Dreaming of fantasy

As convenient as store-bought duck confit is, we find that its quality tends to vary. Making your own allows you to control the spicing and the cooking time to produce a velvety piece of meat. This ancient preservation method has three parts: First you cure the duck legs in salt (drawing out the water in which microorganisms can live), then you slowly cook them in fat, and finally you store them fully covered in the cooking fat so air can't get in lace wigs uk.
Ingredients

1 large head garlic, left unpeeled, plus 4 large cloves, divided
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
1 teaspoon Quatre épices (French four-spice blend)
2 large shallots, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California, crumbled
6 fresh Moulard, Muscovy, or Long Island (Pekin) duck legs (5 pounds total)
2 whole cloves
5 (7-ounce) containers rendered duck fat

Equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Preparation

Mince and mash 4 garlic cloves to a paste with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir together paste, kosher salt (1/4 cup), thyme, quatre épices, shallots, and bay leaves in a large bowl. Add duck legs and toss to coat, then marinate Gemstone jewelry, covered and chilled, at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Wipe off marinade with paper towels.

Trim off 1/4 inch from top of garlic head, then stick 2 whole cloves into head. Melt duck fat in a wide large heavy pot over low heat, then cook garlic head and duck legs, uncovered, over low heat until fat registers approximately 190°F, about 1 hour. Continue to cook duck, maintaining a temperature of 190 to 210°F, until a wooden pick slides easily into thighs, 2 to 3 hours more.

Transfer duck with a slotted spoon to a large bowl (reserve garlic for another use if desired). Slowly pour duck fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a large crock or deep bowl, leaving any cloudy liquid or meat juices in bottom of pot, then pour strained fat over duck legs to cover by 1 inch. (If necessary, shorten drumstick bones 1 to 2 inches using a large heavy knife to fit legs more tightly in bowl.) Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.

Just before serving, remove duck from fat (reserve fat for another use, such as frying), scraping off most of fat, then cook, skin side down, in a large heavy nonstick skillet over low heat, covered, until skin is crisp and duck is heated through hong kong work visa, 15 to 20 minutes

Cooks' note: Duck legs can be chilled in fat up to 3 months.

yield
Makes about 60

active time
20 minutes

total time
1 hour 10 minutes
Baking wings yields crisp skin without the mess and constant tending of frying. Divide the wings between our two sauces, or double one sauce recipe and use it on all 60 wings handmade jewelry.
Ingredients
Buffalo sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's)

Ginger-soy glaze:

1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 2x1" piece of ginger, peeled, sliced

Wings:

5 pounds chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For buffalo sauce:
Mix first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in hot sauce; keep warm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Rewarm before using cloud backup.

For ginger-soy glaze:
Bring all ingredients and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve honey. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/4 cup, 7–8 minutes. Strain into a medium bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes to thicken slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 5 days ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.

For wings:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Set a wire rack inside each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Place all ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Divide wings between prepared racks and spread out in a single layer.

Bake wings until cooked through and skin is crispy, 45–50 minutes.

Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil; top with a wire rack. Add half of wings to ginger-soy glaze and toss to evenly coat. Place wings in a single layer on prepared rack and bake until glaze is glossy and lightly caramelized Hong Kong PolyU MBA, 8–10 minutes.

Toss remaining half of wings in Buffalo sauce. Serve immediately (no need to bake).

Duck and Mango Soba Salad is a big bowl of deliciousness--slithery noodles, succulent roast duck, juicy mango slices and vibrant green herbs. The dressing relies on just a few pantry staples. Asian pantry staples that is. I recommend you keep on hand six basic items--Chinese chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, miso and coconut milk. You can expand that list as you see fit. I always have various types of soy sauce and Chinese vinegars, oyster sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, Mirin, Chinese sesame paste dc gear motors, shelf stable packages of tofu, Asian noodles and some Thai curry pastes. A few pantry staples, a stop to pick up a duck at a Chinese deli and a swing through a produce market and you're on your way to making Duck and Mango Soba Salad!

I shop on Clement Street frequently because there are lots of produce markets with a variety of fruit and vegetables I can't find elsewhere (such as Chinese greens and fresh lychees) shops where I can find dim sum to-go and Chinese delis. I know some people like rotisserie chickens, but I prefer Chinese roast duck. Where I live in San Francisco they cost about $12 for a whole and $7 for a half duck. Roast duck is about as versatile as rotisserie chicken but so much tastier and not expensive.

