Cookhacker

A New Tomato Variety? The Kardashian!

Tom — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:13:13 +0000

I picked this tomato yesterday and I think it may be a new variety. For obvious reasons, I’ve decided to name it the Kardashian. I think I’ll cook it down to make a sauce for my newly named BigAss Tomato, Sausage, Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Pizza with a Sourdough Whole Wheat Crust.

Brining…the Secret to Better Flavor and Texture

Tom — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:10:41 +0000

6 qt. Bain Marie Perfect for Brining

I always prefer to brine pork or poultry before cooking. The brining process not only breaks down proteins and tenderizes the meat, but also adds moisture (through osmosis), making the meat “juicier” and also less likely to dry out when cooking.

I usually try to brine the meat as soon as I get it home from the supermarket. After brining, I wrap the parts in plastic wrap and freeze what I’m not going to use immediately. When I’m ready to use it in a recipe, I simply defrost it, and since it’s pre-brined, it’s ready to go. Follow the jump for exactly how to do it.

For brining, I make a solution of about ¼ cup of table salt per quart of water (you’ll need about 1 quart of water per pound of meat). If you use kosher salt (which I prefer…it has a “cleaner” taste), add about ½ cup per quart because kosher salt weighs less by volume. I also like to add about ½ cup sugar per quart to the solution, as that really adds to the flavor. The best way to do this is to take about a cup or two of warm water, add the salt and sugar and stir until it dissolves, throw in a handful of ice cubes to quickly cool it down and then add the rest of the cold water and stir. You want the water to be less then 40° when you add the chicken so as not to promote the growth of bacteria. You should always try and keep all food out of the “danger zone” of between 40° at 140° as much as possible, as that’s the range of temperature that’s most conducive to bacterial growth.

I usually brine pork chops for about 4-5 hours and poultry for 2-3 hours depending on the size of the individual pieces (even an hour can make a huge difference in taste and texture). It is best to err on the side of too little time than too much, or the food may end up tasting too salty. After you try it a couple of times you’ll get the feel for it and be able to adjust the timing to your individual taste. You should use a non-reactive container (I use a large plastic Bain Marie, but any plastic, ceramic or glass container will do). Make sure all the pork or poultry parts are completely submerged and place the container in the refrigerator. When it’s done brining, take the pieces out and quickly rinse them off under cold water, dry them off and they’re ready to be used in any recipe or, at this point, they can be wrapped individually and frozen for later use. When you want to use them, just defrost and they’re ready to go in any dish.

One thing to keep in mind is that some pork and poultry comes pre-brined. It’s usually labeled as “Enhanced” or “Seasoned”. The producer or retailer does it not only to tenderize, moisturize, and flavor the meat but to extend the shelf life. It also adds water weight so the product, sold by weight, will be more profitable. If you do purchase this type of meat, you shouldn’t brine it…it will end up being too salty.

Sourdough Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Tom — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 05:54:58 +0000

Ready for the Oven

Nothing better then homemade pizza and this crust is simple and delicious. If you need sourdough starter, check out my bread post from last week. I prefer thin crust pizzas (being from the New York area…where we make REAL pizza), but if you prefer a thicker crust, it’s all here in the printable recipe. This is one of those recipes that appears to be a little vague at first, but once you try it and get the feel for how the dough should come together, it’s simple and quick to replicate whenever you get the urge…which for me, seems to happen about 3-4 times a week lately. And since the recipe makes 3 crusts which freeze incredibly well, you actually don’t have it make it that often. Just take one out of the freezer, and in about 3 hours, it’s ready to roll. The crust is also vary versatile and can be used in dozens of different ways. Just the other day, I topped one with just caramelized onions, crumbled goat cheese and drizzled some olive oil on it and it was amazing. It also makes a great calzone!

Please click here for the printable recipe.

Sausage, Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Pizza with a Sourdough Whole Wheat Crust

Tom — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:59:02 +0000

Just wanted to post a shot of the pizza I made tonight…it tasted as good as it looks. This was, of course, made from scratch and I’ll get around to posting the recipe and technique soon. One of the most important tricks to making a great pizza is using a pizza stone…you just can’t bake a great crust without it. A pizza stone has a greater thermal mass then either a glass or metal pan and therefore holds and distributes heat better. It’s also porous, so it absorbs moisture from the dough as it cooks, all of which contributes to an amazing, crisp, uniformly browned crust.

Pizza stones are available just about everywhere, and come in a variety of sizes and shapes (and prices). They should be put in a cold oven, then preheated for at least 30 minutes before using. Because they are porous and absorb liquid, the stone should never be washed with soap…just a dry brush or some plain, warm water if needed. They are also ideal for baking bread.

t stone or piece of ceramic or earthenware used to evenly distribute oven heat to pizzas or other baked goods, more or less mimicking the effects of cooking a pizza in a masonry oven. Such bakeware has more thermal mass than metal or glass pans. The porous nature of the stone used also helps absorb moisture, resulting in a crisp crust.

