Edible EscapadesEdible Escapadeshttp://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2012-02-17T20:59:18ZSquarespaceThe Sexiest Chicken Ever.http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2012/2/16/the-sexiest-chicken-ever.htmlJojo von Saucy2012-02-16T16:38:00Z2012-02-16T16:38:00Z

 

You might already be thinking I've lost it...

But yes I do actually realize that there is nothing sexy about that lonely naked chicken in the corner...

 

 

Better with the red?

No, not really.

How about a new position?

 

 

Okay okay sorry, I think I am am feeling a slight lingering Rosé Cava haze, which apparently entails the unfortunate side effect of bad jokes... and there is also something wrong with me

 

ie: on the left is what we just left, in exchange for the glory on the right, which lies just outside the door... Clearly I am sick.

But my enthusiasm for this particular chicken is not a part of my winter delusion disorder.

"Sexy" may sound like a bit of a stretch as a yard bird branding... last night as I awkwardly held the phone to my left ear with my right hand, gripping an ice pack with burned fingertips and rattling off a waterfall of expletives regarding my dinner, my sister, giggling, asked "what exactly is it about this chicken that qualifies it as 'sexy'?" ...I am trying to remember why I have been referring to this dish as such for the past couple of months because, let's get real; a lonely naked bird doesn't have a chance in hell. 

Wait a minute...

 

 

How about an un-lonely, un-naked, un-dead chicken documented with a foxy-as-hell farmer!... that's better isn't it!?

But the chicken we are talking about is dead, not dead-sexy. Oh dear sorry, sorry, I need to stop. I am just going to tell you how to cook this bird so you can continue your Valentine's week with another voluptuous and seductive dinner. And I am going to be serious and just get to the point.

Spatchcocking. Have you heard of this? Well, the French do it differently than the technique described in the Gourmet cookbook, where I found the inspiration for this recipe, which is apparently different from the Australian version which is apparently different from the English... (why can't we all get along)... I was confused so I checked the Le Cordon Bleu Cook's Bible for the illustrated rendition of le spatchcock.  It sounds like a weird American bastardization so I didn't think I'd find anything, but alas, there it was, on page 92... but they used needles and stuff... and sewing flesh was not on my must-do list yesterday.  All of the photos I could find online featured a simple flattened bird... so I did my best to follow along with the text in the Best of Gourmet 2007 cookbook...

Warning: these photos highlight the extreme un-sexiness of naked, lonely, dead chickens.

 

Clearly Gusgus disagrees with our sentiment on the allure factor of this creature.

Step 1: Take strong scissors (kitchen shears) and holding onto the tail of the chicken, cut along the backbone all the way through on both sides. (Our chickens still have necks because, back on kill day, we were too busy with the Rolling Rocks to make a unified neck pile location decision if you recall...)

 

 

Anyway, the "backAndNeck," as the West Indian ladies call it, makes for a damn fine soup stock so make sure you save it.

 

 

(I keep le Bone Bag in the freezer and add miscellaneous bones until I am in desperate need of stock and then empty it into my cauldron with all the chicken feet and a little abracadabra.)

Just kidding about the feet... actually, I don't know what happened to those feet... there were 100, enough to overflow a five-gallon bucket... which we thought was absurdly funny...

 

 

Is that morbid and weird?

I did have a couple of chef friends that said they would've liked to make foot stock had they known about the surplus up here.  Anyone want to claim the 2012 bucket of feet? Let me know! They also make nice Christmas ornaments; my (vegetarian) sister-in-law made some killer duck foot ornaments that we proudly display each year.  I am serious.  Okay, okay I am sorry, enough, lets get back to the sexy part of this chicken.

 

 

Step 2: After the backbone is removed, pat the bird as dry as possible with paper towel and place it skin-side up as in the above photo. Press down quite fiercely in the middle as shown above, breaking the breast bone and allowing the chicken to lie flat.

At this point it feels all wonky and wobbly. And things just get weirder.

 

 

Step 3: Find the center point between the thigh and breast and make a small incision, as shown above. Then, tuck the knobbly part of the drumstick through it (see right side of photo and try not to make such a big tear)

 

 

Step 4: Make small incisions on the sides of the breasts as shown above, and tuck the wings in as well.

 

 

Voila' –– a (sort of) neat little flat(ish) package. If that isn't sultry I don't know what is. 

Haha, no no, I do realize that that chicken looks weird and playing with dead chicken is also nothing short of weird.

BUT you just wait until you cook this thing up and then get back to me. The finished product is irresistable and you too will find yourself risking burned finger tips to crack into the crisp, perfectly browned skin... the silhouetted sage leaves luring you in... and then, I predict, you will burn your tongue and you won't care because it is so delicious. And then you will realize you haven't even taken it out of the pan to finish the sauce...

The sauce is sublime and ridiculous and mellifluous and beyond noteworthy.  It will put you into a frenzy and you won't care that it is dripping down your arms and when your dinner is ready you will be gleefully picking up your drumsticks and dipping them into the extra, wishing that the sauce supply would never end. Then, it will, because you won't be able to stop guzzling it and you will want to do the whole thing again asap. I actually think you will agree that the deliciousness of this very chicken recipe is worth raising your own organic backyard birds.

In fact, I think that this recipe is the only thing that I have cooked more-or-less exactly the same way more than twice in as long as I can remember... (did I mention I like to try new things? and that I only measure for the sake of being able to report recipes to y'all?)

My point is, that there is much more here than meets the eye.  Of course the quality of the chicken matters, a lot.  My flamboyant claims above are based on an organic pastured chicken who spent their nine weeks of life at Bliss Ridge... Don't buy supermarket chicken and don't buy non-organic chicken feed... and don't get me started on GMOs... because I don't have time to rant all day right now because I have to give you this recipe so I can go eat leftover valentine chocolate-chile mousse with a mountain of fresh whipped cream.

 

Rather nonchalant cast of characters:

Generous handful of fresh sage, 1 tbsp whole pink peppercorns, 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, kosher salt, black pepper, 1 bad-ass chicken (I used a 6.5lb one for this recipe)

1/2 cup of good apple cider vinegar, a half-gallon of bootlegged black vodka

1.5 cups Homemade chicken stock

Fresh or dried Rosemary

7 tbsp butter (I used homemade raw, organic salted butter)

Just kidding about the boot-legged vod, its just really dark (grade C) maple syrup from last Spring's harvest; use 1/2 cup of the darkest and most flavorful you can find!

The Sexiest Chicken Ever. (inspired and based on Gourmet's "Chicken with black pepper maple sauce")

1) See above for graphic spatchcocking instructions.

2) Salt and pepper the bird generously on both sides, taking care not to de-contortion the package as your flip it over.

3) Slip fresh sage leaves under the skin liberally.

3) Heat 5 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When it is all the way melted and hot but not smoking, place your chicken, breast-side down, into the butter. Sprinkle with fresh (or dried and crumbled) rosemary.

4) Place a piece of parchment paper over the chicken and then get something really heavy (I used a cast iron skillet containing two bricks, with the cover of the le Creuset on top of it all):

 

 

5) Cook until chicken is perfectly browned, about 20 minutes (watch to make sure your flame is low enough so it doesn't blacken but high enough so it makes a perfect crust.)

6) Meanwhile, get your sauce on: toast the whole peppercorns in a dry saucepan over medium heat, for a few minutes until fragrant, then coarsely grind them in a mortar and pestle or with the back of a heavy spoon or pan.  Put them back in the saucepan with the 1/2 cup of maple syrup, 1 cup of chicken stock, a teaspoon or so rosemary; bring to a simmer then reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 mins.

7) Flip the bird: remove all the weights, then the parchment paper, turn the chicken over, replace the parchment and weights on the other side and cook for another 30 mins, at which point your should check to see if it is done cooking (I just stab a knife into the breast and check if the juices run clear.  If your meat thermometer didn't break last year then you could alternatively use that). This 6.5 lb-er needed a total of 55 minutes.  When it is done, move it to a platter and resist the temptation to strip the bird of all the crispy skin immediately, but under no circumstances should you forgo tasting it straight away.

8) Pour the 1/2 cup cider vinegar into the hot chicken pan and deglaze it over medium-high heat, scraping up all of the bits and stirring constantly until the mixture is reduced by half.  Then add the additional 1/2 cup of chicken stock, as well as the maple mix to this pan and boil until the sauce thickens, about 3 mins.  Reduce the heat to low and whisk in 2 more tablespoons of butter.  Turn off the heat and taste taste taste. Add salt if you think it needs some.  Mine didn't need anything; it was so good I wanted to drink it.  You can either strain it to remove all of the bits and have a smooth velvety sauce, or leave the bits in.  Yesterday I went with silky and my woodsman asked nonchalantly about the missing bits.  Of course I had predicted this as he always likes bits.  So I added them back in.

 

 

I just threw the thigh atop some simple chickpea and roasted delicata salad with goat feta, smoked paprika, red onion and lemon. and PEA SHOOTS. Oh how I love those springy little units... which brings me to the conclusion for today because I need to go water my pea shoot garden.  I will tell you all about it soon.

Please cook this chicken asap.  I am serious. Even if you don't yet believe my lofty claims. It will beguile you.

 

 

And let me know what you think.  Is it worthy of its title?

Do you like your sauce velvety or with bits?

xoJvT

]]>Spicy & Alluring Brownies. And Fine Piggy Portraiture.http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2012/1/27/spicy-alluring-brownies-and-fine-piggy-portraiture.htmlJojo von Saucy2012-01-27T20:43:49Z2012-01-27T20:43:49ZWhat do piquant and risqué, chocolatey, gooey, dark, spicy brownies have to do with Gloria's glamour shot?

(Other than the fact that, yes, I do believe the subsequent scrumptious morsels would be even further enhanced with the addition of BACON)... which reminds me that we don't currently own any bacon (well, in its un-alive form anyway) and furthermore, my Sunday swine-shooting (photos not bullets) session with these hilarious characters may have seriously compromised my long-term (passionate) entanglement with said second-favorite meat product.

Oh, meet Gloria. Hi, Gloria! She has 21 children... all born in the same year... did you know a sow's gestation period is only 3 months, 3 weeks & 3 days... whew, efficiency is definitely her middle name.

