Hear me!   Touch me!   Feel me!   I am not a liver fan. 

As a matter of fact, it is one of the few foods that goes on my never eat list.  My husband loved liver and always asked me to make it.  (I never did!)   It was one of the few reasons we went to Piccadilly for several months in a row each and every Wednesday.  Liver and onions on Wednesday.  Well that and the fact that it was right next door to the hospital where we were taking birthing classes anticipating the Queen’s arrival.   Because The Queen loved to push the tray down the long row of silver bars to the black forest cake, we continued this tradition albeit it monthly or so.  And, Bill continued his tradition of liver and onions.  One evening The Queen asked her dad what he was eating and asked if she could have a bite. 

I literally had to sit on my hands to stop myself from covering her mouth and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from shouting out a resounding NOOOOooooooo as the piece of liver touched her tongue.  I swear it is because she smelled it during my pregnancy!  She liked it.  Hey Mikey!  

So I was less than thrilled to see the Daring Cooks Challenge (yes I am this late posting) about pates.  Liver.  Yuck.   Poo.  I’m not gonna do it.  But then I saw that I could do a vegetarian version so onward ho.  We also had to make a yeast bread.  Fortunately, we were in the middle of a bread making workshop and Todd, my hero, made me this french bread!  It is crunchy and chewy and dense and beautiful and is a perfect marriage for this pate.  One of the ladies in class said we might as well rename it crack bread because it was so addicting!

This may or may not be a pate in the true sense of the word but it is all combined together, processed and molded that I am calling it that.  Besides this is my blog and I can call it whatever the heck I want.  : )

MUSHROOM PATE

2 ounces mixed dried mushrooms

1 lb mixed fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

2 tsp garlic, chopped

1/2 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup nuts

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 tbsp minced fresh parsleya

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water to soften, about 15 minutes.  Squeeze mushrooms and coarsely chop.  Coarsely chop fresh mushrooms.

In large pan, melt butter.  Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, curry and cumin.  Stir until liquid is evaporated, about 8 minutes.

Chop nuts in food processor until finely ground.  Add oil and mix until a paste is formed.  Add mushroom mixture and mix until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with parsley.

Mound in a bowl or in a plastic lined mold and serve with crackers or baguette slices.

Can you guess what I am:

1.    I come in a plastic egg and have nothing to do with Easter.

2.    I can be pushed, pulled, snapped and popped.

3.   I provide hours of fun for less than a buck.

The Quirky Calendar pulled me in again.   Today we all celebrate the invention of Silly Putty!!!

While today’s recipe can’t be snapped or popped, it can be pulled as in Pull Apart Cheesy Onion Bread.  The instructions were a tad bit confusing or maybe it is just that I don’t normally follow instructions well.  Nevertheless, I have included a few photos to help you along.

I made this bread just to fit the QC but I tell you that it was WAY better than I anticipated it to be.  I kept going back for another “pull” after I finished the photographywhich, BTW,  I know sucks.  I was in a hurry for a birthday party coming in to the store and rushed everything.  Sorry  :  (  

How many of you remember and played with Silly Putty?  How long did yours last?!?

PULL APART CHEESY ONION BREAD  from Food and Wine Magazine

1 1/2 sticks  cold butter, 1 stick cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp poppy seeds

salt and pepper

1 cup coarsely shredded Gruyere cheese

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425.  Butter a 9×4 metal loaf pan.  In a large skillet, melt the 1/2 stick of uncubed butter.  Pour 2 tbsp of the butter into a small bowl and reserve.  Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring ocassionally until softened, about six minutes.

Stir in the poppy seeds and season with salt and pepper.   Put the mixture into the refrigerator for about five minutes to cool.  Stir in the gruyere.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter resembles small peas.  Add the buttermilk and pulse five or six times, just until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough onto a well floured work surface and knead a couple of times.  Pat or roll into a 2×24 inch rectangle.  Spread the onion mixture on top.  Cut the dough crosswise into 10 pieces.  Stack 9 pieces onion side up, then top with the final piece, onion side down.  Carefully lay the stack in the loaf pan and brush with the reserved butter.

Bake about 30 minutes until golden and risen.  Let the bread cool for about 15 minutes before unmolding and serving.

Today’s post falls under the Quirky Calendar.  It is the 20th anniversary of  The Simpson’s.  I am not sure if this requires a celebration or the sounding of the  death knell of intelligent American society. 

Nonetheless, instead of making doughnuts as it is January and we are trying to cut back, we are making D’oh!  er, popovers.   

A popover is similar to Yorkshire pudding sans beef drippings.  As they are leavened by steam, they are hollow in the center similar to a cream puff.  The batter also swells or pops over the pan resulting in its name. 

We made these just plain and simple but a tablespoon of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano or dill could be added.   They can be served as is hot from the oven, with butter for more savory versions or with jam or jelly for the version here. 

A few tips to make popovers easier. 

• Butter the pan with real butter and not a cooking spray. 
• Do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes as the popovers will deflate
• Muffin tins can be used but specially designed popover pans will garner the best results.  They are deep and cylindrical in shape and allow for a better “pop over” on the pan.
• The popovers will rise better if the batter is at room temperature.  If your eggs and milk aren’t at room temperature, let the batter sit for about 30 minutes before baking

POPOVERS  adapted from Alton Brown

1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp room temperature butter for pans

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 6  cup popover pan with 1 tsp of butter.  Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds.  Divide the better evenly between the cups (each should be about 1/3 full).  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes.  Remove the popovers to a cooling rack and pierce each in the top with a knife to allow steam to escape.  Serve warm.