as to use a cheese substitute for the cheese part. The texture would just not be the same.

Source: Alton Brown

Mulled Apple Cider

This recipe is pretty simple and is a crowd favorite for any autumn or winter holiday. It can be prepared on the stove (over low-medium heat) or in a slow cooker (4 hours on low).

Ingredients

1 gallon fresh pressed apple juice or apple cider
peel of one navel orange
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a pot and let simmer over low heat.

Slow Cooker: Beef and Vegetable Soup

Soups are good make-ahead meals. This batch makes about three quarts of soup. I thought it tasted a bit spicy, so I may leave out the paprika and black pepper next time.

Ingredients

1 lb beef stew meat
1 qt organic vegetable or beef broth
2 14-oz cans of organic diced tomatoes
4 organic carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, diced
1 oz red wine
1/4 c unbleached white flour
1/2 c pearl barley (optional)

herbs & spices:
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika (optional)
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar (optional, if soup tastes acidic)

Directions

1. Combine ingredients except for flour and pearl barley in the slow cooker, starting with the chopped vegetables, followed by meat, herbs and spices.

2. Cook for 6 hours on "high".

3. (optional) In a separate pot, bring a 1.5 cups of water to boil. Add pearl barley, cover the pot and cook on low-medium for 45 minutes. Turn off heat. Fluff with a fork and add to slow cooker. Stir to distribute the pearl barley evenly throughout the soup.

Garlic Bread Sticks

Let's say that you have a bag and a half of unused hot dog buns. What to do with them? For the most part, it is just bread and not just any sort of bread. It's the kind of bread that one eats meat with. Why not add a some garlic powder and butter?

There are two ways to do this. The first is to use tin foil and bake them until the butter melts and the garlic powder gives its essence to the bread.

The second method is by stove top and is just as easy to do. First you need a flat grill pan or 10" skillet. Basically, a pan large enough to accommodate four halves of hot dog buns.

By the way, the same can be done with leftover hamburger buns too.

Ingredients

hot dog buns, halved lengthwise
unsalted butter
garlic powder
kosher salt, to taste

Directions

If your hot dog buns don't already come split in the middle, do so with a sharp knife and slather the flat sides of the buns with butter and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt.

Place butter-side down onto a hot skillet and fry until the bread is lightly golden brown. Remove from heat and eat.

Mildly Spicy Cheese Sauce (for Nachos)

Ever have leftover parts of food items from a BBQ? This is one easy recipe that uses those leftover slices of bulk cheese. 

Ingredients

8-10 cheddar cheese slices, thinly sliced

1/2 c half 'n half or milk

2 tbsp diced green chilies

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Toss the cheese and cornstarch together until the cheese is evenly coated. 

2.  In a small nonstick pot, melt the cheese over low heat. Add 1/4 c of the dairy and stir occasionally. Add chilies and spices. Stir to blend together. Add remaining dairy. Stir until cheese has melted. Pour over nachos or serve as a cheese dip. 

Herbed Focaccia Bread

This year I have been making a lot of different breads. In a 4-person household, we have already gone through more than 50# of flour this year, though not all of it from my bread making experiments. This recipe ratio and process comes from the Herbfarm Cookbook. The HerbFarm is a farm-to-table restaurant on Seattle's eastside.

Herbed Focaccia Bread, fresh from the oven

Ingredients

2 cups lukewarm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary (two large sprigs, stems removed)
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh thume
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 1/2 c King Arthur bread flour, plus more if kneading by hand
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions


1. Add yeast to warm water and let sit for a few minutes to bloom (foam up); then add half the herb mix to it. Set aside.

2. Measure out 4.5 cups of bread flour and whisk together in a large mixing bowl with kosher salt.. Pour in yeast-herb water. From outer-to-inner, use a rubber spatula to gently combine the water and flour together. This makes a very shaggy looking dough. On a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out and knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. For a warm, humid day, this dough came together surprisingly easy. Roll it into a ball and put it into a clean mixing bowl. Set a large plate on top and let it rise until doubled in volume for 1.5 hours.

3. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together olive oil and remaining herbs. After the first rise, empty the dough into the bowl with the herbs and punch down. Let rise a second time for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with a pizza stone or tile.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour out blob of dough from the bowl onto the parchment paper. The herbs and oil should be on the top part of the dough. Spread out the dough so that it is rectangular or oval. Use your fingers to create dimples in the dough.

5. Transfer the dough with the parchment paper to the pizza stone and bake for 25 minutes.

6. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Kale Chips, the easier way

Nearly year-round, both Trader Joe's and Costco carry bags of pre-washed, ready-to-use fresh kale leaves. This takes a lot of the prep work for these chips away since all you need to do now is remove whatever stems are still attached to the leaves. By the end of summer, the stems are usually thick and woody and not terribly good for eating.

Fresh kale ready to be baked in the oven

In two 5-quart mixing bowls, separate one Trader Joe's bag of fresh kale leaves into equal portions. With each bowl, you'll be able to spread the leaves in a single layer across two 17" x 11" rimmed cookie sheets. 

Add a teaspoon of olive oil to each bowl and work the oil onto the leaves with your hands.

If you are going to lightly salt these, use less than 1/4 tsp of regular table salt or sea salt. A little bit of salt goes a long way. I used a Himalayan pink salt that I ground into a finer texture using a mortar and pestle. You don't have to do this. I just wanted to see what it would taste like. 

Kale chips, ready to eat!

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees F oven for 9-10 minutes.

Baked Nachos with Black Beans and Sundried Tomatoes

For a rainy August day, this dish really hit the spot. I thought I'd add in some sun-dried tomatoes for flavor and color contrast. I found that the shallowest oven-safe dish I had to use was a pie plate, imagine that. If I make this again, I think I will try making a cheese sauce for the nachos.

Ingredients

some quantity of organic tortilla chips
a large quantity of a cheese (jack cheese)
an equal portion of another cheese (grass-fed sharp cheddar cheese)
6-8 sun-dried tomato strips, roughly chopped
1/2 can of organic black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Layer ingredients starting with chips at the bottom, followed by cheese, then beans and some sun-dried tomatoes. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until all the cheese has melted.

Ravioli Filling #2 - Lobster Mushroom/Sundried Tomato/Ricotta Cheese

Ah, finally found the small square of paper I scribbled out the ingredient ratio on. This might have well just been sun-dried tomato and ricotta cheese. I couldn't taste the lobster mushrooms at all. The other flavors in this filling mixture were too too strong. Definitely in retrospect, the amount of sun-dried tomatoes was too much for this batch. And, the cheese should have been the liquidish stuff instead of the dried curds from Trader Joe's. Alas, I couldn't taste the lobster mushrooms at all. <sad face>

Ingredients

1 c dried lobster mushrooms (rehydrated and coarsely chopped)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c whole milk ricotta cheese
3-4 sun-dried tomato strips, finely chopped
1 egg white
1 tsp each fresh basil, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp each dried oregano and marjoram (if not available fresh)

Whirl all the ingredients together in a food prep until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Let chill in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Ravioli Filling #1 - Sausage/Ricotta/Spinach

An afterthought note on the ricotta cheese. At the store there were two types of ricotta cheese. One came in a pint tub, but was nonfat ricotta cheese. I'm not sure how this is even possible since cheese is made from the coagulation of the protein and fats in dairy. The other was dry and crumbled; and notably very salty. There was so much salt in the ricotta cheese that it overpowered all other ingredients in the ravioli. I couldn't taste the spinach or the sage. And heck, the cheese was saltier than the Italian pork sausage. If you're going to procure ricotta cheese for this recipe, skip Trader Joe's. Neither of TJ's ricotta cheese products are right for making ravioli. You'll want to get a ricotta cheese made from whole milk. Anyhow, onto the Better Homes & Gardens recipe ratio.

Each ravioli uses 1 tsp of mix, so keep that in mind if you have only made one batch of ravioli pasta dough.

Makes 1 cup.

