September 11

God Bless The United States of America

Floors and Pie Crusts

I have never lived in a new house and often wonder what it would be like to have everything shiny and new. Our house is old (by American standards). We have renovated and added on over the years and each new renovation has reduced me to tears at some point.

Some of you may remember a while back, we started the latest renovation with the painting of the walls and ceilings. This was followed by the ripping up of carpeting. To be followed by the ripping out of existing molding. To be followed by the installation of new hardwood floors.

The hardwood floor installation has now begun.

This is Danny the head floor guy in the living room doing what floor guys do, installing floor.

Now one might ask, where does one go with the existing furniture when a new floor is being installed?

Well, let me tell you. As I said, this is an old house. The hallways are narrow. The furniture is big. The only place with a straight and wide doorway is, can you guess? Can you imagine what would reduce me to tears?

This is my kitchen:

Let's look at it from another angle, shall we?

If you look closely you can see Holly Bear hiding in her crate, there - off to the bottom left. Holly is afraid of the pneumatic thing-a-ma-bob they use to slam, I mean, push the slates of wood up tightly to one another. I'm a little afraid of it too but I don't have a crate to hide in.

When the Danny the head floor guy is done in the living today they will start the downstairs hallways and oh joy, oh rapture, the upstairs hallway.

When the floors are done, the stair man will come and refinish the staircases.. then, the painter will come back and touch up everything that was destroyed during the floor and stair debacle.

Sometime in 2015 - the furniture will be moved out of my kitchen.

Until then, I am making pie. Pie is a really good anecdote to crying in the kitchen AND you can do in a 9.5 inch by 9.5 inch space.

Professional Pie Crust:

Every pie starts with a crust. Or a floor (since that is where my mind is at these days). I was lucky enough to study pastry with Chef William Mauceri, graduate of The French Culinary Institute and currently the executive pastry chef at A Toute Heure, my favorite French Bistro. No matter what TBHITW and I eat there, we always save room for one of Chef Mauceri's pastries. When I tell you he is a master at the finest pastry, I am telling you - it is to die for.

Chef Mauceri taught me some secrets to the perfect crust - tender and flaky without being dry. The butter must be cold. You must be exact in your measurements. The dough must not be overworked. You must use the best ingredients you can find. I'm going to share some of these secrets with you today.

Know that this crust will take longer than your mother's, your grandmother's or your Aunt Mabel's. But also know that it is worth it. Your family and friends (if you decide to share) will forever beg you to make a pie. Are you up to the challenge? Okay, here we go.

All Butter Pie Crust: makes one (single) 9 inch crust

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) unbleached, all purpose flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3/8 teaspoon salt (Chef M uses fine sea salt, but table salt will do)

4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter (preferably European style - I use Plugra) cut into 3/4 inch pieces and VERY cold

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

I weigh my ingredients when I bake. It is just that small thing that will give your baked goods a professional finish. My digital scale cost just $20.00 at Target. Don't be crazy, if you don't have a scale you will get very good results measuring as opposed to weighing.. but if someone owes you present...

To make the dough, put the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Add the very cold butter and using your fingers, begin to work the butter into the flour mixture creating small 1/4 to 1/2 inch flakes of fat.

It is these flakes of fat that will explode in the oven to create the flaky, delicate layers of crust.

Add the ice water by tablespoons, drizzling over the dough. Stir with a fork until a shaggy dough mixture forms - you should be able to squeeze a small amount in your fingers and it will hold it's shape. Add another tablespoon of ice water if necessary but don't make it too wet - you really do want shaggy dough.

Now gather up the dough and form into a disk. Take the time to smooth the edges. This will help you roll out an even, round crust. Wrap the disc is plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. We want that butter to get really cold again.

Take the disc out of the fridge and place on a piece of lightly floured parchment, the counter or a wooden pastry board. Begin rolling by starting in the middle and rolling away from you to within a 1/2 inch of the edge. Give the dough a 1/4 turn and roll again, stopping 1/2 inch from edge. This will keep your edges from getting thinner than the rest of your dough. Keep rolling and turning until you have a 13 to 14 inch diameter. Check to make sure the dough is not sticking and add minute amounts of flour as needed. You will be able to see pieces of butter in the dough. That's just the way you want it. Click on this image to see the butter pieces in the dough.

