New Blog....

Please follow my Salt and Pepper blog at : Ranellekirchner.com
for future posts.....

I've decided to start my own practice in dietetics, combining my background in culinary arts, and is called ChefRDN. I'd be delighted if you followed and inquired about my services.

Hope to see you there!

Paczki Day

Fat Tuesday, AKA Mardi Gras, is approaching fast with only a few days away. Typically I get a paczki to celebrate the day if, and only if, a friend decides to share. Paczki's, pronounced 'PONtch-key' are Polish doughnut-like treats filled with everything from fresh fruit to creme and mousse and can be topped with powdered sugar, icing or chocolate. Doughnuts are really not my thing, but sometimes it can really hit the spot. This year I decided to order some myself at the Swedish bakery on Clarke. If you're a Chicagoan, you've probably heard they are closing at the end of the month. Soooo, in light of the closure, I thought I needed to try something for my first and last visit.

Immediately after work on Wednesday I biked in the sunny, 73 degree weather to the bakery and placed my order. When I arrived, I was delighted to find out they were also selling Kings Cake.

I find it terribly creepy and funny that there's a mini trinket meant to symbolize baby Jesus hidden inside the cake. Fava beans are also used, but I really hope the Kings Cake I ordered has a baby Jesus. Whoever finds the trinket is said to have luck and prosperity and is designated the 'king' or 'queen' for the evening. Don't worry, I'll be sure to let everyone know who was lucky enough to get a slice with baby Jesus.

Below is a list of Chicago spots that are selling paczki's (not sure on King's Cake) for a limited time. Many of them do sell in advance, so please inquire if interested. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a long line waiting for a taste.

Alliance
Andy's Deli
Ann's Bakery
Bennison's Bakery
Beverly Bakery and Cafe
Bittersweet
Bohemian House
Bridgeport Bakery
Cafe Selmarie
Central Continental Bakery
Deerfields Bakery
Dinkel's Bakery
Firecakes Donuts
Gene's Sausage Shop
Ideal Bakery
Kirschbaum's Bakery
Kolatek's Bakery
Laramie Bakery and Deli
Marie's Cafe and Catering
Montrose Deli
Oak Mill Bakery
Orland Park Bakery
Old Warsaw Buffet
Red Apple Buffet
Roeser's Bakery
Scafuri BAkery
Stan's Donuts
Sweet World Pastry
Weber's Bakery
West Town Bakery
Wiklanski Bakery

Wowza, I feel embarrassed about the lack of posts. My sincerest apologies, but I have much to show for my lack of appearance in the blogosphere. For instance, the completion of my Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition! Fear not Salt & Pepper fans, I am back, and with many new, exciting topics to cover. If you have a suggestion, please feel free to comment below and I'll be sure to address.

This morning, I woke up thinking about grains. How I'd love to make an easy porridge utilizing a variety of whole grains packed with fiber and nutrition. I dug through the cupboards and found three varieties with different mouth feel and textures.

Grain #1: Good ol' Reliable Oats
Classic but a goodie; oats have a sweet flavor and almost never have their bran and germ removed during processing. I use regular oats in this recipe, but you ought to know there are quick and instant oats that exist as well. These are varieties that are steamed and flattened. But, if you like a nuttier, chewier texture, choose steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats are the entire oat kernel and cook 20 minutes, unlike the others, which cook in less time.

Grain #2: Red Quinoa
You can find quinoa in some colors (purple, black, white & red) and taste mildly different from one another. I chose the red variety for this recipe being it has a crunchier bite and stark red color for a visual appeal. Most quinoa should be rinsed before cooking to remove saponins, which is used to ward off insects. An important unique quality about this grain, it's a complete protein that contains all essential amino acids (n=9). Typically, plant proteins are said to be incomplete, which is unlike this source.
Quinoa cooks in 10-12 minutes.

