Last night I had a hankering for an Amaretto Sour. As I was getting out the sugar, the container of Tang caught my eye.
Lemon juice is sour. Tang is sour. Sugar is sweet. Tang is sweet. Why not kill two birds with one stone and use tang instead? I thought.
I mixed, added a little more sugar for good measure, then, remembering an article from Imbibe magazine about eggs in drinks being trendy, tossed in an egg white to increase the drink’s frothiness.
I shook and shook. At one point, I poured the drink, but noticed the egg had not combined completely, so I poured it back in and shook again.
When I finally poured it out, it was a lovely light orange. I had made not an Amaretto Sour, but a Creamsicle.
The result surprised me, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected. I’d known from previous fiddling that a key ingredient that gives the Orange Julius its creamy froth was an egg-based product. Of course, if you are worried about salmonella, or pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant, or have a compromised immune system, or think the idea of putting a raw egg white in a drink is icky, you can get pasteurized eggs or you can powdered, pasteurized egg white at the grocery store. The powdered egg white will be somewhat gritty, so fresh egg is really best.
The Creamsicle
This really needs to be shaken well
2 oz Amaretto
1 teaspoon Tang
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 egg white (or 2 teaspoons powdered egg white)
ice
cocktail shaker
Put ice in cocktail shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients. Shake vigorously for at least two minutes. Strain into a highball glass.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Oscar Party Time
Cross-posted at my other blog, The Manic Scribe.
Oscar nominees were just announced today.
I'm a huge Oscar fan. Not so much for the movies but for the social aspect.
I usually do an Oscar party with my good friend B. Last year I skipped it. I hope to get back into the tradition this year. I like to realy glam up the food I serve, but this year, I am just about partied out. Not to mention that I should be more budget-consious than I have been due to the current economic doldrums.
However, I've got a turkey in the freezer and half a lamb's worth of meat. And I've got a steady supply of root and leaf vegetables coming in weekly from my CSA. So I think I'll be able to put together a nice spread for my guests that won't break my budget.
Hm. Maybe I'll even ask them to bring some canned goods to donate to charity, make it something more than appletinis and red carpets.
Oscar nominees were just announced today.
I'm a huge Oscar fan. Not so much for the movies but for the social aspect.
I usually do an Oscar party with my good friend B. Last year I skipped it. I hope to get back into the tradition this year. I like to realy glam up the food I serve, but this year, I am just about partied out. Not to mention that I should be more budget-consious than I have been due to the current economic doldrums.
However, I've got a turkey in the freezer and half a lamb's worth of meat. And I've got a steady supply of root and leaf vegetables coming in weekly from my CSA. So I think I'll be able to put together a nice spread for my guests that won't break my budget.
Hm. Maybe I'll even ask them to bring some canned goods to donate to charity, make it something more than appletinis and red carpets.
Gratin Fail; Cast Iron Win
Got a slew of root vegetables from the winter CSA that just started on Jan 8. Tried to make a gratin, which would have beek OK, except for a few issues.
One, I had not sliced the veggies thin enough. Also, since I made the gratin in advance and cooked it from the frigde, I wound up undercooking the thing.
Two, I'd forgotten to salt the layers. Now, the layers also contained some bacon, and I salted the liquid that I added halfway through baking. It was just a touch undersalted when all was said and done. Next time I'll use my common sense and actually stick a fork in the damn thing to make sure it's done.
In other news, I seasoned the cast iron skillets I got for Christmas/My Birthday. They're still in the oven, actually. I'm not 100% sure what I will cook in them. I've got a crowd coming over for my birthday this Saturday, but we're going out to dinner. I'll have to think of something really special to break in the pans.
One, I had not sliced the veggies thin enough. Also, since I made the gratin in advance and cooked it from the frigde, I wound up undercooking the thing.
Two, I'd forgotten to salt the layers. Now, the layers also contained some bacon, and I salted the liquid that I added halfway through baking. It was just a touch undersalted when all was said and done. Next time I'll use my common sense and actually stick a fork in the damn thing to make sure it's done.
