It has healthful qualities! It quiets children from the first whiff of the crinkly dark brown wrapper which protects it. It calms us and give us reprieve, however temporary, from the heartache of break-ups, lay-offs and PMS. Chocolate.
My feelings about chocolate are those of love, adoration, admiration and, sometimes, hatred. How can we love something so much, something that adds inches to our waste-lines and cavities to our pearly white smiles? Simple. Chocolate is one of the world's most perfect foods. Calling it a "food" seems a little funny as we often consider food to be of a savory variety, while sweets are usually found under the "treats" category. If you think about all the applications of chocolate throughout the world, however, it is most certainly a general food for use in dishes of both sweet and savory varieties. Consider the wonderful Molé sauce found among traditional mexican cuisine.
Let's start with what I'm guessing was one of the first chocolate experiences shared many of us who were in the kitchen with our parents, baking, cooking, rifling through cupboards for a secret sweet treasure. It went something like this...
We climbed up on the kitchen stool, started poking around the packages, boxes and canisters of baking ingredients, and not finding much at first. Then, AH-HAH! Chocolate in a beautiful box, wrapped in thin foil and divided into perfect squares has found its way to our delicate fingers. Carefully, we open the box, snap off a square and quickly, before mom notices, pop the entire square in the watering mouth in one speedy motion. We bit down longing for the sweet creaminess we'd heard so much about from friends, older siblings, adults enjoying truffles and caramels. What we taste instead is the most dreadful, and more-so, disappointing taste ever to belay our young palettes. We've discovered unsweetened baking chocolate, and it is rotten. Soon begins the spitting, the frantic search for a beverage to rid our mouths of the bitter, dirt-like taste trying desperately to find its way to our stomachs. Little did we know Mom, all knowing and all seeing, has been watching the entire time and lying in wait for the end game, the taste of forbidden, and rightfully so, special baking chocolate. "Why? Is this rotten? Is it bad? Why does it taste so yucky?" The laughter from everyone over the age of 6 ensues while the crying, from everyone under (me), simultaneously beings. I thought, for days, it was a cruel joke, my sister tried to pull a trick on me, get me in trouble. Even after it was explained what that specific chocolate was for, I was as bitter as the nearly black square that tried to make a fool of me.
And now? Now, chocolate and I are on much better terms. It's love. I started to forgive chocolate and enjoy the traditional candy bars of youth made of, or covered in creamy American milk chocolate. As I got older, and my palette matured, I became curious about the dark side. Dark chocolate was mysterious, brought about an air of fanciful indulgence, of entitlement which seemed too rich for this lower-middle class girl. While I experimented now and then with a creamy truffle here and a Special Dark bar there, I didn't really feel I was worthy, or ready for all the dark side had to offer, and I still had a lot to learn.
That was 15 years ago. Today, when you go into a grocery candy aisle, you see all the standards staring back at you mixed in with fruit candies, tart candies, gum and mints. If you amble just beyond the brightly colored 12-count paperboard boxes of caramel bars and peanut nougat, you arrive in a magical land of specialty chocolate bars and chocolate covered fruits and nuts. This, dear readers, is a land which, until recent years, was unheard of within the average neighborhood market. There has long been unsweetened baking chocolate, my bitter enemy, resting comfortably in the baking aisle, along side the ever growing variety of chocolate and flavored chips we use in our cookies, brownies and as decoration atop those Halloween cupcakes or mixed in to add a unique touch to our rice cereal treats. Now, now we are living in a beautiful time where whatever we desire to taste in the world of glorious chocolate whether it be, salty, sweet, bitter, low-cocoa, milk, dark, semi-sweet or any combination of those can be found a stone's throw away. What a charming place it is.
There are a great many things to know about chocolate for cooking and baking versus "eating" chocolate. When buying chocolate for baking, aside from chocolate chip cookies, you usually want to look for a bar chocolate without stabilizers as the recipe you're using will very likely call for melting the lovely dark brown velvet for folding, whipping, blending or enveloping. This is when you want the goods from the baking aisle. You must then look at cocoa percentages, and depending on the recipe, this can really be up to you for the most part. I tend to go for a dark or semi-sweet bar with as much as 70% cocoa. What does that mean? Well, the higher percentage of cocoa the lower the percentage of additives like sugar and fat, thus giving a more bitter, but much more rich and elegant flavor, to your molten cakes and hand rolled ganache truffles.
Chocolate for eating is completely up to your taste buds. While you might enjoy a nice Swiss dark chocolate covered hazelnut truffle now and then, you might just as soon get a late night craving for a good old milk chocolate bar or some peanut butter cups. We all do, and thank heaven for that incredible candy aisle to accommodate all our needs and desires in the land of chocolate. It is a place of such diversity that we can now find lovely designer boxes cradling bars of chocolate mixed with everything from sea salt to bacon, from blueberries to chili and herbs! In recent years, chocolate of the darker varieties has also been given the green light for a wonderful source of healthful antioxidants, as well as promoting heart health and lowering cholesterol, as if we need another reason to adore it.
It is also worth noting if you are fortunate enough to live near a local candy shop, the one where you can see a small old woman, who might closely resemble your great granny, hand-dipping peppermint patties in the window, (shout out to the delightful, and always delicious Trudy's Sweets of Ferndale, CA and an old hometown favorite Sjaak's/Venlo Chocolates of Eureka, CA!) or you are near a large metropolis like Seattle or San Francisco, you are very likely to find a plethora of chocolate dreams created right in your own backyard. In the Fremont area of Seattle we are very fortunate to have Theo Chocolates. They are owned and fully operated there and offer tours of their facility, as well as an amazing sample room where you can taste (and purchase, of course) bars of chocolate with bread, toasted coconut and on and on. Even better, all Theo Chocolate products are created with free-trade, organic beans from roasting to the final product we have the pleasure of tasting. (www.theochocolate.com) Look around your hometown, large or small for your local candy store, chocolatier, or sweet shop and be sure to stop in. I can bet you'll find something you've never tried before, and when you do, stop by often, and let the hard working candy makers know how you feel about the fruits of their labor. San Francisco has Joseph Schmidt and Ghirardelli, Seattle has Fran's (great chocolate candies!) and Theo, and your city is likely to have a chocolate haven just as good, if not better. Seek it out, know it, share it with friends, give a box tied with sparkly ribbon for a noteworthy gift, send some home to family.
