Category: Food
Spring into Asparagus Season

Spring into Asparagus Season

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For some silly reason, it never seems to dawn on me that spring has finally arrived until I see bunches of asparagus in the market.  This year is especially strange with the COVID-19 crisis, time just seems to be standing still.  On a dreary rainy day last week, I finally escaped to the market and the first display I saw was the asparagus.  I cracked a little smile, grateful that spring had arrived even in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.

While at the market, I bought a bunch of asparagus home knowing exactly what I was going to do with it.  I had just read a wonderful essay by Eric Kim entitled “The Man Who Hated Eating Alone”. Eric is a senior editor for Food52 and author of the column Table for One.  His latest essay on eating alone, (which many of us are experiencing with self-quarantine) intertwined with James Beard’s bio and his recipe for asparagus-delicious, so simple, and perfect for one person.

The recipe calls for asparagus, butter and soy sauce. That’s it.  Thinly sliced asparagus, melt a pat of butter in a pan, add a splash of soy sauce, and saute’ for a couple of minutes so it stays crispy. Sprinkle some coarse salt to finish-boom, done.  So delicious and so easy.  It’s criminal.

But if I think about it, I love most of my vegetables prepared simply.  I make my favorite Chinese dish of pea sprouts or spinach ALOT.  Just stir-fry greens with lots of garlic, a bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce and ginger and that’s it, ready to scarf it down.  Blanch lettuce, Iceberg or Romaine, quickly in water or stock and finish with oyster sauce and oil-done and delicious.  Can’t beat that.

So I shouldn’t be surprised that such a simple recipe would be wonderful. I prepped my asparagus two ways, cut on the diagonal and shaved into long thin strips with a peeler.  Use Ponzu Soy Sauce or Soy Dashi instead of soy sauce which adds a hit of citrus and a dash of sesame oil for pop.  this would also work beautifully with sugar snap peas or snow peas.

Enjoy, Stay home, stay well.

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Paper-Thin Asparagus with Butter and Soy Sauce

A simple delicious recipe from Eric Kim of Food 52
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword asparagus
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces asparagus cut in paper-thin diagonal slices or shave with peeler
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper garnish
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce substitute Ponzu or Soy Dashi

Instructions

  • Heat a skillet over high heat and melt the butter. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and cook for another minute or so, until the butter and soy sauce bubble up into a sticky glaze. Serve immediately.

Notes

Though written as a serving for one, as a side dish this would feed 2-3 people.

 

 

 
Knot Your Average Bunz (Sweet Chocolate and Cinnamon Knots)

Knot Your Average Bunz (Sweet Chocolate and Cinnamon Knots)

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Hello my fellow social distancers

It is I again, your resident baking aficionado (J A M I E). I hope you all are staying away from other humans. Queue the joke about how that’s how I normally live my life!!!! The other day (or whenever my mother decides to post the recipe) I wrote a post about no-knead bread that is AMAZING (if you have tried it please post a pic on IG-you might win a prize!)

Today, I am here to write a piece about kneaded bread.

In times of great stress, I turn to TV and baking. I had a particularly tough week at work a few months back, and I showed up on Friday with two pies in hand. One of the most calming shows I watch is Great British Bake Off. Honestly, if you are reading this blog, you don’t need an introduction. Anyways, after a  l o n g week of WFH and meetings, I decided to combine my two stress relievers and try a recipe from one of the GBB contestants. I chose Steven’s sweet chocolate and cinnamon knots because

1) Steven is great

2) They looked amazing

3) Who doesn’t like cinnamon and chocolate?

4) Here is the link to Steven’s post, he is British.  Lucky for you I’ve watched a lot of GBB so I can help with the Queen’s English, lol. Steven’s Sweet Chocolate and Cinnamon Knots

Here are some of my thoughts below:

W O W. This bread is beautiful. I think it might be the prettiest thing I’ve baked. AND the best part—it also tastes DELICIOUS. Definitely worth the trip or TWO (thnx Whole Foods for turning me away) grocery stores at 7 am this morning. Side note: Whole Foods is actually doing this cool thing where they only let 60 year-olds and up (where is my mom when I need her, lol) shop from 7 am – 8 am. I think it’s really great, except for the fact that the Whole Foods employee told un-caffeinated, at 7 am me that I looked like I was 16. Rude.

The dough is light and sweet, with just enough texture to it that I don’t feel like I’m eating air. On its own, it’s great. The perfect bread to drizzle with honey. But even better yet, the recipe calls for stuffing chocolate and cinnamon sugar into the center of the dough before you bake it off. After proofing and baking, the chocolate melts into spirals throughout the bread, permeating every bite with a rich flavor. I know, not a great job of describing this—hey, it’s been a long week of WFH—so just trust me on this one.

