What are you cooking today?

OK I'm not a scone guy, finding them to be like so much of British cooking, a failed version of ours, in this case, biscuits.

But this weekend I was studying, and then making, brandied fruits and similar liqueurs, and encountered a recipe suggestion of poking a hole in the scone dough before cooking,and putting in some brandied fruits like raspberries, to give it a filling, rather than mixing berries into the dough.

I made blackberry/grain, and three raspberry/peach (melba) one with grain/brandy, one with grain/rum and one with rum/vodka. The melbas have sugar syrup; the blackberry just sugar, but I'll sweeten more later if needed.

And speaking of poking your fingers in your food, a thumbprint on the top of a home-made hamburger patty will make it cook round and flat, and not like a tennis ball.

I had some roomies who would come home wrecked at 3am and they would put a hunk of velveeta “cheese” between two pieces of bread, and then would put a hot electric iron on top to make a grilled cheese.  Homie cooking.

Nice segue. 

A beef Wellington adapted from Cook’s



I used a single 8 oz filet (tenderloin) instead of a whole 3# piece. Rub it in a T of Dijon then salt and pepper



Duxelles are food processed garlic shallots sauted in butter then finely chopped mushrooms; cook it down until liquid gone then a shot of madeira (I usedMarsala)



I used Virginia country ham instead of prosciutto



Crescent roll canned dough



Put the oven at 450*



Lay out a layer of ham, a layer of duxelles, the meat. Duxelles, ham and around the sides



Lay down the dough. Give it an egg wash, set the meat pack on it, cover and wrap. Add decorative strips. Then egg wash.



Put it in the 450 oven, Recipe says give it 45 minutes for a whole loin, I was good at about 10 minutes.



Here’s the key: when the pastry is browned off, and the meat is 85* inside (probe) pull it and let it sit. Recipe says 45 minutes more; in about 10 mine was at 130 and time to eat!



The whole deal is a quick hot cook then let the resting meat continue to cook; stop it by slicing.



Green peppercorn brandy sauce (a poivre verte) : saute shallots and green peppercorns (cut in half) in butter; add flour, then beef broth soy and brandy, heat and whisk, add cream and cook some more. I used the same pan (cast iron of course) that I used for the duxelles—unwashed of course.

Homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing.  Opening round of the Christmas feast.

I made cinnamon roll French toast casserole this morning. Amazeballs! 

It looks like I pasted the link to my recipe inside of endless summer's post. It's easy, I did it.

Deviled Ham Spread

This recipe originally appeared on the Rachael Ray Show (My revisions underlined). For more recipes and videos from the show visit RachaelRayShow.com.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound leftover country or Smithfield salty ham or prosciutto cotto, coarsely chopped

• 1 small rib celery from heart, coarsely chopped

• 1 Fresno 2 pepperoncini chili pepper, drained, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped

• 2 to 3 tablespoons (a small handful) flat-leaf parsley tops celery leaves; 1 T parsley

• 1 large clove garlic, grated or pasted (or 1t minced garlic jarred)

• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard, preferred brand French’s Dijon

2 T mayo

2 T capers

½ t celery seed

• 2 rounded tablespoons dill pickle relish (or one each sweet and dill)

• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, preferred brand Franks Red Hot (Chrystal—any cayenne)

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, preferred brand Lea and Perrins

• Black pepper

• Toast points, for serving Saltines for apps; white bread crusts cut off for finger sandwiches

Preparation:

Pulse ingredients in a food processor into an almost-smooth, very finely chopped spread. Serve on toast points. As above. Experiment with texture, even blend finely chopped with coarse. I believe “ham salad” is typically coarser, like chicken/tuna, and made with boiled ham.

Looks good--but by "refrigerated cinnamon rolls" do they mean the ones that come in a cardboard tube like biscuits and need to be baked? Or already baked rolls?

Seems you could cook it in advance, then add icing when you reheat.

Speaking of getting baked....

Maybe one day **soon**. I actually didn't get the temper right so they are a little too melty. Luckily, with chocolate you can always just re-melt and try again.

Maybe I could find a courier if this passes.

www.marijuanamoment.net/virginia-lawmaker-introduces-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-in-2021/