Corn maize

I visited the corn maze at Pierce College this weekend with Juli, Houston, and Chris. The maze makes Pierce College more money per acre than any other crop that they raise, according to them.

They give you a map of the maze before you start and you're supposed to use a distinctive hole punch at each of several waypoints to track your progress. The maps they give out are on postcards, but in case you need extra help there's always the signs.




I've done one maze elsewhere without the benefit of a map and it's very hard once you are inside,

Ariel photographs of previous years can be found online. The designs change from year to year and from the air it's clear that the mazes very accurately replicate their design. This year's maze, map pictured above, is complete with large letters spelling out "save the farm". Unfortunately, by this time in the season there were many unauthorized shortcuts through the maze so next time we'll try to go earlier in the season. That was really the only disappointment - being in a large maze is fun. We even got to see some huitlacoche:






Huitlacoche is supposed to be a great delicacy, but I thought it looked rather ghoulishly in keeping with the season.

Pierce College gets spooky after 7 pm. Here's the entrance to the corn field of horror or somesuch.



You have to pass beneath the gargoyle to encounter masked, chainsaw wielding psychos. Corny, or not?


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One of the culinary temples....

...between Santa Barbara and Las Vegas.


They have a two week process to make their own applewood smoked pastrami.

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Weekend wrapup

Headed out of town for a little r&r with Juli. Stopped at Los Olivos to taste at Andrew Murray and pick up a wime shipment then went two doors down to the Los Olivos Wine and Tasting Shop where we tasted some more. ABC Chard tasted good, Alban viognier was less than impressive (surprisingly), other wines were good, but didn't result in a purchase.




Tasted olive oil, etc at Global Gourmet, a store I hadn't visited before, just two blocks off the main drag. The owner was there and explained that she had imported 2000 olive trees from Europe, the fruits of which were used in many of her products. She rents a commercial kitchen to do the preparation of the Global Gourmet products. Good stuff.

I got friendly with some art in a sculpture garden.




Later at Latetia I tasted a number of still wines while Juli tasted their sparkling wines. I didn't like any of the still wines enough to buy - the lesser wines were not good enough and the single vineyard Pinots, while delicious, were all priced at $60 which was a bit out of my purchase comfort zone considering the competition. The sparking wines appealed more, with my girlfriend choosing the Cuvee M as her pick.

Ate dinner at Del's Pizzeria in Pismo - we used a selection criterion based on the number of cars parked nearby and I'm happy to report that it worked. This restaurant has a loyal local following and is recommended. Wines by the glass are not boring - Had a glass of Turley Juveniles - dense, ripe to the max, almost too much to process. Slept at Sycamore Mineral Springs where the cheaper rooms have piped in mineral water for hot tubbing and the expensive rooms have regular old hot tubs.

On Saturday, Juli had a massage and I had a hike up to the top of the ridge behind the mineral springs where I took the photo posted earlier then down to Avila beach and back up the canyon. We visited the outlet stores then tasted at Edna Valley (good and reliable, I'll buy them at retail), Saucelito Canyon (we went away with 2 bottles of their white Rhone blend), Kynsie (the best winemaking of the day. I left with two bottles of their Bien Nacido Pinot Noir), then finished the day with a taste of a nice sparkling wine at Baileyana. We ended the day at Big Sky restaurant in San Luis Obispo where we enjoyed a turkey burger and swordfish, some nices wine and a dessert for not a horrible amount of money.

Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!








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Apple sausage stuffing

I made some apple sausage stuffing the other day to go with an early turkey that I purchased on sale. The interesting thing about this recipe is the custard, which represents a change from my usual apple-sausage stuffing recipe. We all liked it.

The recipe, below, is from epicurious.com and I used it as guide only. Without measuring, I'd have to say that I increased the sage and bay seasonings significantly relative to the recipe. I used a crusty whole grain bread (some fresh, some stale), home made turkey stock, and was more vigilant on the fats than the recipe calls for, buttering only the pan, leaving out the added butter, and partially draining the sausage fat.



