Boiled PerfEGGtion

So, I am not one to really endorse products (yet), but I do feel the need to endorse a Website that I believe will help everyone, when it comes to the basic food product we call the “Egg”.

How many times have you wanted to hard boil/cook eggs and when you do so, you go by what Mamma or Grandma (maybe there are some dads and grandpas too) taught you? You boil water and place your eggs in boiling water for 10-15 minutes depending on the egg size, some of the eggs from the boiling process crack and after the process those eggs are now hard boiled/cooked with green yolks and rubbery whites.

Well, for many years, I followed what I was taught and observed in my family and one day, a few years ago I decided that I “didn’t” know how to hard boil/cook an egg properly. I always had trouble with the green outer ring of the yolk and sometimes a rubbery white, which in my book isn’t all that tasty and proper to serve to anyone, including myself.

So, I determined that all my previous experience was a bad habit and did my research. There are many great websites about eggs out there, but the one website I found, which is advertised in a quiet way is the Incredible Edible Egg site.

Not only do they provide great egg recipes, but they also provide the basics. I’ve searched other well known “Egg Brand” sites, but for the basic essential way to Hard Boil Eggs and I found that the Incredible Edible Egg site provided the best, simplest instruction and consistent results every time. Also, their method of Hard Boiled/Cooked Eggs has not let me down yet. For the past 2 years, the method they provide has not let me down once.

Other methods just don’t make any sense and the Incredible Edible Egg method literally just works the best. My eggs come out perfectly every time, no green rimmed yolks, no rubbery whites and the eggs are easy to peel.

So, I urge all of you out there to forget what you were told on how to hard boil/cook eggs and re-train yourself to the Incredible Edible Egg method. I am not kidding…I have not been disappointed and therefore is the reason I have posted this blog!

Basic Hard Boiled/Cooked Egg Recipe Link

For those who are lazy and don’t want to check out the site, here are the instructions:

1. PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan.
2. LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large).
3. DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.

Note: Unshelled Hard Boild Eggs can last for 1 week in the Fridge.  Shelled should be consumed same day.

Enjoy Everyone!

Sardines Revisited

When I first started this blog, I posted a quick write up on how I love Sardines (Saltines and Omega 3) and the fact that I think they get a bad rep. I also posted a link to an Alton Brown, Good Eats recipe “Sherried Sardine Toast” that I had not tried out at the time, however recommended to folks who are willing to eat these lovely little fishes.

Well, I took the plunge and tested out this recipe and OH MY TASTE BUDS! The Alton Brown episode was extremely mouth watering, especially if you are a person who loves to eat sardines like me, but at the same time it does not do the justice it really deserves until you taste this wonderful snack/lunch and even more.

I personally had this tasty delight for what I call “Lupper”, the time between a late lunch and supper, which is generally when I eat, as I am not a big breakfast or for that matter a big lunch eater. I mainly see myself as a dinner hound and the occasional over the sink/counter eater.

Not to get off subject, but did you know that there is a difference between Supper and Dinner? Well, there was in my family according to my Nana on my father’s side. Supper was the feast between 4pm and 7pm on holidays and Dinner was any meals eaten a few hours later-between 7-9pm. Now…Don’t have a frenzy, I know this is backwards as the dictionary is Dinner first, then Supper. But hey, I loved my Nana (even though not that educated) and that’s how it was in my family.

So, back to the Sherried Sardine Toast…Again, WOW! I really think, if you are a person who may be a bit squeamish about sardines, to try this recipe out. The toast and the smooth buttery taste of the Avocado; with the initial splash of the sherry vinegar on the tongue really tones down the Sardine fishiness. I even believe that if the canned Brisling Sardines are still not something you want to be adventurous with, try just canned tuna in oil as a starting point. I might even try this with anchovies and add some small capers (not caper berries-but hey this could work too)!

