Cleaning up vegetable scraps

It is a bad idea to leave vegetable, fruit, and meat trimmings sitting in the garbage pail for too long, as they will begin to break down and smell. To solve this problem, wrap the handles of a plastic grocery bag around the corners of a drawer beneath her work surface and closes the drawer. The bag stays open so that scraps can be swept right in. when she is finished, she simply ties the handles together and disposes of the whole package.

Chef Osama  

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Bread Baking Babes - Hamburger Buns

Good grief!  Can you believe it's already July 16th?  Not only does that mean that July is already more than half over (sob) but that also means it's time for the Bread o' the Month from the Bread Baking Babes.  And guess who got to choose the bread this time around?  Moi!

I chose Hamburger Buns from a recipe card I picked up in Williams Sonoma.

The recipe gives instructions for regular sized buns as well as sliders (aka the most adorable things ever).

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Williams-Sonoma

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) milk

8 Tbs (1stick/125 g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

4 cups (625 g) all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

5 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs kosher salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water

sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and butter and heat until the butter is melted, about 7 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool to 105-155'F (40 to 46'C).  Add the yeast and stir until the yeast is dissolved.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 4 cups of flour, the sugar and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  Add the milk mixture and knead until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute.  Increase the speed to medium low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove the dough from the bowl, oil the inside of the bowl and return the dough to the bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 10 by 7 1/2 inch (25 by 19 cm) rectangle.  Using a ruler as a guide, cut the dough into 2 1/2 inch (6cm) squares.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing the buns evenly apart, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 400'F (200'C)

Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheet.  Brush the tops of the buns with the egg mixture (I brushed the tops with milk) and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.  Bake until the buns and golder and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a bun registers 190'F (88'C), 14 to 16 minutes.  Transfer the buns to a wire rack and let cool completely.  Cut in half and use as hamburger buns.  Makes 12 hamburger buns.

For slider buns: Follow the instructions above but roll out the dough into a 9 inch (23 cm) square.  Cut into 1 1/2 inch (4cm) squares and place on 2 parchment lined baking sheets.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  Position one rack in the upper third of an over and one rack in the lower third and preheat to 400'F (200'C).  Brush the tops with the egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.  Bake for about 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and 180 degrees halfway through baking.  Makes 36 slider buns.

Time got away from me once again and I didn't have time to try to make slider buns before it was time to post.  But I hope to soon and will show off my results.

Please visit the participating Babes listed over on the left.  I've seen some preview pictures from some of them and they've got some amazing buns (hee!)

 If you'd like to be a Buddy,  please make the bread and post about it by July 29th.  Send mt a link at iliketocook AT shaw DOT ca.

Sorry I've been so absent and things are kind of not interesting around here.  I'm working hard on getting myself out of this funk.  Keep your fingers crossed for me please.

Peace!

At the top of my wish list

My God, I would LOVE to try one of these. Do you think it really works?

It would be SO MUCh fun to buy some of these TV products and really test them out in the kitchen.....anyone want to be the sponsor?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/sBff/~3/0px300_BS3M/miso-maple-glazed-salmon-canadian.html

While Canadian Japanese fusion cuisine may not actually be the most popular dining trend right now, this tasty combination of cultures suggests maybe we should explore this further. The salty and very savory miso paste is a perfect match for the sweet Canadian sap. The rice vinegar marries the two, and a few drops of hot sauce are all you need to complete this incredibly easy, yet sophisticated preparation.

Cooking fish this way is virtually foolproof, and will take less than 15 minutes start to finish. As you'll see, by searing the fish briefly in the pan before going under the broiler, the filets will cook much faster and more evenly. This is the perfect recipe for beginners to get over their fear of cooking fish, and will work with a wide array of seafood.

Below you'll note that I'm encouraging you to taste and adjust the ingredient ratios. Keep in mind that the glaze should taste fairly intense, since you are counting on such a thin layer on the surface to flavor the whole filet. This is one of those things that doesn't necessarily taste great by itself, but once caramelized on the salmon, really is amazing.

By the way, just because my maple syrup was from Canada doesn't mean you can't substitute something from New England. Japanese-New English fusion cuisine is very similar. Enjoy!

