Pumpkin 'Pie-Cakes'

Good evening everyone! It's Tuesday and it's beginning to feel a lot like winter out there. It snowed (lightly) for nearly the entire day today. Thankfully, there wasn't anything to be had for accumulation but the fact that those nasty little white snow flakes were in the air was enough to bring the ugly thought of winter into your mind. On nights like tonight, all you really want is something warm and comforting - something to fill you up and leave you content. Two weeks ago, Maggie came across a recipe that seemed like it was sure to do just that - leave you full and content. Unfortunately (for her) we had the Thanksgiving themed week of recipes and then a week off from the blog. She has been patiently waiting to unleash this creative little dish for two weeks now - I can't hold her back any longer - I'll turn it over to Maggie so she can finally share her dish: 

The Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes With Cinnamon Brown Butter

Original Recipe Found In:  Taste of Home Magazine-October/November 2010

What You'll Need: 

1/2 Cup Butter (Cubed)

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/2 cup Chopped Pecans (Toasted) 

1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs

1 1/3 Cups 2% Milk (2% Preferred, Can Be Substituted For Any Form) 

3/4 Cup Canned Pumpkin 

1/2 Ricotta Cheese

Hi everyone!  Hopefully you got to spend some time with your loved ones during the last week.  Our mini five day vacay was filled with delicious food and we got to see both of our families, which was wonderful.  This recipe comes off the heels of any Thanksgiving dinner.  If you happened to make pumpkin pie, which we did, and there was extra canned pumpkin - this recipe is for you!  Not only do you get to use leftover items, but you make a very warm and filling breakfast/supper!

To begin, melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan until golden brown, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is typically the stage before 'burning butter' so keep a close eye on it!  Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Remove from heat and stir in the pecans. Set the dish aside. 

In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In another, medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin, and cheese.  Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened and combined. 

Drop the pancake batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle (or an electric griddle, if you have one.)  Turn the pancakes when bubbles begin to form on top.  Cook until the second side is golden brown.  Serve with the brown butter.

The Results: 

A tasty little dish if I do say so myself. As it has been well documented on the blog before, I am a pumpkin fan. If a dish has pumpkin in it - I'm all for it. So, Maggie wasn't exactly playing to a hard audience to begin with! That being said, this dish was a pleasant surprise. Subtle pumpkin flavoring blended beautifully with a light brown sugar & cinnamon touch. Well worth an attempt for you amateur chefs who like to follow along at home. As a side note, these little buggers puff up quite nicely - they are very fluffy and very filling - so be forewarned that your eyes may be bigger than your stomach! 

My idea for this recipe would be to pour the batter into a belgian waffle maker. Sprinkle that bad boy with some cinnamon and a dash of butter. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. We'll save that one for another day. 

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie is back in the kitchen tomorrow night to try her hand at a recipe that we saw demoed at the Food & Wine Expo a few weeks ago. We never got a chance to taste the dish - so there is still an element of uncertainty as Maggie goes into the kitchen tomorrow night. Either way, it should be fun. Check back tomorrow evening to see how everything turns out. Until then, 

~Cheers

Around The Culinary World

Good afternoon everyone! It's the start of a brand new week. One that sees the end of the Thanksgiving holiday and ushers in the beginning of December and the Christmas season. The temperature is dropping and it probably will not be too long before we start seeing large, white, fluffy flakes falling from the sky. Yuck.

It's what you get when you live in the midwestern US, however, and the fact that we've reached November without any snowfall (yet) is an accomplishment by itself.

With the start of the new week comes our newest feature - 'Around The Culinary World' where we share interesting news articles and tidbits about the culinary world and cooking in general. We received a good response from the debut of this feature last week - so we plan to keep it running for the foreseeable future. Without further ado - here's this week's 'Around The Culinary World'

The USDA is considering approval on a new type of genetically modified food. This time, the apple gets the star treatment. This particular offset of the humble apple is 'anti-browning' meaning that when you slice the apple it won't brown. You can get the full details HERE. In my opinion, genetically modified foods should be approached with caution. It just seems too early, to me, to know for sure if they truly harmless. This article mentions the concern growers have if these modified apples begin to pollinate with normal apples. The developers assure us that nothing will happen - but until we can say with 100% certainty that it WON'T happen - I'll take a wait and see approach. Frankly, I don't think genetically modified foods should be approved without 100% certainty that there will be no side effects.

You may have heard that the unemployment benefits of many long term unemployed are expected to expire this week. How does this change the culinary world? Food banks are anticipating seeing increased demand and decreased supplies for the coming months - during a time when they are already stretched too thin by high demand. It's an interesting and eye opening article. You can check it out HERE .

Apparently the bad economy isn't stopping some people from spending lavishly - the Associated Press has a story about a Macau billionaire who dropped $330,000 on two white truffles. The truffles, weighing in at nearly 3 pounds combined are from Tuscany and Molise. That's a lot of money for some fungus. Read the full details HERE.

Is rich, pure chocolate one of your guilty pleasures? It might not be - at least not in the way you expect. According to the European Union, there is no such thing as pure chocolate. Read the full details HERE.

And finally, in the "I can't make this stuff up" category for today - a French farmer is in trouble for feeding his ducks...marijuana. Yup. Now I've heard it all. The farmer has a great reason for it though - I bet the cops don't here this one everyday - check out the farmer's reason and the full story HERE.


There you have it folks, that's what's happening around the culinary world for November 29th, 2010. Maggie and I have a full week of recipes planned - after taking a nice long week off for Thanksgiving we're ready to get back to cooking again. Maggie will be cooking Tuesday and Wednesday and I'll be finishing off the week on Thursday. Be sure to stop by tomorrow evening to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Around The Culinary World

Good evening everyone! It's a new week here at Out Of The Culinary - and it's the debut of a new feature on the blog. We've been debating a long time about what to do with our Monday posts. We've tried ingredient lists, special features and recipe lists. Nothing has caught our fancy though, and so we've continued to brainstorm.

