Author: Beth

An Introduction, and My First Giveaway!

You guys!  I’ve been working on something which, clearly, has not been this site.  And I’m not the slightest bit sorry, either.

I’ve been starting a new business!

(Yes, again.  Remember the first one?)

Introducing Good Hope Rusks, my updated take on a traditional South African rusk. What’s a rusk?  It’s a crunchy, baked biscuit, and it makes a fantastic breakfast or snack.  Coffee or tea is almost required with these guys, but they’re still awesome on their own.

If you think it sounds and looks like a biscotti, you’re nearly right.  They’re made in a similar way, but are much less sweet.  (Aside from being low in sugar, mine are also 100% whole grain, and come in three! cool! flavors!, but who’s counting?)

I first discovered rusks in 2009, during a little bread-making project I was undertaking that year.  Then last year, a dear friend of mine (who happens to be from South Africa) and I were talking.  I mentioned my pipe dream of selling my very own packaged food.  She mentioned her erstwhile plans to make and sell the rusks she often makes for her family and friends (somehow, running her own Interior Design business and raising two awesome kids and modeling and being generally kick-ass got in the way).

We’re smart ladies.  We put two and two together.  A star was born.

Many months later, I’m ready to run these rusks up my flagpole and see if anyone salutes.

so much stamping

This Sunday is the official launch date, and if you’re in Chicago, you can come see (and taste) for yourself.  I’ll be selling my rusks for the very first time ever at the always-fabulous Dose Market on April 15!

Even if you’re crazy and don’t want to come see me and my rusks, you really shouldn’t miss all the other incredible vendors (see below for a full list).  Did I mention that there’s free cocktails, from one of Chicago’s top new restaurants (first come, first served)?  Because there’s free cocktails.

cardamom & coffee

Tickets to Dose Market are $10 at the door, or $8 if you buy in advance.  But I’ve managed to swing two free tickets to Dose Market to give away to one lucky Chicago-area reader!  Yep, it’s one for you and one for a friend, because sharing is awesome.  It’s my very first giveaway ever, yay!  *kermit arms*

triple sesame

How do you get these 100% completely free tickets to the coolest monthly party around?  Just leave a comment below!  In the comment, tell me what you think of Good Hope Rusks.  Give me the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.  Love the look?  Think it sounds interesting?  Hate the whole thing?  Leave a comment!  (FYI, since you have to include an email address on the form to post a comment, there’s no need to publicly share your email address.)

anise & cacao nib

Jump on this one fast: the contest ends on April 12 (Thursday night) at 11:59 pm, Central time!  It’s only open to Chicago-area readers — or I guess anyone willing to drive/fly/walk to Chicago this weekend.  I’ll assign each comment a number in the order it’s posted, pick the winner via random number generator, and announce the winner on Friday.  The winner will be notified via email.

I’d love to see you all on Sunday!  If you can’t make it, though, you can stay in the loop with Good Hope Rusks on Facebook and Twitter.

So there you have it.  Good Hope Rusks.  I hope you love ’em like I do.

April 15, 2012
10 am until 4 pm
435 East Illinois Street, Chicago, IL  60611
[Edit: This contest is now over.  Congratulations to Jessica F, who has been notified via email!]

Five Minute Photo Shoot: Garlic Kale with Preserved Lemon

Dinner the other night: Tuscan kale, sautéed with a boatload of garlic, red pepper flakes, and minced preserved Meyer lemon.  I tossed in some ultra-concentrated smoked turkey stock (see these headnotes for more info) to help it wilt down.  All topped with a tiny mountain of Parmesan.  I cannot get enough kale lately.

There were probably some other ingredients too.  And it’s hard to see, but it was served over black quinoa.

Olive oil is there for the bread, of course.  It ain’t dinner without bread.

Five Minute Photo Shoot: Quinoa Sushi

Last night’s dinner: maki filled with Gulf shrimp, avocado, water chestnut, green onion, and Serrano pepper.  Because, you know, Wednesday.

