Focaccia

http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2011/09/how-to-make-focaccia-step-by-step/
Not knowing what flavors we would like the best, I seasoned in sections.  The whole loaf was first coated with garlic butter and sea salt, yes I left the chucks of garlic on the bread.  There was Basil, Thyme and several different kinds of graded cheeses.

Basic Focaccia Recipe
Makes 1 (13 x 9 Inch) Rectangular Pan, or 3 (10 – 12 Inch) Round Loaves
by Deborah Mele


5 Cups All-purpose Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Instant Yeast
2 – 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Plus 2 Additional Tablespoons To Oil Bowl)
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Warm Water

Measure and assemble your flour, oil, salt, yeast, and water
Add everything but the water into a large bowl and stir.
Add half the water and stir.
Continue to add water until the dough begins to come together into a shaggy ball.
Dump the dough mixture onto a lightly floured surface surface and begin to knead with the heels of your hand.
Knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and pliant.
Add a little oil (2 tablespoons) to the bottom of a large bowl and place your ball of dough inside. Roll the ball around in the oil, ensuring the sides of the bowl, and ball of dough are both lightly oiled.

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise.
I cover mine with a kitchen towel on top of the plastic wrap and sit it on a large sunny windowsill.
Let the dough rise until it is doubled in size, about an hour or an hour and a half depending on ambient temperature.

To make a large rectangular focaccia, lightly oil a 13 X 9 inch baking sheet with sides

Use your fingers to push and press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 20 or 30 minutes or until the dough dimples when pushed with your fingertip.

Use the tips of your fingers to dimple the entire top of the focaccia.
Drizzle olive oil over the top turning the pan carefully to allow the oil to roll into the indentations.

Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top of your focaccia and then let it sit and rise for another 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool to room temperature before slicing.

For Baking:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Sea Salt
Optional Toppings of Choice

Empanadas mendocinas (Laylita Recipes)

http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/06/11/empanadas-mendocinas/

Yield: ~20 medium or ~30 small empanadas

Easy recipe for empanadas mendocinas, traditional Argentinean baked empanadas filled with beef, onions, paprika, hot pepper powder, cumin, oregano, hard-boiled egg and olives. Adapted from From Argentina with Love

Ingredients
Dough for empanadas mendocinas – makes about 20 medium or 30 small empanadas

3 cups flour
1 egg yolk
½ cup of grasa - lard or butter or mix of both
¾ cup to 1 cup of warm milk
½ tsp salt

Beef picadillo filling

1 lb ground beef
2 white onions, diced, about 3 cups
1/2 cup lard or butter
2 tbs smoked paprika
2 tbs chili powder or any ground hot pepper
1 tbs finely chopped fresh oregano
½ tbs ground cumin
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
¼ cup sliced green olives
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, white and yolk separated and lightly whisked

Dipping sauce options:
Balsamic chimichurri sauce
Quick chimichurri sauce
Aji criollo sauce
Tree tomato hot sauce


Instructions
Empanada dough
Mix the flour and salt in a food processor, pulse until well combined.
Add the lard or butter, blend well.
Add the egg yolk and the milk in small amounts, pulse until small dough clumps start to form.
Make a couple of balls, flatten into disks and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate).
Use the empanada discs immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
Beef picadillo filling and empanada assembly
Combine the ground beef, paprika, red pepper, cumin, salt and pepper in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and chill until ready to use.
Melt the lard in a large frying pan or sauté pan, add the onions and salt, cook until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes.
Add the meat mixture to the onions and cook on medium heat until the meat is done, stir frequently.
Let the meat mixture or picadillo cool down, and then mix in the chopped green onions and chopped oregano.
To assemble the empanadas add a spoonful of the meat mixture on the center of each empanada disc, add a slice of egg and sliced olive.

Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites, you can also use water but the egg white is a good natural “glue” that helps seal the empanada.
Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges gently with your fingers, twist and fold the edges of the empanadas with your fingers, as a final step use a fork to press down and finish sealing the empanadas.
Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.
Let the empanadas rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until ready to bake.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for about 25 minutes.
Serve warm with chimichurri sauce or other dipping sauces.

Rotisserie Chicken, Injector Basting and Peach Cobbler

Recipes to follow..

Injection Basting Sauce

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons finely minced onions

3 cloves minces garlic

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1/3 cup chicken broth

dash lemon juice

fresh basil

Melt butter, add onions and saute until almost clear, add garlic as soon as you start to smell garlic add fresh thyme leaves (removed from stem) and broth.  Let simmer for a few minutes releasing thyme flavor.  Remove from heat chop and add fresh basil to taste, lemon juice if desired.  When cooled puree with your "smart stick".  Fill up your flavor injector and inject small amounts under the skin of the chicken and into the thickest parts of the meat.

Place chicken in a zip lock bag or covered glass bowl and put in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.

Cook meat according to method instructions.

Peach Cobbler

1/2 cup Sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 cups sliced fresh peaches peeled

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 easpoon lemon juice

1 cup gold metal flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Blend 1/2 cup sugar and the cornstarch in a medium saucepan.  Stir in peaches and lemon juice.  Cook, stirring  constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Pour into un greased 2 quart casserole.  Keep fruit mixture hot in the oven while preparing biscuit topping.

Measure flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the baking powder and salt into bowl.  Add shortening and milk.  Cut through shortening 6 times; mix until dough forms a ball.  Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto hot fruit.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bisuit topping is golden brown.  Serve warm and if desired, with cream.

6 servings.

