Hungry Cravings

Passion Fruit Cake for My Fourth Blogiversary

2012-05-28T16:52:00.002-07:00

This month marks the fourth blogiversary of Hungry Cravings. It blows my mind that the little blog I started way back in 2008 is still going strong and now has almost 250 recipes to its name. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you, dear reader, for inspiring me and supporting me. Thank you for sharing my passion for food and cooking. I love this virtual space of mine, and I always look forward to when you visit me here. I think Hungry Cravings turning four calls for a celebration. And you know what any good celebration needs? Cake!

Passion Fruit Cake
Printable Recipe

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
9 ½ ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
13 ounces sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 ounces milk, at room temperature
1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
4 ounces passion fruit puree
1 recipe Passion Fruit Curd

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the milk, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the milk, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the cake pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges of the cakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

In a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip the buttercream and passion fruit puree until smooth, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Using a long serrated knife, level the tops of the cake layers. Place a dollop of the buttercream onto a 9-inch cake circle and top with one cake layer cut side down. Transfer about a quarter of the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a circle around the top edge of the cake layer. Spread the curd evenly on top of the cake layer inside of the circle of buttercream. The circle of buttercream will act as a dam to keep the curd from oozing out. Top with the remaining cake layer cut side down. Spread and pipe the remaining buttercream evenly over the top and sides of the cake in a decorative manner. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, serving 8. In addition to the passion fruits for the curd recipe, you will need 6 to 7 passion fruits to make the buttercream in this recipe. When buying passion fruits, look for fruit that's shrinkled—that's my word for shrunken and wrinkled—and trust me when I say there's no better way to describe a ripe passion fruit. To make passion fruit puree, halve the passion fruits, scoop out the flesh using a spoon, and strain it through a fine mesh sieve. Cake keeps for 2 to 3 days tightly sealed in the refrigerator.

Two Books in a Single Shot

2012-05-18T13:24:00.002-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to work with the very talented and charming John Valls. As a long-time admirer of John's photography, I jumped at the chance. John suggested we do some photos of raw and cooked red meat, which of course is right up my alley. We spent an entire afternoon playing with our food. With John behind the camera, I got to focus on my food styling skills, making an enormous steak look sexy for the camera. I gave the steak a good sear and topped it off with some Shallot-Herb Butter. I have to say I'm absolutely thrilled with the results of our photo shoot.

It's amazing to me how this one photograph sums up both my first cookbook and my forthcoming one. And speaking of my next cookbook, this Shallot-Herb Butter recipe will appear in Flavored Butters, which is due out from Harvard Common Press in the spring of 2013.

A big thank you goes out to John Valls and his lovely wife Theresa, who were a pleasure to work with. I look forward to collaborating with you again soon!

You can check out John's recap of our photo shoot here.

Photograph ©John Valls.

Something Special for Mother's Day

2012-05-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is right around the corner. Have you decided how you're going to make the day memorable for your mom? If you're thinking of treating her to a special homemade breakfast, make her some crepes or scones and a batch of this Passion Fruit Curd.

She's sure to love it!

Here’s wishing a happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

Passion Fruit Curd
Printable Recipe

4 large egg yolks
3 ounces sugar
2 ounces passion fruit puree
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced

Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the passion fruit puree. Place the bowl over a medium pan of simmering water and heat, whisking constantly, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until thick. Immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in the butter. Chill.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups. Keeps for a day or two tightly sealed in the refrigerator. You will need about 4 passion fruits for this recipe. When buying passion fruits, look for fruit that's shrinkled—that's my word for shrunken and wrinkled—and trust me when I say there's no better way to describe a ripe passion fruit. To make passion fruit puree, halve the passion fruits, scoop out the flesh using a spoon, and strain it through a fine mesh sieve.

