Fun at the Fair

Good news and not so good news at the fair this year. Sadly the Snickerdoodles didn't make it to the fair. I'm not sure what went wrong, but he couldn't get them to bake properly. Very sad... I made Toasted Oatmeal Scones (didn't win anything on those), Marshmallows, and Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies. And wouldn't you know, but my Marshmallows won First Place!! I was very excited to see that blue ribbon. The Chocolate Cookies were for the Chocolate Extravanganza Contest, but they were no match for cakes and chocolate dipped cherries shaped like mice! Oh well, they were still delicious (and SUPER rich) and it was fun to enter the contest. All in all, I am quite happy with my win (it was the first time I have entered food in a fair before) and I'm already planning what I'm going to make for next year!! Next I'm going to experiment with marshmallows, adding flavored extracts and dipping them in chocolate. Somone mentioned cutting them into different shapes, so I will try that too. Lots of ideas floating around in my head... Until next time!

Venison Sausage

Last year when we were making sausage my friend had wanted me to make Venison Sausage. Unfortunately we moved back to California and I was never able to try it. This year I was determined to make some, and luckily my friend had some (50 lbs!) venison meat for me. Two nights ago we stuffed the first batch, but had a few problems with the casing bursting. Also I didn't have a very good meat to fat ratio and the sausage came out a bit dry. My parents were the guinea pigs and had poached the sausage, and while they liked the flavor, they noticed it was a bit dry. Today was the second batch, so off I went to Tim's (see last years sausage post) and they were all out of pork fat! I asked the butcher what else I could use, and he said if I was going to smoke the sausage it's better to use beef fat, as pork renders slower and you end up with all the fat at one end of the sausage. I bought 1 lb of beef fat to go with my 4 lbs of venison (I'm hoping an 80/20 mix will not be so dry). After grinding it and mixing it up, I made a little patty to try and it tasted pretty good. Next I got the stuffing horn all greased up and ready for the casing. Got the casing on without too much effort, and began to stuff. After what happened the last time, we decided to twist off each link as we made them, so if one blew it didn't ruin the entire batch. Luckily this time we only blew one casing. Got the sausage drying on a rack in the fridge, and tomorrow morning we are going to make one more batch. Then it will be time to smoke them (the last batch I smoked a couple of links, but left them on for too long, so they turned into jerky sausage LOL). I bought 2 chunks of walnut and 2 chunks of pecan to smoke with (walnut is supposed to be good with game, but you need a mild wood to go with it). Fingers crossed that I don't overcook this batch!!
Next for the KitchenAid are my BF's famous snickerdoodles, which he is making for the North Idaho Fair the end of August... Stay tuned!

Smoking (BBQ that is)

So today was the first official test of the new smoker. Luckily I read the directions and realized that the smoker had to be cured for 3 hours prior to cooking anything. So after a 3 hour cure and a 4 hour nap it was time to put the meat on. We decided on a tri-tip roast (ribs were just too expensive) that I put a dry-rub on last night. Put 4 pieces of hickory wood chunks in the bottom on the lava rocks, and then I put a mix of beer, apple cider vinegar, and a bit of water into the water bowl. Placed the meat on the grill, closed up the smoker and plugged it in! Lo and behold, 30 minutes in, I could start to smell the nice scent of hickory smoke! I set the timer for 70 minutes (the smoker book gives a range of 30-40 minutes per pound), which was a bit too short as I was trying to reach 140° (trying for medium as my Mom isn't a fan of medium-rare). Gave it about 15 more minutes and it was good to go. Let it rest for 20 minutes (well a bit longer as the BF didn't put the corn on in time) and then my Dad (wasn't that nice of him?) sliced it up. Then it was time for the moment of truth... The meat was very juicy, but I personally thought the meat itself wasn't the greatest... it had a bit too much fat running thru it, and I think I would have prefered a mellower wood (maybe apple?), but all in all it was pretty tasty. I think it was a successful first run, and now I can't wait to try smoking other meats. Next on the list is baby back ribs, followed by venison sausage (once I make some that is). Oh and everyone is going to want to come to Thanksgiving dinner 'cause I'm going to make a smoked turkey! So many things to smoke... Until next time...

Rare	130ºF	Remove at 120-125ºF
Medium Rare	140ºF	Remove at 130-135ºF
Medium	150ºF	Remove at 140-145ºF
Medium Well	160ºF	Remove at 150-155ºF
Well Done	170ºF	Remove at 160-165ºF

Wonderful Birthday

So today was my birthday (we won't discuss my age LOL), and a very nice day it was. We (that would be my Dad, my BF, and I) floated down the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene river. The water was a bit cold, but manageable. It was a nice float up until I almost puked from spinning too much (this is why I have never been on the Teacup ride at Disneyland). After the float went out to a lovely steak dinner at (the always fabulous) Wolf Lodge, where I ate a Rib-Eye steak and was throughly embarassed by the group of singing waiters. Went back home to open presents, and I got a great cookbook with recipes designed for the KitchenAid Stand Mixer (whew... more things to discuss on this blog!). The dogs & cats (I have no idea where they get their money from) got me some new BBQ gear, and last but not least, my BF got me an electric smoker!! Wooh!! So now I can use my new cookbook to make some sausages, and then smoke 'em in the new smoker! Standby for more adventures in sausage making (the next batch will be Elk Sausages).... Until next time!

Lemon Meringue Pie

I was bored today, so I decided to make a Lemon Meringue Pie. My mother despises pie crust, so I decided to make a graham cracker crust. Going thru the pantry I realized I was missing a few ingredients, so after a quick bike ride to Safeway I was ready to go. I was nervous making the lemon filling, as it has eggs, and lately I have had trouble tempering the eggs and end up with scrambled... I nervously added a little bit of the hot mixture to the eggs, and lucky for me it worked!! Poured the filling on the crust, and then it was off to make the meringue. Meringue is super easy to make in the stand mixer, and I couldn't believe how fast it whipped up. (The whisk attachment has been my friend lately). The meringue came out a nice golden brown (I really wanted to stick a finger in and taste, but I was able to withstand the temptation). It looks good, now I (and the family) will have to perform a taste test (I know what a terrible task to be faced with... So until next time...