Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Category: cooking

  • Learning to Cook: Candy/Fudge

    So, usually my lessons are on Sundays – that’s the easiest day for me to cook and photograph, but this weekend is going to be a little busy. Therefore I’m showing you something I made last month! And I’m going to count this as an extra credit lesson because 1.) it wasn’t on my original list, and 2.) I made it over the holidays before my resolution officially began. In any case, I ran across this recipe for fudge that I knew Chris would love, so I wanted to give it a try. Making candy is actually kind of hard! And sort of intimidating. I did a little research before I got started, and I read that making fudge requires precision and exact timing, so already I knew this would be a challenge for me. I have a really hard time with the timing of everything in the kitchen because I get distracted so easily while reading a recipe. I’m all, “step 5, pour the… ooo look, a shiny thing!” And there are a lot of shiny things in the kitchen.

    Where was I?

    Oh yes, timing. I bought an inexpensive candy thermometer (I don’t see myself making candy very frequently) so I could bring the ingredients exactly to the temperature of the soft ball stage, which incidentally has nothing to do with sports. I was terrified not only of passing up the correct temperature, but also of burning myself. Amazingly enough I didn’t! And I just watched that thermometer until the mercury rose to the “soft ball stage” line and then followed the next steps.

    Here’s where I ran into an issue. When I added the vanilla, butter and flour, the recipe didn’t explain what to do with it. Stir it until smooth? Whisk it quickly? If you look at the original recipe it just reads, “Remove from the heat and add butter, vanilla extract and flour.  Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and let sit for 20 minutes.” The flour immediately lumped up, and in my research I had read that if you stir at the wrong phase you can ruin the fudge, so I wasn’t sure what to do! I decided to just whisk the lumps as much as I could because I didn’t think they’d work themselves out, and then I continued the recipe. (Note that I added this step to the recipe below.) It was very awkward scraping the fudge out of the pan and into the stand mixing bowl and I was only able to scrape it in chunks, but it did eventually whip up into a ball (which wouldn’t have been possible without my new stand mixer).

    • What I learned: Candy really does require precision! And I learned about the soft ball stage of candy.
    • What went well: I had all of my ingredients ready to go before I started. This helped tremendously with the timing of everything. And I didn’t burn myself!
    • What I can do better next time: When it was time to press the fudge into the 8×8 pan, I wasn’t sure what to press it with. I scrambled around looking for something – I should have been more prepared. I ended up using the bottom of my largest measuring cup, which worked fine.

    Chris and I thought the fudge was really good, although it didn’t taste exactly like cookie dough. I think I got the texture right though! Lesson complete.

    Cookie Dough Fudge

    Author: Adapted from wildeinthekitchen.blogspot.com
    Ingredients
    • 1 3/4 cups sugar
    • 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1/4 cup 2% milk
    • 1 tbsp corn syrup
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • 2 tbsp butter
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 1/3 cup chocolate chips
    Instructions
    1. In a 4-quart pot, combine sugars, heavy cream, milk, corn syrup and salt. Insert a candy thermometer and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, to 242 F. Remove from the heat and add butter, vanilla extract and flour. Whisk together until smooth. Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and let sit for 20 minutes.
    2. Coat an 8×8-inch pan with cooking spray, wipe out excess oil with a napkin. Scrape the hardened candy syrup into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until the fudge comes together into a ball. Scrape fudge into the prepared 8×8 pan and press into a flat layer. Add chocolate chips and press into the fudge.
    3. Let sit at room temperature to crystallize, do not put into the fridge as it will disrupt the natural crystallization process. Once the fudge is cooled and the chocolate chips are set, place in the fridge for 1 hour (this will make the fudge easy to cut). Cut into 1-inch pieces and serve!

     

  • Learning to Cook: Huevos Rancheros

    It’s another breakfast lesson this week! I made Huevos Rancheros this morning, and before today I didn’t even know what Huevos Rancheros was, so I’m putting that in the “what I learned” bucket for sure. And, I had never cooked or eaten a sunny-side-up egg before. I found the recipe at Annie’s Eats. She has a ton of yummy-looking recipes I’d like to make!

    I followed the directions in the original recipe, except I didn’t want to use my new food processor because Chris was still sleeping and I wasn’t sure how loud it would be. I decided to use my hand blender instead, and that worked just fine since it was just mixing beans and spices. Oh and I didn’t have a heavy cast iron skillet to heat the tortillas, so I just used a regular skillet. I also copied Annie’s food presentation almost exactly because I have no idea what this usually looks like.

    • What I learned: I learned what Huevos Rancheros is, and I learned that sometimes it’s totally fine to use another appliance instead of what the recipe calls for – a hand blender instead of a food processor, for instance.
    • What went well:It was delicious!
    • What I can do better next time: I made a huge mess. Maybe I can work on cleaning as I go?!

