May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

1. Cut a Vidalia or Sweet onion as thinly as possible
2. Put into a bowl and cover with buttermilk
3. Let soak for 1-2 hours
4. Drain well
5. Toss in a bowl the following:
   • 2 C AP flour
   • salt, cayenne, black pepper, cumin
6. Take small batches of onion and toss in the flour coating well
7. Sake off most of the flour
8. Put into hot (165º) peanut oil till browned and crispy
9. Put onto a towel or rack and sprinkle with salt while still hot

1. One whole brisket in a baking pan
2. Mix the following and whisk well
   • 24 OZ Heintz ketchup
   • 1 PKG French onion soup mix
   • 1/2 C apple juice
   • 1/2 C chicken broth
   • 1 TBL Choloula or 1 tsp Grandpa’s Jalapeno Chili Sauce
   • 1/2 tsp salt
3. Pour sauce over top of brisket and cover with foil
4. Bake at 275º for 6-7 hours
5. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing or shredding

All onions and similar bulb vegetables belong to the genus ALLIUM.

WHY DO I CRY WHEN I CUT ONIONS?

Alliums contain a high concentration of organosulfur compounds.  If you cut it with a newly sharpened knife, you will minimize these compounds.  A  dull knife “squeezes” these compounds out of the onion cell walls.

WHAT TYPE OF ONION TO BUY?

• RED:  More peppery than potent.  Red onions, which are actually a bit purple, are often eaten raw in salads and sandwiches.  With an undertone of mild sweetness, they provide an excellent counterbalance for stronger herbs and dark leafy greens.
  – If you don’t mind an extra step, cut them thinly, then soak them for 60 seconds in 1/2 water 1/2 rice or white vinegar to take even more bite out of them.  Let them drain a few seconds before putting onto your food.
• VIDALIA:  This was originally bred in Vidalia, Georgia – hence the name.  The cultivation of Vidalia onions started in the early 1930s. The different varieties are unusually sweet compared to other onions due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which Vidalia onions are grown.  They are widely produced these days, but the true Vidalia is from Georgia.
  – This is one of the sweetest onions, with mild potency and slight sweetness is excellent for both cooking and raw uses, especially in salads, relishes, sandwiches and salsas.
• WHITE:  This is a strongly flavored onion, but one with a milder after-taste.  White onions are great for peppering aromatic dish bases and in non-green vegetable salads to pep up blander flavor profiles.
• YELLOW:  This is what you would call the “Standard Onion.”  They are yellowish with a mild pungency and good for almost all cooking uses, including standing in for other varieties when needed.
• CHIVES:  White onions harvested while still extremely young.  Cut off above the ground, and they will continue to grow.
• SCALLIONS aka GREEN ONIONS:   Both the long, slender green tops and the small white bulb are edible, and are good either raw or cooked. They have a similar flavour to onions, but are much milder.
• SPRING ONIONS:  Another name for Scallions that are very young and mild.  They are harvested before the bulb has had a chance to swell.
• SHALLOTS:  Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense heat. You can substitute shallots in nearly any recipe that calls for onions—just make sure you’re using the same volume.
• LEEKS:  Leeks are a member of the onion family. The edible part of the leek plant is a long cylinder of bundled leaf sheaths which is sometimes called a stem or stalk. As the leek grows in height, soil is pulled around the base of the plant, blanching the stem- making it white and tender.  These must be cut apart and washed thoroughly.  Only the white is edible, not the green.
• GARLIC:  Garlic is in the same genus, but is not an onion.  Its flavor is different and stronger.  Great in cooked soups, but not so much raw on a sandwich.

Most of this from Alton Brown – Good Eats

• Try soaking in salted water before popping.  This will put more moisture into the kernel
• Best varieties: Pearl and Rice
  • Yellow Topaz
  • Baby Black Pearl
  • Baby Blue Sapphire
  • Purple Amethysist
  • Pink Diamond
  • Southwest Gold
  • Baby Peral
  • Baby Yellow Topaz
  • Red Ruby
  • Petite Princess
  • Blue Sapphire
• Use a pot that has a fairly small bottom
• Popper – Heavy guage large mixing bowl
  • Fat and kernels go to the bottom
  • Fairly high heat
  • 3 TBL canola or peanut oil
  • Yellow Topaz – 1/2 C
  • 1/2 tsp Pickling Salt or Popcorn salt – or Blend regular salt
    Put in container with a dozen popcorn kernels to break apart the clumps

Popcorn

• Large mixing bowl
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/2 cup popcorn
• 1/2 teaspoon pickling salt

1. Cover with foil and poke holes
2. Medium heat
3. Shake until popcorn starts to subside, then shake more to keep the kernels in motion
4. Drizzle 3 tablespoons butter – drizzle and toss

Carmel corn

• Saucepan
• Thermometer
• Spatula

1. 1/2 sheet pan sprayed
2. Parchment cut to size sprayed
3. Very large mixing bowl
4. Set oven to 250°

• One stick of butter in a saucepan
• 16 ounce dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses or dark syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Heat until 250°
• Mix 1 cup salted peanuts
• With 3 quarts of popped popcorn
• Add butter mixture to popcorn and mix quickly
• Spread on sheet pan
• Bake one hour at 250°

Breakfast tomorrow?

