Candied Bacon Cookies

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake

(Adapted from Williams -Sonoma Collection Series: Muffins)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3 granny smith apples (1 lb total, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs, at room temperature

Protocol

1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9 in springform.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. Toss the apples in lemon juice to prevent browning, in a separate bowl combine the brown sugar, cardamom and cinnamon. Add to the apples and toss to coat.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a flat paddle cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and add the eggs one at a time. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides again and add the flour mixture in 2 to 3 additions depending on the mixer.

5. In the bottom of your springform pan place make an even layer of the apples that were tossed in the sugar. (Sorry I neglected to take a photo!) Then spread the batter on top.

6. Bake until the is golden brown and a toothpick that is inserted will come out clean, approx. 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

7. De-mold from your springform and transfer to a platter. This works really well with some whipped cream.

Homemade Chicken

Pollo casero, which is spanish for homemade chicken, is a great simple dish that requires very little prep time and very few ingredients. It makes a great weeknight dish.

Pollo Casero

(Adapted from Mario Batali's Spain)

Ingredients

olive oil, at least 2 tbsp

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, sliced

8 oz. jar of pimento peppers, sliced

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

salt, to taste

Protocol

1. In a large dutch oven, stock pot or saute pan that can hold all of the chicken heat the olive oil on medium heat. Work in small batches to brown the chicken on both sides it will take at least 5 minutes for each side. Transfer the chicken to a platter.

2. Keep the pan on heat and add the garlic and onion and cook them until they are translucent. 3. Add the pimentos, wine, and the reserved chicken. Let the chicken simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Add salt to taste, approximately 1 teaspoon.

Healthy(er) Risotto

Risotto is a tasty italian rice dish that is traditionally made with aborio and cannolini rice. Aborio and cannolini are preferred because they are starchier and they give the dish a creamy texture, but in this version I went with the healthier and less starchy brown long grain rice, which is a little bit healthier than traditional risotto. The results? A tasty, nutty, good-for-you side dish that's good enough to be the main course.

WARNING: Before you contemplate making risotto, make sure you have set enough time aside! Risotto is like a small child and requires lots of stirring for up to 2 hours!

Brown Rice Risotto

Makes approx. 4 cups

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 onion

2 cups of brown rice

6 cups of chicken stock

salt & pepper to taste

parmesan, grated on top (optional)

Protocol

1. Place a heavy saucepan over low heat and olive oil. Once the olive oil has heated up to the point that it moves around easily around the pan add the onion.

2. Once the onion becomes transparent add the 2 cups of brown rice to the pan. Keep the rice moving in the pan. This will toast the rice and give it a nice nutty flavor.

3. After 5 minutes you can add 2 cups of chicken stock and start stirring! You will want to continue stirring until the rice is nearly completely absorbed, and then repeat with another 2 cups of chicken stock, and then with the final 2 cups of chicken stock.

4. Once you have completely absorbed all of the chicken stock and the rice is al dente (if rice is not al dente and is still uncooked add more stock) remove your sauce pan from the heat source and add salt and pepper to taste & garnish with grated parmesan.

Steak Rubdown

Sirloin Steak with an Herb Rub

(Adapted from Mario Batali's Italian Grill)

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 lbs Sirloin Steak (I went for natural angus and a 1 1/2 inch slice)

olive oil

Rub

2 tbsp coarse sea salt

2 tbsp fresh black pepper

3 tbsp fresh sage, chopped*

3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped*

3 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped*

*If you don't have access to fresh herbs, dried will work as well but their flavors may not be as strong.

Protocol

1. Assemble your rub.

2. Cover your steak with a thin layer of olive oil to both sides, you can use a basting brush or your hands.

3. Apply the rub to the steak on both sides and let it sit until it reaches room temperature

4. Grill!

Cheating, southern style.

I'm a big fan of big flaky biscuits. I'm not a fan of the big mess of flour that I tend to make on the counter, the flour, and the dog somehow gets into... so I've cheated with the traditional southern biscuit recipe and I've started making them in my food processor. Clean up is simple and my results are always consistently delicious.

Food Processor Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons butter, COLD!

1 cup buttermilk

Protocol

1. Preheat your oven to 450˚

2. In your food processor combine all of the dry ingredients, and pulse to mix. This eliminates the need for a sifter, hooray!

