Cake, cake, and more cake

These are some cakes that I made over the weekend for some friend's graduation parties. Some cakes can be simple and still be elegant and delicious. Hope it gives someone some ideas.

Smokin Cake!!

This is a cake I made for a friend's birthday. He has loaned me his smoker for about a month now and it has brought me great joy. I thought that I could only return the favor with a cake on his big day. It was a really simple idea that I think came together really well. One thing that I am discovering is that when you use structure in your cakes they seem to take on a whole new level. The smoker would not be the same without the legs or handles.



Also, I think that when you have multiple pieces to your cake, like the lid, it seems to add a different visual element. It is not that this added a lot to the difficulty, but just made it pop. The meats atop the smoker were fun to make as well. Since I did not have gum paste or fondant I simply piped some thicker frosting onto the top and painted them with a little watered down food coloring. The food coloring gives it a nice shine. I added some coco powder as well just for that extra special look.



The inside of the cake, which cannot be shown because the cake has not been cut, is alternating chocolate and red velvet layers. Again, nothing too crazy, but I think it will make the pieces really stand out when they are on the plate. Birthdays are always fun and I encourage you to get a little crazy with your next birthday cake. Show your friends how much you care by putting some effort into a hand made cake that they will remember forever.

Bacon Blanket

A few weeks ago I decided to try something new, the bacon blanket. I really see it more as a quilt, but bacon blanket has a nice ring to it. It was meant to be something fun and whimsical for a house guest and it was a real home run. It is a fun way to make bacon that is also irresistible to the palate. Here is how you can make it happen:



The first thing that you must do is determine the size of your blanket. Once you cut the first piece you will have set one of your measurements. I like to just cut all my pieces in half that way it is much easier to put things together. Lay out your one edge piece and then alternate with the vertical pieces.



Once you have the vertical pieces laid out you can fold back every other piece of bacon and lay in your horizontal pieces one at a time. Alternating which slices you fold back until you arrive at the end of your blanket.



Before you place the neat little quilts into the pan you can trim up the edges for neatness if you like or simply go with what you have. This is another great example of why you need a kitchen brick. Slap that brick down on your blankets and let them crispify!! Flip after the bottom has reached your desired doneness. You want to make sure that you don't give the second side the same amount of time because it will cook much quicker. This fancy little folding makes a great presentation for your bacon and can double as a vessel to hold your eggs. You could wrap your bacon around a stainless steel bowl and bake it in the oven so that you would have bacon bowls!! The possibilities are endless and the end product is always delicious.

Smooth Operator

Growing up we used to drink a lot of "yogurt shakes" in the summer time. On a hot summer day it was refreshing to suck down a blended concoction of ice, oj, and yogurt. With the evolution of healthy eating and fitness, the smoothie has become very fashionable to consume. I am a big fan of the smoothie, but have a real hard time stomaching the six plus dollar cost of most smoothies that are sold at the local smoothie bar. Anyone who has a blender can produce a high quality smoothie that is cheaper than those sold over the counter and probably with less calories. Many smoothie makers add powders and fillers that may boost your energy, but also boost your caloric intake higher than you want to go without realizing it. You can easily make yourself a healthy delicious smoothie in your own kitchen by keeping some fresh frozen fruit in your freezer. Fresh fruit has a tendency to go bad on you before you know it so why not toss it into the frozen coffin that is your freezer where it takes months for things to go bad? I have found that when your bananas go bad if you peel them and place them in a freezer bag you can increase their longevity and reduce the mess of trying to peal the brown beasts once they are frozen. Another great thing that I have discovered about smoothies is that it is a great way to get your kids to eat fruits and veggies without them even realizing they are eating them. If you splash a little V8 in a sweet smoothie most kids will not be able to distinguish the taste and will gladly gulp down the fruits and veggies. I like to use a 50/50 ratio with V8 and regular juice like grape. I think that grape provides a great natural sweetness that is not always there with say an orange juice.

As the weather heats up, cool things down in the kitchen. Sure an awesome blender like a Vitamix may be costly, but when you factor in the amount you are not paying to Jamba Juice it is actually a savings!! Grab some fruit and get blending. Get crazy and discover what lies beyond the store bought smoothie realm.

I like to smoke...

