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    Articles and Recipes

    Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Today I am sharing our favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette, which is my recipe adapted over the years. 

    This vinaigrette was based on a pasta salad dressing my mom used to make. You can make this in a mortar and pestle, or a blender, or on a chopping board. Check out our Instagram IGTV for a visual tutorial.

    I often make this on the cutting board since it is probably on the counter for a salad anyway. 

    Ingredients:
    1 clove of Garlic, peeled 
    1 handful of fresh Basil (1/8 to 1/4 cup)
    1 Tablespoon fresh Oregano 
    1 Tablespoon Capers 
    1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar 
    1/3 cup water
    1 - 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
    1/3 cup Olive Oil
    Pinch Salt
    1/2 teaspoon Pepper


    Equipment:
    Cutting Board
    Set of 3 Melamine Mixing Bowl
    12” Silicone Whisk With Stainless Steel Handle
    Side Tang Cooks Knife
    Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
    Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

    Method: 

    1. Roughly mince the garlic on the cutting board
    2. Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt on top of the garlic. Using the flat of the knife crush and rub the garlic and salt into a paste. Place the paste into the mixing bowl.
    3. Chiffonade the basil and oregano together. Add the capers to them and chop these finely. Place them into the mixing bowl.
    4. To the mixing bowl add the vinegar, water, mustard, a pinch of salt, and pepper. Whisk well. 
    5. Add the oil and whisk very well, until the oil is fully emulsified. 
    6. Taste and adjust the seasonings - be mindful that you do not over-salt the dressing - you added salt with the garlic, the capers, and the mustard have salt, and you may be adding salty items to your salad like olives, feta cheese, or salami.
    7. Keep the dressing refrigerated in a jar. I use a 1/2 Pint Canning Jar with a leakproof lid.

    We hope you try our recipe. Let us know what you think in the comments. 

     

    Sending warm wishes to your home, 

    from the husMait home kitchen. 

    Double Crust Pie Recipe

    Double Crust Pie Recipe


    Today I am sharing the pie crust recipe that I have been using for over 40 years. I am including some Baking 101 tips I learned in my high school home economics class. You can find my video tutorial over on our Instagram IGTV.


    One Double-Crust Pie Shell
    Ingredients
    2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup of solid shortening 
    6 Tablespoons cold water 

    Equipment 
    Measuring Cups
    Measuring Spoons
    Silicone Rolling Mat
    Silicone Rolling Pin
    Set of 2 Flour Scraper
    Essentials Bakeware 5 Piece Set
    Melamine Mixing Bowls                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Method:
    1) Add the sifted flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir together.

    Note: It is important to sift flour before you measure it. The flour inside the bag will have become dense during transport and handling. Then lightly fill the cup, being careful not to pack the flour. Finally, use a knife to level off the cup. 

    2) Add the shortening and cut it into the flour. 

    Note: There are three ways of incorporating the flour using two knives, or a pastry blender, or rub it in with your fingers. If you decide to use your fingers it is important not to overwork the dough or let the mixture get too warm. 

    Note: When measuring shortening, press it firmly into the cup, pushing out any air bubbles that will affect the measurement.  

    Note: When using knives or the pastry blender the mixture will look like small peas. If rubbing the mixture will look like coarse sand. 

    3) Add the water, one tablespoon at a time. Gently mix with a fork or silicon flour scraper between each additional tablespoon of water. Note: Do not overwork the dough. 

    4) Bring the dough gently together using your hands and place it on the husMait silicone rolling mat. And form a ball and divide it into two. 

    5) Roll the crust into a circle. Dust the surface of the rolling mat lightly with flour and roll into a circle to fit the size of your pie plate. The husMait Silicone Rolling mat has easy to read design that includes measurements for dough sizes. These graduated circles take the guess work out of what size to roll the dough. 

    Note: Flatten the 1/2 dome into a disc, pinching any obvious cracks together. You can continue gently repairing cracks that begin at the edges by gently pinching it together as you roll. 

    Note: Lightly flour underneath the crust occasionally to allow the dough to move as it enlarges. 

    It is my hope that the tips and tricks I share here will help you become a more confident and successful home baker.  So that you will be able to share your love in real and tangible ways. 

    Sending warm wishes to your home, 
    from the husMait home kitchen. 

