BostonRy's Sweet Hot Pickles

Growing up in the Midwest, my first introduction to sweet hot pickles was via Tony Packo's, a Hungarian hot dog joint in Toledo.  Tony Packo's Sweet Hot Pickles and Peppers are available in grocery stores around the country but sadly have not made their way to Boston.  Therefore, to satiate my sweet hot pickle cravings when my stash inevitably runs out, I decided to create my own recipe.  If you are familiar with Tony Packo's version let me warn you that this recipe packs more heat.

ingredients: 

6 lbs pickling cucumbers (sliced to about 1/4 inch)

2 large sweet onions (sliced)

1 cup of kosher salt* (I pulse this in the food processor to make it easier to dissolve)

1 gallon water

6 cups white vinegar

3 cups cider vinegar

7 cups sugar

3 TBS regular mustard seed

1 TBS hot mustard seed

8 whole cloves

1 tsp turmeric

5 TBS garlic (roughly chopped)

8 hungarian wax peppers (sliced into rings)

10 cherry peppers (sliced into rings)

pickle crisp (optional, hard to find in Metro areas)

*Really one should use Pickling Salt for this recipe but apparently very few people in the greater Boston area pickle anything because Pickling Salt has eluded me for years. Even stores that carry mason jars don't seem to have it, which I find a bit odd.  This leads me to believe they carry mason jars for jam lovers and/or hipsters (Yes, I realize I take pictures with Hipstamatic. What can I say; I like lomo, medium format photography)...anyway, back to the salt. The main concern with substitutes for Pickling Salt is that you want to use a salt that does not contain additives. Regular table salt should NOT be used for pickling as it often contains iodine and anti-caking agents amongst other additives that may discolor your food and possibly change the flavor. I've made this mistake before and it's not pretty, or tasty.

supplies: 

mason jars, lids, and rings (I used wide mouth pint jars)

1-2 large pots (better with two but you can make it work with one)

canning utensil set

preparation: 

Clean and slice the cucumbers. Slice the onions into rings. Place the cucumbers and onions in a large non-reactive bowl or pot. Add the salt and water and mix. Let stand for about 2 hours. 

Drain the cucumbers and onions in a colander and rinse with cold water for about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.  

Add the vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, cloves, turmeric, garlic, and peppers to a large non-reactive pot over medium heat. Mix well until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Add cucumbers and onions and mix.  Return to a boil. Once boil is reached remove from heat.  

Add the pickle mixture to the already sterilized jars making sure the liquid is approximately 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. If you choose to use pickle crisp, add 1/8 tsp to each pint jar. Slide the plastic, sterilized bubble remover (or a similar implement like a small spatula) around the sides of the jar to make sure there are no trapped air bubbles.  Secure the sterilized lid and tighten the ring just to the point of resistance.

Place the jars in the hot water bath so they are covered by at least 1 inch of boiling water. Process for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the water bath with tongs and let them cool. As the jars cool a vacuum will occur and the lid will make a popping sound.  Once the lids have popped tighten the rings.  Store in a cool dry place.  Wait 2 weeks before using to let the pickles reach a more robust and balanced flavor.

yield: 
11 pints

notes about canning:

Canning may seem overwhelming at first but it's really not all that complicated. The most important part is to make sure that your equipment is sterilized. For more information on canning visit: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html 

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

A number of months ago I attended a Simple Cheese Making class at Formaggio Kitchen's Teaching Annex.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to finally test my simple cheese making skills at home but now that I have I may never use store bought ricotta again.

ingredients: 

6 cups Whole Milk

2 cups Heavy Cream

1 tsp Sea Salt

6 TBS Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

preparation:

Place milk, heavy cream, and salt in a non-reactive pot and heat to 190 degrees over medium heat.  Stir occasionally so the milk does not scorch.  Once the mixture reaches 190 degrees take the pot off of the heat and add lemon juice.  Stir a couple times to mix in the lemon juice and then let the pot stand undisturbed for about 5 minutes.  While waiting for the mixture to curdle line a colander with cheese cloth and set the colander over a large bowl.  After 5 minutes pour the mixture into the colander and let it drain for 1-2 hours until it reaches your desired consistency. This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of ricotta.

serving suggestions:
I made this for a cheese plate and paired it with bourbon cherries (see recipe here) served on a french baguette.

