Holiday Baking

The holidays are upon us, or at least the sales at the supermarket for holiday baking are. So it's time to plan out holiday treats. I have five recipes that I will be using: Butter Cookies, Pizzelles, Biscotti, Cream Cheese Spritzers, and Fudge. The first recipe is my own, not sure where it is from. The second is from one of my mom's old customers, who always made her pizzelles when she would drop off the woman's hearing aid. The woman was from Italy and was 94 years old when she gave it to my mom, they are the best I've ever had. The last two are recipes are from my mother-in-law's recipe collection, and my husband's favorites. Everyone loves the fudge, it is the best I have had outside of Douglas Fudge in Wildwood, NJ. Get out your Fat Pants my friends, it's time for holiday goodness!

Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar

½ lb butter or margarine

1 1/3 can evaporated milk

1 ½ teaspoons cocoa

4 6-oz pkg chocolate chips

1 12oz jar marshmallow crème

1 ½ cup nuts (optional)

Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and bring to a hard boil, stirring often. Reduce to low heat and boil for 9 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat; take ¼ cup of mixture out. Stir cocoa into removed mixture; add the chocolate chips and cocoa mixture to the boiled ingredients and stir well. When chips are melted, add the marshmallow crème (and nuts, if using). Stir well and pour into two 9x12-inch pans; let cool for 2 hours. Score and cut; put into covered containers. Yield: 5 pound fudge.

Butter Cookies

2 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. vanilla

colored sugar/sprinkles for decoration

Combine ingredients. Beat at low speed, 1-2 minutes. Cover, refrigerate 2 hours. Roll out dough with rolling pin, cut with cookie cutter, decorate with sprinkles and/or colored sugar. Preheat oven to 400F, bake 6-10 minutes.

Pizzelles

3 ½ cups flour – sift 3 times

1 ½ cups sugar

6 Jumbo eggs

2 Tablespoons vanilla

2 Tablespoons anisette (the alcohol)

4 Tablespoons baking powder

2 Sticks Marjorine, melted (NOT BUTTER)

Preheat pizzelle iron. Mix well together. Drop approximately 1 tablespoon mixture on iron. Bake approximately 30 seconds. Makes approximately 6 dozen.

Cream Cheese Spritzes

1 package (8oz) cream cheese cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup butter or margarine, cut in chunks, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

for decoration: red/green candied cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F, have cookie sheets ready. In a medium-sized bowl or in food processor beat or process cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually mix in flour until well blended. Spoon 1 cup dough at a time into cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Press dough in 2-inch wreath shapes 1 ½ inches apart on cookie sheet. (Optional: Gently press a cherry in center of each wreath.) Bake 8-10 minutes until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to racks to cool. Makes 54.

Italian Biscotti

6 eggs

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 tsp lemon or vanilla or anise

5 to 6 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheet, set aside. Mix all ingredients – will be very sticky. Take about 1 cup of mixture and mold into oval shape. You should be able to place two loaves on a cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove, cut into slices and put back in oven to toast on each side.

Golden-Crusted Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are my weak spot and my weakness. I cannot say that I am very good at making these. However, this recipe, I nailed! It is also from Real Simple Celebrations, and it was a welcome addition to our Christmas Eve dinner last year.

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup whole milk (optional)

Heat oven to 400 F. Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes; return them to the pot and mash. Add 8 tablespoons of the butter, the cream, salt, and pepper and combine. If a thinner consistency is desired, add the milk a few tablespoons at a time. Transfer the potato mixture to a casserole dish and dot with the remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, until the top is crisp and golden, about 30 minutes.

Very basic and simple turkey

Fortunately before cooking my first turkey last year, I stopped at the library and checked out this book on a whim, Real Simple Celebrations. This book is a must-have, and I later purchased it. This was a simple and tasty recipe from that book, with a modification of adding the apple.

Also, prior to cooking this turkey, I purchased a Mauviel Aluminum Roaster from Williams-Sonoma, on the recommendation of Real Simple Magazine. I also purchase the world's most useful roasting rack, which doubles as a turkey lifter, Cuisipro Roast & Serve Roasting Rack. I purchased a carving set from Bed, Bath and Beyond, which has been very useful as well. Finally, I already owned a digital meat thermometer, which has forever changed how I cook meat (I cook by temperature). Sometimes it is all in the tools, and for this occasion, I agree!

In summary, in addition to the ingredients below, you should have: a roasting pan, a roasting rack, a carving set, and a meat thermometer.

1 10-12 pound turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

1 apple

Heat oven to 425 F. Remove the turkey giblets. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cool running water, and then pat dry with paper towels. Insert the apple into the cavity where the the giblets were. Place the turkey on a wire rack in a metal roasting pan. Spread the oil evenly over the turkey and season with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add about 1 cup of water to the pan and cover the turkey loosely with a large sheet of foil. Reduce heat to 375 F. Continue to roast until a thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 180 F, about 1 ¾ hours more, depending on the size of the turkey. Leave the foil in place and let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Mac & Cheeses

My mother-in-law made the best mac & cheese ever! While dating my husband, I would wait for him to bring it home after Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners (before we spent holidays together). She did not measure it nor follow a specific recipe. This is what we were able to put together, and it is pretty close to hers. Of all of her great recipes, how could she not write this one down? The family loves it, and waits for holidays for it. In honor of a great woman, a great food!

