Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Hearty Beef Stew

There are certain dishes that evoke fond childhood memories...that fresh coconut birthday cake or crescent cookies and rum balls at Christmas or Dad's hush puppies with fried fish in the summer.

This beef stew is such a recipe. It was a favorite for dinner when it had been snowing all day and we had been out sledding with our friends. There was a hill down by the creek that was a favorite...easy to climb but a good swift ride down and a nice long flat area at the end to slow down in. Returning home with chilled fingers and toes and a nose that would do Rudolph the Reindeer proud it was so red, it was great to open the door and smell the rich aroma of beef and potatoes and onions. Usually we would have biscuits, too, so the kitchen would be warm from the oven being on. Even if it was my turn to set the table I didn't mind...we were having stew!

A good stew is thick and hearty and loaded with good things. The long simmering tenderizes the beef chuck (which is not the most tender of cuts) and you can even do as I do and make the first part, with just the meat, onions and seasonings and water, and then refrigerate it overnight to allow the flavors to blend. The next day allow some time for it to reheat, then continue on with the recipe.

This one is my Mom's recipe and, good frugal housewife that she is, she adds leftovers whenever possible...all those small containers and plastic bags of corn or carrots or green beans or peas (to name the most popular ones) thaat have been hiding out in the fridge now have a place to go...but you can just add about 3 cups of mixed cooked or frozen vegetables of your choice. This makes a stew that is all about the beef flavor, but it isn't spicy. If you like some heat in your stew, add some cayenne or pepper sauce if you must, but try it without first...you may decide that it's perfect as written. Must be those childhood memories again, but I wouldn't change a thing!

BTW the photo is not top notch but I'm at work when there is daylight, which is what I try to use for photos. Trust me, it tastes even better than it looks!

Beef Stew
From Family Food

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 ½ -inch cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
1 medium onion, sliced
1 -2 bay leaves
a dash of allspice or cloves
4 cups boiling water
6 carrots
6 Idaho potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 small can white onions or ½ bag frozen small white onions
leftover vegetables or frozen mixed vegetables
Flour and water paste to thicken gravy

Brown the meat in the fat. (If you wipe the cubes with a paper towel first they will brown more easily and spatter less.) Cook the meat in batches, removing browned meat to a bowl until all are browned. Remove any excess fat and return all the meat to the pot. (I use a large enameled cast iron Dutch Oven to cook the stew but any large pot with lid is fine.)

Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, bay leaves, allspice or cloves, and the boiling water to the meat in the pot. Cover, bring to a simmer and simmer 2 hours. Remove bay leaves.
Add the carrots, and the potatoes, both of which have been cut into bite sized pieces. Cook, covered, until carrots and potatoes are tender. Add the onions and any leftover vegetables desired. ( If no leftover veggies are available, add some frozen mixed vegetables or any cooked vegetables you like. I usually add at least 3 cups of veggies.)

Cover and heat through. Make a paste of flour and water to thicken the gravy. Add to the stew and simmer until thickened. (I usually use ¼ cup flour and an equal amount of cold water to make the paste, but you may want to experiment to get the kind of gravy thickness you like. I also removed some of the cooked potatoes this time and mashed them, then returned them to the pot for an even thicker stew.)

Serves 6 -8.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Tender Flaky Biscuits

It's been downright chilly around here. Had to move my geraniums under cover on the porch because of the heavy frost that comes during the night. The photo above is a true winter sunset taken on the way home from work. Clear and cold!

When the evenings are chilly, a good beef stew warms you up and is hearty enough that I didn't even want to snack last night once I'd had some. I used the family recipe which I will post in a day or so. Then I made biscuits from scratch, something that I haven't done for ages.

Look at these tender, flaky biscuits! By using self-rising flour they go together very quickly. Since they bake in a pretty hot oven (400 degrees F.) they bake up fairly quickly, too. The whole process takes less than a half hour.

Never made biscuits from scratch? I warn you that you might never go back to the kind in the can in the refrigerator section of your grocery store. These taste sooooo much better!

The only trick to making these is to use a light hand. Cut in the shortening (or butter if you are feeling decadent...it works just fine)gently, and stir in the milk or buttermilk just enough to combine. These are NOT beaten biscuits. My mother taught us that a good way to shape them is to roll the dough out thinner than you want (again, gently), then fold the dough over itself, roll just a bit more, then cut out with biscuit cutter or a glass. I use a straight sided wine glass...the stem makes it easy to hold!