So the pictures I have posted are not exactly the "Toast" the recipe calls for exactly, but at the time, I only had what I had.  So that should tell everyone that you don't necessarily have to have a boule to make this treat.  I used an italian long loaf of bread and cut it in long wedges, which is actually perfect for the snack/appetizer form which will yield 8 smaller slices instead of the bigger 4 the original recipe recommends.  For a more substantial meal, then use a thicker loaf of crusty bread as stated.

So, be adventurous for the rest of this month! This recipe is perfect for a Snack, Appetizer and if you are like me, perfect for “lupper” and a late night snack!  Just keep in mind, this is a recipe that does not store for more than the day you prepare it. Yes, you can make half (the toast should be prepared as you serve it)  for the early part of the day, but best make and eat the next half before the day ends.

Click for Original Recipe Link

Corn & Shrimp Chowder: Completely on the Cheap!

I was sitting on the couch the other day on my computer; it was about 5pm when the local news was starting up. Usually at this time, I end up doing the dishes, as the local station I watch has 3 half hour sessions and each generally triplicates all the top stories that were aired at noon time (remember, I’m still not working). So doing chores for the first session isn’t a huge deal as I can catch up on the next 2 until World News with Diane Sawyer (whom I love as much as seeing/listening to Charlie Gibson and RIP Peter Jennings).

 

So, my local NYC station I watch does have a “local eats” segment (I think it’s the 5:30-6 show), which I sometimes find interesting. This particular day, it was about a restaurant in I think Brooklyn (wasn’t really paying attention to the area or restaurant for that matter) that makes exceptional Corn Chowder with Shrimp.

 

So that gave me an idea…and a major craving! ;). Most of my food exploits come from cravings, just so you all know!

 

Now, I love chowders, all kinds of chowders, but give it to me thick! Like NE Clam Chowder…Thick as Thieves or a Rich and succulent Lobster Bisque! My feelings and cravings for this is either the New Englander in me or the fact that I love dairy and white foods which are not all that healthy if you eat it on a regular basis (which I don’t anymore), but to me this kind of food is my sweet tooth and it is hard to turn away when put in front of me.

 

I’ve seen and eaten many “Chowda” recipes in my day, TV definitely has given overkill and restaurants are not as authentic as they claim to be. I must admit that Chowder Soups don’t necessarily have to be thick as what I was used to, but to me “Chowda” has to be rich in something and that is still a Dairy Product. Though, I will admit, if you want to trim the dairy, to maintain the richness and even thickness, a starch is necessary in my book, like using potatoes as a thickening agent as well as an overall chunky ingredient with much less dairy.

 

To get back to the news story I was half paying attention to. The story focused on a Corn/Shrimp Chowder recipe. I haven’t had corn chowder in so long and seeing the soup on TV gave me such a craving. So, I decided I needed to make Corn Chowder with Shrimp!

 

The killer here is that I don’t have a lot of money these days and even though those will say corn chowder is cheap to make, and it really can be, the bottom line is that you still have to plan to make this recipe, because when you buy the required ingredients, you have a lot left over (ingredients and final product) which may or may not store well for a long period of time, which ends up costing more if you don’t use them in another planned recipe or freeze.

 

I looked on the internet and found really great recipes for Corn Chowder and found one that I could definitely modify for really cheap eats and still have great taste and NO LEFT OVER INGREDIENTS (well the Half and Half can be used for Coffee)!

So if you have a craving for Corn Chowder with Shrimp, I have a great and cheap recipe for you! It only costs about 5-7 bucks for 4-6 servings (NYC Costs-other USA areas it’s probably even cheaper). If you are single or a college student looking to impress, this is an extreme bargain, as you can freeze 2 -3 servings for about 6 months!

Keep in mind, if you don't want the Shrimp, you can omit it.  This recipe is modified from another, which means, you can modify mine or the original recipe I used as a base.  I encourage everyone, that no recipe is set in stone and that you CAN make it your own and make it work based on any circumstance.  This Post is intended to show those who think they must follow a recipe step by step and think they cannot afford the ingredients that they can make a positively great recipe, on a budget by modification to their means.

