Spring Market Inspiration

Nothing inspires me more to get wild in the kitchen than a morning at the Rochester Public Market. After weeks away, I finally was able to get there last Saturday. Clad in my weekend jeans and flannel with my fabulous woven basket, I wove my way through the crowds of shoppers scooping out produce and bargains seeking cooking inspiration. I always attempt to create a list before heading out to avoid buying way more food than I can eat in a week, but all those delightful vegetables always manage to seduce me. Just as I was ready to return home with chilled hands and a basket of onions, asparagus, peppers, grapes and other goodies, I was reeled in by a leafy bunch of greens.. fresh spinach and next to it radishes. I have never made anything with radishes but recently in my obsessive food reading they have been springing up everywhere igniting a fond curiosity. So what other choice did I have then to have the woman throw in a bunch of radishes with my bundle of spinach.
Monday night in an energetic burst I set about cooking three meals at once: Chorizo Red Pepper Omelet (Monday Dinner), Sweet Potato-Black Bean Veggie burgers (intended for Tuesday dinner but Chinese food won.. gonna try for Thursday) and Radish-Inspired Salad (Tuesday lunch). Here follows a fabulous recipe for a really tasty, healthy, and filling salad perfect for lunch to sustain you through a pre-vacation healthy eating week.. until you get sucked in by Sesame Chicken and eggrolls but.. that's a story for another day.

Radish-Inspired Salad
Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa with 1 cup of water until water is absorbed. Chill.
Clean a few cups of spinach and chop into bite sized pieces (You can use any greens you want. I used spinach because I had it; it's delicious; it's healthy).
Thinly slice 2-3 radishes (This task made me put mandoline up towards the top of my list of Kitchen Tools I Really Want/Need)
Place quinoa atop spinach. Top with sliced radishes and chopped pecans.
Mix 2 Tbl real maple syrup, 3 Tbl balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbl olive oil to make a dressing. Drizzle atop.
This is so yummy you won't even realize how healthy it is and you will probably want to lick the left over dressing out of the bowl.. just sayin'

Confessions of Love

One surefire way to know you've hit the jackpot with a new recipe is when people taste it and all they can say to you is, "I love you." Any compliments or praise are always accepted when you have spent time creating tasty concocations, but when all anyone can utter from in the midst of their taste bud bliss is those three magic words, you know you have really done something right.
This happened to me last Saturday when I whipped up a batch of cupcakes with a recipe I had ripped out of Bon Appetit 4 months ago and have carrying in my calendar ever since. This cupcake batter is created with butter, sugar and lemons which is always a sign that you're onto something divine then it has you slip a little pocket of jam right in the center for a surprise that is sure to delight. The recipe calls for raspberry jam; however, despite the fact that there are cases of delicious jams created by lovely sister, there was no raspberry. I searched through jars of blueberry mint, strawberry with drambue, peach and finally decided that plum would be most complimentary to this delicious buttery confection. And I must say when people ask you, "What kind of cupcakes are those?" and you can respond with, "Why they're Lemon-Plum," you just sound like a classy cat. So without further ado...

Lemon-Plum Cupcakes
Beat together until fluffy
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tsp lemon peel
Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time.
Mix in 3/4 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder
Then add 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbl lemon juice
Mix in another 1/2 cup flour

Drop 1 Tablespoon of batter into 12 muffin cups. Drop 1 teaspoon of jam on top (I used plum but get creative with whatever you have). Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350 for about 23 minutes.
When cool, frost. I used jarred frosting due to time constraints but any will do. Below was the one listed in Bon Appetit.
Beat together
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbl lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp lemon peel... They recommend doing this on 6 cupcakes then adding 1 Tbl jam to the others. Pretty fancy and they sure look lovely..
However, in this case, the taste alone will make these a smashing success!

Edible Cookbook

This Edible Cookbook is magnificent.

