You know I’m not a baker. I think I’ve mentioned that before. Well, pie dough used to be one of those “baker” things that freaked me out. It doesn’t anymore because I figured out that using my food processor removes my biggest fear — overworking the dough. Now, there are gazillions of pie dough recipes on the internet and in cookbooks (including one of my own).

This recipe, adapted from my own The Great Ranch Cookbook, is the easiest, butteriest one I’ve tried. I say “adapted” because in the book, I write how to make it by hand. Here, I use the real workhorse in my kitchen, my Cuisinart food processor. And it takes all of 15 minutes — less if don’t have to dig your machine out from underneath a cabinet.

It’s really quite simple, with only four ingredients: flour, salt, butter, milk.

Put the flour in the bowl of your food processor, sprinkle with a little salt, and top with ice-cold butter cubes.

Here’s a trick I learned from a real pastry chef:

Cover the bowl of the food processor with a piece of plastic wrap before you secure the lid. Why? To keep the flour from wheezing out through the gap between the lid and the bowl.

Now, pulse several times, in long bursts, just until…

…the mixture looks like coarse meal, with some pea-size chunks of butter.

Remove the plastic, and the pour spout stopper and put the lid back on. With the motor running, pour in the milk.

Turn off the machine as soon as the dough starts to gather in a ball. If you wait until it’s all gathered together, you’ve gone too far, and your dough will be tough, and forget about any flakiness.

Trust me, the dough will come together. Scrape all the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and pat it together into a flat disk. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate until it’s chilled. You can even freeze it at this point for a couple months, but place it in freezer bag for even more protection.

Easy, Buttery Pie Dough

Makes a single crust for a 9-inch pie

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon if using table salt)
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 to 1/3 cup cold milk (any kind…except chocolate, of course)

Method

1. Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

2. Sprinkle salt over flour. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl and secure the lid. Pulse once or twice to blend.

3. Remove the lid and the plastic and place butter cubes on top of flour. Cover the bowl with the plastic again and secure the lid.

4. Pulse several times, in long (4 second) bursts to cut the butter into the flour. Stop when the mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter still visible.

5. Remove the lid and the plastic. Secure the lid back on the bowl and remove the pour spout. Turn the motor on and pour in the milk in a steady stream. Turn the motor off as soon as the dough begins to gather into a ball. It won’t take long. Seconds, really.

6. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a thick, circular disk. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Tags: butter, food processor, pie dough, recipe
Posted in Desserts, How To..., Recipes, Tips & Tutorials | 7 Comments »

The best roast chickens I’ve ever eaten have a couple of things in common.

a). The chicken was first brined in a salt solution, resulting in a juicy, flavorful bird, and

b.) The chicken was roasted at a high temperature, producing a very crispy skin

A basic salt brine consists of salt (1 cup) and water (1 gallon). From there, you can add whatever flavorings you fancy. I add a little sugar (I like to think it helps brown the skin) and other herbs and spices depending upon what else I’m serving with the chicken.

My favorite chicken brine is a citrus brine:

2 limes
1 lemon
1 orange
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
10 cilantro stems (with leaves), roughly chopped
half a head of garlic cloves, unpeeled and smashed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 gallon of water

Zest the citrus and place the zest in a stockpot. Cut the citrus in half and squeeze the juice into the pot. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature and then chill the brine in the refrigerator. Do this a day or two ahead of when you plan to roast the chicken.

The technique for this recipe is built upon Thomas Keller’s roast chicken recipe in his cookbook Bouchon. He goes into elaborate detail (no surprise there) about the brining, trussing and eventual roasting of the chicken.

I’ve simplified the steps here, and having eaten the chicken at Bouchon in Las Vegas, I can say that this home cooked bird stacks up very well against the restaurant’s version.

The biggest difference? You will have to do your own dishes.

Citrus Brined Roasted Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1 (3 to 3-1/2 pounds) whole chicken
1 citrus brine recipe (above)
Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons thyme leaves

Method
1. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry. Place the chicken in the chilled citrus brine, cover and place in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.

2. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Tuck the wings underneath the bird (don’t worry too much if they don’t stay tucked – you tried). Tie the front legs loosely together with kitchen string. Lightly salt and heavily pepper the outside of the bird.

3. Heat the oven to 475º F, while the bird is shaking off the chill from the fridge. When the oven is really hot, about 20 minutes later, add the oil to a skillet large enough to fit the bird with room to spare, and place over high heat. Swirl around to distribute the oil while the skillet gets really hot, about 3 minutes.

