Croissants with Julia Child
Posted: January 18, 2013 Filed under: Baking, Food | Tags: Croissants, Food, Home Baking, Julia Child, Recipes 3 Comments »
I have a bit of a foodie crush on Julia Child. Maybe it is the dipping cadence of her voice, or her role as woman in the industry, or her height, or the fact that she loved bread and worked with Raymond Calvel, one of bakings greats. Whatever the reason, I get really excited when I come across something that lets baking and Julia Child collide. And these croissants are it!
I will admit, making croissants had me a little nervous. All the folding and butter, I was afraid I would end up with flat, pathetic blobs. But, I didn’t. They turned out great. Light and flakey…not perfect, but we loved eating every last one. It takes time, the first day is all about letting the dough rest, the second day your rolling-pin becomes your best friend, but it was fun and challenging and rewarding. A perfect way to spend a gray winter weekend. Not exactly, healthy, but everyone deserves a Julia Child inspired treat once in a while. So, treat yourself to a fabulous breakfast for dinner kind of day!
Croissants
Adapted from From Julia’s Kitchen by Julia Child
What You Need:
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons tepid water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup tepid milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 to 7 ounces (1 to 1 3/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
Eggwash
To Make:
Day 1…
In a small bowl mix the yeast, water and sugar. Blend the milk and oil with the yeast mixture.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture. Mix until well combined, then turn it out onto your floured work surface.
Let it rest for a few minutes, then knead until the dough feels smooth and begins to draw back into shape when pushed out during kneading. You’ll probably need a dusting of flour during kneading, but try not to add too much.
Put the dough in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set aside until the dough has tripled in size, about 3 hours.
After the first rise, turn the dough out on a floured surface and fold it over a few times. Then put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
After the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured plate, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerator overnight.
Day 2…
Take the butter out of the refrigerator and beat it with a rolling-pin to soften it so you can spread it. (This is a bit messy.) Do this quickly so it doesn’t get warm. Scrape the butter up with a dough scraper, fold it over, and whack it again if needed to get it soft. You can use the palm of your hand.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Roll it into an 14×8 inch rectangle and spread the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold the uncovered third over the buttered center, then fold the other side, like folding a brochure.
Lightly flour the dough, and roll it into a 10×16 inch rectangle. Fold it into thirds like you did before (no additional butter). Flour the dough, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate it for at least 45 minutes.
Take it out of the refrigerator and roll it into a 10×16 rectangle. Fold in thirds as before. Then roll and fold one last time.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Prepare two baking sheets.
Roll the dough to a rectangle about 20×5 inches. Cut it in half and return half to the refrigerator. Roll the half you’re working with to about 15×5 inches. Cut it into thirds so you have three 5×5 pieces.
Cut your 5×5 piece diagonally into two triangles. Stretch the base with your fingers and roll the triangle toward the tip. Bend the two ends to form the curve of the crescent.
Place the roll on the prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the dough has been cut and rolled (makes 12).
Cover the baking sheets and let the croissants rise until they have tripled in size, about 2 hours. They should feel puffy and light.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Brush the croissants with the egg wash and then bake at 475 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Let them cool on a rack for 10 minutes and serve.
Enjoy!
Adapted from Cookistry.
Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup
Posted: December 21, 2012 Filed under: Food | Tags: Cauliflower, Cheese, Food, Recipes, Soup Leave a comment »
It is a perfect week for soup: gray, rainy, and the kind of wet-cold that makes you want to stay in bed all day long. So last night we tried a new soup that has been sitting on my pinterest board for months, and it is a total winner! I must admit, I love pretty much any soup that involves cheese, and Lucas and I have been on a cauliflower kick, so this seemed like a good match. What I loved about this soup, beyond the way it made our house smell, was the depth of flavor even with so few ingredients. I think roasting the cauliflower helps make the flavors so robust and, of course, I added a little extra cheese, which never hurts. Overall, it was a perfect, warm, cozy soup for a cold, rainy night. How I wish it had been snow instead! Still keeping my fingers crossed for a white Christmas.
Happy Apocalypse Day! And enjoy the soup 
Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup
What You Need:
Adapted from Closet Cooking
The Rise of Olive Oil
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: Food, Writing | Tags: Food, Olive Oil, Recipes, Writing 2 Comments »
Today the second issue (May+June) of Food Loves Beer Magazine was released. I may be a little bias, but I think this is a great new digital food/beer magazine. And it’s free! To check it out click here. My article, The Rise of Olive Oil, starts on page 69 and includes one of my all-time favorite recipes, Spicy Bread-Dipping Sauce. Enjoy!
