Category: Spices

Packing and Pressure Canning Tuna

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One of my kindred spirits in the food blogging community is Heather of Voodoo and Sauce. She is an inspiration. I remember reading a post last year in which she packed her own Albacore tuna. As you know I like to challenge myself and I was determined to do this on my own . I love  canned tuna, especially the more expensive ones found in specialty stores with better grades of olive oil and spices as flavor. Once you make your own , all else pales in comparison. It’s great to have on hand to toss into salads and  other dishes. Pressure canning tuna may intimidate some, but its easier than you think. You just need a pressure canner as opposed to the water bath method to ensure all the harmful micro organisms are killed as it’s a low acidic food. I won’t say this experiment was flawless. For the first time ever I had two jars explode while canning and that is why my house smelled of fragrant tuna. The odds were it was bound to happen and could be attributed to a few reasons . Nevertheless I still had some great jars left that survived intact and have been enjoying them. I used Blue Fin tuna as I couldn’t find Albacore. I varied my flavors with dried lemongrass ,  fresh rosemary or fresh dill. You can use water or olive oil. I prefer oil, but be prepared for more mess when canning.


Packing and Pressure Canning Tuna
 
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Canning fresh tuna
Author:
Recipe type: entree
Ingredients
  • Bluefin or Albacore Tuna
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh or dried herbs like dill, rosemary, peppercorns, lemongrass
  • Peppercorns
  • Olive Oil or water
  • ½ pint jars
  • Pressure Canner
Instructions
  1. Sterilize your jars and lids according to manufactures instructions.
  2. Cut your fresh raw tuna into medallions or pieces that will fit into the jar when packed.
  3. Pour olive oil or water carefully into the jar. Fill just to cover but leave ample head space below the ring ( approx ½ inch to ¾ of an inch) as the fish will make its own juices. If its overfilled , the lid wont seal.
  4. Pack you choice of herbs and spices.
  5. Top each jar with ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt.
  6. Wipe rims and carefully seal.
  7. Take a Pressure canner with a rack and and fill with 1.5 inches- 2 inches of water. The rack is essential so the jars wont break form the heat and rattling pressure. Make sure there is enough water , but it doesn't reach the ring of the jar. Unlike water batch canning , the jars don't have to be submerged in water. Pressure canning builds up humidity but you don't want the canner to run dry as its dangerous to open under pressure.
  8. Follow Pressure Canner instructions and use the weight pressure of 11.
  9. Pressure Can for at least 90 minutes. Watch carefully and reduce heat if necessary according the canners instructions on maintaining proper pressure.
  10. After the time has elapsed , let canner cool down and remove when cool.
  11. Place jars on a rack or towel and wait for the ping sound to signify if the jars are properly sealed. This will happen over the course of the next few hours. When you press down on the center there should be no resistance. ( See you jar manufacturers instructions).
  12. If not sealed refrigerate and consume immediately over the next few days.
  13. There may be some grease residue on outside of jar after canning and that can be cleaned and removed with vinegar and water.
  14. Can be kept in a dry cool place for 6 months to max of 1 year.
Notes
Please read and follow your jars and Pressure canning instructions.
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Fried Squash Blossoms…Tasty and Beautiful

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I remember when I first heard about fried squash blossoms. It was many years ago and my roommate Anita was going on about how fabulous this Italian woman’s fried flowers were in her recent travels. Having no foodie point of reference on them, I thought the concept of eating fried flowers was kind of gross. Boy was I wrong. As my tastebuds  became more sophisticated, I see the charm in this beautiful delicacy nature offers up from the Zucchini plant. I love the scene in the movie Eat Pray Love where Julia Roberts character shares a meal of fried squash blossoms while learning Italian from her tutor. They camera zooms into them cutting into the juicy  and cheesy fried treat and it looks so delicious.

These days I’m trying to launch my own off premise catering services, and have been having some great success. So while shopping in a restaurant supply depot for supplies to test for an upcoming event , I came across a large clam shell of squash blossoms in the produce section. I knew I wanted to stuff them with a spiced and herbed goat cheese and devour. I worked for a chef who bemoaned the fact that people fried them and preferred them in their raw state. There is a lot you can do with them, but fried is always good.

I am not a huge fryer but lately have been playing around with fried items, as I find they go over well at parties both large and small. I wouldn’t offer up these fried blossoms for a huge event , but say a dinner for no more than ten people as a starter . I find using club soda for me when frying, makes the batter pure perfection and provides a real crunchiness almost like a tempura . My new favorite secret ingredient is a Eastern European spice and vegetable blend you can find throughout Chicago called Vegeta. I throw it in everything from soups to eggs as a great flavor enhancer. Vegeta worked really well in this recipe. So those are my tricks or trucos. Also if  you want perfection and less mess, use a piping bag to stuff your flowers. Your work will go quicker.


