Vindaloo Basa
Pomegranate Sorbetto
Remember all that pomegranate juice I made awhile back? I have the juice frozen and took out a liter and made this amazing sorbetto. It is so rich and flavourful that only a little scoop satisfies the craving. Pomegranate has a sweet tart puckery quality about it that makes it ideal as a palate cleanser.
Pomegranate Sorbetto
Makes about one quart
4 cups freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice (from 7 large pomegranates)
1+1/4 cups (250g) sugar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Grenadine (pomegranate syrup, optional)
Juice the pomegranates by hand. See my link above for Pomegranate juice for instructions.
Stir 2 cups of pomegranate juice and sugar over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Take off heat and combine with the remaining pomegranate juice. Add 2 tbsp lemon juice and Grenadine (if you’re using) and stir to combine. Taste and see if the mixture needs more acidity. Depending on the sweetness of your pomegranates, you might want to add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
Chill the mixture thoroughly then freeze it in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
Latest Street Food Trend – The Box Lunch
Tamale Dough
4 c. instant corn masa mix
4 c. lukewarm water or broth
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 1/3 c. lard or shortening
Combine Masa Mix, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Work in the water or broth using a stand mixer, if possible, or otherwise your fingers to make a soft, moist dough. Beat this masa mixture until it is light and smooth and resembles a cake batter. Let sit for 20 minutes.
In another bowl, beat lard or shortening until fluffy. If you have a stand mixer, this is ideal. Beat it until very light and fluffy and until it almost triples in volume. This will ensure a light tamale.
Hearty Winter Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Soup
1/2 lb turtle beans
1 meaty ham hock
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped & sauteed with the garlic
6 cloves garlic, squashed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 cups frozen corn
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
Soak the turtle beans overnight. Drain and rinse.
Fill a stock pot with about 8 cups of cold water. Add ham hock, soaked black beans, sauteed onion & garlic and all herbs & spices. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 hours or the beans are tender and ham falls off the bone. Remove the ham hock and shred the meat. Add the meat back to the soup. Sautee the sausage and add to the soup. Add the corn and flat leaf parsley. Serve. This would be nice with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.
This freezes well. Put it away for instant lunches.
Launching my Newsletter - CurrentCravings
Welcome to my newest project. I am publishing a monthly foodie newsletter featuring local news. This is the first issue. If you would like to be on my mailing list, please email me with your email address.
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CurrentCravings
Sarah’s newsletter about the local food scene
Welcome to the first issue of my Current Cravings newsletter. I will send this out monthly until I get so crazy busy with the Farmer’s Market that I get behind! I will pass on to you all the interesting food related information that I come across during my daily routine. If you have something noteworthy to share, just email me and I will pass it on.
Panettone at Shopper’s.
My hands down favourite Christmas bread is panettone. When I was in Regina I was delighted to find it at the Italian grocery, The Star, on Victoria. I bought a few and brought them home. Then I was in Shopper’s here in Swift Current and they had my favourite label, Tres Marie. After sampling a few I still love Tres Marie the best. The pieces of candied citrus peel are so fresh and flavourful. In addition, they had Tres Marie pandoro. Pandoro means golden bread. It is the same thing but without the peel. Make a mental note of that for next Christmas. Regular price was $12 and it was on sale after Christmas for $10.
Wines and Libations
I am no sommelier but I do enjoy wine. New Year’s Eve is behind us but we can look forward to Valentine’s Day to enjoy some bubbly. The best buy on a nice sparkling wine is a French blanc de blanc that is on the shelf here. It prices out at around $25 which is a bargain compared to the Piper Heidsieck at around $50. I love them both but when price is a consideration, buy the blanc de blanc. It is a chardonnay of the champagne style.
In the meantime, if you would like to try something different Alvear Amontillado is a wonderful aperitif, or before dinner drink. It is an amber coloured dry port with lots of flavour. It prices out under $16.
Tip for Singles
I bought a Leg Tip Ham at Superior Meats. I have never seen this cut before. It is about one pound and cost about $5.00. It is smoked ham just like the big ones. What a great way to enjoy real ham without having to buy a lot.
Feature recipe
Soups taste best when it is cold outside. We are having such a wonderful mild winter but I still enjoy my soup. This is a great recipe and considering we grow field peas right here it should be on your ‘favourites’ list. Find a farmer and get a gallon! Just remember, when you are cooking whole peas the skins come off as they cook and should be skimmed off and discarded. They are indigestible and can cause gas. Oops! Did I say that out loud? They can cause digestive problems so you may as well scoop them up and discard them.
