I had a hankering for guacamole the other day, and given that I am not a fan of peppers, it meant that I would have to construct my own.  Did some research, and found several several that fit the bill (thanks to Rick Bayless for the core recipe - available on his website www.rickbayless.com).

While peppers and I do not get along, the same cannot be said for garlic.  Generally there are two ways to play with garlic in an uncooked dish.  Use the garlic raw for a sharp biting taste, or roast it for 5 to 10 minutes for a sweeter softer flavor.  Given that the avocado would contrast the bite, I opted for the raw garlic.

Guacamole (4 servers per avocado)

1-4 ripe avocados

(All other measurements are approximations and per avocado used)
1/2 whole garlic glove cluster
1/2 cleaned, cored and diced tomato
1/4 cup of diced white onion
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tablespoon of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley (optional - addresses the scent issues with the garlic)

Optional toppers - shredded cheese (mozzarella, jack or any one of several Mexican cheeses), sliced radishes

Assembly is pretty straight forward:
1. Peel and mince the garlic, a food processor can be helpful here.
2. Remove stems from cilantro.  Wrap leaves into a roll and then cut with sharp knife.
3. Dice onion.
4. Clean and core (remove centers)  tomatoes.  Then dice.
5. Chop parsley (stem removal recommended).
6. Combine prepped and chopped components from steps 1-5 in a large bowl.
7.  Wash and cut avocados in half.  Twist apart and then remove seed with spoon or knife.
8.  Scoop out avocado from skin and then place in bowl, toss any brown areas in the pulp.
9,  Mix ingredients while mashing avocado with fork or spoon.  Don't over do it, should be chunky.
10.  Add salt and lime juice, adjust to taste (exact measurements depend on the specifics of the other ingredients.
11. Cover with plastic wrap to the surface of the guacamole to prevent air from making contact with it.
12. Place in fridge until ready to serve.  Will generally keep for about a day or two, but best fresh.

Very Different Truffles

My niece recently graduated from college and got a job with a high end chocolatier in Chicago.  This has led us to recent talks about her work, the product and their selections.  In the process, I got interested in chocolate again, and with a bit of guidance from a friend (Thanks Winita!), came up with this truffle.

Ginger-Chai Chocolate Truffles

8 oz 100% Dark Chocolate (2 bars)
1 cup of Raw Sugar
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground Cardamon (about 8 shelled pods)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground clove (about 8 cloves)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (about 4 heads)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz butter (organic non-salted best choice here)
1 cup of almond milk
1 black tea bag (decaf recommended)

Optional: 

• Raw finely chopped ginger. 
• Cayenne pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon) 

1. Shell Cardamon pods
2. Place seeds in mortar and grind with pestle. Place in small bowl.
3. Take heads from pepper and cloves and grind in mortar.  Add to bowl.
4. Add ginger, nutmeg, and Cinnamon to the bowl.
5. Stir thoroughly.
6. Pour the almond milk into a small pot.  Add butter.
7. Simmer the milk, stirring until the butter melts.  Add spices.
8. Raise heat until mixture boils.  Add tea.  Let it do so for about 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
9. Fill bottom pot of double boiler with several inches of water.  Place chocolate into the top pot of the double boiler.  Heat (do not overheat!) until melted.
10. Strain the spice mixture into another small pot.
11. Add sugar, stirring until it dissolves.  Add salt and vanilla.  Boil mixture for another 10 minutes.
12. Pour spice mixture into the chocolate.
13. Remove chocolate from heat.  Pour into a cool metal mixing bowl. 
14. Let stand for about 15 minutes.
15. If you have a mixer with a whip, consider whipping the mixture for about 5 minutes once it gets close to room temperature.
16. While you are waiting (Optional):
1.  Add raw ginger now if you like.  Or
2. Place raw ginger in a small microwaveable bowl, cover with water and microwave for 4-5 minutes (depends on microwave power).  Drain and add to the mix.
17. Whip the mixture until the peeks stand. Mixture should be around room temperature.
18. Pour mixture onto a good sized piece of plastic wrap.  Fold it over (it will still flow a bit) and seal.  Place in refrigerator for a few hours.
19. Remove from the frig.  If you can get a box of surgical gloves from the drugstore.  Put a pair of them on.
20. Set a large plate and a small bowl on the counter.  They should be cool.
21. Place the cocoa, and optionally, cayenne into the bowl.  Mix thoroughly.
22. Scoop out a heaping teaspoon of the cool mix.  Using your hands.  Roll into about a 1 inch ball.
23. Drop the ball in the bowl and cover with the cocoa.
24. Take the ball and place on the plate.
25. Repeat with all the mixture.
26. Rinse every utensil and bowl thoroughly in hot water as soon as possible.
27. Place the truffles from the plate into a plastic container.  Refrigerate or freeze until you feel a need to consume them.  If you need to do multiple layers, use wax paper or plastic wrap to separate the truffles.