Fried Squash Blossoms...Tasty and Beautiful
 
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Fried Squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese.
Author:
Recipe type: appetiser
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • For the Stuffing
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 12-18 zucchini flowers ( some may be larger or smaller)
  • 6-8 oz of goat cheese depending on amount / size of zucchini flowers
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • a dash of grated nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons dried or fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons Vegeta * optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • For the Batter
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 4 tablespoons cold club soda
  • Olive Pomace Oil to fry
Instructions
  1. Batter
  2. In a small bowl mix , beat the 2 eggs.
  3. Gradually add the flour to incorporate.
  4. Then add the cold Club Soda.
  5. With a wire whisk, mix until batter is smooth and not lumpy.
  6. Set aside and allow to sit.
  7. Gently clean your zucchini flowers and remove the stamens inside which cause bitter taste. Be careful as to not soak or wilt your your flower.
  8. Pat dry any moisture.
  9. In a bowl mix / cream your cheeses and spices with the 1 beaten egg.Mix completely until you have smooth incorporated mixture that is thick enough to pipe. If mixture is too runny add more goat cheese.
  10. Place mixture in a piping bag with tip.
  11. Carefully open and pipe goat cheese mixture into each blossom leaving enough room at the top to twist the ends close.
  12. Prepare your fry pan or deep fryer with enough oil to fry.
  13. Wait until oil is ready by dropping a bit of batter and watching to see if it sizzles and bubbles. Heat should be medium high.
  14. Drop each blossom into the batter and then into the hot oil. Turn after a minute or two to cook the other side. Blossom should be golden and crispy and heat should be high enough but not not too high. Careful in frying and turning as to not loose the cheese stuffing.
  15. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
  16. Sprinkle with salt while hot and serve.
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Homemade Curry Ketchup

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Ketchup gets a bad rap. People abuse it to mask sub par food, or load it onto junk food. I mean can you imagine a burger without it? And lets not even mention the sugar content or high fructose corn syrup in most commercial brands. I have always liked ketchup, but wasn’t the type to quickly reach for it to drown everything on plate.However , when Certain Someone first took me to his house in Germany, I fell in love with Curry Ketchup. It’s a German thing and when you go, you must have a Currywurst. Your taste buds will thank you. Needless to say every time we go, or Certain Someone goes, I bring back huge bottles of the stuff.

The other day I catered an event and still had a few leftover very ripe  tomatoes that needed to be used quick. In addition, my organic delivery service gave me a large bag of tomatillos, those small green tomatillos that are covered in a protective leaf covering, and used in Mexican food. I wanted to use them all together and immediately ketchup came to mind. Now if you cant get tomatoes, don’t worry, just use the tomatoes you have on hand, or add some regular green tomatoes for a kick.  Enjoy the freshest, natural taste you can imagine making your own ketchup. Your body will be grateful and your loved ones will appreciate the taste and effort.


Homemade Curry Ketchup
 
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A ketchup with a spicy curry kick.
Author:
Recipe type: condiment
Ingredients
  • 2-2½ pounds ripe tomatoes ( can mix red, green, tomatillos) cut into quarters. Do not peel.
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 2 Black Cardamon pods
  • 3 Star Anise
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 2 dried Thai Chilies
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add quartered tomatoes, and all the spices, vinegar.
  2. Turn heat to medium high to get a simmer.
  3. Reduce heat to lowest setting and slowly cook for approx 1 hour . The ingredients should break down and start to liquefy. Be sure to stir often to prevent sticking and burning.
  4. Take a fine wire mesh strainer or a food mill and strain the mixture into a bowl. Be sure to press and extract all the liquid and pulp, while leaving the skins, and spices the strainer.
  5. You should have a thick like sauce. If not thick enough add the strained sauce to a sauce pan and continue to reduce until thickened to the right consistency. Be sure to stir often.
  6. Pour into a clean glass jar and allow to cool.
  7. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
  8. Make approx 2 cups.
Notes
Keeps 2 weeks refrigerated. You can adjust the spices to make more or less heat and spice according to your tastes.
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Soy, Star Anise, Chili Braised Turkey Legs…A Centering Dish

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I returned home last Saturday after a fun, enlightening , and a bit hectic week in one of my favorite cities in the world, Vienna Austria. Some of my readers may know of my decade long connection to this city. The purpose of this trip was twofold, to produce content for American Airlines Black Atlas and for familial reasons. My late uncle, Bob Curtis, friends were having an exhibition for his works. I have to so much to share, so stay tuned for videos and articles from the trip. Besides food , my other passion is travel and I hope to record more of what I see as I explore the world.

