more fermentation…dough

Bread, a staple in our diet,  made fresh most of the time, some recent photos as the more I make bread, the more I vary the recipe.

First up Babka, similar from a previous posting https://pmetro.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/photosdraft/that was left un tagged I could not find, so a recipe from https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/10/better-chocolate-babka/ about the same recipe.

rolling….

chocolate !

twisted

gifts for guests

leftover dough

gifts for guests…

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multi seed sourdough

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Rustic bread

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random styles

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bread made with soft Italian flour

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experiment of dough on waffle iron, some stuffed

various tasting of dough recipes

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the tipo “00” flour , soft Italian flour, Neapolitan style pizza, 500 degree oven..

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testing convection oven baking bread

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Experimental pizza

Eggplant with mushrooms and cheese

That’s all folks !

December memories, with recipes

It’s been both a busy time and a relaxing time, an effort to return to the blogisphere , catching up reading most of the blogs  I follow,  2017  now a time for renewal, physically in the kitchen with small upgrades by usual standards, to refresh the kitchen environment. All not accomplished in one fell swoop, as it won’t be a demolition and rebuild but improvements, cleanouts and replacements one thing at a time. But rewind slightly to December, the wrap up of the calendar year and Holiday time meals.

Roasted veggies

Soup, trying a mandolin slicer

1/2 Peking (style) duck

5 spice powder and ginger rub

Convection oven cooking

Duck meat is a treat, usually I only find duck at the supercentre at holiday times. Hoisin sauce and soy sauce based finish.

another version of pasta and veggies

Christmas appetizer, gorton, a pork type spread, sometimes now a days  frowned upon as to it’s high fat content, but the food police seem to look the other way at Holiday time !!!!! (but it’s not eaten every day)

Gorton

1 1/4 lb. Pork Butt, diced
3/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup milk (optional as needed)
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
— all spice

spices are ground
measurements are a starting point. Open to interpretation.

It’s stressed that pork butt is used not pork shoulder.
If it’s possible, have the butcher cut the pork butt into
stew cubes. If a whole butt, bone in or boneless, is used, process to cube sized pieces. Fat content is necessary for consistency and taste.

Part of the recipe is in the preparation of the pork without using
a food processor. With a sharp knife, finely dice each cube of pork, to a fine dice and remove and discard any gristle and silver skin Do not omit the fat. Having a friend/relative sit with you with an additional cutting board and knife is a social aspect of the recipe.(if possible)

Cook onions and garlic in a heavy pan for simmering, sweating, not browning. Add the diced meat and slowly bring to a simmer. Add about 1/4 cup water, cover and simmer. Check every so often and add water as necessary. Simmer until the mixture is broken down completely, several hours. Add the rest of the spices adjusting to your preference  . Cool and refrigerate. Usually pressed into a oiled small bowl etc. and un molded to serve with crackers or dried bread, like a pat`e.

 

The typical Christmas dinner, finally I tried the spatch cock  turkey, this year was a scaled down meal in both the size of the turkey and guests.

Stuffed under the skin was a recipe of slightly hot and sweet rice. Bread stuffing was a required family side dish cooked in a separate baking dish.  The turkey was a bit overdone as I try to gage timing for dinner, but it’s hard to tell how long appetizer and socializing time will last. should have been pulled from oven sooner. I would cook a bird like this again as the cooking time is reduced and the bird cooks more evenly. Turkey was about 10 lbs. Thanks to twitter video postings, it prompted me to actually split the turkey this year.

Later in the day , cake and meat pie.

Meat Pie

1 1/2 ground beef (90% lean)
1 1/2 ground pork
1 medium onion, fine dice
1 small can (or container) beef broth, (14oz)
1/2 teaspoon Bell’s poultry seasonings
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed fine

Stir onions, meat and broth in a pan, when cooked*
add crackers crumbs, then add seasonings, salt and pepper to taste.
use as a filling for two 9 inch pie crusts, with tops.
350 degrees Fahrenheit, lower middle rack of oven, till crust is done.
Best at room temperature or cold.
Yields 2 pies

*when cooked, meat is cooked through and simmered till desired
consistency. Adjust with additional broth/water if necessary. Recipe is similar to meat stuffing, and as always amounts
and length of cooking time are open to interpretation.

