#RecipeUpTop (details to follow): Ingredients: 1 Chicken; Salt (to taste); Black pepper (to taste); Root vegetables (optional); Brown sugar (optional); Method: Spatchcock and brine your chicken as follows: if overnight, a 6% brine. If cooking same day, a 10% brine. Rinse and dry chicken, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 475F for fortyContinue reading “The First Chicken”
Monthly Archives: February 2020
Whole Oat Sandwich Bread
#RecipeUpTop (details to follow): Ingredients: 350 grams bread flour; 350 grams water; 150 grams whole oat flour; 50 grams molasses (or honey, if preferred); 50 grams vegetable oil; 10 grams salt; 5 grams yeast; 1 egg (for wash) (optional); Loose whole oats (for topping) (optional); Method: In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients untilContinue reading “Whole Oat Sandwich Bread”
Whole Oat Flour and the Zen of Staples
There are a few small things in my life that bring me a goofy amount of satisfaction: a well-stacked woodpile; extra-sharp kitchen knives fresh off the whetstones; and an organized pantry full of basic ingredients. In my youth, my family operated on a use-it-up policy that dictated we not buy a new bottle of ketchupContinue reading “Whole Oat Flour and the Zen of Staples”
Shrimp Fried Rice
#RecipeUpTop (details to follow): 4 cups leftover cooked rice (white or brown); 2 large eggs; 1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots; 1 medium red bell pepper; 5 cabbage leaves; 1 small yellow onion; 1/2lb shrimp (or other protein of choice); Vegetable oil (varies, but less than a 1/2 cup) Sauce: 2 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoonContinue reading “Shrimp Fried Rice”
Garlic Chili Edamame
I’m not putting the #RecipeUpTop for this one because it’s so absurdly simple. It’s also quick, cheap, and profoundly delicious, and has become a go-to staple of pre-dinner snacks in this house. It’s spicy, salty, and full of garlic, and will leave you licking your fingers. Ingredients: 1 large bag of frozen edamame, SHELL ON;Continue reading “Garlic Chili Edamame”
Sweet Potato-Stuffed Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage
#RecipeUpTop (details to follow): 5 large eggs (4 for pasta, one for egg wash) ; 3 medium sweet potatoes; 300 grams all-purpose flour; 4 tablespoons butter (total); 1/4 cup whole milk (optional); Fresh sage (to taste); Salt (to taste); Black pepper (to taste); Freshly ground nutmeg (optional); Method: Beat the eggs with six (6) gramsContinue reading “Sweet Potato-Stuffed Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage”
Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette, or: The Dirty Secret of Citrus and Vinegar
First things first: this is not a salad dressing recipe. The internet is littered with those, full of micro-managed ingredient lists that always seem to produce disappointing results. That isn’t to say that I blame the recipes themselves, necessarily, but salad dressings (particularly those involving citrus) are kind of a moving target from a culinaryContinue reading “Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette, or: The Dirty Secret of Citrus and Vinegar”
Caraway-Cognac Apple Turnovers
#RecipeUpTop (Details below): Puff pastry (recipe here); 3 small apples; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon cognac; 1 tablespoon whole caraway seed; 1 teaspoon grains of paradise; Salt (to taste); Sugar (to coat) Method: Peel and dice your apples, and add to a medium mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Crack the spices with a mortarContinue reading “Caraway-Cognac Apple Turnovers”
Microclimate of the Crystal Palace
When I quit my job after more than a decade as a trial attorney to move my family to rural Maine and focus on a life of reduced cost, reduced consumption, and more focused living, I had the same conversation on loop for about three months. I would tell a contemporary about my plans, maybeContinue reading “Microclimate of the Crystal Palace”
Cinnamon-Sugar Puff Pastry Treats
#RecipeUpTop (details below): Puff pastry scraps (recipe here); 2 tablespoons butter; Cinnamon-sugar, to taste; Method: place the scraps on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Melt the butter, and brush the strips, then apply cinnamon-sugar to taste. Bake at 400F for twenty (20) minutes, and remove to a cooling rack. TheContinue reading “Cinnamon-Sugar Puff Pastry Treats”
10 Chickens to Maine 