Making your own Jam

Honestly before this summer I had no idea what canning was, I thought, "How do they get their cans to seal?" Literally referring to a can like you'd buy at the grocery store. I didn't know!! I soon found out that canning referred to preserving foods in jars, like jams, and jellies, and sauces, and pickles etc.

But the beginning of this summer brought about a curiousity to try this, and it started with baby steps. I saw this recipe on another blog showing an easy version of strawberry jam. I tried it and it was lovely, very bright and fruity, easy to spread and everybody loved it! But then I started learning more about different methods of canning. There is the water-bath method of preserving, and then there's a pressure cooker method, and there are freezer jams and so on, I am the first one to tell you am not an authority on these processes, but it's a pretty interesting subject and hobby to try as well.

There are lots of food safety concerns in regards to canning methods, you have to do it correctly or you could end up with a slew of troubles on your hands and there are a lot of resources out there to help you maneuver these, such as foodsafety.gov . For Jam making I did not buy any special equipment except jars and extra lids when needed. I have a big stock pot with a pasta insert that can easily be lifted in and out so that kind of doubled as a rack for the water bath method.

Don't let this scare you, I did it and so can you! Think of all the delicous combinations you can put together to enjoy all winter long instead of opting to the grocry store brands that are costly and have fillers and preservatives. I decided on the name of this blogpost because just prior to this I saw a Good Eats episode on Food Network and the topic was canning. Alton breaks the process down in very easy to understand terms, and he reminded me that using frozen fruit is fine when jam making, the fruit is picked at the peak of maturity and it's so easy to use!

Red Raspberry, Strawberry, Rheubarb Jam (from: Canning Jars Etc.)

Yield 9 jars

Enough strawberries, raspberries, and rheubarb to make a total of 5 cups crushed fruit

1 package powdered pectin

7 cups sugar

Rinse the berries. Smash berries with a potato masher, breaking up the berries with a blender or an immersion blender will break the pectin up too much and the jam will not set upon completion.

Combine smashed berries and pectin in a large pot. Bring to boil over high heat in a large pot. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary (alternatively you can add 1/2 tsp of butter or margarine to help eliminate the foam.)

Fill hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, make sure and wipe the rims nice and clean to ensure a good seal. Add lids and rings and process 10 minutes in a water bath.

Read more about preparing jars here
Read more about canning in general here

There are other berries you can try also is these various combinations

Lingonberries

 

Cranberries

 

Stoli Gala Applik Martini

 

I'm taking a pause from 'food blogging' to head over to 'bar blogging' or 'booze blogging' Either way it's time for a cocktail! This vodka was kind of sweet, so it less of a true apple taste than I was expecting, but I'm still not complaining.

The glass that is photographed is a waterford crystal martini glass we received as wedding presents, they are beautiful and so much fun to sip Gala Apple Martinis out of :)


Stoli Gala Applik Martini (receipe from Stoli)

1 part Stoli Gala Apple Vodka
1 part apple juice
1/2 part cranberry juice

Shake with ice to chill until icy cold, strain and serve up. You can also garnish the glass with an apple slice to be extra fancy!

OK fine-to smarten up this post, did you know in the height of the cold war a deal was struck between the Pepsi-Cola company and the Russian Government: Pepsi for Stoli!

How To Season a Wooden Cutting Board

Proper care of a wooden cutting board can make sure it lasts almost forever. This is important because a good cutting board can cost a more than a few dollars. It is a relatively simple step that can rejuvenate your favorite cutting board.

Why should we do this? Mainly because wood is a relatively 'soft' material and with the sharpness of the knives we use, small grooves are created on the surface of the cutting board. When food becomes trapped in these grooves, it can decompose and cause bacteria to grow, the board can become stinky, all kinds of things can happen. Another thing can happen is that when we wash our boards with hot sudsy water and dry it quickly before putting it away, the water that has seeped inside the board can cause the wooden board to split and crack over time.

How do we season a cutting board? Here's how and what you'll need.

1 soft cloth (I grabbed a cotton one out of my husbands 'bag of rags' from our last home improvement project)

A Mineral Oil (do not use a vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil etc only because a vegetable type oil will become rancid over time, mineral oil will not.) I picked up a small bottle of it at Ikea in their kitchen tool section.

