Time for Change - try something new in the kitchen.

I hope you had a terrific holiday season and are looking forward to a great new year.

Our January cooking classes start tonight with Main dishes and Casseroles.

I believe most people think of casseroles as something your mother or grandmother subscribed to, that they're "old fashioned" and "out of date". Think back ..... what are some of the best memories you have spending time in your Mom's or Grandmother's kitchen? Don't those memories involve food and family? Don't we all have fond memories of what we, lovingly, refer to as "comfort food"?

As I was thinking about what to prepare for this month's classes, I, naturally, started thinking about "comfort foods", those recipes that brought us so much pleasure as children and even adults. Food enjoyed while sitting around the table with family and friends. While most of these recipes are "old fashioned", we can always give them a more "up to date" twist.

We're having Mac & Cheese (I have to thank Andee Ott for bring this to my attention. She made it for her family and it was a huge success - way to go Andee!). Of course it starts with, our old friend, white sauce. You might want to break out the memories of "Tuna Noodle" casserole. Kick it up a notch with fresh herbs and perhaps a cheese sauce instead of the old, mushroom soup, standby.

Recipe Note:

Cook your pasta till its aldante'. Drain, but do not rinse. Place the pasta in a large bowl and mix with white sauce (I used frozen Parmesan Cheese Sauce that I had leftover from the September cooking class. If I'm using white sauce in a "savory" dish, I usually season it with broth and herbs or seasonings that will enhance my recipe. If I'm not sure what I'll do with the sauce, I leave it plain, which allows me more flexibility with its use). Make sure that you have enough sauce on the pasta so it doesn't dry out as it bakes. Remember that pasta absorbs the liquids it's in as it continues to cook or sit, so you'll need to allow for that.

I added chopped garlic chives from my garden (frozen, of course) and a combination of cheeses; Parmesan and a blend of Colby/Jack, Gouda and Dubliner. Make sure that your cheese is grated so that it melts evenly. Mix everything together, pour into a greased casserole, top with additional cheese and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes till golden on top and heated through.

You can certainly add vegetables to your mac and cheese as well as diced, cooked chicken if you like. This is a great way to get your children to eat their vegetables.

Someone suggested adding hot dogs. You could certainly add one of those amazing sausage combinations, such as, garlic artichoke. Grill them up, slice diagonally and add to the pasta. Very yummy.

Next comes, Chicken Pot Pie. I love making my own pot pies and I don't know why I don't do it more often. There's a difference between Pot Pie and Shepherds Pie. I think the main difference is that you use pie crust for one and mashed potatoes for the other. I'm sure that my friend Anne, who is English, would disagree with me, but we're going to keep it simple. We'll be making Shepherds Pie as I want to use those potatoes that I riced before Christmas.

Recipe Note:

Cook two, thawed, chicken breasts in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, turn once and cook an additional 2 minutes, allow to rest for 4-5 minutes before cutting. They'll come out perfect every time. If your chicken breasts are still frozen, cook 3 minutes on each side. If the chicken is still a little pink when slicing, pop back in the microwave, after slicing, for an additional 45-60 seconds. DON'T OVERCOOK!

Start your filling with enough chicken broth to cover your vegetables. Add chopped vegetables, I used celery, carrots, red potatoes and the chopped chicken. You can add onions and any vegetable that your family likes. Don't add the chicken till the vegetables are cooked and if you like peas, don’t add them till just before you pop it in the oven. Add a little rue or very thick white sauce to the broth and vegetables to thicken. I used a corn starch slurry (remember, cornstarch will never become thicker than it is when it comes to a boil), thickened it, and then added some white sauce. Essentially, you're making a cream of chicken and vegetable soup.

Whip up your riced potatoes (you can use sliced potatoes and line the casserole dish with them, overlapping, and top the filling with the sliced potatoes as well. Be sure to cover the top of the potatoes with some white sauce to keep them from drying out and add a little grated cheese. You can also use instant mashed potatoes if you like). Spread the mashed potatoes in the bottom and up the sides of the casserole dish. Fill with the chicken filling and cover with the rest of the mashed potatoes. Bake in a 350 oven for 35-45 minutes or till the top is golden brown and the filling bubbles.

I have a different take on casseroles. I don't think that they need to spend time in the oven to qualify; casseroles can be made on the stove top. There are many recipes I'd consider a casserole, such as Spaghetti and Meatballs. We're having a "stove top" casserole - Chicken Stir Fry with Seasoned Rice. The great thing about stir fry is that it's fast and it's a great way to clean out your refrigerator, as is the case with many casseroles, soups and salads.

Recipe Note:

When stir-frying, you want to heat *oil in the bottom of your skillet or stir fry pan till it’s nearly smoking. Add your ingredients in order; meats first. Stir fry quickly, stirring till the meat is browned (It’s important to remember that in order for your meat to brown, you need to make sure that it’s dry. Rinse the meat and pat dry with paper towels. If the meat is wet or very moist, it will steam, not brown). Remove the browned meat from the pan and add the vegetables in order, starting with the firmest first. Continue adding from firm to soft, the soft needing the least amount of cooking time.

When all the vegetables are tender-crisp, add the meat back into the pan with whatever sauce you’re using. Stir till everything is heated through and serve with rice or noodles immediately.

It’s important to cut your vegetables in pieces that are approximately the same size. This allows the vegetables to cook in the same amount of time. Slicing your vegetables on the diagonal allows for more “surface” to cook and a quicker cooking time. If you want to hurry your veggies along, cover your pan, but only briefly or you’ll end up steaming them instead of stir-frying them.

*I used Sesame Oil for my stir fry. You can use vegetable oil or olive oil if you like.

Casseroles are certainly main dishes, but main dishes are not necessarily casseroles. For our Main Dishes we're having BBQ Chicken Pizza and Squash and Carrot Soup. This soup provided me with a means to use up some pretty beat up squash and carrots that accidentally froze in the back of my fridge. Cook, puree and add a little white sauce to make it a cream soup. Delicious!

