COOKING TIP: Carving Poultry

It is much easier to carve the breast of poultry (chicken, turkey, etc) if you remove the wishbone before starting to carve the bird.

FOOD HISTORY: Danish Pastry

Danish pastry is a sweet pastry made from yeast dough rolled with butter in many layers, baked in many shapes and frequently filled with pastry cream, preserves, nuts, cheese or custard. It evolved and was perfected in Denmark but with a very great assist from Austria via France and Italy. Danish pastry dough is a variation of the French invented Puff Pastry (see Post 6/9/2011) The French baker who invented Puff Pasrty took his invention to Italy where it was called, "folded pastry". Italian bakers took this 'folded" pastry making technique to Austria. When a strike by pastry workers in Copenhagen, Denmark went on for a long time, Danish  bakery owners requested help from bakers in other countries to fulfill their customer's needs. Much of this help came from Viennesse bakery workers who came to Copenhagen for work. Danish bakers, inspired by the Viennese bakers, began to develop their own "layered" technique using rich Danish butter. When their own dough was perfected, they continued to invent multiple shapes for these pastries and added a variety of fillings to be encased within them. To show their gratitude to the Viennesse for their contribution to the invention of Danish Pastry, these pastries were, and still are, called, "Wienerbrod" (Vienna Bread) in Denmark. These pastries were introduced into the United States in 1915 by a Danish baker, named L.C. Klitteng, who baked them for President Woodrow Wilson's wedding. Later, Klitteng successfully encouraged Herman Gertner, the owner of a chain of restaurants in N.Y,  to serve his pastries in the Gertner restaurants. Gertner did this and the pastries became an instant success. These pastries, originating in Denmark as "Vienna Bread", now are eaten and enjoyed around the world and are called by their English designation "Danish Pastry".

COOKING TIP: Brining a Turkey

I am writing this post so that the information will be available for all to take advantage of  in time for Thanksgiving. While this information is given for turkey, brining can be used for other poultry, pork and some fish and shrimp (see below). Brining is a method which both  seasons the turkey and keeps the meat moist after cooking. The process consists of submerging the bird in a liquid to which salt and sugar have been added and leaving it there for several hours. Liquids used can be as simple as water but apple or other fruit juice, stock, etc. can be used, as well. Herbs, spices, fruit peels or other flavorings can be added to the brine to enhance flavor. The brining process  forces the salt/sugar solution to enter the cells of the turkey because of the higher concentration of these substances contained in the brine on the outside of the bird. This happens by a process called osmosis. As these elements enter the turkey they bring water in with them. While the salt/sugar mixture seasons the turkey, the salt also unravels the meat proteins. The unraveled proteins interact with each other, forming a matrix which holds moisture. On heating, this matrix gels, forming a barrier which keeps the moisuture from leaking out as the turkey cooks. Thus, the brining process leads to a well seasoned and moist cooked turkey.

BASIC BRINE

1/2 C Diamond Kosher salt*
1/2 C sugar ( white or light brown)
1 quart of liquid

Prepare enough brine to completely submuege the turkey.

* Salt: Use only kosher salt or table salt without any additives. However, different salts do not have the same saltiness when measured by volume due to the differences in the crystal size and configuration of the particular salt used. Therefore, 1 C of table salt = 1.5 C of Morton's Kosher salt = 2 C of Diamond Kosher salt. Adjust Basic Brine amounts, according to which salt you are using.

The brine can be place into large turkey cooking bags, or any container large enough to hold the turkey plus the brine.  If using bags, compress to make sure the brine is in contact with all surfaces of the turkey. If using other containers, make sure that a weight is placed on top of the bird to keep it covered with the brine. The turkey must be kept cold during the brining process by refrigeration or by being kept in an insulated container covered with ice.

Brine for at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Additional information about brining can be found at the following sites:

virtualweberbullet,.com/brining
cooksillustrated.com/images

FOOD TRIVIA: Taste Test: The Nose Knows!

An apple, onion and potato all have the same taste; the difference in the flavors is caused by their smell. Skeptical?  To prove, pinch your nose and take a bite from each; they all taste sweet.

THINGS I LIKE: Peg Edwards' Cream of Broccoli Soup

This is the first of my new postings under the heading of,"THINGS  I LIKE:" In this case, it, is a thing I like to eat  that brings back happy memories of an event from my past.