Biscuits Mom's Way
From Family Food, 1994

3 cups sifted self-rising flour (do not use all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup cold butter or room-temperature shortening (like Crisco)
1 to 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the shortening into the flour until consistency of coarse meal using a pastry blender or two knives. Add enough milk to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead gently about ten strokes to form into a ball. Roll to a little less than 1/2 of the thickness desired in finished biscuit. Fold half of dough over the other half. Roll to 1/2 the thickness desired in the finished biscuit. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter (or glass).

Place on baking sheet. Leave about an inch between biscuits. No need to grease the baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown.

Makes about 14 2" biscuits.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Musings at a Funeral

I attended a memorial service yesterday for a good man who was a volunteer fire fighter with our local fire association, a exemplary father, husband, grandfather and friend to many. While standing outside the chapel with the crowd of people who came to honor him...so many that we couldn't all fit inside...I thought, off and on, of some of the funerals and memorials I've attended over the years. This isn't a food post at all BTW...so you can skip to the next blog today if that's what you are looking for. Will probably be back to food in a day or so.

These kinds of memorial services really are for those left behind by the dearly departed. They give the family support through crushing grief, they give the community an opportunity to honor people like Walt who live their family values daily, who give us their time and expect little in return. The thing that most struck me is that a repetition of these memorial gatherings, time after time, creates a sort of shared bond...the attendees change but honoring the dead strengthens our ties to friends, family and strangers alike. It is part of the notion of community.

It is a physical reality, something that is needed even more in these days when the ephemeral Internet connection has become the standard for relationships with acquaintances, sometimes replacing the chat over the back fence or chance meeting in the produce section of the local market. Walt was a great one for chatting over the fence between our place and the fire station and he always had something nice to say.

The gathering at a memorial creates moments that are shared and which are memorable. Yesterday that included shared tears as the young granddaughter spoke of her Pappa (and that she was his monkey and that she would miss him) and those tears drew the crowd together. You cold hear people sniffling and see them wiping their eyes.
The sweet plaintive notes of the bugle at the end of Taps hung on the air. That shared experience, for that moment, broke down the walls between strangers. Due to my own loss I have found memorials and funerals to be extraordinarily difficult to attend, but now I can see the band of connection...from one service to another...between the people who have come to honor the ones we have lost. Maybe the next time it will be easier now that I can think of it that way. This might not be making too much sense to you, dear reader, but with luck you won't have to test it out any time soon.

And so the connections hold. Yesterday's service was held in the same chapel at the cemetary where we buried our son. It was expected that memories would rush in, but it ended up being a comforting thing for me to experience. Walt was an exemplary member of Gold Ridge and a fine human being. My son was also a fine human being. Here is a tip of the hat to Walt and to Max, and to the friends and loved ones honored in between.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Apple Cake with a French Flair

Apples are one of the joys of the fall. Sweet or tart, crisp and juicy, red, green, yellow and pink, apples might just be the perfect food. They can be eaten out of hand without any preparation except being washed or you can make any number of dishes with them.

As my contribution to the Thanksgiving feast at a family dinner I chose to make Marie Helene’s Apple Cake. To serve the large group I doubled the recipe and baked it in a well-buttered 9-inch springform pan instead of in the 8-inch one called for in the recipe.

This a very French cake…simple but elegant for a dinner party. This apple cake is moist and mellow and not too sweet. It’s rich with butter and hauntingly fragrant with rum, vanilla and apple scents as well as that of butter. When you cut a wedge to serve, you can see the tender filling and the layers of apple chunks or slices. It really doesn’t need anything added but some cinnamon ice cream was suggested by Dorie Greenspan. The recipe came from her book, Around My French Table, which I borrowed from the library. I may have to ask Santa to buy it for a Christmas present…it is another winner, just like Baking: from my home to yours, a true masterpiece by Dorie Greenspan.

Hope you and all those you love had a great Thanksgiving if you celebrate that feast…or a fine fall day if you don’t. Either way, you might want to try this lovely, barely sweet cake the next time you feel in the mood for an apple dessert. Sweetie usually isn’t thrilled with apple dishes but he loved this cake! I used Fuji, Pink Lady, Honey crisp, and Braeburn apples.

