Muffins - with flavors from plain vanilla to Jasmine

As with most muffin recipes, you mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, and then mix the wet with the dry (just until combined,) right before filling the muffin tin and baking.

Basic Ingredients:

Non-changing Dry Ingredients are:

• 1/2 cup sugar;
• 3 Tablespoon baking powder;
• 1/2 teaspoon salt;

Dry Ingredients with options:

• 2 cups flour: you can use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat, 2 cups all-purpose, or substitute 1 to 2 Tbsp wheat germ or wheat bran for an equal amount of flour, etc.; I use 1 cup all-purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat flour available from King Arthur Flour;

Non-changing Wet Ingredients are:

• 1 egg;
• 1/4 cup honey;

Wet Ingredients with options:

• 1 cup whole milk: this can be made up of a combination of milks with various fat content if you don’t have whole milk, such as 3/4 cup low fat + 1/4 cup cream, or 1/2 cup each low fat and half & half, etc.;
  
• 1/4 cup butter: you can substitute 1/4 cup applesauce, or 2 Tablespoon each applesauce and melted butter;
  
• 1/2 teaspoon flavoring of your choice: extracts such as vanilla, lemon, orange, almond, various citrus zests, both extract and zest, cinnamon, ginger, etc. See suggestions following directions for inspiration.
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the muffin pan (approx 12 muffin cups) with cooking spray.

If using butter, melt it in the microwave or on the stove top and set it aside to cool. (If you make the tea-flavored muffins described below, this is the time to heat the milk and steep the tea.)

In a medium sized bowl combine both flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. If you are adding dry items such as cinnamon, poppy seeds, wheat bran, etc. add it to this mixture.

Beat the egg by hand in a large mixing bowl and add the milk, honey, and any extract or zest. Add the now-cooled butter or optional applesauce and mix.

Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir just to combine.

Divide mixture evenly among the muffin cups (filling about 3/4 of each cup) and bake in preheated oven for 12-16 minutes. Test: if a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, they are done.

Easy Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Here are some flavor suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:

Almond-poppy seed: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds; top with sliced almonds;

Streusel-topped cinnamon muffins : Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the muffin batter. Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly on top of the filled muffin cups before baking.

Blueberry: Add 2 Tablespoons extra sugar to flour mixture, and fold 3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries to the batter just before filling muffin cups;

Lemon: Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel to the flour and ½ teaspoon lemon extract to the liquids; try this with the extra sugar and blueberries in the blueberry muffin version above for a real taste treat.

Tea flavored muffins: Warm the milk in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat until it is quite hot, but not boiling (130-160 degrees Fahrenheit.) Steep 3 tea bags or 3 teaspoons of loose leaf tea of your choice in the hot milk for approximately 5 minutes. After steeping, squeeze excess liquid out of tea  bags or strain tea leaves out of milk and allow the milk to cool while you mix the other ingredients. Add more milk, if necessary, to make one full cup.

Try teas such as Earl Grey, Green Ginger, Jasmine, green tea, etc., whatever flavor you prefer. Orange extract or zest makes a very nice addition to Earl Grey tea muffins, while lemon extract or zest makes a delicious complement to green or green-ginger tea muffins. Experiment until you discover your favorite combination.

Now it’s your turn to get creative. Let us know what flavor combinations you come up with, and we will share them here.

Serve your muffins warm or at room temperature to lucky recipients. It’s a good thing they are quick and easy to make, because they will go fast.

Don’t worry, these diners are not being tricked into it, they are intentionally ordering offal dishes. (Appropriately enough, some may feel, offal is pronounced exactly the same as the word “awful.”)

Offal includes various non-muscular or non-skeletal parts of beef, veal, mutton, lamb, and pork such as: hearts, livers, tongues, glands, feet, tails, heads, and anything edible, including, of course, the Undead favorite – brains.

In a recent article by Bruce Palling in the Wall Street Journal, Anissa Helou, author of The Fifth Quarter: An Offal Cookbook was quoted as saying:

“These days, any self-respecting foodie will want to eat offal or at least boast of having brains—it is a badge of honor, really.”

Fergus Henderson, British chef and author of  The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating believes more people easily will be converted to indulging in offal dishes:

“All it really takes is common-sense cooking. It is nothing to do with challenging your culinary boundary’s blood lust—offal is just nutritious, delicious, wonderful stuff.”

We always knew the Undead were cool and hip! If you want to get in on this trend you can visit one of the ritzy restaurants near you serving offal dishes, or check out one of these new cookbooks that will tell you all about how to prepare your own offal food:

I find that, while the process is so easy, or maybe because it is so easy, people tend to complicate it.

Actually, the less effort I put into making a loaf of no-knead bread, the better it turns out. That’s not to say one shouldn’t be creative in trying variations and seasonings, (see No-Knead Bread Variations,)  it simply is not necessary to tinker with the basic method.

Two important things:

Two of the most important techniques to the success of the no-knead process are:

1) a very long first rise period for great flavor – 18 hours minimum is best; and

2) baking the bread in a  heavy, covered baking pot that has been preheated for one-half hour until very hot. (I use my grandmother’s Dutch oven and it works like a charm.)

One other thing I have found helpful is to write down the time that I start the dough. It sits for so long that it is easy to forget what time it was when I started.

Here is the sound-byte version for those who want to get right to baking:

1- Mix 3 cups bread flour, 1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. yeast, and 1 and 1/3 cups cool water in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.

2- Let it sit for 12 to 18 hours – the longer time results in better flavor.

3- When the top is covered with bubbles, shape it into a sort of ball, then cover it and allow to rise again for 1 to 3 hours.

4- Preheat the oven and the Dutch oven or other baking dish (with lid) to 450 degrees F.

5- Put the dough in the preheated baking dish and put the lid on.

5- Bake at 450 degrees F with the lid on for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 15 minutes or so until done.

For those who like more detail and photos, here is the full annotated and illustrated version:

No-Knead Bread Basic Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. yeast
• 1 & 1/3 cups cool water (55 to 65 °F)
• wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Directions:

Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl.

Note: Some people have complained that the dough requires more salt. I increased the salt from 1 & 1/4 tsp. to 1 & 1/2 tsp. This tastes fine to me, but you can play around with the amount. For additional flavor enhancements and other ways to jazz it up see No-Knead Bread Variations.

Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to form a wet, sticky dough. Someone people recommend you mix the dough with your hands, but if you do you will covered in sticky dough, which leaves less for your loaf.

If the dough (batter really) is not sticky enough, add a Tablespoon or two of water until it is.

Here is a picture of the sticky batter that you start with.

No-Knead Bread dough sticky batter

First Rise:

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean cotton or linen cloth or tea towel and let it sit at room temperature (about 70 degrees F), out of direct sunlight, for about 12 to 18 hours or more. The cooler your room, the longer you will want to leave it.

Note: Some variations on this recipe instruct the baker to place the dough in the refrigerator, either for the entire rising time, or for 12 to 24 hours followed by 12 hours or so at room temperature.

When is it Ready?

The dough is ready for the next step when the surface is covered with bubbles and the dough has doubled in size or more.

The dough will be VERY sticky, but do not add more flour. Use a rubber spatula or scraper to  remove it from the bowl in one piece. When you scrape it out of the bowl you will notice a stringy consistency caused by the gluten.

Here is a picture showing the stringy consistency caused by the gluten.

Gluten strands in No-Knead Bread dough after first rise

Shape the Dough:

Place the dough on a floured board or piece of parchment (cooking) paper and dust it with flour.

Shape the dough by folding it in on itself to form a ball.

No Knead Bread shaped after first rise

Second Rising:

Take a second piece of parchment paper or a cotton or linen tea towel (NOT terry cloth, unless you like cotton fibers in your bread,) and heavily dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour.

Transfer the shaped dough onto the parchment paper or cotton tea towel. Dust the top of the dough with additional flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. If using parchment paper cover the dough with plastic wrap. If using a tea towel/cloth, cover the dough loosely with a second cloth.

If you use the flour-dusted parchment paper method, set the whole thing -parchment paper and dough- into a large shallow bowl or skillet for the second rise. When it is time to place it in the preheated Dutch oven you can set the parchment paper and the dough into the Dutch oven and then put the lid on. This works just fine. The parchment paper is perfectly safe in the Dutch oven. The only drawback is that this can detract from the perfect “look” of the bread where the parchment paper folds and sort of cuts into the dough while the bread bakes.

Place the dough in a warm, draft-free spot, out of direct sunlight,  and allow it to rise for one to three hours until it almost doubles.

Note: During cooler weather this rising time will tend towards the longer time of three hours; if the weather is warmer, the rising time will decrease to more like one hour.

Is it ready?

To test whether the dough is ready to bake, poke it with your finger. If it holds the impression it is ready. If it springs back, wait another 15 minutes and check again.

