Pierogi

After the dough had relaxed and found it's happy place, it's time roll, stuff, seal and boil. But first *I* needed to relax and find *MY* happy place. This helped: Divide the dough into 3 pieces: And keep the ones you're not working with under a damp tea towel. If the dough dries out, you'll have problems sealing the 'lil' dumplings later on. Take a rolling pin and start to roll the dough out. You'll need a good amount of flour on the board because of the stickiness of the dough. I started out using the humongo pin in the background, and switched to the French pin I'm using in the shot. For whatever reason (karma, planet alignment, phases of the moon, who knows...?), I was over working the center of the dough while the edges were staying quite thin when I was using Big Bertha back there. But whatever works will do quite fine. I think, for me at least, and it was confirmed by by able-bodied assistant who was taking the pictures for me today (love you guys, but I really didn't want to goop up my camera with floury, sticky hands...) that the major difference between homemade pierogies and commercial ones is the thiness of my dough when I'm done. You want to get it as thin as possible, but with enough heft to hold up to those fillings (which are pretty dense) as well as the boiling water. But thin it needs to be: Once you've got it thin enough, take a biscuit or cookie cutter (this one is about 3&3/4") and cut out circles. You can, to an extent, do "abstract" circles to maximize dough use as well. When we seal them, it will almost self-correct: Save your scraps, you can re-roll them for the next round. With a pastry brush (and for this application, one of the silicon-bristle brushes don't work so good....) very, VERY lightly brush the circles with water: Use a light hand with the water, otherwise you'll literally glue the dough to the board ! Don't ask me how I know.... Put a rounded tablespoon or so of filling in the middle of each circle: Fold one side of the circle over the filling, and you'll need to stretch the dough a bit, and also simultaneously push the filling in, and then press around the edge with your fingers, sealing the dough edges well. Try to also press out any air trapped in the center, which causes the dreaded Pierogi Blow-Out in the boiling water. Don't ask me how I know about Pierogi Blow-Outs, either. Once all the dumplin's are preliminarily sealed, take your official pierogi pinching fork, and press around the edges to give them a final seal. Be careful not to puncture the middle with the tines of the fork (see dreaded Pierogi Blow-Out, above): Next: We boil !

Now, I knew full well, that, given my screen name, there was no way on Earth that I could get away with writing an eG foodblog without making...yep...pierogies ! Normally this is a once a year project for me. I make them for Christmas Eve. But, as I said, I knew I'd never get away with blowing them off this week, so here we go. I make three different fillings. One is chopped onions, mushrooms and sauerkraut, sauteed in butter. This gets bound together by a bit of sour cream. One is mashed potatoes, chopped onions sauteed in bacon grease (add in the grease too, baby !), crispy bacon pieces and cream cheese: Normally I'd make the third one out of ground beef, chopped onions and mushrooms that are sauteed in butter, and also bound with some sour cream. But this time, I went back to my childhood, and made a sweet filling of ricotta, egg, raisins and cinnamon. That gets a little melted butter thrown into the mix as well, 'cause you know there's simply not enough cholesterol in just the ricotta and egg. Nor in the butter, bacon, cream cheese and sour cream in the other two... Although you certain can make the dough by hand, as the old Polish grannies used to (and which I did as well, when I was young & foolish), I figured even the old Polish grannies would take advantage of modern conveniences ifn's they had them. So, into the bowl of the sexy KitchenAid went a couple of lovely CSA-fresh eggs, a couple of cups of flour, some salt and 1/2 a cup of water: I started out with the paddle and switched after a couple of minutes to the dough hook: The dough worked with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. Then I did some hand kneading for another five or so. For whatever reason, I can't get the dough to the right consistency when I don't hand knead it at all. I think there's not enough mass in the KA bowl to work it properly, but the kick-start of machine mixing and kneading cuts at least a half an hour off the dough process. Which works for me. You want the dough to be nice and firm. It's going to stay relatively sticky (that's a good thing), but it shouldn't be a mess to work with. After the kneading, the dough gets to rest. Why does my *food* keep getting a rest, and I don't ! Seriously, as a side note, I think that the biggest lesson I've learned in the whole dough handling/making/shaping process (including bread doughs) is how important it is to let the gluten relax before you try to do anything with the dough. Once I got that firmly into my thick head, I started having success with baking and thought "huh, maybe I CAN bake after all".

So, you remember this from the teasers, right? And these from Saturday.... And this from yesterday.... Well, today, they got joined by these: Which yielded this: The group shot: And along came some dough: So let's see what happens next.....

