YumSugar

52 Weeks of Baking: Goatbread Cookies

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:58:11 -0700

Toot! Toot!
That, my friends, is the sound of me tooting my own horn. A few weeks ago I bought some of the amazing goat butter from the folks at Meyenberg and loved it so much that I wanted to use it for everything. I had eaten it on toast, over pasta and on crackers, but at some point I decided, actually make that knew that I had to make shortbread cookies with it. Nevermind the fact that I had never actually made shortbread cookies, nor actually even liked them that much, neither of those things were going to stop me - I was going to make goatbread cookies (aka shortbread cookies made with goat butter)! To see how they turned out (toot! toot! I freaking loved them) and see the recipe that I more-or-less concocted on my own, read more

Once I decided I was going to make the goatbread cookies (that name sounded best to me), I started pouring through a bunch of cookbooks in order to check out their shortbread cookie recipes. I knew that the goat butter would lend a savory quality, so I knew that I shouldn't add anything like vanilla extract and I didn't want the sugar's sweetness to over-power the goat flavor either. Ultimately I ended up taking a piece from that one (rice flour from Test Kitchen), a piece from this one (temp from Bon Appetit) and just winging it the rest of the way. The bf was worried that all the amazing goat butter was going to be wasted, and to be honest, so was I. However the end result turned out fantastic - although I think that's just a testament to how fantastic the goat butter is. The goatbread cookie was crumbly, but cohesive, had a bit of a sweetness to it, and a nice goaty aftertaste. The recipe is far from perfect, but it's definitely a good launching point. I definitely cannot wait to try more goat butter creations.

Goatbread Cookies
From YumSugar

6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) goat butter (cut into 1" cubes)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup rice flour
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300F. Move oven rack to top 1/3 of the oven.
In large bowl, or stand mixer, whisk salt and sugar together.
Add butter, mix well. I mixed in stand mixer on medium until butter was completely blended and creamy (about 2 minutes via mixer). Note: this can be done by hand also.
Sift flour together.
Slowly (on low speed if using mixer) add flours to butter mixture. I added 1/3 at a time. Scrape sides with spatula as needed.
When flour is fully incoporated you will be left with a sand-textured mixture. Try and form a ball with your hands. If the dough is not holding together, add a few drops of water (I added about 1 tbsp). Do not add too much water. The final result should be barely cohesive.
In a 9" cake pan, lined with parchment paper or well-greased, place dough and spread out as evenly as possible.
Take another 9" cake pan (you may want to grease the bottom) and place it on top of the dough. Apply even pressure to form the dough into an even-sized disk.
Remove dough from pan and place onto baking pan lined with parchment or silpat.
Using a knife and fork, score & design shortbread (I definitely needed some help in this department).
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and top is even golden color.

Remove from oven and let sit on pan for about 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Note: It is extremely important to cut into wedges before it cools completely. If you wait until it cools, it will crumble.
Serve and savor!

Note: Next time I will completely skip the pan part and try my best with creating an even square by hand. Until I get really concerned with presentation (gotta master flavor first!), I think it was more of an unnecessary mess. However, if you skip this step, make sure that your goatbread has an even thickness - this way you'll ensure even baking throughout.

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In Season: Figs

YumSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:00:10 -0700

Fig season is like pre-Fall in the fashion world, a tasty little teaser that helps bridge the gap between Summer and Autumn. Perhaps it's partly because the season is so fleeting that this fruit tastes so sweet, but when figs are just right, they taste downright sinful. When people tell me they don't like figs, I say, they just haven't had a good one yet.

This soft, fleshy fruit with a thick but edible skin comes in many colors and forms. In North America, the most common types are Mission figs, Brown Turkey, and Brunswick, which have dark skin and a pink-purple middle; Calimyrna, the green-and-pink beauties like the fig pictured above; and Kadota, another green-skinned variety. Learn how to select fresh figs, and how to prepare them when you read more.

When buying figs, choose fruits that are firm but not hard, with a slight amount of give. Pick figs that feel juicy and rich, rather than dry, and be sure to handle them gingerly until you're ready to eat them, as they bruise easily. They are delicious on their own, but figs also play nicely against salty cheeses and cured meats. Here are some recipes to try:

Wrap them in prosciutto for figs in a blanket hors d'oeuvres.
Poach them for an elegant but simple dessert.
Smash them into panini with nut butter and banana.
Use them as a sweet topper for a salty pizza.
Bake them in a fig and goat cheese scone.

