Not KFC but quite tasty still

Last week in the news was a guy, a fellow food blogger no less, from back east who claimed to have "broken the secret recipe for KFC's 11 spices and herbs". My eyebrows were raised when the 11th item listed was "Accent" or a brand name for MSG...like I really like allergic reactions to my food. I'm here to tell you he didn't break the code. He did come up with a "bomb a@@ chicken" according to my boys so I suppose this recipe will stay in the box.

I worked in a KFC when I was in high school. The marinade was premixed, all we added was water. The "flour" was preseasoned and it was simply a matter of dipping in the marinade then into the flour. Then the floured chicken was put into a contraption that was part deep fat fryer and part pressure cooker. We'd deep fry the chicken with the lid up until golden, then put the basket into the fryer, seal the lid and let 'er rip until the pressure release valve went off some 10-15 minutes later.

I don't have a pressure cooker and would be reticent to try that sort of cooking in a home use pressure cooker. I think you need industrial strength cookers to pull off the type of cooking actually done at KFC.

Regardless, having been at a KFC I can tell you we never knew what was in the 11 spices and herbs. I did pick up a few things as noted that I could bring to the show when it came time to test his spice blend.

Not KFC Fried Chicken

• 6 chicken breasts.
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t sage
• 1 t basil
• 1 t marjoram
• 1 t pepper
• 2 t salt
• 2 T Paprika
• 1 t onion salt
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 ½ c flour
• 4 cups peanut oil.

Marinade:

• 1 c buttermilk
• 1/4 t oregano
• 1/4 t chili powder
• 1/4 t sage
• 1/4 t basil
• 1/4 t marjoram
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 t salt
• 2 t Paprika
• 1/4 t onion salt
• 1/4 t garlic powder

Combine marinade ingredients. Pour over chicken in a glass bowl and cover for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil to 375F in large heavy bottom frying pan. Combine spices, herbs and flour in a shallow bowl. Pull a piece of chicken from the marinade and loosely shake off excess marinade. Dredge through flour mixture and put into the hot oil. Repeat with other breasts. Do not crowd pan. Cook 5-7 minutes until golden brown, turn over and cook 5 minutes longer. Place chicken onto parchment or silicone baking sheet lined baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes or until largest breast will have clear juices when poked with a fork.

Mushrooms and Thyme are bestest friends

No kidding, mushrooms and thyme really play well together in terms of taste. One of our favorite recipes for dinner parties or pot lucks is "Big Pasta and Mushrooms". Its an adaptation of a recipe from Nigella Lawson that hits the flavor profiles, but in a smaller quantity (hers calls for 3 lbs of pasta) and without the fuss of making a bechamel sauce.

I'm inherently lazy and will take short cuts where appropriate. Canned cream of mushroom soup is the short cut here that saves a ton of time in prepping the dish.

For my version I kept the amount of mushrooms similar to what the original recipe called for. Why? Because I love freaking mushrooms and felt that my ratio gave you more of a sense of the mushroomy goodness than the original.

The mushrooms I chose were those that looked best when I went to the market on the day I made this batch. The type of mushroom you use isn't as important as getting the quantity right and using those that are freshest when you are in the market. You can even fudge with the weight as an extra ounce more or less won't hurt the final outcome.

Big Pasta and Mushrooms

• 8 oz portobello caps sliced
• 6 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
• 3.5 oz oyster musroom sliced
• 2 c loosely packed dried shitake mushrooms
• 1 stick butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme tied in a bundle - plus extra for garnish
• nutmeg
• 1 t herbed sea salt (regular sea salt can be substituted)
• 1 t fresh ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 c vermouth
• boiling water
• 1 1/2 c fresh grated Parmesan
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 4 c milk
• 1 1/2 lbs large pasta (I used stuffing size rigatoni)
• 1 1/4 c fresh chopped parsley
• Preheat oven to 400F.

Put dried shitakes in a measuring cup and cover with boiling water. Allow to steep for at least 5 minutes. Put salted water on to boil for pasta. Cook pasta to "al dente".

In large sauce pot add butter and olive oil. Over medium heat melt butter and then add garlic and thyme bundle. Cook one minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and fresh cracked pepper. Using microplane add 10-12 good scrapes of nutmeg to the mushrooms. Cook 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until they have released their moisture and the liquid has nearly evaporated.

Drain the shitakes, reserving liquid (should be about 1 cup). Add shitakes with the sea salt to the pan and cook 1 minute folding them in constantly until evenly distributed. Add vermouth, cook 2-3 minutes until absorbed by the mushrooms. Add the reserved shitake liquid and cook 5-7 minutes until nearly evaporated. Remove thyme twig bundle.

Add cream of mushroom soup, milk and 1 cup parsley to the mushroom mixture stir until soup is dissolved. In large mixing bowl add the cooked and drained pasta. Add the mushrooms and fold gently until well distributed. Sprinkle on 1 cup of Parmesan and fold until well distributed.

Pour into 12X17 baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 c Parmesan across the top. Bake 30 minutes until parts are browned and crusty.

Remove from oven and garnish with 1/4 cup parsley and 6-8 thyme sprigs.

Guilt free breakfast and a quest...

