GEARED TO COOK

TWD/BWJ: Chocolate Truffle Tartlets

2012-02-21T07:53:00.001-05:00

It's the second round of baking with Tuesdays With Dorie, where we bake two recipes every month from Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan. I'm an incurable chocoholic, so I was pretty excited about making these chocolate tarts, plus I'd like to work on my tart technique. This recipe is definitely for the chocolate lover, since it calls for dark, milk and white chocolate. And for some texture, you add chunks of biscotti. Following the cookbook's suggestion, I used amaretti di Saronno. (Confession: This gave me a good excuse to visit the Italian specialty shop in Chelsea Market to ogle the cheeses, the pastas, and Italian snacks.)

The dough was a little challenging because it was very crumbly after mixing by hand. To roll out, I took a tip from Dorie herself. While visiting her Valentine's Day cookie pop-up shop, I was lucky to have a few minutes to chat with her. As soon as she heard that the tarts were up next she dispensed this advice: After chilling the dough the first time, roll it out between wax or parchment paper and then chill it again before cutting into rounds to fit into the tart pans.

I like the method of rolling between paper because you use less flour and seem to get a smoother product, but one friend of mine disagrees. She learned from her French mama that you should be as close to your dough as you are to a lover.

I know I still have a long way to go in working with dough, because I wasn't getting an even thickness. But happily you couldn't tell once the tarts were baked! Here's a shot of the tart dough out of the oven:

To get the recipe, visit our hosts this week:

TWD Post 1: White Loaves

2012-02-07T19:35:00.000-05:00

This post marks quite a lot of firsts: 1) the first week of Tuesdays With Dorie: Baking With Julia; 2) the first time I've baked white bread from scratch and 3) the first project I've tackled with my brand-new stand mixer.

I'm happy to report success on all three counts. Just take a look at this beautiful ball of dough. The top photo is just out of the mixer; the bottom is after it rested and got plump and fat.

I felt kind of bad poking the dough ball and leaving craters, but I was just following instructions to test its readiness, honest! Then came another resting time so that it doubled again, but the wait was definitely worth it. One loaf came out a wee bit higher than the other, but both were equally tasty.

After reading other posts and some bread tutorials, I will probably try kneading the dough by hand just so I have a better idea of what a dough ball should look like at different stages.

Want to try baking bread too? You can find the recipe at Slush and Someone in the Kitchen, our hosts this week for this first installment of TWD: Baking With Julia. Thanks, Laurie and Jules!

Gear Hunting: Kitchen Carts

2012-01-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

My kitchen and me, we have a complicated relationship. It's like that significant other you think you can help change for the better: you can add and subtract elements but the essence of a thing (or person) stays the same. So to keep a relationship going, you assess and make peace with what's possible. Change what you can and all that. The cabinets in my ’50s era kitchen have a weird layout that create dark corners where you can't see or fit anything into. On the honey-do list is tearing it all down and starting fresh. Until then, I've been eyeing kitchen carts for a quick way to add storage space and an additional prep surface. I'm about to welcome a stand mixer into the family and it needs a permanent spot to hang out and remind me to make multiple batches of treats.

Below are a few of the options I came across:

Classic
This can be a solution for when you don't have the budget to remodel or need more flexibility in your kitchen layout.

Source: Crate and Barrel

For Small Spaces
You can get creative with a smaller model. It can be a temporary island during prep or a serving cart for parties, and when you're done it can be tucked away in a corner.

Source: Ikea

Industrial
If seeing all those pro kitchens on your favorite food TV shows has you yearning for stainless steel, this cart's for you.

Source: Wisteria

DIY
If you can't find exactly what you need, why not make your own?

Holiday Baking 2011

2011-12-28T07:45:00.001-05:00

Every year I think I'm going to bust out with a cookie baking marathon; once I even bought the gift containers but still I punk out. Maybe it's because I only have a few cookie types in my repertoire. Well, 2012 is the year I may fix that. (What's your favorite cookie recipe? Tell me all about it in the comments.)

I got a jumpstart on broadening my cookie horizons with these vegan chocolate chip chai cookies (all of you who familiar with my eating habits are gasping right now, thinking, girl, are you all right?).

Rest assured; they're really tasty. A co-worker brought a batch as her backup for our department's annual bakeoff, and IMHO she should have entered these instead of benching them. The cardamom and other spices give off a bewitching fragrance, and how can you go wrong with chocolate?

