Old World Rye Bread - Recipes to Rival November Challenge

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Many years ago, I worked in a facility that was a 10 minute drive from Short Hills Mall and Bloomingdale's Department Store. When things were calm, I loved to sneak over to the bakery in Bloomingdale's basement and buy a stash of rye raisin rolls. They were not quite Lucullean, but they came awfully close and I loved them. You can imagine how delighted I was when I learned the November challenge at Recipes to Rival was going to be Old World Rye Bread from "A World of Breads" by Dolores Casella. Our hostess, Temperama of High on the Hog, also gave us some leeway to play with the base recipe. My personal quest was to alter it and duplicate the Bloomingdale's rolls. I tried three times, but had to admit defeat. I can tell you that despite that, this is a lovely recipe and well worth your time should you choose to use it to make a plain rye bread. I used dark rye and dark molasses to make the dough. I also pulverized the caraway seeds and added brown sugar, raisins and toasted walnuts to the base recipe. The bread is very easy to make and it has a lovely hint of cocoa in its moist crumb. Here's the recipe.

Old World Rye
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella, 1966

Ingredients:
2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons caraway seed
2 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour

Directions:
1) Combine rye flour and cocoa. Do not sift.
2) Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
3) Mix molasses, 1 cup warm water, salt, and caraway seed in large mixing bowl. Add rye/cocoa mix, proofed yeast, butter and 1 cup white flour or whole wheat flour. Beat until the dough is smooth.
4) Spread remaining flour on a breadboard and kneed it into dough. Add more flour if necessary to make a firm dough that is smooth and elastic. Place in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double (about 2 hours).
5) Punch dough down, shape into a round loaf and place on a buttered cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise about 50 minutes.
6) Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes. Yield: 1 loaf.

Cook's Note: I added 1 cup or raisins and 1 cup walnuts to the dough before kneading.

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Cheese Bites - An Appetizer for Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Poor planning on my part led to some scrambling today. Several weeks ago I agreed to make appetizers for a fund raiser, not realizing that the date fell on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Normally, I love to do this kind of thing. Not so much today. I've been in the kitchen a lot this past week and right now my idea of a perfect meal is a container of Ramen noodles. Having backed myself into a corner, I felt duty bound to get myself out of it with as much grace as I could muster. These cheese bites and two other very easy recipes were my passport to that graceful exit. The recipe for this appetizer is over a decade old. It came on the back of a box of Land O'Lakes butter. The original recipe called for blue cheese and roasted peppers. I still do that sometimes, but I must admit to doubling the amount of blue cheese I use when making the cheese bites that way. I also make them with Parmigiano-Reggiano and sun-dried tomatoes. The original recipe suggests baking the appetizer in a tart pan and serving it in wedges. I think that's way to rich for a first course and the wedge is hard to serve as a finger food. Over time, I began to make these in rectangular tart pans, cut them into small squares and serve them as finger food that can be passed with cocktails. In a bind, I've been known to use commercially prepared puff pastry or pie crust. The bites can also be assembled and frozen to cook as needed. This is not the best of my appetizers but it's among the most serviceable. I've used it over and over again because it is so easy to do and lends itself to theme and variation. Here's the base recipe.

Cheese Bites...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Unbaked pie crust for a one crust pie
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 to 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
1/3 cup drained and chopped roasted red pepper or drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup lightly toaste chopped nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a tart pan (round or rectangular) with a removable bottom with pie crust. Dock crust with a fork. Place foil and pie weights inside pastry. Bake until very lightly bown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights.
2) While crust bakes, combine cheeses in a large bowl. Beat, at medium speed, scraping bowl as required, until cheeses are creamy. Gradually add cream, egg and black pepper until everthing is blended. Spread into prepared crust. Sprinkle with red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. Top with nuts and parsley. Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Cut into wedges or squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 14 to 16 servings.

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Piperada Bocadillo - Basque Egg and Pepper Sandwich

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A bocadillo is a sandwich that's made with what the Spaniards call a barra de pan, or split baguette. A piperada is the Basque version of a butter-rich omelet that's made with a mixture of peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes. The mixture is called piperade. One taste of piperade will transport you to Basque country, leaving no doubt in your mind as to why this is the signature dish of the region. Once the egg and piperade are combined and warmed through, the resulting piperada is stuffed into a bocadillo to make one of the best sandwiches you've ever had. It's a favorite of mine and I have it more often than I should. I am a huge fan of Spanish cooking, especially that which is done in the regions that border France. Three words come to mind when I think about the food of the area; hearty, healthy and delicious. I really hope you'll try this.

Piperada Bocadillo - Basque Egg and Pepper Sandwich...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil + oil to brush baguettes
2 small onions, coarsely chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced red peppers, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 long French baguette or 6 rolls, split
2 tablespoons butter
7 large eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper
Optional garnish: fresh basil leaves

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
2) Add bell peppers, garlic and chili flakes to pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, covered, until peppers are soft and liquid has evaporated, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scoop some bread from lower portion of bread or rolls to form a shallow well. If using a long loaf, cut it into 6 equal pieces. Brush cut surfaces of bread with olive oil and place on a baking pan. Bake until crisp and light gold in color, about 8 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, melt butter in another skillet. Add eggs and cook, stirring, until softly scrambled. Turn off heat. Stir in pepper mixture. Adjust seasoning to taste. Divide among pieces of bread. Sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve hot or warm. Yield 6 servings.

Cook's Note: Baked Scrambled eggs can be used in this recipe.