One thing that was a bit hard for me was getting the proofing time correct. The recipe calls for dividing the dough into 4 equal pieces; each piece is woven separately into its own knot. As you can guess, it takes a bit of time to finagle the dough into place, so the amount of time the first knot was proofed was about 15-20 min longer than the last. If you are going to try these, I might suggest baking the knots in 2 batches, so you can optimize the proof for each bun. (Lol, can you tell that I’ve been writing too many work emails? “I might suggest…” Just do it, people.

Another difficult thing about these bunz was—you guessed it—the weave pattern. When I first looked at this recipe, I was a bit intimidated by the intricate pattern of the dough.

Don’t be discouraged, trust me.

While the recipe’s instructions are clear as mud, there are a lot of resources online that are helpful. Just google Winston knots, and you will find a lot of sites that show you a step by step process for braiding dough. The difficult thing about this was getting enough chocolate and cinnamon sugar in the buns. After weaving the dough together, you flip over the bun and place your filling in the center. Then use the ends of the strands to seal the filling into the bun, making sure to pinch any holes in the dough that might allow the filling to leak out during the bake. When I was stuffing my dough, I was worried about disrupting/flattening the pattern on the top, so I went pretty conservative with the chocolate. WRONG.

Stuff that bad boi UP.

Proofing the dough the second time will unflatten the buns.
Ok, this post is now way too long. Make this bread, you’ve got the time.

For your viewing pleasure and to help with the process, PICS and a video I found on YouTube that is PRICELESS

The Jamie Way of tying Knots Bunz

Knead dough for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place it in a bowl and cover it with saran. Set for 1 hour (double in size) then punch it down and turn it out onto a floured board.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Cover three pieces, take the remaining piece and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into strands approximately 12.5 inches long. They should be equal in size.  To shape the knots: Place 3 strands of dough in a line on the worktop in front of you, at a minus 45-degree angle and fairly close together. Gently pinch the 3 together in the middle. Now place the other 3 strands on top at a 45-degree angle – to form an ‘X’ shape – and pinch together in the middle as before.
Fold the 3 strands at the top left down over the center point and onto the counter to the far right of the strands already there. Lightly shift the 3 strands at the top right downwards so they sit alongside the other strands.
Fold the 3 strands at the top left down over the center point and onto the counter, to the far right of the strands already there. Gently shift the 3 strands at the top right downwards so they sit alongside the other strands.
Pass the set on the far left under the 2 middle ones then back over the last one it went under and into line again. Then take the far-right set and put it under the twisted 2 in the middle then back over the last one it went under and into line.
The last photo, flip knot over and place on the counter. Scatter a quarter of the chocolate chunks down the center of the knot. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle a quarter on top of the chocolate. Bring the long ends of the strands up and over the filling and pinch them together, then gently fold in the sides (try to keep the knot as neat as possible) and pinch the dough together to seal in the filling. Turn it over again, right side up, and gently shape into a neat ball with your hands. Transfer to the lined baking sheet. OMG, okay its super yummy. WORTH trying. REPEAT with the rest of dough.

FINALLY, HERE IS THE RECIPE., You’re welcome

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STEVEN’S SWEET CHOCOLATE & CINNAMON KNOTS

These Winston-knot bread rolls are made by braiding together three strands of a soft, sweet enriched dough – filled with dark chocolate and cinnamon sugar.
Course Breads
Cuisine British
Keyword Sweet Chocolate and Cinnamon Knots
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 500 g strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting (Bread Flour)
  • 5 g fast-action dried yeast from a 7g sachet (Instant)
  • 60 g unsalted butter softened, diced
  • 40 g caster sugar granulated sugar
  • 7 g salt
  • 2 medium eggs at room temperature, beaten
  • About 225ml full-fat milk lukewarm (whole milk)

For the filling:

  • 50 g dark chocolate broken into chunks
  • 4 tsp light muscovado sugar sub light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 medium egg beaten, for glazing, use any size egg

