Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

Eggs!

I enjoy a cheese souffle, but I don't always enjoy the work of it. This 'Sturdy Souffle' is adapted from the 1979 edition of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook, and cuts down on the work - no separating or separate beating of eggs. It won't rise as high and light, but doesn't fall as flat as a 'regular' souffle.

Sturdy Souffle

4 T. butter (and some to grease the dish)

1/4 cup flour

1 cup hot milk

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle the baking dish; or just MORE in general)

4 eggs, beaten well

Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a 3-cup or 1-qt. ovenproof bowl or baking dish. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese around the bowl, as if flouring a cake pan. Place it in the oven in a pan containing 1 inch of hot water (I don't always follow this step, and just bake it without the water bath.)

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and blend until smooth. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the milk and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, until smooth and thick (a wire whisk is good for this).

Add the salt, cayenne, and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and blended into the sauce. Remove from the heat.

Beat 3 T. of the sauce into the eggs, then return the egg-sauce mixture to the saucepan, and beat until smooth. Pour into the baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, until set.

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Next, a "Chile Relleno" style casserole. There are many versions of this, some with whole stuffed chiles and some that include meat. This is a quick, easy one. It serves 12, but I've halved it in the past with no problem. (This is also a great very low-carb egg dish.)

Chile Relleno Casserole

6 4-oz. cans green chiles

1-1/2 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated

1-1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

6 eggs, beaten

1-1/4 cups evaporated milk (I use light whipping cream instead)

1/4 cup flour

pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350. Drain and clean the chiles, and place in the bottom of a large buttered casserole.

Sprinkle the chiles with 1/2 of each cheese, and then top with another layer of chiles, and then the rest of the cheeses.

Mix the eggs with the milk or cream and salt, and pour over the top of the chile-cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until the eggs are set and casserole is slightly browned.

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I've only ever eaten one thing at our local Silver Diner; not because I haven't gone there frequently, but because I tend to find one thing I really like at a place like that, and never order anything else. The 'thing' at Silver Diner is the Crabcake Benedict. It seems to have disappeared from the menu, but when I ask for it, they always make it for me.

I found this recipe that looks very like what the Silver Diner serves. If you have a good crabcake recipe, make your own; but if you want them ready-made, the Phillips frozen crab cakes are pretty good - but as mentioned in the comments, it needs the addition of tomato slices.

(I hope in the future to do a thread on traditional Maryland recipes, but I will have to master the Crab Cake, first - which is embarrassing for a lifelong Marylander to admit ;-) If anyone has a favorite recipe, please post.

From the 'Mr. Breakfast' website, which is pretty neat:

http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=1235

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

If you ever try a completely whole wheat loaf, let us know how it turns out.

-JT

[newb2012]

I tried a couple different recipes. All completely whole wheat loaves turned out pretty dense and heavy. I like’em less dense and light. Is there a fix?

[JRandomFreeper]

I use white wheat flour instead of that heavy whole wheat (mostly molasses for color).

If the bread type is going to hurt you, you got serious health issues. I'm fine with the regular King Arthur bread flour without the 'whole wheat' nonsense.

Max I'll use is 8% 'whole wheat' with the regular bread flour.

/johnny

[newb2012]

Thanks, that makes sense. Will try white one next time. I don’t understand what gluten does to the bread though.

[JRandomFreeper]

Gluten makes the little packets that store CO2 Carbon Dioxide.

Regular bread flour has plenty.

Best I can figure is gluten off the shelf is used to remove $$ from the consumer.

/johnny

[newb2012]

:-)

[JRandomFreeper]

Everyone take notice that you can tell what kind of wheat is being used.

The flour on the left is regular King Arthur unbleached bread flour.

The flour on the right is that heavy arsed 100% whole grain whole wheat flour.

Also King Arthur.

Almost all my bread flour is King Arthur. I spent time at the mill down in San Antonio a few years ago.

One thing to notice is the 4 grams of protein. Good baking flour has that. Too little isn't good, nor too much.

Skip the 3 gram (General Purpose Flour) and the 5 gram.

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

See post 107. Maybe that will help explain things.

I very rarely discuss the nutritional information, even though I am qualified, and have created them.

/johnny

[newb2012]

Good morning and thank you! Now I’ll start using white whole wheat flour confidently:-)
Don’t know if you’d like to share but why are all the nutrients added to bread flour and not the heavy ——-ed wheat flour.(LOL) And what do they add to increase the nutrients.

[JRandomFreeper]

Federal law requires the use of additives. Your government at work. You can look it up. Like the addition of nutrients to milk. The Vit D isn't there naturally. Not that amount.

/johnny

[MomwithHope]

I'm checking in late. Just finished (on Sunday) a five day reunion at our house, 22 people. Fortunately only one stayed here. But we did all the food, rented a roaster for the pork. After lots of OTC pain reliever today I feel like I am getting my legs back.

Best tip for deviled eggs someone told me years ago. Mix the yolks, mayo, and anything else in a sealed ziploc bag. When ready just snip the corner of the bag and pipe your egg whites full. No mess to clean up.

[MomwithHope]

Well you can tell I am out of it. I posted the same info twice, not realizing this is an older thread. More coffee!

[MomwithHope]

Hey Johnny! Great to see your posting and I saw your new picture. You are looking good! You’ve got good color. I wish I could bake a good loaf of bread. I actually cheat sometimes and buy frozen bread dough and spice it up with herbss or cheese or dried tomatoes. Will you still speak with me?

[JRandomFreeper]

The best way to learn to bake is to bake.

Flour is cheap, and I'm not scared to throw away what I don't like. I have NO obligation to eat junk.

/johnny

[MomwithHope]

I hear ya, I don’t bake that frozen dough very often - maybe 3 or 4 times a year. I used to try more in the past, the carbs are what we have to avoid now.

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm not kidding. A homemade loaf from scratch costs less than a dollar (I did the numbers over a year ago).

If you did good, eat it. If it is bad, THROW IT AWAY!. It cost less than a dollar for the flour, yeast, water (yes I included), tiny amount of sugar and veg oil.

Don't be cheap. I threw away over a thousand loaves (or fed it to the Dawg) when I was learning.

Cheap at the cost.

/johnny

[MomwithHope]

OK I will try again. I do make a good pizza crust from scratch and I used to be able to make a decent loaf of potato bread. We only rarely buy bread from the store and then it’s a seeded rye. Hubby has talked often about the popovers he ate as a child fresh from the oven. I have a recipe and have not even tried it, shame on me.

[BlueLancer]

"Hubby has talked often about the popovers he ate as a child fresh from the oven."

Please forgive me, but, as God is my witness, I thought it had been written "...as he ate a child fresh from the oven".

I really need to learn how to read more slowly ...

[MomwithHope]

No I just should have put a comma after child.