tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54428776508936211712024-03-13T03:11:32.237-07:00The Sconnie Scullerywith MikayUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-58463220939166593032021-06-09T07:57:00.006-07:002021-06-10T13:01:31.137-07:00The Undisputed Deep Dish Pizza Champion Of The World<p> </p><p>The town of Platteville, Wisconsin, located about 25 miles NW of Dubuque, Iowa is home to the University of Wisconsin - Platteville, about 12,500 permanent residents and roughly that again in students, and the greatest deep dish pizza in the world.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b2W9I88CWew/YMDWevEYVWI/AAAAAAAACSc/di9ir3pkMDwrnjFdA6XDNEY_SR7A2oKtwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="864" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b2W9I88CWew/YMDWevEYVWI/AAAAAAAACSc/di9ir3pkMDwrnjFdA6XDNEY_SR7A2oKtwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="https://pizzeriauno.net/">Pizzeria Uno</a> in Platteville has been serving up these pies since opening in 1976 and has a distant connection with the Chicago-based chain of the same name, but is wholly independent and has their own twist on the deep dish style that sets it apart and above all others. It is one of those rare institutions which has not changed very much at all over the course of many decades. Their wise choice in keeping up with the times was in buying up an adjacent building and turning it into 'The Annex" and in adding an outdoor bar as well. The original place is nearly unchanged since my college days ended in the mid 1980's. And the pizza...well it hasn't changed one bit. Thankfully.<br /><br />I have been on a quest to re-create the Platteville Uno's Deluxe, A La Mode with Wheat Crust since the mid-80's at home, and was mildly successful at it until I discovered the <a href="http://www.realdeepdish.com">Real Deep Dish</a> website, which unlocks several secrets of making a good deep dish pie. That, combined with my personal research and a few tips, has enabled me to reach the point of about 98% success in recreating my all time favorite 'za.<br /><br />And now, dear Reader, I pass that on to you. You will need a 14" deep dish pan (about $20 on Amazon or check your local kitchen gadget specialist), a fine mesh strainer, some aluminum foil and some patience. A stand mixer helps but is not necessary. All the other ingredients are available at most grocery outlets.<p></p><p>Ingredients for a 14" "Uno's Deluxe":</p><p>Crust:</p><p>1/2 C Wheat Flour</p><p>1 C Semolina Flour</p><p>2 C All Purpose Flour</p><p>1/3 C Olive Oil</p><p>1/2 TBSP Yeast</p><p>1/2 tsp Salt</p><p>1/2 tsp Sugar</p><p>8 oz. beer, heated to about 100 degrees, no more.</p><p><br /></p><p>Fillings:</p><p>1 large can Crushed Tomatoes 28oz, strained</p><p>Basil</p><p>Garlic Salt</p><p>8 oz package Provolone cheese slices</p><p>8 oz Mozzarella block, grated</p><p>Fresh mushrooms, sliced</p><p>1 Green Pepper, sliced thinly</p><p>1 smallish Onion, diced</p><p>Pepperoni, sliced</p><p>1/2 lb. Italian Sausage (I like fennel, so I add fennel to mine), added to pizza in little chunks</p><p>Green Olives, sliced<br /><br />Time: About 3.5 hours total</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">More Notes: If you don't want the wheat crust, just substitute 1/2 cup all purpose flour for the 1/2 cup of wheat flour. You can also make this crust with water instead of beer, but then you're making a Chicago Deep Dish, not a Platteville one. Omit the mozzarella on top if you want a true Chicago style pie, the cheese on top is "A La Mode", a Platteville Uno's specialty. Put any toppings on that you like, but this is the recipe for a Platteville Uno's Deluxe.</span></p><p>Start by adding the beer, yeast and sugar into a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Give a gentle little stir to get things going and wait about 5 minutes or so, til the yeast starts bubbling and there's a foamy head across the top.<br /><br />Add 1 cup of all purpose flour, the oil and salt. Mix together to form a batter-like solution. Slowly add the rest of the flours. Don't knead this a ton, and on the stand mixer you just want to run it on a slow speed with the dough hook til a ball forms...no more. If it's a little shaggy, that's fine. If doing it by hand, just so that the dough is well-mixed and forms a ball nicely.<br /><br />Line the bowl with olive oil and rub some on the outside of the dough ball, put the ball in the bowl again and cover the bowl with plastic wrap, set in a warm place. This should be done at LEAST two hours before pizza making time.</p><p>When you're done with the dough, open the can of crushed tomatoes and dump into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Let strain for an hour, giving it a little shake now and again, to remove as much tomato juice as possible. When strained, stir in a little garlic salt and basil.<br /><br />Take one of the upper racks out of your oven and completely cover it in aluminum foil, put back in the oven at about the 2/3rds position. Two rack spaces below, put an uncovered rack. </p><p>About 45 minutes before pizza baking time, turn your oven on to 500 degrees. Let that thing heat up, good and hot! While that's happening, brush your pizza pan with olive oil, place the dough in the center and start working it toward the edges. When you get to the edges, press up the sides so that the dough is paper-thin on the sides and the bottom is evenly thick. <br /><br />Next take the provolone slices of cheese and, starting in the center, arrange them so the entire bottom of the crust is covered in provolone. Then add your meats, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, olives. Over the top of all of this, cover with sauce.<br /><br />Turn your oven down to 450. Put the pie in the oven on the rack below the one covered with aluminum foil. Set the timer for 20 minutes and bake.<br /><br />When the timer goes off, remove quickly from oven, cover with shredded mozzarella, put back in the oven for another 20 minutes. You may want to check on it at 15 minutes, ovens vary. Remove when the cheese starts to brown in spots.<br /><br />Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This pizza type is best served in pie slices, you'll end up with a mess if you try to do squares.<br /><br />Enjoy!!! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d6FDq_1y1xs/YMDWoxz_sbI/AAAAAAAACSg/XJ0qD1yd_vIiqhXSGq-p2RBN9dJ-9exugCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d6FDq_1y1xs/YMDWoxz_sbI/AAAAAAAACSg/XJ0qD1yd_vIiqhXSGq-p2RBN9dJ-9exugCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-54311621309821000772020-04-16T05:00:00.000-07:002020-04-16T05:01:41.757-07:00Incredible Scalloped Potatoes<br />
<br />
I'm not a big Scalloped Potatoes fan, or at least I wasn't. But lately, I've craved some old-timey dishes that my mom and grandma used to make. Scalloped Potatoes is one of those kind of dishes.<br />
<br />
A few years before my mom passed away, while she was more or less confined to her chair, she asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Since we were all going to try to make as many gifts for each other instead of buying them, I asked if she'd write her favorite recipes down for me. It was and is a wonderful gift that I use all of the time, this box of my mom's treasured recipes, but unfortunately it doesn't contain a recipe for Scalloped Potatoes. So....I went searching.<br />
<br />
And as often is the case, I'll find several recipes that aren't quite what I have in mind. I'll take the parts that I like from each and create my own hybrid recipe. Usually, it turns out. Sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes, it's an enormous hit, as in the case of the recipe I post below. Seriously, this is like pizza, it's so good. There aren't any pictures, because the dish didn't last long enough to take any! And it's the perfect dish to use up leftover ham with.<br />
<br />
The key to this one is slicing the potatoes and onions thin. The thicker they are, the more chance that they won't be 'done' in the allotted bake time.<br />
<br />
You'll need:<br />
<br />
9 x 9 Pyrex dish<br />
<br />
4 T Butter<br />
2 T Flour<br />
1.5 C Milk<br />
2 medium Onions sliced thin<br />
4 reasonably sized Potatoes, peeled and sliced thin<br />
12 oz. Ham, sliced, then diced<br />
Grated Cheddar (or experiment! I bet Swiss would be incredible)<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350. Grease the 9 x 9 Pyrex dish.<br />
<br />
Slice onions and potatoes, slice and dice ham, grate cheese (if you haven't already).<br />
<br />
In a saucepan, melt 2 T of Butter, whisk in 2 T of Flour til a roux is formed. Remove from heat, add milk, whisk in til the roux is completely mixed in with the milk. Return to medium heat and stir often til it thickens. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside.<br />
<br />
In a fry pan, add 2 T Butter and the Sliced Onions. Cover on medium heat, stir occasionally, cook til soft and golden, starting to carmelize. Remove from heat.<br />
<br />
In the Pyrex 9 x 9, assemble two layers thusly. First, half the white sauce, then half of the potato slices, then on top of that, ham, onions, grated cheese. Repeat for the second layer.<br />
<br />