The original recipe is given first. It serves 8. To make the larger cake, use the amounts listed at the end of the recipe, the larger spring form pan, and bake longer….for 80-90 minutes. After 50 minutes of baking in the center of the oven, I put the larger cake on the next lower rack, laid a sheet of foil on top, very loosely, and continued to bake it, checking at 65 minutes, 75 minutes, 85 minutes and finally seeing that it was done at 90 minutes. Your oven may vary, so checking it often (inserting thin knife to see if it comes out clean)is a good idea. You don't want to over cook the cake. Bon Appétit!

Marie Helene’s Apple Cake
From Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (different kinds if possible)
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
½ teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons (1 stick)melted & cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oven rack in center. Generously butter an 8-inch round spring form pan. Place a Silpat mat or piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and put the spring form pan on it. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

Peel the apples. Cut them in half. Use a melon baller to remove the seed area and a sharp knife to remove the rest of the cores. Cut the apples into 1 -2 inch chunks, or use a food processor or knife to slice thinly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs until foamy. Pour in the sugar 3-4 tablespoons at a time and whisk a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour mixture and, when it is incorporated, half the melted butter. When that is incorporated, whisk in the rest of the flour mixture, followed by the rest of the butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber or silicon spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and move it around a bit with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. The cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and slowly and carefully remove the sides of the pan. Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the spring form pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled., then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.

Makes 8 servings. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature. Served with a spoonful of cinnamon ice cream is one suggestion, but it is lovely by itself.

The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.

Ingredients for the larger cake:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 large apples
4 large eggs
1.5 cups sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 sticks butter, melted & cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oven rack in center. Generously butter a 9-inch spring form pan. I lined the whole inside of the pan with heavy duty foil, snipping off any foil that came over the top of the pan, then I used the back of a spoon to smooth the foil as much as possible before generously buttering all of the foil. Place a Silpat mat or piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and put the spring form pan on it. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

Peel the apples. Cut them in half. Use a melon baller to remove the seed area and a sharp knife to remove the rest of the cores. Cut the apples into 1 -2 inch chunks, or use a food processor or knife to slice thinly. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs until foamy. Pour in the sugar 3-4 tablespoons at a time and whisk a minute or so to blend. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour mixture and, when it is incorporated, half the melted butter. When that is incorporated, whisk in the rest of the flour mixture, followed by the rest of the butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber or silicon spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and move it around a bit with the spatula so that it’s evenish.

Bake for 80 - 90 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean (Check starting at about 70 - 75 minutes and keep checking for doneness). The cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and slowly and carefully remove the sides of the pan. Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the spring form pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled., then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.

Double recipe serves about 14. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature. Served with a spoonful of cinnamon ice cream is one suggestion, but it is lovely by itself.

The cake will keep for about 2 days at room temperature. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper against the cut surfaces.

Takes the Cake


Had a fine Thanksgiving yesterday...hope your day was wonderful, too! Was asked to do dessert so I made the French apple cake in Dorie Greenspan's new book Around My French Table. It is a winner!

Will be back later today with a post that includes the original recipe and my version, which was basically just doubling the recipe since there were 11 at the feast last evening.

A big thank you to our host and hostess who do a magnificent job with a comfortable home, great libations, a well-set table and a discerning selection of guests. One of the results is fantastic food and conversation, but the best part is spending time with them and the high volume of laughter around the wine country table.

XO Elle

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Ideas for YOUR Feast

The most common complaint, or at least comment, that I hear after Thanksgiving or other food related family gatherings is "I'm so full I can't eat another thing", and then we bring out the dessert and everyone finds rooms for just a little more. Why do we do this? Well the essence of hospitality in many cultures is to provide far more than enough food when you entertain.

Now that we have clearly entered the time of year when the groaning board is expected, anticipated with delight, and set up proudly by hosts and hostesses, here are some ideas from past posts to help you exceed expectations and create an even more festive holiday meal.

Some of these are simple but satisfying, like the pear-cranberry crisp. Some are quite traditional, like the Stuffing recipe from my Family Food cookbook. Some are over the top like the Pumpkin Pie Spectacular...your family and friends will be very impressed...and grateful...if you make it.

No matter what you serve, here's wishing you and yours very happy holidays!
XO Elle

Holiday Recipes from Soup to Nuts:

Soups -Butternut Squash Soup http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2006/11/soup-shared-with-friends.html - Very seasonal, smooth and delicious!- Pumpkin Spinach and Rice Soup http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2010/10/frost-is-on-pumpkin.html - Simple to make and very warming, plus the flavor combination is great!

