It's World Baking Day

Okay, I admit this is a lame, fake "holiday," (hilariously) sponsored by a lame, fake dairy product (Country Crock, if you're curious). But I'll take any excuse to stock the house with sweets!

So very sweet

In this case, I was looking at the remnants of a 3-pound bag of gala apples. I fried up a few to go with some pork chops a week or so back, and I was getting desperate for ways to use up the rest. The problem is, they aren't very tasty on their own -- call it a cautionary tale about out-of-season impulse buys.

Lucky for me, I found a super-simple recipe for apple oatmeal crisp. Bonus: I had some oats in the cupboard that needed using up too.

The Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

Double bonus: no grocery run necessary

So I wasn't kidding about super-simple, especially when you account for one of my favorite kitchen tools:

Bloomin' apple

I ended up using four of these little guys, after cutting away the bruised and otherwise yucky bits. I didn't bother peeling them, and it didn't hurt the finished product at all. (I basically never peel apples. I kind of dig the added texture from the skins.)

So now, dump the first four ingredients into a bowl and stir.

Your dishwasher will thank you!

Half of that gooey goodness goes into the bottom of a buttered 8" pan. Then a layer of apples. I tried to put them in there all pretty and photogenic too. Hahahahahaha, yeah, that failed.

Next comes the white sugar. I only used about a quarter cup though. And even at that, it was starting to look like Al Pacino's desk at the end of Scarface. I did want to taste some apple, after all. Then cinnamon, then the other half of the batter.

Once again, I could almost eat this right now! Patience...

Into a 350 oven for 45 minutes, and here's what comes out.

Could it be? A baking success?

Well almost. There's one clear, egregious oversight visible here, and that's the shameful lack of vanilla ice cream. Guess I'll be running to the grocery store after all.

It'll be worth it.

The verdict: delicious, and I'm not missing the extra sugar even a little. The oats are admittedly kind of weird, a bit of chewy amongst the crispy. It's kind of like an extra gooey apple oatmeal cookie, if I tell the truth.

Gotta go now. That ice cream isn't going to buy itself.

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Mm mm peach cobbler

Hooray for summer!

Hooray, because, this is the best time of year for fresh, seasonal cooking. Tomatoes, peppers, green beans, okra -- all kinds of yummies in abundance!

This being Georgia, y'all can well imagine the peaches. I can smell them walking around the farmer's market. Sweet and tender and two-napkin juicy. And even though I know I'm running the risk of spoilage and waste, I can never resist the bursting half-peck paper bags. They call to me.

Miiisssty...

So despite the heat I was inspired to bake last night. Baking at night = not unbearably miserable. Chef Google hooked me up with this recipe for fresh peach cobbler, and get this: I even tinkered a little. I'm gettin brave y'all.

So here we go: I set out a stick of butter in a 2-quart casserole to start getting soft.

Total health food here

Then I put a huge, covered pot of water on medium. Once it was boiling I dropped in 5 peaches and let them go, covered, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile I added 1/2 cup sugar to my large mixing bowl, which got me to thinking. I bet a teaspoon of cinnamon would be brilliant in there. Only one way to know for sure right?

Looks brilliant!

When the peaches were sufficiently boiled I transferred them to a big bowl of ice water, where I left them for another 5 minutes. After that, the skins just fell off. Sweet. Then I sliced up 2 and 1/2 cups' worth, which was 4 and a half large peaches. I ate the leftover half, and gently combined the slices with the sugar mixture.

Screw the cobbler. Gimme a spoon!

At this point I turned the oven on 350° to pre-heat and set the peach filling aside for a few minutes. I sifted 3/4 cup of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, while I melted the butter in the microwave.

NOTE: Here you see the biggest challenge I faced with this here cobbler. That would be finding a surface in my kitchen level enough that all the butter didn't run into one corner of the casserole.

I actually had to make shims.

Then I added a cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of milk to the flour mixture. The recipe instructs, "Pour batter over melted butter. Do not mix or stir together." So that's what I did, even though...

Is it just me, or is this kinda gross?

Then it says pour the peach mixture over the top of that. Okay... That helped...

Is it just me, or is this kinda awesome?

Then it went into the oven for about an hour. The house filled up with the cinnamon fragrance. My tummy growled like a sasquatch. And this came out:

Makes me think of church potlucks in my youth.

By the time it had cooled about 20 minutes, I could wait no longer. Into a bowl with a scoop of vanilla. I almost fell off the couch.

Oh. So. Worth. The effort.