The Queen of Dehydrating
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: Backpacking, Food | Tags: Backpacking, Camping Food, Dehydrating, Food, One Pot Wonder 5 Comments »
Over the last month or so I have been on a quest to stock our “cache” with dozens of homemade dehydrated meals for our upcoming summer backpacking and camping trips. I am getting so used to the bee-like hum of our dehydrator it feels a little quiet without it. I am on the fast track to being a dehydrating expert.
We dreamed up our great dehydrating plan at Christmas time when we were searching for gift ideas on an outdoor website. Why hadn’t we thought of this before? It made perfect sense for people like us. We have, since the beginning of our backpacking days, struggled to break out of the monotony of eating couscous and peanut butter every other meal while on the trail, and here, right on the computer screen was the answer. Our outdoor culinary world was about to change.
Until a month ago, the dehydrator had been sitting unused, waiting, like us, for the snow to melt. And melt it has, at least enough to start getting outside in our tent again. So I checked out a book, Backpack Gourmet: Good Hot Grub You Can Make at Home, Dehydrate, and Pack for Quick, Easy, and Healthy Eating on the Trail, and the journey began.
I am amazed at how easy it is. Cook a meal, preferable one that has all the major food groups covered. A one pot wonder. Spread it out over parchment paper or thin plastic trays you can buy to go with the machine. Plug in and wait. It takes time, but you don’t really need to do anything with it while you wait. If you are around, you can speed up the process by crumbling the food a little half way through, but other than that the machine does the work. Once it is completely dry, pour it into a bowl, crush it up a little more, and package. Dinner is done.
We even splurged for a food saver, to make our meals vacuum-packed, but you can also use high quality zip lock bags, which we sometimes still do. So far, we have 22 meals in the “cache” and two more humming in the dehydrator today. Keep it coming!
We have eaten two of our creations out in the woods so far: Sierra Spaghetti and Chickpea Brown Rice Soup. Both excellent. Sierra Spaghetti includes white beans and a touch of heat, adding protein and flavor. The soup is pureed, with a tomato base, and is nice and hearty. There is nothing like a tasty, hot meal while sitting in the shadow of the Alaska Range.
I am a dehydrating convert! It makes dinner fast, light, cheap, healthy, and yummy. No turning back now.
Sierra Spaghetti:
Ingredients: olive oil, onion, mushroom, garlic, spaghetti sauce, white beans, red pepper flakes, oregano, and whole wheat linguini
Homemade Ciabatta Bread
Posted: April 20, 2012 Filed under: Baking, Food | Tags: Bread, Ciabatta, Food, Home Baking, Recipes 4 Comments »
This week I was in the mood to bake. I also wanted to try something new. I have stacks of recipes waiting to be made in Pinterest, and as I was scrolling, I found a recipe from the blog, The Kitchn, I had pined a few months before for ciabatta bread or rolls. Perfect.
I shied away from this recipe in the past because it requires a biga, or pre-ferment, which I had never used before, but this week I was ready to tackle a new technique. The biga adds to the breads flavor, texture, and crust. Basically, it gives the bread an extra bunch of all the good stuff. There is actually nothing complicated about creating it. You mix basic ingredients, water, flour, yeast, and let it sit overnight before you want to create the actual dough. It wasn’t nearly as scary as I imagined it would be. And it helped create a pretty spectacular result.
I decided to make rolls with my dough, as we had left over lentil “meatballs” (no actual meat) that we wanted to turn into sandwiches (see picture below).
Lucas and I have been munching on the rolls all week, and I can say they are a hit. Because we are in Alaska, and my kitchen equipment is in Pennsylvania, I had to do without my scale and stand mixer, which would have made things a lot easier. But I didn’t mind the adventure of kneading this super wet dough. If you are making the bread by hand, it can not be kneaded in the traditional fashion. Instead, you alternate between “slapping” the dough on a well floured counter and folding it in half. The key is generous amounts of flour for you hands, the dough, and the counter. And a little bit of patience so that the dough fully develops. Needless to say, a stand mixer takes out all the guess work for kneading.