Don't be afraid, though, when that craving strikes in the late night hours and all the local chocolatiers are home snuggled in bed like the perfect truffles they wrap in tiny metallic papers. I'm guessing if you bundle up, cruise to the market, find that special candy aisle and walk a little further than you used to, something sweet, or not so, depending on your tongue, will find its way into your basket, and maybe it'll bring a new salty, fruity, or nutty friend along for the ride. And when you're done with the candies, it's time to hit the freezer and see what all the local chocolate ice cream makers have been up to...
NEXT WEEK: Chocolate, Part II: Lovin' from the oven!
26 February 2011
07 February 2011
Comfort foods, comforters and comforting.
There has been an enormous need for comfort in my life of late. A dreadful run of family illnesses, close, old friends dealing more than one death in the family and even joyous occasions have given me cause to indulge in, and more importantly to provide, comfort to those around me.
In my world comfort foods are those that bring me back to my childhood, sitting around the family table or around the TV watching "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" with my mom and sister. To say I have a few favorite comfort foods is an understatement. A few dozen might be closer to the accurate. Things like thick, chunky soups with crusty bread for dipping, french toast covered in butter and powdered sugar, and mounds of mashed potatoes and gravy on the side of juicy fried chicken with a perfect crisp crust are all foods that make me long for the days of climbing into mommy's bed getting lost in her beautiful white fluffy comforter. I remember staying home sick from school and being in mommy's bed enrobed in the comforter with an orange soda, in a glass bottle, in one hand and a book in the other.
I think memories like this are why comfort foods are just that; comforting. They tend to remind us of care free times, of moments in our lives when all we had to do was eat simple foods, enjoy one another with an evening of game shows or board games, and play outside in the street until dark came and parents called us home. They are usually warm, starchy not-so-healthy foods, foods that might need a little extra time to bake or simmer, and they always fill us with, or help to remove us from, whatever we need as we partake, whether it be love, remembrance, sorrow, or simply time we've lost and yearn to grasp again even if only for a moment.
While each of us finds comfort in varying things including, but not limited to food favorites, my wish for all of you is that your need for comfort is limited, but when you need to be comforted, you find just the right memory and accompanying meal to wrap you in warmth and take you home, wherever that is for you.
NEXT WEEK: For the love of chocolate!
In my world comfort foods are those that bring me back to my childhood, sitting around the family table or around the TV watching "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" with my mom and sister. To say I have a few favorite comfort foods is an understatement. A few dozen might be closer to the accurate. Things like thick, chunky soups with crusty bread for dipping, french toast covered in butter and powdered sugar, and mounds of mashed potatoes and gravy on the side of juicy fried chicken with a perfect crisp crust are all foods that make me long for the days of climbing into mommy's bed getting lost in her beautiful white fluffy comforter. I remember staying home sick from school and being in mommy's bed enrobed in the comforter with an orange soda, in a glass bottle, in one hand and a book in the other.
I think memories like this are why comfort foods are just that; comforting. They tend to remind us of care free times, of moments in our lives when all we had to do was eat simple foods, enjoy one another with an evening of game shows or board games, and play outside in the street until dark came and parents called us home. They are usually warm, starchy not-so-healthy foods, foods that might need a little extra time to bake or simmer, and they always fill us with, or help to remove us from, whatever we need as we partake, whether it be love, remembrance, sorrow, or simply time we've lost and yearn to grasp again even if only for a moment.
While each of us finds comfort in varying things including, but not limited to food favorites, my wish for all of you is that your need for comfort is limited, but when you need to be comforted, you find just the right memory and accompanying meal to wrap you in warmth and take you home, wherever that is for you.
NEXT WEEK: For the love of chocolate!
17 January 2011
Top Tools of the Trade
There are very few tools I use in my kitchen on my daily basis. I'm not one for having excess gadgets or running to find the latest must-have culinary technology if what I already own is working just fine! There are a few methods and ideas, a few tools I've tried in my years at Williams-Sonoma that are impressive and fascinating, such as Sous Vide cooking or small countertop food-smoking guns and chips, but they aren't things I would ever have in my home kitchen.
My favorite tools are some of the same tools I grew up using in the kitchens of my mother and grandmother. They are tried, true and the classic best.
Here are my Top-10 Kitchen tools!
1. Wooden/Bamboo Spoons in varying sizes: They can be used in any type of cookware, and used for serving, folding, stirring, mixing and more. They are inexpensive, readily available and now with choices like bamboo, are environmentally friendly and extremely sturdy. My oldest wooden spoon is going on 15 years! NOTE: wood utensils cannot go in the dishwasher!
2. Whisks: I have three. Some people might think that odd, but I use every single one. Though if you are going to own one whisk, I recommend a medium sized french balloon whisk with a nice sturdy handle. They can be found at a variety of kitchen and department stores, and when you find a good one it will last you years. Whisks can be used for everything from whipping to mixing dry baking ingredients, stirring perfect sauces, creamy gravies, soups and stews.