She clearly has a handle on the whole indoctrinating manners thing as well – note the door man... and to the left, the "safety first" lesson has clearly been addressed as well, with the buddy system in practice when venturing to greet a strange visitor... but...

oh dear

Something went awry... and why is it always the gingers that take the heat!? (I googled it, of course).

On the subject of heat, these brownies have a bit of heat to them

in the form of chipotle powder. They also have a bit of ricotta to them, which brings me back to the pigs. Still not seeing the connection? Well our piggies do not eat twinkies or "slop" (I have however heard tell of a unique breed of twinkie-eating hogs out there (probably more of a south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-Line-sort-of-breed). This eclectic bunch (we believe in hybrid vigor!!) however, dine on fresh whey, the by-product of cheesemaking. 

In fact, these piggies are participating in our wicked cool new venture, Vermont Whey-fed Pigs...

We don't save any whey for any Miss Muffett-type characters. Whey-fed pork products are too important for the welfare of culinary advancement AND creating an agricultural system that makes sense...ie: cows eat grass, cows make milk, we "liberate" milk, we make cheese, cheese leaves behind loads of whey, whey goes to the pigs and makes them taste delicious, we someone not participating in piggy portraiture session slaughters pigs, pigs get butchered locally at the Mad River Food Hub... and then delicious things happen––currently VT Meat Company is turning our fine product into another fine product in the form of sausages... and I'm supposed to be talking about brownies. More on meat-based Valentines later.

Ricotta (as far as I know the quickest and easiest cheese to make in your kitchen in a few minutes) can be made from whey or milk.  To make it with milk, all you need is a dash of lemon juice and/or white vinegar and a pinch of salt and about 10-15 minutes.  I'll get back to you with the details! Clearly, since the whey is spoken for around here

I opted to go with milk this time...

"Pig-Pile" is not a fictitious term.

They tend to be ravenous little units...which luckily steers them rapidly toward adulthood aka not-so-cute-hood aka bacon-hood, very quickly, almost before one gets attached...

The grown-ups are still pretty cool though

These guys and gals here are actually teenagers. They do exude that sort of tough and melodramatic attitude don't you think?

But then there's these guys...

So goofy and curious.

AHH I need to stop. I have a running list of future bacon based recipes, at the top of which is bacon-maple-rosemary popcorn.

No more pig-chas.

Ok. Brownies!!!!

Yes I like cute food.

And heart-shaped food. And I guarantee your Valentine will like these cute heart-shaped food-lets. Unless they are someone who claims to "not like chocolate"... and in that case you have a Valentine on your hands whose overall character you should be weary of...!

Did I mention these can be made in 30 minutes? (allow a little extra assembly time if you are opting for the heart action)

So, we are going to use my original Brownies with Flair recipe from last May, as it is the best brownie recipe of all time.  And we'll make some tweaks in the spicy and alluring department.

Spicy & Alluring Valentine Brownies (Originally inspired by Alice Medrich's "Best Cocoa Brownies")

1 1/4 sticks butter (I like salted)

1 1/4 cups sugar (I like raw, organic cane sugar)

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp nice cocoa powder (I prefer Dutch process)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract (I sometimes use whiskey instead)

2 cold eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp chipotle or cayenne powder (taste batter and adjust depending on how spicy you like it)

1/2 - 3/4 cup toasted walnuts (drizzle walnuts with a little maple syrup and a pinch of salt and toast in your preheated 325 oven, watching carefully, for about 5 minutes)

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (semi-sweet works fine too if you like things a bit sweeter)

3/4 cup Ricotta cheese (or more if you are into it!)

Sel Gris or other large crystal sea salt for garnish

 

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. 

2. Combine 1 1/4 sticks butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa, and pinch of salt in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a sauce pan of simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon and when the mixture is hot but not scorching (you can still touch it and lick your finger) and the butter is melted and stirred in, turn off the heat and move the bowl to the counter to cool to a warm (not hot) temp.  It does not look good at this point -- you might think you’ve made a mistake or that sand somehow got into your mixture, but it all gets better in a hot second, not to worry.

3. Add the 1 tsp vanilla or whiskey and then one egg. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined. Repeat with the other egg. Your batter should now look shiny and gorgeous.  Add 1/2 cup flour.  Beat with a wooden spoon for about a minute.

4. Make sure your mixture is cool enough that your chocolate chips won't completely melt. Add your walnuts and chocolate chips.

5. Evenly distribute the 3/4 cup ricotta onto the surface of the brownie layer as if you were frosting a cake. Be gentle as not to make a milkshakey looking mess. After you have a smooth, even white layer, push a butter knife through the ricotta about half-way down the chocolate layer and swirl to make a marbly pattern... or make some wild pattern and send me a photo.

6. Place sea salt crystals sporadically all over the top.

7. Bake 25-30 minutes until your toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, but just barely clean (don’t overcook!) **Note: the cooking time really depends on your oven! In my many renditions of these, 30 mins has always been perfect but I have heard reports of longer cooking time needed so heed the toothpick rather than the ticker!

8. Find your cookie-cutters if you're going the Valentine route.

9. Let them cool completely and take a mouse nibble from the corner of the pan while they are still hot and enjoy with a shot of cold milk.

10. When they are totally cooled, cut out your hearts...or piggies? Does anyone have a piglet cookie-cutter?

11. Serve to your Sweetheart.

xoxo Happy Valentines Day!

p.s. Do you like heart-shaped food? Or do you think it is lame? Please leave a comment below!

p.s.s. The majority of you know how we roll over here, and that piggies did live at Bliss Ridge before our wedding... (and then I was banned from hanging out with them for fear that I was inching precipitously close to vegetarianism) but for those of you who are new to saucy; these guys live over the hill at the other family farm (you know, the dairy farm where my woodsman and my bro-in-law have the cheese company!) where the VT Whey-fed Pigs team (the boys and our friend Ignacio 'Nacho') can keep a close eye on their antics... (this is beneficial for the longevity of my bacon-centric bucket list.)

]]>(far from your average) MEATBALLS ("wicked pissah" spiced lamb and/or beef balls)http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2012/1/5/far-from-your-average-meatballs-wicked-pissah-spiced-lamb-an.htmlJojo von Saucy2012-01-05T14:16:54Z2012-01-05T14:16:54ZBliss Ridge is "the balls" as some would say.  Actually the person who enthusiastically refers to this place as "the balls" really says "the bawwlls" with an unmistakeable New Hampshah accent. His name is Darryl and he drives a huge-ass truck filled with (organic-approved; remember we keep it clean & green up here!) potash.  He shows up around the beginning of July and dumps enormous "Ash Mountain" right at the bottom of where the meadows begin (see distant black lump in photo below)

Then he heads on down the road with his "bible on bowahd" (Darryl's response when my husband directed him to maneuver his monster truck via the goatpath-esque route to the interstate, was "don't worry, I've got a bible on bowahhd"((onboard))).

He thinks Bliss Ridge is "wicked pissah".  We think Darryl is wicked pissah. His wife's name is Sherry and he thinks she is wicked pissah too. And it is wicked pissah when he talks about how wicked pissah she is. We hope she rides up with him next time.

Serendipitously, having not had "wicked pissah" or monster trucks or potash or Darryl enter my mind prior to typing the word "balls," which phonetically, mind you, is pronounced "bawwllz", I have now dedicated this post about wicked pissah spiced meatballs, to Darryl.  We can thank him for some great new vocab words and some seriously good-looking, red-clover-rich grass (the hayfields up here were in dire need of rejuvenation by the time I finally moved back home... for 17 years they had been hayed and manicured religiously however not a smidgen of fertilizer was applied... so Ash Mountain deliveries a few times per summer are a necessity, until these guys can get the fertilization regime under control.)

They are good at mowing. And they are delicious. And they mowed down my winter carrot crop. So we took down their ring leader.

 Remember ole Skippy, the untrustworthy horned ginger guy there in the middle? Well... he got shipped off to Kermit LaBounty's place, in four pieces, shortly after the massacre of the carrot patch. He crossed the line one too many times ole Skip...

At least he won't be making the same mistake twice

(No, I didn't really shoot Skippy on Sunday Gunday, but I whacked two clay pigeons out of five. And if you do the math... you might just conclude there is a possibility I could be a sharpshooter; stay tuned; I've only ever fired seven bullets but we'll see... the next time my carrots are threatened we. will. see.)

What I did do, was spend a day wrapping meat with John the Butcher. He rocks. I'll tell the tale of that classic day next time I write about cow meat!

Meanwhile, back to the bawlls.

Skippy and his high-tonnage team of beasts with an affinity for escaping and munching my garden, make for some exciting dinner. These are also lovely as an appetizer though I don't recommend serving them on toothpicks as the sauce is too delicious and you'll want to eat more of it than can be soaked up by a ball on a miniature stick.

Spiced Lamb and/or Beef Meatballs ("Wicked pissah bawlls")

(makes approx. 36 1.5-inch diameter balls)

1.5 lbs ground meat (I have made these with all-lamb, all-beef and a combination of the two... DELICIOUS each time)

1 medium onion, finely diced (I prefer red)

3 very large garlic cloves (or 5 small ones...)

2 tsps salt

1/8 cup (packed) finely diced fennel (can use the fronds and stalks here)

1.5 tsps cumin

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp fennel seeds (toasted = better)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/8 cup (heaping) raisins, chopped up–or use currants to save time!)

1/8 cup (loosely packed) fresh mint leaves, chopped–or use 1 scant tsp dried mint

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

*optional: 1/2 - 1 cup finely smashed fresh breadcrumbs (I didn't use them last time and the balls stayed together just fine and were equally as delicious. If you anticipate random dinner drop-ins or you want to "stretch the meat" add some crumbs!

COOKING SAUCE

1.5 tbsps olive oil

2-3 cups puréed tomatoes (hopefully frozen from your summer garden; canned will also work just fine if you are stuck in the middle of a yankee winter and have exhausted your supply, for example)

1/2 cup milk (don't mess around with any bastardization of partially skimmed or skimmed (gag) milk!!)

dash of salt

SERVING SAUCES

Tomato

1 cup tomato purée

1 tsp toasted ground coriander

1 tsp salt

*whisk ingredients together in a saucepan while heating for about 10 mins to combine the flavors. Set aside.

