That's What Bob's Cooking: August 2013

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Real Dill Pickles

As you read in my previous post Bread & Butter Pickles, I do love pickles! Being in the food and beverage industry for most of my career, I have subscriptions for multiple food magazines updating me with the latest trends in the industry. A few weeks ago, Craig came across an article in "The Tasting Panel" magazine. He made a note of it and set it aside for me to take a look at. When I had a second to review the article, I noticed a review of a newer Denver company called "The Real Dill", started in 2012, they are an artisan pickles company, specializing in pickles, amongst other related products. I was very excited to try these delicious sounding items, so I went to their website to find out a little more information. When I contacted them to find out where I could locate these pickles, Justin Park, one of the owners (along with Tyler DuBois) let me know that they are carried in Pasta & Co, locally in the Seattle area. They carry 3 types, Caraway Dill, Jalapeño Honey and Habanero Horseradish. [as well as hooking me up with a couple of samples]

I was thrilled when the package arrived from Denver!

Inside we're 3 jars of some delicious sounding gherkin treats., including Caraway Dill, Honey Jalapeño, and Habenero pickles. In addition to this there was a jar of........Bloody Mary Mix, based off of the brine of the Habenero Pickles, YUM!!!!

So I got together a few friends to have a pickle sampling party, or any excuse for a cocktail...but I digress. Here is the consensus:

Caraway Dill-crunchy dilliness, with something there. At first you can't put your finger on it, but then you realize its the caraway. On second taste, you totally get a rye flavor. Quite honestly a perfect pickle. Reminds me of homemade.

Jalapeño Honey Dill-as most of you know, I'm not a lover of heat. In food, or weather. So tasting this one was a bit of a sweater for me. At first taste, it wasn't very hot, more sweet, Hence the honey part of the jalapeño honey. This is a meaty pickle. It will hold its own at a family reunion BBQ. Yet simply crunchy sweet deliciousness.

Habanero Horseradish Dill-now here's my deal breaker. As said before, I don't like heat. But for the sake of research, I will try this imposing threat. Well, after my third spear, I realize that this is the side of heat someone like me can enjoy. And food is meant to enjoy, right? Wait...ok, there's the heat. But not too bad. Rounding out the third in their line up of pickles, this one is the best yet.

*disclaimer on heat, while I don't like heat, horseradish is a different story. I love me some horseradish heat.

Overall, I found that these pickles are.....simply......amazing. Locate them, or buy them on line, you won't go wrong with tasty little treats. Oh and stay tuned for a guest post of the Bloody Mary Mix.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Spicy Sausage Pasta

The other day I came across a great recipe on Pinterest. It sounded so good, but Craig doesn't eat meat, so I had to compromise. So here is my revision to the original post, I must say it was a little spicy for me, but really really good, and REALLY easy to make!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb Field Roast chorizo sausage

1.5 cups diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz penne pasta

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Avocado

Sour cream

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly. Top each portion with sour cream and a few slices of avocado.

Makes 4 servings.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Bread and Butter Pickles

I have always been a lover of pickles…..Sweet, Dill, Sour, Cornichons, Bread and Butter…you name it, I LOVE em! I even marinate chicken in pickle juice, but that another post (Chic-Fil-A Sandwiches) That being said, I have always been in awe of people who have made homemade pickles, but figured they were too hard to make, so I never tried.

A few years back Craig and I joined a CSA (Community-supported agriculture) farm. As part of the membership, we were asked to attend a farm event (we usually went to the fall harvest festival and fund raiser for Heifer International), as well as help work at the farm for a day. We always planned to go more than once, but out schedules never meshed out. One of the events we attended was pickle making party. I was so excited to go and help make pickles, I could barely contain myself! So the day came, and we were in the kitchen, cleaning pickles, heating up vinegar stuffing cucumbers, garlic and dill weed into jars. Then filled them with vinegar, and capped them. I was like…..THAT’S IT? Besides the water processing, we were done. Believe me, I was a little let down, and mad at myself for not trying to make them earlier.

Well, that was it I decided then and there, I would make pickles ASAP! That was about 10 years ago, and I have made pickles (with a few exceptions) every year since. The first year I made Dill as well as Bread and Butter pickles, and have had MANY requests for the Bread and Butter Pickles, so now that’s all I make. Although, I do have a neighbor that has been known for making Gin Pickles, and have been interesting in trying to make those……

Finished Bread and Butter Pickles

Here’s my recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles, if you not on my Christmas list to receive a jar!

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

Raw Cucumbers, getting ready to become pickles....

6 c. cucumbers, sliced
3 med. onions, sliced
1/2 c. canning salt
1 bag ice

Brine

2 c. vinegar
2 c. boiling water
1 tsp. mustard seed

Step 1, Cucumbers washed.....

