Cocktail Hour: Bacon-Infused Bourbon

A couple of weeks ago, Karl emailed me a link to a New York Magazine article containing a recipe for a Bacon-Infused Old-Fashioned. I had the feeling he had sent it to me for its shock value, or even in an attempt to induce his favorite response of mine (apparently, my face is capable of evincing both horror and scornful disdain simultaneously). Imagine his surprise when I emailed him back and told him that we would be conducting the experiment of infusing bourbon with bacon flavor as soon as possible!

I really, really like bourbon, and the idea of the smoky flavors of bacon mixing with the spicy aromatics of a good bourbon tickled my fancy. As the process described by New York Magazine did not seem very difficult, I thought, "Why not?"

Karl and I chose Elijah Craig bourbon for our experiment, even though Maker's Mark is my usual bourbon of choice. We felt that the powerful vanilla notes in Marker's Mark would not pair well with smoky bacon flavors. Elijah Craig lacks the vanilla and boasts a much spicier taste (think cinnamon and black pepper). We bought a hickory-smoked maple bacon for our infusion.

Essentially, the infusion process consists of cooking the bacon, and taking 1 oz. of the rendered fat (while it's hot) and pouring it into 750 mL of bourbon in a nonporous container. Then, while eating the bacon, you then let the mixture sit at room temperature for several hours, then put it in the freezer until the fats solidify on the top of the bourbon. You can then remove the fat with a slotted spoon, and voila! You have bacon-infused bourbon.

There was still a good amount of fat floating around in the bourbon (in particle form) after I had spooned out the large pieces, so I also poured the bourbon through cheesecloth to get the last bits out.

The resulting infused bourbon tasted a lot less like bacon than I thought it would. However, it took on some smoky back notes and a more viscous mouth-feel (thanks to the fat, I'm sure). Karl compared the taste and mouth-feel to a nice Scotch Whiskey. Overall, we were both very pleased.

We also took the suggestion of the New York Magazine article and made a variation of the Old Fashioned (which traditionally consists of bourbon, Angostura bitters, sugar, and a slice of orange). The variation substitutes the bacon-infused bourbon for regular and maple syrup for the sugar. What a delicious and elegant cocktail! Granted, we did not have the proper glass (you should use an old fashioned glass), but I thought the cocktail looked rather charming in a wine glass.

I will definitely be pulling this recipe out for parties, and maybe even for when I try a bourbon I'm not wild about. At the very least, it's an interesting way to get a few extra miles out of bacon fat!

Fruity Booty: What to Do With 25 Pounds of Apples

"I need you to think of what we can do with 25 lbs of apples."

This was the text message I received from Karl last Friday as I was on my way to have one last relaxing day at the pool before really settling in to my law school routine. What followed was a conversation on the phone, somewhat miffed on my part and unrelentingly jubilant on his, about where he had come by a garbage-bag full of apples, just who was going to peel and cut up all those darn things, etc.

Of course, I never really felt too annoyed that he had acquired so much free fruit. He had discovered an apple tree on Duquesne University's campus and simply helped himself.

A couple of days later, we both sat down (I was still pretending to be grudging about my assistance) and started peeling with the intention of making a big pot of applesauce. We had also scored some $1-per-pound strawberries at Stan's in the Strip District of Penn Avenue that were just past their peak (but all the sweeter for it), so we were also planning to make a strawberry-applesauce.

Making apple sauce couldn't be simpler...well, unless you prefer what I call "baby food" applesauce, which has the silky smooth texture. If you like chunky apple sauce, all you need to do is chop up your peeled apples, throw them in a large pot with a few inches of water, and cook away until they are soft. Add a little salt and the spices you like to taste (we added lots of cinnamon and a few pinches of nutmeg) and you are on your way! We used a potato masher to help break down our apples, but some apples, I am told, will simply break down on their own. If you have sweet apples like we did, you probably don't need to add much, if any, sugar. Tarter apples can handle more sugar (Disregard the latter two sentences if you like your applesauce super sweet). We added about 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar, which gave our applesauce a lovely golden brown color.

For the strawberry apple sauce, we sliced up the strawberries and began cooking them down separately from the apples. Then, when the strawberries and apples were soft, we added a few cups of the soft apples to the strawberries. We also added a little brown sugar to this, but I don't think we needed it. No spices necessary either! I must say, of the two, the strawberry applesauce is my favorite. We made buckwheat pancakes the next morning and put the strawberry applesauce on them, and wow, was that delicious!

We also set aside a good number of apples to make an apple cake (recipe courtesy of Karl's mother) and an apple pie. I haven't made the apple pie yet, and I may mix in some apples from the store because, though these apples from Duquesne are as sweet as sweet can be, they are completely devoid of any acidity. For my tastes, a little tartness in an apple pie is absolutely vital. I also felt that the applesauce was a bit lacking for this reason, but it still tasted great. There's nothing like "free" to make something taste better (I'm starting to sound like my sometimes freegan sister!).

The apple cake turned out wonderfully. I got to use my bundt cake pan finally (I have had the darn thing for 5 years and I've never once used it until this week). We put it out for my and my roommate Ruchi's No-Meat-Week potluck/recipe exchange extravaganza, and everyone who made it to dessert (we had a lot of food!) and had a piece of cake really enjoyed it. The cake is moist and just sweet enough. My sister said it needed a glaze of some sort (an optional one was included in the recipe, but I decided against using it at Karl's behest), though I had a slice with vanilla ice cream and thought it tasted just heavenly. I'll definitely be adding that recipe to my collection of keepers, and I hope you will give it a try, too, if you are of the baking bent.

Apple Cake
(from the kitchen of Helen Andersen)

1 & 1/6 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 medium-sized apples, sliced fine and roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

Mix the oil, sugar, and eggs together, and beat on low speed with electric hand mixer until well-blended. Fold in the apples and chopped nuts. Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then and stir in to other ingredients, also adding the vanilla. Grease and flour your baking pan(s). Bake in two 9-inch pans for 35-40 minutes, or 1-13x9 inch pan for 45 minutes. You may also bake in a bundt pan for 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Side Note: I just noticed that Helen's recipe actually says to place your cake batter in a cold oven, set the dial to 325˚F and keep it in there for 45 minutes. I will be trying this method next time!

Glaze (optional)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter with light brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the evaporated milk and allow the mixture to come to a full boil for 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. Add vanilla and mix well. Frost cake.

How to Make Eggrolls

My brother's former roommate Helen taught me how to make egg rolls! Perhaps this isn't the most mysterious kind of food, but I have definitely had difficulty maneuvering those little wonton wrappers in such a way that they don't explode. I have had some small success with steaming them, but frying is a whole different matter.