Wild Game Rub Down

I'm a lucky girl because once upon a last winter I was given a grocery bag full of venison cuts as a hostess gift (yeah you're right I hang with a hip crowd). So all winter long I have been looking for new and creative ways to prepare this venison. While browsing some recipes, I stumbled across one for dry rubbed steaks with beer gravy and felt the stars aligning in the perfect order. I had steaks in the freezer and some beer left in a growler that was just too flat for drinkin'... Dinner.
Here's how it went.
Dry Rub
1 Tbl of ground coffee
2 Tbl brown sugar
1 Tbl salt
1 Tbl ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika (if you don't own any buy some seriously.. you will love it and search for recipes to include it in)
1 tsp cumin

Rub your steaks down. I used 2 venison steaks but you can use this with beef as well if you don't know any generous hunters. You can rub them down the night before or in the morning.
When you are ready to cook, heat up 1 Tbl of oil in an oven proof skillet or pan on the stovetop. Place steaks in the pan and sear for about 3 minutes. Flip and place in the broiler. Cook until done. Your timing with differ based on size and type of steak so use a meat thermometer or slice them open to check.
These would also be pretty fab on the grill.

Sauce
When steaks are done, remove from pan and cover. Deglaze pan with 1  1/2 cups of dark beer. I used coffee porter because that's what I had the original recipe I found used stout. Stir together 1 Tbl melted butter and 1 Tbl flour to make a little roux-ski. Reduce beer for about 5 minutes then add roux to thicken a little more.
Cut steaks on the bias and pour beer gravy over top.
Warning: If you have beer gravy left because it's just to good to throw away, beware.. you will want to dip your finger in it and eat it for about 3 days after.

I served this with some fried garlic potatoes, lemon kale (simply steamed kale with some lemon juice, salt and pepper.. divine), and a good brew.

Home-Cured Duck Breast Prosciutto (DPB) with Beer and Cheese pairings

So....whats the best pick up line to use on your favorite cheese monger? "Excuse me sir, I made home-cured DBP seasoned with Juniper Berries, Bay Leaves and Smoked Paprika. Can you recommend a delicious cheese to go with that?". According to Dan there were jaws dropping. But more on that later.

Since it has been too long since I have posted I figured I'd come back swinging with an amazing home charcuterie recipe complete with taste tested cheese and beer pairings.

The following recipe is adapted from Mary Janes Farm magazine (Summer 2011) and improved upon with suggestions from Ian at DiBruno's in Philadelphia.

Home-cured Duck Breast Prosciutto

1/2 or 1/4 ingredients as necessary

Ingredients:
9 C. Kosher salt
4 Duck breast halves (I used D'artagnans Magret duck- the type of duck which is used to make foie gras and has a nice fat layer- which can be found at Wegmans or DiBrunos)
4 T whole black peppercorns
4 T juniper berries
4 whole dried Bay Leaves
2 tsp. Smoked Spanish-style Paprika

Special supplies:
Non-reactive container
Spice grinder (or spice grinding implement)
Cheese cloth
String (butchers string for trussing)
refrigerator

Curing process:
Find a non-reactive container. This is ideally glass or plastic and has a cover. Basically any food-grade plastic containers or glass baking dishes. Do not use aluminium or plastic that has been used for something other than food. Ie: any Tupperware or generic brand container you have lying around will do!

Pour salt into bottom of container to cover (approx 3 Cups). Place the duck pieces on top, skin/fat side up. Pour remaining salt over everything and press down to pack. Tightly cover with a lid and refrigerate 24 hours. I gave it an extra night due to time constraints and no harm came to those babies.

After 24 hrs (or 48), take out of the fridge and rinse the duck pieces lightly to remove larger salt deposits. They will be firm to the touch. Discard the salt in container. Pat those breasties dry with a paper towel and prepare to spice em up-akin to a dry rub.

Spice rub blend:
I recommend putting the whole peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, and paprika in a coffee grinder or spice grinder or even mortar and pestle them. This will ensure their freshness and you can control the texture you end up with. Ian suggested (and I agree) that the spices be ground to a course texture...just a few whirls around the grinder. This is so that you can swipe the spices off after it's finished and your palette only has the rich gaminess of the duck to contend with instead of grappling with a whole lotta pepper. No thanks.

Lay each breast on a double layer of cheese cloth. Sprinkle both sides of the duck with the course spice mixture, ensuring full coverage. Fold cheese cloth around each breast like a package and tie ends tightly. Truss or tie packages shut and leave a length of string at the top of the package for hanging from the fridge shelving.


Clear a space in the fridge (I chose bottom shelf in the back) and tie bundle up to the racks so they hang freely. Place a bowl of salt water underneath or nearby for humidity support. Replace this salt water as needed (every few days). They will just hang there turning into the most delicious thing you have ever tasted.