3. Good knives + honing steel: There are 3 knives I use on a regular basis, and they are good quality German knives. I feel if you have a good chopping knife like an 8" Chef's knife (or Santoku, a popular Japanese style with a thicker blade and more cutting room), a 3-4" paring knife and a serrated knife for breads, cheeses and tomatoes, you're set in the knife department. I also know, though, that you can often buy a great set which will include a steel and shears for nearly the same price as buying open-stck cutlery. When you're shopping for knives there are a few things you must keep in mind. You should never put knives in the dishwasher, ever. It can dull the blades very easily and they can cause damage to the dishwasher, as well ruining the finish and warping the handles. You also need to feel and try out knives before you buy. Weight plays a big part in how you chop and cut, how much pressure you apply. Lastly, a honing steel is needed for daily maintenance of your knives except the serrated, which should be professionally sharpened, along with all your knives about once a year. For tips on how to properly use a honing steel or for great knife advice please visit your local Williams-Sonoma and ask about having a quick demonstration! A lot of WS stores also have occasional knife skills classes, which are a huge benefit if you aren't comfortable with your technique or want a few tips.
4. Shears: A good pair of kitchen shears (to be used ONLY in the kitchen) is extremely handy for the kitchen to use for opening packaging, trimming herbs, cutting poultry bones and if you find a pair with a bottle-opener built in, even better! You can find a good pair, that pull apart for easy thorough cleaning, for $20-30 but if you want a full stainless-steel pair, designed especially for poultry (if you butcher your own chickens, turkeys, etc.) they can run a lot higher in price.
5. Glass mixing bowls: A good set of 3-4 glass mixing bowls will serve you well, last years and can tolerate a lot of use every day. They can be used for "mise en place"/prep, mixing, serving, as a double-boiler bowl, can go in the microwave and dishwasher. Try to find a nice sturdy set that are heavy, level, and come in a nice variety of sizes. My set is made up of 11 bowls that range in size from huge, probably about 6 quart to the tiniest bowl which holds about 2 ounces. Glass will serve you a little better than melamine or plastic because they're a little more long lasting, won't warp or bend, and can go in the microwave. Metal is another good option, but I love being able to see all around my bowl to really ensure all my ingredients are well-blended.
6. Wood cutting boards: They are safe, they are durable, they are very easy to maintain and the are easy on your good cutlery! Wood boards, if cleaned and kept properly, will serve you long and well. Depending on the type of wood you choose, prices will vary as will proper handling. The main thing you must keep in mind, as with any cutting board, is to avoid cross-contamination. Never cut raw meat, then cut fruit/veggies, etc. without washing the board in between or changing boards all together (and never use the same knife without washing in between, either!). Wood boards are never to go in the dishwasher! Typically you want to wash the board with warm soapy water, dry it, and then do a weekly food-safe mineral oil treatment by rubbing oil in with a cotton or paper towel. This prevents the wood drying out and cracking, and provides a bit of a seal on the wood. I have no major issue with plastic boards, though they usually wear out faster than wood, and do not recommend cutting on glass boards. They are mainly for serving and decoration, and not really meant to be cut upon and the same goes for marble, granite, any hard stone. They will damage knives beyond recognition! NOTE: While there has been hesitation to use wood boards with meats in the past, there have been studies conducted showing, if properly cared for and maintained, wood boards harbor less bacteria than plastic/melamine boards.
7. Microplane: This is such a fun, useful tool to have and can turn you into a gourmet cook in no time! Microplanes come in different shapes, sizes, and cut-types, but when you get down to it, the fine-grater style is the most useful for this blogger! This can be used for grating hard cheeses, shaving chocolate, zesting fruit, grating ginger and even cinnamon! By using a microplane, you can add beautiful subtle flavors to your dishes, and to your presentation. After all, we eat first with our eyes!
8. Instant-read Thermometer: Available at a variety of kitchen and department stores, this is an essential tool for ensuring your roast meats are cooked to the proper (safe) temperature. Many of us depend on the dainty red pop-up timers implanted in our Thanksgiving birds, but frankly, they aren't accurate. You may not use this tool on a daily, or weekly basis, but come holiday time or the fall and winter comfort-food months when a nice roast hits the spot, you'll be glad you have this handy, simple thermometer in your drawer! NOTE: There are many types of thermometers, some with remotes or voice-activation, but a classic, simple instant-read does the same job without the need for batteries and a higher price-tag.
9. Vegetable peeler: This is another item you can find without spending a fortune, that you'll use all the time, and not just for peeling! Veggie peelers are great for, of course, potatoes, apples, carrots, yams, etc. but they are also great for shaving chocolate, making carrot and zucchini ribbons for salad or sautéing, and making your very own citrus twist ribbons for the bartender in you! Peelers range in price from $3-40 depending on the material and type of blade, among other things. My favorite peeler (small plastic handle with a nice sharp, but very thin blade) was around $4 and at that price, why not get a few to have on hand! Nowadays you can also find special peelers for julienne and ribbon garnish cuts!
10. Clean hands: The best tools of all, some would say! With clean, steady hands you can make perfect knife cute, you can mix beautiful biscuits and knead love into delicious breads and rolls, you can mix meatloaf and roll cookie dough, create perfectly coated truffles and much, remove the skin from poultry to create healthier meals for you family, and so much more! In my home, the cost of clean hands is no more than a few dollars for a bottle of good, unscented and all natural, biodegradable hand-soap and a few lovely pure cotton kitchen towels.
NEXT WEEK: Comfort Foods then and now!
My favorite tools are some of the same tools I grew up using in the kitchens of my mother and grandmother. They are tried, true and the classic best.
Here are my Top-10 Kitchen tools!
1. Wooden/Bamboo Spoons in varying sizes: They can be used in any type of cookware, and used for serving, folding, stirring, mixing and more. They are inexpensive, readily available and now with choices like bamboo, are environmentally friendly and extremely sturdy. My oldest wooden spoon is going on 15 years! NOTE: wood utensils cannot go in the dishwasher!
2. Whisks: I have three. Some people might think that odd, but I use every single one. Though if you are going to own one whisk, I recommend a medium sized french balloon whisk with a nice sturdy handle. They can be found at a variety of kitchen and department stores, and when you find a good one it will last you years. Whisks can be used for everything from whipping to mixing dry baking ingredients, stirring perfect sauces, creamy gravies, soups and stews.
