What kind of Squash is this?

And is it good, fair or bad to eat?

Smut Quesadilla and Tortilla Soup

corn smut

recipe # 119 & 120

I was in Mexico City the first time I heard of huitlacoche. There was a huitlacoche caesar salad on the menu and after learning what huitlacoche was, I decided that I wasn't ready for it.

That was 10 years ago when I was a much more pedestrian eater. Now I am. So I found some in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It was in a Goya can. I was with my sister, who told me that even from a can it was pretty good.

As my sister pointed out to me, huitlacoche (also known as corn smut and the corn mushroom) is INFECTED corn, not rotten corn. Nice to know. I love rotten. But infected. . .

As my sister suggested, I made quesadillas with it:
Smut Quesadillas
a bunch of corn tortillas
a can of huitlacoche
oaxacan string cheese or montery jack cheese
onions
avocados
cilantro

make a quesadilla with any combination of those ingredients. Add a squeeze of fresh lime, sour cream and some salt.

And I made tortilla soup (one of my very favortie soups) to go with it.

Tortilla Soup
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
1/4 cup grapeseed oil, peanut oil, other high smoke-point oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (Depending on the hotness and flavor desired. You can also mix chiles - 1 Anaheim and a half jalapeño.)
4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (recommended Muir Glen fire-roasted)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 ripe medium avocado
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz) (or other mild, melting cheese)
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

1 If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don't have a lot of moisture in them. Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.

2 Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.

3 To serve, peel and pit the avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

I got that recipe from here.

Serves 4.

The soup was fine. Not great. I have had it 10 times better.

The smut was not so great.

Strike one was that it was from a can.
Strike two was that it didn't taste great like so many people told me it did.
Strike three is that it looked like sludge. I was hoping for the huge engourged pieces of corn that looked like fat ticks. None of that. Just sludge.

I am going to try this again, but not until I find some fresh. Maybe in LA.

tags technorati : mexican food, odd food, soup

Hoe Cakes

hos gotta eat too.

recipe # 121

More fun named breakfast food. . .

So named, not because they are Ho Food, but because you can prepare them on the back of a garden tool named a hoe.

Hoe Cakes
1 1/2 c. corn meal
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. Crisco oil
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and soda in medium bowl. Add eggs, oil and buttermilk.
Stir just until ingredients are moistened. Pour into heavily oiled skillet 1/4 cup of batter for
each hoe cake. Fry over medium-high heat 1 or 2 minutes or until golden brown on each
side. Use additional oil if necessary. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

The recipe I found for these was followed with a bible quote from genisis that I will not post here, but feel free to look at it here.

Hoe cakes are the opposite of a crepe. I think that if one were to eat them with your pinky up it would make sense that they would get a beat down. These things are heavy, filling and can be made quickly over high heat or slowly over low heat. A good camp recipe. They would be very good savory, say with hobo beans or pork. But what isn't good with pork?

tags technorati : breakfast, pancakes, ho

Scotch Woodcock

scotch woodcock, indeed

recipe #118

I made this recipe for 2 reasons. The first and most obvious is because of it's name. The second it because the eggs sounded so delux. This Scottish breakfast/brunch is just terrible for you (except for the nice amount of omega-3 in it). Never make this for someone on lipitor.

It is another fun recipe from my old Joy of Cooking:
Scotch Woodcock
Toast:
--2 slices of bread
Cut into fingers, butter well and spread with a thin layer of:
--Anchovy paste
Beat together:
--3 or 4 egg yolks
--1/2 cup of cream
--1/8 teaspoon pepper
--1/8 teaspoon salt
Melt in a double boiler:
--2 tablespoons of butter
Add egg mixture and scramble until creamy. Arrange the anchovy toast on a hot dish and cover with egg mixture.
Garnish with:
--Chopped parsley

The eggs were fantastic. Use only a very thin layer of anchovy paste unless you love anchovies. It isn't bad. It is actually pretty good, but I think this is the only time I'm going to make this.

Vit Quay aka Vietnamese Laque Duck

recipe #117

I've never tackled duck before. I never thought it was worth the the try.

This is a recipe from Authentic Vietnamese Cooking by Corinne Trang. I like this cookbook, even though it gets panned in Amazon.com reviews.

Vit Quay
1/3 c. fish sauce
1 tbs. thick soy sauce
1 tbs. honey
2 tsp. 5 spice powder
One 5.5 lb. Long Island duck
2 ounces. fresh ginger, cut into slices and then crushed
2 scallions chopped and crushed

Mix the first 4 ingredient together. Try to separate the duck skin from meat. Gently with your fingers. Try not to break the skin. Pour some of the soy/dish sauce mixture in between skin and meat then marinade the duck uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours. Turn often.

preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the ginger and the scallions in the cavity of the duck, then truss the duck. Poke some holes in the skin of the duck the breast and legs. Place the duck breast side down on a rack and roast for 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. Turn the duck breast side up and continue roasting until the juices run clear, about 45 minutes.

I made this with only half a duck and it was done in 20 minutes --I think. The skin was black, the juices clear and after it cooled it looked cooked to me. The flavor was great. I was put off by the thick sheets of fat that covered not very much meat. I saved most of the rendered duck fat for later.

I think it would make a good filling for banh mi.

No picture, which is fine. It was pretty ugly.

Pumpkin Doughnuts

upsidedown doughnuts

recipe #116

I have about 12 lbs. of cooked pumpkin to use up over the next few weeks so I'm making everything pumpkin. I'm starting with doughnuts.

I guess I never realized that doughnuts were actually deep fried.

