Ganache - Easy recipe, many uses

Oh, oh oh... so excited about this idea for crème fraîche!:

In France, ganache is usually made with crème fraîche instead of sweet cream, giving it a tangy brightness. The cream can be infused with spices like cinnamon, ginger or black pepper; with herbs like mint or lavender; with extracts like vanilla, coffee, almond or orange. Rum, brandy and most other liqueurs are ganache friendly.

So goes this NY Times recipe lab article, entitled "Chocolate Ganache, an Easygoing French Treat,"
By JULIA MOSKIN

...because
 top-quality chocolate is consistent and widely available, and because
commercial cream is pasteurized and homogenized, ganache is nearly
foolproof. It is equally good whether made in a $300 copper saucepan or
in a measuring jar in the microwave. As long as you don’t burn it,
ganache can endure rough handling and even neglect. (It lasts nearly
forever in the refrigerator.) A chilled jar of it can be reheated
several times in a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave. If
the sauce becomes grainy, a little hot water or cream and a whisk will
restore its texture.

Many uses were listed, but I'll just copy the funniest tip:

• Pour or pipe it warm over a cake, cupcakes or cookies; it will set as it cools to a soft, rich glaze. (If the icing loses its gloss as it sets, Ms. Greenspan advised, “Hit it with some heat from a blow dryer.”)

For any chocolate sauce or ganache, always use top-quality chocolate with plenty of real cocoa butter, like Scharffen Berger or Valrhona. Don’t go more than a few ticks above 70 percent chocolate solids; the cocoa butter that makes up most of the rest of the bar is needed to keep the mixture smooth. When buying cream, look for a pasteurized one from a local dairy; most national brands are ultrapasteurized, which changes the cream’s fat structure and flavor. (Also, read the label to make sure the cream is just that: cream. The Food and Drug Administration allows manufacturers to add emulsifiers, sweeteners and stabilizers to products labeled “heavy cream.”)

[For a universal what's-in-your-pantry template recipe:]
...This sauce may or may not be a ganache in the end, but you will hear no complaints. Pour with abandon...
...Over very low heat, melt any amount of bitter or semisweet chocolate,
along with a half-cup of liquid: milk, cream, rice milk, coffee, even
water. Almond milk and coconut milk work especially well, because they
are high in fat. Keep  whisking in liquid until the sauce has the consistency you like. If the
 taste is too intense (for example, if you have used bittersweet
chocolate and coffee), mix in chunks of butter to tone it down. Add
vanilla to round out the flavor and salt with caution. Not everyone is a
 fan of the salted-chocolate trend, especially children.

And, a more predictable recipe:

TOTAL TIME
    5 minutes

Ingredients

    14 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
    3 tablespoons espresso, strong coffee or water
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/4 cup sugar (confectioners’, granulated or light brown)
    3/4 cup heavy cream, preferably not ultrapasteurized
    1 pinch coarse salt, more to taste

Preparation
1.    In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients and melt together over very low heat, stirring. (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and microwave at low heat for 2 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking in 30-second blasts, stirring in-between.)
2.    Just before all the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir until chocolate melts and mixture comes together. It may appear curdled, but keep stirring or whisk vigorously; it will smooth out. If too thick to pour, whisk in hot water a tablespoon at a time. Taste for salt and adjust the seasoning.

YIELD     About 1 1/2 cups

Quinoa: Making it Tasty

 (O.K., Paleos, I know, it’s a seed, not a grain. But we use it on the plate like a grain, so that’s what I’ll continue to call it.)

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN,   New York Times

 I never really got what all the fuss was about, honestly. I mean, yeah, sure, it’s high in protein and gluten-free, but when you cook it, it resembles every other grain: fluffy, starchy, bland. It’s filler, something there to take up space between more interesting stuff. Quinoa is the edible equivalent of Tim Carleton’s “Opus No. 1,” one of the most popular pieces of telephone hold music. 

 L. V. Anderson,  You’re Doing It Wrong: Quinoa, Slate.com

I've tried to cook it a few times, with little popularity.  With my audience of one, dear husband.  Astrid eats anything.  And when not pregnant, so do I.

So, off to find ways to incorporate this neat superfood into my menus.  And budget. (!)


So, here are some (ordered from most want to try to ...looks good, will try later):

Bon Apettit Magazine Online: 15 Quinoa Recipes—Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert

 Gourmet Magazine Online: Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant-Tomato Ragù and Smoked Mozzarella

Quinoa Couscous (loose, not sticky) 

Butternut Squash, Turnip, and Green-Bean Quinoa (because I love trying those unusual veggies)

NY Times blogs - 50 Ways to Love Your Quinoa

Most Popular Recipe Quinoa and Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

I really appreciate when food writers explain the how-to for making your own recipe (read: using what's in the pantry).  Here are excerpts from the Slate.com article I quoted above.

