I am listening to a clip from the morning radio show I listen to on the way to work. Since I do not catch the whole show, I like going online from time to time and listening to the highlight clips. In the one I am listening to right now, the cast answers the question, "What do you respect?" Thus far, they have talked about mothers, integrity, men who respect their wives, blind people, and doctors. Usually the clips are fun and light-hearted, but this one gave me pause. What or who do I respect? What or who do you respect? Is is a person, a group of people, a characteristic?
Here are a few of mine...
- My parents. All parents really. I do not know how they do it. The amount of patience needed to be a parent, the love and the heartache involved. Scares me thinking I may be one some day.
- Paper. I would not be able to have my relaxing, in-bed reading without paper. No post-its, no spiral notebooks, no letters on random days.
- Water. Drinking it, bathing in it, swimming in it, playing in it, water is grand.
- People to whom learning does not come easy. People who have to study and study just to make a passing grade.
- Artists, musicians, and writers. The creative folk. My brain does not work that way. Sometimes I wish it did.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Wedged Bread
What better way to follow up a post about tea than to talk about scones? I can still remember my first scone like it was yesterday. At least I shall classify it as a scone since I had it with tea and it was made by a British grandmother-type. No, I am not joking. The first scone I had was in the lovely hamlet of Bargoed, Wales. I was there with a group from church doing Bible clubs and football, rugby, and coffeehouse outreach. The ladies of the church fed us well with raisin cakes/scones. I remember tolerating the raisin cakes, being as they were a bit dry and "thick."
Next scone memory - the cranberry walnut scone from Schlotzsky's Deli. Something I never would have tried had I not worked at Schlotzsky's. Mainly because I do not eat at Schlotzsky's much. This scone was huge! Wedge-shaped, filled with tart cranberries and toasted walnuts, topped with a sugary crust. It was divine.
My first attempt at making scones was thanks to a family friend who had a great peach harvest and gave my family some pounds of leftovers. My mom asked me to make peach scones. A lot of slicing and even more sticky mess. result - okay scones, do not remember them as being too scone-like with all the fresh fruit happening. More like an open-faced turnover.
Then. Then I found her. I do not remember how I came across her, but it was love at first sight. Dried Cherry Almond Scones. I have tempted officemates, friends, enemies, and family alike with this one. Flaky bread, huge sweetly tart dried cherries, glorious almond perfume, slight crunch from toasted almonds and sugar top. It is a masterpiece every single time I make them. (Recipe intentionally not linked to. Why? Because she is mine, mine, I tell you! All mine! And I am not sure where I would find it. And I am selfish, keeping all the scone glory to myself and those who eat them.)
She and I have had a happy relationship over the years, caring for one another in times of need, like brunches, cross country car rides and care packages. But variety is the spice of life, so I ventured on in quest of the next scone. I found it on my birthday. In the instruction manual for my new Kitchenaid Food Processor. I know, who thought of looking in an instruction manual for recipes? Well, with Kitchenaid they can be found. And they are pretty good, as my refrigerator can attest to. I currently have Kitchenaid Cinnamon Bread, white bread, pizza dough and hummus in it. No joke.
Back to the scones. Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Scones, courtesy of Kitchenaid. Grated orange peel, a whole cup of dried cranberries, yummy oats. All quite good. Used my handy dandy processor to do all the mixing and chopping work for me, kneaded the dough a few times, formed it into a circle on parchment paper, cut it into wedges and cooked. Easy as pie, except it is scones. One of the issues with scones that can occur is they can be a little dense. More like holding a brick in your hand than a baked pastry good. And I had my qualms about this one going into it. Oats are not known for being light or fluffy.
Took the scones out of the oven and drizzled orange glaze on the tops. The orange glaze is enough to make me cry - 1/4 teaspoon orange peel, some powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange juice. Let them cool a little, enough so I would not scald my mouth, dove in.
First impression - Good gracious is this moist and flaky and light! It melts in your mouth. The tart with the sweet with the oaty. Beautiful. Upon further eating, I recognized some things that I would like to amend for batch two. The cranberries were indeed chopped in the processor, a little too much. I wanted larger chunks. Maybe next time I will add them toward the end, or chop half a cup and leave the other half whole. The glaze was a little too sweet, a little more orange juice needed next time. Or orangier orange juice. But overall a hit in my opinion.
