The Pleasant Peasant, weird bread edition

See.... bread has rules.  Do this, don't do that, Can't you read the recipe?   Also see.... this grumpy old man isn't at home following a formula, which baking recipes are.  I just like knowing how it works, and then going my own way.

Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes the chickens are eating particularly well that day.  Ocassionally, even the chickens give me the side eye as they stalk away.

But lately, I'm beginning to get the hang of this bread thing, to some degree.   A little bit.  Maybe a smidgen.

The reason why bakers use 'formulas' instead of recipes is that bread, cakes, cookies... things like that... are honest to God science. To get X, one must combine G, S, K, and Z in exactly right sequence, under the right circumstances, and apply heat in exactly the right amount for exactly the right time.  Even then, the smallest variable can change everything. (I struggle with this, as I am a little more classically trained in baking. I love a formula and the precision. The first time I watched him bake, I almost stroked out and my eyeball twitched for a whole day! I will also give credit where credit is due, when it comes to bread, he wins! I cannot compete there. His bread is excellent! It is just never the same! LOL) 

One day the bread is perfect, and the next it's too dense and won't rise properly.  The difference?  The humidity changed.  Yup, I'm talking the moisture in the air, which you have almost zero control over, can change the outcome of your baking procedure.

An experienced baker (Read that as operational VooDoo) can take these factors into account.  Me?   Naww..... I just wing it.

Lately, I've settled on a basic combination of ingredients as a starting point for my bread.  I'll share, but if you blow the windows out of your kitchen, I don't want to hear about it.

• Four cups of Occident flour, plus spare for working
• Two cups of warm water
• 1.5 tablespoons of Red Star yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons of honey.
• 2 tablespoons of butter for greasing things

The way I wrangle this into bread....  and even this simple method took more than a couple tries, and some amount of studying mystical manuals called 'Cook Books'.

Firstus, I use a Kitchaid mixer with a dough hook.  You don't need to, but I prefer it.  You can just use a bowl and your (washed) grubby paws to do this.  I end up paws in anyway, so....

In my mixer, I dump in all 2 cups of warm water.  Warm to the touch, but NOT hot.  Too hot kills the yeast, and too cool makes it rise slowly.  Just.... warm on your wrist.  I use tap water, but we have a well.  If the house was on city water, I'd probably use bottled for this.

Into the water, add the honey.  I eyeball mine, but it's roughly two tablespoons.  Then the yeast.  Turn on the mixer a notch or so, and let it stir for a few moments to blend the yeast in.

Next, two cups of the flour.  Set it to stir again, maybe on speed 3, for about 30 seconds, and then shut it off.  Set your timer for 15 minutes and walk away.  Leave....it....alone.  Go away and do something else.  Don't even glance at it, in case you frighten the yeast demons away.

When the timer goes to beeping, you should have a nice bubbly 'sponge' started.  That will be yeast coming alive and mating like mad in the mix.  This creates CO2, which bubbles out.

Dump in the other two cups of flour, along with the salt, and start your mixer on '1', so it doesn't go *POOF* and fling flour across the walls.  In about 30 seconds you can rev that baby up to 3 and lock the head down.  Set your timer for 6 minutes and kind of keep an eye on it so it doesn't walk off the counter.

Now, what will happen is a nice, moist, and sticky dough.  if you wish a stronger and denser bread, you can add up to another 1/2 cup of flour if you wish.  This will make the dough tougher, drier, and pull away from the bowl walls into a ball.

6 minutes is up?  Turn the mixer off, flip up the motor, and take off the hook.  You will need to scrape the dough ball off the hook and into the bowl.   Turn out the dough onto a floured smooth counter, and sprinkle it with more flour. 

Begin working the dough by flattening it, and folding the top third and the bottem third into the middle.  Pull the long ends into the middle as well. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and do the same.  Sprinkle with flour as needed to keep it from sticking too bad.  A dough knife is VERY handy at this point, to scrape it off the counter and back into the dough ball.

Do this for 2 or 3 minutes.  The dough will be elastic, springy, and get tougher as you go.  That's the gluten building, a good thing.

Now, you could have just let the mixer do this last part, but my bread is very noticeably better when I finish the kneading by hand.

Once you have kneaded the dough a while, butter (or oil) your hands, pick up the dough, and shape it into a ball while making sure to grease 'er up all round.  Dump it into the large greased bowl you had waiting..... um..... you did have one waiting, right?

Cover the bowl with saran wrap or aluminum foil pretty tightly, and set in a warm spot to rise.  This will take from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on stuff.... and things.... but mostly stuff.
What we are looking for is the dough to double.  No matter how long that takes, that's the goal.

While the dough is rising, I get my Dutch oven buttered up real heavy on the inside, including the lid.  I also begin heating the oven.  When it comes time for 450 degree heat, I don't want to wait.

When the dough has doubled, scrape it from the bowl back onto the floured surface, and repeat that kneading thing for about a minute.  Don't go crazy, just flatten, fold, turn, and repeat.  Once that's done, form it into a fairly smooth ball and toss it into that Dutch oven.  Put the lid on, and set it back in a warm spot for it's second rise.

Meanwhile, go ahead and set that oven at the full 450 degrees.  The second rise won't take long; Usually about 20-30 minutes for me.  Probably enough time to clean up the equipment, do some dishes, and pour another cup of coffee.

When the dough has roughly doubled again, and is filling maybe 3/4ths of the dutch oven, go ahead and slide it into the hot oven.  Lid on and all.  Set your timer for 45 minutes, and WALK AWAY.
Don't open the oven to check, because there's nothing to see but an old Dutch oven in there.