Salad - This one is perfect for this time of year - Paula's Winter Salad has greens and oranges and raisins and it's a composed salad so you can make it ahead.

http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2008/01/orange-you-glad-you-heard-about-this.html

I'm not going to do a roast turkey recipe because Butter Ball does such a great job with that. I will, however, give you my favorite STUFFING recipe! Click HERE.

Side Dishes - The all time favorite, and one which is requested often, is a savory combination of wild and brown rice with the tang of cranberries. It goes REALLY well with roast turkey, but is great with pork roast, roasted chicken and roasted duck. Click HERE for a great seasonal side dish.

Still in the cranberry frame of mind? Try Cranberry Pear Sauce with your meal. It uses fresh cranberries which are plentiful most places this time of year. It's a bit like a chutney since it has some vinegar to offset the brown sugar.

It makes a great condiment with left over turkey, too. Click HERE for the recipe.


Looking for a healthy veggie side dish? Try Chard and Spinach with Onions, Currants and Lemon Zest. The flavors are clean and lively which is a nice counterpoint to the richness of other dishes on the groaning board. Find the recipe by clicking HERE.

Now it's time for my favorite part of the meal...dessert!

Desserts:
If you really want to WOW everyone, make Pumpkin Pie Spectacular with Gingersnap Crust. It takes pumpkin pie to the next level and really isn't too much more difficult than regular pumpkin pie. Click HERE to find the recipe.

Maybe you want to go with something seasonal but a little less rich? Try Pear Cranberry Crisp, maybe with a scoop of frozen yogurt added to each bowl when served. The crisp recipe is HERE.


With pomegranates all the rage, you might want to try a tart that uses pomegranate juice to make a fruit curd for the filling and is also used to poach pears for the topping. It's unusual and delicious. Click HERE for the Pomegranate Lemon Tart with Poached Pears.


Last, but not least, HERE is a recipe for a Mosaic Nut Tart (see, nuts came at the end as promised and the photo is at the top of the post) that is similar to pecan pie, but just a little different. Dollop on some whipped cream and enjoy a sweet slice...maybe as you watch the last Bowl game of the day?

If you enjoy any of these recipes and have the time, come back and let me know, OK? Always fun to share and rewarding to know that others liked 'em.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Cake Slice November Cinnamon Pudding Cake

The Cake Slice bloggers have a real treat for November…a warm, sweet and spicy pudding cake with a big hit of cinnamon flavor and a yummy, gooey brown sugar sauce that magically shows up at the bottom of the cake pan after baking and makes a brilliant topping. Since I have been cutting back on sweets and want to really enjoy the ones I allow myself, I adapted the recipe slightly to include dried cranberries and some chopped walnuts because they go so well with cinnamon and the fall. Also I adjusted the fat content to make a slightly richer cake.

I enjoyed my serving immensely, but sent the rest (after Sweetie had enough) over to the intrepid volunteer firemen next door. They burn enough calories just playing basketball, to say nothing of all the fire drills they do, that a little cake will never show up on their thighs!

By the way, a pudding cake is a bit different from an iced or frosted cake. The cake gets spooned up into a serving dish and then you scoop up the sauce and drizzle it on top of the cake or put it next to the cake...you don't, in general, turn the cake out like an upside down cake because the sauce usually doesn't come out of the pan very easily. The baked pudding doesn't look like much, but there is hidden treasure below the cake...the gooey, sweet sauce!

If I made this again, I would bake it in a 9-inch square cake pan and for a shorter baking time (35 – 40 minutes and maybe even less than that) to keep a little more of the topping fluid instead of it being soaked into the cake so much. Beyond that, it was a wonderful cake, just perfect for the autumn. Try it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream as I did. Delicious!


November’s Cake: Cinnamon Pudding Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman {with slight adaptations})
Makes one 8-inch square pudding cake

For the Caramel Topping
1 cup plus 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
¾ cup water
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ tsp salt

For the Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten or ¼ cup egg substitute
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts

Method – Topping
Heat the oven to 350F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the brown sugar, water, butter and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, then set aside to cool.

Method – Cake
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Add half of the milk and the vanilla. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining milk and the rest of the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Scrape the batter onto the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full). Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert it onto a large rimmed serving platter and serve warm.

Let any leftover cake cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Babes in Harvestland



Fall is in full swing...lots of brightly colored leaves and cobalt skies...the final tomatoes harvested and old plants pulled up in the garden...planning for the holidays begun...the smell of woodsmoke on chilly mornings.

