Spaghetti Bolognese (Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce)

This one is a highly adapted version of Alton Brown's spaghetti from Good Eats. It is a really fun episode to watch and the recipe is AWESOME, it just takes 6 hours or so. Here's the original:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/meat-sauce-and-spaghetti-recipe/index.html

If you have the time, and patience, make this one. I only suggest that you use heavy cream instead of the evaporated milk, it doesn't curdle as easy (the evaporated has curdled on me).

Here I have adapted the recipe to be 2-3 hours to make. At least for me. I'm a slow cook though. I like to be precise with my dicing/chopping/mincing and build lots of flavor and that takes time.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients
6 Rashers of bacon (sliced thick) or 2 tbsp of bacon fat
1 Large onion (yellow or white), chopped
1 Star Anise
6 Whole cloves (completely optional)
3 tbsp Olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage (I like sweet because of the basil) or ground sirloin (if using this, up your spices to taste)
1 lb Fresh button or baby bella mushrooms, rinsed, sliced, and patted dry (if you want a really good flavor, use 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms chopped and then soaked in white wine--they usually are with the pasta stuff)
4-5 Cloves of garlic, minced (I like alot of garlic, use less if you don't)
1 jar Spaghetti sauce (use your favorite, I use traditional low-sodium Prego)
1 cup Chardonnay (really important to use wine here because of the tomatoes, but you can substitute diluted apple cider)
2 tsp Dried oregano
1 tbsp Dried basil
2 tsp Dried marjoram
1 tbsp White wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4c Heavy cream
Parmesan cheese to taste
1 gallon Water
2 tbsp Kosher salt
1/2 lb Dried spaghetti

Hardware
2 large Skillets (cast iron can be used for the browning of the meat and mushrooms, but not the other pan)
1 Spice Bag (only necessary if you're using the cloves)
1 Slotted cooking spoon
1 Large cooking spoon
1 large Stock pot
1 Colander
1 Knife
1 Cutting board

Procedure

Start with the non-cast iron skillet over low heat and cut the bacon into one inch pieces into the pan (I use kitchen shears for this). Keep stirring and render all the fat out (basically until they're super crispy--approx 20 minutes), remove with the slotted spoon to a paper towel, cool and then store for use with something else (like a salad!). If you already had the bacon fat, of course you can skip all that, just melt it in the pan over low heat. The advantage of doing it fresh is the fond on the bottom:

Add the onions and the star anise pod (and cloves in the spice bag and then crushed) with a heavy pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown.

About the time the onions start to get a little brown on the edges, heat the other skillet up over high heat. Once it is hot, add 2 tbs of the olive oil. It will smoke, once it does, crumble the sausage into the pan. Don't stir for the first 10 seconds or so. You want to brown the meat really good. Once it is, remove with the slotted spoon into a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining oil into the pan and put your mushrooms in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Brown them, stirring very occasionally.

When they are about done, dump the sausage back in (juices too!) and add 1/2 of the Chardonnay (pull off the heat to do this) and start scraping the bottom of the pan to get any remaining brown bits up. Once there's nothing more on the bottom of the pan, remove from heat. In it's place, bring your water to a boil in the stock pot over high heat with the salt and a little oil on top if you want.

By now, your onions should be about brown. If they are, add your garlic and cook until you get hit in the face with the smell (DON'T burn the garlic!). Remove the star anise and the spice bag. Dump in the meat/mushroom/wine mixture. Turn your heat to high then add 1/2 of the jar of sauce and basically "fry" everything until most of the excess moisture is gone. Drop the heat to med-low, add in the rest of the jar, then shake the other 1/2 cup of wine in the jar to get the last bits of the sauce and then pour into the pan. Now add the spices, vinegar, Worcestershire, and ketchup. Add your salt and pepper to taste (I usually add very little salt and a tablespoon and a 1/2 of pepper...but that's just me). It will taste a bit sour, but that's normal. Turn your attention to the pasta as the sauce heats up (stirring occasionally).

The water should be boiling. I usually break mine in half before putting it in the water, but that's up to you. Stir quite a bit in the first minute or so and then every couple of minutes after that. Start checking it for tenderness about 2 minutes before the package says it should be done. You want it to be al dente (have a slight bite to it) then drain in the colander. The sauces should be bubbling by now. Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine, then dump your pasta in. Heat up to simmering again then turn off your heat. Here's when you can add your parm, but I like to serve then put it on top. Serve with some crusty bread baked at 350° with butter and garlic on it. I like bolillos for this. Enjoy!

Saturday Technique--Browning

This one is a quick one, but über important.

When you want to add a whole lot of flavor without doing much in the way of seasonings and stuff, browning is the way to go. There are plenty of recipes that I will do that take major advantage of this technique, especially the one I'm going to do on Thursday.

