Snap Guide - Buffalo Wings K.I.S.S.

My new snap guide is all about buffalo wings. We make so many during the Super Bowl it is almost gluttonous. Almost, since there are rarely any leftovers no matter how may I make.

Check out How to Make Buffalo Wings, K.I.S.S. by Renee Shelton on Snapguide.

Desserts with Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Mints, Samoas, and Savannah Smiles

Okay, if you have a girl scout in the house or know of one, you are likely to have some cookies in the house. I have two Girl Scouts and was challenged by them to create a different dessert with each type they sell. They sold 6 kinds this year (down from 8 varieties from last year). I pulled three boxes and created something sweet with them. For the Thin Mints I simply crushed some and stirred them into a batch of brownies, for the Samoas I created a layered mousse cake, and for the Savannah Smiles I created a Dutch apple pie with a sweet topping.

All recipes are up on the Pastry Sampler blog. I have three more to tackle. I'll let you know how my experiments turn out for those...

Thin Mint Brownies

For the Thin Mint Brownies, I took a batch of brownies and stirred in a sleeve of crushed Thin Mint cookies. I started the challenge off easy and there was barely a crumb left over.

Samoas Chocolate Mousse Cake with Biscuit Flourless Chocolate Cake and Toasted Coconut

This dessert was a little labor intensive, but so worth it. The Samoas Chocolate Mousse Cake consists of flourless chocolate biscuit, dark chocolate mousse, ganache, toasted coconut, and a nice Samoa crust.

Spiced Dutch Apple Pie with Savannah Smiles Streusel Topping and Hot Water Pie Crust 

For this Dutch apple pie, I processed a box of Savannah Smiles cookies until they were crumbs and made an oatmeal streusel topping with them. This was the perfect accompaniment for a cinnamon and ginger spiced Dutch apple pie.

Three down, three more to go.

Hubert Keller's Souvenirs: Combining Beautiful Recipes and Photographs with a Memoir

Cookbook of the Week: Hubert Keller's Souvenirs

 

Think of Hubert Keller's Souvenirs as a delicious combination of cookbook and personal memoir. His work is recognized as some of the best cooking on the West Coast with his restaurant Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, and his grace shows through when he appears in public and on camera. I had the pleasure of meeting him many, many years ago at an event at the Ritz-Carlton when I was a lowly pastry cook just learning the ropes. While he would never remember me, I remember him and his commanding presence.

• Amazon: Hubert Keller's Souvenirs

My personal perception of him is that while he is larger than life in culinary circles, he has none of the bombastic flair that so many of the instant chef-celebrities flaunt on television. That may come from experience or his upbringing. Either way, he talks about them both in his latest written work.

Souvenirs begins with a quote from Keller himself, from 2010, and so begins his journey. Keller writes that in all this travels (he's worked around the world) he has stayed true to both his classical culinary training and his adapting to local ingredients and tastes. I loved reading in the introduction why he chose the different dishes he did in Top Chef Masters, and his learning experiences along the way. I also loved how he writes about his wife, Chantal, his true life partner whom he met when he was an apprentice.

About his culinary philosophy, Keller writes:

The way I was trained, I repeated dishes exactly the way I was taught. As chef of Roger Verge's Brazilian restaurant, La Cuisine du Soleil, I was happy that I could almost exactly reproduce the very popular St. Pierre (John Dory) with a red pepper coulis from Moulin de Mougins. But it was not well accepted by our guests. That experience opened my eyes. In a foreign country, everything - from the cooks' knowledge, to sourcing ingredients and equipment, to the tastes of the clientele - was different. I learned that to be successful I had to be flexible and adaptable, to keep my personality and my way of thinking but to shift my position to include new perspectives.

I think that is one of the most important passages in the book because there is a fine line between doing what you want to do and doing what you have been trained to do, and doing something that will please your guests. Which is what chefs, restaurateurs, and hoteliers are all about really; they are in the service industry, food service. The ultimate satisfaction comes when you give your guests pleasure from working with a bit of ingredients in the kitchen.

A lesson he learned during his apprenticeship under Verge, which Keller says he still uses today, was Verge's attitude - This is what I have; this is what I want to do. How can we make it happen. Another example of adapting a chef's cuisine to local ingredients.

There are 120 recipes in Souvenirs with 125 gorgeous photographs taken by Eric Wolfinger. The chapters follow his life and experiences: Family Treasures; Mentorship by Three-Star Chefs; Adaptation: When Creative Inspiration Saves the Day; Modern French Cooking Hits American Shores; Pioneer: Seeking Adventure and Finding My Own Path; Love and Partnership; and Holiday Traditions.

The recipes inside the cookbook make it a reference book, too, and run the recipe gamut from simple to exotic: beignets, Kugelhopf, bouillabaisse - braised beef cheeks, grilled squab, rabbit loin. Keller dares the reader to not get the book dirty with frequent use. Which, with recipes as good looking as these, will be hard to do in my home.

Book Information:

• Hubert Keller's Souvenirs: Stories and Recipes from My Life
• Andrews McMeel Publishing; 2012
• ISBN13: 9781449411428

Disclosure: This book ARC was provided by the publisher, and any opinions are my own.

