Christmas Traditions

I love the holidays. That magical time between Thanksgiving and New Years that doesn't occur any other time of year. Perfect strangers smile and make small talk with one another. There's a tangible feeling of 'happiness' in the air, a collective consciousness of well being and camaraderie. It's as if there is an unspoken truce that we will all try a little harder to get along; to be more caring, considerate and forgiving. It's a time where we reach out to reconnect with old friends and family, a time of reflection and appreciation. A time of inner soul searching, of finding the 'good' in all things.

And it is a time to eat. Yes indeed, it is a time to toss away our every day dietary restrictions and embrace the heady abundance that the holiday season has to offer. I know, I know, we are warned adnauseum of the potential dangers that holiday excess can inflict on our ever expanding waistlines. But come on, if we can't indulge in a little gluttony and excess during the holidays, then what is the point?

Holiday food traditions are sacred. Ham at Easter, corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, candy for Halloween, turkey for Thanksgiving, and the daddy of them all; Standing Rib Roast for Christmas Dinner. With all the trimmings, Yorkshire pudding, decadent potatoes, and the ubiquitous aspargus for the veg course. Dessert? Yes, but who cares, give me that big, beautiful, med rare, slab of fat laden prime rib with a little horseradish cream and call the heart surgeon 'cause I'm dying a happy girl.

The bossy chef keeps trying to interfer with Christmas tradition by offering substitutions for the rib roast dinner. This year he suggested Porchetta. Definition in Wikipedia: Porchetta [porˈketta] is a savoury, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. The body of the pig is gutted, deboned, arranged carefully with layers of stuffing, meat, fat, and skin, then rolled, spitted, and roasted, traditionally over wood. Porchetta is usually heavily salted in addition to being stuffed with garlic, rosemary, fennel, or other herbs, often wild. Porchetta has been selected by the Italian Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (“traditional agricultural-alimentary product”, one of a list of traditional Italian foods held to have cultural relevance).

I love pork and I know this is absolutely delicious, but no. Sorry, no way, not going to happen. Not at Christmas. Period. There are 364 other days of the year that we can enjoy Porchetta. Try again next year hubby.

We're having prime rib, end of story.



From Michael Symon's 'Carnivore':

" Prime rib is one of the most expensive cuts of beef, for good reason. It has everything you could want from a piece of meat. The bones and fat add a ton of flavor and when cooked properly, the meat is melt in your mouth tender. While I love a rare steak, prime rib actually benefits from a  little more cooking. Taking this cut to medium-rare ( or slightly past ) allows the fat to melt and baste the meat while pulling more flavor from the bones. "
I couldn't agree more. The flavor is in the fat and the fat needs to melt to do it's work.

So, if you're going to invest in this pricey cut of meat you want to cook it correctly. I wrote about prime rib in a previous blog and shared Thomas Keller's method of using a propane blowtorch on the exterior of the roast before roasting in a low and slow oven. The blowtorch insured that even in a low temperature oven the roast would achieve a beautiful brown crust. I included a video showing the technique which was so successful that I've included it once again below.

Now for a couple of new twists from Michael Symon's book 'Carnivore'. If you don't have a blow torch or don't want to mess with one, here's another way to roast that rib to crusty brown perfection.

Symon has the butcher remove the meat from the bones, but he keeps the bones and uses them for the roasting rack. Makes sense to me on a couple of levels, one; it makes for easier carving. Two; you still get the great flavor imparted from the bones, and they are amazing to gnaw on. So don't throw out those bones!

One of the key steps that you absolutely do not want to skip is to liberally salt the prime rib with kosher salt and some pepper and refrigerate it overnight. You can do this two or three days ahead if you have the time. This overnight 'salting' helps insure a crusty outside and juicy inside.  Bossy chef and I started pre-salting everything from our Thanksgiving turkey to chickens, steaks and various pork cuts. It makes a huge difference in taste and texture and requires only a little bit of pre-planning. Don't be shy with the salt, you can rub off the excess before cooking if you're afraid you've overdone it.

Here is a link to a downloadable pdf copy of Michael Symon's Roast Prime Rib:

http://db.tt/JxN2oQtJ

Whether you'll be cooking a rib roast, turkey, or ham for Christmas dinner, or going to someone's home, we would like to wish everyone a joyful, safe and peaceful holiday. With a special 'thank you' to all of our armed forces who cannot be home with their loved ones this season. We are grateful for the sacrifices you make and truly appreciate what you give up so that we can enjoy our homes and families.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Becky & Jack

Bird of Paradise

Heritage, Organic, Free Range,Fresh, Frozen, Pastured, Butterball, or Honeysuckle; which Gobbler is right for you?

