The Root of the Matter--Discovering the History of Alfredo Sauce and Learning the Flavor of Parsnips
11/01/09: Fettuccine Alfredo with Garlic Bread and Pan Fried Parsnips
Meal details: For the main dish I made Fettuccine Alfredo, a simple pasta dish that has only three ingredients--pasta, Parmesan cheese, and butter. For a side dish I pan fried some parsnips. And I baked a loaf of store-bought garlic bread.
Defining moments: First time making an Alfredo sauce from scratch, I've only done a similar sauce from a Hamburger Helper box!
Recipe sources: The pasta dish came from this site. The parsnips were prepared in a similar way that was dictated by a customer who stopped at my family's fruit and vegetable market. Here is a short recipe for the parsnips:
Pan Fried Parsnips in Butter
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
Place parsnips in a pot on a medium-high burner. Add water and cover. Let parsnips cook until they are fork tender. Add butter and salt and fry parsnips for 8 minutes with the lid off.
I decided not to do a dish for the Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the I Blame My Mother blog. (Read more about it here.) It is because I wanted to make something really easy and not spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen this week. But do not fear! I have already selected next week's recipe from Brian Boitano, so be expecting that soon.
What I learned: I learned a lot about Alfredo sauce this week, a lot of things I didn't expect. When I was searching for a recipe for this type of sauce I find all sorts of different versions. Some included cream, others cream cheese. I then discovered that these recipes are far from being authentic Alfredo sauce, for the true sauce has only three ingredients: pasta, Parmesan cheese, and butter.
So where does this recipe come from and what does "Alfredo" translate as?
Alfredo is actually a name of a chef (Alfredo di Lelio is his full name) who lived in this past century. He owned a restaurant in Rome called Pasta Alfredo and his recipe, Fettuccine Al'Burro (which means Fettuccine with double butter), was born there. He didn't make it for his restaurant, though, actually he came up with the simple pasta dish for his wife. She had a lost of appetite during her pregnancy so he wanted to make a healthy, nutritious dish for her and win back her appetite.
The pasta dish gained real popularity when movie stars--such as Elizabeth Taylor, Tyrone Powers, and Ava Gardner--stopped by his restaurant and were photographed eating their fettuccine with Pasta Alfredo's famous golden forks.
OK, enough with the history lesson. Did I learn anything about the parsnips? Yes, I learned that they are strong in flavor and taste like a carrot with a bit of celery. My parsnips weren't as tender as I wanted them to be. I think they would have been softer if I allowed them to cook longer in the pot with the lid on to sort of braise them. I really need to test them with a fork.
Any modifications? Yes, I made some ingredient adjustments to the Alfredo recipe. The recipe from the website has a 1:1 ratio for the cheese and butter. I made a little batch of sauce following this ratio and I thought it was way too buttery! I couldn't really taste the cheese. So my amounts were: 3 cups Parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups butter. And that was enough sauce to coat 2 pounds of pasta. These new amounts worked perfectly together.
How it tasted? It was a simple pasta dish but very satisfying. It is very easy to make, too, as you can well imagine! The parsnips were good, but I would have enjoyed them more if they were more tender. And I thought they needed a bit of pepper. I think roasting them will be a very good method to try.
How about a 2nd time? For the Alfredo sauce, yes. For the parsnips, yes, but only if I make the alterations that I stated above.
Meal details: For the main dish I made Fettuccine Alfredo, a simple pasta dish that has only three ingredients--pasta, Parmesan cheese, and butter. For a side dish I pan fried some parsnips. And I baked a loaf of store-bought garlic bread.
Defining moments: First time making an Alfredo sauce from scratch, I've only done a similar sauce from a Hamburger Helper box!
Recipe sources: The pasta dish came from this site. The parsnips were prepared in a similar way that was dictated by a customer who stopped at my family's fruit and vegetable market. Here is a short recipe for the parsnips:
Pan Fried Parsnips in Butter
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick coins
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
Place parsnips in a pot on a medium-high burner. Add water and cover. Let parsnips cook until they are fork tender. Add butter and salt and fry parsnips for 8 minutes with the lid off.
I decided not to do a dish for the Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge that is being hosted by the I Blame My Mother blog. (Read more about it here.) It is because I wanted to make something really easy and not spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen this week. But do not fear! I have already selected next week's recipe from Brian Boitano, so be expecting that soon.
What I learned: I learned a lot about Alfredo sauce this week, a lot of things I didn't expect. When I was searching for a recipe for this type of sauce I find all sorts of different versions. Some included cream, others cream cheese. I then discovered that these recipes are far from being authentic Alfredo sauce, for the true sauce has only three ingredients: pasta, Parmesan cheese, and butter.
So where does this recipe come from and what does "Alfredo" translate as?
Alfredo is actually a name of a chef (Alfredo di Lelio is his full name) who lived in this past century. He owned a restaurant in Rome called Pasta Alfredo and his recipe, Fettuccine Al'Burro (which means Fettuccine with double butter), was born there. He didn't make it for his restaurant, though, actually he came up with the simple pasta dish for his wife. She had a lost of appetite during her pregnancy so he wanted to make a healthy, nutritious dish for her and win back her appetite.
The pasta dish gained real popularity when movie stars--such as Elizabeth Taylor, Tyrone Powers, and Ava Gardner--stopped by his restaurant and were photographed eating their fettuccine with Pasta Alfredo's famous golden forks.