This is a very interesting confection.  It is not sweet.  You initially taste the salt and the cocoa (unless you put in the cayenne), and then the spices hit you in waves, finally leaving you with a very clean palette and a slightly minty taste on your tongue from the cardamon.  If you would like to add fruit to your snack, consider, limes, oranges, pears or tart apples.  A poached pear tart would also compliment this nicely.  In my opinion, berries would be too sweet.

Christmas Confectons

A good friend of mine is celebrating a birthday this week and I decided to prepare something special as a present.

Unlike most people I know he has a fondness for apricots that I share.  So after a bit of thought, I decided to put together a sacher-torte style confection as his birthday present.  As a by-product, I also assembled a small box of expresso-hazelnut-dark chocolate truffles for the rest of the group.

Sacher-Torte Confections

Chocolate cups

Foil Cupcake Liners
BitterSweet Chocolate (about 16 oz)

• Melt  Chocolate in a double boiler
• Place several liners in a stack, make sure the innermost is foil. 
• Place in the freezer to cool.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of  chocolate into the liner set.  Rotate for even coverage.  Place in freezer.
• Repeat every several minutes until you have at least 1/4 inch coverage covering the inside of the cup.
• Place finished cups in the freezer to keep chilled until filling.
• Leave chocolate on the heat.

Apricot Mouse Filling

8 oz of California Blenheim Apricots (I get mine from Trader Joes)
8 oz of whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup of natural sugar
2 teaspoons of gelatin
ice cubes
water as needed

• Place apricots in a pot or saucepan.
• cover with water
• Add salt and lemon juice
• Heat till mixture is simmering
• Let simmer until apricots fall apart while stirring, add water as necessary to float the apricots
• Add sugar and gelatin
• Let simmer until a thick mixture forms.
• Turn off heat
• Place whipping cream in the freezer for about 8 minutes.
• Place ice cubes in a metal mixing bowl to cool it.
• Take cream out of the freezer
• Empty cubes from the bowl and dry with a clean towel (paper works best here)
• Place cream in bowl
• Using a whip, whip the cream to stiff peaks.
• Fold in the apricot mixture
• Place mixture in the fridge to begin setting.

Expresso-Hazelnut-Chocolate Truffle Topping

2 oz of butter
1/4 cup of natural sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Leftover chocolate from the chocolate cups
4 oz of chopped hazelnuts
12 oz of freshly made hazelnut coffee

• In a small pot on low heat, mix butter, salt and vanilla and sugar.
• Place coffee in a  microwaveable bowl.
• Heat the coffee (3 minutes at a time at full power) in the microwave until it is reduce in volume by half.
• Add butter mixture to the coffee.  Continue the heating process until the mixture thickens significantly (about that of the melted chocolate).  The aroma of hazelnuts should fill the air.
• Fold the hazelnut coffee mixture into the leftover chocolate.
• Place the mixture into a mixing bowl and whip at high speed until the mixture forms feathers.

Assembly

• Take cups from the freezer and fill with apricot mousse mixture.
• Replace in the freezer to cool for 10 minutes.
• Take a spoon, top off the cup with the Hazelnut truffle mixture.
• Top with chopped hazelnuts

Leftovers

• Add frozen fruit to the apricot mixture and serve with a fruit sauce (raspberry works well).
• Roll the truffle mix into balls and cover with the leftover chopped nuts.  Cover and store immediately (Freeze if not to be consumed within 24 hours).

Happy Holidays!

A different stuffing for the bird

Have been away for a while, focusing on other things and looking for a few interesting ideas to pursue.  However, now that I am back, I have a good one.  This is something I put together last night while preparing for the family Thanksgiving get together.  It takes a bit of work, but I think it is worth the effort.  This is best when prepared a day or 2 in advance.  Reheat (microwave) in a covered container before serving.

