Fried Corn Cakes

The corn fries to a crunchy shell, with a soft interior.

1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbls honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (e.g. corn, beans, minced peppers)

Canola oil for frying

Stir together the corn meal, flour, sugar if using, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in the water and honey if using. It should be a thick, but smooth, batter. Stir in the chives and vegetables.

Heat like 1/2” of oil in a skillet over high heat, then turn the heat to medium when it gets hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the oil and press them down into patties. Cook on each side until golden brown. Place them on a cooking rack on top of a baking sheet to drain oil before serving. Eat plain as a snack, or add toppings like basically what you would put on a taco.

Blueberry Soup

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Combine the blueberries, water, sugar, and allspice in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. In small batches, blend the blueberry base with the yogurt in a blender, until the soup is completely smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch thin asparagus stalks
3 Tbls olive oil
1 1/2 Tbls grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbls lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Break off the woody ends of the asparagus by bending them towards the end until the end snaps off.

In a bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and toss to coat them with the oil. Add the other seasonings (minus the lemon juice) and toss to coat.

Place the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot.

Honey Cornbread & Muffins

1 cup corn meal

1 cup flour

1 Tbls baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the mixture. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, and milk. Add to the dry mixture and stir until just mixed, then stir in the honey. It is ok to have lumps, as they will continue to absorb moisture and dissolve.

Cornbread loaf: bake for 20 minutes in a greased 9" square or circular baking pan.

Muffins: Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide the batter into the cups. Bake for 15 minutes.

Corn Tortillas

1 cup masa harina (for more corn flavor & color, use 3/4 cup masa harina and 1/4 cup yellow or blue corn meal)
3/4 - 1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp salt

Stir together the flour and salt. Stir in 3/4 cup water to make a moist dough. Moist enough to stick together, dry enough to form a ball instead of sticky globs on your hands. knead it to make a smooth ball of dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a wet towel and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb its moisture. Knead in more flour or water if necessary after it has sat for a while. It should feel like playdough.

Preheat a frying pan over high heat, then turn it to medium.

Prepare a pressing folder by cutting open 3 edges of a plastic storage bag, or cutting a rectangle of baking parchment and folding in half into a square.

Form a small ball of dough, place on one half of the pressing folder, fold over the other half, and use a flat-bottomed plate to press the dough into a circle. Press the tortillas as thin as you can. Peel off the top half, flip the dough onto one hand and peel off the other half of the folder.

Cook them over medium heat until browned on each side.

I made them thicker than store tortillas and didn't try bending them, but I like the texture and flavor more that way.

Pickled Grapes

Makes 1 pint.

1/2 lb grapes (any type)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. black peppercorns
3/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 grams (0.1 oz) dried orange peel (Probably 1 tsp.)
9 grams (0.3 oz) candied ginger (probably 1 Tbls.)

(Sorry for the awkward measurements. My orange peel and ginger are in chunks and I didn't want to cut them small enough to measure volume.)

Wash the grapes and remove stems. Put in a clean 1-pint jar.

Cook the rest of the ingredients over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Pour everything into the jar with the grapes. Set aside for about an hour to cool, then put the lid on and turn the jar upside-down to distribute the spices.

Store in fridge. They will take about 24 hrs to cure. They will keep for 4-5 days.

Semola Pie Crust

For a single crust.

6 Tbls butter
1 cup semola flour
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp salt

Cut the butter into the flour until it's crumbly and there's no dry powder.

Dissolve the salt into the water, then stir it into the flour and butter. Stir to make a soft dough.

Roll out on a piece of waxed paper. Use flour if necessary on top and bottom to prevent sticking. Roll to 1/8".

Use the waxed paper to flip the crust over into the pie tin. Trim the edges and fill in any holes, etc.

To bake the crust alone, bake at 350 F for 27 minutes. Otherwise, follow pie recipe instructions.

Lemon Sponge Pie

 

This pie has a light fluffy texture and a very subtle lemon flavor.