    Huevos Rancheros

    Author: adapted from annies-eats.com
    Serves: 6
    Ingredients
    • 3 cups cooked black beans, divided (or 2 15-oz. cans, drained and rinsed)
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • ¾ tsp. ground cumin
    • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
    • ½ tsp. kosher salt
    • 2-3 tbsp. chicken or vegetable broth (optional)
    • 2-3 tbsp. butter, divided
    • 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
    • 6 large eggs
    • To serve:
    • Shredded cheese, such as pepper jack, white cheddar or Monterey jack
    • Fresh salsa (about 1½ cups)
    • Sour cream
    • Hot sauce
    • Sliced avocado
    • Cilantro, for garnish
    Instructions
    1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1½ cups of the black beans, lime juice, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process until smooth. If necessary, add broth 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve an even consistency. (Alternative method: you can use a hand blender to process the beans, spices and lime juice.) Transfer the mixture to a bowl or saucepan and mix in the remaining 1½ cups of beans. Set aside.
    2. In a skillet, melt ½ tablespoon of the butter over high heat. One at a time, add the first three tortillas to the skillet, flipping once, until slightly charred on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Melt an additional ½ tablespoon of butter and brown the remaining tortillas. Set aside.
    3. In a large non-stick skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Gently crack the eggs into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and let cook until the white is fully cooked through but the yolk is still soft. (Cook eggs in batches if necessary.) Meanwhile, heat the bean mixture until warmed through either in the microwave or on the stove.
    4. Place each tortilla on a plate. Spoon some of the bean mixture over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top each tortilla with a cooked egg. Top with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, and avocado as desired. Garnish with cilantro.

     

  • Learning to Cook: Oats

    Okay, so let’s get cooking! This is the first of my Learning To Cook posts, and I’m a little late in getting started. When I first created my lessons list I intended to do one lesson a week (in no particular order) throughout 2013. Well, unfortunately the first two weeks of this year I was battling a cold, and who wants to cook while sniffling, sneezing and coughing? But I’ll do my best to play catch-up. I’m starting this weekend with an easier lesson – oats.

    In the search for a breakfast that meets my challenging array of dietary restrictions (lactose-intolerance, wheat-intolerance, and an egg allergy), I have finally grown to like oatmeal which I actually used to detest. I found this clean-eating recipe for Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Oatmeal and thought, well that’s different. I’ve never had sweet potato anything for breakfast. And I’m not super skilled at making steel-cut oats, so I figured this should be good practice.

    I gathered my ingredients and followed the directions word-for-word. I used the correct size slow cooker, I measured everything exactly, and I gave it the proper amount of time to cook. By the end of the 2.5 hours on low, it was still incredibly liquidy. The oats seemed cooked even though they were all afloat in there, so I ended up just putting the whole batch through a fine mesh strainer to drain the extra liquid. The remaining oats were the consistency I prefer, so this recipe turned out fine in the end! Can I chalk this up to developing good instincts in the kitchen?! Or maybe some people just like liquidy oatmeal. The original photo does look soupier than mine.

    Short of draining the liquid after the cook time was up, what else could I have done? Should I have let it cook longer? Was there a way for me to know from the start that this was too much liquid? I suppose if I make it again, I will try cutting the milk and water in half, or maybe just leaving out the water altogether.

    • What I learned: Liquid apparently does not evaporate much if at all in a slow cooker. The ingredients have to absorb the liquids or else the results are soupy.
    • What went well: I didn’t grate my thumb while preparing the sweet potato! Success!
    • What I can do better next time: I actually didn’t have cinnamon in my pantry like I thought I did (I usually do?!), so when I was ready to cook, I didn’t have all the ingredients needed. Chris ran to the store for me while the oats were cooking. So next time I’ll physically gather all the ingredients ahead of time to make sure I have everything.

    This will be good with some walnut pieces mixed in. Chris also suggested marshmallows (like in the traditional sweet potato side for the holidays), but I think I’ll keep it clean and wholesome. Well, okay…I did sprinkle a little brown sugar and extra cinnamon on top. Lesson complete!

    Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Oatmeal

    Author: adapted from skinnyms.com
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup steel cut oats
    • 2 cups low-fat milk
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 cup grated sweet potato
    • 2 tablespoons unrefined sweetener, more or less to taste. I used honey, but some other options are: coconut palm sugar, sucanat, or 100% pure maple syrup
    • Kosher or sea salt to taste
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
    Instructions
    1. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and cook on low 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until desired consistency is reached. Recommend 4-5 quart slow cooker.
    2. If desired, add chopped nuts and/or raisins.
    3. Stovetop Method: Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook approximately 20 – 25 minutes or until desired consistency has been reached.

     

  • School Supplies

    In preparation for my New Year’s Resolution to learn to cook, I decided I should buy some new school supplies! Up until I went shopping last weekend, we just had a really really old cookware set that I purchased when I moved into my first apartment circa 2001. I spent under $100 for a twelve-piece non-stick set and plus I know non-stick coating doesn’t last forever, so we are well overdue for a new set. I wanted something I can get some mileage out of, so I did my research and decided on this small set of stainless All-Clad cookware. I really like that they are made in the USA, and that people say they’re very sturdy so I should have them for a long time. I’ll add pieces as needed, but I think this set plus the two newer non-stick pans and a Le Creuset dutch oven I already own will meet our needs.

    I have also always wanted a good stand mixer, although I don’t do a ton of baking. (Side note: I’m actually not that bad at baking! Especially compared to my cooking.) I wasn’t planning to buy one until I saw all of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals in my inbox this weekend, so I decided to go for it. KitchenAid stand mixers are also made right here in the US, so I figured it’s good to put a little money back into the economy right?

    So what do you think? Did I make the right choices? I can’t wait to use all of the new school supplies in my cooking adventures! What kitchen tools/gadgets do you have that are constantly valuable to your own culinary adventures?

  • My One Resolution: Learn to Cook

    It’s no secret – I’m a terrible cook. And I don’t mean that in a negative, I’m-being-too-hard-on-myself way, I mean I’m actually terrible at it. It’s not for lack of trying, either. I just lack some basic skills, and I’m also quite awkward in the kitchen. I drop things. I set things on fire. I have grated the knuckle on my thumb more than once while using a grater. I forget steps in recipes, substitute incompatible ingredients, and don’t even get me started on over/under-cooking.

    My idea is to simply focus on one goal for 2013. I’m not going to make a long list of habits I’d like to change or goals I want to accomplish. I just have one goal: learn to cook. And what’s the first rule to goal-setting? Have a specific action plan. So here it is. I’ve collected a list of 52 cooking skill categories based on various cookbooks. I want to keep my lessons flexible, so each week of 2013 I’m going to pick a lesson that will fit with my schedule, the time of year, (e.g., I probably won’t do any grilling in January, and even I know certain ingredients aren’t always in season, etc.), and then I’ll select a recipe that will focus on that week’s skill category. In preparation for the week’s lesson, I’ll read the recipe start-to-finish, research any terms I’m unfamiliar with, and youtube any relevant videos that might help. Then I’ll post here about what I learned, what went well, and what I can do better next time, plus I’ll show you a photo of the results, good or bad! To be honest, when I do manage to cook an edible dish on a rare occasion, I’m quick to plop it on a plate and eat it immediately. Ah, the taste of success! But I’d really like to work on my presentation skills in addition to my cooking skills, so the photos will hopefully show my progress in that area as well.

    As for the recipes, I’m blessed with a host of food allergies and sensitivities (eggs, dairy/whey, and wheat), so while I might still cook with small amounts of those ingredients, my plan is to try and find recipes that fit with my modified diet. To be honest though, I still eat things I’m not supposed to on occasion, so don’t be surprised if I stubbornly attempt to make and eat Eggs Benedict or homemade pasta from scratch.

    Some things to note: 1.) the one thing that isn’t on the list is amazing chocolate chip cookies from scratch, because this is the one thing I can make flawlessly. 2.) I know how to steam vegetables! So I didn’t add that technique. Same with omelets – I even know how to flip onto the plate properly thanks to an Alton Brown demonstration on the Food Network. 3.) If two skill categories happen to get combined in one recipe, I’ll add something else to the list or repeat a more advanced category. 4.) If my attempt at a recipe is a complete and total failure, I’ll repeat it. 5.) If I find a local cooking class that covers any of these topics, I’ll sign up, but for the most part I’m going to try to teach myself, one week at a time. And lastly, 6.) dear readers, I definitely welcome your advice and experience , so please feel free to leave me advice in the Comments section!

    So without further ado, here is my Learn To Cook Lesson List, which I will update as each item is completed!

    Core Cooking Methods:

    • sautéing
    • pan-frying
    • deep-frying
    • grilling
    • roasting
    • braising
    • stewing
    • shallow poaching
    • deep poaching

    Sauces and Soups:

    Grains & Vegetables:

    Breakfast & Lunch:

    Cuisines:

    Pastries & Breads:

    • puff pastry
    • brioche
    • muffins
    • scones
    • yeast bread
    • pizza
    • focaccia

    Desserts:

    • cake & frosting
    • pie
    • brownies/bars
    • tarts
    • custards

    And here’s a picture of our tiny little kitchen where all the disasters magic will happen! Hopefully we’ll be giving the space a mini-makeover soon with new countertops and floors, but this is what it looks like for now. Please ignore the mismatched doorknobs and hinges – we are in the middle of updating them throughout the house from brass to oil-rubbed bronze.