Monthly Archives: November 2010

1231. AUVERGNE POUNTI CAKE

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3 eggs
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup vegetable oil (or more)
½ cup warm milk
½ lb. grated cheese
½ lb. cured ham (prosciutto)
¼ lb. smoked bacon
15 pitted prunes
½ lb. chard, spinach, or lettuce leaves
1 medium onion
salt and pepper

Preheat a convection oven to 350ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, flour, and baking powder. Gradually stir in the vegetable oil. Warm the milk briefly in the microwave and gradually incorporate it into the batter. Mix in the grated cheese, a little salt, a good amount of pepper. Chop the onion and saute it lightly in a pan with the bacon (or lardons). Meanwhile, cut the country ham into strips. Chop the chard or other greens roughly, and cut each prune into two or even four pieces. When the onions and bacon have cooled slightly, mix all the ingredients into the cake batter. Cook the batter in a buttered or non-stick loaf pan for 45 minutes. Let it cool for 15 or 20 minutes before taking it out of the pan.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Ken Broadhurst, Living the Life in Saint-Aignan, St-Aignan-sur-Cher, Loire Valley, France, September 30, 2009
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Hanes commercial is trying to grab the bacon spotlight

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See, a man is sitting next to Michael Jordan on an airplane and he points out that a man across the aisle is wearing the wrong brand of t-shirt because it has "bacon neck.  "It's all curled up like bacon in a pan".

This is just a sneaky way to get bacon into a commercial where it would otherwise have no reason to be there.  There is no way the collar could have gotten like that without being stretched in a way that should not be done to a t-shirt.  Hey Hanes!  Why do you have to insult bacon?  Is having Michael Jordan in your commercial not enough?


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Hanes commercial is trying to grab the bacon spotlight

Posted on by
See, a man is sitting next to Michael Jordan on an airplane and he points out that a man across the aisle is wearing the wrong brand of t-shirt because it has "bacon neck.  "It's all curled up like bacon in a pan".

This is just a sneaky way to get bacon into a commercial where it would otherwise have no reason to be there.  There is no way the collar could have gotten like that without being stretched in a way that should not be done to a t-shirt.  Hey Hanes!  Why do you have to insult bacon?  Is having Michael Jordan in your commercial not enough?


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1230. ACORN SQUASH SOUP with BACON and SQUASH SEEDS

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2 acorn squash, reserve seeds
olive oil for basting squash
1 small white onion or half of a large onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons water to deglaze pan
salt & pepper
Fresh grated nutmeg
4 to 5 slices crispy cooked bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut squash in half leaving your fingers intact, scrape out and reserve the seeds in cold salted water. Slice the squash into strips leaving on the skin. Place in a foil lined pan and coat the squash with olive oil. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool until you can handle them without burning your fingers off and remove the skin with your fingers. Meanwhile, drain the water from the seeds and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Coat them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for a few minutes until toasted and lightly golden brown. In a medium to large pot add the butter and onions. Cook over medium high until the onions look softened a bit. Then turn off the heat. Place the squash, onions, and chicken or vegetable stock in a food processer or blender and process until smooth. Deglaze the pan with 2 Tablespoons of water over medium high heat. Then add the soup and turn the heat to medium. Cover and stir frequently until warmed through. Add salt, pepper, and fresh nutmeg to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cooked chopped bacon and toasted acorn squash seeds.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Laura Flowers, The Cooking Photographer, September 4, 2009 | adapted from Once Upon a Plate, July 19, 2009
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1229. KABOCHA SQUASH CHOWDER with BACON and CHOPPED ALMONDS

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6 oz. bacon, diced
1 yellow onion, peeled/diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 bunch fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 bunch fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 kabocha squash peeled/seeded/diced
2 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 bunch scallions, sliced thin
1/4 bunch parsley, chopped
Chopped smoked almonds

Render the diced bacon until crispy; drain and reserve. Using a little of the bacon fat, slowly sweat the celery, onion and peppers with 1/4 Tsp. salt. When soft, add the garlic and chopped herbs and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in a third of the stock, bring to a boil stirring constantly, add the remaining stock and the diced squash and bay leaves. Let simmer slowly, until the squash is tender; it will thicken and color the soup as it softens. The squash should be soft but still hold its shape. Season with salt and pepper. Off the heat, add the scallions, the bacon and parsley, garnish with toasted or smoked chopped almonds or walnuts for a nice crunch.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef John Beardsley, Buckeye Roadhouse, 15 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley, California 94941 | San Francisco Examiner, October 25, 1996
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It’s Soup (and Alliteration?) Season: Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup Recipe

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?Hey guess what.? It's winter again.? And with winter comes many guilty pleasures to pass the time and make the frigid temperatures? more bearable.? These guilty pleasures include Ugg boots (atrocious, but so cozy), Grey's Anatomy on the T.V., snuggies, and booze-spiked beverages that are otherwise completely innocent, like coffee, hot chocolate, and cider.? Hell, in winter, they even add stronger booze to already-boozy drinks! (see: port wine, mulled wine, and tequila-ed wine.? Ok, I made that last one up.)

Amidst all this decadence, it can be hard to eat healthy UNLESS you have a good stash of broth in your freezer for soups (which you should.? Shrimp shells, crawfish shells, crab shells, steak bones, chicken bones, lamb bones, turkey bones--they all make excellent stock with a little water and a long simmer. DO IT.)? Soups can take a not so fantastic out-of-season tomato and turn it into a dark, complex dish.? They can also take anything in your fridge and turn it into a meal with the right care and a stash of dried lentils nearby.