Bake 350 for about 50 minutes.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-5312174939290839142020-01-07T09:47:00.000-08:002020-01-07T09:47:14.977-08:00Dad's Oyster Stew<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pv9pyby7S5E/XhTD7_C5dGI/AAAAAAAAB3w/l8kF-muotOg4hVi5ol95Hx0SvEnATY5-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/oysters.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pv9pyby7S5E/XhTD7_C5dGI/AAAAAAAAB3w/l8kF-muotOg4hVi5ol95Hx0SvEnATY5-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/oysters.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Every Christmas Eve for as long as I've been on this planet and even before that, my father has made Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve. It's a tradition that his parents - my grandparents - had and may go back even further than that, likely on my grandmother's side. My grandmother made Oyster Stew throughout the Winter when my dad was a boy, it was the perfect thing to warm up wet, cold children after a day at the sledding hill.<br /><br />Dad is very particular about this recipe. He insists that it not be altered in any way and nothing else be added, no matter what anyone might suggest and I agree with him. It is, in a word, perfection. And absolutely delicious.<br />
<br />
1 pint fresh raw oysters<br />
1 stick of butter - real butter, no substitutes.<br />
1 quart WHOLE Milk, not skim or any percent.<br />
1 cup Half and Half<br />
1 cup Oyster Crackers, crushed to powder<br />
1 T salt<br />
1 t pepper<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Start by cutting the stick of butter in half. Put one of the halves in a small fry pan and set to medium-low. Strain the juice from the oysters into your stock pot. Once strained, put the oysters in the fry pan with the butter and simmer til the oysters are curly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the stock pot, add to the oyster juice the other half of stick of butter and the quart of milk. Heat on low, bringing up to heat slowly. NEVER LET THE STEW BOIL...EVER. Once it's warm to hot, add the oysters/butter and stir slowly. Add the salt and pepper. Crush the Oyster Crackers by putting in a ziplock bag and crushing with a rolling pin til finely crushed, slowly stir into the stew. Add the half and half. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on lowest heat setting for 15-20 minutes, then refrigerate. Serve the next day...it truly needs to sit for a day. Again, never let it boil when bringing it up to heat. Serve with oyster crackers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-49809038647522538552017-12-27T05:28:00.000-08:002017-12-27T10:44:37.950-08:00Instant Pot Salmon Dill Sweet Potato ChowderMy wonderful wife gave me an Instant Pot programmable slow cooker for Christmas! I didn't even know such things existed. These things are so cool, and once you have one, you'll wonder how you ever lived without one. It isn't just that things cook much more quickly in them, it's that they cook so evenly and perfectly!<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qoqRgfkv90Q/WkPp6KOdHHI/AAAAAAAABYE/62zz6KWUsdUMSfAJ031ZhhB2YJWrwjhXQCLcBGAs/s1600/instant%2Bpot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qoqRgfkv90Q/WkPp6KOdHHI/AAAAAAAABYE/62zz6KWUsdUMSfAJ031ZhhB2YJWrwjhXQCLcBGAs/s320/instant%2Bpot.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
My stepdaughter Silvia got first whack with it, as she had some experience with these things previously. She made hard boiled eggs. They all came out perfectly cooked and peeled effortlessly. Wow.<br />
<br />
I had the second go with the pot, making wild rice for Christmas Dinner. 25 minutes in the pot and they came out perfectly cooked.<br />
<br />
We had thawed a big package of Salmon just before Christmas that we were too tired to make for dinner on the intended evening, and through the rush of the holidays, had to use up, so I thought a good Salmon chowder was in order. Looking at some other recipes for chowders in the Instant Pot and taking stock of ingredients we had on hand (at the holidays our refrigerator was bulging already so I wasn't going to go out and *buy* anything!), I came up with this tasty and warming chowder. I hope you enjoy it, I did!<br />
<br />
1 lb Fresh or Frozen Salmon (even canned would work, I suppose, I used frozen)<br />
2 T Butter<br />
3 Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed<br />
1 medium onion, diced<br />
3 stalks celery, chopped<br />
1 QT hot water for broth<br />
1 1/2 T "Better than Bouillon" brand Lobster base, mixed with above<br />
1 sweet potato, cubed<br />
1 can sweet corn, drained<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 pint half and half<br />
2 cubes Dorot brand frozen dill (in larger supermarket frozen sections, Woodmans has near frozen organic)<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhjFS7liUXo/WkPp9eYCThI/AAAAAAAABYI/BJMFj3MP6YQM0MvvgFsW2MUERBjEVbbhgCLcBGAs/s1600/chowder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1050" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhjFS7liUXo/WkPp9eYCThI/AAAAAAAABYI/BJMFj3MP6YQM0MvvgFsW2MUERBjEVbbhgCLcBGAs/s320/chowder.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Remove skin from fish with a sharp filet knife. You don't have to be pretty about it.<br />
<br />
Set the Instant Pot to Saute medium, melt the butter, add the garlic and onion and saute til onions start to clear, then add celery, continue to saute until the celery is softened.<br />
<br />
Add broth, sweet potato, corn, bay leaves and fish, seal the pressure cooker and cook on 'manual', high pressure, for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, when it has released, open and stir in the dill cubes and the half and half, remove the bay leaves. Set to "Saute" again and stir while bringing to heat, then either serve or set to slow cook for the shortest time period (on mine it's 30 min) with 'keep warm' setting and serve when ready.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-58904470135446018622017-05-23T12:53:00.003-07:002017-05-31T09:06:12.255-07:00Stollen...It's Not Just for Christmas Anymore!<br />
<br />
Mmmm...stollen, that wonderful German fruit bread cake thing. I don't know if it's a bread or a cake or what, and I don't care. I just like it...a lot! <br />
<br />
When I was a kid, there was an elderly couple living next to us who ran a restaurant before they retired. "Ma" Strehlow baked everything fresh every day for her husband Bill. Daily, she made homemade donuts, homemade bread, and at Christmas time, stollen.<br />
<br />
My mom was a terrific cook, but she always was frustrated with the results of her Stollen, even though Mrs. Strehlow had bestowed upon her 'the recipe' before they moved into assisted living in the late 1970's.<br />
<br />
After my mom passed away, I decided to have a whack at making Stollen myself...someone had to do it, right? I looked at 'the recipe' and compared it to many others in cookbooks and online and figured out what Mrs. Strehlow probably intentionally left out (she had a habit of doing that before handing out a recipe).<br />
<br />
And it's NOT just for Christmas! This past year I got frustrated with the crummy "king cake" recipes I had tried for Mardi Gras, so I just made stollen, formed into a ring and decorated as a king cake instead! It's too good to have just once a year. And it's not that hard. <br />
<br />
You will need:<br />
<br />
Stand Mixer (like a KitchenAid or similar)<br />
<br />
For the Fruit:<br />
1 C mixed candied fruit<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-su3YdNjoNe0/WSSTQJ_qUxI/AAAAAAAABOc/i1o834fDeio1AcHX8Lj6gS0LtyAy2m3KgCLcB/s1600/stollen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-su3YdNjoNe0/WSSTQJ_qUxI/AAAAAAAABOc/i1o834fDeio1AcHX8Lj6gS0LtyAy2m3KgCLcB/s320/stollen.jpg" width="320" /></a>1 C raisins<br />
3 T Brandy<br />
<br />
For the Sponge:<br />
1 t or 1 package active dry yeast<br />
1/4 C warm water (about 110 degrees F)<br />
2/3 C milk<br />
1 t honey<br />
1 C unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
For the Dough:<br />
1/3 C honey<br />
1 large egg, beaten<br />
1 stick butter, softened<br />
1 T grated lemon zest<br />
1 t salt<br />
1/2 t ground mace<br />
1/2 t ground nutmeg<br />
1 C chopped almonds, toasted<br />
3 to 4 C unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
Oil, for coating bowl<br />
<br />
For the Filling:<br />
2 T butter, melted<br />
2 t ground cinnamon<br />
3 T granulated sugar<br />
<br />
For the Frosting:<br />
1 cup confectioners' sugar<br />
Milk, to thickness<br />
Green and/or Red Candied Cherries<br />
<br />
Start by combining the mixed fruit, raisins, and Brandy. Set aside. Stir the mixture every so often to coat the fruit with the Brandy.<br />
<br />
In the stand mixer bowl, sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften. Heat the milk to 110 degrees F and add it to the yeast along with the honey and 1 cup flour. Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and let rise until light and full of bubbles, about 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Now add the fruit mixture, honey, egg, butter, zest, salt, mace, nutmeg, 1/2 C almonds, and 2 cups of the flour to the sponge. Using the paddle, beat the mixture on medium low speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Change to the dough hook. Continue to add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just begins to clean the bowl. Knead 4 to 5 minutes on medium-low.<br />
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First rise: Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.<br />
<br />
Shape and Fill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Roll the dough into a 9 by 13-inch oval. Brush the melted butter over the top of the oval. Combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle over one lengthwise half of the oval(s). Fold the dough in half lengthwise and carefully lift the bread onto a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet. Press lightly on the folded side to help the loaf keep its shape during rising and baking.<br />
<br />
Second rise: Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise for 45 minutes.<br />
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Preheat oven: About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.<br />
