by Buck on February 26, 2010
St Patrick’s day is a few weeks away so it is not too early to think about how to make the day a truly Irish Celebration. Everyone knows a little bit about this English missionary priest who went to Ireland and converted this nation of wild Irish pagans to Christianity.
The shamrock was used by St. Patrick to explain the difficult concept of the Trinity to pagan leaders.
The Irish may not be known for a delicate complicated cuisine but have some classic dishes that are appropriate dishes to be used on March 17th when it seems everyone seems to have a “bit of the Irish in them”. My grandparents immigrated from County Cork and one of the recipes that came with them was for an Irish Stew that is enjoyed at more times than simply St Patrick’s day.
Irish Stew
Ingredients:
3 pounds lamb shoulder-cubed
2 pounds Russet potatoes Generously cubed
5 medium onions quartered
3 large carrots sliced
6 stalks celery sliced
1 bunch parsley chopped
1 stalk dried thyme
2 quarts beef stock
12 ounces Stout
Salt & pepper to taste
1 ½ cups water
1 cup pearl barley
Preparation:
Cook the barley in water and 1 cup of the beef stock for 20 minutes –set aside
In a large pot
Season the lamb with salt and brown in oil- then set aside sprinkle lightly with flour
Saute onions carrots and celery with thyme for 3-4 minutes – add the stout and deglaze, then set aside- remove thyme sprig
Return lamb to the pot with the barley and enough stock to cover
Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer-cook for 1 1/2 hour
Add back the onions, carrots and celery with remaining stock
Add potatoes as the final layer of ingredients
Low Simmer till meat is tender (about 1 1/2 hours)
Check seasonings
Add parsley & cornstarch (mixed with 3 tablespoon water) and cook for several minutes to thicken.
Notes: We use Guinness Stout. I’m not sure what my Grand mother used
Make sure that you cut and dice the ingredients into sizable pieces. The long cooking would make small pieces soft and unappetizing. Some add rosemary to the herbs- your choice- not my favorite
Service: An Irish Skillet Bread goes well as does the more usual soda bread. A few bottles of the Guinness is an attractive beverage addition
by Buck on February 23, 2010
This hot chocolate recipe was given to me by a friend a few years ago without attribution to its origins. It is so good that I adopted it as my own and call it LHC Hot Chocolate.
On a bright sunny Colorado day with a few feet of champagne powder covering the mountain and decorating the pine trees, hot chocolate is a perfect accompaniment for sitting on the deck contemplating only pleasant thoughts.
The prep time is only minutes and it is so rich that a small demitasse size serving will suffice for most folks.
LHC Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
½ cup cream
2 tablespoons cocoa powder ( unsweetened)
2 cups Ganache (recipe follows)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
Whipped cream & chocolate shavings
Preparation:
Step 1. Place milk, cream & cocoa powder in a small saucepan
Step 2. Bring to a boil over medium heat
Step 3. Remove from heat and add the ganache
Step 4.let sit for 1 minute then stir well(3 or 4 minutes)
Step 4.Stir in the vanilla
Service: Serve in a small cup topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings
Ganache Recipe
Ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 cups heavy cream
Preparation:
Chop chocolate into fine pieces and place in a food processor
Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat
Pour hot cream over chocolate in the food processor
Let sit for one minute
Pulse processor 3 or 4 times
Scrape down sides of processor
Pulse again a few times
Transfer ganache to a bowl or baking sheet
Allow to cool for several hours on a kitchen counter
When it cools to 70’ it is ready to be used or covered and stored in the fridge
Storage: The ganache can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks
The LHC Hot Chocolate can be refrigerated and reheated for service
This hot chocolate is such a treat that I did some research to see where it was likely to have originated. I found a number of similar recipes but the most likely origin is with Sherry Yard who wrote The Secrets of Baking. She suggests the traditional Master Ganache preparation using a heatproof bowl and small sauce pan then stirring until the chocolate is melted in the cream and emulsified. I think the food processor works fine!
