French Onion Soup

I had lunch one day at a cute little French cafe near one of my schools. They had the best french onion soup, although on the menu it was called just, "onion soup." I guess the "french" part of the name was implied. Its sweet, rich, beefy flavor was not lost among gobs and gobs of cheese. Instead, the cheese was served on the side, so I could add a little at a time. I loved this idea, as trying to break off a piece of gooey cheese with a spoon was something I never got the hang of.


I've already lauded my love for the slicer blade on the food processor. In about 30 seconds, the blade turned a bowl of onions from this

to this.

Way easier than the 30 minutes it would've taken me to slice the onions by hand. Caramelizing the onions, however, took longer than I thought. After a half an hour of cooking, I only had this.


I think the heat was too low.


I'm such a procrastinator. It's shameful. I'm blogging this recipe for Branny's Charity Souper Bowl. Only I think I may be too late. I'm dedicating this post to my kitty, Sienna. She came to us three years ago. She instantly made herself at home in our place. She is amazingly tolerant with our son. And she loves hanging out with us on the couch.



French Onion Soup
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
By Ina Garten


1 stick butter
2.5 lbs large yellow onions, halved and sliced thinly
1 bay leaf
1 c sherry
1 dry white wine
8 c beef stock
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 baguette, sliced into rounds
Gruyere cheese, grated


Melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and bay leaf, and sauté until they are a rich golden brown, 30-45 minutes. Add sherry, and let cook for 5 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add wine, and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the beef stock, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with the gruyere. Toast in the oven until cheese is bubbly, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully so bread doesn’t burn. Serve with soup.

Entremet with a Biscuit Joconde Imprime - January Daring Bakers

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

It took me a few times of reading through this challenge to figure out all that was being asked of me. An entremet is a fancily layered dessert - usually involving cake, mousse, pastry cream - that is assembled in a mold. The biscuit joconde imprime is a thin sponge cake with an imprinted design baked in. This wraps around the entremet, creating an elegant and stunning dessert (hopefully.)


Despite the lengthy directions, this dessert was fairly easy to make. I filled the dessert with a vanilla bean mousse, and topped with a glaze made from freshly squeezed tangerine juice. I now have eleven leftover egg yolks, so I'll be making some ice cream in the near future. The only suggestion I can add is to have the egg whites at room temperature. And my son was very eager to dip his spoon into the dessert.


Joconde Sponge
recipe from Chef John O. of The International Culinary School in Atlanta, Georgia USA.
YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:
¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour *See note below
3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.

Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)

On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )

Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.

Fold in melted butter.

Reserve batter to be used later.


Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste
YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients
14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus1½ tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
1¾ cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

COCOA Décor Paste Variation: Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g. Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)

Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously. Fold in sifted flour.

Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde - How to make the pattern:

Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.

Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.

Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.

Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.

Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.

Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.

Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

To prepare the entremet:

Start with a large piece of parchment paper laid on a very flat baking sheet. Then a large piece of cling wrap over the parchment paper. Place a spring form pan ring, with the base removed, over the cling wrap and pull the cling wrap tightly up on the outside of the mold. Line the inside of the ring with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping top edge by ½ inch. CUT the parchment paper to the TOP OF THE MOLD. It will be easier to smooth the top of the cake.

A biscuit cutter/ cookie cutter- using cling wrap pulled tightly as the base and the cling covering the outside of the mold, placed on a parchment lined very flat baking sheet. Line the inside with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping.

Cut PVC pipe from your local hardware store. Very cheap! These can be cut into any height you wish to make a mold. 2 to 3 inches is good. My store will cut them for me, ask an employee at your store. You can get several for matching individual desserts. Cling wrap and parchment line, as outlined above.

Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.

Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is ½ the height of your mold. This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full height.

Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a very sharp paring knife and ruler.)

Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.

The mold is done, and ready to fill.

Pink Velvet Whoopie Pies

I was surprised that I couldn't find a recipe for these on the internet. Whoopie pies are everywhere, and especially the red velvet variety. Pink whoopie pies are just a small stretch away.


