November Team N

TYKUSOJUTy

So we didn't really mean to get "diet" liquor. We were looking for Ichiku, served at Keichii in Denton, TX and couldn't find it at Paradise or Goody Goody so we came home with this. Not as good as Ichiku, but not bad either...

Ty Ku Soju
1/2 the Calories and Twice the Taste of Vodka. Asia's best kept secret, Soju (also known as Shochu) is the #1 distilled spirit in the world. TY KU Soju updates this ancient spirit by producing an unbelievably smooth beverage that is lower in calories* and more versatile than vodka. Its superiority is the result of expert small batch distillation & cold filtration, utilizing 100% premium barley. TY KU Soju is crafted from the finest all natural ingredients with no additives, no preservatives and no sweeteners. TY KU Soju is best sipped chilled and enhances the natural flavors of fresh fruits and juices without the need of added sugar, creating better balanced, better tasting and lower calorie* premium cocktails.


and we paired it with a recipe a friend suggested a few ago

http://farmhousetable.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/asian-pork-meatballs-with-braised-winter-greens/

(the photo is from the website)

November Tasting

After taking a break in October to birth babies and run races we're
on for November 24th.
This time it's a free for all to get us back in the game.
Bring any type of booze and any type of food. Should be fun!

Team N September

Blueberry, Basil and Goat Cheese Hand Pies

Ingredients

For Thomas Keller's Buttery Pastry Shell
(via Smitten Kitchen)

2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour, divided + extra for dusting
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks / 225 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice
1/4 cup (60 ml) ice cold water

For Filling

1 pint (about 2 cups) blueberries
1/4 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp honey (or to taste)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
small pinch of salt
about 2 Tbsp flour to thicken

For Assembly

1 egg
1 Tbsp whole milk
raw sugar, for sprinkling

Cooking Directions

Prepare pastry crust. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix 1 cup of the flour with all of the salt. Then, with the machine on low speed, add the bits of butter, a handful at a time, until the butter is completely incorperated. Add the remaining flour until just blended, then the cold water until thoroughly incorporated. Dump dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, divide it equally in two, and form each piece of dough into a flat, round disc. Wrap them with the plastic and chill for at least one hour and up to two days. It can also be frozen for up to three months.

Heat oven to 400° F.

Prepare filling. Mix blueberries with all of the ingredients except the flour. Sprinkle flour gradually over top and mix well until desired consistency is reached and mixture is smooth. Cover and chill while you roll out the pastry.

Generously flour your work surface. Place one chilled, unwrapped dough on the flour and flour the top of the dough. Keep the other disk refrigerated while you work. Gently roll your dough out from the center until about 1/8 inch thick. Re-flour your surface as needed, continually lifting and rotating your dough to make sure no parts are sticking. If the dough becomes difficult to work with at any point, chill for a few minutes in the freezer on a baking sheet before continuing.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut an even number of circles in desired size using a floured biscuit cutter or the base of a small bowl. (I made 4" pies using the base of a rice bowl.) Lay circles on parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly beat egg with milk for wash in a small bowl.

Top half the circles with a small amount of filling, brush edged with egg wash, top with another round, and seal edges by crimping with a fork. Brush top with wash, sprinkle with raw sugar, and cut to vent. When completed place in the refrigerator to chill and repeat with other disc of dough and remaining filling.

When second sheet of pies are formed, put in fridge and remove the first sheet. Bake for the first batch for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom. Repeat with second batch, allowing all pies to cool on a rack. 

and the link to give credit where credit is due:
http://localmilk.blogspot.com/2012/07/blueberry-basil-and-goat-cheese-hand.html


Served with Francis Ford Coppola Director's Pinot Noir

Recipe List

Ok, so I have shared this with some of you previously and it includes many of the recipes from the tasting plus many others found by our group.

I am not smart enough to figure out smarter ways to do this but here is a link to the list of recipes. I think if this works correctly it should be a read-only way to read all of the ones that have been updated.

If you want to have access via the actual client and add/modify more recipes of your own feel free to contact me.

Here is the link, one of these days perhaps I will do more research and figure out cooler smarter options. I think there are ways to have blog posts created by posts here and/or have blog posts automatically post to the evernote format.

https://www.evernote.com/pub/deloziej/recipes

If anyone has cool ideas or anything feel free to reach out to me on it. 

John

Team N's August Contribution

Caribbean Food and Drink you would find on a Cruise Ship

Mangospacho
we halfed the recipe and served 12pp

8 cups (1kg) peeled and finely diced mango (about 12 mango)

1 cup (250ml) water

1 cup (250ml) ginger ale

1/2 cup (125 ml) rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup (125 ml) light olive oil

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and finely diced

1/2 cup (70 g) finely diced red onions

3/4 cup (100g) chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a blender or food processor, combine half the mango with the water, ginger ale, vinegar, oil and sugar. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the soup to a noncreative bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold (about 4 hours)

2. In another noncreative bow, combine remaining 4 cups (560g) mango, cucumber, red onion and 1/2 cup (70 g) cilantro. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

3. To serve divide the cucumber mixture among chilled soup bowls that are each sitting in a bowl of crushed ice. Ladle the soup over the cucumber mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 (35 g) cilantro. Serve immediately.

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Caribbean Lemonade

fresh squeezed Lemon

All Spice and candied ginger SImple Syrup

     Boil sugar, water, all spice and candied ginger until boiling. Remove from heat and 

     let sit for one hour

Add water to taste

Serve with a shot of Bacardi Limon

Courtesy of NIcole Probst

Team K: Cuban Mojito Cake and El Presidente!

For the month of August, Team K diverted from our normal "pork" path to make a dessert  We made a Cuban Mojito cake and served it with Strawberry Mint Lemonade with Ron Matusalem Rum (El Presidente!).

Cuban Mojito cake

Serves: 12-24

Cake Ingredients

20 ounce can crushed pineapple, un-drained
Juice of 1 lime
1 (1 lb.) box angel food cake mix
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup limeade from concentrate
0-4 tablespoons powdered sugar — I used 4 tablespoons
1 teaspoon rum extract
8 ounce tub Cool Whip Lite (a little over 3 cups)
1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Zest of lime
Mint leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 inch metal pan with cooking spray. If you use a Pyrex dish, reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the pineapple, lime juice and angel food cake mix. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake it using the following cook time - about 25 minutes for a 13×9 inch pan. Let cool completely in pan.

In mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and limeade concentrate. Check for sweetness. Add sugar if you feel you need it. Beat in rum extract, then fold in Cool Whip Lite. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle with coconut and lime zest. Top each serving with mint leaves.

Source: Larry's Mojito cake recipe from TasteofCuba.com

El Presidente Ingredients

Serves: 8-12

2 1/2 Cups of Fresh Strawberries chopped

1 cup Fresh Mint, chopped
1 1/2 cups Fresh Lemon Juice  (8 lemons)
1 cup of sugar
Zest of 1 Lemon 

Place 1/2 the Mint, sugar, and 1/2 cup of the Strawberries into a medium sauce pan with 11/2 cups water. Heat over medium heat for 3 minutes, cover and remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.

Strain this mixture into the Lemon Juice and mix well Place the remainder of the Lemon Zest, Strawberries and Fresh Mint into a pitcher and pour the Lemon Mixture over the Strawberries and Fresh Mint.Add 2 cups of water, 1 cup of Rum, stir and let set for twenty to 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Source: A slightly modified version of The Brown Bag Special's version.
(http://brownbagspecials.blogspot.com/)

September Tasting

Date: Sept 22
Booze: Red Wine from either America
Food: Anything that goes well with your wine
Time: 7/7:30