Seems like a long time since we've made cookies, and now three times in the last week. It's because we're hosting school sessions and they've got to be fed, and none of these people are allergic to wheat.
Oatmeal cookies made with 1/3 white sugar, 2/3s brown; add sweetened flaked coconut and don't forget to use some ghastly soft (but at least non-hydrogenated) margarine instead of butter if you want the cookies to stay soft for a few days. That's shelf-life for you: requires the compromise of all one's principles.
Fresh grated nutmeg in the coconut/oatmeal cookies was perfect, too. Not so much that you could identify it, just a mysterious scent of acerbic reality. A damp measuring-cup bottom to flatten the cookies slightly made them look strangely professional.
Better than anything you could buy, let's face it.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Friday, March 31, 2006
hors d'oeueueuevre
We wandered through the Williams-Sonoma appetizer/hors d'oeuvre/starter cookbook the other day, thinking we might have to buy it—but were happy to discover that we already make everything in it, and do it very well, we think; except for the scallops. We have yet to find scallops in mid-continent that seem acquainted with the sea.
One reliable pre-dinner treat is Artichoke Dish, which we will make again tomorrow afternoon to take to a reading. Well-made, it's surprisingly good for how simple it is. The ingredients are reliably available and it takes eight minutes from start to shoving it into the oven.
ARTICHOKE DISH
Pre-heat oven to 375º
Drain one 8-oz jar of artichoke hearts in oil and chop into small dippable bits. In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup decent mayonnaise (low-fat does not work) with 1 cup very good freshly-grated Parmesan cheese. The better the cheese, the better the end result. When the cheese and mayonnaise are well-blended, stir in the chopped artichoke and turn the whole thing into a 3-cup baking dish. Don't bother flattening out the top, it will melt down during baking. Bake 20 minutes or so till the whole dish is bubbling and golden brown. Serve warm with sturdy crackers or other strong handles: celery and carrot sticks work, but not cucumbers. Bread is too soft.
Salty and complex, this is an adult dish.
One reliable pre-dinner treat is Artichoke Dish, which we will make again tomorrow afternoon to take to a reading. Well-made, it's surprisingly good for how simple it is. The ingredients are reliably available and it takes eight minutes from start to shoving it into the oven.
ARTICHOKE DISH
Pre-heat oven to 375º
Drain one 8-oz jar of artichoke hearts in oil and chop into small dippable bits. In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup decent mayonnaise (low-fat does not work) with 1 cup very good freshly-grated Parmesan cheese. The better the cheese, the better the end result. When the cheese and mayonnaise are well-blended, stir in the chopped artichoke and turn the whole thing into a 3-cup baking dish. Don't bother flattening out the top, it will melt down during baking. Bake 20 minutes or so till the whole dish is bubbling and golden brown. Serve warm with sturdy crackers or other strong handles: celery and carrot sticks work, but not cucumbers. Bread is too soft.
Salty and complex, this is an adult dish.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Brownies
Preheat oven to 350º and generously butter a 9" x 13" baking pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cup of non-hydrogenated margarine, like Becel or Olivina. As it melts, add 6 tablespoons Fry's cocoa and 2 C white sugar. Take off the heat and mix till smooth. Beat in, all at once, 4 eggs. When fairly smooth, add 1 1/4 C unbleached flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt. Stir just to combine, till there's no white showing. Pour into prepared sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Do not overbake. When cool, or nearly cool, ice with Fudge Icing.
Fudge Icing:
Put the kettle on to boil with a small amount of water. In a small saucepan, melt 3/4 C butter. Stir in 6 T Fry's cocoa until smooth. Take off the heat, and stir in 2 C icing sugar till smooth but stiff. Add 1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla and 2 tablespoons boiling water, stir till smooth and glossy. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the icing reaches the right consistency. If it's not glossing up, add a little more boiling water. Spread icing on brownie quickly, because it sets up. Like fudge.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cup of non-hydrogenated margarine, like Becel or Olivina. As it melts, add 6 tablespoons Fry's cocoa and 2 C white sugar. Take off the heat and mix till smooth. Beat in, all at once, 4 eggs. When fairly smooth, add 1 1/4 C unbleached flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt. Stir just to combine, till there's no white showing. Pour into prepared sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Do not overbake. When cool, or nearly cool, ice with Fudge Icing.
Fudge Icing:
Put the kettle on to boil with a small amount of water. In a small saucepan, melt 3/4 C butter. Stir in 6 T Fry's cocoa until smooth. Take off the heat, and stir in 2 C icing sugar till smooth but stiff. Add 1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla and 2 tablespoons boiling water, stir till smooth and glossy. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the icing reaches the right consistency. If it's not glossing up, add a little more boiling water. Spread icing on brownie quickly, because it sets up. Like fudge.
What's for supper?
Baked salmon, spinach with lemon, mashed sweet potatoes
Simple, delicious, good for you, and beautiful on the plate.
Forty-five minutes before dinner, turn the oven on to 425º
While the oven heats, spike a sweet potato with a long nail or a skewer: cuts the cooking time in half. Put the sweet potato on the bottom oven rack. One large sweet potato will do for two—spike more if you need them.
Fifteen minutes before supper, place a fillet of fresh wild salmon skin-side-down on a piece of foil. Turn up the sides of the foil and squeeze about half of a lemon-half on the salmon. Fold the foil tightly, leaving a little air-room inside there, and place the package directly on the oven rack. Let bake/steam/roast for 12 minutes per inch of thickness in the salmon fillet.
Grate the lemon zest from the other half of the lemon, put it in a medium bowl and squeeze the remaining juice into it.
Steam two packages of spinach until bright green and soft, drain. Squeeze the other half of the lemon into the spinach and add a dollop of olive oil, some celtic sea salt and ground pepper. Stir to combine and warm the oil.
Take the sweet potato out of the oven, slice open, scoop out the flesh into the lemon-zest bowl, and mash to combine. Salt lightly with celtic sea salt.
Open the salmon package—the salmon should be opaque pale pink and steaming with lemon.
Serve the salmon leaning on a bed of spinach, with the darker orange potato beside it.
Simple, delicious, good for you, and beautiful on the plate.
Forty-five minutes before dinner, turn the oven on to 425º
While the oven heats, spike a sweet potato with a long nail or a skewer: cuts the cooking time in half. Put the sweet potato on the bottom oven rack. One large sweet potato will do for two—spike more if you need them.
Fifteen minutes before supper, place a fillet of fresh wild salmon skin-side-down on a piece of foil. Turn up the sides of the foil and squeeze about half of a lemon-half on the salmon. Fold the foil tightly, leaving a little air-room inside there, and place the package directly on the oven rack. Let bake/steam/roast for 12 minutes per inch of thickness in the salmon fillet.
Grate the lemon zest from the other half of the lemon, put it in a medium bowl and squeeze the remaining juice into it.
Steam two packages of spinach until bright green and soft, drain. Squeeze the other half of the lemon into the spinach and add a dollop of olive oil, some celtic sea salt and ground pepper. Stir to combine and warm the oil.
Take the sweet potato out of the oven, slice open, scoop out the flesh into the lemon-zest bowl, and mash to combine. Salt lightly with celtic sea salt.
Open the salmon package—the salmon should be opaque pale pink and steaming with lemon.
Serve the salmon leaning on a bed of spinach, with the darker orange potato beside it.
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