Flows Like Milk and Honey

Zucchini Bread with Pineapple

2010-08-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that most of you gardeners out there are up to your ears in zucchini by now and are scrambling for any delicious way to eat them before they go bad, and you've probably already had as many zucchini bread recipes thrown your way as you can bear, but hear me out. I'm not a huge zucchini bread fan (pumpkin is my go-to squash for bread making), but this stuff is good. I came across the recipe on this website a few weeks ago and bookmarked it, thinking I might, maybe, one day, sometime in the distant future, want to try zucchini bread. A few days later, I purchased a ginormous bag of zucchini at the farmers' market (four bucks for a huge bag- enough to fill a brown paper grocery bag!) and decided it was time to give zucchini bread another chance. Usually, I'll test out a few different recipes and find different aspects I like about each and then combine them into one uber-recipe, but this bread is almost perfect as is. I do sometimes swap out half the flour for wheat flour and play around with the nuts and dried fruit, and I omit the nutmeg because that screams "HOLIDAY SEASON" to me, but the base recipe yields a deliciously moist breakfast bread that I wouldn't want to change.

Zucchini Bread with Pineapple
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup olive oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (I grate mine a bit finer when using wheat flour, just because I prefer the texture that way).
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups all purpose flour (or replace half with wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixer, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, and vanilla; continue beating mixture until thick and foamy. With a spoon, stir in the zucchini and pineapple.

2 In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A third at a time, add dry ingredients into wet and gently stir (by hand) after each addition. Add the walnuts and raisins, blend gently.

3 Divide the batter equally between 2 greased and flour-dusted 5 by 9 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Makes 2 loaves.

Fig and Balsamic Jam, a la Thomas Keller

2010-08-26T14:51:00.001-07:00

While perusing the produce section of my local Whole Foods yesterday, I had a temporary moment of stupidity as I walked up to two precariously balanced pyramids of fresh figs and suddenly just had to have some. I know very well that figs are one of the most perishable fruits out there and that they need to be eaten soon after harvesting, and that there is nary a fig tree anywhere here in the greater Chicago area, so therefore these figs would probably, well, stink. Yet somehow, my brain completely short circuited and I happily skipped out of the store with two pints of fresh figs and delusions of some sort of blue cheese/fig/prosciutto hors d'oeuvre that I could nibble on over the course of a languid summer afternoon while reading a book on my front porch overlooking Napa Valley (yes, the whole valley. Hey, I said "delusional," didn't I?). Fifteen minutes later, as I stood in my cramped town home kitchen with an adorable babbling two month old on my hip, I tasted a fig and realized that my prosciutto-wrapped daydream was not meant to be, and that I needed to find a plan B.

Plan B came in the form of Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home.
If you have never perused this book, get thee to thy local bookstore and take a gander. Thomas Keller (he of The French Laundry *insert choir of angels*) is the man. I can't think of one recipe of his that I've tried that didn't rock my face off, and this one is no exception. Some of his recipes can be a bit fussy, but this one is simple: Cut up fruit, add balsamic and spice, simmer, finish with lemon juice, and cool. If you're wary of the ingredients (vinegar and peppercorns in jam?), don't be. The balsamic vinegar simmers down enough to lose most of the vinegary punch and adds sweetness, and the peppercorns add just enough of an earthy undertone to keep it from getting too sweet. If you've ever had mulled wine with peppercorns, it's very similar. The resulting jam is just sweet enough to still fall in the category of jams eligible for smearing on toast for breakfast, but savory enough to be well-utilized as an ingredient in tomorrow night's dinner. I'm eying a pork roast recipe in Ad Hoc at Home that calls for a cup of the jam. If you don't have access to fresh figs, dried figs will work perfectly fine, too.

Fig and Balsamic Jam
Ad Hoc at Home, Thomas Keller

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Black Mission figs, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (use a good-quality sweet balsamic)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, tied into a sachet (I ran out of cheesecloth and ended
up using a tea ball)
Fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Combine the figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and a sachet in a large saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring to break up the large pieces of fig, keeping a chunky consistency, until the jam reaches 215 to 220 degrees F. Remove from the heat.

Remove the sachet and stir in the lemon juice to taste. Spoon the jam into a canning jar or other storage container, cover, and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Sour Cherry Jam, Lebovitz style

2010-07-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, sour cherry season (or, as I think of it, most awesome fruit to bake with EVER season)is lamentably short. They're still available at the markets here in Chicagoland, but if I were a betting woman, I'd bet they won't be around for more than another week or two. If you've never worked with sour cherries, get thee to thy local market pronto and buy some. That sweet cherry pie you usually make will absolutely sing if you swap sour cherries for the bings.

No-Recipe Cherry Jam
From David Lebovitz

1. Buy as many cherries as you feel like pitting. Figure one pound of cherries will make one good-sized jar of jam. Plump, dark Bing cherries work really well, although Burlats are good, and if you can find sour cherries, your jam will rock.

2. Wear something red. Rinse the cherries, remove the stems, and pit the cherries. Make sure to remove all the pits. Chop about ¾ of them into smaller pieces, but not too small. Leave some cherries whole so people can see later on how hard you worked pitting real cherries. If you leave too many whole ones, they'll tumble off your toast.

3. Cook the cherries in a large non-reactive stockpot. It should be pretty big since the juices bubble up. Add the zest and juice of one or two fresh lemons. Lemon juice adds pectin as well as acidity, and will help the jam gel later on.

4. Cook the cherries, stirring once in a while with a heatproof spatula, until they're wilted and completely soft, which may take about 20 minutes, depending on how much heat you give them.

5. Once they're cooked, measure out how many cherries you have (including the juice.) Use 3/4 of the amount of sugar. For example if you have 4 cups of cooked cherry matter, add 3 cups of sugar. It may seem like a lot, but that amount of sugar is necessary to keep the jam from spoilage.

6. Stir the sugar and the cherries in the pot and cook over moderate-to-high heat. The best jam is cooked quickly. While it's cooking, put a small white plate in the freezer. Remain vigilant and stir the fruit often with a heatproof utensil. (Wouldn't it be a shame to burn it at this point?) Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir as well.

7. Once the bubbles subside and the jam appears a bit thick and looks like it is beginning to gel, (it will coat the spatula in a clear, thick-ish, jelly-like layer, but not too thick) turn off the heat and put a small amount of jam on the frozen plate and return to the freezer. After a few minutes, when you nudge it if it wrinkles, it's done.

If not, cook it some more, turn off the heat, and test it again. If you overcook your jam, the sugar will caramelize and it won't taste good and there's nothing you can do. Better to undercook it, test it, then cook it some more.

Once it's done and gelled, add a bit of kirsch if you have it, clear cherry eau-de-vie which will highlight the flavor. Or add a few drops of almond extract, but not too much, or it will taste like a cheap Italian cake. Ladle the warm jam into clean jars and cover. Cool at room temperature, then put in the refrigerator where it will keep for several months.

Robert Linxe's Chocolate Truffles

2010-07-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ok. I know these may look less like something you would want to eat and more like, well, let's face it, a pile of poo, but trust me- you want to eat these. Robert Linxe is famous for his outstanding truffles, and unfortunately it's taken me until now to learn that Gourmet *moment of silence* printed the recipe with his little secret almost ten years ago. TEN YEARS. It's embarrassing how far behind the curve I am on this one. This was a fun recipe to make, and infinitely adaptable. I steeped some peppermint leaves in the cream for half an hour and added some homemade peppermint extract (the mint cream alone wasn't strong enough for my taste), but I imagine these would be great with anything from almond to hazelnut to Kahlua. Linxe's secret is that he pipes the ganache centers onto a parchment lined tray and then freezes them, then rolls them in a smear of melted chocolate in his hands to create a thin shell, then rolls them in cocoa powder (giving them the appearance of real truffles, straight from the ground. Cute, eh?). Once set, that thin coating of chocolate turns into a shell that lightly shatters as you bite into them, giving way to smooth ganache. I know you know this already, but make sure to use high-quality chocolate (he recommends Valrhona, but Scharffen Berger or Callebaut work well, too) since it's the star of the show here. It may seem expensive to use the good stuff, but you'll thank yourself in the end.

Ingredients

11 ounces Valrhona chocolate (56% cacao)
2/3 cup heavy cream
Valrhona cocoa powder for dusting

Preparation

Finely chop 8 ounces of the chocolate and put in a bowl.

Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. Make sure your pan is small, so you'll lose the least amount of cream to evaporation, and heavy, which will keep the cream from scorching. Linxe boils his cream three times — he believes that makes the ganache last longer. If you do this, compensate for the extra evaporation by starting with a little more cream.

Pour the cream over the chocolate, mashing any big pieces with a wooden spoon.

Then stir with a whisk in concentric circles (don't beat or you'll incorporate air), starting in the center and working your way to the edge, until the ganache is smooth.

Let stand at room temperature until thick enough to hold a shape, about 1 hour, then, using a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch opening or tip, pipe into mounds (about 3/4 inch high and 1 inch wide) on parchment-lined baking sheets. When piping, finish off each mound with a flick of the wrist to soften and angle the point tip. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 more ounces of the same Valrhona and smear some on a gloved hand. Gently rub each chilled truffle to coat lightly with chocolate. The secret to a delicate coating of chocolate is to roll each truffle in a smear of melted chocolate in your hand. Linxe always uses gloves.

Toss the truffles in unsweetened Valrhona cocoa powder so they look like their namesakes, freshly dug from the earth. A fork is the best tool for tossing truffles in cacao. Shake truffles in a sieve to eliminate excess cacao. Store truffles in the refrigerator.

Fava Bean Puree

2010-07-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

As you can probably surmise from my glaring absence over the last 3 months, things have been a bit hectic around here lately. We've been thrown a few curve balls that have kept me out of the kitchen and out of the blogging world, but the Lord has blessed us immensely throughout everything and we now have a beautiful baby girl.

Since I missed most of springtime produce, I feel like I have to play catchup on a few recipes, starting with this fantastically simple recipe for fava bean puree from Alice Waters, the queen of all things fresh and seasonal. I ate it on toasted slices from a french baguette, but it's great by itself or on pita, and you can also skip the mashing/pureeing step and eat the beans whole. I skipped out on the fresh rosemary (rosemary and I didn't get along well during the pregnancy, and I'm still a bit wary of it) and it was still delicious. This dish is equally delicious if you skip the mashing and leave the beans whole.

Fava Bean Puree
From Chez Panisse Vegetables
3 lbs. fresh fava beans
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 bay leaf
1 small sprig rosemary (I left this out)
1 sprig thyme
1/2 lemon

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Shell fava beans and discard the pods. Parboil the shelled beans for 1 minute. Drain them and immediately plunge them in ice-cold water for a few minutes to cool. Drain them again and remove their pale green skins, piercing the outer skin of each bean with your thumbnail and popping out the bright green bean with a pinch of your other thumb and forefinger.

2. Warm about 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a shallow, nonreactive saute pan. Add the beans and salt lightly. Add garlic, herbs, and a splash of water. Cook the beans at a slow simmer, stirring and tasting frequently, for about 30 minutes until they are completely soft and pale green and easily mashed into a puree. Add another splash of water from time to time to prevent the beans from drying out and sticking to the pan.

3. When the beans are done, remove and discard the herbs, and mash the beans into a paste with a wooden spoon, or pass them through a sieve or food mill, or puree with a food processor. Taste for seasoning and add more olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice to taste. If the puree is at all dry and tight, add still more olive oil. Don't be stingy with the oil; good olive oil is as important to the flavor of the puree as the beans. Serve warm or at room temperature, by itself or spread on grilled bread. Makes about 3 cups.

Double Vanilla Cupcakes: Respect the Bean

2010-03-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Why does vanilla have such a poor reputation? People will often refer to the boring and mundane as "just vanilla," which leaves me with the distinct impression that these naysayers have never had anything outside the realm of artificial vanilla extract. Pure vanilla, REAL vanilla, with its over 150 aromatic and flavor compounds (versus the artificial stuff's whopping 1), is anything but boring. The bean deserves respect.

These cupcakes are anything but boring, and they don't include any ingredients that push the vanilla bean off its well-deserved pedestal. The cupcake flavor is perfect, leaving me with no desire to change it, thought I do want to experiment with the texture a wee bit by adjusting the recipe to use cake flour instead of all-purpose, and by whipping the egg whites and folding them into the batter to make a lighter cake. Change or no change, this recipe will probably make a regular appearance in my kitchen.

Double Vanilla Cupcakes
(adapted, with slight changes, from here)

Ingredients

Cupcake

1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 vanilla bean (I used a whole bean)

Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I used closer to a cup of butter)
1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven preheats cut open and scrape out the seeds of a vanilla bean. Place the seeds, empty bean, and the milk into a small saucepan. Heat to just under a simmer for a few minutes being careful not to scald the milk. Remove from heat and allow the milk to steep and cool. (Be sure to remove the bean after it cools. Wash it and then place it out to dry so it can be used again.)

2. Beat the butter for about 3 minutes on medium speed, then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat for 30 seconds. Add the egg whites, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each.

3. In one bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another whisk together the vanilla steeped milk, vanilla extract, and sour cream.

4. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter sugar egg mixture in alternating additions (dry-wet-dry method), starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined being sure to not overbeat.

5. Divide the batter into cupcake papers in a muffin tin and bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Be sure to rotate the cupcakes after the first 15 minutes to ensure even baking. Be sure to keep a close eye as these can get overbaked quickly. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost when cooled.

Frosting

Beat the butter and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and beat in.

Makes about 1 dozen cupcakes (I managed closer to 20 small cupcakes)

Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange Sauce

2010-03-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Recently, I purchased more Meyer lemons than would probably be considered suitable for one person to own, and, not surprisingly, ended up having to zest and juice more lemons than one pair of pregnant hands should ever have to zest and juice; now, my freezer has its own Meyer lemon section (is this sentence still going?) and I've been coming up with all sorts of fun ways to incorporate the aforementioned zest and juice into my life.

Of all the different ways I've used these wonderfully sweet and tart lemons, this is probably my favorite so far. At its core, this sauce is a citrus butter sauce, but it is rounded out with lightly caramelized shallots and a bay leaf that keep it just outside of the realm of "overwhelmingly tropical." It's delicious over a wide variety of seafood (grilled shrimp or seared scallops, for a start) and vegetables (especially asparagus), but I swear the first time I drizzled this over a piece of pan-seared Chilean Sea Bass, I heard the fish whisper you complete me. I heartily agree.

Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange Sauce

I served mine over roasted asparagus and topped it with some caramelized shallots, but I imagine this would be good over a variety of other vegetables or grains.

For sauce:

1 tablespoon of butter
3-4 Tablespoons shallots, minced
Juice from 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 cup blood orange juice
1/2 bay leaf
6 Tablespoons of butter, cut into Tablespoon-sized bits,
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

1. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender and just beginning to color (do not brown them), about 3 minutes.

2. Add the lemon and orange juice and bay leaf and simmer on low until reduced by about half (about 5 minutes). Stirring constantly, add butter one tablespoon at a time, incorporating each piece fully before adding the next. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and serve over sea bass.

For Fish:

Olive oil
(2) 6 oz. portions of Chilean Sea Bass
Salt and pepper

1. In a medium saute pan, heat a couple tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Season sea bass with salt and pepper, then place in pan and saute on both sides, turning only once. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish, but fish is done when it flakes easily in the center with a fork.

What I Eat When There's Nothing to Eat

2010-03-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

Today's post will have to be short, because I'm pretty sure my coherence will fall apart after just a few minutes. My brain is losing its battle with mental fog that I blame partially on pregnancy hormones and partially on a sinus infection that just won't quit.

I haven't felt like venturing into new recipe territory over the last few weeks (with the exception of a wonderful vanilla bean pound cake that I want to tell you about sometime in the near future), but I've managed to scrape together good meals from pantry staples and reimagined leftovers. Any time I roast vegetables in the oven, I save the leftovers; I also follow this general recipe to clean out my leftover fresh veggies at the end of the week (just saute them in a bit of olive oil while the pasta boils). Tossed with pasta, a drizzle of olive oil, and your favorite soft cheese (I always have chevre on hand), leftover vegetables make for an insanely easy lunch on those days that you want something delicious but just don't feel like putting in a lot of effort.

Favorite Easy Pasta Dish

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook a handful of your pasta of choice until al dente. While pasta boils, either reheat leftover roasted/grilled vegetables in a saute pan or saute fresh greens and vegetables in olive oil until just tender. Drain pasta, reserving some pasta water, and toss pasta in saute pan with vegetables. Add a bit of reserved pasta water and simmer just until you have a thin sauce, then add several chunks of soft cheese and stir into pasta.

In the photos, I used leftover roasted asparagus, an assortment of mushrooms, and yellow peppers, but you can use just shallots and garlic, or onions with cherry tomatoes and a pinch of red pepper flakes, or whatever else you have lurking in your kitchen.

Cocoa Brownies

2010-02-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

These luscious little beauties have been popping up all over the blogosphere lately, and though I've bookmarked the recipe more than once, I've been skeptical about how good they could really be. My preferred brownie recipes have always incorporated melted chocolate into the batter, and even though I had yet to find that brownie (you know, THE ONE, the perfect marriage of texture and flavor), I didn't give much thought to this recipe, because what's a brownie without melted chocolate?

Heaven in your mouth, if you must know. A brownie like this leaves you in awe of its unhindered deep chocolatey-ness, makes you wonder where its dense, fudgy texture with its paper-thin crinkly top has been all your life, and makes you vow to never love another brownie again. I may sound ridiculous, but I'll bet that you'll be writing your own love sonnets to these brownies after you try them. The melted chocolate that I thought I loved most about other brownies turned out to be exactly what was coming between me and my brownie nirvana due to the presence of cocoa butter, which can really tamp down all the great qualities of cocoa. I was tempted to serve these with ice cream and homemade caramel sauce, but I just couldn't imagine that those usual bells and whistles would make these showstoppers any more impressive than they already are. Use a good quality cocoa powder for these. Splurge on something other than Nestle and Hershey's (I hate to call them out by name, but they just won't cut it in this case). I recommend cutting them into small squares, because they satisfy even the most voracious chocolate craving after only a couple of bites.