This is the time of year that many of us celebrate the harvest. Mother Nature has had a busy summer and early fall and has blessed parts of the world with fruits and veggies and grains galore. A traditional icon of this abundance is the cornucopia, spilling out the harvested goodies. Since grains are part of the bounty, it is very appropriate that Susan of Wild Yeast, our Kitchen of the Month hostess, has given the Babes the delightful challenge of making a bread dough cornucopia!

Although the available time and energy this month to do the challenge were limited, I'm really glad that I tried it. It was a sort of arts and crafts project requiring poster board, aluminum foil, tape, and ropes and ropes of a special bread dough.
Although the drying time is long, the actual making time is fairly short because you don't retard the dough at all...it's mix and sculpt! Here is how my cone looked at the beginning. Later it was covered with foil, filled with scrunched up foil and I stapled parchment paper over the opening to keep that foil inside, then sprayed the foil with baking spray and set it, point up, on a Silpat lined baking sheet.

The chocolate dough didn't seem to hold it's shape as well as the plain which meant that the textured piece I started with sort of spread under the weight of all the plain dough on top and lost any texture it began with. The light dough was rolled into long, thin ropes
and then wrapped, round and round the cone, until the cone was covered and there was a bit beyond the cone to twist into the tail.

Once I laid the cornucopia on its side I jazzed up that droopy rim of dark dough with some twisted ropes of dark and light, spaced around the rim. It still looks a bit like a grade school art project, but once the cornucopia has baked and dried and is filled with seasonal fruits and veggies, it is impressive.

I'll bet yours will look even nicer than mine...and you can be a Buddy by getting the recipe from Susan's blog (link below), baking it and posting about it by November 26, then letting her know about your post. There will be a Bread Baking Buddy round up shortly after. You know you want to be a Buddy and create your own Harvest Bread Cornucopia!

Be sure to visit the other Babes to see their cornucopia creations! Links are at the right of this blog.

Don't forget, details will be coming soon regarding our Third Anniversary request for recipes. I'll get them up as soon as I have them. In the meantime, scour you archives, cookbooks, binders, etc. for a bread recipe that you think the Babes should make to honor three years of baking bread!

Now on to the cornucopia:
Recipe can be found at Susan's blog Wild Yeast. Thank you Susan for an enjoyable bread project, and one which I most likely would not have attempted. Awesome choice! This post will be sent over to Susan for the wonderland of yeast recipes that is her weekly Yeastspotting event. There may even be some additional photos in the next few days when I'm able to stop running around like a chicken with it's head cut off....we'll see.

XO Elle

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Miss Kitty and the Sweet Potato Rolls

Once upon a time in the Land of St. Honore' Elle had been missing seeing some of her friends. One was Miss Kitty, a delightful, intelligent and funny woman who is a fantastic cook and a huge Giants fan. Now that baseball season was over and Elle was putting work into perspective, she invited Miss Kitty and her hubby over for lunch. Sweetie wanted to plan the main course, so Elle gathered the last tomatoes of the season for the mixed greens salad and then she decided to make some dinner rolls that suited the season.

She started them the night before so that they could retard in the fridge overnight. On the day of the luncheon she carefully divided the dough into 24 pieces and created plump round dough balls which baked up, after rising, into the most beautiful golden rolls! One of the best things was that the house was fragrant with the delicious smell of freshly baked bread when the guests arrived for lunch. There was plenty to eat and even extra rolls to take home.

Plus, Miss Kitty brought dessert...a decadent chocolate hazelnut mousse cake! The sun was shining, good conversation and laughter flew around the table, and we basked in the small luxury of good food shared with good friends. St. Honore' would have been please with both the rolls and the cake...Elle, Sweetie, Miss Kitty and PowerMan were!

Of all the people who read the blog, Miss Kitty is probably the most enthusiastic. Her feedback is always such an encouragement, so Elle decided to create a dinner roll just for Miss Kitty.

The finished rolls were golden in color from the mashed yams, soft, warm, just slightly sour from the sourdough starter and very tender. (Since the photos were taken later, at night, the rolls may look a little more golden than they were, but not by much!)

The starting point for the recipe was the recipe for Sweet-Potato rolls found in The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham, but many things were changed to make this special for Miss Kitty.

