Author: anj68

Alice uses cast iron pots and wooden utensils and keeps the recipes as close to the traditional recipe as possible. She even utilizes a fire pit located outside her home to test authentic recipes. For more information about Alice the Cook, visit her website at http://www.alicethecook.com In future blogs, I will offer recipes, kitchen hints, and historical cooking lessons.
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Coq au Vin and Spanish Spiced Onions

During Love and Romance weekend, we did another recipe – Coq Au Vin and Spanish Spiced Onions.  Now some would argue the two dishes would not work well together, but we found a happy compromise.  Instead of traditional wine, we used a mead that is sold at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, not far from our stage.  The taste was lighter than most Coq Au Vin recipes. 

Now, Coq au Vin is traditionally made with rooster but those are difficult to come by in the 21st century, so we used chicken.  This dish has been simplified for our use and modern palates, but I am sure that you will like it.

COQ AU VIN
Ingredients:
2 lbs. of chicken breasts, cut up to one each pieces.
6 cups of mead or sweet wine
1/2 lb bacon, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of chives, minced
1/2 cup thyme
1/4 cup of rosemary
1 tsp of orange zest
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the bacon on medium heat.  Once the fat has rendered and the bacon has begun to cook, add the chicken  to brown and add the garlic.  Once the chicken is thoroughly browned, add the mead and the herbs to the dish, holding off on the salt and pepper until the end.  Cover the dish and stir occassionally (every 5 – 7 minutes) until the chicken is done and pull off of the heat.

SPANISH SPICED ONIONS
Ingredients:
3 lbs. of onions, sliced
4 Tbsp of  butter
4 Tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of thyme
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper

Heat the oil and butter together and add the spices and herbs.  Keep stiring and slowly add the onions.  Stir continuously until the onions are thoroughly sweated and are translucent.  They should not be crisp.

Scoop the Coq au Vin onto the plate and surround with the Spanish Spiced Onions.  Serves 2-4.

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Chocolate and Romance Weekend (September 17 and 18)

This past weekend was Chocolate and Romance weekend.  Our kitchen cooked up another storm with a variety of romantic dishes.  I hope you like them.

Pomegranate and Raspberry Wine Pork
Ingredients:

1 pork shoulder (4 – 5 lbs)
2 cups of pomegranate juice (unsweetened)
2 cups of Raspberry wine
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Place the pork in a large pot and add the wine and juice together and cook on a stovetop on medium heat for 2.5 hours.  After the first hour, add the black pepper.  After the second hour, add the salt.  The pork is done when it falls apart (like pulled pork).

 

Potato Dauphinoise
Preheat over to 350 degrees F
3 lbs of red potatoes, thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large garlic clove, halved
4 table spoons of butter
2 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the potato slices into a bowl of cold water to remove the excess starch.  Drain and pat dry with paper or cloth towels.  Take the halved garlic clove and rub the cut side around a wide, shallow, ovenproof dish or cast iron pot.  Butter or spray oil the dish/pot generously and blend the cream and milk together.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of the potatoes.  Dot a bit of the butter and minced garlic over the potatoes and season with the salt and pepper.  Pour a bit of the cream and milk mixture over the layer.  Continue making layers until all of the ingredients have been used, ending with just a layer of cream.  Bake for about 1 1/4 hours. If the potatoes are browning too quickly, cover with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil.  The dish is done when the potatoes are soft and tender and the top is golden brown.  Serves 8

 

Poached Pears
Ingredients:
4-6 Peeled, Cored and Sliced Pears (recommend Bosc or Anjou)
1 1/2 cups of red wine (recommend Zinfandel, Shiraz or Merlot)
3/4 cups of granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice (can also add lemon zest if desired)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
Preparation: Combine all ingredients, except pears, and bring to a boil. Once the wine mixture is boiling, turn heat down to a simmer and add the pears. Simmer pears for 10-12 minutes and then turn pears and simmer for an additional 8-10 minutes – until they are tender and are easily poked through with a fork. Remove pears and let them cool. Boil wine sauce until the liquid has been reduced by half. Pour sauce over pears and serve with either marscapone, crème fraiche or Devonshire cream.

Chocolate Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut up
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon anise seed
1 cup almonds or hazelnuts, chopped
1.5 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ancho powder (or to taste)
sesame seeds

PREPARATION:
Brown chicken in a medium skillet in hot oil. Remove to a large (13x9x2) cake pan or baking dish. Pour oil from skillet and add the stock. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cocoa with vegetable oil to form a paste. Add cloves, cinnamon, anise seed, and blend. Stir spice mixture into simmering stock and simmer 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Pour mixture over the chicken parts. Cover and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until chicken is tender (around 1 to 1 1/2 hours).