Bon Appétit | November 2002

yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
This delicious stuffing is similar to a savory bread pudding. It's best baked alongside, rather than inside, the bird.
subscribe to Bon Appétit
Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 pound spicy pork bulk sausage
* 1 cup diced celery
* 1 cup diced onion
* 1 cup diced peeled cored apple
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
* 1 bay leaf


* 8 cups 1-inch cubes French bread with crusts (from 1-pound loaf)
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
* 3 large eggs, beaten to blend


Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; sauté until cooked through and brown, breaking into pieces with spoon, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Add celery and next 6 ingredients to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium heat until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Add mixture to sausage. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Reheat to lukewarm before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add bread to sausage mixture. Whisk milk, broth, and butter in bowl to blend. Mix into stuffing; season stuffing with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs; transfer to prepared dish. Bake uncovered until cooked through and brown, about 50 minutes.

CSA in North Redondo Beach

See BadMom's complete blog post about it here.

She writes in part, I've started the Madison School CSA blog for all things related to the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. Visit there to learn the latest news about the program. Beginning September 24, Tanaka Farms will deliver every Thursday to Neighborhood Grinds.

I participated in the CSA last year and over the summer and had some great produce in my fridge as a result.

Fennel- and Dill-Rubbed Grilled Salmon

I made this recipe from epicurious last night for family guests.

* 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
* 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons Pimentón de la Vera (Spanish smoked paprika)
* 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
* 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons dried dill weed


* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 1 3 3/4- to 4-pound side of salmon with skin (preferably wild salmon)
* Olive oil

Preparation

Finely grind fennel seeds in spice mill or coffee grinder. Transfer to small bowl. Mix in next 5 ingredients.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush salmon lightly on both sides with olive oil. Rub spice mixture generously over flesh side of salmon. Place salmon, skin side up, on grill rack; cover and cook until fish is slightly firmer, about 8 minutes. Slide rimless baking sheet under salmon to turn salmon over without breaking. Place another rimless baking sheet atop salmon. Using both hands, firmly hold baking sheets together and invert salmon; slide salmon, flesh side up, off baking sheet and onto grill rack. Cover and grill until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes longer. Using rimless baking sheet, remove salmon from grill. Gently slide salmon, flesh side up, onto platter and serve.

I made the rub (by eye on the proportions) with fresh dill and a bit less sugar and smoked paprika than the recipe called for. I was concerned, based on some of the comments at Epicurious, that the paprika would overwhelm the flavor of the expensive wild salmon. I also didn't feel that I wanted a super sweet rub. My guests and I loved it. The flavors melded and the brown sugar caramelized nicely. I got occasional bright spots of fennel that added to the flavor interest.

Based on the reduced proportions, I think I got it just about right with the wild salmon. Here's my gripe with the recipe: Calling specifically for wild salmon is just a conceit. This robust rub would work better at full strength on farmed salmon steaks - and cost 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the wild salmon called for in the recipe.

This was served with grilled green onions, asparagus, and a salad of walnuts, feta, green beans, and mint. Dessert was a lemon cake with fresh fruit. I would put this meal collectively in the category of healthy and delicious.

Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Cumin and Cinnamon

I made this recipe from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Lamb-Kebabs-with-Cumin-and-Cinnamon-103628Epicurious for family on Easter. I made once a couple years ago and liked it then. I think I liked it even more this time. It's been a crowd pleaser both times.

Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Cumin and Cinnamon

Bon Appétit | July 2000

Ingredients
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 3 1/2-pound sirloin half leg of lamb, bone removed, fat trimmed, meat cut into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
* 6 12-inch metal skewers

Preparation

Whisk oil, cumin, pepper, salt and cinnamon in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add lamb to dish and toss to coat well with oil mixture. Let marinate at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate 1 1/2 to 4 hours, tossing occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat) or preheat broiler. Thread lamb pieces onto skewers, dividing equally (about 5 pieces per skewer). Grill or broil lamb to desired doneness, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes for medium-rare.


I marinate in a plastic bag which lets me really work the spices around on the meat. I also used slightly more of both cumin and cinnamon than called for in the recipe. I justify this because my spices might not be as fresh and pungent as the day they were purchased. The cinnamon is mostly subtle background in the proportions given, but occasionally you get unexpected bursts. I think that next time I'll use about 5:4 cumin to cinnamon.

