Bye Bye Oven.

Last night, I used our oven for the very last time.

Look at that thing!  Can you believe that everything I have baked, broiled, roasted, etc., for this blog has been in that oven?  Please notice the knobs, and the buttons, and the dials.  And what you can't tell from the picture is how tiny it is.  I've literally had to borrow baking dishes from the Keebler Elves because nothing else would fit.  But is it slightly bittersweet?  Yes.  I discovered my true passion with that oven.  I developed awesome recipes in that oven, and burnt others to a crisp.  I've rejoiced with that oven, and cursed it to hell and back.  Now, it's time to say goodbye.  And since I've gotten out all that sentimental stuff I can safely say...

GOODBYE STUPID OVEN GO BACK TO THE ENCHANTED FOREST WITH THE ELVES WHERE YOU BELONG.        

We Got the Beet.

Growing up we had a Patrick Nagel print hanging on a wall in the dining room. It's exactly the one you're thinking of. Or maybe not. A lot of them have that woman in them. You know, the woman on the cover of Duran Duran's Rio. I never much cared for it. Oh, I loved the album, just not the print hanging on the wall in our dining room. My dad really liked that whole style; that very 80s, minimalist, pastel thing. My dad really liked the 80s, in general. And the 80s liked my dad. They made sense together. He was newly single, very handsome, a great cook, liked to travel, play tennis, hang glide and party. And, of course, he was into the art.

Patrick Nagel was born in 1945. My dad was born in 1945. Patrick Nagel's work was greatly inspired by and directly descended from Art Deco. And Art Deco is, without a doubt, my dad's favorite visual design style. His house and work are both filled with furniture and light fixtures from the Deco era.

Unlike my dad, who is alive, healthy and happy, Patrick Nagel died at the peak of his life and career, at thirty-eight years of age. Strange as it sounds, immediately after participating in a fifteen minute celebrity 'Aerobithon' to raise money for the American Heart Association, Nagel was found dead in his car. From a heart attack. The Reagan Era was a bitch.

This past weekend I was in a fun, food frenzy in the kitchen. I just wanted to make stuff. I see some rhubarb. Let's make a cake! I see leftover coffee and a pork tenderloin. Let's make a marinade and grill stuff! I see beets and carrots. Let's make a borsch! I see Greek yogurt and horseradish. Let's make a garnish for the borsch! You get the idea.

The borsch came out so bright, saturated, rich and vivid that it immediately reminded me, visually, of Pop Art. Flashes of bright colors and sharp shapes from the works of Warhol, Lichtenstein, and yes, Nagel rushed through my head. Fred agreed, but his head was swimming with images of Bauhaus and Kandinsky. Which is totally appropriate for cold borsch as all three are/were Russian! And thus our Sunday unfolded into the eighties-inspired photoshoot of borsch. I did very little styling on this shoot. Fred really ran with it on his own. I picked the soundtrack: The Go-Go's. Right around the time that Nagel was at his peak, so were The Go-Go's. And right around that time I participated in a lip syncing 'class' at Summer camp. And our group's piéce de résistance was, you guessed it, 'We Got the Beat'. I was Belinda Carlisle and my tennis racket was my guitar. Though I'm pretty sure Belinda Carlisle did not actually play the guitar. Man, I miss my Swatch.

The bosrcht was quite good. A success. It was rich and bold with a rear kick of subtle heat from the white pepper and the horseradish yogurt. It was complex on the palate but finished very neatly. This innocent little soup also made a morbid mess of anything that came near it. We had so much left over that we took it up to a Memorial Day BBQ in the canyon. I think I saw one person try it. Who can blame them? At a cookout abundant with steaks, lamb, burgers, sausages, corn salad, chips, banana crème pudding and booze, who wants to deal with a bowl of borsch?

Ah, well. It's not for everyone. People kind of either love it or hate it. I'm not certain what Patrick Nagel liked to eat, but if he's anything like my dad, borsch was not high on the list. 

Me, I'll take a bowl any time.

