Frites Freak

Accompanied by a gently breeze I spent a Sunday afternoon near the river at Sellwood park watching  teetering canoers and sweaty teenagers in all stages of well-done.

Apparently I'm not the only one who finds spectacle in our fellow man, these gents brought their own chairs.   Fending off the occasional mosquito and studying my Japanese I wondered of the contents of commuter mugs held by shirtless dudes and of the physics of tubing in a bikini.  Later I shared my picnic table with a father and daughter chowing down on burgers and fries.  Greasy potato wafted over and I packed up; suddenly inspired for dinner. 

Homemade French Fries
I don't deep fry much something about vats of used cooking oil but I broke down this time rather than heat up the house with my usual baking technique.  Baking in summer is bad.  The secret to this recipe is frying your tots twice; once to cook them through and second to crisp them up.  Here goes:

1 medium Russet potato per person
vegetable oil, enough to fill your pot to a depth of 2"-3, approximately 2 C.

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Add your oil to a small heavy-bottomed pot (I love cast iron for frying.) While your oil is heating on medium-high, wash your potato and dry well.  Slice the potato into 3/8"-1/2" sticks depending on your preference. Check to see if the oil is up to temperature (350 degrees) by dipping the end of a potato stick into the oil, if it immediately begins to sizzle, add a handful to the oil.   Avoid adding too many at once.

Stir the fries gently and cook approximately 10-12 minutes.  The potatoes will not brown at this stage you just want to cook them through.  Once cooked drain them on a paper towel lined plate.  Fry the fries once more and you will notice that they will quickly brown. 

Drain and liberally salt and pepper.  I like my fries with a side of ketchup sometimes mayo but you can fancy this up with a drizzle of truffle oil or for some ball park nostalgia, with loads of sauteed garlic and parsley.  However you have them, make 'em. If you're a potato lover these might change your life.

Oh, The Monkey...

Edo's humming an earbudded tune as I write about a bread adventure named after a monkey. Not much of bread really, more cake for all of the excess— it's Monkey Bread.

A delightful construction of balls of dough (similiar to babka) glued together with a gooey mortar of butter and cinnamon.

And yes, there are more attractive desserts but I assure you, monkey bread's groan-inducing-yumminess more than makes up for it homely looks.  It's a joyous pile of cinnamon roll centers.
If you need more convincing the story goes Nancy Reagan served this at the White House, so carry on and make a monkey dessert worthy of the prez.

Monkey Bread 
adapted from Cook's Illustrated via Smitten Kitchen 

DOUGH
4 T butter, divided 2 T. softened, 2 T. melted
1 C. milk, warmed approx. 110 degrees
1/3 water, warmed
1/4 C. sugar
2 1/4 t. instant yeast
3 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. cinnamon

BROWN SUGAR COATING
1 C. light brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
8 T. butter, melted

Forming the dough:
Heat oven to 200 degrees.  Butter bundt pan with 2 T. softened butter.  In a large measuring cup, combine milk, melted butter, sugar and yeast.  In stand mixer with dough hook attachment,  combine flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix on low while slowly adding milk mixture.  As the dough comes together, increase speed to medium until dough is shiny and smooth, about 6-7 minutes (the dough should be sticky.)  Turn out dough top and knead briefly and shape into a ball.  Turn off preheating oven. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap for an hour or until doubled.

Preparing brown sugar coating:
Melt 8 T. butter in a saucepan.  In a separate bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Forming the bread:
Once the dough has doubled, turn it out and gently shape it into a 8" x 8" square.  Cut the square into 64 pieces.  Roll the pieces into balls.  Using a fork coat the dough balls first in melted butter then the sugar-cinnamon.  Place the coated dough into the buttered bundt pan.  When all of the pieces have been coated, wrap the bundt pan in plastic wrap and place into the warmed oven (the heat should be turned off.)  Allow to rise until the dough reaches 1-2" from the top of the pan, about 50-70 minutes.

Baking:
Remove the risen dough from the oven and heat to 350 degrees.  Remove the plastic wrap and bake 30-35 minutes.  Allow bread to cool 5 minutes before unmolding, waiting much longer will make unmolding a challenge.  Cool additional 10 minutes before serving. 

Bubbles

Dedicated to my boba jonesing days in Providence where my only option was a $5 heist at the local tea shop—this how to make it yourstinkin' self.

