Apple Cordial (revisited)

 I checked on my jar of apple cordial and it looks like chopped apples sitting in brandy.

 So, the chopped apples and cinnamon stick have been mingling with the brandy for about two weeks now. How long should I let it sit before I drink it? And, is cordial a drinking thing, or would it be more useful in desserts as a flavored brandy? Can't say I've had a cordial before. I suppose I could whirl the apples through my food processor and strain the liquid through both cheesecloth and a paper filter to get more clarity out of the liquid.

 

I remember someone associated with CoW made mead and triple filtered it. Was that a paper filter?

 

On a side note, seeing how every liquor shop/wine cellar I visit doesn't have a bottle of Sheridan's on their shelf, I might just try to make it myself. Although, I should probably get caps for my rootbeer bottles and brew that rootbeer kit. I think I've stocked enough bottles for a batch.

Apple Cordial

3 cups apples, coarsely chopped
3/4 cups sugar 
1 1/2 cups 80 proof brandy 
one 4" cinnamon stick, broken 

Directions: 

In a large screw top jar, combine all ingredients. Cover Tightly. Invert jar. Let stand for 24 hours. Turn jar upright, let stand 24 hours. Repeat turning process until sugar dissolves. 

Store in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks. Strain through a cheesecloth into decanter. 

 (Update: 2/27/2008) This jar has been sitting under the sink for quite some time now, although the lid is now really stuck. I haven't been able to decant it into a clean jar. *sigh*

The Anatomy of Spaghetti

I've never understood the allure of marinara sauce or the eating of pasta with it without meat. Maybe a vegetarian can explain it to me. There is a proper way to prepare a meat sauce, but sadly, I have yet to find a restaurant that even comes close to the Hsi family standards of making spaghetti sauce. Cooking for one isn't really that big of a challenge, except when it comes to this particular dish. When I make spaghetti, it's like I'm making it for the family again. What ends up happening is that I'll make a batch that'll maybe feed 4-6 people and freeze half the sauce and eat the rest over the course of the next week or so.

The marianara sauce, I'd always believed, is a base. People don't eat sauce bases. That's like sucking on a boullion cube then drinking a quart of water to make soup in your stomach as everything churns around. "Spaghetti sauce" is more like a stew in texture and composition. It's a tomato-based stew, IMHO. Of all the possible ingredients to go into the sauce, onions are not one of them. Unfortunately, there's only one way to get around the onion ingredient in pre-made marinara sauce, and that's to make it from scratch. But, not tonight 'cause I'm hungry and the jar of "spaghetti" sauce is available in my pantry.

There are some things that make me happy when I see a marinara meat sauce:
a) I see meat
b) There're no onions
c) Lots of shrooms!

The ingredient list:

6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb ground beef
One 25 oz jar of marinara sauce
One 14.5 oz can of tomatos
8 oz white/brown mushrooms, quartered
2-3 tbsp red/white/or rice wine
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp (or more) oregano
sugar, to taste
2-3 bay leaves

Prep and cook time for the sauce should take no more than 30-40 minutes, 'cause ya don't want to overcook the beef.

The "sauce" should look like it's 1/2 meat, 1/2 mushrooms, 1/2 sauce, and 1/2 everything else.

Ahhh.. dinner time.

Yeah, yeah. The pasta. I like the fusili (spiraly) pasta. Ya start both at the same time. Pasta takes a few minutes more to be al dente, fully cooked but not overly soft.

The order of operations:

1. Heat 2-3 tbsp cooking oil (I used olive oil, only 'cause it's the only oil I have) over medium-high heat
2. Add the chopped garlic and stir until the garlic has slightly browned
3. Remove the garlic to a small bowl (nobody likes burned garlic in spaghetti sauce)
4. Add the ground beef and stir until it is nearly browned everywhere
5. Turn heat down to medium and add the marinara sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, and everything else.
6. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for the remainder of the time until the pasta is done.

Basic Congee Recipe

This is a rice porridge with stuff in it.

If you had leftover steamed rice (white or brown), you can also use this as well. It will shorten the cook time. When the water boils, add cooked rice, then turn heat to low and simmer for 60-90 minutes, depending on thickness desired. If it's too thick, add more water. Congee has a consistency between soup and stew, appearing thick and creamy. Do not reheat this on medium or high heat, the starch in the rice will burn.

Yields:
4-6 servings, depending on how much rice and water is used

Main Ingredients:

1 c. short grain or 1/2 c. long grain rice
8 c. water, or unsalted/low sodium chicken stock

Any of the following additions:
shitake mushrooms, chopped
Up to 1-2 cups, coarsely chopped bok choy or napa cabbage
1-2 hundred-year-old egg, cubed/chopped
1-2 salted hard-boiled duck egg, cubed/chopped
dried scallops, reconstituted and chopped
salt, pepper to taste
sweet potato, peeled and diced
preserved salted/spicy turnip, thinly sliced
dry roasted peanuts
chopped green onion, as garnish
chopped cilantro, as garnish
finely shredded ginger, as garnish
soy sauce to taste, about 1-2 tbsp
Chinese rice wine or sherry, about 1-2 tbsp

Meat (choose one):
Up to 2 cups, cooked chicken/turkey/duck meat, chopped or shredded
1/2 lb boneless pork loin, cubed or minced

If using uncooked chicken:
Marinate the chicken with the 3 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp Chinese wine/sherry, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp white/black pepper, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Chop chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Marinate for 30 min or longer. Add after rice has come to a boil.

(x-post to LJ Foodporn)

O Madeline

Among other things, I am a dessert-a-holic. When I find a restaurant that serves really good desserts, it's not unlike me to work my way through their entire dessert menu, except for those sacrilegious ones that have embedded nuts, or other undesirable flavor combinations. While I did craft a dessert tonight, I don't think I'll be sharing it with the masses, e.g., my division. It's relatively inexpensive to make, easy to do, and has very little prep time. The dessert output is what I would call a limited edition batch, which, contrary to my other posting about how I eat less than 10% of any batch; I shall have to make another exception. As I stare at my dozen cookie rejects, in their misshapen forms, they still smell delicious and just make me want to brew some decaf to scarf these down before bed. I made madelines.. with real butter, organic sugar, a touch of lemon juice (from a real lemon!), and grated lemon peel in the batter. Mmmm.. and then! I dipped them in melted dark chocolate. I'll have to see if the chocolate sets okay in the morning. With this particular dessert cookie, they just might not make it out of my apt; if they do, the cookies'll be shared with a small handful of people.

Yield: 4 dozen
Material cost: low
Mad scientist factor: **