Each year we deliberate as to whether we should splurge on a Heritage turkey, go mid range with an organic bird, or do as most Americans do and pick up a cheapo supermarket bird, which they practically give away in hopes that you'll buy the rest of your Thanksgiving fixings there. Up until now, my research into these different types of birds has been cursory at best. Blindly assuming that a Heritage, organic, natural or free range bird must be better (if not better tasting, at least better for you) than an industrially raised commodity bird. But why? Could a bird that costs up to $6-$7 per pound really be that much better than one costing 50 - 80% less? Hmmm, time to find out what the actual difference is between these gobblers.

 I started with the most widely sold, readily available, and least expensive turkey, the commodity bird. 99% of all turkeys raised in the United States is the commodity turkey. Butterball, Honeysuckle, Jennie-0, generic labeled brands, and other inexpensive supermarket labels are all industrial commodity birds. These birds are all one variety called 'Broad-breasted White', and have been bred specifically to produce extra white meat (larger breasts), and for rapid growth. The over sized breasts render the birds incapable of flight, natural mating, and as the bird matures it has great difficulty walking. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, without artificial insemination performed by humans, this variety of bird would become extinct in just one generation.
Industrial turkeys are often injected with saline solution and vegetable oils in an attempt to help improve the taste and texture of the meat. These factory farmed birds tend to be dry and tasteless, so cooks have developed a variety of methods to try to improve the taste. Turkeys are now marinated, brined, deep fried and covered with syrups, spices and herbs.

According to Sustainable Table, "They live in unnatural, uncomfortable conditions and are fed a steady diet of grain and supplements like antibiotics, and growth hormones, rather than the grubs, bugs and grasses they should eat. And they reach such extreme weights so quickly their overall development fails to keep pace with their rapidly accruing muscle mass, resulting in severe immune system, cardiac, respiratory and leg problems."

On factory farms, according to Farm Sanctuary, turkeys “frequently have the ends of their beaks and toes cut off without anesthesia - practices known as debeaking and detoeing – to prevent them from injuring one another as they are crowded by the thousands into dark, filthy warehouses. “Turkeys, along with other poultry, are not protected by the federal Humane Slaughter Act, and are frequently killed without first being stunned.”

Yummy. Wow, talk about an appetite killer. It’s enough to turn a happy little omnivore like myself into a die hard vegetarian.

OK, I don’t want to purchase one of these birds no matter how much money I’ll save. So what are my options? We’ve all been paying more attention to how our food is grown, raised and where it comes from. For good reason, if you’ve not yet seen the movie or read ‘Food, Inc.’, or read recent exposes’ on America’s food production, it’s time you wake up and smell the pesticides / hormones / and antibiotics.

The opposite end of the cheapo turkey spectrum is the Heritage Turkey. From Sustainable Table; “There is a movement to reintroduce different varieties of turkeys back to the public. Many of these birds originated here in the United States. Groups like Slow Food USA and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy are working to reintroduce genetically diversified varieties of animals, including turkeys, that were raised years ago. These animals are often referred to as “heritage” breeds. Heritage turkeys are raised outdoors, freely roam on pasture, and eat the varied diet nature intended them to eat, unlike most turkeys today that are raised indoors in confinement and are fed grains, filler and supplements like antibiotics and hormones.”

The heritage turkey is closely related to its wild ancestors; it is heartier, healthier, and capable of natural mating, running, and flying.

According to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy:

"All domesticated turkeys descend from wild turkeys indigenous to North and South America. They are the quintessential American poultry. For centuries people have raised turkeys for food and for the joy of having them.
Many different varieties have been developed to fit different purposes. Turkeys were selected for productivity and for specific color patterns to show off the bird’s beauty. The American Poultry Association (APA) lists eight varieties of turkeys in its Standard of Perfection. Most were accepted into the Standard in the last half of the 19th century, with a few more recent additions. They are Black, Bronze, Narragansett, White Holland, Slate, Bourbon Red, Beltsville Small White, and Royal Palm. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy also recognizes other naturally mating color varieties that have not been accepted into the APA Standard, such as the Jersey Buff, White Midget, and others. All of these varieties are Heritage Turkeys.
Heritage turkeys are defined by the historic, range-based production system in which they are raised. Turkeys must meet all of the following criteria to qualify as a Heritage turkey:

1. Naturally mating: the Heritage Turkey must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating, with expected fertility rates of 70-80%. This means that turkeys marketed as “heritage” must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock.

2. Long productive outdoor lifespan: the Heritage Turkey must have a long productive lifespan. Breeding hens are commonly productive for 5-7 years and breeding toms for 3-5 years. The Heritage Turkey must also have a genetic ability to withstand the environmental rigors of outdoor production systems.

3. Slow growth rate: the Heritage Turkey must have a slow to moderate rate of growth. Today’s heritage turkeys reach a marketable weight in about 28 weeks, giving the birds time to develop a strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass. This growth rate is identical to that of the commercial varieties of the first half of the 20th century."

