Cider Salmon Sizzle

Growing up in Alaska taught me a lot of things, but one very important lesson was to appreciate salmon. My family and I never took advantage of the opportunity to have salmon for dinner, but I didn't start to understand the importance of the fish until recently, when I went to Whole Foods Market and noticed the price was $22 a pound for fresh wild caught Alaskan Salmon. I thought to myself, "It's a damn good thing my car runs on gas and not Alaskan salmon." This trip to whole foods, and a recent request for a fish recipe, inspired this dinner. It's too bad I can't be back up in Alaska to get the catch of the day, fresh off the dock for $1.40 a pound.

Cider and Brown Sugar Salmon Fillet

Ingredients

Cider and Brown Sugar Marinade:
6 oz apple cider
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs salt
2 lb wild Alaskan Salmon with skin on, about 1 inch thick

(The breakdown of pacific salmon goes like this - you can remember it all on one hand using your fingers. There's pink [pinky finger], silver [ring finger where you'd fit your silver ring], king [middle finger - it's the largest], sockeye [index finger, you can sock someone in the eye with this one], and chum [rhymes with thumb]. Also, some restaurants/grocery stores will try to trick you, and they're probably upset that I'm letting their secret out, by using different names for the same fish, making the salmon even more unique. King = Chinook, Chum = Dog (Alaskans typically feed this salmon to their dogs, it is abundant and gives sled dogs an amazingly warm coat for the winter), Silver = Coho, Sockeye = Red, Pink = Humpback (the male pink develops a hump on his back during spawning). All of these types of salmon are delicious, many people prefer king salmon, but it has a very strong, fishy, salmon flavor. If you're looking for something a little more subtle, go for the silver or pink.


Mixed Spice Rub:
1 tbs black pepper
1 tbs cracked mustard seeds
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs ground cumin (if you want some spice, instead of cumin use cracked red pepper flakes or cayenne)
1 tsp ground coriander


Vegetable oil spray

Directions

1. At least 1 hour and up to 4 before you plan to grill, prepare the marinade, combine all the ingredients into a large bowl. Put the fish in a bag and pour the marinade in and stick it in the refrigerator.

2. Mix the dry rub ingredients together. Take the fish out of the marinade and drain it, letting all the marinade drip off, but don't wipe it down. Cover the salmon with the dry ingredients, patting them all around the fleshy part of the fish until it forms a shell. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. Heat up your grill, get it very hot and use the vegetable oil spray to oil the grate, be liberal with your spray, otherwise you'll have a messy fish fillet. Cook the fish skin side down for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the skin turns black. Flip it over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. When the fish is done it will be an opaque pink in the center and flaky, but not dry. If you like to add a final touch, peel the skin off, but people are used to doing this themselves on their plate.

Serve this dish with jullienned maple carrots (jullienne the carrots, blanch, and toss in a couple tbs of maple extract), and rice pilaf.

Key Lime Pie

This key lime pie is famous. It has been on the radio, and if you make it for a party, you'll have people you don't know congratulation you on such a wonderful pie. They'll like it so much, they'll want to take their picture with you; you'll never hear the end of the delicious key lime pie.

Ingredients

4 cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 16oz bottle of key lime juice (or, if you're willing to go this far... 16 oz of fresh key lime juice... but the pie will still be amazing if you opt out for the bottled version)
8 egg yolks
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbles (I always like to buy graham crackers and crush them up in my food processor)
1 c. sugar
melted butter

Directions

1. Whisk together the milk and the egg yolks.
2. Add key lime juice (it's important to make sure the milk and the eggs are fully mixed before adding the lime juice - otherwise the acid in the limes will start to cook your eggs and your pie will curdle.)
3. Mix the graham cracker crumbles and the sugar. Add enough melted butter to form a graham cracker crumbly paste and mold it with your fingers around a spring form pan to make a crust. Pour in the key lime pie wet mix, put the pies on a cookie sheet (to prevent butter from dripping all over your oven creating a nasty mess you'll have to clean later), and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let the pie cool for 3 hours and place it in the fridge. You can keep them for 2-3 days before you need them. I like to decorate mine with fresh limes and whipped cream.

*Makes 2 lovely and amazing key lime pies.

Patty's Cake

Whenever I bake, I seem to draw in a crowd. Sometimes it's friends, neighbors, most of the time it's my roommates who come into the kitchen drawn by the aroma of fresh baked bread. When I was younger, my mother (a mother of five) would bake gobs of pies, loaf after loaf of bread, and always an angel food cake for birthdays. On Sunday afternoon, her kitchen transformed into a baking factory and I was always there watching and learning. My mother was a master at bringing the family together into the kitchen, and this skill made me wonder about the beautiful power of baking.

