Waking Up to Excitement with Tiramisu Cookies

 

I woke up and checked email this morning and found that my recipe for Tiramisu Cookies was chosen to be featured on...wait for it...Delishably.com! 

In the interest of taste buds everywhere, I will get back in the "laboratory" as soon as possible for more sweet experiments. 

This is happening at a time when Texas temps are getting higher, I'm still fighting to catch up with yard work thanks to the unusual rain amounts we experienced last month, and my workload for process serving is increasing by the day. *taking a deep breath*

That's just daytime hours though. There's plenty of time in the wee hours to conduct experiments in the lab! 

Here is a link to the full recipe for my version of Tiramisu Cookies: 

Tiramisu Cookies: The Essence of Tiramisu in Cookie Form

If you make this recipe, drop me a line either here or there to let me know how you like it. If you need any help or troubleshooting with the recipe, let me know! I really need to make a picture tutorial for this one as well as the Bienenstich Cookies. That's on the list too, so keep an eye on this space. I'll get there! 

Kitchen Tip: Food Hack for Leftover Quiche

 What Can I Do with My Leftover Quiche? 

So you have some leftover quiche, but there's not enough to go around because you had some unexpected guests drop in around lunchtime? 

Here's what I did with mine. I threw it in a frying pan with just a small amount of butter -- (oil is okay too, but butter...well...you know), and chopped it up with my spatula while heating to make sure it was heated through. Then I served it on flour tortillas for a quick, "no hassle" meal. 

*Note: The quiche I used was a quiche that had a "self-forming" crust. I suppose you could do it with traditional quiche, since we live in a world where some people don't mind extra starch on their sandwiches, tacos, or burritos. (Like French fries inside a burger, or a flour tortilla with 100% potato filling, etc.) 

Just add your favorite salsa. No extra cheese required! 

Spinach & Mushroom Quiche Breakfast Burrito 

Costco Product Review: Safe Catch Ahi Tuna

 

This tuna is outstanding! 

I'm sending a huge, "Thank you!" to Costco for making this product available. 

There is nothing in the can except tuna that was cooked in its own juices, and a little sea salt. The flavor is out of this world. This is easily the best canned tuna I have ever had thus far. 

It knocked my previous favorite, tuna in a glass jar, down to second place. Now that one was good. REALLY good, but this one is so much better! 

I will be picking up a jar though, so I can do a side-by-side comparison of these two, just to confirm. We can't get it locally, but on the next H.E.B. trip, I am making a beeline for that jar. I found out that some H.E.B.s carry the Safe Catch tuna too, so I'll be looking for that as well. 

I have some pics below. I should have taken a pic before I separated it in the bowl. It was indeed a tuna steak. It was fabulous "as is," so I didn't want to add much to it on this first go round. I just added a bit of S&P, a little lemon juice, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, and about a tablespoon of mayo. (Duke's).

I had to stop myself from eating more than one sandwich. It didn't need any accompaniments either, like tuna usually does. 

Simply excellent! 

I visited the company's website and found that they also have salmon, sardines, and mackerel, made the same way. If you order from the site, ground shipping in the U.S. is free. They also sell pouches of tuna and have a recycling program for those: Send the empty pouches in for them to recycle and they will reward you with a coupon to use for ordering from their website. 

Check the website out by clicking on the link below: 

Safe Catch

Here is a photo of the tuna: 

And a photo of the tuna after I added the few ingredients mentioned above:

The Label

They are serious about the quality of their product, and it shows. There is no BS about this product. The proof is in the taste. Get some as soon as you can and try it! 

Happy Eating! 

Recipe: Spinach & Mushroom Quiche With Self-Forming Crust (Picture Tutorial)

 

Spinach & Mushroom Quiche
(with 6 cheeses)

Quick-n-Easy Recipe

This recipe is great for a quick meal with a simple salad as as side. Preparation moves along pretty quickly, you can reduce the prep time a bit if you buy sliced mushrooms instead of whole. 

First, gather your ingredients and tools: 

• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms (Button or Baby Bella), sliced 
• 10 oz. fresh spinach 
• 1/2 medium-sized red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup Muenster or Mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded 
• 1/4 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 2-3 Tbsps. light olive oil (or melted butter)
• Cooking oil spray as needed
• 1 cup half & half, (or make your own with 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream + 1/2 cup milk)
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder, (optional)
• S&P to taste (plus a couple of pinches during veggie sauté)

Over low to medium head, sauté Onion

I like to slice into 1/4" thick slices, but you can slice a little bigger if you want. 