Chilled Beet Soup with Horseradish Yogurt

Serves 4-6

4 cups (or more) chicken stock

1 pound beets, peeled, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup peeled chopped carrot

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons horseradish

A handful of fresh chives, trimmed

Greek yogurt

Generous salt & white pepper to taste

Combine 4 cups broth, beets, onions, carrot, bay leaf and garlic in medium saucepan. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove bay leaf and puree in blender in batches until smooth. Transfer to bowl.

Thin with additional stock if soup is too thick. Mix in sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Ladle soup into bowls.

In a small bowl, mix horseradish and yogurt. Put a dollop of horseradish mixture in the middle of the bowl of soup and top with chives.

Printable recipe.

One year ago: Classic Shad Roe with Bacon & Fresh Herbs

Two years ago: Yerp: Part 1 (of many).

Three years ago: Sautéed Baby Artichokes with Olive Oil, Garlic & Lemon

Fresh Tortillas

Whoa, where have I been?  I'll tell you where I've been.  Up to my eyeballs in kitchen remodel stuff.  But it's been nice staring at those corn cupcakes while you wonder where the hell I am, right?  Alas, it's time we move on.  Have you ever seen these uncooked tortillas before?  You can buy them at Whole Foods.  A friend turned me onto them, and I'm obsessed.  Fresh, raw tortillas - already shaped for you - that you throw in a hot pan for a minute and voila... freshly cooked tortillas!  You can taste the difference.  I love them.  This morning I made scrambled eggs with pancetta, topped it with avocado and chipotle hot sauce, and rolled it all up in a fresh tortilla.  Perfect breakfast.       

Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa

To be honest, I haven't been feeling very inspired in the kitchen lately. I've been busy with lots of things including travel, and when I'm home I've been trying to eat the food in the freezer since it is on the verge of overflowing. But yesterday I was at the store and I found local king salmon on sale and some beautiful white corn. I thought about the mango I had and just like that, a plan came together.

Sometimes ingredients speak to you and the lightbulb goes off. I diced the mango to serve with dessert a few nights before but it was firm and a little too sour. That's not good for dessert but it's excellent for salsa. The salsa can be used with chips, with roast chicken or scallops. It's actually pretty good without the tomatoes too. I was a little undecided as to which way I preferred it, so try it both ways and you tell me which you like better!

This recipe has a lot of parts, but you can make the salsa and the sauce for drizzling ahead of time. You can even use already cooked salmon if that's what you have on hand. Even though it's cooked on the stove and not on the grill, it really tastes like summer--the fresh corn, tomatoes and salmon look like summer too. Here's to a little summery inspiration!



Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons mild flavored oil ( I use rice bran oil)
1 ear of corn, white or yellow
1/2 cup diced firm mango
1/2 cup diced tomatoes, drained
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 - 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste

3-4 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I used wasabi mayo)
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tablespoon plain non-fat Greek yogurt

12 ounces wild salmon
Chili powder

8 Tortillas
1 1/2 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
Sprigs of cilantro, to taste, optional

Instructions

Make the salsa first. Slice the corn off the cob, you should have about 1/2 cup of corn kernels. Heat a skillet and add a couple teaspoons of oil. Add the corn and stir, cooking a couple of minutes until fragrant and sweet. Remove the pan from the stove and allow the corn to come to room temperature. In a bowl combine the mango, tomato, scallions and sliced serrano pepper. Add the cooled corn and lime juice and taste for seasoning.

Make the drizzle by whisking together the mayonnaise, lime juice and yogurt. Taste and adjust to your liking.

To cook the salmon, remove any bones and cut some slits in the skin. Heat a non-stick skillet and when it's hot, add the salmon, skin side down. Sprinkle the salmon with chili powder and cover with a lid. Cook until barely medium, about 130 degrees internal temperature. Break the salmon into chunks or large flakes. Do not overcook.

To prepare the tacos, heat a dry skillet and warm the tortillas over medium heat. When pliable and hot, top each tortilla with salmon, shredded cabbage, salsa and drizzle with the mayo sauce. Add cilantro if desired and serve.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Goat Cheese Pink Peppercorn Truffles

sounds like an unlikely pair...