I borrowed a friend's smoker to smoke a pork butt for my birthday last month and cannot get enough of it. I am smoking meat at any chance I get. Last week it was bone in pork chops. Last night was chicken and tonight was pork loin chops. The smoker is such a beautiful thing. The slow cook and the infusion of smokey goodness produces great flavors and textures that you cannot get when you grill on direct heat. Sure you need to have time and patience, but if you plan ahead you can easily produces high quality smoked meat for your family and friends.



For this chicken I rubbed it down with some ground rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, and a little paprika. I chose to use hickory chips for the smoking process to get that great hickory flavor. The bird was in the smoker for about an hour and a half before I flipped it over and continued to smoke. Unfortunately I had to finish this particular bird in the oven because the natives were getting restless, but I would have smoked it for another hour and a half on the second side. For the pork chops I went with a real simple salt, pepper, mustard, and onion rub. It allowed for the porky goodness to really come through on the plate. With about thirty minutes left I spread a liberal layer of my apricot dijon mayo (courtesy Pioneer Woman) and allowed the chops to finish on the smoker. Both meats, when removed from the smoker were tented in foil and allowed to rest for a good ten minutes.



A smoker is not complex cooking, but can produce some incredible results. The rub and the sauces that you pair with your smoked meats can be equally as important to your end product. This apricot dijon mayo was extremely easy and well worth the effort. You simply use equal parts apricot preserves, mayo, and dijon mustard. Whisk them all together and bam, your sauce. Smoking is a cooking method that all people love and is not used by many people at home. If you are interested in the smoking look out for a smoker at your local garage sales, you could score a real gem. Happy smoking!!

Can't go wrong with Cake!

I received a call from my brother this weekend about a cake that he was making for a cook out. Although the call was for advice in saving a cake that did not release from the bottom of the pan, it made me think about this posting. We often find ourselves heading over to people's homes for cook outs, picnics, or dinner parties. The go to for most people is either cookies or bars. They are quick, easy, and delicious. I, however, think that cake is easier than cookies, and will be more appreciated. I think that the cake is something that has been removed from individual's baking quiver and I am here to make a case for its return. A homemade cake requires about the same ingredients as a batch of chocolate chip cookies and does not require multiple bakings. If you choose to make a batch of cookies you are probably going to end up scooping 36-48 cookie dough balls, and then you run the risk of burning one of your precious dozen. A cake is something you can drop in the oven and set one timer. Sure you have to make the frosting and wait for your cake to cool, but that allows you time to do other things.



Cakes are always appreciated and let people know that you love them. Whether you are celebrating a retirement, engagement, birthday, or just a day that ends in "Y" you can't go wrong with cake. The next time that you are called upon to bring a dessert, opt for cake and you will not regret it. Just remember to use some parchment in the bottom of your pans and plenty of "No-Stick"!!

Better Baked

There are certain things that I think are just better when they have been baked. Heat has a way of enhancing textures and flavors. Of course, the key is to not add too much heat or you end up with charcoal. This dish is something that I picked up from Rachel Ray and have modified slightly. Typically you start with a couple tablespoons of EVOO and some garlic in a pan. You slowly construct your own red sauce using cans of diced tomatoes and whole tomatoes that you boil down and break apart. In the meantime you boil your noodles and make a creamy cheese sauce that is added to the noodles and red sauce. This particular night I was running really short on time and decided to cheat slightly with a some red sauce from a jar along with some canned tomatoes. I do have to say that I browned up some Italian sausage to kick things up a notch. Sure ground beef and ground turkey can be great in red sauce, but there is nothing like a good Italian sausage in a pasta dish. I tossed together the sausage, noodles, and hearty red sauce in a large pan.



The garlic cream sauce started out with two cloves of diced garlic in some EVOO. Once the garlic had been given a little time to sweat I made a basic rue of butter and flour. To the rue and garlic I added two cups of milk and stirred while heating to just under a boil. Once the cream sauce was nice and hot I added 1/2 cup asiago and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese to thicken things up. This cream sauce was then poured over the top of the noodles, red sauce, and sausage. You get a really great creamy richness when you add the second sauce without having to feel like you are over doing it with all cream sauce.



The real kicker for this dish is when you sprinkle 1/2 cup of parm and 2 cups of mozzarella all over the top of the pasta. The whole thing goes under a broiler to allow for that great crispification. (You know that is a word and if it isn't it should be.) I mean who does not like crusty melted cheese? You do not have to sacrifice an hour of bake time to get that great cheese crust. You simply need to use your broiler. Your broiler is that coil on the inside top of your oven that you probably never use. The broiler trick allows this dish to have a whole new dimension that feels baked without all the time and commitment. Your broiler is your friend and I encourage you to try experimenting with other ways that it can enhance your cooking. Lets face it, pasta is better when it is baked with cheese on the top!!

