May I Recommend the Padron Peppers?

Uchi and Uchiko of Austin are two of our favorite restaurants. Each time we dine at Uhci or Uciko we are introduced to a new dish or flavor combination that inspires us. A few weeks ago while waiting for a table at Uchi we ordered wine and a bowl of edamame. Our waitress asked, "May I recommend the padron peppers?" Given our positive track record of trying new things at Uchi we accepted. The padron pepper is a nice balance of heat and sweet. It was a delightful appetizer and paired well with dry rose.

We spotted the padron pepper while grocery shopping and I included it the pickle canning jars. The remaining peppers were fried and topped with sea salt. Here is the simple recipe from Honest Cooking magazine.

Ingredients:
2 generous cups of Padron peppers
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions

Directions: 
Add olive oil to a hot frying pan, when the oil is hot and shimmering add the peppers.
Cook and stir the peppers until the skin is brown and blistered.
Remove the peppers from the pan, place on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

http://honestcooking.com/2011/07/22/the-best-way-to-enjoy-padron-peppers/

Canning Curiosity

I've taken up canning as a new hobby and love it so far! This classic food preservation process is challenging and fascinating not to mention economical and promises flavorful goods year round. This post will not contain a recipe, but instead a few suggestions, resources for canning newbies, and a request.

Suggestion 1: gain inspiration from old cookbooks, family and friends, and blogs, but ultimately consult a reputable source. Food safety, standards, and technology have changed a lot even in the last couple decades. 

Suggestion 2: allow extra time. Before canning the first time I read: boil water, fill jars, and process. I thought that sounded easy enough and wouldn't take too long. However, ensuring sterilization and using caution really slowed down the process for me. Hopefully after a few canning successes I'll be more confident and efficient.   

Suggestion 3: be flexible. I suggest making a little extra syrup or brine. When I made pickles I was short on brine even though I was following the recipe closely. Either I did not pack the cucumbers as snug as the recipe intended, or my pickles were larger than average, or my jars were not the right shape. I also suggest keeping extra jars on hand for this situation. 

Suggestion 4: do your research. Similar to gaining inspiration check out a few different sources. I recommend the following:

• Modern Cuisine, Volume 4. There is a chapter on canning covering the history and evolution of canning and important safety information. We checked this book out at the library.  
• Better Homes and Gardens, Can It!. This is a great book for a newbie because it simply lays out the basics, has lots of photos, and a good variety of recipes. I purchased this book at Lowes. 
• Pinterest. Search for "canned goods" or "canning" and you'll find many others with boards and pins about canning and links to recipes. 

Since I am still new at this do you have any advice? If you're a seasoned canner what are some best practices? If you're a newbie too what is your favorite cookbook? 

Happy canning! 

Paula Dean Peach Cobbler

No doubt it's peach season in Texas! There are Fredricksburg or Hill Country orchard stands on every corner it seems. We love this Paula Dean recipe because it's easy and flexible. When we lived in Oregon there was a huge blackberry bush behind our house I and would pick a 1/2 cup to add. This time I used blueberries. I also reduce the sugar by half because the fruit adds enough for our taste.

Ingredients:
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Taste of Summer Sun tea

The Texas heat has rolled in and is here to stay so we brewed our first batch of sun tea. I didn't grow up drinking iced tea so as an adult I am fairly picky. We like the Lipton brand tea bags. I haven't tried the variations listed at the bottom, but they sound tasty!

Ingredients:
6 tea bags
10 cups water

Directions:
Wash and rinse a glass container with lid. Add water and tea bags then cover. You can adjust the tea bag to water ratio to make a stronger or lighter drink. Find a sunny spot on your porch or patio and set out for 4 hours. Remove tea bags and chill.

Country Living Magazine recommends a few variations.

• Traditional: For the classic beverage, use orange pekoe teabags. Stir in sugar if desired and garnish with fresh lemon slices.
• Herbal: Fresh herbs also steep well. Add a few ounces of the leaves of your favorite herbs to the water. Strain; garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs and sweeten with honey.
• Fruit-Flavored: Use a combination of orange pekoe and berry- and peach-flavored teabags for brighter flavor. Garnish with fresh raspberries and peach slices.

We All Scream for Ice-cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice-cream! I love ice-cream and making it at home is fun and cost effective. You control the fat content, sugar, and flavor combinations. We picked up our ice-cream maker at an estate sale for under $10. Most ingredients you will likely have on hand. This recipe came from the cookbook accompanying our Krups machine. A quick Google search will produce endless recipes ranging from ice-cream basics to custards and sorbets.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp cornstarch
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Boil the milk. At the same time, place the egg yolks, the sugar, and the cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk the mixture together. Slowly pour the hot milk on the mixture while continuing to beat it. Add the vanilla. Heat gently, stirring continually until it thickens. Let the mixture cool down, and then pour it into the ice-cream maker.

We enhanced our recipe by adding caramel and sea salt just before the milk boiled. We also substituted vanilla bean powder for vanilla essence. Get creative and enjoy!