Ingredients

4 oz Italian pork sausage (if you buy the links, simply remove the casings from 2 of them)

3/4 c fresh spinach leaves, packed

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1/3 c ricotta cheese

1 tsp fresh sage, minced

1/8 tsp grated whole nutmeg or ground nutmeg

Directions

1. If you bought sausage links instead of bulk sausage, simply remove the casings from two of the sausages. Fry sausage over medium heat and break up the sausage as it cooks. When no more pink remains, remove the sausage to a plate and add spinach to the hot pan. Cook the spinach until it wilts. Drain off the fat, if any.

2.  In a food processor, combine the cooked sausage and spinach. Pulse until it resembles ground pork.

3. In a medium bowl, combine egg yolk, ricotta cheese, sage, nutmeg. Stir in sausage mixture. Cover and chill until needed.

This is more than enough filling to make twenty 1" ravioli, each filled with 1 tsp filling.

Basic Pasta Dough for Ravioli

This recipe ratio comes from the French Laundry cookbook. First time making ravioli, second attempt at making pasta from scratch. There are two parts to any noodle dish. The most important part, I've discovered is having a pasta dough that tastes good on its own. It's not too salty; it holds up well to being boiled, and when you eat it, the pasta says: eat more, eat more. The second part is packaging. No, not how the product starts out, but how it looks when it ends up on your plate.

For a pasta-making beginner, this dough didn't exactly come together like it does in all those YouTube videos about how to make pasta dough from scratch; but what I can tell you (and the cookbook says this, so it must be true) is that you cannot overknead the dough.

I hope you are in shape because kneading the pasta dough by hand is an upper body workout!

Ingredients

1 3/4 c (8 oz) all purpose flour
6 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp milk

Directions

Mound the flour in the center of a Silpat mat or large cutting board. Make a well in the center large enough to accommodate the wet ingredients (milk, egg yolks, whole egg, and olive oil). Pour wet ingredients into the well.

Mixing. Using your fingers, break the eggs up and turn the flour in a circular motion (same direction, don't go all changing direction when incorporating the wet ingredients into the flour). Supposedly this circular motion helps to incorporate the flour into the eggs otherwise it'll be all lumpy. Eventually the mixture will get too tight to keep turning with your fingers.

At this stage, I thought I had more of the ingredients stuck to my hands than what was on the board. My hands looked as though I'd been sparring with the Pillsbury dough boy. Alas, I think this is normal. 

Kneading.  Knead the dough by pressing it in a forward motion with the heels of your hands. Do this several times until the dough doesn't feel sticky. Let the dough rest for a few minutes. Form the dough into a ball and knead it again until the dough becomes silky smooth. What was interesting that the more I kneaded the dough, the more it came off my hands and by the time I felt like I was done kneading, most of it was off my hands. 

I'm not sure that the dough ever got to the silky smooth stage from kneading; but after I let it rest in a closed plastic food storage container, the dough was smooth and pliable.

The cookbook suggests that kneading can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. This might be true if you were a seasoned bread maker with massive forearms. I think this step took me longer.

Resting. You could wrap the dough in plastic wrap, but a sealable airtight plastic container will suffice.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to an hour before making it into something else, like noodles or ravioli.

Making. This batch of dough made 40 ravioli dumplings, though I'm sure more could have been made if I didn't waste so much figuring out the hand-cranked pasta machine. The cookbook says to take this ball of dough and cut it into thirds, then each third (roughly 5 oz each by weight) should be cut in half. The amount of dough that should be fed through the pasta machine is 2.5 oz. I used a digital kitchen scale to measure out the dough.

I ran the dough through the pasta machine starting from the largest width setting (7) to the second smallest (2). I found that the smallest setting on that machine makes a paper-thin, translucent sheet of pasta; maybe this is how filo dough is made. Run the pasta through the machine 2-3 times per knob setting, gradually making it thinner.

Most pasta recipes will tell you to fold it and turn it a quarter. I watched a YouTube video on this because I had no conceptual idea what the cookbook was talking about. I used an egg wash (1 egg yolk + water) with a pastry brush on one side of the ravioli and pressed the two sheets of pasta dough together after putting in the filling. That method worked well for sealing it.