    Heart Healthy Pesto

    Heart Healthy Pesto



    Pesto refers to a mixture pounded in a marble mortar and pestle.
    The pesto most often referred to here in the United States is basil pesto, more formally known as Pesto Genovese. While the most common recipes call for heavy use of cheese, nuts, and oil, in the original form it would be a blend of mostly basil, a small handful of nuts and cheese, and just enough oil to bind the sauce. If we are looking at pesto in this traditional way measuring would be by handfuls and pinches.

    For our home cooking purposes, I looked at many recipes and decided on my measurements with a view to heart-healthy measurements. I disregarded many recipes that called for large portions of nuts and cheese. In small portions, olive oil and pine nuts have the health benefits of unsaturated fats.

    I have so much basil growing in my herb garden I decided to make a large batch of Pesto Genovese in my food processor. Here's my recipe:

    3 - 4 cups basil
    3 -4 cloves of garlic
    1/2 cup parmesan cheese
    1/3 cup of pine nuts
    1/2 cup oil
    Pepper and salt to taste

    Add the first four the ingredients to the food processor.
    Pulse in short bursts, looking for a coarse texture.
    Add the oil in halves or thirds. Use only enough to bind the mixture.
    Keep the blending to a minimum - just till it comes together. Over-processing will give you a bitter flavor, and the basil will lose its lovely green color.

    A note on salting your pesto, consider the way you salt your pasta when you boil it, as that will affect the final taste of the dish. You can always add a little salt before plating.

    I store extra pesto by freezing tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray and then transferring the frozen cubes to a freezer container. Or in a small glass jar in the refrigerator with a thin layer of olive oil protecting the top from oxidation.

    To serve, toss a tablespoon or so of pesto on 1/2 pound of warm, freshly drained pasta. I reserve a cup of warm pasta water and add a little bit to thin the sauce and separate the pasta strands. Add a few fresh basil leaves and a sprinkling of Parmesan.

    Visit our Instagram account to see our video tutorial.

    Let us know in the comments if you like our recipe.  

    Sending warm wishes to your home, 
    from the husMait home kitchen. 

    Linguine and Clams

    Linguine and Clams

    Linguine and Clams is one of our all-time favorite meals. It is one of the meals my mother used to make for us on special occasions. She served it with crusty Italian bread & butter, and my father poured a few glasses of Chianti Classico.  I am sharing her recipe below.

    My mother used dried herbs and canned clams and it was always delicious. When we moved to the Pacific Northwest I adapted her recipe but used fresh herbs and fresh clams. A general rule of conversion is 1-Dry to 3-Fresh, and I have indicated the conversions next to each herb. 

    This recipe comes together quickly, so assembling all of the ingredients and equipment will help you be successful, enjoy the process and have a relaxing delicious meal! I cannot tell you how many times I have burnt the garlic while looking for something or measuring my spices.  

    Ingredients 
    1/4 pound butter
    3 Tablespoons Olive oil

    4 -6 large cloves of garlic, minced 
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    1 teaspoon dried oregano OR 3 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
    2 Tablespoons dried basil OR 4 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
    3 Tablespoons dried parsley OR 6 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

    2-3 Tablespoons flour

    2 bottles Atlantic Clam Juice
    2 Cans Whole Baby Clams and the liquid

    OR IF USING FRESH CLAMS  
    1 cup quality white wine
    2 lbs fresh little neck clams or Manila clams @24 pcs, washed

    1 pound linguine  

    Equipment:
    Santoku Knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, measuring cupsstainless steel colander, stainless steel bowl, sauce pan**, pasta pot, ladle, spoon, and serving dish. **If using fresh clams use a sauce pan, with a lid and large enough to comfortably hold all of the clams in one or two layers.

    Method:

    Prepare and measure all of the ingredients, mince the garlic, and open bottles. 

    Over medium heat melt oil and butter, just barely brown garlic.
    Add Dry spices stir for another minute. If using fresh spices add after the flour. 
    Add flour cook for @3 minutes
    Add clam juice & canned clam liquid OR if fresh & wine. Gently simmer without reducing.

    Put a large pan of water on to boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of water.

    CANNED CLAMS: When you drop the pasta add clams to the garlic butter sauce and simmer gently for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to keep warm until your pasta is ready. Be careful not to over cook. 

    FRESH CLAMS When you drop the pasta, Add all the clams at once into the simmering garlic butter liquid, increasing the heat temporarily until it comes back to the simmer; cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring quickly occasionally. Remove all open clams and free-floating cooked clams and cover to keep warm. If any clams remain closed, give them a couple more minutes covered cooking; if they do not open, discard them.


