Late Night Cookies!...

Gina almost always makes the cookies in our home (as well as the cakes, brownies, and fudge). Her gingersnaps are to die for. Tonight, though, was one of those rare occasions where I decided to bake a batch of cookies. Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies, to be exact. And they were GOOD!

I found a recipe for them online a while back, but we never got around to making them. Tonight seemed like a good night for it. Here's our adaptation of the recipe...

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1½ cups sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2-ounce bar unsweetened chocolate, melted
2½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream shortening and cream cheese together.

Add sugar and mix well.

Add milk, vanilla, egg and melted chocolate and mix well.

Add dry ingredients in thirds until well blended.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Yesterday was Easy Stuff...

Gina had a craving yesterday morning for a sausage biscuit. By chance, we had a pound of bulk maple sausage in the house so I made sausage patties and whipped up some biscuits, served 'em with my cheesey hashbrowns. It took us years before we learned to make hashbrowns we were happy with. We tried all kinds of things. Nothing came out right. Finally, after giving up at some point, something sparked an idea in my mind (can't remember specifics though). Now we get consistently crunchy hashbrowns. Here's how we do it (this is more a guide than a strict recipe):

Vance Family Hash Browns

You'll need...

Potatoes, washed well (I find a couple medium ones, per person, works well if you want a BIG helping - otherwise one per...)

Onions, peeled and cut to fit in a food processor (probably one small-medium onion per every three or four potatoes is good)

Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Seasoning salt (I like to use a couple of different ones...yesterday was typical -Lawry's Seasoned Salt and Zatarain's Creole Seasoning...you could use whatever appeals to you...I've also added dried parsley - its full of trace minerals that are good for you...Mrs Dash works well, too)

Vegetable oil

Cheddar cheese, grated (optional, but very tasty)

Chili ketchup (ketchup with a little Sriracha, or other kinda' neutral hot sauce added, to taste)(also optional)

• Grate the potatoes and onions in your food processor - you need a coarse grate for this to work right. Toss to mix well, in a large bowl.
• If you've got the hand strength, take a big handful at a time and squeeze out the excess moisture over the sink, until you've done this with all of the potato-onion mixture. If you don't have the hand strength use a towel, twisting both ends until you get the same result, repeating until finished. Return to the bowl.
• Season liberally with pepper and the seasonings of your choice. Toss to distribute the seasonings throughout.
• Heat oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Use one that has slanted sides...suitable for omelets and tossing pancakes.
• Add the potato-onion mixture to the pan. If doing large servings, its probably best to do one serving at a time, for ease of cooking. Flatten the potatoes out with your spatula to a large round pancake. Cook until browned on one side.
• If you have the inclination and skills, you can flip the potato round just like you would a pancake. Otherwise, use a spatula. Add oil, if needed. Brown the other side.
• You can add the cheese 1) all over the top of the hashbrown cake 2) just on half, a bit heavy, than fold over to enclose the cheese 3) fold over, then add the cheese on top. Allow to melt.
• Remove to paper towels, to drain off excess oil. Serve, with chili ketchup if desired.
• Makes as many servings as feel like cooking.

Last night was simple, too - the grandkids had some little friends over, and the weather was gorgeous - so we barbecued hot dogs (for them) and cheddarwursts (for us). Today we'll heat up the barbecue again, this time for some pork satay (with peanut sauce, of course...lol).

More Thai Food...

Tonight was easy stuff...the Thai noodle dish Rad Na, noodles and pork in gravy. I wanted to make something I knew the kids would enjoy. I improvised with a couple of ingredients...I didn't have any taucho (yellow bean paste), so I substituted Japanese shiro miso. Gina doesn't care for fish sauce, so I have taken to substituting vegetable stock concentrate (the stuff that comes in jars at the store) with good results. I discovered I didn't have any wide rice noodles, so I substituted some imported Italian mafalda we'd gotten awhile back at Big Lots (for $0.59!), which came out well. And, of course, I had my homemade kecap manis, instead of the flat store-bought variety. It came out a little sweet, but mostly savory. And there were NO leftovers. Which is nice, for a change.

