Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Burgundy Mushrooms

Tuesday came and went but no tartlets. A trip to Las Vegas, a birthday party for my Mother, babysitting my Niece Maddy, and then my birthday all conspired to have me ditch the tartlets for Tuesdays with Dorie. It was a lovely birthday and the gifts were spectacular - chocolate fudge bars, specialty macaroons, browned butter sugar cookies and a cake from Miette. These all filled my need for sweets. The tartlets will have to wait.
Instead here is a recipe from the Pioneer Woman herself that fills the house with the best smells and goes great with steak! The recipe calls for 9 hours of cooking.....I rushed it into 3 hours.

Burgundy Mushrooms
4 pounds white button mushrooms
1/2 pound butter
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 liter Burgundy wine
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 c. boiling water
4 chicken bouillon cutes
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp dill seed
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt (optional)
Clean mushroom and throw into large stockpot.
Add all the remaing ingredients except the salt. Stir to combine
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 6 hours!!!!
Remove the lid, then continue cooking, uncovered, for 3 hours
Add sake ti taste at the end if desired. The mushrooms will be dark in color (burgundy). They can sit in the pan until ready to serve. Serve straight from the pot or spoon the mushrooms and cooking liquid into a serving bowl.
Have crusty bread nearby to soak up the deliciousness (burgundy flavored butter)

The recipe states that it serves 8 - 10 but we did 20 people. It should be noted there were no leftovers.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

TDWD: White Bread

I joined the group Tuesdays with Dorie. We are baking our way through Baking with Julia. First Tuesday to bake is here and the first recipe was White Bread. Funny thing was that I had all the ingredients together before and had read the recipe through several times. One of the times I left it on the last page of the recipe. Absent-mindly on my Tuesday to bake I looked at the ingredient list and was shocked to see I had forgot some ingredients..... I ran to the store searched every where for malt extract. I even called Kim (sister-in-law and resident professional baker) to find out where I could find the malt extract. Got the extract and a few other items get home and realized then that I had looked at the ingredient list for Whole Wheat Bread on the next page!!!
Once I got settled down and knew I had had everything I needed I began. I remember making bread one other time and it being a MAJOR undertaking so I was a little concerned.

The yeast got bubbly and creamy just like the recipe said. My poor old Kitchen-Aid wondered what the heck was on his nose. Even though I have had the mixer for 20+ years it was the inaugural run for the bread hook.
I was excited when the recipe called for use of a rolling pin, if necessary, to roll out the bread because I have a beautiful rolling pin. A Great Uncle from West Virginia use to make them. He made one for me and it is beautiful.

The bread rose beautifully on the first rise. My new oven said that you can let bread rise in its warm setting but I worry. The thoughts of melted plastic wrap in my new oven was too much. Especially since the day before I had christened the range with a cup of buttermilk. I divided the dough and formed the bread. The second rise put the loaves up to the two to four inch rise above the pan. Everything the recipe said would happen!! At this point I am feeling like a bread baker. In the oven they went and the house started to smell incredible.
When the loaves came out I saw that I had succeeded in baking white bread. This was something I could do! After cutting into the bread and smearing some butter on a slice it dawned on me that I had better learn to be a gym instructor too because if all the other recipes succeed like this I will be doing a lot of gym time!!! Like it was noted in the recipe this bread makes the most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. To get this recipe try picking up Baking with Julia or head to this blog: http://slush.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/twd-baking-with-julia-white-loaves/
Hopefully at the end of this book I will be much better at baking, writing/blogging, picture taking and keeping my weight in check!