Mussels in a Tomato Wine Broth

These mouthwatering mussels have been working their way to your screen for a year now. Exactly one year-ago, Mr. B and I drove to a big city and celebrated New Year's Eve a day early. We spent the night in a hip hotel and ate a memorable meal of classic French cuisine with a flaming bananas foster. The next day we had a late breakfast at an edgy diner with awesome huevos rancheros. Doing everything a day early meant no reservations, no crowds, and no inflated prices. But best of all, it meant we could ring in the New Year at home on the couch with a steaming bowl of mussels and a bottle of white wine. Bliss.

That night I prepared the mussels according to the memory of a fantastic mussel dish we ordered regularly at our favorite restaurant on the West Coast. The resulting dish was delicious, but not quite as good as we remembered. Thus began a year-long quest to perfect the recipe and recreate the incredible combination of salt-kissed mussels, sweet tomatoes and piquant wine that filled our memory.

After a year of tweaking, tinkering, and gladly working through several loaves of crusty bread and bottles of white wine, I am happy to say we nailed it. This dish is bursting with flavor and is guaranteed to make you crave mussels with a fierce regularity. The sweet mussels are steamed open in a fragrant broth of tomatoes, saffron, herbs, and wine. A touch of crushed red pepper and pungent garlic keep things lively, while the wine and tomatoes provide a balanced acidity that begs for a hunk of crusty bread to soak it all in. At about $5 per pound, mussels are an unbeatable deal compared to the cost of most seafood, and in this mouthwatering dish they have quickly become one of my favorite foods.

Mussels in a Tomato Wine Broth (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4 (As an appetizer)

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs Mussels
4 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 medium Onion (about 1 1/2 cups) finely diced
3 Shallots, finely diced
4 Cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
1 teaspoon Anchovy paste
1 14oz can San Marzano Tomatoes
1 Bay leaf, torn in half
1 sprig Tarragon
1/2 teaspoon crushed Red pepper
pinch of Saffron
1/2 cup dry White wine, plus a splash (divided)
1/2 cup Seafood stock (or vegetable stock)
Salt (to taste)

Directions:

Rinse and scrub mussels, removing any barnacles or beards.

Place a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add onion, shallot, and garlic to the pan. Saute until the vegetables have just softened. Next add lemon zest, basil, tomato paste, and anchovy paste to the mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour lemon juice and tomatoes into the pan and add the bay leaf, tarragon, crushed red pepper, saffron, seafood stock, and wine. Stir until all ingredients are combined and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Place the cleaned mussels into the pan and cover. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the mussels have steamed open. Using tongs, remove the mussels from the pan. Cover the mussels with foil to keep warm.

Working quickly, discard the bay leaf halves and the tarragon sprig. Bring the remaining liquid to a vigorous boil, and cook for 4-5 minutes until reduced to your desired consistency. Taste the broth and add additional salt as needed. Add the mussels back into the broth along with a splash of white wine, and heat up slightly. Divide the mussels and sauce into individual bowls and serve hot.

Smoked Salmon Sushi

A month ago, when we made sushi for the first time, I noted that the biggest challenge came from locating sashimi grade fish. Living in the middle of the country, far from major metropolitan areas, means fresh sashimi is almost impossible to source. However, as we fashioned rolls using cooked shrimp and lump crab meat, an idea sprouted that cold smoked salmon (also known as gravlax) could be a very delicious stand in for fresh fish.

Whenever I find myself at a Costco, I purchase a large package of Kirkland Norwegian smoked salmon. Although the package is huge (or as we say, "Costco-size") we are so nuts about smoked salmon that we usually eat ourselves silly for a week straight- putting it in everything from eggs, to pasta, or even a white sauce pizza. A recent holiday food run brought home another big package of this smoked salmon, leaving Mr. B and I anxious to dive in and try making sushi again.

This time around, all of the steps were familiar, making the cooking process much more relaxing. Sourcing the right ingredients and preparing sushi rice are the most involved steps. Once you have accomplished both of those, all that is left is a bit of chopping, rolling, and eating. Don't let the length of the recipe scare you. It is simply a step-by-step process, and doesn't even involve anything dangerous like scalding hot caramel or eye-brow singeing barbecues.

A large package (1-2 lbs) of smoked salmon will make enough rolls for a giant party. If you have a bit of free time on your hands and want to create fantastic appetizers for New Year's Eve, these rolls would be an excellent choice. Smoked salmon is often more approachable for sushi newbies, and is a good way to start enjoying sushi without dealing with raw fish. A little bit of cream cheese, red bell pepper, and crisp green onion, and you will have your own delicious version of a Philly roll. So if you find yourself with a wicked sushi craving in the middle of corn fields (or blizzards), get out a package of smoked salmon and have fun!