Cutting Board

Here's the How-To



Start with a clean, dry cutting board. We want to really let this mineral oil seep into the grain of the board. Depending on the size of the board, pour an amount on to the board.



Wipe with the soft cloth with the grain of the board, not against it.



Once this process is complete, repeat on the other side of the board.



If you (like me as well) don't get to this as often as one should, you should ideally repeat this process in 24 hours to really seal the board. But if you are diligent about it, you could probably get away with skipping the "repeat in 24 hour step"

The first time I did this I was amazed at just how much oil absorbed in to the wood, I giggled because it seemed as if the board was thirsty. The cutting board also looked new again. Good luck, I hope you find good success with this!!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Buttercream

I love cupcakes, they are generally small and cute, and the perfect size for one serving. When I went to make these vanilla bean cupcakes, I realized I did not have the vanilla bean...Hmmm. Should I try it with regular vanilla, which would still be tasty, but that wasn't enough I thought. So what did I do, I turned to my trusty Penzeys Vanilla. Which if you choose to use this wonderful vanilla, there is actually a vanilla bean in the bottle (with the extract!) So I fished it out, took my paring knife with a freshly sharpened tip, split the bean open, scraped the seeds out and added them to the mix. Crisis averted-right?!



You'll notice in the image below the cupcake has a bit of sparkle to it, which is due to the sugar glitter I used to dress her up. The sugar glitter I used was purchased at Michael's.



Vanilla Bean Cupcakes (from Williams Sonoma)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract (and if you are using, the seeds from one vanilla bean)
1/2 cup milk
Vanilla buttercream for frosting cupcakes


Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan ( or use your 6 cup muffin pan twice) with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat just until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not over beat.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream. (The frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before finishing.)

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (William Sonoma)

6 cups confectioners’ sugar
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 1/2 Tbs. milk, plus more, if needed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
Food colorings (optional)

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the confectioners sugar, butter, the 4 1/2 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks. Tint with food coloring as desired. Makes about 4 cups.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

The buttermilk will leave a slight tang to this chicken which is nicely balanced with the garlic and herbs. The buttermilk will also impart a nice, juicy tenderness to the chicken.



Grilled Buttermilk Chicken (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 whole chicken, cut up into quarters (or you can also use bone in, skin on chicken thighs, drumsticks, chicken breasts)
4 smashed garlic cloves
1/3 cup fresh rosemary and/or thyme (use less if using dried variations)
~3cups of buttermilk

Combine buttermilk, garlic, rosemary and/or thyme, salt and pepper in a large gallon size resealable plastic bag (or alternatively a container with a tight fitting lid.) Once the marinade has combined, add chicken. Toss and turn the chicken in the marinade to ensure that it is fully coated in the buttermilk mixture.

Place the sealed bag or container in the lowest shelf of the refridgerator. The chicken and marinade can be left undisturbed for a minimum of four hours or at the most overnight. Remove the chicken from the refridgerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Preheat the grill to medium, designating half of the grill to a direct heat zone, and reserving half of the grill for indirect heat. Brush the grates of the grill with oil.

Remove the chicken from the grill and place skin side down over direct heat. Allow the chicken to cook for ten minutes and then flip. Cook for a few more minutes and move the chicken towards the indirect heat zone (the other side of the grill.)

Once the chicken has good color and the skin looks relatively done, that is the time to move the chicken to the indirect heat. The insides will continue to cook, without charring the outside. Make sure the cover to the grill is closed top keep all of the heat trapped inside.

Using a meat thermometer, continue to monitor the temperature until it reaches 165 degrees internally. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and let rest for about 10 minutes before enjoying so that the juices have time to redistribute. This will ensure your chicken is juicy and moist.



**The foil packets on the left would be baked potatoes on the grill. They are very quick and easy, simply select and scrub the outside of the potato so it has been cleaned. Slice the potatoe lengthwise and between the two slices put a big slice of white or yellow onion and a tablespoon of butter. Wrap each potato individually in aluminum foil and grill for about 40 minutes. The potatoes don't have to be directly over high heat, but not way off to the side, they should be in the medium zone.

