Christmas Shopping for a Cook

Early December and I have been asked by family to provide some holiday gift ideas. My first answer is pick a charity near and dear to my heart such as St Jude’s Research Center or the American Diabetes Association and makes a contribution with my name on it. (Family if you plug into my blog this month, consider this post as a big hint). My second choice is usually a kitchen gadget or anything to do with cooking. There are several good ideas out there if you would like to get the cook or chef in your family a gift. The magnitude of the gift is not necessarily material in nature but rather what addition the cook really needs for their tools whether for baking, sautéing or grilling. Cooks will also not balk at a gift certificate at their local favorite steakhouse.


Cutlery

You cannot go wrong buying the cook or chef a cutlery set or even an addition to the set. There are so many useful knives needed in the kitchen whether the chef friend needs a new chef’s knife, sharpening steel or simply a tiny paring knife. Some of the common standbys used by today’s chefs include JA Henkel’s, Wusthof, or Victorinox. These are just a few among many quality brands found at your local culinary and larger department stores. Peruse your Williams Sonoma store for additional ideas on this one.

Mandoline

These vegetable slicing gadgets are severely underrated in the kitchen. I remember working in a kitchen (country club) many moons ago creating tubs of julienne vegetables throughout the summer for various wedding receptions. Yes my mandolin prowess was mostly attributed to the julienned carrot, zucchini, and yellow squash medley, but the fun does not stop there. This tool also does great with other root vegetables and looks much nicer than the more cumbersome knife work. This is a great kitchen gadget for creating a professional looking plated side accompaniment to a filet or grilled halibut dinner.

Culinary Subscription

The cook in your life will appreciate a yearly or 36 month subscription to his or her favorite cooking niche. If you are shopping for that aunt or sister that loves to bake, consider Cooks Illustrated or Taste of Home. If you want to buy for the serious cook that loves to entertain constantly consider the food network magazine or even gourmet magazine.

Cooking Class or Workshop

No cook or wine aficionado truly knows everything about their passion of food and drink despite the years of experience in the kitchens and wine cellars. Find out his or her short comings in their craft, and enroll them into a class at a local community college or gourmet store.

Kitchen Aid Accessories

Kitchen aid mixers are the genesis of creating many good meals and baked goods in our home. This appliance is a must. If you culinary friend has a kitchen aid mixer, consider a possible gift to be a kitchen aid appliance such as pasta maker, meat grinder, or ice cream maker which will attach to the mixer. I have the ice cream maker and it is awesome. I have been eying up the grinder attachment as of late. (Family , consider this hint #2).

These are only a few ideas when trying to decide a quality cooking gift for that special cook or chef in your life. Try to avoid the easy out selections such as cook books or gift cards.

Simple Pizza Soup Recipe

Now that the colder weather is here there is a greater desire for hot stovetop meals such as soup and stews. Soups are also a great way to get kids to reap the nutritional benefits of vegetables without necessarily having to eat the vegetable directly as the vitamins are absorbed into the surrounding liquid. I have a family favorite Pizza Soup recipe that we all enjoy in the winter months. The recipe is much like other pizza soup recipes you will find in cook books and other cooking websites. The common ingredients of any pizza soup is the tomatoes, Italian Seasonings, and cheese. From that point on, the composition of the soup is at your own descretion. I follow this recipe since these are ingredients I would most likely order on a traditional pizza. I strongly recommend a good loaf of Italian Bread to accompany this tasty soup.


Simple Pizza Soup Recipe

1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces) – do not drain liquid
1 can chicken broth (15 ounce)
1 cup pepperoni, chopped
½ pound Italian sausage, cooked and diced
1 ½ cup mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup water
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Method

1. Sauté onion and pepper together in large sauce pan.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to simmer and continue cooking covered for additional twenty minutes.
4. Upon serving, top each bowl with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Czech Meat Loaf

Hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving weekend. The weather was agreeable in Chicago and actually managed a day of golf with a high temperature hitting 50 degrees. I also endured my usual routine of overeating the last few days. It is difficult to stay away from the temptation to snack with the abundance of turkey, stuffing, and dessert leftovers in the fridge. There was way too much food still on hand even after sending home several guests with doggie bags of turkey and trimmings. What has been left of the turkey has now been frozen to resurface as a tettrazini or pot pie later in the December month. Moving away from turkey and poultry for the next few days, I will be preparing a Czech meat loaf recipe that will be a nice break from turkey. The recipe is as follows. I do embellish the recipe as I add my condiment kick of catsup and mustard as they do lend a umph to the meat loaf flavor. Meat loaf is truly a "free for all" for which you can use your own imagination once you get past the common ingredients of ground meat, eggs, and bread crumbs. Every other ingredient is at your discretion (as long as the taste is satisfactory).  I do serve this up with a hot green vegetable and mashed potatoes or dumplings.

