LTHForum.com

OK, I'll start it off: Beaudrilicious, we all want your salads!

In return, here's my brisket, based on Nach Waxman's brisket of beef, plus today's inspiration of Carrot/Horseradish Ketchup

For each brisket 3-5 lbs:
3 Large onions, halved and sliced thickly, broken into rings
4 or more carrots
3 Tbs tomato paste
1/2 C Red Wine
1/2 C Water
1.5 Tsp kosher (or other coarse) salt
black pepper
flour to dust
3 cloves garlic, rough chopped

Preheat oven to 375F
Heat a wok or cast iron pan big enough for the brisket or all the onions, add a couple tablespoons of oil (if you're browning more than one, you probably won't need more oil)
Trim fat from brisket and dust with flour, sprinkle with black pepper
Sear on both sides about 2-3 minutes, until there are lots of brown spots. Remove from wok, and add the onions. Cook until translucent and a few brown spots (if cooking for a lot of briskets, add some of the wine now and cover, or it'll take forever).
Put onions, garlic and carrots in roasting pan or casserole dish, top with brisket, add wine and water. Spread tomato paste on brisket, and sprinkle with salt and more black pepper. Cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 90 minutes, remove brisket and slice (electric knife helps a lot), then return to oven for another 90 minutes.

Leftovers may require refreshing with more water when reheating.

Carrot-Horseradish Ketchup:
---------------------------
About 1.5 cups roasted carrots (from making brisket)
1/4 C prepared horseradish
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
Combine all ingredients but oil in food processor, process until smooth. Add oil through hole in top while processor is running to thin out the mixture a bit.

_________________
What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang

thanks Joel!!

I'll post the recipes for the Thai Apple Salad and Greek Shrimp & Tomato salad now since those are original. I'm awaiting permission from Jimmy Bannos Jr. at Purple Pig since the base recipe for the Raw corn salad is his. One caveat for these--I don't measure and I don't write these out so there's a possibility this may not be an exact replication of what I brought...i'm sure you all can improvise accordingly if you think something's missing.

Thai Apple Salad
serves 6ish(?)

4 apples--can be a mix of flavors (I used some early season honeycrisps and galas) julienned
2 asian pears julienned (total of apples/pears should be at least 3 cups)
1/2 cup of shaved red onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup peanuts (no salt)
1/8 cup dried shrimp ground. I used a coffee grinder since I wanted some pieces and some "fluff". Remove about a tbsp of "fluff" for the dressing.

Dressing: Mix juice of 2-3 limes, tsp of fish sauce (may add a bit more to taste depending on how funky you like it!), tbsp shrimp stock (see below), 2 tbsp lite-flavored oil (canola, peanut, grapeseed), tbsp sugar, tbsp (or more) of garlic chili sauce (the green lid), 1 finely minced chili pepper (I used a tiny ghost pepper) and the shrimp fluff. I also added some rice vinegar to the dressing at the end b/c I wanted it a bit tangier--this may not be necessary depending on the limes you use--I think mine were a bit older. Whisk together.

Mix salad ingredients with dressing and serve.

Greek shrimp and tomato salad
Serves 6ish(?)

1 1/2 cups shrimp, preferably whole and unfrozen. Lightly boil the shrimp in the shell with some oregano, lemon slices, coriander seeds and black peppercorns--do NOT overcook because the shrimp will marinate in the dressing and if overcooked will end up mushy. Once cooked, remove shells and head which you can put back in the boiling liquid and cook down to make shrimp stock. See above for use.
2 1/2 cups tomatoes, large dice, seeds removed and drained of excess liquid (I used a mix of about 6 different kinds, including a couple of green tomatoes--like the color and flavor contrast)
1 cup feta crumbled (i used Bulgarian feta from Harvesttime--can't beat it for $3.99/lb.)

Dressing: 1tbsp fresh oregano, rough chopped, 1/8 cup red wine vinegar, juice of one lemon, fresh ground pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil whisked together. You may not need all the dressing--dress to taste.

Mix and serve.

Can't wait to see what everyone else posts!!!

_________________
“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

I would love the recipe for the Romeo/Juliet sorbets...

_________________
“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

Santander, I was looking at your pa amb tomaquet and wondering if I could food desert-ize it...it seems as though you added the tomato as a topping (which I've seen as an alternate way to do it,) rather than scrubbing the bread with it? Methode, pls?

