Fennel Frond Oil - Untested

From Monet's Kitchen by Claire Joyes, pg 142

? Olive oil

1 lemon

1/8 tsp chilli flakes

?# Garlic cloves

Salt and pepper

To make the oil, faintly warm olive oil with fennel fronds, a cut up lemon, a pinch of chili flakes, and crushed whole garlic cloves. Let it meld together for an hour or so, then strain. Season with salt and pepper, use as a drizzle on the cooked fish as well as on the onion/fennel bed you roast the fish on. Keep the rest in the fridge to use again.

OTHER RECIPE USING FENNEL FRONDS

- You can chop the fronds with lemon zest and kosher salt; use this as a rub for roast pork. (You can add crushed garlic if you want.)

- In Beijing I've eaten vegetable dumplings stuffed with chopped fennel fronds, bits of dried tofu, maybe black mushroom? They're delicious.

- simmer the fronds with sliced onions, garlic, carrots, and a bouquet de garnis, then strain and use it when you puree a broccoli soup!

Baked Beans a la Brayonne - Testing

https://thebitehouse.com/blog/2012/02/02/ployes-and-maple-syrup-baked-beans

1 - The Ployes were not very exciting. So I'm trying this other baked bean recipe. I'm using the slow cooker, so I didn't soak the beans overnight, although now that I read the recipe it would likely be a good idea to soak them since one of the instructions is to cover them with water. If I just do that with dry beans, they'll soak up some of the water so that just covering them won't provide enough liquid! Agh! I'm also using the spicing for this Chili Sauce recipe instead of buying the stuff. Only the spices and the vinegar since the tomato and onion is already present in the other ingredients.

2 - This continues to be good, and I'd like to reduce the sweetness. I'm reducing the amount of maple syrup to 1/3 cup.

3 - I've made some not inconsiderable changes that worked out really nicely. I'm removing the 'ployes' pancakes from the recipe and just concentrating on the baked beans. In fact, I made them with this new version without the salt pork and it was delicious. Ergo, the salt pork can become optional, and I can have 2 LHSS scores to check the difference. FINALLY, since instead of using chili sauce I just put in the ingredients used to make chili sauce (which worked) I'd like to see if I can do the same for the ketchup!

From the Brayons (people living in northwest of New-Brunswick)

2lb/900g small beans 

10–12 cups water

7oz/200g salt pork

3 onions (18oz/510g)

1 cup (10oz/280g) ketchup

⅓ cup (3.9oz/110g) maple syrup

¼ cup (1.8oz/50g) brown sugar (TRY 2 Tbsp/30g)

¼ cup (3oz/85g) molasses

¼ cup (2oz/56g) tomato sauce or 1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp (1 oz / 28 g) Dijon mustard (TRY adding ½ Tbsp)

2 tsp (0.33oz/9g) balsamic vinegar (TRY increasing by 1–2 tsp)

NOT THIS 1½ tsp (0.21oz/6g) brown sugar

1½ tsp (0.26oz/7.5g) white vinegar

⅛ tsp chilli powder (TRY increasing to ¼ tsp)

Pinch (1/16 tsp) Allspice

Pinch (1/16 tsp) garlic powder

Pinch (1/16 tsp) onion powder

2 tsp (12g) salt — to taste 

Add 1–2 pinches (1/16 to 1/8 tsp) cayenne

SERVE WITH Cabbage Slaw and Bread

1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight. 
2. Mix all the other ingredients together. 
3. Drain the beans and add with the sauce. 
4. Put everything in a big pot or slow cooker, then add enough water to cover the beans. 
5. Cook 6 to 8 hours at 275 F covered or in slow cooker on low or medium for 6-8 hours, depending if you like them firm or soft. (in the slow cooker, it may take longer. My other baked bean recipe is for 9-10 hours)
6. Once cooked, add salt to taste.

Gateau Breton au blé noir (Buckwheat Cake) - Untested

 https://www.lesfoodies.com/felicia/recette/gateau-breton-au-ble-noir

For the cake:

140 g black wheat flour (buckwheat)

140 g of ordinary flour

1/2 tsp. salt 

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

240 g of butter at room temperature

200 g of sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 whole eggs

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. brown rum

For frosting:

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp. milk

1/3 tsp. Fleur de Sel

1. Butter or oil a pie plate about 25 cm with removable background and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together the buckwheat flour, wheat flour, salt and cinnamon.
3. By hand or mixer, beat the butter until it is light and frothy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is homogeneous.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat with a fork the 4 egg yolks and the whole egg with vanilla and rum. 
5. Vigorously beat into the butter mixture.
6. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
7. Evenly level the dough in the pie plate.
8. For the frosting, beat the egg yolk with the milk using a fork and brush on top of the cake. With a fork draw stripes as in the photo.
9. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the 1/3 tsp. of salt and bake for 45 minutes. Let cool completely before unmolding.

