A Broad Reference

When I was little my mom made the most killer granola from shredded coconut, cornmeal and oats. It was a weekly production that involved a fresh coconut from the garden, husked and grated plus whatever grain- oats, cornmeal, wheatgerm etc was available. She mixed it with honey and oil and baked it in the oven. Delicious. It wasn't so much the hippie dippie movement as much as there weren't really many cereal options in Jamaica at the time. Plus we had an abundance of coconuts from the trees which made sense in that frugal thrifty developing world scenario.

Now that I've started this hi fiber 5-9 fruits and veg kick, I want a cereal with less sugar and more healthy ingredients. I searched around for a bunch of recipes, and came up with a basic ingredients list for granola that doesn't represent reality at all times but more the potential of being part of the mix at any given instance. I enjoy the oats so I start with a full cup of that. but everything else is kind of ad hoc (no coconut coz here it's a luxury- go figure!)

Pick a couple of ingredients to emphasize, I try to make it in small batches so that it's always crunchy and fresh. Plus if you don't like a batch or flavour, its not endless... The milk powder was something that Cafe Fanny adds to their granola. I find it helps with binding and also raises the protein content (Thanks for the tip Dan!) I've put stars * next to ingredients that pretty much make it into all of my granola. the rest is based on availability (ie do I have on hand in the pantry, or did I forget to replace after the last batch?)

Gwynie asked for a more complete recipe. So here it is.

Grains
1 1/2 C oats
1 C almond meal
2 Tbs flax seeds (coarsely grind)
1/4 C wheat bran

1/2 C powdered milk (nonfat)

Spices
1 Tbs coarse salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Seeds/Nuts
1/2 C sliced almonds
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C pumpkin seeds
1/2 C walnuts

Sweetness & Crunch
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
2 Tbs walnut oil

Binders
1/4 C meyer lemon jam
1/2 C tahini

Pre-heat the oven to 275oF. You want a long slow bake. The size pan you use is relative to the amount of cereal you're making. The mix should be about 1 inch deep. I spread the mix out and pack it down, as if making bars. I try not to turn it because that breaks up the clumps which I prefer. About halfway thru I add the small seeds/nuts and fruit. (Any longer and they would burn!) Total baking time is about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like it. Cut into small squares and use a spatula to lift off tray, these are great as granola bars. Most will have formed smaller chunks and bits that shatter off as you move it. Cool and store in an airtight container. Serve with milk or yogurt and fruit.

Grains
*oats
cornmeal
buckwheat
whole wheat flour
*almond meal
flax seeds (coarsely grind)
*wheat bran
banana meal (low glycemic index- available at Jamaican markets)

*nonfat powdered milk

Spices
*coarse salt
cinnamon
vanilla

Seeds/Nuts
sliced almonds
*sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
walnuts/pecans

Sweetness & Crunch
brown sugar
*honey
golden syrup
agave syrup
*butter
sunflower oil
palm oil
walnut oil

Binders
egg whites
apple sauce/compote
pumpkin puree
prune puree
jam
tahini

Dried Fruit
*cranberries
raisins
sour cherries

Posted by Misty at 08:10 AM | Permalink

Inspired by and mostly the same as Puebla-Style Fiesta Turkey in Mole Sauce Bon Appétit | May 2003 Any changes that were made were due to a lack of ingredients, and I indicated where I substituted something.

Right before the State special election, my twin sister Gwynie decided that we were under-informed about the ballot measures. To further our ability to vote in the election we decided to invite people over to discuss the ballot measures etc. Each person would pick one to be the expert on but everyone should have an opinion. ie no free loading ;^) haha. I think not that many Americans feel comfortable discussing their politics since it's a divisive topic, but in light of the impending budget crisis, it behooves us to talk about it now. A small group is better for discussion, and it worked out that not everyone whom we invited could come, so we had enough chairs to fit comfortably.

Our cousin Monica was moving out of her place, in preparation of her plan to go to school in Boston. Her roommate Jose's mom had made them a freezer full of tamales, which they'd kind of OD'd on. So she donated them to our cause. Thanks Mon! We had no room in our freezer so we stored them with Julie, and picked them up right before the party. They take about an hour to steam. We calculated 2-3 tamales per person.