Czech Meat Loaf

1 pound Ground Chuck

1 Pound Ground Pork

1 small onion, diced fine

½ cup green pepper, diced fine

1 clove garlic, minced

2 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup catsup

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Pinch of ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl combine two meats together.
2. Add remaining ingredients along with beaten eggs.
3. Mix thoroughly and form into loaf shape.
4. Place loaf on greased pan and place in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about forty five minutes.
4. Slice and Serve.

Blueberry Scones

Another weekend has come and gone with decent temperatures once again for what is usually a cold rainy November. There was not anything exciting prepared for our weekend dinners as we chowed down on Portillos charbroiled burgers on Saturday and grilled chicken caesar salad on Sunday. I did manage to do a little work in the kitchen Sunday morning as I baked some scones for the weekday breakfast rush. Scones or drop biscuits are pretty easy to assemble as they require less dough manipulation than when preparing full scale biscuits. I like this blueberry scone recipe as it is a tasty breakfast treat that can also be enjoyed with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. Make sure to adequately mix or (sift if necessary) your dry ingredients to avoid too much concentration of leavening agents (baking powder) in one spot. This is always possible if you have baking powder that has clumps.

This scone recipe is a winner as the final product is a moist cakelike tender golden muffin and will leave you craving another. While I use blueberries, other fillers such as cranberries, cherries, and currants will also do a good job. You can even use these fruits in the dried form.

Blueberry Scones with Buttermilk

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda
3. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, buttermilk, butter, and blueberries.
4. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients until well blended.
5. Drop sticky batter onto greased baking sheet spacing about inch and a half apart.
6. Dust each drop biscuit with a little sugar.
6. Bake for fifteen minutes or until golden brown.
7. Cool and Serve.

Having Enough Turkey On Thanksgiving

Happy Friday everyone. I am glad to be done with this very long and busy work week. I look forward to getting back into the kitchen and or grill this weekend and knocking out something fun and delectable. I am continuing on with another Thanksgiving Day related post since we are getting close to that great annual feast. There are many rookies out there will be hosting the premiere dinner for family and/or friends. Hosting a meal such as this can be stressful if not adequately prepared. Don’t let the anxiety get the best of you. Gladly accept offers by friends and family members that insist on bringing side dishes, beverages or dessert. One of the more common concerns during this November holiday is having enough turkey. It is pretty easy to approximate how much side dishes one will need whether it is potatoes, stuffing, yams, or vegetables. The pie count is also simple. The real guess-timation involves how much bird to buy for your gathering. My solution is simple. I figure about a pound and a half per person when calculating bird size. My gathering involves seven adults and two children. The two children equate to another adult, so I will be buying for approximately eight adults. Simple math equates the turkey size to 8 people x 1.5 pounds or twelve pounds. Yes I know each person is not going to consume one and half pounds of meat. This ratio does allow for guaranteed leftovers and will easily accommodate any superhuman appetites that show up at your dinner table. If you do plan on purchasing based on this ration, make sure you have containers or wrap suitable for freezing.


You could probably get by with figuring a pound per person and still have leftovers. I have a policy of sending home a little turkey with some guests and still have leftovers for pot pie, tetrazzini, or soups, therefore I stick to the one and a half pound per person rule. This food always hits the spot during the extended November weekend. Just try to find time to squeeze in a jog or yard work to burn off this indulgence.

Nadivka - Bread Stuffing Recipe

Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a great time of the year to gather with friends and family over a delicious meal and engage in fun conversation and post meal games. Another good part of the meal is the tasty leftovers that carryover into the long weekend. A good bird does not go out successfully without the aid of a great stuffing. There are so many different stuffing recipes out there regardless of which corner of the globe or country you reside. I have seen a variety of Nadivka or Czech bread stuffing recipes as well. I always stick to my traditional recipe as it has never failed me. This recipe is a standard recipe that I use every year. Some people will use this version and add such items as sausage, mushrooms, or even poultry liver. I usually skip the extras and prepare as is. I look forward to this stuffing every year as it is even delicious cold from the refrigerator the next day.