Garnet yams were used instead of sweet potatoes, a sourdough starter was the base instead of dry yeast (although a little commercial yeast was added), mashed potato flakes added to the tenderness. The dry milk was left out because none was in the pantry, and butter was used instead of shortening...bah on trans fats! Last, but not least, some of the proportions were changed and some white whole wheat flour was used instead of all regular flour.

Do you have someone you'd like to surprise with some fragrant, soft, totally decadent rolls, glowing with autumn gold? Try this recipe and see if they, too, want to take home some extra rolls...always a compliment to the cook! Thanks Miss Kitty! Hope to see you soon.

Sending this along to Susan at Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeastspotting event...a fabulous wonderland of yeasted bread recipes...check it out!


Sourdough Sweet Potato Rolls
Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham
Makes 24 rolls

1 ½ cup sour starter (or a smaller amount of starter that has been fed with a 100% hydration flour-water mixture to equal 1 ½ cups total, and then let sit at room temperature for 2 hours to mature)
½ cup warm water
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons dry mashed potato flakes
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 ½ cups flour (I used a mixture of 1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat and 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour)
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ cup cooled, cooked, mashed sweet potato (I used Garnet Yam instead)
5 tablespoons butter, softened

Place the starter in a stand mixer bowl.

In a small bowl mix the barely warm water and the active dry yeast to proof for 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl whisk together the mashed potato flakes, sugar, salt and flour(s). Set aside.

Add the proofed yeast to the sourdough starter in the stand mixer bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Add the egg, sweet potato or yam mash, and butter and stir with a wooden spoon to blend.

Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and put the mixer bowl in place. With mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the sourdough mixture, starting with ½ cup at a time and finishing with a Tablespoon at a time until you have a soft dough. Knead with the mixer for 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out into an oiled container big enough for rising the dough. Turn dough over to coat with the oil, then cover lightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.

Remove from the ‘fridge and let sit at room temperature to warm for at least ½ hour, or until dough is no longer cold.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Punch down and shape into a rough square. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the dough into four even pieces. Set three of the pieces aside and take the remaining piece and divide into 6 pieces. Using floured hands, shape each piece into a plump ball, pulling the edges under. Place an inch apart in greased cake pans. Repeat with each large piece of dough until you have 24 balls of dough in the pans. Cover each pan with oiled plastic wrap and cover with a tea towel. Let rise an hour or two until doubled in size.

Bake in preheated 400 degree F. oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on racks.

Monday, November 08, 2010

Mmmm Magic Potatoes

It must be the Irish in me...I love potatoes in almost any form. Baked, fried, boiled, mashed, gratin, French fried, chips, in bread...you get the idea.

Today I put the food processor to work and made a variation of potatoes in the savoyarde style. Thinly sliced, unpeeled (but you can also do it with peeled potatoes which is more elegant) potatoes are layered, in a buttered casserole, with a mince of onions and garlic, some cubed ham, some salt and pepper, a dash of nutmeg and a dash of dried sage. Once the layers are done you add chicken broth and milk, cover it with foil and bake to let the potatoes cook and absorb the liquids. After 30 minutes you uncover the casserole, check for tenderness, add some shredded cheese on top, and bake a little more so that the cheese melts and browns and the potatoes finish getting all nice and soft and lovely. There is something magical about how these flavors combine and it's a perfect dish for cooler weather.

This delightful (although not low calorie) casserole is a meal in itself. All you need to add is a green salad or fruit compote. If you have a food processor with a slicer attachment this potato dish goes together and into the oven in about 20 -25 minutes. The baking takes a while but it's worth it. Just the wonderful smell when it is almost done is enough to make me salivate. I'll try to post some photos of servings later, but right now just look at they browned cheese goodness!

If you prefer, you can layer white potato slices, then yam slices, then white, then yam, and so on, with or without the addition of the ham. Hot, hearty, savory and filling...that's the magic of these potatoes.

Ham and Potatoes Savoyarde Style
serves 6

enough butter to grease the casserole (about 1 teaspoon)
about 2 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup diced ham
about 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
about 1/8 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or Swiss is nice, too)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 2 quart casserole. The best kind is more shallow than deep and wider to give you more top surface.

Layer the potatoes, overlapping slightly in a single layer on the bottom of the casserole. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the onion and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg and sage. Scatter about 1/4 cup diced ham over the layer. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onion, garlic, and ham, seasoning to taste as you go.