Dumplings for Chicken Fricasse

This ingredient ratio was adapted from the Pacific Northwest the Beautiful cookbook and was used in a chicken fricassee recipe of the same book. When the stew is done, eat the dumplings first. Imagine hot and steamy bread-based dumplings drenched in a hearty chicken stew and that's what it tastes like. The dumplings are not as good through multiple reheatings and become rather dense. They are pretty much as good as they're going to get when made fresh the first day. There usually isn't as much stew liquid leftover to accommodate more dumplings.

Chicken Fricassee (imagine fried then braised chicken,
served up in its own broth)

Ingredients

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c half n half

additional water, optional if the batter is too dry

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. Add milks and stir gently to combine.

2. Drop by rounded tablespoons into simmering broth. Cook for 15-20 min, until puffy and dumplings float to the top.

The finished dumplings after cooking in the broth.
I removed them from the pot so that they could
be evenly distributed in bowls.

Green Tea Pound Cake

This recipe comes from the book Perfect Cakes by Chef Nick Malgieri. I made a few adjustments to the recipe, not much, but don't go broke buying matcha green tea powder when you can make it yourself using ordinary loose leaf green tea. Because I didn't use the bright green-colored matcha tea powder and used unbleached all-purpose flour, the cake itself had a green tea flavor and had a muddy-green color when I took it out of the oven. I also overfilled the loaf pan (the cake does rise by double its volume) and baked the cake for 15 minutes longer that what the original recipe calls for.

You don't need to buy the expensive matcha green tea powder for this recipe. If you have an electric coffee grinder, you can certainly make your own with any type of dried green tea. I used a combination of good quality green tea bags plus some Longjing loose leaf tea. The green tea powder that anyone can make is called konacha, or "powder tea". Since this is for a bread-based dessert, you don't need to get the green tea as finely milled as you can with a coffee grinder, as you might with a mochi or green tea ice cream recipe.

Makes 1 loaf (9" x 5" x 3")

Ingredients

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp green tea powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
5 large eggs, separated
a pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter and line a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan with parchment paper.

1. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. A small bowl for the yolks, and  a 5-qt mixing bowl for the whites.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, tea powder, baking powder, and powdered sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or toss in all these ingredients in step 1 into a food processor and pulse until crumbs form). Gently fold in one egg yolk at a time with a rubber spatula.

3. Add the pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat with a balloon whisk (or use an electric mixer with a balloon whisk attachment) until medium peaks form. When you lift the whisk out of the eggs, the foam should mostly hold its shape and be white and opaque in color.

4. Gently fold the egg whites into the flour mixture until no white streaks remain.

5. Fill a prepared loaf pan with the batter half way, the cake will rise and double in volume. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack before slicing.

Basic Yaki Udon

It could very well be that I misread the instructions on the noodle package, but I was complimented that these noodles tasted very good with how I prepared them. For the most part, yaki udon (also, yakiudon) is a Japanese-origin noodle dish which came about after the mid-1940s. At it's core, it's a noodle dish served with a special sauce (equal parts of oil and soy sauce), a meat, and vegetables. At restaurants it is typically served with cabbage, carrots, and scallions; along with a serving of cooked chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp.

If you cook the entire package of noodles, it will feed 3-4 people; so adjust the protein measurements according to how many people you are serving these noodles to.

The ingredients:

1 (9.5 oz) pkg of organic udon noodles
2-4 oz cooked protein per serving (e.g., sliced braised beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu, etc)

The sauce:

4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions; for me that means adding the noodles to a pot of boiling water (unsalted) and letting them cook to a rolling boil (foamy). Drain the noodles and rinse briefly under cold water, but don't cool the noodles down entirely.

2. In a separate large pot, heat green onions, soy sauce, olive oil and sesame oil on low-medium heat; just enough so that the oils mingle together. Add the noodles to this pot and stir with a large wooden, plastic, or rubber spatula until all the flavors are combined and the noodles are coated with the sauce. Transfer noodles to a single serving bowl or to individual bowls.

Enjoy.

(Dungeness) Crab and Corn Chowder

You can use any type of crab for this chowder, except for shore crabs. I used Dungeness crab since it's available locally and is still in season. It certainly tastes awesome with the bread I made yesterday. No idea on how heavy the crab was prior to being shelled, but it yielded 1.5 cups of cooked crab meat.

