not Russian dressing dressing

There have been more sandwiches being made around here then there have been in many years.  It has to do with my statement that if we ate more of our own food then out food, we could travel more.  Even when traveling, if I make sandwiches I can go farther.  I ate groceries on my grocery budget for both Estes Park and Utah.

Saying that, my Beloved asked for me to make a Russian dressing.  He likes Ruebens.  Me?  I am not a big mayonnaise or mayonnaise dressing fan.  I like Caesar, which is a basic mayonnaise and I like chipolte aioli which is not.  One for salads.  One for tacos.  Russian dressing?  Not me.  But that does not mean I will not figure something out.  

I did do my normal "what is there in the kitchen" for this one instead of going to the store for supplies.  I followed the recipe for Zingerman's Russian dressing as a starting spot.  It seemed most authentic.  But then it got twisted.  Homemade pickles.  Asian chili sauce and wasabi because that is what I had.  This dressing can kick you in the teeth.

not Russian dressing

1 egg

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup asian chili sauce

1 tablespoon minced yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced pickles (I think they were dill)

1/2 teaspoon dry wasabi powder

1/4 teaspoon worchester sauce

Put everything but the olive oil and pickles in a bowl.  Blend a bit with an immersion blender.  Slowly dribble (very slowly, I have been going to quickly and having aoilis break) in the olive oil and blend the whole time.  Once all the oil is added, mix in the pickle.  Blend for about 30 seconds more.  A bit of pickle chunk left is wanted.

Happy boyo!  Dressing for his sandwiches and lettuce wraps.

easiest crème pâtissière

I was asked to bake cake multiple times last week.  Cake with layers and filling and crème pâtissière.  I then started the ask the questions of what flavor cake do you want?  It was not for Koda Bear so I knew I would not be told red.  The request was vanilla with crème pâtissière.  I added berry jam.

I have no problems making crème pâtissière.  I have been making gravy for a very long time so it is really just an egg and sugar gravy.  But most people make a huge big deal about it.  The biggest problem I had was that I could not remember what recipe I used last time.  I did an internet search and came up with a crème pâtissière recipe from the Little French Bakery blog.  She learned from a French chef and the instructions just made sense to me.

I need to write it down because somedays I feel like I have little brains for remembering.

crème pâtissière

Note:  I used corn flour here because I could not find the cornstarch.  The crème pâtissière would have been even creamier made with cornstarch.

500 ml milk 

4 large egg yolks

125 grams sugar

30 grams flour

30 grams cornstarch or corn flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

Have a pyrex or heat proof container waiting.  If it is lined with cling wrap, it will be easier to remove the crème pâtissière.  A piece of cling wrap will also be needed for the top.

Heat the milk in a saucepan and 1/2 the sugar until it simmers.

While the milk is heating, in a heat proof bowl, mix the egg yolks the rest of the sugar, the flour, and the cornstarch.  Mix completely and make sure there are no lumps.

When the milk has come to a simmer, mix a third of it into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.  Whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the rest of the milk.  Transfer back to the saucepan.

Increase the heat under the milk mixture until the milk is at a slow boil.

Pour the egg mixture back into the boiling milk, whisking quickly the whole time until the mixture is a smooth glossy cream and it "burps" a bubble in the pan (I let it do three).

Pour the cream into the prepared pyrex or pan.  Make sure the top is covered in cling wrap and the cling wrap is pressed in.  It will be hot but this will prevent a skin from forming.

Put in the refrigerator to completely cool.

When cool, put in a bowl and whisk.  Flavour with the vanilla.  Whisk in.  If you wish to flavour with any liqueurs this is the time to whisk in a tablespoon.

I spread it between layers of cake.  Boyos like it on doughnut holes.  It is pretty delicious with berries too.  It lasts for a couple days in the refrigerator.

Written down!  Wahoo!  My life has become easier.  I also fill brioche with a crème pâtissière and chocolate chips.  Yum!

nor'easter

When we were walking so far in New Orleans, we stopped for a late brunch or lunch at Kenton's.  I am pretty sure we got their lunch menu.  I had their crispy grits with wilted spinach and a pulled pork.  There was a sauce involved but I cannot remember what it was.  I know my mouth thought heaven arrived.  My Beloved had the breakfast sandwich with homemade potato chips.  I am not a fan of either and I could have eaten every single bite.  I just had enough to taste.

