November, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! 🙂

My recipes have gone international! I never expected that my recipes would be seen by people all over the world. I love it! You’re all seeing ME so now… I want to see YOU! I’m looking for pictures of my website visitors, and pictures of any of my recipes you’ve made. Nothing elaborate – just a snapshot will be welcome. The food doesn’t have to be fancy… and neither do you. Maybe I’ll post a picture of me in the kitchen when I’m not shooting a video! 🙂

I’ve had visitors here from over 170 countries. Who knew there even WERE 170 countries?! I can’t believe it! Look at the list…

Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, South Africa, South Africa, India, India, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Ireland, Hong Kong, France, Mexico, Spain, Greece, Sweden, Italy, Pakistan, Israel, Belgium, Norway, Lebanon, Denmark, South Korea, Kuwait, Switzerland, Malta, Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Jordan, Romania, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Turkey, Poland, Taiwan, Egypt, Vietnam, Russia, Costa Rica, Argentina, Kenya, Slovenia, Guam, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Latvia, Barbados, Brunei, Finland, Bahamas, Jamaica, Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, Morocco, China, Czech Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Georgia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Chile, Ukraine, Iceland, Oman Estonia, Peru, Bermuda, Lithuania, Venezuela, Bolivia, Serbia, Belize, Ethiopia, Uganda, Bahrain, Iran, Luxembourg, Algeria, Cambodia, Palestine, Uruguay, Zambia, Guatemala, Marshall Islands, Macedonia, Slovakia, Aruba, Panama, Tanzania, U.S. Virgin Islands, Botswana, Fiji, Grenada, Iraq, Macau, Mauritius, Namibia, Tunisia, Albania, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, Mongolia, Nepal, Suriname, St. Vincent & Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Honduras, Myanmar, Northern Mariana Islands, Maldives, El Salvador, Antigua and Barbuda, Ghana, Saint Lucia, Malawi, Kosovo, Cape Verde, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Kazakhstan, Syria, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Caribbean Netherlands, Bhutan, Belarus, Guernsey, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Norfolk Island, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Solomon Islands, Senegal, Anguilla, Armenia, American Samoa, Curaçao, Dominica, Faroe Islands, Jersey, Libya, Martinique, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, St. Maarten, Swaziland, Turks and Caicos Islands, Togo, Vanuatu, Yemen.

I’m honored that so many people like my cooking and especially when you send in a photo of one of my recipes that you made. I love seeing those pictures and I know it helps other home cooks see how things will turn out. And I would love to see pictures of you too. Who are you? Where are you from? What did you make? How did it turn out?

Please send your picture to: YourPhotos@JennyCanCook.com

UPDATE: While we build the new scrapbook, some photos will be posted below….

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“Hi Jenny, I was so happy to find your videos on YouTube and now your web site. I just  discovered the no knead technique (I am not very techy and not computer literate) and then your faster way to make bread. As you can see, it turned out beautifully! Thank you for sharing your love of cooking and your  sense of humor. You have inspired thousands of people to get into the kitchen and make some good ,healthy food.  The picture of me was taken last year with my beloved Lhasa Apso, Yoda Cassanova. He died in August and I kind have been cooking a lot to get through my sadness. Blessings to you, Terry Flagg”

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“Hi Jenny, Here is a photo of me – Paula from Brussels, Belgium. Just love your blog and especially the videos. Best wishes and take care. Paula”

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” Jenny, I’m from central Minnesota.  I love your YouTube videos and your blog.  I made Pierogi thanks to your helpful tips and also golumpki.   I also cook outdoors in most any kind of weather.” ~ Tom Schutta

 Tom Schutta made my pierogi.

I love it! I love it! I love it! I’m having so much fun with my no knead breads. I started with the plain one, then I made my 100% whole wheat version. Not long after I did it with kalamata olives and now this! The idea came to me during our trip to Vancouver. We had a fabulous brunch at the hotel and they had a whole wheat fruit & nut loaf that looked so good. Did I mention that I’m a bread person? So I tried a slice and it was fabulous. A few minutes later I went back for more and it was gone! All that was left was the tiny heels… but I took them anyway. Everybody loved this bread. I wondered right away if I could make it at home and would it work with my no knead recipe?

The answer is yes. I made it a few times and had to take a break because I kept eating it – I could not stop myself. Fruit and nut bread is such a great combo, especially for breakfast. So here are some things to know:

• The oven is very hot and sugar burns easily. The first time I made it, the crust was almost burned so I had a better result with a slightly reduced temperature. I still preheat the Dutch oven to the usual 450 degrees F to get the initial blast of heat but as soon as the bread goes in, I reduce the temperature to 400.
• If your Dutch oven will fit, raise your oven rack up one notch to lift the bottom of the pot farther away from the heat. But put it back to the center for the last 10 minutes when the lid is off.
• You can also start the dough the night before but using cold water and let the covered mixture stand on the counter top (not in a warm spot) overnight from 8 to 24 hours, and then shape it in the morning and continue.