Alice Medrich's Cocoa Brownies

10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (280 grams) sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (82 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (66 grams) all-purpose flour

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

2. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added.

3. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

4. Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

5. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Back to Basics: Extracts

2010-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

I would be remiss if, during a kitchen basics-themed month here at FLMH, I didn't write a post on extracts. Extracts have to be the easiest, least labor intensive thing that will ever come out of your kitchen. Most of us don't think twice when we pay six bucks for a couple ounces of vanilla extract, but in reality, extracts are some of the most expensive items by volume that most of us have in our pantries. When compared with how simple and inexpensive they are to make at home, the expense of the store-bought extracts seems needless. I know the thought on many of your minds is "but what if I want vanilla extract? Aren't vanilla beans expensive?" Well, yes, if you're buying them at the grocery store and paying sixteen dollars for two scrawny beans. There are, however, plenty of places online where you can order beans in bulk for a much more reasonable price (I use saffron.com). I can get a half pound of good-quality beans here for fifteen or sixteen dollars, the same price I'd pay for two or three beans at my local
grocery store. That's usually about forty five beans, folks. Do the math.

The general ratio for a single-strength vanilla extract is three beans to every cup of liquor, but you can double the amount of beans for a stronger extract. Most recipes I've seen on the blogosphere call for vodka, but I prefer to use rum for vanilla extract because I like that warm kiss that rum lends toward baked goods, and I find that rum compliments the vanilla flavor more effectively than vodka does.

Vanilla Extract

3 vanilla beans, split
1 cup liquor (I prefer rum, but vodka is more popular)

Place beans and liquor in a glass jar and seal. Before use, store for at least 6 weeks in a cool, dark place, gently shaking every few days.

Want to make peppermint extract? Fill a jar with clean peppermint leaves that you've slightly bruised with your hands and top off with vodka. How about a citrus extract? Fill a jar with orange or lemon zest (or a combination of both), being careful to not include the pith, and top with vodka. Anise? Drop some star anise into a jar and, well, you get the picture. No matter what kind of extract you make, let it sit in a cool, dark place for at least six weeks (preferably two months) and give the jar a little shake every few days, and voila! You've got yourself a great homemade extract.

Back to Basics: Homemade Oreos

2010-02-13T13:44:00.000-08:00

I debated whether or not I should categorize this post as "back to basics" because I don't necessarily think of cookies as a pantry staple. But, let's face it, most people have some sort of packaged cookie on hand at all times, and most of those cookies just aren't as wonderful as they're cracked up to be. As a child, my favorite cookie was the Oreo; I remember being able to eat them by the sleeve (does anyone else miss having the metabolism they had when they were 11?). Now, I can't get past the chemical taste, but I can remedy that problem by making them myself. I can't claim that this is more convenient than just buying them at the store, but they definitely taste the way an Oreo should taste, minus all the funky tasting stuff. The recipe recommends 10-12 minutes of baking, but my cookies were done after only 9 minutes, so you may want to start checking yours around 8 minutes.

Cream-Filled Chocolate Sandwiches
(Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
Vanilla Cream Filling (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Into a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; continue beating until dough is well combined.

3. Using a 1 1/4" ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets about 2" apart. Dip bottom of a glass in sugar, press to flatten cookies to about 1/8" thick. (You may need to carefully remove dough from glass with a thin metal spatula).

4. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are firm, 10-12 minutes (mine only took 9), rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely.

5. Place cream filling in pastry bag fitted with a coupler and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place remaining cookies on top and gently press on each to squeeze filling to the edges. Filled cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Vanilla Cream Filling
(Makes about 1 cup)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and shortening until well combined.

2. On low speed, gradually add confectioners' sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Marsala Poached Pears

2010-02-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite ways to end a meal is with a bowl of summer berries topped with a wisp of freshly whipped cream. Sadly for me, summer berries just aren't happening in February, so I need to get my fruit fix elsewhere. Enter the poached pear. I've always enjoyed baked autumn and winter fruits, but somehow I missed the boat when it comes to poaching fruit. It just never appealed to me, and I was content to lend my poaching skills only to eggs, fish, and chicken. I should kick myself.

The only thing I can say about this is BEST. PEAR. EVER. That, and EASIEST dessert ever. Seriously, you just peel a few pears and put them in a covered pot with some wine and spices, walk away for 20 minutes, bask in the smell of the slowly reducing spiced wine, then plate the pears and pour the reduced sauce over them. That's it. As with most things this simple, you can always cater the spices to your palate. If you want to dress it up, serve with ice cream or whipped cream; if you're me and see no reason to discriminate, serve with both.

Marsala Poached Pears
(Adapted from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients

4 bosc pears, peeled, stem still attached, 1/4-inch of bottom sliced off so pears can easily sit upright
1 cup dry Marsala wine (or Madeira)
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 star anise
4 cloves
1/2 stick cinnamon

1. In a saucepan just large enough to fit all of the pears, place the Marsala wine, sugar, lemon juice, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and place the pears in the pan, standing upright. Cover the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes (if you want, baste with the liquid a couple of times during the cooking), until the pears can easily be pierced with a fork. Very firm pears make need to cook for up to 20 minutes.

2. Remove the pears to a serving dish. Keeping the pan uncovered, let the Marsala syrup boil down for a few minutes until it is a thick syrup. (If it begins to caramelize, remove pan from the heat and add a little water to the pan to stop the cooking.) Pour syrup over pears and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Back to Basics: Chai Tea

2010-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you were to take a cursory glance at my spice cabinet right now, you'd find a fairly disorganized melange of spices that probably need to be replaced sometime soon. Many of my spices are reaching the end of their usable shelf life, so my newest obsession is replacing all of my ground spices with their whole counterparts and grinding my own as I need them. It's not as time consuming as it sounds, and home ground spices pack a lot more flavor than their pre-ground counterparts. Don't believe me? Take a cinnamon stick and put it through an electric coffee grinder (preferably a metal one, so it doesn't absorb flavors and pass them on to whatever you grind next) and then smell your freshly ground cinnamon next to that powdered cinnamon you bought in bulk two years ago. See? No comparison.

Grinding aside, whole spices can be used in several different ways, most of which replace our favorite drink mixes. I've seen everything from instant coffee with cardamom to instant hot cocoa with anise... but really, how hard is it to make your own cocoa and pop a couple of anise stars in it? Are we really THAT pressed for time, or have we just gotten so used to having everything pre-made that we don't stop to think about how easy it might be to do it ourselves?

At the moment, my favorite application of whole spices is chai tea. I love its versatility and how you can omit several spices, add different spices, and have fun with it until you find something that's perfect for you. Many people use a strong black tea, but I prefer a lighter jasmine tea- it gives the spices more room to shine- and I like to drink mine cold (though it is still quite good hot). I absolutely love the clove/cardamom/anise flavors, but I've added fennel with good results, and if I plan to drink it hot, I'll add a thick strip of orange zest to perk things up a bit.

Chai Tea
(Adapted, with small changes, from here)

Ingredients

2 cups water

1 3″ cinnamon stick

8 cloves

10 cardamom pods (preferably green, but black will work too)

5 black peppercorns

2 Anise Stars

1 1″ piece of ginger

2 tsp loose jasmine tea

1 thick strip orange peel

2 T sugar

1 cup 2% or whole milk

1. Begin heating water in a pot on high. Smack cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pod with the flat side of a knife to break them up a bit. In a dry saut√© pan, toast cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and anise stars (be careful not to burn them). Cut the ginger piece in half and smack the ginger with the flat side of a knife to break it up a bit.

2. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods (make sure you get all the little center seeds, that’s the real flavor), peppercorns, anise stars, ginger, and tea to the water. Boil on high for 12 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the orange peel, sugar, and milk. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes more, being careful not to let the milk boil over.

3. Strain into mugs or into a small pitcher. Can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Back to Basics: Homemade Marshmallows

2010-02-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

This month at Milk and Honey, I'm posting a series of basic recipes that I strongly feel everyone should have at their fingertips. We take so many things in our pantries for granted, but what would we do if there was a run on mayonnaise or on our favorite spice mixes? Go without? I certainly would not; after all, most of our favorite pantry items predate the industrial process by at least several hundred years, meaning that people used to make these things from scratch, without hesitation, as a way of life. Purchasing the pre-made stuff may be convenient, but that perceived gain in convenience is more than lost in flavor and quality. The sad part is that most of these beloved items are incredibly easy to make, but we are so far removed from the process that we assume that preparation must be either time consuming or difficult. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be surprised by how quickly most of your pantry favorites can be made and by how any from-scratch item trumps its store bought counterpart in the flavor department.

I can't think of a better way to start this series than marshmallows. As a teenager, I learned how long marshmallows have actually been around, and it blew my mind. The mallows to which I was accustomed were so obviously processed and chemically treated that I couldn't fathom what they should taste like in their original form. What kept me coming back for more? Pure ignorance. Now that I know better, I like to keep the ingredients for mallows on hand at all times. They make great gifts, and they take rice krispie treats, hot cocoa, and s'mores to a whole new level. This recipe is for basic marshmallows, but flavor additions are limitless. Try adding slices of fresh ginger to the pot while the syrup boils for ginger mallows, or add lavender and Lillet to the final stages of whipping for a classier, grown-up treat. If you like your mallows a bit softer, reduce the whipping time; for firmer mallows, increase it.

Homemade Marshmallows
(Adapted from Alton Brown)

Ingredients:

3 packets unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

1. Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

2. In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

3. Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

1. Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

2. When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

3. Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows:

1. Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.

2. Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.

3. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Anadama Bread

2010-01-31T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have had this recipe sitting on my bookshelf, twiddling its thumbs and patiently waiting for me to pay any attention to it, for over a year. An entire year, people! I have no good reason for unjustly ignoring other than I simply haven't gotten into the habit of baking my own loaf bread yet. Yes, I, Miss Everything From Scratch, still purchase our weekly loaf of sandwich bread at the grocery store and, with each sandwich I eat, I lament the fact that I didn't take the time to make my own bread and vow to do it the next week. Sadly, "next week" came and went about 52 times and now I am kicking myself for all the time I've lost with this fantastic loaf and its soft, hearty, moist, and flavorful characteristics.

This particular recipe comes from Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" (which, if you don't already own, you should go buy). Though the recipe may look long and tiresome, it's not difficult, and doesn't require a lot of hands-on time. I prefer this bread sans butter, jam, or honey; it's perfectly balanced, quite moist, and needs no additions (though it does make the best peanut butter and preserves sandwich I've ever had). For you molasses haters out there, don't be scared. The molasses is present, but up against the subtly nutty cornmeal soaker, it takes a backseat, spares you the full spectrum of its flavor profile, and pulls through with just a hint of sweetness and depth. On that note, I think it's time for another slice.

Peter Reinheart's Anadama Bread

Soaker:

1 cup (6 oz.) cornmeal, preferably coarse grind
1 cup (8 oz.) water, at room temperature

Dough:

4 1/2 cups (20.25 oz.) unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons (.22 oz.) instant yeast
1 cup (8 oz.) water, lukewarm (90-100 degrees F)
1 1/2 teaspoons (.38 oz.) salt
6 tablespoons (4 oz.) molasses
2 tablespoons (1 oz.) shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
cornmeal, for dusting (optional)

1. The day before making the bread, make the soaker by mixing the cornmeal and water in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.

2. The next day, to make the dough, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, the soaker, and water in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and ferment for 1 hour, or until the sponge begins to bubble.

3. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, molasses, and butter and stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients form a ball. Add water if necessary to make a soft, slightly sticky mass.

4. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook), sprinkling in more flour as needed to make a tacky, but not sticky, dough. The dough should be first but supple and pliable and definitely not sticky. It will take about ten minutes of kneading to accomplish this (or 6-8 minutes in the electric mixer*). The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77-81 degrees F.

5. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment the dough at room temperature for about 90 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

6. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal pieces of 24 ounces, or 3 pieces of about 16 ounces. Shape the dough into loaves** and place them into bread pans that have been lightly oiled or misted with spray oil (the larger loaves should go into 9x5" pans and the smaller loaves into 8 1/2x4 1/2" pans). Mist the tops of the loaves with spray oil and loosely cover tops with plastic wrap.

7. Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the loaves crest fully above the top of the pans. (If you want to hold back any of the loaves, place them in the refrigerator without proofing, where they will hold, or retard, for up to 2 days. Remover them from the refrigerator about 4 hours before baking and proof them at room temperature, or until ready).

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the pans on a sheet pan and remove the plastic wrap. Mist the tops with a spray of water and dust with cornmeal.

9. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan for even baking and continue to bake 20 to 30 minutes***, or until the loaves are golden brown, including along the sides and the bottom, and register at least 185 to 190 degrees F in the center. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.

10. When the loaves are done, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.

NIC NOTES:

* My dough needed 11 minutes with the dough hook before it passed the windowpane test. Also, depending on the brand of flour you use and the humidity levels in your kitchen, you may have to add what feels like quite a bit of flour or water to your dough.

** To shape your loaves, flatten the measured piece of dough with your hand, folding in the edges to make an even-sided rectangle about 5" wide and 6 to 8" long. Working from the short side of the dough, roll up the length of the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension. The loaf will spread out as you roll it up, eventually extending to a full 8 to 9". Pinch the final seam closed with the back edge of your hand or with your thumbs. Rock the loaf to even it out; do not taper the ends. Keep the surface of the loaf even across the top. Place the loaf in a lightly oiled loaf pan. The ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise.

*** My loaves were done after 32 minutes (20 minutes, turn, then 12 minutes). Your time may vary.

A Change of Pace

2010-01-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

Most mornings, my breakfast consists of the same thing: unsweetened steel cut oats with raisins and a splash of milk. If I'm feeling adventurous, I might throw some dried cranberries in the mix and really shake things up. The rest of my day can be pretty fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, and I'm perfectly happy with that, but mess with my morning bowl of oats? Never.

However, I've recently decided to break out of my breakfast rut. I'll probably never be able to eat eggs and bacon first thing in the morning, but granola I can do. (I know you're thinking "You're breaking out of an oatmeal rut with... oatmeal?" but hey, they're rolled oats, not steel cut, and they're sweetened. Baby steps).

This is just a base recipe to which you can add nuts, spices, and dried fruits to build a personalized granola. Try macadamia nuts with dried mango and pineapple, walnuts with dried cranberries and blueberries, or keep it simple with just almonds and raisins. Substitute cardamom for the cinnamon, vanilla for the almond extract, honey for the maple syrup, or go buck wild and throw some molasses in there.

Basic Granola Recipe
Adapted, with changes, from Alton Brown

3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar (and any nuts, if you use them)

3. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, salt, and almond extract. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

4. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add any dried fruit and mix.

My New Favorite

2010-01-22T10:24:00.001-08:00

Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but I can't wait for spring to get here. I woke up the other day with a wicked craving for something grilled, some watermelon, and potato salad. I even contemplated making some southern style sweet tea, which I'm pretty sure I can chalk up to pregnancy cravings since I've never in my life wanted to drink something that sweet. In an attempt to assimilate with these crazy cold-weather notherners, I planned to fire up the grill and make a completely unseasonal summertime meal; however, my feelings changed the second it started sleeting outside. Fortunately, by that point, the only thing I was still craving was potato salad, and fortunately, I made some.

I've been told I'm too picky when it comes to potato salad, but I just don't have much appreciation for a flatly-flavored, mushy potatoes loaded down with mayo. It's kind of gross, really. This salad, though, has just enough mayo to bind everything together, plenty of radishes and pickled cucumbers (I'll get back to those in a minute) to provide a welcome burst of crunch, and a hearty dose of dill to keep the flavor bright. It's my new favorite potato salad.

I would urge you to make an extra batch of the pickled cucumbers. I ended up eating so many of them from the bowl while they were pickling, I wasn't sure that I would have enough for the salad. They're delicious, addictive, and they're so easy to make, I can't think of a reason to not have them in my refrigerator at all times for salads and sandwiches.

Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad
(Adapted from here)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1-pound English hothouse cucumbers, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10 medium), unpeeled, cut into large bite-sized pieces
Additional coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup very thinly sliced white onion
4 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
1/3 cup mayonnaise (use more or less, depending on how much mayo you like)

Directions:
1. Stir vinegar and 2 teaspoons coarse salt in small bowl until salt dissolves. Place cucumbers and 1/4 cup dill in heavy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag or plastic container. Add vinegar mixture; seal bag. Turn or stir several times to coat. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight, turning or stirring a few times.

2. Pour cucumber mixture into large sieve set over bowl. Drain at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Discard brine.

3. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cool potatoes completely. Place potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle generously with coarse salt and pepper. Add drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons dill; toss to blend. Let stand 1 hour. Stir mayonnaise into salad. Season generously with salt and pepper, if desired. (Salad can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Mound salad in bowl. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Banana Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze

2010-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

Wow. Has it really been almost 2 weeks since I last posted? I wish I had a spectacular recipe for all of you patient readers out there (yes, all two of you!), but all I have to offer right now are these muffins. At the moment, I have a fantastic caramel pudding setting up in the fridge and a very promising potato salad doing its thing, but I'll have to tell you about those later.

I baked these muffins in an attempt to find a healthy-ish baked good to pack in my husband's lunch. I expected a moist, flavorful muffin with bursts of blueberry goodness; however, all I got out of these was a slightly dry muffin with not a whole lot going for it in the tastiness department. I did manage to salvage them with a lemon glaze because, let's face it, anything can be improved with lemon glaze. Yes, it may negate anything healthful about these muffins, but what good is a healthy muffin that you don't want to eat?

Banana Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze
(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup reduced-fat (2 percent) milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

3. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.

4. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

To make lemon glaze: Combine the juice of one lemon with enough powdered sugar to create desired consistency (I like mine a bit on the thick side). Drizzle over muffins while they cool on the rack.

Pork and White Bean Ragout

2010-01-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

I seem to have a knack for unintentionally keeping recipes to myself for entirely too long. I've made many a delicious meal, documented them with honest intentions of blogging them ASAP, and then promptly let my culinary ADD take over and completely forgot about it until months later when I found the photos lurking in my archives. Such was the case today when I was cleaning up my photo folders and came across pictures of these gorgeous blood oranges I enjoyed a few months ago (you know, the ones I didn't tell you about). In case you were wondering, they were as delicious as they were beautiful.