In other news, I seasoned the cast iron skillets I got for Christmas/My Birthday. They're still in the oven, actually. I'm not 100% sure what I will cook in them. I've got a crowd coming over for my birthday this Saturday, but we're going out to dinner. I'll have to think of something really special to break in the pans.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Happy New Year!
You know it's been a busy year when I don't have time to cook. I LOVE to cook. It's relaxing and therapeutic to me. But I simply haven't had time. Thus, the blog has suffered.
It was a great, but busy, 2008. Several trips out of state for family and for fun, picking up a second job, and getting my first ranking in aikido has kept my life full, but tiring.
I knew on an intellectual level that I was tired for the latter half of the year, but it was only after a good 5 days at my parents, with nothing to do but sleep in late, go shopping, read a book on wine and scarf down Company Potatoes, that I got perspective on how relaxed I felt, and how stressed I was before.
Coming back to reality, I know that I've still got a lot on my plate, but I've tasted the fruits of relaxation, and they will be a part of my diet from now on.
As a symbolic gesture of this, I actually cooked something fancy, from a recipe even, Sunday night. Pears poached in red wine sauce. The lovely thing about this recipe is it's very elegant, but can be broken up into several parts, many of which can be done in advance. It's a good example for me how I can still find ways to cook and relax in 2009 and keep a better balance of work, rest, and play.
Poached pears in wine sauce
Hardware
large, somewhat shallow, saucepan, big enough to fit all pears
Vegetable peeler
spoon or ladle
measuring cups
Software
1 bottle fruity red wine
1/2 cup fortified wine, such as port wine, or sherry (or 1/2 cup sweet wine plus a shot of something strong like vodka or rum).
1/2 cup sugar
4 pears, the ones with the green skins, slightly underripe if you can get them that way.
2 Tablespoons chai loose leaf tea (emphatically not the powdered stuff. It has to have twigs and pods and nibs in it. Can substitute 2 T mulling spices plus a 1 inch section of orange rind)
Keep stems on pears, but peel them. Cut off bottoms of pears a little bit so they stand upright. Heat all other ingredients in saucepan over low heat until sugar is just melted. Add pears. Heat mixture until boiling, then back heat down to a low simmer. Cook 30-40 minutes, turning pears every 10 minutes or so. Baste the pears with the liquid each time you turn them.
Remove pears, then turn the heat up and cook the syrup down until it is reduced to about a cup. Be careful here to make sure the syrup doesn't burn. When bubbles start to "stack" on top of each other, you're good to go.
Strain syrup, pour syrup over pears in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve by placing each pear, standing up, then spoon some syrup around. Can add whipped cream or ice cream if you want.
The coolest thing about this recipe is how the pears turn from pale green to ruby red as you cook. Talk about alchemy. Yum.
It was a great, but busy, 2008. Several trips out of state for family and for fun, picking up a second job, and getting my first ranking in aikido has kept my life full, but tiring.
I knew on an intellectual level that I was tired for the latter half of the year, but it was only after a good 5 days at my parents, with nothing to do but sleep in late, go shopping, read a book on wine and scarf down Company Potatoes, that I got perspective on how relaxed I felt, and how stressed I was before.
Coming back to reality, I know that I've still got a lot on my plate, but I've tasted the fruits of relaxation, and they will be a part of my diet from now on.
As a symbolic gesture of this, I actually cooked something fancy, from a recipe even, Sunday night. Pears poached in red wine sauce. The lovely thing about this recipe is it's very elegant, but can be broken up into several parts, many of which can be done in advance. It's a good example for me how I can still find ways to cook and relax in 2009 and keep a better balance of work, rest, and play.
Poached pears in wine sauce
Hardware
large, somewhat shallow, saucepan, big enough to fit all pears
Vegetable peeler
spoon or ladle
measuring cups
Software
1 bottle fruity red wine
1/2 cup fortified wine, such as port wine, or sherry (or 1/2 cup sweet wine plus a shot of something strong like vodka or rum).
1/2 cup sugar
4 pears, the ones with the green skins, slightly underripe if you can get them that way.
