Field Trip: The Redhook Ball Field

Let's take a little break from my kitchen and head out of town. Okay, not really out of town, but off the island nonetheless. The Redhook ball fields have been on my radar for quite some time. Redhook is a pretty industrial part of Brooklyn that is becoming pretty popular. The ballfields don't house baseballs and bats, but soccer balls and cleats. It is a Latin American steeped area, and the food reflects it. The concessions used to be folding tables and gas burners, but the Department of Health stepped in and all was in jeopardy. The vendors pulled it together and reopened with new DOH approved digs a few weeks ago, and the people returned to eat delicious Mexican/Latin American street food.

I was inspired to go because of a Serious Eats Meetup that was scheduled on Sunday. G came with me because she had a horseback riding lesson in Prospect Park later. We decided to make it a Brooklyn day and go to the Brooklyn Museum of Art as well.

The ballfields aren't hard to find off the subway. You know you've found them when you see the masses of people waiting in line.


G and I split up. She got in line for lemonade and Mexican corn.


I got in line for tacos.


Beautiful beautiful pork tacos with 2 kinds of salsa (surprise, the green one was much hotter) and all the fixings. They were a thing of beauty.


I got the tacos first and headed back to G.


Mexican corn doesn't seem like it would be good. They spread mayo on grilled corn and sprinkle it with cheese and chile powder. Okay, that actually sounds good to me, but even if you aren't a mayo fan, you should try it. You can't taste it, and this corn is the best corn. Ever.


We sat in the grass and ate our corn and tacos. And all was well with the world. I can't wait to go back.

Playing,
Meredith

Lamb Meatballs

I made these up. I mean, I've had lamb meatballs. Actually I had them at Lena's birthday a few weeks ago. But when I looked up "lamb meatballs" on Epicurious, I came up with nothing, so I adjusted a lamb burger recipe and made them into balls. Well actually, I made them into fingers. Or footballs. I don't really know- it reminded me of something I had at an Indian restaurant once.

So first, you mince up some garlic, onion and herbs (oregano and parsley again). You'll want to mince that onion really fine, because it has to cook in the meatballs.


Add 1/2 an onion and a few tablespoons garlic and herbs. Also add a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Salt and pepper.


Mix well with your hands- don't be scared people! And bake at 450 for about 15 minutes, or just golden brown and delicious.


Top with my famous tzatziki and serve with warm pita.

Mmm.

Playing,
Meredith

Question.

What do you do with all of those cucumbers, zucchinis and eggplants that are pouring in from the farms these days??

Why make a Greek feast of course.

It's been a long enough time since my Greek Adventure to crave the flavors I knew and loved for those blissful seven days.

For the first installment of this summer meal we have a traditional Greek sauce/dip called tzatziki. It's simple, refreshing and a great accompaniment to a richer dish like lamb meatballs, but more on that later.

The main ingredients:


Greek strained yogurt, cucumber and garlic.

Peel and seed the cucumber.


Grate it, salt it, and put it in a strainer for an hour.


Add some chopped herbs like parsley and oregano.


Mix all ingredients with the minced garlic and call it a sauce. Or a dip.

In this instance, it was a sauce.


Tune in tomorrow for lamb meatballs. They were pretty darned good, I have to say.

A Player's Tzatziki

1 cucumber pealed and grated
1 cup greek yogurt
1-2 garlic cloves, minced.
1 tablespoon chopped herbs such as parsley and oregano

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on the cucumber and let sit in a strainer for an hour. Press out the excess liquid and mix with the remaining ingredients. Call it a day. Or tzatziki. Whatever you prefer.

Playing,
Meredith

Cocktail Monday: Champagne Cocktail

Well I'm back from Club Getaway, and I thought I'd start the week out right- with your favorite ongoing post: Cocktail Monday.

This cocktail isn't really a cocktail in the liquor sense. It's more of a wine cocktail. But it's a drink that I absolutely love, especially on a warm summer evening.