Instructions

  • Step 1 To make the dough: weigh the flour into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix in the yeast with your hand. When thoroughly combined, add the butter and rub into the flour with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the sugar and salt then make a well in the centre of the mixture.
  • Step 2 Pour the beaten eggs and 3⁄4 of the lukewarm milk into the well. Using your hands or the dough hook attachment of the mixer on its slowest speed, gradually work the flour into the liquids to make a soft but not sticky dough – slowly adding as much of the remaining milk as needed.
  • Step 3 Knead the dough thoroughly – for 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured worktop, or for 7 minutes if using the dough hook (on its slowest speed) – until very smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the bowl (if you kneaded by hand) then cover with cling film or a snap-on lid and leave on the worktop to prove for about an hour or until doubled in size.
  • Step 4 Uncover then punch down the risen dough with your knuckles to deflate it. Turn out onto the worktop, very lightly dusted with flour, and knead into a ball. Then weigh the dough and divide into 4 equal portions. Cover 3 portions loosely with cling film and divide the other portion into 6 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece on the worktop into a neat, even sausage 12.5 inches long. Try to use as little extra flour as possible for dusting your hands and the worktop – adding too much extra flour will make the dough tough and dry.
  • Step 5 To shape the Winston knots: arrange 3 sausages of dough in a line on the worktop in front of you – at a minus 45-degree angle and fairly close together. Gently pinch the 3 together in the middle. Now place the other 3 strands on top at a 45-degree angle – to form an ‘X’ shape – and pinch together in the middle as before. Fold the 3 strands at the top left down over the centre point and onto the worktop – to the far right of the strands already there. Gently shuffle the 3 strands at the top right downwards so they sit alongside the other strands.
  • Step 6 Arrange the 4 sets of strands closer together so they are lying side by side and slightly apart, so you can plait them. Pass the set on the far left under the 2 middle ones then back over the last one it went under and into line again. Then take the far-right set and put it under the twisted 2 in the middle then back over the last one it went under and into line.
  • Step 7 Flip the knot over on the worktop. Scatter a quarter of the chocolate chunks down the centre of the knot. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle a quarter on top of the chocolate. Bring the long ends of the plait up and over the filling and pinch them together, then gently fold in the sides (try to keep the plait as neat as possible) and pinch the dough together to seal in the filling. Turn the plait over again, right side up, and gently shape into a neat ball with your hands. Transfer to the lined baking sheet.
  • Step 8 Repeat with the other 3 portions of dough to make 4 neatly plaited round loaves – these knots take a lot of practise and patience to get right! Set them well apart on the baking sheet, slip the sheet inside a large plastic bag and slightly inflate the bag so the plastic doesn’t stick to the dough. Leave on the worktop to prove for about 1 hour, until doubled in size – take care not to over-prove the dough, or let the temperature become too hot, as the breads will lose their shape. Towards the end of the rising time, heat the oven to 425°F
  • Step 9 Uncover the loaves and carefully brush with beaten egg to glaze. Bake in the heated oven for about 20–23 minutes until a good golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
No-Knead Bread, Bread in the Time of Corona

No-Knead Bread, Bread in the Time of Corona

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The Hubs, Jorge, Sammy, and I are home while Jeffrey is in The City, and Mui is in Houston.  Like most folks, we are finding ways to occupy our time during the quarantine.  Yoga on YouTube, Wes still woodworking in the garage, and the boys playing Fortnite.  Me? Let’s see what have I been doing?

Baking, Cooking, Blogging, Eating

Unfortunately, too much of the last.  Baking has become a respite from the outside world.  Judging by Instagram posts and Facebook posts, not to mention the empty flour shelves at the grocers, a ton of people are feeling the same way.

On our daily family Face-time, Mui raved about the No-Knead Bread she had made (her post here!) It was so easy and so delicious, she convinced me to give it a go.  Although she used the recipe from King Arthur Flour, I perused the internet and found what might be Ground Zero for No-Knead Bread. Way back in the day, Mark Bittman and Jim Lahey of Sullivan St. Bakery introduced No-Knead Bread via the New York Times.  It has become a classic and convinced non-bread bakers, like me, to give it a go.

If you are hankering for a classic Wonder Bread loaf try this Maple Buttermilk Bread made easy with a bread machine.  But, if you are looking for a loaf of bread that reminds you of that little European bakery you visited or your own favorite neighborhood artisanal bakery, this is it.

Best of all, it is stupid easy and amazingly tasty.  Impress your friends and family, don’t tell them how crazy easy it was to make. No kneading required. Really, the major investment is time.  Five minutes to combine the three ingredients, flour, salt and yeast, to which you add water, but then twelve to eighteen hours of waiting before the next step.

Toss the ingredients into a bowl, stir it together-done

Plan on when you want fresh bread…a day in advance.  I throw my batter together around four o’clock in the afternoon, get a good night’s sleep, have my morning coffee, putter around and about ten in the morning I pour the wet dough out on a floured board, shape it, and let it sit another hour.  The original recipe calls for placing the dough on a tea towel after proofing, but I use parchment paper that I can then grab to transfer the dough into the heated dutch oven.  Paper and dough gets plopped in the pot in one fell swoop.  Easy peasy.