I went through many batches of cookies in my search for the best shade of pink. The quantity of cocoa powder greatly affected the color. After varying degrees of pink, ranging from dark fuschia (with 1 TBS of cocoa powder) to a shade I refer to as "ballet" pink (with 1/2 tsp of cocoa powder), I decided to omit the cocoa powder completely. That, along with about 10 drops of red food coloring, yielded a bright, cheery pink.



Pink Velvet Whoopie Pies
Adapted from the marshmallowfluff recipe


2 ¼ c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8-10 drops red food coloring
¾ c buttermilk

Marshmallow Filling (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350˚F. Lightly spray two large cookie sheets with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the egg, oil, and sugar with a hand mixer. Beat in the vanilla and red food coloring. Using a spatula, stir in (by hand) the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Drop by spoonfuls (I used a mini ice-cream scoop), onto prepared cookie sheets. They will spread, so leave a lot of space between scoops. Bake until the tops spring back lightly, about 8-15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove to wire racks to cool. Spread marshmallow filling onto the bottom of one cookie, and top with another to make a sandwich.


Marshmallow Filling

½ c butter, softened
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1 c marshmallow fluff (about ½ of a 7.5 oz jar)
½ tsp vanilla

Beat ingredients in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Pizza Bianca with Mushrooms

One of our friends gave us a mushroom growing kit for Christmas. We've been growing port0bella mushrooms since. They are really easy to grow - all you have to do is mist them a few times a day.

Once the mushrooms started to poke through, they were full size in about four days. That was our first crop. We should have another in a few weeks.

I've been using the mushrooms up in lots of dishes, like this pizza. I've made pizza lots of times before, but usually I bought pizza dough from the supermarket. I've never been good at rolling the dough out to a decent size, shape, and thickness. This time, I discovered a cool tip for that. When I started shaping the dough into a crust, I patted it into a flat disk. Starting from the middle, I kept patting with my fingertips, working my way out to the edges. This gave me lots of control over the shape of the dough, and I didn't end up with any holes or thick spots. Once I had this down, it was a cinch to top and bake the pizza.

Pizza Crust

from williams-sonoma.com

1 Tbs dry active yeast
¾ c plus 2 Tbs warm water (100˚F)
2 ¾ c all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Cornmeal for dusting

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let stand until slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt and form into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture to the well. Stir with a fork in a circular motion, gradually pull the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue stirring until a dough forms.

Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball. Brush a large bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down the dough and, using your hand, begin to press it out gently into the desired shape. Then, place one hand in the center of the dough and, with the other hand, pull, lift and stretch the dough, gradually working your way all around the edge, until it is the desired thickness. Flip the dough over from time to time as your work with it. (Or roll out the dough with a rolling pin.) The dough should be slightly thinner in the middle than at the edge. Lift the edge of the pizza to form a slight rim.

Sprinkle some cornmeal onto a baker's peel or a baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the peel, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again until almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

Pizza Bianca with Mushrooms

1 pizza dough, stretched and ready for toppings
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
1 c ricotta cheese
6-7 mushrooms, chopped
Fresh basil leaves


Heat oven to 450˚F. In a small saucepan, heat the 3 Tbs olive oil. Add the garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Drizzle onto the pizza crust and brush to coat evenly. Layer mozzarella cheese evenly onto the pizza crust. Dot with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with mushrooms. Bake until cheese is bubbly and crust is lightly brown, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, top with basil, and cut into slices.

Buffalo Wings

Another reason to love our new wok - it works as a deep fryer. It came with an extra-long thermometer just for that purpose.


I was especially excited by this, because one of the reasons I didn't like deep frying was because the whole house would smell for days after. Now that we can deep fry outdoors, the smelly house becomes a non-issue. We had some friends over one day and tested out our wok-as-deep-fryer on a large batch of wings.


I don't usually eat wings. They are messy, and a lot of work for such little meat. But every so often, I get a hankering for them. After making them homemade, I am a huge fan. They weren't overly greasy like at restaurants. They were crunchy, the meat was tender, and were perfectly spiced. They were the perfect thing to share with friends.