My own entry: mincemeat tarts.

I had a lot of fun making the brandied fruit and nut filling, especially since a food processor made it quick work. What took a lot of time was cutting out the dough for the tart shells and the star topping, so that got me thinking about turnovers... which got me obsessing about puff pastry. Why not use even larger pieces of buttery flaky dough as a vehicle for mincemeat? You plop a dollop on a square, fold over and go.

So even though I didn't get to that cookie marathon, I managed to pick up a few new baking skills and recipes.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas! What did you make this year?

Quick Puff Pastry Turnovers

2011-12-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

So I loved the mincemeat recipe I tried. Mainly because it's delicious but also because it makes large batches. One of my cooking mottos: Make it once; use it often. Big eaters live at my house!

The tarts I baked were great, but very fiddly what with cutting out rounds, stuffing them in mini tart pans and cutting out star toppings to boot. So that made me think about turnovers: what could be easier than spooning filling on buttery flaky dough?

It would be super easy if I used store-bought, but nope, I've always wanted to make puff pastry. I did some searching, and found quick puff pastry over at Not Without Salt. With this recipe, instead of a full day of work, you get flaky buttery goodness in just a few hours.

First, you start with the butter -- lots and lots of butter.

Sorry I don't have pictures of turning the dough, but I can't seem to have a clean hand free when I'm rolling out. For a step-by-step, check out the Not Without Salt post.

But here's my mincemeat filling on a puff square. Lovely!

And then a kitchen mishap: I used a cookie sheet instead of a rimmed baking sheet. Butter started leaking from the dough and onto the bottom of my stove. In a matter of minutes, my kitchen filled with smoke.

I pulled them out and into the toaster oven to finish while I mopped up the stove. I'm not sure why so much butter pooled under each turnover.

Despite the smoke, the turnovers turned out great.

This won't deter me from trying again and solving the mystery of butter pools. Any tips for how to avoid them next time?

If you'd like to try quick puff pastry, I found a few helpful videos:
How to Make Rough Puff Pastry Dough at Fine Cooking
Basic Pastes - Rough Puff

Mincemeat Tarts

2011-12-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

Although I haven't had mincemeat tarts since a friend made them for us a long long time ago, the taste of this British holiday dessert has haunted me. Classic recipes call for suet and hours' worth of prep, but I found this filling at King Arthur's Flour that can be used immediately, although it does benefit from mellowing in the fridge. Oh, and no meat grease needed.

The filling: regular and golden raisins, currants, apples, and almonds all chopped up fine in a food processor and mixed with sugar and brandy.

This filling may just look like a big brown mush ball, but the taste is tangy and light.

The tart dough is a shortcrust pastry. Tasters loved the crust, but I'd like to experiment with a dough that's more rich or has nuts.

And the finishing touches: stars cut out with a cookie cutter and sprinkled with sugar.

Find the full recipe at King Arthur's Flour.

Vegan Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-03T09:06:00.000-05:00

Around Thanksgiving every year, our department kicks off the holidays with a bakeoff. The rules: bake with your own two hands from scratch. A co-worker brought in these cookies as her backup entry, but ended up going with another dessert, so she let us sample these pre-bakeoff. As an abashed butter lover, I was a little skeptical of cookies made with substitutes, but the fragrance and flavors of the spices won me over. The taste haunted me for days so I knew I had to try a batch.

I had cardamom pods and nutmeg in my cupboard, so I ground them with a microplane. I liked the stronger flavors, but B. found them overpowering. Also, the original recipe used half whole-wheat pastry flour, but since I didn't have any I went with all-purpose.

If anyone has tips on how to slice more cleanly when you have chocolate chips in a log, please share.

Vegan Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Adapted from The Anxious Patissier / "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar," by Isa Chanda Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter substitute
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
Generous pinch each of ground coriander and ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag of chai tea leaves (approximately 1 teaspoon)
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In large bowl, cream shortening and butter substitute until smooth. Fold in powdered sugar and vanilla, then cream again until smooth and creamy.

3. In separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, coriander, pepper, baking soda, salt, and tea. Fold half of this mixture into creamed shortening mixture to moisten all ingredients.

4. Fold in the remaining flour until a dense dough forms. Knead in chocolate pieces.

5. Divide dough and form two logs. Chill for 30 minutes or so to reduce crumbliness issues.

6. With a thin, sharp knife, carefully slice logs into 1/2 inch slices. Transfer slices to making sheets, placing each slice about 2 inches apart.