Easy Bay Scallop Ceviche

The fresh squeezed lime and lemon juices cook the scallops overnight in the refrigerator. Serve this appetizer chilled with tomatoes and avocado in small dishes.

Ceviche, also spelled seviche or cebiche, is a fish or seafood dish that is marinated in fresh squeezed lemon or lime juices. Orange juice or grapefruit juice can be found in some recipes, but the high acid found in limes and lemons make these juices the main component in the marinade. As it sits in the marinade, the acid content of the citrus juice cooks the fish. Sole, snapper, or cod are popular fish for ceviche; small bay scallops makes the dish super easy.

Ceviche differs from an escabeche as the fish is essentially raw. The key to preparing ceviche is letting it sit long enough in the marinade to render the fish ‘done’. The marinade is often drained after a period of letting the fish or seafood ‘cook’, and other fresh ingredients are added. Ceviche is most often served as a chilled appetizer.

Depending on the size of the appetizer, this serves about 4-6 people.

Bay Scallops Ceviche with Red Onions and Avocado

Ingredients

Part One:

• 1 lb. bay scallops, rinsed
• 6 limes juiced, or about 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 lemons juiced, or about 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced

Part Two:

• 2 green onions, chopped, white and green parts •
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 large Roma tomato, diced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 avocado, diced
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Procedure

1. Part One: Place bay scallops in a ceramic or glass dish. Pour in the lime and lemon juices. Add in the smashed garlic cloves and diced red onion. Stir all ingredients and be sure all the scallops are covered by the juice. Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally. 2
2. Part Two: When ready to serve, drain the scallops in a colander or sieve. Remove the smashed garlic cloves. Transfer the scallops with the chopped onions to a mixing bowl.
3. Add in the green onions, cilantro, parsley, chopped tomato and olive oil. Stir together.
4. Dice the avocado and to the scallops, or serve on top as a garnish.
5. Divide the bay scallop ceviche evenly between the serving dishes and top with fresh sprigs of cilantro. Serve immediately.

Buffalo Wings 3 Ways - And How Break Down and Sauce Wings

My latest video slideshow isn't fish or pastry related, it's all about buffalo wings. They are a tradition at our house during the Super Bowl, and I cook up a wildly large batch every year for everyone. This year I made them using different sauces but the all around favorite (no surprise here) was the plain old version using hot sauce.

In case you're wondering how chefs and professional cooks do it - we tend to stick by the KISS rule, especially if you're pumping out a ton a night. But there are many different versions out there - from ketchup based, to a shot of whiskey. How do I keep it simple? Just pour the hot wing sauce (your favorite version) with a couple of pats of soft butter (not melted and not rock hard either) into a large mixing bowl. Just as soon as the wings are finished frying, dump them from the basket into the bowl and shake and toss to coat. The butter will melt from the hot wings and create a rich sauce. Beauty in simplicity. :) This is great using honey and spicy bbq sauce for Honey BBQ Wings, too.

Here is the slideshow of how we make them at home:

Vegan Lunch Box Book and Recipe for Tofu Fish Sticks

Jennifer McCann thinks "outside the box" to create appetizing and fun vegan meals perfect for the school lunch box, and her menus make meal planning easy.

Amazon: Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love!

Vegan activist, Jennifer McCann, is the creator of the Vegan Lunch Box blog that celebrates the vegan lifestyle with fun and tasty vegan meals for the whole family. But if vegan recipes for school lunch boxes are needed, McCann's Vegan Lunch Box is filled with animal-free recipes and sample menus.


Vegan Lunch Menus & Ideas

For all menus in the book, McCann works to create lunch meals that are complete and well-balanced. She makes it a point to incorporate these six items into every menu: whole grains, protein, fruit, vegetables, calcium, and dessert. If you're making up your own menus, remembering to incorporate those items into any vegan lunch meal makes it more rounded, and easier to create: just pick something in each category for an easily put-together lunch.

McCann gives parents ideas for all types of meals, including menus for those kids who may have food allergies. All recipes are completely animal-free (no meats, no dairy, no fish, no eggs, and no honey), and also free of soy products, gluten, wheat, and both peanuts and tree nuts.

Vegan Lunch Box Overview and Chapters

Vegan Lunch Box is divided into two main parts: The Lunch Menus; and The Recipes. The first part of the book contains all the menus, and uses the recipes in different ways. The many menus include those that save time (Quick and Easy), those that can be made early in the morning (Rise and Shine) or ahead of time (Ready and Waiting), and fun menus based on a theme (Lunch Box Adventure) or seasonal celebrations (Special Occasions).

The different chapters contain recipes that can be mixed with other family favorites for unique combinations and daily menus: Appetizers & Snacks; Salads & Dressings; Dips, Sauces and Spreads; Soups & Stews; Sandwiches; Mains; Veggie & Bean Sides; Breads & Muffins; Desserts; and Beverages.

