Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

A friend of mine said she had a whole bunch of potatoes that she was not sure what to do with, which put me in potato mode.  Potatoes were discovered in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in South America and have records dating back to around 400 BC.  Potatoes have been feeding the world ever since.  Today, potatoes are a staple food source for about 2/3 of the world’s population, and they are the world’s 3rd most important food crop.  A field of potatoes yields more energy per acre than any other food crop.  Potatoes are used for everything, and come in many different varieties.  They are very versatile, and very healthy, as long as they are not loaded with so many of the things we attribute to good potatoes.  I admit, I am guilty of that too.

So, in honor of the fabulous potato, I made potato bread today.  The recipe itself is pretty simple.  Making a good bread, for this one, is more about the process, and the time than anything else.

The first rise.

The second Rise

Scoring the finishing touches before putting in the oven.

Fresh out of the oven.

Dill Potato Bread

2 medium to large potatoes, or enough to make 2 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes.  I used russet potatoes (even though my picture is seen with red potatoes).

4 tsp dry active yeast

3 1/2-4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

dill

Boil your potatoes and mash them, reserving the cooking water. Of course, I add garlic to just about everything, so of course my mashed potatoes have garlic in them as well, along with heavy whipping cream and butter.  I always have to have butter.

Once the potatoes are mashed and cooled, make your dough.

Sprinkle the yeast into about 1/3 cup of the potato water and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast is dissolved.  Mix the yeast into the flour and salt and cover to let “sponge” for about 20 minutes.  Then incorporate the mashed potatoes.  I used dill, but if you like other herbs or flavorings, add what you like.  Work the potatoes into the flour to make a soft dough.  Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes and form into 1 large ball.  Cover and let rise for about 2 hours.

Divide the dough in 1/2 and form into round balls and let rise again for another 30 minutes.  Once the dough has had it’s second rise, sprinkle some flour on top and make 3 diagonal slices on top.  This is called scoring the bread.  Bake in a hot, pre-heated oven, at 425* F for about 1 hour or until it comes out golden brown and crusty on top.  You will know it is done when you give it a little knock and the sound is hollow.  And then there was bread.

I love making cookies, and unfortunately, I also love to eat cookies.  One of my favorite memories from my childhood was when one of my “second moms” made cookies.  She made cookies everyday, and the house always smelled so wonderful.  And of course, as kids, that meant we got to eat cookies everyday as well.   She made different cookies all the time too, so we never got “bored” with the cookie types, but then how can one get bored by cookies.  Seriously!  That is probably where my love of cookies came from.  Cookies are always so welcoming and inviting.  Cakes and other desserts seem like they are more for special occasions, whereas cookies seem more everyday and down to earth to me, which more than likely adds to their appeal.

Before baking, after they have been rolled in the powdered sugar.

Cookie time!

Mocha Snowtops

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 TBSP instant coffee

4 eggs

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup tightly packed brown sugar

2 2/3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup powdered sugar

In a saucepan, add the butter, cocoa powder and and coffee and stir just until all the coffee and cocoa powder are dissolved and incorporated into the soft butter.  Be careful not to melt the butter.  You want kind of  a creamy consistency.  Combine the eggs and sugars and mix in a blender until creamy and well incorporated.  Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Add the chocolate mixture, then add the flour mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.  Once the dough has set, roll about 3/4 TBSP at a time into balls and then roll into the powdered sugar, making sure they are completely covered.  I like to press my cookies down just a bit before baking to make them spread a bit more.

Bake at 350* F for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool then remove to cool completely on a cookie rack.  Then ….. Cookie time!

Sometimes we just are in the mood for some good, old fashioned comfort food.  Spaghetti and meatballs is an old classic that we all love, and handmade meatballs, from fresh meat straight from the farm is always the best.  We got the meat from our brother-in-law’s farm in Kansas.  Fresh meat sure does make a difference.  We had a traditional spaghetti dish complete with garlic cheese bread and a bold Cab Franc to finish off the meal.  My garlic cheese bread is a recipe I “permanently borrowed” from an Italian restaurant that was a tradition in Pasadena, California, where I grew up.  I have made it ever since.   I have to admit that I did not make my sauce from scratch, but I certainly enhanced it with extra garlic and herbs, although I absolutely do know how to make my own sauce.  I just did not this time around.

The meatballs before cooking, made from fresh ground beef, garlic, onions, basil, oregano, salt & pepper, bread crumbs and eggs.  Mix them all together and then rolls them into balls.

Cook the meatballs separately in a large skillet with a little cooking oil.  This is one time I do not use olive oil, since it has a much lower smoke point than canola oil and will burn much faster.  Cook until the meatballs are browned on all sides, then remove from the pan.  Drain the rest of the oil.

Saute garlic and mushrooms (if using) then add your sauce and chopped tomatoes.  I also added extra basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme and salt & pepper, as well as my jar of tomato sauce.  Yes, I do know how to make it from scratch, but why, when there are so many good brands already out there.  Bring to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer, and cook for at least about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add your meatballs and mix them in thoroughly.

