Short Cut Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe uses ready-made croissant dough to produce petite sweet rolls that you can brag on, with lots better home-made taste than the refrigerated cinnamon rolls in the same display case. It's so easy I'm almost embarrassed to write directions.

First things first

🠞 Preheat Oven at 350°F (177°C), yes, a lower temperature than package directions.

🠞 "Butter" (Margarine, Veggie Oil, or, heck, bacon grease) an 8-inch by 8-inch  (20-cm by 20-cm) or larger baking sheet or pan.

Ingredients

✔ 1 8-ounce (226-grams) Refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet

✔ 3 to 4 Tablespoons spreadable Margarine or salted Butter

✔ 3 to 4 Tablespoons Granulated or Brown Sugar, or mix 'em 

✔ 1 to 2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

✔ Caramel Sundae Syrup

Directions

1. On a lightly floured surface, unroll the dough sheet.

2. Slather on margarine or salted butter evenly, leaving half-inch clear on one short edge.*

3. Sprinkle on sugar evenly, again leaving half-inch of short edge clear.*

4. Sprinkle on cinnamon evenly, again leaving half-inch of short edge clear.*

5. From opposite of clear short edge, roll sheet up toward clear short edge, rolling close but not tight, then pinch clean edge against roll to finish.

6. Cut roll into 1 to 1½ i-inch (2.5 to 3.8 cm) pieces. Wet knife blade before each cut. Makes 7 to 10 rolls.

7. Place on baking sheet or pan, close together will promote height and softer edges, well-spaced will promote spread and browner edges, but not by much either way, so don't agonize over it. Or do both.

8. Bake 15 to 20 minutes (longer than package directions) until golden brown.

9. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes, then apply the caramel sauce. WARNING: If you apply too much caramel sauce, you may find it necessary to lick up the excess from the pan. Just sayin'. 

* Amounts can be varied to taste.

;^)

Coffee: A New Brew Review

This "cold brew" is my favorite coffee, to date, after decades of trials of various methods and brands. Not to put too fine a point on it, it is born of laziness. Nonetheless, it packs the most flavor and the least bite.

It is a considerably different preparation from that in an earlier entry,  Coffee Press—A superior coffee experience?

This method creates a 1:3 coffee concentrate which I keep in the fridge in mason jars. I shake the jar to re-oxygenate the concentrate prior to each use, then mix 1 part part coffee concentrate with 3 parts water, then nuke. Here's the gist of the concentrate preparation: I place

- 200 grams (by weight) McCafé Medium Roast in my

- Bodum  51 ounce/1.5 liter coffee press which I

- Fill with heated (~180°F/82°C) tap water*, mixing the grounds with a wood , plastic, or silicone (to avoid breaking the glass) implement. I replace the press's lid but do NOT depress the plunger  (See parts in Coffee Press—A superior coffee experience?). Then I

-  Allow the coffee to steep at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, at which point I

- Depress the plunger on the coffee press (it can resist so support it to avoid bending the plunger or tipping the pot) until all the grounds are at the bottom. Next, I

- Decant the coffee liquid in equal measure into two mason jars, which I put in the fridge. Then I

- Refill the pot with hot tap water, using the very same grounds, mixing the same way, recapping, but NOT pressing the plunger. I allow that to 

- Steep this refill for  another 12 to 24 hours at room temp, then repeat the pressing and decanting into the same two mason jars.

- I add a healthy pinch of salt to each jar—this is essential.

PRESTO! Approximately 64 ounces of coffee concentrate, which I keep in the fridge.

* My tap water is fairly neutral, but not all are.

