The Valence Recipe Box

Chicken Pad Thai

2009-01-30T14:50:00.022-05:00

Here's a chicken pad thai recipe I've used with much success. I'm told I need to sweeten it up a bit, but that's just my wife's preference :) Adapted from about.com recipe.

Particulars

1 pkg (10oz) Thai-style rice noodles. Make sure they're made in Thailand, otherwise it might be something weird. You want **rice** noodles.
1.5 c sliced chicken breast meat (not cooked)
2 t cornstarch dissolved into 2 T soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 c fresh bean sprouts
3 green onions, sliced
1 c fresh coriander
1/3 c nuts, crushed (I used peanuts but anything "nutty" will do)
1/2 c chicken stock
1/4 t ground black pepper, fresh
3/4 T tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 c warm water
2 T fish sauce
3 t chili sauce (Sriracha, for example. I like it HOT so I use a bit more. Adjust to taste)
3 T brown sugar (not packed, but perhaps add another 1/2 T or whole T if you need it).

Do It

The key is the cooking (or not cooking) of the noodles. I've seen two schools of thought: noodles go in cold water and bring almost to boil, or just boil for a few minutes. My particular package of noodles featured noodle instructions for pad thai, which is almost parboiling the noodles and rinsing in cold water. The remainder of the cooking occurs in the wok. That worked for me - so put the noodles in boiling water for a few minutes until slightly firm and chewy, then rinse in cold water. Otherwise, you can place noodles in a pot of water and place on the stove. Bring to near a boil, then remove from heat and simmer. Noodles are ready when they are soft enough to be eaten, but are still firm and chewy. Drain and rinse through with cold water. Set aside.
Pad Thai sauce - combine the tamarind paste/water and brown sugar. You'll want a tangy-sweet combo, so adjust to taste now.
Mix the chicken and cornstarch/soy marinade. Stir to coat then set aside. Note: you could probably add some interesting stuff here, perhaps coconut?
Warm up a wok over medium-high heat. Make sure the wok is hot before you start. Add ~2 T of vegetable oil then saute the garlic for about 30 seconds.
Add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry until the wok or pan becomes dry.
Now begin adding some of the chicken stock. Add only a few Tbsp. at a time, enough to keep the chicken frying nicely. Continue until all the chicken stock has been added and chicken pieces/strips are cooked (about 5-8 minutes).
Add the noodles, and pour the Pad Thai sauce over the noodles. Using two spatulas, wooden spoons, or other utensils, quickly stir-fry the noodles. Use a "lift and turn" method (almost as though you were tossing a salad) instead of the usual stir-frying motion, or the noodles with break apart.
Fry the noodles in this way for 1-2 minutes. If you find your wok/frying pan too dry, push noodles aside and add a little more oil to the bottom (but no more broth, or the noodles will become soggy).
Add the bean sprouts and sprinkle over the ground black pepper. Continue "tossing" for 1 more minute, or until noodles are cooked. Noodles are done to perfection when they are no longer "hard" or transulcent. They should be opaque and chewy-sticky wonderful!
Taste-test the noodles for seasoning, adding more fish sauce as needed. Toss well to incorporate.
To serve, lift the noodles onto a serving plate. Top with generous amounts of fresh coriander, spring onion (green onion), and crushed or chopped nuts. Add fresh lime wedges (lime is great squeezed overtop), and serve with a bottle of Thai chili sauce on the side, for those who like it extra spicy.

Pot Stickums

2009-01-29T12:17:00.031-05:00

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown's recipe.

