Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips and Kale Salad... Little Bites to Soothe The Soul

This has been an amazing week in both good and bad ways. At my age I should know that when people start to attack and provoke me out of the blue, then something good is brewing in the universe for me, and they sense that. My spirit has been both deflated and elated this week. But what kept me centered is that I know my worth , value , and talent. And no one , no matter how well meaning  they think they are,can take that away from me, especially as they have no bearing or impact on my future what so ever. Besides having a healthy, yet sensitive sense of self, these little recipes brought me joy in the kitchen this week. Some other things that have brought me joy are hearing from dear old friends from long ago, and a new part time job , in a professional kitchen. I auditioned and got hired hired at a  caterer not far from the house. African American owned and primarily serving an upscale clientele of movers and shakers . My first night I looked up from my cutting board of quartering potatoes and see Mayor Richard Daley walking through the kitchens on a tour as a fundraiser was being held. I love this job and love working with the executive chef who I get to speak some french with.So you see everything turns around in the end for the best.
I always love the pickled pink vegetables that are served with my Middle Eastern takeouts both here and in Europe. I never really knew what I was crunching on but I loved them. Come to find out they were pickled turnips with the addition of beets to give the color. I searched the web for a recipe and most seemed to not rather simple not requiring process, just sitting in a jar for a few days. I really wanted to use my Weck Jars and decided to alter the recipe a bit. I processed mine in a water bath. While a little softer, they are just as refreshing and tangy as I remembered. Next time I will decrease my water bath to 10 minutes as opposed to 20. These turnips make a great addition to salads, grilled chicken, lamb, or beef.



Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips
makes 5  1/4 L  jars
1 large turnip or 3-4 small ones peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
2  small beets
4-5 cloves of garlic sliced into slivers
Celery leaves( 2-3 sprigs per jar)
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sea salt

Sterilize your jars and lids.

Boil your beets with skin for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool. Peel and quarter. Set aside.
Blanch the peeled and sliced turnips in  boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Allow to cool.


Pack each jar with  2 pieces of quartered beet, turnips, garlic, and celery leaves.
In a saucepan boil vinegar and water with the salt. Pour the hot vinegar solution over the turnips . Seal and process in a water batch for 10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool on a rack for 24 hours.

 Kale Salad really doesnt require a formal recipe. I thought the concept of a kale salad was strange at first. But one bite and you feel the healthy leafy green energizing your body. I can imagine many variations for this salad, but I kept it simple with items most of us have on hand. I have found  the  key is to massage your bite size kale pieces with the oil of your choice to soften it.
Kale Salad
Wash and dry your kale. Remove large center stem and tear the kale into bite size pieces. With your hands , massage the kale with olive  oil for a few minutes. Add carrots, tomatoes, garlic,slivered onion, and finish with Balsamic Vinegar. Chill and serve. Can keep for about 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

 Both of these recipes are suitable additions  for Meatless Mondays.

Enjoy.

Sweet Potato Everything Bread... Necessity Breeds Invention

I had this big fat sweet potato staring at me for a week. As some people in this household are not to fond of them, and I wasn't having a taste for it. I wanted to use  the sweet potato in  another way. I also had some Poppy Seeds that have been whispering for me to use them, every time I open my cabinet. 

Sweet Potato + Poppy Seeds + Yeast =A beautiful relationship

I call this my Sweet Potato Everything Bread. I'm feeling pretty confident as a baker now, where I can take liberties with a recipe base and expand. One of my first Daring Bakers Challenges a few years back was a great Potato Bread which I have used from time to time and seems almost fail proof. Using that recipe as a base I decided to switch out the white potato for sweet. Unfortunately I did not have the total amount of All Purpose Flour and didn't want to use more  Whole Wheat Flour , which was also required. I looked on my shelf and found some King Arthur's Rye Blend Flour and used some of that with the other two flours. I figured if anything it would be a great experiment. I also made an egg wash with some honey . The bread was topped with Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Dried Minced Onion and Sea Salt. The recipe yielded enough for a 20 rolls and 1 medium sized loaf of bread to slice. Certain Someone, who is very picky about bread was pleased with the results. He liked it. I take that as a  huge compliment because Europeans are finicky about their breads and are often disappointed with the  commercial findings here in the United States. The loaf and rolls have a tender crumb that would be great with jams or savory items.

