Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil?

Now available at our local Sam's Club! Hmmm, it's interesting the things they decide to carry. This is used as a substitute to butter, a moisturizer, and it makes an incredible soap (mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil)!

Strawberries & Peanut Butter Granola

Found a new flavor combo I like! Yeah, yeah, I know some of you out there will probably say "that ain't new!". LOL!

Those of you who may not know, my wife can hold her own when it comes to cooking. And her specialties are usually along the dessert line. She also makes a chewy peanut butter granola that's pretty brilliant! She toasts the oats In the oven then uses honey (local is probably best), natural peanut butter (and perhaps a smidgen of butter) pinch of salt, and brings it to boil on the stove top then mixes in the toasted oats...ah yeah, that's delicious. I may have left out an ingredient or step, but you get the gist. 

Tonight after dinner I was thinking about something sweet and knew we had strawberries because the boys eat them like candy. I put a little bit of that peanut butter granola on top and right away after tasting it I knew it was going to be a favorite of mine. 

Now I am just thinking about how to incorporate them together like a one bite dessert/snack. Maybe chocolate dipped?

Watermelon Fun!

Super Cool presentation idea! ~ I'll use this one!

Cute Cars

Good idea. Teddy Graham cars made with small candy bars, M&Ms, Teddy Graham's, and a little melted chocolate.

Chafing Dishes

I need about four of these for both school and church events. My electric ones keep blowing the circuit everywhere, EXCEPT in kitchen. 

Pros- indoor/outdoor. Position anywhere. 

Cons- storing them. Fuel/sterno use...potential hazard because of 'fire'. 

Pros outweigh the Cons. Budget for them. Cost saving purchase.

Back 2 Work...

It's that time again...school is cranking back up for everyone! After a hot and sweaty summer working for a former employer in the beverage industry I am now back in the kitchen!

This will be our second year with a school lunch program and I am pretty excited that we started the year with a kitchen that is already open! In honor of a 'return to business as usual' I had my chef jackets sealed with the schools emblem. Its time to make things permanent, settle in, and get ready for the coming year!

Probably not the best picture, but you see it...our school colors are green and gold...and yes, that is an "old school" thermometer. Feel free to purchase and/or donate a Thermapen or TWO for the kitchen (or even some mini's ~ they travel better in the pockets), I will not turn it down!

Easy Bread and Pizza Dough

I put this recipe together for my own use a long time ago.  A yeast dough (and different kinds of dough in general) get a certain 'feel' to them and you start noticing this...Then you make better judgments on when to add a little more water, more flour, or a pinch more salt.  From this same dough, I can alter the sugar and other ingredients to produce cinnamon rolls, pizza crust, pita bread, naan...sometimes it's just the kneading, rise time, technique, or cooking method with the same recipe that makes it another dough 'product'.  It can even be multiplied successfully for bulk preparation in commercial kitchens. (I know, I was doing it for years!)

Easy "Bread" Dough (use whole wheat flour for wheat dough) for Bread or Rolls

• 4 Cups High Gluten Flour - or - 5 Cups of All-Purpose Flour


• 1 Tablespoon Yeast


• 1 Tablespoon Sugar


• 1 Tablespoon Salt (scant)


• 1 Tablespoon Oil


• 2 cups warm/hot water (not above 110F)

Put dry ingredients and oil in a mixer. Use mixer set on 2 or 3 (not fast, but not real slow) and use the dough hook. Add up to 2 cups of warm/hot water from the faucet. Pour in the mixer while the dough hook is working. Watch for the dough to start to come together then let the mixer run for about 5 to 8 minutes…you can also need the dough by hand for about the same amount of time instead of using the mixer.

You are looking for a soft smooth texture to the dough, oil dough ball, put in a bowl and cover…let rise for about 40-60 minutes (adjust rise time to your humidity/heat) dough may double in size quicker in more warm and humid conditions or slower in cold conditions.

** If you're making pizza, it's up to you about the rise time or if you want to store it overnight in the fridge to develop more flavor. But you can start working with the dough as quick as 30 minutes if you're rolling out pizza.

Smash or punch down, then shape into rolls or 2 loaves in bread pans and wait the same amount of time for the second rise (or longer if needed) bake in an oven at 160C or 350F for about 30-40 minutes.

Let cool slightly, eat fresh and warm.

*Later on when you feel pretty confident about your skills as a basic bread dough maker you can try mixing the sugar, water, and yeast together and waiting till it starts to bubble. Then you can add it to the flour and salt that is mixing in the bowl. And don't forget the oil!

Comments welcome or contact me for further questions...this recipe was developed as a beginner's understanding of dough.

Waffles & Pancakes!