I prefer a moist dressing so I opt for the fresh soft bread. If you like a fluffier dressing, consider drying out the bread for a day prior to mixing ingredients. This recipe yields enough for two casserole dishes or stuffing for a very large turkey (18 to 22 lbs). If you have a ten pound turkey simply divide the ingredients list in half. I usually prepare this dressing outside of the bird in a casserole dish since the media has done a good job of putting the salmonella fear into me with regards to stuffing inside the poultry cavity.

Nadivka

12 cups of bread, cubed
3/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1½ cup celery with leaves
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sage, ground
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Turkey or Chicken Broth, low sodium


1. Sauté celery and onions in butter until soft.

2. In a very large bowl, combine celery and onion with bread cubes and seasonings.

3. Allow to cool slightly before adding broth and beaten eggs.

4. Make sure enough broth is added to have a moist stuffing.

5. Bake in greased casserole dish for one hour at 325F.

Leaves, Soccer, and Red Robin Burgers

We did not do too much cooking over the weekend as a result of catching up on errands in the extremely mild temperatures. Saturday was all about kids soccer games and raking the yard. I even used the patio fire pit which is always a good way to burn up extra yard debris. The Saturday sort of got away from us as I did not really have time to prepare something fun for dinner such as chops, ribs, or a roast.


Our minds were set on going out to eat as we all had cheeseburgers on our minds. I had read a review in the local paper about Chicago area burgers that ranked well. Most of the prize winning burgers mentioned in the Chicago paper were located at bar and grill joints in the city and we did not have the time or the patience to make that long of a drive. I also don’t think a bar would be the appropriate venue to bring in a six month old baby. We opted for plan B, which was a visit to a nearby Red Robin. Red Robin has gained the reputation as being a decent burger joint, so I had to find out if the buzz was legitimate.

We were seated immediately by a friendly waitress and provided our menus. The waitress wasted no time taking our drink order. The layout of the restaurant is very bright and cheerful. It is a great setting for families with children in tow. The host or hostess has balloons for the kids and there is even a small game section for kids to play. We skipped that step as we were all very hungry and wanted something sort of quick but not a fast food burger chain.

The menu was very extensive with such offerings as wraps, salads, and steak sandwiches. Our focus was on burgers. The burger menu is large as you can order just about any Pattie concoction you could think of. My wife went with the traditional Red Robin gourmet burger and I decided on the mushroom swiss. The kids went with the corn dog kids’ meal.

The food was brought forth very quickly. The burgers included the wider steak fry which was served on an “all you can eat” basis. We did not need to request more fries as the original serving size was quite enough. The burger review was a split decision at our table. My wife did not care for the traditional gourmet burger as it was underdone (medium rare when she ordered medium). Her large critique was that she did not care for the sweet relish on the burger. On the other hand, the mushroom swiss burger was pretty damn good. The burger is apparently cooked on a grill top and served on a buttered bun and topped with layer of swiss cheese and a large portion of sautéed mushrooms in garlic butter and hint of parmesan. I offered up half of this burger to my significant other, but she politely passed and endured her relish concoction. I do plan on returning to this joint for another burger, perhaps of a spicy variety, but will probably have to make this voyage alone.

Cost Cutting Tips for Thanksgiving Dinner

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, there exists the anxiety of putting together a plan to host the holiday with friends and family. The stress level can be kept to a minimum by taking the right steps. A good plan involves carefully knowing your audiences preferences and following these cost cutting tips for Thanksgiving dinner.


1. Watch for sales (If the deals on frozen or canned items are too good to pass up, then buy immediately. I am already seeing tons of specials located at the supermarket end caps that feature yams, marshmallows, pumpkin pie essentials, and even soda.

2. Switch ready made for homemade (pies and gravies). You can usually trim down the cost of your desserts by making the pumpkin pie from scratch. Be aware that the cost could go up significantly if you do not have the essential spices on hand.

3. Shop with a set list. If you go in to the store without a list, you will most likely buy items that you did not originally intend on acquiring.

4. Accept pot luck offers by relatives and friends. You will have a sufficient cost to host and prepare the meal so gladly accept any offers of pies or side dishes to the feast.

