What’s Stirring!

Cabinets and Counter tops

Stirr! is selling a set of kitchen cabinets that were custom designed and built by Noble Endeavors in Black Diamond. Cabinet doors and exposed wood material are all made from knotty pine and is stained to a walnut finish. Included in the package is all drawer and door hardware, a lazy susan in one corner cabinet, a 60” tall pull out spice rack, under cabinet lights, a large slab of granite for the island counter top, a hand wash sink with matching powder coated finish.

All construction is top quality and Nobel Endeavors is available for any questions or consultation and is for hire to disassemble and remove package.

Optional, 3 basin (18”x18”) commercial quality sink with tap.

For serious inquiries please call Clayton at 403-815-0004 with any questions or to set up a viewing time.

Price: Open to serious offers

Please note: Disassembly and removal is responsibility of the buyer

Can it get much better, divine liquid mixed with divine food?? All in one handy bottle too!!

Ok, now I’m sure some of you are thinking…”Clayton, you drink to much” …and you know what, you’re right! But who better to try and try again all of the drink concoctions you really want to but just can’t because you’re afraid of the “label” your friends and family will pin on you. Not me! I’m a proud drink concocter…. if that’s a word! And my (ok…our… Lainey helped with the sampling) latest creation is plenty reason to stay proud!

Bacon infused Vodka is the only way I want to drink my Caesars from now on!  It adds such a fantastic flavour that some may say they don’t even need a rimmer on it any more, to me that’s just crazy.  A good quality, home blended rimmer with bacon infused vodka and extra Worcestershire would stand its ground in any beverage battle that may come about.

So how do you infuse Vodka you ask? Well I’ll tell ya! It’s real simple…buy a good quality Vodka (look for triple distilled Vodka as it will have more impurities removed and contain less of the other flavours cheap brands can have).  We like Van Gogh triple distilled Vodka, its the smoothest vodka we’ve tried yet and takes on other flavours well.

Now cook the bacon, but same as the vodka, make sure you buy good bacon, I’m sure you have a favourite, just keep in mind if you buy mediocre ingredients you’ll end up with a mediocre product. We’ve had good luck with Spragg’s meats (and they’re local!! ) Make sure to cook the bacon to well done, it needs to be a bit crisp (not burnt) for best results.

Now the time honoured, family tradition, secret step…Put the bacon into the Vodka.

Yep, thats the secret step, I know you didn’t see it coming but that’s it. If you choose to take it out of the original bottle just make sure it goes into a glass container, plastic and metal can leach out flavours and that’s not cool! Some trains of thought would say blend them hot, I’ve never tried that method and had results I’m happy with.

Let sit for a few hours or days, depending on how strong of a flavouring you want. And don’t be afraid to experiment with different bacon as well, maple bacon is on our list to try one day. (keep a couple of the bacon strips off to the side and use them as a garnish if your making Caesars!!)

One last consideration is straining the vodka through some cheese cloth or a coffee filter to remove grease.  If you get that the grease holds some of the flavour and don’t care about apperance don’t worry about it, but if your trying to impress guests and don’t want little blobs in your drinks this may be something you want to think about. It won’t change the taste of the liquid, just removes any bits.

So if you do decide to give this a try let us know what you used, what you liked (and didn’t) and what kind of a drink you had it in so we can share with the world, after all, someone has to be responsible for keeping the drink world interesting!

I’m about to pour a bacon infused Vodka martini, thus concluding this blog.

Sticky Glazed Banana Gingerbread

Pudding Base

3 tbsp golden syrup

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp ginger preserves

2 bananas

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Gingerbread

100g (3.5 ounces) butter

100g (3.5 ounces) brown sugar

75 g (3 ounces) golden syrup

2 tbsp ginger preserves

2 eggs

4 tbsp milk

175g (6 ounces) self rising whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

Grease a soufflé dish (5.5” diam/ 3.5” high) and line with a circle of parchment paper.

Pudding Base:  Combine the syrup, sugar and preserves in the soufflé dish.  Cut the bananas in half lengthwise , then cut each piece in half again crossways so that you have 8 pieces of banana.  Toss banana pieces in lemon juice and arrange cut side down in the dish.

Gingerbread:  Heat butter, sugar, syrup and preserves in a saucepan over medium heat gently until melted.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk together.  In another bowl combine the flour, soda and ginger.

Take the pan off the heat and gradually mix in the egg/milk mixture and then the flour mixture until smooth.

Pour over the bananas in the dish.  Cover the dish loosely with foil.  Lower the dish into the slow cooker.  Pour boiling water into the slow cooker until the level of the water comes halfway up the side of the soufflé dish.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the top springs back when pressed with a finger tip.

Lift out of the slow cooker carefully and remove foil, loosen the sides of the pudding and cover with a serving plate.  Shake to release, carefully remove the soufflé dish and peel away the parchment.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream

Makes 6 servings.

Ever dreamt about owning your very own gourmet kitchen specialty shoppe in a quaint country town? Love retail and everything about being a shoppe owner?  Always wanted to teach your own cooking classes? Are you a passionate foodie with an adventurous spirit?  Stirr! is looking for a new owner who can take it to the next level.  The tough part is done…and while it was tough it was also a labour of love and C-man and I would not have changed anything for the world!!  But…we have taken our baby as far as our experience can and now are looking for that person with a special knack for retail and an undying love of food and everything food related!!

Does that sound like you or someone you know?  Let’s sit down and chat about this exceptional opportunity!  Call Clayton at 403-815-0004 or email him at clayton@stirrme.com or even drop by the shoppe Saturday/Sunday between noon and 5pm!

Cowboy Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup coconut (optional)

chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream together margarine and sugars. Add remaining ingredients. Drop by the teaspoon on to greased baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

The Cookie Monster’s birthday got me thinking about baking and since I’m a baker from way back I thought I’d share some tips I wish I had read in the early days of my baking!

Equipment:

Single layer cookie sheets are still a favorite of many serious bakers, but there are certainly the good and bad out there. Two problems that single layer sheets cause uneven heating and sticking. In part, improvements over the years have made single layer cookie sheets better in both areas. The invention of Teflon brought us non-stick cookware. Although this has made sticking occur less often, it is not guaranteed. Cheaper brands of non-stick baking sheets will usually lose their coating quicker and eventually peel, leaving baked items sticking more often to the sheet. Modern aluminum cookie sheets have also solved the problem of uneven heating. One catch with using an aluminum non-stick cookie sheet is the color. Over baked cookie bottoms is a common occurrence when using darker sheets, because the darker color absorbs more heat than with lighter colored sheets. So if you should decide to go the rout of the single layer cookie sheet, look for a brand name you can trust, and a non-stick sheet that is lighter in color.

Air cushion baking sheets grew in popularity a few years back because they were seen as the cure to the single layer cookie sheet problems. Dual layered sheets allow air to better circulate under the cookie-baking surface, thus reducing hotspots and resulting in evenly baked cookies all across the sheet, not just in the middle. There are some issues to note when using these sheets. Sticking can still be a problem, depending on how well the sheet is made and if it is covered with a non-stick coating. Also, although you get consistent heat throughout the sheet you might not get hot enough heat. This will cause refrigerated cookies to cook a little slower and thus spread out more. As a result, drop cookies might not entirely brown around the edges. After the first batch is baked, adjustments might need to be made to improve the outcome.

Baking Stones have become popular over the last few years for good reasons. These stones heat evenly and absorb moisture at the same time. The result is a cookie that crisps nicely on the underside without over darkening. Baking stones are very forgiving when it comes to over baking, and sticking is usually minimal. If there are any drawbacks to the baking stone, it is that they can be expensive, and because of their weight a bit clumsy in the kitchen.

Parchment Paper is a cheap, convenient, cookie baking aid that every kitchen should have. Parchment paper is coated on each side, usually with silicone, and comes in square sheets or on a roll like wax paper. Parchment paper will allow most baked cookies to lift off the baking surface with ease, and will also help spread out heat more evenly. One additional benefit is that you can reuse a sheet several times when you are making multiple batches of cookies.

Ingredients:

The ingredients you use are extremely important in achieving your desired cookie. The basic ingredients of most cookies are fat, flour, baking powder and baking soda, sugar, and eggs or other liquid. The simple mistake of using baking powder instead of baking soda or using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, can have a huge affect on the outcome of your cookie.

Fats most often used in cookies are butter, margarine, shortening and oil. Fats play a major role in the spread of your cookie. In other words, they help to determine if your cookie spreads out on the cookie sheet. When using shortening or margarine, cookies will usually keep their original unbaked shape. Butter on the other hand results in a cookie that tends to spread out. And because oils are already liquids at room temperature, they will produce cookies that keep their shape.

Flour also affects how cookies bake and behave. Flours with a high protein content like bread and all-purpose flour will help to produce cookies that tend to be flatter, darker, and crisper than their counterparts made with cake or pastry flour.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda are the two most common leaveners in cookies. Baking soda is simply bicarbonate of soda, while baking powder is a combination of bicarbonate of soda plus an acidic ingredient (cream of tartar). Baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the dough, allowing the cookies to brown in the oven. Since baking powder already contains its own acid, it will not reduce the acidity in the dough, and the resulting cookies will be puffier and lighter in color.

Sugars play a big role in the final outcome of a cookie. White sugar is a refined sugar with almost no moisture content. Using this sugar will result in a crisper cookie than using brown sugar or honey will. This is why many common cookie recipes use white sugar. Brown sugars are made and refined in many different ways but the end result is that they contain more cane molasses syrup than white sugar. Because of the rich molasses flavor and less overall refining, brown sugars are growing in popularity and are beginning to replace white sugars in cookie recipes.

Eggs and Liquids can either cause cookies to puff up or spread. Eggs will help to promote puffiness, while just a tablespoon or two of water or other liquid will help your cookies spread into flatter and crisper rounds. One thing to remember is the different effects of egg yolks and egg whites. Egg yolks will help to add moistness whereas egg whites will tend to make cookies drier. To make up for the drying effect of egg whites, extra sugar is added. This is the reason that cookies made with just egg whites tend to be so sweet.

Mixing Technique, although not as important as in cake making, still plays an important role. The most important step in cookie mixing is the creaming step. This is the step where the fat and the sugar are whipped together until light colored, smooth and fluffy. This helps to incorporate air into the batter, which you need if you want your baking soda and/or baking powder to work. Another important factor is not to over mix the dough. Once you combine the dry and wet ingredients, mix until just combined and no longer.

Temperature is of high importance when cookie baking and is often over looked by many. Cookie dough that is chilled before baking will hold its shape and produce a slightly puffier cookie. Cookie dough that is at room temperature before baking will spread and flatten out while baking. So if you happen to have a very warm kitchen, it’s a good idea to refrigerate the dough before you bake it.

Let us know if you have any other tips for baking your cookies!!

Lainey

On Friday May 20th we were lucky enough to have three knife makers visit us from Japan. The very knife makers that create the amazing kitchen knives that we use and sell in the store. Now, if you’ve never had the pleasure of using one of these knives you are really missing out! They are right next to perfection. Nearly razor sharp, hard blue carbon steel so they hold their sharpness, style coming out of the yin yang and class like no other. They truly are a pleasure to use.

It’s funny, some people are scared of them…being so sharp and all.  The simple truth is,  they are a treat to use.  You want to respect them and when anyone comes into the store and picks one up, they know they’ve got something! It just takes that first leap to get going. Ok…there have been a few that take their time getting used to them, but once they do they’re hooked even more than most. We’ve had couples that bought a knife “together” and once they were both comfortable with it, one had to come back to get their own. One just wasn’t enough.

Having the knife makers pay us a visit was a treat, they don’t know a lot of english and we know about the same amount of Japanese, but it really didn’t matter, a lot of communication isn’t in words. Watching the president of the company sharpen knifes for us was a treat too! He sharpens 50+ knives a day so he’s got a pretty good idea what he’s doing. Guess I shouldn’t forget to mention Kevin, the designer who made all this connect. It’s cool to be a part of something on an international spectrum.

So the moral of the story is no matter your task in the kitchen, cutting meat for the BBQ, chopping veggies or dicing herbs  consider a hand made Japanese knife. You deserve it!

So the rumour is any month now Summer will be here. For the few minutes of it we’re going to have, you’re going to need to make the very most of it. We can help….and to make you even more amazing, you’d be doing it while helping to fund cancer research?

No, we haven’t lost our marbles (they’re just in a safe place) We’re raising funds for Team Stirr! in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Lainey, Jan and Chuck will be riding in it along with some volunteers to make up the team.

We’re not going to go into detail about why were doing this, for that visit our Ride to Conquer Cancer Page.  let’s just skip ahead to the part about the cooking class.

So…the evening is obviously going to have BBQ as one of the items on the list…bread and jalapenos to be exact. No knead focaccia bread on a plank and planked pork stuffed, bacon wrapped Jalapenos to be more exact. Don’t like spice, don’t worry, we core them to remove the intense heat, although you can mix the core into the stuffing if you want to rev them back up.

We will definitely be cutting things with the hand made Japanese knives we have, ’cause you can’t entertain if you don’t have a knife to show off (like I need to tell anyone this…)

BBQ sauce made from scratch…slushy drinks with umbrellas…easy appetizers that don’t require hours of prep or time in a hot kitchen.  The name of the game is tasty, easy, outdoor cooking!!  Won’t you join us?  Call or email to register…May 26th, Thursday at 6:30pm and your $100 gets you a full meal and 3+ hours of instruction and recipes!  Plus the proceeds go to the Ride to Conquer Cancer and Team Stirr!’s goal of raising $7500…!  If you can’t join us that night please consider donating to our fundraising goal at http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Alberta2011?team_id=41292&pg=team&fr_id=1372

Thanks in advance from Lainey, Clayton and the whole gang at Team Stirr!

Bored with BBQing? Unsure how to control your BBQ’s heat? Seen something cool on a board and wanted to try it? Here’s some tips to help you get started.

Planking is an awesome way to switch things up in a safe manor but be warned, there are a couple things you need to pay attention to. The first and probably most important is the proximity of the plank to the heat source. Ok, let me back up a bit, the reason most people plank is to infuse a little bit of smoke flavour into the food their barbecuing, the intent is for the bottom of the board to “burn” a bit and let off some smoke that swirls around your creation, the second thing the plank helps with is temperature control, seeing as the fire below the board isn’t hitting the food head on (commonly referred to as “indirect heat”) it helps to even out the constancy of heat getting to the food.

First cautionary note: Be cognizant of the proximity of the fire to the board, if there is very little room between the heat source (wether gas or charcoal) the intensity of the heat can burn the bored to intensely, in turn creating to much smoke and rendering your delights un edible. Trust me on this one, I’ve learned the hard way, sadly more than once. What do I mean by the distance between the heat and board? On one of our BBQ’s the distance is only about 3 inches, this is too close, in order for the ambient heat to reach the proper temperatures within the BBQ the intensity of the fire (Charcoal in this instance) needs to be high. High intensity at a 3 inch distance it scorches the board enough to crank out so much smoke it screws up the meal.

Did that make any sense? So what do you do to fix that? There area lot of options but heres two, if your using a gas grill place the board on one side of the BBQ and turn the burners to medium/low heat, this will give enough heat to get some smoke off of the board but not flame throw it, then turn the other burners on high to get the temperature required to cook the food. The other option is to raise the board higher, our other BBQ has an adjustable height setting for the grill, now you might be thinking, higher isn’t going to do much but trust me, it does! In a Charcoal Barbecue the heat moves differently than in a gas grill so more distance from the heat means the swirling action of the heat reduces the likely hood of burning the board.

I guess this is as good as any time to talk about the plank itself. Some people use a thin cedar shake style plank, this is fine for fish and food that cooks reasonably fast but for thicker cuts and larger amounts of food I prefer a plank between 3/4 and 1 inch, this not only allows a good heat diffusion but also multiple uses of one plank. Type of wood is up to you, most common is cedar but don’t be afraid to switch it up, I like maple, walnut, cherry and even pine in some cases. I was warned about pine having a bitter smoke flavour but in certain cases (like BBQ’d focaccia bread) the slight bitterness adds to the experience)

Alright, enough reading for now, go plank something! (oh and don’t forget the beer, its the Law in this province to drink beer while BBQing)

Clayton