Helen taught me how to roll the egg rolls properly and tightly in order to prevent the wonton wrappers from coming apart during the frying process. She scared me a little when she was tasting her filling for saltiness (it contained raw pork, and I don't recommend trying this at home!), but boy, oh boy, were those egg rolls delicious when finished. We took the egg rolls to a really delightful "Arrested Development"-themed party (complete with chocolate-dipped frozen bananas with accompanying stand!) where they were, of course, a big hit. Who doesn't like delicious, greasy finger food with their caipirhinas? Yum!

Helen has told me what she puts in her egg roll filling, but I can't remember it off the top of my head, so I sort of made up my own. I think it's close enough. Try your own favorite flavors, though...egg rolls are very versatile, so make the filling to your own taste.

I've included a step-by-step "How to Roll" photo series. I'm a visual learner when it comes to cooking and baking, so I figure others out there would appreciate a visualization of the process, too. Also, as you know, hot oil is dangerous and can burn you very badly if enough of it makes contact with your skin. Please exercise extreme caution when frying on the stove.

Mini Egg Rolls
1 lb fresh ground pork
1/2 lb raw shrimp, chopped well
1 cup finely shredded carrots
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
generous salt and pepper, to taste (but please beware of tasting raw meat and eggs!)
2 eggs
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP fish sauce
1 package of triangle shaped wonton wrappers (available in Asian markets and some other grocery stores in the frozen or refrigerated sections).
several cups of oil (vegetable, canola, peanut...whatever you like to fry with)

Mix all ingredients (except wonton wrappers and oil). Mixing with hands is, in my opinion, the best, but if you don't like getting your hands messy, a wooden spoon will do. If you mix with your hands, remember to wash thoroughly with soap and hot water afterwards.

Prepare a space for rolling the egg rolls. Make sure to keep the wonton wrappers moist (if you roll quickly, this isn't a problem, but wonton wrappers dry out easily. I find it easier to keep a damp paper towel covering them, and have an assistant separating each wrapper from the stack as I need it). Place the wonton wrapper flat and spoon about a tablespoon of filling into the center. Shape it with your fingers into an egg-roll-shaped-log.

Take the right corner of the wonton wrapper and fold it across towards the left corner of the wonton wrapper very tightly. Do the same with the left corner, bringing it towards the right. There will be a bit of corner hanging over. Fold it back on itself so there is no wonton hanging over on either side.

Using your fingers in the center, tuck the wonton wrapper tightly into itself and roll towards the top point of the triangle. Continually check to make sure the roll is tight. Make it as tight as you can!

When you reach the end of the triangle, dip your finger in a dish of water and lightl brush the triangle tip to help seal it. You don't need much water.

There you have it: your first egg roll! Put it aside on a plate or in a shallow dish, and keep on rolling until you run out of filling or wonton wrappers. If you have leftover filling, you can use it in a stir fry or something.

Once all your egg rolls are rolled, heat 3 or 4 inches of oil in large or medium size heavy-duty sauce pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot enough, carefully place the egg rolls into the hot oil. You'll have to work in batches. Only put as many in as you can fit in one layer. Watch the egg rolls carefully. When they reach a delightful golden brown color, they are done. Remove the cooked egg rolls to a plate lined with paper towels (to absorb the grease). Allow to cool for a few minutes before taking a test bite.

Continue with the rest of the egg rolls until they are all cooked, then take them to a party and watch them disappear!

Girls' Night Out: Pangea

Pangea
736 Bellafonte St
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
412-621-3152

Last night, the ladies and I went out on the town. Since I'm moving next week and am feeling the stress of packing, I voted we have dinner out instead of cooking. Ariel suggested we check out Pangea, a new tapas restaurant in Shadyside.

The ambience of the restaurant is incredible: soft and yellow, helping me feel very relaxed, as though I were dining outdoors during a lazy sunset. Also, though there may have been some music playing softly, I don't remember it, which means that it was at the perfect volume. I prefer to focus on the company and conversation when I'm out with the girls! The picture of the interior here is from the Pangea website, and the lighting in the photo does some justice to the lighting in the restaurant.

We each ordered a glass of wine from the menu. Pangea offers wine flights of three 2-oz. servings each, each with a theme ($12-14). I decided just to have a glass, as I'm operating under a rather tight budget. I probably should have foregone the wine completely, but I drink wine so seldom these days that I decided to splurge. The least expensive wine by the glass is $9 and ranges up to $14. I opted for a Viognier ($9), which turned out to be delicious. It was sweet, with no acidity at all, but remained uncloying with hints of honey and apricot and the classic oily mouthfeel of a Viognier.

The girls and I decided to share the Hummus tapas flight ($11), which consisted of three tasty hummuses (Gorgonzola and chive with toasted pine nuts, artichoke and feta with Kalamata olives, and Sweet Red Pepper with roasted shallot) served with warm, seasoned pita wedges. I wasn't wild about the pita wedges paired with the hummus, since the seasonings clashed with the intense flavors of two of the hummuses. However, the hummus was excellent. There weren't enough pita wedges to go around, however, and sadly, the remaining hummus was cleared from our table before we could lick the platters clean.

I ordered a Scallop Trio flight ($16), consisting of a tempura-style fried scallop, a scallop ceviche, and a seared scallop. In other words, I paid $16 for 3 scallops. While the scallop dishes were very tasty and left me wanting more (especially of the ceviche), I do have a complaint about the price for obvious reasons.

Though the restaurant claims to be a tapas restaurant, I felt that perhaps they missed the mark. Yes, tapas are generally smaller portions; but they are also supposed to be shared. The tapas flights, for the most part, consisted of three very different items following a theme (e.g., my scallop trio), and could not easily be shared without divvying up those individual items.

I have almost nothing negative to say about anything else at Pangea. I truly enjoyed my dining experience. The food was delicious, if a bit scant in amount for the price; our server was charming without being overbearing (he even brought us a complementary dish of Potatoes Lyonaisse, which was quite tasty), and didn't even raise an eyebrow when we asked to split the check four ways; and, of course, the conversation was colorful, with nary a dull moment.

However, I probably will not go back to Pangea because I know I can get even more excellent tapas and wines at Ibiza. I could have eaten (and drunk) twice as much for the price I paid at Pangea. (By the way, I have just realized I never reviewed Ibiza on my blog, though I have reviewed its sister restaurant, Mallorca; this is a situation which I must soon remedy because the whole world needs to know about Ibiza!).

So, the verdict on Pangea is really based on your mind-over-money mentality, I suppose. If your eating experience is based solely on the quality of the food and money is not a concern, give Pangea a try: you probably won't be disappointed. However, if you are value-driven and pinching your pennies, you'd be better off eating somewhere else.

Trying New Things: Scrapple

Karl and I decided to throw our worries about future heart disease to the wind this weekend and made a sumptuous breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and scrapple. Originally, Karl had wanted corned beef hash, but can you believe it: not only is scrapple less expensive than corned beef hash (a 1 lb. block of scrapple at Shur-Save was $1.99, while a 14 oz. can of hash was $2.19), but it also boasts less fat and calories per serving (compare scrapple's 90 calories per serving to corned beef hash's 475!!). The fact that scrapple is pork-based was also a point in its favor, since Karl and I have been strictly limiting our beef intake for ethical reasons.
So, the scrapple won, much to my chagrin.