Smoked Salmon Sushi (Printable Recipe)
Makes Approximately 6 rolls or 50 pieces
Adapted from The Daring Kitchen (Check out this link for other methods and pictures)

A BIG thank you to Audax and Rose for pulling together these clear and simple directions. It was a herculean effort that resulted in beautiful step-by-step instructions that a total novice (me!) could successfully follow at home. You two are amazing!

PART 1 : SUSHI RICE
(makes about 7 cups of cooked sushi rice)

Preparation time: 1¾ hours consisting of:

* Rinsing and draining rice: 35 minutes
* Soaking rice: 30 minutes (includes 5 minutes making the vinegar dressing)
* Cooking and steaming time: 25 minutes
* Finishing the rice: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

* 2½ cups uncooked short grain rice
* 2½ cups water
* For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water

Optional Ingredients

* 3 inch (75mm or 15 grams) square dashi konbu (or kombu) (dried kelp seaweed) wipe with a damp cloth to remove white powder & cut a few slits in the sides of the kelp to help release its flavours
* 2½ teaspoons (12.5 mls) of sake (Japanese rice wine)

Sushi vinegar dressing

* 5 Tablespoons (75 mls) rice vinegar
* 5 Teaspoons (25 mls or 21 grams) sugar
* 1¼ Teaspoons (6.25 mls or 4.5 grams) salt

DIRECTIONS:

Rinsing and draining the rice

1. Swirl rice gently in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don't crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl since dry rice is very brittle.
2. Gently place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.

Soaking the rice

1. Gently place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight).
2. Add 2½ cups of water and the dashi konbu.
3. Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.

Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing

1. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat on low setting. (I placed mine in the microwave at 30 second intervals)
3. Stir until the mixture goes clear and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
4. Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked.

Cooking the rice

1. After 30 minutes of soaking add sake (if using) to the rice.
2. Bring rinsed and soaked rice to the boil.
3. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat.
4. Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process.

Finishing the rice

Turning out the rice

1. Moisten lightly a flat thin wooden spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice.
2. Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.
3. Use the spatula to loosen gently the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, gently causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this gently so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.

Dressing the rice with vinegar

1. Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice.
2. Using the spatula gently spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don't stir or mash rice.
3. After the rice is spread out, start turning it over gently, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.

Fanning & Tossing the rice

1. Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don't flip the rice into the air but continue to gently slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended. (I used a hairdryer set to low and cool).
2. Stop fanning when there's no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used.

Keeping the rice moist

1. Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.

* Tips:

* To make sushi rice: for each cup of rice use 1 cup of water, 2 Tbs rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sake. For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water when cooking the sushi rice since the weight of rice can vary. Weight of 2½ cups of uncooked rice is about 525 grams or 18½ ounces.
* While the rice is draining, soaking and cooking prepare your rice vinegar dressing, sushi fillings and toppings.
* Photo series on How to Cook Rice with a Pot
* Photo series on How to Make Sushi Rice with Tools You Already Own

About the Ingredients
Sushi Rice – choose a short or medium grain rice. Do not use Arborio, long-grain, or parboiled white rice. Medium-grained calrose is a suitable rice. Rice expands (about 3 times) when cooked so make sure your pot is large enough. Washing the rice removes the rice flour that coats the rice and gives a fresh flavour and scent to the cooked rice. Look for rice that is labelled 'sushi' rice. Cooked sushi rice can be placed in plastic bags and frozen for 3 months, microwave when needed. Cooked sushi rice should be sticky, shiny and the individual grains of rice can been seen.

Dashi konbu – or ( dashi kombu) – dried kelp, it looks like broad, leathery, wrinkly greenish ribbon often coated with a white powder. The darker green the leaves, the better the quality of kelp.Dashi konbu adds a refreshing light ocean taste to sushi rice.

Rice Vinegar – this gives prepared sushi rice its unique clean, crisp taste. Do not use bottled “sushi vinegar” as it is too harsh and has a bitter after-taste. Look carefully at the label of the rice vinegar it should have NO SALT and NO SUGAR in the product. Apple cider vinegar is a good substitute if rice vinegar is not available. You can use mild white wine vinegar or mild red wine vinegar if you cannot find rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. DO NOT USE NORMAL WHITE VINEGAR it is too harsh.