Florida.....? What is this "Florida" of which you speak ? Yeah, that's probably a common occurrence in your neck of the woods too. Glad you're enjoying the look at the other side of the country.

No, I usually do NOT do that many big projects right in a row, you got that right. One of the consequences of my RA is that I fatigue very easily. So I normally will do a big blowout project only once or twice a week. But I've been wanting to do a King Cake for a long time, and since Mardi Gras is tomorrow, I thought the blog would be a perfect excuse. And the bread just seemed to be a perfect partner for the ribs. Usually I'd have split those apart and not done them back to back. I agree, Kerry Beal is amazing. I want to be her (or Andiesenji) when I grow up !

I've gotten to the point where I can consistently turn out a decent loaf with some regularity. *Touch wood* I haven't had a real failure in a while. I even took the plunge and made a sourdough starter a few months back, and have managed to keep it going. That was sort of the scary final frontier for me and bread. Well that and the high hydration doughs, but I know that will come as I gain experience. It's still a great feeling even when the result is stellar, but when the stars align it's out of this world. So glad you're enjoying the postings. All ya'll's feedback is making it very worthwhile.

Dejah, thank you so much. Means a lot to me.

Yep, it was a looooong day. You know, I don't make polenta all that often either, and everytime I do, I think....why don't I make this more often? Thanks. I am pretty proud of that as well. As I said, it must've been Blog Karma.

Thank you llc45, that is very sweet of you....

Thanks Blether ! Believe me, I did. I think I was asleep as my head was on its way to the pillow.

One more, and then I'm going to go collapse in a corner and twitch for a bit. The dishwasher tonight was only slightly less impacted than last night: But that also didn't take into account what I washed by hand..... Night all. Stick a fork in me, please, I am well and truly done.

Simultaneously, we also used these: To make, at various stages, this: And ultimately this, which will also be used tomorrow. I mean, seriously, how bad can anything made with bacon, onion sauteed in bacon grease, potatoes and cream cheese be? Really. That's about as good as it gets. Oh, and I really, really love the label on the TJ's gold potato bag: I just love them. They have such a cool vibe about the whole enterprise....

And then there was dinner. Dinner inspiration tonight was this: THE most beautiful package of beef short ribs I've seen in manys a year. Seriously. These were stunning. And only in SoCal in FEBRUARY (when I bought them) could you find a package of short ribs labeled "Excellent Bar-B-Que" ! And the recipe was found in this: I know a lot of people rag on Ina, and yeah, sometimes I do find her schtick a bit annoying. OK, so it should be "GOOD" vanilla and "GOOD" olive oil and "GOOD" whatever, and her giggle is really, really getting on my last nerve....and yeah, she's on Food Network, so that automatically means she's got no cred. But she writes good, solid, relatively uncomplicated recipes that 99.99% of the time turn out great. I have 5 of her cookbooks and love them and use them all. I can't really think of an Ina recipe that I've tried that has failed. And most of them are stellar. As was "Scott's Short Ribs" from "Family Style". Which led us to this cast of ingredients: First I trimmed the ribs, which really, didn't need much work. But they were better after a quick session with my boning knife: Then they got the S&P treatment, and browned real good in the ol' trusty LeCruset: That was one step I deviated from Ina. She wrote to brown the ribs in a hot oven on a sheet pan. First off, my bread was still in the oven, and it was at a different temp. Second, why on EARTH would you not want to develop that lovely fond? So into the LC they went. Brown 'em hard on all sides, baby: Remove the ribs from the pan, and set them aside. There's that fond I'm talkin' about, then dump in some veg.....celery, carrots, fennel and a leek. Large dice on them, and smaller on the onion. Yes, there were veggie handouts given.... Throw in some garlic and let it cook for a bit. Pour a goodly amount of red wine (I used a Paso Robles Rhone style red) over the sauteed veg, and let reduce by half. Drop in an herb bouquet (rosemary and thyme), and return the ribs. Pour in some *GOOD* (thank you Ina) beef stock/broth, almost to cover the ribs, bring to a boil, cover and shove into the oven. Almost time (good, 'cuz I'm hungry): Wonder what's in the LC? Why beefy, rib-y, brothy goodness ! But first, we gotta rest the ribs (rest, REST, wait *I* need rest)... And reduce the sauce.... But 'twas worth it. With polenta and roasted asparagus and the balance of the bottle of wine that went into the rib stew. And that's evidence of a well-cooked short rib ! Yes, there was beefy goodness handouts dispensed as well !!! But y'all knew that.

And the bread. What an absolute FREAKIN' success ! Must've been Blog Karma, because it was seriously the best loaf of bread I have EVER made ! Nice, chewy, crisp crust. GREAT crumb.....GREAT CRUMB, and a fabulous taste. If you don't have a nifty banneton, a colander lined with a kitchen towel (NOT terry cloth, don't ask how I know), and rubbed with flour will do just fine: Dough in the colander After doubling in the colander Now is the time, as La Julia said, to have the courage of your convictions: I put the peel on top of the colander, and flipped the whole gamish over in one big, fast, swift move. *MENTAL NOTE* Either lightly flour the peel or sprinkle flour lightly over the top of the dough...I had a b*tch of a time getting the dough off the peel onto the stone.... On the peel & slashed. I still have troubles with my slashing as well.... But this one turned out pretty well with the slashes. The finished loaf: Will ya LOOK AT THAT CRUMB???? I mean...seriously. Look at that crumb ! I varied from the "Fine Cuisine" method by using a stone, and a trash roasting pan I preheated along with the oven to 475°. When I put the bread in the oven, I poured boiling water into the preheated pan. That's the method I find works best for me, and gives me the most steam. I also don't risk cracking my stone if water hits it (don't ask me how I know) or the oven door glass (mercifully I *don't* know about that one). The poolish from yesterday got mixed with fresh flour, yeast, salt and water today. I did that by hand, and then did a bit of hand kneading. After it rested for a bit (rest.....I can identify with that), then I dumped it into the KitchenAid and worked it with the dough hook for about 10 minutes. The technique says 8, I find consistently for me, 10 works better and gives me a windowpane I don't get at 8. A great loaf. It will be great toast tomorrow.

Holy cats ! It's late and I'm exhausted (and sore.....) and maybe tomorrow I'll start dinner around noon. I didn't realize how much time it took to photograph what I was doing in the little kitchen. OK, so there was more than just nasty stuff for breakfast and lunch today. Before I left for the Farmers' Market, I had another slice of King Cake. Here's a picture of what it looks like on the inside: I LOVED it ! I did think I slightly overbaked it, as I keep saying, I'm not an intuitive enough baker yet (although I'm getting there...) to trust my instincts fully. About 10 minutes before the timer said it was done, my nose told me it was getting close. But since it was the first time I'd made it, I let it go. I probably should've pulled it about 5 minutes before the timer went. But, ya live and learn. The brown sugar/cinnamon filling got nice and melty and caramelized on the outside, and the dough part is nice and eggy and yeasty. It's a good thing. Lunch was the hummus I made yesterday, with tabouleh and Kalamata olive spread I bought from the very flirtatious Greek vendor at the Farmers' Market. He gave me a sample of his hummus mixed with the tabouleh and it was fantastic. What a good idea. His hummus had jalapeno in it. *Mental note* next time I make hummus, grind a jalapeno in with the garbanzos. I like my hummus, oddly enough, with pretzels. Don't know how authentic that is, but it's how I like it. Sometimes I get those thin pretzel crackers, but this time I had rods...

Thanks Kay and congrats on the new babe !!! Good on ya ! No, in the hummus shot, the Polish stoneware bowl is my salt cellar. No sugar involved. Recipe is dead-bang simple. A can of garbanzos, drain, but reserve the juice, about 1/4C tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt to taste. Start with about a tablespoon of the garbanzo juice. Blitz that around in the processor for a bit, then drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Blitz again, taste and adjust. A bit of smoked paprika (I use the pimenton, which is hot), blitz briefly and that's a done deal. It's really all to taste. I usually use a couple of garlic cloves, and the juice of an entire, small lemon and about a teaspoon of salt. I'll try to detail the use of the sexy KA when I post the remainder of today's bread thread in a bit. I also used it yesterday for the kneading on the King Cake. With my hands as bad as they are somedays, the sexy KA is the only way I can make yeasted doughs for sure. Plus, its really almost fool-proof once you've done it a few times. That technique I used from "Cuisine at Home" (I looked, its the February 2009 issue) is really a good one, especially for noobs. If you can't find it on-line, or in a library, PM me and I'll shoot it over to you. A BIG warning though...DO NOT leave it unattended whilst its kneading. Mine literally walked off the counter and crashed on the floor the first time I used it for bread. Luckily I was standing right there, so I could rescue it. It wrecked the outlet it was plugged into when it yanked out of the socket, but when I picked the beauty back up, and plugged it back it, it went on like a champ ! It did chip the lock for the tilt-head, but a little Super Glue fixed that right up ! Now I put a square of that squishy-grippy shelf liner under the foot while it works, and I make sure to stand there and hold it. I am SO glad and gratified that so many people reading this blog have responded to "Cooking Up A Storm". It is such a worthwhile book, for such a fabulous culture, the more people that get the word, and spread it the happier I am. I can't imagine a US without the people of Southern Louisiana. Thanks LucyLu !

And I do have to admit, I stocked up for the blog. I did a HUGE shopping trip on Wednesday last week to prepare.... It's not usually THAT packed. Close, but not quite. The freezer is, however, admittedly out of control. And I even have an inventory list....

Hey, like I said, it looks ghetto, but it's a) cheap and b) it works ! Organized.....oy. It feels like I'm constantly removing half the shelf to find what I'm looking for. My whole problem is I'm a condiment slut, I can't resist 'em. Or I'll find a really, REALLY cool recipe I just HAVE TO MAKE and it will need the one sauce/paste/rub/mix I *don't* already have in the fridge.

Close. Although that did cross my mind, it's so often in my rotation that I veered away from it. We did stay with gin though.... A Last Word (1 part gin, 1 part green Chartreuse, 1 part maraschino liqueur and 1 part lime juice)... I thought it was appropriate because I so very rarely get "the last word".....

Well, one could say that you have the absolute essentials ! Good taste in gin.....

There are indeed good memories and stories in those fridge magnets. Many of them (of course) involve food and food stuffs ! I used to work up close to Mar Vista. Nice area. You do know that literally all of the old McDonald Douglas buildings are gone now? It's sooooooooo sad. Yes, the aquarium is a gem ! I'm very proud of that (unlike the old, sad tug boat of an ocean liner parked next to it.....)

Farm Fresh was one of the ones I looked at, but they were a little out of my budget. If I remember, since I was still working, their pick-up or delivery times were also a bit inconvenient at the time. I think you'll like my hidden gem. I am planning on going to one of the local ethnic markets one day. Haven't decided which yet, again, we're so lucky we have such an option. And yes, I did know that about Cambodian community. If I'm not mistaken, most of Anaheim Street is known as "Little Phenom Penh".

Long Beach is, indeed, where the QM is docked...our little, and I do mean little...claim to fame. Well, OK, one of them. We do have a world-class Gran Prix, and one of the largest harbors in the world. But, this market isn't on the coast. It's way inland, as am I. About 10 miles from the coast. The other Sunday market is down the coast about 5 miles south of where the QM is docked, in an area called Alamitos Bay. Although you're right, there's a marina right by the Queen. Yes, I bought some tabouleh and some Kalamata olive spread from the extremely charming and flirtatious Greek food vendor. Actually, the products are very good (albiet a bit pricey....). The charm certainly didn't hurt the sale, though ! There's still acres of strawberry farms all over SoCal, so maybe. We've lost so much agricultural land in the last 50 years (the parking lots at Disneyland used to be pretty much all a privately owned citrus and strawberry farm) due to sprawl, there's some really creative uses to keep the agriculture going. A lot of urban farmers grow food and ornamental crops under high voltage electrical transmission towers and wires. Or on railway right-of-ways. It's really trippy...you go cruising along down the freeway, and there's a plot of cultivated land. Of course you notice that because you're *cruising down the freeway* at about 10 miles an hour...

FRIDGE & PANTRY TOUR - PART DEUX As I was saying before I was so rudely drawn away from the computer.... Canned goods pantry Miscellaneous bakery supplies pantry 3-shelf dry goods pantry And the last dark, scary corner.... The kitchen actually has a good deal of cabinet space. However, it is woefully inadequate in drawer space. I only have 5, of which 2 are about 18-inches deep. One works for towels, but one is a hopless tangle of bulky and infrequently used utensils (biscuit cutters, small plastic mandoline, funnels, etc., etc., etc.) That and the spice cabinet are the thorns in my cooking side. So, the only way to keep small tools and utensils handy, and somewhat organized to have them in crocks and tall mugs in an otherwise also extremely useless space behind the sink. It looks a mess and very cluttered, but it works. And since I use most of them at least once a week, guess in the long run, it's probably more convenient than opening and closing drawers all the time. Time to bake the bread and get dinner rolling. And we'll see what adult beverage fills the bill tonight as well. Back after clean-up.

PANTRY AND FRIDGE TOUR ! Fridge door Inside fridge Freezer inside Freezer door Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know the bungee cord holding stuff on the top shelf in the door is tres ghetto....they no longer make the part that broke. No, it had *nothing* to do with overstuffing it, why do you ask?