GOAT CHEESE and CHOCOLATE ?

beware...

this is not your typical truffle...

THAT'S WHY IT'S SO GOOD !

it totally works.

i don't know what brought this combo to mind, but here's another  example of a bright idea that came to me in the middle of the night...

i get out of bed to google the ingredients in the dark and WHAM !

there it is, plain as day...

IT'S BEEN DONE

so i figured i'd give them a try anyway, but i had to change it up.

dried apricots?...nectarine preserves?...rosemary?

how about PINK PEPPERCORNS ?

thanks to pal, Chef Lisa

perfect...quite delicious, out of the ordinary and i bet you've never had anything like it.

the chocolate hits first, then there's just a slight tang from the goat cheese.  the pink peppercorns really brighten it up with a spicy floral taste and aroma.  this might be a great addition to a first course?...who says all appetizers need to be savory?

served with after dinner cheese ?

i know you could find a great wine pairing.

oh...just eat them...

there's really no need to worry about what to do with them, 

they'll be gone before you figure it out.

NOTE...i will say again...

this truffle is NOT for "the pansy palate" Hershey's milk chocolate eaters.  these are for one who is a bit more adventurous with chocolate and also adores the sweet tang of a fresh goat cheese.

GOAT CHEESE PINK PEPPERCORN TRUFFLES

adapted from Foodnetwork.com recipe by George Duran

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 oz. fresh goat cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

pink peppercorns, crushed... at least 1 tsp, but more will be needed for the pink skins

NOTE...about pink peppercorns...i did not get a final measurement because i kept adding a bit in.  i crushed about 1 tsp.  some of the corns were too big so i sifted them through a mesh strainer.  i added quite a it more of the pink skin than the pepper itself.  if you want more pepper flavor i suggest using a pepper mill and adding to taste...as i did.

in a double boiler, melt the chocolate until smooth, no lumps.  this can be done with careful attention in the microwave.  use short 30 second, then 20 second increments and stir in between until just melted...then stir to incorporate smaller lumps.

set the melted chocolate aside and deal with other ingredients.

in a bowl...i used my Kitchenaid, whisk together the goat cheese, sugar and vanilla until it is light and fluffy.  now whisk in the melted chocolate until it is well combined.  chill in the fridge.  original says to cover this, but you don't want to get ANY condensation on the chocolate.  chill until firm, about 1 hour or until ready to use.

when ready, put on some thin rubber gloves and start rolling.  i find it easy to spoon out a few clumps and mold it into a ball then roll it between your palms.  drop into cocoa powder and coat.

NOTE...since i used my Kitchenaid mixer for the job, my truffle mixture came out quite light.  had i gone any further i could have made a lovely frosting...not a bad idea for a lovely deep dark chocolate layered cake...?

my truffle mixture was quite stiff.  even at room temp.  so they DO HOLD UP WELL.  the texture is not as creamy as my regular truffles.  BUT...they do melt in your mouth with a very smooth texture.  a chocolatier friend of mine says it could be due to the texture of the goat cheese.

keep in mind this is unlike any other truffle,

BUT, as always...

it's a darn good ball o' chocolate !

Classic Potato Salad

Ok, another potato salad? Really? Well, yes. I usually prefer vinaigrette potato salads, but sometimes, mayo and sour cream is the way to go. It's perfect with cold cuts, or as we served it last, with bbq chicken drumsticks. You can prepare it in advance, it'll just get better if it's left overnight. Add the leeks just before serving, though.

Classic Potato Salad

200 ml sour cream
100 ml mayonnaise
2 tbsp capers
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp mustard, ideally sweet/hot
salt, pepper
1 kg potatoes
1/4 leek, finely sliced

Peel and cook the potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream, mayo, capers, onion and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Dice the cooked potatoes, still warm, and stir into the sauce. Mix well. Place in a bowl, and before serving, decorate with finely sliced leek.

