Ginger Mint Lemonade

This recipe, (sorry there's no picture) is my favorite anytime beverage to make when we have company.  I pull out my fancy 1940's punch bowl to serve it in and it reminds me of my grandma Elee Hollins and how she'd have the entire family... about 20 of us over on Sunday afternoons after church for family Sunday "dinner" (which was really like an early supper at around 2pm).   There was almost always roast chicken, steamed rice, gravy, sweet dinner rolls fresh from the oven, either green beans or greens straight from grandma's garden, and a big punch bowl full of lemonade, made from fresh tart lemons, usually from a tree in the backyard, squeezed by hand.   Hers didn't have mint or fruit floating around in it, and she used regular granulated sugar.  Mine is an updated, organic, sparkling, and has a slightly herbaceous taste which goes well with all kinds of foods.   On a hot summer day, it's hard to resist and from what I've found, keeps party guests coming back to the punch bowl over and over and over.

This recipe yields about 12-16 servings depending on the glass size.  You can make the syrup ahead up to 4-5 days, and add the rest the day you'll serve it.  Multiplying the recipe works great too.  I usually triple or quadruple it at the syrup stage and lemon squeezing stage so that at parties I can quickly refill the punch bowl when it is inevitably empty. 

FOR THE GINGER SYRUP
1 cup of Water
2/3 cups of Evaporated Sugar Cane Juice, Turbinado, or Raw Sugar (or 1 cup of honey, maple, etc)
4 inch piece of fresh Ginger

Heat all 3 ingredients in a saucepan til boiling.  Reduce fire and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Cool completely.

FOR THE LEMONADE
1 recipe of Ginger Syrup (see above)
1 cup of fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
1 bunch of fresh Mint leaves
1 cup of Blueberries
5 cups of Sparkling Water
4 cups of plain Water

Mix syrup, lemon juice and waters in the punch bowl or other beverage vessel.
Break the mint into small sprigs and crush them in your palm to release the flavor.
Add mint and blueberries to the liquids and mix everything together.  Add ice and serve!!

Sparkling Peach Sangria

As spring arrives, I thought to myself, "Self, it's time to add some refreshing beverages to the readers' arsenals".   To start off, I'm sharing a super-easy recipe for Sparkling Peach Sangria because people are still talking about the batch I made last summer for an all ladies pool party I hosted at my house.  So, here it is, ladies! (and Gents...)  

You'll need the following ingredients to make 4 drinks, however you can feel free to add other types of fruit as well.  

2 Firm Ripe White Peaches

1 bunch of Green Grapes

2 Granny Smith Apples

1/2 cup Peach Schnapps

1/3 cup Superfine Sugar

3 cups chilled Rose' or White Zinfandel wine

2 cups Sparkling Water or Lemon-Lime Soda (such as 7-Up)

1 cup pineapple juice

Cut up peaches and apples into bite-sized chunks, add all fruit and sugar to the peach schnapps, mix and cover for at least a couple of hours, but ideally overnight.  When ready to serve, put schnapps mixture in pitcher or serving vessel and add wine, pineapple juice, and sparkling water or soda.  Mix well.

Serve over ice!  YUM!

Thai Spice Cupcakes

 

So, the second cupcake flavor we're planning for my sister's shower is a Thai Spice cupcake.  I wanted to make something unique that would go with the Thai menu theme... something more interesting that boring plain white or chocolate, and something that was more about the flavor than about doing something outrageous for the frosting decoration.  So far, I've settled on a Lemongrass Vanilla Cupcake (see "find it" section for recipe), and a this one which we did a test run of today and boy oh boy are these Thai Spice Cupcakes good!  The unexpected savory-sweet flavor profile of curry, mango, vanilla, mint, and jalapeno, upon first bite inspires a raised eyebrow, and an "oh wow!", the tangy mango curry filling sends you over the top and into a moment of ecstacy and the mango butter cream?  To diiiiie for.  Really.  You'll want to sit and savor this extraordinary treat for as long as you can stretch it out.  But enough of the foreplay, here's the recipe for making one dozen!  I suggest making the mango curd the day before so that it's already done and ready to use. 

Enjoy!

Cupcakes:

1 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 cup finely diced mango

1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes (see "cupcakes" in the "find it" section to the right)

To Assemble:

2 cups Mango Curd (see Lemon Curd recipe with alternate instructions to make it Mango)

Frosting:

1 cup Mango Curd (see Lemon Curd recipe with alternate instructions to make it Mango)

1 recipe Vanilla Buttercream (American Style)

Make your Vanilla Bean Cupcake batter according to the recipe instructions then add the curry.

Fold in Jalapeno, mint, cilantro, and minced mango gently. 

Bake according to directions.  They will not be golden brown.  They're done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of a cupcake. 

Allow to cool completely. 

Make the mango curd.  

Make the Vanilla American Buttercream.  

Fold 1 cup of mango curd into the buttercream.  If it's too thin, you'll have to add more sifted powdered sugar until it's thick enough to hold shape when frosting your cupcakes.

When the cupcakes are cooled completely, push a finger down into each one leaving a hole.

Using a turkey baster, fill each hole with some of the remaining mango curd.

Then frost the cupcakes with the mango buttercream frosting.  

Garnish with mint or cilantro sprigs.

YUM

Lemon Curd

Here's a quick lemon curd recipe.  You will use it in some of my other recipes but it's also really tasty on toast, biscuits, pancakes, home-baked gingerbread,  etc... You will need a double boiler or a metal bowl that can sit on the rim of a large sauce pan.

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lemon zest
4 eggs
1 cup butter cut into 1 inch cubes


Fill a large saucepan with a few inches of water and boil.
Set a metal bowl or double boiler on top.

Add sugar and lemon juice to the bowl/double boiler and combine until well mixed.
Add the lemon zest and eggs, wisking well as you add them.
Continue to whisk while the mixture cooks.  You cannot let this cook undisturbed the eggs will coddle up on you.  So just keep on stirring/whisking until your curd is thick sort of like a thick creamy soup chowder.
Run the mixture through a sieve and discard any solids and zest.
Stir in butter then chill.


TO MAKE MANGO CURD:  Substitute mango puree for the lemon juice, keep lemon zest in.
TO MAKE IT GRAPEFRUIT:  Substitute grapefruit juice for lemon juice and eliminate the lemon zest.

You get the idea... you can make many kinds of fruit curd this way!!

