Holiday Gift Guide - For the Cook

Today's gift guide is for the cook on your list! Some of these things are my tried and true items, including the pot rack which I received for Christmas two years ago and absolutely love. I've also gotten a ton of use out of my soda siphon whipping up all kinds of homemade soda. I'm currently coveting that thermometer and pizza peel and who doesn't want some TARDIS ice cubes?

1. Hanging Pot Rack
2. The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook
3. Giada's Feel Good Food
4. Smart Thermometer
5. Callie's Biscuits & Southern Cooking
6. Pizza Peel
7. OXO Food Scale
8. Doctor Who Silicon mold
9. Soda Siphon
10. Microplane Rasp Grater

Restaurant Wars 2013 - Auntie Annies

Restaurant Wars 2013 continues with a mall snack, Pretzels! I don't know about you, but when I was younger, a trip to the mall wasn't complete without stopping at the pretzel place for a snack. My mom and I would shop shop shop and then get ourselves a snack pack of pretzel sticks with spicy cheese dipping sauce.

I've never thought to make pretzels and cheese dip at home because, well, I'd have to eat it all!  It's hard to make a single serving of cheese dip! This is more of a recipe that you want to make when you have a bunch of friends coming over.  You know, for game day or a baby shower.  I'm sure pregnant ladies like cheese dip.

In addition to the classic pretzel sticks and cheese dip, I thought I would make one of the sweeter treats too.  Using the same recipe as the sticks, I threw some raisins in the dough and topped the baked pretzels with butter and cinnamon sugar.  The versatility of the dough is perfect.  Next time I'm thinking of adding the cheese to the dough and making a spicy mustard!

One Year Ago: Apricot-garlic Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes and Fennel
Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Brownies
Three Years Ago: Pork, Cranberry & Pear Salad

Pretzels

Adapted from several sources

For the Sponge
1/2 teaspoon dried instant yeast
2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cup warm water

For the dough
1/4 teaspoon dried instant yeast
1 3/4 cup bread flour plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

For the boiling pot & bake
4 quarts water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 egg, beaten
Kosher or pretzel salt

For cinnamon-raisin pretzels
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon cinnamon-sugar

In a large bowl, combine ingredients for the sponge.  Stir until smooth, like pancake batter.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 2 hours.

Add yeast, 1 3/4 cups flour, salt and brown sugar to the sponge and stir until combined and form a ball. (Add raisins if using) Work in remaining 2 tablespoons flour to form a stiff dough.  Knead dough by hand for 10 minutes (or 6 minutes in the stand mixer with a dough hook).  Divide into 6 pieces of equal weight (about 4.5 ounces) and let rest for 20 minutes.

Form each piece into a long rope, about 24 inches long.  For pretzel sticks, cut the rope into 2-inch pieces.  For pretzels, form into the classic knot shape (see great pictures here).  Cover pretzels with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 ºF.  Place a baking stone in the oven along with a broiler pan.

Bring pot of water to a boil and add baking soda and cream of tartar.  Be careful, it will bubble up!  Boil pretzel sticks in small batches for 2 minutes, flip and boil for another minute.  Boil large pretzels one at a time for 2 minutes, flip and boil for another minute.  Remove from the bath to a kitchen towel dusted with flour.  Let dry for 5 minutes before moving to a baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt.

Bake on the baking sheet, or slide onto hot baking stone.  Pour 1 cup hot water into the broiler pan and close the oven door.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pretzels are golden brown.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.

For cinnamon-raisin pretzels, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.  Enjoy hot!

Wilde Week #38

We are deep in the holiday season and I'm so ready! The BF and I just got back from visiting his parents for the Thanksgiving holiday and I'm so refreshed.  They live in Southwest Florida so we were greeted with warm temperatures and sunny skies. Of course since it's the Christmas season, our trip wasn't without holiday charm!

- We flew out Thanksgiving morning at 8:00am, which meant I had to get up at the unnatural hour of 4:15am! Luckily the plane was half full, so I was able to turn on my tiny TV and lean my seat all the way back and take a nap.

- I did not prepare our thanksgiving dinner. BF's parents house is not really that well stocked and it would be impossible to cook a traditional holiday dinner. We went to a local restaurant and enjoyed a relaxed thanksgiving buffet. I like a buffet for this kind of meal, it means a dozen different types of pie!

- Lots of you have already be contending with snow this season and it was just the same in Southwest Florida! Kind of. Every weekend after thanksgiving, snow falls on Naples, Florida to the delight of the kids and kids at heart. In reality it was over 70 ºF that evening and the snow is blown from bubble machines attached to the street lamps. It's adorable and fun, but I wouldn't suggest catching those flakes on your tongue.

- This weekend we had breakfast at one of my favorite places in Florida - The Lighthouse Cafe on Sanibel Island. Sanibel is like a little hidden jewel sitting in the Gulf of Mexico. The beaches are white sand and covered in shells.  It's where the BF and I took our first vacation together and will always be one of my favorite places to visit.

- Coming home, I'm ready to celebrate Christmas! With only two and a half weeks until I visit my own parents, I have a lot to get done around here.  The tree is up and awaiting the ornaments. Time to get out and get shopping, Christmas will be here before I know it!