There is a common misconception when it comes to something called "searing". This is a complete misnomer because it doesn't "sear" anything. You aren't sealing in juices. Heat breaks down cells and they will start to lose moisture no matter what you do. End. Of. Story. This is why even something boiled, like meat, eventually gets tough and rubbery. This is also why you use certain "cheaper" cuts for long, slow cooking because they will have more fat and connective tissue that breaks down and keeps things moist, but even then, cook it too long and bye-bye tasty meat. But I digress...

"Searing" is actually just browning to create more flavor. That's it. Basically when you brown meat it creates all these chemical reactions that are collectively known as the Maillard reaction (look that up if you want to know more). These reactions create incredible flavors that you just can't replicate in any other way and leave a residue or "fond" in the bottom of the pan that you need to incorporate somehow into the recipe because they sure are tasty. Make a pan sauce. Deglaze with some wine and add some vegetables...lots of different things you can do. Just don't let it go to waste.

Ok, now the technique. Here I'm concentrating on meat, but other things can be browned too, or "carmelized" like onions. Those are to be done slowly over a low to med-low heat. With meat, however, most of the time you need to go high heat and fast. ESPECIALLY if it is something small that releases alot of juice like ground beef, sausage, or even mushrooms (since they react much like meat). Big pieces (like steaks, although grilling is WAY better) shouldn't be cooked to well done and should be pink in the center and REALLY big pieces are usually going to be finished in the oven or braised so it is just flavoring the outside before continuing cooking anyway.

Make sure whatever you are cooking is nice and dry and close to room temperature. Don't let it sit out all day, but a half an hour on the counter isn't gonna kill you. Use a non-non-stick (lol) pan with plenty of room (don't crowd the mushrooms or ground meat...you'll just end up steaming)  over a high heat with NOTHING IN IT until it is very hot, then pour in  enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan and swirl it around. It will smoke so don't be alarmed. Now lay in your meat (seasoned please!) or "sprinkle" it around if it is small then don't move it around at all for the first few seconds. Larger hunks of meat shouldn't be moved until they are ready to turn which is usually a few minutes per side. For smaller stuff (and mushrooms) stir and let set, stir and let set. Be careful not to burn, but let it go for longer than you might think. The deeper the brown, the better the flavor. I promise that as long as it is hot enough before you put it in and you don't futz around with it too much at the beginning it won't stick. That isn't to say you won't have a brown layer of fond at the bottom of the pan, but that is GOLD in cooking. Something like this:

(I think the Instagram versions fit better and look better, btw...lol)

One last thing. There are lots of exceptions to the high and fast rule like certain types of seafood (which I'm not really that familiar with, being hundreds of miles away from any major body of water our fish is usually lacking) and boneless chicken breast (either with or without skin). If you go high and fast, you aren't going to cook it all the way though before it is going to be mostly burnt, so on that one use non-stick (preheated with the oil in it) and cook them on med-low (with just salt and pepper is AMAZING) until they get a beautiful golden brown kind of crusty exterior. They'll be juicy inside and deliciously carmelized on the outside...make some fettuccine alfredo in the pan with all the juices from the chicken and top it with the chicken and you have one tasty meal!

Full Recipe Thursday--Coca-Cola Cake

Anyone who knows me fairly well knows that pretty much the only soda I drink is Coke. What they may not know is I'm kinda a Coca-Cola nut. The only glasses I have in my house are Coca-Cola glasses (in three different types), I have loads of different bottles, hell I even have a Coke can Christmas tree ornament. I don't, however, use it alot in cooking (and using Diet Coke is an absolute no-no in cooking...heating it just makes it really bitter, so no substituting here). I have two recipes that I use it in and both are great. One is Coca-Cola chicken, the other is Coca-Cola cake which is really simple and is really great tasting. Kinda has a spice cake mixed with chocolate cake. Goes AMAZING with some vanilla bean ice cream.

Ingredients

Cake
2c All-purpose flour (doesn't have to be weighed, but give your flour a good stir before measuring)
1c Sugar
2 Sticks butter (don't use margarine, it's evil)
3tbls Cocoa powder
1c Coca-Cola
1/2c Buttermilk (ok to use the milk and lemon juice trick here)
2 eggs
1tsp Baking soda
1tsp Vanilla extract (if you can avoid it, use the real stuff...imitation is made from wood pulp)
1 1/2c Mini marshmallows

Frosting
1 Stick butter
3tbls Cocoa powder
7tbls Coca-Cola
1lb Confectioners' sugar

Procedure

Pre-heat your oven to 350° and grease a 9"x13" pan. Start by sifting the flour and sugar into your mixing bowl along with the the marshmallows (use the paddle attachment). Stir them to combine.

In a saucepan (don't use too small of one, this one expands quite a bit), combine the butter, cocoa powder, and Coke over medium heat and bring to a boil.

Start your mixer on slow and then pour in the hot mixture aiming for the side of the bowl. Mix just until combined, then add the eggs (beaten with a fork first), vanilla, and the buttermilk after having the baking soda just mixed in. Mix until combined. Pour into pan and then bake 30 to 35 minutes. Use the "toothpick comes out clean" method to determine doneness. When it is close to being done, prepare the frosting since it needs to be put on while the cake is hot. Combine everything except the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour it in your mixing bowl (that was cleaned first) and dump the sugar in. Use the whisk attachment and start very slowly, but then pick up speed up to the highest setting to get a little air into it. Whip at high for about a minute. Once the cake comes out, let sit for 5 minutes to allow it to set a bit then dump the frosting on top and spread. Let it cool for at least an hour before cutting into it. ENJOY!

Gadget Wednesday

Here we have the greatest kitchen "gadget" you will EVER PURCHASE...GUARANTEED*. No I'm not a paid spokesperson, this is just an awesome piece of machinery that costs a bit more, but makes up for it in efficiency and longevity. I'm talking, of course, about a Kitchenaid Artisan® Stand Mixer.

KitchenAid Artisan Series Imperial Black Stand Mixer - KSM150PSBK

You can purchase other kinds of course, but this one is tried and true. There are a couple of different models of Kitchenaid® ones with bigger bowls, lift bowls, and higher power motors, but this one does the trick for your average cook. I don't recommend the ones that are basically a hand mixer on a stand with a rotating bowl only because they aren't as versatile. If you aren't going to do alot of breads and don't mind mixing for longer, then go ahead with full steam and buy one of those.

I hear you saying "They're SO EXPENSIVE", and they are pricey, but I'd gather that if you cook quite a bit, you've gone through at least a couple of hand mixers, made numerous messes, and spent way more time mixing in the last 10 years than you have to. These babies last almost forever. Plus they have all these nifty gadgets you can add on like ice cream makers, pasta rollers, meat grinders, and even a sausage stuffer!

Around the holidays this thing is a God-send. You can start something in it and just dump ingredients as needed while doing other recipes. Make whipped cream or whip egg whites in no time and with very little trouble. It's just awesome. Get one (psst...available at Best Buy). I'll wait...

*I'm not paying you anything if you don't like it or don't think it's the best ever. That's all on you, because it IS the best ever kitchen gadget.

Quick One - Lemonade

Ok, I promised one for today, but I'm really tired, so it's gonna be a quickie (insert joke here).

I thought this one was appropriate since it is really starting to get hot here. On a hot day, nothing is better than a cold lemonade. The alcohol here is absolutely optional and lemme tell you, you can't taste it (at least with the vodka), so this could get you buzzed pretty quick.

Best (Hard) Lemonade

Ingredients per glass

1 Large lemon (Sunkist really does have the best lemons)
1/3c Granulated sugar (or to taste)
2c Ice cubes
2 1/2oz (that's a pony and a regular shot) of Vodka (or good quality bourbon)
Filtered water

Hardware

Cocktail shaker (or two sturdy plastic cups where one mouth fits into the other about an inch down)
Mulling stick (look it up)
Paring knife
Hand juicer

An image of these so that you get what I'm talking about:

Procedure for each glass

Wash your lemon thoroughly (without soap, Chandler). Now cut it in half and try and pick out as many seeds as you can with the tip of the knife without cutting out the juicy part. Best way to do it is pry them out. Next juice the lemon into the bottom of your shaker. I find the hand juicer is best for this and is cheap as hell. And for secret #1...put the rinds into the shaker after the juice. Pluck out any seeds you see before dumping them in, but there's a method to my madness here.

Next comes the sugar, you may want less or more depending on how sweet you like it, but I think this is an ideal amount. Then comes secret #2...mull (or mash/grind) the lemons with the muller. Make sure you mull firmly and grind that sugar against the lemon rind for at least 15-20 seconds. If the rind splits, that's perfectly normal. (I just noticed Marvin the Martian is reflected in my shaker above...AWESOME!). What's happening here, is you are releasing some of the essential oils trapped in the rind that will take the flavor to the next level.

Now put in enough ice to come close to the top of your shaker, follow that with the vodka (if you are using it) and then enough water to come up to about 1/2" from the top of your shaker. Lid up and shake for at least a minute or (if the shaker is stainless) until you can't hold onto the shaker anymore because it is so cold. Strain into a glass that is filled with the rest of the ice and enjoy!

Seriously, after this one, you'll never buy store bought again. As long as the lemons are in season, it isn't really expensive either.

I'm going to try and get into a weekly rhythm here. So mebbe a Quickie on Tuesday, Gadget on Wednesday, Full Recipe Thursdays, and Technique Saturday. Lemme know what you think.