Recipe: Chex Mix with Chex, Cheese-Its, Pretzels and Cashews

I'd been wanting to make some Chex Mix for a while and finally took the time this past weekend.  It wasn't the typical Chex Mix . . .  it had Chex, Cheese-Its, Pretzels and Cashews -- all things I love!  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 5 cups Chex cereal (Rice or Corn or a combination)
• 5 cups Cheez-It White Cheddar crackers
• 1 1/2 cup pretzels
• 1 cup dry roasted cashews
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1.  On a large cookie sheet, combine the Chex cereal, Cheez-Its, pretzels and cashews. Set aside.

2. Stir together remaining ingredients. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Stir until evenly coated. 

3. Bake at 250°F about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Memorial Day Party Menu

Memorial Day Party Menu

(This will be helpful as a reminder next year

when we're trying to figure out the menu!)

Homemade Chex Mix

Strawberry, Marshmallow, Blueberry Skewers

Veggie Plate

 

Brisket

Mac & Cheese: America's Test Kitchen Recipe
Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime

Baked Beans

Pickles

Chips

Bread/rolls

 

Blueberry Cobbler:  America's Test Kitchen Recipe

Spicy Smoky S'mores Bars

 

 

Definition: Soccarat

I learned a new word yesterday when making paella. 

Soccarat is a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan (which is a traditional part of paella).  I had no idea there was a word for it!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Recipe: Paella

Want to make paella but don't have a paella pan or think it's too difficult to make?  Try this America's Test Kitchen recipe that uses a Dutch oven and took us about an 1 1/2 total cooking time.  (I love mussels, but we didn't include them in the dish.) 

I highly recommend it!  Easy peasy.

Definition: Herbes de Provence

This week's word is:  Herbes de Provence

I've always wondered. . . what herbs make up Herbes de Provence?

According to Wikipedia.com:
Formerly simply a descriptive term referring to herbs typical of Provence, in the 1970s, commercial blends started to be sold under this name. These mixtures typically contain savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender leaves and other herbs, though lavender was not used in traditional southern French cooking.

Herbes de Provence are used to flavour grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be added to foods before or during cooking or mixed with cooking oil prior to cooking so as to infuse the flavour into the cooked food. They are rarely added after cooking is complete.

There are quite a few different recipes for making your own herb mixture that you can find online.

I was just curious to see what herbs some pre-packaged Herbes de Provence contain:

• McCormick's:  rosemary, marjoram, thyme and savory
• Dean & DeLuca's:  rosemary, marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, fennel and lavender

Definition: Gastrique

Thanks to blog contributor FoodFiend for suggesting this week's word of the week:  gastrique

A gastrique is a sauce made by deglazing caramelized sugar with vinegar and then reducing. With its sweet-tart flavor, a gastrique is often used as a fruit sauce for meats like duck and venison.

Source:  BonAppetit.com

Recipe: Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta Salata

I had never made gnocchi before (the recipes usually look really long and have a lot of steps), so when I saw the Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta Salata recipe in Food & Wine Magazine's April 2013 issue (photo is on p.135, recipe is on p.133), I thought I'd give it a shot because it looked easy. 

It was a disaster!  I don't even want to post a photo of how it turned out because it looked so awful.  A KEY step to the recipe is to wring the daylight out of the spinach before puree-ing it.  I thought I didn't get enough water out of it because I ended up with 2 cups of spinach puree (not one), and while not drying out the spinach enough was probably a big issue . . . more than that, the recipe is apparently flawed because 2 other people had the exact same problems that I did.  (See the comments at the recipe link above.)  I wish I had read their review before making this.

I would not recommend making this recipe, and this is the 2nd time a Food and Wine Magazine recipe has completely failed me. 

I'm not happy.

Definition: Boulevardier

This week's definition is boulevardier.

There's a new French restaurant in Dallas called Boulevardier.  I assumed that the name of the restaurant referenced a boulevard; however, as I was reading Bon Appetit Magazine's May 2013 issue, there was a reference to the drink, a Boulevardier.

Confused, I looked up the word, and it turns out that it's both a term referencing a person walking a boulevard and also a drink.

According to merriam-webster.com, the definition of boulevardier is
: a frequenter of the Parisian boulevards; broadly: man-about-town
The origin is from from the French word "boulevard."

The Boulevardier cocktail is a combination of bourbon, sweet vermouth and Campari. 