Grain #3: Farro
There are three species of farro, einkorn, emmer, and spelt (smallest to largest,
L-->R); all types of hulled wheat. Emmer considered higher quality for cooking than the other two grains. In this recipe, I chose emmer and cooked as follows:
1. bring large pot of salted water to a boil
2. add farro and cook until al dente (25-35 minutes)
3. pass through sieve

Homemade Porride My Way
Ingredients:
1 cup oats, cooked
1/3 cup red quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup farro, cooked
8 red raspberries
2 dollops Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp toasted pecans
1 tbsp hemp seeds

Instructions:
1. combine all grains (oats, quinoa, farro) in a mixing bowl and salt to taste
2. layer a bowl with the following (in this order), grains, raspberries, yoghurt, drizzled honey, topped with pecans and seeds.
3. eat with spoon

Honestly, this is super easy recipe that's full of fiber and tasty. Swap out the grains, fresh fruit and other varieties of nuts and you'll have a different porridge everyday.

New Beginnings

Squash Lasagna with Tomato Sauce and Carrot Top Pesto

After a long day of work, I was finally able to relax. And make LASAGNA! It's one of my favorite dishes to prepare....and eat. Who doesn't love the complexity of a something so saucy and delish?

Now, do not get frightened by this post; it comes across as intimidating, but need not be. In fact, you could make just one component of the lasagna. I mean, carrot top pesto or tomato sauce is extremely versatile. Put it on noodles, quinoa (quinoa pesto is tasty, just ask Babs), raw veggies like radish...The possibilities are endless, really.

Now, to being:

Squash Noodles:
prepares 1 lb pasta, fresh

3 cups flour
2 pinches of salt, kosher
2 eggs
1/2 cup roasted carnival squash
1 Tablespoon water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
When preparing the pasta, keep in mind it's no different than a simple pasta recipe but without the squash. The only additional steps are to roast and puree the squash (allow to cool before use). Make a well with the sifted flour and salt. Crack both eggs into the well, as well as the squash and water. With a fork, slowly incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. As it begins to form a ball, add the oil. Knead for 8-10 minutes and adjust accordingly with flour and water. Allow to rest and cover for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

With your pasta roller, roll out 3 sheets (the size of the pan) for the bottom layer to number 4. The remaining lasagna noodles are best rolled to number 5. Dry and boil for about three minutes. If you don't have a drying rack, improvise. See the picture below for inspiration. Cool and lay flat (gently brush oil to keep noodles from separating).



To make it more fun, sip on a beautiful Pinot Noir and take your time. This isn't a race. Enjoy yourself, and your food.



Carrot Top Pesto:
Prepares about 5 cups depending on desired consistency

1/2 cup toasted, pepitas
3/4 cup dried pie pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup toasted sprouted walnuts
2 cups packed carrot tops (stems removed)
6 cups fresh spinach
1 cup fresh basil
3 ounces of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
8 roasted garlic cloves
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation: Toast all nuts/seeds and blend in processor. Add garlic and pulse, careful not to pulse too much. Proceed and add spinach, basil and carrot tops in batches. Then add cheese. Very slowly pour the oils into the mixture as you process. Add the water the same way, streaming it into the vibrant green blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Words of advice:
1.You don't want a smooth pureed sauce, but rather with a rough texture, so don't over process. Pulse the ingredients instead of allowing the machine to run continuously.
2. One may substitute the pie pumpkin seeds with more pepitas if you don't have them on hand. I reserved the pumpkin seeds when I was roasting the meat of the pumpkin and let then dry out at room temperature for about 5-7 days. Then I toasted them in the oven for 5 minutes at 350F.

Tomato Sauce:
Yields 3 1/2 quarts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 - 28 ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes
4 ounces tomato paste
5 cloves garlice
1 pinch smoked Spanish paprika
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dried basil

In a sauce pot, sweat onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for several hours. Remove the bay leaf and from heat. Puree with an immersion blender and adjust seasonings.

Vegetarian: Squash Lasagna
Prepares one large 9x13" pan

1 eggplant, flame roasted on stove top then pureed (skins removed)
1/2 kabocha squash, cubed and roasted (350F for 45 minutes with 2 T. oil, salt and pepper)
16 ounces ricotta
2 ounces Pecorino Romano
3 cups shredded mozzarella
Pesto
Tomato Sauce

Heat oven to 375F
Oil the lasagna pan and layer the thicker (#4) lasagna noodles on the bottom. Spread the roasted eggplant on the noodles. Follow with cubed kabocha squash. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese, add next layer of lasagna noodles. Spread pesto onto, followed by another layer of squash. Ladle tomato sauce, then top with noodles. Next comes more cheese, the ricotta. Then yet again, a layer of noodles. Put a thin layer of tomato sauce on top the noodles and sprinkle Asiago Romano to finish.