We also had a bunch of different salsas at varying heat intensities. Mike made a killer spicy one from the Joy of cooking. Gwynie also made a tomatillo and guacamole salsa verde. We all made black beans, so there was a ton of them. Julie brought a mandarin & cabbage salad that Morgan made special for the party. I made a mole sauce. Which actually took several days to construct, mostly coz I didn't have all the ingredients at hand. Also each part of the recipe needs to be processed slightly differently, so I just did it sporadically and kept adding it to my trusty crockpot. It turned out beautifully, and improved over time. This recipe makes about a half gallon, so be prepared to freeze some of it for later. You'll be glad tho that it makes a large quantity, you don't want to go thru all this effort for a one time dish. Also many recipes call for you to strain the solids out and then add a thickener. I omitted the straining step and thus did not need to use a thickener.

Mole sauce
Ingredients
Turkey broth and meat
13 cups water
4 lbs bones turkey or chicken
1 large white onion, peeled, quartered
1 head of garlic, outer skin removed, cut crosswise in half
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Prepare a stock per my instructions Pull out the turkey meat when it's cooked all the way thru but still juicy. Set aside to cool, then shred meat. You can omit this part of the recipe if you want it to be vegetarian. The broth should have cooked down to about 10 cups of liquid. I feel that the broth adds a depth of flavor to the mole, but it would travel better at room temperature if it were vegetarian.

Chiles
1/2 cup cup lard or canola oil
5 dried ancho chiles
1 cup New Mexico red chile powder (thanks Diego!)
1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
I didn't have some of the fancy peppers they mention in the recipe, so I decided just to finish up the last of my New Mexican red chile powder which I had got from Diego (who is from Albuquerque).
Heat the oil and fry all the dried whole chiles, keeping a close eye on the skin. Use tongs to turn them, maybe 20 secs total? They should blister and puff up turning from a dark blackish color to almost jewel red. Don't burn them! Set aside in crockpot. Add 4 cups of broth/hot water and leave whole chiles to steep until soft and pliable (2 hours). The skin should peel right off the flesh, and you can remove the membranes and seeds depending on how much heat you want. I added in a can of chipotle chiles and the adobo packing sauce. I removed the seeds from prolly half these chiles but got fed up and left the rest intact. Make sure not to touch your eyes or nose while working with the chiles unless you are a particular fan of agony. Process all in Cuisinart until a smooth reddish brown puree. Toast the chile powder lightly until fragrant. Mix with puree into crockpot or over low heat in large deep pot and bring to simmer.

Fruit & flavorings
1/4 cup canola oil
1 onion, chopped
12 cloves garlic
1 large ripe plantain, peeled, thickly sliced (I actually omitted this coz I didn't have any)
1 pound tomatillos, husked, coarsely chopped
1 pound plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup raisins

Finely chop all onion, garlic and fry until glassy. Fry plantain until golden and caramelized. Add tomatillos, tomatoes and raisins, cook till raisins are plump and tomatillos breaking down. Grind it all in processor until smooth puree. Mix into crockpot with 2 cups of broth/water.

Nuts and seeds
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup whole almonds (I used almond meal)
1/4 cup pecans
1 tablespoon unsalted roasted peanuts (I used peanut butter)
1/4 cup shelled pepitas (pumkin seeds)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds (I used tahini)
Toast each type of nut separately (different sizes and oils make it difficult to toast together without burning). Then grind finely. Add the almond meal, peanut butter and tahini. Mix in with chiles adding 2 cups more broth/water to keep it smooth and runny.

Spices
5 whole cloves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
5 whole allspice berries
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp aniseed (I used fennel seeds)
1 1-inch piece canela* or cinnamon stick
1 tbs dried oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbs coarse sea salt
6 ounces (99% cacao) chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup chopped piloncillo (mexican cone sugar) or (packed) dark brown sugar (I omitted this for a less sweet effect)

Toast all of the spices individually and then grind. Add all ingredients to crockpot. At this point you should add the rest of the broth/hot water if left over (not to exceed the capacity of your pot) You want the sauce to be fairly runny to start. Leave to simmer at least 6 hours until it's about 2 quarts. The longer the better. Allow to cool. Store overnite in the fridge. This will deepen the flavor as it goes thru the cooling cycle. Taste and adjust salt as necessary. Serve heated over meat/tamales.

Posted by Misty at 05:46 PM | Permalink

The other day we had our friend Bridget over for dinner. She was very impressed with what she referred to as our "battery d'cuisine". I hadn't really thought about it before but we do have a lot of cooking stuff in our tiny kitchen. It's a result of combining both our kitchen sets (when I became a homeless nomad) and our passion for cooking (Plus all the exotic food stuffs, that I get to experiment with). I tried to come up with a list- to see what we really do use and what maybe could go...

