The Greatness of Garlic

Oh, garlic. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. You can be diced, sliced, minced, mashed, crushed, ground, pickled, fried,stuffed, used to flavor oils, and most importantly, garlic be roasted. So,That is the subject of today's post.

You can use garlic in just about any way imaginable, However, the same problem always arises, if you don't cook it long enough, it is super pungent, spicy, and can totally take over any dish. Trust me, I know. While recipe testing my roasted red pepper pasta sauce, I had one batch that had a very strong, laden garlic aroma that totally killed the complexity and subtleties of the sauce I was trying to make. See what I mean? OK back to the subject at hand.

If garlic is cooked it too long it becomes bitter, unforgiving, and isn't going to be a nice way to end an otherwise delicious dinner. So how do we find the perfect, flavorful, and very versatile balance to this challenge? We roast it. Why? Well, like so many other things, cooking can concentrate and draw the natural sugars to the surface, in the case of garlic -- when roasted it becomes soft and can be spread like butter, it has an incredible aroma, and doesn't retain any qualities of being overpowering.

Is is time to for me to stop gabbing about garlic, and get the garlic going?

Alright, let's go! :)

Roasted Garlic

Please note that I did two versions of this roasted garlic. The first version roasted at 400 degrees for 52 minutes. The second version was done at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. I was hoping for a big difference in the color, but alas, it was the same. 

So, here is the basic recipe:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim off top of garlic head about ¼-½ inch, so cloves are exposed.
Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap the heads of garlic in a foil packet.
Place foil packets on a baking sheet for 35-50 minutes, until cloves are browned, soft, and tender.
Allow to cool before extracting the cloves.
Remove cloves with a fork or squeeze out cloves.

Ready for some pictures? Cool, I am too!

Alright, here are your garlic cloves on a cutting board ready to meet their fate.

Cut the tops off the heads of garlic so all the cloves are exposed.

Drizzle with oil, salt, pepper, and channel your Picasso and make yourself a foil packet

Boom. There you are. Let these cool after they come out of the oven before you excise these bits of deliciousness.

So, what can you do with the pearls of deliciousness? Again, the list is endless, but let me give you a few ideas. Perhaps you could chop them up and stir it into a little homemade mayonnaise, perhaps? Remember, making mayo at home is quick and easy. :) Let's see, what else? Spread the clove onto a cracker or a nice piece of a toasted baguette. Also, you could mix it with some soft cheese and use it as a sandwich spread or it can stand on it's own. Last but not least, and this suggestions isn't for the timid, you can consume the cloves just as they are and treat them as your favorite single wrapped candy. Also, this is a great deterrent to have to speak to an unwanted guest or if you want to make a lasting impression.

I hope you enjoy this as it is another great way to deliver flavor and have a blank palate in which you apply chose to apply these cloves of roasted garlic.

Enjoy!

Homedmade Mayonnaise: The Return

Mayonnaise, a condiment that has been sparking controversy and fear into the hearts of many since sliced bread. I know that mayo is a divisive topic for many, but I want to focus on one element that is front and center. Like my post about balsamic vinaigrette, mayo only has about 5 ingredients in it, but any trip to your local grocery store and a review of the label on a jar of mayo tells a different story. So, if you want to bring mayo back, why not take a shot and make at home?

Besides, you know exactly what is in it, you can save yourself a little money to make it at home, and you can season it as you wish. Yes, I went Princess of the Bride. I couldn't resist! Wait, did I just say you can season mayo to your liking? Yes, and I don't just mean olive oil infused mayo. I am talking about adding garlic, paprika, rosemary, sage, chives, dill... the list goes on! How awesome is that? Can you imagine a steak sandwich with rosemary mayo? Perhaps a basil and oregano mayo that you use to crust a piece of fish? By they way, a little mayo can go a long way, we aren't talking about more than a couple of tablespoons to get what you need.

Alright, at the time of me composing this post, I haven't attempted to make homemade mayo before. So, I will be able to provide some feedback that will helpful for anyone who gives this a go.