Yogurt

2 cups plain yogurt (see above threat regarding what type of yogurt to use... hint: WHOLE milk)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon (I like Meyer lemons)

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped finely

dash of salt & dash or ground cumin (to taste)

*whisk ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Garnish: fresh cilantro

1. Prepare both "serving sauces" and set aside - they can both be made a day or so ahead of time and refrigerated if you're the organized type.

2. Place all meat ball ingredients in a large bowl and stir/toss with a burly fork to combine everything so that it ends up in an evenly distributed manner. (This can also be done hours or a day ahead of time and refrigerated, which will allow the meat to imbibe the spices = yum)

2. Form your balls in whatever size you please! (I usually do about 1.5-inch diameter)

3. Pour "cooking sauce" ingredients into large heavy-bottom skillet, to the level of about an inch deep – enough so that it ends up being 3/4 the way up the balls (I used a LeCreuset braising dish here...please excuse the horrendous photo, I was in a hurry and it gets dark at 4pm here in the tundra!)

4. Place balls in tomato sauce and cook about 10 mins then flip over and cook 5-10 more mins (depending on how rare you like your meatballs. TASTE them and decide if they need to cook longer.

5. Prepare large flat-bottom serving platter with sides (I like to use this yellow one, it is about 12-inch diam.)

(yes the table is still decked out holiday-style thanks to my mom and sister)

Pour some yogurt sauce slowly into one side of the platter and some tomato sauce slowly onto the other side of the platter. Now you can swirl the two if you like to be fancy (I like fancy).

6. Place finished meat balls into the sauce in the same manner as you did when cooking them (but you can squeeze them in a bit closer to each other)

7. Garnish with fresh cilantro (some thinly sliced scallions would be a nice addition as well) and provide size-appropriate serving utensil so that sauces can be scooped up with each ball.

OOh ooh here is an idea; you could serve these beautes aside/atop this Israeli couscous... or as an app on their own, or you could hastily put them in a glass container, throw them in your backpack and ski into the woods to a cabin with 7 friends and have a ragingly fabulous New Years Eve,  pairing said meat balls with whiskey. Predecessed by fondue. And other delicious items.

I apologize that there are no photos of the finished dish (yet)... but here are us meat ball recipients, (minus one brave soul who was already teaching small children to ski at the time this photo was taken) who, take note, still appear rather gleeful on New Year's Day, regardless of the staggeringly disproportionate sleep:whiskey ratio emblematic of the previous evening...

I recommend whipping up some bawlls and heading into the woods for a wicked pissah time!

xoJvT

 

]]>TRIFLE! (Cardamom & Clementine Buttermilk Cake, Maple Bavarian Cream, Cranberry Purée, Candied Citrus...)http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2011/12/26/trifle-cardamom-clementine-buttermilk-cake-maple-bavarian-cr.htmlJojo von Saucy2011-12-26T23:30:35Z2011-12-26T23:30:35ZIn reality, I'm not thinking about this right now

well actually maybe now I am after scoping the photo and reliving the enrapturing experience of eating that thing...

So the realization at hand is this: if you too just came inside from screaming at your 14 cows, who, despite their innate idiocy, managed to find a way out of their extremely generously sized meadow and trampled your garden, which you may or may not adore and put a whole lot of heart and soul into... perhaps you too, should check out that photo of my badass trifle and take your mind off of the belief that all cows should look like this

(which is another story for another day... soon!)

The first thing I did, in the midst of the panic, was call my husband and tell him that if I had had a loaded gun five minutes before, we would have a whole lot of meat on our hands.

Believe it

Clearly, I wasn't joking.

But I would have looked more like this

A state of simultaneous fury, triumph and rage... coupled with slimJim (note that the wrapper remains on–ie: the spear of "meat" was nothing more than a matter of aesthetic; a prop for the occasion, not under any circumstance considered to be an edible accoutrement... ie: on the same plain as the menthol VirginiaSlim Ultra Lights and the blue Mountain Dew purchased on the same day for the same celebration...)

How did I go from fancy-feasting to Virginia Slims?

Rage will do that to you I suppose.

Anyway, feasting has been serious since Thanksgiving. I mean it is always pretty serious around here but we have gotten extra wild... from that fateful brined turkey in cooler-with-wheels on to butchering five of our lambs, experimenting with melt-in-your-mouth chicken under a brick with the sexiest sauce any bird has ever been blanketed with (recipe will appear as soon as I can remember to take a chicken out of freezer...) and on to a new fascination: TRIFLES. And by that I do NOT mean this... YIKES YIKES YIKES YIKES!!!

This tragic photo in a way illustrates why I do this blogging thing...

I feel strongly that the public should not discover this without warning, on wikipedia, if they happen to hear the word "trifle" and wonder what that might be... I don't think it is OK to be fed the belief that the potential of a "trifle" ends here, with what looks to be whipped "topping", Red #40 Gelatin and Wonder bread!?!?

Further into my research I discover this: "The word 'trifle' comes from the old French term 'trufle,' and literally means something whimsical or of little consequence."

Whimsical–perhaps.... "of little consequence" ?? I don't know. I'd say this beauty has the power to radiate quite the joyful reaction...

Things I like about trifles (or my own definition of a trifle I suppose):

creativity can ABOUND, you can use "scraps" left over from other cake projects, if you don't make a perfect cake it doesn't matter–it is hidden between other delicious layers, it looks cool and you can see all the coolness from all sides, rather than blanketing it with frosting (not that I don't condone that, I am way into cakes too as you know). And of course tastes sublime if you choose fabulous components. Oh, and of course, my favorite trifecta is present in a perfect ratio – efficiency, glamour, creative potential.

For this one, the evolution went a little like this:

Recipe test 1 – Thanksgiving Eve: I happened to have a lot of buttermilk kicking around, left over from making butter (YUM)... so I thought I'd make a buttermilk cake... I had heard from aforementioned rockstar pastry chef friend that he was bringing some big pears to poach and they needed a vehicle... naturally I wanted to implement cardamom because it rocks and I thought citrus would be a wicked addition–and there you have it, the cake element was sorted. We turned into mad scientists that night and ended up pairing the pears with a spicy chipotle-chocolate sauce, meanwhile spotting a new trifle dish in the corner and deciding to use the cake element there, paired with other delicious layers... Being partial to maple... and of course having some of our own dark dark dark maple syrup on hand I watched le chef whip up some maple Bavarian cream and for color, a little velvety cranberry-sugar "sauce"... It was beyond a hit... so good that I barely changed a thing this time around (unheard of for those who know me and my penchant for trying something new everytime I cook). I found Bavarian cream to be incredibly simple and wonderful and I even "wung" a cranberry gelée for the top, that came out beautifully smooth. 

And I think you should give it a whirl - this glam dessert is a lot easier and less time-consuming than the finished product lets on!

**If you do not have a trifle dish, or are partial to cute food, you can rock individual glasses or jars for the mini trifle effect!

THE COMPONENTS

CARDAMOM-CLEMENTINE BUTTERMILK CAKE (or course you can use oranges or tangerines in place of clementines)

2 sticks of butter (1 cup)

1.5 cups sugar (I used raw organic)

4 eggs

1 vanilla bean

1.5 cups buttermilk

1 tsp finely grated clementine zest

2 cups Flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or 1/4 tsp dried)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cardamom

 

1. Bring all your ingredients to room-temp. Butter and flour two 9-inch diameter cake pans (**Or, if you are not confident in your horizontal cake slicing skills you could use four cake pans, which would give you your four cake layers without having to implement the serated knife at all!

2. Sift all dry ingredients above (the list from flour down to cardamom ((not sugar)) into a large bowl together. Slice vanilla bean down the center vertically.

3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you have one, or electric beaters, Beat 2 sticks (1 cup) butter on med-low until lightly colored and fluffier. With the mixer on, add 1.5 cups sugar, a little bit at a time.  Blend until smooth and consistent and then add eggs one at a time. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into mixture and add in 1 tsp of citrus zest. 

4. With the mixer still running on low, add the flour mixture - alternating with the buttermilk and beat until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake 25-30 mins, until a toothpick or stick or whatever pokey thing you use, comes out of the center clean! Let cool completely.

 

CRANBERRY PURÉE

While your cakes are cooking/cooling, start making component #2...A very simple, very delicious, snappy saucy, festive layer.

2 cups fresh whole cranberries

1/3-1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you prefer it–start with less and give it a taste of course to decide if youd like it sweeter, then just add more sugah!)

2-ish tablespoons brandy/Cointreau/Gran Marnier

1/4-1/3 cup water or orange juice if you like it extra orange-y.

Throw everything in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir very often until the cranberries "pop" and deflate into a sweet saucy sticky consistency (about 7-10 mins). Let cool and then blend with an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency. Set aside.

MAPLE BAVARIAN CREAM

Have your other components ready to go when you start the bavarian, as you don't want it to set-up before you lather it onto the cake layers.

1 (generous) tbsp powdered gelatin

1/4 cup luke-warm water

1/2 cup maple syrup (the darker the better)

1 cup hot milk

1 vanilla bean (or 1/2) (optional)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 tbsp rum or whiskey!!

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Add 1 tbsp gelatin to 1/4 cup luke-warm water in small bowl.

Place 1 cup milk in the top of a double-boiler or in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of boiling water (don't let the water level touch the bowl).  Slice open the vanilla bean length-wise and scrape seeds into milk. When milk is warm to the touch, add 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir until ingredients are dissolved and consistent.   

Beat 3 egg yolks in a medium-size bowl and slowly pour hot mixture over egg yolks, whisking rapidly the entire time.  Return the sweetened yolks to the double boiler/heat-proof bowl. Stir the mixture over the boiling water until it coats the back of a wooden spoon in a thick layer. Stir in the gelatin mixture until it is dissolved. Cool the custard and add in 1 tbsp liquor of choice (or 1 tsp vanilla if you're not alcohol inclined)  

While the custard is cooling, whip 1 cup cream.  When custard is cooled to almost room-temp, fold in the whipped cream gently... it takes quite awhile and it looks lumpy but don't get impatient and rough with it, keep on keeping on – folding gently, round and round. You will probably get huge muscles like these cream folders pictured below

Eventually you will end up with a lovely smooth, sweet, maple-y, velvety product like so:

Now you are ready to assemble! (then we'll make the citrus and the gelée layer while trifle is setting up)

Line up your components.