Here's a breakdown of what it costs to make this chowder from scratch:

1 Dungeness crab, cooked (roughly $8 per whole crab, about a pound)
2 white potatoes, $0.50
2 c chicken broth (1/2 quart), $1.00
2 green onion stalks (assuming 8 stalks per bunch and $0.50/bunch), $0.16
1/4 c flour (10# flour at $4), $0.02
2 tbsp unsalted butter (at $3/lb), $0.38
3 organic celery stalks (your yield may vary, this is based on a $2 bag), $0.30
salt, black pepper, and various spices, $0.25
One 16 oz bag of cut sweet corn, $1.69
2 c (16 oz) of organic half 'n' half, $2

Yield: 2 quarts (8 one-cup servings)
Total: $14.30
Cost per cup: $1.79

When ingredient sourcing, food prep, and cook time is factored into the cost, that $5 bowl of chowder you get at the restaurant is actually a pretty good deal.

Kitchen Notes: Rosemary Sourdough Bread

What a time consuming recipe, and I'm not just talking about the sourdough starter (recipe) that I started on Monday. It still had to be mixed into a dough and risen twice, and then baked for an hour. Regardless of its appearance fresh from the oven, the bread smells so good. I want to hack into it now and slather it up with the garlic butter I melted earlier for the artichokes.

Batch #1: Rosemary Sourdough Bread,
Problem: no glossy sheen to the crust
Resolution: oven needs more moisture at 400 degrees F

You know how SF sourdough has that particular crust that kind of looks like it has this magical sheen to it? I need more moisture in the oven. Fortunately, I have procured a spray bottle for the water for the second loaf that I'll get around to attempting tomorrow.

Here's what went into this loaf:

2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 c sourdough starter
1 tbsp vital wheat gluten (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 fresh rosemary leaves, whole and chopped
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp olive oil (for the bowl that the bread will rise in)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (to brush the top of the loaf before baking)

Mix all the ingredients together except for the olive oil and butter until the dough is elastic and no longer sticks to itself, the mixer, or the bowl. In a stand mixer, this took maybe 10 minutes on a very low speed. Remove dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a plate, kitchen towels, or plastic wrap. Let rise for 1.5 to 2 hours.

While you are doing this next step, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it again, this time, shape it into a shape you want to bake it in. I was aiming for a square and got a boule (ball shaped) again. Let this rise a second time for an hour. Score the top with a sharp knife and brush on melted butter.

Baked uncovered in a Dutch oven (Emeril just uses a baking stone or heavy baking sheet) for an hour. It still needs moisture, so use a spray bottle and mist the sides of the oven and the top of the bread maybe every 20 minutes until the bread is done. You are aiming for a chewy, golden brown crust with a spongy, sour bread inside. Misting the oven can help achieve a glossy surface on the loaf.

About that sourdough starter...

I took 1.5 cups of starter out from the jar and replaced it with 1.5 cups of AP flour plus 1.5 cups of warm water (just heat the water in the microwave for 30 seconds in a glass Pyrex measuring cup, it'll be at the perfect temp for the poolish).

The previous night (Friday), I was starting to get concerned about the starter since I hadn't actually been feeding it all week. I added in 1/3 cup warm water and 1/3 cup all purpose flour. I swear my eyes and nose could not tell the difference in the before and after. The starter still had a sour-ish, almost alcoholic smell to it (that's the yeast's byproduct). Most starter recipes will tell you to refrigerate it, well, you could also leave it out on the kitchen counter in a jar covered with a kitchen cloth if it is 50 degrees F outside and damp; inside the house during the day the temp is about 65 degrees F. When you read other people's comments on this particular recipe on AllRecipes with the yeast growing at a ridiculous rate, the ambient temperature of one's kitchen is probably above 70 degrees F.

I have the notion that once the starter successfully ferments, that's when you add in more flour+water to the starter and put it in the refrigerator. As scary as it sounds, the "wild" yeast and bacteria in the starter should be strong enough to fight off any other bacteria from growing. When it can't, like the temperature just isn't kosher for the yeast anymore (like it's too hot), that's when bad things happen (turns pink, smells rotten, grows things other than yeast, etc.) and you have to throw the starter out.