Peppermint Ice Cream and Ice Cream Sandwiches

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every year, around this time, I make peppermint ice cream to use in a refrigerator cake I serve during the Christmas holidays. I also use it to make ice cream sandwiches that I keep on hand for unexpected guests. This is a really lovely ice cream and buying chocolate wafer cookies makes the ice cream sandwiches really easy to put together. Once the ice cream has firmed enough, I assemble the sandwiches and freeze them on cookie sheets, in a single layer, for a couple of hours. I then transfer them to a freezer bag for longer term storage. I remove them from the freezer about 15 minutes before I plan to serve them. Children love to help make these. They also do a pretty good job of making them disappear. This is the recipe I use for the peppermint ice cream. Crush the peppermint candy to a powder if you prefer an ice cream that is perfectly smooth. If you like bits of peppermint in your ice cream coarsely chop the candy, but make sure the pieces are small enough not to harm your ice cream maker.You might also want to add a drop or two of red food coloring for better color.

Peppermint Ice Cream Recipe...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2/3 cup crushed hard peppermint candies

Directions:
1) Beat eggs and sugar together in a small bowl.
2) Place milk in a saucepan and heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Pour mixture back into saucepan, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Chill for several hours.
3) Stir in cream, vanilla and peppermint extract. Pour into an ice cream maker. Mix according to manufacturer's instructions, adding crushed peppermint for last 5 minutes of churning. Transfer to a freezer container. Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Golden Raisins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Ina Garten was the inspiration for this recipe. I came across the sprout preparation in her book "Barefoot in Paris" and have talked about making them for the past five years. Yesterday, with some urging from my husband, I made them part of out Thanksgiving meal, and, to my great surprise, they were the vegetable hit of the day. This is a straightforward recipe. I opted to cook the spouts in two stages. I assembled and browned them in the morning and braised them just before serving. It worked well; the sprouts retained their glorious color and added a vibrant green to our table. I had no pancetta in the house so I used bacon and it worked wonderfully well. I really liked this recipe. I hope you'll try it.

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Golden Raisins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces bacon or pancetta, cut in 1/4-inch dice
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
1 (14.5-oz.) can reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add bacon and saute until fat is rendered and bacon is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper toweling to drain.
2) Add Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper to skillet and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add raisins and chicken stock. Lower heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Return bacon to pan and heat through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 8 servings.

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your day is warmed by glowing embers and the embrace of family and friends. Eat well and enjoy the comforts of this special day. Know that I count you among my blessings. Thank you for a wonderful year.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to serve this elegant cocktail for special breakfasts or brunch during the holiday season. It's simple to make and the Champagne lends a festive air to a morning celebration. Ginger ale can be used to fashion a similar drink for any children at the table. Bubbles will be more pronounced if you serve the cocktail in a Champagne flute and add the wine just before serving the drinks. Any good sparkling white wine can substitute for the Champagne.

Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2-ounce Cointreau or triple sec, chilled
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
3-ounces cranberry juice, chilled

Directions:
Pour Cointreau and cranberry juice into a chilled Champagne flute. Stir well. Top with Champagne or sparkling wine. Yield: 1 cocktail.

Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs - Outdoor Wednesday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I lay no claim to loaves and fishes, but eggs for the multitude is another story. While I do eggs of all types, including Benedict and Florentine, once there are more than six people at the breakfast table, my unembarrassed version of the Marquess of Queensberry rules of the kitchen kick in. Those rules allow you to have scrambled eggs anyway you like them. My friend Louie got the recipe for me from a fire-breathing chef that only he could charm. The recipe defines simplicity, so I thought I could take a little time and share some egg trivia with you before we get to it. Did you know that weight determines how eggs are classified and sized? Small eggs weigh 12-ounces per dozen. The scale then climbs with weight per dozen being 15-ounces (medium), 18-ounces (large), 21-ounces (extra-large) and 24-ounces (jumbo). One large egg is about a 1/4 cup. While that's not important to many, size does matter, especially to bakers. If you try to bake a cake or souffle with jumbo eggs, you're in trouble before you start. The way around this, of course, is using equivalent measures. The color of a shell or the color of a yolk is no guarantee of quality. Eggs are like apples and color means little. Everyone knows that cracked eggs should be thrown away. Did you know that clean eggs can be kept at room temperature for several days? I'm not recommending that as a storage technique. I'm a bit of a traditionalist and prefer to keep mine in the refrigerator where they can be safely stored for up to six weeks. Eggs should be brought to room temperature before starting to work with them. It takes about 30 minutes to bring an egg to room temperature, so plan accordingly. Today's recipe can truly feed the multitudes. The recipe can be doubled or tripled as long as you have no more than 24 eggs in one 9 x 13-inch pan. Here's how it's done.

Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients for 6 or 12:
3 to 6 tablespoons melted butter
12 to 24 large eggs
1 to 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
1 to 2 cups milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 11-inch glass pan with cooking spray if using 12 eggs. Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass pan if using 24 eggs. Pour butter into baking dish.
2) Beat eggs, salt sour cream and milk in a large bowl. When completely blended, pour egg mixture into pan.
3) Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir well, folding sides and bottom toward center and top of pan. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until eggs are set but still soft. Fluff with fork to form curds. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 12 servings.

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Coffee Twist Three Ways

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a festive bread that lends itself to holiday breakfasts. It's not difficult to make and because of the way it's filled, its flavor is limited only by the imagination of the cook and the staples in the refrigerator and pantry. The base for the coffee cake is a standard sweet bread. The filling is nothing more than a layer of jam topped with a sprinkling of compatible nuts. The bread gets its festive air from the way it's cut and twisted. It's simple from start to finish and if you use a good jam and toast the nuts, you'll have an outstanding breakfast or coffee treat. I must admit that I make and freeze these twists well ahead of time and simply reheat them for early morning festivities. The twist in the photos above is made with seedless blackberry jam and toasted, coarsely chopped, hazelnuts. I have included alternative fillings in the recipe, so you'll have some options should you want them. Here's the recipe.

