ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND COOKING

GRILLED PINEAPPLE SWEET CHILI SAUCE

Basically this is Leela of shesimmers http://www.shesimmers.com/2009/02/how-to-make-thai-sweet-chili-dipping.html Thai sweet chilli sauce. But I can't leave well enough alone. So I added grilled pineapple and treated the chili's a little different and bingo I'm done (the secret to life is make other people's genius your own)

Ingredients

2-4 red and green hot peppers

3 cloves garlic
1 slice fresh pineapple

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch

2 tablespoons water

Grill the pineapple and let cool.

Slice circles off 1/4 of the tips of the peppers, set a side. Ruff chop the rest of the peppers (I keep 1/2 the seeds) and the garlic.

Cut pineapple in to 1/8 in. squares set 1/2 a side. Puree garlic, chopped peppers and 1/2 the pineapple. combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, except for the lost two. . Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minute. Combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue to simmer one or two more minute.

BATTEL SWEET POTATO

SWEET POTATO CRUSTED SHRIMP with grilled pineapple sweet chili sauce

Ingredients

1 cup Sweet potato flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk

cornstarch, for dredging

1 sweet potato peeled and grated

Directions

Pour oil into a deep fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl combine, sweet potato flour, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl beat the egg slightly and mix with the milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, and stir only enough times to bring the batter together; there should be lumps.(add more milk if needed) Set batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Onto the skewers, thread the shrimp tail first

Scatter the cornstarch into a dry pie pan. Roll each shrimp in the cornstarch and tap well to remove any excess and dip in and out of the batter. Immediately roll in grated sweet potatoes.

Deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

IS NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY

HAPPY NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sifted whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preparation:

Peel and cut sweet potato in to 1 inch squares. place in a bowl and cover with water, microwave tell soft about 6 minutes. Drain the water and mash the potato up on a plate with a fork.

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by spoons onto hot greased griddle or skillet and fry, turning once, until browned on both sides.

PRESIDENT'S DAY

BATTLE MUSHROOM

MUSHROOM AND PURPLE POTATO

TAMALES WITH ROASTED PEPPER

SAUCE

ingredients

2 packages Banana leaves

(available at Whole Foods Market)

16 oz. baby portobello mushrooms

1/4 cup dried chanterelle mushrooms

6-8 purple potatoes

1 teaspoon mexican oregano

1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seed

6 oz. graded queso chihuahua

Soak dried Chanterelle mushrooms in 1/4 cup warm water for 20 minutes

Cut Mushrooms in to wedge shape, remove Chanterelle from water and dice. Saute Portobello and Chanterelle in a little olive oil with the Oregano and Cumin till tender

remove from the pan ad the soaking water from the Chanterelle to the cooking juices and reduce to 1/8 combined with the potatoes, mushroom, salt, pepper and let cool

Cut potatoes in to small 1/4 inch pieces coat with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast at 450 degrees Fahrenheit till tender about 8 minutes, let cool

prepare the tamale dough to package instructions

Unfold banana leaves and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Cut with scissors into 8x6 pieces.

Warm over open flame on the stove or boiling water for a few seconds before filling,

fold all four sides and tie with string if you want. Steam for 20 minutes

Roasted Pepper Sauce

ingredients

2-3 (12-15 Baby peppers) yellow and red peppers

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup Mexican cream

Salt and Pepper

Core and seed the Peppers. Roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.

Combined all ingredients and blend till smooth.

information about mushrooms in Chile and Mexico

http://eatingchile.blogspot.com/2009/10/eating-chilean-wild-mushrooms-hongos.html

http://goodfoodmexicocity.blogspot.com/2009/08/seasons-greetings-part-1-wild-mushrooms.html

PLEASE STAND BY

BATTLE NAPA CABBAGE

USZKA (little ears) BARSSCZ (clare red beet soup)

To make the Uszka dough, make a crater with the flour on your tabletop. Add the eggs, Sour Cream and water to the center of the flour crate (you can use a bowl or a mixer with a dough hook) incorporate the flour into the eggs with a fork

Then knead the flour and eggs together to form dough. Knead until the dough is thoroughly worked together, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. wrap the dough in plastic and let rest for about 10 minutes

then roll it out to the second thinnest setting on a pasta machine.

cut into 2-inch squares. Place a spoonful of filling on each square.

Moisten two edges of the dough with water and fold in half to form a triangle, pressing out any air and lap the point over and press them together.

they will look a little like a tri-cornered hat. Drop uszka into boiling broth or water and cook 10 minutes or until tender when tested.

Ingredients

Dough:

2 cups Flour

1 tsp Salt

2 Eggs

2 tablespoons Sour Cream

1/4 cup Lukewarm Water

To make the filling

Soak the dried mushrooms in the warm duck stock for 20 min. remove the mushrooms from the stock and dice.

Cut the cabbage lengthwise into eighths, then thin strips across Saute the cabbage, mushrooms with the butter and duck stock till just wilted

Cut the cabbage lengthwise into eighths, then thin strips across Saute the cabbage, mushrooms with the butter and duck stock till just wilted.

chop up the duck meat and add to cabbage and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, let cool.

Ingredients

filling:

1 head Napa Cabbage

6 pieces dried dried porcini mushrooms

1/4 cup Duck stock

2 tablespoons Butter

1/3 cup cooked Duck meat

Salt & Pepper

to make the soup

In a medium pot, bring stock to a simmer, add beets, garlic, sugar, lemon slices, lemon juice. Simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

strain through a colander in to a clean pot, keep hot till ready to serve.

Barszcz (Borshch, Clear Beet Soup)

4 cups clarified duck stock

1 beet sliced

1 clove garlic sliced

2 slices lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper

fennel fronds and duck cracklings for garnish

Duck Cracklings

Place duck skin on a baking sheet pan, bake at 225 degrees F. till crisp and golden brown let cool, cut in to thin strips (a toaster oven works good for this)

COMING SOON

USZKA

CLARIFYING DUCK STOCK

For each quart of stock, you will use one egg white and one crumpled egg shell

To get most of the fat out of a stock, you can simply chill it. The fat will harden and float on top of the stock where it can be scooped off easily. One can also use a fat separator, which are like a big measuring cup with a siphon from the bottom, which allows you to pour the stock out while trapping the fat.

Separate the eggs (I use my hands not the shell, discard the yolk or save for another use).

Beat egg whites to soft peaks, Crumple the eggs-shells and mix them through the egg whites.

Stir the mixture in to the stock and bring it to a simmer, do not let it boil.

The egg-whites will coagulate, rise, and take any particles and cloudiness out of the stock. Keep a close eye on the simmer (push the coagulated egg-whites to the side a bit to see) and let it simmer for about ten minutes.

Finally Place a large sieve or colander lined with several layers of damp 100-percent-cotton cheesecloth over a large bowl. Pour the stock through the cloth to strain out the particles and egg white.

DUCK STOCK

A few Months ago I purchased a Crock-pot to slow cook a Pork Butt. The results were ok, not great. This things real talent is for making Stocks. With a leftover Roast Duck carcass and Bones and a few things from the old root cellar I made some Duck Stock. I did the same thing with a leftover roast Turkey. I have a Ham bone in the Freezer. Who knows what's next. The neighbor's Dog barks a lot.

Ingredients

Duck bones

3 yellow onions, quartered (skin left on)

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaves

about 10 whole peppercorns

fresh Herbs thyme, parsley, rosemary, what ever you have( if not use dried)

Combine duck bones, onion, celery, and carrots in the crock-pot add clod water till the ingredients are covered, set crock-pot to medium and take a nap.

After your nap skim the scum off the top. cook at least 6 hours. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

When ready to use place in a pot on the stove over high heat and cook until reduced by half.

note: if your bones are raw Combine bones, onions, celery, and carrots in a large roasting pan; toss with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until the bones and vegetables are a rich golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.