<br />
Bake and cool: Bake for 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 degrees F. Immediately remove from the baking sheet and place on a rack to cool.<br />
<br />
When cool, mix up some frosting and frost. Sprinkle remaining toasted almonds over the frosting and run a line of candied cherries down the middle. Mmmmm!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-60541534299384128742017-03-14T09:01:00.000-07:002017-03-14T09:01:26.904-07:00I'm Back! Dad's Pepper Relish<br />
<br />
Once I got over my initial shock regarding my Diabetes diagnosis and learned to live with it better, I found that - with a certain amount of due diligence - I didn't have to give up *everything*.<br />
<br />
Such it is with Dad's Pepper Relish. We've been eating this for many years, and it may be that my mom originally came up with it, I'm not sure nor is Dad, but he usually ended up doing the making of it regardless of who's idea it was.<br />
<br />
This condiment is incredible on burgers, brats, hot dogs, hot beef, any kind of sandwich. I also like it in egg salad, mixed with rice, topping a bagel with cream cheese or added to anything that you want to add a little kick to. It can be eaten right away, but as with many things, is best after a day or more. It keeps in the refrigerator for a long time if kept in mason jars, and takes just minutes to make.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
Pickled Jalapeno Slices<br />
Celery (or Cucumber)<br />
Onion<br />
Green Olives with Pimentos<br />
Olive Oil<br />
<br />
For whatever amount you wish to make, finely dice the pickled jalapeno slices. Whatever amount you dice up, take about half that amount in each of the rest of the ingredients and dice those up. Mix all together in a bowl. Add olive oil...about a Tablespoon for each pint you make. Stir well and put in a mason jar or jars, refrigerate. If using cucumber, peel, slice in half and remove soft center seedy part and discard, then dice the rest of the cuke up. Dad always makes it with celery...I was out of celery one day and tried the cuke, and I like it either way.<br />
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Jalapenos too hot? Try pepperoncinis, banana rings, whatever you like!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-70167676600362472792016-09-23T06:12:00.001-07:002016-09-23T06:14:41.661-07:00Farewell...<br />
<br />
Hello everyone. It is with regret that I must make this my final entry into my foodie blog. I have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and will have to completely change my diet, which excludes about 99% of the recipes that I have posted here.<br />
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/37/1e/14/371e143eb23a5abc70ce6406f9831d00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/37/1e/14/371e143eb23a5abc70ce6406f9831d00.jpg" /></a><br />
I'll miss sharing my recipes with all of you, but to be honest, what I'll miss more is pizza, gyros, soups (too salty), ribs, steaks, and pretty much anything except Wilford Brimleys goddamned oatmeal, which is about what I'm left with. I guess it beats the alternative.<br />
<br />
Enjoy my recipes that I have posted. I wish you all happiness and great fun in the kitchen.<br />
<br />
--MikeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-8546468346095579292016-09-14T05:21:00.000-07:002016-09-14T05:21:17.415-07:00Colonel Roy's Steak Trick<br />
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Steak! Who doesn't love a wonderful big slab of flesh, grilling away over a bed of red-hot coals? But the price of beef has gone through the roof over the past 5-10 years to the point that one may as well spring for crab legs or lobster as a Rib Eye...even at home.<br />
<br />
Ahh, but my good friend and long time partner in foolishness, maple syruping and talking out of our arses Colonel Roy comes to the rescue with a method (along with a couple tricks of my own) to make even the cheapest cuts of beef turn out tender and delicious!!!<br />
<br />
You'll need:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XoQQIwtoEx4/V9lAc5OjjXI/AAAAAAAABEU/Eq9dSF3TpsElFVcuJI7YY84Q8PxowEu-wCLcB/s1600/steak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XoQQIwtoEx4/V9lAc5OjjXI/AAAAAAAABEU/Eq9dSF3TpsElFVcuJI7YY84Q8PxowEu-wCLcB/s320/steak.jpg" width="320" /></a>1 Cheap Beef Roast. Chuck, Round, English, whatever is on sale, find a thick one that, if cut in half through the middle lengthwise, would make two nice steaks. Pay attention to marbling, it should have nice marbling and the fat shouldn't be too thick. Boneless preferred.<br />
<br />
1/2 pot or so of stale coffee<br />
1/2 c. Olive Oil<br />
Large ziplock bag<br />
<br />
Cut the roast in half through the middle the long way to make two steaks. Use a very sharp knife and be careful. Put the steaks in the ziplock bag, pour the olive oil in and fill the rest up with coffee. Shake around a little to mix well. Set aside for at least two hours. More is better, I like to do this in the morning for grilling in the evening. If you're going to do it all day, put in fridge. If you're just going to do it for 2-3 hours, don't put in fridge.<br />
<br />
About 1/2 hour before grilling, lightly season both sides with garlic salt and pepper and a dollup of olive oil about the size of a U.S. quarter poured on to each side of the steak and rubbed in.<br />
<br />
Grill over hot coals. I like to use maple coals, but good old charcoal works also. It will be about as close to the tenderness and taste of a good rib-eye as you can get for a quarter of the price.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-19210096810408648552016-07-31T09:59:00.000-07:002016-07-31T10:01:53.589-07:00Summer Garden Goodies I<br />
<br />
Summertime...late July, when the garden starts producing lots of yummy things to eat. Here's a couple recipes for you. One is an Oriental Sesame Green Bean recipe that I came up with, the other is a Cucumber salad that my mom always made, and my favorite way to have it is over mashed red new potatoes. Mmmm!<br />
<br />
Cucumber Salad<br />
<br />
3-4 medium cukes, peeled and sliced<br />
3-4 green onions chopped or 1/2 medium onion, sliced thin<br />
<a href="http://www.hammertown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cucumber-salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://www.hammertown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cucumber-salad.jpg" width="200" /></a>Head of Dill (optional)<br />
Vinegar<br />
Water<br />
Sour Cream<br />
Mayo<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
<br />
Put the cukes and onions in a bowl. Add vinegar just to cover, then add about 1/4 as much again in water. Add a tablespoon of Salt. Let sit for at LEAST an hour...two is better.<br />
<br />
Drain cukes and onions. In bowl, mix cukes, onions, chopped head of dill, a large dollup of sour cream and about half that in mayo. Stir, adjust salt and pepper to taste, let sit at least a half hour before serving. Serve as a side with summer meals like burgers, BLT's, or my favorite way, over mashed new potatoes.<br />
<br />
<br />
Oriental Green Bean Salad<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7mzLphZJ3xc/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7mzLphZJ3xc/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed.<br />
Oriental sesame oil<br />
Soy sauce<br />
Olive oil<br />
Sesame seeds<br />
Salt<br />
Sugar<br />
<br />
Steam the green beans in the microwave for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of sesame oil in a wok or fry pan. When beans are done steaming, add a tablespoon of soy sauce to the wok and toss in the green beans. Add sesame seeds to your liking. Stir frequently on medium high until beans are 'done', seeds are toasted and the liquid is almost gone. Sprinkle in about a teaspoon of sugar and salt to taste, stir constantly til beans just start to brown. Serve.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-17689931388530638892016-04-13T13:15:00.002-07:002022-04-28T08:08:42.154-07:00Maple Smoked Country Style Ribs<br />
<br />
We have a cabin up in Price County that sits in a forest which is about 3/4 made up of Sugar Maples. Naturally, in the Spring, we make maple syrup. It's a great activity during a time of year when one really needs to get the hell out of the house and *do something*, even if mostly what's involved is standing around, drinking beer, talking smart and stoking the fire.<br />
<br />
What with all that standing around and fire-stoking, it's also a perfect time to fire up the smoker. Might as well tend two fires as one, eh? We have one of those Brinkmann smokers with the offset firebox and they work really well, especially with a few modifications (Search YouTube for the mods if you have one). Any kind of smoker will work. And, if you time it out right, your maple boil will be done about the same time your meal will...the smoking process takes about 6 hours + a good 1/2 hr to get the fire going.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/62/91/8c/62918c77be7079250ce84330f1b70567.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/62/91/8c/62918c77be7079250ce84330f1b70567.jpg" /></a>3-4 lbs Country Style Ribs<br />
1 cup REAL maple syrup<br />
2 T smoked paprika<br />
2 T chili powder<br />
2 T cumin<br />
2 T garlic powder<br />
2 T onion powder<br />
2 T black pepper<br />
2 T salt<br />
Fresh maple sap<br />
Small chunks of maple wood, split into kindling size, about a half of a pail full.<br />
<br />
I usually buy a bulk package of Country Style Ribs...they can be bone-in or boneless. Take them the night before and put them in a very large mixing bowl. Add to this the maple syrup and all the spices and mix thoroughly with your hands til each piece is well coated with seasoning/syrup. Refrigerate overnight.<br />