2 Tablespoons chai loose leaf tea (emphatically not the powdered stuff. It has to have twigs and pods and nibs in it. Can substitute 2 T mulling spices plus a 1 inch section of orange rind)
Keep stems on pears, but peel them. Cut off bottoms of pears a little bit so they stand upright. Heat all other ingredients in saucepan over low heat until sugar is just melted. Add pears. Heat mixture until boiling, then back heat down to a low simmer. Cook 30-40 minutes, turning pears every 10 minutes or so. Baste the pears with the liquid each time you turn them.
Remove pears, then turn the heat up and cook the syrup down until it is reduced to about a cup. Be careful here to make sure the syrup doesn't burn. When bubbles start to "stack" on top of each other, you're good to go.
Strain syrup, pour syrup over pears in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve by placing each pear, standing up, then spoon some syrup around. Can add whipped cream or ice cream if you want.
The coolest thing about this recipe is how the pears turn from pale green to ruby red as you cook. Talk about alchemy. Yum.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Transcendent Wings
I drove out to play a couple games of pool (which I lost heinouosly) with a friend last night. During the games, my friend recommended that we order the wing dings.
I'm not a huge hot wing fan. In general, I find sauced wings one-trick ponies that rely exclusively on their sauce to impress. And the breaded-fried wings are usually nothing special, verging on insipid.
this particular friend is known in my social circle as the Brass Chef. He is a cook and foodie of some note. He combines the speed and practicality of a line order cook with the innovation of a Great Chef.
If he says to try the wings, I try the wings, though I wasn't expecting anything too special. They arrived at our table with little fanfare-8 breaded deep-fried wings in a paper-lined mesh basket. They seemed tiny, but they were golden brown and piping hot, plucked moments ago from the fryer.
After giving them a few minutes to cool off, I tried one. And all of a sudden my paradigm shifted.
They were on the small side, but every bit of them but the bone was edible. There was no gristle to be found on them, as evidenced by my friend stripping each of his wings down to the bone like a pirhana strips a cow.
The coating was hot, crispy and thin with just a touch of oil glistening. At the joints, there was a little bit of extra coating that was a little bit crunchier. The chicken was tender and juicy. The flavor and texture was a lot like eating teeny tiny pieces of excellent fried chicken.
The first flavor I could taste was something subtly but intangibly sweet, like cloves or chinese five-spice or curry powder. The sweetness quickly dissapeared as the spiciness began to bloom.
The heat of the wings was well-balanced. The spice developed at a good pace and never got too overpowering. This heat started while I was still eating the wing, and developed just a little bit more as an aftertaste. These are not super-hot, but the heat does build somewhat as you eat more of them.
The drummetes and wings were equally good, though the drumettes had more places where a little more extra coating could accrue. But since the batter was so light, extra coating was a joy, not a chore.
It was as if I'd been eating these wings for years. I even craved them just like someone who'd been eating these wings for years. It was like meeting someone new and instantly having a connection with them as if we were old friends.
I know this sounds silly, anthropormoprhizing wings. But don't laugh until you've actually tried these wings.
We got an order to take home with us. I'm planning to grab an order of the wing dings this weekend when I'm back in the area to satisfy a craving I never new I had.
I'm not a huge hot wing fan. In general, I find sauced wings one-trick ponies that rely exclusively on their sauce to impress. And the breaded-fried wings are usually nothing special, verging on insipid.
this particular friend is known in my social circle as the Brass Chef. He is a cook and foodie of some note. He combines the speed and practicality of a line order cook with the innovation of a Great Chef.
If he says to try the wings, I try the wings, though I wasn't expecting anything too special. They arrived at our table with little fanfare-8 breaded deep-fried wings in a paper-lined mesh basket. They seemed tiny, but they were golden brown and piping hot, plucked moments ago from the fryer.
After giving them a few minutes to cool off, I tried one. And all of a sudden my paradigm shifted.
They were on the small side, but every bit of them but the bone was edible. There was no gristle to be found on them, as evidenced by my friend stripping each of his wings down to the bone like a pirhana strips a cow.
