Update on Homemade Naan . . .

I know I haven't posted in a while . . . life just gets crazy and some things have to go by the wayside! I have a couple of posts I will sit down and work on soon, but wanted to give an update on the homemade naan bread from the shakshuka post. The recipe I listed makes a TON of dough, enough for 16 large pieces of naan. This is way too much for my family, and you can half the recipe, but it was too much of a pain for me last time. So, AFTER rising, I divided the dough in two, wrapped one half securely in press and seal wrap and stuck it in the freezer (I labeled it, too, because I don't know about your freezer but sometimes there are a few mystery items . . . ). Last night I wanted shakshuka again but didn't have the time to make the dough. So I took the frozen dough out, let it sit on the counter for a while (maybe 45 minutes), then divided it into 8 and rolled and cooked the naan according to the original recipe. When I divided it, some pieces were fairly cold and a tiny bit frozen still, but working with it warmed it up and when I rolled it, it was just fine. I was pleasantly surprised, the resulting naan was great, the only difference between the fresh dough was that the frozen resulted in slightly chewier naan, but it was still tasty and DEFINITELY worth the time/work savings for last night's dinner.
You can freeze other doughs, I've had varied results with them. Pizza dough tends to work out okay, bread dough is okay but I don't think it's as light with frozen/thawed dough. Just make sure if you're going to freeze dough that you do it AFTER the initial rise.
Enjoy!

Smitten . . .

I've started to check out some other cooking blogs. There are a lot out there! A friend sent me to smittenkitchen.com. So far, it's great. I love the nice photos and the wide variety of recipes. Today I made my first recipe from the site. And it was definitely going out on a limb. It is an Israeli dish called shakshuka, which is (I don't know if this is a translation or just an English description!) Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce.

I have to admit I was a little nervous, especially as the recipe called for 3 jalapenos (although I halved the recipe as I assumed my kids wouldn't eat it!). But, I actually didn't taste much heat at all. The sauce was mildly spicy, but a very different flavor than I have tasted before. We also had it with homemade Naan bread (an Indian specialty). It all ended up being very tasty! I love it when experiments turn out . . .

If you want to be brave and try it, go check out http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/shakshuka

Here's the recipe for homemade Naan (modified from allrecipes.com):

1 package yeast

1 c warm water

1/4 c sugar

3 T milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups flour

olive oil or butter

In stand mixer or bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, let stand until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, and egg. Add 2 cups flour and stir. Continue adding flour, kneading with the dough hook as you go, or turning out when you can no longer stir if kneading by hand. Knead dough until smooth and place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down and pinch off small handfuls of dough the size of golf balls, roll, and place on greased tray. Cover and rise until double. You can cook naan on a grill or in a skillet. I prefer cast iron because it retains an even heat so well, but you could also use a nonstick skillet. Roll each ball into a thin circle. If desired, brush with olive oil or butter before grilling, or add just a little olive oil to the pan before cooking each one. If desired, keep warm in 200F oven as you cook all the dough.

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

The editorial in my new Saveur magazine made me hungry. The editor talks about living in Rome and learning to make Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, because it uses few ingredients (good if you're on a budget!) and is absolutely divine. How can you go wrong with only 7 ingredients 5 if you don't count the salt and pepper)? I've never made it before, so we tried it.

Disclaimer: not exactly a dieter's dish, but we had it with a big tasty salad.

We really liked this dish. My 8-year-old liked it best of all. He ate a plateful and then polished off the leftovers the next day.

It's a creamy, flavorful, and satisfying. I felt like I was making real, actual Italian-style pasta, and you even use water from boiling the pasta in the final dish. YUM!

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz thinly sliced guanciale or pancetta OR bacon (I used bacon, but I'm sure the dish would be even better with the fancy Italian meat if you want to spring for it!), cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (I just ground it really coarsely in my grinder)
1 3/4 c finely grated Parmesan at room temperature
1 egg plus 3 yolks at room temperature
kosher salt to taste
1 lb spaghetti

Heat oil in 10" skillet over medium heat. Add the meat (whatever you chose) and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Don't overcook. Add pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2 minutes more (this is a lot of pepper, if you're concerned about that, you might start out with 1 1/2 tsp and add more later if you want it--we love pepper, so it was fine for us). Transfer mixture (oil, meat, and all) to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add 1 1/2 c Parmesan and egg and yolks and stir well to combine, set aside.
Bring large pot of water to boil, be sure to add salt to the water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 3/4 c water, then drain pasta and transfer it to meat and egg mixture. Toss, adding pasta water a little at a time to make a nice creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve with remaining Parmesan.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

