Category Archives: Food

Almost All Fat Bacon

9:55 am –

The slices were so large I pulled out two pans and am preheating the oven. I both begin to wonder where my bacon press from my mother-in-law resides now and to question my own use of any bacon-flattening devices. The rendered fat, from just two slices per pan, is already flabbergasting.

10:01 am –

I have never before seen bacon float on a sea of it’s own fat.

10:15 am –

About to post photos. Apparently when bacon is this fatty, you can get almost a full cup of rendered fat, easily, from just four slices. Furthermore, it’s insanely easy to burn almost all fat bacon.

10:21 am –

My house smells like burned bacon. Adrienne’s not going to visit me for a month.… Continue reading →

Carne Adovada Repair?

So, Tuesday was Bill and I’s second wedding anniversary. The plan was for it to start with carne adovada breakfast burritos.

I dragged my father, who was visiting Sunday and Monday, to one of our two butcher shops to buy 5 lbs of meat. I carefully trimmed it down and cut it into chunks late Monday night after visiting with several of my beer friends at a beer launch. I placed it in the same slow-cooker I have always made carne adovada in, with the same amount of red chile (two cups) I have always used.

The house smelled amazing the next morning when we opened the slow-cooker. We were very excited. Only to have our hopes cruelly dashed once we tried a piece.

It… was bland.… Continue reading →

[127] Damsel’s Heirloom Sour Cream Apple Pie

I’m just saying, blame Toni.

So, how did the PIE turn out? And how did I make it?

It turned out delicious! I won’t deny, I was pretty dubious about an apple pie with sour cream in it, but when I poked Toni for advice on apple pies, she mentioned her go-to recipe has cream in it and that baked in dairy often gives an “a la mode” flavor without the melty ice cream.

Well. I wouldn’t NORMALLY be in favor of skipping ice cream, but I knew the judges weren’t going to go for me demanding they not try my pie without ice cream. So why not?

I made the pie by doubling and tweaking the crust for Alton Brown’s pecan pie, and then using it for this particular sour cream pie in The Pie Town Cookbook straight.… Continue reading →

Why Pie Crust Cookies?

I suppose before I answer “why,” I should make sure it’s clear “what.”

Pie crust cookies, in case it’s not obvious from the photo below, are cut out cookies made from the remains of pie crusts. They don’t have to be cut out cookies, to be honest, but by the time I am making pie crust cookies, my counter is already a disaster, my rolling pin already needs to be washed, and my extensive cookie cutter collection is calling my name. Basically, at that point, the effort to make cut-out cookies is minimal. So, I do.

You’ll notice that the cookies aren’t frosted, but have an extremely generous sprinkling of sugar. This is because frosting & decorating would be a huge pain in the ass for maybe 10 cookies, add substantially to the clean up and not add much to the flavor.… Continue reading →

PIE.

Earlier this week, I got an email from Matt over at River North Beer asking if I bake as well as cook. Ha! Of COURSE I do both. 19 April 2014 Note: River North Beer is now Lakeshore Beverage Company.

Turns out that one of RNB’s clients, Virtue Cider was hosting an apple pie bake-off in conjunction with Sheffield’s. Oh, and there’s cider too. Yeah.

Well. I have just the thing. I mean, I’m crap at pies, but I like baking them. I also like having random blog fodder. You know I’m posting this to tell you I’ll be posting more about it.

So. My plan of attack. I’m going to get a pie recipe from that cookbook and try it out. I’m going to use a tweaked pie crust recipe from Alton Brown.… Continue reading →