Put A Grill On It

Paradise is in Juneau Alaska. 

It's an indescribable place. The purveyor of everything delicious and funky, the keeper of generous scones, beautiful quiches and a home town feel that you can't really get in New York. I've had friends wake up at ungodly hours to be taught how to make pastry dough, just for fun. I've spent hours hanging out, not on the Internet (last time I checked, they don't have wi-fi) and it's the location of the infamous Alaska Folk Fest Bourbon Brunch. 

When I found out that they published a cook book, I mass texted everyone in Juneau, begging them to get the secrets for me. 

My mother loves me the most. 

Side note- never before has a cook book made me homesick. 

Savory Scones ON A GRILL! (adapted from Paradise Cafe and Bakery)

5 c of flour

2/3 c white sugar

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 lb butter, cold and cut into 1" cubes

2 c whole milk

fillings- 

1 c fresh basil- chopped

1 c sundried tomatoes- chopped

1 c Cheddar cheese- grated

1 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp dried italian herbs

dash of cinnamon

more cheese- sliced

-Put everything but the milk in a mixer and blend slowly until the butter is incorporated. (note- I used to do this with 2 butter knives. Get yourself a mixer ASAP). This is the basic recipe, you can use this to make savory or sweet ones. 

- If you are using the whole mix, gently mix in 2 c of milk. Cover your work space with plastic wrap, dump the dough on the plastic wrap and wrap it with more plastic wrap. Pat out to 3/4" thickness. 

-Cut in circles, triangles, ninja's etc... Place on a tray and bake for 12-14 mins. 

Note- This recipe is working with the goal of selling scones to the masses. You'll end up with about 20 scones. That is a first world problem. 

For scone sandwiches or SCONES ON THE GRILL!

put scone and sliced cheese on the grill. Be patient. 

eat it when it's good and melty. 

It tastes kind of like this. 

Notes for next time:

I'll make the scones thicker so I can make scone sandwiches (ON THE GRILL!) and perhaps put mozzarella, basil and a tomato in it. 

My new back up plan is to open a cafe called "Put A Grill On It"

Basic premise- grilling things that aren't meant to be grilled- i.e. baked goods, breakfast things, fruit, bread, tofu, tempeh, eggs, vegetables, desserts... Really anything. It's going to be awesome. 

I spent a Sunday afternoon contemplating time at the remount of EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH, the Robert Wilson and Philip Glass non-linear, 4 1/2 hour opera about Einstein. 

Basically I got my avant garde artist vegetables. 

Sometimes I hear and see things and wish that I did more drugs. 

Einstein falls into that category. 

I'm still a little dazed by it. 

But I've been singing the numbers 1-8 for the past 2 days, so something stuck. 

Repetition, time, stark visual imagery, physically and emotionally disorienting... it's a feat for performers and audience alike. 

It was amazing and terrible at the same time. I cried at one point and I have no idea if it was from an emotional place, or if my eyes were revolting. It was exhausting and awe inspiring. I doubt I'll ever see anything like it again. 

It's only staged once every few decades. Maybe I'll be ready to see it again in 20 years.  

                                

Maybe. 

Ginger Pecan Scones

The time has come for me to stop eating other's scones and actually make my own........ here we go.

Ginger-Pecan Scones (adapted from Bon Appetit)

3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 c sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into cubes.
1 1/2 c pecan halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 c crystallized ginger- chopped
1 cup buttermilk
3 tsp fresh ginger- finely grated
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 Tbs buttermilk
1 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs crystallized ginger- chopped
2 tsp ground ginger

-Preheat oven to 425 (FYI- I usually toast nuts at 350....(that's what she said)). Put some parchment (or aluminum foil with a little oil) on a baking sheet.
- Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
- Add the butter. Using fingers or a pastry cutter, mix the butter with the flour mixture until is resembles a meal.
- Throw in the pecans and crystallized ginger, mix.
- Whisk buttermilk, grated ginger and vanilla in a separate bowl.
- Form a well in the flour mixture, pour the buttermilk into the well and stir with a fork until it's in moist clumps.
- Knead just until the dough comes together on a lightly floured surface.
- Form into a disc, cut into wedges, transfer to sheet.
- Brush with buttermilk, sprinkle sugar and ground ginger and press the crystallized ginger to the tops of the scones.
- Bake until golden, about 15 mins.

- Eat.


Things to try next time:
More ginger- all kinds.
Maybe stew some dates in brandy and add that... (melting pot strikes again).
I've often kneaded scones in powdered sugar. I didn't here because I was lacking in that department and didn't want to go to the store. I think it would make it a tad too sweet.
In the Valentines recipe search- I'm going to try bread flour next time and see if that makes them more crusty.


Spinning:
Finally had some time to sit down and listen to the new Deathcab for Cutie and Eddie Veder.

Deathcab- They do "deathcab" well and they did it again here. It's been done already. I would love to see them branch out a little more.

I'm not a huge Pearl Jam fan, but I'm digging solo Eddie Veder and a ukulele. I think I'm adding this disc to my "sit in a hammock, drink PBR, listen to sad songs (country, bluegrass, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Vic Chesnutt, Bon Iver etc...) and cry" repertoire.

The Perfect Scone: The Waffle Company

The Waffle Co had no scones.


GAME OVER.

Perfect Scone: The Rookery

It's been a while (cleanse, had to count my pennies etc...), but I finally kicked off the search.

I love The Rookery. Love it.

It's a place where:
a. I dig the atmosphere enough to spend a significant amount of time there.
b. can actually get work done.
c. They have, hands down, the best coffee in Juneau
d. They have some of the best bistro type food in Juneau
e. It goes with the atmosphere, but the owners/staff really enjoy what they do and it shows.
f. I'm all about supporting new businesses in town.
g. It's affordable for the perpetual student/intern/starving theatre artist that I am.

So it pains me, it really does....
but their scones aren't my favorite.

Let's review- the scones have to be able to be dunked in coffee and not crumble. So they must be crusty on the outside, but still light on the inside.

Don't get me wrong, the scones are still excellent, but they are very flaky, buttery and a little under worked for my taste.
On the plus side, they aren't too sweet and it's a nice serving size, if that's your thing.

Don't let this deter you. Go. Now. They are good people doing great things for the Juneau culinary experience.

And I'm looking forward to my next scone.


Spinning this week:
I'm really digging Raphael Saadiq's 'Stone Rollin''

I haven't bought the album yet, but it was on NPR's First Listen. It just dropped about a week ago and I'm not much of an R&B fan, but it's pretty old school, soulful and I want to wrap myself in his voice.

In Search of the Perfect Scone. A series.

I have to confess.

I am a scone snob.

I have a very specific and particular idea of what scones should be and am very very depressed when I get one that isn't. Now, don't get me wrong, even if said scone doesn't fulfill my idea of what it could have been, that doesn't mean that I'll turn my nose up at it. I'll just think about the unfilled potential of the scone while consuming it.

What I really love about scones is having them with coffee. Being able to dip a hunk into some brew to soften it up is probably the best thing ever. And yes, I understand that this means that scones are just another vessel for me to consume caffeine, but what a good vessel they are.

I found the perfect scone for this once, here in Juneau. They were at the now defunct Valentines Cafe.
They were so big and solid that they could have had their own GDP. You would get one at lunch and it would also be your afternoon snack and breakfast the next morning, if you were really hungry. And the best part was that they were so crusty and solid that they would not crumble when dipped in the cup of joe. There was no fishing out scone crumbs with a spoon. They were perfect...I miss them.


So I am setting out on a mission to find the perfect scone in Juneau.
Let it be understood that this is completely by my and only my standards. I'm not here to knock anyone down.

This will be a two part mission.
Part One is to find the perfect scone that someone else makes. There is something so je ne sais quoi  about sitting in a coffee shop with a scone and coffee, writing poetry/plays/whatever floats your boat (Every time I'm in this environment, I try to do something artsy, but usually end up balancing my check book. I'm a notorious procrastinator when it comes to actually writing something).
The only requirements for said scone huts is scones and coffee.

The places in Juneau that follow this include (if you know of any others, please let me know):
The Waffle Company,
Heritage Coffee Co (they serve scones made by Abby's Kitchen)
Breeze Inn
Silverbow Bakery
The Rookery
Paradise Cafe
Pie in the Sky
Rainbow Foods- this is the only "grocery store" I'm going to for this project.


Part Two is to try and recreate the Valentines recipe in my kitchen (or find a better one). I've been trying this for a while..it's been an un-sucessful shit show so far. But, I hear rumor that the Valentines recipe is still floating around, so those posts may turn into the lengths that I will go to get it.



Music wise- In the bluegrass/Alaska Folk Fest Trenches right now. It's a good place to be.
Check it out: http://www.akfolkfest.org/index.php