Pie dough

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 Tbs. very cold water

Directions

Fit the mixer with the flat beater, and stir together the flour, sugar and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with the butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball and flatten into a disk. (Although many dough recipes call for chilling the dough at this point, this dough should be rolled out immediately for the best results.) Lightly flour the work surface, then flatten the disk with 6 to 8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Makes enough dough for one 9-inch single-crust pie or one 10-inch galette. 

To make a double-crust pie: Double the recipe, cut the dough in half and pat each half into a round, flat disk. Roll out one disk into a 12-inch round as directed and line the pan or dish. Press any scraps trimmed from the first round into the bottom of the second disk. Roll out the second dough disk into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick and refrigerate until ready to use.

A Natural Rodent Deterrent?

I don't want to kill this cute little guy.  But I'd rather he wasn't in our house.

So how can we tell him to stay away without using poisons or traps?

A study published in the Scientific World Journal researched the effect of Eucalyptus oil on deterring rats. They found that a 5% solution significantly deterred rats when applied daily, but did not significantly deter them when applied weekly.

A 20% solution significantly deterred rats when applied daily or weekly:



I mixed a 33% solution (1 part Eucalyptus oil with 2 parts water), and am going to start spraying it around the house weekly.  I'll report back about how this works.

Gnochetti with Pork Sugo nello stile di Massimo

If I had to pick a last meal, it would be Massimo Conti's (La Ciccia) Gnochetti with Pork Sugo.

Here's my attempt to re-create it (with Massimo's instruction below).

Pork Sausage

1 pound of pork shoulder, coarsely ground in meat grinder

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, roasted and ground coarsely

1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons red wine

1.5 teaspoons salt 

1.5 teaspoons ground pepper

2 teaspoons paprika 

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine and let marinate for 8-24 hours.

Sugo and Gnochetti

Olive Oil
1/2 onion
Pork Sausage
Garlic
Saffron
Italian parsley
2 dried red peppers, seeds removed and chopped very finely (about 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes)
Tomato Sauce

Chop onion coarsely. Heat Olive oil and brown pork sausage.  Add onion about 1/2 way through cooking pork.  When onions are translucent and pork is browned.  When almost done, add saffron, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Add tomato sauce and stew over very low heat for 1/2 hour to 1 hour.   Boil gnochetti (9-10 minutes) and add to sauce.  Cover generously with Pecorino or Parmesan cheese.


Chef Massimo from La Ciccia showing how to make the Gnochetti with Pork Sugo:

Kayaking Margaritas

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

3/4 cup tequila

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

1/4 cup agave nectar

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

3 tomatoes

Ear of corn

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

Choose from one line

Jalapeno

Cilantro

Fresh ground cumin

Salt

Pepper

Leubitz Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soap - Batch #19

Based on Soap Essentials Bar II from Susan Miller Cavitch's "The Soapmakers Companion"

Base

595 g olive oil

454 g coconut oil

397 g palm oil 

Lye mixture

201 g lye

539 g water

Essential Oils 

20 g rosemary 

15 g eucalyptus 

15 g Teatree 

10 g litsea cubeana

Calendula (marigold) flowers

Directions

Melt the oils in a pot then transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix lye mixture carefully in a plastic container.

Cool both the oil mixture and the lye mixture (separately) to about 90 to 100°F. 

Fit the mixer with a paddle attachment, and slowly pour the lye mixture into the oils as it is running at a very slow speed (about 2). 

Gradually increase speed as mixture thickens, making sure that it doesn't go so fast that the liquid comes out of the bowl.

Bring to a trace. (This batch took about 35 minutes to get to trace). It's "at trace" when a little bit of soap mixture drizzled across the surface of the remaining soap leaves a trace behind before sinking in.

Once at trace, add the essential oils and flowers.

Place into mold. Cover with a heating blanket for one day. Then leave solution to harden in a dark place for 1 to 2 weeks.