Particulars:

1/2 lb ground "meat" of your choice (tofu, pork are usual suspects)
2 c cabbage, finely chopped
1/4 c scallions, finely chopped
2 T bell pepper, red, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly bruised (or 1/4 c egg substitute)
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t light brown sugar
1.5 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper, fresh ground
~1 t cayenne pepper (adjust to your liking)
1 t sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T light soy sauce or fish sauce or oyster sauce
ginger, freshly grated fine (approx 1T or less)
wonton wrappers (~40)
chicken stock (~1 1/3 c) in 1/3 c increments
vegetable oil
water
brush

Chop up the scallions, bell peppers, and cabbage - I suggest using a food processor. Drain all water from chopped veg. Sprinkle a little salt over the veg to draw out water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then squeeze out all water.
Preheat your oven to 200F.
Mix up all ingredients (except wrappers, chicken stock, veg oil, and water) in a large bowl. Mix it good. Set aside.
Fill wontons. Brush water on two edges, place about 1/2 t - 1t of filling in center, fold, seal, shape as desired. Set filled wontons aside, cover with damp cloth. Repeat until all wrappers are filled or you're out of filling.
Heat a 12" saute pan over medium heat.
Once pan is hot, brush with veg oil - lightly - and make *sure* you're up to temp.
Add filled wontons to pan about 8-10 at time and cook for 2 minutes. Don't touch them.
After 2 minutes, gently add 1/3 c chicken stock and drop heat to low. Cover. Cook for 2 minutes.
Remove wontons to a baking dish or other heatproof platter and put in 200F oven to keep warm.
Clean pan between batches by deglazing with water.
Repeat steps 6-10 until all wontons are cooked. Serve and enjoy!

P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

2008-08-26T09:38:00.002-04:00

Withdrawn. Tried out this recipe and it SUCKS. I'll replace it with a better one.

~~Ingredients:~~
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons water
salt and pepper
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, minced
5 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
2 small dried chilis (optional)
1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots, minced
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, minced
1 package cellophane Chinese rice noodles, fried in oil for a minute or two (until they puff up)
Cooking Sauce:
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Iceberg lettuce "cups" leaves OR
Bibb lettuce leaves or other leaf lettuce
~~Directions:~~
Cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain. Cut and discard woody stems. Mince mushrooms. Set aside. Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside. In medium bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry, water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minuts. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, chilis (if desired), and onion; stir fry about a minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until thickened. and hot. Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces, and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Spoon into lettuce leaf and roll.
~~reproduced from epicurean.com~~

The Pancake Mix

2008-01-08T15:06:00.001-05:00

Here's a recipe for pancake mix. Enjoy.

1/2 c. AP Flour
3 tbsp sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1½ c. milk
3 tbsp melted butter
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract

Mix the dry ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients. Don't over-mix, some lumps are ok.

Smoky Chorizo Pie

2007-11-16T08:29:00.000-05:00

This is a place holder for a recipe I whipped up yesterday - we had the Harvest Feast at work.

Gummy Treats!

2007-10-30T11:57:00.000-04:00

This is something I haven't tried yet, but will be experimenting perhaps this weekend. I've seen a few kits out there that use carrageenan, but I want to do it from scratch. I'll let you know how it goes...

Gummi Bears

1 small box jello with sugar (any flavor)
7 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water

Mix in a saucepan until the mixture resembles playdough. Place pan over low heat and stir until melted. Once completely melted, pour into plastic candy molds, and place in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Scott Roast

2007-10-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

recipe courtesy of Vicki Scott
Ingredients
2.5 - 3lbs pot roast meat (chuck roast)
1-2 lg white onions, sliced
2 lbs carrots, peeled & cut
6 - 8 medium potatoes, peeled cut.
1 can cream of onion soup
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 c. red wine
1 c. water

Preparation
Rinse meat, arrange in rectangular baking dish or in crock pot. Arrange carrots, potatoes and onions around meat. Whisk all liquids and soup mix together, pour over meat and veg. Cooking options: bake 4 hours @ 350°F in oven (cover with foil) or in crock pot for 8 hours on low, or until fork-tender.

Options
Serve with flaky can biscuits!

Meat Balls 'n Sauce

2007-10-20T20:01:00.000-04:00

recipe courtesy of Vicki Scott

Ingredients
Balls
1.5 lbs ground sirloin
2 eggs, beaten until subdued
1 pkg Onion Soup mix
1/4 c. ketchup
dash of Worchestire Sauce
3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs

Sauce
1/4 c. margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 c. water
1 can tomato soup
1 can chicken & rice soup

Preparation
Sauce
Melt margarine on medium-low heat. Sweat veg until tender. Add water and soups, bring to light boil. While coming to a boil, make the balls.