Pour the chicken broth over the potatoes and then pour in the milk. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil and distribute the cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Return it to the oven and bake for another 25 - 35 minutes or until the cheese is browned and the potatoes are tender.
Serve warm.

Friday, November 05, 2010

Winners

Congratulations to Katie of Apple and Spice blog. She is the winner of the random drawing in celebration of Feeding My Enthusiasms 4th anniversary or birthday (which ever it is). Her package of cooking implements will be in the mail tomorrow. Use them in good health Katie! Thank you sincerely each of you who commented on that post! Here's to another year...or maybe 4 more.

Speaking of winners, there is and organization where the participants and the patrons are all winners. It's called Worth Our Weight and it's a culinary program for young people ages 15 - 24.

They operate a cafe' and I had the pleasure of having brunch there with a friend a few weeks ago.
When we were seated there was already a nice selection of mixed seasonal fruit and a delicious square of bread pudding at the table.

My friend chose a delectable scrambled eggs with pulled pork dish which came with black beans, tortillias and salsa. I chose the vegetarian frittata which was loaded with fresh vegetables suspended in a rich egg batter and the frittata had been cooked perfectly so that the interior was still moist and tender and the crust was beautifully browned.

It came with a nice salad and some fabulous gratine potatoes.

The cafe' is open for Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, the Apprentice Dinner - Third Friday each month at 6:00 pm -- reservations required, and they also have take-out ribs, chicken and tri-tip on second Fridays of each month, plus catering. Check the website for specifics.


The food and service were absolutely wonderful, but the real story is about these young people. Here is how they tell it on the website:

WOW is an organization that values young people, each of whom we believe is worth their weight in gold. Some of WOW’s apprentices are in the process of leaving foster care, while others are adrift without strong role models. All are looking for a safe haven, a place to grow and learn.

Many of these youth find a sense of purpose under the strong, loving guidance of Chef Evelyn Cheatham. WOW succeeds because she has the courage to lift up the lost, angry, and broken-hearted. She helps them by sharing the camaraderie of the kitchen stove and dinner table.

In the WOW kitchen and café, our apprentices learn to cook, work as a team, and practice self-discipline, respect, and care for others. As they work through the program, they in turn instruct the new apprentices, earning much deserved credibility from their peers. Evelyn has shared countless inspiring stories about rival gang members stirring spaghetti sauce together, or overhearing conversations among the interns discussing the merits of doing the right thing, or finding good jobs for youth who were previously unemployable.

WOW apprentices ... have faced major challenges in their lives, including commitment to the foster care system, difficulties with the law, homelessness, and significant family disruption. We provide tuition-free culinary and restaurant management training. WOW’s program invites these young people into the greater world of food—sustainable farming, professional cooking, and access to high-quality food prepared by chefs and food service professionals—as well as provide them with the skills to prepare quality food for themselves. Under the leadership of Executive Director Evelyn Cheatham, WOW employs team based learning and emphasizes responsibility, accountability, and interdependence – skills that support success in any endeavor.

Through this program, apprentices acquire valuable, marketable skills in food preparation, professional-level cooking, catering, and small business management. We hold our apprentices to the highest standard of excellence and, for many, this is the first time such standards have been set. At Worth Our Weight, we truly believe that young people rise to meet our expectations.

Founded by Chef Evelyn Cheatham, Worth Our Weight supports underserved young people: economically disadvantaged youth who have faced major challenges in their lives, including commitment to the foster care system, difficulties with the law, homelessness or significant family disruption. Our vision is to invite these people into the greater world of food, including farming, professional cooking, restaurant management, and eating high quality food prepared by chefs and other food service professionals, as well as, food they have prepared with their own hands. Worth Our Weight provides a home for vocational aspirations, teaching young adults how to create a better life for themselves and their families.

A little about Evelyn Cheatham :
A Bay Area native, is the founder and executive director of Worth Our Weight. She is an instructor in the SRJC Culinary program and has worked in the high-end food industry for 25 years, including owning and managing several restaurants. An opportunity in 2000 to be a culinary instructor at the Sonoma County Probation Camp became a life-changing experience when she discovered the transformative power that growing, cooking and eating good food could have for troubled kids -- in this case, mostly gang affiliated. Since then Evelyn has dedicated herself to the development of programs to link kids with sustainable agriculture and culinary operations.

By the time I had finished eating, Evelyn and the apprentices had sat down to eat. She was kind enough to let me take a photo of these hard working individuals who certainly cooked up fabulous food and clearly are worth their weight in gold.