Questions, Answers, and Apple Cranberry Cider

Soup Spoon was introduced one month ago today.

Attachment, perhaps, is one of the traits I am supposed to rid myself of, but I must admit; I am a bit attached to you. You, the sweet tender reader, who watch Soup Spoon when I am not around, try the recipes, laugh at the stories, and keep coming back for more; I am a bit attached to you. You have told me your successes of delicious meals you prepared from recipes you found here, and I am beaming to think of happy little kitchens being loved.
Through the month, you have asked some excellent questions that many people probably have, and so I will answer a few of them here. This might be a bit more school like than my posts typically are, but I want you to know the answers to your questions. That said, please post other questions in the comments and I would love to try to answer them as well.

1. Does sifted flour mean measure and then sift or sift and then measure?
    If your recipe calls for 1 cup sifted flour, sift and then measure
    If your recipe calls for 1 cup flour, sifted; measure and then sift
        This rule also applies to things like minced parsley or parsley, minced. In the first you would mince and then measure, in the second you would measure and then mince.

2. Why is my chicken breast so tough?
    Assuming that it has not been forgotten too long on a grill, how the chicken is cut determines if it is tender or rubbery. If you are cutting raw chicken for a stir-fry or soup, lay the chicken breast straight up and down  on a cutting board with the bottom point towards you. Notice the grain lines in the meat. Cut across the grain for a more tender bite.

3. What happens if I use whole wheat flour in biscuits?   
    The whole wheat version was deliciously hearty and moist with a slightly nutty flavor from the whole wheat flour. Please check out the comments on the Happy Birthday Post for the recipe adaptation I suggested. They are not the flaky golden version that first pops into mind when I think buttermilk biscuits, but for a whole grain approach, they are still light and great enough to impress.

4. How do I best fry an egg?

    Frying eggs is beautiful. The pan, heat of the stove, and type of fat all play key roles in the best fried egg.
I have one non-stick pan and I use it for eggs. The non-stick surface allows the egg to gently flip without breaking the yolk or losing half of the white.
The stove must be hot enough to thin the oil across the pan but not so hot that the egg's edges curl and sizzle when they hit the pan. A medium low heat works well on most gas stoves and a 6-7 seems to be good on an electric. Play around with your stove because each pan will conduct heat differently.
The goal is to have a fried egg without brown edges. The right fat over the right heat will make that happen.
Brown edges on an egg are tough and rubbery. Cooking an egg slow enough to keep from getting the brown edges will make the egg smooth and gentle to eat. I use olive oil for frying eggs because I love the flavor and texture of olive oil, and the heat should be low enough that olive oil can take it. If you try olive oil and it smokes, the heat was too hot for too long . Throw out the oil and try again.
Once the oil has thinned just enough to cover the pan, crack black pepper and salt into the pan, and then add your egg. I also love to add dried thyme or sage (like I did in the picture above) with the salt for a super savory egg. Adding the salt and pepper before cracking your egg is for mostly aesthetic purposes. When the egg is flipped and set on toast, the gorgeous bits of black pepper, herbs, and salt grace the top of the almost hidden yolk... I love that. (This is assuming that you will be flipping your egg. Sunny side uppers should salt and pepper on top of the egg once you crack it into the pan.)
Practice flipping the egg without a spatula. This is a messy fun morning. Try it over the sink or at least with a dog by your side.
(oh my... I really have opinions about eggs.) Click HERE for a few fried egg recipe ideas.

Yesterday, I spent an hour on the phone with my sweet mom. She is this amazingly intelligent woman with opinions about most things, and a way of stating them that makes me want to listen. We talked politics yesterday... politics, cake, and Christmas brunch... We keep a livable balance.
As far back as I can remember holidays, and the food that comes with holidays, I remember a simmering pot of mom's cider on the stove. Mom loves this cider. As a kid I observed that the test to see if it is ready is if the house smells full of cinnamon, clove, and cranberry.
drinkable potpourri.
At Thanksgiving this year I smiled to myself as mom came walking through the kitchen wafting air to her nose with her hand and said, "I just don't smell it yet. It must not be ready." We have it at Thanksgiving and we will have it at Christmas. It just would not be the holidays without the pot of cider filling the house with cheer. This being the season for parties and company, a pot of this might do well in your house too.

Mom's Cider
1 gallon apple juice
6 cups cranberry juice cocktail
5 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
1/2 cup white sugar
one tea ball infuser

1. Mix apple juice and cranberry juice in crockpot or in large soup pot on stove. Stir in sugar until dissolved.
2. Add cinnamon sticks to juice. Place cloves in a tea ball, and add tea ball to juice.
3. Let simmer until it smells amazing... it is best after about 4 hours.

When I asked mom about putting the cider in this post. She said, "Tell them I love you." How that directly connects with this recipe I am not sure, but none-the-less my mom loves me... so that is that. 

Comments

[Riley]

I had FUN but not success at frying an egg with olive oil. Went to the grocery and bought some great looking raisin/nut bread and organic eggs. Got the olive oil, pepper, salt, thyme and bread ready. The olive oil beaded up in the pan like water on my car after a good wax job. I got tired of waiting so I cracked the egg into the pan and watched the olive oil surround the egg but it stuck to the pan. As I tried to flip the egg with a spatula the yolk broke creating a messy situation. After cooking for awhile I scooped the creation onto the bread and thoroughly enjoyed the taste. I took a photo to document the attempt and will keep taking photos until I get an aesthetically correct one. Thanks for the inspiration.

[L*Joy]

Oh I love it.
Keep trying... The oil will thin when it is hot enough to receive the egg.
Picturing you perusing the aisle looking for the prettiest bread and knowing to buy organic eggs make me smile.
there is hope:)
sending you a perfect egg experience
L*Joy

[Riley]

Did better today. First egg broke, second stayed whole. Flipped without a spatula.FUN
Forgot to pre pepper and thyme. Looking forward to tomorrow. Thanks.

[Riley]

Success! Today I enjoyed an egg that instead of burnt edges had a beautiful white landscape of cracked pepper and thyme. Thank you for turning a chore into a looked forward to pleasure.