Sake – Japanese rice wine. Do not use cooking sake or Chinese cooking rice wine, look for a reasonably priced drinkable sake. Refrigerate opened sake & use within two months. You can use vodka or a mild tasting gin if sake is not available.

Sugar – you can use mild honey or any other vegan substitute to give the equivalent sweetness.

PART 2 : Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll
Yield: Six Rolls, cut into 8 pieces
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice

INGREDIENTS:

* 6 cups prepared sushi rice
* 6 sheets of toasted nori, each sized 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm)
* Bowl of vinegar water (1/4 cup water and a dash of rice vinegar)
* Six assorted fillings, each filling should be the size of a pencil (see note below)

The rolls above used:
-Smoked salmon
-Red Bell Pepper
-2 cold 8oz packages of cream cheese, cut into thin strips
-Green onions

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wrap a bamboo rolling mat in plastic wrap, so that the entire mat is covered with plastic.
2. Place a nori sheet shiny side down on the edge of the bamboo rolling mat.
3. Using moist fingers (dipped in vinegar water) place 1 cup of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly, leaving ¼ inch (6mm) nori showing on the both ends of the sheet. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
4. Using your fingers form three grooves (in the same direction that you will be rolling the mat) at even intervals across the bed of rice. Make the first groove about 2 inches (50 mm) from the edge of the nori sheet. Form the grooves by pushing the rice away, do not mash or squash the rice, leave a loose one grain layer of rice in the bottom of the grooves. Level the areas between the grooves where you have pushed the rice.
5. Place your fillings in the grooves. Fill the grooves a little higher than the surrounding rice bed.
6. Then roll the sushi up from the edge closest to you, this will form a spiral pattern of nori, rice and fillings inside the roll.
7. Slice into 8 pieces with a very sharp wet knife, wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each cut.
8. Place the pieces on a platter and garnish.
9. Repeat this process until you have 6 rolls.

NOTE:
Make each groove about a finger-width wide they will hold about 1-2 tablespoons of filling. Use fillings that compliment each other and are highly colored. Use parboiled vegetables cut into strips, seafood, left over eel, smoked fish or chicken, whole cooked beans, edible flowers etc....

PART 3 : Nigiri Smoked Salmon Sushi
Yield: 14-16 pieces of sushi

Nigiri sushi is the type of sushi most often made in sushi bars. In Japanese, nigiri means “squeeze”.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice

INGREDIENTS:

* 1-2 cups prepared sushi rice
* 8 pairs of assorted toppings, 200 gms/7 ozs total of fish, meat or vegetables (see note below)
* 1 tablespoon Wasabi (paste, reconstituted powder) or any other paste to adhere topping to rice

Optional

* Garnishes such as Ginger (pickled), chilli strips, vegetables flowers etc
* Thin strips of nori or vegetables (for tying topping on)

DIRECTIONS:

1. When handling sushi rice, make certain your hands are very clean. To keep the rice from sticking to our hands moisten your hands with vinegared water.
2. Form nigiri sushi by scooping up a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of rice with your forefinger and second finger of your right hand and placing it in your cupped left palm.
3. Use the fingers and thumb of your right hand to form it into a long, narrow mound (about 2 inches x 1 inch wide or 50mm x 25mm) in your cupped palm.
4. Press enough to make the rice hold firmly together. Place the nigiri on a damp cutting board flat side down. Don't let sushi touch or they'll stick to each other. At this point, you can cover the sushi with plastic wrap, and they'll keep at room temperature (not the refrigerator) for several hours.
5. Smear a thin line of wasabi on top of the rice and place the smoked salmon piece on it. You may need to press the topping down lightly with your fingers and adjust the shape of the rice accordingly to form an attractive piece of nigiri sushi.

* Tips:
* A great video on making nigiri sushi

Chipotle Corn Chowder

Sometimes I just can't get with the program. While the rest of the world is in a heightened baking frenzy, filling my feedreader with images of luscious boozy bourbon balls, addictive coconut pecan biscottis dipped in chocolate known as crack cookies, and mouth-watering rose scented bread and butter pudding, I'm making soup. And not just any soup- healthy soup. Low calorie, low salt, with a spicy kick that makes you sit up straight and reach for a glass of water. Crazy, I know.

With the exception of a few fluffy marshmallows my stash of sugar and butter has remained behind closed doors this holiday season. Why forsake the most indulgent time of the year you ask? Well, it has a bit to do with an insane amount of bread baking and stepping on a scale prior to Thanksgiving. I realized that if I didn't implement some healthy changes and increase my exercise levels, the holidays were going to hang around a lot longer than I wanted. I'm not a fan of inevitable January diets (or dieting at all for that matter), so just consider the next few posts my attempts to hold down the other end of the sugar see-saw that is November and December. (And yes, we are doing a calorie-laden, blow out feast for Christmas, so I'm not a total Grinch!)

