MARGS

I'll spare you my usual rhetoric, and get right to business, because MARGS. 

For those who despise the usual mixers out there, here are a few simple steps to achieving what I consider, the perfect margarita. 

All you need is orange simple syrup, tequila, limes, and salt. And ice. Don't forget the ice.

Orange Simple Syrup

3C water

1.5C sugar

Zest from 3 organic oranges

Dissolve the sugar in the water in a pot, gently stirring as it comes to a boil. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest (just the orange part - the white pith is very bitter) into the water. Allow the mixture to come to a roaring boil for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool at room temperature for at least an hour. Remove the zest, transfer the syrup to a jar (or old tequila bottle), and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. 

MARGS

This is a ratio I like. You may like yours sweeter or limier, so proceed as desired, and keep trying til you get it just right (work, work, work). 

About equal parts of tequila and syrup (but just a smidge more tequila)

A pinch of kosher salt

Juice from one medium lime 

Shake well in a cocktail shaker full of ice, pour, drink, repeat. 

Note: I like to add a splash of seltzer to my margs. It's quite refreshing, and can help sustain daytime drinking. 

¡Salud!

Crispy, Juicy, Succulent Gluten-Free Chicken Wings

It was hard to keep ppl away for 10 seconds to take a photo.

Frying chicken is less recipe, more technique, and techniques vary. In this case, I wanted to make gluten-free fried wings. I figured doing and egg + cornstarch dredge would give me a puffy crust with a light, crisp finish - perfect for holding lots of sauce in its nooks & crannies. I was right. 

Here's what I did.

Prep the Wings
Rinse and pat dry wings. Separate into drumsticks and flats, and remove wing tips (I freeze them for when I make broth). Sprinkle wings with salt. 

Make Your Sauce
What you see above is a mix of Soy Vey, Sweet Chili Sauce, and Sriracha. I reduced the Soy Vey to make it a bit thicker, then stirred in an equal part of chili sauce, and sriracha to taste. 

Have some fresh ginger and cilantro for garnish. 

Dredge the Wings
Beat a few eggs, and toss the wings to coat. 

Drop the wings into a bowl of corn starch (about 1C) mixed with a bit of salt (about 2t), and toss to coat evenly. 

Shake off the excess corn starch, and set the wings on a tray while you heat the oil for frying. 

Fry
Heat about 3C of oil in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, to 360'. If you don't have a thermometer, heat the oil on high for about 5 minutes to make sure it's hot. Once the oil shimmers, it's ready. 

Fry the wings in batches for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Don't crowd them. 
Drain the wings on paper towels. 

Toss the wings in the sauce, and top with freshly grated ginger and chopped cilantro. 

на здоровья!

Chinese Pearl Balls

I fell in love with these as a kid. In the late 70's & early 80's, there was a surge in popularity of gourmet cooking & entertaining. Most days, we ate very simply, but during the holidays, my Mom & aunts would bust out the Bon Appetit and Martha Stewart cookbooks, and make morsels of goodness that cemented my love for experimenting with flavors & textures in my own cooking. 

Aside from being irresistibly delicious, these are gluten-free, very easy to prepare, and can be made ahead and frozen, so when company arrives, all you need to do is steam and serve. 

Ingredients
3/4C glutenous rice or sticky rice (does not contain gluten) 
1# ground pork
1 green onion, minced
2t freshly grated ginger
4 water chestnuts, finely minced
1T soy sauce
1T dry sherry (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2t corn starch 
S&P

Dipping sauces can vary to taste. I usually put out several options:
Plum Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Soy sauce with rice vinegar and chili oil
Sweet chili sauce
Sriracha 

Instructions
Soak the glutinous rice in water for at least 6 - 8 hours (preferably overnight). Drain well in a sieve or colander. Spread out the rice on a baking sheet. Note: Drain and spread out the rice just before making the pearl balls, so that the rice doesn't dry out too much.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well to incorporate all the goodies. 