Two things:

One, Doug promised if I made this he would try some. But he better get on the stick, because I can't stay the hell out of it. He may find it all devoured before he works up his nerve.

Two, this actually doesn't remind me of the church ladies' cobblers from back in the day. I remember a crust that was flaky and crisp, kinda pie-like. This has a cakey crust -- a lot like pancake, in fact. Which is not a complaint, just a "wonder" I guess. I wonder what kind of batter I'd need to get that old-school crispy cobbler?

Probably a really difficult one. But I'd love your suggestions!

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Peach-perfect dessert

First, thank y'all for the good wishes on the new gig. Just putting it out there has done a world of good in terms of making it feel real. Now, on to the deliciosity.

So you live in Georgia. You (conveniently) love peaches. But you're married to a picky-face who hates nearly all fruit. Hates fruit! I know. I don't get it either. Anyway at the farmer's market peaches come in ridiculous quantities, which means you gotta get creative if they're not going to spoil.

Last summer I discovered this peach pound cake, which was awesome. This not-even-summer-yet it's already too hot in the kitchen for baking. So now what?

Peachy caramel ice cream topping

What you need:

• 2 tbsp butter (not margarine)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Splash of water or peach schnapps
• 1 peach, peeled and diced

Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, add the brown sugar and stir. The brown sugar will melt, but the mixture will stay a bit gritty.

 It smells kinda strange. Be not deterred!

Here's where you add the water or peach schnapps. I didn't have the booze on hand so I used water. If you do try the schnapps, use a grill lighter to ignite and burn off the alcohol. The flavor will remain. Yum. Simmer until the mixture gets smooth, and coats your spoon.

 You can stop right now if you want plain caramel.

Now toss in the peaches and keep on cooking and stirring until the fruit is as soft as you like.

In hindsight, I should have cut these pieces smaller.

Spoon over ice cream, and if you're feeling fancy garnish with a peach slice.

I was decidedly not feeling fancy.

Yields enough topping for 5 or 6 scoops of ice cream.

Variations: I suspect apples, pears, and all kinds of berries would be super-yum in this recipe. Or try just about any fruit-flavored liqueur instead of/in addition to fresh fruit. Just be careful with that flambe, my friends. Scorched kitchen curtains have a terrible bouquet.

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A thousand pardons and a peach

Two weeks ago I started driving. Atlanta, Metropolis, Peoria, Metropolis, Atlanta -- in six days. It lacked to have killed me, but? Totally worth it!

A veritable Bradley speech pantheon assembled in Peoria to hang out and coach the current team. I stood in awe. I didn't take any pictures. I kept thinking I had found a bitchin' party. And lawyers love people who take pictures at parties.

Truth is I've poured all my smarts into the Bradley team since then. I've barely had jokes left to tweet. I apologize for neglecting this space; I have got to learn some balance.

Oh I've kept cooking meals and taking pictures. There's a good half-dozen recipes comin...

I just want to ease back in with the peach tea thread from last week. I'm lucky to have found some decent winter peaches. Canned ones also work - pour the juice straight in to boost the flavor. That's JUICE, not syrup. You're on your own with that stuff...

Today's tea is Lipton Black Pearl.

Next: boil water, slice peach. I don't mind the skin, but you can always do the old blanch-and-peel. Put some peach slices in your cup, with the teabag.

 The rest of that peach will be my snack in a minute.

Pour in boiling water and let it steep. I like super-strong tea, so I let it go at least 5 minutes.

The waiting is the hardest part.

I admit, I didn't get a good strong peach flavor out of this batch. It's hit or miss in winter, and I should have used more fruit. It was good though. I still drank it.

Take out the teabag and add some honey (I always leave the peach). Sip immediately to warm your face and fingers.

For iced tea, steep the peach and teabag longer (10-15 minutes) and use extra honey. Make sure the honey is all dissolved before pouring over ice.

Coming soon: Mama's got a new deep-fry pan. Get excited!

A week in lunches

You might think from reading this blog that I adore cooking. And I do enjoy it, but here's the catch. I only like to cook for other people. When Doug's not home -- say, at lunchtime -- I have a hard time mustering up the effort.

Instead, I tend to eat embarrassing things like TV dinners and Ramen noodles. But I set about last week trying to do better. So I present, for your entertainment and (dare I hope?) inspiration, a workweek's worth of low- to no-effort lunch dishes involving very few processed ingredients.