First CSA delivery

Last Friday was my first Community Supported Agriculture delivery at Madison school in Redondo Beach. Bad Mom invited me to participate. Her daughter attends the school and the PTA gets $5 for each box that they sell. My son's school just has an incessant stream of the standard fundraisers (I've donated or been responsible for collecting donations at his school to the tune of well over $100 this year, so I don't feel disloyal.) Cost for the CSA is $50 per month, with two boxes delivered during that time. That's $20 per box street value, which is probably about right based on prices at the farmer's market.

I jumped at the chance to try it out because I've not been able to get to the farmer's market recently, I wanted the challenge of a box of surprise organic fresh ingredients and perhaps some new vegetables, my previous efforts to find a CSA in the South Bay area demanded longer commutes and longer commitments without the ability to try it out first.

Lisa S., who is organizing the pickups, even sent an email to remind me the day of pickup:

Don’t forget to pick up your produce today! It is in Room 21 at CDC. It looks very nice this week- cilantro, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, apples, carrots, radishes, and strawberries. Please let me know what you think when you get it – our only worry is that the lettuce doesn’t wilt before you pick it up later in the day, so I’m eager to hear what you think when you see it. If you have any issues let me know – since this is our first delivery.

Thanks!

Lisa

I too was concerned that my veggies had suffered from being at room temperature most of the day but when I arrived the most susceptible ones, leafy greens, weren't wilted much at all.

We baked the potatoes that night and had a spinach salad with hot dressing. The spinach was particularly succulent.

I used some cilantro last night in a fresh fruit salsa = diced apples + cilantro + orange + peppers of some sort (I've used chipotle in the past but something else last night)

Strawberries were dipped in chocolate and eaten over two nights. Houston, Juli, and I shared a box last night. One of the two onions was roasted last night at dinner as well.

I like the culinary exercise of getting a box of something unexpected and then seeing how you can stitch it together.

We're not huge fans of radishes, so we've been slow to eat those. I'm thinking that they might go well diced in the fruit salsa. We had some thinly sliced with vinegar as a side dish and found that they are quite mild tasting - I don't know if I would bother with them if they were too harsh.

Healthy dinner

I've been trying to eat more healthily. In addition to the coffee + danish that I am no longer eating, I'm trying to shift to even more fruits and vegetables. Here's a meal from earlier in the week, unartfully arranged, but illustrative. Those are artichoke ravioli, radishes from my garden with balsamic vinegar, arugula from my garden cooked with a little bit of bacon and garlic (that's a superb flavor combination and you ought to not feel guilty for adding a little pork fat to your overflowing double handful of arugula. I keep the bacon frozen and slice some off with my large knife for flavoring when needed.), and some Spanish style white beans (pre-prepared from Trader Joes).

EDIT: My mother emailed with a "where's the protein?". I have to admit that the only protein is in the beans plus a little in the ravioli stuffing from romano? cheese.

Omnivore's hundred

Very Good Taste* has a blog post with 100 items that every omnivore ought to have tasted at least once.

*You ought to browse over to VGT and sample the writing. There's an acerbic wit at work on VGT who is quite entertaining to read.


The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison - N. American jerky and Swedish reindeer
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros - I live in Southern California, do you need to ask?
4. Steak tartare - I'm not counting Osso bucco, which I have had.
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp - don't know. I think yes.
9. Borscht - delicious
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses - I'm nearly sure I have, but then I've had so many stinky cheeses
17. Black truffle - I'm not counting truffle oil or the microscopic bits in some restaurant preparations
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - it's wine, of course I've had some.
19. Steamed pork buns - a staple of Dim Sum here in S. Ca.
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - I'm not going to strike this out because I've had grilled habanero peppers and enjoyed them, but so far this is the closest to a strikeout
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda - I think I'll put this on my try soon list. Some preparations sound healthy.
31. Wasabi peas - didn't like them
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi - not my favorite
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - I'm not sure how "fat" my cigar was
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat - I've had it stewed and BBQd, but never curried.
42. Whole insects - chapulines! deep fried silk worm pupae probably don't count.
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - don't I wish
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi - I'll have to look this one up
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini - I prefer my martinis traditional
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine - another I needed to look up.
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin - Huh? The clay? (later: I read the FAQ and now recall a news article about pregnant women eating this.)
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe - I think I should try some
74. Gjetost, or brunost - Mark may have brought some back from Norway.
75. Roadkill - only if it was fresh. A deer wouldn't be too offensive.
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare - I'm assuming rabbit = hare which might be presumptuous since sheep != mutton
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse - I won't count that antelope
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

(PS. There is a FAQ for the list over here)

Braised red cabbage II

The LA Times had a recipe for braised red cabbage which showed up in my comments. Today I made it, following proportions closely, and it fell flat. Even after I doubled the vinegar and honey, added a bit more pepper and juniper berries, it still fell flat. Red wine vinegar helped a bit - perhaps it knit the flavors together a bit better.