With rich tasting meats more moist and flavorful than the mass produced large-breasted turkeys of today, Heritage Breeds owe their taste to diverse diets and extended life-spans. Dining on fresh grass and insects, these birds exercise and even help control farmer's pest problems. And while large corporations have dominated turkey production and breeding since the 1960's, choosing the Broad Breasted Whites because of high breast meat production in a short period, Heritage Breeds have been quietly gaining a renewed market and respect due to their flavor and superior biological diversity.

Raising Heritage Breeds is more costly and time consuming than raising White Breasted Toms. While supermarket turkeys grow to an average of 32 pounds over 18 weeks, Heritage birds take anywhere from 24-30 to reach their market weight. But those who have tasted Heritage Breeds say the cost-and the wait-are well worth it.

OK, the danger of converting to a vegetarian has passed, whew! But at what cost? Holy turkey baster, Heritage turkeys run $6.00 - $7.00 per pound! Which equates to $120 - $140 for a 20 lb bird?? Sorry, no can do. Granted, Thanksgiving comes but once a year, but our standing rib roast for Christmas is less expensive than this bird!

http://www.marysturkeys.com/

If you're not ready yet to buy a heritage turkey, or can't find one, your other option is to buy an organic and/or sustainable free range bird. An organic turkey is certified by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and must be raised under strict guidelines – no antibiotics, no growth enhancers, only organic feed, and the animals must be given access to outdoors.
 

Farmers who raise sustainable turkeys are not overseen by any group or agency, and have no legal guidelines to follow, though many actually exceed the USDA organic standards when raising their birds. Sustainable farmers look to preserve the land, treat their animals and workers humanely, and help support the local community. 

No doubt this is more than you ever wanted or needed to know about turkeys, but now you're armed with the facts and can choose to purchase whatever bird best suits your Thanksgiving table. Below is a list of prices I collected from the local markets. Some of these prices may change as we get closer to Thanksgiving, as the larger supermarkets will be competing for your business. I've also included a couple of videos from the masters to help you roast a perfect bird.

Whether you're budget allows for the Rolls Royce of turkeys; the Heritage bird, or the well known Butterball, I wish you and yours a fun filled and DELICIOUS Thanksgiving Holiday!

I hope you enjoy our blog, thank you for reading! Please feel free to call or email us should you have any food or cooking questions or if you would like a help finding a special recipe.

Real Estate

Becky Goldsmith

Becky@beckygoldsmith.com  720-979-3184

King Soopers: They do not carry Heritage or Organic turkeys and I was told fresh turkeys would be available only by pre-ordering as they threw away too many unsold fresh birds last year.
     Kroger frozen $.69 lb
     Private Selection frozen $.99 lb
     Butterball frozen $1.29 lb

Safeway: No Heritage or Organic
     Safeway brand: $7.99 each for 8-16 pounds
     Safeway brand: $10.99 ea for 16-20 pounds
     Safeway brand: $11.99 ea for 20-24 pounds
     Honeysuckle: $11.99 ea for 8-16 pounds    

Sprouts: Zacky's fresh free range $1.49 lb 

Vitamin Cottage: They carry two brands and you must pre-order your turkey. They are out of the Heritage turkeys but have organic and free range turkeys available. All of their turkeys are free range, and hormone and antibiotic free.
Mary's Free Range $2.29 lb
Shelton's Free Range $3.29 lb
Mary's Organic $3.39 lb

Click on the links below for easy step by step instructions on how to prep and roast a beautiful turkey.

This first one is Jacques Pepin and Julia Child, doesn't get any better than these two.
   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afdh_i3Kmy0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This is with Alton Brown, and I think he has a very simple and easy to follow approach to roasting your bird. (He's fun to watch too).
http://www.foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving-turkey-tips-and-how-tos/video/index.html?videoId=85328

Fair and Carni Food

Summertime....county fairs, carnivals, food and wine festivals, eat, drink and eat some more. Each year in Colorado there are 55 county fairs alone. This does not include the Renaissance Festival, the Palisade Peach festival, the Aspen Food and Wine Classic, the Telluride Wine or Jazz festival, Winter Park Jazz festival, the Taste of Colorado, Breckenridge and Steamboat Wine Festivals. I could go on and on, the list is endless. And what do all of these little get togethers have in common? Well, food and drink of course. From Aspen's chi chi poo poo $1225 per person ticket to the usually free admission to the local county fairs, Colorado has a plethora of venues for all tastes and pocketbooks. A hungry fair lovin' person can spend all of June, July and August traversing our great state eating a dizzying array of tasty eats ranging from a Lobster roll made with Hoegaarden beer at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic,

to fried bubble gum, funnel cakes and steak on a stick at the local county fair. Our budget has yet to afford us the luxury of the gastronomic experience at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic, but we have tromped through many a hot and dusty county fair and small town festival in search of diet slaying cuisine that you eat with your hands. Often you can get an ice cold beer to wash down those fried cheese curds  with, makes for a mighty fine meal.