Buttercream Frosting (American Style)

In our country, Buttercream is, for the most part, at bakeries, not at all made with butter.  It's usually vegetable shortening.  Although that may be a bit more healthy, I can't condone buttercream frosting without butter in it, so I have gone back to the roots of the matter and come up with my own comprimise... You can find the palm shortening used in this recipe in your grocery's organic foods section.  It may be labeled vegetable shortening, just check the ingredients to confirm it's palm oil that's used to make it.
Other than that?  What can I say... when enjoying cupcakes for a special occasion, there's really no need to fuss around about things such as whether or not something is more healthy or not.   So just enjoy and move on!!

You have to make this the same day you intend to use it because of the butter and milk in it.  If you want to make it vegan then use vegan margarine and soymilk in place of butter and milk in the recipe... if you insist! :) It can be made in advance in that case.
Makes enough frosting for a dozen or more cupcakes.

1 cup palm shortening
1/2 cup unsweetened butter
5 cups organic powdered sugar sifted (5 cups measured before sifting)
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp pure madagascar or bourbon vanilla extract


Mix the shortneing and butter in the bown of a stand mixer on high until smooth and fluffy.
Slowly add the powdered sugar with the mixer speed turned down low or you'll get it back in the face!
Then add the vanilla
Then add the milk last.
Scrape down and mix on high for about 15 minutes til your frosting is smooth and fluffy.  If it seems like it's not thick enough, go ahead and add more sifted powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Voila!
Make sure your cake is completely cooled before frosting!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes Recipe

Today I was testing out a recipe I plan to use for lemongrass cupcakes for my sister's bridal shower.  In order to share that recipe I have to first share the basic Vanilla Bean Cupcake recipe I use because from time to time I will share the unique ways I alter it to create interesting flavor profiles. 
So here is that recipe.  It is better than most typical white cake recipes.  The technique used in mixing the ingredients is also different and makes for a more moist and tender cupcake... a goal that is very difficult in cupcake baking because of the size of each cake.  I learned this technique from a book called Who You Callin' Cupcake, which, if you want to be able to make something different from your average cupcake, is the book to have.  Anyway, here is my version of their Vanilla Bean Cupcakes recipe.  Enjoy it as is, or use it as a base as instructed in some of my other cupcake recipes.

Makes 1 Dozen

1/2 cup organic sugar or organic cane juice
1 2/3 cups of organic all purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup skim milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of pure madagascar or bourbon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean (run a knife down the length and split open then scrape the seeds out to be used for this recipe... you can put the scraped out hull in a container of sugar to make vanilla sugar)
 **if you don't have a vanilla bean just use 1 additional tablespoon of vanilla extract***

Preheat your oven to 350 and line your traditional size cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In a stand mixer bowl, combine first four ingredients (dry stuff)
Add butter to the bowl and mix on low til a grainy meal is formed
Add 1/4 of the milk slowly til the mixture looks like a paste
In a separate bowl, combine eggs with remaining 1/4 cup of milk, vanillas.
Slowly pour the wet mixture into the stand mixer bowl til it is incorporated into the paste and forms a batter.
Scrape down the sides and mix on high for a few seconds until smooth.

Fill the cups in the pan to within about 1/2 inch from their top edges.
Bake for 10-20 minutes.  Tops will not be brown... but will be softly golden around the edges and a toothpick will come out clean when they are done.  They will also feel stable to the touch of your fingertip on their tops.

Cool completely before frosting! Voila!

The Pyrate's Soupe L'Ognion (French Onion Soup)

Yesterday the Pyrate made the BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP I HAVE EVER HAD!  I will never crave it again from elsewhere... not even that French bistro at the Grove promenade.  If you are a fan of French Onion Soup, you will fall in love all over again when you learn to make it at home from scratch.  It is truly a beautiful thing.
You'll need oven proof dishes, either porcelain, ceramic or stoneware individual crocks, ramekins, or bowls.  We used porcelain ramekins, which worked fine except they are a pain to get clean again... you have to soak them in baking soda and hot water overnight to get the baked-on brown stains off.  The picture below is not mine.  Just wanted to give you something to look at.  We forgot to take pics before we ate ours!  Ha!  Sorry!

This recipe was inspired by one we saw Alton Brown (the food scientist dude) make on the Food Network with some slight alterations because his ended up with not enough onions and even the entire recipe was a bit scant to truly feed 6 people like he said it would.  

Enjoy! 

7 large sweet onions (red or sweet maui or a combination of both as we did for ours)

4 tbsps butter

sea salt

1 cups of white wine (we used a chardonnay)

32 oz of beef broth (or vegetable if you prefer)

12 oz of chicken broth (or more vegetable if you prefer)

2 cups of apple cider

1 bouquet garni (thyme sprig, bay leaf, and parsley sprig tied together with kitchen twine)

1 loaf of country style bread

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Cognac

2 cups of grated Gruyere

Cut onions in half then thinly cut into half-moon slices, mix together if using two kinds.  

Melt the butter in the bottom of a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium low heat. 

Spread a layer of onions over melted butter and sprinkle layer with a pinch of salt.

Repeat layering onions and sprinkling with a pinch of salt til all onions are layered in the pot.  Do not stir.

Leave to cook down over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes then stir. 

Continue cooking and occasionally stirring til onions are carmelized to a dark mahogany and reduced to about 2 cups.  This will take about 45 min. to an hour, and don't worry if it seems it's burning.

Add the wine and cook over high heat until liquid is reduced and is syrupy. (We had a chuckle-worthy moment when we got to this part because the Pyrate imitated Julia Childs as he sloshed the wine into the pot without a measuring cup. )

Add broths, cider, and herbs, turn down fire, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Place oven rack on top notches of oven and heat your broiler.
Cut bread in rounds large enough to fit soup bowls.
Place the slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
Broil in the oven til nice and toasty, turn and repeat on the other side.
Season soup mixture with salt, pepper.
Add a splash of cognac. We used about 1/4 cup.
Remove herbs and ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch from the top.
Place bread round on top of soup and top with grated cheese.
Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden.
Be sure to watch it so that it doesn't burn.
YUM!!

Obento: My Newfound Curiosity

Just a quick note:  
On many of my blog posts you'll see little icons which are part of a really cool application I use for links to items of reference pertaining to the subject matter.  Many of these you don't even have to click on.  You can often just place your cursor over it and a small box will pop up with the relevant information, video, photo, or website so that you can explore without actually leaving my blog post.  Ain't that special? Try it out here!