The Flavors of Celery

2012-04-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Celery is vastly underappreciated. Sure, it's an ingredient in mirepoix, but how often is it the star of the show, the feature flavor? I, for one, love its juicy crunch and bitter herbaceousness. Here's a dish that is a study in the flavor of celery. It was inspired by celeriac from the farmers market.

I added lovage from the garden and celery seeds for a variety of different celery flavor notes.

But before I get to the recipe, I'd like to invite you to visit my new photography portfolio. I've added a link to it in the sidebar on the right. It's a work in progress, but I hope you like it!

Celeriac Soup with Seared Scallops & Lovage Oil*
Printable Recipe

1 celeriac, diced
1 leek, pale parts only, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 small parsnip, diced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig Italian parsley
2 tablespoons packed lovage leaves
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 large sea scallops (about 1 pound), feet removed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon celery seeds, ground
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the celeriac, leek, parsnip, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and 2 quarts water in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the celeriac is tender.

Meanwhile, combine the lovage and ¼ cup of the oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Gently pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Season them generously with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the celery seed, and set aside at room temperature for about half an hour.

Strain the lovage oil through a fine mesh sieve. Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the scallops and cook without disturbing for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they release from the pan and are crusty and brown. Using tongs, turn the scallops and continue to cook over high heat another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the desired doneness. Moisture will just begin to accumulate on the surface of the scallops when they are medium-rare. Remove the scallops to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Discard the bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig from the soup, remove from the heat, and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the scallops in shallow individual bowls, divide the soup among them, being careful not to pour it directly over the scallops, and drizzle with the lovage oil. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. Celeriac is also known as celery root. Leeks tend to be very dirty, so rinse them thoroughly after you chop them. Celery leaves can be used if lovage leaves are unavailable. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender but remember: never fill a blender more than half way with hot liquid. This means you will need to blend the soup in batches and reheat it before serving.

*For everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores now.

Big News and Chocolate Therapy

2012-04-19T21:07:00.011-07:00

You know when life is so crazy busy that the only thing keeping you going is a good dose of dark chocolate? Well, that's how my life has been lately. I've had too many irons in the fire. It's why I haven't been here in a more than a couple of weeks…

Happily, I'm back now. And I have something really important to share. You see, I've been keeping a secret from you, but now I can finally tell—I HAVE A NEW COOKBOOK IN THE WORKS!!! It's all about flavored butters, a subject I'm passionate about because I use flavored butters in place of sauces all the time. I began to write about them in my first book Seared to Perfection, and now I'm going to have a book dedicated to flavored butters! My kitchen has been a frenzy of buttery recipe testing. Compound butters. Brown Butters. Drawn butters. Butters, butters, and more butters! Every meal I've made, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, has been anointed with a melting slice of flavored butter. My manuscript, which includes over 50 recipes for sweet and savory butters, is done now, and I couldn't be more excited because my publisher Harvard Common Press has already accepted it (my editor may have used the words "love it" when he told me). And on top of all that, they're considering hiring me to do the photography for the book! Over the next days, my agenda is to photograph flavored butters in all their luscious glory so that I can present them with a couple of sample images good enough to win the job. Keep your fingers crossed for me because I want nothing more than to do the photography for my book myself.

And as if that wasn't enough to keep me frantically busy, I was asked to teach an introductory baking class at Mount Hood Community College. I took on the job even though I was given only half a week to prepare for the term. What can I say, I just can't pass up a teaching opportunity!

A couple of other announcements…In case you've been wondering about that new footer you see down there, I accepted an invitation from The Daily Meal to become a member of their culinary network. It's a very cool website for food-minded people, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Check out the From Culinary Content Network section to see my last post about Savoy cabbage from the farmers market featured. Also, I'd like to thank Sweetspot.ca for featuring my Tuna Salad Niçoise.

Anyway, it's time for another dose of chocolate therapy to keep me going.

And off to work on that butter photo shoot!