3. Good knives + honing steel: There are 3 knives I use on a regular basis, and they are good quality German knives. I feel if you have a good chopping knife like an 8" Chef's knife (or Santoku, a popular Japanese style with a thicker blade and more cutting room), a 3-4" paring knife and a serrated knife for breads, cheeses and tomatoes, you're set in the knife department. I also know, though, that you can often buy a great set which will include a steel and shears for nearly the same price as buying open-stck cutlery. When you're shopping for knives there are a few things you must keep in mind. You should never put knives in the dishwasher, ever. It can dull the blades very easily and they can cause damage to the dishwasher, as well ruining the finish and warping the handles. You also need to feel and try out knives before you buy. Weight plays a big part in how you chop and cut, how much pressure you apply. Lastly, a honing steel is needed for daily maintenance of your knives except the serrated, which should be professionally sharpened, along with all your knives about once a year. For tips on how to properly use a honing steel or for great knife advice please visit your local Williams-Sonoma and ask about having a quick demonstration! A lot of WS stores also have occasional knife skills classes, which are a huge benefit if you aren't comfortable with your technique or want a few tips.
4. Shears: A good pair of kitchen shears (to be used ONLY in the kitchen) is extremely handy for the kitchen to use for opening packaging, trimming herbs, cutting poultry bones and if you find a pair with a bottle-opener built in, even better! You can find a good pair, that pull apart for easy thorough cleaning, for $20-30 but if you want a full stainless-steel pair, designed especially for poultry (if you butcher your own chickens, turkeys, etc.) they can run a lot higher in price.
5. Glass mixing bowls: A good set of 3-4 glass mixing bowls will serve you well, last years and can tolerate a lot of use every day. They can be used for "mise en place"/prep, mixing, serving, as a double-boiler bowl, can go in the microwave and dishwasher. Try to find a nice sturdy set that are heavy, level, and come in a nice variety of sizes. My set is made up of 11 bowls that range in size from huge, probably about 6 quart to the tiniest bowl which holds about 2 ounces. Glass will serve you a little better than melamine or plastic because they're a little more long lasting, won't warp or bend, and can go in the microwave. Metal is another good option, but I love being able to see all around my bowl to really ensure all my ingredients are well-blended.
6. Wood cutting boards: They are safe, they are durable, they are very easy to maintain and the are easy on your good cutlery! Wood boards, if cleaned and kept properly, will serve you long and well. Depending on the type of wood you choose, prices will vary as will proper handling. The main thing you must keep in mind, as with any cutting board, is to avoid cross-contamination. Never cut raw meat, then cut fruit/veggies, etc. without washing the board in between or changing boards all together (and never use the same knife without washing in between, either!). Wood boards are never to go in the dishwasher! Typically you want to wash the board with warm soapy water, dry it, and then do a weekly food-safe mineral oil treatment by rubbing oil in with a cotton or paper towel. This prevents the wood drying out and cracking, and provides a bit of a seal on the wood. I have no major issue with plastic boards, though they usually wear out faster than wood, and do not recommend cutting on glass boards. They are mainly for serving and decoration, and not really meant to be cut upon and the same goes for marble, granite, any hard stone. They will damage knives beyond recognition! NOTE: While there has been hesitation to use wood boards with meats in the past, there have been studies conducted showing, if properly cared for and maintained, wood boards harbor less bacteria than plastic/melamine boards.
7. Microplane: This is such a fun, useful tool to have and can turn you into a gourmet cook in no time! Microplanes come in different shapes, sizes, and cut-types, but when you get down to it, the fine-grater style is the most useful for this blogger! This can be used for grating hard cheeses, shaving chocolate, zesting fruit, grating ginger and even cinnamon! By using a microplane, you can add beautiful subtle flavors to your dishes, and to your presentation. After all, we eat first with our eyes!
8. Instant-read Thermometer: Available at a variety of kitchen and department stores, this is an essential tool for ensuring your roast meats are cooked to the proper (safe) temperature. Many of us depend on the dainty red pop-up timers implanted in our Thanksgiving birds, but frankly, they aren't accurate. You may not use this tool on a daily, or weekly basis, but come holiday time or the fall and winter comfort-food months when a nice roast hits the spot, you'll be glad you have this handy, simple thermometer in your drawer! NOTE: There are many types of thermometers, some with remotes or voice-activation, but a classic, simple instant-read does the same job without the need for batteries and a higher price-tag.
9. Vegetable peeler: This is another item you can find without spending a fortune, that you'll use all the time, and not just for peeling! Veggie peelers are great for, of course, potatoes, apples, carrots, yams, etc. but they are also great for shaving chocolate, making carrot and zucchini ribbons for salad or sautéing, and making your very own citrus twist ribbons for the bartender in you! Peelers range in price from $3-40 depending on the material and type of blade, among other things. My favorite peeler (small plastic handle with a nice sharp, but very thin blade) was around $4 and at that price, why not get a few to have on hand! Nowadays you can also find special peelers for julienne and ribbon garnish cuts!
10. Clean hands: The best tools of all, some would say! With clean, steady hands you can make perfect knife cute, you can mix beautiful biscuits and knead love into delicious breads and rolls, you can mix meatloaf and roll cookie dough, create perfectly coated truffles and much, remove the skin from poultry to create healthier meals for you family, and so much more! In my home, the cost of clean hands is no more than a few dollars for a bottle of good, unscented and all natural, biodegradable hand-soap and a few lovely pure cotton kitchen towels.
Well, my friendly followers, there you have it, my Top-10 tools! The tools I use most in my kitchen may vary greatly from yours, or not at all, but I hope the information along with this list has provided some insight and a few new ideas for what you may want to invest in to make your kitchen and your cooking experiences fun, efficient and memorable.
06 January 2011
Give Bark a Chance!