Anybody who knows anything about the Butterfly Queen knows that cooking is a passion.  I love cooking even more than I love eating.  Really, it's true.  During these last few weeks, I've gone silent pretty much here on the blog space for several reasons you can read about here: Domo Arigato Mr. Obento.  For the sake of not boring those of you loyal friends who subscribe, I won't re-hash all of that here.
Suffice to say, I've been rather busy.  Too busy to have the brainpower to write, too busy to have the patience to check-in, and too busy to have the desire to cook!
But a few weeks ago I stumbled upon a recipe that let me to a blog site on cooking written by a Japanese woman living in Switzerland.  She specializes in recipes from Japan and Korea, with a lil' bit of fusion mixed in for good measure.  Fascinated by her lovely photos and recipes, I found myself cruising her site for hours at a time, night after night...into the wee hours when my guys were happily sleeping.  There were many recipes which she specified were perfect for Bento.  Recipe after recipe I kept seeing the phrase "perfect for Bento", with a link to her other blog site where she touted she writes specifically for the art of Obento.

 from: www.giveittomeraw.com

Obento (the "o" is optional and denotes the respected or honored reference to the art), in summary is the Japanese tradition of artfully packed boxes containing single-portion meals usually carried for lunch, picnics, etc... The foods packed revolve around the traditional "anatomy" of a Japanese meal.

What appeals to me on first impression, is the idea that preparing lunches in these boxes is a great way to practice portion control if you're on a diet.  You can only fit in these Bento boxes what fits in them.  You can see quite easily the size of your portions and the proportion of one course to the other... for example 1/4 of a meal should be protein, 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 grains.   On a plate, it is much harder to eyeball these proportions.  I love the idea of having a fun way to be more conscious of what we consume without feeling like I'm on a diet.  Diets suck.  I don't do them anymore.  I'm also on a personal mission to enjoy my life, just as I am, with what I've got instead of being on the perpetual treadmill of "If only I were thinner, If only I were richer, If only I were more successful..."   I am healing myself of that oh-too-common illness that seems to be plaguing most people these days.  I'm going to enjoy this life, rejoicing in each day, and all that it brings.  Can I get an "Amen" or an "Ashe'"?

The next thing that appeals to me is the idea of Umami... which is a term now used in the west, but borrowed from the Japanese... it is the 5th taste experience besides those we are commonly familiar with (sweet, salty, bitter, sour).  It is best described as "savory"  I suppose.  Umami is said to be the one universally loved taste sensation and is said to be found in all of your favorite foods.  My own personal theory is that it is a combination of the other four tastes... a perfect balance of the four.   I just love to say it... "Ooh, Mommy".  Ain't that good???  I love it! Ha!

Thirdly, it just looks like so much fun!!!  Anybody can do it.  You can pack them however you like, with whatever you like, with a few practical precautions.  It's a fantastic way to use up leftovers which is a wonderful way to live a little greener and a great excuse for cooking at home without worrying that you're only feeding yourself. It's fashionable, exotic as you want it to be, artistic, and will save money by avoiding all those calorie packed, sodium packed, sugar packed, fat packed lunches bought out!  They can be hot, cold, or both in multiple tiered boxes. There's the more traditional style lunches which are beautiful to the eye (they consider this just as important as the taste and nutrition),

from www.apartmenttherapy.com

and then there's the Kawaii (this means cute or adorable)versions which I know the Austrian and the Pyrate will boycott but Miss Scantlebury will no doubt be head over heels for.   Either way, I've found another way to express my creativity and I'm very excited to give it a whirl.

from: www.theswellelife.com

 from www.craftycrafty.tv

Anyway, are you inspired?  I'm going to start my first Bentos this week.  They will not all be traditional Japanese ingredients. But there will be lots of Japanese influences, and some recipes I've borrowed from the Just Bento site, while I'm learning how this works.  I'm already marinating some chicken skewers in a soy/ginger/lemon/pepper flake marinade which will be grilled, and a pork shoulder with will be slow-roasted with a fresh red chili salsa.  These will be used throughout the week in different ways.  Salads, sandwiches, pastas, omelettes... you'll see!  It's gonna be a fun week!!

from:  www.mosaica.wordpress.com

If you are planning on giving this a try, I suggest you do the following:
1.  Visit the Just Bento site and read the following: Bento Basics and when you're done read the first few links at the bottom of that page to find out what equipment you'll need.  There's not much... a bento box, a rice cooker, a few inexpensive accessories.
2.  Start to acquire your equipment.  There are four of us, so I've got 6 boxes of varying sizes. If you decide to use regular plastic food containers, look for BPA free please.  Yes, I am still going to try to practice healthy, organic, sustainable living while on this adventure. We already have a rice cooker.  I'm going to get a pressure cooker this week.  I also got some optional accessories such as silicone muffin cups, little plastic picks. Miniature sauce bottles and mayonaise cups are also handy lil' things to have.  You can find most rare Japanese accessories for bento online here or here. Try the first link first because the prices can't be beat.  Be sure to get microwavable bento boxes please so you have more versatility with what you can put in it.
3. Take a look at basic pantry staples to have on hand:  Soy Sauce, Mirin, Japanese Sushi Rice (brown and/or white) are commonly used in almost every traditional Japanese or Japanese inspired Bento lunch.  No other rice will substitute. (more on that later...)

One more thing I should mention:  I have a seafood allergy... a challenge in regards to any Asian cuisine... But feel free to browse the other web blogs for seafood recipes... you won't find them here!

I'll be back in a couple days with my first attempt and a couple recipes to add to your arsenal!  Have a great holiday!!!

Domo Arigato Mister Obento

Well, I know I've been MIA lately, but you know how it is... The end of the school year, plus a bunch of other stuff going on in my home life and next thing you know the time flies by and I haven't written a thing!!

