Monday, August 31, 2015

Why I am doing this and Peach Cake

I know the last thing we need is another blog about food. And the last thing you need to read is one that is poorly written with crappy phone pictures. I have friends reading my blog who are English teachers, librarians, overall word nerds, authors, professional photographers, and then there are those who are in the food business professional. Oh yeah, one even writes about food professional. My friend Emilia Juocys works for Michael Ruhlman  Oh well, I am doing it anyways, besides you are no longer reading my blog 'cause you are now on the Ruhlman site reading a professional food site.

Above cooking a recipe over and over again, there is the writing. Directions are hard to write, how detailed do they need to be?  Oh, wait, does that mean I think somebody might actually follow one of my recipes. Here is some great advice from Michael Ruhlman on food writing If you are writing or want to write about your passion there is good advice in his post. Just insert your subject for food.

I know I have made mistakes, but I'll get better. Besides the internet is full of mistakes. I recently discovered a great, but poorly written recipe on Food52 for a peach cake.

The recipe calls for 3 diced ripe peaches, are those small or large and will it make a difference. It lists salt in step 4, however they do not list how much anywhere. *OOPS* I just forgot to set the timer, because I was too busy writing instead of cooking. Okay, set, but I'm gonna rely on my nose as well. As my mum would say,  "your nose can be your best friend while cooking"

If you read the comments, on the Food52 site, you will see a lot about the cooking time. I have a feeling they were working on getting the great crust, that this cake has, but then forgot to adjust the time on the lower temp.  The recipe has you start with a 350 degree oven for ten minutes and then you reduce to 325 for 45-55 minutes. This just seemed too long, so I set my timer for 35 minutes and checked. It was really close. So I recommend 325 for 35-40 minutes.

This is a great simple cake, made without the mixer, that would be great to make with kids. I believe, it would adjust well for those who are gluten free. Here is the recipe written out with my edits. Who am I to edit a recipe that has been posted on a professional site? Just some home cook trying to share my thoughts, improve my writing, and hopefully give you some recipes you can make at home. After reading this The New Yorker article about writing a food blog, I feel better about the approach I have taken to food blogging.



Peach (or other fruit) Cake

3 cups fruit: peaches or apples or plums or 2 cups peaches and 1 cup blueberries
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons softened butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almonds or almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Step 1: preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare (butter and flour) a 9 inch round cake pan (only use a pie pan, if a 9 1/2 large pan) you can use a 10 inch cast iron pan. 

Step 2: cut your fruit into bite size pieces, leaving the skins on, add nutmeg, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Step 3: with a wooden spoon or spatula cream together the butter and sugar (1 cup minus the 2 tablespoons you used in step 2) add egg, buttermilk, extracts. Stir to combine. 

Step 4:  add flour, almonds or almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Mix until a only a few lumps remain, does not have to be smooth. (you can use a separate bowl, or just put the dry ingredients in with the wet and mix) Pour into the prepared pan.

Step 5: if the fruit has more than a few tablespoons of juice, drain some of the juice off. Press the fruit into the top, down the sides, smash them into the cake. It should look like you have a lot of fruit for cake batter. 


Step 6: bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, adjust temp to 325 and continuing cooking for an additional 35-40 minutes. Use a cake tester to make sure your cake is done. 

You can cut this into squares of pie shaped pieces. 

Enjoy this cake for breakfast, brunch or dinner. If you do take to a friend's house leave it in the pan. It will keep the shape better and trust me you will come home with a clean pan.













Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Baby Back Ribs

I cringe when I hear, "those ribs are so good they fall off the bone"

To me, that says they have been boiled first. We make fun of the English for boiling the flavor out of their food, why are you doing it? Please don't take one of the more expensive pieces of meat and boil the flavor out of it? Now, I have had some good (not baby back) ribs that have been boiled first, the ribs at the Saturday night banquet at the Rocky Top Bonspiel, are an exception that I make every year. But after that wonderful weekend hosted by Great Smoky Mountains Curling, in Knoxville TN, I go back to why are you boiling your meat?

Baby Back Ribs are not cheap so you do want to take some time (love) and cook them properly. We all have heard of low and slow before or as my Uncle Peter would say 8-10 rum (drink) ribs. My nephew Kess, has inherited the family love of ribs. By the age of 5, he could tell you all about ribs.

My niece Maggie, not so much. Many Christmases ago, my parents mentioned that they had picked up a couple of orders of Rib Tips from Larks And five year old Maggie declared that she didn't like ribs. "I don't like the meat part, I don't like the sauce part, I don't like the bone part, I really just don't like ribs." So for family members like Maggie, grab some chicken to put on the grill along side the ribs.

My dad's technique for cooking Baby Back ribs produces tender and tasty ribs. You have to work a little bit to get all the meat off the bones, but it is worth it. His method also gives you minimal clean up, no basting, and lots of time to enjoy life.

Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

1 charcoal grill
1 bag of wood charcoal
1-2 racks of Baby Back ribs
Your favorite dry rub
Your favorite (tomato based) BBQ sauce
Aluminum foil
1 fully stocked beer fridge
Lots of good tunes, Chicago Blues and Outlaw Country pairs well with ribs

Recipe:

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. season with your favorite dry rub, set aside.




Prepare your grill, you'll want to cook your ribs over indirect medium heat for close to 2 hours.


When your coals are ready place ribs, meat side up, on the grill. Cook for 20 mins.

Turn over on top of coals, sauce the under part, and cook for 10 mins.

Tear off enough Aluminum foil to wrap ribs. Lay foil on grill, place 1st rack of ribs, meat part up, on foil, cover with sauce. Note: why use a basting brush, when the side of your tongs will work. Great tip Pops! I hate cleaning BBQ sauce off of brushes.



Place 2nd rack of ribs on top of 1st, with meat part up, sauce. Close up foil, making a foil pouch for your ribs to cook in. Sit back and let your ribs cook for 1-1 1/2  hours depending on how fatty they are.

Cheers!