tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34154794256095212552024-02-06T18:50:42.362-08:00Bite ClubR. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-88289838181069746032013-11-28T11:32:00.000-08:002013-11-29T08:54:21.097-08:00This Cake May Contain NutsMy fellow Bite Clubbers, I cannot believe I am writing to you on the very cusp of December, and thus, the holiday season. I just checked the date of my last post (September?!) and gasped. Time flies when you're busy, and I've been busy in spades!<br />
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<b>CHRISTMAS ALREADY!?</b></div>
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It's not a wonder I haven't sat down with you guys for a chat or a bite to eat! Honestly, if Rebekah hadn't been so generously sharing her meals with me over the past 2 months, I would be A) emaciated or B) living on cold cuts, cheese, almonds and coffee.<br />
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But-- I digress. With Christmas coming and my classes almost finished, I can see the never ending landscape of essays, presentations, and articles disappearing, and on the horizon, there's something amazing waiting: holiday baking! Christmas is the one time I can justify going completely <i>off-the-wall-and-deck-the-halls </i>insane. There are always neighbours and family to share the love (and the cookies) with. In fact, I've already started my descent into seasonal bakemania.<br />
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So let's talk about fruitcake. Yeah I went there: fruitcake AKA Christmas cake AKA there's-a-joke-about-a-doorstop-in-here-somewhere. Oddly enough, my fascination with this vilified holiday confection did not begin in the kitchen, but in the classroom. The final project for one of my courses this semester is a research paper; we are allowed to compose it about literally whatever we want. I wanted to write it about Alexis Soyer, a French cook/inventor who fell off of the face of history, but I couldn't find enough books about him. So I had to turn to...alternative options...<br />
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In short, I'm writing an academic research paper worth 50% of my grade on why fruitcake is so unpopular. I'm going to use it as a weird party story, or throw people off with it in games of "two truths and a lie." People usually cringe at the very mention of fruitcake, but it used to be the cake of kings, literally. Queen Victoria's wedding cake was a dense, one layer plum confection. Even recently, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka Kate Middleton and Prince William, served an eight tier frosted fruit cake as their wedding cake! Still, to the general public, it remains a joke and a pariah. Even I realized I have bias against fruitcake although I had never even tried it! How ridiculous is that? When have I ever turned my back on cake without giving it a chance first? There was only one thing to do and that was to tame the beast for myself and then EAT IT.<br />
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So here we are. This beauty is currently sitting on my counter, marinating in brandy, waiting to be brought home to a family who will (hopefully) enjoy it along with me! If you hate raisins (looking at you-- the ENTIRE WORLD) substitute it for more of another kind of fruit! That's right, no excuses, you have to try this.<br />
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First Time Fruitcake<br /><a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Fruitcake8_zpsc0517749.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Fruitcake8_zpsc0517749.png" /></a></h3>
Serves 10 (If you can find that many people who like Fruitcake.)<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/free-range-fruitcake-recipe/index.html">Alton Brown </a><br />
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Ingredients<br />
1 cup Sultana raisins<br />
1 cup currants<br />
1/2 cup dried cranberries<br />
1/2 cup dried blueberries<br />
1/2 cup dried cherries<br />
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped<br />
Zest of one lemon<br />
1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped<br />
1 cup brandy<br />
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1 cup sugar<br />
5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)<br />
1 cup water<br />
4 whole cloves, ground<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
2 eggs, room temperature<br />
1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted pecans, broken<br />
Brandy for basting and/or spritzing<br />
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1. Combine raisins, currants, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, apricots, zest, ginger and brandy in a glass bowl. Stir to combine, and let soak for 1-5 days, stirring once each day.<br />
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2. Put the fruit in a large saucepan with the sugar, butter, water and spices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is thick and syrupy. Remove from heat, let stand for a minimum of 15 minutes.<br />
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3. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and powder. When the fruit mixture has adequately cooled, dump this dry mixture in all at once and quickly beat it together with a wooden spoon.<br />
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4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then fold in the pecans.<br />
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5. Move the batter into a 10-inch loaf pan, either nonstick or grease generously with butter, smoothing the surface to make it tidy.<br />
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6. Bake for one hour, then check the middle of the cake for done-ness with a butter knife. If it is not finished, add time in 5-10 minute intervals until it is done.<br />
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7. Baste the top with brandy, then allow the cake to cool in the loaf pan before running a knife thoroughly around the edge to set it loose.<br />
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8. Wrap the cake in airtight plastic wrap, and unwrap every two days or so to baste with more brandy. You want to keep this up for at least two weeks for optimum flavour, but fruitcakes can be aged for a month or even longer!<br />
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9. Slice and serve!<br />
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I Am Jack's Step by Step Photos<br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />1. Combine dried fruit, zest and brandy in a bowl. Cover in plastic wrap and soak overnight, or for up to 5 days.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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2. When you are ready to bake the actual cake, put the fruit, sugar, butter, water, and spices in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until it is melted together, cohesive and syrupy. Remove from heat and let cool for a least 15 minutes. </div>
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3. In the meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder, and salt. Whisk.</div>
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4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. When the fruit mixture is cool enough, add the flour mixture to the fruit mixture, beating quickly with a wooden spoon to combine. Add the eggs one by one, beating until fully incorporated. The batter will be glossy, thick and very heavy. </div>
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5. Transfer the batter into a 10 inch loaf pan, and bake for 1 hour. Check the center with a knife and add 5-10 minutes if it is not finished, consequently, until it is finished baking. </div>
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6. Baste the top of the cake with brandy after it has been taken under the oven. Allow the cake to cool in the pan completely before cutting it loose. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, or put it in an airtight container. Every two days, baste or spritz the cake with brandy. "Season" the cake for at least two weeks, but you can keep this practice up for a month. Slice and serve!</div>
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Although I technically haven't TRIED this cake yet, I don't think Alton Brown would lead us astray. This is definitely not the last post you'll see on the subject of the notorious fruitcake. Perhaps a taste test is on the way? Welcome back, Bite Clubbers, and welcome home! </div>
R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-20461871601853781432013-09-27T12:39:00.000-07:002013-09-27T12:39:25.563-07:00Bite Back: According to Plan<i>Warning: the following is a giant, rambling post about things that are RELATED to food, but it contains no recipes, only worries and tiny stories, seasoned with existential crises. You have been told! </i><br />
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<s>I baked pumpkin muffins today.</s> I <i>tried</i> to bake some low carb pumpkin muffins because, hell, 1. Why should Starbucks get all of the pumpkin spice action?<br />
2. I like muffins and I wanted to eat them.<br />
3. I like a challenge, trying new recipes and new ingredients!<br />
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To cut to the chase here, they didn't turn out so well.<br />
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Instead of being fluffy and spicy like I wanted, they stayed as these half hearted, fall flavoured hockey pucks. Still edible, but not exactly what I had in mind when I hit up my kitchen this afternoon. Sometimes, things just don't go according to plan.</div>
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Another perfect example of things going awry is the dilemma that I'm still wrestling with, even after an entire summer of agonizing over the decision: <i>Should I leave university to go to baking school? </i>I went so far as to apply to one baking school in Toronto, and to take a tour of another here in Montreal. When I made the choice to go back to university, "only for a semester, just to see" it seemed relatively obvious to me as soon as I got over dragging ass through the first two weeks that I couldn't just drop out in the middle. I'm stubborn in funny ways, and quitting is one of them. Of course, this was a decision I made in the quiet internal part of myself that smells like fresh baked cinnamon rolls, and I didn't really bother to spread the word far, figuring it wasn't that important.</div>
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Then, last week I was texting my kid sister and she asked me if I was still thinking about moving in to her apartment in T.O. in January. Basically, <i>"are you going go through with this?</i>" It threw me for a loop. I had been so busy, wading back into the quicksand of William Blake and dependent clauses, I had sort of written off my pastry school dreams as something either for the future, or something completely stupid that I impulsively threw my heart at one time. I had forgotten that I still had real options to choose from, somewhere out there, that open door. I tried to shake off the feeling that there was an entirely different world at my fingertips if I could only reach far enough; it would be mine for the cost of the world I'm currently living in.</div>
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I know that a lot of people can't even dream of university education, let alone have the option to drop out whenever they please because they just really, really, really dig the romance of the words, "chantilly cream." I planned, sort of, in my head, to buckle down. Suck it up, finish my degree, and then decide from there what it was I really wanted to do.</div>
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I thought that was it, but then, my mom texted me saying I had gotten a letter from the culinary school I applied to. My immediate reaction was panic. An excited panic. I was in the middle of a library seminar, and on the verge of screaming. I told her not to open it. I asked her if it was a big envelope, ripe with school brochures and congratulations. She said it was letter sized. Gulp. I told her to open because I couldn't take the waiting. Get the bad news over with. </div>
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<b>Guys, I more or less have a place in culinary school. </b>The letter wasn't an all out acceptance, it said I had a missing math requirement. (I didn't submit my high school transcript, because I somehow figured with a full college transcript and a first year university on my record, it would be proof enough that I was educated. My bad.) All I had to do was submit a high school transcript and boom, instant life transplant. I was scared, excited, emotional and torn. I had enough kaleidoscope reactions that I realized this wasn't something I could shrug off. </div>
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Even though in my head, I had already sealed the sensible choice to finish my degree (the words "just in case" hovering somewhere in the back of my mind), it was clear my heart was split on the entire issue. So I phoned the culinary college the next day to ask if there was any way I could defer my acceptance until next January, figuring I could take a full course load in the summer, smash getting my degree in the fact and sprint right onto the next option without stopping to breath or even think about what might occur.<br /><br />But just like today's muffins, things don't go according to plan. The nice woman on the phone told me they don't accept deferrals, I would just have to withdraw my application and reapply when I was ready. Which wouldn't be a big deal except that, as a creature of impulse, I don't know when that will be. If I think on something too long, that's a sure way to talk myself out of it. </div>
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It doesn't help that... I know it sounds stupid, but I'm kind of embarrassed that I haven't settled into the idea of at least one job for the near future. I know careers morph and change constantly, but this lack of direction is a slight source of bashfulness at every family event I have to go to that involves small talk. So... all of them.<br /><br />"What are you doing with your life? Still interested in film? Oh, right you're at university now aren't you? How is that going?.......Dropping out?.....Really?"</div>
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<br />What I strongly feel I need from myself is an answer as to which one I should focus on for a career right this moment. For a living. This shouldn't ever be a bad thing, but the fact that I went to film school, and then university seems directionless. Piling on a year of baking education on top of that seems to be just another fumble on my part. My older sister has told me a few times she could see me as a perpetual student, staying on to get a Masters degree, a PhD... and I mean... at least those things would be energy focused in one direction.<br /><br />I'm so frustrated because I'm in the world of university, looking out the window into the possibilities beyond it. I'm trying to take notes on poetry, something I do love really really, yet somehow I'm thinking about small blueberry pies and thanksgiving desserts. What if I dropped out, go to baking school, hate it, and then move on to something else? Or miss the English program once I leave it? What if I keep doing this dance forever?<br /><br />I don't know what to make of any of it. Anyway, I'm really sorry for rambling like this. I'm going to have another half-baked muffin and think about life. If anyone has any words of advice, let me have 'em.<br /><br />I am Jack's aching brain and unsolved decisions. </div>
R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-5585596847270290282013-09-22T19:11:00.000-07:002013-09-22T19:13:05.936-07:00Gettin' WhiskeyCUPCAKES - imagine I'm yelling that at the very height of my lungs.<br />
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CUPCAKES! Or from a rooftop, down onto the ears of the poor, cake-less citizens in the streets below. You suckers, you.<br />
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<b>CUPCAKES!!! </b><br />
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Now guess what I made this weekend. Friends, family, bros, space monkeys, fight clubbers, and everyone else, I am smashing my blogging hiatus with one of my favourite things. Birthday cupcakes.<br />