Using a pastry brush, brush off any excess flour that may be on dough. Flour will make the dough tough. It is these little touches that make a BIG difference. Trust me. It's worth it.

Now roll up the pie disc on your pin and transfer to your pie plate.

Fit the dough into the plate. Don't stretch it. This will cause it shrink back from the edge of the plate when baking. Lay the dough into the plate. Trim the dough, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Fold this under and crimp the edges. I like to have a thick edge - this will ensure that the edges won't get too brown when you bake the pie.

Refrigerate the dough for another hour - the butter softened as we worked at rolling the dough. We want it really cold when it hits the heat of the oven.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Now we are going to blind bake the pie shell.

Prick the chilled dough all over the bottom and sides with a fork. Line the dough with foil, then with pie weights or beans. I like beans. You can reuse a 99 cent bag of beans 5 or 6 times before discarding. Don't skip this part.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, reduce the oven temp. to 375 and bake for 5 to 7 more minutes until the bottom is quite dry, but not quite done, the edges are very light gold.

Phew. Let cool. Fill with your mother's, your grandmother's or your Aunt Mabel's favorite filling recipe and proceed as directed.

Here is my pie. (Pear with brown sugar streusel topping)

Now I'm going to sit down with Danny the floor guy and crew and have me some pie.

The Answers, The Winners and Gorditas

Drum Roll.

First, thanks everyone for playing. I had fun and I hope you did too! Look for more contests in the future.

Now, without further ado, the answers:

1. Here are the ingredients... now tell me what's cooking:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons olive oil

ANSWER: Eggplant Parmesan

2. What recipe is the first post of The Good Cook? Hint: It was in April, 2009.

ANSWER: Rainy Day Roast Chicken

3. In what country is the original home of this tasty treat - Beef Stroganoff?

ANSWER: Russia

4. In what city will you find this renowned restaurant - Mesa Grill? (hint, pick one of 3 cities)

ANSWER: Las Vegas, New York, OR Bahamas

AND FINALLY, THE WINNERS: (another drum roll please)

#1 - Tamis from A Day In The Life - a Good Cook Apron

#2 - Correen from My Grandma's Recipes - a bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

#3 - Kathy B from The World According to Me - a bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

Congratulations to Tamis, Correen and Kathy B.

To claim your prize send me your shipping address and I'll get your stuff right out to you! Thanks for playing and yeah you!

Send your address to: thegoodcooknj@comcast.net

The sauce is coming direct from Country Bob's. The apron direct from me.

Gorditas:

My family loves Gorditas. I love this recipe because it feeds a hungry crowd - littles, middles kidadults and adults alike!

Makes about 12 Gorditas:

3 1/2 cups Masa Harina (Golden Corn Flour - I like Bob's Red Mill)

2 1/4 cups warm water

1/4 cup shortening

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Oil for frying

Topping:

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons chili powder (I use a combination ancho and regular chili powders)

2 tablespoons oil

8 ounces chunky salsa plus extra for passing

1 head lettuce shredded

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced.

1 cup low fat sour cream (I use greek yogurt)

For the Gorditas:

Heat about 1/2 to 3/4 inch oil in skillet.

Mix all the ingredients and keep moist by covering with a damp paper towel. Using a small tennis ball size amount, flatten between the palms of your hands into a 4 inch disc about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Drop into hot oil and fry until golden on one side (about 3 minutes) turn and fry other side. Keep making gorditas and frying until all dough is used. Drain on paper towels and place in warm oven to keep hot. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.

Here I was experimenting with making a stuffed gordita (on the right) versus a flat, unstuffed gordita. (Unstuffed worked better)

For the topping:

Combine cumin and chili powder in large bowl. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Toss in cumin/chili mixture.

Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Add salsa, bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir once or twice while simmering. Add water if salsa becomes too thick.

Assembly:

Place a gorditas on a large platter. Top with chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato and a dollop of sour cream. Pass extra salsa on the side.

A Cook's Note: I served these with black beans and yellow rice on the side - but they really don't need any sides at all - they are that satisfying. If you have left over gorditas (without toppings), for breakfast the next day reheat gorditas, top with a slice of canadian bacon and top with a pouched egg. Yum.