OK, enough with the history lesson. Did I learn anything about the parsnips? Yes, I learned that they are strong in flavor and taste like a carrot with a bit of celery. My parsnips weren't as tender as I wanted them to be. I think they would have been softer if I allowed them to cook longer in the pot with the lid on to sort of braise them. I really need to test them with a fork.
Any modifications? Yes, I made some ingredient adjustments to the Alfredo recipe. The recipe from the website has a 1:1 ratio for the cheese and butter. I made a little batch of sauce following this ratio and I thought it was way too buttery! I couldn't really taste the cheese. So my amounts were: 3 cups Parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups butter. And that was enough sauce to coat 2 pounds of pasta. These new amounts worked perfectly together.
How it tasted? It was a simple pasta dish but very satisfying. It is very easy to make, too, as you can well imagine! The parsnips were good, but I would have enjoyed them more if they were more tender. And I thought they needed a bit of pepper. I think roasting them will be a very good method to try.
How about a 2nd time? For the Alfredo sauce, yes. For the parsnips, yes, but only if I make the alterations that I stated above.
The photos of my dishes were accidentally deleted from the camera so they didn't make it to the blog this time. :( But do not fret you photo addicts, here are two shots of the parsnips my family freshly dug from our parsnip patch:
What Happens During the Weekdays
Besides cooking a meal every Sunday afternoon I spend my spare time crafting. That is, sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, watercolor, and rosary making, among other things. So last week I was hard at work quilting five pairs of potholders for a birthday present for Annemarie. You wouldn't believe how much we were in need of some new ones!
So take a look at my work by visiting my crafting blog called St. Gemma's Art and Needlework: www.artandneedlework.blogspot.com.
So take a look at my work by visiting my crafting blog called St. Gemma's Art and Needlework: www.artandneedlework.blogspot.com.
The Vegetable with a Funny Name
10/25/09: Chicken Spaghetti and Roasted Rutabaga
Meal Details: For the main course I made a casserole type dish called Chicken Spaghetti and for a side dish I roasted some rutabagas (say what?) in the oven seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper.
Defining moments: First time I have prepared or eaten rutabaga. To tell you the truth, this was actually the first time for rutabaga for most of my family. This is also the first time I used Celtop, an herb that has the flavor of celery.
Recipe sources: The Chicken Spaghetti came from the Sept/Oct 09 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen. I chose this recipe because I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. (Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page.) The next Food Network chef for me this week was actually Bobby and Jamie Deen, but because I couldn't find a good recipe from their archive I chose to do one of their mother's. You can find the recipe all typed up for you, here on this blog.
And the rutabaga? I didn't have to use a recipe for the rutabaga. I just treated them like I would potatoes. Here is a quick recipe for the rutabagas for future reference:
Roasted Rutabagas
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
4 medium sized rutabagas, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp ground pepper
3 tbsp salt
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place all ingredients into bowl and mix well. Dump seasoned rutabaga on cookie sheet and place in hot oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender.
What I learned: You know what? I can't really think of anything that was learned this week. Gosh. All the cooking techniques seemed familiar to me. I guess the only thing I learned was the flavor of rutabaga.
Any modifications? Yes. I adjusted some ingredient amounts and I omitted some. Here is my list of ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tbsp chopped celtop (since I didn't have celery, I used celtop)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can of cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 oz) can of cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz) jar of taco sauce (not canned tomatoes with chilies)
1 (6 oz) can of black olives, drained and chopped
No mushrooms
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/4 cups of chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 pounds of spaghetti noodles (not angel hair pasta)
1 1/8 cups of Italian bread crumbs (not Panko bread crumbs)
1 tbsp melted butter
Yield: both the big and small casserole dishes. Only the large casserole dish was eaten Sunday evening. Had the small dish and leftover spaghetti Monday evening.
How it tasted? The Chicken Spaghetti was creamy, cheesy, and had lots of wonderful flavor. Very good, I am glad I spotted this recipe in Mrs. Deen's magazine.
The rutabagas were also surprisingly good as well. They had the taste and texture of a potato with some turnip flavor. A very tasty vegetable.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, both dishes will find their way to the table.
Here is a closeup of a sprig of Celtop. Very flavorful herb!
These are rutabagas. They resemble turnips a lot, but as I found out this Sunday, they don't quite match them in flavor.
Meal Details: For the main course I made a casserole type dish called Chicken Spaghetti and for a side dish I roasted some rutabagas (say what?) in the oven seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper.
Defining moments: First time I have prepared or eaten rutabaga. To tell you the truth, this was actually the first time for rutabaga for most of my family. This is also the first time I used Celtop, an herb that has the flavor of celery.
Recipe sources: The Chicken Spaghetti came from the Sept/Oct 09 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen. I chose this recipe because I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. (Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page.) The next Food Network chef for me this week was actually Bobby and Jamie Deen, but because I couldn't find a good recipe from their archive I chose to do one of their mother's. You can find the recipe all typed up for you, here on this blog.
And the rutabaga? I didn't have to use a recipe for the rutabaga. I just treated them like I would potatoes. Here is a quick recipe for the rutabagas for future reference:
Roasted Rutabagas
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
4 medium sized rutabagas, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp ground pepper
3 tbsp salt
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place all ingredients into bowl and mix well. Dump seasoned rutabaga on cookie sheet and place in hot oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until fork tender.
