...And on that day it came to pass that the bacon fat jar runneth over, and did spill its grease upon the kitchen countertop, leaving a nasty puddle, and yea, there was no more room in the jar, and the children of the Lord dispaired, saying, "Our jar runneth over! O, what shall we do with all this bacon fat? We have fried our eggs and sauteed our brussels sprouts, yet still we have bacon fat to spare." Then did the Lord speak unto His children, saying, "Bring forth the Trinity Episcopal Church Recipe Book, and find ye there Nelle Branson's Swedish Ginger Cookie recipe." And the children of the Lord did as the Lord commanded them, and they did bake Nelle Branson's Swedish Ginger Cookies, and did not falter or sway from the recipe as it had been handed down unto them, for to substitute butter for the bacon fat is a blasphemy and a sin in the eyes of the Lord. And when they had baked the cookies, and allowed them to cool, the children of the Lord ate of the cookies and rejoiced, saying, "Who is like unto Nelle Branson? That Swedish Episcopalian really knew her way around a ginger cookie." And thus did the children of the Lord grow fat and plentiful.
Swedish Ginger Cookies*
Adapted from Nelle Branson in the "Trinity Episcopal Church Recipe Book," 1982 edition. Bacon fat can be substituted with 1 1/2 sticks of butter; for the authentic cookie, though, bacon fat is the key ingredient. Makes 40 small cookies.
3/4 cup bacon fat, cooled (from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds bacon)
1 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for dusting the cookies
4 tablespoons dark molasses
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream sugar and bacon fat. Add egg and molasses. Mix well and add the dry ingredients. Mix. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours. Form into small balls and roll in white sugar. Flatten with fingers.
Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until dark brown. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.
*This recipe, typed verbatim from a well-worn copy of a copy, was given to me by a pastry chef friend years ago and has become a staple of my cookie repertoire. It's traditional, but just quirky and homespun enough to impress your bacon-loving foodie friends.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
SnOMG
Yes, Seattle got a nice white blanket this week. We get snow in the lowlands only a few times a year, so anything more than an inch is big news. Businesses shut down, no one goes to work, and cars and busses all over the city begin their delicate downhill ballet. Seattle drivers are typically underprepared and overconfident, myself included. Five years ago I slid my bald-tired Nissan Altima down a snowy hill in Northgate and was barely able to stop myself in a neighbor's driveway. Two days later Mr. Mac extricated the car using a combination of kitty litter (for traction) and burning clutch. Thus ended my winter driving career. Now I stay inside and complain about other drivers like a proper Seattleite. Mr. Mac enjoys hooning around in the snow, and our current car (a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Turbo with all-weather tires) is actually the perfect snow driving vehicle. Still, my fear of sliding is deep-rooted and I choose to stay off the road.
Work has been very slow (tomorrow will be my second shift this month), so Mac Mini and I have been hanging out around the house. For many, many days now. I tried to take her out to play in the snow, but after a full ten minutes of bundling and applying hats and mittens, she refused to stand up in the snow. I put her down and she crouched into a ball and started crying. Apparently she feels that snow is very pretty and nice to look at, but best enjoyed from indoors, preferably while holding a warm cup of cocoa. I do wish I had been able to get out and play. I love tubing, sledding, and snowshoeing. I've only been skiing once, and I was horrible at it, but I'd be willing to try again.
Mac Mini also caught a cold this week, so she's been a little cranky and hasn't slept well. Cabin fever set in a couple of days ago and I'm trying to find creative things for her to do. We've read all the books (over and over and over again), we made a pillow fort, and I even put the batteries back in her most annoying musical toy. She seems to be feeling better today, so I'm going to put her in the backpack and venture out for a walk. We're heading to the International District Post Office, where in their infinite wisdom the USPS is holding one of my packages. Lord knows why...I ordered two yoga videos from Amazon and they should have been delivered to my apartment last week. Oh well. It's a good excuse for us to get out of the house, and maybe we'll stop by Uwajimaya for some noodles. I just can't face another day of "Hippos Go Berserk" ad infinitum.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
What's For Dinner?
Mr. Mac's Cakebread Pork Chops, that's what. And my god, do they smell delicious. Here they are a-grillin' on the Foreman:
He marinated them in tamari soy sauce, a tiny splash of vanilla extract, olive oil, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and cracked black pepper. Guaranteed to make your kitchen smell like spice cake. And don't discount the humble Foreman: our chops turned out tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked when the thermometer registered 140 degrees F. Here they are with their co-stars, lentils and kale:
He marinated them in tamari soy sauce, a tiny splash of vanilla extract, olive oil, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and cracked black pepper. Guaranteed to make your kitchen smell like spice cake. And don't discount the humble Foreman: our chops turned out tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked when the thermometer registered 140 degrees F. Here they are with their co-stars, lentils and kale:
The kale is simple, hearty, and delicious. Mr. Mac sauteed it with a splash of apple cider vinegar, a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. The lentils were cooked in a mixture of chicken stock and water (a two-and-a-half-to-one ratio of liquid to lentils), with mirepoix (one stalk celery, one carrot, and one small onion, diced) that we sweated in a little olive oil until soft. We also added one bay leaf and a shake of Italian seasoning to the pot and simmered the lentils until tender, about 30 minutes. I always wait until after my lentils are cooked to salt them; salting the cooking liquid can make the lentils tough. We seasoned ours to taste and piled on the kale and chops. Mmmmm. A delectable dish of greens, lean protein, and fiber. Good and good for you.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
What's For Dinner?
Chili! Yep, we had an impromptu chili night with our friends R and J. They brought over some delicious kale and pasta, and we had a hybrid Italian-Southwest meal that turned out rather well. I don't have a recipe for my chili...my ingredients depend on what's in the pantry and what I feel like eating. However, there are a few key ingredients that form the foundation:
onion
ground meat (beef and bison are my favorite)
tomato paste
diced canned tomatoes
canned beans
cumin
cayenne pepper
The rest is variable, but these seven ingredients are what, in my opinion, make chili taste like chili. There are those (I'm looking at you, Alton), who maintain that beans are not necessary, but I think a can or two of black or red beans add a heartiness and textural variety that chili just can't do without. No offense, Alton. Your chili powder recipe is awesome. So here's how my chili variation turned out on Friday night.
I diced one small yellow onion and two thick slices of bacon and browned them together in my cast iron Dutch oven. I added two minced cloves of garlic and one pound of ground bison. I sprinkled the bison with approximately two tablespoons of cumin seeds (which I toasted in a pan and ground in a mortar and pestle), about a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a healthy shake of Mexican green chile powder (chile not chili, contents unknown, brought back from Baja by my brother-in-law some years back), about a teaspoon each chipotle chile powder and cayenne pepper, and two teaspoons of salt. When the bison was browned, I added one small can of tomato paste and cooked it for a few minutes to caramelize the paste - an important step in stock-making and one that will add an additional layer of flavor to your chili.
I opened up one large and one small can of diced tomatoes (28 oz and 14.5 oz, respectively) and added them to the Dutch oven. Then I added one 14 oz can each of black beans and red kidney beans. I let the chili simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors marry before tasting it for seasoning. I added another tablespoon of cumin seeds (whole this time), another dash of smoked paprika, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and three big splashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce. Then I added three tablespoons of cocoa powder. Try it sometime. The bitter cocoa mellows and deepens the chili spices and tends to bring out any smokiness you've added, which in this case was quite a lot, what with the bacon and the chipotle and the smoked paprika. Then I let the whole business simmer on low heat for half an hour. The result: thick, meaty, hearty, spicy-but-not-too-spicy, dark, flavorful, delicious smoky chili. We topped it with crema agria (Mexican sour cream) and some chopped cilantro. And some fresh pasta and kale with shallots, but that's a food hybridization story for another time. Adios and happy trails!
Quilting postscript: I'm currently waiting on a shipment from fabrics.com...they were out of stock on one of my items and just informed me yesterday, so my next project is out there somewhere, navigating the nether regions of the US Postal Service. Ew.
onion
ground meat (beef and bison are my favorite)
tomato paste
diced canned tomatoes
canned beans
cumin
cayenne pepper
The rest is variable, but these seven ingredients are what, in my opinion, make chili taste like chili. There are those (I'm looking at you, Alton), who maintain that beans are not necessary, but I think a can or two of black or red beans add a heartiness and textural variety that chili just can't do without. No offense, Alton. Your chili powder recipe is awesome. So here's how my chili variation turned out on Friday night.
I diced one small yellow onion and two thick slices of bacon and browned them together in my cast iron Dutch oven. I added two minced cloves of garlic and one pound of ground bison. I sprinkled the bison with approximately two tablespoons of cumin seeds (which I toasted in a pan and ground in a mortar and pestle), about a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a healthy shake of Mexican green chile powder (chile not chili, contents unknown, brought back from Baja by my brother-in-law some years back), about a teaspoon each chipotle chile powder and cayenne pepper, and two teaspoons of salt. When the bison was browned, I added one small can of tomato paste and cooked it for a few minutes to caramelize the paste - an important step in stock-making and one that will add an additional layer of flavor to your chili.
I opened up one large and one small can of diced tomatoes (28 oz and 14.5 oz, respectively) and added them to the Dutch oven. Then I added one 14 oz can each of black beans and red kidney beans. I let the chili simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors marry before tasting it for seasoning. I added another tablespoon of cumin seeds (whole this time), another dash of smoked paprika, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and three big splashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce. Then I added three tablespoons of cocoa powder. Try it sometime. The bitter cocoa mellows and deepens the chili spices and tends to bring out any smokiness you've added, which in this case was quite a lot, what with the bacon and the chipotle and the smoked paprika. Then I let the whole business simmer on low heat for half an hour. The result: thick, meaty, hearty, spicy-but-not-too-spicy, dark, flavorful, delicious smoky chili. We topped it with crema agria (Mexican sour cream) and some chopped cilantro. And some fresh pasta and kale with shallots, but that's a food hybridization story for another time. Adios and happy trails!
Quilting postscript: I'm currently waiting on a shipment from fabrics.com...they were out of stock on one of my items and just informed me yesterday, so my next project is out there somewhere, navigating the nether regions of the US Postal Service. Ew.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Tradition!
As the new year begins, I turn once again to a time-honored and much-loved tradition. It is, of course, my annual viewing of Joss Whedon's television masterpiece Buffy the Vampire Slayer, followed by its companion piece Angel. I know, it's pretty geeky, but Buffy and friends appeared on TV my senior year of high school and occupied my Tuesday evenings through college and culinary school. Not to get all sentimental or anything, but I still totally remember where I was when Buffy died. Both times.
Anyway, when I settle in for a comfortable night with Miss Summers and Co., I like to make a batch of fluffy, yummy biscuits to nosh. My biscuit recipe comes from a copy of The James Beard Cookbook, published in 1961 and passed down from my great-grandmother to my mother to me. It's a family heirloom that I plan to give to Mac Mini when she gets a place of her own.
The dust jacket has long since disintigrated, but I saved the author's biography and framed it. St. James now occupies a place of honor above our stove. Here he is in his jowly, well-fed glory.
Biscuits are a very simple quickbread. When made properly, they're flaky and light, with a crisp outside and a tender inside. The key is to use cold butter and milk and not to overmix the dough.
Beard's Buffy-Watchin' Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pea-sized pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk*, cold
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well. Cut in butter with a fork and use the tips of your fingers to pinch and press mixture lightly, working butter and dry ingredients together until mixture is sandy in texture and some small pieces of butter remain intact. Add buttermilk and mix until dough is sticky and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly once or twice, and press out to 1" thick. Use a floured biscuit cutter or knife to cut 2"-diameter biscuits. Alternatively, skip the kneading and drop biscuits by spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet. Bake biscuits for 10-12 minutes, until barely browned on top. Serve immediately with butter, honey, or (my favorite) maple syrup.
*To make buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to 3/4 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes. Or do what I do and use 1/4 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk.
Anyway, when I settle in for a comfortable night with Miss Summers and Co., I like to make a batch of fluffy, yummy biscuits to nosh. My biscuit recipe comes from a copy of The James Beard Cookbook, published in 1961 and passed down from my great-grandmother to my mother to me. It's a family heirloom that I plan to give to Mac Mini when she gets a place of her own.
The dust jacket has long since disintigrated, but I saved the author's biography and framed it. St. James now occupies a place of honor above our stove. Here he is in his jowly, well-fed glory.
Beard's Buffy-Watchin' Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pea-sized pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk*, cold
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well. Cut in butter with a fork and use the tips of your fingers to pinch and press mixture lightly, working butter and dry ingredients together until mixture is sandy in texture and some small pieces of butter remain intact. Add buttermilk and mix until dough is sticky and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, knead lightly once or twice, and press out to 1" thick. Use a floured biscuit cutter or knife to cut 2"-diameter biscuits. Alternatively, skip the kneading and drop biscuits by spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet. Bake biscuits for 10-12 minutes, until barely browned on top. Serve immediately with butter, honey, or (my favorite) maple syrup.
*To make buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to 3/4 cup milk and let sit 5 minutes. Or do what I do and use 1/4 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy New Year!
Aaaand...we're back! It's been a busy few weeks here Chez Mac, and I for one am glad to enter into a relatively calm January. We had the usual double-family holiday celebrations, marred by the fact that my sister and her family were felled by a particularly nasty flu bug. We still haven't seen them, but as soon as they're out of the quarantine stage we'll have another Christmas party. I've been busy wrapping up assorted holiday projects and making the most of my three-week-off "dead zone" at work...the huge corporate parties are over, the end-of-year meetings have ended, and the hotel pretty much shuts down its catering operations until mid-January.
My doomed pillow covers actually turned into some nice holiday placemats for my mother-in-law, who loved the gold and red snowflake motif.
My doomed pillow covers actually turned into some nice holiday placemats for my mother-in-law, who loved the gold and red snowflake motif.
I scrapped the appliqued circle idea and just made strippy panels with my fabrics, then attached a gold center panel, back, and batting. Easy peasy.
I'm currently finishing up a quilt for my dear friends J and B, two of the loveliest and most talented chefs I have the pleasure to know. It's based on Amy Butler's Belle quilt pattern, and it's my first time using fusible web applique. The layout:
Done in the traditional manner, on the living room floor after putting Mac Mini to bed, fending off curious cats and trying not to stab myself with pins. And here's what it looks like put together, quilted, and bordered:
Overall I'm happy with it, but I did learn a few important lessons. Lesson the first: machine quilting round shapes is HARD. Especially when you're dealing with a larger quilt. Bunching fabric, fighting with my unfortunately chosen metallic thread...it was a bad situation. Lesson the second: quilting from the inside out is key when doing decorative stitches. I made a complete hash out of one of my round pieces because I started from the top and worked to the bottom. What a mess. And the damned metallic thread wouldn't pull out of the fabric, so I just had to salvage what I could and move on. Lesson the third: PRACTICE BEFORE JUMPING IN. I had such grand ideas, and the minute I started I knew they were impossible, yet in my stubbornness I kept going and ended up with a less-than stellar result.
I think it looks pretty good from the front, but thank god my backing is patterned so it hides some of the defects. Oh well. I learned a lot about machine quilting and have much more respect for the people who can do it well. This girl's sticking with straight lines from now on.
Hope this year brings much happiness and good health to all!
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