Here's a recipe from BonAppetit.com:
Combine 2 ounces bourbon, 1 ounce Campari, and 1 ounce sweet vermouth in a large mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until glass is very cold, about 1 minute. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe or a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Recipe: Blue Lagoon Pancake

This morning, I woke up and wanted pancakes, but not just any pancakes!  I wanted a Blue Lagoon pancake based on my favorite "Blue Lagoon" crepe from the crepe cart in Breckenridge. 

Here's my recipe:

• Make a pancake (however you make them ~ out of a box or from scratch)
• Drizzle a tablespoon or so of Bailey's Irish Cream over it so that it soaks into the pancake
• Spread (or smother!) the pancake with Nutella
• Sprinkle some brown sugar over it
• Add blueberries on top

It is amazingly delicious!!!!

Recipe: Mustard-Crusted Pork with Farro and Carrot Salad

The Mustard-Crusted Pork with Farro and Carrot Salad recipe in Bon Appetit's April 2012 issue (see p.97 for the recipe, p.95 for the full-page photo) is one of the best and more unique recipes we've made from Bon Appetit Magazine recently.  The mustard crust on the pork is super flavorful, and it nicely complements the interesting mix of flavors in the farro -- carrot, parsley, onion, honey, caraway seeds, apple cider vinegar.  Sounds weird, but it all really works!  I wasn't sure how this would turn out and if I'd like all of the carrots mixed in with the farro, but it was really delicious.

I HIGHLY recommend making this dish.  When we made it this past weekend for dinner, I couldn't wait to eat the leftovers.

Here are some key tips. . .

• Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil so clean-up is easier
• For food safety reasons, I didn't leave the pork out for an hour, but put it in the fridge for a couple of hours
• Use a peeler instead of a mandoline to slice the carrots (it works just as well and is safer)
• I didn't think 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette in the skillet was enough, so I added 4 tbsp to cook the farro and carrots
• Add salt to the farro (to taste)
• Add the red onion to the farro and carrots in the pan to soften and cook them a little bit
• Remember to let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes

Definition: Aioli

This week's culinary definition is aioli.

Aioli is a Provençal traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and egg yolks. There are many variations, such as the addition of mustard. It is usually served at room temperature. The name comes from Provençal alh 'garlic' + òli 'oil.'

Aioli is like mayonnaise, an emulsion or a suspension of small globules of oil and oil-soluble compounds in water and water-soluble compounds. Egg yolk can be used as an emulsifier and is generally used in making aioli. However, mustard and garlic both have emulsion-producing properties and some variants omit the egg.

Generally, egg yolks, garlic and Dijon mustard (if adding this as a common variation on the basic aioli) are combined first with a whisk, then the oil and the lemon juice are added slowly with whisking to create the emulsion. The additions of the dissimilar ingredients must be slow to start and then can be faster once the initial emulsion has formed.

Source:  Wikipedia.com

Recipe: Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta

My hubby was reading this month's Bon Appetit magazine this past weekend and came to show me the recipe and photo of the Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta recipe (April 2012, p. 38) saying, "This looks good -- we should make it." 

So we did, and it was good!  We had leftovers this evening, and it was good even reheated.

It's quite simple to make and doesn't take many ingredients (olive oil, garlic, red pepper, broccoli rabe, salt, pepper, eggs, milk, bread, parmesan, pancetta).  We had never cooked broccoli rabe before and weren't even sure our local (regular) grocery store carried it, but they did!

Our only deviation from the recipe. . . we used about twice the amount of pancetta.  Gotta love pancetta.

Next time, it might be interesting to cut down the amount of broccoli rabe and replace it with some broccoli and spinach.  The broccoli rabe added a bitterness that we liked but was a tad strong.

Definition: Chimichurri

This week's culinary definition is chimichurri.

What exactly is it?
It's a sauce used for grilled meat and is originally from Argentina but is also used in Uruguay.

Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar. Additional flavorings such as coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, and bay leaf may be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.

Where did the name come from?
I think these 2 explanations are the most realistic and believable:

The Argentine gourmet Miguel Brascó claims that the word chimichurri originated when the British were captured after the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. The prisoners asked for condiment for their food mixing English, aboriginal and Spanish words. According to this story, che-mi-curry stands for "che mi salsa" (a rough translation is hey give me condiment) or "give me curry". The word then corrupted to chimichurri.

Another theory for the name of the sauce comes from the Basque settlers that arrived in Argentina as early as the 19th century. According to this theory, the name of the sauce comes from the Basque term tximitxurri, loosely translated as "a mixture of several things in no particular order."