Urban legend tells that a woman and her friend had lunch at a Neiman Marcus department store. Along with lunch they had chocolate chip cookies that they loved. When they asked the waiter for the recipe, he replied that they could buy it. There was some misunderstanding when he stated the price, and what they thought was a reasonable price turned out to be very unreasonable. So, legend states that the angry women whom Neiman Marcus refused to refund since they already possessed the recipe determined to spread the recipe to as many people as possible. Here's the supposed recipe:

"Neiman Marcus Cookies"

2 c butter

2 c sugar

2 c brown sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

5 c blended oatmeal (pre-measured then processed in blender)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 c flour

24 oz chocolate chips

1 8-oz Hershey bar, grated

3 c chopped nuts

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. In separate bowl, mix oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts, and Hershey bar. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 375. Makes a LARGE batch of cookies--over 100, but can be halved.

***So, I never knew if this myth was true until recently. I was perusing the cookbook section of the library and saw "The Neiman Marcus Cookbook". Suddenly curious, I looked up chocolate chip cookies. The book briefly retold the legend, then said it was absolutely not true and they weren't sure who started it! However, in response to the myth, their chef developed a chocolate chip cookie recipe, which we tried last night (pictured above). Here it is:

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c butter

1 c brown sugar

3 T granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 tsp espresso powder (I left this out)

Cream butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl, then add to wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and espresso powder if desired. Roll into balls, place on greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

***Well, interestingly enough, of the two recipes we much prefer the "fake" Neiman Marcus cookies. Who developed it and why the legend to go along with it? Who knows!

Frozen Foods--A Fiasco?

So, I went out of town recently and since my hubby couldn't come I stocked the fridge, freezer, and cupboards with easy meal ideas so he wouldn't feel too neglected.
One new thing I found: this Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Breast Fillets. It seemed healthy and tasty.
As usual, I overstocked and he didn't use this, so when I got back I thought, great--easy meal! I cooked them up with some veggies and potatoes for Sunday dinner. YIKES!
I just have decided that buying pre-prepared frozen food is just not worth it. These chicken breast fillets were just NASTY. I ate mine, feeling guilty about wasting it, but it just wasn't good. They apparently add some kind of flavoring to make it taste like it has been grilled. Yuck Yuck Yuck. I don't even know what to do with the rest of the package. I've been similarly disappointed in other frozen foods. I bought some frozen stir fry meals with veggies and meat when we were moving last summer and I was looking for some quick, easy meals in my disassembled kitchen. They were equally NASTY.
Also:
I bought some Eggo waffles while we were moving, hoping to give my kids a change from cereal and toast. Never again. These were not worth buying or eating. I don't understand how so many Americans love these, never mind the commercials of my childhood implying they are worth fighting over. I guess that processed taste is just impossible to mask.
I guess I'm just spoiled to have time to make my own waffles (I really think it's worth the extra 10 minutes in the kitchen to whip up your own homemade waffles, and it's probably a lot healthier, too).
I was a little shocked to see now that they have frozen pancakes available. How do you freeze a pancake and have it remain good?

I was even recently disappointed in these Pilgrims Pride frozen chicken wings. I was having a group of people over for the Super Bowl and wanted to make a bunch of hot wings. These were a bargain over the fresh chicken wings. Now I know why--these were just not meaty or flavorful.


So, now a couple of SAFE frozen food bets (at least from my own experience!):
Pilgrims Pride frozen chicken breasts. Not as good as the Kirkland brand frozen chicken from Costco, but since I don't have a Costco within 4 hours of me, I have to buy these and they're not too bad. I discovered long ago that frozen chicken actually beats fresh a lot of times when you're just buying boneless, skinless breasts. Many times the fresh in stores are tough and can be dry. The frozen ones are injected with a little extra water (and sometimes salt) so they freeze well, which actually helps them to stay tender. They're also usually cheaper than fresh.

I also like the Birds Eye frozen corn and peas, they are definitely worth spending a little extra for above the store-brand price, they are usually very flavorful and taste fresh.

And finally, our frozen food of choice: Vanilla Ice Cream. Whatever brand might be on sale at the moment. We're not terribly picky (although we don't buy off-brand). Good luck shoppers!