What I enjoy about both the cherry scone and cranberry orange scone recipes is that it is easy for me to envision how to amend them. I can switch out dried fruit for different dried fruit, orange peel for nuts or another citrus/extract flavor. The possibilities are limitless.
Next scone memory - the cranberry walnut scone from Schlotzsky's Deli. Something I never would have tried had I not worked at Schlotzsky's. Mainly because I do not eat at Schlotzsky's much. This scone was huge! Wedge-shaped, filled with tart cranberries and toasted walnuts, topped with a sugary crust. It was divine.
My first attempt at making scones was thanks to a family friend who had a great peach harvest and gave my family some pounds of leftovers. My mom asked me to make peach scones. A lot of slicing and even more sticky mess. result - okay scones, do not remember them as being too scone-like with all the fresh fruit happening. More like an open-faced turnover.
Then. Then I found her. I do not remember how I came across her, but it was love at first sight. Dried Cherry Almond Scones. I have tempted officemates, friends, enemies, and family alike with this one. Flaky bread, huge sweetly tart dried cherries, glorious almond perfume, slight crunch from toasted almonds and sugar top. It is a masterpiece every single time I make them. (Recipe intentionally not linked to. Why? Because she is mine, mine, I tell you! All mine! And I am not sure where I would find it. And I am selfish, keeping all the scone glory to myself and those who eat them.)
She and I have had a happy relationship over the years, caring for one another in times of need, like brunches, cross country car rides and care packages. But variety is the spice of life, so I ventured on in quest of the next scone. I found it on my birthday. In the instruction manual for my new Kitchenaid Food Processor. I know, who thought of looking in an instruction manual for recipes? Well, with Kitchenaid they can be found. And they are pretty good, as my refrigerator can attest to. I currently have Kitchenaid Cinnamon Bread, white bread, pizza dough and hummus in it. No joke.
Back to the scones. Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Scones, courtesy of Kitchenaid. Grated orange peel, a whole cup of dried cranberries, yummy oats. All quite good. Used my handy dandy processor to do all the mixing and chopping work for me, kneaded the dough a few times, formed it into a circle on parchment paper, cut it into wedges and cooked. Easy as pie, except it is scones. One of the issues with scones that can occur is they can be a little dense. More like holding a brick in your hand than a baked pastry good. And I had my qualms about this one going into it. Oats are not known for being light or fluffy.
Took the scones out of the oven and drizzled orange glaze on the tops. The orange glaze is enough to make me cry - 1/4 teaspoon orange peel, some powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange juice. Let them cool a little, enough so I would not scald my mouth, dove in.
First impression - Good gracious is this moist and flaky and light! It melts in your mouth. The tart with the sweet with the oaty. Beautiful. Upon further eating, I recognized some things that I would like to amend for batch two. The cranberries were indeed chopped in the processor, a little too much. I wanted larger chunks. Maybe next time I will add them toward the end, or chop half a cup and leave the other half whole. The glaze was a little too sweet, a little more orange juice needed next time. Or orangier orange juice. But overall a hit in my opinion.
What I enjoy about both the cherry scone and cranberry orange scone recipes is that it is easy for me to envision how to amend them. I can switch out dried fruit for different dried fruit, orange peel for nuts or another citrus/extract flavor. The possibilities are limitless.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tea: The Other Brown Brew
Office politics amuse me. Why some things happen while others don't, and the people pushing behind those happenings tells a lot about who has the strongest voice or persuasive method. Generally it is not me, which is why I feel fairly confident that I can write what I am about to write, and what I say will not be taken as belligerent office employee but musing minority.
It is about coffee. Or, more specifically, how I do not drink coffee. At least not the "regular" coffee of the office building. I understand there is a history of coffee in offices, where employees are provided the liquid free of charge. However, I have a slight complaint about this history. The times, they are a'changing, and more people are exploring different beverages. Like my hot beverage of choice, tea.