First take a sugar cube and put it at the bottom of a champagne glass. If you don't have any champagne glasses, as you can see I don't, use your favorite wine glass. I got mine in Montefalco, Italy at a wine festival last year. I just wanted to throw that in. You can of course use a glass from Bed Bath and Beyond or Williams Sonoma. It really doesn't matter.

Now add a few drops of bitters to soak the cube. I used Peychaud's, because that's what I have. My favorite are Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters. But those are in Hudson, so I had to make due.


Here's the bitter-soaked sugar cube. Yum.


Top with champagne or any sparkling wine.


And that's it! It really couldn't get any easier.


I bet my Aunt Sue would like this- it's fizzy and sweet. The champagne makes it feel sophisticated. I like it. It's a throwback to another time.

I hope you like it too.
Playing,
Meredith

I'm Going to Real Camp

For realz. I love Club Getaway. We take the kids there. There are lots of good looking British and Australian counselors there telling us what to do. There's a dance. And a bonfire. I get to have the true camp experience but without all of the angst. It's great. That being said, I'll be gone tomorrow, far away from internet. So I'll leave you with some pictures I stole from their website.

There's a lake:


And a bungee trampoline:


And this fabulous rediculosity:


Don't even ask.

I'll be Playing in Conneticut,
Meredith

Bison Steaks: It's What's for Dinner

Wow! Who knew a Player had so many unpublished recipes laying around the old iBook? I mean, you guys are lucky, because had I been healthy this weekend you may have never seen these gems. So there you go.

Today's buried treasure is another seasonal summer meal.

First, I put some sliced fingerling potatoes in a 425 oven tossed with oil, salt and pepper.


Then I fried up these bison steaks. Actually this was one bison steak cut in half. That's how the lady at the greenmarket told me to cook it. She said to cook it over really low heat. And that's what I did. I guess it had to do with the grass fed meat needing low heat to prevent chewiness. I don't know, you run into these things when you buy bison meat at greenmarkets. A simple grass fed, corn finished steak would have been just as good (very possibly better).


Now go to your herb garden if you're awesome like me and snip some chives.


Deglaze the steak pan when they're out of there with some red wine and add some butter and off the heat add some creme fraiche or sour cream.


Fresh peas! If you've never had a fresh pea in pea season then you've never really tasted a pea. Peas immediately turn starchy when you pick them, so most of the year frozen is the best option. But for that short window where the peas are fresh, they are a thing of beauty: tender, sweet, and delicious. Simply cook in a little salted boiling water.


Now that is a well balanced local seasonal meal if I do say so myself. Garnish with your chives. I just snip them right on the plate.


Wow, I want those peas for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. Alas, pea time is pretty much over. Until next year, my beauties.

Playing,
Meredith

Grits and Greens

I found this one in the archives from back when I was working to get the Danish post up and running.

Grits and greens. Polenta and greens. I don't care what you call it- it's good.

Sautée some onions.


Is there anything more delicious than a sweating onion?


Add some salt and cayenne pepper and of course, garlic.


And I have answered my own question. The only thing better than sweating onions is sweating onions and garlic.

Add your greens, rinsed and chopped to the pan. Let them simmer while you make your grits.


Now make some grits. Or polenta if you're from the northeast or west. It's really the same thing. I like to boil a lot of water and add under a cup of polenta. That way it cooks really slowly and the starches gobble up that salty water and become engorged. This is my own little version of the polenta that Beuford talks about in "Heat" and I love it. It isn't gritty at all. Just heavenly. And it doesn't need as much butter or cheese.


When those starches are nice and soft, add a bit of cheddar- this is grits after all.


Top grits with greens and call it a day.


The other key to great grits/polenta is really seasoning the water- either lots of salt or stock- and you should even salt your stock if it's low sodium. I promise, you'll thank me for it.

Playing,
Meredith

We're Back

And I'm sick.

I'm not a complainer. Okay that's a lie, I complain as much as the next guy. I try not to though, especially here in this oh so very public forum. But on the first weekend in Hudson that Michael and I haven't had guests in I don't even know how long, I happen to develop the plague. Or tuberculosis. Or maybe it's a tropical disease. I don't really know, but it doesn't feel good.

I guess that's what I get for working with children and not getting enough rest. I get their illnesses. But unlike them, the consequences are greater. They miss a day or two of rehearsal. I miss building the set and props, finishing the dance number, the cleaning up of the last half of the play, and perhaps most painfully, a day's pay. So I'm going to work. I'm actually feeling a lot better today. I slept through the night, and the cough seems to have calmed down a bit. But I'm not 100 percent. It's going to be an interesting week. I didn't take a lot of pictures in Hudson, and when I was up to it, my camera ran out of batteries. But don't you worry. Desperation breeds creativity. I promise. This could very well be the most interesting week you've ever experienced since we began this journey.

I did manage to get some pictures. Another incarnation of the Hudson kitchen: the windows are in!

They really lighten the kitchen up, and make the ceilings feel really high.


I think they look amazing next to the pot rack.


We also got a new door, which is apparently broken, but as usual, Gabe is on top of it.


And here's the world premier of the baking center!!!!


Ignore the toilet paper I was using as kleenex...

Michael is iffy on the cabinets, because there isn't that much storage. You can't deny that they're lovely though.


Someday marble will live on top of here, when it comes in.


Every time we walk in from the journey, the kitchen looks more and more like it came out of a magazine. I love it.

Catch you later for the most creative and different blogging week ever!
Playing,
Meredith

Chicken Cutlets: An Elementary Skill

We're back to cooking with an easy summer meal. The chicken cutlet is a thing of beauty. It's easy, pretty quick, and tasty. Everyone should know how to make one. And so I'm going to do my part and tell you all about it.

It's best to set the whole breading factory up before you start messing with the chicken. Of course, if you use beautiful fresh chicken bought directly from farmers at the greenmarket, you have less to worry about in the way of salmonella and all that. The dangerous diseases breed in mass slaughter houses. A small farm is much more likely to be clean and avoid contamination. I bet you didn't know that. I don't know if you wanted to know that, especially if you happen to buy regular chicken from the grocery store, but it's true. So try to buy meat from small scale producers and worry a whole lot less about scary words like salmonella and e-coli. It's fun.

Anyway, sorry for that, I can't help myself. As I was saying, set up the breading stations:


First seasoned flour, or corn starch for extra crispy cutlets. Then a beaten egg.


Then bread crumbs. To these I added garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper.


Now pound your chicken breasts. If you have a meat mallet, use that. Or if you're me, use a small heavy skillet. If you're me, and don't have plastic wrap because you keep on forgetting to buy it, don't bother, but covering with the wrap keeps things a little cleaner.


Pound away. Really get those frustrations out.


Now, your pan should also be ready to go before you start the process.
Flour:


Egg:


Bread crumbs:


Pan with a little butter and oil:


Keep them warm in the oven:


I served my cutlets with sliced zucchini.


I added a little sliced onion and lemon thyme for kick.


I warmed a little marinara and topped the cutlets with it. It was a lovely meal, if I do say so myself.


I really don't think a recipe is necessary. It's not so much about amounts for this one; it's more about the technique. So take it and run. Well, don't run, walk- there's hot oil around.

Playing,
Meredith

Thursday Blues

I think I'm just always tired on Thursdays. I've had three days of camp and then taking Tal home. Two more days till the escape of the Empire Service train to Hudson. And I can't wait. It isn't that I don't have fun at camp- it's going splendidly. But it's just exhausting. I can't wait till I'm on that train.

It's kind of just like this:




I sort of wish the trip contained more tapping, but what can you do...

Stay tuned tomorrow for chicken cutlets and sautéed zucchini.

