Liege Belgian Waffles for my Baby Boy

When my son was in first grade, we used to spend time at lot of time at the Border's Book Store at our local shopping center.   There was a quiet little man who had a cart stand, where he'd sell freshly made Belgian Waffles.  He'd take a square of dough and make a fresh, hot "Liege Belgian Waffle" and my son would happily receive it with a hop, skip and a jump.  As the mother of an only child, the price was worth the smile on my son's face as he chewed on this special treat.  I remember that I was a divorced mom at that time, so affording this treat meant that I wouldn't buy one for myself.  My son would give me a bite, and I remember that the waffle had a rich taste of butter, with a hint of vanilla. The caramelized sugar left a chewy and sweet mouth feel.   One day, we realized that the man with the cart no longer set up business at the shopping mall-- sadly, we never saw him again.   Every so often my son-- who is now 22 years old-- would ask me if I remembered those delicious waffles.  Yes, I did, but my memories are more connected to that sweet little boy who delighted in his special treat. I miss those years, but I don't miss those teen years!

This  waffle is different from our traditional American Waffles. The Belgian Sugar (or “Liege” Waffle) is a popular street-food across Europe. Served warm, plain or garnished with chocolate, Nutella, fruit, ice-cream or whipped cream, it is enjoyed by thousands of shoppers and sight-seers.  I decided to do a little internet research on the history of the Liege Waffle and this story is consistently shared:

 "According to legend, it was invented in the 18th Century by the Prince of Liège's cook. At the Prince's request, he experimented with cooking a kind of bun by adding polished sugar to the dough. Seduced by the appetising odour of vanilla that emanated during the cooking, the Prince fell for the new cake's charm." Source

I did most of my Christmas shopping on Amazon, and I stumbled across this Belgian Pearl Sugar.  Since I qualified for free shipping I decided it was time to see if I could recreate a childhood memory for my son.  After looking at several different recipes, I decided to use the one on the very back of the box of pearl sugar.  You might wonder if you can just crush sugar cubes.  You could, but I wanted to be authentic.  Having read other recipes, I'm told that there's something special about this Belgian Pearl Sugar.  You really want the sugar to melt, and get that wonderful caramelization, don't you? The ingredients are: milk, yeast, eggs, butter, flour, salt, vanilla and eggs.  Cinnamon is optional, but I decided to skip that.

For those of you who are afraid of working yeast, this is a great beginner recipe.  I used Rapid-Rise Yeast.  They key is that you don't heat the milk to be scalding hot.  Using my beloved therma-pen, you can see that 96 degrees was just right.  You also want the butter and eggs to be at room temperature. Yeast likes warmth!
Begin by dissolving the yeast in the milk.  That's easy enough, right?

Gradually add all the ingredients to the flour, except for the pearl sugar. (My stand mixer works great to do this.)

Let the dough double in size (about 30 minutes). I let mine sit for about an hour. (Bottom right corner photo.)
NOTE: I turn my oven on to WARM for a few minutes, then turn it off. I cover the dough in a bowl, and place it into the warm and cozy oven to help proof the dough.

• Gently flatten the dough into a rectangle and add the pearl sugar.
• Fold the dough over, in thirds (my own technique to distribute the sugar throughout).
• Divide the dough into small patties, about 3-4 oz each.

NOTE: To be more traditional, Liege waffles are shaped into a rectangle.

I have an inexpensive non-stick Belgian waffle maker. Yes, there are special waffle irons for this, but I didn't want to invest in one.  To prepare: Bake in a greased and heated waffle iron. Be very careful, as the sugar will caramelize and can be extremely hot. Allow them to cook for a few minutes, before biting into them.

I presented these to my son and waited as he bit in.  Ah!  That beautiful smile of his grew wide, and he said that these were exactly as he remembered!

TASTING NOTES: The are rich and buttery.  You need to be careful to not eat them the very second that you remove them from the waffle iron.  The sugar has melted and can be very hot.  I tasted vanilla and the yeast is very subtle. The texture is moist, a little dense and did I mention how rich these are?  I ate a half of one, and my son polished off two-- and my other half.  So, what was I supposed to do with the remaining five pieces of dough?

