Archive / Test Kitchen

Experiments.

Crispy Cabbage Salad

Here is a recipe for cabbage salad I made this last weekend that I think you’ll really enjoy. The cabbage is lightly cooked so it retains its crispness and isn’t mushy like so many cabbage dishes. The seasonings match well with the cabbage; the juniper berries add a mildly pungent flavor.

CRISPY CABBAGE SALAD

Ingredients
½ c Butter, unsalted
1 c Stuffing, seasoned *

½ t Salt, kosher
½ t Pepper, ground
½ t Caraway seeds
1 t Celery seeds
1 t Onion powder
¼ t Mustard, dry

1 head Cabbage, shredded **
6 Juniper berries
1 T Salt, kosher
1 T Sugar

Instructions
Melt butter in pan and add stuffing. Stir to blend. Mix dry seasonings together and add to butter/stuffing in pan and heat until aromatic. Allow to cool.

Fill an 8 quart stock pot half full with water. Add salt, sugar, and juniper berries to water and bring to boil. Once water comes to a boil add shredded cabbage and cook for exactly three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain in colander and rinse to stop cooking. Remove juniper berries and place cabbage in salad spinner to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Cool the cabbage.

Toss cooled stuffing mixture with the cooled cabbage and serve.

* I used Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing

** Every weekend I clean out and take stock of my refrigerator. I had 1/2 head of red and 1/2 head of green cabbage that needed to be used, so that was one of the incentives for creating this dish.

Labor Day Party – revisited

In my previous post about Labor Day I outlined the plans I had made for the party I was planning for our family, friends, and neighbors. I promised to follow up that post with one letting you know the party results.

For this event I prepared as much in advance as possible. The Onion Dip is something that is good to make in ahead of time so all of the ingredients can blend together which results in a much nicer dish. For chips I provided some favorites from the grocery – tortilla and corn. For salsa I ended up using several of Mrs. Renfro’s: Green, Roasted, and a new one (to me anyway) Pomegranate. The Pomegranate Salsa was excellent and I definitely will get that one again. One of our guests suggested it would be great with Shrimp, and I agree.

The dressings for the Potato Salad and Coleslaw I made the day before to save time as well as improve their flavor. The potatoes I cooked in advanced as well. The actual salads were assembled the day of the party to preserve the crispness of the fresh vegetables.

The brisket preparation had to be improvised due to the high winds we were experiencing in Texas over the weekend. My little smoker was not up to the task of performing all night in those conditions, so I ended up smoking the meat for 3 hours then finishing it up in the oven at 170 degrees for the remainder of the time. All told the brisket slow cooked for 20 hours. I had added the rub early in the morning on Sunday so by the time the decision was made to start smoking early it had been on the meat for 10 hours. Per instructions, I gave the meat a light coating of mustard before applying the rub. I used Dijon Mustard.

I ended up not using the mop sauce; it didn’t need it. Instead, before placing the brisket in the oven I wrapped it in foil. I also placed a metal casserole dish in the bottom of the oven filled with water to help keep the meat moist. The brisket actually turned out great, being tender and flavorful with a hint of smoke flavor. Although I would have preferred to smoke it the whole time much of the information I read indicated smoking is generally only effective for the first 5 hours anyway. But that is the subject of some debate.

The Coleslaw I prepared is very fresh and I used my own vinaigrette dressing. The Potato Salad was the result of some creativity, ending up with a reddish color (from the Hungarian Paprika) and flavors that go very well with a cookout. It is not heavy on the mayonnaise, but has a definite taste of dill.

The Onion Dip Recipe, how I prepared the Lemonade, as well as a link to the Brisket Rub I used can be found in my previous post. Here are the recipes for my Potato Salad and Coleslaw:

FRESH COLESLAW

Ingredients
2 c Cabbage, green, shredded
1 c Cabbage, red, shredded
1 c Carrots, shredded
½ c Onion, red, chopped
2 Celery stalks, sliced

Dressing
4 T Vinegar, balsamic
2 T Vinegar, red wine
1 T Mustard, Dijon
2 t Sugar, brown
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 t Celery seeds
½ c Olive oil
½ t Basil, dry
½ t Black pepper
¼ t Salt

Instructions
Prepare dressing in advance. Chop all fresh ingredients and toss together. Serve with dressing either mixed in with the salad, or on the side.