So here is the link to the Original Recipe I modified from: Creamy Corn Chowder

Cheap Eats: Corn Chowder-Just the Basics-By Have A Seat

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 Medium White onion Chopped Finely
• 1 pound potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
• 4 cups Canned Corn (not Creamed Corn), Approx 3-4 – 15oz Cans ( I used 3 cans)
• 3 bay leaves (Dried) If Fresh 2 bay Leaves
• Juices/Water from 2 ½ Cans of Canned Corn (keep in mind the juice has salt in it)
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 ½ cups Half and Half
• ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Can “Tiny” Shrimp

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion start to soften, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, 2 cans of the corn, bay leafs, and 2 Cups Water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and keep it at a simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally (Timing really depends on how thick your potato cubes are).
3. Puree the 3rd can of corn and half and half in a blender or food processor, and then stir it into the soup. Simmer the soup until it thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Then add Cayenne Pepper to Taste and Canned Tiny Shrimp and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the bay leafs (optional) and add salt and pepper to taste.

I Confess! I was a Tomato Thief!

Of all the foods I have eaten in my life, the Tomato is to me the most endearing and favorite fruits/vegetables of all time (I call it a fruit). I eat heirloom, regular, cherry and grape tomatoes like candy! I am a sucker for homegrown heirloom Tomatoes of any variety and this story dates back to one of my earliest memories of one of my favorite foods of all my time. It’s a long post, but I promise an amazing recipe and hopefully a funny story will come out of it!

I think I was about 7 years old; the place was Newtown, Connecticut. My parents were still together and my sister was just someone I could bully, being the big sister that I was. We lived in a beautiful converted barn (yes it was painted red and the details white!) that stood on top of a U shape dip with what seemed to be a high hill at the bottom of the street where the best friends, at the time, of me and my sister lived.

There was a little creek (if looking at our street from the north) on the left bottom side of our U street in the back woods where my father would on rare occasions take us fishing for “so called trout” with stick poles and fishing string. All we ever caught were teeny minnows (I think) and the occasional frog and salamander.

On the upper right street, the house semi across from us, I remember always seeing Red Breasted Robins eating the worms and seeds from that front yard in the early morning. The house at the top of the street (between the inbound and outbound roadway and facing the main road) always had a great garden of Rhubarb every year. I think I remember the woman gave us some of her garden feast at some point. She must have, as I do remember Rhubarb Pie and other Rhubarb tastes like eating raw Rhubarb coated with sugar!

But on the far left middle side of our U shape street, there was a family/home that had a garden I was definitely more interested in. They had a garden of TOMATOES!!!! I think I remember the family that lived there, but not too sure. I want to remember it was the family who had this baby girl Megan (2 yrs old) who when us stupid kids asked her to say “Truck” she would say “F@#K”. Us kids at the time got a huge kick out of that (Hey, it was the late 70’s)!

No matter, this was MY GARDEN. My home had great stuff to pick from like peas, blackberries, pears, mulberries, crab apples and other stuff my father and mother planted. But not like this garden down the road. This garden was a plethora of tomatoes for me.

So, in early morning and late afternoon, I would sneak into this open garden and just pick the tomatoes from the vine and eat them trying to hide myself between the stalks/vines. I do remember being sneaky about being in the garden worried that someone would catch me. I remember going to the garden and just grabbing as many tomatoes as I could and running away and then devouring them before I went home. I did know I was doing something wrong, but I just loved those Tomatoes so much!

What I most remember aside from stealing the tomatoes is really about the fact that I just grabbed a tomato from the vine, and sunk my teeth into a most glorious fruit! As a child, I could not get enough of these Tomatoes; the taste to this day, when every bite into any tomato, it is hard for me to accept as I equate my taste bud memories to what I am eating presently.