Incidently for those new to boba (a.k.a. bubble tea) don't let its resemblance to frog eggs deter you from trying it after all it's just iced black tea, milk, and tapioca.  Plus, bobas make excellent projectiles.

Homemade Bubble Tea
I found the secret to making boba a home is buying the right tapioca the traditional stuff can take close to an hour to cook so look for the quick-cooking variety. 

Also when brewing your tea the goal is concentrated tea rather than bitter tea so avoid over steeping.

Here what you need:
1/2 C. uncooked instant tapioca pearls
3 t. loose leaf black English tea (or 2-3 tea bags)
2 C. boiling water
3-4 T. condensed milk (the thick sweet stuff)
ice cubes
boba tea straws

Cooking the tapioca:

In a large pot bring a couple quarts of water to a rolling boil, add the tapioca.  Turn the heat down to a simmer and boil for 5 minutes.  Test for doneness, if the tapioca is still firm continue cooking for another minute.  Once tender drain into a colander and cool with cold water.

Brewing the tea:
In a tea kettle bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Once the water comes to a boil pour over the tea leaves and allow to steep 2 minutes.  Strain out the tea leaves

Assembly:

Divide the tapioca balls into two tall glasses.   Depending on your taste add 1-2 tablespoons of condensed milk followed with tea, stir well.  Add a few ice cubes and drink with a fat straw. Celebrate

For Days When You're Feeling Like Waffles

I usually have and anti-uni-tasker philosophy when it comes to kitchen appliances, but with a recent score on a blissful yogurt maker and now a waffle iron, the philosophy has wavered.  I blame waffles. Homemade waffles just can't be beat and here's my favorite recipe for tender, crisp, and oh, so satisfying squares of goodness.   Say 'no' to Eggo and make y'er own (that being said, I usually freeze leftovers and they toast up beautifully.)

Me Favorite Waffles
adapted from Serious Eats
1 3/4 C a.p flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 C. milk
1/2 C. canola oil
2 egg whites
splash of vanilla extract

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly, add milk and oil.  Pour this mixture into the flour until just combined, leave it lumpy.  In a separate bowl whip egg whites to stiff peak and gently fold into the bowl of batter.  Cook up in waffle iron until golden.  Top with maple syrup or jam.  Makes 4 servings.

Uncle B's Fish

Like my mom, my Uncle B. is a phenomenal cook.  I caught up with him recently and I picked his brain about a deceptively simple Chinese dish of steamed whole fish.   His recipe in classic fashion is  short in ingredients and strong in technique. As little brother likes to say, This one will make you everybody's hero.  Thanks Uncle B!

Perfect Steamed Fish
 1, 1-11/2 lbs. whole fish, cleaned and scaled (white bass, perch, cod)
1 green onion, green portion thinly sliced
1 t. fresh ginger, julienned (I forgot this and it still tasted great)
 fresh chili, thinly sliced (optional)
cilantro, few sprigs (optional)

dash of white pepper
1 T. soy sauce (For authentic eats Uncle B. recommends this kind and it's perfect.  In a pinch you can substitute regular soy sauce and add a pinch of sugar.)
1 T. vegetable oil

In a pot large enough to accommodate your fish, fill with enough water to submerge the fish and bring to a boil.  When the water reaches a boil turn off the heat and carefully add the fish.  Return the heat and bring back the barest simmer (just an occasional bubble.)  Cook 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your fish.

Carefully lift the fish from the poaching water to your serving platter.  Top fish (in this order) with white pepper, soy sauce, ginger, and green onions.  In a small saucepan heat the vegetable oil just to the smoking point and pour over the fish and toppings.  It should sizzle.  Serve with mounds of white rice.  Groan

No Lost Kernels

The microwave has broken the process of making popcorn down to unwrapping cellophane and pushing a few beeping buttons. But with word out on the street of the potential lung damaging effects of diacetyl i.e. artificial butter flavoring, why not make popcorn the old fashioned way and dish washing be damned. Plus, this method assures that no good solider gets left behind; try it yourself.

Pop Every Kernel Popcorn
adapted from Simply Recipes
3 T. vegetable oil, like canola or peanut
1/3 C. popcorn kernels

2 T. olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t. Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2-3 T. nutritional yeast A throwback to my vegan days, this stuff is full of B-vitamins, delicious, & full of umami goodness.

