Angelo's Coney Island Hot Dog

Whenever I see a restaurant famous for hot dogs I always think of Angelo's Coney Island in Flint, MI. I lived in Flint for the better part of 12 years and ate at Angelo's many times. It was just a five minute drive from the University of Michigan campus and I could get a quick, tasty lunch for under $3. But even at 20 years old, Angelo's Coney Dog with the secret chili sauce, sent my digestive system into overdrive! I usually ordered a Burger Deluxe with Olives which is actually a Kewpee Burger, now known as Halo Burger, but that's a whole 'nother burger joint in Flint.

This week for HBinFive we are making Hot Dog Buns and I thought it would be fun to introduce Angelo to Mr. Tastebuds...you know a little bit of my past meeting my present, just see how the two of them would get along.

I knew I had a recipe for Angelo's Secret Chili Sauce and found it, buried deep in my handwritten 3by5" recipe file. I used Best's Kosher Hot Dogs, boiled, on a homemade Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Bun, loaded with Chili Sauce, diced onion and yellow mustard. Mr. Tastebuds managed to eat three Coney Island Dogs, so I think Mr. Tastebuds and Angelo are getting along just fine!

When I made my hot dog buns I manipulated the dough to form a torpedo, baguette or batard shape and they baked up perfectly! The technique is wonderfully demonstrated in the below video:





But I can tell you that this recipe is not Angelo's Coney Island Sauce. Although the Coney Sauce is delicious and actually I liked it better then the original recipe, it is not even close to the real thing, but don't tell Mr. Tastebuds!







Angelo's Coney Island Sauce
Recipe adapted from "not a clue"

1 Tbs Butter
2 med onions (ground)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
2&1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbs prepared mustard
1&1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 6oz can of tomato paste
3 oz water
4 hot dogs (ground)

1. Grind up the hot dogs in your food processor.

2. Melt butter in large, heavy fry pan.

3. Add onions, garlic and saute for a minute.

4. Add ground beef, making sure to break it up as finely as possible, lightly fry until all pink is gone.

5. Add ground hot dogs, mustard, chili powder, salt, tomato paste and water. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until all water evaporates.










Family Recipes is hosted by Lynda of Lynda's Recipe Box, Laura of The Spiced Life and Shelby of Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch.





All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread poof'd into Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

About a week ago we received a promotional free copy of the latest Cook's Illustrated Magazine. My husband, Mr. Tastebuds read the entire magazine and wanted me to make the Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. I knew just reading the recipe that it was not going to taste like real Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. But the recipe was interesting because the dough was laminated. I love laminating dough, it just so much fun and makes the dough extra flaky!

Since this week for HBinFive our scheduled recipe is Soft Wholewheat Sandwich Bread, I thought I'd just go way out of the realm and adapt the recipe for Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough and my substitutions and additions are noted.

Mr. Tastebud's loved this pizza especially the sauce! I thought the sauce was a bit on the spicy side but the crust was good but I prefer my own Pizza Dough which I'm going to try laminating soon!







Deep Dish Pizza - Chicago Style
Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Makes 2-9" Pizzas

Dough:
3 1/4 c unbleached flour (2 c. unbleached flour, 1 1/4 c. White Whole Wheat Flour)
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp sugar (1 TBL honey)
2 1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast (1/2 c. Sourdough Starter)
1 1/4 c. water, room temp
3 TBL butter, melted
1 teaspoon plus 4 TBL Olive Oil
4 TBL butter, softened

Additions:
1/8 c. Vital Wheat Gluten

Sauce:
2 TBL butter
1/4 medium onion, grated (6 green onions including tops, chopped)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sugar (I skipped)
2 TBL fresh basil, coarsely chopped (6 basil leaves coarsely chopped)
1 TBL Olive Oil, extra virgin
Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste (I skipped the salt)

Topping:
1 pound mozzarella, shredded about 4 c.
1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, grated (I sprinkled some Mozzarella on top too)

For the Dough:
1. Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low and mix a few minutes.
2. Add water and melted butter and mix on low until fully incorporated about 1-2 minutes. Continue mixing until dough becomes glossy and firm about 4-5 minutes.
3. Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon Olive Oil. Transfer dough to bowl and then flip the dough over so that all sides are covered with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
4. Let rise to room temperature until doubled about 45-60 minutes.