Balls
Mix all ingredients together and roll into 1.5" balls. Drop balls into sauce, keep space between them to they don't stick together. Cook on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2007-10-20T18:55:00.000-04:00

recipe courtesy of Vicki Scott

Ingredients
16 oz fettucine or your favorite pasta
3-4 chicken breasts, diced or chunked
2 tbsp cajun seasoning
4 tbsp butter
2 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
8 sliced mushrooms
2-3 green onions
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 tbsp parmesan cheese
? cream

Preparation
Sliced up veggies and set aside. Combine spices (not herbs!) and set aside. Coat chicken in spice mixture, saute in butter for 6-7 minutes. Add veggies and continue saute for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat, stir in cream. Season with herbs, heat through. Toss with pasta, top with cheese.

Thai One On Southern Gumbo

2007-10-16T21:14:00.000-04:00

This is a Thai-Southern infusion, which is basically a gumbo (sans file) with some added kick. We taste-tested this dish today and found it to be quite reasonable. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 lb okra
1 can Rotel "Mexican Fiesta" - the blue label.
3/4 cup chick peas
4 ears of white corn
2 fillets of orange roughy - if you'd like to be environmentally conscious, use cod instead.
1 medium onion
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 can of coconut milk - use your judgment here (read on later)
Salt / Pepper to taste
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp white pepper, ground
1/2 tsp coriander, ground
3 tbsp olive oil + dash of kosher salt

Preparation
Chop the onions into even pieces. Heat the olive oil and kosher salt in a large skillet or pan. Sweat the onions until they turn translucent - if they start to brown, turn the heat down. This should take about 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and continue the sweat for another two minutes, stirring occasionally.

While that's going on, de-cap and de-tail the okra and slice them into even pieces. Set aside. De-ear the corn and set aside. For an added touch of flavor, roast the corn while still on the cob to toast it up. Add all these items as well as the chick peas into the pan, then kick the heat up to medium-high.

Poach the fish in a bit of olive oil and water. I wrap the fillet in parchment paper and pop it in the microwave for 4 minutes. After that's done, bust up the fillet and add into the pan. Add the coconut milk. Add the remainder of the spices and gently stir up, then just cook it all up until it's cooked to your satisfaction and the veg are tender.

Finally, drop the heat down to low (or off!) and let your gumbo simmer. After a few minutes, serve and enjoy!

Pot Pork Stickers Dim Sum

2007-10-16T07:15:00.000-04:00

Last night I made some pork "pot-stickers", but I think it's more along the lines of Dim Sum. I kinda winged it, so this post is really a place-holder until I get a moment to write down exactly what I did.

Tabbuleh, Tabouli, Tabooley

2007-10-15T12:08:00.000-04:00

Yes, well, it is a bit difficult to transliterate an Arabic word to an English word in any other form but phonetic, isn't it? Luckily, transliterating Tabouli (my preferred spelling) from a recipe to your table is pretty darn simple.

Ingredients

Cracked Bulgur Wheat
Parsley, chopped - remove stems as much as possible.
Olive Oil - enough to coat the parsely. I usually eyeball this right from the bottle - no more than 2 tbsp.
1-2 Cucumbers, peeled & cubed. You can optionally seed the cukes, but I don't.
1 tomato, cubed. Roma tomatoes are good. For a Southern twist, try Green Fryer Tomatoes (not fried). They will add a nice crunch.
Lemon Juice, to taste - adds a bit of acid bite.
Salt & Pepper to taste optional.

Preparation

Cook the bulgar wheat per directions, and allow to cool off a bit, ideally to room temperature. While that's cooling, you can finish your mise en place on the vegetation. Note on quantities: I prefer more parsely such that the tabouli is more like a salad, however you may prefer a more wheatey dish, in which case, tailor the amount of parsely accordingly.

Take a large bowl, add the parsely and olive oil, toss to coat. Add tomatoes, cukes and lemon juice then toss to mix and coat. Finally, add the bulgar wheat and mix it all up.