For the cake layers, if you opted to use two cake pans rather than four, slice each of them horizontally in half to create four same-size layers. 

Place one cake layer in the bottom of the trifle dish and spread a layer of cranberry purée over it. Spread a layer of the bavarian over that and gently top with another cake layer. Cranberry layer next, followed by another cake layer and then a bavarian layer. Cranberry layer then a cake layer then bavarian again.

Consult photo below (or you can do anything you want and make your own pattern!)

While the trifle is setting up, make the gelee for the top (if you so desire the glassy look above, or you can skip it and use the cranberry purée, or just end with the bavarian and candied citrus slices) If you are going for the gelée, make sure your bavarian layer is as flat and smooth as possible.

CRANBERRY GELÉE TOP LAYER

1 cup fresh cranberries (1/4 pound)

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 cup orange juice

3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

Combine 1 cup crans with 1/4 cup water; cook over medium heat for about five minutes or until they pop. Cool and then purée with an immersion blender or pour into an upright blender and purée until smooth. Pour the purée through a fine sieve or strainer, into a bowl.  Sprinkle the gelatin over two tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl. Let stand until softened, about five minutes. Meanwhile, add to a small sauce pan: 1/8 cup sugar and 1/8 cup of water and bring to a boil, stirring, until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool down. Add the orange juice and cranberry puree and stir.
Whisk the gelatin into the cranberry mixture until smooth.

By this time your trifle should be set up. (I put mine on the porch to chill out, you could stick it in the fridge for a bit but make sure it is set before you pour on the gelée)

Slowly pour the gelée over the top, tilting the trifle to even out the layer.

Put it back on the porch:

Meanwhile, make the

CANDIED CLEMENTINES

1.5 cups water

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

3 clementines, 1 large navel orange or 2 tangerines (give or take)

Slice citrus into very thin rounds. In a large, heavy skillet bring the 1.5 cups water and 1/2 cup of white sugar to a boil.  Add the citrus slices. Let the mixture boil for about seven minutes, turning slices once or twice, then reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Turn slices occasionally and watch to make sure the sugar doesn't begin to burn. When the mixture becomes a thick syrup, reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue to cook until the syrup is very thick and the oranges are nearly translucent but still have form! (approx. 10 more minutes) note* clementines will take less time than oranges so watch closely... don't walk away or you will end up with tooth-breakingly hard bits!.

Remove the slices from the pan and place on wax paper to cool down.

Retrieve trifle from the porch or fridge and top with slices, voila'!!!

Let me know how your whimsical trifle-ing expeditions go! Also, of course you could make one of these components to combine with another item... for example, that cranberry layer would be killer with something chocolate and that maple bavarian would be stellar with some homemade nut brittle and of course that cardamom cake would work underneath some poached fruit...

Enjoy!! xoJvT


]]>Brine is Divine, Where Meat Comes From & Other Untraditional Musingshttp://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2011/11/27/brine-is-divine-where-meat-comes-from-other-untraditional-mu.htmlJojo von Saucy2011-11-27T13:48:59Z2011-11-27T13:48:59ZI cooked my first turkey this Thanksgiving, after a 16 hour stint in a brine bath based on the Bon Appetit recipe here (I omitted the mushrooms, replaced the scallions with leeks, doubled the star anise, added some cider vinegar and increased the brown sugar a little).

It was, to my surprise, ridiculously delicious and not a bad looker either.  I definitely recommend cooking the bird "upside-down" ie: breast-side-down, for the first hour (and contrary to the Bon Appétit recipe, I had the oven at 475 for the first hour as well). Luckily my neighbors are quite far away and presumably are sleeping at 4:30 am, as I woke up with vivid visions of a bear on the porch opening the cooler (giant bird's home for the night before Thanksgiving) and stealing the 17-pounder.  I lept up from bed and ran outside, not bothering to stop for clothing nor weapons to fight off aforementioned visualized bear.  Alas, I found the beast pleasantly soaking up its delectable liquid... And then began the wrastling in order to achieve this:

There was some pretty involved maneuvering going on (luckily not at 4:30 am with a bear) between removal from brine and time to put this beast in the oven.  My woodsman had gone off to plow the 10 inches of snow blanketing the driveway and I was left alone with a major job ahead of me. Unfortunately I needed both of my hands and couldn't adequately document the "procedure"... it was convenient that the cooler had wheels (why we have a cooler with wheels I don't know... or don't remember... could have had something to do with this mission...

 

(the first and last Walmart journey that ever needs to occur... in preparation for the memorable White Trash New Years Extravaganza of 2010)

So I took the bird out of its sweet rolling cooler bath and spent about 20 minutes drying the thing off as best as I could.  To my dismay, the thing looked haggard... I actually might complain to Misty Knoll Farms... the tail had a slice in it, the skin appeared to be shedding off the meat... it was a bad scene. I pulled out a fancy French "Kitchen Essentials" book and consulted the trussing department... and then decided I didn't like how that looked and proceeded to do my own version with some kitchen twine. Conclusion: truss-schmuss, fancy-schmancy French book schmook - it is easier and quicker to wing it. Just make sure you have an extra long piece of string.

Originally, when I had started thinking about Thanksgiving (like two days beforehand) I wasn't going to bother with turkey; not that turkey doesn't have potential – but in my 30 years of thanksgivings – ok I probably didn't have any turk for the first couple... and I did live in foreign countries where they don't try to reenact weird pilgrim legends that are realistically most likely just another tall-tale scribed by the whitest, richest historians of the era, for another couple of those years, so I've probably participated in eating 25 of the giant birds.  The point is – in all honesty, the delicious factor never-ever comes close to comparing to that of our off-the-charts chickens (Bliss Ridge "yard birds")... And the freezer is full of them because we raised 50 of them this past summer... And killed 49 (I don't know what happened to #50...)

AND I don't think that any inkling of pride I feel for being brave and unsqueamish of the day of death, has anything to do with the sublime flavor profile of the meat...

Ok so maybe theres something to the fact that a splash of Rolling Rock may have made its way into a drumstick or two...

But those birds did live a blissful 11 weeks roaming around up here eating bugs and grass and organic grain and drinking Bliss Ridge spring water... not a bad life...

And then we ended it.

While outfitted in T-shirts we felt were fitting to the task at hand.

We enlisted the help of some enthusiastic friends...

And got right to work...

(Warning: for those of you who answer the question "where does meat come from?" with "the store", you may find the following to be slightly mind-bending and reality-altering... and maybe a wee bit graphic for  your taste...)

There was a 7:30 debriefing

which covered general anatomy of the chicken, as well as volunteers being warned of the consequences of using the hose in an unorthodox fashion...

We do everything by the book, clearly

Locked and loaded...

Assemble the killing cones

Is that morbid? I think I am desensitized... Hey, I'll challenge you to look after 50 chickens and then tell me that (after they grow feathers and instantly switch from cute fuzzy yellow creature to vermin) you don't visualize the beautiful sight of a freezer full of neat carcass-containing ziplocs every single day.

We have clearly developed some good visualization techniques. 

Speaking of technique

masterful

precision

pride

You would never believe it but this man had never participated in a blood-bath prior to this memorable morning! And he is beaming! Observe the joy.

You too, could transform from a 'meat-in-a-package-no-this-beast-was-never-alive-I-don't-wanna-think-about-what-nasty-hormones-or-chemicals-were-involved-in-raising-this-"food"-kinda guy/gal' to a 'Bad-ass Backyard Bird Slayer' or at least a supporter of such backyard bird slayers (ie: your local farmer)... I'd like you to trust me with regard to the fact that consuming random supermarket meat is not a good idea – or furthermore nonorganic meat in general. You do not have to be a health-nut or an environmentalist or an outspoken extremist or a hippy or rich or even have a lot of land, or have any idea how to garden (it is easy, see potato example here) to believe in clean, home(or local farmer-)grown food.  There are a lot of radical variables in the environment that effect the length and awesomeness potential of our lives, that we can't control on an immediate level, but we can certainly control what we put in our mouths... and that is HUGE . So do the best thing you can do and grow/buy FOOD (hint: "FOOD" is perishable, does not incorporate ingredients that you can't pronounce and does not live inside a package for long – ie: most of the stuff on the shelves of the supermarket is not FOOD)

Some reading for you skeptics:

Some Arsenic with your Supermarket Chicken?

The Omnivore's Dilemma

Genetic Expression of Chickens altered due to use of nonorganic grain

A useful Fact sheet: The Difference: Organic vs. Conventional Chicken (scroll down about 1/2 way for a pretty decent summary)

Feel free to pose questions or rant, etc. I'd like to hear your opinions and suggestions! xoJvT

]]>"LOVING" (organic chicken) LIVER (an enlightening and slightly evangelical revelation)http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2011/11/14/loving-organic-chicken-liver-an-enlightening-and-slightly-ev.htmlJojo von Saucy2011-11-14T20:00:22Z2011-11-14T20:00:22ZLast night we had filet mignon (thank you Skippy)

not a bad glamour shot 'eh Skip?

(Skippy is was ((sorry is this morbid or offensive to vegetarians!?)) one of our grass-fed "ambiance" cows)

continuing... over celeriac-kohlrabi purée, drizzled with shallot & balsamic reduction, aside roasted rutabega and seared savoy cabbage with vinho verde reduction and fresh rosemary. All from the garden of course (sometimes I forget to remember to clarify that nearly everything we eat around here comes from here ((no I don't have any sugarcane... and we don't make our own whiskey...yet... but maple trees' elixir is more delicious than tropical sugarcane anyway)).

This post is NOT about that dinner. Or sugar. Or whiskey. We will talk more about Skippy next time...

And okay, "love" is a strong word to place beside "liver"...  

I try to reserve it for him

 

(he entertains my "eclectic" ideas with enthusiasm...)