Homemade Hamburger Buns . . . WOW!

So does anyone remember from the movie "Father of the Bride" where Steve Martin sort of goes a little nuts at the supermarket and gets arrested after he freaks out about hot dog buns? Well I feel the same way about hamburger buns. I'm annoyed that they only come in packages of 8. And they don't keep well, even in the freezer. And I don't like the "cheap" kind of hamburger buns. So I feel like you spend a fortune to buy the good kind of buns for your burger, then you waste half the package. And even then, the buns are nothing to shout about.
So, Saveur Magazine's September issue title: "The Burger Bible". We love a good burger, so of course I've read it cover-to-cover. The best find: a recipe for fantastic homemade hamburger buns that I tried for the first time this week. The only question now is how I will ever buy store buns again. Given that I may not always have the time to make these when we want a burger, maybe I'll see if the homemade ones will freeze! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did:

HOMEMADE SESAME SEED BUNS (Makes 12)
1 1/4 oz package active dry yeast (about 2 1/2 tsp)
1 1/3 c milk, heated to 115 degrees
1 1/2 tsp plus 2 T sugar
t c flour
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 T unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes, softened
3 tsp sesame seeds

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together yeast, milk, and 1 1/2 tsp sugar, let foam. Stir in remaining sugar, flour, salt and egg with paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook, add butter. Knead on medium-high until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 min. Transfer dough to bowl sprayed with nostick spray, cover with plastic wrap. Let rest until doubled, 1-2 hours. Heat oven to 400. Divide dough into 12 portions, shape each into a tight ball. Place balls on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Lightly spray or brush balls with oil, cover loosely with plastic and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Uncover dough and, using a spray bottle filled with water, moisten dough; sprinkle each ball with 1/4 tsp sesame seeds. Bake, rotating tray once in oven, until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Let cool.

Foodie Mags

I occasionally have a friend ask me about foodie mags, and since I have subscribed to several, here are my reviews (in no particular order, since I can't manage to get the blog photos in the order I would like!):

1) Saveur magazine is my current favorite. However, it's not the magazine to get if you're looking just for recipes. I like it because it has great articles about food and ingredients in all areas and cultures of the world. And, their Saveur 100 issue (pictured above) has great reviews on equipment, cookbooks, and other foodie stuff.

2) I subscribed to Cooks Illustrated magazine for a few years. I think hands-down, Cooks Illustrated is the BEST source for good quality recipes. They are the same company as Americas Test Kitchen (on PBS) and their philosophy is to test and retest recipes, ingredients, and equipment and tweak everything until it's just right. Their recipes almost always turn out fabulous and many become old favorites. However, I don't think the magazine is the best investment. I found that I wasn't interested in more than a couple of recipes per issue. It's not a cheap magazine, at over $30 a year, because they don't advertise (which is actually nice and allows them to offer unbiased reviews). But, I think a better choice for your $30/year is cooksillustrated.com, their website. For your subscription fee you get access to all of their years of recipes, reviews, and ratings. That way I can look up the recipes that I want to make. Very worthwhile!

3) Bon Appetit and Gourmet Magazine (until recently) were published by the same company. Bon Appetit is just not what I'm looking for in a foodie mag. I believe it's too trend-based, superficial, and even a little political. The articles are not well-written and the reviews on the whole are focused on really expensive, ritzy equipment and ingredients. I guess I'm just more of a back-to-basics kind of gal.

4) Cook's Country Magazine is published by the same company as Cook's Illustrated. I subscribed to it for a year or two. The caveat is that it was several years ago, so keep in mind my review may not be current if they've changed things. I was not thrilled with this additional offering from Americas Test Kitchen. The recipes were not as appealing to me, with things like cornflake-crusted chicken, and unlike the CI recipes, they just didn't turn out as well. That's a big thumbs-down for me when you spend a good amount on a recipe-only magazine. I wondered if maybe ATK had stretched themselves a little thin . . .

5) Alas for Gourmet magazine. I really enjoyed this magazine, with well-written articles, solid reviews on all ranges of equipment and ingredients, and some good recipes. However, they stopped publication November of 2009. I read that, in part, it was because they had to pay their writers more than Bon Appetit. It's amazing how price and quality almost always go hand in hand. But, if you like Gourmet or would like to check it out they actually have a ton of content online, including a lot of content from many years worth of issues.

If you have other foodie mags you like I'd love to hear about them! Happy Reading!