Busy weekend here. I’ve some spillover work, and Gourmeted-related things to finish (aka The Newsletter), plus I’m helping out a friend with her wedding invitations. You’ll know just how busy I am just by the scarcity of my tweets.

Before I disappear into the haze, I’d like to leave you with this must-keep-on-hand recipe for slow-roasted beef. Pick up some beef and get cooking!

It tasted even better than it looks. It was so juicy and yummy!

Have a great weekend!

SLOW-ROASTED BEEF WITH RED WINE SAUCE
adapted from the September 1996 issue of Cook’s Illustrated magazine

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds chuck eye roast, boneless, tied crosswise an inch apart and tied lengthwise once or twice [Alternatives: chuck blade, chuck fillet/chuck tender, chuck shoulder, chuck under blade, top round, eye of round, bottom round, top sirloin and bottom round rump roast]
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine, preferably full-flavored
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large, heavy ovenproof pot.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat and sear in the pot with oil until brown, about 4 minutes each side.
3. Quickly transfer the pot into the oven, uncovered. When a thermometer registers 110°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat (after about 45 minutes to 1 hour in the oven), increase the oven temperature to 500°F. Cook until internal temperature goes up to 130°F, after about 15 minutes. Cooking times vary depending on the size and shape of the roast. Remove meat from the pot, and let stand on a cutting board for 20 minutes before carving.
4. For red wine pan juice: Set the same pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Spoon out fat from pot and leave about 1 tablespoon of it. Add wine. Stir pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits. Add broth. Simmer until the sauce reduces by a third of the original volume, and is slightly thickened. For additional thickening, add a mixture of 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water. Thinly slice roast and add the juices to the pot.
5. Serve immediately, with the sliced meat and sauce separate.

This is right up our alley, don’t you think? As the busy travel and vacation season begins, and as some of us scramble to make plans for the rest of the year (ahem, Me!), I can’t wait to find out what they have in store!

———

Now onto the recipe!

MMM…pizza! Whether it be for any meal (yes, even breakfast — admit it!), a casual get-together or game night, the beloved pizza is welcome in our homes and in our bellies. Of course, there’s the debate about which is better: deep-dish or thin crust pizza, but we’ll leave that alone. For now, I’ll talk about my kind of pizza: thin, light, and beautifully blistered pizzas. You heard me: blistered. I get excited over the perfect thin crust!

We’ve been to the much-talked about Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, and my love for that pizza is right up there with Itzhak Perlman — that’s a high pedestal. The long line to get into the main restaurant is something I’d rather forget, though.

The following crust is no Pizzeria Bianco, and I can’t say it tastes the same as the A16 restaurant’s pizza (I haven’t eaten there), but one thing is for sure, this dough has earned top place among the pizza dough recipes I’ve tried.

Being at the top means there are also no compromises, especially when it comes to time. The A16 Neapolitan pizza dough takes the most number of days to make: three, realistically. But you can definitely make it in two if you plan ahead after reading the recipe. Raise your hand if you sometimes don’t carefully read the recipe before deciding to make it. Who does that? Hah.

I don’t have more “after” photos because I was busy stretching the pizza, filling it, transferring it to to oven, and preparing the next pie while that cooks for 7 minutes. Whew. I ran a tight ship and by the time I finished rolling out 4 pizzas, I just had enough to eat and hunger beat food porn. Plus, it’s something that can wait to be eaten. It was incredibly satisfying and even with all the work and wait involved, this is worth making again and again!

NEAPOLITAN-STYLE PIZZA DOUGH
adapted from the book, “A16: Food + Wine” by Nate Appleman, Shelley Lindgren, and Kate Leahy (2008, Ten Speed Press

Ingredients – makes 4 10-12” pizzas

• 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (100°F to 105°F)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for bowl
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups “00” flour or all-purpose flour**, plus extra for work surface
• cornmeal for pizza peel (optional)