Sauce:
5. While the dough is rising melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.
6. Add onion and oregano. Cook until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
7. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes.
8. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups 25-30 minutes. 8. Off heat stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Laminating Dough:
9. Turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into a 15" by 12" rectangle.
10. With a spatula spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2" border.
11. Starting with the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder.
12. Seam side down, flatten the cylinder with your hands into a 4" by 18" rectangle.
13. Then fold it up into thirds, letter style; Pinch seams together to form a ball



14. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
15. Spray a plate with cooking spray and place balls of dough on plate. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover dough balls. Place in refrigerator until doubled in volume, 40-50 minutes.

Shaping the Pizza:
16. Coat two 9" cake pans with 2 TBL of Olive Oil.
17. Transfer 1 dough ball to dry rolling surface and roll out into a 13" disk about 1/4" thick.
18. Lightly press dough into pan, working into edges and at least 1" up the sides. If dough resists stretching let it rest for a minute or 2 and then try again. Repeat with remaining dough ball for second pizza.

Assembly:
19. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 c of Mozzarella evenly over surface of dough.
20. Spread 1 1/4 c of tomato sauce over cheese and sprinkle 2 TBL of Parmesan over sauce.
21. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20-30 minutes.
22. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Happy Birthday Jamie!

Bread Baking Day #26 is hosted by Jamie of Life's a Feast.







All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Soft Pretzels and the Minnesota v. Chicago Football Game

I love football and have always looked forward to the season. And every year I plunk down my money for season tickets. But geesh, the Chicago Bears are absolutely in the toilet this year! I don't mind when my team loses a game but when they play SOOOooooo bad, it really is embarrassing. So when it came time for the Minnesota v. Chicago game I knew I had to soften the blow of another loss and decided to make some Soft Pretzels to munch on during the game.

The big, giant mall pretzels, oozing with yellow mustard and encrusted with way too much salt, are not my favorite thing in fact the smell is disgusting. So when I made my Pretzels I used very little salt and of course went overboard sprinkling with seeds. And I eliminated everything in the water bath and just added 2 TBL of Barley Malt Syrup. The Pretzels were DE-licious and I would make them again and again!


By the way, the Bears won the Minnesota game, 36 to 30, in OT. It was great!







Pretzels
Recipe adapted from my friend, Nancy

1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour

For the water bath:
2 quarts water
1/4 cup amber beer
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

I eliminated all the above for the water bath and just used 2 qts of water and 2 TBL of Barley Malt Syrup.

Toppings:
4 TBL melted butter
Kosher Salt, Poppy Seed, Pepitos, Parmesan Cheese, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds or anything you want.

Makes 12 Pretzels

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water.

Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.

After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape and place on a baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Simmer the pretzels: In a 10-inch-wide stainless-steel pot, combine the water, beer, baking soda, and brown sugar and bring to a simmer. Place 2 pretzels at a time in the water bath. Cook for 10 seconds and flip, using a skimmer or slotted spoon. Cook for another 10 seconds, and with the skimmer, lift above the pan to drain. Then transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet, rounded sides up.

Brush pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, sugar/cinnamon, coarse salt, etc., be creative.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with additional melted butter, if desired. Serve warm.







Foodie Friday is graciously hosted by Michael of Designs by Gollum. Please visit Designs by Gollum and see more wonderful creations!