Chop Garlic

While onions are sautéing, mince garlic. I usually use a garlic mincer, but lately I have been opting to use my chef's knife instead. 

When onions look like this...

...add garlic to pan

Your onions should be pretty pliable when you add the garlic, and a little caramelized. You can let them caramelize a little more if you prefer. After adding garlic, sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute before adding next ingredient. 

Add sliced mushrooms

Toss mushrooms with the rest of the ingredients, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt to help the mushrooms release their juices. (I always use Kosher salt in my recipes, with a few exceptions.)

When the mushrooms look like this... 

...add 1/2 of the fresh spinach & toss with the other ingredients 

After the spinach wilts a bit...

Add the rest of the spinach & toss with the other ingredients...

Sauté until spinach is completely wilted. 

Sprinkle with another pinch of Kosher salt while sautéing. The spinach needs to wilt--so no need to cook it any longer after that, since it will be cooked again in the oven. Just set it aside to cool. (If you opt for frozen spinach, thaw it out ahead of time and squeeze as much liquid out of it as possible by using spoon and a sieve.)

At this point, set oven to 400° and prep the rest of the ingredients. 

Grate your cheeses

I ended up with six cheeses in this quiche: Swiss, Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Asiago, and Feta. The total amount was pretty close to the total amount in the ingredients list above, though it may have been a little more. You can mix it up any way you like -- using white cheeses with spinach is my personal preference. The feta is really optional, but do use it if you have it. It adds extra little pops of intense flavor. 

Prepare  the batter

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne together in a mixing bowl until well combined.

Add 1/2 & 1/2 to dry mixture and whisk together, then beat eggs in a separate bowl until well mixed. Add eggs to batter and whisk until thoroughly combined. (*Note: In the interest of saving time, I used 3 whole eggs this time, instead of 5 yolks and 1 whole egg.)

Fold in the cheese

Add vegetable mixture...

...and fold in until completely incorporated

Pour mixture into oiled, 10" quiche pan

I usually place the quiche pan on a cookie sheet before sliding it into the oven. If you don't have a quiche pan, don't sweat it. Just use a deep dish pie plate or a similar shallow baking dish. I only have a 9" quiche pan, so I made a mini quiche with the leftover raw material (I just didn't bake it quite as long). 

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes, then kick oven down to 350° and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. You know your oven, so check it near the end of cooking time. Test it with a toothpick or a thin knife. You shouldn't see any egg (though you might see some cheese). 

Let your quiche cool for 10-15 minutes...

...then enjoy with a salad or other side dishes.

Let me know if you enjoy this recipe. If any part of the instructions isn't clear enough, or you notice any errors, just drop me a line. 

Happy Eating! 😘

Product Review: H.E.B. Multigrain Taco Shells

 

H.E.B Multigrain Taco Shells

Crunchy taco shells -- I often see debates about crunchy tacos vs. soft tacos. (That would be a good topic for another blog post.) Personally, I love them all. Sometimes I crave crunchy; sometimes soft. It just depends on mood and ingredients on hand. 

These H.E.B. taco shells hit all of the right notes if you are craving crunchy tacos. They have a great corn flavor, and a nice crunch. Some of the other crunchy taco shells available from other companies often fall short on flavor. Sometimes the shells are just too thick too. 

But not H.E.B.'s taco shells. They are just right. The product featured in the photo above is made with "H.E.B. Select Ingredients." The Select Ingredients line was introduced in 2016, and they pledged to have 400 Select Ingredients products available for purchase in their stores by the end of that year. I'm sure there are many more now. 

According to H.E.B, the Select Ingredient products omit the use of HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup), artificial flavors, and synthetic ingredients. I believe them. The flavor of these taco shells speaks for itself. 

The price is right for these tacos if you are planning a party. The only drawback I have experienced thus far are the breakage points. The embedded flax seeds cause these shells to fracture differently than regular shells. Sometimes several fractures occur and the resulting pieces are smaller. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The smaller pieces are more convenient when you go in for the grand finale to enjoy that "taco salad" left on your plate after you finish your tacos. 😆

Here's the front of the box these shells were packed in, plus the sides with nutritional info: 

Happy Eating! 