Special Equipment

• Pizza stone
• Pizza peel or rimless baking sheet

Preparation

Day 1

1. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil. Set aside.
2. Proof yeast by sprinkling over warm water and letting it stand for 10 minutes in a small bowl. If yeast did not dissolve and become frothy, start again with a fresh batch of yeast. Stir in olive oil and salt.
3. Combine flour and yeast mixture in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, or until dough is “shaggy” (i.e. The yeast mixture and the dough are just incorporated together. The dough is rough, and almost clumps together in a ball.)  Knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Knead for another 10 minutes on medium-low speed to achieve a smooth and soft dough. It will become warm to the touch.
4. Transfer dough into the prepared large bowl with oil. Turn the dough once to coat both sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2

1. Punch down the dough with your fist and fold over the sides. Turn dough over in the bowl. Cover again with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to 24 hours).
2. Place dough on floured work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Cup each quarter in your hands and tuck the sides to the bottom until you form a smooth ball. Place balls on your floured work surface with generous room in between. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and proof for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in volume. Use water spray keep the surface of the dough moist in case skin forms on it. Skin on dough will keep it from rising, so it is best to avoid it.
3. Place pizza stone on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat oven to its maximum temperature (usually 500° to °550F) for at least 30 minutes before baking.
4. Shape each ball of dough by placing it on a generously floured work surface. Pat down the ball with your fingertips to flatten into a disk. Press down the center of the dough using the palm of one hand, and pull the dough outward with the other. Repeat while rotating clockwise to form a flat 10-12-inch circle with a slightly raised edge (“cornicione”).
   Tip: If the dough is tough to stretch, cover it with a damp kitchen towel while you work on the next ball of dough. You can also use a rolling pin to stretch out your dough.
5. Generously dust a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet with flour or cornmeal. Slide flattened pizza dough onto the peel and shake to make sure the dough does not stick.
6. Add desired toppings. Place peel over the pizza stone in the oven and quickly jerk to slide off the pizza. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, until dough is crisp and golden brown. Top should be bubbling. Remove the pizza from the oven using the pizza peel or baking sheet. Enjoy!

** “00” flour : Doppio zero flour. “00” refers to the grade of the flour. It is higher in protein than most all-purpose flours.
Where to buy: http://fornobravo.com, http://www.luccadeli.com, or http://pennmac.com.

This (raw) fudge cake might just be more lovable than those colorful arches.

Strawberry Ganache Fudge Cake: the indulgent-tasting cake that looks good and makes you feel good

The oh-so-decadent-looking ganache–would you believe me when I say it’s made of dates, agave syrup, avocado, and cacao powder? Grins. No, it’s not April Fool’s Day yet. This total eye candy is good for you!

In the beginning I wasn’t sure it would be as good as Elle said it would. It’s not that I don’t trust her, or Ani Phyo (the cookbook author). It’s just that the ingredient combination was a bit foreign to me. Really? Avocado?! I grew up eating avocados as dessert topped with powdered milk and sugar, so the sweet part I got. But…with chocolate? You’re kidding!

My apprehension disappeared as soon as I prepared and tasted it. Oh…my…god!

Raw ganache: the stuff of raw dessert heaven!

This chocolate frosting is UNreal in flavor. Wow. You wouldn’t think it has avocado in it. It is as good-no even better-than it looks.

Each cake layer is made of ground walnuts, cacao powder, medjool dates and salt. The major challenge for me when I made this was shaping the cake into 2 stackable layers. My smallest springform pan was 8 inches, and that produced a layer too thin to hold its shape. I ended up using a smaller-diameter fondue pot that I lined with aluminum foil tso I can easily pop out the layer once it’s compressed into a compact disc.

This is my low-tech solution to shaping the cake layers. It works.

I was eager to devour it after putting on the first layer of ganache, especially after tasting it with some leftover cake crumbs. I love eating tasting everything while making stuff.

First cake layer frosted with ganache

The original recipe called for fresh raspberries. I had strawberries at the time, so I sliced and macerated them in agave syrup for extra softness and moisture.

Mascerated sliced strawberries

After much fussing around with the frosting to make it look decent (I’m not good with icing at all), I had to wait 2 hours for the cake to firm up before cutting it.

A piece of chocolate heaven.