Also, I'd like make a special shout-out to Clara. She was kind enough to wash the dishes as I prepared the lasagna during the entire preparation process.

Ginger Tofu

Yummy yummy. The sweet pickled ginger brightens the entire dish and pairs beautifully with the celery. Plus it looks so pretty, does it not?



First, press the tofu between folded tea towels and a heavy weight to press water from the tofu. After 40 minutes, begin cooking your short brown rice. While the rice is cooking, slice the onions into half moons. Heat a saute pan and once warm, add oil and begin cooking the onions. Once translucent, add batons of celery (preferably peeled). Add salt, pepper, and mint flakes. Slice a wild assortment of mushrooms and add to pan. Cook mixture until mushrooms are firm, not mushy. Deglaze the pan if necessary with just an ounce or so of pickled ginger juice into pan. Add rice wine vinegar, black sesame seeds, freshly grated ginger and minced garlic. Set aside and heat more oil in the pan, add tofu and sear all sides until nicely browned. Add more fresh ginger and garlic, then chives and parsley. By this time, your rice should be done or nearly finished. Last but not least, plate the dish [perhaps like the picture shown here] and EAT EAt eat !

3 T. Canola Oil
1/4 onion
3 stalks celery cut into batons
6 cups fresh, wild mushrooms
1 T. Black Sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp. mint flakes
few pinches of salt, to taste
pepper to taste
3 T. ginger fresh
2 large cloves garlic
1/8 c. rice vinegar
1 1/3 c. short brown rice
14 oz. extra firm tofu
2 T. fresh chives
2 T. fresh parsley
1-3 ounces pickled ginger juice
pickled ginger to taste

The Art of Sausages

Well, it's not my first time making sausages, but it mind as well. Literally, it's been nearly 6 years since I made sausage. One would think it to be hard, but in fact, it's quite the opposite. The only thing keeping me from making my own from scratch was the time and commitment it takes to prepare them from beginning to end. But after this batch, I know time will no longer stop me.

First and foremost, make sure you have all the necessary equipment, including the sausage stuffer attachment :)
Here's what you'll need:

meat, roughly chopped in 1" (25mm) cubes or smaller
spices [I did two blends, one a classic Italian blend of oregano, toasted fennel and red pepper flakes, and the second with lemon pepper, thyme, pepper, and other mediterranean herbs----I forget]
casings
water
grinder, parts, plus attachments (keep in freezer until ready for assembly)
stand mixer (if necessary)
bowls
scissors
cutting board
knife
camera [optional, don't you want documentation?]

Once you have all your materials and you're ready to start, prepare your meat by evenly incorporating the spices. Put in the freezer so that it nears the point of freezing. This will yield best results and is easier to work. Select your grind (the plate) and assemble the grinder accordingly to the manufacturers instructions. When choosing your plate, it's best to use a coarse size with tender cuts, medium with tough and fine with sinewy cuts of meat.
Before you begin, make sure the threaded retaining ring is snug (not too tight). Now, you're ready. Carefully place the meat inside the grinder using the pushing stick to force and guide the meat through the hopper. And there you have it, freshly ground meat. As you continue, you may encounter a few problems where the sinews wrap around the knife (blade) causing a stoppage. If this occurs, unplug the machine and carefully disassemble. While fixing the grinder, remember to place your meat in the freezer. The cause is usually because of a loose ring or the meat not being cold enough.



Once you are finished grinding, take a small amount of the meat mixture and form into a small patty. Cook thoroughly and taste for texture, spice, and overall taste. Adjust the mixture as you see fit. You may even have to put it through the grinder one more time if the texture wasn't to your liking. Let's say the texture was too tough, then you should put it through once more with a smaller plate/holes.



Alright, you're done mixing the meat. Put in the refrigerator until you've assembled the funnel end for sausage stuffing. It was at this point that I realized I didn't have this attachment and was therefore prohibited from moving any further. I spent the rest of the night making phone calls to all the local kitchen and hardware stores. After two hours of phone calls and being put on hold, I managed to find one. It turns out that sausage stuffing attachments are hard to come by. Most order them on-line. The following day, I had Gil pick up the funnel. We picked up where we left off and went back to work. We were finally able to assemble it properly with all the attachments.

