Progress

The only thing I really want to say in this blog post is....yeah!!!

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake...LIKE WOAH!

As most of you know... I am not the one that bakes, cooks, or even grocery shops...I leave that to Gigi, and my Lady Husband. But I decided to act like a lady and bake a bundt cake. and BOY OH BOY.. this is easy..and didn't taste so bad either!

Ingredients

3Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
3/4 cup of Unsalted Butter at Room Temp.
3 Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon of Grated Orange Peel
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup of Buttermilk
2 Cups of Frozen Blue Berries.



Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 10 inch diameter Bundt pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in the orange peel and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions. Fold in blueberries and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for about an hour or until the tester inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, and the Turn the cake out on to a rack to cool completely.

**Frozen blueberries will not sink to the bottom of the cake pan**
**The batter came out REALLY thick and didn't quite pour into the pan as much as me having to scoop it out of the bowl and schlep it into the pan.**

Don't be scared...it will all be okay.

The Fight for Tomatoes

Remember a couple of years ago when BPA was discovered in baby bottles and the country went all bat shit crazy?? Well, I am so happy to report that this issue has been resolved, and mothers can sleep soundly. No, I lie you can't. BPA is not just found in plastic, it is used throughout the canning industry, and most dangerously in canned tomatoes. BPA is lined in the aluminum, and the acidity of tomatoes causes a reaction, or better yet contamination. I just came across these sites, where some hardcore bloggers did some serious research.

Body Earth
The Soft Landing


I am beyond disturbed by this for two reasons.

1: BPA has been linked to breast, prostate, and testicular cancers, obesity, elevated rates of heart disease, diabetes, liver abnormalities, reproductive problems and reduced sperm count, and problems with brain function and mood disorders.

2. Since learning of gassed tomatoes, I have gone strictly to organic canned tomatoes for my marinara batches.

Ugh! I can't win. Gone are the days of canning massive amounts of inexpensive organic tomato sauce! On the other hand, picking tomatoes before they are ripe and pumping them with gas, just doesn't sit right with me either. The sun needs to do it's job, that's where the flavor comes from. I know that there are no health concerns (at the moment) for ethylene, it just seems wrong. I get it, ethylene is naturally found in plants...blah blah blah. But is it really necessary? Can't I just buy an unripe tomato and let it ripen on my counter? Or buy a can of organic tomatoes without the threat of cancer?

Simple Recipe for Semolina Pasta

2 1/2 cups semolina
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp salt
All-purpose flour for dusting

Creamy Texas Cole Slaw

This is a massive recipe (enough for about 10 people), but it's very difficult to find 1/2 heads of cabbage so....might as well just go all the way with it.

Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage
1 head red cabbage
5-6 carrots
1 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
3 TBS sour cream or creme fraiche
2 TBS grated shallot or onion
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS vinegar
1 TBS dry mustard
1 tsp celery salt
salt and pepper to taste




Remove dead and nasty top leaves from the cabbage and cut into four parts



Cut out the root



Shred cabbage



Wash and drain



Cut up carrots. I like chunky slaw, but you can cut to any desired consistency. This is America!



Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix

Pour over cabbage and carrots and mix with tongs



You can eat this right away, but like a good soup, cole slaw is SO much better the next day. Should last in your fridge for a least a week.

Creme Fraiche

I am in love with fatty dairy products. Creme fraiche is a great substitute for sour cream and it's much more tangy and delicious when it's made fresh.

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2 TBS buttermilk

Optional:
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 tsp salt

Combine the cream and buttermilk



Give it a quick whisk



Pour into a clean jar and cover



Throw into a dark cabinet or pantry and let it work it's magic for 24 hours



After a night in the cabinet, give the cream a quick stir. Voila! Insanely addictive fresh cream.



Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before consuming. Should last at least 2 weeks in the cooler.

I like to add salt and lemon to the finished creme, b/c it lifts the flavor and prolongs the shelf life.

I love creme fraiche in scrambled eggs, but you can put it on just about anything. It can also be used as a sauce.

Carrot Muffin Fail

Have you even had a muffin so incredible that you obsessed over the perfection of it? Or spent countless hours and dollars trying to perfect something even better? No? Well I have, and I'm almost there.

I made a puree of pecans and dates



I shredded 1 apple and 6 carrots. I grated fresh nutmeg.

I took them out of the oven midway through baking to brush with butter and sprinkle with toasted pecans.




I put energy and love into it, but like a shitty boyfriend, it did not work out. If Julia Child has taught me anything, it's to persevere into the darkness of perfection. Never give up on a recipe you are convinced will be badass. If every homemaker or chef out there did, we would be eating sandwiches and cereal everyday. Three cheers to you carrot muffin, we will figure out our relationship soon.

Homemade Spinach Fetuccine

Once you start making homemade pasta, you will never buy a box again. I would highly suggest investing (a whopping $35) in a pasta maker, but you can make pasta the old fashioned way too.

Ingredients:
1 9oz bag of spinach
3 cups of flour, plus extra 1/2 cup for dusting
3 eggs
3 garlic cloves
1 large shallot
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 Rolling Stones album




Gently saute shallot and garlic in the olive oil on medium low heat until soft. Add spinach and cook until wilted.



Drain spinach for about 15 minutes to get all of those unwanted juices out. Nobody likes wet pasta.



In the meantime take a large bowl and combine the flour and salt. Then take a few minutes to yourself. Make a cocktail, brush your hair, etc.

Once you have extracted the spinach juices, it's time for the good ole food processor. Mix the spinach and eggs together and puree until you no longer have large chunks.



Make a well with the flour and pour in the spinach. With a fork, mix until you have a dough texture.

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When dough comes together, transfer to lightly floured flat surface (you know like a table) and knead for at least 6 or 7 minutes until firm.




*If your dough is unreasonably wet, add a small amount of flour, unreasonably dry, add a small amount of water.

When your pasta dough is in "unity" and beautiful, form into disk shape, and wrap in a slightly damp kitchen towel. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.



After resting, cut your dough into four equal parts.



Take each section and roll to a 1/4" thickness.



Take it to town with your pasta machine.






Form "nests" and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag. One portion makes enough pasta for two hungry people.







Tips for using your pasta maker:

Don't force dough, always start at the highest (fattest) setting and work your way down to a thinner consistancy

Keep your dough from sticking by giving flour showers

NEVER wash your machine! Use a pastry brush or clean dry towel to dust off any residue


The old fashioned way??? Roll out dough as flat as humanly possible and cut strips with a knife or pizza cutter. My husband and I did this in our early days, so don't act like it's impossible.

Pickled Corn Relish

I found this recipe on the Internet and gave it a whirl.... super simple and super tasty!

This will make 3 pints and will store for up to a year if you follow the directions for sterilizing jars and sealing with a hot bath!

1 Small cabbage (I chose purple..because I thought it would be pretty)

1 Large Onion
6 Ears of Corn

2 Jalapenos
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Mustard

2 Tablespoons of Salt

2 Tablespoons of Flour

1 1/2 cups of corn syrup

2 cups of Vinegar

Steam the corn for 30 minutes (Steaming is not the same as boiling...I learned that the hard way)

Chop Cabbage, Onion and Jalapenos into large chunks

Cut the corn directly from the cob and add to the rest of your veggies and throw them in a large pot

Combine Mustard, Salt, Flour, Corn Syrup, and Vinegar to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pour into Sterilized Jars, and place in a hot bath for 10 minutes.

Let jars sit and cool for 24 hours and then share them with your Adventurous Lady Friends!

Apple Butter and Pickled Green Beans

Our favorite cookbook right now is Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Soloman. I have never put a book to more use, and it is worth every penny. You can buy it here. The following recipes are adapted from her book.

Pickled Green Beans:



Makes 3 Pints

Stores In Cool Dark Cupboard For 1 Year

Recipe:

3 Pounds of Green Beans (stems intact)
9 Cloves of Garlic (crushed)
3 Tablespoons Brown Mustard Seeds
3 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard Seeds
6 Tablespoons Dill Seeds
3 Tablespoons Black Peppercorns
6 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 ½ to 2 ¼ Cups Distilled White Vinegar


-Combine vinegar, 6 cups of water and salt in a pot and bring to a boil to dissolve the salt
-Divide beans, garlic, and spices into sterilized jars. Leave 1in head space in jars
-Pour boiling vinegar solution into jars leaving ½ in headspace
-Place Jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes

Apple Butter
Makes 4-6 Cups

Stores for 1 Month In Refrigerator


8 Pounds of Sweet Red Apples (Pink Lady, Fuji, Red Delicious)
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup of Golden Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cardamom

-Pre-heat oven to 350°F
-Peel, quarter, and core apples
-Lightly oil 2 baking sheets
-Cover pans loosely in foil
-Bake apples for 2 hours or until brown and fragrant. Rotate pans 180° after 1 hour in the oven



-Puree apples until smooth (about 4 minutes)



-Add the rest of the ingredients to the apples and puree again until pudding consistency
-Ladle into a sterilized jar and refrigerate