Lindy's Cheesecake

 I don't know that the famous cheesecake recipe was ever 'lost' as the article from the Timesunion states. We have a late 80's version of Betty Crocker recipes that lists the cheesecake recipe in it. If it was lost, it's been found. There are no words I could use that would befit this wonderfully dense and famously creamy cheesecake. It has come to epitomize what cheesecake is and should be, specifically New York style, big and bold, like the city itself.
I am not a baker. I am a cook and with the exception of breads, I can't bake to save my life. However, I'm always optimistic when baking. I tell myself every time, how hard can it be? It's certainly more rigid than cooking but as long as you follow the directions it should be easy right? If only I was good at following directions...
All this being said, I attempted this behemoth for the Holidays. It's my mother's favorite and well, we all need to be spoiled sometimes.
I'm sure there are lessons to be learned (I am always looking to improve kitchen skills), but I was extremely pleased with this final result. It was everything I wanted it to be. The Holidays are special. The end of the year should be decadent. A well worth reward for a year's hard work.

And the recipe.....Lindy's Cheesecake          

Irish Nachos

Irish nachos are basically nacho fixin's ontop of potatoes instead of tortilla chips. Invented by some guy down in Texas, there are as many versions as there are potatoes I suppose. We went out last week to an Irish pub and they had it listed on their menu. When in Rome...

It was a big mistake. The potatoes were thick and mushy, the bacon almost non-existent, the full cup of sour cream on top too much and I'm still trying to figure out if that was a cheese sauce or canned gravy ladled over the whole thing. I left determinded to make better ones.

Now I rarely cook from a recipe. I always use them more as a guideline. After researching a few recipes online of this potatoe nacho heaven I came up with what I thought was a good first start and something to revise depending on the mood, company or occasion.  

I started with sliced Russets (on the madoline), salt, pepper, olive oil. I baked them on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees until almost cooked through. Then I layered them in my cast iron skillet. In another cast iron skillet I cooked some bacon, pulled that out and to the side while I sauted some cut onions and jalepenos in the bacon fat (there is very little bacon fat when you're using your own cured bacon). I sprinkled that ontop of the layers of potatoes. Then I melted pub cheese in the microwave and drizzled that over the whole thing and stuck it back in the oven to finish the potatoes. We had ours with dollops of sour cream; however, you could also add cilantro to the potatoes, salsa at the end, the combinations are endless. Similar to my Oma's German potatoes and yet different, these Irish nachos were a huge hit in our family.    



 

Can't Get That Up Here

I did not cook this, nor would I attempt to. That being said, over the weekend I went with some friends to a place located "down south" or as we in the Bangor region call it, the other Maine, Portland. My friends took me to Pai Men Miyake, a restaurant apparently known for their Ramen. Located away from the touristy Old Port section of town, yet nestled in between other eateries, this is a cool place. I'm a big fan of the pig, an animal heavily reflected on their menu. They have their own farm where they raise these marvelously giving animals. Farm to table is everywhere nowadays.
We got a little bit of this and a little bit of that off the small plate menu (brussel sprouts, pork buns & hamayaki, which by the way is food crack) finishing off with ramen bowls (paitan). Words are fleeting when the complete satisfaction of a meal still resonates with you days later. Yeah, this place is that good. It's also got a full bar, so it became an instant hit with me. In what I saw as a bit of a hipster move, they played strictly 80's alternative music and that was ok by me. It was the first time I can remember being in a eatery and hearing Morissey, the Cure, the Smiths, Depeche Mode and all the other bands that never got good radio play when I was a kid, but I loved anyway. I would recommend this place to anyone and will definitely be back, because you can't get that up here.

pork buns, yummy, yummy pork buns

hamayaki served in the scallop shell

paitan, perfection in a bowl

Taste of Europe

There is a place in Waldeboro called Morse's Sauerkraut, where, as the name would suggest, they are famous for their sauerkraut. I; however, am not a fan of saurkraut. My parent's, on the other hand, love the stuff. Regardless, I got turned onto this place after learning that they carried specialty foods from Europe. We are in Maine and unlike New Jersey, there just aren't places like that up here. And so, feeling nostalgic for the deli's I grew up around, I headed over to Morse's one day. That was three years ago. Twice yearly trips are now taken out to Morse's to stock up on all the stuff I can't get anywhere else. 

