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Adapted Pam Anderson Brownies With Shiny Crackly Flaky Tops
Submitted by cooksgirl on September 27, 2004 at 12:47 pmDESCRIPTION
Adapted Pam Anderson Brownies with shiny crackly flaky topsSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Cookies Brownies BarsINSTRUCTIONS
This recipe is from Pam Anderson's cookbook, The Perfect Recipe. It's titled "Fudgy Chewy Cakey Brownies". The ingredients are hers and the mixing technique is mine. Following her instructions gives you a great brownie with a great flavor. Following my instructions gives you a great brownie with a great flavor AND a shiny/flaky/crackly top!!10 TBSP butter
1 1/4 cups sugar (8 3/4 oz)
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup flour (3 1/4 oz)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp saltPreheat oven to 350. Line an 11x7 pan with foil and spray with Pam. Melt butter in microwave on high for 1 minute. Put melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in mixer bowl and beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase to speed 6 and beat for 5 minutes.
While the eggs/sugar/butter/vanilla are beating, melt chocolates in microwave. Set aside until egg mixture is done. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl and add melted chocolate. Mix on low until fully combined. Stop mixer and scrape down bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined, about 20 seconds. Increase to speed 4 until batter comes together and is smooth, about 30 seconds.
Scrape bowl with rubber spatula to make sure there's nothing on the bottom of the bowl and then pour into prepared pan. Smooth top and place in oven. Bake for about 30 minutes until top is shiny and glossy and toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs.
Silver Palate Sour Cream Coffeecake
Submitted by chiara on October 15, 2009 at 5:05 pmDESCRIPTION
Silver Palate Sour Cream CoffeecakeSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Muffins Quickbreads SconesINSTRUCTIONS
2 sticks butter
2 ¾ cups sugar (divided 2 and ¾ cups)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups (1 pint) sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon cinnamon1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix ¾ cup of the sugar with the pecans and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and 2 cups of the sugar. Add eggs, blending well, then the sour cream and vanilla.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients in the creamed mixture, and beat until just blended. Do not overbeat.
6. Pour one-third of the batter into the bundt pan. Sprinkle with half of the pecan mixture. Repeat. Then add remaining batter.
7. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
(Or makes 36 cupcakes--bake at 325 for 20 minutes.)
Pound Cake--Shirley Corriher's
Submitted by chiara on April 24, 2009 at 10:27 pmDESCRIPTION
Pound Cake--Shirley Corriher'sSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakesINSTRUCTIONS
Shirleys Even Greater American Pound Cake
(from Bakewise by Shirley Corriher)NOTE: This is extremely moist and falls considerably when cooked which is why it is better baked in a tube pan--which is inverted to serve and thus hides the crevice caused when the cake falls.
CAKE
¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into 2 tbs. pieces
½ cup shortening (i.e., Crisco)
3 cups sugar
1 tbs. vanilla
¼ tsp. almond extract
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large egg yolks
5 large eggs
2 2/3 cup (spooned and leveled) flour
¼ cup potato starch (in the kosher foods aisle)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup heavy creamICING
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 to 3 tbs. heavy cream
¼ tsp vanilla1. Arrange a shelf in the lower third of the oven, place a baking stone on it, and preheat the oven to 350.
2. Spray a 10 tube pan or a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray with flour (or grease and flour pan).
3. With a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter to soften. Add the shortening and beat until the mixture is light and pale in color, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to beat until very light, scraping down the sides and across the bottom of the bowl at least once. While creaming, feel the bowl; if it does not feel cool, place in the freezer for 5 minutes and then continue creaming.
4. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Beat in the oil a little at a time until incorporated. On the lowest speed, with a minimum of beating, blend in the yolks, then the whole eggs, one at a time.
5. In a medium bowl, with a fork or hand mixer, beat together the flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt for a full 30 seconds, until very well blended.
6. On the lowest speed, blend 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Alternate adding buttermilk, then the flour mixture, until all of both are incorporated, scraping down the sides and across the bottom at least once.
7. Place a bowl, beaters, and the heavy cream in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes. Whip the cream until soft peaks form when the beater is lifted. Whip just a little beyond the soft peak stage. Stir about ¼ of the whipped cream into the batter to lighten. Then gently fold the rest of the whipped cream into the batter.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. From a height of about 4 inches, drop the pan onto the counter to knock out bubbles. Smooth the batter with a spatula.
9. Place the cake in the oven on the stone and bake until the cake springs back whe n touched, or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean but moist, about 1 hour (or as much as 1 hour 10 minutes, depending on your oven.) Ideally, the cake should not pull away from the sides until it has just come out of the oven. Place the cake in the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Loosen the cake from the pan by jarring it against the counter. Invert the cake onto the serving platter to finish cooling.
10. This cake improves upon standing for two or three days, well wrapped and refrigerated. When ready to serve, if desired, drizzle on Pound Cake Icing.