All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Pomegranate Cupcakes

OH MY...this has been a rough Christmas as far as weather! It snowed earlier in the week and we had about 6" of the squishy white stuff on the ground. But on Christmas Day it started raining, sleeting and then into freezing rain for about 24 hours. It was miserable but the rain did melt most of our existing snow and being it was Christmas we all just stayed inside where is was warm and had fun all day!

But then on December 26th, the temperature dropped and it started snowing.....and snowing.....and snowing. It must have snowed for the better part of 18 hours and it was a fierce blizzard. I took the below picture at about 4 pm on December 26th and measured the snow. At that point we had a little more then 15" of new snow. It continued snowing until about 9 pm but I did not measure until the next morning for a grand total of 17" of new snow. We are buried but it's so pretty!




And the next morning this is what I found. Isn't it gorgeous!





Sometimes you just need something tangy and sweet on a cold, snowy winter day and what could be more perfect then Pomegranate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!

The recipe Just Plain Good Cupcakes is my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. It is a small batch recipe and only makes five cupcakes but you can easily double it. And it adapts beautifully with any flavoring, fruit or filling I've tried. I like to bake these cupcakes until the tops are just slightly browned. The little extra caramelization adds so much flavor not to mention the crunch with every bite.





Just Plain Good Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from "Small Batch Baking" by Debby Maugans

Makes 5 cupcakes (isn't that a hoot 5 CUPCAKES!)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Yolk of 1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use 1/8 tsp vanilla)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

My additions:
2 tsp Pomegranate Molasses **See Note

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 5 muffin cups with baking cups and set aside.

Combine the buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add egg yolk and vanilla and again whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix. Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat with a hand-held mixer on low speed until the dry ingredients are blended. Increase the speed to medium and bet until the mixture is slightly increased in volume, about 45 seconds, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended, 20 seconds. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon the batter evenly into the 5 baking cups. Put a little bit of water in the rest of the empty cups in your Cupcake Tin to prevent the cupcakes from scorching. Bake the cupcakes until a tester comes out clean, about 20 to 23 minutes.

Remove from the oven and as soon as you can remove the cupcakes from the pan and let them thoroughly cool on a cooling rack.

**Note: Pomegranate Molasses is quite thick and very potent. But if you want a more tangy Pomegranate taste you can add a little bit more but make sure to taste the batter first.


Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe adapted from Sprinkle's Cupcakes

8 ounces cold cream cheese
1 stick butter, firm but not cold
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine butter, salt, and cream cheese in mixer and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes. Add sugar until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. It should be thick but not fluffy. Add vanilla.







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Sweet Potato Chips with Garlic and Lime

I am so developing a taste for lime!

A few days ago I was at my market and limes were on sale 10@$1 and I bought twenty limes. The man next to me bought sixty! And when he looked up he said "we like Margaritas"! LOL! I had no idea what I was going to do with twenty limes but slowly the little green gems are disappearing one by one.

Any ways, a few weeks ago I posted a Mexican Rice recipe served with a squeeze of lime and it was just so darn good! I liked the Mexican Rice but just a little squeeze of lime sent the rice from good to outstanding very quickly. Consequently, I've been giving a little squeeze of lime to many of my dishes and loving the results.

When I decided to try the Sweet Potato Chips I had every intention of following the recipe. But one thing leads to another and after one taste of the Sweet Potato Chips with Garlic and there I was squeezing a little lime over the top. OH MY...lime just takes food to an entirely different level. The bright, neon-like color of the Sweet Potato Chips would add a splash of color to any meal.







Sweet Potato Chips with Garlic and Lime
Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

2 large sweet potatoes
1 garlic clove, pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon very finely minced fresh rosemary leaves (I skipped)
2 tablespoons salt (I used Kosher salt)

My addition: 1 fresh lime cut into wedges

Special Equipment: V-slicer or Mandoline and a Deep Fryer

A few hours before you plan on making this recipe. In a small bowl combine the garlic and salt and mix well. Set aside until the salt and garlic is completely dry. If it's not dry enough the salt will clump up on the chips.

Heat up the Deep Fryer.

