Crispy Potato Tots

My first Tatar-Tot-experience was from my mediocre Jr. High School’s cafeteria. Even still, they were delicious and I never figured out why my mother never made Tator Tots when I was growing up. I have always loved them, and I’ve made them for my kids many, many times; but only from a bag. So I was excited to see in the latest season of Cook’s Country that Tator Tots can be made from scratch. I made them for a recent sleepover with 5 teenage boys. They were easy to make, but there were a few minor problems. First, 10 minutes in my microwave didn’t seem to fully cook the potatoes, compromising both texture and flavor.  They were just undercooked, not raw, so an extra 2 to 4 minutes would be enough extra time. Second, I failed to properly estimate the amount of time they would take to prepare. Budget a full 1-1/2 hours. Third, the boys wanted the Tots to be round; not square. Fortunately, the bar to make a sleepover a success is set pretty low; having more to do with the smile on my face than perfectly cooked Tator Tots. As they were, I can only give them 3-1/2 stars. Not worth the effort when compared to the bag. But I will try them again and update the review if I am more successful next time.

Homemade rectangular Tator Tots

Comments:

1. Chris Kimball warns that if you have a food processor with capacity less than 11 cups, that you need to process the potatoes in two batches. I did this, using half the water in each batch.
2. When I pressed the water out of the potatoes I didn’t check to see if I yielded 1-1/2 cups of liquid. If I didn’t, that may explain why the potatoes didn’t fully cook during the 10 minutes in the microwave.
3. Chris Kimball says that you can cool the fried leftovers, then put in a zip-lock bag. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bake at 400-degrees for 12 to 15 minutes to re-heat.

Rating: 3-1/2 star.
Cost: $2.
How much work? Low/Medium.
How big of a mess?  Low.
Started: 4:30 pm. Dinner Time:  6:00.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here.  The descriptions of how I prepared it today are given below, but the ingredient list has already increased the amount of cheese according to my recommendations above :
2-1/4 teaspoons table salt
2-1/2 lbs russet potatoes
1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups vegetable oil

1. Whisk 1 cup water and salt together in bowl until salt dissolves.
2. Peel your potatoes and cut them into 1-1/2″ pieces.
3. In one or two batches depending upon the size of your food processor, add the potatoes chunks and water. Pulse 10 to 12 times until the potatoes become coarsely ground. Empty into a fine mesh strainer and use a rubber spatula to press out 1-1/2 cups of liquid.
4. Put potatoes into a large glass bowl and microwave (uncovered) for 10 to 14 minutes; stir potatoes once after 5 minutes. The potatoes should become dry and sticky.
5. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, mix until combined. Allow to cool for 10 minutes by spreading the potatoes out on a foil-lined sheet pan. Use a spatula to push the mixture to the center of the foil, and put in an 8″ square cake pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread the potatoes, then fold the foil over and firmly press the potatoes to ensure they are even, compact and fill the corners. Freeze for 30 minutes, so that they are easier to cut.
6. While the potatoes freeze, begin pre-heating your oil over a high burner to 375-degrees (about 10 minutes).  If you want to serve both batches at the same time, pre-heat your oven to 200-degrees. I served the first batch immediately, and therefore didn’t pre-heat my oven.
7. Use the foil to lift the potatoes and put them on a cutting board. Cut them into bite-sized tots. Depending upon the exact size of your cake pan, that could be 6×8 or 5×9.
8. When the oil reaches 375-degrees, use a wide, metal spatula to gently lower half your tots into the oil (without splashing). Fry each batch for 6 to 7 minutes until they become crispy and golden brown.
9. Remove from oil as they become ready and drain on a wire rack set over a foil-lined sheet pan. Season with salt. Keep the fist batch warm in your 200-degree oven while you cook the second batch. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the second batch.

Slice into bite-sized tots

Allow to cook on baking sheet

Cut into chunks before processing

In a bowl, not magically suspended in mid-air

Traditional Chicken Stock

Is spending 5 hours to make homemade chicken stock really worth the $6 savings over store-bought broth? If you measure your answer in terms of time or dollars, then the answer is certainly no. So here’s why I make it nonetheless. First, the 5 hours of clock time is more like 30 minutes of effort. Second, I like the idea of using my chicken scraps rather than simply discarding them. When I buy chicken breasts, I always feel semi-guilty about throwing away 20% of what was once a living creature. But of course, the most important reason to make it is that homemade stock taste much better and is preservative-free.