This delicious corn chowder is a breeze to make with minimal prep work and only about 20 minutes on the stove top. It is thinner than most chowders and works well as a starter course, or as a way to stave off the munchies before dinner. Chipotle provides a strong flavor punch, adding enough of a kick to hide the fact that the soup has a minimal amount of salt and fat. The ability to use frozen corn kernels makes this a great winter soup and brings a taste of summer back into the kitchen despite cold temperatures outside. The recipe makes a small batch, so of course we doubled it and enjoyed leftovers for a few days afterwards. If you are looking for a healthy yet still comforting soup- this recipe is a winner.

And if you're happily ignoring all things healthy for a few more weeks, did I mention these crack cookies, bread pudding, and bourbon balls?!? Oh so tempting...

Corn Chowder with Chipotle Pepper (Printable Recipe)
Adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooking
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 dried Chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon Olive oil
1/2 small Onion, diced (1/2 cup)
3 Garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 cups fresh or frozen Corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
2 cups Vegetable stock (homemade or a low-sodium variety)
1/2 cup Soy milk (I used 2% regular milk as we were out of soy)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chopped Cilantro, plus additional leaves for garnish
1 Red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded and diced

Directions:

Boil a small amount of water in pot or kettle. Once the water is boiling, place the chipotle pepper in a small heat-proof bowl and pour the hot water over the top of the pepper. Let the pepper soak in the hot water until it is soft, while you prep the rest of the ingredients, about 5-10 minutes. Once the pepper is soft, discard the water, cut the pepper in half, carefully remove any seeds, and finely chop the pepper.

Place a medium soup pot over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil. Once the oil is warm, add the onion, garlic, and chipotle pepper. Cooking, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft.

Next, add the corn kernels, chili powder, and cumin to the soup pot. Stir well, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the corn is mostly thawed (if using frozen corn).

Pour the vegetable stock into the pot, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the corn is tender. Next add in the milk, and continue to simmer until the liquid is warmed through and well combined. Turn off the heat.

Use a stick blender, or carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender and puree. (Be careful blending hot liquids in the blender, as steam can become trapped under the lid and lead to an explosion!) Once the soup has reached a consistency that is to your liking (I went for a very smooth soup), stir in the salt and cilantro. Taste the soup to see if it needs additional salt or pepper (this will vary depending on the type of vegetable stock used).

Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the diced bell peppers and additional cilantro if desired.

For each 3/4 cup serving, this soup has an estimated: 85 calories, 2 grams of fat, 217 milligrams of sodium, and 3 grams of protein.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice

When it comes to holiday feasts, I often struggle with the side dishes. Thanksgiving is pretty easy since the list of side dishes is long and keeps to basic form: stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, a mashed starch of some sort, etc. December holidays, however, seem to lack any customary lists. Earlier this month when I was flipping through one of my favorite balanced diet cookbooks, Canyon Ranch Cooking- I spied a beautiful photo of an acorn squash stuffed with wild rice. Topped with soft blue cheese crumbles and crunchy pepita seeds, it looked too good to pass up.

Fortunately the preparation was simple. In the time it takes to bake the acorn squash, you can cook the wild rice and prep the remaining ingredients. Then after a quick whir of the baked squash through a food processor everything is ready to assemble. This beautiful yet healthy squash isn't loaded with fat or refined sugar and is an excellent side dish to balance out a heavier holiday meal. Each squash forms a lovely natural bowl. With wild rice pressed on top of the filling the dish is almost worthy of its own plated course. The wild rice and pepitas add a pleasant contrast to the smooth squash, giving it a satisfying balance of silky, chewy, and crunchy textures. If you are looking for a vegetarian side dish to round out a holiday meal, this simple recipe would be an easy yet impressive way to lighten up the table.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice (Printable Recipe)
Adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooking
Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 cups Vegetable Stock (low-sodium)
1 cup dry Wild Rice
1 teaspoon Salt, divided
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Thyme, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Tarragon
4 large Acorn Squash (about 5 lbs), halved and seeded
1/2 medium Onion, finely diced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice
1 Tablespoon dry Vermouth
1/4 cup canned Evaporated Skim Milk
1 Tablespoon Walnut Oil
1 cup crumbled Blue Cheese (4 oz)
1/4 cup toasted Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle.

