Cathartic Creations Culinary creations, domestic dabbling, etc.

Here are some photos and short descriptions of my latest culinary creations of note:

Homemade Strawberry Jam:

I did not follow a recipe, which is very characteristic of my cooking… Lesson learned? Follow a recipe. Made-up strawberry jam turned out more like made-up strawberry disgustingness. I won’t even grace it with pictures because it just looked like pink goo.

Potica:

Pronounced "puteetza," a traditional nut roll that my husband’s ancestors prepare for Christmas and special occasions…and now I carry on the tradition as well.

Homemade Apple Pie:

…with traditional lattice-top crust, of course.

Feast of Seasonal Fall Foods:

Sweet, cinnamon pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, and corn. Mmmm! This is one of the more colorful meals I have cooked.

About two weeks ago, I was helping out in a first grade classroom with their independent reading time. One of the students read a book to me about a family reunion. Naturally, this picture book included the traditional family food for this reunion, including an aunt’s “famous” barbecue chicken, yummy salads, and decadent chocolate cake. Thus, a picture book inspired this past Wednesday’s dinner.

I have attempted homemade, crockpot, barbecue chicken before, and it was a complete disaster. I don’t remember if I failed to follow a recipe or tried to wing it, but either way it was a disaster. Therefore, I was a little wary this time. I searched several sites for a highly-rated spicy barbecue sauce, finally happening upon Food Network’s Melt-In-Your-Mouth Barbecued Ribs recipe, courtesy of Robin Miller. I used chicken legs instead of ribs, but the result was equally delicious and successful. I doubled the recipe so I would have some extra sauce for later, tweaked the amount of vinegar and spices to create a slightly sweeter and spicier sauce, and slow-cooked the chicken legs in oodles of this tasty sauce in the crockpot for about 8 hours. The result: tender chicken that literally fell off the bone when you plucked it from the crockpot, soaked in this perfectly-seasoned sauce.

My version of Robin Miller’s Barbecue Sauce:

• 18 oz. tomato paste
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• sprinkle of salt, to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper (or more, based on how on-fire you want your mouth to be)

Mix all the ingredients together, slather on the chicken legs in the crockpot, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Finally, I set to work on the chocolate cake. I decided to try a different recipe than my last chocolate cake endeavor, settling upon my 2008 edition of Taste of Home’s Annual Recipes and Doris Jennings Fudgy Pudgy Cake. This cake is so moist and has the perfect amount of sweetness and chocolate. I used a different frosting than the glaze the recipe suggests, but here is the cake recipe:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 cup hot water
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine cocoa and hot water until smooth; cool. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk and cooled cocoa mixture. Stir in vanilla.
Pour into three greased and cocoa-dusted cake pans. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Tip: put an old cookie pan on the rack below the cakes, just in case they decide to overflow.) Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from cake pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Frost (outside and inbetween layers) with your favorite frosting.

I attempted to make homemade, old-fashioned buttercream frosting, but it was not a successful experience. I found a recipe on Food Network that uses a meringue base for the buttercream. I’m not sure if I failed to heat my sugar-water syrup to a high enough temperature (my lack of candy thermometer did not help) or if my meringue wasn’t right, but the frosting did not combine correctly. It tasted delicious, but the consistency was completely off; instead of a creamy, thick, pasty-in-a-good-way frosting, I ended up with a fluffy, light, somewhat frothy frosting. The cake still tasted very good overall, but I was disappointed that the buttercream did not turn out like I expected. Next time, I will try my mother-in-law’s tried and true buttercream frosting recipe. Maybe I should have tried that in the first place…but I learn from experience, so what can I say?

In addition to the chicken legs, we had an iceberg lettuce salad (not so nutritious, but tasty nonetheless), with shredded cheddar cheese, croutons, and some ranch dressing to top it off. The ranch dressing, in my opinion, goes particularly well with the barbecue sauce.

Overall, I judge that this meal was tasty, despite the frosting failure. My husband seemed to agree, so I deem this meal a fortuitous inspiration, compliments of a child’s storybook.

Almost every year for as long as I can remember, my mom would take my sister and me to Stuckey Farm to pick and buy apples, as well as bring home a delicious collection of dutch apple pies, real apple cider, and those delicious marshmallow caramels! The orchard experience was always a blast, but when we got home, the real work began. We would slice the apples, cook them until they were mushy, puree them using the Victorio strainer that my grandmother gifted to my mom, and finally, mix in sugar and cinnamon before storing the final deliciosity in freezer containers.

Due to an early start to the school year (my mom is a teacher), I offered to independently take on this tradition. With the aid of my husband, we set out to Stuckey Farm, where I had a glorious time taking in the beautiful sunshine, the peace and quiet of the orchard, and the fantastical smell of all those apple trees! My husband entertained himself nicely with his camera. (Although he doesn’t necessarily share my intense love for some of my hobbies, he nevertheless remains supportive and enables my endeavors, adding his technological flair to them at times.) Once back at my parents’ house, I set to work, chopping, cooking, pureeing, mixing, and storing about 1.5 bushels-worth of apples.

The whole process took a few hours, but I had the best time, which was enhanced by the knowledge that I was carrying on the family tradition. I definitely plan to carry on this tradition as long as I am able!

This is a variation on a tasty recipe I found last week in the Indianapolis Star. To my delight, pork loin was also on sale last week, so the creation of this dish was inevitable. There’s really no amusing anecdote to accompany this meal, so here it is, plain and simple:

• 1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick (most grocery stores slice it for free)
• 1-2 small shallots, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, depending on preference
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 head Romaine lettuce
• crumbled plain feta cheese (you decide how much!)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2-3 pears, sliced (use your favorite variety)

1. Preheat grill to medium. Cook tenderloin for approxiamately 20 to 25 minutes, turning periodically, until cooked to 160 degrees internally. (If using a George Foreman grill, preheat for 10 minutes, cook for a few minutes on each side.) Remove from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, saute minced shallots and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, pepper, and salt. Whisk until combined. You will want to whisk this dressing again right before serving, as this combination tends to separate naturally.
3. Wash, drain, and tear up lettuce while the meat rests.
4. Toss lettuce, feta cheese, and almonds. Top with the sliced and grilled pork loin and vinaigrette. (The vinaigrette can be served on the side, as suggested, or mixed in with the salad.) Serve with the sliced pears. This meal can also be complimented by a semi-dry white wine, such as Tabor Hill. Bon appétit!

This turned out to be a surprisingly tasty recipe I found in the June issue of Real Simple magazine. The original recipe is a vegetarian dish, calling for fettuccine, peas, olive oil, shallots, pecorino or Parmesan cheese, parsley, and mint. Not having an unlimited pantry, I substituted a few items (as usual) and added chicken, as my husband appreciates meat with his meals, the dear carnivore =-).
So, I substituted:

• spaghetti for fettuccine
• fewer shallots
• romano for pecorino/Parmesan
• fresh basil for parsley and mint

Obviously, these were not difficult substitutions, but they significantly change the taste of the dish. We both greatly enjoyed the dish, and my husband appreciated the addition of chicken, although it is not a necessary flavor to make the meal.