What I learned: You know what? I can't really think of anything that was learned this week. Gosh. All the cooking techniques seemed familiar to me. I guess the only thing I learned was the flavor of rutabaga.
Any modifications? Yes. I adjusted some ingredient amounts and I omitted some. Here is my list of ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tbsp chopped celtop (since I didn't have celery, I used celtop)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can of cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 oz) can of cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz) jar of taco sauce (not canned tomatoes with chilies)
1 (6 oz) can of black olives, drained and chopped
No mushrooms
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/4 cups of chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 pounds of spaghetti noodles (not angel hair pasta)
1 1/8 cups of Italian bread crumbs (not Panko bread crumbs)
1 tbsp melted butter
Yield: both the big and small casserole dishes. Only the large casserole dish was eaten Sunday evening. Had the small dish and leftover spaghetti Monday evening.
How it tasted? The Chicken Spaghetti was creamy, cheesy, and had lots of wonderful flavor. Very good, I am glad I spotted this recipe in Mrs. Deen's magazine.
The rutabagas were also surprisingly good as well. They had the taste and texture of a potato with some turnip flavor. A very tasty vegetable.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, both dishes will find their way to the table.
Here is a closeup of a sprig of Celtop. Very flavorful herb!
These are rutabagas. They resemble turnips a lot, but as I found out this Sunday, they don't quite match them in flavor.
A Food Network Feast
10/18/09: Super Sloppy Joes and Oat Cake with Warm Blueberry-Lemon Sauce
Meal Details: For the main course I made homemade Sloppy Joes and for dessert I made an oat cake served with a warm blueberry sauce.
Defining moments: I've done these Sloppy Joes before and the oat cake didn't hold any surprises. So no momentous occasion for this week.
Recipe sources: The Super Sloppy Joes is a Rachael Ray recipe and the Oat Cake is a recipe created by Bobby Flay. The blueberry sauce is a Tyler Florence recipe. Gosh, lots of Food Network chefs this week! Lol! To see my first attempt with the Sloppy Joes see my previous post here. I specifically chose the Oat Cake by Bobby Flay because I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page. I know, I know, why on earth did I choose a baked item from Bobby Flay? He said on many occasions that his talents do not lie in the realm of baking. Well, to simply put it: I couldn't find anything in his Food Network recipe archive! His cuisine just doesn't match my family's. Sorry Chef!
What I learned: I learned as soon as I mentioned making Sloppy Joes again that Annemarie and Papa really liked the last Sloppy Joes I made. I mean really liked. I was glad to find that one out!
Any modifications: I did adjust some of the ingredient amounts for the Sloppy Joes so I will write out my ingredient list here for next time. And if Annemarie or Papa have a say in it, I think that next time will be very soon. :)
4 pounds ground beef
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground pepper
4 medium onions
3 medium bell peppers
4 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
32 oz. (1 quart) of tomato sauce; I used our homemade tomato puree
12 oz. of tomato paste, optional (if you omit the paste, your mixture will just not be as thick, which isn't always a bad thing)
How it tasted? The Sloppy Joes were wonderful once again! And I think Bobby Flay has redeemed himself with the Oat Cake. He may have lost the Wedding Cake Throwdown but he's a winner here. The Oat Cake has the texture of Pumpkin Squares with a wonderful oatmeal cookie flavor. My brother mentioned that cream cheese frosting would be great with this dessert.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, for both recipes.
Meal Details: For the main course I made homemade Sloppy Joes and for dessert I made an oat cake served with a warm blueberry sauce.
Defining moments: I've done these Sloppy Joes before and the oat cake didn't hold any surprises. So no momentous occasion for this week.
Recipe sources: The Super Sloppy Joes is a Rachael Ray recipe and the Oat Cake is a recipe created by Bobby Flay. The blueberry sauce is a Tyler Florence recipe. Gosh, lots of Food Network chefs this week! Lol! To see my first attempt with the Sloppy Joes see my previous post here. I specifically chose the Oat Cake by Bobby Flay because I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page. I know, I know, why on earth did I choose a baked item from Bobby Flay? He said on many occasions that his talents do not lie in the realm of baking. Well, to simply put it: I couldn't find anything in his Food Network recipe archive! His cuisine just doesn't match my family's. Sorry Chef!
What I learned: I learned as soon as I mentioned making Sloppy Joes again that Annemarie and Papa really liked the last Sloppy Joes I made. I mean really liked. I was glad to find that one out!
Any modifications: I did adjust some of the ingredient amounts for the Sloppy Joes so I will write out my ingredient list here for next time. And if Annemarie or Papa have a say in it, I think that next time will be very soon. :)
4 pounds ground beef
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground pepper
4 medium onions
3 medium bell peppers
4 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
32 oz. (1 quart) of tomato sauce; I used our homemade tomato puree
12 oz. of tomato paste, optional (if you omit the paste, your mixture will just not be as thick, which isn't always a bad thing)
How it tasted? The Sloppy Joes were wonderful once again! And I think Bobby Flay has redeemed himself with the Oat Cake. He may have lost the Wedding Cake Throwdown but he's a winner here. The Oat Cake has the texture of Pumpkin Squares with a wonderful oatmeal cookie flavor. My brother mentioned that cream cheese frosting would be great with this dessert.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, for both recipes.