When you step into the store you are immediately transported to what I think being in a little shop deep in the Alps would be like. It is the quiantest little store, with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, representing just about all of Europe. You want that elderberry wine, they have it. How about the good Hungarian smoked paprika? They have it. Condiments, jellies and jams, smoked fish, blood sausage, handmade perogis, they have too much to mention. Heck, they even the elusive and very specific to New Jersey, Taylor Ham in their deli section. 

This place isn't light on the pocket book (do people still use the term pocket book anymore?). Quality is always worth it though. So you aren't really paying more, because you're getting a better product and selection than you would at say Wal-Mart. Always.

With the changing of the leaves, a few weeks ago I decided we would all take the drive out to Morse's. Mom and Dad could get a killer reuben sandwich (they do serve lunch with a limited but incredible menu), I could get my six months worth of provisions and we would all see some gorgeous scenery. Nothing disappointed.

You might be asking yourself, what does this have to do with what you had for dinner? I will tell you. Several times a year we do sausage night. We pull out all the mustards (I only had seven kinds this time) and we make a bunch of different sausages, the bulk of which are bought at Morse's that they import from Schaller & Weber, located in NYC. Bratwurst and Weisswurst/Bockwurst are staples I get every time. For this particular night I also picked up some Bauernwurst (really nice country sausage, not too spicy) and Irish Bangers. In the past we have had their Knockwurst, Polish Keilbasa, Frankfurters, we've tried all the varieties they carry. They are all good and pair well with different mustards, hence the large selection I keep.

Along with the sausage, Mom and Dad had Morse's famous sauerkraut and I made spaetzle. It was yet another satisfying dinner and one to tide us over until the next trip.       



 

This Ain't No Kraft Mac and Cheese

I always hated the boxed crap you could buy in the supermarket. The only way to describe the taste of it was metallic. Luckily I only ate that processed crap in college.
This was a quick stovetop version we had tonight. I browned just over a pound of ground beef, drained the fat, added salt and pepper to taste, along with a couple of squirts of Worcester and about a tablespoon of ketchup. In a sauce pot I browned 2 tablespoons of butter with equal parts flour, added cup and half of milk and stirred until it began to thicken. Then I added 8oz of fontina cheese, 8 oz of velveeta cheese and 2 handfuls of Cheddar. Mix and match when you can. Melted that all down. For the pasta I chose cavatappi this time. Once that was cooked I mixed everything together, heated through and served. Quick, easy and a perfect early fall meal. Oh and way better than anything you'll make from a box.   

My Oma's German Potatoes

I've been eating these things since I've been eating solid foods. My Oma was a great cook and part of the reason I love cooking so much. She taught me a lot and yet I never got the opportunity to cook with her. I watched her a lot, but she passed before I had that chance. Her German potatoes differ from others in that we slice the potatoes no thicker than a quarter of an inch. If you're using store bought bacon I recommend cooking the bacon first, then setting aside and cooking the potatoes in the bacon fat. Nothing tastes better than potatoes sauteed in bacon fat. I use russets, because they're hardy. Other potatoes tend to fall apart. For 3-4 people I usually use 2 big russets, 1 large onion and roughly half a pound of bacon.
We had German potatoes the other night with some Bratwurst. I happen to use my own homemade bacon, which has very little fat on it, so I sauteed my potatoes in butter. Just as they start to become tender is when I threw in the chopped onion and cut up bacon. Plenty of salt and pepper, cook until potatoes are done. Serve them on a roll with your Bratwurst or as a side, either way you slice it, they are delicious. When you want something different than mashed potatoes, these are a perfect tasty alternative. I'm tickled pink that I make these, a constant reminder of my Oma. I think if she tasted them she'd be proud.