Milk Chocolate Cookies

For Titus birthday party, I gave him Martha Stewart's Cookie book and asked him to pick one to make. He pointed to the one on the cover and said "that one's fine, mama". Clearly uninterested in the task. Oh well. I randomly flipped around a bit and landed on what looked like a very nice, flat, crackly-chewy cookie called Milk Chocolate Cookies. This, more or less, is it. (I used less sugar, and other slight variations.)

You'd never guess they're milk chocolate though - they're pretty dark and intense.

Milk Chocolate Cookies

120 g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

110 g butter, unsalted

2 eggs

300 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

125 ml cocoa powder

250 ml all-purpose flour

120 g milk chocolate chips (or again, coarsely chopped chunks)

Melt butter and the first amount of milk chocolate in the microwave. Add this, along with the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl of your mixer (or just mix by hand, it's not hard work). Mix until fully blended. Stir in baking soda, cocoa powder and flour and mix until combined. Finally add the rest of the milk chocolate. 

Mixture will be soft but scoopable, so scoop onto baking sheets. I use a cookie scoop, but a regular spoon will do. I could fit about ten cookies on each sheet. 

Bake at 160°C for about 12-15 minutes. Cookies should be flat and crinkly, but they'll be fairly soft so let them cool before attempting to move them. 

Pucker Up.

I've been thinking about the handful of fruits and vegetables that we use in cooking but would never just pop into our mouths, fresh. I mean to say, foods that require a significant transformation for them to be edible, like olives, rhubarb and cranberries. Olives have to be fermented or cured, rhubarb has toxic leaves and is almost always macerated then baked. And cranberries, have you ever tried to just eat a cranberry? Not pleasant. And acorns. It has never even occurred to me to eat an acorn. Yet, it is a nut. Squirrels eat acorns. And throughout history acorns have been used, ground up to make grain flours and even used as a coffee substitute for soldiers in both the Civil War and World War II.

It fascinates me to no end to think of the trajectory of how we, the people, figured out how to make these things (and all things) edible. 'Well, Hyram there died when he ate that acorn. So let's try and soak it in another poisonous substance, LYE, and give it another go. Yes? Rodney's okay? Alright, good to hear because this would make a lovely flour with which to create a noodle.'

Rhubarb. It comes into season in the Spring and everyone gets all aflutter about it. I'd say about ninety percent of the time you'll find rhubarb paired with strawberries and baked into a pie or a crumble. It's bright, tart and guaranteed to make you pucker up. My favorite bit of information I stumbled across in my rhubarb research: In British theatre and early radio drama, the words "rhubarb rhubarb" were repeated for the effect of unintelligible conversation in the background. This usage lent its title to the 1969 film Rhubarb and its 1980 remake Rhubarb Rhubarb. I guess it's just about time for someone to make Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb.

I haven't played with much rhubarb in my day. I could probably count on one hand, the number of times I've purchased any. And so, last time I found myself staring at produce at the market looking for inspiration, I grabbed a handful of those awkward, glossy, orangey, reddish-pinkish stalks and got to thinking. Even though I entertained some compelling arguments to go the savory route, which is generally more apropos for me, I knew pretty quickly that I was going to go sweet.

But a muted, subtle sweet.

Time to bake.

Though I am no cake connoisseur, I have always really loved coffee cakes and pound cakes. They are less cake-like and more akin to very sweet breads (not sweetbreads, mind you – wildly different things). Interestingly, both are also Southern. To this day, I would eat the Tasty Cake version of a coffee cake or the Sarah Lee version of a pound cake in a hot minute. The most beguiling part of coffee cake is the crumb on top. Those brown sugary, buttery grape-sized chunks on top of the cake that are toothachingly, cloyingly sweet – that almost requires a swallow of coffee to allay the sweetness – that's my jam.

And what better an element to cut that sweetness than the tartness of rhubarb?