Wikipedia blithely describes scrapple as "typically made of hog offal, such as the head, heart, liver, and other scraps, which are boiled with any bones attached (often the entire head), to make a broth. Once cooked, bones and fat are discarded, the meat is reserved, and (dry) cornmeal is boiled in the broth to make a mush. The meat, finely minced, is returned, and seasonings, typically sage, thyme, savory, and others are added. The mush is cast into loaves and allowed to cool thoroughly until gelled."


Who wants a piece?

I never thought I would try scrapple, but I suppose the liberation of summer (and Karl's contagious reckless abandon) has made me bold. After we had some bacon going in the pan, I thought I would just add a couple of 1/2 inch slices of scrapple to the pan. This turned out to be not such a great way to fry scrapple. Because the scrapple contains some grains (ours had some wheat flour and cornmeal in it), the scrapple didn't hold its shape once all those grains soaked up a bunch of bacon grease.

However, the scrapple, though it lost its square mystery-meat look, was actually quite tasty (suprise!). With the bacon grease addition, it really just tastes like extra-salty sausage gravy (country style) that you would eat with some fluffy buttermilk biscuits.

This morning before work, I tried frying up some scrapple sans bacon grease (or any type of fat, actually), and met with a similar problem: the scrapple just doesn't hold together once it's being heated. I speculate that this is because what is holding the scrapple together is the congealed fat, which doesn't stay congealed long at higher temperatures, obviously. No big deal, the scrapple still tastes great. Without the bacon grease, you can definitely taste the liver content (liver has such a distinctive taste). If I could get a less salty version of scrapple, I would call it the poor man's pâté!

Honestly, in a time of my life when I am actually attempting to eat ethically, the idea of scrapple is somewhat pleasing because the product is made of the leftovers that would otherwise be wasted. While you could say that when one eats scrapple, one is eating "offal," I think you could also say that when one eats scrapple, one is avoiding unnecessary waste. Maybe I'm being a little too optimistic, but really, try it out and see for yourself.

What To Do With Too Many Limes

Karl and I bought a ton of limes at Shur-Save in Bloomfield because they were 6 for $1. I suppose you can probably get them even cheaper if you buy them by the 5- or 10-lb bag at CostCo or some other similar store, but we don't have a membership to anything like that.

So, what to do with all these limes?

Well, I decided to keep it simple. I had contemplated trying my hand at lime curd, since lemon curd is so amazing, but I am attempting to watch it with the calories if you know what I mean. (For those of you who don't know, lemon or lime curd traditionally uses quite a few egg yolks and quite a bit of butter....and is absolutely heavenly on a scone with some clotted cream!).

But enough drooling. Instead of slaving over a hot stove making curd, I decided to make limeade.

After reading about a few techniques I discovered through various recipe search engines (check these out! They're great: FoodieView and ProjectFoodie), I decided I'd use the simple syrup method.

The benefits of creating a lime simple syrup are twofold. First, the sugar gets completely dissolved when it goes into solution as the water boils, which means no more sludge at the bottom of your glass (sad news for some, I guess?). Second, you can control how "watered down" each glass of limeade is (to accommodate for varying tastes).

I like my limeade to be much more tart than sweet, so I adapted a recipe for limeade that I saw on many sites which called for 3 cups simple syrup for every 1 cup of lime juice. I cut that ratio to 2 cups simple syrup to 1 cup of lime juice, and it turned out great! There is just no more refreshing way to cool off after a 90˚F day than by sipping on a tall, frosty glass of limeade.

Stay cool everyone!

Limeade Simple Syrup
Yields 3 cups syrup

1 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, seeds removed (it took me about 7 limes to yield one cup of juice)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Place the sugar and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour the hot mixture into a heat-resistant container with the lime juice and stir. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.

That's it! When you are ready for a frosty glass of limeade, put a couple of of ice cubes in a tall glass and fill 3/4 of the way with the lime simple syrup. Top it off with cold water.

Alternatively, you could top off your limeade simple syrup with some sparkling water or club soda. Or add some gin, vodka, tequila, or rum for an adult twist. Use your imagination!

I Read the News, Too!

Sorry ahead of time for no visually stimulating pictures...Blogger is acting up!

Some time in the last few weeks, I stumbled across this article on my New York Times newsfeed Called "The 11 Best Foods that You Aren't Eating." The author had compiled a list of nutritious, easy to find, cheap to purchase foods that most people don't even think about keeping around the house even semi-regularly. You can go read the list for yourself for a few more days, but I will list them here also, without the explanations and suggestions for preparation given in the article:
1) Beets
2) Cabbage
3) Swiss chard
4) Cinnamon
5) Pomegranate Juice
6) Dried Plums (Prunes, but doesn't it sound better this way? Seriously)
7) Pumpkin Seeds
8) Sardines
9) Turmeric
10) Frozen Blueberries
11) Canned Pumpkin

It's a good list! I personally will not be stocking up on beets or sardines (for matters of taste) or pomegranate juice (for matters of economics).

Karl and I actually decided to grab a big ol' can of pumpkin puree at the store the other day, and have been enjoying mixing things in to see what we can come up with. The pumpkin puree we got was about 28 oz for $1.79 (ridiculous price for the store brand!), and magically had NO salt added. This is wonderful news for all people who think that unsalted canned vegetables are amazing (that would be me, by the way). I just like to control the amount of salt in my food, that's all!

So, the first time around, we just tasted the pumpkin puree alone. BLAND. I think that was when I realized that pumpkin is probably more versatile than sweet potato, though the two are used interchangeably for many things (like soups and pies). Pumpkin is almost tasteless without some help, especially unsalted, canned pumpkin puree.

So the first time we made poor man's pumpkin pie by heating up about a cup of puree in the microwave, melting some SmartBalance in it, and adding a tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and a dash of allspice. It was absolutely delicious!

Tonight, we decided to piggyback off of our recent windfall of limes, and we whipped up some chili-lime pumpkin puree. This was pretty tasty, despite what I can imagine you are thinking!

I'm looking forward to some more adventures with pumpkin, which is apparently low-calorie, high-fiber, and packed to the gills (or gourds, I guess...) with vitamin A. Eat up!

Chili-Lime Pumpkin Puree
Yields two 1/2 cup servings

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (unsalted)
1/2 TBSP Smart Balance (or butter, let's be honest!)
1/2 tsp lime zest
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 TBSP lime juice or lime simple syrup (recipe coming shortly!)

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat up the pumpkin puree in the microwave until it's steamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to incorporate. Taste a few times and add more of anything that you think it missing until you like what you taste. I kept adding chili powder, until I figured out to add cinnamon (which makes the spice pop in the absence of sugar!). I also added a bit more lime zest to make it good and limey.