Freezing Carrots and Beets
10/16/09: Freezing Carrots and Beets
The first time in a very long time we had good crops of carrots and beets. So much so that we had even enough to sell! :) Since carrots are so good in just about everything and my two youngest sisters are beet fiends, I decided we need some during the long winter months.
So this is how the carrot preparation went:
I peeled and chopped the carrots into bite size pieces (something like 1" cubes), I poured them into a 6 quart pot of boiling water with a colander inside, waited until they came to a boil, had them boil for three minutes, lifted the colander and slid the carrots into a bowl of cold water that had a strainer inserted. Once they were cool I placed them in freezer bags.
I also did whole carrots. I chose carrots that were on the smaller side, cut them in half so they could fit in the freezer bags, and did the same procedure as I wrote above only I allowed them to boil for 5 minutes instead of 3. My family likes to place these whole carrots in our spaghetti sauce to add flavor. After they cook for a couple hours in the sauce we remove them and eat the carrots as a side dish.
I also did a few beets. I cut the stem and root off the beet, peel it, chop it into 2 inch pieces, and boil them until they are fork tender. I then place them in freezer bags.
So in the end I froze. . .
4 1/2 quarts of chopped carrots
1 quart whole carrots
1 gallon chopped carrots
2 1/2 quarts chopped beets
To achieve this amount I used about one five gallon bucket of carrots and approximately 1 peck of beets.
The first time in a very long time we had good crops of carrots and beets. So much so that we had even enough to sell! :) Since carrots are so good in just about everything and my two youngest sisters are beet fiends, I decided we need some during the long winter months.
So this is how the carrot preparation went:
I peeled and chopped the carrots into bite size pieces (something like 1" cubes), I poured them into a 6 quart pot of boiling water with a colander inside, waited until they came to a boil, had them boil for three minutes, lifted the colander and slid the carrots into a bowl of cold water that had a strainer inserted. Once they were cool I placed them in freezer bags.
I also did whole carrots. I chose carrots that were on the smaller side, cut them in half so they could fit in the freezer bags, and did the same procedure as I wrote above only I allowed them to boil for 5 minutes instead of 3. My family likes to place these whole carrots in our spaghetti sauce to add flavor. After they cook for a couple hours in the sauce we remove them and eat the carrots as a side dish.
I also did a few beets. I cut the stem and root off the beet, peel it, chop it into 2 inch pieces, and boil them until they are fork tender. I then place them in freezer bags.
So in the end I froze. . .
4 1/2 quarts of chopped carrots
1 quart whole carrots
1 gallon chopped carrots
2 1/2 quarts chopped beets
To achieve this amount I used about one five gallon bucket of carrots and approximately 1 peck of beets.
Falling for the Fall Harvest
10/11/09: Butternut Squash Soup with Herb Roasted Potatoes
Meal Details: The main course consisted of soup made with butternut squash and as a side, I roasted red potatoes and Kennebec potatoes with sage and other flavorings.
Defining moments: This is the first time that a squash soup entered my family's meal lineup and it is the first ever Martha Stewart recipe I did. I never thought in a million years that I would be doing something from Martha!
This is also the first time that we have used Kennebec potatoes and first time to cook with fresh sage.
Recipe sources: The butternut squash soup came from the October 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living. (The original recipe was titled "Roasted Pumpkin Soup" but I substituted the pumpkin with butternut squash.) The Herb Roasted Potatoes came from the Food Network website and was thus chosen for this week because Anne Burrell is the recipe creator. I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page.
What I learned: First and foremost I learned that this soup is probably the least expensive soup you can ever make. With only four medium sized butternut squash you can make FIVE whole quarts of soup. And if you take a look at the recipe ingredient list you can see you don't have to load the shopping cart with many items!
I also learned that there is no need to use an immersion blender to blend the soup, just take out your electric beater and whisk away!
And instead of roasting the squash on a cookie sheet like we usually do I think it is better to use the large roasting tray that is meant for the turkey. It allows for me to quickly toss them so they can bake evenly.
And the potato recipe? I learned that the Kennebec potatoes have a very thin skin and can be easily washed.
Any modifications? Yes, only to the soup recipe. I took out the shiitake mushrooms that were called for and I peeled the squash with a potato peeler before I cubed them. I thought peeling them prior to baking would be a whole lot easier.
How it tasted? Both dishes were warm, rich, and full of flavor. They went exceptionally well together! The squash soup was smooth (it did have an occasional lump here and there but I didn't mind) and bright as a sunset. The potatoes, especially the Kennebec, had wonderful garlic flavor and those that had the sage (I only did half a tray with sage, as a test), were really good, too. The Kennebec are longish in shape so they are perfect for oven fries.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, absolutely. And I would like to pair these two recipes again, since they worked so well together.
Thank you, Anne with an "E", for the great potato recipe!
Meal Details: The main course consisted of soup made with butternut squash and as a side, I roasted red potatoes and Kennebec potatoes with sage and other flavorings.
Defining moments: This is the first time that a squash soup entered my family's meal lineup and it is the first ever Martha Stewart recipe I did. I never thought in a million years that I would be doing something from Martha!
This is also the first time that we have used Kennebec potatoes and first time to cook with fresh sage.