Also, did you know you can make sushi with quinoa instead of rice?  Cook some quinoa, purée half, mix it all together, and voilà!, sticky quinoa.  Thanks, Heston Blumenthal!  I used a combo of red and white quinoa, and left it unseasoned.  Fabulous.

note to self: work on sushi-rolling skills

This post is also a little experiment; I started using Dropbox, which makes it way easier to post photos from my phone.  The top picture is from my phone, the bottom two are from my proper camera.  That is all.

Spicy Kale Sauté with Cashew Butter

In my line of work, I always seem to have random bits and bobs knocking around in my fridge.  It’s half a chile here, a wedge of onion there, sometimes a handful of chopped kale.  Dinner, therefore, mostly ends up being a rough jumble of ingredients tossed together on a sauté pan and a prayer.  Mostly, it works out well enough.

But every so often, I come up with something truly special.  This is as sad as it is delightful, as I’m certain I will never ever ever enjoy that particular dish again, because that combination of ingredients will never again exist simultaneously in my fridge.

Sometimes, though, it’s so good that I write it down.  You know, just in case magic happens and those ingredients appear in my fridge.  Who knows, I might buy those ingredients together on purpose.

I took one bite of this, and immediately grabbed my pen and notebook.

Here, it’s served with leftover mustard-roasted leg of lamb, just a few slices for an accent, because I had some in the fridge.  It’s just as good on its own.

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Spicy Kale Sauté with Cashew Butter

Yield: 3-4 servings

The one ingredient that I'm certain you don't have is the smoked turkey glace, which sounds a lot fancier than it actually is. It's my secret ingredient lately; I'm stirring a spoonful into just about everything, and it. is. incredible. Get you one smoked turkey wing or leg, put it in your biggest stock pot with half an onion and a bay leaf, fill the pot mostly full with cold water, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour, or until the meat comes easily off the bone. Remove the onion, bay leaf, and meat; use the meat for something delicious. Bring the stock back up to a boil and reduce the hell out of it. This might take several hours, but it's well worth it. Reduce it until there's hardly anything left, maybe 1/2 or 1 cup, tops. This is your smoked turkey glace. Cool it and store it in the fridge where you can get at it easily. It should thicken into a soft gelatin after chilling, but will dissolve instantly in any heat. Use in small amounts, and often.

Or, you know, use chicken stock. Whatever works for you.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil, as needed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/2 medium red onion, diced finely
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, with ribs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 splash dry vermouth (or white wine)
  • 2 tablespoons cashew butter
  • 1-2 teaspoons smoked turkey glace (optional; see headnote)
  • 1 cup cooked whole grain of choice (I used red rice; try brown rice, farro, quinoa, or similar)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, or all of the above)
  • 1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon (optional, but awesome; otherwise, use a heavy squeeze of lemon juice)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh chile (I used a blend of Serrano and Marzano)
  • Grated Parmesan, to finish

Instructions

1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add a splash of olive oil, and sauté the garlic, shallot, and red onion for about 1 minute, or until fragrant and just beginning to soften.

2. Add the kale, and toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium. Splash in some dry vermouth, and cook until the kale has wilted down and no more liquid remains, 2-3 minutes.

3. Thin the cashew butter with enough water to make a runny sauce, and add it to the kale along with the smoked turkey glace. Stir until kale is coated, and cook until liquid has mostly evaporated.

4. Add the cooked grain, herbs, preserved lemon (or lemon juice), and chile, and toss to combine. Remove from heat, and serve immediately with Parmesan grated generously over the top.

https://onehundredeggs.com/spicy-kale-saute-with-cashew-butter/

Salsa Verde

in situ

This sauce is something I mentioned in passing ages ago, but I assume nobody took much notice of it then.  And honestly, I almost forgot about it myself.