I highly recommend rolling up your sleeves and giving this bread a tried. So tasty!
Ciabatta Bread or Rolls
What You Need:
For best results weigh ingredients.
Biga
4 ounce (1/2 cup) water
1/2 teaspoon active-dry yeast
5 ounce (1 cup) all-purpose flour
Pour water into a medium size bowl and dissolve the yeast. Add the flour and stir to form a thick paste. Continue to stir several more times to build up the gluten. Cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.
The next day, the biga will look soupy with bubbles dotting the surface.
Ciabatta
17 ounces (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) water
1 teaspoon active-dry yeast
Biga
20 ounces (4 cups) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
To Make:
In the bowl of a standing mixer, again add water and allow yeast to dissolve. Scrape the biga into the water using your hands or a spatula. Once in the bowl, break up the biga with your spatula or squeeze with your hands. The biga will not dissolve completely, rather it should be broken up into stringy blobs.
Add flour and salt. Using your spatula, stir to form a thick, wet dough. Then let the dough rest for 10-20 minutes.
Now attach the bowl to your standing mixer that has been fitted with the dough hook. Knead at medium speed for 15-18 
minutes (Level 5 or 6 on a KitchnAid). Keep an eye on your mixer as it may move on the counter top at this speed.
At first, the dough will start stick to the bottom and sides of the bowl. Around the 7-minute mark, it will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl, collect around the dough hook, and slap the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t, nudge your mixer speed up a notch. Also, if the dough starts climbing the dough hook, stop the mixer and scrape it down again. By the end of kneading, the dough will look smooth and creamy with a glossy shine. It will puddle back into the bowl once you turn off the mixer, and this is fine.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 2-3 hours, until tripled in bulk.
Heavily flour your work surface. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or if you have a pizza stone, lay the parchment paper on the counter. Now carefully scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. Dust the top of the dough with more flour. Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough in two pieces for loaves or 8 pieces for rolls.
Cover your hands with flour. Gently scoop the loaves (or the rolls) one at a time from the work surface to the parchment. Press your fingertips about halfway into the dough to dimple the surface and slightly flatten. Let the dough rise, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes. When ready to bake, they should look pillowy with bubbles just beneath the surface.
Preheat the oven to 475°F. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven now.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Slip the parchment out from under the loaves and cool completely before eating.
Enjoy!
Food Loves Beer Magazine
Posted: March 21, 2012 Filed under: Baking, Beer, Food, Writing | Tags: Bread, Food, Recipes, Writing 8 Comments »
Last week a new digital food magazine debuted, and I was lucky enough to have an article published in it. My piece, “Good Bread,” appears on page 73. To view the free issue check out the Food Loves Beer website here.
Have a great Wednesday!
Cod Fritters
Posted: February 23, 2012 Filed under: Alaskan Cities, Food | Tags: Alaska, Cod Fritters, Fish, Food, Recipes, Travel 2 Comments »
Over the weekend we not only had a great showing of the Northern Lights, we also indulged in all kinds of yummy food. And we stumbled on one of our new favorites: cod fritters. This recipe came from Alaska Dispatch, an online newspaper that is dedicated to everything Alaskan. It is cod fishing season in Alaska, so the recipe is especially timely, and tasty!
What I like best about the fritters is the crispy outside that breaks into the almost creamy inside. It is an explosion of taste with interesting texture. And I happen to be a person that finds texture very important. Hence the reason I want nothing to do with bananas. But that is whole other story. The point here is: these little babies are awesome. They are deep fried (sigh) so not something we will make often, but they are a great treat, and well worth the effort to make and clean up after.
Cod Fritters
What You Need:
3-4 red potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 cup milk
1 pound boneless, skinless cod
Salt and pepper to taste
Several pinches of nutmeg
1/2 lemon
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, washed and minced or several shakes of dry parsley
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup panko
Oil for deep fryer
To Make:
Wash and quarter potatoes. Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until they are tender. Drain and place in a medium bowl.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the garlic, green onions, and yellow onion. Sauté over low heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add milk. Bring to a low simmer. Cut the fish into pan-sized pieces and add to the milk mixture. Poach for 5-7 minutes.