I had a nor'easter to go with it.  Kenton's description is food and bourbon so I wanted something with bourbon in it.  A nor'easter was described to me as a bourbon moscow mule.  I would say not.  I looked up the recipe when I got home.  I needed more limes anyhow!

I used less lime then the recipe called for because I find most recipes are just too heavy on the lime for me.  I have been using ginger syrup and soda water because that is what I have but light on the soda water.  The recipe suggests to make a batch, except for the soda water, and store it in the refrigerator.  I find that works well.

So here is my recipe with my small changes.  An easy go to if it is sitting in the freezer.  Easy to make.

nor'easter

Note:  I used the nytimes.com recipe as a go by.  I doubled the quantities because I do store it in the freezer.

2 ounces maple syrup

2 ounces ginger syrup

juice from one lime

8 ounces bourbon

2 ounces soda water.

Mix everything in a mason jar except the soda water.  At this point, you can store in the refrigerator if you wish.

Fill a highball glass with ice or use a 2 inch ice cube.  Fill the glass about 2/3 with the bourbon mixture.  Top with soda water until about 1/4 inch from the top of the glass.  Or no soda water at all.  Stir.  Drink.

This is enough bourbon base for two drinks.

I would love to drink this in front of a fire with a book.  Maybe in November.

granola bars

I made the comment recently that more traveling could occur if we ate more of our own food, both on the road and everyday.  I have only been home one weekend in the last seven.  It may actually be six.  I find the problem with traveling the way I do is that I do not wish to stop and if I do, I cannot find anything I really wish to eat.

Many years ago, when we used to have more food allergies to deal with.  I made my own granola bars based on a Martha Stewart recipe.  I dug it out again because the boyos need snacks.  And because we are traveling again this weekend.  It is a good thing that I like sleeping in a tent and I have a very small tea kettle that I can take anywhere!

These granola bars can be quite crumbly.  I used to travel with them in a plastic box instead of a plastic sack.  Very satisfying though.

peanut butter granola bars

Note:  based on a Martha Stewart recipe.  I went looking for it again and I think the name has changed to be a breakfast bar.  I have also occasionally thrown in a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  It is all a matter of taste

1 large egg white

1/2 cup quick oats or other flake type cereal with same consistency (I always thought amaranth flakes would be good)

1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries.

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup peanut or other nut butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons olive or walnut oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Preaheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.  If you use two pieces, and lay them perpendicular to each other, it makes lifting the granola bars out easier.

Mix the oatmeal and dried fruit in a bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the oil, peanut butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together.  Heat and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.  I usually remove the mixture from the heat before all the sugar is dissolved and just keep stirring hard until it is.  I wish to cool the mixture down a bit because you now stir in the egg white.  Cooling the mixture down a bit means that the egg white does not cook.

Mix the peanut butter mixture into the oat mixture.  Spread in an even layer in the baking pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  It should be a little darker brown.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Lift out of baking pan and let cool completely before cutting.

I did not get these cut before the picture.  I am still frustrated that I only have my phone camera.  Hopefully, the car will be repaired soon!

Good for traveling.  Good for missed breakfast.  Good for snacks for boyos who run so hard they forget to eat!  Very good for Koda bears.

one scoop needed

Today has been a rough day.  Nothing worked very well at work.  Got home.  Felt like a good day.  Went for my walk and knew that it might be a night that I did not move very well.  I stiffened up so badly that I need help walking.  If I had not had such a lovely dinner out, I would have needed ice cream at home.  

I have a go to vanilla ice cream recipe but I admit that a go to chocolate ice cream recipe has been hard to find.  Most chocolate ice creams either do not taste of chocolate or taste so much of chocolate they are overwhelming.  No happy medium.  It is like my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Just a nice happy middle ground.  

I may have figured out an amazing middle ground chocolate ice cream.  I say amazing because the texture is very similar to a frozen custard.  I just freeze this in the freeze.  No ice cream machine of any kind.  An immersion blender is the only speciality tool I use.  This works!  

And is so good!  So good that you really only need to eat one scoop

chocolate ice cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream

14 ounce can of organic condensed milk

1 tablespoon vanilla (or to taste)

4 ounces cream cheese, full fat and plain

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate (I measured)

Put everything into a very large freezer proof bowl.  I used a Pyrex with a cover that fit over it.  Mix with the immersion blender until smooth.  Cover.  Let freeze for about 6 or 8 hours until solid.

Eat.  

So good.