Recipe Note - Pizza:

I got this great idea from the “CRAZY GOOD” biscuits we had in November. I thought that if I could add melted butter to the pan and bake the biscuits in it, why couldn’t I add oil to my pan to bake the pizza crust?

It was amazing! The best pizza crust I’ve ever made. Add enough oil to your pizza pan to have a little standing oil (I used Pampered Chef’s Large Stoneware Bar Pan to bake my pizza in). I patted the crust out right in the pan (you have the recipe for the pizza crust in your January “Baking” file on your CD). I spread a little cream sauce on the crust to keep it from drying out (you can use BBQ sauce instead if you like) and spread my *BBQ Chicken over the crust; topped it off with Mozzarella and baked it in a 450 preheated oven for about 30 minutes till golden brown. The crust was amazing! It was golden on the bottom, a little crunchy from the oil and cooked all the way through. I’ll never make pizza any differently.

*I cooked my chicken (see the note above, cooking in the microwave) and cut into thin strips, cut the strips in half lengthwise and across. I caramelized ½ of a large onion and place it all in a quart zip lock bag. I poured BBQ sauce over all and mushed it around till it was all covered with sauce. The great thing about doing it this way is that the chicken picks up the flavor of the BBQ sauce before you even start baking it. YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!

Recipe Note – Squash/Carrot Soup:

This is a great way to use up old or not very pretty vegetables. Dice everything up and place it in a stock pot with enough broth to cover the vegetables. I added a little chopped garlic to the pot and some Pampered Chef – Citrus Basil seasoning. Bring it to a boil, cover and let it cook till everything is tender and falling apart. Be sure to allow your vegetables and broth to come to room temperature before you start pureeing it in the blender or the mixture will EXPLODE. No kidding! This can be very dangerous, so please take the time to let it cool. When everything is pureed, place it in a stock pot (or it can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator at this point) and add some white sauce to thicken the puree and make the soup creamy. Bring just to a boil and serve hot. You can add cheese, chopped vegetables or meat, top with home made croutons or a dollop of sour cream. The possibilities are endless. Have a great time making soup, it’s ALWAYS a perfect main dish – add a side salad and you have a complete meal.

Miscellaneous notes:

I used the potatoes I'd riced and froze in November. Just let them thaw in the fridge, heat in the microwave (remember, you're not cooking them, just heating them), add a little melted butter, sour cream and milk or cream and whip with a fork. No need for a mixer or masher. They are still amazing even after they're frozen. We used them as a base and top for our Shepherds Pie. Simply YUMMY!

That about covers Mains and Casseroles. Bon Appetite.

Candy and Christmas - a dynamic duo

Christmas and candy always seem to go hand in hand. All those homemade Christmas goodies coming from neighbor and friends, great music and the lights on the Christmas tree, seem to bring holiday cheer even to the biggest Grinch at Christmas.

Candy doesn't need to be something only for the "ultimate chef" in your life. There's always one of those; The friend or acquaintance that seems to make everything perfectly. Everything always seems to taste good, look good and the presentation is charming and always just right.

Well, let me clue you in. The only reason that everything always tastes good, looks good and the presentation is perfect is because you don't see the flops that end up left in the kitchen. We all have those moments when nothing seems to turn out right. When "Paula Dean's Taffy" turns into a mass of burned, goo because someone was on the phone and not paying attention. (Remember - NO MULTITASKING!).

There are some simple rules to follow to make sure that your Christmas candy turns out right. Follow these and you'll be the one that friends refer to as the "ultimate chef".

1. Use a digital thermometer. If you don't have one, it's time to invest in one, if you're serious about making candy. Find one that's easy to read and, preferably, that's multifunctional. One that will test meats as well as candy. You'll also need to use wooden spoons (I prefer bamboo, as it's a hard wood, is less porous, doesn't splinter or sliver and I put them in my dishwasher). Metal spoons draw heat from the candy and may cause re-crystallization of the sugar.

2. Test your candy thermometer EVERY time you make candy. Fill a pot with water and attach your candy thermometer, making sure that it doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. Bring the water to a boil (212 degrees F). When the water comes to a rolling boil, check to see what your thermometer is reading and adjust your recipe up or down depending on your thermometers accuracy. If your thermometer reads 210 at a full roiling boil, then you'll need to adjust your "finished" temperature down by 2 degrees.

3. Remember that weather and, especially, moisture greatly effect the outcome of some candies; for example, Peanut Brittle, English Toffee, Divinity..... When there's a great deal of moisture in the air, you're less likely to have a great finished product. Wait for a clear, dry day. One reason, is that sugar attracts water. This will cause your brittle and toffee to be less crisp and your divinity less light and fluffy.

4. Never, never, never make candy when little children are around! Many candies require an extended period of time for cooking and stirring. You cannot neglect your candy. Once your candy comes to a rolling boil, it may pop and sputter as you stir. Little children and candy making are a recipe for disaster and possible injury.

5. NO MULTITASKING! It's important that you pay attention to your candy. It may take a while to go from a rolling boil to 230, and then quickly to 236. Pay attention. Candy making requires patience and attention. If you have a problem with either of these, I suggest you make candy that will give you more "instant gratification" and is easily completed in a short period of time, like candy bark, or chocolate covered nuts.

6. Choose one thing that's your favorite and then fill in with some candies or confections that aren't too over the top. This will keep your Christmas preparations down to a minimum and much less stressful.

7. Make a list of your family, friends and neighbors that you want to share a "homemade" goodie with. This really helps when you're trying to determine how much you need to prepare. Determine what your "gift" size is going to be and what kind of packaging you're going to use. A little preparation goes a long way in making your life a lot easier.

