Delicious Risotto, Literally - Golden Delicious Risotto

I am a product of American Pop Culture.  I admit it, I have come to terms with it, and accept this in myself.

Every time someone mentions Pork Chops, I hear Peter Brady's imitation of Humphrey Bogart in the back of my mind saying, "Pork Chopsh and Apple Shauce, ain't that Shwell?"  And thus it is that, through the Brady Bunch, I learned to equate apples with pork.  True, there is the proverbial whole roasted pig with the apple in it's mouth, but I don't normally roast a whole pig.  And by "normally" I mean never.  So, for me, it was the Brady Bunch. 

Now, I am not saying that I actually "eat" said apple sauce with my pork chops.  It's not that I think the combination particularly odd or anything.  After all, if Peter Brady thought it was "shwell", then it must be, right?  Cause it was on TV, right?  If it wasn't "shwell", then why would the writers give him that line?  No, it's simply because I rarely have apple sauce around the house, and if I do, it has usually been utilized for Apple Sauce Cake or Apple Muffins, or some such other tidbit of deliciousness.  But, I finally got to wondering about the pairing of apples with pork and decided to give it a try.

Now, me being me, I had to walk a path less traveled by; possibly not at all...  By anyone... Ever.  This led to a little experiment (you saw that comin' didn't ya?) with a Golden Delicious Apple.

Now I am not a big fan of the Golden Delicious Apple, simply because they are so sweet.  I loved them as a kid, but only when they were green.  And let's face it... Produce moves around this country so fast now days that the farmers don't pick things as green as they use to.  Which has it's pluses, but in this case, the Golden Delicious Apples in the stores are almost always fully ripe.  But for this recipe, I thought I could get away with the apple being on the sweeter side cause I was gonna hit it hard with a crisp white wine and "savor-ize" it up with some Parmigiano-Reggiano and Mascarpone. 

If those ingredients ring any bells you probably guessed right.... I made an Apple Risotto.

The verdict on the experiment?  I thought it was tasty... So did my little brother... Savory with a hint of spiced sweetness.  Then again, we both like Cheddar on our Apple Pie so this dish is a natural fit.  My sister-in-law is not a risotto fan, no matter what the flavor so she opted out completely.  Dad was on the fence and Mom hated it.  I don't know... I would call 2 "likes", 1 undecided and 1 "no" a fairly favorable reception considering this side dish's unorthodoxy.

I am still trying to decide if I should have forewent the "hint of cinnamon" and opted for a "whisper of nutmeg" instead.  Personally do not care for nutmeg with apple.  Mace, yes, Nutmeg, no.  I am really more of a Cinnamon person.  I love sneaking Cinnamon in savory dishes when no one is looking.  Any excuse to buck the "system" that has regulated poor Cinnamon to only sweets.  Nutmeg, on the other hand, shows up in Bechamel as well as Spaetzle, Quiche (Lorraine and Florentine) and Scalloped Potatoes (like Pommes de Terre à la Dauphinoise) with a frequency that attests to it's escape from the same predicament as the ill-fated Cinnamon.

Delicious Risotto

4 cups Chicken Stock
2 TB Olive Oil
3/4 cup Golden Delicious Apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 TB unsalted Butter
1 Shallot, minced
1 cup Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc (I chose one in the Green Apple and Gooseberry range)
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 TB Mascarpone
1/16 tsp Cinnamon or 2 grates of Nutmeg (your choice)

Bring the Chicken Stock to a simmer in a small saucepan and dice the apple.

In a large skillet, heat 1 TB of the Olive oil over medium-low flame.

Add the apple and cook for about 10 minutes, just until it begins to soften slightly.

Remove the apple from the skillet and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 TB Olive Oil to the pan along with the Butter.

When foaming subsides, add the shallot and sweat until soft.

Add the Rice and saute for a couple minutes, until it begins to smell nutty.

Add the Wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Begin adding stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring until each ladel-ful has been absorbed before adding the next.

After 10 minutes of cooking (when the risotto is about 1/2 done) add the diced Apple to the rice, then continue adding stock and stirring until the risotto is still a little al dente. (you may not use all the stock)

Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mascarpone and Cinnamon or Nutmeg.

Cover and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes.

Stir everything together and serve.

Peter Brady was right, Apple and Pork really do play together well.  

So the next time you are serving Pork chops, or Pork Loin chops or even a Pork Tenderloin, I urge you to give this a try.

Yep, Pork Chopsh and Apple Rishoto, it's Shwell.

Mangia!!
~~

The Scent of Christmas - Cinnamon Ornaments

OK, so this is not food, but it sure smells like it.  Mom use to make these when we were little.  Though we never decorated them, we simply hung them on the tree and enjoyed the scent.

As an adult, I thought it would be cool to decorate a Christmas tree with cookies one year.  It really didn't work all that well.  All the cookies became stale and drew moisture. Then they started to get kind of soggy.  Eventually, the ribbons pulled through the holes in the top... It was just a big mess... So I now do what my mom did and make cinnamon ornaments that "pose" as cookies.  With a little Fabric Paint for frosting, your good to go!  No fuss, no muss...  And as an added bonus... They smell awesome!  Kind of like Gingerbread, though the cinnamon is the predominant aroma.

This is a great "Christmassy" project for kids too.... (OK, adults like it too... Though from my experience, adults tend to make a bigger mess with the paint) LOL

Cinnamon Ornaments

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) ground Cinnamon
2 TB ground Ginger
1/2 TB ground Clove
1 cup (8.5 oz) Applesauce
1/2 cup (4 oz) Elmer's Glue (Not the School glue, get the good ol' "Glue-All" with the blue label)

Place all the spices in a bowl and whisk them together.

Add Applesauce and Glue....

Then mix thoroughly with your fingers (just like making pasta).....

Until it all comes together into a stiff dough. (Yep, it's that simple...)

If the dough is REALLY stiff, you can add about 1 TB of water to soften it a little.

Knead the dough until it's smooth... Careful, cause it's a little sticky.  I mean, it does contain glue after all. ;)  Then wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit for about an hour to meld. (this gives the spices a chance to absorb the liquids)

Roll out between sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness. (it protects your rolling pin, cause you cannot use flour and using more cinnamon would only make the dough too dry to work with.)

Cut out your gingerbread man shapes..... and re-roll the scraps.

I did mostly Gingerbread men but I threw in a couple of Ginger-bears...

OK, since it's traditional, when we make gingerbread cookies, to make a Ginger-goats (I WAS raised on a goat dairy after all) I went ahead and cut out 1 goat.... And since this is Hunter's first Christmas, I made a Ginger-poodle so I can put the date on it. (though he doesn't have the foofy haircut that the cookie cutter has)

Move to a baking sheet, lined with fresh waxed paper.

Poke a hole in the top with a straw or a toothpick so you will be able to hang them on the tree. (a stir straw from your local coffee shop works best)

If you are using "other" cutters than a standard "gingerbread man/bear" you may need to place the hole in a slightly different spot, to ensure it hangs properly with out tilting forward or backwards on the string.

Place the sheet pan in a warm dry place and allow the ornaments to dry for 3 -5 days. You will need to turn them at least twice per day (every 12 hours) to ensure even drying, or the edges will begin to curl.

They will slowly dry from the edges towards the middle... This is day 2.... They are almost ready since the center is only slightly darker than the edges. (They have lightened in color significantly)

Now take them to your niece's and nephews, along with a bunch of "puff" paints, and let them go to town....  LOL

Ginger June and Ward Cleaver...  (Erica and Myself)

Ginger-Santa and his army of Zombie Soccer Players..  courtesy of Erica and Blaine.. Respectively

Marshall is in a "Jackson Pollack" phase.....

 

Fun for kids and a wonderful addition to your Christmas tree. (once you run a ribbon or string through the hole)

As delicious as they smell, please, please, please refrain from licking or biting them.

Mangia!!  er, well... Not literally.
~~

A Visit From The Easter Pig - Scotch Eggs in Sauce Moutarde

I find it sad that the Easter Bunny gets so much press this time of year, yet nary a word to the children of America about the Jolly Easter Pig.   Maybe it's because the Easter Pig doesn't bestow copious amounts of tooth rotting candy upon the younger generation as the Easter Bunny does (oh yes, dentists laugh maniacally at this time of year)  The Easter Pig doesn't hide eggs all over the house in every nook and cranny (to be found 4 months later) either.  When the Easter Pig leaves his bundle of eggs, they are all safely tucked into the refrigerator.  Granted, he leaves annoying hoof prints on your sofa, but I feel this is a small price to pay for the Scotch Egg deliciousness that he has stowed in my ice box.

Yes, you read that right.  The Easter Pig doesn't leave colored eggs like the Bunny.  Oh No.  In magnanimous fashion, he deposits copious amounts of Scotch Eggs into the refrigerator.   ;)

mmmmm  Scotch Eggs, that delightful combination of a hard boiled egg wrapped in luscious sausage all breaded and then deep fried to a golden crunch.   Who needs chocolate eggs and jelly beans?  Not me!

So, Thank you Easter Pig!!!!

Image Courtesy of arjenfun.com

In all seriousness, the "Scotch Egg" is really nothing more than English "Pub Food".  But hey, Pub goers need to eat too.  Personally, I like them served with Sauce Moutarde that has been spiked with a little horseradish as well.  Yes, Easter morning fodder at it's best.  After all, one can only east so much egg salad.

I blogged about Scotch Eggs before (back in February of 2009) but I figured that since it's the season, I would bring them back again....  

Scotch Eggs

12 Hard Boiled Eggs (medium eggs work best, but large are fine too)
Flour
A zip bag
2 lbs of Pork Sausage
Beaten Egg (for dredging)
2 cups Bread Crumbs (I mix Panko and regular Bread crumbs)
2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
Peanut Oil
Sauce Moutarde (with HorseRadish)

I originally posted this as a recipe for 6 eggs, the only real difference is this a double batch.

Mix Bread crumbs with Nutmeg, Salt and Black Pepper.

Place 2 TB flour in a zipper bag, then coat your peeled and dried eggs with a light dusting of flour.

Divide you sausage into 12 pieces (about 3.25 oz) then wrap each egg completely in sausage.

Dip in beaten egg.

Roll in breadcrumb mixture.

When all the eggs have been wrapped and breaded, begin heating the oil in the deep fryer to about 350 degrees.
Drop 1 egg at a time into the hot oil and cook until golden brown.

Place on a layer of paper towels to drain and keep warm in a 175 degree oven while continuing to fry the remaining eggs.

Drop the temperature in the oven to 150 degrees (or just turn it off and leave the door closed) while you make.......

Sauce Moutarde

(with horseradish)

1/4 cup Egg Yolks - approximately 3 - 4 Large Egg yolks.
1 TB Water
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 Tsp Sugar
1/2 TB freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
20 TB Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 TB Horseradish
1 1/2 TB Dijon Mustard

Combine Yolks, Water, Kosher Salt, Sugar, Lemon Juice, and Cayenne in a bowl; whisking well.
Place this over gently simmering water and whisk until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the bowl from the water and begin whisking in the butter in 1 TB chunks.

If the sauce cools to the point where the butter no longer melts into the sauce, place the bowl back over the simmering water to heat it back up.
When all the butter has been incorporated, whisk in the Dijon and Horseradish.

Pour into a pitcher that can be immersed in hot water to keep the sauce warm.

Slice Scotch Eggs and serve with the Sauce Moutarde on the side.

Mangia!!
~~