french fries

My dad bought a little fryer recently, and while I was home last weekend, we made some french fries to go with our burgers. We got three regular potatoes and peeled them, then we cut them into long strips and let them soak in water. We used peanut oil in the fryer, and once it was really hot and bubbling, we threw in batches of the potatoes (note: first dry the potatoes otherwise the water will make the oil spit out at you - yikes!). It said to let them cook about 13 minutes, but just keep an eye on it. Interestingly enough, the potatoes that we threw in plain were really dark, and the potatoes that we tossed in a flour and pepper mixture turned out lighter. I don't really know the science on that, but I liked the flour ones a little better. After they were done, we let them dry a bit on newspaper before transferring them to parchment paper on a baking sheet, seasoned them (some with just salt and some with creole) and letting them crisp up a bit in a 350 degree oven.

Note: these were just some phone pictures I took because I thought it would be nice to share this even though it wasn't really a recipe per se.

christmas: standing rib roast

For Christmas Day this year, my sister and I were at our Dad and Dana's house. My sister and Dana are not meat eaters (just fish, pescaterians), but Dana still makes meat sometimes for Dad and me. She did a recipe from Emeril Lagasse for a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner, and it was really good. It also looked fancy to cook with its tied string and etc. Since I didn't actually help with the recipe, I don't know if she followed it exactly or what, but I think so. I don't think we had the au just version.

2 heads roasted garlic
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 standing rib roast of beef (about 6 1/2 pounds), fat trimmed in 1 strip and reserved
1 1/2 cups red wine, plus 1 more cup if making au jus, optional
1/2 cup beef stock, plus 2 more cups if making au jus, optional

[Total cook time is appx 3 hours, I believe]

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Separate the heads of roasted garlic into cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peels. Place the garlic in a small bowl and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the rosemary and thyme, and stir to blend. Pat this mixture evenly over the top and sides of the roast. Place the trimmed strip of fat over the garlic-herb mixture and tie with kitchen string in several places to secure the fat onto the top of the roast.

Season the roast all over with the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Place the roast in a roasting pan and add 1 1/2 cups red wine and 1/2 cup beef stock to the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to roast to the desired degree of doneness, about 18 minutes per pound for rare and 22 minutes per pound for medium. Let stand at least 5 minutes before carving. De-fat the pan juices and serve alongside the beef.

If making au jus, place the roasting pan on the stove burners over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup red wine and scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add 2 cups beef stock and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the solids before serving. De-grease, if necessary.

guest: lemon chicken marsala

I had the treat of having this made for me for dinner last Sunday, and it was really yummy. He didn't follow  a recipe, but after looking up a chicken marsala recipe, it was very similar. Ours had zest, some juice, and slices of lemon in it, along with parsley, but otherwise, it is pretty similar to this recipe by Emeril. I really liked it, especially with the addition of the parsley and lemon. I could have licked that plate clean, but I behaved myself.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)
3/4 cup Marsala [we just used white wine I had in the fridge]
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, for garnish [we garnished with slightly cooked lemon slices and freshly grated parmesan]

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

butternut squash risotto

I have had the recent incredibly good fortune to start dating someone that I not only really like, but who is a very good cook. The night I made the honey apple challah bread, he came over and made some delicious homemade granola bars. Last week, we went to a farmer's market and picked up some squash and decided to make a butternut squash risotto topped with chicken. It was crazy good, and I mean it. I was even lucky enough to get the leftovers. We just used an allrecipes recipe, and by we, I mean I read it and occasionally helped get stuff together while he cooked. It really was pretty straight foward, though, and I really want to make some risotto again because it was very yummy.

I only took a picture at the end because, you know, I'm trying not to come across as the total nut that I am. That said, he still thinks I'm ridiculous for taking pictures of all of my food. The good news is that it isn't so ridiculous that I can't still sneak in one or two pictures without feeling too silly.

2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
5 cups hot chicken stock [we probably only used 3 or so cups]
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

As per some of the allrecipes comments, we decided to roast the squash in the oven for a while first. Set the oven to 400 degrees, place the squash on foil on a cookie sheet, and cut them in half. I believe he rubbed them with some olive oil and cinnamon before putting them in the oven. It took about 30 to 40 minutes to soften them up. We let them cool (and helped the process by sticking them in the freezer for a bit) and then scraped out the insides into a bowl and mashed it up further.


Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking and stirring until the rice is glossy from the butter, and the onion begins to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes more.

Pour in the white wine; cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the mashed squash and 1/3 of the hot chicken stock; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until the chicken stock has been absorbed by the rice, 5 to 7 minutes. Add half of the remaining chicken stock, and continue stirring until it has been absorbed. Finally, pour in the remaining stock, and continue stirring until the risotto is creamy. Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information (for 1/4 of risotto recipe)
355 total calories
13g total fat
46g total carbs
9g protein

BLBC Cookbook

I just got a mountain of grading. Did I start tonight? Heavens no because I make silly decisions sometimes. I did, however, finish taking the word document of the BLBC cookbook and transforming it into a 120 page book for sale on Blurb. I think it took me about 6 hours to do, which really isn't so bad. I hope that the ladies of the BLBC like it and are all right with the executive decisions I made; at least I like it and will be excited to have one at home! For anyone else who is interested, here is the information:

BLBC Cookbook
$6 plus shipping for softcover
http://www.blurb.com/books/2242451

From the info page I wrote up for the book:

BLBC Cookbook

The ladies of the BLBC, or Bulgarian Ladies Book Club, for the 2010 - 2011 school year were all International women of the American College of Sofia. In addition to reading seven books, having deliciously hosted meetings, going away for a spa weekend, and rafting, we also compiled some of our (and our friends and family's)  favorite recipes into a cookbook. We hope you enjoy it!

The BLBC 2010 - 2011 Book List:

October:  

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

November:  

Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey by Isabel Fonesca

December:  

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

February: 

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

March: 

Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories by Cynthia Morrison Phoel

April: 

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

May:    

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

The ladies of the BLBC:

Abby Noel, Amanda Crocker, Carolyn Emigh, Hanna Soltow, Jaime Johnson, Jenn Lawrie, Jess White, Kate McKenna, Katherine Conaway, Kristina Pappas, Lindsay Bouton, Magda Bucior, Pei Pei Liu,  Shannon Savage, and Teresa Monicken

A special thank you to Kate McKenna for organizing the BLBC! 

guest blog: lamingtons

Abby has made lamingtons a few times for us, and we get excited each time. Lamingtons are some kind of Australian dessert, and they are delicious. Basically, each one is a little cake square dipped in chocolate and covered in coconut. Do you want them yet? Then be glad that Abby has made them for us a few times and submitted the recipe to the BLBC cookbook, which I am hoping to make into an orderable book that I will post here once I finish the task.

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 (8 ounce) packages dried, unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12 inch rectangular pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla until light and fluffy (a hand blender will help with this). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well.

Pour the batter into the 8x12 inch pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Allow to cool overnight to give the cake a chance to firm up before Icing (leaving the cake out on the counter will actually help with this).

To make the Icing: In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa. In a saucepan, heat milk and 2 teaspoons butter until the butter is melted. Add the milk to the sugar mixture and mix well to create a fluid, but not too runny, icing.

Procedure:
Cut the cake into 24 squares (bite-sized squares, or slightly larger). Place coconut in a shallow container. Dip each square into the icing, then roll it in the coconut. Place onto rack to dry. Continue for each piece. The icing will drip, so place a sheet of parchment paper under the rack to catch the drips.

BLBC

I am a happy (and currently very full) member of the BLBC, or Bulgarian Ladies' Book Club. Actually, it is all the international female faculty of our school, and we get together about once a month to eat a lot of delicious things and talk about the book we just read. We voted on the books over the summer, assigned them each a month, picked dates to cook (so you only cook once but eat many times) and host, and then got started. So far, I haven't fallen in love with any of the books we have read, but it has been really fun to be back in an environment where people are discussing books, and the food is always delicious.

Last fall, I did the food with one of my roommates, and that is when I made the incredible chocolate peanut butter cake. Tonight, my other two roommates hosted, and while I am not posting their recipes, I thought I would show the pictures I took of their snacks. Tonight's books was Lady Chatterly's Lover by D. H. Lawrence, and I was the discussion leader. Off the top of my head, our food options for the evening were:

• 7 layer dip, homemade onion dip, ranch dip with chips, carrots, celery, and cauliflower 
• homemade pretzels with nacho cheese or mustard
• homemade lamingtons (this recipe I will have to post later, they are incredible)
• banitsa (a Bulgarian pastry with cyrene cheese inside)
• that worms in mud dessert... you know, oreos, pudding, whipped cream, and gummi worms
• mulled wine

 Wagon wheel of banitsa (not homemade, from the grocery store frozen aisle):

I may have forgotten something, but it was all really delicious. I am absurdly full.

guest blog: chocolate cookies

One of my roommates has a go-to chocolate cookie recipe that she uses from Martha Stewart's cookie book, which is really a lovely book to look at, if only for the pictures of the cookies. They are Martha's Grammy's Chocolate Cookies, and we are all big fans. She made a batch the other night as a thank you to another teacher for doing her a favor (proctoring her exams after missing a layover on her way back from Prague), and I asked if I could take pictures and include the recipe on my food blog. So, here is the recipe, which she also submitted to our Bulgarian Ladies' Book Club cookbook that we are compiling.

 The guest pastry chef, ready to put a batch into the oven and graciously allowing me to paparazzi her simple cookie baking experience

2 cups plus two tablespoons flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Sugar for rolling

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a different bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat to combine. Form dough into a flattened disk, wrap with plastic wrap and chill for one hour. Shape dough into 1 ¼-inch balls and roll each ball in sugar. Place the balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for ten to twelve minutes.

Makes about 40 cookies.