7. Bake shortbread for 12 to 14 minutes until slightly puffed yet firm and the edges are turning golder. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before using a spatula to transfer them to cooling racks.

Gear Hunting: Tea Party Tableware

2011-09-27T21:13:00.006-04:00

September is when reality sinks in: Summer has said goodbye. Days are shorter, crisper, greyer (well, this year humidity seems to be hanging on). Since September is also my birth month, the transition from summer to fall is linked in my mind with celebration. If I could have my closest friends near and far join me to take advantage of a fall weekend afternoon, this is the table I think I'd like to set:

What a fun way to mark the season: bite-size cakes in the shape of mini acorns, pinecones, pumpkins and nuts. I'd fill them with dulce de leche, chocolate ganache and Nutella. This Nordicware cakelet pan looks like the ideal gadget for creating tasty treats.

These whimsical OneClayBead plates are perfect for mini cakes.

Dessert wouldn't be complete without a bevvy; so I'd serve spiced tea (see recipe below) from this handmade Clayful Impressions pot...

...and pour into these porcelain Ceramicpix cups.

Anyone needing a spot of sugar or cream would find it in this handmade set by Devanie Pfitzinger Schilpp.

What are you planning for your next intimate get-together?

Spiced Tea

To 2 quarts (8 cups) of water add:

15 whole cloves
20 green cardamon pods, slightly crushed
15 black peppercorns
5 2-inch sticks of cinnamon
8 slices ginger root
Boil gently, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes

Then add:

1/2 tsp. of black tea or 1 teabag

Bring to a boil. Strain and serve, adding sugar or honey and cream to taste.

Makes 2-3 quarts

Laduree Opening in New York City

2011-08-31T15:46:00.001-04:00

The famous macaron maker from Paris opened its doors on Madison Avenue in New York yesterday to an enthusiastic crowd. The queue was out the door, but the line — about 20 people deep when I got there in the afternoon — moved along since they had several attendants to wait on each customer. It was a mellow crowd, nothing like the manic energy you would find, say, at a sample sale. Besides, this ritzy block that houses fashion names like Lanvin, Jil Sanders is hardly the place to throw elbows. A few of my fellow macaron fans were disappointed you couldn't sit down and enjoy a macaron, chocolate or sorbet, but that Ladurée is reportedly scouting other locations in NYC.

Hello, lovelies.

My loot: one of each flavor so I could "taste test" and discover my favorites.

A peek in the store and at the crowds.

Ladurée New York
864 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Weekend Breakfast: Star Eggs

2011-07-12T08:29:00.001-04:00

I hereby nominate the egg as the MVP of breakfast All-Stars. She's a versatile player: She can yield sweet or savory dishes, oftentimes in the same meal! One weekend I wanted to get creative in pairing the egg with my carbs. An easy solution is toad in the hole, also known as eggs in a basket.

I didn't want to put the bread cutout to waste, so thought that if you cut it out in a shape, you could toast it and serve along with the dish. I have a set of biscuit cutters with different shapes, but any cookie cutter should do.

Gadget Links: The Splendiferous Array of Culinary Tools

2011-02-10T07:49:00.002-05:00

Depending on your point of view, this slick poster from Pop Chart Lab is an homage to what's on your kitchen shelves or a reminder that there are still cooking gadgets you "need." You know where I fall, right? What gadgets are you lusting after?

Via Co.Design

More details on Pop Chart Lab

Buy or Pass? Poached Egg Pods

2010-10-18T08:37:00.002-04:00

Despite this summer's egg scare, Geared to Cook HQ remains obsessed with poached eggs. We'll admit that in the recent past we could take 'em or leave 'em, but all that changed after discovering the luscious l'oeuf maison at Le Grainne (pictured above). A perfectly poached egg arrives perched on top of a goat cheese potato cake surrounded by your choice of spinach or ratatouille.

So now we want to make the attempt to recreate this at home. Do you think we need a special tool like these Fusionbrands Poach Pods? Weigh in below.

Fusionbrands Poach Pods: What's your take?online surveys

Macarons Demo by Bakers Dozen East

2010-09-16T05:20:00.013-04:00

To be perfectly honest, I thought macarons were overrated until I tasted a bacon and maple cream cheese beauty from Macaron Parlour at the Brooklyn Flea. Since then, I've had a special place in my belly for these crisp and chewy gems, so when I heard about a macarons demo featuring Almondine owner Herve Poussot, I couldn't pass it up.

The Bakers Dozen East presentation at the Institute of Culinary Education covered three types of treats: macaroons, amaretti and macarons. The first two start with the same recipe: almond paste, egg whites, sugar. The end results -- the macaroon is chewier than the crisp amaretti -- are achieved with less egg in the former and refrigerating the latter. Oh, and the amaretti is tricked out with crunchy pearl sugar.

Throughout the night our host, Nick Malgieri, director of baking programs at ICE, would drop entertaining tidbits of information as he showed us how to make the chewy macaroon and the crisp Italian amaretti. We got the scoop on what almond paste to avoid (stay away from cans) and the difference between pearl sugar in Europe and the U.S. ("In Europe it looks like sugar crystals, but what we get looks like bits of plaster!") But I knew I was among my people when he confessed, "I wish I had [a Hobart mixer] in my bedroom!"

Then Poussot took over the cooking counter to show us the classic French macaron. Instead of almond paste and sugar, you start by mixing almond flour with confectioner's sugar. The consistency is almost like grated Parmesan cheese (below left). Then you make an Italian meringue with sugar syrup and egg whites and fold that into the almond mixture (below right). Useful tip: Break out the egg whites 2-3 days before making the macarons and let them chill out in the fridge.

As Poussot piped the mix out, bottles of champagne were uncorked and when they slid into the oven, cookie plates for each person appeared. I wish I could have made those divine bites last longer! So will I make these at home? I sure want to try, and that would mean I'd "need" to finally get a stand mixer. Do you have one? Tell me all about it in the comments.

See more photos from the Macarons Demo by Bakers Dozen East.

Kitchen History: The Hearth and Stove in Medieval Japan

2010-08-25T20:50:00.003-04:00

My best friend A. recently spent a month studying in Osaka, and while she was there she sent back tantalizing photos of what she ate and the places she visited. She proved you could eat well and cheaply in the third largest city in Japan. We are both mystified why Osaka gets snubbed by guidebooks, and when you ask a Japanese person what there is to see in Osaka, you're advised to visit Kyoto instead. Kyoto is lovely, but here's an observation from A.:

"Books don't have a lot to say about the city. Instead they steer you toward Kyoto for traditional Japan and Tokyo for modern. The omission would have you believe there is nothing worth seeing in Osaka. Don't believe them. Osaka is jam-packed with interesting sites and some of the best food in the country."

One find of hers that intrigued me is the Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses in Ryokuchi park. Eleven different styles of traditional farmhouses built all over the country during the Edo Period were transported to Osaka and reconstructed, complete with tools and furniture. Above is a typical stove made from adobe, known as kamado.

Here is the irori, or hearth. This is in the middle of the room for warmth and boiling water.

And this was used to cook soy beans to make tofu.

OK and to really geek out, I found out that these clay stoves have descendants that are still in use today. The kamado morphed into barbecue grills, aka Kamado Joe or the Big Green Egg.

Buy or Pass? Zoku Quick Pop Maker

2010-08-04T18:34:00.002-04:00

This new gadget has been popping up all over the Interwebs like Bai Ling on the red carpet, except this gear is easier on the eyes.

The chance to make your own chilled treats is irresistible. But if you read the fine print for the
Zoku Quick Pop Maker you'll see that this still takes some advance preparation. You just can't pour and freeze; before you use the machine it needs to chill out in your freezer. So that means it would take up precious room, and I'd have to choose between my regular ice cream maker and this.

Maybe I should just go old-school. Remember that Sunshine on a Stick commercial?

Zoku Quick Pop Maker: What's your take?survey software

Buy or Pass? Ice Cream Stacker

2010-07-11T07:39:00.013-04:00

Picture it: two 8-year-old girls sitting out on a porch in the summer heat. The ice cream truck has been in the neighborhood and they're settling in with their treats. My best friend gleefully unwraps her rocket bomb pop while I clutch my cone stacked with two scoops of butter pecan (my favorite flavor back then!). One lick, two lick, three, and then disaster strikes. The ice cream tumbles off the cone and onto the steps. It's splat flat, way beyond the rescue of the 3-second rule.

Is it this type of mishap that this gadget can prevent? Because other than that, I don't see why you would prefer flat disks over round scoops. Am I missing the point? Weigh in below.

Cuisipro Ice Cream Stacker: What's your take?online surveys

Dutch Baby Pancake: Cast-Iron Skillet Recipe

2010-07-02T10:14:00.007-04:00

The formula to starting the day off right: a tasty breakfast. Some may call me picky because I have some requirements: no cereal from a box (which makes me hungrier than I started an hour later), and certainly no roll or pastry from a street cart. I'd rather eat the previous day's leftovers for breakfast. If you sit next to me at the office, be prepared for the smells of leftover curry or meatloaf and mashed potatoes or Thai noodles bright and early in the morning. Yes, I'm also the type who never wonders if it's too early for chocolate.

So if this is how I eat during the week, you can imagine my ideal meals for the weekend. Enter the Dutch baby, which I think of as the extroverted sister of the pancake. Poor pancake, she aims to please when artfully arranged in high stacks, but then here comes the Dutch baby with her upturned edges and powdered sugar sprinkles. Baby gets all the oohs and aahs every time.

Growing up we'd go to a particular pancake house that specialized in these. So I was pretty pleased when I discovered that you can make this very easily. And with a blender it goes even faster and is less of a hassle. Sorry, pancake.

For this recipe, I used peaches but apples, plums or berries should work just as well.

Dutch Baby Pancake
Serves 2 people

Batter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Confectioners sugar

Spiced Fruit Topping
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 peaches
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat; set aside.

2. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute. Pour batter into skillet; bake until pancake is puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

3. Make spiced fruit topping: Add fruit, cinnamon and brown sugar to pan. Cook until heated through and softened.

4. When pancake is finished, dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with confectioners sugar and lemon juice.

5. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately.

Gear: cast-iron skillet, spatula, blender, knife

Almond Cookie Ice Cream Recipe

2010-07-01T07:44:00.001-04:00

Every family has its weekend rituals, and one of ours is a dim sum breakfast in NYC's Chinatown. Then it's a walkabout to stock up on produce and snacks. The last stop is usually the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Someone always gets the red bean ice cream, but my go-to is the almond cookie. Here's my take on this flavor.

I figured I could just use almond ice cream as a base and mix in crushed cookies. Since finding the cookies you would find at a Chinese buffet wasn't convenient, I headed to the nearest store for Italian almond cookies. My friend MK (who would eat almond paste straight from the tube if no one was looking) was upset at first that I wasn't using "real" almond cookies, but after tasting this ice cream I was admonished not to change a thing about this recipe.

Almond Ice Cream
Makes 1.5 quarts

10 ounces almond paste
2/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1 dozen almond cookies

1. Combine almond paste and sugar in medium bowl and beat until completely mixed.

2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in almond extract and salt.

3. Heat half and half to a simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Slowly beat hot half and half into the almond paste mixture.

4. Pour mixture back into the pan and place over very low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly and reaches 170-175°F. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.

5. Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a large, clean bowl.

6. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

7. Crush cookies into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

8. Stir chilled custard, then freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add in crushed cookies before you finish processing.

Gear: medium bowl, saucepan, whisk, digital thermometer, strainer, mixer, ladle, wooden spoon, freezer, silicone spatula, ice cream maker

Happy National Ice Cream Month!

2010-07-01T07:36:00.004-04:00

In honor of National Ice Cream Month, I've liberated my ice cream maker from the kitchen cabinet. Peeps, let me tell you, this machine has been languishing so long back there that it's the last of its kind. The manufacturer doesn't make them any more, but lucky for me it works just fine.

It's one of those where you have to freeze the main component before you use it. Sure, it takes up space and requires some planning, but hey, if you wanted fast you'd just head out to get readymade, right? But why do that when making your own isn't that difficult and is so much tastier.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll have fun dreaming up flavors (Guinness beer and chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzels, anyone? Stay tuned! I'll be blogging different ice creams throughout the month and that's coming a bit later.)

Enjoy your scoops!

Pocket Pie Mold: Buy or Pass?

2010-06-10T06:35:00.006-04:00

The new Williams-Sonoma summer catalog is out and my friend couldn't wait to show me this
lattice pocket pie mold. It certainly has appeal: looks easy to use and makes a cute mini dessert. But is it a must-buy? Weigh in below.

Fried Chicken Bites: Karaage

2010-05-11T06:10:00.015-04:00

One of my favorite textures is a good crispy crunch, whether it's a hearty potato chip or popcorn to any type of roast skin (think duck or pork). So how could I not love fried chicken? I've been known to save the crunchy chicken skin for last. After stumbling on some recipes for Japanese-style popcorn chicken, I knew I had to try this, especially since the ratio of meat to crunch is higher.

The secret to the crunch is something really simple: cornstarch.

Next time I plan to tweak the flavor. Maybe I'll try a buffalo bite or a lemon marinade.

Karaage Recipe
Adapted from JustHungry.com

Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-inch ginger root, peeled and finely grated
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon sake
1 cup corn starch
Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Place soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sake in a medium bowl. Add chicken and mix until coated.

2. Refrigerate and marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

3. Pour 1/2 cup corn starch in plastic zip bag. Add a quarter of the chicken and shake until the pieces are completely coated.

4. Remove chicken, tapping to remove excess corn starch, and set aside in a clean bowl.

5. Repeat with the rest of the chicken, adding more cornstarch as needed.

6. Add at least 1 inch oil to a deep cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven, or deep-fat fryer. Bring oil to 350°F.

7. Gently place 10-12 pieces of chicken in oil and fry until golden, about 3-4 minutes.

8. Remove chicken place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining meat.

Gear: Grater, zip bag, tongs, heavy pot, baking pan

National Food Bloggers Bake Sale Recap

2010-04-18T13:44:00.012-04:00

Bake sales to support Share Our Strength's campaign to end childhood hunger were held throughout the country yesterday as part of the Great American Bake Sale. Millions of children in the U.S. go without nutritious meals, and these bake sales raise money to change that. More information on Share Our Strength can be found here.

Food bloggers were busy in their kitchens this week baking for the event, which was organized by Gaby Dalkin of WhatsGabyCooking.com. Jacquie from The JLH Life led the NYC effort and got a table at the Brooklyn Flea. More than 40 bloggers participated, and you can see what they all baked here.

Despite the cold weather and threat of rain, sales went well. I was there from 11 am to noon, where the chocolate chip cookies from The Girl Who Ate Everything and the chocolate caramel slices from Simply Sifted sold out before my eyes.

After my shift I joined my friends to wander the Flea and sample all the savory goods.
But before I left, I stocked up on some of the delish treats. Below are shots of what I made plus my haul.

From left to right:

Bibingka made by yours truly (see recipe)
Chocolate-caramel slices from Simply Sifted
Walnut tartlets from A Girl Bakes in New York
Phanouropita (traditional Greek nut cake) from Feeding the Saints
Bacon and maple cream cheese macarons from Macaron Parlour
Chocolate peanut butter bar from The Naked Beet
Red velvet cupcake from Cupcakes in Heels
Monster cookies from Amy Blogs Chow

If you weren't able to make it to any of the events yesterday, you can still donate to help make sure that no child goes hungry.

Rice Cooker Recipe: Dried Mushroom Risotto

2010-04-16T21:59:00.012-04:00

I never thought much about rice growing up. Measure, wash, pop it in the rice cooker, easy-peasy. I wasn't aware not every family in the States had a warm container of rice ready for family and guests at any hour until I moved to the Midwest for college. Actually scratch that, it wasn't until I moved to Japan for a year with Midwestern classmates that I realized rice was a big deal to some who had been used to potatoes and bread and worse, Uncle Ben's Instant, all their lives.

I didn't think much about rice cookers since then until I returned to Japan for a visit. We rented a tiny house in a residential neighborhood of Kyoto near Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion) and it came with a fully equipped kitchen. And then there was this:

Faced with the above with no instructions and a full meal underway on the stove, we were a bit perplexed since at home we have a very low-tech 2-setting cooker.

Thankfully we had a Web connection (what would I do without the Interwebs??) and immediately I did a search for this brand and model, hoping that someone somewhere posted translations. I never did find the exact model but found enough pictures to translate "on" "warm" and "timer." Crisis averted! And we had delicious Japanese rice with dinner.

While figuring out how to use this fancy cooker, I noticed wacky phrases like "bake cake in rice cooker" were showing up in search results. So that got me thinking, what else can I do with my rice cooker? Which led me to this recipe.

Dried Mushroom Risotto
Adapted from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook
Serves 4-5

1/2 ounce dried shitake mushrooms (you can use any type you like)
1 3/4 cups very hot tap water
1 1/2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons risotto rice

To Finish:
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated plus more for individual servings
Black pepper, freshly ground
Salt

1. Place mushrooms and water in microwave-safe container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

2. When mushrooms are soft, remove from liquid and squeeze to extract liquid. Slice, discarding any tough stems.

3. Pour soaking liquid into measuring cup. Add stock to this to equal 3 cups.

4. Set rice cooker to Cook. Place olive oil and butter in rice cooker bowl.

5. When butter melts, add onion. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

6. Stir in wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Add rice and stir until grains are evenly coated and hot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until grains are transparent except for a white spot on each, 3 to 5 minutes.

8. Add stock mixture and mushrooms to rice and stir.

9. Close cover and reset for regular cycle. Set a timer for 20 minutes.

10. When the machine switches to Keep Warm or the timer sounds, stir with wooden spoon or plastic rice paddle. The risotto should be only a bit liquid and the rice should be al dente. Cook for a few minutes longer if necessary.

11. Before serving, add butter. Close cover for 1 minute until butter melts.

12. Stir in parsley, cheese, pepper and salt to taste.

The result: delicious, creamy goodness.

Crazy for Coconut Cake: Bibingka Royale

2010-04-14T21:01:00.004-04:00

I'm lucky to have married into a family who loves food. I knew I was in the right place when my in-laws first offered me a snack. They invited me to take my pick -- only I wasn't looking through a drawer, but a WALL of cabinets stuffed with goodies.

So it was only normal that after a recent trip to L.A., my mother-in-law was at our doorstep with treats soon after their plane landed. There was cherimoya (If you haven't tasted this yet, you must drop everything now and find out how to get your mitts on this divinely delicious fruit. It tastes like mango and pineapple and has the consistency of creme brulee. But then come on back, ya hear?) and Filipino food: empanada, embutido, and the star of this tale -- bibingka.

Up till now I haven't been crazy about bibingka. But this one was different; the dainty coconut mini cake was gussied up in banana leaf, which gave it a faint tealike flavor. Great design and flavor -- wins me over every time. Plus it was fluffy and cheesy. After polishing off the last one, it haunted me. So I decided to recreate it.

A quick search led me to various versions, including one that's chewy and made from rice flour, but I settled on this recipe I found at food52.

Bibingka Royale Recipe
Makes 18 servings

Frozen banana leaves, cut into circles the size of a CD
Melted butter or cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons sea salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup coconut milk, divided and room temperature
¾ cups sugar
¼ cups coconut oil or butter, melted
4 ounces Edam or Gouda, shredded
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, melted (optional)

1. Spray muffin pans or brush them with butter.

2. Cut banana leaves into disks, and use them to line muffin pans.

I used an X-Acto knife and a clean CD to cut up banana the leaves. Apparently there are people who are lucky to have a fresh supply of banana leaves in their yard, but in Gotham that's not an option. You can find them in the frozen section of an Asian or Hispanic grocery. Here's a helpful overview on how to work with banana leaves.

3. Sift flours, baking powder and salt.

4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs.

5. In another bowl, whisk 1/2 cup coconut milk, sugar and butter until sugar dissolves.

6. Fold in eggs.

7. Alternately mix in dry ingredients and remaining coconut milk.

8. Fill muffin pans with batter. (I used a large cookie scoop to evenly distribute.)

9. Top with cheese.

10. Bake in 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes. Test the center with a clean toothpick; it's done when it comes out clean.

If you'd like the tops to be more golden, you can brush butter and broil for 2 minutes.

And how did the family like it? My father-in-law is asking when the next batch
is going to be ready.

Welcome to Geared to Cook!

2010-04-12T20:38:00.006-04:00

When I'm picking out recipes I tend to gravitate to cookies and anything chocolate, but alas man (and esp. my dear hubby) can not live on chocolate chip cookies and ganache alone. There's something about baking that appeals to the lazy me: mix ingredients together, shove it in the oven and you're usually done. Standing over the stove requires an alchemist's touch; you keep watch over your ingredients for just the right moment when you turn items to culinary gold.

With this notion in my head, I collected props. I have shelves of gadgets that testify I'm interested in cooking more often. So I started this blog to motivate me to experiment and expand my cooking knowledge beyond bread pudding muffins.

So pull up a chair and come join me in the kitchen. I'm geared to cook!