I like drinking tea every so often. I have a basket of tea in my office with varieties ranging from green to black to herbal. And, while the downstairs kitchen has a jar of various teas to choose from, I think most of what is in there is Lipton regular tea, the kind you brew for iced tea. In other words, very little "tea cup" tea.
Here is where the coffee comes in. While a vast majority of the staff are coffee drinkers, there is a growing minority that prefer tea. However, the tea people (Tea-ers) must purchase their own tea for work. Should this be so? Should the Tea-ers buy what the Coffees can get for free? Is this a workplace inequality? Or, are Tea-ers too selective in what they like to have a blanket variety pack provide for all?
For instance, I prefer green tea. Another coworker only drinks black tea. Yet another lives by loose leaf green tea. Are we Tea-ers too selective in both type and brand to be easily satiated? With coffee, as is my understanding, if it is a little to strong one can put more cream and/or sugar in it, whereas with tea, if it is not your flavor, there is not making it taste better. Bitter tea is bitter tea is bitter tea.
I can see where the argument can go from here. Someone speaks up, saying that if the Tea-ers get their liquid provided for them, then s/he prefers to drink a certain brand of soft drink every morning. And another would like orange juice, but no pulp and low acidity. Suddenly the office is stocking every beverage under the sun to accommodate everyone. It would anarchy. People would start expecting that muffin or egg white omelet to compliment their morning brew of Indian Chai tea with clover honey and vanilla soy milk. Or someone who only drinks a Starbucks venti 1% triple Caramel Latte no foam.
But where do you draw the line? Is hot tea in the national conscious enough that people would drink enough of it in an office building to merit the company buying the tea for them? Or, since Tea-ers are a selective lot, do the Tea-ers ask for reimbursement on the tea they buy for work?
A note here. I have no problem with the beverage situation at my job as it stands now. I have no problem buying whatever tea suits my fancy when I go to the store. I do not drink it often enough that I am buying a new box every other week. And, with the new "coffee" machine downstairs, I can get a hot chocolate as a treat when I like. Which is usually close enough to coffee for me. This is more a think I wonder about when the afternoon gets long and my eyes begin to gloss over from computer screen glare.
It is about coffee. Or, more specifically, how I do not drink coffee. At least not the "regular" coffee of the office building. I understand there is a history of coffee in offices, where employees are provided the liquid free of charge. However, I have a slight complaint about this history. The times, they are a'changing, and more people are exploring different beverages. Like my hot beverage of choice, tea.
I like drinking tea every so often. I have a basket of tea in my office with varieties ranging from green to black to herbal. And, while the downstairs kitchen has a jar of various teas to choose from, I think most of what is in there is Lipton regular tea, the kind you brew for iced tea. In other words, very little "tea cup" tea.
Here is where the coffee comes in. While a vast majority of the staff are coffee drinkers, there is a growing minority that prefer tea. However, the tea people (Tea-ers) must purchase their own tea for work. Should this be so? Should the Tea-ers buy what the Coffees can get for free? Is this a workplace inequality? Or, are Tea-ers too selective in what they like to have a blanket variety pack provide for all?
For instance, I prefer green tea. Another coworker only drinks black tea. Yet another lives by loose leaf green tea. Are we Tea-ers too selective in both type and brand to be easily satiated? With coffee, as is my understanding, if it is a little to strong one can put more cream and/or sugar in it, whereas with tea, if it is not your flavor, there is not making it taste better. Bitter tea is bitter tea is bitter tea.
I can see where the argument can go from here. Someone speaks up, saying that if the Tea-ers get their liquid provided for them, then s/he prefers to drink a certain brand of soft drink every morning. And another would like orange juice, but no pulp and low acidity. Suddenly the office is stocking every beverage under the sun to accommodate everyone. It would anarchy. People would start expecting that muffin or egg white omelet to compliment their morning brew of Indian Chai tea with clover honey and vanilla soy milk. Or someone who only drinks a Starbucks venti 1% triple Caramel Latte no foam.
But where do you draw the line? Is hot tea in the national conscious enough that people would drink enough of it in an office building to merit the company buying the tea for them? Or, since Tea-ers are a selective lot, do the Tea-ers ask for reimbursement on the tea they buy for work?