Side note: The casings are sold in concentrated brines of salt water, so I recommend several rinses before using them.



Slide your casings onto the funnel and tie a knot at the very end. WIth your scissors, or a knife, create a hole for air to escape. Turn on the machine (be sure the machine is assembled properly) and place your meat in the hopper. With the other hand, guide the sausage along. When the length is to your liking, twist off right to left (always in the same direction). Continue this process until you've no more meat to stuff. Tie off the end, and there you have it. SAUSAGE!!!

Wasn't hard, right? Just time consuming, but worth it most definitely. Allow to rest in the refrigerator and prepare for a feast centered around your beautiful creation.

Where does the time go?

Hi all,

I'm back..........Lately I have been so crazily busy, and now that I'm done applying to Dietetic Internships, I have more time on my hands. Back to cooking, photographing, blogging and the like, right? Of course! Also, I would like to mention that I taught myself how to knit. Merima was there to guide me a bit, but I can finally knit myself a simple cowl. I'm oh so thrilled!

Today after work, I biked home through the 22 mph winds with 40 mph gusts. It was wretched I tell you. Upon arrival, my hunger became apparent. Instantly I knew what I would prepare for my dinner. Lamb skewers with quinoa and a side carrot salad [cashew yogurt dressing].

I first mixed the lamb skewers:
black cumin
sambar
salt
pepper
dried mint
fresh parsley
minced onion
cumin
bread crumbs
egg
lamb
mustard

After, I let the meat rest and shaped them into balls [refrigerate]. In the mean time, I thawed lamb stock for the quinoa. When preparing grains, I find it more flavorful to use various stocks to give greater depth to the food. Once thawed, I started cooking the quinoa and began preparing the carrot salad.

To save time, I used my food processor to shred the carrots. FIrst, heat the pan and temper the oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves if you have them, and dried chilies. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the carrots and saute. Mix in curry powder, cumin, and tumeric. After a few minutes, add a small amount of yogurt and keep at a simmer. Be careful not to heat too much or the yogurt will curdle giving an unpleasant texture and appearance.

In a frying pan, cook your lamb so that each ball has a nice brown coating. [Finish in the oven if necessary.] Lastly, swirl cashew butter into plain yogurt. I prefer to have a ratio of 1 cup yogurt to 3 tablespoons cashew butter. Add salt and herbs of your liking.

Try it at home, and let me know what you think.

Ko, the menu

Ok, here you are folks, the menu. I should first mention that since no cameras were allowed, I had to wait until after the meal to write down everything I ate. Thus, Gil and I raced to a coffee shop to write down what we could remember, so use your imagination.

Oyster: jalapeno

Trio course [all separate, left to right, 1-2 bites a piece]:
Lobster bisque, basil
Poached Quail Egg, hollandaise, chiccharones
Dry Aged Beef Tartare

Quatro course [4 types of sushi grade fish on a square, partitioned plate, order starts top left and eaten clockwise]
Marinated Chives, crisp scales, (fish? can't remember type unfortunately)
Mackerel, red cabbage pickled, apple
Fluke, bean paste cherry bomb
Scallop with pablano

Vegetable Crudo [again, three separate sides, partitioned on a skinny rectangular plate, left to right]
Turnip braised, turnip green puree, fried mustard seeds?
Cauliflower roasted, fish sauce
Feral eggplant in dark miso

Egg Souffle: benton's bacon dashi

Bento Box:
Grilled sushi rice in bacon
Halibut consome
Shaved brussels sprout salad in mustard oil
Pork spare ribs, grilled mild green pepper (not sure on variety, spicier than a green bell, but less than a pablano, size of 2")

Wild Mushroom Salad:
Maitaki, chantrelles, king trumpets, mustard sauce

Matsutake Ravioli: chive butter sauce with fried buckwheat

Matsutake tea with french toast maple, brown butter

Lobster salad: lobster mushrooms, white fungus, tumeric.....sauce

Charcuterie: Chicken pate, burned onion sauce, duck proscuitto, head cheese, pickled mustard seeds

Elysian Farm Lamb [two parts]
Lamb in pistachio puree salsify, burnt onion powder
Lamb neck cassoule with poached pistachios

Goat Cheese Sorbet: shiso

Pineapple Sorbet: root beer (house made), dried pineapple, dehydrated pineapple skin, micro cilantro

White Miso Sorbet: black puffed rice, sushi rice, rice waffle cone

....and that's all, at least what I remember :)
After a feast, we walked around New York City awaiting our second most extravagant meal, which was to be eaten three hours later at Wd-50. More to come on Chef Wiley.

Happy Drooling

Ko, Momofuku

East Village
163 First Ave., New York, NY 10003
nr. 10th St.

On a whim I decided to fly to New York City for a foodie adventure. After I purchased the plane tickets, I told my friends I wanted to get a reservation at Ko, a restaurant I've been longing to eat at under Chef David Chang. If you've read previous blog posts, you may remember my plug for his pork steamed buns.

Anyway, I was told by several chefs how difficult it would be to obtain a reservation with Ko. I even heard rumors that his own parents have been turned down, but who's to say that's actually true. Thus, my chances were bleak. But then, the morning before our departure, I decided to try one last attempt for a lunch reservation (more expansive than dinner and only offered on weekends). To my amazement, an opening appeared! It took me several minutes with computer glitches, but I managed to get two open seats for lunch!!! I immediately telephoned Gil and told him the good news. At first, no one believed me, especially since it's known how unlikely it is to eat there. Some people have to slave away at the computer and continuously check. Bon Appetit ranks Ko as the 9th toughest restaurant reservations in the USA.* With 12 seats at Ko and reservations only in a week advance, it's no wonder why seats are booked and difficult to obtain.

When the day finally arrived, we walked into Ko with great anticipation of indulging in one of the most amazing meals. Chef Michael Carlson, the executive chef/owner of Schwa, was nice enough to put Gil and myself in touch with one of Ko's Chefs, Jonathan Ory. He was kind and made sure we enjoyed ourselves [the following day he took us to DBDG, Daniel Bouldud's restaurant], even giving us take home treats of nagori wrapped vegetables and rice with korean spices.

The meal was unlike anything I've ever experienced, Japanese/Korean/American with unexpected flavors of burnt onion on salsify and house made charcuteries. In my next post, I will write out the menu with little detail. No cameras allowed, sorry folks.

Until then, keep those saliva glands producing. The best [in detail] is yet to come.



*http://eater.com/archives/2011/07/29/are-these-the-eleven-toughest-reservations-in-the-us.php, website for listing of toughest restaurant reservations in the USA.

Sweet Potato with Herbs de Provence Buns

Yesterday was my day, so I couldn't resist preparing something new and exciting, so I went to the store with the intention of buying Idaho's for rosemary potato bread. But when I got to the store, the sweet potatoes looked more appealing and inviting, so I changed my mind and grabbed one.

In New Zealand, kumara is the Maori word for sweet potato and is actually a different variety from those grown in the United States. Kumara is known to be healthier than most other types of potatoes. They are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, are virtually fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium. Kumara have more fiber than oatmeal and provide many essential nutrients, including vitamin B6, calcium and iron.

Unfortunately, I do not have access to kumara, so I grabbed the only variety of red sweet potato I could find. Oh well, right?

Meanwhile, before I left for the market, I started a biga, which is a starter dough or pre-ferment. In Italy, nearly every pre-ferment including wild yeast or soudough, is called a biga. So if you are making a recipe from another source that calls for biga, make sure you check to see exactly what kind of biga it requires. In this recipe, biga refers to the particular ratio of ingredients:
11.25 ounces unbleached bread flour
.055 ounces instant yeast
7-8 ounces water, at room temperature

After 2-4 hours, the biga has fermented and can be used immediately; however, some prefer to git it an overnight retarding (in the refrigerator) to bring out more flavor. It is important to know that a pre-ferment's main purpose is to improve flavor and structure, so the overnight will improve the overall quality.