Popcorn, milk and sugar

• 3 medium russet potatoes
• 1/4 C butter
• 1/4 C granulated white sugar
• 1/4 C heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 C flour

1. Cut peeled potato into equal sized pieces
2. Plunge into already boiling water, and boil for 12 minutes
3. Squeeze through a potato ricer or just squash with a fork
   You can also use a food mill
4. If using a fork, make sure they are as smooth as possible
5. Mix in everything except the flour
6. Mix well, then mix in the flour
7. Let rest for at least an hour
8. Cut into eight pieces and form into balls
9. Roll flat on floured surface and bake as they are done on a dry cast iron skillet.  Bake for about a minute per side or until browned
10. While one is cooking, roll the next one
11. As they are finished, roll into tubes

You can make a cheese dip using one block of softened cream cheese mixed with 2 TBL sugar, 1/2 C sour cream, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg or CinnaSugar.

Top with Lingonberry Jam and sprinkle with lemon zest

You can use this in place of rice most of the time.

• • 2 TBL vegetable oil
  • 1/2 LB fideo pasta
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 15 oz Tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 1/2 cups water

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the dry fideo pasta, and fry until browned.
3. Pour in half of the can of tomato sauce
4. Add 1 cup of the water.
5. Season with cumin, garlic salt and chili powder, and stir to blend.
6. Bring to a boil, and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated.
7. Stir in the remaining tomato sauce and water.
8. Cover, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the fideo is tender, and the sauce has thickened.

Make your own fideo pasta

It’s the same price as normal pasta, so it is easier to just buy it, but if you want to try it, here is how.

1. Take angel hair pasta and bundle a small bunch of the noodles – about 20.
2. Put them on a cutting board, and then using a cleaver, chop the ends of the noodles into 1/2 inch pieces – use a towel to prevent them from flying all over the place
3. Continue to process until you have about two cups.

About Robert and the Photos…

Appetizers, Condiments and Sides

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Home and Family Life

Travel

Robert is 57 years old. He retired from Software development in 2005 and turned his attention to cooking. He has taken several classes in cooking, but mainly relies on learning from other chefs and his own intuition. His travels have taken him to kitchens around the world, and to countries including Spain, France, Istanbul and the Czech Republic.

Here are some of the high points from the enclosed photographs.

Bread Two photos of some of the loaves that Robert has created.

Breakfast Photos include lots of eggs, French Toast, breakfast tarts, quiches, and muffins.

Lunch We usually eat out, sampling different restaurants in The Valley.  In the photos are a sample plate, mini pizza, burrito, quiche, pitas and a lunch pie.

Dinner Photos include lots of casserole type dishes, vegetables, pasta, Mexican cuisine, and other International cuisine.

Grand Kids I have two year-old grand children, and six others ranging from 8 to 14  The oldest is in the Phoenix Childrens’ Chorus, which travels around the world.

Jalapeno The jalapeño chili paste is my own creation. The photo shows the aging bottles. At about eight months, I blend the ingredients and run them through a food mill

Robert Photos of Robert show him on his travels, with his grandkids, his wife in the center of their Urban Farm, and in his hospital uniform. His service dog and him are on staff at Banner Hospital as volunteers in the therapy dog program. Every easter I prepare about 80 omelets over a 30 minute period for breakfast.

The Girls are in the last photo. Fresh eggs every morning!

PROMOTIONAL

Dressing

• 2 TBL lime juice
• 2 TBL mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
• 2 TBL agave or honey
• 2 TBL olive oil
• 1 TBL Dijon mustard

1. Whisk lime, Miracle Whip, honey and mustard
2. Emulsify (whisk) olive oil
3. Let meld in refrigerator

Slaw

• 1 C green or napa cabbage
• 1 C purple cabbage
• 1 C cilantro
• 1/2 C julienne carrots
• 1/4 C minced scallions

1. Shred cabbages
2. Rough chop cilantro
3. Process carrots and scallions
4. Toss with dressing
5. Taste and season

 

 

230 – 235º :: Soft thread :: syrup

When you drop a little of this syrup into cold water to cool, it forms a liquid thread that will not ball up.  This temperature is used for making syrups, liqueurs, jelly, etc.

Between 232º and 236º do not agitate, you may form crystals which will make your candy grainy.  If this happens though, add water and remelt the sugar, then bring it back up to temperature.