My top kitchen items that I use EVERY day:

DISHWASHER! We have a mini portable and we used it 1-3x every day (it was old and leaky when we got it and after 5 years has just started a worrisome catastrophic seal failure mode). You wonder at the volume of dishes, but remember it's a mini washer and we cook, a lot. I'm very sad :{ Goodbye Dishwasher! you've been our stalwart helper, and we appreciate your service. Our aunt just upgraded to a Fisher-Paykel drawer style dishwasher, so we've inherited her old full size portable. Yay!

Japanese carbon steel Usuba hocho- smaller and lighter than the cleaver it snickersnaps thru everything veggie. A good knife goes a long way in cooking. I picked it up in Japan, just near the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. I have fond memories of that trip!

Toaster oven- When Gwynie lived in Idaho, she burnt toast every day (much to the detriment of Becky's sleep cycle- nothing like having your roommate heave a burning toaster out the window to wake you up...) This puppy makes perfect toast. I also have tested it for baking during my Taiwan interlude. We're starting to use it less as we move away from yeasted breads, but still a primary goto item.

Cuisinart- 7 cup food processor & discs- It's a snap to clean, our friend Karen puts hers in the dishwasher, and now we do too. I met a food appliance engineer who knows all about the plastic resin bowls, and he says they "craze" or get opaque after 200 cycles. I use it for shredding and slicing, and some mixing/blending depending on volume (can be leaky). While we're on a salad-y kick, we use it even more.

Braun immersion blender- 2 cup chopper bowl & blade, 7-1/2-inch blender shaft (it has other attachments but I don't use them) I use it to grind spices, make pesto, marinades and soups. I think this is easily one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can own. For the size, it's just a winner all round. ps I got mine for $40 but a bargain at any price.

Carbon steel crepe pan (but not for crepes!) It's low sides and flat surface are the best for heating tortillas and making quesadillas. I accidentally melted a plastic spatula on it, so it's not as beautiful as before. I threw away the spatula.

non-stick frying pan with metal handles- I have a hard time with non-stick but I guess the other option is heavy metal poisoning? So we use this one on the stove top and in the oven. Super versatile and the handles make it very easy to maneuver. If I had to choose only one between the cast iron pan, this is easier to move around.

silicone spatulas- see above reference to cheap plastic spatulas! We always get the novelty holiday ones when they go on sale after the hols, so much cheaper then.

Seriously these devices make such a difference to my cooking! I definitely missed them in Taiwan. I'd like to point out, that if I were choosing only 5 things to cook with, then I wouldn't need a dishwasher to wash them.

Items that I use frequently and miss when I don't have access to them:

Trusty crock pot- My aunt gave me this about 15 years ago and I've put it thru it's paces. Still going strong. Thanks auntie Miriam! I'll do a separate post on it soon.

Heavy Chinese carbon steel cleaver- inherited from our Grandmother. When my Aunt Alex was ruthlessly getting rid of all of my Grandma's things, Grandma quick like a ninja smuggled it out of the house and passed it into Gwynie's safe keeping. I think it was important to her that it be used by someone who loved cooking and appreciated it for what it was. I think of her laughing in her kitchen every time I use it.

Cast iron pan- inherited from Auntie Cathy, who swears by cast iron and makes a mean pizza dough from scratch without measuring anything. (and just as I was typing this she called. Hi auntie!)

Microwave- I have moments when I think that we're frying our brains with these things. I had a little African violet that lived on top of it, and altho I cared for it very well, it shriveled up and died a sad and miserable death. But mostly I love the utility, I just wear a foil hat when I use it <|;^)

Items in storage that I really wish I had out
Hamilton Beach blender- Gwynie got this for my 21st birthday present (at Costco). I won't tell you how long I've had it... but it's still going strong. The original jug broke a while ago (after maybe 10 years of use) and I've replaced the blades once, and really have nothing but good things to say about it. I use it to make smoothies and margaritas. Need I say more? Actually I should add that once I got the immersion blender, I didn't use this as much, just because the cleaning overhead is higher. More parts and bigger footprint. Also I kind of O.D'd on smoothies (but they've recently made a come back in my life).

kitchen aid stand mixer - I know so many people for whom this is a top performer. For the volume of cooking I do it's kind of too much. I love it, but it has such a large footprint, it's tough for me to justify the space it requires. That said if I could, I would have it out.

carbon steel enamel pots and pans- I got these in Japan as an alternative to both the non-stick and the heavy cast iron. I packed them all the way home in my suitcase. My only gripe is the base is a little thin and develops hot spots. They're a happy cheery red. I miss them!

Le Cruset Doufeu - My mom had an orange one that she cooked everything in. I got this one as soon as I could afford the $250+ (it was on sale). Combines the stable heat of the cast iron pan and the easy clean of non-stick without being plastic... I love it! But really there's no room.

