Thanksgiving, Giving Thanks, Giving Time

These precious kids are busy working at a local collection site, to get OCC shoeboxes off to bless other kids all over the world.  Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritans Purse, an International Relief organization headed by Franklin Graham.  Each year shoe boxes are filled with things a child living  in a place of famine, extreme poverty, war, or other disaster hit areas, might need, or just be encouraged to receive - toys, toiletries, school supplies, clothing, even, yes, shoes.  Each box has a label indicating boy or girl, and which age range.  I've heard some amazing stories about boxes reaching a child with exactly what that little person had been needing, down to the perfect shoe size.

It's not too late to pack a box.  Find out how.  This is a splendid time to give thanks, in action as well as word.  Most of us (here in the cyberworld)  have so much to be thankful for.

Pumpkin, Chicken and Lemongrass - TGRWT #20

An organically grown, roasted pumpkin.  Isn't it lovely?

One of the most intriguing food events I've yet to come across, is called, "They Go Really Well Together", or TGRWT, and features a monthly challenge to combine two different foods, not ordinarily used together, in a recipe, and see how it works out.  I love things that stretch me in various areas, cooking included.  This month's combo is pumpkin and cooked chicken, with lemongrass as an additional option, hosted by John at Docsonz - the Blog.

This particular realm of the blogosphere seems to be inhabited primarily by chemists, doctors and chefs, so I'm definitely out of my orbit.  Zooming along irregardless with the big boys and girls.  The event was started by a Norwegian chemist, Martin Lersch, interested in molecular gastronomy, who states on his site, that it was: "to explore flavor pairings suggested by the hypothesis that if two foods have one or more key odorants in common it might very well be that they go well together and perhaps even compliment each other."

So, there you have it.  This month's pairing is actually not all that unusual - pumpkin and cooked chicken, even including the lemongrass.  You should just peruse some of the previous months for stranger ones.  I haven't gone through all of them yet, but it is one of my goals.  Anyway, this weekend, having some cooked chicken thighs left over, I took off the meat and reserved it.  Then used the bones, together with other saved chicken bones, and frozen vegetable scraps to make up a stock.  You can see where this is going.  Soup.

 Couldn't resist this picture, saved last year, the origin of which I've forgotten.

I  roasted a pumpkin, brushed with olive oil, for an hour (it was still slightly firm, so could have gone another 15 min.) and we had it with butter and blue cheese that night as a side.  The next night, all the  required ingredients were available, stock, chicken and pumpkin. The lemongrass was dug up from my garden.

As a side note, of which I'm quite proud, the seeds, separated out from the fiber, without too much trouble, dumped into a roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of butter and some seasoned BBQ salt, were stirred around,  then roasted at 400F for about a half hour, stirring several times.  I can't figure out why recipes tell you to wash them first??  I mean, what exactly is on those seeds anyway?  They've been enclosed inside a pumpkin, with a bit of pumpkin juice on them, which only adds to the flavor when caramelized with butter.  A very nice snack and too easy as well.

Ingredients
2 cups roasted pumpkin, cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon ground wattleseed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced galangal ginger
2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass (white part)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 zucchini, sliced
juice of 2 lemons
6 cups chicken broth
Cooked chicken (I used the meat from 3 thighs)
A hearty grind of black pepper, salt to taste
Lemon basil shreds to garnish

So, the next thing, after the various elements (chemistry term) are gathered together, is to bring the stock to a boil in your soup pot, then reduce it to simmering.   I added my chicken in at this point to soften a bit more, then removed and shredded the meat before adding it back in.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium pan, add the cubed (cooked) pumpkin and stir in the cumin and wattleseed powder (if desired -  I just bought some online, and am trying it out in various dishes  - an experiment). Cook til lightly caramelized, then remove and set aside. 

Heat the olive oil in your pan, then toss in the onion and zucchini, stir fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are softening, then add  the garlic, lemongrass and galangal (or regular ginger).  Cook maybe 5 minutes before putting everything into your simmering chicken stock, including the pumpkin.  Simmer 30 minutes or so to give all the flavors a chance to merge.  Add ground black pepper and additional salt to taste.  Garnish with shreds of Lemon basil.