Alas, the time for extreme indulgence and over-eating has come and passed, and I'm guessing most of us enjoyed every moment of it filling up on peppermint bark, rich cocoa with whipped cream topping, egg-nog heavy on the spike, and dozens of glorious other sweets, treats and once-a-year snacks to beat the band. I know I did! The green bean casserole I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post made an appearance at Christmas eve dinner, along side a glazed am, candies (very candied) yams and a beautiful fresh salad of mixed baby greens, nuts and dried cranberries tossed with roasted sweet potatoes! My contribution to the evening was a beautiful pumpkin spice Bundt cake made with whole-wheat pastry flour and agave nectar. It was lovely, light and incredibly moist.
The holiday time of year is usually a big time for baking and sharing food in my family, but sadly this year seemed to get away from us leaving little to no time for goodies and giving. I did, however, get the chance to share a couple of special new treats with my acting class classmates and a few friends at various impromptu gatherings. The most fun day for treats and sweets was having over a few of my favorite moms to decorate sugar cookies with all sorts of candies, crunchies, sprinkles and sugars. The children all had a blast and decorated a ton of cookies using the blue, green and red royal icings and, even covered in more candy and icing than there was cookie to support the sugary weight, they tasted amazing! There was also one ridiculously easy treat I whipped up on a few occasions for sharing at meetings, classes, and family events:Bark!
Barks are the easiest possible treat to make as long as you have the time to let them set/chill properly and firm up enough to break easily. All you need is the chocolate of your choice and a few things to mix in! The three varieties I made this year were Peppermint Marshmallow, Cherry Marshmallow Crunch and Salty Snack Crunch.
To give you an idea of how easy it is, I've posted a recipe for you below. Really you can use anything you enjoy along side chocolate, and whatever strength and variety of chocolate you prefer will be great! I'm not a huge white "chocolate" fan because it has little flavor, aside from sweetness, thought it's good for a drizzle on top. It adds a little flourish and elegance to the presentation! Instead, I normally prefer a chocolate containing about 60-70% cocoa. Some bark recipes will call for melting chocolate or chocolate bars, but chips work best for me and they are the least expensive option while you still have plentiful options for high quality. (Tip: If you're a WinCo shopper, they have the best deal on Guittard chips and usually have 4-5 different varieties!)
You may say you can't make candy, you've never made anything like this, there's no way, but I promise you, it's so easy and anything goes! It's a budget-friendly, delicious, always-a-hit treat with endless possibilities for flavors and mix-ins. For example, my Salty Snack Crunch was made with extra-dark chocolate chips, potato chip and pretzel bits!
My message to you in this start of the fresh, new year:
Give Bark a Chance!
Minty Marshmallow Peppermint Bark!
In a double boiler, melt:
NEXT WEEK: My Favorite kitchen tools!
Barks are the easiest possible treat to make as long as you have the time to let them set/chill properly and firm up enough to break easily. All you need is the chocolate of your choice and a few things to mix in! The three varieties I made this year were Peppermint Marshmallow, Cherry Marshmallow Crunch and Salty Snack Crunch.
To give you an idea of how easy it is, I've posted a recipe for you below. Really you can use anything you enjoy along side chocolate, and whatever strength and variety of chocolate you prefer will be great! I'm not a huge white "chocolate" fan because it has little flavor, aside from sweetness, thought it's good for a drizzle on top. It adds a little flourish and elegance to the presentation! Instead, I normally prefer a chocolate containing about 60-70% cocoa. Some bark recipes will call for melting chocolate or chocolate bars, but chips work best for me and they are the least expensive option while you still have plentiful options for high quality. (Tip: If you're a WinCo shopper, they have the best deal on Guittard chips and usually have 4-5 different varieties!)
You may say you can't make candy, you've never made anything like this, there's no way, but I promise you, it's so easy and anything goes! It's a budget-friendly, delicious, always-a-hit treat with endless possibilities for flavors and mix-ins. For example, my Salty Snack Crunch was made with extra-dark chocolate chips, potato chip and pretzel bits!
My message to you in this start of the fresh, new year:
Give Bark a Chance!
Minty Marshmallow Peppermint Bark!
In a double boiler, melt:12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
12 oz extra dark chocolate
1/2 tsp pure mint extract
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
After the mixture is completely melted and smooth, add:
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
and spread out on the lined pan in an even, fairly thin, layer
Sprinkle chocolate layer with:
1 cup crushed peppermint candy
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallow
and set aside
In a double boiler melt:
1 cup vanilla chips
1/2 cup mint chips (found green ones by Guittard at Bartell Drugs, WinCo has them sometimes, but chocolate mint would work also, just wouldn’t be green)
After the vanilla and mint chips are completely melted, quickly drizzle with a spoon or fork, on top of the chocolate layer and sprinkle the top with one last layer of:
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
Cool in the fridge until very hard, break apart and enjoy! Store in airtight container in the fridge for best results.
(Courtney Rose Calkins December 11, 2010)
A few other perfect mix-ins are:
Chow-mien noodles
Nuts (Toasted, whole, halved, and/or chopped)
Chocolate and other types of chips (Cinnamon, peanut butter, etc.)
Dried fruits
Cookie bits
Bacon crumbles
Whatever you enjoy along side chocolate!
I hope you all had a beautiful holiday season with family and friends, and had fun trying new things in the kitchen!
Enjoy this recipe, share with the ones you love, and I wish you and yours a very happy new year full of love, food, time shared in the kitchen and around the family table.
Enjoy this recipe, share with the ones you love, and I wish you and yours a very happy new year full of love, food, time shared in the kitchen and around the family table.
NEXT WEEK: My Favorite kitchen tools!
21 November 2010
Thanks for Thanksgiving
I must apologize for my lack of posts the past 2 Saturdays! It's terribly difficult to write anything of value or creativity when one's head is spinning and the coughing refuses to subside! In any case, I'm back now with with some lovely Autumn memories and a scrumptious pie recipe for you all, which I hope you enjoy as much as I have!