After de-fatting, separate into usable sizes.

My personal history regarding chicken stock is a checkered one: Years ago, all my “chicken stock” started with a bullion cubes (bullion is just the French word for broth). It was inexpensive and convenient, but unfortunately they are mostly salt (and chemicals). Any recipe that reduces stock made from bullion will become too salty. My childhood memories of metallic-tasting Campbell’s soup have always stopped me from buying canned broth. So lately, I’ve been buying 32-ounce cartons of broths, which taste much better, but can be inconvenient if I only need a cup or two (once opened the boxed broth should be used within a week). I suppose it could be frozen, but have never actually done so.

Comments:

1. The most important thing in terms of logistics, is to keep a gallon-sized Zip-lock bag in your freezer. As you trim your chicken over the months simply add the chicken scraps to the bag. My first misconception with stock is that I had to have 5 pounds of fresh chicken scraps all at once, which of course would never happen.
2. This recipe makes the equivalent of three 32-ounce cartons of chicken stock. It usually takes me about 2 months of regular cooking to gather enough chicken scraps to make a batch of stock. In terms of my kitchen, that’s more than enough to satisfy all my chicken stock needs.
3. For recipes where I need a smaller amount of stock, I measured out 2-cups into Zip-lock bags. I laid then flat on a baking sheet and froze them. I can thaw out a bag for just 2 cups of stock at a time. From an old quick tip. I also have some containers with 3 and 4 cups, which satisfy my soup making needs.

Rating: 4 stars.
Cost: $7.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Start time: 1:00 PM. Finish time: 6:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s version of this recipe is here. The descriptions of how I prepared the recipe today are given below:

5 pounds assorted chicken parts (backs, necks, legs, and wings)
3-1/2 quarts of water
2 medium carrots
2 celery stalks
2 medium onions
2 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1. Add chicken parts to a stockpot just large enough to hold them. Cover with water, adding an extra 1″ of water (about 3-1/2 quarts). Bring to a boil over medium-high burner. Use a ladle or skimmer to remove any foam that rise to the top.
2. Meanwhile, peel and cut carrots into 2″ lengths. Cut celery into 2″ lengths. Peel and quarter your onions.
3. When water comes to a boil, add chopped vegetables, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Reduce burner until it is barely simmering (bubbles just barely breaking the surface). Cook for 4 hours, occasionally skimming any impurities that rise to the top.
4. Line a strainer with cheese-cloth and place over a large bowl or pot. Strain away and discard the solids; do not press on solids.
5. Allow to cool completely (you can use an ice-water bath to speed the process). Refrigerate overnight to allow the fat to accumulate to the top; then lift off and discard the semi-solid fat.
6. Separate into individual containers in commonly used sizes. The stock should only be refrigerated for up to 3 days, but holds well in the freezer for up to 3 months; but be sure to completely thaw in refrigerator before use.

Divided into 4 cup, 3 cup, 2 cup and 1-1/2 cup sizes. So they’re pre-measured.

After chilling, the semi-hardened fat is easily removed with a spoon

Fresh Pasta Without a Machine

The current issue of Cook’s Illustrated promises to deliver one of my son’s favorite food; perfect fresh pasta. Unfortunately, for all my past efforts, I have never been able to surpass a $2.50 package of refrigerated Buitoni. So today I tried Chris Kimball’s technique, and was quite pleased with the ease with which the dough is mixed, rolled out and cut into linguine.  It was even easier than using the pasta machine, and cleaning a counter-top is much more straight-forward than trying to brush away the dough fragments stuck to the pasta machine. The key to obtaining the perfect al dente texture is to roll your dough out incredibly thin. The guidelines he gives by rolling out into a 20″x6″ sheet allowed me to understand just how thin the dough needed to be. In the end, the final pasta was perfectly cooked with great texture. So far so good.

Yellow color comes from egg yolks, not semolina flour.

Unfortunately, the recipe relies of egg yolks instead of double-zero flour to attain its soft, workable texture. While providing a beautiful yellow color, it also adds a slight but distinctive egg flavor that left my son liking, but not loving, his dinner. 3-1/2 stars.