3. Slice your 4 tablespoons of cold butter into smaller pieces and disperse them throughout the bowl of your food processor.

4. Add your buttermilk and turn the food processor on until the biscuits just combine. (Picture #3)

5. Place your dough on a floured surface. Work the dough by folding it over on itself 6 times. These folds will produce the layers in the biscuit. Keep folding to a minimum though! Biscuit dough does not like to be touched excessively and any overworked dough will not be light and fluffy but a hard hockey puck.

6. Cut out the biscuits with a cookie cutter, and reform any scrap biscuits. Place biscuits on a baking sheet and bake until they are golden brown approx. 12-15 minutes.

Churn Baby, Churn

Homemade Unsalted Butter

Ingredients

Heavy whipping cream, no substitutions! lighter fat creams will not work!

Protocol

1. Before starting the process of making your butter, chill your bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes.

2. Place your heavy whipping cream in the bowl and using the paddle attachment set your mixer on the highest speed without making a mess. Your cream will reach the whipped cream stage and you will keep whipping beyond this.

3. A couple minutes after the whipped cream stage you will achieve results like the second picture, which is butter in a puddle of buttermilk. Drain off the buttermilk and reserve it, it's better than store bought varieties. This butter will be rich richer like a european butter and can be used for baking, eating, and inhaling.

The Biochemistry of Butter

Note to self: I should get some lined paper.

bacon, bacon, bacon.

Cornmeal Bacon Waffles

Makes 10 waffles

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 c. yellow cornmeal

2 cup water

1 1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons bacon grease, not butter. (oh yes, I went there, this is bacon day.)

8 strips of crunchy crispy bacon, chopped

Protocol

1. Preheat your waffle maker to the requirements for a medium waffle. I have an all clad waffle make and I set mine to a 3 on a 6-point scale.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking powder, salt and sugar and set aside.

3. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the water and cornmeal. Whisk constantly, until the content of the pan reaches a simmer. This will be a quick, rapid change so your constant attention will be required.

4. Whisk in the milk in to the saucepan to help release the cornmeal from the pan.

5. Whisk the cornmeal & milk in the saucepan into the dry ingredients of the bowl. Add bacon grease.

6. Fold in chopped bacon.

7. Make waffles according to directions of your waffle maker.

Cooking, Slowly.

Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham

(Technically, this should be made on the stovetop and then be transferred to the oven but I've forgotten that step throughout the years and haven't noticed the difference. I didn't have any tomatoes on hand so I had to sub them out.)

Yield: 4 quarts

Ingredients

olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled & diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

6 oz. smoked ham, diced

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1.5 cup aborio rice

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 lbs shrimp

Protocol

In a large dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the garlic until just tender. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, this is known as a mirepoix. Once the vegetables have become tender add the ham and the bell pepper and give it another 5 minutes minute to sauté.

Once the vegetables have finished cooking add the aborio rice and let it sit in the bottom of the dutch oven for a few minutes (approx 2). This allows the rice to toast and develop a nutty flavor. Add the chicken broth, water, and the spices to the dutch oven, cover and cook for another 30 minutes. Add shrimp and let them cook through, this will take approximately 6 minutes and they will turn into little "C"s. Take off heat and serve immediately to avoid overcooking shrimp.

The Biochemistry of Ricotta

Ricotta, it's easy peasy.

Easy Peasy Ricotta

For 1 cup of ricotta cheese..
(Note: Traditionally ricotta is made from rennet and whey, this is actually more similar to queso fresco or paneer or what you will find marketed as ricotta in american grocery stores)

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp. strained lemon juice

Protocol

1. Place milk and salt in a saucepan over moderate heat until the milk reaches 185˚ F. Make sure to stir the pan constantly to avoid scalding the milk or boiling it over.

2. Once the milk reaches appropriate temperature remove it from the heat, and add stir in the lemon juice. The milk will visibly separate into curds and whey.

3. Filter the curds and whey through a fine mesh strainer.

Experimentation with Sous Vide

The steak is a 2 lb 1.5 inch thick black angus sirloin that was placed in the immersion circulator for 1 hour at 132˚F and seared for 30 seconds on each side. The salmon is a steelhead fillet and was immersed for 13 minutes at 122˚F.