11. ICING: In a 2-cup measuring cup with a spout, stir together the sugar, cream, and vanilla. You want the consistency thick, but just barely pourable. Add more sugar or cream as needed. Drizzle the icing over the top of cake, zigzagging back and forth so the icing just runs down the sides.
Maraschino Cherry Nut Bread
Submitted by chiara on May 20, 2010 at 8:48 pmDESCRIPTION
Maraschino Cherry Nut BreadSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Muffins Quickbreads SconesINSTRUCTIONS
2 c butter (1 lb.; 4 sticks), softened
3 c sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tea vanilla
5 c all-purpose flour
1 tea baking soda
1/2 tea baking powder
1/2 tea salt
1 c buttermilk
2 jars (10oz each) maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
1 c chopped pecansIn a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, bakin gpowder, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately wiht buttermilk just until blended (batter will be thick). In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Fold in cherries and pecans.
Transfer to four greased and floured 8in X 4in X2in loaf pans, or two tube pans or other sized pans equivalent to four loaf pans. Bake at 350* for 50-55min or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and loaves are golden brown. Cool for 10 min before removing from pans.
Note: I am lazy and don't separate the eggs and I think it tastes fine.
Russischer Zupfkuchen - Russian Crumbcake
Submitted by cowgirl on February 02, 2003 at 10:08 amDESCRIPTION
Russischer Zupfkuchen - Russian CrumbcakeSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakesINSTRUCTIONS
Russischer Zupfkuchen ( Russian Crumb-Cheesecake)This one is easy, pretty and very good!
375 grams (3 cups) AP flour
40 grams cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
200 gr (1 cup) sugar)
few drops vanilla
1 egg
200 gr butter or margarinefilling:
500 gr (2 cups) quark
200 gr sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 pckg. Cook and serve vanilla pudding (or 45 gr custard powder)
1 cup melted, cooled butterPut all the dry dough ingredients in a food processor, mix 30 seconds, add butter in small chunks, process 30 secs more, add egg and process until a dough forms. Knead dough on a clean surface until its quite smooth. Wrap in foil and refrigerate 45 minutes.
Meanwhile grease bottom of a 10 inch springform pan and prepare filling :
Mix all the filling ingredients except butter until smooth, then add butter in a thin stream, mix well.
Crumble half of the dough in the springform, press onto bottom and a bit up the sides, pour filling in the crust and crumble remaining dough on top.
Put cake in a preheated 340° oven ( middle rack) and bake 60-70 minutes.
Let cool on a rack.Recipe by Dr. Oetker.
Molasses Quickbread (Hamburg)
Submitted by cowgirl on March 26, 2003 at 1:03 amDESCRIPTION
molasses quickbread (hamburg)SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Muffins Quickbreads SconesINSTRUCTIONS
A traditional hamburg bread for Christmas, but good at any time1 cup mild molasses
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
12 oz. light rye flour
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. each ground cloves, cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 oz. kandis ( large crystals) browncombine molasses, sugar and milk in saucepan, heat until sugar is dissolved but do not boil! Let cool a bit, then add flour, baking powder & spices, stir, then knead until a smooth dough forms. Put in greased 10 inch loaf pan, sprinkle with kandis and bake for 55 min at 300°. Let cool 5 min in pan, then turn out onto rack. Serve with butter or honey butter
Crustless German Cheesecake
Submitted by cowgirl on August 16, 2002 at 4:39 amDESCRIPTION
Crustless German CheesecakeSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakesINSTRUCTIONS
Crustless German Cheesecake (light and fluffy)A fairly easy but very good recipe, it only needs lots of bowls Give it a try!
1 cup butter (or half butter, half margarine)
7 oz. fine sugar
2 lb + 2 oz. Quark, preferably low fat
4 oz. semolina
1 pckg. vanilla pudding, cook and serve type, not instant
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. lemon oil ( or orange oil)
½ tsp. vanilla oil
¼ tsp. salt
4 eggs, divided into yolks and whites
( 5 oz. rum raisins )Grease a 9 inch springform pan with high sides, dust liberally with semolina.
Heat oven to 180° (360°F). Set oven rack on lower third.Cream butter and 2/3 of the sugar. Add flavorings, salt and yolks, beat until light. Beat egg whites until quite stiff, gradually add the sugar and beat until really stiff but not dry.
Drain Quark a little. Mix semolina, pudding and baking powder in a bowl. Add Quark and semolina mix to creamed mixture. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the mix, then gently fold in the remaining whites, dont stir too much!
Pour mix into pan and bake for half an hour, take out the pan, leave oven on, take a sharp knife and loosen the cake from the rim of the pan (this helps it to rise better), put cake in the oven again, lower temperature to 175°(350°F) and bake 40 minutes more.
Open oven door a little and let cake cool in the turned-off oven for 1 hour.