This Thursday marks one of the, if not the biggest, "foodie" day of the year. Thanksgiving day is a favorite holiday for many including myself, but not just because of the consumption of food itself. In my family it's always been about all the details that pull the day's big event, the grand dinner, together. From baking the traditional pies with homemade crusts the day before, to setting the beautiful fall table with shades of cream and pumpkin, chocolate brown, golds and greens while the sounds of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade whisper from the television in the background. My very favorite part of the entire process, though, has always been the menu planning, followed closely by seeing everyone enjoying the food, the conversation and one another.
The planning begins around the first of November and is honestly never finalized until the morning of Thanksgiving day! While there are rarely any variations on the traditional menu, I always make it a point to try incorporating a new twist on an old favorite. I may roast asparagus instead of serving sprouts or string beans, there might be whipped sweet potatoes (Actual sweet potatoes, not the more common jewel/garnet yams) with pecans instead of the staple marshmallow topped ooey-gooey yams of the 1950's table, or the dressing may be more on the sweet side, full of raisins and granny smith apple chunks and whole-wheat bread rather than the more tradition savor, herb-filled white bread dressing with which most of us have grown up.
This year, I am hosting Thanksgiving which I only do once every few years since we normally end up spending the day playing games and sharing time with my in-laws, or if we are incredibly lucky, my side of the family is able to come and we spend the day enjoying the music of my uncles, Chris and Jim and the stunning voice of my lovely cousin Rose. While I always miss my family desperately this time of year if we are unable to gather and share the season, we all know each-other is loved and missed, and most importantly we are all so incredibly grateful for one another every day of the year.
Back to the food! This year my menu is going to consist of a very traditional spread full of warm Autumn flavors and leftovers to enjoy for days, my husband's favorite part just after having a perfectly roasted Turkey leg all to himself. In addition to the menu listed below, while we play Scrabble, Pinochle and Uno Moo, we'll be savoring some lovely cheeses, a perfectly retro relish tray and deviled eggs, spiced mixed nuts. To quench our holiday thirst, a Sparkling punch made by combining:
Dessert this year will be a wee bit different as I have created two new pie recipes (One is a version of the classic pumpkin, one is full of walnuts, pecans and molasses) which have no refined-white or brown sugar, and instead rely on agave nectar for the sweet factors. These recipes were created because everyone deserves to enjoy a tasty traditional dessert full of flavor and fall spice without worry of restrictions for those who need to keep an eye on the glycemic index and blood sugar levels. We'll be heading over to the in-laws' house on Wednesday create these 2 specialty pies so I can share these lovely recipes with the whole family.
This Thursday marks one of the, if not the biggest, "foodie" day of the year. Thanksgiving day is a favorite holiday for many including myself, but not just because of the consumption of food itself. In my family it's always been about all the details that pull the day's big event, the grand dinner, together. From baking the traditional pies with homemade crusts the day before, to setting the beautiful fall table with shades of cream and pumpkin, chocolate brown, golds and greens while the sounds of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade whisper from the television in the background. My very favorite part of the entire process, though, has always been the menu planning, followed closely by seeing everyone enjoying the food, the conversation and one another.
The planning begins around the first of November and is honestly never finalized until the morning of Thanksgiving day! While there are rarely any variations on the traditional menu, I always make it a point to try incorporating a new twist on an old favorite. I may roast asparagus instead of serving sprouts or string beans, there might be whipped sweet potatoes (Actual sweet potatoes, not the more common jewel/garnet yams) with pecans instead of the staple marshmallow topped ooey-gooey yams of the 1950's table, or the dressing may be more on the sweet side, full of raisins and granny smith apple chunks and whole-wheat bread rather than the more tradition savor, herb-filled white bread dressing with which most of us have grown up.
This year, I am hosting Thanksgiving which I only do once every few years since we normally end up spending the day playing games and sharing time with my in-laws, or if we are incredibly lucky, my side of the family is able to come and we spend the day enjoying the music of my uncles, Chris and Jim and the stunning voice of my lovely cousin Rose. While I always miss my family desperately this time of year if we are unable to gather and share the season, we all know each-other is loved and missed, and most importantly we are all so incredibly grateful for one another every day of the year.
Back to the food! This year my menu is going to consist of a very traditional spread full of warm Autumn flavors and leftovers to enjoy for days, my husband's favorite part just after having a perfectly roasted Turkey leg all to himself. In addition to the menu listed below, while we play Scrabble, Pinochle and Uno Moo, we'll be savoring some lovely cheeses, a perfectly retro relish tray and deviled eggs, spiced mixed nuts. To quench our holiday thirst, a Sparkling punch made by combining:
2 liter Talking Rain pomegranate-lime sparking water
32 oz (half a large bottle) Apple Cider
32 oz Pomegranate Cranberry Juice
(or other 100% fruit juice)
(or other 100% fruit juice)
Mix well, add ice and a few orange slices
OR make a nice flavored ice-berg by filling a round cake pan to 2/3 full
with juice, layer orange slices and freeze until set.
Place in punch bowl and pour in other juices,
and sparking water and mix with ladle.
with juice, layer orange slices and freeze until set.
Place in punch bowl and pour in other juices,
and sparking water and mix with ladle.
This will keep the punch cold without watering it down!
Finally, may I present
The 2010 Calkins Thanksgiving Menu
(subject to change up to 11/25/10 12noon!)
- Citrus herb roasted turkey (Stuff the cavity with quartered lemons, oranges and onions plus a few smashed garlic cloves. Make an herb butter and rub all over the outside of the bird including UNDER, as well as over, the skin!)
- Mashed Potatoes (especially for my sis-in-law, Kaijsa) made with greek yogurt, butter and simple seasoning
- Scratch-made gravy made with chicken stock, pan drippings and cream plus lots of pepper
- Dressing with fresh herbs, lots of celery, onion and raisins, pecans and pork sausage
- Undecided baked yam dish reminiscent of the aforementioned old-fashioned candied yams (for my dad-in-law, Bill)
- Classic green bean casserole (for my husband, made with fresh green beans this year by mom-in-law, Karen)
- Cherry Cranberry Orange Cinnamon sauce
The green bean casserole was something new when I shared my first holiday meal with my now in-laws. My grandmother's table never saw it, and I'd honestly never had it growing up. Oh, how the salty, creamy, awful deliciousness of it all made me think I was seriously ripped of as a kid all those years! No, it's not good for us, it's not attractive, it's nothing a true foodie would admit a liking for, but once a year we have it, we enjoy it and we look forward to 364 days later when we'll partake again.