Tonight, we're trying out our latest idea - Around The Culinary World - the premise of which is simple. Throughout the week, I read many interesting stories regarding cooking, ingredients, cooking techniques - etc. I've decided that a nice way to share some of these more interesting stories would be to gather up the best of the week and post them on the blog on Mondays.

So, without further ado - here's our first trip 'Around The Culinary World'

The Huffington Post has put together a collection of celebrity chefs' (serving on the Macy's Culinary Council) top picks for Thanksgiving. The article has simple tips and (more importantly) some nice turkey day dishes from some of the culinary world's greatest minds. Our personal favorite? Emeril Lagasse's Caramelized Cane Syrup Sweet Potatoes.

As a bonus - the Huffington Post also has the best Thanksgiving cocktails - for those who like to add a little alcohol to the turkey day table.

Once every five years, Congress convenes to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act. This is the act that determines what goes into school lunches - including what constitutes as a serving size and the requirements that are necessary to a 'healthy meal'. It has been well documented by Jaime Oliver, Rachael Ray and even the First Lady - Michelle Obama - that our current Child Nutrition Act standards are low and do not serve the greater good of children everywhere. Debra Eschmeyer has a great editorial on the Child Nutrition Act, including what needs to happen to start children on the path to healthier lifestyles. More information on this act can be found: HERE

You may remember hearing the stories about Domino's Pizza and the USDA conducting 'government double speak' by promoting a healthy lifestyle, while also promoting Dominos and running ads encouraging the consumption of clogtastic cheese products.  - the worst part? The Dominos ads were being funded with tax payer money! - It had the tea party crowd up in arms - government run amok! Well...it turns out that the original author of that article needs to learn a thing or two about fact checking - since the main fact his entire premise relied upon...isn't true. Read the REAL story HERE.

Finally, something a little more entertaining and lighthearted. There is an alcoholic beverage on the market that can help you digest your food after a big meal? Interested? Intrigued? Disgusted? Either way - check out the article originally from Liquor.com HERE.


There you have it dear readers. Our trip 'Around The Culinary World' for Monday, November 22nd. I have to say, this is my favorite Monday feature to date. I think we may have a winner here.

With that begin said - it's time for Maggie and I to sign off for the week. Yes, alas, this is all we will have time to share for the entire week. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, Maggie and I will be traveling for most of the week and will not be around our kitchen to cook. (I am cooking during the holiday - just not on the blog). Rest assured we will return on Monday, Novemeber 29th with a new set of recipes. Until then, have a happy Thanksgiving and as always,

~Cheers

Turkey Day Finale

Good evening everyone! It's the end of Thanksgiving week here on the blog - as usual, Maggie and I are off (I.E. not cooking) on Fridays, so we are simply sharing two more interesting and potentially useful dishes to place on the table this turkey day. What was on the menu for the two amateur chefs? Quiznos! On to tonight's recipes:

The Recipe: Candied Sweet Potato Casserole
Original Recipe Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

What You'll Need:

8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
5 Pounds Sweet Potatoes (About 8 Medium) Peeled, Cut Into 1 Inch Cubes
1 1/2 Cups Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1 1/2 Teaspoon Table Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Cups Pecan Halves
1 Egg White, Lightly Beaten
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Pinch Ground Cumin

Begin by melting the butter in a large dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, water, salt and black pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Cook, stirring often, until the sweet potatoes are tender (a paring knife or fork is the best indicator for this - if it slips into and out of the sweet potato with little resistance, they are tender) - this should take about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the pecans, 1/2 cup brown sugar, egg white, 1/2 teaspoon of table salt the cayenne pepper and the cumin together in a medium bowl. Set this mixture aside.

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 450 degrees. Pour the potato mixture into a 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Spread the topping over the potatoes and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pecans are toasted and crisp. Serve immediately and enjoy!


The Recipe: Dinner Rolls

I've found that there are many, many, MANY options out there for dinner rolls. From Pillsbury to scratch, the options are endless. For those who truly enjoy cooking - or want to try their hand at some fresh dinner rolls, we've found these recipes to be both easy to follow and well tested - meaning you won't have to worry about Thanksgiving dinner smelling of 'roll smoke'!


The Options:

Taste Of Home has a recipe for dinner rolls that are sure to end up soft and fluffy like a pillow!

Food Network has one of the simplest and easy to follow homemade roll recipes we've seen!

Pillsbury's own website offers up some creative deviations for their canned rolls - for those looking for excitement without getting overly adventurous.

Cooks.com has a user posted recipe (that has been reviewed and verified) that is receiving rave reviews.


That's all we have for you this week. Here's hoping you found a recipe or two to try in the kitchen for the coming holiday. Maybe you found a little motivation to go out and try something new this year - get creative and have so fun. At the very least, here's hoping you at least enjoyed reading our experiences with the traditional turkey day favorites. One quick note to our family back home - don't worry about replicating the pumpkin pie recipe - I will be brining those to dinner myself! Until Monday,

~Cheers

Golden & Delicious

Good evening everyone! It's day three of Thanksgiving week here at Out Of The Culinary! So far, we've covered turkey (two forms) pumpkin pie and mashed sweet potatoes. By now, if you just followed our recipes, you'd have a nice little Thanksgiving table going. Tonight we're sharing another two recipes (one we cooked - one just to share) that will help balance that table out even more.

It was Maggie's night to take to the kitchen, and she was originally planning to tackle some form of stuffing recipe. However, as we researched stuffing we found that most major chefs panned cooking the stuffing with the turkey (as it ends up drying out the bird while the stuffing cooked.) In addition, a lot of our food resources panned the dish altogether - siting its boring flavors and predictable nature on the Thanksgiving table. In its place, some other forms of flavorful bread were offered up. We settled on one particular form of bread this evening that is sure to delight any turkey day dinner guest.

The Recipe: Golden Corn Bread
Original Recipe Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

What You'll Need:

4 Tablespoons (1/2 Stick) Unsalted Butter (Melted)
4 Large Eggs
1 1/3 Cups Buttermilk
1 1/3 Cups Milk
2 Cups Yellow Cornmeal
2 Cups (10 Ounces) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt

Hi everyone!  Naturally, I wouldn't think corn bread would be part of a Thanksgiving dinner table, or maybe I was raised in a corn bread-less Thanksgiving world.  But since Tyler and I have started our own family, perhaps we can make corn bread a holiday tradition...or maybe I'm really hungry and just want to eat it now (it has to cool for an hour... which it's doing while I type this)...  Anyhow, to the recipe!