Monday: Sliced Braeburn apple with extra sharp cheddar

Add a few squares of chocolate for an extra-decadent treat, but otherwise, no explanation needed, right? Except maybe yeah, those are store-bought party crackers. What can I tell you? If I ever get brave enough to make those from scratch, y'all will be the first to know. Well, right after Doug...

Tuesday: Pork barbecue sandwich with Rome apple and home fries

I made this from a half a pork chop and some home fries left over from Monday night. I shredded the meat and added some homemade barbecue sauce. Warmed the meat in the microwave and put it on toast. I re-heated the fries in the oven so they wouldn't turn soggy and gross (about 10 minutes at 350°). I also lightly sprinkled my apple with cinnamon.

Wednesday: Cottage cheese salad

I started with a "classic" salad of iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots. I added green onion, sweet yellow onion, half a tomato, and some crumbled bacon, cooked earlier. Topped it all with about 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing, a generous helping of cottage cheese, and a shake of black pepper.

Thursday: Tuna salad

Same classic salad base as Wednesday. I cracked a can of tuna packed in water and let it drain into the sink. Meanwhile I mixed about a tablespoon each of mayo, ranch dressing, and pickle relish. After that I also added chopped green and sweet yellow onion, a small clove of finely minced garlic, parsley, cilantro, black pepper and dried celery seed. (I prefer fresh celery but didn't have any around.) Then I mixed this dressing with my tuna and put about half on my salad greens. Sliced half a tomato and shredded some extra sharp cheddar over the top.

Friday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Doug's gonna murder me when I finds out I made this without him. Seems silly to explain a grilled cheese, but I will say this. I don't do margarine. Butter has a superior flavor and, in moderation, isn't any worse for you than the fake shit. To keep the butter from tearing up my bread I set it out about a half-hour early to get soft. The cheese is mild cheddar and the bread is store-brand white. The soup is Campbell's Select Harvest Tomato with Basil. Which, I have to admit, wasn't as yummy as it sounded. Come summer when tomatoes get cheap again, maybe I'll venture to make some from fresh.

Recipe: Simple homemade barbecue sauce

I love this approach because it lets me totally customize the sweetness, sourness, smokiness, and heat. I use tomato ketchup as a base, even though those Carolina barbecue champions swear you should start with mustard. But that's the beauty thing about barbecue sauce -- we can all use what we like!

• Sweetness: I usually use brown sugar, but I've also had success with honey, maple syrup, and sorghum molasses.
• Sourness: Lemon juice adds a bright, fresh flavor, whereas apple cider vinegar tastes more savory.  Note that if you're using the mustard base, you may not need the additional sourness. It all depends on your taste (or in my case, usually, what happens to be around).
• Smokiness: Seriously? Get yourself a bottle of Liquid Smoke. Colgin's is the only brand I've ever used, but am open to recommendations. The flavor is mighty concentrated, so just a few drops will do ya.
• Heat: Here the possibilities are endless. The easiest thing is to sprinkle in some ground pepper (black, white, cayenne, whatever you like). I'm also a big fan of mild green Tabasco. The secret to heat is to add slowly, taste often, and don't be afraid to experiment.

Happy lunching!

Homemade Blueberry Muffins: Yummm

While I've always felt pretty brave about soups and sauces -- also, big old hunks of meat -- baking provokes my anxiety. Baking involves actual chemistry, and once it's done you can't hide behind a last round of seasoning. If it sucks, you either choke it down or chuck it out, neither an appealing option.

I got brave when I was looking at a display of canned biscuits in the grocery store. I had to give myself a stern talking-to in order to work up the nerve, but I've learned how to make those, some cakes, and now...

My Recipe Box: To Die for Blueberry Muffins
The best part about these is the crumb topping. Crunchy, sweet, and all-around yummy.

QUESTIONS:

1. Any brilliant ideas for filling the muffin cups evenly? :)
   
2. Also, I have no idea why tonight's pictures have this weird sepia thing going on. I took them with my Blackberry, which is convenient because I also use it to store recipes. I feel like it has to do with the "white balance" options. Anybody know what those do? I'm clueless...
   

TIPS:

1. If you have problems with your blueberries sinking to the bottom, try this. Rinse them right before you start your prep, and leave them to drain in a colander. Then, just before the "fold in the blueberries" step, toss them in enough flour to give a good coating. This will thicken the batter a touch and keep them suspended.
   
2. Let the muffins cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edges to release them.
   
3. That said, unless you're anti-waste or just a cheapskate like me, USE MUFFIN LINERS! Otherwise you may wind up with this:

Poor muffin, half of you got left behind in the pan. Then all of you got eaten.