1 single batch pie crust
1 cup sugar
1 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour or corn starch
3 large eggs (or 4 medium eggs)
1 cup milk
2 Tbls lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare the pie crust in a large tin and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, run the eggs under warm water to bring up their temperature. Heat a medium-sized metal or glass bowl with hot water.

In another medium bowl, cut the butter into the sugar and flour. Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. With a wire whisk, beat the egg yolks, milk, and lemon juice into the sugar mixture, until completely mixed and smooth.

Dry out the warm bowl and put in the egg whites. Beat with a machine beater until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the rest of the filling.

Pour into the pie crust. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 minutes, until top is lightly golden and the filling is slightly jiggly. It will continue to solidify as it cools. Can be served warm or chilled.

Variations:
Use different fruit juices. Use concentrated juice for stronger flavor.
Try different pie crusts.
Add spices to the crust.

Brazilian Limeade

4 limes
4 cups cold water
1 12-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Wash the limes and peel two of them. Combine the lime and water in a blender. Blend for about 10 seconds.

Strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the pulp to extract all the juice.

Return the liquid to the blender and the sweetened condensed milk. Blend until creamy and frothy.

Add some ice and blend again until cold. You can add more water to taste if it is too strong for you.

Fried Chicken

Chicken:
Needs to be thawed. Doesn't have to be room temperature, but can't be frozen.
Cut out any bones.
Cut or pound the meat so it is no more than 3/4" thick.

First dredge:
Flour and/or cornmeal.

Second dredge:
Buttermilk, or milk with some acid added. Generally vinegar, but you can amp the flavor by adding salsa, steak sauce, or whatever.

Third dredge:
Mostly bread crumbs. Panko for most crunch, but any kind will work.
Add lots of salt, pepper, and seasonings. (Red pepper flakes, Rosemary, onion powder, Garlic powder, cumin, what you want)

Frying:
I use plain canola oil. Type of oil doesn't necessarily matter as long as it can get hot.
Use at least 1/2" of oil.
Put it over high heat in a frying pan. Once it gets hot, turn the heat to medium to maintain heat.

Process:
Use tongs to handle everything.

First, coat the chicken piece with flour/cornmeal. Then dip it quickly into the milk. Then put it in the breadcrumb mixture, coat it & press the crumbs onto it.

Put the chicken directly into the hot oil. Let it fry, without moving it, for several minutes until the bottom is deep golden brown. Then flip it and fry the other side the same.

Don't have more than 2 or 3 pieces frying at a time so they have space & a more stable temperature.

When you take out the chicken, put the pieces on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet. Extra oil will drip off, and the chicken will cool without getting soggy.

Peppermint Peach Punch

2 cups water
2 mint teabags
1 Tbls ginger root
1/2 cup sugar
3 large peaches
1 Tbls lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 liters sparkling water

Boil 2 cups water. Remove from heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 10 minutes.

Chop the peaches and ginger root, removing peach pits. Combine all ingredients except the sparkling water, and let sit for 10 minutes. Liquefy the mixture in blender, then strain out the solids, which will basically only be bits of peach skin. Return the mixture to heat, and heat it to boiling point. Remove from heat and chill thoroughly. To serve, mix it with 2 liters of sparkling water. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and frozen peach chunks.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

3 Tbls butter
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tbls salt
.6 oz fresh yeast or 2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 cup room temp water or milk
1 egg
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour

Filling:
Softened butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Optional: dried fruit, chopped nuts, shredded apple, shredded coconut, other spices, etc.

Directions for stand mixer. You can mix by hand if desired.

Stir together the hot water, butter, sugar, and salt in the stand mixer bowl. Mix in 1 cup of flour with the dough hook on medium speed. Mix in the yeast and lukewarm water/milk. Mix in the egg. Mix in the rest of the flour one cup at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it. It will most likely only need a tiny bit of flour and not very much kneading to get it smooth and buoyant. Coat the outside of the ball of dough with water or oil, cover with plastic wrap or a lightweight cloth, and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled.

