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Category Archives: Culinary Techniques

How to Clean and Slice Leeks

Posted on June 29, 2010 by amydeline


Leeks, a vegetable with a mild onion flavor, are a wonderful addition to many dishes. They are grown in dirt and have a tendency to gather dirt between the leaves. For this reason, they require just a bit of care to properly clean and slice. Here’s a little guide to get you on your way towards enjoying some leeky goodness…

Start with one fresh, delicious leek.

Cut off the tough, dark green leaves.

Cut off the root.

Cut the remaining white and light green part in half lengthwise.

Rinse the leeks under cool water, using your fingers to separate the layers and rub off any dirt.

Place your clean leeks on a cutting board, cut side down.

Slice your leeks.

Use your mild tasting, sliced leeks just about anywhere you'd normally use onions.

Alternatively, you can slice the leeks before washing and place in a bowl of cool water. Swish the leeks around until the dirt settles on the bottom of the bowl. Scoop out your cleaned, sliced leeks.

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How to Clarify Butter

Posted on June 25, 2010 by amydeline

Clarified Butter is butter that has been melted in order to remove the milk solids and water from the butterfat. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter, which makes it a good choice for certain recipes, since it is more resistant to burning. It is also commonly used in making hollandaise and bernaise sauces.

Cut unsalted butter into chunks. Always use unsalted butter to make clarified butter.

Over very low heat, slowly heat the butter until it is completely melted. Do not simmer the butter.

Some of the milk solids will create a foam on the surface of the butter.

Use a spoon to carefully skim off and discard the milk solids.

You will reveal the layer of clarified butter.

Slowly pour clarified butter into a cup, being careful not to pour in the layer of milk solids which will have collected on the bottom.

Two sticks of butter will produce about 6 ounces of clarified butter. It can be refrigerated until you are ready to use.

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How to Poach an Egg

Posted on June 25, 2010 by amydeline

Poached eggs can be prepared without any special equipment; no special egg rings or microwaveable poaching dishes required. The following photo guide will show you how to cook the perfect poached egg. Enjoy on a piece of toast or on an English muffin with hollandaise sauce!

Prepare your mise en place. You'll need a bowl of cool water, a small dish or ramekin, slotted spoon, white vinegar, egg, and a spoon or spatula.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to bring it down to barely a simmer.

Measure about 1/4 cup white vinegar per quart of simmering water. Add the vinegar to the simmering water. The vinegar will help the egg whites to come together.

Carefully crack an egg into a ramekin or small dish. Check that the yolk is intact and there are no pieces of shell. Use the freshest eggs possible.

One egg at a time, carefully lower the ramekin close to the water's surface and slowly pour the egg in. Make sure that the water is just barely simmering.

Use a spoon or spatula to gently push the whites over the egg.

Allow the egg to cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on how well you prefer the yolks to be cooked. (Three minutes should produce a fairly runny yolk with a cooked white.) Then, use a slotted spoon to remove the egg.

Place the egg in a bowl of cool water to rinse the vinegar and stop the cooking. If serving immediately, remove from the water and enjoy. If serving later, the egg can stay in the bowl of cool water. When you're ready to serve, gently lower the egg into a pot of barely simmering water for a minute or so to reheat.

Enjoy your perfectly poached egg!

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Shrimp and Asparagus in a Lemony Basil Alfredo Sauce over Fettucine

Posted on June 16, 2010 by amydeline

Something about the warm weather makes me crave seafood. This is the only time of the year when I think I’d have any chance of making it as a vegetarian, or more accurately a pesceterian. Though, I’d definitely end up missing burgers and grilled steaks and bacon and… Oh, nevermind!  I’d make a terrible vegetarian. But, I do love seafood in the summer! It’s fresh and light and tastes great with summery lemons. With that in mind, I offer you Shrimp and Asparagus in a Lemony Basil Alfredo Sauce over Fettucine.

The sauce is a basic creamy alfredo sauce, with the addition of basil and a little lemon juice and zest. Lemon zest is the bright outer peel of the lemon (not including the bitter, white pith). It is full of concentrated lemon flavor. You can skip the zest, but it really deepens the lemony flavor and looks lovely in the sauce. So, I definitely recommend it. To zest your lemon, thoroughly wash it and then use a zester to remove the thin outer layer of the peel.  If you don’t have a zester, you can use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to carefully remove the outer peel. Then, cut the peel into small strips.

Shrimp and Asparagus in a Lemony Basil Alfredo Sauce over Fettucine

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Shrimp, deveined and peeled
  • 1 small bunch of Asparagus
  • 1 box Fettucine pasta

For the sauce:

  • 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2-3 Tbsp water
  • 1 Shallot, diced**
  • 5-7 Basil Leaves, chopped**
  • 1 Lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 1/2 cups Light Cream
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper

** Chop the shallot the same way you would chop a small onion. Click on the Photo Guides tab to view step-by-step photos of how to chop an onion and how to chiffonade basil leaves.

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the fettucine, al dente, according to the package directions.

Steam asparagus, chop into small pieces, and set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add shrimp to the pan and cook about 5 minutes until they are completely cooked through.  They will be pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Add a small amount of water to the pan, over medium heat, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits of shrimp stuck to the pan. Continue scraping the bottom of the pan until the bits are loosened and water has mostly evaporated. **See note below.**

Then, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.  Add the chopped shallot and cook until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the cream and the zest.  Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly.

Add the cheese, basil, and  the juice from 1/2 the lemon (about a Tbsp) to the sauce. Stir to combine.

Continue simmering for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a bit more cream or milk to thin it out.

Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add a bit more lemon juice, if desired.

Add shrimp and asparagus to the sauce for a few seconds to reheat.  Toss the fettucine in the sauce.

(Serves 4)

** This step is called deglazing. Those little caramelized bits in the pan are called sucs. There’s some yummy flavor in those sucs, as long as you don’t burn them. The cool water will sizzle in the hot pan and help loosen the sucs while you scrape them up. This step will prevent the bits from burning on the bottom, while preserving the shrimpy flavor for the sauce. A bit of stock or white wine would work well for this step too, but water is just fine. If the sucs burn, clean out the pan before cooking the shallot.

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How to Slice an Avocado

Posted on June 15, 2010 by amydeline

Avocados are are in the middle of their peak season right now. Amongst other uses, they are wonderful in salads, guacamole, sandwiches or smoothies. I added a little avocado to my Caprese salad today and next week, I’ll be making a chilled avocado soup. Now is the time to enjoy this delicious and nutritious fruit!

In case you were wondering the easiest way to get to that avocado-y goodness, here’s a little photo guide…

Using a sharp knife, cut the avocado in half lengthwise all the way around the pit.

Gently twist the halves to separate.

Carefully give the seed a whack with a sharp knife, so that the knife sticks in the seed.

Holding the knife in one hand and the avocado in the other, give a little twist to loosen and remove the seed.

Use your fingers to gently loosen the avocado from its skin.

Lie the avocado on its flat side and slice or dice it!

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Amy vs. Baked Alaska – The Showdown

Posted on June 9, 2010 by amydeline

A tumbleweed rolls across my kitchen floor. A strange man sits at the table, whistling ominously on a stout brown jug. I step into the room, spurs glimmering. A pair of wooden saloon doors swing closed behind me with a screech. (Funny…I don’t remember installing those doors.) I tip my hat and glare at my adversary.

**Flashback twenty or so years.** A gawky teenager, dressed in leggings with slouch socks and gleaming white faux-Keds, moves easily about the kitchen. Her side-pony sways with every movement. A well worn Better Homes and Gardens Dessert cookbook, circa 1973, sits open on the counter. Bolstered with confidence after the roaring success of the previous week’s Lemon Meringue Pie, she is busy preparing Baked Alaska, never pausing for a moment to consider what lie ahead.

My adversary stands before me, dressed in gleaming white. It snickers, taunting me. I stick my tongue out and make a sour face. My weapon is drawn.

Cyndi Lauder blares in the background as the eager teen approaches the open oven, her fluffy, white creation in hand. She pops it in the oven and dances awkwardly about the kitchen for a few minutes.  The timer beeps. She bounces over to the oven, opens the door, and shrieks. Her siblings come running into the kitchen.

I belt out my battle cry and approach the snickering adversary. I take it in my hands and approach the piping hot oven. Not this time!  Not this time! I place it in the oven and close the door.

The teen and her siblings stare in horror at the tray of melted ice cream. It looks nothing like the picture in the cookbook. A single tear falls from the teen’s hazel eyes.

After five eternal minutes, I open the oven and…

My Baked Alaska

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska

Here’s how it’s done…

The Cake

You can use just about any flavor or type of cake for the base of the Baked Alaska. A giant cookie or brownie base would probably work nicely too!  I went searching for a dark chocolate cake recipe for my Baked Alaska. I landed upon a truly fantastic recipe from Hershey’s for Deep Dark Chocolate Cake.  This is probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I will definitely be using this cake recipe for future birthday cakes! I made one 9 inch round cake for my base and several cupcakes for the kids to make their own mini Baked Alaskas.

Mise en place - Everything in its place

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Chocolatey Cake and Cupcakes

The Ice Cream

You can use any flavor(s) of ice cream in your Baked Alaska.  To prepare the ice cream, spray the inside of a bowl with Pam or lightly coat with vegetable oil. Then, line the bowl with plastic wrap.  This step will make it easier to remove the ice cream dome. Allow the ice cream to soften slightly.  Then, spread the ice cream in an even layer on the bottom of the bowl, being certain to fill all gaps.  Place the bowl in the freezer until the ice cream has refrozen. If using more than one flavor, freeze each layer before adding the next flavor. I layered dark chocolate ice cream with fresh raspberries, raspberry sorbet, and milk chocolate ice cream.

Raspberry Sorbet Layer

Waiting for the ice cream

The Meringue

Meringue is a mixture of egg whites and sugar, beaten until thick and glossy. Cream of tartar is frequently added as a stabilizer, but is not absolutely necessary. Egg whites should be beaten to soft peaks before incorporating the sugar.

A few tips for a successful meringue:

  • Bowl and whisk should be pristinely clean as even the slightest bit of residual fat can prevent the whites from developing.
  • Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowls will all work well.
  • Make sure that no trace of yolk enters the mix. Crack each egg into a ramekin or small bowl first, so if a yolk breaks, you won’t waste the whole batch.
  • Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature before beating.
  • Before beating, add 1/8 tsp of Cream of Tartar per egg white to help stabilize the whipped whites.
  • Beat the egg whites until soft peaks begin to form.
  • Use about (but no less than) 2 Tbsp of sugar per egg white.
  • If possible, use superfine sugar as it will dissolve more easily into the egg whites.
  • Gradually add sugar a spoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks will hold their shape. The meringue should be smooth and glossy.

Soft Peaks

Stiff Peaks

** I used 8 whites, 1 tsp cream of tartar, and 16 Tbsp sugar, which made enough meringue to thoroughly cover my large Baked Alaska and two of the kids’ Baked Alaska cupcakes.

The Assembly

Once the cake is baked and the ice cream is thoroughly frozen, carefully turn the bowl over and lower the ice cream dome on top of the cake. I scooped out a shallow bed for the ice cream dome to sit in, in the hopes that it would provide a better insulating seal for the meringue. This step may not be necessary, but it worked! Once the ice cream cake is assembled, allow it to freeze until very firm. I left mine in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare the meringue.  Working quickly, coat the ice cream and the cake thoroughly in meringue, being careful to spread the meringue to every edge. You can use a knife or the back of a spoon to create decorative designs in your meringue.

Cake with a shallow bed for the ice cream

Cake with Ice Cream

The Final Baking

Bake on the lower rack of a 450 degree oven for 5-6 minutes until the exterior begins to brown.

Serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve. It holds well in the freezer.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Baked Alaska with Raspberry Coulis

A few other notes and tips…

  • Make sure your meringue thoroughly coats the ice cream and cake.  This is the most important part (and probably the aspect which caused my failure so many years ago). The meringue is what insulates the ice cream from the heat.
  • Make your ice cream dome with a smaller diameter than your cake.  Most recipes don’t mention this, but I think it helps to prevent melting.
  • Inspired by this link, shared by a friend, my kids made their own mini Baked Alaskas.  I used extra batter from the cake to make a few cupcakes.  Then, we scooped out the center and filled it with softened Raspberry Sorbet.  They coated their Alaskas with the extra meringue.  Then, I put them in the oven for 5 minutes at 450 degrees.  Worked out great, just make sure you help your kids thoroughly cover the entire cupcake.
  • I served my Baked Alaska with a Raspberry Coulis.  A coulis, (pronounced koo-LEE) is simply a sauce made by pureeing fruit or vegetables and straining.  For my sauce, I pureed a handful of raspberries with a Tbps of sugar. Then, I strained the puree and discarded the seeds.

Don't mess with this cowboy!

So, did anyone else try your own Baked Alaska??  I know at least one of you did and with grand success! Anyone else?  Tell us how it went!

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Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Culinary Techniques, Desserts, Food, Fruit, General Rambling and Such, Ice Cream, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The World’s Greatest Penne ala Vodka

Posted on June 7, 2010 by amydeline

This, dear friends, is your lucky day. I am about to share a recipe for the best Vodka Sauce you’ve ever tasted. Seriously…this stuff is a. maze. ing. This recipe comes from a lovely friend, Erin, who acquired it from her uncle, whose friend, Charlie, came up with it. Follow all that? The first time I had the pleasure of this sauce was during college, when Erin whipped it up to the great delight of everyone in our sorority house. We were all hooked. Our biggest problem after that, was figuring out who was old enough to buy the vodka, so we could make it again.

This is a rich sauce; not exactly what you would call diet-friendly. But, all things in moderation. It’s worth it! Just hold your breath while you pour in the quart of cream and drop in the stick of butter. It’s gonna be a long run for me tonight!

Mise En Place

A little note about Mise En Place – The French phrase, Mise en Place, pronounced MEEZ-on-plahs, roughly translates to “everything in its place”. In the culinary field, this refers to the practice of gathering, preparing, and organizing ingredients prior to beginning the cooking process. I’ve mentioned this all before, but I say it again because I truly believe that mise en place is the #1 thing you can do to make cooking a successful, enjoyable experience. Now, my mise en place isn’t always nicely arranged on a tray.  That just makes a pretty picture.  But, I do prepare my mise en place almost every time I cook. Sometimes I do it just prior to cooking.  Other times, I gather, measure, and prepare things whenever I have a moment over the course of the day. This way, when dinner time rolls around, I’m ready to cook! The practice of preparing your mise en place will save you many headaches and a lot of frustration. It will save you from burning the soup, while you’re searching for a spoon or from overcooking the green beans while you’re chopping the garlic. You’ll be just like those chefs on TV, skillfully whipping up delicious meals with ease.

But, enough about mise en place. Let’s get cooking!

Penne ala Vodka

World’s Greatest Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 shots vodka
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 pound prosciutto (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 can whole plum tomatoes
  • 2 small cans tomato paste
  • 1 qt heavy cream (or you can use a combination of light and heavy cream)
  • 1 small bunch of fresh basil, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

  • Chop onion and garlic and cook in olive oil until soft.
  • Add prosciutto and cook for a few minutes.
  • Form mixture into a circle with a hole in the middle, pour vodka in the center of the circle and allow to cook off (about 5 minutes). **Pour vodka into a shot glass or other wide-rimmed container before pouring into the pot.  Never pour alcohol directly from a bottle into a hot pan. It is flammable and there is a chance that flames could find there way into the bottle and cause it to explode.
  • Rinse plum tomatoes under water and rinse out all the seeds. (Seeds make the sauce bitter.)
  • Cut into quarters or eighths and add tomato pieces to mixture.
  • Add cream and tomato paste, stir until combined and hot.
  • Chop approximately 5 basil leaves and add to the sauce. (Save additional basil leaves for garnish.)
  • Add cheese and butter and simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. About 1-2 tsp of each should be good.

Serve over penne pasta. This dish pairs nicely with steamed asparagus or peas.

The sauce will keep for a few days in the refrigerator if you don’t put it on the pasta. (Pasta with the sauce already on it does not reheat well.)

Italian Bread with Roasted Garlic Butter

Remember that garlic we roasted last week?  (Click here for a reminder.) Combine 1 head of roasted garlic with 1 stick of softened butter. Cut a loaf of Italian bread in half lengthwise. Spread the roasted garlic butter on both halves. Put the halves back together.  Wrap the loaf in foil.  Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with the Penne ala Vodka.

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How to Chiffonade Basil – A Photo Guide

Posted on June 7, 2010 by amydeline

Start by stacking your basil leaves.

Roll the basil stack into a "cigar" shape.

Cut the basil.

Voila! Chiffonade!

This method of cutting also works well for mint leaves, spinach, and other leafy herbs.

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How to Roast Garlic – A Photo Guide

Posted on June 3, 2010 by amydeline

I LOVE roasted garlic.  It’s sweeter and milder than fresh garlic, but still has that wonderful garlicky flavor.  Roasted garlic can be used in a wide variety of ways, including in pasta, mashed potatoes, dressings, butter, spreads, breads, and a variety of meat and fish dishes. (I’ll be using it tonight in a Roasted Garlic Aioli. Stay tuned.)

How to Roast Garlic

Start with a fresh head of garlic.

Cut off the top of the garlic, just enough to reveal the cloves.

Remove any loose peel, but leave the head intact. Place on a piece of foil.

Drizzle a very small amount of olive oil over the cut side.

Seal the garlic in the foil.

Roast in a 350 degrees oven for 50-60 minutes, until the garlic is tender.

Open the foil packet and allow garlic to cool for a few minutes.

When cool enough to handle, gently squeeze the roasted garlic from the skin.

Your house is going to smell so good!

Enjoy!

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How to Chop an Onion – A Photo Guide

Posted on June 1, 2010 by amydeline

Here’s a handy procedure for chopping an onion, which makes the process fast and easy. It also reduces the likelihood of painful onion tears by locking in most of the fluids during the cutting process. Keeping the root intact throughout cutting helps hold the onion together, making it easier to manage.

Start with an onion.

Cut off the non-root end of the onion.

Stand the onion on the cut side.

Cut it in half through the root.

Remove the onion peel.

Lie the onion on the flat cut side.

Make several vertical slits through the onion, being careful not to cut through the root end. Make the slits close together for a fine dice or farther apart for larger pieces.

Using your fingers to hold the sides of the onion together, carefully make one or two horizontal slits into the onion, being careful not to cut through the root.

Using your fingers to hold the onion together on the sides, cut through the onion, perpendicular to the vertical slits.

Repeat with the other onion half.

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