Mac & Cheeses

1 box elbow noodles, cooked

butter (several pieces of it)

small amount of milk

a block of Velveeta cheese

a block of cheddar cheese

some mozzarella (i think about a handful)

Preheat oven to 375. Place several pieces of butter in baking dish. Add a small amount of milk. Add cut up pieces of Velveeta, cut up cheddar and mozzarella to the baking dish. Pour hot noodles over the cheese mixture and stir up to mix a little. Cover and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. If cheese is melted, return to oven without the cover. If it is not melted, cover and return to oven until melted.

Ham with Pineapple

Thanksgiving and Christmas both require ham in this family! I discovered this recipe on allrecipes.com, and it has served us all well. People talk about it until they have it again. It is very easy to make, and even more fun to eat! Although I have not (yet) posted a picture, it is very photogenic!
I love to serve this with Potato Roesti (see previous post for the amazing recipe) and Mac and Cheese (see next post). Enjoy!

1 (12 pound) bone-in ham

½ cup whole cloves

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings in heavy syrup

1 (4 ounce) jar chopped maraschino cherries

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
2. Place ham in roasting pan. Score the rind of the ham with a diamond pattern. Press a clove into the center of each diamond. Drain the juice from the pineapple rings into a medium bowl, and stir in the brown sugar and lemon-lime soda. Coat the ham with this mixture. Arrange the pineapple rings over the outside of the ham. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, and secure with a toothpick.
3. Bake uncovered 4 to 5 hours, basting frequently with the juices, until the internal temperature of the ham is 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Be sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Nothing says love like a heart-shaped buttermilk waffle

Several years ago (2002) when dating the man who is now my husband, I thought it would be very Valentine's Day Fantastic of me to make him heart-shaped waffles for breakfast. I finally found an overpriced heart-shaped waffle maker at Williams-Sonoma. The day finally arrived. He woke up, jumped in the shower and I got up to get working in the kitchen. In his usual morning daze, he asked "What are you doing?" I replied "Surprise! I made you a Valentine's Day breakfast!" He said "I don't eat breakfast this early in the morning." I said "You do today."
Until last night, that waffle maker remained unused. Then I had a craving for waffles. I found the recipe below online, and made waffles for dinner. They were fantastic! As a matter of fact, I am going to reheat the leftover waffle now.
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon fine-ground cornmeal (optional)
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1/4	teaspoon baking soda
1	large egg , separated
2	strips unsalted butter , melted
2/3	cup buttermilk
	Pinch cream of tartar

1. Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cornmeal (if using), salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, butter, and then the buttermilk. Beat the egg white and cream of tartar with a hand-held mixer on high speed until the stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the buttermilk mixture into the well, and whisk very gently until the buttermilk mixture is just incorporated (a few lumps should remain). Toward the end of the mixing, fold the whipped egg white into the batter.

3. Following the manufacturer's instructions, spread the appropriate amount of batter onto the waffle iron and cook until golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, serving the waffles immediately or holding them in a 200-degree oven (see the note above) until all are cooked.

Pretzel Dogs

I love hot dogs, particularly those served at Fenway Park (GO SOX!). I love them so much, that on a trip to Massachusetts, I stopped at a supermarket to purchase six packages of the beloved hot dogs. They came home in my Red Sox lunch bag, and have lived in my freezer for quite awhile. Having the need to creatively consume aforementioned edible goodness, I searched for a pretzeldog recipe. Shamelessly lifted from Culinary Infatuations blog, which is super and you should visit for more good recipes!

Ingredients: 1/8 cup hot water

1 package active dry yeast

1 1/3 warm water

1/3 cup brown sugar

4+ cups flour

Coarse kosher salt

Baking soda

Butter or shortening (to generously grease cookie sheets)

Directions:

In a large bowl mix together hot water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the warm water and brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar dissolves.

Slowly add 4 cups of flour, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Lightly flour counter.

Dip your hands into extra flour. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth. (Push it down and away from you with the palms of your hands, turning the dough as you work) Grease cookie sheets generously with butter or shortening.

Sprinkle greased cookie sheet(s) with kosher salt.

Preheat oven to 475. (It is very important that you grease the cookie sheets very well) Using liquid measuring cup fill a large saucepan at least 1/2 full of water. For each 1 cup of water, add 1 tbls baking soda. Divide the dough into equal sized pieces. Using the following 4 steps shape each dough ball into a pretzel shape...

1). Roll the dough into a rope 14" long and as thick as your thumb. Bend the dough into a U shape. (if you have trouble rolling the dough into a rope slightly wet your hands and try again).
2). Cross one end of the rope over the other one. The ropes should cross about three inches from the tips.
3). Twist the crossed ends, making a full turn. Fold the ends back, towards the middle of the U.
4). Open the ends slightly to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough firmly.