The ricotta recipe was sourced from Smitten Kitchen.

Quite Possibly Your Grandfather's Cocktail...

A classic cocktail in honor of the return of Mad Men...with some homemade bourbon cherries for good measure.

Old Fashioned: 

2 oz bourbon
orange slice
bourbon cocktail cherry
angostura bitters
<1 tsp superfine sugar (or sugar cube)
water
ice

Mix sugar, 2-3 dashes bitters, and a few drops of water in a rocks glass.  Add a slice of orange and a cherry and muddle.  Add 2 ounces of bourbon and ice and stir.

Bourbon Cocktail Cherries:

1 lb bing cherries, pitted

1/2 cup water

1/2 sugar

1 cup bourbon

mason jars

Clean and pit the cherries.  In a medium sauce pan over medium heat dissolve the sugar in water to make a simple syrup.  Once the sugar has completely dissolved and starts to thicken add the bourbon, mix and turn heat off.  Fill clean mason jars (I used 16 ounce widemouth jars) with the cleaned, pitted cherries.  Pour the syrup mixture over cherries almost to the top of the jar.  Close the jars with a new lid and ring.  Process the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Store in a cool dark place for several weeks before eating.  

Optional: You can also add any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to spice up your cherries a bit.  I planned to use them in several different types of drinks however so I wanted to keep them simple. 

February 2012 Soup Swap Recipes

Every once in a while a group of soup enthusiasts get together, have brunch, and swap some soup. At the most recent soup swap there were a number of hearty and savory soups perfect for winter. The recipes below have been provided by fellow swappers. If you're interested in finding out more about soup swaps here are the details:

http://soupswap.com/

Brunswick Stew - Ryann

The inspiration for this recipe came from sampling barbecue in Georgia last fall. I won't get into the debate on whether Brunswick stew originated in Georgia or Virginia. In my version I've included the ingredients I like regardless of whether they are traditionally found in the Georgia or Virginia based versions.

ingredients:
1-1 ½ lbs. pulled pork (if you don’t have a smoker use cheater pulled pork)
1 pre-roasted chicken pulled and chopped
1 lb. beef chuck cubed
2 sticks butter
2 onions finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic minced
1 QT chicken stock
2-3 TBS chicken soup base
3 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1  bag frozen lima beans
1 bag frozen corn
2 15 oz cans butter beans
1 TBS cayenne
1 TBS black pepper
¼ cup worcestershire
1 cup bbq sauce
tabasco (to taste)
liquid smoke (to taste)

preparation:
Start the cheater pulled pork a several hours before you plan to put the stew together (see recipe below).  Pull the meat from the pre-roasted chicken and chop in medium sized pieces.  Cut the beef chuck roast into large cubes (~2 inch).  In a large stockpot over medium heat melt butter. Add onions and garlic and saute until  nearly translucent (~10 minutes).  Add beef cubes and brown on all sides.  After the beef is browned add chicken stock, soup base, crushed tomatoes, cayenne, black pepper, worcestershire and BBQ sauce then mix well.  Add beans, corn, and some water if the stew looks too thick and bring to a boil.  Once the stew has reached a boil reduce heat and simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally.  If you want your stew to have some additional smoke and spice add liquid smoke and tabasco to taste.

Cheater Pulled Pork
4-5 lb Pork (Boston Butt)
BBQ rub
½ bottle liquid smoke

Trim boston butt of excess fat and cut into large chunks.  Place pork in slow cooker, sprinkle with bbq rub and add liquid smoke.  Cook pork for 5-6 hours on low or 10-12 hours on high. Once pork reaches an internal temp of 190 pull or chop to desired consistency.  

Seaweed Soup - Marlena

ingredients:
dried seaweed
vegetable or chicken broth
chicken
sesame oil
soy sauce or salt
minced garlic

preparation:
Soak seaweed according to directions on the package. Combine ingredients in stockpot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Peanut Leek Soup - Natalie

ingredients:
2 tablespoons roasted peanut or vegetable oil
2 large onions, diced
2 bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green, diced into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
1/2 lb of carrots, peeled and grated
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, or more to taste
2 cups crushed tomatoes in sauce
5 cups water, or chicken stock, or vegetable stock
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup sliced leeks

preparation:
Warm the oil in a wide soup pot set over high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, ginger, and carrots, and saute, stirring frequently until the onions have begun to color, 8 to 10 minutes, adding the garlic after the first 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, several good twists of the pepper mill, and the cayenne to taste, and cook a few minutes longer.  Add the tomatoes and scrape the pot to lift up any brown bits from the bottom. Add the water or stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.  Add the peanut butter and cook, stirring, until it has dissolved.  Puree until smooth. Return to the pot. (If you wish, you can puree only a portion of the soup.) Taste for salt and for the heat level, adding more cayenne if desired.  Add leeks and simmer until leeks are soft.

Cincinnati Style Chili - Shanna

ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 quart water, or amount to cover
2 onions, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries
1 bay leaf

preparation:
Place the ground beef in a large pan, cover with about 1 quart of cold water, and bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up the beef with a fork to a fine texture. Slowly boil until the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes, then remove from heat and refrigerate in the pan overnight. 

The next day, skim the solid fat from the top of the pan, and discard the fat. Place the beef mixture over medium heat, and stir in the onions, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chocolate, chili powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cloves, allspice berries, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours. Add water if necessary to prevent the chili from burning.

Cheddar Corn Chowder - Jodi

1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All Rights Reserved

ingredients:

8 oz bacon, chopped

1/4 cup good olive oil

6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)

4 TBS unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

12 cups chicken stock

4 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 lbs)

10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 lbs)

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 lb sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

preparation:

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Spiced Coconut Lentil Soup Recipe - Jenny

ingredients:
2 large red onions
4 tsp coconut oil
1 1/2 red chili
4 clove garlic
4-inch piece of peeled ginger, grated
4 cup red lentils
4 cans coconut milk
12 cups broth (or 12 cups water + bouillon as needed)
4 tsp ground coriander
4 tsp paprika
4 tsp cumin
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 tsp black pepper  
1 tbsp red chili flakes
juice from 4 limes
cilantro leaves for garnish

preparation:
Finely chop the red onion. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy based saucepan. Add the onion, cover and allow to soften for several minutes. 

Meanwhile, mince the chili, garlic and ginger together. Add to pan, cover and cook for a few more minutes until the flavors begin to infuse – your kitchen should be full of wonderful aromas by now. Rinse and sort the red lentils and add to pan along with the ground coriander, paprika and cumin. Mix thoroughly and then pour in the coconut milk and water. Sprinkle in the broth (or water/boullion) and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cover, bring to the boil and then lower to a gentle simmer for forty minutes, stirring frequently.

Juice the limes and set aside. When the lentils have softened and almost disintegrated to form a thick, creamy soup, take off the heat, pour in the lime juice, taste for seasoning and serve with a few fresh coriander leaves for garnish.

Portuguese Soup - Stacey

ingredients:
water
shin bone
portuguese chourico
cabbage
carrots
kale
onions
garlic
stewed tomatoes
macaroni

preparation: 

Saute onions and garlic (as much as you like), throw in chourico and stir for a minute or 5. Add shin bone and cover with water. Cook for 1-2 hours, you can add beef broth as you go along. You can even use just beef broth and water and skip the bone. Add stewed tomatoes (chopped). Add carrots and cook until just about tender, add cabbage and kale and cook some more. Who knows how long, it was approximately a 6 pack of beer. Add salt and pepper to taste.