I'd Rather Cook

I'm not a foodie, and I'm not into fine dining. I'm just someone who loves the challenge of cooking.
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  • Anne Freestone – About Me
  • Category: Breakfast

    • Cinnamon Rolls, Gardening and Other Therapies Amid Coronavirus Chaos

      Posted at 11:50 am by Anne Freestone
      Apr 9th
      Jump to Recipe

      You might have noticed that my blog is very light on baked items. That’s because I’m primarily a cook, not a baker, and don’t have a huge sweet tooth. However, I do make a few exceptions. Yeast breads and rolls are one of them.

      Amid the distruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s felt like a good time for making some of the comfort items I rarely make. Because this is a cooking blog, I’ll present the recipe in this post, but what I’d really like to do is to share some thoughts about change (and consistency) in this very strange time.

      It’s been quite a different month than what I anticipated. At this time, my husband and I should be timing track meets for Saugatuck Public Schools, as we have done for many years. But schools are closed and sports are cancelled. Our son, Sam, should be going off every day to his physical therapy clinical at a Grand Rapids rehabilitation hospital. But clinicals have been suspended due to the virus, and his doctoral class is has been dealing with the uncertainty of how this will be handled and how it will affect graduation. So instead, he is stuck at home with us – all day, every day – working on his doctoral case studies, but otherwise with nothing to do due to the stay at home order.

      Three weeks ago, Sam was planning on earning money bartending after May graduation until he took his licensing exam in July, and got a job in physical therapy. Now there is worry about when the Saugatuck restaurant he has worked at every break for five years will be able to open for dining in, and how business will be when they do. And, there is concern about how the PT job market will be until elective surgeries are allowed again.

      A year ago, I was congratulating myself on retiring early and we were enjoying unprecidented growth in our retirement accounts. Instead, we’ve watched that growth melt away in a week and scrambled to move money to more conservative and safe funds.

      With nothing else to really do except worry, buy groceries once a week, watch Coronavirus briefings, work out and take walks, it’s no wonder I have been drawn to baking. And gardening.

      I’ve always been a gardener, as I like to grow a lot of my own vegetables and flowers. But I’ve never been able to put the time into it that I should. Until now. And I find it’s been greatly theraputic, not only in getting my mind off current uncertainties, but in showing me that there still are a lot of things that are certain.

      Like the coming of spring.

      As I busily clear dead growth and pull weeds in my flower beds, I become aware of the birds. The house finches are building a nest, as usual, behind the DirectTV satellite dish. A pair of bluebirds ducks in and out of one of our bluebird boxes. The tree swallows swoop and twitter as they start building a nest in another of the boxes. The phoebe sits on the hot tub cover on the deck, pumping her tail and “fee-beeing” in between building her mud and grass nest under the tractor port. A robin is busy on a nest in the rafters not far from the phoebe. And the barn swallows should be back soon to add to the avian neighborhood under the tractor port.

      I take a break and take the dog into our woods for a walk. I notice the folded umbrellas of the mayapples sprouting through the dead leaves on the ground, and see the first spring beauties beginning to bloom. The bloodroots have buds, and should be open in a week or so, along with the Dutchman’s breeches and trout lilies. I hear the spring peepers chorusing from the swampy area at the back of the woods.

      Spring Beauty

      I channel my eight year old tomboy self and roll over logs, looking for salamaders. I find one (a red-backed) laying belly up, cold and unmoving. I pick it up, and very quickly the warmth of my hand brings the little creature out of its torpor, crawling suprisingly quickly through my fingers with its riduculously stubby legs.

      I place the salamander carefully back under the log and take a look around. Nature’s on schedule, I realize. Spring hasn’t been cancelled. The larger forces of nature are consistent, and can be counted on. And I find that very comforting.

      Print Recipe

      Cinnamon Rolls

      Prep Time2 hrs
      Cook Time20 mins
      Total Time2 hrs 20 mins
      Servings: 10
      Author: Anne Freestone

      Equipment

      • Stand Mixer with dough hook and flat beater.

      Ingredients

      Dough

      • 1/2 cup milk
      • 1/4 cup sugar
      • 1/2 tsp salt
      • 1/4 cup butter
      • 1 pkg active dry yeast (rapid rise preferred)
      • 1/4 cup warm water (105°-115°F)
      • 2 eggs, at room temperature
      • 2 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour

      Filling

      • 1/2 cup brown sugar
      • 1/2 cup sugar
      • 1/4 cup butter
      • 1/8 cup all purpose flour
      • 1 tbsp cinnamon
      • 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

      Glaze

      • 1/4 cup heavy cream
      • 1 tbsp brown sugar
      • 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar
      • 1/2 tsp vanilla

      Instructions

      Prepare Dough

      • Combine milk, sugar, salt and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.
      • Meanwhile, dissolve yeast in the warm water in a warm bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture, eggs and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix for 2 minutes at low (speed 2) in a standmixer with dough hook.
      • Add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, continuing on speed 2 until dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. (You may not need the full amount of flour). Continuing kneading with dough hook on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer. (Dough will be somewhat sticky).
      • Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to one hour.

      Make Filling

      • While dough is rising, place brown sugar, sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon and nuts (if using) in a bowl. Mix with stand mixer at speed 2 with flat beat for one minute, or until mixture resembles pebbles.

