dough head again

Once the repetition of making bead dough becomes commonplace, it’s hard to not use the dough for other forms other than bread. So many types of snacks on the market, flatbread types of bread and bread sticks formed from freshly mixed dough, are my go to snack if time permits, for card nights or other gatherings.

This mix used a small amount of whole wheat added to the white flour, and salt. I contemplated adding various seeds to the mix but I had prepared dips to accompany the bread sticks. (the dips did not make it to the card game location).

Two batches of white/whole wheat rising with white/cornmeal mix for chips resting.

The morning sun streams through the kitchen window as the bread sticks are rolled

corn chips, easily made in a tortilla press, and baked in a 400 degree oven

Flaky bread sticks dipped in butter and then rolled in toasted hemp seeds for a taste test

At the game ! The chips made an excellent scoop for the torpedo meat, made by Diane, and the bow tie salad, a home brew stout to celebrate the fall season, don’t forget the candy corn for the table!

 

 

Pork Fried Rice

Easter dinner (yet to be posted), left us with leftovers, one of the advantages of hosting dinner is that when cooking a meal that you don’t often have , you allow for extra, both for giving out “take out ” containers to guests and having leftovers available during the week.

Diced pork from a crown roast was sauteed to brown and reserved. Add one cup of rice to a heavy skillet along with a bit of oil and shallots. Stir to coat rice and cook shallot slightly.

With heat at high, add 2 cups broth, stock or whatever to skillet. Let the mixture boil uncovered about 5 minutes till most of the broth dissipates. Sprinkle soy sauce over rice mixture till your satisfied with the taste and color. I add a bit of dried red pepper flakes here.

Depending with the type of rice continue cooking over low heat a few more minutes or shut the flame down and cover. Go do something else for about 15 minutes.

I just put the diced pork on a plate and plated the rice over it.

Perhaps if i wasn’t so hungry I would have added some celery and onions.
Served with a White House Honey Porter
https://peabodypico.wordpress.com/2016/03/27/64-white-house-honey-porter/

eggplant wellington

A play on a beef Wellington….

Ingredients from the garden, didn’t get a picture of the eggplant or the tomato before use.

Using bread dough instead of puff pastry.

salt the sliced eggplant to remove moisture and blot out the water, rinse.

Just fry the eggplant in oil to brown

 

Roll out some bread dough, and cut with a round cutter, the top of a plastic drinking glass and roll  to size that is necessary for the eggplant.

Cover and seal with anotherbake the rounds…. Now comes the fun part

embellish…

sliced tomato, grated Parmesan  and basil….

(onion, garlic, sausage?)

My wife commented…… good appetizers… but for now , dinner for me !

Served with a glass of single malt single and hops beer.

Probably could have placed Parmesan cheese slices inside with the eggplant, but would have to contend with melted cheese running out of the dough.

The eggplant flavor is excellent along with the fresh (early girl) tomato and basil.

Having a back yard garden is worth it.

Boar Osso Buco

Time for another recipe of Osso Buco, very similar to a previous post, osso-buco-or-baked-marrow-bones/.

Boar shanks from PV Farmstand, purchased at the Wintertime Farmers Market.

Ready, a few simple ingredients that are slow cooked.

Find a covered oven proof pot that will nestle the shanks.

Prepare a mix for breading the shanks, here a combination of flour seasonings and breadcrumbs.

A good sized heavy pan for browning the shanks, a combination of olive oil butter in the pan and plain olive oil ready.

Coat the shanks with olive oil……

Now dredge in the seasoned breadcrumb and flour mixture……….

Coat liberally with the mix…..

Gently fry the shanks till golden brown…..

Turn on the sides to brown and seal exterior surfaces….

when browned, return to the cooking vessel….

add chopped onion to the oil in the browning pan……

Add the sauteed onions to the pot with the shanks…..

Add chopped tomatoes and some tomato juiced (canned is OK) to a sauce pot….

Heat and add wine…..

Add the sauce to the pot…..

Add enough liquid to go about 2/3 of the depth of the cooking pot….

Fresh aromatics dot the surface…..

A layer of parchment paper atop……Cover and Bake low and slow about 325 degrees at least an hour and a half.

Later…… DONE…..

Now the next day, (once cooked, cool and refrigerate at least a day beforehand, it’s worth the scheduling beforehand, once cooked will keep well in fridge), diced veggies and saute….

Bake some small  potatoes, fry or broil them slightly to crisp up the skins…. reheat the shanks with the congealed gravy……

Plate it up ! On shank per serving…..

Serve with a homebrew ! Definitely not a boaring meal !

Later on ,serving variation #2, with rice and broccoli and carrots…

Again, one of my favorite cuts of meat….

My compliments to the chef, your not the only one who sucks the marrow from the bones ……  !!!

Brewers Bread

A tasty, grainy bread with a hint of hops.

2 loaf recipe.