Sourdough Whole Wheat Pumpkin Seed No-Knead Bread

Tom — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:44:22 +0000

I have been experimenting lately with recipes for a simple no-knead whole wheat bread and I think I’ve come up with a one that seems to be pretty foolproof and gives consistently great results. Some sourdough purists might object to the use of instant rise yeast in addition to the sourdough starter, but I think for the novice sourdough baker, it insures that you’ll get a good initial rise and excellent oven spring with an amazing sourdough taste. I’m currently using Carl Griffith’s sourdough starter, a strain of starter that is over 160 years old that can be obtained for a FREE at this address. This recipe is adapted from one on the amazingly informative Breadtopia website and solves the common problem of a too “wet” no-knead dough. I recommend watching this excellent video at Breadtopia.com before making this bread…it does a great job of demonstrating the techniques needed to make an incredible no-knead bread. Please click the links below for my recipe.

Click here for a printable text only version of the recipe.

Click here for the recipe with photos.

Danish Dough Whisk…a very cool bread baking tool

Tom — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:47:29 +0000

This Danish dough whisk is an indispensable tool for mixing dough by hand prior to kneading. It’s long, thick wooden handle provides a great ergonomic grip, which gives you the leverage you knead for easily blending a stiff bread dough. Because of it’s funky shape, it’s much more practical and efficient then a wooden spoon for mixing heavy sticky doughs, and as an added benefit, it’s way easier to clean!

OXO Good Grips Food Scale…a must have tool for the kitchen

Tom — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:11:50 +0000

This is one of the kitchen tools that I can’t live without…the OXO Good Grips Food Scale. It has large, backlit, easy to read numbers and, with one click, switches from metric to U.S. (avoirdupois) weight. When you press the zero button (tare weight) to set the scale back to zero, you can continue to add ingredients and then zero it out again, so all your mixing and measuring can be done in one bowl. One of the best features is that the display can be separated from the base (it’s attached by a long wire) so even if you weighing a huge bowl or plate, you can still easily see the readout. If you bake, you know how important weights and proportions are to achieve a great result…this is the real deal!

Killer Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Tom — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:24:12 +0000

The bananas on the trees are ripening quickly and we are awash in a plethora of fruit, so we’re scrambling to come up with great banana recipes. Ripened bananas in their skin, wrapped in saran wrap, will keep in the freezer for up to six months for use in breads, cakes and smoothies, but it’s more fun to try and keep up with the rapidly ripening crop (it’s a race we can’t possibly win). Tonight, not only did we dehydrate them for banana chips, but also made this killer Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, a simple recipe that yields a moist, tasty, chocolatey loaf. You can also add a little cinnamon, rum or vanilla if you like, but there really isn’t any reason to since it is delicious (and addictive…we can’t stop eating it) as is.

Please click here for the printable recipe.

Broccoli and Pork Stir-Fry…Fast, Easy and Delicious

Tom — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:33:16 +0000

Tonight we picked some fresh broccoli, scallions and an orange, added a few other ingredients (like pork, which was kind of essential for this recipe, since it’s actually in the name) and came up with this incredible Broccoli and Pork Stir-Fry. This is one of those great dishes that is not only easy to make, but also very adaptable to what you have on hand. If you don’t have water chestnuts, just leave them out…if you want a little more crunch, add some cashews or peanuts…extra mushrooms in the fridge, toss them in. The two most important things are to make sure the skillet is very hot (you should see the oil shimmering) when you add the pork so you get a good sear and to cook the pork in two batches; if you crowd the pan, it will steam and not brown properly. Other than that, it’s pretty tough to screw this up…and make sure you add the Sriracha at the end to give it that great spicy kick.

Please click here for the Printable Recipe.

Swiss Chard on Quinoa…Much better then it sounds!

Tom — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:07:43 +0000

One thing about Swiss Chard…it has to be really fresh for it to be really good. We picked this chard just hours before we prepared it using this recipe we found on Simply Recipes and it was exceptional. We served it on a bed of quinoa (keen-wah). If you haven’t tried quinao, you should give it shot. It is a pseudocereal and is actually related to Swiss Chard and spinach. Quinoa is extremely nutritious and has a very high protein content (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians, vegans and athletes. Unlike wheat or rice, which is low in lysine, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. We cook it like rice, using chicken or vegetable broth instead of water for extra flavor, and add sauteed diced onions and garlic to it before serving.