Mint Chocolate Bars
Printable Recipe

For the shortbread crust:
6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the baking dish
7 ounces all-purpose flour
¾ ounce cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces sugar

For the chocolate layer:
3 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or scant 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

Make the shortbread crust:
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl, place the bowl over a medium pan of simmering water, and heat, stirring frequently, until melted. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium until blended. Beat in the chocolate until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until the dough comes together, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to the baking dish and press into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the chocolate layer:
Bring the cream to a bare simmer in a small, heavy saucepan. Place the chocolate into a small bowl, add the hot cream and peppermint extract, and whisk until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the shortbread and spread evenly. Let cool for a couple of hours, or until set.

To serve:
Using the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 12 bars. For a professional-looking presentation, cut the bars using a hot knife and wipe it clean between cuts. Bars keep for several days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Fresh from the Farmers Market

2012-03-31T18:06:00.004-07:00

Farmers market season is back! Sadly, I missed the opening day, but it was for a good cause—I had a cooking class on potato gnocchi to teach. But let's just say nothing was going to keep me from the market a second weekend in a row. I dragged my husband out of bed early, in fact. After a long grey winter, strolling through the colorful displays of lush produce inspired me anew. Greens and root vegetables are the main offerings this early in the season. Tuscan kale, curly kale, rainbow chard, Savoy cabbage, leeks, celeriac, yellow potatoes, and eggs looked good, so I stocked up.

I had no thought as to what I would make with these ingredients, but I knew it would be good…

And it was. With the cabbage I made Russian cabbage rolls, a family recipe. Delicious.

Golubtsi
Printable Recipe

1 large head green or Savoy cabbage
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion, julienned plus ½ onion, grated
1 ½ pounds 85% lean ground beef
¼ cup long grain rice
¼ cup minced Italian parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ¾ cups strained tomatoes, preferably Pomì brand
1 green or red bell pepper, julienned
Generous pinch cayenne pepper

Using a paring knife, cut the core out of the cabbage. Cook the cabbage in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process, reserving the cooking liquid, and then drain the cabbage thoroughly.

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil and the julienned onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 45 to 50 minutes, or until caramelized.*

Meanwhile, mix together the grated onion, ground beef, rice, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Carefully remove the outermost leaf of the cabbage and place it cupped side up on a work surface. Place about ¼ cup of the beef mixture toward the base of the cabbage leaf. Fold the base of the cabbage leaf over the beef mixture, tuck in either side, and roll all the way up. Make more cabbage rolls with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling in the same manner, using 2 overlapped cabbage leaves per roll as the leaves become smaller. As you work, arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down on a plate. Separate any remaining leaves from the heart of the cabbage.

Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, and cayenne to the pot. Line the pot with the remaining cabbage leaves and add the cabbage rolls seam side down. Add enough of the reserved cabbage cooking liquid to cover by an inch. Place a small upturned plate over the cabbage rolls, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and simmer, covered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cabbage rolls are cooked through. Remove the plate, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Serves 4. Serve with crusty bread. My mom always used green cabbage, but the Savoy cabbage at the market looked too good to pass up. Basmati rice is good in this recipe. The plate will keep the cabbage rolls completely submerged beneath the cooking liquid so that they cook evenly, and it will also keep them from unrolling as they simmer.

*For information on making and using caramelized onions and everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores now.

Pink Cakes and Freeze-Dried Strawberries

2012-03-20T17:08:00.009-07:00

My ingredient obsession of the moment: freeze-dried strawberries. Have you tried them yet? You may have had them in your breakfast cereal. They're light as a feather and seem to dissolve instantly on your tongue, and they taste like…well, imagine if you crammed an entire pint of super-ripe strawberries into your mouth along with a couple of strawberry Jolly Ranchers—that's how they taste.

Perhaps it's because strawberry season is three long months away or perhaps it's because freeze-dried strawberries really are that good, but I've been grinding them up and putting them in everything. I love how they turn buttercreams and cake batters technicolor pink. It's like when Dorothy found herself in Oz and suddenly the world was in brilliant color. But with flavor! Three quarters of an ounce of strawberry powder plus a little tinkering transformed my regular financier batter into these lovely treats.