THAI-STYLE RICE NOODLES AND PORK WITH GRAVY
(Rad Na)

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 pound boneless pork tenderloin, thinly sliced across the grain
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
¼ cup yellow bean sauce (taucho) or yellow miso paste (shiro miso)
¼ cup sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 tablespoon vegetable stock concentrate or fish sauce
2 cups chicken or pork stock
6 cups broccoli florets or Chinese broccoli, chopped (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca flour dissolved in ¼ cup cold water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8-12 ounce fresh or dried broad rice noodles, or other broad wheat noodles
Salted water, for cooking the noodles

• Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Swirl around to coat the pan. Put a stockpot of salted water on to boil over high heat.
• When the water is boiling, cook noodles according to package directions (so judge when to put the noodles in the water accordingly)
• Add the pork and cook until the meat has started to brown, stirring frequently, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and stir well. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Add the bean sauce or miso paste, sweet soy sauce and vegetable stock concentrate. Stir until they are mixed, form a thick sauce, and reach the boil.
• Add the stock and stir to mix. Bring to the boil.
• Add the broccoli and cook until it turns bright green.
• Add the cornstarch mixture and stir well. When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and season, to taste, with salt and pepper (I didn't need to add any salt...there's a lot in the various soy products and stock).
• Drain the noodles and add to the wok. Toss well. Serve.
• Makes about six servings.

This weekend I need to finish making curry pastes - Panang, Mussaman, maybe Yellow. We're supposed to have good weather this weekend, with 60+ degree weather, so I intend to barbecue. I want to make some pork satay with my hybrid peanut sauce - I use both kecap manis (for Indonesian peanut sauce) and red curry paste (for Thai peanut sauce), and we feel it can stand in for Thai, Indonesian and Malay dishes. And I think I shall make some Panang Chicken Curry.

Sausage Gravy...

Sausage gravy (preferably over fresh biscuits) is one of those things that can be really, really good...or quite awful. I think the majority of restaurants offer something that leans towards the totally bland, pasty, gluey mess with just enough sausage specks in it to call it "sausage gravy". I like it thick and creamy, spicy, and chock full of sausage. My daughter counts it as one of her absolute all-time favorites. And she hadn't been able to get a decent plate full the whole three years she was in Germany, so its been high on her list of priorities since she got here. I obliged this morning, after my morning walk. She's a sated M now...

This isn't really a proper recipe...more of a formula or set of guidelines, as its one those things I've never measured when I make it.

Steven's Sausage Gravy

1 pound bulk hot breakfast sausage

1 pound bulk maple breakfast sausage

A little unsalted butter or vegetable oil, if needed

All-purpose flour

Milk

A couple of dashes Worcestershire sauce

Sea salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Biscuits hot and fresh out of the oven

• Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with your spatula, until it has lost all pink.
• Remove the sausage to a bowl, a little at a time, putting it first in a fine mesh strainer over the skillet, pressing all the grease out of the meat and returning it to the pan. When all the sausage has been removed, check the amount of rendered fat in the pan. If you think you'll need additional, add some butter or oil.
• Add sufficient flour to make a thick roux, stirring continuously, until the flour has lost its raw smell and the roux has darkened.
• Begin to add milk to the roux, a little at a time, stirring continuously to remove all lumps. As you are doing so, add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Season with sea salt and quite a lot of freshly ground black pepper.
• When you have the desired quantity of thick, creamy gravy, return the sausage to the pan, stir well, and cook until it just starts to bubble. Serve piping hot over biscuits.

Barbecue!...

I dragged the barbecue grill out this evening and threw a batch of gai yang, Thai-style grilled chicken, on it. I've made it several times in the past and never really been satisfied with the results, so I sat down today and came up with a new version. Hit the bullseye this time. Here's the recipe...

GAI YANG

(Thai-style Grilled Chicken)

4 teaspoons black or white peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, stems, and/or roots
1/3 cup chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons palm sugar or golden brown sugar, tightly packed
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons whiskey or rice wine
3 tablespoons coconut milk
12 bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and skin

• Toast the peppercorns, coriander, cumin and caraway seeds in a skillet over medium heat until they darken a little and smell toasted. Immediately remove from the pan and grind in a coffee grinder, pepper mill or grain mill.
• Combine the ground spices with the cilantro, garlic, ginger, palm sugar, salt, and turmeric in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Add the whiskey and coconut milk and process to a smooth paste.
• Place the chicken thighs in a non-reactive bowl or casserole dish and pour the marinade over. Toss to coat the pieces well and refrigerate at least a couple of hours, or overnight.
• Grill as appropriate for your particular barbecue, until done. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with a Thai-style garlicky sweet-hot chili sauce. We use the one in Nancy McDermott's book, Real Thai.

We served it with rice and some broccoli stir-fried with mushroom soy sauce, sake, and lots of garlic. We've got leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

A Favorite at the Palin Household?...

I wonder if this is a special treat for folks that like to hunt moose...like Sarah Palin and her family? I don't think it'll catch on anytime soon at my house (thankfully). My wife found this on Kate Harding's blog, Shapely Prose(http://kateharding.net/) :

Jellied Moose Nose

1 Upper jawbone of a moose
1 Onion; sliced
1 Garlic clove
1 tb Mixed pickling spice
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1/4 c Vinegar

Cut the upper jaw bone of the moose just below the eyes. Place in a large kettle of scalding water and boil for 45 minutes. Remove and chill in cold water. Pull out all the hairs - these will have been loosened by the boiling and should come out easily (like plucking a duck). Wash thoroughly until no hairs remain. Place the nose in a kettle and cover with fresh water. Add onion, garlic, spices and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the meat is tender. Let cool overnight in the liquid.

When cool, take the meat out of the broth, and remove and discard the bones and the cartilage. You will have two kinds of meat, white meat from the bulb of the nose, and thin strips of dark meat from along the bones and jowls. Slice the meat thinly and alternate layers of white and dark meat in a loaf pan. Reheat the broth to boiling, then pour the broth over the meat in the loaf pan. Let cool until jelly has set. Slice and serve cold.

Easy Caribbean Tonight, Romanian Tomorrow...

We had picked up almost everything needed, awhile back to make my Easy Creole Beans - cans of pork & beans, dijon mustard, ginger beer, habanero hot sauce, pineapple - but we hadn't gotten around to it. Walked over to Safeway today, being its my day off, and discovered their thick-cut bacon on sale (3 pounds for $4.49!), so I brought that home. I whipped up a batch and popped it in the oven to cook. We had some country-style pork ribs leftover from the other day - ones that were even more irregularly cut than the ones I grilled (i.e., they're country-style ribs in name only). I put them in a pot of water with some onion, herbs and spices to cook until tender enough to shred. While they were simmering, I made some Haitian-style coleslaw, flavored with lime juice and dijon mustard, garlic and dill. Finally, I threw a few things to create some tasty Caribbean Sauce to soak the shredded pork. Here's the recipe for the sauce:

Caribbean Sauce

1 cup ginger beer

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, strained

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

A dash of habanero sauce, or to taste

A large pinch of dried thyme

A large pinch of ground allspice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is somewhat reduced and thickened.

I simply dumped the shredded pork into the sauce and let it had heated up, then would remove it with a slotted spoon, so that the sauce drained back into the pot, before putting the meat on buns.

Tomorrow is going to be a Romanian dinner:

Mititei (Romanian sausage rolls)

Mamaliga Prajita (Fried, sliced cornmeal mush)

Gebakeneh Beblach (Baked beans in tomato sauce)

Varza (Baked red cabbage with apples)

At least I think it is...

Better Luck Next Time...

The results for the 2008 Scharffen Berger Chocolate Adventure Contest (http://www.chocolateadventurecontest.com/) have been posted. I didn't place this time. Looking at the results for the 2007 and 2008 contests, it seems to me that I didn't think far enough outside the box with my entries. Of course, I only had about 60 hours to throw the three entries together. I will enter again this year (after October 1st), and will definitely get wilder with my entries. Here is a copy of my beverage entry...

