Wordless Wednesdays:Parker School Farmer's Market, Waimea

Challah

This week's Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Challah, a bread that is often associated with the Hebrew Faith. This is a fast bread in comparison to many we have been doing of late. It took about 4 hours start to finish. It is also a truly BEAUTIFUL bread. I am not doing the step by step photos of the dough process, as this one is quite basic. It is a bread with egg and a little oil, but it was easy to handle and shape.

I choose to do the double braid, in which there is a larger lower braid and a smaller one atop it. You actually start the braid from the middle.

The bread, once formed is given an egg yolk wash and topped with sesame seeds. It is then baked until golden brown and shiny.

The bread tastes great with a bit of butter or jam and I am looking forward to serving it to dinner guests this evening.

Fathers Day Retrospective

Here it is again, the day we celebrate fathers! There of course are all kinds of fathers and I thought you might enjoy these vintage pictures of some of them...

The "First Father" having shave ice with his girls

Daddies who toss you in the air (Check out that birdhouse on the arbor!)

There is the Father of the Bride

Remember when it was OK to smoke holding a kid?

There is Rich Dad, Poor Dad

The "Holy Father"

The not so Holy Father

Then Father Knows Best (loved that show!)

The Suave Convertible Dad

Father Divine (Harlem)

Christmas Daddy

And finally, my Dad with my Son, Butchy Fuego

And then there is my "Big Daddy"!

And then there is Doggy Daddy (I think he is related to Big Daddy)

Aloha Friday

Great idea from : Island Life

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

And here is my question for the day... What is your favorite spot on the Big Island?

A taste of Cuba... my way

I have been missing Cuban flavors. There are no Cuban restaurants in Hilo, and only one I know of in Honolulu. Hence, I made an old favorite of mine, Cuban Style Porchetta with black beans and a Cajun corn dish (Corn Maque Choux) because we have great fresh corn available year round here in Hilo.

When using the smoker, I like to fill the shelves with other things, this time, I added 10# of raw California Almonds seasoned with my own spice mix and a bit of olive oil. Other times I smoke pecans, artichokes, peppers, rice, salt, garlic or polenta.

At my cooking school in Chicago, Cuban nights were among the best attended and requested. So many people are unfamiliar with Cuban cooking and really want to learn more about it. Many people expect it to be like Mexican, Mayan or Caribbean, but Cuban food, just like it's people has a taste of it's own. It is far less spicy and probably a little more fattening (loads of sugar, starches and pork) than most Mexican food. But there are also nuances of this cuisine from various areas of the island which have had influences of other cuisines. And of course, like in all things, I take a little personal editorial power to change things to my palate whenever I make Cuban food. After reading and studying about the Castillian & Chinese influences on Cuban Cuisine, I have come to a belief that it was the Cubans themselves who sometimes watered down dishes to a more bland palate. This seems to be even more evident with Cuban Americans who came over in the 1960's mostly living in Florida and New York.

ALL food was more tempered back in the '60's. I can remember the way my mother cooked.... very mild and that was in Southern California where people had access to so many more ingredients and spices. It was certainly edited by housewives who were trying to please a broad audience of dinner guests. I clearly remember Lawry's Seasoned Salt being considered something exotic in the early 1960's today it is rarely if ever used by serious home cooks. And then there were the processed foods... Bisquick, Swanson TV Dinners, Tang, Velveeta and Minute Rice to name a few, which we thought were the "it foods" of modernity. We have come a long way baby!

The hotel chefs and home chefs of today's Cuba serve up a cuisine that is both exciting and abundant with flavors that are missing from the exile's recipes and cuisine. And then there are Cubans living in other locales that present unique new dishes with the same flavor elements like this recipe for Porchetta. This recipe is based on one given to me by a Cuban Exile living in the Philippines. It has been pointed out to me that the name is actually Italian (DUH!) but the way I make it, it is the essence of Cuban flavors from my experience and the smoking process (which I added)

The seasonings added to the dish are essential. It is Cuban inspired and loved by every Cuban I have ever served it to, as well as hundreds of Americans who were seeking a taste of Cuba.