I am still on a quest for the best Thuringian style braised red cabbage recipe.

Hot Ralston

I was promised some Ralston, and then it was taken away.

I can buy a package of 12 from Amazon for $34.25 or three boxes from the Vermont Country Store for $12.90.

Malted milk mix seems to have gone the same route.

Arugula and bacon quiche

I took this to a potluck. My attempt was not as outstanding as the reviews on epicurious had led me to believe. I've had a year long love affair with arugula, particularly when matched with bacon, but this didn't quite do it for me. I will make it or a similar recipe again, but I'll want to moderate the bacon more carefully (I over indulged in my version). When combined with the Gruyere, there's was a bit too much grease for my taste. The addition of balsamic vinegar to the sauteed arugula was inspired, however, so I'll steal that little bit of cooking wisdom for later use.

Friday meal

I made this chicken dish tonight, along with arugula wilted on top of bacon bits and onion. They don't really go together, but so what? Note the festive seasonal-themed bowl.


The chicken recipe came from Recipezarr.com but you can find it in several other places on the web. If I didn't need to log in on recipezaar to rate this recipe I'd give it 3.5 out of 5, and with a few tweaks I could have it up to a regular 4 in my kitchen.

The origins on recipezaar are said to be from a Japanese exchange student's mother, but balsamic vinegar doesn't seem to be a very authentic Japanese ingredient. I figured that with the balsamic vinegar I wouldn't need sugar and I was right: I used about half a teaspoon of sugar and I could have done without entirely. I also bowed to a recently rebellious stomach and didn't add a hot pepper. If I had, perhaps a little sugar would have tasted better, but I still think I could have done without any sugar. Finally, I added four or five cloves of garlic and didn't discard after cooking - they tasted delicious!

I'm not sure why the recipe doesn't have you brown the chicken beforehand. Plain, boiled, chicken skin doesn't have an appealing texture to me. I did a little browning, but I might do away with the skin if I make this again. Dark meat chicken can handle some extended cooking, so thighs or legs work fine in this recipe.


Ingredients

* 8 chicken drumsticks, skin on (the skin is important for flavour, and is so tasty to eat!)
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 garlic clove, peeled and bruised
* 1 small hot chili pepper, slit open, seeds removed

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over a high heat.
2. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Remove any scum that rises to the surface.
4. Increase the heat, turning the drumsticks frequently in the sauce, and cook until the liquid has reduced to a sticky glaze.
5. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter, remove the garlic clove and chili from the liquid, and spoon the glaze over.
NOTE It's a glaze rather than a sauce, so there's not a whole lot of it.

Spiced nuts

Updated in Dec 2009 after realizing that I had typos in both recipes.  I don't have the originals handy, but I made educated guesses on water in the 1st (I used 1/4 C last night and it worked out, but 1/3 is probably OK too) and sugar in the second.

In 1932 my grandmother got a recipe for spiced walnuts from her neighbor, Rose Jones. I got it from my grandmother in 1989. Here it is.

Spiced Walnuts from Rose Jones
1/4 C water
~2C walnuts
1-1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
optional: sprinkle of nutmeg and/or clove

Cook water, sugar and salt to soft ball. Add vanilla and spices. I usually add more than the recipe calls for by a large amount. Stir in nuts until sugar is hard. Put out on wax paper and pick apart with a fork.

This weekend I was at the farmers' market with Juli where she picked up a recipe for spiced walnuts.

Spiced Walnuts (Torrance Farmers' Market)
4 C walnuts
6 T water
1-1/2 C sugar
1/2 T cinnamon
1/2 T salt
1 T vanilla

Combine all ingredients but nuts and cook 4 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add walnuts. Stir until covered. Spread on wax paper to cool.