The coating was hot, crispy and thin with just a touch of oil glistening. At the joints, there was a little bit of extra coating that was a little bit crunchier. The chicken was tender and juicy. The flavor and texture was a lot like eating teeny tiny pieces of excellent fried chicken.
The first flavor I could taste was something subtly but intangibly sweet, like cloves or chinese five-spice or curry powder. The sweetness quickly dissapeared as the spiciness began to bloom.
The heat of the wings was well-balanced. The spice developed at a good pace and never got too overpowering. This heat started while I was still eating the wing, and developed just a little bit more as an aftertaste. These are not super-hot, but the heat does build somewhat as you eat more of them.
The drummetes and wings were equally good, though the drumettes had more places where a little more extra coating could accrue. But since the batter was so light, extra coating was a joy, not a chore.
It was as if I'd been eating these wings for years. I even craved them just like someone who'd been eating these wings for years. It was like meeting someone new and instantly having a connection with them as if we were old friends.
I know this sounds silly, anthropormoprhizing wings. But don't laugh until you've actually tried these wings.
We got an order to take home with us. I'm planning to grab an order of the wing dings this weekend when I'm back in the area to satisfy a craving I never new I had.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving and Altruism
I was out to dinner with my family for my husband's birthday, when my mom and dad got to talking about what they were doing for Thanksgiving. I'm won't be there--I'm visiting the in-laws, including the sister in law with the new niece--and my sister is visiting her boyfriend. So, my parents were to be empty-nesters for the first holiday ever.
My dad suggested that they volunteer at a soup kitchen, and do something to help the less fortunate. My mom heartily agreed.
My parents rule.
This Thanksgiving, keep in mind that there are a ton of people less fortunate out there, even more so in years past due to the economic downturn. These people need care and support, but not just food. They need hope, and to know that others care.
Maybe your budget it also tight this year, but if you can't give money, you can always give time. Maybe it's going to a soup kitchen, maybe it's donating food, or maybe not.
I don't have time this year, what with two jobs and a house to take care of, but I do have some money. The Mister and I will be making some donations before the holidays, and also will start to put charity as a line item in our budget for 2009.
Not to get too didactic, but there's surely something you can do to bring a smile to someone else's face and lighten their load. It will lift your spirits as much as it will lift theirs.
Here's some links to get you started:
The Hunger Site et. al: All you do is click on a link and ad revenue goes to charities. Super easy
How to donate food to a soup kitchen: An EHow article that gives the basics.
Look into microcredit: Microcredit is basically giving a small, short-term loan to someone whose needs are so small or who is so poor that they can't get bank financing. It's sort of like lending your sister $50 to buy books for college until her student loans come through, or giving your son $40 to start up a lemonade stand. Much, but not all, microcredit is for international purposes, so if you want to help peopole in your community this might not be the way to go. But it will directly help people.
My dad suggested that they volunteer at a soup kitchen, and do something to help the less fortunate. My mom heartily agreed.
My parents rule.
This Thanksgiving, keep in mind that there are a ton of people less fortunate out there, even more so in years past due to the economic downturn. These people need care and support, but not just food. They need hope, and to know that others care.
Maybe your budget it also tight this year, but if you can't give money, you can always give time. Maybe it's going to a soup kitchen, maybe it's donating food, or maybe not.
I don't have time this year, what with two jobs and a house to take care of, but I do have some money. The Mister and I will be making some donations before the holidays, and also will start to put charity as a line item in our budget for 2009.
Not to get too didactic, but there's surely something you can do to bring a smile to someone else's face and lighten their load. It will lift your spirits as much as it will lift theirs.
Here's some links to get you started:
The Hunger Site et. al: All you do is click on a link and ad revenue goes to charities. Super easy
How to donate food to a soup kitchen: An EHow article that gives the basics.