This week I bought some firm green mangoes for a dollar a piece. You don't have to wait until a mango is soft to use it. In fact, some dishes are better if you use a firmer, less ripe mango. This is one of those recipes. If your mango gets very soft, scoop the flesh from the skin and pit, and freeze the pulp. It's great in smoothies business address in hong kong, ice cream and baked goods.

Note: Test the noodles before the package instructions indicate they are done.

Duck and Mango Soba Salad
Serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese chili garlic sauce (please tell me you have this, if not, you need it)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 7 - 8 oz package buckwheat or cha green tea soba noodles
1 cup Chinese roast duck sliced
1 large firm mango, sliced into matchsticks
4 green onions, slivered
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped or more to taste

Instructions

Whisk the first five ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.

Cook the soba noodles al dente according to package directions. Do not overcook! Once cooked, drain, rinse, and place in a large mixing or serving bowl.

To the soba noodles add the duck, mango Korean skin care brand, green onions, and cilantro. Add dressing and toss again before serving.

I love my enameled cast iron cookware. Nothing can really beat enameled cast iron for stews and braises. It holds the heat well, and is easy to clean. It is compatible with every type of range (gas, electric and induction) and is ovenproof up to 500 degrees. It's heavy, so I leave some pieces on the stove all the time. I mostly have Le Creuset, because that's what I registered for when I got married and I have bought some for friends too. But Le Creuset is terribly expensive so I have a hard time recommending it glass teapot set.

Late last year I wrote about the Martha Stewart line of enameled cast iron. It was much less expensive than Le Creuset and definitely performed as well. The colors and shapes were a bit different from Le Creuset, but the price made up for any differences. Now I've got an even better recommendation, the ProCook line of enameled cast iron.

Take a look at how the ProCook in aubergine compares to my Le Creuset in white (and ignore the crumbs on the stove). The ProCook casserole is a bit larger at 4.2 quarts versus the Le Creuset 3.5 quarts.
The lid on the ProCook actually is a bit better in my opinion, because it has those braising ridges that help baste.
I cooked onions in both and they performed equally well baby bed.

But when it comes to price, there is no comparison. The Le Creuset is $235 and the ProCook, only $52! On sale the Martha Stewart 5 quart oval is $99, almost twice the price of the ProCook piece. I have no idea how they can produce these pieces so inexpensively. Even better, they offer free shipping for any online purchase over $50. The range of colors includes black, red, cream and aubergine. The colors, shape of the pieces and the handles are all very attractive.

ProCook is a family owned company from England, though I imagine the pieces are manufactured in China. I had never heard of them, but found they get very good customer reviews online. They have only two retail shops in the US in New Hampshire and Maine, but sell everything online. They also have great prices on other types of casseroles and cookware, an "Atlas" style pasta maker for only $27, box graters for $5. Whether your are setting up your own kitchen or buying a gift, ProCook is well worth a closer look amway.

Happy Peanut Butter Cookie Day! I swear there is a food holiday for everything imaginable. Today, I’m not just celebrating this holiday but the blogiversary of my blogger bff Allie of Baking A Moment with an awesome KitchenAid giveaway discount designer sunglasses!

My best pals, Zainab of Blahnik Baker, Alice of Hip Foodie Mom and Connie of Urban Bakes are all so excited to host this giveaway to celebrate what she means to us! Allie has an incredible blog which is going far. I can’t believe she has only been in the game for a year!! I am just so delighted for her. Allie is not just an amazing blogger but an amazing soul. I have always read her blog and felt like I knew her but when I met her at Blogher Food this year, I felt such an instant connection. It was like we had been friends for ages Private Cloud! I know how rare that connection is, and I truly cherish it. I am so lucky to call her my friend. So these peanut butter cookie stacks are the perfect way to celebrate both occasions!

They only take a few ingredients to make. I used Pillsbury peanut butter cookie dough and sandwiched them with a three ingredient chocolate frosting. Talk about delicious! This frosting is easy to mix in your KitchenAid stand mixer. And it only takes 5 minutes to make iPhone cover!