Place a medium sized pot with lid over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable stock to the pot and bring it to a boil. Add wild rice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, thyme, and tarragon to the pot. Stir, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with the lid, and gently simmer for 45-50 minutes, or until the rice has burst open and is tender. Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the heat, and fluff the contents with a fork.

Once the oven is pre-heated, place the squash (cut side down)in a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Pour water into the dish until it is 1/4" deep. Cover the squash with a lid or foil, and place the dish into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the squash are tender when pierced with a fork.

While the squash and wild rice are cooking, place a small heavy pan with lid over low heat. Add onion and garlic into the pan, cover the pan, and gently sweat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and almost translucent. If the mixture starts to stick to the pan, add a little bit of water. Once the onion is cooked, remove the cover and add the allspice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and vermouth. Stir and continue to cook the mixture for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and set the pan aside.

Once the squash are cooked, remove them from the oven, and let them cool for about 10 minutes, or until you can comfortably handle the hot squash. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the orange flesh, leaving about 1/4" of the squash inside to line the shells (and prevent them from tearing). Transfer the cooked flesh into a food processor. Add in the onion mixture and evaporated milk and process until smooth. While the processor is still running, slowly pour in the walnut oil. Once everything is smooth and blended together, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add about two-thirds of the cooked wild rice into the bowl and mix it into the squash mixture. Spoon the squash mixture into each individual acorn squash shell, mounding it slightly in the center.

Take the remaining wild rice and press it gently onto the top of the squash fillings. Sprinkle blue cheese (about 2 Tablespoons per squash), pepitas (about 1/2 Tablespoon per squash), and a sprinkle of the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme on top of the filling. Place each squash on a plate, and enjoy!

Estimated Nutrition Information: As prepared each squash has 260 calories, 6 grams of fat, 384 milligrams of sodium, and 8 grams of protein.

Homemade Marshmallows

Forget sugarplums. Visions of marshmallows have been dancing through my head. It started last year with images of bouncy fluffy marshmallows, created by Deb at Smitten Kitchen. I mentally filed away the concept as one I wanted to pull out when temperatures started getting into cozy single digits. Then the idea popped up again just after Thanksgiving, when Allie at ScrewedUpTexan created a stack of pillowy beauties. I could resist no longer.

After sifting through many different recipes, I settled on this one, recommended by Deb, and hunted down the ingredients. Corn syrup, gelatin, peppermint oil...these ingredients are not often found in my kitchen, but I trusted that when making candy I should set aside my feelings about corn syrup and dive in.

The steps were simple to follow and it was a lot of fun watching the sugar and gelatin meld into a fluffy voluminous mass. (Although be forewarned- hot gelatin puts off an odor that I found rather nasty and Oscar found fascinating).

Stiffly whipped egg whites are folded in and before you know it you have a bowl full of sticky marshmallow cream. Thanks to a brilliant tip from one of Deb's readers I sprayed down my hands and spatula with cooking oil before transferring the sticky mixture to a pan. This meant that I only ended up with marshmallow stuck to a few places rather than creating a disastrous web of goo (which we all know would have happened to me!)

Just for fun, I also melted bittersweet chocolate and dipped half of the marshmallows into it, finishing them with a sprinkle of crushed candy canes.(Mark Bittman, just published an excellent article and video on how to temper chocolate.)

The plain marshmallows were light as air, with a bounce and softness which quickly convinced me that making marshmallows from scratch is worth the effort. However, my favorites, were the chocolate dipped marshmallows. Bittersweet dark chocolate balanced out the sweetness of the marshmallows perfectly. Sitting by a crackling fire with marshmallows melting into a mug of hot chocolate was the perfect way to spend a snowy afternoon!

Homemade Marshmallows (Printable Recipe)
Adapted from Gourmet, December 1998
Inspired by: SmittenKitchen and ScrewedUpTexan

Makes About 60 Marshmallows

Ingredients:
Approximately 1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water (about 115°F.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites*
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (or vanilla)

Neutral-flavored Spray Oil

Optional Topping

6 oz Bittersweet Chocolate
2 Candy Canes, crushed into 1/2" fragments

Directions:

Spray a 13x9x2 baking pan with oil until the sides and bottom are well coated. Pour 1/4 cup of powdered sugar into the pan, and shake it around until the pan is well coated with a thin layer of the sugar.

Place cold water into a small bowl, and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let the mixture stand to soften.