Playing,
Meredith

Nicoise Salad

When my friend James and I were planning our pie making extravaganza, I suggested that we eat a simple salad for dinner. When I was shopping for ingredients before the event, the simple salad got a little less simple. It turned into a nicoise salad.

It is a French composed salad containing blanched green beans and boiled potatoes:


And seared tuna, among other things.


It was delicious, by the way.


A Player's Nicoise Salad

1/2 head red leaf lettuce
1 red pepper, sliced
1/2 lb green beans, blanched in boiling water and shocked with cold water to stop cooking.
3 boiled red potatoes, quartered
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered
2 tuna steakes, seared 1-2 minutes per side on high heat
a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, a little dijon, and chopped scallions.

Toss the lettuce in some of the vinaigrette and arrange on a platter. Arrange the following 5 ingredients in whichever way that pleases your inner food stylist. Drizzle more vinaigrette on top. Enjoy.

Follow with some cherry pie if you're lucky.
I know I was!
Playing,
Meredith

Disco Cherry Pie

Well the day is finally here. I'm going to tell you about fresh cherry pie. Have you ever had fresh cherry pie? It's kind of like the canned filling, only much much better and more cherry-like. It takes some work but it's worth it. Especially if your dear friend comes and helps you. I love help.

Here's James. We go way back. And I mean actually farther back than G and I to the 5th grade. He just moved here and I'm really excited about it.

He helped cut the butter into cubes.


I measured the dry ingredients for the pastry.
Salt and flour:


Shortening:


That cubed butter:


Incorporate the butter into the flour. You've seen this before.


Add ice water.


When the water's incorporated shape the dough into two discs, one smaller than the other, wrap with plastic wrap and let rest for about an hour.

Now for the work. Cherry pitting! I used sour cherries, by the way, because they are so good in pies.


We took turns.


Now mix the pitted cherries with the other filling ingredients, like sugar, cinnamon and corn starch.


Roll out the larger crust and put it in your pie pan. Pour in those cherries.


Roll out the other disc and cut it into strips.


Make a lattice top. Sorry I didn't get the details on how to do this.



Brush with whole milk.


Bake that pie.


And eat it!


It was amazing. We had fun. We ate pie. James, you're welcome back any time.


Cherry Pie (from Gourmet via Epicurious)

For pastry
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon sugar

For filling
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (or regular tapioca soaked overnight)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
11/4 cups sugar
6 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) pitted sour cherries (2 pound)
Whole milk for brushing

Make dough:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 5 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork, or pastry will be tough.

Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. Divide dough with one half slightly larger, then form each piece into a ball and flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Make filling and bake pie:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle and put a large baking sheet on rack.

Finely grind tapioca in grinder. (I didn't do this, I couldn't find instant tapioca, so I used some soaked tapioca pearls, that seemed to work fine.)

Whisk in ground tapioca, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and sugar, then add cherries and vanilla and toss well. Let stand 30 minutes.

Roll out larger piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim any excess dough to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out top crust.

Roll out remaining dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round.

Toss cherries well again, then add to shell and cover with top crust. Cover with a lattice top if desired or leave top whole and press edges of crust together, then trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang underneath, then crimp decoratively and brush top crust with milk. Cut out 5 (1- by 1/2-inch) teardrop-shaped steam vents 1 inch from center and sprinkle with sugar (1 tablespoon).

Bake pie on preheated baking sheet 30 minutes, then cover edge with a pie shield or foil and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Continue to bake until crust is deep golden and filling is bubbling in center, 50 minutes to 1 hour more. Transfer pie to a rack to cool completely, 3 to 4 hours. (Yeah right- try 30 minutes max...)

Enjoy!

Playing,
Meredith

Cocktail Monday: Spiked Cherry Lemonade

You're mad at me. I know it. I said I'd tell you all about cherry pie with my friend James, and you tune in bright and early after a weekend of silence to find a cherry cocktail, and not cherry pie as the topic of this post. But you know what? It's just the way it's going to be. I have a few reasons for this. Number one is that I like the idea of "Cocktail Mondays". It's mine: a Player's original idea. I mean doesn't everyone want to read about cocktails bright and early Monday morning? Don't answer that...

