From Gourmet Magazine: Pumpkin Flan With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

This morning, was looking online for recipe ideas, and came across this on the Gourmet Magazine website.  I think I will have to try this sometime!

Pumpkin Flan With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Serves: 8

Active time:40 MIN 

Start to finish:8 HR (Includes chilling)

Source: http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2005/11/pumpkin-flan, NOVEMBER 2005

A bite of this flan, fragrant with traditional pumpkin-pie spices, is very comforting despite the dessert’s modern looks; a topping of pumpkin seeds, seasoned with cayenne, creates a play of sweet and heat.

Ingredients

FOR CARAMEL AND FLAN

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

5 whole large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin (1 3/4 cups; not pie filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS

1 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (1/4 lb; not toasted)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 

a 2-quart soufflé dish or round ceramic casserole dish

Preparation

MAKE CARAMEL:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Heat soufflé dish in oven while making caramel.
2. Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Wearing oven mitts, remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and side. (Leave oven on.) Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to coat, then let harden.

MAKE FLAN:

1. Bring cream and milk to a bare simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat. Whisk together whole eggs, yolk, and remaining cup sugar in a large bowl until combined well, then whisk in pumpkin, vanilla, spices, and salt until combined well. 
2. Add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking.
3. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, scraping with a rubber spatula to force through, and stir to combine well. 
4. Pour custard over caramel in dish, then bake in a water bath until flan is golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. 
5. Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.

MAKE SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS WHILE FLAN CHILLS:

1. Toast pumpkin seeds in oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. 
2. Toss with salt and cayenne until coated.

TO SERVE:

Run a thin knife between flan and side of dish to loosen. Shake dish gently from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. (Caramel will pour out over and around flan.) Sprinkle flan with spiced pumpkin seeds just before serving.

COOKS’ NOTES:

Flan can be chilled 1 day. Spiced pumpkin seeds keep in an airtight container at room temperature, 3 days.

Tabbouleh!

After some really heavy meals last week, I want to come into the holiday season eating healthy, and I will try to eat mainly vegan or vegetarian until Thanksgiving. While this may sound like a challenge, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian cuisines offer many flavorful vegetable dishes.  

I chop my parsley in a food processor. 

It only requires a few pulses to have

roughly chopped herbs.

Tonight I am serving Tabbouleh (Arabic: تبولة‎ tabūlah), which is a seasoned salad originating from the mountain regions of Syria, and Lebanon. It is popular throughout the Middle East, with countless regional variations. Traditionally, tabbouleh is made of herbs (usually parsley) and bulgar.  This variation uses barley.

Tabbouleh

Skill level: 

Ingredients

1/4 cup barley

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 Roma tomatoes

1 cup finely chopped cucumber

1 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

fresh ground pepper (10 turns, or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped mint

juice from 1/2 lemon

Preparation

1. Boil water, and add barley.  Boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

2. Drain barley, and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
3. combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir to combine.

4. Chill for at least one hour to allow flavors to combine.

Tabbouleh, served with hummus garnished with olive oil and paprika, sliced and toasted pita bread, and olive orzo salad.

Biff Paj (Swedish Meat Pies)

Swedish meat pie, served with almond green beans.

Today was cold and dreary, and I was wanting to bake, and I was also craving comfort foods.  After thumbing through some recipes, as I was trying to figure out what to make, I stumbled across this favorite.  It hit the "want to bake craving," the "comfort food" criteria,  and also was a great dinner idea, so I decided to make Biff Paj (Swedish Meat Pies) for dinner.

Many years ago, I first had these at the Junction City Scandinavian Festival, and is one of my favorite treats from the festival. Swedish Meat Pies are rich, savory, and delicious! In the spirit of Paula Dean, I have to say that it's hard to go wrong with potatoes, cheese, butter and sour cream.

