Pretzel Bites with Honey Mustard

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been so busy planning menus for company expected later in February that I almost forgot about Super Bowl Sunday. We are not entertaining here, but we've been asked to bring something for the party we will be attending. I've already decided to bring sliders as our contribution, but I tried a few other game day recipes before I made my choice. The other dishes, while they are delicious, didn't make the cut because they are not as showy as the sliders. The recipe for these pretzels is one of those I was experimenting with. The pretzels are delicious, and while they take some time to make, they are not difficult to prepare. The pretzels are boiled before baking because it sets the crust. When baking soda is added to the water it helps to brown the crust and contributes a bit of flavor to an otherwise plain dough. If you have time to make them, I suspect you could become addicted to homemade pretzels. Here is how this version of pretzel bites and the honey mustard dipping sauce that accompany them are made.

Brown Bag Popcorn and the Academy Awards

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm back and almost as good as new. Tomorrow I'll resume posting new recipes that I hope will appeal to those of you who have been so patient while I healed. And Bob? Well, I suspect you'll not hear much from him for the next several weeks, although I know he had some fun while acting as majordomo in the kitchen. He's whipped the butcher into shape and the produce manager brings greens to him from the backroom with shaky hands, so he feels his powers of persuasion are still intact and he enjoyed jousting with them. I do, however, have to tell those of you who may be entertaining stray thoughts, he's taken, ladies. I know a good thing when I see it. He's mine!

We usually have friends into watch the Academy Awards with us. This year it will just be the two of us, but we will watch the show. It's an old habit that refuses to die. I've always loved the Oscars and, to this day, I remember those early years when ball gowns and jewels and limousines brought a televised Neverland into our homes. Over the years, I've grown more discriminating and often find myself at odds with the academy. I was stunned the years that Judi Dench (Her Majesy, Mrs. Brown) and Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) failed to garner best actress awards, and twice swore I'd never watch the show again. I reneged when it became apparent that this wasn't my party and these folks could do anything thy wanted, even if they were wrong. So, whether they are right or wrong I'll be in front of the TV again this year.

Our snack for the program this year is homemade microwave popcorn. One it is popped you can dress it up any way you wish, but this basic version produces kernels identical to those that are air popped. I'm a traditionalist, so I simply add salt and butter to the batch, but cheese or other spices could be used as well. Here is how the popcorn is made. 

Bob's in the Kitchen - Tuna Pate

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While I don't have a dinner recipe to share with you tonight, I do have a new recipe for a tuna pate that made for some delicious nibbling while we watched the Super Bowl last Sunday. Mary found the pate in Food and Wine magazine and clipped it to make, but she was grounded before that could be done. She told me about the pate and how easy it would be to make, and since there would be just two of us for the game, we decided to try the pate rather then have the usual game day snacks. I think the pate, while strongly flavored, is delicious when served with a light rye or crusty peasant bread. Any leftover pate makes a great filling for sandwich wraps. Do try this! Here is the recipe.

Parmesan Oyster Crackers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There was no joy in Mudville last night. Our football team, the Oregon Ducks, got whooped and somehow, my guy still swears it just happened, the commiseration party moved from the parking lot to our home. Now I must tell you that football is taken seriously here and this was a desolate crowd. I've been to Irish wakes that were more upbeat than this impromptu get-together. When it became apparent that the crew of Monday morning quarterbacks was going to hash the game to pieces, I called for pizzas and brought in a cooler that we use to hold beer for unexpected guests. Mother Hubbard's cupboard was pretty bare, but I had a bag of pretzels for immediate consumption and some oyster crackers that I could play with while they had their first round of beer. Tyler Florence has a recipe for Parmesan oyster crackers that I often use when I'm in a crunch and I decided to go with that, 'cause, from the kitchen's perspective, this was definitely 4th down. These flavored crackers are simple to make and while they are wonderful with soup, they also make a great snack. If you know you'll find the gang on your couch come game day or movie night, you might want to keep this recipe in mind. Here is how the crackers are made.

Gougères - Cheese Puffs - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Gougères - Cheese Puffs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These light and tender morsels are in danger of extinction. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help keep this recipe relevant and make sure that these silky, egg rich pastries remain on our tables for years to come. Please understand, I have nothing against salsa, or chips and dips and pesto. I've been known to down a beer or two and confess that beer nuts are not safe in my presence. There are, however, times when I want something a bit more classic, something with culinary chops and a history that commends its presence on my table. The French gougères has much to recommend it. These savory cheese puffs are made with the same pate a choux dough that is used to prepare cream puffs and eclairs, but the addition of cheese or other savories make them a wonderful appetizer or hors d'oeuvres to serve with wine or champagne. Because they are so easy to make, I also serve them with more pedestrian meals of soup or stew. I must warn you that they are additive and the puffs should come with a "once bitten" warning attached to them. I've just finished making a gazillion of these to share with friends tomorrow. I know they will love them and I suspect you will too. These are best served directly from the oven, but I understand that that is not always possible, so I have a few tips to share with you. The dough can be refrigerated for a day before it is formed and baked. Once baked, the puffs can be frozen until needed. Frozen puffs should be thawed and reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes before serving. If you plan to bake them ahead of time, make a slit in the bottom of each puff and turn them upside down to let moisture escape. I make it a point to reheat the gougères before serving them. Five minutes in a 350 degree oven does the trick. While I prefer to use Gruyere cheese, cheddar or blue cheese can be substituted and, if you wish, a filling can be piped into the puffs. I bake my trays of gougère on the lowest rack of the oven and I only bake one tray at a time. It may be my imagination, but I think the puffs get better lift that way. I really hope you will give this recipe a try. I like to share my addictions with others. The recipe for these simple cheese puffs can be found here.

                    

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Midweek Musings + Revisiting Australian Busters

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...As soon as we knew the fumes from the Deception Creek fire had dissipated, we left the coast and headed home, taking a circuitous route that took us along some back roads where time seems to have stopped. Many of the old farm houses have ramps leading to porches that creak as surely as the joints of the folks who still live in them, and their rabbit ear antennas break the monotony of the gray or dirty white their shingles have become. This is the country of old men. Here and there you will find a thriving farm tucked between properties that stand empty and are slowly succumbing to the damp that saturates neglected homesteads in the Pacific Northwest. These houses, with glassless windows and shards of fabric flowing outward through now empty panes, were once homes with starched curtains and polished knobs, and while I'm sure they have a story hidden beneath their eaves, there is neither chick nor child left to tell their tale. Death or desperation has left them empty and with no heirs, these small farms will become the property of the state who will let them stand until they list and fall. It is like closing a chapter on American history. The farms, which once trucked produce to markets, are no longer economically viable, and their day has passed as surely as the party line succumbed to the cell phone. Our time, too, will come, but I reverently hope that we will leave a trail of songs sung so brightly, that they will echo from the rafters of our homes before they fall.