Recently I read a quick novel about a woman who is changing her life with a move north, divorcing her husband, and quitting her high profile trophy wife job to become something more simple; a baker. Through the story she realizes that as her bread transforms, so is she. She starts to cultivate a life more real than she has ever known, with genuine friends and rekindled family relationships. Emphasizing the magic of baking, the woman in the story discovers the most delicious recipe for chocolate cake. It's called Patty's Cake, and when you make this, don't make it lightly - make it with flavor and love.

Ingredients

7 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened cooking chocolate
¼ c. butter
1 ½ c. strong coffee (when I want a stronger coffee flavor, I'll use 3 tbs. instant espresso mix)
¼ c bourbon
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. cake flour
1 ½ c. sugar
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pans

2. Put the chocolate, butter, and coffee in a heavy saucepan with 4 ½ quart capacity. Place over low heat, stirring constantly, till chocolate is melted, then stir vigorously till mixture is smooth and thoroughly blended. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes. Beat in bourbon, eggs, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and beat into the chocolate mixture till well blended.

3. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake in a 275 degree oven 45 – 55 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraiche, or Espresso – Caramel Sauce.

*Bread Alone By Judith Ryan Hendricks

Creme Brulee: the concoction behind the custard

De-mystifying crème brulee is something everyone always asks me to do when it comes to dessert. This delicacy has always been placed on a pedestal above uber complicated cakes and creams. Once I heard that you can judge a restaurant from its crème brulee. I actually hear questions regarding the complicity of making this dessert so often, that I decided to turn to my trusted source on world knowledge; Wikipedia.com. My question was, "why is there such a myth behind the crème brulee?" The answer that came through made total sense;

"It is first attested in France, in Massialot's cookbook, in 1691. The French name was used in the English translation of this book, but in the early 18th century, it was called 'burnt cream' in English.

In Britain, it is associated with Trinity College, Cambridge where it is called 'caramel cream' and where "the college crest was impressed on top of the cream with a branding iron". It was introduced to Trinity College in 1879, though some cookbooks claim a much older origin. Indeed, an increasing number of culinary historians now maintain that Massiolot's cookbook is a nineteenth century forgery and the dessert was invented in Trinity College, Cambridge towards the beginning of the eighteenth century."

Of course! This master piece should never be demeaned by labeling it a dessert and therefore lowering it to the standards of its insignificant culinary colleagues; the carrot cake, or the seven layer fudge pie. According to Wikipedia, it is regal, worthy of the Trinity College brand. But... however you want to treat this royal dessert; it may not be as easy to create as berries and cream - it definitely is not as hard as you think it is.

Ingredients

6 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar (white sugar)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (sometimes these are hard to find - but they are available in most major grocery stores. If you absolutely can't find it - don't worry, your crème brulee is going to be delicious even without the vanilla.)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream

6 tsp. granulated sugar (if you want to add a little touch of chic with your crème burlee - you can use brown sugar as well.)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (180 degrees C)

2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl, make sure they're blended. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean. Gradually whisk the cream into the sugar mixture.

3. Divide your raw creme brulee into roughly 6 3/4 c. custard dishes (ramekins). Arrange them in a baking pan large enough to give room to each dish so they are not touching. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. *

4. Bake your custards for about 35-40 minutes; or until they are set. If you over bake them, they'll be rubbery. You want them to giggle like jello when you take them out of the oven. Remove the custard cups from the pan with the hot water and allow them to cool before you place them in the refrigerator to chill over night.

5. There are two ways of doing this, the fun way - and the safe way. The fun way, which I'll describe first, involves a butane torch. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of sugar (either white or brown - whichever your taste buds desire) over each custard. Light the butane torch and fire away at the sugar until it bubbles and becomes golden-dark brown. (~1 minute)

If you don't have a butane torch - or are concerned about the safety risks of having on in your house, here is a second way of burning the sugar on your crème brulee. Cover each custard with 1 tsp of sugar. Arrange them on a small baking sheet and place them into a preheated broiler. Broil until the sugar just starts to caramelize - you can rotate the sheet for even browning about every 2 minutes. When the sugar starts to bubble or turns golden-dark brown, remove the custards from your oven and chill them until the sugar hardens, about 2 hours.

*This process requires that you move quickly - you don't want the bottom half of your custards to separate from the top half - this creates an uneven and frowned upon crème brulee. After you pour the water into the pan - try to get the custards into the oven fast to prevent this separation from happening.