Peel the sweet potatoes. Trim 1-inch off the end of each sweet potato. Using the V-slicer or mandoline, slice the sweet potatoes into very thin slices, about 1/8-inch thick.

When the oil is hot add about a quarter of the sweet potato slices. Let fry until golden and the bubbling has almost completely subsided, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a mesh sieve or slotted spoon remove the chips to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with some of the garlic and salt mixture. Continue with the remaining sweet potatoes.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve with wedges of lime which are squeezed over the Sweet Potato Chips. ENJOY!








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Snow-flecked Brownies

It is so cold outside! We seem to be having bitter cold weather where temperatures are going below 20 degrees and then the next day is a gorgeous, brisk fall day. I know this is typical for the Midwest but geesh already..make up your mind!

Being we're having such wild temperature swings with many record breaking colds, I though Nigella's recipe for Snow-Capped Brownies was in order. And I was ready for an ooey gooey, fattening, chocolate snack! In fact so much in the mood for something fattening that I decided to throw in some Mascarpone Cheese. And they were rich and gooey and delicious!

I did cut this recipe in half and made it in an 8"by8" baking dish. Nigella chose white chocolate dots as her snow and added to the mix before baking. But for my Illinois snow I grated white chocolate and sprinkled it on top and because we're still technically in fall, I added some colored leaves as well.








Snow-flecked Brownies
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson

13 ounces unsalted butter
13 ounces best-quality dark chocolate
6 eggs
12 ounces sugar
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
9 ounces white chocolate chips, or good white chocolate, chopped (I skipped)
Approximately 2 teaspoons powdered sugar, for dusting (I skipped)

My additions:
1/2 c. Mascarpone Cheese, room temperature
Grated White Chocolate
Fall sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the sides and base of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a large heavy based pan over a low heat.

In a bowl or large measuring glass, beat the eggs together with the sugar and vanilla extract. Blend in the softened Mascarpone Cheese.

Allow the chocolate mixture to cool a little, then add the egg and sugar mixture and beat well. Fold in the flour and salt. Then stir in the white chocolate. Beat just to combine and then scrape into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes. You can see when the brownies are ready because the top dries to a slightly paler brown speckle, while the middle remains dark, dense and gooey.

To serve, cut into squares while still warm and pile up on a large plate, sprinkling with powdered sugar pushed with a teaspoon through a small sieve and dotting with birthday candles as you go. Set alight and enjoy the festive scene.

I topped with Ganache, recipe below. Then sprinkled with grated white chocolate and leaf sprinkles.



Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Place the chocolate in a heat proof container, I use my glass Pyrex 4-cup measure. Heat the cream in the microwave until it's just hot. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the vanilla and salt.









Please visit I heart Cooking Clubs and see what everyone is up too this week. As always our hostesses are Deb of Kahkai Kitchen and Heather of GirliChef.



Foodie Friday is graciously hosted by Michael of Designs by Gollum. Please visit Designs by Gollum and see more wonderful creations!









All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

BBA - French Bread and a Delicious Brandy-flavored Crostini

I held off on baking the French Bread for Bread Baker's Apprentice because I wanted to try out my new Perforated Bread Pan and it was in the mail! So as soon as I received the pan and had a break in my schedule I got right to work.

I tried two different slashing techiques and I'm not happy with either of them. I really do need to get a good Lame but was wondering if an x-acto knife would work as well?





First of all I have never attempted to make French Bread and I'd heard horror stories about making baguettes. So I went into this recipe very hesitantly. I even read the recipe several times just to make sure I understood every single step. But from beginning to end, except for the slashing, I had no problems what so ever! I'm pretty much convinced much of my success was due to my new Perforated Bread Pan!