 

I believe this could be called a Thai Pacific Fusion dish.  We all really enjoyed the flavor combination, pungent, yet not overpowering, umami, spicy and rich, as I did not remove the chicken fat.  There wasn't all that much.  So, take as much off your stock as you want.  I think a little adds flavor and the unctious element.

 

But, the next day, as a further experiment, the flavors having melded even more, I did remove fat from the top, and going with the Asian theme, stirred in about 3/4 cup coconut milk (one of those small cans) . So, ended up with fat after all.  But, the taste was just that added element up the scale of goodness. The only thing I'd possibly add would be turmeric when stir frying the vegetables, just for the color.  Not to mention health benefits.... Also, hindsight being what it is, I would definitely add more lemongrass.  Probably 2 tablespoons next time (this is now reflected in the ingredients list above).  And, there will be a next time.

Fruit Crepes for Brunch

It's Brunch time on Monthly Mingle, an event hosted by Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey? A slight disclaimer is called for here. I'm not really a "Brunch Person" as such.  The closest we come to it is Sunday mornings.  Since we don't leave for church until 10:00,  it's the one day we both can sleep in a bit, and I can make something nice.  Actually the only day we eat breakfast together.  So,  I'll call it brunch.  At any rate, these fresh, fruit-filled crepes make a delightful breakfast or brunch. My absolute, hands down, favorite.

I use whatever fruit is fresh and seasonal.  These are filled with the last of the year's sweet and juicy white pineapple. Also particularly good are strawberries, mango or bananas lightly sauteed in butter.  I use a crepe batter recipe handed down from my mother-in-law, the only variation being a substitution for milk,  if I don't happen to have any, with a soy powder mix called "Better Than Milk", which is actually very good, and handy to have in your pantry.

The Crepes Ingredients
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (approximately)
1 teas. vanilla (if making sweet crepes) optional
2 oz. butter, melted

I don't think I've ever added any sugar to the batter, as it isn't really necessary.  Whip the eggs, add a bit of the milk, a half cup or so, beat, then begin shaking the flour in, while beating the whole time, to prevent lumps forming.  Add more milk and continue until the consistency is like medium heavy cream.  Then, whip in the cooled, melted butter, and vanilla if using. The batter should coat a spoon dipped into it.

Heat a small crepes skillet, add a tiny bit of butter, melt, and pour in about 1/4 cup of batter, swirling immediately to coat the bottom of the pan.  Cook until it shifts when you shake the pan, then flip.  Cook a minute or so, then remove onto a plate, and repeat the process til you have a nice stack.

Chop your fruit in nice little chunks and put in a dish.  Arrange a selection of jams, syrups and sour cream or yogurt on the table, as well as a powdered sugar sieve if preferred.  I like the look and taste of sifted confectioners sugar on top of my crepes. The juxtaposition of flavors, tangy, yet sweet pineapple, guava jam, the light, egg crepe, and rich creamy yogurt, is outstanding.

 First a smear of jam, then the fruit, and top it with sour cream or yogurt (that's how I do it).

It's nice to let everyone fill and roll their own, as desired.  If you have more than one type of fruit available, so much the better.  This recipe is good for about 3 people.  We usually have enough left that I can make savory dinner crepes (canneloni) in a day or so.

Join us for brunch, there will be lots of tasty dishes to choose from at The Mingle Brunch.

This and That

We are drowning in Hawaii with all the rain that's been pouring down.  The entire Island is inundated.  I need to go out and pick lemons, starfruit, plant some things, do weeding, but gardening is definitely not a happening thing right now.  I am glad that the internet is up, so I can catch up on my favorite sites, we're warm and dry inside and that there is no need to drive anywhere through the flooded streets.

On an unrelated to anything in particular note, my grandson picked this hibiscus (our State flower) and brought it in for me a few days ago. So beautiful it needed to be featured here.

Rain from the deck roof goes down a copper chain, into a rain barrel and from there, via buried hose, to the pond.  Overflowing today.

As for cooking, this is a perfect day for soup, or baking brownies.  Or, both.

Breadfruit Time Again

We have been foraging breadfruit for years here on the Big Island.  Then, several years ago, when we bought a house in town to convert to an office, there was a tree in back, so no more need to go out and forage.  Now, this year for the first time, our young breadfruit tree at home has fruited.  Two whole breadfruits!  Small, but tasting fine.