Holiday stuffing (for chicken, duck turkey or pork)

1 package of Sage or Herb stuffing (I used Brownberry Sage)
2 cups of fresh golden raisins
2 cups of chopped granny smith apples
1 bosc pear
1 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of chopped white onion
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped chestnuts
1 tablespoon of raw/brown sugar
1 cup of amontillado sherry
1 cup of water

1. Chestnuts
1. Place chestnuts in a pot of water.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Let Simmer for 30 minutes
4. Shell
1. Cut a cross in the flat side with a sharp knife
2. Peel shells and skins
3. Don't worry if they crumble
4. Place pieces in a bowl
5. If you have trouble removing the skins, place in boiling water for another 15 minutes.
2. Chop onion
3. Chop celery
4. In a good sized pot (1-2 qt) add:
1. Butter
2. 1 1/2 cup of water
3. Celery
4. Onion
5. Chestnuts
6. Sugar
7. Sherry
5. Cover and bring to a boil
6. Let simmer 30 minutes
7. Remove from heat and and 1 cup of water
8. In a large casserole add:
1. Stuffing
2. Apples
3. Pear
4. Raisins
9. Mix with a large spoon
10. Add the mixture from the pot, distributing it as uniformly as possible.
11. Toss the stuffing with a large spoon to mix it up a bit.
12. Cover.
13. Preheat oven to 350.
14. Bake covered for 2 hours.  You will know it is done when you catch the amazing scent of the sherry and chestnuts filling the house.

Enjoy!

A simply delicious (and easy) do-it-yourself pizza recipe

I felt the need to try this recipe out this evening and was pleasantly suprised by how well it turned out.
I didn't finish until about midnight (how to hit the grocery store about 9:00PM when I discovered that I had run out of oregano).  The end result was a savory delight, neither salty nor peppery, not sweet and not sour, but you can taste every herb and the olive oil in the crust.  The crust is like a focaccia, with a very wet and stick dough.  It rises quickly in the bowl so I recommend making it after you have the topping and sauce ready so it can rise in the pan.  Original post follows:


When I was in high school (way back in 1972), the Tribune ran an easy to make pizza recipe that I just had to try.  It included a quick, bready crust, easy to make sauce and even a quick 'sausage topping' from ground beef.

What follows is my personal reconstruction of that recipe, along with some embellishments.
I typically used a good sized cookie sheet with raised sides (1/2 inch) (or a large broiling pan)
Heat oven to 425.


Sauce
1 can of tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 teaspoon of minced garlic or garlic powder
2 tablespoons of honey or sugar
3/4 teaspoons of onion powder (even if you put sliced onions on the pizza)
1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano (base recipe says use only 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt (more or less depending on taste)
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Mix and set aside.

Topping
1 lb of ground turkey or beef
1/2 cup chopped onion or 1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of minced garlic or garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried bay
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of water
1 cube of beef bullion
1/4 cup of water

Dissolve 1 cube of bullion in 1/2 cup of water (microwave for about 90 seconds).
Place oil in hot skillet, add spices/veggies and mix, add bullion mix and cover.  Let simmer for 5 minutes under low flame.  This melds the flavors.  Add thawed meat, 1/4 cup of water, mix and stir, raise heat to medium, stir until thoroughly cooked and crumbly.

Cheese toppings
Healthiest is skim mozzarella.  I generally use:
1 lb shredded mozzarella
1/2 lb of shredded american
6 tablespoons romano
6 tablespoons parmesan
(and sometimes)
1/2 cup shredded asiago
(Jewel also has a nice italian cheese mix that works well.)
Crust
1 package of dry active yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar (or honey)
2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour

My adds:
1 egg
1 to 3 tablespoons of oregano
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of dried bay or one package of chopped organic bay

Place water in microwaveable container. Add sugar or honey. Stir. Heat for 1 minute then test (should feel hot, but not burn your finger about 110-115 degrees). Stir in olive oil, salt and sugar. Sprinkle in yeast and stir with a non-metallic spoon (iron/steel reacts with the activated yeast, so plastic works best here - it is OK to us a metal measuring spoon as the yeast is not active at that point) and let sit about 5 minutes.

Oil a bowl.
Combine remaining dry ingredients (hold back 1/2 cup of flour) in a mixing bowl and stir well. Add yeast mixture, and egg (recommended) if you decide to use it.   Mix well.   Mixture should have the consistency of hot taffy.  Dump into the pizza pan and spread to fill (add flour if you have to to keep it from sticking to everything - I like using a plastic knife).  Make sure you build up the edges a bit.  It is alright if the dough is very thin (1/8 inch), it bubbles up nicely while baking.

Assembly
When you have the rest ready:
Spread dough in a oiled and floured pan (corn meal works best for taste), adding that last 1/2 cup of flour as necessary.  Add your meat topping and long cooking raw veggies (mushrooms, onion, garlic).  Bake until crust starts to turn golden (generally about 15 minutes). Then remove to add sauce and cheese and bake until cheese melts and  turns golden, with brown spots just appearing (10-12 minutes).  The result is a pizza with a light but filling bready crust, a spicy sauce and savory meat topping.  Enjoy!