A note here. I have no problem with the beverage situation at my job as it stands now. I have no problem buying whatever tea suits my fancy when I go to the store. I do not drink it often enough that I am buying a new box every other week. And, with the new "coffee" machine downstairs, I can get a hot chocolate as a treat when I like. Which is usually close enough to coffee for me. This is more a think I wonder about when the afternoon gets long and my eyes begin to gloss over from computer screen glare.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Sundry Thoughts
I have been thinking as of late about life, future possibilities, and where my focus lies. Actually, correct that - I have been thinking about avoiding thinking about all those things. If that makes any sense to you at all. And, as happens sometimes, I began to think about things outside what immediately affects me right now. Cultural, political, societal, generational, etc. And I have come up with some things I think would be good for my generation to think about, act on, and such.... (In no particular order)
1. Read. No, not the latest celebrity gossip or style trends; not the headlines on your Google or Yahoo! homepage. Read the stories below the headlines. Sure the media may be biased in some areas, but at least you are now aware of something outside of your own personal news stories. Read what is not on the front page - small stories of hope relegated to pages on cnn.com you never knew existed, stories of tragedies in countries you did not know exist. Read a book that has nothing to do with a boy wizard or happy-ending romances. Read about something you are not comfortable or familiar with, whether it be about genocide in Eastern Europe or that chick book with that guy Darcy in it. You may learn something about yourself, others, and the world no Hollywood movie could show you.
2. Use energy efficient light bulbs. They last a long time, they reduce your electric bill, and they may just help the environment a tad. Good for the wallet and nature! And, if you are in the market for a new home electric appliance, get the Energy Star and help the wallet and nature even more.
3. Step away from the computer, video game, television, iPod, and cell phone and meet your friends face-to-face every now and then. It may be awkward at first because you do not have the safety of staring at a screen any more, but the end results will be greatly beneficial to all involved. You may even have more fun together in real life than you did in the cyberworld.
4. Vote. Vote every single time you can. But don't vote for a person only because there is an "R," "D," or "I" in parentheses after their name. Vote for a person because you read about them, their stance on the issues you care about and think you should care about, voting history, everything. The candidates and issues you support may surprise you. Oh, and don't just look at the big name candidates, look at the second- and third-tier ones as well.
5. Help someone out. It could be tutoring a teenager after school, helping a friend pack and move, volunteering at a soup kitchen or for an organization like Habitat for Humanity, assisting the elderly woman or the mom with three kids at the supermarket. Something that is not about you, that you do not expect accolades for, and that betters the life of someone else, be it for a moment or a lifetime.
6. Ask how someone is doing and then wait for the answer. The real answer. And then listen, for as long as it takes.
7. Go on an adventure. It could be Kuala Lumpur or Tomball, Texas. Go somewhere with some friends to a place you have never been for a day, a week, some period of time, and have fun. Eat at the local cafe; talk to the waitress, she (or he) probably has been around a while and has a host of stories. Check out a small town football game on a Friday night and cheer like you've lived there your whole life. If overseas, eat the monkey brain if for no other reason to say you did.
8. Recycle. I don't do it and I should. I even found out my apartment complex has a few recycle bins so there is no excuse for me any longer. Plastics, metal, glass, paper. Find a place that does it and bring your recycling stuff there. (Whole Foods has recycle bins outside if you are looking for a place.)
9. Drink water. It does not taste like much, is not exciting to look at, but it is the one thing all health gurus agree on. It does a body good! And drink the tap water. Bottled water is probably water from someone else's tap in nice packaging. Tap water saves you $1.25 for every 20 ounces, and you don't have to throw any plastics away.
Alright, now that I feel like I am that "always wear sunscreen" song, I will stop.
1. Read. No, not the latest celebrity gossip or style trends; not the headlines on your Google or Yahoo! homepage. Read the stories below the headlines. Sure the media may be biased in some areas, but at least you are now aware of something outside of your own personal news stories. Read what is not on the front page - small stories of hope relegated to pages on cnn.com you never knew existed, stories of tragedies in countries you did not know exist. Read a book that has nothing to do with a boy wizard or happy-ending romances. Read about something you are not comfortable or familiar with, whether it be about genocide in Eastern Europe or that chick book with that guy Darcy in it. You may learn something about yourself, others, and the world no Hollywood movie could show you.