<br />
First thing in the morning, about 2 hours before you light the fire, put about 2/3 of the maple kindling into a pail and fill with fresh maple sap. (You can use water...but if you have sap, use it!) Save 1/3 of the kindling out for dry use (it's easier to regulate your fire temperature with a mix of dry and wet, adjusting as necessary). <br />
<br />
Light your fire with some of the dry wood and added maple twigs, etc. til you get a good hot fire going, then add some of the wet maple and adjust so that the heat in the smoker gets to about 180-220. Keep the temp at that range throughout the process. <br />
<br />
Once you have your smoker up to temp, put all the meat in your smoker. It helps to also put a pie tin of beer in somewhere below the meat, to keep it moist. Seal up your smoker and keep the fire going. Don't peek! <br />
<br />
After 2.5 hours, open the smoker up and flip and re-arrange all of the pieces...ones closer to the fire should be flipped and moved furthest away, etc. to make sure all the pieces get about the same exposure. Close it back up, keep the fire going within the specified temp range, and take the meat off after 5 hours. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce. <br />
<br />
I like to serve with cole slaw, beans and french fries, and I also like to make my own barbecue sauce, but I never really make it the same way twice so it would be hard to post a recipe for it. It usually involves ketchup, beer, maple syrup, finely diced onion, garlic and god knows what else, and then slowly simmering til I like the thickness.<br /><br />Update: If you're lazy (like me), you can skip all the seasonings listed and just use Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, available in most stores. Rub that liberally into the ribs and slather with syrup. If you can't get real maple syrup, try crappy store bought syrup mixed with molasses.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-79977566061855438742016-02-16T08:10:00.001-08:002016-02-16T08:10:47.279-08:00Best Ever Turkey Pot PieKathy and I both love to cook. It's not often, however, that we're in agreement on what we like. I tend to like spicier, meatier things, she tends to like things that are pasta and veggie-heavy. In short, she likes healthier things than I do, as a general rule.<br />
<br />
Recently, we were hungry for turkey, so we did the whole 9 yards...turkey in the oven, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc. There's only two of us in the house, so when I went to look for ways to use up the leftovers, I started researching Turkey Pot Pie recipes. As is usual for me, I took what I liked from several different recipes and made one of my own. It turned out so good that my wife and I both agreed...best turkey pot pie ever! Hopefully, you'll agree.<br />
<br />
2 C frozen peas and carrots<br />
2 C frozen green beans<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LmGITtonEo/VsNJacKQuHI/AAAAAAAABAg/Oj6vy38YSsE/s1600/potpie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LmGITtonEo/VsNJacKQuHI/AAAAAAAABAg/Oj6vy38YSsE/s320/potpie.jpg" width="320" /></a>1 C chopped celery<br />
1/2 C butter<br />
1/2 C chopped onion<br />
1/2 C flour<br />
1 t salt<br />
1 t pepper<br />
1 t celery seed<br />
1 t onion powder<br />
1 t garlic powder<br />
1 1/2 C chicken broth<br />
3/4 C milk<br />
4 C cubed cooked turkey meat - light and dark meat mixed<br />
<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 425. Place the peas and carrots, green beans, and celery into a saucepan; cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer over medium-low heat until veggies are tender, about 8 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander, set aside.<br />
<br />
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, black pepper, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder; slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove from heat; stir the cooked vegetables and turkey meat into the filling until well combined.<br />
<br />
Fit a pie crust into the bottom of a deep pie dish. Spoon the filling into the pie crust, then top with another crust. Pinch and roll the top and bottom crusts together at the edge of pie to seal, and cut several small slits into the top of the pie with a sharp knife to release steam.<br />
<br />
Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the pie with aluminum foil after about 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-84175581897787053952015-08-28T02:14:00.000-07:002016-07-08T11:34:40.698-07:00Gyro Flies Pepsi! Pt. II - Pita Bread<br />
<br />
At long last, you can finally make your own Gyros at home! And not the lame-ass kind that come in a kit...I mean honest to goodness, crowded, loud shop full of Greek immigrants and pungent smell of gyro meat on the rotisserie, stink like gyros for days Greek Gyros!!!<br />
<br />
A couple years ago, I helped you get about 75% there when I published <a href="http://galleydoor.blogspot.com/2012/11/gyro-flies-pepsi-gyro-flies-pepsi.html">this blog post</a> on how to make the meat and tarziki sauce at home from scratch. Thanks to an anonymous reader of this blog, here is 'the rest of the story' -- making the Pita Bread.<br />
<br />
You will NEVER buy Pita Bread in the store again! You'll find yourself making this for lots of other things besides Gyros. It's easy, fairly forgiving, and insanely delicious.<br />
<br />
1 c. warm water, about 95 degrees<br />
2 tsp. active dry or instant yeast<br />
2 3/4 c. flour<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1 T olive oil<br />
<br />
Instructions<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Traditional-Greek-Pita-Bread-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Traditional-Greek-Pita-Bread-1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>Make a yeast starter by mixing the water and yeast and a pinch of sugar for the yeast to feed upon and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved and foaming up a bit. In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt and olive oil, add yeast mixture. If using a stand mixer attach the dough and knead the dough on medium speed for about 8 minutes, til you have a smooth dough. If using your hands sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, but try to be sparing. It's better to use too little flour than too much. If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before finishing kneading.<br />
<br />
Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil, place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp for about 1 hour til the dough doubles in size. For all practical purposes, you're done at this point until you're ready to make the gyros, because although these pitas are good anytime and keep well, they're best fresh. You can refrigerate the dough for up to a week.<br />
<br />
When ready to make pitas, heat up a cast iron skillet with a little olive oil in it, on medium-high. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the balls on a floured surface into a circle about the size of your skillet. It will want to spring back at first, but keep rolling, re-flouring the rolling pin if necessary. Suddenly it will behave and roll out with ease. <br />
<br />
Lay a rolled-out pita in the skillet and watch until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for about 30-45 seconds on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 30-45 seconds to cook the other side. Remove from heat, keep covered on a plate with paper towel until all the pitas are done, serve! Enjoy gyros that will make you swear you're on State St. in Madison, WI!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-44242115849853443572015-08-27T12:24:00.001-07:002016-04-13T12:55:38.244-07:00A-2 Sauce<br />
<br />
I'm a freak for A-1 sauce. I'd sit down on the porch with a gallon of it and a glass and drink it all if I could. I put it on steaks, burgers, hash browns, toast, rice, potatoes, just about anything. I even tried it on ice cream once. It wasn't too bad! Well, for someone who's an A-1 sauce freak, that is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V40lIn59ucA/Vd9l7zjmhkI/AAAAAAAAA88/NB3pPSfPlFs/s1600/a1%2Bdrinker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V40lIn59ucA/Vd9l7zjmhkI/AAAAAAAAA88/NB3pPSfPlFs/s320/a1%2Bdrinker.jpg" width="320" /></a>But the stuff has gotten really spendy. The price started climbing about the time Kraft took it over and ruined the label and took all the medals from the 1890 Exposition off, and dropped "Steak" to leave just "Sauce". They haven't ruined the recipe...yet...<br />
<br />
And so, like with so many other things, I set off to learn how to make my own A-1 Sauce clone. Something close to this recipe can be found elsewhere on the net, but I think my tweaks and revisions end up with a better sauce overall. It's very close to A-1 sauce, it's clearly tastier to me than any other brand of steak sauce, and the price is right, much cheaper overall than buying the equivalent amount at the store. Plus, if you're a foodie, you probably have most of the ingredients lying around.<br />
<br />
A-2 Sauce:<br />
<br />
1/2 c. cold water<br />
1/4 c. raisins EDIT: Use golden raisins, it will taste more like A-1.<br />
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar (don't substitute)<br />
1/4 c. good Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea and Perrins)<br />
1/4 c. Ketchup<br />
1/4 c. Dijon mustard (I used French's Chardonnay Dijon, Poupon would work fine)<br />
1/4 t. black pepper<br />
1 garlic clove, diced up<br />
1 stalk celery, cut up<br />
1/4 t. salt<br />
1/4 t. celery seed<br />
1 t. bottled Lemon Juice<br />
1 tsp onion powder<br />
1 orange<br />
<br />