For the last several years, hubby and I have made an annual summer trek to the small farming community of Rupert, Idaho located in the southern part of the state; to spend a few days with kids and grandkids. We've taken our 8 year old granddaughter, Macy Jeanne with us the last three years and schedule our visit to coincide with the Minidoka County Fair. Our grandsons, Caleb and Waylen, participate in 4H and the youngest, Waylen now 7,  has been a 'muttin bustin' champ two years running.  Caleb has shown a pig the last two years and this year placed third, bringing in a record sum just a few dollars shy of the Grand Champion. Yes we are proud grandparents!

The rural town of Rupert where the kids call home does lack a bit for culinary offerings. There is no shortage of small independently owned eateries, but the food is hearty farm fare; fried, heavy, substantial food. Biscuits and gravy? No problem. Chicken fried steak and eggs? You bet. Slab of beef, pork, or chicken with potatoes and gravy? All day long. But ask for yogurt with fresh fruit or a salad made from something other than iceberg and you're likely to receive a look of confounded curiosity from the waitress. "You folks aren't from around here are ya?" Is the typical response. No ma'am we're sure aren't.

So each year when we set our sights on southern Idaho we throw out our standard expectations of travel and dining and we join the Future Farmers of America and eat BIG.

Eating at the Minidoka County Fair is no exception. This is America's heartland, sugar beets, corn, potatoes, cattle, pigs and lamb and chicken. And the fair is where everyone comes together to show off the best of the best in competitions where the coveted Blue Ribbon reigns supreme. Chores start early in the morning on the fair grounds, where kids feed, clean pens, bath and groom their animals in hopes of gaining the judges winning nod.

All that hard work can make a cow poke mighty hungry. Fortunately for us, (cow pokes and city slickers alike) there are some early rising cooks ready and waiting to dish up some fine eats. Long before trendy street trucks came into vogue, fairs have been outfitted with trucks dishing up everything from burgers & corn dogs to everything fried you can think of. Fried lemonade? Oh yeah, it's out there. Now, I tend to think that the smaller the fair the better the food. In my experience the small locally produced fairs tend to be run by the people who live there and who take pride in what they're selling. Their ingredients are locally sourced, they seem to know just about everyone who walks up to the window and they sure seem to be having a good time. Takes all kinds, 'cause it looks like hot, gruelling work to me.

At the Minidoka fair, a one woman espresso / coffee wagon kept busy throughout the morning hours, and I saw the same woman working the machine late into the evening during that nights rodeo performance. The fair lasts an entire week,  hopefully she gets a break during the afternoons, whew! Those farmers are made of tough stock.

There was another truck serving up breakfast. The selections ranged from eggs, sausage, ham or bacon and cheese grilled on Texas toast, to wrangler sized breakfast burritos filled with homemade hash browns, eggs, meat, cheese and chili's. Breakfast quesadillas, pancakes, french toast, smoothies, if it wasn't on the menu those nice ladies were more than happy to make what you wanted as long as they had the ingredients. These gals were dishing up the true breakfast of champions.

Lunch and dinner offered more choices. Steak or chicken on a stick. Large juicy chunks of sirloin marinated and grilled to order. The chicken was grilled and topped with a spicy barbecue sauce and each was served over a mountain of homemade potato chips. Hands down it was the best eats at this fair.

Hamburgers, corn dogs, corn on the cobb, chili cheese fries, funnel cakes, and one truck serving up something called 'dinner in a pot'. A hearty conglomeration of meat, potatoes and vegetables. Looked pretty tasty but too heavy for the blazing summer day. And of course there was the wagon serving anything and everything fried. From Twinkies to bubble gum and lemonade, if you can stomach it they'll batter and fry it. It didn't take a lot of will power to walk by that wagon, the smell of grease and batter was enough of an appetite killer for me.

We're at the tail end of fair and festival season for this year, but there's still Labor Day Weekend with one of the biggest food fests of the year, the Taste Of Colorado, right around the corner. Come on, you know you're craving one of those monster turkey legs.

There are more sophisticated food choices at the larger fairs these days, but there was something nostalgic and very charming about the seven small trucks and wagons at the Minidoka County Fair in Rupert, Idaho.

No doubt the easy smiles and gracious attitudes from the fine folks working those trucks, was a big part of what made our experience a first place Blue Ribbon winner.  Thank you Idaho, we'll see you next year!

Thank you to all of my past, present, and future clients. You're the reason I love what I do and I do what I love! I appreciate your referrals more than you'll ever know, please pass my name along should you hear of someone needing advice or help in the world of real estate.