Sweet Potato Everything Bread

12 oz of sweet potato pieces

4 cups of water

1 Tablespoon and 1 tsp seas salt

2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

6 Cups All Pupose Flour

2 Cups Rye Blend Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon butter at room temp/softened

Egg Wash

1 egg

1 teaspoon of milk or cream * Cream gives more glaze

1 teaspoon honey

Topping

2 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds

2 Tablesppons Dried Minced Onion

2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Boil the sweet potato chunks with skin in the 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until tender. Drain the sweet potato, but save the water! Do not throw away the cooking  water as it will be used in the recipe. Peel of the skins and mash the sweet potato. Run  the sweet potato with the 3 cups of the cooking  water ( you may  have to add more water to make up difference) in a blender to make a smooth liquid mixture. Pour warm mixture into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Cool down until lukewarm .Add the yeast to sweet potato water and mix gently. Let rest for 5 minutes. It will start to bubble slightly on the surface.

Whisk together the all Purpose Flour and Rye Flour in a separate bowl to combine.  Add a few cups of this flour blend to the yeast , sweet potato mixture. Add the butter and salt and with the paddle attachment slowly blend to incorporate. Continue to add the remaining flour and the whole wheat flour as well. Switch to the dough hook. The dough will be sticky still but will start to take hold as more flour is added. It will still be a stickier dough however. With the dough hook , beat for several minutes ( about 8-10 minutes) until the the dough starts to hold its shape .Turn out into a clean bowl or container with lid. Cover and let rise in a  warm place for 2 hours or until double.
 On a clean counter surface which is lightly floured,  turn out the risen dough and punch down and knead to shape. Place the rolls or loaves into the respective baking  tins and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise again for approximately 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450F
Mix the Seed Topping ingredients.
Mix egg,milk, and honey for egg wash.
After second rise, brush the formed dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with Seed Topping.
Bake at 450F until golden for about 30-40 minutes depending on size and shape of dough. If the topping starts to brown to fast . lightly cover with foil.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire baking racks for 1 hours or more to let bread rest.

 

I submit this to BYOB

 

Singapore “Carrot Cake” or Chai tao kway with Homemade Ketjap Manis

Those that know me know I love to try new things. I’m quite adventurous when it comes to food. A few incidents occurred this past week that propelled me to make this tasty vegetarian recipe. I had ordered three Culinaria books to round my collection, and the first one was on South East Asia. Reading the first section about Singapore and Malaysia, and the various ethnicities that make up that region got me hungry. Particularly the Chinese old fashioned coffee shops , a fading tradition, where they serve for breakfast a egg jam made of eggs, sugar, pandan, and condensed milk, and such things as this ‘carrot cake” which is a cake made up rice flour, and shredded Daikon Radish, eggs, and a thick sweet soy sauce called ketjap manis ( which is Indonesian in origin). Lo and behold the next day I received 3 perfect looking Daikon Radishes in my Organic Vegetable Box. I knew I had to make this recipe. The Chinese words for Daikon (chhài-thâu)and

Carrot (âng-chhài-thâu) are similar and this is why its called ‘Carrot Cake” or Chai tao kway. The dish varies over regions and can served white or dark with the dark so based ketjap manis. Some people even add dried shrimp to it. Be warned, this breakfast dish takes while. A cake is made by steaming shredded wok fried Daikon and rice flour for and hour and then letting it cool for a minimum if eight hours.

Then more slicing,dicing, and frying and there you have it. The pasty white cake getting soft and sticking to wok, didn’t look appealing at all at first. And the smell of Daikon sautéing reminded me of sauerkraut. But in that final stage of adding the eggs, garlic,  Ketjap manis, Siracha, and scallions, my nose became alive and I could see this would be a good dish. That extra of cilantro and Sambal Olek just took it over the top. I could eat this for lunch or dinner. For a vegetarian dish, its very tasty and filling. You can find the recipe here from Epicurious. Note I couldn’t find Ketjap manis so I made my own using a combination of various ones on the internet. I used brown rather than white sugar, so the result is more subtle in sweetness). Some people add molasses or brown sugar as well.