Bring water into saucepan to a gentle boil (not too many bubbles) Use pancake turner to lower each pretzel into the saucepan. Count slowly to 30. Then lift the pretzel onto the greased and salted cookie sheet (shaking off excess water back into the saucepan).

Repeat until all the pretzels are done. Sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the pretzels and put them in preheated oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until the pretzels are golden.

Use 7" ropes, spiraled them around the dogs, and then boiled them in the soda water concoction. Remove and place on a greased cookie sheet lined with foil, basted with melted butter, and sprinkled with kosher salt. Then bake for 8-10 minutes until golden, and served with mustard.

Funfetti Cookies

Who doesn't love funfetti? FREAKS! Scratch that, even freaks love funfetti! And who doesn't love cookies (people who have had bad cookie experiences, because there is no reason not to love a cookie. It's round, like a happy face, and that is fun!
Anyway, found this recipe online as well, and plan to make it on Thursday for my friend's visit. She is the world's biggest cookie lover, and something so groundbreaking should be served to someone so dedicated to cookies!
Shamelessly lifted from another blog, Melissa's Magic in the Kitchen (also a fantastic food blog that you should check out).

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (I use Funfetti)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I used canola oil - you can probably use less than 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons of instant french vanilla pudding
Canned frosting and sprinkles (you do not have to frost them-but should, because that would be fantastic!)

Directions

Mix together the first four ingredients, drop batter on a lined cookie sheet (tablespoon size) and bake on 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool then frost them and add sprinkles.

Italian Meatloaf and Roasted Potatoes

What a delicious dish! It was like eating a big meatball, but gooder. While mashed potatoes are number one in my book, roasted potatoes just appeared to be more appropriate. No complaints from the men I was eating with! In fact, I doubled the recipe and made extras, they will be frozen for later consumption. Woohoo! Very cool part: instead of forming it into one loaf or playing with the loaf pan, you form four miniature meatloafs instead. I actually made six, as I do not require massive amounts of meatloaf.
This recipe was shamelessly lifted from my favorite food blog, Amber's Delectable Delights. She has great recipes for everything, real people food, and that is awesome!
Italian Mini Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 cup spaghetti sauce; divided
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tbls Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Gently mix 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce and remaining ingredients together.
Divide into 4 equal size pieces and form into desired shape. Place onto greased cookie sheet.
Smother each loaf with the remaining spaghetti sauce and top with extra cheese if desired.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until internal temp is 160.

Roasted Potatoes
*I would lay these out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or at least put them in a dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. They really stick to the dish. Also, I cooked them for almost an hour. But they are great!

Roasted Red Potatoes
(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights )

Ingredients:
4 red potatoes
2 Tbls bread crumbs
1 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls Parmesan cheese
Your choice of seasonings (I used garlic power, onion powder, and parsley)

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Slice potatoes into wedges and place into medium bowl. Season with all the remaining ingredients and place into preheated oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are done to your desired crispness.

Thanksgiving Meatloaf

Thanksgiving is so close I can feel it! Or perhaps my pants just feel tight due to all the candy corn I have consumed. Regardless, feeling a bit festive, and finding a package of ground turkey in my freezer, I set out to find a recipe to utilize this pre-Thanksgiving goodness.

I discovered this fine recipe, from allrecipes.com. It is a bit bland (which is fine with me), so I added some poultry seasoning to it. Next time (and oh yes, there will be a next time), I will also add some Italian seasoning.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons chicken-flavor stuffing mix
• 7/8 eggs
• 2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix together turkey, stuffing, eggs, and milk in a large bowl. Mixture will be lumpy. Spread mixture in 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour until temperature reads 165 degrees F in center of loaf.

Indoor S'mores

I possess many talents in life, however, starting a fire is not one of them. I also never understood the whole "camping" phenomenon. By time you have finished shopping and preparing food for eating outside in the woods, you could have easily stayed at the Ritz Carlton-and no cleaning out your cage after you are done sleeping and eating. If I could sleep in the woods and leave a few dollars for someone to clean up, I would reconsider. I lie, no I would not. There are bears and other scary animals in the woods ready to eat me and my Hershey bars, or cause me bodily harm in the process of getting to my s'mores gear. No thank you. Instead, you can find me in room 2203 of the RC. If you agree, or need some treats for camping, the recipe below is fantastic!

Indoor S'mores

Ingredients:
8 cups golden grahams cereal (one 13 oz box)
1 1/2 cups Nestle toll house milk chocolate chips
6 cups miniature marshmallows (one 10 oz bag)
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup light corn syrup, optional

Melt 5 cups marshmallows (save 1 cup for later), all the chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup in a 3 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat Stir in vanilla. Butter rectangular pan (13″x9″x2″)
Pour golden grahams cereal into a large bowl. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal; stir until evenly coated. Stir in remaining marshmallows.
Press mixture into pan with buttered back of spoon. Cool until as firm as you’d like. Cut into 24 bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Brrrrr-ownies

We're back from yet another fantastic European/UK adventure! More on that later!

