We had friends visit for a long weekend recently.  I have a habit of trying to plan at least one meal that's fun and can be prepared collectively in the kitchen.  I'm a firm believer that the kitchen is great place to make memories, whether you have any experience making what you are attempting to prepare or not.  For me, it's far more enjoyable to make something completely different than preparing an old stand by.  If you know something is guaranteed to turn out, where's the adventure? 

I have always wanted to get one of those kitchen flame thrower torch things.  The kind you'd use to make creme brulee, if you made creme brulee, which I don't.  Anyway, I disgress.  So, I purchased one in advance of their visit.  Then I had to decide what to light up. 

Dessert??? 

No, need something bigger akin to meat on a stick.  A giant roast pig with an apple in its mouth is far more impressive than Banana's Foster.  But, who's going to roast a pig with a hand held flame? 

Hmmm...think smaller.  Ham.  Yes, that's it!  Ham!  I purchased a bone in half ham and decided to take on the challenge of spiral slicing it myself and toasting on a sweet and spicy glaze. 

As for the slicing.  It would have been easier if I had my electric knife (I think), but I now understand why most spiral sliced hams are not cut very close to the bone.  If you cut the slices too close to the bone they fall off.  Apparently it takes a lot of weight at the bottom of a ham slice for support (so you have to stop cutting about 3/4 " from the bone).  That aside.  It's about as hard to slice a spiral ham by hand as you would think...or so I'm told.  I thought that would be a fun little activity for someone else, so I didn't tackle that one myself.  Going forward I believe I will be purchasing a pre sliced spiral ham.

The glaze and the toasting...not hard at all.  You simply mix up the ingredients for the glaze, press it on the ham 1/3 at a time, and brown it on the ham over a medium low flame on your torch thingey.  In between, you turn off the torch, press on more glaze (the ham isn't hot to touch), and toast it again.  It takes about 30 minutes to do the entire ham if you take your time and don't burn anything.  A slow, constant, gently back and forth motion with the flame works best.  (Don't go there)

The Muse Gourmet

Monday, April 27, 2009 3:10:01 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

If you've read many of my recipes, you'll notice that I consistently specify unsalted butter in the ingredient list.  If you've ever wondered if it really matters, let me put your mind to rest.  It really does matter.  Or, as Anchorman Ron Burgandy would put it, "It's ah, kind of a big deal."   

One of the main reasons it's not a good idea to use salted butter is because the sodium level varies by brand.  It would be like dumping some random mixture of salt and pepper into a container, calling it salted pepper and then using it in everything you prepared.  It just wouldn't make sense.  Some things need more salt than others. 

The National Dairy Council (NDC) says that “generally, salted butter contains 1.6–1.7 percent” salt. However, determines how much to use in its product.

Here are some examples of various brands found in the grocery store and their relative sodium content:

• Kerry Gold: 50 milligrams
• Land O’Lakes: 95 milligrams
• Challenge: 90 milligrams
• Safeway O Organics: 90 milligrams
• Straus: 45 milligrams
• Horizon: 115 milligrams
• Lucerne: 90 milligrams

Additionally, salted butter has a higher water content than unsalted butter.  That isn't the end of the world in cooking, but baking is much less forgiving.  Baked goods prepared with salted butter have a doughy consistency and are mushier than goods made with unsalted butter.  Trust me on this one.  I bought salted butter for years, ignorant of the difference between the two, and found that my baked goods were never quite right.  Once I made the switch...problem solved. 

By the way, if you're looking for the best deal on butter, I did a quick price comparison of my local markets.  Costco had the best price; 4 pounds for $5.62 (that's a little over $1.40 per pound).  They beat the local grocery stores, restaurant supply stores and other discounters.

Thursday, April 23, 2009 8:46:45 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

I think that while I was growing up, I ate more of this particular cake than anything else my mother baked. I loved this cake. And it was always around.

So, naturally when I was living on my own, I had to make the cake myself. I was sure to write down the recipe and pack it in one of the first boxes for the move. What ensued afterward are bouts of unexplainable failure.

The recipe, as you will see, is quite simple; five ingredients. But, as embarrassed as I am to admit it, this cake has given me more difficulty than anything I've ever made. I've burned the cake, undercooked it, completely forgot to add flour, watched it sink in the middle, and just plain messed it up to the point where it tasted like a mushy ball of dough. And quite frankly, I've come to the conclusion that it isn't me.

The recipe is desceptively easy. I've decided it's the recipe's fault. :) I was lulled into thinking I could make the cake while doing other things...making a casserole, playing gin rummy (you get the idea). And that, my friend, is where the trouble begins.

My mother would always tell me that something would only turn out if I put love into it. I didn't really understand exactly what that meant, until now.

I decided to try and make the cake again. I've been making notes on my various failures over the years, so I thought I may finally have a good chance of getting it right.

I made sure to measure everything very carefully measured. I took time to cream the butter and sugar together until they were so light and fluffy they resembled like a cloud. Then I slowly added the eggs, one by one. I added the flour gradually and then ever so gently folded in the 7 up as not to flatten all of the carbonation. I poured the batter into a heavy bundt pan (Oh yes, another opportunity for failure with the pan. Unless you use a solid bundt pan that'a heavy as brick, the cooking time is off) and placed in a preheated oven and did not open the oven door until the cake was finished.

Viola...success at long last!

This recipe originated in the 50’s with the introduction of 7 Up’s new formula. The original carbonated beverage was introduced two weeks before the crash on Wall street in 1929 and contained lithium citrate, which was thought to be a mood stabilizing drug. The popular beverage no longer contains any trace of lithium citrate.