I  make mine with half and half whole wheat and bread flour. I do recommend bread flour but you can use all purpose flour with the whole wheat. This half and half flour mixture ensures a soft loaf but a healthier one with the added fiber. I tried using all whole wheat flour with this sweet loaf but it didn’t work for me. It’s so simple, you just dump everything into a bowl, the flours, walnuts, raisins, sugar, salt, and yeast, and add water.

If you’re a bread person like me, you will love this delicious fruit & nut bread. But you may have to challenge yourself to not eat it all in one day. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

You’re about to be surprised at how easy it is to make homemade pumpkin pie from scratch…. a really good pumpkin pie, too. Did I mention that mine is healthier since it has no butter or cream anywhere and the crust is made with olive oil? And it’s delicious!

The filling is so simple with only four ingredients plus the spices. I use canned pumpkin and canned milk. Where other recipes use cream or condensed milk, I use 2% reduced fat condensed milk. And if you’re considering using fresh pumpkin you should know that canned pumpkin has more vitamin A than fresh and all you have to do is open a can. I’m all about using fresh ingredients but not with pumpkin. Have you ever tried to cut one up for cooking? If you accomplish that, you can skip the gym that day.

I’ve struggled for years with pie crusts, trying to avoid shortening but butter was the only replacement and I didn’t want all that saturated fat. Then I discovered oil pie crusts. They are so easy, so quick, and hard to mess up. This is a healthier pie crust because I use heart-healthy extra light olive oil and it could not be an easier. It’s the same crust I use in my apple pie, chicken pot pie, and apple pie bars. It’s the only crust I ever use.

When a pumpkin pie comes out of the oven, the smell of those wonderful spices is intoxicating. I use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves but I prefer Saigon cinnamon over the more common Ceylon cinnamon. The difference in flavor is huge so if you can find Saigon cinnamon (my brand is Spice Islands), it is a more fragrant and potent cinnamon.

Don’t be intimidated by homemade pie. Try my easy recipe for a healthier, easier pumpkin pie. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

PLEASE NOTE: I NEVER EXPECTED SO MANY INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AND HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH MEASURING BY WEIGHT. THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED STANDARD FOR FLOUR IS LISTED IN BLUE AND HOW IT WEIGHS IN MY KITCHEN IN RED.

Flour
1 cup  =  4 1/4 ounces =  Generally Accepted 120 grams – When I weigh I get 125-130 grams

1/2 cup  =  2  1/8  ounces =  60 grams / 63-65 grams

1/3 cup  =  1 1/2 ounces  =  40 grams / 42-43 grams

1/4 cup  =  1.05  ounces  =  30 grams / 31-32.5 grams

Granulated & Caster Sugar
1 cup  =  7 ounces  =  200 grams

1/2 cup  =  3.5 ounces  =  100 grams

1/3 cup  =  2.3 ounces  =  66 grams

1/4 cup  =  1.75 ounces  =  50 grams

1 Tablespoon =  0.45 ounces  =  12.50 grams

Yeast
1 packet = 7 grams

1 teaspoon = 3 1/2 grams

1/4 teaspoon = 1 gram

Powdered Sugar & Powdered Cocoa
1 cup  =  4 ounces  =  114 grams

1/2 cup  =  1.75 ounces  =  50 grams

1/3 cup  =  1.15 ounces  =  33 grams

1/4 cup  =  .85 ounces  =  25 grams

1 Tablespoon =  0.20 ounces  =  6.25 grams

Liquids
1 cup  =  8 ounces  =  240 mL

1/2 cup  =  4 ounces  =  120 mL

1/3 cup  =  2.6 ounces  =  80 mL

1/4 cup  =  2 ounces  =  60 mL

1 Tablespoon =  0.50 ounce  =  15 mL

Butter
1 Tablespoon  =  0.50 ounce  =  14 grams

1/4 cup  =  2 ounces  =  56 grams

1/3 cup  =  2.6 ounces  =  75 grams

1/2 cup  =  4 ounces  =  113 grams

1 cup  =  8 ounces  =  226 grams

Oven Baking Temperatures
225 degrees F  =  110 degrees C  =  1/4 gas number
250 degrees F  =  130 degrees C  =  1/2 gas number
275 degrees F  =  140 degrees C  =  1 gas number
300 degrees F  =  150 degrees C  =  2 gas number
325 degrees F  =  165 degrees C  =  3 gas number
350 degrees F  =  180 degrees C  =  4 gas number
375 degrees F  =  190 degrees C  =  5 gas number
400 degrees F  =  200 degrees C  =  6 gas number
425 degrees F  =  220 degrees C  =  7 gas number
450 degrees F  =  230 degrees C  =  8 gas number
475 degrees F  =  245 degrees C  =  9 gas number
500 degrees F  =  260 degrees C  =  10 gas number

…Below are all the charts I had perviously posted, compiled from other sources…

Liquids (and Herbs & Spices)

Weight

Length (1 cm = 10 mm)

Temperature

The pan likely seen in my videos is the Berndes Classic and I think it’s only available online.

