Ingredients I Never Seem To Have In Stock

     I can't even count how many times I've gotten pumped to cook a recipe, then had to stop because I was missing a critical ingredient. Time and time again I tell myself that there are certain things that I must keep in stock if I'm going to be successful in the kitchen. Time and time again I completely forget to pick those things up at the grocery store. Some of you may ask "Why not just run to the store?" It's matter of principle. I screwed up by not having the item in stock. I am therefore entitled to a meltdown/tantrum until I can find a substitute for the item or an alternate recipe.

KHAAAAAAAn't find any smoked paprika!

Here's a few of my regulars:

Buttermilk
I almost never have this in the kitchen. The one time I bought it I never used it. It just sat in the fridge until it went off. I almost got completely derailed on St. Patrick's day when I went to make some soda bread and realized it called for buttermilk. There was no way I was going to put on pants and go to the market, so I just found out how to use milk and lemon juice to make ersatz buttermilk. Now I only need to worry about not having milk and lemon juice in the kitchen.

Heavy Cream
I am continually in need of heavy cream. I have lost count of the times I've found a recipe I really want to make and had to find something else because it asked for heavy cream. On those rare occasions where I do haul my carcass to the market in town, more often than not, they're out.

Gruyere
The bottom line is Gruyere is too damned expensive to just keep in the house. If I'm using Gruyere, it's because I planned the meal way in advance.  Maybe if I hit the lottery I'll consider keeping it in regular rotation.

Prosciutto
I love prosciutto. The problem is, it's not one of those things that pops into my mind when I'm making a grocery list. For me, prosciutto is a weekend special meal ingredient. It's also not something the local market carries, so if I want it, I'm driving half an hour round trip to go get it.

Spanish Chorizo
This isn't for lack of looking. For whatever reason, I can't get the cured chorizo anywhere near me. You know where I can find it? Target. Not even kidding. Unfortunately, that target is nearly a half hour away. However, there's a really good liquor store right down the street so it's not a total loss.

Good times!

Recipe Monday: Irish Soda Bread

     Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. Hopefully you remember. Hopefully you're in some condition to go about your day.

Hopefully it's not this bad.

     I, however, was the picture of moderation. Mostly. I had to be since I was cooking dinner. I made my standard corned beef and cabbage, but I tried a couple new things this year. I made colcannon and soda bread. I don't normally do the baking in the house. That usually falls to my wife or her mom. Both are very good bakers. I puttered around the internet and eventually found a recipe on the Huffington Post, of all places. I made a minor substitution, and made the buttermilk from scratch.  Milk and lemon juice! Who knew? As always, substitutions and additions are highlighted in blue.  The result was slightly sweet and extremely delicious. I can easily see myself making this bread at any time during the year, not just as a whiskey sponge. 

Irish Soda Bread
(via Ian Knauer on the Huffington Post)

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons caraway seed (I used 1.5 tablespoons of sesame seeds)
• 1 3/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter is pea-sized lumps. 
3. Add raisins and caraway, then add buttermilk and stir just until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.
4. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and gently knead with floured hands about 8 times to form a soft but slightly less sticky dough, then form into a ball. Pat dough ball into a domed 8-inch round on baking sheet. Cut a 1/2-inch-deep X on top of each loaf with a sharp knife.
5. Bake in the middle of oven until golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, 45 to 55 minutes. 
6. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Good times!