"
Which is to say that the key to making quinoa taste good is to add good-tasting things to it. There’s only so much you can do to enhance quinoa’s natural flavor and texture: ...
... (Lots of people tell you to rinse it before you cook it to remove bitter compounds, but most quinoa is pre-rinsed, so it’s usually not necessary.)
...Sautéing the seeds in oil or butter before you add water is always a good idea—it leads to a fluffier end product by preventing the grains from sticking together...

Here is a blueprint for making a good quinoa pilaf (or any other kind of pilaf, for that matter). You do not need to add all of these types of ingredients every single time, but you should definitely add most of them if you want to protect yourself from the vexatious fate of tedious quinoa.

First you need an allium. Onion, scallion, shallot, leek, or garlic will do. Slice or chop it and cook it in oil or butter until it’s soft.

Then, add the quinoa, toast it in the oil for a few minutes, and throw in some nuts or beans along with some dried fruit. The dried fruit does not have to be a super-sugary dried fruit—in the below recipe, for instance, I use dried tomatoes—but a little sweetness to counterbalance savory flavors is always nice. Some fruit-nut combinations are obvious (raisin-walnut, cranberry-pecan, apricot-almond), but by all means mix things up.

After you’ve added water and cooked the grains thoroughly, turn off the heat and toss in some cheese and fresh herbs. For pilafs, I like a crumbly cheese, like feta, ricotta salata, or gorgonzola, which is less likely to get gluey than a grated cheese.

As for herbs, anything goes—parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, dill, rosemary, thyme, oregano. Be careful not to overdo it with the more powerful herbs; rosemary, for instance, can easily overpower a dish.

...
[ And her recipe, too! ]

Quinoa Pilaf With Chickpeas, Feta, and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Time: About 1 hour, partially unattended

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
Salt and black pepper
1½ cups quinoa
½ cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup drained cooked chickpeas
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1. Put the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the leek and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the quinoa and stir until it dries out and begins to stick together, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the chickpeas, and 3 cups of water. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then cover the pot and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid and is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Top Comment

Actually, the most important thing in making quinoa (or any other grain) taste decent is to cook it in broth, not water.  More...

-BHolder

54 Comments Join In

3. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the feta and dill, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. (Store leftover quinoa pilaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days.)

[A commenter added use broth instead of water.  Anything that adds umami is good, of course.  That makes non-meat and/or simple savory dishes great.]

Baked White Fish recipe from America's Test Kitchen

Originally this pinned recipe was titled as Sole, not simply the category 'White.'

White is a category, of which there are a lot to choose from (most fish are here, I'm guessing?)

Super expensive: Halibut

Cheaper: flounder, sole, haddock, swai (mine), and more



3tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves[used 2, frozen Celery leaves instead.]
3tablespoons minced fresh chives [substituted dill]
1tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves (see note) [skipped]
 1teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon
5tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
6 boneless, skinless sole fillets, or flounder fillets, (about 6 ounces each) (see note)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
 1tablespoon Dijon mustard
 2/3cup panko bread crumbs
 Lemon wedges for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine parsley, chives, and tarragon in small bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon herb mixture and set aside for bread crumbs, then stir lemon zest and mustard into remaining herbs.  [try sprinkling salt and pepper into this mixture to skip that step for the fillets later?
]

 2. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until just melted. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Set skillet aside.

3. Pat fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Turn fillets skinned side up with tail end pointing away from you.

Rub equal amounts (about 1 tablespoon) herb–lemon zest mixture and drizzle each with about 1  1/2 teaspoons garlic butter.

Tightly roll fillets from thick end to form cylinders. Set fillets seam side down in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle remaining garlic butter over fillets, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake 25 minutes. Wipe out skillet but do not wash.

 4. While fillets are baking, add remaining tablespoon butter to now-empty skillet and melt over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until crumbs are deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add remaining teaspoon minced garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and evenly distributed in crumbs, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Let cool, then stir in reserved tablespoon herb mixture.

5. After fillets have baked 25 minutes, remove baking dish from oven. Baste fillets with melted garlic butter from baking dish, sprinkle with all but 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, and continue to bake, uncovered, until internal temperature registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes longer. Using thin metal spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates, sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, and serve with lemon wedges.

Note from pinner (blogger?): - I used Swai fillet/ yellow mustard with honey/basil/earth balance butter. Suggest to 1/2 the butter & seasoning per my personal taste!

