Scribbles & Munch

      Halloween draws ever nearer, and my quest to perfect All Things Pumpkin continues.  Yesterday I took it upon myself to create Pumpkin Spoonbread with Candied Bacon.

The color was gorgeous, and the smell as it baked was even better!

      This was a double experiment, because I'd never made spoonbread, and I'd never cooked with candied bacon (my usual approach to candied bacon is to take bacon, candy it in whole strips, and cram them into my mouth as soon as temperature will permit).  I am pleased to report that the experiment was a marvelous success!  It had all the robust flavors one craves in the fall, with great balance of texture.  Everyone who partook thoroughly enjoyed the dish, and I - as my own worst critic - could find nothing I would change next time around.
      We ate this for dinner along with steamed broccolini and fresh pears.  However, I think this would really be superb as a brunch entrée, served with fresh fruit, hot coffee and biscotti.  In point of fact, I think that is precisely what my Thanksgiving brunch will look like this year.  It'll impress the pants off my guests.  Which is fine, because we never fit into our pants at the end of the holidays, anyway.
      Oh yeah, and this is gluten free!  If, y'know, you care about that sort of thing.

Z.D.'s Pumpkin Spoonbread with Herbs and Candied Bacon

Ingredients:
6 thick slices of bacon, diced
1/2 Cup minced sweet onion
1 & 2/3 Cups whole milk (2% is Ok, but no lower)
5 & 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 Cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 Cup pumpkin purée
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Generous pinch white pepper
1/4 Cup packed golden brown sugar

Directions:
 - Pre-heat your oven to 350º F, and set four 3/4 Cup ramekins on a baking sheet.  In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon with the onion, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown and most of the bacon fat is rendered.  This will take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, so meanwhile prepare the spoonbread batter.

The key is to only render about 80% of the bacon fat before adding the sugar at the end.

 - In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter into the milk, and add the salt.

Don't ignore your milk mixture or it will boil over and you will be a very unhappy chef.

 - When the mixture reaches a strong simmer, whisk in the cornmeal and remove from the heat.  Whisk for another minute or so until the mixture is thick and even, then stir in the pumpkin purée until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

This will have the texture of good mashed potatoes.

 - In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.  Set aside.

Remember: stiff peaks means when you lift out the beaters, the little tufts of egg whites stay upright, they do not sag!

 - In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks, herbs, nutmeg, and pepper.  Add the cornmeal mixture and stir vigorously with a spoon until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

I used fresh thyme and rosemary because a) they were what I had on hand, and b) I think both go great with bacon.  However, feel free to substitute other fresh herbs that compliment pumpkin, such as sage, or chives, or parsley!

 - Carefully pour off all but about a teaspoon of the bacon fat from your skillet (I just tipped the whole mess into a strainer rather than risk losing precious bacon, then put it back in the pan).  Add the brown sugar and stir often, so it starts to melt and coat the bacon.  Then divide the candied bacon mixture evenly among the ramekins, spreading to cover the bottoms.

If you're looking at this and thinking, "That's not enough bacon," don't worry: with the onion and the sugar, I promise this will provide the flavor punch you crave.  Trust me.

 - Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the pumpkin batter, just to lighten, then fold in the remaining whites.

Yes, you really do have to fold the egg whites, not stir.  Stirring deflates them and that defeats the purpose!

 - Spoon the batter equally among the ramekins, covering the candied bacon.  Transfer the ramekins on the baking sheet to the oven, and bake for 27 - 32 minutes, or until the spoonbread starts to pull away from the sides and the edges of tinged with brown.

I used my 1.5 Cup ramekins to be on the safe side, and they were twice the size I needed.  So feel free to use 3/4 or 1 Cup ramekins if you have those instead.

      Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before eating.  The spoonbread has a great texture, and finding the candied bacon at the bottom makes every bite a pleasure!

Smokey, salty, creamy, meaty, savory, and a little sweet.  The herbs add depth and the portion size is perfect for the richness!

     If you were looking to simplify things a bit you could probably make the candied bacon a day or so ahead.  Seal it in a tupperware container - or scoop it into the ramekins and cover each with plastic wrap - and stash it in the fridge.  Just make sure it's at room temperature before adding the batter and putting things in the oven.

      I am working on a potentially world-changing recipe today: Herbed Pumpkin Spoonbread with Candied Bacon.  But I won't be able to post the recipe until tomorrow.  So find a pumpkin doughnut and a good cup of coffee to tide you over, and remember the words of Alton Brown: "Your patience will be rewarded!"
      And wipe your mouth, you've got a little drool going on.

Pumpkin Beer Bread from left to right: With Raisins and Walnuts, With Bittersweet Chocolate Chunks, and Savory Plain

      This weekend recipe continues my Halloween preparations by using pumpkin, but also incorporates another passing fad. See, for my household, this autumn and winter will be the Long Seasons of Beer Bread.  Back in August, I helped cater a friend's pool party.  There were over 60 people invited, and my friend insisted that a big chunk of them preferred the popular domestic lager I tend to refer to as "cheap-ass beer."  So under her instruction, we bought four cases of it--that's 96 cans of beer.  Now, guess how many of those beers were consumed at the party?  No, really, guess.  I'll put the answer at the bottom of the post.*
      That leaves her with a garage fridge overflowing with cans of crappy, low-alcohol beverage, the name of which rhymes with "spud blight" (which is also, coincidentally, how it tastes).  My friend doesn't drink, except for champagne toasts at weddings.  I drink on occasion, but when I do drink beer I prefer craft brews with a flavor and texture resembling chocolate milkshakes.  So what to do with almost 100 cans of cheap-ass beer?
      This is why beer bread was invented.
      Beer bread is great with soup or stew, and fabulous for grilled cheese sandwiches.  But you know me, I like breakfast.  So when I noticed the pumpkin ales that become available for the holidays, my mental gears began to turn.  That's why this weekend I delved into the Great Pumpkin Beer Bread Experiment!

Baking pumpkin bread is a much better way of welcoming Spiritual Seasonal Gourds than catching a cold by waiting in a pumpkin patch.  Trust me.

      I took my favorite beer bread recipe, doubled the dry ingredients, and added 15oz of pure pumpkin purée to the beer and butter.  Then I divided the batter into three loaves and doctored each a little differently.  One I left plain, just to see what it would taste like.  One I added a touch of honey, traditional pumpkin bread spices, golden raisins, and walnuts, for a heartier autumn loaf.  And one I added a little spice, honey, and a cup of freshly chopped bittersweet chocolate, to test my spouse's theory that "everything is better with chocolate."  Then I baked, and this morning we ate.
      I'm happy to report that I would consider all three loaves a success.

      Assuming that you - like most sane people - aren't interested in messing around trying to divide bread dough into three equal parts and making each into an unique recipe, I'm going to provide the recipe for each as a three loaf batch.  Meaning if you follow these recipes, you will wind up with three loaves of one kind of bread.  Which is fine, because bread freezes really well.  Or you could give them away and be really popular.  Just don't give any to me, I've got plenty of beer bread!

Z.D.'s Pumpkin Beer Bread
makes three 8 x 4 loaves of plain bread

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted butter
2 Cups whole wheat flour
4 Cups AP flour
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
12 oz. Cheap-Ass Beer
14.5 oz pure pumpkin purée

Directions: 
 - Pre-heat your oven to 375º F.  Brush some of the butter to coat the inside of three 8 x 4 inch metal loaf pans.  Reserve the rest.

I tend to melt my butter in the pans in the pre-warming oven while I make the dough.  Then I just pour it out and grease with what's left in the bottom.

 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

 - In a smaller bowl, whisk together the beer, pumpkin, and all but about 1 T of remaining butter.  Stir into the flour mixture until fully incorporated.

This will take some mixing, and the finished dough will be fairly stiff, so make sure your bowl is big enough.