Dough after 12 hour rest
Dough after 18 hour rest
Notice the elasticity of the dough as I put it on to the floured surface
Thirty minutes before baking, turn on the oven and place your dutch oven in it.

Danger, BAKER ROBINSON, Danger!  PLEASE USE POTHOLDERS FOR THE NEXT STEPS!!!!

Pull the pot out of the oven, PLOP that baby into that SUPERHOT dutch oven and bake it covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover the pot (GLOVES PLEASE) and bake for additional 10-15 minutes to crisp and brown the crust.  Remove the loaf and let it cool.  It will be a little tough to cut the loaf when it is warm, so try to resist if you can before cutting.

Loaf #1 seen above, I didn’t score. Loaf #2 I used a serrated knife and lightly slashed the top of the loaf. (Banner pic)

Don’t loaf around, make this bread!

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No-Knead Bread

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Mark Bittman, No-knead Bread, NYT Cooking
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting time 18 hours
Total Time 18 hours 35 minutes

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven or oven proof pot

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour more for dusting
  • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • Cornmeal or flour as needed
  • 1-5/8 cup water approximately 70 degrees
  • cornmeal for dusting

Instructions

  • In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1-5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
  • The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
  • Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel* and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
  • At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
  • * I place the dough on floured parchment paper and used the paper to rransfer the dough into the pot. So easy. Score the top of dough lightly if desired for that cool fissure on top.

Notes

Mr. Bittman came up with a Speedy Version of No-Knead Bread, here is the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LaODcYSRXU
Recipe
3 cups of flour
1/4 tsp yeast
1.5 t salt
 1/4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 cup hot water approximately 130 degrees, not boiling, that would kill the yeast
Rise time 3-4 hours.  Follow original recipe as directed.
 
 
I’m Just a Bread Machine and I Won’t Knead for Nobody But You (Maple Buttermilk Bread)

I’m Just a Bread Machine and I Won’t Knead for Nobody But You (Maple Buttermilk Bread)

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The COVID-19 stay at home policy has me pulling out my mixing bowls, pots, and pans.  Cooking and especially baking keeps me busy and helps calm the COVID-19 jitters.  I find myself gravitating towards comfort foods and foods from my childhood.  The first thing that came to mind was bread.  Who doesn’t like the aroma of baking bread?  Is there a more perfect food than fresh warm bread, slathered with butter and a dollop of jam?  Apparently I am not alone.  Who knew that all those pictures of empty shelves at the supermarkets were of the flour aisles.

After scavenging a couple of stores, I found the last two bags of King Arthur Flour on the shelf at Whole Foods (sorry, I was THAT person) and packets of yeast at Raley’s.  I settled in under the #stayhome mandate (totally cool with it) and started my carb bender, I mean bread baking.

I made two loaves of bread, best described as polar opposites.  Both are incredibly easy but for really different reasons.

The first loaf a Buttermilk Maple Loaf comes from Lora Brody’s Bread Machine Cookbook, a book I picked up waaaay back in the day when I bought a bread machine.  The Maple Buttermilk Loaf was my go-to recipe in the book.  Great for toast, sammies, crumbs or croutons.  It has a nice flavor and the texture of classic sandwich bread.  Pretty much the bread you grew up with soft, tender, slightly sweet-yummy. Perfect for Peanut Butter  and Jelly, Fried Baloney Sammies and Tuna Fish with Chips Sandwich, the stuff of childhood. Perfect for these times.

And it couldn’t be easier, that is, as long as you still have that bread machine hiding in a closet or corner of your pantry, or call your mom, she probably has one packed away, probably in your old bedroom.

So drag that puppy out and make yourself some bread.  Literally, dump, push the button, comeback in a few hours, bam, a loaf of freshly baked bread.  Like magic. The kneading, the proofing, the resting, all take place in your bread machine.  All the rage, back in the day.  Did you buy too many berries in your moment of frenzied grocery shopping?  Make this super easy and delicious berry jam to go along with your freshly baked bread!

The second loaf is a No-Knead Bread, more like an artisan bread, almost as easy to make, and totally swoon worthy.  Find the post here.

My machine is an old Panasonic that makes 1.5 pound loaves.  Which means really TALL bread, lol. I may be crusty, but I don’t like the crust from machine made loaves.  I cut my slices into squares and keep the scraps for bread crumbs, croutons and for Sammy, he adores bread.

