Now offering Personal Chef and Diet Consulation Services!
Howdy, Folks!
I know it’s been quite a while, but I wanted to update you all on some news: my Personal Chef and Diet Consultation services are back! That’s right – If you live anywhere in the Kaiserslautern/Trier area of Germany, I am once again open for business. Please see the “Services” tab above for everything I am offering at the moment. And, as always, if you have any questions or need something tailored to suit your personal needs, never hesitate to ask. Adaptation is kinda my thing…
Hope to see you in the kitchen sometime very soon…
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Our yard here in Deutschland is huge. And by huge I mean someone actually quoted me 250 Euro just to mow it! Of course, that was a grossly inflated quote and I ended up finding someone who would do it for 40 Euro, but anyhoo, that’s not the point. The point is that amongst the Christmas tree grove, 1/4 acre of grassy yard, one 20′x20′ raised bed garden, an herb garden, another 20′x20′ plot for compost, 3 apple trees, a cherry tree, and various berry bushes things tend to get lost in the confusion. Since spring began, I saw a couple of plants sprouting up in a massive tangle of stinging nettle. Because it was practically encased in the irritating stuff, I mostly ignored it until I had a chance to whack my way through the nettle.
At first I assumed that it was just absolutely massive chard leaves. But, as I got a closer look, I noticed that the thick, fibrous stalks were rhubarb! You have to understand, ever since I found out that the leaves of rhubarb are toxic, I have been scared to death (tee hee hee. Pun.) to cook with the stuff. Totally an unsubstantiated fear, I know. But, as I stared at my 5+ pounds of rhubarb, I knew I had to overcome it.
I took a pole on Facebook to see what I should do with the stuff. Over and over I saw Strawberry Rhubarb Pie…and jam. For some reason, while I love the idea of being the little old lady who cans everything from her garden and has full shelves of the stuff lining her basement, again, I have a ridiculous fear about canning. The idea of boiling glass jars just freaks me out. I don’t know. I just imagine having to pick shards of glass out of my jelly. Or, watching the explosion of glass and boiling water consume my kitchen.
So, instead of tackling two of my greatest kitchen fears in one afternoon, I started with something gentle. Something soothing and non-panic inducing. And that something was this pie!
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE
serves eight
recipe adapted from The New Best Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated
I was able to find a local spelt flour that worked great for this pie crust – and it didn’t upset my stomach! I have a theory that European wheat products just don’t invoke the same sort of allergic reactions that American products do. It’s just a theory. It is by no means science, so I don’t recommend testing this unless your reactions to wheat are extremely mild like mine. Adding vodka to the crust inhibits the formation of gluten, so your crust stays nice and tender. It’s my (no longer) secret weapon. To make this vegan, brush the top of the pie with melted EarthBalance instead of egg white before baking.
For the Crust:
2.5 cups spelt flour or your favorite GF baking mix, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. Organic sugar
14 Tbs. good quality butter or EarthBalance, super cold, cut into pieces
4-5 Tbs. ice cold vodka
4-5 Tbs. ice water
For the Filling:
2 tsp. lightly flavored oil (I used super light olive oil.)
1.5 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup + 1 Tbs. Organic sugar
5 Tbs. cornstarch
pinch salt
1.5 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar for the crust. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter, vodka, and water and run the food pro until it forms a dough ball. If your food pro isn’t massive, you may need to divide the dough recipe in half and make it in two batches. That’s what I had to do.
2. If you make the dough in one batch, split it in half and roll each half into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
3. While the dough is chilling, prepare your rhubarb and strawberries.
4. Place a large skillet over high heat and add the oil. Toss the rhubarb in 1/4 cup of the sugar and add it to the hot pan. Saute the rhubarb until it has sweat out a good portion of its juices, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to a large plate and refrigerate until cool.
5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place an oven rack on the lowest position and place a rimmed baking sheet on it.
6. Roll out one piece of the dough and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. You may trim the excess off very carefully, but leave at least an extra inch all the way around. Refrigerate until needed.
7. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the fruit, and toss gently.
8. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
9. Roll out the second piece of dough into a 12 inch circle. Place it over the filling. Trim the edges so that they are even with the bottom piece of dough. Tuck the bottom piece over the top piece, folding, pinching, and forming a seal. Flute the edges.
10. Cut 8 slits on the top of the pie and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
11. Brush the top of the pie with the egg white and evenly sprinkle 1 Tbs. sugar over the top.
12. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and lower the temperature to 425 degrees. Cook for 25 minutes.
12. Rotate the pie halfway around and lower the temp again to 375. Continue to cook until the pie is very brown and the juices a bubbling just slightly from the top.
13. Cool on a wire rack for 4 hours before serving.
Oven Roasted Spareribs
Well, now I am just in full swing with this cookin’ thing again!
Sweet and Sour Pork
Sometimes everyone needs to be rescued by Jamie Oliver.
The Other Side of the Mediterranean Meatballs
The thing that I love most about living in Europe is the accessibility to the rest of the world. In the States, I was pretty isolated from every other country except Mexico and the Northern US, otherwise known as Canada. But, living in Germany, I can drive an hour and be in France, hop on a 2 hour RyanAir flight and be on another continent for $75 round trip, and I’m already half way to India if I was flying from the States.
Pimenton Potato Salad
Yes, it’s true. Pimenton isn’t the spice that I use the most. I would say that cumin probably takes the cake on that one. But, it is certainly the spice I try to use the most. I’m always trying to come up with some new dish that I can sneak it into. Because, quite frankly, I think Pimenton could be proof that God exists.
Asian Mango Salsa
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can snap us back into reality, reminding us what the true source of joy is in our lives. For me, it was simply watching My Soldier getting his uniform ready for the following morning.
For the last three weeks, he has been on block leave and we have been gallivanting around fabulous places such as Barcelona – and our living room, in jammies all day. Last night, he pulled his uniform out of the closet, and I was so excited at the thought of seeing him in it again after so long. It struck me as such an odd sensation, but I realized that being a soldier is who he is; It is a huge part of his identity and the man that I love so much. No wonder I missed seeing that uniform everyday…
But, it made me also realize something very troubling – He had never seen me in MY uniform. He had never seen me in the uniform that defines me in so many ways and is how I identify myself. I quickly ran upstairs, strapped on my Chef-R’alls (the now discontinued chef overalls from Chefwear), tied on a neckerchief, buttoned up a freshly starched coat, and slid my feet into the warm comfort of my tired, old SuperBirki clogs. I pulled a skullcap over my messy curls, ran downstairs and, before he could catch a glimpse, I donned the final touches: an Instant Read Thermometer and a Sharpie in my arm pocket.
He saw me. We were both speechless.
Tears started to roll down my face.
I miss it. I miss propping 30 pound Lexans on my shoulder and lugging them to the walk in. I miss sweating bullets behind eight blazing burners and two scorching ovens for 8 hours. I miss the foul-mouthed banter. But, most of all, I miss nourishing dozens of palates a night, and in the process, honing my craft.
Standing in the kitchen with My Soldier, both of us in our uniforms, I realized that I never want to sacrifice my identity and the title that I work so hard to earn:
Chef.
ASIAN MANGO SALSA
makes about three cups
1 huge mango, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup minced cilantro
3 limes, juiced
1 Tbs. Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce
salt, to taste
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss. You may adjust the spice as you wish.
The Final Day of My Chicken Experiment – Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Spinach Curry
Oh, the final day. So many adventures we’ve had in the kitchen, my chicken friend. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried.
We’ve had some good times, but our journey ends here -
With you in a steamy, hot bowl of spicy coconut-y goodness.
Read the rest of this entry »
Day Three of My Chicken Experiment- Cabbage Potato Soup
In true German style, I used the veggies that abound in this area to make my third meal from the chicken.
Day Two of My Chicken Experiment- Chickpea Quinoa Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Ah, day two.
Part of my goal with this experiment is to do very different preparations of chicken. I figure if I have to eat chicken everyday for a couple of days, I want some variety, ya know?