5. Look for the free turkey specials based on how much you spend at the store. Watch for these deals closely at your neighborhood stores during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. You have to perform weekly household shopping every week, so you might as well take advantage of any potential free turkey offers based on spending activity.

6. Try and lock in your head count early so you know with certainty how much food you will need. If you are like me, you will still buy a little extra to have some leftovers for the rest of the weekend.

7. For table decorations such as cornucopia, candles, and napkin holders, consider a visit to the dime store or discount shop where you will find these items cheaper. If you need linensyou’re your table, consider looking at the thrift store. The guests will have no idea where you found these items.

8. Keep appetizers to a very minimum if at all. There will be so much food served during the Thanksgiving meal, you do not want your guests filling up on cheese and crackers or shrimp and cocktail sauce.

Bublanina - Czech Cake Recipe

Bublanina is a Czech cake often referred to as bubble cake as it is spongy and engulfs the seasonal fruit topping. The most common topping choices include berries, apples, cherries, plums, and apricots. If fresh fruit is tough to come by, pie filling or compote will suffice. I recall many nights of my childhood in which my parents would host a night of playing cards with friends, aunts, and grand parents for which there would be a large dessert table offering kolacky, poppy seed cake, and a few different bublanina (coffee cakes). The coffee was always prepared in the larger than life plug in percolator and would be consumed rather quickly. How retro is that? My brothers and I could not wait until we could raid the dessert offerings leaving a trail of powdered sugar on our way out of the kitchen. As this dessert is categorized as a sponge cake, it is more of a coffee cake in my opinion so don’t be shy to try this recipe out for breakfast.

As I mentioned, the choice of fruit topping for this cake is at your discretion. I usually opt for cherry or blueberries. Given the season of lower prices right now, sliced apples will also work. If using fresh apple, make sure to soak them will a little lemon juice and dust them with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Czech Coffee Cake - Bublanina

1 stick butter
1 cup flour (all purpose)
½ cup sugar
2 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
½ teaspoon Salt
1 pound of Fruit (Cherries, Blueberries, Apricots, or Plums)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream sugar, butter, and egg yolks and salt until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and fold into flour.
4. Fold flour and egg white mixture into egg and butter mixture.
5. Pour batter into greased 9 inch pan.
6. Place fruit or fruit compote on top of cake batter.
7. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until done (toothpick test).
8. Cool on Cake rack.
9. Dust with confectioner’s sugar prior to serving.

Review of Packaged Cole Slaw

Halloween went off with a bang as the kids roped in more candy that imaginable. The real success to getting everything done on Saturday was having the dinner prepared first thing in the morning. We made barbecued pulled pork in the crockpot. The marinated pork shoulder made the whole house smell amazing throughout the day and tasted even better in the evening.


In the morning I made a trip to the store to get some hamburger buns and the appropriate topper to a barbecue pork sandwich, coleslaw. The deli counter was fresh out of coleslaw so I found a pre-cut mix sold by Dole in the bagged salad section of the store. The Dole classic coleslaw is sold in a 14 ounce bag and consists of shredded cabbage and carrots. The bag costed a measly $1.50 as it was on sale. The bag also included a recipe on the back of the bag for preparing Classic Cole Slaw. The ingredients to add per the recipe consisted of mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, and sugar. I had all these ingredients at home so my shopping was done.

I prepared the coleslaw first thing after returning home and let it sit in the refrigerator until we returned from trick or treating at 6:00 pm. The pork was shredded and sauce was added yielding a very tasty supper. We topped off the sandwiches with this fresh made coleslaw and the meal went over pretty well.

My overall opinion of the Dole Coleslaw is mixed. I liked the convenience of the shredded mix when cooking in a hurry. It was nice to not have to core and shred cabbage and peel carrots. I think the price is right and it was just the right amount of coleslaw for a family of four. Honestly we had enough for two to three meals. The shredded vegetables were just the right size and very crunchy. The coleslaw would be a good accompaniment to any fried chicken, fish, or barbecue dinner.

I think the recipe provided on the back of the bag could use some tweaking, especially if one plans on eating the coleslaw on its own merit and not as a topping. The coleslaw recipe was rather bland and needed something extra whether it was a little onion, chili sauce, or something with a little kick. We didn’t really spruce it up any further as it was going on top of a zesty barbecue sandwich. I do not normally prepare my own coleslaw as that is a crime given my love for grilled foods. If anyone has any suggestions on kicking up this popular side dish, I welcome the comments.