And I am so glad that my pan was delayed because in the mean time I found the most wonderful recipe for Crostini and it was perfect for the French Baguettes. I found reference to the Cognac-flavored Crostini recipe on Kate's blog, A Spoonful of Thyme, and she had a link to the original recipe on Ju's blog, Little Teochew. So I contacted Ju and asked for permission to reprint her recipe and the ever so gracious Ju said "yes". I was so happy because the Cognac-flavored Crostini is such a unique recipe and I will be making it again and again and I wanted to share it with all my readers. I served the Crostini with Romesco Dip while we watched the Sunday pre-season football games. The Crostini was delicious and we ate every crumb!







Cognac-flavored Crostini
Reprinted with permission from Ju of Little Teochew

1 baguette
4 to 5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
a knob of butter, about 3 TBL
1 TBL cognac (or vodka) See **See NOTE
1 clove (or 2) garlic, sliced/smashed
Sea salt
Black pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degree Celsius. **See NOTE

2. Slice the baguettes into 1/2 inch thick pieces and lay out on a tray.

3. In a bowl, combine olive oil, butter, garlic and cognac, and microwave on high for about 2 minutes, so that the flavour of garlic is infused into the oil (butter should be melted by then). Stir well.

4. Brush both sides of all the baguette slices generously with the flavoured oil.

5. Toast in the oven for slightly over 1 minute, or when the sides start turning crusty and golden brown. Don't take your eyes off them! The bread should still be soft, chewy and pliable in the centre.

6. Take the tray of Crostini out of the oven, sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

**NOTE: I did not have any cognac so I used Brandy on half the Crostini and Mole Poblano Vodka, a slightly spicy but mellow hot pepper vodka, distilled right here in IL by North Shore Distillery. And to toast the Crostini I laid it out on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and popped it under the broiler on high until the edges were a nice golden brown.

And my favorite was the Crostini with Brandy. Although the Mole Poblano Vodka Crostini was very good, the touch of brandy with the toasted garlic butter on homemade French Bread was exquisite!






Below are a few of my fellow BBA'ers, please feel free to click on the links to see their interpretation of this recipe.


Cindy of Salt and Serenity
Sally of Bewitching Kitchen
Kelly of Something Shiny
Jenn of Pete Eatemall




All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

BBA - Lavish Crackers

This week for Bread Baker's Apprentice we made Lavish Crackers. I was happy to see this on our agenda because I make a double batch of crackers at least every ten days or so but I cut them into long breadsticks. We love my breadsticks and not only eat them with dinner but as a snack, with soup or salad and I've even been known to grab a few on my way out the door for a quick snack in the car.

We made Peter Reinhart's Lavish Crackers for Daring Baker's in Sep '08 and you can see my interpretation of the recipe here. At the time of the Daring Bakers Challenge we were just given the recipe with no pictures for reference so I was not aware of Reinhart's wonderfully fun top striping for the Lavish! As soon as I saw the stripes I knew I had to try it! For the striping I used poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, kosher salt and caraway seeds.







Lavish Crackers
Recipe adapted from the "Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart

1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 Tb agave syrup or sugar
1 Tb vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the Windowpane Test and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.







Below are a few of my fellow BBA'ers, please feel free to click on the links to see their interpretation of this recipe.

Phyl of Cabbages and Kings
Oggi of I Can Do That!
Brandy's Flickr Folder and she made Pita Bread which was an alternative recipe.



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Do's and Dips

I don’t know if it’s because of the increase in temperature and gorgeous summer days but I’ve been making the best dips lately! They’re so delicious and colorful, it’s almost a shame to scrape the last bit from the bottom of the bowl!

Deeba, a friend on twitter and author of Passionate about Baking, told me about a wonderful dip that she had recently made. As soon as I saw the gorgeous color I just had to make it. I found a good recipe on Dinner with Julie and of course proceeded to change the recipe which I have to do. I think it was about 6 weeks ago that Deeba pointed out the Romesco Dip and I’ve made it four times already. We love it! The gorgeous intense color is just a preview to the fabulous taste!