Snacks..."amouse-bouche"

Who doesn't like a good snack? I think that snacks just make people smile. You can have a snack at any time of the day and it is acceptable. Tonight I had decided to make a little snack before dinner time to tide us over until our food was ready. Technically what I was making was a amuse-bouche. An amuse-bouche is something that is served to excite the taste buds before one sits down to eat their meal. The key is that it has to be only one or two bites and be an explosion of flavor in your mouth. Now I have received a fair amount of flack for this blog and the intimidation it places on other people when I visit their tables. (JIMMY!!!) Food is supposed to be fun and something that comes from the heart. Ham, apple, and cheese are three things that go wonderfully together and were the inspiration for tonight's snack.



I started by slicing an apple perpendicular to the core. I thought that this would give me the most slices with the least amount of void for any of the other goodness to fall through. I cut out the core of the apple after slicing the apple. These slices were placed on a hot cast iron pan to warm up and caramelize slightly. Meanwhile, I added a slice of Virginia ham to the pan to start heating. A slice of raclette cheese was added to the ham before I folded it up into a nice little pocket. On top of the ham I shaved some aged Gouda for more depth of flavor. All of this heated up and melted the cheese into a cheese into the ham and made a creamy gouy treat. The ham and cheese were then placed atop the apple so that the apple could act as a edible base.



This amuse-bouche was inspired by a kicked up grilled cheese that I like to make in the winter months. My encouragement to you would be to think of some of your favorite dishes and deconstruct them to make smaller, yet equally as flavorful, dishes. Snacks do not have to come from a box or consist of basic meat and cheese. Meat and cheese can be an incredible burst of flavor in your mouth if you take a few easy steps. Remember, heat can really help fruit to come to life. Cook outside the box, you will not be disappointed. Plus you can impress your friends with fun words like, "amuse-bouche!!"

Unbeatable Breakfast

I love breakfast!! I have loved breakfast since I was a toddler. My mom loves to tell the story of me pulling my highchair across the kitchen floor saying, "brefast." I love all things that appear on the breakfast menu. Pancakes, french toast, eggs, omelets, hash browns, caramel rolls, even toast all make my mouth happy. Oatmeal, muesli, fresh fruit, and country potatoes all are things that I would love to eat at any hour of the day. I have blogged multiple times about how you can make a better breakfast in your own kitchen than you can buy at most places serving breakfast. However, there are certain establishments that can whip up food that will have you wanting to come back every morning of your life. A great breakfast joint is the diamond that exists in the rough of our American landscape. Whenever I visit a new location I always am looking for that one breakfast joint that will have me dreaming about the next time I visit that area. Cheyenne Crossing in the Black Hills of South Dakota is one of those places. BBQ on Broadway in Truth or Consequences is another one of those places that serves up eats that I would get up earlier than usual to devour. The Candy Shop in Bayfield Wisconsin serves up a breakfast item that I would drive four hours one way to get a piece of any day of the week.

Al's Diner in Dinkytown by the University of Minnesota is that place for me here in the Cities. Friday morning I made a trip to Al's with three friends just for a great breakfast and some fellowship. The next breakfast I ate in Minnesota was at Al's on Monday morning!! I chose to woke up at 5:40 am just to meet with a friend for a celebratory birthday breakfast. Who gets up at 5:40 on their day off to drive some place to get breakfast? Someone who has tasted the goodness that comes off the griddle at Al's. Sure Al's only has 12 squeaky off kilter stools that are lined up in a space that is about as wide as a single car garage. When you taste the goodness that is served over the counter at Al's, you will know. The pancakes are deliciously buttery and melt in your mouth. The hash browns are so crisp and golden brown on the outside while remaining creamy and moist on the inside. The omelets are fluffy and bursting with fillings. Although the line at Al's will sometimes have you waiting down the block, it is always worth the wait. If you have never been to Al's in Dinkytown you must go the next time you are in the Minneapolis metro area. You will never forget it. What I really want to know though is where is your favorite breakfast spot that I need to hit when I am in your area?