This recipe was originally from epicurious.com, but I omitted parts and adjusted it:
PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS WITH SPICED SUGAR
Spiced sugar
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Doughnuts
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
Canola oil (for deep-frying)

For spiced sugar:
Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

For doughnuts:
Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (mixture will be grainy). Beat in egg, then yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk; beat in pumpkin in 4 additions. Using rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 4 additions, blending gently after each addition. Cover with plastic; chill 3 hours.

Sprinkle 2 rimmed baking sheets lightly with flour. Press out 1/3 of dough on floured surface to 1/2- to 2/3-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Arrange on sheets. Repeat with remaining dough in 2 more batches. Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.

Using 1-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make doughnuts and doughnut holes.

Line 2 baking sheets with several layers of paper towels. Pour oil into large deep skillet to depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 365°F to 370°F. Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Fry doughnuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool.

Makes about 12 doughnuts and 12 doughnut holes.

I used a large drinking glass as the 2.5 inch cookie cutter and a shot glass to cut out the hole.

When I put the batter in 370 degree oil I found that the outside burned in about 20 seconds and the inside remained completely uncooked. When I brought the oil down to about 275 I was able to keep the doughnuts cooking for long enough to cook them through. I was worried that at that temp. they would be really greasy, but they were fine. Maybe my deep fat thermometer is off.

Sandwich of Shame

try it. . . you know you want to. . .

recipe #115

Bacon at breakfast made me so happy, and Joy of Cooking from the 70s so interesting and full of such great retro food I thought I would make a good lunch from it.

That is when I found the Sandwiches of Shame.

I could only bring myself to make one of them, but I will post both shocking recipes.

The first is innocently named:
Peanut Butter and Tomato Sandwich *
Preheat broiler
Toast on one side:
a slice of bread
Spread the untoasted side with:
peanut butter
mixed with:
Chopped cooked Bacon
Bacon Drippings
You may top this with:
A thick slice of tomato
Season the tomato with:
1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar
salt and paprika
Put the sandwich under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Then, you are supposed to eat it. . . which I did. . . and . . . I . . . liked. . . it. . . .

If I were drunk I would have loved it so much I would have sat down and written a strongly worded thank you letter to Irma Rombauer and fallen asleep at the computer before I was finished.

My son liked it too, but he will happily drink his own bathwater, given the chance.

* Just so you know I made it will all organic ingredients on whole grain bread with tons of omega-3 to make myself feel less gross.

This sandwich is even more shocking, simply called:
Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwich
Combine:
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pickle relish
1/4 cup minced bacon
Toast on one side
4 slices of bread
Spread the untoasted side with 'mixture'. Broil the sandwiches until the tops are brown. Slice them diagonally.

Irma suggest to, "try this combination on the unconverted." Ha!

I would try this as a closed sandwich, then deep fried. But again, only if I'd been drinking.

tags technorati : sandwich, shame, bacon, wrong

Baked Eggs in Bacon Rings

I could have buttered the bread, but it was great even without

recipe #114

Another great recipe from my 1971 edition of Joy of Cooking. I've never baked eggs before, so I thought I would give it a shot.

Baked Eggs in Bacon Rings
slightly cook bacon in a pan or microwave- cook it more if you like very well done bacon
grease muffin tin with bacon fat
line the sides of muffin tins with bacon
crack and egg and gently drop it into the bacon ring
top with salt, pepper and paprika
cook for 10 minutes at 325 degrees

When done let them rest for a couple minutes then gently place them on a toast round--or as Joy of Cooking suggests, a pineapple ring.

Good with hot sauce.

2 of these baked eggs on toast is a serving.

I love these. They are so easy and take no time. Things with bacon seldom disappoint me. I'm going to go thru all the Joy of Cooking breakfast egg recipes.

10 minutes cooks the yolk med. soft.

I am not loving Firefox 2

Not one bit. My bookmarks are a disaster.

A Requiem for my Blenders

monochromatic soup and sandwich

Today, I finally burned out my 10+yo. hand blender while making mayonnaise. Although I never used it much before stated this project, I did pack it and move it with me to at least 5 different apartments. It will be missed. Sadder still, its demise comes less than 24 hours after my daughter dropped my blender on the kitchen floor taking a huge jagged chunk out of the top of it.

Long story. . . I had to use my 16 oz. baby food maker/food processor to blend the cauliflower soup. Huge mess. No more homemade mayo either.

I made the soup because I had never used white truffle oil before. It was also the only cauliflower soup that wasn't heavy on the milk fat.

Both of these are from Epicurious.com, but I modified the sandwich.
Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pound cauliflower florets (about 5 cups)
2 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon white truffle oil

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add cauliflower and sauté 2 minutes. Add broth. Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 25 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and purée until smooth. Return soup to pot. (Soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring soup to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle truffle oil over.

Serves 6 as a first-course.

Grilled Cheddar and Fennel Sandwich
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons curry powder (hot)
butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 baguette
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 lb Grafton Cheddar
1/4 cup very thinly sliced fennel bulb

Cook shallot and curry powder in oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a small bowl and stir in mayonnaise and lemon juice. Wipe skillet clean and set aside.

Cut 16 (1/4-inch-thick) diagonal slices (about 6 inches long) from baguette. Spread 1 side of each slice with butter, then turn over and spread opposite side with curry mayonnaise. Cut cheese into thin slices no wider than bread slices. Divide cheese among 8 slices of bread, then top with fennel and remaining slices of bread, buttered sides up.

Heat skillet over moderate heat until hot, then cook sandwiches in 2 batches, turning over once and pressing occasionally, until browned and cheese is melted, about 7 minutes per batch.

Makes 4 servings.

If I make this sandwich again I'm going to use major grey's or mango chutney instead of the curry mayonnaise.