Put all but the orange in a saucepan on the stove. Cut the orange in half, squeeze the juice into the saucepan. Scoop out the innards from the orange half. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the orange into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes. <br />
<br />
Do not attempt to adjust seasonings until cool, the taste changes from hot to cold.<br />
<br />
Strain through a strainer and bottle. Serve at your next steak fry, or try on hamburgers, brats, meat loaf, pudding, ice cream, cake, brownies, macaroni, kiwi fruit, bananas...<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-68024759143131756242015-07-25T15:28:00.002-07:002015-07-25T15:28:32.363-07:00Rockin' Ramen Salad<br />
Ok, kids...you've probably all had this at one time or another at a pot luck in the summer. I'm a self-admitted Ramen Salad maniac, I just LOVE the stuff.<br />
<br />I've piddled around with recipes for years before settling on this one, which is--as most of my recipes are--a hodgepodge of other recipes plus my own twists.<br />
<br />
1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
2 pkg. Ramen noodles (Oriental flavor), crumbled<br />
1/2 c. sliced almonds, toasted<br />
2 carrots, chopped<br />
<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b3/3e/7c/b33e7c510a69609442b2d968c2a285ca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b3/3e/7c/b33e7c510a69609442b2d968c2a285ca.jpg" /></a>1/2 cup peas<br />
<br />
DRESSING:<br />
2 tbsp. sugar<br />
3 tbsp. vinegar<br />
1 T sesame oil<br />
1/2 c. olive oil<br />
2 T soy sauce<br />
1/2 tsp. pepper<br />
Flavor packet from the noodles<br />
<br />
Chop up the carrots and cabbage (or just buy a bag of 'Slaw Mix' in the produce section). Toast the almond slivers in a buttered skillet til just turning brown, remove. Mix all ingredients for the salad in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients, pour over bowl, mix well, refrigerate. Like all such salads, it's better if made the night before.<br />
<br />Now, some people will argue that the Ramen noodles should be crunchy. If that's the way you want it, leave the Ramen noodles OUT til just before serving, then mix them in.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-19071553683256774832015-01-16T11:21:00.001-08:002015-01-16T11:23:08.448-08:003D Printer Bean Soup<br />
<br />
First, you don't really make this soup with a 3D Printer...but it's ALMOST that easy! Thick, hearty bean soup is great on a cold winter day. It'll thaw out your innards and 'get you moving', if you know what I mean. And it's DELICIOUS!!!<br />
<br />
You can kind of go nuts with this recipe, adding or subtracting root vegetables like parsnips, turnips, rutabaga and carrots, or add/subtract herbs to your liking, but this is the basic recipe. You need a crock pot, which is kind of like the culinary version of a 3D Printer. Sort of. Well, maybe not.<br />
<br />
In this recipe, I used a grapefruit-sized chunk of smoked pork shoulder (Usinger's brand), but any chunk of ham product would work, as would a 16 oz. package of diced ham, which would even save you the trouble of dicing. <br />
<br />
1/2 lb chunk of Smoked Pork Shoulder or Butt<br />
16 oz bag of Great Northern Beans<br />
1 large Onion<br />
4 medium Carrots<br />
2 Qts Water<br />
1 T Chicken Bouillon powder<br />
2-3 Bay Leaves (Mom always said it's not soup without Bay Leaves)<br />
<br />
Dice the Smoked Pork and the Onion. Slice the Carrots. Put all ingredients in a crock pot, turn on High for about 4 hours. Stir, check progress (all crock pots cook at a little bit different rates), leave on high or turn down or turn off at your judgement. Beans and Carrots should be soft, liquid should be milky and not clear, ham should be starting to fall apart a little when done. Salt and pepper to satisfaction. As with all soups, the longer it sits, the better it is. <br />
<br />
About 5 minutes of prep, and an occasional stir. That's it! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-32480189386439927122015-01-15T07:37:00.003-08:002022-11-09T06:23:01.410-08:00Wise Guy Baked Ziti<br />
<br />
Ok, I admit it. I'd never heard of Baked Ziti before I watched the Sopranos. Of course, growing up in Central Wisconsin as I did, I wasn't exposed to a lot of Italian neighborhoods. You'd have to travel a few hours to find one. Mostly, it was Poles, Germans and Norwegians around where I grew up.<br />
<br />
I developed this recipe over several years of tinkering with a very basic Ziti recipe, and it's always a big hit. No, not that kind of hit...it's not going to rub you out, but it will sure fill you up! Throw this in the oven, pop "The Godfather", "Goodfellas" or "The Sopranos" in the DVD player, get the Grappa ready for afterwards, and enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--8hE3rF8lIg/VLfeiudDXCI/AAAAAAAAA4w/_mFMWt0ODQU/s1600/ziti.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--8hE3rF8lIg/VLfeiudDXCI/AAAAAAAAA4w/_mFMWt0ODQU/s1600/ziti.jpg" width="320" /></a>1 box Penne (Ziti) Pasta<br />
1 lb Italian Sausage<br />
1 16 oz container Ricotta Cheese (use Cottage Cheese in a pinch)<br />
1 T finely chopped fresh Basil<br />
1 T fresh minced garlic<br />
16 oz grated fresh mozzarella<br />
1 can of Red Sauce of your choice<b>**</b> (I usually used canned Hunts or Del Monte and jazz it up with red wine and seasonings)<br />
8 oz. fresh mushrooms<br />
1 medium onion, diced finely<br />
1 small container Feta cheese crumbles<br />
A small amount (1/3 cup at most) milk<br />
<br />
Start by boiling salted water and adding the Pasta, cook til Al Dente (so they're just on the cusp of being 'done' but a bit chewy yet). While the Pasta is cooking, fry up the Italian Sausage and drain off the grease. Strain the Pasta and cool. Mix the Pasta with the Ricotta cheese, Feta cheese, Minced Garlic, Chopped Onion, Chopped Basil and Milk. In a 9x12 Pyrex dish, lay down a layer of half of the Red Sauce, then the Pasta<br />
mixture, then the layer of Italian Sausage, then a layer of Mushrooms. Grate the Mozzarella Cheese over the top and finally cover completely with the other half of the Red Sauce. Bake in a 350 oven for 1 hour.<div><br /></div><div>**Update: I have since grown a bit and no longer use crappy commercial 'spaghetti sauce'. A great, easy red sauce can be made by taking a can of good quality (not big commercial brand, but imported from Italy) crushed tomatoes and putting it in a saucepan on medium low. To this, add a heaping T or more (to taste) of sugar, some garlic salt, a bunch of finely diced garlic toes, about a quarter cup red wine, finely chopped basil, some oregano and/or Italian seasoning, optionally some finely diced green peppers and/or onion. Simmer on low, covered, for an hour or so, then uncovered til it reaches a nice, thickish consistency.<br /><br />Of course, if you're in a hurry or just a lazy sot, you can always hit the Ragu.</div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-35460359855716763372015-01-08T14:41:00.000-08:002015-01-08T16:46:03.447-08:00Cioppino - Quick and Easy<br />
<br />
<br />
Cioppino - an Italian seafood stew - warms the tummy and the heart. It's wonderful on a cold winter day, or to take the wet out of a cold rainy day the rest of the year. There are about as many ways to make Cioppino as there are Chili, but this is my Mom's recipe and my go-to one. Here in the Flyover Zone, where we're far from fresh seafood unless it's flown in at great expense, frozen 'seafood mixtures' are the rule rather than the exception and they work well. Trader Joe's has a great seafood mix. Woodman's Grocery in Wisconsin also has one, though it's heavy on the mussels (I pick most of them out while the mix is still frozen and throw them in a separate bag of collected mussels for later use...they're a little fishy for my taste). What we lack in fresh seafood we make up for in garden fresh or home-frozen tomatoes and herbs, which make up a great deal of this stew's flavor as well.<br />
<br />
Make up a batch and try it for yourself. I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do!<br />
<br />
1/3 cup Olive Oil (can use 1/3 cup butter)<br />
1 medium-large or 2 small Onions, diced finely<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_bZaXc4B-ZA/T3xVenLu_TI/AAAAAAAAG7k/YAx7e-0v6J4/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_bZaXc4B-ZA/T3xVenLu_TI/AAAAAAAAG7k/YAx7e-0v6J4/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a>1 small can Diced Tomatoes<br />
1 quart bag Frozen Tomatoes or 1 can Whole Tomatoes<br />
2-3 cloves Garlic, diced finely<br />
1 Bay Leaf<br />
1 tsp Basil<br />
1/2 tsp Thyme<br />
3/4 cup Sweet Vermouth<br />
1 bag frozen Seafood Mix (sometimes called Seafood Medley)<br />
1/2 cup chopped Parsley<br />
1 can (or bouillon equivalent) Chicken Broth<br />
1 cup Water<br />
<br />
In soup kettle, add Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic and Parsley. When Onions are clear, add Tomatoes, Broth, Water and Sweet Vermouth (or any Red wine). Bring just to a boil, bring heat down to simmer, add herbs and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Seafood and simmer until the seafood is done. The longer this sits, the better it tastes. Serve with good bread and a salad.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-49433986952215070552014-10-30T06:49:00.000-07:002014-10-30T06:49:05.782-07:00Mom's Cornish Pasty<br />
<br />
Mmmmm, Pasty. If you're not from Wisconsin or Upper Peninsula of Michigan, you may have never heard of these small meat pies that were the workingman's meal for many a Cornish and Finnish immigrant in the 1800's. Cornish immigrants worked the galena (lead) mines in the Southwest corner of the state while Finnish immigrants worked the iron ore and copper mines in Northern Wisconsin and the Yoop (short for U.P. or Upper Peninsula...residents are referred to as Yoopers). The Pasty was their staple food...hearty, well rounded, filling and cheap. And as one Yooper told me, "A Pasty isn't a Pasty without Rutabaga".<br />