My second dip is just something I threw together to serve along with the Romesco Dip. I wanted something light with a unique taste to contrast the 2 dips. My Olive and Parmesan Dip was perfect and very good with my homemade Breadsticks and Ciabatta Bread!

Both dips would be wonderful for an appetizer or an afternoon snack or even something to munch on while watching a football game.







Romesco Dip

1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, or half almonds and half pine nuts
2 whole garlic clove, peeled
1 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs
2 sweet red peppers, roasted
1 TBL. red wine or sherry
1 TBL balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. paprika
salt to taste
1/4 c EVOO, you may need to add more (EVOO=Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Turn the broiler on High and move a oven shelf closer to the broiler.

Clean out all the seeds from the sweet peppers. Cut each pepper into thirds and then slice so that pepper will lay flat. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the pieces of red pepper in the baking pan and put baking pan in oven to broil. I only broil until the peppers start turning dark. Careful that you don’t burn the peppers! I do not peel the peppers because so much taste is in the broiled skin.

While the peppers are broiling add 2 TBL EVOO to a small frying pan. Over medium low heat sauté garlic cloves until golden brown and soft. Remove garlic cloves to cutting board and mash with a fork. Set aside.

Add almonds to the small frying pan and toast for about 2-3 minutes until just slightly golden. Remove from pan and cool.

In a food processor add bread crumbs, broiled red sweet peppers, mashed garlic, toasted almonds, vinegar, wine, paprika, and EVOO. Pulse until everything is minced fine and well blended.

Makes between 1-2 cups.



Olive and Parmesan Dip
Recipe developed by Big Black Dog

1/2-3/4 c. EVOO (EVOO=Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
4-5 Black and Green Olives, sliced thin
1-2 TBL of grated fresh Parmesan Cheese
Freshly ground Black Pepper

Thinly slice the olives. Pour EVOO into a small serving bowl. Add sliced olives and pepper. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Anadama, Artos, Bagels, Meatballs and Mini Pizzas **Whew

I joined a new weekly bread baking group, Bread Baker's Apprentice(BBA). And we will be baking from the book. "The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread" by Peter Reinhart. It is a beautiful book with wonderful diagrams and step-by-step photos.

Google Books has the entire book scanned and you can find the recipes by clicking here.




Our first bread was Anadama Bread, an old New England yeast bread recipe, made with molasses and cornmeal. I made one single loaf and 12 hamburger buns. It was a very tender and delicious bread and although it did have molasses in it, I would not classify this as a sweet bread at all. Recipe is located on Pgs 108-110.





This is a Meatball Sandwich made with one of my Anadama Bread Buns.





Our next bread was Artos: Greek Celebration Bread which is a large, gorgeous bread. Although my family is not fond of breads with dried fruit and nuts, the bread was so beautiful I was looking forward to making it. Unfortunately, dealing with bread proofing and my own personal schedule sometimes does not work out. I had to let the bread dough ferment just a little too long and the crust has yeasty bubbles on the surface. But it still is a good looking loaf of bread and I had fun making and decorating it. Again the recipe can be found at Google Books Pgs 111-113.





Our third bread is Bagels. I've made bagels before and in fact used this same recipe and they turned out perfect. Please click here to see my first batch of bagels and the recipe including my changes. Making bagels is a two-day process, including making the sponge the night before and then finishing the bagels the following day.

But the next day the outside temperature was, unexpectedly, in the 90's, and my bagels rise was much to fast and they were very large. I mean gigantic, enormous suckers. Like 6" across and almost impossible-to-handle huge. They did not turn out pretty but tasted great. Next time if it is hot outside I will either put the bread in the basement for the final rise or stash them in the refrigerator.

But all was not lost, for dinner that night I made mini pizzas with over-sized bagels. Just cut a bagel in half, layer sliced fresh tomatoes, grated mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, 3-4 fresh whole basil leaves and top with pepperoni. I popped them under the broiler for a minute or so and viola...DINNER is served. Most definitely a meal for my Call-it-Dinner category. The mini pizzas were so good. Next time I make bagels I think I might purposely make some extra large bagels for mini pizzas! The Bagel Recipe can be found on Pgs 115-122

Here's the layered mini pizzas before broiling.