Lay out a baking sheet or tray lined with parchment. Using a small ice cream scoop, a teaspoon, or your hands (keep hands wet for easier handling), make large gumball-sized balls (about 1T), and drop them onto the sheet with the rice. Roll the balls in the rice to coat evenly, and transfer to the tray with the parchment. Space them out so they're not touching. At this point the balls can be frozen for future use (freeze on the sheet pan, then transfer to ziploc bags, being careful not to lose too much rice). 

Steam the balls in batches using bamboo steamers or steamer baskets. Lightly oil the steamers to prevent sticking. Steam for about 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately. 

на здоровья! 

Triple Chocolate Brownies - ATK

 With just the right balance of cakey & chewy, and three types of chocolate keeping the sweetness in check, these babies hit on all cylinders. They're best eaten the same day as baked (the chocolate chunks stay melty), but keep beautifully in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Prep the Pan

Make a foil sling for a 13x9" baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil; the first sheet should be 13" wide, and the second sheet should be 9" wide. Lay sheets of foil in the pan perpendicular to one another, with extra foil hanging over edges of the pan. Push foil into corners and sides of the pan, smoothing the foil flush to the pan. Grease the foil, and set the pan aside. 

Why should I do this? Sounds like a pain. 

The foil will keep the brownies from getting too dry. After cooling the brownies in the pan, you can lift them out by the foil edges, then easily cut them. 

This is one of those recipes that pays to have all the ingredients ready in advance of mixing. 

Get it Together

1/3C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2t instant espresso (optional, but recommended)

1/2C plus 2T boiling water

2oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine 

1/2C plus 2T vegetable oil 

4T melted unsalted butter

2 large eggs plus 2 yolks (use the extra whites to make these!)

2t vanilla extract

2 1/2C sugar

1 3/4C flour

3/4t salt 

6oz bittersweet chocolate cut into 1/2" pieces 

Trader Joe's carries unsweetened baking chocolate, as well as cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate.
Their cold-pressed sunflower seed oil is ideal for baking. 

Preheat the oven to 350'. 

Whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa and espresso powders with the boiling water. Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until melted. 

Whisk in the melted butter and oil. The batter may separate. 

Whisk in the eggs & yolks, one at a time. Now the batter should look like chocolate pudding. 

Whisk in the vanilla extract, then the sugar.

Switch to a spatula and stir in the flour, then the bittersweet chocolate chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. 

Yes, you have to do this, or they won't set properly.

In order to get the right balance of chewy and cakey, brownies tend to be slightly underbaked. Allowing them to cool completely before cutting, ensures they set so you get that fudgy center, cakey outside, and crisp crust. 

Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours. 

Then lift the brownies out of the pan by the foil edges, and allow to cool on the wire rack for another hour. 

Cut brownies into 24 pieces and serve. 

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

на здоровья! 

Recipe by America's Test Kitchen

Budapest Coffee Cake

I've been making this cake for over 20 years. It's a crowd-pleaser, it's easy to make, and it keeps well (not that it will last beyond a day). The sour cream (undetectable by sour cream haters) keeps the cake incredibly moist. The modest amount of sugar in the recipe garners many compliments that the cake is not too sweet. 

Batter
11T Butter (5.34oz), softened 
1.5C Sugar
3 Eggs
1t Vanilla Extract
3C Unbleached AP Flour
1/2t Salt
1.5t Baking Powder
1.5t Baking Soda
2C Sour Cream (1 Pint Tub)

Filling
1/4C Brown Sugar
1t Cinnamon
1t Cocoa Powder

Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350'.

Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition, and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add dry in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts. 

The finished batter will be thick. 

Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Spread 1/3 of the batter in the bottom of the bundt pan. Sprinkle with the filling. Add another layer of batter, and another layer of the filling. Top with the final 1/3 of the batter. Spread smooth. Bake for 50-60 minutes til the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. 

Ready for the oven. The cake will rise past the top.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting.

Cool completely before cutting. 

Tip: Store extra filling for next time.

Mad props to my baking femtor, Jule Vranian for the recipe!