Swedish Meat Pies (Biff Paj)

Skill level: 

Adapted from: The Barest Hint of Sweetness 

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Baking Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 meat pies

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound ground beef (or turkey)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch Hungarian paprika (regular is fine, as well)

2 large red potatoes, grated

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter

1 cup sour cream

Preparation:

1. Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Crumble in the ground beef and add parsley, allspice, dill, nutmeg, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and grated potatoes. Cook and stir until the meat is browned. 

3. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and 1/2 cup sour cream until melted. 

4. Set aside to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
6. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and 1 teaspoon salt. 
7. Mix in the 1 1/4 cup cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until only pea sized lumps remain OR pulse ingredients in a food processor to get pea sized lumps. 
8. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream a little bit at a time until the dough holds together. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. 
9. Divide into six equal portions, and pat into balls.
   
10. Roll out each ball of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness, about 8 inches across.  They do not have to be pretty at this point, as they will be trimmed in step 13.

11. Place a heaping 1/2 cup of filling onto each one.

12. Fold over into half circles, and seal by moistening the edges with warm water and pressing together. 

13. Trim edges so that the pies have a nice half circle shape, and crimp edges. 

14. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

15. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

I thought this was clever

HALLOWEEN-SUGAR-COOKIES-FUNNY-TOMBSTONE-SAYINGS

http://thealisonshow.com/2012/10/halloween-sugar-cookies.html/halloween-sugar-cookies-funny-tombstone-sayings

Oregon Cheeses

One of the cheeses featured in the article,
Willamette Valley Brindisi (a parmesan cheese),
is one of my local favorites.

Over the last two years, my friend Georgene and I have attended many wine and cheese tastings at Long's Meat Market, in Eugene, Oregon. What has made their tastings unique is that they theme items by nationality, and then they also find locally made items that are comparable to the imported goods. Because of this unique approach to cheese and wine pairings, I have found many Oregon made cheeses that are simply incredible.

Oregon is one of the few states that has many local farmstead cheeses, as most states, if they have dairies and creameries, only have mass produced dairy products, made for grocery stores. Oregon has at least 40 farmstead cheese makers. What this means is that these farmers produce the milk, and make the cheese; usually hormone free, and created using traditional methods of production.

While on FlipBoard (an iPad newsfeed app) this morning, I saw this article about Steve's Cheese Bar in Portland, featuring 10 Oregon cheeses. I have had a number of the selections featured in the story, and thought I would share the article.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/10/oregon-farmstead-cheese-steves-cheese-bar-pdx-portland.html (Follow the link, there is a slideshow of the 10 cheeses featured).

Article: Steve is all about supporting small local cheese-makers, but he admits, some of them are better than others. "You see cheese-makers who put a blindfold on and run off a cliff. Others study the science and art of cheese-making."

Brian Humiston, for example, studied food science and fermentation at Oregon State University before starting Full Circle Creamery in Crabree, Oregon, 2010. Applying his degree in curd-nerdery, he now makes cheddar and mozzarella from organic milk. Steve introduced us to Full Circle Creamery's cheddar as well as the unique "Chubut" cheese from a man named Mariano Battro who comes from a lineage of Argentine cheese-makers. His family's dairy back in Patagonia was largely influenced by Welsh settlers who migrated to Argentina in the 1800s and started making Chubut. He now makes this historic cheese using cow's milk from Lochmead Dairy in Junction City, Oregon.

Hearing Steve talk about the cheese-makers and where they came from gives you a sense of where Oregon cheese is headed. Many Old World cheese traditions meeting the Oregon terroir. Like Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue: a feisty blue cheese that's roasted over hazelnuts shells. (Hazelnuts are the state nut of Oregon, and Oregonians really love them.)

In addition to sampling through the cheese case, you can pop into Steve's Bar for his impressive selection of local beers and wines (really, this guy must love beer as much as his cheese), as well as cheese plates, sandwiches, salads, and warm dishes from the oven to enjoy at the seats inside.

Steve's Cheese Bar

6031 SE Belmont, Portland OR. 97215

503-222-6014

Home Made Marshmallows

Home made marshmallows, browned with a sugar torch,
and served on homemade graham cookies and chocolate gnash.

