Cinnamon Candy Popcorn

A perfect gift from the kitchen! Homemade, sweet and crunchy - everyone loves popcorn. The red color of this corn makes it ideal for Valentine's Day or Christmas giving. You can bake this in a large baking pan, but I always use a huge stainless steel bowl.

The Cooking School was closed today and our class cancelled due to the second winter storm this week. I made this batch of popcorn today for the blog - I'm giving it to my neighbor who cleared our driveway after both snow storms this week.

Cinnamon Candy Popcorn

3 quarts air popped popcorn (1/2 cup before popping)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
9 ounces Red Hots or Cinnamon Imperials (1-1/8 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250°. Place popcorn in a large, ungreased, shallow stainless steel bowl (15 inch diameter).

Combine butter, cinnamon candy, sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and add salt, vanilla and baking soda; stir well. Mixture will sputter and become thick and foamy. Pour over popcorn and stir to coat as evenly as possible. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely on waxed paper and break apart. Makes 12 cups.

To bake in a baking pan: Place popcorn in a large bowl. Pour cooked cinnamon mixture over corn and stir well. Turn into a greased 15 x 10-inch baking pan and bake as above.

Cinnamon syrup mixture

 

As the mixture boils, the candy melts

 

Popcorn ready for baking

 

Baked, cooled and packaged for gift giving

 

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Tangerine Sauce

Gayle Payton Walls was at The Cooking School last week as the instructor for "Dinner Everyday". The class enjoyed Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry, Chicken with Poblano Sauce, Sweet n' Spicy Rubbed Salmon, Toasted Almond Orzo and Molten Chocolate Cakes.

During class, Gayle talked about another of her favorite recipes, Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Tangerine Sauce. Gayle graciously agreed to send us the recipe for all to enjoy.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Tangerine Sauce

Feel free to substitute your favorite veggies. I’m suggesting Asparagus because I’m looking forward to the season when asparagus is abundant and at its peak. Snow peas, broccoli, sugar snaps and carrots would be a great substitute for the asparagus. I encourage you to try this with fresh squeezed tangerine juice this time of year. You can purchase tangerine juice or substitute orange juice, but please opt for a natural fresh squeezed version.

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing) or dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon white or black ground pepper
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 pound washed and trimmed asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths

SAUCE:
1 ½ teaspoons tangerine zest
¾ cup tangerine juice
¼ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Toss the shrimp with the soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, sugar and pepper. Set aside to marinade with you prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, green onions, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil. Wash and trim the asparagus. Mix together the sauce ingredients.

Heat 1 ½ teaspoon peanut oil in a large (12-inch) not stick skillet over high heat. When hot add ½ of the shrimp, spreading out to a single layer. Do not stir and allow to cook until pink, approximately 1 minute. Turn and cook the second side of the shrimp for about 20-30 seconds or until almost cooked through, remove to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Add 1 ½ teaspoons peanut oil and repeat with the second half of the shrimp. Transfer to the bowl with the rest of the shrimp. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil. When hot add the asparagus, stirring constantly until crisp tender, about 2-5 minutes depending on the thickness of asparagus.

Clear the center of the skillet, add the ginger/garlic mixture to the clearing. With a spatula, stir and mash the mixture until fragrant, 30 seconds to one minute. Stir the garlic mixture into the asparagus, mixing well. Add the shrimp and any accumulated juices. Whisk the sauce to recombine and add the sauce to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute or until the sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice. Serves 4.

Apple Spice Cake

I really like this cake. It comes together quickly with ingredients from the pantry and makes a tasty breakfast or dessert cake. At The Cooking School, it made a nice snack cake - we had plenty of volunteers to taste test it for us. I like it simply sprinkled with powdered sugar, but a glaze works, too. Use your favorite apples - I made this with Granny Smith and Jonagold. The cake tastes better if you make it a day or two in advance, cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Apple Spice Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups chopped, peeled apples
1 cup chopped, toasted nuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 12 cup bundt pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, soda, salt and spices. Add oil, eggs and vanilla and stir until well combined. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick tests clean, about 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on a rack. Serves 12.

The batter for this cake is very thick

 

Cake is done

 

 

Served with a sprinkle of powdered sugar

 

Artichoke, Ham and Goat Cheese Strata

The word "strata" is derived from the word "stratum" which means a series of layers. A strata is a great way to use day old bread and works well for any meal. This recipe of the week is a good foundation - you can substitute different meats and cheeses with tasty results.

Artichoke, Ham and Goat Cheese Strata

8 cups 1-inch cubes sourdough bread
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 1/2 cups ham, small dice
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
4-5 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.

Place bread cubes evenly in prepared dish and pour milk over the top. Let stand until milk is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with the herbs, ham, artichokes, goat cheese, fontina and Parmesan.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended; add cream, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk until well mixed. Pour egg mixture evenly over ingredients in baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, for 1 ¼ hours, until browned and firm in the center. Allow strata to rest at least 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

 

 

French Food and Wine with Chef Randall Price

Randall Price, Chef, Ecole de Cuisine du Prince Jardinier, Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, joined us Saturday for a fabulous Food and Wine class. An old friend of The Cooking School, Randall delighted students and staff with his delicious French dishes - accompanied with wines selected by Dave Schmerr, Jungle Jim's wine expert. Randall, considered a master of French pastry, returned Monday for a hand's-on Pâte à Choux class, where students learned to make three different French pastries.

Randall with Jungle Jim's sous chefs Ellen and Janet


We talked in class about Randall sharing another recipe with us for the blog - we ended up trading Ellen's slider recipe for the soup recipe below! He was intrigued when he tried a slider from the Game Grub Class, and plans to make them in France for the grandchildren of the Countess de Rohan-Chabot. Randall is currently completing work on his first book Cooking for Joy that will be published in French this fall and in English at a later date. The Cooking School is working with Randall to plan a special At The Chef's Table dinner and wine tasting evening for our next brochure. Visit Randall's website at: Randall Price




Soupe au Potiron au Curry

(Pumpkin Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk)

from Chef Randall Price, Ecole de Cuisine du Prince Jardinier, Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, France

Pumpkin soup is a cold-weather favorite throughout France. My additions of curry and coconut milk give it a contemporary, exotic twist. It makes a great as a do-ahead first course for a dinner party, because it tastes even better the day after it is made. At the Chateau de la Bourdaisiere I make this with Italian ‘zucca’ squash, which has very thick, firm flesh. Regular pumpkin works well, and this soup is also delicious if you replace the pumpkin with butternut squash or sweet potatoes.


2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced and washed
2 tablespoons butter
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 pounds of pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 pound baking potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and sliced
1 can (13.5 ounce) unsweetened coconut milk
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Small toasted croutons



In a large pot, place the leeks and the butter with a couple tablespoons of water. Cover and sweat over low heat until the leeks have softened, 3-5 minutes. Mix together the ginger, curry powder, cumin and paprika. Uncover the pot and stir in the spice mix. Cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant. Add the pumpkin (or squash or sweet potatoes) and the sliced potatoes and pour in enough water to cover them by about an inch. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the squash and potatoes are so tender they fall apart easily, 30 - 40 minutes.

Puree the soup. Mix in the coconut milk. If necessary, thin the soup with a little water. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Serve hot, with the cilantro stirred in just at the time you serve. Pass croutons separately, if desired.

This soup is even better when made up to three days in advance. Cool it completely before covering, then store it in the refrigerator.

Makes about 8 servings

Steak and Red Wine Soup

This is the recipe featured in the Cooking School's January - April 2010 brochure. Perfect for a cold day, this batch of soup was made with bottom round steak and Yukon gold potatoes substituted for the red potatoes. It paired well with focaccia from the Jungle Jim's bakery.

Steak and Red Wine Soup

Warm and satisfying, this hearty soup is a meal in a bowl. Add a chunk of crusty bread for a quick and delicious dinner.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds top sirloin (or bottom round steak), ½ inch dice
1 large onion, diced
4-5 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium red potatoes, unpeeled, small dice
2 stalks celery, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper sauce
½ teaspoon black pepper
salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a 5-7 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the sirloin. Add onions, carrots, red potato, celery and garlic; cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serves 6-8.

Leigh’s tips: Like most soups, this can be served immediately – but will taste even better if refrigerated overnight. Steak and Red Wine Soup freezes well for 2-3 months.

 

 

 

Honey Barbeque Shredded Pork

The Cooking School is now featuring a recipe in the Jungle Jim's weekly advertisement, available online, at the market, and delivered to homes by DoorStore. The "Recipe of the Week" highlights an ingredient that is on sale that week. All recipes are archived on the Cooking School page of the Jungle Jim's website under the Jungle Recipes tab.

The recipe this week is quick to prepare and can be made in advance. Family friendly and easy on the budget - what more could you want?

Honey Barbeque Shredded Pork

1-1/4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup honey
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pork shoulder (Boston Butt Roast) 3-4 pounds, excess fat trimmed

Preheat oven to 300°. Lightly grease a Dutch oven with tight fitting lid.

Combine sauce ingredients (ketchup-pepper) in a medium bowl. Place pork in prepared pan and pour sauce over the top. Cover pan tightly with lid or foil and roast for 3 ½ - 4 hours, until fork tender. Shred meat with two forks, discarding bones and fat. Stir shredded meat into sauce in pan. Serve on rolls or in warm tortillas.

Serves 6-8

Leigh’s Tip: Prepare 1-2 days in advance and refrigerate. Warm gently before serving.


Prepared and ready for the oven

 

Time to eat!