The Classic

Can you ever go wrong with a cheeseburger and french fries? Unless you're a vegan I think not. This was dinner Saturday night. It's one of the rare occasions I buy something like frozen french fries. While I've made my own hand cut fries on occasion, there is something about how these Oreida crinkle cut fries bake up. In my opinion they can stand up to just about any restaurant french fry out there, with few exceptions. They are well worth cheating on and using.  

Our burgers are always 7 oz patties, prepared at home, seasoned on one side with Chicago Steak House seasoning and cooked on the grill until medium rare. I like to butter the inside of the roll and toast it on the grill at the last moment. Despite other cheeses I've used in the past, the old standby is still the classic American cheese.It melts the best. Garnishes, well there are as many combinations as there are varieties of ways to show someone you love them. Personally I like tomato, onion, ketchup & mayo. If I'm feeling really ambitious I add my favorite, a fried egg on top. That was something I tried for the first time several years ago at a place in Colorado. If I'm ever out and it's an option on the burger, that's the way I have to have it.

For this night though, we went with simple and classic.       

 

Bacon

Thoughts that pop into my head include "I wonder how difficult it is to make your own bacon?" Hmmm. After a little research, other than procuring the pork belly, it's easier to make than pie! We're about halfway through our warm weather grilling season. The new grill I bought early in the spring, with the smoker attachment has exceeded my expectations and I've smoked a little bit of this and that since then. Pork belly and bacon were next on my list.
I got my pork belly from my favorite meat purveyor W.A. Beans and Sons. It was frozen and at 11.7 pounds not light to carry! I took it home and began the process. The cure I used was from Michael Symon, I doubled mine as his call for 5 pounds of pork belly. Curing time can vary, I discovered. Some recipes say 5 days, some say 7. I had my pork belly cut in quarters and curing in gallon ziploc bags, so I thought I would try smoking half after 5 days and then the other half after 7. Yesterday we smoked the 5 days.
The smoking technique, well they are all about the same. Roughly 2 hours at around 150-200 degrees until internal temperature is 150 degrees. I'm still working on adjusting my smoke temperature, but the 5 days did smoke for 2 hours and reach the internal temperature I needed. We will see how the 7 day does later this week. Another fun cooking process. I love making things from scratch!

5 Days, smoked and ready to slice for all your pork belly needs

 

Smoked Fish

We smoked some salmon a few weeks ago, as I posted on one of the previous blog entries. I've been waiting for trout to go on sale (because I'm destined to not catch one while fishing). Last week it finally did and I bought a beautiful filet to smoke. It was super easy to brine and then smoke. I used Alton Brown's brine recipe. For that, check out Food TV's website. I smoked the fish with apple wood chips and for only about 45 minutes. My smoker was running slightly hotter than the 150 degrees many recipes called for. It was not over smoked though, but rather tender, flaky and delicious. I would recommend if trying your hand at smoking to give smoking fish a whirl. The best part is once it's done and cooled I vacuum sealed it into portions and froze it. It will keep for months.
As with just about all recipes, there are a million and one out there. Find the one that suits you and get smoking!

back from the supermarket with this beauty

Brined and ready to sit for 24 hours in the fridge

Some of the finished product! 

 

Grilled Steak, Cheesy Risotto, Sauted Green Beans

Last night dinner was steak tips again marinated in a Worcester/white vinegar/mustard/steakhouse seasoning mix. Perfect steak marinade, especially for medium rare tips. Instead of our traditional potato I went with a simple risotto adding a mixture of Parmesan and Romano grated cheeses at the end. For the green beans, who's outer skin can be tough if not cooked properly, I blanched them in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then sauteed them in a little butter, olive oil and chopped garlic until cooked through. Topped with a little sea salt, the green beans were outstanding.
All and all a tasty dinner for a rainy Saturday.

Smoked Salmon Appetizer

Our take on an appetizer offered at a restaurant we frequent around the area. If you liked smoked fish, this is a must try. There was very little work I actually did, other than smoking the fish. As with anything you can substitute. I smoked some trout this past weekend and have it vacuum sealed for a later date. We used low sodium Stone Wheat Crackers. What can I say, both parents are on heart medication. I've learned from past experiences that sometimes it's better to play it safe. The dollop of sauce on the top is a Hannaford Inspirations Horseradish Aioli. To be honest an aioli is just a garlicky mayo, so versatile you can add just about anything to it. I cheated and bought the store brand instead of making from scratch. But you could easily make it from scratch, if you give yourself a little time in the kitchen.

Assembly of said appetizer is as follows:
Stone Wheat Cracker
thin slice of smoked fish (salmon in this case)
chopped slivers of red onion
small dollop of horseradish aioli
squeeze of lemon juice

Next time you're having a party, try these. They are fabulously delicious.   

French Onion Soup

Yesterday was cold and rainy. You don't think you need to put the heat on at the tail end of June to take the chill out of the air until you do. One of my father's favorite soups is French Onion Soup, so I decided to make that to go along with dinner last night. I didn't follow one recipe, but combined a little bit from several recipes I found. Vadalia onions, beef stock, white wine, a splash of cognac combined and topped perfectly with some crusty french bread and gruyere is all you need, for great French Onion Soup. Guaranteed to take away the rainy day blues and warm the soul.    

 

 

Lobster and Steak Tips

Lobster Fridays 2015 has begun! Something I began a few years ago, we try and have lobster every Friday beginning in June and ending sometime late summer. It sounds extravagant but really when you think about the price per pound of the bug that adorns our state's license plate, it's no different than buying a couple of good steaks.
Take a couple of lobsters, add some steak tips and you have a recipe for a perfect New England surf and turf. Our side dishes this evening included roasted Brussel sprouts and onions, finished off with some crispy bacon. We also had garlic roasted baked mashed potatoes. I marinaded the steak tips in Worcester, white vinegar, mustard and Chicago steak house seasoning. Then I vacuumed sealed it until use, about a week.

It was all delicious.

 

  

Seafood Stock

 

Stock. A staple in any kitchen pantry. Whether you buy chicken, beef, pork, vegetable, mushroom or whatever other host of stocks are out there, they are the lifeblood of any dish that calls for liquid. You use them to deglaze, you use them with a thickening agent, you use them as a starter for your dish.

I recently got a pressure canner/cooker. I'm all about making it from scratch, using fresh ingredients and low sodium. Even reduced sodium stocks found at the store contain too much sodium in my opinion. You want to live longer, start making everything yourself and regain control of what you put in your body.

For Mother's Day we had lobster. I told my Mom I would cook her whatever she wanted and she told me to pick something. I know lobster is her favorite, so lobster it was, coupled with mussels (Dad doesn't like lobster and I like to keep everyone happy). Usually after the first lobster cook of the season I like to make seafood stock. Normally I stick it in a container and we freeze it until the fall when we start making chowder. The stock always has that little bit of freezer burn on it. That always bugged me. Hence the pressure canner/cooker.

For the stock I took all the leftover lobster bits and the shells from the mussels and put them in a stock pot. I added the usual suspects, celery, carrots, onions, bay leaves, old bay seasoning and pepper. Throw in 30 cups of water to cover everything and let it boil for an hour or so. Once done I strained it twice to remove as much sediment etc. as possible.

I prepared the jars and lids according to the manufacturer's instructions. For my canner it called for 10 pounds of pressure for 25 minutes. Once cooled I took them out and let them sit on the counter over night. This was my first attempt at canning stock and I'm wicked excited at how it turned out.

You may not need seafood stock. We make a lot of fish chowder and there is not substitute for seafood stock. You can still can chicken, beef, vegetable, whatever stock you want. Frees up freezer space and when you need it either with a planned meal or in a pinch you have it.    