Recipe sources: The butternut squash soup came from the October 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living. (The original recipe was titled "Roasted Pumpkin Soup" but I substituted the pumpkin with butternut squash.) The Herb Roasted Potatoes came from the Food Network website and was thus chosen for this week because Anne Burrell is the recipe creator. I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page.
What I learned: First and foremost I learned that this soup is probably the least expensive soup you can ever make. With only four medium sized butternut squash you can make FIVE whole quarts of soup. And if you take a look at the recipe ingredient list you can see you don't have to load the shopping cart with many items!
I also learned that there is no need to use an immersion blender to blend the soup, just take out your electric beater and whisk away!
And instead of roasting the squash on a cookie sheet like we usually do I think it is better to use the large roasting tray that is meant for the turkey. It allows for me to quickly toss them so they can bake evenly.
And the potato recipe? I learned that the Kennebec potatoes have a very thin skin and can be easily washed.
Any modifications? Yes, only to the soup recipe. I took out the shiitake mushrooms that were called for and I peeled the squash with a potato peeler before I cubed them. I thought peeling them prior to baking would be a whole lot easier.
How it tasted? Both dishes were warm, rich, and full of flavor. They went exceptionally well together! The squash soup was smooth (it did have an occasional lump here and there but I didn't mind) and bright as a sunset. The potatoes, especially the Kennebec, had wonderful garlic flavor and those that had the sage (I only did half a tray with sage, as a test), were really good, too. The Kennebec are longish in shape so they are perfect for oven fries.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, absolutely. And I would like to pair these two recipes again, since they worked so well together.
Thank you, Anne with an "E", for the great potato recipe!
Freezing Tomato Soup
10/06/09: Freezing Tomato Soup
The tomato soup that was made last Sunday was so well liked that my family wanted some frozen so we can enjoy it during the winter months; along with Alton Brown's biscuits of course! I made a very large batch using our stainless steel stock pot--you should have seen the amount of roux I had to make! I used the exact same recipe from the Sunday before but I had to times it by 9.
When everything was done I managed to make 13 quarts of tomato soup.
The tomato soup that was made last Sunday was so well liked that my family wanted some frozen so we can enjoy it during the winter months; along with Alton Brown's biscuits of course! I made a very large batch using our stainless steel stock pot--you should have seen the amount of roux I had to make! I used the exact same recipe from the Sunday before but I had to times it by 9.
When everything was done I managed to make 13 quarts of tomato soup.
Not a Can Opener in Sight
10/04/09: Homemade Tomato Soup with Southern Biscuits
Meal Details: For the main course I made homemade tomato soup and for a side I made southern biscuits. I thought we absolutely needed something for dunking, that's how the biscuits came into the picture!
Defining moments: I made biscuits. Wow! They seem like such an everyday sort of thing, but I feel that baking these biscuits was a monumental achievement! I heard about so many black bottom biscuits before, maybe that was why I was scared to death about trying them out.
Recipe sources: The tomato soup recipe came from allrecipes.com and can be viewed here. The biscuit recipe is from the cooking show Good Eats and was specifically chosen because I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page. You can view the recipe here. And the YouTube video of the original show here.
What I learned: Let me first discuss the tomato soup. At first I was planning on using Roma tomatoes because I thought their meatiness would make for a velvety soup, but I went with the regular slicing instead. I'm glad I did because I later realized that the soup benefits from all the tomato juice and velvety texture is achieved by way of the roux.
Now on to the biscuits! For those who would like to try out Alton Brown's recipe I highly recommend that you look at both the recipe and the YouTube video, because Alton and his grandmother give very helpful tips in the video that are not included in the written format. The following tips are very important: 1) use 1/2 all-purpose flour and 1/2 cake flour, 2) touch the top of each cut-out-biscuit with your finger to prevent the biscuit from forming a dome while baking, 3) preheat oven to 450 degrees F, not 400 like the recipe states, and 4) have the biscuits touch each other when you place them on the baking sheet, but don't have them too close.
And my tips for the biscuits is such: bake them on the Baker's Secret cookie sheet, the biscuits bake splendidly on it. I tried my first batch in a 13x9 Pyrex pan and they didn't rise as high as those on the Baker's Secret.
I don't know if there is any truth behind it but I think if I let the dough sit for a couple minutes (like 10) I think I will get higher biscuits. I say this because when my first batch was baking in the oven I left my dough sit on the counter for that amount of time. So when the second batch came out of the oven they were twice as high as my first. I will have to test my theory when I bake these again.
Any modifications? Actually, no. Quite amazing for me!
How it tasted? Both were exceptional. My whole family said that the soup is better than Campbell's. That's definitely good to hear. And the biscuits were tender, moist, and delicious. I don't quite remember having biscuits before (yeah, weird huh?) so I don't have anything to compare to. But Annemarie said that they were the best biscuits she has ever had. I'm blushing now.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, for both.
Mmm Mmm Good!
Sorry had to do it!
Meal Details: For the main course I made homemade tomato soup and for a side I made southern biscuits. I thought we absolutely needed something for dunking, that's how the biscuits came into the picture!
Defining moments: I made biscuits. Wow! They seem like such an everyday sort of thing, but I feel that baking these biscuits was a monumental achievement! I heard about so many black bottom biscuits before, maybe that was why I was scared to death about trying them out.
