Cooking something up in Bedford
One could argue the merits and evils of the internet, specifically social media. But one of the many advantages it does offer is allowing you to connect to others in ways you’d never normally connect. Enter Facebook and its myriad uses. I like to use it to argue about politics and wax nostalgic about music and TV that, let’s face it, truly was so much better back in the day, but along the way, thankfully, I’ve come across groups. And there are many! There is a group you can join for every single thing you can imagine. For example, if you like books, there are numerous groups for bibliophiles. If you specifically like fiction, there are so many, and if you have a penchant for books about elves who play tennis on Tuesday evenings, there’s probably even a group for that, too.
The point is you have the freedom to join any group that tickles your fancy, and even better if for some reason you don’t find that specific group you’re looking for, you can create one! This is exactly what Pat Grogam did when she wanted to reach out to people in order to share recipes and cooking tips. “Because of my love for cooking and baking, I knew there had to be others in our community who loved it as much as myself,” Pat said. Within two days, she had 100 members!
“My interest in cooking and my love for it came from my childhood and watching my mom cook for 10 of us,” Pat shared. “It was her life and she loved cooking for her family as I do.” Now, she gets to share and interact with the cooks of Bedford. All she asks is that members be from Bedford or related to someone in Bedford and to be courteous to others. When you request to join the group, there are a couple of questions to weed out the spammers. Once you’re approved, you are free to scroll and post.
Pat is a great administrator for the group. She’s always there to help a fellow chef out. “Pat is so good with communication and motivation for ideas to solve problems,” Bena Phillipo
said. “You have built a great community around yourself, showing care and compassion for your followers and a love for what you do. Home cooking is a lost art, but it continues with your energy and your guidance.”
Jim Aguilar joined Bedford Cooks because it allows him to share his passion for cooking with others who appreciate it as much as he does. He finds cooking for family and friends incredibly fulfilling. “I also love sharing this joy with my kids, and recently, my son, Oscar, cooked a dish for an in-person gathering of the group,” Jim said. “Through this community, I get to connect with like-minded individuals and share our culinary experiments, experiencing the wonderful marriage of science, creativity, mystery, and joy on every plate.”
Not everyone who is in the group considers themselves advanced in the kitchen. The group is also great for giving out tips and recommendations for cooking gadgets. Mauretta Matta has found it a pleasure to be in this community. “I’m not a chef by any means; however, I do enjoy having fun with new recipes, cooking, and baking. Her favorite to bake is all things sourdough.
The group also gets to plan events and Pat plans to do many in the future. This past Christmas, Bedford Cooks hosted a cookie exchange that was a great success. If you have any event ideas, you can message her on Facebook.
Bedford Cooks boasts almost 600 members currently and will be one year old in November. If you’re interested in joining, go to www.facebook.com/bedfordcooks
Please place this quote as a highlight somewhere
“You can rely on this group for suggestions on how to elevate simple recipes to the next level” - Marian M Abrams
Recipes
Mauretta Matta's Sourdough Jalapeño Cheddar Bread:
300 grams organic King Arthur bread flour
200 grams Sunrise brand Heritage blend flour
100 grams active bubbly starter
11 grams Real salt brand fine salt
380 grams filtered room temperature water
130-150 grams of finely chopped jalapeños (can be jarred or fresh) size of a pea
130-150 grams of yellow sharp cheddar cheese finely chopped if block cheese (size of a pea) * can use shredded yellow sharp cheddar, but still, chop it up
7 am feed starter and place in oven with light on (no heat)
12-noon starter should be ready to use (bubbly active and doubled in size)
12 noon, whisk 100 g starter, 100 grams from the total amount of water, and mix together until well blended.
In a large bowl, Combine all flour together and mix in salt well. Add the starter/water mixture and the remaining water to dry ingredients
Fold in well, using Danish whisk or hands
12:15 pm Cover with plastic film, let sit for 30 min in oven with light on (no heat)
12:45 pm Do 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes (covering and keeping inside oven after every S&F)
2:45 pm Once all stretch and folds are completed, cover & leave inside oven with light on (no heat) until approx 6pm to allow for bulk fermentation.
2:45 pm Chop the cheese and jalapeños for use later
6 pm Remove dough from bowl onto lightly dusted rice flour countertop. Stretch out gently into a rectangular shape. Sprinkle the cheddar and the jalapeños evenly on rectangular dough. Roll like a burrito, then turn and roll short side up.
Gently shape dough.
6:20 pm Shaped loaf will go upside down into lightly rice flour dusted bannaton, cover with extra large plastic bag. Put into fridge overnight.
Anytime next morning, ready to bake!
