To my dedicated, loyal and new readers....


A Merry Christmas and a very healthy, happy, profitable and FREE New Year.

Chef

God of all gifts, we thank you for the many ways you have blessed us this day. We are grateful each of those who are gathered around this table. We ask you to bless us and our food and to bless those we love who are not with us today. In our gratitude and love, we remember your humble birth into our lives and pray for those who are are without enough to eat. We remember the stable in which you were born and pray for those who have no place to live. We remember your challenging message of caring and giving and we pray for peace in families and nations throughout the world. We bless you and give you thanks in your Spirit who brings our hearts to life the Christmas Day and forever. Amen.

Chef,

Muffins? I don't see that you've done muffins in either thread (that I can find).  

there's a Man for that

seriously there are 10,087 muffin recipes so here's a basic banana that is well liked and all you need do is change
banana for rhubarb, cranberries, strawberries, blueberries,   etc...


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed (+- 12 oz)_
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F   Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

.In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

.In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.



and Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.

Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in raisins and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  


Oh, do you know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane?

Why, yes I know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane.

Now, two of us know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man
Two of us know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane!

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane?

Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane.

Now, four of us know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man
Four of us know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane!

Oh, do you know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane?

Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes I know the muffin man,
who lives on Drury Lane.

Now, all of us know the muffin man,
the muffin man, the muffin man
All of us know the muffin man
who lives on Drury Lane.

Aren't you the muffin man?



Thanks Chef. I'm on a muffins-for-snacks kick and am tired of what I was making.



 

as always happy to assist!!Chef

Hey Chef, how's your spring going?



I found this recipe for hush puppies on page 17. Do you have a baked hush puppy recipe that is tasty? I made one I found online tonight, and it came out kind of dry and bland...

1. spring going well, started a 6 bale straw bale garden and growing web feet and waiting on my Form 1 which I need to send someone pic's of..

2. my hushpuppy recipe came out dry? Blaspheme!  IF it did, add a tablespoon of oil to the mix.

3. or some other recipe dreamed up by some "health minded" "cook" hmm?

my recipe should bake up fine into corn bread sticks in those corn shaped cast iron baking pans or is that the recipe that came out dry??

Hows your spring..

speaking of This thread sure as hell has been quiet since
it was moved from the Homestead forum...

not feeling it!

i don't think i realized we had a cooking forum

but good see you, no matter where it is

 


Good to be seen, trust me, they've been moments..

Our garden has turned into a non-draining swamp with all the snow and wet. Our seedlings are still inside, getting really big.



I didn't try baking your recipe, I just thought that since it was a fry recipe that it wouldn't work...



Thanks.



 

been so wet at Chefs 45 Ranch that the dock on the catfish pond looks like a boat floating on the pond..

How about a recipe for venison for someone who doesn't like wild game?  (Not in my family, BTW )

Also, do you have any tips for making a mornay sauce that aren't covered in recipe books?  I had a great seafood au gratin dish at a restaurant that I'd like to try to make at home.  I didn't see it in the index, but if it has already been covered, my apologies.

if someone doesn't care for the flavor of venison, and probably lamb as well there's isn't much to change the base flavor of the meat but with
heavy marinades which still wont overpower the gamey flavor of these meats

soaking in buttermilk over night helps some and then braising where the flavors are comingled enough to cut the deers natural flavor

Braised Venison.

2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 1/2 pounds venison, cut into 2 inch cubes  
2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced  
2 medium onions, chopped  
4 cloves garlic, minced  
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
2 cups dry red wine  
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper  
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 (8 ounce) package baby carrots  (optional)
1 tablespoon cornstarch  (optional)
2 tablespoons water if needed.

Melt the bacon drippings in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the venison in two batches until nicely browned and remove. Stir in the shiitake, onions, and garlic; cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour in the cognac, wine, and bouillon cube, simmer for 30 seconds to remove the alcohol flavor and dissolve the bouillon.
Stir in the venison, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the venison is tender, about two hours or more; adding water as needed.
If using baby carrots, add them during the last half hour of cooking. When the venison is tender, you may wish to thicken the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in  2 tablespoons of water and stirring it into the sauce.