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This month's were for my fellow English Literature bff/writer/baking enthusiast Jocelyn. She's a one woman snark machine, who whips up meals for 4+ people in 45 minutes without breaking a sweat, and spews Shakespearian sonnets like she time traveled from the Elizabethan era, only to crash land in Montreal with a quill in one hand and a full glass in the other. She has her own writing blog, <a href="http://writingandwhiskey.wordpress.com/">Writing and Whiskey</a>, and recently, encouraged me to start one of my own, to post my scribbles that don't have to do with sugar, flour and pastry cream. I knew I wanted to make her something amazing, for not only being generally awesome, but pushing me to make more art. (You can find me at <a href="http://coyoteprints.wordpress.com/">Coyote Prints</a>, for the literarily inclined.) I also knew that as a kitchen force, she would appreciate something made with a little more panache. You impress a fellow cook, you impress everyone else in the room by default!<br />
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And thus: red velvet cupcakes, with airy whiskey Swiss meringue buttercream. These turned out spectacularly if I do say so myself. They exceeded my expectations. They are moist, and the slightly dense subtle chocolate of the sponge paired amazingly with the cloud soft, silky sweet, whiskey laced Swiss buttercream. Definitely a must for any aspiring writer or cake connoisseur in your life. The flavours meld and aren't overpowering in the slightest.<br />
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<b>Note:</b> I also had some leftover chocolate buttercream in the freezer from an earlier attempt at macarons, and I used some of that, too. I can say, first hand, that they also are AMAZING with chocolate frosting. So if you have kids, or your alcoholic tastes are not in line with Hemingway's, give chocolate a chance instead.<br />
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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Whiskey Swiss Meringue Buttercream</h3>
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Makes 24 Cupcakes, iced<br />Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodfanatic.com/recipes/paula-deen-red-velvet-cupcake-recipe/">Paula Deen</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>For the Cupcakes</b><br />
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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/4 cup cocoa powder<br />
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1/2 cup canola oil<br />
1 cup unsalted butter, melted<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
3 large eggs<br />
Red food colour, to taste<br />
1 tsp cider vinegar<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract.<br />
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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. (Note: you do not need to grease the liners, the cupcakes are plenty moist and will do the job for themselves.)<br />
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2. In one bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.<br />
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3. In another bowl, put oil, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, food colouring, vinegar and vanilla. Mix until well combine.<br />
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4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all in one go, and beat until the batter is thoroughly combined and smooth.<br />
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5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking time.<br />
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6. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.<br />
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<b>For the whiskey Swiss meringue buttercream</b><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://bravetart.com/recipes/swissbuttercream">Bravetart</a><br />
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2.5 oz sugar</div>
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2.5 oz egg whites</div>
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Pinch of kosher salt </div>
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Splash vanilla</div>
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1/2 lb unsalted butter, very soft</div>
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1/4 cup whiskey, any kind (I used Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey), plus more to taste</div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Make a double boiler by filling a saucepan with water, and then setting a glass, ovenproof bowl on top of it. Bring the water to a low simmer, until it's steaming.</div>
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2. In the bowl, combine sugar, egg whites, salt and vanilla. Continuously whisk the whites as they heat, so the sugar dissolves and they don't cook. </div>
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3. When the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is adequately hot, (145-150 degrees if you have a kitchen thermometer), transfer the egg whites into the clean bowl of a stand mixer (or regular bowl if you're not blessed by the KitchenAid gods, and break out the electric mixer). Whip them on high until doubled in size and stiff. </div>
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<br /></div>
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4. While the whites are cooling, put the whiskey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. Keep simmering until the mixture is halved, and then set aside to cool. </div>
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5. It is now time to add the butter to the egg whites. Feel the bowl holding the egg whites with your hands to ensure the bowl itself is cool to the touch. I MEAN IT.</div>
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6. Mixing on low, add the butter, one spoonful at a time until fully incorporated. Add the whiskey reduction and whip it into the frosting. Then add a splash of raw whiskey if you want more flavour. (But don't add too much or you'll have a liquid mess.)<br />
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7. Frost cupcakes. Eat cupcakes.<br />
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<h3>
I Am Jack's Step By Step Photos<br />Cupcakes</h3>
<div>
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Don't bother greasing them. These suckers have enough oil and butter to look after themselves.<br />
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2. In one bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. (Gold star if you figured out these were all the dry ingredients!)<br />
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3. In another bowl, put oil, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, food colouring, vinegar and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Say it with me kids, the wet ingredients!<br />
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4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all in one go, and beat until the batter is thoroughly combined and smooth. Smoothish. Smoother than your average bro, but less smooth than a baby's bottom. ....Those were odd comparisons. Moving on.<br />
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5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans half way through. Do this as quickly as possible because you don't want all the heat of the oven to escape and mess with your cooking time! I like to make it a game called, "How Fast Can You Go Without Horribly Scorching Yourself?"<br />
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6. When an inserted knife, toothpick or other poking object comes out clean, remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes in the pans. After that, remove and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.<br />
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<h3>
Whiskey Swiss Meringue Buttercream</h3>
<div class="p1">
1. Make a double boiler by filling a saucepan with water, and then setting a glass, ovenproof bowl on top of it. Bring the water to a low simmer, so it's steaming. The steam is actually what heats the bowl. </div>
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2. In the bowl, combine sugar, egg whites, salt and vanilla. Continuously whisk the whites as they heat, so the sugar dissolves and they don't cook. They'll get hot and foamy. Kind of the early stages of the meringue.<br />
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3. When the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is adequately hot, (145-150 degrees if you have a kitchen thermometer), transfer the egg whites into the clean bowl of a stand mixer (or regular bowl if you're not blessed by the KitchenAid gods, and break out the electric mixer). Whip them on high until doubled in size and stiff. </div>
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4. While the whites are cooling, put the whiskey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. Keep simmering until the mixture is half the volume and syrupy. Also, don't breath it. I mean, unless that's what you're into.<br />
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<div class="p1">
5. It is now time to add the butter to the egg whites. Feel the bowl holding the egg whites with your hands to ensure the bowl itself is cool to the touch. I MEAN IT, OR ELSE.<br />
<br />
The butter will melt and you will have a sloppy, unsalvageable mess. Seriously. Let everything cool off. Also, there will be a point where it will look like the stuff is NOT going to come together. Just keep whipping it, and eventually it will come together. As long as you let the temperature fall. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Mixing on low, add the butter, one spoonful at a time until fully incorporated. Add the whiskey reduction and whip it into the frosting. Then add a splash of raw whiskey if you want more flavour. (But don't add too much or you'll have a liquid mess.)<br />
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7. Frost cupcakes. Spread with a knife, pipe them, anything. Eat cupcakes. Or if you're me, photograph them like as much as they're your first born child.<br />
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</div>R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-66924615080917812272013-09-13T08:44:00.000-07:002013-09-27T11:31:58.435-07:00Bite Back: Neato Keto<div>
<i>So this post is just going to be me rambling about why I haven't been posting. So if you came here for food cake porn, regular porn (Google: you're doing it wrong), click elsewhere my friends! </i><br />
<br />
Between starting school and working part time once again, volunteering for <a href="http://cfsw.ca/">CFSW</a> getting busier by the week, and beginning to write for the university newspaper, I haven't had the time to photograph and write about what I'm chewing on.<br />
<br />
But, I really want to take a moment here to talk about what is also a large contributing factor to my slacking posting. I've been on the Ketogenic Diet for the past two weeks. Also known as just plain keto, it's basically eating low carb, medium protein, high fat, flipping the traditional food pyramid or dinner plate or what-have-you on its head. The theory is, when your body runs out of carbs to burn, it goes into what is called "ketosis" which means it will begin burning fat for energy.<br />
<br />
A couple of friends and I got into a discussion about the chemistry of it all, and made the choice to take on the challenge of eating strictly keto for a month in the name of curiosity and science. Our decision was greatly helped that this is a lifestyle which encourages both bacon and cheese. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
I don't believe in diets, as they're often unrealistic. You can't live on lemon juice and cayenne pepper while sharing a special family meal or a night out with friends. If a diet interferes with your happiness and lifestyle, there is a better road to health for you. Protein bars or shakes for two meals a day is a sneak preview of hell. Weight loss ads pimping portion controlled, pre-packed meals? Cringe. So I've found something that allows me some exploration in the kitchen. However, this has drawbacks too. <br />
<br />
One of the big drawbacks of changing <i>how you eat</i> is that you have to teach yourself <i>how to cook</i> in a new style. My kid sister was bemoaning this to me a month ago, about how she automatically wanted all the knowledge of vegan cookery to be in her brain, a big wish for a kid who used to text me begging for the finite details of making rice. Now I'm in the same boat, albeit sailing in a more bacon-y direction, in a boat made of bacon with bacon sails. (Did I mention I'm allowed to eat bacon?) Everything I'm cooking at the moment is more or less an experiment. Every time I reupholster a recipe to fit into this dietary experiment of mine, I have no idea if it's going to turn into something delicious or crash and burn in a mess of melted cheese and disappointment. Thus, I haven't been taking pictures. Thus, no blogs for you.<br />
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But, friends, I have been cooking! I've made pulled pork, cauliflower crust pizza, coconut milk chicken curry, taco salads, stuffed bell peppers, hot chocolate, peanut butter cookies, cheese souffles, espresso whipped cream... I just haven't had the time to write about any of it. Believe it or not, I try and keep a standard of decent quality on the blog, and I don't want to serve y'all some sub-par posts just for the sake of putting up content.<br />
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I swear there will be posts coming along soon! In the meantime, here's a quick recipe to tide you over:<br />
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<br />
<h3>
Bacon</h3>
<h4>
Serves 1</h4>
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<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
2-3 slices bacon<br />
<br />
1. Put a frying pan over medium low heat. Put the slices of bacon in the pan.<br />
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2. Cook until crispy and brown, but still a little chewy. Drain the excess fat. Or don't...I won't judge. Put on a plate. Eat. Be happy.R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-2326495887916939752013-08-21T21:47:00.003-07:002013-08-21T21:47:58.391-07:00Easy As This slow cooker apple sauce is what my older sister and I would call "easy as." (She picked the slang up while living in New Zealand, and I absorbed it by sibling osmosis.) I feel almost dumb posting something this simple, but it's a SWEET recipe to have around and apple season is nigh upon us all, so I thought I might as well put it up for you lovely people.<br />
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If you don't like eating apple sauce, you can still use it as a baking substitute, in place of melted butter or oil!<br />
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<h3>
Easy As Crockpot Applesauce </h3>
Makes 1 1/2 cups<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
5 apples, peeled and sliced<br />
cinnamon, to taste<br />
<br />
1. Put the apple slices in the crock pot. Cover them up and cook them on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.<br />
<br />
2. When apples are brown and soft, season them with cinnamon and mash with a potato masher. If you like extra smooth, use an immersion or regular blender!R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-15605670195165544812013-08-14T19:32:00.001-07:002013-08-14T19:32:11.218-07:00Food Porn: The Vegan JobI love planning surprises for other people. As a notoriously terrible liar, it's a thrill and a challenge for me to plot, arrange and successfully execute something totally unexpected and amazing for someone I love. For me, few things beat the thrill of scheming behind the back of those close to me, especially when the scheme involves cake. It's like every heist movie I've ever watched gets played out in my own life, except there's no Clooney and Pitt, no Mini Coopers, no Antwerp diamonds, no moles infiltrating my operation, and no burglars dressed up as Orthodox Jews.<br />
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...Did I mention there was cake?<br />