<br />
Traditionally, they are made as individual-sized pies, but Mom always made Pasty as a whole pie from which slices were served. You can do either with this recipe, though I'll give the recipe as a whole pie. If you want individual pasties, just roll out smaller pieces of the pastry crust and put an amount of the meat mixture into the center, fold the crust over and pinch the edges, vent and bake.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of options for making them, you can pretty much 'clean out the fridge' of vegetables. Serving suggestions vary...Mom always served pasty with Heinz Chili Sauce on the side. I've used that, ketchup, jalapeno relish, sriracha sauce (Huy Fong brand) and beef gravy. Use your imagination!<br />
<br />
Here are the basic ingredients for the filling:<br />
<br />
1 lb hamburger<br />
1/2 rutabaga, diced small (or use 2 small to medium sized potatoes)<br />
2 stalks celery, chopped<br />
1 large or 2 small carrots, diced<br />
1 medium onion, diced<br />
2-3 cloves garlic, diced<br />
1 egg, whisked and beaten.<br />
Garlic salt, Pepper<br />
Few dashes Worcestershire<br />
<br />
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl, season to taste. Prepare pie crust (recipe below), place meat in bottom crust, cover with top crust, pinch seams and vent the top. Bake in 350 oven for 1.5 hours with a cookie sheet underneath to catch any juices that might come up through the vents. If making individual pasties, bake for 1 hour.<br />
<br />
Crust:<br />
<br />
2 cups Flour<br />
1/3 cup Olive Oil<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
Buttermilk<br />
<br />
Mix first three ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Add buttermilk a little at a time (start with 1/8 cup) and mix til the mixture is just between wanting to form crumbles and wanting to form a ball. Don't get it too moist. Divide in half, roll out first half on counter til it's a bit larger than the size of your pie pan. Fold in half, grease your pie pan, lay the folded crust over one half of the pie pan and unfold. Press and stretch and form into bottom of pan and up sides til covered. Roll out the other half of the crust dough, fold and place in the same manner over top of meat after it has been added, unfold and pinch halves together, cut vents.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-2193101235910422992014-09-17T09:11:00.001-07:002014-09-17T09:13:53.711-07:00Green Bay Style "Chili Johns" / "Real Chili" Chili<br />
<br />
Chili comes in many varieties...about as diverse as the ethnic mixes of the regions that made each style famous. One of the oldest and most unusual varieties is that which is known as "Green Bay" Chili or "Chili John" chili. It predates the similar Cincinnati 5-way by a number of years and traces back to Lithuanian immigrant "Chili" John Isaac, who opened a restaurant in 1913 down by the docks of Green Bay, WI, hanging a simple sign out front that said, "Chili". <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wiMuzU6mRX8/VBcAernxmWI/AAAAAAAAA0I/9hTFaWTanxc/s1600/chili%2Bjohn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wiMuzU6mRX8/VBcAernxmWI/AAAAAAAAA0I/9hTFaWTanxc/s1600/chili%2Bjohn.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Chili" John Isaac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not only did John Isaac invent this style of spaghetti-meat sauce-beans on top chili, he also invented the Oyster Cracker, calling upon the Nabisco company for a cracker that would be sized more appropriately for adding to his chili.<br />
<br />
Chili John's at one time had 3 locations...Green Bay, Beaver Dam, WI, and Burbank, CA. All three are still in business, though not affiliated, and only the Green Bay one still serves the completely authentic John Isaac recipe. You can even order it online! <a href="http://www.chilijohns.com/">http://www.chilijohns.com</a> John Madden, legendary NFL coach and broadcaster, never missed a visit to Chili John's when he covered a Green Bay Packers game. Fran Tarkenton also was known to have a bowl before playing the Packers at home.<br />
<br />
So where does "Real Chili" come into the story? <br />
<br />
According to the <a href="http://realchili-milwaukee.com/">Real Chili website</a>, Milwaukee's infamous chili restaurant was started by Francis Honish in 1931. What the website doesn't tell you is that Francis Honish was a former cook at Chili John's in Green Bay. Hmmm. There was actually a bit of bad blood and a lawsuit or two over the issue way back when, but time seems to have quelled the implications of chili-theft. Both chilis are very, very similar in style and taste. Patrons today probably don't care about the politics involved, they're just glad that they can get a bowl of Green Bay Chili in Milwaukee or Green Bay!<br />
<br />
I've eaten at Real Chili and all three of the no-longer-related Chili John's restaurants and no matter what variation you get, it's all good! This is a very, very close rendition of the original Chili John's chili, though the real recipe is still a secret.<br />
<br />
You will need for the Meat Sauce:<br />
<br />
1/2 lb. Beef Suet, rendered<br />
1 onion, finely chopped<br />
2 lbs hamburger browned<br />
1 oz. unsweetened Baker's chocolate<br />
3 T chili powder<br />
1 T cayenne pepper (or less if you don't like it hot)<br />
1 T garlic powder<br />
1 T cumin<br />
1/2 t nutmeg<br />
1/4 t allspice<br />
1/4 t ground cloves<br />
1 T paprika<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
2 tablespoons cider vinegar<br />
3-4 chili peppers, ground finely<br />
salt<br />
pepper<br />
2 regular soup-sized cans beef broth (or equivalent made from powdered)<br />
<br />
Render the suet in a large pan, remove whatever is left and cook onions until tender. Add the meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. When meat is browned, add spices, chocolate, broth, and vinegar, stirring to mix well. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1½ hours. It should start to thicken. It is best if refrigerated overnight and reheated the following day.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Spd0RHCeWQ0/VBcBnO02vZI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/vw0Qd179kRY/s1600/chili%2Bjohns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Spd0RHCeWQ0/VBcBnO02vZI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/vw0Qd179kRY/s1600/chili%2Bjohns.jpg" /></a>To serve, you will need:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V6qI48FtTNY/VBcBCBboofI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/XKLC0BZCSOk/s1600/chili%2Bjohns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
Spaghetti noodles<br />
Shredded cheddar cheese<br />
Sour cream<br />
Vinegar (I like British Malt Vinegar)<br />
Chopped onions<br />
Warmed kidney beans or chili beans<br />
Franks Red Hot<br />
Oyster crackers<br />
Pickled jalapeno slices<br />
<br />
Spoon some cooked spaghetti noodles into a bowl, spoon generous portion of meat sauce on top of that, with some beans, a handful of oyster crackers, and a dash of vinegar. That's your basic Green Bay Chili. In addition, you can add any combination of the above toppings to complete your Green Bay Chili experience. Mmmm...hot, greasy, yummy Green Bay Chili! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-79429967067326156202014-09-14T10:44:00.000-07:002014-09-15T07:18:47.276-07:00Mom's Chili<br />
<br />
When I was growing up, every Saturday, September through April, Mom would make a big pot of chili in the morning. It would always be gone by the end of the weekend.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_em4vHsKoww/VBXU04inATI/AAAAAAAAAzw/emMbYJzQjSA/s1600/Gamepie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_em4vHsKoww/VBXU04inATI/AAAAAAAAAzw/emMbYJzQjSA/s1600/Gamepie2.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom with one of her legendary <br />
wild game pies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mom's chili was what she called "Dodge County Chili", named after the area of Wisconsin where she grew up, but was really her own variation, a much more chili-like variation than what traditionally fit that name.<br />
<br />
In Wisconsin, chili is (or was, before the Internet and cable tv cooking shows homogenized a lot of regional cooking) divided into two camps...that which is similar to what Mom made, and what's known as "Green Bay Chili" which will be covered in a future edition of this blog.<br />
<br />
Mom's Chili was known far and wide by her friends and family as the best around. She made it every year for the last day of Deer Hunting season and held an open house on the lake they live on for any and all hunters. It was a perennial hit! <br />
<br />
We lost my Mom to cancer earlier this year. With the nip in the air now, my thoughts naturally turned to her chili, and I'm going to try to keep up the tradition of making a pot of it every Saturday. <br />
<br />
I love chili -- all types and styles -- and though this may not be a true chili by those who make standards on such things, it will always be my favorite. I hope you'll make a pot of this too and enjoy it as much as I have over all these years. Thanks, Mom!<br />
<br />
<br />
You'll need:<br />
<br />
1 large can tomatoes (or frozen tomatoes, about a quart)<br />
1 lb hamburger<br />
1 can chili beans or kidney beans<br />
3 stalks celery<br />
1 onion<br />
1 green pepper<br />
2 jalapenos (optional)<br />
1 T Cumin<br />
3 T Chili Powder<br />
Garlic Salt<br />
1 T Beef Boullion powder<br />
1 Quart Tomato Juice<br />