Take out of oven, let cool completely and remove rim.Blackberry (any berry) Quark Cake
Submitted by cowgirl on October 03, 2004 at 3:46 amDESCRIPTION
blackberry(any berry) quark cakeSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakesINSTRUCTIONS
Blackberry - Quark - CakeI didn't use blackberries but canned cherries. This one is really good and so easy.
2-1/2 c (300gr) ap flour
2 tsp. baking powder
5 oz. ground almonds
? c plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2/3 c less 1 tbsp. each milk and oil
1 slightly heaping cup (8 oz.) quark8 oz. quark
2/3 c sour cream or creme fraiche
? c sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 pound fruit, not too juicy (recipe says fresh blackberries)mix flour, baking powder, almonds and sugar, add oil, milk quark, stir and knead until dough forms. Put dough in 10? springform pan (greased and floured), forming a rim.
For filling beat all ingredients except fruit, spread on dough and arrange fruit on top.
Bake in a preheated 360° oven for 40-50 minutes.
Cool on springform bottom but it's most delicious eaten slightly warm.
Have no experience on freezing yet( as cake was gobbled up immediately and there was nothing left to freezeJSoup -- Year-Round Creamy Tomato Soup (from Cooks Illustrated)
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 10:12 amDESCRIPTION
Soup -- Year-Round Creamy Tomato Soup (from Cooks Illustrated)SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & RequestsINSTRUCTIONS
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes (Glen Muir is best, follow by Progresso)(not packed in puree), drained, 3 cups juice reserved, tomatoes seeded
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large shallots, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Pinch ground allspice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons brandy or dry sherry
Salt and cayenne pepper1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees; line jelly-roll pan or rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Spread tomatoes in single layer on foil, and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Bake until all liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to color, about 30 minutes. Let tomatoes cool slightly, then peel them off foil ; transfer to small bowl and set aside.
2. Heat butter over medium heat in medium nonreactive saucepan until foaming; add shallots, tomato paste, and allspice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Whisking constantly, gradually add chicken stock; stir in reserved tomato juice and roasted tomatoes. Cover, increase heat to medium, and bring to boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 10 minutes.
3. Strain mixture into medium bowl; rinse out saucepan. Transfer tomatoes and solids in strainer to blender; add 1 cup strained liquid and puree until smooth. Place pureed mixture and remaining strained liquid in saucepan, add cream, and heat over low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in brandy or sherry; season to taste with salt and cayenne, and serve immediately.Notes from DvdLee:
Be sure and remove the hard stem ends from the tomatoes before roasting. I also cut the tomatoes almost in 1/2 so the juice in the interior escapes.
If you don't have shallots available or around, just substitue minced onion & garlic (around 1/8 of a medium onion and 1 clove of garlic)
I like a chunky soup, so I don't puree the soup, but just make sure the tomatoes are not in big pieces.
I like to garnish the soup in different ways:
add some fresh basil on top
top with shaved reggiano cheese
top with one or two snow pea pods (raw)
put a dab of yogurt, sour cream or creme freche in the centerThis is a nice soup, pretty low in fat (I use 1/2 N 1/2, and only half what the recipe calls for), easy to make, is available year-round and is so much better than the famous Andy Warhol can!
Soup -- Rustic Lentil Soup (French Style)
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 10:13 amDESCRIPTION
Soup -- Rustic Lentil Soup (French Style)SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Family / Ethnic / RegionalINSTRUCTIONS
This is going to be another essay as I discuss lentil soup! I started this process when I stumbled until the French "Lentils du Puy" in Whole Foods (only $1 a pound, bulk!) and was interested in 'how they were different' and what to make with them.I looked at a lot of recipes and gathered information on the culture, background, varieties of lentils, etc. and wanted to organize this into some kind of rational order.
So, this 'recipe' will have 3 sections: #1 will be about the background and how French lentil soup developed from the peasants in rural France. #2 will be the recipe I actually used to make my soup (plus options/variations) and #3 will be a listing of the differnt kinds of lentils and the taste/texture differences between them.
I looked at lots of sources including Laurie Colwin's essey on Lentil Soup, the "Paris Cookbook" by Patricia Wells, Jacques Peppin, Cooks Illustrated, and my 'standards' (Joy, NY Times, Bittman Cook Everything, etc.)
Lentils Soup (at least this version) is NOT a fancy soup. It's a definitive 'rustic' dish -- a hearty rough soup that is great for family and informal company, but would never have appeared on a fancy Paris restaurant's menu!
I'd read about flexibility and how you adapt a recipe to the ingredients at hand -- and after making the recipe listed below I can imagine all the countless alterations and adjustments (by necessity or choice) that could be made and still produce a great lentil soup.
The foundation concept is that of a fairly poor family who must use every scrap of food (either through thrift or necessity) and uses that as a springboard for making something tasty.
So, picture poor Collette on her way home from a hard days work in the fields or sewing in a garret for the nobility -- she has at home some onion, garlic, and has just gotten a few carrots from the stand. She (of course) has lentils that she has purchased for a few sous earlier in the year. She is lucky that there is still a few pieces of bacon or fatback from the pig they got from Collette father on his farm -- so she has everything she needs.