8. Shaving your chocolate will help it melt faster and mix more completely (as with truffles). Shaved chocolate will all melt at the same time, instead of smaller pieces melting and larger pieces needing more time.

9. When dipping centers in chocolate coating, your centers should be well chilled, and for really soft centers, perhaps frozen for 10-15 minutes. This will prevent your centers from melting in the hot coating. Dip centers quickly and place on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool. When chocolate is set, place in candy cups and store in the refrigerator. Remove dipped chocolates from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

10. To prevent chocolate dipped candy from melting quickly at room temperature, add 1 Tbl. of shortening for every 6-8 oz. of chocolate, for your coating.

11. Weigh your ingredients - you'll get a better end result and remember that volume and weight are not equal. One cup, which is 8 oz, liquid measure is not the same as 8 oz. in weight.

Some tips for storing and cooking chocolate:

• Your work area should be between 70-75 degrees.
• Your candy molds should be between 83-87 degrees.
• Store your candy at 65 degrees with relative humidity of 50 or less, in a well-ventilated area free from strong odors.
• If you're not tempering your chocolate, it can be melted in either a microwave or double boiler.
• To microwave: use full power for 1 min. 30 sec. Stir. Return to microwave for 15-30 second intervals.
• Stove top: Place in a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. Stir until melted. Keep water away from the chocolate to prevent "seizing".
• Shaved coating method: place coating in a saucepan in a warm oven, not above 125 degrees; stir frequently. Cool coating to about 92 degrees. Using a knife or spatula, slice thin pieces from the block of coating. Ratio of shavings should be 1 part shavings to 9 parts melted coating. Stir shavings into melted chocolate until completely melted and thoroughly mixed. Adjust temperature of coating to appropriate temperature and use room temperature to cool coating. Heat coating very gradually if too cold. The coating can now be used for either dipping or molding.

Enjoy your candy making and have a GREAT holiday with your family and friends. Below is a temperature chart for your convenience. Till next month -

Candy Temperature Chart

Name	Temp	Description	Usage
Thread	223-235* F	The syrup drips from a spoon, forms thin threads in water	Glacé and candied fruits
Soft ball	235-245* F	The syrup easily forms a ball while in the cold water, but flattens once removed	Fudge and fondant
Firm ball	245-250* F	The syrup is formed into a stable ball, but loses its round shape once pressed	Caramel candies
Hard ball	250-266* F	The syrup holds its ball shape, but remains sticky	Divinity and marshmallows
Soft crack	270-290* F	The syrup will form firm but pliable threads	Nougat and taffy.
Hard crack	300-310* F	The syrup will crack if you try to mold it	Brittles and lollipops
Caramel	320-350* F	The sugar syrup will turn golden at this stage	Pralines

Cooking, Baking and Re-pursosing

This Week in My Kitchen:

It’s been a busy week in my kitchen; prepping for the cooking classes on Wednesday and Thursday, and a family dinner today.

I don’t know if many of you realize that most of the recipes I use in the cooking classes, I haven’t made before. You may, sometimes, feel that you can’t do what I do, but if I’m making a recipe for the first time and it turns out, I’m sure it’ll turn out for you as well, as long as you following the directions.

If I’m not happy with how one of our recipes turns out, I tweak it for the next night’s class and then like to let you know the changes I’ve made.

That’s what happened this week. I wasn’t impressed with the roasted chicken on Wednesday night, so I made some changes for my Thursday night class; I placed a stem of fresh rosemary (that’s a whole stem, folded in half) and a bunch of fresh basil in the cavity of the chicken, then I made a paste of butter, brown sugar, salt & pepper and garlic and “mushed” this under the skin of the chicken breast (you need to lift the skin at the tip of the breast, closest to the cavity, and “strip” the connective membrane that attaches the skin to the breast. Do this gently so you don’t tear the skin. Go up the breast bone, gently lifting the skin and hooking your pointer finger through the tissue and pulling; continue doing this over the entire breast, then lift the skin and place globs of the butter mixture over the breast. Place the skin back down and push the butter over the entire breast).

This is a great way to get a lot of flavor into your chicken. You can add any flavorings or seasonings that you desire and that will compliment your dinner. I’m roasting more chickens today for dinner and my butter paste is; butter, salt & pepper, fresh chopped rosemary, onion powder, chopped garlic and fresh grated ginger. I can’t wait to see what this tastes like.

I also baked the chicken longer at a lower temperature. The chicken went in the oven at 3:00 at 350; then the temperature went down to 300 at 4:30.

After my cooking classes I spend most the rest of the week “using up or re-purposing”, whatever’s left over from the classes. Some goes home with the kids, some Fred eats, but there’s always something left over.

Today, we’re using up the cranberry sauce (not a favorite of my family) and some of the pear tart filling and pie crust from our Pastry Class 2 weeks ago. The cranberry sauce went into the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (you should have the recipe in your October folder). I always double this recipe, so it’s easy. I had some softening bananas and did a combination of 3-1 or ½ & ½ banana and cranberry sauce (3 parts banana to 1 part cranberry sauce). This is a great way to use up extra or leftover fruit. Six loaves later, the cranberry sauce is almost gone.

I needed to use up the left over pear filling, so I added a few more pears, sliced, a little more flour to compensate for all the juice, then I needed to make a decision about what to do with it. I had some left over pie crust, but not enough for a crust. I had too much filling for a tart and didn’t want to have any more left over filling. My decision was this;

I softened 8oz. of cream cheese in the microwave, placed it in my mixer with 1 C. sugar and 3 eggs. I then, mixed the cream cheese mixture with the pear filling. I’m hoping that, with the eggs, it will become custardy. I broke up the pie crust into the mixer, added a cup of flour and about ¾ C. sugar and some fresh grated nutmeg, I then proceeded to mix it till the crust went back to small balls of dough. I placed the casserole of pear filling in the oven at 350 and will bake it till it’s nearly done, then I’ll sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top and put it back in the oven till the crumbs are golden brown. I’ll let you know how it turns out. If it’s good, this would be a great way to use up leftover fruit; not enough for an entire pie, but more than you want to throw away.

