Burnt Toast

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Adapted from Food52’s much beloved column, My Family Recipe (the podcast!) is brought to you by the Food52 Podcast Network and Heritage Radio Network. Enjoy interviews with writers and chefs, parents and children about what is passed down along with the foods we know and love. 

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On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today; go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Francis starts listing them at 3:17), and start the episode when you're ready to cook.

Chinese American Thanksgiving Meatballs

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 bunch scallion, finely chopped
• 7 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 1/4 pound stemmed fresh shiitake mushrooms, medium dice
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 bunch scallion, finely chopped
• 7 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 pound ground pork

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons peeled, finely minced ginger (from 1 1/2-inch piece)
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1. Sear mushrooms: Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large saute pan. When the oil is shimmering-hot, carefully add the mushrooms and spread them out into one layer as best you can. Let sear, undisturbed, until richly browned, about 1 minute. Toss, spread out again, and let sear for another minute. Remove mushrooms from heat, season with salt to taste, and transfer to a medium bowl to cool.
   
2. Mix marinade: In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, sesame oil, 4 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and the chicken stock.
   
3. Mix aromatics: Add 1⁄2 cup of the chopped scallion and 3 cloves of finely minced garlic to the bowl with the mushrooms and stir to combine.
   
4. Make meatball mixture: Place the turkey and pork in a large mixing bowl and gently fold them together with your hands to start to combine. Pour in the marinade. Hold the fingers of one hand apart, as if holding a softball. Using that hand, stir the meat in one direction to mix in the marinade, being sure to agitate all the meat. When the meat has absorbed all the liquid and the mixture has gotten a bit sticky or tacky, stop. Add the mushroom mixture and gently fold to combine. Cover and let marinate for up to 4 hours.
   
5. Make sauce: Set aside 2 tablespoons of scallions for garnish. In a Dutch oven or other large, lidded braising pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until you see the first wisps of smoke. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and stir until very aromatic, about 15 seconds. Add the ginger and stir until very aromatic, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining scallions and stir for 15 seconds. Add the can of tomatoes, bring it to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Season with 2 teaspoons sugar and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
   
6. Form and cook meatballs: Meanwhile, use a large soup spoon to scoop up the meat mixture and using your hands, very lightly pat out 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs. Set them on a plate. (You should have about 24 meatballs). After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, remove the lid and gently add the meatballs in one layer. Adjust heat to a bare simmer and cover the pot. Let poach / steam until the meatballs are just cooked through, 10-12 minutes.
   
7. Serve: Garnish with the reserved scallions and serve.

Is there a Food52 recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at [email protected].

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below before starting the episode.

Recipe
Makes 16 brownies (8 to 10 milligrams THC per brownie)

Cannabutter

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 gram quality cannabis flower

Weed brownies

• 1/4 cup (21 grams) natural cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
• Cannabutter (above)
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) chopped dark chocolate
• 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (57 grams) chopped toasted nuts (optional)

1. Make the cannabutter, following the quantities listed above and my step-by-step guide linked here.
2. Butter an 8x8-inch pan, then dust with cocoa. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
3. In a bain marie (or in the microwave in 10-second intervals), melt the cannabutter and dark chocolate. Remove the bowl from the heat, then add the sugar, molasses, vanilla, and salt.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each. Beat for about 5 minutes, until a 5-second ribbon forms on the top of the batter when you lift the whisk. Stir in the chopped nuts (if you’re using them). Sift or whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, then add to the chocolate mixture. Combine just until the flour disappears (don’t overmix).
5. Pour the batter into the pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a glossy top forms and starts to crack. Keep an eye on the edges, they will firm up first. To check, insert a toothpick near the corner—it should have a few moist crumbs.
6. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 16 brownies. (If you’d like—and if your pan isn’t glass—you can plunge the pan into cold water immediately out of the oven. The temperature shock achieves a chewy crust while maintaining the gooey center, a tip I learned from Eric Kim.)
7. Store the brownies in an airtight container for up to a week. For longer storage, cut and freeze the brownies, then warm up in the microwave or oven before serving.

If you're considering enjoying this recipe, please consult and follow the legal restrictions for controlled substances in your state. Because there are so many variables with homemade edibles, go slowly. You may want to start with half a serving and determine your tolerance and ideal dose from there. And always wait a couple hours to feel the effects.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at [email protected]!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Thalia starts listing them at 2:49) before starting the episode.

Rose Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes sixteen to twenty cookies

• 21⁄4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup (11⁄4 sticks + 1 teaspoon; 150 g) unsalted butter
• 3⁄4 cup + 1 teaspoon (170 g) light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 g) coarsely chopped dark chocolate
• 1⁄2 cup (70 g) chopped walnuts
• fleur de sel, for finishing
• rose petals, optional

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Put the butter into a medium-size saucepan set over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring often, until melted. Pour into a large bowl then add in the sugars and whisk until combined. Whisk in the egg, followed by the rosewater and vanilla. Tip in the dry ingredients. Beat with a wooden spoon until a soft dough has just begun to form, then mix in the chocolate and walnuts. Cover and chill until firm, 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, set racks in the lower and upper thirds of an oven. Preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Using a scoop or tablespoon as a measure, portion out evenly sized amounts of the dough. If you’re using a spoon, use your hands to roll them into balls. Divide between the prepared sheets, placing them a few inches apart for spreading. You should be able to fit 8 to 10 per sheet. Sprinkle with a little fleur de sel. You can set leftover dough balls aside to be baked off later, or, store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before baking from frozen.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheets between the upper and lower thirds of the oven halfway through, until golden, the edges crisp, but the centers still soft. Let the cookies stand on the sheets for a few minutes, before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool further, before serving.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at [email protected].

Excerpted from WILD SWEETNESS by Thalia Ho. Copyright © 2021 by Thalia Ho. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/