4. Place the trussed bird, breast-side up, in the skillet (a hot skillet prevents the chicken from sticking to the pan) and place in the preheated oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes (the bird will get very brown, so tent loosely with a piece of foil if you think it’s getting too brown).

5. Remove from the oven and check the the temperature with a meat thermometer stuck in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure it doesn’t touch a bone. The temperature should be 155º – 160º F when it is finished in the oven, so if it is below that, return the chicken to the oven. Check the temperature every 5 minutes. When the bird is 155º – 160º F, remove it from the oven. As it rests, it will continue to cook.

6. Add the thyme to the pan drippings and then with a spoon, baste the bird with the thyme-infused drippings for a minute. Remove the bird to a cutting board to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Tags: brine, chicken, citrus, roasted chicken
Posted in Chicken & Turkey, How To..., Recipes, Tips & Tutorials | 5 Comments »

Meandering through the Portland Farmers Market, I spotted this stack of beautiful collard greens. The bug holes on the right only endeared it to me more. I mean, if the bugs won’t eat it, should I?

Growing up in West Texas, my mother’s garden overflowed with mustard greens, a bitter, curly-leafed green that I wasn’t particularly fond of. Years later, I tasted my first collard greens and I liked the flavor (less bitter) and texture (smoother) much better.

You don’t have to cook them Southern-style (to death, with ham or bacon fat and onions), but cooked this way they do go hand-in-hand with hot cornbread (or is it corn bread?)

I cut a “V” just like I did here on Swiss chard, and roll the leaves into a cigar and then cut them into strips, just like I blabbed about here with basil, only with greens, I cut thick, 1-inch ribbons.

Collard greens are a staple in many southern  — especially soul food — restaurants, yet they generally don’t cut the tough stems out before cooking. For me, it’s paramount. I hate tough stems swimming in a pile of earthy greens, and even worse, I hate stringy stems — which is what happens when the greens are cooked long enough to soften them.

Now we need a little onion for flavor. I used a leek for no other reason than I had one. Feel free to use whatever onion suits your fancy: white, yellow, red, scallions, whatever.

Of course you need some fat to saute the leeks and greens in. I keep a jar of bacon grease in the fridge for just such purposes.  Who doesn’t love bacon grease? (Don’t answer that if you are a vegetarian, please.)

You could fry up some bacon strips, using the rendered fat for sauteing, and then crumble the bacon as a garnish for the greens. Heck, most folks just leave the bacon in the pot, simmering it right along with the greens. Me? I prefer adding it as a “crunch” topping.

Unlike Swiss chard and spinach, collard greens need a bit more cooking reach tenderness. And in the South, “a bit more” means hours. You don’t have to cook them that long, although most southern cooks I know cook them f-0-r-e-v-e-r. Food scientist and “culinary sleuth” Shirley Corriher (CookWise, BakeWise) says that extended cooking isn’t kind to the flavor of collard greens and other members of the Brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, turnips, etc.) And she’s from the South!

Simmering collards in liquid is crucial for a silky texture.You can use water, or for more flavor, chicken stock or broth.

I’d show you a final picture of the cooked greens but I didn’t take one. Why? Because they’re ugly. Dull, army-green doesn’t make for a pretty picture, although I have to say that this picture honors the humble green as best as can be expected.

Even if cooked collard greens don’t win any beauty contests, they certainly do win as a delicious side dish, perfectly suited for any southern meal from pork chops to fried catfish. Don’t forget the slice of hot, buttered cornbread. Or is it corn bread?

Southern-Style Collard Greens

Serves 2, maybe 3 *

1 bunch collard greens
1 leek (or 1 cup chopped onion)
1 tablespoon bacon fat
4 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
Pinch of sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 (or more) teaspoon of hot pepper sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut the stems out of each green leaf in a “V.” Roll the leaves into a cigar and cut into thick ribbons, about 1-inch thick. Dunk the greens in a water bath, drain, and spin dry in a salad spinner.

Cut the top off the leek. Cut the remaining part of the leek in half, lengthwise and rinse under cold running water, fanning the leek layers to remove any trapped dirt. Pat dry. Cut each half crosswise into 1/4-inch half-moons.

