Flank Steak with Parsley-Garlic Sauce and Tourned Steamed Potatoes

The first thing I want to say about the Flank Steak recipe is "Oh My Gosh!!!"  That recipe is amazing and perfect for Summer! Per the recipe, it's based on chimichurri, a staple of Argentinean steakhouses and this zesty sauce can be served with just about any cut of meat. It is also great drizzled over roasted potatoes and other vegetables or stirred into rice or minestrone.  I love flank steak, but the sauce makes it and don't be afraid of the bright green of the sauce which has a very fresh flavor to it.

Flank Steak with Parsley-Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

·       1 1/2 lb. flank steak        

·       coarse salt and ground pepper

·       1 tbsp. olive oil                

·       1-2 garlic cloves

·       1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed (about 4 cups)      

·       3 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves

·       3 tbsp. white-wine vinegar

·       1/8 tsp. red-pepper flakes

·       1/4 cup olive oil             

·       2 tbsp. water

·       1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

   Generously season both sides of flank steak with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak 7-8 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest, covered, 10 minutes.  Thinly slice against the grain. 

   In a food processor, pulse garlic until finely chopped. Add parsley, oregano, vinegar, pepper flakes, oil, water, and salt. Pulse until herbs are finely chopped. Serve with steak. 

   Based on chimichurri, a staple of Argentinean steakhouses, this zesty sauce can be served with just about any cut of meat. It is also great drizzled over roasted potatoes and other vegetables or stirred into rice or minestrone.

Servings:  4

In the recipe it calls for it to be cooked inside, but with it being Summer, I wanted to use the grill.  I preheated the grill on high and a few minutes before putting the meat on, I turned it down to medium-low.  I oiled both sides and seasoned both sides with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  I cooked it on the grill for 6 minutes on one side and 5 minutes the other.  This was for medium-rare.  If you want a bit less red, do 6 minutes on both sides.  Don't forget to let the steak sit for 5 minutes before carving so the juices that rush to the surface of the meat from the heat can be reabsorbed.  When you slice it, you want to use a long, sharp knife and cut on as much an angle as you can handle against the grain.  Place the slices on the platter and drizzle with the chimichurri sauce.  

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Tourned Steamed Potatoes

Ingredients:

·       7 small yellow potatoes

·       1 tbsp. butter

·       2 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs

·       1/4 tsp. white pepper

Directions:

    Put 1 cup water and some salt into a saucepan with a steamer basket inside and bring to a boil.

    Using a paring knife, peel the potatoes, turning as you peel off the skin, into a football shape.

    Add potatoes to the basket and steam until potatoes are knife-tender and the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes.

    Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and add 1 tablespoon butter, chopped herbs, and white pepper. Toss to coat. Serve warm.

Servings:  2

This recipe comes from Lucinda Scala Quinn and if you've read my previous posts you know how much I love her.  This recipe was very good, but I would add a couple things, but the hubby thought it was perfect as it was.  Please note that this is for 2 servings.  I doubled it and used my dutch oven to steam them.  For the herbs I used what I had in the garden which was parsley, chives, oregano, and thyme.  I have basil, but thought that flavor would dominate too much.  When choosing herbs, I would say go heavier with the parsley and the chives and use the oregano and thyme to accent.  I just feel parsley and chives are perfect for potatoes.  

In the recipe, Lucinda peels the potatoes with a small pairing knife and turns it as it peels off the skin.  I will admit that I started off that way but after a couple nicks on my knuckle, I resorted to the potato peeler.  I feel no shame admitting this.  The only salt used is in the water you steam the potatoes in, but I don't think a sprinkling of sea salt with the herbs would hurt.  Since I doubled it, I used 2 tbsp. butter, but 1 tbsp. more wouldn't hurt either.  To make sure they have been steamed enough, the tip of a knife should penetrate very easily.  The 20 minutes was perfect for my double batch.  Enjoy!

Michael Chiarello's Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Cruda

It's been a while since I last blogged and man am I rusty.  Plus my husband is sitting behind me trying to read what I'm writing and that really bugs me.  So excuse me while I get rid of him....I really don't like people watching over my shoulder.  It stifles my creative juices (and makes me a wee bit self-conscious).  So on to the recipe.

This recipe comes from Michael Chiarello who hosts the Food Network show "Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello."  He owns restaurants in Napa, CA and has a food line called Napa Style.  He is also a good friend of my favorite makeup Goddess, Leslie Blodgett!  Michael focuses on fresh foods grown locally so you have the best choice of flavors.  I would like to mention that almost all the produce I used came from my garden in keeping with the spirit of the chef who created it.

As you can see from the picture above, this is a robust and hearty recipe.  The recipe says it makes 4 servings, but I found it made more like 6. I could only finish 1 serving.  The flavors are rich and spicy, so I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart.  You would think with the jalapenos that they would add the spice, but the 3 tablespoons of raw minced garlic really gives it a kick.  I also would not recommend it for those who want a real quick meal.  The veggies need to be charred on the barbecue and then peeled with can take quite a bit of prep time especially the first time you make it.  But if you like a lot of flavor and want to really show off, then this meal is for you!  By the way, my hubby loved it and ate 2 1/2 servings.  So he gives it the thumbs up.  

Grilled Flank Steak with Salsa Cruda

Ingredients:

 ·       Salsa Cruda:                      

·       5-6 vine-ripened tomatoes (a few more if using romas)

·       1 large red bell pepper         

·       2 jalapeno chiles

·       6-7 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread

·       gray salt and freshly ground pepper

·       wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

·       1 onion, sliced into thick rings

·       3 tbsp. minced garlic

·       2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar     

·       1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

·       gray salt and cracked black pepper

·       1 flank steak, about 1 lb.

·     3-4 oz. Gorgonzola, crumbled

·       1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, divided

·       6 large slices bread, cut from a good, crusty loaf

Directions:

   Prepare the grill and let it burn down to medium coals. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium.  Core the tomatoes and cut an X through the skin on the bottom of each. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion rings, bell pepper, and chiles with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

   Secure the chilies with metal or soaked wooden skewers so they won't fall through the grill grate. Place the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down and away from direct heat, with the other vegetables. Cover the grill and cook, turning the bell pepper and chiles to char evenly all over, until the tomatoes have softened but are still firm enough to stand on their own and the bell pepper and chilies are blistered, about 15 minutes.

   Put the pepper and chiles in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam and loosen the skins. Let the tomatoes cool to room temperature. 

   In a large, shallow bowl, combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, vinegar, oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside. 

    Peel the grilled vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze out the seeds into a mesh sieve suspended over a bowl to catch the juices. Finely chop the tomatoes.

    Return the tomato pulp and any juices from the chopping board to the bowl holding the tomato juices. Seed the bell pepper and cut the bell pepper and onions into small dice. Seed and chop the chiles. Mash the chiles and taste to determine their heat. 

    Add all vegetables with garlic olive oil mixture. Mix well before topping the flank steak. 

    Brush both sides with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill for 5 minutes for medium-rare and 6 minutes for medium on both sides (to cook indoors try a cast iron, skillet or bistecca pan).

    A minute before removing steak from the heat, top with oregano and Gorgonzola. Transfer to a cutting board, drizzle with another 1 tablespoon olive oil, and crumble the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano over the top. Let rest for about 5 minutes. 

    Meanwhile, brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the bread on both sides until brown and crunchy on the outside but still soft within. 

    Carve the meat on the diagonal into thin slices and arrange on a platter or plates, on top of crusty bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of the Salsa Cruda, per slice of bread drizzled over each portion. Serve immediately.

Servings:  6

The recipe calls for 5-6 vine-ripened tomatoes.  I used romas which were a little on the small side, so I used 9 total.  It says to put the tomatoes on the grill, X-side down, but the way romas are shaped, that was a little hard to do.  If yours won't stay, don't worry about it.  Just remember to turn them.  It also says to use skewers for the jalapenos. I used Anaheim peppers which are a slightly larger and milder version of jalapenos and they were big enough to put on the grill by themselves so I didn't need the skewers.  If you do use wood skewers, do make sure you soak them because they will catch on fire.  The recipe also calls for gray salt.  Michael Chiarello really LOVES gray salt.  It's a bit pricey so if you don't have it, just substitute it with sea salt or as a last result, table salt.

It originally called for 4 oz. of Gorgonzola cheese (you'll find it near cumbled blue or feta cheese), but you can get away with 3 oz.  Gorgonzola is Italy's version of blue cheese and very yummy.  You add this to the top of the flank steak a minute before taking off the grill.  It will not be all melty when you take off the grill.  I recommend a large spatula to remove it so you don't dump the Gorgonzola into the flames.

For the bread, I made a loaf of Italian bread which is probably the size of the average grocery store loaf of French bread which you can use also.  Cut the slices on as much of an angle that you can with a serrated bread knife to make the slices as large as possible.  Don't make them too thin (about 1" thick) or they will get too soggy.  Grill them till you have the grill marks, but still soft in the center.  When you slice the steak, use the same knife and technique you used for the bread and cut against the grain.  With skirt and flank steak, you always cut against the grain.  Plate as directed and enjoy!

Deadheading Roses

As much as we would all like to believe that plants produce flowers, fruits and vegetables for our pleasure, they actually are doing so for the survival of the species.  Inside those flowers, fruits and vegetables are seeds.  Once the plant has produced a sufficient amount of seeds, it either goes dormant to re-energize or in the case of annuals, die off completely.

Selfish humans that we are, we are constantly figuring out ways to extend those "fruits" of their labor.  Following is the correct way to deadhead roses and encourage more flowers:

1.  Locate a spent bloom on your rose bush. Flowers that have begun to wilt or are dropping petals need to be removed.

2.  Locate the first set of 5 leaves beneath the bloom. There are typically several groups of 3 leaves directly under the bloom, so you may have to look further down the branch to locate the first group of 5 leaves. If the plant is weak or unhealthy, you should prune more conservatively.


3.  Cut the branch at a 45 degree angle slightly above the first group of 5 leaves you located beneath the bloom. Use a sharp set of bypass hand pruners to make the cut. Try using anvil pruners if your roses have particularly tough or thick canes that are difficult to cut with bypass pruners.


4.  Repeat Steps 1 to 3 until you have removed all of the old blooms from your rose bush. This will ensure plenty of new growth and beautiful buds.


If you need a more visual explanation, here is a link:


http://www.ehow.com/video_4418560_deadhead-roses.html

Sam's Club Beef Kabobs, Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter and Fruit Salad

Since Memorial Day is now over and that day officially kicks off the grilling season, I thought I would share with you some of my favorites!

My friend PJ and I make or weekly trip to the grocery store and sometimes make a stop at Sam's Club.  We started doing this when PJ would watch my daughter, Gillian, on Wednesday mornings when I bowled.  PJ doesn't drive (I've seen her push a grocery cart, be thankful) so she would accompany us to the store.  Gillian was about 6 months old at that time and is now 12 years old!

On this particular day, they were doing samples of beef and chicken kabobs and the beef ones had a very unique flavor.  They handed us the recipe cards and couldn't believe 2 out of the 3 marinade ingredients.  Country Time Lemonade Mix and Hidden Valley Ranch Mix!  The third was olive oil.  I know it sounds very strange, but you gotta try these.  They only need a minimum of 30 minutes to marinate and they are so easy.  I don't necessarily recommend using extra-virgin olive oil because it has a higher flash point and these are done on the grill, if possible.  On most recipes you can get away using regular olive oil if it's being cooked because extra-virgin's flavor holds up better when it isn't cooked for very long and at lower heats.  The recipe name was just Beef Kabobs, but I like to keep track of where I get recipes so I renamed them Sam's Club Beef Kabobs!  Here's the recipe:

Sam’s Club Beef Kebabs

Ingredients:

·       1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/4" cubes

·       1 tbsp. Country Time Lemonade Mix                      

·       1 oz. (3 tbsp.) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

·       1/4 cup canola oil

·       1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into 2" squares                             

·       6 mushrooms, cut in half

·       12 cherry or grape tomatoes                      

·       6 skewers       

·       non-stick spray

Directions:

    In a bowl, combine seasoning, lemonade mix and oil with a whisk.  Stir in beef cubes and marinate for 30 minutes in refrigerator. 

    Alternately thread pieces of meat, bell pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes on 6 skewers.  Spray with cooking spray. 

    Grill at medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally.

Servings:  6


If you use bamboo skewers, be sure that you soak them in cold water for 30 minutes just before threading. If you use metal skewers, make sure you use tongs or oven mitts to turn them.  I don't recommend using white mushrooms, they keep splitting in half when you're trying to thread them.  I used brown mushrooms or you can use baby portabellas.  Be sure you don't overcook the skewers or the meat will be tough.  Enjoy!

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter

Ingredients:

·       4 whole ears of corn, cut in half

·       Garlic Butter:

·       1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened

·       4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

·       Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

    Combine butter and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

    Preheat grill to medium. Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak in large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.

    Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes.

Unwrap corn and brush with the garlic butter. 

Servings:  8

I adapted this recipe from a Bobby Flay recipe.  It's very simple and very tasty.  I like to cut the cobs in half after cooking, because some people aren't able to finish a whole one and therefore, not as much will be wasted.  Get the butter done first so the flavors have a chance to marry.  If you don't want to deal with the husks and silk, tear them completely off.  Cut the cobs in half and wrap them in heavy duty foil.  Heavy duty foil really is better for the grill.  Cook them for the same amount of time.  

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

·       1 tbsp. honey 

·       2 tbsp. lemon juice                    

·   1 sprig of mint, leaves chopped

·       preferred fruit, i.e. cherries, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, canned pineapple totaling about 3 cups

Directions:

    Combine honey and lemon juice (to taste) and add mint. 

    Cube and slice desired fruit and toss with dressing.  Cool before serving.

Servings:  4

I first tried this recipe while visiting some long lost relatives.  Her daughter had just started culinary school and made this recipe for her.  My favorite combo of fruits is banana, fuji or gala apple (no need to peel), cherries halved, green grapes halved, and strawberries.  I used strawberries from Oxnard, CA and they truly are the best!  Refrigerate to cool and then serve.  I normally make this recipe in May and June because the cherries really make it and those are the months they are best in season.  

In the Garden Pictures

Top: Snow Peas  Bottom:  Super Sugar Snap Peas

Radishes, romaine, red leaf lettuce and mint!

Everyday I'm seeing more and more stuff to harvest in the garden.  I've been harvesting boysenberries, sugar snap peas, snow peas, romaine lettuce, rosalita leaf lettuce, radishes (pink, white, red half red & white!), green onions, and mint.  In the next week or so I should be able to harvest spinach and zucchini squash.  I'm already seeing green tomatoes and little bell & hot peppers forming.  This is such an exciting time in the garden.  I love just walking around and checking on the progress of all the plants while munching on raw sugar snap and snow peas.

Phyllis

Bella

I've started letting my Polish hens, Phyllis and Bella, roam the garden.  It really is entertaining to watch them scratching the weeds I've left here and there for them searching for insects.  I even turn over a planter stone or two to surprise them with some big fat ones in hiding.  You should see them run after those little invaders.  This may sound weird, but I am so looking forward to the day I find one of those evil, plump tomato horn worms so I can turn it over to the wrath of the chickens.  A fitting death!  I've been hand picking squash beetles and rolly polly's (that's what we've called them since kids) over to the girls and I haven't seen any squash beetles in two days!

Don't forget, walk your garden every day if you can.  You'll be amazed with the day to day progress and might catch a problem before it's beyond repair.  Also, think of having bird feeders and hummingbird feeders nearby.  Yes, they may eat a bit of your garden here and there, but they will eat far more insects.  I love my little ecosystem right there in the garden.  Sit for a spell and you'll probably see at least 2-3 lizards sunning themselves or on the hunt for bugs.  Come out at night with a flashlight and you'll spot several pairs of glowing eyes from the spiders.  Everyone's welcome as long as they play nice.  Don't play nice and you will be eaten!

Flour Cafe's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I was in the mood to bake, but wanted something that was more on the healthy side.  If you ask any nutritionist (which I did) what is the healthiest cookie, they will most likely tell you Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  Who would have thought that you could eat these babies with very little guilt?  In the realm of cookies, this probably isn't the most favorite maybe due to the oatmeal or the raisins or both, but I love them.  They just have that old-fashioned goodness.

I have a couple of recipes that are pretty good, but wanted to try these from one of my cookbooks.  They are from Joanne Change's cookbook "Flour:  Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Cafe and Bakery".  I have written about this cookbook before on my blog about her Banana Bread.  So here's the recipe:

Flour Cafe's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light (golden) brown sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur's is best!)

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled outs (not instant or quick cooking)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt (if you don't have kosher use 1/2 tsp. regular salt)

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (Vietnamese is best!)

1 1/2 cups raisins

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer or wooden spoon), cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.  (This step will take 10 minutes if using a handheld mixer or spoon.)  Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar.  Beat in the eggs on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined.  Scrape the bowl and the paddle again to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Add the raisins and toss to combine and coat.  On low speed (or with wooden spoon), slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and then mix just until the flour mixture is totally incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.  

For the best results, scrape the dough into an airtight container and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 3-4 hours) before baking.  When ready to bake, position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Drop the dough in 1/4 cup balls onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 2" apart.  Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.  

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center.  Be careful not to over bake.  Soft, chewy centers make these cookies irresistible.  Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

I highly recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe.  It's important to get the butter-sugar mixture to that light and fluffy stage which the stand mixer is perfect for.  Also, when you incorporate the flour-oatmeal mixture into the butter-sugar mixture the mixer will save your arms. 

In this recipe she calls for freshly grated nutmeg which I always use if a recipe calls for nutmeg.  You can purchase the whole nutmegs at any grocery store and all you need is a micro-grater.  The smell of freshly grated nutmeg is heaven!  As always, I use King Arthur's flours and their Vietnamese cinnamon.  Another thing, don't substitute regular butter for the unsalted butter or your cookies will be salty.  Unsalted butter really is best in baking anyways. And if you have had that container of oatmeal in your pantry for a while, please check the expiration date.  If it's stale or too old, it will ruin your recipe.  Fresh is best!

I did as she recommended and let the dough sit overnight in the refrigerator.  I also use this technique for my chocolate chip cookies.  It really does make a difference.  To form the cookies, I use my Pampered Chef medium scoop (my standard for all cookies).  No baker should be without at least 1 of each size.  I have 2-3 of each size and use them constantly.  The small scoop is perfect size for small mouths and you'll be amazed at the lack of crumbs on your kitchen floor or car back seat.  The recipe calls for you to slightly flatten each ball, but I have to admit I forgot to do that, but they turned out just fine probably due to the convection mode.

For this batch, I used my convection setting at 325 degrees (convection is always 25 degrees lower than the recipe calls for) because I was cooking 2 sheets of cookies in each oven.  They cooked in 15 minutes (convection usually takes 5 minutes less than the recipe calls for) and were perfect.  I always use a sheet of parchment on the cookie sheets because when I take them out of the oven, I just slide the parchment with cookies directly onto the cooling rack.  I do this because when you let them cool on the rack, they are still cooking.  You can eat them slightly warm or cooled completely.  

So enjoy your only very slightly guilty pleasure in all their oatmeal-cinnamon-nutmeg glory!  

Mimi's Cafe Carrot Raisin Bread

I've loved this bread for years and decided I was going to find the recipe on the internet and make it myself.  Guess what?  There are a lot of copycat recipes on the web for this recipe.  Most of them call for molasses which I believe they add to recreate the darkness of the bread. But, when I tried them, they weren't even close and were way too bitter!  So I kept searching.  Eventually I found this recipe that had been printed in the Sacramento Bee.  They have a column where readers request recipes from restaurants and they try to get them. Someone had requested the Carrot Raisin bread from Mimi's Cafe and a manager in Sacramento got permission from the parent company to give it out.  And it has no molasses!

I've been making this recipe for a while now and while it's not as dark as the one they give you in the restaurant, it tastes pretty darn close.  If you do want the darkness, you can use a product a lot of commercial bakers and restaurants use and you'll never guess the name.  It's called....Caramel Color!  I bought mine through King Arthur Flour.  It says it can be used to enhance the visual appeal of pumpernickel, dark breads, gravies, etc.

Here's the recipe:

Mimi’s Café Carrot Raisin Bread

Ingredients:

·       1 3/4 cups flour 

·       1 cup sugar         

·       2 tsp. cinnamon

·       1 tsp. baking soda        

·       1/2 tsp. baking powder

·       1/2 tsp. salt         

·       1/2 cup milk       

·       1/2 cup vegetable oil

·       1 egg

·       1/2 tsp. vanilla   

·       1 cup grated carrot

·       1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350º.  Spray one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside. 

    In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg and vanilla.  Stir milk mixture into dry ingredients until well-blended.  Sprinkle carrot and raisins over batter and blend until evenly distributed. 

    Pour batter into pan and even out on top.  Bake 45-60 minutes or until a tester inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan for five minutes on cooling rack and then remove from pan.   Cool on rack for 15 more minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Servings: 1 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" loaf

The original recipe called for it to be baked in a mini loaf pan, but since I'm not serving these in a restaurant I use a regular loaf pan.  You can use your standard 9x5" loaf pan, but I picked up a couple beautiful 8 1/2 x 4 1/2" loaf pans made by USA Pans so that's what I used.  

I like to use a product called Bak-Klene.  It's a non-stick spray/flour combination that my mom always used in her bakery.  The only place we can find it is at Smart & Final.  It's works pretty well in all pans except the specialty Nordic Ware pans.  I definitely advise you to do the shortening/flour technique on those puppies. Oops, I digress.  Anyways, here the batter in the oven. As you can see I smoothed out the top of the batter to help it rise evenly.

The recipe calls for regular salt, but if you wish to use kosher salt, just double the amount.  I also recommend using a good quality cinnamon.  I use Vietnamese cinnamon and I believe it really makes a difference in my baked goods.

It's real important to make sure your bread is baked completely.  If you don't, the middle will sink in and it is not very attractive.  You can use toothpicks, but I like to use bamboo skewers you would use for kebabs.  I feel like toothpicks are a little too narrow and the skewers are just the right width to catch the unbaked batter.

Of course you can serve it once it has cooled somewhat, but if you ever have patience enough try bagging it up and letting it sit overnight.  Like cupcakes, most quick breads are actually better the next day.  They will be more moist and have more flavor.  By the way, it is excellent with a nice wisp of butter on your slice!  Enjoy!