If its been a bad week, there are no carrots or bacon, but maybe she has a leek and a tomato instead. In a good week, she has some chicken broth leftover from the Sunday dinner.
So, while the recipe below calls for a variety of ingredients -- you don't have to have all of them -- or use them all. Feel free to substitue and explore other options to still produce a great, lowfat nutritious (and fast!) soup.
However, even poor Collette will have fresh herbs to use in her soup -- either growing wild in by the side of the road (those lucky French!) or in a pot on her windowsill. Fresh herbs are always better!! If you don't grow some of your own herbs -- I'd start some before I even refreshed my sourdough starter!!! They are easy to grow (they're weeds after all), cheap and make a difference! (You can even have a small bay tree and use fresh bay leaves -- wonderful...!)
In her little kitchen she cooks the bacon to get some fat to begin to cook the things that need to cook the longest -- the onions and carrots. Then she adds the lentils and tomato, covers the pot and moves the pot so only 1/2 of it is on the fire and go out to gather her herbs. After adding the herbs and a bit of salt she then adds the water with a bit of broth saved from the boiled chicken earlier in the week. She cooks the soup until the lentils are done (which is only 30 minutes or so) and then takes a spoon and mashes some of the soup up so its thicker and seems more substantial. Adding a little final bit of herbs she is ready to serve dinner to her family with a loaf of good pain she got from the village baker. (Hey, a working woman can't bake every day!!! LOL)
4-5 slices bacon (cut in very small pieces)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots (peeled!)
1/4 cup dried leeks (from KA) or maybe 1/2 or so cup fresh (clean & chopped)
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 can (14.5 oz) tomatoes (drained -- chop or use diced)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or very scant 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 cup Lentils du Puy (or regular ones), washed, picked over
1 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
6 cups liquid (water or any blend of chicken stock and water -- but no more than 50% stock)
1 & 1/2 teaspoons sherry or balsamic vinegar (optional)
2-3 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsleyFry bacon (or salt pork) in a heavy stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat until the fat is rendered out and the bacon is very crispy. Don't skimp on the cooking here! The bacon should be very very crisp.
Add onion & carrots, continue to cook on medium, stirring occasionally until the onion is beginning to soften - 3 minutes or so.
Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until you can begin to smell the garlic.
Add tomatoes, bay leaf, lentils, salt & thyme. Grind some pepper into the mixture. Stir together well. Reduce heat to medium low to low, cover the pot and slowly cook for 10 minutes (stirring once & recovering pan). The veggies should be soft by the end of this "sweating" time and the lentils will be dark.
Uncover, increase heat to high and add wine and stir. Then add the water & chicken broth. bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and partially cover the pot. Simmer until lentils are tender (30-40 minutes or more, depending on the age of the lentils - which you have no way of knowing!).
Remove bay leaves (please!). Put 3 cups (in stages) into a blender and puree until smooth. (You can use a food mill, chinois, or use a immersion blender. If you use the immersion blender, remove the 3 cups from the rest of the soup before blending.)
Return pureed soup to the pot, add optional vinegar if you want, then parsley. Blend and cook for a final 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread!
Some people like to add (or pass at the table) a vial of really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil to use as a fillip on the soup. This is time to break out that "really good bottle" of olive oil if you choose to do this!
Just wanted to talk about what's going on technique-wise in this recipe so you can understand how to make changes, adapt to your available ingredients, etc.
1. Lentils need no presoaking or any kind of preparation (except for the washing & picking out 'bad' beans, any stones, etc. All lentils cook very quickly!
2. You first want to render any fat from the meat you are using as flavoring OR you can just saute the veggies in olive oil. Then you bring out the sweetness of the Alliums (onion, leek, garlic) with a saute. You can use all onion, all leek -- or just a bit a garlic.
3. Add and "sweat" the veggies beans and long-cooking herbs. (Thanks to CI for this basic 'trick'.) Sweating the veggies brings out and intensifies the flavors of the veggies. By first doing a bit of cooking with very little liquid present the juices are extracted and concentrated. You can add any root veggie in small amounts to accompany the lentils. Tomatoes are traditional (since they were easily grown) in the Provence area of France. You can use parsnips, celery root, or other mild root veggie here also -- or a sweet pepper maybe!
4. Add the water and cook gently until everything is done and tender. You puree some of the soup to give it body and thickness, but this is an optional step. If you want a brothy soup -- you're done! The Lentils de Puy will not break down into a soft mush -- no matter how long they are cooked. Many lentils break down into mush... so the soups 'thickness' can be controlled by the kind of lentils you use.
5. Finish with final herbs and a bit of acid. Many people find that a tiny bit of acid 'freshens' the soup and gives it a final lift and dimension of flavor. You can add (in very very small quantities!) vinegar, wine, or a citrus juice (lemon usually). This is optional and up to the cook and diners! But the acid needs a brief cooking to blend into the soup -- so usually this is done before serving.