SOLUTION:  I figured that if that cart vendor could pull out a package of dough and make fresh waffles, then he must prepare them in advance. I wrapped each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerated them.  The next day, I brought them to room temperature (about 30 minutes). 

I greased the waffle iron and watched the steam as the sugar began to melt...

Does this picture need words?  Really? Look at that bubbling sugar!

...and these were delicious!  In fact, I think they tasted even better!  Of course, I only took one bite (this time, because I'm cutting back on my sweets to lose weight). My son loved these.  I made the rest on Day #3, and they turned out perfectly.

VERDICT: I can see why Liege Belgian waffles are a special treat.  I can't imagine adding anything extra to these, but go for it if you want ice cream, or nutella, or fresh whipped cream.  I recommend a fresh cup of coffee.  A cup of Belgian Hot Chocolate would be even better!

I'll make these again as a special treat for my boy grown son. Something tells me that when he's older, and married and has started a family of his own (in about 20 years) -- that I can lure him over to visit mom with the promise of these treats.

It's what mother's do for their boys.  

A printable recipe is at the bottom of this page. 

From mom's kitchen,

Slow Roasted Beef (Cook's Illustrated)

I am a huge fan of roast beef sandwiches.  I prefer that my roast beef is rare, while my husband prefers medium. Either way, a fresh sourdough roll with mayo and deli mustard, Swiss cheese and sweet pickles is my winning formula. The problem is finding good deli roast beef. I often wonder how long the beef has been in it's shrink wrap package, and I prefer to eat grass-fed beef.  I spotted a recipe in a food magazine (and I won't name it) for Salt-Encrusted Beef. I've always wanted to try the technique of making a salt-flour dough and wrapping it around beef.  The magazine photo looked delicious. But...

..I ended up with an unappetizing piece of gray meat.  I was so disappointed that even though I had cooked the meat to 130F, the meat continued to cook until it was well past done!  Contrary to the recipe, I should have taken the meat out at 120F, and maybe I would have had better luck. In short, this recipe was a total bust, and  I ended up caramelizing a lot of onion so I could make a palatable sandwich out of gray shoe leather.  Unfortunately, the meat was very dry and I never posted that recipe. You can thank me for that!

While flipping through one of my many Cook's Illustrated cookbooks,  this version of Slow Roasted Beef (January 2008) caught my attention.   I always enjoy reading the article that precedes their recipes because Cook's Illustrated does a lot of homework to perfect each recipe-- and I have to say that I have yet to be disappointed.  Here's a portion of the article, so that you can understand why this recipe worked:

First step: selecting the best cut for our roast. Our favorite, the eye-round, has good flavor and tenderness and a uniform shape that guarantees even cooking. Next step: choosing between the two classic methods for roasting meat—high and fast or low and slow. Low temperature was the way to go. Keeping the meat's internal temperature below 122 degrees as long as possible allowed the meat's enzymes to act as natural tenderizers, breaking down its tough connective tissue (this action stops at 122 degrees). Since most ovens don't heat below 200 degrees, we needed to devise a special method to lengthen this tenderizing period. We roasted the meat at 225 degrees (after searing it to give the meat a crusty exterior) and shut off the oven when the roast reached 115 degrees. The meat stayed below 122 degrees an extra 30 minutes, allowing the enzymes to continue their work before the temperature reached 130 degrees for medium-rare. Final step: seasoning. Salting the meat a full 24 hours before roasting made it even more tender and seasoned the roast throughout.

I made this recipe several months ago, but I wasn't thrilled with the photos.  Since I'm home, healing from a winter cold, I'm editing some of the numerous food photos that I've been too busy to work on.  I'm going to make this again, so I thought I'd share it with you-- overexposed photos and all...