Serve

You can use as a side salad (e.g. with kabobs), or top with peppery-crusted pork tenderloin and some tzatziki sauce - both of these will be forthcoming recipes once I get a moment to enter them in.

California Roll

2007-10-15T11:41:00.001-04:00

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Wake Up Little Sushi
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 appetizer servings

Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
4 sheets nori
1/2 batch sushi rice, recipe follows
1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchstick-size pieces
4 crabsticks, torn into pieces
Pickled ginger, for serving
Wasabi, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving

Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.

Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. Cut nori sheets in half crosswise. Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic covered mat. Wet your fingers with water and spread about 1/2 cup of the rice evenly onto the nori. Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds. Turn the sheet of nori over so that the rice side is down. Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet. Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder. Pull away the mat and set aside. Cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until all of the rice has been used. Cut each roll into 6 pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

Sushi Rice

2007-10-15T11:40:00.001-04:00

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Wake Up Little Sushi
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 cups

2 cups sushi or short grain rice
2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.

Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.

Tomato Sauce

2007-10-15T11:37:00.001-04:00

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Tomatoes
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 4 cups

20 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup finely diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1 cup white wine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans place tomato halves cut side up. Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs. Bake tomatoes for 2 hours. Check the tomatoes after 1 hour and turn down the heat if they seem to be cooking too quickly. Then turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and process tomatoes through a food mill on medium dye setting over a small saucepan. Discard skins. Add white wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Pantry Friendly Tomato Sauce

2007-10-15T11:34:00.000-04:00

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Seeing Red
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 1.5 quarts

2 (28-ounce) cans whole, peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
2 ounces olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup white wine
Kosher salt and black pepper, to tasteIn a sieve over a medium non-reactive saucepot, strain the tomatoes of their juice into the sauce pot. Add the sherry vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil to the tomato juice. Stir and cook over high heat. Once bubbles begin to form on the surface, reduce to a simmer. Allow liquid to reduce by 1/2 or until liquid has thickened to a loose syrup consistency.

Squeeze each tomato thoroughly to ensure most seeds are removed. Set the tomatoes aside.

Cut carrot, onion, and celery into uniform sizes and combine with olive oil and garlic in a non-reactive roasting pan over low heat. Sweat the mirepoix until the carrots are tender and the onion becomes translucent, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and capers to the roasting pan.

Place roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven and broil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Tomatoes should start to brown slightly on edges with light caramelization. Remove the pan from the broiler. Place the pan over 2 burners on the stove. Add the white wine to the tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes over medium heat.

Put the tomatoes into a deep pot or bowl and add the reduced tomato liquid to the tomatoes. Blend to desired consistency and adjust seasoning.

Bitchin' Monk Witbier

2007-10-14T22:35:00.000-04:00

This is from my own private label, Seeing Double Brewery. Bitchin' Monk is in the style of a Belgian Witbier. It is wheaty, golden, and has great mouth feel - not very bitter at all. It will brew out to about 4.9% alcohol by volume.

Wort Ingredients
2 cans Witty Monk Malt Extract
2 packets of Brewer's Yeast
1/2 cup Honey

Brewing
Follow your typical brewing preparation instructions.

Fermentation
Ferment for 21 days at about 78-80°F. No secondary fermentation racking.

Bottling
Follow normal sanitation procedures for bottling. Add priming sugar to each bottle before filling, then fill 'er up.

Carbonation
At least one week in the bottle for proper carbonation.

Lagering
You can drink after the carbonation is completed, but if you let it lager (sit around in the refrigerator) for two weeks or more, you'll be pleasantly rewarded with a rounder flavor.

Enjoy!