1/2 cup elbow macaroni<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aq1uViR-U5Y/VBXWP-0i0UI/AAAAAAAAAz4/2Z7VP87Z1Us/s1600/100_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aq1uViR-U5Y/VBXWP-0i0UI/AAAAAAAAAz4/2Z7VP87Z1Us/s1600/100_0012.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Brown the hamburger, toss in the onion, diced, along with the celery and peppers, also diced. When hamburger is browned and vegetables soft, season with garlic salt to taste, then add the beef boullion, stir in well til dissolved. Then add the tomatoes, beans and the rest of the seasonings. Simmer, season with garlic salt and more chili powder if necessary, add the noodles and the tomato juice. Simmer 30 minutes, serve.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-63518422317753038852014-09-05T06:36:00.000-07:002014-09-05T06:40:11.064-07:00Dig House Tater Salad<br />
<br />
Potato Salad...that staple side dish of church picnics, summertime barbecues, dish-to-pass events and sporting tailgates. There are countless ways to make potato salad, but my recipe is loosely based on a 'tater salad' that I had many years ago, who's author was undoubtedly some unknown mom of a college student.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvLG2VFD_Mw/VAm7gCCYw9I/AAAAAAAAAy8/3SClqY8O2wc/s1600/dig%2Bhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UvLG2VFD_Mw/VAm7gCCYw9I/AAAAAAAAAy8/3SClqY8O2wc/s1600/dig%2Bhouse.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dig House today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't know who started it, or when, but back in the early 1980's at UW-Platteville there was an off-campus house at 40 E. Cedar St known as the "Dig House" because of a re-occuring party tradition known as the 'Potato Dig'. The residents of said house would get 50 lb bags of potatoes and an alarming number of half-barrels of beer and throw a party. Potatoes, being cheap, were the perfect fare for college students and the Dig House folks served them up mashed, french fried, baked and pretty much any way you could imagine, including potato salad.<br />
<br />
At one of the Potato Digs that I attended, there was a terrific potato salad that had lots of dill and pickles in it. I had never had such a thing in my young life and, due to the deliciousness of the salad and the inebriated state I was in, promptly ate a ton of it. <br />
<br />
This is not that recipe, I have no idea who made that particular potato salad, but ever since I've made my potato salad 'in the spirit' of that potato salad. I think it's pretty darn good. I hope you'll think so too.<br />
<br />
You will need:<br />
<br />
4-5 large potatoes or 6-8 medium, peeled<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 stalk celery<br />
3-4 Milwaukee Kosher Baby Dill pickles<br />
1 small onion<br />
4-5 radishes<br />
1 cup Mayonnaise<br />
1/8 cup Yellow Mustard<br />
Juice of 1/2 lime<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9fjrn2wlHdU/VAm7iWM_u5I/AAAAAAAAAzE/XjLlN3n5B5I/s1600/dig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9fjrn2wlHdU/VAm7iWM_u5I/AAAAAAAAAzE/XjLlN3n5B5I/s1600/dig.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>Start by peeling the potatoes, cut into chunks, place in a saucepan with 1 T. Salt and the 4 eggs, cover completely with water and bring to a boil. While this is boiling, dice up the celery, pickles, onion and radishes, put in a colander with 1 T salt and toss, set over sink or over large bowl. The idea is to leech much of the water out of the vegetables. Don't worry about the high salt content, most of it leeches out with the liquid.<br />
<br />
Mix the mayo, lime juice and mustard together, salt and pepper this dressing to taste.<br />
<br />
Watch the potatoes, you want them not quite 'done', so that you can slice them into cubes and have them be soft, but they'll hold their shape. Depending on the potato, probably about 10-15 minutes of boiling. When done, remove from heat, put pot in sink and run continuous cold water in the pot to cool the eggs and potatoes.<br />
<br />
Dice the potatoes up into approx 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes. Peel the hard boiled eggs and dice up. Place in large bowl and add the rest of the vegetable mix. Add the dressing and toss liberally. Adjust seasoning to taste, sprinkle with Paprika and garnish with a sprig of Parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least a couple hours before serving, best if it sits overnight.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-69107518544015458462014-07-30T09:30:00.000-07:002014-07-30T09:30:51.627-07:00Super Easy Hot Beef Sammiches<br />
<br />
I really have to rename this blog. <br />
<br />
We moved out of Door County about 6 months ago, relocating to where I grew up, in the Central Sands of Wisconsin. The lands of Aldo Leopold and John Muir, what naturalists call the Oak Savannah. Here, the soil is like beach sand, the water table is at shoveling depth, irrigation is the rule for farming, and the farmers grow things like potatoes, cucumbers, peppers and some anemic looking corn. Like the general store in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", we live in a geographical oddity...we're about 1 hour from everywhere, if everywhere encompasses the Fox River Valley cities, Madison or Stevens Point. Clear blue lakes with sand bottoms and untinted water abound. Wildlife such as cranes, turkeys, deer and a few wolves and bears abound. Giant pine trees stand like soldiers at attention in orderly rows, next to woods full of various types of oak and jack pine. The sound of blue jays and whipoorwills fill the air, which smells of pine and sand.<br />
<br />I could really use some help in renaming this blog...bring on the suggestions. On with the recipe!<br />
<br />
This hot beef sandwich recipe is so easy that it doesn't even need pictures. This is a perfect 'start before work, come home to dinner' meal that's good any time of the year. In fact, we're having it tonight.<br />
<br />
You need:<br />
<br />
1 crock pot<br />
1 3-4 pound chuck or other cheap beef roast<br />
1 bottle of lager beer<br />
1 small onion, cut up<br />
1 or 2 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded (optional)<br />
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic<br />
2 tablespoons beef bouillon powder<br />
Salt, pepper<br />
<br />
Rub the roast with salt and pepper, set in crock pot. Pour bottle of beer in the crock pot, throw rest of ingredients in the crock pot. Set on high for 6 hours (medium if you need it to cook longer). Roast should fall apart easily. Spoon beef onto buns. You can serve as is, or use condiments such as horseradish, raw onion, pickled jalapenos, swiss cheese slices, etc. Very tasty and so easy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-18991754419039828612014-07-11T07:58:00.001-07:002014-07-11T08:03:30.040-07:00Shrimp Almikay<br />
<br />
A lot of times, I'll throw together a dish that has no real basis for being. It's not really like an actual signature dish like Shrimp Alfredo, but maybe more in 'the spirit of'. I won't consult a recipe or recipes as a starting point, I'll just 'wing it'. At times, that means using what I have on hand in the cupboards and refrigerator, at other times, it means using whatever I toss in my shopping cart, and still other times, it's a combination of both.<br />
<br />
Such is the case with "Shrimp Almikay". I originally made this one Sunday afternoon when my dear wife Kathy was tasked with taking our son back home to Platteville, WI, where he attends college, about a 6 hour round trip from our home. I wanted to make something 'nice' for her...and being that pasta is one of her favorite things to eat, I drove about 20 miles to the nearest larger grocer and wandered the aisles and threw this recipe together in my head. It turned out so well that I made it again last night, and decided to name it and cycle it in to my favorite recipe box and into this blog.<br />
<br />
This recipe is relatively quick and easy and unpretentious enough to use alfredo sauce right off the grocer's shelf.<br />
<br />
You'll need:<br />
<br />
1 jar of Alfredo Sauce (Both times I have used Newman's Own Roasted Garlic)<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JOB874efw70/U7_7c1PnSRI/AAAAAAAAAxA/4IQsgfDUZvM/s1600/plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JOB874efw70/U7_7c1PnSRI/AAAAAAAAAxA/4IQsgfDUZvM/s1600/plate.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a>1/2 box Angel Hair Pasta<br />
1 bag 31/40 Uncooked Frozen Shrimp<br />
1/2 Lemon<br />
1/4 cup white wine<br />
1 T minced garlic<br />
1/3 stick butter<br />
3 T Olive Oil<br />
1 T Salt<br />
Black pepper<br />
Small wedge Parmesan Cheese<br />
<br />
Start by thawing and peeling the shrimp. Melt butter on medium/high heat in a fry pan. Dump jar of Alfredo Sauce in saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic, 2 T Olive Oil and wine to fry pan, toss in Shrimp. Cook shrimp til firm and pink, reduce heat to simmer. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over Shrimp. Simmer shrimp for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is reduced. Add entire pan contents to Alfredo Sauce. Heat water for pasta in large pot. Add 1 T Olive Oil and 1 T Salt to pot, cook noodles til Al Dente (just to the point of being 'done', not past...almost 'chewy' yet...this is so that the noodles will soak up some of the sauce). Drain noodles, serve on plates, spoon alfredo/shrimp sauce liberally over the top, grate fresh parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-27286127604746604102014-05-22T12:30:00.001-07:002014-05-22T12:36:55.728-07:00The Best Fries You've Ever Had...At HOME!<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
French Fries...as French as French Toast or French Dressing.
