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December 15, 2011
Ask Addie: Where can I find candied citron?
My husband, Mark, bakes Dundee Cakes as gifts during the Christmas season. It is a light-colored Scottish tea cake with three kinds of candied peels and three kinds of raisins. We’ve had those who dislike fruitcake go for seconds.
This year we have had trouble obtaining candied citron. Our attempts to search for information only connect with other people asking why they cannot get citron. One website, Barry Farms, simply states they can’t get it from their supplier. We tried ordering from Economy Candy and received a call the following day, also stating that their supplier cannot fulfill their orders. Since we set the candied peels and raisins to soak in Scotch a year in advance, the only solution would be to split the candied citron amount between the candied lemon peel and candied orange peel. Can you find out what’s going on?
— Mary Shannon, Austin
I called around to a number of area grocery stores and found candied citron at both Central Market locations and at least one HEB (the one at South Congress Avenue and Oltorf Street), and it looks like Amazon.com has candied citron from the Florida-based Paradise Fruit Co. in stock.
If worse comes to worse, you can always make the candied citron using a fresh citron found at a specialty store and Asian market. The most common citron found in Austin stores is the oddly shaped Buddha’s Hand, which you can chop finely and boil with equal parts sugar and water until the temperature reaches 230 degrees. Remove the pieces and let them dry on a wire rack.
Mark Shannon was kind enough to share his recipe for Dundee Cake that he uses every year to make a dozen holiday cakes for family and friends.
Dundee Cake
2/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup candied citron
1/4 cup candied orange peel
1/4 cup candied lemon peel
2 Tbsp. orange juice
3 Tbsp. Scotch Whisky
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
2/3 cup blanched almonds, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 extra large eggs
2 Tbsp. orange-flavored liqueur (or Drambuie)
In a 1-quart canning jar mix raisins, currants, citron, candied peels, orange juice and two or three Tbsp. of Scotch Whisky. Seal and let sit at least overnight, preferably longer, shaking occasionally (a year is good).
When you’re ready to bake the cake and the fruit mixture has soaked, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch spring-form pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon and grated peels.
In a food processor with a knife blade attached, combine 1/3 almonds and 1/4 cup sugar. Process until almonds are finely ground. Coat fruit mixture with almond/sugar powder.
In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat 3/4 cup of sugar and the butter until well blended. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 5 minutes, or until light and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in orange liqueur. Reduce speed to low, beat in flour mixture until just completely moistened (batter will be thick). Do not over-beat. Fold fruit and almond mixture into batter.
Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Arrange remaining 1/3 cup almonds on top of batter. Do not press the almonds into the batter but lay them on the surface. Bake 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cover the pan loosely with foil after the first hour to prevent the top from over-browning.
Cool in pan on wire rack 20 minutes. With a small knife, loosen cake from sides of pan; remove pan side. Cool completely on wire rack. When cool, remove pan bottom and wrap cake in plastic wrap and then in foil. Let cake stand overnight before serving.
(You can infuse the cake with Scotch by piercing cooled cake with metal or bamboo skewer several times and pouring a tablespoon or so of Scotch over the cake. Then wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and foil and put in a cake tin and let rest for two days, repeating as desired.)
— Mark Shannon
Photos by Mark Shannon and linda yvonne on Flickr.
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December 13, 2011
Ask Addie: Who makes good tamales?
I need to order tamales for Christmas. Do you have any suggestions on who makes good tamales?
— Patty Guerra, Austin
Oh, tamales. Possibly my favorite holiday food that I never knew was a holiday food until I moved to Texas. I buy about eight dozen from Chumikals Cafe, which runs the food service inside the Statesman, so I can squirrel them away in the freezer and eat them all year ‘round. (The East Austin location of Chumikals, 3223 E. Seventh St., 386-8840, also sell tamales by the dozen.)
Many, many Mexican restaurants in Austin sell tamales by the dozen right now, but some of the perennial favorites include Santa Rita (323-2000, 5900 W. Slaughter Lane, 1206 W. 38th St.), Izzoz Tacos (916-4996, 1503 S. First St.), Gardener’s Feast (512-278-1775. 100 E. Parsons in Manor or at almost all the area farmers’ markets), Guero’s Taco Bar (447-7688, 1412 S. Congress Ave.), El Meson (442-4441, 5808 Burleson Road, 2038 S. Lamar Blvd.), La Mexicana Bakery (443-6369. 1924 S. First St.) and Curra’s Grill (444-0012, 614 E. Oltorf St.), For vegetarian options, try Mr. Natural (477-5228, 1901 E. Cesar Chavez St., 2414 S. Lamar Blvd.).
Some places will stop taking orders this week, but if you wait until the last minute, try tamales delivery company Tamales Leo (297-9619), which are made and also available at Pablito’s Bakery, 1015 E. Braker Lane. Tamales Leo is offering delivery on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Silver Whisk Cooking School (826-8841, 1501 N. RM 620 in Lakeway) still has spaces available for its tamales-making class ($49) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Hala Aboudaher
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September 13, 2011
Ask Addie: When music gets in the way of the food, plus a recipe for spring roll fish sauce
Just in time for the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend, Ask Addie is back with a question from a reader about why some restaurants play music so loudly.
To follow up on the print column, here’s another question from a reader:
I don’t like peanut sauce, but I like Vietnamese sauce. When you buy Vietnamese spring rolls at places like Hao Hao on William Cannon, it has fish sauce with a little bit of sugar, lime and garlic, but I don’t know how they do it. Any recipe that would work would be appreciated.
— Connie Palmersheim, Oak Hill
Americans aren’t the only people around the world that like to dip foods into sauces. Peanut sauce is common in many Southeast Asian countries, and the kind of mixed fish sauce you’re referring to is the Vietnamese favorite nuoc mam pah or nuoc cham. Sweet and sour with a little bit of heat, this sauce is perfect for spring rolls (fried or raw), stir fries, rice or noodle bowls and bánh mì sandwiches.
The basic components are one part citrus juice or vinegar, one part fish sauce, one part sugar and two parts water. You have to warm up the water to dissolve the sugar, but once you’ve combined the liquids, you can add whatever other ingredients that suit your taste. Crushed red pepper, hot chili paste, minced serrano peppers or Sriracha or other hot sauces will add a bite, and minced garlic can help bring together the vinegar, sugar and fish sauce. Some cooks even add shredded carrots for a little texture. Customization is key, but here’s a recipe from some of my favorite bloggers, White On Rice, to help you get started.
If you’re not a fan of sweet sauces, reduce the sugar, and if you’ve had a bottle of fish sauce sitting in your pantry for more than year like I have, it’s probably saltier and stronger than it was when you bought it, so add a little at a time.
Fish sauce adds umami, the smooth savory flavor that is considered the “fifth taste,” but too much just makes things taste fishy. Many cooks think of it like liquid anchovy paste and swear by adding a half a teaspoon to tomato sauces, chile or just about any other dish that calls for soy sauce, but just like with the dipping sauce, proceed with caution. You can always add more, but you can’t take away.
Photo by Deborah Cannon for the Austin American-Statesman.