;^)

Spiced Tea

This is a simple but rich hot tea drink that makes wet, chilly weather worth tolerating. It's an instant mix that can be prepared by the cup, mug, pot, or by the batch. Here are the proportions:

- 4 Parts Sweetened Iced Tea Mix with Lemon
- 2 Parts Tang (or similar) Orange Drink Mix
- 1 Part Lemonade Drink Mix
- Cinnamon and/or other spices to taste (Nutmeg, Cardamon, Ginger, Allspice, among others)

- Mix the dry ingredients together, then add:

- Hot Water

For a basic 20 ounce hot Spiced Tea, I use rounded teaspoons as the measure and 3 shakes of ground cinnamon.

This style of drink is known by other names (Russian Tea, Winter Tea, Masala Chai Tea, etc.) and can also include other flavors, such as pineapple, cayenne, or black pepper. It's a comfort drink, so create your own. And there's no law that prohibits enjoying this year 'round nor any regulations requiring that it be served hot, so have at it.

;^)

Wet-Smoked Indoor Barbecue

 

Disclaimer

This isn't actually a barbecue recipe according to the "outdoors, open fire" definition. It is, in fact, finished under an oven broiler.

Context
I live in an apartment. My stove's exhaust fan
vents directly into the kitchen. On top of that, the smoke alarm is hypersensitive. If I set my toaster control above 4, then even the neighbors know when the toast is done.

Even so, I love smoky barbecue meat, especially chicken, so here's how I make do.

Ingredients

- 4 Chicken Thighs

- 4 Ounces (Colgin) Liquid Smoke, Hickory (vary amount to taste)

- 4 Cups Chicken Broth or Water+Salt to taste

- 4 Ounces Barbecue Sauce (Store-bought or DIY)

Preparation

1. Place Broth (or Salted Water), Chicken Thighs, and Liquid Smoke in a pot, with sufficient liquid to cover the chicken.

2. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook for 35 minutes to 165℉ internal temperature (or held at 140℉ for 8 minutes).

3. Remove Chicken Thighs to a greased (Cooking Spray) broiler pan, skin side up.

4. Turn on oven broiler, adjust rack to upper position so that the chicken will be 2 to 6 inches under the broiler element, depending on the broiler. I do most of my work in a toaster oven, hence I tend to place the meat closer to the element.

5. Brush on Barbecue Sauce to top and sides of the Chicken Thighs.

6. Place broiler pan with chicken on upper oven rack.

7. Brown chicken to desired doneness, 4 to 8 minutes, depending on oven broiler and rack height.

8. Remove broiler pan from oven, turn Chicken Thighs skin down, brush on sauce, and return under broiler, for 4 to 8 minutes.

9. If desired, turn thighs once more, brush on sauce, broil for 2 to 4 minutes.

10. Serve, with Barbecue Sauce on the side.

Serves 2, depending on the size of the Thigh portions.

Notes

- Save the cooking broth. It can be frozen and reused for "smoking" more chicken or other meat. It can also be used to flavor soup, gravy, or other sauces.

- This recipe can be used for other meats, such as Country Style Ribs.

- Additional herbs and spices can be added to the cooking liquid, to taste, e.g., Sage, Marjoram, Cayenne, Thyme, etc.

;^)

Toasted Almond Frappuccino

I confess: I am a fan of foo-foo drinks. I love those sweet and fruity flavors—Harvey Wallbanger, Sloe Gin Fizz, Piña Colada, Fuzzy Navel, White Russian, Whiskey Sour, Margarita, Tequila Sunrise—I've loved 'em all. I do have certain standards, however: NO FROZEN DRINKS. I mean, one has to draw the line somewhere.

Among my recent favorites has been the Toasted Almond, a blend of Amaretto, Coffee Liqueur, and cream, in roughly equal parts, though mix recipes vary. I admit, I like it more for the almond and coffee flavors, and I find even the mild bite from the alcohol to be distracting. The truth is, I'm not a big fan of the taste of alcohol, so sue me.  I've even tried duplicating the drink using alcoholic-free syrups, but the flavor just isn't the same.