Fresh Peach Pie

Pastry for 10-inch Two-crush Pie

6 Cups sliced fresh peaches
(about 11 medium)

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-1/4 Cups Sugar
1/3 cup Gold Medal Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
(I added 1/8-1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg)
3 Tablespoons butter or Margarine

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare pastry.  Mix peaches and lemon juice.  Stir together sugar, flour and cinnamon; mix with peaches.  Turn into pastry lined pan; dot with butter.

 Cover with top crust which has slits cut in it; seal and flute.

Cover edge with 2 to 3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil last 15 minutes of baking.

Bake 8 and 9 inch pies 35-45 minutes.  10 inch pie 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

Easy Refrigerator Pickles Recipe

Prep: 20 min. + chilling

Yield: 24 Servings

Ingredients

6 cups thinly sliced cucumbers

2 cups thinly sliced onions

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Place cucumbers and onions in a large bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook and stir just until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over cucumber mixture; cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Yield: 6 cups.

Nutritional Analysis:1/4 cup equals 58 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein.

Originally published as Easy Refrigerator Pickles in Country Extra July 1999, p51

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Easy-Refrigerator-Pickles?pmcode=INGDV06T&_mid=2450760&_rid=2450760.558202.443588

YaYa's Eurocafe Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush at Ya Ya's Eurocafe in Chesterfield on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com

When YaYa’s opened its doors 15 years ago, Mediterranean food was largely an unknown in St. Louis. “People didn’t know what hummus was,” laughs Alex Hayworth, executive chef at the Chesterfield restaurant. YaYa’s owner Paul Khoury is half Greek, and the restaurant is named for his grandmother. “We serve a little bit of Greek, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Italian and French. And North African too, during colder weather,” Hayworth says.

YaYa’s is famous for its happy hour’s buy-one-get-one-free appetizers and $4 martinis. Recently, the restaurant has focused on “sea to table” fresh seafood. Hayworth says, “We want people to find both great food and a great experience here.”

Baba Ganoush is YaYa’s bread service, a pool of creamy sauce sprinkled with herb oil and za’atar, an Arabic spice blend with YaYa’s own bread, baked by Fazio’s, for dipping. Baba ganoush is an Arabic dish with numerous alternate spellings, pronounced ba-ba (sounds like papa) ga-NOOSH. YaYa’s recipe calls for yogurt instead of the usual tahini to keep the spread fresh and light, says Hayworth, with just a touch of garlic, preferably minced by hand. “The other ingredients are so mild, even a little garlic comes through.”

YaYa’s roasts 90 pounds of eggplant a week for Baba Ganoush. Hayworth says that guests sometimes ask, even before sitting down, “Could we get some of that bread and eggplant dip?”

To re-create YaYa’s Baba Ganoush at home, Hayworth offers tips. Puncture the eggplant before roasting, otherwise, he says, “Look for a big mess in the oven.” In addition, add the oil to the blender in a slow stream, otherwise the Baba Ganoush may “break.”

{hr /}YaYa’s Eurocafe

15601 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield

636-537-9991; yayasstl.com

Yield: 4 cups
2 1-pound purple eggplants
1¼ cups plain low-fat yogurt
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¾ cup canola oil
¼ cup olive oil
Generous salt
Generous white pepper
Herb oil and za’atar, for garnish
Thin slices white airy bread, such as French or Italian
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Puncture eggplant skins in several places with the tip of knife, then roast whole on a baking sheet for about an hour; the skins will darken and deflate, interiors turn soft and airy. Let cool. Slice open, remove seed pods as best as possible, some will remain. Scrape flesh off skins and place in a blender, discarding skins and stems.
3. Add yogurt and garlic, puree until smooth. With blender running, gradually add oils until very smooth and creamy, seasoning with salt and white pepper as you go. Refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to meld.
4. To serve YaYa-style, dollop 2 tablespoons Baba Ganoush onto a bread plate in a loose oval shape. Drizzle with herb oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Serve with bread on the side.
Notes: Za’atar is an Arabic spice blend with numerous spelling variations. To make your own, mix 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, 2 teaspoons sumac and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 75 calories; 7g fat; 1g saturated fat; 1mg cholesterol; 1g protein; 2g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 1g fiber; 5mg sodium; 20mg calcium.

Recipe adapted for home kitchens by the Post-Dispatch



Za’atar

MAKES ABOUT 1/4 CUP

Combine 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano, 1 Tbsp. sumac, 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, and 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds. Stir in 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.



You can find sumac at Middle Eastern markets, specialty foods stores, and wholespice.com.

Original Crusoe's Bread Pudding

Yield: 12 servings
For Lemon Sauce:
3 large eggs, whisked well
3 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup bottled lemon juice such as ReaLemon

For Bread Pudding:
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 cups whole milk
1½ cups raisins
40 ounces soft, sweet yeast rolls
Additional raisins for garnish
1. Make Lemon Sauce. Mix sauce ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Reserve half for plating. Can be made ahead but rewarm before using.
2. Make bread pudding. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13 pan (see note) with baking spray.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and milk. Stir in raisins. Tear yeast rolls into half-ounce pieces, stir into egg mixture. Pack bread pudding mixture into pan. Pour half sauce over top, covering entire pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. To serve Original Crusoe’s-style, pool warm sauce on a dessert plate, top with a piece of warm bread pudding, a few raisins and a drizzle of lemon sauce.


Notes: Original Crusoe’s bakes Bread Pudding in a special baking pan from Session Fixture Co. that forms round, shallow bread puddings.


Per serving: 725 calories; 11g fat; 3g saturated fat; 130mg cholesterol; 18g protein; 144g carbohydrate; 100g sugar; 3g fiber; 500mg sodium; 255mg calcium.


Recipe adapted for home kitchens by the Post-Dispatch.