For the glaze (make enough for 1 large rounded tablespoon per piece of fish):

1 part yellow miso paste

1 part seasoned rice vinegar

1 part real maple syrup

hot sauce to taste

*you should taste and adjust these proportions to your liking

SuperFoods for Babies and Children

If you have a kid, you gotta feed them. It can be stressful when you begin introducing solid food into your babies diet, worrying that you're choosing the right foods at the right time.

A great resource for starting out, or adding more variety to your child's diet is SuperFoods for Babies and Children, by Annabel Karmel.

SuperFoods covers nutrition from 6 months to 3+ years. And what is great about this book, among other things, is it holds the belief (as I do) that children shouldn't be fed separate meals from their parents, that everyone can and should eat the same things. Things like more fruits and vegetables and less foods that come out of cans. Annabel discusses Superfoods, foods by color categories (Red, Green, White, etc), and the ingredients of a proper diet. But this book isn't boring or preachy. The information is well laid out and informative.

So far we've made 4 dishes from the book, out of the 1-2 Years chapter:

Easy Salmon Croquettes (pg 106)

This one was for Scott and Paxton as I don't like salmon. It uses a can of salmon and was incredibly easy to make (4 ingredients) and they both loved it. Scott said it would really only be as good as your salmon is, so use as good a quality as you can afford.

Oven Fried Root Vegetables (pg 107)

My favorite of the 4. Roasted potatos, yams and carrots with a dip of cream cheese and ketchup and green onions. I must admit I didn't think the dip would be very good but it was. A good way to sneak in some extra calcium.

Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce (pg 102)

Meatballs made with ground beef, onion and apple in a sauce with tomatos, bell peppers and a bit of sugar. A little finicky to make, but delicious.

Cheese and Zucchini Sausages (pg 100)

Meatless sausages made with cheese and zucchini and bread. You definitely want to make these ahead and chill them in the fridge so they hold together during cooking. Paxton really liked these alot, all 3 of us did.

My one quibble with this book has to do with the last 2 recipes above; both used bread or bread crumbs, and both recipes called for white bread or bread crumbs. I found this a little surprising in a book about eating well and teaching children good nutritional habits. I used whole wheat bread and crumbs in both recipes. I don't know. Why wouldn't you?

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with a small child. We all gotta eat and it might as well be good, fun healthy food, right?

Thanks, Simon and Schuster!

Go West! Wai‘anae, Oahu

No matter how many times you have been to Oahu, it's quite likely you have never been very far West of Honolulu, to Wai'anae. It's not the easiest part of the island to farm because it's hot and dry, but it is where you will find some very inspiring people working hard to achieve sustainability for the land, for the food system, and for the benefit of everyone.

Eighty five percent of food in Hawaii is imported and Monsanto is now using some of the old plantations to produce genetically modified seeds. If anyone can turn the tide and bring back a more sustainable way of life, a way of life the people of Hawaii once enjoyed, it's the farmers and ranchers of Ma'o Farms, Kahumana Farms and Naked Cow Dairy. Seeing their work will give you hope for the future. They are all cultivating a deep love and respect for the land that nourishes, called 'aina in the Hawaiian language.


Ma'o Farms is a certified organic farm and education center. Ma'o produces salad greens, row crops, cooking greens, fruits and herbs. It also produces farmers! In a region plagued by homelessness, crime, obesity, drug use and unemployment they are training local young men and women to work on a farm. They are also helping to pay for their college tuition. They are farmers but see themselves as co-producers.

I walked through the fields and nibbled on the greens plucked from the ground, citrus and herbs. Everything tasted tender, sweet and vibrant. Their produce is available at farmers markets and virtually all of the best restaurants in Honolulu.


Like Ma'o Farms, Kahumana Farms also serves multiple purposes. In addition to a biodynamic farm there is a cafe, a retreat and transitional housing for families in need. They are growing all kinds of things including taro and are experimenting with herbs and plants with healing powers.

The food at the cafe is fresh from the farm, reasonably priced and delicious, served with aloha. I had some pasta with wonderful macadamia nut and basil pesto served with a piece of simply prepared fish and a green salad.