Also, if you think you have a good thing going with your starter, reserve half a cup of it and freeze it. That way if your master batch ever goes wonky, dies, or someone in the household mistakenly tosses the starter, you'll still have some to grow again. You just need to thaw it for 24 hours and add more flour+warm water to it in a glass jar so that it comes alive again; and wait at least three days for it to really get itself going again, or so I've read.

Moroccan Couscous Salad

I thought the prep for this salad was very similar to a quinoa salad, where the couscous is cooked and fresh diced vegetables are added to it, then served up warm or chilled. It's very easy to do. The longest prep time of the recipe is chopping the vegetables. This ingredient ratio is adapted from the Bon Apetit magazine. I served this with the Moroccan Roasted Chicken.

Ingredients

2 c low-sodium, organic chicken broth
8 oz Israeli couscous
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 English cucumber, unpeeled and diced
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
grated lemon peel from 1 lemon
juice of 1 medium lemon (2-3 tbsp)

Directions

1. In a 2 or 3 quart pot (with a lid), bring broth and spices to a boil. Add couscous, stir, and turn off heat. Cover with a lid and let it sit for 15-20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

2. Add vegetables, lemon juice, and lemon peel to the pot and stir to combine. Transfer couscous salad to a serving dish. Serve warm or chilled.

Quick Preserved Lemon

Preserved lemon is a common ingredient to chutneys and by itself as a condiment. I used this recipe as part of a lemon-onion sauce for some roasted chicken. Bittman of the NY Times food section uses a ratio of 2:1 for sugar to salt. I adjusted the salt down, but it was still too salty in the sauce. The salty-sweet-sour of the lemon is a good flavor though. In retrospect, I'd eliminate the added salt in the chutney recipe.

Ingredients

1 fresh lemon
1 tbsp organic granulated sugar
2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Wash, halve and de-seed the lemon. Slice lemon into 1/4" dice and put into a glass jar with its juice. Add salt and sugar. Muddle the ingredients together, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Use this in recipes that call for preserved lemon.

Moroccan Roasted Chicken

This, like many in the cuisine, is a multi-step process which involves a fair amount of time for the ingredients to marinate. This batch marinated for a few days in the refrigerator; though it could probably be used as early as the next day. The lemon-onion chutney sauce that goes with it is probably better when eaten in a very hot and dry climate. At 50 degrees F and damp in the Pacific NW in late May, the sauce was far too salty. The original recipe calls for a whole chicken and has a much longer cooking time.

Ingredients for Marinade

8 chicken bone-in, skin-on thighs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a resealable plastic bag or food-safe container. Gently rub the spices with the oil into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Line a shallow baking pan with a Silpat mat that will fit inside. Evenly space chicken pieces on the pan. A lot of fat will render out of the chicken skin, but don't worry, this will help the skin really crisp up later. Bake for an hour.

3. Using tongs, gently turn chicken over. It is possible, even with a Silpat, that the chicken will stick to the mat. Return chicken, skin-side up, for another 10-15 minutes, until the skin is very crispy. Remove chicken from baking pan and set in a covered glass dish. Serve hot.

Roasted Fennel and Tomato

One bulb is not enough for more than one person and the while some of the more thinly cut slices were charred instead of caramelizing, it still tasted pretty decent for a side dish. It is sad to see that our state considers this plant to be a noxious weed and prefers to use herbicide to eradicate common fennel than to allow people to harvest it for free. Seriously, all public lands management would need to do is post an alert saying that there's a free vegetable that people can harvest and it would all be picked; of course that would also encourage visitors to pick all the other native plants that managed land and state parks have.

Ingredients

One (or more) fennel bulbs, washed and cored
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp olive oil + more if needed, for roasting
handful of whole grape or cherry tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp organic sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Slice fennel bulb(s) in half and take out the core. Thinly slice the bulb as you would celery or any root vegetable.

2. Toss fennel with garlic, salt, sugar, lemon juice, tomatoes, and olive oil.

3. Arrange fennel in a glass baking dish (I used a 9" x 13") and bake for 30 minutes. Check the oven after 15 minutes and stir the vegetables around.

