When we were little there were these shaped cookies of lightly nutty crumbly shortbread cookies that just melted away in your mouth with a whisper of sugar and butter. Gwynie has been on a mission to recreate these cookies for a while. Her newest Christmas present- a cookie press, has been working overtime in the kitchen to perfect the recipe that captures this childhood memory. Many variations came out too tough or tasteless. This latest recipe from Christmas-cookies.com is a wonderful base, and I'm sure she will be using it as the standard for many years to come. The original makes a ton of cookies so she adjusted the recipe as listed below, which I recommend doing because you just can't stop eating them, they are that snacktastic. Freezes well, but should be warmed to room temperature before using with a cookie press.

Quick, easy and pretty...buttery and melt-in-your-mouth. Perfect texture for working with your cookie press!

Pre-heat the oven to 350oF

8oz butter room temp
1/2 C powdered/icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
pinch salt
1/4 C cornstarch
1 1/2 C flour

Use a food processor or stand/hand mixer to cream together butter, sugar, salt, & vanilla.
Gradually add cornstarch and flour. Whip until fluffy.
Load into a cookie press.
*Baking sheet should be cool and clean.
Space dough evenly allowing at least 1" since the cookies spread.
Don't worry- the cookies will bake off cleanly and lift easily with a spatula.
Traditionally decorated with a dot of jam or candied fruit but delicious plain.
Bake 12-15 minutes.
Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet
Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Servings: 40

*Notes:
It is not necessary to grease or flour since you want the cookies to adhere to the sheet.
Foil or parchment paper will lift with the dough and prevent a clean separation from the press.
If you don't have a cookie press you can create a log and chill. Once hard slice off thin rounds.

A favorite blogger Joe Pastry mentioned how early settlers roasted pumpkins filled with cream, spices and honey. A sort of primitive pumpkin pie with out the pie crust which was probably really hard to procure in early times. Inspired, I bought a sugar pumpkin for the shell and cut up and roasted a kabocha squash for the filling.

Mostly Mum would pack lunch and treats, but at Hellshire had tiny fish shacks that cooked the most delicious food. They fry over wood fires in large round pans of oil. A typical meal would be crunchy deep fried fish with vinegary hot hot escovitch peppers (so spicy it would make your lips & fingers tingle and burn), festival (slightly sweet cornmeal fritters) and bammy (cassava cakes). For the grownups Red Stripe beer of course, and kids had thirst quenching- fiery pepper cooling Ting (grapefruit soda).

I've been going through a canning phase again. My latest attempt is escovitch peppers. I looked online and found a bunch of different recipes. This is an amalgamation of those, but it's pretty simple.

I canned mine so that I don't have to store the bottles in the fridge, but it keeps in the fridge fine. Trust me it won't last too long. By most reports, it's finished as soon as you open a bottle. This time I did them in 1 C jars. Next time I plan to use pint jars. Now that I've found it to be easy, there's no need to buy the cans of peppers.

Ingredients
1 C water
1.5 C white cane vinegar
1.5 oz white sugar
2.5 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs spice chi or pickling spice (must include pimento & bay leaf!)

1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, pierced

1/2 -1 lb chilli peppers

Thinly slice all the vegetables.
Heat the vinegar, sugar, salt, spices, onion, garlic, and Scotch bonnet and bring to a boil. Add peppers. Simmer vegetables for 2 minutes. This allows you to fit more into a jar, otherwise it cooks down to about 1/2 cup during the canning step. Stop here and enjoy the crispy spicy pickles, or proceed to the canning step.

Pack bottles with vegetables, leaving ~ 1/2" headroom, top with the vinegar liquid.
Waterbath can for 5-10 minutes. Pickled peppers and onion become very soft, with a deep flavor that improves over time. Keep canned jars up to a year.

On the West side of Jamiaca in the parish of St Elizabeth, there is a famous spot called Bamboo Walk. Completely enclosed by arching stands of bamboo, it is a cool respite on the road. The river which runs close by has fresh water shrimps, that people trap and cook up in the spiciest pepper you ever tasted. They sell them by the road on Bamboo Walk, shouting "frash swimps, peppa swimps" and we always stopped to buy some on the way through.
The shrimp are so spicy that if you touch your eyes after eating them, you'll be cryin' fi true. (Also wear gloves when you are dealing with Scotch Bonnet- the residual burn is a reminder to me as I sit typing with tingling finger tips)

Last year I was searching for a pepper shrimp recipe and my friend Kiki rescued me with the standard Jamaican one. She posted on Facebook, but since I'm not sure how long FB will be around, and I'd like to keep this recipe, I've made a copy for the blog. So thanks to Kiki, here is her guest entry on Pepper Shrimp.