_________________
No guts, no glory.
http://www.chicagonow.com/quips-travails-braised-oxtails
http://quipstravailsandbraisedoxtails.blogspot.com/

Tomato Jam - Blue Book?
Jim's wing sauce
Saurkraut cake
That green pie with nuts in it!
Steve Z please tell me how to make a brisket like you do plus your two sauces
Cathy's spinich thinggie
That is what comes to mind at the moment!

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall; practice, practice, practice (and know your cooker). That's the entirety of the Zen method of brisket cookery.

Sauce wise, the sweet sauce was a little of this and a little of that. I don't think even I could make it the same way again, but some of the ingredients included brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire and hoisin sauce along with a bunch of other stuff. There isn't a real recipe. The spicy sauce was a riff on the "Basic BBQ Sauce" recipe in Gary's Low & Slow book, with the addition of a little extra cayenne and aleppo pepper and a good sized glug of apple cider vinegar.

_________________
Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

OK Steve...its back to the cooker for me. You are my brisket hero!

• Spicy North Africa Beef Ribs (cut of meat as well)
• Gianduja tart with hazelnuts
• Scottish short bread
• Chocolate sauerkraut cake
• Spiced Sangria
• Spinakopita
• Jim’s smoked wings


Please!

razbry,

the wings were brined 1.5 hours using a slaughterhouse brine:

1 gallon ice cold water
1/8 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cajun spice (Tony C's.).

rinsed after they came out of the brine. Sprinkled with my rub as they went on the smoker. Sorry cant give the rub recipe.

Smoked at around 260+ degrees using alder & cherry wood.

I had the water pan in, but no water in it. The wind worked against me a little yesterday as I couldnt get the temps up high enough until I took the water pan out entirely.

the korean bbq sauce was(large batch):

8 cups ketchup (hunts - no HFCS)
6 tbsp Shark Sriracha
6 tbsp Rooster Sriracha
1 tbsp El yucateco carribean habanero hot sauce
5 whole(seeds and all) serrano peppers mince
2 tbsp ginger minced
5 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 cup sesame oil
5 tbsp lemon juice

_________________
I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Glad you liked the tart! Made it the day before and refrigerated it overnight.

Gianduja Tart with Chocolate-Cookie Crust [courtesy of Food & Wine, March 2009]

1¾ teaspoons unflavored gelatin*
3 cups heavy cream
7 tablespoons sugar
½ pound gianduja chocolate, chopped (note: I used three 3 oz. bars of Vosges, minus 1 ounce)
pinch of salt
8 ounces chocolate wafer cookies, broken
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cups whole hazelnuts

*The chocolate filling doesn't solidify very well with gelatin. Maybe try cornstarch as a thickening agent? I had to freeze the tart for 20 minutes before I could slice it.
1. Preheat the oven to 325˚. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes, until fragrant. Rub skins off; let cool.
2. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of water; let stand until the gelatin is softened, 5 minutes. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and 6 tablespoons of the sugar to a simmer; remove from the heat. Stir in the gelatin until dissolved. Add the gianduja and salt to the hot cream and let stand until melted, about 3 minutes; whisk until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a glass bowl (it will be liquid-y), press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and let stand until cooled, about 90 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, spray an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse the cookies until fine; transfer to a bowl. Add the melted butter and the remaining tablespoon of sugar and stir until coated. Press the crumbs over the bottom of the springform pan and refrigerate the crust until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Pour the gianduja filling over the crust and scatter the toasted hazelnuts over the surface (they will sink and then float to the surface). Refrigerate the tart uncovered until firm, about 6 hours.
5. Run a small hot knife around the edge of the tart. Remove the ring from the pan, cut the tart into wedges and serve.

Juliet & Romeo Sorbet (makes about 1 quart)
This one was easy. The base recipe for a Juliet & Romeo is here. Roughly, the sorbet recipe is make 8 cocktails, subbing most of the gin for water (or all if you want to go non-alcoholic), then chill and spin. But here's what I did specifically:

Heat 2/3-3/4 cup sugar in 1 cup water until dissolved (I found it a little too sweet with 3/4c, so second batch was cut to 2/3). Throw into the syrup the zest of one lime, a handful of mint sprigs, I bruised them a little bit (either rip them or just squeeze them), and 6-8 cucumber slices muddled with a big pinch of salt. Let it sit until it comes to room temperature, but you can let it infuse for as long as you like, really. My second batch infused for a few hours and it was great. You're looking for very noticeable cucumber and mint flavors here, as they're going to diminish with the rest of the liquids. Once you're satisfied, strain the syrup and pour in 3/4 cup lime juice, 3/4 cup water, ~24 drops each of Angostura and rosewater, and 4-5 Tbsp gin (though you could probably get away with a few more), let chill, and spin!