RooBroo Honey Pale Ale

2007-10-14T22:13:00.000-04:00

This is from my own private label, Seeing Double Brewery. RooBroo is a classic pale ale, with some nice fruity overtones. It is sharp when cold, with a faint sweet honey overtones on the finish. It's amber in color. There are a bit of hoppiness to RooBroo, but not very much. It will brew out to about 7% alcohol by volume - be careful :-)

Wort Ingredients
1 can West Coast Pale Ale Hopped Malt Extract
1 can Pale Export Unhopped Malt Extract
2 packages of Brewer's Yeast
1 Package of "Booster" (basically corn syrup crystals)
1 cup of Honey

Brewing
Follow your typical brewing preparation instructions.

Fermentation
I fermented RooBroo for 21 days at about 78-80°F. No secondary fermentation racking.

Bottling
Follow normal sanitation procedures for bottling. Add two tablespoons of white sugar to each bottle before filling, then fill 'er up.

Carbonation
At least one week in the bottle for proper carbonation.

Lagering
You can drink after the carbonation is completed, but if you let it lager (sit around in the refrigerator) for two weeks or more, you'll be pleasantly rewarded with a rounder flavor.

Enjoy!

Make Your Own Hard Cider

2007-10-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

Ingredients
5 gallons of preservative-free, sweet apple cider, preferably unpasteurized
Two packets of wine yeast (Lalvin 71B or Red Star Cote des Blancs are good choices)
Optional for higher alcohol content: 2 pounds of brown sugar or honey
Optional for creating a starter: one 16-ounce bottle of preservative-free, pasteurized apple juice
Optional for sparkling cider: 3⁄4 cup honey or brown sugar

Brew it up!
On brewing day, pour your cider into the brewpot and simmer it over medium heat for about 45 minutes. This will kill most of the wild yeasts and bacteria in the cider. Bolder cidermakers will forgo this step by pouring the sweet cider directly into a plastic bucket and then pitching in the yeast. If you follow this strategy, wild strains of yeast will still be in the sweet cider when it begins fermenting. This will alter the flavor of the cider. (It may or may not improve it.) If you do heat the cider, don’t let it boil! Boiling causes pectins to set, which creates a permanently hazy beverage. While simmering the cider, you can add the optional 2 pounds of brown sugar or honey. This will boost the fermentable sugar content in your cider and up the alcohol content.
Next, pour the cider into a sanitized fermentation bucket — an unsanitized bucket may spoil the cider.

To sanitize, pour a capful of bleach into your bucket, fill it with water, let it sit for a half an hour, then dump out and rinse with cold water. (You can also buy non-bleach, no-rinse sanitizers at homebrew stores.) Let the cider cool to nearly room temperature, then add your yeast — or starter, if you chose to make one. Stir the mixture for a minute or two with a clean stainless steel or plastic spoon to aerate, then seal the lid and affix the airlock. Place the bucket in a room or closet where the temperature is 60 to 75 degrees — the closer to 60 degrees, the better. Stay within this range if you can: At lower temperatures the cider won’t ferment, while higher temperatures will speed up fermentation, but may also change the flavor.

Let it Ferment
Within a day or two you should see the airlock start to bubble. The gas it’s releasing is carbon dioxide, a byproduct of the fermentation process. Congratulations, your soft cider is on its way to becoming a delicious, inebriating elixir of the gods! This bubbling should subside within two weeks, signifying an end to the primary fermentation. After that, let the cider sit another week to allow the yeast to settle out.

Options For Bottling
There are a couple of different ways you can go at this point:

Option 1: Bottle the Cider Now. If you want to bottle the cider immediately, affix the rinsed food-grade tubing to the spigot on your fermentation bucket and pour the cider off into sanitized jugs or bottles. (Be gentle when moving the bucket full of cider. Sloshing can disturb the yeast sediment at the bottom of the bucket and cloud up your cider.) Seal the jugs or bottles. Let the bottled hard cider sit for another two weeks and then it will be ready to drink. Your cider will probably be “still” (i.e., not fizzy) unless you let it age for several months. Hard cider is more like wine than beer, and the flavor will improve as it ages.