Have a cooling rack ready for when that timer goes off.  On the beep, shut off the oven and carefully pull out the rocket-hot Dutch oven.  Set the lid someplace safe, and with lots of safe padding on your hands just flip it over and dump the loaf onto the rack.  Carefully set aside the iron, and then (hands still padded) turn the loaf top up on the cooling rack.

No matter how good it looks, leave it alone.  The inside of that loaf is around 200 degrees and it's cooking process is still finishing.  Just set the timer for 30 minutes, and WALK AWAY.  When it goes Bingly Bingly Beep.... the bread is all yours.

Now, this is a base model.  Options are unlimited.

Want bigger holes in the structure?  More like an English muffin?  Make the dough come out wetter, and do the initial (and only) rise right in the dutch oven.  Have the oven hot, and when the dough doubles.... in it goes.   Same procedure otherwise.

This style bread makes wonderful toast the next morning, and really good French toast as well.

Do you like a richer and softer bread?  In the initial mix, right before the second load of flour goes in, add two large eggs and another 1/4 cup of flour.  Otherwise, follow the original procedure. 
The eggs add more leavening, and the yokes supply moisture, flavor, and color.

The outcome will be a more golden colored loaf with a very tender structure.  It doesn't work well for sandwiches, but then again it will be eaten up so fast there won't be any for sandwiches anyway.

The shape of the loaf, and the dimples on top, come from the Dutch oven.  The loaf may, or may not, hit the lid.  It may, or may not, push it off a little.  I haven't found it to make a difference except in final appearance.  The flavor is outstanding either way.

Going from the base recipe, you are free to experiment.  I will add in oat bran from get go, or maybe melted butter, or maybe whole rolled oats, or even crushed peanuts.  It's wide open, and results can be surprising.  I love me a good surprise!

Why the Dutch oven?  It makes bake time much more forgiving, to start with .  Baked open, a loaf that is done one moment may be dried out 2 minutes later.  The internal temp shoots up very fast in the last few minutes of baking, and if you are not using the Dutch oven I recommend using a remote sensing meat thermometer with a audible warning when desired temp is reached.

The Dutch oven also retains the steam baking out of the dough, giving us a wonderfully chewy and flavorful crust.  

Try this if you like.  It helps if you have, as we do, a flock of chickens that will gladly convert failed loaves into tasty eggs.

The Pleasant Peasant, beef stew edition

I guess any good cook generally thinks ahead a bit.  Cook a meal, or a dish, with some thought given to what the leftovers could be used in.

My Totes Fav for doing that is a traditional roast beef dinner, with an eye towards beef stew a few days later.   That's why I usually buy my beef roasts quite a big bigger than the pack here can down in one go, although the wolves  are not above taking a good shot at proving me wrong.

I cook the large Chuck roast in my Dutch oven, after browning the beef hard right in the same cast iron I'll low-and-slow it in.  

Once the Malliard Reaction has been used in good measure,  I turn off the burner and turn on the oven.  Into the Dutch oven goes a whole sweet onion, peeled and sliced in half, and enough rough cut (2") unpeeled carrots to feed the herd for dinner with a few cups left over.   A healthy double pinch of sea salt, and just enough fresh ground pepper to make you feel uncomfortable.

Add two cups of water, lid it, and into the oven at 350 for 90 minutes.

While that's roasting,  clean up a few pounds of new white potatoes and swish them around a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place them in a covered baking dish and into the oven with the roast they go.  Both dishes will need about the same bake time. A little extra hurts nothing.

When the timer goes off, take both out of the oven.  The roast should be 180-190 internal.  Yes, I know .... ERMAGERD TOO DONE....... and no it ain't.  It's basically been braised, and that's forgiving as heck.  It should be fall apart tender.  The potatoes should be just cracking open and very tender.

Move the meat to a covered dish to rest.  Remove about 90% of the carrots as well.   Put the Dutch oven back on a burner on medium high, and go after the remaining carrots and the onion with a potato masher.  In a few moments the carrots will be in little chunks and the onions all but vanished.

The thickening juices will be coming to a boil. As they do, put in a heaping tablespoon of good bullion and a half cup of slurry made from two heaping tablespoons of corn starch stirred into cold water.  Stir the pot till it comes back to a boil and thickens nicely.   Voila..... kick ass beef gravy.

Plate and serve as you like, but don't lose even a tiny bit of the leftovers.  Not a drop. When everyone is sitting back holding their bellies and groaning, sneak back into the kitchen and pile all of it right back into the Dutch oven.  When it cools, shove it to the back of the fridge for a day or two.

There is something magical about searing off a beef roast, then cooking it low and slow in moisture, and then chilling the remains in the fridge.  The next time that beef is cooked, the flavor is off the charts and its fall apart tender, like good stew been should be.

The day you want beef stew for lunch, pull out that dutch oven and set it on a low burner.  Spend a few minutes sliding a carving blade through the meat chunks, potatoes, and carrots. Do it right there in the pot.  Leave them in big hearty chunks.  If you have celery, now would be time to slice a few stalks on the bias, in about 3/8" slices. Add the celery if you have it.  Pour in about two cups of water. Cover, and walk away.

When it gets close to lunch time, spend a few minutes just stirring the pot.  The potatoes will be breaking up, and starch will come from them and thicken the whole mess.  In fact, everything will break up a bit.... and that's GOOD. Herself likes me to add a cup of frozen peas in the last 10 minutes of simmer. 

Serve as you like, But we usually do a home made bread to go with it.  That will be another article though.... 