Here's the recipe for my agave Pumpkin Pie to share with your family for a slightly more healthful Thanksgiving dessert. Enjoy!
1 Par-baked pie shell of your choice. (I use the recipe from Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and bake it for 10 minutes at 425)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, combine:
2 large eggs
1/3 cup agave nectar or raw honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 16oz can pumpkin puree OR 16 oz (2 cups) fresh pumpkin puree
1 12oz can fat-free evaporated milk
Mix well with whisk and pour into prepared pie shell
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then turn oven to 350 and bake for another 40-50 minutes until a knife/cake tester comes out clean. After cooling to room temp, serve with agave-sweetened cinnamon-vanilla whipped cream!
May you all have a beautiful Thanksgiving experience this year. May you enjoy the 3rd round of snacking late at night straight from the Tupperware containers as much as you enjoy the first meal around the table surrounded by family, friends, and memories new and old. After all, it's more than the meal we should take time to enjoy. Cheers!
30 October 2010
Bloody Brew and Moldy Bones
Today we hosted a small gathering for our close friends with young kids, mostly around our son's age, to have some good clean Halloween fun!
While I was hoping to make a lot of the edibles from scratch I decided to take a page from Ina Garten's many books and go with a few store-bought items and a couple of simple, but delicious, homemade treats. It turned out to be a great decision!
What I made:
Bloody Brew: Pom juice, Grape Juice, Lime-Pom Sparking water
Spinach and Blue-cheese Pinwheels: Puff pastry sprinkled with smoked paprika (a favorite spice of mine!), blue cheese crumbles and whole leaf spinach. I intended to omit the spinach and just go with the blue cheese and cut the pastry into "bone" shapes but the pinwheels were slightly less time consuming and just as tasty in wheel form!
Sugar cookies: Pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies (used a recipe I'm not too pleased with) sprinkled with orange sanding sugar
Caramel apples: Granny Smith apples covered in caramel, extra dark chocolate and chopped pecans
Creepy crawly crunch: Three types of cereal, coconut and 2 types of nuts coated with a cocoa honey sauce and roasted. It's completely addictive and full of healthful things like honey, whole grain cereals and pecans!
We also served veggies and chips with hummus, various cheeses and wheat Ritz, and, of course, a candy bar well-stocked with gummy brains, worms and teeth, wax lips and mustaches and other assorted sweets and treats!
It was a wonderful day shared with some beautiful, amazing families who enrich our lives by simply being part of them. I hope your holiday weekend is a smashing success with loads of treats and perhaps a few tricks to keep us on our toes...
Happy Halloween, all!
While I was hoping to make a lot of the edibles from scratch I decided to take a page from Ina Garten's many books and go with a few store-bought items and a couple of simple, but delicious, homemade treats. It turned out to be a great decision!
What I made:
Bloody Brew: Pom juice, Grape Juice, Lime-Pom Sparking water
Spinach and Blue-cheese Pinwheels: Puff pastry sprinkled with smoked paprika (a favorite spice of mine!), blue cheese crumbles and whole leaf spinach. I intended to omit the spinach and just go with the blue cheese and cut the pastry into "bone" shapes but the pinwheels were slightly less time consuming and just as tasty in wheel form!
Sugar cookies: Pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies (used a recipe I'm not too pleased with) sprinkled with orange sanding sugar
Caramel apples: Granny Smith apples covered in caramel, extra dark chocolate and chopped pecans
Creepy crawly crunch: Three types of cereal, coconut and 2 types of nuts coated with a cocoa honey sauce and roasted. It's completely addictive and full of healthful things like honey, whole grain cereals and pecans!
We also served veggies and chips with hummus, various cheeses and wheat Ritz, and, of course, a candy bar well-stocked with gummy brains, worms and teeth, wax lips and mustaches and other assorted sweets and treats!
It was a wonderful day shared with some beautiful, amazing families who enrich our lives by simply being part of them. I hope your holiday weekend is a smashing success with loads of treats and perhaps a few tricks to keep us on our toes...
Happy Halloween, all!
22 October 2010
Pork Chops and Applesauce
Welcome! As an introduction to my world and the art of food, as well as the enjoyment of it all, please savor a few tidbits from my family's kitchen history.
Mom Gina: An amazing cook and baker. Everything, from chinese food to maple bars, was made from scratch when my sister and I were young. Jump ahead about 10 years: The nest becomes empty and she resorts to sauces and gravies from jars and cans, potatoes from a box and...gulp, frozen pie crusts. Cut to present day: She's back in the kitchen with fresh ingredients, enormous cookbooks bulging with new ideas and she's loving it!
Best meal: Fried Chicken, Potato Salad and Lemon Meringue Pie (even with a frozen crust it's pretty fantastic)
Sister Gwennie:Didn't have much interest in being in the kitchen or cooking/baking when we were kids. Now she cooks often using whole wheat pastas, doctoring up boring canned foods with some seasoning and spice, and creating great family meals.
Best Meal: Whole Wheat pasta with from-scratch Vodka cream sauce
Gram (Mom's mom): A wonderful woman full of stories, sass and song, but a dreadful cook. Eating her buckwheat pancakes was like trying to chew through a manilla envelope filled with chunky glue, bless her heart.
Best meal: Toast with honey
Grandma Shirley (Mom's step-mom): I'll just say this. Every holiday when I was a child was spent at her house with all the kids setting the beautifully huge family table, the passing of creamy mashed potatoes, green tossed salad full of love and veggies from her garden and perfect homemade desserts. There were a lot of imperfect things about that home, but food an drink were as close to perfection as a child can hope for, especially considering in the garage there was a huge shelf full of every beverage you could ever want and a freezer stocked with ice cream treats for months!