Béchamel is covered in the old thread, mornay is one of the uses for this Mother Sauce.
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups warmed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
2 ounces grated cheese, such as Gruyere

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is pale yellow and frothy, (not the nut brown you'd want for darker sauces) about 1 minute. Do not allow the roux to brown. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.  (before adding the cheese you're at the Béchamel stage)
Stir in the cheese and whisk until melted. If the sauce seems to thick, thin with a little milk or 1/2 and 1/2


hope that helps

Chef

now i want venison

Chef,

My SO is Kurdish. She loves to make dolma (grape leaves stuffed with rice and other goodies). Forget the oil soaked cold ones you get on olive bars.


Anyway, at home she can find fresh grape leaves. But all we can find here are canned grape leaves.


Where could we source fresh grape leaves?

well..

1. local farmers market
2. local produce house(they may order some for you, will come in a flat like 3 dozen tomatoes)..
3. drive around this summer and find someone wiith a grapevine OR walk your local woodlots and look for wild grapes.or
4. local specialty grocery OR even your local Kroger produce manager MAY special order some for you..

best I got..hope it helps.
Chef..

Chef Morris, I have a question about your quiche recipe from a while back.

I'm making a ham/cheese/mushroom version. I see on the recipe card that I wrote it down on that you suggest this recipe easily converts to a custard pie by adding sugar and vanilla. How much sugar should I add? Also, how much coconut should I add if I want to make a coconut custard pie?

I've never made a custard pie so I don't really know what one is supposed to end up like. What is  the difference between a custard pie and a cream pie?


ps- I'll try to get a pic of the quiche to post once it comes out of the oven this evening.

This interests me, especially with an Alsatian Great Grand Mother that had a Tavern in Switzerland

Back with photos!

Ham and Swiss + Parmesan Cheese quiche (from Chef's recipe):







Thoroughly enjoyed it!

For those that may have missed the recipe or cannot find it in the thread:

18 eggs
1 quart milk or half and half- whipped (then add the eggs to it)
salt & pepper
3 pie shells
2 large onions, diced
3 cups ham, diced (or cooked bacon, sausage, shrimp, etc.)
1.5 pounds shredded cheese (swiss/jack/provolone or mozzarella)

options: 1 cup per pie asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.

Par bake pie shells to very light toasty brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
Saute` onion until clear. Add meat and/or veggies up to 1.5 cups per pie. Spoon into pie shells. Sprinkle equal amounts of shredded cheeses over tops. Ladle egg batter into shells to just below top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-85 minutes or until center is springy to touch.
Cool 30 mins before serving or slicing.
Serve with side of green veggies, salad, fruit.

Note: Add sugar and vanilla to make custard pie.
Note: Ad coconut to make coconut custard pie, etc.

Re-heat frozen quiche in 350 degree oven for about 30 mins.

(Hope this is right, Chef)

OK!! will look at pics shortly..

1 TSP of vanilla and 3/4 cup of sugar per 3 eggs
hold the ham, onion. shrooms and cheese(though some farmers cheese or ricotta sets up nice giving your custard a thicker fuller body)

custard is basically an egg based cream, eggs, cream, baked or cooked in a double boiler Egg being the key ingredient

cream pies are flavored cooked cream base with eggs and or other thickening agents to set them up. Cream being the key component

add coconut first,,making it look like a pile of straw, not filling the pie shell but enough that you know it's the
main ingredient in your recipe, pour custard over coconut and bake as recipe calls for.
Chef.

looks good to me!

as does your finished pie above..well done!! Bravo!
Chef

OK Chef, the coconut custard made a darned tasty pie:




I'm going to have to try more of these custard pies!

need to make one myself.. good job Skunkum..

Okay, here's a bit of a technical question fer ya.

I want to make a banana cheesecake with strawberry topping.

I plan to use my normal amount of sour cream and heavy cream to make banana mush and put that in the batter. It cooks in a bath of two cups of water for 60 minutes at 325 F. Then I prop the oven door open, turn off the heat, and let it cool in the oven for 60 minutes.

My concern is that instead of a yaller and tasty cheesecake, it'll turn brown and taste like burnt bananas.