Number two: I didn't cook anything this weekend, so I have to stretch out the whole cherry pie experience. This cocktail is actually the first installment. These days, what with teaching children all the time and still nannying on the side, I'm cooking a little less than usual. And when I do cook, sometimes I don't take pictures, because I forget. So there you go. Are you ready for a cocktail yet?

I decided to create this one in honor of my cherry pie reunion with my dear friend James. He just moved to the city from Texas/the Peace Corps, and was really excited to hang out and see this Player in action.

The ingredients:


Lemon juice, simple syrup, vodka and kirsch- cherry brandy.

And these sour cherry preserves from my friends over at Sour Cherry Farm.


The amounts? Juice of one lemon, 1 part vodka, 1/2 part kirsch, 1 tablespoon simple syrup and 1 tablespoon sour cherry preserves.

Stir ingredients with ice and strain onto fresh ice for ideal chill factor.


Top with seltzer.


And garnish with cherries (fresh if they're in season) and a lemon slice.


It was refreshing and delicious. The perfect cherry pie-making cocktail.

A Player's Spiked Cherry Lemonade

Juice of one lemon
1 part vodka
1/2 part kirsch
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1 tablespoon sour cherry preserves

Pour ingredients over ice into a shaker and stir (or shake depending on your mood). Strain over fresh ice and top with seltzer. Garnish with cherries and a lemon slice.

Enjoy!

I promise, there will be pie tomorrow.
Not playing this time,
Meredith

I'm Doing the Dishes

Hello everybody!

I can't take the time to post this morning because I'm doing the dishes from last night. My dear friend James came over and we made nicoise salad and cherry pie for dinner and it was amazing. I can't wait to tell you all about it. But for now I must be responsible and clean up.

Don't worry, a hearty breakfast of cherry pie has given me the energy I need to get the job done.

I'll tell you all about it soon!
Playing with Pastry,
Meredith

Pasta With Mustard and Beet Greens

Ah the bounty of early summer. You have finally made it to my CSA. You've seen it in the form of zucchini bread, and here, you'll see it in a light pasta dish.

Okay, these mustard greens were from the Hudson Greenmarket, but you get the picture.

Michael wanted to make this dish, which is based on an Umbrian dish using escarole.

Don't forget to wash your greens, people. Greens from the farm are dirty. Not dangerous, but grit isn't good eats. Not like grits, which can be great.


Along with our pasta we had a salad. Inspired by last week's New York Times article on the 11 foods you aren't eating we decided to add shredded beets to it. It wasn't so complicated. Just peel:


And grate.


Beautiful.


Back to the pasta. Take some cherry tomatoes. These weren't very ripe. The tomato thing hasn't quite hit Hudson yet.


This means instead of quickly sautéing the tomatoes, we had to really cook them to get any flavor going.


Also in the salad: Escarole and a little sliced onion, tossed with a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.


Add the greens to the tomatoes and let the liquid they let out evaporate. If you want to make things creamy add some goat cheese.

It was really good, even though the tomatoes were sub-par.


The salad was also delicious- perfectly balanced between sweet, tart, and bitter.


Brent, Michael's nephew poured us all a digestivo called Cynar. It's made from artichokes- crazy!


It truly was a lovely simple meal.

Playing,
Meredith

July 4th: Just How Long Will I Milk This?

Heads up, ya'll: just so you know Lena's Battle Zucchini post is up if you'd like to compare and contrast.

I'm having a great deal of fun reliving this weekend all week. I mean, it was a nice long weekend, but it could be longer. So I'm extending it by reminiscing.

Lena and Zack have a car, so they picked us up right at our door to whisk us off to Hudson.


Here are my chauffeurs:


The car only smelled a little like hockey equipment, which was a major improvement from the last time I was in the car.