I avail myself of “Bountiful Baskets”; a co-op that offers fresh fruits and vegetables. They seem to be, nearly, country wide, so look them up and determine if there’s one in your area; it’s well worth the inquiry.

You never know what you’ll receive in your baskets, so it’s always a surprise. This past week, I received eggplant, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and Asian persimmons. That’s in addition to the more common ingredients. Sometimes you need to get a little creative in your cooking. Especially if you’re using ingredients that you’re not familiar with or not sure you’ll like. Think about adding them to something you do like. If you’re not sure what the flavor of something is, ask someone.

Today, I diced the mushrooms with some onions and celery and sautéed them in a pan till they got some color on them. I peeled and chopped the eggplant and some zucchini that came in the basket, added a little chopped fresh rosemary and basil, that also came with my order and added a can of stewed tomatoes and some chicken stock. Put the lid on and steam for 1 hour, remove the lid and cook till nearly all the liquid is absorbed. This is a great way to use some of those vegetables you’re not sure about. Because the tomatoes, onions and herbs are rather strong flavored, they’ll diminish the taste of the eggplant. Zucchini and tomatoes are great together and sautéing mushrooms brings out the “woodsy” flavor. You can serve this fresh with grated Parmesan cheese over the top, or refrigerate it and use it at some other time, just reheat. This can also be frozen, thaw in the fridge and reheat to serve. This makes a great Antipasti, spread some on really good, dense French or Italian bread, just add some Parmesan cheese to the veggies, heat through to melt the cheese, and spread – YUM!

When using mushrooms, don’t soak them; they absorb whatever liquid they’re in. Just wipe them off with a soft cloth and place them in the refrigerator. You can rinse them off just before using, if you like, but remember not to soak. Pop of the stem (you can save them with your other “scraps” for vegetable broth), slice or dice the mushrooms and use them in whichever way you like.

When you’re pretty well finished with your chicken, place the carcass in a pot with any leftover juices from the pan, or the gravy you’ve made from the juices, cover with water, add some garlic and chopped onion, a handful of chopped celery, any herbs you choose and cook for 1-2 hours. You want to reduce the broth by half and the chicken to fall off the bone. Drain your stock into a container and de-bone the chicken. You can separate the broth from the fat using a “fat separator,” they look like a measuring cup with a spout that comes from the bottom of the cup. The fat will float to the top and the broth will be at the bottom. Pour off the broth till the fat reaches the spout, and discard the fat. If you don’t have a separator, chill your broth, the fat will solidify on top, scoop it off and discard it. Now, you can have some “crazy good” soup.

Just some notes and tips:

When baking breads, after removing them from the oven, allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then dump them out (this is really important, they’ll sweat as they cool and get damp on the bottom of the loaf if you don’t), place them on their sides to finish cooling. If you cool your loaves this way, the weight of the bread won’t press down and cause your loaf to be heavy in the middle. When your loaves are completely cool, you can prepare them for the freezer by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap then a layer of foil, mark and freeze; or you can slice them, place the sliced bread in a zip-lock bag and share with your family.

I'm so proud of all of you for trying everything that I serve at the cooking classes, even if they're not your favorite thing.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'm excited to hear what you've tried for your holiday dinners. Be sure to let me know.

Christie

Some random thoughts from the kitchen.......

You must be wondering what I do all the time. Does my mind really work like this? Well …. it does. Is that scary or what?

As I was getting ready for Sunday dinner, I had some thoughts about serving and preparing your Holiday dinner, or any dinner for that matter; consider this:

· Consider the size of your servings. Not just how many people you’re planning on feeding, but on the ease with which your friends and family can eat the results of your hard work. Think bite size. I was preparing fresh green beans and, instinctively, I was tossing the beans into the pan when I realized how much easier they’d be to eat if I gave them a little chop. Walla! Bite size pieces. So much more user friendly.

· If you’re serving a crowd and you’re not sure if you’ll have enough to go around, there are a couple of options available to you. Reduce the size of your serving spoon. This will force your guests to take smaller portions.

Now, some of you might be saying to your selves, that “Bob”, your brother-in-law will just take 4 spoonfuls. There is a solution to this problem, adapt the same protocol that ships have, “women and children first”. “Bob” can go last and have what ever’s left over. Problem solved.

Just some random thoughts from the kitchen .... have a great day!

The Skinny on Herbs & Spices

Notes for September cooking class – Herbs & Spices

Men have garages – Women have kitchens. If you ask a man, they’ll say that it’s important to have good “tools”, well, I agree.

The quality and versatility of the “tools” you have determine how many of those, “jobs” your willing to take on.

In the kitchen, you can accomplish a lot with a good Chef’s knife. A Chef’s knife is distinguished by the curve at 1/3 of the end to the tip and when you keep the tip of your knife on the cutting board and cut with a rocking motion, you’ll be able to chop and slice in a small amount of time. It only takes a little practice. Try it. Force yourself to use your knife the way it was intended and you’ll find that you’ll become more and more comfortable with the motion and the process.

Another kitchen tool that will make your life much easier is a food processor. There are many things you can do with a food processor besides pureeing and grating. You can mix bread dough in your food processor, dips, spreads, to puree soups, make peanut butter… the list goes on. If I had to choose between a mixer and food processor, I’d choose the food processor. You can always mix by hand and the processor is there for the big jobs that a mixer can’t do.

When using baking sheets, Sil Pat pads are amazing. They’re available at the kitchen outlet store and cost about $20.00. Start with one and see how you like it. Ask the Mom, Grandmother, or sweet husband to get one for you. I don’t think you’ll be sorry. Use them for anything that you’d bake on a cookie sheet. They keep everything from sticking and make it virtually impossible to burn anything, unless you reallllly try.