Heat 3 T. of vegetable oil, in a 5-quart heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Add 3-4 kernels and cover. When the kernels begin to pop, remove pot from the heat and pour in the remaining kernels. Cover and allow the kernels to come to temperature by counting to 30. After 30 seconds, return the pot to medium-high heat. When the kernels begin to pop, gently swish the pot to evenly distribute the heat. Continue until the popping slows and stops. Turn off the heat and pour popcorn into a large bowl.

Toss while warm with olive oil or melted butter. Then add salt, pepper, nutritional yeast or cheese. Eat by the bowl. Makes 2, very generous movie-time servings.

Cake in a Jar

It's snowing! and as the big flakes fall I bring to you my recent discovery of baking in a jar.

What a concept, right?
Baking mini cakes in heat-proof jars to be stored in preparation for the next Armageddon, pure genius! Alas, folks have been bottling cakes in this fashion for a while now and I'm a little late to ride the wave of cake-jar novelty, but whateves. Tardy for Christmas stockings, this recipe would also be equally charming in your picnic basket or as a lunch box surprise. So the gist of cake-in-a-jar is a simple one; take a favorite cake recipe, divvy it up into Mason jars, bake, seal, store and consume at your leisure. If you want to keep the cakes at room temperature you'll have to sterilize the lids and jars in boiling water before you begin, or if you can't be bothered to boil, skip the step and store the cooled cakes in the freezer.

For my maiden voyage into cake-jar-dom I chose a fail-safe recipe for spiced applesauce cake, but feel free to use your favorite — any will do. I've read other bakers leaving room for frosting, sprinkles, and the like. Oh, the possibilities!

Applesauce Cake
adapted from Joy of Cooking
1 1/2 C. flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves, ground
1/8 t. nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 t. salt

8 T. butter, room temperature
3/4 + 2 T. brown sugar
1 egg
1 C. applesauce, natural unsweetened
1 C. walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 small apple, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter until light, add sugar gradually beat until incorporated. Mix in egg. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts alternating with applesauce. Add nuts.

Divide the batter evenly among the jars (I used a small ice cream scooper) filling to 2/3 of capacity. Bake the filled jars on a jelly roll pan for 45 minutes to an hour or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool cakes for 2-3 minutes then carefully wipe the lip of the jars clean and place lid/rings on and tighten. Not too tight. Allow the cakes to cool and create a seal. Test the seals by depressing on the middle of the lid, it should be well-seated on the glass without any give. Store in freezer or at room temperature depending on sterilizing process. Keep up to 6 months.

Hello, little cake.

Curious and Hungry

Part of the fun of moving to a new city is unearthing its treasures and for me there's no better way to find my bearings than with my belly. The last few years, my love of good eats has led me to banal trolls of the "international" aisles in Missoula, to digging up steamers near Point Judith, to lunar landscapes in search of morels, to chatting up the Portuguese fellow selling fish out his truck; all over map I've been, thanks to a hungry belly and thoughts of I wonder...

Moving to Portland has been no different and I've been basking in the accessible Asian provisions namely from a gem of a grocery store/mall called Fubonn. Typical by Californian standards, Fubonn is large supermarket flanked by several small specialty shops catering to the Asian community. Need a cell phone? Tailored chi pao? 24 karat gold bracelet for your nephew's new son? Huge marble dragon? No problem, Fubonn 'N Friends gotcha covered.

After shopping at Fubonn's on Sunday I came home armed with banh mi makings. Banh mi (pronounced BUN-me) is the classic Vietnamese sandwich born of French colonization. There are infinite takes on banh mi, but the standard is typically composed of a lightly toasted baguette, a thin layer of sliced meat, a pile of sweet and tangy carrot/daikon pickles, a few sprigs of cilantro, sliced chilies, and a light shmear of pate. Fusion food never taste so good and here's how you do it:

Homemade Banh Mi
a hoagie sized baguette preferably with a thin crisp crust
thinly sliced deli meat (headcheese & cha lua are traditional, use what you have)
pickled carrots/daikon *see recipe below this can also be purchased
a few sprigs of cilantro
chilies, sliced
pate If you can't find the Vietnamese version use the French variety found in the deli case
mayonnaise
Sriracha hot sauce

Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and very lightly toast. Spread a light layer of pate to one half of the bread and if you like, mayo on the other. Add a thin layer of meat. Top with a generous pile of carrots/daikon, cilantro, and chilies. Eat.

