FRANK | FOOD

I cook. I eat. I take pictures and tell you about it. Food I make, dishes I love, things that inspire and things that don't.

For me and my friends everyday is good eating.

frankfood@gmail.com
July 14
Spicy Jalapeno Corn Bread From Scratch! Which is pretty much just as easy as the box kind. I made a Southern style Sunday dinner this week (I’ll post about all the dishes!) and realized that I’d forgotten to get box of corn bread mix so instead of panic, I realized I had all the ingredients in the house already so I threw them together and, zoom, there was corn bread! All it takes is a cup of corn meal, a cup of all-purpose flour, a quarter cup sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt mixed together in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl mix one cup milk, one-third cup vegetable oil and one large egg, slightly beaten. Now mix the wet ingredients into the dry, add a small can of diced jalapenos, mix in a pour in a nine inch round cake pan (or square or what ever shallow tin you have) and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Ok now here’s a country gourmet trick. Instead of the cake tin, take a 10 inch cast iron skillet and heat it up on a high flame, take it off the heat and toss in a tablespoon of butter and let it melt and cover the bottom and sides. Now pour the corn bread batter in the skillet and toss in the oven to bake. It will take a little less time to bake so watch carefully and the bottom will have an extra delicious buttery browned crust which complements both a spicy  and  a sweet corn bread. Make some tonight! It’s so easy and good!

Spicy Jalapeno Corn Bread From Scratch!

Which is pretty much just as easy as the box kind. I made a Southern style Sunday dinner this week (I’ll post about all the dishes!) and realized that I’d forgotten to get box of corn bread mix so instead of panic, I realized I had all the ingredients in the house already so I threw them together and, zoom, there was corn bread!

All it takes is a cup of corn meal, a cup of all-purpose flour, a quarter cup sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt mixed together in a medium sized bowl.

In a separate bowl mix one cup milk, one-third cup vegetable oil and one large egg, slightly beaten. Now mix the wet ingredients into the dry, add a small can of diced jalapenos, mix in a pour in a nine inch round cake pan (or square or what ever shallow tin you have) and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Ok now here’s a country gourmet trick. Instead of the cake tin, take a 10 inch cast iron skillet and heat it up on a high flame, take it off the heat and toss in a tablespoon of butter and let it melt and cover the bottom and sides. Now pour the corn bread batter in the skillet and toss in the oven to bake. It will take a little less time to bake so watch carefully and the bottom will have an extra delicious buttery browned crust which complements both a spicy  and  a sweet corn bread.

Make some tonight! It’s so easy and good!

July 12
Apricot Blueberry Galette!It’s a tart kinda a pie with out the tin and above all else easy and fun to make! I was hunting around for ideas since I had a pile of apricots to use and everything I was running across was waaaaay too involved until I remembered this French style bistro tart.First pit and slice your fruit and put in your big mixing bowl. Like all my favorites, this recipe is very versatile and you can use whatever summer fruit you have on hand; peaches, blackberries, plums, cherries, nectarines, boysenberries or any combo of them, you’ll need about a pound and a quarter in all.  Adjust the amount of sugar and lemon for how ripe and sweet your particular fruit is. I used pretty ripe apricots and a handful of blueberries for this one.Ok, toss in with the sliced fruit, a half cup of sugar, two tablespoons of flour, a half teaspoon almond extract, the zest of one lemon and two teaspoons of lemon juice. If it moves you to, you can also add a quarter cup of dried currents or raisins and a quarter cup slivered almonds but I like it best with just the fruit.Mix gently but thoroughly and let it sit while you whip up the pie crust.Use any pie crust you like. I’ll put the fancy sounding but simple “Pate Brisee” recipe below or you can use a pre-made one or your “mom’s favorite” recipe, and roll out to about thirteen inches in diameter and of even thickness.Place in the center of a lightly buttered baking sheet.Now, just pile the fruit mixture in the center in a nice big mound leaving about a two inch margin all around. Gently fold the edges up and over the sides of the fruit mound so the fruit is visible in the center. Don’t be nervous that there’s no tin or support! This works great just make sure your tin has a rim because juices will flow a little and who wants to clean an oven!Stick in a 375 degree oven just like that for around 40-50 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling bubbling.A little paitience is needed for this next step because you have to let it cool for at least an hour before serving. Once its mostly cooled, it slices and serves like a dream.  If you can’t wait because it smells so good, the tender pie crust won’t hold it all together and there will be no pretty picture of it being served for the blog. But boy did it taste great!!!

Apricot Blueberry Galette!