Bowled Over

Blogging is something that has to come last on my things to do, at least at this point. Today's post is on something that I have always loved to have in my kitchen, bowls. Baking will always be my first love, and in baking you need lots of bowls. Think about all the recipes that ask you to mix the dry ingredients in one vessel and the wet ingredients in another vessel. When I open my cupboard I have far more bowls than any other culinary vessel, and I like it that way. A plethora of bowls allows you to make numerous dishes without ever having to get your hands wrinkle in the dishwater!! Growing up, my mom always had this set of three nesting stainless steel bowls that I loved to use. I knew that if I dropped one it would not break, and found great joy in the sound of the metal whisk against the edge of the metal bowl. It is still music to my ears today.

You may be thinking that a set of three bowls is all you will ever need and that more bowls is simply more clutter. I have to say that you are wrong. Can you cook with three bowls? Absolutely!! Will you be happier cooking with five or six bowls? You bet!!! The one thing that I would recommend and advocate is to not be fooled by the lure of a nice set of nine nesting glass bowls. Sure they look great in the store and you will find them to be valuable. However, you will curse the day that one of them is knocked on the floor by someone, either big or little, in your kitchen. Go for the stainless steel. It will not shatter on your floor. It is supper easy to clean. It stacks really well and you can find bowls that are large enough for a full batch of monster cookies!!

The next time that you are thinking about adding something practical and relatively cheap to your culinary arsenal, reach for the bowls. Buy bowls in a wide variety of sizes because you will use them. I know that it is frustrating when you are using a bowl that is too big for the job and even more maddening when you grab a bowl that is slightly too small for the job. Trust me, stainless steel bowls are always a great investment. Happy bowling!!

It is the thought that counts

This past week the blog has been dormant because I was in Bozeman Montana with my family and some of our great friends. While we were there it was our friend's birthday. What do you do when it is someone's birthday? You make them a cake. I have found over the past three months that cakes can be made in the most unusual of places and on a whim. You do not need measuring cups and often do not even need all the creature comforts of your own full stocked kitchen. You simply need to be able to adjust on the fly. Preparing things ahead of time is usually a good idea to. For this particular cake I mixed up all of the dry ingredients in a gallon ziploc bag before we left for the trip. I also chose to mix most of the wet ingredients in a small tupperware before we left so I had left to mix once we got to our hotel. As I have mentioned before, parchment paper is great for assuring that your cakes release from their pans, so I made sure to pre-cut my parchment paper and pack that in one of my bags. All I had to do at the hotel was simply mix the wet and dry ingredients together and dump the batter into the prepared pans. It was, well, cake!! Sure it did not look the best when I was done because I was rushed with the baking of the cake and my frosting that I had made at home was a little thick, but it was delicious. A homemade cake is a homemade cake. Not all cakes that you make will be masterpieces. I always tell people, if it tastes good, people will forget about the asthetic imperfections. Everyone should have a cake on their birthday. If you plan ahead, you can make a cake anywhere from a bachelor pad studio apt that is lacking in measuring cups, to a hotel room in Montana. It truly is the thought that counts.

Move over Swiss Miss

Sure we all grew up on the large containers and small packets of the chalky brown powder that claimed to make hot coco. If you were lucky you might get the deluxe packet with the dehydrated marshmallows!! Hot Coco is something that needs to be revered and cherished far more than cracking open a can or ripping open a packet of powder. When you and your kids make the commitment to face the elements, which for some is far less harsh than others, you should be rewarded with a special treat that warms your insides and brings pleasure to your palate. Making true hot coco is simple and can be fun for you and your kids. It also brings far more enjoyment than the powdery solutions that you are used to.



I like to set all of my ingredients out so that I am ready to rock when it comes time to add each ingredient. You start with the sugar, coco, salt, and some water in a sauce pan on medium heat. If you want to get the kids involved they can certainly be whisking this mixture for you while you get the cups and marshmallows out of the cupboard. Once your coco syrup begins to boil you boil it for about two minutes whisking continually. After the two minutes you simply dump in your milk and vanilla, while continuing to stir, of course. Leave the sauce pan over medium heat and whisk occasionally until your coco has reached the temperature that you are looking for.