Note: About pepper. There is more than black pepper in this world. Green peppercorns have a different taste to me which is delicious. Green peppercorns are used in a lot of French cooking and I think they are very good in this soup. The French and Europeans also favor blends of the different kind of peppercorns (black, green, white, red). If you order any spices -- try a blend or some of the different kinds of peppercorns for a way to add some different flavors to your arsenal. They are not very expensive (if you're going to have an order anyway) and usually can be purchases in very small amounts for 'trial' or freshness.
I hope this will help you discover you own favorite lentil soup recipe! Feel free to experiment. I could taste that is is a soup that will be good in a huge number of variations.Thanks to Cooks Illustrated for bringing all of this information about lentils into a great summary!
You can use only one kind -- or a blend if you want to! Be creative and have some fun....
---------
Lentils come in various sizes and colors, and the differences in flavor and texture are surprisingly distinct. Tasters were asked to evaluate five kinds of lentils (made into a soup), rating them in terms of taste, texture, and appearance.
Lentils du Puy These lentils are smaller than the more common brown and green varieties. While they take their name from the city of Puy in central France, they are also grown in North America and Italy. Dark olive green, almost black, in color, with mottling, these lentils were praised for their "rich, earthy, complex flavor" and "firm yet tender texture."
Black Lentils Like lentils du Puy, black lentils are slightly smaller than the standard brown lentils. They have a deep black hue that tasters likened to the color of caviar. In fact, some markets refer to them as beluga lentils. Tasters liked their "robust, earthy flavor" and "ability to hold their shape while remaining tender." A few tasters found the color of the soup made with them "too dark and muddy."
Brown Lentils These larger lentils are the most common choice in the market and are a uniform drab brown. Tasters commented on their "mild yet light and earthy flavor." Some found their texture "creamy," while others complained that they were "chalky." But everyone agreed that they held their shape and were tender inside.
Green Lentils Another larger lentil, this variety is the same size as the brown lentil and is greenish-brown in color. Although tasters accepted the "mild flavor" of these lentils and liked the way they "retain their shape while being tender," most complained that the soup made from them was "a bit anemic looking."
Red Lentils These small orange-red lentils "completely disintegrate when cooked." They made a soup that looked "anemic."
Soup -- French Onion Soup (modified from Cook's Illustrated)
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 9:54 amDESCRIPTION
Soup -- French Onion Soup (modified from Cook's Illustrated)SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & RequestsINSTRUCTIONS
I love French Onion Soup!!! One of the best soups ever created! But beware.... there are lots of evil soups out there waiting to destroy your anticipation with watery broth, flavorless onion, salt levels that would kill a fish or so salt-free that your Dr. approves of you eating it! Good onion soup is hard to find -- even in France!To begin: start by making your own beef broth (recipe found elsewhere in my recipes posted on the Circle.) You SHOULD make your chicken stock from scratch -- but after do the beef -- I'm to tired and just open a asceptic package of low-sodium chicken (the boxes taste much better than the broth in cans).
The 2nd major area is: selecting the proper onion...
CI says, "We tried Vidalia, famous for their sweetness and mildness, and found them bland and boring once cooked for soup. White onions were overly sweet, yellow onions only mildly flavorful. Red onions ranked supreme: sweet but not cloying, with a subtle complexity and nuance.
Yet red onions were not perfect. They made us cry more when slicing them, and they discolored, turning the soup an unappetizing bluish gray.
The color problem was a clear question of food chemistry. The answer, according to food scientist Shirley Corriher, author of Cookwise (Morrow, 1997), was to add some acid--lemon juice or vinegar--at the end of cooking and then watch the soup regain its deep reddish brown color. We tried it, with balsamic vinegar, and it worked--a scientific wonder. The balsamic vinegar also brightened the flavor of the soup." (end CI)
I fully agree on the red onion use (but I've used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow and its been OK -- mainly a question of $ or not wanting to go back to the store AGAIN!). And they tear production capacity IS greater.
To slice the onions, I use a V-Slicer (not a mandoline -- I prefer the V-slicer for this task, but you could use that or a knife.) the key thing is to produce equally thin slices consistently for onion after onion.
When slicing, I wear contacts and have a taper (or 2) burning around the work area. (The flame is supposed to help control the gas released by the cut onions.) It helps, but occasional breaks, and a retreat to a sink for an eye wash occurs a couple of times in the process.