On Cook's Illustrated's recommendation, I bought 2 pounds of grass-fed eye-round.  The cost was $5.99 per pound, and I think it's well worth it.  Grass-fed beef is leaner, by the way.  It also tastes better,  has a nice texture to it and it's hormone-free.  What's not to love about that?

Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with salt. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.

Pat roast dry with paper towels; rub with 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle all sides evenly with pepper.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until starting to smoke. Sear roast until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.(Sorry, the shot is a bit out of focus. I was using my older camera, which didn't shoot well in low light.)  Now, Roast until meat-probe thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 115 degrees for medium-rare, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, or 125 degrees for medium, 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.

Turn oven off; leave roast in oven, without opening door, until meat-probe thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 130 degrees for medium-rare or 140 degrees for medium, 30 to 50 minutes longer.

 

I have to say that my therma pen is one of my many favorite kitchen tools.  It's accurate and has saved me from overcooking a lot of meat dishes!  Now, that's what we're talking about! The color is beautiful and appetizing.  Transfer roast to carving board and let rest 15 minutes.

Slice meat crosswise as thinly as possible and serve. The beef was juicy and flavorful.  Next time, I'm adding garlic powder or my Susie-Q seasoning to give it more of an Italian flair.

This would be excellent served with creamy mashed potatoes and peas-- how traditional is that? This roast beef was destined for sandwiches....

I'm not thrilled with how the sandwich photo turned out. You'll have to take my word that I am very pleased to be able to make my own roast beef, at home.  My hat's off to Cook's Illustrated. This one is a winner. In a way, this beef reminds me of the Santa Maria Tri-Tip recipe (without the unique smokey flavor) that I got from Cook's Illustrated.  It's too cold to grill, so an oven method like this is a great winter substitute. A printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.

From my kitchen to yours,

Cal-Tex Mex Chili Stew with Pinto Beans

Is chili meant to be served with or without beans? Ah, that's an unresolved issue-- depending on where you're from and how you were raised.  As a kid, my mother made Chili con Carne, because my father was Mexican.  My mother never used kidney beans. Ever.  She always soaked pinto beans and added them to seasoned ground beef, with lots of onion.  The chili was always served with hot flour tortillas and a side bowl of salsa.  Mimicking my father, I'd tear each tortilla into quarters, fold over the pointed end and fold it into a scoop to hold a mound of my chili --and eat it with great relish.  To this day, I must have flour tortillas when I eat re-fried or chili beans, or something feels like it's missing.  I love me some beans, and I do make a delicious pot of chili beans, if I do say so myself. Super Bowl Sunday wouldn't be complete without a pot of my chili con carne. 

A year ago, I caught watched a pre-recorded show on the Barefoot Contessa.  Ina's friend ("Devon") was showing how she made her award-winning Tex-Mex Chili.  I forgot about these photos (which are taken with my old camera), but I do think this recipe is worth sharing.

I was intrigued, because she used brisket, and I happened to have one that was frozen in my garage freezer. Once thawed, I cut it into bite-sized pieces and made sure they were patted very dry. 

I also liked that she used fresh tomatoes, bell peppers ...

 and strong coffee...

I haven't used any of those ingredient in my own chili, and I've heard that coffee adds another layer of flavor to the spices.  Before I made this recipe, I decided to read the review. Whoa! I was taken aback at the backlash of  true Tex-Mex lovers who said that this recipe was in no way Tex-Mex!  Many reviews said that a Texan would never use beans.  Okay.  Now, I will agree that I found it very strange that Ina's friend used basil to flavor the sauce. Really? While I love basil, I nixed that idea. Instead, I opted for my beloved cilantro (which Ina Garten strongly dislikes).   As a result of my tweaks, I have renamed this recipe to be Cal-Tex Mex chili, because I'm going to use beans.  Hopefully, this will give me some leeway in my tweaks and I won't get spanked by my Texan friends.