Preheat oven and Dutch oven:

About one-half hour before you anticipate the dough being ready, move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven and place a Dutch oven with lid  or other deep, heavy duty covered casserole dish with lid in the oven.  Pre-heat the oven with the baking dish and the lid in it to 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. (Be sure the handle on your baking dish can withstand this temperature before you place it in the oven. Some baking dish handles cannot take 450F!)

When the oven and covered pot are both completely preheated, place the dough in the hot baking pot and cover it with the lid. If you used parchment paper you can set the parchment paper with the dough in it directly into the baking dish and then cover with the lid.

Baking Time:

Bake 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and continue to bake another 15 to 20 minutes uncovered until golden brown.

Notes:

While I was making a loaf of no-knead bread a couple of weeks ago, I only had a minute or two after the dough had completed the first rise to sort of stir the dough (really a batter at that point) around a bit, instead of doing the the “folding it over on a flour-dusted board” thing before the second rise.

When it came time to bake it, I sort of scooped the sticky mess into my Oh-so-hot Dutch oven and closed the lid, then slid it back into the oven. That loaf came out looking just great, and the texture was superb, as always!

Alternatively, I find that after the first rise, if I turn the dough out onto a WELL floured board it is much easier to shape. I wash out the bowl I used to mix it in, dust the inside well with flour, and then place the ball of dough back into the bowl. cover it again with plastic wrap and let it rise for another two to three hours. I up-end the bowl over the Dutch oven and the dough plops in. If it is uneven, the dough will even out while it bakes into a beautiful loaf.

One word of caution: do not allow the bread to over-proof (rise too much) during the second rise period. Placing the dough in the oven before it has completely risen gives it a quick boost in rising when it is first placed in the hot oven and results in a pretty crust with classic cracks on top.

By the way, I do NOT remove the way-too-hot preheated Dutch oven from the oven to place the dough in it. I simply slide the oven rack out far enough to take off the lid, put the dough inside, and then replace the lid.

Olive oil is the signature  ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine, but not just for its delectable contribution to vegetables and pasta dishes. Multiple studies have shown that a balanced diet of natural foods including olive oil and other healthy fats has a significant positive impact on heart health. Eating a small quantity of olive oil every day fights those free radicals that wreak havoc on your arteries.

The French Paradox has puzzled nutritionist for decades  . For several years, researchers have studied Mediterranean cultures to determine why there was such a low incidence of heart disease — That’s the French Paradox  . They not only evaluated  diet and use of olive oil, but also lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption , exercise , blood pressure, weight and history of diabetes. Surprisingly, olive oil in particular was connected to a 47% reduction in heart disease, no matter what other risk factors existed.

Research published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, demonstrated that a polyphenol compound called DHPEA-EDA was found to be the most effective substance at fighting the effects of free radical damage and protecting red blood cells, even when taken at low concentrations. This dynamic antioxidant is the major source of the health benefits associated with extra virgin olive oils (EVA), which contain more DHPEA-EDA than other oils.

Extra virgin olive oil is also one of the best sources of both oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, two influential antioxidants that reduce inflammatory reactions in the body. Inflammation puts arterues at risk by creating cracks in the inner lining of the arteries—cracks the body tries to repair with plaque deposits that down the road  threaten heart health. Because they reduce inflammation the antioxidants in EVA can greatly reduce your risk of heart attack.

Olive oil is most healing when unfiltered, dark golden yellow or green, cold-pressed, and packaged in dark glass bottles. Spicy tasting extra virgin olive oil has the most antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Purchase the highest quality olive oil you can afford .

Cooking with Olive oil destroys its value, so it’s best to use it for dressings, or cook with pure olive oil at very low temps. Store it away from light and heat in order to maintain its strength  and freshness, and use it up  within a year of purchase.

One of the finest ways to give Belgian chocolate as a gift is to incorporate it as part of a basket or assortment of items that center around chocolate—especially if you’re giving it to someone who just loves chocolate . There are chocolate flavored drink mixes, hard chocolate candies and even truffles you can give as a gift that many people love to get . When you give a gift like candy it’s something that everyone can enjoy.

Shopping online for the perfect basket or assortment of Belgian chocolates is very easy and you can pick from some of the best chocolate companies available. This means you can customize and pick out the perfect gift for everyone with just a few clicks of the mouse. Whether you just want to get someone a few unique pieces of important candy or want to put together a large assortment of imported chocolates, shopping online is the simplest and most convenient way to do it (not to mention the least expensive way).

If you have been searching for the absolutely perfect gift to give  a close family friend or loved one , it is pretty hard to go wrong with chocolate from Belgium. You can get a great imported taste of authentic chocolate and using the internet you won’t have to spend a ton of money to put together a great gift.

One appeal of Tuscan Italian food is that it is in the main healthy. This is due in large part to its use of olive oil. There are quite a few different sorts of olives that are grown in the region and used extensively in the cooking. Beans are likewise commonly used as are vegetables, seasonal fruits, and mushrooms. Obviously the area likewise has the cheeses that are a signature of Italian food. In October and November the men and women are up for a real treat as this is when the famous white truffles of the area appear. Contrasting this lighter side of the Italian food is the encompassing use of meat in Tuscany. High quality beef can be found in the area. 

There is even a specific breed employed for the famous t-bone steaks that are referred to as Florentine steak. Pork is in addition used an origin of protein in the Tuscan Italian food. One of the causes of their famed use of meat has historical roots. When the country started relying heavily on polenta and various corn products, many people began dying owing to malnutrition. It was discovered that the thousands of deaths were bound to a lack of protein and other nutrients. Since that time the Italians have taken care to add more variety to their dietary plan than just pasta. 

Tuscany has perhaps more unique Italian meals than any other region. Some popular dishes include fresh vegetables either raw or slightly cooked and served with olive oil that is experienced for dipping. Tuscany is in addition known for a reheated vegetable soup dish. The meat dishes that are most unique to the area include Tuscan-style veal shank and T-bone steak. The Italian food that features pork in the area includes creamed bacon and a complicated dish of pig’s liver stuffed into a pig’s stomach and then slowly baked with stock and red wine. 

The real Italian food gem in Tuscany is not just the unique entrees, but the unique breads. There are specific breads for specific holidays and seasons in Tuscany. On Good Friday bread that is baked on a bed of chestnut leaves is served. They also have breads made from maize, fried in olive oil, manufactured with sweet chestnut flour with rosemary leaves, breads comprised of an assortment of different flours; the list goes on and on. Usually Italian food makes one think about all the various types of pasta, but in Tuscany the Italian food of variety is the bread. On Easter Sunday special bread that is made with raisins, saffron, and various spices is consecrated in church before being served. It has a high volumes of fat content and is served with eggs. There are also sweet rolls that are consumed on the St. Anthony feast day. Who knew that Italian food included so many various breads? Just as there are many various cheeses in Italian food, there are every bit many Italian food breads to serve with them. 

Tuscany is a treasure trove of Italian food. Try eating at a Tuscan inspired Italian food restaurant, or make sure to travel to Tuscany while in Italy to try all the various unique Italian food dishes that they have to share. 

People start eating Tteokguk cooked from white rice cake (Tteok) to signify the day’s pure and solemn nature. Why is rice cake round? Some people say it was shaped after coins to bring people prosperity and some people say it shaped after the sun. According to a 19th century handbook on traditions, the history of eating rice cake soup dates back to the late 18th century.

It is significant to make a good broth for this dish to be taste good. Beef brisket is boiled for several hours and the stock is strained to clarify the broth. Long rice cake sticks are cut diagonally and boiled in the clear beef broth. The rice cake slices should be cooked until they’re very soft. Make sure you put the egg in room temperature before you beat it and add it to the broth. An egg that just came out of the refrigerator will make the broth murky instead of smooth and thin ribbons.

It is very easy to make Tteokguk today because most of the Korean grocery stores sell rice cake slices.

This is how to cook Tteokguk:

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

5 cups BEEF BROTH.

1 lb/455 g sliced “GARAETTEOK” (rice cake), soaked in water for 2 hours

1 EGG, beaten

2 sheets of “GIIM” (seaweed), toasted slightly

SOY SAUCE to adjust seasoning

2 SCALLIONS, cut diagonally

BLACK PEPPER

1. Prepare the beef broth early on. Prepare GARAETTEOK (rice cake) slices and remove the egg from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature.

2. Bring the broth to a boil, then add the rice cake slices. Let it cook until it gets soft. At this time, lightly toast the seaweed on a toaster. Cut the seaweed into 4 pieces with scissors and then into strips. Set it aside. Adjust the soup seasoning with soy sauce and add the scallion.

3. Swirl the soup with chopsticks while putting in the beaten egg as a stream. Divide the soup into individual bowls and top them with crumbled seaweed.

Many different sorts of Tteokguk have been served in the northern part and southern part of Korea, which are different in climate and types of farming. In the north, the farming of rice is uncommon; people added Mandu (Korean style Dumpling) to Tteokguk and enjoyed Tteokmanduguk.

At just about any Korean restaurant you go to, there will be Tteokguk on the menu. It is important to the culture and to the people.

To help you in your quest to cook the perfect dinner, I have detailed four important strategies:

Cooking prime rib strategy #1:  Select the finest cut of meat.
If you really want to impress your dinner guests, ask your butcher for USDA Prime. It is the positively superior grade of meat that is generally earmarked for trendy restaurants. In fact, just 2% of all beef is rated by the USDA as Prime. If Prime is within your budget, do it. The difference in tenderness and taste is very distinguishable.  Nonetheless, if the meal budget can not allow for a prime cut, then go ahead and purchase choice.  It’ll still taste good enough to win over your guests.

Cooking prime rib strategy #2:  Precooking methods are essential.
Have your butcher trim some of the excessive fat off your choice of cut, leaving behind a coating of fat to protect and baste your roast as it cooks.  You ought to pick at least a 3 rib bone portion, because something smaller sized is less forgiving to cook.  Before you start the food preparation process, it is essential that you permit the roast to assume room temperature.  This implies leaving it out for up to 2 total hours right before roasting.

Cooking prime rib strategy #3:  Choose your technique of food preparation.
You will find 2 primary methods to use when preparing a prime rib roast: medium heat and searing. Both use an oven temp of 325 degrees F. The only difference between them is that using the searing technique, you’ll first sear the meat in a range at 450 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes before turning the oven down to 325 degrees F for the remainder of the food preparation time.
Here’s a more comprehensive explanation of each of the 2 methods:

 Medium Heat Method.

Place rib roast in roasting pan, fat side up. Add salt and pepper if preferred. Usually a coarser salt is used for prime rib, for example rock salt or possibly coarse sea salt. Sometimes kosher salt is used. If you’re including an herb rub, add the rub after the salt.
Cook roast for specified amount of time at 325 degrees F.
    

Searing Technique.

Place rib roast in roasting pan, fat side up. Add salt and pepper if desirable. Generally a coarser salt is used for prime rib, for example rock salt or maybe coarse sea salt. Occasionally kosher salt is used. If you are adding an herb rub, add the rub after the salt.
Sear roast for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Bake roast for specified quantity of time at 325 degrees F.

Cooking prime rib strategy #4:  Food preparation methods.
Irrespective of whatever cooking technique you decide to use, the following guidelines will prove to be useful: Every half hour or so, baste the edges of the roast with the drippings. When the internal temperature gets to 120′, take your masterpiece out of the oven and protect it with foil. Let the roast to sit for twenty to 30 minutes. It will still cook throughout this time, achieving a temperature of about 125′ to 130′. This resting period enables the juices and flavors to permeate the beef.

Conclusion:  
When arranging a triumphant meal it is a great idea to know your guests inclinations.  Although prime rib is generally best served rare to medium, you will find a number of individuals who would like it well done.   And you may want to overlook dry rubs or basting the meat as this might cause the meat to become too spicy for some people.  Serving your prime rib with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob ought to make even the most discerning eater crave for a 2nd helping.  

Want to learn more valuable cooking tips?  Click Here:  The Cooking Network

If possible, handle the braising pan before you purchase it to make sure you are comfortable with the weight and are getting a high quality that will last. If this is not possible, order through a reputable company that will allow you to return it if not satisfied.

Braising is a process that produces extremely tender, flavorful food. It is ideal for tough meats, since the slow cooking process gently breaks down the meat, making it more tender and allowing it to absorb the flavor of the dish. Braising is not normally suitable for meats that are already tender and when used with vegetables which tend to fall apart. (Sauteing is often a better solution when vegetables are involved.)

Several things distinguish a braising pan from other cookware. First is its solid, sturdy construction which allows the braising pan to withstand prolonged heating. Typically, the handles are made from an oven-proof material so that the pan can withstand oven use. A braising pan also has a snug fitting lid that may be made from glass to allow convenient monitoring without disturbing the contents of the pan.

Cast iron is an excellent material for braising pans since it is designed to withstand prolonged heating,. Dutch ovens – including enamelware – make generally excellent braising pans. Nonstick cookware may be acceptable in some cases, but it may not be oven safe and will require the use of non-metal utensils. Since most braising recipes include oven use, insure the braising pan does not contain plastic components, although silicone cool grip handles are quite useful and oven safe.

If tender, flavorful meat dishes are your thing, try braising. But remember, not all braising pans are created equal.