I'm thinking of making pink angel food cake or pink yellow cake frosted with pink whipped cream next.

Strawberry-Almond Teacakes
Printable Recipe

¾ ounce freeze-dried strawberries
5 ½ ounces sugar
2 ½ ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the tins
2 ½ ounces almond meal
5 ounces egg whites, at room temperature
5 ounces (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the tins

Grind the freeze-dried strawberries to a fine powder in a blender, spice mill, or clean coffee grinder. Whisk together the strawberry powder, sugar, flour, and almond meal in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg whites until thoroughly combined and then whisk in the butter until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners and divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 24 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown and the edges of the teacakes start to shrink away from the pan. Let the teacakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Makes 1 dozen teacakes. Both the unbaked batter and the finished teacakes have good keeping qualities.

Have a Biscuit

2012-03-11T16:41:00.007-07:00

This morning I had a little bit of time to spare, so I decided to bake biscuits. Want one?

But before you dig in, I have to mention that registration for spring Clark College classes just opened. Please join me in the kitchen! I'll be teaching Seafood Primer, Quiche, Sensational Salads for Spring, and Muffins & Scones II. Current class listings can always be found in the Cooking Classes, Book Signings & Appearances sidebar on the right.

Cheddar-Herb Biscuits
Printable Recipe

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
2 teaspoons nigella seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, shredded
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, chives, parsley, nigella, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in the cheddar. Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Transfer to a work surface and knead a few times until the dough just holds together. Lightly flour the work surface, pat the dough into a 1-inch thick circle, and cut using a 2 ½-inch round cutter. Arrange the biscuits a couple of inches apart on parchment-lined baking trays. Gather the scraps, knead once or twice, and roll, cut, and arrange on baking trays in the same manner. Lightly brush the biscuits with the cream and sprinkle with the paprika. Bake for 24 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes about 2 dozen small biscuits. Work quickly and with a light touch to prevent the butter in the pastry from melting. Dip the cutter into a little flour between each cut to prevent the dough from sticking to it. Serve biscuits warm, possibly stuffed with a slice of good ham. Nigella, which can also be known as kalonji or charnushka, tastes very much like thyme and is available at Indian markets and at Penzeys Spices. Biscuits keep for a day or two in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Chinese Roast Pork Belly

2012-02-29T23:55:00.010-08:00

It's all about the skin…

It's also about the unctuous meat beneath…

But really it's all about that marvelous crisp and golden brown skin. It must be manipulated into puffing up like a chicharron. Like a pork doodle. Let me tell you about the process…

But first, I have a few tidbits to share. Fellow food writer Amy Rogers Nazarov quoted me in her article "Social Media" in the February issue of The ASJA Monthly—thanks for the interview, Amy! Michael Natkin over at Herbivoracious blogged these Homemade Caraway Rye Crackers based on my recipe for Semolina Crackers—how cool is that?! And I was featured on Mother Lovely—what an honor! I just have to say that knowing my work can give others inspiration in some small way is such an amazing feeling!

Chinese Roast Pork Belly
Printable Recipe

1 2 ½ pound piece skin-on pork belly
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Kosher salt

Using a pair of fish tweezers, remove any bristles from the skin of the pork belly. Mix together the baking soda and 1 tablespoon of water in a dish that's just large enough to hold the pork belly. Add the pork belly skin side down, sprinkle the flesh side with the five-spice, and scatter over the garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Discard the garlic. Transfer the pork to a paper towel-lined plate skin side down and drain for about a minute. Transfer the pork to a cutting board skin side up, brush the skin with the rice vinegar, and pat dry with paper towels. With a knife, score the skin with a diamond pattern, being careful not to pierce the flesh. Season the pork generously with salt. Transfer the pork to a rack on a roasting pan skin side up and refrigerate uncovered overnight.