At least not here!
One of the things I'm working on is bit by bit piecing together my very first cookbook.  It will be a tribute to my family heritage, which mixes the cuisines and traditions of several cultures, and includes organically grown, (often homegrown) foods.
I'm having fun with the introductory outline which tells about my childhood memories of road trips to grandma's house fully equipped with picnic basket in tow and  my other grandmother's home garden which provided the vegetables for the entire family for most of each year. I know that the stories and recipes from this project will resonate with many of you.   Stay tunes for further updates on that project!
In the spring, I made the careful decision to terminate the Pyrate's public school attendance and homeschool him as of the fall this year.  I spent several weeks contemplating this decision, researching our options and the possible consequences.  Several disturbing events over the last two years brought enough alarm to my mind that in some ways I almost felt there is no other choice.  I worried about the social implications for the Pyrate, however, the social implications if he stays in the environment he has been in will no question be catastrophic.  Then two things happened.  We have found a fantastic virtual academy that will suit his needs as an individual, with teachers, personalized lessons, access to college courses in high school, and so much more that a kid like mine will shine thorugh like a super nova!  I can't wait.  I believe every child deserves to have this kind of opportunity.  I showed this program to my son, and he loves it, and can't wait to get started.  I started the enrollment process, had several conversations with families already doing this, and started collecting the proper documents... That was the second thing.  I had to retrieve documentation of the Pyrate's status for California's Gifted and Talented student program.   It's one thing to know you have a brilliant child.  It is quite another to hold in your hand documentation that measures said brilliance.  He's documented to have scored within the top 3 percentile FOR THE NATION all of the last three years in a row on standardized and specialized testing for skills and mastery in math, language arts, and science.  When we got this documentation the other day, we sat together staring at it as I explained it to him.  We sat staring at it silently.  I watched his eyes, wide and almost in disbelief.  I asked him what he was thinking.   "I'm thinking I can't wait to be out of regular public school, mom.  It's killing my reputation!"
So that was it.  I completed his enrollment and we're waiting for the curriculum to get here like kids wait for Christmas morning.  Meanwhile I'm getting myself accustomed to being the learning coach.  He'll have teachers online, but I still have to supervise and coach on the home front, plan his schedule, come up with creative ways to experience the world as it pertains to his studies.  This will be fun, so long as I properly prepare.  I'm taking the time to attend lectures and recorded speaker series on how to do all of this.
If you too are discouraged with trusting your child's education to a public system that is more damaging than it is productive, check out homeschooling.  It's not what it used to be.  You can still get certified to teach your own children if you like. But now there are virtual schools with experienced teachers who are excited, inspiring, creative, and give their students one on one attention.  There are virtual schools where most work is done online and the curriculum is more effective than what is available in public schools.  Virtual schools offer personalized instruction based on mastery.  That means if the Pyrate can pass a lesson's assessment, he can skip all of the lesson activities in that lesson and move to the next lesson.  He can accelerate in this way, to the next grade level mid year if applicable, and in high school can take classes that are worth college credit.  We can set his study schedule to fit his personal rhythm, and include outside experiences that enrich his learning in ways he would never get in regular public schools.  And here's the killer!  Most of these virtual academies are set up like charter schools, publicly funded, and free to those who are within the district that funds them.  Not only is it tuition free, they provide all curriculum materials, and loaner computers as well for free.  All you have to provide is an adult to supervise 5-6 hours a day, and regular school supplies such and notebooks and paper, etc.
A great example is the K12 program with academies nationwide.  Check it out for yourself.

The third thing I'm up to is fun, fun, fun!!  I'm learning about the art of Bento!  This is a traditional Japanese practice that involves artfully arranged meals packed in compact boxes that are usually transportable.  We are going to use the art of Obento (the respectful way to refer to the art) as a fun and entertaining way to institute healthy eating habits into our everyday life.  I've been educating myself and preparing to make it a part of our family's nutritional life.  You'll be finding recipes and photo records of this little gastro-artistic adventure posted here in my blog in the very near future.  Should you want to join me, I recommend these two blogs as reference material and  inspiration:  www.justbento.com  and  www.lunchinabox.net 

See you here again very soon when I've got my bento boxes, chopsticks and a couple of recipes under my belt... this stuff is no joke!!

Lemon-Ginger-Soy Stir Fry

Mmmmmmm!  This dish was a pure improvisation tonight!!   You will not be disappointed. 
You'll need a wok or a decent sized skillet/saute pan for this preparation and a hungry stomach!! The trick to stir frying is a very hot pan, a good oil with a high smoking point, and your ingredients in approximately the same sizes.


The Players:
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts please use organic, hormone/antibiotic free, free range chicken or just go veggie... seriously people... cut these into 1 inch cubes. Soy Sauce low sodium, about 1/4 cup.  Fresh Ginger  about a 2 inch piece cut into chunks. Fresh Garlic 10 cloves.  Lemon Juice from two organic lemons.  Five Spice 1 tablespoon.  White Rice Wine Vinegar 1/4 cup. 1 large Red Onion  cut into 1 inch cubes.  1 bunch Green Onions organic, white and green parts cut into one inch pieces 1 Green Bell Pepper cut into 1 inch pieces. Snow Peas  about a good handful left whole. Sesame Oil

Preparation:
1.  Prepare ingredients as instructed above.
2.  In a food processor add ginger, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, five spice, and rice wine vinegar and process on high til well blended and fairly smooth.
3.  Pour this mixture over chicken in a plastic container, cover, and allow to marinate at least 1 hour or more.
4.  When ready to cook, heat wok over high heat til it begins to smoke. 
5.  Add about 4 tablespoons of sesame oil to hot wok.  Don't worry if it smokes.  You want it to smoke.  Turn on your fan! :)  Let the oil smoke a minute or two until it starts to turn.
6.  Add cubes of chicken to the hot wok reserving the marinade for later.
7.  Brown chicken in wok stirring occasionally for even cooking.
8.  Remove from wok and return to the marinade.
9.  Add 3 tablespoons more oil to the pan.
10.  Allow to come to a smoking point again.
11.  Add remaining vegetables and stir fry just til the colors brighten and they start to get gentle caramelization.
12.  Add chicken and marinade to the wok at this point and toss together.  Allow to cook another 4 minutes, occasionally tossing and stirring.

13.  Serve with steamed rice.

YUM YUM!!!

Hot Wings Mexicana! Ole!

Alright, no picture for this one, but let me just tell you, this was an absolute improvised meal this evening.  Marinated and grilled chicken wings drenched in the combined flavor of lime, tequila, cilantro, and salsa verde.  You will LOVE these wings if you love hot wings, and my wings are healthier, made from fresh, flavorful, organic ingredients.  You may never feel the same about traditional hot wings once you try these, spicy, tart, finger licking good wings.  

The Players

2 pounds of organic, free range, vegetarian fed, hormone free Chicken Wings.  The juice of 4 Limes.  5 cloves of fresh Garlic. 1 bunch of fresh Cilantro (about 1 cup chopped coarsely, stems discarded).  4 tbsps of Olive Oil.  1/2 cup of Tequila.  1 16 oz container of fresh Salsa Verde (from the refrigerator deli section of your local grocer... I like to get it from a latino foods store such as Vallarta if possible.) 1/3 cup organic, raw Honey.  1 tbsp. spicy Mexican Hot Sauce (such as Cholula, Pico Pica, etc... NO TABASCO!)