Do Chua, Carrots & Daikon Pickles
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
an equal amount of daikon, cut into matchsticks
2 T. sugar
1/3 C. rice vinegar
1/2 t. salt

Place veggies in a non-reactive bowl. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients until sugar and salt are dissolved, pour over veggies. Marinate for at least one hour before serving or store in a glass container for up to 4 weeks.

Sunday Drive: Desperately Seeking Chanterelle

It's wet here, really wet.
But one of the perks of living in perpetual dampness is that it provides the perfect conditions for our favorite fungal friends; mushrooms. Last Sunday we took a drive out to Tillamook State Forest to search for the delicately flavored chanterelle. Both our local Whole Foods and farmer's market confirmed chanterelles were in season, so we read up on them and went a huntin'.

The day started off slowly with gray skies overhead but brightened as we found our first few.

In the end we collected a sizable stash, enough for me to whip up our favorite mushroom pie. The recipe below is an adaptation of one I found years ago in the comprehensive Sundays at the Moosewood cookbook which calls for a sour cream and butter crust but I've substituted my stand-by tart crust recipe with no complaints.

Welcome to Oregon Chanterelle Tart
1 tart pastry recipe see Oh So Good Cherry Tomato Tart recipe or use any savory pie dough

6-8 C. fresh mushrooms Use what you have on hand I usually like to mix it up portabello, crimini, dried morels, white button, chanterelles...
3-4 big shallots, minced
1 T. butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 t. dried thyme or Herb de Provence
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the crust dough and pat it into a deep tart/pie pan, cool in refrigerator until ready to fill. To prepare the filling, melt butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add shallots and saute until translucent. Add herbs, then mushrooms and turning up heat to medium-high. Cook the mushrooms down until most of the moisture is absorbed. Cut the cream cheese into chunks and melt into the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper and allow the mixture to cool 10-15 minutes before filling tart. Spread mushroom mixture into shell place into preheated oven. Bake 25-35 minutes until crust and top are golden. This pie is rich so serve it with a light salad.

Because It's Been So Long Peach Butter

Yesterday I woke-up early with the word peaches on my lips, only to fall back to blissful weekend slumber. An hour later, my hopes dashed of obtaining my 20 pound box of "seconds" (they go quickly) we headed to the farmer's market. As luck would have it I arrived late and got my box. "Seconds" incidentally, are the delicious, albeit less-than-perfect peaches sold in bulk for 25 bucks a box. Last year I came the same Forbidden Fruit stall to purchase their lovely fruit. You should see how these guys handle their peaches, like they're little balls of newborn; so tender and filled with promise. This year I decided I wanted to make fruit butter; the less-sugar cousin to jam that goes well with savory dishes as well as toast. Here's how to do it:

Simple Peach Butter
10 lbs. fresh peaches, approximately 25 medium peaches, or 16 C. crushed
5 C. sugar
1 lemon, juiced

Skin peaches by immersing them whole into boiling water for 1 minute. Remove them into a bowl of cool water. While the peaches are cooling, prepare in a large bowl 2 cups of water and the juice of 1 lemon, this will prevent the peaches from browning. Peel and pit the peaches placing them in the lemon water.

In a large (10 quart) stainless steel pot, crush the pitted peaches 1 cup at a time using a potato masher. Keep track of the number of cups of peaches you crush in the event you need to adjust the proportions of sugar to fruit. I’ve read many recipes that call for a ratio of 1/2 cup sugar to 1 cup of crushed fruit. I’ve reduced the amount here as I prefer a fruitier tasting butter; feel free to make your own adjustments.

On medium heat bring the crushed peaches to a boil being careful not to scorch them. Add the sugar and bring back to a boil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. When the peach/sugar mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and transfer 3/4 of the mixture to shallow baking dishes and place in the preheated oven. Stir the butter every 15 minutes. As it cooks down add the reserved peach/sugar mixture. When the butter mounds nicely in a spoon it’s ready. This will take 1-1 1/2 hours depending on the moisture content of your peaches.