Comments:

1. I used Chris Kimball’s recommended rolling pin, but the tapered ends made it difficult to obtain an even thickness. I think non-tapered ends would have made the rolling process easier and more effective.
2. I didn’t make any of his recommended sauces; Olive Oil Sauce with Anchovies and Parsley, Tomato-Brown Butter Sauce or Walnut Cream Sauce. I will definitely try one or two in the future, and it’s possible that the sauces would have been more effective at hiding the eggy flavor.
3. The original recipe calls for folding the dough into 2″ folds, but I found 3″ folds easier to unfurl.
4. Chris Kimball notes that if you use King Arthur flour you will need to use 7 egg yolks, to compensate for the extra protein.
5. I allowed the dough to rest for 2 hours, and it rolled out fine. However, the longer the dough rests in step 2 (up to 4 hours) the easier the dough will roll out.
6. Chris Kimball offers a few alternate shapes. I tried the bow ties, but it is much more work and in the future will stick to linguine.

Rating: 3-1/2 stars.
Cost: $1.40; 1 pound of fresh pasta.
How much work? Low/Medium.
How big of a mess?  Low/Medium.
Started: 4:00 PM.  Dinner:  7:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here. My descriptions of how I prepare it today are given below:

2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
2 large eggs plus 6 large yolks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt

1. Add flour, eggs, yolks and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor. Mix for 45 seconds until it becomes cohesive. If the dough sticks to your fingers, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time (up to 4 tablespoons) until the dough just becomes tacky. But if the dough doesn’t become cohesive then add 1 teaspoon of water (up to 3 teaspoons) until the dough just comes together. Process an extra 30 seconds to incorporate your adjustments.
2. Empty the dough onto a dry, un-floured work surface. Knead by hand for 1 or 2 minutes until it becomes smooth. Roll into a 6″-long cylinder and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for between 1 to 4 hours, the higher end will make the dough easier to roll out.
3. Add 4 quarts of water to a large pot and place over medium burner. The water will slowly come up to a boil while you roll out the pasta.
4. Cut into 6 equal pieces and re-wrap remaining dough. Dust both sides of 1 slice with flour, lay the slice on a dry, un-floured work surface. Use your fingers to press into a 3″ square. Use a rolling pin to roll into a 6″square. Lightly dust both sides with flour.  Maintaining the 6″ width, roll the dough into a 12″ by 6″ rectangle; start in the middle of the dough roll away from you, return the rolling pin to the center of the dough, and roll the closer half towards you. Repeat as necessary to obtain a 12″ by 6″ rectangle.
5. Again lightly dust both sides with flour and continue the same rolling process until you obtain a 20″ by 6″ rectangle, which will become somewhat translucent. Lift the dough occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the counter-top, and if the dough sticks to the counter too frequently or wrinkles when you roll it out, then you should again lightly dust the dough with flour. Repeat the rolling process with the remaining slices of dough. Be careful not to add too much flour or the dough may snapback when you roll.
6. Allow the pasta sheet to stand on clean kitchen towel for 15 minutes before cutting. To make linguine, loosely fold pasta sheet at 3″ intervals to form a flat roll. Use a chef’s knife to cut into 3/16″-wide noodles. Gently use your fingers to unfurl the cut pasta. Place on baking sheet while you prepare your sauce, but be sure to cook within 1 hour.
7. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water. Boil pasta for about 3 minutes. Reserve a cup of the pasta’s cooking water for later, drain and combine with sauce. If your sauce is not immediately ready, add back a little of the reserved pasta’s cooking water to re-loosen the sauce.
8. If you don’t cook all the pasta tonight, lay your shaped pasta on a baking sheet freeze until it is firm. Once frozen you can put in zip-lock bags a freeze for up to 2 weeks.

After a few minutes prep, I’m left to wait 2 hours before rolling.

After a few hours cut into 6 equal pieces

Roll out until it becomes translucent

Loosely fold dough over to make perfect slices.

Yellow color comes from egg yolks, not semolina flour.

Donuts

I haven’t made donuts for 2 years because the last ones were such a big disappointment, with some of them as hard as a hockey puck. Today they came out much better, but still I am not completely satisfied. I believe that I rolling out in step 7 to 3/8″ is too thin, so I modified the recipe to 1/2″-thick. At first my oil was too hot because the oil wasn’t deep enough for my clip-on candy thermometer to properly register the temperature. The donuts overcooked within 1 minute, but when I lowered the temperature they came out much better. I was looking for chocolate glaze, but again ended up with chocolate frosting. At best, I consider these a work-in-progress; 3-1/2 stars (which is not very good for a donut). Please fell free to add comments with suggestions about how to make the donuts fluffier and how to improve the consistency of the chocolate glaze.

they were just okay; 3-1/2 stars

Comments:

1. The donuts are best eaten the day they are made. Without any preservatives these donuts became stale quickly, even when tightly wrapped in plastic. I’d suggest freezing half your donuts. When you are ready to eat them, heat them up in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.

Rating: 3-1/2 star.
Cost: $1.50 for 10 donuts, plus donut holes.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Huge.
Start time 9:00 AM. Dessert time 1:00 PM.

3/4 cups milk
5 tablespoon butter
2-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (14-1/2 ounces)

1. Put milk and butter in micowaveable bowl or measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute. Alternatively you could melt it a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and butter until just melted. Then set aside.
2. Add 1/4 cup of 110° water to the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the yeast and let stand 5 minutes.
3. After 5 minutes, add the remaining milk and butter to standing mixer, then add the egg, sugar, salt and half the flour.
4. Mix with dough hook on low, increasing to medium until well combined.
5. Add the remaining flour on low, increasing to medium until dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until it has doubled in size; about 1 hour.
7. Transfer dough to lightly floured  surface and roll out to 3/8″ 1/2″-thick. Use a donut cutter to create the donuts, pressing down firmly and rotating cutter at least 90-degrees to ensure a clean cut.
8. Do not try to re-form the scraps to form more donuts, because the flour from the counter will prevent them from holding together. Instead you should make donut holes without adding additional flour.
9. Transfer  the donut rings and donut holes to a lightly floured baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, preheat oil in Dutch oven to 360°, about 15 minutes.
11. Working with 3 or 4 rings at a time, gently place doughnuts in the oil.
12. Cook for approximately 1 minute per side until lightly golden brown, being careful not to overcook. Use a slotted spoon and tongs remove from oil and allow some of the oil to fall back into the fryer for a few seconds, then transfer to a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet and allow to cool for 15 minutes prior to glazing.

Chocolate Glaze:

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz dark chocolate
3/4 cups powdered sugar

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate until fully melted.
2. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and milk.
3. Let cool slightly then dunk doughnuts.

 

The Last Straw for Kingsford Charcoal

There was a time when Kingsford Charcoal was undoubtedly king in my house. Then a few years ago they reformulated. I’ve expressed my disappointment with their reformulation, and was not alone, see here and here. Others complained about changes in grilling temperatures, that the coals would burn out quicker, as well as lack of charcoal flavor. However, my biggest complaint was that the juices from the meat would extinguish the new formulation (which never happened with the older formulation).  I never got the full burn of the briquettes when cooking juicy meat.

This year’s Kingsford Corporate Blunder was to drastically downsize their “value packs” by over 30% without lowering the price. Last year their “Value Packs” consisted of twin 20-lb bags (total of 40-lbs of charcoal for about $12).  This year, I went to Home Depot and paid about the same price. When I got home I noticed they downsize each of the two bags from 20-lbs to 13.9-lbs (total of 27.8-lbs for $13). Come on, did they really think we wouldn’t care?

A bag from last year compared to this year's downsize.

While Kingsford charcoal is still the best selling brand, they have used their market dominance to squeeze more profits by substituting lower cost (and heavier) materials, such as clay and other “binding” materials. In the past Kingsford has decreased the size of each individual briquettes so that they could claim the bags are the “same size” (based on briquette count in the bag). Do they really think we’re that gullible? This latest corporate blunder is the last straw. I’m done with them for good, like Netflix before them. I will try to find other brands and let you know the results.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Every day my peanut-loving son takes a PBJ sandwich and Nutter Butter cookies to school for lunch, so my son was especially interested in the outcome of this recipe. As I expected, he loved the cookies and said they were 10 times better than pre-packaged Nutter Butter. The crisp cookie was fresh and tender, not at all dried out, and the peanut butter filling really intensified the nutty flavor. 4-stars.