So after  along flight with connections a delays, there really is nothing like a home cooked meal. Chicago was cold , raining and bleak. My freezer was bare and Certain Someone was prepping to fly out later that evening.With turkey  legs in the freezer , I decided to make us something satisfying and comforting  as I decompressed and shaked off the jet lag  and CS launched into his work week. My inspiration for this came from  a New York Times article. I changed up my techniques and ingredients. In Vienna this past week I noticed a huge Asian influence  from the diverse population. I have had some dubious Asian style style cuisines in my European travels, but everything I ate in Vienna was top rate. Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. Fresh chilies added liberally to my dishes gave a great sinus clearing and metabolism inducing  kick. The Viennese embrace the exotic.

 

Soy, Star Anise, Chili Braised Turkey Legs...A Centering Dish
 
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Soy and Star Anise Braised Turkey Legs ( influenced by Roasted Drumsticks with Star Anise and Soy Sauce New York Times May 6, 2011) Slow braised Asian style Turkey legs. Sweet and Spicy.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 2- 4  Turkey legs
  • 8 Star Anise
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger minced ( I actually didn't have ginger and substituted candied ginger minced)
  • ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes or ⅛ cup fresh chopped onion
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup of water
  • 3-4 dried chilies
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 F
  2. In a deep roasting pan add your turkey legs.
  3. Combine all your ingredients.
  4. Slow cook for 2½ hours until tender turning/ basting at half hour intervals.
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Tea Smoked Home Cured Bacon

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I make my own sausage, cheese, pickles, pasta,soap,elaborate cakes,etc. Yet I have never made bacon. The web these days is full of DIY charcuterie enthusiasts, and I applaud them. I’m just not into participating in the mass events that populate the blogs these days. So when I saw a blogger I have always respected and admired  make her own, I asked myself why haven’t I done so? Naturally I had to Cocofiy it and add my exotic touch. This is grown folks bacon that’s infused with a rich sophisticated smokiness from smoking with Lapsang Souchong , Sichaun peppercorns, Star Anise and other spices. I used a commercial cure from Lem Backwoods in addition to other spices. I like this cure as it reduces the risk of botulism during the smoking /cooking process at lower temperatures. With these sort of commercial cures, the addition of more salt is not needed, so I didn’t add any to my spice blend. I cured for seven days as opposed to Lem’s recommendation of four days. Then rinsed my belly. I found my bacon wasn’t salty at all, unlike store bought bacon. I called Lem Backwoods and they said I was right not to add more salt and sometimes depending on usage or technique, some could find it salty. Either way I was happy with my results and the infused flavor from the tea smoke. The Alchemist, who’s vegan these days even requested some, as bacon is the hardest to give up.

Now most recipes call for the removal of the skin. Bah! I like thick slabs of bacon with the skin, country style. The skin slices through like butter once smoked.

You can smoke outdoor or indoors. I made a my own smoker with my roasting pan and lid, a rack used for baking, foil, and spices atop two  gas burners.

The finished product keeps about seven days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen. I recommend slicing and freezing to use as needed. Are you ready for the recipe?

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Tea Smoked Home Cured Bacon

Caution: make sure your kitchen is well ventilated with windows open, fan on, etc.

The Cure (4-7 days curing time)

  • Pork Belly with skin on (I used about 4.5 lbs)
  • 1/4 teaspoon for each 1lb of meat of Lem Backwoods cure or any other commercial meat cure containing salt and Sodium Nitrate (total 1 1/8 teaspoons)
  • 1/8 teaspoon fennel pollen
  • 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon coarse ground Black Peppercorns
  • 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • Smidgen of water to mix

The Smoking Aromatics

  • 2 tablespoons Lapsang Souchong Tea leaves
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Jasmine Rice (uncooked)
  • 1 tablespoon Sichaun Peppercorns
  • 7 Star Anise Pods

Mix your dry cure ingredients with a bit of water to dissolve . Add pork belly to a large resealable plastic bag. Add the cure and rub on both sides. Seal bag, place on a baking sheet or pan and refrigerate. Turn the bag every other day to distribute any seasonings and brine that forms while in the refrigerator. Cure for 4-7 days.

Take the pork belly and rinse off with water. Pat dry thoroughly.

Prepare your smoker. Take a large piece of aluminum foil and make a edges to contain your aromatics. Add the aromatics to the foil.Take a large roasting pan with lid, and place foil lined aromatics on the bottom of roaster. Place a rack , the kind you use for cooling baked goods, and place atop the aromatics. Place your pork belly , skin side up, on the rack. Cover and close any vents that may be on the roaster Using two burners , turn heat to med high for the first five minutes to start the smoking. Reduce heat to medium to low heat. Leave burners on for  hour. Turn off heat and leave covered for 1 more hour.The meat should be brownish red in color.

Uncover and let the pork belly cool.Pat off any excess moisture with a paper towel.Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate. A few hours later take out to slice and prepare and wrap for freezing if you plan to. At this point you can fry your bacon.

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