It’s a tart kinda a pie with out the tin and above all else easy and fun to make! I was hunting around for ideas since I had a pile of apricots to use and everything I was running across was waaaaay too involved until I remembered this French style bistro tart.

First pit and slice your fruit and put in your big mixing bowl. Like all my favorites, this recipe is very versatile and you can use whatever summer fruit you have on hand; peaches, blackberries, plums, cherries, nectarines, boysenberries or any combo of them, you’ll need about a pound and a quarter in all.  Adjust the amount of sugar and lemon for how ripe and sweet your particular fruit is. I used pretty ripe apricots and a handful of blueberries for this one.

Ok, toss in with the sliced fruit, a half cup of sugar, two tablespoons of flour, a half teaspoon almond extract, the zest of one lemon and two teaspoons of lemon juice. If it moves you to, you can also add a quarter cup of dried currents or raisins and a quarter cup slivered almonds but I like it best with just the fruit.

Mix gently but thoroughly and let it sit while you whip up the pie crust.

Use any pie crust you like. I’ll put the fancy sounding but simple “Pate Brisee” recipe below or you can use a pre-made one or your “mom’s favorite” recipe, and roll out to about thirteen inches in diameter and of even thickness.

Place in the center of a lightly buttered baking sheet.

Now, just pile the fruit mixture in the center in a nice big mound leaving about a two inch margin all around. Gently fold the edges up and over the sides of the fruit mound so the fruit is visible in the center. Don’t be nervous that there’s no tin or support! This works great just make sure your tin has a rim because juices will flow a little and who wants to clean an oven!

Stick in a 375 degree oven just like that for around 40-50 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling bubbling.

A little paitience is needed for this next step because you have to let it cool for at least an hour before serving. Once its mostly cooled, it slices and serves like a dream.  If you can’t wait because it smells so good, the tender pie crust won’t hold it all together and there will be no pretty picture of it being served for the blog. But boy did it taste great!!!

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All Butter Pie Crust – “Pâte Brisée”

This makes one pâte brisée crust, enough for one tart. If you are making a pie with a bottom and top crust, double this recipe and form two discs of dough instead of one.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar (increase to 1 1/2 teaspoons if for a sweet recipe)
2 to 4 Tbsp ice water, very cold

Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and put in the freezer for at least ten minutes so that they become good and chilled. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar, pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add water one Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some together and it holds then it’s ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.

Dump dough from machine and place on a clean lightly floured surface. Carefully shape into a disc. Do not over work the dough! Just knead enough to make the disc. You should still be able to see little bits of butter in the dough and these bits are what will make you a flaky crust! Sprinkle the disc with a little flour on all sides and wrap the disc in plastic wrap and toss in the freezer for 12 minutes to firm up.

When you are ready to roll it out, if it is too stiff, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-13 inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. Be careful  and gentle as you roll out the dough, and use a metal spatula to check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep from sticking.

Gently fold in half. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.

July 10
Hummus! It’s so easy to make in my new food processor! (Did I mention I LOVE my new food processor? I do. I love it!) You can also easily whip this up in a blender! Take one can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), organic if at all possible, and put in the food pro. Add 2 generous tablespoons of tahini (ground sesame butter) the juice of one lemon (add half a lemon more if you like extra lemon), a teaspoon and a half of ground cumin, a glug of olive oil and couple pinches of salt. Blend the heck out of it until nice and creamy! A blender will do a better job if you like creamy-creamy hummus. I like mine with a little more body so the processor is perfect. You might have to add a tablespoon or two of water if it’s looking too thick to blend well. Top off with a splash of olive oil and light sprinkling of paprika. I served it up with warm pita triangles and a host of veggies: cucumber, carrot, jimica, string beans, bell pepper and celery. A fantastic snack, party platter or light meal on a hot summer night!

Hummus!

It’s so easy to make in my new food processor! (Did I mention I LOVE my new food processor? I do. I love it!) You can also easily whip this up in a blender!

Take one can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), organic if at all possible, and put in the food pro. Add 2 generous tablespoons of tahini (ground sesame butter) the juice of one lemon (add half a lemon more if you like extra lemon), a teaspoon and a half of ground cumin, a glug of olive oil and couple pinches of salt.

Blend the heck out of it until nice and creamy! A blender will do a better job if you like creamy-creamy hummus. I like mine with a little more body so the processor is perfect. You might have to add a tablespoon or two of water if it’s looking too thick to blend well.

Top off with a splash of olive oil and light sprinkling of paprika.

I served it up with warm pita triangles and a host of veggies: cucumber, carrot, jimica, string beans, bell pepper and celery. A fantastic snack, party platter or light meal on a hot summer night!