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Maple Buttermilk Bread

Easy, delicious homemade Maple Buttermilk Bread made in your bread machine! Pefect for sammies!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Maple Buttermilk Bread
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Bread machine, lol

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups unbleached white flour
  • 4 tablespoons powdered buttermilk
  • 1 teasoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pure Maple Syrup*
  • 1 Cup water
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Instructions

  • Dump* all the ingredients in the machine except the yeast**, program for Basic Bread. Push the button. Comeback in 3.5 hours. Let bread cool so it is easier to cut.
  • *Refer to your machine directions for order of ingredients.
  • **If your machine has a separate yeast reservoir, place yeast in that.

Stay home, stay well.
Knead A Little Comfort in These Trying Times? (King Arthur Flour No-Knead Bread)

Knead A Little Comfort in These Trying Times? (King Arthur Flour No-Knead Bread)

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Hi everyone! Hope you are all staying sane out there sheltering in place! It is me, Jamie, your favorite blogger. As I am clearly the superior baker in our family, I have decided to grace your feeds with a quick lil’ post about my latest baking passion:

BREAD

Now, I know what you are thinking: “bread is the last thing I should bake if I am stuck at home all day with nothing to do except move my mouse around my work computer every five minutes” WRONG. Sorry, I should not invalidate your feelings, but let me tell you why your feelings are misguided and sad.

The smell of baking bread will 100% make your home much homier.

Picture this: You are in hour 2 of a 3 hour pointless meeting, and Karen is going on and on about whether or not you are considered “business critical” (newsflash, you probably aren’t if Karen can take up 3 hours of your time to talk about nothing). You are sitting at your uncomfortable kitchen table, hunched over because it is NOT ergonomically sound, with the smell of Clorox and lemon encroaching into your six feet of space. Not fun, right? Actually, the exact opposite of fun.

Now, picture this: you just popped a loaf into the oven, and the smell of baking bread is slowly permeating through the house. You hang up on Karen because life is too short to listen to people droning on and on (sry Karen).  You improvise by using a couple of boxes to set up your very own standing desk on your kitchen table (hey, I am an engineer). While  standing there, admiring your ergonomic handiwork…

What’s that? Beep, beep, beep. Aha, your timer is going off—your bread is READY.  You pull it out, mouth-watering from the delicious, tantalizing smell.  After a few minutes, you cut into that steaming loaf, trying not to burn your fingers (Auugh, I couldn’t wait!). Smear on a slab of butter, plop a dollop of jam on it and you are in heaven. Nothing can stop you now. You are invincible, winning WFH. All your sad coworkers are at their desks having a miserable time, and here you are, a queen, eating literal carbo gold. 

In all seriousness, baking bread is definitely a vibe right now, especially with the Coronavirus pandemic.  Ask my Mom, she’s still scavenging for flour. While I was intimidated to try my hand at baking bread, it is actually pretty simple and very relaxing. Stressed about taking too much time away from work? Bread has an average of about 4 ingredients in it, and 99% of the time to make bread is for proofing and baking it. Stressed in general? Some breads can require 10-15 minutes of kneading time, which really just entails you pounding the shit out of it on a counter. Get your angst OUT.

Concerned about being buried in bread? One of the best parts about bread is that it is freezer friendly. If you can’t eat an entire loaf in two days like me, you can slice that bad boy up and freeze it in a Ziploc bag (or a reusable environmentally friendly product that I can’t get right now because I’m sheltering in place) and eat it anytime you want.

I threw together one of my favorite recipes, No-knead Crusty White Bread, from King Arthur Flour. The recipe calls for 7 ½ cups of flour, but I halved it to make just one loaf. The recipe also calls for regular flour, but I used bread flour (higher protein content). Whole foods and HEB were out of flour, so I improvised. My mom is probably cringing while reading this (she hates when I substitute. I normally would not do this, but you gotta do what you gotta do). I extended the proofing time a bit longer to compensate. 

This bread is SO easy. It took me 10 minutes to put it together initially, and I proofed it for 3 hours at room temp, then 3 hours in the refrigerator. I used a dutch oven to bake it, and I baked it for the full amount of time.  I removed the lid for the last 5 minutes just to give the top a bit more color. The CRUNCH that you get from baking it in a dutch oven kicks this bread into the top 10% of breads to bake.  I made a pot of Senate Bean Soup to go along, but this bread was the star of the meal.

Easy, versatile, delicious—the perfect recipe to make in times like these.

Hope everyone is staying safe—and sane!  Happy baking 😊

Here is the link to the recipe I used, so so tasty..not the recipe, the bread, lol.

