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Monthly Archives: September 2019

• Game Day Dry Rubbed Wings – Are You Ready For Some Football?

  Posted at 12:13 pm by Anne Freestone

  Sep 25th

  

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  It’s football season, and what could be better than some chicken wings to go with your beer as you watch the game? Ever wonder how wings got to be one of the foods most associated with American football?

  Well, according to the National Chicken Council, it really begins with the invention of Buffalo Wings back in 1964. The story goes that one of the co-owners of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, Teressa Bellissimo, cooked leftover wings in hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends.  They guys liked them so much that the wings were put on the menu the next day.  The “Buffalo Wings” were an instant hit with the locals.

  So then the guy who sold hot sauce to the bar went on the road with the owners’ son to promote the wings and sell his hot sauce, and hot wings gradually caught on with restaurant operators around the country. 

  
  After that, the correlation of wings to American football was all timing.

  In the 1980s, U.S. consumers started preferring boneless-skinless breast meat, and wings became an inexpensive byproduct for chicken producers.  Restaurants and bars then realized they could make money off of the cheaply obtained wings, and that the spicy sauce made people drink more beer, further enhancing their bottom line.

  Shortly after that, in the 1990s, sports bars with multiple TVs and satellite dishes were becoming more and more common. And, since the most popular sporting event to watch with friends in bars is football, wings were forever bonded to football.

  So, then, on to my version.

  These are not Buffalo style wings (though I love those, too), but rather a dry rubbed baked version, which makes them a bit less messy and easier to prepare than the deep fried and sauced types.

  These have been tested by my husand, and also our 24 year old son (back home with us for awhile while he completes his clinicals for physical therapy school) and a couple of his PT classmates who came over to watch football on our bigscreen. So, these have been approved by actual people watching actual football and drinking actual beer, which to me is the highest endorsement for a chicken wing.

  A couple of notes – please be sure to use smoked paprika, or the result will just not be the same. (Yes, I know I’m obsessed with the stuff, but it really does make a difference). As you make the rub, be sure to note the shift from tablespoons to teaspoons in the recipe, so you get the intended ratios of spices.

  As for the wings, in this recipe I am referencing complete wings, which I break down into drumettes and flats myself with kitchen shears. So, 20 complete wings will result in 40 separate pieces. If you don’t want the work of breaking the wings down, you can obtain them already broken down (usually in the frozen section in bags) for an upcharge. Also note that you don’t have to use all of the rub made here for the 20 wings – just use enough to color them up, and save the rest for another batch of wings.

  Finally, it is important to bake these wings on a rack, so that they are not sitting in their own grease and getting soggy. Put the rack on a foil lined cookie sheet, spray the rack with non stick, and you are good to go with easy cleanup.

  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce – for us, it’s ranch (none of that stinky blue cheese is allowed in my house), but if that’s what you like, go for it. Enjoy!

  

  Print Recipe

  Game Day Dry Rubbed Wings

  Prep Time20 minutes mins

  Cook Time45 minutes mins

  Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

  Servings: 4

  Author: Anne Freestone

  Ingredients

  • 20 chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats, or 40 pieces
  • 2 tbsp vegatable oil, or enough to coat wings
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp fine kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme

  Instructions

  • Combine all dry ingredients and mix well.
    
  • Place wing pieces in a large bowl with vegatable oil, and mix to coat.
  • Sprinkle rub mix onto wings gradually, mixing to coat, until the wings are just nicely colored up, as pictured. (The amount of rub in this recipe will coat more than the 20 wings or 40 pieces, so don't use it all at once).
    
  • Place wings, not touching each other, on non stick sprayed rack placed on a foil lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes, until nicely browned.
    

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  Posted in Appetizer | Tagged anne freestone, dry rubbed wings, game day wings, oven baked wings

• Huevos Rancheros – I Love the Smell of Hot Sauce in the Morning

  Posted at 12:45 pm by Anne Freestone

  Sep 17th

  

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  I love Mexican food. I’ll take good Mexican food just about anytime I can get it, including breakfast. Huevos rancheros (literally “ranch eggs”) is an iconic dish that originated as mid-morning fare on Mexican ranches. Traditionally, the basic dish consists of fried eggs served on lightly fried tortillas, topped with, originally, a salsa fresca (pico de gallo). Common accompaniments included refried beans, rice, and guacamole. As the dish spread beyond Mexico, most versions evolved to use pureed chili sauce instead of the salsa fresca, and have added other items such as cheese, sour cream, etc.