Naked Cow Dairy is run by two sisters, Sabrina and Monique, who never intended to be 'cow girls' let alone cheese makers. There used to thirty dairies on the West side of the island, but when the last dairy on the island closed, they saw a need and chose to fill it. Traditionally 95% of all feed was imported, but they are working with local farmers to create silage for the cows. They have twenty Jersey, Holstein and half breeds and have been producing butter for two years, three batches per day. Whole Foods sells their butter, their cheese and yogurt goes to chefs and farmers markets.

The butter is 45-52% butterfat and very similar to European butter. It is some of the sweetest butter I ever tasted, amazingly fresh and clean tasting. Sabrina has a culinary background and has made some uniquely flavored butters including an outstanding toasted coconut version. The sisters are hoping to make feta, cream cheese, havarti maybe cheddar. But mainly, like their farmer neighbors, they are hoping to make a difference.

My thanks to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau for hosting me on this visit

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

Wine of the Week: La Metropole Rouge

It's always good to have a standby wine that will go with virtually everything and La Metropole rouge fits the bill. Sure, the 'ooo-la-la' label isn't going to impress wine snobs but the content - a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Franc from the Roussillon region of southern France - is more than generous for the £4.99 price tag. They suggest drinking it with rich stews such as Lancashire hotpot or boeuf en daube or with simple grilled meats - I'd add stalwarts like sausage and mash, shepherds pie and lasagne. Just the sort of lipsmacking red you need for everyday drinking.
 
Although I wasn't overly impressed by the accompanying La Metropole Blanc when I tasted it back in the spring, it may well have settled by now and at the same price it's worth a punt too. It's a typically southern blend of Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier with a touch of Chardonnay and should work well with robust seafood dishes like grilled prawns with garlic or Spanish-style fish stews.

And while you're in the Co-op you might try a bottle of the Crouzes Old Vine Carignan, which is currently on offer at £4.39. I haven't tried the 2010 vintage but it's a reliable stalwart - a big chunky southern French red that would again work well with dark beefy stews or pies. Or as a base for mulled wine.

What's happened to Beyond Baked Beans?

Some of you may have arrived at this blog looking for my student website beyondbakedbeans.com. I'm sad to say it no longer exists. (See update on my more recent post. There is a happy(ish) ending. It now has a new domain name www.beyondbakedbeans.org.)

Due to my inattention and a mix-up on who should renew the domain name it's expired. Someone else has snapped up the name and is running ads on it. It was never a moneymaker so I can't afford to buy it back. The domain registration site GoDaddy even wants to charge me commission for finding the buyer (surely they know?) and negotiating a sale. On top of a fee. I can't afford to pursue that.

It's a sad day. The site, which was founded at the same time as my first cookbook came out in 2003, has been going for over 8 years, encouraging students to cook and eat healthily. But it's not all bad news.

* There is a Beyond Baked Beans Cooking Page on Facebook which I'll be updating more frequently while I sort out what's to be done

* The books - Beyond Baked Beans, Beyond Baked Beans Green and Beyond Baked Beans Budget are still around and available for next to nothing on Amazon. Plus there's a full-colour illustrated compendium of all the best recipes called The Ultimate Student Cookbook which also contains recipes from three of our ex-students James, Sig and Guy.

* Plans were already in hand to pass the website over to the students of Bath Spa university to give it a comprehensive makeover. I'm sure a better, more interactive site will result.

* And there are plenty of simple, low-cost recipes here on this blog for students or anyone else on a budget.

But it's a useful warning if you have a site of your own - don't ignore reminders about domain name expiries and make sure the credit card you pay with is up to date.

And if you're the person who bought the site, just think about it. The site helped many young people to learn how to cook. It would be nice if you gave it back.

My Picks for SF Cocktail Week

I'm super busy this week trying to get stuff done before heading off on another trip. But if I had more time on my hands, I'd be going to lots of SF Cocktail Week classes, seminars and events. The fifth annual SF Cocktail Week has an extremely impressive line up of events, everything from a how to throw a brunch cocktail party with H. Joseph Ehrmann (who is rightfully famous for his bloody mary) to hand's on classes on gin and rum, a chocolate and scotch pairing seminar, and a molecular gastronomy meets mixology event that sounds like the Exploratorium for adults.