We got to Hudson. We hung out. We had biscuits and gravy for breakfast. And then we got cooking. Michael got working smoking some ribs.


The bigger ones are Carolina-style and the smaller stacked ones are St Louis-style.

G enjoys a cold one on the porch.


Michael gets a smoke bath.


Mmmm smoke. That's the key.


St. Louis-style got a delicious Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce.


Check out that smoke ring:


That's the pink ring on the edge of the meat.

Here we are at the picnic enjoying the ribs.


They really were awesome.


Some closeups of "rib-face"- not for the faint of heart:


I know you wish you had rib-face right now.


The beautiful Sanne mans the grill.


Michael and Brent played a bubble racing game. They were pretty good at it.


Did I mention there were a lot of babies at this party? There were. Everyone in Hudson has a baby. Not really, but sometimes it feels like it.

Here was my favorite- a baby in a bag:


A game of soccer started in the field and Zack joined in. His team was great, so he played a lot. He got sweaty. I thought it was funny so I took a picture of it.


Fireworks? Not so much. Apparently many cities around the country have been forgoing the huge costs of fireworks shows to help their budgets during these tough economic times.

We had to settle for nature's fireworks- the sunset:


Not too shabby, if I say so myself.


Playing and eating,
Meredith

Iron Chef: Battle Zuchini

Are you ready for a showdown? I thought so. I mean, really, what could be better than a nice healthy dose of competition.

That's what my dear friend Lena and I said to ourselves when we lugged our respective zucchinis to Hudson from our CSA boxes. Okay, really it went like this. Lena wanted to make zucchini bread. Michael and I woke up early and went to the grocery store. I looked up a zucchini bread recipe in The Bread Bible and got really excited about it. Later I found out that the recipe Lena had in mind was a chocolate zucchini cake. We had so much zucchini that we decided to make both of them, side by side, Iron Chef style. We would take our finished products to the Hudson Riverfront where we were having a 4th of July picnic with the Hudson gang.

Just so you know, I forgot to write this recipe down, and it seems to be impossible to find on the internet, so I'll have to get that posted later. I think I remember the general ingredients.

I believe this is 8 ounces plus 2 tablespoons of flour. The 2 tablespoons are added because this zucchini bread is an adaptation of a carrot bread recipe. Zucchini has more moisture than carrot, and therefore needs more flour.


Michael's kitchen is perfect for Iron Chef. In fact, while we were baking, Michael was in and out with the ribs he was smoking.

Lena licks a little chocolate off her fingers. Chocolate- hard to beat, but I'm going to try.


Whisk in baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. I can't remember how much. I'll get back to you on that.


Grate 2 1/2 cups of zucchini. That's a lot more than Lena used, by the way.


Now for a fun game- guess the non-farmer's market egg. I'll give you a hint: it's sad.


2 out of three ain't bad, though. Mix those with some sugar. I don't know, a cup maybe? I think there's also some canola oil in there.


Now combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring just to combine.


Add the zucchini.


Pour into a greased loaf pan.


Here are the unbaked contenders:


Here's my baby out of the 350 degree oven. We used the convection feature, because we were running late for the picnic.


The competition was looking good.


Can the chefs also be the judges? Why not- it was our battle after all.


Lena loved mine.


And I loved Lena's.


Oh I don't know, they were both great. Lena's was chocolatey. Mine was very moist. They were different but equally good. And since everyone could have a bit of both, it was a win-win situation.

We sure had fun this 4th of July. I hope you did.


Patriotically Playing,
Meredith

Cocktail Monday: A Russian Cuban

Aaargh! It's Monday, and not just any Monday, it's the Monday after July 4th weekend. After a blissful and idyllic three day weekend, I'm back to life, and back to waking up before 6 AM.

I know what we all need this morning. A cocktail! This particular cocktail accompanied a steak dinner I made last weekend, but I have decided that this very sleepy morning is the perfect one to share such a drink.

Slice up some limes. I think I used 1/2 per drink.