COOKOUT POTATO SALAD

Ingredients
1 ½ t Salt, kosher
½ t Pepper, ground
2 T Sugar
1 T Mustard powder
3 T Dill, dried
2 T Garlic powder
2 T Paprika

1 ½ c Mayonnaise
2 T Mustard, Dijon

1 c Green pepper, chopped
1 c Red pepper, chopped
½ c Onion, red chopped
½ c Celery, chopped
4 Pickles, dill chopped

12 c Potatoes, cubed and cooked

Instructions
Blend dry ingredients then add mayonnaise and mustard to make dressing. This can be made in advanced and kept cool. When ready to make salad, add chopped vegetables to dressing. Cook cubed potatoes until tender. Gently mix dressing and chopped vegetable mixture with cooked potatoes and chill.

For dessert we had Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla and Moolenium Crunch plus all the toppings.

We at Lukewarm Legumes hope you had a very enjoyable and safe Labor Day event with your family, friends, and neighbors. We would be delighted to hear about your Labor Day preparations, your thoughts about our site, and your kitchen experiences. Be sure to +1 us on Google, Like us on Facebook, and Follow Us on Twitter.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is the first post in our Saucier Series. Saucier (pronounced saws-yey) is a position usually found in large commercial kitchens. The Saucier, also known as the Sauce Cook, is responsible for creating and producing sauces as an accompaniment to meats, vegetables, and fish. They can also be responsible for preparing soups, stews, salad dressings, sweet sauces for desserts, pasta, hot hors d’œuvres, sautés, and other made to order dishes.

Today’s sauce is one of my favorites. Take me to a Chinese Restaurant and one of the dishes I will most likely order is Sweet and Sour – something. Although I love Chinese food I can be very particular about how it is prepared. I have found that for me the best way to deal with this particularness is to prepare the food myself.

If you do a search of recipes online for Sweet and Sour Sauce, most call for adding ketchup, which to me does not make for a good authentic Chinese Restaurant style Sweet and Sour Sauce. Not satisfied with the results of any recipes I could find prepared by someone else, I went to the Lukewarm Legumes Test Kitchen and put together a Sweet and Sour Sauce that I think rivals any you will find at your local Chinese Restaurant. Not only is it delicious and easy to make, but you can put it together from ingredients that most likely are already in your pantry.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 c Rice Vinegar
1 c Pineapple or Orange Juice
1 t Ginger, ground
1/2 t Garlic powder
2/3 c Brown Sugar, packed
2 T Honey

1/4 c Water
2 T Corn Starch

Red Food Dye

Instructions
Mix all but cornstarch and the 1/4c water in a sauce pan, heat and stir until well blended. Add cornstarch to remaining cold water and stir to dissolve. Combine dissolved cornstarch with sauce in the pan. Heat until sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Add water to thin if necessary. After thickened, add red food dye to produce the desired shade.

Serve with rice and your favorite: chicken, fish, pork, beef, or even veggies. I think this sauce makes almost everything better. 🙂

This is a sauce you can prepare ahead of time. Store it in your refrigerator and it can be quickly heated as needed.

Enjoy!

We at Lukewarm Legumes encourage and look forward to reading your comments and stories about your kitchen experiences. Please share them with us on our website, through Facebook or Twitter.

Baking Powder Experiment – Biscuits

In my previous article “So Many Baking Powders…“ I examined the differences between the many baking powders which are available in your local grocery store, to help provide you with a greater understanding of how they differ, and give you some guidelines to determine how one might be preferable over another for a particular baking application. I also challenged you, my reader, to experiment with the different baking powder formulations to determine which was best for your specific baking project.

As a follow up to that article, I conducted an experiment in the Lukewarm Legumes Test Kitchen of available formulations of baking powders using a basic recipe for making biscuits utilizing baking powder as a leavening agent. The Baking Powders tested were: Argo, Calumet, Clabber Girl, Rumford, and a Homemade formulation. These are all of the major baking powder formulations available to the general consumer in grocery stores nationwide. The formulation of the store brand baking powder offered by my local grocery matches that of Calumet, which my grocer does not carry, and for which I made a special trip to a local “Epicurean” market to obtain.

Methodology

In conducting a controlled experiment, the goal of the methodology used is to eliminate all variables except those which are the subject of the experiment.

This experiment was conducted according to the following process, and to the best of my knowledge eliminated all variables except that which came from the addition of baking powders with different formulas:

1. All biscuits were made using the same recipe. The recipe used to conduct this experiment was the one which is included below.*

2. All biscuits were prepared simultaneously, in the same kitchen, using (other than the baking powder formulations) the same ingredients (from the same batch package), baked in the same oven, at the same temperature, and at the same time.

3. All biscuits were formed with the same cutter to ensure they were of uniform size when going into the oven.

4. All baking powders came from new, unexpired and unopened containers.

Judging

Judging was performed by a panel of impartial individuals according to three categories of predetermined standards.

The predetermined standards used for judging the biscuits were as follows:

1. External Characteristics

a. Height

b. Weight

c. Spread

d. Crust

e. Color

2. Internal Characteristics

a. Color

b. Moisture

c. Fluffiness

d. Graininess

3. Flavor – level of pleasantness

A copy of the judging form used in this experiment can be downloaded here.

Judging was done by a panel of eight judges in the Lukewarm Legumes Test Kitchen and the biscuits were examined and tasted right after they came out of the oven; while they were still warm and fresh. Baking was done in three batches with separate formulations segregated and served in dishes marked numerically.

Judging results are as follows:

1. External Characteristics

a. Height – All biscuits before placing in the oven were 1/2 inch in height. The biscuit heights after baking were on average the following : Homemade 3/4″; ARGO 1″; Rumford 3/4; Clabber Girl 1″; and Calumet 1 1/4″.

b. Weight – Weight in proportion to size according to the judges were all average, or what was expected.

c. Spread – All biscuits started at 3″ diameter. The Homemade, Rumford, and Calumet shrunk to 2 1/2 or 3/4. The ARGO and Clabber Girl remained at 3″ diameter.

d. Crust – All biscuits had a balance between crustiness and softness, except the Rumford which was deemed below standard.

e. Color – All biscuits exhibited an external color which was to be expected.

2. Internal Characteristics

a. Color – All exhibited an internal color as was to be expected.

b. Moisture – All exhibited an internal moisture level as was to be expected.

c. Fluffiness – The Homemade Baking Powder ranked lower than the others for level of fluffiness.

d. Graininess – The Homemade Baking Powder ranked lower than the others for level of graininess.

3. Flavor – level of pleasantness

The judges by far preferred the flavor of the biscuits made with ARGO and Rumford. These are the formulations, other than the Homemade, which do not contain aluminum.

CONCLUSION

As was to be expected, the baking powders did not affect the characteristics of weight, moisture level, or appearance. These are the product of the other ingredients in the recipe. Also, the preparations other than the Homemade did not affect the texture (fluffiness or graininess) of the biscuits.

Where the different formulations did make a significant difference was in their leavening ability. Here, the ARGO and Clabber Girl were the superior performers. Also significant and unrelated to their ability to provide leavening, but important in their role as a biscuit ingredient, was flavor. Clearly, the aluminum free formulations (ARGO and Rumford) won out over the Clabber Girl, Calumet and Homemade in the flavor category. The judges felt overall the ARGO was the superior Baking Powder formulation in this test.

WINNER: ARGO

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RECIPE

*Baking Powder Biscuits

Ingredients
2 c Flour, All Purpose
1 T Baking Powder**
1 t Salt
1/3 c Shortening, Vegetable
1 c Milk

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in center; add milk all at once. Using a fork, stir just till moistened.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough just until the dough is nearly smooth.

Pat or lightly roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 3 inch biscuit cutter, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts.

Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 450° oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

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**Baking Powders used and their formulations:
Argo – Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Corn Starch and Monocalcium Phosphate
Calumet – Baking Soda, Cornstarch, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Calcium Sulfate and Monocalcium Phosphate
Clabber Girl – Cornstarch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate and Monocalcium Phosphate
Rumford – Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate and Cornstarch
Homemade – 2 parts Cream of Tarter [Potassium Bitartrate] to 1 part Baking Soda [Sodium Bicarbonate] mixture

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