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It's summertime and our thoughts naturally turn to pulled pork. Well, mine do anyway! Unfortunately, my current outdoor gas grill is not up to the task; so I made my indoor version. My indoor oven-barbecued pulled pork is a variation on my braised pork shoulder (I'll post that during fall or winter). As always, I used carefully sourced pork, not from CAFOs.I don't know about you, but I don't like to dirty up every pot and pan in the house unless I have to. So I devised this recipe to be a no-muss-no-fuss-all-in-one-pan kinda thang. It makes enough for six big sandwiches or a dozen sliders. If you're making big sandwiches, whip up a batch of my homemade hamburger buns. If you're making little sliders (as pictured), try my homemade slider buns. Pulled pork can be made a day ahead. Just reheat, tightly covered, at 300 degrees for an hour before serving. I like mine without any extra barbecue sauce and with coleslaw on top of the meat. My husband likes his with extra barbecue sauce and the coleslaw on the side (in a separate dish, of course--he's like Monk, doesn't want his foods touching!).How about you? Do you have any funny little food quirks? (I have a few, but I'll save them for another post!)Oven-Barbecued Pulled Pork(Serves 6)2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into about 5 strips
1 1/2 teaspoons organic canola oilDry Rub1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon paprika1 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon cayenne1/4 teaspoon saltWet Rub1 tablespoon lower sodium soy sauce1 teaspoon liquid smokeBraising Liquid1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 large stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lower sodium soy sauceSauce1/2 cup of your favorite homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce1 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil 12-inch straight-sided skillet (Mine is the All-Clad Stainless 6-Quart Saute Pan) with the organic canola oil. In small bowl, combine ingredients for dry rub; set aside. In another small bowl, stir together ingredients for west rub; set aside.2 Cover pork strips with wet rub on all sides, then with dry rub. Arrange strips in single layer in oiled 12-inch straight-sided skillet. Roast 35 minutes; turn strips and continue roasting for 15 minutes, until well browned. Keep an eye (and nose!) on it. You want browned bits as the foundation of your braising liquid, but burned bits will ruin it! 3 Transfer strips to plate; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 12 minutes. Over medium heat, add water and soy sauce and bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits.4 Bring to boil and add strips; return to boil, cover pan tightly with foil and lid and simmer in 300 oven for 2 hours. The pork is not completely submerged in liquid, so the crispy edges formed by the initial roasting will stay that way. 5 Transfer strips to 1.5-quart oval Corning casserole or something similar. Strain braising liquid into 2-cup glass measure, pressing out liquid from solids; discard solids. With small ladle, remove fat from top of liquid. Add water, if needed, to bring volume of sauce to 1/2 cup. Stir in barbecue sauce.6 With two forks, shred pork in casserole, removing any large pieces of fat. Stir in sauce. Serve immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to reheat and serve.
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The bright, tart-sweet flavor of an orange can certainly stand alone, but mellow it out with a silky custard made with heavy cream and it's magic. For a lighter frozen dessert, I might have made orange sherbet or frozen yogurt. For pure pow, orange sorbet. I was out of milk and yogurt but had plenty of organic heavy cream on hand, so ice cream it was.Orange ice cream isn't the usual thing, so I didn't even look for a recipe. I've made so much ice cream since I got my machine last year that I really don't need a recipe; I just make it up as I go along! Sometimes I make uncooked ice cream, but more often I make it with a cooked custard base. With all that juice, an uncooked ice cream could turn out icy. So I went with a cooked custard base to lessen the chance of iciness. Good call! This ice cream is soooo smooth and creamy. And scoopable. The flavor is reminiscent of my childhood favorite ice cream bar, Creamsicle® (also known as the 50/50 bar). Only this is super-premium organic ice cream. What a perfect way to celebrate the end of summer! Note: It's completely off the subject, but I've recently become aware of a commenting issue on my blog. If you have tried to comment and had a problem, check to see how you were accessing the blog. You can access this blog with the URL delightfulrepast.com, but you may experience technical difficulties in going to another page or in commenting. You shouldn't have any problem if you access it with delightfulrepast.blogspot.com. Orange Ice Cream(Makes about 1 quart)1 1/2 cups heavy cream1/2 cup sugar2 tablespoons cornstarch1/8 teaspoon salt3 large egg yolks1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed and strained orange juice2 tablespoons orange liqueur, optional1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 In heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, heat cream just to a simmer.2 While cream is heating, in 1.5-quart bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks until mixture is smooth.3 Whisk hot cream into egg mixture, then pour mixture into the saucepan. Over low heat, stir constantly until mixture thickens and registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes; do not boil.4 Stir in orange juice. Strain custard into a medium bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure to make pouring into the machine easier); whisk in orange liqueur, vanilla and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.5 Assemble the Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream-Sorbert Maker; turn it on. While it is running, pour the chilled mixture through the spout. Let mix until thickened, about 20 minutes. Or follow the directions for whichever brand ice cream maker you have. If you have a KitchenAid, you can use their KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment. 6 Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe airtight container, and place in freezer for at least 4 hours. Even after days in the freezer, this ice cream was very scoopable and did not need to be left out for 15 minutes before serving.Note: Here is my review of the Cuisinart ICE-21. For more ice cream, sherbet and frozen yogurt recipes, go to the Recipes/Reviews index page.