No-Knead Bread from King Arthur Flour
I Tried To Buy Some Flour, They Said No, No, No (Not Your Mama’s Rice Krispy Treats)

I Tried To Buy Some Flour, They Said No, No, No (Not Your Mama’s Rice Krispy Treats)

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Day 2 of Shelter in Place.  I receive a text from a friend that the supermarkets are a little calmer than yesterday.  That’s my cue to head to the market to pick up a few items.  Nope, not gonna go crazy, just need a few staples like flour, yeast, butter, and milk.  Since we will be “cocooning” I wanted to do some baking.  Sounds like a plan, right?

Apparently, everyone else wants to too.

Not a bag of flour of any kind on any shelf in the 3 grocery stores I tried.  Wow.  I’m dumbfounded.  I couldn’t find yeast either.  I feel like we are in pioneer living mode.  All good, time to improvise.

So I grab the next best thing, a bag of marshmallows.  I have Rice Krispies at home, just got more butter, and maybe I’ll make them happy Rice Krispies with some sprinkles.  A little bit of fun and cheeriness to offset our Coronavirus blues.

I know what you are thinking…oh please, a recipe for Rice Krispy Treats?

Not just Rice Krispy Treats.  Nope, not the “look on the side of the cereal box recipe” but Smitten Kitchen’s version which a friend from Tennessee renamed “Damn good, Double Buttah R-aah-ce Krispy Treats”.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen. In the 3jamigos archives find it here.

Like the Big Fig Newton….here’s the hard part BROWN BUTTER  This added step elevates Snap, Crackle and Pop’s version to a whole new level.  That…and oh, twice the amount of butter.  Just trying to be transparent folks.

Melt butter over medium heat, keep an eye on it.  The butter will foam and as it gets hotter the milk particles will brown.  Keep a close eye so it doesn’t burn and stir constantly.

Look at those nice brown bits that are just flavor bombs!  So delicious!

I added happy sprinkles but sadly, they melted.  My advice is to wait until you pour the mixture into the pan to shape and cool, then go crazy scattering sprinkles on top.

BRAG ALERT!

Upside to shelter at home…Hubby just made me a cookie box to transport goodies to friends and family functions after we get through this!  So excited, box has a sliding lid and dividers for different kinds of cookies. Hmmm,not my birthday but I’ll take it.

Stay safe, stay healthy!
Donut Loaf Around, Make This Soon!

Donut Loaf Around, Make This Soon!

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I visited my town library recently and requested the cookbook Midwest Made by Shauna Sever. This is a feeble attempt to be more discriminating before buying another cookbook.  The librarian cheerfully responded with, “we can order that from Amazon for you! The book will be sent directly to you and you can then keep the book for any length of time. When you are good and ready, return it to the library.

You’re joking, right?  Nope.

Two days later, I found a brand spanking new copy of Midwest Made sitting on my front doorstep.  I broke open that puppy and started scanning the book for recipes I wanted to try.

I started with her Jammy Winter Fruit and Brown Butter Bars (will post soon).  The cookie dough, studded with walnuts and oatmeal, serves as both the base and topping.  It’s a keeper.  But the filling, an apple and pear jam, didn’t stand out.  I would try a berry jam or use tart apples next time to bump up the flavor.  

On the other hand, the Donut Loaf was a straight winner!  Initially, the 2 teaspoons of nutmeg threw me for a loop, not my favorite spice. But multiple positive reviews convinced me to take the donut challenge.  I’m glad I did.  Think giant powdered sugar donut but sliced from a loaf.  The inside of the loaf is moist, tender with a nice crumb with just a bit of density like a cake donut.  The outside makes me feel like a kid again, a flurry of powdered sugar with every bite.

The recipe is pretty much a classic loaf bread cake.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add just a quarter cup of the flour mixture, beat and then add eggs one at a time. I’m not sure why she adds a small amount of the dry ingredients before the eggs, maybe it prevents the batter from curdling after adding the eggs.  Just a guess.  Add the dry ingredients by alternating with the buttermilk.  The process results in a fine crumb, tender cake-delicious.  I used freshly grated nutmeg for the cake as recommended.  It wasn’t overpowering but surprisingly subtle.

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Donut Loaf from Midwest Made

Powdered sugar donut of your childhood back as an easy to make Donut Loaf
Course Cake, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Donut Loaf, Loaf bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray for pan
  • 2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk at room temperature
  • To finish:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted, plus more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