When you taste that freshly picked fruit and just bite into it, there is no comparison to what’s out in the markets today. My buds tell me I must smell the vine on the fruit first, and then when you bite in like you would a peach its sweet…It’s so hard for me to explain, as it’s such a mind game for me. I am not sure I can give the tomato the justice I want to give it from my mind…there is no need for sugar or salt to bring out the taste as it’s all so natural to just eat it raw, just like a peach.

Well, that’s my story, I did try to keep it short, and hope you all enjoyed the read, but there is the real reason I started the discussion of Tomatoes. We are coming into spring and soon summer will be upon us. Yes, Tomatoes are best in July/August, but starting in May, you can start to purchase really great homegrown tomatoes. Please buy from your local farmer and not the supermarket!

As I mentioned on my other Page "What am I Cooking Next", I was going to cook for a special occasion and I did, just this past weekend. It was my Brother In-law’s B-Day. Technically, my sister and her bo are not married, but they have been together long enough for me to say he is definitely family. Because he is family and I have no money to really give him a proper gift, my gift is cooking. So I cooked a 3 course meal that included the Ravioli I posted a few days back, Soup and a Salad. The salad story will be posted soon.

My Brother in law mentioned to me that he was given last summer’s preserved tomatoes from his mother who resides in Indiana and that gave me the idea for a nice spring soup to prepare for him. So my sister is still on her vegan diet and I did try to search for a Tomato recipe that wasn’t salad based and I really did want to make a soup. I scoured the web and my cookbooks for a chilled tomato soup that was not dairy or bread based and wasn’t gazpacho.

I will tell you all, unless you really know where to look, real unique Tomato vegan recipes are hard to find. I am sure any vegan reading this will tell me otherwise. But I wasn’t just looking vegan, but a recipe any one would enjoy overall.

So I did ultimately come across a Chilled Tomato and Avocado Soup recipe, but it did require a dairy product. So, what I ended up doing is omitting the dairy and changing things up in the recipe. This resulted in a No Cook, No Bake, No Dairy, No Bread Recipe. I will link you to the original recipe I modified greatly from…In case you want the Dairy version. But I’ve got to say, my version is so much better and healthier for you overall.

NOTE: For the Tomatoes…I had the privilege of using preserved homegrown Tomatoes, but canned will work. For canned, be sure to remove the tomatoes to a glass bowl and chill for 24 hours to remove the tininess.

Original Recipe Link (BTW-There are many links of the same recipe out there, this is just one of them.)

My Chilled Tomato and Avocado Soup-Revised and more Original.

Makes approx 8 Servings

Special Equipment: Either a large Blender or Food Processor. If you have a Medium Blender, you may have to do this in batches. Using a Handheld Stick Blender doesn't work so well, but if that's all you have, then go for it!

• 32 Ounces Whole Canned or Preserved Tomatoes with Juice
• 1 Large ripe Tomato (Beefsteak or Ugly Heirloom) or 2 Medium Hydroponic Vine Ripened Tomatoes-Roughly quartered
• 4 Ripe Avocados (2 should be quartered/sliced for the soup base)
• 1 Medium Onion-Roughly quartered
• 1 Large Red Pepper or 2 Med Red Peppers-Roughly quartered
• ½ Cup Lemon Juice (Real Lemons-No Lemon Substitutes)
• ½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Bunch Chives
• S & P to Taste
• Optional: Fruity or Spicy Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

1. Add ¾ of the Canned/Preserved tomatoes (Reserve ¼ of tomatoes), Fresh Tomato, Avocado, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, and lemon juice to Blender/Processor
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Transfer Tomato and Avocado mixture to large bowl.
4. Take canned/preserved tomatoes and roughly chop keeping the pieces bites size, but not too small. Whisk in remaining canned/preserved tomatoes to Tomato and Avocado Mixture.
5. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste and chill for 2 to 24 hours.
6. Garnish individual servings with remaining Avocado (Sliced), chopped chives, and optionally a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

A Sour Dough Trip (up?)