First, grease a 9x13 pan with butter and preheat an oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together, then whisk in the buttermilk and the milk.

In a separate, bigger, bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.  After mixing the dry ingredients, push the combination up the sides of the bowl and make a well in the center and pour the wet ingredients into the well.  Whisk all the ingredients together until just combined.  Stir in the melted butter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.  Bake until the top is golden brown and the edges have pulled away from the sides, 30-40 minutes.  Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before eating, about one hour.  Serve with butter and honey and enjoy!

The End Result:

 This cornbread is built for the Thanksgiving table. It's very spongy and absorbent - which means it sucks in butter and honey quite nicely (making it a nice standalone dish.) The nice part of this absorbent nature is that the bread is also great for mopping up gravy and dunking into soup (if you're the type that has soup on turkey day). It's a great standalone dish with the potential to be a great turkey day sidekick - I.E. the perfect Thanksgiving companion!


That's not all we have for you tonight - our recipe to share is a Thanksgiving staple (that I find to be putrid...but to each his/her own.)

The Recipe: Quick Green Bean Casserole
Original Recipe Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

What You'll Need:

3 Large Shallots (Sliced thin)
3 Tablespoons Unbleached All-Purpose
5 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
10 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms (Sliced 1/4 inch thick)
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Medium Onion (Minced)
2 Medium Garlic Cloves (Minced)
1 1/2 Pounds Green Beans (Trimmed)
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
3/4 Cup Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

Begin by tossing the shallots with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 2 tablespoons of flour in a medium bowl. Meanwhile, heat (on medium) 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a 12 inch skillet or dutch oven until shimmering - just shy of smoking. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp - this takes roughly 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the shallots and the oil to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Wipe out the skillet / dutch oven and return to heat. On medium high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil along with the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stirring occasionally - cook until the mushrooms are well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet / dutch oven. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges begin to brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss in the green beans, thyme and bay leaves. Next, add the cream and chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium high and cover the skillet. Cook until the beans are tender, but still crisp at the center, about 4 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, uncovered, until the green beans are tender - an additional 4 to 7 minutes. Off of the heat, discard the bay leaves and thyme. Sprinkle with the shallots and serve!


There you have it. Delicious cornbread and green bean casserole (That's as close as you're going to get to having green beans in any recipe on this blog, dear readers, I cannot stand green beans and will not cook with nor eat the little buggers). Tomorrow we have two more recipes to share, to round out Thanksgiving week - although we will not be cooking either of them. So, in a sense, that's all we have for you this week - cooking wise. We're still sharing recipes up until tomorrow night, so be sure to browse by tomorrow evening to see the final two turkey day dishes. Until then,

~Cheers

I'll Have The Pie!

Good evening everyone! It's another cold and windy day here in the metro - but it's not snowing or spitting freezing rain and the forecast looks to stay that way for the foreseeable future - that means it's a beautiful day!

Tonight, we're continuing Thanksgiving week by tackling another staple of the holiday table - in fact, this dish may be just as popular (if not more so) than the feature dish. Tonight's recipe is pumpkin pie.

There are many challenges when it comes to making pumpkin pie. The first is to develop and soft and flaky crust that isn't overly dry or overly tough. On top of that challenge, you also have to make a light, fluffy and flavorful pie filling that won't dry out or cook unevenly. These challenges have led many to turn to store brand pies and 'instant mixes' to satisfy their pumpkin pie urge during the holiday season. Hopefully, with the help of my recipes tonight - the need to go to the store and buy a subpar pumpkin will be erased. My pumpkin pie recipe this evening so straightforward and easy to follow - and the best part is, you likely have not tasted a better pumpkin pie in your lifetime. (Okay, maybe you have, but this one is in the top 3 anyway!)

The Recipe (s): Fool Proof Pie Dough & Pumpkin Pie
Original Recipes Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

Fool Proof Pie Dough
What You'll Need:

2 1/2 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter - Cut into quarters
1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening (Chilled)
1/4 Cup Vodka*
1/4 Cup Ice Water

* Now, I'm sure the first question that comes to your mind is, "why vodka?" The problem with many pie dough recipes is that they are low on water - this lack of water helps the crust stay softer after baking. However, the trade off is that the dough is very tough to roll out and manipulate. Adding more water to the dough allows the dough to be easily manipulated and rolled, however, as you can imagine the trade off is that the crust becomes very tough and dry. The good folks at America's Test Kitchen discovered that vodka is the perfect solution to this problem. How? Well, I'll quote directly from their explanation:

"While gluten (the protein that makes crust tough) forms readily in water, it doesn't form in ethanol, and vodka is 60 percent water and 40 percent ethanol. So adding 1/4 cup of vodka and 1/4 water produces a moist, easy-to-roll dough that stays tender because the alcohol vaporizes in the oven, leaving the final crust with only about 6 tablespoons of water. This dough bakes into a crust that is tender, flavorful, and that rolls out easily every time." 

For this recipe, the vodka is essential to the tender texture and adds no flavor to the final dough. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WATER for the vodka. You absolutely must use vodka in this recipe for the dough to turn out. This recipe makes a double batch of the pie dough - however, the excess dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or stored in the freezer until you need to make another pie. Simply allow the dough to thaw completely before using out of the freezer.

Begin making the dough by processing 1 1/2 cups of the flour, with sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Next, add the butter and shortening (you may have to add both in sections - not all at once - depending on the size of your food processor). Process until everything is incorporated and the mixture is forming thick clumps.

Scrape the dough down the sides of the processing bowl and back on top of the blades. Add the other 1 cup of flour to the dough and pules until everything is evenly incorporated (roughly 5 to 7 pulses). Transfer this mixture to a medium bowl and add the vodka and ice water (straining out the ice first!) Stir and press the dough with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to stick together. (The easy way to tell you are done stirring is when the dough looks like traditional dough - up until this point, the dough has been very mealy and separated - once it joins, it is ready.)