Happy Christmas !

random views

not enough for a blog posting, random pictures:

traffic island decorations

bacon press

morning sun

breakfast

periscope screen capture

shopping

shopping, recent prices, food

Beef Barley Tomato Soup

Similar to the recipe on the box of Quick Cooking Barley, but made with a soup base my daughter made.The  soup base consists of :

Celery, leeks, onion, garlic, parsley, tomato, potatoes, that had been cooked for 1 and one half hours, processed in a blender and strained. It’s a healthy food recipe called Special Soup or Hippocrates Soup,  it’s a good tasting nourishing soup alone or as utilized as a base for other recipes.

To the soup base, add the following, when completed cooking :

• Beef chuck , diced to small size suitable for soup.
•  Olive oil, bacon fat etc. in the pan. Fry the beef, till almost fully cooked.
• Diced onion, roughly 1/2 as much as the beef.
• Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste.
• One or two medium tomatoes, diced chunky.
• Finish with finely chopped garlic, cook till the ingredients are wilted.

Meanwhile in a oven proof measuring cup, mix a measured amount of quick cooking barley and water as package directs.

Microwave several minutes, drain, and add to soup.

 I needed some greens in the soup for color , my wife suggested some baby spinach . The spinach was added and then seasonings adjusted and grated Parmesan  added for the finish. Everything was warmed through.

(this soup base would also make a good pasta and beans recipe)

A very tasty and nourishing soup a recipe worth repeating.

Soured blueberry corn muffins

A typical corn muffin recipe, instead of  only milk for one of the wet ingredients, the addition of a sour dough starter.

1 cup white flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

Scant 1 cup sour dough starter

1/4 cup Melted butter

1 egg beaten

Milk, as necessary , if batter is too stiff

Added 3.5 ounce bag of dried blueberries

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Standard wet and dry ingredient mix, combine each first then mix together.

 

The sweetness of the blueberries stands  out from the slight sourness of the cornbread.

Raspberry Charlotte

A cake with a creamy fruit mousse, From America Test Kitchen recipe.

Made by Diane.

The recipe has several steps, here are some pictures of the process.

This was a very airy, light cake .

A fun project to make.

multi meat stew

A mild fall day, meat and vegetables made for the week.

A combination of meats along with root vegetables oven roasted several hours.

Chicken breast, pork neck bones, pigs feet , chicken feet, beef rib, sausage, along with root vegetables.

Carrot, leeks, turnip, parsnips, onions, mushrooms, potato, garlic.

Lightly seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt , peppercorns, slight bit of hot pepper flakes.

Baked at about 350 decreasing to 250 degrees for several hours.

The meat picked from the bones, pan juices reduced, chicken broth added, a bit of wine and finished with butter/flour thickening, strained.

breakfast bread pudding

 

cubed bread

milk
eggs
fried bacon crisps
American cheese

oven baked at 400 degrees

hydroponics summer/fall

This year the outdoor  hydroponics consisted mostly  of cherry tomatoes, Burpee and High Mowing organic Bartelly F1, three plantings, though I did not track how many from each variety. Late start as they require warmer temperatures possibly a heat mat to germinate than other varieties of greens I had grown from  seeds. This was the answer though as to a better variety to grow hydroponically compared to last year as they produced grapevine like clusters of tomatoes. Trellising needs to be improved, not tall enough to support the height of the tomatoes, some stems folded and split and leafs became mottled. Late in the season trimmed lower leaves as it’s probably close the end of the growing season (outdoor). the most recent pick some were more sweeter than others but the fact the they are still growing and ripening is a plus. may also benefit from some type of trellis/plastic wrap for cool weather protection.

Overall a big improvement from last year variety of tomato