4. Remove from heat and serve on a plate, as a condiment or side dish for another entree.

Sourdough Starter Batch #1

Hopefully it'll ferment in time to make some loaves for this weekend's BBQ. This particular starter recipe doesn't make you feed it every day. This is fortunate because the slacker in me doesn't want to do that. Instead, the fermentation time is 4-8 days and you need to check the starter for signs that it is not doing well, like the entire mixture turns pink (bad sign! toss it out and start over). You only start to feed the starter once you take a cup of it out for a bread recipe.

Starter Recipe Ratio

1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
2 c all purpose unbleached flour
2 c warm water (between 105 and 110 degrees F)

Maintenance Ratio

1 c warm water
1 c all purpose unbleached flour
+ a pinch of sugar

I started the starter in a large wide-mouth glass jar and covered it with a kitchen towel secured by a rubber band. At the moment, it is sitting in a corner of the kitchen counter.

AB Broiled Artichokes

For this dish, broiling is not a good substitute for a grill. The roasting time and amount of heat exposure for the first crop of artichokes this season is too little and too much at the same time. The artichoke certainly takes on a toasted look but even after 8 minutes with the cut-side up and 5 mins on the reverse, the artichokes were still not cooked all the way through. And, despite only having the added flavors of salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and lemon juice; tasters noted hints of nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce. The heart parts were pretty tough. I think steaming or parboiling the chokes before placing them in the broiler would be good for the next time.

Ingredients

2 large globe artichokes, halved with choke removed
up to 1/4 c. olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
juice of one lemon

Directions

Preheat oven with broiler set on high. (AB's instructions say to just turn the broiler on but the one I'm using has two settings: high and low.)

1. Halve and clean artichokes, taking the thistle (hairy) part of the choke out of the vegetable and trimming off the spiky tops of the top part of the artichoke with a sharp knife. Immediately put the cut artichoke into cold water with some lemon juice to help prevent the artichoke from browning. It really doesn't matter much after you roast it since the ideal color is slightly charred (if grilling) or lightly browned (if broiling/baking).

2. Drain and spin the artichokes dry in a salad spinner. Then put into a large bowl with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

3. Place artichokes on a Silpat-lined or greased baking tray and place in the oven for 5-6 minutes, then flip over for an additional 3 minutes. 

4. Remove from heat and eat.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

By the name of the recipe, you'd think that basil was the only herb that goes into this soup. There are certainly quite a few strong flavors in this batch, notwithstanding the crab stock I used in lieu of chicken stock. At the moment it is simmering on the stove and looks quite normal. Hope it tastes okay. I'll just have to wait and see if anyone notices that crab stock was used or if anyone can tell. When I made butternut squash soup the other day with crab stock, I couldn't tell the difference. Original recipe ratio is from Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook; what lies below is close to but not really. It reflects ingredients that I had on hand. This version is not vegetarian.

Ingredients

1 quart of crab stock (can substitute with chicken broth, vegetable broth)
1-2 cups of fresh basil leaves, whole
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced
6 medium roma tomatoes, diced
1 (14 oz) can of organic diced tomatoes
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
small fresh basil leaves, to garnish
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ( don't know what this really is, so I used chili pepper flakes)
1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme
olive oil, for roasting the tomatoes
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 c organic heavy cream, optional
pinch of baking soda and/or sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. In a 9" x 13" glass baking dish, arrange tomatoes cut-side down in a single layer. Drizzle a fair amount (up to 1/4 cup) of good quality olive oil on top and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 40 minutes. It's okay if the skins get charred, that's what it means to roast a vegetable.

2. While the tomatoes are roasting... In an 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil, butter, red pepper flakes, garlic and onions. Let the onions sweat for at least 10 minutes over medium heat. It's okay if the onions start to caramelize, that will add a nutty-sweet taste to the soup.

3. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Let simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.

4. If you want to see some texture in this soup, take out the basil leaves before taking an immersion blender to the soup; otherwise, it'll just be green bits of something in the soup. This can be served hot or cold; except if you are having dinner guests, I don't advise making this soup 1-2 hours before they arrive since the soup will not chill properly if serving it up cold.