When I lived in Cincinnati, we had a community group, The Howell-Whitfield Neighborhood Association, a group of friends who got together to address neighborhood issues. Through this activity, we became close friends who got together for social events, as well; our favorite being spontaneous Pot Luck dinners. A member would call the others saying ,"I will have a Pot Luck on ....at...." Everyone who was available showed up with whatever they prepared or had available. We always ate well at our Pot Lucks but one stands out - of eight dishes that were brought, seven were soups. Among the soups, Peg's  Cream of Broccoli Soup was the best - creamy and broccolicious! We were startled by the simplicity of the recipe, which follows.

PEG'S CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

3 cans Campbell's Chicken Broth
1 can water
2 - 8 oz packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 20 oz bag of frozen Broccoli flowerettes

PREPARATION

Bring broth/water to a boil.
Pulse broccoli flowerettes in food processor until coarsely chopped (process more or less, depending on whether you want the final consistancy of the soup to be chunky or very smooth) .
Add to broth/water and boil for four minutes.
Put 1/2 cup of soup and one package of cream cheese into a blender and blend until smooth.
Repeat with another 1/2 cup of broth and the second package of cream cheese.
Mix blended soup with remaining soup, bring to heat and serve.

THE FOODIES COMMENTS

I find that the addition of several grinds of freshly ground black pepper enhances the flavor, significantly.

This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. to give you the amount of soup you need for a crowd.

THE FOODIES' COMPANION welcomes you to share a "THING I LIKE:' on nthis blog site.














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THINGS I LIKE: Fern Allison's Chicken and Noodles

My mother-in--law  Fern Allison, whose roots were in West Virginia and Ohio, was a cook who made simple, hearty and delicious country dishes. Her Chicken and Noodles was the dish that introduced this Brooklyn boy to this kind of cooking and it became one of my favorites. I offer her recipe to you (with some of my suggestions at the end) for your enjoyment.

PREPARATION OF CHICKEN

1 roasting chicken or stewing hen, 4-5 lbs  
4 carrots, rough cut
2 medium onions, cut in 1/4's
5 ribs of celery, cut in one inch pieces
Salt

Place all ingredients in Dutch oven with water to cover; add salt to taste.
Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer until chicken is falling off the bone; 2-3hrs.
Remove chicken, cool and remove meat in chunks. Set aside.
Pour stock, with the vegetables, through a strainer pressing on the vegetables to get as much liquid released, as possible. Discard vegetables.
Allow stock to cool and remove fat.
Adjust seasoning.
Put one cup of stock aside for use later, if needed.

NOODLES

6 large eggs
1/4 C whole milk
3-4 C AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Sift dry ingredients together.
Whip eggs with milk.
Mix in 3 C of flour adding more until a stiff dough is formed. Work dough as little as possible.
Mold dough into a ball and flatten. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 min.

PREPARATION OF NOODLES

Spread a layer of flour on a flat work surface.
Cut dough into quarters; remove one and keep the others wrapped in plastic.
Form dough into a rectangle; flatten, dust with flour and roll out to 1/4 in thickness.
Roll dough jellyroll fashion and slice in 1/4 inch coils.
Unroll coils, dust with flour and put aside to dry for 30 - 45 min.
Repeat with remaining dough.

CHICKEN AND NOODLES

Bring chicken stock to a rolling boil and add noodles. Cook until noodles are cooked - light and fluffy - 20 - 30 min. The noodles with their attached flour should  thicken the stock into a thick, rich,  creamy consistancy. If this has not happened, make a "slurry" by adding flour to the reserved cup of stock. Add in small amounts, allowing the stock to come to a boil after each addition, until the proper consistency is reached. Mix in reserved chicken, cook until hot , adjust seasoning and serve.

THE FOODIES COMMENTS

To make the dish more nutritional and add color, add sliced carrot, onion, and peas in the last 20 min of cooking.

Add herbs ( I like thyme and parsley)  to enhance flavor.

A heavy dose of pepper, fresly ground, improves the taste considerably.

COOKING TIP: Grilling

1) Preheat grill before cooking.
2) To insure even cooking, bring meat to room temperature before putting on grill.
3) Before grilling, oil surface of meat with a little oil, to prevent sticking; or
4) Use oiled paper towels to coat grill grates prior to placing meat on grill.
5) Season meat just before grilling.
6) Turn meat using tongs, rather than a fork, to avoid losing juices (or flavor).
7) Take meat off the grill a little before it is done to your taste, since, once off the grill
     temperature can continue to rise 5-10 degrees ( carryover cooking).
8) Let meat rest for several minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute throughout
    the meat.