The base recipe I used was from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. The only changes were the following substitutions:
1 cup sweet potato puree (in place of mash potatoes)
2 T herbs de provence (in place of rosemary)

When all was said and done, the bread turned out beautifully. The only adjustment I would make would be to steam the oven in the initial baking process. After putting the bread into the oven, spritz water a few times to create steam; this will result in a wonderful crust. Try it, you'll love it!

What exactly am I concocting at Sprout?

Most of my time these days are spent at Sprout, where I prepare elaborate, creative and unexpected flavors on a plate. Tomorrow I hope to try out a marshmallow recipe using glucose, granulated sugar, vanilla, water, gelatin and salt. The process itself is not difficult to understand, but it's the timing and temperature which can easily affect the end result.

When I was working in France, I prepared minted marshmallow's for the mignardise* plate, but I seemed to have lost the recipe. Thus, I will have to try the Joy of Baking recipe with the substitution of gelatin sheets and glucose for corn syrup. It was only but a couple weeks ago when I first used glucose as an ingredient in baking. It's especially helpful as it provides more stability to the final product. It can be used interchangeably in most recipes with corn syrup but they can/do react differently. The only real difference is that glucose being an invert sugar will not return to crystal form.

In the United States, Legislators allow domestic food manufacturers to call glucose syrup "Corn syrup" because the source of the starch is almost exclusively from maize. However, in other countries, wheat, barley, tapioca, potato, maize, cassava, rice, sago, and arrowroot starches are used to produce glucose syrup. In various proportions, several compounds usually exist in the solution, which include primarily glucose, dextrose, and maltose. After researching, I discovered the equivalence of 1/2 cup corn syrup plus 3 Tbs. water to 1/2 cup glucose plus 1/4 cup water will usually produce the same results.

Remember, each brand of corn syrup may be different, so it's best to read your labels and look at the ingredient list provided.

Well, back to the subject of Marshmallows. I will give the recipe a go, http://www.joyofbaking.com/candy/HomemadeMarshmallows.html
and see where it takes me. Gil advised me to stick with the plain marshmallow recipe first before experimenting. Hopefully I can resist the urge to replace the vanilla with something like elderberry or rootbeer. I guess it is best to get the recipe down first before having too much fun with it eh?

All this talk has me thinking I should do a blog on inverted sugars. Anyone interested in learning more?

*Mignardises are bite sized sweets served after dessert with coffee. The word is derived from the French word Mignard, which means small child or grateful, pretty and delicate.

Carrot Birthday Cake

A few weeks ago, I was visited by my dear mother Kathy and friend Marlene. It was short, but sweet for it was my dear mum's birthday! Being her absolute favorite indulgence is carrot cake, I thought it would be most appropriate to bake her a fresh cake. The recipe I used was from Nigel Slater's, Tender, cookbook. Chef Dale at Sprout happened to show me this particular book and highly recommended it to me. Coincidentally, I thumbed through the pages and stumbled upon his version of a carrot cake. Immediately I ran up the treacherous stairs to the 'loft' at Sprout and made a copy of the recipe. For those of you who don't know, the stairs are steep, narrow and make anyone and everyone re-think how to walk down a set of stairs; it terrifies me every time.

Anyway, after work, I biked to Whole Foods, bought my ingredients and peddled to my apartment to start the task at hand. I read through the recipe before starting and realized the procedure was unlike those of most carrot cake recipes. The main difference was the separation of egg yolks and whites. The whites of the eggs were meant to be whipped and folded into the batter. I suppose the idea's intention was to give the cake a lighter and less denser product. Putting all feelings and knowledge aside, I decided to ACTUALLY follow this part of the recipe. Most of you know I have difficulties in doing this, and it still shocks me to think I followed it precisely. However, in the end I did not think there was a noticeable difference in the density. This was my reasoning for obeying the procedure. I wanted to do a little experiment and test what I know to be true. And ah ha, I was right. The other ingredients in the cake are simply too heavy to allow the egg whites support. What happens in this case, is that the whites deflate and provide no extra structure.

But I must admit, I did change a few other components to the recipe. I increased the amount of carrots (I mean, come on, only 5 ounces of carrots in a CARROT cake?!? Ridiculous I tell you. This is a carrot cake right?), I added raisins and lastly, I changed the spice to Chinese five spice powder versus cinnamon alone. I will most certainly use this recipe again with my adjustments and ignore the part about separating the eggs. Perhaps the cake would have been fluffier and less dense if I had not made these additions, but to me, it's not a carrot cake without the raisins or an appropriate amount of carrots. The five spice was just something I wanted to play with, and I knew it would be an interesting substitute for the cinnamon.