Becky Goldsmith

720-979-3184

Becky@beckygoldsmith.com

Father's Day Grillin'

Jack told me that my father and I share a peculiar habit. According to him, when either my dad or I find ourselves about to partake in a particularly good meal, we start to hum. No specific tune, we just start humming. I was never aware of this habit and I'm pretty sure my dad doesn't realize he's doing it either.  Apparently I inherited my love of food from him.

With Father's Day just around the corner it's time to think about preparing a meal with dad's favorite foods in mind. Most dads, are pretty darn easy to please. My dad is a man of simple tastes. If money were no object and he had the choice between a fancy restaurant or a backyard bbq with burgers and dogs on the grill, he'd choose the burgers and dogs every time. Hands down, no question. I love my dad, not just for his simple tastes, but because in my mind he truly is the world's greatest dad and I'm extremely fortunate to be able to cook for him this Father's Day.

My dad loves good food and Jack says he's always humming when he comes to our house. We're having the Wood clan over for Father's Day this year and we're going to treat everyone to steaks on the grill. Everyone is bringing a dish and I know we'll have lots of great food and drink. Whenever the Wood clan gets together it's always a good time!

There are literally hundreds of sauces, marinades, dry rubs and cooking techniques when it comes to steaks. A good rule of thumb: the better the quality of the meat, the less you want to mess with it. If you're splurging on prime beef, say a rib eye or N.Y. Strip, you don't need more than kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. You've spent a small fortune on the meat, it will stand on it's own.
Our Costco here in Parker, carries a small selection of Prime beef. When Jack and I have something special to celebrate we pick up a package of their Prime rib eyes and a great bottle of Cabernet. It's an amazing meal at a fraction of the cost of what you would spend at one of the high end steak houses. There is a huge difference in flavor and tenderness between prime and choice grade steaks. On the rare occasion that we indulge in prime steaks it's salt and pepper, nothing more.

However, with other cuts of meat we can be more creative. I love playing with different marinades, brines, and spice rubs on all cuts of beef, chicken and pork. There is more to life than Teriyaki!

I'm going to share two recipes with you for seasoning steaks that we love. One is a spice rub from Anne Burrell and the other is a marinade from Rick Tramonto. I think you'll enjoy these very much, they'll work beautifully on any cut of steak. I adore Anne Burrell, I think her cooking is down to earth, delicious and easy for all of us non-professionals to follow. Rick Tramonto is an award winning chef with several restaurants in the Chicago area. Nobody knows beef like Chicago, nobody. His book, 'Steak with Friends' is a must for every carnivore.

A couple of tips:

1. Take the steak from the refrigerator and let it reach room temperature, which should take no more than 30 minutes (if the day is hot it, it will take only about 15 minutes). You never want to grill or roast cold meat straight from the refrigerator because it won't cook properly. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and season according to your recipe. The exception to this is ground meat, which should be left in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.

2. Clean the grill and oil the grilling grid well so the meat does not stick. Use any vegetable oil such as canola or safflower.

3. Make sure your grill is good and hot. Our home grills will never reach the 800 - 900 degrees F. that  restaurants achieve, but always pre-heat your grill.

4. Lay the steak on the grill using tongs, never pierce the steak releases valuable juices. Turn the steak only once, and use tongs.

5. Let the steak rest for at least five minutes after removing from the grill.

Real Estate

Becky Goldsmith

Becky@beckygoldsmith.com

720-979-3184

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home or know of someone who is, I hope you will give me a call!

Plan ahead! If you're going to use a dry rub, marinade or brine, most recipes recommend allowing 24 - 36 hours for the meat to fully absorb the flavors of whichever method you're using.

Anne Burrell's Dry Rub for steak

Enough rub for two large (22-24 ounce rib eyes) or 4-6 smaller steaks.

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, ground
2 teaspoons pimenton (smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix thoroughly. Rub the outside of each steak generously and evenly with the rub (if you have left over rub, save it for your next steak). Wrap each steak tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, (up to 72 hours).

Remove steaks from fridge 20 - 30 minutes before you're ready to cook and allow to come to room temp. Remove plastic wrap (duh).

Downloadable PDF version of this recipe:

http://db.tt/aQkB4cAl

Rick Tramonto's Balsamic Marinade

Makes about 3 1/2 cups, enough for 4-6 (12 - 16 ounce) steaks

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 1/2 cups olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

In a glass, ceramic or other nonreactive mixing bowl, stir together the vinegar, orange zest and juice, garlic, shallot, and thyme. Whisk in the olive oil until it comes together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

In a shallow baking dish, cover the steaks with the marinade. Gently rub it into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 36 hours.
Remove from fridge 20 - 30 minutes before you are ready to cook to allow to come to room temp.

