Eat at Lu's: The Podcast - Episode 1

Good news everyone!  Eat at Lu's is now a podcast.  In our first episode, we cook three recipes from Marie T. Smith's Microwave Cooking for One, the saddest cookbook ever.




Microwave Cooking for One was published in 1986 and 2002.  I bought my copy on amazon.com, but I have seen copies at thrift stores.  I chose three recipes from the cookbook to prepare: carrot soup, mushroom loaf, and hot orange drink.  All of which were cooked in the microwave!

While this book was dubbed "the saddest cookbook ever" by SF Weekly, the history of the book is much more positive than it seems.  In this podcast, I explore the motivation of the author to share her cooking secrets with the world, and the history of the book itself.

Although Marie T. Smith passed away in 1987, her daughter carries on her legacy on the website  https://www.microwavecookingforone.com/  This website provides tips for microwave cooking, as well as some additional recipes.


Below are the results of my gustatory adventure of culinary delights:

Carrot Soup with a touch of sour cream and a dash of cinnamon

Mushroom Loaf.  It is not a pretty dish.

A slice of Mushroom Loaf on a sandwich.
It is only moderately more attractive this way.

My lunch for that day:
Hot Orange Drink, Carrot Soup,
and Mushroom Loaf.  

My kitchen after recording.
The mess was surprisingly manageable.

Eat at Lu's: The Podcast

Apple Dumpling Pull-Apart Bread with optional dipping sauce

This is probably one of the most complicated recipes I have ever made.  It is probably also one of the most delicious.  It's the apple dumpling we know and love, transformed into bite size form!

I recommend that you completely read through the recipe before you start.  It isn't a difficult recipe, but it does have a lot of steps.

Dough

• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Caramelized Apples

• 4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 64 ½-¾ inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Maple Coating/ Glaze

*note: the apple dumplings are dipped in the coating, and the remainder of the coating is later used as a base for the glaze

• 1 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• ½ cup apple cider (for glaze)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (for glaze)
• 1/3 cup pecan pieces (for glaze)

Make the Dough:

Mix 2 cups flour and yeast in stand mixer fitted with a beater blade. Turn machine to low and slowly add the heated liquid mixture. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Switch to the dough hook, gradually add the remaining flour (add more or less as necessary) until dough clings to the hook and almost cleans the sides. Knead until the dough is smooth.

In microwave safe bowl, heat milk, apple juice, sugar, salt and butter to 120° to 130°. Stir to dissolve sugar.

Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form a round ball. Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 2 hours.

Caramelize apples:

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Add maple syrup, lemon, and cinnamon and stir to combine.  Add the apples and sauté until apples are softened and all the liquid is evaporated.  Allow to cool. 

Make the Maple Syrup Coating:

Heat butter, maple syrup, cinnamon to a small sauce pan and heat.  Cook on medium for about 20 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan liberally.

Make Dumplings:

After dough has fully risen, punch down the dough and cut it into 64 pieces.  With floured hands, flatten out a piece of dough, add a chunk of apple, and wrap the apple chunk like a dumpling so the apple is completely wrapped in dough.  Dip the dumpling into the Maple Syrup Coating, and add it to the bundt pan.  Repeat 63 more times taking care to stagger the dough balls to build layers.

When all of the dumplings have been dipped and placed into the Bundt pan, put the remaining maple syrup coating into a container and refrigerate (you’ll be using the leftovers for the glaze). Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.

Approximately two hours before you want to bake your Monkey Bread, remove it from the refrigerator and let the dough come to room temperature and begin to rise.

Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble a little around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

For the glaze:

While the apple dumpling bread is baking, put the remaining maple syrup coating to a saucepan and add ½ cup of apple cider.  Cook the glaze until it reduces into a syrupy consistency (about 20-30 minutes).  Add the pecans and vanilla.

Spoon mixture over the pull-apart bread after it has been removed from the Bundt pan.

Dipping sauce (optional)

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup apple cider.
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)
• 1/3 cup of heavy cream or coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Boil maple syrup, cider, and corn syrup until it reduces by 3/4. When it's nearly finished reducing, heat the cream/milk, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla in the microwave for 30-45 seconds (This will help keep the sauce from breaking).

Add the warmed milk mixture to the boiling cider/maple syrup and stir.  Serve alongside the pull-apart bread for a little extra apple-y goodness.

This recipe is partly based upon this recipe: http://www.barbarabakes.com/overnight-apple-fritter-monkey-bread/

Onion-fig Jam Recipe

This is a variation on my onion jam recipe that I posted a few years ago.  The figs add just a touch of sweetness and a little texture.  I served them on some homemade cream cheese and herbed oatmeal crackers, but I imagine that it would be delicious on a hamburger or on chicken.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 red onions, large thinly sliced
1 pound figs, quartered lengthwise and then sliced width-wise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (not the aged sweet stuff)
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup honey
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, stems removed, leaves chopped
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet (I used a 5 quart deep sauté pan) until it just barely begins smoking, add onions and cook until soft and translucent on medium high heat.

Once softened, lower heat to medium or medium low, and continue to cook onions until brown and caramelized. This will take forever (as long as three hours), but it is worth the wait.

Add remaining ingredients and cover the pot.  Cook on low for 10-15 minutes so the figs break down.

Uncover and continue to simmer on low stirring occasionally until the jam reaches a thick, jam-like consistency.

Yields about 5 cups.

If desired, follow standard processing procedures to preserve your jars of jam or just pop it in the refrigerator. Unprocessed, it will last about 6 weeks in the refrigerator.