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Spice making demonstration

Everyday at 11:00 am at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, my assistants and I perform a spice making demonstration. We talk about how to make Garam Masala and Curry spice blends at home, the ingredients needed, and the process.  A photographer from Metromix.com was kind enough to document this process. 

First, we begin setting up and organizing the spices before our demonstration begins.  Cast iron pans are on the fire heating up and we are gathering out audience.

 

 

 

 

 

We talk about how each family would have their own recipe of a blend.  Some families would great a sweeter mix, others a spicier, and some would great a hotter blend. 

 

 

 

 

We start combining the spices.  First we create the garam masala and then the curry.  We talk about how both spice recipes use cumin and corriander and the differences between the two.

 

 

 

 

We talk about fresh spices are important.  Here, Rissa is shaving the nutmeg to ensure freshness.  We talk about how soft the nut is an how easy it is to shave it versus grate it.

 

 

 

 

Nicholas takes the preassembled spice blends over to the fire.  Once again, we starts with the garam masala.  Adding the spices to the hot pan, he begins to dry roast them to help spread out the oils.  Our stage begins to smell like toasted spices.

 

 

 

 

 Here, Nicholas is starting to demonstrate the curry.

 

 

 

 

Adding the final touches by adding the tumeric. 

 

If you haven’t already, please visit our shows at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival at 11 am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm.  We hope to see you there!

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Silk Road recipes (Part I)

This past weekend was Silk Road weekend at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and we cooked up a storm.  My assistants, Nicholas and Rissa, worked very hard over the three day weekend and we cooked and cooked.  We demonstrated several recipes.  I will post the second set of recipes later, once I can compile my notes further. 

This past weekend, our 1:00 pm show demonstrated chicken tikka, curry chickpeas, and samosas.  I hope you like them as much as we did; they made a very tasty lunch.

Chicken Tikka
Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
3/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
2 cups whole-milk yogurt
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for greasing pan
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (Indian spice mixture)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
5 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

Blend well the whole milk yogurt and spices together.  Add the chicken and marinate for 8 hours.  Heat up a pan with oil and fry up the chicken or use skewers and grill the chicken until done.

Curry Chickpea Stew
Ingredients:
1 tsp sea salt
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin, ground
2 tsp coriander, ground
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, dried and cracked (preferred) ground is also acceptable
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tablespoons of olive oil

In a pan with hot oil, add the mustard seeds and cook until they have all popped (like popcorn).  Add the chickpeas and the spices.  Cook until the spices have completely covered the chickpeas.

Vegetable Samosa FIlling  
Ingredients:
1 Potato finely diced
1 carrot finely diced
2 cloves of crushed garlic.
1 Onion finely chopped
1 Cup of frozen peas
1 tblspn vegetable oil
2 tspn curry powder or your own spices according to taste
Salt, Pepper to taste

Dice up the potatoes, carrots, and onions.  Heat up a pan with vegetable oil and the diced vegetables along with the frozen peas.  Add the curry and sauté the vegetables until tender and put aside.

Pastry
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
2 tspn. salt
2 tblspb. vegetable oil
1-2 tblspb. warm water

Mix the flour and the salt together.  Great a hole in the mound of dried ingredients and stir in the oil and the water until a soft dough forms.  Create in a ball and let sit for 30 minutes.  After the dough has sat, break the dough off into 12 equal parts.  With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into thin circles and use a knife to cut each piece of dough into half circles.  Add the filling to one half of the dough and fold over the remaining dough.  Seal with water. 

Heat up a pan with 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees and begin to deep fry the samosas until golden brown.  Remove from the oil and serve.

Optional dipping sauce

Blend together 1 cup of whole milk Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of garam masala and serve along side with samosas.

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Shepherd’s Pie and Black Pudding

This past weekend was the Royal Ale themed weekend at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.  Over the years, this has been a traditional English weekend.  We demonstrated how to make Shepherd’s Pie and Black Pudding.  Most people who came to the demonstration were not prepared for the ingredients in black pudding – blood and suet.  For those American’s with steel stomachs, I invite you to try the Black Pudding recipe.  For those searching for traditional fare, I recommend the Shepherd’s Pie, which is made from lamb.  Cottage Pie is made with beef.

Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients

Shepherd's Pie made August 28, 2011
Shepherd's Pie

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings.

Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

 

Black Pudding Ingredients:

1 quart pig’s blood
12 ounces bread crumbs
1/2 lb. suet
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 quart milk
1 cup cooked barley
1 cup dry rolled oats
1 ounce ground mint

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl; pour into a large kettle or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Pour into a wide shallow bowl and season again if necessary. Chill thoroughly, until firm. When cold it may be cut into slices and fried.