I personally like to add the mallows to each cup so that everyone can have their own and you do not have to fish for any in the pan. This weekend I ran into a minor problem though, I did not have any mini-mallows for the coco. Solution, whipped cream. Whipped cream is a great staple to keep in your fridge for moments like this. Now I am not talking about anything that comes in a can or that was previously frozen. I am talking heavy whipping cream that you can easily whip into stiff peaks with a little sugar and vanilla for blissful topping of countless foods and beverages. The whip cream melts onto the coco creating this magical froth of lucious goodness. You really cannot get enough. I personally like to add a little coffee to my coco so that I have a makeshift mocha that gives me a little pick me up. Often times being outside can really drain the energy stores. I know that winter is almost over, but making coco is something that can be great in the Spring to when you are out grilling on chilly evening. You do not have to keep settling for the can of powder or the overpriced mochas from your local coffee shop. You can make gourmet coco at home and impress those kids one more time!! The great thing about coco too is that you can add little candy treats to it if you want to break out of the norm. Andes mints make for a mean mint coco and melt very easily in your hot mix.

Leeked

Leeks are one of those vegetables that you look at and wonder, "How might I use these in every day cooking?" They pop up on cooking shows and in food magazines as this extra special vegetable that has powers the common chef is unable to handle. The reality is, the leek is just like an oversized green onion. Just look at them. They are not hard to prepare, like an artichoke, nor are they above your culinary abilities. I have found over the past week that the leek is a great substitute for any onion and can bring a slightly different flavor profile and texture to your dishes.



I chose to simply dice one up and use it in an omlelete on Saturday morning and in some breakfast fajitas this morning. These cousins of the onion provide a great look in your dish because of their unique rings and green color. I just think there are so many vegetables, and foods for that matter, that we shy away from cooking with because of the mystique that can surround them. The leek is not scary and is very versatile. I used it in my chicken stock, a salad, and for a couple different breakfasts. I encourage you to reach outside of your comfort zone, especially in this economy, and find alternatives to the staples you typically gravitate towards. The leek, like the eggplant, is something that should not scare you. You can do it. Impress your friends and delight your taste buds. Chop chop!!

Culinary Irony

Monday is a friend's birthday. It has been one week since I tried to ship my first birthday cake. The first attempt was a disaster. Although I had received word that it made it in one piece, I was mistaken. The friend who I made this cake for is a big fitness fanatic like myself. He is also the one that I joined in the low carb/no carb challenge back in January/February. This cake is laden with irony. He and I both love our fitness and dream of being ripped some day, but we both enjoy our desserts.



One thing that I learned in making this cake was that off brand no-stick is not as effective as name brand no-stick. There is nothing worse than making a beautiful cake that will not release from the pan. All of your hard work can be ruined in a single flip of your cake. I usually choose to spray on no-stick and flour my pans, but for some reason I skipped that step this morning. Never again shall I skip that step. The reality is, the best way to assure the releasing of your cake is to use parchment paper on the bottom of your pans. Parchment is a guarnateed release for your cakes. Obviously, when you are using shaped cake pans it can be difficult, but it can work.



This cake is another example of carving addition pieces of cake to create the look that you are going for. The pecks and abs were made out of cake that I had baked in ramikens and simply cut into the pieces that I needed. It is always better to have a little extra cake in case you need to make repairs and of course, to sample!! When you are adding additional pieces of cake you will need to make sure that you get a nice crumb layer on the cake before you attempt to put your final layer of frosting on. Cakes do not have to be outrageously complex to mean a lot to the recipient of the cake. Try a few additions and practice your crumb layer. The more cakes you make, the more daring you will become. Trust me, you cannot fail when making cake!!

Granola Head

Granola is one of the most expensive cereals on your local grocers shelf. Those of us who love granola will often breakdown and pay the higher price for a superior breakfast, but we don't have to pay the price by eating store bought granola. I think that some people are perplexed by granola because of the nice large sweet chunks that they are accustomed to in their box granola. I have found that you can make superior granola at home without all of the fillers and for much cheaper. Any time that you make something for yourself you have ultimate control on what goes into the recipe and what is left out. Making your own granola allows you to control the sugar, oil, and salt content. Also, you do not have to include those cheap fillers like rice cereal that many of the leading granolas do.





Here is the method to my granola madness. I dump in about a half a box of Old Fashioned oats into a large bowl. To that I add 2 cups of chopped almonds and 2 cups of chopped walnuts. You can certainly add pecans if you have them. I did not have any when I made this batch, thus they did not join the party. I added some oil, honey, a little brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. The oil and honey pull everything together and help in the browning of the oatmeal. I usually add some maple syrup to the mix as well, but chose not to for this particular batch. As for the oil, I used a mix of vegetable oil and EVOO. Granola is supposed to be healthy and good for you, so the EVOO helps retain the health factor. All of this is mixed together to combine. I spread a thin layer of EVOO over a cookie sheet and spread the oat mix evenly over the sheet. All of this goes in a 275 degree oven for a half an hour.