2. Use energy efficient light bulbs. They last a long time, they reduce your electric bill, and they may just help the environment a tad. Good for the wallet and nature! And, if you are in the market for a new home electric appliance, get the Energy Star and help the wallet and nature even more.
3. Step away from the computer, video game, television, iPod, and cell phone and meet your friends face-to-face every now and then. It may be awkward at first because you do not have the safety of staring at a screen any more, but the end results will be greatly beneficial to all involved. You may even have more fun together in real life than you did in the cyberworld.
4. Vote. Vote every single time you can. But don't vote for a person only because there is an "R," "D," or "I" in parentheses after their name. Vote for a person because you read about them, their stance on the issues you care about and think you should care about, voting history, everything. The candidates and issues you support may surprise you. Oh, and don't just look at the big name candidates, look at the second- and third-tier ones as well.
5. Help someone out. It could be tutoring a teenager after school, helping a friend pack and move, volunteering at a soup kitchen or for an organization like Habitat for Humanity, assisting the elderly woman or the mom with three kids at the supermarket. Something that is not about you, that you do not expect accolades for, and that betters the life of someone else, be it for a moment or a lifetime.
6. Ask how someone is doing and then wait for the answer. The real answer. And then listen, for as long as it takes.
7. Go on an adventure. It could be Kuala Lumpur or Tomball, Texas. Go somewhere with some friends to a place you have never been for a day, a week, some period of time, and have fun. Eat at the local cafe; talk to the waitress, she (or he) probably has been around a while and has a host of stories. Check out a small town football game on a Friday night and cheer like you've lived there your whole life. If overseas, eat the monkey brain if for no other reason to say you did.
8. Recycle. I don't do it and I should. I even found out my apartment complex has a few recycle bins so there is no excuse for me any longer. Plastics, metal, glass, paper. Find a place that does it and bring your recycling stuff there. (Whole Foods has recycle bins outside if you are looking for a place.)
9. Drink water. It does not taste like much, is not exciting to look at, but it is the one thing all health gurus agree on. It does a body good! And drink the tap water. Bottled water is probably water from someone else's tap in nice packaging. Tap water saves you $1.25 for every 20 ounces, and you don't have to throw any plastics away.
Alright, now that I feel like I am that "always wear sunscreen" song, I will stop.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
A few of my favorite things
It has been a bit since I last posted. Not because I had nothing to write about, just that all I wrote about were found to be incomplete or in need of major refining. So, to satiate my readers (all two of you - hi!) and because my week has begun less than stellarly (two words: bulk mailing), I present things I like.
1) Rain when the sun is still shining. Actually, I like it when it rains in general, sun or no sun. The smell, sound, feel, all of it. Yes, even thunderstorms...as long as my power does not go out.
2) Peanut butter. For more detail on why I like peanut butter, read this.
3) Mozilla. Some of you may never of heard of this. I had not until my old computer started acting up on me (my Microsoft computer rejected Microsoft Office) and I had to find a new means of accessing internet. Tabbed browsing is a beautiful thing. I know, I know, Internet Explorer has tabbed browsing now, too. Mozilla is still better.
4) My mixer. I heart my mixer. I have made whipped cream, pizza dough, cookies, brownies, breads, and muffins using it and it has yet to fail me. It incorporates just the right amount of air into whatever it is I am mixing, giving the resulting edible the correct airiness my hand mixing could never achieve.
5) Burt's Bees. Pretty much anything from them. It smells (usually) good, feels good, and is natural to boot. I use their face soap, moisturizer, lip balms, and lotions regularly.
6) Hairy Man Road. Yes, that is right, I am talking about a road. When I was in college, I drove down this stretch coming and going and it was so inviting. Trees canopy the road, the sun seeping through the green leaves and boughs above. It was warm and peaceful. Also, the road has its own festival, complete with the Hairiest Man contest.