And now to the Recipe:
(serves around 6)2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 medium red onions (about 3 to 3 & 1/2 pounds), sliced thin
Salt
4 & 1/2 to 5 cups beef broth
1 1/2 to 2 cups low-sodium canned chicken broth
1/3 cup dry red wine
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar***
Ground black pepper
__________________1 baguette, cut on the bias into 3/4 -inch slices (2 slices per serving)
4 1/2 ounces Swiss cheese, sliced 1/16-inch thick
3 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
(You can substitute a rich Fontina for the Swiss, or Parmason or Reggiano for the Asiago)***can be omitted if desired. I've never had a color problem since this recipe has a lot of beef (if a lot of chicken stock is used the broth can turn a bad color -- the acid in the vineger counters this effect)
1. Melt butter in large soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add sliced onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to coat onions thoroughly with butter. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes and reduce heat slightly. Contine to cool on medium low until onions are reduced and syrupy and inside of pot is coated with very deep brown crust, 35 to 40 minutes.
Add the red wine to the pan and scrape up all of the brown bits from the carmalization (you can keep the onions in for this process or remove them - whatever you prefer.)
Add the chicken and beef broths, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, and bring to simmer. Simmer to blend flavors, about 30 minutes to 2 hours, and discard herbs. Stir in balsamic vinegar (if desired) and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
(Can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated in airtight container up to 2 days; return to simmer before finishing soup with croutons and cheese).
2. To serve, adjust oven rack to upper middle position; heat broiler. Set serving bowls on baking sheet. Take cut bread and make sure two baguette slices will fit evenly into the top of the bowl -- trim to fit as needed. Remove bread and fill each bowl with about 1 1/2 cups soup. Top with Swiss cheese slices, laying them in a single layer, if possible. Sprinkle each bowl with about 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese and broil until well browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.
With a side salad and good french bread and a bottle of wine you have a complete meal -- and an impressive one.
The one caution is a safety one: use a sturdy cookie sheet or sheet pan to hold the soup bowls. Transfer pan very carefully with two hands. Have a place pre-cleared on your counter where you can place the bowls. Serve with a plate underneath the bowl and a napkin or folded paper towel under the bowl to give traction between the two ceramics.
I persoanlly don't like the 'french onion soup bowl with a handle you see in the stores. Too small, don't like the handle. I want a big bowl! So I use the bowls I serve chili in.
Soup -- Creamy, Low-fat, Asparagus Soup (hot or cold)
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 9:53 amDESCRIPTION
Soup -- Creamy, Low-fat, Asparagus Soup (hot or cold)SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & RequestsINSTRUCTIONS
Around 4 good-sized servings.You MUST have a blender to make this soup -- a food processor, food mill or sieve will just not work. So -- if you have a blender (that you may also use for smoothies, frozen margaritas, etc.) this is great.
This is a very flavorful soup since there is so much asparagus and not that much dairy -- just enough to add an element of richness. By pureeing EVERYTHING together the soup is fairly thick (the potato helps thicken this as well). You can see where this is low-fat!
1 & 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus
1 small onion
2 teaspoons olive oil (plain, not extra-virgin)
1 cup liquid (any mixture of chicken stock, water, or vegetable stock -- I use all chicken broth)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small Idaho Potato
1 cup regular whole milk
Salt & Pepper
Optional garnishes: asparagus tips, grated carrots, low-fat plain yogurt, parmesan cheese, finely diced red or yellow bell pepperRinse asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. (I save a few tips to add to the soup as a garnish). Peel and dice potato into small pieces (1/4" dice). Finely dice onion.
Saute onion in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until onion is lightly brown. Add liquid, salt, diced potato and asparagus. Bring to a boil and then cover pan tightly and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
You CAN then take this hot mixture and puree it in the blender while still hot. I usually let it cool for 30 minutes, then puree on high in the blender in batches -- but I don't like to puree hot liquids in the blender for my safety! Puree the soup very finely -- let the blender run a good while until all of the asparagus fiber disappears and the liquid is very smooth.
Take the pureed asparagus and slowly stir in the milk, then stir in the mustard. (Use more mustard if you like -- or use powdered Coleman's mustard -- but start will small amounts of the mustard powder!!). Adjust salt & pepper (I like to use green peppercorns for the slightly different taste.)
The soup needs to sit a while so the air that was incorporated into the asparagus puree has a chance to escape. This soup can be served hot or cold. You can garnish with any of the above ideas (I like to place grated carrots in a ring in the bowl, place a dollop of yogurt in the center and place 2 asparagus tips on top of the yogurt.)
This is also one of the fastest & easiest soups I know!
Soup -- Beef Stock ( Homemade Broth)
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 9:46 amDESCRIPTION
Soup -- Beef Stock ( Homemade Broth)SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & RequestsINSTRUCTIONS
Note: with the concern over 'mad cow' disease, please be aware that all beef stock/broth may contain material (prions) that might transmit this disease. ALL beef stock and broth is an 'at risk' substance (commerical and homemade). If you are confident your beef is Mad Cow-free, beef stock is still fine! Just be aware that beef stock is a danger-prone item.This is an incredible long "recipe", but that's because it took me years to discover how to make a good beef stock. I had tried a LOT of recipes (from Julia, Claborne, the Joy, FF, etc.) and was never really happy.
The process I now use is not difficult, but I typed all this so that you can understand the process and all the discoveries I've made. Beef Stock is nothing like making a chicken or fish stock. Those are easy & simple to make and always taste great. Beef stock is more difficult due to the fact that fish & chicken have more concentrated flavors than beef. Hence this essay!
Making homemade beef broth is not difficult, but it does take time and it is expensive!! A real full-bodied beef broth requires a LOT of meat so that it comes out with a really intense beef flavor. I only make beef broth for "special" things -- such as French Onion Soup where beef broth is a critical component in the recipe.
Otherwise, if the broth is going to be combined with other things you can usally get away with consumme (much better flavor than the watery thin canned commerical "beef broth" in the soup section, even though you have to watch the salt). Read the label to see how little beef there is in those cans of stock! I also like using the Beef Soup Base from Pensey's. I have not like any frozen stock I have tried -- its too expensive and not that much better (and not nearly as good as homemade).
I have tried different recipes for homemade beef stock, and it was not until I read the technique formulated by Cook's Illustrated that I was able to make a really good one (with a few modifications). Quantities and notes are mine...
The most important element in making a good beef stock are your ingredients.
First, you should use both veal bones with the beef. The veal is very rich in marrow and gelatin, so it helps give a smooth taste and finish to the stock. I can find veal neck bones (which also have some meat attached) at an ethnic market. You will NOT find anything at a regular grocery store (and even if they had it, they would charge a fortune for it!). I pay around $1.75 per pound -- but anything below $2.00 is good. If you find pieces of shank that would be great -- but don't buy "real eating shank" at the price of maybe $8 - $10 a pound!!!
On what kind of beef. You have several choices. Do NOT buy those "beef soup bones" you see for sale at the grocery store at $1.50 or so per pound. They are worthless. To make a good strong beef stock you don't need that many bones -- you need MEAT. It may be cheap, tough, & scrappy meat -- but it has to be MEAT.
The most commonly availble meat is beef shank. This is a piece of the leg that has been sawed into medium slices so that you have meat and a thin circle of bone. Only buy it on sale!
Other good cuts to use are neck chuck (which are the neck bones with attached meat), a chuck roast on a major sale (we recently had a sale of chuck roasts here for $1.25 with an additional $20 purchase. I bought one for to roast and one for stock.)
NEVER use any kind of ground meat. ANY cheap cut of beef is OK, but there should be a lot of meat and not much bone. (Otherwise you will have a stock that tastes of "bone" and not beef meat.)
The amount of meat I buy depends on the cut and the size of my pot! I have a 6-qt. Dutch Oven which I use for my stock pot.
I sugggest you use a 3 to 1 ratio of beef to veal. (So if you have 3 pounds of beef you would have 1 pound of veal.) If your beef is a little "boney" use a 4 to 1 ratio.) These are approximate of course and you may prefer a different ratio, but this is the one I have grown to like.
I usually buy enough to completly fill the 6-qt. pot with beef meat, bones & veal. This last batch I made used a 4 lb. chuck roast, 3 lb. of chuck neck and 2 lb. of veal bones (the veal only has a little meat on it). (You can see where I said that it is EXPENSIVE to make -- and I make beef stock only when I can get things on a super sale.) This will give around 2 quarts of stock (plus one cup or so)!!!
Here is where there is some controvery as the best way to begin the stock. Some cooks say to roast the meat & bones to brown them. Others to brown, others to not do anything at all before adding the water and cooking.
In the past, when I have just added water and beef together without any browning I have not been happy with the results. The flavor was just not rich and deep.
I brown the meat/bones by hand in the dutch oven. I have settled on this mainly because I don't have a roasting pan (or oven) big enough to process all of the meat in one batch -- and I'm not going to take the time to roast multiple batches. (If you roast the meat in an oven, it has to be in one layer -- you shouldn't pile it on top of other pieces or everything won't get brown, and even if you stir it the meat still won't brown evenly.)
So after all this background, here is the recipe!!!
7 to 8 pounds beef (with some bones -- see notes above)
2 to 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 pounds veal bones with some meat (see above)
1 large onion
1/2 cup red wine (approximately)
2 quarts filtered or spring water (8 cups)
1/2 teaspoon saltCut the beef into chunks if the pieces are very large. Remove the skin from the onion and cut it in 1/2 (pole to pole, not through the equator)
In a dutch oven over medium-high heat add 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons of the oil. (A cast-iron Dutch Oven is ideal for this task.) When the pan is hot, begin browning the meat and bones. Be sure and brown all surfaces of the meat. Brown it very well -- there should be very dark charred spots or areas on the meat. (I usually put a spatter screen over the pot as the browning occurs to try to minimize the mess.)
Do not crowd the pan. When a chunk of meat is browned, remove from the pan and add some more. Add additional oil as needed through the browning process -- but do not drench the pan in oil. About 2/3 of the way through browning all the meat, add the onion and begin to brown the onion with the meat.
After all of the meat has been browned remove the onion. Still on medium-high heat, add the wine. Using a wooden spoon or spatula scrape the bottom of the pan until the bottom has been completly deglazed and all of the brown bits have been scraped up. Cook until the wine has been reduced so it is a light syrup (when you draw a spatula across the bottom of the pan, the liquid doesn't rush back into the clear area -- but will flow there after a couple of seconds).
Add the meat and onion back to the pan. Cover and reduce heat so it is just a little higher than the lowest setting (if you have a numeric value (low 1-10 high) on your stove control put it on 2 or 2 & a twitch) and "sweat" the beef & onion for 30 minutes. (You don't stir, just let them slowly simmer just above the low setting.
Add water to the pan until the beef is just barely covered. (A few pieces might even stick out above the water -- that's OK). Add additional water if needed. Add salt.
Increase heat to high until the water starts to boil. Immediately decrease the heat to very low and partially cover the pot. The beef should be lightly and slowly boiling. Cook for around 2 & 1/2 hours but no more than 3 & 1/2. The stock is ready when the meat is falling off the bone and very tender. You do not need to skim the beef as it is cooking, as it will be strained later.
After the stock is finished, remove the beef & onion. (If you are making beef soup, you can keep and use some of the beef for the soup. The meat will be very dry to eat and not really good for much.) Strain the remaining stock through a sieve.
Then take a colendar (or a chinoise if you are rich!) and line it with 2 thinknesses of cheesecloth (the brand KA sells is the best I've ever used -- almost like muslin!). Wet the cheesecloth with water so the cheesecloth stays in place. Strain the stock through the cheesecloth. Place in a bowl and chill the stock overnight.
The next day remove the congealed fat on top of the stock. (I remove it all, you may want to keep just a tiny bit.) Reheat the stock (which should have gelled) until liquid, but not hot.
Strain the stock through 4 layers of cheesecloth and you are done. The stock HAS to be well-strained to make sure that it does not develop off flavors if you reduce it. If the stock is not strong enough, boil until the stock is the strength you prefer. (You can make demi-glace from this stock, but that's too much trouble for me!)
If you want a truly 100% clarified stock you will have to warm the stock and then clarify it. (I normally don't do this -- the time I tried to clarify chicken stock was a disaster. I need to get a good clarification technique worked out before giving a suggestion.)
This is an "unseasoned" stock -- very little vegetable, very little salt, etc. The main taste is of beef. This is "raw material" for another recipe where you will add salt, pepper, sauted veggies maybe, etc. So don't be surprised by the very lightly salted plain beef taste.
The finished stock can be used right away or frozen or stored in the fridge for several days. Before using refriderated or frozen stock always boil it for at least 2 or 3 minutes to make sure no "critters" have grown!
As you can see, a great beef stock is not done quickly and is not cheap. However, it IS worth it for some dishes. The difference in flavor is there -- otherwise I would never bother. But as the Bible says "Count the cost before you begin!".
Soup -- Asian Chicken Broth or Stock
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 9:45 amDESCRIPTION
Soup -- Asian Chicken Broth or StockSUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Family / Ethnic / RegionalINSTRUCTIONS
1 4 lb. chicken
2 teaspoons salt
2-4 slices fresh ginger, 1/2 inch thick
2 Chinese red dates (optional -- a traditional added ingredient in the winter only)Use your best food safety techniques to avoid cross-contamination with anything else in the kitchen (including cabinets, countertops, sink, etc.)
Wash the chicken, remove large pieces of fat. Place on a cutting board and a dry the chicken with paper towels or a cloth.
After the chicken is dry, take the 2 teaspoons of salt (or more if needed) and RUB the salt onto the skin and interior of the chicken. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Remove as much skin as possible from the chicken, and trim any large pieces of fat found under the skin. (I cut off the 'arm' and wing-tip of the wings and don't bother with them.) You may cut the chicken into large pieces if you like.
Rinse the chicken under cold water. Place in a heavy-bottomed stockpot with 8-10 cups of water. Heat over medium high heat. As it heats, skim off any scum that may form. Do not let the water come to a full boil for 10 minutes, so you can continue to skim. After 10 minutes (or no more scum forms) add the ginger slices and bring the stock to a boil. COVER, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook slowly for 3-4 hours (! yes, this is right). Allow to cool slightly, remove ginger, chicken & bones -- discard. Strain the broth, and use or chill or freeze as you wish.
You can reduce the strained broth if it is not strong enough for you by rapidly boiling it down.
Salt is not added as it is assumed you will be adding salt, soy sauce or other seasonsing when you actually make a dish.
This broth tastes very diffenent than a traditional broth, but it great in any Asian food.
This is great with a high quality chicken -- organic, free-range, but a regular chicken is also OK.
Note: Chinese cooks never cook this in a metal pot -- but a sandpot or porcelain pot. That is why they use porcelain spoons when serving. It is prevent contamination by metal. (Nowdays this is just a 'tradition' thing. Some people think that this is because the old metal pots available in ancient times might leach harmful things into food.)