An Exciting Moment For My Bienenstich Cookie Recipe

 

I was out working one of my jobs when I got some exciting news about my Bienenstich Cookie recipe. I checked my email (while I was parked) and saw that I had an email which informed me that my recipe is being featured at delishably.com. I almost fell out of the car! 

I am still dancing around! 

Click the recipe title below to view it there. I did post about it here, but I didn't post the full recipe here. I posted the full recipe on my hub at Hubpages (because they have such nice tools there to make it easier to post recipes). I wasn't trying to get featured on anything, I was just sharing my recipe. So.....WOW!!!!! What a nice surprise!!!!!!! There goes that "Kitchen Magic" again!!! 

On top of that, before I left, I had a discussion with my Mom about 2 new ideas I had for experiments. I have quite a list, so I'll be dedicating a lot more time to it now. 

They changed the title a bit, and did a few other minor edits, but that's just fine with me! 

So, without further ado, here is the link: 

Bienenstich Cookies: A Beloved Cake Transformed

If you try my recipe, please let me know your thoughts about it, or if you need help with anything. 

Now it is time for me to get back to the lab to conduct more sweet experiments!

Happy Eating! 

Kitchen Tip: Microwave "Baked" Potatoes - No Poking Required

 

"Potatoes in a Bin"
(Public Domain Photo) 

Do you use a microwave oven to "bake" potatoes? We went without one for a few years after the other one went kaput. Last year we finally took the plunge and got one at Costco. 

So a quick "baked" potato has become all the rage again, when hunger strikes and waiting for it to bake in a conventional oven is just not possible. It's not as great as a real baked potato, but hey...it is passable. 

One day I decided to change the preparation a bit. Instead of poking it with a fork in several places all over, I decided to make one cut with a knife.   

Here's how it works: 

1. Cut through the potato (lengthwise), almost to the other side, leaving about 1/4" to 1/2" uncut. Cutting it halfway will work as well. 

2. Place the potato in the microwave, with the cut side to the facing to the side. 

3. Cook as usual as per your microwave wattage.

Poking holes with a fork can sometimes be a pain, and you have to poke it in several places. That could be just me. When I poke it, I really poke the thing, and sometimes it's hard to pull the fork back out because of suction. 

Cutting it saves time and possible burns after cooking because all you have to do is open it up to add your favorite toppings, instead of cutting the hot potato. 

It cooks better too. I don't think I'm imagining that. I've done it multiple times.

So try it out next time you make a microwave potato, and let me know how it works for you. 

Happy Eating! 

A Banana Story: The Bananas That Drove Me Bananas

 Going Bananas

I have to share this banana story, because these were the best store-bought bananas I ever had. I bought them right around the time of the "Big Freeze" in Texas. I can't recall now if it was just before or just after, but when I bought them, the store only had green bananas available. I purchased a bunch that had 6 bananas, grown in Ecuador. I don't recall which company logo was on the sticker. (Dole and Chiquita  are pretty common here.)  

 

I assume the green bananas will not be a problem because they ripen so quickly anyway, thanks to human intervention. Well, someone was asleep at the switch for this shipment, and it yielded some wonderful results. 

The bananas I bought were hung on the banana hook on the counter. They hung there for a week, with no obvious change. So we bought some more bananas, and placed them near the green bananas to see if it would help. 

We finished the newer banana bunch, but the green bananas were still green. So the green bananas were moved into a paper bag and the bag was kept closed. 

Time passed. More bananas were purchased. There were daily checks on the green bananas. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Still green. 

The next time we bought a bunch, we put one of the bananas inside the bag with the green bananas. The newer banana ripened. The green bananas did not. 

Okay. 

I was ready to give up. I started wondering if the bananas would be any good at all even if they did ripen, or if they were just going to rot without ripening. 

Finally, over 3 weeks into this little banana adventure, they started to change color. A couple of them started to show signs of ripening. 

They didn't ripen all at once. They ripened one by one for the most part. I ate the first one that was ripe and it was simply delicious. It had a nice texture, a bit heavier than the usual banana. The flavor was more concentrated too. It was divine! 

The very last green banana (visible in the pic above) ripened over a month after the bunch was purchased. 

So...Wow! I wish this would happen more often. 