COCOA D'ANNAM

Spiced Simple Syrup:

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup palm sugar, crumbled, chopped or grated

1 whole strip Saigon cinnamon

1 whole star anise

15 peppercorns

Pinch of salt

The Cocoa:

1 cup spiced simple syrup (see above)

3/4 cup Scharffen Berger unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon pandanus extract

1/4 cup cream sherry (optional, but recommended)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2-ounce segment of Scharffen Berger 62% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate Baking Bar

4 whole star anise pods

Place all simple syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved, and the spices have had time to flavor the syrup, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large glass measuring cup. (If not using the syrup right away, let cool to room temperature. The syrup can be made ahead and stored, in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.). Makes about 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups.

Place the warm syrup (reheat if made ahead of time) in a small saucepan and add the Scharffen Berger cocoa powder. Whisk until the cocoa has melted into the syrup and the mixture is smooth. Turn the heat under the pan to medium. Slowly add the half-and-half and coconut milk to the pan, whisking continually until smooth and combined. Add the pandanus extract. Continue to occasionally stir the cocoa until it is hot and steaming. Do not boil. Remove from the heat. Add the cream sherry (if using) and stir to mix.

Place the heavy cream in a high-sided bowl and whip with a hand-held blender until somewhat thickened and frothy.

Divide the cocoa between four mugs. Top with a dollop of heavy cream, garnish with a star anise pod, and grate a little Scharffen Berger semisweet chocolate over the top. Serve immediately. Four servings.

Mission-Style Ribs...

Made these the other night. They were pretty good, and I've had a request for the recipe so I decided I'd post them, too. The ribs were inspired by some of the early Mission- or Rancho-style cooking of California. Enjoy.

There are so many different styles of grill, barbecue and smoker out there now that I am not going to try and offer specifics about how to cook ribs. Follow the methods that work best for your particular piece of equipment. I will say that it would probably be best to cook them with indirect heat, at least at first, so as to avoid flare- or flame-ups, and burn them. They were especially good cooked with mesquite hardwood charcoal. Without further ado...

MISSION-STYLE PORK RIBS

6 pounds country-style pork ribs, trimmed of any excessive fat as needed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup dry red wine
8 large cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1½ tablespoons dried thyme
1½ tablespoons dried oregano
1½ tablespoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 tablespoon sea salt
3 tablespoons sweet paprika, mild California or mild New Mexico chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons freshly ground black peppercorns
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
A little olive or vegetable oil, for greasing the grill rack

Combine all ingredients, from the olive oil to the red pepper flakes, in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour over the ribs and toss to coat the ribs thoroughly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

At least an hour before cooking, remove the ribs from the refrigerator, allowing them to warm somewhat.

Start your grill or barbecue. When at the appropriate stage for cooking, oil the rack of your barbecue. Five to ten minutes later, add the ribs, shaking any excess marinade back into the container. Best cooked, initially, over indirect heat to avoid flame- or flare-ups that will burn the ribs early on. Cook, turning as needed, until done.

You may brush excess marinade on the ribs as desired. This recipe does not produce a great deal of extra. If that is desired, increase quantities as needed. Number of servings is dependent on the size of the ribs.

A Pot of Beans...

Some forty-five-or-so years ago, two friends of my parents got married. She was of Spanish ancestry, he was of Mexican. She wanted to learn how to make the Mexican dishes her husband grew up with, so she asked her mother-in-law to teach her. My mother went with her for some of the lessons. She's been making pots of beans ever since, and I grew up on a diet that included frequent servings of tacos and tostadas, enchiladas and taquitos, rice and beans. I just got finished making a pot of beans this morning...we cooked 'em yesterday, I mashed and seasoned them a few minutes ago. And for the first time ever, I actually measured everything. Shock, gasp! Lol. If been making them for over twenty years and have always just eyeballed the quantities. "Yup, that looks about right." Anyway...

"Mock" Frijoles Refritos

6 cups dry pinto beans

Plenty of water, to cover

1 large sprig of epazote (optional)

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

4 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

1 tablespoon sea salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste

1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste

Soak the beans in a large crockpot overnight, with plenty of water, and cover. (I fill the crockpot almost to the lid, and while you can use a big pot on the stove, that requires a lot more watching...this is almost start-it-and-forget-about-it easy). In the morning, add the epazote (if using) and turn your crockpot to high and begin cooking. Stir occasionally and add additional water, if needed. By mid-afternoon, the beans should be soft enough to mash.

When they are tender, remove the epazote and drain in a colander. Transfer the beans back to the crockpot and mash thoroughly. Add the tomato sauce, sugar and salt, onion and garlic powders. Stir to mix completely. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Quantities are subjective, based on your tastes. Reheat and cook for 30-60 minutes, to give flavors time to blend. Serve. Makes a very large batch. They do freeze well.

Notes: If you forget to soak the beans the night before, simply place them in the crockpot and add the same quantity of boiling water. They should still finish about the same time. The quantity of beans can be reduced to 4 cups. Just adjust the seasonings accordingly. Nor is it absolutely necessary to cook the beans afterward. They can be eaten right away, if desired. A purist can used minced garlic and onions, instead of the powdered. We've done it before. We just happen to prefer the texture using the powdered.

A Spanish Dinner...

Gina and I have been wanting to try leeks. We'd just never gotten around to it. I found a Sephardic recipe that appealed to me, so I threw together a menu for it. And it looked like this...

Sephardic Leek-and-Cheese Casserole

(Quajado de Puerro con Queso)

Murcian Salad

(Ensalada Murciana)

Spanish-style Garlic Bread

The casserole was divine! A pile of thinly sliced, sauteed leeks, a pound of cheese, and a mess of eggs, flavored with some freshly grated nutmeg. Super-rich and good. The salad was very tasty (see recipe below), with lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a piquant dressing. I wanted to make garlic bread, but I wanted something a bit different from my usual Italian-style garlic bread. I found some fresh ciabatta bread at the store, and whipped up a spread that owed more to Spain than Italy (I've had instructions from the Boss to keep the details to myself...lol). Suffice it to say there was butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, some herbs, and...

Here's the recipe for the salad:

Murcian Salad

1 small head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 small head escarole, curly endive, radicchio, or other bitter green, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 green and/or red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced
½ large sweet onion, thinly sliced

For the dressing:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon capers, well-rinsed
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste

Toss the greens, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, and onions together in a large bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until the garlic and capers are minced and the olive oil emulsifies.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Serve.

Makes 8-12 servings.

(And on another front...the Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies are better the second day...yum!)

Dinner in North Africa...

That's where we ate tonight...sitting in our living room. We had...

A beef stew of the Algerian Jews: beef slow-cooked 'til meltingly tender with a pile of grated onions, diced tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, and harissa(a North African chili paste).

A salad of romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, mini sweet peppers, onions, daikon, cucumbers, olives and feta cheese, tossed with a dressing of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and fresh mint.

Kesra, the country bread of Morocco, a round, yeasted flatbread with a coarse crumb and thick crust, made with wheat and a little corn.

It was very tasty. We are pleasantly full. There are ample leftovers. (Yay leftovers!)

We ran pretty late this afternoon, trying to get errands done. Thankfully, its a pretty easy dinner to make. But there was one thing I decided to simplify: the harissa. I am a big fan of taking the time to soak dried chilies in hot water. Its what I do when I make my chili. There wasn't time this afternoon. So I made an Easy Harissa...

Easy Harissa

2 ounces ground New Mexico chile powder
1 ounce ground hot New Mexico chile powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a smooth paste results. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Should keep for at least a month. Makes over a cup.

You may cover the top of the paste with additional EVOO, to help it store longer. If you want a hotter harissa, you may use a hotter chile powder or add a little cayenne pepper. This version is not terribly hot, but that is the way my wife prefers it.