  • Position a rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325°F. Spray a 9x5-inch light-colored metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with 2 perpendicular strips of parchment paper — 1 cut skinnier to fit lengthwise across the bottom and up the 2 short sides, 1 to fit crosswise and up the 2 longer sides. Cut the strips long enough to have a few inches of overhang on all sides.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup of the flour mixture. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and stir in the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk in 5 alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Finish folding the batter by hand to make sure everything is incorporated — the batter will be very thick.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the loaf is golden with a couple of cracks on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan set over a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the loaf from the pan. Let rest for another 30 minutes.
  • When the loaf is cool and firm enough to handle, but still slightly warm, sift the powdered sugar all over a large rimmed baking sheet (keep the sieve handy). Peel the parchment from the cake. Gently turn the loaf over in 1 hand, using part of your forearm to support it. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom of the cake with some of the melted butter. Carefully set the loaf, right-side up, in the powdered sugar. From there, brush the long sides with the butter, turning the cake from side to side to coat in sugar, then brush and coat the short sides. Lastly, brush the top with the butter, grab a handful or two of sugar from the tray, deposit into the sieve, and sift sugar generously over the top of the loaf. Roll the entire loaf in sugar once more so that it resembles a giant powdered sugar donut. Carefully transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving, touching up the loaf with a quick sifting of sugar as needed.

Notes

Nutmeg: Freshly grated makes a difference.
Everybody Have Jjigae Tonight (Kimchi Jjiggae-Korean Kimchi Tofu Soup)

Everybody Have Jjigae Tonight (Kimchi Jjiggae-Korean Kimchi Tofu Soup)

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Y’all know I love soup, right?  I have about a dozen recipes for different soups on 3jamigos and now I am adding one more, Kimchi Jjigae or Kimchi Tofu Soup.  It is easy to make, super delicious and something a little different.  It’s a hearty soup with lots of yummy stuff. Along with kimchi, the soup has beef, or pork, tofu, mushrooms, onions, cabbage, basically, anything your little heart desires.  Jamie and I collaborated on this recipe (she made it, I ate it).  It is a mash-up of various recipes we found online.  If you like Korean food and would like to try making it at home, there are some really good blogs and Instagrammers you can check out, Korean Bapsang, and My Korean Kitchen.  Instagrammer @Christy_l_kitchen’s video for kimchi tofu soup served as ground zero for Jamie’s delicious soup.

First, let’s run through the ingredients for Kimchi Jjigae.  If you live in the Bay Area, it will be easy to find the ingredients for this tasty pot.  Actually, any major metropolitan area probably has an Asian market and there are online sources. (Or call me, happy to take anyone Asian food shopping)  Once you have assembled the ingredients, putting the soup together is a SNAP.

Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…

Kimchi, or fermented cabbage, is essential to the soup.  It is the cornerstone of the soup providing umami, texture, and spice. Asian stores and larger supermarkets often carry Kimchi in their cold boxes.  My favorite brands are Ocinet and Im Soon Ja.  Use the one you like.

Tofu-made from soybean comes in various densities from super soft to extra firm.  Normally, SoonDubu Jjigae uses a very soft “silken” tofu. PERFECTLY acceptable to use firmer tofu if you like.  Tofu in tubes by Pulmone is a great choice. Kithcn has a nice primer on tofu that helps sort out the different varieties.

For protein, we used pork belly but again you can substitute beef or seafood such as shrimp or clams. Mushrooms are amazing and if you pull out the protein, the perfect vegetarian version.  Jamie added King Mushrooms (pictured) and Enoki Mushrooms (teeny tiny mushrooms), very tasty.

Gochugaru, Korean red pepper adds sweet, spicy, fruity, smoky-irreplaceable, look for it at Korean markets or online.  I like to use Gochujang (spicy sweet chili paste) along with the powder.

The soup can be made with water but if you want depth of flavor, use stock.  Traditionally an anchovy stock is used but we improvised by using a Japanese Shiro Dashi (fish-based stock) concentrate which I love.  In a pinch use chicken broth or a mushroom broth.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of liquid, I LOVE soup so I usually increase the amount of liquid 1.5-2 cups.  If you do too, taste for seasoning, you may want to increase the chili powder.

There you have it, all the ingredients for a pot of yumminess.

The hard part is over!  It’s downhill from here.  Saute’ your onions and pork, add kimchi and seasonings, stock, shrooms, and then the tofu. Top with green onions, Badda bing Badda boom, done.  Just a couple of minutes of work and dinner is served!  Koreans have a special little pot to cook Tofu Soup in, it retains heat, when you bring it to the table the soup is still bubbling furiously. Drop a raw egg in and let it cook in the piping hot broth.  We don’t have a special pot so we dropped the egg on top before taking the saucepan off the stove.

Variations on a Jjigae theme.  Did I mention we threw in mandu for good measure?  Because who doesn’t love dumplings!  To increase the veggie content without adding more kimchi, add sliced fresh cabbage or more mushrooms.