Homemade Ketjap Manis (Indonesian Ketchup)

2 ½ cups Brown Sugar

½ cup water

2 ¾ cups Dark Soy Sauce

3 whole garlic cloves

3-4 Star Anise Pods

1 tsp ground ginger.

In a heavy bottom saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to boil until syrup starts to form and it starts to caramelize.Carefully reduce heat and add the soy sauce and other ingredients. Reduce heat carefully and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced and thickened. Let cool. Can be kept for a while in the refrigerator for a few months tightly covered.

Roasted Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Squash, Mayo Clinic Diet Give Away Winner, and Some thoughts and News

Its been really hard to get in the groove with blogging and cooking this month. Between the diet and exercise, and now the devastation in Haiti, I admit I have more pressing matters on my mind. I apologize for not picking a winner earlier, but I felt I really needed to call out attention to Haiti which wears on my heart. Even before this earthquake , it always has. Some bloggers and I are trying to cook up a project to drum up more aid, so stay tuned throughout the week. As for the skeptics and naysayers, remember any help anyone can give is needed. This problem wont go away overnight, in the next few months, or even years. Do your homework and trust your gut as to who to give to. I'm distressed at the subtle and overt racism I'm seeing in regards to this human tragedy. Always know it could be you in need one day, whether your white black, Asian, rich , middle class, or poor.I don't care care how much you think you think you have your life in control. My heart weeps for our society.

Onto the other things...
I used Random.org to pick a winner of the Mayo Clinic Diet and Journal.

And the winner is my dear friend Jen of A2eatwrite. I cant figure out to paste the snapshot screen on Blogger to show you all. Congrats Jen. Email me your address. I will have another Give away next week with Ciao Italia...Five Ingrediant Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito. Stay tuned.
As for Ten In Ten. I have lost a total of about 2 pounds. I have been working out 3 or more times per week,as well as keeping my calorie in the 1200 range for t weeks thus far. The last two nights were not so good with a dinner engagement and takeout dinner. But that's life and the whole point of my challenge is how to function with all that and blogging while losing some weight and incorporating fitness. I feel good. I have been getting feedback about posting calories for all my recipes. I would love to , but the sites I find seem to keep them in a collective pool, and I just wont being doing that for everything. but some I will.

I received a Kabocha Squash in my Organic delivery last week. I took half of it and made roasted wedges. I can now say I'm a fan! I have seen many ways people make this, but roasting to me hits, the spot. Not to say I wont simmer it in the traditional Japanese style or put it in yet another squash soup one day. I still the other half to toy with this weekend.

Roasted Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Squash Recipe

Roasted sweet winter squash. Skin is edible. This comes in at about 82 calories a serving. I love munching on these wedges that are both filling and sweet.

Ingredients

1 1/4	lb Japanese Pumpkin
1/2	tsp cinnamon
1	tbsp Olive oil
1	tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/8	tsp cayenne pepper
1	pinch of salt
1	pinch of black pepper

Directions

Cut and slice the Kabocha Squash into small wedges. Arrange on parchment a lined baking sheet. Toss the squash in all the remaining ingredients to be sure the pieces are covered in the oil. Roast at 450 for about 15 minutes or until caramelized and crispy.

Read more more for calorie and Nutritional information.

I received another healthful and helpful excerpt form the Publishers of the The Mayo Clinic Diet. Hope this helps.

Action Guide to Weight-Loss Barriers
By the weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic and Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H.
Authors of The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight.

Long term success with a weight program sometimes follows a bumpy, uneven path. Many obstacles can keep you from achieving a more healthy weight.

Learning to identify potential roadblocks and confront personal temptations is an important part of being successful in losing weight. To make it past the rough spots, it's important to have strategies ready to guide your response as problems arise.

This easy-to-use action guide identifies common weight-loss barriers and practical strategies for overcoming them. If you find a strategy that helps you, include it with your weight-loss program.

The barriers are grouped into three categories: nutrition, physical activity and behaviors. To lose weight -- and to maintain that weight loss -- it's important that you address all of these components.