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My kid sister's birthday is coming up on August 27th, but if all goes according to my heist-- err, plan, I'll be back in Montreal by then. Since I can only imagine what snail mail would do to even the most lovingly prepared and packaged cupcakes, I decided to do the only thing I could: prepare a special vegan dinner, since she recently gave up <strike>cheese</strike> everything.<br />
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I bought the ingredients and hid them all over the house like Easter eggs, taking to baking in the dead of night and while she was out or sleeping. Every resounding slam of the oven door, every time I turned on the beaters to whip vegetable shortening set my heart pounding. I thought I was sure to be caught in my secret, cruelty free endeavours. I was possessed.<br />
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It got to the point where it was 2:30AM the day before the dinner and I lay in bed, wide awake over mixing up the triple threat of vegan buttercreams I had planned to do in the early morning. By 3AM, I was downstairs in my pajamas, making raspberry reduction and sifting sugar. By 3:30, I was icing the layer cake, despairing over my sloppy work and resigned to the fact that it was destined to be on Cake Wrecks. By 4, I deemed it "not terrible" and "hopefully it will taste good."<br />
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At the end of it all, to get her to the table I had to come clean about the dinner I had prepared for us, saying it was one of the last meals we might get to have together before I left. The cake was still surprise though. Just call me Michael Caine, and bring on the food porn.<br />
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<h3>
Spicy Red Pepper & Black Bean Burgers - Adapted from <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/spicy-black-bean-burgers-with-chipotle.html#more">Skinny Taste</a></h3>
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<br />Poutine with Mozzarella style daiya & vegan gravy - From <a href="http://www.vegweb.com/recipes/i-cant-believe-its-vegan-gravy">VegWeb</a></h3>
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<h3>
Vanilla Sponge Cake with Peach Preserves & Raspberry Vanilla "Buttercream" - From <a href="http://laythetable.com/cakes/full-size-cake/vegan-rainbow-cake-with-2-types-of-ombre-frosting/">Lay The Table</a></h3>
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<br />R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-81918568333311619142013-08-09T06:48:00.000-07:002013-08-09T06:48:58.547-07:00Bassets Love BlueberriesMost of the time I spend in the kitchen is solitary. I tend to think of myself as a one man wolf pack... sans the Galifianakis beard. In my head, a recipe is something I take step by step, and when even one person joins the cake walk, I end up fumbling their directions (and mine), trying to keep them occupied and entertained. Sometimes, I'm lucky enough to have company who's content just to listen as I crack eggs and lame jokes, and often give half-assed explanations as to what I'm doing. I'm like a half baked cooking show host. Even though with more complex recipes I'm at my best alone with some good music, some things I can't do all by my beardless lonesome. <br />
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For example, last Friday, my friend Steph volunteered to help me shoot <b>my first official Bite Club video</b>! So without further ado, I give you the crushing bad news that I came unprepared, brought a spatula to a gun fight, and bailed on shooting it. <br />
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Steph and I have known each other since 6th grade, so we've been friends for half of our lives. I was in her wedding party this past May, and she and her husband Philip live less than 10 minutes from my parents' house. Since I never get to see her when I'm in Montreal, I was thrilled to pack up my supplies and traipse over, crash landing in her kitchen to bake up today's muffins. They're a healthy bite for breakfast, packed with island flavours of coconut and macadamia nut, exploding with fresh blueberry. DIG IT.<br />
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It was a cool and rainy day outside. Inside, I mixed and folded while trying not to trip over Hazel, the basset hound, who wandered lost around the kitchen, trying to give us her sad puppy eyes in exchange for muffin batter. Steph snapped pictures. We drank Lemon Cream tea and talked about wedding photos, Neil Patrick Harris and singing things from Moulin Rouge. The sort of easy chatter you miss with people when you live cities or provinces away from each other. Food bringing us together-- is there anything it CAN'T do?<br />
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<h3>
Blueberry Macadamia Coconut Muffins</h3>
Makes 12 muffins. Om nom.<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/recipecomdetail.jsp?recipeId=25117579">Fitness Magazine</a><br />
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<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
Muffins<br />
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded<br />
3/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/8 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 large egg white<br />
3/4 cup buttermilk<br />
2 tbsp applesauce<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
3 tbsp macadamia nuts, chopped <br />
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries <br />
<br />
Topping<br />
2 tbsp all purpose flour<br />
2 tbsp macadamia nuts, chopped,<br />
2 tbsp brown sugar<br />
1 tbsp canola oil<br />
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1. To make the topping, combine the all purpose flour, chopped nuts and brown sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle the oil over top and whisk all of the ingredients together. Set aside.<br />
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2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a standard muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.<br />
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3. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.<br />
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4. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, egg white, buttermilk, applesauce and vanilla.<br />
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5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula until only just combined. Fold in the blueberries and the macadamia nuts.<br />
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6. Divide the batter evenly until the 12 muffin tins, then top with the topping, gently pressing it into the batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.<br />
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<h3>
I Am Jack's Step by Step Photos</h3>
1. Gather up all of your ingredients. (I packaged mine up neatly since this is Bite Club going mobile.) Dry ingredients, wet ingredients, blueberries & nuts, coconut topping. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping and mix until combined. Preheat your oven to 400 hundred degrees.<br />
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2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat together the wet ingredients, then make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir until JUST combined. (Over beating muffin batter is inhumane and also produces tough muffins.)</div>
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3. Fold in the blueberries and the 3 tablespoons of blueberries. </div>
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4. Spoon them into 12 waiting muffin tins, lined and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, unless you like eating paper for breakfast. </div>
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5. Spoon topping onto the batter, pressing it down gently with the back of the spoon. </div>
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6. Pop these into the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean! (Hey look, it's me! Hallo internet!)</div>
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7. Remove from oven, and let cool for 10 minutes in the tray, then remove and cool if you can resist trying them for that long. Serve with tea and enjoy!</div>
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Steph went coocoo for coconut (<i>macadamiablueberry</i>) muffins!</div>
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And Hazel was upset and muffinless, because everyone knows from our dear Roald Dahl that <strike>beagles</strike> bassets love blueberries. There there, Hazel.</div>
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R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-10578453692557709962013-07-24T04:18:00.004-07:002013-07-24T04:18:59.395-07:00Tastes of Oz: BurgersSo, contrary to popular belief, I haven't joined a cult or become a hermit. I just got back from a three week trip to AUSTRALIA, where I visited my older sister and her fiancé, who are living over there and teaching! We journeyed into the Outback without internet or other amenities (i.e. showers) for two weeks, which explains my lack of posting. However, I swear, there was no shortage of eating on the trip. And now, I'm really glad, and really excited to be back!<br />
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Between the jet lag and the serious extent of field research (AKA stuffing my face), I didn't even know where to begin writing my first post. Since we were out camping, with limited resources, the kitchen victories were few and far between. Not only that, but because this is chiefly a cooking blog, I wasn't too sure about penning restaurant reviews or idle storytelling. I didn't just want to write about the food in Australia, I wanted to give y'all something you could DIY! Your own taste of Oz... So.<br />
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<h4>
Let's talk about BURGERS! </h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Down in Australia right now, it's wintertime. While most Aussies were turning to stews, curries and hearty meat pies to keep them warm in their adorable, snow-less version of the coldest time of year, my fellow Canadians and I were still looking for summer barbecue fare. Behold, the glorious hamburger! Just like us regular fast food noshing North Americans, Australians embrace the burger as a culinary phenomenon, and boy, they do it well. Beef, lamb and even kangaroo burgers make regular appearances on Aussie menus. While we sampled burgers-a-plenty on the trip (obviously in the name of science), I tried to keep notes on some of the more distinct flavours we came across. How can YOU get a bite of Australia at your next BBQ? Read on.</span></h4>
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<h3>
<b>#1. The Aussie Burger. </b></h3>
<b>Burger patty (your choice) + roasted beetroot + fried egg + back bacon. </b>These three toppings make regular appearances on burgers EVERYWHERE down under. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but the tang of the beetroot, cut with the silky, saucy yolk of the fried egg, and the salt of the back bacon work really well together. Something I discovered at my first meal on the day we arrived in Melbourne. <br />
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<b>#2. The Nacho Cheese Burger. </b></h3>
<b>Burger patty (your choice) + original Doritos + shredded iceberg lettuce + melted cheese + salsa & sour cream sauce. </b>One thing Australian hamburgers have in common with the North
American variety is that they're looking to serve up something indulgent, weird and delicious too. We were driving to Clare Valley for an afternoon of wine touring, when Steve (my sister's fiancé) and I got into a huge discussion about food. Big, greasy, over the top, dirty diner food. By the time we stopped in the next town, we had talked ourselves into a salivating starvation. We NEEDED something to eat. I popped into a bakery and ended up getting a Peppersteak pie, only to go next door to join the others at their fast food joint. They were noshing on giant burgers & crispy fries. <br />
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Long story short, I ended up eating the pie I had bought AND the Nacho Cheese burger, because I was told that I NEEDED to try it. NEEDED with a capital "WRAP YOUR FACE AROUND THIS, IT IS SO GOOD-- you need to eat more or you're going to get plastered at light speed this afternoon." <br />
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I had to take my glasses off, it was so huge and so messy. Dear people who made this burger: you were doing it right.<br />
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<b>#3. The Steve Special.</b> </h3>
One of the best burgers I ate on the didn't come from a restaurant or even an Australian at all. It came from Steve, who masterminded this recipe some time ago and then made it for us one night at a campsite in Alice Springs. The savoury, well seasoned bite of meat in these burgers gives way to a creamy, rich, cream cheese center, spiced up with a zip of freshly chopped jalapenos. <br />
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Note: This recipe is rustic at best, so use every kitchen skill and instinct you have to make it happen. COURAGE! It will be WELL worth it <br />
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STEVE's Spectacular Super Secret Surprise Burgers</h3>
<h4>
Makes 5-6 Burger patties</h4>
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Ingredients </h4>
1 package lean ground beef<br />
2 eggs<br />
breadcrumbs<br />
secret sauce of your choice (i.e. bbq)<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1 medium onion<br />
salt & pepper<br />
jalapenos<br />
1 package cream cheese<br />
Any extra seasonings or herbs you like. <br />
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1. Finely chop both garlic and onions, then put into a bowl with the beef and eggs. <br />
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2. Add some sauce and seasonings of your choice to the bowl, along with a generous amount of bread crumbs. Combine with your bare hands, really well, until everything is evenly mixed. (If too dry, add more sauce.)<br />
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3. Halve and seed the jalapenos, (as many as you like, to your taste) and then finely chop them. <br />
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4. In a separate bowl, add one package of cream cheese and the tiny jalapenos. Mix to combine!<br />
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5. On a plate (or wax paper) flatten some of the meat and form it into a bowl shape. Fill the bowl with the jalapeno cream cheese mixture. Then, take another handful of meat and flatten it on top. Seal it up tight! Continue this until all the meat/cream cheese is used up.<br />
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6. Preheat a grill to hot, and cook the burgers to your personal preference. ENJOY!R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-21959433264759822942013-06-12T14:20:00.002-07:002013-06-19T00:16:54.848-07:00Say Cheese!...Burger Pizza.Are you fond of celebrity mash up couple names like Brangelina and Kimye? Do you find yourself often in a tizzy when choosing between two foods upon which to indulge? Are you looking for a recipe which will blow your freakin' mind next pizza night?<br />
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Look no further, friends. In celebration of Bite Club having 30 followers on our Facebook page (WOOHOO!), I am sharing with you one of my original recipes.<br />
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I invented this on the advent of my roommate's birthday this year. Her birthday fell on a Tuesday, which is pizza night, the most holy day of the week in our flat. I wanted to make her something awesome that still fell under the religious dietary restrictions of our pizza-for-dinner rule. (Amen.) Well, Rebekah's favourite food is burgers. Any time we go to a restaurant, it's a rare occasion indeed that she doesn't order a burger of some kind.<br />
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After searching the internet, unsatisfied with pizza recipes that seemed not burger-y enough, or involved hyper processed American cheese, I took matters into my own oven mitts and invented this. <i>Crispy homemade crust, smothered in caramelized onion and mushrooms, ground beef sauteed in burger sauces, and topped off with two kinds of
cheeses and pickles.</i> Yes, you read that correctly. Pickles on pizza. Keep the faith. When I made it a second time, for awesome friends Josh and Reb who
visited in February, the smell filling the apartment was intoxicating.