Buffalo Wings
Original recipe

3 lbs chicken wings, drums and flats separated, wing tip removed
½ c all purpose flour
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Oil for frying

¼ c ( ½ a stick)
1 jar buffalo sauce
1 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)

Celery sticks
Blue cheese dressing


Separate wing sections, if necessary. In a shallow dish, combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Dredge wings in flour mixture, and shake excess off.

Pour enough oil into a fryer (or dutch oven or wok) so it is 3 inches deep. Heat to 350˚F. While oil is heating up, place butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low until melted. Stir in buffalo sauce and Tabasco sauce. Let simmer for another 5 minutes, and keep warm.

Fry wings in batches until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Do not over-crowd the fryer. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl. Pour some buffalo sauce in with the wings and toss until coated. Repeat with remaining batches of wings. Serve with celery and dressing.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I am a huge fan of red velvet cake. It is slightly chocolatey (depending on how much cocoa is used), slightly tangy, and sooooo moist. I have tried many recipes, and this one is my favorite. The original recipe called for 1/2 c of cocoa, which I found to be a little too much. I have used this for a few wedding cakes, and it holds up very well for multi-tiered cakes.


Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from The Confetti Cakes Cookbook
By Elisa Strauss


3 ½ c cake flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp salt
2 c canola oil
2 ¼ c sugar
3 large eggs
2 oz red food coloring
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 ¼ c buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsp white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Whisk cake flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl.

Combine oil and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until blended. Add eggs one at a time, and beat after each addition. Add food coloring and vanilla, and beat on low. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat between additions until just combined.

Place baking soda in a small bowl. Stir in the vinegar. Add to the batter while the machine is running, and beat for 10 seconds.

Fill liners with batter to about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes clean when inserted into a cupcake. Cool on a wire rack. Frost as desired.


Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz butter (1 stick)

4 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.

Roast Chicken with Hazelnut Cornbread Stuffing

I love finding recipes that help me use up stuff in the pantry. For example, I had half a bag of hazelnuts leftover from the topping I made for gelato. This chicken recipe used up most of the remaining nuts.

I was leery of cooking the stuffing in the bird. I'm glad I did though, because it soaked up a lot of flavor. I removed the stuffing after an hour, and let it cook separately. Just to be on the safe side. Also, the parsnips ended up cooking waay faster than the sweet potatoes. Next time, I'll make sure to cut the parsnips into larger chunks so they don't singe.


Roast Chicken with Hazelnut-Cornbread Stuffing

and Roasted Vegetables

Adapted from Omaha Steaks, Meat
By John Harrison with Frederick J. Simon

2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 c cornbread, crumbled
½ c manchego cheese, shredded
½ c chopped toasted hazelnuts (see note below)
2 Tbs white wine
1 Tbs fresh tarragon leaves
Salt and pepper
1 whole chicken

2 sweet potatoes, chopped
4 parsnips, cut into large chunks
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 425˚F. Heat oil in a sauté pan and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until softened. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the cornbread, cheese, hazelnuts, white wine, and tarragon. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Rinse and pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Stuff the chicken and place any excess in an oven-proof casserole dish. Cover the dish and place in refrigerator. Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen string. Place in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the surface of the chicken.

Place sweet potatoes and parsnips in a large bowl. Toss with olive to coat all pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables around the chicken in the roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 170˚F.

Remove roasting pan from the oven. Place vegetables in a serving dish. Remove stuffing from the chicken and place with the reserved stuffing in the casserole dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. While the stuffing bakes, tent the chicken with foil and let sit. To serve, carve the chicken and serve with the stuffing and roasted vegetables.

Note: To toast the hazelnuts, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350˚F, until light brown and fragrant. Stir once to keep them from toasting unevenly. Transfer hazelnuts to a clean, dry dish towel. Rub them vigorously in the towel. The skins should peel off fairly easily.

PB & J Bars

Peanut butter and jelly is one of my favorite sandwiches. In high school, it was what I made for lunch when I was in a hurry, and it still is. I go through phases where I HAVE to have a pb&j every day. I eat it mid-morning because lunch is too long a time to wait.