My adventures of bread making are getting a bit better, but I think after this last loaf, I’ve come to a bit of a bread making impasse. One of my main goals of bread making is to bake good ole rustic crusty bread, whether that is sour dough or of Italian/French style.

This most recent recipe I used did come closer to my goal, but I think I may have tripped up a bit on the kneading process. This leads me to believe I really need to find out if I can take a Bread Baking 102 class or something of the like. For the fancier rustic breads, I’m starting to doubt myself on the look and feel of the dough and that's a bit frustrating to me right now. But I won’t give up as I am determined to get to my end goal.

Don’t get me wrong, this recent trial came out very good and delicious, but the internals of the bread did not come out as airy as I expected and was not really all that sour. I love crusty bread with lots of holes in it. This first try, the internal came out a bit denser, which is what ultimately led me to believe I over worked the dough. But the Crust!!!-OMG, this came out extremely well and I am very, very happy with that result, so I must be getting closer. 

One other nice thing about this recipe is that the overall time to make is pretty good.  If I don't include the Sponge Ferment time, this takes about 3-4 hours from the initial knead to taking it out of the oven.  About 1 1/2-2 hours is Resting and Proofing and then total baking time is 50 minutes.

This loaf will supply my toast ration this week (maybe I will make a bruschetta to eat the bread with) and I will eventually cube it up for croutons. As per another recipe that I tried out a few weeks back, I will attempt to make this again, making the necessary adjustments to which I have learned from. For those who are a bit more trained in bread making, this is a good recipe and has great tips for those who are still learning like I am. One of the best tips I have seen is about storing rustic bread after it is cut…As the recipe/notes state, it really does work! So next time you make or even buy a rustic Boule or other crusty loaf, try it out. It will last longer!

KAF Quote:

“Just a Hint...

Store crusty hearth loaves uncovered, but with their cut side down on the counter. This is one of the best tips we've come across in some time. Though this doesn't work on baguettes, rolls, or other small loaves, it works beautifully on big boules or freeform loaves. The moisture in the bread's interior gradually migrates to the surface, but since the cut side is covered, it can't escape there; instead, it must navigate its way through the thick crust, a much slower process. This keeps the bread's interior soft, and the crust hard and crunchy.”

KAF Recipe Link for: In Search Of The Perfect Rustic Loaf

 

 

3rd in a Million Ways to Prepare Potatoes

So, I watched Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell a few weeks back and she prepared a potato dish called “Pommes Chef Anne”. It’s funny that this show magically appeared, as I was putting together a post about one of my favorite potato dishes: Potato Pancakes. But Chef Anne’s dish looked so good; I thought I would forgo the potato pancakes this time and try her recipe out.

I ultimately made 2 batches on separate days, but I forgot, with the first one I made, to take pictures and that gave me an excuse to make it a second time. I modified Chef Anne’s recipe on both occasions because I felt I wanted a little more flavor.

The really nice thing about this recipe is it’s between a potato pancake and an au-gratin (without all the dairy and butter). Don’t get me wrong, there is cheese-Parmesan Cheese! One of my kitchen staples. But I rarely think of Parmesan Cheese as a heavy dairy product like Cheddar and other worldly cheeses.

So following the recipe, my first go at it I layered in thin slices of onion. This was absolutely delicious, but my second round I added thin slices of garlic and onion and it made the dish even better! I topped the second version with a drizzle of Serrano cream, which was the ultimate addition to flavor.

Sorry-I did not take pics with the cream on top. I was so hungry when I made this, that I completely forgot.