That is to say, completely Pas D'Origine Française -- about as
French as Sauerkraut or Swedish Meatballs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
However, just about EVERYONE loves French
Fries. Or, as we will refer to them for the rest of this blog post,
simply "Fries". They’re a
staple at fast food restaurants from coast to coast and a regular compliment to
any hamburger plate anywhere. Yet,
making truly great fries at home – from scratch – has evaded me for years. They’d turn out fairly tasty, but would end
up lacking of those qualities that almost any drive-thru fry could possess…a
firm exterior, fluffy interior and wondrous flavor without sogginess or
greasiness. How infuriating to someone
like myself who almost always prefers home-made to mass-produced when it comes
to food!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
I even know of one famous hamburger chain who prides themselves on
making homemade fries and even displays bags of potatoes around the restaurant
and a sign saying who’s farm the spuds were grown on…who’s fries suffer from
the same soggy, greasy results as my own did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
True, I could go half-way and buy a bag of frozen fries and fry
them myself, and that was slightly more satisfying, but still…it really wasn’t
the same as a good and proper fry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
So one day, with nothing better to do than ponder the mysteries of the Fast
Food Fry, I began my internet search on how to make proper fries like that
Famous Chain With The Arches does. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100526-mcdonalds-fries-02-caliper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100526-mcdonalds-fries-02-caliper.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>This search led me to one very over-the-top individual who went
into extreme research, scientific study and detail on the subject (and quite a
lot of other burger-related subjects) who finally cracked the code on how to
make a decent fry at home. I’ll spare
you all the background detail (though you can read about it along with other burger science geekdom <a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/05/the-burger-lab-how-to-make-perfect-mcdonalds-style-french-fries.html">here</a>). and cut right to the recipe. To do it absolutely the best way takes an
additional step and some planning, but the ‘short version’ works very well
also. So without further ado, here’s how
to make AMAZING fries at home.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
You need:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
5 or 6 nicely sized Russet potatoes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
2 quarts Water<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
3 T Vinegar<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
2 T Salt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Oil for frying<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Candy or Deep Frying Thermometer<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
7 to 10” diameter pot with fairly high sides<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Firstly, you need to slice the potatoes into fries that are about ¼”
X ¼”. You can buy a fry cutter or just
do this with a very sharp knife (be careful!).
You can peel them first or leave the skins on, your choice. Immediately toss them in a bowl of water as
you cut them, so they don’t turn bluish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Next, put the Water, Vinegar and Salt in a large pot on the stove
and bring to a violent boil. Gently add
the fries and boil in this mixture for 9 minutes. Remove carefully and drain in a colander, then
lay out on paper towels to cool and dry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100526-mcdonalds-fries-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20100526-mcdonalds-fries-26.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>Now take the 7” to 10” diameter pot with high sides and put 3 to 4
inches of oil in the pot. Make sure
that you have enough oil in the pot to deep fry, but not so much that it could
boil over and start a fire. If you have
an actual deep fryer, that would be preferable to use, set it to 375 degrees. Else, you’ll have to experiment with your
stove and use the candy / deep frying thermometer til you can get a steady temp
of the oil at 375 degrees.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Working in small batches, add fries to the oil and fry each small
batch for ONE MINUTE. Then remove and
drain on paper towels. Do this til you’ve
gone through all of the fries that you plan to make.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Now, here comes the really weird part. Take all of the fries and put them in a bag
and freeze them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
When you’re ready to make the fries to serve (presumably at least
12 hours later), again heat your oil up to 375 but this time deep fry the fries
til they are golden brown. After each
batch, put the fries on a paper-towel lined cookie sheet and keep on “warm” in
the oven. Lightly salt the whole works
when done and serve. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
You and your guests will be amazed at how well these turn out!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
In a hurry? Skip the
freezing step. Just drain and cool all
the fries after the one minute fry session, then start over, frying till golden
brown. They’ll be about 85% as good as
the ‘long’ way, but still amazing!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
What I like to do is work with several bags of Russet potatoes,
changing the water/vinegar/salt mixture every 2 batches, and make up a whole
bunch of fries to freeze at once. I then
pack them away in meal-sized bags…they should keep for 2 or 3 months that way.<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5442877650893621171.post-59306936786947076022013-03-07T15:13:00.001-08:002013-03-08T07:20:21.626-08:00Latter Day Irishman Corned Beef and Cabbage<br />
<br />
I was about 42 years old when I discovered that I was Irish. Until that point, we knew very little about my paternal grandmother's family, the Rounds family. But through the miracle of the Internet, a Dodge County website that scanned old newspaper clippings, a distant relative out on the East Coast and Ancestry.com, I traced my Irish roots back to the 10th Century, A.D. <br />
<br />
My first St. Patrick's Day as an Irishman was...shall we say...memorable. My friend Roy Fowler (an Irishman through and through) and I still wax poetic about what we refer to as "The St. Patrick's Day Massacre" in Prentice, WI where we both have cabins. We were hung over for several days. And no self-respecting Irishman can get through the St. Pat's season without a heaping helping of Corned Beef and Cabbage, in which we well immersed ourselves, along with copious amounts of green beer.<br />
<br />
This is my very simple, straightforward way of preparing corned beef and cabbage. It's not fancy and there's no fuss. More effort goes into making the mustard sauce than anything else. Here goes:<br />
<br />
1 Corned Beef Brisket (any cut...I'm not picky)<br />
1/2 head Green Cabbage<br />
4-5 nice Carrots<br />
2 Parsnips<br />
1 heaping tablespoon Minced Garlic<br />
1 packet Seasoning (comes with Corned Beef, usually)<br />
Vinegar<br />
Water<br />
1 tsp Black Pepper<br />
Potatoes (optional)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-srQzdOsK1NI/UToBmVV0piI/AAAAAAAAApI/6Y18O41WkTw/s1600/Corned-Beef-and-Cabbage-GFCFSF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-srQzdOsK1NI/UToBmVV0piI/AAAAAAAAApI/6Y18O41WkTw/s1600/Corned-Beef-and-Cabbage-GFCFSF.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a>In a crock pot, place the Corned Beef and all above ingredients. Fill half with Vinegar, half with Water. Turn on High for a few hours, then reduce to low. Do this the morning of the evening that it will be served. You don't have to cut up the vegetables, they'll fall apart. You can add the potatoes to this, or just bake them on the side if you don't like the potatoes to have the vinegary taste (some folks find that it's just too much to have the taters brined also)<br />
<br />
When the veggies fall apart easily, turn off or set on warm if your crock pot has that setting. Serve with mustard sauce (recipe below)<br />
<br />
Mustard Sauce:<br />
<br />
1/4 cup of the juice from the finished meal in the crock pot<br />
1/4 cup of Dijon mustard<br />
1/8 cup flour<br />
1 egg, raw<br />
2 T horseradish<br />
2 T honey<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
<br />
I like to take all of this and put it in an empty mustard or other squeeze type bottle, then shake the bejeesus out of it. I then just put the bottle on the table. I guess if you wish to be more elegant, you can put it in some sort of condiment serving vessel. But since 9 times out of 10 when I make this, we're at the cabin, it's Maple Sugaring Season and the Jameson and Green Beer is flowing well, elegance is not high on the priority list. :D<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2