Divide the dough into two even pieces. Place each piece of dough on a section of wax or parchment paper and work the dough into a 4 inch disk. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Before rolling the dough out - let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes to soften. After this time, roll the dough into a larger circle - just slightly larger than the circumference of the pie plate you are using. Drape the dough over the plate and work it in - making sure there are no pockets or air bubbles. Form the top of the crust with your fingers or with a fork - whatever your preference may be - and turn your attention to making the actual pie.

Pumpkin Pie
What You'll Need:

1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Whole Milk
3 Large Eggs, Plus 2 Large Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Can (15 Ounces) Pumpkin Puree
1 Cup Candied Yams (Drained)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Begin by adjusting your oven rack to the lowest position. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Next, using two layers of aluminum foil, cover your pie completely. Add pie weights to the center of the aluminum foil (this keeps the dough from rising during the early cooking stages) and cook on the heated baking sheet (in the now 400 degree oven) for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and the pie weights and return the pie to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and golden brown. Transfer the pie crust to a wire rack until the filling is ready. (Be sure to keep the filing and the pie crust cooking times close together - the pie works best when both the crust and the filing are till warm when added together.)

While the pie crust is cooking you can turn your attention to making the filling. In a large bowl, whisk the cream, milk, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks together. Set aside. Next, bring the pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a simmer in a large saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture constantly (making sure to mash the yams while stirring) until the mixture becomes thick and slightly shiny. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes (which is great - because that's how long the pie crust takes!)

Off of the heat, whisk in the cream mixture and stir until everything is combined. Using a large strainer, pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Use a spoon or ladle to push all of the liquid through the strainer. This helps keep the strings from the yams and other larger impurities from making their way into the pie. Whisk the newly strained mixture and then pour it into the still warm pie crust.

Return the pie to the oven, on the same baking sheet as before and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and cook for another 20 to 35 minutes. (These first 10 minutes of high heat prevent the cream mixture from curdling inside the pie filling.) After 20 to 35 minutes, the outer edges of the pie should be set and the center should still have a little 'play'. If the pie still seems a little 'jiggly' return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. Once the sides are set and the center registers 175 degrees on an instant read thermometer - transfer the pie to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool at air temperature for  2 to 3 hours before serving. Serve with whipped topping (optional...or not, depending on how seriously you take your Cool Whip!)


But that's not all we have for you this evening- since we have so many recipes to share, we will be posting two per day. The second dish tonight is a not so traditional take on a traditional Thanksgiving dish - mashed sweet potatoes.

The Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Original Recipe Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

What You'll Need:

4 Tablespoons (1/2 Stick) Unsalted Butter, Cut In 4 Pieces
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Pounds Sweet Potatoes (2 to 3 medium) Peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch tick slices

Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in the cream, sugar and salt. Next add the sweet potatoes and cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

Once soft, remove the pan from heat and mash the sweet potatoes with a masher or transfer them to a food processor and pulse until fully mashed. Serve immediately with a dash of salt and pepper to taste. (I think this may be the easiest side dish recipe we've ever shared!)


The Results:

First, the pumpkin pie - We try not to make claims that we can't back up. When I said earlier that this may very well be the best pumpkin pie you have ever had, I meant it. Top to bottom, this recipe produces the one of the best pumpkin pies I have ever tasted (Top 3 I would wager, I've had one or two professionally made pumpkin pies that I would not but behind this one.) The crust is soft, flaky and perfect and not too dry - not too moist. The filling bursts with amazing pumpkin flavor - a beautiful combination of spice and sweetness. The filling is also fluffy and light - rather than thick and messy.

The mashed sweet potatoes may be my favorite sweet potato recipe. This recipe allows the natural flavors of the sweet potatoes to run this dish - sweet, creamy yet just a little bit 'nutty'. The potatoes themselves are light and fluffy - and with a dash of butter on top are simply the greatest turkey day side dish you can make. The best part is that the recipe is so undeniably simple! 35 minutes of cook time and ta-da!

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie takes a crack at a Thanksgiving recipe tomorrow evening, so be sure to stop back tomorrow night to see what dish she's cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Gobble Gobble

Good evening everyone! It's a not so beautiful Tuesday here in the metro - but it's not snowing (for now) and the temperatures are above freezing, so I'm not complaining! More importantly, it's the start of Thanksgiving week here at Out Of The Culinary!

While every family has different traditions for turkey day, the one common denominator for most families is turkey. Roasted, deep fried, grilled - whatever your cooking preference, 99% of homes have some form of the gobbler on the table for Thanksgiving dinner. (NOTE: the 99% statistic is something I completely made up and in no way should be counted as a real statistic)

Turkey: Some are more stylish than others - but they all look good on the table in November 

With that being said, we thought there was no better way to kick off the Thanksgiving week on the blog than by sharing a turkey recipe! Now, as we touched on last night - Maggie and I don't have the means (financially or waistline wise) to purchase and eat an entire 12 - 14 pound turkey just for the sake of the blog. So, we are sharing a classic roasted turkey recipe today, from our good friends (that we haven't actually met - but I'm sure we'd get along very well) at America's Test Kitchen. We are also sharing what was on the menu for ourselves this evening - roasted turkey breast.

Let's get started with the full recipe from America's Test Kitchen

The Recipe: Classic Roast Turkey
Original Recipe Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

What You'll Need:

2 Cups Table Salt
1 (12 - 14 pound) Turkey
2 Medium Onions (chopped coarse)
2 Medium Carrots (chopped coarse)
2 Celery Ribs (chopped coarse)
6 Sprigs Thyme
3 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (melted)
1 Cup Water


The key to a juicy, tender turkey on Thanksgiving has been sought after for many, many years. There are countless methods available to the home chef, all of them promising the best, juiciest turkey you've ever had. From bags, to deep friers, every technique has it's successes...and it's failures. The method that the professionals all agree upon, however, is brining.

Now, if you're wondering what brining is - you must me new to the blog (Hi!) as we have gone into full detail about brine and the brining process countless times before. If you need a refresher course - check here, here and here. I'll sum up brining the way Cook's Illustrated describes it:

"Simply put, the brining solution flows into the meat , distributing moisture and seasoning. In our testing, we found that while a turkey roasted straight out of its package will retain about 82 percent of its total weight after cooking, a brined turkey will retain about 93 precent of its total weight after cooking - and thus be moister and more flavorful." 

It can't be made any more clear than that. If you want the best, moist turkey on Thanksgiving - you have to give the turkey a bath in brine.

To begin, dissolve the salt in 2 gallons of cold water (in a large container). Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover and refrigerate (or in a cool place, with the temperature below 40 degrees) for 4 to 6 hours.

Next, set a wire rack on a large baking sheet. Remove the turkey from the brine and dry well (make sure to get the cavity as well!) Place the turkey on the wire rack and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. This process, know simply as drying, allows the turkey's skin to dry completely, resulting in crisp skin and not a loose flabby out layer. If you are a fan of the turkey skin, you'll want to adhere to this step. Obviously, you can skip step 2 and simply begin cooking once the brining is complete - just be prepared to loose some of the crisp nature of the skin during cooking.

Adjust your oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a v-rack roasting pan with heavy aluminum foil and poke several holes in the foil. Spray the foil with vegetable oil.

Toss half of the onions, carrots and celery in a medium bowl with melted butter. Place the coated veggies inside the turkey. Tie the turkey's legs together with cooking twine and tuck the wings underneath the body. Place the rest of the vegetables in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Pour 1 cup of water into the roasting pan. Brush the turkey breast with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and then place it, breast side down, in the v-rack. Brush the remaining portions of the turkey with another 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

Roast the turkey for 45 minutes. After this time, remove the pan from the oven and baste the turkey with the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan. CAREFULLY rotate the turkey 1/4 of a turn so that the thigh/leg side is now facing up. If you used up all of the liquid from the pan, add an additional 1/4 cup of water now as well. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes. Once again, carefully rotate the turkey so the other thigh/leg side is up. Baste and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Finally, rotate the turkey so the breast side is up, baste and cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 to 165 degrees and the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 degrees. (30 to 45 minutes)

Remove the turkey from the oven. Gently tip it to pour out the juices from the cavity into the roasting pan (especially if you want to make turkey gravy later on!). Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow to rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes before carving (this allows the juices to return to the meat - preventing you from spilling all of that hard work out onto the cutting board.)


Now, for those who are cooking for one or two this Thanksgiving, or for those who happen to save the turkey breast for a separate meal -

I did a little searching for a smaller sized turkey recipe over the past few days when I made a very interesting discovery. On one of the more popular user submitted recipe sites, Epicurious, I found a recipe that had a good idea - but if executed how it was originally instructed, it would end up a disaster. After some creative altering - I created a nice, smaller sized turkey themed dish.

The Recipe: Roasted Turkey Breast With Mustard Pan Sauce
Original Recipe Found In: Epicurious.com - but adjusted so much that it's an original now

What You'll Need:

2 Tablespoons Honey Mustard (If you lack honey mustard simply add 1 Tbs honey to dijon mustard!)
1 Tablespoons Chopped Tarragon (1 teaspoon dried - approximately)
2 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Boneless, Skinless Turkey Breasts
2 Pounds Baby Potatoes (Red preferred - halved)
2 Cups Thinly Sliced Leeks (One small onion works as a substitute)


Begin by mixing 2 tablespoons of the honey mustard with 1 tablespoon of tarragon (1/2 teaspoon if you are using dried tarragon) and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place your turkey breasts on a well greased baking sheet (cooking spray works the best for this).

Thanksgiving dinner: small scale

Season each breast with salt and pepper and cover with the mustard mixture. Cook in the lower 1/3 of the oven at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss your sliced potatoes (adjust the preparation of the potatoes for the type you are using - if you have red baby potatoes - simply halve and them and leave the skin - if you are using russet - remove the skin and quarter - etc. use your best judgement) with the leek (or onion) 1 tablespoon of tarragon (1/2 teaspoon dried) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the potatoes out on a second (well greased) baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  (I chose not to use potatoes tonight due to the fact that the current potatoes under our cabinet were growing their own potato patch - oops! Probably not the best things to use! We went with corn instead...)

After the first 15 minutes, place the potatoes on the rack in the top 1/3 of your oven and cook, mixing occasionally for 15 to 25 minutes. Monitor the turkey breast after 15 minutes, making sure to check the temperature often - you are shooting for 165 degrees at the thickest part of the breast - once you reach that temperature you are ready to enjoy!

The Results:

Fantastic! The tweaks that I made (more on that below) and the original flavor pairing concept all blended into a perfect sweet yet somewhat spicy turkey dish. The turkey was incredibly juicy and tender (even without brining!) as well, which was a surprising bonus.

This recipe could have been a disaster had I followed the original instructions. The original dish called for 5 tablespoons of tarragon - which, if you are familiar with tarragon, you are aware that it is a very strong spice. 5 tablespoons is a ridiculous amount - especially given the small scale it was being used in.

Secondly, the original recipe recommended cooking the turkey breast for over 1.5 hours! Now, anyone with any cooking common sense can deductively reason that if a whole turkey takes 1.5 to 2 hours - two turkey breasts should not take nearly as long.

I could tell that the concept was correct - honey mustard with a hint of tarragon had the potential to make a good marinade. However, my inner chef had enough experience to say "something doesn't seem right here". Sure enough, a quick click to the comments section proved my suspicions correct. The comments were all in the vein of 'cooking time is way too long' or 'That is simply too much tarragon' or my personal favorite 'I don't think this recipe was tested before being published'. Bingo. There in lies the fault of these quick 'community' recipe sites that are starting to boom all over the internet (and it's why we don't use those recipes) anyone, and I mean anyone is allowed to share their recipe with the world - which is fabulous - BUT and it's a big but, there are no editors or tasters. These places aren't America's Test Kitchen where a recipe is tested dozens of times until it's perfect - it's not even Jaime Magazine where a professional chef is sharing his recipe. These sites are not even Food Network Magazine or Bon Appetit where at least the user submitted recipes are tested before being published. Nope. Untested and untried recipes are simply tossed out and published for all the world to try. Sometimes that's great...sometimes, you end up with blackened turkey coated in way too much tarragon.

In the end, I ended up adapting this recipe to my own preferences because it was still a good idea. Mustard tarragon turkey with red potatoes sounded like a great dish. The execution and directions on the site were - to say the least - not accurate nor useful, but the concept  was there for the taking and the rest (I.E. the cooking) came down to my own experience. It's a cautionary tale - if you feel that your cooking sense is high enough to detect 'bad directions' by all means, go out and explore these sites. If you are still in the novice "I only do what the recipe says" range - I'd recommend sticking to published, trusted (and tested) recipes.

As much as I love my wife - my little cooking partner - I know without a shadow of a doubt that this recipe (or ones similar) would have nailed her - even with all of her experience. Recipes such as these have in the past. When one of her dishes doesn't turn out, I usually ask "How much of ingredient X did you use?" She responds "well 3 tablespoons... " I retort "3 Tablespoons! Holy cow! Didn't you think that was too much?" She'd reply "Yes, but that's what the recipe said to use" As you can tell, we've been down this road a few times! (And in her defense, she is getting better at adapting on the fly). It just goes to show, don't just follow - think it through and create the dish in your head - if it seems wrong - do some research. It just might keep supper from going up the chimney!

Or worse...

That's all we have for you tonight. Thanksgiving week continues tomorrow night with a turkey day classic that is almost as synonymous with the holiday as turkey itself. Be sure to stop back tomorrow evening to see what we've got cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Thanksgiving Week!

Good evening everyone and welcome to Thanksgiving week here on Out Of The Culinary! Our plan for the week is to prepare and share many traditional (and a few not so traditional) Thanksgiving day recipes throughout the week.

Now, we obviously cannot cook all of the traditional recipes that fall under the Thanksgiving day meal umbrella (well, we COULD but we would weight close to 300 lbs apiece afterwards!) Instead, we're sticking to some of the main staples of the Thanksgiving table. The recipes on the menu this week are:

Turkey*
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin Pie
Green Bean Casserole
Cornbread Stuffing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Homemade Dinner Rolls

* It really isn't all that cost effective (or healthy) for Maggie and I to purchase and eat an entire turkey for just the two of us (especially when we will be having turkey again next week! Instead, I'll be sharing a roasted turkey breast recipe - but we will still post a full blown turkey recipe, for those of you cooking at home on the big day.)

Now, since Maggie and I are not seeking 'death by food' we won't be cooking every recipe we share. Given that most of these recipes will be popping up on our plates again next week, we're going to pick and choose which dishes to cook and which ones to simply share. Which ones are we making? Well, you'll just have to stop back tomorrow night to see. Here's a hint to get you started - it's the staple of the dinner.

That's all we have for you this evening. We're excited to start cooking up some traditional Thanksgiving dishes for our turkey day themed week. Here's hoping that one or two of these dishes might inspire you enough to try them on your own! Until tomorrow evening,

~ Cheers

Iowa Food & Wine Expo - Featuring Curtis Stone!

Good afternoon everyone! It's been a very cold and blustery Saturday here in the greater Des Moines metro - but at least we didn't see the heavy snowfall that areas in northern Iowa and Minnesota saw. Yikes! I know that snow is coming some time soon - it's inevitable - but I'm not quite ready to see the white stuff just yet.

On such a cold day, it was nice to find excuses to go inside - like the large, warm confines of the Iowa Events Center and Hy-Vee Hall. Yesterday and today marked the third annual Iowa Food & Wine Expo in downtown Des Moines. As we've mentioned on the blog before, Maggie and I had our first official date at the inaugural Food & Wine Expo back in November of 2008. At that time, neither of us were chefs - Maggie's cooking prowess ended at boiling water and my cooking ability extended only to pancakes and waffles - and those came from a ready to make box.

In two years, a lot has changed. Maggie and I can both claim to be amateur chefs - with our culinary exploits growing in complexity and ambition with every new recipe we take on. We've moved on from an awkward dating couple to a young married couple (slightly less awkward as well).

Alas, in two years, a lot has changed with the Food & Wine Expo as well. In it's inaugural year - Hy-Vee hall was packed with aisle after aisle of vendors and small restaurants with products ranging from cooking gadgets to taste tests of new products. I still recall TGI Friday's testing out their new 'Jack Daniel's Chicken Wings' and a local BBQ establishment pushing their pulled pork sandwiches - right across from a booth from Famous Dave's - also pushing THEIR pulled pork sandwich. It was cooking and culinary exploits at its best. Food was aplenty and cooking, gadgets, spices and wine were on display for the all to enjoy.

Flash forward to 2010 and things have certainly changed. The major restaurants were all gone - and all of the cooking and culinary adventures had disappeared.  There were still some local business (mainly cheese vendors from some reason) but a majority of the booths were selling new countertops or simply fronts for existing chain stores (that were offering nothing new or revolutionary - just 'present'). Maggie and I were forlorn - what happened to our Food & Wine Expo of old?

After 20 minutes, we had fully circled the event and seen everything there was to see and enjoy. I was disappointed to say the least. I wanted my money back. Luckily - there was still a few events on the live stage to see. The first was a demonstration from local chef - Chad Vander Ploeg, the Executive Chef at the Iowa Events Center. The first dish whipped up was some locally raised steak (go Iowa!) with an Argentinean inspired marinade called chimichurri. A second dish - pan seared duck with portobello mushrooms and seared cherry tomatoes quickly followed. The display was both informative, entertaining and exactly what we came for - cooking at its finest. Kudos to Mr. Vander Ploeg for a job well done.

By now, it was time to move on to the main event - a cooking demonstration from the headlining chef, Mr. Curtis Stone. As we've mentioned multiple times on the blog before, Maggie and I had the fortune of meeting Curtis (after meeting him twice, I feel we're on a 'first name basis' now) at the first Food & Wine Expo. Now that we were cooks in our own right, we were even more eager to meet with the cooking Aussie.

First, a little explanation if you're not grabbing the gravity of this meet and greet - Our entire blog is based on four main sources of inspiration. They are:

1 - Jaime Oliver - His show, "Jaime's Food Revolution" single handily opened my eyes to the way food was prepared and the importance of cooking fresh and healthy. His cookbooks taught me how to cook - that is no exaggeration. I went from zero experience to moderately capable using only his cookbooks to learn. Without Jaime Oliver, there is no Out Of The Culinary.

2 - Curtis Stone - His show, "Take Home Chef" first drew Maggie's attention to cooking. His friendly demeanor and accessible personality showed me that not all male chefs have to be hard assess like Gordon Ramsay (with all due respect as Mr. Ramsay is still an amazing chef who I'm sure is a delightful person when the cameras are off - I don't want to speak despairingly about anyone I haven't had the opportunity to meet). It was also Curtis' cookbooks that taught us to be adventurous and inventive. He is willing to throw out new tasks and challenges - and that taught us to take risks on our own.

3 - Giada De Laurentiis - Giada made Maggie fall in love with cooking and its preparation. The way she made cooking look fun, effortless and easy drew Maggie in, and the way her dishes tasted kept her hooked. Giada gave Maggie the cooking bug before she could cook anything beyond ramen noodles.

4. Alton Brown - Alton Brown was my first introduction to cooking. He broke things down into ways that made sense to me. If anyone has not seen Mr. Brown's show "Good Eats" on Food Network, he explains not only how to cook dishes - but also WHY you cook things certain ways. His scientific break down of cooking made the act more approachable to me. And, as any regular reader of the blog knows, I like to break down the science behind the cooking.

There you have it, we were going in to meet #2 on our 4 person list of inspirations. This was a HUGE deal for us.

And Curtis didn't disappoint. From the moment he walked on stage, his passion and enthusiasm simply radiated into the crowd. His entire hour long performance felt less like a cooking show and more like an afternoon just 'hanging out' while we cooked. Curtis has this astounding, engaging personality that is perfectly suited for shows like this. His clever audience integrations - such as the 'first date couple' in which he brings two single folks (a guy and girl) on stage to experience their 'first date' with fresh pasta and crab meat sauce (video of that process below)

or the 'long haul' couple (in this case, a couple who had been together for 48 years!) in which he teaches the husband how to make breakfast in bed - with waffles and caramelized apples - are extremely enjoyable and hilarious.

Mixing up a cocktail to get things started

Full time chef - part time matchmaker 

Apparently, waffle irons are not as common to Aussies as they are to us. It was quite humorous watching Curtis learn how to use the little device. 

Teaching Chuck (the long hauler) how to caramelize sugar - WITHOUT WATER! Who knew? 

Following the show, Curtis had an hour long meet and greet with all of his fans. Maggie and I managed to get up in the front of the line (woot!) and were able to share our thanks with him for being such an inspiration and even shared the existence of our little blog (he liked our name - "Out Of The Culinary? Ha! That's clever" that made my day!) All in all, we could not have been more impressed with Curtis' show or with him afterwards - he single handily made the entire Food & Wine Expo worth the price of admission.

Photo-op

And autograph! 

So there you have it, dear readers, our experience at the third annual Food & Wine Expo. The show itself has changed a lot - not really for the better in our opinion - but the celebrity chefs make the whole event worth while.  We had a lot of fun, all thanks to Curtis and Mr. Vander Ploeg.

That's all we have for you today - just a reminder that next week is 'Thanksgiving Week" on the blog. We're going to be featuring one to two traditional Thanksgiving dishes each day (including turkey) next week - so be sure to stop back on Monday and see the lineup for the coming week. Until then, enjoy the weekend (stay warm!)


~Cheers

Breakfast Extravaganza!

Good evening everyone! First and foremost - a big thank you to all the men and women in our armed forces. With today being Veteran's Day, you will be receiving many thanks and recognition for all the things you do. These thank you's should not be limited to just one day a year - as your sacrifices and efforts give us the freedom to do what we want, say what we think and enjoy the basic liberties that so many of us take for granted on a daily basis. Remember to honor those that served - tell them thank you for what they've done, let them know they are appreciated. Not only today - but everyday.

For tonight's blog - we're returning to a concept from the early days of the blog - building blocks. If you've been a reader since our early days, you will no doubt remember the pancake blog and subsequent reader submissions. The point of that blog was to illustrate how something so simple as the pancake can be manipulated into hundreds of different concoctions. Tonight, we're doing the same thing with the pancake's older brother - the waffle.

My recipe tonight is the basic, bare bones version of a buttermilk waffle. Sure, there are many box mixes out there that offer 'buttermilk' waffle flavoring. We've found, however, that these mixes do not come close to good, homemade, buttermilk waffles. In addition, many of these mixes are originally intended for pancakes and are just adapted to accommodate waffles as well. In my research, I've found that a good waffle mix should have some different ingredients from a pancake mix (in order to achieve fluffy, light, crisp waffles).

So, my recipe tonight is the basic version. Something you can use as a building block to further your waffle exploration. Adding blueberries, slicing some bananas, adding a pinch of cinnamon - the world is your playground when it comes to waffle exploration. The only limit is your imagination.


The Recipe: Buttermilk Waffles
Original Recipe Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

What You'll Need:

1 Cup, Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Cornmeal (Optional - this adds a little crunch to the waffle)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
7/8 Cup Buttermilk
1 Large Egg (Separated)
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Melted)

(Makes 4 to 6 waffles depending on the size of the waffle iron)

The waffle iron is ready - are you?

Begin by beating the egg white with and electric mixer on medium low until slightly foamy. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium high and beat for an additional two to three minutes, until peaks start to form. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. We chose to omit the cornmeal in this recipe as Maggie and I prefer a softer, crispy on the outside only, waffle. If you like your waffles to have a little bit of a crunch - add the cornmeal and enjoy the the extra crispy bites.

In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg yolk and butter together. Set aside.

Slowly add the liquid ingredients into the medium bowl containing the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, mix everything well as you pour the liquid in. Incorporate all of the liquid you pour before adding more. (I found that breaking the pouring down into 25% portions worked well - add 25% of the bowl, incorporate, add the next 25% etc.) Finally, once everything is mixed add the egg white and fold with the mixture until incorporated. Be forewarned, this batter is not nearly as soupy as box batter. You will have to spread the batter into the waffle iron rather than pour.

It's a little thick 

Following the instructions on your favorite brand of waffle iron, cook the waffles until they are the desired 'browness' and enjoy!

Not quite done yet...

In addition to the waffles, I decided to get creative and make up some 'loaded scrambled eggs' a new recipe that was concocted while surveying our refrigerator this evening.

What You'll Need:

3 Eggs
2 - 3 Tablespoons Milk
4 Slices Of Bacon (Sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese (Cheddar, pepper jack, or whatever you can find - I opted for provolone)

Begin by cooking the bacon in a large non-stick skillet until golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve some of the bacon grease - be sure to discard some of the grease if they cut of bacon you chose was overly fatty.

Alternatively, if your wife so happened to use prosciutto in a recipe recently you can replace the bacon with prosciutto and simply add the shredded ham when you add the cheese in the last steps.

You can optionally melt 1/2 Tablespoon of butter in the pan in addition to the grease - if you feel that there is not enough grease to evenly cover the cooking surface.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until combined. Add the mixture to the skillet on medium heat and cook - constantly folding and stirring the mixture until curds begin to form. Cook until the eggs are firm and still slightly moist - about 2 to 3 minutes.

Off of the heat, add in the cheese and bacon (or prosciutto), stirring with a rubber spatula until everything is combined. Serve immediately.

The End Results:

In a word, delicious. Some 'creative' scrambled eggs and basic buttermilk waffles - the two key ingredients for a fantastic, relaxing and easy to make home cooked meal. Give it a try for yourself, change things up and have breakfast for supper every once in awhile!


That's not all we have this evening, however -

PRODUCT REVIEW:

The humble waffle iron, perhaps the most commonly given wedding present know to man - it's right up there with the crockpot (which we have three of - all thanks to the wedding!) I had received a waffle iron as a present two years ago - it wasn't anything special, but it got the job done. For two years, I made adequate waffles in the iron with little to no issues.

About three months ago, however, the iron began to have sticking issues. The waffles would no longer pop freely from the iron when finished cooking - instead they would cling and stick all over the iron, usually burning and making a massive mess in the process. Upon further inspection I found that my waffle iron was losing its non stick coating - I hoped that it was simply falling off...and not being ingested via the waffles. Yikes!

Regardless, the time came to procure a new waffle iron. Armed with gift cards from the wedding, Maggie and I set out to find a top of the line waffle iron that would not only make waffles, but do so with ease of use, easy to clean and solid cooking (I.E. even and efficient) being the foundations of a purchase. After a lot of searching we finally settled on this:

Food Network Signature Series Belgian Waffle Maker

We've used this little guy for two solid months now and it is safe to say we are in love. Here's the run down:

Product: Food Network Signature Series Belgian Waffle Maker
Price: $45
Found In: Kohl's Exclusive

Pros: 

The most important aspect of any waffle maker is...well, the waffles. This waffle maker makes fabulous, deep and hearty belgian waffles. The plate is large enough to cook four waffles at once, so there is no waiting to get the whole family's waffles done before dinner. Simply pour in the batter and lock the lid down and in a short time, the waffles are finished. The product is exceptionally easy to clean and maintain - it's non stick surface works like a charm every time (So long as you properly oil it). The waffle maker is a snap to use (although a little tricky to master...more on that later), with only one clearly marked knob to worry about and a series of beeps indicate when the waffle is done. The unit is large - yet compact. Since in is a square waffle maker, it sores flat or upright with great easy. The cord tucks under the unit for easy storage as well.

Cons: 

The price makes this one of the most expensive waffle irons on the market. Most of the other products run at about 1/2 of the cost of this unit. One issue that we are frequently running into is overflow with this waffle iron. Following the manufacturer's directions, we add the appropriate amount of batter and lock the lid, only to find that molten hot waffle batter comes oozing out of every corner 30 seconds later. Reducing the amount of batter used alleviates this issue, but also results in less than full and sometimes hole filled waffles. Clearly there is a 'happy medium' that we haven't found yet - but it isn't all that easy to achieve with trial and error...and a mess. The other issue we have with this iron is that it is slightly dangerous. The locking action of the lid allows the waffles to cook at a very intense heat, under pressure. This causes the liquid within the batter to be forced out of the sides of the iron in the form of VERY hot steam. The steam will 100% burn your hand (I've done this twice now) so you have to be very careful to avoid it at all costs. The issue is, the steam rises from all seams, including the front seem, which sits below the temperature dial. If you want to make adjustments to the temperature, you have to literally risk you hand to do so. If you want to open the iron to check on the progress of the waffle, you have to navigate the steam as well.

Pictured: Hinge ooze

Final Thoughts: 

The instructions recommend that you set the temperature dial beforehand and not adjust the heat - as well as to wait until the steam is completely done before checking on the waffle - so technically, they are covered. However, how many people read the instructions on the waffle iron before use? I read the instructions and still found out the hard way on what not to do with this iron. Yes, it is a fantastic waffle iron, but it does have a steep (and painful) learning curve at times. This one is certainly not child friendly, but it will make the best belgian waffles you've ever had.


Final Score: 3.5 / 5

Recommended!


That's all we have for you this week! Maggie and I are returning to the site of our first official date on Saturday, the Food & Wine Expo at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines. It's a gathering of everything culinary - including some celebrity chefs. One of this year's speakers is the one and only Curtis Stone - who as you may recall, Maggie got to meet at the last Food & Wine Expo we attended. This year, we have tickets to see him cook once again AND we plan on (trying) to meet him again. It should be a fun day. Look for our reactions to the Food & Wine Expo to be up over the weekend. Until then,

~Cheers