Ingredients 3 c granulated sugar 3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 5 eggs at room temperature 3 c flour (King Arthur preferred) ¾ c 7 up (freshly opened with lots of bubbles) 2 T good quality lemon extract For glaze: 1 1/3 c powdered sugar 2 T lemon juice 2 T 7 up

Directions Preheat oven to 350 F Cream together sugar and softened butter until really, really fluffy and creamy. This should take between 15-20 minutes. Don’t cut this step short. Gradually beat in eggs, one at a time. Slowly add flour until well mixed. Fold in 7 up and lemon extract by hand. Pour into well greased heavy duty Bundt pan. Bake 1 – 1 ¼ hour until done. Cook and remove from pan. Mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice and 7 up for glaze. Drizzle over the top of the cooked cake.

Monday, April 20, 2009 6:26:28 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

I'm trying to decide which recipe to chat about. I've got a few good ones from Easter, but it's already well past the holiday, so they're not going to be of much help to ya now.

So...what's coming up??? Ah yes. I have it. Sunday!

Whether you chose to celebrate Sunday as the Sabbath or not, Sunday is a good day for kicking back and doing something you enjoy. Leisurely reading the paper, watching the sunrise, hanging around the house in your jammies, watching movies, visiting with friends.  I don't think any of use take enough time to do stuff like that; but, this recipe will definetly get your morning off to a good start!

I can't think of anyone that would be disappointed with these rolls. They are a cinch to make and worth every calorie.

By the way, before I forget to mention it, some of you may call these sticky buns. I've always preferred to call these what they are...cinnamon rolls with a caramel topping. (Psst...I use the same cinnamon roll recipe whether I top them with caramel or use a frosting glaze.)

Saturday, April 18, 2009 5:31:12 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

Namaste.

I've been a little under the weather lately, so the posts have been sparce.  But, I'm feeling much better now, so more are on the way.  :^)

Before I get back into it, I wanted to take a moment to comment on the recent editorial post in Newsweek.  The article is in relation to epilepsy in America but recaps part of the eulogy from the funeral of a small child, Henry Foster Lapham, who died suddenly in his sleep from epilepsy at the age of four. 

A good friend of mine recently lost someone close to him and is dealing with the painful feelings of grief and loss right now.  My heart goes out to Will, Leander, and their families in this diffifult time.  Having recently lost a loved one very suddenly, I feel their pain like it was my own. 

So many of us have experienced loss in this way, or will.  While the transition to the after life is to be peaceful for our loved ones, we are often left feeling empty and confused.  Everyone grieves in their own way.  There isn't a right or wrong way to do it.  It just is.  But, the message that was delivered at the funeral of Henry Foster Lapham, by his parents, who somehow had the courage to speak in the shadow of their sudden and unexplainable loss, is one of most beautiful and profound I've read.  To the extent it they may help anyone cope in their time of need, I will paraphrase it here. 

We have to believe that the spirit with which our loved ones lived their lives will erode the despair of their death.  But, in order for this to happen, we must be brave and face our fear of loss.  Deceiving ourselves into thinking our lives will return to normalcy after the loss of a loved one only extinguishes their spirit and hope.  We cannot allow their spirit of life to be defined by their death.  Rather, we must celebrate the life that was lived, tell stories, look at pictures, hold our loved ones in our hearts, even when doing so hurts to the point of being unbearable.  Hope and love will always triumph if we are strong enough to hold them close.

Thursday, April 16, 2009 7:06:37 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

I didn't have much time to make dinner tonight, so having recently taken a Thai cooking class and having Pad Thai still on the brain, I thought I would mke up a batch of the tasty noodles.  Then I realized, I didn't include any pictures of the dish in my previous recipe post.  So, here they are.  :)  Photos of the noodles soaking as well as the finished entree. 

The hardest part with this recipe is cutting everything up.  Once you get that done, cooking is a snap. 

Thursday, April 02, 2009 9:49:21 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

Just the thought of it slicing and dicing.  Uugh.  I know.  I've got my days too.

So, I got out my old stand by.  My Pampered Chef steamer.  I love that thing!  It makes the yummiest vegetables.  And, everything takes like 5 minutes.  So, I filled it with some broccoli, cauliflower and carrots (no water) and tossed it in the microwave.  Five minutes later, here's what I had.
 

Then I melted one stick of butter in a skillet, added 1/2 chopped red onion and some frozen pierogies.  I happened to have some of my own pierogies in the freezer, but Mrs. T's are pretty good too.  I left the heat on medium, covered them up and let them cook until they were browned, flipping occasionally.  Then I tossed in some fresh basil and a sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and viola.  The entire meal took no more than 15 minutes, start to finish. 

My husband wanted to add the note that a little kielbasa may be a nice addition to the meal.  :)  He's always looking out for you meat eaters.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 3:28:30 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions

If I have to explain what I mean "Crumpling or folding what?" you say; go ahead and skip this one (cuz I'm not explaining).  But, for those of you that know what I mean...interesting question, right?

I'm sure there is no government funding for science to figure that one out, but as a random sample, do you think it's possible for two crumplers to have a folder?  Or visa versa? 

I suspected that my son would be a crumpler when he was about three and a half.  No amount of training will change that.  It seems to be hardwired in his brain.  And that got me thinking...is there a connection between crumpling and other traits?  Is crumpling a right/left brain thing or is it associated with something else like a dominant gene for brown eyes?  There is probably no connection whatsoever and we'll never really know (not exactly something that will save the human race), but take a look around.  Do you notice and similarities between your familial crumplers and folders?

Happy April Fool's Day!

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 7:22:42 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)         Blog reactions