Hi GUStiredofwinterbuddies! Welp, looks like CT will get a pass on the latest snow storm but my buddy's girlfriend in MD is going to get whacked with 8-12 ". I hate to breath a sigh of relief at others' expense, but I am. Of course, aoeu and our other NJ and NYC friends will get the white stuff too. Sorry, buddy. We are just getting the interminable polar blast and I'm sick of it.
Good thing is, my buddy is still off the ciggies since December 7 so no old smoke permeating around here. I'm still working on my appeal so will have to get back to work shortly.
Have a great day all youz guyz who aren't anticipating the blast of the storm.
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I made too much oatmeal yesterday so I searched for a leftover cooked oatmeal bread recipe and here is one:
Leftover Oatmeal Bread
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
11 ounces bread flour, plus extra for kneading
1/4 cup toasted uncooked old fashioned rolled oats, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounces leftover, cooked old fashioned rolled oats, at room temperature
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for bowl and pan
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Combine the yeast, bread flour, 1/4 cup toasted, uncooked oats, and the salt in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
Combine the leftover cooked oatmeal, warm water, agave syrup, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry mixture to the cooked oatmeal mixture in 3 installments and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon after each addition.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand for 10 minutes, incorporating more flour, if needed. Dough will be sticky. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl or container. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, shape it into a loaf, and put it into a lightly oiled 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Lightly brush the top of the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon toasted, uncooked oats. Bake until the bread reaches an internal temperature registers 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 55 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the loaf from the pan to a cooling rack for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Sherry Cream
Sherry Cream Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup double Applewood-smoked bacon, diced (cheaper ends and pieces are great for this)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons sherry
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper
5 sage leaves, rolled and sliced thinly into a chiffonade
Brussels Sprouts:
2 pounds brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sherry Cream Sauce
1. Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the bacon, and sauté until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the sherry to deglaze the pan and cook for 1 minute, until it has reduced by about half. Add the cream, salt, and pepper, bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Brussels Sprouts
1. Using a melon baller, scoop out the core of each brussels sprout, taking care to leave as much leaf behind as possible. The core is naturally more bitter, because flavors intensify in that area, so we like to remove it. Break apart the leaves of the brussels in a large bowl.
2. Place a large sauté pan (14 inches wide) or 2 medium sauté pans over high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and cook until the butter releases most of its water and begins to brown.
3. Add all of the brussels sprout leaves in a fairly even layer in the pan. You should hear loud crackling at the beginning. Resist the urge to stir until the brussels have been in the pan for about a minute. After that initial stir, you'll still want to be pretty conservative with the stirring -- stirring very occasionally so that the brussels wilt, release their water, and brown -- for about 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
4. Stir the sauce into the brussels in the pan and simmer for a couple minutes, until the brussels are well coated but the sauce has cooked down and is no longer wet. Season to taste and serve.
Alsace Beer Battered Fried Onions
Ingredients:
(Yields: serves 6)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) amber beer
• 6 to 8 cups vegetable or sunflower oil for deep frying
• 3 large (8 to 10 ounces each) yellow onions, sliced about 1/4 inch thick and separated into rings
Directions:
Reprinted with permission from Burger Bar Cookbook by Hubert Keller and published by John Wiley &Sons.
My grandmother in Alsace often fried foods in a beer batter. I remember best her fried apple slices. This kind of batter is a typical home-style dish in Alsace where we have a long tradition of beer making as well as fine cooking. You can use any beer for the batter but the amber beer adds a little sweetness that tastes good with the onions. Cut the onions as thinly or thickly as you prefer.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and paprika until evenly mixed. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the beer until well blended. Whisk the egg-beer mixture into the flour until smooth. Cover and let rest, refrigerated, at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a deep pot to 360ºF. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the beer batter. Dip the onion rings into the batter and then drop them, a few at a time into the oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt while still hot. Keep the onions warm in a slow oven until all are cooked.
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