As we sat around, eating the slices of heaven, even the two of us who had eaten it before would stop between bites and shake our heads in disbelief at the sheer...punch of flavour packed onto this pizza pie. <br />
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This recipe is insanely good. It has crunch, bite, luxurious ooze, a hint of sweet from the caramelized onions, savoury from the beef and salty tang from the pickles. Not to mention, it's FUN! It's the food that childhood and stoner dreams are made of. <i>Dude, imagine a cheeseburger had a baby with a pizza. </i>DUDE. I MADE IT. Now, you should too. <br />
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<h4>
Cheeseburger Pizza</h4>
Makes 1 pizza... the pizza of your burger loving dreams.<br />
A Bite Club Original Recipe<br />
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Ingredients</h4>
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1 recipe, <a href="http://bite-club.blogspot.ca/2013/03/dough-yo.html">basic pizza dough</a><br />
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2 medium cooking onions, diced<br />
1-2 tbsp butter<br />
8 oz. (227g) your choice of mushroom, (I used white) sliced<br />
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1/2 lb medium or lean ground beef<br />
2-3 tbsp mustard<br />
1/3 cup ketchup<br />
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1-3 tbsp tomato sauce <br />
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated<br />
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated<br />
2-3 dill pickles, diced<br />
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cornmeal, for sprinkling<br />
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1. Cut up the onions and add to a large frying pan over medium-low heat with the butter, stirring to make sure they are evenly coated. Cook and stir occasionally to caramelize them, about 45 minutes until golden brown. (Hint: this is a good time to prepare the pizza dough, if you haven't already!) When the onions are golden, add the mushrooms into the same pan and cook until brown. Salt the mixture to taste.<br />
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2. Empty the mushrooms and onions into a small bowl and set aside. Put the ground beef into the same pan and crumble it with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat until just browned. Turn off the heat and add the mustard and ketchup to the beef, stirring until it is creamy and evenly mixed. Leave to cool.<br />
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3. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Generously sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal, and roll out the dough onto it, all the way to the edges. Grate the cheeses if you haven't already.<br />
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4. Spread the dough with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Then, spread the ground beef evenly over the mixture. Follow this with the onions and mushrooms. Cover the entire thing with the grated cheeses. Over the stop, sprinkle the diced pickles.<br />
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5. Bake for 30 minutes. When it's finished, remove from the oven and let cool for an additional ten minutes. Slice, serve and live the dream.<br />
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<b>I Am Jack's Step By Step Photos.</b><br />
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1. Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, stirring to ensure they are properly coated in butter.<br />
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2. After about 35 minutes. The onions will be a golden brown. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook them together, until the mushrooms are browned and slightly shrunken. Empty into a separate bowl, return the pan to the heat.<br />
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3. Add the ground beef into the same frying pan, cooking over medium heat until just browned. Do not overcook, remember, you'll be baking the pizza for another half an hour!<br />
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4. When the beef is cooked, turn off the heat. Stir in the ketchup and the mustard until it is evenly mixed and properly coated. Yes, it looks kind of gross. Is it delicious? ABSOLUTELY.<br />
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5. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal generously, then roll the dough out so it meets all of the corners. Spread with a thin layer of tomato sauce, as much to your liking </div>
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6. Spread the beef evenly over the dough, followed by the mushrooms and onions.</div>
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7. Sprinkle both cheeses over the entire pizza, and top it off with the diced pickles.</div>
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8. Bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted, and golden brown.</div>
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9. Allow the pizza to cool for 10 minutes. Slide it onto a wooden cutting board, slice and serve! </div>
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R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-19317330692432852172013-06-09T11:13:00.003-07:002013-06-09T11:14:44.109-07:00(Cara)mellow OutI've been at war with myself. I was hit by a lightning bolt-- the idea that I could make a career out of food, specifically baking, even more specifically bread. In the past, I've written off my interest in food as a hobby. My mom once suggested I go to culinary school and I'm pretty sure I laughed at her. Food is my playtime, where I go to escape from stress, was it worth looking into as a job? Would it ruin my time in the kitchen?<br />
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But now I'm not laughing. I'm probably the opposite of laughing by having a mini quarter life crisis, or at least parallel to laughing, mooning over the romantic notion of getting up in the dead of night to go to work, bake fresh bread, handmake croissants, drink black coffee and watch the sun come up through the front window of the bakery. <i>Sigh. </i>The draw of hands on, hard work. Bread, sweat and tears.<br />
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While I pondering this 180 degree turn in life, I hit the library to find some books on baking, the industry, French pastry, basically any information I can get my hands on. Among them was <i>Butter Cream,</i> a non-fiction book by Denise Roig, a professor at Concordia (my university) who took a year off to go to pastry school and write about it. <br />
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Roig's stories about tarts and triumph, buttercream and breakdowns both pushed me towards the edge, making me pine for a world I don't know, while also putting the fear of the pastry Gods in me. The book is chock full of the trials and tribulations of not only the author, but her classmates, who several times over the course of the book all have moments of "I cannot TAKE THIS ANYMORE." She talks about the insane hours bakers and pastry chefs work, and still, I can't help but think.... Is it insane if you love it? How much do I love it? I finished the book in under a week.<br />
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The other cool thing about the book is that some of the teachers at the pastry school allowed the author to republish some of the recipes she mastered in her time there. One such recipe is today's blog: Crème Caramel. A base of lightly sweetened custard, capped off and and soaking luxuriously in a bath of caramel. So at least while I'm having thoughts about the direction of my life, I have something sweet to stew over it with. (Psst....another great thing about this dessert is that you can make it a day ahead, and it's served cool-- a nice, elegant dessert for warm summer weather.)<br />
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Crème Caramel</h4>
Makes 6 ramekins <br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
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2 cups milk (preferably 3.25% or 2%)<br />
1/3 cup sugar <br />
2 eggs<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
1 tsp vanilla <br />
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1. Make the caramel by combining the water and the 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. The mixture will start to bubble. DO NOT stir the caramel with a spoon, or the sugar will crystallize. Instead, gently swirl occasionally, brushing spare sugar back into the mix with a pastry brush coated with water.<br />
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2. The mixture will start steaming, and then when the water evaporates, it will slowly start to turn colour. Fill a heatproof bowl with cold water and ice.<br />
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3. When the caramel turns a deep amber, quickly remove the pan from the heat and plunge the bottom into the bowl of ice to stop the cooking process.<br />
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4. Quickly divide the caramel between the ramekins. If it sticks to the bottom of the pan, put it back over gentle heat to warm it up. (Pro tip: to clean pans with caramel hardened on the bottom, boil water in the pans until it dissolves back into sugar, then, pour it away!)<br />
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5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the milk in a saucepan, over low-medium heat. In the meantime, whisk together sugar, eggs and the vanilla in a large heatproof bowl.<br />
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6. When the milk begins steaming, whisk a small amount of it into the egg mixture, doing so quickly to avoid cooking the egg. Then, whisk in the remainder of the milk.<br />
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7. Strain the mixture (in case of bits of egg) and then divide among the ramekins. Place the ramekins in an ovenproof dish, filling it halfway up with warm water. (This is sometimes called a "<i>bain marie</i>.")<br />
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8. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester in the custard emerges nearly clean. Let cool completely before refrigerating. <br />
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9. Before serving, run a thin knife around the edge of the ramekin to loosen, then turn upside down on serving plates. Voila!<br />
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I am Jack's Step By Step Photos</h4>
1. Combine sugar and water over medium heat. The mixture will start to bubble, steam and eventually change colour. Do not stir, instead, gently swirl the pan to avoid crystallizing the sugar.<br />
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2. When the sugar mixture turns amber, plunge the bottom of the pot into a waiting bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.<br />
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3. Pour the caramel into the six ramekins. While it's cooking, prepare the custard. (Scroll down!)<br />
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4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat the milk on the stove until it starts steaming. In a separate bowl whisk together sugar, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks. Add the hot milk to the egg mixture, streaming it in while whisking vigorously to avoid clumps of cooked egg.<br />
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5. Strain the mixture once, then divide it among the six ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep ovenproof dish, and fill it halfway up with warm water.</div>
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6. Bake for 45 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out mostly clean. Then, let cool completely before setting them in the fridge.</div>
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7. Come serving time, run a thin knife around the edge of the ramekin to loosen it. Invert on a serving plate, garnish and serve!</div>
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R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-40551540824215104812013-06-02T17:29:00.000-07:002013-06-02T17:32:17.481-07:00Puffed Up KicksWow wow wow wow! The blog has hit some pretty exciting milestones lately! Including over 2000 pageviews, and a solid 30 followers on Facebook. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=453691318032964&set=pb.443655165703246.-2207520000.1370216934.&type=3&theater">As promised</a>, I'll be posting my Cheeseburger Pizza recipe soon as I can! I'm pumped to share it with all of you. But forget, dinner, let's talk dessert. (Again.)<br />
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There are all sorts of rules and guidelines to life. My parents taught me to never show up to an invitation empty handed. A common rule of thumb is that you should never try out a brand new recipe when you're serving it to other people. I have a belief that if I'm going to spend money on ingredients, I want to put that money to good use by trying something I've never done before. I want to push the limits of my knowledge and my skills, and I admit, be the one who shows up to the pot luck with the dish that's a touch more elaborate than the rest. It comes with the territory of being competitive. ANYWAY. <br />
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As you might guess, my philosophy sort of thumbs its nose at the first rule in the wrong situation, and completely stomps on the toes of the second. If you try a new recipe and it goes wrong, you're the one showing up with the store bought two bite brownies. Delicious, but don't get me wrong, not spectacular. <br />
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Know what's spectacular? Cream puffs. Baked up to puffy, crispy heights and sandwiched around smooth, sweet whipped cream, nuanced with light bite and warm milky flavour of shredded coconut. Although it was only my second crack ever at making choux pastry, I threw caution to the wind and whipped up these babies to bring to lunch with my two friends, Sarah and Hannah. They're light and summery and they make a great first impression. The cream puffs were delicious too.<br />
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<h4>
Giant Coconut Cream Puffs</h4>
Makes 8 Puffs <br />
Recipe adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by <a href="http://jilloconnorcooks.com/cook_books.html">Jill O'Connor</a> <br />
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Ingredients</h4>
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1 cup water</div>
1/2 cup unsalted butter<br />
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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2 tbsp sugar</div>
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1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, sifted and THEN measured </div>
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4-5 large eggs, beaten </div>
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1 egg + 1 tbsp water for eggwash</div>
1/2 cup shredded coconut<br />
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1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold</div>
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1/2 cup icing sugar</div>
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1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, to your own taste)</div>
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1. Move a rack to the bottom of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.</div>
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2. In a <a href="http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/ReactivePan.htm">non-reactive pan</a> (confused? I was too, click the link and read on!) combine water, butter, salt, sugar. Stir occasionally until the butter melts completely. AFTER the butter has melted, increase the heat and bring the mix to a rolling boil. <br />
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3. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until it comes away from the pan and clumps around the spoon. Then, return the pan to medium heat stirring briskly for 1 minute, to cook the flour and dry out excess moisture in the dough. <br />
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4. Turn your dough out onto a piece of aluminium foil lining your counter top and let it cool for 5 minutes. (You don't want the eggs to begin cooking too soon, or your texture will be off!)<br />
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5. Return the dough to the pan, begin adding the beaten eggs, 1/4 of the mixture at a time. The mixture will be very slippery at first, so stir slowly to keep it all in the pan. When it becomes more incorporated, stir more quickly until it smooths out. Add the remaining eggs, repeating the process for each 1/4 added. The result should be a slightly sticky, smooth, malleable batter that holds peaks. (If the batter is too firm, beat the 5th egg, and add it 1 tbsp at a time until the consistency is reached.)<br />
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6. Divide the batter into 8 parts and scoop onto the prepared baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle each with a tablespoon of shredded coconut.<br />
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7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the puffs are golden brown and puffy. Reduce your oven to 350 and bake for 15 minutes more to make sure the pastry is crisp inside. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.<br />
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8. With a serrated knife, cut the puffs in half horizontally to release any steam in them. Place the puffs back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes to ensure they dry. Remove from the oven and cool completely.<br />
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9. Make the filling by whipping the cream and sugar with a chilled bowl with chilled beaters until stiff peaks form. Fold in the shredded coconut gently with a spatula. <br />
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10. Fill a pastry bag (or ziplock) bag with the whipped cream and pipe it onto the bottom half of each puff, generously. (You can also just spoon it on, if you're feeling low maintenance.) Place the top half gently on top of the cream (like a coconut chapeau). Serve!<br />
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<h4>
I Am Jack's Step By Step Photos</h4>