Place a medium sized heavy saucepan over low heat, and add granulated sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt. Stir the mixture with a wooden or silicone spoon until all the sugar is dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, without stirring. Continue to boil the mixture until it reaches 240°F on a candy or digital thermomenter, about 12 minutes. If necessary use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush any sugar crystals stuck to the sides of the pan back into the mixture.

While the sugar mixture is cooking, place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and beat until they start to hold stiff peaks. Transfer the egg whites to a clean large bowl and set aside. Clean out the mixing bowl and beaters and scrape the gelatin mixture into the bowl.

When the sugar mixture has reached 240°F, take it off the heat and pour it into the gelatin mixture. Stir well, until all of the gelatin is dissolved. Beat the mixture on high speed until it turns white, thickens, and has almost tripled in volume, about 6-8 minutes. Gently add in the egg whites and peppermint extract and beat together until everything is just combined.

Spray a spatula and your hands well with oil. Carefully scrape and pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking pan. Use your hands to gently press the mixture down into the pan in one flat layer. Sift 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar evenly across the top of the marshmallows. Chill the uncovered pan for at least three hours, until the marshmallows are firm (you can leave them chilled overnight).

Sift a thin layer of confectioners' sugar on top of a large cutting board. Take a thin knife and run it all around the edges of the pan. Gently invert the pan over the cutting board and carefully, 'peel' the marshmallow layer out of the pan onto the cutting board. Use a large knife to trim the edges into straight lines. Dip the knife in confectioners' sugar as necessary to help prevent sticking. Evenly cut the marshmallows into 1" cubes (or your desired size). Sift the remaining confectioners' sugar into a big bowl. In small batches, toss the cut marshmallows in it, to coat all sides and eliminate sticky edges. Store the marshmallows in an airtight container in a cool place (not the fridge) for up to a week.

Optional Topping

Place a double-boiler over medium heat and bring the water to a gentle simmer. Place bittersweet chocolate into the top, and stir until it is evenly melted (do not exceed a temperature of 115 degrees). Use tongs or your fingers to dip the top of a marshmallow into the chocolate. Set the marshmallow with chocolate side up on a rack or plate. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Repeat until you have coated as many marshmallows as you desire.

Salmon en Croute

The official line:
The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.

Working with pastry is always something of a challenge. This month's Daring Kitchen project took it to a new level by using pastry to completely envelop a savory filling of salmon and greens. The recipe encouraged you to make your own puff pastry but also allowed for the use of pre-packed puff pastry.

I should have taken the easy way out and gone straight for the store bought variety, but feeling confident after a recent string of delicious pie crusts, I dove right in. The list of ingredients appeared normal: flour, butter, water, salt. However as I assembled the dough warning bells started to go off in my head. The results appeared an awful lot like a hard dry pie crust and not like puff pastry. I remembered a beautiful post by Diane and Todd on making puff pastry from scratch, and this process didn't look anything like what they described. Not one to give up, I carried on, whizzing arugula and cream cheese together for the filling, and patting down a wonderful hunk of fresh salmon with herbs and salt.

Once it came time to put everything together the crust crumbled into big dry chunks and it took every trick in my book to get it to wrap around the salmon. Visions of shaping the crust into a whimsical fish were quickly forgotten and I just felt lucky to roll the darn thing into one piece. Grumbling, I finally put the pastry wrapped fish into the oven and hoped for the best.

As I cut into the salmon, the crust flaked nicely while the fish appeared moist and perfectly cooked. Optimistic, I set our plates on the table and we dug in. Ugh. An utter absence of flavor put a final death knell on this dish. Leaden pastry dough and under-seasoned salmon is not a winning combination. The sauce of arugula and cream cheese didn't help matters. Mr B. took a bite and said, "It tastes like grass". Disappointed we scraped off the pastry and the sauce and just ate the salmon.

Was it the recipe or was it me? That is the question that always goes back and forth in my mind when something like this happens. I imagine that it was a bit of both- a combination of poorly made dough and the lack of recommended seasoning. Wrapping food in puff pastry is a novel and potentially delicious idea. I haven't given up on the dream of making puff pastry from scratch, but when that day comes I think I will fill it with chocolate instead of fish!

Bread Bonanza

As I glanced through recent posts I was surprised to see that I haven't provided a bread update since the marbled rye rubens in October! Where has the time gone? While we've been busy shaking up L.A. and chasing pheasants through the woods, I have still pushed onward in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge. Each week brings a new loaf as I bake my way through the book. Since we are cooking the entire book, challenge participants are not posting the recipes. However if you are at all interested in learning to bake bread The Bread Baker's Apprentice should definitely go on your Christmas list.

