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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Special Recipe: Bone Bread

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Secret Ingredient Bread

Can you guess the secret ingredient?

16th Century Parisians ate a LOT of bread… as much as 2.5 pounds per person per day, according to this academic source. So imagine their consternation when Henri VII of Navarre blockaded the city, creating widespread starvation. The solution, reports Atlas Obscura, was to disinter dead people and grind their bones into flour to bake into bread.

Unfortunately, the bones had very little nutritional value. The article quotes medical historian Gabriel Venel: ““The idea of reducing human bones to powder […] could only come from a mind essentially ignorant and overcome by hunger and by despair. Bones are not floury, and when they are spent by a long stay in humid soil, they contain no nourishing element.” Eyewitness Enrico Davillia called the bread “vile and macabre,” an “abominable food so contagious that, the substance having come from the dead, it so increased by many the number.”

At Burnt My Fingers, we can do better at making a flavorsome and nutritious Bone Bread. The key is to approach the project similar to Stone Soup, in which the stone is removed before serving and has no effect on taste or wholesomeness. Makes one 1 1/2 lb sandwich loaf or batard.

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) OR 1 1/2 t active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1 small beef bone or 2 chicken drumstick bones, boiled clean
1 T honey
2 T butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
4 c King Arthur All-Purpose Flour

Method: dissolve the yeast and honey in warm milk, then add bone(s). Proof a few minutes until yeast begins to foam slightly. Remove and discard bone. Add melted butter, then pour this liquid mixture into a bowl containing the flour and salt. Mix thoroughly with a spoon, then knead 8 minutes or until the dough develops resilience and will not tear apart quickly when you pull the edges to create a “gluten window”.

Allow to rise in covered bowl until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours in a warm room. Punch down the bread, then into loaves or transfer to a bread pan and rise 1 hour, covered. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until bread develops a light crust and reaches an internal temperature of 206 degrees. Trick or treat!

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Recipe: Smashed Salt Potatoes

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Salt Smashed Potatoes

Smashed Salt Potatoes

Salt potatoes are a thing in upstate New York. Stores sell a bag of white potatoes which includes a sack of salt, and charge more than the items would cost separately. Michele, our hostess at Orchard Slope airbnb in Amherst MA, had a much better idea: Smashed Salt Potatoes. She boils small new potatoes with herbs and salt, then smashes the tops and sautées before serving. 1 lb serves 4-6; just multiply the quantities if you want to make more.

Ingredients:
1 lb small red potatoes or white potatoes, uniform in size
1/3 c Kosher salt
3 bay leaves
Half a dozen peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 t dried thyme
2 unpeeled garlic cloves (optional)

Salt Smashed Potato Breakfast

Serving suggestion for Smashed Salt Potatoes

Method: dissolve salt in a good amount of water, sufficient to cover the potatoes. Add herbs and potatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Drain and remove herbs.

At serving time, lightly smash each potato with the side of a chef’s knife blade so the skin is broken but they are not falling apart. Sauté in butter, olive oil, bacon fat or a combination until crispy, turning to coat both sides. Serve for breakfast in place of hash browns, or as a side with meat dishes.

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Recipe: Sichuan Pickled Vegetables

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers
Sichuan Pickles

Sichuan Pickles in proofing jar (not really necessary; because the fermentation is slight you can use a regular lid but don’t tighten all the way).

Here is a taste of the treats which await in Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty. My only modification was to use wine instead of vodka, since I feared too much alcohol might slow the fermentation. (It got just a little fizz, less than salt-cured pickles.) She recommends serving as a side dish with chili oil and sugar; I’ve found the pickles are fine on their own and are excellent when stirred into a mild dish like jook. Makes 1 quart.

Ingredients:
2 ¼ c water
½ c Kosher salt
4 dried chilis (Sichuan chilis are relatively mild; reduce the quantity if using stronger chilis)
½ t whole Sichuan peppercorn
2 T Xiao Xing wine or dry sherry
½ of a star anise
1 T brown sugar
1 inch knob of ginger, no need to peel
1 cinnamon stick
¾ lb daikon (white radish)*
½ lb carrots*

Method: dissolve salt in water and bring to boil. Cool, then add other brine ingredients and transfer to a quart canning jar. Peel the vegetables and cut into ¾ inch chunks; add to canning jar and add more water if necessary to fill within ½ inch of top. Cover loosely and cure in a cool dark place for one week or longer, until the brine develops a slight fizz. Use as a condiment with Sichuan dishes and add more vegetables to the brine after you finish the first batch; it will get better with age.

*Use other root vegetables like turnips, parsnips, rutabagas etc if you like.

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Food for Thought: Land of Plenty

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers


Land of Plenty by Fuchsia Dunlop has just come back into stock at Amazon after being unavailable for several months and costing as much as $100 on the used market. This is fantastic news and I recommend you grab a copy while you can.

Fuchsia Dunlop is an English journalist who studied Sichuan cooking at a full-time school for professional chefs in Chengdu. She has roamed the back alleys and countryside collecting authentic recipes and translating them into directions for home cooks. Many of these are from shuttered restaurants or legacy methods that are no longer practiced, so you may get a better introduction to Sichuan cooking by preparing dishes from this book than by actually visiting Sichuan province. (The exception being a food tour which Dunlop herself conducts, a couple of times a year.)

I have never been to China, sadly, but I can say the explosive seasonings and complex tastes mirror the very best dishes I’ve found at well-regarded Sichuan restaurants in the U.S. Be aware you will definitely need to expand your Asian food pantry to make these dishes. Most items should be available at a good Asian supermarket, but I would also recommend you take extra care in purchasing two key ingredients: doubanjiang sauce and Sichuan peppercorns. There is a range of quality levels and you want the best. I purchased mine from Amazon, which is where those links will take you.

Published in 2003, Land of Plenty is long on clear descriptions and well-written text but short on photos. There are several blocks of photo pages within the book but they are not up to today’s food porn standards. Get over it. Land of Plenty belongs in your cookbook collection and now that it is available again you should run, not walk, to the order button to get your copy. Check it out.

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