Recipe: Bourbon Persimmon Bread

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Bourbon Persimmon Bread

Carol’s Bourbon Persimmon Bread

My California friend Carol Worthington Levy came up with this delicious version of Bourbon Persimmon Bread, using persimmons grown in her own back yard. It’s modified from a recipe that originally appeared in Beard on Bread. Makes two 9-inch loaves.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cinnamon
2 c sugar
1 c melted unsalted butter, cooled to room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature, slightly beaten
2/3 c bourbon (Carol probably used Jack Daniels, I’d go with Evan Williams)
2 c persimmon purée (from about 4 very ripe Hachiya persimmons)
2 c walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and chopped
2 c raisins or other dried fruit

Method: butter two 9-inch loaf pans. Dust the pans with flour and shake out excess. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first six (dry) ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and stir in butter, eggs, bourbon, persimmon purée. Mix in nuts and dried fruit at the end. Pour into loaf pans then bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature or a little warmer. Slice in the pan or remove from pan before serving.

This wonderfully versatile bread is just as good hot or at room temperature, plain or with butter or other spread. You can even freeze it and thaw without sacrificing quality.

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Self-Guided Culinary Tours

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Wild China Got

Photo courtesy of Wild China, Fuchsia Dunlop’s tour company

I was late to the Fuchsia Dunlop Sichuan party, thanks to the temporary scarcity of her classic Land of Plenty cookbook. (It’s now back in stock at Amazon at regular prices.) I loved her recipes, and loved her initiative in roaming the back streets of Chengdu in search of traditional dishes that have fallen out of favor with modern Chinese diners. So, what better thing to do than take a culinary tour of Sichuan with Fuchsia Dunlop, 13 days exploring precisely the locations she writes about in her books?

The tour is being offered two final times, in May and September 20189, starting at $7390 U.S. exclusive of airfare. That price is expensive or more than fair, depending on your perspective. I am incredibly tempted to jump for it but probably won’t because I can’t plan my schedule that far in advance. But I am very likely to give myself a self-guided culinary tour of the same highlights at some point, which I can do thanks to the very detailed itinerary on the Wild China web page. [UPDATE: I checked back because of my initial error on the date, and it appears the itinerary has changed so only two days are spent in Sichuan. The rest of the tour is the kind of introduction you’d want as a first-time visitor to China. For an alternate deep dive into Chengdu eating, check out this self-guided option.]

The best and worst aspect of guided culinary tours is the curation. Ideally, you are going to visit a store or restaurant or supplier or farm and be introduced to the single best thing they produce, with an expert explanation. But that also means you can’t experience it in the wild, like an everyday customer. With a self-guided culinary tour you don’t have this problem.

It’s easy to put together a culinary tour of Albany’s grim Central Avenue, for example. Start with a Chinese lunch special at Hu’s House or Northeastern Chinese, then shop the bulk goods and cheeses (with tastings) at Honest Weight. When you’re ready for a mid-afternoon snack, go to Asian Supermarket and enjoy a meaty char siu bao (their single best thing) at the independent food stand to the right of the door and maybe pick up one of their cold prepared items to eat later. (Bring a cooler with ice in it for take-out food, or dishes you taste now and want to return to later.) Pass some time with a matinee movie at Colonie Center or Crossgates Mall, then go back to Central for a red sauce dinner (I recommend the eggplant parm) at Ralph’s.

Food Ranger Chengdu Noodles

This noodle spread is from The Food Ranger’s Ultimate Chengdu Food Tour, an option for those who want to do it themselves.


Or, here’s a self-guided culinary tour of San Francisco’s Clement Street—and you don’t even need a car. (Which is always a good thing in SF.) Take the Geary 38 Express and get off at 6th Ave. For lunch, have spicy prawns with garlic at Taiwan or the #2 Beef Stew with flat noodles at King’s Thai Cuisine (the location just east of 8th Ave). Pass some time browsing the used cookbook section at Green Apple books, then pick up some dim sum for later (get the big chicken bun) at Wing Lee or Good Luck. (Actually, I’d buy the dim sum before Green Apple because these places sell out. You can check the cooler at the bookstore counter.) There are several Chinese groceries on Clement but the biggest and best is New May Wah where you can find fresh vegetables and condiments at reasonable prices. If you want to stay and eat dinner, pass some time by taking the 44 bus from the corner of 6th and Clement to the museums in Golden Gate Park. Then return for an early meal at whichever recommended place you didn’t go for lunch, or else at Burmese Superstar.

I also have an idea for a self-guided culinary tour of NYC’s Flushing Chinatown neighborhood. The key here, for out of towners who drive in, is to arrive early afternoon and stay at one of several hotels that are reasonably priced and provide parking. Do some reconnaissance in the afternoon at the many food courts and have dinner at the place of your choosing. In the morning, enjoy breakfast and an early lunch and fill your cooler before returning to your vehicle (be sure to confirm checkout time) and taking off. Specific locations will be filled in after I actually make the trip.

The key to these self-guided culinary tours is pacing yourself. You need to be able to go into a shop filled with wonders and just enjoy that single best thing. (Which shops? Which single best things? You have Yelp for that, as well as specialized food blogs like this one. Do your research before you go, then transfer a shortlist to your phone.) And you need to be able to take one bite of a magnificent whatever, then carefully wrap it up and put the balance in your take-out container.

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Genesee and Me

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Genesee Beers

Getting ready for winter with Genesee Cream Ale sampler and bonus Black bomber.

I had never heard of the Genesee beer brand until I made a trip to upstate NY to visit my future in-laws, back in the early 1990s. Driving up Route 30 from Amsterdam, I saw a billboard with a bearded backwoods character holding a can and the simple headline “Our Beer”. I procured a suitcase of Genny Cream Ale, aka Screamers, and found it pretty tasty. And I quickly discovered I never had to worry about sharing my beer because nobody who actually lived in the back country wanted to be seen holding a can of Genny and being branded a hick.

Genny Cream is now an occasional part of my rotation, best enjoyed in the summer when looking out at the reflections on Lake Pleasant in Speculator, NY. I’ve found a Genny aficionado in Saratoga Springs who is also a collector of Isuzu VehiCROSS, a brand I once wrote marketing copy for, and likes Genny’s annual 12 Horse releases because they are low alcohol so he can drink more of them. Not a fan. I need an ale that is 7% ABV minimum, and the various varieties tasted almost identical to me.

Recently, new things are happening at Genesee Brewing. They built a spiffy tasting room at their headquarters in Rochester, NY, and brewmaster Dean Jones has initiated a pilot tank program producing experimental beers that are on tap at the tasting room and occasionally offered in wider distribution. Many of the early projects were gadget beers (Lemon Drop Imperial Cream Ale) or European style brews that don’t appeal to me. But right now there’s a 12-pack Cream Ale sampler which includes an “Imperial” (in quotes because it’s only 7% ABV, h/t to that low alcohol tradition), a nicely hopped (Mosaic) variation … and a creamsicle ale that tastes as weird as it sounds.

Thanks to the street cred of Dean Jones (who is active in his local home brew community) and the pilot program, Genesee is the only large brewery allowed to participate in the New York State Brewers Association,  a trade group representing the craft beer industry.

And better yet, Genesee has introduced Genny Black, a 24-ounce can at 8% that’s flying off the shelves at local Stewart’s convenience stores and beer stores. It’s a genial lager without the “here comes the hangover” sweetness that distinguishes its malt liquor competitors, and it’s a bargain at $1.39 a can.

If you can find these new Genesee products, give them a try. They’re innovative and well-priced. But don’t expect kudos from your fellow beer lovers. A local brewer historian mentioned Genesee on Facebook, and got this reader comment: “When I was in Rochester for a conference this past spring a group of us ate there and I was told I had to order a Genny Cream Ale because I’d never had one. I did and then everyone made fun of me!”

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Like Farm to Table? Try Hunting and Gathering!

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Photo by Mark Cataldo on Unsplash

If he can forage, so can you! Photo by Mark Cataldo on Unsplash

Here’s a guest post for your post-Thanksgiving meal reading pleasure, from Jenny Irwell.

There’s been something of a renaissance in recent years of people reconnecting with food. Whether it’s the popularity of the Food Network and celebrification of chefs, or a backlash against our consumer culture, more and more people are embracing the farm to table way of eating and cooking. And just in time too; the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report basically says humanity needs to get serious about changing the way we use our natural resources if we want to stick around for awhile.

Learning how to make traditional recipes and understanding the food ways of ancient cultures are a great way to build your knowledge of how we fed ourselves before the age of canned goods and instant this and that. And with the arrival of hunting season here in upstate New York, one might consider getting to know how to eat not just farm to table but… forest to fork? Living off the land is hopefully something we won’t all have to do in this lifetime, but it’s certainly a skill worth brushing up on for anyone who appreciates good food and its origins.

Be Prepared with Safety Gear

Unless you’re intentionally trying to camouflage yourself from potential prey, a walk in the woods during hunting season is a smart time to wear safety orange. A good, orange knit hat can keep you warm while also making you visible to other hunters. And a bright bandana is also a good idea for any four-legged friends you may bring along. If you’re planning to adventure into rugged terrain in any time of year, take a tip from climbers and pack a few essentials that can help you prevent disaster. Lastly, bring water and always let someone know you are about to go wandering in the woods.

Know Your Foraging Foliage

There are abundant wild edibles in any forest. Even urban landscapes offer edible weeds like lambsquarters and purslane, both of which taste like spinach and are loaded with nutrients. Springtime offers lots of tasty, edible shoots like ramps and Japanese knotweed, while the late summer and fall are a good time to gather wild raspberries, blackberries or lesser-known (but antioxidant-packed) service berries. A good guidebook with visual aids is a must for the novice forager, and going out with an experienced guide on your first foraging expeditions is even better.

Get in the Game

If you’ve never hunted wild game before but want to learn, odds are you have a relative or a neighbor who hunts and would be happy to show you the ropes. Or if you simply need to get comfortable first with eating game meats like venison or pheasants, many local farmers markets will have vendors who offer these wild proteins when in season.

Hunting and gathering is such an elemental part of humanity’s existence, and yet something so many of us are completely disconnected from. You may not be ready to live on cattail pancakes and squirrels any time soon, but learning more about what foods we can forage and hunt — and how to do it safely — is a surefire way to gain appreciation for the daily delicacies we already enjoy in our kitchens.

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Recipe: Pecan Pie a la Highland Park Cafeteria

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Pecan Pie

Highland Park Cafeteria pecan pie

It’s generally agreed that the delicious Highland Park Cafeteria pecan pie follows the recipe on the label of Karo Light Corn Syrup. My modest enhancement is to tweak the handling of the pecans and add a few extra nuts. Makes one 9 inch pie.

Ingredients:
1 c Karo Light Corn Syrup or equivalent
1 c sugar
3 eggs
2 T unsalted butter, melted
1 t vanilla extract
6 to 8 ounces pecan halves, or a 50/50 mix of pecan pieces and halves
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, using this recipe or store bought

Method: beat eggs and add sugar, Karo and vanilla extract. Melt butter and add to other ingredients (don’t add to the eggs at the beginning because it will cook them) and mix thoroughly with spoon or spatula. Pick through the pecans and pull out as many unbroken halves as you can; mix in the rest with the other ingredients. Pour into pie crust then carefully place unbroken halves on top to create a beautiful layer of pecans.*

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 60-70 minutes; if crust is not too brown after 60 minutes leave in for the extra time. Cool to room temperature and enjoy your Highland Park Cafeteria pecan pie.

*This method will produce a pie like that pictured above which has nuts mixed in with the custard layer. The alternative (which is what they do at Highland Park Cafeteria) is to use fewer nuts and mix them all in with the other ingredients. This will produce a pie with nuts on top and a relatively nut-free custard underneath.

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Cheap non-stick cookware… is it any good?

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Farberware Non-Stick Skillets

My cheap non-stick cookware from Farberware

Every household has a running kitchen battle, and ours is non-stick cookware. My wife considers it an abomination. It’s a cheat, plus surely the coating will come off and kill you. I like it on occasion. A non-stick skillet is great for eggs (especially omelets) and a quick sauté of chopped vegetables. I keep my cheap non-stick cookware discreetly tucked away for these needs.

Recently the discussion has elevated for several reasons. First, somebody put a deep scratch in my skillet and it was time to replace. Second, the folks at Misen launched a Kickstarter for their new non-stick line and I became one of the 12,000 people to pledge $40 for a pan I won’t receive till March 2019. Third, this old thread showed up on my Serious Eats feed, in which the gang test non-stick cookware options and come to an interesting conclusion.

I got a Misen chef’s knife a while back and like it a lot. It is well balanced and holds its edge, two early promises fulfilled. It cuts a little differently than my other knives so I occasionally find myself chopping a fingernail instead of the food product, but I’m learning. I have a lot of respect for the research that went into their non-stick line which you can read about here. They don’t promise their cheap non-stick cookware will last forever, but they say it will far outlast cheap non-stick brands currently on the market.

Detail of Farberware Skillets

8 inch Farberware non-stick skillet has a lip; 10 inch has a thicker base (thus superior quality)

But… what exactly is “cheap”? Misen’s benchmark is $30-40, which is why something stirred within me when Serious Eats told me I can get an 8 inch professional grade aluminum omelet pan for around $16 on Amazon. Oddly, a 10 inch pan was even cheaper so I ordered them both. When they arrived it was like going to your high school reunion and running into that old friend who is better than you remember instead of a sloppy drunk. This is the same pan I used in chef school, [redacted] years ago! Same heft, same heavy aluminum body. (Induction cooks, look elsewhere.) I’m sure the handle has been upgraded but the pan itself is timeless.

I immediately took to cooking and the surface is so slippery it’s hard to keep the food in the pan. (Exaggerating!) Since I have two of them I’ve been using for everything that will fit. I am careful never to use a tool other than wood or rubber, and the pans have yet to see soap and hopefully never will; I heat a little clear water to simmer after using, same technique as a wok or cast iron pan, and wipe clean while still hot with a paper towel.

I recommend you get one or several of these Farberware pans and put them to work. If you absent mindedly grab a fork and gouge the surface as I suspect my teen cook did, you aren’t out very much money and they’re easy to recycle and replace. That’s what cheap non-stick cookware is all about. Will the Misen pan be better? We’ll have to wait a few months to find out, and there are lots of omelets to make between now and then.

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Recipe: Korean Chicken Nuggets

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Korean Chicken Nuggets

Korean Chicken Nuggets

McDonald’s has been running a special on Chicken McNuggets through its app and a few boxes (20 for $4.99) have passed through my home recently. I tried them reheated, and they’re not bad. So it occurred to me to do a variation of spicy, garlicky, ginger-y Korean fried chicken. Walla, Korean Chicken Nuggets!

Ingredients
20-piece box of Chicken McNuggets (about 12 oz) or equivalent
3 T fresh ginger, peeled
3 T fresh garlic, peeled
3 T soy sauce
3 T catsup
3 T white vinegar
1 T Asian sesame oil
1 T sugar
1 t chili powder

Korean Chicken Nuggets in Box

If you like, serve the nuggets in their original McDonalds box, maybe with some red lettuce leaves for eating K-style.

Method: start with chicken nuggets which have already been cooked and fried one time. Reheat in a 300 degree oven (toaster oven is fine) until sizzling hot. Meanwhile, puree ginger and garlic in a micro chop; add other ingredients and blend. Pour the sauce over the nuggets and toss to blend thoroughly. Allow to rest at least 20 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

Note: I used a sauce recipe with ingredients found in most any supermarket, but if you want to go authentic try this recipe.

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Chasing Khachapuri

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Failed Khachapuri

Failed khachapuri made with NYTimes directions and Adjarian style

Did you know that the Soviet Union once shut off electricity to what is now Georgia, plunging the region into stone age darkness for 14 years? Or that the country’s current leader is an oligarch who has built an enormous modern palace on a hill overlooking the capital city of Tblisi? Both these factoids were provided to me by my Georgian hostess at a B&B where I stayed awhile back, but oddly I can find no reference to either on the internet.

Her khachapuri, though, were very real. She stuffed these rounds of dough with sulugumi cheese and slapped them on the sides of her barrel-shaped Georgian clay oven; when done, they fall to the base of the oven and she scoops them up with a special tool. Served with Georgian honey, they were a decadent treat and I resolved to make them one day for myself.

Today, however, was not the day. There are lots of recipes for khachapuri dough but I decided to play it safe and use Maria Burros’ from the New York Times. I knew I was trouble in the kneading process. The dough in the Kitchenaid mixer was oddly rubbery and refused to show the stretchiness of good gluten development, even when I added extra liquid and hand kneaded after. I used a mixture of 1 part feta to 3 parts mozzarella/provolone mix and followed a strange instruction to fold the dough in on the cheese then pleat it to create a knob on top. The result was crusty and unpleasant and not cheesy enough. Next time I’ll stuff individual rolls following the technique for pupusas and bake them at a considerably lower temperature than Burros’ 375 degrees.

I also tried making Adjarian khachapuri, the better known form of the bread in which the dough is formed into a boat with the cheese in its open middle and an egg broken into it at the last minute. Tearing the bread apart and using it to scoop out the melted cheese and egg must be a sensuous experience—I was inspired to do this baking experiment by a Facebook post from my friend Melanie about her own encounter with a cheesy boat—but not with my sorry dough. Also, the sides of my boat weren’t high enough and I overcooked my egg (and I used just the yolk, whereas I would add an entire raw egg next time).

So, failure, but we can learn from it. I am annoyed by food blogs which take the stance that the blogger is an expert and never makes a mistake, and their technique for boiling water or peeling a tomato is the only way to do it. I will get back on the horse, but not right away. Meanwhile, the dog is enjoying my scraps.

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Recipe: Election Bread (we need it more than ever)

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Election Bread

This Election Bread was baked in a bundt pan and served unadorned. You could also add a sugar glaze or powdered sugar or a squirt of whipped cream.

In the Atlas Obscura article that inspired my Bone Bread recipe, I learned Marie Antoinette never said “let them eat cake”. More likely she said “let them eat brioche” which is a more reasonable suggestion. But there’s no evidence she ever actually uttered what was a catchphrase of 18th century aristocrats. She paid dearly for being part of a stereotype that lumped people together instead of treating them as individuals.

Which brings us to Election 2018, and a reprise of Election Cake which, because of its savory nature, might be better titled Election Bread. It’s hard to imagine today that on November 1, 2016 when this recipe was published Hillary Clinton was all but anointed as the first female President of the USA and the idea of Russian trolls influencing our election would have been a bizarre theory. But this historical recipe, with all its own noble baggage, was as good then as it is now.

If you’re a devotee of Election Bread like me, you’ve already got your preferment going. If not, use the yeast rising method below. Make it tonight, then offer to your neighbors tomorrow, November 6, which is Election Day. It can be a reward for voting, or a bribe to let you drive them to the polls. Remember, the most important thing whatever your political leanings is to vote, and please be civil. Makes 1 bundt mold or 8″ or 10″ round. This recipe is adapted from the home bakers version of the recipe from OWL Bakery.

Tonight:
1 c warm milk
1/2 t instant yeast
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 c dried or 1 c fresh fruits (optional)

Method: dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and stir in flour. If you are using dried fruits, chop fine and soak overnight in liquor or water. The preferment is ready in 8-12 hours when it becomes bubbly.

Election Day:
1/2 c unsalted butter
1/3 cup unrefined sugar
1 egg
2 T whole-milk yoghurt
2 T honey or sorghum syrup
Last night’s preferment

1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 t grond cinnamon
1/4 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground cardamon
Pinch ground black pepper
1 t salt
Last night’s rehydrated or fresh fruit (optional)

Method: using paddle attachment in stand mixer, cream butter then add sugar, mixing until very light and fluffy. Mix in the egg on medium speed, then the the sorghum/honey and yogurt.

Exchange the paddle with a dough hook. Add the preferment and mix until just incorporated. Combine all of the dry ingredients before adding them to liquid ingredients and mix until just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Gently fold in the rehydrated fruit. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan or cake round.

Proof 2-4 hours, covered, until cake has risen by about 1/3 of its volume. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting and eating.

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Recipe: Leftover Halloween Candy Snack Mix

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Christina Tosi Snack Mix

Leftover Halloween Candy Snack Mix uses up those mini-Snickers (my favorite), Milky Ways, Butterfingers etc

What to do with your leftover Halloween mini-candies? Turn them into Leftover Halloween Candy Snack Mix! This is a modification of an original recipe we referenced awhile back from Momofuku Milk Bar maven Christina Tosi. Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients:
2 c pretzels, broken into 1-inch or smaller pieces
1/4 c brown sugar
2 T sugar
1/3 c dry milk powder
6 T melted butter
2 c leftover chocolate Halloween mini-candies, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Method: mix all ingredients except candy and spread out on a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper. Heat in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Cool to room temperature or a little warmer and mix in mini-candies. Eat and enjoy your Leftover Halloween Candy Snack Mix.

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