For tonight's festivities (Girls' Night In, hosted by the fabulous Trina), I am bringing a primo combination of the two favorite food groups of women everywhere: chocolate and chocolate candy. Once completed, they will be cut into squares, making them Brown Square Food, which is always a crowd favorite.

They may a fantastic and efficient body enlarger, so enjoy freely if any part of your body needs to be made larger. Most effective in the lower body region.

Brrrrrr-ownies

adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours and from JumboEmpanadas.blogspot.com

5 T unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup (6 oz) York Peppermint Pattie Bites (or an equal weight of patties), chopped into bits

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Put the butter in the bowl, top with the chopped chocolates and stir occasionally until the ingredients are just melted- you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

With a whisk, stir in the sugar. Don’t be concerned when your smooth mixture turns grainy. Whisk in the eggs, one by one. Add the vanilla and whisk vigorously to bring the batter together and give it a shine before gently stirring in the salt and flour; stir only until incorporated. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the peppermint pieces. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.

Bake the brownies for 30-33minutes, or until the top is dull and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out almost clean. (The tip of the knife may be a touch streaky.) Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

When they are completely cool, turn out onto a rack, peel away the foil and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into sixteen 2-inch squares.

Follow-up to Stupid Rye Bread

If you had a case of severe insomnia and wound up with a watering mouth after reading my last post, my apologies.
A recipe that takes that much time and effort to make is insane for someone like me. The end result: the dough is in the trash can outside my house. If I were on house arrest, I still would not want to make that bread. There is way too much effort and coordination involved. I could have driven to New York City, visited multiple friends, partied like a rock star for three days and ate countless sandwiches made on NYC Jewish Rye bread that I bought almost two hours away before that bread would have been ready for baking.
Outrageous I say!
I am left with two reminders of this bread effort:

1. the awful smell of rye yeast (think about the smell of the brewery on the Budweiser tour)
2. the fear that the pile of uncooked dough that i threw in the trashcan is going to continue to grow and take over my driveway. If, in this process, it envelopes my husband's motorcycle, well...we all make sacrifices, what can I say?

To counteract the smell and need for bread (because at this point, the bread machine is still sitting out on the counter, yelling: bake with me!), I will try my hand at French Bread.

adapted from: http://www.qis.net/~champion/bread/french.html

French Bread Ingredient List: 9 oz of water 2 teaspoons margarine or butter, softened 3.25 cups bread machine flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1.5 teaspoon salt 2.75 teaspoons regular active dry yeast OR 2.75 teaspoons bread machine or quick-acting active dry yeast Bake on French Bread Cycle

THIS is my kind of recipe!

Any crackpot, opps, i mean, healthy crockpot, suggestions?

Bread II - Light Rye

After comparing the fantastic brick of potato bread made in the Bread Maker to substandard store bought bread, I have decided to pursue making Rye Bread, sans the seeds. Homemade bread does indeed rock. Not to mention, it IS much healthier. (Trust me, if you saw me, you would see the picture of good health!)
This weekend, between a work, the salon, a crazy bachelorette party and a sorority workshop, there will be homemade rye bread.

Apparently, as far as bread is concerned, Rye Bread is all the rage! I know, leave it to the Shady Kitchen to be on the cutting edge of...bread.

I will adapt this recipe, as soon as my supermarket adventures lead me to 'finely ground whole-rye flour.' Something tells me it will not be next to the Slim Jims, where everyone knows that is where all the good supermarket items are found!

If you know a faster way to make rye bread, or want to make it for me, leave a comment. Oh, and if you have a bread machine recipe for rye, leave it in the comments.

For further reading, check out: http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/articles/how-to/rye-bread.aspx

adapted from: http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes/rye_bread.aspx

Rye Bread

by David Norman The amounts of flour and starters are given in weight measurement only; you'll need to use a scale. The leftover starters will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

I like to use a whole-rye flour, which contains all the bran and germ of the kernel. In Germany, rye flour is graded quite specifically, but here the grind can vary widely from brand to brand. These differences in grind mean that volume measurements of rye flour can vary greatly. For this reason, I've listed the amount of flour needed by weight. Since it's also much easier to portion the starters by weight, you'll need a kitchen scale to make this bread.

I've developed this recipe using a finely ground organic rye flour. If you use a different rye flour, use the same amount by weight and adjust the liquid in your starter. In most cases, you will have a coarser flour and will need to add less water. Start with about 1 cup of water and then go by feel: you want a mixture that holds its shape yet squishes easily between your fingers when you make a fist. Spackle, papier-mâché, and the soft, silty sand at the edge of a lake are some things that come to mind when I mix the starter. Yields two loaves.

i am soooo beautiful!

ingredients

For the rye starter:
1 to 2 cups lukewarm water, depending on your flour (see Start with the right rye)
1/8 tsp. active dry yeast
8 oz. finely ground whole-rye flour

For the wheat starter:
1 cup lukewarm water
1/8 tsp. active dry yeast
8 oz. unbleached bread flour

For the dough:
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups lukewarm water
7-1/2 oz. rye starter
5 oz. wheat starter
2-1/4 tsp. salt
19 oz. unbleached bread flour

how to make (ta-da!)

