Food is Cynful: January 2013

About the Cyn

As I have added more and more recipe's to this blog I've realized that these are such sweet tender memories for me. Just as a photograph or childhood story will bring back memories, food floods me with tons of remembrances of happy times in the past! From family dinners and times with friends to Grandma making toast in the frying pan, food has brought about a way to record my family history. Food has always been and remains a huge part of our gatherings and I feel so very blessed to be able to share my memories and such terrific recipe's with my family and anyone out there who has a few minutes to spare. It is my hope that someday my children and grandchildren will prepare these recipe's and know they were special to someone!

Cynful Explanations

Al dente – An Italian expression applied in all western kitchens to pasta cooked just until enough resistance is left in it to be felt “by the tooth.” Fresh pasta can never by cooked al dente as it is too soft. The expression is also applied to vegetables that have been cooked crisp by steaming, boiling, or stir-frying.
Baste – To moisten food during cooking with pan drippings, sauce, or other liquid. Basting prevents foods from drying out.
Bias-cut - To slice food at a steep angle increasing the surface area, makes a thinner cut easier and looks better.
Butterfly- To split a food (such as shrimp) down the center, cutting almost but not completely through. The two halves are then opened flat to resemble a butterfly shape.
Caramelize – The flavor of many foods, including vegetables, meats, and seafood, is often enhanced by a gentle browning that caramelizes natural sugars and other compounds and intensifies their flavor. Meats for stews, for example, are usually browned to caramelize juices that if not caramelized are much less flavorful. Chopped vegetables, especially aromatic ones such as carrots and onions, are often caramelized—sometimes with cubes of meat—in a small amount of fat before liquid is added to enhance the flavor of soups, stews, and sauces.
Dice – To cut into cubes (unlike chopping, which cuts foods into irregular pieces).
Dredge – To coat a food with flour, any finely crumbled ingredient, or, in pastry, with fine sugar.
Egg wash – A mixture of egg or egg white, oil, and water brushed over floured items, which are then deep-fried or pan-fried in clarified butter or oil.
Fold – To incorporate an egg-white foam into an egg yolk foam or a flour batter without deflating it so that it retains its full leavening power.
Julienne – To cut into long thin matchstick size strips.
Marinade – A mixture of ingredients used to flavor and moisten foods. May be liquid of dry. Liquid marinades are usually acidic based and dry marinades are usually salt based.
Mince – To chop very fine.
Piping - To force a food (typically frosting or whipped cream) through a pastry tip to use as a decoration or garnish, or to shape dough, such as that for éclairs.
Poach – To cook completely submerged in barely simmering liquid.
Puree – To work or strain foods until they are completely smooth.
Ramekin – A small, ovenproof dish, usually ceramic.
Render - To melt animal fat over low heat so that it separates from any connective pieces of tissue, which, during rendering, turn brown and crisp.
Resting – Roasted meats should not be served straight out of the over, but should be allowed to rest in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil. (The foil keeps the meat warm; loose wrapping ensures that the outside of the meat doesn’t steam and lose its crispness.) Resting allows the meat to relax so the juices become redistributed in the meat and aren’t squeezed out onto the platter during carving.
Sauté – To cook over high heat in a small amount of fat in a sauté pan or skillet.
Scald – To heat milk just below the boiling point. Or, to immerse a vegetable or fruit in boiling water in order to remove its skin easily.
Sear – To brown the surface of pieces of meats and or fish by submitting them to intense initial heat.
Simmer – To maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling.
Steam – To cook in steam by suspending foods over (not in) boiling water, in a covered pot or steamer.
Stew – A cooking method nearly identical to braising but generally involving smaller pieces of meat, and hence a shorter cooking time. Also, the dish prepared by using this method of preparation.
Stir-fry – Chinese technique of cooking think slivers of meat, shellfish, and vegetables in hot oil.
Sweat – To cook foods over gentle heat, usually covered or partly covered, until they release their moisture. Vegetables, meats, and seafood are often sweated when making soups, stews, and sauces so that the foods release their juices into the pan and surrounding liquid. Sweating is the opposite of sautéing.
Tempura – A Japanese method of cooking vegetables and shellfish. They are coated with a light cornstarch batter and deep-fried.
Wok – A round-bottomed pan, usually made of rolled steel, used for virtually all Chinese cooking methods.
Zest – The thin, brightly colored outer part of the rind of citrus fruits. The oils make it ideal for use as a flavoring. Remove the zest with a grater, citrus zester, or vegetable peeler. Be careful to remove only the colored layer, not the bitter-white pith beneath it.