After two weeks (of anticipation, tummy rumbling, and smelling juniper berries when you open the fridge), remove from fridge, unwrap from cheesecloth and use the textured cloth to wipe off and discard the coarsely ground spices from the meat. They served their flavoring purpose and we no longer need them. Now you may thinly slice and savor. For future reference, these babies will keep in the freezer for several months if wrapped well and in the fridge for about a week. But lets get to the tasting part.


So you're experiencing the mouth miracle that is a highly concentrated rich duck flavor. What do you choose to divide and conquer your taste buds with?

The boys at DiBrunos recommended a french sheeps milk cheese called Ossau Iraty from the Pyrenees region. This firm rustic cheese boasts flavors of meaty earthiness and is gentle and creamy with a smooth/rich finish. We tasted it after eating DPB, before, and together. All around well paired. Dinner was good that night.


My go-to beer pairing guru Allison Shuler suggested either a brown ale or piney pale ale to complement the DPB without overwhelming it. Dan and I picked up a mixed six pack of beers to try. We split the beers and tasted them with the DBP and cheese, making comments and rating them along the way while watching the super bowl. It's possible we have no idea what we're talking about but due to the comic content, our results are below. Ratings reflect the quality of the pairing, not the quality of the beer:

Stone Levitation Ale: Amber ale

Dan: "The ale surrounds and cradles the duck with a nice complement to its saltiness" 3 stars.
Megan: "The hoppiest flavors in the beer do not overwhelm the standout flavor profile of the DPB. Juniper and bay follow with a malty mouth-feel and aftertaste" 3.5 stars.













Southern Tier Brewing: Double IPA

D: "Turns the meat buttery" 4 stars.
M: "The hops combined with the DBP spices bring out a caramelized flavor, enhancing the meat" 4 stars.

Dogfish Head "Raison d'etre": Deep mahogany ale brewed with Belgian beer sugars, green raisins and a sense of purpose.

D: "The duck is too good for the beer and the beer is too good for the duck. It is a meeting of the minds that cannot be hosted" 0 stars.
M: "The flavors are too complex to complement the duck, just too strong separately. This paired will with the cheese though" 0 stars.

Ithaca Beer: Nut Brown ale

D: "Much bolder, adds a real beefy taste-enhances the meat flavor. This makes the meaty even meatier. An ultra-maximum flavor, i would say, quite right!" 3 stars.
M: "The pairing enhances the duck but makes the beer taste stale. Although the flavors do not overwhelm, they do not excite either" 2 stars.











Stone IPA: Golden Pale ale

D: "Fruity fiesta, SO FUN" 5 stars.
M: "The citrusy hoppy nature of this beer is to tonic as the duck cured in juniper berries is to gin. Sings....I think the caramel sweetness of the beer with the gamey depth of the duck is ideal" 5 stars.












Dogfish Head: Indian Brown ale

D: "Toasty-in a nice way, an outdoors-y feel to it. Strong way to finish a great game" 3.5 stars.
M: "An appreciated darker beer pair. Complementary as well as compound. Sultry when supplemented" 4 stars.













And there you have it. Dan's criticism class is really paying off and we have two clear winners from the pale ale to the brown ales. If you make this you have to call us and have us over. We'll bring the beer.

Braisin Overtures

What better way to start of the new year than a fabulous beer pairing dinner. If you made it to this event, you know the magic of some of these recipes. If you didn't make it, I recommend you make the chicken and prune sauce immediately and drink it with an Ommegang Abbey Ale (not optional) as soon as possible. Life changing seriously.

Appetizer
Clam Chowder paired with Hoegarden and/or Ommengang Witte Beer
This recipe was basically gleaned from an old hot disher featuring Megan Mae and Miss Lilly making fish chowder with NSync. I basically used that recipe but subbed fish for clams.. amazing.

Cheese Pairing
Gorgonzola paired with Sour Cherry Ale mixed with Belgian Wit
Both these beers were homebrews of Allison and mine and combined with the cheese the flavor combo was divine. It was hard to describe the flavor of the cheese beyond saying it tasted like a sheep in your mouth.. disgusted? don't be. try it and your mind will be changed.

First Course
Chicken with Honey Prune Sauce paired with Ommegang Abbey Ale

Rub chicken legs with ¼ cup brown sugar, 8 smashed garlic cloves, 2 Tbl rosemary leaves, 2 Tbl pepper. Squeeze juice of one orange over chicken and let marinate for at least an hour. Brown chicken legs in a pan with 2 Tbls of oil. Transfer to glass baking dish. Add ½ cup of white wine or Belgian beer.

Bake at 325 for about an hour or until cooked through.

Honey Prune Sauce

Soak 1 cup of pitted prunes in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Combine prunes with: 1 cup honey

                                    ¼ cup cider vinegar

                                    1 tsp ground ginger

                                    ½ tsp crushed red pepper

Simmer over low heat for half an hour and serve over chicken.

Second Course
Hungarian Meatballs paired with DogFish Head Indian Brown Ale

Meatballs

¾ lb. ground pork

¾ lb. ground beef

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

¾ cup breadcrumbs

¼ cup fresh minced parsley

1 T garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 eggs

2/3 cup of  milk

Combine all ingredients. Form into meatballs (1 to 1 ½ inch). Refrigerate for about 15 minutes so they firm up. In a large oven safe pan, brown meatballs on the stovetop with a few tablespoons of oil. Remove from pan.

Sauce

1 onion chopped

¼ lb cremini mushrooms quartered

1 Tbl minced garlic

1 red pepper chopped

1 heaping Tbl paprika

¼ tsp of each cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, dried rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds, and marjoram

¼ cup parsley chopped

In pan from meatballs, add above ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with ½ cup of white wine. Cook for a few minutes. Add 15 oz stewed tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken broth.

Bring to a boil. Return meatballs to a pan. Transfer to the oven and braise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven and stir in ½ cup of sour cream. Serve over egg noodles.

Dessert
Bacon Rugelach paired with Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter and/or a Gregor Biers Coffee Stout

for the bacon jam

1 lb of bacon

3 large chopped onions

½ cup  brown sugar

½ cup molasses

1 cup strong coffee

½ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup bourbon

1 tsp black pepper

Brown bacon in large saucepan. Remove bacon. Add onions and caramelize in bacon drippings. Add brown sugar and cook a little more.

Return bacon to the pan along with remainder of ingredients. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 ½ hours or until reduced to about half. Blend in a food processor. Store in the fridge in a jar for up to 3 months or freeze.

Recipe courtesy of Mrs. Wheelbarrow blog.

Rugelach

8 oz  cream cheese

8 oz butter

2 cup flour

Combine above ingredients into a dough. Form into two discs. Chill overnight.

Roll each disc of dough into a 10 inch circle.

Spread with:    ½ cup jam

                        ¼ cup peanuts or walnuts

                        ¼ cup breadcrumbs

                        ¼ cup brown sugar

Slice discs into 16 wedges and roll up. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes until browned.

Once again we had a divine time stuffing our faces with delicious food and drinking good beers produced by well known breweries, new local breweries (Shout out to ROC Brewing Co.) and local homebrewers.
Brewfe is just a blink away :)

who has two thumbs and likes brunch?

this guy!

we had our annual christmas brunch last week and besides a strata (ham and swiss this time, with a lil green onion!) and sweet potato bacon hash (that basically described itself. plus add more onions, garlic, and a little WOODSTEAD to taste, if you have it. hot sauce will do too but it is clearly the poorer choice), I made a blueberry buttermilk breakfast cake. KIND OF.

I found the original recipe on Pinterest and it is from alexandra cooks. I wanted to make something sweet to go with my savory strata and this looked perfect. it's like a dense, yummy scone in cake form - but to make it more seasonal, I subbed cranberries for the blueberries and orange zest for the lemon zest. in the summer, raspberries or blackberries would be AMAZING. We loved it so much that I made another this morning because I missed the other one. Badly. I used frozen blueberries and lemon zest this time.

1/2 C. butter, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest (or more if you are into that kind of thing. you know I am)

7/8 C. sugar, plus some for sprinkling on top later

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and lemon zest and sugar together until fluffy. YUM! Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. The recipe suggests to toss the blueberries together with 1/4 c. of the flour - I did this the first time I made it and did not the second time, with no noticeable difference. So - do whatever you want, fancy pants, it's your breakfast and you can flour it if you want to. if you do not, then remove the fourth a cup of flour, I suppose. mix together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt separately. add the flour mixture a little bit at a time, alternating with the buttermilk until everything is combined and then fold in the berries. grease a 9x9 pan and put the batter in and sprinkle a little sugar over the top. bake for about 35 minutes (I needed about 8 minutes more) until top is ever so slightly browned and a tooth pick comes out clean.