Thinking like a Chef

How are the pears preserves, and what spices are in the tomato jam?

This is going to be interesting!

I meant 'preserved', doh!

Cav
Cav, the Pear Preserves are a very thick amber-colored jam: pears, sugar, corn syrup, citric Acid, and pectin.

I used to make tomato jam many decades ago, but can no longer do it. So I order it over the internet. My homemade jam was much better than what I can find today. I added sweet onions and sweet peppers to my jam.

Commercial Spiced Tomato Jam: sugar, tomatos, lemon juice, pectin and (unidentified) spices.

My jar of Tomato Preserves contains tomatoes, sugar, corn syrup, fruit pectin, citric acid.

BBB

You all probably already know this but there is a fancy cookie you can make with just about any plain roll-out cookie dough, e.g. a sugar cookie. Gingersnap dough might be too spicy, but it might also be wonderful.

Cut out a bunch of circles, then cut peek-a-boo circles in 1/2 of 'em, the "rings". Put a spoonful of pear preserves on each of the full rounds, then top that with a "ring" shape, smoosh down a little on the edges and bake. I've had good luck with this, especially with pear jam, though it is nice to use more than one kind of jam for color. They've very special and pretty. I make them fairly small, about 2" across.

With condiments, I think one needs to consider several dishes. The tomato jam sounds like it would be a nice finish to a Moroccan tagine. The quince preserves could be used to glaze a roasted duck, just warm them up and strain them. Similarily, the pear preserves could be stirred into a nice duck jus, just at the end, with a little lemon zest, to make an interesting sweet sauce for unglazed, seared duck breast. I'll come back to the others....

Cav
Cav, I like to roast peeled and sliced quince in a light syrup while roasting a pork loin. Some people like to stew the quince, but I find roasting intensifies the wonderful flavor of this underused fruit.

Quince is also used to make quince leather, similar to other fruit leathers. It can also be bought in tins to add to middle eastern dishes, such as the Morocan Tagine you suggested. Example below using lamb and pears:

Moroccan Tagine
From: [email protected] (Ted Taylor)
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 01:25:12 -0500

Title: Lamb & Pear Tagine.

2 large Onions, peeled & sliced
1 kg Lean lamb, leg or shoulder cut into 4 cm cubes.
4 Pears, peeled cored & cut into 4 cm chunks
1/2 cup Sultanas
1/2 cup Silvered almonds
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon Ground ginger
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground coriander
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Black pepper
Salt to taste
Water to cover the meat

INSTRUCTIONSl
Tagines are Moroccan slow-cooked meat, fruit & vegetable dishes which are almost invariably made with mutton. Using lamb cuts down the cooking time, but if you can find good hogget (older than lamb, younger than mutton, commonly labelled "baking legs" and sold cheaply) that will do very well.

In a large saucepan gently fry the onion in the olive oil until soft, add the meat to the pan and cook until it changes color, then add the spices. Add water to just cover the meat and salt to taste. Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. (Displace the lid a little after an hour if there appears to be too much liquid.)

Add the pears to the meat together with the sultanas & almonds. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the pears are soft.

Serve with rice.

Quince is quite popular in tagines. Tomato jam is also something that is used, but a bit more unusual. Typically, fresh tomatoes are cooked down with sugar and spices for a very long time, but I was thinking that if you start with a typical tagine, one could reduce the liquid, and finish it with the tomato jam. Not authentic, perhaps, but it would work.

Cav
Cav, the Tagine seems very similar to one of my favorite dishes, Babootie. I have my own special version for this South African dish that is different than the traditional recipe.

BBB

Cool.

BBB's Babootie
BumbleBeeBoogie's version of the traditional South African national dish,
BABOOTIE

2 pounds ground lamb (or substitute ground beef - or - 3/4 beef and 1/4 pork)
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 #303 can (16 ounces) tomatoes, reserve juice
1-1/2 tablespoon white granulated sugar
2 tablespoon curry powder (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
3 tablespoon vinegar (regular red or balsamic)
salt to taste
1 firm banana, peeled and sliced
1 Granny Smith large apple, peeled, cored and chopped
6 canned apricots, chopped or 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon apricot jam
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup shreaded or flaked coconut
1 8-ounce can crushed or cubed pineapple
1/3 cup golden raisins
Juice strained from the canned tomatoes
Steamed rice to serve 8
Bottled of Sweet Chutney, if desired

Brown the meat in a large skillet and drain off the fat. Add all of the other ingredients. Cover and simmer gently, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. Add strained reserved tomato juice to taste if the mixture is too thick.