Look into microcredit: Microcredit is basically giving a small, short-term loan to someone whose needs are so small or who is so poor that they can't get bank financing. It's sort of like lending your sister $50 to buy books for college until her student loans come through, or giving your son $40 to start up a lemonade stand. Much, but not all, microcredit is for international purposes, so if you want to help peopole in your community this might not be the way to go. But it will directly help people.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Lovely lamb chops with cheesy bacon mashed potatoes
I just had this meal not one hour ago, and it was delicious. Prep time was minimal. If you are a lamb lover, this is the only marinade you will ever need. I heartily suggest you drink a robust red wine with this meal.
These recipes make enough for about two servings, but can easily be doubled. I've found that you don't want to over-marinate the lamb, so 30 minutes or less will do fine. Prep time on this is minimal, but it is delicious. Not the fanciest of meals, but it will satisfy any lamb lover, and the mashed potatoes taste almost like cheesy potato skins.
Lovely Lamb chops with cheesy bacon mashed potatoes
Bottled lemon juice is fine here, but fresh garlic and fresh herbs are a must.
8 lamb rib chops, French cut style
salt and pepper
1/4 cup oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme, oregano, or your favorite herb
Trim the lamb of excess fat if needed. Place chops on baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, add oil and lemon juice. Crush garlic cloves and add. Strip the leaves off the herb springs, and add to marinade. It's OK if a few small stems get in.
Pour marinade over chops, directly on baking sheet. Turn after 10-15 minutes. Make sure to spoon some of the herbs and garlic on the chops when you turn them.
Meanwhile, while the chops are marinating, make the potatoes.
1 cup instant mashed potatoes
1 Tablespoon butter or oil
2 Tablespoons Bacon Salt
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 an onion
1/4 cup cheese
1 cup water
1/4 cup milk
scallions and cheddar for garnish (optional)
Chop onion to medium dice. Add to medium-sized saucepan with oil and salt. Cook until onion is translucent and fairly soft, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
While onions are cooking, start to broil the lamb chops. Broil about 2-3 inches away from the broiler. For rare chops, broil 3 minutes per side. 4 minutes per side for medium. Remove from the oven and let rest.
Add bacon salt and stir to combine. Add water, stir, turn heat to high until mixture begins to boil. Turn off heat, add milk and potatoes. Stir until the mixture begins to solidify, then add cheese.
Serve 4 chops per person with the potatoes on the side. Drink with a robust red wine. Feel like a cannibal as you gnaw the lamb bones.
These recipes make enough for about two servings, but can easily be doubled. I've found that you don't want to over-marinate the lamb, so 30 minutes or less will do fine. Prep time on this is minimal, but it is delicious. Not the fanciest of meals, but it will satisfy any lamb lover, and the mashed potatoes taste almost like cheesy potato skins.
Lovely Lamb chops with cheesy bacon mashed potatoes
Bottled lemon juice is fine here, but fresh garlic and fresh herbs are a must.
8 lamb rib chops, French cut style
salt and pepper
1/4 cup oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme, oregano, or your favorite herb
Trim the lamb of excess fat if needed. Place chops on baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, add oil and lemon juice. Crush garlic cloves and add. Strip the leaves off the herb springs, and add to marinade. It's OK if a few small stems get in.
Pour marinade over chops, directly on baking sheet. Turn after 10-15 minutes. Make sure to spoon some of the herbs and garlic on the chops when you turn them.
Meanwhile, while the chops are marinating, make the potatoes.
1 cup instant mashed potatoes
1 Tablespoon butter or oil
2 Tablespoons Bacon Salt
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 an onion
1/4 cup cheese
1 cup water
1/4 cup milk
scallions and cheddar for garnish (optional)
Chop onion to medium dice. Add to medium-sized saucepan with oil and salt. Cook until onion is translucent and fairly soft, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
While onions are cooking, start to broil the lamb chops. Broil about 2-3 inches away from the broiler. For rare chops, broil 3 minutes per side. 4 minutes per side for medium. Remove from the oven and let rest.
Add bacon salt and stir to combine. Add water, stir, turn heat to high until mixture begins to boil. Turn off heat, add milk and potatoes. Stir until the mixture begins to solidify, then add cheese.
Serve 4 chops per person with the potatoes on the side. Drink with a robust red wine. Feel like a cannibal as you gnaw the lamb bones.
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