Instructions:

Wash wings well, and allow to drain on paper towels.

Add lime juice, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, tequila and salsa verde together in a food processor and process til well blended and the cilantro is finely minced and incorporated.

Place the wings in a container and pour the marinade over them.  

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  

Grill wings over medium to low heat, basting occasionally with the retained marinade, until skins are nice and brown and crispy, and the meat begins to pull away from the end of the bone on the drummettes.

Remove wings to a platter or shallow ad wide serving bowl.  

In a medium sauce pan, bring remaining marinade to a boil over medium heat. 

Add honey, vinegar, and hot sauce, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes longer. 

Pour this sauce over the wings and serve!!

If you find these to be too spicy, you can serve these with a cooling dip made from equal parts ranch dressing mixed to equal parts sour cream.

Enjoy!!

Vanilla Birthday Cake

All dressed up for the Pyrate's 13th birthday party!!! This full sheet version requires 6 times the recipe below.

This buttery delish cake will not disappoint.  I made it for the first time a few weeks ago for the Pyrate's birthday dinner and everyone loved it!  I filled it with sun-sweet fresh organic strawberries and bavarian cream using vegetable gelatin instead of traditional gelatin, and a butter cream frosting on the outside with a few drops of organic vegetable food colors to represent the concrete color of the "skate park".  The sprinkles are from a local cake decorating supply store... they are simply gold, silver, and dark green sugar crystals.   You can frost or glaze this cake however you like, or not at all!  It's wonderful on its own, or even with a few berries macerated in a tablespoon or so of demerara sugar to release their juice and make a light syrup.  As I was decorating this cake we snacked on the uneven edges I'd trimmed off before frosting. De-lish!

The best cake recipes I've had usually call for cake flour which basically is bleached all purpose flour that has been sifted 7 times, so to stay on point, I took my unbleached flour through a sifter 7 times.  It only took a couple minutes to do this and the light fluffy texture of the cake is worth the effort.  

This recipe is for two 9 inch round cake layers.  For the double decker full sheet cake I made above we multiplied this recipe by three for each layer so a total of 6 times the recipe.    Unless you have a restaurant style kitchen setup I don't recommend trying to do more than a triple batch of batter at once.  You can easily end up over mixing and your cake will be like a brick!  DON'T DO IT!!  You'll be sorry if you go to all the trouble to make those huge layers and discover it's dry and tough and not like you want it.  Stick with 3 or less multiplied batches at a time.  

Here we go! 

VANILLA BIRTHDAY CAKE 

The players:

1 3/4 cups Unbleached Organic White Flour sifted 7 times. 2 tsp Baking Powder. 1/4 tsp Sea Salt. 1/2 cups Unsalted Organic Butter.  1 cup Turbinado, Demerara, or Evaporated Cane Juice.   2 Organic free range brown Eggs, whites and yolks separated.  1 tsp pure Vanilla extract. 1/2 cup Organic 2 % Milk. 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar.

The plan:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and generously butter two 9 inch round cake pans.  Line the bottom of pans with parchment paper then butter paper as well.

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

2. In an electric mixer bowl, beat butter til soft. 

3. Add 3/4 of sugar to butter and beat again til fluffy

4. Add yolks 1 at a time. 

5. Add vanilla and beat til combined. 

6. Add flour and milk alternately in 3 additions beginning and ending with flour. 

7. In another bowl, whisk egg whites til foamy. 

8. Add cream of tartar & beat whites til soft peaks form. 

9. Gradually add the rest of the sugar to egg whites and beat til stiff peaks form.

10. Fold about a third of the whites into the batter to lighten up the batter. 

11. Fold in another third til just mixed in. 

12. Fold in the rest of the whites into the batter being careful not to over mix. 

13. Fill pans and smooth the surfaces with an offset spatula. 

14. Bake on the center rack in your preheated oven for about 15 minutes then check with a toothpick in the center.  If it comes out clean it's done.

15.  Cool in pan at least half an hour before inverting onto rack to cool completely.

Cook 'n Dine with Brig Feltus

What happens when you learn how capitalism has completely corrupted the way we eat in this country?  You buy less processed foods.  You stop feeding your kids fast food.  You start educating yourself, and you try to cook more.  You buy fresh produce and meats from the supermarket and prepare them yourself. 

Are you safe then?  Well, no, it seems the horrifying truth is no.  Even if you do these things you are exposing your body to foods riddled with pesticides, genetical engineering, chemical fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics.  That's just for starters.  The horror story gets worse because beyond these very tangible and obvious crimes against humanity, we are purchasing meats that come from animals raised in the most atrociously unnatural conditions in the name of mass production and high yield.  Animals are being fed foods they would never normally eat because those foods are cheaper, and because those foods manipulate the animal's metabolism, making them grow faster... up to 3 times what they would have without any manipulation. 
Produce is plucked green and unripe before the sun has gifted it with the nutrients, color, and flavor, just so that it can survive its journeys to far away places where that produce may not be growing at that time of year.  It's often treated with chemical gases once arrived, so as to create artificial ripeness.  This is why fruit from a tree in your yard tastes so different from fruit bought at your local big chain supermarket.  
We eat this food without knowing... thinking if we cook fresh food, we're doing good by our families... not understanding the growth hormones given to animals is being ingested when we eat them and our children are reaching puberty at younger and younger ages because of it.... not understanding why when we buy fruit in the grocery store the flavor is so hit and miss.... not understanding that there is very little if any research to determine what the consequences are to eating genetically engineered foods.... meanwhile cancer, diabetes, autism, immune disorders, and hundreds of other ailments continue to plague us and we don't know how we get them.

I'm only so far talking about those of us who try to do good. I don't even want to get into what's in all the packaged foods and fast food we eat in this country.  Why the hell are we in such a hurry anyway?  Greed is killing us.  It's the other name for capitalism and convenience,  if you really think about it and it's killing us one bite at a time. 
I am always outraged at the way you can walk into a grocery store and there can be two seemingly identical items on a shelf, sometimes from the same corporate source, one says 'organic'  the other not.  The organic is always more expensive.  It's preposterous.  Why, after all should it cost more to get your food the old fashioned way, with less chemicals, less pesticides, less interference in general?  Shouldn't it be if we mess with it less, it would be cheaper?  Wouldn't it make sense that if the produce grew an hour drive away, it would cost less than the one imported from South America???  Well, unfortunately, the way our food system is set up, there's no way for organic to compete on a large scale.  So we reject it.  Throw our hands up and give in to the poison... We are literally drinking the koolaid and we don't even realize it. 
So what then?  What happens when you realize this?  Well, in my case, I had the opportunity to live in other countries where the food systems are not all about capitalism. 


