I don’t get the chance to make desserts too often but when I do my favorite thing to make is Baklava. If you’ve never had Baklava rush right out and get some – you’ll probably find it on the menu of your favorite local Greek restaurant. For the adventurous give this recipe a try. It’s a bit of work and isn’t cheap to make but the results. Oh the results. Baklava is one of the sweetest most satisfying treats I’ve ever eaten.

Baklava has quite a history too, believed to be introduced by the Assyrians in the 8th century B.C. Some interesting reading on the topic of the history of Baklava can be found at The Kitchen Project and TurkishBaklava.com. You may also find it referred to as baclava or baklawa.

As someone who enjoys dabbling in the kitchen I get pleasure out of seeing the reactions of others to my creations. This is especially true in the case of Baklava since I try to refrain from eating more than a couple of pieces, and this recipe makes enough for maybe 40 people. If I didn’t get a lot of help eating it I’d be in trouble! Every time I’ve brought it to work I always get a reaction similar to:

Hey John this Baklava is really good – where did you get it?
I made it.
WOW.

That makes it all worth it.

NEW – Visit my Baklava Store where you can buy Baklava without having to make it, or other Baklava related items. Through trusted vendor Amazon.com.

If you are looking for how to make baklava, read on for the best baklava recipe you will find on the internet:

Ingredients

2 pounds phyllo dough (approx. 40 sheets)
6 ½ cups finely chopped walnuts
1 ½ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
¾ pound unsalted butter (melted)
2 ½ cups honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Grease a 13×9 pan (bottom & sides) and set aside.

Mix well the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack.

Note: When working with phyllo be sure to work fast and keep the unused portion covered with plastic wrap at all times, as it tends to dry out pretty fast. Also, be sure to carefully follow the defrosting instructions on the phyllo – the sheets will stick together if you try to do a “speed defrost”.

Set aside one full-size sheet of phyllo dough. Cover with plastic wrap.

Cut remaining phyllo sheets into 13×9 sheets. Actually, measure your pan and cut the sheets to match the actual inside dimensions. On my pan it is actually 12″ x 8″, for example. With a big sharp knife you should be able to cut all of the phyllo at the same time. You will most likely have a lot of left over phyllo – consider finding another dish where you could use the smaller pieces of leftover phyllo dough.

Carefully lay the full-size phyllo sheet into the greased pan, folding over the pan edges. With a pastry brush, liberally apply melted butter.

Lay a cut sheet of phyllo into the bottom of the pan, and with a pastry brush liberally apply melted butter. Repeat 9 more times, so that you have the one full sheet and 10 smaller sheets as your bottom layer.

Sprinkle 2 cups of the walnut mixture into the pan. Lay 6 more sheets of phyllo on top, making sure to liberally apply the melted butter between each sheet. Repeat this 3 more times, so that you have 4 separate layers of the walnut mixture. For the top layer place as many phyllo sheets on top as you have remaining, again making sure to liberally butter between each sheet. Using a sharp plastic spatula, carefully fold over the large sheet of phyllo that should still be extended over the edge back onto the top, so that you can see down the inside edges of the pan. In effect you now have one big baklava package wrapped with your initial phyllo sheet. Using a very, very sharp serrated knife, carefully score the baklava into whatever shape you want. A diamond pattern is the traditional shape. Try to cut about half-way down into the baklava when you do this.

Bake for 2 ½ to 3 hours at 300 degrees until nice and brown.

About 5 minutes before removing the baklava from the oven, combine the honey and lemon juice and heat over a medium heat until runny. Do not boil it, just heat it well so it has a consistency more like water.

Remove the baklava from the oven and very carefully drain the butter that it will no doubt be floating in.

Set the baklava on a cooling rack, and pour the honey mixture completely over it.

Cover the baklava and let sit for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best (if you can wait that long!)

When you are ready to cut the pieces, cut through the score marks with a sharp knife, and use a spatula to remove the pieces. Have patience with this step, if you are not careful here you can make a real mess of it!

You are done, enjoy the fruits of your labor. This is a labor intensive dish but well worth it! (Just don’t try to run it through a calorie counter – you won’t like what you see!)

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Post from: John's Jottings

Recipe – Baklava

I’ve made this recipe about six times now and it has finally stabilized into something I am very happy with. John’s Texas Red is a hot chili, hot enough to put sweat on your forehead and clear out your sinuses, but not so hot as to be inedible. The first incarnation of this chili was made with 15 habañeros, no tomatoes and a pint of Guinness. As fond of Guinness and habañeros as I am I’ll admit it – that batch was inedible.

This chili has been entered in two chili contests, both times taking the title as the hottest chili. I’m sure I would have won crowd favorite in one contest but it was so popular that it was all gone before half the crowd had a chance to taste it. I was robbed!

In both chili contests the winning entry contained cinnamon and sugar. Seriously. You won’t find any toast toppings in my chili, nor will you find beans or chili powder. This isn’t a slow cooker chili but I think it could be adapted to use a slow cooker if you wanted.

Ingredients

2 pounds chuck roast (½” – ¾” cubes)
1 ½ pounds course ground chuck
6 slices thick-cut smoked bacon (coarsely chopped)
2 tablespoons cooking oil (optional)
2 large white onions (coarsely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (pressed or finely chopped)
4 large stalks celery (coarsely chopped)
5 dried habañero peppers
4 dried ancho peppers
2 cups water
6 fresh hot peppers (mixed variety, include 2 habañeros � de-seeded and coarsely chopped)
1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14oz. can petite diced tomatoes (drained)
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Boil water. Place dried peppers in a bowl, add boiling water, and cover. Let sit about 10 minutes. Remove and de-seed peppers. Strain water to remove seeds.

Place water and seeded dried peppers in a pot over medium high heat, cook until half of the water is reduced, about 30 minutes.

Place fresh peppers in food processor along with reduced dried pepper mixture and pulse to make a sauce with a consistency a bit like ketchup. Add additional water if needed. This will result in about 2 cups of ‘chili sauce.’

Brown bacon, onions and garlic in large stew pot over high heat. Add cooking oil if needed. Once bacon is browned and onions ‘wet’ add chuck roast and ground chuck and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Add chili sauce and celery to meat mixture. Stir well. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour.

Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano and salt. Cook over medium-low heat for an additional 1 hour. Be careful not to cook off all the liquid.

Serve with your favorite toppings. Don’t forget the beer.

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Post from: John's Jottings

Recipe – John’s Texas Red Chili

Here’s a recipe you’ll find nowhere else – and certainly not in any low-fat cookbook! But first, the story of how it came about.

Years ago in my formative years I did a lot of camping and fishing with my dad and a family friend named John Derrenberger. John made a dish called Eggs Derrenberger, which my dad euphemistically pronounced “Eggs Doo-ron-bur-jhay” much the same way some people refer to J.C. Penny as “Jacque Pin-ay” or Target as “Tar-jhay”. John’s recipe was fairly simple: start with a large cast iron skillet and fry up a batch of skin-on hotdogs for lunch or dinner. Reserve pan without cleaning; keep until morning. Use uncleaned pan to make scrambled eggs. A veritable flavor explosion!

Eggs Derrenberger was delicious but the recipe is impractical for use in the kitchen so I’ve adapted the recipe for home consumption, if your arteries can take it.

Ingredients

6 large eggs, scrambled
6 sausage links
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook sausage in large heavy skillet without a non-stick surface; remove cooked sausage and dice as many as desired for inclusion in eggs; keep pan on flame.
2. Add butter to hot grease and wait until melted; add eggs, basil, mustard, salt and pepper.
3. Cook eggs until just starting to set, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan as you scramble the eggs; add cheese and diced sausage; cook until done.

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Post from: John's Jottings

Recipe – Dirty Eggs

Coq au Vin (“Chicken with Wine”) is a classic dish worthy of the time required to make it right. The meat literally melts off the bone, the infusion of the chicken and the wine combining with a rich gravy that will keep your guests coming back for more. Serve it at special events or a family dinner – but be prepared for a little work as things this good take time. Recipe adapted from “Cooks Illustrated, January & February, 1999″.

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks, well trimmed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle (750ml) fruity red wine – Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir works well
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
6 ounces thick-cut smoked bacon, cubed
6-7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium shallots, peeled and quartered
2 medium garlic cloves, skin on and mashed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 10 parsley stems and 1 bay leaf bundled into a bouquet garni
1 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
1 pound frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/2 pound small white button mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Generously sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, set aside. Bring red wine and chicken stock to boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until reduced to about 4 cups, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry bacon in a deep, heavy-bottomed sauté pan or better yet a Round French Oven from Le Creuset. Heat until fat has rendered and the bacon is a golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate to drain; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with rendered bacon fat; add carrot, onion, shallots and garlic and saute until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer vegetables to reduced wine mixture (off heat), squeezing out as much fat as possible. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from French oven.

Return French oven to burner over medium-high heat and add another tablespoon of butter. When butter is melted, add chicken and cook until well browned all over, turning once or twice as necessary, for 12-16 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate; set aside. Pour off all fat from French oven; return to heat and add wine-vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add browned chicken, bouquet garni and tomato paste to boiling mixture; return to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered. Turn chicken once or twice as necessary during cooking, until tender and infused with wine flavor, 60 minutes.

While chicken and sauce are cooking, heat another 2 tablespoons butter in medium sauce skillet over medium-low heat. Add pearl onions and cook for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, season with salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms release their liquid. Remove cover, increase heat to high and boil until liquid has evaporated and onion and mushrooms are olden brown, about another 5 minutes. Transfer onions and mushrooms to plate with bacon; set aside.

When the chicken is cooked, transfer to platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Strain sauce through fine wire mesh sieve set over large bowl, pressing on solids with a spoon to release all the liquid. Sauce should measure 2-3 cups. Return sauce to pan. Counting 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour for each cup of sauce, mash 2 to 3 tablespoons each butter and flour in small bowl to make a beurre manié. Bring sauce to boil and whisk in beurre manié until thickened and smooth. Add reserved chicken, bacon, onions and mushrooms; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer very gently to warm through and blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Check seasoning again and adjust if necessary; add parsley. Transfer chicken to serving plate; pour sauce over chicken. Serve immediately.

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Post from: John's Jottings

Recipe – Coq au Vin