Bread!

Remember way back when I got the KitchenAid and I made French Bread and I was so excited? That bread is dead to me. There is a new bread in my life. (The KitchenAid is as valuable now as ever.)

This recipe comes as the result of making ricotta, which leaves you with a good amount of whey, and not knowing what to do with it or how to use it, I called up my old friend Google. Google was very helpful, and introduced me to Small Potatoes, who in turn showed me how to use some of that ricotta whey. Thanks Google!

So here it is...

Italian White Bread

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast

3/4 cup hot whey

1 cup warm water

5 tablespoons butter

Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl and stir. Combine liquid ingredients. Stir until butter is melted. Add liquid to dry and mix until combined. Knead for another 5 minutes. Here's where I slightly diverged from the recipe. I let this dough rise for an hour. (The note on Small Potatoes' recipe states that whey bread doesn't need a 2nd rise, but I neglected to read that when I used the recipe. I'll try it w/ 1 rise next time.) Punch down, divide into 2 portions, flatten into rectangles and roll up, pinching the edges. Let loaves rise, covered, for an hour. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. I melted about a tablespoon of butter over the crusts when I pulled them out of the oven to contribute to having a softer crust.

Moroccan Salmon & Kasseri Souffle

It is a relatively recently adopted life principle. I've never liked leftovers. Something about the lack of pretty of foods crammed into tupperware. And congealed. I know it gets better, but I don't love it. I'm working on it.

The other day, I participated in a grill-off. Friendly. Competitive. Encouraged out-of-the-box cooking. Great fun. As a part of our menu, I bought salmon. Not just any salmon. Wild sockeye salmon. It was giving off its luster behind the glass case in the Adam's seafood section. It was beautiful.

Jeff & I prepared it with a Morocco-inspired dry rub. And grilled it, skin side down, over charcoal and a piece of oak. It was still beautiful. And delicious. There were leftovers. Enter newly adopted leftover principle. I had an idea for a souffle. Incorporate some of this salmon and some of the kasseri cheese. Also left over from the grill-off.

As expected, the souffle fell.* But who cares. Still enjoyable eating. Still kind of pretty. And an excellent use of leftovers.**

*It may not have been my fault, the deflation. I didn't have cream of tartar with which to whip the egg whites. I learned from a google search that cream of tartar does science-y things with egg whites. I guess still kind of my fault. I could have gone out and bought some. But I didn't want to. So there.

**As good as above concoction was, cold salmon was also amazing, possibly better. I had it with leftover couscous and leftover tzatziki sauce.

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Cheese Souffle (from Alton Brown)

Ingredients & Adjustments

butter, for greasing

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/3 cups milk, hot

4 large egg yolks

6 ounces sharp Cheddar

2 ounces Kasseri cheese

4 ounces cooked salmon

5 egg whites plus 1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions & My Notes

Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. I used 3 ramekins and put the balance into a small glass loaf pan. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In small saucepan, heat butter. Allow all of the water to cook out.

In separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat.

In separate bowl, beat egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated.

In separate bowl, using a hand mixer (I used the stand mixer), whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base.  Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently.

Pour mixture into souffle. Fill to 1/2-inch from top. Place on aluminum pie pan. Bake 35 minutes. I feel like I cooked the small ramekins for about 40-45 minutes and the glass dish for 50-55 minutes.

Fresh Homemade Ricotta, or how to save a gallon of sour milk

While sitting around waiting for chocolate pudding, what better to do than to turn a gallon of I'm-not-sure this-isn't-sour milk into oh-my-stars-you-made-this? ricotta cheese. There is nothing better to do, let me assure you.

Recipe courtesy of epicurious/gourmet w/ a few minor modifications.

Ingredients:
2qts whole milk (it was probably more like 3qts)
1c heavy cream (it was probably more like 1.25c)
1/2 teaspoon salt (approx 1T of kosher salt)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (the juice of 2 limes)

Preparation:
Line a large sieve with a layer of heavy-duty (fine-mesh) cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered; it will keep in the refrigerator 2 days.

Results:
It looked like ricotta, it smelled like ricotta, it was ricotta! Success! We ate a few spoonfuls with raspberries last night. The rest sits in the fridge waiting for...

Ricotta Ideas to Try:
with honey
or maple syrup
lasagna
ravioli
stuffed shells
cheesecake
ricotta cakes
vagera

Oh, and so as not to be wasteful, check out what you can do w/ the leftover whey:
bread baking
soup stock
cook pasta in it
cook beans in it
water your plants
feed it to your pets
or just drink it

I have break baking plans - I'll keep you posted.

Scotch Whisky Chocolate Pudding

Many thanks to Grizel for this baby! The fans are multiplying by the spoonful!

She made some modifications. Then I made some modifications. Here's what we made last night:

Pudding
1/4 cup superfine sugar
4oz unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
3T whiskey
2T milk

Blend sugar & butter until light & fluffy. Sieve cocoa powder into flour. Whisk eggs together, add to sugar/butter mix. Alternate adding whisky and flour until both are incorporated. Add milk, to soften. Grease 4 individual pudding moulds and dust with sugar. Divide pudding into moulds, cover with tin foil. Place in a pot of warm water reaching half-way up the  moulds. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes.

Sauce
4oz dark chocolate
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2T whisky
1T light corn syrup

Melt chocolate over lowest flame. Add cream, whisky & syrup and stir until smooth.

To Plate
Remove puddings and place on plates. Pour over the chocolate sauce. Garnish with a few raspberries. Savour it!

Grapefruit + Ginger + Vodka = Adult Agua Fresca

Wash ginger & grapefruit.

Slice ginger. 

Peel grapefruit.

 

Boil 1c water, 1/2c sugar, ginger & grapefruit peel until dissolved. 

Juice grapefruit. Marvel at ruby redness.

Pour 2 shots grapefruit juice into cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

Pour 2 shots vodka into cocktail shaker.

Pour 1 shot ginger-grapefruit syrup into cocktail shaker.

Shake. Strain. Enjoy.