Coffee Twist - Three Ways...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Dough:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 large eggs, divided use
4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour + additional flour for dusting if required
Filling I:
3/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling II:
3/4 cup peach jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted almonds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling III:
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions:
1) Heat milk, sugar, butter and salt in a small saucepan set over medium heat until butter melts. Let sit for 30 minutes, or until mixture is at room temperature.
2) Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add milk mixture, 2 eggs and 1-1/4 cups flour. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour to form a dough.
3) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour only to prevent sticking. Place in a large greased bowl and turn to coat all sides of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4) Punch dough down. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface; cover and let rest 15 minutes.
5) Coat a 15 x 10-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
6) Roll dough into a 14-inch square. Spread with jam of choice, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Top with nuts of choice.
7) Roll dough as for jelly roll, pinching seam to close. Transfer, very carefully, to prepared baking sheet. Reshape as necessary to retain 14-inch shape. Cut roll in half lengthwise. With cut side facing up and starting in the middle, work towards top of dough, crossing strips back and forth keeping cut sides facing up. Pinch ends together and tuck under to seal. Repeat procedure with bottom half of loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
8) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat reserved egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush top of loaf with glaze and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
9) Bake for 30 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield 1 loaf (about 12 servings).


This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Puff Pastry Pillow with Creamy Blue Cheese Filling - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It was damp and blustery today, the kind of chill that burrows into marrow and sends shivers up the spine. We had been out and were wet and cold. Ever the provider and minder of the hearth, Bob lit a fire and made some toddies while I tended to a decidedly low-brow supper. I pulled tomato soup and puff pastry from the freezer and grabbed the last of our wonderful Crater Lake Blue from the cheese keeper. The intent was to make a meal we had often years ago. My younger persona was a purist who made everything from scratch. We won't speak today about how far I've fallen, it's enough to know that I planned to make something we had had before. Julia Child, in The French Chef Cookbook, had a recipe for French puff pastry that was made from instant-blend flour. It was used to form the base of a Roquefort Cheese Case that would make your socks go up and down. It was also my first experiment with puff pastry and like all of Julia's recipes, if you could see it through to the end, you were guaranteed success. Tonight, however, was not meant to be a test of nerve or skill. We wanted something delicious that could be enjoyed with grace and a modicum of effort at the low table in front of the fire. There would be no rolling or turns of pastry every hour on the hour. That effort was being circumvented by the use of commercial puff pastry. Not just any puff pastry mind you, I planned to use Dufour Classic Puff Pastry which is arguably better than any of its domestic competitors. So, a job that once took all day to accomplish could be done within an hour. Those of us who learned to cook with Julia love her, but we have all come across her maddening tendency to let you know halfway through a recipe that you now need a cup of veloute or mornay or brown sauce. Surprise! Back then recipes were not written with the clarity you see today. At any rate, this was one of those famous "Julia" recipes. Sure enough, halfway through her instructions you'll find you need a thick white sauce to make her Roquefort Cheese Case. Because I'm honoring Julia in the breech, I've modernized her lovely recipe and have include instructions for making white sauce within it and I am, of course, using commercial puff pastry for the shell. This makes a lovely first course or light entree. If you like any of the blue cheeses I think you'll love this recipe.

Puff Pastry Pillow with Creamy Blue Cheese Filling...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Thick Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pastry Case:
1 (14-oz.) package thawed puff pastry sheets
Cheese Filling:
8-oz. blue or Roquefort cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup thick cream sauce
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) To make cream sauce, melt butter over low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Blend in flour and cook slowly, until butter and flour cook together for 2 minutes without turning color. Whisk in milk; blend until smooth. Cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3) To make pastry case, lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Roll one sheet of pastry to a rectangle that is 1/16-inch thick. Sprinkle cold water on a cookie sheet. Tap off excess. Transfer dough to cookie sheet. Roll out second sheet of dough. Let sit, covered, until needed. Prick center of dough at 1/4-inch intervals with a fork to keep dough flat while baking. Spread crumbled cheese down center of dough strip, leaving a 1-inch margin on all sides. Cover with cream sauce. Fold margins of dough up over filling on all four sides. Brush all margins with water. Cover with second strip of dough, trimming as required, and seal layers together, pressing firmly with fingers. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees F and bake 30 minutes longer. Serve hot. Yield: 6 servings.

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Maple Butter - Made Two Ways

Maple butter made without a candy thermometer.



Maple butter made with boiling syrup.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are small things that can make a meal memorable. Maple butter is one of them. Its most obvious use is on pancakes or waffles, but biscuits and cornbread, even dinner rolls, are taken to another level when spread with either of the butters we are featuring today. Both are easy to do, though one requires a boiled syrup. I know that some of you are uncomfortable working with sugar syrup, so a second recipe that requires no boiling is also being provided. In one of those contradictions that drive good cooks wild, the butter made with boiled syrup is the most flavorful but it's quite plain to look at. The easier recipe looks like a beauty queen. Whichever version you try, use real maple syrup. The imitation syrup will produce a butter that's not worthy of your time. Once you try maple butter I suspect it will become a staple in your home. I'm starting to use it as a butter replacement in coffee cakes and frostings. It is that good. Here are the two recipes.

Maple Butter I...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup butter

Directions:
1) Using a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat maple syrup until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter.
2) Pour mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until it is thick and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3) Pour into glass containers and refrigerate until required. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Maple Butter II...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions:
1) Combine butter and maple syrup in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat with paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
2) Spoon into jars, cover, and refrigerate. Yield: 3/4 cup.

Recipes courtesy of OSU Extension Service.