I also used my own standard seasoning blend of chili powder, oregano, garlic powder and cumin.  I keep a bottle of this on hand, as my quick way of seasoning my taco meat, chili or anything I want to give a South of the Border spice.  Let's begin:

 Once the cut-up beef brisket was patted dry, I seasoned it with salt and pepper.  I heated olive oil until right before it started to smoke and then added the meat in batches, so as not to crowd them.

Searing is one of my favorite cooking techniques.  I rarely put any kind of meat into a slow-cooker or Dutch oven, unless it's been seared. I think it adds a lot more flavor to my braising liquids and it's worth the extra time.  (The printable recipe I will post at the bottom is for 5 pounds of brisket. I actually used 3 pounds and cut the ingredients in half.)   Once the meat has been seared in some vegetable oil, set it aside.

All those brown bits are going to give this chili a lot of flavor.

Now, I added the vegetables and I decided to add about a cup of beef broth (which wasn't in her recipe) because I wanted more braising liquid and I wanted to deglaze all of that lovely fond.

After adding a little more oil, I cooked the onion until tender (about 5 minutes). Next, I added the garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute).  I added 2 Tablespoons of my Mexican Spice Blend  If you like your chili to be really hot, you can add cayenne.  I like my chili slightly hot, but not fire-breathing so I don't add cayenne.  I felt I had enough liquid, but I love a chili that has a rich red color, and I love to taste tomato.  I decided to add two tablespoons of tomato paste.

I also added 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. 

At this point, you could transfer this to a slow cooker. Since I was home, I let this simmer for about a couple of hours.  I tasted it.  It was good.  Dear Texans, I'm sorry.  I must have beans with my chili!  Kidney beans won't do. I must have pinto beans.  I keep an assortment of canned beans on hand, because there is nothing wrong with them-- especially when I don't think to soak dried beans the night before.  I always rinse and drain canned beans, though, because I don't like the slimy film from canned beans. 

I added two 15-ounce cans...

That's more like it! This smells delicious, but I'm going to add strong coffee. Why not?

1/2 cup strong coffee (and I drink dark roast every morning) should do it. I added the coffee after the beans, instead of before.  I don't think it matters, really.  No, you can't taste "coffee", but I think it made the sauce taste richer with more depth of flavor.  I let this simmer for 2 1/2 hours and it was time to serve this:

The chili con carne that I make is very thick, with a rich and spicy sauce.  I would call this more of a "stew", since the sauce has more liquid to it.  The brisket was very tender, since I cooked it low and slow for more than two hours.  You can leave out the beans, and I still think this would be delicious.  Would I make this again? Yes, because anything with Mexican seasoning, a sauce with the background of tomato and bell peppers is a winning combination.  Searing the meat can take up to 30 minutes, but I think it's well worth it.

I do need to make a batch of my own chili con carne. It's been far too long, and I don't have a recipe. I just grab some of this and some of that.  I'll have to take the time to measure it so I can share it with you.   Then, I'm ready for a Chili Throwdown with Ina's friend.  Basil in chili? Really?  That must be a Hampton thing. So while Ina's friend, "Devon" showed how two make her award-winning Tex-Mex Chili, I think I'd made enough tweaks to call this my own Cal-Tex Mex Chili!  To see the original recipe, click here. Otherwise, a printable recipe (with my own tweaks) is at the bottom of this post.

Indian Style Rice

At last, the weekend has arrived-- as an extra bonus, we have a three-day weekend. Amen!  I have a dozen recipes I've photographed, and I am longing to get them organized and edited so that I can share them with you.  Today's recipe is a very simple rice side dish that I served with the Cook's Illustrated Tandoori Chicken.  It is, indeed, a simple yet very flavorful dish to make.  Did I mention that it's healthy, too?   I'm really loving the spice blend of Garam masala. You can make your own blend, but I buy one at my local supermarket because the spice company has done all the grinding and blending for me-- and because it's not too expensive.  I used brown basmati rice and my rice cooker, but you can make this in a covered skillet or pot.

Use enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of a pot with a tightly fitted cover. Saute onion and garlic, just until fragrant and slightly translucent. Add  rice, and cook for about 2 minutes, to lightly toast. Add garam masala spice and stir, and then add the chicken stock (or water).