Option 2: Let it Clarify. If you only use one fermenter, your cider will taste fine, but may not be perfectly clear because it will probably still have some suspended yeast. To reduce cloudiness, siphon your cider into a secondary fermenter (another food-grade bucket). Sanitize this bucket before filling it with cider. Once you’ve siphoned your cider into the secondary fermenter, put a sanitized lid and airlock on it and place it back in a dark and, preferably, cool location. A month should be ample time for the cider to clarify. After it’s aged for as long as you can stand, bottle it as above. This cider will most definitely be “still,” with no bubbles.

Option 3: Make Sparkling Cider. Regardless of whether you decide to bottle immediately or let it clarify in a secondary fermenter, if you want “sparkling” cider, you’ll have to add a couple steps at bottling time. First, boil 1 cup water with three-fourths cup honey or brown sugar. Pour this mixture into a sanitized bottling bucket (i.e., another fermentation bucket with a spigot at the bottom). Then, siphon your cider over from your fermentation bucket to the bottling bucket. The honey or brown sugar syrup and cider should mix together naturally, but stir slowly with a sanitized spoon if you feel it is necessary. Then, bottle as you would normally. You’ll have to let this sit a bit longer than the still cider, so the residual yeast will have time to ferment the sugar you added and carbonate the cider inside the bottle.

Drink the Cider!
At this point, it’s time to start drinking your cider and thinking about brewing your next batch. With time and experience, your skills will grow and your recipes will become more complex. Soon, you’ll be making cider that delights your friends and terrifies your enemies.

Coconut Curried OkraMatoes & Scallops

2007-10-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 50 min
Servings: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 lb small fresh okra
1 lb plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño chile (including seeds)
1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 1/4 lb sea scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (preferably Madras)
2/3 cup well-stirred canned reduced-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Accompaniment: spiced basmati rice

Preparation

Trim tops of okra, being careful not to cut into pods.

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and immerse tomatoes in a 2-quart saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon (save boiling water) to a bowl of ice and cold water to cool, then peel. Add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water, then add okra and cook, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain okra in a colander, then plunge into same ice water to stop cooking. Drain okra and pat dry with paper towels.

Quarter tomatoes lengthwise and seed, then cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Purée onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeño (to taste), and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a blender.

Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with 1/2 teaspoon oil and heat over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke. Brown scallops in 2 batches, turning once, about 4 minutes total. Transfer scallops as browned with tongs to a plate and keep warm, covered with foil. (Scallops will not be cooked through.)

Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Add purée carefully (it may splatter), then add curry powder. Boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and remaining 3/4 cup broth and bring to a simmer. Add tomato strips and simmer, stirring frequently, until tomatoes are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Stir in scallops and okra and simmer until scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Divide scallops, vegetables, and sauce among 4 plates and sprinkle with cilantro.

Cooks' notes:

Tomatoes can be peeled, seeded, and cut into strips 4 hours ahead, then kept, covered, at room temperature.
Okra can be blanched and refreshed 4 hours ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag with a paper towel.
Substitute your favorite fish for scallops.
Substitute green beans for okra.
Add more curry for some goo

Nutritional Information

Each serving contains about 239 calories and 8 grams fat.

Easy One-pot Curry Recipe

2007-10-14T21:50:00.000-04:00

The delicious flavors of curry in a simple one-dish version make this ideal for leftover roast beef, lamb, pork or chicken.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

1 apple

1 onion

1 cup diced cooked meat

1 10 oz can of broth

2 teaspoons good curry powder, or to taste

1 cup water

2/3 cup uncooked rice, preferably brown

2 tablespoons raisins, preferably golden

optional condiments: bottled chutney, shredded coconut, chopped peanuts, grated apple

Container: lidded skillet or wide sauce pan
Servings: 2
Serving Size: cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Directions

This recipe can be multiplied if you wish to serve more than two or want to save some for freezing. The proportions are suggestions that can be varied to suit your taste and ingredients.
Chop onion. Scrub or peel and chop apple. Cut meat into cubes, about 1/2 inch.
Heat oil, cook onion and apple until they soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and meat, cook for another minute or 2.
Add broth, water, raisins and rice. Simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked, about 25 minutes for white rice or 45 minutes for brown rice.
Taste for seasoning; add salt, if necessary. Serve with any or all of the optional condiments. A full-flavored ale is a wonderful accompaniment.

Easy to Make Miso Soup

2007-10-14T21:44:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

4 oz container of thai style baked Tofu
5 medium raw button mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cups water
2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 onions spring or scallions (includes tops and bulbs) raw, medium (4-1/8 long)

Instructions

Slice scallions (green onions) and mushrooms. Cut tofu into 1/2in cubes. This soup recipe can be made a little faster by boiling three (3) cups of water in your kettle while you do the first steps. Heat sesame oil in a saucepan and add scallions; stir for about one minute. Add 2 1/2 cups of boling water and bring to a boil. Dissolve the miso in 1/2 cup of boling water and add to the saucepan. Remove from heat; add mushrooms and tofu before serving.

Spice Rack: Vanilla

2007-10-14T21:36:00.001-04:00

Over the past 10 years or so I've become more and more involved in cooking and food preparation in the home. Prior to obtaining two offspring and a stay-at-home Mom, a home-cooked meal was usually a treat, if we felt like it. Now, we feel that it's more of a necessity because we want to have shared meal time with the kids. So I've been expanding my arsenal of cooking knowledge (thanks Alton!) and experimenting more. In that vein, I've been most interested in spices and the application thereof. My current interests are with Vanilla and Grains of Paradise.

Vanilla beans are the offspring of fruit-bearing orchids, which were first cultivated (or perhaps "used" is a better term) by the ancient Totonaco people of Mexico. The Totonacos were conquered by the Aztecs, and when they folded to Cortez, well, Vanilla took root in several places - notably, Madagascar, Indonesia, Tahiti and it's home, Mexico. The process of cultivating vanilla beans can take as long as six years and includes hand-pollinating the orchid - so now you know why that bottle of 3 vanilla pods will set you back $7-10 in the store.

Here's some interesting information on the uses of vanilla:

A few drops of vanilla in a can of paint will help eliminate unpleasant odors!
A vanilla bean under your car seat gives a fresh aroma and helps eliminate musty odors.
A teaspoon or so of vanilla in Italian tomato sauces or Mexican chili helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes!
The United States consumption of vanilla beans is approximately 1,200 tons per year!
In baking, cream the vanilla with the shortening or butter portion of the ingredients. The fat encapsulates the vanilla, preventing it from volatilizing in the baking process.
Vanilla extract is used by veteran fishermen to mask the smell of their hands so the fish won't detect them!

I'll share more interesting information as I find it...

Okra and Tomatoes

2007-10-14T21:27:00.000-04:00

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006
Show:	Good Eats
Episode:	Okraphobia

1 pound okra, rinsed and trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups peeled and chopped tomato
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise* or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom

Cut each okra pod in half lengthwise and set aside. If there are any pods longer than 4 inches, cut them in half crosswise and then lengthwise.

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions along with the salt and cook until they begin to turn golden, approximately 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and add the ginger, pepper, cardamom and okra. Stir to combine. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Serve immediately.

*Cook's Note: Grains of Paradise are available online and in specialty spice markets. They have a zesty flavor reminiscent of pepper, coriander, and cardamom.

Ratatouille Provencal

2007-10-14T21:13:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3.5 Pounds tomatoes
2 eggplants, cubed or cut into rondelles
2 zucchinis, cubed or sliced
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, julienned
2 Pounds onions, chopped
10 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons Herbes de Provence
1/2 cup olive oil, or enough for sauteeing
Salt pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

Sautee onions, garlic, and bell peppers in olive oil, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. Add more olive oil as necessary to prevent burning.

Peel and core the tomatoes, and add to the pot. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Stir harshly enough to break cooked tomatoes into pieces.

Add eggplant and zucchini, Herbes de Provence, and salt and pepper. If your tomatoes are off-season or otherwise less than perfect, add up to 1/2 cup tomato paste to improve flavor. Recover and simmer 30 minutes.

Helpful Hints

This is an easy, one-pot version of a traditional French ratatouille. Serve hot or cold, as a soup or over rice or couscous.