Mushroom Potato Onion Pirog (Russian Savory Pie)

Whole Foods charges about $4 a slice for something like this. I made two whole pies (10"x5") for about $10 total. And that was using purchased puff pastry, which is both easy to work with and tasty, but you could make your own dough (a traditional pie dough) if you prefer. 

I like to share these (either whole pies or individual turnovers) with friends on camping trips, picnics, concerts, etc. These are for HSB15. Fall is in the air, and the combination of caramelized onions and mushrooms with potato wrapped in a golden pastry is really satisfying.

What You Need
1 box Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets 
1.5# russet potatoes
1 large onion
8oz crimini mushrooms 
olive oil
S&P
an egg for eggwash 

How to Make it
The puff pastry comes frozen. Thaw the whole box in the fridge overnight. Keep them cold as you prepare the filling. 

Peel, cube and boil the potatoes (with 2t salt) until soft. Drain and roughly mash them. 
Dice the onion, and saute in olive oil until soft.
Slice the mushrooms and add them to the onions. Sprinkle with S&P. Crank up the heat and saute til the onions are golden brown and the mushrooms are tender. You can deglaze the pan with a little dry sherry if you like. It adds a nice flavor and helps collect all the flavors from the pan. 
Combine the onion mixture with the potatoes and let it cool to room temp. You can also make this mixture ahead and chill it overnight. 

Preheat oven to 425' (you will reduce the heat to 400' after you put the pies in). 
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. 
Flour a work surface and unfold one of the pastry sheets. Keep the 2nd one in the fridge. 
Gently roll the square out a bit making it about 2" bigger all around. Spread half the filling evenly in the center of the dough, leaving about 3" on each side, and 1" at the top and bottom. Join the sides over the center of the pie, pinching the dough together to create a tight seal. Seal and crimp the top and bottom as well. Gently lift the pie and place it in the center of a baking sheet. Glaze with egg wash. Place the baking sheet in the freezer or fridge while you repeat the process with the second pie. 

Bake the pies at 400' for about 30-40 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through. The pies should be deeply golden brown. Cool on a rack. Either serve slightly warm, or cool completely and store wrapped at room temp for up to a day. Beyond that, you should keep them in the fridge, though that will make the dough gunky. Just eat them within a day. It won't be a problem. Trust me. 

на здоровье! 

Sweet Potato Tacos with Zingy Coleslaw

Why did I wait so long to post this staple to my diet? The epitome of my mantra (Tasty Cheap Easy), these tacos always hit the spot. 

Now why would anyone post a recipe for tacos? I can't think of a more elastic and widely interpreted dish. All I can tell you is that the texture/flavor mix of my favorite cheap version is really satisfying, and the keys are as follows:

Hannah Sweet Potatoes: Tan skin, white flesh. Kind of like a yukon gold, but sweeter. 

La Tortilla Factory Green Chili Tortillas: A magical corn/wheat combo that can take a lot of crisping, but stays chewy and soft. Vegan. Local.

Coleslaw that's more vinegary than mayonnaisey: What can you tell from this photo? Nothing. But I can tell you that people who hate mayonnaise like this coleslaw.

Get it Together

The Slaw
Whisk together
2T mayo
1T dijon mustard
2t maple syrup
3T apple cider vinegar
Toss in: 
Half a cabbage, shredded finely
2 carrots, shredded
1 green inion, thinly sliced
Season with black pepper (it shouldn't need any salt)

The Sweet Potatoes
Peel and slice the potatoes about 1/4" thick. Steam for about 10 minutes (til fork tender but not mushy). At this point you can use the potatoes in the tacos, or sear them in a little butter for added flavor. 

Assembly
Heat a large skillet on medium/medium-high. No oil needed. Heat tortillas until golden brown. 
At this point you can add any toppings you crave. Some combos I like include a bed of salsa-style refried beans, pepper jack, avocados and tomatoes. 

Longevity
Slaw is good for a few days, as are extra cooked sweet potatoes. So you can make several meals out of this and eat very well for a couple bucks a day. 

на здоровья!