July 8
Summer Slaw! I LOVE to make coleslaw for some reason. My mom used to make the BEST slaw until she got a food processor and decided that it was easier to make a super fine chopped up version of her delicious hand chopped one I’ve always loved. It may be tempting to use short cuts but HAND CUT EVERYTHING for delicious slaw. Ok, a mandolin or grater is ok but don’t use a food processor for this one or you’ll make me sad! I used napa cabbage for this one but I think I actually prefer good old regular green cabbage however either work well. Chop as fine as you can a half head of cabbage and put in a big work bowl. Now cut into fine matchsticks half of a red bell pepper, a small cucumber (I like the english or Persian type) and three green onions. Finely mince about eight fresh basil leaves and a little Italian parsley, about a tablespoon or so. Toss it all in the bowl. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, three table spoons of real mayonnaise, one tablespoon of country Dijon or stone ground mustard, a dash or two of sweet wine vinegar, the juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Mix! Toss! Serve! Add or subtract anything you like or have on hand because it’s a very versitile recipe. I often add tomatos and other colorful peppers or Walla Walla sweet onions!

Summer Slaw!

I LOVE to make coleslaw for some reason. My mom used to make the BEST slaw until she got a food processor and decided that it was easier to make a super fine chopped up version of her delicious hand chopped one I’ve always loved. It may be tempting to use short cuts but HAND CUT EVERYTHING for delicious slaw. Ok, a mandolin or grater is ok but don’t use a food processor for this one or you’ll make me sad!

I used napa cabbage for this one but I think I actually prefer good old regular green cabbage however either work well. Chop as fine as you can a half head of cabbage and put in a big work bowl. Now cut into fine matchsticks half of a red bell pepper, a small cucumber (I like the english or Persian type) and three green onions. Finely mince about eight fresh basil leaves and a little Italian parsley, about a tablespoon or so.

Toss it all in the bowl. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, three table spoons of real mayonnaise, one tablespoon of country Dijon or stone ground mustard, a dash or two of sweet wine vinegar, the juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Mix! Toss! Serve!

Add or subtract anything you like or have on hand because it’s a very versitile recipe. I often add tomatos and other colorful peppers or Walla Walla sweet onions!

July 7
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Grill-Roasted Corn on the Cobb and Armenian BBQ Chicken. So I may have gone to a bunch of BBQ’s this weekend instead of cooking up much myself but what a treat! I love a good BBQ holiday especially one that involves large amounts of exploding sparkly things in the sky PLUS I got to eat two of my favorite things and discover a new spice. I love, love, love roasted corn! Whether at a street fair or carnival or off my home grill, the roasty, smokey, sweet goodness dripping in butter, salt, lime and chili or garlic salt and pepper or Parmesan cheese is the ultimate of summer finger food. At home, I shuck most of the outer layers of husk off and pull off the silk, soak in water for ten minutes while the grill heats up, then toss on for around seven to ten minutes a side or until the corn is good and roasted. The exact time will depend on the heat of your grill and the level of roasty you like. You can also shuck the ears completely and put directly on the fire but I like the handle the husks make when you peel them back after they’re done! Now, the new spice I was told was “pomegranate skin powder”. Apparently a common Armenian spice and was sprinkle on the delicious BBQ chicken above. I’m doing a bit of research since the BBQ master was too secretive to share much info but it was kinda tart, kinda dry tasting but I need to find some and experiment so look for a more in depth post soon! The BBQ sauce he made was awesome though and the pomegranate flavor definately added to the experiance. I’m pretty sure he used pomegranate molassas as the secret ingrediant!

Grill-Roasted Corn on the Cobb and Armenian BBQ Chicken.

So I may have gone to a bunch of BBQ’s this weekend instead of cooking up much myself but what a treat! I love a good BBQ holiday especially one that involves large amounts of exploding sparkly things in the sky PLUS I got to eat two of my favorite things and discover a new spice.

I love, love, love roasted corn! Whether at a street fair or carnival or off my home grill, the roasty, smokey, sweet goodness dripping in butter, salt, lime and chili or garlic salt and pepper or Parmesan cheese is the ultimate of summer finger food.

At home, I shuck most of the outer layers of husk off and pull off the silk, soak in water for ten minutes while the grill heats up, then toss on for around seven to ten minutes a side or until the corn is good and roasted. The exact time will depend on the heat of your grill and the level of roasty you like.

You can also shuck the ears completely and put directly on the fire but I like the handle the husks make when you peel them back after they’re done!