They might be fascinated by our bright colors and shiny flashy labels, but back home in their countries they do things a little differently than we do.
When I was living in Germany 13 years ago, there was perhaps one or two supermarkets in the cities I lived in and they weren't very popular.  Why not?  They were not needed. They were really just a novelty you could find in the really big cities where there were a lot of Americanized amenities.  That's what they call it... Americanized.... Shameful...

But again, those stores were novelties, mostly marketed towards homesick expatriots living there or poor souls who somehow thought anything Americanized was cool. 
The average person didn't go there.  It wasn't not as convenient, as inexpensive, as fresh as what they could find right outside the door to their home...
Each little neighborhood... I'm talking about a couple of blocks square... had a butcher who got his meats from the farmer who raised it, somewhere within 30-50 miles on the outskirts of town, and he received it whole and cut it into the various cuts of meat himself on the premises and sold it within the same week... each had a produce stand (or two) where you could buy fresh fruits and vegetables grown nearby... yes, they still had bananas from south america and such, but the majority of the produce came from a farm close by... and if it was out of season, they didn't have it.... simple as that... I remember thinking to myself I must be tripping off of culture shock or something because I could have sworn that the vegetables tasted better and I didn't understand at the time why... each neighborhood had a bakery with fresh baked bread and such.... and if you wanted things like cereal or other packaged foods you'd go to a store that pretty much only sold that kind of stuff... even there, was no frosted flakes, cocoa puffs, cap'n crunch, or honey bunches of oats.... there were different sorts of whole grain cereals, oats, grits, wheat meal, muesli, and the occasional granola... there you could also buy your dairy products which came from a farm which was, again within 30-50 miles of the city you were in... Cheese could be bought there too, but you could get that fresher and better quality at the cheese monger in your neighborhood.  All of these would be within easily 5 minutes walking distance and everyone owned one of those rolling market baskets that fold up like an umbrella.  People didn't even often drive to get to these places. 

It was customary to buy only what you'd use in the next couple of days and that was fine because you knew that at any time, on your way in from work or school you could stop through and pick up fresh items.  
Foods didn't have to be advertised as organic because it was the law that they be that.  They didn't need not to be because the farmers could manage to keep up with their livestock... enough to supply just the butchers in their town, and not an entire country.  By the way the entire country is smaller than the state of texas...

Did you  know that in America there used to be several dozen suppliers of meat?  Now there are about a handful... yes, actually less than 5 major meat suppliers in the entire country!  Do you know what that means?  These companies have streamlined the raising, feeding, and production of meat in this country in such a way that they can cost effectively supply a country that is probably 50 times the size of Germany!!!   You can imagine the atrocities without actually seeing them with your own eyes. 


In countries abroad, the way they produce their food is more sensible, safer, less expensive, and truly, truly more convenient and NO ONE IS COMPLAINING!  Yes, logistically it means they eat less animal products than we do.  We eat too much animal products anyway... feeding the greed in us... But the truth should hurt!

 Here, you can buy a cut of meat and there is no regulation that says they have to tell you if it has been treated, for example as some ground meats with fillers are, with ammonia... or to inform you of whether or not the meat is from a cloned animal.  Or whether the 3 lb chicken you're buying has been fed animal waste products mixed in its meal and  is really 2 lbs and the rest is salt water injected into it to make it look more plump.... (by the way, they're selling it to you by the pound and you're paying for that pound of salt water... basically paying to be lied to... )  Our regulations are in reverse.  There are regulations for those claiming to be organic but none saying that non-organic food producers have to disclose anything... Okay, they disclose "ingredients" but nothing about the processing, nothing about the growth, nothing about the pesticides, hormones or antibiotics... because we would be outraged! 


So what now?  In my case, I am now slowly weening my family off of non-organic eating habits.  We are shopping farmer's markets for produce when we can and buy from the organic section in the supermarket.  We're eating less meat because it's expensive to buy free range, grass fed, hormone free, antibiotic free animal products.  We also shop at small bodega type markets which we know buy their fresh foods locally within our state.  
I cook more often.  I seldom eat at fast food places anymore except in an emergency, and I try to hit up one such as Chipotle which is a known practitioner of sustainable foodsWe are not religious about all of this.  But everytime I buy food, I am conscious now.  I am aware now.  I don't ever put anything in my mouth without understanding the consequences.  It is a matter of awareness. 

And this is how Cook 'n Dine with Brig Feltus was born.  I wanted to share what I'm learning with people who would listen.  We're making it fun by visiting farmer's markets, watching films, cooking together, and then dining together. 

The first one was a great success, with a sold out attendance and raves afterward.  We went to a farmer's market, watched a film about farmers markets around the country, and then cooked a delicious Sunday Brunch style meal. 

This month, we'll be headed out early in the morning to a local organic farm that supplies fresh produce to high end restaurants and farmer's markets in Los Angeles county.   We'll be watching Food Inc.  and then cooking with the foods we bring back from the farm. 
If you are an Los Angeles local and any of this post inspires or moves you to make a change in your own life, please join us!  Let's learn together and spread this information to others that we love.  As corruption crumbles this obscene way of life all around us, just like in other living species, only the fittest will survive.  I don't intend to be among the feeble.  I intend to be among the strong, and  I'm starting with this small baby step and I hope you'll take it with me. 
Monthly sessions can be attended by signing up at brigfeltuscookndine@earthlink.net
You can also join our facebook group to stay in the loop regarding future events.
Co-Ed Cook 'n Dine with Brig Feltus group page on Facebook

Garlic Lemon Chicken, Wilted Spinach, and Ravioli w/Alfredo Sauce

Sorry, there are no pictures of this.  The natives gobbled it up before I could take the pictures.  When I make it again, I will be sure to get a couple and add them here. 

You'll need the following.

3 Lemons, 4 Chicken Breasts, 2 packages of fresh Spinach (10 oz...), Dijon Mustard, 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil, 1 sprig of fresh Rosemary, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 small carton of Heavy Cream, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese, 2 tablespoons of butter, two packages of fresh Ravioli such as Buitoni brand.


In a container large enough to hold your 4 chicken breasts use a zesting plane to grate the zest of all three lemons

Squeeze the 3 lemons and add juice w/out the seeds to the container.

Add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, oil, the rosemary chopped fine, the 4 cloves of garlic crushed.  
Mix well and coat the chicken breasts well, and leave covered in the refrigerator, for at least half an hour.

Bring chicken back to room temperature out of the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. 

Heat water for boiling your pasta, use amount of water suggested on package.

Heat a large saute pan and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

When the oil sizzles add your chicken breasts smooth side down.  Save the marinade.

Cook for 7 minutes or until golden brown then turn over.

When your water is boiling add a couple tablespoons of oil and add your ravioli.

Cook chicken on the other side for at least 8 minutes.  It's almost done when it becomes firm when you press it. 
Add  the lemon juice marinade to the pan and 1/4 cup of water.
Move the chicken breasts to the outside perimeter of the pan and pile the spinach in the middle on top of the liquid. 
Turn off the fire immmediately and put a lid on the pan.
You are not cooking the spinach, just wilting it. 
After 5 minutes remove breasts from the pan and cut each one into four pieces, return to pan with spinach and lemon juice and toss together.  Replace lid.

When pasta is cooked, drain immediately and discard water.

In the same pan the pasta was cooked in, warm over medium heat, cream, parmesan, butter, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and about 1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper, stirring until well blended and bubbly.

Turn off fire, and add ravioli to alfredo sauce and toss together.

To serve, put a few ravioli on the plate, then spoon a few pieces of the chicken and spinach in lemon sauce on top of the pasta.

DEElish.
:)

Delicious Stuffed Dates

 Stay with me... this is not a meal.  They are appetizers.  

You eat one, then move on to the vegetable tray!

I'm gonna make this a quicky because Christmas Eve dinner prep is at full throttle in the moment.  But I was asked to post a couple of hor d'oevres.  These are so darn good you can't lose!  And pretty simple.  Evefy time I've made them, the response has been the same!  People pass by, curious, pick one up, bite into it, and first reaction is a slight wince of surprise as they don't expect this fusion of sweet, pungent, and savory.  Then the eyes close, the moan begins, the head shakes, and they won't be able to get to you fast enough to tell you how delicious they are.   You won't want to have more than enough for one or two per guest.  They are very rich, and sweet, and salty... You don't want people to overdo it and lose their appetite for dinner.  Once you've tried this my way, try it with dried prunes. 

(about 30 dates)

Make a slit in them on one side and remove the seed from each.

Mix together 4 oz of goat cheese with 4 oz of blue cheese

Then with a teaspoon stuff the cheese inside the dates.

Wrap each date in a small piece of bacon.  (i prefer to use vegetarian fed 100% natural uncured bacon...)

Pop these in the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees farenheit.

(or until bacon is crisp and browned)

Serve hot!

 

How to Brine a Turkey (the best turkey I ever had!)

I'm gonna skip my usual recipe format and just write this one out freestyle.  I should tell you that the first time I tried this, it was with a 22 lb Turkey and I use instructions from the Nigella Lawson cookbook called Feast.   The process of brining is not necessarily about seasoning as much as it is about locking in moisture.  You leave the turkey in the brine for a number of hours, then remove it, wash it off thoroughly, and then continue to regular cooking. 

 

The first time I did this, after the brine, I stuffed garlic cloves and rosemary under the skin,  and stuffed oranges, apples, lemons, and pears into the cavity, gave it a bit of fresh ground pepper, brushed the skin with a bit of olive oil and popped it in the oven to bake!  When we sliced into that turkey, it was soooo juicy!  The juiciest turkey I've ever had.  The Austrian, who doesn't really like turkey because it's relatively dry and fatless, was converted!  And at the end of dinner there was nothing left but a skeleton.  

 

There's something about the combination of salt, sugar, maple and vinegar that transforms the turkey, causing it to form a seal that holds in the juices and you almost cannot go wrong.

Make a note of your time schedule.  Proper brining takes about 1 hour per pound of turkey, so figure in how many hours you need to brine your turkey, then start it exactly that amount of time prior to the time you need to get it in the oven to roast.  You'll need to know how long you need to cook your turkey according to how big it is. 

I'm using two 12 pound turkeys this year.  No real reason other than the fact that the only 22 pounders I could find were injected  with salt water.  That is a big no no!!  There is a distinct difference between a salt water brine for a few hours and salt water injected into the turkey meat during processing.  First of all the injection of water into the turkey is deceptive because it makes the turkey look like it's more meat than it is.  that water will cook away in the oven, and the per pound price you paid for the turkey is by the weight including all that salt water, which is dense and heavy.   So I don't ever suggest buying a turkey that has been treated this way.  Buy organic, free range, 100% natural, vegetarian fed turkey.   You can get these everywhere and the price is not so much different that you will feel any pain. 

Alright, so that's out of the way.   Gather the following:

3 oranges

2 lemons

2 large brown onions cut in quarters, skins left on

3 large twigs of rosemary

1 bunch of sage

1 bunch of time

handful of juniper berries

couple tablespoons whole mustard seeds

handful of peppercorns

couple tablespoons caraway seeds

couple tablespoons fennel seeds

3 cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoons of cloves

5 bay leaves

1 lb of plain table salt

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of pure maple syrup

2 cups of apple cider vinegar

Alright, so now you have your spices and other ingredients, you need to decide where you will store your turkey.   Last time, I used a 13 gallon galvonized container with a lid, and kept the turkey in its brine in our garage because this time of year it stays around 35 degrees.  This year I used an ice chest cooler because the weather is not as cold as in years gone by. 

If the weather is cold enough you can put your turkey in an covered container outside in the cold while it is brining.    If not, you'll want to to the cooler chest concept like I did here.

Put a clean large garbage bag into your container. 

Place your turkey in the bag, breast up.

Drop in your oranges, lemons rosemary twigs, sage, thyme, and onions.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients and mix with enough hot water to dissolve the salt and sugar. 

Pour this mixture over the turkey.

Then add enough cold water to the bag to cover the turkey completely. 

 

Layer the entire thing with ice, so that your turkeys stay cold.  (only needed for the cooler chest method)

 

Draw up the bag and twist down, letting as much air out as possible.

 

Place in a cool temperature 40 degrees or lower.

The turkey needs at least 1 hour of brining per pound.  You can, however leave it for up to 24 hours in the brine.  Half way through the time, turn your bird over.

When it's time to remove it, discard all of the spices and herbs and rinse/wash your turkey thoroughly under cold water for about 4 minutes.

Proceed as you wish to season, stuff, cook etc...

Hot Buttered Rum Cider

num num num.... on a cold winter's night....

Nothing says cozy like the sweet and salty warmth of hot buttered rum... except maybe the sweet and spicy warmth of mulled hot apple cider.   If you like both of these, then you'll love the two flavors together combined for the ultimate winter treat!  This is not for the children.  Put the children away, and take a moment for the grown-ups and enjoy this blissfully. 

THE PLAYERS: (your grocery list for serving 4)

Apple Cider  find this in your local grocery next to the apple juice. Nutmeg I keep hole nutmeg on hand in my pantry because it stays flavorful longer than ground nutmeg.  I like to grate it myself just before it will be used so that the flavor is most impactful.  you'll need about 1 teaspoon of ground or fresh grated nutmeg for the butter batter.  Cinnamon Ground:  you need two teaspoons of ground ginger for the butter batter. Sticks: you need a stick for each glass, and 3 sticks for mulling the cider.  whole cinnamon sticks or bark can be found in every normal grocery.  however, i like to use the cinnamon bark from the Indian grocer.  It's not curled and looks like big slivers of bark from a tree... which is what real cinnamon should look like.  if you go to countries that traditionally grow cinnamon and use it widely in their foods, you'll only find this kind of cinnamon, not the neatly curled sticks you find widely here.  at any rate, you'll have a satisfactory result either way.  i'm just trying to practice the art of consuming closer to the source when i can, which means less processing.   Whole Star Anise also found in the spice section.  don't substitute the ground anise.  look for the star anise.  it actually looks like little stars. Dark Rum any dark rum will do, however i suggest you use the best rum you can afford and the darker the better.   Butter  1 stick of salted butter set out ahead of time so that it's at room temperature.  it will make enough butter batter for making the 4 serving recipe here, with more left to store in the fridge for later use when you get that feeling again in a few days... Demerara or Turbinado sugar.  you'll need 3 tablespoons for the butter batter.  Orange Peel you'll need to cut 3 inch long strips of orange peel from one orange being careful not to take too much of the white pith underneath.  You'll need one strip for each cup serving. 

PREPARATION:

Put your cider on.  I use a metal teapot and put the cider in with 3 sticks of cinnamon and 3 star anise  stars.  Keep the fire down low.  Do not allow to boil.  You want this to steep, not cook.  Allow to simmer over low heat for at least half an hour then it's ready to use.

 Make your butter batter:

In a plastic bowl with a lid, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg.  Mix well with a spoon. 

To serve:  

Place one orange strip and one cinnamon stick in each cup.

Place 1/2 teaspoon of the butter batter in each cup.

Pour hot mulled cider over the butter batter in each cup up to 2/3 of the cup.

Add rum to take up the last third of the cup. 

Butter batter will melt and float to the top. 

Give each person a spoon and allow them to stir their own. 

Enjoy!

My Favorite Butter Cookies

My Favorite Butter Cookies... with assorted embellishments.

Similar in texture and flavor to English shortbreads, my favorite Butter Cookies will elicit plenty of oohs, aahs, and mmms out of their lucky consumers.  Don't be foolish enough to think one batch is enough.  This recipe will only make about 4 dozen cookies, but you can expect that people will take a cookie every time they pass them by... so make sure you have enough for about 5 or 6 cookies per guest at your holiday party.  When I made them yesterday, I made enough for 15 dozen cookies.

They're refrigerator cookies, so you make the dough ahead, then chill it before cutting them and baking.  As you can see, I've decorated mine with a variety of decorative sugar crystals and sprinkles that I bought over the last couple of years from a cake decorator supply store nearby.  You will be amazed at what they have.  I found beautiful prismatic silver sugar crystals, white snow flake sprinkles, multi-colored metallic dragees, and sugar in every color under the rainbow.  Most of what I used you can purchase in a local cake decorator supply store in your local town.  Just google "cake decorating supplies insert your home town here".    A good tip is to know that a little goes a long way with such decorations.  So you don't have to buy a bunch for the sake of making sure you have enough.  You buy according to how much variety you want.

You can make your dough up to 3 months in advance and store the "logs" in airtight freezer bags in the freezer.  They thaw enough to decorate and cut in about an hour.  So you can take these out anytime for a homemade version of instant cookies.  You can be your own Pilsbury maker!  (These taste better any way you cut it!)   You can also use these for cutout cookies by rolling the dough out on a well floured board to avoid sticking.  When I do cutout cookies, I use the glass table in our kitchen or the granite counter top, clearing a huge space, flouring it well,  and rolling out all of the dough at once if possible, then cutting out shapes with the 50 some-odd cookie cutters I have inherited from various relatives over the years.  For this holiday,  however, I've simply done this the easy way and made rolls of dough, chilled them, rolled them in decorative stuff, then sliced them into coin-like discs for baking.

THE PLAYERS: (your grocery list)

Unsalted Butter  1 cup  brought to room temperature (so that it's soft) Demerara Sugar 1 cup   Egg 1 brown egg... organic, from free range, vegetarian fed chickens Egg Yolk 1 egg yolk (these extra yolks will add some moisture and denseness to the cookie) Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean you'll be making a slit with a knife down the length of the bean and then scraping the tiny grainy sticky seeds into your wet ingredients.  Sea Salt I add 1 teaspoon since we use unsalted butter, and the salt compliments the sweet and the fat well in this cookie.  you may use 1/2 teaspoon if you prefer... Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 2 1/2 cups.  I never buy bleached flour anymore.  I don't know what the point is with that... it's a leftover from the era of Wonder Bread and Twinkies.   Chopped Nuts, Shredded Coconut, Sprinkles, Colored Sugar, etc... for decorating.

 PREPARATION:

 

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar til fluffy and light, then add egg, egg yolk, vanilla, vanilla bean seeds, and salt and mix well.  

Gradually, with the mixer on low speed, add flour and mix until a smooth dough forms and sticks together.

Divide dough in half and shape into 2 logs about 2 inches in diameter.  Wrap in wax paper and if you plan to bake them today, put them in the freezer for about 2 hours or until they are firm to the touch.  

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 farenheit. 

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.   

Cut each of the 2 logs in half and roll them in whatever decorations you've chosen.  Use a little pressure while you roll the log if you find that the sugar or sprinkles or dragees are not adhering easily. 

Slice your logs into 1/4 inch slices and place the slices on your prepared baking sheet with at least 1/2 inch space between each cookie. 

 

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until surfaces of cookies are dry and you see just a slight bit of golden toasty color appearing around the bottom edge of the cookies.  

Don't over-bake these or they will taste like burnt butter.  Trust me... I had to throw out a whole dozen in my first wave of making these.  Remove when done and cool completely on a wire rack.  Store in airtight containers until used.