Recommended for Animal-Free Meals & Ideas

While vegan households may use this book for everyday meal planning, non-vegan households can use this book for a little variety in kids' lunch boxes. Tasty salads and sandwiches are easily put together using pantry ingredients, and the items that are made from the recipes are durable enough to be packaged in lunch boxes. The cookbook eases the question some parents ask themselves: What can I make for the kids' lunches?

Recipe: Tofu Fish Sticks

This recipe from Vegan Lunch Box uses kelp granules which give these tofu sticks a hint of fishy flavor. They can be found in shaker containers at health food stores and provide a low-sodium salt alternative that also supplies iodine.

This recipe makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2⁄3 cup fine cornmeal (or all-purpose flour)
• 2⁄3 cup sliced almonds
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons kelp granules
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2⁄3 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
• 1 pound firm tofu, drained
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, cut in wedges for squeezing

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat it with olive oil. Set aside.
2. Combine the cornmeal or flour, sliced almonds, paprika, kelp, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dill weed, and pepper to taste in a blender. Blend on high until most of the almonds have been turned into a coarse meal, with a few larger pieces of almond remaining. Pour the mixture into a wide baking dish or pie plate.
3. Place the plain soy milk into a bowl and set next to the cornmeal mixture.
4. With a sharp knife, cut the tofu into even slices just under 1⁄2 inch wide. Cut the slices into fish stick dimensions or use a fish-shaped cookie cutter to cut out tofu fish. Working with one piece at a time, dip the tofu into the soy milk, then toss gently in the cornmeal mixture to coat evenly. Place on the prepared baking sheet. When all the tofu fish are on the baking sheet, sprinkle them with olive oil.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the tofu over and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until crispy. Squeeze some lemon juice evenly over the tofu fish and serve.

Book Information:

• Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love; by Jennifer McCann
• De Capo Press, 2008
• ISBN13: 9781600940729
• Paperback, 280 pages

Recipe is reprinted with permission from De Capo Press. Recipe by Jennifer McCann.

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.

Carrots 'N Cake - Healthy Living One Carrot and Cupcake at a Time

Carrots 'N Cake is Tina Haupert's book listing her journey to transform her life into a healthier one, and has over 50 recipes and many healthy eating tips.

The cookbook based on her blog of the same name, Carrots 'N Cake, is Tina Haupert's journey to transform her life into a healthier one through better eating and exercise. She shares her tips on staying fit and eating healthy, and emphasizes that having fun is her key to being her own boss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Amazon: Carrots 'N' Cake: Healthy Living One Carrot and Cupcake at a Time

For those who are familiar with Tina Haupert, you know that fun and great tasting healthy foods will be involved. She is the creator of the blog Carrots 'N Cake and writes for Trading Up Downtown, a blog for the nutritional rating company NuVal. Her column on Health.com is a weekly feature where she incorporates healthy eating tips and recipes for maintaining a healthy weight.

Carrots 'N Cake: Blog to Book

Tina's book, Carrots 'N Cake: Healthy Living One Carrot and Cupcake at a Time, chronicles things she learned over time while writing her blog and lists easy-to-recreate recipes, many being low-calorie or high-fiber. Her blog carrotsncake.com was a hobby in the beginning and began as a countdown to her wedding day where she wrote her daily eating and workout routines. It ended up being an inspiration to others with features such as fitness, food, and balanced eating: essentials to a healthier lifestyle. The book is an extension of that, with her hits and misses along the way.

Recommended for Those Looking to Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle

For those wanting to take the plunge to a healthier lifestyle and are unsure of where to start, Haupert does a great job of taking the reader from her beginnings of unhealthy eating in college to eating healthy today as an adult. Her tips for simple changes for healthier eating include choosing high quality ingredients for recipes and eating enough fresh vegetables throughout the day. I identified with her when she realized when she filled up on wholesome foods during mealtime, her cravings for food later in the day went away.

Tina's recipe for Zucchini and Mushroom Burgers is an example of making smart choices in healthy cooking. It also shows that using quality ingredients in the right proportions and combinations can truly create memorable meals - and ones that don't break the caloric bank.

Recipe: Zucchini and Mushroom Burgers
This recipe makes four veggie burgers. Serve with a whole wheat bun and your favorite toppings.

Ingredients:

• 1 small zucchini, shredded
• 1 small yellow squash, shredded
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning mix
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded skim-milk mozzarella cheese (optional)

Procedure:

1. Combine the zucchini, yellow squash, and soy sauce in a large bowl, and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes; then pour the zucchini mixture into a colander and squeeze out most of the liquid. Blot up the rest with paper towels.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté the onion and garlic until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the zucchini, bread crumbs, seasoning mix, egg, and mozzarella (if using). Stir to mix, and form into 4 patties.
3. Preheat the broiler. Place the burgers on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet, and broil, turning once, until browned on both sides and the internal temperature registers 160°F, about 10 minutes.
4. Serve.

Book Information

• Carrots 'N Cake: Healthier Living One Carrot and Cupcake at a Time; by Tina Haupert
• Sterling Epicure, 2011
• ISBN13: 9781402778247
• Paperback book, 224 pages

Recipe reprinted with permission from Carrots ‘N’ Cake © 2011 by Tina Haupert, Sterling Epicure an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.