  And that chili sauce is what led me to this recipe. Interestingly, I never had huevos rancheros until I made them myself. But what I did have was a southwest style omlette made by one of those chain restaurants known for breakfast. It had the most incredibly smoky, warm sauce on it, and it was heavenly. Of course they decided to take it off the menu after several months, much to my (and to many others’) chagrin, according to the wait staff.

  I could tell that the primary smoky note I was tasting was probably chipotle in adobo. So I set out to research sauce recipes, and soon realized that looking for sauce recipes connected to huevos rancheros was the way to go. After looking at many versions, I finally found inspiration from a recipe by the fabulous gentlemen at How to Feed a Loon. I tweaked the seasonings somewhat and used tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes, but I have to give them credit for the basics of this recipe. Then, since I had the sauce, I figured why not try making huevos rancheros?

  So, here it is…the basic recipe for huevos rancheros, along with the recipe for ranchero sauce and also a recipe for refried beans, if you care to make your own. I will say that this is something that I never try to do all from scratch, all at once – I will make the ranchero sauce and the beans a couple of days ahead, and reheat those before I cook the eggs, and then assemble.

  Do note that the sauce is geared to my heat preference – to me, it’s not fiery but just a pleasant lingering warmth. However, keep in mind that I am a woman who has won a few hot sauce eating contests, so you may want to start more slowly with the serrano and chipotle until you figure out what works for you.

  

  Print Recipe

  Huevos Rancheros

  Prep Time20 minutes mins

  Cook Time10 minutes mins

  Total Time20 minutes mins

  Servings: 4

  Author: Anne Freestone

  Ingredients

  • 2 cups ranchero sauce (recipe follows)
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 8 Tortillas (I prefer flour, but you can use corn)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups refried beans (recipe follows if you want to make your own).
  • 1/2 cup queso fresco

  Instructions

  • Warm the ranchero sauce and the beans in separate saucepans (or use microwave).
  • Heat a small amount of oil in a fry pan, and crisp the tortillas – this will only take a few seconds. A flour tortilla will puff up slightly. Drain on paper towels.
  • Add a bit more oil to the pan, and fry the eggs, basting with oil to set the tops.
  • Place two tortillas on each plate, spread a spoonful of beans over each tortilla, and top each with an egg.
  • Spoon 1/4 to 1/2 cup ranchero sauce over the eggs, and top with crumbled queso fresco.

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  Ranchero Sauce

  Prep Time10 minutes mins

  Cook Time20 minutes mins

  Servings: 6

  Author: Anne Freestone

  Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small serrano pepper, diced, seeds and membranes removed
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 chiplotle pepper canned in adobo sauce, diced
  • 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

  Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the serrano, onion, garlic and chopped chipotle and cook until softened.
  • Add tomato sauce, adobo sauce, chili powder and cumin to saucepan, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until reduced by about 25%.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.

  

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  Refried Beans

  Prep Time1 hour hr

  Cook Time1 hour hr

  Total Time2 hours hrs

  Servings: 6

  Author: Anne Freestone

  Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried pinto beans
  • water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2-4 tbsp pork lard, bacon fat, or olive oil (pork lard is the most authentic and gives the best flavor!)
  • ground cumin, to taste
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

  Instructions

  • Rinse beans, place in pot and soak overnight. Or use quick soak method – cover with water, bring to a boil, cover and let sit for one hour.
  • Drain beans. Cover with fresh water, add bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until beans are soft. (Watch as beans simmer and add more water if needed). Remove bay leaf and drain, reserving about a cup of the liquid.
  • Heat lard, fat or oil in large frying pan, and saute onions and garlic until translucent.
  • Add beans to pan, and mash with a potato masher them as you cook them, adding some of the reserved liquid if they are getting too dry. Season to taste with cumin, salt and pepper.