Roll out the dough out into a large rectangle, no thinner than 1/2". Spread the entire surface with soft butter, then sprinkle liberally with brown sugar, cinnamon, and other desired fillings.

Roll up the dough longways into a log. Cut it into 12 pieces and place them in a greased 9"×13" pan. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes or until large.

Preheat oven to 475° f. Bake the rolls for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° f and bake another 5-7 minutes to brown them.

Cover them with your favorite glaze, icing, or cream cheese frosting. I like to put it on while the rolls are still hot in the pan so the frosting melts into them.

Orange Almond Cake

Period: Medieval in Spain, Italy, Middle East

Sources: (I need to do research)

 1 lb whole oranges, left whole
6 eggs
2 cups almond meal
1 cup raw sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Place the oranges (I used 1 small sweet orange, 3 tiny lemons, and a grapefruit) in a saucepan and barely cover them with water. Bring to a boil, lower the water to a simmer and leave on low heat, covered, for 1 hour. (I saw a recipe that said they can be microwaved in a covered container for 8 minutes instead of boiling, but I haven't tried it.) When done, remove the oranges from the pan and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter and flour, with semolina flour, a 10-inch springform tin. 

Chop the fruit into chunks, removing seeds. Puree them in a blender. Make sure they are completely pureed and there are no chunks of peel. Measure 3 cups of fruit puree and discard any extra. Then thoroughly blend the eggs with the 3 cups of fruit.

In a large bowl, mix the almond meal, sugar and baking powder, then stir in the egg-orange mixture, just until it is mixed. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. The cake is done when it turns a deep golden brown, has come away slightly from the sides of the tin, and a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning it out gently on the serving plate. It is good served plain, or with cream or syrup.  It can be stored in the refrigerator.

Basbousa

 

 

Cake batter:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups fine semola
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup plain yogurt
12-15 almonds, halved; or 1/4 cup finely chopped almonds

Syrup topping:

2 cups raw sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 Tbls fresh orange zest 

1 tsp dried floral tea

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease a large cake pan.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Mix the semola, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl. Add this slowly into the butter mixture alternately with yogurt.

Spread batter into the cake pan. Put the almonds on top of the cake at equal distances so that when you cut into pieces later, each piece has an almond topping in the center; or sprinkle chopped almonds over the top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

For the syrup, dissolve sugar in water over medium heat, add the lemon juice and the rose essence and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 5-7 minutes, then set it in a container filled with cold water to cool the syrup.

When the cake is done, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. This works best to keep it in the pan so the syrup can be soaked into the cake. Serve the cake once it is completely cool.

Classic Bread Pudding

4 cups dry bread, cubed small
1 cup fruit, fresh or dried, in small pieces (I used raisins)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds)
2 1/2 cups milk, cream, half & half, or a combination
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar or brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease a 9"x13" baking pan ( I believe I actually used an 8"-12" or slightly smaller size). Put the fruit in an even layer in the dish, then the bread cubes, then sprinkle the nuts evenly over it.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat the milk until just before the boiling point. Allow to cool slightly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture. Then pour it evenly over the bread in the baking pan.

Baked 25-30 minutes, until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Allow to repose for another 5 minutes.

Gooseberry Preserve Scones

1 1/2 cup flour (whole wheat, white whole wheat, or whole wheat pastry)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg
1/2 cup gooseberry jam
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
Spiced sugar to garnish

Preheat oven to 375°.

Stir together the flour, almond meal, salt, and baking powder.

Cut in the butter until it  thoroughly mixed, no chunks of butter.

Stir in the buttermilk, egg, and jam. It will be a very soft and wet dough. Turn it out onto a floured counter and knead it, very gently, adding in enough flour to make the dough cohesive. Roll it out to about 1/2"-3/4" thick and cut out rounds.

Sprinkle spiced sugar on the top of each round, place them on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, and bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown.

Peaches & Cream Crumb Cake

4 cups peaches, sliced thin and pit removed
1 1/2 Tbls sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbls unflavored gelatin or collagen
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup corn meal or masa harina
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup cream or half & half
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8" square or circular cake pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the peaches, 1 1/2 Tbls sugar, gelatin, and ground ginger. If the fruit is frozen, it needs to be thawed.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes, then cut it into the flour mixture until the butter is all small pieces. Stir in the eggs and cream to make a thick, clumpy dough. Add more liquid if necessary, so there is no loose powder in the dough.

Put 1/2 of the crumb mixture into the bottom on the cake pan, in an even layer. Put the peach mixture in an even layer over the crumbs. Top with a layer of the remaining crumb mixture, sprinkling it in large clumps.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until lightly golden on top.

Spiced Almond Biscuits

1/2 cup cold butter

1/4 cup coconut oil or lard

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups almond meal

about 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease it.

Cut the butter into small cubes. In a medium bowl, put in the butter, coconut oil/lard, and sugars. Use a pastry cutter to mix the butter and shortening into the sugar. When it is somewhat creamy, a beater can be used to mix it to a smooth, creamy texture. 

Beat in the vanilla and eggs until creamy again. Then stir in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Stir in the almond meal one cup at a time. It will create a very soft, sticky dough.

Form the dough into small balls, the volume of about 2 tablespoons. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar until they are completely coated. Place the balls on the baking sheet at least 2" apart, as they spread quite a bit while baking. Gently compress the top of each ball, so it is just barely flat.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until they are golden-brown around the edges.

Makes about 20 cookies.

Variations:

Use other spices or a mixture of spices.

Use other nut flours or a mixture of nut flours. I can sometimes find a mix of almond, coconut, pecan, and walnut, which is delicious.

Raspberry Seedcake

1/2 cup cream
8 oz. butter (1/2 cup)
6 Tbls. honey
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1 Tbls. caraway seeds
3 eggs
1/4 cup elderflower cordial (or 1 Tbls. elderflower syrup + 3 Tbls. water or carbonated water)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup raspberries

Put the cream in a small pan over med-high heat. Stir it every 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat when it reaches a boil, turn the heat to med-low, and return the cream to heat. Stir gently but constantly until it scrapes clean from the bottom of the pan and is thickened--about 15 minutes from the start. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream together the butter, honey, and cream. Stir in the spices and seeds. Add the eggs and cordial, beating to combine. Gently break the raspberries into several pieces, and coat them all with flour.  Add the 2 cups flour gradually to the batter, mixing it in completely before adding more. Add the baking powder with the flour. Then gently stir in the raspberries.  The batter will be very thick.

Line a bread pan with buttered baking paper. Pour in the batter and spread to smooth. Bake it for 1 hour, or until it tests done (probe comes out clean).

Moroccan Harchas

Period: 1200s, Spain, Morocco
Sources: About Morrocan Food, Medieval Spanish Chef

2 cups fine semola flour
3 tablespoons coarse raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup soft or melted butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, stir together the semola, sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is like damp sand. Stir in 1/2 cup milk. The dough needs to be very soft, like very wet cookie dough. Add more milk if necessary. It will look too wet to a baker's eye.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes. It will stiffen as the semolina absorbs moisture.

Meanwhile, preheat the frying pan over high heat, then turn heat to medium-low.

Prepare a pressing folder by cutting open 3 edges of a plastic storage bag, or cutting a rectangle of baking parchment and folding in half into a square.

Form a small ball of dough, place on one half of the pressing folder, fold over the other half, and use a flat-bottomed plate to press the dough into a circle about 1/4" thick. Peel off the top half, flip the dough onto one hand and peel off the other half of the folder.

Cook them over medium-low heat for several minutes on each side until each side has patches of deep golden brown. try to flip it only once.

Serve with toppings as with pancakes or scones, such as butter, syrup, jam, cream, or savory with cheese and meat.