Smokey Sesame-Cinnamon Isty Bitsy "Teeny Tiny" Baby Potatoes

I love roasted potatoes because they are delicious and simple to prepare, even if they are a little cooking time intensive. I guess that just proves the old adage, that you can't have everything.

Be that as it may, I decided this evening that I would finally utilize the potatoes that I had picked up at my favorite store last week. (Yeah, you guessed it... Trader Joe's) Normally I would have just called them "baby" potatoes, but I noticed the tag this evening and had to laugh... Evidently there is a new size... ;)

This really isn't a recipe per se. I know, I do that alot, but it really is more about your own personal taste. I tend to roast potatoes in several ways, letting the particular oil I am using be my guide to seasoning. This evening I was gripped by the incurable "need" to use Toasted Sesame oil instead of Olive, Walnut, Macadamia Nut or Apricot kernel oils.

As the thought process continued, I moved from Toasty Sesame oil to Smokey Salt (Salish - Adler Smoked, although I think an Apple Wood smoked would have been even better),

This led to the use of Green Peppercorns so I would not over power the light smokey toastiness that I already had going on. Just to add a subtle heat.

I was going to keep it simple at this point, but as luck would have it, I had some ground green pepper on my finger, being a 'Pepper Freak', I quickly stuck my finger in my mouth (I know it's REALLY bad form, but we all do it at one time or another). I was greeted with a mild heat followed by something I had forgotten about, an "almost but not quite" cloviness...
That was when I decided my potatoes needed some cinnamon.

Not exactly a conventional ingredient for roasted potatoes, but hey, I like to mix it up every once in awhile. If cooking Greek & Morrocan food has taught me anything, it's that Cinnamon is ideal in both sweet AND savory dishes...

Smokey Sesame-Cinnamon Potatoes

1 lb Teeny Tiny Baby Potatoes
Sesame Oil to Coat
Smoked Salt
Freshly Ground Green Peppercorns
Cinnamon

Preaheat oven to 425 degrees
Simply, cut the potatoes in half to expidite cooking.

Place in a bowl and toss with just enough sesame oil to coat.

While tossing the bowl gently, sprinkle with Fresh Ground Green Pepper. (I often Pepper food, before I salt it - It's just a weird thing I do)

Continue tossing and sprinkle with Smoked Salt (of your choice).

And continue tossing while sprinkling lightly with Cinnamon.
Spread out on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a fork can pierce with only slight resistance.

On the whole, very delicious, although I think they would have benefitted from some sesame seeds being tossed in as well... :) I will have to remember that for the next time.

Mangia!!
~~

Fun With Flat Bread - Focaccia

I love bread, which is why I don't make bread. Yes, I know it's paradoxical, but if I make bread then I have to eat the bread. The problem is, that I love fresh baked bread SO much that I will sit and eat the whole loaf by myself while sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth and giggling to myself like Rumpelstiltzchen on crack. This is not a pretty picture for anyone, and it tends to frighten my neighbors.

But occasionally I need a "fix". When this happens, I warn all the neighbors and make focaccia bread. In particular, I make Kalamata olive and red onion topped focaccia bread. For it is uber delicious. Tonight, however, I decided to alter things a little bit, since the weather finally let up and the heat stopped (Thank God!) I made Chestnut, Sage and Shallot focaccia as well... A little reminiscent of some great fall flavors to go with the returning chill in the air.

Focaccia is really a simple bread to make, there is no yeast proofing in this recipe or anything, just mix up the dry and add the wet, then knead and let it rise... Now I have kneaded some tough dough over the years, this is a very soft dough, and you really don't have to muscle it in any way, I simple use my fingers and lean a little.

Honestly though, aside from being fairly simple to prepare, it is a great canvas for many ingredients. The best part, is that I get to play with some of my finishing type salts... Today I chose coarse Sel Gris and some fine Salish (Alder Smoked) salt.

Focaccia

For the Bread Dough
6 cups of Bread Flour (Gold Medal Harvest King - Bread flour, or equivalent, I think that a couple of flour companies even call it "Artisan" Flour to make it sound more Chi chi Poo poo)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 Pkgs Active Dry Yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/4 cups lukewarm water

Kalamata Olive & Onion

1/4 cup Pitted Kalamata Olives (Cut in Half either lengthwise or across, whichever blows your hair back)

Onion/Thyme Topping:

1 small Red Onions, Sliced in half and then into wedges (like you would an apple)
Olive oil for drizzling (About 2 TB)
1 TB Thyme leaves
1/4 cup Pitted Kalamata Olives

1 tsp Sel Gris salt (or Himalayan Pink or Hawaiian Black Lava Salt or Red Coral Salt or Alder Smoked Salt, etc. -- Really any of the fancy salts available, whichever you like since it is for "Finishing")

Chestnut Sage and Shallot:

To dough

1/2 cup roasted Chestnuts
1 TB fresh Chopped Sage

Sage/Shallot Topping:

1 Shallot, Sliced
(optional) Just a few of the chopped chestnuts

12-16 Sage Leaves

Olive oil for drizzling (About 2 TB)

1 tsp Salish Alder Smoked Salt (or Sel Gris or Red Coral Salt or Murray River Salt, Chardonnay Oak Smoked Salt etc. -- whichever you like since it is for "Finishing"

Line baking sheets with parchment
Whisk flour salt and yeast together in a bowl.

Add olive oil and warm water,

Then mix together to form a soft dough.

Knead for 10 minutes on a lightly floured board.

Place dough in an oiled bowl,

Cover and place in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.

Knead dough for a couple minutes to "Punch Down".

Normally, I simply Knead 1 cup of the olives into the dough, and proceed. But since I am making 2 different types, Go ahead and divide into 8 pieces.

Set aside 4 Pieces and chop your olives...

Flatten four of the dough pieces just a little and divide the chopped kalamata olives between them.

Roll the dough up to encase the olives.

Press the dough into a round shape on a parchment lined baking sheet. (Now this is where the Abusive part comes in) Grab your Pasta Fork.

Whack the heck out of the dough round. (Seriously, think of it as that game at Chuck E. Cheese, Whack-a-Mole)

or you can use your fingers, but the pasta fork is more fun... :)

Sprinkle top of rounds with onions and remaining olives.

Drizzle the tops with Olive oil and sprinkle with Sel Gris and thyme.
Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden.


For the Chestnut/Sage...

Take the other 4 pieces of dough and flatten them out.
Grab your roasted Chestnuts.

Divide the Chopped sage and chopped chestnuts between them.

Roll up to encase the fillings.

Flatten on parchment lined baking sheet and whack the heck out of them.

Top with sage leaves (a little Sage triquatra action going on), a couple of chestnut hunks, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Salish Salt.

Cover and let rise 30 minutes
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375, until golden.


Mangia!!
~~

Midnight Mozzarella Madness

I have a love affair with Mozzarella. I am not talking about the shredded stuff on pizza, which is an American invention. I am talking about fresh - in the brine - Mozzarella. While I prefer Mozzarella di Bufala, which is the real deal from Italy, made with water buffalo milk, even domestically made cow milk Mozzarella will do in a pinch.
This is an extremely simple dish that works well as an appetizer or, in my case, a midnight snack after a little (or a lot) of wine... A simple dish made more decadent with a few accoutrement.

I simply remove a 4 oz Mozzarella ball from the brine, slice thin, this is usually 6 - 7 slices.
Lay out on a plate and sprinkle with:

a little extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff cause you will taste it)
Smoked salt (I used Salish Alder smoked)
Freshly ground Black pepper
and Basil Chiffonade (I was out of basil too so I had to crush up some of my dried stash)

Grab a fork and enjoy.... Which I did... Immensely...

Now I hear people saying... WOAH!! That's a lot of cheese!!!
But remember, this is a fresh cheese, in the same venue as Cottage cheese, and a single serving of Cottage cheese is 4 oz. So it's ALL kinds of good.

Incidently, if you have a baguette lying around, sadly I did not, hold off on the basil and preheat your broiler.
Slice your baguette and rub the slices with a little more extra virgin olive oil.
Lay on a baking sheet and broil on each side, just until lightly toasted.
Rub the slices with a garlic clove, and place back on the sheet.
Lay a slice of the above prepared Mozzarella on each slice and return to the broiler (watching carefully).
Remove when the cheese begins to bubble slightly.
Remove from broiler and top with basil chiffonade and another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Delicious!

Mangia!!
~~