Best meal (from what I recall only having been a teenager when I saw her last): Sandwich made with Humboldt Bay sourdough bread, mayo, mustard, thick slices of ham, homegrown "frilly" (green leaf) lettuce and tomatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese, on the side of which was always a nice cold glass bottle of V8. I'm not a fan of sandwiches but I truly, madly, deeply love this sandwich.
Grandma Robbie (Father's mom): I'll put it this way. If ever we were headed to her home for a meal, we'd stop and eat on the way. Not only was the food inedible, there was rarely enough to feed everyone, try as she might.
Best Meal: Delivered Pizza
As for me...
I was always in the kitchen, even if it was just to watch what mom was creating from bottles of spices, sacks of flour and sugar, crinkling packages of chocolate and simmering pots. Together we made fortune cookies, no-bake drop cookies, swedish meatballs, roasts with all the trimmings, and on and on. For my 9th birthday I decided I was old enough to prepare my first full meal and would do so for my birthday dinner. I grabbed one of mom's sticky drip-covered, well-loved cookbook (probably Betty or Joy) and found a simple recipe for Lemon Pork Chops. They were thick-cut, seasoned with S&P and topped with a slice of lemon. After baking a while they were smothered in a sauce made of ketchup and brown sugar. For the sides, I seem to recall scratch mashed potatoes with loads of butter, and frozen peas or something along that line, and of course, we can't have pork chops without apple sauce! Mom and sister were both very surprised at the meal and I was incredibly proud of creating such a feast. My abilities and tastes have matured quite a bit since then, thankfully, but the foods I most enjoy sharing are those that warm the belly, the soul and create memories through simple, healthy fresh ingredients and buckets of love. Still, I continue to learn and grow as a cook and a baker and am incredibly fortunate to have a precious son who already enjoys cooking and baking as much as i ever have, and a darling husband who is always up for being the quality-assurance expert on any new recipes! There's an entire world of flavors, ingredients and methods to explore and I look forward to sharing the journey with you!
Best Meal: BBQ Ribs with Roasted Corn Salad, Grilled Veggies and for dessert, Sea Salt Almond Caramel Brownies OR Apple Pie.
Mom Gina: An amazing cook and baker. Everything, from chinese food to maple bars, was made from scratch when my sister and I were young. Jump ahead about 10 years: The nest becomes empty and she resorts to sauces and gravies from jars and cans, potatoes from a box and...gulp, frozen pie crusts. Cut to present day: She's back in the kitchen with fresh ingredients, enormous cookbooks bulging with new ideas and she's loving it!
Best meal: Fried Chicken, Potato Salad and Lemon Meringue Pie (even with a frozen crust it's pretty fantastic)
Sister Gwennie:Didn't have much interest in being in the kitchen or cooking/baking when we were kids. Now she cooks often using whole wheat pastas, doctoring up boring canned foods with some seasoning and spice, and creating great family meals.
Best Meal: Whole Wheat pasta with from-scratch Vodka cream sauce
Gram (Mom's mom): A wonderful woman full of stories, sass and song, but a dreadful cook. Eating her buckwheat pancakes was like trying to chew through a manilla envelope filled with chunky glue, bless her heart.
Best meal: Toast with honey
Grandma Shirley (Mom's step-mom): I'll just say this. Every holiday when I was a child was spent at her house with all the kids setting the beautifully huge family table, the passing of creamy mashed potatoes, green tossed salad full of love and veggies from her garden and perfect homemade desserts. There were a lot of imperfect things about that home, but food an drink were as close to perfection as a child can hope for, especially considering in the garage there was a huge shelf full of every beverage you could ever want and a freezer stocked with ice cream treats for months!
Best meal (from what I recall only having been a teenager when I saw her last): Sandwich made with Humboldt Bay sourdough bread, mayo, mustard, thick slices of ham, homegrown "frilly" (green leaf) lettuce and tomatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese, on the side of which was always a nice cold glass bottle of V8. I'm not a fan of sandwiches but I truly, madly, deeply love this sandwich.
Grandma Robbie (Father's mom): I'll put it this way. If ever we were headed to her home for a meal, we'd stop and eat on the way. Not only was the food inedible, there was rarely enough to feed everyone, try as she might.
Best Meal: Delivered Pizza
As for me...
I was always in the kitchen, even if it was just to watch what mom was creating from bottles of spices, sacks of flour and sugar, crinkling packages of chocolate and simmering pots. Together we made fortune cookies, no-bake drop cookies, swedish meatballs, roasts with all the trimmings, and on and on. For my 9th birthday I decided I was old enough to prepare my first full meal and would do so for my birthday dinner. I grabbed one of mom's sticky drip-covered, well-loved cookbook (probably Betty or Joy) and found a simple recipe for Lemon Pork Chops. They were thick-cut, seasoned with S&P and topped with a slice of lemon. After baking a while they were smothered in a sauce made of ketchup and brown sugar. For the sides, I seem to recall scratch mashed potatoes with loads of butter, and frozen peas or something along that line, and of course, we can't have pork chops without apple sauce! Mom and sister were both very surprised at the meal and I was incredibly proud of creating such a feast. My abilities and tastes have matured quite a bit since then, thankfully, but the foods I most enjoy sharing are those that warm the belly, the soul and create memories through simple, healthy fresh ingredients and buckets of love. Still, I continue to learn and grow as a cook and a baker and am incredibly fortunate to have a precious son who already enjoys cooking and baking as much as i ever have, and a darling husband who is always up for being the quality-assurance expert on any new recipes! There's an entire world of flavors, ingredients and methods to explore and I look forward to sharing the journey with you!
Best Meal: BBQ Ribs with Roasted Corn Salad, Grilled Veggies and for dessert, Sea Salt Almond Caramel Brownies OR Apple Pie.
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