After the 30 minutes I stirred the oat mixture and placed it back in the oven. Repeat the 30 minutes of cooking, along with the stirring until your granola has reached your desired color. I like to add a little more honey, some cinnamon, and some nutmeg for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Once the granola is good to go, remove it from the oven and place it back in your large bowl so that you can add your dried fruits and coconut, if that is your desire. Customization is key with granola. Make it exactly how you want it. Stop settling for store bought granola and make up exactly what you want. You will not regret it. The hardest part of making granola is not eating it all. Serve it up on some yogurt, ice cream, or just with some milk. It is hearty, healthy, and delicious.

Cooking Kids

Children love to be in the kitchen. From the time they can pull things out of the cupboards and bang the pots and pans around, kids just love to be in the kitchen. Some kids have more of a passion for being up in the cooks business, I mean helping, than others. My children both enjoy to cook and be in the kitchen, but my son Wyatt is far more passionate about being a part of the cooking experience. I know that most of his fervor comes from his working spirit, but nonetheless, he loves being right on your hip in the kitchen. The kids have been cooking in the kitchen with me since they could stand on a chair.



I am a firm believer in getting your children cooking young so that they are more open to trying new foods and can spend that time with you, rather than losing more precious minutes at the end of an already time starved day. I started by having them help me measure or simply turning on the mixer. Things have progressed to the cracking of eggs and the pouring of ingredients into the bowls. Typically, we divide ingredients so that one will get the wet ingredients and one will get the dry. This does not always come out to exact equality, but they don't usually get it.



There are times when I know that the kids cannot help me with a particular portion of cooking and it is at these times that I try and encourage them to help in some other way. "Could you throw away this?" "Could you grab me that?" "Could you set the table?" I have come up with tasks that I know they can do and actually be helpful. The latest one for Wyatt is cutting the avocados for guac. He loves to cut the green goodness into tiny little pieces. It is great because he can use a butter knife and it keeps him occupied for a long time. Mattie loves to stir. The thing that I have found with them stirring is to use an extra large bowl and make it a metal one.



I see cooking and kids a lot like kids and art. You have to allow them to get a little messy and encourage them every step of the way. Sure you are going to get some egg shells in your bowl, but that is why you have them crack the eggs into a separate vessel so you can pick the shells out. Cooking is supposed to be fun and bring families together. Take a deep breath and get creative the next time your little one starts pulling a chair over to the cutting board. Everyone can cook, even kids. Have fun and cherish those times. They will be gone before we know it!! I know that if it was not for my mother I would not be the cook I am today. Thanks Mom.

Custom Stock

Stocks are something that can be used in a myriad of ways: deglazing pans, the base for a sauce, soup, and the list goes on and on. The thing with stock is that it is easy and can utilize things that you would most likely throw away. Furthermore, you can customize your stock to work better with different dishes. Today my stock is for some Roasted Pepper and Sausage soup. The base of this chicken stock is the deboned chicken from a roasted chicken that I made for a different meal. Since I knew that I was going to be using these chickens for this particular stock I added some paprika and cumin to them for roasting.



Once the chickens were roasted and removed of their tasty meat I chopped up 1 leak, three carrots, 1/2 a white onion, and the inner 6 ribs of celery (with their leaves). I heated up about 2 T of EVOO in a large stock pot and added all the veggies to the pan. I sauteed the veggies for about 4 minutes before adding the chicken bones, skin, and water. I do not measure my water for the stock, I simply fill the pan within an inch of the top. The stock mixture was brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer. This concoction simmered on the stove for a 4 hours to provide maximum time to extract all the goodness from the chicken and veggies. You certainly do not have to simmer for this long, but if you have the time you might as well use it.



To separate the stock from the rest of the goodies in the pot I simply placed a large strainer over and bowl and dumped the stock out of the pan. The veggies in the pan can be saved and used in a future soup, eaten alone, or tossed into the compost pile!! If you are not going to use all of your stock you can freeze it in 1 or 2 cup blocks and keep in the freezer for future use. When you freeze them in pre-measured amounts you are able to skip a step on your next dish. I know that stock can easily be purchased in a can or a carton, but it is cheaper and tastes better when you make it in your own kitchen. You get to decide what goes into the stock and can regulate things like sodium content. Try it, I think you will like it. Happy cooking!!