So do people now like 50% less sugar on their walnuts now than in 1930? I think yes, based on how I've made Rose's recipe for years - with a very healthy extra amount of nuts. They probably would have made one batch of nuts last a really long time in 1932, but we typically won't do that today. Additionally, sugar was surely less common in the everyday diet back then, so perhaps no one felt guilt about eating it in quantity.

The nuts are good, either way. And tasty with both walnuts and pecans.

The pecans look like they have less sugary flavor on them.

Pinquitos with lamb

I started out making bbq pinquitos* beans, but along the way I got diverted. I added a leftover lamb bone and pan juices from a leg I roasted a while back, crushed tomatoes, thyme, chopped onion and mushrooms sauteed in bacon grease, bay and rosemary from the back yard, garlic, salt and pepper, plus water and wine. Poured hot over frozen peas it all reached the perfect temperature, flavor and texture combination for a rainy Monday evening. There's a great lamb essence in the broth, the barely cooked peas burst with fresh sweetness when you bite them, and the beans have a firm texture and mellow taste that rounds it all out.

Perhaps I'm practicing for this summer when I hope that I'll be pulling in great harvests of beans from my garden.




Next up: Christmas lima beans (no really, they are variegated red and white like Christmas wrapping paper).



*What are pinquitos?

I'm buying the occasional bag of dried beans these days from a guy at the farmer's market who drives them down along with fabulous artichokes from Lompoc. I generally don't buy the artichokes these days because they seem so expensive and I have three plants of my own on the way, but I do buy the beans! Pinquitos are most similar to pinto beans, but they are smaller with a slightly more mellow flavor. They are the hallmark bean in the bbq beans that are traditionally served with Santa Maria style bbq (a roast of tri-tip). You used to be able to buy a can from S&W in the supermarket, but I haven't seen those in years.

Lebkuchen or honey cake

Lebkuchen* is a German honey cake which I make as part of a family Christmas tradition.

Normally, I'll make some right after Thanksgiving and let it sit in a closed tin while the flavors meld. In my opinion, lebkuchen usually tastes best after Christmas which suggests that I could start even earlier.

The recipes that I use have candied fruit in them, the same as in the infamous fruitcake that is passed from one family to the next each year but never eaten. So, to the uninitiated it starts with a strike against it. Three actually, if you count the name and the fact that there's no chocolate in it. For those reasons it seems to be an acquired taste. Fortunately I have acquired the taste for it, or at least the tradition of it. At its best, lebkuchen is soft, chewy, fragrant, and sweet, with a little citrus bite that is a nice counterpoint to the sweet.

When I was little I enjoyed lebkuchen cookies at Christmas time that were made by Grandma (Oma). Family lore has it that Opa made her try many recipes before he found a recipe that reminded him of the cookies he'd had a child in Germany. The recipe that they settled on is from The Jewish Cookbook (it's actual name, so I am told).

I remember that many years I picked little bits of eggshell from the cookies. When I asked Oma about it, she told me that the recipe was difficult. I had visions of exotic yolk separation techniques or maybe even something wilder, but it turns out that the recipe is actually quite simple. It's just that Oma’s dedication and love exceeded her skill sometimes.

Lebkuchen from The Jewish Cookbook

Beat 4 eggs until light, add 2 cups brown sugar and beat well. Sift together 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add 2 oz of finely cut citron, and 1/4 pound of chopped walnuts to the flour. Stir into the egg mixture, and blend well. Spread the dough 1 and 1/2 inches thick in greased pans. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 F, for about 30 minutes, or until done. Cool, spread with White Icing, and cut into bars. Lebkuchen and Honey Cakes should be stored a week before using.

I always use a lemon glaze (lemon juice with powdered sugar) in place of the white icing recommended above.

This recipe is a bit too subtle in flavor for my tastes, though according to Opa it was "just right". My notes from an earlier year say that when I adhered strictly to the recipe I found that I would have preferred a bit more spice flavor. That part about "until done" is a bit amusing too. It's often difficult to tell without close inspection whether lebkuchen is overcooked or not.