Demo Notes:

In many recipes calling for chicken, you can choose to grill your chicken instead of boiling, poaching, frying, etc. Pre-grill your chicken ahead of time; this will cut down on your preparation time during the meal prep. If you’re going to use grilled chicken in a recipe where it will continue to cook, don’t cook your chicken all the way. This will allow it to finish off without drying out.

I often grill 6-10 chicken breasts at the same time. Serve 1-2 for dinner that night and use the rest for other recipes. It doesn’t really take any longer to grill 8 than it does 2. Once the chicken is cooked, it can be re-frozen for use at a later date.

When purchasing fresh herbs for a recipe, make sure that they look bright green and healthy. Some of the herbs in the stores aren’t that great. If you’re not sure if the herbs are good, ask a clerk. Buy fresh herbs at a store where they have a pretty good turnover in their herb department, then, they’ll be fresh.

I don’t always buy fresh herbs when a recipe calls for it. If I don’t have fresh, I’ll use dried. Just remember that you’ll use ½ or less of dried herbs than the measure asked for in fresh. Check the recipe carefully to make sure you’re not adding too much.

REMEMBER: LESS IS MORE – this really applies to spices and herbs, especially if you’re not familiar with the flavor. You can always add a little more, but once added, you can never take it out. Remember also that the full flavor of the herbs won’t appear right away. I’d add herbs, cook for 15-30 minutes and taste. Adding salt and pepper will enhance the flavor and body of the herbs, so make sure you do that before increasing the herbs.

Salt is such an important agent when cooking. I know that for those that are on a salt restrictive diet, this may be difficult, but try some of the salt substitutes. You’ll find that if you salt as you go along, you’ll use much less salt on the table, if any at all. Consider – you start with your vegetables, and salt them to flavor. When you add them to the broth, if it’s not salted separately, you’ve diluted the flavor of the salt on the vegetables, so remember that as you go along, salt at each step and allow the flavors to blend. Remember, everything is subjective; what may be really salty for one person, may seem bland to another. It’s your taste that counts. I’d rather use less salt and put salt on the table than over salt.

If you’ll heavily salt your water when cooking pasta, you won’t need any on the table.

I used to use margarine when cooking and baking. Unfortunately, that’s not possible any longer. Manufacturers started adding water to margarine which reduces the fat content; that’s great if you’re dieting, but recipes are a formula that requires certain percentages of ingredients in order for the whole to finish wonderfully. The added water and reduction of fat will not make for a wonderful finish. Trust me, use butter; you’ll appreciate the end product.

I also use butter in cooking. Consider this, when you think about the amount of baking you do, your family isn’t really eating that much. It’s not bad to splurge now and then. Butter in cooking gives everything a very rich, texture and flavor. It only takes 1-2 Tbl. to make a dish go from good to terrific. In order to keep butter from burning in a pan, add a little olive oil to stabilize it.

If you’re looking to save time and money, buy in bulk. I know that for younger girls, this may seem like a waste of money, but split it with someone, you’ll still save money. Think about your meals ahead of time. You can buy, pre-prep your purchases and freeze in sizes that your recipe calls for. It will cut your cooking time in ½ or more and it’ll keep you out of the grocery store, which in turn, will save you money.

If you want to stretch a dish to feed more, add pasta, or serve it over rice. It’s a great way to take a simple recipe and double or triple the serving portions. Remember that pasta and rice absorb liquids so you may need to increase the liquids in your recipe.

When cooking gnocchi, cook until gnocchi floats to the top of the pan, and then continue cooking 3-4 more minutes.

When freezing gnocchi, lay flat on a cookie sheet until completely frozen, then transfer to a freezer container. Frozen gnocchi does NOT need to be thawed before cooking.

When cooking traditional dumplings, use a pan with a tight fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID; at the end of the cooking time, test to see if the dumplings are done, if not, replace the lid and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

When making a white sauce, start with equal parts flour and butter. Start with a SMALL amount. First melt the butter then add flour. In order to eliminate the “flour” taste that might present itself in the sauce, be sure to “cook off” the flour. Continue to stir the butter flour mixture until it starts to bubble and turn a golden brown. This mixture is also called RUE. When the flour is golden (don’t allow to burn, or you’ll need to start over), start adding your liquid.

If you want a “white” sauce, use milk or cream only. If you’re making a soup base, you can use vegetable, beef or chicken broth as well as the milk, or just the broth, the choice is yours. The amount of liquid you add is determined by how thick you want the sauce.

Remember that a flour based sauce will continue to thicken as it cooks. Since that’s the case, you’ll want to add a liquid and then cook and stir till the sauce is thick again, continue adding liquid till it’s reached the desired thickness.

If you’re using the “rue” as a thickening agent for another purpose, you’ll want the sauce to be very thick, if you’re making a white sauce that will be the base of a soup, you’ll want it to be thinner.

IMPORTANT: Hot to Cold or Cold to Hot. If you’ll remember this, your sauce will always be smooth and creamy. Add cold liquids to the hot butter/flour mixture. If making the Egg Cream Sauce, you’ll add some of the hot white sauce to the cold eggs in order to bring them up to temperature to add back into the white sauce. Be sure that you’re beating the eggs continuously while adding the sauce, so they don’t cook.

When making a white sauce, it is important that you stir constantly, and DO NOT let it boil, this may curdle the milk. If you want a sweet Egg Cream Sauce, add sugar (to taste); add the egg, as instructed above, and finish off with some vanilla or almond extract. After adding the egg, stir constantly so the egg doesn't scramble. Cook until the mixture “coats the back of the spoon”. This means, that when you drag your finger through the sauce on the back of the spoon, the mixture stays separated and does not flow back together. (If you don’t have some good wooden spoons, invest in some. You’ll be surprised how often you’ll need them.)