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It's been years since I've given a Smart Little Drinks Party. I'm more the cozy little dinner party type. But once in a while, one steps out of one's comfort zone, puts an extra coat of wax on the wooden surfaces and hopes for the best. I draw the line at setting out ashtrays. Of course, no one I know smokes, but if they did ... well, not in my house. Oh, and schedule the carpet cleaning for after the party, not before.You know I'm all about the food, so you're on your own figuring out the drinks. As far as I'm concerned, just give me a pretty stemmed glass of Pellegrino with a wedge of lime. I don't have much of a repertoire of HDs (hors d'oeuvres), so I'm turning to friends in the blogosphere for an assortment of small bites you can choose from for your next party. The only recipes I've blogged that fit remotely into this category are: Baba Ghanoush, Hummus, Pimento Cheese and Salsa. And I'll post my recipe for Gougeres (pictured above) next Friday.We're all busy, right? So I've rounded up mostly make-ahead, fuss-free HDs that won't leave you too wiped out to enjoy your guests. Let's get the party started! (Just don't get too crazy - this is real life, not Mad Men, you know!)Blue Cheese Biscuits - David LebovitzCheese, butter, cream - what's not to love - and they can be made ahead!Ina's Stilton and Walnut Crackers - Leite's CulinariaMake ahead, freeze, defrost, slice and bake - you can't not make these!"Instant" Deli Olives - Five Euro FoodCharles says "It's hard not to just stand next to the bowl and hog them all!Tuna Avocado Tartare - That Skinny Chick Can BakeI'm a sucker for anything that can be served on a cute little spoon!Filo Cups with Italian Sausage - Sippity SupIt won't be a party if you don't serve up a little something in filo cups!White Onion and Pecorino Tarts - The British LarderIf you put it in a tiny tart, I'll even eat stuff I don't like - but who doesn't like onions and cheese!Italian Eggrolls with Sauce - Barefeet in the KitchenEvery cocktail menu must have something in spring roll wrappers!Tapas-Style Spice-Roasted Almonds - One Perfect BiteYou have to serve some nuts, and you can't just pop open a can! (If you do, at least hide the can.)Doron's Turkey Meatballs - Orangette A spin on the classic cocktail party meatballs!
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Cocktail party foods, as I said last week, aren't really my thing. But this one is my favorite. Gougeres (pronounced goo-ZHAIR) are these gorgeous little savory French puffs that never fail to impress. Everyone thinks they're difficult, but they're not. So you can come off like some sort of culinary genius with comparatively little effort or skill! Actually, it is gougères, but I usually leave the diacritical marks out of my posts for simplicity sake. The recipe is just a variation on the pâte à choux (cream puff dough) I've always used for cream puffs, eclairs and profiteroles. So, naturally, while stirring these up my craving for all of those was stirred up! It's a safe bet you'll be seeing them here very soon!Gougeres, like their sweet cousins, are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Delicious with a glass of Champagne or other wine, it's a perfect addition to your HD (hors d'oeuvre) tray. Gruyere is the classic cheese, but a good Cheddar works equally well. For a touch of green, stir in a teaspoon of finely minced flat-leaf parsley. What's your favorite libation and accompanying nibbles?Gougeres(Makes about 15)1/2 cup water4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon dry mustardPinch cayenne1/2 packed cup (2.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour2 large eggs1/2 packed cup (2 ounces) finely shredded Gruyère or Cheddar2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan1 teaspoon finely minced flat-leaf parsley, optional1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line large baking sheet (I use a heavy-duty half-sheet pan) with parchment paper. Measure out all ingredients. In 2-quart saucepan, combine water, butter, salt and spices; bring to a boil.2 Remove from the heat. Add the flour all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a smooth dough. Return to medium heat, and stir until it dries out a bit and pulls away from the pan, leaving a film on the bottom of the pan, at least 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool for 3 minutes.3 Very vigorously beat the eggs into the dough one at a time, beating thoroughly after each until fully incorporated. Beat in the cheeses and the optional parsley or other green stuff, if using.4 Pipe, scoop* or spoon small mounds of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees; continue baking for 20 minutes, perhaps 25. The puffs should be well browned and very crisp.* Using a scoop is the easiest, neatest method of forming the puffs. No messy pastry bag to clean up afterward. If you don't have a #60 scoop, get one now! Not just for gougeres, but for profiteroles, small cookies and who knows what all. The other scoop size I use a lot is the larger #40 scoop.Note: If you missed last week's post, go there now for more Cocktail Party Foods.