I love summer and all the fresh fruit that we get in the deal. Makes for really nice guilt free breakfast (as opposed to sugar-coated-chocolate-bombs or similar). Whilst I was having some melon I remembered my Grandma Jasovec's "Watermelon Rind Pickles" and how good they were. Of course pickling them was just one way nothing went to waste during the "war years".

My quest now is to find out who has my Grandmothers recipe collection and find her "Watermelon Rind Pickle" recipe. I could google one, but I'd prefer to find hers and add it to the family heirloom book I'm putting together for my own kids. Wish me luck.

flavored salt...great way to experiment

A friend passed this along yesterday. "Atlantic Seaweed Salt" and it smells wonderful...the very essence of the sea distilled into the salt itself. Of course I see uses for it beyond just seafood, but that is where I shall start.

This isn't the only flavored salt in the pantry. Am working on some recipes with a "Rosebud Sea Salt" that has the perfume of tiny roses infused into it. I see desserts, possibly a fruity fudge variation for that one. Some sort of chicken in white wine for another. Anyone have other ideas to use it for?

My snark for the moment...has anyone heard of "seaweed" farming that isn't organic by its very nature? Is anyone else even a bit annoyed with "organic" being added to everything and then being a charged a premium for not adding something? Having had grand-parents who were farmers, or had large gardens they were all about organic and that was more years ago than I CARE to admit. Suffice it to say it was long before "organic" became a fad then a staple for healthy living. For them it was a big batch of fresh poo to feed in the spring, then a little bug picking to get the crops to produce a healthy bounty at the end of the summer.

Sangria - the perfect "punch" for summer

I love wine and things to do with it in the kitchen. This bit is a citrus based punch using wine as the alcohol to bring on the "punch". I got the basic recipe from a Spanish exchange student that was with one of our neighbors a few years ago so it is pretty authentic. What I like about it is the citrus snap without it being overly sweet.

As far as the wine goes, chose a red you'd drink straight up as it does make a difference in the final product. There are plenty of decent $5-10 bottles that would work well. I generally use a shiraz or cab, even a blended red and get good results every time. The key is to use a red you'll like and you can't go wrong.

As this needs some sitting time to allow all the flavors to intermingle this is a great make ahead for a party that can be done the day before. One less thing to do on the day of the party always makes life a little easier.

Sangria

• 2 bottles red wine
• 1 large grapefruit
• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 5-6 key limes

Slice the grapefruit, oranges, lemons into 1/2" slices and add to 2 qt pitcher. Slice the limes in half and give them a squeeze over the pitcher and add to the rest of the fruit. (Limes are stingy with their juice so you have to do the squeeze to get their juices flowing). Add red wine. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Serve chilled with fruit for garnish in the glass.

Peach Cobbler

A quick stand by dessert is something you need in your kitchen arsenal. Something for those impromptu get-togethers to satisfy the sweet tooth and let your guests know you enjoy their company kind to treat. This peach cobbler is mine. Been making it since high school which suffice to say will date it back to the last century.

It is simple and if you use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer it falls into the "stupid easy" category which is what I am all about. I could also make this a dedication to Paula Deen or Ina Garten as both start more than a few desserts with "a stick of butter".

Peach Cobbler

1 C Flour

1 C Sugar

1/2 C Butter (1 stick) - melted

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 large egg

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

2 14.5 oz cans peaches

Preheat oven to 350F.

Drain 1 can peaches and add to an 8"X8" baking dish. Add the other can of peaches with their liquid to the baking dish. (2 cans of juice is way too much). Add vanilla and stir to mix in. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon over the peaches.

In mixing bowl add flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Toss to combine. Add slightly beaten egg and with whisk attachment mix on medium 1-2 minutes until the egg is combined and the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Sprinkle topping mixture evenly over the peaches. Pour melted butter over the topping mix. Bake for 55-70 minutes until topping is deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes, serve warm.

I tend to be a little generous with the cinnamon, you can too at this point in the recipe.
Not much left after 4 people jumped in and started shoveling.

"Beater Blade" best little gadget in my kitchen

A few weeks back I was at Sur La Table and a friend I was with spotted the "Beater blade". It looks like the beater attachment for my Kitchenaid with one added feature. Silicone Rubber spatula blades that reach out to the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.

Could this be nirvana? Could it mean no more having to stop the beater a few times during mixing to make sure all the stuff on the sides and bottom get beat in? Did it mean I no longer needed a separate spatula to scrape the batter into the baking pan? Did it mean...?

It actually pretty much measured up to its promise and turned out to do a very nice job. As the beater rotates and spins around the bowl it scraped down every bit of the bowl and didn't miss a single bit of flour or liquid. It does squeak as it scrapes the sides at first until the liquid is incorporated. Remedy is simple give the spatula blades a dampening with the butter, oil etc., called for in the mix.

I did note that there was bits of flour along the back side (leeward side) of the blades that didn't get mixed. Not a big issue, certainly a lot better than the blade that came with the mixer.

Another nice feature is that since the blades are already contoured to your mixing bowl it is much easier to scrape out all the batter into the baking dish than a regular spatula can do. Its lack of a long handle does mean as you scrape you do get your knuckles into the batter towards the end of the filling of the baking dishes. Not a big deal just a little observation.

Worth the 9.99 I paid for it. Yes.

More deets at the Beater Blade site.