Because there's virtually no fat in the recipe, my normal calibration for doneness that is trained on cakes is not reliable for lebkuchen, as I've found to my chagrin in 2 out of 3 recent years. To me, lebkuchen appears slightly under done when it is actually ready to be removed from the oven. This year I overcooked it slightly (even though I was close to the suggested 30 minutes time in oven) and that contributed a poorer rendition of this recipe than I had anticipated. I would suggest 25 minutes in the oven at most. I've yet to try fixing an over cooked lebkuchen with a little kirshwasser, rose water, or other liquid.

A recipe more to my taste comes from the LA Times, who some years ago had a feature article on Lebkuchen in their food section.

Raisin Lebkuchen from the LA Times

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup blanched silvered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup chopped candied fruit peel
1/2 cup chopped citron
Lemon Glaze

Beat egg and sugar together until smooth and fluffy in large bowl. Add honey, lemon peel and juice. Beat well.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Gradually add to egg-sugar mixture on low speed of electric mixer.
Stir in raisins, almonds, candied peel and citron. Spread batter in greased 15x10-inch baking pan.
Bake at 375F for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly, then brush with lemon glaze and cut into pieces.
Remove pieces when cool and store in sealed container for at least a week.


The LA Times recipe is very flexible and forgiving. I've used it with regular raisins and currants substituted for the golden raisins. I've eliminated the candied fruit peel, and I've used walnuts instead of almonds and both the recipes work well. The only crucial part of both recipes is not to overcook the lebkuchen. This point can't be emphasized enough - don't overcook the lebkuchen!

You'll be storing the cut pieces of lebkuchen in a sealed container for at least a week, preferably two or more, before the flavors start to meld, and it picks up a softer texture. In order make the pieces look best, you should apply the lemon glaze and then slice the pieces while the glaze is still liquid. Leave the glaze to solidify and then slice again along the same cuts and remove the pieces from the pan. Cutting the lebkuchen like this prevents big chunks of the white frosting from being pulled out by the knife.

---

Origin of the name

Lebkuchen has at least two interpretations of its name. In modern German it is literally "liver cake", perhaps a reference to its color (gray to brown from the honey or brown sugar which is perhaps reminiscent of cooked liver). But a historical perspective suggests that it really means “heart cake”. This quote, in Old High German, which I found on the web some time ago suggests that while today "leber" means liver, that "leb" once upon a time meant heart, perhaps a reference to the sustaining powers of the dish.

Interessant ist, wenn man die Parallele zum "Leb"kuchen zieht. "Leb" heißt "Herz". Der Lebkuchen ist also ein Kuchen in Herzform. Somit ist das "Lebkuchenherz" eigentlich eine Tautologie.

Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving dinner in Santa Barbara was fantastic:

Clockwise from 6:00. Two types of cranberries, sweet potato mousseline, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed spinach, two types of stuffing, wilted greens salad with pan roasted crabapple. Turkey and roasted Cipollini onion at center.

Later we went to see the tall ship Nina, a faithful recreation of Columbus' caravel of the same name made with hand tools and traditional boat building techniques. Columbus sailed with about 30 men aboard - all but the captain and one other slept and lived on deck which was often awash with water. The modern version doesn't have to carry cargo below decks, so that area is fitted with more modern conveniences and living quarters.


Life on board the Niña in 1492 was not for the light hearted. When the Niña left on any of her three voyages to the New World, her cargo hold was full of provisions, water, armaments. There were live animals ranging from horses, cows, pigs, and chickens. The four-legged animals were suspended in slings as the rolling motion of the vessel would have easily broken their legs.

Needless to say, there was little room below decks for the 27 or so crew to sleep or cook. Cooking was done in a fire box located on decks in the bow of the ship. Sleeping was on the deck and was always uncomfortable as the ship was so loaded with cargo, her decks were always awash. A lucky few could sleep on the poop deck or find a coil of rope to sleep on to keep them off the deck a foot or so.

Braised red cabbage

I had been thinking of making braised red cabbage the way I'd tasted it in Thuringia, but I got side tracked by a recipe over on the Thinking Stomach and ended up making a variant of that recipe instead.

I served a leg of lamb roast, roasted potatoes, and braised chard along with it. The cabbage didn't really fit - it deserved a braised roast of venison or pork roast, but all the parts were good individually.