I find most of my colorful tools and gadgets at Sur La Table, Pier One, World Market, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Walmart, and even some drug stores, hardware stores and vintage shops. I’d rather go shopping for spatulas than shoes!

Are you making candied yams this Thanksgiving? Guess what? Candied yams are not yams. They are sweet potatoes! Check this out:

1) This is a sweet potato…

2) And this is a sweet potato…

3) THIS  is a Yam…

1) The yellow sweet potato, the one commonly called sweet potato, has a thicker skin and firm yellow flesh that’s a bit drier and starchier than the orange one.

2) The orange sweet potato, also called “red garnet” and “jewel,” has a softer skin and a deep orange flesh that when cooked, becomes very soft, almost like mashed potatoes. Plus they are sweeter than the yellow ones. These deeper colored sweet potatoes have more vitamin A than carrots.

3) Yams, which have a black bark-like skin, are native to Africa and Asia and I doubt if you could even find one here in the U.S.

There’s so much confusion about the difference between a yam and a sweet potato. That’s because the USDA labeled the orange ones “yams” to differentiate the two main varieties of sweet potatoes but the truth is, sweet potatoes and real yams are not even related. Most of us have never even eaten a yam.

So the bottom line is… unless the Supreme Court intervenes, we will continue to call the yellow ones sweet potatoes and the orange ones yams. It’s just simpler. The good news is they are interchangeable in most recipes, even candied yams. Besides vitamin A, these vegetables have lots of fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin E so try to cook with them all year. I use the yellow ones for sweet potato fries and with my roasted vegetables and the orange ones for baking my sweet potato chocolate cake.

Well, this is good information but it doesn’t really change anything, does it? Happy Thanksgiving!

I am already planning my Thanksgiving dinner including a homemade pumpkin pie from scratch. But then I do everything from scratch. I even bake the bread that I dry to make my own stuffing mix, but that’s another recipe. This pumpkin pie is low fat and light because it’s made without butter or cream, or even whole milk. I love it! It’s all low fat and healthier, even the crust. Ever since I discovered how easy it is to make an oil pie crust not to mention how much healthier it is, especially made with extra light olive oil, it’s the only pie crust I ever use.

If you’ve ever made a shortening or butter crust with the ice water you know how hard it is to patch cracks. That’s why I love an oil crust. It’s easy to put together and you can just pat it into your pie pan. Or do what I do and roll it between wax paper to get an even thickness of crust. And any cracks or open spaces can easily be patched with pieces of dough.

Cooking a big Thanksgiving dinner for your family is a challenge. Even for an experienced cook, it’s a lot to put together and my rule is to make absolutely everything I can in advance. And that’s easy for pumpkin pie. In fact, it has to be made in advance because it takes hours to cool and then needs to be refrigerated. I even make the whipped cream in advance. What? You don’t make your own whipped cream? Has anyone told you how easy it is? It’s ONE ingredient… plus a little sugar.  It takes about two minutes to make and whipping cream has no carbs.

If you’re tempted to try using fresh pumpkin I have two things to say. One, you have to cut and cook it first and it’s easier to build a guest room over the garage.  Second, canned pumpkin has more vitamin A than fresh. I believe in cooking from scratch but not this time. I always use canned pumpkin. But make sure it’s only pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.

My healthier pumpkin pie is made with 1% milk, 2% reduced fat condensed milk, eggs, sugar, and spices. Of course cinnamon is the most important spice but all cinnamons are not the same. The one most stores carry is Ceylon cinnamon but I recently discovered Saigon cinnamon and wow! It’s more potent, more fragrant, and it’s the only one I use. My brand is Spice Islands. If you use Saigon cinnamon, you don’t need as much as you’ll see in the printable recipe. (There’s a how-to video coming next week!)

Homemade pumpkin pie will always trump a store bought pie so I hope you’ll try my recipe. Why not make one this week… just to test it out of course. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

There is no need to try purchasing my cookbook, which is out of print now and is also out-dated. It was published in 2006 but since then I have evolved as a cook and have simplified and improved the way I cook. All of the best recipes from the book are posted here on this website, the way I make them today, so there is no need to buy the book.

If you’re curious, the book is available as a free download. Just click here.