Some variations
A favorite:
Spinach, pineapple and pesto and black olives  (really good)

Others toppings and sauces:
Turkey (as mentioned), pepperoni, italian sausage, ham, bacon, hamburger, anchovies (I'll pass thanks), black olives.

A fishy-tasty treat

I have never been a fan of tuna salad, but this afternoon I found myself looking in my pantry, and wanting something other than the standard beef or chicken.  While rummaging around, I found some vacuum packed tuna that needed to be eaten.

I put this concoction together in about 1 hour (mostly for the rice)  but was very pleased with the results (either it is good or my tastes have significantly changed).

Tuna Salad

1 package of vacuum packed tuna ( or 1 can packed in water).
1 cup of chopped celery
1/8 teaspoon of paprika
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of miracle whip

Start by mixing up everything but the miracle whip (you can substitute mayo with 1/4 teaspoon of wasabi, but this works better).   Once everything is well mixed, stir in the miracle whip.
Set aside.

Brown Rice

1/2 cup  brown rice
1 teaspoon  olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups of water

Place in a small covered pot, bring to a roving boil, reduce heat and continue at a medium heat until rice is cooked to your liking (30-60 minutes).

Place rice in a bowl.  Cover with tuna salad.  Servers 2.  A nice meal that stays with you.

A perfect fall dessert - Ginger Peach Pie with a Pecan topping

Per the request of many, here is the recipe for the peach pie. 

Because:

• I had little time to plan (the peaches were quite ripe)
• It was too late to go to the store for the things I needed to make a pastry crust
• I hadn't worked with peaches before
• I couldn't check the flavor of the fruit (needed everything for the pie).

I decided to prepare the filling before I made the pie crust.  So I pulled out my new 12" saucepan and got started:

Filling
Method 1 (if you don't have a good feel for what the results will be)
In a saucepan:

• 2-3 lbs of ripe fresh peaches (depends on ripeness - riper peaches will have a higher water content which will evaporate while cooking)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of brown or natural sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger (easier, what I used and gives a milder taste), or (1/4 cup of fine shredded fresh ginger (preferred)
• Add water to float the fruit in your saucepan.

Bring to a mild boil and simmer covered for the first 45 minutes to meld the flavors then remove the lid and continue until the fruit is thoroughly cooked and a thick syrup forms (about an hour or possibly more).   Stir frequently throughout the process to avoid burning the fruit or the sugar.    Once you remove the lid, start taste testing the syrup adding salt, ginger and lemon juice in small increments (1/4 teaspoon for the salt, 1 teaspoon for the lemon juice and 1/8 cup (1oz for raw ginger or 1/4 teaspoon for the powdered ginger) until it taste the way you want it.  This will vary depending on the ripeness of the peaches, freshness of the lemon juice and the quality of the ginger you are using.   For a tarter pie, you may want to add as much as 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.  When done, set aside to cool while you work on the crust.

Method 2 (If you are very confident - this will actually produce a better product)
Make the crust first then add all the ingredients (but use no water!!!).   Sprinkle the the spices and sugar over the peaches before applying the topping.


Crust
I used a pre-made graham cracker crust for mine, but it would actually be better with a nice pastry crust - I recommend this one from the Martha Stewart website if you have a food processor (my sister Celene who makes great pastries recommended this to me): 

http://www.marthastewart.com/254603/pate-brisee-pie-dough

She says that it never fails and you can prep and freeze it for later use.


Topping
I used an old favorite here pecan/praline

1 package of chopped pecans
1 stick of unsalted butter (broken into small pieces)
1/2 cup of brown or natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
 - optional -
1 teaspoon of vanilla


In your food processor:
Put the pecan chips in first and pulse the power (about 5-10 seconds at a shot) until you have fine chips.
Throw everything else in and pulse the power  until everything is well mixed, but stop before it gets creamy.

For a graham cracker crust:
Set the oven for 375.

For a pastry crust
Set the oven to 400.

Assembly
Place filling in the crust and then, starting from the edges, working towards the center,  ladle on the nut mixture.  Spread to cover as uniformly as possible and make sure that it seals the outer edges.

Put the pie in the oven.  If you have a pastry crust, reduce the heat to 350 after 15 minutes.  Let it bake until the topping turns a nice medium to dark brown (but not till it's burnt).

Serving suggestions:
This goes very well hot,  with vanilla ice cream a la mode.  Or a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese.  A nice chilled German dessert wine (Auslese, Berentroppenauslese, Eiswein), or a chilled pear brandy will also go well.

Enjoy!  Let me know how your attempts worked out.