This is great on a spoon, or for dipping tortilla chips or pita wedges.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Apparently, my unconscious goal for the summer has been to make a pie per week. I indulged Karl the week before July 4th by making another strawberry rhubarb pie, then he requested that I make an apple pie for a July 4th picnic (very American, right)? Last week was the week of trying something new: blueberry pie made without opening a can of pie filling.

Blueberries were on sale at Giant Eagle for 2 pints for $5 (a pretty good deal considering that they usually run at least $4 per pint), so I figured it was a good time to experiment. I dusted off my trusty pie cookbook, 365 Great Pies You Can Bake (which was only dusty from having recently been floured for rolling out pie dough along with the rest of the kitchen table), and set to work.

I learned something about blueberry pie: blueberries, when cooked, don't taste like much. I kept wondering why the recipe called for lemon juice, lemon zest, and mace (I substituted allspice). Fresh blueberries are so delightful, but you will notice that they are not very acidic like most berries and fruits. I hypothesize that this lack of acidity is what causes the flavor of blueberries to diminish instead of increase when intense heat is applied.

I would certainly be interested to know if there is a trick to "brightening" the flavor of blueberry, or intensifying it. Usually lemon does the trick, but I honestly felt the lemon just blanketed the blueberries and hid their flavor.

Anyway, I obviously wasn't wild about the blueberry pie, because it just tasted far to lemon-y to me. Karl did not agree. I'm pretty sure that he has never met a [fruit] pie he wouldn't eat or rave about, so all's well that ends well.

Next time, I also intend to add a little more flour (I've reflected this in the recipe below) because the juices didn't quite thicken enough.

Any suggestions for my next pie?

Blueberry Pie
Yields 1 9-inch pie

Your favorite double-crust recipe
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/2 to 1 TBSP for dusting
4 TBSP flour
1 tsp allspice
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 TBSP lemon zest
2 pints fresh blueberries, stems removed
2 TBSP butter, cut up in small pieces

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

Roll out the bottom crust.

Mix the sugar, flour and allspice together. Add the lemon juice, zest, and blueberries, and gently mix (without crushing the berries) to completely coat the berries. Pour the blueberry mixture into the pie shell.

Dot the top of the blueberry mixture with the cut up butter.

Roll out the top crust. I cut mine into strips to make a lattice-top pie, but you could just cover the top if you like. If you do, remember to poke some holes in the top to vent. Sprinkle the top crust with 1/2 to 1 TBSP of sugar

Bake for 10 minutes at 425˚F, then lower the heat to 350˚F and bake for 30 minutes more.

Red Drum Tap House

Red Drum Grille and Tap House
2412 S. Virginia Dare Trl (The Beach Road, Mile Post 10.5)
Nags Head, NC 27959
252-480-1095

While Karl and I were on the Outer Banks last week with my entire family, we managed to slip out for lunch one more time (after the Outer Banks Brewing Station). Karl was really craving some good local seafood, which is surprisingly hard to find on the Outer Banks. Most of the restaurants' supply of crab, at least, is imported from places like Alaska (Snow crab, King crab legs), despite the abundance of delectable blue crab on the Outer Banks.

After scouring a few OBX restaurant guides and finding out that seafood lunch buffets are hard to come by, we settled on the Red Drum Tap House, which turned to be a fortuitous choice. Not only does this place have about 18 beers on tap (most of which are craft beers instead of the usual array of Anheuser-Busch selections), but they also were featuring a soft shell crab sandwich special.

I must admit, though, that the menu at first seemed a bit disappointing. Most of the seafood selections were fried, and the non-fried (i.e., steamed) seafood choices were non-local (i.e., from Alaska). I chose the most local thing I could find for my lunch, a "Game Fish Burrito" ($10.95) with the Monterrey Jack Cheese on the side (I don't think that most fish is improved by cheese...). I'm still not sure what kind of fish it was, but it might have been blue fish. The burrito was delicious! Packed with grilled fish, it was well-balanced by the refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and sufficiently spicy salsa.

Karl fared even better. He had originally considered getting the Combination Seafood Platter ($21.95) (we would have split that), which would have included three of his choice of steamed spicy shrimp, snow crab legs, middleneck claims, and oysters. Then, feeling disappointed by the lack of local seafood, he considered risking the crab cake sandwich ($10.95), but was dissuaded when the waitress informed him that the cakes contained breading and green peppers. She recommended he try the special, a soft shell crab sandwich ($9.95), though it took some convincing. She insisted that the batter they fried the crabs in was a light one, and that the crabs were fresh off the boats on the Outer Banks.

If you have ever had soft shell crabs, you probably know that the crabs tend to be less than six inches long and are not so tasty unless fresh. You generally eat the entire thing (because the shell is edible). When the waitress brought Karl's sandwich out, I thought there must be some mistake: the crab sitting on the bun was much, much bigger than any soft shell I had ever seen! At least 8 or 9 inches across and 2 or 3 inches thick, this crab was more than substantial enough for a full meal. Karl didn't even bother with the sandwich roll. The waitress had been right about the batter, too: it was light and crispy, and the crab was perfectly cooked. Karl let me have a few bites. Yum!

Karl enjoyed it so much that, even though he was stuffed, he seriously contemplated purchasing another for takeout so he could eat it later. The waitress informed him kindly that he could simply buy his own raw soft shells down the street at local seafood market (Austin Fish Company). We stopped there on the way back and discovered those humongous soft shells were only $3! We didn't buy any, though, and I am sad that we didn't.

If you are going to the Outer Banks for vacation this year, and you enjoy crab, please do yourself a favor and seek out some of the local soft shell crabs! They are simply out of this world.

Outer Banks Brewing Station

The Outer Banks Brewing Station
P.O. Box 2584; MilePost 8.5
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a family reunion in Nags Head, North Carolina on the Outer Banks. My dad's side of the family squeezed about 30 people into a beach house, and fun times were had by all.

I was extra excited because Karl tagged along for the first few days (and didn't break up with me after meeting the more temperamental and volatile half of my family). Since Karl was there, we of course had to explore the edible and drinkable possibilities brewing on the Outer Banks.

On recommendation from Gene (our favorite Church Brew Works bartender), we sought out the Outer Banks Brewing Station (on the sly, of course: my family is a bunch of teetotalers!), a brew pub at milepost 8.5 on the main highway (Croatan, or the Bypass, or "The Big Road"). When I asked my former missionary grandmother, who lives on the Outer Banks, for directions, she looked horrified, and said, "You're going there? But that's a joint!"

Oh well. We promised her we'd stay away from the bar, which seemed to satisfy her.