It was love at first bite. I know I say that about a lot of desserts, but wow, this was on its own level of chocolate goodness. If I was to make a list of 100 Things To Eat Before You Die, this will definitely make the cut. Ultra smooth and creamy ganache on two layers of nutty cakes and a soft layer of macerated strawberries in the middle – what could be better? It’s raw and it’s healthy for you, that’s what! This is pure indulgence without the guilt.

Don’t even entertain second thoughts, just make this now. This is pure indulgence without the guilt.

STRAWBERRY GANACHE FUDGE CAKE (RAW)
Adapted from “Ani’s Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats”
by Ani Phyo (2009, Da Capo Press).

Ingredients – makes about 6 servings

For the fudge cake:
•    3 cups dry walnuts
•    2/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder or carob powder
•    1/4 teaspoon sea salt
•    1 cup pitted Medjool dates

For the frosting:
•    1/3 cup semi-soft pitted Medjool dates
•    1/4 cup agave syrup
•    1/2 cup ripe avocado flesh (from about 1 medium avocado)
•    1/3 cup cacao powder

For the filling:
•    1/2 cup sliced strawberries
•    1/2 tablespoon agave syrup

Preparation
1.    For the filling: Mix the strawberries and agave syrup in a small bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for an hour. Strain the juices out before putting on the cake (Step #5).

2.    For the fudge cake: Coarsely chop walnuts, cacao powder, and salt together in a food processor. Add the dates and pulse until thoroughly mixed. You may have to scoop it from the sides of the bowl with a small spatula if the bigger chunks stick.

3.    Shape the cake into two (2) solid, stackable discs using a 6- or 7-inch springform pan. You can use other flat-bottom containers, but line them with aluminum foil for easy removal of the cakes. Note that the thinner you make the cake layers, the more fragile they will be. Placing the cake discs in the freezer while you make the frosting will help set them.

4.    For the frosting: Pulse the following in the food processor until smooth, in this order: the dates and agave syrup; avocado flesh; and lastly, cacao powder.

5.    To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand and frost the top with about one third of the ganache. Carefully place strawberry filling on the center and spread until about half an inch from the edge.

6.    Position the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let it firm up.

Storage: According to the original recipe, the cake layers will keep in the fridge for many weeks. The frosting can be kept separately in the fridge for a week. The assembled cake with fruit will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes
- The trickiest part of this recipe is shaping the cake layers so that each disc stays in one piece. You might have to redo the first layer you make just to get the hang of it.
- Slicing the cake can get crumbly and messy due to the nutty cake layers. I would highly recommend making this in individual serving-sized portions, if you have small springform pans or even ramekins.
- You won’t have any problems with storage. This cake is small and is so good it will disappear from the table before you can even think of your second helping.

Thank you Aparna and Deeba! This was certainly quite a challenge (with some standing-by-the-stove endurance involved) and the payoff is heavenly!

Tiramisu is probably our family’s favorite non-Filipino cake. If it’s on the menu at a restaurant we’re dining in, that’s what we’ll get for dessert. You know how much we love it? This is the only photo of a slice I could get before it disappeared. We tasted it before it should have been eaten. It’s just not possible to let it sit there. Have Tiramisu, Will Eat! The couple of slices that were left to themselves for a few more hours tasted even better, I have to say.

As I type this, a SECOND pan of tiramisu is cooling in the fridge, I kid you not. I didn’t make the ladyfingers from scratch, though. One would think that with our addiction to this Italian dessert, we would have made it at some point in our lives. Up until this challenge, no one in the family has made it. We always ordered it. Daring Bakers has changed that and I bet we will be making this on a regular basis. By “we” I mean ME. I will labor on it for hours and we will consume it in minutes.

You will find the recipes from both the lovely sites I linked above. I will post an adapted and PDF recipe within the coming week. It is so very long so I’ll rewrite and reformat it so it’s not so daunting to print (or make)! I’ll also post more photos of the cake-making process tomorrow, while we watch the hockey game. Hehe. Go Canada! Addendum: They have not been posted because — who know the hockey game would be so close that I can’t even concentrate on anything but?! I was busy with the game and preparing food. Mmm…wings!