**A little disclosure up front: this recipe does call for room temperature eggs. Before you panic, let me share two things to help ease your comfort. First, because of the way eggs are treated in parts of Europe  most consumers can leave their eggs out on the counter as they don't require refrigeration. Second, leaving an egg on the counter for 45 minutes or so doesn't pose any health threats. Now, if you leave it on the counter for a few hours, take it outside and let it bake in the hot sun, and then move it to the freezer before letting it come to room temperature to complete the cooking, then, yes, you will have a reason to be concerned. However, if you have any shred of doubt, then grab some pasteurized eggs from your local store and use that instead and the pasteurized eggs will take care of any remaining concerns.

Ready? In the words of my brother, "eggscellent!" Let's do this!

Here is the original recipe at the link below.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/blender-mayonnaise-51183000

I have already made a few changes which I have put in italics.

• 1 large egg (Room Temperature)
• 2-4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea/kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white or fresh black pepper
• 1 tsp clove of garlic  2nd Batch
  
• 1 tsp fresh thyme 2nd Batch
• 1 cup olive oil or a neutral vegetable oil or a combination of the two or grape seed oil

Directions

In a blender or food processor, blend together the egg, lemon juice, mustard, fine sea salt, and freshly ground white or black pepper, blending until well combined. With the motor still running, add the oil in a very slow, thin, steady stream and blend until the dressing is thick and smooth. This will take about 5 minutes. Put this is a mason jar and it will hold in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Photo time! 

Yes, homemade mayonnaise in just under 5 minutes! As simple as it can be. The texture was perfect and as promised it was thick, rich, and creamy. Now, the recipe uses a little Dijon mustard which provides a little spice and helps emulsify the mayo. You can totally taste it, but it isn't overwhelming at all.

There is it, homemade mayo. Good, right? No?

 Okay, lets step this up shall we?

I had a little trouble embedding the link I wanted directly into the blog. So, here is ta link that will take you to my YouTube channel with a video of the mayo adventure.

One last note, don't worry if the mayo doesn't form right away. It will take a little bit of time, but you will start to notice the change in the carafe of your blender/food processor and you will see the mayo start to thicken. It happened on both my tries, so just remember, stay with the slow, steady stream of oil and the mayo will come together on it's own

https://youtu.be/Z6QJz5kGCak

For the record, I ended up making two batches of this lovely mayo, which is why I added a bit of garlic and thyme to the second batch. Needless to say, I won't need mayo anytime soon, plus in less time it takes to get in the car, drive to the store, buy the mayo, and get home I could have made 4 or 5 variations. Hope you find great ways to make this your own.

Enjoy!

Power of Pickling Update

Here is a quick follow up about the beets after two days chilling in the fridge. I just tasted them and they are better than the first day! These are awesome! I hope you guys get a chance to make these beets! Woo hoo! Would I eat them on the first day and be happy? You bet! However, waiting for those flavors to really come together certainly didn't hurt. :)

I have another post forthcoming, so stay tuned for that.

Thanks so much to all of you who are reading, commenting or using these recipes for your own! You make this blog so much fun for me! I am so grateful.

Power of Pickling

When the topic of pickling arises, it seems the first thing that most people think of is the large variety of pickles you might see on any store shelf. However, pickling has become much more than that and one where you can use the canvas of spices, seasonings, and vinegars to become a Picasso of Pickling.

For this post I want to talk about two simple, easy, but totally customizable ideas for expanding your pickling related palate. This is just the tip of the iceberg, pickling can go far beyond these two ingredients we are going to discuss. But, for now, we are going to start with red onions and some red beets.

First up, is a hybrid between pickled and candied red onions. By applying these techniques, we are going to really make these red onions stand out, as they are going to cook and reduce in the vinegar mixture. The reduction process gives them an unbelievable color and a rich syrup forms from the sugar and vinegar. Trust me, this is well worth it!
Next up, we are going to roast and pickle some beets. The beets are a little tart and bitter to start with so roasting them will help coax out the natural sugars. We will use some apple cider vinegar, a little oil, salt, pepper, and a bit of sugar to marinate the beets and help enhance the naturally sweet and tart flavors of the beets.  Keep in mind, you could use some red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar instead. You could even zest a little lemon or lime to give the beets some additional complexity. Again, you can customize this any way you choose, so don't be afraid to get creative.

The best thing about both these recipes is each will be ready to consume in about an hour from start to finish. Unlike a lot of of recipes that require pickling and then waiting a number of days before the pickled item begins to really take on any of those flavors. I am not saying this is a bad approach, because that certainly works, but part of my mission for this blog is to make things approachable and simple so we can still enjoy the rest of our time outside the kitchen.

Ready to get started? Let's do this!

Hybrid Red Onion Recipe:

¾ cup of red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons white sugar

½ teaspoon of kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Red Pepper flakes to taste (optional)

1 medium red onion, peeled, halved, sliced into half moons, about a ¼ inch thick

To a small/medium sized sauce pot, add all the ingredients and bring to a simmer to combine. Reduce heat and cook on medium-low. If you don’t get bubbles from your simmer, that is okay too. Stir every 5 minutes until red wine vinegar mixture has evaporated and the onions are soft and tender, about 60 minutes or so. Even though this does take a little more hands on time, you will be rewarded for your time. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Let cool and transfer to a mason jar or small Tupperware container. Simple, right? Yes, as it should be. Alright lets look at some photos shall we?

Here are the onions sliced into half moons.

Here are all ingredients together in a small sauce pot.

As you begin to apply heat, give everything a stir so it can begin to dissolve.

Within a few minutes you will start to notice that the onions begin to soften and take on some additional color.

After an hour and a little bit of patience, here is the finished product. The onions do have a little bit of crunch, but they have taken on all the characteristics from the seasonings we applied at the beginning. You can put these in tupperware or glassware and store in the fridge. These should last comfortably for more than a week.

Roasted and Pickled Beets

*Note we are combining a couple of recipes to achieve our goal here.*

The roasted beet recipe can be found on Food Network's website and is courtesy of Bobby Flay
http://www.food.com/recipe/bobby-flays-roasted-beets-for-recipes-370885

The pickled beet recipe is courtesy of simplyrecipes.com
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pickled_beets/

Roasting the Beets:

3 medium beets (your choice of color, but any will do), scrubbed and trimmed of leaves and roots.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Coat beets lightly with oil, a pinch of salt, and a couple grinds of fresh ground pepper.
3. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through and the beets can be easily pierced with fork, approx. 60 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

While the beets are cooling, make the pickling liquid by combining the following:

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine the beets in the pickling liquid and stir gently to coat the beets. Let this hang out on the counter top for a 30 minutes at room temperature. Stir occasionally to make sure all the beets get a chance to absorb the liquid. Pour beets and mixture into a mason jar and store in the fridge. These will get better the longer they get a chance to hang out and meld together.

These beets have been washed and prepped for their first step of the transformation to deliciousness.

Okay, time to practice your foil origami! Wrap this up and place it on a baking sheet so you don't add pretty colors to the inside of your oven.

After an hour or so, here are these beauties. Remember, you should be able to pierce them easily with a knife or a fork to ensure the beets are cooked through.

After allowing them to cool for 10 minutes, cut them up into whatever configuration you want. These have been cut up into quarters for this post.

The beets have been marinating at room temperature for a while here. You can see that some of liquid has adhered to the beets since they are glistening and soaking those flavors.

Here is a finished photo of the beets in a mason jar ready for the fridge. Again, these will get better the longer they sit. You won't be disappointed either way.

So, what can you do with these onions and beets? Heck the list is endless! Salads, sandwiches, soups, tacos, appetizer platters, roasts, by themselves -- and the list goes on. Here is the basic idea, if you have something that is very rich, could be meat, a sauce, or just sour cream, you want something with a high level of acidity to help cut through that so you can have a good contrast of flavors.

We have just touched on two of the many things you can pickle. The list is endless and pickling is becoming a really big trend in the food world. I hope this has inspired you and you can take some of these concepts and apply them going forward.

It is a lot of of fun and you can totally put your own twist on anything that I have made here. I was talking to a friend of mine who is also a foodie and he reminded me that with any recipe or anything you cook, find a way to make it your own -- because this helps us grow, learn, as well as become better cooks, and I believe, better people.

Let me know what you think of these recipes and I hope you enjoy them!