 

Surf and Turf

Last night we did a take on surf and turf. Normally we do lobster and steak tips; however Mahi Mahi was on sale at the supermarket. I'm a sucker for a sale. The steak was a sirloin, seasoned with my favorite, Chicago steak house and grilled medium heat 5 minutes on each side until medium rare. I cut the Mahi Mahi into approximately 4 oz pieces, seasoned with salt pepper. I pan fried it in some canola oil until the bottom half was cooked through. I added a slice of tomato on top. The sauce, was a yellow and orange pepper puree mixed with lemon juice and a Japanese mayo I picked up in an Asian market in Portland Maine. I had made this ahead of time and had it in the fridge. I broiled the top of the fish until almost cooked through, then added the pepper/mayo puree and put it under the broiler again to finish cooking, about another minute or so. The asparagus was coated with a little olive oil and sea salt then roasted at 425 until tender. Another successful dinner!



 

No Frills Brisket

We had brisket last weekend with spaghetti squash and in a change of pace for this meat and potatoes family, creamed cauliflower.
It was my first attempt at cooking the almighty brisket (because it's so bloody expensive). To be honest I didn't do anything fancy to it other than add some chicago steak house seasoning and make sure the internal temp was around 190 degrees. That meant in a casserole dish with about a cup of beef broth, covered with aluminum foil and roasting at 350 for about 3 hours (based on the 3 & 1/2 lbs of brisket I had). The spaghetti squash, now a huge favorite of my parents, I again roasted, scooped out of the shell once tender and heated it through in a saute pan with some rendered tomatoes and garlic. Then I sprinkled with grated parmesan. For the cauliflower I boiled the heck out of it until tender. Then I pureed, adding a tablespoon of butter and a little milk (I eye balled the milk as I didn't want the whole thing to come out runny, roughly a couple of tablespoons). Salt and peppered both the squash and cauliflower. Served with the brisket and some au jus on the cauliflower. The cauliflower was creamy and light, the squash, flavorful and sweet, the brisket tender and moist. All and all a successful first go at this elusive cut of beef. I'm looking forward to exploring and experimenting with all the different ways of preparing brisket in the future.     

White Fish with Spaghetti Squash

In order of thickness, we like Cod, followed by Haddock, followed by Pollock. Whichever one is on sale and looking good at the supermarket, is the one we will get and have for dinner. This week that happened to be Pollock.
I cut the thickest pieces of the fillet to use in my aluminum foil pouches. We layered blanched green beans on the bottom, followed by the fish, then thin slices of green pepper, onion and topped with some fresh parsley. Each layer had a dosing of salt and pepper. Everything was wrapped in aluminum foil and baked in the oven at 400 degrees until it was all cooked through, about 20/25 minutes.
For the spaghetti squash, I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, placed flesh side down in a casserole dish and baked until the flesh was fork tender, about 40 minutes.
I sauteed a clove of garlic, two diced tomatoes and a small diced onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until the tomatoes broke down to a sauce. I added salt, pepper and more fresh parsley. Once the squash had cooled down, I scraped the flesh out with a fork and tossed it all into the saute pan with the tomatoes, sprinkled with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and cooked until everything was heated through.
This whole endeavor was a sort of we have a little of this and a little of that lying around, what can we make for dinner tonight? Here's the end result.  

Beer Braised Bratwurst with Vidalia Onions and Homemade Spaetzle

I started making my own sausage about three years ago. So far I've tried my hand at traditional breakfast sausage, Italian sweet sausage and Bratwurst. There are as many different ways to make sausages as there are variations of sausages. And I truly believe there is a fine art to making your own sausage. A good site for recipes, supplies, etc. is The Spicy Sausage.
Dinner the other night was beer braised Bratwurst and Vidalia onions on a sub roll served smeared with mustard along with homemade Spaetzle. Spaetzle are little egg noodles, traditionally served with butter. You can added fresh herbs to these or cheese for a different taste. The ones I made ended up being a little on the long side, instead of little balls of noodles, but only because I used the cutting board method for cooking them.
The Bratwurst I made was a combination of pork and veal, with a healthy chunk of pork fat added. The spices included salt, pepper, crushed caraway seeds, nutmeg, garlic powder. The flavor profile was spot on to what I think of when I think of Bratwurst. One thing I'm still fine tuning is the consistency or "creaminess" of the Bratwurst. Usually this is done by altering the ice water/milk that I use in my recipe. It's still a work in progress, but each new batch I make comes out better than the last.