Then, the other day, I was reaching into my fridge for a single-serving bottle of Frappuccino, when I happened to spot my liqueur stash on the fridge’s door shelf. And I had an “A-ha!” experience

Opening the frap, I took a couple swallows to free up some space. Next, I added two ounces of Amaretto and one ounce of Coffee Liqueur. I snugged the cap back on the frap and shook it, to mix. And then … Mmm. Not bad. Good flavor, barely noticeable bite. A Toasted Almond Frappuccino.

So, there it is, yet another way to imbibe, an important skill set to hone, in this age of isolation.

;^)

Coffee Press—A superior coffee experience?

A 34 ounce '8-cup' coffee press.

Apparently, 4-ounce cups are    

the industry norm.

TRIGGER WARNING: Several suggestions in this recipe are likely to offend those who consider themselves epicures, connoisseurs, gourmets, gour-mands, or gastronomes of the roasted coffee bean. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a hoot.

The Coffee Press is sometimes known as a French press, a press pot, a coffee plunger, and some other la-di-dah names, mostly pronounced with resonating nasal sinuses, uvula-trilling Rs, and lots of lazily silent consonants, n'est-ce pas?

Pot with fresh coffee grounds.

A coffee press consists of three parts. The largest part is the pot, itself, (Part #1), pictured on the right with some coarsely-ground coffee at the bottom. Most pots are made from aluminum, steel, or borosilicate glass, a glass with a high tolerance for temperature changes.

A typical plunger, sans lid.

Next is (Part #2) the plunger, an example of which is in the photo on the left. The plunger is usually an assembly of one or more layers of fine metal mesh in a supportive frame, mounted on one end of a metal rod. The rod extends through (Part #3) the lid.

NOTE: The lid (Part #3) is not shown here, though it's typically mounted on the shaft, above the plunger filter screen.

One consequence of using a metal mesh as a filter is that pressed coffee will usually not be as clear as paper-filtered coffee. This is a consequence of a different approach to coffee brewing, not a defect. The whole reason to use a coffee press is for the resulting full flavor. That flavor comes with a small amount of miniscule particulate. Not to worry, it's not Cowboy Coffee. You won't even notice it when you're sipping the rich brew.

Even so, a course grind, or even a regular grind (as are most commercial brands), is necessary, because a fine grind will allow excessive amounts of granular coffee to pass through the mesh. leading to a "muddy" taste.

A press pot is simple to use, though the process has some finicky parts, Simply put:

1. Add fresh ground coffee* to the empty pot.

2. Pour in hot water.

3. Replace the plunger & lid.

4. Allow the coffee to steep a few minutes.

5. Push down the plunger.

6. Pour the coffee.

*Comparable to the amount you'd use in a drip maker or a percolator.

What it's all about.

All that being said, the finicky parts arise in questions of the temperature of the hot water, how long to let it steep, the water itself, the coffee brand, the coarseness of the grind, and maybe what kind of hat you're wearing. In these considerations, I am not a dogmatist. Nor am I a catmatist.

Here's how I make my coffee.*

ADVISORY I make a coffee concentrate which I dilute prior to service.

* NOTE: This method has been updated in the March 27, 2024 entry, Coffee: A New Brew Review

Ingredients

- Tapwater ("Oh, no! Surely not tapwater?") Yes, tapwater. Get over it. My tapwater is fairly neutral; some aren't.

- Ground Coffee, I use McCafé Premium Medium Roast

- Salt, a half pinch, or six shakes of my stingy shaker.

I make my coffee concentrate in batches, which I keep in tightly-closed containers in the refrigerator. I am going to link the equipment and coffee I use to their pages on Amazon:

Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker, 51 Ounce/1.5 Liter

McCafé Premium Medium Roast Ground Coffee

Cafe Du Monde Coffee with Chicory

Marathon Dual Timer
Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Digital Kitchen Scale
Acu-Rite 00660 Meat Thermometer This is the 00680 model

GDEALER DT09 Waterproof Digital Instant Read Thermometer

Reston Lloyd Enamel 2 Quart Teakettle Non-Whistling

Peppermill and Salt Shaker Set

My accomplices.

Concentrate Preparation

● Weigh 100 gram portion of coffee, place in press pot. Sometimes, I mix in a portion of the chicory coffee, anywhere from 4:1 to 1:1, as part of the 100 gram total.

● Add half pinch/six shakes of salt. Salt reduces bitterness.

● Heat water to 190ᴼF/88ᴼC. I've experimented with temps from 175ᴼF to 200ᴼF. Most sources recommend 200ᴼF to 210ᴼF, but I prefer 190ᴼF/88ᴼC for best flavor without harsh notes.

● Add water to coffee, stirring coffee with wooden implement to assure grounds are blended into water. I fill to about one inch from the top, leaving enough room to insert plunger and lid.

● Cover with plunger and lid. Do not depress the plunger.

● Steep for four minutes. Again, I've experimented with longer and shorter times. Most sources recommend five minutes.

● At four minutes, slowly depress plunger to the bottom of the pot. This action percolates the water through the grounds as a final flavor extraction, so don't rush it. Sometimes the plunger meets resistance, as the grounds clog the filter. A short up-and-down movement usually eases the strain.

● Immediately decant, keeping the plunger depressed.

● Store excess in the refrigerator. i make about a gallon of this concentrate at a time.

Preparing coffee from concentrate

I use the above concentrate in a 1:2 mix with water, for example, 4 ounces coffee concentrate to 8 ounces cold tapwater. The coffee can be mixed stronger or weaker, according to taste.

- Prior to every use, shake the concentrate vigorously for several seconds to re-oxygenate it, which restores a fresh taste.

- Reheat in microwave to between 140ᴼ/60ᴼC and 160ᴼF/71ᴼC. Do not boil; boiling makes the coffee taste stale.

Comment

Yeah, this is a very fussy way to make coffee, but I've seen worse on YouTube. However, by making large batches of concentrate, I only have to make a batch every week or two, depending on my consumption, and I really enjoy how this coffee comes out. I credit the McCafe Medium Roast, supposedly the roast they use at McDonalds restaurants, for much of my satisfaction, but I credit the method with a near portion.

;^)

Easy Pasta Carbonara

While not a true pasta carbonara, as I've taken a few shortcuts, like using ramen, I think the ease of this recipe more than makes up for any alteration.

Carbonara is traditionally made with pancetta, but I prefer the additional robustness that bacon brings to the dish. Both pancetta and bacon are made from pork belly that has been cured with salts and, often, other spices. But bacon is also smoked, though usually "cold-smoked," at temperatures that do not cook the meat. Both pancetta and bacon should be cooked before consuming.

Ingredients

- 1½ Cups water
- 1 Package Ramen Noodles, flavor as preferred
- 2 Tbsp Bacon Bits, to taste; real bacon, please
- 1 Egg, large, whipped smooth
- 1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated, or more, to taste
- ¼ to ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper, liberal amount, to taste

A few notes about the ingredients

- Keeping in mind that this is a certified Effort-Less recipe, I'm suggesting the use of prepared ingredients, but feel free to prepare your own.

- The Black Pepper is more an ingredient than a seasoning, so it should have a noticeable presence in the eating.

- The Egg will not be fully cooked but will manifest as a creamy sauce

- The amount of water is less than the usual 2 Cups. That and adding the seasoning before the noodles is meant to concentrate the flavor in the noodles, since the pasta is to be drained.

Preparation

- In an appropriately-sized sauce pan, add the Ramen seasoning (from the included packet) to the water and bring to a boil.

- Add the noodles and boil for three minutes, or according to package instructions.

- Whip or beat the egg until smooth, blending-in the Parmesan Cheese and liberal amounts of Black Pepper.

- Drain the pasta.

- Immediately stir the egg mixture into the hot noodles.

- Mix in the Bacon Bits, amount to taste.

- Plate the noodles and top with more Black Pepper and Parmesan Cheese.

Serves 1

;^)

Chicken Garlic Poached Eggs

This recipe is based on Sopa de Ajo, a Spanish garlic soup. But simpler.






Ingredients

• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Teaspoon Chicken Bouillon
• ½ Teaspoon Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder, NOT garlic salt
• ¼ Teaspoon Paprika
• (Optional) Thinly sliced garlic, to taste
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 Slices of Bread

Directions

• In a small non-stick skillet or saucepan, combine first four (optional five) items. Heat to boil. Adjust to taste.
• Meanwhile, break the eggs into a ramekin or small bowl.
• Toast the bread.
• When the broth is boiling, gently drop in the eggs, reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan or pot.
• Cook covered for three minutes or until desired doneness.

Serve

Serve the eggs and broth over the toast. This dish works equally well for breakfast, lunch, or supper.

Tips

• Adjust the flavors to taste. I like the toast dark and plenty of both garlic and paprika flavor, so I tend to add more. Keep in mind, this is not a recipe to enjoy if you are planning a social occasion for later in the day.
• Since I do not use that much of it, I never have broth on hand. Instead, I make up broth from bouillon and water. Bouillons are salty by nature, but some depend more on salt than on actual meat or vegetable flavor. You get what you pay for. I often use bouillon in lieu of salt in appropriate recipes. My preferred brands are Knorr and Better Than Bouillon; the latter must be refrigerated after opening.
• Cooking for one, I've found it more economical to keep dehydrated vegetables on hand. Minced onions, minced carrots, sliced garlic, and chopped celery are in my pantry and will keep practically forever. I usually reconstitute by five to ten minutes in hot water.

;^)

Ice Cream Cone Sundae

I enjoy the standard waffle cone as much as I do the ice cream. This recipe emphasizes that delicious cone taste.







Ingredients
Toaster Waffle
Ice Cream
Toppings (optional)

Directions                               Preheat Toaster Oven to 400°F
In a pre-heated toaster oven, BAKE (do NOT toast) the waffle directly on the wire rack. The purpose is to crisp the waffle throughout, not just on its surface. In my toaster oven, this takes about seven minutes.

Serve
Topped with Ice Cream, flavor of your choice
Enhanced with toppings, as may be desired

;^)

Chocolate Sundae Syrup

This recipe, the one our Mom used, produces, hands-down, the best-tasting chocolate sundae syrup I have ever enjoyed. I've been making it, myself, for nearly a half century. This sauce has a rich chocolate flavor and, despite the sugar, still retains a hint of dark chocolate overtones. And it's pretty simple to make.

Ingredients
1  Cup Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4  Cups Granulated Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Salt

2  Cups Water
1  Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions
1. In a suitably-sized saucepan, combine first three (dry) ingredients thoroughly. Mixing the powder into the sugar helps it to dissolve when the water is added in the next step.
2. Add Water and Vanilla and stir to mix well.
3. Heat to boiling, mixing continuously.
4. Simmer for three minutes, stirring often.

Serve
Hot or cold, over ice cream or whatever comes to mind
Mix into hot or cold milk

Store
In refrigerator.

;^)

Sesame Ramen Noodle Salad

While I am a big fan of noodles and pasta in soups and sauce dishes, I have never much cottoned to pasta salads. Macaroni salad, to me, has always just ... felt sad. Still, there has always been one pasta salad that I liked. Not just liked, but really liked: Sesame Noodles.
There are a wide variety of recipes for sesame noodles. Many use peanut butter or a similar nut or vegetable base. This recipe does not.

Ingredients
2  3-ounce packages of Ramen Noodles (optional flavor choice)
2  Tablespoons of toasted Sesame Oil
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
2  Tablespoons Brown Sugar (optional light, dark, or even
    granulated sugar)
2  Cups Water (Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free water is best.)

Optional Ingredients
Rice Vinegar
Vegetable Oil
Toasted Sesame Seeds

Preparation
A. In a saucepan add 1 Ramen Flavor Packet to 2 Cups of water.
B. Bring water to boil.
C. (Optional) Break up noodle blocks. (Best done before you open the wrapper.)
D. Add 2 packages of Ramen Noodles to boiling water. Be sure all noodles are in direct contact with water (the reason you might want to break up the noodle blocks). Boil for 3 Minutes.
E. In a bowl, mix Brown Sugar, Soy Sauce, and Sesame Oil together.
F. Add cooked Noodles to Sugar-Soy mixture, stir together.
G. (Optional) Sprinkle with toasted Sesame Seeds.

Enjoy warm.

Wikimedia Commons

For a cold salad, prepare as above, adding 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil and 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar to the Soy-Sugar Mix. Chill prepared noodles, covered, in refrigerator.

Serves one. Or four.

;^)

Hearty One-Skillet Meal

This dish has become a favorite, recently. It's a variation of a recipe from the Food Wishes channel on YouTube. There, Chef John presents it as an oven-roasted, open skillet that's started on the stove top. I discovered that I liked it better when I finished it, covered, and all on the stove top, no oven. It depends on how you like it. In the oven, it's finished crispy and caramelized, my version is moist and tender, with some caramelization on the meat. And it's also a bit easier.

To keep it simple, go ahead and watch the Food Wishes recipe linked above, it's only seven-and-a-half minutes, as most of Chef John's presentations are brief and practical. Then I'll list what I do that's different.

1. I use a 12-inch Cook's Standard stainless steel fry pan with dome lid (available on Amazon). It could be prepared in a cast iron or non-stick skillet, but it won't develop a flavorful fond.

2. On MEDIUM, start with hot oil or fat (chicken, bacon, lard, whatever) in the pan. Add the chicken thighs skin side UP in the center of the pan, then add any uncooked (fresh, not smoked) sausage¹ around the thighs.
3. Let that meat brown, uncovered, on one side while cutting up the peppers, onions and potatoes².
4. Turn all the browning meat over, thighs skin DOWN. Add any cooked (smoked) sausage then distribute the veggies, keeping the meat on the bottom of the pan to maximize browning.
5. I season liberally with Lawry's, black pepper, granulated garlic, marjoram, sage, summer savory, parsley and a little rosemary and basil. A bay leaf is optional, but it's not a flavor I like. And a little cayenne, if I'm using sweet (non-spicy) peppers.
6. Brown 5 minutes on MEDIUM.
7. COVER, turn to LOW for 40 minutes.
8. Serve    
                
¹ I've used fresh and smoked kielbasa, bratwurst, hot links, andouille, both sweet and hot Italian sausages and cut-up country-style ribs, usually in combinations of two types. The rib meat didn't bring enough flavor whereas the chicken seems to absorb it. The sausage is easier to manage if I wait to cut it up until after cooking.

² I prefer the poblano (aka, ancho) peppers from my small hydroponic garden, but I've also used red bell peppers and canned diced green chiles. I've discovered that I can never have too much onion and it's nearly the same with potatoes. But maybe that's just me.

;^)

Sugar- Free at last!

For many years, I figured that the perceived differences in the typical cooking and table sugars in the U.S. were primarily a result of color profiling that had its roots in the apartheid policies of former South African regimes, in the caste system of the Indian subcontinent, or in the so-called Jim Crow practices in America. I reckoned that brown sugars were simply looked down upon because of their color, and bigotry often led them to react by becoming hardened.

Imagine my surprise upon learning that, in the vast majority of commercial products available in America, all three sugars—white, light brown, and dark brown—are simply refined white sugar, with the latter two having different amounts of molasses added back. While the sugar refining process does pass through dark and light brown stages as the molasses are removed, commercial producers prefer to add precise amounts of molasses back to the white sugar to help assure consistent products. Turns out bigotry, apartheid, and castes having nothing to do with it. Go figure.

Sugar beets in cultivation

What's more, the reason brown sugars can become hardened is because the moisture in the molasses syrup that has been added can evaporate, leaving the sugar crystals as a solid, self-adherent mass. However, if you're desperate, there are some temporary remedies to rock-hard brown sugar, which I'll get to later.

Harvested sugar beets

Sugar cane in the field

Cut cane, ready for the rolling mill

Most sugar in the U.S. is refined from sugar cane and sugar beets. Those, and many other plants, produce a sugar called sucrose. According to one source (realbakingwithrose.com), light brown sugar is usually 3.5% molasses, while dark brown has about 6.5% molasses added back to the refined white sugar product.

There are some obvious and some not-so-obvious differences in the various sugars. Most apparent are color and taste, both of which can show up in baked products. Molasses also brings some slight acidic features as well as more moisture. This can contribute to a bit more rise in a baked cookie, while light brown and white sugar will see successively more spread to the cookie, according to Serious Eats.

Finally, Professor's House suggests putting a half-pound of hardened brown sugar, covered with two wet (not dripping) paper towels, in a microwave-safe bowl sealed with plastic wrap. Nuke it for a couple minutes or so, then use a fork to stir and separate the sugar (CAUTION: sugar can stay very hot for an extended period). They suggest that the treated sugar not be stored but used immediately. Sweet!

;^)

Gazpacho, Cold or Hot

This recipe is so easy, I'm mad at myself for not thinking of it years ago.

Ingredients

- Chunky Salsa. I use Safeway Select Southwest Salsa, Hot. The more vegetables in the salsa, the better. As an example, the Safeway salsa has tomatoes, Jalapeno Peppers, Green Chili Peppers, Red Bell Peppers, Green Bell Peppers, Black Beans, Corn, Onions, and Garlic, besides the usual herbs and spices like Cilantro, Basil and Oregano.

- Vegetable Juice Cocktail, like V8© , though there are usually store or generic brands that I find very comparable

Preparation

- Combine the Salsa and the Vegetable Juice in a 1:5 ratio (adjust the ratio to taste).

- To serve cold, the soup should be thoroughly chilled in the refrigerator. To serve hot ... do I really need to explain this?

- Can be garnished with sour cream, avocado slices, cucumber slices, tortilla chips, crackers, shredded cheese, boiled egg slices or your favorite whatever—or no garnish at all.

;^)

.

Easy Homemade Chicken Soup or Chicken n' Dumplings

Photo**

This chicken soup is so easy, I’m going to list all of the measurments in metric, just so you feel like you’ve done something special.

Ingredients

- 1 Whole Deli-roasted Chicken from the grocery store (day-old is good, if the price is marked down) NOTE 1: Roasted chicken, not fried. NOTE 2: Turns out, counting chickens is the same whether in imperial or metric systems. Go figure.

- 2 Liters Water

- Noodles, pasta or dumplings of your choice, amount by personal preference (I like a lot.) Try angel hair pasta broken into 2 cm pieces.

- (Optional) Mirepoix (chopped onion, celery and carrots)  As much or as little as you want, for both color and flavor. NOTE: Mirepoix (MEER-pwah) is the fancy-schmancy French cuisine name for this basic flavor combo, traditionally, two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery.

Preparation

- Drop the chicken in a large pot. (Add mirepoix)

- Cover with water (use more water as necessary).

- Bring to a boil and then simmer one hour, covered.

Kroger's roast chicken.

- Remove chicken and taste the broth, add salt, pepper or spices to taste. NOTE: Usually these deli-roasted birds are so heavily salted and spiced that no further seasoning is needed. If you think it needs more spice, try adding some poultry seasoning.

- Bring the broth to a boil and add your pasta, noodles or dumplings, cook according to their directions.

- While the noodles are cooking, carefully (it’ll be HOT) break apart the chicken and pull the meat into bite-sized chunks. Use two forks if the chicken’s too hot to touch.

- Add the meat back to the broth.

- Serve

Variations

Chicken and dumplings**

Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Add some mixed frozen or canned veggies to the broth with the noodles.
Chicken and Dumplings
- Including mirepoix and/or other vegetables, especially carrots and onions, is common.
- Stir in a little roux (you can always add more) to thicken the finished broth. (Presto! Broth becomes stew.)
- Cut refrigerator biscuits into bite-sized pieces, drop on top of simmering stew.
- Cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes.
- Pull the chicken into chunks, add back to finished stew.

;^)

Roux

A roux (roo) is a basic thickener for soups, stews, gravies and sauces.

A roux-based sauce.**

Ingredients

Equal parts, by weight (you can estimate)

- Flour

- Fat (butter, margarine, vegetable oil, animal fat, e.g., bacon grease or lard)

Preparation

- Heat the fat over medium-low until it is a liquid. If you’re using butter, cook it slowly until the bubbling stops.

- Stir in the flour, blending until smooth.

- Continue stirring over medium heat until the raw flour taste is gone, usually 3-5 minutes.

- The longer you cook a roux the darker it gets, imparting more color and flavor to the intended dish. Sometimes you want a roux to be white, sometimes darker.

- Add to intended sauce, soup, stew, gravy, stirring briskly into the dish to avoid lumps, then bring the whatever to a high simmer until thickening occurs, usually just a minute or two. It’s best to use a whisk and not to add to a very hot item. The more you add, the thicker it gets; best to start with just a little

A sure sign of a profes-

sional cook: the ability to
hold hot objects, bare-

handed, with impunity.

Variations

- Cowboy roux (also called a white wash) Blend equal parts flour and water, add as above. Since the flour is raw going into the final dish, it must be cooked longer than when adding a standard roux, usually at least five minutes. Taste test to be sure.

- Cornstarch (corn flour), used in lesser amounts when mixed with water, blends easier, doesn’t have a raw flour taste to worry about, and can impart a bit of shine to the finished product.

;^)

Eureka!

Uh, hot cocoa, anyone?

It's a, uh...uh, a Cajun

recipe I found on the net— 

Chocolat au Lait Carbonisé

—Blackened Cocoa!

Cooking, like other arts, occasionally depends on luck. Sometimes a screw-up will turn out to be an improvement, like my discovery that more butter and less milk makes mashed potatoes even better. Recently, trying to approximate the recipe at a local restaurant, I ended up with a meat loaf that turned out way too highly spiced. So I broke it into chunks and used it to make a spaghetti meat sauce—where it was just perfect. For that matter, it was much easier than making meat balls, and I may just use that method again.

There are two basic rules to dealing with cooking mistakes when presenting food to family, guests or customers:

1. Take full credit whenever anything turns out good, even if you screwed up. You simply say, "Thank-you. I had a feeling that it would be good this way."

2. When things turn out bad, blame the recipe. For instance, you can say "That is pretty bad, isn't it? I got this recipe variation on line; it was supposed to add a flavor layer, but not like this. Let's chalk it up to scientific research; that's one formula we know doesn't work. More wine?"

Trust me, all professional chefs know these two rules and follow

them assiduously. Chefs do not make cooking errors—it's just a

given. Cooking is a tough job, cooking well is even tougher. You need to give yourself a break whenever the opportunity comes up. Besides, it's an art, and art has always depended on luck. I don't reckon that prehistoric cave painter, when he was mixing pigments, was thinking, "I'll bet this hand print will still look good 10,000 years from now."

So, when it comes out great, you're an artist; when it fails miserably, you're a scientist. It will give your guests confidence and allow you to learn from your mistakes in peace.

This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook — try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun! Julia Child, My Life in France

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams, The Dilbert Principle

;^)