When the butter is at the correct consistency, hot-pack as instructed in my Old Fashioned Raspberry Jam recipe or bottle in sterilized glass containers and once cooled store in the refrigerator. Makes 12, 1/2 pint jars

T'NT: Tomatoes & Terrariums

Has is really been a month? Sadly, August is practically over but as I said before, summers here are just packed. A few bits since our last chat...Our garden is cranking out end-of-the-season eats including buckets of tomatoes. Last year we had roughly the same number of plants but only two varieties both of which to forevah to ripen. This year I smartened up and planted seven different tomatoes all with short mature dates and what a difference in the harvest haul. My favorite has been our Sungold, an orange cherry variety bursting with sweet tomato flavor. This guy was the first to ripen and continues to birth forth tons of fruit, not far behind is sister Sweet 100 (another cherry variety) with equally yummy red numbers growing right out the front door. Their combined efforts inspired this Oh so good cherry tomato tart.

Oh So Good Cherry Tomato Tart
The recipe is a conflation of a few that I looked up on the web I made adjustments to what ingredients I had on had and it was splendid, so feel free to make your own tweaks.
Pate Brisee, short pastry crust from Chocolate and Zucchini
1 1/3 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt
1 stick of cold butter, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
ice water

Combine flour and salt. Add butter to flour mix and using a pastry blender cut into a coarse crumble. You can also use a fork to blend in the butter, the idea is that you want a sandy mixture, the bits of butter should be coated by flour rather than incorporated like a paste. Add the egg and blend with a fork, resist over working the dough. Add 1 teaspoon of ice water and give a handful of the dough a squeeze, if it holds together you've added enough water. At this point pour the dough mix into a 9 1/2" tart pan with a removable bottom, the mixture should be crumbly. Distribute the crumbles evenly in the pan cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Using the bottom of a heavy measuring cup press the crumbs into the pan. I start around the periphery shoring up the edges pressing the dough into fluted edge of the pan. Next press the crumbles in the middle forming the bottom of the crust. Refrigerate the shell for at least 30 minutes to 1 day.

2 1/2 -3 C. cherry tomatoes enough to fill a 9" tart pan
1/2 C. fresh mozzarella balls, I used mini ones called "pearls" by Belgioioso
1/3 C. sharp Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced I used Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp
freshly ground pepper and salt
a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take the refrigerated crust and line it with a thin layer of sliced cheddar cheese. Pour in tomatoes in one even layer. Take the mini mozzerella balls and tuck them in the cracks between the tomatoes. If your using larger balls, just tear them into bits they'll melt down later. Top the tart with a generous grind of pepper and salt. Bake 40-50 minutes until the tomatoes collapse a smidge and the cheese is golden and bubbly. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving to allow for better slicing. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. Serve with a light salad. Serves 4-6

In other news, looks like Edo and I are moving out of Dodge. More on this later...But before we go I'm determined to take a little piece of this lovely place with me.

Literally. I'm tending a few bottled gardens. They others are camera shy at the moment as condensation is sabotaging my newborn's shots. I'll be sure to share once my biospheres are less cranky.

The Days Are Just Packed

There's a frenzy 'round here; we know summer's nearly up. We're savoring; filling up the days with the river, dipping toes and bodies; cheering our favorite tomatoes into reddening; breathing deeply of wet cement; picking berries; and feigning the reality of shorter days.

Last weekend in the It's beautiful and we gotta get out spirit Eddy and I paid a visit to a nearby lake (one of many) famous for its fishing, Georgtown Lake. We arrived late in the afternoon with plenty of time to set camp and fix dinner.

Near the lake I found the most charming strawberries that when stuffed into the cavity of half-eaten chocolate croissant, became dessert. So good. Bellies full of campfire steak and berries we slept to a neighboring campsite's guitar.

We headed for home the next morning, stopping in Phillipsberg a tiny main-street-drag of a town with an impressive candy shop. The cool dimly lit interior reeked of everything sweet.
Surprisingly there were few kids in the shop, mostly adults eyes-wide scanning sugar in hundreds of forms.

The onslaught of sugar took the most extreme proportions behind the sales counter, where the candy making at its best is conveniently demonstrated as you wait in line. Salt water taffy is stretched, truffles dipped in vats of liquid ganache, and bricks of homemade fudge are sliced and weighed. I left amped with a bag full of candy.