Dried Pea Soup (Ärtsoppa, in Swedish)
1 lb. dried yellow or green peas (whole if you can get them, but split ones work just as well)
8 cups water
2 finely chopped onions (2 cups)
1 peeled whole onion studded with 2 cloves
1 meaty ham bone -or- 2 to 3 ham hocks
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. grainy brown mustard
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1" pieces
1 pound Danish Canadian-style bacon (pork loin) or Canadian bacon
Rinse and pick through 1 lb. dried yellow or green peas. If using whole peas, soak the peas overnight in their soup water (this isn’t necessary if using split peas so long as you can let the soup simmer for 2 to 3 hours).
Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water (or 6 if you like a thicker soup. You can always thin it with water as you go along if it looks too dense). Add the peas, 2 finely chopped onions, 1 peeled whole onion studded with two whole cloves, and a meaty ham bone (-or- 2 to 3 ham hocks).
Bring to a boil, then cover pot and reduce to a simmer over low heat for 90 minutes.
If using whole peas, skim off any pea skins that have risen to the surface. Remove 2 to 3 cups of the soup, puree in a blender or food processor, and return puree to the pot (this helps to thicken the soup).
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Add celeriac or celery, potatoes, diced carrots and Canadian bacon to soup during last 45 minutes of cooking time. Stir soup occasionally and check for desired consistency; if necessary, add a little hot water. 30 minutes before serving, remove the studded onion and the meat. Chop the meat (it should amount to about 1 cup) and return to pot. Season the soup with 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Simmer 15 more minutes.
Serve, passing around grainy brown mustard to stir into soup to taste.
20120109
Cheddar & Jalapeno Biscuits
I always refer to Dorie Greenspan when I make biscuits and scones. Her recipes work. Because it is post-Christmas and all that goes with the over indulgence of the season, I have opted for the basic biscuit dough rather than cream scones. I hope they are just as good.
For added flavour I cubed some cheddar cheese and diced pickled jalapenos.
Cheddar & Jalapeno Biscuits adapted from Dorie Greenspan
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cake flour
6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold milk
3 ounces aged cheddar, cubed
2 pickled jalapenos, finely chopped
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat to 425F.
Whisk the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Drop in the butter and work with your finger tips until the mixture is pebbly. Add the cheese and toss.
Stir in milk and peppers. Knead a few times until all the flour is incorporated. 3 or 4 turns should be enough to work it all together.
Bake the biscuits for 14 - 18 minutes or until they are puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.
Dried Yellow Pea Soup
This is a wonderful warming winter soup traditionally made from dried yellow peas and served on Thursdays in Sweden. Try a dab of grainy brown mustard on top of each serving to enhance both the presentation and the flavor.
Dried Pea Soup (Ärtsoppa, in Swedish)
1 lb. dried yellow or green peas (whole if you can get them, but split ones work just as well)
8 cups water
2 finely chopped onions (2 cups)
1 peeled whole onion studded with 2 cloves
1 meaty ham bone -or- 2 to 3 ham hocks
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. grainy brown mustard
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1" pieces
1 pound Danish Canadian-style bacon (pork loin) or Canadian bacon
Rinse and pick through 1 lb. dried yellow or green peas. If using whole peas, soak the peas overnight in their soup water (this isn’t necessary if using split peas so long as you can let the soup simmer for 2 to 3 hours).
Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water (or 6 if you like a thicker soup. You can always thin it with water as you go along if it looks too dense). Add the peas, 2 finely chopped onions, 1 peeled whole onion studded with two whole cloves, and a meaty ham bone (-or- 2 to 3 ham hocks).
Bring to a boil, then cover pot and reduce to a simmer over low heat for 90 minutes.
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Add celeriac or celery, potatoes, diced carrots and Canadian bacon to soup during last 45 minutes of cooking time. Stir soup occasionally and check for desired consistency; if necessary, add a little hot water. 30 minutes before serving, remove the studded onion and the meat. Chop the meat (it should amount to about 1 cup) and return to pot. Season the soup with 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Simmer 15 more minutes.
Serve, passing around grainy brown mustard to stir into soup to taste.
'Picture a Day' Favourite
Making Naan at Home
There is a special Tibetan dinner for a woman who will be going to that county as a missionary. They want a special way to honour her and show their pride. So here we are! I am making naan.
My sister, Trish spent more than 15 years in India and I am hoping that I can have success by association! My first lesson was to not call it 'naan bread'. NO, NO, NO," she implored, "Naan means bread."
Trish did not have any recipes. If you know Indian cooks, they rarely use a recipe. It is learned. I found my recipe in The Joy of Cooking, of all places. I made it exactly as written and was happy with the end product. However, I will make one change the next time. The recipe calls for active dry yeast and it is not hydrated before incorporating into the dough. As a result it hardly rose at all in 1 1/2 hours and also there were little specks of colour throughout the dough. It was the undissolved yeast.
