My Chemistry teacher friend told me about Cook's Illustrated

My Chemistry teacher friend told me about Cook's Illustrated.  I like how they test different ingredients and cooking techniques and then explain the why behind the results.

Here is a recipe worth saving for Colcannon Soup.

green cabbage works better than Napa/savoy cabbage.  Kale is :) too.

for the broth:  chicken broth is better than water or beef broth

best to use leeks and onions and not just one or the other

bacon:  it is best to use 3 slices instead of more or less

red potatoes unpeeled worked best

technique is the same for all the tested recipes:  saute the bacon, soften the vegetables in the rendered fat, add the broth and potatoes to the mix and simmer it all until the potatoes are tender.

3 slices of bacon
1 medium onion, minced
1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced think and rinsed thoroughly
8 oz. green cabbage (about 4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. flour   (added to the rendered bacon fat and vegis to thicken the soup)
1/2 cup dry white wine   (too make more acidic, bright tasting)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
12 oz. red potatoes cut into 3/4 inch chunks (bite sized)
1/2 heavy cream
salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives


IRISH soda bread
U.S version has eggs, butter and sugar
Irish version only four ingredients   flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk

German Language Lesson Describing People

Wie sieht er aus? Wie sieht sie aus?

Er ist dunkelblond/bruenett/blond/dunkel.

Er hat eine Brille.

Er ist gross/klein/schlank/vollschlank.

Er hat ……. Augen.  

(blaue, braune, schwarze, gruene, graue)

Er hat ………….Haare.

         (glatte, wellige, lockige, lange, kurze)

Er hat ein Vollbart.

Er hat ein Schnurrbart.

kein Vollbart/kein Schnurrbart.

Er hat Sommersprossen.

Sie hat Somersprossen.

Corn Cakes

I usually cut this recipe in half.

3 cups corn kernels
1 cup milk
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
8 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chives
1/2 cup parsley
3 Tbsp. cooking oil

1. In a bowl of a food processor combine corn and milk and process until simultaneously chunky and creamy.  Pour into a large mixing bowl.  Add flour, cornmeal and baking powder and mix well.   Set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl beat together eggs and butter until smooth and frothy.  Add egg mixture to corn mixture and combine thoroughly.  Carefully mix in chopped chives and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.

3.  In a large skillet, heat oil.  Using a 1 1/2 oz. ladle, scoop up batter and ladle into hot oil.  Fry until golden on both sides, about two minutes per side.  Serve corn cakes with sour cream, garnished with chives and/or with corn relish.

Stuffed Manicotti for Brian's Birthday

My friend Janice made this for her son's birthday dinner.

1 qt. tom sauce
1/4 cup parsley
2 eggs beaten
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
4 to 5 Tb. finely chopped onion
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 tsp. caraway seeds
16 manicotti shells

2 to 3 Tbs. grated Parmesan

Stir the parsley into the beaten eggs. Combine the eggs with the ricotta, salt, onion and parm.  Heat the caraway seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes over a medium flame.  The heat releases their flavor---otherwise they will taste like bits of sawdust.  Sir them into the cheese mixture, hot out of the pan.
Stuff the cooked manicotti with this mixture;  it should fill about 16 shells.  Pour about half the sauce into a baking dish.  Arrange the manicotti in the dish on top of the sauce, then pour the rest of the sauce over them and bake in a hot oven  400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Before serving, take of the cover, sprinkle with  a little grated Parmesan and bake uncovered for a few minutes.

Crock Pot cookbook recipes for chicken bratwurst, garbanzo bake, etc..

These are recipes from a crock pot cookbook that we had.  I can find them on the Internet I bet.

Spanish-Style chicken   onion, celery, toms, garlic, paprika, smoked sausage links

Bratwurst with apple kraut

apples, sauerkraut, bratwurst, brown sugar, caraway seed


Sausage Garbanzo Bake
beans, polish sausage, tom sauce, onion, bay leaves, water, garlic, oregano, cumin, pepper

Home style pot roast
turnip
onion
carrot
celery
garlic
pot roast
red wine parsley

Eastern Beef and Eggplant

Hungarian Goulash

Meaty Split Pea Soup



stud onion with cloves to make a chicken broth

French Onion Soup
6 to 8 onions
1/4 cup butter
beef broth
water
Worcestershire sauce

Coq au vin blanc

Lemon Chicken

Zucchini Quinotto (Zucchini with Quinoa and parmesan cheese)

Joe and I like shredded zucchini and Parmesan cheese baked.  I saw this recipe in Melissa's Run Fast, Eat Slow book and wanted to try it.  It is like a macaroni and cheese substitute.   It would be easier to just make the zucchini, Parmesan cheese shredded yummy dish.

Zucchini Quinotto aka Zucchini with quinoa

3 cups broth
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained well
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 zucchinis, grated
1 bulb roasted garlic
1 cup parmesan cheese
grated zest of a lemon
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1.  Bring broth to a simmer, turn off heat and cover.
2.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and salt and cook until soft but not brown.
3.  Add the qquinoa and cook und toasted.   The grains will start to crackle.  Add the wine and stir until most of the moisture evaporates.
4.  Ladle 1 cup of the broth over the quinoa, add the zucchini and garlic, and stir until the zucchini softens, 5 to 10 minutes.
5.  Reduce the heat to low.  Once the moisture from the zucchini evaporates, continue adding 1/2 cup of the broth at a time, until the quinoa is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  You'll know it's ready when the individual grains open, exposing a tiny tail.   Depending on how much moisture your zucchini releases, you may not need all the broth.
6.  Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and pepper and stir to combine.  Once the cheese melts, taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
7.  Serve immediately topped with fresh basil.

Piroska's Cookbook Photos from Budapest