The Brewing Station resembles a church more than a pub (on the outside). It's a large white building with architectural aspects that suggest a nautical theme. The coolest part about the pub is that they have a windmill! I read on a blog somewhere (I'm sorry I lost the link!) that the windmill doesn't actually power the Brewing Station, but they sell the electricity it generates to the main grid and thereby receive a credit on their electricity bills. An ad we saw in one of the travel mags touted the Outer Banks Brewing Station as America's first wind-powered brew pub, which is a little misleading, but I think that this is a step in the right direction!

After being seated in the dining area (well away from the bar, Grandma!), Karl and I split a bowl of mediocre crab bisque ($5.99). Besides containing far too little crab meat, the bisque tasted cheesy. Crab bisque should have no cheese, or at least shouldn't taste like nacho sauce! It should be creamy and silky, with nice lumps of crab floating just below the surface. That bisque made me long for the she-crab soup at Soby's in Greenville, SC.

The fish (flounder) and chips ($8.99)were much more delightful, and there was plenty for Karl and me to split the lunch entrée and be stuffed. I am of the opinion that it is difficult to mess up fish and chips, but Karl has apparently had some bad experiences. The OBX Brewing Station pulled through well enough to satisfy Karl's tastes (and mine!). The batter wasn't too heavy, and we got about 5 good-sized pieces of flounder. The wedge fries were perfect: crispy and flavorful on the outside with pillows of soft potato on the inside. The fish also came with a delicious remoulade on the side.

Of course we tried the beer, too! Before ordering any pints, we ordered a tasting flight of four 5 oz. servings of their current selections ($6): Ölsch, Old Knucklehead Nut Brown Ale, Shipwreck Stout, and one that I cannot currently remember. I'll have to update when I do. The Ölsch was pretty plain. If you like light beers, go for the Ölsch. The Nut Brown Ale, on the other hand, was insane: I could appreciate what an interesting and well-crafted beer it was, but I still didn't like it. I took two or three sips and could not figure out why I didn't like it, but there it was! It is unlike any brown ale I have ever tasted. It has a strange roasted cereal taste that is juxtaposed by resiny hops. It makes a very, very strange and great beer that I, nevertheless, could not bring myself to enjoy.

The winner for me is the Shipwreck Stout. It definitely made the trip worthwhile: it's one of the tastiest and smoothest stouts I have ever had the pleasure of imbibing. The description on the menu is fairly apt: "Fat and chewy oatmeal stout with a sweet silky finish." I'm not sure that it's chewy, but it is a full-bodied beer that ends up feeling incredibly light and, yes, silky by the time you swallow. So well balanced! It's chocolate-y and slightly sweet, but not to the point of being a dessert beer. One of the things that often turns me off about stouts is that I have difficulty finishing even one pint because they are so heavy. The Shipwreck Stout is light enough that you can eat a meal and have your beer without risking explosion of the innards. It is absolutely worth the trip to the Outer Banks Brewing Station just to try the stout.

Karl also tried a pint of the Hefeweizen, which was alright. The waitress served it in a very tall hefeweizen glass with a slice of orange for garnish. Though the presentation was lovely, the beer had a little TOO strong of a banana flavor for my tastes. If you want the best brew pub hefeweizen, you should try the Church Brew Works' Heavenly Hefeweizen: I swear that it is like drinking a refreshing banana split (pineapple, strawberries, and nuts included) in a glass.

Rediscovering Rhubarb

Rhubarb pie in the summer,
Rhubarb pie made by my mother.
Nothing better in the winter
Than rhubarb pie after dinner.
~Five Iron Frenzy, "Rhubarb Pie"

I think that rhubarb is one of those fascinating roots that the common man has forgotten, unless his mama still makes it for him when he comes home to visit. Or maybe if he finds it at a random truck stop diner. Why, you ask? Because people don't make pie anymore, dang it! And I can't think of any other way people use rhubarb other than for pies, jams and jellies. I would like to change that. In the meantime, I'll stick to using it for pie, because rhubarb is the key ingredient in what might be my favorite pie!



For Father's day, I wanted to make my father a strawberry rhubarb pie. He loves rhubarb, but I don't remember my mother ever making rhubarb pie when were growing up. It was always apple pie. So this Father's Day, rhubarb pie was it!

I had made my first strawberry rhubarb pie last summer for my friend's birthday. I hadn't even ever tasted a strawberry rhubarb pie before that. If you have never tried strawberry rhubarb pie, please do yourself a favor and either make one, or, if you are not into baking pie, go find some in the store. I have seen some strawberry rhubarb pies in the Market District Giant Eagle grocery store. There is something so magical about the sweetness of the strawberries versus the tartness of the rhubarb.

If you have never tasted rhubarb, it tastes a lot like a very tart apple. The texture when baked is also similar to an apple. Before baking, rhubarb looks like a red stick of celery and has the same texture. I've never tasted it raw, but I might try it. Who knows? Maybe raw rhubarb is the next big item in salads!

Karl, who purchased the rhubarb from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods Store (because the local Giant Eagle did not have any rhubarb, which stoked the fires of my wrath), "accidentally" got too much for a single strawberry rhubarb pie (1.4 lbs at $2.69/lb)...he said the scale said .75 lbs, but I don't really believe him!), so I "had" to make a small rhubarb pie-loaf in addition to the strawberry rhubarb pie.

It was interesting to taste them side by side. I believe I prefer the marriage of sweet and tart with the rhubarb and strawberries. The rhubarb-only pie was tasty, but really just reminded me of apple pie. Something about adding strawberries to the mix brings out the subtleties of the rhubarb.

I think it is important to balance the quantities of strawberry and rhubarb, however. Go heavier on the rhubarb than on the strawberries or the rhubarb will just get lost in the shuffle. Also, most recipes tell you to dice the rhubarb, but I like to chop mine rather bigger. This helps the rhubarb to retain some firmness and not disintegrate into the mix.

Now go make some pie! It's summer! (Hopefully you have central air conditioning that will make baking more bearable in the hot months).

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie

Your favorite double crust recipe
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 1/2 to 2 cups rhubarb, sliced
1 cup light brown sugar, packed tightly
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 cup flour
3 TBSP corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 TBSP butter, cut up

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Roll out the bottom crust and place it in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate (TIP: in the heat of summer, it really helps to have refrigerated or frozen whatever fat you use in the crust, and to chill the dough before rolling it out. This helps to prevent the dough from being sticky and unmanageable from the heat. It also helps to roll out the dough on a cool surface if you have one, like stainless steel or, even better, marble).

Place the sliced strawberries and rhubarb in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, allspice, corn starch and salt. Sprinkle 1/4 of the mixture on the bottom of the crust. Mix the rest of the mixture into the fruit (but don't mash the fruit up! Gently stir in folding motions with a flat spoon). Mix in the lemon zest and the lemon juice.

Dump the mixture into the pie shell and dot with the cut up butter. Roll out the top crust. I like to make a lattice with my crust for strawberry rhubarb pie, but it always ends up being kind of messy because I am not good at keeping the strips intact while weaving them. The pie will taste pretty awesome if you just roll out a regular top crust.