Pumpkin Bread from Scratch

I have spent years carving pumpkins for myself and now enjoy the fall ritual with my children. The process is well established. Every October I visit the farmer’s market or (store display) and pick out a few winners. Once the pumpkins get home, I spread the newspaper out across the kitchen table and begin carving with the family. In the years past, I would usually retain the seeds for a roasted tasty snack. I don’t do this so much anymore as the seeds are well intermingled with the gooey pulp which all gets thrown away in one swoop.

Pumpkins are more to me than just the once a year jack o lantern. This tasty fruit proves an excellent ingredient for pies, breads, and soups every fall and winter. I took the liberty of purchasing a smaller pie pumpkin with the goal of baking a pumpkin bread from scratch starting with the fruit in it pure unprocessed form. I usually cheat every year and opt for the Libby’s canned pumpkin. There is nothing wrong with taking the short cut as it proves to be very convenient and produces some very tasty dessert items. While I have some larger pumpkins already carved, I though it better to go with a smaller pie pumpkin that will give me a yield of about a cup or so of pumpkin meat. My methodology was simple; to yield the puree needed for pumpkin bread which will be baked the following day. I begin the pumpkin puree process by skinning or removing the outer skin of the pumpkin. I then seed it, and chop it up to be cooked down in a hot water bath until tender. Once the pumpkin is soft, I will strain and puree in my food processor. The puree will be transformed into a container to cool for a while on the counter, and then be relocated to the refrigerator for safe keeping for my pumpkin bread.

 As you see in the pictures, the process was complete yielding a much orange-yellow vibrant color than what you will find in the canned pumpkin variety. At the end of baking process, this will not matter as the batter will turn brown anyway.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe using pureed pumpkin

1 cup pumpkin puree (as prepared in the description above).
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1 ½ cup white sugar
1 ½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease on 9 x 5 bread pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice).
4. Add eggs, water, oil, and pumpkin puree.
5. Stir until well blended.
6. Pour into the greased pans.
7. Bake for about an hour. Insert toothpick to check for doneness.
8. If dough is not complete cooked, bake additional five to ten minutes.
9. Remove from oven and cool.

Easy Crockpot Italian Beef

Italian beef sandwiches are a coveted meal in my home regardless of the season. We enjoy the easy crockpot Italian beef during the hectic work week schedules and even football Sunday. The benefit to this meal is that the food prep can be accomplished in less than ten minutes early in the morning. The slow cooker does the rest of the work. A traditional Italian beef sandwich will be produced with a roasted sirloin tip or a quality inside round cut.

This recipe uses chuck roast which amazingly pulls off a winner in my book. This recipe has become a family favorite and has evolved from trial and error as a result of combining several earlier attempted recipes. Those that are really sensitive to spicy or zesty au jus, I would recommend using half the portion of pepperoncini juice as I have maintained in this recipe.


Easy Crockpot Italian Beef

4 pound, chuck roast
12 ounce jar of pepperoncini
1 pkg Italian seasoning mix (Dry Italian Dressing Mix)
3 cups of water
2 beef boullion cubes
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, sliced thin

1. Trim roast of all visible fat wherever possible.
2. Place roast into slow cooker and top with onions, peppers, and pepperoncini with juice
3. Combine Italian seasoning mix, pepperoncini juice, water, and bouillion.
4. Pour liquid over roast and vegetables.
5. Cook on low setting between 8 to 10 hours.
6. Shred beef with a fork.
7. Serve on fresh French bread or Italian rolls with toppings of hot Italian Giardiniera and cheddar cheese.

Hint: For true Chicago Italian beef experience , secure sandwich with tongs and give it a good dunk in the crockpot juices and spoon full of hot giardinaira prior to serving.

TIPS

1. Hot giardiniera – If the pepperoncinis and their respective juice is not enough, it is always recommended to turn it up another notch and add a few spoonfuls of this hot spicy relish made with peppers, carrots and assortment of other vegetables.

2. Cheeses – The Italian beef sandwich appears naked to many people without the aid of some cheese. Many fast food restaurants consider the Italian beef covered with cheese a “cheesy beef”. Purists do not add the queso. I enjoy a good dusting of cheddar to offset the heat of the giardiniera.

3. Sweet Peppers – An Italian or cheesy beef always tastes good with the addition of cooked or roasted bell peppers.