This soup recipe seems so simple and straightforward, it's hard to imagine that something sweet, spicy, fresh, and satisfying can result, but it does.? The sweet potatoes add body, color, and sweet earthiness to broth that's made richer with the sausage while brighter with the spinach.? All of this comes together in a satisfying, healthy soup.? This recipe is courtesy of Bon Appetite magazine, with some edits and notes of my own.


Satisfying Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup Recipe:

2 Tbs. olive oil?
10 oz. cooked linguiça sausage or chorizo sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note below re: uncooked sausage, which I prefer here)?
2 medium onions, chopped?
2 large garlic cloves, minced?
2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 2 large), peeled, cut into 1/2 inch thick semi circles
1 pound baking (I use yukon gold) potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch thick semi circles
6 cups low-salt chicken broth?
1 9 oz. bag fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cooked (see note below re: uncooked sausage) sausage; cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl.?Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add all potatoes, reduce heat, and cook until potatoes begin to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes. (When things start burning on the bottom of the pot, I move onto the next step)? Add broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.?Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using potato masher, mash some of potatoes in pot. Add browned sausage and any collected juices to the soup. Turn off heat. Stir in spinach just before serving.? Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and serve.NOTE:? I made this soup with a buffalo and pork chipotle chorizo sausage that a friend gifted me and Mr. Luz. It was AWESOME and I'd recommend buffalo chorizo if you can find it.? The flavor's just amazing.???Uncooked sausage is less compact than cooked sausages and therefore will absorb the broth for a more satisfying experience, though it adds one more step to the process.?To make this recipe with buffalo chorizo or some other uncooked chorizo, use vegetable oil instead of olive oil, and brown the whole chorizo in the oil.? If it still isn't cooked, add 1 inch of water to the pot, cover, and simmer until the sausages are firm but not hard. Remove the sausages to a bowl and slice upon cooling, being careful to retain any juices to add to the soup later. Boil off as much water as you can from the vegetable oil and sausage flavoring before adding the vegetables to the pot and commencing with the above recipe. ??

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2007/10/sweet_potato_and_sausage_soup#ixzz15rI8RF1b

It’s Soup (and Alliteration?) Season: Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup Recipe

Posted on by
 Hey guess what.  It's winter again.  And with winter comes many guilty pleasures to pass the time and make the frigid temperatures  more bearable.  These guilty pleasures include Ugg boots (atrocious, but so cozy), Grey's Anatomy on the T.V., snuggies, and booze-spiked beverages that are otherwise completely innocent, like coffee, hot chocolate, and cider.  Hell, in winter, they even add stronger booze to already-boozy drinks! (see: port wine, mulled wine, and tequila-ed wine.  Ok, I made that last one up.)

Amidst all this decadence, it can be hard to eat healthy UNLESS you have a good stash of broth in your freezer for soups (which you should.  Shrimp shells, crawfish shells, crab shells, steak bones, chicken bones, lamb bones, turkey bones--they all make excellent stock with a little water and a long simmer. DO IT.)  Soups can take a not so fantastic out-of-season tomato and turn it into a dark, complex dish.  They can also take anything in your fridge and turn it into a meal with the right care and a stash of dried lentils nearby.

This soup recipe seems so simple and straightforward, it's hard to imagine that something sweet, spicy, fresh, and satisfying can result, but it does.  The sweet potatoes add body, color, and sweet earthiness to broth that's made richer with the sausage while brighter with the spinach.  All of this comes together in a satisfying, healthy soup.  This recipe is courtesy of Bon Appetite magazine, with some edits and notes of my own.


Satisfying Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup Recipe:

2 Tbs. olive oil 
10 oz. cooked linguiça sausage or chorizo sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note below re: uncooked sausage, which I prefer here) 
2 medium onions, chopped 
2 large garlic cloves, minced 
2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 2 large), peeled, cut into 1/2 inch thick semi circles
1 pound baking (I use yukon gold) potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch thick semi circles
6 cups low-salt chicken broth 
1 9 oz. bag fresh spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cooked (see note below re: uncooked sausage) sausage; cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl. 

Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add all potatoes, reduce heat, and cook until potatoes begin to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes. (When things start burning on the bottom of the pot, I move onto the next step)  Add broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. 

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using potato masher, mash some of potatoes in pot. Add browned sausage and any collected juices to the soup. Turn off heat. Stir in spinach just before serving.  Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and serve.

NOTE:  I made this soup with a buffalo and pork chipotle chorizo sausage that a friend gifted me and Mr. Luz. It was AWESOME and I'd recommend buffalo chorizo if you can find it.  The flavor's just amazing.  
 
Uncooked sausage is less compact than cooked sausages and therefore will absorb the broth for a more satisfying experience, though it adds one more step to the process.
 
To make this recipe with buffalo chorizo or some other uncooked chorizo, use vegetable oil instead of olive oil, and brown the whole chorizo in the oil.  If it still isn't cooked, add 1 inch of water to the pot, cover, and simmer until the sausages are firm but not hard. Remove the sausages to a bowl and slice upon cooling, being careful to retain any juices to add to the soup later. Boil off as much water as you can from the vegetable oil and sausage flavoring before adding the vegetables to the pot and commencing with the above recipe.   

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2007/10/sweet_potato_and_sausage_soup#ixzz15rI8RF1b
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