Blend soup until smooth. The soup still tasted acidic after the tiny bit of sugar and baking soda that I added. I also added some heavy cream and blended that in before serving.

5. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with fresh basil.

Broiled Basil Chicken

This chicken entree was supposed to have more Thai flavor. The key ingredient of real Thai basil was the missing flavor essence from the marinade. I used boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs for this dish. I suppose you could use other cuts of poultry, and the cook times will be different. Better Homes and Gardens has an easy to use time table by cut for broiling.

broiled basil chicken, hot from the oven

As far as meal prep goes, this one is pretty simple if you have all the ingredients on hand. I used a large resealable container to marinade the chicken.

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 chopped fresh basil, preferably Thai basil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp (up to 1 tbsp) chili sauce (I used a basic sirracha sauce)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

0. Combine all ingredients together in a resealable container and marinade for at least an hour, several hours, or overnight.

1. Place chicken on a broiling pan, or a lightly greased baking pan if you don't have a broiling pan.

2. If you need to move oven racks so that the meat is about five inches from the flame (if using a gas oven), you should do so now before turning the broiler on.

3. Let the oven heat up. Most modern ovens will tell you when the temperature is right. I have never measured the ambient oven heat when using the broiler, so the only test for doneness is by using a meat thermometer and checking the thickest part of the meat. Internal temp for thighs should be 180 degrees F, for breasts it is 170 degrees F, and for patties it is 165 degrees F. Keep in mind that the chicken will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.

4. Broil chicken thighs for 20 minutes total, 10 minutes each side. Remove from heat and serve with hot steamed rice.

Dungeness Crab Cheesecake

This is a savory cheesecake and will be served up with some crackers as an appetizer. It is the same baking process as a dessert cheesecake, except this one is made without a water bath. Frankly, I think the only reason to bake it is so that the eggs get cooked; otherwise, everything else that went into the recipe can be eaten as is. This recipe ratio, minus the onions, is adaapted from the 1999 issue of Taste of Home. I baked this one in a 9" springform pan, like the one used for cakes. For the crab part of the recipe, I steamed a dungeness crab the previous night and reserved the meat.

Dungeness Crab Cheesecake. Looks a little boring.
Tastes like it desperately needs a contrasting flavor or
roasted red peppers added to it.

On the seafood seasoning, you could just use Old Bay seasoning; though in lieu of that, this is what goes into it: celery seed (adds a savory depth to meat rubs), black pepper (spicy), bay leaves (savory), cardamom pods (sweet & spicy), mustard seeds (savory), whole cloves (sweet & spicy), sweet paprika (mild & sweet, mostly for color) and ground mace (sweet).

[edit] This came out tasting terribly bland, like it was just cream cheese mixed with crab. To bring out the flavor more, perhaps next time add in a cup of shredded smoked gouda or fry some red/green/yellow/orange small diced bell peppers into it for color contrasts.

Ingredients

16 oz cream cheese, softened

3 oz sour cream

1 c crushed butter crackers + 1/4 c melted unsalted butter

1 c cooked dungeness crab meat, flaked

3 eggs lightly beaten

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp seafood seasoning (I used ground mace, smoked paprika, pinch of ground cloves)

dash of chili sauce (like a sirracha or Tabasco sauce)

freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, seafood seasoning, and chili sauce. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and sour cream. Beat together until smooth. Add in lightly beaten eggs, lemon juice, seafood seasoning, chili sauce and some freshly ground black pepper. Blend until smooth-ish.

3. Take 25-30 round butter crackers (like Ritz or Trader Joe's) and crush them with your hands, in a food prep, or in a sealable plastic bag with a bottle or rubber mallet. You could also substitute panko crumbs in this step, I suppose. Mix the cracker crumbs with melted butter and gently press into the bottom of a buttered springform cake pan.

4. Bake cracker crust for 10 minutes, remove from oven and turn oven heat down to 325 degrees F.

5. Pour cream cheese mixture into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to spread the filling evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, until center has set.

6. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the cheesecake from the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let refrigerate for an hour or more before serving.

Serve with freshly made bread or crackers.