I decided to make a drink using mint because it's taking over the window box. Also, it's so great and refreshing in cocktails.


A tablespoon of simple syrup sprinkled over some mint leaves:


Muddled:


Juice of 1/2 lime added:


This is what makes it Russian: Vodka. (Rum would have been the traditional choice.)


Top with some champagne.


Garnish with lime and mint if you're feeling fancy.


And enjoy!


It's light and refreshing: a perfect summer drink.

A Player's Russian Cuban
(Makes 1)

Mint leaves
1 Tablespoon simple syrup, or a sprinkle of sugar
Ice
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 shot vodka
Champagne

Muddle the mint and simple syrup a bit to release the essential oils. Add Ice to the glass. Add lime juice, vodka, and stir. Top with champagne. Garnish with lime wedge and mint, if desired.
Enjoy.

I know I did. I'm going to have to make one of these tonight if I find that my kids haven't worked on their lines over the weekend. I'll let you know...

Stay tuned for a fabulous weekend filled with fourth of July goodness!

Playing,
Meredith

It's a Friday Thursday!

You wanna know what I love? I nice three day weekend. Especially during camp, when I work all the time. But Meredith, you don't work all the time. And to that I say, yes I do. Because I'm dealing with finicky children, borderline autistic children, divas and line pushers. And what do I have to do with these children? Put them in a play. And a Shakespeare play too boot. And I have to make sure that play is the appropriate length (too short to suck, I like to call it) so that those children can thrive and be proud of themselves. And so this job doesn't stop at 3:30. I stay after and do the schedule while I wait for Tal, who goes to the camp and has after camp. I worry about kids. I take Tal home and get her off to her weekend home with her parents. I worry about kids some more. I'm too tired to read on the subway, so I sit and worry about the casting. I get home early, but have it in my head that I'm going to make danish for my co-workers. I follow through, but man was I pissed at 9 when I realized I still had to bake the things. I slightly overbrowned their bottoms (translation: burned). And went to sleep worrying about kids.

And so, I have never been so glad that July 4th is on a Friday, and that today, my friends, is my very own Friday Thursday. We go swimming, we tell the kids their parts and deal with that aftermath, and I'm off to Hudson (in a car!!!) with G, Lena and Zack. And maybe, just maybe, I won't worry about kids all weekend.

Danish: Finishing Up

I'm so proud of myself. I posted my Daring Bakers challenge in only four days! I know, you laugh at me and ask, "Meredith, why have you got to be so darned meticulous?"

I answer, "I just have to. It's part of my charm." I mean, what else can I say. I started this blog because I was so inspired by the Pioneer Woman, and you might say I've taken it a step further. And it's just the way my brain works, but I know you love me for it, so I'm going to keep on truckin'.

But back to business, we are finishing up the danish saga, and boy was it a tale to tell. I made my first puff pastry. I made my first jam. I made my first pastry cream. And, a few weeks ago, I put this baby together, baked it to perfection, and some of my dearest friends gobbled it up.

I cut the dough in half, as the recipe made two braids, and well, that seemed like a lot. If I get off work early tonight, I'm going to bake the other one into individual danish and take them in to work tomorrow.


I rolled the dough out into a 15 X 20 rectangle. Mistake number one, or rather my only mistake, was that I didn't roll it out on parchment. That came back to haunt me in a big way. So definitely roll your dough on parchment. I know I will next time.


You're supposed to make the cuts for the braid frist, then do the filling, but heck, I'm a nonconformist, and that part worked just fine.

So spread out your fillings along the center of the rectangle. First I did a layer of pastry cream. Mmmmm. Egg yolks...


Next came a layer of strawberry rhubarb jam.


Then I made my cuts. A pizza wheel works much better actually. Make sure to cut that top extra bit off to make a pretty folded edge.


Wondrous.


It suffered on it's move to the parchment, but it turned out all right.


Brush with egg wash. Proof in a warm place (90 degrees) for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put the danish in, and after 10 minutes rotate the pan and lower the heat to 350. Bake another 15-20 minutes.