Thoughts?

Chef, I don't think there has been any mention of recommended kitchen strainers/sieves, tea strainers, etc.  I am tired of trying to find good quality strainers that will last for more than a use or two.  Any suggestions on where I might find a very fine mesh that would strain corn meal from used grease (as an example) or won't fill my cup with tea grounds (I prefer loose leaf)?  I'd also like to find a larger one that I could pour a quart or two of stock or broth through that would stand up to hard use. Most strainers are too coarse for my purpose and are crap for quality- they just don't hold up under use. Using coffee filters doesn't cut it.

these, maybe 3 differnent sizes..they're all going to be pretty generic in quality, all imports from china, all about the same shelf life

you're going to want to reduce your moisture a bit, banana have a lot more water than you'd think..ad now it won't be yellow nor should it taste like burnt bananas.

or try this


Crust:
 
1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup ground walnuts
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/8 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
1 cup milk
1/3 cup white sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
12 vanilla wafer cookies

Directions


1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the vanilla wafer crumbs, ground walnuts, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.

2.In a large bowl, stir cream cheese to soften. Mix together 1 1/8 cup sugar and flour; stir into the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing until well blended after each one. Stir in sour cream, mashed banana, banana liqueur, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla. Pour over the crust in the springform pan.

3.Cover the bottom of the outside of the cheesecake pan with aluminum foil to prevent water from the water bath from seeping in. Place springform pan inside a larger pan. Place the whole thing into the preheated oven, and fill the outer pan with hot water.

4.Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. After the time is up, turn the oven off, but leave door closed. Leave cheesecake in the unopened oven for 1 hour. Before removing from the water bath. Run a knife around the outer edge of the cake to keep it from shrinking away from the center and cracking. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours, or overnight.

5.In a small bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the cold water, and set aside to soften. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile, whisk together 1/3 cup sugar and egg yolks until smooth and frothy. Whisk about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, then pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, making sure that the mixture does not burn on the bottom, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir the softened gelatin into the hot pastry cream until dissolved, then stir in vanilla. Pour into a bowl, place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until cooled, about 1 hour.

6.When the pastry cream is cooled, whip heavy cream just past soft peaks. Stir pastry cream to soften, then fold in the whipped cream. Place vanilla wafers on top of the cooled cheesecake, then spread the vanilla cream over the entire top. Chill until serving. Run a wet knife around the outer edge of the cake before removing the sides for a cleaner look.

Thanks.

I use 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1/3 cup powdered sugar. I know this shouldn't make a difference, but it seems to. I use 1/4 cup sour cream and fill the measure to 2/3 with heavy cream. It comes out very smooth and I personally prefer just a hint of sour cream. I already use less cream than your recipe, so I think I can leave that alone. I've also added Bailey's to it and doubled the cream for the chocolate version because the coca made the batter dry.

I didn't think of the liqueur. That will be a help. Unfortunately, I don't have a good way to grind up walnuts. That sounds very tasty.

our welcome.

grinder....vas is der Grinderr?
French knife
cutting board
rocking motion
best accomplished if receiving a massage from a nubile sub 35 female cocktail server drunk on chocolate liquor and cherry filled
chocolate cupcakes washed down with copious amounts of a nice merlot..
Chef.

Your favorite short rib recipe ?

I think we visited short ribs before...but..

Red wine braised Short rib  


4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 pounds beef short ribs
salt and ground black pepper to taste
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
1 bay leaf
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine..table red, Bordeaux, merlot might get a little "muddy"
1 quart beef broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2.Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer crisped bacon with a slotted spoon to a Dutch oven. Retain bacon drippings in the skillet.

3.Generously season short ribs with salt and pepper.

4.Heat bacon drippings in the same skillet over high heat. Cook short ribs in hot bacon fat until browned and caramelized on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to the Dutch oven, reserving drippings in the skillet. Add thyme and bay leaf to the ribs mixture.

5.Reduce heat under the same skillet to medium. Cook and stir onion in the skillet until soft and golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

6.Whisk flour into onion mixture and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes.