Final cookies were a home run for my peanut-loving son

1. The recipe calls for raw peanuts, but after looking in 3 different supermarkets I wasn’t able to locate raw peanuts anywhere. In the end, I bought pre-roasted peanuts labelled as “party peanuts”, because the ingredient list was very simple. It appears to be a much better substitute than Planter’s.
2. The recipe yields 35-ounces of filled cookies, a little more than two 16-oz packages of Nutter Butters.  The full retail price of Nutter Butters is $4.50 per pound, but I usually buy them when they are $2.50 per pound. So while this recipe won’t save a careful shopper any money, they are still worth making because they are fresher and free on weird oils and other additives; what is hydrogenated rapseed oil anyway.
3. If you use a level tablespoon to measure out the dough, the recipe will make 24 filled-cookies; i.e. 48 halves. I slightly heaped my tablespoons and ended up with 18 slightly larger cookies; i.e. 36 halves.
4. There was barely enough filling to fill all the cookies. I had to be careful and sometimes under-estimated and the filling didn’t make it all the way to the edges. Next time I will increase the filling by 20%, so that I don’t have to be so stingy with the filling. Also there are two other fillings available; milk chocolate filling or honey-cinnamon filling.
5. Chris Kimball warns against using unsalted peanut butter in this recipe, but I have never seen unsalted peanut butter for sale in my main-stream supermarket.

Rating: 4-stars.
Cost: $4.50 for 35-ounces.
How much work? Low/Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Start time 4:45 PM. Snack time 6:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here. My descriptions of how I prepare it are given below:

Cookies:
1 -1/4 cups toasted peanuts (6-1/4 ounces)
3/4-cup all-purpose flour (3-3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (4-3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3-3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3-1/2 ounces)
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 large egg

Peanut Butter Filling:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (7-1/2 ounces)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (4 ounces)

1. Set two rack to the upper-middle and lower-middle of your oven, and begin to pre-heat to 350-degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Add toasted peanuts to bowl of food processor and pulse 8 times until they become finely chopped.
3. If a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Put butter in another large bowl and microwave for 25 seconds until melted. Whisk together peanut putter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk and egg. Then add flour mixture and stir using a rubber spatula until well combined. Add the chopped peanuts and continue mixing until the peanuts have been evenly incorporated.
5. Use a level (or ever so slightly heaping) tablespoon to measure out 12 mounds onto each of the two parchment-lined sheet pans. Moisten your hands with water and flatten each cooking into 2″ rounds.
6. Bake at 350-degrees for 16 to 18 minutes, or until they turn a deep golden brown. Be sure to switch racks and rotate 180-degrees halfway through cooking.
7. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pans before moving them to a wire rack, where they will take an additional 30 minutes to completely cool.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 with remaining dough, though the recipe may not yield the full 48 cookie halves.
9. For the filling, add butter and peanut butter to a medium bowl and microwave on high for 40 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to combine, then add confectioners’ sugar. Again, stir until there is no more powdered sugar.
10. Because some cookies will be slightly different size, group them in pairs so that the two sandwich halves will be approximately the same size. Put 1 level tablespoon of the filling into the middle of one side of the sandwhcih, then put the second cookie on top and use a twisting motion until the filling works it’s way to the edges.
11. It’s best to allow the filling to firm up for an hour before serving, but my son and I couldn’t resist and they were delicious, though the filling squished out a little.

Even while crisp, the cookies were not Sahara-like

Final cookies were a home run for my peanut-loving son

If you can’t find raw, Party Peanuts are an acceptable substitute.

Simple ingredients made this a good substitute for raw peanuts.

Coffee Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

I have always made my Cappuccino Ice Cream by mixing real espresso with heavy cream. It tastes delicious. But adding 8 ounces of espresso, which is mostly water, allows some ice crystals to form taking a slight toll on the texture of the final ice cream. So today I used Chris Kimball’s technique of heating ground coffee grounds directly in the milk/cream mixture. Not only does using a custard base result in unparalleled silkiness, but the heating allows me to  simultaneously “brew” the coffee. The texture is amazing, and the flavor is nearly as good as using real espresso. The only draw back is that it you must strain the custard base three times to remove 95% of the coffee grounds. 5-stars.

Pictured here with my son’s 13-th birthday cake.

Usually I swirl in Dulce de Leche to my coffee ice cream, but today my son requested using Chocolate Fudge. As an adult, I prefer the Dulce de Leche, but this combination using chocolate fudge was a home run with my guests (whose average age was 12-years-old). It was decadent. Just be sure that the fudge sauce has cooled completely before swirling into your ice cream.

Comments:

1. The main problem with Chris Kimball’s recipe is removing the spend coffee grounds from the custard base. He instructed me to strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer, but my strainer let quite a bit of grounds through. In fact, I had to strain the custard three times in order to remove enough of the grounds.
2. Also, Chris Kimball instructed me to strain the chilled custard, but I strained it as part of the cooling process. I don’t think that this contributed to the straining problem, but I do think that my technique allowed for the custard to remain colder, which is critical to prevent ice crystals from forming.
3. I also tried to strain through a paper coffee filter, but the custard was too thick and never permeated through the filter. I only have a French Press at work, but think that that would have worked well.

Rating: 5-stars.
Cost: $5.20.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Start time 12 Noon. Finish time 6:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s original Ice Cream recipe is here, and his Chocolate Fudge Sauce recipe is here. The descriptions of how I prepared it today are given below:

Hot Fudge Sauce:
4-oz semisweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2-1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch table salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces.

1. Break chocolate into pieces and melt in small heat-proof bowl placed over a pot of nearly simmering water. Don’t allow the water to boil. Stir the chocolate occasionally, which will take about 10 minutes to melt. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa until it has dissolved.
2. Place a heavy-bottom pan over low heat, and warm sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, salt, and 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes without stirring.
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the burner to medium/high and simmer for 4 minutes; stirring often.
4. Remove from heat and add butter pieces and vanilla extract. Once combined, whisk in the melted chocolate/cocoa.
5. Allow to cool completely before spreading on ice cream, or serve warm to make Hot Fudge Sundae.

Coffee Fudge Swirl Ice Cream:
2 Cup heavy cream (1 pint)
1-1/2 whole milk
1/2 cup ground coffee or espresso beans.
1-1/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoon vanilla.

1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water; to be used as an ice bath after removing cream from stove-top.
2. Add heavy cream, milk, coffee grounds and 1 cup sugar to medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat for 5 minutes until the mixture reaches 160°; stir occasionally to ensure that the sugar completely dissolves. Temporarily remove pan from heat to prevent the milk from boiling.
3. Meanwhile in a small bowl, beat the yolks together with 1/4 cup sugar. Be sure not to let the egg yolks and sugar sit for any length of time; after 5 minutes the combination will get hard. Temper the yolks by whisking in 1/2 cup of the 160° cream. Then whisk in a second 1/2 cup to further temper.
4. Add the yolk mixture back in with the cream/coffee in the saucepan. Cook over medium burner until the mixture reaches180°; stir constantly with heat-proof spatula. Cooking too long will scramble your eggs.
5. While the mixture heats up, wash your medium bowl and place it in ice batch, and get your strainer handy.
6. When the mixture reaches 180°, immediately strain your mixture into the medium bowl. Wash the strainer and then strain the mixture two more times to remove as much of the grounds as possible.
7. The ice batch will allow the mixture to cool to room temperature quickly; stirring occasionally will help it cool. Add vanilla extract, cover, refrigerate for 3 hours. Alternatively freeze for 1 hour; just be sure it’s below 40°.
8. Add mix into the ice cream machine’s canister. Churn for 30 minutes or how ever long your ice cream machine recommends. While ice cream churns; pre-freeze a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and the ice cream’s final container/bowl.
9. When ice cream finishes spread in thin, even layer of pre-chilled baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure to leave as little air as possible, and freeze for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
10. Use a spatula to spread your fudge evenly over entire surface of ice cream, then roll up ice cream into a long cylinder.
11. Put finished ice cream in airtight container, or press plastic wrap against the ice cream’s surface. Freeze for at least 1 more hour before serving.

Matt celebrating his 13-th Birthday with his friends

Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

OK, so this isn’t a new recipe, but a combination of two older ones; Buffalo Wings and these Chicken Nuggets. The combination turned out fantastic; just as good as regular Buffalo Wings, but so easy to eat using a knife and fork. There was no mess and my fingers weren’t tingling from all the spices. The sauce recipe below is a slight variation on Chris Kimball’s. First, I reduced the total amount of sauce made, because I found that there was always too much. The second secret is to add some Worcester sauce, adding some great depth.

Just as tasty as wings, but easier to eat.

Comments:

1. I love spicy food. But if you don’t, then you can leave out the cayenne pepper to soften the heat. If it’s still too hot then you can reduce the Tabasco. By itself, Frank’s wing sauce is not all that hot.

Rating: 4-1/2-stars.
Cost: $5.
How much work? Medium.
How big of a mess?  Medium.
Start time 4:00 PM. Finish time 6:00 PM.

Chris Kimball’s original Chicken Nugget recipe is here, and his Buffalo wing recipe is here. The descriptions of how I prepared the chicken nuggets is here, and the descriptions of how I prepared the Buffalo Sauce are given below:

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Frank’s Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoon Worcester sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. With 5 minutes remaining until chicken is ready to serve, begin to make the sauce. Melt the butter in 12” regular (i.e. not non-stick) skillet over a medium low burner, whisk in the Frank’s sauce, Tabasco, brown sugar, Worcester, cayenne and cider vinegar. Mix well and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of sauce to serve separately at table, and to ensure that your nuggets aren’t too spicy.
2. Put chicken nuggets into skillet and use a rubber spatula to toss until evenly coated.

Philadelphia Cheese Steak

I had my first real cheese steak when I was 38 years old, and always had the impression that it was something better left to the professionals (For example, here I am in a Philadelphia pub enjoying a cheese steak).  About 2 years ago, I tried to make Philly Cheese Steaks according Chris Kimball’s 2006 recipe. He told me to cut the meat into cubes and then pound them thin with a meat pounder. The result was OK; 3-1/2 stars; but the meat seized up and ended up being too thick. Plus it didn’t always brown properly; varying from sandwich to sandwich. Today, I am happy to convey great success in home-made cheese steak technique.

Finally homemade cheese steak rivaling s trip to Philly

Today, I used Chris Kimball’s new technique which worked perfectly. His secret to making cheese steaks without a deli-slicer is to partially freeze the meat. Because the meat is firmer, you will have much more success in slicing paper-thin shavings with a sharp chef’s knife. (well I now see others have given this same advice too).

While delicious, I thought there was a slight lack of cheese flavor. Because provolone is often mentioned in “gourmet” versions, I made a second batch of Cheese Steaks a few days later using provolone cheese. In the end, Chris Kimball was correct. White American cheese is best, both in terms of texture and taste. Provolone was too subtle in flavor and became stringy when melted.

Comments:

1. I toasted the bread at 400-degrees until it just began to turn golden. My family unanimously thought that it was toasted too far; it had became too hard. I then tried making a sandwich on an un-toasted roll; but the toasted roll was deemed to be unanimously better. After testing a few batches, I’d recommend toasting only for 6 to 7 minutes, and removing from oven before it becomes even lightly browned.
2. The recommended amount of American Cheese (even though augmented by Parmesan) was a little too weak. I wanted more cheese flavor. I made a second batch of sandwiches using provolone, but they had even less cheese flavor.  So, I would recommend sticking to White American Cheese, but boosting the amount. I added two extra slices and boosted the Parmesan to 1/2 cup. BTW, the traditional cheese used in these sandwiches is Cheez Whiz.
3. Chris Kimball says to the freeze meat on a plate or baking sheet. The first time I made these I used a plate, but because plates are not completely flat it was wobbly during the cutting process. The second time I made these I froze the 3″-wide strips directly on a wooden cutting board, and felt that it was much safer.
4. Make sure that your chef’s knife is sharp before slicing. A sharp knife will make it much easier (and safer).
5. My last bit of advice is to pile each slice into an unorganized mound as you cut the beef. Once I left the slices in even stacks, but they were extremely difficult to separate them after chopping.

Rating: 4-1/2 star.
Cost: $18 for 5 to 6 sandwiches.
How much work? Low/Medium.
How big of a mess?  Low.
Started: 4:00 pm. Dinner Time:  6:00.