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1. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine water, butter, sugar, salt in a non-reactive pan. Let the butter melt, before bringing it to a rolling boil.<br />
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2. Remove the pan from heat and add all the flour, vigorously stirring until the mixture clumps around the spoon. Return to medium heat, stirring for 1 minute to dry out any excess moisture.</div>
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3. Let the mixture cool on a foil sheet on your counter for 5 minutes to avoid cooking the eggs when you begin to add them.</div>
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4. Stir in the beaten eggs, 1/4 at a time. Stir slow at first to avoid making the batter slop, and then quicker until it smooths out before the next addition. The finished batter should be a little sticky, malleable and able to hold peaks.</div>
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5. Divide the batter into 8 and scoop onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with coconut. (Do a nicer job of shaping them than me, that's one of the things I'd tweak next time!)<br />
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6. Bake the puffs until golden brown and expanded, 20-25 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 and bake for 15 minutes more to dry them out. Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool slightly.</div>
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7. When the puffs are cool enough to the touch, gently cut them in half horizontally with a serrated knife to release steam. Put the cut puffs back on the baking sheet, and back into the oven for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, place on racks and let them cool completely. </div>
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8. Whip together the sugar and heavy cream, then fold in the shredded coconut. (I totally forgot to take pictures of this step, but I know you're ready and willing to give it a go! Pipe onto the bottom half of the puffs and cap them off with the top half. Serve!</div>
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R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-7352826192141988712013-05-24T11:02:00.000-07:002013-05-24T11:02:20.821-07:00Lemon Meringue Pie<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA! </h2>
My mom has distinct tastes: she likes her wine red, her ice cream vanilla, she hates pancakes (WHAT) and she's getting into a habit of asking for birthday pie. I know, it sounds weird. Cake is celebratory. Cake is the life of the party. When you walk by a bakery window, it's cakes that dominate the displays, elaborately iced and dressed like five year old pageant contestants on TLC. But, when it's your birthday, you can cry if you want to (depending on how you feel about birthdays) and you have a divine right to fork whatever you want vigorously into your mouth WHILE crying. My mom wanted pie. <br />
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Last year, I made her a beautiful coconut cream pie, a show stoppingly good conjure that I repeated this past weekend for company we were having over. It didn't survive a full day in our fridge before disappearing. So maybe, when it's good, pie is magic. For the actual birthday pie this year, I set my sights on a different model.<br />
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This lemon meringue pie is a sashay up from the simple diner version, and a whole league away from the neon goo model you get in a grocery store. It has a sweet shortbread crust. The filling is glossy smooth as any beauty queen's best answers in the interview portion, with the tang of real lemons to make it a memorable affair. It's topped off with a towering Swiss Meringue crown. Move over, Honey Boo Boo.<br />
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"Mile High" Lemon Meringue Pie</h3>
Makes 1 9-inch pie<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/256797/mile-high-lemon-pie">Martha Stewart</a><br />
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Shortbread Crust</h3>
Ingredients<br />
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1 cup unsalted butter<br />
1/2 cup icing sugar<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Sift in flour and baking powder, blending together until dough is crumbly.<br />
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2. Using your fingers, press the shortbread into the pan, trying to keep the thickness as even as possible. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.<br />
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Glossy Lemon Filling</h3>
Ingredients<br />
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1/3 cup cornstarch<br />
1/3 cup cake flour, sifted <br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 1/4 cups sugar<br />
2 cups water <br />
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten<br />
2 tbsp lemon zest<br />
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice<br />
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces<br />
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1. In a medium saucepan, sift together cornstarch, cake flour, salt and sugar. Slowly whisk in cold water, and put the mixture over medium heat. Whisking constantly, bring mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes until it gets thick.<br />
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2. Remove the pan from the heat. Bring the eggs to temperature by quickly whisking a small amount of the hot mixture into them. Then, whisk them back into the pan and cook over low heat for 4 minutes.<br />
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3. Take the pan off the heat once again, stir in the lemon zest and juice. Then, stir in the butter until incorporated. Put the mixture in a bowl to cool. <br />
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4. When the mixture is cool, spread it into the pie shell, and smooth it all out. Let it set in the fridge for at least one hour. <br />
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Swiss Meringue</h3>
Ingredients<br />
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7 egg whites<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1/4 tsp salt. <br />
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1. Put egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan filled with water, bringing the water to a simmer. Whisk until the whites are warm and the sugar is dissolved.<br />
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2. Remove the bowl from the heat and whip with an electric beater (or ultra muscle power) until stiff peaks form. <br />
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3. Smooth the meringue onto the pie in a giant mound, making sure to get all of the edges. Set under the broiler on high for two minutes. (Watch it. IT WILL BURN!) Serve at room temperature, and enjoy!<br />
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I Am Jack's Step By Step Photos </h3>
1. Blend together butter and sugar. Next, sift together flour and baking powder, and add to the butter mix, blending until crumbly. Press with even thickness into a 9 inch pie plate, crimping the edges with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.<br />
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2. Sift together cake flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt into a medium saucepan. Slowly stream and whisk in two cups of cold water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, until mixture thickens.</div>
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3. Remove the pan from heat. Add a small amount of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, whisking them quickly and constantly to bring them to temperature without cooking them. Add the yolks back into the mixture-- whisk them in and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. </div>
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4. Remove the pan from heat again. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Then, stir in the butter to incorporate and melt. </div>
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5. Set the mixture aside in a large bowl to cool. </div>
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You can do a lot of things while you're waiting for this to happen. As usual, I went on a run, I think I did some dishes, I maybe practiced my pageant walk, but you can't prove that happened. When it's FINALLY cooled, smooth the filling into the also cooled pie crust. Pop in the fridge for at least an hour. I covered mine with plastic wrap, at the risk of scarring the poor filling for life. (It turned out okay in the end!)</div>
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6. When the filling is set and you're getting ready to serve the pie, it's time to make that meringue. Put the sugar, egg whites and salt in a heat proof boil, on a saucepan filled with water. Put it over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the whites are warm and frothy. This is the Swiss Meringue technique.<br />
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7. Remove the bowl from heat. Using an electric beater, whip the whites up, up, up until they hold stiff peaks. </div>
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8. Spread and mound that glorious meringue into a mountain on top of the pie filling. ALL OF IT. Try and make it look pretty if you want to, I'm no Martha Stewart, but I can dream. This is the kind of pie that just looks pretty without too much fussing. </div>
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9. Stick this baby under your broiler on high for 2 minutes, watching it constantly until has the colour of lightly toasted marshmallow. I found this to be tough! So if you make a mistake and it gets a little burned on the top, just scrape it off and try again.</div>
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I admit this step also had me squatting in front of the open oven, rocking the heatproof mittens trying to hold the pie underneath the broiler in all of the places I thought it needed more colour. I don't know if that's dedication or madness. I DO know that it made a pretty pie.<br />
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Slice with care and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!</div>
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R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-80223197894342731172013-05-12T08:08:00.001-07:002013-05-12T11:38:46.997-07:00An Open Letter To My MotherDear Mama,<br />
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<u>Happy Mother's Day.</u><br />
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Hopefully as you're reading this, I'm making you a delicious breakfast that isn't pancakes. There's a chance that there's an odd bridesmaid or maybe a wayward bride-to-be sleeping somewhere in the house, and I'm hopefully kind enough to make breakfast for them too, taking care of guests, like you always taught me. (Since I'm writing this in advance of not only Mother's Day, but also the bachelorette, which you generously agreed to house, everything at this point is guesswork...)<br />
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I thought a blog post written to you here, of all places would be very fitting, because it is safe to say that without you, this site wouldn't exist. I mean obviously, I'm here because of you and our 9 sweet months of bonding time, but there's more to it than that. Without your spirit, your creative influence and your passion for food and entertaining, I don't know that I would have found my way to cooking. You've told me a few times since this blog started that I've inspired you to try some new things. Well, I'm thrilled and humbled by the fact that I can finally return the favour and start to repay you for all of the love and know-how that you instilled in me over the years.<br />
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Ever since I can remember, you've been filling my head with creative ideas, my ears with music, and my lunch box with love notes (mostly on bananas). I didn't know it at the time, but these were all gifts you were giving to me, day by day, to take with me on my journey through life. Over the years, you've watched me, and your other two daughters grow, and all the while we've watched you cook. We've watched you work from morning to evening making Thanksgiving dinners for crowds, Christmas dinners for just us, birthday cakes, party appetizers, staff meetings, your famous salads, classic "Gladiator" fare, trying new recipes, summer barbecues and then some. I even remember you cooking in the hard times, bringing muffins to your fellow teachers who were marching in the freezing rain on picket lines. I remember you whipping up a hot meal to take to a grieving neighbor who couldn't think about eating, let alone preparing something to nourish themselves in their time of loss. I hope to be just like you some day in these aspects. You inspire me.<br />
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You're always concerned about making sure the less privileged children at your school get breakfast. That the hungriest families in the community have a proper meal over the holidays. You have always understood the relationship between love, comfort, humanity, family, friendship, and food. I'm proud of you. <br />
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Mom, your heart is a kitchen, open 24 hours for all meals, a midnight snack, and then some. Any time of day that hits, you have a recipe to cure whatever's ailing. Whether you know it or not, you've taught me just the same things that you believe. I'm inheriting your kitchen wisdom, piece by piece. Dinner is not just a meal, it's a time to experiment with flavours and play with spices, as well as a time to sit and be with the people you love, family time. (Unless it's playoffs or the Olympics!) That the reason no one will ever make Babcia's perogies as well as she does is because she spits in them. To let the dressing sit for at least a day because, otherwise, it won't taste right. That leftovers are often better than the meal the day of. It's alright to have cake for breakfast on your birthday. That true wealth is a dining room full of laughing, happy people, a stocked pantry and a glass of red wine. <br />
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I learned all of this, just by watching you cook. It's no small wonder I wanted to take the hobby up for myself and open myself up to a world of kindness, experiments, colours, flavour combinations and love that I see you inhabit day in and day out. So thank you, for inspiring in me what I hope will be one of my life long loves. Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for loving me. Most of all, thank you for being my mother.<br />
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Love,<br />
RileyR. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-20926495344571620352013-05-04T15:37:00.001-07:002013-05-05T22:02:31.934-07:00Food Porn: What the Food Truck?Friends, yesterday was a good day. I do mean 'good' as in, awesome things happened to me, and not 'good' as in I behaved myself and ate like a well balanced human being. I started the day off with an 8AM Skype date with my sister Jill who is overseas living in Australia. We haven't had a chance to talk, screen to screen in a few months, so I was excited to have a little chat with her, even if I had to get up earlier than usual to do it. I soothed my tired 4-hours-of-sleep self with coffee, yogurt and strawberry buttermilk cake. Yes, cake is a breakfast food. If you missed the news bulletin, you're so welcome.<br />
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After I finished the two and half hour gab session, I had to get ready to go downtown to meet my friend Jon for lunch. I've already mentioned Jon here once before, in my post about risotto and our foodie friend shenanigans. We had been eyeballing a little French café in downtown Montreal called "Le Paris" which serves French cuisine for a little while. Finally, with Jon accepted into his university program, and my exams polished off, we had the chance to go check it out, and sample some of their fine French fare.<br />
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In true Riley style, I got the wrong directions and ended up being about 20 minutes late, which was totally alright because all the running around really worked up my appetite. It was well worth the panic. In addition to a great red wine Jon picked, we settled down to a fantastic lunch. (If you live in Montreal, I highly recommend checking it out. They have a lunch special: 2 apps, 2 entrees, dessert and coffee or tea for 24$.)</div>
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We started off with a creamy turnip soup which came with fresh baguette... <br />
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For entrées, Jon and I were also on the same page, ordering boeuf tournedos (filet mignon) mashed potatoes and vegetables on the side. The sauces were amazing, the mash, fluffy without being too heavy. For dessert there was rice pudding made with coconut milk and a pirouline, as well as a good cup of coffee. We even ate like real French people, because it took us over three hours to tuck into the three courses of the meal. (Between my indecision and our conversation, anyway.)</div>
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Part II of this adventure involves a little background. Up until recently in Montréal, it was illegal for people to vend food on the streets. Rebekah and I noticed it only because in Toronto there are people selling "street meat" everywhere, but the streets of Montreal are hot dog free. Normally, you think the less hot dogs wandering in gangs in the street, the better, but there are hungry people who disagree with you. So: only about a month ago, the law was repealed.</div>
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It just so happened that yesterday, there was a sort of food truck expo taking place at the Olympic Park, a short bus ride from my flat. Jon suggested we go check it out, so we split from Downtown to my place. I changed my shoes, and into something with more stomach room, and we picked up Rebekah, setting out as a party of three to go and stuff our faces, which is exactly what we did.<br />
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Rebekah opted for pulled pork from <b>Pas D'Cochon Dans Mon Salon</b>. The bun was soft and chewy.