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Pepper Shrimp (again, lovingly lifted from Masterchef Enid Donaldson)
by Kiki Marriott
5 lb shrimps (in shells)
1 cup salad oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. salt
2 scotch bonnet peppers
2 tbsp vinegar

1. In a heavy dutch oven, put oil, garlic, salt and pepper to heat
2. Add shrimps and stir for 5 mins
3. Sprinkle on vinegar and cook for another 5 mins.

Cooks tip: 5 pints of everything may be used instead of oil- boil everything together, except shrimps, for 10 mins. Add shrimps and boil 10 mins more.

My tip: Last summer, I made these for the first time when my foody FB Andrews Girl friend made a distress call for a recipe, and I dug this one up from my Bible of Jamaican food, Enid Donaldson's The Real Taste of Jamaica. Hubby started craving them too, so I made them and I was amazed at how easy and good they were. When we finished them, we licked the pot!
I imagine that they use cane vinegar in Jamaica, I found cider vinegar tasted better than wine vinegar.
Next time, I plan to do the broth and throw in some corn. Yummm!

--(Good idea, I'll give that a try too./A)

Back when we were little, a trip to the north coast of the island was not complete unless we stopped at Boston Bay for the jerk pork. Grilled slowly over a bed of charcoal, chopped quickly into juicy chunks and served wrapped in newspaper with festival, it was a welcome stop on the way. Man! The pepper so hot it burns the tongue and the pimento keeps the low heat on the lips, no amount of water will quench the flames. The meat is smoky and succulent. I've experimented over the years and here is the recipe that most closely resembles the rub from Boston Bay as I remember it.

4 tsp allspice
4 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs dried thyme
2 Scotch bonnet peppers
1 onion
4 green onions
1 tsp crushed garlic cloves

2 tsp black pepper
4 coins of ginger

2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp molasses
2 tsp lime juice

2 Tbs cane vinegar
2 Tbs gold rum
2 tsp salt

optional additions (I use them to boost the umami)
2Tbs Hoisin
2 Tbs fish sauce

Toast the spices in small batches over medium low heat, shaking to avoid burning.
Grind until well mixed.
Depending on how hot you want- cut open Scotch Bonnet and remove the seeds and veins. If you are interested in super HOT jerk, you can use the whole pepper. But consider yourself warned...
Bloom ground spices in oil over low heat, add to food processor with chopped onion, garlic, crumbled thyme, salt, and pieces of ginger.
Add the olive oil and pulse together, blending well.
Then add liquid ingredients vinegar, molasses, hoisin, fish sauce, rum and lime, grinding all into a paste.

Store in a bottle for several days so the flavors can develop before marinading meat overnight. The proportions make enough to season 20lbs of meat. If you think it's going to sit a while before you use it again, you can sterilize by canning, since it's quite high acid (omit fish sauce if this is the case).

Ever since I found the colorful starchy Okinawan sweet potato, I've been searching for recipes that could showcase the ethereal floral fragrance and flavor. A childhood favorite is the Jamaican sweet potato pudding. Merle used to make one for the Sunday lunches at Connelly Ave, in Kingston, sweet and yielding with a moist tender center perfumed with allspice and nutmeg. I put a request out to all my Jamaican friends for a sweet potato pudding recipe. Sandy was kind enough to email me a recipe out of "The Real Taste of Jamaica" by Enid Donaldson which is an authentic compendium of classics. (Thanks Sandy! I really should get a copy...)
I adjusted the recipe so that I could make a small first attempt and also with what I have in the pantry.

1/2 lb sweet potato, grated
2 Tbs tapioca flour grated yam or cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cranberries raisins
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 oz condensed milk evaporated milk + 1/2 C sugar
1 C coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup rum (I had a batch infused with peaches)
1 oz butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix dry ingredients tapioca flour, flour, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder.
3. Mix condensed milk, coconut milk, grated potato, cranberries, vanilla, rum and butter.