Because of my deep love of peanut butter, these bars are right up my alley. The are reminiscent of the sandwich. I also love them because they are 1) easy to make, and 2) easy to make a double batch of. This came in very handy when I was making goodies for Hubs' private students. I only had enough time to pass them out to about half his students, but I plan on catching up with the other students very soon.


And because you can't talk about peanut butter and jelly without bringing up this, here you go.

PB & J Bars
Adapted from Christmas Cookies 2010
By Better Homes and Garden

¼ c (1/2 stick) plus 2 Tbs butter, softened
¼ c shortening
¼ c creamy peanut butter
1 c packed light brown sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ plus ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 c all purpose flour

10 oz jar grape jam (or whatever flavor you like)

¼ c packed light brown sugar
¼ c rolled oats (not instant)

Preheat oven to 375˚F.
With a hand held mixer, beat the butter, shortening, and peanut butter in a large bowl until combined. Add the brown sugar, baking powder, salt, ½ tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Beat in flour until just combined. Press 2 cups of the cookie dough into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9” baking pan.

Bake the crust about 10 minutes until set. Spread jam carefully over the hot crust; make an even layer. Add the oats, brown sugar, and ¼ tsp cinnamon to the remaining dough. Use a pastry blender or a fork to cut in the remaining 2 Tbs butter. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle over the jam.

Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cool, cut into bars.

Macarons, second attempt

This was my second stab at making macarons - my first being The Great Egg White Massacre of 2009. I had been kind of avoiding them ever since. But a good friend of mine loves macarons, ever since her trip to France last summer. So I made some to give as a Christmas gift.

I've learned from making this batch that I tend to over-beat the egg whites. The first sheet of cookies came out with a crinkly surface and sans feet. But the second sheet (after the batter had rested while the first sheet baked) poofed nicely and had feet. Success! I'm still figuring out the correct consistency for the egg whites, but I'm heartened that it didn't take five batches of batter.


Macarons
from Claudia Flemming' The Last Course: The Desserts Of Gramercy Tavern
as seen on Tartelette

Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.

Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.

Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).

Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.

Cool on a rack before filling.

Ganache Filling

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 oz heavy cream

Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Warm cream in a small saucepan until just beginning to bubble. Pour over the chocolate, and let sit 5 minutes. Stir gently until combined. Let cool until it is a good spreading consistency.

Shrimp Fried Rice

For Hubs' birthday last month, I gave him a propane-fueled 22-inch wok. He had been eyeing this for the better part of last year. Since getting it set up in our garage (the back porch was not big enough), we have had fried rice just about once a week. It is hands down the best fried rice I've ever had. He has also made some tasty orange chicken, lo mein, stir-fried cabbage and bacon, and beef and broccoli.

This recipe is easily adaptable to whatever vegetables we have on hand, and many times we omit the meat and make it vegetarian. Because the wok is sooo big, he is able to stir fry the food in stages and then push it up the side of the wok while he moves onto the next step. If you are using a smaller (more normal) wok or a skillet, then stir fry each item, and remove it from the pan. This way nothing will get overcooked, and the pan won't get too crowded. Add the shrimp and vegetables back to the pan when you cook the rice. Also, make sure to prep all the ingredients, and have them on hand when you start cooking.

Shrimp Fried Rice
Original recipe

1 lb small shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 Tbs soy sauce
¼ c chicken stock
1 Tbs rice wine

1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, cut thinly on the bias
1 medium onion, chopped
8 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
4 c cooked rice, cooled (day old rice works well)
1 bunch scallions, root removed and thinly sliced
½ c fresh cilantro, chopped

2 or 3 Tbs peanut oil

Prep the shrimp and vegetables. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chicken stock, and rice wine. Set aside.