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  Posted in Breakfast, Mexican | Tagged anne freestone, huevos rancheros, ranchero sauce, refried beans

• Church Cookbooks – End of an Era

  Posted at 4:09 pm by Anne Freestone

  Sep 9th

  

  I was going through some of my cookbooks the other day, and found this gem. This is where I obtained what is now my “signature” (at least within our family) green bean casserole, one based on a sour cream sauce and bacon, that has been a staple for Freestone family gatherings for probably 25 years.

  This cookbook represents a largely extinct breed – the church cookbook. These were, for many years, complied by churches as fundraisers – a committee would be formed, recipes gathered from the congregation, and all would be typed up and sent to a publishing company. The company would then usually just photograph the pages as is, make printing plates from that, and print and assemble the pages into books with plastic ring bindings.

  And then they would be sold, hopefully raising more money than the publishing cost. These cookbooks were favorite bridal shower gifts back in the day – and from the handwritten inscription inside the cover, it looks like this was given to me by one of my husband’s aunts at a shower approximately three weeks prior to our wedding in 1991.

  

  I haven’t looked at this cookbook in quite a few years, the green bean recipe having long since been committed to memory and feel, but I decided to more or less read through it the other day. It gave a glimpse into an era of cooking that in today’s fashion of farm to table and fine dining may be sniffed at as “unsophisticated”, but also shows a charming ingenuity and creativity.

  First of all, there is the copious use of prepackaged ingredients – not only canned beans and corn, etc., but lots of canned soups. I mean, a LOT of canned soup – cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of chicken – just about any creamed soup you can think of – sometimes two or even three types within one dish. And the jello…used for salads, desserts, you name it – along with its constant companions cream cheese and Cool Whip.

  And then there’s recipes that make you go, “what the…?” – e.g., Pinto Bean Pie and Refried Bean Cake. You have to have some serious imagination to come up with those – not to mention probably being a pretty good salesperson (or good liar) in order to get your family to try them.

  Now, you have to remember that since this cookbook was published in 1990, many of the venerable church ladies who put this together would have been mostly drawing on dishes created perhaps twenty to thirty years prior. And that was, at least in the Midwest, the era of casseroles. (I counted no less than six tuna casserole recipes!) You have to understand that this was a time before cooking channels, before the internet, before you could order prepackaged meal kits, before you could pay someone to shop for and deliver your groceries.

  You had to do it all yourself – and even if a woman didn’t have employment outside the home, she had to take care of the kids, do laundry (including ironing – not much was wrinkle free back then), clean, do the shopping. She also probably served on committees that ran the church, school, clubs, etc. And if she was employed outside the home, she was usually responsible for the cooking, anyway – that’s just the way it was back then. So getting a hot dinner prepared in an hour or so each evening in an era before microwaves were common was a challenge, and you’d take any help you could get.

  Not that there aeren’t representations of more, shall we say, elevated cooking in here- there are some competition winning dishes that sound pretty good – pecan rice, pork florentine, Grand Marnier Souffle – and that look to be accomplished more or less from scratch. But then again, there’s also a Beef Wellington using refrigerated crescent roll dough from a tube. (But Beef Wellington, as a concept, just never made sense to me anyway, even if you do use handmade puff pastry).

  I think what resounds with me most of all, though, is the obvious caring within the pages – the caring of a congregation putting together a book to support their church, and no doubt the joy of sharing some dishes that they were proud of, many of which were probably passed down in their families over many years. As I flip through the pages, I see that Aunt Jane took the time to place handwritten notes next to recipes she had tried and that were her family’s favorites.

  And then there’s the recipe for Burnt Sugar Cake – accredited to Aunt Jane, but that she is sure to notate as coming from her mother in law and my husband’s grandmother, Virginia Freestone, boiled frosting and all – talk about hardcore old school!

  

  I have a feeling I’m going to be making this one.

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  Posted in Cooking Discussions | Tagged anne freestone, church cookbooks, old school cooking

• Black Bean Chorizo Soup – Microbrewery + Rachael Ray = Recipe

  Posted at 2:58 pm by Anne Freestone

  Sep 1st

  

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  You might ask how this soup has anything to do with beer, as you will notice it has no beer in it. Well, as I mentioned in my How I Got Cooking post, going to restaurants is, for me, primarily about finding inspiration for dishes. So it was with this soup.