Now, the new spice I was told was “pomegranate skin powder”. Apparently a common Armenian spice and was sprinkle on the delicious BBQ chicken above. I’m doing a bit of research since the BBQ master was too secretive to share much info but it was kinda tart, kinda dry tasting but I need to find some and experiment so look for a more in depth post soon!

The BBQ sauce he made was awesome though and the pomegranate flavor definately added to the experiance. I’m pretty sure he used pomegranate molassas as the secret ingrediant!

July 6
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Street Fiesta Taquitos-Pupusas-Taco Stand! Not too far from my house I stumbled upon a weekend long street fair in a predominately Mexican and Central American neighborhood. Smack in the middle was this awesome food stand with nearly every tasty treat you could ask for. Pupasas from El Salvador, roasted corn, tacos, gorditas enchilada style, plantains, burritos, fruit smoothies, agua frescas and one of my favorite street snacks, taquitos! Everyting looked so tasty, but I limited myself to one carne asada taco and a trio of chicken taquitos with queso fresco and a splash of smokey roasted salsa. Taquitos are really just tacos rolled up and deep fried and served with favorite sauces and cheese. Super easy to do at home healthy style too. Just take your favorite cooked and seasoned taco meat (or veggies like roasted potatoes and peppers), roll up  in six inch corn tortillas and gently fry in a half inch of hot vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet flipping over once  for around five minutes on each side. Make dozens beacause people will chow though them! Such great finger food for adults and kids plus every one can choose what kind of sauce, salsa or cheesy  goodness to dip in!

Street Fiesta Taquitos-Pupusas-Taco Stand!

Not too far from my house I stumbled upon a weekend long street fair in a predominately Mexican and Central American neighborhood. Smack in the middle was this awesome food stand with nearly every tasty treat you could ask for. Pupasas from El Salvador, roasted corn, tacos, gorditas enchilada style, plantains, burritos, fruit smoothies, agua frescas and one of my favorite street snacks, taquitos!

Everyting looked so tasty, but I limited myself to one carne asada taco and a trio of chicken taquitos with queso fresco and a splash of smokey roasted salsa. Taquitos are really just tacos rolled up and deep fried and served with favorite sauces and cheese.

Super easy to do at home healthy style too. Just take your favorite cooked and seasoned taco meat (or veggies like roasted potatoes and peppers), roll up  in six inch corn tortillas and gently fry in a half inch of hot vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet flipping over once  for around five minutes on each side. Make dozens beacause people will chow though them! Such great finger food for adults and kids plus every one can choose what kind of sauce, salsa or cheesy  goodness to dip in!

July 3
Angels on Horseback. Another oyster post since they are my favorite summer, and in my family, fourth of July treat. For the family BBQ we pick up a bag of big ol’ Totten oysters from a road side stand (one of the perks of being in the northwest), toss ‘em on a hot grill for about 5 minutes and just as the shells pop open squirt on some lemon eat! Tottens are a bigger oyster better for cooking than the more delicate and smaller types (Kumomoto, Blue Point or the tiny, excuisite Olympia) and also a great choice for angels on horseback but you can use any oyster available in your area. Take a dozen shucked oysters and marinate in the juice of a lemon, a dash of cayenne and a tablespoon of chopped parsley. While they are marinating, cook 12 strips of bacon in a pan until just browned. Drain let cool a little and pat off extra bacon grease. Now, wrap each oyster in a strip of bacon and thread on a bamboo skewer leaving about a half inch between each little bacon wrapped dream and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until the bacon is crisp and the oysters start to contract or curl, about 5-7 mins. per side depending on how high the heat. Serve either on the stick or arranged on top of a little vinegrette dressed arugula salad.

Angels on Horseback.

Another oyster post since they are my favorite summer, and in my family, fourth of July treat. For the family BBQ we pick up a bag of big ol’ Totten oysters from a road side stand (one of the perks of being in the northwest), toss ‘em on a hot grill for about 5 minutes and just as the shells pop open squirt on some lemon eat!

Tottens are a bigger oyster better for cooking than the more delicate and smaller types (Kumomoto, Blue Point or the tiny, excuisite Olympia) and also a great choice for angels on horseback but you can use any oyster available in your area.

Take a dozen shucked oysters and marinate in the juice of a lemon, a dash of cayenne and a tablespoon of chopped parsley. While they are marinating, cook 12 strips of bacon in a pan until just browned.

Drain let cool a little and pat off extra bacon grease. Now, wrap each oyster in a strip of bacon and thread on a bamboo skewer leaving about a half inch between each little bacon wrapped dream and season with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil until the bacon is crisp and the oysters start to contract or curl, about 5-7 mins. per side depending on how high the heat.

Serve either on the stick or arranged on top of a little vinegrette dressed arugula salad.