Colcannon is a recipe I've wanted to do a video on for a long time. It's a super simple, but delicious Irish comfort food that would be a great side dish choice for any St. Patrick's Day menu.
I'm not sure when I'm going to have time to do my take on this, but in the meantime here's a video from my friend, and About.com's British & Irish Food Guide, Elaine Lemm. Elaine is a very talented cook and writer, and her site on About is filled with wonderful recipes.
According to Elaine, back in the day Colcannon was used to predict marriages on Halloween. Apparently small charms were added to the Colcannon and whichever unmarried girl found one would place socks, some Colcannon, and the charms on their front door handle. The first man to enter the house was their future husband. Sounds like a great system. Enjoy!
First of all, in case you're wondering, I'm a Rolling Stones guy, not a Beatles guy (one of my favorite, "there are two kinds of people in the world" questions). This quick video tutorial shows my method for making perfect hard boiled eggs.
I shouldn't really say "my" method since I'm sure I learned it from some chef decades ago, probably in a hotel somewhere, but regardless, it has served me well, and works every time.
Easter is rapidly approaching, and if you're going to be boiling eggs to decorate, why not make them so the insides are just as beautiful? Even if you don't plan on expressing your creativity with dyed eggshells, summer will be here before you know it, and everyone knows the secret to a great potato salad is perfectly cooked eggs.
Some of you may wonder about peeling the eggs, which I didn't bother to film. I simply peel under gently running water. If you have a great trick for peeling eggs please feel free to share with the rest of us. Enjoy!
Chef John Needs Your Vote!
Have you heard? Food Wishes has been nominated in the video category for the Saveur Magazine 1st Annual Best Food Blog Awards! Help us turn the honor of being nominated into the reality of a glorious win! Please follow this link to cast your vote now. Thanks!
UPDATE: Thanks to a tip from a commenter, I present this video from Tim Ferriss on how to peel an egg without peeling it, using baking soda. Please, someone try this and report back!
This carrot cake recipe was so incredibly delicious, it's hard for me to find the words to describe it. I mean, my MS Word synonym tool only has nine other suggestions for "delicious," and while they all work, they just don't do it justice.
I'd love for some of you to test this recipe for me. While I couldn't be happier with the taste and texture, I'd love to see what you end up with for cooking times. I used a pan slightly deeper and a bit shorter than the standard 9 x 13 called for in the recipe, so it took me longer than the given time. Thanks, and enjoy!
Carrot Cake Serves 8
2 cups all-purpose flour (or 8.67523 ounces... Okay, are you guys happy now? ;-) 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 2 cups sugar 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 4 large eggs 1/4 cup melted butter 2 cups raw grated carrots 1 can (8 ounce) crushed pineapple, drained 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
For the frosting: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 pound powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger in a mixing bowl for a minute or two; reserve until needed.
In another mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, and eggs. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the melted butter. Use a spatula to stir in the carrots, pineapple, and nuts. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions.
Scrape the batter into a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top springs back slightly when gently touched with your finger. Remove and allow to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar to form a smooth frosting. Spread evenly over the cooled cake.
One of the oldest cooking clichés in the book is how much chefs hate to measure things. For the most part this is true. When it comes to savory preparations (think soup), exact measurements are not crucial, as the final seasoning/texture is adjusted at the end of procedure anyway.
The closest I've ever come to throwing the remote through the TV screen was the time I saw a well-know Food Network cooking personality (she has dark hair) measure a tablespoon of chopped parsley to sprinkle over the top of some casserole. Really? Come on!
However, when it comes to baking, exact measurements are critical. A perfectly moist cookie recipe made with 2 cups of flour for one cook can be a dry, disappointing experience for another. Why?
As you'll see in this short, but hopefully illuminating video, the amount of flour that will fit in a cup can vary greatly. If at all possible, when baking, use recipes that call for flour by weight and use a small digital scale to portion.
This is not a sponsored post, but I will disclose that the EatSmart scale you see in the clip was sent to me to test out. I've only used it a few times, so I can't comment on its lifespan or durability, but so far, so good, and I really love the simple design. Here's a link to the Amazon page where it's sold, and received many excellent reviews.
Colcannon is a recipe I've wanted to do a video on for a long time. It's a super simple, but delicious Irish comfort food that would be a great side dish choice for any St. Patrick's Day menu.