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here.  The descriptions of how I prepared it today are given below, but the ingredient list has already increased the amount of cheese according to my recommendations above :

2-lb skirt steak
5 to 6 Italian sub rolls (about 8″)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 oz)
10 slices white American cheese (10 ounces)

1. Slice your steak with grain into 3″ wide strips. Lay steak strips flat on a wooden cutting board and freeze for 1 hour, which will allow you to more effectively cut your meat into very thin slices.
2. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and pre-heat for 20 minutes to 400-degrees.
3. Use a sharp knife to slice/shave the steak against the grain, making your slices as thin as possible. As you cut the beef, put the shavings in an unorganized mound. Once I stacked the slices neatly, but they did not separate easily.  After slicing all your meat, put in a mound and chop about 20 times until coarsely chopped.
4. Slice rolls and bake in a 400-degree oven for 6 to 7 minutes. Remove before they begin brown.
5. Place a 12″ non-stick skillet over a high burner. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and pre-heat for 3 minutes until smoking.
6. Cook the meat in two batches. Sprinkle half the meat evenly in pan. Allow to brown for 5 minutes without stirring. Stir and allow to finish cooking for an additional 2 minutes. Put cooked meat in a colander. Use paper towels to wipe the skillet clean and repeat this step using a second tablespoon of vegetable oil.
7. After draining the moisture from the meat, return meat to skillet over burner set to medium heat. Season according to taste with (about 3/4 teaspoon) salt and pepper, and heat for 2 minutes until the meat is completely warmed.
8. Turn down heat to low, and top meat evenly with the grated Parmesan. Evenly lay out slices of American cheese, realizing that there may be some overlap. Continue heating for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese has melted, then fold the melted cheese into the meat to combine. Diving the meat evenly and place on toasted rolls, then serve immediately.

Homemade Granola with Almonds and Raisins

I’ve never really given much though to granola, and certainly never thought about making it at home. But thanks to Chris Kimball I see that it’s mostly just oats; plain old Quaker. Most ready-made granola binds the oats together using honey, this recipe uses maple syrup. While more expensive, maple syrup has bolder and more interesting flavor; a definite upgrade. Also most ready-made granola skimps on the nuts and raisins, because they cost 10-times more than the oats. This recipe uses lots of nuts and raisins, and achieves a much tastier balance. 4-stars

Best granola ever; I guarantee it.

This will undoubtedly be the best granola you will have ever tasted in your life; I guarantee it. The flavor of the almonds intensify and the oats cook. While my main complaint about granola still stands; that it is too dry; it is still delicious.  I’d recommend eating with something moist; adding milk and eating as a cereal or as an American-style parfait (yogurt, fresh fruit and granola).

Comments:

1. When walking down the oatmeal section in your supermarket, you will see two type of oats. Quick oat are ready in 1 minutes, but this recipe calls for regular old-fashioned rolled oats. They are always labelled as ready in 5 minutes.
2. While maple syrup is very expensive it imparts great flavor. If it is too expensive for you, then substitute honey. It goes without saying that pancake syrup should never be substituted.
3. Be sure to buy raw almonds, because you will be roasting them yourself. I found slivered raw almonds at Trader Joe’s. Avoid blanched and pre-roasted almonds.

Rating: 4-stars
Cost: $6.50 (2-lbs 10-oz granola)
How much work? Low.
How big of a mess?  Low.
Started: 1:00 PM.  Ready:  2:45 PM

Chris Kimball’s original recipe is here.  The descriptions of how I prepared it today are given below:

1/3 cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/3 ounces light brown sugar (1/3 cup packed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
17-1/2 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats (5 cups)
10 ounces raw almonds (2 cups)
2 cups raisins (12-1/2 oz)

1. Set an oven rack in upper-middle of oven, and pre-heat to 325-degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, vanilla, brown sugar and salt, then use whisk to combine vegetable oil.
3. Use spatula to fold oats and chopped almonds until evenly coated with syrup mixture.
4. Line a rimmed-baking sheet with parchment paper. Evenly spread oats onto baking sheet. Use a stiff metal spatula to tightly compress the oats.
5. Bake at 325-degrees for between 40 and 45 minutes, or until slightly brown. Rotate the baking sheet half way through baking to ensure that it cooks evenly.
6. Place baking sheet on wire rack and allow to cool for 1 hour. Break granola into whatever sized pieces you like. Chop raisins and stir into granola peices.
7. You can store the granola in an air-tight container for 2 weeks.

Comparing pale lifeless store-bought to homemade.