"Negroni" Sorbet (makes about 1 quart)
Ok, I was going for a Negroni, but it turned out to be more Grapefruit-Campari, still good though. Here's what I did:

Start the same, Heat 3/4 cup sugar in 1 cup water until dissolved. Add 1/2c water, 1c grapefruit juice, 1/4c orange juice (I may be a little off on the grapefruit/orange ratio), 1T gin, 1T sweet vermouth, and 3T Campari. Adjust everything to taste. I was looking to highlight the bitterness especially so I added the extra Campari. Chill that, and let 'er spin!


Glad you guys enjoyed these, as they were very experimental. Next year if I do sorbets/ice creams, I'll probably bring double the amount, as I always underestimate the demand for sweet icy treats.

if i might make a suggestion... if you make it again, try 1T. of gelatin. 1t./cup of cream would be a reasonable amount and it should set up nicely. justjoan

_________________
"the only things money can't buy are true love and homegrown tomatoes" (guy clark)

I went way simple this year both for time and tomato seasonality, since they've been so good from the OP farmers market. Since I was preparing for a crowd and wanted minimal onsite prep, I processed cored and half-peeled heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes in a blender and brought the liquid in a bowl. The bread (Labriola baguette, fwiw) was rubbed with garlic cloves and oil and then lightly broiled at home; at the table I just topped with tomato drizzled with olive oil and sea salt. I've seen several different preps in Northern Spain, and to do the Catalan rubbing method you really have to trust each individual tomato (and ideally do it right before the moment of consumption for each person). Broiled, grilled, day-old, or fresh from the oven bread is also a regional and personal preference. Typical demos I like (one fresh and no garlic, one toasted and garlic, both Catalan):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b01rg_mTZMc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef33kR_T7Ew

If you want to see something funny, this video takes seven and a half minutes to explain the dish: wtf.

Printed this post and filed it - my wife and son thank you (their favorite thing in their visit in the early part of the day!)

I loved both of these sorbets - 2 of the best bites of the day. Since more than a coupla tablespoons of alcohol probably wouldn't work, I wonder what you'd think of adding a few crushed juniper berries along with the cukes, mint and lime as they infuse in the syrup for J&R, to get a little more of that gin flavor.

_________________
...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Fuckerberg on Food

Thank you! Gypsy Boy and I puzzled over an appropriate way to make it firmer in the future; we both liked it a lot and not having to battle it simply to slice it will make it disappear even more quickly (if that's possible )

Santander, thank you for the kind words; glad it was a hit.

Thanks Kenny.

One of the challenges with these was trying to get the alcohol flavors to play more of a central role, and I think the juniper berries would help quite a lot with that. For these, I pretty much just went with what I had on hand, but next time I'd definitely try to seek out some of the ingredients behind the spirits (like bitter herbs for the Campari).

Hi,

The spinakopita/spanakopita is a recipe I tested for Cook's Illustrated a few months ago. Expect it in an upcoming issue.

To get on their list for testing recipes is simply signing up on their homepage. I like it because it gets me to try recipes I might read and never get around to making.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

RAB/REB -- can we get the tomato jam recipe? Razbry says "blue book" above, but I don't know what that refers to.
Some deets on the rest of the BLT crostini would also be appreciated: what was the aioli, for instance? What wonderful bacon did you use?

_________________
What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang

Can I please get the recipe for the gluten free apricot bars? I am not sure who made them. They were delicious, and I'd love to have a gluten free dessert recipe on hand. Thanks

I think Razbry is referring to the Ball Blue Book, but I don't have that and didn't use it. I compiled this recipe for the jam from various recipes I found here and there.