      Assemble, Proof and Bake Rolls

      • When dough has doubled in bulk, turn dough out onto a floured board, and roll to a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. Spread filling evenly on dough.
      • Roll dough tightly from long side to form a 15 inch roll, pinching seams together. Cut into 10 1 1/2 inch slices.
      • Place 5 rolls each into two greased cake pans.
      • Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to one hour.
      • Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

      Make Glaze

      • While rolls are baking, combine heavy cream and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cool over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat.
      • Place cream mixture, 3/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in bowl. Mix with stand mixer with flat beater on medium speed (speed 4) until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if glaze seems too thin.

      Finish Rolls

      • Drizzle glaze on warm rolls.

      Rate this
      Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Garden | Tagged anne freestone, cinnamon rolls, coronavirus, covid-19, gardening
    • Huevos Rancheros – I Love the Smell of Hot Sauce in the Morning

      Posted at 12:45 pm by Anne Freestone
      Sep 17th
      Jump to Recipe

      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 mins
      Cook Time10 mins
      Total Time20 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.
      Print Recipe

      Ranchero Sauce

      Prep Time10 mins
      Cook Time20 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.
      Print Recipe

      Refried Beans

      Prep Time1 hr
      Cook Time1 hr
      Total Time2 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.
      Rate this
      Posted in Breakfast, Mexican | Tagged anne freestone, huevos rancheros, ranchero sauce, refried beans
    • Quiche Lorraine – Not Too Cliche

      Posted at 3:46 pm by Anne Freestone
      Aug 30th
      Jump to Recipe

      This is one of those dishes with an interesting history in its development and people’s attitude toward it. I had assumed that the origin was purely French, but it turns out it’s not that simple.

      Quiche actually has its origins in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, under German rule. This area was later renamed Lorraine by the French. The word ‘quiche’ comes from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake. 

      The first quiche Lorraine was an open pie with a bottom crust of bread dough, and a filling of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. Cheese was added later, along with the crust changing to either pie dough or puff pastry. Then at some point, onion was added, which turns out is actually more traditional than the leeks that I and some others use.

      Quiche became popular in England sometime after the Second World War, and in the U.S. during the 1950s.  However, in the 1980s, that era of Trivial Pursuit and wine coolers, it became considered kind of a “chick thing”, not to be eaten by real men, as the saying went. It was definitely a dish associated with yuppies (I should know, I was one back then), and not everybody understood it. (Legend has it that my father in law once saw it on a menu and asked the waitress what the “quickie” was. This was before I joined the family, but this is the story my husband claims his sister told him. I’ll have to ask my sister in law to verify that.)

      Now, however, the cliche surrounding quiche seems to have faded, and just about anybody will eat it, given that it’s a dish you can put just about anything in. For me, the Lorraine will always be number one, because, well, it has bacon. (Need I say more?) There are many versions out there, mostly varying in the ratios of eggs vs milk/cream, and whether onions or leeks are used.

      This is the version I’ve come up with. You’ll notice that I specify a prebaked pie shell, in order to keep this recipe more straightforward. At some point, I may get into a pastry post, but in the meantime, there are plenty of good pie pastry recipes out there in the blogosphere. And there’s not a thing wrong with using a good quality frozen or refrigerated pie shell, either, if you’re short on time and/or patience. Heck, quiche is actually perfectly acceptable without a crust, if you have carb or gluten issues. Just grease up your baking dish so it won’t stick, and watch the time – it may bake quicker.

      So here it is, in all its rich glory. This makes a lovely brunch dish when served with fresh fruit, or even a light dinner along with a green salad.

      Print Recipe

      Quiche Lorraine

      Prep Time40 mins
      Cook Time35 mins
      Cooling time1 hr 30 mins
      Total Time2 hrs 45 mins
      Servings: 8
      Author: Anne Freestone

      Ingredients

      • 1 prebaked pie crust, 9" deep dish
      • 6 to 8 oz bacon, diced
      • 1 large or 2 small leeks, diced, white and light green parts
      • 1 small bunch fresh thyme, about 5 or 6 stems, leaves stripped from stems
      • salt, to taste
      • white pepper, to taste
      • 2 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
      • 2 oz swiss cheese, shredded
      • 2 whole eggs
      • 1 egg yolk
      • 3/4 cup heavy cream
      • 1/2 cup whole milk

      Instructions

      Crust

      • Prebake pie shell according to instructions

      Filling

      • Preheat oven to 375°
      • Dice bacon and saute on medium high heat until just short of crisp. Remove from pan to drain and cool, reserving about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in pan.
      • Split and wash leeks to remove grit. Dice white and green parts and add to pan in which you have reserved a couple tablespoons of the bacon grease. Add thyme leaves and salt and white pepper to taste. Saute over medium heat until leeks are just starting to become translucent. Remove leek mixture from pan and cool.
      • Shred gruyere and swiss cheeses in food processor or box grater
      • Whisk eggs and egg yolk in bowl, add heavy cream and milk, along with cheeses, cooled leek mixture and cooled bacon, mix thoroughly. Pour into prebaked pie shell. Place on cookie sheet in center of oven.
      • Bake at 375° for about 30 to 40 minutes until center is set and top is golden brown.
      • Let cool and serve at room temperature.
      Rate this
      Posted in Breakfast, Brunch | Tagged anne freestone, bacon, brunch, gruyere cheese, leeks, quiche, quiche lorraine, swiss cheese
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