    If necessary, add reserved pasta water so that you have a good amount of sauce. Add a handful of fresh parsley. Toss cooked pasta in the hot sauce and plate. Top with all open clams.

    Serve with salad, a good Chianti and crusty bread to mop up all the sauce.  


    Sending warm wishes to your home, 
    from the husMait home kitchen. 

    Spotlight on Cleaning Brushes With Style

    Spotlight on Cleaning Brushes With Style

    Today's spotlight is on our Bottle Brush with extra long wooden handles and strong bristles. The extra-long handle allows effective cleaning of deep containers such as coffee maker reservoirs or humidifiers, large water flasks, water bottles, and to-go cups with lids.

    The naturally soft, dense bristles are delicate, yet effective in cleaning and are positioned to scrub at all angles. It is suitable for any surface - plastic, metal, or glass. The bristles are flexible enough to reach into right angles of straight edges containers, and into small necked insulated bottles, and are superb for cleaning your to-go cups.

    The bristles can be targeted into small crevices such as the insides of complicated lids, such as Contingo brand lids, or mouthpieces of to-go cups or flip-top lids, and the bristles reach into lid threads.

    Other uses for this well-designed brush are the inside of muffin tins, Bundt pans, food processor containers and their food shoots, blender jugs, as well as camelback-type water bladders.
    The natural wooden handle and bristles dry quickly and thoroughly. Simply clean food residue off the bristles with clear hot water. Shake the excess water from the brush and leave it in the open to air dry.

    The natural beauty of this brush is a perfect accent to any kitchen decor.

    Drop by our Instagram account post of July 27, 2021 to see this brush in action. 

    Sending warm wishes to your home,
    from the husMait home kitchen.

    Signature Bakeware 5 Piece Set

    Spotlight On Signature Bakeware 5 Piece Set

    What is your most reached for tool when baking? Tell us in the comments.

    This past week on our Instagram feed we have been sharing husMait’s Signature Bakeware 5 Piece Set. This set is packed with tools that will make a fantastic gift for a new kitchen or a wonderful addition to a seasoned home baker’s kitchen. The 5 pieces are Stainless Steel Flour Scraper, Stainless Steel Cookie Scoop, Cooling Rack, Silicone Pastry Brush, and 24 Cup Mini Muffin Pan. All of these pieces are designed for durability and will not peel, crack, warp, or fade. All five (5) items are easy to clean and dishwasher safe. Rust-resistant and store comfortably in your kitchen drawer storage. These professional-grade kitchen accessories are perfect for baking, cooking, prepping, and much more.


    The stainless steel flour scraper is a multifunctional tool, it can be used to scrape the sticky dough off a work surface, lift fragile cookie dough onto a baking tray or hot baked goods off of a baking tray, and cutting equal portions when baking to name just a few. The cutting edge has a handy six-inch ruled edge, measuring down to 1/8th of an inch. The flour scraper can also be to smoothing cake icing or spread ingredients evenly over large areas of dough; I love using it when making sticky buns or cinnamon rolls.


    The versatile cookie scoop will help any baker successfully create perfectly shaped and uniformly sized cookies, presenting the cookies for display. The cookie scoop is also perfectly sized to fill the cups of the Mini-Muffin Pan included in this set. The Cookie Scoop can also be used to add perfectly shaped condiments or sides to a plated meal. One of my favorites uses for this tool is shaping those gooey, sticky vegan energy bites.

    The 24 Cups Mini-muffin Pan has an amazing non-stick finish making cupcakes and muffin baking a breeze. It can also be used to bake mini pies, protein cups, or as a jello mold. This item is also available separately.


    The stainless steel cooling rack has a beautiful bright finish and is large enough to cool two 9 inch cakes, 48 mini muffins, or a batch of cookies. It is a fantastic platform when you are dipping petit fours or mirror glazing cakes.


    Our pastry brush is made from heat-resistant silicone so it can be used for everything from pastry to barbecue. We love that this brush washes easily in the sink or in the dishwasher, and that the bristles dry thoroughly and hygienically.

    We also offer the full set and most of these items individually in our Amazon.com store

    Please tag your favorite husMait item on Instagram or Facebook or below in the comments. 

    Sending warm wishes to your home,
    from the husMait home kitchen.