Melt the bacon fat in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute until just tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the greens, tossing occasionally to wilt, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour in water or chicken broth and stir in pinch of sugar (the greens won’t be completely submerged). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more vinegar or hot sauce to your personal tastes. To serve, you can either portion out the greens in individual ramekins to include some of the pot likker (cooking liquid) or you can drain them and put them directly on the serving plate.

*If you plan to double this recipe, you don’t need to double all the ingredients, just the collard greens. For the remaining ingredients, use 1-1/2 times the amount instead of 2 times the amount.

Tags: bacon, collard greens, how to cook collard greens, leeks, recipe
Posted in How To..., Recipes, Side Dishes, Tips & Tutorials | 10 Comments »

Gingerroot (sometimes just referred to as fresh ginger) is a rhizome plant that grows horizontally, with green shoots above ground and knobby stems below. What grows beneath the soil line is what we use in the kitchen. The shoots are generally not sold, although sometimes you might find them at farmers markets with a small knob of the stem attached.

Open my teeny freezer anytime of year and I guarantee you that you’ll find a plastic bag, or two, of ginger. One bag will contain grated ginger, the other sliced coins of ginger.

Why? Because ginger is a secret weapon for flavoring stir fries, rice dishes, coconut milk-based soups and a myriad of other dishes. Its pungent heat also counterbalances strong fish flavors, too, making it a natural flavor component for tuna and salmon.

Invariably, I’ve bought more than I need at any given time, so packaging it up for later is the only sensible thing to do.

I will likely get a visit from the “ginger police” after this comment, but I’m going to say it anyway. I break off  a knob of ginger right there in the grocery store for two reasons. One, I don’t want to buy a piece as big as my hand, but the main reason I do it is because I’m looking for a sign of how fresh the ginger is.

If I see a pale green or gray ring just inside the skin, it means that the ginger’s been sittin’ around awhile. It’s still OK to use, but it won’t be as juicy or sharp as ginger without the “age ring.”

Peeling ginger (which I think is essential but some chefs do not) is best done with a spoon, which scrapes off just the thin skin. It’s a little trick I learned from watching Martin Yan on Yan Can Cook. A few years ago, we were seated next to each other during a cookbook signing – Walters/Yan, alphabetically, you know and Ann Willan was on the other side of me. I was a bit star-struck. Anyway, I thanked Yan for showing me the easiest way to peel ginger, which leaves much more of the flesh than a knife or peeler does. How often do you get to thank one of your favorite PBS cooking stars?

After peeling the ginger, grate it with a microplane or ginger grater or slice it into thin coins. (I use the coins for flavoring broths and steeping with tea.)

Pop the ginger into freezer zipper bags, label with the date and that it’s ginger, lest you forget, and put them in the freezer. The freezer life is about three, maybe four months. Anytime you come across a recipe for fresh ginger, you can use your freezer stash instead of running to the store. I’m not going to lie and say that it is just as good as fresh – it’s not – but it’s beats no ginger, and dry, ground ginger is simply not a substitute for fresh (or frozen) ginger.

Gingerroot (Zingiber officinale)

Uses: culinary and medicinal (aids in digestion, helps with nausea)

Flavor: sharp, peppery

Buy: tight, smooth-skinned knobs

Store: in the refrigerator for a couple weeks or frozen for up to four months

Tags: Ann Willan, ginger, kitchen tip, Martin Yan, tools
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | 5 Comments »

image courtesy of the National Onion Association

No, the title isn’t an oxymoron, although I guess we don’t normally think of onions as sexy.

Fresh peeled fava beans, yes. A bowl of diced, pungent white onions? No.

In fact, it might even seem a little offensive, but what would a bowl of chili be without a spoonful of diced onions?

There are associations for just about every food on the planet. There’s the egg board, the pork council, the fig growers association and so on.

Imagine trying to market onions. Yet onions are the pillar, the unsung hero, if you will, of almost every cuisine.

Last week, I was strolling through the exhibit hall at a culinary conference, elbowing my way through the crowd to taste incredible American lamb, buttery cheeses from Wisconsin, and deep, dark, organic chocolate.

And then I turned the corner and saw the onion booth. Not very exciting, you say? On the surface, it may seem that way, but to me, there is nothing sexier than caramelized onions — sweet, rich, utterly delicious.

Smartly, the National Onion Association decided to serve caramelized onions, a pile of jammy, chipotle infused onions served atop a plain, thin cracker, just something to hold the mound of lusciousness without getting in the way of the flavor.