 - Divide the dough among the three loaf pans, pressing the dough into the corners. Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven just long enough to brush the tops with the remaining butter, then place back in the oven and finish baking, about 5 minutes.

 - Cool in pans about 5-10 minutes, then turn out loaves onto a rack to finish cooling.  Store at room temperature, wrapped in plastic.  Or, when cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 2 months.

A full flavor, like a good squash.

      This is moister than regular wheat bread, but less dense and yeastier than regular pumpkin bread.  Serve with chili, or a nice beef and barley soup.  Alternatively, slice thin and toast to accompany a good autumn cheese plate, with crisp grapes and apples.
      OR...you can try one of the variations below!  Follow the regular recipe, but add the additional ingredients as specified in the directions.


Z.D.'s Spiced Pumpkin Beer Bread with Raisins and Walnuts
makes three 8 x 4 loaves of hearty autumn raisin bread

Additional Ingredients:
1 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger (alternatively, add 1/2 Cup chopped crystalized ginger)
1 Cup golden raisins
1 Cup roughly chopped walnuts
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 Cup canola oil
3 to 6 Tablespoons of honey, to taste
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions:
 - Pre-heat oven and prepare pans per the original recipe.  When whisking together the dry ingredients, add the cinnamon, ginger, raisins, and walnuts.

 - When whisking together the wet ingredients, add the eggs, oil, and honey (the honey is only to add a touch more sweetness, so adjust to your preference).  Beat well before adding to the dry.

 - Bake per the original recipe.  After removing from oven the final time, immediately dust the top of the loaves with powdered sugar, if using.

My spouse isn't a huge raisin fan, but in the right recipe I think they're delightful.  Nothing says "cool weather breakfast" to me like a good slice of toasted raisin bread with cinnamon butter!

      Serve warm with honeybutter for breakfast, brunch, or tea. Also makes for an interesting twist on a grilled cheese or peanutbutter sandwich.


Z.D.'s Spiced Pumpkin Beer Bread with Chocolate
makes three 8 x 4 loaves of chocolately enhanced bread

Additional Ingredients:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Cups roughly chopped bittersweet baking chocolate
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 Cup canola oil
3 to 6 Tablespoons of honey, to taste

Directions:
 - Pre-heat oven and prepare pans per the original recipe.  When whisking together the dry ingredients, add the cinnamon and chocolate.

 - When whisking together the wet ingredients, add the eggs, oil, and honey (the honey is only to add a touch more sweetness, so adjust to your preference).  Beat well before adding to the dry.

      Bake and cool per the original recipe.  Serve...whenever.  It's chocolate.  It's a nice way to work chocolate into your breakfast without feeling like you're over-indulging by eatng dessert first.  Alternatively, if you wanted to 'zert it up, toast and add Nutella.  Or make into a sandwich with sweetened cream cheese and slices of banana!

I made this specifically to test the theory that "everything is better with chocolate."  While this by no means definitively prooves said theory, it certainly doesn't debunk it!

*If you guessed "4," you are correct.

      October may be my favorite month.  Leaves change, weather cools, and all the wonderful fall harvest flavors come into abundance!  Not to mention Halloween is the best freakin' holiday ever.  Last year I prepped for the holiday with a series of recipes featuring creepy body parts (skin, heart, liver, and kidneys).  This year I'm leaning towards pumpkin.
      There are a lot of pumpkin recipes out there already, don't get me wrong, but most of them are mediocre.  When I find a truly great pumpkin recipe - be it pie, or muffins, or curry, or soup - I am transported to gourd heaven.  So this year I'm going to focus on honing my own pumpkin genius, and I invite you to take part.  That being said, my first October recipe does not involve pumpkin--rather, it is meant as a vehicle for one of the best pumpkin products out there: pumpkin butter!

Not my photo--wish it was.  Got it here: http://www.lifetasteslikefood.com/2011/10/14/vegan-and-gluten-free-pumpkin-butter/

      Buy it at the store, buy it from the farmer's market, or make your own; pumpkin butter tastes like fall.  And I recommend spreading your pumpking butter on my Rosemary Oat scones! They're flavorful, tender, and a just a little robust.  They can easily be served sweet (pumpkin butter or blackberry jam are my favorites), or savory (top with cheddar cheese).  Want to take it up a notch?  Split, slather with pumpkin mustard (equal parts pumpkin butter and creamy Dijon), and add a thick slice of smoked ham.  These make a great snack to bring to autumn get-togethers, or picnics, or your own lunch for that matter.  Enjoy!

Baking these on a cold morning warms up your kitchen, fills it with a comforting smell, and gives you a tasty start to your day.  Win/win/win.

Z.D's Rosemary Oat Scones

Ingredients:
1 & 2/3 Cup AP flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt, generous
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
5 T unsalted butter, cold, diced
1/2 Cup old fashioned oats
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
3/4 Cup half-&-half or whole milk*
1 large egg

Herbs are beautiful and vitamin packed--eat more!

Directions:
 - Pre-heat your oven to 400º F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and nutmeg.

 - Using your fingers, cut in the cold butter until the bits range in size from coarse sand to lentils. Mix in the oats and rosemary.

Fresh rosemary will stay green even after your mince it, but use your sharpest knife to prevent bruising and losing the flavorful oils.

 - In a small bowl, beat together the half-&-half and egg until fully mixed.  Pour into the dry mixture, and toss with a fork until the dough just comes together.
 - Divide the dough into rounds, pat down to no more than 1.25 inches thick, and slice into twelve wedge-shaped scones.

You can make two rounds, cut into sixths, or three rounds cut into quarters.  Since there's only two people breakfasting at my home on most days, I prefer the latter.

 - Bake for 23 - 26 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant.  Alternatively, wrap the dough rounds in parchment paper, and then tightly in plastic wrap.  Seal in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 4 months.  To bake, remove wraping, place frozen dough on the prepared baking sheet and pop directly into oven for 30 - 33 minutes.

Still warm from the oven--delish!

      I served these with Seckel pears (aren't they *CUTE*!) and fried eggs.  A pale plate, I suppose, but flavorful and delicious.  Over-all, a wonderful way to start the morning when it's cold and windy outside.



*Do not go any lower in fat than whole milk, or your scones will be too dry.  And for the-love-of-all-things breakfast, DON'T use that artificially thickened crap they call "fat free half-n-half!"

      Twice a week on my way to work, I drive past a a fascinating crossroads just past the city limits.  In one corner is the entrance to a horse racing casino.  In another corner is a place that sells gazebos and home playgrounds, with brightly colored jungle gyms and slides on display.  On the corner next to that is a by-the-hour motel, and a Go-Go Dancer club.  And the final corner?  A big cemetery.
      I can't help but thinking that this particular intersection is somehow deeply symbolic of human existence, but I haven't yet worked out the details.  In the meantime, I want to remember the configuration as a possible setting for a story.

      This week on our podcast, Shadows on the Sound, Camela Thompson and I will discuss "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley.  It's such an interesting read, for so many reasons!  It's very different from the classic black and white film, so don't think you can get away with watching the movie.  Apparently, it's also a favorite book of Guillermo del Toro, and if he thinks it's a good book, you definitely ought to read it.  If you've already given it a read, listen to our podcast...and then comment on this post to answer our Weekly Geeky Query: "Would you rather live a life controlled by a benevolent A.I., or be responsible for guarding and reforming a malevolent A.I.?"*

Full artistic credit: http://keithseymour.deviantart.com/art/Frankenstein-s-monster-351434949

*Yes, this is a carry-over from last week--it's such an interesting question, we want more comments!

      After a month of editing, querying, and shifting my work schedule to accommodate my employer's holiday festivities, my life is finally ready to go back to sanity normal.  That means blogging twice a week should recommence.  It also meands my regular reading list (blogs, e-comics, books, and manga) should resume.  And it means I am back in the kitchen, Baby!  And I am particularly happy to report that I start my autumn baking with a celebratory sweet.  Why celebratory?  Why, because I have two agents who requested additional materials!!!*  So I busted out this goody that I prepped last month, but never got to bake: Peach Cobbler with Sweet Corn Biscuit Topping.

That's right: individual servings.  Yum.

 And here is the original blog draft I wrote about it, too:

      Summer wanes.  I love the tastes of fall, perhaps best of any season.  And yet...and yet...it can be so hard to let go of the golden sweetness of a high sun and soft grass.  So I created this marvelous treat as a way to embrace two of my favorite summer flavors, and save them for darker, colder times.**  And by that I mean you can make them ahead, freeze them, and then bake them straight out of the freezer whenever you want.  Can you say, convenient?  You're welcome.
      For this recipe, you want peaches that are just shy of being perfectly ripe, meaning still slightly firm, but not rock hard.  For peaches, ripeness means sweetness, and we want these babies sweet!  A little vanilla accents their perfection, and for the biscuit topping we're using fresh summer corn kernels right off the cob, folded into light biscuit dough and kissed with honey.


 Feeling hungry yet?  Good, here's the recipe:

Z.D.'s Peach Cobbler with Sweet Corn Biscuit Topping
makes 4 individual cobblers

Ingredients:
Butter, for greasing
4 C peach slices, about 1/2 inch wide, from about 8 medium peaches
1 T vanilla sugar (regular white sugar is Ok)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 T tapioca flour
Pinch kosher salt
1 medium ear fresh corn (I like sweet yellow bi-color)
1 T honey (preferably summer harvest raw honey)
1/4 C cold milk
1/3 C AP flour
2/3 C yellow cornmeal (regular/fine grind)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
3 T unsalted butter, cold, cubed


Directions:
 - Grease the insides of four 1 Cup ramekins, and set aside.  In a large bowl, toss the peaches, sugar, extract, nutmeg, tapioca flour, and kosher salt until just combined.  Set aside.

The most important thing when baking with fruit is to make sure your pieces/slices are very close to the same size.  This ensures even baking!

 - Husk and clean the corn.  Using a sharp knife, cut along the cob as close as possible, removing the kernels.  Reserve kernels, discard the cob. (NOTE: you could substitute frozen corn kernals, but they will lose some of their pop in the baking process.  Go ahead and get fresh/local corn.)

 - In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and milk.  Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Using your fingers, quickly cut in the butter, until you have pieces ranging in size from oat flakes to sand.

 - With a fork, give a quick stir to your milk mixture, and pour it into the cornmeal mixture.  Toss with the fork just a few times, then add in the corn kernels.  Gently toss and fold with the fork just until all ingredients come together.

This will come together to make a marvelously tender dough.  Handle it minimally to ensure it stays tender through freezing and baking!

 - Divide the peaches evenly among the ramekins.  Using your hands, quickly divide the corn dough into four equal pieces.  Pat each into a round biscuit just large enough to fit inside the ramekin, top the peaches, and set aside.

I love it when food is pretty.

If you wish to bake immediately...
 - Pre-heat your oven to 400 º F.  Place the ramekins in the middle of the oven, and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the biscuit is golden brown and the peaches are bubbling around the edges.  Let cool a minimum of 10 minutes before serving.  Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream, or the best vanilla ice cream you can find.

If you wish to save for another day...
 - Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil.  Freeze for up to 4 months.
 - When ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 400º F. Remove the foil and plastic wrap from the frozen cobbler, and place directly into the hot oven--DO NOT THAW!  Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the biscuit is golden brown and the peaches are bubbling around the edges.  Let cool a minimum of 10 minutes before serving.  Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream, or the best vanilla ice cream you can find.

      Or, serve with bacon and earl grey tea for breakfast.  I'm just saying.


*I am extravagantly happy about this.  Keep track of my publishing escapades on this page of my blog.

**Or celebrating.  Did I mention I'm extravagantly happy about these two agents?!?!