Fresh-Off-The-Cob Corn Chowder

This week at Cook The Book Fridays, the selected recipe from Everyday Dorie is Fresh-Off-The-Cob Corn Chowder.

This chowder is so "corny-sweet" and delicious ! We are lucky that corns are available throughout the year. Could not resist nibbling on the sweet juicy kernels when I was cutting the kernels from the ears. The cobs are then used to flavour the soup, which we do all the time when we cook our corn soup, Chinese style. But this is the first time I've made corn chowder, and we like it. 

Half of the vegetables; corn, celery, onion, are sauteed and cooked in stock with potatoes until tender. Fresh rosemary, thymes and bay leaf are added for extra flavour. Half of the potatoes are taken out, cut into smaller pieces and reserved, while the other half and the rest of the cooked vegetables are pureed to a smooth texture. The other half of the raw vegetables are then sauteed in some bacon oil until they have softened a little, and added to the soup together with the reserved cut potatoes. Heat the soup through and serve, scoop into bowls, garnish with crispy fried bacon pieces and some chopped fresh herbs.

Please visit Cook The Book Fridays to see what the others think of this chowder.

This post is shared with Cookbook Countdown #44.

Italian Sesame Loaf

A wonderful bread from master baker, Nick Malgieri. This Italian Sesame Loaf with a mixture of bread flour and whole wheat flour, is coated with sesame seeds, baked to a lovely golden brown. In the recipe, the bread is baked as a 10-inch round loaf, but I've used a 11-inch oval banetton, since I prefer an oval loaf for my sandwich.

The bread has fabulous oven spring! With flavoursome taste from the whole-wheat flour, soft crumb and a nice crust, it makes a wonderful sandwich with sliced ham, cheese and greens. Yums!

Italian Sesame Loaf
(Bread by Nick Malgieri)
1-2/3 cups (375gm) room-temperature tap water, about 75℉
1/2 teaspoon (about 1.5gm) fine granulated active dry or instant yeast
3 cups (400gm) bread flour, spoon into a dry-measure cup and level off
3/4 cup (100gm) whole wheat flour
1-1/2 teaspoons (9gms) fine sea salt (I use scant 1 tsp)
1/3 cup (60gm) white untoasted sesame seeds
cornmeal for the pan

one heavy cookie or pizza pan lined with sprayed or lightly oiled parchment, plus a spray bottle filled with warm water

1. Pour the water into a 3-quart or slightly larger mixing bowl and whisk in the yeast. Wait 30 seconds, then whisk again.
2. Combine the flours and salt and use a large rubber spatula to stir them into the liquid. Scrape the side of the bowl to make sure that no flour remains stuck there. Once the dough is a coherent mass, beat it for a few seconds. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment at room temperature for at least 8 hours. It will more than double in bulk.
3. A couple of hours before you are ready to form and bake the bread, use a plastic scraper to remove the dough from the bowl to a well-floured work surface. Flour your hands and gently flatten the dough to a disk. Fold the two sides in to overlap at the middle, then roll the top toward you all the way to the end, jelly-roll style. Invert, flatten and repeat. Flour a small area on the work surface and set the dough on it, cover with a towel or sprayed or oiled plastic wrap, and let rest for 1 hour.
4. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 450℉.
5. Use a scraper to invert the dough onto a floured work surface and pull the sides of the dough in toward the centre to give the loaf a round shape, pinching the pulled-in pieces in place at the top. Invert the dough into a floured banetton or a basket lined with a floured cloth. Cover with a flat-weave towel or a piece of oiled or sprayed plastic wrap and proof the loaf until it puffs visibly, about 1 hour- it will not double in bulk.
6. Invert the paper-lined pan onto the banetton and flip the banetton over onto the pan and remove it. Use an X-Acto knife or a single-edge razor blade to cut a slash across the diameter of the loaf. Spray with water and generously sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place in the oven.
7. Wait 5 minutes and spray again, then decrease the oven temperature to 425℉.
8. Bake the loaf until it is deep golden and the internal temperature reads 200℉ on an instant read thermometer, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the loaf on a rack.

This post is linked with Cookbook Countdown #44

Shrimp Tacos

This week, at Cook The Book Fridays, the selected recipe from Everyday Dorie cookbook, is Shrimp Tacos.

It may look like there's a whole lot of prep work, but they are fairly simple and easy to do.

The cast of characters, that makes the Shrimp Tacos 😉; Salsa, Shredded Lettuce, Shrimps, Yoghurt Cream, Avocado Mash, slices of lime, Toasted Tortilla.

Let's get to know the casts a little better 😃:
Salsa - Grape tomatoes, red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and mango. (I have replaced the pineapple and peach with mango). Season with salt and lime juice. Omitted the hot sauce as I did not have any. (I thought I did!).
Lettuce - Well, simply sliced or shred them.
Shrimps - Shelled and deveined. Marinate with some olive oil and old bay seasoning or chile powder. I've used smoked paprika instead. Fry the shrimps in a little oil until cooked through, season with salt and a squeeze of lime juice.
Yoghurt Cream - Mixture of Greek yoghurt and mayonnaise, whisk together with minced chipotles in adobo sauce. I did not have any chipotles, so I've used some sriracha sauce instead.. Season with salt and lime juice.
Avocado Mash - Stir together ; lime zest and juice, minced jalapeno, and mashed avocado, season with some salt.
Tortilla - Toast lightly over the stove in a dry skillet.
Lime - Slice some wedges for serving.

Now that we are familiar with the casts, it is time to bring them together for a grand finale !

 Here's the...... Shrimp Tacos !

Well, everyone's tummy is full and happy. Review time !

Son : Yummy good!
Daughter : Very nice!
Me, me, me! : Burp..... Already thinking of making it again with perhaps, panfried chicken, or garlic, butter and chile stir-fry prawns or fish ....... . One thing for sure, I need to get a bottle of hot sauce!


Please visit the links at Cook The Book Fridays to read the others' review on this recipe.

This post is shared with Cookbook Countdown #43