Hot out of the broiler and looking delicious. Gosh they were so good!!!






All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

TFF -- Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder

Marination a.k.a. marinating: Is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origins of the word allude to the use of brine (aqua marina) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid. The liquid in question, the 'marinade' can be acidic with ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine, or savory with soy sauce, brine or other prepared sauces. Along with these liquids, a marinade often contains oils, herbs, and spices to further flavor the food items. Food is marinated in a marinade. Probably from Italian marinato, past participle of marinare to marinate.


I love to open my frig and see our dinner marinating in wonderful mixtures of olive oil, wine and herbs. I'm not sure if it the fact that I planned the recipe or that I know how good it's going to taste but whenever I marinate anything, whether it be meat, poultry, seafood or vegetables, it makes the meal just that much more special.

This week for Tyler Florence Fridays I made Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder. Being I was so busy with spring planting this recipe just fit perfectly into my schedule and it was a snap to make.

I followed the recipe exactly except I added a 1/4 c. fresh tarragon and cut down the salt to 3 tsp. OH MY...did the Pork Shoulder smell good when it was roasting. After the pork had cooled I shredded it and added about 1/2 c. of my Strawberry BBQ Sauce. I served the BBQ Pork on a homemade Anadama Bread Bun with sides of potato salad and fresh green beans. It was a delicious dinner!!







Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

1 4-pound boneless Pork Shoulder
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
4 tablespoons kosher salt (I only used 3 tsp salt)
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the rub, toast the fennel seeds in a small saute pan over medium heat until fragrant. In a food processor combine the toasted fennel seeds, garlic, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, gradually pour the oil through the feed tube to form a paste. Rub the herb paste on the pork. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Place the pork, fat side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert. Preheat the oven to 325. Allow the meat to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Loosely cover pork with aluminum foil; roast about 3 hours, until juices fun clear (160 F). Let the meat stand for about 15 minutes before slicing.


Please visit Tyler Florence Fridays and see what the rest of Tyler's groupies are up too this week.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

A super Sandwich ---- The Muffuletta

From Wikipedia: The muffuletta (with numerous alternate spellings) is a type of Sicilian bread, as well as a sandwich in New Orleans, Louisiana, which is made with that bread. Like many of the foreign-influenced names found in New Orleans. Locals pronounce the word "muff-uh-LOT-uh." The proprietors of Central Grocery pronounce it "moo-foo-LET-ta." The bread is a large, round, and somewhat flat loaf, around 10 inches (25 cm) across. It has a sturdy texture, and is described as being somewhat similar to focaccia.

The muffuletta sandwich originated in 1906 at Central Grocery, which was operated by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant. The sandwich is popular with city natives and visitors, and has been described as "one of the great sandwiches of the world". Central Grocery still serves the sandwich using the original recipe.

I served the Muffuletta for dinner during the Super Bowl. Mr. Tastebuds was disappointed that I did not make the bread....geesh! Besides the store-bought bread comment he seemed to enjoy it but I can only judge by how he wolfed it down.





Muffuletta
Recipe adapted from various sources

Olive Salad:
2/3 cup Green olives, pitted and -coarsely chopped
2/3 cup Black olives, pitted and -coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Pimiento, chopped
1/4 cup drained, chopped cocktail onions
3 Cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Fillet anchovy, mashed
1 tablespoon Capers
1/3 cup Finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Sandwich:
1 large Loaf Italian Bread
1/3 pound Hard salami, very thinly -sliced or you can use leftover turkey
1/3 pound Ham, very thinly sliced
1/3 pound Provolone, thinly sliced

Olive Salad:
Mix all the ingredients together. Cover and allow to marinate over night or a minimum of 12 hours.