Flipping through my omnibus notebook now and then, I’d notice the quickly scribbled recipe – a vague list of ingredients, really – and remember how good it was.  I’d then remind myself that I should really collect the recipe gems out of that notebook at some point (which I will probably never do).  And then I’d proceed to go about my day, tra la la, recipes forgotten and languishing.

sauté some red cabbage with red onion and salsa verde

But in the span of the last week or so, I somehow managed to accumulate an embarrassment of herbs: basil, chives, dill, thyme, mint, and four (four!) bunches of parsley.  Clearly, some sort of fridge-cleaning pesto was in order.  And lucky me, I had just seen that salsa verde “recipe” again.

sear some gulf shrimp
after peeling: ghost shrimp

Originally inspired by the brilliance that is Ideas In Food, it’s an Italian-style salsa verde, parsley-forward, thickened with bread and spiked with vinegar, and not a lick of olive oil.  The result is a bright, punchy sauce that goes fantastically with eggs, grains, vegetables, and just about everything else I’ve slathered it on.

mix them together

I suppose you could throw in some olive oil if you really had your heart set on it, but the beauty of this sauce is its crisp freshness.  Oil, I think, would weigh it down, deaden the clean flavors.  Fat carries flavor, yes; but sometimes flavor is already there in abundance and needs no outside help.

add one of these

This is one of those play-it-by-ear recipes. This may terrify you, or excite you. I am in the latter camp. Measurements are all approximate, based on what I used, which was based on what was kicking around in my fridge.  Use whatever you have, or whatever you like.  It’s your sauce.

salsa verde on top before serving

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Salsa Verde

Inspired by Ideas In Food

For the fresh herbs, I used: 1 large bunch parsley (picked from the stems, please), 1/3 cup mint, 10-15 chives, 2 tablespoons basil, 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, and 1 tablespoon dill. And I deeply regretted that I didn't have any cilantro. I understand salsa verde is traditionally made with mostly parsley, but let's not stand on ceremony.

Me, I like this sauce with a pretty decent heat level, provided here by half a marzano chile. Remember, every chile is different, and you can't remove it once too much has been added in. Start with a little, and add more as you like.

If you don't have panko, use slices of whatever bread tastes good (crusts removed). I always have panko, and would rather use my bread to accompany dinner instead of using it as an ingredient.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup panko, plus more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • About 3 cups mixed fresh herbs, loosely packed
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Fresh chile to taste, chopped
  • 1-3 anchovy fillets, to taste
  • About 1/4 cup water, or as needed
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Mix 1/3 cup panko with the apple cider and sherry vinegars. Stir in enough water (2-4 tablespoons) to make a slightly-thick paste. Set aside.

2. In a small food processor (or mortar and pestle), purée the herbs with the scallions, garlic, chile, and anchovy. Scrape down the sides of the processor workbowl.

3. Add about half of the vinegar-panko goo, and 2 tablespoons of water. Purée again briefly, and check the consistency. If you'd like it thinner, add more water. If you'd like it thicker, add more panko (vinegared, or plain). Season with a pinch or two of salt and some black pepper.

4. Give it another whizz, then taste. The vinegar flavor should be very present, but not overwhelming. Correct the seasoning as needed with more vinegar-panko goo, chile, salt, and/or pepper. Thin as needed with more water, or thicken with more panko. Add some more herbs if you need to. It'll taste okay at this point, but you should really let it stand at least 1 hour at room temperature before using. Store in the refrigerator with a little olive oil drizzled on top to help keep the color fresh and green (or use it all up in a few days, like I do).

https://onehundredeggs.com/salsa-verde/

Five Minute Photo Shoot: Winter Breakfast

It’s been hard to say it’s Winter lately; the whole month of December (and most of January) felt positively balmy compared to past years.  Hardly even a flake of snow, though I understand that all changes tomorrow.

Nevertheless, I’ve been starting my days with a warming, cozy bowl of steel-cut oats (heavy on the cinnamon, just a pinch of cayenne) and a cup of coffee.

And this little guy shows up sometimes.

New Year’s Eve Dinner

Some scenes from my wild New Year’s Eve, pleasantly spent at home in the company of a slightly under-the-weather boyfriend.  I lit candles, and put on a dress and heels, because it just isn’t New Year’s without some fancy-pants luxury.  He put on a suit, bless’im.

First, a Sazerac…

…which went nicely with the requisite black-eyed peas and cabbage (for luck and money, respectively).

like a good southern girl

Breaking with tradition, I made corn-buttermilk popovers instead of cornbread to posh things up a little.  These didn’t quite pop over perfectly, but they tasted good all the same.

We watched a movie, and shook up another cocktail to toast with at midnight.  After some Auld Lang Syne, it was video games until bedtime.