In case you'd like to try it for yourself, here's the recipe with my adjustments.

Cake:
3 eggs
265 g all purpose flour (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
Pinch of salt
200 ml sunflower oil (just shy of one cup)
250 g sugar (scant 1 cup)
carrots 220 grams (7 1/2 ounces), grated
juice of half a lemon
150 g walnuts, toasted (1.25 cup)
2/3 cup raisins

Frosting:
250 g Mascarpone cheese (9 ounces)
200 g cream cheese (7 ounces)
150 g confectioners' sugar (1.5 cup)
grated zest of a medium orange
walnut halves, about 3/4 cup toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans then line each with a round of parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, five spice, and salt. Beat the oil and sugar in a stand mixer until well beaten, then adding the eggs one at a time. Grate the carrots into the mixture, then add the lemon juice. Coarsely chop the walnuts and add them too. Fold the flour into the mixture with the mixer on low speed.
Divide the mixture into the two pans, smooth the top gently and bake for forty to forty-five minutes. Test with a skewer for doneness. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before turning the cakes out of their pans onto a wire cooling rack.
To make the frosting, put the mascarpone, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar into an electric mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. It should have no lumps. Mix in the orange zest.
When the cake cools, sandwich the halves together with a bout a third of the frosting. Use the rest to cover the top and sides of the cake. A rough finish looks more appropriate. cover the top with walnut halves.

and then Eat

Canning Continued.....

And here's my current collection. I've sold about 10 jars this year and made about another 60, so I'm well on my way. Since I did nearly 100 last year, my goal is to do at least an additional 5 or 10, which doesn't seem like all that much. If you have canned before, you know how much effort, time and commitment that is, so you will understand why 5 or 10 is significant enough. Given I typically jar anywhere from 5 to 18 jars at a time on my tiny stove top, it will take me another 5 to 10 more rounds. Yikes! I best hop to it!!!

Canning

Apologies for the lack of writing; there's no excuse why I haven't written a single post in the last few months. But alas, I am back. Within the last month I have been canning like crazy. Everything from figs to tomatoes to peaches. Some of my new favorites include:

ginger fig jam
pickled green tomatoes
blueberry fig and lavender

If anyone has ideas or would like to something special jarred just for them, send them to me. I would be more than happy to practice my canning. My next projects include, but are not limited to......

pickled carrots
pickled turnips
radish relish
pickled beets (more, but this time golden)

It's interesting to note that there are limitations to hot water canning, which is my personal preference and method of choice. The hot water method takes longer for jars to process, must be adjusted according to altitude with each food item, does not allow for every type of food item to be processed (i.e. Cruciferous plants are usually unsafe to process), has an increased risk of burn injuries, and above all else, is the first method developed. My grandma Kirchner swears by the hot water method and taught me over this particular method for the first time. She had too many horror stories using the pressure cooking method, which was another reason for learning the hot water procedure. Frankly, I prefer to learn older procedures that have been around the longest. After all, there must be a reason why it is so widely used and continues to be used, right?

Last year was my first year, and I would say I ended up with about 100 jars in total of assorted edibles. Most are gone, with only but a few more jars of stewed tomatoes and pickled hot thyme carrots.

Some of you may wonder, what exactly is that picture and how does it relate to todays post. Well, fellow readers, it is one the dishes I prepare at Sunday's brunch at Sprout called the Lox. It consists of pickled items, gravlax salmon, potato tuile, homemade cream cheese, truffled yolk salad, figs and more. I wanted to display a picture of what you may be to pair with your pickled items at home. I hope this opens your mind to the endless possibilities.

There will be more to come on the wonderful world of canning.....

Seeduction Bread

Some of you may have discovered a bread at Whole Foods called 'Seeduction', and if you haven't, you must! It tastes sinfully good and will make you crave it for it's cake like moistness. After reading various forums, conversations, blogs and articles alike about this particular bread, I became obsessed with figuring out the formula. I wanted to bake it at home and not have to purchase it, so I took on the challenge.