How do you plan to cook with figs this season?

2007 Winter Fancy Food Show - Part 2 (Goat Cheese!)

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:54:40 -0800

Trendspotting: Goat Cheese and Friends
Like I mentioned earlier, we ate a lot of cheese at the Fancy Food Show. But oddly enough, we ate more goat milk flavored items than cow milk flavored items. Now there's nothing wrong with goat cheese (in fact, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the stuff), but it seemed as if goat milk products far outnumbered cow milk products. And I know that goat milk has been a trend for a little while (in fact I'd seen a lot of these products before), but it was still surprising to see so many of them under one roof.

There were too many products to actually keep up with, but here are a few that garnered my taste bud's full attention:

Goat Milk Butter from Meyenberg
This was one of my favorite things at the show. It was a rich creamy European style butter but with a rich goaty flavor. I had to go back for seconds... actually thirds.
Creamy Goat Cheese from the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company
This was a nice and spreadable goat cheese that was available in three flavors: Classic, Roasted Red Pepper and Olive & Herb. I thought it might make a nice alternative to cream cheese in the morning, or tossed with pasta.

Four more and a photo gallery, so read more

Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove Chevre
I was happy to see that my current favorite cheese was there in full force. It's creamy and lucious with a nice tangy flavor. I could eat this by the buckets full. I would probably end up with a pretty wild tummyache, but I bet I could do it. The other cheeses from Cypress Grove were also really nice, including the Lamb Chopper (a sheep's milk cheese) and the fresh herbed chevre.

Goat Milk Yogurt from Redwood Hill Farms
This yogurt is a nice offering for people who can't digest cow milk. However, I found it to be quite strong in flavor and rather "goaty." But, if you're into that, then seriously look for this stuff, it's delicious, but I just couldn't see myself eating an entire container in the morning. Oh, and they get bonus points because they stop milking their goats in the winter so that they can provide milk to the babies. It causes a "yogurt shortage" but it sounds well worth it to me.
Echo Mountain Cheese from Rogue Creamery
This blue cheese is actually a goat and cow milk blend. The result was creamy, yet potent. I'd say it's a truly American flavor and one that I want to eat over and over again.

Marin Chevre Blue from Rouge et Noir
Another goat style blue, but this time it was a goat milk Brie that has a traditional Roquefort culture mixed right into the milk. It had a nice tang, but was smooth and creamy from the goat's milk.

Sadly, I heard there was a goat milk frozen yogurt somewhere, but somehow I missed it. With over 1,100 booths, I guess that's easy to do, but I still would have enjoyed trying it.

Oh and word of advice to cheese companies, don't serve your cheese on an overly salty or potent cracker. How am I supposed to know what the cheese tastes like?

Check out some of the goat milk products we encountered:

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Come Party With Me: Farmers Market Feast - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:00:27 -0700

This week, why not invite some friends over for dinner on the patio? Serve an easy vegetarian meal inspired by the fresh produce found at the local farmers market. The menu starts with goat cheese topped with an olive-thyme mixture.

A savory tart layered with tomatoes, roasted garlic, and fontina cheese is a simple but stunning centerpiece. Instead of serving a boring salad, pair the tart with an equally exciting side: warm Summer vegetable salad with brown butter dressing. Sound scrumptious? Get the recipes when you read more.

Goat Cheese With Olives, Lemon, and Thyme
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1/2 cup assorted olives
3 fresh thyme sprigs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 (4- to 5-ounce) fresh goat-cheese medallion or 2 (2-ounces) goat-cheese buttons
Flatbread, crackers, or crostini for serving

Directions

Heat olives, thyme, oil, zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small skillet or saucepan over low heat until fragrant (do not simmer). Cool to room temperature.
Serve olive mixture over goat cheese.

Serves 4.

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Tomato Tart
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 head garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 disk of pie dough, homemade or store bought
2 ounces Italian fontina cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 pounds firm but ripe tomatoes (4 medium), cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Wrap to enclose garlic in foil, and place on a small baking sheet.
Bake until soft and golden brown and the tip of a knife easily pierces the flesh, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.
Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. When garlic is cool enough to handle, using either your hands or the dull end of a large knife, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and into a small bowl; mash with a fork, and set aside. Discard the papery skins.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 12 inches in diameter. With a dry pastry brush, brush off the excess flour; roll the dough around the rolling pin, and lift it over a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners. Trim the dough so that it is flush with the edges; transfer to the refrigerator to chill, about 30 minutes.
Spread roasted garlic evenly on the chilled crust. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese, in an overlapping circular pattern. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer to oven.
Reduce temperature to 400 degrees. and bake until crust is golden and tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, and serve warm.