The book is arranged in alphabetical order and recipes from the past several weeks represent the "P" section. With no further adieu, they included:

Pain a l'Ancienne - A crusty, chewy baguette, with a deliciously nutty flavor.

Pain de Campagne - A soft yet chewy bread, this was supposed to be an "epi" loaf, shaped like ears of corn...my scissor skills are apparently stuck in the first grade.

Pane Sicilliano - A delicious soft bread sprinkled with sesame seeds, this was excellent with an escarole and white bean soup.

Panettone - A sophisticated Italian riff on fruitcake, this buttery soft bread was filled with dried fruits, scented with orange, and terrific alongside baked bacon and eggs. Baking the bread in decorative molds was quite fun and would make this a perfect holiday gift.

Pizza - I have been hoping to make pizza dough from scratch for a long time. My weeknight pizzas rely on frozen dough from Whole Foods, which is quick and delicious. However this recipe added a depth of tangy flavor to the dough that is a strong reason to make it at home. Not only did I singe my eyelashes off on Thanksgiving, but I also dropped the pizza stone on my foot and broke it in half (the stone that is). So this pizza was cooked in a cast iron skillet, giving it a great deep dish crust.

Poolish Baguette - Expanding on the pre-ferment technique this version of a baguette uses sifted whole wheat flour to increase the ash content of the bread add a hearty texture and flavor into the loaf.

My oven hasn't seen a break in weeks, but I have to say I think I am finally getting the hang of baking bread. There are about four months left to go and I have a feeling that I'll need every bit of confidence to tackle the upcoming sourdough. Regular yeast is one thing, but wild yeast...yikes!

This post is submitted to Yeast Spotting, a weekly roundup of the best bread on the web.

Fabulous Food Gifts

Several of my extended family members- who shall remain anonymous- fall into the 'very difficult' category when it comes to gifts. Fortunate enough to have most of their immediate needs met and crazy enough to like working more than any other hobby, they make annual gift giving a challenging task. My far-reaching searches have produced a few winners (and flops) over the years. I thought I would share the winners with you here in case you ever find yourself in the same predicament. Most of these gifts center around food (since it is what I know best). However there is something for every level of cook, from the skilled chef to the champion taste tester.

1.) Williams-Sonoma Chocolate Filled Croissants with a Silpat

These tender chocolate-filled croissants have become our Christmas morning tradition. The Silpatworks perfectly to crisp up the edges and give each bite a bakery-fresh quality.

2.) Chuao Chocolates

I have had the good fortune of watching this company grow from a single retail store into a nationally recognized brand. Each and every chocolate is fantastic and I can identify the contents of a box with a scary familiarity! Favorite truffles include the Modena - a strawberry caramel with modena balsamic vinegar - and the Zen - a ginger ganache infused with green tea. As for the Spicy Maya hot chocolate mix - WOW. It is my all time favorite hot chocolate and is dangerously addictive when used to make a mocha. Don't say I didn't warn you!

3.) Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker with Perfect Scoop

This freezer friendly size ice cream maker is constantly in use at our house. Paired with David's perfect recipes you better hope someone gives them a gym membership too!

4.) Peet's Coffee of the Month Club

You simply can't go wrong with Peet's. A reliable high quality coffee, this monthly delivery will delight any coffee lover. Prefer tea? Peet's also has an excellent rare tea club.

So what is on my list this year? Well lucky for my family an obsessive hobby of cooking means there is no end to the things which will delight me in the kitchen. Right now I have my eye on:

1.) A Sleekstor VeggiSteam. Without an insert for my large stockpot I find myself boiling many things that I would rather steam. This looks like a great solution.

2.) A Scanpan 12" skillet. My old teflon coated skillet kicked the bucket once I started cooking with high gas heat. (Plus all of the articles on teflon and toxins were making me cringe whenever I used it!) After watching a relative's scanpan hold up to high heat and the cleaning habits of two bachelors, this skillet seems like a terrific replacement.

3.) Kitchen-Aide Beater Blade. If Dorie Greenspan says it is a fantastic tool I don't need to think twice. She describes this as "windshield wipers for your mixer" and when it comes to baking, Dorie is the queen!

4.) The DVD collection of Julia Child as The French Chef. I am dying to learn how to make the classic French sauces and learn a few other 'old world' techniques. Plus I am simply a big fan of all things Julia.

Full Disclosure- I have no affiliation with any of the products or companies listed above. This is simply my opinion about products that I have personally purchased for gifts or hope that someone will buy for me (hint hint Mr. B!). If you happen to purchase something through one of the few Amazon links above I will get a small commission- about enough to buy a Via instant coffee! (Which was a lifesaver last weekend when staying at a motel in the boonies with very bad drip coffee.)

Smoked Pheasant

My body is still recovering from Thanksgiving. My droopy eyelids and tired feet are not from long hours in the kitchen and lots of wine (though they could be). Instead the sag in my step comes from spending several days hiking at full speed through waist high switchgrass in pursuit of elusive pheasants. You see whenever my family gets together we don't just sit around, oh no, we get out there!

My brother and Oscar walk through a harvested corn field

Thankfully the weather was unseasonably warm and birds were everywhere. I followed Oscar through grass and cornfields, found hidden ponds and watched him find scent trails. I couldn't have been happier. The thrills of hearing a rooster cackle and the whoosh of wings taking flight were matched by the joy of joining my entire family in rigorous all day hikes through open countryside.

Hunting birds creates a strong connection to the outdoors and forms special bonds between hunters and their dogs. You find yourself with a heightened awareness of everything around you. Each movement, each sound, each smell, takes on new meaning and relevance when you are out in the field. It has been wonderful to introduce Mr. B and Oscar to this experience and watch as they both fall in love with it as much as I have.

At the end of the day, when you are exhausted, covered in mud and full of stories for the dinner table, a recipe is needed to highlight the effort and flavor of the pheasant. This simple method of smoking pheasant lets the delicious dark meat flavor shine through, while softening any gamey notes with a touch of hickory smoke and sugar. Once smoked the pheasant makes an excellent appetizer set on top of cream cheese, pepper jelly, and a cracker. It also can elevate a spinach salad to a sophisticated entree. Or, it can send Mr. B into a happy chorus of "mmmm" if placed inside a Monterrey jack quesadilla with avocado.

-- We interrupt this essay on the wonders of smoked pheasant with a public service announcement --

When opening a hot grill, always, ALWAYS open the lid s-l-o-w-l-y.

Just before placing our Thanksgiving turkey on the grill, I whipped up the lid to check on the coals. As I opened it, I spotted flames coming up the sides and heard a big "Whoosh". Standing there blinking from the heat, I thought, "Wow, I haven't seen it do that before." Then I realized that something didn't feel quite right. The acrid smell of burned hair filled the air and a sudden fear clenched my stomach. Tentatively I reached up and touched the top of my head, "Crunch". Not good. I looked down at my fingertips and saw little curls of hair fall to the ground. Gasping I ran inside to the nearest mirror. Staring back at me was a face with white eyebrows, withered eyelashes and an unusual fuzz around my hairline.

Thankfully I had just showered and the rest of my hair was still wet and pulled tightly back. This kept the damage to a minimum. However you can be darn sure that for the rest of my life I will open that grill lid with the slow motion skills of an action figure. I recommend you do the same!

-- And now back to the smoked pheasant --

Smoked Pheasant (Printable Recipe)
Adapted from the Little Chief Smoker recipe book

Ingredients:

2 whole Pheasant breasts
1/2 cup Salt (must be non-iodized)
1/2 cup packed Light brown sugar
4 cups Water

3 cups Hickory chips
Aluminum foil

Brine:

Use a large plastic bowl and mix salt, sugar, and water together with a silicon spatula or plastic spoon. (All implements used in brining the pheasant must be made of plastic, silicone, or wood. No metal.) Add in the pheasant breasts and cover with plastic wrap, pushing down to eliminate any air pockets. Place the bowl in the fridge for 8-12 hours.

Remove pheasant from the brine and rinse it very well in cool water. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, and set it on a rack to dry. Let dry for an hour.

Smoke:

Pre-heat a smoker or grill to 150-200 degrees, with indirect plates over the grill (if using). While the grill is heating soak hickory chips in water. Add hickory chips into the heated grill, and then place the pheasant breasts, bone side down, onto the grill. Close the lid and smoke the pheasants for 3-4 hours, or until they reach an internal temperature of about 150 degrees.

Pre-heat an oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle. Remove the pheasant from the grill and wrap the breasts tightly in aluminum foil. Place the foil wrapped meat onto the oven rack, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and let cool before unwrapping the foil. Once the pheasant is cool enough to handle, carefully slice or shred the meat as desired. Pour any juices accumulated in the foil on top of the meat. If the pheasant is wild caught, look for any signs of shot and remove it as necessary. Chew gently!

Eat:

To serve the pheasant, spread cream cheese and a pepper jelly on top of a cracker and top with pieces of shredded pheasant.

Alternative uses include spinach salad, quesadillas, or even folded into a pasta carbonara.