I was right. When my cake cooled, we all dug in. The rhubarb, which had been macerated prior to baking, was mellow and gently sweet, but maintained it's pert zing, adding an ideal offset to the sugar bomb crumby coffee cake. Well, that and a cup of hot coffee.

And no one even had to die in the process. But Hyram, we certainly do thank you.

Rhubarb Crumb Coffee Cake

Serves 8

For the rhubarb filling:


1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed


1/4 cup sugar


2 teaspoons cornstarch


1/2 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger

For the crumbs:


1/3 cup dark brown sugar


1/3 cup granulated sugar


1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/2 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger


1/8 teaspoon salt


1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, melted


1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:


1/3 cup plain greek yogurt


1 large egg


1 large egg yolk


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1 cup all-purpose flour


1/2 cup sugar


1/2 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 teaspoon baking powder


1/4 teaspoon salt


6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Printable recipe.

One year ago: Classic Shad Roe with Bacon & Fresh Herbs

Two years ago: Yerp: Part 1 (of many).

Three years ago: Sautéed Baby Artichokes with Olive Oil, Garlic & Lemon

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

Can you even handle how much these look like corn??  I couldn't handle it as I started spotting them online (here and here for example), and you know I will attempt any sort of baked good that blows my mind.  They seemed perfect for Memorial Day weekend, but would also be appropriate at any summer BBQ sooooo... off you go, to your local candy store for jelly beans.  Buy some coke bottle gummies while you're there.  Run don't walk, trip don't fall, what?     

I made Mascarpone Cupcakes with a Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting (1 cup unsalted room temp butter, 1 lb. powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp vanilla paste, 2 T milk) and then lightly colored the frosting pale yellow.  For the jelly beans, I used yellow (pina colada), white (french vanilla) and a darker, speckled gold (banana).  The pats of butter are lemon Starbursts that I flattened with my fingers.  Finally, on the top I sprinkled some white and green sanding sugar to reflect salt and Italian herbs.  As they began to take shape, I could feel the stupid grin creep up my face and my body started twitching into a happy dance.  I don't like the term "foodie" but I do like to call myself a FOOD GEEK.      

GAH!!  FOOD NERD CAN'T HANDLE!!

Family Matters

I generally like my double entendres to be a little more lighthearted, but such is not the case. This is just a quick note to let you know that I'll need to take a break from the blog this week to attend to some pressing family matters. I will be back before you know it, and I want to wish all of you a happy and thoughtful Memorial Day. 

Taking a Blog Break

My dear friends, I apologize for my absence, it's been an insane but wonderful few months.  We've gotten visits from siblings, as well as both sets of parents, the kids are playing soccer and we're getting ready to pack up our things and trek across the country, visiting friends and family along the way. 

Life is exciting and busy!

And since I'm learning to let things go when I have to, it unfortunately means that I'll be going on an indefinite hiatus.  I'm hoping to return, but I can't begin to guess when.

But I hope to stay in touch!  I still pop in on your blogs regularly, and I'm usually very available on Facebook, so feel free to drop a line anytime.

In parting, I leave you with some New York pics from when my brother and sister-in-law came to town, a very fun week.

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!

BBQ Turkey Tails with Hoisin Sesame Glaze

if pigs could fly this would be the

PORK BELLY BITE OF THE BIRD.

"the last thing over the fence is the best bite of the bird"

TRUST ME !!!

this is not anything like the semi tough roasted turkey tail from your Thanksgiving Turkey.

IT IS FAR BEYOND.

you must try a turkey tail...

BUT it must be properly cooked.

i have posted about these before, but i feel i have not done the "tail" justice.  after quite a few years of cooking and sharing the turkey tail experience with any willing participant, i thought i better post again to get the message out there and add a few more de-tails...har har har

IN A NUT SHELL...

the goal is to simmer the tails in some good flavorful homemade stock for about 2 1/2 to 4 hours, until very fork tender.  then marinade them over night and BBQ them the next day with a nice char on the fatty bits smothered in a savory finger licking glaze.

HOW TO COOK, BBQ and EAT TURKEY TAILS

FIRST YOU'LL NEED...

