Thursday, June 30, 2011

A Summer Kitchen

For many people that grew up in places that did not have air conditioning, they may remember our  grandparents using a what they called a Summer Kitchen.  It was a place to cook food in the summer that was outside of the main home.  It kept the heat out of the house.   Today many homes have an outside gas BBQ  and small refrigerator etc on the patio. I have augmented that with some ideas that may help you.

My Summer Kitchen - I have a great grill that also has built in smoker box that I use year round.  The configuration of my covered patio is such that it lends itself well to the addition of other appliance.  I have added a table that I altered with some weather proofing.  On that table I have added some small electrical appliances.  All of these can cook a meal or part of a meal without adding any heat to my house. Here is my list.

Deep Fryer - I keep in wrapped in large trash bag when I am not using it.  I also use peanut oil so that it does not need to be changed as often.  It keeps the heat and grease smell out of the house. In the simmer the oil is already around 110 so it take less energy to heat.

Small rotisserie - This is one that was marketed as a "Set it and Forget" model. It does a great job on chicken. Again I can get the chicken ready, put it on and come back when it is done.  I do keep an eye on it and I also cover it with plastic when it is cool and not in use.

Convection toaster Oven - This is the newest addition.  I have found that I can cook bread, pies and other items that will heat up the house and they come out great.  Again I cover it when not in use.

By using all of these items and my gas grill  I do not need to cook inside for many meals during the summer.  That saves energy and money.  So set up your Summer kitchen and send me some pictures or ideas.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Ribs

So what are Baby Back Ribs???  Actually  a pig has 14 rib bones that are divided into three different types of ribs.  Baby Back are the one closest to the backbone.  These are curved and and close together. Most people find them the most tender.  Although how you cook any rib is as important as what type it is.  Regardless of what type of rib, always remove the membrane on the back of the ribs.  This will make them absorb any flavor more easily and will help them cook better.

For those who in the Las Vegas area, I will conducting a class at the Williams Sonoma in the Distric in Green Valley on Saturday at noon on Memphis Style BBQ.  If you have not signed up, please do so and drop by.

Monday, June 27, 2011

OOPS!!

Sorry for the silence!!  I will do  better!

A Request for the readers:  I have a friend who uses Grape Jelly and Catsup to make BBQ sauce.  If any of you out there have this recipe I would love to find it.

Sun Dried Tomatoes

I have a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes this year.  I am trying an experiment to Sun dry some. I will let you know how it goes.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Summer Heat

Wow - for those of us in the SW USA the heat is on! It is over 100 right now and will go higher here in Las Vegas. So how do I beat the heat?

1. Ice Tea - use the recipe for sweet tea but I do not add sugar I do add a lemon.  When I pour it over ice then add my sugar substitute.  That helps it to dissolve.

2. Wicked Milkshakes - the recipe is in the book.

3.Ice Cubes - Not your ordinary one.  I have a tray that freezes half round long pieces of ice that fit into water bottles. I can also add furit juice to these and it adds a great little flavor.  Some people freeze the whole bottle but then you have to wait as it thaws for a drink.  This way it is cold and ready to go.

So what are your tips?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

SMOKE BOMBS AND SMOKE BOXES

Fro those who enjoy the flavor that smoke brings to meats, there are some ways to add that flavor if you do not have a smoker.

SMOKE BOMBS - no this is not used for crowd control!  Take two pieces of aluminum foil and lay them out on top of each other.  Place wood chips that have been soaked on top. Fold the foil over the chips and seal the edges.  poke a few small holes in the top of the package and place it on the grill over a heat source like charcoal or a gas burner.  As the wood heats up and starts to burn it will smoke. This will last about 30  - 40 minutes so have another one made up if you need it. You also can place the bomb right on the coals but it will burn very quickly.

Smoke Boxes - these are commercially made metal boxes that you add wood chips to the bottom and then add the food on top. These can be used to add smoke to the entire grill but are most usually used for smaller pieces of meat,

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Chicken on a Rotisserie

First let me say thank you to all the readers who sent their condolence on the death of my partner.



Rotisserie Chicken

Some tips for great chicken whether you grill it or as my friend would say twirl it on a rotisserie. 

