I love olives, the funny thing is that when I was younger I never used to eat them and then about a decade or so ago I discovered how amazingly they go with just about anything. I love the fancy little jar or bowl of marinated olives that you can get at a lot of restaurants, so I thought to try and make some for myself. These turned out delicious. The best part is that they can be stored in the refrigerator for a month. If I'm short on time I eat them the day that I make them but the longer you let them sit the more flavorful they become. The recipe calls for a number of aromatic ingredients, the first step is to dry roast the coriander and fennel seeds until they become fragrant before adding in the rest of the ingredients. Marinated OlivesIngredients: 1½ lbs mixed olives, drained ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ lemon rind 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp dried rosemary ½ tsp dried thyme 3 bay leaves, broken into pieces 1 dried red chili, membrane and seeds removed (optional) Method:
Recipe from The Daring Gourmet
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I bought a pasta machine almost a decade ago now ; however, I've been too intimidated to actually try pasta on my own. A couple months ago though I took a making pasta from scratch class with some friends and it was honestly so easy to make I don't know why I waited so long to try it in the first place. This recipe uses white flour, however the teacher recommended using '00' flour for the best quality. Making pasta from scratch requires some thinking ahead of time because you need a day for the noodles to rest before preparing them to eat. The recipe requires only two ingredients- yes two! I don't think ANY other recipe on this blog has just two ingredients. On a clean counter, you have to make a well in some flour and then crack the eggs directly into that well on your counter top. The next step is to knead the dough until it all comes together, the dough should be fairy tough and hard but still malleable. I then split it into 3 balls so that it's easier to work with. After letting the dough sit for about a half hour (covered and at room temperature) I used a rolling pin (along with some flour for dusting) to get the dough started before putting it through the pasta machine. You want to roll the dough at the widest setting on the machine at first and then fold it together in thirds and dust it with some flour before putting it through the machine a second time (still at the widest setting). After folding the dough and rolling it through the widest setting another time (3-4 times total) you do not need to fold the dough anymore. Set the machine to a narrower setting and keep rolling the sheet out until it becomes almost paper thin. Once the dough is thin enough, let it sit on the counter to dry for a few minutes and then put it through the angel hair pasta setting to get some nice thin noodles. Do not let the pasta dry too much otherwise it will become brittle and crack. Dust these strips with a generous amount of flour before curling them into loose 'nests'. The prepared pasta should rest overnight in the refrigerator in an airtight container before boiling it in salted water for 2 minutes. I recommend using a very light sauce with handmade fresh pasta because the noodles are very delicate. The texture of fresh pasta will be less rubbery than store-bought pasta. The same steps can be used for fettuccine, you just have to cut the noodles at that setting. If you wanted to make lasagna then don't cut the noodles with the pasta cutting setting but just cut them with a pizza-cutter or a knife into noodles the size of your lasagna tray. Fresh Egg Pasta from ScratchIngredients:
6 large eggs 600 grams "00" flour, or all purpose flour Method:
We only ever had home made yogurt at home growing up and the texture and flavor is probably far superior to the ones that you get in the grocery store. I always thought it was a mystery how a little bit of yogurt turned a bunch of warm milk into a giant pot of yogurt. I realize now though that it's just a bit of simple science and it's really quite simple. Yogurt is good bacteria and, given the right temperature and conditions, the bacteria grows and ta-da...giant pot of yogurt made for a fraction of the cost of the containers you can buy. Home Made YogurtIngredients:
8 cups milk (whole milk is best) 1/2 cup yogurt containing active cultures (check the ingredients) Method:
Recipe From the kitchn I debated on whether or not to post this recipe but it's almost more of a how-to or techniques/tips for how to make hashbrowns from scratch and how to get nice and fluffy scrambled eggs which made it worth posting. The quantities for the potatoes and eggs aren't listed since they can be easily adjusted depending on how many portions you would like. I recommend one large potato and 2 large eggs per person. Soaking then washing the potatoes helps prevent them from sticking together and turning into a large glob. Hashbrowns & Scrambled EggsHashbrowns:
Ingredients: 1 large potato per person salt, to taste fresh cracked black pepper, to taste 1 tsp butter (increase the amount accordingly) 1 tsp vegetable oil (increase the amount accordingly) Method:
Scrambled Eggs: Ingredients: 2 large eggs per person 1 tbsp milk per egg pinch of paprika salt, to taste Method:
Eggs in a HoleThis isn't so much a recipe as it is a method of making eggs. Use as many pieces of toast and eggs as you like. The basic method is to heat a frying pan to medium-low heat, then melt some butter and heat one side of the toast. Cut out the center using a biscuit cutter or the edge of a glass. Flip the toast over and crack an egg directly into the hole and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the egg is set to the way you like it. This tastes great with lots of butter!
