Belated Buñuelos (and the t-shirt winners)

I am running later than late lately. Wow, 3 versions of a single word in a single sentence. I meant to post 2 different things over the past weekend...both my contribution for the IHCC Cookie Exchange and the winners of the Love the Pie! t-shirts. I don't have much time, but I wanted to share some delicious little pieces of fried dough that I made for the cookie exchange this (or should I say last) week. Traditionally we would make these with some yeast and a bit of anise, but this is a version by Nigella that mixes up quick and tastes pretty good in its own rite. Buñuelos from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson yield: 30 1/4 c. milk 1 egg 1 c. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar 1 Tbs. vegetable shortening cooking oil for frying powdered sugar for decorating Whisk the milk and egg in a large measuring cup or bowl. Pout the flour, baking powder and cream of tartar into a different bowl, then rub the shortening into the mixture either by hand or with a mixer. Pour in the milk and egg and mix to make a silky dough; be prepared to add 1-3 Tbs. of extra flour if it's too sticky. Pour the oil in a pan up to about 1" deep and place over high heat to reach a temperature of 350 degrees F. Tear off cherry tomato-sized balls** from the dough, rubbing them with your hands to shape them. Drop into the hot oil and cook for about 1 or 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels... ...and then arrange on a plate and dust with powdered sugar. **My notes: I would divide the dough into portions in advance the first time, because if you end up making them too big, they will still be doughy in the middle when they're golden on the outside...and that would be a shame (take it from me, I lost 4 this way)! And mine cooked very quickly, perhaps a minute or two total...no need for "flipping"...they flipped and turned and twisted all on their own. These are a great quick treat with some coffee, milk or hot chocolate...but definitely try a version with anise flavoring sometime, too...superb! ...and now to go cook/bake up something...anything...else Nigella (it's a POTLUCK this week at IHCC)!! Announcing the Winners of the Love the Pie! tshirt: Joanne of Eats Well with Others Jenn of Bread + Butter Martha of Martha's Menagerie Congratulations ladies...please shoot me an email with your shipping address and I'll get them on their way ASAP! (girlichef at yahoo dot com)

WINTRY VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP ....cuz baby it's COLD. OUT. SIIIIIIIIDE!

Well, it's official. It's FREEEEEEZING outside. The cold and the snow decided to takes their sweet time this year...and then slap us in the face. Hard and fast. Just last week it was a sorta pleasant 48°. Now it is a very unpleasant 5° (-7° w/ wind chill). Sure, snow's pretty...but ice and slick roads with black ice...not so pretty. I actually like being enveloped in that big white hush. As long as I can stay home all cozy and warm and see it through my window. But the minute you have to send kids out to stand at the bus stop worrying the whole time whether or not they'll make it home with all of their fingers and toes, it ceases being pleasant. Oh, or the minute you have to get on the road with all of the morons who forgot in the last 8 or so months how to drive in the snow. Um, hello...we live in Northern Indiana. It snows every year. I wouldn't mind driving so much if there was NOBODY else on the roads. Never seem to get that lucky, though. But, imagine if you will a day where you're tucked inside the house and only know it's snot-freezing outdoors by the icicles you can see hanging from the barren trees through your window. Nobody has to leave...music is playing...blankets are strewn from every available chair, table and shelf to form a massive fort...and of course, the kitchen is beckoning! This is when I don't mind it so much. A big pot of soup...bubbling on the stove...that's the stuff baby. That's the stuff.

Wintry Vegetable Beef Soup

from the kitchen of girlichef

yield ~1 gallon

1/2 Tbs. butter

1/2 Tbs. oil

~2 lbs. beef chuck (or any tougher, stew-worthy cut)

1 qt. stock/broth/water

4 slices thick-cut, peppered bacon

2 lg. sweet potatoes, peel & dice

2 lg. parsnips, diced

2 lg. carrots, diced

2 lg. sticks celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, peel & smash