No-Knead Rye Bread

I love rye bread.  There’s nothing quite like a grilled cheese sandwich on good rye bread. This is a simple rye bread.  It doesn’t have the whistles and bells of a pumpernickel, but if you’re craving a bread where you can just enjoy the taste of rye with caraway seeds, this is the bread for you.  It contains no added sugar or anything super fancy.  It’s just a simple rye bread.

Ingredients

1.5 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for work surface

1.5 cups rye flour

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

All-purpose flour, semolina flour, corn meal, or wheat bran (for sprinkling on the towel)

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, and caraway seeds. Add the water and stir until combined.  You can mix it with a spoon, but I prefer to get in there with my hands.  The dough will be very sticky and a bit shaggy. 

Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil (or just spray it with non-stick spray if no one is looking), and place the ball of dough in the bowl.

Cover the dough in the bowl with plastic wrap.  The plastic wrap should be touching the dough; this will keep the surface of the dough from drying.  I also like to put a second sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the bowl just to make sure everything stays well covered during rising.

Let dough rest at least 12 hours, but preferably up to 18, in a room about 70 degrees in temperature. The dough's surface will be dotted with holes when dough is ready.

Lightly flour work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. The may be a bit wet.  Fold the dough over on itself once or twice. 

Sprinkle a non-terry cloth towel with all-purpose flour, semolina flour, corn meal, or wheat bran.  Shape the dough into a round shape and place the dough in the center of the towel seam side down.  Cover the dough with a second towel.

Let the dough rise for about 2 hours.

After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot, such as a Dutch oven, in oven as it heats (you don't have to put the lid on the pan while it is heating). When dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven, and roll the dough out of the towel and into the pan.  It might sizzle a little.  Put the lid on the pot and return it to the oven.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid of the Dutch oven to allow the bread to brown.  Bake for an additional 20 minutes. 

 

Vegan Oat Crackers

Vegan Oat Crackers topped with onion jam and cheese

Are you annoyed with how expensive crackers are?  Not Saltines and Ritz, which are lovely in their own right, but really good whole grain crackers.  As it turns out, whole grain crackers are really easy and quick to make.  Now we can fight back against our corporate cracker oppressors!

Preparation time: 10 minutes;  Baking time: 20 minutes

½ cup Old Fashioned Oats or a blend of rolled grains (I used Old Wessex Ltd’s 5 Grain Cereal)
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
¼ cup All-purpose Flour
1/8 teaspoon Ground Pepper
¼ teaspoon Dried Parsley
¼ teaspoon Dried Basil
1/8 teaspoon Salt
5 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 cup Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine oats, flours, pepper, parsley, basil, and salt.

Mix in the olive oil.

Slowly incorporate the water into a dough until it is no longer crumbly and easily forms into a ball.

Roll out the dough on parchment paper to about 1/8^th inch thick, and cut the rolled out dough into ~1.5 inch squares.

Place the crackers on lined baking sheet.  They don’t spread, so you can put them pretty close.

Stab each once or twice with a fork because it will make you feel like a badass (it also keeps the crackers from puffing up).

Bake for 10 minutes, rotate pans, and bake for an additional 6-10 minutes.  (16-20 minutes total).

Makes approximately 36 crackers.

This recipe is based on this recipe: http://www.sharmispassions.com/2013/06/oats-crackers-recipe-easy-oats-savory-crackers.html 

My onion jam recipe can be found here: http://eatatlus.blogspot.com/2013/11/onion-jam.html

Spiced Tomato Jelly with the flavors of chutney

I have been toying with making jam for the last few months.  I played with various types of fruit jams (many of which I flavored with bourbon) before making a delicious onion jam.  This experience with making a savory jam made me remember a delicious spiced tomato jelly that I had at the American Culinary Federation Northeast Conference ages ago.  I never received a copy of that recipe, so I decided to approximate something similar but equally delicious.  This is the result.  I think it would be great as a ketchup replacement or even just served on crackers with a touch of cheddar.

48 fluid ounces of tomato juice

1 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons Garam Masala spice mix

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ cup vinegar

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup molasses

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

5 tablespoons low-sugar pectin

Zest of ½ of a navel orange

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Increase the temperature to a rolling boil.  Add the pectin and boil for at least 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add the orange zest.

Makes approximately six cups of jelly or 6 one-cup jars of jelly.

If desired, follow standard processing procedures to preserve your jars of jelly or just pop it in the refrigerator.  Unprocessed, it will last about 6 weeks in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Rum Jam

There's nothing quite like jam made from freshly picked strawberries.  My friend Jenica and I picked the strawberries in the morning and twelve hours later I had two batches of jam made and processed.  Yum!

Ingredients

• 6 cups crushed strawberries (about 1.5 quarts whole)
• 3 tablespoons of "Low or No-Sugar" Pectin (I used Ball’s)
• 2/3 cup rum (I used aged, non-spiced - but feel free to experiment)
• 1 cup raw (or turbinado) sugar

In a medium stock pot, combine the crushed strawberries and pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Add the sugar and rum. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat.

The recipe makes enough to fill six half-pint jars.

I used these instructions preserve and seal the jars.

This recipe is based on this recipe which uses bourbon instead of rum: http://virginiabloggers.com/2012/08/09/guest-blogger-eating-appalachia/

Vegan Double-Chocolate Bourbon Cookies

This is a small batch of cookies that I made to give the leasing office and maintenance of my building because they are awesome.  I ran out of sugar after I made the tequila lime cake, so I created this recipe with the last of my brown sugar.  They're bourbony!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup bourbon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the coconut oil & brown sugar.  Add the almond milk and vanilla.
3. Slowly sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. When the dry ingredients have been incorporated, knead in the chocolate chips.  (The dough is going to be a little crumbly).
5. Roll into walnut-sized balls & place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten them a bit with your palm. 
6. Bake for 7-10 minutes.

Makes 15-18 cookies