Monday, October 6, 2014

The big biscuit.




Like to make one bit biscuit so that everyone can take just what they want or need.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup - buttermilk or equivalent http://notarealchef.blogspot.com/2014/11/fabricated-buttermilk.html
1/4 cup - fat such as olive oil, salad oil, lard, meat drippings. or etc. http://notarealchef.blogspot.com/2014/11/cheap-lard-oil.html
1 big pinch - salt
1 tsp - baking soda
2 tsp - baking powder
2 - cups flour

Method.

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
While the the oven is heating up.
Pre oil a baking pan.
Mix up all the ingredients well to a dough consistency.
Spread the dough out evenly on the baking pan.
When the oven is ready, bake the dough in the pan for about 12 minutes.
Remove the baking pan frmo the oven with heat protective mitts or the like, then place the baking pan on a heat proof surface to let the biscuits cool.
If you do not let the biscuits cool at least a little bit they, will stick to the pan and be a burden to remove from the baking pan.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Frico

You have some shredded cheese, but no cheese slices... There are some variations that also add potatoes and onions.






Ingredients:

4 ounces sharp white cheddar or your favorite cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour (optional)

Directions

Step 1

In a medium bowl, toss together cheese and flour. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into skillet to form a 4-inch round.

Step 2

Cook until cheese is starting to melt and become firm, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, turn; continue cooking until it is firm and slightly golden, 15 to 30 seconds more. If skillet gets too hot and frico begin to color too quickly, remove from heat for several minutes before proceeding.


Monday, September 29, 2014

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Egg drop soup

Recipe 1

Ingredients

    6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
    2 large eggs
    2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
    2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
    2 tablepoons chopped fresh basil leaves
    1 cup lightly packed spinach leaves, cut in thin strips
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, cheese, parsley, and basil to blend. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir the broth in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin strands of egg, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach, then season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.


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Recipe 2.

Ingredients

    6 cups brown chicken stock, recipe follows
    3 eggs
    3 tablespoons semolina
    3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
    1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
    Pinch nutmeg
    Salt and pepper

Directions

Measure out 1 of the 6 cups of chicken stock and refrigerate so that it is cold.

In a large stock pot, bring the remaining 5 cups of chicken stock to a boil. In a large bowl, combine the cold broth, eggs, semolina, cheese, parsley and nutmeg and whisk until well blended. Whisk the mixture into the boiling stock and reduce heat to low. Continue to whisk for 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and divide evenly among 6 warmed soup bowls. Serve immediately, topped with more grated cheese if desired.

Brown Chicken Stock:

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    3 1/2 pounds chicken wings, backs, and bones
    3 carrots, coarsely chopped
    2 onions, coarsely chopped
    4 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
    1 tablespoon black peppercorns
    1 bunch parsley stems

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over high heat until smoking. Add all the chicken parts and brown all over, stirring to avoid burning. Remove the chicken and reserve. Add the carrots, onions, and celery to the pot and cook until soft and browned. Return the chicken to the pot and add 3 quarts of water, the tomato paste, peppercorns, and parsley. Stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned chicken and vegetables bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a low simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours, occasionally skimming excess fat. Remove from heat, strain, and press on the solids with the bottom of a ladle to extract out all liquids. Stir the stock to facilitate cooling and set aside. Refrigerate stock in small containers for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Friday, September 19, 2014

Breakfast

The best meal of the day.





Method 1: Milk- and oil-based scrambled eggs

Ingredients

2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black or white pepper or garlic powder to taste
Butter or oil spray
Milk (optional)
Olive oil
Water (optional)
Cheese (optional)

1. Prepare the eggs. Break two eggs per person into a bowl or jug. Add one tablespoon of milk, water and olive oil, or sour cream per egg if you prefer a more tender moist dish; adding liquid to the eggs means the dish is less likely to turn out tough or rubbery.

2. Mix well until the color and texture are uniform throughout. Add salt and pepper to season, if desired. You may also add cheese for cheesy eggs.

3. Select the right sized pan for the number of eggs you will scramble. Two eggs will require a very small pan, while a dozen eggs requires a much larger one.

4. Heat a pat of butter (2 teaspoons), bacon drippings or oil in a frying pan. Move the pan by its handle, so that the melted fat glides around the surface and coats the entire pan.

5. Flick some tap water onto the skillet from your fingertips to test the heat. When small droplets sizzle and evaporate, the pan is just hot enough to pour in the egg mixture. Continue to whisk as you pour the egg mixture into the pan. Set the burner on low.

6. Watch that as the eggs start to cook, the mixture solidifies. As soon as this starts happening, move the mixture around the pan with a spatula to scrape the cooked eggs from the bottom to the top of the mixture and expose the still-wet portions to the heat. This keeps the eggs from developing a leathery brown skin on the bottom.

7. Look to see if your eggs are almost cooked. When they are, take them off the heat, as the hot pan will continue to cook them. If you prefer drier-textured eggs, leave them on the heat as required. Your eggs are done after there's no liquid of any kind left in the skillet. Remove your eggs from the pan before they lose their moist appearance.You can also add strips of cheese to the eggs to get a more vibrant flavor out of them. Make sure to add cheese when the eggs are still hot so it will all melt onto the eggs.


Method 2: Blended "real" scrambled eggs (no milk or water)

Ingredients

2 large or jumbo eggs
Pinch salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter or 1 tablespoon cooking oil

This method follows the belief that true scrambled eggs should not be yellow, but a blend of yellow and white. This means that milk and water should never be used.

1. To one eight inch frying pan, add 2 tablespoons butter or 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Turn heat to high for 30 seconds then reduce to medium.

2. Take 2 large or jumbo eggs or three medium eggs break them into the pan. Using a spoon at first break any yolk and then scramble the eggs using a combination of stirring and flipping. add 1 pinch of salt and 1 pinch of black pepper.

3, When the eggs are still a touch moist but solid turn off heat, and scramble for 15 to 30 seconds more

4. Serve. Add a sprig of fresh parsley and serve immediately.

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Eggs and turkey bacon are good too.