Baked Blueberry & Peach Oatmeal

This recipe comes from my moms best friend Maureen Smith. Now, of course, there's a story about this fabulous woman. When I was nine or ten or so, Sis. Smith scared the living tar out of me. She is a tall intimidating woman and much to my dismay I was treated just like one of her kids. I was disciplined and loved just the same as Rachel, Nicole and Stephanie. The love part I came to understand later in life but nonetheless I learned to respect her when I was playing with the girls. Knowing how much I feared Sis. Smith one would think I would never do anything at her house to get myself in trouble but unfortunately that was rarely the case. Now the story I'm about to share has nothing to do with this recipe nor really have anything to do with Sis. Smith per-say but it is my favorite memory to recall when I think about this sweet woman, probably because of the fear factor.

One day Rachel, Nicole, (they are twins) and Stephanie their younger sister were the only ones home. At the Smiths house when an adult wasn't home, the girls weren't allowed to have a friend inside but on this rare day I got invited in. Of course I don't remember what play or fun we had, I just remember the sauerkraut. Sis. Smith had this gallon size jar full or sauerkraut in the fridge for whatever meal she'd planned but we had other plans for it. Each of us grabbed a fork and started digging out cold kraut much to our delight. It could have been the risk of sneaking forbidden food or the risk of being inside when parents weren't home but whatever the reason, that sauerkraut was the best thing I'd ever eaten! We never got caught that day and I don't know if later the girls got in trouble but truly it was wonderful. Years later I realized just what a treasure Sis. Smith had been and continues to be to my family and I. The best part, she's not only the neighbor down the street or my moms best friend, she's family. Yup that's right she's my mom's 2nd cousin once removed. So it's with her in mind that I give you one of our breakfast favorites that she passed down to us....

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 C packed brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 egg whites

1 egg

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

15 oz can sliced peaches in juice and chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the egg whites, egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in peaches and blueberries and walnuts. Transfer to a 3 quart glass bowl, coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Serve with additional milk if desired.

Additional Note: This freezes beautifully. We usually bake it in a cake pan and then freeze individual portions for easy breakfasts. Microwave for a minute or so from frozen. Perfect!

Zucc Pizza Bites

When my mom had knee surgery back in April my sister and I flew to Las Vegas to help her out. I was determined to show my parents how my culinary talents (not that they really need showing because they are already aware how much I like to cook and aware that they are a major part in my talent developing) have begun to include vegetarian and vegan dishes. I cooked all sorts of things for them but the one thing I think they liked the best was this one. This is NOT a "vegan" dish just in case you thought I was intimating that it was and it wasn't the only thing I served them for dinner, it was just a side dish. My parents gobbled this down. There was not one little bite left on the whole platter. Needless to say, they approved! This is how I made my Zucc pizza bites....

1 Italian squash (zucchini) per person (usually the ones that are 6 to 8 inches long)
1 Medium Bottle of favorite Spaghetti Sauce (we like Prego)
1/4 Grated Cheddar Cheese per person (maybe more or less)
Parmesan Cheese
Spray Canola oil

Start by preheating your oven to 400 Degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with the canola spray oil. Wash and cut both top and bottom of the zucchini off then cut the remaining zucchini to 1/2 inch circles. Place circles on the oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookie sheet and turn oven to broil. While the oven is warming up further, flip all the circles over or they will burn and then spoon spaghetti sauce and both cheeses onto the circles. Move your oven rack to the top notch and place back into oven. Watch that the cheese bubbles and browns but does not burn. It takes my broiler about 3 minutes and then I have to turn it around 180 degrees and broil it for a few more minutes. Serve and enjoy! Hope you love them as much as we do!

Breakfast Bundles

This dish doesn't have a name yet. Leave your suggestion here or on Facebook and I'll have my family pick their favorite!

This little cup of deliciousness is fast becoming a favorite at our house. It's fairly fast and a beautiful start to breakfast. My mom even went home after being at our house and tried them on some of her guests. Here's how we do it...

12 Eggs
12 Thin deli slices of ham
Green onions
Parmesan Cheese
Fresh ground pepper
Cooking spray
1 Muffin tin

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Then spray each cup in your muffin tin. Place a ham slice in each cup then gently crack your egg into each ham slice/cup. Add a few sprinkles of diced green onion, some shredded Parmesan cheese or any other cheese that you love and a bit of fresh ground pepper if your heart desires. I have done Parmesan and cheddar together and that is yummy or I have done Parmesan and mozzarella, yumm! I usually don't add salt because the ham is plenty salty. Bake any where from 12 to 14 minutes depending on if you want your yoke runny. Emma doesn't like a runny yoke so all of us get to have harder yokes! After you pull them from the oven they should pop right out. Occasionally I've had to slip a table knife down one side to loosen in but typically they are ready to eat! I've thought they would be perfect for going into an English Muffin as well. Next time perhaps! Hope you love them as much as we do and don't forget to comment with your suggestion of a name!

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Baked Blueberry & Peach Oatmeal

Zucc Pizza Bites

Breakfast Bundles