I debated here whether to follow the recipe, since I like a more chunky style...
4. Pour milk mixture into potato mixture and beat until smooth.
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients.
5. Pour into a greased 6 inch pan.
6. Rest mixture and allow flour to hydrate about 1/2 hour.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F about 45 minutes until the centre is set..
8. Serve hot or cold.
Serves 6

I bought bananas recently and they so quickly turned that I had to contemplate what I wanted make with them. When we were little, the banana trees in the backyard were always bearing. Dad would gallumph out in his wellington boots and old t-shirt (banana sap stains black!), cut off a massive hand of bananas and bring it back into the house to ripen.

With constantly ripening fruit, Mum would make banana bread on a regular basis. I loved eating it hot and steaming, straight out of the oven. We got to take slices for lunch at school. I've been trying to cut down on sweets and make smaller batches so I can't go crazy with the portions. This batter will make one small bread loaf, perfect for 2-3 servings. To accommodate sensitive taste-buds, I've added a Tbs of buttermilk which should completely react with the baking soda, eliminating the metallic aftertaste, also giving the batter a good lift.

Did I say I love eating banana bread straight out of the oven? Nuff said, enjoy!
Gwynie

Ingredients
1 large banana, roughly mashed
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 fl oz rum

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs buttermilk powder
1/8 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

Preheat oven at 350

Mash banana, melted butter and sugar add wet ingredients and mix. Adding the sugar in with the wet ingredients, allows the sugar to melt, and caramelize during baking rather than just adding sweetness.

Stir together dry ingredients then mix in with wet ingredients lightly, just incorporating (take care not to overwork the batter! there should be lumps). Pour batter into parchment lined small bread tin and bake for 40 minutes.

Ever since then, I've been searching for ube at the grocery stores and recipes online to capture the dessert that represents the sublime vacation. Imagine my excitement when I spotted Okinawan sweet potato at 99 Ranch. I grabbed a couple of pounds to start the experiments. The beige skin hides the purple magenta jewelled colour of the flesh. When cooked, the super starchy sweet potato has an elusive floral bouquet akin to rosewater or kaffir limes (without the acid), ideal for dessert. As I investigated further I realized that Okinawan purple sweet potato (is not equal)!=ube ... My mistake- ube and Okinawan sweet potato are both purple tubers but ube is a yam (mostly used in Philippino desserts).

As overwhelmingly exhaustive as the interwebs have become, you can still search for days to find a recipe that looks reasonably documented and executed. I wanted an authentic Hawaiian recipe and was pleased to find a great blog OnoKineGrindz that covers the local HI food scene. Reid's archived Okinawan sweet potato pie recipe sounded exactly right Of course I never actually stick to the instructions, and amended the ingredients to what I had at hand in the pantry. So any failures in the outcome should be blamed on my ADD.

Almond Shortcrust (I didn't have Macadamia nuts & substituted almonds)

12 oz butter
4 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 C flour
1 C Almond meal
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine almond meal, sugar and flour in food processor. Pulse in butter until mixture is sandy. Use measuring cup to press dough into pie tin. Crimp edges, dock base and cover with strip of foil to prevent burning. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Okinawan Sweet Potato filling

1 1/2 C Okinawan sweet potatoes, steamed
8oz butter, melted
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 5oz can evaporated milk
1 t vanilla paste
1/4 t salt

Peel and steam sweet potato till tender.
With a hand blender whip together sweet potato, milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla.
Mix in sugar and salt. To my dismay, the mixture became an unappetizing grey colour, all of the magnificent purple oxidized by the mixing :o( oh well I'm sure it still tastes good.
Pour onto crust and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
The brilliant purple colour returned! I was dancing with relief.

As luck would have it Gwynie made coconut custard for breakfast. So I used my half for the Haupia Layer

3 Tbs sugar
2Tbs custard powder or cornstarch
2 cups milk
4 oz coconut milk

Combine dry ingredients. Add 4 Tbs milk and stir until dissolved. Heat remaining milk and coconut milk on low until simmering. Be careful not to boil!

Add about 1 C of the heated milk to dissolved sugar/starch, mix well and return to pot stirring constantly (this helps prevent lumps), until coconut milk mixture thickens (about 5-7 minutes).
Pour over Okinawan sweet potato layer. Refrigerate until firm, about 4-5 hours, overnight is best.