I love the leaves on this tree.  They have been an inspiration for many Hawaiian quilters.

The last time I posted about breadfruit, it was a Polynesian  pudding type dish.. For that, you let the fruit sit out till soft and turning crusty brown on the outside.

With this fruit I boiled it while still green (the other is destined for a pudding experiment).  You simply cover  with water, cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Turn down to simmer and cook for about an hour.  Since mine was fairly small it only took 45 minutes.  Then, let it cool, cut in half, trim away the skin and core, and cut into slices or chunks, depending on what you are going to do with it.

I tossed the slices in seasonings and fried them in some macadamia nut oil til nice and crispy on the outside.  Serve as a side with anything you'd normally serve potatoes with.  If serving with a curry, I would just add them in to absorb the  flavors, without frying first.

A lot got eaten before I remembered to take a picture at the end of the process. I think my mind was on stuffing my face rather than photography or blogging?  This one had just a hint of the ripening flavor, which I love.  When it's greener, the flavor is blander, more like potato or taro.

Yes, Butter's Better

Real actual butter.  Accept no substitutes.

This is my smug butter post.  Feeling proud of myself for always being highly suspicious of margarine.  That stuff people, in the olden days, would  squeeze food coloring into themselves (before colored margarine was legal), and which is supposed to stand in for butter.

Recently I got an email (apparently this has been in circulation since June 2003), which I'm going to pass along, just because it confirms everything I believe about the subject anyway.  My favorite kind of information.  Self confirming, and self affirming.  Besides which, it is very timely, mentioning the word "turkeys", several times.  Actually, it was a lot more fun before I had to eliminate the turkeys and a few other unproven statements, thanks to truthorfiction.com  However, there's enough material left here to totally keep me away from the can't believe it stuff.  I will be basting my turkey with butter, thank you.

Pass The Butter .. Please.

Do you know the difference between margarine and butter?

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53%, over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent  Harvard Medical Study.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only  because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter  has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very High in Trans fatty acids. ( My note: All food labels must now disclose how much Trans fat a product contains and it has been eliminated from some margarine products).

Increases  total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases  insulin response.

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life, and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the  substance).

You can try this little experiment yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area.  Within a couple of days you will notice a few things:

  *  no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

  *  it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it.  Even those teeny weeny  (a scientific term), microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

I am recommending my grandchildren do the experiment for a science project.  Scopes has also reported on this internet forward.

French Onion Soup

This was my first ever attempt making French Onion Soup, the October challenge at Recipes to Rival.  It was a bit more time consuming and involved than I would ordinarily allow for a meal, but those savory aromas coming from the kitchen, first with simmering beef stock, and then my pot full of caramelizing onions, were a payoff, even before we got to the tasting part, three days later.  Day one making the beef stock from scratch; day two caramelizing onions, which for some reason took 8, instead of 5 hours, for me to get to the point described as a "rich, deep brown", unfortunately not in time for dinner that evening.  So, day three we ate the finished soup.  I now appreciate fully having it served up to me in a restaurant, by a smiling, sweat free waiter. 

First, in making the stock I skipped the step where you put a half onion, cut side down in a hot skillet and let it char black for 30 minutes.  Just couldn't see blackening my nice Le Creuset pot.  Instead I put it in the roasting pan after the bones were done, removing most of the fat first.  That worked very nicely.  Also, I used some of that reserved fat to coat the rest of the vegetables for roasting, in the same pan.  Not working in a commercial kitchen with lots of sous chefs helping, it's good to save on pans and washing up.

As I had mentioned, wanting to keep to the low temperature stressed in the recipe, this large (over 2 gallon) pot full of onions took me from 1:00 in the afternoon until 9 p.m. to reach the deeply caramelized state.  Next time, if there ever is one, I'd speed this process up a wee tad.  I had a question with the amount of onions called for as well.  It gives you about three times what is needed for the soup.  I'm not complaining here, friends, they'll be dandy in Pommes de Terre Boulangère, a recipe I noticed yesterday at The Wednesday Chef.  Basically, crispy fried potatoes with caramelized onions.  Luisa mentioned that she would have doubled or tripled the recipe if she'd known how good they'd be.  Well, here we are with a triple portion.  I'm going to make those potatoes  with eggs for breakfast tomorrow.

So, now on day three, all the elements are present and accounted for, combined in my big Dutch Oven pot, simmered for an hour, and then into individual, oven-proof?  soup bowls.  Topped with croutons and then cheese (I used Gruyere for the extra zap of flavor) and put them under the broiler for a few minutes.  I was a bit nervous at this step, worrying about the bowls cracking, things boiling over, and ended up not filling them as high as recommended. I think you just have to resign yourself to a mess, and go with the overflow.

Served with extra bread and a salad of arugula, fresh tomatoes and steamed green beans, it was very filling and the flavors were wonderful.  The rest (and I'm glad there is quite a bit) should be even better after melding together for another day or two.  Check out the recipe for a really delicious classic soup, hosted by Sara this month at Recipes to Rival.  For everyone's take on it, visit the blogroll.

PS - or The Morning After French Onion Soup

What can be done with some of those brilliant, sweet caramalized onions left over?  Lacking the potatoes mentioned above, I layered the onions, after they were nice and hot in the bottom of my skillet, and  to which I had added a bit more of that Sherry Vinegar, with eggs and topped it all off with thin slices of beautiful Serrano Ham.

Next on the agenda of things to do with them: French Onion Pizza - which you have to admit has almost everything the soup does: caramelized onions, cheese, bread.  Looking forward to it.

Tricked by Truffles Omelette

Our current Cook the Books selection, Peter Mayle's French Lessons, it turns out, is not really a language course, but a cultural tour of some odd French festivals, fairs and markets (a Catholic mass to auction truffles, for instance). I found it moderately interesting, though his novel, Hotel Patis, was a much more entertaining read.

Mr. Mayle, by the end of his gastronomic researches, is apparently ready for a purge, and it is here, at the Eugenie-les-Bains spa, with chef Michel Guerard of cuisine minceur fame, that the food descriptions begin to sound a bit more appealing.  As the restaurant has three Michelin stars, it is no wonder. In fact, it sounds like the ideal getaway for a gastronome, or expense account  foodie.  My dream job.

Though for a dish inspired by the book as a whole, I thought of  his description of the the perfect omelette on page 35:

"It was a vibrant bright yellow, the yellow that only comes from the yolks of eggs laid by free-range hens, and the consistency had been exquisitely judged by the chef, just on the firm side of runny....  the plump, moist, soft-skinned golden envelope that slides so cleanly from the pan." 

 This might be my challenge, paired with something I've long been wanting to try - truffles.  From what I've read it seems that truffles are well matched with egg and pasta dishes.  So, maybe a souffle or an omelette?? The first step, and what proved to be more difficult than  I had imagined, was finding the truffles.  Out of season apparently, and immoderately expensive when in season.  But, I thought maybe a small jar of trouffle honey, or perhaps a very small preserved truffle?? It could be considered my early Christmas present.  I ended up ordering a tiny, wee jar of truffles (Summer variety) preserved in salt, 2 of them, about the size of marbles, truffle butter (Winter) and a small jar of truffle honey.

The initial truffle experiment was with veal chops, which were browned nicely on both sides, then finished a few minutes in the oven.  In the pan, with the crusty bits, I added some Merlot, a little Balsamic vinegar and a small amount of beef stock; reduced that down til syrupy, then swirled in, off the heat, little knobs of truffle butter.  Very flavorful, though can't say that we really tasted truffle. Still not sure exactly what that should be. The flavor must have been overpowered by my lovely pan reduction sauce.  It sounded nice though.  Merlot and Balsamic Reduction with Truffle Butter.

I  read somewhere, in the course of my  research, that the more delicately flavored Summer Truffles shouldn't be cooked, which eliminated a souffle from the running.  So, the next  attempt was an Omelette aux Truffes, which I served with Asparagus Spears in a walnut oil and Spanish Sherry vinaigrette, and a crusty loaf of French bread.  This will be my Cook the Books entry for our current event, hosted this round by Jo at Food Junkie, Not Junk Food.

Here you see the melting chevre escaping our omelette, and the black bits would be the trouffles.

I pretty much followed the directions given by one of my favorite cooking authors, Alice Waters, so as not to do my usual scrambled eggs thing.

First, I  prepared the ingredients, so there would be a casual flow, and not panicked disorder, as is quite common.  I steamed the asparagus, mixed up a vinaigrette, and then while a cast iron skillet heated on medium low for 3 to 5 minutes,  grated the two little truffles, crumbled my lovely, salted chevre and beat the eggs lightly, adding minced parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Next, I put a lump of butter in the pan and let it melt and sizzle, swirling it around.  Before it browned, the eggs were poured in.  The edges began to set almost immediately, and, as advised, (like me and everyone else hasn't done this before?) I pulled the sides in toward the center with a spatula, letting the uncooked egg  flow under on the hot exposed bottom, lifting edges, tilting the pan, etc.  When it was mostly set I placed crumbled, soft cheese across the center and cooked another moment or two.

Then, the grated truffles were sprinkled down the middle, before folding the omelet in half over itself.

Finally, the lovely, oozing creation was carefully slipped onto a serving plate, where it happily befriended our asparagus in their vinaigrette.  Alice recommends dragging a piece of butter over the top to make the omelet shine.  I thought, oh well, might as well gild this lily, and swiped some of that truffle butter across.

I didn't have an unbroken top, not sure why, but all the flavors were there and fabulously paired with the asparagus.  However, I do feel somewhat faced with a naked emperor here.  Dare I say anything?  Or, perhaps my taste buds just need screwing on tighter?  Is truffle really all it's cracked up to be?  Bob and I were in agreement, couldn't distinguish anything particularly, wonderfully different.  There was the herbal kick of parsley, the succulent soft cheese, nice buttery eggs, and maybe a hint of mushroomy nuttiness.  But, for that, we could have saved a bundle and used shitakes here, foodie fans.  Or, perhaps it was because they weren't fresh from the earth, Black Winter Truffles??  Yes, as it turns out.  With a tad more research:

Winter Black truffles are harvested in the wintertime in the forests of the Perigord and Lot regions of France. They are designated "brushed" which literally means they have been carefully cleaned and brushed, and are ready to use. Shave over pastas; aromatize chicken and meat dishes, winter soup or even scrambled eggs. They are preserved in their own brine or juice, which can be used for sauces or broths. Preserved truffles are a nice, budget-friendly way to add visual truffle appeal to dishes. However, if you are looking to add the pungent aroma and taste of truffles to your dish, we recommend that you explore our fresh truffle. Jarred or canned truffles, sold by us or any other vendor, are mere shadows of their fresh truffle selves and will not, by themselves, deliver the aroma or flavor of fresh truffles. They are great to use with truffle oil – the oil will add the flavor, the preserved truffles the truffle “look”, but preserved truffles should be used only to garnish a dish, or in conjunction to truffle butter and oil during those times when fresh truffles are out of season or when the budget doesn’t allow for the real thing. Preserved truffles out of the jar or can have almost no flavor or odor.

This from the Gourmet Food Store site.  So now we know.  Plus, what I used were Black Summer Truffles, preserved.  Even less flavor, no aroma.  I think I need a trip to France for research purposes..  Or Italy.  In truffle season.

All in all, not my favorite book, but the challenge and experimentation is always fun in a really enjoyable event, that covers two of my avocations, cooking and reading, our Cook the Books Club.

Let's Make Our Own Flu Vaccine?

This has nothing to do with cooking, really.  Gasp! Well, excuse the heck out of me for a short (maybe not) rant about the flu that Swine don't spread, but that is definitely making a bundle for the drug industry.  In a struggling economy, I guess that would be the ticket to wealth and a happier life.  Buy into pharmaceutical stocks.

Talk the government into fining individuals for not getting a shot or inhaling a dangerous vaccine.  Insist all school children be vaccinated.  Push media hype on the big epidemic that doesn't exist.  I did have a case of "Swine Flu" myself, and guess what?  It was the mildest "flu" I've ever had.  I really cannot believe some of the invidious things people will do to make a buck.  It's hard to know where to start.  Maybe with the mercury content beyond safe levels, aluminum and other toxins?  Or, with the fact that more people died from polio after mass vaccinations?? Meanwhile, folks,on the bright side, there are inexpensive natural remedies, such as Vitamin D, which is an excellent preventative.

 The Examiner.com, is a good place to start, by asking some questions we should all be considering.  If you have elderly parents, children in school, are a health care provider, etc. etc., or just someone who believes what mainstream news sources, like the recent 60 Minutes infomercial, are pushing.  More information here.