Pasta with Bacon, Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

First of all, let me apologize for that title. Pasta with Bacon, Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. I'm sorry. 😔 I hate recipe names that are an ingredient list, but what else could I call it? At least I didn't include every ingredient.

But first, let's talk pasta. Mini penne is my favorite for this; you can use something else if you prefer. But I take issue with the cooking instructions on the pasta packages: "Bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a boil." That's for one little pound of pasta, so they would have you boil 2 to 3 quarts for the half pound in this recipe. No.

Don't haul out your huge pot and waste a bunch of water and salt. In a 2- to 3-quart pan, bring 1 quart of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil. That's all you need to cook 8 ounces of dried pasta. 

I hope you'll try this easy weeknight meal and let me know how you like it.

Pasta with Bacon, Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(Makes 3 Servings)

2 slices (2.5 ounces/71 grams) bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1/3 packed cup (1 ounce/28 grams) sun-dried tomato halves, cut into 1/4-inch strips
3 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 pound (8 ounces/227 grams) button mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 2x1/4-inch strips
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/60 ml) dry sherry
Optional: 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup or more grated parmesan or finely shredded mozzarella

1 In large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to small bowl. There will probably be about a tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pan.

2 In small bowl, add the hot water to the sun-dried tomatoes, cover and let stand until needed.

3 Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to the drippings in the skillet along with the chopped onion. Cook over medium-low heat until onion is very soft, about 5 minutes (or longer, if you like). 

4 Add the mushrooms to the skillet, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. 

5 In the meantime, bring 1 quart of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Proceed with the recipe until the water is ready, then cook the pasta for the length of time specified on the package; drain well.

6 Add the bell pepper and reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes (minus any leftover soaking liquid) to the skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes.

7 Add the sherry and, if using, heavy cream (I sometimes use it, sometimes don't; this batch in the photos is without cream). Cook, stirring frequently, for a few minutes.

8 Stir the well-drained pasta into the sauce along with the bacon, then taste and adjust seasoning. I find that the small amount of salt I used on the mushrooms is quite enough because of the salt in the bacon and sun-dried tomatoes. Plate up and sprinkle with cheese.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition - Review and Giveaway

With its encyclopedic coverage of every aspect of cookery, and tipping the scales at nearly 5 pounds, the 2019 edition of Joy of Cooking is indeed a weighty tome.

More than nine years in the works, Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition has been fully revised and updated by the original "Mrs Joy's" great-grandson and his wife, John Becker and Megan Scott.

Its wider pages (by about an inch and a half) and sewn binding mean the book will lie flat, a useful improvement over previous editions. Next I noticed the improved index. Just one example: 

The 1997 edition listed

Pâté
   à Choux, 919
   Chicken Liver, 725

The 2019 edition has corrected that error and made separate listings for pâte à choux and the totally unrelated pâtés and terrines.

I was pleased to see that the latest Joy, with legacy material and classics side by side with modern recipes and techniques, has retained the personality and "feel" we love. 

Of course, a volume of this scope has no room for photos, so I've included my own photos of the only recipe I've made so far, the Apple Dumplings, page 688, with the Cream Cheese Pastry Dough, page 665.

Coming November 12!

The pastry came together quickly in the food processor, but you can do it by hand as well. With no water added, it's impossible to overwork. I'll be using this lovely pastry for many things, sweet and savory.

Photographed by me with permission of publisher

to show Joy's signature recipe formatting style

I think Irma, the original Mrs Joy, and Marion, her daughter, would be well pleased indeed with this edition. But I fear John Becker and Megan Scott have done themselves out of a job; this edition will not become dated and in need of revision any time soon. 

Whether you are an experienced home cook or a never-cooked-before novice, this comprehensive volume will be an education! Enter my giveaway below to possibly win a copy for yourself or for someone on your gift list.

Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition Giveaway 

Scribner will send winner a copy of Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition.

This giveaway is open to US residents* (See next paragraph, international friends!) 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person). Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday October 23. 

* If you are outside the US but would like to have this sent to someone in the US (you would have to send them a gift card separately on your own), go ahead and enter! 

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday October 24. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Saturday October 26, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Disclosure: Scribner provided a book for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork Ribs

I'd been thinking for months about trying barbecue pork ribs in the Instant Pot pressure cooker, but then my friend Jo mentioned cooking some in the slow cooker mode. So that's what I decided to do.

I usually do my wonderful Oven Barbecue Pork Ribs, but I didn't feel like running the oven on such a hot day; so it was the perfect time to try this. 

The "Normal" Slow Cook setting of the Instant Pot (or Low setting for most slow cookers) for 10 hours cooked them to tender perfection, and then a couple of 3- minute stints under the broiler developed the sticky, crusty finish.

Of course, barbecue ribs (slow cooker or otherwise) are like meat candy, so I don't eat a large serving or have them very often. 

Mr Delightful was really happy with these ribs, so I'm going to be making them again. All part of what I call my Streamlined Cooking! Are you a rib fan? No need to wait for grilling weather!

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Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork Ribs

I think the 6-quart Instant Pot could easily hold 6 pounds of ribs.

(Serves 3 or 4)

The Ribs

4 pounds (1.8 kilograms) pork back ribs

The Dry Rub

1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground dried chiles (I make a little mixture of my own)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

The Barbecue Sauce

(Makes about 1/2 cup)

1/3 cup organic ketchup

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons country Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 In a small bowl, stir together all the barbecue sauce ingredients; cover and refrigerate.

2 In a small bowl, stir together all the dry rub ingredients.

Note: This is the part where I would tell you about peeling the tough membrane off the bony side of the ribs, but my friend told me she didn't bother and it made no difference with the slow cooker method, so I skipped it. However, I am accustomed to doing that and may, or may not, do it next time. 

3 Apply dry rub all over. Roll the rack of ribs up like a rug, meaty side out, and place it on its edge in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. If cooking two racks of ribs, place the largest coil in the pot--it will move itself out to the sides of the pot--then put the other coil in the center.

Note: May be made ahead to this point, refrigerated and finished the next day.

4 Put on the optional Instant Pot glass lid, or use the pressure cooking lid with the steam release handle turned to Venting. Select the Slow Cook program. Within 10 seconds, press Slow Cook to set temperature to Normal. Within 10 seconds, press “+ or –“ to set time to 10 hours.

5 Move your oven rack to 6 inches below your broiler. The top position in my oven is 4 inches below the broiler, but I think I'm less likely to burn things at the slightly lower level! Turn the broiler on High. Place the ribs on a foil-lined 18x13x1-inch half sheet pan. Using about half the sauce, lightly brush the underside (bony side) of the ribs with a little sauce, and brush the meaty side of the ribs with the rest of the half. Broil for about 3 minutes (you'll have to be the judge of that!).

6 Take the pan out of the oven, and brush the top of the ribs with the remaining half of the sauce. Broil for another 3 minutes (again, you'll have to sort the timing out with your broiler).

7 Let the ribs rest for 5 minutes before cutting apart. 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Autumn Apple Cake

Though we can eat apples year round these days, they have a special appeal in autumn. And today I felt like making the heavy-on-the-apples cake my mother always loved. 

It's a no-fuss, mix-it-all-up-in-one-bowl cake that you can get into the oven quickly. You don't even peel the apples. Good varieties to use are, in the US, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Bramley, Braeburn; in the UK, Cox's Orange Pippin and Braeburn. Tell me in the comments what the best cooking apples are in your part of the world.

Of course, I can no longer bring any produce into the house without painting it; so please indulge me once again. 😊

I hope you'll give this a try with your next batch of apples and let me know how it turned out for you. Also, try Apple Pie - Autumn Classic. What sort of things do you especially enjoy in autumn?

If you like it, please Pin it and share it!

Autumn Apple Cake

(Makes one 7-inch cake)

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 dip-and-sweep cups (6.25 ounces/177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup (4.67 ounces/132 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon non-GMO baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon mace or nutmeg

2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 to 1 pound (12 to 16 ounces/340 to 454 grams/2 medium to large) apples, cut into 1/3-inch dice

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 Butter well and flour a 7-inch springform or push-bottom pan. Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. 

2 In 2- to 3-quart bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and mace or nutmeg. Whisk together well to "sift."

3 Scrub well--don't peel--and dice the apples into a small mixing bowl; set aside. Take out 1 cup of the apples to put on the top. 

4 Add the eggs and cooled melted butter to the flour mixture. With a large spoon, beat well until thoroughly combined. Stir the apples (except the 1 cup) into the batter.