Here is the Recipe Link: Pommes Chef Anne

Serrano Cream

• 3 fresh serrano chilies or jalapeños, seeded and chopped fine 
• 1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt  
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Make the serrano cream:

In a blender or mini food processor blend together the chilies, the garlic paste, and the sour cream until the mixture is combined well. (Be careful not to overblend the mixture or the cream may curdle.) Force the mixture through a fine sieve set over a small bowl. The serrano cream may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and brought to room temperature before serving.

I could live on Bread and Water

I mentioned in a previous post that about a year ago that I obtained a bread maker. Since then, I have been making many types of bread from the product maker’s recipe booklet, after I got more comfortable with the machine, I have been branching out a bit more into more Artisan style breads.

The great thing about a bread maker is it does most of and sometimes all of the work for you. What I like most about it, is that it contains a proper environment for the dough to rise. The weather in my apartment isn’t all that consistent except in the summer time and trying to make bread rise on my countertop during wintertime doesn’t always work out the way I would like.

The other nice feature of a bread maker is that most all bread recipes can start out in the maker and then you can take out the dough and bake in your oven if you don’t want to use the machine from start to finish. I have a nice plus on my machine, as it has an Artisan setting, which allows for long cooler rises, instead of warmer rises.

My first venture baking outside the maker was French baguettes. I had a specific purpose to making theses as every wintery holiday (T-Day/X-Mas) my sister’s fiancé makes his specialty fondue(which is the best fondue I’ve ever had) and when I first got my bread maker, I offered to make the French bread for the cheesy feast. I think it’s now a family tradition since this past X-Mas, I supplied the bread again…This time with a better recipe and I learned a bit more on how to roll the dough properly.

So it’s been a bit more than a year using my bread maker and it is time for me to attempt the European style breads that stand on their own with or without those lovely additions such as butter, olive oil and garlic to eat with. This adventure, I have attempted to make a Country Loaf, which is really just a plain old Boule that should have lovely airy holes when cut.

This first go around, was a bit of a trial, as per the recipe I followed, the crust of the bread did not become as crusty as I had anticipated, but I will say that the bread itself, after tasting was most incredible. Incredible enough for me to take the next steps in baking my ultimate bread conquest.

The recipe I have posted is from KAF and I will attempt it again under different weather circumstances to get the results I expect, but no matter the results of my initial attempt, the final result was incredible! For such a simple recipe with no starter/poolish/levain, the recipe is a great starter rustic bread for those who are learning the “dough” life, with or without a bread machine, I urge all to try this recipe out, even without the “Seeds”.  Please note...The flavor comes from the other flours, like Pumpernickel...You can use Rye or other flours to bring out the taste.

You all get a treat this time with 2 Pictures from me!

KAF RECIPE
Country Loaf

This loaf, like many European loaves, includes a bit of whole grain flour for texture and flavor. For a lighter-colored loaf, cut the pumpernickel or white whole wheat down to just a couple of tablespoons, while increasing the all-purpose flour so that the total amount of flour used remains 3 cups.(Notice this is a non-fat loaf: eat it quickly, or it'll stale. To keep it fresh longer, substitute 2 tablespoons of oil for an equal amount of the water.)

Ingredients View by: Volume Weight

• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 cup pumpernickel flour OR King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• seeds (sesame, flax, caraway or poppy) OR oat or rye flakes, for sprinkling

"10 ounces lukewarm water1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast2 ounces pumpernickel flour OR King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour10 5/8 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour1 1/2 teaspoon saltseeds (sesame, flax, caraway or poppy) OR oat or rye flakes, for sprinkling"

Directions:

Bread Machine Directions: Place all of the ingredients in the order listed above into the pan of your bread machine, select Manual or Dough, and press Start. Proceed from*.

By-Hand Directions: Pour the water into a mixing bowl. Add the yeast and pumpernickel or white whole wheat flour, and let sit for several minutes until the mixture begins to bubble. Stir in the salt and 1 cup of all-purpose flour and mix well. Gradually add the second cup of all-purpose flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4 to 5 minutes. Let the dough rest while you clean out and grease your bowl; then knead the dough a few more minutes. The dough should be on the slack side and a little tacky, but should not be sticky. When the dough is well-kneaded, place it into the prepared bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed from*.

