Is browned butter the new e.v.o.o.?

Because I'm seeing it everywhere:

Brown Butter Cookies
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shorties (more cookies)
my last post ;)

I've noticed trends in food blogs before. A certain ingredient that just keeps popping up: chickpeas or morels or curry. Maybe not that surprising if you assume that food bloggers are reading and being inspired by other food blogs.

If browned butter is the new trend, all I can say is YUM!!! (Especially to those brown butter brown sugar shorties. I will be making them soon, if at all possible.)

Orangette's Brown-Buttered Corn

I apparently did not charge my camera battery the other day and so I have no photographic evidence of what I brought to our Thanksgiving feast today. It's a tasty dish that I first discovered here and has become a staple of sorts at holiday meals when I'm asked to bring a dish. If you've never had browned butter anything, you must try this recipe. Aside from on-the-cob, corn has never tasted so good.

Some of the things I love about this recipe... You can make it with fresh, frozen, or canned corn. (Fresh is best, of course, then frozen, then canned.) You can also make it with fresh or dried thyme (opt for fresh if you can find it -- the aroma is unbelievable). I always forget about the parsley, but it still tastes good. It doubles/triples/quadruples/whatever with just the slightest increase in cooking time. It saves well and tastes great reheated. And, AND ... it goes with just about anything -- turkey/potatoes/stuffing, grilled fish tacos, steak, whatever!

It's too late to try it for this year's Thanksgiving, of course, but consider it for Christmas or anytime in between.

an omelette inspired

button mushroom, originally uploaded by Corey Holms.

The other night I went to the grocery store in the perfect state of hunger -- I wasn't so hungry that I was ravenous, but I was just hungry enough to be inspired by much of what I saw in the store.

I was craving a salad and so bought my usual salad fixings: red leaf lettuce, hothouse cucumber, feta, red wine vinegar, olive oil, splurged on an out-of-season red pepper. Mmmm...

With that in mind and the knowledge that I had both button mushrooms and white cheddar cheese at home, I decided that an omelette would be make a nice, light entree to accompany my salad. I bought thick-cut bacon, some brown eggs, and half a gallon of whole milk and then headed home.

The salad was easily assembled while the omelette was cooking. No problem.

The omelette itself:

1. Two strips of bacon were cut into 1/2" strips directly into the pan with kitchen shears (this is one of the only thing I actually use kitchen shears for, oddly enough).
2. While the bacon began to sizzle over medium heat, I sliced (somewhat thinly) 3 or 4 button mushrooms and -- as the fat began to render -- added them to the pan.
3. I whipped up an egg and 3 egg whites (oh, the waste -- I know -- but it's so much fluffier with whites), added a splash of milk, a touch of water (an old trick from my friend's older brother and master omelette maker), and some s & p. As soon as the mushrooms and bacon were sufficiently cooked, I poured the egg mixture into the pan.
4. Using the spatula to pull the egg away from the side and allowing the uncooked egg to run underneath it (a trick learned from my brother, of all people), the omelette slowly cooked.
5. When there was no more egg to run over the side, I covered the pan with a lid for just a minute (to insure the top of the omelette was also cooked -- no slimy, uncooked egg for this eater).
6. Removing the lid, I grated some white cheddar directly onto the omelette.
7. I used the spatula to fold the omelette in half while still in the pan and then slide it onto the waiting plate.
   

Sitting down to eat, I was rewarded with a satisfying and yet relatively light evening meal. I'll have to do this again sometime.

brownies

A confession: I stole the following recipe from another blog. But that's what cooks do, right? We steal and we tweak and then we present it as our own. However, since my tweaking was the result of ingredient availability and not culinary genius, I submit my humble thanks and acknowledgments to The Wednesday Chef a.k.a. Luisa Weiss and her post on Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownies.

I've never made brownies before, but after making (and eating) these ... I don't know that I'll ever be willing to try another recipe. They are well-deserving of their name.

Supernatural Brownies
Yields 15 large or 24 small brownies

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips)
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado (I used light brown sugar)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional (ick. hate nuts in brownies. left these out.)

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment (not to be confused with waxed) paper (take the time to do this ... it made brownie removal soooo easy). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave (noooooo - no microwaving, folks), melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer (do it by hand ... feels better, I promise you), whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter (sad). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack. (But don't cool them too much ... you should eat them while they're still warm and a bit gooey and with really good vanilla bean ice cream ... the kind that's made with real sugar, please!)

Try this recipe. I assure you, you will love it.