Bananas are harvested when they are still green, then dosed with ethylene gas once they reach their destination. Organic bananas are supposed to be exempt from this treatment, but I call BS on that because they ripen just as fast as "regular" bananas. Have I considered that they might pick them after they start to turn and are using a faster shipping method? Yes. I think they would cost a lot more if that was the case. There's not a huge difference in price between regular and organic. Anyway, if you know of a grocer who sources their bananas from a smaller banana trader that doesn't use ethylene gas, instead of one of the huge international companies...do tell! 

We used to have a grove of banana trees, but someone got a wild hair one day and cut all of them down (and dug up the rest). I don't know the specifics anymore, but I do miss the trees, because at least we'd have homegrown bananas from time to time. Looks like it's time to find some again. 

If you're interested, this link to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has some interesting banana facts & figures. 

Unaltered Photo of Men Hauling Bananas With a Bike in Uganda
Emesik, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Taco Bell Enchiritos - The Original, Not The Sad Reboot

When Taco Bell had an actual bell on their restaurants back in the day 
(Public Domain photo)

If I had a time machine, I would travel to a Taco Bell like the one pictured above, and order an Enchirito. Maybe even two. I'm talking about the original Taco Bell Enchirito, not that lame version they brought back when they "revived" it. According to Taco Bell lore, the Enchirito first appeared around 1970. It was discontinued as a menu item in 1993, but they brought it back around 2000. Well, they didn't really bring it back. They brought back the shadow of an Enchirito. It was taken off the menu again around 2013, though there are rumors circulating that you can order it from the "secret menu," or order certain menu items for an Enchirito "hack." 

Okay...you can hack all the livelong day or try to order from the secret menu, but you will never get a true Enchirito that way. I do remember the year they took them off of the menu. We didn't have a Taco Bell very close to us but we'd go there from time to time when we drove to Katy or Houston for errands. I remember when they removed it and I was sad. Later, they added it again, and I tried it a couple of times, but it was never the same -- just like when Coke changed their formula and then supposedly changed it back after public outcry. It was never the same either -- (If you can get your hands on a Coke that is bottled in Mexico, it will come close, but even that isn't as good as the original was.) -- but that made it easier to give up an unhealthy beverage, so that's not necessarily a bad thing. 

Let's get back to the Enchirito though. I have thought about making my own copycat version, and I have made sort of a pseudo-version from time to time. Now I'm thinking about getting a bit more serious about it. I have looked through many copycat recipes to see if anyone is making the original version of the Enchirito, but I have yet to find one. 

Most of these copycat recipes use flour tortillas. That's what I always hone in on. The tortilla. I have also run across some recipes that use corn tortillas. Well, guess what? They are both wrong. 

The Enchirito tortilla was a hybrid tortilla, not flour or corn. Both. I remember the original tortilla, because the first time I tried the "reboot," it was flour, and it was disappointment. The Enchirito's tortilla had a unique flavor. It was absolutely not simply flour, and it definitely did not have the taste or texture of a corn tortilla. 

I know there will be people who want to argue about it, but just think about this: an Enchirito was supposed to be a cross between a burrito and an enchilada. If you use a flour tortilla, you have a burrito. If you use a corn tortilla, you have an enchilada. You MUST have the hybrid tortilla to have a true Enchirito. I trust my taste buds implicitly. 

But to bolster my case, I jumped on a search engine and found some vintage Taco Bell commercials and print ads. I am not going to post all of those here, obviously, both because of copyright issues, and the time it takes to add attribution links to the ones that are possible to use. 

I did find one nice one on Creative Commons though, and I'm able to share that one here. Note the color of the Enchirito's tortilla in the photo, just as I remember, and just as all of the others I viewed. It is off-white, a bit on the tan side. It's definitely not a white flour tortilla, and certainly not a corn tortilla. 

I will be going into the laboratory with my trusty sidekick, Igor, as soon as possible, so we can make the hybrid tortilla that a copycat Enchirito recipe deserves. Stay tuned! 

Original Enchiritos
("Enchirito" by mush m. is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Stovetop Chocolate Steam Cake Recipe Review

 

Chocolate Steam Cake

You must try this cake recipe! It's great for those days when you are craving a piece of cake, but don't want a big hassle of dragging out all of your baking tools, and great for warmer weather when you don't want to heat up the kitchen by using your oven. And if you're thinking, "but I could just buy a piece of cake at the deli..." Pfffft!!! Forget about that over-priced nonsense that's overloaded with sugar! 

You don't even need to break out your mixer for this cake if you don't want to. A handheld balloon whisk works fine. 

What Should I Use For A Steamer?

I used an 8 quart stockpot with a reinforced bottom, and we just happened to have a round metal baking rack that fits in the bottom of this pot. We also have a lid that has a built-in steam vent. If you don't have a lid like that, you'll need to loosely cover your stockpot with foil. If you don't have a baking rake that will fit, you can use several balls of wadded up foil, or save up some tuna cans (or cans similar in size to tuna cans, with both ends removed, if possible), and use those instead. Canning rings are too short. You need about 1 1/2-2 inches of water in the bottom of your steaming pot. You might be able to get away with using a shorter pot (such as a 4 quart pot). Next time I make one I'll use one of those and report the results here. 

Here are the other tools that come in handy: 

2 mixing bowls

Handheld whisk

Spatula (for bowl scraping - not mandatory, but I'm picky, so I use one)

Kitchen tongs with silicone ends, 2 pairs, if you have them (for easy removal)*

8-9" cake pan or springform pan

Sifter (not mandatory but it does help)

Measuring cups (for liquid & dry measure)

Measuring spoons

Small bowl for egg inspection & egg beating (see "Breaking Bad With Eggs")

The Recipe

1 cup A/P flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs (room temperature)

1/4 cooking oil (canola, vegetable, light olive oil, or coconut oil)

1/2 milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. instant coffee (optional) 

Spray release/oil spray (with or without flour)

Water for steaming (as needed)

Instructions

1. Prepare your steamer & start heating the water on high heat.

2. Coat inside of cake pan or springform pan with spray release.** 

3. Sift all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, and whisk them until well combined. 

4. Mix milk, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

5. Beat eggs & add to milk/oil/vanilla mixture. Mix well. 

6. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. 

7. Pour into cake pan. 

8. Check the water level in the pan. Add more (hot tap water) if needed. Water should be at least at a simmer at this point. 

9. Carefully lower cake pan into pot using tongs. 

10. Cover & steam on medium to high heat for 25-30 minutes. You can check your water level about halfway through the cooking time & add more if needed. I haven't yet had a problem with the water completely evaporating. It might be because we have that lid with the steam vent. I'll use foil next time and report the results here. 

11. Test the cake in the usual manner, (toothpick, slim knife, bamboo skewer), if it comes out clean, it's time to remove the cake. Also note if the cake has pulled away from the sides, that's another "tell." 

12. Remove the cake very carefully using the tongs. Put it on a cake rack to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan. 

13. Frost with your favorite frosting or dust with powdered sugar. It doesn't really need anything extra at all. It's very good just as it is. 

Just One More Thing (or two)

*About those tongs - I only had one pair on hand, so I used a long serving spoon as a wedge on one side of the pan, and the tongs on the other. If you don't have tongs at all, carefully wedge it out using 2 long serving spoons, and grab the edge with a pot holder when it gets high enough to grab. (I'm thinking there might be a 3rd option for a safe removal. I will try it next time and report the results here.)

**If you decide to use a springform pan, cover the bottom with foil, just as you would if you were making a cheesecake in the oven. 

The cake top of the cake will look a little strange because some water drops will be falling on it during steaming. It's just fine. Unless the top of the cake looks VERY wet, then you might need to make some adjustments next time so your foil vents the steam a little better. 

Use your favorite cocoa. I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa in this recipe. 

Let me know what you think about this cake. Any issues? Just leave me a message in the comment section. 

Here's a pic from an evening when I got a little fancy and frosted the cake with whipped chocolate-cream cheese ganache and golden sugar crystals. 

Kitchen Pet Peeve: Breaking Bad With Eggs

 

Okay, I have an egg.....errr....I mean.....bone to pick with certain folks.

This is a HUGE pet peeve for me. It bugs me to no end. People who break an eggs and dump them directly into a pan or a bowl of ingredients, instead of breaking the eggs into a separate bowl and then adding them to the recipe. 

Don't do it. Just........don't! 

Why? Because...

1.

There could be impurities in the egg, especially fresh, "yard" eggs. Fun little things like blood spots or calcium deposits. We had a hen that had issues with that. The eggs were fine, but there were often calcium deposits inside her eggs. Not fun picking that stuff out. Sometimes just a little, sometimes a lot. She was an Araucana, and I don't know if they are more prone to that or not. She was on the same varied diet as the other hens and we didn't see that happening with the others anywhere near as often. 

2.

You don't really know how old the egg is. It might have been missed and on the verge of rotting. Imagine ruining a recipe (or your breakfast), by breaking an egg like that into a pan. There is a water test that can help determine the age of an egg before you crack it open, but if you get in a hurry and decide not to do the test, you might regret it.* 

3.

Pieces of eggshell might fall into your recipe if you don't break the egg in another bowl first. Imagine serving a lovely piece of cake to each of your guests, and one of them ends up stabbed in the gums from an errant piece of eggshell. Eggshell Roulette. Bad. Very bad. 

4.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my grandfather's egg story. He was in the AAF (Army Air Force) in WWII. Shortages of some foods were common all over, even for soldiers. But they did have fresh eggs in the mess halls, when they could get them. Sometimes the eggs were fertilized eggs with developing embryos. So they had extra protein with their eggs on occasion. (I have no reason to doubt this story, because people were very careful about food back then. Nothing was wasted. Unlike today, when food waste is rampant.) So, if you're buying eggs from someone who keeps chickens, you might be buying fertilized eggs, unless they keep their roosters separate from the hens. I suppose that's possible, depending on the size of their operation. I just know that we always had a rooster in with our chicken flock, so we could raise more chickens to replace the ones we lost to critters that would break into the chicken yard on occasion. I assume others might do the same. Of course we kept the broody hens and their clutch of eggs separate from the rest of the flock, but it is possible that some people are careless about it. So imagine cracking a raw egg directly into your cake batter and it has a partially developed embryo. 😒

🥚🥚🥚

Think about it though. How much trouble is it, really, to use one extra bowl and crack your eggs into it for inspection before adding to the recipe? No trouble at all. One extra dish to wash. No big deal compared to what could happen otherwise.

This is one of the things that always drove me nuts on cooking shows. I don't watch those much anymore, but I do watch food videos on social media sometimes, and I find myself bracing for the addition of eggs. 

"Oh, but it looks so cool when I can break an egg open with one hand to add to the recipe," they might be thinking. Well, it will still look cool if it's done over an empty dish. No excuses! 

Here's a little summary...

Photo by: Alex Loup

NO!

Photo by Jordane Mathieu

NO!

Photo by Michelle Henderson

NO!

Photo by Klaus Nielsen

So in conclusion, if you are "Breaking Bad with Eggs," please break that bad habit!

🥚🥚🥚

*The Egg Test

I mentioned this test above, and in case any reader might not be aware of this tip, this is it. (Just remember, this test is in addition to your egg safety check, not "in lieu of."):

You just need a small glass bowl, or a cup wide enough to fit an egg when it's on its side. Fill it with room temperature water (or just directly from the tap), then put the egg in. If it stands up on its end, it is still okay to use. If it floats between the bottom and the top, it might be okay. If it floats all the way to the top, don't use it. 

If you are still uncertain, break the egg on a plate and look at the yolk. Fresh eggs have yolks that "stand up," and the white sits close to the yolk. Older eggs have yolks that don't look as tall and firm, and the whites are runnier. If you see that the yolk is flat or almost flat and the yolk is extremely watery, forget about it! It's no good. Run away from that runny egg! 

Kitchen Tip for Pepperoni Lovers

 

Pepperoni, a classic topping we know so well. I still love it on occasion. What I don't love is the excess oil. I have been using paper towels to remove it on take-out pizzas (and frozen pizzas) for years. 

At some point back in the 90s, when I used to make homemade pizza for the kids on a regular basis, I started thinking about ways to remove some of the oil in the pepperoni before baking the pizza. 

There are two different ways I do this. One is simply layering the pepperoni slices on a plate and popping it in the microwave, then heating it for short intervals until the pepperoni releases enough oil to satisfy me. 

That method is acceptable, but I like the stovetop method better, because you have more control over the process. Just use a frying pan, (any will do the job), and toss your pepperoni in over low to medium heat. The slices don't have to be precisely lined up in one layer for this. Just toss in a handful, (or more if you're having a big pizza bash), and toss them around occasionally until they change color and the oil is released. Then pull them out and drain on paper towels. 

How long you want to do that is up to you. The pepperoni will be crispier after you bake the pizza, so monitor your oil-release level. After you've done it a couple of times you'll learn what your desired level of oil removal is. 

I have also used this method and made pepperoni "sprinkles" to add to pizzas (after baking the pizzas), salads, sandwiches, and other dishes that benefit from a sprinkling of crispy pepperoni. I just leach enough oil from the pepperoni until it is crunchy, then drain and chop it up when cooled. 

If you're a total pepperoni fiend you can make a double-pepperoni pizza and use the pepperoni sprinkles along with the familiar Parmesan cheese & red pepper flakes to finish off the pizza after baking. Pepperoni Heaven! (Just keep a large supply of antacids around as a sub for after-dinner mints. 😉)

You can use the same methods on cubed pepperoni. It won't make pizza into a health food, but at least it will remove a lot of fat without compromising the flavor. 

If you have any questions, just drop me a line in the comments. 

*Note:  Images are Public Domain

No attribution required.

Russian Buttercream - Three Ingredients For A Quick Fix

Vanilla Sponge Cake with Russian Buttercream
Garnished with Macerated Strawberries & Strawberry Sauce

Russian Buttercream

One day I was looking through some recipes for Russian desserts. In the past I've made savory Russian dishes, but never dabbled enough in Russian desserts. It was time to remedy that situation. While I was looking, I stumbled across Russian Buttercream. 

What? Russian Buttercream? How did I not know about this? Three ingredients? Are you kidding me? 

Nope. Three Ingredients: Butter, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. That's it! 

That's all you need, and the recipe comes in handy when you are in a hurry and need a frosting ASAP! 

As luck would have it, I already had some 4-inch cakes on hand, because I had planned to make Strawberry Shortcakes. Well, that would still happen, but with Russian Buttercream instead of whipped cream. Yeah, I know, I wasn't making "traditional" strawberry shortcakes using a sweet biscuit base, but sometimes we like to switch things up. 

So I go to the food safe to find a can of sweetened condensed milk. We always have that stuff on hand. I rummage. I grab the flashlight so I can look in every corner on every shelf. What? How do we not have any? We always have it! 

Classic case of: "We always have that ingredient on hand when we don't need it, but when we need it we don't have it." It happens sometimes. No rush. Testing delayed for a few days.

The Recipe

Easy as pie! (Actually easier than pie, since making a pie requires more of a time commitment.) Grab 2 sticks of butter from the fridge and set them out until they soften. They should be a little firm, not to the point where they are the consistency of Pond's Cold Cream. (Do they even make that anymore? That might be a bad example.) Not to the consistency of mayo. They should be firm, but not mushy. 

Take out one can of sweetened condensed milk and have your vanilla on hand. 

When the butter is ready, beat it with a mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes. It should look considerably lighter. If you're using a stand mixer, use a spoon and coax the condensed milk into the bowl a little at a time while the mixer is still running. Alternatively, just add in small increments, stopping the mixer between each addition. You can do it 3 to 4 ounces at a time. Add vanilla in at any of those points. 

If your butter seems too soft or the mixture looks like it might be separating, just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes, then take it out and whip it some more. (I had to do that a couple of times because it was pretty warm in the kitchen when I made it.)

So easy. It has a good flavor and is not too sweet, and it has a silky mouth feel. You can pipe it and it will hold its shape, as seen in the photo above. If your hands are hot, work quickly or take breaks and pop the piping bag in the fridge for a few minutes. 

How Does It Hold Up?

If your sweet creation is going to be consumed pretty quickly, using this frosting is not a problem. It will be okay for a few hours if the temperature where it's being held isn't too warm. I frosted a cupcake to test out what would happen to the frosting overnight and the frosting started to lose cohesion and get oily. The cake in the above photo was in the refrigerator overnight and looked just as good the next day. If you go that route, just take the cake out 30 minutes to an hour before serving so it can soften up a bit. If you have stored cakes in the refrigerator before, you know what I mean. 

For Chocolate Russian Buttercream, just add 1/2 to 1 cup of cocoa and whip it with a mixer until well combined. 

Yes, this recipe is a winner. It's a good idea to keep some sweetened condensed milk in your pantry so you can make this recipe instead of relying on one that is commercially made. The flavor is miles above the canned stuff!

Vanilla Sponge Cake with Russian Buttercream,
Macerated Strawberries, and Lemon Curd