(and ganoshes everything I make, with enthusiasm)

INCLUDING LIVAH!!!!

I'm not just throwing out that whole love disclaimer because I am referring to liver, quite possibly the food item with the worst connotation of all (beige and non-beige) food items in history.

You know, while we're on the subject I do think the l-o-v-e word gets WAY overused. That is a whole different subject but in short, my personal belief is that it gets thrown around way too loosely. I used to say it all the time: "oh I 'love' summertime, oh I 'love' cheese that smells like feet, oh I 'love' Eddie Vedder, oh I 'love' yada yada yada.  I even "loved" Phish. I personally had no idea how drastically overused it was until I found out what L-O-V-E really was, when I met my soulmate –

Oh yeah I had it all figured out at the ripe old age of 14... Just call me Doogie Howser.

hahaha

or rather – 14 years later, when WHAM, that whole "soulmate" word acquired the status of reality...

BUT wait, how did I get here, what is the link between soulmates and liver? I'll tell you one thing, this me off-on-a-tangent-again business can probably be attributed to the fact that I did not eat my paté for brekkie... If I had, I would've gotten enough vitamin B12 to combat any trace of that pesky old attention deficit disorder... In all seriousness, in my research I have come across dozens of claims that liver is gram-for-gram the world's healthiest food. How can that be I wondered, isn't one's liver the "oil filter" of the body ie: filtering the toxins from the environment... Well, provided you have an organic source of liver:

(this creature didn't have a name or a personality, for those of you who were offended by the "Skippy" bit)

These guys lived (for nine weeks) here at Bliss Ridge. I think it was a pretty good run (we'll cover the slaughter experience another time). They ate grass and bugs and organic Vermont grain. They didn't drink. Not even occasionally. For this reason I found it necessary to add whiskey to the paté.

Anyway, now that I've waxed on about the health benefits of liver you are still wondering how in pray-tell am I going to ratify my simultaneous devotion to deliciousness, allergy to beige and dedication to this unfortunate looking condiment.

Especially given my early history...

Liver and I did not get off to a favorable start. It was actually a rather tragic beginning, and precisely the moment when I learned to shut off my taste buds without actually holding my nose closed with my fingers. I was 15 years old and in France for the first time.  I was seated between two men with impressive moustaches.  People still had big hair in 1996.  It was a tight squeeze at the table and I remember the strong scent of cologne, mixed with salty air.  We were in St. Tropez and I thought I "loved" Rosé. I even "loved" frog's legs. Everything was going rather well; I was understanding the conversation with my ambitious ear and nominal language skills... when all of the sudden the corners of the moustache on my left skyrocketed. The paté course had arrived and the mood had dramatically escalated in the direction of sheer glee. An entire course devoted to a sickly looking beige square, featuring an artful attempt at concealment by a lofty stack of haricots-verts. Not only is the color of liver and all things liver-centric, unfortunate, but the flavor, when un-enhanced, has unmistakeable dirt undertones. Yes, of course I've tasted dirt. I do this on a regular basis

Previous to that memorable dinner I had been under the impression that the majority of people regarded "livah" with less enthusiasm than say shoveling sh*t (that is another chapter entirely but we'll get to it).  I was clearly wrong. And caught smack in the middle of a fervent liver-scarfing frenzy.  I muscled right into the pasty slice of beige with gusto.

What a bad choice. I should've pretended I was allergic or vegetarian. (Ha, I doubt there is such a thing as a French vegetarian, or there certainly wasn't in 1996 anyway.) It was beyond horrendous but I was so petrified at the notion of being rude or classified as "Americaine", that I choked the entire putrid slice down. When in Rome... or rather, "when amongst maniacal moustached paté devotees..."

(this photo was actually taken at a later moustache-centric meets broken french skills moment in life; not however involving fervent paté consumption)

I did not eat paté for approximately 14 years following that one Tropezienne future-altering dinner.

Now, after transforming into a liver evangelist, I can attribute many positive life incidences to this miraculous beige paste. It makes you smart and full of energy and you too will find out what that l-o-v-e word really means, if you eat my paté*

*this statement is based on a personal incidence and has not been evaluated by the USDA

Organic Chicken Liver Paté that changes haters

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3 cups (loosely packed) leeks or onions or shallots (or a combination of any of those)

4 large cloves garlic

1.5 lbs organic chicken livers

2/3 cup decent red wine

1 cup fresh sage leaves

1 cup fresh parsley

1 tbsp juniper berries

1/2 tsp allspice

2tbsp pink peppercorns

2 tbsp black peppercorns

2 tbsp green peppercorns (either dry or in brine) *note; if you are scared of spice, start with less pepper and add more to taste at the end

fresh thyme (a few sprigs-worth)

2 tbsp whiskey!

2 tbsp salt (or to taste! I added more at the end)

 

1. Melt stick of butter in a large saucepan or skillet at medium-low heat.

2. Slice onions, leeks, shallots roughly, along with the garlic (remember it is all getting puréed, yes I know, there is nothing UN-weird about a meat purée but trust me on this one) and throw it all (3 cups alliums + 4 cloves garlic, in with the butter.

3. After the onions are translucent and the kitchen smells delicious, crush the (1tbsp) juniper berries & all three colors of peppercorns (scant 6 tbsp total) a little (with mortar & pestle or you can put them all in a coffee grinder together and buzz until you have a coarse grind (a few seconds). Throw them in the pan.

4. Add the 1.5 lbs livers, 1/2 tsp allspice and 2 tbsp salt and toss everything around. Sizzle sizzle.

I attempted to disguise the weird rubbery shiny gelatinous matter that is liver...

5. Cook this mixture for about three minutes, tossing very often.

6. Add the wine. Toss and simmer on medium heat for about five more minutes. The liquid should reduce a bit. The livers will morph into an even uglier color. Ideally, you want them to be atrocious beige on the outside and atrocious pale pink on the inside, so slice into one to test.

7. Once you have achieved that killer color-combo, stir in 2 tbsp of whiskey (scotch or bourbon or Irish whiskey = all are fabulous) and turn off the heat. Stir and let the mixture cool for about 15 minutes. You should have very little liquid at this point. If you have more than approximately 2 tbsp, transfer the solids to the food-processor with a slotted spoon and reduce the liquid down to a tablespoon or two-ish by boiling over med-high heat.

8. Turn the food processor on and add the 1 cup of fresh sage, 1 cup of fresh parsley and the thyme, (and the reduced liquid from the pan) and process for a long time.. ie: at least five minutes...you want this stuff really smooth. Taste it and add salt accordingly. If it seems ultra smooth and you like the flavors, transfer to ramekins or jars, cover and refrigerate. If it isn't smooth enough yet, you can process for longer and/or add some more melted butter. Most patés have about twice the amount of butter as mine. I realllllly realllly like butter don't get me wrong, but when I was developing the recipe we happened to only have one stick at the house and it worked fabulously with the above ratios.

I want to hear about your liver-loving transformations so holler at me!! xoJvT

 

]]>Cocoa-Spice-Chockie-Chip Molasses Cookies. And leaves. And Burliness.http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2011/10/13/cocoa-spice-chockie-chip-molasses-cookies-and-leaves-and-bur.htmlJojo von Saucy2011-10-13T22:22:00Z2011-10-13T22:22:00ZAll of the sudden my peacefully slumbering horizontally shaped self was snatched up in one swift hoist and (gently) placed, vertically, on my own feet. Good Morning! Woah. At some point within that two-second sequence of seamless burliness, I was awake. And cold. And confused. It was 6:59 am. It was LATE! The sun was already up, what was I doing still sleeping!?

When we arrived at the top of the next flight of stairs my husband did the same thing to the peacefully slumbering 85lb dog (except he slumbers in a donut shape with his ear conveniently covering his entire face)

He's on steroids you know.

Not the dog, the husband ...did I mention that? Then he tore into his toast with He-Man sensibility, picked up a case of drill bits, a rain coat, a coffee, a drill, some boots, and my newly vertical shaped self, for a kiss, and poof; he was off to milk the cows (more on that next time...)

I was left here with these two. You know Wild Bill. And that is Eunice. I named her, fitting don't you think?

Oh, the 'roids... you might be wondering why my man is on steroids... not just for the purposes of a heroic wake-up call, actually, he somehow got tangled up with poison ivy... and it is BAD. We coated him with vinegar and baking soda, we gave him cold salty oaty baths, we tried everything before it was unbearable. All he had to do was go to the drug store and lift up his shirt and the pharmacist was on the phone (behind a protective glass wall) and he was pumped up on Prednisone. I am a little worried. I won't include photos of the rash. No one wants to see a rash.

How about this face instead:

That's Ada. Also known as the image you see when you open the dictionary to "impossibly cute". Oh but she has a sister...

And Eloise has a friend Alex...

Cuteness meter is blowing up. And you haven't even seen the parents! or the dog-bro... Ok, before we get off subject... lets talk about the fact that Jess & Dustin (these girls' parents ((who were told by an Eastern European soothsayer of sorts that they would "need to buy a shotgun for the future"))) came over for dinner last night and brought a divine donut shaped cake. An applesauce cake with a perfectly sweet glaze. I don't have the recipe, yet. But I do have a ton of apples...

from our little tree. So I also made something with applesauce.

Around here, we don't mess around with some pansy paring knife when it comes to makin' sauce...

Remember the steroids.

Just kidding, just kidding, the key ingredient to these upcoming Autumnally delightful cookies, is not a subtle Eau d'Diesel or a hint of Husqvarna...

These cookies do however contain some soul. and spice. and unexpected ingredients. and holy crap, looking at the ingredients...against my better judgment I think they must also be low-fat!? EW, forget I said that, don't be alarmed, they don't taste like your average sorry-excuse-for-a-cookie-diet-dessert, but with only 6 tbsp of butter for the whole batch (I don't know how many the batch yielded because I think I ate at least six when they came out of the oven and then we paired them with the applesauce cake and maple gelato last night... and there are still 13 in the jar and 'Roid-man probably tore into AT LEAST four before breakfast... I am estimating there were no fewer than 30 3-4inch diameter cookies in the batch. Daaa-ang, as Jess would say. And, the best part; they will take you a mere 30 mins to make, give or take, start-to-finish. If you don't have a He-man cookie monster type at home, just cut the recipe in half... or freeze some and take them out for Thanksgiving!