Of course, in my usual fashion, I bought a few more oranges than I could eat and had to find other uses for them, which brought me to this recipe. The blood orange juice and red wine (sangria, anyone?) give this dish a wonderfully bold, fruity element, but the paprika, cloves, and chili flakes lend enough spice and heat to remind you that this is a dish for cold winter nights, not for muggy summer picnics. My only complaint was that the rosemary almost overwhelmed the dish in a not-so-pleasant, piny sort of way. For a less woodsy experience, I'd suggest using less than the requested 3 branches.

Pork and White Bean Ragout
(adapted, with small changes, from here)

1 cup dried white beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Grated zest and juice of 1 blood orange
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
3 branches fresh rosemary (I would use a bit less next time)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small pinch red chili flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Place beans in a saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, bring to a boil, cook 2 minutes, cover and set aside to soak 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart casserole and brown pork without crowding over medium-high heat. Remove. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté over low heat until soft. Stir in paprika, cloves and zest. Stir in orange juice and wine, scraping bottom of pan. Return pork to pan. Set aside until beans have finished soaking, then drain beans and add. Add rosemary, black pepper and chili. Bring to a simmer.

3. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 hours, until beans are tender. Add water occasionally, if needed. Season with salt. Leave in casserole for serving or transfer to a serving dish. Scatter parsley on top before serving.

Quick and Easy Chocolate Buttercream

2010-01-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

I made this cake for Christmas, and though I was a little underwhelmed by the cake itself (almond and my picky preggo palate just weren't jiving that day), I loved the chocolate buttercream. It's a lighter chocolate flavor, so if you're looking for a death-by-chocolate sort of deal, this is not your frosting (though I do have something to post for you fellow chocoholics later). I'm a bit surprised by how much I liked this, considering it's a quick buttercream and not the cooked meringue style I usually prefer; however I do think it could be improved upon with a bit of Bailey's. Either way, I like this for a quick, not-too-heavy on the chocolate chocolate buttercream. It's not the greatest for decorative piping, but it works enough for the basics.

Chocolate Buttercream
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

3 cups butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled(I used Callebaut)

1. In a large mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until incorporated into butter.
3. Add vanilla and salt, beat until incorporated.
4. Add chocolate and beat until chocolate is thoroughly mixed and buttercream is light and fluffy.

...And in the Morning, I'm Makin' WAFFLES!

2010-01-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering what that "whoosh" sound was, that was the sound of the holiday season flying by at breakneck speed, leaving all of us in its wake wondering what to do next. From New Year's until the first signs of warm weather, I always get this sense that I'm meandering through some sort of suspended animation, trapped in a cold-weather induced mental fog with my head down and my eyes focused on my feet. I don't know why I always feel so subdued this time of year, but I do know that it doesn't take much more than a waffle to coax me out of my semi-hibernation. Though I prefer the classic yeast-risen waffle, this recipe is worth keeping in your repertoire for whenever you need a waffle fix, fast. The batter comes together quickly, and although it doesn't create a waffle as light and fluffy with as crisp of an exterior as some of the yeasted Belgian waffle recipes do, it's definitely got a leg up in those categories compared to most of the other quick batter waffles I've tried.

Buttermilk Waffles
(Adapted from Mark Bittman)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, separated
4 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then stir in the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter and vanilla.

2. Preheat the waffle iron. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold into the batter.

3. Spread a half cup to cup or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done (amount of batter and bake time will vary, depending on your waffle iron). Serve immediately.

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-12-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

I know that talking about the weather is nothing more than a pointless exercise in banality, but it's ridiculously cold outside. I'm not complaining- I'd rather be cold than hot at the moment- but on those days when the inside of your apartment feels like what you're used to the outdoors feeling like in the winter, it's hard not to run to the kitchen and make every warm, rich, cream-laden dish that enters your frostbitten brain in its search for a little extra insulation.

Recently, we had one of those days: wind chills of -20 with wind gusts around 40 mph. I thought people were always exaggerating when they talked about weather like that in the lower 48, but it appears that I was very, very wrong (just as wrong as I was in thinking I'd be able to get away with wearing my collection of cute peep toe heels and ballet flats during the winter and retain any sense of feeling in my feet. Come on, I've never lived north of DC... I'm a winter weather moron). But I digress... I had this recipe for chicken pot pie bookmarked for what seems like eons, but it inevitably fell to the bottom of my list of things I must make NOW because, let's face it, so many other things sound more rewarding to make and eat than chicken pot pie. Are we sensing a theme here? About me being wrong? I thought so.

Chicken Pot Pie
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

The original recipe calls for 4 chicken breasts and 4 chicken thighs, which seemed like way too much for my tastes. If you want more chicken, go for it. I also used slightly smaller, deeper baking dishes than stated here, and they worked beautifully. Homemade puff pastry works best here (believe me, one bite of the flaky, tender, buttery, ethereal goodness makes it worth the extra effort), but the frozen stuff will work in a pinch.

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup fresh or frozen pearl onions
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms, trimmed and cut into quarters
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sheets frozen puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place chicken, chopped onion, celery, and chopped carrots in a large stockpot; season with salt and pepper and enough water to cover. Wrap thyme and garlic in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to enclose; add to pot. Cover pot and place over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 25 minutes. Strain, discarding vegetables, and reserve chicken and liquids separately; let cool and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice-water bath. Add baby carrots to boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer to ice-water bath until cool. Drain; set aside. Place peas in boiling water and cook about 30 seconds; drain and set aside. Add pearl onions to boiling water and cook about 1 minute, transfer to ice-water bath until cool. Drain; set aside.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes; let cool.
5. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a large nonreactive bowl along with baby carrots, peas, pearl onions, and mushrooms; set aside.
6. In a medium skillet, heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and heavy cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add to bowl with chicken and vegetables; toss to combine.
7. Divide mixture evenly between four 13-ounce shallow baking dishes. Cut puff pastry into four 8-inch circles and place on top of each of the bowls, crimping edges as desired. Cut a slit in the center of each piece of puff pastry to allow steam to escape; brush beaten egg over puff pastry.
8. Transfer bowls to a baking sheet. Bake until puff pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

A Little Celebration

2009-12-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

I made this cake a few weeks ago, just because I wanted to send something nice to work with the hubs. I haven't had the energy (or the steady hands) to decorate a cake for a few months, but that has passed and I feel well enough to share a little secret with you...

We're having a baby!

Yes, the last few months of not feeling well have been due to severe morning sickness (which they really need to re-name, by the way). It was physically a very, very rough ordeal, but I'm finally gaining back the weight I lost, my energy is back, and food has regained its appeal. So again, please forgive my relative absence over the last couple of months. I expect to be posting regularly with lots of goodies for you.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-11-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

When it comes to what makes a good chocolate chip cookie, opinions usually favor one of two main camps: soft and chewy, or crisp and crunchy. My ideal cookie falls into the former category- thick and chewy in the center with lightly crisped edges... *drooling*... Anyways, as far as I'm concerned, these cookies have the corner on the texture market. I wish I could say I spent hours creating this recipe, tweaking it here and there until I finally reached my cookie nirvana, but alas, all credit must go to the incredible Deb over at SmittenKitchen. I used fewer chocolate chips by almost half, but feel free to use the amount given if you want uber-chocolatey cookies. Be sure to use a good quality chocolate, and for the love of all things chewy, please don't overbake these.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Deb at SmittenKitchen, who adapted it from here.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I only used 1 1/4 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

3. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time (for giant cookies) or a tablespoon at a time (for smaller cookies) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

5. Bake larger cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for smaller ones (check your cookies before they’re done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary) in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

To Ease the Sniffles

2009-11-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

Friends, the holiday season is in full swing, bringing with it friends, family, and unfortunately, all of their germs. It seems like everyone is falling prey to some random bug, but with so many obligations and various holiday gatherings, many people don't take the necessary time to rest and recuperate and end up exhausted, sick, and a wee bit cranky. If you know someone like this, please- do them a favor and stage a chicken soup intervention. Nothing gets people to slow down like a hot bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, and we all know that it's the most comforting meal to those who are fighting off the sniffly sneezies. This particular recipe is for bare-bones, basic chicken noodle soup- no special ingredients, nothing spicy, just basic help-you-feel-better soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
1-2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (use dark meat if you prefer)
Chicken stock (preferably homemade)*
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg noodles**

1. In a large pot, cook the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil until tender (about 5 minutes)

2. Add the chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes (don't cook through), then add desired amount of chicken stock to pot and bring to a boil.

3. Bring soup down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste..If eating immediately, add egg noodles and boil until noodles are cooked through. Serve with a toasty slice of bread.

*If you don't use homemade stock, you will probably have to season the store bought stuff with parsley, thyme, oregano, or whatever you would use in your homemade stock.

** If you are making the soup ahead of time, reheat just the amount you want to serve to a boil and add the egg noodles at that time. That way, your noodles don't get soggy while sitting in the refrigerated soup.

Jumbo Cranberry Orange Muffins

2009-11-06T07:09:00.000-08:00

Even though I am an unapologetic wuss when it comes to cold weather, I love this time of year, mostly because it means I can break out the cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks, and it means that I can stock my freezer to capacity with fresh cranberries. And, with these cranberries, I can make my favorite cranberry muffins, and I can even call them healthy because there's wheat flour in them (just ignore the stick of butter. Focus on the wheat and the cranberries). In all seriousness, though, these are delicious, satisfying, and they're great to have when company arrives. I like to keep a batch in the freezer for unexpected guests, or for mornings when I want a baked good but just don't have the gumption to bake.

Jumbo Cranberry Orange Muffins
(makes 12)

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or graham flour, which I prefer)
finely chopped zest of 1/2 large orange (optional)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (or frozen, thawed, and drained cranberries)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare muffin tins for baking.
2. In a medium bowl, blend together brown sugar and butter with a wooden spoon. Whisk in eggs, one at a time.
3. Stir in vanilla, milk, and orange juice.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients (except cranberries).
5. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Stir in cranberries.
7. Divide batter evenly among muffin tins and bake for 17-20 minutes or until done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.

Chocolate Ginger Brownies

2009-10-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you out there who regularly read this blog (and yes, I am deluded enough to think that there's gotta be SOMEONE who does), I'm sorry that I've kept you hanging for so long. I'm still not feeling well, and most of my time over the past couple of weeks has been spent on the couch or in bed. Fortunately, I've banked up a few recipes for times like this, so you won't leave this post empty-handed.

I made these brownies about a month ago, and they disappeared within 15 minutes of hitting the table. They're rich, fudgy, and extremely easy to make. Though I am a die-hard purist when it comes to brownies, I actually enjoyed the fresh ginger, though I do think I'll dial it back a bit next time because, let's face it, anything extra in a brownie should showcase the chocolate, not compete with it.

Chocolate Ginger Brownies
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup AP flour
1/4 cup unsweetened DP cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8" square baking dish (line with parchment paper if desired).

2. Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over med-low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Pour batter into prepared dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Lift out, and let cool completely on rack. Cut into 16 2" squares.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

2009-10-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

I wish I could write a long post today that waxes on about the wonderful nuances and bold flavors of this cookie, but I can't muster up the energy for that. I'm not feeling well right now, and all I want to do is curl up with a blanket and sleep for a few hours; however, just because I feel like poo doesn't mean I should continue hiding this recipe from you. You need this recipe now, because you'll want to make these cookies several times between now and Christmas. I can't decide whether my favorite part of these is their soft chewiness or their perfect balance of sweetness and spice, but I do know that both of those traits together make one pretty fantastic cookie.

Chewy Molasses Crinkles
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Put butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar int the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the molasses and oil.

2. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put remaining sugar in a bowl. Using a 1 3/4" ice cream scoop, form balls of dough. Roll balls in sugar to coat, and space 3" apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are flat and centers are set, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

Boeuf Bourguignon, a la Julia Child

2009-10-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

Because I understand your time is valuable, let me give you an advanced disclaimer: If you clicked on this post in hopes of finding a quick meal involving little work or prep time, you should probably stop reading now and look elsewhere. Go on. I promise, I won't be offended.

Anyone left? I hope so. I hope that everyone makes this dish at least once, no matter how pressed for time you may be. Yes, you have to blot your meat dry and saute your mushrooms in small batches and strain things and move this into that pot and then back again, but you know what? The aroma alone is worth it, and the flavors from such familiar ingredients are stunning, yet comforting. I prefer to make this a day in advance, as the flavors will improve overnight.

Boeuf Bourguignon

6 oz. chunk of bacon, rind removed and bacon cut into lardons (sticks 1/4" thick
and 1 1/2" long)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 lbs. lean stewing beef, cut into 2" cubes and patted dry
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cups of a full bodied, young red wine
2-3 cups brown beef stock (homemade)
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 crumbled bay leaf
18-24 small white onions, brown- braised in stock (recipe below)
1 lb. quartered fresh mushrooms, sauteed in butter (recipe below)
parsley sprigs

1. In a medium saucepan, simmer bacon rind and bacon in 6 cups of water for 10 minutes; drain and dry, set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-10" fireproof casserole (at leas 3" deep), saute the bacon in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes over moderate heat until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a side dish.

3. Saute the beef a few pieces at a time in the hot bacon fat until browned on all sides. Add the beef to the bacon, then brown the carrots and onions in the bacon fat. Pour out the sauteing fat, if any is left over.

4. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef and vegetables with flour. Set casserole, uncovered, in the middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust. Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

5. Stir in the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove, then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces easily.

6. While the beef cooks, prepare the onions and mushrooms (below). Set aside until needed.

7. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash our the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

8. Skim the fat off the sauce (I put my sauce in the refrigerator for a couple of hours while I ran errands and then just removed the hardened fat that had risen to the top). Simmer sauce for a minute or two. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. If too thin, boil down rapidly; if too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of stock. Taste carefully for seasoning, then pour over meat and vegetables.

9. Cover the casserole and simmer for 2-3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in the casserole.

Onions Brown-braised in Stock

18-24 peeled white onions (about 1" in diameter)
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup brown beef stock
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme, tied up
in cheesecloth

Heat the butter and oil in skillet until bubbling, then add the onions and saute over moderate heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions so they can brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break skins.

Pour in the liquid, season to taste, then add herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Set aside until needed.

Mushrooms sauteed in butter

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, whole if small, quartered if large
1 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. butter

Place a skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as the butter foam has begun to subside, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4-5 minutes. During their saute, the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2-3 minutes, the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. (Do not overcrowd the mushrooms in the pan! Saute in batches, or they will not brown properly). These may be cooked in advance and then reheated when needed.

Palmiers

2009-10-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

My introduction to the palmier was, to put it mildly, a less than stellar experience. I remember stopping by a mediocre bakery in Kansas, starving from a long flight. Unimpressed by anything I saw, I resigned myself to the dry-looking palmiers and thought "These things look impossible to screw up. This can't taste as bad as that Napolean looks." (In my defense, hunger and judgment are inversely proportionate for me: the hungrier I get, the more my judgment suffers until I'm ready to gnaw off my own arm). Not surprisingly, my palmier turned out to be exactly the heart-shaped wood chip it appeared to be: my first bite turned it into a flaky mess all over my new pants and left me frustrated and seriously considering my right arm.

In contrast, my first bite of a homemade palmier elicited nothing but "Mmmmm...ooooohh...wooooow..." and then rendered me speechless. Imagine thin layers of pastry dough and butter generously sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, then folded or rolled in a manner that layers the cinnamon and sugar with the dough, then baked until the layers of butter and dough have worked their puff pastry magic and the sugar has caramelized, leaving you with a delicate cookie that's just crunchy on the outside, yet oh-so-tender and buttery on the inside. I know I often speak in superlatives, but I really do think this is one of the best cookies I make. Do you need another reason to make these? How about this- they're one of the easiest things you will ever bake. I'm not kidding- they take no skill whatsoever. Simply sprinkle, roll, slice, and bake. That's it. I would usually argue that you should make your own puff pastry, but I'll step off my pedestal and spare you the homemade-is-always-better argument (even though it still holds very true in this case and is worth the extra effort). Frozen puff pastry works in a pinch. Still not convinced? Let your friends and coworkers try these. They'll dub you a culinary wunderkind.

Palmiers

Ingredients:
1-2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
2 cups of cinnamon/sugar mixture

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a flat surface (I used my frozen marble slab) with some of the sugar mixture and place the puff pastry on top. Roll the dough into a square (roughly 12"x12"), then sprinkle liberally with more sugar mixture.

2. Shape:

Method A (my preferred method):Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they touch, then repeat. Then, as if closing a book, fold one half over the other half.

Method B (the method I used this time): Roll both sides in toward center until they meet.

3. After shaping, slice cookies into 1/2" thick slices and dip both sides in remaining sugar mixture. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes, flip, then bake 3 minutes more. These cookies are best eaten within a few hours of baking, but will keep for a couple of days in a tightly covered container.

Banana Bread, Sobered Up

2009-09-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

I seem to be revisiting a lot of recipes lately, which is unusual for me. I know I've already shared a banana bread recipe with you, but I couldn't not let you in on this one, too. You see, that other recipe has attitude, panache, and lots of booze; this recipe is closer to my heart. It's my mom's version, just slightly tweaked. She used to make this any time we found ourselves with too many overripe bananas (which, in Virginia heat and humidity, happens quite often). I've swapped out oil for butter and milk for sour cream because, when I wanted to make it today, that's all I had on hand. It came out better than I had expected, with a tenderly moist crumb begging to be slathered in soft butter and slowly savored.

Banana Bread

4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups AP flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 overripe bananas, broken into small pieces (or mashed, if you don't like tiny bits of banana throughout your bread. I like the bits).

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8" loaf pans for baking, set aside.
2. Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Beat in egg and sour cream until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat. (Batter will look dry, but the next step will fix that).
3. Add banana chunks and beat until incorporated (you will see little chunks of banana in the batter).
4. Pour into prepared pans and bake until tester comes clean, about 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.

September 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge: Vols-au-Vent.