As to why this small stretch of road is nicknamed Hairy Man Road. Legend has it that he was left as an infant along the Brushy Creek river by settlers moving West in the 1800s. He was raised by the animals and always resented human intrusion to his creek and bluffs and would hang from the trees above wagon trains, dragging his feet on the tops to frighten the settlers. One time, it is told, his feet got caught on a carriage and he was dragged behind it until he died. Since then, if you drive along Hairy Man Road, you may hear his feet scraping along the roof of your car.
7) The Blair Handbook. I have used his book more than I ever thought I would. It shares how to cite books, articles, journals, and whatever else needs citing. Talks about punctuation uses, formatting essays, reviews, persuasive papers. And it gives several citing options: ALA, MLA, Chicago. It is the one useful thing I gained from taking freshman English in college.
I think those are enough things to like for now. I am starting to feel a little better already!
1) Rain when the sun is still shining. Actually, I like it when it rains in general, sun or no sun. The smell, sound, feel, all of it. Yes, even thunderstorms...as long as my power does not go out.
2) Peanut butter. For more detail on why I like peanut butter, read this.
3) Mozilla. Some of you may never of heard of this. I had not until my old computer started acting up on me (my Microsoft computer rejected Microsoft Office) and I had to find a new means of accessing internet. Tabbed browsing is a beautiful thing. I know, I know, Internet Explorer has tabbed browsing now, too. Mozilla is still better.
4) My mixer. I heart my mixer. I have made whipped cream, pizza dough, cookies, brownies, breads, and muffins using it and it has yet to fail me. It incorporates just the right amount of air into whatever it is I am mixing, giving the resulting edible the correct airiness my hand mixing could never achieve.
5) Burt's Bees. Pretty much anything from them. It smells (usually) good, feels good, and is natural to boot. I use their face soap, moisturizer, lip balms, and lotions regularly.
6) Hairy Man Road. Yes, that is right, I am talking about a road. When I was in college, I drove down this stretch coming and going and it was so inviting. Trees canopy the road, the sun seeping through the green leaves and boughs above. It was warm and peaceful. Also, the road has its own festival, complete with the Hairiest Man contest.
As to why this small stretch of road is nicknamed Hairy Man Road. Legend has it that he was left as an infant along the Brushy Creek river by settlers moving West in the 1800s. He was raised by the animals and always resented human intrusion to his creek and bluffs and would hang from the trees above wagon trains, dragging his feet on the tops to frighten the settlers. One time, it is told, his feet got caught on a carriage and he was dragged behind it until he died. Since then, if you drive along Hairy Man Road, you may hear his feet scraping along the roof of your car.
7) The Blair Handbook. I have used his book more than I ever thought I would. It shares how to cite books, articles, journals, and whatever else needs citing. Talks about punctuation uses, formatting essays, reviews, persuasive papers. And it gives several citing options: ALA, MLA, Chicago. It is the one useful thing I gained from taking freshman English in college.
I think those are enough things to like for now. I am starting to feel a little better already!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
An Apple (Dumpling) a Day
I tried a new recipe. It was good. I want to share it with you, but I do not want to give you the recipe. I would rather make it for you and have you be in awe of all the time, effort, and work that must have gone into making it. However, that is a bit self-seeking and it is great recipe to have in your back pocket for a last minute dessert to make for guests. And they will never know how easy it was to make. Unless, of course, you spill the beans and share the recipe with them like I am about to.
A few months ago I bought a box of frozen puff pastry sheets. I did not know what I would make, but it seemed like a good thing to have on hand. In case I need to make Beef Wellington or strawberry napoleons on a breezy Sunday afternoon. Truth was, I did not know what to with it. I would stare at the box in my freezer, look online for ideas. But nothing seemed to shout to me "I am the chosen recipe! Choose me for your flaky puff pastry!"
And then I found it. It was like God ordained the recipe for me. I mean, the recipe is called Allie's Delicious Baked Dumplings. It is meant for me to make! After procuring the one ingredient I was missing, apples, I set out on my adventure to make baked apple dumplings.
This is just about the simplest thing I have ever made next to the PB & J or a tuna sandwich. And, of course, my famous spoonful o' peanut butter with chocolate chips. (Spoon PB, small bowl of chocolate. Dip chocolate chip in PB. Eat. Repeat.) The hardest part is peeling the apple, but that was because I did not have a proper peeling mechanism.