Bake in a 425˚F oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350˚F. Bake 25-35 minutes longer, or until the juices are bubbling (you might not be able to see them if you don't do a lattice top crust, so just stick a knife in the middle to see if the fruit has softened up. It's also a good sign if the crust is starting to get to a nice golden brown).

Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!

Summer Is For Lazies

So, I thought that once finals were over, I would become seriously dedicated to baking and cooking and, of course, shouting about my experimentations into the void of the blogosphere.

It turns out that summer is hot. And when it is hot and one does not have central air conditioning, one does not much want to bake or cook. It has been hovering around 90˚F in the Pittsburgh area for the last few days, and it is just torture when I turn the oven on. So, alas, there have been no new pies, no new breads...really nothing new.

Still, one can "cook" without the stove or the oven. Two of Karl's and my friends got together last week for a whirlwind cookout dinner before the final game of the Pens/Redwings hockey playoffs (boohoo, by the way!). Ariel and Dave had purchased ready-made kebobs from Whole Foods (which were really quite tasty) and we all worked together to make some veggie kebobs and potato salad. I brought over what has come to be one of my staples: roasted red pepper hummus. It is such a cinch to make if you have a food processor or blender and is a great twist on the usual hummus recipe. We had a great time grilling the kebobs and eating out on Ariel's deck while we admired her beautiful flower boxes.

(Aside: is it a sign of age/maturity when a person starts getting really into things like flowers and gardening? I have been seriously jonesing for a plot to call my own so I can grow some proper hyacinths and herbs and tomatoes and other delightful edibles!)

Anyway, here's my recipe for Roasted Red Pepper hummus. Add or subtract garlic depending on how much you like, and this tastes fine if you leave out the tahini (I know some people don't seem to like it!).

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Yields about 1 1/2 cups hummus

1 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 cloves garlic
2 TBSP tahini
2-3 strips of roasted red pepper (out of can or jar is easiest, but you could always roast some yourself)
1-2 TBSP lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika (optional)
olive oil

Put the garbanzo beans, garlic cloves, tahini, roasted red pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and paprika (optional) in a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is chopped up and combined. (If you like chunkier hummus you can stop here and not add olive oil for a lower-fat delight). Stream in the olive oil while processing, just until it becomes smooth (about 1/4 cup).

Serve with toasted pita wedges, crispy vegetables like carrots, peppers, and celery, or tortilla chips. (Don't forget a frosty beverage!)

Tubesday Dinner: Name Root

For Tubesday dinner, Karl and I decided to attempt preparation of one wild card tuber. We found a strange looking one at Giant Eagle for $1.99/lb called the Name root. When we got home, we couldn't find much about it, except for this one website, which said it is also known as a yam.


To prepare it, I followed the directions from one of the recipes on the website. Really, I think you could treat this root like a potato. But do not be surprised when you slice it open. This thing is NOT like a potato when it is raw. The flesh is slimy and fibrous. It was quite a turnoff for me. The skin is also rather tough, but I managed to peel it with a regular vegetable peeler without too much difficulty. The finished product tasted in texture like a potato, but the flavors were only what seasonings I put on it. If it's possible, this is more bland than your average Idaho potato.

I probably wouldn't purchase this again unless someone convinced me rather thoroughly that they had a genius recipe for it that transformed it. It just wasn't worth the trouble, in my opinion.


Baked Name Root Slices

1 Name Root, peeled and sliced very thin (like potato chip wedges)
1 TBSP butter, melted
1 TBSP canola oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Arrange the name root slices on a baking dish in one layer.

Mix the butter, canola oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a small container. Brush the mixture over the slices, using all of it.

Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the slices are browning and crisp. Enjoy hot.

Tubesday Dinner: Rutabaga

Mention Norway and Karl is automatically interested. His father is a Norwegian immigrant, after all, and Karl is very proud of his Norwegian heritage. So, when Sara suggested a traditional Norwegian dish called rotmos prepared with rutabaga, potatoes and carrots for our Tubesday Dinner, we decided to take it upon ourselves to prep that dish.

Rutabaga is a root vegetable that is a cross between turnips and cabbage. We bought two hefty ones at $0.99/lb, which is about what you would pay for loose potatoes, so it's a nice, economical change from what we are used to eating. The skin is a ruddy brown and purple, but was coated with what appeared to be wax. I'm not sure if that is applied to preserve the rutabaga and prevent bruising during transport, but the wax didn't seem to be natural. In any case, it came right off during peeling. The skin peeled easily with a regular vegetable peeler, just like a turnip.



The flesh of a raw rutabaga is white, like a turnip or potato, but interestingly, when we had roasted it, the flesh turned a lovely pale-orange color. It certainly made for beautiful presentation.

I highly recommend the rotmos dish. It's quite easy to prepare, and you could boil the veggies if you don't feel like waiting an hour for them to roast.

Rotmos

2 rutabaga, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes
3 or 4 red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1" cubes
2 or 3 large carrots, chopped into 1" cubes
canola oil
salt and pepper
4 TBSP butter, unsalted
1/2 cup milk or cream

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Toss the cubed rutabaga, potatoes, and carrots in oil to lightly coat. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet or two and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for an hour, or until the veggies are easily pierced with a fork. Cover with aluminum foil halfway through to speed up the process a little.

Place the vegetables in a food processor with the butter and pulse until coarsely mashed. Then, with food processor on, stream in milk slowly until it becomes a thick puree. Do this in batches if necessary.

If you don't have a food processor, just use a potato masher, hand mixer, or a serving fork.

Serve hot.

Tubesday Dinner: Yuca (Cassava)

My sister and boyfriend decided Sunday that we'd all collaborate on a tuber-themed dinner Tuesday. My sister affectionately dubbed the evening "Tubesday" dinner, and the goal was to test-drive unfamiliar root-vegetables that we often see in the grocery store. The dinner was a fabulous success, and I intend to post an entry about each tasty dish we created.

This post features yuca, or cassava, a delicious root with a thick, brown skin and white, juicy flesh.

My sister prepared a surprisingly simple and delightful dish of Jamaican origin called "bammy" using a quick blurb on Wikipedia describing it. They turned out really tasty, reminding me of the texture of a fish cake.

I highly recommend this dish for a change of pace. It probably takes about 20 minutes start to finish to complete. Serve with a salad of leafy greens and you have yourself a 30 minute meal to rival any of Rachael Ray's!

Sara's Bammy
Serves 3 or 4

1 large yuca root
salt
canola oil
coconut milk

Using a knife or a heavy-duty vegetable peeler, peel all the brown skin from the yuca root. Grate the entire root (you can use a box grater or the food processor. I don't think it matters how fine the grate is). Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on the grated yuca and let sit for a few minutes (this will help leech out some of the moisture),

Take the grated yuca and squeeze out as much moisture as possible using your hands. Spread the squeezed, grated yuca on a baking sheet and allow to dry for about 15 minutes.

Form 3 or 4 flat patties with the grated yuca. They will seem like they will fall apart, but do the best you can. They'll hold together once you get them in the frying pan.

Over medium-high heat, heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the bottom (it doesn't have to be deep). Once the oil is hot, fry the yuca patties for about 1 minute per side. Remove them from the pan (keep the heat on), and dip them in coconut milk. Return them to the frying pan and fry for another 1 or 2 minutes per side.

Serve immediately.

Curried Cauliflower Risotto

I made up another recipe! It seems like most of my creations include curry used in unconventional dishes. This may be a result of looking for excuses to use my awesome Penzey's Sweet Curry Powder. It is the most flavorful curry powder I have come across (although, I haven't tried grinding and mixing my own yet).

Last night, I wanted risotto. I also had a half a head of cauliflower left over in the fridge that needed to be cooked before it started to rot. So I decided to steam that, and make the risotto. Then I had the brilliant idea to put the cauliflower in the risotto, so I commandeered a few half-cooked spears of cauliflower and sauteed them with some vidalia onion before tossing in the Arborio rice. And then, of course, I decided to add the curry powder.

Yum!! Sometimes, spontaneous creations turn out great, and this time, everything worked together really well. I might try a garam masala version next time.

Curried Cauliflower Risotto

1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower spears, cut to 1-inch pieces
3 TBSP butter, divided
3 TBSP Vidalia onion, chopped finely
salt and pepper
1 1/2 TBSP sweet curry powder
3 1/2 to 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup white wine, preferably dry
1/4 cup grated parmesan/romano cheese blend

Steam the cauliflower in a small pot for about 3 minutes. Do not cook completely. Meanwhile, in a large skillet (at least 12 inches), heat 2 TBSP of butter over medium high heat. When it starts to froth, add the onion and the half-steamed cauliflower and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir well to coat the onion and cauliflower. Sauté for 2 more minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a bare simmer in a small saucepan. Once it reaches the boiling point, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, then add the rice to the cauliflower and onion mixture. Stir around for a minute to toast the rice. Then add the wine. Stir occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Add 3/4 cup of the hot chicken broth to the rice, and, stir occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding liquid in 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup amounts, waiting each time until the liquid has been completely absorbed before adding more. This should take about 20 minutes. Taste the rice to see if it is tender enough. When the rice is tender, but still retains a slightly chewy texture, stop adding liquid and turn off the heat.

Stir in 1 TBSP of butter and the cheese blend. Serve immediately, with extra grated cheese for garnish.

Baking Frenzy: Lemon Meringue Pie

Thanks for coming back! I know I haven't updated in a few weeks, thanks to law school finals taking over my life, but I never stopped baking! For one thing, I had to finish up the last two installments of the auction's "Month of Pie" lot for the winning bidder. His last two pie choices were cherry and lemon meringue.

I never liked lemon meringue pie growing up. I think the texture of meringue didn't sit well with my untrained palate, and the lemon pudding part was never very lemony. I now know that my mother used a mix for the pudding, and after last week's hugely successful first attempt of my own at making one, I also know that making your own filling from scratch makes an unbeatable lemon meringue pie.

I dug up a recipe from a FoodieView search for lemon meringue pie, and I actually followed it to the letter for once, unless you count doubling it so I could have a "control" pie. I'm not sure what the ginger snaps really added to the final product, so this weekend, when I bake another pie for my mom, I might leave them out.

My favorite part of the process was making the lemon filling. When you're cooking the solution of water, sugar, cornstarch and salt on the stovetop, it's a milky white soupy liquid right up until it starts to boil. Then it magically transforms into a clear, thick gelatin. If you are using a nonstick saucepan, I highly recommend that you have a good silicon or heat-resistant whisk that is not flimsy. It needs to be able to stir a thick solution. I actually had to switch to my steel whisk after the solution thickened, which is definitely a no-no with nonstick cookware!

One final tip: squeeze your own lemon juice! One lemon should do it, and, really, you need the zest from that lemon or your lemon meringue pie will fall flat (and I am not talking about the meringue). My favorite juicer for citrus is one of these gadgets. They're about $12 on Amazon.com, but I have seen them pretty cheap in other kitchen stores. They make juicing lemons MUCH easier than spraining your wrists on the old fashioned kind.

For tips on how to make a meringue successfully, check out this helpful website at WhatsCookingAmerica.net. Granted, the following recipe creates a much heavier, denser meringue due to the extra sugar and vanilla extract, so don't expect it to be a mile high...but it will taste amazing if you follow the instructions!

Lemon Meringue Pie
Yields 1 9-inch pie

Use your favorite pie crust recipe and pre-bake in a 9-inch pie pan. To blind-bake, line the top of the crust with parchment paper and fill shallowly with dried beans or baking beads. Allow to cool while you make the filling and meringue.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
4 large egg yolks
1 TBSP lemon zest (one lemon)
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/4 cup lemon juice (one lemon)
3 ginger snaps, finely crushed

Meringue:
1/3 cup sugar
8 tsp confectioner's sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sprinkle the crushed ginger snap cookies evenly across the bottom of the pie crust.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stir the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil (increase the heat to medium high if necessary), whisking almost constantly. This should take about 5-8 minutes. Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow to cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks well. Add a small amount of the hot sugar solution to the egg yolks while whisking. Repeat several times (this helps to temper the egg yolks so they won't scramble). Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking to combine. It is important not to overmix at this point, so cook about another minute while stirring slowly, then remove from the heat.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the lemon zest and the butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the lemon juice until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pie crust shell.

While the mixture is still hot, quickly make the meringue. Mix the sugar and confectioner's sugar in a small bowl. In a large stainless steel bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Continue beating and add the cream of tartar, then increase the speed to medium high. Beat until the egg whites form firm peaks but still appear shiny and wet. Then gradually (while continuing to beat), add the sugar mixture a tablespoon at a time over the course of 1 minute. I find it helpful to have someone help me at this point so I don't lose control of the bowl or the mixer. After the sugar is completely incorporated, add the vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer, until the whites are thick and glossy and form firm peaks. Do not overbeat!

Use a large spoon to drop the meringue in mounds around the edge of the lemon filling, then fill in the center. Use the back of your spoon to spread the meringue around. Make sure the meringue is spread out completely to the edges of the crust so that it forms a complete seal (this will help prevent weeping). Do not allow any part of the pie to be uncovered.

I also recommend using the back of the spoon to form decorative little peaks (or spikes) with the meringue. This not only creates the classic presentation of lemon meringue pie, but serves the useful purpose of indicating when your meringue is perfectly cooked (the peaks bake faster than the rest, so they turn brown more quickly).

Immediately place the pie into the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the peaks are turning golden brown.

Cool completely before serving. I also recommend keeping the pie in a draft-free, somewhat warm area (above 65˚F), since cold air can cause your meringue to flatten out.