Classic Waffles Mix

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar (or honey/other sweetener)

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups warm milk

1/3 cup butter, melted (or oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Pancakes, add another 1/2 cup of liquid.

This mix is extremely customizable! I used wheat flour, fresh blueberries, and some coconut milk as part of the liquid to make silver dollar pancakes for my boys the other morning.  I use an old GE Belgian waffle maker for waffles and a Cuisenart  griddle for the small pancakes. 

Favorites This Week!

Kenji, over at SeriousEats.com, posted an excellent article for grilling steaks this summer. Actually it's more about: The Food Lab: 7 Old Wives' Tales About Cooking Steak That Need To Go Away.  Let me give you three myths that I hear the most to interest you in reading the article:

1.  "Sear your meat over high heat to lock in juices."
2.  "Use the "poke test" to check if your steak is done."
3.  "You should let a thick steak rest at room temperature before you cook it."

And there are four other myths with the science to debunk them. Great job Kenji!

While out today i found the following in a local Walmart on sale for $1.50! Yes, hotdogs bragging to have been made with Bacon! But as the WEBstarauntstore.com tweeted me today "...apparently every other meat as well!". LOL!!! I think I would try them once in the name of research!

Next up I found that the 12 pack bottles of Landshark beer have an iron-on transferrable that you can put on a tee-shirt. Wow! What will they think of next? You get an iron-on and they get free advertising. 

I am not a beer drinker at all. But the concept was interesting. 

Just another day at work!

What Summer Brings...

My wife's parents called in May to say "We are coming to see the boys and we want you to leave." What? What! Uh, ok! We then started to plan a few days at the beach, just the two of us...Let me say that again for all you parents out there, A FEW DAYS AT THE BEACH JUST THE TWO OF US! Yes!

Moving on...Our itinerary went a little something like this: get up stretch, open door smell ocean, off to coffee and breakfast, beach, lunch, beach, dinner, cool ocean breeze while on balcony looking at beach. Repeat. 

Now back to my current reality, Sigh! Since my job at the academy is only 10 months (a school year) I am working at a prior job but only for the summer. In these days of high unemployment numbers it's best to have a good work ethic, integrity, and NOT burning those bridges behind you when you leave one job for another! I still work for the academy but I am off during June and July. People in the school system will immediately understand.

Posting may slow down because of the hours I work and my summer job is at a beverage company, so not much cooking going on for me. But fortunately for the rest of our family my wife can really "THROW-DOWN" when it comes to cooking. She is no beginner!

 

VFCA SR Graduation Reception

Last Friday I helped Debbie put out a reception for the Valley Fellowship Christian Academy graduates. Debbie does food events and knows her way around the kitchen! One of her specialties is cake. And I am fully agreeable to let people work in their element and this is one of her's! Actually sometimes it's easiest to sit back and 'be' the help or sous chef...you can learn from seeing things from another angle (besides your own) when someone else does it. 

Plenty of people commented on her food and the cake BUT I can tell she will give you the recipe for the cheese-ball, NOT the cake!!! LOL

Diet Trends

I have noticed either consciously or without realizing it America has started scrolling back their intake on carbs, glutens, and desserts. Is this because of the nations obsession on how overweight we are getting?

Steve, over at Roundthechuckbox.blogspot.com recently wrote on one of his posts:

"Beginning with pasta carbanara Friday evening, five cooks labored to set our best on the mobile serving line. We quickly learned that this East Bay group loved the sausages, roasted vegetables and salad bar. Though good, fresh baked dinner rolls, rich pasta and desserts fell by the wayside."

I have noticed that trend even with myself. I hate diets, but I started scrolling back my calories and increasing my garage elliptical workouts! LOL And the things that fall by the wayside first and foremost are the things listed above.

Really, I am just getting back to eating like I did in California, a lot of fresh veggies, cooked veggies, fruits, cheese, meats (lots of smoked and grilled meats)and usually only breads, pastas, and desserts if they are homemade and delicious! (As I am sure Steve and his cooks food are delicious!)

My advice has always been to ONLY eat food that is delicious AND eat it in moderation. As someone once said: 

"Life is to short to eat bad food!" ~ Amen!

May Highlights

We had another visit from the health department and if you follow me on twitter @tyronebcookin or Facebook you saw my humorous posting: Stick THAT in your dishwasher and sanitize it!

Things are wrapping up here in the kitchen as school winds down. We grilled a few meals outside in front of the kitchen just to kick things up a level. Chicken for fajitas!

Burgers for cheeseburgers and fries!

When I am not in the kitchen or out in the parking lot playing with fire, you can try to catch up with me at my mobile office:

Ice coffee, nothing fancy here...keeps me moving.