Follow the directions: cut, roll, sprinkle, fold, press, bake. And then comes the icing. Oh my word, the icing. Who knew that adding a little bit of vanilla would increase the delectability of icing by an overwhelming margin. Here is where the recipe and I diverged. It said to wait to ice and eat dumpling until completely cooled. That is dumb. When faced with choosing between warm apple dumpling and cool apple dumpling, I choose warm. Sure the icing may slide off the dessert a little, but you can mop it up with the forkful of goodness.
I wish I had a picture of how my dumplings turned out, because they looked way better than the picture on the recipe. It honestly looks like something you would pay five bucks for at a restaurant. The outside is a dark gold brown, crunchy and flaky and light. But the good stuff lies on the inside. Through the baking process, the apple half melts and becomes a applesauce consistency. It is a bit firmer than applesauce, but has definitely lost the crunch of raw apple. Typical bite: soft and warm apple with cinnamon and nutmeg, a little crunchy flaky crust and a hint of vanilla from the icing. I did not have ice cream, but some vanilla bean would go fantastically with it.
Apple dumplings could become something I make every weekend. It is an easy recipe to halve, so I could eat one on Saturday and one on Sunday. It reheats very well; the crust does not get soggy and the apple does not become dry. It is a light dessert and would go well with a heavier entree like steak or filet mignon. I could see it served at a family grill night or as an end to a 4-course dinner. And here's the thing, if you want to make each dumpling hold a quarter of an apple to make the dessert a little smaller, I do not see why that would not work. The only reason I see why encasing a whole apple in the dough for dumplings may not work is that the apple would collapse as it cooked and you would lose the dumpling's structure.
Possible variations: pear or peach. (Peach may require some tweaking on the spices. A little more sugar and nutmeg, little less cinnamon. Eater's discretion.) Possible movie go-with: The Apple Dumpling Gang.
A few months ago I bought a box of frozen puff pastry sheets. I did not know what I would make, but it seemed like a good thing to have on hand. In case I need to make Beef Wellington or strawberry napoleons on a breezy Sunday afternoon. Truth was, I did not know what to with it. I would stare at the box in my freezer, look online for ideas. But nothing seemed to shout to me "I am the chosen recipe! Choose me for your flaky puff pastry!"
And then I found it. It was like God ordained the recipe for me. I mean, the recipe is called Allie's Delicious Baked Dumplings. It is meant for me to make! After procuring the one ingredient I was missing, apples, I set out on my adventure to make baked apple dumplings.
This is just about the simplest thing I have ever made next to the PB & J or a tuna sandwich. And, of course, my famous spoonful o' peanut butter with chocolate chips. (Spoon PB, small bowl of chocolate. Dip chocolate chip in PB. Eat. Repeat.) The hardest part is peeling the apple, but that was because I did not have a proper peeling mechanism.
Follow the directions: cut, roll, sprinkle, fold, press, bake. And then comes the icing. Oh my word, the icing. Who knew that adding a little bit of vanilla would increase the delectability of icing by an overwhelming margin. Here is where the recipe and I diverged. It said to wait to ice and eat dumpling until completely cooled. That is dumb. When faced with choosing between warm apple dumpling and cool apple dumpling, I choose warm. Sure the icing may slide off the dessert a little, but you can mop it up with the forkful of goodness.
I wish I had a picture of how my dumplings turned out, because they looked way better than the picture on the recipe. It honestly looks like something you would pay five bucks for at a restaurant. The outside is a dark gold brown, crunchy and flaky and light. But the good stuff lies on the inside. Through the baking process, the apple half melts and becomes a applesauce consistency. It is a bit firmer than applesauce, but has definitely lost the crunch of raw apple. Typical bite: soft and warm apple with cinnamon and nutmeg, a little crunchy flaky crust and a hint of vanilla from the icing. I did not have ice cream, but some vanilla bean would go fantastically with it.
