How to Make Cajun Roux

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Roux caramel WMMindfully meditative to create, roux is a slow cooked mixture of equal parts fat and flour used as a thickening agent. Why is this Creole instead of Cajun?

Cajun roux is made with vegetable oil.

Creole roux is made with butter, clarified or not.

The longer roux cooks, the more it deepens in color, developing an wonderful nutty flavor.

Roux does not always need to be dark. It may be blonde, caramel, peanut butter, or deep walnut. It’s all good for cooking. You decide when the roux is done. It all depends upon the recipe it will enhance, your palate, and the time you have for cooking.

My favorite all-purpose roux is a beautiful caramel (like the one to the left). It can be made in about 12-15 minutes. Dark walnut roux requires patience as it it can take up to 45 minutes of steady stirring as it finishes to nutty perfection.

Creole Roux

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour Read More

How to Make Hummus

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VeeVeesPinenutHummusDo you have a favorite brand of hummus or do you enjoy it at one particular restaurant because they make it so perfectly? You don’t have to go out –  make it yourself.

Once you have mastered hummus basics, check out the ideas below the recipe to take your hummus beyond the ordinary. Enjoy it often – it’s good for you. I love to dip carrots, radishes, and cucumbers in my hummus. Or try it on sandwiches as a replacement for mayo.

ps – It’s not cheating to use canned garbanzo beans. It’s just easy.

Basic Hummus

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz can) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 T tahini
2 T fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper to taste
3 T olive oil  (you may use less or more to taste)
Optional Ingredients: see below for a few delicious suggestions Read More

Color and the 5 Basic Sauces

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Let  the Spoon Mage™ Help You Learn to create Mother Sauces!

Bechamel Sauce new Mother Sauce 101 copyColor and the Five Basic Sauces

Five sauces rule the kitchen – Béchamel, Velouté, Espagnole, Hollandaise, and Tomato. Fantastically named Mother Sauces, they form the swirling base or hefty ladle of deliciousness on top of your favorite meals.

Once you know what to look for, you’ll see Mother Sauces everywhere – in many recipes, on menus, and on cookery shows. It doesn’t take secret saucery incantations or an analysis of ancient texts to learn to identify them. The easiest way to find the big five is by mindfully considering their colors – white, light brown, deep brown, yellow, and red.

Pause a moment, breathe, and let your imagination stir up a little colorful saucy goodness.  Read More

Creating a Chiffonade

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Let the Spoon Mage™ show you how to create a Chiffonade!

sage chiffonade 3 WM Creating a Chiffonade

Alright everyone, let’s do the Chiffonade! No, it’s not the latest dance craze.

A chiffonade (pronounced shif-oh-nod) is an easy way to quickly slice herbs, leafy plants, and even tortillas into pretty slender ribbons.

It’s not just a decorative technique for turning herbs like sage and basil into a beautiful garnish.

It’s also a great way to prep large tough leaves like kale as it encourages them to cook up evenly and tender. Read More

Bechamel Sauce

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Bechamel WMBéchamel is a rich and creamy Mother Sauce made out of milk. It’s one of the five main source sauces from which other saucy recipes spring.

The smooth white sauce is begun by making a light or white roux – briefly cooking the flour and butter until the flour begins to cook. Warm or hot milk is carefully stirred into the roux (or vice versa in the traditional manner) to create the sauce.

Béchamel is then modified with seasonings or other elements such as cheese, onions, or shallots.

Once you know how to make a Basic Béchamel, you will recognize it in many dishes from au gratin potatoes to Alfredo. Add a little of this and a little of that to make the sauce sing. Read More

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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image from Wikimedia Commons

Ingredients:

One medium sized pumpkin
1/4 t Sea salt
2 T Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Slice off the pumpkin lid and scoop out the stringy guts and seeds. Separate the seeds the best you can from the stringy stuff. Rinse well and dry thoroughly on a paper towel. Read More

Beef Bone Stock

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Stock Ingredients:

2 lbs soup bones, either short ribs or oxtail, or talk to your butcher to find out what is available
1 T vegetable oil, or other high heat oil
Cheesecloth and cooking twine
1 carrot, sliced into three pieces, root and stem removed
Skin and first layer of one large onion
2 sprigs parsley
Center ribs of celery, including all the leaves
15 or so pepper corns, a small handful will do
6 cups water
1/2 t salt Read More