Behaviors obstacle
I've tried to lose weight before, but it didn't work. Now, I don't have confidence that it'll work this time.

For many people, losing weight will be one of life's most difficult challenges. Don't be discouraged if you've tried losing weight in the past and you weren't able to -- or you lost weight but gained it all back. Many people experiment with several different weight-loss plans before they find an approach that works.

Strategies
Following these tips may help you succeed this time around.

• Think of losing weight as a positive experience, not a negative one. Approaching weight loss with a positive attitude will help you succeed.
  
  
• Set realistic expectations for yourself. Focus on behavioral changes and don't focus too much on weight changes.
  
  
• Use problem-solving techniques. Write down the obstacles that you experienced in previous attempts to lose weight, and come up with strategies for dealing with those obstacles.
  
  
• Make small, not drastic, changes to your lifestyle. Adjustments that are too intense or vigorous can make you uncomfortable and cause you to give up.
  
  
• Accept the fact that you'll have setbacks. Believe in yourself. Instead of giving up entirely, simply start fresh the next day.

Behaviors obstacle
I eat when I'm stressed, depressed or bored.

Sometimes your most intense longings for food happen right when you're at your weakest emotional points. Many people turn to food for comfort -- be it consciously or unconsciously -- when they're dealing with difficult problems or looking for something to distract their minds.

Strategies
To help keep food out of your mood, try these suggestions.

• Try to distract yourself from eating by calling a friend, running an errand or going for a walk. When you can focus your mind on something else, the food cravings quickly go away.
  
  
• Don't keep comfort foods in the house. If you turn to high-fat, high-calorie foods whenever you're upset or depressed, make an effort to get rid of them.
  
  
• Identify your mood. Often the urge to eat can be attributed to a specific mood and not to physical hunger.
  
  
• When you feel down, make an attempt to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. For example, write down all of the positive qualities about yourself and what you plan to achieve by losing weight.

Behaviors obstacle
I have a hard time not eating when I'm watching television, a movie or a live sporting event.

There's nothing inherently wrong with eating while watching a show, film or live event, but when you're distracted, you tend to eat mindlessly -- which typically translates into eating more than you intended to eat. If you're unable to break this habit, at least make sure you're munching on something low in calories.

Strategies
Here are suggestions you might consider.

• If you're at a theater or stadium, order a small bag of popcorn with no butter and work on it slowly.

• Eat something healthy before you leave home so that you're not extremely hungry when you arrive.

• Drink water or a calorie-free beverage instead of having a snack.

• Try to reduce the amount of time that you spend watching television each day. Studies show that TV watching contributes to increased weight.

Behavior obstacle
When I go to parties, I can't resist all of the snacks and hors d'oeuvres.

In most social situations where food is involved, the key is to treat yourself to a few of your favorite hors d'oeuvres, in moderation. If you try to resist the food, your craving will only get stronger and harder to control. By following a few simple strategies, you can enjoy yourself without overeating.

Strategies
Next time you step up to the hors d'oeuvre table, try these strategies.

• Make only one trip and be selective. Decide ahead of time how much you'll eat and choose foods you really want.
  
  
• Treat yourself to one or two samples of high-calorie or fatty foods. Fill up on vegetables and fruits, if you can.
  
  
• Take only small portions. A taste may be all that you need to satisfy your craving.
  
  
• Nibble. If you eat slowly, you'll likely eat less -- but don't nibble all night long.
  
  
• Don't stand next to or sit near the hors d'oeuvre table. As the old saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind."
  
  
• Eat something healthy before you arrive. If you arrive hungry, you'll be more inclined to overeat.

Behavior obstacle
I'm a late-night snacker.

Avoid eating late at night because loading up on calories right before bed only intensifies the challenge of not overeating. There's less chance for you to be active and burn off those calories until next morning. It's better to eat during the day so that your body has plenty of time to digest the food before you go to bed.

Strategies
Here are suggestions if you often find yourself battling the late-night munchies.

• Make sure you eat three good meals during the day, including a good breakfast. This will help reduce the urge to snack late at night, simply because you won't be so hungry.
  
  
• Don't keep snack foods around the house that may tempt you. If you get late-night munchies, eat fruits, vegetables or other healthy snacks.
  
