Risotto, when you don't have several hours

So, pardon my somewhat haphazard recipe structure. I think you will find it logical in the end. This is a tasty meal when you don't have time to make "proper" risotto but still want a creamy, delicious rice dish.

Start out with however much rice you want to make. In my case, I usually make about a quater kilo. I like leftovers. Brown that over medium heat in enough olive oil to coat the grains. After a few minutes of browning, add in some spices. I like oregano, parsley, and, of course, garlic. Then add a cup of water. Here, add in a packet of cream of chicken soup powder. Yes, it's cheating. Shh.

Then, basically, stir very often to break down the shells of the rice and add to a nice gooey texture. Add water one or two cups at a time until the rice is nice and soft. The difference is, cook over a medium-high heat, so the water absorbs more quickly.

If you want to include vegetables, add them at the appropriate time. Hard vegetables should go in right at the beginning. Carrots, asparagus, that sort of thing. Softer things should go in later, and the very delicate ones (peas!) at the very end.

When the rice is ready and almost out of water, add a generous pat of butter, about half a small container of sour cream, and some parmesan cheese. Stir very well. Voila!

I made mine today with asparagus and orange bell peppers. It was very delicious indeed!

Broccoli and Bryndza

I was meandering through the store on a quest for butter, when I found Bryndza on sale. Bryndza is Slovakian feta cheese: mild, crumbly and delicious. 

Broccoli

Bacon

Bryndza

1) Steam a plate full of broccoli

2) Fry a slice of bacon until so crispy it crumbles

3) Crumble the bacon and bryndza into the steamed broccoli. 

I ate this paired with a pino grigio.

Plums with booze

This is a simple recipe I thought up when I was in desperate need of something to bring to a pot-luck. It is great straight-away, but is even better after twenty-four hours in the ice box.  

Software: 4 ripe plums; 1 Lemon; Sugar in the Raw; Krupnik see:http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/poland/krupnik.html  

Hardware: sharp knife non-reactive bowl 

Procedure: 1. Wash the plums and slice into half-inch wedges, and then slice each wedge in half again 2. Place in bowl and sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar; mix. 3. Squeeze juice from half of a lemon into bowl, followed by enough Krupnik to both thoroughly wet the plums and leave enough that the plums sit in the liquor. Serve as is, over ice cream, or with an absorbent cake such as angel food. Best served slightly chilled.

Follow-up:  Enjoy the adulation of your friends.

It was in my kitchen cocktail

As the weekend approaches and I am leaving town for 2 days, I am trying to finish lots of the stuff in my kitchen off.

Glass 3/4 full of gingerale
a dash and a half of orange juice (no pulp)
a dash of rosehip palika

surprisingly good.

Hungarian Mac and Cheese

Mmm...dinner tonight.

Noodles (I use spiral, but use your fave,)
Sour cream
grated cheese
salt

1) Boil the noodles
2) add a healthy dollop of sour cream and some cheese.
3) eat!

Pickles par excellent now with Pictures

This is a recipe for refrigerator pickles, which is to say that they are not "proper" fermented pickles.

I make small batches, say for one to two large cucumbers or half of a cauliflower head.

Hardware:
Glass or non-reactive containers with a top you can seal
Sharp chef's knife
Cutting Board

Software:
Target "pickle" vegetation (I stick with cucumbers or cauliflower, other options include radishes, broccoli, peppers, and leeks, I don't mix target vegetation in any one batch)
Garlic, several cloves (at least 3-5, if not more)
Whole Peppercorns
Kosher or pickling salt (don't use table salt it won't taste right and we have little need to worry any longer about hyperthyroidism)
Turbinado Sugar
Heinz White Vinegar (Don't go cheap, buy the good stuff!)

Procedure:

Wash and peel the cucumbers, though leave a few strips of skin on, that will help keep the cucumber slices somewhat rigid)
Smash and roughly chop garlic, leave a few big chunks that you can eat once they've pickled
Put at least a good handful of peppercorns in the bowl, then the cucumber slices, then the garlic.
Pour in vinegar, season with several really healthy pinches of salt (don't be bashful) and a reasonable tablespoon of sugar (which helps balance out the acidity of the vinegar on your palate)

Seal and give the bowl a good shake and place in the refrigerator.

Taste test after about 48 hours, you'll probably want to put in a bit more salt, garlic and top off the vinegar. You can also add some freshly grated pepper. The batch starts to taste quite good after about 72 hours.

When you finish eating a batch, pour off about half of the brine and repeat the procedure. You'll usually get about 3 batches before you need to start over (the peppers and garlic have given their all and the vinegar is just tired).

Variations:
For a hot batch add finely chopped and smashed chiles (especially the seeds).
Other additions include shallots, onions (which can also be the "pickle"), fennel tops, and pungent herbs

In any case, there is no secret, its just a simple, flexible recipe, the two keys are the vinegar and lots of kosher salt (that's what weakens the cell walls of the target and allows in the brine - if you skimp on the salt you'll get vinegary cucumbers, not pickles).

Pancakes, ah-ha!

I am quite the fan of Alton Brown, so i'll use his style of recipe presentation.

This is the basic recipe, it will feed 2-3 people, plan on doubling everything when you cook at 2AM.

Hardware:
Two large metal or glass bowls
One large cast-iron skillet or pan (you can also use a non-stick pan, but frankly they won't taste as good)

Software:
1 cup of flour (I use a combination of 50%/50% whole wheat and AP flour most of the time and buy some decent stuff, the price difference in small but the quality is not)

2 teaspoons of Baking Powder (use aluminum free - it's better for you and buy some regularly, because it loses its "umpff" after a while)

1/2 teaspoon of salt (I use kosher salt, and since it's is quite granular I'll use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon or grind the salt in a mortar and pestle)

2 tablespoons of sugar (I use natural turbinado sugar - it tastes better)

1 decent sized egg (as fresh as possible - if you can get organic/cage-free/free range they'll taste better and you'll get a better lift)

1 cup of half-and-half. (Those of you worried about the fat shouldn't be eating pancakes at two in the morning)

A dash of cooking oil (canola or corn oil, don't use anything with a strong flavor)

Butter (for the skillet)

1. Heat the skillet to medium
2. Place dry ingredients in one bowl, whisk to combine
3. Combine wet ingredients in the other bowl. In the immortal words of Devo, "Whip it Good", until you get a good froth
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry (make a little depression in the middle first) and fold/stir to combine. You do not want to work out every lump, if you do the pancakes will be thin and kinda chewy). Let it be a little lumpy.
5. Melt butter on the griddle, turn heat down to low (for cast iron) and wait for butter to just turn brown.
6. Pour batter onto griddle, giving yourself enough room to work around each young pancake. The first side always takes longer to cook than the second. If you intend to add chocolate chips, berries and the like, do so after you have poured them onto the pan rather than mixing them into the batter.

If you are cooking for a group, grab a bowl and two tea towels, place one towel on the bottom of the bowl, and place the other over the top of the pancakes as they come off of the griddle so you can serve everything at once.

Serve and enjoy!