We returned to Missoula with a time to spare and I ended the day by picking organic raspberries at a fundraising event hosted at the Common Ground Farm. Every year at the end of the season you can pay ten bucks to pick pick all the berries you want. I went with a couple a friends and by 9:44 we had collected 30 pounds of fruit.

The next day I made a batch of Old Fashioned Raspberry Jam.

Below's the recipe; banish your fears of canning and try it out. The process is a simpler than it seems and by the end of it you will have an entirely renewed appreciation for canning plus half-pint reminders of summer packed days.

Old Fashioned Raspberry Jam
Makes 4, half-pint jars
adapted from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard

4 C. raspberries (fresh or frozen)
4 C. sugar
4 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

Wash 4 half-pint canning jars and rest them on a cake rack at the bottom of a tall stock pot. Cover the jars with at least 1 inch of water and bring to a soft boil. (A rack can be improvised by tying several canning rings together with string.) Keep a kettle of water on the boil to sterilize lids later.

Place sugar in a shallow baking dish in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes. (Warming the sugar makes it dissolve more readily.)

Place the berries into a medium-sized heavy bottomed pot and place on high heat. Use a potato masher to crush the fruit. Bring to a full rolling boil for 1 min, stirring constantly.

Add the warm sugar to the hot berries and return to a full boil until the mixture gels, stirring to avoid scorching.

Gelling can be tested a few ways: 1.) When a candy thermometer reads 220 degrees 2.) When a cold teaspoon dipped into the syrup collects on the edge of the spoon and sheets rather than dripping off 3.) Using a chilled plate, place a dollop of hot jam and return it to the freezer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes push the cooled jam with your finger and if the surface wrinkles it’s ready to be packed. You can also tilt the plate to see if the jam moves, if it moves very slowly it’s ready. The time it takes for the raspberries to reach gel stage varies anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on the moisture content in your fruit. Remove jam from heat.

Place canning lids (not rings) in a bowl and cover with boiling water. The lids need to stand for a couple of minutes to soften the sealant material. Use a canning jar lifter, or tongs to lift your hot jar, pouring all of the water out.

Pour jam into a glass measuring cup to ease filling the jam jars leaving a 1/2″ of headspace. Clean up any dribbles on lip of the jar using a clean dishtowel dipped in boiling water. Grab a hot lid using a pair of tongs and place on the jar, screw on the canning ring until just snug. You want to avoid screwing the band on too tightly as air needs to escape later. Fill remaining jars.

Carefully lower the filled jars into the stock pot. Arrange the jars so that they stand upright and do not touch. Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a strong boil process for 10 minutes. Higher elevations may need to add more time, these can be looked up online.

After 10 minutes turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the hot water for 5 more minutes.

Remove jars from water and place on a cutting board in an undisturbed spot. They should seal if not immediately, in 12-24 hours. You should hear a sucking sound and the lid will be concaved in the middle. In the event the jars don’t seal consume the jam immediately and store in the refrigerator. Properly canned jam can be stored up to a year in cool dark spot.

My Summer Highball

Aside from a lazy float down the river, I can't think of a better way to welcome summer than with a good Gin & Tonic. It's refreshingly cool, with touch of lime and fizz, and a pleasant twinge of bitterness. Below's my version of the highball that signifies summer:

A Fab Gin & Tonic
3 oz. gin I like Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire
1 lime wedge
tonic water
ice
8 oz. glass, a jelly jar works

Fill glass halfway with ice and add 3 oz. of gin. Rub the lime onto the lip of the glass and then squeeze the juice and toss the entire bit into the glass. Top with tonic water and give a stir. Imbibe.

Happy Fourth of July!
Factoid: Quinine the bitter element in tonic water was originally added as a "tonic" to prevent malaria.

Cleaning Out The Fridge: The Mother of Invention

Forgotten in the corner of the freezer and suffering from major freezer burn, I've had an opened bag of edamame beans begging for a brilliant moment of repurposing. Tonight was the night, and I simply poured the sad little guys into a grill basket and tossed them on the fire. Several flips..10 minutes... a drizzle of olive oil...a liberal sprinkling of salt... a deliciously smoky pre-dinner snack. Scrumdiddlyumptious!