  About fifteen or so years ago, we were visiting New Holland Brewing (Holland, Michigan’s first microbrewery) for some of their stellar beer and a meal (they do a great job with their restaurant, too). I noticed they had an intriguing chili on the menu that night that was based on black beans and chorizo (no doubt it was made with one of their beers, as well). It was delicious, and I immediately made plans to try to create my own version.

  Before I could get around to experimenting with said chili recipe, I happened to be thumbing through one of my Rachael Ray cookbooks. (Rachael is another one of my primary inspirations – I love her philosophy that quick to prepare meals don’t have to be boring. I probably consult her cookbooks for ideas at least as much as Joy of Cooking). I came across her recipe for Black Bean “Stoup” (a sort of cross between a soup and a stew). It sounded great as is, but then I remembered that chili I had recently. What if I did a soup that was kind of a cross between the two?

  

  And so my black bean chorizo soup was born. I have tweaked it over the years, and it makes a pretty regular appearance at lunch at our house.

  Now, some notes about the recipe. It was kind of difficult for me to quantify the spices, since, for most of my cooking (outside of baking), I abandoned measuring years ago. I pretty much cook “from the hip” these days. So definitely begin cautiously, especially with the chili powders, until you find your happy place.

  Also, please be sure to use smoked paprika. Regular paprika will not produce anywhere near the depth of flavor. (I probably need to seek help for my obsessive love of this spice, but humor me here.)

  About the chorizo – this recipe uses Mexican chorizo. (There are two types of chorizo, Mexican, which is the raw fresh version, and Spanish, the smoked type.) They are very different and not interchangeable. Also, when it comes to Mexican chorizo, you may have to experiment to find your favorite brand – like all sausage, even the same types don’t taste the same from brand to brand. My personal favorite is “El Popular”.

  This recipe also introduces one of my favorite cooking hacks – bouillon cubes. Whenever you have a recipe calling for bouillon or stock, you can use bouillon cubes and water – the usual ratio is one cube per cup of water. (I use four here as there is liquid in addition to the water from the tomatoes and beans). In this case, you don’t even have to boil the cubes in water separately – just add them and the water to the rest of the ingredients, and they will dissolve and incorporate as you boil and stir.

  Finally, the proportions of beans, meat and vegetables here are what I’ve come to prefer over the years. Soup, like chili, is a very personal thing, and the dish won’t “fail” if you want to use more chorizo, or more beans, etc. Do not, however, skip the step of sauteing the vegetables in the spices before adding to the rest of the soup. It really makes a difference in flavor development.

  Enjoy!

  

  Print Recipe

  Black Bean Chorizo Soup

  Prep Time25 minutes mins

  Cook Time20 minutes mins

  Total Time45 minutes mins

  Author: Anne Freestone

  Ingredients

  • 3/4 to 1 pound mexican chorizo
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small white or yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 jalepeno or serrano pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped. (Remove more of the membranes if you want less heat).
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 15 oz cans black beans
  • 4 beef boullion cubes
  • 2 to 3 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 to 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 1 to 2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 3 cups water

  Instructions

  • Brown chorizo in a fry pan over medium heat, remove with slotted spoon and place in a soup pot. Retain the drippings from the chorizo in the fry pan.
    
  • While chorizo is browning, chop the celery, bell pepper, onion, jalepeno/serrano and garlic.
  • Drain the liquid from the diced canned tomatoes into the soup pot with the browned chorizo.
  • Add olive oil to chorizo drippings in fry pan, then add chopped vegetables and diced tomatoes. Add smoked paprika, chipotle and ancho chili powders and saute until vegetables begin to soften.
    
  • Drain one can of black beans, discarding liquid. Add to soup pot. Add the other can of black beans, undrained, to the soup pot. Add beef boullion cubes to soup pot.
    
  • Add sauted vegetable mixture to the soup pot, then add the water.
    
  • Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

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  Posted in Soup | Tagged anne freestone, black bean, chorizo, soup

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