Baking/Cooking Bucket List

Occasionally I will get this wild hair - my pet name for a recipe - that stands on the back of my neck and fighting the urge to pull it out, I instead throw it on the proverbial "back-burner" that I call my baking/cooking bucket list. It usually happens when I see or read about an intriguing food item that is "all the rage" or when some well established chef on "Chopped" says "I've never heard of this," or, "I don't know what to do with this." That's when that little bit of hair starts to stand up and the chef inside me says "Go on! Check it out and see if you can do that."

This weekend was no different than any other except that I had a couple of those "wild hairs" popping up and bothering me. With a relatively free schedule, I decided to tackle a couple of my bucket-list recipes, starting with cheese. Yes, daunting as it may seem. I love ALL cheeses and I'm not ashamed to say that I would pay high prices for a cheese that makes me swoon (which is basically anything artisan). That being said, as some woman have shoe fetishes, I think it's quite possible that I have a cheese fetish. Do to the high costs of artisan cheeses these days, I can only indulge occasionally. So why not try and make it myself, right?

So with my rennet and sodium chloride purchased at Austin Home Brew and a couple gallons of whole milk I was off to try my hand at mozzarella and buttermilk cheeses. It was surprisingly easier than I imagined. I went to Google and found a mozzarella recipe as well as one for buttermilk cheese suitable for my skill level and well, I made cheese. It was as simple and straight forward as the recipes suggest and in the end, it was pretty good. But it was also a bit more expensive than I expected, when all was added up. So outside of owning goats and cows, I think I will stick to making it occasionally and purchasing it with more understanding.

Next, I moved onto the oh-so-cute little French cookies called macaroons - not to be mistaken for the American coconut mounds dipped in chocolate (though those are quite delicious, too!) No, these cute little (non-intimidating) cookies seem to be all the rage right now, along with a lot of "rage" as to why they never come out right when tried at home. If you Google "French macaroons" you will find quite an array of colors, flavors and expert notes on the how-to's of these sweet little morsels. But be forewarned: you will also find many, many notes on why they don't come out and why they are so hard to bake. This is one of the reasons this recipe has been on my bucket-list.

One of the lovely things about many of my fellow food bloggers is how honest they are. They are not like the famous tv personality chefs (on certain well known networks) who, after hours of production and editing, show you the perfect finished product that make you feel like a complete idiot when yours don't turn out just like theirs. Many bloggers tend to tell you how "those" recipes actually did and did not work. Some food bloggers will even photograph their mistakes so that they don't intimidate the reader. Personally, I take alot of photos of my finished product - but that's usually because I am such an amateur at photography and getting the lighting right takes me a bit longer then a professional. However with that said, I did not go into this venture thinking I would master it. I decided I would just "try" it and if they did not come out then so be it. I don't have to master everything, right? I did my homework. I read many recipes and sites from the European to the American and I decided to take two recipes and combine them. I went with this blog because quite frankly, her honesty warmed me and made me feel more empowered instead of like an idiot. I also checked on Martha because, though she tends to be perfect, her staff seems to work very hard at testing recipes. I also chose dulce de leche as my filling because it was pre-made and, well, have you ever tried that stuff? It's pretty darn well close to heaven! My first batch came out great, but not perfect. Along with not being quite the traditional size, they also didn't have the great "feet" the recipes talk about (a crackly, puffed second layer that measures about 1/16-inch high). But looks aside, they sure tasted yummy!

So, were my items a success this weekend? If you ask my friends and family that I served them too - yeah, pretty much it was. Were they perfect? Nope, not at all. But, I can tell you this, checking a couple more of those "wild hairs" off my bucket list sure does give me a sense of completion - and my taste buds aren't doing so bad either! I'm jus' sayin!


Fresh Mozzarella sliced and served with sliced Tomatoes, Basil, and Salami
I drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as sprinkled kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper over the top. A perfect summer antipasto!






Fresh Buttermilk Cheese that quickly got turned into ricotta because the recipe did not seem to care for the cook making it. I used buttermilk, just like the recipe called for, but I also used the same amount of ingredients in the fresh mozzerella. I skipped the microwave part in the recipe and just wrapped in cheese cloth and let drain in a pan in the fridge over night. I served it with champagne grapes, saturn peaches, roasted pistachios, and blue agave nector.



These macaroons just tasted like a little piece of heaven even though they were not as pretty as they could have been. But I did feel good about these, being it was my first attempt. I filled the macaroons with pre-made dulce de leche you can find in a Latin store and dusted the tops with a tsp. of cinnamon mixed with 2 tbsp. of powdered/icing sugar. Without reading all the ins and outs from other bloggers I would have never been able to pull them off. Just another reason why I love food bloggers!

A Sweet Story for a Sweet Bread

One of the many joys in my daily life is to listen to friends tell me stories about when they were young and how food has taken such a profound and loyal place in their memories. Experts have said that of all the senses that we tend to lose when growing old, the sense of taste remains the one that triggers the most memories. I have watched people light up when talking about their mom's special cake recipe or how their dad used to make wine in the basement or those cookies mom used to have on a plate after school. I have even seen that look when someone describes that horrible liver they hated as a kid (no offense liver). The point is, whether it was something baked from scratch with love or just a special time, place, or person you sat with for a meal, it's all a beautiful story in your family's history and it should be shared.

Another perk to being a food lover is that you occasionally get special food gifts from friends. Whenever someone tells me they have something they want me to try, I'm instantly intrigued. Yesterday was like no other. A very special friend of mine drove out of her way - about 30 miles - to bring me one of those special gifts. Elda is a beautiful Latin lady with quiet poise and a sassy salsa in her step. She came to Austin after being born and raised in the city of Acambaro, Mexico. I would have never known about this city nor thought to visit until she handed me this beautiful loaf of sweet bread and rolls. She told me a little about this town and how it's known for its golden, delicious bread. She also shared a sweet story about how every block or neighborhood has a designated bread pick-up location. Bakeries all over town have figured out that having bread accessible to the people is great for sales. In this town, families would send daughters out to pick up bread from the neighborhood "bread house" between 6-8 each evening to get the pieces needed for a late snack with tea or coffee as well as for breakfast and/or lunch the next day. It is very common for men (when they find a woman to be attractive) to ask her: "¿A que hora sales por el pan?" which translates to "What time do you go get the bread?" This is because getting the bread is the only time most young ladies get to be alone and away from the eagle-eyes of the men in the family. If you are a lucky young man, you just might be able to escort one of these lovely ladies to her bread pick-up and then, as they sa,y "El amor está en el aire." Well, maybe not, but when she was telling the story I distinctly visualized a beautiful young lady and her basket of sweet bread being whisked away at sunset. Call me crazy but this is serious entertainment for me!

So write these stories down for your kids, tell them to your friends, remind the old folks or better yet, bake something for them. It may just trigger their memory and then they can tell you a story or two! I'm jus' sayin'!



Acambaro Sweet Bruchetta

For these recipes, try using Panettone or Hawaiian bread.
Slice bread in 1/4 inch diagonal pieces
Drizzle olive oil over slices and grill on both sides.

Spread Mascarpone cheese, diced dates and roasted pistachios.
Then drizzle a little agave nectar over the top to sweeten



Acambaro Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding w/Añejo Tequila Sauce

In a large bowl whisk the following:
5 large eggs
1 13.4oz can La Lechera Dulce de Leche (this is not sweetened condensed)
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. salt

Then add 1 loaf of sweet bread cubed.

Mix and pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan. Place pan in a larger 13x9 pan and fill outside pan with 1/4 in of water (Bain Marie)

Bake at 350º for 45-50 minutes until top is dry and middle is not jiggly.

Añejo Tequila Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons quality anejo tequila (I used El Gran Jubileo Extra Añejo)

First, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch and stir into the butter. Pour in milk and cook, stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in tequila. Serve warm over the Bread Pudding.