Homemade Bratwurst

 

Flinstone Pork Ribs with Brussel Sprouts & Yukon Golds

The only thing I had to pick up from the store on my way home was a veggie. I already had the meat and the potatoes. The local supermarket had some killer good sized brussel sprouts. I used to hate them as a child. I have definitely gained an appreciation for them as an adult.
The pork spare ribs I already had. They were on sale in January and that's when I brought them home, marinated and vacuumed sealed them until last night. The marinade was a combination of, two parts hoisin sauce, three parts soy sauce and one part teriyaki sauce. We grilled the ribs over low heat until cooked through (about 20/30 minutes), then turned the heat up for another couple of minutes to get a nice little char on them.
I had some small Yukon Golds lying around and quartered them. I cut the base off the brussel sprouts and halved them. Threw all of it into a 9x13 casserole dish with a healthy dosing of salt, pepper, olive oil and tossed the whole thing into the oven, set at 425 until cooked through (about half hour to 40 minutes). This was dinner last night.  

 

Classic Meatloaf Comfort

My Dad has a 1990's printing of a good old fashioned Betty Crocker cookbook. You can't go wrong with Betty. We only ever use the book for three recipes, meatballs, chili and meatloaf. I used to hate meatloaf when I was a kid. I suppose it was because I disliked catsup as a child. As an adult; however, it's true comfort food 101. Here's the recipe we use, meatloaf Betty Crocker.
As with anything that involves cooking (not baking), you can change it to suit your needs and wants.  The picture below was with a combination of pork and ground beef. I've also done it using the trifecta of meats, beef, pork and veal. You can substitue the bread for bread crumbs using about a 1/3 cup. There are more variations on this classic recipe than you could shake a stick at. We actually don't put the catsup on top, opting for a thick brown gravy instead, which always pairs perfectly with the potatoes. They are Yukon Golds in this case, creamy and tasty mashed with lots of butter and a hint of cream. For a veggie? Here I used french cut string beans, but whatever your favorite is can be used to round out the meal. When fall rolls around and we are beginning to gravitate inside, this is usually one of the first meals we start with.

 

Polish Stuffed Cabbage

We like our cabbage. There are a ton of recipes out there for stuffed cabbage. I happened to find one that has become my go to. You can find the recipe I use here: Polish Golabki. We prefer a thin brown gravy made with beef stock compared to what seems to be the more traditional tomato based sauce. We typically have boiled white potatoes (because you can't have enough starch!) or some roasted cauliflower. 

These are super easy to make and taste even better re-heated the next day, making them perfect for leftovers.

 

Ready to pop in the oven!

 

Lemon Chicken with Tarragon in White Wine Cream Sauce

We used A whole chicken that I split by cutting the backbone out. I laid the halves over what I had lying around, couple of carrots, turnips and fingerling potatoes. Added some lemon slices on top of the chicken. Seasoned with salt, pepper and tarragon. For the sauce I did 2 tablespoons of butter melted in sauce pan. I added a half cup of chicken broth, a half a cup of white wine and the juice from one lemo, letting those all reduce by about half, then I added a cup of heavy cream. Salt, pepper, tarragon to taste.
This is before and after of the chicken. You can cut the chicken anyway you like for serving.

 

 

 

Garlic Sausage with Tomato Risotto

Cook risotto as directed on the package. I added 2 chopped beefsteak tomatoes and a medium onion, topping it off with a three cheese shredded blend and the end. season to taste. 

We purchased a garlic sausage made locally by W A Beans and Sons. Their garlic sausage was the perfect choice for this tomato inspired risotto. Not too garlicky with just a little bit of a kick, they have the consistency and depth of flavor similar to a hearty sausage like Bratwurst. They come fully cooked. I steam them in a cast iron skillet with about a half cup of water, then finish them off on the grill. Serve on top if the risotto and enjoy.