Lift the steaks from the marinade (using tongs) and let the marinade drip into the dish.
Brush the steaks with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Grill the steaks, brushing the steaks with the marinade during the first half of grilling. Let the steaks rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Downloadable PDF version of this recipe:

http://db.tt/SmQzrUkI

If you're lucky enough to spend this Father's day with your dad or someone who is a dad, I wish for you a day filled with wonderful food, drink, and most of all great friends and family. It's what it's all about.

And don't forget the dessert!

 

Happy Father's Day Woody!

Midnight Madness

Real Estate

Becky Goldsmith, GRI

720-979-3184

Chocolate. What adjectives come to mind when you think of chocolate? I won't bother to compile a list of them here, but say the word 'chocolate' out loud and you will get the attention of everyone within earshot. Instantly recognizable, always welcomed, possibly addictive; chocolate is a glorious guilty pleasure.

It has often been compared to good sex. We've heard that chocolate triggers the same pleasure centers in the brain as sex. However unlike sex, eating chocolate is safe and can be enjoyed in public. I've never heard of someone being arrested for eating chocolate in a movie theater or requiring a pill after spending the night with a pint of Haagen Dazs chocolate chocolate chip.

Chocolate is believed to have originated in the Amazon at least 4000 years ago. The Aztecs valued the cacao bean so much they used it for currency. I think a case could be made that chocolate is still used for currency today, Valentine's Day? Oh yes indeed.....don't think for a moment that box of chocolates was given without expectations!

 (Don't you just love chocolate dipped strawberries?)

So when you think of chocolate what comes to mind? What is your 'default' chocolate pleasure that satisfies the beast within? Is it ice cream, cake, cookies, hot cocoa, brownies, candy, or a combination?
Oh yes, a combination please. Ice cream combined with any of the above is never a bad thing.

Brownies have not only been my 'go to' for chocolate when I want to satisfy a craving, they have been a lifelong addiction. As far back as I can remember, brownies have been one of my favorite indulgences. For years I've searched for and experimented with different recipes thinking I would find the ultimate brownie. I have recently come to accept that there is no such thing as the ultimate brownie, but instead there are many great recipes and truthfully, I've never eaten a brownie that I didn't enjoy at least a little bit. Of course some are better than others, but as my friend and business partner Roxanne says about Mexican food, 'even bad Mexican food is good'! So even bad brownies are good brownies. That said, really good brownies are so easy and quick to make there's no reason to ever eat an inferior brownie.

Around midnight one night many years ago when I was newly married to my first husband Cowboy  Bob, I awoke with one of my uncontrollable brownie cravings. I quietly snuck out of bed and headed to the kitchen to whip up a pan. I was just about to put them in the oven when Bob woke up, "What in the h!@* are you doing!?" he asked. When I calmly said that I was making brownies, he exclaimed that he'd married a crazy woman. I should have realized then that our marriage was doomed.
Now, when I have a case of midnight madness Chef Jack knows all to well what I'm up to and all he says is, "Great! What kind?" Ahhhh, my soul mate!

Lucky for me hubby has been a food rep for the last 7-8 years, and has access to some of the best baking chocolates available. Valrohna, Scharffenberger, Callebaut, they're all wonderful and lots of fun to bake with. But there's nothing wrong with good ol' Hershey's unsweetened baking chocolate. Some of the best brownies ever are Barron's Brownies from Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts, using Hershey's unsweetened chocolate. Awesome brownies, they never fail to get rave reviews when I take them to parties. The book was published in 1985, before artisan chocolates were widely available.

Barron's Brownies from Maida Heatter

2 Ounces unsweetened chocolate         1 Cup granulated sugar
4 ounces semisweet chocolate              2 large eggs
4 ounces (1stick) unsalted butter           1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt                                    4 ounces (1 generous cup) walnut halves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract                      or large pieces

Preheat oven to 325, adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven. Prepare an 8-inch square pan as follows. Turn the pan over, center a 12-inch square of foil shiny side down over the pan, fold down the sides and corner to shape the foil, then remove the foil and turn the pan over again. Place the foil in the pan and press it gently into place. Butter the foil all over with melted butter (in addition to that called for) and set aside.

Place both chocolates and butter in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat. Stir occasionally until melted, whisk if necessary until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in salt, vanilla, sugar, then eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until incorporated. Add the flour and stir briskly for about a minute until the mixture is smooth and shiny and comes away from the sides of the pan. Stir in the nuts.

Turn mixture into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and dry.
Remove from the oven, cool completely in the pan. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour until the cake is firm. Cover with a cutting board or a cookie sheet and turn the pan and the board or sheet over. Remove the pan. Slowly and carefully peel off the foil, the turn the firm cake over again. Cut the cake into quarters and then cut each quarter into 4 brownies.