Tip: Lindt Bittersweet Chocolate is excellent for making the Ganache
by Buck on February 19, 2010
This is a dish that can surprise. It tastes great, looks good on the plate and is simple and quick to prepare
Ingredients
1 lb. orzo (2 1/2 cups)
1/3 C lemon juice
½ C olive oil
1 C Toasted pine nuts
1 ¼ C feta
3 or four diced Scallions to taste
Preparation:
Step 1. Boil Orzo for about 7 minutes, drain excess liquid and then set aside
Step 2. Whisk together lemon juice & olive oil. Some salt & pepper to taste.
Step 3. Add liquid to Orzo and let cool. (only enough liquid to taste, not all )
Step 4. Just before serving, toss in remaining ingredients and additional liquid
with additional salt & pepper.
The orzo can then be served at room temperature or warm but now is a time for some fun. Your favorite add-ons can add taste and color to the orzo. Here are a few suggestions of additional possibilities to start your thinking about expanding the salad. Mixing one of these with the Orzo might strike a cord.
1. Kalamata olives and grape tomatoes add color and interest
2. Grilled chicken breasts sliced in 2 inch pieces with mushrooms sliced & roasted red pepper works nicely together.
3. A Hawaiian feeling can be created by adding diced ham slices and pineapple diced
4. A medley of roasted vegetables works well mixed with the orzo
By now you can start to understand the special nature of this Orzo Salad.
It can be the canvas on which your can create your own special dish.
The salad can be made ahead and held nicely for a day or two in the fridge.
If you want it as a simple accompaniment it is excellent without the additions but they add the color and fun to your prep time.
Service: Either chilled, warm or at room temperature
by Buck on February 17, 2010
In a conversation with a college classmate he interjected a few comments and questions about my Blog. With a questioning tone he asked if I remembered some of our youthful food favorites now that I was writing with an often healthful tone to my posts.
He stimulated the trip down memory lane by mentioning Spam as something he still sneaks into the house a few times a year. I confessed that I have done the same thing from time to time. I take a lot of criticism from my wife when I buy that small can about once every five years. I admit that I still enjoy that very rare trip down the Spam memory lane. I make sure that I do not review the ingredients and nutritional value. That might spoil the moment.
Joe then mentioned some of his youthful favorites which he smuggles into the house occasionally. Deviled Ham, Scrapple and Taylor’s Pork Roll were three other items of food contraband that are quietly brought home occasionally.
Those items were favorites of mine at in my youth, that time, distance, availability and nutritional pressure have eliminated them consumption in our house. The time factor is simple to understand. I have lived for decades during which I have been pleasantly indoctrinated to a sensible eating regimen in a household having a nutritional Czar running the kitchen.
Distance is another factor. I live 2000 miles away from Philadelphia, the center of fast food excellence where nutritional concerns are only accidentally encountered. My friend Joe is not burdened with my distance from Philly. He only lives 15 miles out of town.
My location near Boulder Colorado is an area where excess weight is almost a capital offense. Scrapple is probably considered an illegal substance and if available would hardly sell enough to warrant the space in the market. Taylor Pork Roll, a Trenton NJ specialty, is a past favorite I have not seen since I crossed the Mississippi.
The Deviled Ham is an item of particular interest. I haven’t had that on a Ritz cracker for at least forty years. I’m no longer sure what devils the ham, if I ever knew or cared. I’m not even sure if it is still available. Thinking about it almost has brought back a remembrance of the taste and how much I enjoyed opening that small can of spreadable bliss.
My old college friend has revived pleasant memories of youthful food favorites. I think that the conversation concerning the foods of our youth is a pleasant combination to serve on a snowy winter day. We didn’t even have to set a table.
I think I am about to make a quiet search of the markets to see if I can find and recreate a dangerous moment or two of enjoyable food memories. This will be a time travel experiment back to years ago when we were only concerned with the taste and not calories, fat content and cholesterol levels. I know that there will be questions raised concerning my apparent loss of good sense and apparent lapse into some form of senile dementia. I’ll take the gaff and see if Deviled Ham is as good as the memory.