Summertime Pasta

Yesterday it was so hot outside, that for dinner I thought I'd make my first official summertime meal. It's a shrimp and scallop pasta, and it was even better than I thought it was going to be. Lane, my boyfriend, wouldn't stop sneaking back into the kitchen to munch on more of this delicious summer dish.

Ingredients

1/2 lb uncooked organic shrimp (if you can't find organic, try to use cold water... frozen shrimp work just as well here as fresh)
2 c. orechietta pasta (shell pasta)
1 c. quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 c. rough chopped green peppers
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (be sure to use fresh lemons)
1/4 c. shallots
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic

Directions

1. In a medium sized deep frying pan, heat the olive oil and the shrimp. Dice the garlic and toss it in. Finely chop the shallots and add them to the pan with the green peppers. Cover and cook on a low heat until the shrimp turn pink. Don't overcook the shrimp, they get tough.

2. Cook the pasta in boiling water until it is just done, "al dente."

3. Squeeze the lemon juice into a small mixing bowl. Add the basil and stir lightly with a whisk. Add mix to the shrimp. Throw in the tomatoes and the pasta - toss. Let the whole thing heat for about 30 seconds so the flavors can mix with the pasta. Server warm.

Serves ~ 4

World's Best Cinnamon Rolls

The World's Best Cinnamon Rolls

So, I have to premise this one; I am a cinnamon roll fanatic. I have made many batches from many different books, online sources, and past down recipes... I have tried many different kinds at almost every coffee shop I've found. With all of that in mind, I believe this recipe is the best in the world. I have made it for many people, including some Malawians who had no idea what a cinnamon roll was. The reaction is always the same... no words, just empty baking dishes and clean plates. Anyway - I'll let you try it out for yourself.

~ Kathy

PS. Because these rolls are SO good - it only seems natural to make this my first official recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 envelopes dry yeast (1 envelope = 2 1/4 tsp.) Use instant yeast - but active dry should work too
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. all purpose flour (try to get organic... it's so much better for you)
1 c. unsalted butter @ room temperature (2 sticks)
2 tbs. ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Combine 1 1/2 c. water and 1/4 c. sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it froth for about 6 minutes. Make sure your water isn't too hot... otherwise it will kill the yeast. Mix in vegetable oil and salt with a wooden spoon. Add enough flour, 1 cup at a time to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead until it becomes elastic and smooth.

2. Lightly oil a bowl. (I usually spray organic canola oil to coat the bowl without saturating it.) Place the dough in the bowl and give it a turn to cover it with the oil. Spray some plastic wrap with the oil and cover the bowl with it. You can also use a towel, but the plastic wrap seems to work so much better. Place the bowl in a warm spot and let it rise until doubled - usually this takes about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Don't let your dough rise too long.

3. Beat butter, cinnamon, and the remaining sugar in a small mixing bowl to blend.

4. Turn the dough out onto the counter and beat it down so all the air comes out. (Use enthusiasm... this is my favorite part of baking!) Roll, or push the dough into a rectangle and spread the butter mixture all over it. From the short end of the rectangle, begin to roll the dough up into a spiral loaf. Pinch off the edges and the seam so that non of the buttery, cinnamon goodness gets out (this is the secret ingredient... you gotta' give it some love here.)

5. Grease a baking dish. Cut the cinnamon buns into 1 - 2 inch slices. Arrange them in the pan so that each of the sides touch. This can get a little sloppy - depending on how tight your roll was. Cover the dish with oiled plastic wrap and let it rise again for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 326 degrees F (160 degrees C).

6. When the dough is done rising (it will have doubled in size again) remove the plastic wrap and bake in your preheated oven for ~35 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown*. Let the pan cool for a bit before you flip it over onto a serving dish to get them out. And Enjoy!

*Whenever I am unsure if a baked good is done, I turn over the pan and knock on the back. If it sounds hollow - then it's done! But an easier way, is to stick a knife, fork, or skewer into the middle, if it comes out clean, then it's done.

Welcome!

Hello Friends!

Recently, I have been getting tons of requests for recipes and just plain old cooking/baking advice. I don't really know why, and I'm certainly not going to claim any sort of master chef title, but I do search around a lot for the perfect recipes to try out on friends, family... and myself. For some reason I have a strange interest in food, what I can do with it, and what it tastes like - maybe that comes from my mother and the way she reads cookbooks for recreation instead of romance novels. So, people have started to recognize this strange fascination of mine, and they're becoming a bit curious. This is why I have decided to create this space to share my exploration in the kitchen with anyone interested. One thing I love about food is the community it brings to the table. Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to try and catalog my most precious recipes, including the secret ingredient.