Items I wish I had but am holding off because of cash flow or space requirements.
Pizza stone (thick) I've shattered so many of these over the years, I'm reluctant to get another one. But nothing beats the crusts you produce with one...

kitchen aid stand mixer (in storage right now)
-Pasta Roller Attachment I would love to make my own pasta and wonton skins from scratch. Gwynie also has dreams of using it to make tortillas (I remain unconvinced). I also fantasize about using it as a mini-sheeter to make my own puff pastry

Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer- we've got several other kinds, but I realized the other day, that they're all fiddly and limited in the range of temps they measure. I just want an ordinary digital one that doesn't take up a lot of space, is super accurate and has a wide range -4oC to 300oC. I know, what else could I demand as a feature?

Taiwanese vegetable peeler- so versatile and interesting in the technique required to use it and the shredded vs sliced options. I once stood next a group ladies who were peeling and shredding a pile of Daikon with these tools. They looked so efficient and wicked sharp!

ice cream maker- borrowed from Adam and J9, so really it doesn't count as mine but is essential for getting that creamy mouthfeel, and so much easier. Hugely expensive, that's why we borrowed it.

items that I use not SO often but make a HUGE difference to the product when I do use them:
rice cooker
zester/micro-plane grater
Extra-large sized potato masher
cherry pitter
roasting pan & rack
citrus juicer/reamer
Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother
instant whipped cream maker

items I never use, should get rid of but am inspired by, so keep anyway
coffee maker & grinder -I converted the grinder into a spice grinder- but it's difficult to clean, so the coffee tastes funny now... (don't tell Dad) but since I got the immersion blender + attachments, I haven't needed the grinder
waffle iron/panini press
mandolin
pasta insert
ravioli maker
chocolate forms
fondue pot
Vietnamese cast iron donut/ableskivver pan
electric wok
poaching rings
pastry cutter
yogurt maker- after last week's proof of principle batch of yogurt, I'm getting rid of this for sure.

Posted by Misty at 12:11 AM | Permalink

I love the shattering crunch of fragile tuiles, and most recently made a very satisfying sugar & oats based version for Christmas which were scarfed in seconds flat. But I've been hankering after a savory version and decided to attempt my own. I used an Indian recipe for basic inspiration

but took great liberties for various reasons. A friend is allergic to gluten, and so I while I changed the carbs so that she could eat them, I feel this also helped to get closer to the lacy cheese crunchy goodness I envisioned.

Ingredients

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp sesame seeds
1 Tbs oregano

1/3 cup tahini
4 Tbs butter (melted)
1/4-1/2 cup water (warm)

1 big onion(finely chopped)
3 red bird chillies (finely chopped)
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped coriander leaves

1/2 cup cheddar
1/2 cup swiss
1 cup asiago

4 tsp sesame seeds for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350oF. Line large baking sheet with parchment.
1. Mix dry ingredients together. Toss with onion, chillies and coriander
2. Add butter, tahini and water to create a loose batter. Lightly mix in cheeses till evenly distributed.
3. Drop spoonfuls onto sheet, spread mixture with fork into thin circles about 3 inches in diameter leaving 1-2 inches between (tuiles will spread as cheese melts).
4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish.
5. Cook until uniformly golden brown (~20 minutes). Tuiles should be crisp as you remove them from sheet. If they are a little soft and pliable, return to oven for a couple of minutes.

Note: These quickly lose their crunch. so make them as close as possible to when you'll be serving them. If you have to make them in advance, store them in a dish that is oven proof so you can heat them before serving.

Posted by Misty at 12:59 PM | Permalink

The other day Julius and Sara were talking about their goat cheese making adventures, and the conversation quickly turned to lyophillized lactic acid bacteria and how easy it made the whole process. From there it was a short segue into talking about yogurt, which requires a bunch of fancy named bacteria (Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus to name a couple, there are other Eurasian exotics... that don't figure in this story) who spend their time eating the milk sugars, excreting lactic acid and forming denatured protein webs until the milk has set.

I remember my mom making yogurt in the oven when I was little. She seemed to have a pretty good success rate, producing tangy yogurt that was too strong for my juvenile taste buds and only a couple times ending up with sad goopy sour milk. I've been experimenting with making yogurt every couple of years or so for the last 20 years. Scalding the milk, adding "live" starter yogurt purchased at the supermarket, putting it in the oven, waiting over night only to find slimy stringy goopy yogurt-like product that to my dismay tasted too incredibly sour to eat.