Recipe sources: The tomato soup recipe came from allrecipes.com and can be viewed here. The biscuit recipe is from the cooking show Good Eats and was specifically chosen because I am part of the Food Network Challenge that is being hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. Learn more about this fun challenge by visiting this page. You can view the recipe here. And the YouTube video of the original show here.
What I learned: Let me first discuss the tomato soup. At first I was planning on using Roma tomatoes because I thought their meatiness would make for a velvety soup, but I went with the regular slicing instead. I'm glad I did because I later realized that the soup benefits from all the tomato juice and velvety texture is achieved by way of the roux.
Now on to the biscuits! For those who would like to try out Alton Brown's recipe I highly recommend that you look at both the recipe and the YouTube video, because Alton and his grandmother give very helpful tips in the video that are not included in the written format. The following tips are very important: 1) use 1/2 all-purpose flour and 1/2 cake flour, 2) touch the top of each cut-out-biscuit with your finger to prevent the biscuit from forming a dome while baking, 3) preheat oven to 450 degrees F, not 400 like the recipe states, and 4) have the biscuits touch each other when you place them on the baking sheet, but don't have them too close.
And my tips for the biscuits is such: bake them on the Baker's Secret cookie sheet, the biscuits bake splendidly on it. I tried my first batch in a 13x9 Pyrex pan and they didn't rise as high as those on the Baker's Secret.
I don't know if there is any truth behind it but I think if I let the dough sit for a couple minutes (like 10) I think I will get higher biscuits. I say this because when my first batch was baking in the oven I left my dough sit on the counter for that amount of time. So when the second batch came out of the oven they were twice as high as my first. I will have to test my theory when I bake these again.
Any modifications? Actually, no. Quite amazing for me!
How it tasted? Both were exceptional. My whole family said that the soup is better than Campbell's. That's definitely good to hear. And the biscuits were tender, moist, and delicious. I don't quite remember having biscuits before (yeah, weird huh?) so I don't have anything to compare to. But Annemarie said that they were the best biscuits she has ever had. I'm blushing now.
How about a 2nd time? Yes, for both.
Mmm Mmm Good!
Sorry had to do it!
I'm in a Sweet Pickle
9/29/09: Canning Sweet Pickle Relish
The day after I did the tomato puree with the pressure canner, I canned some sweet pickle relish. My family uses this relish on hot dogs mostly, but I love to add it to a ham sandwich every now and then!
The recipe came from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, like the one seen here. I have the 2005 edition. I did four times the recipe. . . Well, sort of. I did kind of change some amounts (like the sugar) so I'll state my version of the recipe here:
4 quarts cucumbers OR pickles (ground, using the food processor)
2 quarts onions
2 quarts bell peppers
1 cup salt
4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons celery seed
4 tablespoons mustard seed
2 quarts apple cider vinegar, with 5% acidity.
Combine cucumbers, onions, peppers, in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand 2 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
I made about 14 and 2/3 pints.
And here is a pic of the relish used in a very natural setting.
The day after I did the tomato puree with the pressure canner, I canned some sweet pickle relish. My family uses this relish on hot dogs mostly, but I love to add it to a ham sandwich every now and then!
The recipe came from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, like the one seen here. I have the 2005 edition. I did four times the recipe. . . Well, sort of. I did kind of change some amounts (like the sugar) so I'll state my version of the recipe here:
4 quarts cucumbers OR pickles (ground, using the food processor)
2 quarts onions
2 quarts bell peppers
1 cup salt
4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons celery seed
4 tablespoons mustard seed
2 quarts apple cider vinegar, with 5% acidity.
Combine cucumbers, onions, peppers, in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand 2 hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
I made about 14 and 2/3 pints.
And here is a pic of the relish used in a very natural setting.
Ah, the Love Apple Once Again!
9/28/09: Canning and Freezing Tomato Puree
On the Monday after I made my torte my family and I did our final batch of tomato puree using the Squeezo machine. See my previous post to learn more about how we make puree. After the puree had simmered for a couple hours it was time to can. Instead of using the hot water bath method we decided to go with pressure canning because it is faster. It takes only 10 minutes at 10 pounds. Here are some detailed facts for myself so the next pressure canning job will be quick and easy:
1. Check pressure gauge on green canner for any defects before starting. Add about 1 1/2" of water to the canner, insert rubber gasket in lid, make sure safety valve is correctly positioned, place lid on canner, and seal. (Tip: look at arrow on edge of lid for easy placement.) When canner is sealed, put the 1-piece pressure regulator on vent pipe. Wait until dial gauge reads 10 pounds (which usually takes five minutes), turn off heat and wait until arrow goes down to zero. If arrow doesn't reach this point I have to replace the gauge.
2. The jars do not have to be piping hot when being filled.
3. When filling jars, leave about 1 1/2" head space. I did the first batch with 1" head space and some overflowed. They sealed, though.
4. To maintain it at 10 pounds, I hovered around 200 and 300 degrees F.
5. It takes about 20 minutes to do one batch: five minutes to reach 10 pounds, 10 minutes at 10 pounds, and another five minutes for cooling.
6. Do not have the washing machine or dryer going when canning, or you would overload the circuit. I had four burners going, the oven, the washer, and dryer. Oops!
So in the end I canned 28 quarts and froze 4. Whew! What a job!
And the best part... They all sealed!