Serves 8.

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Warm Summer Vegetable Salad With Brown Butter Dressing
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 small leeks or 16 baby leeks, white and tender green parts only, halved and washed
1/2 pound green beans
4 cups baby arugula (2 ounces)
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup Moscatel, white balsamic or late-harvest wine vinegar
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
16 small radishes, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup small or torn mint leaves

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the leeks, cover and simmer over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes (3 minutes for baby leeks). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the leeks to paper towels to drain. Cut the leeks lengthwise into long, thin strands.
Add the beans to the saucepan. Cook until just tender, 4 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Put the arugula in a large bowl. In a large skillet, heat the butter and cook over moderately high heat until richly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the leeks, green beans, vinegar, red onion and radishes and toss until warmed. Spoon the vegetables and butter dressing over the arugula, toss well and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salad on 4 plates, garnish with the mint leaves and serve.

Serves 4.

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Say Cheese! Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon

partysugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:15:35 -0700

The other day I decided to treat myself to my favorite table cheese, grana padano. This Italian cheese is similar to Parmesan reggiano and is excellent eaten right out of your hands. However, my local grocery store was all out. As I stood staring aimlessly at the cheese selection, wondering what could replace my beloved padano, the cheesemonger saved me. "Have you tried Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon?" he asked. While I've had my fair share of artisanal cheesemaker's Cypress Grove's most famous cheese, Humboldt Fog, I've never tasted the Midnight Moon. An aged goat's milk cheese, Midnight Moon is perfect for any cheese plate. To find out why this is my new favorite and check out my suggestions for serving, read more.

Creamy and complex, midnight moon has similar characteristics to Parmesan. It's nutty and sharp with tiny melt-in-your-mouth crystals. The long and strong finish is caramely with a slight browned-butter flavor. It's salty, but not overly so and subtly rich. The aroma is mild. The aging process - Midnight Moon is aged for six months or more - provides a nice graininess. Pale ivory in color and smooth in texture, the wheels are finished in a black wax that easily peels off.

Here's how I plan on enjoying this delightful cheese:

Alone as a snack, or on a cheese board with charcuterie, fruit, and nuts.
With crackers, drizzled with honey or preserves.
Shaved onto a bitter green salad.
Melted in a grilled cheese sandwich or macaroni and cheese.
Grated on a crisp pizza crust.

Have you tried Midnight Moon or any of Cypress Grove's cheeses? What did you think?

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Off To Market Recap: Butter Bell

partysugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:58:21 -0700

A little while back I dramatically declared that YumSugar was desperately in need of our help. Ok that may be a little exaggeration but she recently spent a good amount of money on a special, creamy goat butter (which she expertly turned into delicious goatbread cookies). Before the butter goes bad she wanted to find a butter bell. A butter bell is a butter container that maintains the perfect temperature of the butter while protecting it from outside air. She did a quick search but could only find hideously ugly little butter bells with butter written in loopy letters. So she asked me to ask you to scour the web for a sleek modern butter bell that matches her unromantic kitchen and granite counter tops. I was surprised to see 2 whole pages filled with awesome butter bells. Here are the ones that I think Yum will like the best:

BellaCalla found this handsome porcelain and steel butter bell. It holds one stick of butter without refrigeration for up to one month.

Two more so read more

This modern butter bell discovered by cravinsugar will be functional and aesthetically pleasing to YumSugar's eye.

With this square, marble butter bell the water creates an airtight seal around the butter and allows it to soften and then it is easily spreadable. Thanks for finding this chic butter bell rubialala!

Don't know how to bookmark on TeamSugar? Check out geeksugar's guide.

Going Inside the Cooking Loft With Alex Guarnaschelli

partysugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:00:12 -0700

This weekend the Food Network debuts its newest show, The Cooking Loft. Like Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, the host of the show, Alex Guarnaschelli is the head chef of a popular New York City eatery, Butter. The Cooking Loft is an interactive show in which Alex teaches a group of students how to make several dishes with a specific ingredient. After watching an episode of the show, I was excited to speak with Alex on the phone. To find what she had to say, read more.