Tomorrow is the last day of the Olympics so rest assured regular posting will resume and the newsletter will be out soon! Watch out for that because we will be giving away those red Olympic mittens!

P.S. Much thanks to friend Adrienne who featured my tiramisu in her equally delicious culinary travel blog. If I ever go to Italy–to have a taste of real tiramisu, among numerous other gastronomic adventures–she will be my go-to person!

Everything in this book is gold. Yes, there are sections that are pure common sense (Don’t double-dip tasting, don’t grab a hot pot with a wet towel, etc) and then there’s the more ‘HMMM…’ nuggets (Eat your local honey if you have floral allergies, cook with a little bit of sugar just as you would salt…). Of course, there were tips that you need to know to get your Food Handler’s Card (At least here in AZ): Cook food to proper internal temperatures, always be clean, little things like that. The best part as well, this is an entertaining fast read!

My next post will be about beef bourguignon and the trials I experienced with it. As I’m flipping through the book looking for inspiration of what to put into THIS post, I came across this little statement in the beginning of the book…“Making beef bourguignon? Study at least 3 alternatives….” Oops…I just sort of jumped right into the fire and prepared this.  I will let you know how it turned out in that post.

In short, “Notes on Cooking” is a must read for anyone wanting to become a better cook. Even after all the sections are done, there’s even more information that’s invaluable, such as a listing of traditional pairing of tastes and a recommended further reading.  Enjoy and happy reading!

-Daniel

What do you get when you fall in love?
Macs with no feet to burst your bubble
That’s what you get for your baking trouble
I’ll never fall in love again…

The first time I made macarons, it didn’t turn out too bad. I think I got it too easy. Meh…I’ve done it and that’s it!

In January, I told Deeba and Jamie (or did I beg?) I will be joining Mactweets for Mac Attack 4. I’ve had the book, I Love Macarons , since December and was curious to try the 2 main recipes there. I also thought to test my luck and see if it will pull me through another round of experimentation. Oh, boy, and did The Universe ever slap me back with a resounding ‘Better luck next time!’ and made me hate myself for undertaking numerous failed recipes. (The recipes from the tiny book above didn’t work out for me.)

Eight batches of macarons from different recipes later, here I am.

Macarons with Lemon Curd

Yes, you read that right. I said EIGHT. 8!

Making macarons became torture and I asked myself several times — “ARE YOU I-N-S-A-N-E?” during those sad nights of baking.

What do you get when you fall in love…

I became desperate. Our deadline for posting for Mac Attack 4 is today and I had none to show for all my efforts as of yesterday. Before I headed to bed the other night (technically past midnight yesterday), I wailed tweeted about going for my eighth try, and feeling sorry for all the chickens I’ve failed (21 eggs!!!). Deeba gave me the link to the 2-egg-white recipe that she adapted from “Ottolenghi – The Cookbook”. I decided that I might as well try it because I have nothing else left to lose aside from 2 more eggs, putting my egg count to 23 as of last night.

I almost cried and danced when I saw feet about 6 minutes into baking time of the first tray in the oven.

Dancings queens with dancing feet

Can you blame me for dramatic reaction? And the abundance of photos? I just need to remind myself that It’s okay! You did it! All those depressing night after night of macaruins are a thing of the past.

True story: I think in my 3rd attempt, I ate a whole tray of baked macaron shells out of anger and frustration. Yep.

I didn’t put any other color or flavorings to the meringue cookie shells, but I made up for it with a very flavorful filling of lemon curd, inspired by my recent Key Lime Meringue Pie. I made lemon curd thickened with cornstarch. It was good, but not good enough to post. I still have to tweak the recipe to have a good flavor and consistency without tasting the cornstarch. I know, I know… The starchy taste wasn’t noticeable once it’s sandwiched between two shells, but I’d just be lying to myself if I say that it’s great. Do you have any suggestions to thicken the curd for the filling? I’d love to hear about it.

In my mind I wanted to have this macaron as a  miniature version of a Lemon Meringue pie: the meringue being the shell, and the lemon curd as filling. I’m happy with it, but I’m going to experiment more. I have renewed macaron baking confidence. Haha.

Aside from that pie concept, one of my other goals was to have no waste with the recipe. I had 2 egg yolks from the meringue recipe that went to the curd. If there’s one thing I learned from my macaron Hall of Shame, I’d say I’m done wasting eggs!

This little piggy will go to the hennery to ask penance from the chickens we've failed.

The funny thing is, while I mixed the batter for the meringue, I knew this would work. Something about the texture, weight, and feel of it that made me think this one is different. Ah, lather, rinse, repeat.

And this is just the beginning of my Macaronicles: The Saga.

P.S. I forgot to mention that this month’s Mac Attack theme is Mac-A-Valentine and we’re supposed to have Valentine-inspired Macs. I’m not one to go with convention, and instead of something chocolate, I’d prefer the puckery lemon curd. Plus, nothing says ‘I love you’ more than never giving up and sticking with it through hell and back. Eight batches of failed macs in pursuit of the best. Now THAT’s what I call love. (Or martyrdom.)

I used to be hooked on Ferrero Rocher as a child. I would have these gold foil-wrapped chocolates in my school bag and the pocket of my school uniform. When I discovered Nutella, it was like manna for my insatiable chocolate-loving young palate and definitely a much cheaper option than Ferrero Rocher. I would eat it mindlessly by the big spoonfuls (prior to Nutella, I consumed jar after jar of extra creamy peanut butter!). At some point I did learn to restrain myself…sometimes. Nutella lovers — you know what I mean, right? It’s just physically straining to not give in to the craving! Ha ha.

It is with glee that I will participate in World Nutella Day (hosted by these lovelies: Ms Adventures in Italy, Bleeding Espresso, and World Nutella Day) with this Japanese-inspired  treat:

I’ve always wanted to make stuffed mochi (addendum: I grew up with mochi or sticky rice cake, but we just call them by different names in the Philippines), so I thought I’d combine that with Nutella. And guess what? They are perfect together!

It’s very easy to make. Crushed hazelnuts and nutella are combined, lumped into balls and placed in the freezer to keep its shape when molding the rice cake around it. The rice cake is a combination of glutinous (sweet) rice flour, water and a little sugar. A little food coloring if you want to make it interesting. You can add flavors as you wish. The resulting paste is zapped in the microwave for a couple of minutes and then the wrapping begins!

The stickiness is the tricky part and it’s easy to solve by keeping your hands and work surface generously floured. Put in the freezer again to set. And voila! You got yourself some Asian Ferrero Rocher to snack on. No spoon needed.

I loved this experiment so much that I’m going to make more over the weekend. This will be a fun Valentine’s treat for friends, family and lovahs.

Happy World Nutella Day and Happy Friday!

NUTTY NUTELLA MOCHI (THE ASIAN FERRERO ROCHER)

Ingredients (makes 8 mochi balls – recipe easily doubled, tripled, what have you)

• 2 tablespoons Nutella spread (you can easily substitute w/ other hazelnut-based or chocolate spread…but really, why would you do that? J)
• 3 tablespoons (about 30 grams) hazelnuts/filberts without shells
• 6 tablespoons glutinous/sweet rice or mochiko flour, plus a lot of extra for flouring surface and hands
• 7 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• (optional) a drop of liquid food coloring

Other materials needed: aluminum foil, parchment paper – you don’t need anything longer than 4 inches in width when you tear it from the box.

Preparation

1. (Optional step – Roasting Nuts) Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Spread hazelnuts in one layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 5 to 8 minutes (start checking the oven at 5). Be careful not to scorch it. Stir once during baking. Cool completely on a wire rack.
2. Ground hazelnuts in a food processor or grinder into rock salt consistency. Depending on your preference you can go finer than 3mm or you can go for chunky. Keep in mind that pronounced angular edges tend to tear the mochi as you mold it.
3. Mix Nutella spread and ground hazulnuts n a small bowl until all nut pieces are coated. Form 1-teaspoon balls using a measuring spoon and a small teaspoon. Scoop from measuring spoon, place the spread back in and scoop again until you form a ball. It shouldn’t take more than 3 strokes. Once you get the hang of it, it will be a breeze. Drop each ball on the aluminum foil. Place nutella balls on the foil in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour before making mochi so they will harden.
4. Combine glutinous rice flour, 6 tablespoons water, food coloring (if desired) and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Heat it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. If the sticky paste peels away from the side of the bowl as you stir, add the remaining tablespoon of water until combined. If not, return bowl in the microwave and heat in 20-second intervals until the paste peels away from the sides of the bowl, then mix with water.
5. Take the frozen Nutella balls from the freezer.
6. Dust the parchment paper and your work surface (could be just plate) with rice flour. Place a small mound of flour on your work surface for dipping. Flour your hands generously. I find that the best way to ‘dust’ my hands with rice flour is to wash and wipe, and flour my damp hands. Spoon at least half a tablespoon of sticky paste (a.k.a. mochi). Dip all exposed areas onto your mound of flour. Once it doesn’t stick anymore, peel it from the spoon with your hands, then dip all un-floured areas in flour. Press this mound of paste until you form a  4mm-thick wrapper. Dust your hand with flour whenever it sticks to the paste. Use that floured mochi to grab a Nutella ball from the foil, and then carefully wrap it around the nutella. You can stretch it a little, and flour any sticky surface as needed. Once two mochi ends meet, to pinch them together with floured fingers – it’s just like working with clay. It takes a little practice to get this right, but once you realize that the trick is really to keep your hands from sticking to the mochi, you will be fine. If all else fails, you can eat your mistake. Mmm..Nutella.
7. Lightly roll each Nutella stuffed mochi in flour, and place on the floured parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set. Or you can eat it right away, really.

Notes: I do repeat the importance of putting flour on the surface or your hands when making the mochi because it is extremely sticky. The mochi paste recipe has provisions for extra paste when you need to start over with the mochi wrapper.

Variation: You can wrap a whole hazelnut in Nutella and freeze it. You can use any imaginable filling you like and you can put any flavorings in the mochi paste itself – from extracts to powder. The mochi paste can also be just rolled in rice flour and eaten plain.

One of the best things about mochi is that you can be very creative about it. Make it savory, make it sweet, it will succumb to whatever flavor whim you fancy. It’s open to experimentation without a lot of fail.

For those who haven’t eaten mochi or sticky rice cake before, it is like a very soft (sticky/stretchy) pillow of gnocchi. I grew up eating sticky rice cakes and would prefer them to gnocchi on any given day. Try it! – Joy

I’d lost any inclination to eat Key lime pie at any restaurant because I find them murderously sour, as if crushed with ascorbic acid tablets. Not my idea of a good dessert. I really thought that’s just the way it is. No offense to Key limes, but this was the reason I tend to cringe and do a 180° turn whenever I see them at the market.

According to a Flickr friend, Key lime pies in the South are much better than the ones from the West Coast. Is this true? Where do you get your Key lime pies dear Southerners? And if you're from the West Coast like I am, have you found one that you truly love?

To truthfully and finally decide for myself on the matter of Key lime pies, I made it. I wanted to know if it really should taste so repulsive and need to be delegated as a Fear Factor eating challenge where you’re required to have a neutral face. This took me the whole night to make, but it was so worth it. This is what happens when you don’t thoroughly read the instructions and end up having dessert at 11am.

Once again, The Craft of Baking made me overcome another fear: fear of eating key lime pie. The pie from DeMasco’s recipe was DIVINE. The sharp tartness of key limes were perfectly subdued in the silky curd with whipped cream–a beautiful marriage of flavors that simply made the long night of working in the kitchen less painful. The meringue was just a touch sweet, and with every bite of it with the curd and the crust, it’s perfection.

Hi, I'm a Key Lime Pie convert.

KEY LIME MERINGUE PIE

This recipe was adapted from Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox’s book, “The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own” (2009).

Ingredients

• Foolproof Pie Dough (You can also use your own pie dough recipe or a readymade 9-inch one

Key Lime Curd

• Finely grated zest from 4 Key limes
• 1/3 cup fresh Key lime juice (from at least 6 Key limes)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons or 1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream

Meringue

• eggs whites from 4 large eggs
• 2/3  cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Pre-bake/blind-bake your pie crust.Pre-heat oven to 375°F.Roll the pie dough on a floured surface to form an 11”-diameter disk. Loosely roll around a rolling pin and transfer into a 9” pie plate. Trim the dough and leave a 1-inch overhang to fold over. Crimp the edges. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.Prick crust on the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, making sure to fill to the corner and sides. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden. Remove the parchment and weights, return to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes more until golden all over. Cool plate on a wire rack. Turn off oven.
2. Make the Key lime curd. Boil 2-inch-deep water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk Key lime zest, Key lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, egg yoks, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and heatproof bowl over the saucepan. Whisk the juice and egg mixture constantly until it becomes thick, about 12 to 15 minutes. Thickness test: when you trace your whisk across the bowl, the curd won’t immediately cover the track.Remove from the heat and transfer on a kitchen towel to secure it on the counter. Whisk in butter one piece at a time until it is well combined and smooth. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Line the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for half an hour.Whip cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl. Fold the whipped cream into the chilled curd. Pour into completely cooled piecrust.Preheat oven to 375°F with the rack positioned about 8 inches from the top of the oven.
3. For the Meringue: Whisk egg whites on low speed using an electric mixer until bubbles begin to form. Increase speed to medium-low and beat for about 5 minutes until it begins to turn opaque and increase in volume. Add granulated and confectioner’s sugar in a slow and steady stream. Add vanilla and salt. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about 10 minutes until meringue becomes very thick.Spread meringue over the curd and cover up to the edges of the curd. Swirl and create peaks using a spatula. To make really nice peaks, grab a small dollop of meringue with the pads of your fingers and touch and swoop it all over the meringue to create the desired effect.Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it halfway through the baking time. Peaks should be darker, and the “valley’s should still be white. Completely cool pie on a wire rack before chilling in the fridge for an hour before serving.

   This pie is best consumed the day it is made. Can be chilled, loosely covered in plastic wrap for up to 2 days. That is, if you have leftovers. ;-)

Happy baking and eating!

A few weeks ago, I asked for vegetarian cookbook recommendations on Twitter. One of the top two mentioned by my Twitter pals is Deborah Madison’s “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone“. I didn’t realize it was like The Vegetarian Cooking Tome–the massive amount of recipes overwhelmed me the minute I held it. I haven’t delved that much into vegetarian cooking (there’s always a slight meat component in most of my vegetable dishes), so I didn’t know where to start. That week, we were having an incredibly cold and rainy week, as is typical for Vancouver winter. It was starting to get really old and the only thing that could really lighten the mood up was a good bowl of soup. When I looked through the cookbook, this one jumped at me. This would be the books “first test”.

Friends, do you do that, too, when you have a new cookbook? Do you test out a few recipes to see if the cookbook will be worth its place as a standby in the kitchen? For me, if one recipe succeeds, it stays near the kitchen and I continue to cook from it. If it fails, I’ll give it 2 more tries before I ditch it. What about you? How many recipes do you test before it gets a Yay or a Nay?

This recipe definitely earned a “Yay!” in my book.

I love when everything goes together and the whole experience of making a dish somehow connects you to the author, through the methods, the flavors, and the culmination in the forms of a really good meal and a silent Thank You to the mind that created something so wonderful. A regular dinner turned into something special. Yes, I romanticize about meals, and if this was a date, I’m picking the phone to ask for a second. ;-)

SPLIT PEA SOUP
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s the book, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups slip green peas, sorted and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs of fresh mint
• 2 quarts vegetable stock or water**
• mushroom soy sauce (optional)
• Greek yogurt (optional)

Preparation

1. Soak peas in water and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add garlic, parsley, herbs, paprika, fresh ground black pepper and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Drain split peas. Add peas, 1 ½ teaspoon salt and stock (or water). Stir to keep peas from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Wait for it to boil before lowering the heat to simmer for about an hour. Partially cover until peas have broken down. If soup becomes to thick, add water according to your preference. Remove bay and mint leaves.
4. Season with soy sauce or salt as desired.

Serve hot. Highly recommended topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

** You can also use chicken or beef stock, if you do not have preference for vegetarian.