 The addition of golden raisins is something we really enjoy.  I also think it adds more color. I added the toasted rice to my rice cooker, then added chicken stock.

Once the rice was cooked, I added about a cup of frozen peas and then gently stirred.  On a whim, I added  a squeeze of juice from two lime wedges and gave it a final stir.  We love cilantro, I garnished the rice with a bit of this fresh herb.  Parsley would be fine, too.

VERDICT:  Garam masala adds a multitude of flavor to otherwise plain rice.  The cinnamon is subtle, and this complimented the flavorful Tandoori Chicken.  I make this rice often, as it's become a family favorite. A printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post. 

Our California rainy weather and cloudy skies have disappeared, and it's a clear and sunny day.  I'm off to enjoy the sunshine, and I'll try and work on more recipes to share.  I've been making quite a few baked goods, such as baked doughnuts and a few other tasty treats.  Amidst all my baking, I'm still losing weight and swimming on a regular basis. I am feeling so much better!  Thank you for your words of encouragement.

Tandoori Chicken, Reworked (Cook's Illustrated Style)

Is it safe to come out, now that the holidays are over?  Don't get me wrong-- I'm not a Grinch during the month of December.  This Christmas, however, will go down in my personal history as the day that my appetite disappeared for two weeks.  The sight or thought of food did absolutely nothing for me, can you believe it?! Apparently a new medicine that my doctor prescribed decided to kick in on Christmas Eve.  My husband watched, with a perplexed look, as I two two bites of my slow-roasted prime rib.  The creamed spinach and special potatoes amounted to about 1 teaspoon of each.   I didn't even photograph the finished meal because I felt queasy and downright miserable. My appetite is slowly returning, and I've lost 12 pounds since December 1st. It's a good thing, but I also know it's important that I eat-- so I have to psyche myself into eating.  (I'll explain more at the bottom of this post about my newly diagnosed Diabetes to spare those of you who want to pass on my stories of injecting a new drug and my progress.)

I made this dish in early December, while I had already begun my pre-holiday goal of eating healthier and dropping some pounds. Time, and my appetite setback,  got in the way of posting this. Now that I can enjoy looking at food again, I'm happy to share this recipe with you.  While organizing the photos, I could recall how much I loved the flavor of this dish.    I had bookmarked this Cook's Illustrated recipe several months ago and then I stumbled across it again.  Per Cook's Illustrated, "authentic versions call for a 24-hour marinade and a tandoor, a traditional beehive-shaped clay oven—requirements that keep the dish mainly in the realm of restaurants." In the method of CI that I love so much, they set out to reinvent this Indian classic into a recipe that could be made year-round in the oven.  This is how they did it:

We begin with 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, or a mix, with breasts cut in half), trimmed of excess fat and skin removed.

Garam Masala is a key component for this recipe.  I'm still learning about Indian cooking, so it wasn't until I made Cook's Illustrated's Tikka Masala dish, I wasn't familiar with garam masala.  According to CI, "Though there are countless variations of garam masala, the warm flavors (garam means “warm” or “hot” and masala means “spice blend”) dominating this Indian spice blend are consistent: black pepper, dried chiles, cinnamon, cardamom, and coriander are staples, while cloves, cumin, fennel, mace, and nutmeg frequently turn up as supporting players."  Finding this spice blend has become much easier. I found mine at my local supermarket.

You need yogurt, to marinate the chicken with.  I used Greek Non-Fat yogurt, because I love how thick and rich it is.

You also need chili powder and cumin...

There's a little more prep work to go-- you need the juice of two limes, freshly minced garlic and ginger...

Using sharp knife, lightly score skinned side of each piece of chicken, making 2 or 3 shallow cuts about 1 inch apart and about 1/8 inch deep; transfer to bowl. The prep work took me about 30 minutes, between washing my hands a lot while taking photos.  Ready?