I read up as much as I can on Cuban and Cuban-American culture and just finished an incredibly good book which I suggest any of you try, it is Tastes Like Cuba by Eduardo Machado and his partner Michael Domitrovich. I have made many Cuban style black bean dishes, but this time I tried one I had never seen called Black Beans Cuca's Way. It has some interesting ingredients, but of course I had to add some spice to it too. One of the different ingredients it has in it is a cup of sherry. Naturally that piqued my interest, but when my liquor cabinet lacked a bottle of sherry. I opted for Cognac instead. It added a marvelous element of flavor to the beans. This is something that I will be doing whenever I make black beans Cuban Style in the future.

Here are some recipes which I hope make your mouth water...

Porchetta (Slow-roasted shoulder of pork) de Devany

Serves 8-10 (and makes wonderful leftovers for tacos or pulled pork sandwiches)

20 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 Cup fennel seeds, ½ Cup cumin seeds and ¼ Cup coriander seeds toasted in a skillet
2 tablespoons coarse salt
3 tablespoon coarse black pepper
8-10 small dried red thai chiles, crumbled
½ cup of fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
½ cup of cilantro finely chopped

1 boneless shoulder of pork (about 6-7 lbs) Or a bone in Pork Butt Roast(also called shoulder) of same size. If you are going to do this recipe in a crock pot or electric roaster, just be sure that it fits in the pot you are using when you buy it.

Juice of 2 lemons
1 Cup of pork stock or chicken broth, divided
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1. Preheat oven to 450 or prepare smoker (my preferred method). In a pan, toast fennel, coriander and cumin seeds. Using a mortar and a pestle, crush the garlic and the toasted seeds and make sure they are well mixed add 2 TB of olive oil. Alternate method: Use a food processor on pulse. Add the salt, pepper and the chiles. Combine well.

Cut 1-inch wide slits into the the surface of the pork shoulder, including the top and bottom of the meat.

Rub the garlic mixture well into the meat. Be sure to get this mixture down inside the slits.

If using a smoker, put the meat fat side up in a smoker at 220 degrees for 6 hours. I use maple wood and sometimes cherry or apple. A sweet wood goes better with pork.

3. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a heavy Dutch oven or if you are using a crock pot, a heavy frying pan (the one you used for toasting the seeds will work). Sear the meat all on all sides over medium low heat, making sure NOT to burn the garlic.

4. Remove the roast from the pan and add ½ a cup of the broth/stock heated in microwave first, stirring and scraping the bottom to deglaze. Place a rack at the bottom of the pan. Add the meat, fatty side up and roast uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes. If you are using a crock pot or roaster, you can skip the roasting step and let it cook a little longer in the frying pan.

5. Pour the lemon juice and remaining broth/stock over the meat and brush with the remaining olive oil. If you are doing this in the crock pot, pour the deglazing liquid and goodies from the pan over the roast in the crock pot, then add the lemon juice.

6. Reduce the heat to 250, cover the pan and roast 8-10 hours, occasionally brushing meat with the pan juices. The roast will be done when the meat falls apart when barely touched with a fork (probably 8 hours or so). If using a crock pot you will not have to baste. Crock pot should be on low for 8 hours or until it falls apart easily.

7. Remove roast from pan and place on serving platter. Skim the fat from the pan juices and serve dripping on the side or over the meat. Or you can thicken with a roux to make a gravy. Serve with the Salsa Verde.

Salsa Verde

2 Cups Italian parsley
1 Cup basil leaves
1 Cup mint leaves
1/2 Cup capers well rinsed
½ Cup of green olives
2 Tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 Cup virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. coarse black pepper

*optional: 2 salt-packed anchovy fillets, soaked in water for 30 minutes, rinsed and dried, if you do this you may want to reduce the amount of olives and capers to reduce the salt impact.

1. Wash parsley, basil and mint and spin dry in a salad spinner.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the parsley, basil, mint, anchovies, capers, olives, pepper, mustard, garlic and red pepper flakes. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. It should form a relatively smooth puree that is still slightly chunky. Makes 1 Cup and keeps well. Leftovers can be frozen in ice cube trays like pesto or sofrito and used as a seasoning in other dishes.


Corn Maque Choux
Pronounced "mock shoe," this Louisiana staple (which is like a succotash) is a Cajun take on a Native American dish.
4 servings

Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
· 1 cup finely chopped onion
· 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
· 2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 medium ears of corn)
· 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
· 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
· 1/2 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce
· 1 green onion, finely chopped
· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
· Coarse kosher salt

Preparation
· Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Mix in green onion, parsley, and basil. Season to taste with coarse salt, pepper, and more hot pepper sauce, if desired.

I hope this becomes a favorite at your family table!

Aloha,

devany

Wordless Wednesdays

Hilo Hula with HOT Lava and more

This is what you get when I cannot sleep! I was wandering through YouTube and found a few great Hilo

Videos for you to watch. Everything from Lava, to BJ Penn and local mushrooms! Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesdays Whale and Cruise Ship

1959 The Beginning of Hawaiian Paradise Park

On this day fifty years ago, the first jet service began from Honolulu to Hilo with Aloha Airlines.

On the same date in the Tribune Herald, there was an article about the settlers of the newly sub-divided Hawaiian Paradise Park in Puna. The article read, "Eight Californians known as 'the first settlers' in the Hawaiian Paradise Park, midway between Olaa and Pahoa hope to begin construction of their 4 bedroom home soon... At present, the Californians are living in tents in the site where they will construct their home."

According to an interview with another early settler, Rick Edwards in 1978, HPP was part of a land deal between two well known and wealthy land owners from Hilo. Mr. Watumull bought the land where HPP is now located from the Shipman family. The Wataumull Building in Hilo became the Shipman Building as part of that trade. The first lots were sold for $795. By 1967, the last available lot was purchased for $1995. The rest is history.

Mr. Edwards goes on to name those first Californians, the Pipers who, in anticipation of statehood bought the lot and camped on it as they built their structure. Keep in mind this was totally off the grid and it would be a very long time before even telephone service reached HPP. That first lot was #226 in block 8. Unfortunately, Mr. Piper's dream was bigger than his abilities to build his home. The home was built without proper support and Mr. Watamull actually had to hire someone to come in and finish the house properly.

Today, I have many friends that live in HPP and love it. Lots today sell for $40,000. to over $100,000 there today, depending on location and size. But of course, they do have electricity and telephone service these days. There is no county water or sewer service as of now and cable is also not available to much of the sub division.

Casatiello

This week our Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was for the luscious Casatiello. While mine lacked perfection because for some reason it developed a big air bubble in the center, it was certainly one of the best tasting breads we have done this far and after slicing, the bread looked great. I did make a really big loaf, and on reflection, I should have made two smaller loaves.

This Italian version of Brioche, loaded with butter and eggs, though not quite to the extent of the Rich Man's Brioche. Cheeses and meats are added to the dough to make a rich and satisfying bread.

While salami is the suggested meat, I used pepperoni. I also used smoked gouda, caramelized onions and porcini mushrooms. From the minute the bread came out of the oven the aroma permeated the house and tempted us to cut into the loaf before the suggested 1 hour waiting period. I succumbed after 45 minutes. Wes proclaimed it "the best ever", which if you will remember he also did with the bagel dogs. Wes' brother who is here visiting us for two weeks also loved the bread. I thought it was delicious and looked lovely too, studded with the meat and cheeses amongst the buttery bread.

The dough starts with a sponge:

Ready to bake:

When this bread is served warm, the cheese oozes forth and when it is served at room temperature it is almost like eating a sandwich. My decision to include the porcini and onions made the bread even more flavorful, with complex flavors going on in all directions.

Wordless Wednesdays Double Rainbow

Brioche (BBA Challenge)

"Let them eat brioche!", Marie Antoinette (her last words correctly translated)

Another winner... Brioche!

This week's bread for the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Brioche. A rich bread baked in a variety of ways, using eggs and butter to achieve the delicious flavor and beautiful color. In The BBA, we were given a choice of three formulas to make Brioche: Rich Man's Brioche with 5 large eggs and an entire pound of butter, Middle Class Brioche with 5 eggs and 1/2 a pound of butter or Poor Man's Brioche, containing 4 large eggs and 1/4 pound of butter. Most of the formulas I have used for Brioche in the past have had more eggs and less butter than the Rich Man's or Middle Class Versions that Mr. Reinhart's formulas. The theme of my kitchen is "Indulge", I even have that word hanging over a dining room window. And so, of course, my first BBA Brioche choice was The Rich Man's Version using 80% butter to 100% flour ratio, about the same as pie crust, this is crumbly not flaky. Next, I decided to make one loaf with a filling of deep dark chocolate ganache and then to make some mini Brioches a Tete using the famous fluted French Pans. Lastly I opted for some hamburger buns, something I often make from brioche dough as it is not only great in flavor, it holds up to a juicy burger in a way that regular buns just don't.

The recipe starts with a sponge and for the Rich Man's version, that sponge of flour, yeast and whole milk (I did not have any, so I used half and half) rests for just about 20 minutes. I did notice that in other versions he suggests a resting time of 30-45 minutes.

Then the dough is made by adding eggs (I get the most beautiful eggs from my friend Liz, a story yet to come) to the sponge until smooth. From there the dry ingredients are mixed and then blended into the egg & sponge mixture.

Because this dough uses so much butter, it requires far less liquid than most formulas for Brioche that I have used. After all is mixed well, it is time for a rest so that the gluten in the flour has a chance to develop. Then, slowly, stick by stick, the butter is incorporated into the dough. This is a bit challenging and takes some patience and a few "scrape downs" with a spatula. I never switched to the dough hook as I usually do because this dough is quite different, very smooth and soft.

Reinhart then suggests that you form a 6 X 8" rectangle of dough and place it on greased parchment paper on a sheet pan and after covering with plastic, placing it in the refrigerator over night. He obviously has never seen my refrigerator. Getting a sheet pan in there would take some massive excavating skills. I used Big Blue (my bread bowl) instead.

This chilling process is extremely important, especially when using so much butter, it is the only way to make this dough firm enough to handle, but there are other reasons for the slow rise.

The Ganache Loaf was rolled gently into a rectangle and then a simple ganache made of 70% cacao that I made myself at Tom Sharkey's Cacao Plantation a few miles North of my house was spread on the rectangle, then the rectangle was rolled up and placed into a loaf pan. This was a sublimely delicious way to use the Brioche Dough and I took it to a Slow Food Hawaii function this weekend where it was gobbled up.

The ganache loaf with a topping of ganache and raw sugar granules. The ganache is not a sweet chocolate, it is a rich dark chocolate, so the sugar granules added a touch of sweetness.

And here are the mini tete, which were both delicate and delicious!

Here is an example of the crumb in the mini tete brioche:

I would love to encourage you to try a Brioche from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I think that the Middle Class Brioche is probably a good one to start with. The butter ratio in the Rich Man's version is really something that is challenging to shape and the formulas with the lesser amounts of butter are really satisfying for most applications. That is surely what I would suggest for the hamburger buns. My Rich Man's Hamburger buns sort of melted more than rising as they usually do in formulas with less butter. There is always a learning curve and trying new formulas makes it especially challenging and fun.