Then Julius generously offered to give me their packet of yogurt starter culture since they weren't using it. I took them up on their kind offer and went home entrusted with the "special stuff" determined to make a go of it. This time I used whole milk, and rigged up 2 thermometers for a water bath in my rice pot. I heated the milk to 80oC and waited for the temp to drop adding the culture at 40oC, then floated the glass jars in the water bath, whereupon they sank to the bottom mixing the milk with water :{ I tried again with my last 12 oz of milk and another spoonful of starter culture. Sealing it into the insulated rice pot for 7 hours.

SUCCESS! A Firm solid set but still with an ethereal melting mouth feel and a tangy but not bitter taste.
The only sad thing was the very small amount I managed to make.

Next day I got some non-fat milk and milk powder and tried again, this time using the larger crock pot. I mixed in the milk powder, 3 heaping Tbs to 1 quart of milk, then heated the milk to 180oF, whisking to dissolve the lumps. Once the milk had attained the upper temp I cooled the milk in the water bath until it equilibrated at 110oF, mixing in the starter culture. Then left it to sit in the water bath (aka crock pot- I switched it on every so often to maintain temp- it was not as well insulated as the rice cooker) for 6 hours by which time it had set firmly. A comparison between the two versions revealed that I prefer the higher protein content texture of the milk solid fortified yogurt but the creamier taste of the whole milk- the finish is better on the back of the tongue. They tasted the same, but had a slightly different mouth feel. I think for everyday eating the non-fat milk is fine, altho for a dessert option I would use whole milk. Both times I took a small vertical section of the jar (to ensure complete sampling of various layers of bacteria- apparently sometimes they stratify?) for starter next time I make yogurt. You can freeze it for months, thaw and use just like the powdered culture. I won't feel confident until I've managed to do this multiple times, but at least I recognize now that I need a thermometer in my arsenal to truly attempt yogurt.
Good luck with your efforts!

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-yogurt-plain-whole-milk-8-i1116

Update: The longer you hold your milk at 80oC the firmer the set is. I've also started putting a teaspoon of yogurt in the bottom of each jar and this helps too. Now I use fat free milk, milk powder & starter culture and maintain heat in the crockpot at 40oC for the first 30 minutes, then I allow it to cool normally over the course of 6-12 hours.

Posted by Misty at 07:14 PM | Permalink

When my mom was here for Thanksgiving, we went to my Auntie Elizabeth's for lunch, it was all very scrumptious, but the stand out dish for me was the almond pudding. Gwynie also liked it, so I thought I'd track it down and attempt it as an interesting dessert option. I like a Thai red rice that I bought at 99 Ranch, and I thought it would obviate the need for blanching and removing skins which is just fiddly.
Here's the recipe as Auntie Elizabeth makes it:

1 1/2 c. almonds, blanched & skins removed
1/4 c. raw white rice
3 c. water
1 c. sugar or to taste
1 c. milk or to taste
Almond extract (optional)

Process almonds with a little water in a food processor or blender until you get a smooth paste. Add rice and process. Bring the 3 cups of water and sugar to boil. Add almonds & rice mixture slowly, stirring constantly or else mixture will stick & burn. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add milk and almond extract (if adding). Thin mixture with more milk if desired. Spoon into cups and allow to set. Serve warm or cold. Garnish with almond tuille before serving.

serves 8

Posted by Misty at 08:59 AM | Permalink

We went on an apple kick a few weeks back, but didn't manage to get thru them all before they started looking a little sad :{ I've been making yogurt from scratch for a few days now and wanted jazz up the plain a bit but not too sugary sweet. When I saw rhubarb in the store I was inspired to make a tangy Apple Rhubarb Crisp. Enjoy!

For the Filling:
3 apples (pink lady)
3 rhubarb stalks
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbs rice flour
Lemon juice
lemon zest

Core apples and chop into large chunks. Split rhubarb stalks and chop. Zest lemon, & juice.
Combine all ingredients, allow to macerate.

Pre-heat oven to 375oF.

Crisp:
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup almond meal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp clove & nutmeg each
1/4 cup butter

Reserve:
1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1 cup rolled oats

Mix all ingredients in food processor, pulsing till sandy. Then add oats and almonds. Pulse briefly to incorporate but avoid chopping oats.

Lay on top of fruit in oven safe dish. Bake for 30 minutes till golden.
Amazing how delicious this was. Crunchy nutty goodness of the crisp balanced by the sweet melting of the apples and sour ruby rhubarb notes, with the tangy success of homemade yogurt. Deliteful floral notes- was it the rhubarb? or apple? I'll make this again!

Posted by Misty at 07:01 PM | Permalink