Marshmallow has it roots in antiquity, as far back as ancient Egypt.  The Egyptians made a sweet confection, mixed with nuts and honey, from the roots of the marshmallow plant.  The modern incarnation of the confection has a French origin, and uses gelatin to give it a springy and spongy form.

Last April, for Easter, I catered an event for 85 people.  I made five courses, plus two deserts, and three or four appetizers; needless to say, it was a big job.  One of the dessert choices was gourmet s'mores, with graham cookies, chocolate ganache, and home made marshmallow.  They were very tasty, if I do say so myself. 

Home made marshmallows are not difficult to make, and the flavor is so much better than any of the evil and slightly rubbery varieties found at the store.  Once you have had a home made marshmallow. You will never want a mass produced one again. I found this recipe at :

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-marshmallows-recipe/index.html 

Marshmallows 

Skill level: 

Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin 

1 cup ice cold water, divided 

12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups 

1 cup light corn syrup 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 cup powdered sugar 

1/4 cup cornstarch 

Nonstick spray 

Preparation 

1. Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by. 
2. In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat. 
3. Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows. 
4. Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use. 
5. When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. 
6. Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. 

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks

Fall Canning; TOMATOES!

Last week, my sister and I went to my mom's house to can tomatoes.  This was my second year doing it, and tomatoes are outstandingly easy to preserve.  

Canned tomatoes can be used to make marinara (and other tomato based sauces), make a great addition to stews and soups, can be used to make marinades for beef, pork and chicken, and can be a great addition to casseroles.  Best of all, they lack the chemical additives found in store brands.

Canned Tomatoes

Skill level: 

Yields roughly 16 quarts. (This will vary, based on tomato variety, meatiness, and water content.)

Ingredients

1 case of "meaty" tomatoes (typically, we use Roma)

Salt

Preparation

1. Boil water in a large pot.
2. When the water comes to a full boil, add 6 to 10 tomatoes.  Allow tomatoes to remain in the water until the skins split, usually, this will occur in 3 to 5 minutes. (Too many tomatoes will cool the water too much, and tomatoes will not split nicely).

3. Remove tomatoes from the pot, and immerse in very cold water. (We usually just fill the kitchen sink with cold water.)

4. Peel the skins off of the tomatoes, and cut any stem attachments and blemishes from the tomatoes.

5. Stuff tomato meats into quart jars, leaving a bit over 1/2 inch from the top of the jars. (If using pint jars, the same stuffing method applies).
6. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the top of each quart hat. (If using pint jars, reduce to salt to 1/2 teaspoon.)

7. Put filled jars in a warming oven, or hot water bath, to keep jars from breaking while canning.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7, until all tomatoes are used.
9. Check each jar to make sure the openings are clean, and free of ant tomato bits, and grains of salt.  A clean opening is critical for a good seal.
10. Figure out how many jars will fit in your pressure cooker. (In our case, it was 6.)
11. Based on how many jars can fit in your pressure cooker, work in batches, and put enough jar lids in boiling water as one batch in the pressure cooker will yield. Boiling the lids softens the rubber seal on the lid, allowing for an easy seal.  Allow to remain in the boiling water for a couple of minutes.
12. Using tongs, place a lid on each jar going into the pressure cooker.
13. Put jars in a pressure cooker.  As pressure cookers vary, follow the instructions which come with the pressure cooker. (The one we used would hold six jars, allow to boil for 10 minutes, place the lid on the cooker, allow it to come to pressure, and then pressure cook for 10 minutes, and allow to cool completely, remove the lid, and transfer the jars to cooling area.)

14. Repeat steps 11 though 13, until all jars have been cooked and canned.
15. Allow jars to cool completely to room temperature.  On occasion, some jars are not 100% sealed when they come out of the cooker, and will seal, and create a vacuum in the jars as they cool.
16. Test the lids for seal. Immediately use, or discard any jars that are not sealed.