7.Pour wine into onion mixture; cook until thick and hot, about 2 minutes. Pour onion-sherry mixture into Dutch oven; add beef broth and salt to taste. Bring ribs mixture to a simmer and cover the Dutch oven with a lid.

8.Transfer Dutch oven to the preheated oven and cook until short ribs are fork tender, about 2 hours. Remove ribs to a serving dish, reserving sauce in the pot.

9.Set Dutch oven high heat and boil sauce until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon reduced sauce over ribs.

serve with mash potatoes, roasted carrots/parsnips
Chef.

You know dang well I am going to make this.

How you doing stranger?

doing well sir,,thanks for asking, you and yours?

Chef, I retired retired about 6 months ago. I originally bought a chamber vacuum sealer to help with food storage. A model VP215. It's a beast. Anyway, while researching food storage, vegetable outgassing and all that, I came across sous vide cooking. Oh my. I've been cooking sous vide at home for over 6 months, trying to get the hang of it. I am amazed. I have two immersion circulators now, both Anova units. My latest meat dish was Sous Vide Beef Short Ribs. 143°F for 43 hours. I was stunned.

Any hints or tips would be appreciated. So far, everything has been a X ring although the salmon could have been better with bigger pieces of fish.

Thanks again!

Sam

Loaded it to Youtube. Perhaps it can be viewed there.  Thanks again.

sorry, cant get that link to open.........Sous Vide was just starting to be used when I left culinary in the late 80's and moved into F&B management, I am familiar with it
and have seen the success of the product. It certainly can make banquet foods far more palatable, consistent and easier to serve but, I am NOT a fan of reheated food..some things work just fine, but meat, to my taste buds anyways has a certain taste when it's been reheated..Today being retire, were I to find such a deal on said machinery,,I would probably be spending the first 2 days of the month preparing dinners for the next 30 days..

Chef..

looks tasty enough

It was very good for my first attempt.

experimentation is 1/2 the fun and 100% a test for your talents, known and unknown

I'm making a plain lemonish one this week because I fear change.

I'm curious about the amount of butter you use in the crust.

I use 1 cup of material. I used graham crackers, Nilla Wafers, and Chocolate Teddy Grahams (very easy to crush). 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, or brown sugar with the chocolate, and 2 tablespoons of butter.

Butter the bottom of a 9" non-stick pan and press about 3/4 of the crust onto the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. That sits and cools while I make the cake batter.

I butter the side of the pan and spread the rest of the crust mix onto the side right before I pour the mix and put it in the oven. It bakes for one hour at 325 F in a bath of 2 cups of water.

I've seen and tried a few recipes for crust that call for the amount of butter you specified - 5 tablespoons. I found that when I used even three tablespoons of butter in the crust, the crust turned out mushy. This happened when I made the batter with 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup of sour cream.

Any thoughts on why this happens?

I need some guidance on crusting a filet with Gorgonzola. I've had it a few times at a local restaurant, LOVE it and want to make it, and have looked up several recipes.

My issue is with the temp of the meat. I'm afraid I'll go over while I broil the cheese crust. I'm a rare to mid rare junkie.  Any guidance would be very appreciated.

TIA!

commercial kitchens have top heat live flame broilers with multiple gas jets that are extremely hot and that cheese melts in seconds. IF you're using an electric top broiler while hot..it is not as hot as gas and If its gas, by no means enough heat out of 1/3 the gets in the commercial units..
if you're doing this on an out door grill, again. not going to work and not continue to cook the filet.

so
use a propane torch to toast your cheese.

can't really offer an explanation beyond one mans crust is another mans mush..
chilled crust wth 5tlb butter is going to be pretty solid and not crumby..2 tlb would be a crumby crust..
just different tastes/styles

We  are fat and sassy. Feeling pretty good right now. Beef burgundy for sunday dinner

Genius!

I have a pretty good home stove, gas of course, and convection oven...but not restaurant grade! I'm going to try the torch!!

Thanks so much!

I'll try chilling it instead of baking it.

Chill overnight, not freeze?

thinking more the cake is chilled post baking and then served, should be pretty solid crust...if taking from oven and served
at room temp where center of cake is still "warm" the crust is going to be mushy, Cheese cake should be fully chilled before cutting..
Chef.