2009-09-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

First, let's get business out of the way:

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love making puff pastry? Anything that gives me an excuse to utilize my marble slab and beat butter with a rolling pin excites me more than is probably considered normal or healthy. My original plan had been to make a large Vols-au-Vent and fill it with a very thick cream-based lobster soup, but I've been feeling a bit under the weather and the last thing I wanted to do over the weekend was deal with lobsters, so I decided upon something a bit simpler: I cooked down some golden delicious apples and quince with cinnamon, sugar, and a touch of nutmeg and used it as a filling for smaller Vols-au-Vents. I'll have to upload pictures of the finished product later (my camera is on the fritz at the moment), but believe me when I say you've gotta try this. Now. I don't care how long it takes to make puff pastry, or how much of an unexpected arm workout it is, or how finicky it is, or whatever else you may say. It's worth it, and it's SO much better than the store bought stuff. I tend to make it in large batches and freeze the extras for later use, and you can use the scraps for wonderful treats like palmiers. And really, do you need more motivation than palmiers?

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent

Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent

In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:
-well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)
-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
-your filling of choice

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.

(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)

Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)

Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)

Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.

Fill and serve.

*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to "glue"). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.

*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.

*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough
From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough

Steph’s note: This recipe makes more than you will need for the quantity of vols-au-vent stated above. While I encourage you to make the full recipe of puff pastry, as extra dough freezes well, you can halve it successfully if you’d rather not have much leftover.

There is a wonderful on-line video from the PBS show “Baking with Julia” that accompanies the book. In it, Michel Richard and Julia Child demonstrate making puff pastry dough (although they go on to use it in other applications). They do seem to give slightly different ingredient measurements verbally than the ones in the book…I listed the recipe as it appears printed in the book. http://video.pbs.org/video/1174110297/search/Pastry

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter

plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:

Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.

Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)

Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:

Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps.

Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.

To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:

Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).

With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.

Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:

If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.

The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Out and About: Illinois Wine Festival

2009-09-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

It seems we moved to Chicagoland just in time for every local oenophile's favorite time of year. Each weekend since we have moved here, there have been no less than 3 wine festivals within an hour's drive; this weekend, we decided to break from our usual routine of exploring our new stomping grounds to visit the Vintage Illinois festival at Starved Rock. Saturday proved to be a day made of the quintessential end of summer/ beginning of fall perfection I love: warm in the sun, yet chilly in the shade; trees barely kissed with varied autumnal colors; and air charged with the feeling that change is coming soon. One couldn't ask for a better day to celebrate the fruits of the vine.

We spent a couple of lazy hours slowly weaving through the crowds, people watching and, of course, sipping wine- some inexplicably bad, and some surprisingly good. Piasa Winery's semi-dry River Road Red, for example, surprised my palate with a tumble of fresh strawberries and almost no discernible acid. Mr. Milk and Honey's favorite, Starved Rock Marketplace's Pink Catawba, was another delightfully fruity wine perfect for everyday drinking; their Rose, however, was too acidic for both of us and ended up in the dump bin after one small sip. Galena Cellars Winery showcased their best wine, a decent semi-dry Oktoberfest (a blend of Riesling and Muscat grapes), and their worst wine, a Muscat Canelli reminiscent of mildly alcoholic simple syrup. Possibly the most disappointing wine we sampled came from Mary Michelle Winery, who advertised wines that they didn't actually have. Though I'm not a huge fan of fruit wines, I wanted to try their apple wine; instead, they gave me a taste of Mad Squirrel, an uninspiring, flat wine they said was comparable to their absent apple wine. Not surprisingly, my Mad Squirrel promptly found itself in the dump bucket.

My vote for the prettiest wine would go to Baxter's Vineyard and Winery's jewel-toned Sweet Red blend. If you could take a bright red ruby and melt it together with sunshine, it would probably look like this wine; but lest you think this wine is all looks and no substance, it's also full of deliciously sweet cherry- too sweet for my tastes, but still very good- and underlying blackberry and a very subtle smokiness that's almost too evasive to mention. My favorite dry red was easily Village Vintner Winery's aptly named Ziggy, a peppery, fruit forward blend that, once it hits the palate, just won't quit. I also tried Village Vintner's dessert port, Cocoa d'Orange, which had an amazing aroma and a pleasant enough flavor up front that quickly led to a bitter, acrid finish. Cooper's Hawk Winery's Sparkling Almond wine proved the most surprising wine of the day. I was absolutely sure I would hate it, and I thought I had validated my suspicions within the first second or two of my first sip- it was a bit boring and flat- but within another second, the taste and perfume of perfectly toasted almonds stopped me in my tracks. I wouldn't necessarily buy it by the case, but I'd bet that it would be a nice wine to have up your sleeve for a dessert pairing.

Our final tasting of the day came from Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery. I've never had mead before, so I'm not sure how this mead stacks up against others, but I do know that I loved it. I tried a honeyed mead that had been aged in a bourbon cask, which gave it a stunning aroma of, well, honey with a touch of bourbon, and the taste? It made me want to sit in front of a cozy fire, or cuddle up with a warm blanket on a large wooden porch swing and get lost in a book. It's very sweet, so it's definitely something of which I would only want a few sips, but there is something decidedly charming and medieval about mead, and I think I might get a bottle to have around during the holidays.

Stuffed Red Peppers

2009-09-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

Or rather, stuffing that you can use to stuff red peppers but is just as good (or better) eaten alone. This has quickly become my favorite dinner staple for a busy weeknight, though Mr. Milk and Honey prefers to eat it as a side dish when we have leftover meat of some sort, because for him, veggies and grain alone doth not a meal make. Though we may not agree about what role this dish should have on our dinner plate, we both enjoy the combination of fennel, zucchini, chickpeas, and tomato, and we love how the feta cheese lends itself to a wonderfully creamy texture in which the little bits of quinoa shine. The best part? It makes fantastic leftovers for lunch, and if you're like me, you'll find yourself looking forward to busy weeknights just so you'll have an excuse to make it again.

Quinoa and Feta Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Epicurious

The original recipe calls for couscous, but I usually have quinoa on hand. Either grain works well.

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup quinoa
4 large bell peppers, mixed colors
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 oz zucchini, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
6 oz yellow squash, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, add the couscous, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the stems and top half inch off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Boil trimmed peppers for 5 minutes, then drain them upside down*.

3. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel seeds, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes and chickpeas. Using a fork, scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in the crumbled feta. Place peppers upright in the baking dish and fill them with couscous. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

* Instead of boiling, I prefer to roast my peppers in the oven for about 15 minutes before stuffing and baking them.

Lebanese Lamb Chops + Bulgar with Herbs

2009-09-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

For you shrewd observers out there, no, that's not lamb. It's goat, but this recipe works equally well with either meat, and I just so happen to have a lot of young goat chilling away in my freezer, sidled up to my 35+ lbs of beef bones I scored from a local butcher shop that, unfortunately, is going out of business. Oh, do I have plans...

But back to the goat. I still haven't decided if I prefer goat curry to grilled goat, but the seasoning in this recipe just might sway me to the grilled side (which is crazy considering how much I adore curry). I generally don't eat more than a couple of bites of meat with my meals (unless it's dispersed in small pieces throughout a dish, like, shall we say, curry), but I ate 2 of these chops. Due in great part to cinnamon, the spice blend has a warming effect on your sinuses, leaving a pleasant perfume lingering in your head long after your last bite. The minty/lemony/sweet hit from the accompanying salad adds a nice final touch. Serve this alongside a savory bulgar salad balanced with mint, cilantro, lemon, and scallions, and you've got a wonderful pick-me-up meal to stave off the mid-week schlumpies.

Lebanese Lamb Chops

2 large lemons
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp baharat*
2 lbs rib lamb chops
2 heads bibb lettuce, torn into large pieces
1 1/2 cups mint leaves

1. Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high for gas).

2. Grate 2 tsp zest from 1 lemon. Trim ends of both lemons, then stand lemons on a cut side and cut peel, including pith, from lemons with a sharp paring knife. Discard peel and cut lemon segments free from membranes, then cut segments crosswise into 1/4" pieces. Toss segments gently with sugar in a small bowl and stir in 2 Tbsp oil. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

3. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 tsp salt, then stir together with baharat, grated zest, remaining oil, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Rub into lamb chops.

4. Toss lettuce with and mint with lemon mixture.

5. Grill chops, turning once, about 6 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and let rest, loosely covered, 5 minutes. Serve chops over salad.

*Baharat can be found in most Indian markets, or you can make your own by grinding 1 tsp each of whole cloves, cumin seeds, Maras or Aleppo pepper (or, if you can't find either of these, a pinch of cayenne is better than nothing), and a 3" cinnamon stick in an electric spice grinder until finely ground.

Bulgar with Herbs

This salad is just as good (if not better) after sitting in the fridge. Even though I'm only cooking for 2, I make the full recipe and use the leftovers for lunches through the week.

1 cup bulgar
2 cups boiling-hot water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped mint
1 Tbsp roasted almond oil or olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Put bulgar in a bowl, then pour water over it and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small heavy skillet over medium heat until hot and cook almonds until golden, about 1 minute.

3. Drain bulgar in a medium mesh sieve, then return to bowl and stir in scallions, herbs, oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and almonds. Season with more salt and lemon juice if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Apple Almond Streusel Bars: Welcoming Autumn

2009-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend was relaxing and fun, complete with dinner at Urban Belly in Chicago (if you haven't tried them before, go. Like now. Their udon is perfection in a bowl). This morning, though, I woke up asking myself the same question I woke up asking myself on the morning after we returned from our honeymoon: what now? Since May, we've had so much to do, whether job searching, visiting family and friends, or packing up our bags and moving, but it's over now. We're back to normality, and though this is exactly what I've been wanting since we left Kansas, it's strange. Nice, but strange.

Of course, in typically predictable Nic fashion, when I didn't know what to do this afternoon, I baked. I know it's not officially autumn yet, but September in Chicago is chilly enough to convince this Virginia girl that it's time to break out the apples, cinnamon, and everything else that screams crunchy leaves and crisp breezes. This recipe is a jacked-up version of a recipe in Baked: New Frontiers in Baking . I changed the decidedly summery lemon berry filling to a fall-friendly apple one, added more cinnamon, and tweaked the crumb by adding almonds. If you're reading between the lines here, this is a very versatile bar that you could fill with pretty much anything to fit the season. I'm thinking a splash of cognac or a pinch of cloves would be great additions to the filling, but it's delicious as is.

Apple Almond Streusel Bars

1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/3 cups rolled oats (Not instant, please)
1/2 cup whole almonds
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Apple Filling:
1/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar (more or less to taste, depending on the sweetness of your apples. I used fairly tart apples).
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons AP flour
2 medium-sized apples of your choice, peeled and chopped into small dice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan, set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse flour, brown sugar, oats, almonds,salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together until just combined. Add butter and pulse until crumb forms.

3. Reserve at least 1 cup of crumb mixture (I reserved about 1 1/3 cups). Place the rest of the crumb into the greased pan and press into an even layer. Bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes.

4. While the crust bakes, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together. Add the apples and butter and gently toss until the apples are coated.

5. Spread the apples evenly across the baked crumb and sprinkle the reserved crumb across the apple filling. Bake 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely before serving.

Grilled Peaches

2009-09-08T18:57:00.001-07:00

Looks good, eh? Whenever we grill, we try to make good use of our charcoal (read: we're too cheap to just let the coals burn down and let them go to waste, so we grill everything in sight until our little coals turn into an exhausted pile of ash). Usually, that means we end up with a bounty of grilled vegetables to use later in the week, but last night, there was nary a veggie in sight. We did, however, have too many not-so-fabulous peaches and no desire to eat them as they were. After staring down said peaches for a few seconds, the hubs and I shot each other a couple of shifty-eyed sideways glances, then a knowing nod, and with just a few deft swipes of a paring knife and some help from brown sugar, we knew we had a good thing going. It's so easy: slice the peaches in half, sprinkle some brown sugar on them, drop them onto the grill, drool as you watch the brown sugar carmelize and slowly drip towards the hot coals... These babies are great straight off the grill, but they're equally as good with fresh mint or rosemary over vanilla ice cream or sliced and served over toasted pound cake. I feel silly posting this since it's so simple, but it's too good to not share.

Grilled Peaches

Several peaches or nectarines, halved, pits removed
Brown sugar

1. Rub flesh side of peach halves with a generous amount of brown sugar and let sit for a few minutes.

2. Place peaches on grill, flesh side down. Grill for 1-2 minutes or until grill marks appear on the peaches. Remove from grill and serve immediately, or refrigerate for future use.

Goat Curry

2009-09-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Friends, we've finally made it to the Chicago area and, with the exception of a few boxes of textbooks and binders, we are completely unpacked. We've become experts at this whole moving process, but it still feels unreal to us. This summer has been difficult, thanks in great part to two moves across the country and crushing family upheavals that have left me feeling more than a little unsettled. It's strange to finally be in our own place, away from the epicenter of everything. Please don't mistake me- we're absolutely thrilled to be living here, and we are having more fun than we probably should be having exploring our new stomping grounds. We love our new home and the area in which we live; it's just going to take a little time to relax back into our own routine. That said, the hubs and I have already found several markets that we plan to frequent. Yesterday, we happened upon a halal market and stepped in with the intention to pick up some tahini; instead, we left with several pounds of fresh, young goat and every intention of shopping there weekly.

I opted to make a goat curry with the meat, simply because I wanted something easy with complex flavor, and because I absolutely adore curry. It's definitely my kind of comfort food, and did I mention how good this stuff will make your house smell? Seriously, with all the different curries out there, I'm pretty sure I could just sample different curry for the rest of my life and be happy. I didn't actually take the time to roast and powder my own peppers, or to go into any long preparation for this dish. I just used the powdered spices and it still turned out well. It's a wonderful way to welcome those cooler months that are creeping in on us, and if you're like me, you'll find yourself craving the aroma almost as much as you crave the taste.

Goat Curry
Ingredients:

Rub:

1 1/2 lb young goat (or lamb) cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp red chili powder (more or less, to taste)
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp black pepper powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
Salt,to taste

2 cups chopped onions
1/2 split green chili, seeds removed (or more to taste)
2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
3-4 curry leaves
2 cups coconut milk
1 tsp garam masala powder
Juice from half a large lime

Directions:

1. Rub the meat with a paste made out of the ingredients listed for the rub above. Let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature.

2. Heat oil in a deep pot and add the fenugreek seeds, onions, green chilies and curry leaves.

3. Once the onions start to brown, add the marinated meat pieces to the pot and stir well.

4. Add 1 1/2 cups of hot water and mix well. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes.

5. Add the coconut milk. Mix well and cook until the meat is tender, about ten minutes.

6. Add the garam masala and the lime juice and mix well. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Note: Fenugreek can be hard to find, and unfortunately, I don't know of any good substitutes. If you can't find the whole seeds, try using powdered fenugreek and just adding it in with the rub. This is a milder curry- for more heat, use the whole green chili.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

2009-08-29T03:12:00.000-07:00

Remember a few months ago when I was drowning in lemons? I wish I would have had this recipe on hand back then. Not that having too many lemons is a bad problem to have, but finding a variety ways to use the juice and zest of 60+ huge lemons can be difficult. I made lemonade, lemon curd, lemon cake, lemon everything without even putting a dent in my stash before the hubs and I were completely lemoned out (if such a thing is possible). Long story short, I still have a substantial amount of lemon juice and zest in my freezer and only a few days in which to use it before we move to Chicago. This cake is particularly good for using up a lot of lemon in one shot, thanks to the surprising amount of juice needed for the batter and the soaking syrup; even better, though, is that it tastes so good, you'll want to double the recipe and give some away as a gift. Make it a day in advance so the soaking syrup has time to thoroughly moisten the cake, and so the initially strong lemon flavor can mellow into a pleasant balance of tang and sweetness. I'd also like to try skipping the final glaze and serving the cake with this instead, but this cake is perfect as is.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake
(Adapted from Ina Garten)
Ingredients

* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
* 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
* 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
* 3 cups flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
* 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:

* 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

Daring Bakers: Dobos Torte

2009-08-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

Disclaimer: I have no pictures, because... well... I really didn't like this particular dessert. Somewhere among the pudding-like chocolate buttercream, the strangely textured cake layers, and the strong lemon flavor in the caramel, it just lost all appeal to my eye and my palate. I wish I could elaborate more, but at the moment, the moving guys are here packing up everything, and the car movers are supposed to be here soon. Forgive my brevity, but I've got a busy day ahead.

Dobos Torte

Equipment

* 2 baking sheets
* 9” (23cm) springform tin and 8” cake tin, for templates
* mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
* a sieve
* a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
* a small saucepan
* a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)
* metal offset spatula
* sharp knife
* a 7 1/2” cardboard cake round, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.
* piping bag and tip, optional

Prep times

* Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
* Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
* Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
* Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes

Sponge cake layers

* 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
* 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided
* 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
* pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream

* 4 large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
* 4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
* 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Caramel topping

* 1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
* 12 tablespoons (180 ml) water
* 8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)

Finishing touches

* a 7” cardboard round
* 12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
* ½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts

Directions for the sponge layers:
(The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight).

1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).

2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)

3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:
(This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required).

1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!

Directions for the caramel topping:

1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Assembling the Dobos

1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.

Another Big Change + Lemon Buttermilk Raspberry Muffcakes

2009-08-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

People, this summer has been crazy. A few months ago, with only a week's notice, the hubs and I packed up our lives and moved across the country; this week, we do it again. Our destination? Chicago. It's going to be easier this time, though, because we haven't unpacked anything and have been living in limbo for the past 4 months, and the fact that we love the Chicago area helps make another quick move more palatable (though I'm totally ignoring the fact that Chicago is known for its brutally cold winters and I've never lived anywhere north of Northern Virginia. I lack that particular cold weather gene, so I'll probably be perpetually miserable for like 10 months out of the year, but I can adapt. Maybe. If you're ever in the Chicago area and you want to find me, just look for the woman wearing ski gear while everyone else is still in shorts. That'll be me). I'm not complaining, though. Chicago is a foodie's paradise with no shortage of fantastic restaurants, markets, and specialty shops to keep the hubs and me occupied. That said, forgive me if my posts are sparse over the next couple of weeks. I'll be a bit busy :).