After fish is poached, lift it (scoop some of the onions too) out of the milk mixture and add it in with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, a few light shakes of nutmeg, lemon juice, and parsley. Lightly mix so batter is a little chunky. Add one egg and lightly mix again. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After about 20 minutes, begin heating your oil for frying. Use a small pan (or deep fryer). If using a small pan, fill about half way. If using a deep fryer, heat 360 degrees. 
Then, using three small bowls, create an assembly line. One bowl with flour. The second with a lightly beaten egg. And the third with panko.
Shape cooled fish batter into 1-once round balls. Dip the ball into the flour, then the egg, and finally the panko. Repeat. Makes about 14.
Test one fish ball in the oil. It should take about 2-3 minutes to turn a light golden brown. Repeat.
Enjoy!
Hello, Chocolate Covered Doughnuts!
Posted: January 22, 2012 Filed under: Food | Tags: Breakfast, Chocolate Doughnut, Doughnut, Food, Recipes 1 Comment »
First, I will just put it out there, I’m not a doughnut person. I don’t crave them, and as much as I love sweets, I can live without doughnuts. Give me chocolate or ice cream. But my husband is another story. And last week, he kept talking about doughnuts. He was way in need of a doughnut breakfast, so I did a little digging and found a baked doughnut recipe that sounded tasty. And wow, was I impressed. I may have, for better or worse, turned the corner on doughnuts, at least homemade, baked, chocolate covered ones.
I found the recipe at Vegan Yum Yum, but I adapted it to use what we already had at home, so it includes egg, milk, and butter rather than the original substitutes. And, I can’t imagine why, but we don’t own a mini-doughnut pan, which the recipe calls for, so I made doughnut muffins, or as we started calling them Muffnuts. The words doughnut and muffin are awkward to combine. Although they didn’t look like doughnuts, they tasted spot on (better than the real thing, in my opinion).
They are knock-you-over sweet, especially for breakfast, but what a great treat. Lucas certainly got his doughnut fix this week!
Chocolate Covered Doughnuts
What You Need:
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp (scant) Nutmeg
1 tiny pinch or shake Cinnamon
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
4 Tbs Butter
Topping: 6oz. chocolate (dark or milk)
To Make:
Preheat oven to 350º F.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
In a small sauce pan, over low heat, combine wet ingredients and mix until butter is melted. This mixture should not get too hot, rather go for slightly warm.
Add wet to dry and gently mix. It should form a very soft dough.
Now, you can either scoop dough into your ungreased nonstick mini-doughnut pan or a regular size muffin pan. Note: If you are making mini-doughnuts it will make about 20, if you are making regular size muffins, it will make 6 very full muffins or 10 more normal size muffins. Smooth out the top of the dough with your fingers.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Doughnuts should not be brown on top. Invert hot pan over a cutting board or cooling rack to release doughnuts. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Chocolate Topping
Melt 6 oz of chocolate either over low heat in a double boiler or in the microwave using short bursts, about 30 seconds, stirring in between. Stir until chocolate is smooth and barely warm to the touch.
Dip or pour chocolate over cool doughnuts. Allow most excess chocolate to drip off then place on a cooling rack with a plate or tray underneath to catch remaining chocolate drips. You could also use wax or parchment paper as an alternative. Briefly refrigerate to help chocolate set. After 15-20 minutes, or until chocolate is set, remove from the refrigerator and eat or place the doughnuts in a tupperware to keep fresh until you want to serve them.
Enjoy!
Gray Days = Homemade Soft Pretzels
Posted: December 7, 2011 Filed under: Baking, Food | Tags: Alaska, Food, Recipe, Soft Pretzel, Travel 2 Comments »
I miss the sun. For the last four days, I have been watching out the windows by my desk searching for the pale light but so far, nothing. It isn’t just that the days are getting shorter, which they are, but on top of that, our few hours of daylight aren’t really light at all. It’s just gray. Dust pan gray.
The encroaching darkness of an Alaskan winter didn’t really bothered me until the gray set in. Today, December 7th, the sun was supposed to rise at 10:35AM, but it never broke through the clouds. And it will set, behind a wall of clouds I’m sure, at 2:49PM. Our day will only last 4 hours and 13 minutes. This kind of darkness is a little disorienting. You look outside at 3:30PM and think it is 8:30PM, but you haven’t even had dinner yet. Strangely, I can deal with short days as long as day feels like day. Sun. Give me sun.