12-15 turkey tails, as many as you can find !

chicken stock (see-NOTE), enough to fill pot and simmer your chosen amount of tails

1 big Tsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 onion quartered

4-6 smashed cloves of garlic

put every thing into a large stock pot.  bring to a boil and then to a simmer for about 2 1/2 to 4 hours, depending on the size and amount of tails.  sometimes i let mine go for the full 4 hours.  they are hard to ruin, but must be cooked until tender.

remove from heat.  remove tails from broth.  strain broth and save for yummy viscous stock.

NOTE...i save my roasted "Costco" chicken carcasses in the freezer for this event.  i throw everything in even if it's frozen, add a little water, aromatics and slowly heat it to a boil, then lower to a simmer.  the stock you end up with will be rich, viscous and delicious.

AFTER THE FIRST COOKING YOU'LL NEED...

"Soy Vay" Hoisin Garlic Sauce (or marinade/sauce/glaze of choice)

a sprinkle of cumin, chili powder and salt

sesame oil

sesame seeds (after grill)

chili garlic sauce and pickled ginger to serve.

YES...those little holes are where the big turkey feathers sprout from.  occasionally the tail has not been cleaned of every single feather and you might find a "nib" or two that you'll need to manually pull out (after braising, before grilling).  run your finger along the edges of the tails and check for any feather follicles that were left "behind" (PARDON THE PUN!) in the plucking.  you will feel any imperfections.  they should slip out.  it's kinda weird.  place warm tails in a tupperware ( i guess a ziplock baggie would work) and sprinkle with cumin, chili powder and a little salt.  put in fridge uncovered until chilled, then cover for over night marinade.(see photos below)

GRILLING...

now...this goes against grilling rules, BUT it's okay to put these on the grill straight out of the fridge.  it will even help keep them together.  they will warm through by the time you are done.  make sure your grill is clean and lightly greased.  fatty things with skin tend to stick.  put some more sauce on and try to continue putting sauce on as you grill to get a good sticky glaze going.  you want to sear both sides and occasionally stand the tails on end.  with long tongs, hold on and try to sear the fatty sides.  you can even lean them up against each other.  if you're a "griller", i don't need to tell you what your doing...right?

HOW TO EAT A TURKEY TAIL?...

above is an example of what you'll find.  there is quite a large tail bone that runs right through dividing the two unctuous nuggets.  if thoroughly cooked the two nuggets should separate from the bone very easily.

NOTE...please please don't be afraid of the fat....

think pork belly with wings.

eat one whole side in a single bite...like a big juicy meatball.  don't be timid.  just go for it.  for first timers, you can separate the nuggets from the bone.  the odd vertebrae might be a little scary for some.  for the less timid...hold the tail from tip to end and bite the whole side off...then, of course, suck the bone and ask for another!

ENJOY !

BELOW IS A JUST LITTLE VISUAL AID

the tails should be done in about 2 1/2 to 4 hours depending on the size.  give them the fork test.  the end vertebrae should easily pull off.  this batch was simmering for about 4 hours.  i doubt you can hurt them, so longer is better on a slow simmer.

put the warm cooked tails into a tupperware.  season with some dry ingredients and slather on some sauce (while they are warm).  let come to room temp and refrigerate over night.

above is a quick photo of my tails ready to go into the fridge and all the delicious stock.  this stock was so deep and rich. it was almost like a demi glace when done.  the tails definitely add to the viscosity of the stock, much like when grandma used to add in the chicken feet.

Manchego Cheese Bread

*@#$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$#@*

I really don't know what else to say about this bread.  I can't properly describe it's wonderfulness without cursing like a criminal.  I need you to make it, right now, so you can understand me.  By the way, it's really easy.  No kneading, no big floury mess.  A few simple ingredients like bread flour and CHEESE.  Chunks of manchego that melt and bubble up in the oven.  You do have to let the dough rise over night, but come morning time you will be hugging your own body because... FRESHLY BAKED CHEESE BREAD.  Because of that.  There aren't many better things in this world.  Don't care for Manchego?  (WHY)  Use whatever semi-soft cheese you fancy.  But I'm obsessed with this salty, Spanish cheese and it worked wonderfully in this loaf from heaven.  