Caramelizing onions is a simple process, but it takes time. If I know I’m going to be cooking for 45 minutes anyway, I’ll caramelize a pan of onions at the same time, even if I don’t plan to use them that evening. Caramelizing onions takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending upon the technique.

If you can give your undivided attention, you can caramelize onions in about 30 minutes using high heat and a lot of elbow grease.

On the other hand, if you want to slowly coax the natural sugars out of the onions, plan on 60 minutes, but you don’t have to give the process your full attention until the last 15 minutes.

You can caramelize any type of onion. Red, yellow, white, sweet, cipollini, pearl or even spring or green onions, although the green (scallions) onions are lower in natural sugar, and therefore aren’t quite as partial to caramelizing. You can use olive oil or butter. A pinch of sugar is fine, too, although I’ve found most onions, especially sweet onions, don’t really need added sugar.

The darker you caramelize your onions, the deeper the flavor, but you’ll need to stir constantly near the end to prevent scorching. After I’ve caramelized onions to a deep, mahogany brown, I like to splash in a little acid (like orange juice or white wine) and deglaze the pan, adding another layer of flavor. Last night, I used grapefruit juice.

Bonnie, one of my readers, told me that she squirts spicy mustard over hot, caramelized onions and uses it as a topping for turkey burgers. I like to stir in a little barbecue sauce to create a pork chop topping. Caramelized onions are fabulous folded into a meatloaf before baking, or stirred into steamed broccoli.

I also love to spread them on a toasted pita, sprinkle with a little crumbled goat cheese and top with chopped, fresh sage. Or, deglaze red caramelized onions with a little Port wine, and serve with a juicy, New York Strip steak.

Now, doesn’t that sound sexy?

Slow, Sexy Caramelized Onions

Makes just under a cup of caramelized onions

3 large red, yellow or sweet onions (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Slice onions in half lengthwise (stem to root). Peel. Slice crosswise into half moons, about 1/4-inch thick.

2. Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally to coat onions in the fat. When onions are just translucent, about 8 minutes, lower heat to medium-low and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 40 minutes.

3. Return heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are deep, mahogany brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Tags: caramelized onions, National Onion Association, onions, recipe
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | 2 Comments »

It’s really quite simple, you know, making yogurt cheese. I don’t know why I never attempted it before.

Every once in a while I need a cup of plain yogurt for a recipe, and I never can find a small container. It’s always at least a pound or two. Why is that? Do yogurt manufacturers think that we can’t possibly only need a cup?

Instead of throwing away the rest of my 2 pound container, I decided I would make yogurt cheese. I’d heard about it, but it seemed really too simple. I mean, I read Gourmet after all. Nothing in Gourmet is simple. I bet they’ve never printed a yogurt cheese recipe.

I lined a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and spooned in about 2 cups of plain yogurt, and folded over the cheesecloth on top. I covered the strainer top with plastic wrap and set the strainer in a larger bowl, to catch the liquid (whey). I set the bowl in the refrigerator and waited 24 hours.

When I uncovered the cheese cloth, I had a nice little mound of yogurt cheese, and about a half a cup or maybe a little more of whey in the bottom of the bowl. I discarded the whey, although you could keep it and stir it into sauces or soups for some added flavor. Tasting the yogurt cheese reminded me of creme fraiche — tangy, creamy and frankly delicious. Now I need to figure out what to do with it.

I think I’ll spread it on some toast first. Perhaps Ooh La La, my favorite bread from Simply Bread. Yes, that’s a great idea! Ooh La La is a dense, multi-grain bread studded with dried cranberries, raisins and walnuts. Mmmm. Perfect.

Tags: homemade cheese, how to make cheese from yogurt, yogurt, yogurt cheese
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | No Comments »

Grilling tomatoes for salsa brings a whole other flavor layer to the mix, a deeper, richer flavor. Unless you grill the tomatoes over a wood grill, you won’t get a big smoky flavor, but the charred skins will add depth.

Grill the chiles, too (jalapeno, serrano or other green chiles, like New Mexican green or poblano) and you’ll notice you get a bit more heat out of them than fresh chiles.

You can use fire roasted tomatoes for other things besides salsa. You can make a fire roasted pasta sauce, for example, replacing canned or fresh tomatoes in your favorite recipe with grilled tomatoes. Or you can grill some red onion while your at it, and then chop up the charred onion and tomatoes for a garnish for grilled chicken or fish.