1/4 of a red cabbage, sliced thin

1/4 of a green cabbage, sliced thin

few sprigs thyme

few sprigs parsley

2 bay leaves

2 qt. stock/broth/water

black pepper

to finish:

balsamic vinegar

Parmesan cheese

chopped herbs

Begin by melting the butter with the oil in a large Dutch oven. Brown your beef well on all sides. Once all sides are browned, drain off any excess fat in pan (more than a tsp.) and add 1 qt. of stock to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover pan and simmer gently for until meat is fork tender, ~2 1/2 hours. When beef is finished, transfer it to a large bowl with any juices and let cool until able to handle, then shred it. In the same pot you cooked the beef in, add the bacon and cook just done. Remove bacon, but leave fat in pan. Add veggies and cook until just beginning to soften. Add shredded beef and reserved bacon back to pot along with herbs. Add 2 qts. stock (or more to just cover) and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, ~10 minutes or so. I let it sit, covered for at least an hour to allow the flavors to come together. Remove herb stems and bay leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper (and salt if needed, depends on the saltiness of the liquid you used, so taste first). To serve, drizzle with a glug of balsamic vinegar and grate some fresh Parmesan over the top. Sprinkle with fresh, chopped herbs and more black pepper, if desired.There. Nice and cozy. Indoors with a big, bowl of steaming soup. Can you see the ice on the window pain melting from the heat in the kitchen? I can.

*I am entering this recipe into the FOODISTA Cookbook entry "contest" (read about it at the top of my sidebar) and would love it if you could go rate it (click on stars) if you get a moment. And everybody is free to enter an original recipe for a chance to be in the upcoming cookbook...so what're you waiting for!?

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UPDATE

10/19/10

This recipe was chosen to appear in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook which comes out today! Thanks so much to everybody who voted for me and made this possible! 

Appeasing my inner goddess...with Cranberry Orange Pudding

What does your inner goddess crave? Something sweet and sinful? Something tart and tangy? Something earthy and rich? My inner goddess is just the root of my outer desires. And I desire....everything. Just depends on the day...or on my mood. Sometimes I can't even decide, so I let fate guide me. While looking for a goddess goodie last night, my guide was my pantry. And my fridge. And my computer. What Nigella recipe could I find to satisfy my inner urges right then with ingredients I already had on hand (because I was not leaving the house. Nope. Wasn't gonna do it.) Luckily, I stock pile cranberries this time of year and I found a lusty sounding recipe for a pudding. A pudding that used orange oil as a flavor component. I didn't have any orange oil, but I happened to have some orange liqueur. Even better! This goddess was in business. And fortunately, I read the reviews of this recipe so that I knew that I was likely to get a heavenly mess at the bottom of my oven...which didn't convince me to use a bigger pan, because I think the goddess is a bit of a rebel, as well (throwing caution to the wind and all)...but I was wise enough to line the bottom with foil. Next time I'll use a bigger pan, too...but it didn't spoil the dish. Spilled it. Didn't spoil it. Cranberry Orange Pudding slightly adapted from Nigella Lawson yield: 4-6 svgs. For the fruit: 1/2 stick unsalted butter 4 1/2 cups cranberries 3 tablespoons sugar I added a good splash of Cointreau For the batter: 1 1/4 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 3/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1 stick unsalted butter, melted Few drops orange oil I used Cointreau 1/3 cup flaked almonds I actually used a couple handfuls of chopped hazelnuts Turbinado sugar, to sprinkle over Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Melt 1/2 stick butter in a wide saucepan, then add the cranberries and sugar and a good splash of orange liqueur. Cook over a fairly high heat until the fruit begins to pop. This will take hardly anytime if the cranberries are fresh, and about 10 minutes if they're frozen. Remove the pan from the heat. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda and sugar in a large bowl and add the eggs, melted butter and orange oil or liqueur. Mix until smooth. Pour half of the batter into a 2-pint round pie dish this is your subconscious...bigger one...use a bigger one... Cover with the cranberries, then top with the remaining batter; don't worry if the cranberries are not covered completely. Sprinkle flaked almonds or hazelnuts in my case and turbinado sugar on top... ...don't forget to line your oven with foil. Wanna know why? Because within 10 minutes, I heard drips hitting the bottom and starting to smell overly toasty...and smoke was pouring out the holes in the top of the stove...oh yeah, turn on the hood...extremely important. But I soldiered on. The goddess would not be beaten or deterred. Just see what happens. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour took mine 53 minutes, until the top is golden brown and set. See, good thing I soldiered on, because it was gorgeously, sinfully delicious! A crusty top and a gooey, rich and tangy center. About a bite of so in, I realized it would be good with a glop of homemade Mascarpone, as well. Oh yes, it was. More richness...but in a creamy, complimentary way! Our theme this week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs is Goddess Goodies...and this satisfied my inner goddess superbly. Join us or come on over to see what everyone else's inner (or outer) goddesses craved.

Upside Down Apple Pie

Apparently it takes me a whole week to post recipes for a single dinner. How do people post everything before or on the actual day? How? Do you test everything in advance? Or maybe it's pictures from previous years? Or perhaps you are superwoman/man? Whatever the method...color me impressed. But I will be content with bringing up the rear. Bringing up the rear with pies, even!

At our turkey day dinner...there is always pie. Pies. Plural. The dinner is NOT complete without at least a Pumpkin pie and a Pecan pie. At. Least. There is usually at least one more pie...and occasionally even another type of dessert thrown in. This year we ended up with 4 pies.

Grandma already said she was bringing the pumpkin and pecan...so I was left coming up with the alternate. Many years that ends up being a Bourbon Sweet Potato pie...which is a favorite or Apple w/ a Cheddar crust, a favorite as well...but this year, when I was blog surfing, I happened upon a scrumptious looking beauty from Ingrid over at 3 B's! I knew the minute I saw it that this would be the one to try this year. Ingrid's pie called for a store-bought Pillsbury pie crust. While I usually like to make my own pie crust, I'm not averse to using store-bought ones. Sometimes convenience is key.

Fresh From Indiana New York!

I am ecstatic to have Christine from Fresh Local and Best guest posting today! I adore visiting Farmer's Markets...my local ones, yes...but also ones that are foreign to me...in a town I am visiting or passing through. It's so awe inspiring to see and feel and smell what comes from that particular patch of earth your in at the moment. Christine is bringing her gorgeous market finds to us today...sit back and enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fresh Local and Best is a blog that features a collection of stories related to food, dining experiences and sights and scenes in New York City. Each month I write a post that reviews the seasonal offerings at the Union Square Farmers' Market, and this month Girlichef has graciously let me to guest post this column on her blog.

If you haven't been to the east coast recently, I can tell you it's been unseasonably warm in New York City. In the recent days, I've been able to walk outside with a simple a thin turtle neck. I know that as soon as this gets published, we're going to get dumped with snow! Christmas decoration has already been strung across the city, and everyone is in a festive and celebratory mood, so perhaps a little snow wouldn't hurt.

Despite all of the glitter and sparkle donning the city, my favorite part of New York remains the Union Square Farmers' Market. Even over the quiet Thanksgiving Day weekend when people stayed in to recuperate from the festival of eating, many farmers were present faithfully bringing us their freshest produce. Although we are entering into a slimmer produce season, there are still some good fresh produce options at the farmers' market. In season right now are several vegetables in the brassica oleracea family, including cauliflower, broccoli, collard greens and brussels sprouts.

Also in season are root vegetables: potatoes, radishes, parsnip and carrots. The following are Japanese white turnips called hakurei.

Watermelon radish add such a delightful color and flair with its bright fuchsia flesh.

Green daikon, which is great for radish kimchi. If you have a great kimchi recipe, I'd love to know!

Also available at the market is burdock, which is a root vegetable that is popular in Asia. If you know how it's incorporated into cooking, please chime in. It's gained popularity in recent years for its beneficial medicinal qualities.

Also fresh are organic plump and ripe heirloom cranberries from Breezy Hill Orchard, which we used to make an incredible cranberry sauce this past Thanksgiving.

Several varieties of mushrooms including white button, crimini, portebello, and shiitake are available all year long.

Over the next several months many of the fruits and vegetables at the market will be sold from storage to sustain us until the next growing season.

Apples harvested over autumn will be offered as late as next June. Some people actually prefer their apples at least one month old, noting that the sweetness is more complex while the fruit still remains crisp. I enjoy them as crisp as possible.

Outside of fruits and vegetables, fresh locally caught fish is offered every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, year round. These were a few shots taken at the P.E. & D.D. fish stand.

Fresh pasta made from Knoll Krest Farm free range eggs is being offered at the Hudson Valley Farm stand on Saturdays. Plain pasta is available for $4 per 12oz, while seasonal flavors such as spinach and beets are sold for $5.

In addition to organic breads, cakes and other baked goods, Hawthorne Valley Farm also offers a range of organic granola mixes and raw cultured vegetables, which are great kitchen staples.

If you're looking for holiday decoration, there were so many Christmas trees and garlands at the market that surrounding scent was filled with a refreshing pine fragrance.

I hope you've enjoyed this visit with me to New York and the Union Square Farmers' Market!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gorgeous!!!! I want to thank Christine for bringing this beautiful post...beautiful writing, beautiful pictures, beautiful energy...to girlichef today! I am so inspired...I must throw on my coat and hat, grab a few bags and head to market. Pronto! To check out past...and future installments, don't forget to go visit the fabulous Fresh Local and Best!