To carry out this formula successfully, I knew that I must have a sound base of knowledge and understanding of each ingredient so that I could foretell the end result once all combined. The only ingredient I didn't know much about was millet [a now favorite grain of mine]. I learned from my research that it is best toasted before added to recipes to give a rounded flavor and more pleasing texture.

In the end, I was successful leaving me with the most beautiful, seedy, moist bread. After my last two failed attempts at a sourdough, I felt like a terrible baker. That is is until now; now I have restored my faith in myself as a competent baker. Take a look at my bread and drool, for I am far too protective over this recipe. Sorry, you'll just have to buy a loaf to taste the goodness.

Acorn Curry

Before Merima left MN, we had decided we were going to tackle our list of 'things to cook'. It was a compiled list from last summer of breads, entrees, and ingredients Merima wanted me to cook or use in cooking. Unfortunately, she left the list back home, so we brainstormed and remembered one of the items was curry. Thus I came up with this recipe 'on the fly' [kitchen lingo for not planned or in the spur of the moment] while preparing naan dough [another item on the list]. It was simple, but tasty. Merima even stated that it was one of the best Indian dishes she ever had and that it tasted very authentic. If you know Merima, this is quite the compliment. So you best try this one if you are a lover of Indian food. Enjoy my foodies....

an aerial view of naan and curry [sorry for the lack of a close-up]

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 shallot, mined

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 chili pepper, dried

3 cardamom pods

2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 tablespoon garam marsala

9 ounces tomatoes with juice (from personal canning collection)

2 cup beet greens, chopped

1 cup green beans

1 tablespoon cumin

2 pinches of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Bake the squash in the oven at 375 for one hour, or until cooked, in a baking dish with water.

In the mean time, add the oil to a wok and heat. Once hot, add mustard seeds, cardamom, and chili pepper. Cover with a lid until the mustard seeds stop popping, be careful here not to get one in the face :). Then add shallot and garlic. Once translucent, add the green beans, tomatoes with sauce, garam marsala, cumin and sugar. Keep on a simmer and add the squash once cooked thoroughly.

Note: you will have to skin and cube the squash before adding to the wok.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes until everything is cooked through.

Serve with naan and eat up!

If you try this recipe, comment on the preparation or taste. I am curious to know other's thoughts.

Kith & Kin

Steamed Grouper, Fava, Meyer Lemon Sauce, Zucchini

...one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, Kith & Kin. When you visit Chicago, be sure to check out this wonderful restaurant where the food is innovative, exciting, rich in flavor, and fresh to the taste. Together, the three of us [Merima, Gil and myself] indulged in a plethora amount of food. Here were some of my favorites....

Beef, Blue Cheese, Mushroom Ketchup, Worcestershire Powder, Parsley Sauce

Lobster Bisque

Wood Smoked Oysters

Trio of Clam Rillette [horseradish, back left], Chicken Liver Pate [Dijon, Cornichon, back right] & Foie [Brioche and Strawberry Preserve, front]

The pictures are out of eating sequence, but I'm sure you would have guessed that. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmy

Pancake with Mandarin Ginger

Merima kept telling me all week that she needed her ginger fix, so I decided to treat her to these pancakes one weekday morning. I attempted to use the King Arthur pancake recipe, but could not follow it. It is difficult for me to follow a recipe most times, when I am cooking in the comfort and freedom of my own home. I will post the recipe from the website I used and mark the adjustments/additions with an asterisk.

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream*
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/8 cup wheat germ*
• 1/8 cup flaxseed*
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated*
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar OR 2 tablespoons honey (mix with eggs)

Directions

1. Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed of a stand or hand mixer. Stir in the butter or vegetable oil and sour cream.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the salt, baking powder and sweetener.

3. Gently and quickly mix into the egg and milk mixture. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes, while the griddle is heating; it"ll thicken slightly.

4. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 350°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle. The pan or griddle is ready if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately.

5. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the lightly greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, then turn the pancakes and cook the other side till brown. Turn over only once. Serve immediately.

Then, there's the sauce:

Mandarin Ginger Sauce

1/2 cup maple syrup

3-4 mandarin oranges, zested and segmented

1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until warm.