Loukoumades

Loco for Loukoumades
When asked to name a Greek dessert, nine out of ten people polled will answer baklava. That one person out of ten that gives you a different answer is probably Greek. And, their answer would most likely be loukoumades.

I have several friends who go crazy for these little guys (and not just while attending the Greek Festival). Of course, all of them are of Greek heritage, and given their level of reverence for these crispy golden bites of awesomeness, you would think that loukoumades would have a bigger presence outside of a Greek restaurant. But, alas baklava is still king.

Loukoumades are without question comfort food. They are essentially Greek donuts. Their yeasted dough is rolled into little balls and then fried in oil. When finished they are doused with honey and sprinkled with nuts and sometimes cinnamon. It is also not unheard of to see them served with chocolate sauce. Walnuts are traditional but I, myself, am not a walnut fan. I prefer my loukoumades with chopped almonds or pistachios…but that’s just me.

Fair warning, they are sweet. They are also addictive so proceed with caution.

Loukoumades Recipe
Adapted from My Greek Dish
Yields approximately 5 dozen

Loukoumades are bite-sized fluffy honey balls, the Greek version of donuts. They are deep-fried until golden and crispy. Loukoumades are traditionally served soaked in hot honey syrup, sprinkled with cinnamon, and garnished with chopped nuts. Read more…

Opening Oysters

Coming Out Of Their Shell
I have come to the realization that no matter how long you do something or study something there will always be those moments that surprise you. For example, I was today years old when I found out that you can open an oyster without using a shucking knife and potentially losing a finger. Mind Blown.

I have had oysters on the brain lately which makes sense because of Valentine’s Day. Although, honestly, after 23 years of marital bliss, I think my husband and I will celebrate over a bucket of chicken. We’re fancy that way. Never fear, my love and I will be celebrating with dinner out on Friday when it’s not such a scene…

Anyway, back to the oysters.

I am one of those people who loves oysters. I love them raw. I love them baked. I do not however want them anywhere near the Thanksgiving stuffing. (I think that’s weird.) The issue is, I have a fear of shucking. My hands are covered with scars from cuts and burns I have earned over the years. And I know, I just know, that I would be the one to injure myself greatly while shucking. So, what’s an injury-prone gal to do?

Turns out there are a few ways to open an oyster sans oyster knife. They are listed below. And to all of those oyster-loving, ten-fingered Valentines out there, you’re welcome!

Opening Oysters
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Savory Loaded Shortbread Cookies

Short(bread) Debate
Now that Christmas has come and gone and you find yourself with a little extra time, I offer up something to occupy your brain while you stare out the window in a post-holiday stupor. Does a cookie need to be sweet in order to call it a cookie?

There are plenty of examples of so-called cookies that are so borderline in their sweetness—you could call them more of a cracker or biscuit than a cookie. Shortbread is the perfect one. All you need to make shortbread is flour and some sort of fat. Typically, that fat is butter which gives the shortbread most of its flavor. Sure, there is sugar added but the overall taste leans more towards butter than sugar. And yet, most people would still consider it a cookie.

Shortbread gets its name from the crumbly texture. The fat, usually butter, inhibits the formation of long wheat protein (gluten) strands when mixed with flour thus its famous melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.

So, by that reasoning, if all you need to make a crumbly cookie is fat, who is to say you couldn’t do it with, say, bacon fat? You would still have the same occurrence with the lack of gluten development. And, in theory, the same texture. But, does the bacon fat automatically mean the shortbread is now more of a cracker?

These are the kinds of things that run through my head at weird times and have people avoiding me at parties. Or perhaps I have been watching too much Lessons in Chemistry…

Either way, I’m whipping up some of these Savory Loaded Shortbread Cookies if only to start the debate.

Savory Loaded Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Cookies: The New Classics by Jesse Szewczyk
Yields 24 Cookies

Cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and bacon combine in this savory cookie. It takes full advantage of all the flavors of a stuffed baked potato by swapping a buttery shortbread base for the standard russet.

They make a wonderful appetizer that is infinitely easier to manage than a baked potato. Read more…

Molasses Spice Cookies

Viking Christmas
According to Ancestry.com, I am 84% Scandinavian. This is no great revelation because I grew up amongst of a bunch of very tall, sometimes grumpy, frequently loud, frustratingly stubborn, hard-partying Vikings on both sides of the family.

Holidays with this crowd as a kid were a lot of fun because no one loves barely controlled chaos more than a kid. The adults had different views. I thought it was great.

My grandmother was one of nine kids born to a couple of Danes who found themselves in California at the turn of the 20th century. Though they embraced their new country and refused to speak in their native tongue once they arrived, they did manage to keep a few of their traditions going.

We still have Ebleskiver every Christmas morning, though how my great-grandmother managed to feed that many people with one pan that only makes 7 at a time boggles my mind. (We continue to use her pan but have added a couple more.) And we still enjoy treats with a lot of the traditional warming spices of winter: cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, cardamom, and, of course, ginger.

I love a good chewy ginger cookie. But, I really only eat them around Christmas time, so they are, in fact, a treat. In all honesty, these wouldn’t qualify as a traditional Danish cookie except for the spices, though I don’t think Julemandon (Santa Claus) would object to these being left for his midnight snack.

Glӕdelig Jul!

Molasses Spice Cookies Recipe
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Yields about 22 cookies

These Molasses Spice Cookies have a nice crisp edge and soft interior. The warming spices and molasses flavor make them perfect for your holiday cookie tray. Read more…