Mexican Chocolate Sourdough Brownies

Sourdough Surprises May 2013

Sourdough and Brownies are not a typical twosome, or so I thought. Now it appears that the food blogosphere is full of recipes pairing two of my favorite ingredients. You can even find a page of sourdough brownies on Pinterest, who knew? Interesting, unusual, but so what?  The WHAT is this month's cooking challenge at SourdoughSurprises featuring... you guessed it, sourdough and brownies. I'm in! What could be better than dark chocolate brownies? maybe dark chocolate brownies with a Mexican twist. Mexican chocolate drinks blend unsweetened chocolate with a hint of cinnamon and a bite of chile heat, so why not add those flavors to chocolate brownies? 

Photo: brownie ingredients - note the blue/green shells on the Polish chicken eggs

Photo: melted chocolate and butter wait for the remaining ingredients

Photo: corners pull away from the pan when brownies are fully baked

I began with a recipe from BakeNQuilt, who adapted it from WildYeast, and then I tweaked it a bit to add a minor Mexican note. The first batch was a pleasant surprise with a dense chocolatey texture, less sweet than most cloyingly sugary brownies, and more cakelike than I expected for a recipe with no extra flour beyond that in the half cup of sourdough starter. The chile is a backnote, subtle but noticeable, so for the chile sensitive you might serve a square with a dollop of whipped cream, sweetened crema, honey Greek yogurt or ice cream to temper the bite and add a touch more sweetness. For batch two I might adjust the quantity of chile and add a touch more sugar, or not. RL enjoyed them as baked and I'm still waiting for reports from the neighbors. Thank you, SourdoughSurprises, for launching this delicious challenge. 

Mexican Chocolate Sourdough Brownies

6 oz dark bittersweet chocolate (60%), broken into pieces
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1 egg, beaten
1 egg white
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sourdough starter, well-fed and rested
1/4 cup caramel bits or chopped nuts (optional) 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. (My oven runs cool so I used 350 F)
2. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil and butter the foil for easy removal of the brownie square.
3. Place the chocolate and butter in a 4-cup microwave safe measuring cup. Melt in successive 30-second bursts, stirring after each interval. Be careful not to overheat and burn the chocolate. (I don't know what that does, but several recipes include that warning. I was careful to heat only until the chocolate lumps disappeared)
4. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and ancho and chipotle chile powders to the mix and stir briefly to incorporate.
5. Add the egg and egg white and whisk to combine.
6. Sift the cocoa powder into the mix and stir, not whisk, to combine. (Again, the warnings caution against whisking. This might change the texture of the brownie and not in a good way)
7. Add the sourdough starter and stir in gently.
8. Spread half of the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Scatter half of the caramel bits or nuts (if using) across the surface. Add the remaining batter and top with the remaining caramel or nuts. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, rotating pan half way through. Test in the center with a toothpick; it should come out clean or with very few crumbs. The corners of the brownie will also have pulled away from the pan.
9. Cool for 20 minutes, then use the overhanging foil edges to lift to a baking rack. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Cucumber Melon Refresher

SRC: Secret Recipe Club May 2013

It's a heat wave, in May no less. Seattle tied with Phoenix for the highest daily temperature in the nation this past week, a scorching 87 degrees F. No complaints here, it has been lovely, if just a bit unreal. The hot weather made it easy to choose a few drink recipes from Amy's Cooking Adventures for my Secret Recipe Club post this month. I picked the coolest, most refreshing beverage I could find, Amy's Cucumber-Melon Refresher. Actually I tried several other drinks, but this was the first and most in-season with mint and strawberries. As a bacon and popcorn fan I was tempted to make multiple batches of her Bacon Caramel Corn with Dark Chocolate, but we're on a renewed campaign to eat healthier. Healthier probably shouldn't include bacon, brown sugar, light syrup and dark chocolate but damn! that sounded tasty. Sigh, moving on...

Amy's base recipe works best with a really sweet, flavorful watermelon. My mini melon was pretty cute, quite colorful and waaaay too bland. Lime juice and fresh strawberries came to the rescue, adding a sweet/tart note that balanced the more assertive cucumber flavor. The watermelon played a minor role, adding volume, color and just a hint of flavor. We tried a glass straight up, then another one with rum and finally a third with a shot of tequila. I enjoyed the kid's version, served over ice, but would never turn down the high test adult version with alcohol. Mmmmm, delicious. Thanks, Amy. 

Note: you will enjoy cruising through Amy's blog, checking out her recipes and admiring her sense of adventure and humor. For example, 

"I love taking risks in the kitchen. One thing my wonderful husband has taught me is that cooking experiments are always welcome, as long as McDonald’s or Little Caesars is an option in the event of a cooking disaster. “

Photo: Cucumber Melon Refresher basic ingredients - in generous measure

Photo: Ready to blend, no liquid needed 

Photo: Frothy mixture of fruit and vegetable

Photo: Straining the pulp is a recommended step

Cucumber Melon Refresher

adapted from Amy's Cooking Adventures (link) 

Makes 1 serving

1 cup seedless watermelon, cut in chunks

1/2 cup strawberries, cleaned & hulled (optional)

splash of lime juice (optional)

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled & seeded

1 sprig mint, 6-8 large leaves

1/2 cup Sprite, or other lemon-lime soda

1 oz white rum or tequila (optional)

1. Place the watermelon, strawberries (optional) cucumber and mint into a blender. Blend until smooth.  
2. Use a fine-mesh sieve and strain the mixture into a bowl, discarding the pulp.
3. Pour the strained juice into a glass. Stir in the Sprite and lime juice (optional). Add liquor and ice, if desired.
4. Garnish with a slice of cucumber, a chunk of watermelon, a sprig of mint and/or a fat, ripe strawberry. Enjoy!  

Train Wreck for Lunch

  
YOU may have reveled in Mexican menus on Cinco de Mayo, but we were happy to celebrate with friends, sipping a brew and ordering off the regular menu at Burlington's Train Wreck Bar & Grill. The restaurant sits close to a main rail line, close enough so that everything vibrates whenever a freight train passes. I mean everything: the building, the floor, your chair, your bones kind of everything. Conversation stops, seconds pass and then the party gets rolling again. But even more memorable than the locale were the friendly, knowledgeable servers and the tempting menu. It took me forever, much longer than usual, to read through each section, trying to settle on the perfect item for a late lunch. Once again fish tacos sounded too good to ignore.

Just look at this loaded plate of fish tacos, doesn't that bring a smile to your face and tempt your appetite? The cod was impeccably fresh and perfectly grilled, the accompaniments well-suited to complement the marinade. Three tacos were more than I could eat for lunch, so RL speared some fish onto his plate and declared it delicious. I agreed!

The BBQ Burger held a juicy patty composed surprisingly of flavorful smoked BBQ pork pieces. Served on a toasted, house-baked bun, this tasty sandwich held together until the very last bite. No annoying dissolving bun syndrome here, and check out the tasty sauce drippings on the plate. The clam chowder was creamy, well-seasoned with an unidentified special something, and packed with more seafood than potatoes - my criteria for a good recipe. I sampled a spoonful or two, and could have easily worked my way through the entire bowl.

Bill and Charlene ordered house favorite Train Wreck Burgers with cheese and bacon, but I think Char was most enthusiastic about the battered onion rings with tartar dipping sauce. I'll have to take her word for it. I passed on the offer to sample one, 'cuz you know you can't eat just one.

National TV News reported two cities tied for high temperature records on May 5 - Phoenix, AZ and Seattle, WA. Whaaat? Seattle?!? That was a surprise and a half. It was the perfect day for a road trip north to Burlington to visit friends, and enjoy a late lunch at a terrific eatery. Ole! Train Wreck Bar & Grill, we'll be back.

I'll get to the side trip some other time. The wolf dogs, fluffy-headed (Polish?)chickens, fat turkeys and multi-colored fresh eggs deserve their own post. 

Reflections on Swedish Pickled Herring

Swedish Pickled Herring - I enjoy eating it, but did NOT have much fun preparing it... once, only once.  In fact, it was so NOT FUN that I swore I wouldn't mess with herring again. But that was in 2008. Today I went back to reread my old post, "The Great Herring Experiment", and had to giggle. Was it really that traumatic? 


There's not a fresh herring in sight today, so what brought that episode to mind? I found a Pickled Herring recipe at Hank Shaw's site Honest-Food that tempted me to try again, just one more time. But only IF I discover an easy way to get rid of all of those stubborn little bones. Please, share the secret if you know it.


Does pickling herring work as a metaphor for life? Well, it's quite a stretch to link the two. Both do surprise us with unexpected challenges that invite analysis and adjustment. We can give up to avoid frustration when things don't go as planned. Or we can persist by learning new  skills or developing other approaches. Forget the metaphor notion, I should revisit the whole pickled herring issue in Petersburg this Spring. Just because. 

Meanwhile you might consider giving Hank's recipe a try. (link)

Confession Time: two years have passed since I wrote this draft and left it sitting unpublished in my files. We still enjoy pickled herring, the refrigerator currently holds a brand new quart jar of Vita brand labeled "wild caught of Canada". This really should be the year I take Hank's advice to ignore the tiny bones and get on with it. One more time, it's the year for Petersburg and pickled herring. Maybe in June.