Look at that crispy crust and chewy center.  I have to go say more swear words. 

         

Manchego Cheese Bread

(Makes 1 loaf)

Slightly adapted from My Bread

Printable Recipe

3 cups bread flour

3/4 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups Manchego cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/3 cup cool water

Cornmeal for dusting

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, pepper and cheese.  Add water and stir until you have a sticky dough.  Cover the bowl with a towel, and let rise (on the counter) for 12-18 hours.  

After the first rise, set a towel on the counter and cover it with cornmeal.  With lightly floured hands, lift the dough and place on the towel.  Grab the sides of the dough and fold them into the center, creating a round ball.  Flip the dough so the seam-side is down.  Cover the dough with the rest of the towel and let rise (again on counter) for 1-2 more hours.

30 minutes before the second rise is finished, preheat the oven to 475.  Place a heavy, oven-safe pot on the lower third rack while the oven is preheating, uncovered.  Once 30 minutes is up, remove the pot and carefully place the dough in the pot, seam-side up.  Cover pot and put back in oven for 30 minutes.

Uncover pot, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until top is golden brown.  Remove bread from pot and let cool on wire rack.

Cookbook watch: summery cookbooks

I'm way, way behind on my cookbook reviews, so I'll try to post a bunch of fairly short reviews in order to cover a lot of books that I want to mention. First out, a bunch of books that are especially perfect for summer.



Magisk sommar ("Magical Summer") by sisters Hannah Widell and Amanda Schulman. These sisters are fairly well known in Sweden, albeit for their various jobs in the media and not for their cooking. I don't really mind non-chef-y cookbooks, and this one is surprisingly nice. A third sister - Amelia Widell - has taken all the photos, and they're very good too. The book is based on their summer vacations on the Swedish island Gotland, where they all have summer houses. It has a little bit of everything - baking projects for rainy days, barbecue, yummy desserts, picknick food... The recipes are short and approachable, and don't shy away from shortcuts.

And I really need to try princess cake with meringue cake layers - why didn't I think of that?



Grilla med bröderna Timell ("Grilling with the Timell brothers") is another book by a famous pair of siblings, brothers this time. Martin and Anders are both well known in Sweden for various TV- and radio shows. Martin mostly as a fix-it kind of guy, Anders seems more of a party person and has a daily morning radio show. This book is about their summers, on ANOTHER Swedish island. Popular theme.  And again, it's not a bad book. It's rather nice, actually. The recipes are easy to follow, but seems to yield fairly impressive food, definitely something for when you have guests over.



Kockarnas grillbok ("the chefs grilling book") has a lot of recipes from more or less prominent Swedish chefs, and many of them look great. However, the book is completely unstructured which makes it a little hard to use. It's nice to look through but as there are no chapters at all, I don't find it very useful.

Curly “Q” Sausage – Get It Twisted

Someone sent me a video link last summer, showing someone spiral cutting a hot dog. The wienercision was done by Blake Smith from Chow.com, and I remember wondering if this technique would work with parboiled Italian sausage.

Oh, it worked. It worked real good. By the way, I was going to provide a link to the aforementioned video, but Blake ended the demo by putting ketchup on his hot dog, so forget it. Okay, fine, since I did steal his technique, here you go.

Not only does this look very cool, the technique also provides a significantly greater amount of surface area, and when you’re talking about grilling meat, it’s all about the surface area. You could brush barbecue sauce on an un-helixed Italian sausage, but here you’re literally flavoring the sausage inside and out. 

And if you're skeptical about how well barbecue sauce goes with Italian sausage, take it from someone who ate one; it’s a match made in backyard barbecue heaven. I’d like to wish all you a safe and very festive Memorial Day weekend, and I hope you “spring” these curly “Q” sausages on your guests. Enjoy!

View the complete recipe