Kugelhopf- Not just for breakfast

Today I made my first kugelhopf.  I was inspired by a recipe for it in my latest issue of Saveur magazine  The focus this month was on the foods of France.  This particular recipe is from the Alcase area of France.  They refer to the recipe as a cake  It is baked a in a cake pan (a bundt pan) but is made with yeast which is more characteristic of a bread.  It is slightly sweet but not s much as most desserts

It looked intriging.  Since it used yeast as a leavening agent it took some time to make.  It took even more time than the recipe called for because it was a cold day in Mammoth and in order for a yeast recipe to rise properly, it must be in a warm room.  To compensate I turned my oven on low and set the rising dough on the open oven door.

Other than the heat issue, I followed the recipe as written although I did use golden raisins instead of the more common dark raisins.  The raisins were soaked in Kirsch before they were added to the dough.  

The best thing about the Kugelhopf besides the taste was the aroma- especially as it was baking.  It 

 be eaten as a breakfast dish or as an afternoon snack with tea, coffee, or a slightly sweet wine.

For the recipe, check Saveur- The  France Issue May 2016 page 22.  

Italy at Home

Some of my favorite dishes are Italian.  My friend, Karen is on vacation there now so I am thinking of my favorite Italian foods.  

I was born on an Iowa farm.  Everything we ate came from something the farm produced.  We moved to LA when I was starting Third Grade.  One of my friends invited me to play one Saturday.  For lunch her mother served Spaghetti.  I told my mother how good it was.  She called my friend's mother to get the recipe.  It turned out to be Spaghetti from a can.  Years later I found myself alone for dinner one night and bought the same brand.  They say "you can't go home again".   It was certainly true with my canned spaghetti.  It was so bland and spongy I could not finish it.  

Lunch today was one of my favorite salads.  It can be served at a main course or a side dish.

1 package Spinach Pasta (preferably in small shapes). I used Buitoni's Spinach Cheese Tortellini.  

1 can cannellini beans

1 recipe Pesto Sauce- recipe follows

Mini Heirloom tomatoes

Fresh basil for garnish

Parmesan cheese (best from an Italian deli but alas I don't have one nearby)

 Make the Pesto Sauce in a mini-prep or food processors. Purée one garlic clove.  Add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves, and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Purée until smooth.  Add more olive oil if necessary to make a fluid sauce that can pour easily.  

To make the salad, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Dry pasta will need more cooking time than fresh.  Drain and place in serving dish. 

Drain the beans and place in the center of the pasta leaving a one-inch border.  

Place the tomatoes around the beans as a border.  Pour the Pesto Sauce over all.  Garnish with basil and sprinkle Parmesan Cheese to taste over all.  

My other favorite Italian recipe is a main course.  It is great for company.  The meat takes an hour and a half in the oven.  The pasta is best served just before time to eat.  It smells wonderful as it cooks.  

It is best prepared in a cast-iron deep-sided skillet with an oven proof glass lid.

3 large bell peppers- assorted colors

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tablespoons olive oil.

1 package sweet Italian peppers

1 cup dry red wine.  

Spinach Pasta cooked according to package directions

Parmesan Cheese 

Cut open the peppers.  Remove seeds and membranes.  Cut into pieces.  Sauté in the skillet in olive oil until soft.  Season.  Remove from skillet and set aside.  In the same skillet and oil, sauté the sausages (after removing skin and cutting into bite sized pieces).  When sausages are browned, add the wine, cover with the lid and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and add peppers.  Return to oven and baked uncovered an additional 30 minutes.  

Cook the pasta  according to package directions.  Drain and place in a serving dish.  Top with meat/pepper combination and top with Parmesan Cheese  or pass separately.  

Irish Cooking at Home

Not long after I got back in Mammoth Lakes I received a package of books on Ireland from my niece, Cindy in Alabama.  Two of them were cookbooks and so I got busy in my kitchen to try out recipes.  

The first thing I tried was from the Irish Cooking Bible.  

I tried a Bacon and Potato Quiche. I already had an uncooked pie crust in the freezer so I simply baked it and made the filling.  It called for thick-cut bacon which I already had.  Whenever I go through Bishop on my way from Mammoth to L.A. Or vice-versa I always stop at Mahogany Smoked Meats to buy their bacon.  

       

One uncooked pie crust 

12 ounces of thick-cup bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 medium onion, chopped

8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme 

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

4 eggs]t

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (I used freshly ground)

3 ounces Dubliner cheese (shredded). (I found this in my local Von's store

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Chives

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

-Line a pie  plate (I used a quiche pan with a removable bottoms) with crust.  Prick with a fork. Bake 8 minutes.  

-Cook bacon over medium heat until browned.  Remove and drain on paper towel.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings.  Discard remainder of melted fat.  Add potatoes, onion, and thyme. Cook 10 minutes or until tender.  

- Whisk held-and-half with eggs and seasoning.  

-Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place quiche pan over the foil and add bacon, vegetables, and cream mixture.  Cover with cheese and chives.  

-Bake 35 to 40 minutes until set.  Cool 10 minutes before serving.  

For dessert I made Irish Cream Cheesecake from The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook.  It was a luxurious dessert made even more special by the addition of Bailey's Irish Creme.  

 

The crust was made with Chocolate Chip Cookies.  The filling had no eggs so it didn't need to be baked making it the easiest cheesecake ever.  16 ounces of chocolate (half semisweet dark chocolate half milk chocolate).  I used a Chocolate Whipped Topping from the local Von's with raspberries.  I'm going to make this for the next family dinner.  It would be even better served with a shot of the Irish Creme.  

A third recipe I have tried is Beef and Stout Pies also from The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook.   Chuck steak cut into 1-inch pieces was dredged in seasoned flour and cooked in oil- then deglazed with undiluted beef broth.  The sauce consisted of onion, mushrooms, tomato paste, thyme, and stout.  The topping was store-bought puff pastry brushed with one beaten egg yolk.  I used individual ceramic soup bowls that were oven proof.  It was especially fitting using Guinness stout since I had toured the factory in Dublin.