I will be using instant dry yeast next time and I think it will be delicious. Another change to the recipe will be to skip over brushing the dough with melted butter before baking. I don't want to make a mess of my pizza stone and create a lot of smoke from burning butter. I usually see the chefs slathering butter on one side of the naan and rubbing two of them together to achieve a nicely oiled surface.
They will then be stacked oiled sides together and wrapped in a towel, or in my case for this group, heavy aluminum foil. I am opting for salted butter in this case because there is little salt in the bread recipe. I will also use 30% red fyfe flour for added flavour. I can hardly wait. I will be baking naan for 60 people!
This is my test run.
Naan adapted from The Joy of Cooking
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole red fyfe flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast
Mix in a large bowl or the mixer bowl of a heavy duty mixer.
Add
2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
3/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk, at room temperature
Mix by hand or on low speed of your mixer until all ingredients are incorporated. Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or with the mixer using a dough hook until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover well with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch the dough down and divide equally into 4 pieces. Roll into balls, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Roll each ball into an oval about 8 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Place the dough directly on the baking stone without touching each other. Bake until each oval gets puffy and just begins to turn golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and butter one side of each piece. Place buttered sides together and stack in a cloth lined basket. Keep covered and serve warm.
Making Sourdough with Wild Yeast
I had to cut into the wheat loaf. The texture and flavour is wonderful and the crust is very nice and toothy. I can't believe I have made bread without yeast. I will let the rye bread cool until tomorrow before cutting into it.
Our Daring Bakers Host for December 2011 was Jessica of My Recipe Project and she showed us how fun it is to create Sour Dough bread in our own kitchens! She provided us with Sour Dough recipes from Bread Matters by AndrewWhitley as well as delicious recipes to use our Sour Dough bread in from Tonia George’s Things on Toast and Canteen’s Great British Food!
Russian Rye Bread
Servings: 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves and excess rye starter to keep for further baking.
Rye Starter - Day 1:
Ingredients
1/4 cup whole (dark) rye flour
1/4 cup water (at 104°F/40°C)
Total scant ½ cup
Directions:
1. In a Tupperware or plastic container, mix the flour and water into a paste.
2. Set the lid on top gently, cover with a plastic bag, to prevent messes in case it grows more than expected!
3. Set somewhere warm (around 86°F/30°C if possible). I sometimes put mine on a windowsill near a radiator, but even if it’s not that warm, you’ll still get a starter going – it might just take longer. It should be a very sloppy, runny dough, which will bubble and grow as it ferments.
Rye Starter - Day 2:
Ingredients
1/4 cup whole (dark) rye flour
1/4 cup water (at 104°F/40°C)
scant 1/2 cup starter from Day 1
Total scant 1 cup
Directions:
1. Stir the flour and water into the mixture from Day 1, cover, and return to its warm place.
Rye Starter - Day 3:
Ingredients
1/4 cup whole (dark) rye flour
1/4 cup water (at 104°F/40°C)
scant 1 cup starter from Day 2
Total 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons
Directions:
1. Stir the flour and water into the mixture from Day 2, cover, and return to its warm place. If you notice it has a grey liquid on top, just stir this back in and continue as normal.
Ingredients
1/4 cup whole (dark) rye flour
1/4 cup water (at 104°F/40°C)
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons starter from Day 3
Total about 1¾ cups
Directions:
1. Stir the flour and water into the mixture from Day 3, cover, and return to its warm place. At this point it should be bubbling and smell yeasty. If not, repeat this process for a further day or so until it is!
Rye Starter, ready for baking.
Russian Rye Bread - Step 1: Production Sourdough
Ingredients
1/4 cup rye leaven (starter)
1 cup whole (dark) rye flour
1 1/4 cups water
Total 2½ cup
Directions:
1. Mix everything into a sloppy dough. Cover and set aside for 12-24 hours, until bubbling. Set aside the remaining starter for further loaves – see the Notes section for tips!
Russian Rye Bread - Step 2: Final Dough
Ingredients
2 cups production sourdough (this should leave some (½ cup) to become your next loaf of bread!)
2 1/3 cups rye flour (light or whole)
1 teaspoon sea salt or ½ teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup water (at 104°F/40°C)
Total 5 cups
Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together to form a soft dough. With wet hands, scoop the dough up and put it in a well-greased loaf tin.
2. Put the tin inside a large plastic bag, blow it up, and seal it. This should make a good little dome for your bread to proof inside. Set aside somewhere room temperature to warm.
3. The dough should be ready to bake with in anywhere between 2-8 hours, depending on how warm it is. I proof mine by a sunny window in about 4 hours. If the dough was halfway up the tin when you started, it will be ready when it reaches the top (i.e. almost doubles in size).
4. Preheat the oven to very hot 470°F/240°C/gas mark 9. For a large loaf, bake for 50-60 minutes, reducing the temperature to moderately hot 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6 after about 10-15 minutes. If baking in small loaf tins, bake for 35-45 minutes, reducing the temperature after 10 minutes. If you are unsure about whether it is done, give it a few minutes longer – it is a very wet dough, so the extra time won’t hurt.
5. Leave to cool on a cooling rack, and rest the loaf for a day before eating it.
French Country Bread
Servings: 1 large loaf plus extra wheat starter for further baking
Wheat Starter - Day 1:
Ingredients
4 1/2 tablespoons stoneground breadmaking whole-wheat or graham flour
3 tablespoons water
Total scant ½ cup
Directions:
1. In a Tupperware or plastic container, mix the flour and water into a paste.
2. Set the lid on top gently, cover with a plastic bag, to prevent messes in case it grows more than expected!
3. Set somewhere warm (around 86 F if possible). I sometimes put mine on a windowsill near a radiator, but even if it’s not that warm, you’ll still get a starter going – it might just take longer.
Wheat Starter - Day 2:
Ingredients
4 1/2 tablespoons stoneground breadmaking whole-wheat or graham flour
3 tablespoons water
scant 1/2 cup starter from Day 1
Total scant cup
Directions:
1. Stir the flour and water into the mixture from Day 1, cover, and return to its warm place.
Wheat Starter - Day 3:
Ingredients
4 1/2 tablespoons stoneground breadmaking whole-wheat or graham flour
4 teaspoons water
scant 1 cup starter from Day 2
Total 1⅓ cup
Directions:
1. Stir the flour and water into the mixture from Day 2, cover, and return to its warm place.
Wheat Starter - Day 4:
Ingredients
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1⅓ cup starter from Day 3
Total scant 2⅔ cup
Directions:
1. Stir the flour and water into the mixture from Day 3, cover, and return to its warm place. At this point it should be bubbling and smell yeasty. If not, repeat this process for a further day or so until it is!
French Country Bread
Stage 1: Refreshing the leaven
Ingredients
1 cup less 1 tablespoon wheat Leaven Starter
6 tablespoons stoneground bread making whole-wheat or graham flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
Production Leaven Total approximately 2¾ cups
Directions:
1. Mix everything into a sloppy dough. It may be fairly stiff at this stage. Cover and set aside for 4 hours, until bubbling and expanded slightly.
French Country Bread
Ingredients
3/4 cup stoneground breadmaking whole-wheat or graham flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons sea salt or ⅔ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups water
1 ¾ cups production leaven – this should leave some (1 cup) for your next loaf.
Total 6 cups
Directions:
1. Mix the dough with all the ingredients except the production leaven. It will be a soft dough.
2. Knead on an UNFLOURED surface for about 8-10 minutes, getting the tips of your fingers wet if you need to. You can use dough scrapers to stretch and fold the dough at this stage, or air knead if you prefer. Basically, you want to stretch the dough and fold it over itself repeatedly until you have a smoother, more elastic dough.
3. Smooth your dough into a circle, then scoop your production leaven into the centre. You want to fold the edges of the dough up to incorporate the leaven, but this might be a messy process. Knead for a couple minutes until the leaven is fully incorporated in the dough.
4. Spread some water on a clean bit of your work surface and lay the dough on top. Cover with an upturned bowl, lining the rim of the bowl with a bit of water. Leave for an hour, so that the gluten can develop and the yeasts can begin to aerate the dough.
5. Once your dough has rested, you can begin to stretch and fold it. Using wet hands and a dough scraper, stretch the dough away from you as far as you can without breaking it and fold it back in on itself. Repeat this in each direction, to the right, towards you, and to the left. This will help create a more ‘vertical’ dough, ready for proofing.
6. Heavily flour a banneton/proofing basket with whole wheat flour and rest your dough, seam side up, in the basket. Put the basket in a large plastic bag, inflate it, and seal it. Set aside somewhere warm for 3-5 hours, or until it has expanded a fair bit. It is ready to bake when the dough responds to a gently poke by slowly pressing back to shape.
7. Preheat the oven to hot 425°F/220°C/gas mark 7. Line a baking sheet with parchment, then carefully invert the dough onto the sheet. I like to put the baking sheet on top of the basket, then gently flip it over so as to disturb the dough as little as possible. Make 2-3 cuts on top of the loaf and bake for 40-50 minutes, reducing the temperature to moderately hot 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6 after 10 minutes.
8. Cool on a cooling rack.