So what are you waiting for! Get after it!

Cocoa-Spice-Chockie-Chip Molasses Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

3/8 cup cocoa powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cloves

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

6 tbsp melted butter (3/4 of a stick)

1.5 cups sugar (preferably raw)

fresh grated ginger (a lot... approx. 3 tbsp micro-plane grated)

3/8 cup applesauce

3/8 cup molasses

1 tbsp (approx) whiskey or vanilla extract or both

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

extra sugar to roll the dough balls in

optional: 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger

**Remember, I am all about "winging it" and "substitutions" - I don't subscribe to the "oh no, baking is a science" mantra - if you don't have fresh ginger, use a teaspoon of ground ginger or if you don't have allspice, don't worry about it - just whatever you do, remember to TASTE THE BATTER - if it seems like it needs more spice then go for it. I also think a dash of cayenne pepper would be worth a try if you like spice...

Preheat oven to 350.

SIFT your dry ingredients (the first 9 ingredients) in a medium-size bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or another bowl if you are going to be old-school about it and use electric beaters or hand -run eggbeaters or a fork & some raw muscle power w/or w/out 'roids) combine: 6 tbsp melted butter with 1.5 cups sugar and beat until blended, then add your 3/8 cup applesauce, 3/8 cup molasses, grated ginger & whiskey/vanilla.

you will have a nice soft dough that smells like autumn

Then, pour some sugar on a plate. Take tablespoonfuls (or mini ice-cream scoopfuls) of dough and roll them in the sugar

DONT WORRY - that is NOT the cookie you are making, that is a peanut butter cookie but I forgot to take a photo of the sugar-rolling process so wanted to illustrate it here. (the roll-in-sugar is what makes cookies have that lovely crackly crisp exterior)

Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them on in the oven! After 5 minutes switch the trays - ie: take the tray that is currently on the lower of the two racks and switch places with the tray that is above it. Take the cookies out after 10 minutes - you might think that they aren't done yet but I bet they are... If you have a convection oven, I recommend checking them at 8 minutes...Then spatula them over to a cooling rack (or slide the parchment paper with the cookies over to the rack) and bust into one as soon as you can do so without burning yourself. I always burn myself but it is worth it. Actually it is also a good idea to have ready a steaming hot cup of chai or a shot of cold milk. or Bailey's on ice.

If you do overcook them, which I have done before, not to worry again - just wait until they are cool then put a piece of non-stale bread into the (airtight) jar with the cookies. The moisture from the bread will transfer to the cookies and you will have stale bread and perfect cookies.

(there is a slice of bread on the bottom and on the top)

Voila' ! I think this is the perfect batch to whip up any old day, any old time of the day.

Let me know how it goes! Oh - people keep asking me how to "comment" on a blog post - see the word "comment" below? It is not very obvious and I am going to some investigation on that front but I do appreciate your comments, if you are so inclined to leave a little two-second note :)

xoJvT

]]>Potato Galette, the unboring (fancy&versatile) potato-centric sidehttp://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2011/10/5/potato-galette-the-unboring-fancyversatile-potato-centric-si.htmlJojo von Saucy2011-10-05T16:28:47Z2011-10-05T16:28:47ZNow that it looks like this

 

and all the "leafers" are about to roll through town... and the garden is a little less busy than it was in say July... (maybe thats b/c it started to rain all the time which naturally compells me to remember all the reasons that I don't have time to have nearly an acre's worth of gardens...) though it is far from "over" - we still have celeriac, rutabagas, carrots, kohlrabi, broccoli, kale, winter squashes, brussels, parsnips, leeks, even some peas...some huge savoy cabbages... a whole technicolor line-up of beets, broccoli...the garlic will get planted in a few weeks... woah, now that I am writing this, I am beginning to panic - I haven't been out there for a week and I am having nightmarish imagery of waist-high weeds taking over...

The most fun part of harvesting (digging up the potatoes) is done -- all of the potatoes are dug and in the basement...

So it might be time to start reliving summer?

...oh those radishes... but no, we'll wait until the depths of November to vicariously re-live the fleeting firefly and mojito moJOJO infused summertime season...

Right now it is time for me to get my act together and post at least a photo, if not a recipe and a photo, every day. Seriously.

How about that for today? This is what you get when you put the camera in panorama mode and snap a pic of a four-year-old running toward you and then notice how killer the sky looks and tell aforementioned (jumping) four-year-old to check it out, right as you attempt to snap the middle pic of your panorama! They move quick, those little nippers! And they say "Auntie Jojo isn't this sunRISE is amazin'!" And I think to myself yes indeed! This "sunRISE" with prosecco and best friends and fresh clams over a fire and a boatride sure is much more amazing than the average 2x per week 5am-husband wakes-up-to-go-milk-cows-and-I-feel-way-too-guilty-to-stay-in-bed-so-I-shuffle-down-to-the kitchen-and-sink-myself-into-my-maple-syruped-coffee "sunRISE"...

That was last weekend on the cape. We dug some serious clams and reeled in some beauty bluefish. Four-year-olds also like raw clams, did you know? (I think they probably also like rubberbands dipped in salt water...)

We roasted some over the fire and then steamed some others and made a killer coconut-lemon-sweet-hot dipping sauce. The sauce was the boss that weekend - we also threw together some parsley-fied aioli with a formidable quantity of garlic and poured it over the fresh bluefish and roasted it on a bed of leeks. It was nothing short of sublime, took all of 10 minutes to throw together and I have wanted to repeat that dinner every night since. In a bind, fresh out of prosecco...or wine or anything else, Budweiser even got a second chance that night and in a little tiny glass accompanied by all of that freshness, I no longer regarded it as the worst beer ever, I rather enjoyed my 2 ounces.

But we don't live by the sea.

That's for sure. So, rather than clams, we dig potatoes. Did I mention that I really really really like digging? I like digging ditches... I got a little carried away a couple years ago...

And decided all of the gardens (nearly a whole acre total) would need to be transformed into raised beds... and I proceeded to dig trenches throughout (see above, the woodchips are sitting in the trenches) creating an "English gahhhden"-style layout with a round center (though the Brits would have DEFINITELY utilized strict and exacting measurement standards...whereas I am not a Brit but rather an eye-baller and used my feet as measurement tools.) And then... my nickname became "Herc" and I went further and planted way too many potatoes, more for the fun of digging them up, rather than actually eating them because they are sort of boring for my taste... (however we will change that with the upcoming recipe!) But then I discovered a much better way to plant them... that does not actually involve digging, which means:

a) you have a much lower chance of suffering pitchfork casualties... which we won't go in to...

b) less work

c) no potatoes left behind

d) they look better! (well in my experiment anyhow) ie: less "scabby" (EW, horrendous word) exteriors

So it looks like I am going to have to find something else to dig because I am throwing in the towel on the traditional way to plant potatoes (ie: the "trench" method)

 The "new way" goes like this:

prepare garden bed ie: loosen up the soil gently with a pitchfork or a broadfork, then take your potato seed (pieces of cut-up organic potatoes with at least one "eye") and plant about an inch into the soil. Cover with soil (just a wee bit) then pile at least eight inches of mulch on top (leaves, hay, straw). Water everything well. As the potato seedlings emerge, keep adding mulch around them. When the green bits die, it is time to harvest! All you have to do is pick up the mulch layer and voila'! you will see beautiful potatoes sitting there. Collect them. Then make this:

That is a good idea for many reasons, among them: it is easy, efficient, fancy, versatile and most importantly, there are SO many cooler things you can do with potatoes aside from mashing them (I think mashed potatoes are lame, which doesn't mean you are lame if you like them, I'm just being honest)

So if you don't have one of these awesome (as long as you remember to USE the finger guard and not lose the finger) slicer units or a fancy-schmancy mandoline (which you might be a lot more likely to lose the finger with...) then an old fashioned knife will do just fine. The thinner you slice the 'tato the better though.

The 1/3-eaten galette pictured above, was probably the simplest one I have ever made - just potatoes, olive oil, butter, salt, pepper and a little parsley. That is because it was the middle of winter and Wild Bill the infamous duck-who-thinks-he-is-a-cow had already hammered through the kale plantation and there wasn't a leaf of sage to contemplate... Today, I am going to make a purple potato & sage galette... and I'll talk about 15 other ways to galette-ize your dinner...

Purple Potato & Sage Galette (with or without kale...or any other accoutrement you wish to add!!)

2 lbs potatoes (I do not like the color purple but I think purple potatoes are cool but you can use any color!)

6 tbsp butter (ish), melted

Salt, black pepper(about 2 tsp of each..but TASTE and adjust to your palette)

Fresh sage (or rosemary) leaves (about 3 teaspoons if you are the measuring type ;)

**Kale option - about 1lb of kale leaves (not including the tough ribs and stems) chopped roughly & sautéed in about 2 tbsp butter with a generous amount of garlic (4-5 cloves) until tender

1. Peel potatoes if they have ugly exteriors, or leave the skin on if they look good.

2. Place a 10 or 12 inch cast-iron skillet on your stove top and brush bottom & sides with melted butter to coat nicely.

3. Using your cool slicer unit or an old fashioned sharp knife, slice the potatoes as thin as you can - we're talking paper-thin

4. Start arranging your slices in the skillet - I start from the center, as this layer will eventually be the top of your galette

5. Continue fanning out your potato slices to the edge of your skillet.

Lookin' pretty sweet I think...

6. Dab a bit of evenly spaced butter strategically on top of layer 1 and sprinke with salt and pepper and herbs. (If you are doing kale, this is when you take 1/2 of your tender sautéed kale and layer it on top of the potatoes.)

7. Repeat steps 4-5, creating layer two of lovely concentric potato slices.

8. Press the galette down with a spatula and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs and then spread the rest of the kale on top if you are doing kale.

9. Repeat with the third layer of potatoes.

10. Turn on heat to to medium-low and cook for about 30-40 mins, making sure that the bottom doesn't burn

11. Invert galette onto flat plate (you are bound to have a plate that will fit right on top of the galette, inside the skillet and with an oven mitt on and a quick flick of the wrist, flip the skillet onto the plate and then slide the galette back into the skillet, uncooked side down and brown for another 10-15 mins.

12. If you like the way your current top layer looks then garnish with some fresh herbs (crispy sage leaves would be nice or just some fresh parsley as I did below... If you have a sneaking suspicion that the other side of your galette might look better, execute your new flip trick again and check out the more recently browned side and decorate that one.

This is a SIMPLE simple dish, yet elegant and quite delicious. Serve a wedge for breakfast with a poached egg balancing on top and garnish with chives and sour cream... or better yet add a bit of caviar...

And of course, as all of my fave dishes are, this one is incredibly versatile - you could replace the kale with some thinly sliced butternut squash... oh, and another bonus is that it is even good at room temp.

 

Please let me know if you try it or what you think or what you want to hear about...and when you want to start "re-living" summer...

xoJvT

 

]]>Where the magic happens. And the most delicious (our wedding) CAKE ever!!!http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2011/8/26/where-the-magic-happens-and-the-most-delicious-our-wedding-c.htmlJojo von Saucy2011-08-26T12:41:37Z2011-08-26T12:41:37Z

Here is my attempt at creating a "garden panorama" so you can have a little look at where the magic happens.

(Well... that is one of the magic-conjuring locations around these parts ((note: by "magic" in this context I mean BIG beautiful food showing up out of the dirt and kids and big people hopefully realizing that the answer to the question "where does dinner come from?" can be "the garden!!" rather than "the grocery store"... (no joke, I have heard that quote many a time)

So that discombobulated panorama is the top garden... there is a lower garden who supplies those monster blackberries and a lot of other purple food like Peruvian potatoes and purple kohlrabi and exotic stuff like salsify!! woah we'll get to that later) ANYWAY that montage ... I've been googling and cropping and nipping and did I mention I have no patience...its not very straight. It doesn't highlight the details very well... If I was only the sort of person who could just concentrate on one thing and actually sit down and read say a book about "how to make a photo montage in Adobe lightroom" or maybe there is one on "how to remember to measure your ingredients so you can write recipes that actually list amounts of ingredients"....

but things like this happen when I am trying to concentrate on one (or eight) things at once...

And I run outside going wowieWOWIEwowieWOWWW and I snap snip snap photo after photo and then my (incredibly focused, non-multitasking thank goodness for him) husband grabs his cool red pentax and implements his amazing panorama-cizing skills and voila'! That is a DvT original. 

And then I am outside and I realize (a) it has stopped raining and (b) the lack of attention to aforementioned magic-happening locale for the past month is inexcusable. So I prance up to the thicket and 

 

oh my !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember back in deep dark February when I started those dear little seeds!!??

Well hallelujah it is about time I see some results. Or wait, how about "thanks Mo' Nature, you really came through". Thats better. I am ecstatic for the impending artichoke dinner. Unfortunately not many people will be invited because I don't see too many of these badboys kicking around - though there are three on this one plant! jump-jump-jump!!! ...will report back later. 

A typical day would involve me going back inside to find that I left a half of a giant bag-full of beans sitting on the counter in mid-pickling process...

big bag o' beans. Then I would probably get a phone call or three, answer some emails, google something like "why have I had a sinus headache for two weeks straight, I feel like someone is squeezing my head and lifting me up by my neck" and there might be a result. Then I would think wow, there is someone else like me out there, then I'd remember about the pickles and remember that I don't actually like pickling (patience issue) because it takes so much time and that is something I dream about... spare time to pickle... wait, if I had spare time to pickle, I'd probably make a cake... which brings me to the list of cakes that I want to invent this month (or re-create and remember to m-e-a-s-u-r-e so I can share the recipes...) such as that Bruléed pineapple & yogurt cake accompanied by brown sugar & cayenne spiced walnut ice cream...  THEN I would remember the site of this in the freezer....

which makes me think of this

And the fact that we finally get (got to) eat our wedding cake!!! 

I have heard horror stories of much anticipated first anniversaries punctuated by disappointing dried out crumbs... but I was hopeful... that cake was the most delicious cake ever... well a year ago it was anyway... and okay, maybe we are a little biased... 

©Faye Murphy

It could also have been the amazing team effort that made it so incredible... Our rockstar pastry-chef friend Chris came over a couple days before the wedding and got to work on ganache-ing and assembly...

©J.C. McIlwaine 

(this was taken after the ganache extravaganza, at the wedding) 

He took the cake layers that I baked in July, out of the freezer and got to work with the salted caramel sauce I had put together the week before and made a veritable vat of velveteen ganache. ganache ganache ganache. I love that word.

Our cousin Emily the floral wizardress brought over those outrageously perfect bouganvillias (yes they are real AND you can eat them!) 

(pictured here collecting cool, lengthy serpentine-y grasses that later were incorporated into the most stunning flower arrangements I have ever seen...and I'll tell you what, I've seen some arrangements)

My lovely bridesmaid Samantha stopped over to my (awesome pastry chef) friend Annie's yard in Atlanta where she has a bay leaf tree (!!) and harvested some boughs, put them in her suitcase and jumped on a plane, met up with dear Katie, the girls found those gorgeous pears en route from the Cape and then  crystallized them with paint brushes on Friday morning!! 

Before such dainty and edible work could ensue, mind you, there were some necessary de-dirtifyng rituals to attend to...

 

We had to get serious (some of you may be familiar with the state of a farmers foot in late August...) and Samantha found just the secret weapon for the job

So there you have the deconstruction of our wedding cake.

And if you hadn't before pondered the connection between gojo and wedding cakes, maybe you learned a little something new today. 

OK OK the other reasons why this cake is so off-the-chain delicious, is because it marries sweet and salty. I think sweet and salty are a match made in heaven... woah, with reference to food that is, not humans, I don't think. It is important to note however, that even if you are not a fan of the opposite flavors combinination trend, this cake is not actually salty in the 'ewww I added salt rather than sugar to my coffee' sense...   

So last July when I saw a few inspiring cakes by Martha, and consulted Annie, the same (cool as can be, sweetheart & badass pastry chef) gal who has the bayleaf tree in her yard, suggested I have a look at the "Sweet & Salty Cake" recipe from the bakery "Baked" in Brooklyn... 

I was SOLD. And I still am. Our anniversary was last Sunday, August 21

(we found a treehouse on an island in Lake Champlain)

and we just polished off the last crumb this morning...a week later... you see our top layer was extra tall (one of my more clever ideas) and the thing never dried out.

Actually, contrarily, it was the most-moist perfect crumb-ed creation... perhaps that is thanks to Chris' protective forcefield in the form of a silky triple-wall ganache so to speak... 

I know, I know, maybe this doesn't qualify under my usual insistance on fresh food... but some traditions are worth implementing... Like calling your bride's parents to ask permission to get down on one knee for example... (a brilliant way to ensure perpetual impressed-ness of the 'rents)

OK the RECIPE! This baby has three parts - the cake, the SAUCE, and the ganache. The recipe which inspired this cake uses a whipped caramel ganache but we opted for a darker, richer, silkier ganache for ours...

 

©J.C. McIlwaine 

And we obviously had loads of experience cutting wedding cakes, hahahaha... I think we are declaring that that top best make to a safe place...

(8in. x 3in. layer version of) Jojo & Vonny's bittersweet chocolate & salted caramel wedding cake (Inspired by Baked bakery's Sweet & Salty Cake)

  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder ( I used the best stuff I could find... worth it - but a forewarning - cocoa must be a hot commodity these days because the nice ones are $$$)
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 3.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I use Sel Gris, my fave!)
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (YIKES right!? who uses that yucky stuff anymore... I found this non hydrogenated, organic palm oil version at the health-food store - next time I am going to try coconut oil)
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (I use raw organic)
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar 
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla 
  • 1 tbsp whiskey!

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and butter three 8x2in round cake pans (your normal cake rounds - or you could use any shape you want!! - this chart will help you figure out how much batter to use for your choice of pans) Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter and flour the parchment. Note - you can just wing it without parchment if you are not as concerned about perfect edges...

  2. Whisk together the 3/4 cup cocoa, 1 1/4 cups hot water, and the sour cream and set aside to cool.

  3. In another large bowl, sift together 2 2/3 cups flour, 3.5 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp. salt. Set aside.

  4. Beat the 1.5 sticks butter and 1/2 cup shortening together until very smooth, about 6 mins (use electric mixer w/ paddle if you have it!) While the mixer is on low, add 1.5 cups sugar and 1 cup brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 7 mins. Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add 1 tbsp vanilla & 1 tbsp whiskey! (whiskey always deserves an exclamation point).  Stop the mixer and rubber spatulize (killer new word!) the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated, then beat again for 30 seconds. Begin to add the flour mixture - alternating with the cocoa mixture, until all of your batter is a luscious thick sea of rich darkness!

  5. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans. Bake about 20 mins - until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool completely - no exceptions.

     

Salty Caramel (Adapted from Baked bakery - the only thing I changed was using Sel Gris instead of Fleur de sel - but I did make double the sauce and cooked the second batch for a longer time which resulted in an amazzzzing ooey-gooey caramel sauce that we heated up and poured over everything in sight until it ran out. Then our teeth were rotten and we spent way too much $ at the dentist. 

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (I use Sel Gris again here)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  1. Combine 1/4 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tbsp corn syrup in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Position a candy thermometer and watch like a hawk until the mixture reaches 350 degrees (approx. 10 minutes).

  2. In a different (small) saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook 3 to 5 minutes, just until the salt has dissolved - again, watch like a hawk. Then set aside.

After the caramel reaches 350 degrees, remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Add the hot cream mixture, stirring to combine (and being careful not to splash the molten lava on yourself like yours truly...) Whisk in the sour cream. Cool down, try not to eat it all before you have a chance to put it on the cake, and store it in a jar in the refrigerator. 