Click on the link below for a downloadable pdf version of Barron's Brownies

http://db.tt/P07MdqZY

Now we have chocolate with different chocolate percentages. "Chocolate percentage" is an imposing phrase thrown around loosely among chocolate connoisseurs. It refers to the percentage of cocoa mass (aka chocolate liquor), the essence of chocolate, in the chocolate bar itself. More cocoa mass means a higher percentage, darker color, and a more intense chocolate taste. Unsweetened or bitter chocolate contains nearly 100 percent cocoa mass. Semisweet and bittersweet chocolates have added sugar, so their cocoa percentages are a little lower - good quality dark chocolate usually contains a minimum of 50 percent cocoa mass, but can go as high as 85 percent. Because milk chocolate has more added sugar than dark, as well as dried milk solids, it has a lower percentage of cocoa mass, usually about 30 to 40 percent. And for those who love the taste of milk chocolate but crave the deep chocolaty flavor of dark, many companies are creating dark milk varieties which have a higher cocoa mass percentage than conventional milk chocolates.
The percentage also gives us some idea about the chocolate's sweetness. If a dark chocolate contains 70 percent cocoa mass, it must contain about 30 percent sugar. The chocolate will have an intense chocolate flavor, with just enough sugar to make it palatable. The lower the chocolate's percentage, the higher the percentage of sugar and the sweeter the chocolate will be.

Becky Goldsmith, GRI

720-979-3184

Please call me if you're thinking of buying or selling your home or if you know of someone who is,

Thank you!

My new favorite brownie recipe is from 'The Essence of Chocolate' by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. They call them Cakey Brownies, but I thought they were a wonderful mix of fudgey and cakey, the best of both worlds!

Cakey Brownies

4 ounces unsalted butter (plus more for the pan)
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts or chocolate pieces (optional).

Position a rack on the lowest level of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. (I used my 8 inch square brownie pan, it worked perfectly).
Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and evenly blended with the butter.
Add 1/2 cup  of the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Stir in the yolks. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and add the dry mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the whites at high speed until a loose froth with large bubbles forms. While continuing to whip, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a slow, steady stream. If sugar builds up on the sides of the bowl, stop the mixer and quickly scrap the sugar into the whites. Continue whipping until the whites form firm peaks.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate mixture. Fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate, if using. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a few strokes of the spatula. Don't spend a lot of time trying to make the top perfectly even, because that could overwork and deflate the batter.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before cutting.

Click on the link below for a downloadable pdf version of Cakey Brownies

http://db.tt/N8kCtiNL

Here's a little song to get you in the mood for chocolate, enjoy!

My secret weapon

Dear readers,

I owe you an apology. It has been way too long since I last shared my thoughts on food, wine, cooking and favorite recipes with  you. I have been in a state of what you might call a 'funk'. Wandering aimlessly from one day to the next, contemplating the meaning of life, my navel, why I keep my husband around, and other such self-absorbed thoughts. This self-centered, narcisstic period of life failed to yield anything remotely resembling enlightenment, the meaning of life, or knowledge of the greater good. During this listless nomadic mental state, my appetite did not wane. Loose a pound or two? Sure, right, whatever, didn't happen. Oiy vey.
Well it's over, I'm done, let's move on. Better yet, let's cook!

I've been reading and trying recipes from Thomas Kellers' 'ad hoc at home' cookbook, and I'd like to share one with you from his book that I think is wonderful. I've mentioned this book in a previous blog, if you don't have it yet, get it. It retails for $50.00 but Amazon.com has it for about $30.00.
http://amzn.com/1579653774

The book is user friendly for us home cooks who wish we could cook like the pros but lack the formal culinary education, (re: Jack the 'bossy chef'). Thomas Keller is a culinary genius, arguably the greatest chef in America today. Most of his food is far and away beyond my limited culinary skills and knowledge. But the recipes, instructions, techniques and solid advice written in 'ad hoc at home' are easy to follow, approachable, understandable, and the photograpy is beautiful. Pick up a copy you won't regret it.

What I'm going to share with you today is not only a recipe but also a technique that will add tremendous depth of flavor to any dish where you use either chicken or vegetable stock. What I love about this recipe is that it gives you the depth and richness of homemade chicken / vegetable stock without all of the time and fuss that making stock from scratch requires.