Last Day for Contest

The long, lazy (hopefully) holiday weekend is over.

Today is the last day to get your answers in to THE CONTEST.

Put your thinking caps on and send your answers to: thegoodcooknj@comcast.net

To refresh your memories, here are the questions:

Contest Quiz:

1. Here are the ingredients... now tell me what's cooking:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons olive oil

2. What recipe is the first post of The Good Cook? Hint: It was in April, 2009.

3. In what country is the original home of this tasty treat - Beef Stroganoff?

4. In what city will you find this renowned restaurant - Mesa Grill? (hint, pick one of 3 cities)

Ready. Set. Go.

The Contest

Okay foodie readers.

This. Is. It.

The contest.

With a give-away.

Actually, 3 giveaways.

1. A bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce (and recipes)

2. A bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce (and recipes)

3. An official, never before seen, available only from moi, The Good Cook Apron. Just like the one I wear - everyday! Well, okay, not just like the one I wear, mine's way better - but I AM THE GOOD COOK...

Be still your pounding hearts.

You ask, "How oh how Good Cook can I win one of these fabulous prizes?"

Hold on to your spatula's I'm coming to that.

The first person who correctly answers the following questions gets their choice of sauce or apron.

The second person who correctly answers the following questions gets their choice of what's left - either apron or bottle of sauce

Ditto the third.

Still interested?

Okay, let's go:

DO NOT POST YOUR ANSWERS TO THE BLOG - EMAIL THEM TO THEGOODCOOKNJ@COMCAST.NET

Contest Quiz:

1. Here are the ingredients... now tell me what's cooking:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoons olive oil

2. What recipe is the first post of The Good Cook? Hint: It was in April, 2009.

3. In what country is the original home of this tasty treat - Beef Stroganoff?

4. In what city will you find this renowned restaurant - Mesa Grill? (hint, pick one of 3 cities)

Put your thinking caps on and respond as quickly as you can. Winner will be announced as soon as, well, as soon as we have three people who answer all four of the questions correctly!

Good luck and keep cooking!!

A Cook's Notes: contest NOT open to family members - sorry sisters #1, 3, and 4 (and mom)... that's just the way it is.

Bonus Question: Where can you find The Original Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce?

Bonus Answer: Currently, it is available via their website, www.countrybobs.com and if you order, they will send you a little booklet chock full of recipes!

I am heading to the beach because I already KNOW all the answers to today's contest quiz.

Happy weekend everyone - happy cooking!

Results - Product Testing 101 - Marinade and Ingredient

Day Two of Product Testing 101. Remember, we're testing The Original Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. So far, so good. If you've just joined us, go back (we'll wait) and read, Product Testing 101 - Basting.

Now then.

Marinade:

I marinaded a 1 pound pork tenderloin for 45 minutes in Country Bob's, then placed on the grill for 25 minutes. I did not do any further basting during the grilling time. The results:

The Good Cook: beautiful carmelization on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Good smoky, spicy flavor in every bite. Definitely a winner.

Taste Testers: "Good flavor, not dry." "I like this pork" "Is this steak?" (a visitor - we need a better class of visitors)

Country Bob as an INGREDIENT: HAMBURGERS AND BAKED BEANS

I used 1 pound of ground beef (90% lean) and added 2 tablespoons of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce; mixed well and formed into 6 patties, then grilled.

Results:

The Good Cook - the burgers were moist throughout and had a nice juicy middle with a slight "zing" to them. I added a slice of pineapple and cheddar cheese to mine, then topped with a bit more sauce. I found the flavor even better - a nice Hawaiian BBQ experience.

Taste Testers: virgin burger eater: "What did you do different to this burger? It's really good". Ketchup, mustard and pickle eater: "Hmm.. it's okay". Hawaiian burger eater: "Oh, this is good, can I have another?"

Now the piece de resistance: My home made baked beans.

I used an heirloom bean that a food editor had sent me a few weeks ago:

Remember these beans, we'll be visiting them again in future posts. You can use any white bean with very good results.

But these beans are pretty - don't you think?

1 pound dry beans (your choice)

1/2 pound salt pork (you can use salt pork or bacon)

1 onion

1 charred poblano pepper (diced)

3 cloves of garlic

1 cup Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup molasses

Rinse and soak the beans (for about 2 hours). Then simmer for 1 hour (or until soft) in the soaking water. Set aside.

Dice and cook the salt pork - I used a cast iron dutch oven that I just love - but if you don't have a cast iron dutch oven that you just love, use any old pot that can go from stove to oven.

Cook the bacon or salt pork until crispy, drain off most of the fat, then add the onions, garlic and pepper. Saute around a bit until the onions and such are soft.

Then, add the beans with the cooking liquid. You want all those nutrients and the liquid will help thicken the beans. Add Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce, the molasses, some pepper (don't salt yet... it may not need any because of the pork) and the tomato paste.

Bring the pot up to a simmer, then place in a 325 degree oven (uncovered) for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If it seems too dry, add a little water and continue to bake.

Results:

The Good Cook: Oh, these beans were good, good, good. Full disclosure: I have never made baked beans from scratch before - I have always relied on my mother bringing her baked beans to family get gatherings.

The beans were smoky, sweet and a little spicy. Everything you want in a good baked bean. Sorry, mom.

Taste Testers: 15 year old and friends: "These are the best beans I've ever eaten" "Can you give my mom this recipe?" "Can I have more?" "Is this steak?"

The Best Husband In The World "I've got to stop eating these or there's going to be trouble.. but they are so good" "Is there enough left over for tomorrow?"

19 year old, "Don't buy the canned stuff anymore, okay?"

So there you have it. Product Testing 101 - Basting, Marinading, Grilling, Ingredient Use.

Tune in tomorrow for the first ever Good Cook Contest GIVEAWAY AND answers to "Where the heck can I get this stuff?"

Results - Product Testing 101 - Basting

The masses have spoken!

Well, a couple of you have expressed interest in hearing the results of my first official Product Test of: The Original Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce.

According to the company brochure, Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce got its start in 1968 when Country Bob himself "perfected the sauce of his dreams."

"After years of giving the sauce to friends and family Country Bob began to sell it 1977." There's more, but you get the idea.

Anyway, that's what the company brochure says, but what does The Good Cook say?

The first test I conducted using the sauce was basting various foods. I wanted to see how this vinegar based sauce stacked up to other BBQ sauces.

The taste testers consisted of me, The Best Husband In The World, the 19 year old college student, the 17 year old girl, the 15 year old video game addict, and a collection of teenagers who seem to always knock on the door around dinner time.

Shrimp, Lamb and Rotisserie Chicken:

Shrimp:

The Good Cook: Because it is a vinegar based sauce there was were no flame ups or charring of the shrimp. I used Jumbo Shrimp, threaded on skewers, and began basting the shrimp as soon as it hit the grill. The flavor was smoky and sweet with a hint of spice. Very nice.

Taste Testers: Yum. Really liked this sauce on the shrimp compared with other sauces. Not too sweet and really delivered a nice punch of heat at the end.

Lamb:

The Good Cook: I love lamb - cooked the traditional way with garlic, lemon, rosemary and a hint of mint. But this was a nice change. I chose lamb chops, cut thick, for this particular challenge. I would make this again. Again, no flare ups, coated the chops nicely, without being too thick or cloying.

Taste Testers: "Oh, this is good.. can I have some sauce for dipping?" " Can you make it this way again?" "Uh, is this steak?" (this from a visiting teen)

Rotisserie Chicken:

The Good Cook: I basted the chicken throughout the cooking process - every 15 minutes for 1 1/2 hours. The skin crisped nicely without burning or charring (again, because it is vinegar based). The chicken LOOKED beautiful when done. However, if you didn't get a piece of meat with skin on it, you could not taste the sauce. Next time I would use chicken pieces, not a whole chicken.

Taste Testers: Okay, but didn't get a lot of flavor through the meat. The tasters asked for sauce on the side and said the chicken was great dipped in the sauce.

In basting conclusion, I would stick to smaller cuts of meat or fish. Country Bob's is a bit thinner than other bottled sauces I have used and I like that as it makes it easy to brush on evenly.

Tomorrow - marinating (pork tenderloin) and using Country Bob's as an ingredient (hamburgers and home made baked beans).