Use either the round variety or the plum tomatoes (Roma). It doesn’t really matter. Even though it’s not tomato season, they’re available year round, and grilling them is a good way to boost their flavor punch when they’re not in season.

It’s really simple to grill tomatoes. Just put them on a fairly hot grill and let them grill until they’re charred to your personal preference. (I do core them before grilling, but you don’t have to.) I like to grill them until they’re black on one side (could take 5 to 8 minutes on the first side) and then flip them and grill on the opposite side. I don’t let the entire surface skin get black like I do with my chiles, but then again, I’m usually grilling chiles to get rid of the skin, and for the tomatoes, I keep the blackened skin for it’s flavor.

Tags: fire roasted tomatoes, grilling, how to grill tomatos, tomatoes
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | No Comments »

©iStockphoto.com/Anders Aagesen

After reading this, you may ask yourself, why? Why would I go through the hassle of roasting hazelnuts when I can buy them already roasted? It’s a good question. Price is one reason, as roasted hazelnuts are almost twice the price of raw nuts, and these aren’t cheap nuts to begin with. Freshness is another good reason to roast your own. Who knows when that bag of roasted nuts was in the oven. You can taste the difference between fresh roasted and bagged roasted nuts.

To roast hazelnuts, you’ll need about an hour. The roasting part is only 18 to 20 minutes. “Skinning” the nuts takes about the same amount of time as it does to roast them. And it’s messy. I actually do the skinning outside, creating lots of papery flutters for passing birds.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and spread about a pound of raw hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the nuts until the skins turn dark brown, and start to crack. The aroma of toasted nuts will fill the air when you open the oven and they are done. It could take 15 to 20 minutes. Check carefully, as they can burn quickly once they begin to turn dark.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. You’ll hear lots of crackling. Once cool, wrap a handful of roasted nuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously. Most, but not all of the skins will rub off. The skins will float and fly everywhere, so do this over a large roasting pan or over a bowl, or as I do, outside on the counter of my built in barbecue grill.

Tags: hazelnuts, how to roast hazelnuts
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | No Comments »

©iStockphoto.com/Kelly Cline

Paul Prudhomme, possibly the first “celebrity chef,” created the famous Blackened Redfish dish, launching the blackening craze in the early 1980′s. Instead of resting on his laurels, he now oversees an international spice company, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s MAGIC Seasoning Blends®. His K-Paul’s restaurant in the heart of the French Quarter still attracts locals and tourists (read long lines during peak hours).

Here is my blackening spice mixture. It has a slight nod to the southwest, with the addition of chile powder and Mexican oregano. To make it even more spicy, cut the paprika back to either 1 or 2 tablespoons.

The key to blackening anything is to use a well seasoned cast iron pan and clarified butter. And of course, the blackening spice.

Chef Gwen’s Blackening Spice

3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon pure mild chile powder
1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Tags: blackening spices
Posted in How To..., Recipes, Sauces, Salsas & Dressings, Tips & Tutorials | No Comments »

Do you know how restaurants sear steaks in butter without burning the butter?

Or how blackened fish or chicken tastes buttery but not burnt? Spicy, yes, but not that bitter burnt taste.
Restaurants make clarified butter, which simply means they remove the milk solids naturally found in butter. The resulting liquid is clear and golden, and less susceptible to burning over high heat.

If you have access to an Indian grocery store, you can purchase clarified butter in a jar. It’s called Ghee. After opening, it will keep in the refrigerator about 3 months.

If you want to make your own, follow these steps.

Clarifying Butter

Makes about 3/4 cup

1. Place 1/2 pound butter (2 sticks) in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring butter to a rolling boil, and reduce heat to medium, skimming any foam.

2. Boil for about a minute and then remove from heat. After a couple minutes rest, the milk solids will settle on the bottom and you can pour off the clear golden butterfat.

3. Pour slowly so that you don’t disturb the milk solids. It helps to strain the clarified butter by pouring it through a strainer lined with dampened cheese cloth.

Tags: clarifying butter, how to clarify butter
Posted in How To..., Tips & Tutorials | 1 Comment »

The Great Ranch Cookbook

Spirited Recipes & Rhetoric from America's Best Guest Ranches

Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook

Culinary Expedition Through World Class Golf Resort Kitchens

The Cool Mountain Cookbook

A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats