Bakeaway with Me

Chocolate Financiers~FFWD and Food Revolution Day

2013-05-17T07:49:00.000-04:00

Our luncheon table with financiers and my 1940’s Weil Ware dishes…I love old dinnerware

This week, our French Friday group is participating with Food Revolution Day (#FDR2013). A day to share with friends and family the importance of good food and essential cooking skills. It was started by Jamie Oliver to get people cooking and eating together. The theme for this year’s Food Revolution Day is - Cook it! Share it! This is something that food bloggers do all the time. Cooking is a passion, and sharing good food and recipes is part of that passion.
Our French Friday group shares food every week, and we have also learned many new cooking and baking techniques along the way. So, this week as the Dorista’s pick anew or, revisit something they’ve already made, they are doing it as part of Food Revolution Day.
For me, it was a Ladies Spring Luncheon. A perfect way to share a meal. I invited several of my girlfriends over to enjoy an afternoon of chatting and catching up over a lovely lunch! On the menu was a Spinach Quiche, A Tomato Tart and a wonderful Pasta, White Bean and Arugula Salad. For dessert I decided to make Dorie’s Chocolate Financiers! I have wanted to try the chocolate version from the moment I first saw them. This time I made both the plain almond and chocolate versions. How could I resist? The Financier is an almond pastry, created by a 19th-century Parisian pastry chef, for his wealthy banker clients. Hence the name Financier. The chocolate version is definitely worth its weight in gold.

My wonderful gift from Paris…so perfect for a ladies lunch

I had a lovely package of tea, that my son and daughter-in-law brought back for me, from their trip to Paris. The tea came from Ladurée. I thought it was the perfect time to break it out. It was delicious and, a perfect accompaniment to our Ladies Lunch!

So plan a meal, cook it and share it! Happy Food Revolution Day...Happy Friday everyone!

OoooLaLa…a lovely french pastry

Incredibly delicious!

The recipe for Financiers can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook, “ Around My French Table” or here. For Dorie’s Chocolate Financiers the recipe can be found on my friend Paula’s wonderful blog Vintage Kitchen. To see what the other Dorestas are up to check it out here.

Lunch anyone?

Tomato Tart ready for the oven

Delicious Pasta, White Bean and Arugula salad

A perfect dessert for a Ladies Tea / Luncheon

FFWD ~ Coupetade-French-Toast Pudding

2013-05-10T12:28:00.000-04:00

Coupetade…French Toast Pudding

This weeks recipe took me back many years, to the summer we hosted a French Exchange student. His name was Stefan, and he was with us for the entire summer. I had asked for a girl, because my daughter was a sophomore in high school at the time. There were more boys than girls that summer, and we were asked if we would consider hosting a boy. Why not?
We picked Stefan up at a predetermined facility on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was an awkwardly handsome young man of 15, whose formal english was quite good, however being bombarded with fast talking Americans, was something that was probably overwhelming and difficult for him. Initially Stefan was quite stoic, nothing like the loud family he was spending the summer with. Eventually he began to relax and enjoy our family. We were determined to give him a taste of American life, hoping in the end he would look back at his American summer with fond memories.

That summer was filled with many fun things. Every weekend we would find something very American to do. Trips to NYC, lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe (where he told me French parents would never want to eat), the Statue of Liberty, a Rodeo, a Fourth of July fireworks show complete with a Doo Wop group singing wonderful 50’s and 60’s music. And what’s more american than a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. We ate lots of Pizza, and had many barbecues where hamburgers were a huge hit! During this time, two of my daughters friends from Long Island were also visiting with us for a few weeks. My house was wonderfully chaotic, filled with plenty of laughter and loud music! They all entertained each other and, by the end of his visit, he had really loosened up and bonded with us.
All too soon, the time came when he would be going back to France. Stefan asked if he could make a French treat for us. He came prepared with a hand written recipe from his mother. The recipe was for Cherry Clafoutis. It was the first time I had ever had this wonderful custardy dessert. He told us that in France, they would eat this dish as a light supper.
We were all sad to see the summer come to an end, and say au revoir to Stefan. We corresponded for awhile and then lost track of each other. I often wonder about him, and if he ever thinks of his American summer.

So back to French Fridays! Although this recipe was for a French Toast pudding, it was the custard that brought back memories of the our summer with Stefan and his Clafoutis. This was an easy, delicious recipe. Bread pudding is a favorite, in our house, for dessert. This just seemed more like a breakfast casserole. The next time I make it, I would probably choose to serve it for brunch or breakfast as opposed to dessert.
The recipe called for sliced brioche or challah. You then make an egg batter with eggs, sugar and milk. Dip each piece of bread into the batter and fry as for french toast. Cut each slice of bread into triangles and line a 13 x 9 inch pan. I made only half the recipe, so I used a 9 inch square pan.

You then make a custard using more eggs, milk, vanilla and sugar, pour over the bread. Place the pan in the larger pan of water (called a bain marie) so that the custard cooks slowly, then bake. Mine was done in an hour.

I love custard!! And I love the French for coming up with so many wonderful ways to eat it! This was a luscious dish, and if I were serving brunch for Mother’s Day, it would be on my menu. Another keeper for the month of May!! Happy Friday everyone!! And Happy Mother’s Day!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table” or here. Check out what other Dorista’s are up to here.

Dipping the bread in the egg batter

Frying the french toast

Bread layered in the dish

Added fruit…I used apricots and cranberries

Custard to be poured over the french toast

Baking dish placed in the bain marie

Perfectly luscious just out of the oven

Bon Appétit

Cherry-Pistachio Biscotti

2013-05-05T18:23:00.000-04:00

Cherry-Pistachio Biscotti

There are some things you just don’t do in my house. You never take the remote away from my husband while he’s watching golf, and you never let the biscotti jar become empty! How could I have ignored that lonely jar sitting on my counter for the past month. I guess I was too busy making madeleines and financiers to notice it was running low. Yesterday, when I went to grab a biscotti to have with my tea, there was nothing in it!
Biscotti are one of my favorite things to bake. Simple and straight forward. I had two recipes sitting on my counter that I wanted to bake. They’ve been sitting there for a few weeks now. One was a new one I found at King Arthur Flour, and the other was my very favorite, tried and true, Pepper-nut Biscotti from Amy Scherber of Amy’s Bread. I’m always looking for a new flavor, and since I only had time to bake one batch, I went with the recipe from King Arthur. I was up for something new, and this one just sounded perfect.
It was a great choice! They were very tasty with a tender crumb, and were loaded with dried tart cherries and pistachios. The thing about biscotti is, they are a perfect cookie to enjoy with coffee, tea or a glass of wine. They’re great for dunking or, just eating by themselves. I love being able to grab one, whenever I get the craving for something yummy to munch on.
It was good to fill my Biscotti jar again…it’s the simple pleasures that make me happy!

All is well in the world again

Cherry-Pistachio Biscotti

adapted from King Arthur

6 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose
1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
1 cup dried tart cherries
*For a lower-cost alternative, substitute sweetened dried cranberries

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18" x 13") baking sheet.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, flavor, vanilla, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

3) Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled.

4) At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.

5) Stir in the pistachios and cherries.

6) Divide the dough in half, and plop both halves onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.

7) Shape each half into a long log about 10 x 2" wide x 3/4" tall; remember, you need to leave space for expansion between the logs.
Straighten the rectangles, and smooth their tops and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here.
I use a egg white wash on mine to give them a nice sheen.

8) Bake the logs for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven. Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the two pieces of dough, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti without crumbling easier.

9) Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

10) Wait 5 minutes, then use a sharp chef's or serrated knife to cut the biscotti crosswise into 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal, for fewer, longer biscotti. As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake.

11) If you've used parchment on your baking sheet, remove it; save it for another day. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet, on edge; they can be very close together.

12) Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 35 to 40 minutes, until they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They may still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they'll continue to dry out as they cool. You'll want to start checking the biscotti around the 30-minute mark; the ones on the ends of the pan, or any smaller biscotti, may be ready to come out of the oven earlier than the larger/middle-of-the-pan biscotti.

13) Remove the finished biscotti from the oven, and cool them right on the pan.

Yield: 3 dozen biscotti.

Beating the eggs into the butter mixture…looking a bit curdled

Adding the cherries and pistachios

Logs ready for the oven

Just out of the oven…nicely browned…I brush mine with egg white to get a nice sheen

Slicing logs

Twice baked!

Delicious!

FFWD Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs

2013-05-03T09:13:00.001-04:00

The Incredible Edible Egg

This weeks French Friday recipe was for Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs. When I saw this recipe, I wasn’t quite sure how to serve it. Should I make it for lunch, brunch, or maybe a light dinner? Dorie suggests serving it as an appetizer or starter.
I had been busy working all day in my yard. Did I tell you spring has finally come to New Jersey? With spring, comes never ending yard work! Cleaning out flower beds, cutting back my berry bushes, cleaning out my garden beds, and that’s just the beginning.
When I came into the house, after a long day of work, I really didn’t want to start supper. We both ate a late lunch and, quite frankly, were not very hungry. I then remembered the creamy mushrooms and eggs from Dorie. This dish was not at all complicated and, was actually pretty easy to put together. However, did I think Bill would eat this for dinner? He does enjoy omelets for dinner, every once in a while. I think, if I let it happen, he would eat cereal. So, why not creamy mushrooms and eggs?
I had some nice potato bread in the house, and that’s what I used instead of brioche. The mushrooms are sauteed with a finely minced shallot. Cream is added along with salt, pepper and chopped fresh rosemary. The recipe also called for fresh mint but, I just didn’t think I’d enjoy the taste of mint and rosemary with my eggs.

Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs

Now the challenge, poached eggs! I have poached eggs before but, never with very good results. So, I was a bit reluctant. I decided to try poaching them using the canning jar rings, as Dorie suggested. I couldn’t believe I finally had success! Perfectly poached eggs! Why was I always so afraid of making these? I found Dories instructions easy to follow, and I know I will be making them again. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks…thanks Dorie!
This was a surprisingly wonderful dish! We both enjoyed it. I loved the way the runny yolk mixed with the creamy mushroom sauce….heavenly! I will definitely be making it again! Maybe next time with the mint. It was pure comfort food. Those Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs, made a great light supper, served with a salad! Happy Friday everyone!

You can find the recipe for this satisfyingly delicious dish in Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook “Around My French Table” or here. To see how other Doristas fared with this dish check it out here.

Mincing the shallots

The mushroom sauce

Delicious and satisfying!!

Fennel Fig & Almond Bread

2013-04-28T07:41:00.000-04:00

Delicious Fennel Fig & Almond Bread

Figs have always been a favorite of mine. Fresh, with a drizzle of honey are the best, or served on a platter with cheese. However, when fresh is not available, dried is the next best thing. I always have a container or two or three in my pantry.
Several months ago, I was shopping at Trader Joe’s, one of my favorite stores, they had just put out containers of mission figs. Since I am a figaholic, if there is such a thing, I picked up a few containers! I use dried figs to make fig conserve (a Lebanese treat that my grandmother used to make…kind of like a jam). I also use them in breads, cookies, cakes, and of course, I just eat them right out of the container. When I brought my figs home, I realized I already had two packages of figs in my pantry. That’s a lot of figs!
The holidays came and went, and I forgot about all those figs sitting there! Then I saw this luscious looking Fennel Fig bread by Nick Malgieri on Patty’s Food. She has a great blog, with gorgeous photos and baked goods! I was inspired!! So, with a little inspiration from Patty, and all those figs sitting in my pantry, I grabbed my copy of Modern Baker and made Nick’s Fennel Fig and Almond Bread. I used Anise seed in place of the fennel, as they have a similar flavor. Since I use anise in my fig conserve, I knew the flavor worked well with figs! I was right! This bread was wonderful! Moist, fruity and delectable. I was not surprised! I’ve never made a recipe by Nick that disappointed me!!

The aroma of this bread was fabulous

It was delicious with my fig jam

Enjoy!

Fennel Fig & Almond Bread
from The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri

"This delicious bread was inspired by a fragrant golden raisin, fennel, and cornmeal bread created by my friend Amy Scherber, owner of Amy's Bread in New York City."

Makes one 9x5x3 loaf, 12 to 16 slices

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned into measuring cup and leveled off)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (I used Anise)
6 TBSP (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cups (8 to 9 oz) stemmed and diced white or black dried figs
1 cup (about 4 oz) slivered almonds, lightly toasted

One 9x5x3 loaf pan, buttered and the bottom lined with a rectangle of parchment or buttered wax paper cut to fit

Directions:

Set a rack in middle level of oven and preheat to 350°.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and fennel seeds in a medium bowl and stir well to mix.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth, then beat in the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Beat 1/2 the flour mixture into the butter and egg mixture, then gently beat in the milk about 1/3 at a time. Beat in the remaining flour mixture. Use a large rubber spatula to fold in the figs and almonds.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the bread until it is well risen and a toothpick or narrow bladed knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool the bread in the pan on rack for 5 minutes, then unmold it and cool it completely on rack. Transfer bread to a platter or cutting board before serving.

Serving: Cut the bread into thin slices and serve with butter or cream cheese.

Storage: Keep the bread under a cake dome or loosely wrapped in plastic wrap on the day it is made. Wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and keep at room temp for up to 3 to 4 days. Freeze for longer storage.

Swiss Chard Pancakes or “Farçous” ~ FFWD

2013-04-26T08:11:00.000-04:00

Absolutely wonderful ~~Swiss Chard~~ Kale Pancakes or “Farçous”

Spring has finally sprung. Days are longer, temps are higher and the sun is shining! I have come out of hibernation! It happens every spring, my burst of energy. Why should this year be any different? This has been a crazy week. Working in my garden and yard clean up was at the top of my "to do" list. Also, we decided to have our little powder room redone. I expected my contractor to call on monday, he didn’t! So on tuesday, feeling a bit energetic, I began to tear up the tile floor. After hammering away at that floor for a few hours, I was famished! I immediately thought about our French Friday pick. Reading the recipe through, I knew it would be quick and easy so, I decided to make them for my lunch!

These were so yummy…similar to a crepe in texture, but thicker! I served mine with sour cream.

The recipe was for Swiss Chard Pancakes or “Farçous”. According to Dorie, these “Farçous” are a type of crepe or galette loaded with greens, especially swiss chard. They are a staple throughout southwest France. I made mine with kale. I still had a bunch growing in my garden, left over from last year. Other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe. Typically these pancakes are served with a salad as a main course or, as an hors d’oeuvre, where you might serve them with a dipping sauce. Dorie also suggests trying different herbs. Next time, I think I’ll try some rosemary or thyme. These were really quite easy. I only made half the recipe, since I was pretty sure my husband wouldn’t be eating them ( I was right ).
I used my new "Vitamix" to mix these up. I placed all the ingredients into the blender container and blended away! Easy…right? Now it’s time to fry them up. Add some oil to a frypan, then add the batter in scant ¼ cup measurements. Cook for a few minutes on each side, being careful not to crowd them in the pan.
Oh my goodness…they were incredible! I really loved the texture of these little pancakes. The eggs gave them the perfect consistency and, added a richness to their flavor.
These “Farçous” rate a two thumbs up from me! Next time I will be making the whole batch and freezing them. I loved having these little gems for my lunch this past week while I was in my spring fever mode! The old floor is gone, now onto the garden!! Happy Friday everyone!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table”, you can also find the recipe here. To see what other Dorista’s are doing with this one, check it out here.

Kale still growing in my garden…so fresh and tasty

Batter in blender jar

Two thumbs up….I will be making these again very soon

I plan an trying these with other herbs and of course the swiss chard…Bon Appétit

Happy Spring everyone!!

FFWD Cod and Spinach Roulades

2013-04-19T10:39:00.001-04:00

Cod and Spinach Roulades

Skipping this weeks FF recipe was not an option, although I thought about it. I enjoy fish, I really do! However, mashing it up and making a roulade out of it….eeehh! I also knew my husband would never eat this. He doesn’t do cooked spinach! So, I bought enough cod to make my roulades, and baked the remaining fish for him.

This was actually, much easier than I thought it would be. I opted not to make the Tomato-Lemon Sauce. I wasn’t going to buy a jar of preserved lemons, for a dish that only I would be eating.

The filling was to the point. Sauté a finely chopped small onion and clove of garlic, then add about 6 ounces of spinach to the pan, with a tablespoon of water to wilt the spinach. I added lemon zest and a few squirts of lemon juice. Remove the spinach mixture from the pan, chop and reserve.

here

This was much better than expected

Now onto the fish. This was the part that I found much easier than expected. Cut the cod into pieces, then place in the bowl of a food processor, along with egg whites, heavy cream, and salt and pepper. Process a few minutes till well mixed.

For each roulade, spread a quarter of the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap, making a 3x5 rectangle with the fish mixture. Place spinach mixture down the middle and, using the plastic wrap, start to roll the mixture. Wrap in the plastic and refrigerate. When ready to serve, place in a steamer for about 10 minutes. Now they’re ready.

Cut off the ends of plastic wrap and unwrap. Slice each roll into fourths and serve. You can serve these with the Tomato-Lemon sauce, basil pesto or just an olive oil drizzle.

These roulades actually surprised me. They were quite good. However, not good enough for me to make again. When it comes to fish, I have to agree with my husband ( but we won’t tell him ), baked or grilled is better! Happy Friday, everyone!

Chopped spinach

Spinach placed down the middle of cod mousse

Starting to roll the fish…easier than it looks

Wrapping in the plastic wrap

The rolls of cod mousse…with spinach filling…you can refrigerate up to 4 hours

Place in a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes

This was pretty good…just not spectacular!!

The recipe for Cod and Spinach Roulades can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table” and here. To see what the other Doristas are doing, check it out here.

TWD ~ Madeleines

2013-04-16T09:34:00.004-04:00

TWD-Baking with Julia Madeleines

This week’s Baking with Julia challenge is for Madeleines. The contributing baker is Flo Braker. Madeleines and I go way back. I’ve made dozens of them at one time or another. I’ve made them for wedding showers and baby showers. I’ve made them for lunch with the ladies, and I’ve made them for a simple dessert, served with ice cream. My favorite way to enjoy madeleines are with a cup of tea.

They are a classic little French tea cake made with a Génoise batter...spongy, light and elegant. They have been made quite famous by Marcel Proust’s “Remembrance of Things Past”. Because of his words, they will forever be linked together.

Tea anyone?

My first experience with madeleines came after reading about them in Martha Stewart’s cookbook “Entertaining”. They were so cute and I was totally intrigued. Martha’s recipe is still my favorite for a classic Madeleine. I’ve made several different varieties through the years: lemon, chocolate (which I posted), rose and poppyseed. All of these lovely cakes have one thing in common, they are all delicious!

For this recipe, I put together the Génoise batter from Baking with Julia. It consists of butter, flour, sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla. I did some online research and found a video of Julia Child and Flo Braker making the Génoise and Madeleines Part 1 and Part 2 . After your batter is made, immediately fill the prepared Madeleine moulds. Madeleine batter rises quite a bit, so only fill the mould halfway. I do not flour my moulds. I find the madeleines come out much better with a double coating of butter. Brush on melted butter, place the mould in the fridge till it hardens, and then add another layer of butter, refrigerate again. I have never had a problem with sticking.

I made these cakes last week and froze them as soon as they cooled. I had plans for those little cakes! We were heading to Long Island for my granddaughters birthday and, I thought these would be a lovely addition to her birthday cake. So, the morning of her party I took them from the freezer to thaw, sprinkled on a little powdered sugar, and served them at her 9th birthday party! Happy Birthday, Josie!! They were enjoyed by all!

This recipe made a delicious Madeleines, but I don’t think they were as spongy as others I’ve made. I found them to be a little dry.
Our host this week for TWD: Baking with Julia was Katie and Amy Thisdell of Counter Dog.
The recipe will be posted on their blog. Happy Tuesday everyone!

The Madeleine mould…buttered

Eggs and sugar beaten together until ribbons form….now fold in the flour mixture and melted butter

Just baked…characteristic humps

Cooling

Delicious and elegant…a perfect tea cake

These had a great texture

Madeleine anyone?

FFWD ~ Financiers

2013-04-12T07:08:00.002-04:00

Beautiful, and blissfully delicious!

This weeks recipe for French Fridays is Financiers (pronounced fee-nahng-syehr). A very elegant Parisian tea cake with a rich, buttery taste. The best thing about this recipe was, I got to use my cute little tart molds. They have been hiding in the back of my kitchen cabinet for a very long time.

Dorie tells us that Financiers were first made in the late 19th century, by a pastry chef whose shop was close to the Paris Stock Exchange. He baked them in rectangular molds that resembled gold bars or ingots. He was inspired by the hurried stock brokers, who would come into his shop to buy a pastry each day. He wanted to make something they could eat without a knife or fork. Hence the name, Financiers!

While you could use a Financier mold to bake these cakes, I chose to use my little tart molds. Dorie suggests you could also use a mini muffin tin.
This batter was easy to assemble. First making the beurre noisette (browned butter). This is basically clarified butter, which has been cooked until the solids start to brown. It adds a deep nutty flavor to the batter.
Put the sugar and almond flour in a medium saucepan, and stir to mix. Add the egg whites, stirring over low heat till the mixture is slightly white, runny and hot to the touch. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour. Then gradually blend in the melted butter. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
When you’re ready to bake these, preheat your oven to 400°. Prepare your pans or molds, and add the batter. These are wonderfully delicious plain, but are so very lovely when topped with raspberries, blackberries, thin slices of peaches or strawberries. I made several topped with pine nuts, and they were so good. I put my berries on before I put them in the oven. However, I’ve read that adding the fruit halfway through the baking cycle, will prevent sinking.
Bill and I each ate one, right out of the oven. They were delectable!! I froze the rest. I plan on bringing them to my granddaughter’s birthday party this weekend. I’m sure they will be a big hit! I will definitely be baking these again…quite often!
Happy Friday everyone!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table” or on Dorie’s blog where it is posted. If you’d like to see what the other Dorista’s have done, check it out here.

My cute little tart pans that finally got to come out of the closet!

Why haven’t I used them before?

I placed a raspberry on each one….they were so cute

I also made a few with pine nuts…oh the possibilities!

I can’t wait to make the chocolate version

Happy Friday, everyone!

Food Bloggers Against Hunger…..Pasta e Fagioli

2013-04-08T07:45:00.000-04:00

"Hungry children suffer. And 16 million kids in America aren't getting the food they need. “

I'm blogging against hunger….
“Because a world where a billion people live in chronic hunger is unacceptable!”

As a food blogger, food is an integral part of my life. I spend my time talking and blogging about all things food. That’s what food bloggers do. However, my heart breaks when I realize how many kids go to bed hungry each night. I’m not talking about a third world country. I’m talking about right here in the USA. I’m talking about right here in my state of New Jersey.

"People are hungry in New Jersey. Though the state ranks as one of the nation’s wealthiest, more residents are turning to emergency food pantries and soup kitchens as jobs disappear and living costs increase, leaving them with less money for food. The number of people seeking food assistance in New Jersey has risen as much as 30 percent in some areas. As a result, the cupboards of these charitable organizations are becoming bare and in need of sustained efforts to enable their work to continue.”

"Nearly 1 in 5 children in America lives in a household that struggles to put food on the table. They may look no different than other children; child hunger in America is often invisible. They are hurting just the same.”

I have volunteered in my church's soup kitchen. It is an extremely humbling experience. These people are not what you think of when you think about hunger. The face of hunger is not any different from yours. The unfortunate person who may have lost a job, the single mother who struggles to make ends meet, or the elderly who live on a fixed income. They are our neighbors.
Millions of Americans who participate in the nation’s food stamp program are limited to an average of $3 or $4 per person daily, to supplement their food budget. Do you think you could feed your family on $4 a day? Food keeps getting more expensive. I can’t walk out of my grocery store without spending at least twenty dollars per bag. My church pantry can’t keep up with the demand for food. What used to last a few months is now being depleted within a few weeks. This is America and no child, no person should suffer from hunger.

The recipe: I wanted to make a nutritious, economical meal that could feed a family of four to six for very little. I decided, my recipe for Pasta e Fagioli was a perfect choice. Trying to keep meals healthy and economical is a challenging job, but it is possible. This recipe calls for readily available ingredients. Canned tomatoes, pasta, and cannellini beans. You can find the recipe here.

Wonderfully delicious and satisfying it will feed a family for just a few dollars

Preview ~ A Place at the Table ~ A documentary about hunger in America

Some things you can do to help…Please...

Tell Congress:
Federal nutrition programs are crucial for hungry children

Take 30 seconds to write CONGRESS, urge them to reconsider the cuts to SNAP and other hunger programs.

Join the Hunger Core

NO KID HUNGRY…TAKE ACTION

FOLLOW The Giving Table and Share Our Strength - No Kid Hungry to stay informed about the war on hunger

Please get involved…we can help end hunger in America!

See "A Place at the Table"

This post participates with The Giving Table’s Food Bloggers Against Hunger

FFWD ~ Pierre Hermé’s Olive Sablés and Lemon Steamed Spinach

2013-04-05T10:42:00.000-04:00

Strange ingredients make for lovely Sablés

After being absent for two fridays, I’m back! I picked a great week to return. This weeks pick was for Pierre Hermé’s Olive Sablés. I must admit, I was totally intrigued by this cookie. Who puts olives in cookies? Well, the French, of course!!! To be honest, since I’ve been participating with French Fridays, strange ingredients don’t surprise me anymore! These sablés consist of a hard cooked egg yolk, butter, olive oil, potato starch, flour and powdered sugar. Oh, and chopped black, oil cured olives! Olives in cookies? Well, yes!! I’ve come to trust Dorie on these issues.

These were an easy cookie to put together. Grate the egg yolk onto waxed paper. Then sift the flour with the potato starch (something new to add to my pantry), set aside. Next, beat the butter till soft and creamy. Beat in the olive oil and egg yolk. Blend in the confectionary sugar and flour mixture and stir in the chopped olives. Shape the dough into logs, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When it’s time to bake, set your oven to 325°, slice and bake your sablés.

I would make these again, using the olives. So good! I would also think of other additions…such as chocolate chips.

Dorie suggests a fruity blend of olive oil for these sablés, and I just happened to have the perfect oil sitting in my pantry. A great little bottle of Tahitian Lime Olive Oil, that I picked up at Home Goods! It was a perfect addition! The lime slightly permiated the sablés, giving them a lovely lime flavor. The taste was delightful!
Dorie suggests serving these lovely little sablés with wine or Champaign, perfect for cocktails. I had mine with tea and they were great! These were a hit in my house. Even Mikey loved them, oh I meant Bill! Happy Friday everyone!

Loved this olive oil…imparted a delightful lime flavor

Baked…the aroma was wonderful

These were surprisingly delicious…a real treat

Enjoy!!!

While I’m here…I’m posting a photo of my Lemon Steamed Spinach (last weeks pick). This was a very easy way to serve spinach! It was delicious and I would definitely make it again.

Yummy!

The recipes for both of these dishes can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table”. You can find the recipe for Pierre Hermé’s Olive Sablés here. To see what the other Doristas are doing check it out here.

Strawberry Chiffon Pie and a Happy Easter

2013-04-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

Luscious Strawberry Chiffon Pie

I hope everyone had a glorious Easter. I spent the week leading up to Easter, doing all kinds of fun things with three of my darling grandchildren. There was no time for computers or baking. We visited Washington’s Headquarters and Jockey Hollow. They are part of the National Park Service and a wonderful New Jersey treasure. The week was fun, exhausting, educational and filled with much activity from sunrise to sunset. We colored eggs, hunted eggs, and spent many hours at the park trying to use up their seemingly endless energy. I helped with homework ( the new math? ), read many stories and tucked everyone in at night. All and all we had a great week!
My daughter and her husband came in on Easter saturday. Now I could put together my Easter dessert. I chose a Strawberry Chiffon pie. The stores were full of lovely sweet, spring strawberries…making this pie a perfect choice! This strawberry chiffon pie has a light, fluffy strawberry cream filling and was a delicious end to a wonderful dinner!

My grandchildren couldn’t wait to dig in

So fluffy and light

A perfect end to a delicious meal

Oh so yummy…It’s a good thing!!

Strawberry Chiffon Pie

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
½ cup boiling water
¾ cup sugar, divided
1½ cups strawberries, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
9-inch pie crust, baked (use your favorite pie crust recipe mine follows)
Instructions

Whip cream, and set aside.
Soak gelatin in cold water. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Cool.
Stir in ½ cup sugar, strawberries and salt. Chill stirring occasionally until partially set; fold in whipped cream.
Beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually add a ¼ cup of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into strawberry mixture.
Pour into baked pie crust and chill, at least 5 hours. Garnish with additional whipped cream and strawberries if desired.

Flaky Pie Dough
Recipe by Nick Malgieri

Ingredients for a one-crust pie, about 10 ounces:

1 1/4 cups allpurpose bleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Ingredients for a twocrust pie, about 1 1/4 pounds dough:

2 1/2 cups (about 11 ounces) allpurpose bleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium sized mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Keep the mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and mixing all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarseground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible.

Sprinkle the minimum amount of water over the butter and flour mixture and stir gently with a fork the dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time for the smaller quantity of dough, a tablespoon at a time for the larger quantity, until the dough holds together easily.

To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarseground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible about 15 pulses in all.

Scatter the minimum amount of water on the butter and flour mixture and pulse 5 or 6 times the dough should begin holding together. If the mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time for the smaller quantity of dough,one tablespoon at a time for the larger quantity, until the dough holds together easily.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.

TWD ~ Croissants…finally

2013-03-19T15:13:00.000-04:00

Aren’t they gorgeous!!

This week, while everyone at Tuesdays With Dorie is posting about Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies, I am finally getting my Croissants posted! To be honest, my husband is on South Beach, and chocolate chip cookies are his favorite. Baking them would be cruel and unusual punishment!!

I had been looking forward to making the Croissants for such a long time and, really wanted to do them with everyone else. However, we were on the road traveling home, after being away for a month. So, after being home for only a few days, I started my croissants. There was so much time spent waiting! I was able to do laundry, and unpack; while my dough rested in the fridge at two hour intervals.

I made a mini version of the Croissant

Mixing the dough was straightforward. This recipe calls for compressed (fresh) yeast. Not a problem. My grocery store carries both kinds. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and milk in the bowl of your stand mixer. When it comes together, remove it from the bowl, knead a few times and wrap in plastic. Let it sit, while you beat your butter into submission!! Well, just enough to soften it. Mold the butter into an oval, then wrap it in plastic as well. Place the dough and the butter into the fridge overnight.

This is a laminated dough. That’s what they call a dough that has butter layered into it. The way you laminate, is by encasing the butter in the dough, fold the dough over the butter and roll. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to harden the butter, then roll and fold again followed by another 2 hour rest. Repeat two more times with 2 hour rests in between. Each time the dough is folded, it is called a turn. The more turns your laminated dough has, the more flaky your finished pastry will be. Now it’s time to roll, cut and bake.
Laminating the dough is what gives your croissants the puffy, layered look when they are baked. I have always wanted to try my hand at making this type of pastry. They were definitely worth the time. Now that I have conquered puff pastry, I will be making them again. I had such a feeling of accomplishment after learning this technique! These were so incredibly luscious. You could taste the butter in every bite! Heavenly!
We ate two. I froze the rest to enjoy when my grandchildren come to visit for Easter. They love croissants!!
This recipe, by contributing baker Esther McManus, participates with Tuesdays with Dorie. Our host, for the Croissants was Amanda of Girl+Food=Love, where the recipe is posted. The PBS Video with Julia and Esther baking the croissants, is a must see if you plan on making these!

Dry ingredients and yeast in mixer bowl…milk ready to be poured in

Dough wrapped in plastic and placed in plastic bag to refrigerate overnight

Butter…lots and lots of butter

First roll…place butter in the center, fold and roll

then refrigerate for 2 hours

After the third turn…ready for the fridge again

Time to make the croissants…stretching, ready to roll. I had a hard time doing the ROLL correctly!!

Mini croissants…rolled and ready to rest for several hours to rise

Just baked and oh my gosh…the aroma is heavenly!!

TWD ~ Croissants ~ finally

Oooooh….these are so worth the time!

Ballymaloe Oatmeal Soda Bread

2013-03-17T19:58:00.000-04:00

Ballymaloe Oatmeal Soda Bread

Ok, are you ready for one more soda bread? This one is from Darina Allen, owner and founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland. She is also an internationally known Irish chef, food writer, and TV personality.
This soda bread is quite different from any other I have made. Oatmeal is processed in a food processor until a fine crumb. It is then mixed in a bowl with buttermilk and left to steep overnight. The recipe has been on my radar, since I featured Darina in a post chronicling Gourmet Lives list of the 50 Women Game Changers. She was # 39 on the list. You can see my post on Darina here. I have been a fan ever since I traveled to Ireland, and read about Myrtle Allen’s Ballymaloe House. Unfortunately, I never got to visit there.
This bread is beautiful to look at, but it’s the taste that will get you! Completely different in texture than other soda breads I’ve made. This loaf is less cake like and more rustic. Just one bite, and you will be in Irish heaven.

Slathered with some Irish butter…YUM!

Because the oatmeal has to steep for at least 12 hours, plan ahead if you intend to make it. This loaf is so worth the wait.

Oatmeal Soda Bread

I found this recipe on the Food Network site. I changed the baking time to 30-40 minutes and increased the temp. to 400〫The original Ballymaloe Oatmeal Soda Bread can be found here.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
>Flour for dusting
1/2 teaspoon butter

Directions:

In a mini-food processor, fitted with a metal blade, pulse the oatmeal until the meal is very fine. Remove from the processor and turn into a mixing bowl. Stir the buttermilk into the oats and cover with plastic wrap. Let the oatmeal steep in the buttermilk for 12 hours.

In a mixing bowl, sift the other ingredients together. Stir in the steeped oatmeal and mix well. If the mixture is too wet add a little more flour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with the butter.

Lightly dust the work surface with some flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead the dough a couple of times to form a soft ball like shape. Press the dough into a round about 2 inches thick. Using a sharp knife, make a criss-cross cut into the bread. Place the bread in the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve the bread warm with butter.

Oats…processed to a fine meal. Put them into a bowl, add the buttermilk and steep for at least 12 hours

This dough was a bit hard to knead together…it was very thick…I added a bit more buttermilk as I added the flour…knead the dough a few times and place into baking dish

Beautiful Oatmeal Soda Bread

A piece of Irish Heaven!

Irish Soda Bread…Happy St. Paddy’s Day

2013-03-16T20:07:00.000-04:00

Simply perfect Irish Soda Bread

Everyone’s Irish on St Patricks Day! Whether you're wearing the green, toasting with a Guinness, watching the parade on TV, chances are you’re celebrating in some small way! Years ago, I had a neighbor who would make her kids green eggs and ham every St. Patricks Day. I always thought that was cool. My way of celebrating is with delectable Irish Soda Bread! Soda bread has become a tradition in my non-Irish house! However, I do make it all year long. It’s the perfect breakfast bread, and lovely to have with a cup of tea! So, no pots o’gold or four leaf clovers, just some wonderfully delicious Irish Soda Bread for my celebration!
I had posted my tried and true soda bread recipe here a few years ago. It’s one I’ve been making for more than 25 years! This year I thought I’d change it up! I’ve clipped and saved so many Soda Bread recipes through the years, so it was time to give one of them a try! The one I chose is from Epicurious and it was perfect!

Wonderfully delicious!

On this St. Patricks Day I share, with all my Irish and not so Irish friends, an Old Irish Blessing! Happy St. Patricks Day Everyone!!

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Mix all the dry ingredients

Cut in the butter until you get a cornmeal consistency

Add buttermilk and mix

Gather into a ball and place in a greased pan…cut a cross into the dough, sprinkle with sugar

Bake at 375〫for 40 minutes

Enjoy!!

Irish Soda Bread
adapted from Bon Appétit

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins
1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, crushed

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. (I used half)

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Orange-Scented Lentil Soup ~ FFWD

2013-03-15T08:52:00.001-04:00

Orange-Scented Lentil Soup for this weeks French Friday

Dorie tells us how Lentil soup has a lock on French hearts. I’m not French but, Lentil soup has a hold on my heart as well. I grew up on a version of this soup and a dish called Mujadarah, a dish of lentils, rice and sauteed onions. We couldn’t eat meat on Fridays back then so, it was Lentil soup or Mujadrah on the menu. My grandmother would make a variety of meatless dishes every week and, have her children and grandchildren come by to eat! Eleven grandchildren invading her small house with their parents. She was a saint! This happened mostly during lent but, fridays were usually spent with family at my grandmothers house!

Lentil soup bringing back many memories

This weeks pick for French Fridays was Orange-Scented Lentil Soup. I was really looking forward to it! Even before I tasted this one, I knew I would really enjoy it. I was right! It was another easy, quick pick from my fellow Doristas, and quite delicious! My husband started South Beach last week, and this soup fit perfectly into his diet. I added a handful of meatballs to his bowl, which went a long way to satisfy his primal need..MEAT! I mean the man can’t have bread ( his other primal need ) so, I had to add something of substance!

This soup had some added flavor from ginger, nutmeg, coriander and orange. The flavors were subtle yet distinctive! I had a bag of du Puy lentils ( picked up on my last visit to Whole Foods ) in my pantry, so no need to shop for this dish!
You start by slicing all the veggies and softening them in some olive oil before adding broth, lentils, and the spices. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered for 60 to 90 minutes. Lentils should be soft enough to crush with a spoon. Season, then puree to a smooth texture. Another keeper!!

A bit of a warning. Next time I make this I will put my peppercorns and coriander in a grinder. Biting into a peppercorn is not pleasant!! Happy Friday everyone!!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table” and it is posted here. To see what the other Doristas are doing check it out here.

Soften all the veggies in olive oil

Simmering away

A definite keeper

Chicken Breasts Diable ~ FFWD ~ Better Late Than Never

2013-03-12T15:33:00.000-04:00

Chicken Breasts Diable…ready for the table

After a month in Florida, we headed to Atlanta to spend the weekend with my grandsons, and of course their parents. It's the beginning of baseball season in the south, and we wanted to watch the boys opening day games. The weather did not cooperate, and the games were called. It rained, it snowed, and it was just freaken cold!

My son, who is a wonderful cook, suggested we make dinner together. He picked a recipe from "Around My French Table" (a birthday gift to him last year) for Seafood Pot-au-Feu. He used shrimp, salmon and scallops (which were outrageously expensive). To be honest, all I contributed to this dish was peeling the shrimp. This one belonged to my son, and it was fabulous! Seafood Pot-au-Feu is what the French call Seafood Stew! It was a wonderful dinner that everyone enjoyed, including my grandsons!

My sons Seafood Pot-au-Feu.

Absolutely amazing!

The next night it was my turn to make dinner. Since we were on the road for my French Friday post, I decided to make the Chicken Breasts Diable. I was in the middle of a crazy game of monopoly, and had to bow out to start dinner. Watching my grandsons play Monopoly brings back memories of my two sons playing, when they were young. There’s a lot of bartering, a little cheating and lots of laughter! I’m always waiting for that shoe to drop, which will send one or both of them off angry!

Diable is the French word for devil. Which to me, translates to hot and spicy, as in Fra Diavolo. This Diable gets a mild spicy taste from the Dijon, and is not overly spicy. This dish was easy! I bought skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally, and pounded them. Then browned them in a mixture of butter and oil on both sides. Removed the chicken from the pan, covered it loosely with foil, and kept it warm in the oven. Now it’s time to make the delicious sauce. To your pan add the chopped shallots, garlic, white wine, heavy cream, and the mustard. This sauce was luscious and creamy, with a nice tang from the mustard and wine.

It was a hit! Delicious, creamy sauce with tender chicken that was cooked to perfection! This one is a keeper! It also has the stamp of approval from my grandsons!

The recipe for both of these wonderful dishes can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table” or, you could find the Chicken Breasts Diable here and the Seafood Pot Au Feu here.

Browning the chicken.

This was a wonderful dish! I’m sure I’ll be making it quite often in the future.

Chicken cooked to perfection and a luscious sauce!!

Cheesy Crème Brûlée ~ FFWD

2013-03-08T10:03:00.002-05:00

Cheesy Crème Brûlée for FFWD

We have been away for a month and are finally back home again! The only thing that keeps going through my head is that song “Gee It’s Good To Be Back Home Again”!! You remember that old song by John Denver, don’t you? That song just about says it all except, it doesn’t say how much laundry I had to do, or how much mail I had to sift through (it’s incredible how much mail piles up in just a month)! Oh, and then there’s grocery shopping, and last but not least there’s my French Friday recipe!

This week the pick was for Cheesy Crème Brûlée. I love Crème Brûlée but, was not sure about it being savory instead of sweet. Honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about these! The custard came out perfect. I browned the cheese with my torch…they looked pretty! They were creamy and rich! However, when I took my first bite I was expecting sweet. Funny how your mind can play tricks on you!!

I think these would be perfect for a dinner party…next time I will grate my cheese finer

These were quite easy to put together. First, Dorie tells you to sprinkle teensy little chunks of cheese over the bottoms of your custard cups (I used white cheddar and parmesan). Then heat your milk and cream just to boiling. While waiting for the milk and cream to come to a boil, whisk the egg yolks with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. You then add a dribble of the hot milk into the eggs…whisking while adding until you’ve added about ¼ of the milk. This is tricky because, you don’t want to cook your eggs. I used a small ladle to pour just a small amount of the hot liquid into the eggs. When the cream and eggs are combined, you divide it among your prepared custard cups and bake. The recipe says 40-50 minutes, or until your knife comes out clean. However, mine took about 10 minutes longer.

These were pretty and quite lovely looking! I think they would be perfect as a starter for a dinner party or, to enjoy with a glass of wine, as Dorie suggests. Bill liked these…go figure! The cheesy flavor was good but, my mind kept asking "where’s the sugar”!

I will be spending my day finishing up my Croissants…can’t wait to get these done! Happy Friday everyone!!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table”. If you would like to see what the other Doristas are up to check it out here.

I prepared six custard cups, but only filled four…mine were 41/2 inches across

Ready for the oven

They were creamy and rich tasting...

But "where’s the sugar?"

This is what I woke up to this morning!

Red Velvet Biscotti

2013-03-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

Red Velvet Biscotti

Here we are in Florida and we’ve had three stormy days in a row. Not the kind of weather you want to take a walk in. I'm talking torrential rain! What do you do on a rainy day in Florida? Well, if you’re me, you bake. Since my biscotti jar was empty, I knew just what to bake! Having a biscotti with my morning tea is guilty pleasure. So, my morning was spent baking these delicious, deep chocolatey biscotti from Paula Deen!

I didn’t have my favorite recipes with me. However, I did have a few bookmarked on my computer that I hadn’t tried yet. The one that really caught my attention was Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Biscotti. Ooohh! Most of you, who read my blog, know I’m a biscotti aficionado!! I found this recipe a few months ago, while browsing her website. As much as I enjoy watching Paula on TV and visiting her webpage, I find most of her recipes do not fit the way we eat. So, when I found this recipe for Red Velvet Biscotti I was quite surprised; no fat except from the eggs. I added a tablespoon of olive oil, cut the sugar by ½ cup and used toasted walnuts instead of almonds.

This made a really deep rich chocolatey biscotti. On the Paula Deen webpage it says "these cookies are really more mahogany than red”. I agree! They are also luscious and decadent tasting. Another biscotti recipe to add to my favorites!

Decadent and luscious

Mix all dry ingredients, then add food coloring and olive oil

After you mix all the ingredients, make your logs and place on a cookie sheet, then flatten as above and bake for 30 minutes at 350〫

Cool on rack, then slice on the diagonal

Bake for 30 more minutes at 300〫...turning each biscotti over halfway through baking

Perfect with my morning tea…or maybe for dessert with a glass of wine

The rain moving in over the Gulf

What do you do on a rainy day at the beach~if you’re me you bake!

Red Velvet Biscotti
adapted from Paula Deen

Servings: 2 dozen extra large cookies

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
11/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 bottles red food coloring
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups toasted walnut pieces
5 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 lb. white chocolate, melted for dipping (I used dark chocolate for drizzling)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, food coloring, olive oil, baking soda and salt. Mix for 30 seconds on low speed to combine. Add the walnuts and mix well.
In medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. On low speed, pour the eggs into the dry ingredients and mix just to form a soft dough.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. This is a very messy job, because the dough is a bit wet. On a lightly floured work surface, shape each piece into a 14-inch log. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 logs on each baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Then pat them down, they should be about 1 inch thick and a couple inches wide. (I rinse my hands often, because the dough is sticky, and I keep them slightly wet while handling the dough.)
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the logs are lightly browned and firm. Let cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Transfer one of the cooled logs to a cutting board. With a heavy sharp knife, cut the log into 3/4-inch-thick slices. If sliced crosswise, each log will average 24 small cookies. If cut on an angle, each log will yield about 16 large pieces. Repeat with the remaining logs. Spread the cookies on the parchment-lined sheets.
Bake the cookies for 30 minutes, turning halfway through baking, until crisp. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and cool completely.
Melt white chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave using a microwaveable bowl. Dip ends of cooled biscotti into melted chocolate and dry on waxed paper. Serve with coffee or tea.

Sullivan St. "No Knead” Bread with Figs, Walnuts and Chocolate

2013-02-25T20:17:00.000-05:00

No Knead Bread with Figs, Walnuts and Chocolate

Since I was a young girl, watching my mother work magic with flour, yeast, water and her bread baking skills had always intrigued me. She loved mixing up her own wonderful breads, and experimenting with different flours and ingredients. She was a talented baker! So, when I started my life as an adult, I decided to give bread baking a try. How hard could it be? I must have inherited some of her baking skills! To my dismay, bread baking skills were not in my DNA. They did not come naturally. Those skills needed to be nurtured. I remember my first few attempts quite vividly…large white bricks come to mind! Each one of those attempts started with excitement, followed by disappointment! However, I have a very stubborn nature, and with some encouragement from my mother, I kept challenging myself. Then one day, it happened! A perfect loaf of bread! Through trial and error I finally made a loaf of edible bread! I never looked back…something clicked…I got it! To this day, I can still hear my mom’s voice telling me "prove your yeast, get to know how your dough feels, don’t be afraid of the dough”. I learned so much about bread baking from my mom.

The bread I’m sharing with you today is Jim Lahey’s “No Knead” bread; to which I added figs, walnuts, and chocolate. This bread is versatile and delicious! I make it often, with many different additions. It's easy to throw together at night, and finish up in the morning. In 2006, Mark Bittman wrote about Jim Lahey’s revolutionary and quite unconventional No Knead bread technique, in the New York Times. In doing so, he enticed a whole new generation of home cooks to bake their own artisanal loaves. This bread is not my mothers bread but, I know she would approve. It makes a delightful breakfast bread, served toasted with some butter and homemade fig jam! That’s the way I like it!

Sullivan St. Bakery No Knead Bread with Figs, Walnuts and Chocolate
Adapted from Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan St Bakery

Ingredients:

3 cups (430g) flour
1½ cups (345g or 12oz) water
¼ teaspoon (1g) yeast
1¼ teaspoon (8g) salt

½ cup chopped figs

¼ cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

¼ cup dark chocolate chips

olive oil (for coating) extra flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal (for dusting)

Equipment:

Two medium mixing bowls
6 to 8 quart pot with lid (Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic)
Wooden Spoon or spatula (optional)
Plastic wrap
Two or three cotton dish towels (not terrycloth)

Process:

Mix flour, yeast and salt together in a medium bowl. Add water, figs, nuts and chocolate chips, and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F).

Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. Next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450-500°F. Place the pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

I mixed all the dry ingredients with the water and then added the figs, nuts and chocolate

Mix the figs, nuts and chocolate into the shaggy batter and let rest covered with plastic wrap overnight

In the morning the batter will look like this…fold over itself to deflate…then let rest for about 15 minutes

Form a ball with the dough and place on a cotton towel sprinkled with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover and let rest for about 2 hours.

This was just out of the oven…the aroma was amazing

Beautiful!

A perfect slice of bread…all it needs is some butter and jam

Cheating-on Winter Pea Soup ~ FFWD

2013-02-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

A taste of Spring….Cheating on Winter Pea Soup

I’m an expert at cheating on winter. It's something we do every year by going to Florida in February. My friends back home have come to expect a big snow storm whenever we head south. Sorry about that! Making soup to cheat on winter is a concept that is foreign to me. Soup making is a winter project. A wonderful pot of comfort, on those very cold days of winter, and pea soup is made with dry peas and a big ham bone. It simmers for hours!

When I read the ingredients for this soup my thoughts were “this doesn’t sound like something Bill will eat”. The ingredients included one head of romaine lettuce added to the soup. Lettuce in soup…Really? But, as I’ve done many times before, I placed my trust in Dorie.

This soup is simple to make! It takes about 15 minutes to put together. First sautéing one chopped onion in a tablespoon of butter, then adding your stock (I used vegetable), but you could use chicken stock or just water. Bring all of this to a boil, then add a 16 oz. bag of frozen peas and your chopped lettuce. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. This was easy and going quite well! But, you know when everything seems to be going well &%#@ happens!! And I still don’t know how this happened!

I decided to use the blender to puree this mixture, as Dorie suggested. At home I would have used my food processor. I poured a portion of the soup into the blender, pushed on the lid, and hit the puree button! OMGosh!! Green pea soup everywhere!! On my pink sweater…on the white cabinets...all over the clean dishes I had just washed...and worst of all, in my hair! It looked like I shampooed with green pea soup!! Although the soup took just a mere 15 minutes to make, it took me about 30 minutes to clean up the mess. Sorry, no pictures!

If you’re wondering how this 15 minute soup went over...Did it have any flavor...Did Bill eat it? Well, it was actually better than expected! I served mine with a dollop of sour cream and some nice Italian bread. We had a late lunch out so, this was a perfect light supper. Bill enjoyed it almost as much as I did! Surprises never cease! The flavor that was dominate was fresh pea. It tasted like Spring. However, and you knew there would be a however, he prefers the long, slow, simmered version, with the ham bone! Happy Friday everyone!!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table”. It can also be found here at Bon Appetit. If you would like to see what the other Doristas are up to check it out here.

Creamy and delicious….I would never guess there was lettuce in this soup…tastes like fresh peas from your garden

Vegetable broth mixed with the sautéed onion

Frozen peas…what can be easier

Chopped romaine lettuce…the surprise ingredient!

Simmering on the stove…smelled yummy

This was really good…a taste of fresh peas and Springtime!

Baking with Julia ~ TWD ~ Boca Negra

2013-02-19T09:34:00.001-05:00

The very decadent, very delicious Boca Negra, which literally translates to “black mouth"

This has been a dessert laden week. OK, maybe two weeks! First, we had our valentine cookie exchange for French Fridays. That meant baking cookies to send to my secret Valentine, and while I was at it, baking a bunch more to send to my grandchildren. Of course, I put a few aside for my hubby! How could I not? Even though I knew I would be receiving a box of cookies from my secret Valentine! On top of all those cookies, our FFWD recipe for last week was Coure a la Creme. I made it the weekend before Valentine’s day, while I was visiting with my son and his family in Atlanta. It was a big hit!

That brings us to this weeks pick for TWD ~ Baking with Julia, the very decadent Boca Negra, contributed by Lora Brody. I almost didn’t make it. We have been indulging in way too many sweets. However, we are staying on the beautiful Gulf coast of Florida, and my cousin and her husband (who live on the east coast) were coming to visit for a few days. It was Valentine’s Day, and she made a wonderful Shrimp Scampi, with gorgeous fresh shrimp she brought from home. So, dessert just seemed appropriate!

Absolutely luscious…Perfect for Valentine’s day

Right from the start, I made a big mistake with the batter. Because my cousin and I were deep in conversation, solving the worlds problems, I didn’t read the part that said make a syrup…OH NO!!! I added the melted chocolate to the sugar and liquor ( another oh no ) but, by then it was too late to retreat. I decided to continue, and if it didn’t come out I would start over again. After all, it was a whole bag of very good chocolate! I put my mixture over low heat, and heated it until it started to melt and blend. At that point I added the butter, one piece at a time until fully incorporated. It didn’t look bad, it was coming together nicely, so I continued. My cousin beat the eggs with the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar, and I whisked them into the batter. It still looked good to me so, into the oven it went! Thirty minutes later it was done, with a thin crust, just the way it was described.

Beating in the butter…this was where my cake started to come together

Beating eggs with ⅓ cup of sugar

Mixed together and poured into 9 inch pan to bake

I turned this cake onto a platter immediately after taking it out of oven…it cracked

I turned the cake out onto a platter and it cracked a bit, but still looked good. It smelled amazing!

What could be bad? It’s pretty much pure chocolate mixed with butter, sugar, eggs and rum (I didn’t have rum, so I substituted some chocolate wine). I also didn’t make the cream. I served mine with vanilla gelato and blueberries! If you love deep chocolatey desserts, this one’s for you!! Simply irresistible!!

OMG…this was amazing….a keeper for sure

So, my Valentine’s day was perfect!! We had a scrumptious dinner with great company, and we had a luscious dessert to follow!! Oh, and my hubby bought me a lovely orchid, my favorite flower!

Just beautiful!!

Our host for the very decadent, very delicious Boca Negra is Cathy of A Frederick Food Garden. The recipe is posted on her blog. To see what the other bakers are doing, check it out on the Tuesdays with Dorie site. Have a great day everyone!

FFWD~Coeur à la Crème

2013-02-15T18:28:00.000-05:00

French Fridays ~ Coeur à la Crème….Oooo La La!

From the first time I saw it pictured in one of Martha Stewart’s cookbooks, Coeur à la Crème is something that has intrigued me! I loved the pretty molds and, I just had to have one! So, I pulled out my Sur la Table catalogue and ordered one! That was about 8 years ago. I have never used that mold until this week, although I’ve thought about it many times. It seemed to be the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert but, there was always something else on the menu. Well, last week while visiting my son and his family, I decided to make it! It was one of our February picks for French Friday. I brought my mold to Georgia with me, knowing I would finally be making my Coeur à la Crème. This was really, really good!! What took me so long?

This mold is designed to drain the Coeur à la Creme. It has little holes on the bottom, with little feet to lift the mold off the dish while it drains. The mixture of cream cheese, whipped cream, and confectioners sugar are mixed with a few teaspoons of framboise or other liqueur of your choice. Then the mixture is placed into a cheesecloth lined mold. Allow it to drain and set, at least 12 hours in the refrigerator. Mine sat for closer to 24 hours. When ready to serve, pull back the cheesecloth and un-mold onto a plate. I garnished mine with raspberries and a wonderful chocolate raspberry sauce my son had bought in Napa Valley a few years ago. He opened it for our wonderful Coeur à la Crème! Everyone loved it!!

This is a keeper for me! It was easy and had such a nice flavor! It also looked so beautiful and impressive on the plate. It took me 8 years, but I finally got to give that mold a try!! As Martha would say “It’s A Good Thing”! Happy Friday everyone!

This recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspans cookbook “Around My French Table”. If you would like to see what the other Doristas are up to check it out here.

Pour the Coeur à la Crème mixture into the mold lined with dampened cheesecloth

Fold the cheesecloth over the mixture and refrigerate for at least 12 hours

This was a lovely dessert….enjoyed by all

My son had this bottle of Chocolate Raspberry Liqueur Sauce….it was wonderfully decadent!

An absolutely luscious dessert

My Secret Valentine is……Adriana at Greatfood360〫

2013-02-14T06:05:00.000-05:00

An absolutely luscious cookie….Panetella de Guayaba…Thank you Andriana!

Being retired is a wonderful thing! Your time is your own. Sleep late, well maybe! Visit your grandkids, sounds great! Spur of the moment, so what! There are no schedules to keep!
When I decided to participate with the Secret Valentine Cookie Exchange, organized by Alice @ A Mama, Baby and Shar-Pei in the Kitchen, I had no plans. I thought I would be home. However, as it got colder and colder in NJ we thought, why not go south? Our older son and his family, live in Atlanta. We could visit them, then head to Florida. So, in the span of ten minutes we changed our schedule! Oh, but what about my cookies? I realized I would be leaving on the 6th of February, and the cookies would start arriving that week. After contemplating what I could do, I e-mailed Alice!! Could she possibly get in touch with my secret valentine, and have her mail my cookies to Atlanta? She said she would try.

We arrived at my son's house on the 7th, around 3 pm. Shortly afterwards, the mail lady came to the door, and asked me to sign for a package. I thought it was for my son so, I put it on his desk. When he came home, he told me the package was for me. I knew right away, it had to be from my Secret Valentine! I was so excited by the arrival of the cookies! Up until that point, I wasn't sure if Alice was able to get in touch with my Secret Valentine. This was such a lovely surprise, and the surprise didn’t end there! My Secret Valentine was Adriana@ Greatfood360〫. She not only made the most luscious cookie guava bars, "Panetela de Guayaba", but was gracious enough to send me a container of guava paste so I could make them myself. Something I am looking forward to doing!! The consensus was, absolutely delicious!

Thank you Alice, Adriana, and all the participants of the cookie exchange, for making this Valentine’s Day a little more special! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

They were such a hit with everyone in my family

Guava paste…I see these cookies in my future

Just plain wonderful!

I wish I could describe the wonderful texture of these cookies

No one could leave them alone….so yummy!

They arrived on Thursday and three days later this was all that was left! And my husband ate it!!

Panetela de Guayaba

yield = 1 8x8 pan

Ingredients

1 stick of butter (1/4 pound) melted

2 eggs

1 cup of sugar

2 cups of self rising flour

guava paste strips- 1/8 to 1/4 thick inch slices

Procedure

1. Preheat oven 350º F. Grease a glass 8x8 inch baking dish with butter

2. Combine all the wet ingredients. Incorporate the flour slowly, mixing by hand with a wooden spoon.

3. Pour half of the batter into the pan. Layer the guava paste strips on top, and add the remaining batter to sandwich it in.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. It will be done when knife or toothpick comes out clean.

To serve cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

TWD ~ Focaccia

2013-02-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

TWD ~ Baking with Julia ~ Focaccia….Lopsided, but oh so good!

The smell of bread baking on a cold winters day, permeating my home with warmth and wonderful aromas, is the ultimate feeling of comfort. So, on this very cold week in NJ ( 8 degrees three mornings in a row ) it was quite pleasurable to be making Focaccia. This recipe is from Craig Kominiak, contributing baker with "Baking with Julia". The thing I love most about bread baking is, taking very basic ingredients like flour, olive oil, water, salt, yeast, and creating something amazing.

Making the dough was basic. First, mix the yeast with some water and let it rest. Then measure out the dry ingredients, oil, and the rest of the water. Place them all together in your stand mixer, and mix using a dough hook. I followed the recipe to the letter but, felt my dough was drier then described. So I added a bit more water. My dough rose beautifully. I folded it down as directed, and let it rise again. Following the second rise, I divided the dough into thirds, and placed it into oiled plastic zip bags. Refrigerate and wait…24 to 36 hours before you make your Focaccia.

Since I’ve made Focaccia several times before, I decided to go rogue by making one of my favorites, Grape Focaccia. I found the recipe several years ago and just love the way it tastes. It’s got that sweet-salty thing going on. The grapes kind of caramelize a bit as they bake.

The next day, I took out my dough about two hours before I wanted to bake it. It should warm to room temperature, and rise a bit more. That’s when you make your Focaccia. My dough didn’t have as many big air bubbles as Craig’s did. Possibly because, I stretched it into a rectangle. This concerned me, even though the dough seemed to rise quite well. I didn’t slash mine either. I chose to use my fingers to press indentions into the dough. I brushed the dough with olive oil, sprinkled the top with some sea salt, fresh herbs ( rosemary and thyme ) and pushed about a cup of red grapes onto the dough. Finally, I sprinkled it with about a cup of cheese (I used Asiago ) and let it rest for about twenty minutes.
I baked my Focaccia on a baking stone in a 450〫degree oven, for about twenty minutes. Since I don’t have a peel, it hit the stone a little lopsided. It still came out wonderful! My husband said it was one of the best doughs I’ve ever made. I guess I’ll have to revisit this one and try for those big air bubbles.

If you would like to see Craig Kominiak baking with Julia you can find it here.

If anyone would like the recipe for Grape Focaccia you can find it here.

Our host for the Focaccia is Sharmini of Wandering Through. the recipe will be posted on her blog. You can also see what all the other bakers are doing on the Tuesdays with Dorie site.

Just out of the mixer and ready for the first rise…very smooth but not as wet as I thought it should be

First rise

Placed in zip-lock bags after the second rise and left there for at least 24 hours

Dough stretched into a loose rectangle

Grape focaccia resting before entering the oven

I chose to make two Grape Focaccia! I have one more piece of dough in my freezer…I hope it freezes well

The dough was crunchy and yet soft! So yummy!

Bakeaway with Me

Chocolate Financiers~FFWD and Food Revolution Day

FFWD ~ Coupetade-French-Toast Pudding

Cherry-Pistachio Biscotti

FFWD Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs

Fennel Fig & Almond Bread

Swiss Chard Pancakes or “Farçous” ~ FFWD

FFWD Cod and Spinach Roulades

TWD ~ Madeleines

FFWD ~ Financiers

Food Bloggers Against Hunger…..Pasta e Fagioli

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FFWD ~ Pierre Hermé’s Olive Sablés and Lemon Steamed Spinach

Strawberry Chiffon Pie and a Happy Easter

TWD ~ Croissants…finally

Ballymaloe Oatmeal Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread…Happy St. Paddy’s Day

Orange-Scented Lentil Soup ~ FFWD

Chicken Breasts Diable ~ FFWD ~ Better Late Than Never

Cheesy Crème Brûlée ~ FFWD

Red Velvet Biscotti

Sullivan St. "No Knead” Bread with Figs, Walnuts and Chocolate

Cheating-on Winter Pea Soup ~ FFWD

Baking with Julia ~ TWD ~ Boca Negra

FFWD~Coeur à la Crème

My Secret Valentine is……Adriana at Greatfood360〫

TWD ~ Focaccia

Tell Congress:
Federal nutrition programs are crucial for hungry children