The cheese bread.  Mix together softened butter with garlic and herbs and spread on your choice of bread.  I used a rustic pugliese.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese and then with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Top with a little bit of paprika and bake until bubbly at 350* for about 15 or so minutes.   If you have any leftover butter, just add it to your sauce and incorporate it in.

Buon Apetito!  Old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs.

I love the combination of both oranges and pecans, but then I am from Southern California, literally the land of fruits and nuts, since a huge percentage of both fruits and nuts, as well as a lot of other agricultural products, comes from California.  There is just something so refreshing about this combination.  It is so  warm and welcoming.  My husband keeps telling me to stop making all the delectable desserts because we are both trying to lose weight, but I just can’t help myself.  They are all so tasty.  Besides, my argument was that because there are nuts, there is protein, and there is fruit as well, so it has to be healthy, right?!  I know, it is a poor excuse for healthy, but I guess I can say a slightly healthier version of dessert, with the emphasis on slightly.

Before baking.

The finished cake.

Preheat the oven to 350*F

Prepare a bundt cake pan with a little bit of cooking spray, and if you want, brush a little flour around the pan as well.

1 cup butter, softened

2 3/4 cups flour

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs, separated

3 TBSP grated orange zest

1 tsp orange extract

1 cup orange juice

2 cups chopped pecans

Mix all the dry ingredients together, except the chopped pecans and set aside.  Mix the butter and both sugars until soft and creamy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time and mix.  Add the orange zest, and alternate adding the flour and orange juice, mixing in between, until it is all mixed in together.  In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then gently fold into the batter, along with the pecans, and spoon into your prepared bundt pan.  Bake at 350* for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until it is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool.  Then top with the orange glaze, pecan halves and orange slices (optional).  If you prefer a lighter version, just sprinkle powdered sugar over the cooled cake.  You are going to really enjoy it either way you serve it.

Orange Glaze

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 TBSP softened butter

3 TBSP heavy whipping cream

1 tsp orange extract

pinch of salt

Combine everything together in a mixer and mix thoroughly.  It will be a thick glaze.  Immediately spread over the cake.  There is a delicious bit of spring in every bite.  Enjoy.

Years ago, I worked at a Public Relations firm up in San Francisco, CA, where we had mostly food clients.  Because most of our clients were selling food products, we actually had out own test kitchen on the premises.  Being the kitchen manager for that kitchen was my dream job, only it never happened.  I learned a lot from the person who was the kitchen manager though.  One of my most memorable things I learned from her was that you can never have too many cookbooks, although my husband would seriously disagree with that statement.  At the time, she had over 3000 cookbooks, and her collection was always growing.  She is the one who told me “you never have your last one”, and I took it to heart.  I don’t have near as many cookbooks as she did, but I do have quite a few.  My collection is only at slightly over 600, so I guess by her standards, that means I have some catching up to do.  I have wide variety of cookbooks.  I have all different kinds of ethnic books; books on baking; specific books for just breads or soups, and many, many more.  My favorite ones are the ones with detailed pictures.  I can figure out the ingredients on my own, but I like to see how the finished product is supposed to look so I can use it as a guide.  Even though there are some really great recipes on line, and now even some of mine are on line, there is nothing better than a new book in my hands.   I am very proud of my wall of cookbooks, and even though my shelves runneth over, I am trying my best to live up to my kitchen manager’s words of wisdom, and hope to “never have my last one”.

The pound cake first got its name because when it was first created, it had a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, and it took considerable effort to make.  Luckily today, things have changed; a lot!  We no longer use a pound of each of those ingredients and fortunately, they are pretty easy to make today, but the name remains the same.  Whether they be the pound cakes of yesterday or the more efficient, slightly healthier versions of today, we still love our pound cakes, in all varieties.  Adding lemon and poppy seeds makes this cake an even more delicious and desirable dessert, at least to me, and I think by adding both the lemon and the poppy seeds it makes this the perfect light Spring treat, that can be eaten at any time of the day.

Before baking.

The finished lemony treat.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

2 cups flour

2 TBSP poppy seeds

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBSP lemon juice

3/4 cups or 1 1/3 sticks of softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 cup of either plain yogurt or sour cream

Preheat the oven to 325*F Spray your baking loaf pan with cooking spray.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Blend the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs 1 at a time, and blend.  Add the lemon juice, lemon extract and yogurt or sour cream until well blended.  Add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time and blend well.  Pour the batter into your prepared baking loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and it is golden brown.

Let the cake cool completely then spread with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 TBSP softened butter

3 TBSP heavy whipping cream

1 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

pinch of salt

Combine everything together in a mixer and mix thoroughly.  It will be a thick glaze.  Immediately spread over the cake.  There is a delicious bit of spring in every bite.  Enjoy.

I love garlic.  Garlic is one of my staples that goes in just about everything I cook.  So it should come as no surprise that I love anything with a pesto sauce, since garlic is one of it’s main ingredients, and it is so easy to make.  Most people who know of pesto only know of it being made with basil, which is the traditional pesto, however, I have also made it with spinach, cilantro, sundried tomatoes, and a whole host of other ingredients as well.  In the summer, lemon verbena grows wild in my backyard, so I often use that as well as the basil.  Again, most people think pasta when they think of pesto, which is how most people use it.  But I use pesto in a lot of other dishes as well, such as pizza, or with potatoes, although, I did a traditional pesto served over pasta and chicken with sauteed vegetables this time, which I served with the bacon and onion fougasse and a light, crisp viognier.    I chose a lighter wine so it would not compete with the fresh, bold flavors of the pesto.  I love to play around and try new things, but the traditional and original versions of foods are just as good.  Mixing and fusing different foods is like art.  You have to know the basics before you can change things around.

Traditional Pesto

fresh basil

garlic

toasted pine nuts

Parmagiano cheese

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until well blended and to the consistency you like, and voila, you are done.  Super easy and super delicious.  Feel free to experiment with different nuts and different herbs too.  I use different nuts and different herbs all the time.  They are all good and sometimes it is fun to try a new twist on an old classic.

Every now we just have to have a good, special steak dinner.  Steak Oscar is one of our favorites and definitely fits the bill for being a special, elegant dinner.   It is a simple dinner to prepare.  It is surf and turf with flair.

Steak Oscar

Steak seasoned and prepared how you like it, served over mashed potatoes, then topped with cooked asparagus and crab. It is all finished with a hollandaise sauce.  Simple and elegant, but a fusion of deliciousness.

I served it with the onion and bacon fougasse and the olive dip  and a rich bold cab franc.

Hollandaise Sauce

2-3 egg yolks

1 tsp Dijon mustard

a pinch of nutmeg

a pinch of cayenne pepper

a splash of water

2/3-1 stick of melted butter

Whisk all the ingredients together except the butter.  In a stainless steel or glass bowl, directly over the flame, and over a pan of boiling water, whisk the egg mixture continuously while slowly pouring the melted butter and incorporating it in.  You must keep whisking the egg mixture or it will cook.  This whole process does not take very long at all; only a couple of minutes.

Fougasse is a traditional French flat bread that is very similar to it’s Italian cousin foccacia.  And just like it’s Italian cousin, there are many different varieties of fougasse.  This is just one of many, and believe me, it is fabulous.  It is wonderful on it’s own, but even better dipped in an olive oil and flavored dip.  For anyone who knows me, they know patience is not one of my virtues, although it is one I am learning and learning to appreciate more and more as I make more and more breads.  This was not difficult to make at all, but it had 3 risings, so it took the better part of the day to make, but it is definitely worth the wait. C’est bon!

The second rise, after I added the bacon and onion.

The third rise, before putting in the oven.

Le produit fin!

2 1/2 cups flour, separated, plus more for dusting and rolling

2 TBSP dry active yeast

1 cup water

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 onion, peeled and chopped fine

bacon, cooked and chopped

1/3-1/2 cup olive oil

Put 1 1/2 cups flour, all the yeast and about 3/4 cups of water into a mixing bowl and beat together for about 3 minutes or until it makes a thick dough.  Let it rise for about 3-4 hours.  This is your first rise.

Cook the bacon to your desired doneness and remove.  Saute the onion in the bacon grease until it is translucent.  Add both the bacon and onion, as well as the rest of the flour, salt and about 1/4 cup of the olive oil.  Mix all the ingredients together and let rise again, for about 1 more hour.

Divide the dough.  I made 2 larger loaves, but you can make 3 smaller loaves if you prefer.  Roll each piece to a roundish shape to about 1 ” thickness (this is supposed to be rustic, so perfection is actually not what you are looking for).  Slice some diagonal cuts down the sides and the middle of the dough and brush with remaining olive oil.  Place on baking sheets and let rise once more for about 1 more hour.

Bake at 450* F/230*C for 15-20 minutes or until it is golden brown.

I love to dip my breads in olive oil mixed with a little bit of each garlic, fried onions, red pepper flakes, black pepper and balsamic vinegar.  Bon apetite!

As I am looking out my window right now, it is snowing again, which means it is perfect soup weather, even though it is officially spring.  One of my favorites is a thick split pea soup, filled with all kinds of warmth and deliciousness.   The ham from the other day became the soup of today.  And there is nothing better than a rich, hearty soup to help warm you up from the inside out to remove all the chills.  My dad used to say that “it would warm the cockles of your heart”, and that it does.  I’ll serve this with the left over bierocks from the other day and we will have a perfect light dinner.

Hearty Split Pea Soup

I start with making the ham stock by boiling the ham bone in water, making sure I can get all the ham off the bone.

cooked ham, cut into chunks (I like bigger chunks, but cut them into whatever size you like)

onions, diced small

carrots, diced small

celery, diced small

dried split peas

frozen peas (optional)

green onions

thyme

oregano

salt & pepper to taste

ham or chicken stock

olive oil

Saute the onions, carrots and celery in olive oil until soft and translucent.  Then add the dried split peas and saute them for a couple of minutes.  Add your stock and bring to a boil.  Once the liquid has come to a rapid boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the lentils have become soft and almost mushy.  I usually cook mine down for at least an hour or more.  Feel free to add more stock as needed.  Add the ham, frozen peas (if using), oregano and thyme and continue cooking.  Top with chopped green onions right before serving.  Delicious!