235 – 245º :: Soft ball :: fudge, fondant or praline

Some say that this temperature maxes out at 240º, at which temperature Firm Ball is attained.  Use your own judgement.

At this temperature, sugar syrup dropped into cold water will form a soft, flexible ball. If you remove the ball from water, it will flatten like a pancake after a few moments in your hand.

You will use Soft Ball for fudge, fondant, pralines, butter creams, and meringues.

245 – 250º :: Firm ball :: caramels

Drop a little of this syrup in cold water and it will form a firm ball, one that won’t flatten when you take it out of the water, but remains malleable and will flatten when squeezed.

Creamy caramel candies use this temperature.

250 – 265º :: Hard ball :: divinity, gummy bears

At this stage, the syrup will form thick rope threads as it drips from the spoon. The sugar concentration is rather high now, which means there’s less and less moisture in the sugar syrup. A little of this syrup dropped into cold water will form a hard ball. If you take the ball out of the water, it won’t flatten. The ball will be hard, but you can still change its shape by squashing it.

Hard ball is used for marshmallows, divinity, toffee, nougat, rock candy and gummy candy.

270 – 290º :: Firm thread – aka Soft Crack :: taffy and butterscotch

As the syrup reached soft-crack stage, the bubbles on top will become smaller, thicker, and closer together. At this stage, the moisture content is low. When you drop a bit of this syrup into cold water, it will solidify into threads that, when removed from the water, are flexible, not brittle. They will bend slightly before breaking.

The soft crack is used for butterscotch, taffy and candy apples.

300 – 310º :: Hard crack :: toffee, brittle, lollipop, hardtack

The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent. CAUTION: To avoid burns, allow the syrup to cool in the cold water for a few moments before touching it!

If making hard tack after dumping the sugar mixture onto a marble slab and adding your flavor components, use a bench scraper to fold it all together – not your hands.  Cut it with a scissor before it becomes brittle.

320 – 350º :: Light Caramel

Caramelizing Sugar

If you heat a sugar syrup to temperatures higher than any of the candy stages, you will be on your way to creating caramelized sugar (the brown liquid stage)—a rich addition to many desserts.

As the sugar warms into the candy light caramel stage, it will develop a light golden brown hue. When dropped into cold water, the sugar will form a solid chunk that requires some effort to snap.

Light caramel stage (about 340º)  is the temperature you need for flan.

Clear-Liquid Stage
320° F
sugar concentration: 100%

At this temperature all the water has boiled away. The remaining sugar is liquid and light amber in color.

Brown-Liquid Stage
338° F
sugar concentration: 100%

Now the liquefied sugar turns brown in color due to carmelization. The sugar is beginning to break down and form many complex compounds that contribute to a richer flavor.

Caramelized sugar is used for dessert decorations and can also be used to give a candy coating to nuts.

Burnt-Sugar Stage
350° F
sugar concentration: 100%

Watch out! Above about 350° F, the sugar begins to burn and develops a bitter, burnt taste.

365 – 375º :: Dark Caramel

One source sets this temperature at 340º.  Experience will be your best guide.

Light Caramel will turn to Dark Caramel, the firm chunk that forms in cool water will turn a dark amber color. The sugar should be removed from the heat at this stage or it will be prone to burning.

Dark Caramel is excellent for making caramel sauce and treacle, often used in Britain.

Dark Caramel vs Light Caramel

The difference between light caramel and dark caramel is mainly in color and flavor. Dark caramel will have a dark amber color with a reddish hue and a slightly more bitter taste than light caramel.

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Candy Temperatures Chart

From webstaurantstore.com

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Testing Your Candy Thermometer

To ensure that you achieve the desired results with your candy sugar, you’ll want to make sure that it is reaching the appropriate temperature. Use the following steps to learn how to test your candy thermometer with the boiling water test:

1. Insert your candy thermometer in a pot of water so it does not touch the sides or bottom if the pot.
2. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Leave the thermometer in the boiling water for 5 minutes.
4. Check the temperature, the thermometer should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celcius). Water starts boiling at this temperature if your location is at sea level.
5. If your thermometer is accurate, you can begin your candy-making process.
6. If the reading is higher than 212 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll want to adjust the temperatures in the recipe to reflect the discrepancy.

High Altitude Candy Making

Because of the lower atmospheric pressure at 3,500 feet above sea level, bakers and confectioners are required to make certain adjustments for high altitude cooking.   The boiling temperature of the water will be lower at higher altitudes, so you can either use the five-minute boiling water test listed above or make a few calculations.

To adjust your candy-making temperature for high altitude, subtract 2 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 ft (300 m) above sea level. For Celsius, subtract 1 degree for every 900 ft (2743.3 m) in elevation.