Heat wok until a drop of water completely evaporates in a few seconds. Add peanut oil by swirling it around the edge and letting it coat the pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for 30 seconds. Do not let them burn. Push the garlic and ginger up to the side. Add carrots and onion to the wok, and cook for 2-3 minutes until caramelized but still slightly firm. Add mushrooms and cook another minute. Push the vegetables up the side so that the bottom of the wok is empty. Pour shrimp into the bottom of the wok, and cook until opaque, about 1-2 minutes. Push shrimp up the side of the wok. Add another 1 Tbs of oil if necessary. Add rice and mix everything together. Cook until the rice heats through, about 3 minutes. Add scallions and soy sauce mixture and mix until everything is coated. Turn heat to low. Sprinkle cilantro, cover, and let steam for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, toss once more, and serve.

Everything Bagels

Happy New Year! As I get older, my New Year's Eve celebrations get mellower. I guess it's an inevitability of life. Hubs had a gig at a hotel, and I stayed home and hung out with a few friends. We played wii games, drank wine, watched the countdown on t.v., and ate lots of cheese (not necesarily in that order.)

Getting up the next morning is always the hardest. Lately, the squirt has been waking up between 6:00-6:30, and this morning was no exception. Sleeping in on January 1st is no longer an option. However, having a freshly made bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and chives definitely takes some of the sting out of waking up early. And everything bagels are my favorite. I don't mind all the seeds and salt - the more the better.

Everthing Bagels
Adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Bagels
as seen on Smitten Kitchen

Sponge:
1 tsp instant yeast (I used the rapid rise)
4 c bread flour
2 ½ c warm water (about 95°F)

Dough:
1 tsp instant yeast
1 Tbs molasses or malt syrup
3 ¾ c bread flour
1 Tbs sugar
2 ¾ tsp salt

To Finish:
1 egg white
2 tsp water
1 Tbs baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting
Everything topping (recipe follows)

Day One: For the sponge – stir the yeast into the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if mixing by hand). Add water and stir until just combined – mixture should form a sticky batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours. Mixture should swell to nearly double in size, and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop.

For the dough – Add the additional 1 tsp yeast and molasses to the sponge and stir. In a separate bowl, stir together 3 c of flour, sugar, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sponge and mix on low with the dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough forms a ball, then slowly add in the remaining ¾ c of flour.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead for at least 10 minutes, adding a teeny bit of flour if the dough is still sticky. The kneaded dough should be firm, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour – all ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should read 71-77°F, and feel satiny and pliable but not tacky.

Immediately divide the dough into into equal-sized portions (3.75 oz for regular size bagel, 2 oz for mini bagels.) Form into rolls. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for about 20 minutes.

Line 2 sheet pans (or more) with parchment paper and mist lightly with non-stick spray. Poke a hole into each ball of dough and gently widen it to form an even ring. Place each shaped piece 2-inches apart on the baking sheets. Mist lightly with the non-stick spray and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator. To do this, fill a small bowl with cool or room temperature water. If the bagels float within 10 seconds of being dropped into the water then they are ready. Test with one bagel. If it floats, immediately pat it dry and return it to the pan. Cover the pat, and place in the refrigerator overnight. Bagels can stay chilled for up to 2 days. If the test bagel does not float, pat it dry, return it to the pan, cover, and continue proofing the dough. Check every 10-20 minutes to see if the bagel passes the float test.

Day 2: Preheat oven to 500°F with two racks set in the middle of the oven. Beat the egg white and water in a small bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer ready.

Remove bagels from refrigerator and gently drop them into the water. Only add as many bagels as can comfortably fit. They should float within 10 seconds. Cook for 1 minute, flip, and cook for 1 minute more. While bagels are boiling, sprinkle some cornmeal or semolina flour onto the same parchment-lined baking sheets. If you replace the parchment paper, spray lightly with nonstick-spray before sprinkling the dry ingredients.

Remove bagels from water to prepared pans. Brush the tops with the egg white wash, and sprinkle with the everything topping. Place bagels in oven, and bake for about 5 minutes. Rotate pans from top to bottom, and from front to back (180 degree turn). If you are only baking 1 pan, still rotate the 180 degrees. Lower oven to 450 and continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Remove pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Everything Topping

2 Tbs poppy seeds
2 Tbs sesame seeds
2 tsp onion flakes (minced onion)
2 tsp garlic flakes (minced garlic)
1 Tbs caraway seeds
1 Tbs kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.