Apple dumplings could become something I make every weekend. It is an easy recipe to halve, so I could eat one on Saturday and one on Sunday. It reheats very well; the crust does not get soggy and the apple does not become dry. It is a light dessert and would go well with a heavier entree like steak or filet mignon. I could see it served at a family grill night or as an end to a 4-course dinner. And here's the thing, if you want to make each dumpling hold a quarter of an apple to make the dessert a little smaller, I do not see why that would not work. The only reason I see why encasing a whole apple in the dough for dumplings may not work is that the apple would collapse as it cooked and you would lose the dumpling's structure.
Possible variations: pear or peach. (Peach may require some tweaking on the spices. A little more sugar and nutmeg, little less cinnamon. Eater's discretion.) Possible movie go-with: The Apple Dumpling Gang.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Strata for the Popeye Lover in You
I have a new go-to recipe for providing food for a group of people. It was tea sandwiches, but that was quite labor intensive, and not good make ahead food. Most people do not like soggy finger sandwiches. So, I have a new one coming to a brunch, lunch or bar mitzvah near you.
Spinach and Pancetta Strata is egg casserole and quiche on caffeine. Except there is not caffeine, just lots of tasty ingredients. Eggs, spinach, pancetta (Italian bacon), and bread all meld together beautifully in this dish. The most laborious portion of the creation is chopping and sauteing onions and cubing the bread. And waiting. There is at least 2 hours of that.
This is a great dish because it truly can be served for any meal. At breakfast it is quiche with no crust or an omelet and toast mixed together. Lunch and dinner is a casserole-like side. Also, it is still great reheated, something that scored major points for me as the sole eater of my household.
The taste. Because, when it comes down to it, that is pretty much all that matters. Okay, taste and mouth feel. The salty crunch from the pancetta perfectly compliments the heartiness of the spinach and bread. And, toward the end of each bite, you get that hint of sweet and spicy nutmeg. Who knew that little amount of spice would create such big flavor? The egg soaked bread makes for a bread pudding-like texture, but by no means soggy. The pieces of bread on top toast to a nice crunch while those in the dish retain their shape even after hours of resting in the egg mixture.
The strata is good because you can look at the base ingredients (milk, eggs, bread, onion) and add whatever you like. Broccoli, olives, basil, tomato, cheese, bell pepper, mushrooms, bacon, sausage, whatever your heart and mouth desire. Think of it: strata with cremini mushrooms, roasted bell pepper and Italian sausage...tasty, tasty! I like it when I find recipes I can switch up without too much fear of failure. It allows the creative culinary portion of my mind to stretch, and it allows me to test trial recipes out on unsuspecting victims like my coworkers, family, and friends. I have not poisoned or killed anyone yet!
Spinach and Pancetta Strata is egg casserole and quiche on caffeine. Except there is not caffeine, just lots of tasty ingredients. Eggs, spinach, pancetta (Italian bacon), and bread all meld together beautifully in this dish. The most laborious portion of the creation is chopping and sauteing onions and cubing the bread. And waiting. There is at least 2 hours of that.
This is a great dish because it truly can be served for any meal. At breakfast it is quiche with no crust or an omelet and toast mixed together. Lunch and dinner is a casserole-like side. Also, it is still great reheated, something that scored major points for me as the sole eater of my household.
The taste. Because, when it comes down to it, that is pretty much all that matters. Okay, taste and mouth feel. The salty crunch from the pancetta perfectly compliments the heartiness of the spinach and bread. And, toward the end of each bite, you get that hint of sweet and spicy nutmeg. Who knew that little amount of spice would create such big flavor? The egg soaked bread makes for a bread pudding-like texture, but by no means soggy. The pieces of bread on top toast to a nice crunch while those in the dish retain their shape even after hours of resting in the egg mixture.
The strata is good because you can look at the base ingredients (milk, eggs, bread, onion) and add whatever you like. Broccoli, olives, basil, tomato, cheese, bell pepper, mushrooms, bacon, sausage, whatever your heart and mouth desire. Think of it: strata with cremini mushrooms, roasted bell pepper and Italian sausage...tasty, tasty! I like it when I find recipes I can switch up without too much fear of failure. It allows the creative culinary portion of my mind to stretch, and it allows me to test trial recipes out on unsuspecting victims like my coworkers, family, and friends. I have not poisoned or killed anyone yet!
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