Pot Roast with Potatoes for Pink Saturday

Photo courtesy of Bloomfield Farms



Earlier this week, Peg at Bloomfield Farms did a feature about cattle country. As I moved through her wonderful pictures I was struck by the pink tags that were placed in the ears of the cattle once they were in feedlots. My devious mind immediately knew what I would use as my lead photo today. If I led with a tagged steer, I'd need to feature a recipe for beef. So, I made a large pot roast for dinner tonight. It will provide two additional and easy meals that will allow more time for Thanksgiving preparation next week. I bake my pot roast in a low, slow oven. This recipe can be adapted for use in a slow cooker but the texture of the meat will not be the same. I, obviously, prefer the texture of the oven roast. I prepare a rub of sorts and work it into the beef with a jaccard or fork the night before I brown and roast the meat. I was born a contrarian, so I prefer to use flatter cuts of beef for our pot roasts. My favorite cuts are a boneless shoulder or center cut pot roast. Whatever cut is used, it's important that the braising liquid not cover the meat. It should come only halfway up its sides. I use white vermouth in this recipe. You can use red or white wine. My preference for vermouth is based on the fact that it's a fortified wine and can sit for a good while without turning to vinegar. A good French vermouth guarantees there'll always be a decent cooking wine in the house. That truc originally came from Julia Child. Whenever possible, I make the pot roast 24 hours before I plan to serve it. This allows neat slices of meat to be cut before they are warmed. Here's the recipe for the pot roast which, coincidentally, makes great French dip, cheese steaks or barbecued beef.

Pot Roast with Vegetables...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
1 (3-1/2 to 4 pound) boneless shoulder or center cut chuck roast
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry white vermouth or white wine
1/2 cup condensed beef broth, undiluted
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
1-1/2 pounds small red or Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water

Directions:
1) The night before roasting, combine garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Using a jaccard or meat fork, work the mixture into both sides of pot roast. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it is hot, slowly brown roast, about 10 minutes per side. Add vermouth and beef broth and bring liquid to a simmer. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook, covered, turning roast every 30 minutes, until tender and meat fork easily slips in and out of meat, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. About an hour before end of cooking time, add carrots and potatoes to Dutch oven.
3) Transfer roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Skim fat from surface of braising liquid. Add water or stock if necessary to equal about 1-1/2 cups. Combine flour and water in a lidded jar. Shake until smooth. Add to braising liquid and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Using chef’s or carving knife, cut meat against grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Pour about 1/2 cup sauce over meat. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately. Yield: 6 servings.


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Portuguese-Style Turkey Soup With Linguica, Kale and Potatoes - Remains of the Day for Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Once the dishes are done and the silver and china put away, the work associated with Thanksgiving dinner is nearly done. Among the outstanding tasks is the handling of the remains of the day. The meat is no problem. It will mysteriously disappear and by Saturday the turkey carcass will be picked bare. Some look at carcass and see a skeleton, others see a soup that emerges with little effort from the last vestige of the Thanksgiving meal. I've tasted lots of turkey soups in my day and have never come across a bad one. Just in case you're in the market for something a bit different, I have an atypical turkey soup to share with you. It's based on caldo verde, a Portuguese soup that's made with Linguica sausage, kale and beans or potatoes. Here, however, rich turkey stock takes the soup to another level. The soup uses two kinds of potatoes, one to thicken and the other to flavor and provide some texture to the soup. The kale freshens and adds a healthy component to a soup that normally uses leftover vegetables that are well past their prime. Linguica is a wonderfully flavored garlic sausage that you can find in most large supermarkets. You have all the other components you need to make this in your pantry. If you don't want to use wine in the stock add an additional 2 cups of water and you'll be fine. Here's the recipe. You'll see it's made in two parts. First, the stock and then the soup. The stock can be made in a crock-pot.

Portuguese-Style Turkey Soup with Linguica, Potatoes and Kale...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Stock
1 turkey carcass, broken into several large pieces
4 quarts water
2 cups dry white vermouth or white wine
2 (8-oz. each) baking potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large rib celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled but smashed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
A small bunch of parley sprigs
Soup
6 medium boiling potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound Linguica sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
3/4 to 1 pound fresh kale, stems discarded, washed and cut into 1/4-inch strips

Directions:
1) To make stock, place carcass, water, wine, baking potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt pepper and parsley sprigs in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, skimming surface of soup as necessary to remove any scum that forms.
2) Remove potatoes and set aside. Strain stock through sieve into a large bowl. Remove any meat from strained solids and set aside. Discard solids in strainer.
3) Place potato chunks into a blender with one cup of stock. Puree.
4) To make the soup, return stock to a soup pot. Bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in potato puree. Add boiling potatoes to pot. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pot and simmer, until potatoes are tender. Add Linguica and reserved turkey to pot. Simmer over medium-low heat to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Add strips of kale and cook 5 minutes longer, or until kale is tender. Taste again for seasonings, adding salt and pepper as required to taste. Yield: 3 quarts; 8 to 10 servings.

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I happened on Jane Grigson's book "Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery" back in 1974 and became an instant admirer. It was an alchemy of sorts. Curled into my favorite chair, warmed by the fire, I turned page after page and was transported incrementally to the wood-fired stove of a French farm kitchen and the wondrous world of charcuterie. I began with pate and moved slowly on to andouille and the boudins, blanc and noir, and ended, finally, with a cassoulet so delicious it made eyes cloud and mist. I no longer make pate, or, for that matter, cassoulet, but every so often I set dietary concerns aside and ready a batch of sausage for the breakfast or dinner table. I suspect that your holiday menu has been set in stone for several weeks now, so, rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I'd use these few days before the feast to speak of other things. Today it's breakfast sausage for the family or guests with whom you'll share the holiday. Simple. Easy. Delicious. The patties can be made well ahead of time and frozen. They can be baked to feed a gang or grilled to feed just two. While I prefer to grind the meat I use, the sausage can be made with the ground pork you'll find in the supermarket. This recipe uses no exotic spices and you probably have everything you need in your pantry. Here's the recipe for this crowd pleaser.