Sandwich:
Slice loaf in half horizontally and slightly scoop out insides. Layer on salami, ham and Provolone. Spread on olive spread at least 3/4-inch thick. Replace top half of loaf and cut into serving size pieces.



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Tacos ***My Way!

It was the Friday before Christmas and I was doing some last minute grocery shopping. I had had my fill of holiday appetizers, brunches, alcohol and spicy dips and was not in the mood for cooking or even eating. As I was browsing through the aisles of my local market, I came upon some Thin-sliced Round Steak. As soon as I saw the thin steak I knew immediately what I was going to make....Tacos! But not just any old taco, it had to simple, tasty and fast with minimal cleanup.

I picked up the packet of Thin-cut Round Steak, a carton of Guacamole and packet of Flour Tortillas. I had canned some Salsa the previous summer so had it ready and waiting on my pantry shelf. And this was all I needed to make a wonderful dinner. I served the strips of steak, tortillas, salsa and guacamole so we could Make-it and Eat-it. I had my tacos with just steak and guacamole but of course my husband had his piled high with salsa. Any which way, the tacos were delicious!

And to make this meal sweeter, I finally found a use for the divided dish I bought some 25 years ago!




Tacos **My Way
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

Packet of Flour Tortillas
1-2 lbs of thin-sliced Round steak
Guacamole
Salsa
1 TBL butter
2 TBL EVOO
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut the thin round steak into 1/2" strips. In a frying pan melt butter and add EVOO. When oil is hot add the strips of round steak and saute until browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove steak to a paper towel and drain for a minute. Warm the tortillas in the microwave and you're good to go!

Note: When you saute the steak strips you can season with garlic or any herb or spice that you wish. Or you could marinate the meat overnight in EVOO, a little balsamic vinegar, red wine, garlic and any herb of your choice.






All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

Hula Hoops and Tarragon!

Since discovering how much fun small batch cupcakes are, I've been working on decreasing my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, Beatty's Chocolate Cake. It pretty easy to cut down a recipe but it can get fussy at times, but I was diligent with each ingredient and weighed everything. And my first test bake was successful and very delicious!!! Plus the small batch made 8 cupcakes as opposed to a full recipe which made about 30 cupcakes. And I am very happy!!!

Also I've been wanting to try an herb frosting for some time now and today was the day. I added some tarragon, one of my all time favorite herbs, to my standard Cream Cheese Frosting and is out of this world fabulous!!! Now I am working on "small batching" favorite recipes and making new frostings with herbs...this should keep me busy for at least a couple weeks.

My Hula Hoops were wonderful and I'd put them at the top of my list of darn good cupcakes!



Hula Hoops
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

Yield: 8 cupcakes

1/4 c. plus 3 TBL Flour
1/2 c. sugar
3 TBL cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 TBL EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1/2 whipped egg (just eye ball it)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tin with 8 baking cups.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into standing mixer’s bowl or you can use a hand mixer. In another bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, oil, egg and vanilla. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the cocoa and keeping the mixer on low slowly pour in the hot coffee. Being that this is a small batch recipe it is crucial that you continually scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure every bit of batter is thoroughly mixed.

The batter will be very thin. Carefully pour into cupcake liners filling each about 1/2 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.




Tarragon Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cup confectioner's sugar
3 sprigs fresh tarragon, approximately 3 tsp minced
Green food coloring

Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until blended, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and continue mixing until sugar is completely blended. Mix in the minced tarragon. Remove 3/4 c. of the frosting and put it in a separate bowl. Add some green food coloring a little bit at a time, mixing thoroughly until desired color is reached.

Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with the tip of choice and decorate the cupcakes.



Minko of Couture Cupcakes is hosting a blog event, Best Evah Cupcakes, in support of Cupcake Day for the RSPCA, and my Hula Hoops is my entry into this wonderful event. Thanks Minko for such a great event highlighting a fabulous cause!





All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog