Luck of the Irish

Time flies when you're having fun, or when you're really busy, or aren't inspired to get on your blog and write. I guess all of these have been true at different points in the past six months. Sorry.

But the important thing is that I'm back! And thank you to the one (Brian) or more faithful readers that have been keeping up with my blog anyway. :)

Alright, well, even though I haven't been blogging, the good news is that I've still been baking/cooking.

Okay...To the topic!

So, about a month ago was St. Patrick's Day. And for a few years now, Brian has been dreaming about making some good old Irish food on that day to celebrate. You know, to honor his Irish roots. He's half Korean, one quarter German, and the rest is mostly British with a little bit of Irish in there somewhere... But that little bit is enough reason to celebrate. So this year, we decided that we were going for it. So, he found a recipe for some Irish stew and calconnon (mashed potatoes with bacon and cabbage). And another recipe for some chocolate Guinness ice cream. And to make things more merry, we decided to invite some friends and make it a potluck.

Well, the recipe was very straight forward, you just need plenty of time to cut veggies and let the stew cook. And instead of boiling cabbage for the mashed potatoes, frying it in bacon grease was much better. As for the ice cream, be sure to weigh the amount of chocolate you're adding, (don't just eye-ball it in a measuring cup) or it may be too little. And when the recipe tells you to stir the mixture over an ice bath. Do it. dairy and beer do not mix well, and the extra stirring helps everything come together better. The result, was a perfectly smooth chocolaty ice cream, with a hint of Guinness. Even a non beer drinker like me could appreciate this. Sorry, no picture of the ice cream.

So, with good food, good friends, and a little Irish jig thrown in there, I guess you could say that night, we felt like some of the luckiest people in the world. Did it have anything to do with the luck of the Irish? Why don't you try the recipes and find out for yourselves?

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beer-Braised-Irish-Stew-and-Colcannon/Detail.aspx

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11506-guinnessmilk-chocolate-ice-cream

Down Home Country Cooking

Disclaimer! I did not roast that chicken! But I did make the stuffing (stove top) and the squash.

Well, I've been meditating a little about the simple life lately. For some reason I have been yearning to visit the country, explore the wilderness and eat some wholesome, stick to your ribs types of fare. This may have to do with my new found fondness for country music and my new interest in snow shoeing. Anyhoo, the weather was getting colder and acorn squash and stuffing started sounding really good.

Growing up, my dad would make acorn squash, and though I wasn't a very adventurous eater back then, I really enjoyed the sweet simplicity of it. Getting my own half of tender, buttery sweetness. And it was cool because it came in it's own bowl. ;)

I've been telling my husband and sister a lot lately that "I'm getting back to my country roots." My dad grew up on a farm in North Dakota and my mom is from Texas. Though I grew up in Washington my whole life, I am clinging to the idea that part of my heart belongs in the rugged, open wilderness. And despite my addiction to shopping (and my need to be close to at least one major shopping area), deep in my heart, I just want to live a simple country life. With a vegetable garden, and perhaps a chicken or two.

Ok, on to the cooking. So, just when I was having a craving for acorn squash, Paula Dean just happened to be on the television with her acorn squash recipe. And who is more country than Paula Dean? I followed it almost completely, except I cut the top and bottom off the squash so it would sit evenly. As you can tell from the picture, I must have cut it too close because the butter, syrup and brown sugar leaked out of the bottom and burned. Not appetizing. Though the squash still turned out okay. With the chicken and stuffing, it was perfect. And to finish it all off, some of Brian's pumpkin bread and ice cream. What a satisfying meal!

Lessons learned: Get bigger squashes and don't cut too much off the ends. Also, my dad told me that he doesn't add the butter, etc till the end. And he'll cook the squash in a tray of water that comes up about half-way. (I am going to use a pyrex dish next time.) This makes it cook faster too. Oh, and just in case, foil your pan too.

Well, if you too have a hankering for some good country cooking, please try this recipe. And if you find yourself dreaming about open landscapes and clear blue skies, please imagine me there too, perhaps riding a horse beside you, (I've always wanted to learn how to ride a horse). And together, we can talk about the simple things in life.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-acorn-squash-with-brown-sugar-and-butter-recipe/index.html

Halloween Cookies

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I guess the kid inside me comes out because I love dressing up in costumes and baking and decorating in the Halloween theme. Here are some sugar cookies some friends and I decorated.

Being short on time, instead of using my complicated Martha Stewart recipe, I found a much simpler one on allrecipes.com. I was pretty skeptical that the recipe wouldn't turn out. It seemed too easy. But like magic, the dough turned out well. It was easy to roll out, and it baked up smoothly too. A simple and fast sugar cookie recipe does exist! Why do I live in Martha Stewart Land?

Note: There are cute Halloween sprinkles for sale this time of year. Beware! I've had the same sprinkles for years. They never run out! Or go stale....Phew! But as long as they exist, I do foresee more fun and creativity in my future.

Chocolate Madeleines

What happened to September? It's almost the end of October and I realized I haven't blogged in awhile.

Well in tribute to my trip to Paris, I wanted to make something French. While overseas, I had a wonderful time exploring with my husband. We ate lots of food (I finally got a crepe!) and visited a bunch of touristy sites. And took time to picnic by the Seine and stroll through the gardens of Versailles. I think the food was definitely a highlight of our trip. Not so great when we were first in London, but drastically improved once we arrived in Paris. After returning, I was inspired to bake.

For my birthday, my sister Amie had gotten me a couple tea party recipe books. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE tea parties? One of the books in particular was really neat because it had recipes from various tea houses in Europe. The recipe I used is from the Ritz Hotel in Paris. They are called "Madeleines de Proust" on the menu there, after Proust who mentioned this cookie in his Remembrances of Things Past. I used the chocolate variation of the recipe.

I have mixed feelings about how they turned out. Generally I like a moist, slightly cakey cookie, but these turned out a little too dense. And not as chocolately as I had hoped. I really thought they would come out tasting like brownies or devil's food. (I added plenty of dutch processed cocoa and also an ounce of melted bittersweet chocolate.) But alas, it was not meant to be. I personally blame it on the honey, an ingredient that I've never associated with madeleines. But maybe that is the French way...

All in all, the recipe was a nice way for me to reminisce about my trip and ease back into baking with something simple. And, like my trip, after awhile, the cookies improved with each bite.

Le Croque Monsieur

No, this is not an ad for Grey Poupon mustard. Yes, it is an attempt by me to explore some simple French recipes. Explanation: I will be taking a trip to Paris this September and I thought it would be fun to try out a French recipe or two. Plus, I saw someone make a croque monsieur in a movie and it looked really delicious!

What is a croque monsieur? It's basically a French version of the grilled cheese sandwich.

Well, the recipe I used was pretty simple and very tasty. At least according to Brian's endless compliments at the table. (I'm beginning to think he likes everything I make...) I thought it tasted good, but have a hard time critiquing my own food. But the recipe was rated well and I must say, it was fun to just try something new and make a nice dinner out of it. Brian, picked up a bottle of wine and a small cake for dessert. Add a simple spinach salad and we were good to go. By the way, Brian got a merlot to go with the sandwiches, but a chardonnay or bordeaux would have been better. Who knew? We looked it up later. Brian picked the wine because it had a red bike on the label. LOL!

Ok, enough about bikes and wine. So, I made a few adjustments to the recipe. I used French bread and kept the crust on. Which makes it nice and crunchy on the edges. I really like crunchy food. :} The better the quality of bread you use, the better it will turn out. I also divided the recipe in half since it was only for two, and gruyere is not cheap. And two adjustments I would add, is don't add salt to the sauce. The ham and cheeses are salty enough on their own. This recipe calls for one slice of ham, but I had a hard time tasting it sometimes. I would probably add two next time.

This recipe is not a baking recipe, though you do use the oven. Why did I include this in my blog? First, I feel it was hard enough to merit one post. While it was simple, the recipe included making a bechamel sauce. (Probably why it's rated as intermediate.) And any recipes that include "whisk over heat until sauce thickens" are my nemesis.

Second, a baking blog, though full of many possibilities, is also limited to just baking. So I have been thinking of expanding the horizons of this blog with cooking and other topics. We'll see how this goes.

Well, if anyone uses this recipe, please let me know how it turns out. And if you need it, yes, I can pass the Grey Poupon.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/croque-monsieur-recipe/index.html

Currant Scones and Lemon Curd

I recently went to Elizabeth and Alexander's English Tea Room, where I fell in love with their currant scones and lemon curd. (First Picture). Since my first afternoon tea at the Empress in Victoria B.C., I've been smitten with tea parties and foods. Being in the baking mood recently, I wanted to add recipes for scones and curd to my tea party repetoire.

So, I went online to find some recipes. The lemon curd turned out good, though a bit runny. The scones, while flavorful, and fragrant, were not exactly what I wanted. (No kidding, right?) And they came out cracked and dry. Compare the scones in the second picture to the first. Probably not enough kneading and cream. After all the anticipation, everything tasted good. But did not satisfy my craving for E&A's scones. (Though I will keep that scone recipe.) However, I found out later that E&A's sell their currant scone mix and lemon curd online. So, should I develop another hankering for them, I'll be set, without the extra effort.

One thing I learned recently is what a "cream tea" is. It was on the menu at E&A's. A cream tea, as opposed to an afternoon or high tea, only consists of tea, scones, jam and clotted cream. It is only available in certain parts of England, like the north. Also, you'll probably only find it at English style tea houses in the U.S.

The Simplicity of a Bran Muffin

Life is busy. No matter who you are, there are things to do, places to go and sights to see. Due to my interests, goals, and commitments, I have been trying lately to simplify my life. And due to family illnesses, Brian and I have also been trying to incorporate more wholesome foods into our diet.

Lately I had been craving bran muffins. Yes, me and my cravings...So, being the baker I am, and also finding myself with extra free time, I decided to make my own. I have been avoiding complicated recipes lately and have been baking simply to enjoy the comfort foods that will ensue. The muffins were a perfect walk in the park. All the ingredients were easy to find, and the recipe had no special requests. The whole time I was baking, I dreamt of incorporating these muffins into daily breakfasts or healthy afternoon snacks. And I couldn't wait to taste them. Well, when they were finished, they were bland. And first off, they were not as dark as other bran muffins I have seen. But, with some added butter, and time, I came to really enjoy them. (And get used to muffins without a ton of added sugar.) And Brian wouldn't stop raving about them as well. But come on, they're just bran muffins right?

It wasn't until I had made my second batch, (upon Brian's request), that I realized the charm of the bran muffin. Not only are they full of wholesome goodness, and are healthier to eat than blueberry, poppyseed, etc. other muffins. But they surrounded me with a feeling of security and nostalgia. They brought me back to simpler times. When Brian and I would stand in his mom's kitchen and eat buttered rolls from the table after school. Back when all we worried about was our next test, or what we would do on the weekend.

All of this in a muffin?

Well, of course as life goes on, it also gets more complicated. But I think that's also part of the charm. To be able to spend a quiet moment in time, with a simple muffin.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/classic-bran-muffins/Detail.aspx