This isn't a recipe per-say but it is one of the many ways that I like to have my toast. The combination of dill and butter is amazing. I had to sprinkle a bit of sea salt on-top of this toast because the only butter I had was unsalted. I recommend using salted butter on toast- always. Dill Butter ToastIngredients:
Sliced Bread Salted Butter Dill Sea Salt (optional) Method:
There are a million and one variations to garam masala so feel free to adjust this to your liking, but roasting whole spices and then grinding them up fresh makes for a much more aromatic and delicious masala than the store-bought versions. Home-made Garam MasalaIngredients:
1/4 cup coriander seeds 1/4 cup cumin seeds 2 tbsp Elachi/ green cardamom pods 2 whole black cardamoms 2 tbsp black peppercorns 2 tbsp whole cloves 1 tbsp fennel seeds 3-4 star anise 4, 1 inch cinnamon sticks 2 bay leaves 1/2 of a freshly ground nutmeg 1 small piece of dried ginger or 1 tsp of ground ginger Method:
You can store the garam masala in an airtight container for about 6 months or so before it starts to lose it's freshness. This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of garam masala. I've seen so many different ways to use a waffle iron on Pinterest. I actually have a whole board dedicated to waffle iron recipes. It may be a little unfair to call this a Pinterest fail however because the egg cooked just fine...I broke the yolk while trying to get it out of the waffle iron. I managed to flip the egg out intact but then I wanted to turn it right side up and that's when it broke. I warmed the bread with the waffle iron to give it a waffle like look as well. I will definitely be trying this again to make this work. I just need to figure out an effective way to get the eggs out without damaging them because I love the look of this waffle-esque breakfast.
Pomegranates are in season right now. These delicious anti-oxidant rich fruits are great as-is, but you can also toss them in a smoothie or juice them. De-seeding a pomegranate can be really messy and difficult. You have to especially be careful not to get any of the juice on your clothes or anywhere else because the juice stains pretty severely. This how-to describes a quick and easy way of getting the juicy seeds out cleanly. The first step is to score the top of the pomegranate, be sure not to cut too deeply otherwise you will end up cutting the seeds. Next, pull the top off like a cap. You'll notice the white membrane from the top of the pomegranate dividing it into sections; cut the sides of the pomegranate along these membranes. Again, be careful not to cut too deeply because you don't want to damage the seeds inside. Holding the pomegranate at the tops and bottom gently pry it apart along the cuts that you made. You shouldn't have to apply too much pressure, the pieces should come apart fairly easily. Once open, peel away the little white skin holding the seeds in (the white parts are inedible). Turn the pomegranate over in your hand, seed side down, over a bowl, and tap the skin with a spoon to knock the seeds out. This tapping motion will loosen the seeds and they should, for the most part, just fall right out. Nom nom, enjoy!
There are a million different combinations for pizza toppings but you always have to start with a good base...here's an easy recipe for the dough. Homemade Pizza DoughIngredients: 3 ½ cups of All Purpose Flour 2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Sugar 2 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 1/3 cups of Warm Water, 110 degrees 1 Envelope of Yeast To make the dough:
Bake for 20 minutes rotating once half way through If you're looking for some ideas on some delicious Ooey-Gooey recipes check out this post on topreveal.com. There're recipes for pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza, buffalo pizza and many more.
I grabbed this article (and the pictures) directly off of a food blog/website that I love called Food52. Its super useful, especially if you don't want to purchase so many different types of flour. A lot of us keep a bag of all-purpose flour kicking around, a faithful old friend that we lean on for pancakes, muffins, and everything in between. More devoted bakers might even have a few wildcards in their baking arsenals, like whole wheat pastry or spelt flour. But only in the most organized and well-stocked of home pantries will you find a bag of the self-rising variety, or cake flour in its kitschy, outdated packaging. If you didn't plan quite so far ahead, you might get tripped up on a recipe that calls for one of these vaguely esoteric flours. Don't want to make another trip to the grocery store? Never fear. Both are easily faked at home, using ingredients that you probably have on hand. Cake Flour Cake flour has a lower protein content (8%) than its all-purpose cousin (11%), which means your batter won't develop as much gluten and your finished product will be lighter and softer, with a finer crumb. Sometimes higher-protein flour is a good thing, like when you're baking a sturdy loaf of bread -- but if you're whipping up an airy chiffon cake or a delicate angel food, your recipe might call for cake flour. You can replicate it by measuring out the same amount of flour that your recipe calls for, replacing all-purpose flour for cake flour. Next, remove two tablespoons of flour for every cup of flour you're using, and replace each of those tablespoons with cornstarch. So, if your recipe calls for 2 cups of cake flour, measure out 2 cups of AP flour, remove 4 tablespoons, and add 4 tablespoons of corn starch. If your recipe calls for 3 1/2 cups of cake flour, you'll remove 7 tablespoons, and so on and so forth. Whisk together your flour and cornstarch, and then sift. A lot. About five times, actually. Since we're aiming for lightness, you want your hacked cake flour to be very-well aerated, with the corn starch completely integrated. And voilà, cake flour! Self-Rising Flour Next up: self-rising flour. This variety already has salt and baking powder mixed into it, so recipes that call for it typically won't require additional salt or leavening. It's a very big deal in Southern cooking, especially in biscuits, and it's also pretty simple to replicate: for every cup of self-rising flour that your recipe calls for, measure out one cup of all-purpose flour and add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder. So, if your recipe calls for 2 cups of self-rising flour, you'll measure out 2 cups of all-purpose flour, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
Whisk everything together, and then sift. That's right, about five times total. Aeration, you know. Alice's orders. Keep in mind, however, that certain cult-following brands of self-rising flour such as White Lily and Presto are similar to cake flour in that they're milled from softer wheat and have a lower protein content than all-purpose. If your recipe calls for one of these flours, or you feel like being a total over-acheiver (unlikely, since this particular kitchen hack is an exercise in laziness), use your DIY cake flour instead of all-purpose in the above conversion. Your unthinkably fluffy, mile-high biscuits will thank you. How to Pick, Store and use AsparagusAsparagus is super versatile, delicious and good for you! You can steam, stir fry, bake, sauté, boil, or grill asparagus and it comes in many different shades (green, purple or white). Purple asparagus is sweeter and white asparagus is less mild in flavor. The picture below is of steamed asparagus with garlic powder and soya sauce on top. I just wanted to go over a few things to look out for when purchasing and storing this vegetable. Buying
Contrary to popular belief, thinner stalks of asparagus don’t necessarily mean that its more tender- so buy and use what’s appropriate for your recipe. Look for asparagus with tightly closed tips and unwrinkled stalks. Be sure the stalks are firm and not limp because that’s an indication of freshness. Also look out for any bruises and blemishes. Storing It’s best to eat asparagus fresh but if that’s not possible then wrap the bottom in some damp paper towel and keep it in an unsealed plastic bad for a few days. You also have the option of treating your asparagus the same as you would flowers- cut off the last half inch and store it upright in a container of water and cover the top with a plastic bag. Using Snap off the bottom woody part of the asparagus…this is really simple because the asparagus will bend, and then on that portion where the tender stalk meets the woody end it will snap. If you are using a thicker stalk then be sure to peel away the tough skin from the bottom third of the spear with a peeler before snapping off the ends. |
FoodI love to eat! I've been baking since before I was a teenager and exploring more with cooking for the past decade. This section of the site is dedicated to my experiments in the kitchen. Search this site:
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