3 Cups white flour reserved , and additional flour.

2 tablespoons  fast acting yeast (dry, for bread, 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoons refrigerated yeast slurry ,  from brewing (this batch, Coopers)*

“Beer” from refrigerated yeast *

additional liquid, water milk etc.
Salt
Sugar, to taste
Dried spent grain ( whole, not ground)

*I use recycled yeast from the fermenter to use on subsequent  batches of beer. When stored in the refrigerator to slow any additional fermentation, usually, over a period of time, beer will form on the surface, with the yeast slurry below it. Pour off the beer, to add to the liquid portion of the bread. Now,  add about a tablespoon of the yeast slurry to also go with the liquid portion of the dough recipe. Since the yeast is saved from the primary fermenter, there will be some of the hop flavor in the yeast. You could also just substitute 1/2 a can of beer and fresh beer yeast if you don’t recycle yeast from your primary  fermention, and a pinch of hops.

Put the 3 cups of flour along with the dry yeast, sugar, and  salt  in a mixer bowl and mix slightly.

Add the wet ingredients to the 3 cups flour; water, beer, and beer yeast to total about 2 cups. (Heat the water to about 120 to 130.)

Mix thoroughly either by hand or in stand mixer big enough to handle the load.

Now add some spent grain, type and amount to your liking.

Add additional flour (will probably be about 2-3 more cups), and finish kneading either by machine or turn out and knead by hand.

Dough from the mixer

Kneaded and shaped

Dough divided

as you can see, this was from a dark beer recipe

Panned up, ready for oven

Baking

Cooling

Soft crumb, grains are chewable and not crunchy.

good flavor with a hint of hops, excellent when toasted and buttered.

Potatoes with onions and sage

This morning browsing the web with a cup of coffee, now time for some chow.

Lately, I have been cooking with an electric skillet, a basic one that we’ve had for years.

A recipe free dish I cooked this afternoon.

a one pan (skillet) side dish , or entree depending on your appetite.

Fry some sliced potato (2medium) slices in oil or butter of choice

Flip to brown on both sides

Add sliced onions

Sauté several minutes
Add some stock and a touch of soy sauce.

Add a slight amount of Garlic infused olive oil.

Mix up about 3/4 cup , or by eye, milk and tablespoon flour.
Add to the simmering fry pan, till bubbly and thickened.

Reduce heat to warm, till the mixture in heated through.

Garnish with fresh ( if possible) sage .

Served  with a cup of coffee.

so what else goes on a typical Sunday morning?

make some simple syrup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

proof yeast for bread.

This recipe I kneaded by hand for more than 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

placed in covered crock to rise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

into the oven covered to bake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

updating desktop machine.

probably too many computers

make ………………..?

 

BTW XP is still supported.

 

 

 

have to do some real physical labor to offset sedentary life style to

verify my home ownership and social status to the naysayers.

do to a generous friend , an Ipad and Macbook made this posting possible, learning curve for the Apple system. I am thankful.

 

Photo collage June 2013

Some photos that didn’t get posted from June 2013.

craft brews received as gifts

beer tasting, craft brews and my own homebrews

a cool gift, similar to paper models except laser etched and cut metal, very intricate detail model.

assembled

Welcome to canasta !

“Welcome to Canasta” was a phrase often heard from a computer game that was played back in the days of DOS and floppy disks. Many, many, years ago before the PC was a required appliance, we as children, learned to play Canasta , usually on Sunday afternoon. Generations of my friends family would gather around the kitchen table and I was expected to enter the game as this card game could accommodate teams, usually split 2 or 3 to a team. The rules were quickly learned as a mis step would result in friendly banter.

What does this have to do with a food blog ? More than not, food is served, some times the games would follow Sunday dinner. The years passed, gradually wives , and the next generation, and friends would also be educated in the play. For years my wife and I and my friend and his wife, play the men (“Manly Men”), against the women Canasta teams. Do to hectic schedules of work we make it a point to still get together for a friendly game. This particular evening, 2 games , to 5000 each, resulted in a split , one for the ladies and one for the men.

Now back to the food,
Here, my friend made pizza on the grille, and served along with crackers , perhaps I will blog the pizza recipe and process in the future.

pre game table
home brews for the game.

Broiled Chicken with Barbecue sauce

Cut a half of a chicken into small pieces, usually cutting the drumstick, thighs and breast into two (or three) pieces each.

Simmer the chicken pieces in a pot of water for about 10 minutes, not necessary to cook them till done since they will be broiled.
Remove the chicken for the pan, and place on a foiled lined broiler pan and place under broiler, in my oven the second position from the top. Broil till slightly brown, turn, and broil the other side. Apply your favorite barbecue sauce and repeat, turning the chicken pieces till they are crisp.

Serve with a side order stir fried Edamame beans :

These I got at the warehouse Club, just heat them in the microwave for about 3 minutes, in the package, mine took about 4to 5 minutes, let them stand for about a minute, open put in a fry pan and stir fry. These I fried with chopped onion and garlic in a bit of oil. When almost done a splash of soy sauce. Hey are very plain alone so they are better cooked with flavoring, spices, other vegetables, etc.

The beverage with this meal was a glass of beer that I brewed called “Kent County Golden Promise”
KC Golden Promise Ale
> The Chimay glass was a Christmas gift that accompanied 3 Chimay beers.

Pony Tale Ale

      My second recipe,lighter than a Stout,  more Pale Malt than the Prime Stout grain bill with switch in hops.