Source:  wikipedia.com

Recipe: Spinach-and-Parmesan Sformati

I've been wanting to make Top Chef Masters' Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson's Spinach-and-Parmesan Sformati ever since I saw the photo of it in Food and Wine Magazine's April 2012 issue (p.132).  A sformati (or sformato) is an Italian custard with a lot of cheese -- it's like a souffle but not as airy.

Mine did NOT turn out looking as light green as the one in the magazine photo (see the link to the photo and recipe above).  Perhaps next time I need to use Parmesan powder to coat my ramekins.  Otherwise, there is no way for a dish that has that much spinach in it to be that light in color. 

In any case, the dish (which we ate as a side dish) was delicious.  It tasted like a souffle and was packed with spinach and cheese flavor.  While it does take a while to make and bake, it isn't a hard recipe and is worth the time.

Recipe: Chicken Dijon

I made the Chicken Dijon recipe (Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2011, p.118) this past weekend.  Very easy, and it turned out great -- nice and flavorful.  The ingredient list is pretty simple:

• coriander seeds
• EVOO
• chicken
• s&p
• onion
• garlic
• chicken broth
• whole-grain mustard
• either creme fraiche or sour cream
• tarragon

It's so much better than the Shake 'n Bake Honey Mustard mix I used to use when I didn't know how to cook.

Next time, I'm going to try chicken breasts instead of the drumsticks.

Recipe: Pork Larb Lettuce Wrap

We made this Pork Larb Lettuce Wrap recipe this evening.  The dish (I'd recommend this as an appetizer) has really nice flavors but a major flaw.  The recipe calls for toasting a tablespoon of long-grain rice until browned, grinding the rice in a spice grinder and then sprinkling the meat with the powder.  Definitely don't do this!!!  It gave the dish a weird grainy texture that was not appetizing.  Or, if you want to try this, do it with just a small portion of meat to see if you like it. 

Other than that, the flavors were good -- think garlic, fish sauce, lime, sugar, spice (we used a serrano pepper), red onion, cilantro, mint, basil -- very southeast Asian.

We used ground chicken because the store ran out of pork (and I didn't want to use ground beef); however, I think the pork's flavor and texture would be ideal to use the next time we make it.

Definition: Duxelles

What is duxelle or duxelles (pronounced duck-SELL)?  

Duxelles is a finely chopped (minced) mixture of mushrooms or mushroom stems, onions, shallots and herbs sautéed in butter, and reduced to a paste (sometimes cream is used, as well). It is a basic preparation used in stuffings and sauces (notably, beef Wellington) or as a garnish. Duxelles can also be filled into a pocket of raw pastry and baked as a savory tart.

Duxelles is said to have been created by the 17th-century French chef François Pierre La Varenne (1615–1678) and to have been named after his employer, Nicolas Chalon du Blé, marquis d'Uxelles, maréchal de France.

Try Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington recipe which calls for making a duxelles (or mushroom paste).

Source: Wikipedia.com

Modern Art Desserts

If you love modern art and love desserts, watch this 2 minute video.  The team at the Blue Bottle Cafe at the SFMOMA create desserts that are inspired by artists such as Cindy Sherman, Piet Mondrian and Richard Serra.  As the author Caitlin Freeman says, "we go to work every day to look at art and make cake."  What a dream job! 

I must have this new cookbook that is coming out on April 16th.

Recipe: Chicken and Dumplings

It was chilly this past weekend, and we were looking for a hearty, healthy dish to make.  America's Test Kitchen's Chicken and Dumplings Recipe was perfect after a long day of working out in the yard!  We've made this recipe before, and it turns out great each time.  We added more vegetables than it called for and so need to remember to add more chicken stock and water next time we make the recipe. 

Definition: Banger sausage

On Saturday, I went to Bowl & Barrel with some friends and ordered the Scotch Egg that was on their menu. 

Scotch Egg description:
our banger sausage around a farm egg, fried crispy on a bed of salad greens

The server said it was good and that they take a lot of time to make it right; I was curious about it since I'd seen a contestant on MasterChef make the dish. It was delish (though, a little salty) and didn't need the sweet BBQ-like sauce that came on the side.

I'd heard of bangers before but wondered. . .  what exactly is banger sausage?  Is it a specific type of sausage?

According to Wikipedia:
Although it is sometimes stated that the term "bangers" has its origins in World War II, the term was
actually in use at least as far back as 1919.  The term "bangers" is attributed to the fact that sausages, particularly the kind made during World War II under rationing, were made with water so they were more likely to explode under high heat if not cooked carefully; modern sausages do not have this attribute.