Breakfast Sausage...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds ground pork
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1) Combine salt, black pepper, sage, thyme, allspice, brown sugar, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix well.
2) Pat ground pork into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over pork. Mix well. Using a scoop or 1/4 cup measure, form patties about 1/2-inch thick. Place on a tray. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 21 patties.
3) To pan-fry, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan, about 7 minutes per side.
4) To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange patties on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until center is no longer pink.

You might also enjoy these links:
Ryan's Recipe Blog - Taste Festival Sausage Making
Pork, Knife and Spoon - Making Sausage - A Primer
Italian Chef Blog - Fresh Italian Sausage

Pfeffernüsse - Outdoor Wednesday

Over the weekend we happened upon a Christmas tree harvest at a local farm. It was fascinating to watch. I was amazed by a seeming contradiction as we watched the process. It's become highly mechanized but still remains quite labor intensive. The men, using specialized equipment, moved in teams to fell, bundle, lift and transport the trees. They completed in a day what would have taken weeks not long ago.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My feature of the day was to have been Transylvanian Goulash. Since there was no way to tie it to a Christmas tree harvest, I thought a holiday cookie recipe might be more appropriate. Pfeffernüsse are a favorite of mine. Today's very old and authentic recipe comes from Hannie, in whose German kitchen I learned to make them. Pfeffernüsse are spicy cookies that are part of the Christmas traditions in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. The name translates to peppernuts and it accurately describes their spicy taste as well as the fact that they contain finely chopped nuts and a small amount of black pepper. Spices vary in different versions of the recipe, as does the coating which can range from a liberal application of confectioners' sugar to a thick glaze. The cookies are very easy to make, but they need to be refrigerated in order to shape them, so plan accordingly. Here's the recipe.

Pfeffernüsse ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 -1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup very finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup very finely chopped candied orange peel
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup brandy
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:
1) Mix flour, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2) In a separate bowl, beat white and brown sugars into butter. Add egg yolks and mix to combine. Add almonds, orange peel, lemon zest and mix. Stir one third of flour mixture into butter mixture. then add molasses and brandy. Mix in remainder of flour mixture. When fully blended, cover dough and refrigerate overnight.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon measure, form dough into balls and place them on prepared cookie sheets, 1-1/2 inches, apart. Bake for 14 -15 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool on cookie sheets. Roll in confectioners sugar. Store in airtight container. Yield: 42 cookies.

Here are some other interpretations of Pfeffernüsse:
A Bowl of Mush - Pfeffernüsse
Global Gourmet - Pfeffernüsse
The Barefoot Kitchen Witch - Pfeffernüsse

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Kitchen Reveal Day

Penny from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen, came up with an idea for an Annual Kitchen Reveal Day that would allow others to see where our cooking is done. My kitchen is part of a great room and it's always on display. That keeps me on my toes. I've included a shot of the pantry as well. The pantry makes the placement of the kitchen possible. Our home is built into a hillside and because of its many windows the house is full of light even on gray Oregon days.

Anadama Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I don't know how or when it happened. After years of going "over the river and through the woods" there came a day when I, ready or not, like it or not, was the grandmother to whose home the revelers cometh. I know it's terribly unsophisticated to celebrate this meal, but I'll tell you up front that I love it, if for no other reason than the wonderful aromas that emanate from the kitchen as this dinner comes together. Christmas builds to a olfactory crescendo with aromas that are released over a period of days. Not so Thanksgiving. This is an all or nothing affair. The assault begins with breakfast bacon and continues through the day as the aroma of bread and pie and turkey and cider meld into a harmonious union that could put the orchestration of a symphony to shame. Thanksgiving is not a difficult meal to prepare; it's as easy to make for twenty as it is for two, but it does require a game plan and a bit or organization to pull it off. I do a great deal of the work ahead of time. Today I made our rolls, both Anadama and potato, and enough pie crust to last us through the Christmas holiday. Everything is in the freezer waiting to debut on the big day. The pie crusts will be rolled and filled on Thanksgiving morning. I pre-bake the rolls. We talked about Refrigerator Potato Rolls last year. Since then I've resurrected this wonderful recipe for Anadama Rolls. The recipe appeared in Bon Appetit over a decade ago. I really like these rolls. There is something especially fitting about rolls made with corn meal and molasses for Thanksgiving day. Symbolism aside, the rolls are really wonderful and they are not hard to make. I know you'll like them. Here's the recipe.

Anadama Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons)dry yeast
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
2 teaspoons sesame or poppy seeds

Directions:
1) Bring milk, 1 cup water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook until mixture thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in molasses and 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool until thermometer inserted into center of mixture registers 115°F, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
2) Pour 1/2 cup warm water into small bowl; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves and top looks spongy, about 10 minutes. Stir yeast mixture into cornmeal mixture. Gradually mix in 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, to form soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour onto work surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 10 minutes (dough will remain slightly sticky). Form dough into ball. Coat a large bowl with butter or shortening. Add dough to bowl and turn to coat dough with butter or shortening. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3) Punch down dough. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Coat each of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with butter or shortening. Roll dough into 18-inch-long log. Cut into 18 equal pieces. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into ball. Place 9 dough balls in each pan, spacing apart. Cover each pan loosely with towel. Let rolls stand in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush rolls with egg glaze. Sprinkle with seeds. Place rolls in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature. Wrap rolls in foil and rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes.) Serve warm. Yield: 18 rolls.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
The Way the Cookie Crumbles - Cinnamon Rolls
Pinch My Salt - Sweet Potato Buttermilk Rolls
Cooking By the Seat of My Pants - Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Liptauer Cheese Spread - Blue Monday

This may look familiar. It is Arva castle and from its highest parapet there is a view of Lipto, home of Liptauer cheese spread. It's also the site where the old vampire film Nosferatu was filmed.





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know that early exposure helps us develop an affinity for certain foods. It's the only plausible explanation for my love of Central European food. I had my first taste of Liptauer cheese at the age of 4 and we've had an improbable love affair ever since. Lipto is a fresh Hungarian cheese that's made with sheep's milk. It has a very soft consistency, but it's so mild that it's almost flavorless. That's taken care of by the addition of herbs and seeds and spices that are used to flavor the food of the region. A little paprika, a few capers and a spoonful of caraway seeds help move the bland to "bingo." When we lived in Chicago, Lipto cheese was just a bus ride away. It became harder to find in the suburbs of New Jersey and I haven't been able to find it at all where we now live. This cheese spread is popular in Slovakia and Italy , where it's called Spuma di formaggio all'ungherese, as well as in Austria and Hungary. It's almost effortless to make and it's wonderful for those occasions where beer is the beverage of choice. Liptauer cheese spread can be made with any soft cheese. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark, and soft goat or sheep cheese are all great substitutes for Lipto. The cheese is mixed with sour cream, butter, and finely chopped onions. Spices like ground paprika, fresh parsley, and bruised caraway seeds are added to the mix along with mustard and anchovies. The cheese is served with crackers or dark breads such as rye or pumpernickel. Some folks serve it with vegetables and others use it to stuff vegetables. All in all, it's an amazingly versatile spread. If you add two or three extra tablespoons of sour cream to the mix, it becomes a dip that's not at all bad with chips or pretzels. Liptauer takes 10 minutes to assemble, but it's flavor improves if it's allowed to sit for a few hours before serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Here's the recipe.

Liptauer Cheese Spread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
8 oz. of Lipto or cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup soft butter, softened
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 mashed anchovy fillets or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon capers
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds smashed or bruised to release flavor
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1) Combine cream cheese, butter, sour cream and anchovies in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
2) Add capers, minced onions, mustard, paprika, caraway seeds and salt. Mix well.
3) Form a smooth mound. Make slight indentations in mound using tines of a fork. Sprinkle with paprika.
4) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish as desired. Yield 1-3/4 cups.

You might also want to try:
Choosy Beggars - Spinach and White Bean Dip
Grow.Cook.Eat. - Baba Ganoush
The Perfect Pantry - Herbed Cheese Spread

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Hot Mulled Cranberry and Apple Cider - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's been a very good week and, if you'll forgive the pun, "everything's coming up roses" for One Perfect Bite. Saveur has given us another nod and our recipe for Pumpkin Butter is featured on their site. I also have to thank the folks at FriendsEAT.com for listing One Perfect Bite as one of their choices for the top 25 foodie blogs. I'm thrilled to be included in the company of such fabulous food bloggers. Click here to view the 25 blogs they've featured on their site. You and I know I don't belong there, but let's keep that our little secret and hope they don't catch on. Now it's back to work. I wanted to make some special, yet simple, today and this recipe came to mind. It's a slightly different take on the mulled cider that's served so often at this time of year. As you can see, it's a thing of beauty and I'm happy to report it's also delicious. Cider is a relative of wine and it was common in England well before the birth of Christ. As a matter of fact, there was a time when English peasants, pagans of course, considered apple trees to be sacred and worshipped them. That might be explained by the fact that the cider they drank was allowed to ferment and had alcohol in it. Fast forward with me to America and the founding of the New England colonies. Apple cider was enormously popular here as well. It was a favorite drink of the pilgrims who would denounce hard spirits while they sipped their cider, which was allowed to ferment and, of course, had alcohol in it. Who knew? Today's recipe combines a sparkling apple cider, cranberry juice and a few mulling spices. It gets an assist from a small amount of brandy which takes it up a notch or two. There are no tricks or special tips to making a good mulled cider. The only caution is to never let it boil and to be sure to strain the finished cider through cheese cloth or a coffee filter. The cider can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. I always warm it before serving.Here's the recipe for an almost effortless holiday treat.

Hot Mulled Cranberry and Apple Cider...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 bottle (25.4-oz.) sparkling apple cider
1-1/2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
Garnish: Apple slices and fresh cranberries

Directions:
1) Combine cider, cranberry juice, sugar, brandy, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon stick, lemon zest and orange zest in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, just to combine flavors; do not boil.
2) Strain and serve warm. Garnish with apple slices and cranberries if desired.
Yield: 6 servings.

You might also like these cider recipes:
Savory Sweet Life - Spiced Hot Apple Cider
Delish - Fireside Mulled Cider
The Way the Cookie Crumbles - Mulled Cider

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Sushi - Daring Cooks Challenge November 2009

Nigiri Roll



Dragon Rolls




Nori-Coated Decorative Roll

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I should be ashamed to admit this, but despite my years in the kitchen I've never made sushi. Both of my daughters are masters of the art and I simply left it to them. I suspect there'll be two detailed critiques in my morning mail and a lot of laughter tonight at my expense. Kids turn on you at the drop of a dime! I should also be ashamed to admit that the only reason I made sushi today was because it was the November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge. This months hosts are Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge and I must admit I had a lot of fun with this one. Their challenge came in came in 4 Parts:

Part 1: Making proper sushi rice – you will wash, rinse, drain, soak, cook, dress, and cool short grain rice until each grain is sticky enough to hold toppings or bind ingredients. Then you will use the cooked rice to form three types of sushi:
Part 2: Dragon sushi roll – an avocado covered inside-out rice roll with a tasty surprise filling
Part 3: Decorative sushi – a nori-coated rice roll which reveals a decorative pattern when cut
Part 4: Nigiri sushi – hand-shaped rice rolls with toppings

...and, yes, I actually got through them all. Not perfectly, mind you. but I fulfilled the requirements of a great challenge and we did not starve. While it was a lot of fun, I probably won't repeat the experience because it's not cost effective to make sushi for two people. I do think everyone should try this once. I'm glad I did.