My answer to gray is bake goods. If I can’t make it cheerful outside, I can at least make our apartment smell warm and yummy. I have always had a special place in my heart for soft pretzels. Who doesn’t? So this seemed the prefect food to lift us out of the haze of gray.
I started making soft pretzels last year when I came across a recipe on the internet. For the life of me I can’t remember where I actually found it, but I’m so glad I did. It is remarkably easy, and Lucas and I love the results. I must admit, we are pretzel people. A trip to Pittsburgh, PA would not be complete without a visit to one of our favorite South Side spots, The Pretzel Shop. But even if you aren’t as pretzel crazed as we are, this is a recipe worth trying. My day feels brighter already.
Soft Pretzels
What You Need:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 envelope instant yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup and 1 tablespoon hot water
1/3 cup baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg white
Coarse sea salt, or flaky salt
To Make:
Combine the bread flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in the food processor,* pulse. While the food processor is running, gradually add hot water until elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic. Allow dough to double in volume, about 30-60 minutes.
*Normally, I use a food processor, but in Alaska we don’t have one, so I kneaded the dough by hand. This is doable, but I recommend using a food processor if it is available.
Next, punch down the dough on a floured work surface. Divide it into 8 pieces. At this point, you can either make pretzel rolls (less shaping and good for sandwiches) or the traditional pretzel shape. If you want rolls, simply shape a round bun and slash a small ‘X’ on each using a serrated knife. If you want the 
traditional shape, roll a log with tapered ends. Cross the two ends and twist once to form the middle fork of the pretzel shape. The two tapered ends should be secured to the outside of the pretzel with light pressure, and if needed, a little water. Then cover the shaped dough with a towel and let it rise until it has doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a baking sheet. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add sugar and baking soda (the baking soda will make the water bubble, so add it gradually). Boil each roll for 30 seconds, then flip, and cook for another 30 seconds. Place boiled pretzels on prepared baking sheet, brush with egg white, and sprinkle with salt. Bake until brown, about 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Posted: November 17, 2011 Filed under: Baking, Food | Tags: Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Food, Holiday Treats, Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter 5 Comments »
It is no secret that Lucas and I love desserts that feature peanut butter and chocolate, so when I saw a recipe for homemade peanut butter cups I was already drooling. And wow, the finished product did not disappoint.
I get my sweet tooth from both my grandmas and my mom, okay maybe all the women in my family love a good dessert. But the truth is, who doesn’t? Something sweet at the end of a meal puts a smile on your face and these peanut butter cups left Lucas and I chocolate-fingered and happy. After the first bite, Lucas turned to me and said, “These are good” with little bits of chocolate smudge across his lips. And for the next fifteen minutes or so our eating was only interrupted by sideways glances at each other and little words like “wow,” “amazing,” “SO good.” These are a five star treat.
I must warn you that they are rich, and coming from me, a girl who loves rich things, that is saying something. You can only eat one, maybe two, and you are knocked out in a haze of sweet. But what a wonderful haze it is
The worst (best) part about this recipe is that it is so easy. I could make these everyday, which of course is a terrible idea, but it is simple. The ingredient list is short and the longest part of the process is waiting for the finished product to set in the refrigerator. These could be a dangerous treat in our house. Rules and limits will have to be created and enforced so that we aren’t “treating” ourselves every week.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
yields 12 cups
What You Need:
3 cups chocolate*
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
*I used dark chocolate chips, but you could use whatever type of chocolate you like — semi-sweet, milk chocolate or bittersweet.
To Make:
Place 12 paper liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
Melt 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. Then use the back of a spoon to smooth a layer of melted chocolate onto the bottoms and sides of the paper liners. Be generous. Set the chocolate bowl aside, you will use it again later. Refrigerate the muffin pan for 20 minutes while you make the peanut butter filling.
Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, crushed graham crackers, powdered sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. The peanut butter mixture should be smooth.
Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator. Place one to two spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture in each liner. Distribute equally among the 12 cups. Tap the peanut butter mixture down in each cup so it is smooth on top and fills the bottom of the liner completely.
Now melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chocolate either in your double boiler or the microwave. Cover the peanut butter mixture with the warm chocolate. Be generous. The peanut butter should not longer be visible. Smooth the tops of each cup or swirl as desired for aesthetics.
Place the muffin pan back in the refrigerator. In approximately one hour your cups should be set and ready to eat. Enjoy!
I found the recipe on the blog, Design Sponge.