Preheat oven to 475 for 1 hour with Dutch oven inside to get nice and hot
Remove loaf from fridge, score loaf, and add a sprinkle of cheese and jalapeños on top of loaf to your liking.
Bake at 475 inside Dutch oven with lid on for 30 minutes.
Lower temperature to 450 then continue baking lid off for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool on a wired rack for 1 hour before slicing! Enjoy!
Pat Grogan's Eggplant Parmesan
2 large eggplants
1.5 lbs pureed tomatoes
1 white onion
Small bunch of basil
8.8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
¾ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ tablespoon olive oil
Flour for dusting
½ cup Sunflower oil for frying
Salt and pepper to season
- Thinly slice the eggplant, then place them in a colander. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and set them aside for 1 hour. This drains off any excess water and helps with frying.
- Meanwhile, make the simple tomato sauce. Finely chop 1 onion and saute in pan with the olive oil until translucent and soft but not browned. Add the pureed tomatoes and a small bunch of basil torn with your hands. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, stir, then let it simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.
- Rise the eggplant slices under cold water and pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper. Lightly dust them with flour, shaking off any excess, then fry them in sunflower oil for a few seconds on each side, drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
- Preheat oven to 350. Use an 11x8 inch oval or 10x8 rectangle dish.
- Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around. This will stop the eggplant from sticking.
- Next, add one layer of eggplant to the dish, followed by a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, cubes of mozzarella, a sprinkling of pepper, and a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce. (Save 1/3 of the sauce for final layer.) Continue with the next layer until you. Have one top layer left.
- For the top layer, spoon over the remaining tomato sauce and top with parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes nice and golden and bubbling on top. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Ashley Febvay's Nana's prize-winning chocolate chip cookies
1 C butter or margarine
½ C sugar
1 ¼ brown sugar
2 eggs
2 ¼ C flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ C pecans, chopped
2 ½ pkg. Chocolate chips (6 oz pkg.)
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs. Set aside. Sift flour, add soda and salt. Add to the first mixture, then add vanilla, nuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by spoonful on baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes.
This is her Nana’s recipe that was so good that Folgers coffee bought it from her!
Seher Bos's Turkish Sarma
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 3 medium size onions
- 1 grated tomato
- 2 cups of rice
- 1 tablespoon of dried mint
- 1 teaspoon of (each) hot pepper flakes, sumac, cumin
- 1 teaspoon of salt
-1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
-1 tablespoon spoon of dried purple basil leaves
- 1 handful of parsley
-1 lemon juice
-1 cube of chicken bullion
-2 spoons of pomegranate molasses
- 1 cup of hot water
Water mixture to boil:
- Juice of half a lemon
- Lemon slices
- 1 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2.5 cups of hot water (500 ml)
-1 cube of chicken bullion
Preparation:
1. First, soak the grape leaves in water to remove the salt. The saltier the leaves, the longer they need to soak. You can even change the water and soak them again. I usually take the leaves out and soak them a 10-15 minutes (but subtract adding salt) before wrapping.
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients I listed above for the filling. Mix it by hand until they are well incorporated.
3. Now, you can start wrapping the leaves. I wish I had the photos of the wrapping process.
4. Lay the leaves flat. Place a small amount of filling on each leaf, depending on its size.
5. Fold the sides and roll them up like a cigarette roll.
6. Arrange the stuffed leaves neatly in a pot.
I usually complete the wrapping process before arranging them. Place any leftover or torn leaves at the bottom of the pot.
7. After arranging all the leaves, place lemon slices on top. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon. Drizzle some olive oil over the top.
8. Add all the ingredients I listed above in a deep container and give them a good mix until chicken bullion resolves and water mixes well with tomato paste. Add enough of this water mixture to cover the stuffed leaves. (In my pot, about 3 cups was enough)
9. It’s important that you place a flat plate upside down on top before starting to cook. This prevents all Sarmas from floating around and opening up after adding the water. Adding a weight on top keeps everything together. Highly suggest it, and don’t worry, nothing will happen to the plate.
10. After bringing to a boil, cook on low heat, checking frequently until the water is absorbed.
Note: If the leaves are still salty after washing thoroughly, add less salt to the filling.
Nisha Muthukumaran's Eggless Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup jaggery, grated or brown sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1/4 cup yogurt (plain or Greek yogurt)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet)
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Wet Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, mash the 2 ripe bananas until smooth.
- Add 1/2 cup of grated jaggery or brown sugar, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil or melted butter, 1/4 cup of yogurt, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
- Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of baking soda, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder (if using).
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Gently fold the mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay.
- Add Chocolate Chips and Nuts:
- Fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of chopped nuts (if using).
- Transfer to the Loaf Pan:
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the Bread:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- If the top is browning too quickly, you can cover it with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.