Preparing the dough

Begin by preparing the rye starter and the wheat starter. Both must rest, covered at room temperature, for 12 to 20 hours; the rye starter will have the texture of very soft clay.

Portion the starters by weight -- 7-1/2 ounces of the rye and 5 ounces of the wheat. Put the weighed starters in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Dissolve the yeast in the water in a measuring cup, add that to the starters, and use your hands to combine well. Add the starters to the flour and salt, and mix by hand until the mixture comes together in a sticky, shaggy mass.

Kneading and rising

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface that has not been floured. Knead by pushing the dough away from you, folding it back toward you, turning it a quarter turn, and pushing it away from you again. The dough will be very sticky, but resist the urge to add flour; instead, use a pastry scraper to bring up any dough that sticks. Continue kneading for about 8 minutes. To get the smoothest, best-developed dough, let it rest for about 10 minutes, covered with a damp towel, and then resume kneading for another few minutes. The dough has been sufficiently kneaded if it springs back when you poke it with your finger.

Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm (but not hot), draft-free area until not quite doubled, about 1 hour. When the dough reaches this size, gently deflate it and give it a quick knead or two. Return the dough to the bowl and let it rest another 1/2 hour.

Now cut the dough in half and gently flatten each piece into a disk. Fold an edge up, overlapping the disk by two-thirds. Rotate the disk slightly and fold again; repeat, overlapping the folds (there will be about five) until you reach the original fold. As you fold, gently stretch the underside of the disk. Roll the dough over so the smooth side is up.

Stretch the surface taut by gently pressing the dough against the work surface with cupped hands, tucking any excess dough underneath. Take care not to rip the surface. Cover the balls with a damp cloth and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Forming the loaves

Set the dough balls, seam side up, on a lightly floured surface. Flatten one ball into a rectangle about 7 inches across and 8-1/2 inches long. Fold the top toward you about two-thirds of the way down and press the dough with the heel of your palms to seal. Pick the dough up and turn it around 180 degrees; the fold will be nearest you and the single edge farthest from you. Fold the top toward you to about two-thirds of the way down (like a business letter) and press the seam again to seal. Now fold the dough again, this time in half, bringing the top edge all the way to the bottom edge. Seal the edge with the heel of your hand, flattening the tight cylinder somewhat. Roll the somewhat flattened dough into a cyllinder about 11 inches long, tucking in the ends and pinching them lightly. Repeat with the other ball of dough.

Put the loaves on the back of a well-floured baking sheet or pizza peel. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free area until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Baking

While the loaves rise, get your oven ready: put a baking stone on the middle shelf and a heavy, ovenproof, rimmed pan on the bottom shelf or oven floor, and set the oven for 450ºF.

Slash the tops of the risen loaves perpendicularly with a razor blade, making 4 or 5 shallow cuts. Carrefully pour a small amount of water into the hot pan in the oven and quickly close the door to create some steam.

Place the baking sheet or the peel on top of the stone and quickly pull it away from under the loaves so that they drop onto the stone. Spray the loaves with water from a spray bottle and add a little more water to the pan. Bake the bread for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400ºF and bake for another 10 minutes. Rotate the loaves and bake until they're an even brown color and have a slightly hollow sound when tapped on the bottom, another 15 to 18 minutes.

Cool the bread on a wire rack. For the best flavor, don't slice the bread until it has cooled almost completely.

from Fine Cooking #38, pp. 54-59

The Breadman

Picture it, Bed, Bath and Beyond, spring 2004. A newly engaged girl and that super sweet zapping gun with over 10,000 products from which to add to her registry. Of course, a bread machine was a must-have. Afterall, bread is fantastic, usually square and soft. It goes well with lots of foods, and even tastes good on it's own, similar to it's cousin, the cracker. But crackers are dry, and bread is like a pillow for your mouth.

With glee and confidence in my bread machine necessity, I zapped "The Breadman" bread machine.

Fast forward to summer 2007. After three years of the man's sweet teasing regarding all the bread we have made (in the bread maker!), I have finally attempted to use the machine. Here is the inaugural recipe (from www.allrecipes.com):

Crusty Potato Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer, which is: water, salt, butter, flour, flakes, sugar, yeast.
   
2. Select White Bread Cycle; press Start.

Point of information (POI)!
State your point.
POI: When using salt in a recipe in bread machine, add the salt with the liquid. The order of adding ingredients is important, especially when using the timer, because it keeps the yeast away from the liquid until it's time to knead them together. Liquid will activate the yeast.

THIS IS SO EXCITING!

France & Italy

We are back from France & Italy! (i am allowing time for your jealously to work itself out...)

Continuing on, we enjoyed some fantastic and some "eh" foods while abroad. The culinary love of Italy goes out to Buca Mario, in Florence. Their gnocchi was the best I have ever had. We ate there TWO nights in a row, and I ordered the gnocchi twice. It was that good. Their desserts were outstanding, including the chocolate cake and the berry tart. The servers are generous with the limoncello, to which I say "Grazi!" On our way out of the restaurant, a very adorable fella gave us each a box of biscotti, made in the factory owned by the family who also owns the restaurant. La Spada, almost directly across the street, was also good, but their gnocchi paled in comparison to that of Buca Mario. Check back for photos later. It was so beautiful, it should be on a Christmas card, and from the Shady Kitchen, it just might be!