Alex was exposed to food from an early age because her mom was a cookbook editor. She's worked at acclaimed restaurants in New York and Los Angeles, but it was her appearance on Iron Chef America that started her relationship with the Food Network. She refers to the network as "one big happy family" and is nervously awaiting the debut of her show.

PartySugar: With your show what are you hoping to teach the American people?
Alex Gauranaschelli: I think the most important thing people should learn from my show is how fun and easy cooking can be. All you have to do is something simple, make things special, more unique, more flavorful.

PS: What's your criteria when considering dishes to feature on your show?
AG: The show is topic driven. We have a very unique format. We first choose the ingredient - tomatoes, chicken, etc. - and than I pick my favorite recipes. I like to take a different approach, to teach people how to reinvent ingredients, reinvent the basics.
PS: Are you worried about how the New York restaurant industry will respond to your show?
AG: I find the New York restaurant industry to be one big family. I'm hoping it will be well-received, but honestly I'm more worried about how my tomato recipes will look.

PS: What is your guilty pleasure food?
AG: What? Like stuff I keep hidden from other people? My homemade guilty pleasure is my mom's chocolate cake with caramel, we feature the recipe on the show. Of processed foods, it's a tie between Cool Ranch Doritos and Oreos. They are actually really good together. I like to make a little sandwich. It's quite appetizing, you get all salted up with the chips and cool it off with the sweet oreos.

PS: What did you have for lunch today?
AG: I'm glad you asked me! I had a really chefy lunch. I had a salad with lolla rosso [a type of lettuce] and shallots. I made an omelette with local eggs and goat cheese and I cooked it really slowly until the goat cheese melted, then I rolled it up and put it on top of the lettuce. It was so good, it was like a religious experience.

PS: Beer or wine?
AG: Wine.
PS: Cookie or cake?
AG: Cake
PS: Soup or salad?
AG: Soup
PS: Iron Chef or Top Chef?
AG: That's cruel! Iron Chef.
PS: Los Angeles or New York?
AG: New York
PS: Butter or olive oil?
AG: Butter
PS: Potatoes or pasta?
AG: Pasta
PS: Truffles or foie gras?
AG: Truffles
PS:Crème brulee or panna cotta?
AG: Neither, creme caramel.

Source

Get Your Goat ... Cheese Mashed Potatoes

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:15:26 -0800

While it's hard to improve on classic comfort foods like mashed potatoes, a little tweak can go a long way. Goat cheese, leeks, and chives take this standard side dish to a new level of scrumptiousness. This recipe may be more complex with a couple of extra steps, but trust me, it is worth it! They're so delicious that no butter or gravy is required. The pure flavors of tangy goat cheese, savory leeks, and soft onions will satisfy anyone. If you want to impress your guests with these mouthwatering mashed potatoes, read more!

Mashed Potatoes With Goat Cheese, Leeks, and Chives
Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced well-washed white, pale green part of leek
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup milk
6 ounces crumbled mild goat cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Directions

In a saucepan combine the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, with enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch and simmer them for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, in a heavy skillet cook the leek, the onion, and the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the butter, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan. Mashed the potatoes. Stir in the milk, the remaining 3 tablespoon butter, the leek mixture, the goat cheese, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

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Off To Market: Butter Bell

partysugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 09:57:41 -0800

YumSugar needs our help readers! Here's the deal, she recently splurged on some super expensive goat's milk butter and she wants to keep this special, smooth, excessively creamy butter at room temperature for maximum enjoyment. This butter is too nice to throw on a plate and place in the cabinet, so we need to find Yum a butter bell. A butter bell is a butter container that maintains the perfect temperature of the butter while protecting it from outside air. She began looking for one but all she could find were hideously country little butter bells with butter written in loopy letters. YumSugar is not much of a romantic and her kitchen is sleek and chic rather than country and kitsch, so keep that in mind when you search for a butter container. She has beautiful granite counter tops and a modern butter bell will work wonderfully. Save what you find in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Butter Bell. Both YumSugar and I are excited to see what you discover so good luck!

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:30:13 -0800

Pull out all the party stops with roquefort and walnut canapés.
Homemade Kahlua is a thoughtful and timely New Year's host gift.
Find out what people, places, and things were among our food favorites of the year.
Don't commit the big party blunder known as the one-sided introduction.
These goat cheese mashed potatoes were so scrumptious, they didn't even need butter!
It may be the end of December, but November is where it's at.
Why First Lady Laura Bush is nervous to return to the kitchen.