  
• Find something else to keep you busy in the hours before bedtime, such as listening to music or exercising. Your snacking may be more of a mindless habit than actual hunger.

Behavior obstacle
When I lapse from my eating plan, it's hard for me to get back on track.

Lapses happen. Many times a minor slip -- a busy day when you couldn't find the time to eat right or get exercise -- leads to more slips. That doesn't mean, though, that you've failed and all is lost. Instead of beating yourself up over a lapse, accept that you're going to experience bumps along the way and put the incident behind you. Everyone has lapses. Think back to the initial steps you took when you first began your weight program and put them to use again to help you get back on track.

Strategies
Here are suggestions to prevent a lapse from turning into a full-blown collapse.

• Convince yourself that lapses happen and that every day is a fresh opportunity to start over again.
  
  
• Guilt from the initial lapse often leads to more lapses. Being prepared for them and having a plan to deal with them is important to your success.
  
  
• Keep your response simple. Focus on the things that you know you can do and stick with them. Gradually add more healthy changes until you're back on track.
  
  
• Open up an old food record and follow it. Use those meals like a menu to help get you back to a healthy eating routine.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight., by the weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic and Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Reprinted from The Mayo Clinic Diet, © 2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.

About Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine and a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. He is also an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. A specialist in nutrition and weight management, Dr. Hensrud advises individuals on how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. He conducts research in weight management, and he writes and lectures widely on nutrition-related topics. He helped publish two award-winning Mayo Clinic cookbooks.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy that the needs of the patient come first. Over 3,600 physicians and scientists and 50,000 allied staff work at Mayo, which has sites in Rochester, Minn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, Mayo Clinic treats more than 500,000 patients a year.

For more than 100 years, millions of people from all walks of life have found answers at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic works with many insurance companies, does not require a physician referral in most cases and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

For more information, please visit www.goodbooks.com/mayoclinicdiet.

The masks and ceramic bowls in this post belonged to my late Uncle, the artist and dancer Bob Curtis.

Goulash With The Last Of The Farmers Markets Root Vegetables

Thanks for the support and positive vibes over the weekend. Unfortunately neither Beth or I placed amongst the 115 pies. Competition was it at it stiffest. Nevertheless I got to serve and sell my pies slices during the event , and both sold like hotcakes. The feedback was good from the public, so I'm calling my pies a winner. Beth and I concluded that they really wanted the more traditional pies, although the judging process seems weird to me. Oh well, onto the next thing.

A highlight of my day was tagging along to the Bucktown Farmers Market with Beth. I get organic delivery boxes and really don't have the time to make weekday Farmers Markets downtown during work hours. Green City Market in Lincoln Park just isn't convenient to get to on Saturdays with my schedule. I love Bucktown, a funky edgier neighborhood in Chicago full of great Boutiques and restaurants. The Bucktown Farmers market , while, small didn't disappoint. After getting bombarded for several signature and petition requests form local politicos, we made our way through. The root vegetables were so lovely, I wish I could have purchased it all. I settled on some wide and fat Cipolini onions, beautiful reddish baby carrots, celeriac root, miniature peppers, fingerling shaped sweet potatoes.and pretzel bread. The hues of nature were spellbinding and this market had a wonderful array of offerings.

I was thinking of roasting the Cipolini's in a balsamic glaze and making a tart with my puff pastry pie tarts. But Certain Someone was home and and an Autumn chill called for something more substantial. Immediately I thought of Hungarian Goulash. Both Certain Someone and I love Hungary, only we have never actually travelled there together. This summer he spent time there on business and brought me back precious bottles of Tokaj and foie grass. What we both noticed is authentic Goulash is more of a soup than stew with potatoes. Certain Someone and I are more inclined to a stew based dish with noodles. I decided to make Spazlte or little dumplings to add to our dish. I used my Culinaria Hungary book as guide. Goulash should never be thicken with flour. So I did not dredge my neat in flour before browning. Certain Someone mother uses a combination of pork and beef, I just used beef. So I guess it's not really authentic with the Spaeztle and no potatoes, but just as good.Long slow cooking and plenty of paprika and some tomato paste ensure a thickened stew.It's no wonder this simple dish created by herdsmen in a kettle has become an International favorite of all. It even tastes better the next day when the flavors meld more.