Serve over the steamed rice, garnished with the sweet chutney - or with additional slivered almonds, raisins and coconut.

Serves 8. Preparation time: 45 minutes.

Fealola, I presume your salmon is dead on the doorstep now, but if you like something a little different look at the Lox and basil, and ginger and lime - pasta recipe somewhere here on this forum, courtesy of my ex, made from ingredients in my then refrigerator, still a recipe I could almost die for. Works with left-over grilled salmon, or non-leftover grilled salmon, should the case may be.

Now that I am awake to this thread, I have to say that not only I but most posters think it is a wonderful idea. It's a book, a show, etc. Sure, a gimmick re what is in the fridge, but then not a gimmick, it is everyday life for most households. Perhaps a website......

Thanks Osso, I remember seeing that recipe. I'll check it out next time I have some salmon left!

Well, my Bolognese was okay last night, but I only had extra-lean beef kicking around, which sucks. Everything was cooked properly, and it was tasty, just missing something, namely a little extra fat. I think that when I reheat it later today, I will add a little heavy cream, and let it suck that up. My pasta rocked though.

I agree wholeheartedly, the extra lean doesn't work as well...

Thank you for this thread Cav.....now I have been
introduced to art on another level.....

Okay, this one is not for the fat or sodium consicious, but it worked for me. I have been cleaning out the freezer to make room for an upcoming job, and I found a large hunk of pot roast in there. The last thing I wanted was reheated frozen pot roast. Then, I thought about those great Chinese double-cooked dishes, slow-simmered, then deep-fried, and about those dry ribs I used to like as a kid, with the salt and pepper dip. So, that's what I did. I cut it up into thin strips, floured it, and deep-fried it. I made a salt and pepper dip with some five spice powder, and boy, it was good....brought back memories. As there is still lots left, I think I will cut some thin slices and make a pizza tonight.

Great... this thread's been revived -- Hi Cav! Long time no see...

In my frig today - Tri-tip steaks, several red peppers, one whole cauliflower, half bottle of cabernet, some fabulous parmesano, plus several other cheeses and lots of standard ingredients in the frig and pantry... onions, broth, etc.

Should I go to the store and buy something green? If so, what... and then what? I had some fresh spinach that I was going to wilt, but it looks old so I've tossed it.

Waiting patiently for inspiration. I think I should marinate the meat early, saute the peppers (seems like Osso had a great recipe for this which I can't lay my hands on), steam the cauliflower & make a cheese sauce to which I will add some cognac -- my one claim to gourmet fame.

Saute peppers, hmm, well, saute some vertical (deseeded and depulped, if you wish) slices in a little olive oil. The skin will peel off after.

But usually I just put them in a pan or glass dish, relatively
unthickly, in the oven at, say, 350, dribble with olive oil, and check them from time to time, flipping them or moving them around if one piece starts to burn before the others. I happen to think they're done as some portion of the edges start to blacken, but not too much. Again, the skin usually peels after this is set aside and cooling for a while.

I think there is a peppers in bag in oven method for getting them to peel, a pepper over gas burner rotate with tongs method, and who knows (Cav would) perhaps a dip in boiling water method. I don't bother with those, mostly don't mind the peel in the first place, unless I am making soup, and there it will float up in quaint little curlies. So when I make soup, I do the oven saute first, and most of the peel will have come off, and besides, the peppers taste good...

Mmmm, thanks, Osso, that is what I was thinking of. So, I don't need to start the peppers 'til much closer to dinnertime. Guess I'll take the dogs for a walk.

Still worried I should be marinating the steaks & possibly using that wine for something. I'm happy to braise them too... braise 'em in wine, maybe?