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Korean Tofu Soup Kimchi Jjigae

Korean comfort food, Soondubu Jjigae or Tofu Soup. Tofu, pork, beef or seafood and Kimchi are the building blocks for this delicious, easy to make soup.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Asian
Keyword kimchij jigae, tofu soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Sauteed 3-4 min until pork loses its pink color

  • 1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced pork belly or beef can sub seafood, shrimp or clams.
  • 2 scallions, chopped, separate white and green parts divide white and green parts, finely chopped, add white part to yellow onion mix saute', reserve green part for garnish

Add to onions & pork, saute' 1-2min

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2-3/4 cup thinly sliced kimchi
  • 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil use a little more if using more gochugaru
  • 1/2-1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T Gochujang (chili paste)

Add & Bring to a Boil

  • 1 cup anchovy broth can use water, dashi or chicken broth
  • 1-2 T red chili pepper flakes gochugaru add more for a spicier stew
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons juice from kimchi

When Boiling add the following and boil for 3-4 minutes

  • 2-3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced or enoki mushrooms, 1 small pkg
  • 1 cup veggies of choice, squash, Mu, Dumplings optional but recommended

Then add in concentric circle to top of soup

  • 10 ounces soondubu, divided into 4-5 slices extra soft/silken tofu, 1/2 carton of tofu
  • pinch black pepper, dash of salt
  • 1 large raw egg, add to center optional

Garnish

  • sesame seeds, the reserved green onions splash of sesame oil

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion, scallions (white part) and pork or . Stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked, 3 - 4 minutes.
  • Add the kimchi, chili paste, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil to pot. Stir to combine and saute for 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour in broth, juice from the kimchi and pepper flakes. Bring it to a boil, add mushrooms and continue to boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
  • Add the soft tofu in big chunks. Stir in salt to taste (I rarely add salt), start with 1/4 teaspoon, and black pepper.
  • Cook for 4 -5 minutes. Add chopped scallions just before removing the pot from the heat.
  • If desired, crack an egg into the soup to serve while it’s still boiling hot.
  • Serve with rice.

Notes

Shiro dashi concentrate is seasoned, reduce salt and/or soy sauce if used.
Is it A Cake Or A Ginormous Muffin! (Blueberry Muffin Cake)

Is it A Cake Or A Ginormous Muffin! (Blueberry Muffin Cake)

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A friend mentioned she was making her daughter’s favorite cake, A Blueberry Muffin Cake for her birthday that day. She asked “I think I found the recipe on 3Jamigos, didn’t I?”

I had to tell her there wasn’t a Blueberry Muffin Cake on my site.  I try to tempt her with the Blueberry Boy Bait Cake or  Ottolenghi’s Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake on 3jamigos but to no avail, her response was “Too bad, it’s really easy and super tasty, I’ll have to look for it”.

Challenge accepted

Ok, she didn’t challenge me, but my curiosity was peaked so I googled Blueberry Muffin Cake.  1.01 seconds later, an array of recipes popped up on my feed.  A quick perusal landed me on a Blueberry Muffin Cake by Fine Cooking.  It not only looked yummy but seemed pretty darn easy to make too.  I saved the recipe thinking I would try it one of these days. Well, what should appear in my feed that very day?  A message from my favorite strawberry purveyors, P and K Farms, “no strawberries yet but we have blueberries this weekend!”  No brainer, making Blueberry Muffin Cake after a trip to the Farmer’s Market.

Essentially it is a muffin batter, easily whipped up in one bowl and baked in a springform pan.  The recipe starts with melted butter, no creaming butter and sugar together which makes this incredibly easy.  The cake is not too sweet, tender with a nice crumb and peppered with blueberries.  Perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch or for an afternoon tea or coffee break.

The cake calls for a generous 2 cups of blueberries.  Which makes this cake a very berry delight.   I added lemon zest for a bit of zing.  Almond extract would also work well as an added dimension of flavor.  Things to remember, don’t over mix your batter once you start combining the dry and wet ingredients. You can substitute other fruit like raspberries, strawberries, diced peaches, or nectarines.  Really, you could knock this cake out in minutes, its that easy.  So what are you waiting for?  Go make this cake.

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Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword Blueberry Muffin Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; more for the pan
  • 9 oz. 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 lb. 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan.
  • Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add lemon zest to dry ingredients, stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk the butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Using a silicone spatula, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Gently fold in the berries.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Tap the pan on the counter once or twice to break any air bubbles.
  • Bake until golden-brown and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes (if the top gets too brown, tent with aluminum foil).
  • Cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the cake and remove the side of the pan.
  • Transfer the cake to a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature with confectioners’ sugar sifted over the top.

Notes

Use raspberries, blackberries or cut diced strawberries instead.  Stone fruits would work.  Omit lemon zest, add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.