The magic of Mirapoix

Mirapoix, pronounced 'Meer Pwaa' as far as I know, is a magical base to many soups in many cuisines.  Comprised of at least three vegetables chopped into small pieces, the goal is to saute the mix til the aromas are freed, and then use it to create a soup or sauce base.

The vegetables chosen change by region and chef, but onion, celery, and carrot are traditional.  Cajun folks may replace the celery with green peppers and call it 'The Trinity'. Other folks may add/subtract in their own turn.   The point is... the blend results in flavor. 

Cooked down til just sweated a bit, or as I do.... sauteed in butter til showing color, Mirapoix creates a flavorful base upon which to build any amount of soups and stews.  

Cook down a few massive handfuls of mushrooms with butter and garlic, add to the Mirapoix with some chicken stock.  Simmer for about an hour, cool a bit, and then into the blender with some cream.  Ta Da!  Maybe the best tasting mushroom cream soup one can make.

Make up enough Mirapoix to line a dutch oven, and then lay a big beef roast (properly seared, of course) on the Mirapoix bed.  Roast til tender and just medium rare in the middle (125-130 degrees).   What is left in the pot?  With just a quick blend it's a beautiful gravy ready to go, and the roast benefits greatly from resting on the Mirapoix.

Whatever you choose to use it for, give Mirapoix a try.  It's versatile, flavorful, easy, and magical.

 

Man, Meat, and Fire.... some assembly requirred.

Porterhouse steaks, seasoned with ground pepper and Kosher salt, set to rest an hour.

Herself's boy child is learning the manly Voodoo of The Grill. Naturally I support this right of passage 100%. His Strip Steaks last week were perfection.

To note that support, I am supplying Boy with these here Porterhouse steaks this afternoon, which I have just seasoned and left to warm on the counter.  Fresh ground black pepper, Kosher salt, and a little wave of love.

I've also put together a compound butter with roast garlic, lots of black pepper, olive oil, and parsley. A smidge of Montreal steak seasoning rounded it out.   It was placed back in the fridge to marry.

It's maybe 2/3 good butter and 1/3 virgin olive oil, along with everything else. All warmed to about 200 degrees, and blended with a fork.  The olive oil adds flavor, and keeps it soft and melty for topping the steaks.

As expected, the boy grilled these steaks like a master in the making.  Medium rare across the board, with just a few sections near the bone slipping into rare territory. 

Boy-child is finding the grill to his liking, knocking down burgers and various steaks so far.  Chicken is to come, as well as veggies and corn-on-the-cob.

Give 'Em Hell Boy!

 

Garlic....

It's GAHhhhhhlic my love!

Garlic, so tasty, and so versatile. It's the heart and soul of several cuisines, and loved by people the world over.

We are lucky to have it available in many forms.  Dried and powdered, minced, or flaked.  In jars, we can have it whole, minced, or chunked. There simply is no excuse for not keeping it on hand, whether in the spice cabinet or refrigerator. 

That said, there is no replacing fresh garlic. Easy to find year round, in many types, fresh garlic has one problem... peeling it.

It can be peeled clove by clove, and that's how I've done it most of my life.    YouTube is rife with 'Easy!!11!!!' methods to peel garlic, including bouncing it around inside two mixing bowls like a crazy person.  Every cookery store has a dozen garlic gadgets in various forms, to peel... press... crush... and even clean it from your hands.

Today, I chose the lazy man's way out.  Like the image shows, I simply tossed whole cloves into a pan with quite a gob of butter.  Set on low heat with the pan covered.  About 5 minutes after the butter begins to bubble, just shut the heat off and walk away. The residual heat will cook the garlic through, leaving it soft and sweet.

Once it cools, just squeeze the cloves between your fingers and the soft clean cloves will pop out like magic.  An added benefit, all that garlic butter!

I put the garlic back in the butter, and pour it all into a small container to go in  the fridge.

There's a Strip steak destined for the grill this evening, and you can bet there will be smashed buttered garlic making an appearance as well!



 

Chili snobs, we ain't....

Herself had some tummy surgery (see my previous post), and is only just beginning back on non-liquid foods.  At the moment, it's pureed at best.   Okay, that gave me a good excuse to buy a Ninja Blender* and create some new recipes...

Herself expressed a wish for our Chili, and who am I to deny her what her heart desires?

The thing about Chili is this... people get 'funny' about it.  Like pineapple-on-pizza funny, that kind of funny.  

• "It's NOT CHILI if it has beans!!11!!"    (Slather Froth)
• "It's only CHILI if you home grow the peppers in a cemetery and pick them at midnight during a hurricane!!11!!"
• "Chili with anything but meat, peppers, tomato paste, and hate is nothing but funny tasting bean soup!!!11!!". (This one actually made me chortle with glee)

Yeah..... I'm going with NO here.  We make Chili often, and it's whatever we damn well please.  Our 'secret flavorings' are no secret at all.  It's whatever we feel like adding to get the flavor we want that day.  It could be Lager beer.  It could be dark chocolate.  It could be Masa (corn flour). Maybe today it's smoked Jalapenos, and tomorrow it's green chilly peppers.   Hell, it could all that, or none of it.

Every Chili is a critter all it's own.  If it wasn't, Chili cook-offs would be mail in affairs!

This Chili began with a cast iron dutch oven on the burner, set to medium low.  Into that goes two pounds of 85% ground beef, some black pepper, and a dash of salt.  Put the lid on, and walk away for 30-40 minutes.

Once the beef is cooked through, the grease and juice is poured off and the meat broken up into smaller chunks.  No rules here, just break it up, and then set it aside in a bowl.