Spicy Tomato Jam
6 pounds tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I've made this with both roma and beefsteak type tomatoes and prefer the latter)
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp whole yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp ground yellow mustard
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 cup lime juice
3 tbsp grated lime zest

Combine vinegar, sugars, salt, and spices and heat to dissolve sugar. Add tomatoes (with any liquid that they release). Bring to a boil, then simmer until volume is reduced to about 1/3. Takes up to an hour and a half, depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. Add lime juice and zest, and simmer 10-20 more minutes, or until consistency seems right. (I won't give processing details for canning because I did not follow an approved recipe, and I am afraid of Cathy2. Please don't tell her I said that.)
I like the gentle kick of this version and think it makes the jam more versatile, but I've done a hotter one with significantly more cayenne and chipotle, if that's the kinda thing that you are into.

As far as the other details of the BLT crostini from the picnic, the bacon was my own. It was a berkshire hog belly, cured and smoked using tips from Mike G's awesome bacon thread and some great advice from =R=.
The aioli was made without a recipe with a 3/1 ratio of canola oil to olive oil, a ton of fresh garlic, mustard powder, salt, and lime juice.
We used micro cilantro instead of lettuce. We tried about 11 different types of sprouts and micro greens from the exceptionally nice sprout and micro greens people at the GCM and decided the cilantro would go best.

So glad you enjoyed. It was fun to put together.

--Rich

_________________
I don't know what you think about dinner, but there must be a relation between the breakfast and the happiness. --Cemal Süreyya

I would like to request the recipe for the following dishes:

Korean jap chae
Thai grilled chicken thighs

Thanks a lot.

Thanks Rich for the Tomato Jam recipe. I've been trolling for days hoping you would post it!
Chris

This is a perfect example of quality of thought and pride put into the creation of a dish.

Rich, did you seed or mill your tomatos?

Chris

I am happy to post the recipe for the Apricot Bars, although they are not Gluten-free.
(They are egg-free, and nut-free.)
You could probably figure out a way to make them gluten free using a different type of flour.

They are from the Pioneer Woman website, and are insanely easy to make,
plus you can vary the preserves to make them any flavor you want-
I also add vanilla and cinnamon to her original recipe:

Apricot Bars
Ingredients
1-½ cup Flour
1-½ cup Oats
1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1-¾ stick Salted Butter, Cut Into Pieces
1 jar (10-12 Ounce) Apricot Preserves

Preparation Instructions
Mix together all ingredients except apricot preserves.
Press one half of the mixture into a buttered 8” square (or small rectangular) pan.
Spread with a 10-12 ounce jar of apricot preserves. Sprinkle second half of mixture over the top and pat lightly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until light brown. Let cool, then cut into squares.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008 ... r-dessert/

_________________
"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home."
~James Michener

Glad you liked them.
I cannot take credit for the recipe, however.
I use this:
http://thaifood.about.com/od/thairecipe ... hicken.htm
except I substitute palm sugar for the brown sugar and use a shake of crushed red pepper for the fresh chili and powder. Two stalks of lemongrass per batch works out nicely. This recipe is the perfect amount for one 'standard flat' of boneless skinless chix thighs. I use the Amish ones and lightly score the surface of each thigh to take up more marinade. For the picnic, I marinaded the chicken at around 5pm the day before.

Thanks for the recipe Brendan. I'll make your recipe if I can find fresh lemongrass in my area. I can find it in my area, but it is often not good.

i'd love the recipe for bill, mr.mamagotcha's fantastic garlic foccaccia. it was not too thick, and wonderfully crispy on both top and bottom. thanks, justjoan

_________________
"the only things money can't buy are true love and homegrown tomatoes" (guy clark)

That was indeed yummy - in addition to the recipe, I'd like to know what type of salt made the crunchy coating, and where you found it?

_________________
No guts, no glory.
http://www.chicagonow.com/quips-travails-braised-oxtails
http://quipstravailsandbraisedoxtails.blogspot.com/

I gave it about three hours on slow simmer. At that point it was pretty soupy with some good-sized tomato chunks (I didn't chop too small, tomatoes were not optimally-ripe supermarket ones despite a week on the countertop). A hit with the boat motor evened out the texture, but it still seemed kinda thin.
I'm hoping it thickens up as it cools.

Well too late now, they're in jars.

I gave them 15 minutes in a boiling water bath in 1/2-pint containers. Although not an authorized recipe, jams and jellies usually need 10 minutes, I gave it a little extra to be safe.

Wish me luck and freedom from botulism.

_________________
What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang