The Gruyere Affair

If you haven't met the delectable, buttery, savory cheese known as Gruyere, you better get yourself to the nearest dairy section as soon as possible.  You will thank me.  For best pricing, I advise shopping a traditional grocery store, versus a Super Target-type establishment, or a co-op.  My love for G was recently rekindled when my mother and I made the Pioneer Woman's Turnip Gratin - starring Mr. G - for Thanksgiving: 
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/turnip-gratin/

Ta Da!  Isn't it lovely?

The reason I am posting this recipe today, is that I just made this for dinner tonight.  In fact, here it is - still bubbly!  Mine looks a bit different because I had cream to use up so I used a little more than the recipe called for.  Also, I made a little root vegetable harmony by substituting half of the turnips for a small rutabaga and five small red potatoes.  (If you choose to follow this variation, I recommend cooking for 30-40 min, rather than the PW's 20.  Also, you might have noticed this is not in a skillet - a 9x13 Pyrex worked just as well.  Just melt the butter separately and pour into the Pyrex.)

Also on the menu tonight...venison!  I am sure this strikes fear into many of your hearts, however, it's probably because you have not had venison prepared the correct way - from the actual skinning process through the cooking process.  My father is an avid hunter and excellent sportsman - his venison is never "gamey."

I was so focused on the gratin (or the Gruyere...) that I hadn't bothered to decide how to prepare the venison.  It was pre-cut into stir-fry sized pieces, so I just heated a some olive oil in a pan with salt, cayenne, basil, and garlic powder.  They had a little party and invited the venison to join in.  Mmmm. 

Stopping by My Home on a Snowy Morning

I fully intended to post the chocolate and coconut checkerboard brownies I made yesterday in honor of National Brownie Day. Fellow Slainte contributor Kileen came over to enjoy them and can attest to their goodness. However. This happened overnight:

The forecast was calling for anywhere from three to seven inches of snow to fall after midnight, but I always anticipate the opposite of what I want to happen and figured that there would maybe be a dusting. But when I opened my eyes this morning and saw the soft white-blue light filtering through the blinds, I knew. We have about eight inches so far, and it’s almost 6:00 pm now and still coming down.

This means that I cannot post about brownies right now because there is something more urgent to be made that must be started the moment you know it’s not going to stop snowing for a little while yet. You need to get a bowl out in your front yard as soon as possible, you see, so it can fill up with fresh snow.

When I was growing up, snow in Washington State was an exciting and not-so-frequent weather event, and as long as I can remember, whenever the big flakes started falling, we’d quickly deposit metal bowls out in the yard to fill up for snow ice cream. At home it’s made with half & half, since we were almost never without a half gallon of it in the fridge for Dad’s morning coffee. I don’t have the morning coffee ritual in my own little place, but with a dollop of coconut cream standing in (left over from yesterday’s brownies, happily), it almost tastes better than I remember.

Snow Ice Cream

2 cups freshly fallen snow

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon half & half OR 

1 tablespoon coconut cream (skim off the top of regular canned coconut milk)

2 tablespoons milk (may need more)

Sprinkle the sugar over the snow. Drizzle snow with vanilla extract. Stir in the coconut cream with a rubber spatula. Drizzle milk in a tablespoon at a time until the mixture blends together and is more slushy than snowflake-y. Don’t be afraid to smoosh it into submission with a spatula if it doesn’t look like it’s coming together at first. Serve immediately, before it melts. Makes about 1 cup.

It's Not Like We Just Had a Pie Holiday or Anything

I've been wanting to make slab pie ever since I saw this. Since I had a round of dough in the fridge that was only enough for one pie crust and didn't want to make an open-faced pie, this is what happened last night. And finally, the frosted-over block of Summer 2011 raspberries is no longer in my freezer.

 

 

Rhubarb-Raspberry Slab Pie

(Filling inspiration here)

 

1 lb. rhubarb, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)

1/2 lb. small raspberries (about 1–2 cups)

1 cup + 2 TBSP (250 grams) dark brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Pinch of fresh grated ginger (I used less than 1/8 teaspoon)

One half recipe pie dough (I always use this)

1/8 cup heavy cream

 

Place fruit in a large saucepan. Since my fruit was frozen, I allowed it to soften and melt slightly over low heat before proceeding. Add sugar, vanilla, and ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium-low and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to medium and simmer an additional 20–30 minutes, or until your spoon leaves a trail in the bottom of the pan. Let cool.

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the half-recipe of dough into two equal pieces and roll each piece into a 10x14-inch rectangle. Lay one crust in the bottom of the quarter sheet pan and spread the rhubarb-raspberry filling over the crust. (I reserved 1/2 cup filling to use as jam for future sandwiches and pieces of toast.) Place the other crust on top and pull the edges of the bottom crust over the top. Pinch to seal. Prick the top of the crust all over with a fork or knife. Brush with 1/8 cup of heavy cream. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the crust is brown and filling is bubbly.

 

Learning to Love Leftovers

Growing up, my mom always made enough food to feed ten children, but she only had one.  She would shake her head at the overflowing pot of pasta and say, "Well, the good thing is that we will have leftovers!" I never understood her enthusiasm until I grew up and had to cook for myself...every day.  Don't get me wrong, I love to cook. Clearly.  

However, there are some days when I just don't feel like dragging out all the pots and pans when I get home.  Over the past few years, I have developed a fairly sophisticated system of cooking that allows me to try new recipes that will produce wonderful leftovers for a number of days.  This is one reason why I particularly love winter cooking.  Winter + cooking = soup!  My personal favorite genre is chili, but stews are right up there as well...

Anyway, I have several new winter wonderfuls to share with you, but we will start off with this one, from a recent issue of Food Network Magazine.

Chili Con Carne! 

Yes, yes, I know that this photo is less than tantalizing. The lighting in my kitchen is...well, sad. This meal, however, as perfect for a chilly November evening.  Last weekend I had friends for dinner and made enough chili to freeze for this week.  I have finally grown up and learned to love leftovers.  When I got home from work, I whipped up a recipe of Paula Deen's Skillet Cornbread (p. 274,Southern Cooking Bible) with a few of my own edits due to the current situation in my cupboards.  

(Recently, I have been experimenting with using coconut oil in place of other cooking/baking fats - it works well and is so much healthier!)

Kileen's Cupboard Cornbread

1/4 C coconut oil (or other cooking fat)

2 eggs

1/2 C plain yogurt

1/2 C milk (you could use 1 C buttermilk to sub for yogurt+milk)

1 C cornmeal

1 C white whole wheat flour

1 TSP baking soda

1 TSP salt

Melt coconut oil (an easy way is to heat jar in a pot with 1/2 IN of water til enough is melted).  In the meantime, whisk together yogurt and milk, then eggs in large bowl.  Pour flour on top, cornmeal, baking soda, salt.  Mix together slightly before folding in to milk mixture.  When combined, add coconut oil. Mix well, pour into 9x9 pan (if you're like me and haven't reached the skillet stage of life yet) - make sure pan is greased!  (I like to use a bit of the melted coconut oil.)  It is light yet has a good texture.  I am looking forward to leftover cornbread for breakfast :)  

Tradition

My mom and I cooked the entire traditional Thanksgiving in and on my cute little 3/4-size stove. Traditional for us means a 14-lb. turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade rolls, winter squash risotto, and pumpkin and apple pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year I bought a bag of whole cranberries to make my own sauce. I've never enjoyed cranberry sauce, but I guess there is something about making it yourself that makes it worth trying.

 

 

 

 

Cranberry Sauce

adapted from Sam Sifton via Serious Eats

 

 1 softball-size orange

12 oz. bag whole cranberries

3/4 c. sugar

 

Zest the orange into a small bowl and set aside. Pour the bag of cranberries into a 2-quart saucepan. Slice the zested orange in half and juice each half straight into the pan. Add the sugar to the pan, stir, and cook over medium-high heat until the cranberries start to pop and crack their skins. It won't seem very gelled at this stage. Cook for 5 minutes or until most of the cranberries no longer hold their shape. Stir in the orange zest. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Cover and let cool, then transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Makes approximately 2 cups. Original recipe here.

I am thankful for Pioneer Woman.

No, I do not jest. PW should know that she makes my culinary life brighter, and, if you don't know who she is, you will be glad when you have checked out her website:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/.  And, I assure you, that your life will be changed.  I know mine has been.  Caitlin introduced me to PW back when she was a little buried blogging treasure, and we have been friends ever since.  A couple times a week we get together and catch up (and, usually I am telling her how much I loved her recipe for _______).  This week, I am thankful for her Dreamy Apple Pie, which most definitely lives up to its name.

I was the star of the show at the Lindgren Thanksgiving celebration!

Happy Birthday, to You!

This past weekend, we had a opportunity to celebrate Miss Caitlin's birthday with a group of our closest friends and - of course - some delicious birthday treats.  A delectable artichoke-spinach dip and creamy wild rice soup took the stage.  However, they were both out-shined by the buttermilk cake with vanilla bean creme fraiche.  This was the birthday girl's personal creation, and it was even better than it sounds!

You can find the recipe through this link: http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/chefs_recipes/11201 Due to the season, suitable pears were unavailable in our neck of the woods.  However, this did not diminish the fabulous-ness that is chef Tory Miller's buttermilk cake!