In the dutch oven, now set to medium high, about half a stick of butter.  Dump in two large Vidalia onions, rough chopped.  Lid off, just leave it the hell alone till the onions are turning brown and sweet.  Maybe 15-20 minutes, with just a stir or two.  Now, turn the burner down to low.

Two cans of Goya Pinto beans, two cans of Goya** Kidney beans, one can of Hunt's diced tomatoes, one can of Rotel** tomatoes (with green chili's), a dozen cloves of roast garlic, and one small can hunts tomato paste.

The beans are drained and rinsed in a colander.  Let them drip off a few minutes while you put the meat, tomatoes, garlic, and tomato paste in with the onions.  Now pour in the beans.

Seasonings.... and here is where it goes off the rails.  It's really anything you want.  In this batch, I added maybe a quarter cup of dark Chili powder, a tablespoon of red pepper flakes, some kosher salt, and about twenty grinds of black pepper.

That's it.  Stir gently, lid it up, leave on low..... and GO AWAY.  Set the timer an hour, if you must.  After an hour, stir it gently and adjust flavor as you will.  Meself... I added a splash of Bourbon.

Lid back on for at least another hour.  Then, stir it, turn it off, and let it rest for 30 minutes or so.

Serve it as you will.  For herself, enough hit the blender for her to have two light meals, and to fill containers for the week.  Me, several bowls full, with a handful of shredded cheeses on top.  The rest, into containers for my work-week's lunches.


*About that Ninja Blender thing...... I bought it knowing Herself would need some pretty smooth foods for a while, and my food processor wasn't quite up to that task.  Our last blender had self-disassembled one time too many, and been tossed months ago.

We LIKE this Ninja widget, even if it did seem pricey at first.  The very first thing I made, of course, was a Vodka/Pineapple iced smoothie.  That came out so good I drank it all, be myself, and then slept on the floor a while.

Moving on, Cheesy broccoli soup, which came out so smooth it left nothing behind when poured through a fine sieve. Then an amazing cream of Mushroom soup. Now, this Chili, which has a fascinating texture and flavor.  What Herself didn't eat, I mixed back into my Chili, and was rewarded with a flavor explosion.

**  Ro-Tel tomatoes..... we enjoy the bejeebers out of these things.  We get them at BJ's by the case, and usually have a dozen cans on hand.  They are defining for a good Chili, and add a silly amount of great flavor to baked beans or a pasta sauce.  

An old Texas friend turned me on to these, long before they became available up here in Yankee land.  He used to ship me care packages...lol.   If you don't already know the Ro-Tel magic, buy a few cans to try.   Bet you a steak dinner they keep their place in your pantry forevermore.  

Also **  Goya canned beans.  Yes, I know.  Store brand is significantly cheaper.  That said, Goya does damn good canned beans.  If it's a dish that matters, why not spend the extra pennies?  We usually have kidney, pinto, black, and garbanzo beans in the pantry.   Not only for Chili, but home made Cowboy beans, Baked beans, Stews, and salads.

**Crickets**

Himself added my picture without consent. Poophead! 

Hey it's me. The female piece of the foodie wonder team. It sure has been all kinds of quiet around here. Honestly, I have been struggling. The past year I have been going through the process to prepare for weight-loss surgery. 

Bariatric Surgery as it is formally called has a lot of misconceptions. The first is that it is "the easy way out" in terms of weight loss. Yeah no, it isn't. It is a huge life changing operation in which your guts are either rerouted, or partially removed (I did the removed type, but more about that in a bit!)

Over the past year, I have had to attend countless dietitian classes and individual sessions. I have had to have a psych eval (which I did not pass, initially due to a long hidden eating disorder),then months of therapy, pulmonary and sleep tests, starting to use a C-PAP  (to be in compliance so pulmonary will authorize me), a cardiac evaluation, and a secondary psych eval. On top of that I had to begin some better eating habits. It was hard, REALLY hard. I had to deal with my closet eating disorder that I hid from everyone, including the people who are the most important to me. I came clean and started doing better. I had very few slip ups along the way, once I came to grips with myself.

Food is a hard thing to have a problem with. It is how society celebrates, how it mourns, how it socializes, and it is one of the ways we (Himself and I) show our creativity. It was also how *I* dealt with stress, anxiety, and emotion. During all this, I never wanted food to become the enemy. It is fuel and we need it to live. I also still want to be able to live my life and not deprive myself. I wanted to be able to do the surgery and use it as a tool. The rest is on me.

So on August 12th, I went under the scalpel. I did the sleeve gastrectomy procedure. They go in and remove a section of your stomach and create a tube of the leftover, that becomes your *new* stomach. It holds decidedly less than it used to. It also removes the portion of your stomach that produces the most ghrelin (the hunger hormone). With this surgery I should lose up to 65% of my excess weight, reduce or clear my diabetes and high cholesterol and take some weight off my poor joints.

Thank you TX Center for Obesity Surgery for this image!

This surgery is done laparoscopic with one overnight in the hospital. I had a wonderful surgeon *insert shameless plug here along with link to Wellspan Bariatric Surgery, ask for Dr. Smith!* and his whole team helped me navigate the ups and downs of this. I had a few *extra* hurdles, one was the insurance company required I lose 5lbs, I know that doesn't sound like a lot, and it really isn't. But my body was like, "uhh, no this fat is mine and I shall keep it!" So I had to do a week of the pre-op liquid diet. I lost 2 lbs. 

Thankfully the insurance approved it as they saw I was doing everything possible. No one told me to stop doing the liquid diet so I stayed on it, and my surgical date was set for Aug 12th. I did almost 4 full weeks of a liquid (liver shrinking) diet. They tell you to treat it like a prescription so I didn't cheat!  

It was hard at times. I am sure I was grumpy on occasion. Day 3 is the worst, because your body goes into withdrawal mode and you get a slamming headache. Then I had the surgery with little or no side effects! I was up walking within hours of surgery. I felt good, great even. For the first time in my life I had NO hunger. The first week post-op was amazing. Himself took time off work and stayed home with me, and reminded me to drink my fluids. He was a HUGE blessing!

Then one week post-op happened, and as people are prone to do, I slid into a touch of post-op depression. I was also constantly nauseated and so exhausted. It was rough! 

I have a support group of girls who had surgery the same day and we connect with any issues we are having (ans share recipes!). None of them were having these issues. I felt pretty alone. I was not getting enough fluid or protein. I was floundering emotionally (a commercial made me cry!). 

I saw my doctor and one of the dietitians on Wednesday last week, and we talked about ways to get more protein, and my state of mind. They gave me another two weeks off work to fight through the exhaustion, and the doctor assured me that this isn't abnormal and I am doing really great. I am doing a little better every day. I am pushing my positive attitude to the forefront and working through my internal drama. 

So the big question is, what does this mean for a *FOOD* blog?! Well honestly, not a whole lot will change. We still love to go out and we love to try new places and new foods. Himself has already starting making some recipes and putting them out there with me in mind. I will continue to eat smaller portions (I get to move from purees to soft food next week!) and we will continue on life's adventure together as we have done for the past 5 years. I am just going to look thinner and hotter doing it! 😉 

Be prepared to see some reformulated recipes as I attempt to make things with fewer carbs, and experiment. I will be posting more and sharing some of this experience.

We appreciate all of our reader(s) who come along for this journey with us. Please feel free to comment here or send us some ideas on Facebook of some places or recipes you would like to see us try. 

Peace, Love, and Food! -Herself

The magic of leaving it the hell alone....

An easy breakfast for little money, and little effort.

The potatoes are sliced about 10mm thick, and fried till crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  There is a dollop of salsa-queso for dipping the home fries.

The eggs, a simple three egg folded omelette with a bit of Parmesan in the mix, and spooned on chunky salsa to add flavor and heat.

It's all so simple, with patience.  Heat a big, heavy, non-stick fry pan on medium heat, and melt a few tablespoons of butter as it warms.  Slice a couple washed Russet potatoes to desired thickness, tossing the very ends if you like.   It's important to have flat surfaces that will contact the pan.

Lay the sliced potatoes out in the pan in a single layer, and grind on as much fresh black pepper as you fancy.  Also a sprinkle of Kosher salt.

Now, employ the culinary technique I call "Leave It The Hell Alone". 

Seriously... go drink coffee.  Wash dishes.  Give the cat a bath.  Whatever floats your boat... but leave that pan the hell alone for at least 20 minutes.  Set the Leave-It-Alone timer for 20 minutes.

When you come back 20 minutes later for your next cup of coffee, turn the potato slices in the pan, and grind some more pepper on so you don't have one-sided tasting food.  Reset the Leave-It-Alone timer for another 15 minutes.

When that dinger dings again, then and only then may you examine your handiwork.  Turn the slices again if you wish, and let them finish browning while you crack open the eggs into a bowl.

To the three eggs, a splash of heavy cream and a few grinds of pepper.  Blend with a fork till uniform and floofed.

Move the potato slices to a plate covered by a paper towel to soak away some of that butter, and pour the egg mix into the pan.  Set on medium low, add a pinch of salt, and swirl the pan once to make sure the egg mixture coats the whole bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle on some Parmesan, or a little of whatever cheese gives you the giggles.  Next..... that technique again.  Leave It The Hell Alone.

Just leave it, till the eggs are nearly set.  When there is just a bit of unset egg mix left, lift the edges with a rubber spatula thingy and fold one side towards the middle.  Then the other side to the middle.  Leave it there a moment as you ready a plate.

Slide the omelette from the pan, turning it over on the plate as you do so.  Give the pan a rinse while the eggs rest a second.  They will finish cooking from their own heat in just a few moments.

Add all the potatoes you wish, whatever toppings you wish, and refill that coffee mug.

Enjoy!



 

Soups on!

Have you ever tried to take an interesting picture of soup?

So, herself has had tummy surgery done a few weeks ago.  She is just now getting back  to food, and only chunkless soup at that.

Now, knowing this was coming I stocked up on protein shakes, canned soups, bone stock, Popsicles, yogurt, jello, etc. 

That said, she wanted something 'better'.  She wanted my cooking.   That meant scratch soup.  In this case, cream of mushroom.

Challenge accepted!   Recipe.... not so much.

I began by hydrating dried onion in chicken stock for a few hours.  Into a deep fry pan with lid, a big double handful of mushrooms of various breeds, a few tablespoons of butter, and the onions... now equaling about 1/4 cup.  A few grinds of black pepper and a healthy pinch of salt.   On goes the lid, and heat set to medium for about 40 minutes.

In a sauce pot, a half stick of butter and a big sploosh of AP flour. Heat on medium high while whisking till it's rue.  Then, some pepper, salt, fresh nutmeg, and a 'box' of low sodium chicken stock.

Heat and stir till it gets thick, then a scant handful of shredded cheese; Parmesan and Asiago.  Keep stirring till the cheese is melted and the soup base is smooth.  Set off the heat and stir till it stops cooking.

After the mushrooms are cooked down, everything in the fry pan joins everything in the pot.  From there, to a blender  (Ninja, in my case.  Fine machine!).   Pulse a few times, and then set to high for about two minutes.  Half way through, add a half pint of heavy cream.

When blended, pour back into the pot and set on very low heat til ready to serve.

Hands down, the best cream of mushroom soup we have EVER had.  Serious mushroom flavor, smooth, clean, and wonderful umami.  

Yeah.... doing this again, and more on top of that.

 

Coffee Heresy.....

Many years ago, I was treated to coffee in a friends home. At first sip, I made a face... mostly in surprise.  It tasted different.  He noticed my hesitation.

"It's cowboy coffee.  With Cinnamon."   This came from a 6'4" heavy set man dressed in full cowboy garb, since we were off to a shoot that morning.  The last person on earth to drink froo-froo coffee, or make fun of.

I drank the coffee, and said thank you.

Years later, that taste came back to haunt me.  I decided to give it a try, with a slight difference in how it's made.

Here at the dragon castle, we grind our beans before every pot.  That alone makes a large difference in flavor.  We also use bottled spring water for the coffee, since our well runs heavy on minerals. That helps too.

To effect 'cowboy coffee', we just dropped a stick of cinnamon into the grinder with the coffee beans.  Ta Da!  That was it.... but the difference in the cup was all out of proportion to the effort involved. 

A little cinnamon in the coffee makes the flavor explode. Yes, it adds it's own taste to the mix, but it also makes the coffee more... well..... COFFIER (yes, I am allowed to make up words.  I have a license to do so). 

It's not for everyday I suppose.  Few things are. Some days one desires rye toast for breakfast, and some days it's oatmeal.  Well, some days it's a cup-a-joe, and others it's a rich creamy vacation in-a-mug.

Try it once, I double dog dare ya!

The Lampeter Cafe - A coffee shop and more

We watched this ancient building being renovated for a long time.  A very long time.  It's at the corner of Lampeter road and Village road (741) in..... you guessed it... Lampeter.

It so happened that particular corner was on our route to work, so every day we marked the progress and wondered what was opening at that location.  A law office?  A medical building?  Some Realtors new palace perhaps?

A well appointed wedding/meeting venue.

Nope... one day the sign went up, and the mystery was solved.  It's the Lampeter Cafe.

Cool!   We will have to stop in and review them! (We said to each other).  That was.... um... a year ago?  Longer?  Yeah, well.... we be slackers.

Yesterday was the day we finally made it.  Out to run errands, we wanted breakfast.  All our usual haunts being too peopley, we wandered over to the Lampeter Cafe to finally make good on that threat.  Ha!  The Cafe was peopley too, but we persevered.

Right off the bat, let me say this.  The place sure does dole out the ambiance. They pulled out the stops during the renovation, and really made the premises into a welcoming spot. I agree wholeheartedly. It is a beautiful space. Multiple stories are made handicapped accessible with an elevator.

Right off the bat, let me say something else.  It may be the reason we took so long stopping in at the Lampeter Cafe.  Here's the thing.  It's NOT a restaurant.  Not by my definition.  You see, there is no table service.  No wait staff.  It's what I call a glorified cafeteria.  *Grumble-grumble, Grouse-grouse*.   When I go out to eat in a nice place, I want food brought to my table.  Cafeterias are for school kids, and hospitals, and worker drones, you know?

Except.... well... maybe not.  It just occurred to me the root word in cafeteria is 'cafe', and that means food done fast, and a place to eat it.  I guess that opens up a spectrum, upon which a business can find their own niche.

Lampeter 'Cafe' has carved out a pretty nice niche for themselves.  Once I redefined for myself the nature of our breakfast spot yesterday, I stopped grumbling.  It's not a restaurant... it really IS a cafe.  Like a coffee shop, only way..  WAY... bigger, much fancier, and with decent food, and with stylish venues for parties and meetings.

The Cafe has plenty of parking, with a nice entry-way off the patio.  The main building, the patio, and several outbuildings set up as flexible venues, are all tastefully appointed and decorated.  It's simply a pleasant place to be, as was clearly designed so.

Here we see the worst picture of Herself EVER presented.

Upon entering, one is immediately faced with the Cafeteria nature of the place, as there is a counter to order from and a counter to pick up at.  Yes, there's a menu, and a pretty glass display of delectable looking pastry type offerings.

Upon ordering and paying, the customer is handed a vibrating 'thing' to carry away as you find a table.  Coffee is self serve on the way.  Their coffee, in my opinion, is right darn good stuff, even if you have to get it for yourself.

We found a table near the fireplace (they had two fireplaces to choose from!), and had about ten minutes to look around and enjoy the atmosphere.   Then, that square vibratey thing lit up and danced across the table like it was on it's way to fight in a dwarvish battle against Smaug the dragon.  

Bloody well took me by surprise, it did.  He jumped. I jumped. It was pretty amusing.

I fetched (GRrrrrrr) our food from the counter, and we tucked into breakfast.  For Herself, 'Annies Hash', which she can describe if she ever gets out of bed this morning.  I had a bite, enough to say it was passably good.  Rich and filling. It was cheesy and savory. Hash browns, eggs, cheese, and meats baked with a crumb topping. Served with a little orange slice and some locally sourced bread that you can pick from. I had the honey whole wheat. My only complaint about the whole thing, was that the toast was barely toasted.

Meself, I had the 'Pioneer Wrap', which is .... when it comes down to it.... a full breakfast wrapped up in a flour tortilla.  It was all there too.  Eggsses, bacon, cheese, potatoes....

Annie's Hash, and a Pioneer breakfast wrap

My wrap was filling, and a good basic breakfast. The ingredients seemed of good quality, and were properly cooked.  Some days, it would be exactly what I want for breakfast.  Yesterday though, I wanted more.... flavor.  I ate a bite or two of his wrap and it was tasty. Maybe a little more cheese. But I love that the bacon was crumbled! I hate when I bite into a dish with strips of bacon and they pull the whole thing apart. Perhaps some sour cream, and a good dollop of spicy salsa.  Next time I'll ask for that on the side and see how they react.

Here at Castle Fat-Man, salsa is *always* an option.

Dollerfitty Cookie

Herself also had a cookie.  That being the Dollerfitty cookie, as I will call it.  It was a good cookie.  I don't know if it's a Dollerfitty cookie, but it was a good cookie. It was a pumpkin spice cookie with cinnamon icing, and it was very good. Maybe they should only charge a dollar though.

The tab came to just over $20 for two coffees, two breakfasts, and that Dollerfitty cookie.  Thinking about how the Lampeter Cafe compares to our regular breakfast haunts, I can see we traded off table service for a bill about $10 less than we usually spend.   Given the upscale nature of the dining areas, I'd have zero issue paying the extra $10 and even more, if the place had table service.

The thing is.... we have LOT'S of restaurants where we can spend $30 on a decent breakfast, and being waited on.  We also have a paucity of light, airy, attractive Cafe's where we can grab a light meal in a hurry, while enjoying a really well thought out venue.  Lampeter Cafe has stepped into that niche, and done a really good job of it.

We will be back.

So how does Lampeter Cafe, Lampeter fork up: 

3.75 Forks for flavor.
5.0 Forks for atmosphere
5.0  Forks for location. (Easy to find & loads of parking)
4.0 Forks for your value.
XXXX Forks for service. We feel this is not applicable in this situation, counter service was good and friendly.
4.4375 Total Forks Given

Roast pork butt......

With friends coming over, we wanted something special on the grill  Something toothsome and moan-worthy.  The original plan was Brisket, but then this ten pound pork butt appeared in the meat case at Musser's Market.  It .... called..... to me.

The day before it was to be cooked, I gave it a liberal dry rub and put it back in the fridge for 24 hours.  The dry rub was basic, traditional, and always a crowd pleaser.

Dry Rub, mix and apply heavily:

• 1/4 cup Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• Two tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• Two heaping tablespoons garlic powder
• One heaping tablespoon sweet paprika

On The Day, the lovely meat was placed fat-cap up on the right side of the grill, with the leftest most burner turned on low.  Indirect heat is the way to go here.   230-250 degrees, depending on how long you have before you need it done.  Low and Slow.... it's like magic!

Temperature was monitored with THIS handy widget. bought on Amazon and delivered to the door for less than $25.

One probe into the deepest part of the roast, and the other on the top rack just above the roast.  One to follow the grill temp, and the other to track the meat internal temp.  Using a wee beastie like this allows the cook to Leave The Blasted Grill Alone, which is verrrry important.

Leave it alone.  Don't play with it.  Don't open the lid.  Leave It The Hell Alone!

After two hours at 230 degrees or so, the meat is ready to be rotated.  Turn the roast so the opposite side is facing the heat.   I like to start thin side to the heat, and rotate to bring thicker to bear after a few hours.

At the four hour mark, the roast can be flipped so the fat-cap is down, on the grill.  It can also be rotated again.  This will be the only point at which it gets flipped.

At the six hour mark, time to rotate.... and mop for the first time.

What is 'mopping'?  It's nothing more than brushing the meat down with some liquid concoction that keeps it moist while promoting a crust, or bark.   Volumes have be written about what should be in a good mop liquid, with most pit masters having deep, dark, secret recipes handed down for eons to first born sons, etc etc blah blah.

A good mop liquid may contain apple vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, whiskey, or whatever your heart desires.  This day, instead of getting fancy I simply cut a bottle of Kraft Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce 50/50 with water.  That's it.  Mixed in a container with a lid, and applied with a cook's brush.  No hoo-hoo or fuss.  The roast gets mopped about every hour after that six hour mark, and rotated as you see fit. 

At the nine hour mark, or when the internal temp hits about 135 degrees, kick up the grill temp to 375 degrees.  On my grill, that means lighting another burner and tweaking the regulator a tad.

This higher temp will hold for about an hour, or till the meat hits 160 degrees.  Mop a few times, but not in the last 20 minutes or so of cooking.  The higher temp will create a delicious crust on the roast that is magical.  Guests will fight over the end cuts, so be prepared with bandages and first aid supplies.

Once the meat gets to 160 degrees internal, just shut off the grill and leave the lid open.  Set your timer for 30 minutes, and WALK AWAY.  Seriously.... WALK AWAY.  This 'rest' time changes everything.  Give it the time it needs, and the meat will be juicy and tender.  Rush it, and it tends towards dry and tough.  Your choice..... are you patient enough?

Move from the grill to a cutting board, slice thin, and FEAST.

Jack's Family Tavern, in Millersville. A quick review....

Yesterday, feeling peevish and peckish, I just wanted OUT of the house.  I'm recovering from surgery, and this sitting around really does SU...... well...... I'm not enjoying it much. Himself is bored and his pain is enough under control that he is cranky about it. He has taken to yelling at clouds and shaking his cane at them.😜

So, Herself and I packed my busted bits up and headed into Millersville to give Jack's Tavern a try.  I mean... what could go wrong?   Cold beer on a stupid hot day.  That HAD to be good.

And it was.

Me being a gimp at the moment, we took a table instead of a seat at the bar. I almost always prefer a table to a bar, I am short and my legs dangle.   Lucky we were, as the place began filling up soon after we were seated (around 5ish). This is after Himself made a crack about eating with the elderly crowd. Out loud, in public... the elderly couple who sat across from us, did not find him amusing.

I'd been craving a Yuengling Lager, and they were on the spot with a cold glass of Yuengling from the tap.  You know how it is when you just.... crave.... something?  So yeah, that first glass went empty pretty quickly. 

Herself had some Foofy Pina Colada thing, and then some Foofy Orange Creme thing.  Ugh. They were hardly "foofy". I had a pina colada (cue the singing! You're welcome!) and an orange creamsicle adult beverage. They are icy cold, sweet, and tasty on a hot day!

The foods?  We started with a plate of loaded fries.  They lugged over this tray full of fries, smothered in cheese sauce and enough bacon to explain a local pig shortage.   It, all alone, was a meal for two.  Nothing crazy special, except in portion, it was good solid Pub Food.  Exactly what a few people would want after a long beer session. What does makes Jack's fries special, is that they are house cut fries! That is something that really goes a long way in terms of flavor.

Next up, Herself just had to try the 'Jackalope Eggs'.  Three hard boiled eggs, rolled in crumbs, deep fried, and tossed with hot sauce.   Did I mention Jack's is in a college town?  Yeah..... these things are sheer beer drinking frat-pack crack.   To me, meh.  I'd only had that one beer so far.  To herself..... she can describe what she thought.  She finished them. He does not like scotch eggs either! Heathen! The eggs come as either a single, or a nest (3 eggs). They were rolled in hot sauce, that had a perfect amount of spice and I had them with bleu cheese dressing. They are a great bar food treat in my opinion.

We both ordered burgers, seeing how they are hand made and looked bloody good, going past on trays headed to other tables.  I had the 'Malibu', which entailed a half pound of house ground beef and all the usual fixings.  Cheese, bacon, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and mayo.
I had the Jack's burger with onions, mushrooms, and it would normally come with American cheese. I asked for Swiss and PepperJack instead. This is an excellent burger. I later found out (directly from the message Jack's restaurant sent me on FB) that they have been grinding their own meat there daily for 35 years.  I added mayo to mine, and honestly it was so moist and delicious I could have eaten it without. Next time I will ask for it without a bun, as it just didn't need it, and it was messy enough that I had to use a knife and a fork!

Color me pleased.  I like a good burger, and Jack's is worth every penny.  I WILL be having this again.

Easy to get to, lot's of parking, friendly staff, and food that hit the mark.  Yup, we will be back. It is so rare to find a genuine "diamond in the rough". I can't believe we lived here for so long without trying this gem! 

So how Jack's Family Tavern, Millersville fork up: 

4.5 Forks for flavor.
3.8 Forks for atmosphere. (It is a little on the dark side, and the decor is dated. Part of it's charm is in that history)
4.75  Forks for location. (Easy to find & loads of parking)
4.95 Forks for your value.
4.85 Forks for service. 
4.57 Total Forks Given

A little about herself...

 (Alternative title:  'Look!  A Squirrel!')

I am a Mom, a Friend, a Partner, a Lover, an Everyday Foodie. I am distracted easily, hence all the squirrel jokes. I love shiny things, and if I wasn't with himself, I would be a crazy cat lady.  I am a woman of varied tastes (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). I'm formerly Italian (thanks 23 and me for ruining that illusion! LOL) and English from my Mom, and my Dad moved here from Nova Scotia when he was a kid, so Canadian, Scottish, German and English on that side. I grew up in New England, moved to Pittsburgh area in High School, then to Lancaster County. A tour in upstate New York, then back to the farmland in South Central PA. I think all this helped shape my tastes.

I love American Wines, Italian Food, Lobstah,and Pissah clams. My chowdah better be thick like cream not thin like milk.  Steak Salad and Pierogies are the bomb. I love Speedies and good pizza. I prefer Dunkin' Donuts to Krispy Kreme, and have a crazy sweet tooth.

I grew up watching Julia Child and the Frugal Gourmet with my Step-Dad and cooking alongside my Dad in the kitchen. Nothing is more amazing than a man who cooks. It is part of what attracted me to Arthur. Well, that and his overall studliness (stop rolling your eyes, right this minute Mr. Man!)

Over the past two years I have been trying to eat healthier and  put better things in my body. I started working out and had the leg cast to prove it! I love taking a traditionally 'bad for you' recipe and giving it a healthier spin. My gluten free brownies are actually pretty tasty, and very rich! Although, to be completely honest, kale  (Gag) still has not won me over no matter how hard I try.

I love the beach, and honestly believe salt air cleans the soul. I try to get there at least once a year, to refresh my selkie self. I love shellfish, but can't get into crabs, unless the work is already done. I can shuck an entire lobster in under 7 minutes. Yet, I am not a huge fresh fish fan.

My favorite website before going into any restaurant is the PA Food Safety Website and I look at the most recent inspection before I go anywhere. I have turned around and not eaten at a place because their inspection was questionable. Here is The Link.

I have a few kitchen gadgets I genuinely love. Pyrex bowls for hand mixing and the Kitchenaid stand mixer for everything else. My Zoodler is just the coolest thing. A really good paring knife (one of the best I found at The Restaurant Store for right around $6) is indispensable. The T-Fal Frying pan... himself found on Amazon after we saw it on America's Test Kitchen. I believe baking is a science, and not something you should do haphazardly. I rarely use a recipe when cooking anything else. 

Wait.... was that a squirrel?