Dear Spring, Thai Green Curry Skewers

The weather here's confused. All indications say 'spring!' rays of blinding sunshine, momentary shadows cast by jetting clouds, crisp lung-filling breezes, light showers...that said, snow is forecasted tomorrow. WTF! I know what your thinking, 'Take it easy, sister. Um, you live in MONTANA' but I can't help but panic when I remember last year we had snow in JUNE!
[deep breath]

At any rate, in an effort to coax the Spring gnomes to stay and bless us with the days of sun and glory, I've been cooking al fresco with every opportunity. How this act encourages spring to stay? Not sure... but damn it, as long as spring teases I stuff dollars, what's a gal to do? Back when we lived in Providence we grilled on our beloved Smoky Joe and since leaving it behind with a friend we've mourned its passing. We salvaged this piece of crap

from a trash heap and at the point when I began to question my fire making abilities I found this Kingsford fellow orphaned in our garage. He draws like a smoker's first morning drag. A real champ.

So the other night after a day in the garden I made these boys. Try 'em out. They're easy to make, uber tasty and you'll feel good knowing that Spring gnomes appreciate your efforts.



Tasty Paste
2 T. peanut butter
I used a scoop of "creamy" style butter Edo's family left behind the last time they came to visit. I think in this case the processed stuff is preferable to the freshly ground kind we usually get; in terms of both sweetness and smooth consistency. Typically I use a few tablespoons of coconut milk rather than peanut butter but the larder was fresh out so I peanut buttah it was.
2 t. Thai green curry paste
You can buy tubs of this a most Asian grocers. Absolutely clutch. Incidentally, don't buy this brand it sucks.
2 t. fish sauce
2 t. sugar
1 t. canola oil, to lube up the peanut butter omit if using coconut milk

1 lb. of meat, slice thinly in 1-2" lengths we used pork but beef and chicken work well too

Mix paste ingredients in a large bowl, add the meat, mix well to thoroughly coat meat. Skewer and grill over glowing hardwood coals for 10-15 minutes, turn frequently until fully cooked and caramelized. Serve with rice, greens and My Go-to Thai Sauce for extra points.

My Go-to Thai Sauce
1 lime, juiced
2 t. fish sauce
1 thai chili, finely chopped, or a good squirt of Sriacha sauce
2 t. sugar
1 small garlic clove, minced
a splash of water

Mix the lot together until the sugar is dissolved.

Dip and consume.
[snarffing pig rooting sounds]

This Week's Find

Let's be honest, Missoula is not exactly known for it's cultural diversity, so imagine my surprise when I spotted this dejected fellow among a crew of ashtrays at the Goodwill. Let me introduce you to my friend Mr. Vietnamese Coffee Maker.

Here's how the rig works there are three parts; a lid, a basket for the grounds, and a plunger. Begin by placing the basket on top of a small glass with a tablespoon of condensed milk poured into the bottom of the glass. With the lid and plunger removed and add 3 T. of coffee to the basket. Replace the plunger and twist clockwise until it makes contact with the coffee. Once your water has come to a boil, pour a tablespoon of water in to moisten the coffee. Wait a few seconds before filling the basket to the top, replacing the lid. The brewed coffee should slowly drip down into the awaiting milk. Once the water has drained through remove the lid and set the basket atop it. Stir the coffee and milk together and serve as is or poured over ice. Yum

Tamales de Picadillo* Oaxqueno or Smoky Pork Tamales

I've had a bag of masa harina sitting in my pantry for over a year now. Originally purchased to satisfy an itch for sopes, it has since sat in the dark corners of my pantry waiting patiently for an, Oh yeah masa? moment. That moment came recently in the form of tamales. Ah tamales, tamales. A deceptively simple outfit; a wrap of corn husk, an insulating layer of rich masa and a warm porky core — an elegant ensemble easily screwed by dry meal and bland innards. To get it right, I went to the authority on Mexican eats, Rick Bayless and his cookbook Mexican Kitchen, where I conflated a couple of recipes to come up with the following. This recipe is sooo worth the effort. It reads tediously and is exhaustive — but make it, just once. You won't be sorry. Do it, I dare you.