1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 c. sugar

Sort cucumbers, discarding any with blemishes. Wash well.

Mix cucumbers, onions, ice and salt; let stand 2 hours. Drain and rinse off excess salt.

Combine vinegar, boiling water, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric and sugar. Bring to a boil 5 minutes.

Step 2, Sliced Pickles, Salt and Ice.....

Pack cucumbers and onions into hot sterilized jars. Pour vinegar brine over the cucumber leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rim of jar with a damp paper towel. Adjust 2 piece caps.

Process in a boiling water bath canner for no more than 10 minutes.

To avoid a cloudy brine or darkened pickles, do not use common table salt (use only canning salt).

Yield: Three 1/2 pint jars, adjust accordingly.

Cucumbers packed into jars, waiting on the brine....

I used 50 pounds of pickles and made a 16 time recipe of the brine, and still ran out.

My Complete Profile

I was born and raised on the East side of Portland Oregon, by two native and second generation, Oregonians, my Mom and Dad (Jack and Joan). Oregon, and the Northwest are deep in my blood. That being said, I have always had an interest in cooking. I would love to add a warm loving story here about how my Mom nurtured my love of cooking by setting me up on or near the counter top to help with whatever she was cooking. Well, that's not exactly the case.

Being a child of the 70's and 80's, I had a great exposure to classic foods like Spam, Tang, Rice-a-Roni and Hamburger Helper. While many of these premade, sodium roller coaster, treats where regulars on our table, my Mom would have to hold the title as "casserole queen". Casseroles are her favorite and her specialty. Whereas, my Dad was more of a spur of the moment kind of cook. His creations included many of the items from our makeshift pantry. Sometimes, i think he was thinking, "the more ingredients, the better it'll be!". I think my first attempt at cooking would have to have been making cookies, either peanut butter (with the criss-cross fork tine print on top), or chocolate chip cookies. Over the years I have made so many of both of these recipes, I have surely lost count.

During middle school, my Mom encouraged me to take Home Economics, thinking that all kids, boy or girl, should know how to cook out in this world. This sparked a growing interest in cooking. So when I entered my junior year of High School, at David Douglas, I enrolled in the culinary arts program, we called it Food Services I. This was a class that had been offered many years before, where the students ran a restaurant, The Kilt, during the lunch periods. Unfortunately, since the class had not been offered in several years, so we didn’t have enough students to open the restaurant, that year. Within the first few weeks of this class, my instructor asked if I'd like to be involved in an outside "club" (kind of like a version of Eagle Scouts) that was mentored by local business owners. It sounded interesting so I joined (not to mention it got me out of the first 2 periods of the day).

At our first meeting I was approached by Sylvia Poesdel, the owner of the Portland landmark restaurant, Sylvia's Italian Restaurant & Dinner Theatre. She asked me if I would be interested in an afterschool job, coming to work for her to learn the cooking/chef trade on the job. I jumped at the chance and started in October of 1985. During my senior year I rejoined the culinary arts program (Food Services II) and this year we were able to reopened the restaurant, which the rest of the students voted me to manage. I just absolutely loved it! I worked at Sylvia's until after I graduated, in 1989. I learned a lot about the restaurant industry, and I would have to say it would be one of just a few life altering jobs I have had throughout my career.

After high school, while I was working at Sylvia's, I applied to culinary arts school. The Two things kept me from continuing my career in culinary arts, were financial and having worked out in the field, I saw so many negative attributes to being a chef, I decided that since I love to cook, I wanted it to be a hobby, and not a drag to go work each day.

When I left Sylvia's, I worked at a hotel, then Safeway. From there I joined Fred Meyer in the Service Deli, and was quickly promoted to a manager. During the next 8 years, I worked throughout the Portland and Southern Oregon areas. In 1998, I earned a promotion to the regional specialist position (District Manager) in Seattle. During this career move, I learned so much about the Food Service industry. I was charged to develop a new service salad case program, as well as work on a new catering program. I had the opportunity to work with manufacturers to develop these new programs.

In 2000, I met the love of my life, Craig. I also, moved from the food service program to the grocery department as an assistant manager. In the capacity I learned to develop my management skills as well as managing inventory. By being the best in my category, I earned the position of manager, where I moved from store to store cleaning up and reorganizing as I went. I also was entrusted with training future Food managers for the region. At which point I was pursued by another company to run a store for them, and enter back into the restaurant industry. During these 3 years, I learned the Restaurant Supplier side of the business. While I enjoyed the time I spent in this opportunity, I yearned to go back to the Grocery industry, and spend more time with my first love, cooking, and writing about my adventures….in the kitchen!