The meat was just saucy enough, with more of a sweet tomato flavour,
like a chili rather than smoky with barbecue sauce. It was almost like...a pulled pork sloppy joe. </div>
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Dat face requires no further explanation.</div>
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Jon went for a buckwheat crepe with smoked salmon from <b>Landry & Filles.</b> It was a healthy, fresh bite loaded with flavour. The crepe was thicker, easy to hold and I could easily see myself noshing on this on a hot summer day in the park. <br />
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See Jon. See Jon nom. Nom Jon, nom!<br />
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Like an eccentric disco moth to a flame, I opted for the brightly coloured <b>Le Super Truck</b> and got myself some deep fried macaroni and cheese. Yes, yes you are reading that exactly right. The brain meltingly bad but oh-so-good type of food you only see on TV. Deep fried mac sticks, crunchy at first bite, then velvety and smooth on the inside.<br />
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Just when you thought this post wasn't going to get more tasty, we all started screaming and hit the <b>Pastaga </b>truck for ice cream sundaes. Rebekah got chocolat, Jon got noix et caramel, and I got fraises et sablés. (Shortbread cookie.) OMG.<br />
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It tasted like summer, and I couldn't have been more happy to shove pretty much all of summer into my smiling face. </div>
R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-9243934577830048372013-04-30T10:04:00.003-07:002013-04-30T10:04:56.953-07:00The MagnitudeI couldn't very well go through grilled cheese month without posting a grilled cheese of my own! I think that violates some rule or law of food blogging. Or hey, maybe I wanted an excuse to eat grilled cheese just like the rest of you people, with your...fresh breads, your marinades, your bacons and all that melty cheese......... Alright, before I start drooling all over my keyboard.<br />
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Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: <b>The Magnitude</b>. For those of you who watch the show Community:<br />
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Somehow, it never gets old.<br />
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The Magnitude is a sandwich built on a homemade pretzel roll the flavours of a jalapeno (pop) popper in mind. Rather than roast the jalapenos however, I quick pickled them (recipe below!), so they maintained a lot of the heat they naturally possess. The result is a crunchy and creamy grilled cheese sandwich with as little or as much spice as you like. If you want to make this and quick pickle your own peppers, the recipe is just below. If not, keep on scrolling......</div>
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<h3>
Quick Pickled Jalapeno Peppers</h3>
Makes 3/4 cup <br />
Recipe by <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/02/quick-pickled-jalapenos">Bon Appétit</a><br />
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Ingredients<br />
<br />
1/2 cup cider vinegar<br />
1 tbsp sugar<br />
pinch kosher salt<br />
4 jalapenos, thinly sliced<br />
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1. Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add the sliced jalapenos to the mixture, tossing to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before using, tossing occasionally. For deeper flavour, make a day ahead, cover and chill. <br />
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Now for the main event!<br />
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<h3>
The Magnitude: Inside Out Pretzel Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese</h3>
Makes 1 Sandwich<br />
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Ingredients<br />
<br />
1 pretzel roll (DIY: I used a GREAT, easy recipe from <a href="http://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2012/07/pretzel-buns-pretzel-rolls.html">The Slow Roasted Italian.</a>)<br />
3 tbsp plain cream cheese, softened<br />
1-3 tbsp panko bread crumbs<br />
Pinch salt, onion powder and fresh ground pepper, to taste<br />
Cheddar cheese, grated (as much as you want!)<br />
Pickled Jalapeno pepper rings (homemade or store bought), to taste<br />
Butter<br />
<br />
1. Cut the pretzel roll in half, flipping it inside out, so the cut sides are outwards, and the brown part is inside. If you want a flatter sandwich, carve off the "dome" of the bun. <br />
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2. Combine the cream cheese, panko crumbs, salt, onion powder and <i>half </i>of your grated cheddar in a small bowl until it becomes spread-like.<br />
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3. Assemble! Spread the cheese mixture on one half of the bun. Add as many jalapeno rings as you like, pressing them into the mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top of the jalapenos. Top with the second bun. Butter the hell out of it. (Extra points if you use garlic butter, ooh baby.)<br />
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4. Grill in a pan or on a panini press over medium heat until the outside is golden brown and the inside is melty and delicious.<br />
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<b>I Am Jack's Step By Step Photos</b><br />
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1. Cut the buns in half, then cut off the dome section to make a flatter sandwich.<br />
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2. Combine the panko, cream cheese, half of the cheddar, salt, pepper and onion powder in a bowl. Spread it on the roll, press a few jalapeno rings into it, and sprinkle with more cheddar.<br />
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3. Top with the other bun, slather with butter and fry. it. up!<span id="goog_1800941985"></span><span id="goog_1800941986"></span> </div>
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I don't even have another finished picture to show you because I ate this thing so fast.</div>
R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-67849662303803385322013-04-25T12:25:00.001-07:002013-04-25T12:25:35.595-07:00Crunch TimeThis recipe is so simple that there's not much to say about it.<br />
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There's no real story to attach to it. I've never been to a co-op in Portland where they ate this on the daily and I've never gotten lost on a mountainside with a bag of granola as my only food source. I was browsing for recipes, I saw this, bookmarked it, and then I made it. That's it. I didn't have to wrestle plaid clad lumberjacks for it, nothing. Although, I WOULD wrestle rabid lumberjacks for this granola, because that is the depth of my love for peanut butter. My kitchen smells like heaven right now.<br />
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This recipe great because it's quicker than most granola recipes- less than 15 minutes total baking time. It's crunchy, not overly sweet and pretty wholesome. I'd try serving it with yogurt or milk and fresh fruit. (I just ate mine with some sliced strawberries and some milk and ooh baby, it was a fine world.) However, if you just eat it, ravenous, handful by handful out of the container, I won't judge. <br />
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This shtuff is ALSO vegan, if that's what you're into, you hippie.<br />
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<h3>
Peanut Butter Maple Granola </h3>
Adapted from <a href="http://thesweet-toothlife.blogspot.ca/2013/03/peanut-butter-granola.html">The Sweet {Tooth} Life </a><br />
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<h3>
</h3>
Ingredients<br />
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1/3 cup peanut butter (I used all natural)<br />
1/4 cup real maple syrup<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or a nut of your choice)<br />
2 cups oats<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. <br />
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2. In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt together the peanut butter and the maple syrup, whisking to combine. Add in the cinnamon and vanilla, stirring until evenly distributed.<br />
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3. Now, add the pecans and the oats, stirring until the mixture is evenly coated.<br />
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4. Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then allow to cool completely. Enjoy! <br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>I Am Jack's Step by Step Photos.</b><br /><br />1. Combine the peanut butter and maple syrup in a saucepan. When melted, add the cinnamon, vanilla and whisk.<br />
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<br />2. Mix in the oats and pecans, ensuring they're evenly coated by the mixture. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment. <br />
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3. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes, enjoy peanut butter aromatherapy as the smell fills the kitchen. Remove from oven, let cool on the sheet and store for as long as you can before you eat all of it. Seriously. <br />
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<br />R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-28847986979790290962013-04-23T14:03:00.000-07:002013-04-23T14:03:34.036-07:00"Hail Cheeses!" ResultWell! We're coming into the homestretch of April AKA Grilled Cheese Month, so it only seems fitting that before the month is out, I submit to your rabid anticipation and reveal the winner of the "Hail Cheeses!" Contest. <br /><br />If you follow me on Twitter, you may have already been spoiled as to this information, BUT, for the sake of posterity (and celebration!) we have the results straight from Cheeses Murphy, the authority on everything cheesy, edible, and perfect right here....<br />
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Drum roll please....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnETgx3fMO2vwoGw3D5SYKDRacjUWqS8YJziSl2CM7kIMWJc1Bu03hPArAGncsL8ffomfUgU6OfxVFSia6d5y4YmUJXH2G0RhOkEOfT51AksyJFfHxj9al1MBTAhNYhZd-EU5yV5259g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-23+at+4.58.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnETgx3fMO2vwoGw3D5SYKDRacjUWqS8YJziSl2CM7kIMWJc1Bu03hPArAGncsL8ffomfUgU6OfxVFSia6d5y4YmUJXH2G0RhOkEOfT51AksyJFfHxj9al1MBTAhNYhZd-EU5yV5259g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-23+at+4.58.12+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">The winner is The Beach Please!</span></b><br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b> Fresh white bread, marinated chicken (peach jam, soy
sauce, lime juice, cayenne, sugar, garlic cloves), Champfleury (brie),
Mozzarella cheese, avocado spread (avocado, greek yogurt, lemon juice,
chili powder, cinnamon, salt & pepper) & butter. </div>
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Insanely delicious, to boot. <b>A big congratulations to Rebekah for this winning sandwich!</b> It may be available at your local Cheeses Murphy soon... And if you don't have one of those, well...friends, that's when it's time to give DIY a cheesy try.</div>
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I want to thank you <a href="http://bite-club.blogspot.ca/2013/04/hail-cheeses-entries.html">everyone who sent in sandwiches</a>, I can't believe the enthusiastic turnout and I'm so excited that you all got to experiment and explore the world of the grilled cheese. You truly made the sandwiches of my dreams, and you created something completely new for yourselves, in a creative and savoury stand off. Bravo!R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-30601323532646855142013-04-22T16:13:00.001-07:002013-04-22T16:13:28.328-07:00SubmarineThe other day I tweeted a recipe for a vegetarian "cheesesteak" style sandwich, which I didn't take pictures of because I was not aware of how bombastically delicious it was going to turn out. It was so good, I actually decided I had to make it again. (Post impending.) However, I had used a store bought roll in the original and realized one way to elevate it to an even HIGHER state of deliciousness would be to make my own submarine rolls for it. Moisty, chewy, simple rolls that let the ingredients be the star of the show. Yes, this plan was starting to take a tasty shape. <br />
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Bread baking is one of my favourite things, and so it took all of 10 seconds before I made up my mind. I ran to the internet, in the direction of "YES, LET'S MAKE BREAD!" to find a basic recipe for the rolls, and then something strange and wonderful happened. What started off as someone's recipe became my own design, as I realized what I did and didn't have in my cupboard, and what I wanted from the recipe. I was baking bread, from scratch-- off the cuff of my own instincts! It was a strange, proud moment when I pulled the tray of these soft, simple roll babies out of the oven, the entire flat smelling like fresh baked bread. It was only minutes before I ripped one in half and ate it.<br />
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....Probably shouldn't have used the word babies in there. OH WELL.<br />
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<h3>
Riley's Whole Wheat Submarine Rolls</h3>
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Based on a recipe by <a href="http://www.thegalleygourmet.net/2012/01/homemade-submarinepo-boy-rolls.html">The Galley Gourmet</a><br />Makes 6-8 Rolls.</div>
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Ingredients <br />
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2 1/2 tsp (1 packet) quick rise yeast <br />
1 1/4 cups warm water<br />
1 tbsp sugar <br />
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour or bread, plus more for rolling & shaping<br />
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour<br />
1 tbsp salted butter, softened<br />
1 1/4 tsp salt<br />
oil (for greasing the bowl) <br />
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1. Put the warm water into a large bowl, sprinkle it first with the yeast, then with the sugar. Whisk, and wait until it gets foamy and fragrant.<br />
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2. Add the butter and, gradually, the all purpose flour to the water mixture. If making this bread by hand, stir it in with a spoon, adding more flour until it won't stick to your hands, and knead with those unsticky hands. Then, add the salt and knead more. Work those biceps!<br />
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If you're lucky (or lazy like me) put it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Mix on low until combined, then add the whole wheat flour, and let the machine do the hard work. Knead it on medium speed for 10 minutes, until a smooth, elastic dough is formed.<br />
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3. Put the dough on a floured surface and form it into a ball. Grease a large bowl, put your dough in it, and cover it with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place and let rise until doubled in volume. An hour or so.<br />
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4. When the dough is risen, turn it out onto a floured surface, and depress the air out of it. Divide into 6-8 equal pieces. Cover and let rest, 15 minutes. Then, on a tray covered in parchment, shape the balls into rolls 6-8 inches long or so. <br />
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<br />6. Cover and let rise for an additional hour until puffed up, just like the photo below... Bread making is a practice in patience, and finding other stuff to do in the meantime. (I watched Nigella Lawson and went for a run.)<br />
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7. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees until golden brown, 30 minutes or so. Remove to cooling racks, and then go to town, or else, freeze for future use! Voila, soft fluffy dinner rolls for you to create your sandwich masterpiece on. <br />
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R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-77283677396678221512013-04-20T10:16:00.000-07:002013-04-20T10:18:02.960-07:00Hail Cheeses! EntriesFirst off, I want to thank everyone who took part in the contest! You guys really outdid yourselves with some bite worthy creations. (P.S. I'll be crashing your place of residence ASAP to try them for myself.) I'm so excited to have the turnout that I did; I was expecting maybe one or two grilled pity sandwiches, but y'all busted it up. So, merci for showing up and participating, I hope you guys had as much fun getting creative with this as I had drooling over each idea. <br />
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Without further ado, my dear grillers, I present your gallery of competitors. <br />
Note: I've removed all but special instructions and the ingredients lists from the emails, to make the judging as equivalent as possible!<br />
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<h3>
#1. The Beetallmania</h3>
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<b>Ingredients</b>: Herbed focaccia flatbread, slow roasted beets, avocado, double cream brie, grainy mustard, sweet onion, smoked salmon, capers, salt & pepper, olive oil<br />
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<h3>
#2. The Super Mario</h3>
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<b>Ingredients:</b> Rosemary Focaccia, pesto, provolone, prosciutto and mozzarella<br />
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<b>Fun fact:</b> This thematic bite sports an Italian flag colour scheme. AMAZING.<br />
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<h3>
#3. The Vegus Cheesus</h3>
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<b>Ingredients:</b> Hempseed bread, homemade vegan cheese slices, radishes, fresh spinach</div>
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<h3>
#4. The Delice Harlequin</h3>
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<b>Ingredients:</b> Marble Bread (pumpernickel & rye) made into French toast (eggs, almond breeze, cinnamon), oven baked maple bacon, cheddar, mozzarella, butter<br />
