Certain Someone is a simple man in his dessert tastes. So naturally the divine duo of a rich vanilla based custard , with a semi sweet chocolate ribbon stream stracciato ( torn apart) while churning, is bound to be a favorite. I decided to serve this up for the Easter holiday following a simple fresh slow grilled ham , pan fried leeks and potatoes, and a pea and carrot medley. Even stuffed , Certain Someone made room for two servings of ice cream.
I used to think Certain Someone would be a bit pretentious asking for Stracciatella in American Ice Cream parlors.It’s the European in him of course. But it’s more than differentiating between the naive assumption of thinking this is something akin to the chunky American Chocolate Chip ice cream. Stracciatella was invented not to long ago, in 1962 by Enrico Panattoni at La Marianna, in the picturesque city of Bergamo in Northern Italy, not far from Milano.It’s based on the Italian egg drop soup of the same name, where beaten eggs are added to a hot broth. The chocolate is more interspersed into the ice cream and broken up into little bits, creating a alternating smooth and creamy yet crunchy sensation on the tongue. Stracciatella definitely has more finesse than the good ole chocolate chip from the USA.
First let me preface this post with the statement that if you don’t like beets normally, you will love Borscht.
One thing that can said about me from birth, is that I have always sought out the new, different and loved to learn from others cultures. I could be never be one to fit into a specific box . I have my mother to thank ,for nurturing this curious spirit of mine. For some reason these days, I’m all into Russian food. If I cant travel, I visit through my kitchen. I even added to the final missing link to my Culinaria series, which was the Russian edition. A coworker saw me reading the Russian edition and asked
“Why Russia?”
…and I replied “Why Not?”
to which he thought for a moment and said “Touche”
Admittedly , listening to my Russian co workers has piqued my curiosity. Russian being used in the broadest terms,as each region has its own unique identity. The Polish co workers then pipe in with their versions of the same dish and we get into a whole discussion on recipes and traditions. This is what we do when bored, and I love it!
So lets talk about Borscht. The Ukrainians consider themselves the inventors of Borscht. This “land on the edge” with its main capital of Kiev. All the trade routes crossed this region and The Ukrainians have been under various rulers for centuries, until it was absorbed by the former Soviet Union. In 1991 the finally achieved their independence. The Ukraine can owe its rich culinary tradition to its lands that are known for its mushrooms, berries, grains, vegetables and other fruits. Even wines. Maybe their rich and varied diet contributes to beauty of the Ukrainian people who seem to produce some of the worlds top models. Food for thought…
Now there are many variations for this beet flavored stew/soup Borscht. From totally vegetarian to more hearty like stew, like I made. Originally Borscht was just a soup made from wild plants and oats. Beets evolved into the soup late on. The beauty of Borscht is that it can change seasonally with whats on hand. In conversations with my friends I find they like to add beef short ribs to flavor the base and to add heartiness to the soup. Potatoes, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms and even beet leaves or sorrel can be added. That’s the beauty of the soup. In Poland at Christmas barszcz , a thinner vegetarian Borscht is made and served with dumplings called uszka. Borscht really celebrates natures bounty can really decrease waste. In fact it evolved as a way families saved vegetable scraps and trimmings, and stored outside during the frozen winter, to make into soups later on. So think of all those veggies in your fridge that need to be put to use and make a borscht. Your family will thank you for it. Don’t forget to top it with the Sour Cream , that’s the best part many people believe.
I have techniques I use in soup making that may vary from traditional Borscht recipes. I will give you a clear recipe but I wanted to explain my process and traditional processes. Whatever you do do , remember the beets are sauteed separate and should not be added until the final stage of cooking, We don’t want the beets to lose color and darken. We want to retain the bright red color. For my version I used beef shank because it was cheaper than short ribs, although not as much meat. It requires hours of cooking to make tender. I peeled chopped and diced my potatoes , carrots, golden beets, onions, and garlic and roated them first with my beef shanks to brown in dutch oven. Then I placed it stove top and added my liquids. I find roasting of veggies and meats coaxed the flavor out more rather than browning on the stove top. The ingredients can vary and be based on what you have. For meat you can use pork, beef , chicken or lamb. Don’t worry about being exact. Cooking should be fun and improvisational, not rigid. Also note that borscht always tastes better the next day. But if you cant wait until then wait for at least 40 minutes for flavors to merge before serving.
1-2 lbs beef short ribs, shank , etc. You can use whatever meat you desire form pork, chicken or lamb.
1 large onion
4 carrots peeled and chopped fine.
3-4 medium potatoes peeled and chopped.
1-2 golden beets optional* ( had on hand)
3-4 cloves garlic minced
a touch of vegetable or olive oil
⅛ tsp Celery seed
salt and black pepper to taste
1 small head of white cabbage shredded
3 qts or more of beef stock ( can use bouillon and water)
3-4 large red beets peeled julienned into strips
½ cup chopped fatty bacon, guanciale or other fatty pork
1 can tomato paste
Bay Leaf
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1-2 tbsp sugar
Sour cream to garnish
Fresh Dill & Parsley to garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.