Allow pie to warm to room temperature before serving with whipped cream!

Growing up I took bananas for granted. We had a stand of banana trees in the backyard. The trees are actually stems that produces offshoots after the heart flower has fruited. They were honey bananas and much smaller than the typical Dole banana that we get here in the States. The sugar content was very high and the flavor ethereal. Dad would cut a hand down whenever we got close to finishing our last batch so that once off the bunch they would ripen. He had his banana cutting clothes as the sap stained terribly. Dad did not cook often but once in a while he would make dessert. This he cooked in the toaster oven and produced with great elan. I used to follow Dad around doing chores like cutting the bananas down, sanding the shelves or helping with the chopping in the backyard. I shadowed the making of these too and now give you the recipe. Enjoy Gwynie!

Baked Bananas
4 bananas
1 1/2 oz brown sugar
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
5 tbsp rum
1/2 tsp all spice
1 oz butter (a smaller amount will work and is not totally necessary)

peel bananas and slice in 1/2 lengthwise or nice angled rounds
melt butter and place bananas in oven proof dish
sprinkle with sugar and all spice, pour citrus juice and rum over
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes turning from time to time until brown
Dad notes that if it is too sweet use less sugar next time

J made pickled onions as a garnish for appetizers she brought to a party and I begged for the recipe. Since I have missed the moment of getting her recipe, I have looked up a few recipes on the web and I used this one Food In Jars

I didn't make the full amount. I sliced one red onion, boiled and drained. I made the brine with rice wine vinegar, water, sugar and salt, Zahrains gumbo spice and brought to a boil. I placed the onions into a large jar and poured the hot brine over. I didn't do any canning but put the pickles in the fridge for use. Its delicious! I add these to my chicken salad and on top of cheese and toast. On a side note I also use the brine for a dressing for sliced carrots which is also very fun. I'll miss you J! Gwynie

Ingredients
1 tbs oil
1/2 onion finely chopped
chicken breast chopped to bite size
1 can creamed corn
1 bunch chopped cilantro
2-3 green onions chopped
4 cups chicken stock canned or home made
1 egg beaten

In large saucepan w/ medium heat add oil and onions and saute until glassy.
Add chicken breast and saute until cooked, it should take about 5 minutes if the pieces are small enough. Pour in stock and add can of corn, chopped cilantro and green onion.
Simmer until barely boiling, turn heat down and pour egg in (it will turn into wispy shreds) stir maybe 2-3 times (careful to not stir too much or the egg will break up into smaller shreds). Serve with toast and a selection of cheese
Enjoy
Gwynie

On our vacation in Hawaii we had some pretty miserable turnip cake which wasn't crispy at all, and Mom and I started talking about how easy it is to make. Dad was inspired to attempt it at home, and asked for my recipe. I use "Dim sum- The art of the chinese tea lunch" by Ellen Leong Blonder. In writing it up, it does seem more complicated than when we were talking about it. Probably due to the multi-day requirement of making the turnip cake first and then waiting for it to cool and set before cutting it into squares for frying. However it can be eaten without the frying step, you just don't get the crispy bits. I've also combined a couple of the steps, since it doesn't seem to make a difference to the final result.

1 tablespoons small dried shrimp (optional) rehydrated & minced
4 Chinese dried mushrooms rehydrated & minced
12 oz daikon (1 large Asian white radish), peeled & coarsely shredded
1 1/2 C water

2 Chinese sweet pork sausages (lop cheung)
1 large green onion finely sliced (green & white parts)
1 Tbs cilantro chopped

1 3/4 rice flour (NOT glutinous/sweet)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground pepper

loaf pan

Prep the individual ingredients.
The dried shrimp can be a strong flavor for some. I think it makes the dish, but you can omit or lessen the amount you use. To rehydrate: in a small bowl, cover shrimp & mushrooms entirely with boiling water. Let sit for 30-45 minutes. Drain and mince.

Slice the green onion.

It's easiest to cut the daikon into ~1" rounds and then shred using the food processor.

Cut sausage into chunks and fry until fat renders (~ 5 minutes). Add mushroom, shrimp and green onion, stir fry 1 minute.

Add shredded Daikon (and any juice) along with water. Bring to boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes till tender. Daikon should be translucent.

Mix rice flour, salt, sugar and pepper. Add to radish and cooking water. Stir vigorously to make a thick batter.

Grease the loaf pan and spread mixture into prepared pan. Set up bamboo steamer rack in wok with boiling water. Set pan in wok over simmering water, cover with lid.

Steam until cake is set and firm to touch ~45 minutes. Allow to cool, refrigerate >12 hours.

The following day, remove cake from pan. Slice cake into ~1/2" thick wedges.
Fry over high heat turning so that each edge is crispy brown. Serve hot.
Enjoy!

I've been too busy to write up the whole apple, pear & quince jam/preserve workshop but Doreen just requested the Basic Honey Syrup Recipe since she plans to can some mangoes. I'm finally back home from the humid sunny Molokai but I remember the sweet tangy mango and the fun day we had.

4 parts water : 1 part honey ( I remembered Jordan mentioned needing sugar in addition to the honey, but when I checked the recipe sugar is not listed?)
Gently heat water and honey to a light boil, stirring till dissolved. Simmer on low until needed.
spices to taste

Prepare fruit into slices/wedges. Toss with 1/4 C lemon juice.
Leave enough head room (1/3-1/2 inch)
Layer them in the jars to pack the most amount of fruit per jar.
Pour in hot honey solution (~1 1/2 Cs of honey syrup), and top with sterile lids.

Things to consider
- not too much fruit
- avoid overflowing
-clean rim for good seal
-tops should be finger tight but still allow bubbles in waterbath

for a high sugar fruit you can back it off to
10 parts water : 1 part honey

Process for 12 minutes in hot waterbath at 210oF.
Waterbath should have 1" of water over top of lid, so ensure it stays at a high enough temperature
After waterbath firmly tighten lids and allow to seal.

I will update as I hear more news

Astrid

Ingredients:
pie crust recipe (x2)
glass pie dish
eggwash

filling
1/2 C butter
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/4 C water
1Tbs vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
3 Tbs cornstarch/tapioca flour/potato starch

8 Granny Smith apples grated
1Tbs lemon juice

1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375oF.
Melt butter and mix in white/brown sugars with water & vanilla, bring to a boil.
Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Toss apple with lemon juice, spices and tapioca.

Roll out pie dough 2" > than pie dish, and trim edges so it overhangs ~1/2".
Create a lattice top on parchment paper.
Allow dough to relax in fridge 1/2 hour and store in freezer 1/2 hour.
Prick the crust and bake blind with a light eggwash for about 20-25 minutes until the pastry is light and dry looking.

Layer apples in baked shell, pouring over with 2/3rds caramel sauce as you build the layers. Reserve 1/3rd sauce to pour over lattice.
Top with lattice, finish with a strip to bind edges.
Pour over with remaining caramel, sprinkle with granulated sugar and coarse sea salt.

Pie may bubble over, so place on baking tray.

Return to oven. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
Allow to cool till filling sets. Slice & serve warm with vanilla/marzipan ice cream.

After getting my ART scene on at the Legion of Honor, I was hungry and wondering what to eat driving down Clement when I saw the sign for PPQ Dungeness Island Vietnamese. Since Dungeness season is in full swing, I decided it was time to finally try out the crab that I'd been hearing so much about. I only had to go around the block once in order to find a spot to wedge into, and so parkma determined it was meant to be.

The place was pretty deserted around noon on a Sunday, so we were seated immediately. You get a whole set of crab eating/cracking tools, including a plastic bib. The staff were very helpful in explaining the different items on the menu. We were hungry and ordered:

Green Papaya salad with beef (5 spice) crisply julienned, tangy vinegar dressing topped with deep fried garlic and peanuts. Yumm

Peppercorn Crab crispy fried with a mild heat, chopped into segments with legs and served on a bed of fried garlic and peppercorns. Succulent meat and a fabulous treat- they serve the head with the goop! Wow I ate till crabtosis set in.

Garlic noodles were only ok, taste was good but the texture was a little lumpy and grainy. I like the noodles a little thicker and more al dente, as well as a silkier mouthfeel for the sauce.

We were served hot tea, and I ordered a Vietnamese coffee which was served as drip over condensed milk.

The total came to $70, which I felt was a little expensive for just two people, but the food was great and thus an ok price to goodness ratio.

Still I'm excited to go back and try other styles of crab on the menu. More people would allow for wider sampling. Who's up?