Cooking

Add a Pinch

Cooking

My family was recently gifted some lovely French salts. This got me thinking how little I really knew about salts. When to use them? Which ones to use? Wouldn’t the little Morton girl do for everything? So I did a little research.

One thing about salt is, once you put it in you can not take it out. Salt can not be smelled, only tasted. So, over salting is a mistake. No one wants to feel like they have just taken in a mouthful of saltwater.

When to add the salt depends on what is being made. A pinch of salt should be added to the boiling water when making pasta and rice. This allows it to be absorbed into the food. Salt should be added to vegetables at the end of cooking as it draws out the moisture in the vegetables. Beans should be soaked overnight in salty water before cooking or sprinkled at the end of cooking not while cooking, as this will make them tough. Meat should be salted when raw. Once the meat starts cooking, the cells close up and the meat can not absorb the flavors as well. Soup is the easy one. Salt distributes evenly in soup and can be added to soup at any time.

Common table salt and iodized table salt are one in the same. Iodized table salt has iodine, an important nutrient, added to provide an easy source of iodine to a person’s diet. However, there is no taste difference and the usage is the same. Chemicals are usually added to table salt to keep it from absorbing moisture and letting it be able to be sprinkled in salt containers. This is the cheapest form of salt.

Kosher salt is used in curing meats. It dissolves well and can be used the same as would common table salt . It’s crystals are larger in size than that of common table salt.

Sea salt is obviously obtained from the sea. It contains mineral salts like magnesium, calcium, and potassium. These minerals give it a stronger, more complex flavor. The minerals also give it a greyish color. Sel gris is a type of sea salt from France which is collected from clay-lined salt ponds off the coast. It is slightly wet in texture. Fleur de sel is the delicate crystals that form on on the surface of evaporating sel gris marshes. This form does not come in contact with the clay and is clear in color. The Fleur de sel is skimmed off the top of the water by hand using special rakes. Fleur de sel is the top of the line in salt, which accounts for it being more pricey to purchase and is a special occasion salt. It is best added to a dish directly before serving. It is regarded as one of the best finishing salts often used on caramels for it’s crunchy crystal texture.

Sel gris
Fleur de sel

After trying Sel gris and Fleur de sel, I have to say I am a fan. These salts have more flavor and texture than the little Morton girl. I would say they are surely salts to be found in a Master Chef’s kitchen. Proper seasoning can immensely improve a dish. Bon Appetit!

Making Macarons

Cooking

My first attempt at making the pretty little French Macaron went pretty well. The Macaron, after all, has a reputation of not being the easiest to make. Mine were fairly similar in size and the coloring wasn’t bad, they had feet, and most importantly, they tasted good.

I got a few tips on making the French treats from a recent episode of Master Chef. From the show I learned the importance of sifting the flour and pounding the cookie sheet after piping the batter. I also learned that the Macarons should have feet and should maintain their bright colors and not brown during baking. Some of the chefs had their cookies stick to the cooking mats. I read that parchment paper was a better choice. I must say I agree. My Macarons had no problems with the parchment paper.

I found a recipe for Macarons and decided to give it a try. The ingredients are simple… almond flour, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla, and food coloring to give it that fun look. The biggest job was sifting the almond flour since almond flour tends to be a bit on the moist side. After what seemed like hours, the almond flour was sifted. Next, I beat the egg whites to a peak and gently folded in the dry ingredients. I was now ready to pipe the Macarons onto cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Then the sheets were pounded/dropped to get rid of potential air bubbles. The Macarons were then left to rest for 40 minutes and finally, put into the oven to bake. After seven minutes in the oven, the pan was turned for even cooking. The Macarons must be cooked until they do not move when touched, but no longer, or they will brown, losing their pretty color. This was the tricky part. It only takes, in my estimate, 30 seconds to 1 minute to over bake the Macarons, so one must be very watchful so they do not over-bake. The recipe called for 12-15 minutes baking time. Mine took on the lower end of this. I would say about 10-11 minutes was about right.

Macarons resting
Baked Macarons

After the Macarons cooled, I made a buttercream frosting for the filling. Next time, I would like to experiment with flavored fillings. Maybe raspberry! A ganache would also be a nice filling to try.

Voila! Filled Macarons

While there is always room for improvement, I think my first attempt at making Macarons was a success. Next time, I will know to watch the bake time even more carefully. I can not wait to experiment with new flavors and colors. Bon Appetit!

For the recipe go to: https://preppykitchen.com/french-macarons/

Pan Seared Steak

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While watching Master Chef on television, I have found some new techniques to try at home. The show has made me realize that there are many ways to cook the same thing, some better than others. This led me to my latest attempt to cook the perfect steak.

On the show, the chefs are always ‘finishing it in the oven’. Hmm…. this is a thought. So, I did a little research on cooking the perfect steak. It should be crispy on the outside, yet juicy and tender on the inside. Usually, I use a grill pan and I must confess to sometimes over grilling my meat. Juicy…not so much.

So, I set out to make the perfect steak and I think I nailed it. First of all the steak should not be one of those super thin things. A little thickness is a good thing. Next, a cast iron skillet is needed. I put my cast iron skillet over medium heat until a drop of water thrown on it sizzled. Then I added canola oil to coat the pan. I lightly salted the steaks and placed them in the pan. The steaks need to sear for 2-3 minutes per side. Next, I added about 2 Tbsp of butter to baste. To the butter I added the seasoning, a bit of garlic and thyme. After flipping the steaks over, with a spoon, I basted the steaks with the butter while the second side seared. (Add more butter if it cooks away. The pan should not be dry.) Then, like my Master Chef chefs, I finished it in the oven (350 degrees for about 5 minutes).

The family all agreed that the steaks were cooked to perfection. Surely the best steaks I have ever made. They turned out juicy and slightly pink on the inside. Proving once again that there is always something new to learn in the kitchen.

Be Your Own Barista

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I like to enjoy a good cup of coffee on a cold night. Something warm and soothing. However, it is summer and the temperatures are rising. Somehow settling down with a warm cup of coffee doesn’t sound so tempting. Make mine a cold brew please.

I had my first cold brew at a cute little coffee house that is no longer in existence. Coffee over ice with a straw. It was refreshing and sort of like iced tea in a way, only stronger. At some point I decided I should try this at home. It is so simple to make it seems silly to pay someone else to make one.

I purchased a Cold Brew Infuser Kit by Craft Connections Co. It consists of a 64 oz. Ball Mason Jar and lid with a stainless steel filter basket. It also came with a recipe book if I ever chose to get really fancy with my coffee. I also bought some French Roast coffee beans that I ground myself.

To make the Cold Brew Coffee:

  • Grind coffee beans and fill the filter basket with 3/4 cup of course grind coffee.
  • Pour 4 cups of room temperature water down the center of the filter basket over the ground coffee.
  • Put lid on jar and give the jar a gentle shake.
  • Let the jar steep for 12-18 hours in the refrigerator.
  • Remove the filter basket and pour a glass of coffee in a glass over ice.
  • Store remaining coffee in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Apparently, the Cold Brew Infuser Kit can also be used to infuse fresh fruit into water. That sounds like something tempting to try! Also, I read where cold brew coffee is better for acid-reflux sufferers. It has less acid than hot brewed coffee. This has to do with the beans not being heated. Worth a shot!

Harvesting and Cooking Home Grown Green Beans

Cooking, gardening

It is summer and the garden is producing all sorts of goodies. We have vine green beans growing taller than me right now. Time to harvest and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

I like to pick my green beans before they get too large. In my experience, the larger the bean, the tougher the bean tends to become. Very large green beans are not tasty, so be sure to keep an eye on them and pick them when ready. Green beans should snap and sound crisp. If not, they are probably too large.

Once the beans are picked, I wash them in water and lay them on a towel to dry. Then I snap off the ends, leaving one long bean. They can also be snapped shorter if preferred. Now they are ready to be prepared.

Green beans are a very versatile vegetable. They go with almost any entree and are simple to prepare. There are a few different methods of preparing green beans. Baking, roasting, blanching and shocking, boiling, and steaming and sauteing are some options to consider.

Green beans can be baked in casseroles, such as the ever famous holiday French’s Green Bean Casserole (https://www.mccormick.com/frenchs/recipes/salads-sides/frenchs-green-bean-casserole). This dish has made it on the table at most pot-lucks throughout the country. Sheppard’s Pie is another casserole that can include green beans.

Roasting green beans can be done by mixing green beans with a drizzle of canola (or other) oil, and seasoning of choice, and spreading them onto a baking sheet. Pop the sheet into a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Green beans can also cook alongside a roast of meat in the oven.

Blanching and shocking green beans is done by placing green beans into a pot of boiling, salted water until just tender (about two minutes). Then the beans are drained and put into a bowl of cold, ice water for two minutes. The ice water stops the beans from cooking and helps them maintain their lovely green hue. Now the beans can be used in a cold salad or can be sauteed in a pan with oil, butter, and garlic for a nice crisp bean.

To steam beans, place them in a skillet partially covered in water, cover with lid and boil for 4-5 minutes. Then drain and saute the beans with butter and oil until tender. This will take another couple of minutes. Season and serve.

Boiling green beans is another option. Place beans in a pot, partially cover with water, place lid on pot. Bring the water to boil then turn the burner to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season and serve.

Seasonings that work well with green beans are salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, grated lemon peel, sesame seeds, pesto, basil, onion, bacon, etc… Have fun experimenting with flavors that appeal to the palate and work well with the dish it will accompany.

Making Homemade Pasta…Worth the Time

Cooking

Years ago, I took a hands-on pasta making class at a local cooking school. I did so because making pasta seemed overwhelming to me and I was not sure I could do it on my own. However, pasta making is actually very simple and fun to make.

While making pasta from scratch does take longer than opening a box of dried noodles, it is well worth it. It tastes fresh and takes less time to cook than the dried pasta you get at the store. Plus, flavors can be added to the dough to give it a unique taste. Tomato paste, spinach, herbs, etc., can be added to give the pasta color, texture, and flavor. The pasta will be so tasty that heavy sauces will not be required. Fresh tomatoes or a butter sauce compliment the pasta quite nicely.

How does one go about making homemade pasta noodles? First, a pasta machine is required. The hand cranking kind works fine. Mine is an Atlas brand from Italy. Most kitchens will have everything else that is needed. Ingredients are also probably something most people will have as kitchen staples.

The dough can be made in a large mixing bowl. Dry ingredients are put in and a well is made in the center to hold the liquids. Liquids are gently mixed in the well until all dry ingredients are incorporated with the wet. This is then kneaded until smooth and let to rest for ten minutes. The dough is now ready to run through the pasta machine. It’s that simple!

Here is the recipe I use:

Homemade Pasta

  • 1 1/4 c flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 8 tsp water
  • 1 tsp olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a small bowl stir together egg, water, and oil. Pour into well and mix with flour mixture.

Sprinkle kneading surface with flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic- about 8-10 minutes. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough in half. Roll dough flat enough to fit in setting #1 in pasta machine. Pass dough through setting #1 four times, folding the dough after each pass and sprinkling with flour. Then roll dough once through settings 2 through 6 sprinkling with flour after each pass. (Do not fold dough on settings 2 through 6.) Repeat with other half of dough.

The dough is now ready to make into noodles. Add the noodle cutting attachment to the pasta maker and pass dough through to cut into noodles. Additionally, if you desire ravioli or lasagna noodles, they could be cut at this stage instead.

Cook pasta in boiling water for about 6 minutes, until floating and done to your liking. (Homemade pasta should not be overcooked. ) Top with your favorite sauce.

Recipe serves approximately 4 persons. Recipe can be doubled.

Recipe Hoarding and What to Do About It

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If you love to cook like I do, you may find yourself inundated with recipes. This overload of recipes can leave one unorganized and therefore, unproductive. Do not despair, there is hope.

I used to subscribe to a number of magazines which were loaded with recipes of delicious looking meals, tasty looking snacks, and tempting, mouth watering desserts. Of course, I had to cut out all the recipes that I was sure to make some day in the near future. These recipes were then placed in a nice, neat stack on the cookbook shelf.

Unfortunately, most of the time, these recipes never got made. My recipe stack accumulated into a pile and then an overflowing mound. The recipes I had actually made were put into a file folder that became so full I could not find the recipe I wanted without going through the whole folder several times. Same thing with my recipe card box. I knew the recipe was in there somewhere. At times, I even had my children help in the search for a beloved recipe. I did have some of my recipes organized in binders with clear sleeves. However, they too were not in a particularly great order. It was time to face the fact, I had become a recipe hoarder!

What I have learned from my recipe hoarding days is… You do not need fifty recipes for cheesecake. Some recipes do not look as appealing over time, aka..why did I save this recipe? While some recipes look good, I will probably never make them anyway…they take too long…the ingredients are crazy…no one else in the family would eat it, and so on. My family really only wants the “go to” recipe for their favorite dish anyway. Family favorites can never be replaced.

I write notes on my recipes after making them. So I might write “the best”, “yum”, “so and so likes”, “ok- but needs more seasoning”, “fast and easy”, “good but takes time”, and so on. If the recipe did not get a good review, it went into the recycle bin. No need to file that one away. Some of the recipes I hoarded were honestly never going to get made anyway so into the recycle bin they went. My pile was slowly getting smaller.

binder using divider pages to separate categories

I decided to keep my binder method for storing recipes. This time, however, I made separate binders for different categories so finding a recipe would be easier. So, a binder for desserts, breads, sides and appetizers, cookies, entrees, etc… Then each recipe was put into a clear sleeve and put inside the binder in more specific sections divided by page dividers. For example, the entrees binder was divided into chicken, beef, pork/ham, turkey, and seafood. Then, using the computer, I made an index for each binder. In this way I know what is in each binder and in which section the recipe can be found.

I also did away with my recipe card box. Some of the cards were written on both sides. I took these and copied them onto one sheet of paper using my printer. They were now easy to slide into a sleeve and put into the proper binder.

I have decided I will never again need a magazine subscription for recipes. My cookbook shelves are now organized and I am no longer stressed out because I cannot locate a desired recipe. After all the work I did to get my recipes super organized, I can honestly say my hoarding days are over. Lesson learned.

Egg Post Follow-up: Separating Eggs Using Your Hands

Cooking

Well, it did not take long for me to try my hand at separating eggs using my hands. My son found the perfect opportunity for me when he was making a Gluten Free Pancake recipe from Chef Gordon Ramsay. Knowing I wanted to try this he called me into the kitchen.

Of course I was ready to try this! Washing my hands in preparation for my latest challenge, I warned him that we may waste a few eggs (not really…I can not stand to waste food…I would just save and scramble them for breakfast tomorrow…) in the learning process. I got my bowls ready and cracked the first egg with one hand into the palm of my other hand. I caught the yolk nicely in my palm and let the whites drain through my open fingers into the bowl. Success! Can I do it again? I proceeded to crack the second egg into my palm and yes, success again!

Using the hand method to separate eggs.

How do I compare separating eggs using the hand method to that of the shell method? I actually prefer the hand method. Thanks Gordon Ramsay for this new technique! Why do I prefer this method? Obviously, since I love the one handed egg cracking method, this works for me. Using the shell method, if you do not crack the shell perfectly down the center, separating the eggs can be a little more challenging. The hand method is also faster, in my opinion, than cracking the shell and sending the yolk back and forth between shells until fully separated.

Now that I have found my preferred method of cracking and separating eggs, I think I will search for other kitchen techniques that I can improve upon. I know my knife skills could use sharpening.

Eggs…all They’re Cracked up to be and More

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A few years back I learned that there are more than one way to crack an egg. Really! Who knew? An egg can be cracked with one hand? Amazing!

I had been taught to crack an egg by hitting the egg on the side of a bowl and then, using two hands, carefully pull the shell apart. Voila, the egg is cracked. Then I found out that you can crack an egg with one hand. I was fascinated at this concept and having never tried it before set out to crack my first one-handed egg.

I watched some you-tube videos (my go to for all new attempts) and had the directions I needed to give it a go. Let’s just say it wasn’t as easy as it was cracked up to be. Not that it is super hard or anything, however, it does take a little practice. Once I got the hang of it, I never looked back. I was obsessed with the one handed egg cracking and got such a thrill out of my accomplishment.

Thinking I am now the egg pro, imagine my surprise when watching my favorite cooking show, Masterchef, Gordon Ramsay shows the contestants how to separate eggs using his fingers. What! You’ve got to be kidding! Fascinating! Apparently, the egg is cracked over the hand (Good thing I can crack an egg with one hand!) and the yolk is caught in the palm while the whites drip through the fingers and into a bowl. Wow!

So I checked out the Masterclass website and find out that I use the traditional method of separating eggs. But that’s not all. There are even more ways to separate eggs. There is the egg shell or traditional method, the slotted spoon method, the water bottle method, the funnel method, and the hand method as shown on the show. So my method is not wrong, it’s just not the only way to do it.

I think my new obsession will be learning to separate eggs with my fingers. Sounds messy, challenging, and exciting!