On the Monday after I made my torte my family and I did our final batch of tomato puree using the Squeezo machine. See my previous post to learn more about how we make puree. After the puree had simmered for a couple hours it was time to can. Instead of using the hot water bath method we decided to go with pressure canning because it is faster. It takes only 10 minutes at 10 pounds. Here are some detailed facts for myself so the next pressure canning job will be quick and easy:
1. Check pressure gauge on green canner for any defects before starting. Add about 1 1/2" of water to the canner, insert rubber gasket in lid, make sure safety valve is correctly positioned, place lid on canner, and seal. (Tip: look at arrow on edge of lid for easy placement.) When canner is sealed, put the 1-piece pressure regulator on vent pipe. Wait until dial gauge reads 10 pounds (which usually takes five minutes), turn off heat and wait until arrow goes down to zero. If arrow doesn't reach this point I have to replace the gauge.
2. The jars do not have to be piping hot when being filled.
3. When filling jars, leave about 1 1/2" head space. I did the first batch with 1" head space and some overflowed. They sealed, though.
4. To maintain it at 10 pounds, I hovered around 200 and 300 degrees F.
5. It takes about 20 minutes to do one batch: five minutes to reach 10 pounds, 10 minutes at 10 pounds, and another five minutes for cooling.
6. Do not have the washing machine or dryer going when canning, or you would overload the circuit. I had four burners going, the oven, the washer, and dryer. Oops!
So in the end I canned 28 quarts and froze 4. Whew! What a job!
And the best part... They all sealed!
Alexandra--Queen of "Tortes"
9/27/09: "Express" Dobosch Torte
Meal Details: For the main course I heated up some sweet and sour meatballs and tacos that we had in the freezer. For dessert, I made the Dobosch Torte.
Defining moments: This is my third recipe in the Food Network Challenge, hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. See here for more info. This is my first attempt at making a torte. But what is the definition of a torte? It is a round cake with multiple layers (with lots of frosting between), lots of eggs, and frosting on the top and sides. And where does the word Dobosch come from? It is the last name of the man who created a famous Hungarian torte in 1884. The original Dobosch torte (aka Dobos torte) had many more layers and used much more intense techniques; that is why the recipe I used has the word "express" in the title. You can call the express Dobosch, the beginner's Dobosch.
Recipe sources: The torte recipe came from the Food Network chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, and can be found here.
What I learned: Because of this torte I can honestly say that I learned my lesson. I was very much upset over a frosting episode that came up during the afternoon hours on Sunday. The frosting for the torte was not coming together for me; it just continued to be a soupy mess. I thought it was all going to go to waste and when I feel that I will have to throw money out the window, well, that's hard to cope with. But Annemarie told me to keep the leftover in the refrigerator (for ice cream and whatnot), and after I looked at the refrigerated bowl of frosting in an hour's time I found it to be the perfect consistency. :) I was very happy over that! I do regret, however, having this set back ruffle my feathers like it did. I will really try to remember that even if a recipe mistake will result in a garbage toss, I shouldn't lose my patience or peace of mind.
Another thing I learned is that a semi wet cake pan that is sprayed with vegetable spray will result in hard-to-remove-cake. I unfortunately found it out the hard way. But my Papa came to the rescue with a heavy rolling pin and a strong arm. With a few taps--or should I say hammer whacks--from the rolling pin the cakes slipped right out. A bit rattled, but they still came out! I will remember the drying step next time!
One of the most interesting parts of this torte are the eggs that I used. They weren't your typical eggs, they came from the Easter Egg chicken. No, I'm not kidding. They are also known as Araucanas. These special chickens are rightly named because they lay blue eggs. Read all about them here. A friend of ours stopped at my family's farm and gave us a dozen of her eggs that were laid by her five Easter Egg chickens, six of which made their way into my cake batter.
Any modifications? Yes. The recipe told me to make two cakes, cut them in half horizontally, and stack them on top of each other to form four layers. I didn't feel like fiddling around with cutting my cakes so I divided the cake batter into four separate cake pans. This modification also cut the baking time in half. The cakes only took 20 minutes to bake.
I also didn't use cream but half-and-half for the frosting, it's a cheaper alternative and it gave good results.
Lastly, I decided to skip the caramel top mainly because I thought there was enough sugar on this cake already!
How it tasted? It was DIVINE! I love chocolate so I was very satisfied with the frosting choice. The cake was moist and I liked the interesting lemon flavor that was added. It tasted even more delicious the second day when it was thoroughly chilled.
How about a 2nd time? I would love to make it again!
Meal Details: For the main course I heated up some sweet and sour meatballs and tacos that we had in the freezer. For dessert, I made the Dobosch Torte.
Defining moments: This is my third recipe in the Food Network Challenge, hosted by the writer of the I Blame My Mother blog. See here for more info. This is my first attempt at making a torte. But what is the definition of a torte? It is a round cake with multiple layers (with lots of frosting between), lots of eggs, and frosting on the top and sides. And where does the word Dobosch come from? It is the last name of the man who created a famous Hungarian torte in 1884. The original Dobosch torte (aka Dobos torte) had many more layers and used much more intense techniques; that is why the recipe I used has the word "express" in the title. You can call the express Dobosch, the beginner's Dobosch.
Recipe sources: The torte recipe came from the Food Network chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, and can be found here.
What I learned: Because of this torte I can honestly say that I learned my lesson. I was very much upset over a frosting episode that came up during the afternoon hours on Sunday. The frosting for the torte was not coming together for me; it just continued to be a soupy mess. I thought it was all going to go to waste and when I feel that I will have to throw money out the window, well, that's hard to cope with. But Annemarie told me to keep the leftover in the refrigerator (for ice cream and whatnot), and after I looked at the refrigerated bowl of frosting in an hour's time I found it to be the perfect consistency. :) I was very happy over that! I do regret, however, having this set back ruffle my feathers like it did. I will really try to remember that even if a recipe mistake will result in a garbage toss, I shouldn't lose my patience or peace of mind.
Another thing I learned is that a semi wet cake pan that is sprayed with vegetable spray will result in hard-to-remove-cake. I unfortunately found it out the hard way. But my Papa came to the rescue with a heavy rolling pin and a strong arm. With a few taps--or should I say hammer whacks--from the rolling pin the cakes slipped right out. A bit rattled, but they still came out! I will remember the drying step next time!
One of the most interesting parts of this torte are the eggs that I used. They weren't your typical eggs, they came from the Easter Egg chicken. No, I'm not kidding. They are also known as Araucanas. These special chickens are rightly named because they lay blue eggs. Read all about them here. A friend of ours stopped at my family's farm and gave us a dozen of her eggs that were laid by her five Easter Egg chickens, six of which made their way into my cake batter.
Any modifications? Yes. The recipe told me to make two cakes, cut them in half horizontally, and stack them on top of each other to form four layers. I didn't feel like fiddling around with cutting my cakes so I divided the cake batter into four separate cake pans. This modification also cut the baking time in half. The cakes only took 20 minutes to bake.
I also didn't use cream but half-and-half for the frosting, it's a cheaper alternative and it gave good results.
Lastly, I decided to skip the caramel top mainly because I thought there was enough sugar on this cake already!
How it tasted? It was DIVINE! I love chocolate so I was very satisfied with the frosting choice. The cake was moist and I liked the interesting lemon flavor that was added. It tasted even more delicious the second day when it was thoroughly chilled.
How about a 2nd time? I would love to make it again!
Fall Means Freezing and Canning--And Lots of It!
9/21/09: Freezing Tomato Puree and Gravenstein Apple Slices
On the Monday right after I made my eggplant dish, me and my sisters did another batch of tomato puree. We did it with our old faithful Squeezo machine (see my previous post here). Here is the tallying for this batch:
Right after the puree was in our stockpot and simmering away we went onto our next task: freezing Gravenstein apple slices.
Gravenstein is the BEST apple for apple pies and we wanted to make sure we'll be able to savor this delicacy during the cold winter months. (The pies are so good that my Papa said that he would choose Gravenstein pies over peach pies. Now that's saying a lot!)
We prepared the apples by coring and slicing them with our Apple Peeler, similar to the one seen here. After they went through the peeler, we cut the slices into quarters. We then mixed the slices with a powdered produce protector, a bit of sugar, and lastly, placed them in quart sized freezer bags. For some of the apples we didn't add sugar; I'll tell you which one works the best in a couple months.
Here is the full recipe for the apples:
Freezing Apples Without Sugar
Wash, peel and core apples. To prevent darkening, dissolve 1/2 teapsoon ascorbic acid powder or equivalent of finely crushed vitamin C tablets in 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle over apples. Place apple slices in zip-closure freezer bags, lable, date and freeze. Freeze up to one year at 0 degrees F or below.
Dry Sugar Packed Apple Slices
Follow directions for "Freezing Apple Without Sugar"; mix 1/2 cup sugar to each quart apple slices. Seal and freeze for up to one year at 0 degrees F or below.
On the Monday right after I made my eggplant dish, me and my sisters did another batch of tomato puree. We did it with our old faithful Squeezo machine (see my previous post here). Here is the tallying for this batch:
- Used Super Marzano (aka Roma) tomatoes for the puree, four 5-gallon buckets in all.
- Was able to fill the large stock pot, the corn pot, and the 8-quart pot.
- Took us about two hours to do puree from start to finish.
- In the end, we managed to have 28 quarts of puree.
Right after the puree was in our stockpot and simmering away we went onto our next task: freezing Gravenstein apple slices.
Gravenstein is the BEST apple for apple pies and we wanted to make sure we'll be able to savor this delicacy during the cold winter months. (The pies are so good that my Papa said that he would choose Gravenstein pies over peach pies. Now that's saying a lot!)
We prepared the apples by coring and slicing them with our Apple Peeler, similar to the one seen here. After they went through the peeler, we cut the slices into quarters. We then mixed the slices with a powdered produce protector, a bit of sugar, and lastly, placed them in quart sized freezer bags. For some of the apples we didn't add sugar; I'll tell you which one works the best in a couple months.
Here is the full recipe for the apples:
Freezing Apples Without Sugar
Wash, peel and core apples. To prevent darkening, dissolve 1/2 teapsoon ascorbic acid powder or equivalent of finely crushed vitamin C tablets in 3 tablespoons water. Sprinkle over apples. Place apple slices in zip-closure freezer bags, lable, date and freeze. Freeze up to one year at 0 degrees F or below.
Dry Sugar Packed Apple Slices
Follow directions for "Freezing Apple Without Sugar"; mix 1/2 cup sugar to each quart apple slices. Seal and freeze for up to one year at 0 degrees F or below.
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