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The cherry tomatoes just keep on coming! This was my first year planting them and I had no idea how much those few tiny plants were going to produce. Of course, they're wonderful in soups, salads and pasta; but there's nothing quite like a tomato tart. It might look a bit fancy, but to me it's just comfort food. A larger slice makes a lovely first course, tiny slices make great HDs (hors d'oeuvre) or afternoon tea savories.I've made the tart with filo and pie dough as well, both delicious; but using frozen puff pastry makes it really easy (It's been ages since I've made homemade puff pastry--I'm not so averse to time-saving measures as I once was!). I usually make the tart with sliced medium-sized tomatoes, but this year I grew cherry tomatoes instead.My tomato tart makes even bland store-bought tomatoes taste the way they should, so don't feel you needn't bother if you're not a gardener. This time I made the tart with raw tomatoes, but if you have the time, giving them a bit of a roast beforehand takes out some of the moisture and intensifies the flavor. Just preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rub some olive oil on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and throw on the tomato halves. Some people get fussy about cut side up or cut side down; just throw them on there! Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 30 minutes, remove from the oven and cool slightly.What do you do with a bumper crop of tomatoes? Tomato Tart(Makes one 10x10-inch tart)1 sheet (1/2 package) frozen puff pastry
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
2-3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
3 scallions (white & light green part only), thinly sliced
1/4 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided1 Thaw pastry at room temperature for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In small pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute shallot; cool. Measure Parmesan. Prep tomatoes, scallions, parsley and basil. 2 Gently unfold pastry on lightly floured 12-inch square of parchment paper, roll out pastry to 11-inch square. Trim edges to make 10-inch square. Transfer pastry on parchment to an ungreased 17x11x1-inch baking sheet. Score edge at 1/2 inch; prick pastry thoroughly with a fork inside the scored edge.3 Spread shallot and oil over pastry. Sprinkle Parmesan over pastry. Combine scallions, basil, parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil, pinch of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; scatter evenly over tart inside the scored edge. Place cherry tomato halves, cut side up, on tart; sprinkle with a pinch of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. 4 Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crust is golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before *cutting and serving. Cut into 4 pieces for a lunch serving, 8 for a first course serving, or into small squares for an hors d'oeuvre or afternoon tea savory. Serve warm or at room temperature.* I've used the OXO Good Grips Pizza Wheel for Non-Stick Pans for years on this as well as pizza, and it cuts like a dream!
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Foodie President Jed Bartlett....oh, I mean foodie actor Martin Sheen will highlight the California Wine Industry on his show, "In Focus With Martin Sheen"California’s wine industry is the focus of an upcoming report on “In Focus with Martin Sheen,” which is expected to air this fall on public television across the United States.The show hosted by actor Martin Sheen highlights industries that exhibit growth through innovation, and contribute to their community. Each year, California’s wine industry produces more than $20 billion in revenue, trailing only France, Italy and Spain as the world’s top producers.Our state’s wine industry is also a leader in its efforts to utilize sustainable farming techniques.Sheen, who has nearly five decades in the entertainment industry and more than 60 feature films and television roles to his credit, hosts the series. - Santa Maria Times
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Located just a few blocks from the beach, Pali's 800-square foot venue at 116 East Yanonali Street, has 2-story, floor to ceiling windows that offer a view of the artistic quarter. Pali will embrace its local Funk Zone community (and Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail compadres) with a rotating selection of works from local art galleries, as well as partnering with local food merchants in the area, which may be enjoyed inside at the tasting room bar or outside on the patio. Tastings are $10 and will offer visitors six pours from Pali Wine Co.'s diverse Pinot Noir and Chardonnay portfolio, with additional Rhone and Bordeaux varietal options from its Paso Robles-focused sister winery, Tower 15. Locals will enjoy Pali's keg system, with half-gallon re-usable glass containers or "growlers" of Rosé and Petite Sirah, sold for $25 with refills for $15. Wine club members will enjoy complimentary tastings. Tasting Room hours are Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Every Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. the tasting room will host "Cupcake Fridays," featuring four cupcakes paired with four wines for $15. For more information, guests can contact the tasting room at (805) 560-7254, or go to www.paliwineco.com. 