Goulash

* Note ,I used what I had on hand, Feel free to add other root vegetables like turnips, celery,or bell peppers, etc to this.

1-2 lbs beef cubes

2 large onions , cut into cubes, or whole peeled Cipolini's( about 4 )

2-3 cloves garlic

1 bunch baby carrots or 2-3 large carrots( peeled and cut into cubes, leave baby carrots whole)

1 cup mushrooms quartered

1/4 cup sweet paprika

salt and pepper

Vegetable Oil

1 can tomato paste

In a large Dutch Oven , brown the beef which was been wiped of moisture m in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onions to the browning beef. Once the the meet and onions start to brown and caramelize, add the mushrooms, garlic, carrots. Cover with the 1/4 cup of Sweet Paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Add about 7-8 cups of water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. About halfway through check consistency and add the tomato paste. Cover and continue cooking. Remove from heat and let stand.

Spaetlze

1 3/4 cups flour ( 250 grams)
3 eggs beaten
2/3 cup water ( 1/8 liter)
salt
nutmeg
Water for boiling( approx 2 liters)
Boil your water in a pot.In a bowl place your flour. Add beaten egg,water, salt, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly ( I used a whisk). Take a large holed colander and place a little mixture in at at time. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon run the mixture back and forth across the hole until it drops in the boiling water. The spaetzle dumplings will rise to the top of the water when done. Remove with a slotted spoon. Toss with butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Duck Confit and Pommes Sarladaise... Good Therapy

I know I said I'm taking a brief break. And I did, kind of. But you know what makes me feel better? Cooking.I'm coming to terms with Mama Roxy's passing and I just feel her love all around.Her children and husband are going to be OK!What a wonderful season we had with her in our lives. There is so much gloom out there lately, so I'm focusing on the the bright side of life. Thank you all for your kind words. Her daughter saw it and is most appreciative.

Last week I found some duck legs in the freezer at the local Treasure Island.Immediately I though Duck Confit. I could only afford the 2 legs and knew I had some chicken fat in the freezer( I use it for chopped liver). A little cheating, but it could work. I also purchased some duck fat for this experiment. The guys in the kitchen at the caterer talk about confiting as its part of an average day. I have never attempted such and knew Certain Someone would love this. I searched the Internet and all the recipes seemed consistent. Some even used a slow cooker.Some just called for herbs with salt in the curing and some offered spices too! I used several cloves of garlic, allspice,coriander,and rosemary( a lot of recipes called for thyme, but I only had rosemary).I ground the salt with the herbs and spices.I realized I used way to much salt at first and adjusted it before resealing in a Ziploc back to cure for 2 days in the refrigerator. Certain Someone was demanding it for Sunday late lunch after his golf. With all going on we had been doing take out all week. He wanted a nice home cooked meal before this weeks travels. He will be gone about 2 weeks( Europe,the house, work, etc). I washed the legs off, dried, and cooked in a baking dish with the garlic and fat covering the legs for 3 hours. The confiting scent nearly drove us insane as it cooked in the oven for 3 hours at 225.

Then on Sunday he called from the golf course to notify me he was on his way and hungry. I had soaked the potato cubes in water to remove some starch. And then I cooked them in the fat from the confit. It was infused with the garlic gloves. Amazing. I cooked them for about 5 minuted to soak up the fat, then with a slotted spoon arranged them on a roasting pan. A slight drizzle of Maldon Salt, pepper, and parsley and into to the oven. I then took the 2 legs and fried them up in a dry skillet until the skin was crisp. All the fat seared it nicely. The potatoes browned up with a few tosses in the oven. The meal was spartan but rich and divine. Certain Someone slowly savored his lone leg. He also loved the potatoes. I noticed how he took off the skin to savor last. When he finished he got up and gave me a big kiss. I guess he liked it! Next time I will be more adventurous and buy a whole duck from Chinatown( cheaper), render my own fat, and confit the whole thing.

I also made a rustic galette from some nectarines and plums that needed to be used ASAP. For a few hours I felt like I was in the French countryside. A nice escape.