Traveling on to Rome, Rick Steves (whose guide to Italy appears to accompany every American traveler to Italy) recommended tartufo at Tre Scavli. I disagreed with many of his restaurant recommendations, however, this place was worth purchasing the book for (and now you don't have to, because I already told you about it). It was the best I have ever had as well, and is located in Piazza Novona. Easy to find and quite fantastic.

I will repost with the eating information when I find it again...until then, bon journo!

Adult Beverages

Today I came across the funniest quote I have heard all day: -- So you hate your job? There's a group for that. It's call "everybody" and they meet at the bar. --

Perhaps they may not meet at a bar, but instead, in your house. And you need to serve adult beverages. What do you serve?

For starters, Kir Royales, Pomegranate Martinis, Caipirinhas and Champagne Punch. Of course, some people are super fancy folks, and for them, I serve Schlitz. Special occasions call for PBR, but since we all know that, it is time to move on to the recipes for the aforementioned beverages.

Kir Royales

Some people ask why I drink this and love it so much. Since you are dying to know, I shall share the story with you. On our brief honeymoon to the Poconos (just say no), we wound up at Chateu Camelback. Our awesome bartender asked what I wanted to drink, and as usual, had to think about it for a few minutes. He asked what I really like to drink, to which I replied, "Drinks that are sweet and bubbly, and not necessarily in that order." He said "I know just what to make." A few moments later, a sweet, bubbly drink was in front of my newly married self. This drink is known as the Kir Royale. Said bartender explained that it was really big in the 70's and that he was trying to bring it back. Well, well Mr. Bartender, my new best friend, allow me to help!

1 partCreme de Cassis
5 parts Champagne (Verdi works well too)

Pour Creme de Cassis into a glass and gently pour champagne on top.
*Always remember to use a champagne flute when served bubbly beverages. Why? Because the bubbles need to stay close together or the drink will go flat.*

Pomegranate Martinis

I love red drinks, so this won, hands-down. Delightful and filled with antioxidents and liquor. Seriously, does it get any better? If I need to tell you what type of glass to use, you probably use a red Solo cup for everything and it does not matter what you use, so enjoy!

I freehand this badboy:
-some vodka (Kettle One is my choice. Some of you may remember when a certain bloggist thought Kettle One was a drink and ordered it, drank it and could not understand why there were no bubbles. Um, probably because a certain bloggist thought a Vodka & 7UP was called Kettle One, not that the vodka's name was Kettle One. DOH!)
-some Pomegranate juice
-a splash of Triple Sec
Enjoy!

Caipirinha

What is this? It is fantastic! I had my first drink my first night in Aruba with the man now honored to be my husband. We were at a Brazilian steakhouse, enjoying the parade of meat (yah meat! woohoo!) and this drink was recommended. I cannot say my first attempts at mixing at home were successful, but the end result was always reached. Visit this site for more information and tips: http://www.maria-brazil.org/caipirinha.htm. It tastes a little better the longer it sits. Delish! I have usually been served/served this drink in an old-fashioned glass.

1 lime
2 ounces of cachaça
Sugar to taste (a lot for me thanks!)
Ice cubes

Wash the lime and roll it on the board to loosen the juices. Cut the lime into pieces and place them in a glass. Sprinkle with the sugar and crush the pieces (pulp side up) with a pestle, just enough to release the juice, otherwise it'll get bitter. Add the cachaça and stir to mix. Add the ice and stir again. It is delicious and potent!

Champagne Punch

Punch is so old school, how could I not include it? Punch is fun whether it's fancy and includes champagne or is tropical, such as the beloved and highly regarded Hawaiian Punch. Put on your party shoes and make some punch!
INGREDIENTS

1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate

1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate

1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate

1 (750 milliliter) bottle white wine, chilled

1 liter carbonated water, chilled

2 (750 milliliter) bottles champagne, chilled

1 lemon - sliced, for garnish

1/2 cup fresh mint, garnish

DIRECTIONS

In large punch bowl, combine the cranberry juice concentrate, pink lemonade concentrate, limeade concentrate, white wine, club soda and champagne. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves.

Pop quiz: which type of glass do you use?


If you said: Champagne Flute, you are correct! If you did not answer with Champagne Flute, I hope you have a Costco Membership to save some money on all the red Solo cups you purchase. Regardless, drink carefully, and remember, "a pregnant woman never drinks alone."

Books My Kitchen and Stomache Cannot Live Without

During the engagement/newlywed period, people were under the impression that I wanted to use a cookbook. WRONG! For quite a few years, they collected dust in various locations of our unorganized house, until I finally found a proper home for them in the kitchen. At this juncture of the marriage, the foods I thought I would cook forever are boring and practically unpalatable. We began to approach dinner with the same enthusiasm an employee or student broaches the cafeteria menu with, nil.