It's good. It's really really goodl


Lena loved it.


So there you have it.
Another Daring Bakers challenge in the books.

DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (or more milk)
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Danish: the Fillings

Alrightie, we've got that dough ready to go, but what to fill it with? The original recipe called for an apple filling, which is delicious I'm sure, but apples? Is it October? I think not. Why bake something and not use the bounty of spring? Well, you all know that's just not how I roll, so I set out to make my own preserves.

I've never done this before. I helped Michael and his mom put up strawberries last year, but I was more involved in the prep than the actual jam creation. And I didn't really pay attention.

I googled strawberry rhubarb jam, and the first hit was a rhubarb site. That did the trick.

I took a bunch of rhubarb and chopped it up. I wasn't exact with the recipe but it worked out just fine. I think I sort of halved it.


Mix the rhubarb with half the sugar and let it sit for a couple of hours. I actually let it stand over night and that worked out fine.


Ah strawberries, how I love you. I'm becoming more and more thankful that G and I just added the fruit share to our CSA.


Cut those strawberries into bits.


I love red. Did I ever tell you that? I was devastated when I realized I don't really look that good in it. It took me a while, I have to say. But my complexion has benefited from the realization.


All of this liquid comes out of the rhubarb. I kept that in. It seemed like a good thing to do.


Put the fruit in a pot with the rest of the sugar over low heat until the sugar dissolves.


Crank it up to high and boil until nice and thick.


If you're worried your jam hasn't gelled, you can put a dollop on a cold plate and see how it firms up.


My jam gelled beautifully. I'm so proud.

Pour it into a sterilized "Kerr jar".


Boil in a water bath for 10 minutes. I didn't really need to do that, as I was planning on using it right away, but I just wanted to see if I could get the seal. And I did!


Sometimes I over do it. Homemade jam just wasn't enough for me. I wanted something creamy to balance the sweet tart fruit. So I decided to make some pastry cream as well.

I found the recipe on Cook's Illustrated, a perennial fav of mine, if you are new here.

Pastry cream has lots of egg yolks: five to be exact. This recipe had me remove the white stringy things from the yolks. That sure was gooey.

But look how pretty and perfect the yolk is? I love perfection.


Simmer 2 cups of half and half, or whole milk, which is what I did.


Add 1/2 cup sugar to those yolks.


Add 3 tablespoons of corn starch and a pinch of salt.



Stream in a small amount of the hot milk to temper the yolk mixture.


Then you can add it to the rest of the milk.


Stir constantly until it thickens. Then add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter.


Mmmm. I know you can't wait to see this come together! And you will. Tomorrow. I hope you like the results. I know I did.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:

2 pounds strawberries (4 cups, mashed)
2 pounds rhubarb (8 cups, 1/2 inch pieces)
6 cups sugar

Procedure:

Wash fruit. Cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces. Cover rhubarb with half of the sugar and let stand 1 to 2 hours. Crush berries and mix with remaining sugar and combine with rhubarb. Place mixture over low heat until sugar is dissolved, then boil rapidly, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Cook until thick. Pour into sterilized Kerr jars to within 1/4 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Yield: 10 eight oz. jars.

Pastry Cream (Cooks Illustrated)
2	cups half-and-half or whole milk
1/2	cup granulated sugar
	pinch table salt
5	large egg yolks , chalazae removed
3	tablespoons cornstarch
4	tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2	teaspoons vanilla extract

1. For the Pastry Cream: Heat half-and-half, 6 tablespoons sugar, and salt in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
2. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until sugar has begun to dissolve and mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in cornstarch until combined and mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
3. When half-and-half mixture reaches full simmer, gradually whisk simmering half-and-half into yolk mixture to temper. Return mixture to saucepan, scraping bowl with rubber spatula; return to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface and mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer mixture to medium bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 48 hours.

Until then, I'll keep baking,
Meredith