Adding a little cream cheese to your white sauce will improve the texture.

When using a white sauce that has been refrigerated or frozen (if frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator before using), you’ll need to bring it up to temperature, and may need to thin it a little before proceeding.

A cornstarch based sauce is a clear sauce and is usually used with fruit, jells and some gravies. A cornstarch based sauce will not thicken more than what it is when it comes to a boil. If you want your sauce thicker, you’ll need to add a little more cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water). Be sure to add it a little at a time and allow it to come back to a boil to test the thickness of the sauce. This type of thickener is often used for beef based soups, turkey soup and some chicken soups.

Remember that sugar is considered a liquid. This won’t affect you much in cooking, but it could make a huge difference in baking. Just keep it in mind.

Terece's Notes and Recipes from the October Cooking Class

Notes for October 28, 2010 cooking class

Pies, Pastries and Desserts

· The fats in pastry keep the crust light & fluffy. As the fats melt, they create steam which forms little air pockets in the pastry.

· If you want a lighter crust, add 1 part CAKE FLOUR. In the Puff Pastry I made, I substituted 1 part cake flour for the all-purpose flour, ie: if it calls for 4 C. of flour, you’ll have 1 C. cake flour and 3 C. all purpose flour. Get out your calculators. This was the first time it made the pastry this way and, I must say, I’ll continue. The puff pastry was even lighter than usual.

· If mixing up your fruit pie filling ahead of time, the juice will thin out the mixture. You’ll need to determine if you need to add a little more thickening agent to the fruit, such as flour or cornstarch. When I mix up my fruit fillings, I allow the juices to run and form a sauce, then I dip my finger in the juice, taste it and decide if I need to add a little more of any of the ingredients. This is where you need to get your seasonings right. You can’t do anything about it after the pie is baked. Remember to start with small amounts of spices, you can always add more, but it’s really difficult to correct for too much spice.

· It is best to bake pie crusts in the center position of the oven, unless you’re using a convection oven, then bake on all 3 racks, if you have room. I bake all my pies at 350 and extend the baking time, if necessary. If you do this, you won’t need to worry about burnt crust. If you’re baking convection, traditionally, you’ll reduce the heat by 25 degrees and select the shortest time indicated on the baking time to start checking for doneness. Most fruit pies are done if the liquids are bubbly and have an appearance of being jelled and the crust is golden brown. As a frame of reference, I bake my apple pies for 1 to 1 ½ hours. I like my apples soft, not crunchy. Cherry pies and soft fruit pies will bake faster because the fruit will cook faster. When baking custard type pies, you’ll test for doneness by slipping a knife, vertically, into the center of the pie and pulling it out. If it comes out “clean”, it’s done, if it comes out with a film on the knife, it needs to cook longer.

· When baking, you want to turn your product, half way through the baking time. This will allow for hot spots in the oven and for more even baking. If you’re using convection bake, you may want to rotate your product from shelf to shelf. Pay attention to your oven to get a feel for how it operates. If your oven is baking or cooking faster than indicated in a recipe, your oven is probably cooking “hot”, if it takes longer than normal for a recipe to finish, your oven may be cooking “cooler”. You can have your oven tested by a repair person and adjusted, if necessary, or you can purchase an oven thermometer. Place the thermometer in the oven, as directed, turn the oven on to 350 and when it’s supposed to be at temperature, read the thermometer. You can then make adjustments in the temperature setting to allow for the difference in oven temperature. This is so important in order for you to get a good result. Even new ovens are not always calibrated properly.

· EXCEPTION: If you are baking with Puff Pastry, you’ll want to bake your product according to the recipe instructions. If you’re adding a filling, as in the Country French Pear Tart, bake at 375 on a convection setting, 400 on a regular setting. The reason you want to bake at a higher temperature is that you don’t want the butter chunks to start melting before they start releasing their steam and puffing your dough. If you have a frilling that will take longer to bake, like apples, consider cooking your filling, including the thickener, spices and sugar, before filling your pastry. There are two good reasons that you might want to do this. One is that you’ll get a good idea of how thick your sauce will be and you can make an adjustment then if you need more thickener. Remember that if you’re thickening with cornstarch, you want to add cool to the hot mixture, so make a little slurry of tap water and cornstarch to add to the fruit mixture and continue to cook till it comes to a boil, that is how thick the juices will be. If you’re adding flour, sprinkle flour over the fruit mixture, don’t dump it in and mix it gently so it won’t clump together. Remember that with a flour thickener, it will continue to thicken as it cooks/bakes, so leave it a little on the runny side.

Second, this will allow those apples to partially cook before you add them to the puff pastry crust. This will reduce the baking time and your puff pastry won’t get over brown waiting for the apples to finish. Remember, if you do this, you’ll need to allow the filling to come to room temperature before pouring in the middle of the crust, or you’ll melt the butter. Not good for puff pastry.

· Having fresh citrus juice in a recipe really does make a difference. Purists will say it’s the only way to go. If you’re not a purist, you can use bottled, but it really won’t taste the same. If you have a habit of wasting those lemons, oranges and limes that you bought in a big bag to save money, then take a little time to zest all your citrus. I zest one lemon (lime or orange) at a time directly onto a piece of plastic wrap. When the entire lemon is zested (you only want the colored portion, not the white), I wrap the plastic in a little package and place it in a zip lock freezer bag. I know that one package is the zest of one lemon. When I have a recipe that calls for zest, I pull it out of the freezer and add it, frozen, to my recipe. After I’ve zested all my fruit, I juice it, pour the juice in an ice cube tray, freeze it and, once frozen, I transfer cubes to freezer bag for easy storage. One ice cube is about 1 Tbl. depending on the size of your tray. Measure how much liquid it holds ahead of time and then you know how much juice you have. This is a great way to have fresh zest and juice without waste.

· In the Pear Pastry Tart I made, I got a little carried away with the lime juice. Of course, the first thing you add is sugar. After that was done, I realized that I needed something to offset the lime and cut the sweetness of the sugar. Add salt. You’ll be surprised how much salt will help with sweet products as well as acidic products. It will enhance the flavor, cut the sweetness of frostings and cut the acid in acidic fruits, such as pineapple and grapefruit.

· When adding a hot liquid to a glass container, always warm the container FIRST to keep it from cracking. This is particularly useful when pouring hot gravies or sauces into pitchers or gravy boats.

· When making apple or fruit pie, remember the fruit will “shrink” as it cooks down and cools. If you want a “full” pie, you’ll need to add extra, especially with apple. It’s more difficult to add much more when your dealing with fruit that doesn’t “pile” well.

· When adding salt to a recipe, it’s best to add a small amount at a time and mix well before adding more. It’s always better to season with a small amount and then let individuals add more at the table.

Here are the recipes that weren’t included in your file for the October class:

PUMPKIN TRUFFLE CAKE

TRUFFLE CENTER

2/3 C condensed sweetened milk 1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat in microwave until chocolate chips are melted and set aside.

CAKE

3 C all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda 4 tsp pumpkin spice

1 ½ C soft butter 1 C granulated sugar

1/2 C packed brown sugar 6 eggs

1 C pumpkin

Blend eggs, butter and sugar; Add remaining ingredients and mix well; spray & Flour 12” bundt pan.

Spoon in 1/2 - 2/3 of the batter into the bundt pan and make small trough in center of batter, pushing batter up the sides and around the center post of the bundt pan; spoon the truffle filling into the well; DO NOT let it touch the sides of the pan; spoon remaining batter over the top of the filling and smooth the top.

Bake 55-65 minutes at 350*. Test doneness around inner edges to avoid dipping tester in the truffle filling. (if you don’t have a cake tester, you can use a long piece of uncooked spaghetti).

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING

1/4 C butter-browned to a light golden brown

1 C powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1-2 Tbsp milk

Allow to cool slightly and pour over cake, immediately. If you allow the frosting to cool, it will set up.

PUMPKIN CIDER PUDDING CAKE

CAKE

1 C all purpose flour 3/4 C granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp salt

Mix well and stir in the following ingredients just until moistened:

1/2 C canned pumpkin 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 C milk

Spread in greased 8x8x2 square pan; set aside.

Mix together in small bowl:

1/2 C packed brown sugar 2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp pumpkin spice

Sprinkle over pumpkin batter.

Boil

1 Tbsp butter 1 1/2 C apple cider

Pour over top of batter and bake 40-45 minutes @ 350* until top is golden brown and edges are bubbly. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm.

PASTRY CREAM

1 - 8 oz pkg. of cream cheese at room temperature.

Small box of instant pudding – the flavor will depend on what you are making

1/2 the amount of milk indicated on package

Whipped cream

Mix cream cheese with milk until smooth and lump free. Add pudding and mix well, making sure there are no lumps. Fold whipped cream into the pudding mixture. The more whipped cream you use, the lighter your filling will be, the less you use, the stiffer your filling will be. It’s up to you.

BUTTER CREAM SAUCE

1 cube butter 2 C granulated sugar

1-2 C. cream (you can use milk or half and half)

Pinch of salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring

*Zest or spice - optional

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat till the syrup picks up a little color. Add the cream and continue to cook till it thickens and “coats the back of a spoon”. If the syrup cools, you may need to add more cream to thin the mixture out to your desired consistency. Remove from heat and add flavoring; store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*you may want to add orange zest or another citrus fruit, or nutmeg to serve with a pear tart, etc…

PEAR TART

Use Lion House Pie Crust

8-12 small pears 3/4 to 1 C granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

¼ tsp of nutmeg, or to taste (fresh grated is best, ground is all right)

Zest of 1 lime 1 – 2 tsp. lime juice (or more to taste)

Add about ¼ - ½ C. flour to thicken (it depends on how much juice you get off the pears and whether you use the filling right away or allow it to sit. You’ll use more flour if the filling sits and less if you use it right away). You may need a little more than the ½ C, you decide.

Roll the crust into the shape you want your tart to be (this may depend on the shape of the pan you’re baking your tart on). Remember that the Lion House crust has baking powder, so it will expand as it cooks. You can roll this dough fairly thin, less than a ¼ inch thick.

Transfer crust to the baking pan (you can roll your crust on parchment paper and transfer it straight to the baking sheet, you can lift the dough over your roller and transfer it that way). Make sure that your crust is in the middle of the pan, so when you fold your edges over, you’ll have an even amount of space on all sides of the pan, this will allow for more even baking.

Pour the pear mixture (or any fruit) in the center of the crust and fold all the sides up over the crust, doing one side at a time. You can pleat the crust a little on each side to give it a more decorative look. There should be an open space in the middle where the filling is not covered with crust.

Brush the crust with water and sprinkle generously with sugar.

Bake at 350 - 375 until golden brown and the liquids are clear and bubbly. Check it after 40 minutes and every 5-10 minutes after. It may take up to an hour.

*Note - You can bake at the higher temperature when the fruit is less firm or you’ve pre-cooked the filling. Keep an eye on the crust so it doesn’t over brown.

Holiday Cooking - Not to Worry

Next week is our November cooking class covering, Sides and Salads. I realized that we won't be talking much about holiday cooking and thought I'd share a few ideas with you.

First - open your November file and read through the "2008 Cooking Club - Holidays" document. In this class we talked about different ways of cooking turkey, different sides and salads, what to do with leftovers and the list goes on..... I think that you'll find it helpful and informative and there are recipes for you as well.

Second – read the documents in the “Thanksgiving Dinner” folder. You’ll find more recipes and menu ideas.

In order to get the best results from your holiday meals, you need to plan ahead and prepare accordingly.

1. How many people am I serving?

2. How many meals do I need to prepare for visitors?

3. What is my menu?

4. Is anyone helping with side dishes?

5. How much of my meals can I prepare ahead of time?

6. What time do I plan on serving dinner?

7. Will it be sit down or buffet?

8. What type of dishes will I be using?

1. It's important to know how many people you're having for your holiday dinner. It is NOT too early to get a head count. I usually try to determine who will be coming home in October for November and December. It's difficult to answer any of the following questions until you have a head count.

2. Do you have family or friends coming in from out of town to share the holiday with you? If they're staying with you, how many meals do you need to prepare for them while they're visiting? This is really important to know in order to keep you sane while preparing a holiday dinner, which usually takes, from several days, to all day, the day of. The closer you get to the holiday, simplify your meals. Try to pre-prepare much of those meals so you won't be cooking and baking double.

Think about preparing some soups that you can freeze for later use. Bake some rolls, biscuits, corn bread, muffins… that can be frozen, thawed and reheated. Keep breakfast simple, especially the morning of your big dinner. Juice, fruit, milk, muffins and your group is good to go, or better yet, send them out for breakfast. SIMPLIFY is the operative word.

3. Once you know how many people are coming and how many meals you’re preparing prior to the big dinner, you can plan your holiday meal. Make it user friendly. You can have an amazing meal that doesn’t need to send you over the edge.

If you’re a small family, don’t feel obligated to prepare the “traditional” turkey dinner. You might prepare a turkey breast or whole roasting chicken instead. You can use the same techniques on either of these as you would a whole turkey and if no one is particularly fond of turkey, think about a pork loin or beef roast.

Once you determine what your meat dish will be, you can start thinking about your sides; cranberry sauce, homemade of course, goes well with poultry or pork, as well as applesauce. If you’re not crazy about cranberry sauce, think of serving a fruit salsa as an accompaniment to the meat. There’s something great about a combination of sweet and savory. Of course, these can all be prepared several days ahead.

Make sure that your entire meal does not need to be prepared in the oven. This may create some problems for you. Don't forget that you have a cooktop, microwave and crockpot. Utilize these options to keep everything simple and less stressful. Don't forget to allow for the different cooking times with this equipment on your time chart.

4. One thing I’ll say about helping hands with holiday meals is that you want to be careful what you delegate to others. Think of the main components of your meal; these are the things that you want to keep control of. Consider assigning things that won’t matter if they don’t show up. Look at your meal and decide what are add ons, the things that are fun to have, but won’t ruin your meal if you don’t serve them; these are the things to delegate.

5. Consider how much of your meal you can prepare ahead of time. If you’re making a potato casserole, you can prepare it up to the point of baking and freeze it. Don’t forget to allow for thawing time on the big day then bake it fresh.

Breads can be baked ahead of time. Wrap them well with plastic wrap and with a good layer of heavy duty foil. Wrap it tightly, mark what it is and freeze. Remove it in the morning from the freezer, thaw it on the counter and freshen it in the oven, if you like and if you have oven space.

Many vegetables can be “blanched”, which is a short cooking in salted, boiling water for 2-3 minutes, cooled and frozen. This is a great way to reduce the cooking time of vegetables. You can thaw and then finish the cooking process, again, don’t forget to allow for thawing time.

Salads can be partially pre-prepped in the morning and assembled just before serving. Don’t forget to think about your salad dressing. If you’re making homemade, you can make it a couple weeks ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

Many desserts can and should be prepared ahead. This will save you enormous time and worry on the day of. If you're making fruit pies, they can be pre-made to the point of baking, wrapped and frozen (allow for thawing & baking) or you can bake them ahead and freeze. Pre-baking is great! Thaw and then pop in the oven while your eating dinner. You'll have hot fresh pie when dinner is over. Cream pies can be prepared the day before and refrigerated. Cookie type desserts can be prepared a couple weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container. Make your dessert work for you, instead of you slaving over your desserts the day of.

6. Decide what time you’re planning on serving dinner. Make up a time chart that will include thawing, cooking and baking times. If you do this, you’ll have everything ready for the table at the same time. Don’t forget to allow “standing time” for your meat course. Also, decide if you’re serving your meat whole at the table or pre sliced in the kitchen. You’ll need to allow time for the slicing.

Many frozen things can be thawed a day ahead. Take your turkey out of the freezer 3-4 days ahead and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. If you’re brining your turkey or chicken, remember to allow 24 hours for the brining process.

7. After you’ve gotten a head count and determined your menu, you can decide if you have the room to serve a sit down dinner or if you’re serving your meal buffet. I like setting my table the day or night before, that way I’m not feeling rushed the day of the dinner, when I’m in the kitchen cooking and baking. This is when a simple breakfast comes in handy.

If you’re serving buffet, you need to determine how your buffet will be set up. You can find table arrangements for buffet service online. Be sure to allow space for each item, choose your serving pieces and utensils ahead of time. Have everything clean and ready for use. You can draw a diagram of your serving table, or space, so when family wants to help, they can see how you’ve decided to serve. There is logic to setting up a buffet, so take a minute to educate yourself about it and you'll be happy with the results.

8. Decide what you’re going to use for your meal. Will you use your beautiful china, crystal and silver, your everyday dishes or paper/plastic goods. Much of this decision is based on what you have available and how many you’re serving. Just remember that whatever you choose, you need to think about it ahead of time and make arrangements to have it ready to set up your table or buffet.

Having a successful holiday meal is about planning and organization. You CAN do this! If you’re concerned about trying new recipes, stick to the traditional ones that you and your family are familiar with. Try one thing new this year and see what you think. You can always make it ahead and try it out on your family before the “big day”.

Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy your family and friends. Remember – this is NOT brain surgery.

Happy Holidays! - Christie