In a large Dutch Oven add the beef shanks, ribs, etc and the peeled and chopped potatoes, carrots, golden beets,onions, and garlic.
Toss with a little oil , season with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until softened and browned.
In a separate skillet , render fat a bit from the bacon or fatty pork product and the peeled and julliened red beets. Saute for a few minutes.
Add the tomato paste to the beets. Continue to saute.
Add the vinegar to the beets and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the Ducth Oven form the oven and place on stove top.
Add the 3 qts of stock or water and bouliion.
Bring to a simmer on a low heat and adjust seasonings to taste. Now's the time to add more salt etc.
Add cabbage, celery seed, bay leaf.
Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours until beef is tender. At this point you may add more liquid if needed.
For the last 10 -15 minutes of cooking add the red beets, tomato mixture to the soup base. Add sugar.Simmer uncovered .
Adjust seasonings( maybe add more vinegar ,salt or pepper).
Remove from heat after 15 minutes.
Let sit for at least 45 minuted before serving.
Garnish with fresh sour cream , dill and parsley.
Notes
Do not overcook the beets in the soup. Only add at the last stage and cook no longer than 15 minutes in the soup.
You can adapt this recipe to incorporate may types of seasonal produce or using what ever meat you like on hand. You can also make it completely vegan by omitting the animal products and meat.
As you can see from the last few posts I have been busy experimenting with Cheese making. Out of all the experiments I found the process of making Brie the most fascinating, even if not the most successful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a success but I need to practice it more. The collage shows various stages of the cheese with the bloom forming over the curds to make a white rind. The process takes at least a few months . I could have been neater from the beginning with the curds . But I ended up with nice even smooth rind. Out of curiosity I cut into a wheel and found my rind completely formed and it very runny inside. It was also a tad salty. The trick is to maintain proper temps in your fridge with aide of plastic boxes and later cheese wrapping paper, to create and control the climate and humidity . Did I follow the temps exacatly? No , but I did the best I could with what I had and pretty pleased with the result. Like with the Feta, I followed two recipes from Home Cheesemaking and The Cheesmaker. I’m going to continue to age the other wheel and track the changes and see how far I can take it.
I don’t think I will be offering my clients my homemade Brie anytime soon, but I did make this great dish for a recent Baby Shower I catered. Imagine hot oozing Brie baked in its crate and topped with caramelized onions to be scooped on bread or crackers. It will be hit for your holiday entertaining and a different twist on the old Brie wrapped in pasty and filled with jam. I adapted this go to recipe from Hors d’Oeuvre at Home with the Culinary Institute of America.
1 wheel of Brie frozen for 30 minutes in wooden crate
2 tbsp butter
2-3 large onions thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic chopped
Fresh Thyme minced
½ cup Sherry or Cognac
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
In a skillet, melt butter.
Add onions and saute until tender. Reduce heat. Do not brown the onions. Constantly stir until onions soften.
Add garlic and salt and Thyme..
Continue to cook onions until the start to become golden and soften.
At 10 minutes intervals add a bit of the sherry or cognac and continue to cook onions on a low heat as they absorb the liquid. Continue to stir. Repeat this until all the liquid is used and the onions are soft and brown.
Preheat oven to 350.
Remove onions from heat and reserve or refrigerate until ready to use.
Freeze Brie for 30 minutes before baking. This prevents the cheese from running out of the wooden crate.
Cut off the top rind only.
Spread the caramelized onions on top of Brie.
Cover with foil and place wheel of Brie back in crate.
Place cheese on a baking sheet and bake for approx 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.
I may not have been posting as frequently these days, but that doesn’t mean I’m not working on some great culinary projects. In August The Alchemist and I went to a cheese making class were we learned in a group setting how to make various cheeses. Our section worked on making Feta. As the class was only a few hours, it was condensed, and the finished product which we had to divide and share, wasn’t salted or complete. But we learned the theories and principles. So armed with my own copy of Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll. I found a great site for cultures and supplies and decided to commence on two projects. Feta Cheese and Petit Brie. Over the past year I also have aquired some supplies from this source. So you see it really isn’t that complicated to get started on your own cheese. Naturally raw milk, if you can get it, is best. Check with with your local CSA’s or farms.It’s worth the effort. However , if you can’t access raw milk, use PASTEURIZED but NOT ULTRA PASTEURIZED milk. I have found a good brand of goats milk from Whole Foods, but nothing compares to fresh. Read the labels to make sure it’s just pasteurized. In the beginning making your own cheese is not cheap, but its so worth it.
Feta is a Greek cheese that is soft and crumbly and is made from sheep (preferably) or goats milk. Feta literally means slice or piece and references the process of cutting the curds in the cheese making. As time goes on with the aging process, the salt added to the cheese draws out more liquid. It can be aged in Brine as well. Lipase is found in goats milk which gives Feta a stronger and distinct flavor. You can purchase lipase( from your cheese making supply) and add it if using another sort of milk. But traditional Feta is made with either sheep’s or goats milk. Today Feta has Protected Designation of Origin ( POD) by the EU. That means only cheese made in the traditional Greek style/ method of sheep and or goats and sheep milk can legally be called Feta. Unlike the similar Danish cheese made with cows milk, which really isn’t Feta under this law. Think of it like sparkling wine or authentic Champagne made in the Champagne region of France.