We're going to "bloom" the spices and reserve half as a rub, and the other half to flavor the yogurt that we'll marinate the chicken with.  Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

 The aroma is packed with so much flavor!  We're just getting started...

Transfer half of garlic-spice mixture to medium bowl; stir in yogurt and 2 tablespoons lime juice and set aside.
In large bowl, combine remaining garlic-spice mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and salt.  I didn't photograph the next step of using my hands to gently massage salt-spice mixture into chicken until all pieces are evenly coated; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.(It's a bit messy and I didn't want to get my camera all dirty.) Pour yogurt mixture over chicken and toss until chicken is evenly coated with thick layer.

 Next, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat oven to 325 degrees.

Arrange chicken pieces, scored-side down, on wire rack set in foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan.
Discard excess yogurt mixture.

Bake chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 125 degrees for breasts and 130 for legs and thighs, 15 to 25 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces.
Transfer chicken pieces to plate as they reach correct temperature.) After removing chicken from oven, turn oven to broil and heat 10 minutes.

The broiler is ready...

Once broiler is heated, flip chicken pieces over and broil until chicken is lightly charred in spots and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs, 8 to 15 minutes.

The method of broiling the chicken mimics the way that juices fall, in a tandoor oven,  on the coals along with rendered fat, creating smoke that flavors the food.

I also created a brown basmatic rice with garam masala and some other delicious aromatics.

My husband loves Indian food.  He was both surprised and thrilled to see his "Foodiewife" making a dish I'm really not familiar with.  I admit, I was looking forward to tasting this dinner.

VERDICT:  When my husband really likes the flavor of something, he let's out a slow moan.  I smiled, as he savored the flavor of this dish and he complimented me over and over again.  My husband can handle really spicy food much better than I can.  On a scale of 1-5, the heat of this dish is about a 2.5.  If you love to breathe fire, you might want to kick up the spice heat. To me, it was perfect.  This is not boring chicken! It was tender, flavorful and very healthy.  I loved this dish so much, that I'm going to pay closer attention to learning how to make more Indian dishes. I am really bonding with the traditional Indian spice combination, and I look forward to adding more spices to my pantry. Cook's Illustrated did it again-- they figured out how to make juicy, lightly charred, well-seasoned meat with just the right degree of tenderness. A printable recipe card is at the very bottom of this post.

In closing, here's a bit of personal sharing on my newly diagnosed Type II diabetes.  (Feel free to skip this paragraph and go to the recipe card, and I won't feel offended.) I'm on a very new type of medicine that I need to inject once a day, called Victoza.  Having watched my son inject himself with insulin for the last twelve years, I had no problem learning how to inject myself with Victoza. The drugs works great, in that my glucose levels are normal again. The side effects, though, reminded me of morning sickness when I was pregnant in 1988.   The nausea has pretty much calmed down, but I just don't feel hungry most of the time.  I'm very blessed to have Dr. Allen King as my endocrinologist.  Dr. King is one of the foremost experts on diabetes, and his office is in my hometown. He is the author of The Diabetic Bible, and I trust his knowledge of this disease.  Emotionally, I'm okay.   While I fully understand that Diabetes is not caused by obesity, and it's a genetic predisposition-- my goal is to lose enough weight with the hope that I won't need to take medication.  Dr. King says we'll take that one day at a time.  In the meantime, I'm doing my water aerobics at least four days a week, and some weight training with a personal trainer.
Thanks for listening.

I can still eat the things I love, by the way.  I'm not giving up baking, nor nibbling on a home baked cookie or two.  The word "moderation" has taken on a meaning as a healthier way of life.  I can do this! Heck, I'm doing it now!

I have been unable to visit my favorite food blogs for weeks-- and I apologize if I haven't personally responded to those of you who have left such kind comments for me.  Believe me, I want to. Work has been very busy for me, and I pretty much hit the sack shortly after I arrive home at the end of my night shift.

I'm going to try and post more recipes, to make up for my absence. I've miss you guys!

To your health (and mine),

,