*When your dough has risen once, flour your dough-rising basket heavily and sprinkle some seeds (sesame, flax, caraway, poppy...) or some oat flakes or rye flakes in the bottom. Pick up your dough and work it around in your hands a bit, expelling the air. Make the dough into a ball and place it, "nice" side down, into the basket. Drape the dough with lightly greased plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise for 45 minutes, or until it's crowned nicely over the rim of the basket.

Have a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet ready. Very gently, roll the dough from the basket onto the baking sheet. It should slip out gracefully, without deflating. if it deflates totally—a small settling is OK—simply form it into a smooth ball, put it back in the basket, and let it rise again (only this time not quite as high).

Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes. For a crunchy, crisp loaf, spray water into the oven with a spray bottle three times during the first 10 minutes of baking. When the bread is done, remove it from the baking sheet, set it on the rack of the oven, turn the oven off, and crack the door open a couple of inches; let the bread cool completely in the oven. If you want a soft loaf, remove the bread from the oven, and from the pan, and let it cool completely, at room temperature, on a wire rack.

Potatoes with Style

Poor in NYC? Need a way to feed yourself and others on the cheap? Well, if you don't have alot of bucks and are willing to put a little time and effort into this next adventure, this meal is for you!

Gnocchi, Gnocchi, Gnocchi, Gnocchi!

Just 3-4 plain old russet or idaho potatoes (depending on size), 1 large egg, 1 cup of flour and a dash of salt will feed a party of 4 or even more! in NYC that adds up to approx $5-$7. I say $5-$7, because you can't just buy 1 egg or just 1 cup of flour. Most traditional recipes don't even need egg.

Yes...Make it homemade! There are plenty of recipes out there on the web that will show you how to make it. There is no special equipment needed except your hands, a fork and a little time. But if you have a food mill or potato ricer, an Gnocchi paddle, these can help but really don't speed up the process.

Now, I'm new to making Gnocchi from scratch, but not new to making my own pasta, so most of the On-line Tutorials were easy for me. Once you get the knack for making any kind of dough, it's a quick process. I recently made my own batch-took me about 60 minutes after the potatoes were cooked and cooled.

Sauce options:

• Simple Marinara Sauce (Cheap!)
• Pesto
• Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
• Alfredo Sauce
• White or Black Truffel Olive Oil and Fresh Sage and Rosemary
• Fresh Sage and Butter (Cheap!)
• Putanesca
• Wild Mushroon or Porcini

...the list can go on and on...just think out of the box

Here are some links to sites that I found extremely helpful in my quest to make homemade Gnocchi:

http://underthetuscangun.com/cookingvideos/cookingvideos.php

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/how-to-make-gnocchi-like-an-italian-grandmother-recipe.html

YUMMY and Satisfying! I encourage anyone and everyone to make Gnocchi from scratch...You know what goes in it. You know who made it and you know it will taste better than if you bought it.

Saltines and Omega 3

Now, I grew up eating Sardines, so they don't skeeve me out and I feel bad for those folks who can't seem to get past the little critters.  They are so tasty!  What I didn't know was that Sardines are rich in Omega 3's, which made me feel even better about eating them.

My favorite way to eat sardines is with saltine crackers. Simple, delicious and as plain as can be.  I only buy one kind of Sardine...Brisling-2 Layer in Olive Oil.  That's the only way to go.

I was watching Alton Brown on the Food Network a few weeks back. The episode was about those funny little fish called "Sardines". He had this one really amazing recipe with Avocado and Grilled toast that just made my mouth water -- Sherried Sardine Toast.  I haven't made this recipe yet, but I must admit, I keep thinking about it...

So for the folks out there afraid of little fishies...Try out the recipe above or go with my favorite standby-Saltines and Sardines.