 Note from me: I also had Swai.  I chose this over another recipe and another recipe since my fish was frozen, and that makes the fish more delicate to handle.  I thawed it for 10 minutes in hot water.  Had one less fillet than the recipe... more flavoring!

Free Speech Under Attack

  Our president needs to defend free speech.  At least the Supreme Court, with pressure from ACLJ, defended it yesterday.

 Even if you are pro-abortion, would you say it is right to prohibit our first amendment right of peaceful pro-life gatherings in front of abortion clinics?  I would say it is wrong to prohibit peaceful pro-abortion rallies in front of pregnancy care centers. 

 ACLJ.org:

"The Supreme Court dealt President Obama's radical pro-abortion agenda and his attacks on the Constitution a stunning blow yesterday.

" ... unanimously struck down a pro-abortion law, aimed at shutting down pro-life speech in front of abortion clinics. We filed a critical amicus brief in this case, and the court relied on a case I argued decades ago to protect speech that saves lives.

"... unanimously struck down President Obama's non-recess appointments, sending an important signal that this imperial President's attempts to thwart the Constitution will not stand.

"President Obama attempted to stack a key federal agency with his radical nominees, ignoring the Senate's constitutional authority to "advice and consent." We represented the Speaker of the House of Representatives in an amicus brief, and the Supreme Court agreed with our position that Congress, not the President, determines when Congress is in recess.

"Unanimous victories at the Supreme Court don't happen every day, much less two in one day. We need your support to help make more victories defending life and liberty possible."

Ethiopian Cuisine

Huh.  Didn't know this was a world famous cuisine!  A friend reported that Ethiopian beef was one of the best food she tried in London at the Borough Market.  :)

So, what is left to do, but to find the recipe?  Ain't no secret recipes in this world anymore!  Not even from Africa.


This recipe was the more accessible of the two I found (here's the other).  The book, STEWED! , needs to be the next book I peruse, since it is gourmet one pot meals - AH! That's amazing.

from: http://books.google.com/books?id=VusW-ByZoRQC&pg=PT224&lpg=PT224&dq=Borough+Market+Ethiopian+Beef&source=bl&ots=OKmPAnE9e8&sig=-CHK_-v1x1bfE79XwkcjwVle7bM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BeuqU7ZAwYzIBMj3gvgK&ved=0CEIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Borough%20Market%20Ethiopian%20Beef&f=false

Also, check out this book!  What an awesome gift this would make for any well-traveled foodie.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Borough-Market-Cookbook-Meat/dp/1904104924

Childhood Dream

The Internet Cookbook

I rarely use traditional cookbooks.  That may change once I get a library card, but for now, here are :

My internet sources for recipes.


For simple meal ideas and staple/classic recipes: 

America's Test Kitchen and their satellite magazines.  Never fails

FoodNetwork.com

SmittenKitchen.com  Never fails

MarthaStewart.com  (mixed success)



For inspiration and fun recipes: 

pinterest.com  (I have to be careful, here and use my cook sense to gauge a recipe's goodness.)

http://frenchfoodiebaby.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html 

How to CLOSET Purge

Love this post (and this blog)! 

Amazingly enough, in the months since this drastic purge, I have honestly never been happier with my wardrobe. Not only do I not miss the clothes I got rid of, I actually feel like I have more to choose from than I did before. Now when I walk into my closet I actually like everything I see. 



Read more at http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/05/24/40-hanger-closet/#Tw1kerlUq5kbYeej.99

Summer Makeup Staying Tips

As soon as the warm seasons hit I start getting this question every single day:
How do I get my makeup to stay put during the day?

See what Cara says at her blog... she's a pro!!


My noted quotes:

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer.

Urban Decay All Nighter is my favorite.
Here’s why: Many of the primers I use work very well but of the ones that keep my makeup looking fresh all day, this is the only one that is truly undetectable on my skin.
Keep in mind though, I have pretty dry skin, for more oily skin textures who are looking for a more matte finish, the Makeup Forever Mist and fix

3. The Layering Technique:

It’s quite simple. Start with a cream set with a powder.

And after 12 weeks of Morning Sickness...

...life begins to become bearable.  Surviving will turn to thriving.  Patience, patience.

But first, some venting because the cleaning has definitely suffered, along with our diet, exercise, and sleep.

Just for laughs

Disclaimer:  I love a lot of chores.  Ironing, dusting and organizing/decluttering being my favorite.  But I can't de-stress that way when there's broken glass on the floor, the neighbor's calling, there's nothing to feed on, there's a #2 diaper, I forgot a family birthday, and I'm falling asleep.