The iconic Anchor Brewing, the site of the opening party, is part of Anchor Distilling, which also includes a portfolio of small batch traditionally distilled spirits. At the party I got a chance to try quite a number of them. Some of my favorites were the Luxardo line of maraschino, limoncello and amaro, Hirsch bourbon and Junipero gin. Keep your eyes open for them!

At the event I made a point to talk to my most cocktail savvy friends about the upcoming events (which range from free to over $100 each) and they helped me put together this list of top picks for SF Cocktail Week:

Intoxicating Ladies
Wednesday, September 21, 8 pm-12 am, at Rye (688 Geary St.)
Top women bartenders will be working only with liquors produced by female distillers, including Distillery No. 209 gin, Square One vodka, Four Roses bourbon, and Calle 23 tequila. Best of all, admission is free; you will only pay for drinks.

The Science of Taste
Thursday, September 22 3-5 p.m. at The Boothby Center for the Beverage Arts (1161 Mission St., Suite 120)
Tickets: $25 in advance; $35 at the door
Hosted by the Cognac Spirit Board, this seminar will explore the scientific aspects of taste and flavor through cocktails curated by LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) that represent the five facets of taste (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami.) Don Katz, a Professor of Neuroscience and Chemosensation at Brandeis University, will speak about the science of taste and flavor. Graham Wright, a chemist currently affiliated with the Museum of Science and bon vivant, will explain how these concepts are applied in the glass.

Barbary Coast Bazaar
Friday, September 23 8-11p.m. at The Old Mint (88 Fifth St., at Mint Plaza)
 $85 regular; $95 at the door
Think 1920's big top atmosphere with music, magic and fresh takes on carnival food from Straw and punchbowl cocktails from Rye, Bourbon & Branch, DOSA and Elixir.

The Legends Awards
Saturday, September 24 from 6:30 p.m to 2 am at Sir Francis Drake ( 450 Powell St at Sutter) $175 regular; $200 at the door
Posh gala 'black tie optional' awards event that includes a reception, dinner and awards hosted by Duggan McDonnell, Borys Saciuk and Reza Esmaili with burleque entertainment provided by the Hot Pink Feathers and Nick Rossi Trio and to top it all off, an after party. Local favorite bartenders presenting cocktails include Jackie Patterson and Brooke Arthur (Wo Hing General Store) Jonny Raglin (Comstock Saloon) H. Joseph Ehrmann (Elixir) Marco Dionysos (Smuggler's Cove) and Ryan Fitzgerald (Beretta).

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION! ©2011 Cooking with Amy. All rights reserved. This material may NOT be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. If you are reading this post somewhere other than Cooking with Amy, the Oyster Local blog or Gather.com, then the site where you found this post is illegally publishing copyrighted material.

MIXED FRUITS AND VEGETABLE SALAD WITH SPROUTS

I wanted to make a simple , healthy salad with sprouts, mixed vegetables and fruits for a long time. I googled so many basic salad recipes and came out with my version.Here i used grated beetroot .So the color of beetroot dominates here. Otherwise it would be a colorful salad to attract ur kids. Make ur choice of adding or omitting the veggies and fruits given in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

For 1 person

Sprouted green gram - 1 handful Carrot - 1 no(grated) Beetroot - 1/2 no ( grated) (optional) Big onion - 1/2 no (chop finely) Cabbage - Few leaves ( chop finely) Pomegranate - 1 handful Guava - 1/2 no ( Chop into squares) Coriander leaves - A few Lime juice  - Few drops Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - As needed

METHOD

• Take a wide bowl and mix all the ingredients given above. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice. Mix well and serve !!

Variations

1. Add two pinches of chat masala to the above recipe to give a nice flavor. But adjust the salt as chat masala contains salt.
2. U can also add chopped tomato pieces and cucumber pieces when u want to serve instantly otherwise the salad may become watery. 
3. I usually pack the above salad for my hubby's lunch box without tomato and cucumber.