Tuesday

Cooking Critiques

07/06/2004

Cooking for Kaitlyn
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And so my sweet Kaitlyn, via this book to you I will try to convey what I know about cooking and what I don’t know. Via the Internet I belong to a recipe newsgroup. The recipes fly through my in-box fast and furious and I dutifully save those I think might be worth a try.

Well I tried some Kaitlyn, and below is a list of the recipes I have tried from this newsgroup as well as the flaws and praises of each.

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Beer Bread

3 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) bottle of beer, light or dark

Stir together all ingredients, spoon into lightly greased loaf pan, 8
1/2 by 4 1/2 . Bake at 375 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until golden
brown. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on
wire rack.

COMMENTS: Wow, I liked this quick and easy way to bake bread. The bread comes out coarse and heavy but that is just how I like it. This makes great thickly-sliced toast. Rating-out of a possible 5= 4.5
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Seasoned parmesan rolls

1-1/2 cups warm milk (70-80) degrees.
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
4 cups bread flour
4 teaspoons active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 24 portions; shape each into a ball. Place 3 in apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 deg for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.
COMMENTS: This one is the best recipes of all that I’ve tried from the recipe group. Of course one must have a bread machine to make but for a change from the standard loaf, these rolls can’t be beat. I made the balls of dough quite large (only a dozen by the time I was done) and they make great hamburger/sandwich buns. Rating-out of a possible 5 = 5
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Choco-Orange Diamonds

1 cup butter, softened
1-2/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel (set aside) 1/2 cup orange juice
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an
electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 secs. Add 2/3 cup of the
sugar and salt; beat until combined. Add the 3 eggs and the yolk, one at
a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1/4 cup of the orange
juice until combined. Add the 1-1/2 cups flour; beat until combined.
Stir in 1 teaspoon of the orange peel and the 1/2 cup finely chopped
pecans. Spread in a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 mins or
until lightly browned (mixture may puff, but will fall when removed from
oven).Meanwhile, in a bowl use a wire whisk to combine the 4 eggs,
remaining 1 cup sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons peel, remaining 1/4 cup
orange juice, and the 3 tablespoons flour until smooth. Stir in finely
chopped chocolate and 1-1/2 cups nuts. Spread over hot crust. Return to
oven. Bake for 15 to 17 mins more or until set. Cool in pan on rack.
Drizzle bars with melted chocolate. Cut into diamonds. Rating: out of a possible 5=3.5

COMMENTS: This recipe was a bit of work for what I consider only so-so results. I thought the result to be a bit dry for all the butter and eggs needed for the recipe.
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Crispy Herbed Baked Chicken

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Hungry Jack® Mashed Potato Flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 to 1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (3 to 3 1/2-lb.) cut-up frying chicken, skinned if
desired
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted

Preparation Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease or line with foil and
grease 15x10x1-inch baking pan or 13x9-inch pan. In
medium bowl, combine potato flakes, Parmesan cheese
and garlic salt; stir until well mixed. Dip chicken
pieces into margarine; roll in potato flake mixture to
coat. Place in greased pan. Bake at 375°F. for 45 to
60 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices
run clear. Rating: out of a possible 5=4

Serving size:
4 to 5 servings

COMMENTS: This is a right easy and quick way to bake up some crispy chicken without the bother of deep fry. I’d make it again.
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Kahlua Cake

One package chocolate cake mix
One small package instant vanilla pudding mix
½ cup Kahlua liqueur-use coffee
3/4cup vegetable oil
Four eggs
16 oz. of sour cream
One package chocolate chips

Mix and fold (Do NOT beat) into greased and floured* bundt pan. Bake for
an hour at 350 degrees. Let rest 25 minutes, turn onto a plate and sprinkle
with powdered sugar. This cake is also good cold. Can be wrapped and frozen for
up to 6 months. Rating-out of a possible 5 = 4.2

COMMENTS: VIOLATION! VIOLATION! VIOLATION! Notice there are NO indications of ounce size save the sour cream. Do you know how many sizes packages of chocolate chips come in? What is a “small” package? Anyway, this is a good cake (I finally bought the smallest sizes of pudding and chips available but I was a bit miffed at the omission of this very important detail). I used coffee (see note) instead of Kahlua because I was not about to buy a whole bottle of Kahlua to make it. This did turn out to be a very good cake. It would be an excellent party or potluck cake. It does not need frosting.
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Oven-Barbecued Farmer-Style Pork Ribs

2-3 lbs. farmer style pork ribs, bone in if possible
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Poultry Seasoning
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt, or to taste (I use a little less.)
1 small onion, sliced very thinly
15 oz. canned tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 tsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.Trim as much fat off the meat as you can. Put
into a pan that will hold the ribs in a single layer. (I use the pyrex
11 X 13.) Mix the spices together well. Sprinkle over both sides of the
meat. Cover meat with onions, then pour tomato sauce and water over all.
Sprinkle with sugar. ( I use Splenda.) Cook for 2 - 2 1/2
hrs,uncovered, turning ribs about every 30 mins. If the sauce gets too
thick, pour a little water in to thin it, but the sauce should be thick
enough to cling to ribs at the end of the cooking time. The ribs will be
falling off the bone and very tender. Number Of Servings: 5-6 Rating-out of a possible 5= 4.5

COMMENTS: This is an excellent way to prepare country style ribs without all the bother of firing up the barbecue.
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Baked Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, fat removed
6 cups (6 oz.) packaged unseasoned stuffing mix (cubes)
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. dried marjoram
1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine
onion, celery and broth. Simmer, covered, on low until vegetables
are soft. Add stuffing mix, thyme, sage, and marjoram. Mix well
until blended. Set aside.

Slice pork into 1/4" slices. Arrange half of the slices in an
8" x 8" pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Top with the stuffing. Place remaining pork slices on stuffing.
Sprinkle with remaining seasonings. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes or until pork is no longer pink.
Serves 4. Rating: out of a possible 5-3.8


COMMENTS: This looked like a good recipe upon first sight. Alas, the result was not so great. Though I would imagine kids would like this thanksgiving kind of dish. Husband and I both found it not to our liking.
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watermelon pie

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces frozen whipped topping
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cups watermelon balls
1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Fold together milk and topping. Add lime juice.
Fold in watermelon balls, reserving about 5 balls for garnish. Pour into
graham cracker crust. Place remaining watermelon balls on pie to
garnish. Chill at least 2 hrs before serving. Rating-out of a possible 5-2.5.
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COMMENTS: First let me say that husband, pie lover extraordinary, loved this “pie”. I put the word “pie” in quotes because the result was more like a very messy cobbler.

First, again, no ounces on the sweetened condensed milk though they do usually come in one size. Also, the watermelon balls kind of confused me…..I used a small ice cream scoop but I know there is such a thing as a watermelon baller. I don’t have one.

The biggest problem, the pie NEVER completely set. And as I peruse the ingredients I wonder just how it would set what with mostly milk and watermelon in the content. I think there might be an ingredient missing in this recipe OR…..maybe it is a FROZEN pie. It doesn’t specify that however.

I’d make it again as husband says he’ll eat it with a spoon out of a bowl. But I sure would like if it came out as the pie it is called.

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