Butterscotch Pudding - Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The day started well and it ended well. There were, however, some very low points between sunrise and sunset. I'll start with my morning effort, a milk chocolate cake, that stuck like mortar to the pan. By the time I was able to release it, it was so raggedy that I was embarrassed to share it with you. Then we'll move on to the deluge that greeted an outdoor healthcare rally that Bob and I had promised to attended. It was more successful than the cake but it ran longer than expected and I still did not have a recipe for you or a plan for our dinner. Bob came through for me. At his suggestion we, actually he, made Smoked Sausage Casserole for us and I made butterscotch pudding for you. Both recipes are favorites in our home and they are quick, easy and inexpensive to make. I've shared the casserole with you before, but this is the maiden voyage for the butterscotch pudding recipe. It was developed by David Lebovitz and it's not only simple, it's delicious. If you, or any who sit at your table, are a fan of butterscotch, I urge you to give this a try. It is, in a word, wonderful. Here's the recipe.

Butterscotch Pudding...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2-1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add dark brown sugar and salt, then stir until sugar is well-moistened. Remove from heat.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of milk until smooth (there should be no visible pills of cornstarch), then whisk in eggs.
3) Gradually pour remaining milk into melted brown sugar, whisking constantly, then whisk in cornstarch mixture as well.
4) Return pan to heat and bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Once it begins to bubble, reduce heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for one minute, whisking non-stop, until pudding thickens to consistency of hot fudge sauce.
5) Remove from heat and stir in whiskey and vanilla.
6) Pour into 4-6 serving glasses or custard cups and chill thoroughly, at least four hours, before serving. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Joy of Baking - Butterscotch Pudding
Food and Wine - Rich and Creamy Butterscotch Pudding
Serious Eats - Butterscotch Pudding

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Pistachio Coffee Ring

Unshelled Pistachios - Flickr Creative Commons ASA License



Pistachio Kernels - Photobucket Creative Commons ASA License





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My husband loves pistachio nuts, so when I saw this recipe I had to give it a try. It was developed by James Beard and I've never been disappointed with his recipes. I think I began this adventure with expectations that were too high. This is the type of bread that old timers called a race track. The race track is formed when a rectangle of dough, covered or smeared with a filling, is rolled into a cylinder that, when cut, will show spiral tracks of whatever was used as a filling. Now comes the hard part. I hate to contradict a master, but Beard thought this to be "one of the best breads of this kind I have ever had." I found this to be a very ordinary bread made expensive by its use of pistachio nuts. There is nothing wrong with it, but neither is there anything here that's worthy of commendation. If you like coffee breads, or are a fan of pistachios, you may like this bread, so I'm posting the recipe with reservations. While it is gorgeous to look at, it's too sweet to be a bread and not sweet enough to be a coffee cake. I'll let you judge for yourself. Here's the recipe.

Pistachio Coffee Ring...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
8 tablespoons softened butter, divided use
2 teaspoons salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shelled, salted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1) Combine yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and water in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to proof, about 5 minutes. Add milk, 4 tablespoons butter, salt and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to yeast mixture. Add flour, a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. I used 3-1/2 cups flour to mix and 1/2 cup to knead.
2) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball, place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3) Melt reserved 4 tablespoons butter. Set aside. Grease a cookie sheet or baking pan. Set aside. Punch dough down and turn onto a floured board. Let relax for about 10 minutes. Roll into a 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush surface of dough with butter. Sprinkle with reserved sugar and pistachio nuts. Using long end, roll dough as for a jelly roll, sealing each seam as you roll. Join ends of roll and seal together to form a ring. Transfer ring to baking sheet. Slice 2/3 of the way into ring at 3/4-inch intervals. Twist each slice to right so filling is facing upwards. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush surface of ring with beaten egg. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until nicely brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 12 servings.

Other coffee rings can be found at:
Recipes for the Future - Almond/Pecan Coffee Ring
Annie's Eats - Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
breadbasketcase - Chocolate Almond Coffee Cake Ring

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Sugar Crusted Viennese Nut Bread - Outdoor Wednesday

A footpath leading through the Vienna Woods to the banks of the Danube River.



A romantic bend in the pastoral Salzach River in Salzburg.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely sweet bread was the inspiration for what I had planned to be a walking tour of old Vienna. I just couldn't bring myself to edit the assortment of monuments and landmark buildings I'd collected to share with you. So, the walk, instead, will be a simple stroll through the Vienna Woods and along the banks of the Danube, which coincidentally, may sometimes actually appear to be blue. This nut bread is typical of the barely sweet confections of Austria and Germany. It's simple to prepare and ages well. It has a lovely butterscotch flavor and the crisp sugar crust sets it apart from other breads of this sort. It's a modernized version of Viennese sweet breads leavened, before the advent of baking powder, with sourdough or stiffly beaten eggs. Chemically leavened quick breads originated in America towards the end of the 18th century, when it was discovered that pearlash, a byproduct of woodash, produced carbon dioxide gas in dough. I have no idea why someone would take hearth or kiln ash and put it into food, but I'm guessing it was an accident that caused the pot to boil over when ashes inadvertently fell into it. Baking powder, as we know it today, was not developed until after the American Civil War. Breads made with it are called "quick breads" because baking powder releases carbon dioxide at a faster rate than yeast fermentation. I love the simplicity of this bread. Like all nut breads, it's flavor improves with aging. I love a deep, rich butterscotch flavor, so I use dark brown sugar to make the bread. I've made this with golden brown sugar as well, so I leave the choice of sugar to you. Here's the recipe.

Sugar Crusted Viennese Nut Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons, buuer melted
2 large eggs
2 cups brown sugar
4 cups flour
1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups toasted pecans, chopped
Topping:
1/4 cup ground toasted pecans
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans. Set aside.
2) Place eggs in large bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat until frothy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating at low speed just until blended. Blend in melted butter.
3) In another large bowl, place flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to combine.
4) Add flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk, to egg mixture. Mix just until blended after each addition. Fold in chopped pecans. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
5) To make topping, mix ground pecans, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over each loaf.
6) Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooking on a rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Other quick breads can be found at these sites:
Cookie Madness - Carrot Pecan Bread
Recipe Girl - Mom's Banana Nut Bread
Peanut Butter & Julie - Toasted Coconut Macadamia Bread

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Polpettone - Tuscan Stovetop Meatloaf

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are times when my sense of the absurd overcomes common sense. Before I go any further, you need a little background. I've been working with a cookbook that was written for folks who know their way around the kitchen. There are no detailed instructions to take you from the larder to the table in 10 easy steps. There's a list of ingredients and a few charming, but terse instructions that can be summarized as "mix and bake." I've long waged a personal war with recipes that call for a chopped onion or 2 cloves of garlic. My brain is wired to handle balanced equations and specific instructions. What size onion are you talking about? If onions upset me, you can imagine how well I handle an instruction directing me to shape a meatloaf like a football. You'll be even more surprised to learn I tried. Fortunately, I realized it was impossible to fry anything shaped like an American football before reaching DEFCON 1. Undeterred, but taking terrible hazing from Bob, I decided they must have meant a soccer ball. I tried that, too, but my creation collapsed under it's own weight and became a discus. I fell back on my old standby, the salami-shaped cylinder, and fortunately that worked, allowing me to roll the loaf as it browned. I choose this recipe because it's geared to a smaller table and I was intrigued by the fact that it was cooked on top of the stove. It also made a ton of sauce that would be perfect for pasta. Despite the false starts, silliness and instructions lost in translation this is a lovely meatloaf that is perfect for smaller families. Here is the recipe for polpettone - Tuscan meatloaf.

Polpetonne - Tuscan Stovetop Meatloaf...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Judy Witts Francini

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices crustless bread, soaked in milk, then squeezed to remove liquid
Flour for dredging
1/2 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely dice
1 stalk celery, scrubbed and finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Olive oil
Salt, pepper and nutmeg
1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes packed in juice

Diretions:
1) Mix beef with prosciutto, egg, cheese and bread, Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. I used a teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a big pinch of nutmeg.Shape meatloaf like a football, roll in flour or breadcrumbs.
2) Saute onion, carrot and celery in olive oil. I used 2 tablespoons. After 10 minutes, add polpettone, turning to brown on all sides. Add tomatoes and up to a cup of their juice. Cover and let cook slowly, turning frequently to avoid sticking. I cooked mine for 30 minutes. Very carefully remove from pan to a cutting board. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve with lemon wedges. Yield: 4 servings.

Cook's Note: The parsley specified in the ingredient list was never mentioned in the instructions. I added it to the tomato sauce. Next time I'll include it in the meat mixture.

Here are some other great meatloaf recipes from other blogs:
Moroccan Meatloaf from Simply Recipes
Kalyn's Best Meatloaf from Kalyn's Kitchen
Turkey Meatloaf with Fig Gravy from The Perfect Pantry

Chicken with Morels - Blue Monday

At $28 an ounce, a find like this is worthy of a king's ransom. Morels grow in duff on the forest floor under conifers in some areas of the Pacific Northwest. They are free for the picking on unrestricted property.



Seen through a magnifier or camera lens, the morel looks like a sponge or an aquatic plant. When dried it looks like a small clump of clay with pores.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I must begin with a disclaimer. This entree is not a standard meal in our home. It comes in at the very high end of what I'm willing to pay for an ordinary family meal. I had seen this Ina Garten recipe floating through cyberspace for several years and this seemed like a great time to try it. I had a lug of free, fresh morels and homemade creme fraiche sitting in the refrigerator. I even had an old bottle of Madeira on a shelf in the pantry. I had no excuse not to make it. The recipe is quite simple and the chicken, while expensive to prepare, sounded delightful. I did make a few changes to the recipe. I, of course, used fresh morels because that's what I had on hand. The dried morels would have produced the same result as the fresh, though I must admit I was surprised at the instruction to discard the water in which the mushrooms soaked. I usually strain that liquid through a coffee filter and freeze it to be used later to enrich soup or stews. It really would be a shame to waste it. I also chose not to clarify the butter. Clarified butter is simply a butter from which milk solids have been removed. I only use it in Indian cooking. The advantage to clarified butter is that it has a higher smoke point and can handle higher temperatures than butter with milk solids. Years ago, I learned that adding oil to butter increases its smoke point and that's what I've done ever since. It's one less step to deal with and one less pot to wash. That works for me! If you don't have shallots, substitute an equal quantity of green onions and you'll be fine. This is a very nice recipe. It is, however, very rich and strongly flavored, so you'll have to be careful about what you serve with it. I served it with steamed rice and snow peas. This would, of course make a fantastic company meal. Here's Ina Garten's recipe.

Chicken with Morels...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-oz. dried morels, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 cups very hot water
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1⁄4 cup clarified butter or 3 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1⁄3 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 cup Madeira wine
1 cup (8-oz.) creme fraiche
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Carefully lift morels out of water in order to keep grit in soaking liquid. Rinse a few times to assure grit is gone. Strain liquid and save for another use. Dry the morels with paper towels. Set aside.
3) Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Heat half of butter or butter/oil mixture in a large saute pan. Cook chicken breasts in two batches over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof casserole.
4) Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter or butter/oil combination to pan. Add shallots, morels and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. Pour Madeira into pan and reduce liquid by half over high heat, about 2 to 4 minutes. Add creme fraiche, cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Boil until mixture starts to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until chicken is heated through. To make ahead, refrigerate chicken and sauce in the casserole and reheat slowly on top of stove. Yield: 6 servings.

This post is being linked to:

Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

If you like this recipe you also might enjoy these:

Jersey Girl Cooks - Veal Marsala
Southern Grace Gourmet - Chicken Piccata
One Perfect Bite - Braised Chicken with Riesling