5 Scrape the thick batter into prepared pan (see "Note"), press down and smooth the top, and press the reserved cup of diced apples into the top of the batter. Sprinkle with the brown sugar. Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes, until it passes "the toothpick test" or is pulling away from the sides of the pan a bit. Do not underbake! 

Note: I forgot to use my Ateco Stainless Steel 2x3-Inches-High Round Form to turn the pan into a tube pan to prevent the center-of-the-cake baking challenges of heavy batters like this or fruitcake. I love it! It turns any pan into a tube pan. Just center it in the pan and hold it steady while you fill in the heavy batter around it.

My homemade tube pan (or tube pan "hack," if you must!)

6 Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn cake out of pan and continue cooling on wire rack for 2 hours. Before serving, you might give it a dusting of powdered sugar. And a little whipped cream is never a bad idea.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Sally Lunn Buns - Jane Austen Comfort Food

When I'm not cooking, eating or writing about food, I like to read. There's nothing so delightful to me as a rainy day at home, with tea and buns (or scones or crumpets), a cuddly cat and a good book (preferably English). 

I'm adding this little watercolor of my cat to the post

at the request of one of my readers. He does enjoy a 

long reading session, or the occasional film, but 

he objects strenuously to music of any kind at all!

There are good books I've only read once, but some books are meant to be enjoyed again and again. Has anyone ever read a Jane Austen novel just once? A day spent in Jane Austen's world can be a marvelous restorative.

Avid afternoon tea aficionado that I am, it was quite a shock to me years ago when I realized that afternoon tea was not part of Jane Austen’s life. But tea drinking, popular at Court since the 1660’s, had by the Regency Period long since trickled down through all strata of society. 

Jane and her family no doubt enjoyed a nice cup of tea at least twice a day, at breakfast and in the evening after dinner, and surely at other times as well. There are a number of things Jane might have had with her tea, including hot, buttered Sally Lunn buns, good with both sweet and savory toppings.

At Sally Lunn's in Bath, when you order a bun, it is a half, either top or bottom, of a split bun, toasted, and topped with something savory, such as beef or vegetables, or something sweet, such as lemon curd or cinnamon butter.  

Those made today in Bath are very large, perhaps five or six inches across and three or more inches high. My own, which I’m sure Sally Lunn’s in Bath would scorn as an inadequate imitation, are much smaller, about three inches in diameter, more "teatime" size.

Basically a brioche, they are good with either sweet or savory accompaniments. My method is so simple--no need for great skill or strength (no kneading) and no need for any special equipment (no food processor or heavy-duty stand mixer). Give them a try and let me know what you think.

And head on over to London Calling and see what expert Janeite Tony thinks of the new television production of Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon. 

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Sally Lunn Buns

(Makes 18 )

4 dip-and-sweep cups (20 ounces/567 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (2.33 ounces/66 grams) sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package/0.25 ounces/7 grams) instant yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter

4 large eggs (medium, in the UK)

1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) milk

1 In medium bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure), whisk together flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In small saucepan, melt butter; set aside to cool a bit before needed.

2 In 2.5- to 3-quart mixing bowl, with electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs until fluffy and pale lemon yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. By hand with a dough whisk or wooden spoon, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the melted butter and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Cover with lid or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to three days.

Note: At this point, you can divide the dough if you'd like to bake 9 buns one day and 9 another day. Store in 2 lidded glass containers. If baking all 18, you'll need 2 baking sheets and need to rotate the sheets in the oven halfway through the baking time.  

3 About 2 1/2 hours before serving time, remove dough from refrigerator. Divide the dough into 18 pieces.* Roll each into a smooth ball, place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten gently into a 2 1/2-inch disk. If your baking sheet does not have a lid, lightly butter a sheet of parchment or plastic wrap and place, buttered side down, over the buns. Let rise until very puffy and nearly doubled in volume, about 1 3/4 hours. During last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5. 

* I'm pretty persnickety about making them equal, so I weigh the dough and divide by 18. It weighed 1170 grams, so divide that by 18, and you get 65 grams (about 2 1/4 ounces) per bun.

4 Uncover buns. Bake about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer buns to wire racks. Serve warm, or cool completely before storing. To serve later in the traditional manner, split the buns and toast them under the grill (broiler) or in a toaster oven. Toasting them in a regular toaster gets them a bit too dark on the uncut side if you're not careful, and it's hard to get them out of the slots!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support.

Jean