DO NOT REFRIGERATE! Refrigeration is death to meringue. Instead, eat your pie within two days, and you won't have to worry about spoiling.

Baking Frenzy: Pecan Pie

Recently, I donated a baked goods lot to an auction for my law school's public interest law organization. The auction is annually a huge success, and I thought it would be fun to use my skill to help a good cause (and also to give me an excuse to bake more!). Well, my "Month of Pie" was sold for $100! Pretty exciting, but it put me under a lot of pressure to perform. The lot included 4 pies of the winner's choosing, one per week for the month of April.

This week, the second, a pecan pie was requested. I have never made a pecan pie, and I actually couldn't recall ever having eaten one. So I trolled through a bunch of recipes on the internet, read a ton of reviews, and finally selected "Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie", as originally printed in the November 1997 issue of Bon Appétit.

I did make a few changes to the recipe, which are reflected below, since many of the reviews had made comments as to the crust, the insufficient amount of filling, the way-too-long baking time, etc. I made two pies so I could have a control (in case they turned out gross...I wouldn't want to give a bad pie to the auction winner!)...and so Karl and I could eat some pie!

The pie is really quite nice, although I found it really sweet. I think next time I would like to experiment with cutting back on the sugar, and possibly adding some spice (cinnamon or clove). I'd also like to try using molasses, which is probably a more traditional ingredient than corn syrup.

Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Yield: 2 9-inch pies

For Two Crusts:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
4-7 TBSP ice cold water

For Filling:
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
6 extra large eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 TBSP bourbon
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Arrange the chopped pecans (not the pecan halves) in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and toast in the oven for 8 or 9 minutes. Be careful not to burn them...if you start to smell roasting nuts before time is up, they are done! Set aside to cool.

To make the crust, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it is the consistency of cornmeal. Add the water 1 TBSP at a time, using a fork to toss the flour mixture. Only add enough water for the dough to form and stick together. Form the dough into a ball, and cut it in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until ready to roll out.

To make the filling, mix the sugar, eggs, corn syrup, honey, bourbon, butter, and vanilla extract with a whisk until combined. Make sure the melted butter is not too hot, or the eggs might scramble. Add the toasted chopped pecans to the mixture. Set aside.

Take the crust out of the freezer and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each half ball into a 12-inch diameter circle. Transfer to pie plates and crimp the crusts decoratively. Give the filling a good last mix, then pour half into each pie crust.

Use the pecan halves to decorate the top of the pie. Gently place them, flat side down, on the top of the pie (they should float). Cover as much of the surface of the pies as you would like.

Bake the pies at 350˚F for about 50 minutes, or until filling is mostly set and only wobbles a little bit when you gently shake the pan. At about 40 minutes, loosely cover the pies with aluminum foil to prevent the crust and pecans from burning. Take out of the oven and cool completely before serving or refrigerating. Garnish with a dollop of freshly whipped cream!

A Mean Mess o' Trout

"What do you feel like having for dinner tonight?" I asked. "Fish," he said. "But not salmon. Or tilapia."

So, I went to the store and decided that trout was the way to go. I purchased some nice looking boneless fillets (with the skin still on), about a pound. I also purchased some panko bread crumbs, which I have heard so much about but never actually used. Panko bread crumbs are made from crustless bread, which for some reason gives them this awesome crispy texture when fried.

Before I made the trout (which were sure to cook up fast), I boiled some red potatoes, drained them, then added some chopped and sautéed fresh herbs (parsley and basil), garlic and onion, and butter and milk. Then I mashed the heck out of them before stirring in a little shredded parmesan cheese. Then I steamed some broccoli.

Now for the trout (which turned out gorgeous and more delicious than I could have ever hoped for!). Simplicity always seems to work out for me (although, to be honest, so does complexity!). If you've never had trout, you should definitely give it a try. It's one of the less expensive fish you can purchase these days, and it also makes for beautiful presentation. Oh, and don't bother skinning those fillets: the trout's skin is so thin you won't even know it's there if you don't look!

Carly's Mean Mess o' Trout

1 lb. boneless trout fillets
canola oil
flour, for dredging
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup panko bread crumbs
lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 375˚F (let it heat up completely before you start frying).

Heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Make an egg wash by lightly whisking the milk and egg. Rinse the fillets under cool water, then pat dry with a paper towel. Dredge fillets in flour, then coat completely in egg wash. Dip in panko bread crumbs to coat completely on both sides.

Place fillets, skin-side up in hot oil. Fry about 1 1/2 minutes, then turn over. Fry for about another 2 minutes (until coating is turning golden brown), then remove fillets from skillet and place in a shallow baking dish. Immediately put them into the oven and bake for about 4 more minutes.

Serve immediately, with a squeeze of lemon.

Baking Frenzy: Pizza

This weekend, I made two more loaves of that fantastic Cinnamon Raisin Bread: one for my parents, and one for Karl. It really is an incredible bread!

In addition, I treated my parents to a hot meal Saturday night, the day of the week that dinner in their house consists of leftovers or hot dogs. So, I decided to make them pizza. And since I'm on a baking kick, nothing but a home-made pizza crust would do!

I found a simple recipe on Food Network's website. I didn't use a food processor to make the dough as the recipe mandates: why make an extra mess? I also ignored the fancy-schmancy toppings it suggested. I am in the throes of spring right now, and I'm so excited that I can get some yummy fresh vegetables! I wanted to take advantage of that, so I picked up some crimini mushrooms, baby spinach, a red bell pepper (on sale at Giant Eagle for $1.99/lb! Are you kidding me?), fresh basil, and some tomatoes. So exciting.

I was lazy and bought pizza sauce, though. My sauces never seem to turn out right: always a little bitter. I'll have to see what I can do for next time.

The pizzas turned out great! The crust was soft on the inside and chewy/crisp on the outside. I made two, one with the mushrooms, spinach and bell pepper, and one with tomato & basil (the bomb!). Topped with lots of shredded mozzarella, they were a delight that cannot be gotten from delivery pizza.

A sure sign of success: my dad complimented me, despite the lack of greasy pepperoni or sausage.

Pizza Dough

¼ cup warm water (about 110˚F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
4 cups bread flour
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups cold water
1 TBSP olive oil
Yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling the baking sheet

In a small bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir with a whisk or a fork to combine. In a large bowl, stir flour and salt with a wire whisk. Add the yeast mixture, cold water, and oil. Mix with a firm spatula or wooden spoon until a ball is formed. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for several minutes until dough is smooth. Allow dough to rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then place dough in oiled bowl. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, then let rise another 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500˚F.

Take dough out of bowl. Divide into 2 even balls. On a lightly floured surface, form two 10 to 14-inch pizza crusts. Place the crusts on pizza stones dusted with cornmeal. Place toppings on the crusts, then place the pizzas in the oven. They can be done separately if you only have one pizza stone. Bake until golden and cheese (if used) is bubbly, about 10 minutes.