Amongst those trusty books, I found recipes, information, tidbits and other insights to guide me along this culinary journey. Below are my favorites. I anticipate updates-check back!

• Real Simple Celebrations: I think the wheel in the back of the book is pretty sweet. Be sure to play with it. From this book, I found my Thanksgiving dinner recipes for turkey and mashed potatoes. The menus are truly simple and classic. In this world of fusion-this and combination that, it was a refreshing book of tasteful foods over which my family drooled. My greatest compliment was from my brother, who said "Tell whoever catered dinner that it was great." Real Simple is Real Awesome!

• Williams-Sonoma Casual Occasions Cookbook: a gift from the most fantastic person I met in graduate school. While I must admit that I have not tried too many of the recipes, mainly because I have not had the need to host all of the casual occasions discussed in the book, there are a few that stand out in my mind. For my fabulous bridesmaids, I made the Paella and Sangria. It is recommended for an engagement party. I rationalized that shopping for bridesmaids dresses was due to my engagement, and being with my friends was party enough for me. I also highly recommend the hazelnut biscotti recipe. Delish!

• Martha Stewart Homekeeping Handbook: gift to myself. Although not previously discussed here, I must profess my enthusiasm for Ms. Martha Stewart. Anyone who can create the empire she built out of the daily tasks of the household (and the daily tasks of a household on super steroids) is a genius in my book. Was she perfect? No, but did I ask for perfection? Nope! I just want to know about "Good Things" and how to remove rust from the lovely knives my husband placed in the dishwasher. Martha, thank you for all "The Good Things" you have taught me! Keep 'em coming, for the Shady Kitchen in Awesometown is waiting!
  

• The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: bridal shower gift from my European adventuress partner. She shares my love of cupcakes and round food, as well as brown food (more to come later on eating by shape, color and other categories. It will change the way you view food. Awesome!). This book is worth reading as a novel, it should not be used as a mere reference guide for a few recipes. Who knew that when a recipe calls for milk it assumes the baker will use whole milk? Or when a recipe calls for eggs, it means large eggs at room temperature? All of this information and more can be found in this book, along with my staple recipe for chocolate buttercream icing.
  

• Clippings from Cooks Illustrated. Wow! CI is not only filled with delicious recipes, but also includes useful knowledge for working your way around a kitchen. Before each recipe, the writer spends a few pages describing what worked and what did not work while preparing the recipe. It is a cooking lesson on paper. In my opinion, reading about the food prior to preparing it educates the cook enough to cook with confidence. Knowledge is power, and CI does a fantastic job of making their readers who actually execute their recipes very powerful indeed.
  

My kitchen bookshelf holds more books than listed above. Those are my go-to books for the "kitchen table magic" I enjoy sharing with others. I am not fancy or eclectic in my kitchen. I am not very exciting foodwise. Using Saffron was about as exotic as I get, and I must say, it still makes me feel exotic just writing about it here! Spanish Rice was the first rice I ever bought aside from white rice. I moved to Jasmine and brown rices from there, and there has been no turning back since.

The Holiday Menu

Holidays are equated with the favorite American past-time, overindulgence. Whether it be food or liquor, it is a time to be gluttonous. Traditionally, I serve champagne or Kir Royales for every occasion, as well as a few of my staple feast foods as listed below (i will update with the recipes as soon as I locate all of them).
Give yourself quite a bit of time for preparation, taking breaks, sipping your beverage of choice and enjoying your time.
When all else fails, turn down the lights and burn candles. It will hide the mess as well as any imperfections in your creations!

Menu:
Ham
Roesti
Mashed Potatoes
Turkey
Stuffing
Macaroni and Cheese
French Cut Green Beans
Creamed Corn
Beverage: Kir Royales, Champagne
Music: Holiday Jazz/Swing Compilation I created

Potato Roesti

Potato Roesti: a Swiss side dish or snack.

What an amazing food! And a fantastic reason to use the Cuisinart Smart Duo that we registered for and owned...for 3 years. (FYI: this recipe was the reason for the inaugural use of this food processor. One use lead me to ask "How have I not used this fine piece of machinery before?")
How did I even come across Roesti? In a magazine, namely, my new found favorite, Cooks Illustrated. I read and drooled about it the week before Easter (2007). I decided to serve it to my family as an Easter treat. (You may recall, if you are a Sopranos fan, that Janice served Roesti during the episode that night to her family when they were up at their cabin).

Feeling as though I discovered edible gold, I asked a few (many) people if they had ever had it before. One friend had, and was shocked I knew about it, as well as excited (Roesti is powerful, it has that effect on people). He said he had it while he lived in Switzerland, while being an international CAD of awesomeness (not a surprise to those who know him).

Regardless, it is a bit challenging, but in a good way. Flipping it is a bit of an effort, but you can do it! (heck, I did it!). Other than that, try it out, and let me know what you think. I love it!

Brunch Menu:
Main Entree: Ham (see Easter Menu Post)
Sides: Bacon, Sausage
Side: Potato Roesti
Dessert: Chocolate Bunny Cake (Noritake Mold from Williams-Sonoma)
Drink: Mimosa, Dom St. Michelle
Music: Frank Sintra - Swing is for Young Lovers

Below is the very long cut and paste from cooksillustrated.com. Brilliant, just brilliant!


Potato Roesti
3/2007

The test kitchen prefers a roesti prepared with potatoes that have been cut through the large shredding disk of a food processor. It is possible to use a box grater to cut the potatoes, but they should be cut lengthwise, so you are left with long shreds. It is imperative to squeeze the potatoes as dry as possible. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet can be used in place of the nonstick skillet. By adding fried eggs, ham, bacon, cheese, cooked onions, and/or tomatoes, (see specific suggestions below) roesti can be turned into a light meal.

Serves 4

1 1/2	pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (3 to 4 medium), peeled and shredded (see note above)
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1	teaspoon cornstarch
	Ground black pepper
4	tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Place potatoes in large bowl and fill with cold water. Using hands, swirl to remove excess starch, then drain in strainer.

2. Wipe bowl dry. Place half of potatoes in center of kitchen towel. Gather ends together and twist as tightly as possible to expel maximum moisture. Transfer potatoes to bowl and repeat process with remaining potatoes.

3. Sprinkle salt, cornstarch, and pepper to taste over potatoes. Using hands or fork, toss ingredients together until well blended.

4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add potato mixture and spread into even layer. Cover and cook 6 minutes. Remove cover and, using spatula, gently press potatoes down to form round cake. Cook, occasionally pressing on potatoes to shape into uniform round cake, until bottom is deep golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes longer.

5. Shake skillet to loosen roesti and slide onto large plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and swirl to coat pan. Invert roesti onto second plate and slide it, browned side up, back into skillet. Cook, occasionally pressing down on cake, until bottom is well browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer roesti to cutting board, cut into 4 pieces, and serve immediately.

Ramping Up Roesti
The Swiss traditionally top roesti with a range of meats, cheeses, and vegetables to create a simple main course. But roesti is not pizza—you must use a light hand with toppings to preserve the potato flavor and proper texture. One topped roesti will serve two as a main course.

• Slide 2 softly fried eggs onto finished roesti and sprinkle with 1/2 cup to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and coarse salt to taste.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese over roesti about 3 minutes before fully cooked on second side. While not traditional, sharp cheddar, Manchego, Italian fontina, and Havarti cheeses taste good, too.
• Drape 4 or 5 slices cured ham or prosciutto over roesti a few minutes before fully cooked on second side. If desired, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or rosemary and coarse black pepper and serve with whole-grain mustard.
• Top with 3 or 4 strips crumbled cooked bacon and 1 large onion, sliced thin and cooked in 1 tablespoon bacon drippings or butter until soft and seasoned with salt and lots of black pepper. Sprinkle with sherry vinegar if desired.
• Shingle 1 large tomato (sliced very thin, placed on paper towels, salted for 30 minutes, and patted dry) over roesti a few minutes before fully cooked on second side. (Particularly good when combined with fontina; put cheese down first so that it melts.)
  
  
  
  
  STEP BY STEP: Yes, You Can Juice a Potato

  Excess moisture in the potatoes will cause roesti to cook up gummy in the middle. To remove this moisture, squeeze the shredded potatoes in a kitchen towel. Expect to extract at least 1/4 cup of liquid from 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes.

  STEP BY STEP: 3 Swiss Misses

  PROBLEM: BURNT With too much butter in the pan or too much heat, the roesti burns in spots.	PROBLEM: GUMMY Potatoes with excess moisture turn the roesti into a gray, sticky mess.
  PROBLEM: CRUMBLY Rinsing the potatoes washes away excess starch but can leave the roesti with no structure.

  STEP BY STEP: Potato Roesti

  1. RINSE shredded potatoes with cold water in large bowl; drain.	2. DRY potatoes in kitchen towel, squeezing to remove excess.
  3. TOSS potatoes with salt, cornstarch, and pepper.	4. SPREAD potatoes to edges of skillet, but don't pack down. Cover with lid and cook 6 minutes.
  5. Uncover skillet, then PRESS and shape into uniform, round cake. Cook 4 to 6 minutes longer.	6. FLIP to second side and cook until browned.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

What's for dinner? Garlic Cheddar Chicken (courtesy of http://www.allrecipes.com/). After reading rave reviews for this recipe, I decided it was time to serve it in Awesometown. Served with a simple side of mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, it made for a great dinner without a lot of hassle.

Menu:
Main Course: Garlic Cheddar Chicken
Side: Roasted Mashed Potatoes
Vegetable: corn on the cob
Wine: Pinot Grigo, Mezzacorna (you may have had this at The Melting Pot!)
Music: XM Radio Jazz Station

Serves: 8

PREP TIME : 15 Min
COOK TIME: 40 Min
READY IN: 55 Min

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced*
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

*Notes about mincing garlic: my friend swears by minced garlic packed in water. You can usually find it in the produce section near fresh garlic OR in the aisle with tomato sauce, etc. If you choose to mince yourself (which I prefer), visit this site:
http://www.ehow.com/how_13874_peel-mince-garlic.html