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<b>Fun fact:</b> The sandwich's theme revolves around two tones, so the cheeses are each on a different side of the sandwich!<br />
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<h3>
#5. The Beach Please! </h3>
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<b>Ingredients:</b> Fresh white bread, marinated chicken (peach jam, soy sauce, lime juice, cayenne, sugar, garlic cloves), Champfleury (brie), Mozzarella cheese, avocado spread (avocado, greek yogurt, lemon juice, chili powder, cinnamon, salt & pepper), butter<br />
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<h3>
#6. The Triskaimaplecius</h3>
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<b>Ingredients:</b> 3 slices 12 grain bread, mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, maple syrup</div>
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<b>Fun fact:</b> The two outside slices are buttered, the middle one is soaked in maple syrup.<br />
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#7. Mozzloaftops!</h3>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Mozzloaftops_zps1cd767e0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Mozzloaftops_zps1cd767e0.png" /> </a></div>
<b>Ingredients: </b>White Sandwich Bread, Meatloaf (ground beef, garlic, onions, breadcrumbs, dijon, tomato juice, parsley, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper), Mozzarella cheese, butter<br />
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<b>Fun fact:</b> This competitor made their bread from scratch!<br />
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R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-88092967924591922702013-04-18T21:49:00.001-07:002013-04-18T21:49:58.399-07:00Whip It GoodI've been watching a LOT of "The Great British Bake Off" lately, Britain's search to find the greatest amateur baker among their tea gargling masses. For those of you without friends in the UK who induct you into the culture (thank yoooooou, Joshua), it's basically like any competitive cooking show you ever saw, but with charming British people, history lessons on food and oh yes, lots of baking. They've made everything from cupcakes to savoury pies, and in the most recent episode I watched, the amateur bakers even had to tackle croissant and danish pastries. (Bless their brave hearts.)<br /><br />Watching cooking shows for hours on end usually has me sprinting to put on my apron as is, however, Bake Off has me aching for baking more than usual. I watch the contestants tackle each challenge salivating at how ridiculously good everything looks. With every signature bake (the contestants must make a pastry that represents them) I'm wracking my brain for what my own entry might look like. I want to walk around covered head to toe in flour. I have a need to knead. You get what I'm saying. <div>
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HOWEVER, there is a problem with the need to bake things constantly-- and that problem looks exactly like the purple chiffon bridesmaids dress I picked up from the shipping people today for my dear friends wedding next month. See, it fits. It <i>just</i> fits. If I bake anything, there is no way I'm not tasting as I go ("product quality testing," we call it in the business") and no way I'm not at least trying the finished product. How then, to keep up a food blog, satisfy my tastebuds and my baking urges, without going overboard and finding myself sucking in for all of the wedding photos?<br /><br />Drumroll please!</div>
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Basic Meringues-- technically challenging (slightly), egg whites (healthy), crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside texture (tasty).</div>
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Basic Meringues</h3>
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Makes....a lot of meringues, depending on how large you make them.</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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4 egg whites, room temperature</div>
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1 tsp lemon juice</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees, and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.</div>
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First rule of meringues is NEVER make them in plastic bowls. The ability of the egg whites to whip up is completely ruined if even a single drop of fat-- oil, butter, whatever, gets into them. So, use a glass bowl, wash it well. Some people even wipe their bowl clean with lemon juice or vinegar before starting. <br /><br />With your bowl prepped, add your egg whites. Whip them on a medium speed until frothy.</div>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Meringue1_zps559cf970.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Meringue1_zps559cf970.png" /></a></div>
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2. Once the whites have become slightly bubbly and white, add the lemon juice and whip until soft peaks form on medium-high. Lemon juice is an acid which will help the egg whites form and fluff-- vinegar or cream of tartar will also do the trick. They will start to look like they do below.</div>
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3. Begin adding the sugar, one tablespoon at a time until it is all combined in and the batter forms solid peaks. (Note: I abused the hell out of my stand mixer to get to this stage, so don't be afraid if it takes a LONG TIME. I was worried that maybe there had been fat in the bowl, or the fact that today was rainy were sabotaging my efforts-- these babies also don't like humidity. "Keep calm and crack on" as they say in Bake Off. It will be okay, I swear.)</div>
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4. When you have stiff peaks, add the vanilla and whip until thoroughly combined.</div>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Meringue7_zps2824e1b7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Meringue7_zps2824e1b7.png" /></a></div>
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5. You can put the meringues on the cookie sheets any way you want. Some people use tablespoons. I grabbed a piping bag with a star tip and went to town, making them a little bit bigger than a toonie. (Canadianisms, eh?)</div>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Meringue8_zps64ac15a1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/Meringue8_zps64ac15a1.png" /></a></div>
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6. Bake the meringues for 1 hour. Then, turn the oven off leave them in there for at LEAST another hour, to dry out the centres. Some people leave their meringues in overnight. I am nowhere near that patient. Enjoy!</div>
R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-51806998441998338432013-04-15T22:12:00.002-07:002013-04-16T04:56:11.504-07:00Pesto Change-O<br />
This post has been a long time coming-- meaning that it's food I
cooked quite some time ago but procrastinated on writing about, because
life is what happens when you're busy jamming giant cookie wedges into
your mouth with your friends, readying for finals, getting spring air for the first time in long time, and oh yes, not blogging. <br />
<br />
This,
however, is what happens when you get my friend & fellow foodie,
Jon and I in a kitchen together. Jon is as passionate about "food
culture" as I am, so when I heard that he'd only had risotto once and that it had been BAD risotto, I was scandalized. Shocked.
Appalled. Other synonyms for mortified. I knew I had to fix it as soon
as possible. So two Fridays ago, we made a culinary tag team and cooked dinner for he, Rebekah and I.
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<br />
We ended up with a delicious meal: <b><a href="http://apocryphea.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/marinated-oven-baked-chicken/">Honey Balsamic Oven Baked Chicken with Fresh Mint</a>,
(Homemade) Pesto Risotto, and a baguette with Champfleury cheese.</b> If
you aren't drooling all over your keyboard right now I suggest you read
that again-- maybe in Morgan Freeman's voice, or else, get your head
checked. You should totally click on the link above and check out the
chicken recipe on Jon's blog. It was beyond belief tender and tasty. As.
Hell.<br />
<br />
So while we drank wine and talked about the
dishes we inherited from our grandmothers, I took to making this recipe
up from scratch. The best thing about risotto is that once you overcome
your fear and master the basics, you can improvise it and make it with
almost whatever you want. I made this based on what Jon had kicking around in his fridge and pantry. It
was totally worth carrying a big jar of vegetable stock around with me
in my knapsack at school that day. #FoodieProblems<br />
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<h3>
Freestyle Pesto Risotto</h3>
Serves 4<br />
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/ChickenDinner_zps31ebaa89.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/ChickenDinner_zps31ebaa89.png" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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4 cups vegetable stock</div>
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1 white cooking onion, chopped</div>
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3 cloves of garlic, minced</div>
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1 tbsp olive oil</div>
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1/2 cup white wine</div>
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1/2 cup arborio rice</div>
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1/2 cup pearled barley*</div>
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Basil Pesto, to taste</div>
Parmesan cheese<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
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1. On the stove, get a small saucepan, size enough to hold all of the stock, and put it over low heat. First rule of risotto: do not add cold liquid to the risotto. You may have to put your wine in the microwave to ensure this but-- I am Jack's lack of shame. Cold liquid will "shock" the rice and you will not be able to get that famous, creamy texture you want. So, the second rule of risotto is do NOT add cold liquid to the risotto.</div>
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In a medium-large saucepan, add the oil, onions and garlic. Sautée until slightly browned.</div>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto3_zps71a1fb04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto3_zps71a1fb04.png" /></a></div>
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2. When the onions are soft, add the barley and the rice. Stir until coated, and cook until slightly translucent, about one minute.</div>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto2_zpsf72a5878.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto2_zpsf72a5878.png" /></a></div>
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3. Now you can start adding liquids! This is the longest, most time consuming part of cooking risotto: you're going to have to babysit it for a good 30 minutes, stirring it constantly to coax the rice into a good mood. I kickstart rice into a good mood the way I myself get into a good mood: add that (warmed) white wine. Stir until it's absorbed, then add the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly.<br />
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto1_zps1c242161.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto1_zps1c242161.png" /></a></div>
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4. Add more stock as the rice absorbs each cup. Third rule of risotto: stir stir stir. In the meantime, open that jar of pesto. Or better yet, have your kitchen bro make it fresh for you while you're working. (Check out Jon's recipe for <a href="http://apocryphea.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/pesto/">fresh pesto here</a>!)</div>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto5_zps20e0210b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto5_zps20e0210b.png" /></a></div>
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5. When you're almost fresh out of stock (the last cup or so) add the pesto and grated parm! As much or as little as you like. I would say I probably made use of a good 1/4-1/2 cup, but it's hard to be sure. Start with a little, then add more if you want it. Stir it in, to let it combine with the other flavours. Taste, season with salt, pepper and more parm if you want. (Let us face it: of COURSE you want more.) </div>
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<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto4_zpsec71fd59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PestoRisotto4_zpsec71fd59.png" /></a></div>
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Risotto works as a main or a side dish really nicely. This one might not be pretty, but it was unbelievably good.</div>
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<b><u>Notes</u></b><br />
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* It's possible to use an entire cup of arborio rice for this recipe instead of half arborio, half barley. I just like the variance in texture, so I mix it up a little. It adds a bite that isn't present otherwise. I know this because Tyler knows this. </div>
R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-23730434374472484842013-04-13T10:44:00.001-07:002013-04-13T10:44:16.838-07:00Child's PlaySometimes, it happens to me out of the blue: the sudden urge to get messy and bake something. I'll be minding my own business when the urge arises to get up to my elbows in flour, creaming butter and sugar, measuring, tasting. To have the flat filled with the smell of something delicious just coming to life in the warm belly of my friend, the oven. Always baking, this self renewing compulsion, usually late at night. If only these urges came as strongly with laundry and exercise, I might be all set.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, it was 1:30AM when I decided that I would try and proof some dough overnight to bake it in the morning. Fresh bread on a Saturday morning? YES PLEASE. There was only one problem: I had no milk, and only about a 1 1/2 tsp of yeast, nowhere near a regular amount to make a decent, quick bread.<br />
<br />
This called for experimentation. (Gasp. Experimenting with bread, I know. I believe in baking DANGEROUSLY.) <br />
So I used <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/julia-childs-white-bread-9032">Julia Child's White Bread Recipe</a>, which contained no milk, but instead, made use of butter, naturally. Julia was notoriously wonderful at finding ways to put butter in EVERYTHING. After some quick Googling, I discovered that you can actually use LESS yeast in a recipe a long as you give it a longer rise time.<br /><br />Perfect for someone who plans on sleeping in between making and baking, non?<br /><br />I unfortunately did NOT take pictures of the process, because half of me was very convinced that there was going to be a disaster, and also, it was 2AM by the time I got started. I have never messed with the yeast proportions in a recipe before, or let dough chill in the fridge overnight for a slow rise. I was nervous the cold would wipe out the yeast like a snowstorm and some unsuspecting villagers. Cut me some slack, or at least a slice. I did take some pictures of the beautiful after bake though. I probably could have left it a little longer in the oven but... I'm not unhappy with how this loaf turned out.<br /><br />Just the opposite!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinni1t9FVVz02KGmQ-Zbao0Ju64Tpj70mpeeItob2hyphenhyphenKJhZxJUismIDHIC4r_w2GslSxVNJgwoIJvy4fjvOfTzo7sUSsK7Bi2XW_yFHGWHszzrRAY7t1wJdV9RHhlqjBZQv7m5PU6DpUI/s1600/JuliaBread3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinni1t9FVVz02KGmQ-Zbao0Ju64Tpj70mpeeItob2hyphenhyphenKJhZxJUismIDHIC4r_w2GslSxVNJgwoIJvy4fjvOfTzo7sUSsK7Bi2XW_yFHGWHszzrRAY7t1wJdV9RHhlqjBZQv7m5PU6DpUI/s1600/JuliaBread3.png" /></a></div>
<br />I got up in the morning to put this thing together, and now I can't stop eating it. You can see a pocket/slice of air in the top, which I think could have been fixed in forming the actual loaf. But even imperfect homemade bread is one THOUSAND times tastier than the bagged, store bought Wonderbread you're thinking about right now. It's soft. Chewy. Moist. Buttery. The crust is crisp in contrast to the warm airy inside. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1674344JXNGA3d6lonfLei-rMWkhhI0_C9KoH7wiy4aNJi50aQCq9g1bGApW6WxlXgLHLvCvF7W0PMgYpoWuCzQK3I4rn7UAbqdItkJ4qFeTnuMBuOqTy9s5HRFkrOPDL-6xUETJglq8/s1600/JuliaBread4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1674344JXNGA3d6lonfLei-rMWkhhI0_C9KoH7wiy4aNJi50aQCq9g1bGApW6WxlXgLHLvCvF7W0PMgYpoWuCzQK3I4rn7UAbqdItkJ4qFeTnuMBuOqTy9s5HRFkrOPDL-6xUETJglq8/s1600/JuliaBread4.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Find Julia Child's bread recipe <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/julia-childs-white-bread-9032">here</a> and try it yourself! Then you could use it in the <a href="http://bite-club.blogspot.ca/2013/04/challenge-hail-cheeses.html">Hail Cheeses! Challenge</a>... R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-66811219579327059302013-04-08T17:26:00.001-07:002013-04-14T07:56:02.972-07:00Challenge: Hail Cheeses!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";"><b>EDIT: The contest deadline is now FRIDAY APRIL 19th, 2013!</b> </span></h4>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";"> In case y’all
had no idea, APRIL is NATIONAL GRILLED CHEESE MONTH, and I thought it was
something worth celebrating, because I will take almost any
excuse at any time to eat bread and cheese. Let’s be fair here though, it’s
hardly that simple anymore: everyone’s favourite sandwich has had more
facelifts than Hollywood in the recent years, and no one’s complaining, with
all the tasty results.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";">One of the
things I miss about living in Waterloo is their hip, late night, weekends only
grilled cheese window, <a href="http://www.princesscafe.ca/about_cheeses.html">Cheeses Murphy</a>.
Cheeses cooks up incredible sandwiches and then crowns them with names
that are so puntastic, I practically wrote them myself. (My personal favourite:
“The Big Lebowskcheese.”) Their signature sandwich, the Cheeses Murphy features
bacon jam. I had never heard of such a thing before I accepted Cheeses as my
12:30AM, Saturday night savior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8ivYVUbgoelnSWk7TTbQB7-sDInfSFIo6tuf8-XwX75BOnkVev_870wq9vKT-ctqc7INWgT3EzaQXHQBexvStmNkyTbYqW1ujaX-_C1if3EW2iM6oufz5WAvnarov8rOFsHm7-ZzOdA/s1600/CheesesChrist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8ivYVUbgoelnSWk7TTbQB7-sDInfSFIo6tuf8-XwX75BOnkVev_870wq9vKT-ctqc7INWgT3EzaQXHQBexvStmNkyTbYqW1ujaX-_C1if3EW2iM6oufz5WAvnarov8rOFsHm7-ZzOdA/s1600/CheesesChrist.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Open sans, serif;">Do not adjust your screens. This is a real live paparazzi shot of myself, caught in the act with a grilled Cheeses Murphy sandwich with <b>mac & cheese</b> on it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Open sans', serif;">Since I miss
Cheeses oh so much, I decided to bring a little bit of their inventive spirit
to the blog and into my own kitchen with a <b>contest, </b>because I’d like to get to know my audience a little
cheddar. (Wah waaah.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";">The "Hail Cheeses" Challenge</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMikWBGkeyonDZL9AGtE18FvPR00wnyQdM8QcZ8BMJtBD2-F8OtS7D5CFG0B7Oze4wm3lXi8OMdRcVaMoe-K9BqAReMMLzK3_ffgF3grVKujpIpqZqQgtYBTESF_oYpeaFjbGDpmhI0bk/s1600/cheeses_murphy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMikWBGkeyonDZL9AGtE18FvPR00wnyQdM8QcZ8BMJtBD2-F8OtS7D5CFG0B7Oze4wm3lXi8OMdRcVaMoe-K9BqAReMMLzK3_ffgF3grVKujpIpqZqQgtYBTESF_oYpeaFjbGDpmhI0bk/s1600/cheeses_murphy.png" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Open sans', serif;">THE CHALLENGE:</b><span style="font-family: 'Open sans', serif;">
Create a unique grilled cheese creation (get crazy!), photograph it, name it
and send it to me at </span><a href="mailto:IAmJacksHunger@gmail.com" style="font-family: 'Open sans', serif;">IAmJacksHunger@gmail.com</a><span style="font-family: 'Open sans', serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";"><b>THE PRIZE:</b> I’ll
be posting my favourite creation of all the submissions on the blog for all to
see, so get ready for bragging rights. Plus,
you’ll have your own personal sandwich invented: cross it off your bucket list. Look, do
you really need motivation to get competitive and make yourself a delicious,
original creation?<br /><br /><b><i>EDIT: It's not official yet, but Cheeses Murphy tweeted at me, saying it's a possibility that they COULD feature the winning sandwich at their digs. Which means your delicious genius would be available to the masses. THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";"><b>RULES: </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";">• Your beautiful sandwich should be sent to me
by APRIL 15<sup>th</sup>, 2013, puntastic and clever name, a pic, list of ingredients and all! That's next Monday, so be sharp and feta move on!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";">• Any cheese
and any bread combination are allowed, so long as it becomes a sandwich in the
end. (Sorry wraps, not this time.) <br /><br />• There are literally unlimited toppings, too.
Fruits, vegs, spreads, snack foods. Let your imagination run wild. Literally send me the sandwich of your dreams!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Open sans","serif";">That's all for today, friends. If you're craving inspiration, you can also find Cheeses Murphy on <a href="https://twitter.com/Cheeses_Murphy">Twitter</a> & <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cheeses.murphy?sk">Facebook</a>.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-14783278204687586492013-04-07T00:24:00.001-07:002013-04-07T09:33:03.960-07:00Iron, ManThe Easter Bunny gave me something unexpected this year-- a cast iron skillet -- which only would have been more of a surprise if it had been delivered to me in a giant egg. I've been pining after one ever since I found out about them. An old school, ultra durable, incredibly versatile, slightly unwieldy non-stick pan with special instructions: never wash it with soap. (I know, say WHAT?) How could I not be into that?<br />
<br />
Cast iron pans are "seasoned" over time. This involves coating them with a thin layer of fat or oil, then baking them at a low temperature for an hour, as often as you like. When the iron of the pan heats up, it expands and takes on some of the fatty molecules. The longer you go without really washing them, the deeper the seasoning, the better the nonstick surface. I strongly feel as though this is kitchen magic, the kind that runs from generation to generation. Some people have had them in their families for literally years and years. They're that durable, and compared to other cookware, they're not expensive. Anyway-- Macheesmo has a great post-- <a href="http://www.macheesmo.com/2010/07/ten-reasons-for-cast-iron/">10 Reasons You Need a Cast Iron Skillet</a> to back up my argument here. And if you don't want to read a top ten, you can feast your eyes on last night's dinner and be convinced much faster.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
Riddle: What do you get when you combine a cast iron skillet & my whole wheat dough recipe?<br />
Answer: Pizza, and this time, it's personal. One for me, one for Rebekah, my friend and roommate, and glorious toppings for all! This is more of a technique than a recipe, but keep up with me now. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Personal Cast Iron Pizzas</h3>
<div>
Makes 2 personal pizzas.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PPizza5_zpsa6d8267f.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y484/wileybites/PPizza5_zpsa6d8267f.png" /></a></div>
<h4>
<b>Ingredients</b></h4>
<div>
1 recipe, <a href="http://bite-club.blogspot.ca/2013/03/dough-yo.html">Bite Club's pizza dough</a>, or any pizza dough...</div>
<div>
Tomato sauce</div>
<div>
Cheese<br />
Toppings (your choice!)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Required: </b>Cast Iron Skillet</div>
<div>
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<b>1. </b>Make the dough as instructed. Divide the recipe in two equal portions. (My skillet is on the small side, which makes it perfect for personal pizzas!) Rolling out the dough into a circle just larger than your skillet. Roll the edge of the crust inward, gently tucking it in with your fingers to make the deep dish style crust. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. </div>
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<b>2. </b>Add your toppings. I used tomato sauce, three cheeses: mozzarella, cream cheese, spicy habanero cheddar, roasted jalapeños, red onions and baby spinach. (Yes, feel free to OMG with me.)</div>
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<b>3. </b>To get the same effect on your crust as a pizza stone, before you put your masterpiece in the oven, put your skillet on the stovetop burner on high for 3-5 minutes. Then put it in the oven.</div>
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<b>4. </b>Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending your preferred tan of the crust. Are you a summer whisper or Jersey Shore? (Contrary to popular belief, I promise not to judge you if you find yourself saying, "I like my pizza Jersey Shore tan. GTL not included.)</div>
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<b>5. </b>When you're done, remove the pizza from the oven. It will be artful, it will smell delicious and unlike everyone on reality TV, cheesy in a great way. The best way possible. Note: Be careful when you remove the pan! Iron remains hot long after you it remove from the oven.</div>
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<b>6. </b>The pizza should slide right from the pan onto your handy cutting board with little difficulty. Let it cool for ten minutes, then slice and serve! This crust: golden and crunchy on the bottom, but fluffy inside, the middle like a chewy, perfect carb-alicious cloud. </div>
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As they say: YEAH. BUDDY. I wish I had taken a reaction video of the two of us biting into our individual pizza pies, because time stopped. Seriously, we spent the rest of dinner laughing with disbelief between bites at how good it was. What would you put on your perfect personal pizza?</div>
R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3415479425609521255.post-22155177871560979412013-04-02T15:40:00.002-07:002013-04-02T15:40:27.827-07:00Food Porn: Easter 2013Happy (belated) Easter, friends.<br />
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I went home for the weekend and did tons of cooking. Lucky for you, I took pictures. Unluckily for you, some of these recipes are inventions, or I was having too much fun cooking with my mama to get step by step photos, or even recipes. I linked the recipes I located/am able to remember.<br /><br />Without further ado, let there be food porn!<br />
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Mama's Limoncello & Herb Chicken</h3>
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Spinach, Feta & Egg Phyllo Pie</h3>
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Cole's Amazing Oat & Honey Bread - From <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Honey-Oat-Bread-105775">Epicurious </a></h3>
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Oatmeal Cream Pies - From <a href="http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.ca/2010/09/homemade-oatmeal-cream-pies.html">Homemade by Holman</a></h3>
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What did y'all enjoy for your Easter extravaganzas? (Extra points if you put pics on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/wileybites">the Facebook page</a>!)</div>
<br />R. Wileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18157677109615972573noreply@blogger.com0