Jack and I use stock for soups, sauces, risottos, braises, the list goes on and on. Because we don't take the time to make stock from scratch we've always purchased a good quality organic chicken stock from the market. Different brands vary in taste, color, price and they all do a decent job. My little 'secret weapon' transforms decent store bought stock into delicious, rich, flavorful, 'almost' homemade stock with very little work and just one hour cooking time. Since the first time I tried this, Jack now constantly asks, " Hey honey, would you mind doing that 'thing' with some chicken stock for me?". So here you go, give it a try the next time you have a little extra time and you want to add some super delicious flavor to your dish:

Secret Weapon:

1 TBL (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter
1 Cup thinly sliced carrots
1 Cup coarsely chopped celery
1 Cup coarsely chopped onion
1 Cup coarsely chopped leeks
Kosher salt

Melt the butter in an 8 - 10 quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and leeks, season with salt, and cover with a parchment lid (see below). Reduce the heat to low and cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, 30 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the parchment lid.


Using parchment paper as a lid for soups, stews, and braises allows some evaporation because of the small steam hole cut in it. But because it covers the meat, it keeps the liquid from reducing too quickly and prevents the surface from becoming caramelized as it cooks. It’s like having a lid and not having a  lid at the same time.

Fold a length of parchment paper in half to give you a piece bigger than the pot to be covered. Place the crease to your right. Folding away from you, fold in half again to make a crease in front of you. Fold this bottom crease up to make a narrow triangle. Continue to fold the triangle over until you have reached the opposite side of the parchment paper.
To gauge the size, place the tip over the center of the pot to be covered and mark the edges of the pot with your thumb, then cut the end off there. With a pair of scissors, cut 1/4 inch off the narrow tip of the triangle. Trim the pointed edges of the triangle to form a smooth, rounded edge. Unfold the triangle. It will be a circle the size of your pot with a steam hole in the center. Put the paper lid in the post so that it rests gently on the good you’re cooking.

Add the chicken stock to the vegetables and bring to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, strain and discard the vegetables.
That's it! You now have excellent stock for any soup, braise, stew or whatever your cooking.

 In case you haven't heard, I've recently  joined Equity Colorado Real Estate and I'm ready to assist you with all of your residential Real Estate needs. I hope you will consider  me if you're planning on buying or selling a home. And thank you so much for referring me to your friends and family. I promise to treat them like my family!

It's my sincerest pleasure to serve you.

Becky

720-979-3184

To get you started here's Thomas Keller's recipe for chicken soup with dumplings, it's killer good.

Chicken Soup with Dumplings

4 Quarts Secret Weapon
5 stalks celery
3 large carrots
1 teaspoon honey
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
1 large garlic clove, crushed, skin left on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup roux (recipe follows)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (dark and or white meat)
1/4 cup minced chives
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
Flat-leaf parsley leaves

Dumplings

1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced chives

Make the dumplings:

Fill a wide deep pot with salted water and bring to a simmer. Set up a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Combine the water, butter, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a stiff heatproof or wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean. The dough should be glossy and smooth but still moist; enough moisture must evaporate from the dough to allow it to absorb more fat when the eggs are added. Continue to stir for 4 to 5 more minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the dough from coloring; a thin coating of dough will form on the bottom and sides of the pan. When enough moisture has evaporated, steam will rise from the dough and the nutty aroma of cooked flour will be noticeable.
Immediately transfer the dough to the mixer bowl. Add the mustard and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix for a few seconds to incorporate the ingredients and release some of the heat. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first egg is completely incorporated before adding the second and incorporating it. Then add the chives and incorporate. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the dumplings using two soupspoons to make a quenelle shape, dropping them into the simmering water. Below is a video showing how to make quenelles.

Cook the dumplings in batches of about 6 to avoid overcrowding the pot an allow them to cook evenly. Once the dumplings rise to the surface, it will take about 5 minutes for them to cook; remove one and break it open to make sure it is cooked. With a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to the baking sheet, and cook the remaining dumplings. (You will have about 18 dumplings).

Once the dumplings have cooled, trim any uneven edges with scissors.

Peel the celery stalks with a peeler. Cut each stalk crosswise on the diagonal into thin slices about 1 1/2 inches long. As you get to the wider lower part of the stalk, adjust the angle of your knife to keep the pieces relatively the same size. You need about 1 1/2 cups celery. Cook the celery in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain, cool in an ice bath, and drain again.

Cut the carrots lengthwise into quarters and then crosswise into bite-sized pieces. As each carrot widens, adjust the size of the cut to keep the pieces bite sized. You need about 1 1/2 cups carrots.
Put the carrots in a saucepan, add the honey, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the carrots are tender but slightly resistant to the tooth. Drain and transfer to paper towels.
Bring the soup base to a simmer and whisk in the roux a little at a time until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; you may not need to use all of the roux. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming often-this is necessary to remove all impurities from the roux. (The soup will continue to thicken as it simmers.)

Add the dumplings, chicken, carrots, celery, and chives to the soup and heat through. Season with the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley leaves.

Roux:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Put the butter in a small skillet or saucepan and set it over medium heat. When it is almost melted, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly and adjusting the heat as necessary so the roux bubbles but does not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or other container to cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.