No cabs.  No crowds.  No hangover.  Simple.  Easy.  Perfect.  Exactly the right start.

Happy New Year.

Fennel and Beet Relish, with Salmon

My oh my, I haven’t given you all a recipe in ages, have I?  Poor darlings, here you go.

Over dinner the other night, I helped a dear friend brainstorm ideas for her family’s Christmas feast.  They planned on salmon, but needed ideas for something festive to dress it up.  Fennel immediately sprung to mind, in a sort of raw relish, with a heavy dose of lemon.

Which would be, you know, okay, but it’s not good enough.  Not for Christmas.

A quick google didn’t turn up exactly the soignée dish I had in mind, just page after page of fennel and cucumber summat-er-other.  I wasn’t inspired at all until one word caught my eye: beets.  Yes!  Beets!  Fennel and beets!  Anise-y crunch with earthy sweetness.  Perfect.

I wrote my friend an email, containing a sort of recipe that came out as a stream of consciousness, as I pictured what I might reach for were I making it right then.  Roasted beets.  Raw fennel, small dice. Toasted fennel seeds.  Shallot.  Lemon.  Garlic.  Olive oil.  And loads of herbs.  I was confident.

i love staining my cutting board on occasion

Of course, I had to try it out for myself.  (Can’t let everyone else have all the fun, right?)  A couple of filets of sockeye later, cooked according to my latest go-to, foolproof, perfect-every-time method, which you should absolutely try as soon as possible, my confidence turned into unabashed pride.

It’s crunchy, it’s sweet, it’s raw, it’s roasted, it’s bright, and it’s just killer with a fine piece of salmon. It’s exactly what I was going for.

Here’s hoping it can liven more than one holiday table this year.  Bon appétit!

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Fennel and Beet Relish

Yield: makes about 6 cups, to serve 8 to 10

This relish is stunning served with a simple roast salmon, though I suspect darn near any fish would work quite well too. I can also see this as an hors d'oeuvre, with crostini and a tangy goat cheese, or even as a topping on those dreadful endive boats (if you insist on using them).

You may notice that the recipe calls for golden beets, while I clearly used red beets in the photos; if you don't mind a little staining, it doesn't matter which you use. Use both, if you like.

If you can, make this several hours or even a day in advance. It's one of those recipes that drastically improves with a little rest.

Ingredients

  • 3 large or 5 small beets (preferably golden)
  • 1 medium shallot
  • 1 lemon (preferably organic)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 to 8 tablespoons olive oil, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 2 whole fennel bulbs, with leafy tops attached
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Scrub the beets well, and trim the leafy tops which are hopefully still attached (save those for eating another time). Wrap each of the beets tightly in aluminum foil, and pop in the hot oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how big they are. Small ones will, of course, cook faster.

2. Meanwhile, mince the shallot finely and put into a large bowl that won't stain (you know, glass or metal). Zest the lemon into the bowl, and squeeze in all the juice.

3. Smash and peel the garlic clove, chop into very small bits, and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Using the side of your knife, smash and scrape the salted garlic into a paste. Add this paste to the bowl, along with the Dijon mustard.

4. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the olive oil. Use only enough to take the harsh edge off the dressing, while still letting the lemon flavor shine. This doesn't need to be perfectly emulsified, so don't worry about whisking it to perfect smoothness.

5. Toast the fennel seeds in a small pan over medium heat for a minute or so, just until fragrant. Either throw them in whole, or crush them up in a mortar and pestle, depending on preference.

6. Chop the thyme, mint, parsley, and a handful of fronds from the fennel; add to the bowl.

7. Remove the tops from the fennel, and any brown spots on the outside. Cut the fennel into a small dice, and add to the bowl with a few grinds of black pepper. Toss well, and let stand until the beets have finished roasting.

8. When the beets are done (they will feel slightly soft when squeezed through the foil), let cool until they can be handled. Peel the beets, chop into a small dice, and add to the other ingredients. Toss together, and taste to check the seasoning. Correct as needed with additional salt, pepper, olive oil, and/or lemon juice.

https://onehundredeggs.com/fennel-and-beet-relish-with-salmon-2/