Fresh Mint Chocolate Truffle Tart

I love chocolate mint combinations and this did not fail. However I will note that this chocolate mint combo is not similar to an Andes mint or a girl scout cookie. This is fresh mint...it's like if you were to purchase some mint and smell it, that's the mint taste in this dessert because its fresh mint and not mint extract. That being mentioned, this would also be wonderful using the extract versus the fresh mint if you prefer. (Wow I just used the word 9 times is 4 sentences-yikes)

This tart was fairly quick and easy, I made the dough in a food processor, though you don't have to. Instead of chopping up chocolate bars, I used chocolate chips. Please give this a try!



Fresh Mint Chocolate Truffle Tart (from William Sonoma)

1 rolled-out rectangle of basic tart dough (from here)
1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
8 to 10 fresh mint sprigs (about 40 leaves), plus sprigs for garnish
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped into small slivers, or use chocolate chips
2 Tbs. light corn syrup
Confectioners’ sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Fold the dough rectangle in half and carefully transfer to a 9" tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Unfold and ease the rectangle into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides to extend it slightly above the rim to offset any shrinkage during baking.

Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F.

Line the pastry shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or raw short-grain rice. Bake for 20 minutes, then lift an edge of the foil. If the dough looks wet, continue to bake, checking every 5 minutes, until the dough is pale gold, for a total baking time of 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the weights and foil. Continue to bake until the shell is golden, 7 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream until small bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from the heat and add the mint sprigs. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.

Put the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, set over but not touching barely simmering water and melt, stirring occasionally. Pour the cream through a fine-mesh sieve into the melted chocolate, discarding the mint sprigs. Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth. Pour the filling into the tart shell.

Refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, let the sides fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Just before serving, lay strips of waxed paper over the top of the tart and dust lightly with confectioners sugar. Carefully remove the strips and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Enjoy!

Grilling "How-To": Smoked Baby Back Ribs

My husband I both love the smoky taste barbecuing lends to foods. However, we've never tried to smoke something. We have a gas grill, and I have heard that you could do it, though I wasn't sure. I know that with charcoal grill you could, and if you had a designated smoker, it was obviously possible.

With a little help from a friend, I felt confident giving it a try. In order to smoke something, you have to use indirect heat/cooking method. With a gas grill, you have control over which burners/zones to use and how hot you want to make them, or whether you just want to keep them off.

Our grill has four burners, and I don't think it matters how many yours has, as long as you keep it even, half is designated to use as the direct heat, half designated as indirect heating.

Supplies Needed:

Wood Chips/Chunks (I used mesquite, experiment with other types of woods for different flavors)
Disposable cake or lasagna pan. Just make sure sure it fits in and on half of the grill.
Aluminum Foil
Roaster Pan
rack to fit inside roaster pan
Rack of Baby Back Ribs (recommended prep here)

Method: Soak the wood chips/chunks in water for about one hour, this is very important for a longer cooking methods like this. Once that is complete, scoop the wood out and place in disposable pan and cover disposable pan with foil. Poke generous size holes in the foil to allow all of that smoke to escape.



In the roaster pan, place an inch or two of water. Remove a good length of foil from the dispenser and ball it up, these acts as supports for the rack that fits inside roaster pan so the ribs do not sit in the cooking liquid.



Place the prepared ribs on the rack, that is sitting on the foil supports, that sit in the cooking liquid.

Move the wood chip filled pan to the grill area and preheat half of the grill to high heat, once the grill is preheated, put the wood chip filled pan on the half of the grill that is preheated over high heat and close the lid of the grill.

Allow the wood chips to start to smoke a little bit, about 5 minutes. Open the grill and place the pan with the rack of ribs on the half of the grill that is not directly heated. Close the grill cover. And leave it closed.



Once the wood chips/chunks have started to fully smoke, turn the heat down to low. You do not want the grills temperature to get too hot. This is supposed to be a longer cooking method, higher temperatures will cook the meat too fast. That will toughen the ribs, rather than leave them tender and juicy.



You can peak in there once or twice if you want, but in general, leave the grill closed. You need to keep all of the flavor inside the grill.

My cooking time was a little more than two hours on the grill. Once your ribs have finished cooking, let them rest for 10 minutes, this help to redistribute some of the juices in the meat, leaving it more juicy.

Slice the ribs, serve on a platter with homemade BBQ sauce and enjoy your feast!



**While cleaning up afterwards, make sure the wood chips/chunks are fully extinguished before moving them to the garbage. I used the chunks and a few hours later, some of them were still smoldering.