Mmmm Pretzels!

I absolutely love soft pretzels. Last night while reading my food blogs, I came across this recipe, and literally went straight to the kitchen to make them. The recipe is below, slightly altered to match my particular way of working.

Perfect Pretzels

1 cup milk
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon fine salt

1/3 cup baking soda dissolved in 3 cups water

Additional butter for basting (2-3 tbsp)
Kosher salt or grated parmesan for topping

Warm the milk to about 110°(1) then add the yeast to proof. Once the yeast is bubbly, put it in the stand mixer and stir in the brown sugar and the first cup of flour. Once that is worked in, add the butter, and salt, then work in the remaining flour in two batches. Once the flour is all incorporated, lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out. Knead in just enough additional flour to make the dough into a smooth, slightly sticky ball. Place into a buttered bowl and set in a warm place to rise for one hour.

Once the dough has doubled in bulk, Preheat the oven to 450°. Punch the dough down then divide it into six parts. Roll each part into a rope about 30" long, and shape into pretzel shape.

Dissolve the baking soda in the water in a wide bowl. If using salt or cheese topping, put the topping on a plate in a thin layer. Submerge each pretzel in the baking soda bath then shake off the excess. If using topping, lay the pretzel on the topping and press down to coat, then place on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they have a nice dark brown color.

While the pretzels are baking, melt another 2-3 tablespoons of butter. When the pretzels come out, baste each one with butter then set aside to cool. 

We devoured the entire batch, so today I made more. They are that good.

---

(1) From the refrigerator, 80-90 seconds in the microwave does the trick nicely

Practice makes perfect, and makes dinner, too!

Tonight I decided to throw a few things together while trying out some new techniques. First, I've been working to master the art of cheese sauce. My previous attempts have not been successes: first, my bechamel failed; then, once I had a good bechamel, once I added the cheese I got a grainy goo. Fortunately, our local Whole Foods happens to have a wonderful cheese specialist who gave me a key fact: cheddar, on its own, is not suited for sauces. It tends to clump and turn grainy even in the best base. To make a good sauce, you have to mix the cheddar with a better melting cheese. She recommended Italian fontal in an equal ratio with the cheddar. With that in mind, I got a lovely, smooth sauce. Now that I have that worked out, next I will work on different flavors with different cheese blends.

Cheese sauce (Cheddar/Fontal)

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1 cup whole milk, cold

4 oz cheddar, shredded

4 oz fontal, shredded

Shred and blend the two cheeses so that they are evenly mixed and set aside.(1)

Heat a heavy saucepan on medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pan. Once the bubbles have stopped, add the flour and stir. Continue stirring while the roux cooks for 4-5 minutes.  Add the milk and continue stirring for another 5-10 minutes to thicken the bechamel. Do not let the milk start to boil, and keep stirring to prevent burning on the bottom. Once the sauce starts to thicken, remove from the heat and begin adding the cheese a little at a time. Allow each addition to melt and completely incorporate before adding the next. If the sauce cools too much, put back on medium heat for a bit, but take off the heat again before adding more cheese.

The second new technique I wanted to practice was "baked" rice. According to one site I read, cooking rice in the oven rather than the stovetop produces more predictable and better results. My theory is that the oven provides more even heating (rather than all the heat coming from the bottom of the pot). As a side bonus, the pot was easier to clean, too! I usually have at least a little rice stuck/burned on the bottom but not this time. And the rice was well cooked, just a little sticky, and full-flavored. For this batch, I added some onion and garlic, and next time I think I'll try putting some spices in as well.

Oven cooked rice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups white rice

3 cups water

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°

Heat an oven safe pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the hot pot and turn the pot to coat the bottom. Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes to coat the rice in oil and toast lightly. Add the onion and garlic, then all the water. Once it comes to a boil, stir once then put the lid on the pot and put into the oven. Cook for 13 minutes, then remove the pot from the oven and set it aside for another 5 minutes before removing the lid. Fluff and serve.

As I said, this worked like a charm. The water was completely absorbed, the rice was perfect, and clean up was a breeze!

To go with my rice and cheese sauce, I decided to brown some ground beef and stir up a casserole.

Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole

1/2 pound ground beef, with cumin and chili powder to taste

1/2 cup pureed black beans (2)

2 cups cooked rice

3/4 to 1 cup cheese sauce

1-2 oz shredded cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook the ground beef and drain the fat. Stir the meat and rice together, then add the beans and cheese sauce and combine thoroughly. Place in an oven safe casserole dish or pot and top with the shredded cheese. Bake to heat through(3) then turn on the broiler for 3 minutes to get the top bubbly.

Yum! We were both pretty hungry, so Dorothy and I ate the whole dish between us for dinner. As part of a larger meal (or if we had eaten more at lunch) this might have been three servings.
________________________________________

(1) Mixing the cheeses evenly is key. According to Jeaneane (Cheesemonger extraordinaire), this is the way to make sure that the clumping qualities of the cheddar are properly diluted and get a smooth sauce.
(2) Last night was burrito night; for black bean burritos I drain a 15oz can of beans and run them through my food processor with a bit of chili powder and cumin. This is every bit as good as any "refried" beans I've ever had, and doesn't have the added fat of refritos .
(3) In my case, the rice and cheese sauce were still warm from having just been cooked, so it only took 5 minutes to heat the casserole through. If your rice or cheese don't start out warm, you'll need to allow more time to heat it up.

Soup is good food!

As I was driving home in the dark, dreary, cold rain, I pondered (as I am wont to do in such times) dinner. It occurred to me that this was such a day as my dear wife would enjoy soup. Soup! Just the thing to warm the body and the spirit! But what sort of soup? Again, my thoughts turned to my dear wife, who happens to be partial to potato soup in its various forms. And lo! There are potatoes in my pantry!

I consulted the Interwebz, and was provided with a number of recipes, this one using cream, this other milk, and still another calling for a white roux. The potatoes should be red, and boiled; no, they must be baked russets!

So with a staggering variety of options, I decided to blaze my own trail. The result was quite yummy, and well received by the aforementioned dear wife.  Yay!

Potato Soup
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
water to cover
1/2 cup milk
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 strips of bacon. cooked and crumbled

Put the potatoes, onion, and garlic in a soup pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer until the potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes). With the heat on low, add the milk and stir to begin breaking up the potato cubes. Add about half of the cheese a little at a time, stirring each addition until it is fully melted and incorporated. Serve in soup bowls topped with additional cheese and bacon.

YUM!

Did someone say "Dessert"?

I just spent three days in Gamer Geek heaven: BoardGameGeekCon, put on right here in DFW by the good folks at BoardGameGeek. This annual event always scores  three of my vacation days, and while it is loads of fun, it also means three days where I don't really see my lovely wife and amazing child, as I come home after they are in bed and either sleep in until after they leave for work and school, or get my sorry butt out of bed and back into the fray early. Either way, they graciously allow me to be absent for a long weekend, for which I am quite grateful.

So grateful, in fact, that I made sure to make time on Sunday to bake for Dorothy's office "Dessert Buffet", with plenty left over to keep for the Big Feast coming up this week (at least, I hope they'll last that long ...). I made two items for her to take along: one family recipe for which I have become well known among my friends, and one I found at the awesome Buns In My Oven blog.

I'm strong to the finich, cuz I eats me spinach!

... but not that nasty, slimy stuff you get in a can. I suspect that eating that stuff is how Popeye's eye got that way.

No, the way to eat spinach is fresh, and combined with things to help the texture and provide a flavor contrast. Spanakopita is one favorite way, but I just learned a new one. Wil Wheaton made a comment about a spinach wrap from Trader Joe's and linked a recipe; this is my version of that:

Simple Elegance

Driving home from work, I was considering the various leftover options I had for dinner, and none of them really appealed to me. I mentally worked my way around the refrigerator, and noticed the buttermilk. Pancakes! But that's a big load of carbs; for dinner I want something to go with it ... how about eggs? But how ... scrambled? Over easy? Some sort of omelette?

Then it hit me ... let's step it up a bit, go for something a little more elegant than just "eggs and pancakes". So I give you, "Oeufs al'Antoine":

Buttermilk Pancakes
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp butter, melted

Stir the dry ingredients together in one bowl, and the wet in another. Pour the wet onto the dry and stir just enough to bring together. There will be lumps, but that's ok. As Alton always says, "Just walk away." Let the batter rest while your griddle warms up to 350°, then use a 1 oz disher to scoop batter out. Cook the first side until you see bubbles popping on top of the batter, and the edges start to dry. Flip once and cook the other side. Store in a cool oven on a plate or cookie sheet with a towel over the top while you finish cooking the whole batch.

Once the pancakes are all cooked, heat a nonstick skillet with a tight fitting lid over medium to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, give it a light coating of butter or oil. Depending on the skillet size, crack one or two eggs, doing your best to center the yolks. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on top of the eggs and cover with the lid. In about two minutes or so (depending on the heat) the tops of the eggs should be set. Slide an egg onto each pancake and top with fresh parmesan.

Bon appetit!

Come on down to Tony's Diner!

We're cooking up burgers today! Not just any burgers, but good old fashioned roadhouse "sliders" on fresh baked potato rolls!

To start with, we need the rolls. Good bread takes time, but even so this recipe isn't all that intensive. Mostly it just needs time to rise:

1 pkg (1/4 oz) yeast
1 1/2 cup warm potato water(1)
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup potatoes, mashed(2)
4-5 cups all purpose flour

In the bowl of your stand mixer, proof the yeast in 1/2 cup of the potato water with 1 tbsp of the sugar. Once the yeast is foamy, add the remaining water, sugar, salt, and butter, and beat until well mixed. Add the potatoes and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next. At around 3 or 3 1/2 cups, the dough will be thick enough to switch to a dough hook if you have one. Continue adding 1/2 cup of flour at a time until the dough is pulling away from the bowl. Depending on the humidity, this should be at about 4 or 4 1/2 cups.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until you have a smooth, satiny dough. You may have to add up to another 1/2 cup of flour. Once it is smooth, form into a ball and place into a buttered bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.(3)

When you are ready to continue, take the dough out and punch it down, then let it rest for 10 minutes. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish with baking spray or butter.

To prepare the rolls, place the dough onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into equal sized portions and arrange those portions into your baking dish.(4) Place in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk.(5)

Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes until golden brown.

Once these babies are in the oven, we start preparing the meat. We're doing regular hamburgers as well as grilled chicken, portioned out to fit nicely on the rolls.

Following Alton Brown's instructions from his "Man Food Show" episode, we roll a pound of ground chuck out nice and thin (using a sheet pan, or just eyeballing the size and shape). We sprinkle the top with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and onion and garlic powder, then fold the meat over longways, pat it together, and cut into eight squares with a pizza cutter. Finally we put them on a 350° griddle for 3-4 minutes on a side.

For the grilled chicken burgers, we take a split chicken breast and cut each side into three pieces. The thicker portions get flattened out a bit by folding a piece of waxed paper over each piece, then hitting them with a rolling pin a few times. With a bit of olive oil on the griddle we cook them like the burgers, 4 minutes on a side at 350°.

Each burger is served with a bit of your favorite sauce (mayo is mine), some grilled onions, and a slice of cheese. They're small but packed with flavor! Come on down and order yours now!

__________________

(1) This is the water you cooked the potatoes in.  Since I do a lot of potato bread, I'll boil up five or six potatoes at a time, then portion both the potatoes and the water into baggies (1 cup of potato or water in each) and freeze them so I can get out just as much as I need at baking time.

(2) Don't add any salt or butter. This isn't a side dish, it's an ingredient.

(3) Potato bread is a wondrous thing. It does its first rise in the refrigerator, and you can let this go until the next day, allowing you to prep the dough the day before a big dinner. The next day you just get it out, let it warm up, and pop it in the oven.

(4) For the sliders, I went with 16 fairly large rolls by cutting the dough into halves four times. You could also do 24 more dinner-roll sized rolls by cutting the dough first into thirds, then cutting those into halves three more times.

(5) If you refrigerated for the minimum 2 hours, the second rise should take 40 minutes to an hour. If you refrigerate longer, the rise will take longer as the dough has to warm up, so allow enough time and watch the volume of the rolls. I find it helps to put the oven on "warm" (about 170°) for about 5-10 minutes to create a good rising spot. I cover the pan with a towel a spritz a tiny bit of water onto the towel to keep the top of the dough moist but not wet.