I followed three recipes and found they were mostly similar. I took my Feta an extra step and made a Brine with the leftover whey and salt to age for 30 days. The salt mellows out over time and it’ s wonderful but stronger in flavor than fresh Feta. So if you have the patience it’s worth it. If you don’t, you can have the Feta cheese in few days after aging . Count on setting aside a day for the process. A lot of it is waiting for it coagulate , ripen, stir, and mostly draining. So you wont be glued to the kitchen.
I have a recipe for you today for a dish I made with Feta. But here is a good recipe for the actual making of the Feta Cheese. I urge you to invest in Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll. You can get everything you need and the recipe here. I find that even though I used store purchased goat’s milk, my cheese held up in the brine . I used Angelic Farms recipe for the brine . 5 tablespoons of salt ( Kosher or sea salt) dissolved in 20 oz of Whey. It did not disintegrate. I also invested in Mad Millie’s Feta Mold and Brining Container.
I hope to share my Brie posts with you soon. It’s aging nicely in the fridge.
I small can stewed tomatoes or canned cherry tomatoes
Marjoram
Black Pepper
Salt
Olive Oil
Instructions
Pound your chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer. Salt and Pepper to taste and set aside.
On a cutting board roll up and julienne your fresh spinach leaves and place ribbons into a bowl. Reserve some for the later.
Add Feta and crumble and mix with the Spinach.
Taking the breasts, sprinkle the feta and spinach mixture on top and carefully roll up.
Place in a oiled casserole or stainless steel pan that goes into the oven. Seams side down.
Sprinkle with Marjoram and more salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the stewed tomatoes and juice on top of the stuffed chicken breasts.
Add the rest of the spinach and mix into the liquid so it stays moist.
Preheat oven to 375.
Cover with foil or cover and bake ½ hr . After ½ hour remove foil cover and let continue to cook until chicken is done and the liquid is bubbling. Be sure the spinach on top stays in the juices so if softens/ wilts and cooks. This will take approximately one hour.
One of my kindred spirits in the food blogging community is Heather of Voodoo and Sauce. She is an inspiration. I remember reading a post last year in which she packed her own Albacore tuna. As you know I like to challenge myself and I was determined to do this on my own . I love canned tuna, especially the more expensive ones found in specialty stores with better grades of olive oil and spices as flavor. Once you make your own , all else pales in comparison. It’s great to have on hand to toss into salads and other dishes. Pressure canning tuna may intimidate some, but its easier than you think. You just need a pressure canner as opposed to the water bath method to ensure all the harmful micro organisms are killed as it’s a low acidic food. I won’t say this experiment was flawless. For the first time ever I had two jars explode while canning and that is why my house smelled of fragrant tuna. The odds were it was bound to happen and could be attributed to a few reasons . Nevertheless I still had some great jars left that survived intact and have been enjoying them. I used Blue Fin tuna as I couldn’t find Albacore. I varied my flavors with dried lemongrass , fresh rosemary or fresh dill. You can use water or olive oil. I prefer oil, but be prepared for more mess when canning.
Fresh or dried herbs like dill, rosemary, peppercorns, lemongrass
Peppercorns
Olive Oil or water
½ pint jars
Pressure Canner
Instructions
Sterilize your jars and lids according to manufactures instructions.
Cut your fresh raw tuna into medallions or pieces that will fit into the jar when packed.
Pour olive oil or water carefully into the jar. Fill just to cover but leave ample head space below the ring ( approx ½ inch to ¾ of an inch) as the fish will make its own juices. If its overfilled , the lid wont seal.
Pack you choice of herbs and spices.
Top each jar with ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt.
Wipe rims and carefully seal.
Take a Pressure canner with a rack and and fill with 1.5 inches- 2 inches of water. The rack is essential so the jars wont break form the heat and rattling pressure. Make sure there is enough water , but it doesn't reach the ring of the jar. Unlike water batch canning , the jars don't have to be submerged in water. Pressure canning builds up humidity but you don't want the canner to run dry as its dangerous to open under pressure.
Follow Pressure Canner instructions and use the weight pressure of 11.
Pressure Can for at least 90 minutes. Watch carefully and reduce heat if necessary according the canners instructions on maintaining proper pressure.
After the time has elapsed , let canner cool down and remove when cool.
Place jars on a rack or towel and wait for the ping sound to signify if the jars are properly sealed. This will happen over the course of the next few hours. When you press down on the center there should be no resistance. ( See you jar manufacturers instructions).
If not sealed refrigerate and consume immediately over the next few days.
There may be some grease residue on outside of jar after canning and that can be cleaned and removed with vinegar and water.
Can be kept in a dry cool place for 6 months to max of 1 year.
Notes
Please read and follow your jars and Pressure canning instructions.