I made these delicious little muffins a couple of days ago, and they were a hit. They're more cake than muffin (leading my husband to dub his "the muffcake"), so unless you routinely eat cookies and ice cream for breakfast, don't think of these as a breakfast item. They're sweet, with a slightly tart bite from the buttermilk and a hint of lemon that perfectly compliments the single raspberry atop each muffin. They're simple, satisfying, and all-around perfect.

Lemon Raspberry Buttermilk Muffcakes
(from Bon Appetit)
Makes 12-18 muffins (I got 17 out of this recipe)

1 1/8 cups sugar, divided
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
One fresh raspberry per muffin

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray. Mash 1/8 cup sugar and lemon peel together in small bowl until lemon peel releases oils and moistens sugar. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat remaining 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in egg, then buttermilk, then vanilla and lemon sugar. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups (I filled mine about 1/2 to 2/3). Place one raspberry on each muffin and bake until tester comes clean, about 20 minutes.

Cardamom Plum Compote

2009-08-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

Mmm... wild red plums. We came across several baskets of these at our local farmers' market over the weekend. It almost seems like a crime to eat these precious little gems in any form other than the way nature intended- fresh and unadulterated; however, we found ourselves driving home from the market with more plums than we could possibly eat before they spoiled. What can I say? I have no self control.

Instead of letting my bounty go to waste, I threw together a quick compote, because really, there's never any good reason to throw away fruit. They're incredibly easy to throw together, they're a great way to use up excess fruit, and they're about the most versatile thing you'll ever make. They're fun to experiment with, and it's hard to go wrong: strawberries and red wine, peaches and ginger, or just raspberry with a hit of lemon. Berries and stone fruits work wonderfully, and you can it on anything from vanilla ice cream to lemon cake. I generally use 10 parts fruit to 1 part sugar, though that will vary based upon the sweetness of your fruit. I like to keep mine on the tart side since I usually use them to compliment a sweeter dessert. At any rate, I love keeping compotes on hand, because nothing takes dessert to the next level like a spoonful of this stuff.

Cardamom Plum Compote

This makes a small amount of compote, enough for 4-6 people.

Eight to ten small wild red plums, cut into smallish chunks
Sugar, to taste
One generous pinch of cardamom
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Heat fruit and sugar in a small saucepan until the fruit gives off liquid. Add cardamom, simmer 5-10 minutes until enough liquid has evaporated and compote has thickened. Stir in vanilla, adjust sugar (if needed), and simmer another minute. Let cool.

Challah

2009-07-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

I should have titled this post as "Challah: Epic Fail," but then no one would want to read it. This was my second attempt at this lovely braided bread, but I still didn't get it right. Sure, it looks pretty, and I thoroughly enjoyed kneading and braiding the dough, but the taste and texture were nowhere near what I expected. I'm no expert on challah- my only experience with it is the stuff you get at a high-end grocery store bakery, which isn't bad, but I imagine the real stuff must taste better. I've heard several people who know what they're talking about (you know, those lucky people with Jewish grandmas who make it right) describe it as a rich egg bread, like brioche. I'm quite familiar with good brioche, and let me tell you- this challah didn't exactly remind me of anything remotely close to brioche. It was marginally better than the store bought stuff, but not nearly eggy or tender enough to convince me that I got it right. I know it's just a matter of finding the right recipe, but I hope I don't have too many more failures before I get it right.

Challah

1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus extra to oil the bowl
5 eggs
1 Tbsp. salt
7 to 7 1/2 cups AP flour

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in 1 3/4 cups of warm water. Whisk oil into yeast, then mix in 4 eggs one at a time with 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Gradually add flour until dough can be kneaded.

2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down, cover, and let rise again in a warm place for half an hour.

3. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal parts and roll each part into a 12" rope (this will make enough for 2 loaves of 6 braid challah). Pinch the ends of 6 ropes together and braid the challah. Place each loaf on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Beat remaining egg and brush onto challah (save enough for a second brushing) and let rise another hour.

5. Preheat oven to 375 and brush loaves with the remainder of the egg. Bake in the center of the oven for 35-45 minutes or until golden. I usually have to put a layer of foil over the top of my challah after 20 minutes to prevent the top from darkening too quickly.

Pad Thai, for Kirsten

2009-07-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, the hubs and I took a spontaneous trip that, surprisingly, worked out perfectly and proved entirely rewarding, and I didn't realize how much we needed it until the trip was over. We visited my friend, Kirsten, whom I hadn't seen in 7 years, and frankly, I don't think my husband and I have been able to feel as comfortable and relaxed as we were with her and her husband for a very long time. I feel as if I have reconnected with a sister I never knew I had. We spent the weekend cooking, of course, but in between our chatty banter about the nuances of sheep's milk cheese and using an outdoor turkey fryer and bricks to devise a MacGyver-worthy outdoor burner, I found a kindred spirit and discovered a wonderful friend who I admire and greatly appreciate.

Kirsten shares my love of food like no other friend I have. She's passionate, detail-oriented, and quite thirsty for knowledge, and she has no qualms about repeatedly preparing a dish until she gets it right; because of these qualities, I had no reservations when she told me we would be having Pad Thai for dinner our first night. The dish itself isn't hard to prepare, but figuring out the sauce can be challenging. Many recipes I've seen call for distinctly un-Thai ingredients such as white sugar or even ketchup. Ew. This recipe, however, utilizes palm sugar, fish sauce, and tamarind to get that wonderfully unique sweet-salty-sour balance so familiar to Thai cuisine. It's important to make this one serving at a time to avoid a textural disaster, and before you taste it, be aware: once you do, you'll never be satisfied with most restaurant adaptations of Pad Thai again.

Pad Thai

Tamarind concentrate
A good fish sauce
Palm sugar
Thin, flat rice noodles, prepared
Chicken or Shrimp
Carrots
Green Onion
Bean sprouts
Eggs
Lime
Cilantro
Crushed peanuts

To make the sauce:

Reconstitute the tamarind concentrate.

Julienne carrots. Cut green onions into two inch pieces and then into strips.

In a small saucepan , combine equal parts tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar over medium heat. Simmer for a minute or two and then taste test to make sure the flavors have combined adequately. You should be able to notice a change in taste between the onset of the simmer and a minute or two later (you want balance between the flavors). Adjust sweetness/saltiness/sourness as necessary.

Heat wok on high heat. Add oil, swirl, add chicken or shrimp, and then add carrots, green onions, and bean sprouts. Cook for a minute, then add a handful of noodles. Stir noodles, allowing them to heat through and then add egg, pushing other ingredients aside so the egg can scramble.

Add sauce from saucepan (you don't want it too saucy- this isn't marinara sauce).

As soon as sauce is added, stir and allow to cook for about ten seconds, then add green onions and bean sprouts and cook for just a few more seconds.

Dish noodles onto plate, sprinkle with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and bean sprouts and squeeze a wedge of lime over the top.

Daring Bakers: Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies

2009-07-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

First off, the mandatory shpiel:

This month's Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole of Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I've been wanting to make marshmallow at home for ages, but for some reason it always gets thrown aside for something not so basic... but wow, is it good! It's unfortunate for my husband how making simple things like marshmallow at home can shed so much light on how bad the store bought counterpart is. I know he had to be internally weeping when I told him I'd be making my own marshmallow, because he knows that once I made it, we'd never buy the store-bought kind again- EVER - which means that his rice krispie treats just got a lot more complicated than they were meant to be. Really, though, it's quite simple to make your own. There's very little effort involved, and the shockingly smooth, lightly sweetened, heavenly pillows you get for such little effort are well worth the few extra minutes it takes to do them right.

But I digress... these wonderfully fluffy, chocolaty treats turned out quite well, though I wasn't thrilled with the texture of the actual cookie. I was hoping for something a tad bit more firm, but overall, it was a fun challenge. I didn't do the Milan cookies, but I'll post them with the rest of the challenge and hope to get around to them sometime soon.

Mallows(Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies)
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies
Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves: about 2 dozen cookies

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping.

Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

Milan Cookies
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network website
Milan Cookies
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Quick Mango Salsa

2009-07-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Lately, I haven't been doing much in the way of meal planning. Or, more accurately, I've been coming up with a weekly meal plan, buying the ingredients, and then totally throwing the plan out the window and rearranging the ingredients I've purchased to fit whatever whim I have on any given day of the week... and by "rearranging," I mean realizing I have roughly half of what I need for what I want and running back to the store to fill in the gaps. Good time management? No. Fiscally sound? Definitely not. But hey, I can't always know on Sunday what I'll want on Thursday. Luckily, when a craving for mahi mahi with mango salsa hit the other day, the only things I didn't have on hand were the fish and the mango, neither of which I would buy until the day I need them anyways. I love the play between flavors in this salsa, and it was wonderful on the fish.

I didn't write down any measurements for this salsa, but the recipe basically goes like this:

Mix together one mango, one cucumber, and a half of a red onion, all diced. Add a pinch of salt, the juice from one lime, a touch of Thai chili paste, and a handful of roughly chopped cilantro and stirred everything together, then let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can blend and the juices can be drawn out. Try not to eat it all with a fork before dinner.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

2009-07-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe the other day when I was looking up the recipe for apricot-lacquered wings in Gourmet. It's sitting right across the page from the wings, looking completely oblivious to its own awesomeness potential and almost expecting to be ignored, kind of like the geeky wallflower with coke-bottle glasses and full dental headgear you went to high school with who blossomed into a complete knockout by college. You know the type- plain and forgettable, until you really get to know her; once you do, you'll wonder why it took you so long to do so. That's how this cake is: it looks like something that could easily turn into comfort food, like a glorified pancake, but it has spunk and panache.

Though I used blueberries this time, this is a great basic recipe to use as a springboard for several different variations. I'll probably use raspberries next, but I can see cherries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, plums, peaches, and many other additions in the near future.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour a 9" round cake pan.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well.
4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just combined.
5. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter berries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
6. Bake until cake is golden and a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn on a rack and cool until warm, 10-15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

Wings for People Who Don't Like Wings

2009-07-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've had this recipe sitting in my "To Do" folder for several weeks with no plans to actually make it. Honestly, I only made note of it because I figured Yves suffers through enough of my girlie meals (or as he says, appetizers) and deserves some good man food every once in a while. While I am perfectly content to nosh on half a head of sauteed sesame cabbage and call it dinner, he needs meat to feel satisfied. Of course, in my usual subconsciously selfish manner, I completely forgot about the recipe because I didn't intend to make it for my own dinner. I don't like wings.

Fast forward to a few nights ago: I'm doing my weekly "What can I quickly throw together for dinner with limited ingredients because I'm too lazy to run to the store for what I really want" kitchen dance, and I came across a small jar of apricot jam that had been condemned to the back of the pantry, and it struck a chord in my memory about a recipe for wings I had found in Gourmet. The plan was to make the wings for Yves and then figure out something else for myself, but that plan came to a screeching halt once I tasted the sauce I had made. It had this wonderfully balanced sweet and spicy quality with a nice kick from fresh ginger, and once it thickened under the broiler into a sticky mess of goodness... wow. Chicken wings have never tasted so good.

Apricot-Lacquered Chicken Wings

3 garlic cloves
1 3" piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup apricot (or peach) jam
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
4 lb. chicken wings

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Drop garlic into food processor and finely chop. Add ginger and finely chop.
3. Add preserves, soy sauce, water, and pepper flakes and pulse until sauce is combined.
4. Line bottom and sides of a large 4-sided sheet pan with foil. Lightly oil the foil.
5. Pat wings dry and place on sheet pan. Season with salt, then pour sauce over wings and toss to coat. Spread wings into one layer.
6. Broil 4-6" from heat for 5 minutes, then turn over and baste with sauce from pan. Continue to broil, rotating pan and turning and basting 3 more times until chicken is cooked through and browned in spots, 20-25 minutes.

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

The hubs and I leave for Chicago tomorrow morning for a short trip. While we're there, I'll have a full day of nothing but one-on-one time with the city, so any suggestions about things to do are welcome. We've got some packing and last minute planning to do tonight and a very early morning ahead of us, but we're both excited about this trip and what it could potentially mean for us, so sleeping might be difficult tonight. For now, I'll leave you with the hummingbird cake I made for our family cookout this weekend. It's become my staple cake this summer, and I'm waiting for another excuse to make it again.

Daring Bakers: Raspberry Bakewell Tart, for our Anniversary

2009-06-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today is my husband and my 2 year anniversary, and unfortunately, we have to spend it apart. He's off taking care of some important business, and I'm cheering him on from home, praying that things go well. We've been stuck in limbo for a couple of months now, and we're both ready for things to settle down and get back to normal. That said, this month's Daring Bakers' challenge was a welcome respite for me, and my husband and I can celebrate 2 years and 1 day tomorrow over a slice of this delicious tart/pudding.

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

Luckily for me, this month's challenge was neither difficult nor time consuming, yet it was very rewarding. I've not had the opportunity to make a Bakewell Tart/Pudding, so I'm glad I was able to participate in this challenge- even if I am a few days late in posting. I love the raspberry and almond flavor combination, though I must say I would probably serve this as a breakfast treat instead of a dessert. Either way, it's some tasty stuff!

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Jasmine’s notes:
• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.
• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.
• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.
Annemarie’s notes:
• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Jasmine’s notes:
• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Annemarie’s notes:
• Add another five minutes or more if you're grinding your own almonds or if you're mixing by hand (Heaven help you).

Hot Fudge... Oh Yum...

2009-06-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Why, oh why have I waited so long to make something so easy, yet so tasty? For too long, I've been content to mindlessly squeeze an anemic, vaguely chocolatey syrup from an unattractive brown plastic bottle onto my ice cream whilst rambling on about how much I hate all things pre-made... I'm usually that slightly obsessive person obnoxiously preaching to (usually uninterested) friends and family about how starkly different (read: better) homemade condiments are from their bottled counterparts and encouraging people to make their own salad dressing/ketchup/mayo; however, I've never thought to make my own hot fudge. I feel like a completely new brand of hypocrite *slamming head on table.*

This particular fudge isn't the usual super-sweet chocolate sauce for which many people settle. It's bittersweet, rich, and slightly spiked, perfect for that ice cream sundae you are probably starting to crave. One warning, though: as with anything made with chocolate, please don't skip out on a good quality chocolate and go the cheap route. You'll end up with grainy, not-so-tasty hot fudge that's just not worth the fifteen minutes it takes to make. Bottom line: If you're going to indulge, indulge in something that's worth it.

Hot Fudge Sauce

4 oz. unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2/3 cup water
1/4-1/3 cup sugar (I use 1/4 if using bittersweet chocolate and 1/3 if using unsweetened)
6 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. rum (or vanilla, or other liquor of choice)

Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, stirring until combined. Heat the water to boiling in a small saucepan. Once the butter and chocolate are melted and combined, stir into the boiling water. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup and salt and mix until smooth. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the boiling point, stirring frequently. Boil for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. Stir in rum.

Can be reheated in microwave and stirred to bring back to correct consistency.

Fish Soup.

2009-06-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

With the recent heat and humidity, the last thing any sane person would want is a steaming bowl of soup; I, however, have had my sanity called into question more than a few times, so it should come as no shock that I love soup in the summer. Specifically, nothing beats a West Coast style soup that involves wee bits of tomatoes, onions, and chunks of white fish in a savory tomato broth spiked with a healthy dose of white wine. Add some parsley for a bright kick of freshness and a dash of tabasco for a subtly spicy undertone, and you've got my idea of a perfect summer soup.

Fish Soup
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 1/4 tsp. tomato paste
8 oz. clam juice
2/3 cup off-dry to dry white wine
1 1/2 lb white fish, cut into large bite-sized pieces
Pinch of oregano
Pinch of thyme
Dash of Tobasco
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium to large pot over medium-high heat, saute onion and garlic in oil 3-4 minutes. Add parsley and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomato and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

2. Add clam juice, wine, and fish and bring to a simmer until fish is cooked (about 8 minutes). Add seasoning and cook 2 more minutes; add salt and pepper to taste.

Sour Cream Hotcakes

2009-06-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... I've been bad. I've barely posted anything over the past month and I haven't given much explanation. I feel like I've completely fallen off the wagon... I missed my first Daring Bakers challenge, I didn't even take pictures of the last cake I baked (my birthday cake, no less), I've had possibly the best osso busco and risotto on earth and failed to mention it to you, and I have tried several new recipes without promptly sharing them with you...but believe me, dear reader, when I say that I have not forgotten about you, nor have I been purposely ignoring you. I've just been incredibly busy for the last few weeks. My living situation has changed drastically, and my schedule hasn't allowed time for me to sit down and write a coherent post. So thank you for bearing with me. Your patience is much appreciated.

That said, you didn't think I'd get on here and leave without sharing a recipe, did you? I tried these little pancakes for dinner tonight (because nothing beats breakfast for dinner some nights), and they didn't disappoint. I struggle to call them "pancakes" because they're so light and fluffy, there's nothing cake-like about them; they almost melt in your mouth and have this amazing texture somewhere between a super light fritatta and a crepe, with a hint of custard somewhere in there (I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it works). When I made the batter, I was skeptical about the miniscule amount of flour along with the massive amount of sour cream and eggs, but they turned out quite well. I might-MIGHT-try them again with slightly less egg to see what happens to the texture. I can't say that this will be my go-to recipe for pancakes, but it's a nice addition to the breakfast recipe lexicon, and it's one that will impress your guests.

Sour Cream Hotcakes

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup cake flour
2 cups sour cream
3 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:

Stir eggs in a mixing bowl until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop small spoonfuls of batter onto a hot, buttered/greased griddle (enough to make silver dollar sized pancakes). When pancakes start to bubble on top, flip them and cook briefly until done.

Hummingbird Cake

2009-05-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to my new favorite, albeit strangely named, cake: Hummingbird Cake. Though the name "hummingbird cake" may conjure cringe-worthy images of scattered feathers, beaks, and blood, I assure you that no birds are harmed during the making of this cake. I'm not positive about how it got its name, but the most common explanation I've heard is that it's as sweet as the nectar that hummingbirds love. Charming, isn't it? Its Caribbean and Deep South roots are evident in the ingredient list, which includes pineapple, banana, a healthy dose of cinnamon, and a lusciously smooth cream cheese icing. It's such a welcome break from the usual chocolate or yellow cakes that, while delicious, can get old. Please, do yourself and your loved ones a favor- bake this cake for someone's birthday, or for a family picnic, or just because it's Wednesday. You'll be surprised at how good this really is, and anyone who tastes it will think you're a genius.

I made this cake as a late Mother's Day treat, but I'm positive that I'll be making this several more times throughout the summer. My favorite part about it (other than the deliciousness factor) is how unfussy it is to prepare. Honestly, it's the closest thing to idiot-proof as cakes get. Just dump everything into a bowl, mix, bake, and *VOILA*... instant popularity at the next family picnic.

Hummingbird Cake
3 cups self-rising flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1 8oz. can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 large eggs, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans for baking.
2. In a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pecans, bananas, pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs.
3. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with a spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 25-30 minutes.
4. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Cream Cheese Icing
2 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
2 lbs. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Swedish Visiting Cakes

2009-05-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

I've not been this exhausted in quite a long time, but with the help of a very good friend and a couple of family members, we have finally arrived safely in VA. I don't have much time for a long post today, but I thought I could share a quick recipe, which can be found here. I've made this with and without the cardamom, and it's delicious either way. I've also used vanilla sugar in place of the sugar and omitted the vanilla (again, delicious). The cakes are dense, moist, and sweet (sweet enough that I'm tempted to scale back the sugar). The original recipe calls for the cake to be baked in a cast iron skillet, but I usually make mini bundts (mainly because I like to ask people if they'd like a mini bundt... come on, it's funny!) instead. It's a versatile recipe- have fun with it!

Grilled Pork Chops, Roasted Chickpeas, and a Sudden Change

2009-05-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, my friends. It's amazing how much change one day can bring. I don't have a lot of time to post an explanation today, but the hubs and I are packing up and moving back to Virginia, and we have less than a week in which to do it. That's less than 7 days to pack up our entire apartment, say goodbye to friends, cancel our utilities, load the truck, coordinate schedules between us and a few other people who are helping us drive halfway across the country, and take care of all the other loose ends in this logistical nightmare. We're sad to leave our friends here in Kansas, and we wish the circumstances were different, but we're ready to dive into this new chapter of our lives. That said, I hope you will forgive me if my posts are less frequent over the next couple of weeks. We've been kinda busy. For now, I can at least leave you with pictures of what we call "the last supper," since it's the last meal we ate before having 2 huge bombshells dropped on us. The pork was just rubbed with a bit of salt and olive oil, then grilled; the chickpeas are incredibly addictive and you should take a peek at the recipe and go make them this instant. I think I prefer a tad more lemon and a tad less oil than the recipe states, but I never knew something so good could come from a can of chickpeas.

Irish Butter Sauce

2009-04-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

On my recent trip to Minneapolis, I had the pleasure of visiting my friend S., who I haven't seen in roughly 3 years. Yet again, I was reminded how long absences can make you forget how much you miss someone. Between reminiscing, finding out how many people she and my husband know mutually, and a lot of laughter, we had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon.

Somewhere in our conversation, between mouthfuls of a pretty darn good cinnamon bun, she mentioned that a friend of hers had given her some salmon from his recent Alaskan fishing trip, and that she had no idea what to do with it... and then she asked me if I had any ideas. I know. OF COURSE I had ideas, the biggest one being that I should come over the next night and cook it. When S. readily agreed, my heart did a little happy jig, River Dance style. Oh yes, my friends. This poor fish-loving girl who's been as landlocked as it gets for the past 2 years just got her hands on some incredibly fresh salmon.

To showcase the Alaskan-y freshness of the salmon, I opted to poach it and serve it with an Irish butter sauce. I went the traditional white wine and aromatics route for my poaching liquid, but there are dozens of variations you could use. With a simple saute of spinach, criminis, shallots, and tomato on the side, this proved a very delicious yet simple meal, and it was a pleasure to prepare with S. and to enjoy with her and my husband.

Irish Butter Sauce

2 egg yolks (straight off the farm, if you can help it)

2 teaspoons cold water

1 stick (1/2 C) butter, diced*

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Whisk egg yolks and water together in a small stainless steel bowl, then place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (basically, a double boiler). Immediately add a couple pieces of butter and whisk until melted. Continue to add butter a few pieces at a time until and whisk until all butter is melted. Add lemon juice.

*If you use unsalted butter, you will want to add a pinch or two of salt.

Jambalaya: Mourning my Wasted Andouille and Shrimp

2009-04-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's turning out to be one of those weeks. I don't have time to give much explanation, but between being hooked up to an ancient portable EKG like a lab rat for the last couple of days and our ever-increasing desire to be closer to friends and family (or to at least live somewhere that they'd actually want to visit), I am having to remind myself more than usual to just be content. Due to my wired-up state, I haven't been able to do much in the way of cooking, so I'll share with you my most recent culinary disaster- because it's just that kind of day.

I decided to do something out of the ordinary and turn to the archives at foodnetwork.com. Lest you think I'm about to go on the tired old rant about sell-out celebrity chefs and how they've ruined the food world, I'm not. Most of their celebrity chefs are quite talented and well-trained in their respective fields, and generalizing all of them into one lump category is beyond disrespectful; however, a handful of them do pander toward... how can I put this nicely... the lowest common denominator (has anyone ever seen Sandra Lee and her infamous Kwanzaa Cake??), and I struggle to trust a network that would put the Sandra Lees of the food world right up there with the Ina Gartens. It's culinary sacrilege. I've also found that many of the recipes on the website are inaccurate when compared with how the chef prepared that particular dish on their show, so unless you've watched the corresponding show, it's hard to know if you're getting the correct recipe or not. But I digress... I needed jambalaya guidance, and in a moment of weakness, I took a chance on the food network.

Unfortunately, this particular recipe didn't wow the hubs and me. It wasn't horrible, but I am kinda bummed that I used all of my andouille and a good chunk of my fresh shrimp for this. Ok, more than bummed- I'm downright sad. I only get goodies like that when we travel (because really, where am I going to find fresh shrimp in the middle of Kansas?), and it's going to be another month before we escape the state again. The amount of salt in the recipe made it taste like a boxed jambalaya mixture, and the spice ratio seemed wrong, overbearing enough that we could barely taste any of the other ingredients, including my prized fresh shrimp and my wonderful andouille. I had reservations about the whole dish when the spice mixture recipe read like an advertisement, but I was already committed at that point. *Sigh.* Why didn't I just find a fellow food blogger with a peer-tested recipe? Why didn't I just put in the extra ten minutes to find a recipe that didn't have me questioning it from the beginning? Because, I am human, and I err... and this time, I erred big.

Ingredients

* 12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
* 4 ounces chicken, diced
* 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped celery
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
* 3 bay leaves
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce
* 3/4 cup rice
* 3 cups chicken stock
* 5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
* Salt and pepper

Directions

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

*NOTE: Reader comments suggested that this turned out too soupy, so I doubled the veggies and added a tiny bit of extra rice.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

* 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

What I've Been Up To Lately...

2009-04-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Spicy Sesame Shrimp and Bok Choy Stir Fry

2009-04-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

I think Kansas forgot about spring and dove straight into summer. After Wednesday night's breathtaking display of lightning, the temperature has soared into the 90s, making my marathon gardening session today a fairly sweaty affair (not to mention my workout afterward, or my evening tennis match with the hubs). I like it, though- it's like being back home in Virginia, sans humidity.

The downside to all this heat is that it completely saps away any desire I might have had to make something for dinner that involves a lot of time in front of a hot stove. My inner cheapskate is determined to not turn on the AC until I am just shy of heatstroke, so the less heat I have going on in the kitchen, the better. I want something quick and tasty that doesn't require much forethought or prep work, and something that I can use as a back-pocket meal throughout the summer for those nights that we just can't say no to an impromptu run or a last-minute tennis game.

This dish definitely falls into the "quick and tasty" category, and it's quite versatile to boot. Depending on my mood, I might leave out the chili paste and just drizzle the dish with sesame oil right before serving, or for a completely different feel, I might leave out the sesame seeds/oil and throw in a couple shots of lemon or lime juice with a the chili paste (or without the hot stuff- it's different every time). It's fun to see how many things you can do with this type of dish.

Shrimp and Bok Choy (serves 2)

1 Tbsp. vegetable/canola oil
3 heads baby bok choy, coarsely chopped
10 large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 cloves garlic, germs removed and minced
salt, to taste
chili paste, to taste
generous handful of sesame seeds, toasted*
sesame oil, for drizzling (optional)

Heat oil in wok or saute pan and add garlic and bok choy. Add a pinch of salt and cook until garlic is aromatic and bok choy is just beginning to wilt. Add shrimp and chili paste, cook just until shrimp is done. Stir in sesame seeds just before serving, and drizzle with sesame oil (if desired).

*In my usual fashion of not creating more dirty dishes than absolutely necessary, I dish out the stir fry onto plates, wipe the pan with a paper towel, and then quickly toast the seeds in that same pan, making this a one-dish meal. Booyah.

Boozy Banana Bread

2009-04-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I must preface this post with an apology to my mother, because I feel I have just betrayed her in some small way. For my whole life, I've been a staunch loyalist to her banana bread. I've tried dozens of other banana breads that were always too dry and usually pretty flat in the flavor department, and as much as I wanted to like them, they always fell short of my mom's recipe. She set the bar pretty darn high, and nothing I have tried has come close... until now. You see, I've never created a quickbread recipe from out of nowhere, but I had these nearly black bananas that needed to be used, and I had this sour cream, and this bottle of rum that had barely anything left in it, and new stoneware mini loaf pans just begging to be used, and I had to do SOMETHING about it. I felt confident enough in my improvisational baking skills to be able to just throw together a decent banana bread, but I swear I didn't think it would be THAT great... and oh, was I wrong. It's great. It's sweeter than my mom's recipe, almost more of a dessert bread than her breakfast bread, and it's ever-so-slightly more moist. A splash of rum gives it a nice bananas foster-ish feel, and the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves add a nice autumnal touch (not exactly springtime flavors, I realize, but they could probably be scaled back or swapped out for whatever you'd like). I'll probably use a bit less sugar next time and maybe throw in some toasted pecans, but it's fantastic as is. I'm sorry, Mom. I still absolutely adore your banana bread, but I'll be using this recipe just as often as I use yours.

Ingredients:
1 stick + 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (I used my homemade stuff)
1 1/2 Tbsp. rum
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
generous pinch of ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter 4 mini loaf pans* (or whatever size you want to use. I like my minis).

2. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (should take about 4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition just until incorporated. Add vanilla and rum.

3. While creaming butter and sugar, mash bananas together with sour cream in a small bowl and sift together dry flour, powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in another bowl.

4. Add 1/2 of flour mixture to creamed butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Add banana mixture, then add the rest of the flour and beat until just incorporated.

5. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes (for minis) or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

*I used stoneware pans. If you're using dark pans, you may want to reduce your oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Hell's Kitchen: Minneapolis

2009-04-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

While in the Minneapolis area, I convinced my husband to take his sister and me to Hell's Kitchen in the city (no affiliation with Gordon Ramsay), fittingly located in the basement of a building and decorated in unsettling hellish-themed paintings, red and black-themed walls, spindly trees complete with creepy black birds, and a chandelier that would make a pincushion out of a person if it were to fall on someone; yet with all that, the decorator managed to avoid an over-the-top, macabre feel to the place. It's just right, and that's saying a lot for me since I'm really not into demons or general evilness.

Though the food was good all around, the stand-out on the menu was their house made peanut butter. Sure, you can go for their great brunch menu (try their yogurt. They make their own, scented with lemon and vanilla and topped with fresh berries. It's divine) or their fantastic bison burgers or even their strangely sweet and delicious black currant sausage bread that tastes nothing like you would expect (you've just gotta trust me on that one), but even if the rest of the food completely and utterly sucked, you would still need to go there, order some toast, and slather it with their PB. It's not the smooth, anemic peanut butter of your childhood; no, this stuff is what every little peanut wishes it can grow up to be. I'm talking heavenly roasted peanuts with honey, brown sugar, and spices that just bring out a certain flavor that I didn't know peanut butter could have. I could eat that stuff for days- and luckily for me (and for you after you taste it), I can. They sell it, and probably make a killing off of it. Really, even if you never make it to the restaurant, I BEG you to at least order it off their website. I don't mean to sound like a commercial for them, but it's just that good. If I haven't convinced you yet, they also serve their toast with an out of this world blackberry jam and blood orange marmalade, which I am kicking myself for not purchasing. I know it sounds strange to be talking so much about peanut butter and jam, but I really REALLY like toast.

Jamaican Jerk Bison Burger; Sweet Potato Fries; Shrimp and Crab Cake with Poached Egg, Berries, and Toast; Peanut Butter

We enjoyed everything else we tried, with one exception: my husband's ham, poached pear, and melted fontina sandwich. I heard a piece on NPR with Gourmet's Jane and Michael Stern several months ago raving about how it was one of the best sandwiches in the country... but we found it texturally lacking and a little too sweet. I was expecting something a tad more savory, and something crunchy tucked in there would've been nice... but who cares. I just really liked the peanut butter.

Minneapolis, Part One

2009-04-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis, from the Stone Arch Bridge

We are back from the Twin Cities, feeling rejuvenated yet sad. We love seeing our family and friends, but it always serves as a painful reminder of how much we miss them, and it refreshes our longing to leave Kansas and return to the people and places we know and love, or to at least live somewhere similar that has a major airport so we can frequently visit loved ones without having to put a sizeable dent in our savings. Traveling has become a bittersweet affair for us since moving here, but we can't get enough of it.

Still not quite spring

But enough of my emotional verbosity- you're here to read about the food, and the Twin Cities do not disappoint in this arena. We hit several places, which I will post about later this week, but I have to tell you about what has to be the best pizza place in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so you'll just have to believe me when I say that you HAVE to try it if you're ever in the area. Pizza Nea makes incredible Neapolitan pizza (which is, incidentally, one of my top 5 favorite foods ever). I'm quite particular about this stuff and had been craving a good pizza for days, and this place totally delivers exactly what I like in a pizza: a not too thick, yet not too thin crust with the perfect crispy exterior, satisfyingly chewy interior, and full flavor that only a traditional brick oven can create. My husband, his brother and I shared and devoured the con funghi e proscuitto and the salsicce pizzas. You know when you find something that you know you should slowly savor, but you just can't help yourself? Or when you say you'll only eat one or two slices, yet you find yourself sheepishly grinning at your husband over a few leftover crumbs where a whole pizza pie recently sat? That's how I felt. I can't even begin to describe how good the funghi e proscuitto is, with the porcinis and the reggiano and the basil and tomatoes on a perfect crust... and the salsicce was just as good, though I favored the porcinis (as I am prone to do). I washed mine down with a few sips of prosecco and left knowing that I will return every time I'm in Minneapolis. As a bonus, there's a wonderful Polish restaurant and meat shop right across the street that's worth a visit (or three).

I'd love to share more with you right now, but unfortunately, our still-packed suitcases and growing pile of laundry are beckoning, and I have some gardening to do and dinner to make. I'm thinking something with bok choy and rice noodles tonight...

Chocolate Cake, Grown Up.

2009-04-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

I was going to save this post for next week when I will be away in the Twin Cities, but in the spirit of the upcoming holiday (and because I know a lot of you will have Friday off and will want something good to bake), I won't hold out on you. Besides, if I waited until next week and you tried this, and knew that I didn't share it with you right away, you'd never forgive me.

(Cake in back is the same as this one)

Don't be fooled by how normal this cake appears. It's moist, chocolatey, and decadent. Generally, I don't like chocolate cakes because there's usually too much other stuff going on in them that gets in the way of the chocolate, but this... this takes the cake. (Get it? Haha! I kill myself). This is not a child's cake, nor is it something for someone seeking the hypersweetened chocolate cakes of their youth. Everything about this recipe plays to chocolate's strong points and brings out all the depth, richness, and complexities in chocolate that most recipes unwittingly destroy. It's not too sweet, it's slightly spiced, and oh, whatever genius out there figured out what coffee and cinnamon can do to a chocolate cake deserves a really big hug, because it's just awe-inspiring.

I've made this before and followed the recipe, but yesterday I was making it for a crowd who wouldn't appreciate (or even remotely like) the ganache frosting called for, so I used swiss buttercream instead. They loved it, but I thought it just got in the way of the chocolate. The pictures here show the buttercream version, but please, do the ganache. Also, if you want to substitute a different jam for the filling, feel free, but I promise you that nothing will reach perfection like raspberry.

I wish I could tell you where I found this recipe, but I have no idea... chances are it's from a fellow food blogger. If you're out there, and you read this, please let me know so I can give credit where it's due. This recipe makes a ton of batter (it filled my standard-size KitchenAid to the brim and made for a very tedious mixing process), so you may want to either scale it down or make it in 2 smaller batches. Also, if you're one of those weirdos like me and my husband who use their coffee maker strictly for hot water and don't want to contaminate it with coffee flavor, a venti black coffee from your local coffee shop is the exact amount needed.

Chocolate Cake

5 1/3 cups cake flour
5 1/3 cups sugar
2 2/3 cups unsweetened (NOT Dutch process) cocoa powder
6 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/3 sticks (20 2/3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups buttermilk
5 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
2 2/3 cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled
1 cup seedless raspberry jam (for filling)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour cake pans for baking.

2. In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and buttermilk and blend on low until just moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes).

3. Whisk the eggs and coffee together, and add to the batter in 3 additions, beating only until blended after each addition and making sure to scrape sides of bowl. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes (for 9" cakes), or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 20 minutes and turn out onto cooling rack. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

5. Fill with jam and frost with ganache

For Ganache:

2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, broken up
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 cups heavy cream, heated slightly
1/2 cup brandy or Cognac

1. Place the chocolate and butter in a double boiler and stir to blend as they melt.

2. When completely melted, remove from the heat and whisk in first the cream and then the brandy. Be sure to scrape down the bowl well and mix thoroughly. Mixture will thicken to a loose frosting consistency as it cools.

Pho

2009-04-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

This meal has been a long time coming, my friends. I've had a slightly unhealthy obsession with this dish since I first tried it a couple of years ago at a tiny little Vietnamese place in Vancouver. To those who haven't tried it, it's incredibly difficult to describe. I don't know whether to begin with the heady aroma, the complex flavors that are at once confounding and familiar, or the soothing perfume that lingers in your mouth and sinuses long after you relish the last bite, enticing you to breathe deeply in an effort to experience as much of it as possible... You can honestly taste the love, care, and time that goes into a good bowl of pho. I humbly submit that it's one of the most astoundingly good comfort foods out there.

I say this meal has been a long time coming because I have been searching for a truly authentic recipe for what feels like aeons, and I am almost positive that this is as close as it gets. A three hour long simmer ensures that the flavors meld together seamlessly into a delicious sweet-sour-salty broth that's poured over thinly sliced beef and rice noodles, then topped with your choice of herbs and sprouts... I could ramble on forever about how good this is, but I'll spare you if you PROMISE to try this stuff, soon. It's cheap to make and goes a long way. Oh, and please forgive the lack of good photos. I didn't have the willpower to not eat this right away.

Pho

Broth:
2 onions, halved
4″ nub of ginger, halved lengthwise
5-6 lbs of good beef bones (preferably with good amount of marrow)
4-5 quarts of water
1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
5 star anise
1 cardamom pod
6 whole cloves
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
Roughly 1/4 cup fish sauce, depending on strength
1 inch chunk of palm sugar OR 1 oz. white sugar

Everything Else:
2 lbs rice noodles
1/2 lb flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round
mint, cilantro, and basil (for garnish)
2 limes, wedged
2-3 chili peppers, thinly sliced
bean sprouts

1. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet and brush with a bit of oil, broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Flip and char other side.

2. While onion and ginger are charring, fill a 12- qt pot with cool water and bring to a boil. Add the bones, and boil vigorously for 10-12 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Place bones back in pot and add 6 quarts of cold water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Remove any scum that rises to the surface.

3. Add charred ginger and onion, spices (in a mesh bag or tea leaf ball, if you have it), salt, fish sauce, and sugar, and simmer uncovered for 3 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning.

4. Prepare rice noodles according to package directions (which can vary widely). Slice beef very thinly.

5. Return broth to boil. Fill each person's bowl with rice noodles and raw meat slices. Once the broth is boiling, ladle on top of noodles and meat (the hot broth will cook the thin slices of meat). Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish.

Better Than Average Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how quickly the weather changes around here. Last weekend, we were contending with this:

and this:

and this:

My garden area is somewhere under that.

That's more snow than this Virginia girl has seen in her entire life, let alone in late March. Two days later, with the return of warmer temperatures, it was all but gone. I'm tempted to start my garden, but I'm still not familiar with the weather patterns here to know if that's safe or not. Maybe I'll wait until the end of the month.

But enough of my rambling- let's get to the cookies. Ever since I made those delicious little browned butter cookies, I've been thinking of trying browned butter in a chocolate chip cookie. Usually, I pass on most chocolate chip cookies because they've become that standby cookie that everybody makes, but few make well. I know, I know... it's heresy to treat such a classic childhood treat so cavalierly, but someone's gotta do something about it. I just can't take another overbaked, cloyingly sweet yet otherwise flavorless disc studded with bad chocolate that isn't even worth its weight in carob chips.

I'll be totally honest with you- I already have a recipe for the most perfect chocolate chip cookie (which I will share with you next time I make them), and I was going to just try browning the butter in that one to see if it could possibly make it even better... but then Cooks Illustrated showed up in my mailbox with the same general idea, so I decided to try their cookie instead. Their recipe left me hesitant, as did the overly analytic instructions (which include three 3-minute intervals of letting the batter rest and beating it for 30 seconds), but I tried it anyways and ended up with a surprisingly good cookie; however, as I suspected, they didn't have the level of crispy-chewy contrast I seek, and their flavor didn't reach that coveted toffee nirvana. The browned butter definitely made a difference in flavor when compared to a run-of-the-mill chocolate chip cookie, but not to the degree that I had hoped.

The only changes I made to the recipe were using slightly fewer chocolate chips (in order to better taste how the browned butter affects the dough) and baking at 325 degrees instead of 375 degrees (because with my oven, I have to avoid the 375 setting like the plague. It's the setting of evil and burns everything). I also opted out of the nuts (again, to not interfere with tasting the browned butter). I'm thinking that with a couple of small adjustments to the dry ingredients and adding more vanilla (or maybe just replacing it altogether with Kahlua, rum, or Bailey's), these cookies could live up to their potential. So, without further ado, here is the better-than-average but not quite perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
14 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. table salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and soda together in bowl, set aside.

2. Heat 10 Tbsp. butter in a 10" skillet over medium high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 1-3 minutes (Nic's note: this may take longer, depending on the quality of butter you use). Remove from heat and transfer to heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 Tbsp. butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk again for 30 seconds. Repeat resting/whisking process 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, giving dough a final stir to ensure no air pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons. Arrange 2" apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (10-14 minutes), rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool completely before serving. (Nic's note: I don't know why they say to leave the cookies on the sheet- that's a great way to overcook them with the residual heat. And cool completely before serving? Are they crazy?!)

Cranberry Orange Cornmeal Cake

2009-04-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

The hubs and I decided on the spur of the moment that we are going to take a week over Easter to visit his family in Minneapolis. I've always loved the twin cities, and I love visiting his family, but I have to confess that my immediate thoughts revolved around how nice it will be to get out of Kansas. Not that we're not happy here- we could be content anywhere with each other, but neither of us are from a small Midwestern town like where we currently live, and sometimes it just feels good to go somewhere that feels more like home.

In preparation for our trip, I get to find creative ways to completely clean out the refrigerator, which will either create a wealth of bloggable MacGyver-type meals or leave me grasping at straws for material. We'll see. In the meantime, let me tell you about this tasty little cake I made the other day.

Ok, so by "little," I meant "ginormous" and by "cake" I meant "somewhere between a cake and cornbread," since it really does remind me more of cornbread than a cake. I do understand, however, that "cranberry orange corn bread" doesn't sound as appealing as "cranberry orange cornmeal cake," so I'll let that slide. . . but I digress. Whatever you want to call this behemoth, it's good. I can't say that it's earth-shatteringly, mind-bendingly, where-have-you-been-all-my-life good, but it's definitely something to keep in your "We're having company" recipe box. And trust me, you'll need company to help polish this one off.

Cranberry Orange Cornmeal Cake
Serves 18

2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
Zest of 1 orange
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups cranberries, divided

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round by 3-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, 1 cup sugar, salt and zest. Mix just until thoroughly combined; do not overmix.

4. With the mixer running, slowly incorporate the egg mixture into the butter just until combined.

5. With the mixer on low speed, add one-half of the flour mixture to the batter and quickly mix for 5 seconds. Turn off the mixer and add the rest of the flour, the ricotta and one-half of the cranberries. Mix the remaining ingredients into the batter over low speed just until combined, being careful not to overmix.

6. Gently pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining cranberries over the top of the cake, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

7. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Place a loose piece of foil over the top of the cake if it starts to darken. Cool the cake on a wire rack before removing it from the pan.

A Facelift + Spaghetti with Spinach, Tomato, and Ricotta

2009-03-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am slowly working on updating my blog, hoping to give it a more fresh, professional look. Please bear with me over the next few weeks- I'm new at this. I've changed the title to something a little more, um, English, so don't be thrown off. This is still Nic's blog. Thanks in advance for your patience. Now, onward!

The time has come again, dear reader, for my bi-weekly clean-out-the-fridge meal. Before I cared about things like wastefulness and frugality, I would, on a very regular basis, recklessly throw out leftover bits of produce and meat that I didn't plan to use for later meals; now, I make it a point to leave a few days open on my monthly meal plan to find a tasty way to incorporate every last green leaf, bit of cheese, herb, and scrap of meat in my refrigerator into something tasty. This can sometimes prove challenging when the only items I have to work with are things like beef bones, watermelon rind, and alfalfa sprouts (yes, it's happened, and yes, we ordered pizza that night), but this week's refrigerator forage made for an exceptionally easy, quick meal. I had about half a cup of canned tomatoes leftover from who knows what (summer tomatoes, please come quickly!), several handfuls of baby spinach from the hub's sandwich stash hanging on for dear life, and a couple spoonfuls of ricotta left from a lasagna I made last week. Easy.

Spaghetti with Spinach, Tomato, and Ricotta.

1/3 lb spaghetti (or pasta of choice)
2 Tbs olive oil
several handfuls of spinach (or rapini, kale, or chard)
salt
hot pepper flakes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 cup of canned tomatoes, diced (or 2 fresh roma tomatoes, seeded and diced)
A few spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.

1. Boil pasta in well-salted water to al dente (don't skip the "well-salted water" part. It makes a big difference).

2. While pasta boils, sautee greens in olive oil until wilted. Add salt to taste, hot pepper flakes to taste (just a couple pinches worked for me), and garlic and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes and heat through.

3. Drain pasta and distribute into bowls. Stir ricotta and tomato mixture together and spoon on top of pasta. Serve immediately.

Hibernation Stew

2009-03-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Let's travel back in time for a bit, shall we? Last weekend, Yves and I spent the day outside and enjoyed a balmy, 80 degree Saturday tilling the garden in preparation for this weekend, which was supposed to be spent planting in the garden. I had visions of tomatoes, melons, berries, and herbs, and all of the bountiful promise they entailed dancing through my head. Fast forward to today: Mother Nature has had a major mood swing. It's 21 degrees out and falling, and we're in the middle of a blizzard. My dreams of sun, earthworms, soil, and seeds have been utterly dashed; in fact, I can't even see my garden area through the blowing snow. Go figure... But hey, I'm adaptable. Miss Nature can throw all the sleet, freezing rain, snow, and blustery winds she wants my way- it just gives me a perfect reason to throw on a pot of stew and have a quiet, snowed-in evening with the hubs. How romantic is that?

I found this recipe over at simplyrecipes.com. I've made it several times, once following the recipe and then making several substitutions (not that the original isn't good-it's great- but I always play around with soups and stews). I love this stew because it involves lamb and the broth is mostly wine. Really, I should stop there, because that's reason enough to try it, but lest you need more convincing, this recipe is quite versatile and can take a lot of experimentation without losing its integrity. This time around, I used beef instead of lamb because I didn't have any lamb on hand, and I get my lamb from a farm that isn't exactly accessible during blizzards. But if you're not snowbound, get thee to your local grocer/farmer/field full of sheep and get some lamb. I also didn't have any roasted red peppers, but I made up for it by making a few other alterations and switched things up a bit- thyme instead of rosemary, beef stock instead of chicken stock, regular paprika instead of sweet, and I threw in some chunks of sweet potatoes (not yams)... which, I realize, completely changes the flavor profile, but hey, this is my blog and I can do what I want, and it was delicious. Whether you follow the recipe or just use it as a guideline, this recipe is worth keeping in your back pocket for a snowy day.

Basque Lamb Stew

3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
3 canned roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4-6 sprigs parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry, full-bodied red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock

1 Combine the lamb, 3 of the garlic cloves, rosemary, and white wine in a medium bowl. Let marinate for 2-3 hours. Drain the meat, discard the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Mince the remaining 3 garlic cloves and set aside. (Nicole's note: I NEVER throw out the marinade. I just fish out the herb sprigs and garlic cloves and save the marinade to add to the stew when the red wine is added. Sometimes I don't even add the stock- I just use the marinade and the red wine.)

2 Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan with lid, over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Return all meat to the pot. Add onions, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, scraping browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, add roasted peppers, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until juices in pot reduce and thicken slightly, about 10-15 minutes.

3 Add chicken stock, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Adjust seasonings.

Lemon Extract

2009-03-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have finally dwindled my lemon stash down to just over a dozen lemons. I've made lemonade (more on that later), several lemon cakes, lemon curd, and I've put lemon in every meal I've made for the past 5 days. Frankly, I'm a bit lemoned-out, so I zested and juiced a good chunk of the stash and now have fresh juice and zest crowding my already space-challenged freezer.

I didn't freeze all of the zest, though. While I was giving my homemade vanilla extract its weekly shakeup (more on that later, too), I figured I could make some lemon extract with some wide strips of lemon peel. Its super easy and doesn't really require a recipe, or any effort- just place a few strips of lemon peel in a glass jar (I use small jam jars or canning jars) and top off with vodka (I ended up using rum, because I use it to flavor buttercream and I like the rumminess, but vodka will give you a much cleaner flavor). Let it sit for 6 to 8 weeks in your pantry, and give it a good shake or two every week, and you'll soon have a good-quality lemon extract.

Shaved Fennel, Mushroom, and Pecorino Romano Salad

2009-03-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Though spring has officially arrived and I want nothing more than to dive headfirst into seasonally-correct cooking, I have to contend with what I have for now. At the moment, I still have several wintery fennel bulbs hanging on for dear life in my refrigerator, taunting me with their crisp, licorice-y flesh and aromatic fronds every time I peer into the crisper. Luckily, fennel happens to be one of my favorite winter vegetables. As tempting as it is to throw it into a roasting pan with some other root veggies and a small bird, I just want something incredibly satisfying and fresh without all of that heat coming out of my kitchen.

Pretty? No. Tasty? Oh yeah.

I've always held to the idea that when you have good quality ingredients, you can make a very satisfying dish without doing much. And really, when the weather is this beautiful, the last place I want to be is stuck behind the stove for hours on end. This is probably my favorite salad... at the moment, anyways. (I'm a fickle girl; I'll have a new favorite in a couple of weeks). Maybe it would be more meaningful to say that this is my all-time favorite salad involving raw mushrooms? Ok, that doesn't mean much, either, but whatever. It's a really good salad, and I plan to eat a lot of it over the next couple of weeks while I can still get my hands on good fennel. I absolutely love the play on flavor and texture between the fennel and the Pecorino Romano, and I like to use just enough fennel to be noticed without being overpowering, but it's a versatile dish, so you can use whatever fennel-to-mushroom ratio you like.

Shaved Fennel, Mushroom, and Pecorino Romano Salad
(Alice Waters)

1/2 bulb fennel, shaved into thin slices
Several small button mushrooms, sliced
A chunk of Pecorino Romano cheese (or similar cheese)
Salt, for sprinkling
Good-quality extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

On serving plate, layer mushrooms and fennel, sprinkling salt and drizzling every couple of layers. Top salad with pieces of shaved cheese (use a vegetable peeler to shave the block of cheese). Serve immediately.

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake

2009-03-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of spring could not possibly be more beautiful this year. The hubs and I spent almost all day outside tilling the garden and prepping a few new planting areas, and I couldn't have been more content to spend my day any other way. To top it off, I have the evening to play with my lemon stash, which I'm finally starting to put a dent in.

Today, I am trying a lemon cake recipe from this month's issue of Gourmet, which couldn't have come at a better time: the dessert section this month features, of all things, lemons. Hallelujah! The Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake recipe looked simple enough to not require a lot of thought or work, which, after a day spent digging and tilling in the garden, sounds perfect. Instead of the suggested 8x2" round cake pan, I split the batter between two 8x4" loaf pans for two thin cakes. They turned out perfectly, with the edges just shy of crunchy and a delightfully moist crumb. I can't help but smile when I experience the combination of sunny yellow color, satisfying mouthfeel, and perfect interplay of lemon and butter. I love how this cake's humble looks belie the lemony goodness inside. This cake is delicious on its own, but it would be fantastic dressed up with fresh berries and whipped cream (or my personal favorite, gingered whipped cream).

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake
(from Gourmet)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
rounded 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp whole milk
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temp. 30 minutes
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Garnish: confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle. Butter and flour an 8x2" round cake pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together milk, zest, and vanilla.

3. Beat together butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated.

5. Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top, then rap gently on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes.

6. Whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon juice until smooth.

7. Turn out cake onto a rack set over a baking sheet, then reinvert. Brush top and side of cake with all of glaze. Cool completely.

This cake can be baked and glazed one day ahead and cooled at room temperature.

1-2-3-4 Cake

2009-03-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of spring, and I am absolutely drowning in lemons. Remember that enormous delivery of lemons my husband trotted home with the other day? Well, after seeing the look of sheer glee on my face when he walked in with that cornucopia of citrus, my well-meaning, ever-seeking-to-please-me hubby went back to work the next day and hijacked the rest of the lemons from the community grab box, and I now have 54 lemons haplessly lounging on my kitchen table. Yeah. FIFTY-FOUR.

While I try to figure out how I can make these lemons the best that they can be, let me share a simple cake recipe with you: 1-2-3-4 cake, the ultimate non-baker's cake. It's probably the most basic, most well-known cake out there, mainly because name makes the recipe very easy to remember- 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs. I call it a non-baker's cake because in its most basic form, there's nothing fussy involved in making it, it's versatile, and it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. While I wouldn't base a whole bakery business model on it (like many professional bakers do), I do think that it's a recipe that everyone should have in their repertoire for birthdays, family reunions, or for when you're just happy it's the first day of spring and want to celebrate.

1-2-3-4 Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour cake pans.*

2. In mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (mixture will be almost white). Beat in eggs, one at a time, and add vanilla.

3. In another bowl, stir baking power and salt into flour. Add flour mixture and milk to creamed butter mixture alternately, starting with one-third of the flour. Stir just until incorporated.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before filling (I frequently use lemon curd) and frosting (recipe for swiss buttercream below).

*This recipe makes a 3-layer cake, or 24 cupcakes in muffin tins, or 30 cupcakes using liners, or a 12x18" sheet cake.

NOTES:

1. For a lighter, fluffier cake (my preferred way to make it), separate the egg yolks from the whites and add just the yolks into the creamed butter. Beat the whites to soft peaks and gently fold them into the batter after all the flour and milk has been incorporated into the batter.

2. For different variations, you can add a tablespoon of lemon zest and a couple teaspoons of lemon juice to the batter; you can also substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract.

Swiss Buttercream Frosting:
6 large egg whites- should equal about one cup
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups butter
1/2 Tbs. vanilla extract

1. In a double boiler (or, in my case, a metal bowl precariously balanced on a pot of simmering water), whisk egg whites and sugar together until sugar is completely dissolved (you don't want any granules of sugar remaining in the mixture).

2. Pour the mixture into your mixer bowl and whip until white and doubled in size. Add butter and whip until light and fluffy- and then whip more and watch it get even better. The first time I made this, I whipped past what I thought was finished, and I'm glad I did. It's fantastic stuff.

The pictures posted above are all of a hastily decorated cake done with just plain buttercream and only two decorating tips (sloppy, I know, but done in less than 20 minutes) but I've found that a bit of white chocolate ganache mixed into the buttercream makes perfect icing for piping details, like vine work or cornelli lace:

And you know what my favorite thing about it is? It actually tastes as good, if not better, than it looks. Happy baking!

Lemon Lust.

2009-03-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last night, as I was recuperating from a horrible bout with what I can only assume was a 4-hour stomach bug (if such a thing exists), my husband walked in with a lemon the size of his hand. Now, my husband isn't exactly a wee man- he's 6'6 (think Michael Jordan- sized)- so any piece of citrus that fills his hand is just monstrously huge. In a hushed voice, I asked "Where did you get that?" Imagine my shock and awe when he said with a wry smile "Oh, there's more where that came from, baby" and produced a box piled high with gorgeous yellow lemons. Really, it was breathtaking, especially for someone who used to get oranges from her grandma's trees in Florida and is now living in a veritable citrus wasteland.

Apparently, one of his coworkers went on vacation to Arizona and visited her parents who have citrus trees on their property. She brought back dozens of lemons, oranges, and a few grapefruits for whoever wanted them at work. Of course, most people only took a few; Yves, however, knew better and picked up at least 30 lemons, 15 oranges, and a couple of grapefruits for me, lest he face a sobbing mess of a wife if I were to learn he passed up on free fresh citrus. What can I say- the man knows what makes me happy.

So what does one do with such a citrus cornucopia? I, for one, start with lemon curd! Oh, there are lemon tarts and bars and cakes and pavlovas to be had, but curd... that's where it's at for me. It's fantastic as a cake filling, or in thumbprint cookies, or just straight from the jar at 2 a.m. (hey, don't judge!). I also like to give it as gifts to my friends. This recipe is for quite a large batch, but you can scale it down to suit your needs.

Lemon or Lime Curd
(From Toba Garret)

Ingredients
8 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 lbs (648g) granulated sugar
zest of 10 medium-large lemons or limes
12 fl oz (360 ml) fresh lemon or lime juice (about 10)
1 1/2 cups (345g or 3/4 lb) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

1. Beat the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a stainless steel bowl until well combined. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and butter.

2. Cook in a double boiler over simmering watter, stirring constantly until the curd starts to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Strain immediately and cool over an ice bath.

3. Store the curd in a plastic container covered with plastic wrap directly on the curd (no air should get to the top surface). This prevents a skin from forming. Cover with the lid. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: If 10 lemons or limes didn't give you the required 12 oz (360 ml) of juice, squeeze more lemons/limes. You can also substitute oranges to create orange curd.

Storage: This curd will last refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. It will last 2 to 3 months if frozen.

Yield: 5 1/2 cups (1.3 L).

Pizza, My Way

2009-03-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

This time of year, most people look forward to the gentle harbingers of spring: lightly chirping birds, fragrant spring rains, the year's first crocus buds pushing through the soil. In Kansas, however, just in case we miss all the delicate signs of the season, we have more forceful reminders that spring has arrived- namely, tornadoes- and this weekend, spring arrived with a vengeance. It took less than 5 minutes to turn our clear blue Kansas sky into a whirl of angry darkness, spewing forth hail, heavy rain, strong wind, and other storm-associated wrathfulness.
Once the sirens started blaring, the hubs and I hung out in the basement for all of ten minutes, and then, as quickly as it started, the storm ended. We found out later that a few tornadoes had either touched down or been spotted in the area, but nothing severe. No damage, no injuries- just a quick announcement that spring is here. Yay spring!

To celebrate the official change of season, I made the (un)official celebratory food: pizza! Really, I just had a bunch of random ingredients that I knew I could use for a good pizza, but that's why I love this stuff. It's so versatile- you can put pretty much anything on it, so you can cater it to your own tastes and nutritional needs- and it covers all of the major food groups. I can almost ALWAYS find a nice melange of ingredients laying around to make a good pizza. What more could you want?

I prefer pizza with very little to no sauce (with a few exceptions) and I don't like any meats gracing my pizza except prosciutto. Fortunately, I had some leftover various mushrooms, spinach, shallots, random sprigs of fresh herbs, and chevre lounging in my kitchen just waiting to be utilized in a manner pleasing to moi. This recipe guideline (it really is just a guideline- no set amounts of anything, just however you like it) is my usual fallback for pizza (though I love making pizza margherita almost as often), but you can put whatever you want on yours. You know, have it your way.

Shallot

Pizza, my way

1 batch pizza dough (recipe follows)
Olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced OR a few shallots, sliced
various wild mushrooms, sliced OR sliced portabellas
Flake salt
Spinach leaves
A few sprigs of various herbs
Chevre

Preheat oven to highest heat with pizza stone in oven. If you don't have a pizza stone, use a baking sheet.

Sautee red onion/shallots and mushrooms for a few minutes in olive oil. Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt, add spinach and herbs and cook a few minutes more. After pizza dough is formed and ready to cook, cut/break small chunks of chevre and scatter across pizza dough. Top with sauteed mushroom mix and a few more chunks of cheese and lightly drizzle with olive oil, then transfer pizza to pizza stone and bake 7-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Pizza Dough

(Adapted from smittenkitchen

Yield: One small, thin-crust pizza

Dough
6 tablespoons warm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more water)
2 tablespoons white wine
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups flour

Assembly
Cornmeal for sprinkling
Flour for dusting counter

Wee Yeasties

Whisk wine, water and yeast in a medium bowl until yeast has dissolved. Add honey, salt and olive oil and stir. Add flour and no matter how dry it looks, work it with a spoon and your fingers until it comes together as a dough. Add more water one tablespoon at a time if you need, but this is almost never necessary.

Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the dough for a minute or two.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for an hour or up to two, until it is doubled.

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured counter and gently deflate the dough with the palm of your hands. Form it into a ball and let it rest on a floured spot with either plastic wrap over it (sprinkle the top of the dough with flour so it doesn’t stick) or an upended bowl. In 15 minutes, it is ready to roll out. Do so on the floured counter until pretty thin, then lift it onto a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet or pizza paddle.

Browned Butter Brown Sugar Cookies

2009-03-09T11:14:00.001-07:00

I am not one easily excited by a cookie. Give me a lemon tart, a bite of flourless chocolate cake, or a slice of chocolate babka any day and you can keep your cookie. I've had more than my share of mediocre, one-note cookies and few truly good ones ...but just one bite of these browned butter wonders has me reconsidering my stance on cookies altogether. My first bite elicited an enraptured "Ooooohhhh... oohhhh...mmmm..." from my usually critical lips. You think I jest? Try them. I submit that these are the best cookies that will ever emerge from your oven. You won't give them as gifts, and you won't make them for guests; you will keep them for only yourself and (maybe) your family.

These cookies are an incredibly delicious example of perfection in simplicity. You'll be astounded at the complexity and depth of flavor derived from some of the most basic ingredients in your pantry, and the results you get from so little work are incredible. These cookies are not pretty and do not masquerade as anything fancy, nor are they attractive cookies full of empty promises; they are quiet, unassuming treats that at once astound and comfort the tongue. Their subtle sweetness mellows into an amazing interplay of buttery nuttiness and warm vanilla perfume that lingers on the palate, begging to be savored. In simple terms, these are really good cookies.

Browned Butter Cookies
(Adapted from Gourmet)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it has a nutty fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn golden. Transfer butter to a bowl and chill until just firm, about 1 hour.
2. Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then mix in flour and salt at low speed until just combined. Transfer dough to a sheet of wax paper or parchment and form into a 12-inch log, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Chill, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, about 1 hour

3. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, arranging 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until surface is dry and edges are slightly darker, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

*Cook's notes:

- Dough keeps in the fridge for a few days and in the freezer for several weeks. I like to make a few rolls of dough to keep in the freezer so I can slice and bake at my leisure.

- You can roll the dough rolls in sanding sugar/raw sugar before slicing to add a bit of sweet crunch to the edges of the cookies. I prefer mine sans sugar, but they're good either way!

Culinary Personality

2009-03-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Quality farmer's markets make me super happy.

I use cheap butter when baking for people who can't tell the difference.

In fact, I find myself cooking less and less for people who can't tell the difference because I will not make anything I wouldn't eat, but I hate putting in so much time and effort when the recipient can't tell the difference between a genoise and a twinkie.

I wash mushrooms in a big bowl of cold water.

I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate, but when I'm PMSing, nothing beats a cheapo Cadbury caramel egg or the Cadbury minis with the sugar shells. They're my monthly Achilles heel.

I truly believe that you can separate the good cooks from the bad by tasting their soups and egg dishes.

I am notorious for using as few pots, pans, and utensils as possible when cooking.

When people say things like "I don't like broccoli/asparagus/blueberries/etc," I am sure it's because they've either never had that particular food prepared well, or that they've only had that particular food out of season. Almost everyone I know here in Kansas doesn't like seafood- and after seeing what the options are here, I understand why.

On that note, I regularly convert people over to foods they previously hated. I love doing that :).

I haven't met a cheese I don't like.

I adore Washington State wines.

Now that I mentioned it, I adore western Washington for all its culinary prowess, bounty, and opportunity.

I love making food that makes people happy. I enjoy the preparation aspect, but there's something purely wonderful about enjoying a good meal with good friends and family- the conversations that linger late into the night, the laughter, the love- that's the part I love the most.

Ripe figs have got to be the most delicious fruit on earth.

I have a lengthy list of favorite foods that I can't even begin to recount, but it's safe to say that I like virtually anything, as long as it's made well.

I'm a purist at heart.

The thing I miss most about living on the east coast is the fresh seafood... and fresh fruit.

My husband doesn't like chocolate, and it scares me.

I can't cook with other people who don't know what they're doing in the kitchen. Maybe I have some control freak tendencies... but I usually cook alone.

I absolutely hate when I have a cake in a metal pan and guests help themselves- and use a sharp knife to cut the cake, scratching my cake pan.

I eat creamy peanut butter only because that's what the hubs eats. I prefer chunky.

I once ate a live baby octopus. It's the only time I've ever felt food fight back, and even though it was difficult to eat, it wasn't as repulsive as one would expect.

Because we live in such a small town, my husband and I stock up on food when we travel. When we last drove to Minneapolis, we had the trunk filled with cured meats, wine, cheese, produce, and kitchen staples before we drove back home.

A cured meat and cheese plate with a crusty baguette and a glass of wine... that's what dreams are made of.

I spend entirely too much time reading food blogs and I have hundreds of recipes marked that I know I will never get to.

The best sushi I have ever had was at Tojo's.

I absolutely hate when people don't rinse their dishes. It makes for SO much more work for whoever has to clean them.

I have no self control around baked goods. Really, it's frightening.

I want a garden that eliminates all need to buy produce from the store.

As much as I love complicated dishes, the best food is almost always the simplest.

I've never made my favorite cookies for anyone other than my husband. Some things you have to save for just him :).

Hands down, I would rather eat at home than at most restaurants. More often than not, the food will be much better at home.

I almost always dress my salads with olive oil, a splash of cider/balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and either fresh citrus juice or mustard.

Salted caramel is a beautiful thing.

I eat poached eggs at least once a week.

Until I married my husband, I never ate rice unless I was sick.

I don't believe in diets, but I do believe in moderation and exercise... and when moderation isn't happening, then more exercise :).

Food almost always tastes better when you are barefoot at the beach.

I save chicken carcasses and bones from roasts and freeze them to make stock. It freaks people out when they look in my freezer.

I absolutely love pho.

It saddens me to see people throw food away. I don't like waste.

I adore almost any vegetable that is simply roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt. It's a perfect example of how to take a good ingredient and not screw it up.

So what about you?

Peter Reinhart's Bagels

2009-02-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

Gentle reader, I submit to you that I have gone crazy. Those who know me think I boarded that train long ago because I do things like make my own ginger ale and ricotta cheese, but that kind of stuff is so easy that I don't understand why more people don't do it... but this. This is insane. My friends, I am making bagels.

Shaped bagels, before proofing

I should know better- my first attempt at bagels was overzealous at best, and very poorly executed. In my ignorance, I trusted a random recipe from a forgettable recipe sharing website and spent several hours in the kitchen, elbow deep in sticky, uncooperative dough that seemed more suited for a fruit bread than a batch of bagels. Against better judgement, I struggled to knead, form, and boil my obnoxiously slimy hunks of bagel dough to no avail; indeed, by the end of the day, I was nothing more than a weeping fool surrounded by inedible pieces of overboiled, overbaked, oversweetened dough. So why would one desire to put themselves through such culinary trauma again, you ask? Well, it's pretty simple- I love bagels and haven't had a good one since I left the east coast. I had a coworker whose uncle owned a little bagel shop in NYC, and she made sure that all of us were well acquainted with his bagels... and boy, was I glad she did. My first bite into that hearty, chewy crust and dense crumb bought upon me the quick realization that I could never go back to the anemic bagel impostors to which I was accustomed; fortunately, my coworker enabled my bagel habit until I moved to Kansas. I've withstood 18 months of bagel sobriety, but I can't take it anymore. I need me a bagel, and I need it now.

After proofing

For bagel-making guidance, I turned to Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice. I've used several of his recipes and they have never been less than fabulous, and his bagel recipe doesn't disappoint. One batch of dough yielded twelve fantastic bagels that come thisclose to the New York bagel of which my dreams are made. They take some time and work, but they're well worth the effort. The suggested toppings are all savory, but for those of you who like sweet bagels, you can always alter the recipe to suit your taste. I'm a staunch savory girl when it comes to bagels, but my husband is a cinnamon raisin fiend, so I'll probably add some extra yeast, cinnamon, sugar, and dried fruit to the dough and top with cinnamon sugar for him next time.

Ingredients

Makes 12 large or 24 mini bagels

Sponge:

1 teaspoon instant yeast
4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour (I used all purpose)
2 1/2 cups water at room temperature

Dough:

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon malt syrup OR honey OR brown sugar (I used brown sugar)

To Finish:

1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting the pan
Toppings for the bagels such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt, dried minced garlic or onions

Method

Day 1

To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring until it forms a smooth, sticky batter. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for two hours. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the countertop*.
To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), add the additional yeast into the sponge and stir. Add 3 cups of the flour, brown sugar and the salt into the bowl and mix until all of the ingredients form a ball. You need to work in the additional 3/4 cups of flour to stiffen the dough, either while still mixing in the bowl or while kneading**. The dough should be stiffer and drier than normal bread dough, but moist enough that all of the ingredients are well blended***.
Pour the dough out of the bowl onto a clean surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes. There should be no raw flour - all the ingredients should be hydrated.
The Windowpane Test: At this point, your dough needs to pass the windowpane test, which is a reliable method to determine when gluten development is sufficient. The test is performed by cutting off a small piece of dough from the larger batch and gently stretching, pulling, and turning it to see if it will hold a paper-thin, translucent membrane. If the dough falls apart before it makes this windowpane, continue mixing for another minute or two and test it again. The finished dough should feel satiny and pliable but not be tacky. If it seems too dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If it seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achieve the stiffness required.
Immediately after kneading, split the dough into 12 small pieces around 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a ball and set it aside. When you have all 12 pieces made, cover them with a damp towel and let them rest for 20 minutes.
To shape the bagels, poke a hole in a ball of bagel dough, gently rotate your thumb around the inside of the hole to widen it to approximately two and a half inches in diameter. The dough should be as evenly stretched as possible.
Place the shaped bagels on a lightly oiled sheet pan, with an inch or so of space between one another (use two pans, if you need to). If you have parchment paper, line the sheet pan with parchment and spray it lightly with oil before placing the bagels on the pan. Cover the pan with plastic and allow the dough to rise for about 20 minutes.
The suggested method of testing whether the bagels are ready to retard is by dropping one of them into a bowl of cool water. If the bagel floats back up to the surface in under ten seconds it is ready to retard. If not, it needs to rise more. If it floats, then you passed the test, too! Place the bagels in the refrigerator (covered in plastic) and retard overnight. If the bagel does not float, return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes until a tester floats.

Day 2

The following day, preheat the oven to 500F with two racks set in the middle of oven.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one tablespoon of baking soda to the pot to alkalize the water. When the pot is boiling, drop a few of the bagels into the pot one at a time and let them boil for a minute (two minutes if you like your bagel extra chewy).
Use a large, slotted spoon or spatula to gently flip them over and boil them on the other side.
Before removing the bagels from the pot, sprinkle cornmeal onto the sheet pan. Remove them one at a time, set them back onto the sheet pan, and sprinkle your topping them right away, while they are still slightly moist.
Repeat this process until all of the bagels have been boiled and topped.
Place the sheet pan into the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes, rotate the pans, reduce the heat to 450 degrees, and bake for another 5-10 minutes (depending on how dark you like your bagel) until the bagels begin to brown . Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

Notes:

* My kitchen is incredibly drafy, and my house is cold, so I usually set the oven on warm for 8-10 seconds, turn it off, and let the sponge (or dough, or whatever else needs some warmth to aid the little yeasty beasties) rise in the oven. Works every time... just don't let it get too warm in there.

**A batch will not fit into the standard 5 quart KitchenAide- mine started making unnatural, painful sounding noises when I tried, so I pulled the dough from the bowl and kneaded by hand. Even though I used bread flour instead of the preferred high-gluten flour, the dough passed the membrane test after 10 or 11 minutes of kneading. I've seen on other blogs that people used AP flour (please, don't do this. You're better off going to the grocery store for some Lender's at that point) and they had to knead by hand for half an hour or more.

***I had to add a bit more water (I'm guessing just under 1/4 cup) to get the right consistency. Don't add extra water or flour right away, though- knead it for a minute or two to work in all the existing moisture.