One of my key criteria for great tamales is the masa surrounding the filling. The amount must be in correct proportion to the filling. Texturally it must be moist and MUST be tasty. This recipe does it — and I think the secret's in the lard. Yes lard, L-A-R-D. Beautiful stuff. Let us fellow food lovers do our part for lard's sake and help it shake its bad rap. If we compare its stats to our benign and ubiquitous dairy-friend, butter, we find that lard is lower in saturated fat, higher in unsaturated fat and has lower cholesterol by weight than butta. Not convinced? How about the frugal argument that pork fat is cheap? It is. Ask your local butcher to set some aside and s/he will be more than happy to sell you their trash for pennies a pound. Here's how I rendered my own lard. The store-bought brick lard is partially hydrogenated and has a flavor akin to motor oil and is to be avoided. Clarifying you own fat is simple; take pork fat and cut it into 1-2 inch chunks. Place the fat bits in an oven-proof container with a lid in a 300-degree-oven for about an hour. The time to render will vary. I made an amount enough for one recipe and it took about an hour — a larger amount will take a couple of hours. Check the fat occasionally and give the entire lot a stir and make sure the cracklings don't burn. When the pieces of fat have transformed into the homemade cousins of bacon bits, a.k.a cracklings, strain them onto a dish lined with paper towels and liberally salt and pepper. The remaining liquid lard can be transferred into a clean and dry glass container and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of months. Delicious.

Tamales de Picadillo* Oaxqueno

adapted from Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen Makes 18 tamales

THE FILLING

1 1/2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed cut into 2" cubes

2 cloves garlic peeled

1/2 large onion, diced

In a 3 qt. saucepan add pork, garlic, and onion and cover with an inch of water and a heavy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat easily shreds. This may be cooked in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use reserving the broth for making the masa.

3 chipotle peppers,canned in adobo sauce

7-8 plum tomates, halved

3 cloves of garlic unpeeled

1 T. lard or canola oil

1/2 t. salt

Roast garlic cloves and tomatoes under the broiler (I use my toaster oven) until the skins of the tomatoes start to blacken and the garlic begins to soften. Cool tomatoes and puree with garlic, salt and chipotles in a blender or food processor. Heat lard in a dutch oven and add sauce cooking on medium heat until sauce thickens, set aside.

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 T. lard or canola oil

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. black pepper, freshly ground

1/8 t. cloves, ground

1/2 C. raisins

1/2 C. walnuts, chopped and toasted

In the same dutch oven, heat 2 T. of lard or oil on med-high heat and add onions and saute until soft and add shredded pork. Continue frying until the pork begins to crisp and brown approximately 12- 18 minutes. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, pepper, cloves, raisins and the reserved chipotle sauce. Reduce the mixture until nearly all of the moisture is absorbed and add the toasted walnuts. Allow the filling to cool before assembling tamales. This step may be done in advance and stored until ready to assemble.

THE MASA

4 oz. package of corn husks

2/3 C. lard*, chilled or shortening

1 t. baking powder

1 3/4 C. masa harina, prepared with 1 C. + 2 T. hot water, allowed to cool

2/3 C. broth, reserved from cooking pork

1 t. salt

Place corn husk in a large pot and cover with water, bring to a boil, turn off heat and allow to sit about an hour until husks soften and separate. While the husks soak prepare the masa. In a stand mixer, whip the cool lard with baking powder and salt until light about 1 min. Add prepared masa in three additions, scraping the sides of the bowl between additions. Slowly add broth until the batter is light, and has a cake batter consistency. To test the batter, place a a scant teaspoon of batter in a glass of cool water — if the batter floats it's ready.

Set aside about 18 good corn husks. Shred a few of the extra husks into strips to be used to tie the tamales. Dry the interior with a paper towel and place the husk with the tapered end towards you. Spread a scant 1/4 C. of masa in a 4 x 4 inch square near the top edge of the husk. Add 2 T. of filling to the middle of the masa. Take the sides of the husk together and overlap them over the filling forming a cylinder. Fold the bottom portion of the cylinder up over the filling and secure with a strip of husk leaving the top of the tamale open. Place assembled tamales upright in a colander lined with extra husks. Place the colander in 1-2 inches of boing water in a large stock pot and steam of 1 1/4 hours. When reading the masa will separate easily from the husks. While steaming periodically check the water level and replenish as needed.

*picadillo is a filling of shredded or minced meat