Brine your chicken.  I use a simple brine - 1/4 cup of salt   2 cups o f water heat until the salt is dissolved and then dd other spices herbs etc and some lemons and/or limes.  add cold water ice and add the chicken. be sure that the brine covers the chicken and place it in the refrigerator over night.

When you are ready to cook cut a lemon in half and place it in the cavity of the chicken along with garlic cloves and some herbs.  Truss the chicken and put it on the spit so it is balanced.  Then just cook over medium heat until it reaches the right temp.

Let it rest for 15 minutes after you take it off the heat.  It will be moist and have great flavour.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Cranberries

I found a bag of frozen Cranberries in the freezer - left over from the holidays.  Since it was about at its peak for being frozen I thought I would use it and pass on some ideas to you.

For Cranberry sauce - I use the whole berries and a just little water about 1/4 cup and then add 1/4 of orange juice and some orange zest. I also put a shot of Cointreau in which really livens things up. Bring it all to a  boil and wait for the berries to pop.  Once they pop you can decide if you want a slightly  chunky sauce or strain it.  The Cranberries have a LOT of pectin so the sauce can be thick!

You can  just chop the berries in a processor and use them as part of chutney or salsa.  Using these right now in the beginning of summer is great jolt to your palette!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Corn on the Cob

I received some questions about how to cook corn on the cob. Mostly they were about timing and methods, So here are the answers I sent to a reader.

Boiling - Do NOT put your corn in the water and then bring it to a boil.  Get the water boiling and then add your corn. WHY - If you add the corn to cold water, the flavor is not as fresh and several of the nutrients will leach out.  TIME up to ten minutes depending on how tender you like the corn.

GRILLING - Not my favorite but some people like it this way. First soak the corn in cold water for at least 10 - 15 minutes before you put it on the grill.  If you are using a gas grill turn the corn every 5 minutes.  on  charcoal grill you can turn it every 10 minutes.  Total cooking time is about 15 - 20 minutes.  Once it is done you will know as the outside will crispy and brown) take it off the grill and husk the ears.  I do that under running warm water to get he ash and silk off.

Corn season is just now starting so enjoy some corm on the cob.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Planking Food

Planking refers to using a wooden plank to cook food. If you have never had Salmon planked on Cedar or Alder, you owe it to yourself to try it. There are a lot of resources on the Internet that have recipes for this. However the most important thing is to soak the plank before you use it. You can use a plank in the oven or on a grill. No matter which you use the wood will impart a great smoky taste to the food. Here are some things to remember.

  1. Use a good quality wood. You can make planks yourself. However you have to make sure that the wood is the right type and has not been treated with chemicals.  I recommend buying planks that are sold for the purpose of cooking.
  2.  Seasoning the board.  After you have soaked it, preheat the board on the grill for about one minter per side and then season the cooking side with some olive oil. That will help keep the food from sticking and the board from absorbing the juices.
  3. While most people will think of Salmon as the food for this method, try it on Shrimp or Chicken.  Some people also use this method on steak. I have not tried that and cannot comment.

So try it and see if you like it.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

A few Day Off

Due to  a family emergency I will take a few day s off. I should be back by Monday if not before.  In the meantime, feel free to blog on the comments and ask questions. I will answer them as soon as I am back.

thank you for your understanding

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Wine and food

I think everyone over thinks what food it will go with a particular type of wine.  While many will tell you there are hard a fast rules, it is up to you to have a wine that you like.  You want the wine to complement the food and not over power it. There are times that I will use a red wine where normally a white would be the choice. But that is my preference. Always use a good wine and treat it right. Let it breath before you serve it.  Using a good to great wine does not always mean an expensive one.

Here is a great resource for you. Check out this site.

http://www.wineandleisure.com/foodpairing.html

The site will give you everything you need to figure out what  wine you want to try. If you find a "go to" wine that you really like, then stick with it.  The Wine Police don't need to know!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Baked Brie

If you like Baked Brie here are some ideas that you may want to try.

Top the brie with a cranberry and rosemary syrup. It is easy to make and if you add walnuts you great a little crunch. 

Try cutting just top rind off before you top it.  Some people like the rind, I do not. I do find that if you leave the side rind on it helps when serving.  It gives more structure to the cheese.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Loretta's Eggs with a Kick

A friend of mine suggested this idea and it was very tasty.

2 Poached eggs

1 piece of buttered toast

2 small slices of thin ham

2 tablespoons of Queso or other spicy cheese sauce

Combine all of the above similar to an eggs Benedict - toast then ham then eggs and cover with sauce. quick and easy and very tasty.

Thanks Loretta!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Sweet Tea

At the cooking Class today, we made some sweet tea.  It was very good. Not too sweet. Here is the recipe that we used.

5 -10 tea bad - black or your choice

1 cup of sugar

3 cups of water

Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to  a boil.  Add the tea bags - turn off the eat and cover. Steep for 20 minutes.  Then add to 12 cups of water that has three lemons cut up in it ahead of time.  Add ice and serve. 

Enjoy!!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Compound Butter

Compound Butter sounds like something difficult . Actually it is very easy.  A Compound Butter is simply adding other flavors to butter.  The idea is to add some intense flavor to the butter so that a small amount will add an accent of that flavor to anything you put it on.  Garlic butter is a compound butter.

Here are some simply but tasty ways to do that.

1. For steaks add roasted garlic and some blue cheese crumbles.  Or you can saute some shallots in butter until they are tender, deglaze with vermouth and add that to some more butter.  Either on of these will add a certain flavor to any meats.

2. For seafood - add some dill or tarragon. You can also add some shallots or any herb that you like.

3. Vegetables - I like dill or oregano with a lot vegetables.  Especially if you grill them, Add the compound butter just as you serve the veggies. 

Try some Lemon in the butter too - it really adds a zing. Or peppers or - the list is endless!
Experiment and see what you like.

Friday, June 3, 2011

French Toast

For a little different taste here is a quick tip to spice up breakfast. 

French Toast - add 1/2 a teaspoon of Cinnamon and a dash of fresh Nutmeg to your egg mixture. I also add 1 tablespoon of sugar.  The sugar will sweeten the mix and the spices give just enough background taste to make the toast special.

I also warm the syrup in the microwave. That makes a difference.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

WICKED MILKSHAKES - ADULT BEVERAGE!

This is from the cookbook. I think as the summer gets longer you may want to use this recipe more. I hope you enjoy it! I created this one on one of those hot Idaho days way back in the 70's - long before smoothies were ever invented.

Ingredients
1          pint raspberries
1          container of frozen raspberries
1          half gallon cheap raspberry sherbet
1          bottle of cheap champagne or sparkling wine
Fill a blender half way with the sherbet and add about half of the frozen raspberries and 4 oz champagne to get the mixture smooth.  Blend until it is mixed and smooth.  Add fresh raspberries and pulse a few times.  Pour into fluted glasses and top with more fresh raspberries. 

Variations
You can also use Orange Sherbet – just add some Cointreau with the champagne 
Pineapple Sherbet with rum and crushed pineapples.
You get the idea!!  It was big hit back then!! Just remember to use the cheapest champagne you can find as it is usually the driest and will even out the sugar in the sherbet.  This is the ONLY time I will EVER recommend cheap Champagne!!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

BANANA CAKE

Summer is a great time for light deserts. I created this desert a long time ago on a hot day in Idaho.  This recipe will be in the next cookbook.

Simple Easy!!

1 box of yellow cake mix
3 ripe bananas for the cake
1 banana for the filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream – more or less to your taste
Powdered sugar
Vanilla

Follow the cake mix recipe with this change.  Mash the bananas and add them to the eggs, oil and water that the recipe calls for. Mix the wet ingredients together and then add to the mix.  Mix the batter as per recipe and bake following the directions in layer pans
After baking cool the cake layers. When you are ready to serve mix your whipping cream with three tablespoons powdered sugar + 1 teaspoon good vanilla. Whip to soft peaks.  Using the whipping cream, frost the first layer and then slice the last banana and place on top before adding the top layer of cake.  Add the top layer and frost with the rest of the whipped cream.  If you do this ahead, put the cake in the refrigerator to chill. 
You can also cut the layer in half and do a multilayer cake.  If you do slice the banana thinly so that the cake has stability.
Let me know if you try this.  It is one of my go to deserts for picnics and lats minute parties.