Buckwheat Cookies - Untested

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/01/style/dining/temptation-the-cookies-that-simply-would-not-go-for-a-ride.html

Time: 40 minutes

1 cup buckwheat flour 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2/3 cup sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes 

2 large egg yolks, beaten.

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, and stir with a whisk to mix; in a mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy, and add eggs; beat in the dry ingredients in 2 batches, scraping down sides of bowl between additions. 
3. Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. Pipe dough in spirals, forming cookies 1 1/4 inches across, onto ungreased baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. (Dough is stiff, and can be hard to pipe.) Alternatively, form tablespoons of dough into balls, and place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets; use a fork to press dough into rounds 3/8 inch thick. 
4. Bake biscuits 15 to 20 minutes, until golden around edges. 
5. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: About 6 dozen cookies.

Athenaeus' Cheesecake - Untested

https://realgreekrecipes.blogspot.com/2013/10/cheesecake-from-ancient-greece.html

https://digventures.com/2015/09/recipe-how-to-make-your-very-own-ancient-greek-cheesecake/ 

https://www.tastinghistory.com/recipes/savillum?rq=cheesecake#recipe

Still trying to make sense of this. Want to make it using yogurt cheese (labneh).

Granola II - Testing

 

I'd really like to make granola, and the ingredients seem so luxurious. How can I make them more local-friendly?

1 - This is very rich, with the nuts and such and it does clump better, but the flavor of Granola I is better. 

1 cup roasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup raw walnut halves or pieces
1 1/4 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
2/3 cups mixed dried fruit
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tsps. cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsps. maple syrup
1/4 cup (or 2 Tbsps?) oil
2 tsps. vanilla extract

1. Set aside 1/2 of the almonds hazelnuts and 1/2 of the walnuts and process to a coarse sandlike texture in a food processor.
2. Fine chop the rest of the almonds and walnuts.
3. Mix everything together until uniform.
4. Use parchment paper in a cookie sheet, very sticky. 
5. Spread the granola into a 1/2" layer and press down lightly to slightly compact.
6. Bake 300F, 20 mins, stir, 30 minutes more.
7. Cool for at least an hour before breaking apart to store and eat.

Turnip and Potato Curry (Aloo Shalgam) - Test 1

https://cookpad.com/eng/recipes/15969689

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u2A-M0qsrc

1 - This was very successful. Turned out I have Sabzi Masala that I made when a friend was living with us 10 years ago, which I hadn't used since!

2 - It's still very good, and the instructions need a little help. Oh, and it could do with more green peas, so I'm increasing from 2 Tbsps to 1/4 cup. Finally, I don't know how to brown the potato and turnip in the pan, it just sticks and soaks up all the oil. Maybe I don't need to?

3 - I made this bitch mine! I reduced the turnip and grated it. I increased the potato and didn't worry about browning it. It was good! The textures worked, the flavor was good. Reminiscent of my daikon potato curry.

1 lb/500g potato, peeled and cubed

2 Tbsps. mild vegetable oil

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

Pinch asafetida (hing) powder

1 tomato (200g) chopped

2 turnips (300g) peeled and grated

1 tsp fresh ginger 

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Sabzi Masala

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste (sugar?)

1/4 cup green peas

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1/4 cup water

Garam Masala as garnish

Coriander leaves

1. Boil the potato in salted water until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds until they start to sizzle and brown. Quickly add the asafetida, the chopped tomato and the grated turnip. Sauté till tomato starts to break down. You may need to add a little water if it starts to get dry and brown.
3. Add the ginger, tomato paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, sabzi masala, cumin and coriander powder, and salt. Finally, add the green peas and fry on low to medium heat for a couple of minutes, mixing everything together. 
4. Add the potato and fry for a minute or so.
5. Add the vegetable stock and 1/4 cup water or as needed. Boil till the broth is mostly evaporated.
6. Toss in the garam masala. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot as a side with dal and rice or with roti or paratha.