Cookin again

[Dannyalcatraz]

Tried something new…

Not the sautéed zucchini, onions & tomatoes…

Not the pan full of NY Strips bring sautéed in butter & EVOO…

THIS: a creamy blue cheese dipping sauce!

Plated.

This was my first attempt at mimicking the creamy blue cheese dipping sauce that comes with the bacon-wrapped flatiron appetizer at Boston’s Pizza (a Canadian chain spreading through the USA). It’s such a good dipping sauce that 2 people I know who don’t like blue cheeses in general demand their own ramekins when we order this appetizer.

This time I used half a stick of unsalted butter, a half container of heavy whipping cream, 2/3 of a wedge of Blue Dauvergne cheese, and ground black pepper. The only complaint: not thick enough. Next time, I’m using the whole cheese wedge.

 

[CleverNickName]

Happy birthday to Gordon, my sourdough starter, who is celebrating his 2nd year today.

Drat...slightly under-proved. Ah well.

CleverSourDough
200g bread flour
300g whole wheat bread flour
350g water
12g salt
100g sourdough starter*

1. Mix the first four ingredients together, let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Then knead for 10 minutes in the bowl, working the sourdough starter in until smooth.
3. Bulk ferment for two hours, using the "stretch and fold" technique to develop the gluten.
4. Shape the dough, place it in a well-floured banaton, and let rise in the refrigerator overnight.
5. Put a pizza stone in the oven, and preheat to 450°F for at least an hour. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper, slash the top, and let it rest while the oven preheats.
6. Bake directly on the hot stone at 450°F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F for another 40 minutes.
7. The last step is the hardest: allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing.

*made from a 50/50 mixture of all-purpose flour and water, by weight. This ratio, along with the quantities above, will give you a dough with 73% hydration.

 

[prabe]

How much maintenance does Gordon need? My wife was making some sourdough for a while that didn't need much starter upkeep.

 

[CleverNickName]

How much maintenance does Gordon need? My wife was making some sourdough for a while that didn't need much starter upkeep.

Not a lot, actually. He's like a houseplant that lives in the refrigerator: I just feed and water him every week, and he's happy.

He lives in a glass flip-top jar with the gasket removed. On Friday I take him out of the fridge and feed him. On Saturday, I waste* half of him, and feed him again. Sunday I make the dough, feed him, and then put him back in the fridge for another five-day nap.

*When I say "waste," I mean that I pour him into a bowl, add some extra flour, baking soda, etc., and make pancakes or flatbread out of him.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Last things first, fully plated: Prime rib with creamy horseradish, turnip roots, and eggplant w/ shrimp & bacon.

Eggplant is Mom’s favorite veggie. So we collaborated to try something slightly different. Here’s the eggplant, sautéed with onions, tomatoes, bacon and seasoning ( more on that later).

Here it is after the shrimp were added and cooked.

Diced turnips, done with EVOO, butter, salt, parsley. They were cooked in the microwave, one of the better ways to handle starchy or watery veggies.

The rib roast, resting.

NOTES:
1) this was my second try with the reverse sear method, and I liked the results. I’m a convert. However I made one mistake- I skipped the step where you take the meat out of the oven while it heats up to full power for the sear. This is actually the KEY to the results you want from this method, namely, maximizing your medium-rare while minimizing the well done border.

2) I used the essentially the same seasoning mix on the eggplant as on the rib roast because I had a bunch left over. The mix was salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme. Parsley & chives were added to the eggplant as well. The eggplant was diced but not peeled. Shrimp were added next to last: submerged in the pot’s liquid & contents, and the pot turned off to poach them perfectly. The last step was adding a sleeve of crumbled Ritz crackers to add a buttery, salty punch AND bind & thicken the remaining liquids in the pot into something like a purée.

The result was surprising: the flavor was almost like an okra gumbo, despite having few ingredients in common. If I had added chicken stock to the pot, I could have passed it off as one. I’m not the biggest fan of eggplant- it’s THE defining line between veggies I like and those I don’t- but I’ll be making this again.

3) the diced turnip roots were done in the microwave with EVOO, butter, salt, pepper and parsley because the results we get that way are generally superior to other methods we’ve used in the past. The microwave essentially steams the roots quickly from the inside out, all while dehydrating them a bit. This results in tender, slightly sweet turnips.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Mom & I tried Dominican cuisine for the first time tonight. We had stewed chicken with red beans & rice, a slow cooked goat dish with fried yucca, 2 different kinds of empanadas, and some sweet plantains.

Not bad, but Mom was less than impressed. Good enough to eat, but not calling her strongly to return. She did enjoy the empanadas and plantains, though. She thought my goat was better than her chicken, and the (vegetarian) red beans were lightly seasoned and soupier compared to how we do ours or what we’ve had in Colombian restaurants.

I still want to try some other options, though.

 

[Zardnaar]

Would try that.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I enjoyed everything I tried, even if it didn’t “Wow!” me. I’m definitely looking forward to the leftovers.

Bonus: this place is new (to this location, at least), so they don’t even have a full menu yet. So there’s LOTS more to try on the horizon.

 

[Zardnaar]

I enjoyed everything I tried, even if it didn’t “Wow!” me. I’m definitely looking forward to the leftovers.

Bonus: this place is new (to this location, at least), so they don’t even have a full menu yet. So there’s LOTS more to try on the horizon.

I sometimes like places like that for variety. My other half (third she's kinda short) loves her favorites. That means we eat them over and over.

And sometimes I just want something basic. Favorite place does so an awesome cheeseburger though.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I sometimes like places like that for variety. My other half (third she's kinda short) loves her favorites. That means we eat them over and over.

And sometimes I just want something basic. Favorite place does so an awesome cheeseburger though.

Yep!

Not every meal has to be an adventure. Sometimes, you want your metaphorical comfy slippers and cozy blanket.