 

A good go-to Ganache

 

  • 1 lb bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate (I often use Ghirardhelli 60% cacao chips but if you've got the coin go with scharffenberger or Valrhona!)
  • 1.5 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp light corn syrup (if you want some sheen action)

 

*Note - for this cake I kept it simple but I often add some strong brewed espresso or even some ultra finely ground espresso

**Note #2 - If you want a fluffy, rather than shiny, consistency and look, you can let the ganache cool completely and then whip it with an electric mixer before icing your cake.

  1. Put the 1lb of chocolate into a large stainless steel or ceramic bowl. Over medium heat, bring 1.5 cups cream and 2 tbsp corn syrup to a simmer, then pour this mixture over the chocolate and let sit for a fe seconds until the chocolate starts to melt...

  2. Beginning near the center and working outward, stir the melting chocolate into the cream starting with your spoon at the center of the bowl. Stir just until mixture is smooth.

  3. Set aside in a cool spot or in the refrigerator and give it a stir every 5 minutes or so, until the frosting just begins to thicken. This is when you should spread it - when it is still slightly warm and ultra silky. Or, if you are opting for a whipped look, cool it all the way down and whip before spreading it. Whatever you decide, remember to lick the bowl.

    To achieve that silky look for your final layer, you may need to reheat the ganache ever-so-slightly so that it spreads on flawlessly... 

    ASSEMBLY

    This is where I like to utilize the old lazy susan... Don't worry if you don't have one though, I've been cake-ing for about 26 years and I just got one the other day...

     

    (killer mu-mu Grandma Mimi, where'd you stash that beauty!??)

    Using a long serrated knife, trim the tops of cakes to make level. Place the first cake layer onto your cake plate (put a dab of icing or caramel to secure it to the plate). Using a 1/4 cup measure, dip into the caramel, and spread a thin layer on the cake, allowing some of it to soak into the cake. Now, you can either let it soak in and then follow up with another bit of caramel or you can do a layer of the ganache here (I'd recommend whipping about a cup or a little more than a cup) of your ganache for the interior if you choose to go this route.) Place the second layer on top and repeat the regime with another layer of caramel followed by a layer of ganache. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Now for the final coating of icing - make sure your ganache is smooth and spreadable (warm it up a little if need be) and pour it on slowly, turning the lazy susan if you're using one and spreading with a spatula... * I will add in some pics the next time I do this! :) 

    Then - either sprinkle the top with some of your Sel Gris or Fleur de Sel or get your friends in on the scene and go all out...

    I am thinking of my dear friend Kristen who is very pregnant and dreaming of this cake... the stork might have to bring two special deliveries her way ;)  

    I want to hear about your baking stories and remember yes, you can bake your own wedding cake, and no you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for a (perhaps stunningly beautiful) fondant coated sculpture that (oh dear) probably tastes YUCKY because that stuff is so WEIRD. 

    I'm going to bake cakes. 

    xo Jojo

XZ85XBQCS5K2
]]>Blackberries. Homemade Yogurt. And the gear you need to brave the thicket.http://www.saucyvermont.com/journal/2011/8/12/blackberries-homemade-yogurt-and-the-gear-you-need-to-brave.htmlJojo von Saucy2011-08-12T11:50:01Z2011-08-12T11:50:01Z

Good Morning!

Hi!

This photo illustrates a plethora of dramatic truths...

a) Yes, the sunflowers are really taller than me and the last time we talked they were sprouts (b) It is really early in the morning... and (c) it is hay season... which is one of the many excuses for my disappearance...

But really, this is serious now.  What do you think of this new look? Its only taken about 500 hours of pain, a few grey hairs, a few 40 phone calls to Apple and godaddy, and a hero, to get this new (slightly fancy-schmancy) website in action... thanks to my new friend, a certain lovely, smart, fabulous wizardress with impeccably killer good taste, otherwise known as Kelly Dudash... I am actually not going to throw in the towel and go Amish (though it isn't a bad plan, I do like horse & buggy as a mode of transport and I now have a new condition called cord anxiety, derived from all of the flipping electrical widget gidgets around these parts) the only reason being because Kelly explained bucketloads of weird technical mumbo-jumbo to me in "layman's terms" (read - totally right brain-friendly artist explanation style) and took my scribbly pen-and-paper drawings and voila'. She is an extremely talented artist, check out her photography here, WOW... I could go on and on, Kelly is a gem. 

I now know WAY more than I EVER wanted to know about web design and widgets and codes and metadata and all that mumbo-jumbo... (and by "way more" I mean I asked the most basic of questions and I still prefer etch-a-sketch) I have a sneaking suspicion that my impressive knowledge base is only impressive to myself... the person who would still rather see photos printed on paper than the internet and make invitations by hand or paint signs or weed the garden for 72.5 hours straight or dig ditches for two days. Or wallow in chicken guts at 7:30 am...

 

Just a theoretical figure of speech of course. (And no, for those of you who are concerned, we aren't actually alcoholics - don't worry, the Rolling Rocks didn't come out until 10).

Anyway, the new websites. Thank you Kelly! I have a lot of work to do of course but I think its looking pretty slick and if there is anything to my theories, I'd say that it is about 95 times faster to post a blog thus I will be writing quite often. I said that. And I meant it. Hold me to it. I warn you I will come up with a lot of excuses...

 

 

such as having NO time to do anything aside from capturing fleeting imagery such as the above.

And then of course there is haycation...

 

 

Ahhh haycation... the hottest and itchiest time of year with the longest days... we often barely make it off the field by 9 pm and beer tastes like paradise... and if you sling bales with us you can have as many Rolling Rock tall boys as you like. And then we somehow manage to eat some dinner and fall into bed only to get up and do it again. I LOVE haycation.

 

That one was taken nearly two whole years ago, a couple of days before the triumphant, brave, strong, lovely hero of a man balancing on top of the precarious stack of 80 haybales, finally got the courage to kiss me. It only took him 15 years. (OK I suppose I could've brought up the issue a little sooner... but thats another story for another day ;)

Today's story was supposed to involve FOOD. That's probably why you came here right?

Or maybe not... there is always the riveting life of GusGus to keep up with..

 

I like to call this one kohlrabi reverie.

But I was supposed to be talking about blackberries. And style, wasn't I!?

 

 

Clearly we will begin with the latter...

caption: "Deriving extreme confidence from questionable & unknown source, this semi-young warrior dons storm grey saucy emblazoned coveralls and lipstick-red berry receptacle neck accoutrement and heads into ruthlessly thorny blackberry forest which will leave said self-titled warrior with many battle wounds"

Photo ©the magnificent Jessica Burch, otherwise known as the best minion Bliss Ridge has ever seen. (we will view her collection of 2011 garlic braids next time. 

 

Was it all worth it?

Indeed.

Is it worth making your own yogurt when you can go to the store and purchase perfectly good Greek yogurt to go underneath those beauties? 

Yes! Believe me! And it is SO easy. One should note that it is probably an even better idea to make ginger ice cream to serve as a perch for those beauties... but we did that... and of course didn't write anything down, ended up with a delcious adventure and have no way of repeating it... more on that later. For now, make this yogurt and cover it up with those juicy berries and maybe some sesame-coconut granola... 

Do not use skim or 1% or any per cent or any sort of bastardization of milk... or any product for that matter! Eat and drink whole things! (More ranting on that later...)

So, go to your local farmer and obtain raw organic milk... Seriously, even if you are currently a hater of the cow-juice, I encourage you to try out the raw organic stuff... take it from me - until I stopped by, innocently toting my empty milk-jar, to say hi to my favorite farmer and WOAH - happened to realize that we were desperately in love with each other and had been for the past considerable portion of our lives... I would've rather choked down a glass of puddle water than attempted a glass of milk... 

So, you never know what you might find when you're out milk shopping...

true love, glee, euphoria... none of that is out of the realm of possibility and we're here to prove it.

This advertisement has been brought to you by the American Association of Dairy Farmers.

Hahaha 

Anyway, if you make it past the twinkly eyed farmer to the milk supply and manage to leave without forgetting your sweet delicious drink... 

You should go right home and make this yogurt. 

*note - if you do not live in the vicinity of any farmers - twinkly eyed or not - you can achieve delicious results with store-bought normal old (well hopefully not old) pasteurized milk. I recommend going as local and as whole as you can. 

Homemade Yogurt (no fancy-schmancy yogurt machine needed!)

4 cups raw organic cow's milk

1/2 cup yogurt (yes its weird but this is just your "starter" - from here on out you can use your homemade yogurt to make more batches)

I have found that full-fat Greek yogurt will give you an insanely delicious product

You will need: a candy thermometer (or other type that can take the temp of your milk while it is simmering)

a glass jar or a few, a good cooler or insulated thermos that is big enough to house the jars and pour boiling water around.

basta! (that's it!) Do you feel cheated!? I sort of feel like I should be supplying you with much more but its all about the accoutrements and this very yogurt will be just that in recipes to follow... scones, zucchini cake... most baked goods are better with the addition of yogurt. It is a bold statement but oh-so-true. 

Anyway. Man am I a chatterbox aren't I!?

1. Pour your quart of milk in a saucepan and turn the burner on low.

2. Heat to 170º, stirring occasionally... do not let it boil and do not walk away... like I do every time... 

3. Meanwhile, fill your insulated cooler or thermos with boiling water and let it sit so that it warms up. 

4. As soon as the temperature of the simmering milk reaches 170º, turn off the heat. Leave the thermometer in place and cool to 110º

5. Place your 1/2 cup yogurt in a bowl and while whisking, pour in the milk. Whisk until blended then pour mixture into a quart glass jar (or however many mini ones you want to use!)

6. Place the jars of yogurt into the boiling water in your cooler (if the water cooled down you should boil some more and replace it!)

7. Leave it in a warm place for awhile... I usually make it at night, leave the cooler in the greenhouse overnight and then eat fresh yogurt with those obscenely large & sweet blackberries the next morning! 

 Remember these

Let me know how it goes. My teeth are black and my right hand looks like a tiger encounter gone wrong but alas I am headed back out to the blackberry forest... they will be gone soon. Also, please let me know what you think of saucy's new "look" which will continue to be improved upon... as soon as it starts raining again and I regain some itty-bitty thread of patience... I'd like to buy some of that actually if anyone has some for sale? 

xo Jojo von saucy, blackberry crusader

 

 

 

]]>