Remove the pork from the refrigerator and set aside at room temperature for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roast the pork for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375°F and roast for another 35 to 45 minutes, or until cooked through. Turn the broiler on and cook, maneuvering the pork under the broiler as necessary so that it browns evenly, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and puffed all over. Remove the pork to a cutting board and allow to rest uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting. Cut the pork into bite-size pieces and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8. Start this recipe 2 days before you intend to serve it. Select a meaty piece of pork belly. The thick skin would ordinarily cook up hard and chewy. So how do we coax it into becoming an irresistible light crackling instead? It's a matter of breaking down the skin and drying it out (i.e. drawing out as much moisture as possible) before it goes into the oven and then using very high heat to cook it. This is accomplished with baking soda, vinegar, salt, refrigerating uncovered, and high heat roasting and broiling. (Many recipes call for scalding the pork skin by pouring boiling hot water over it as a first step, but I find this to be unnecessary if the pork is impeccably fresh and of the highest quality. I've also heard of people using baking powder, lye water, and even vodka for processing the skin.) Encouraging the fat to render, which is done by scoring (though you can pierce the skin all over, like hundreds of times, instead), is also key. Take care measuring and applying the baking soda as excess can react with the fat in the heat of the oven and cause a soapy off flavor. Incidentally, one purpose of the vinegar in this recipe is to neutralize the baking soda to prevent that from happening. The pork must sit level on the roasting rack so that fat can run off as it renders—pooling fat will inhibit formation of the crackling—and so that it broils evenly. If it is not level, prop up the low spots with some wadded up pieces of foil. Position the pan on the center rack of the oven for the duration of the cooking time—do not move it up for the broiling step. One last thing, when the pork comes out of the oven, don't tent it with foil as it rests to prevent condensation from forming and sogging out the crackling.

Twiks Bars

2012-02-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

Forget the heart-shaped box of chocolates. Your sweetie would rather have these…

You would rather have these…

To all the romantics out there, happy Valentine's Day!

Twiks Bars
Printable Recipe

For the shortbread crust:
12 ounces (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the baking dish
15 ounces all-purpose flour
3 ounces sugar
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

For the caramel layer:
10 ounces sugar
4 ounces water
3 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel

For the chocolate layer:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or scant 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsalted (¾ stick) butter, diced

Make the shortbread crust:
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to the baking dish and press into an even layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the caramel layer:
Combine the sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water, and boil for 11 to 13 minutes, or until caramelized. The sugar will be fragrant and a deep amber color when it is caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and dip the bottom into an ice water bath for a second or two. Slowly stir in the cream and butter and then stir in the fleur de sel. Pour the caramel over the shortbread and spread evenly. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the chocolate layer:
Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl, place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water, and heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer and spread evenly. Let cool for a couple of hours, or until set.

To serve:
Using the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into portions and serve.

Makes 24 bars. Inspired by a certain well-known and well-loved candy bar: Twix. For a professional-looking presentation, cut the bars using a hot knife and wipe it clean between cuts. Bars keep for several days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Egg Salad

2012-01-29T23:23:00.001-08:00

Here's my favorite ingredient in another starring role…

But first, big thanks go out to The Kitchn for including my Cheesy Masa Cornbread in their Delicious Links and BlogEats for featuring my Semolina Crackers.

Mom's Egg Salad
Printable Recipe

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon canola oil
1 large yellow onion, julienned
8 hard-cooked eggs
½ cup sliced green onions
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add ¼ cup of the oil and the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until caramelized.* Let cool.

In a large bowl, mash the eggs with a fork or potato masher until the desired texture. Toss in the caramelized onions along with their oil, green onions, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 4. This is my mother's version of Russian Jewish egg salad, but my baba, like any good Jewish grandmother, made it with chicken schmaltz and cracklings. Don't be shy with the black pepper—it really needs a generous quantity. Often used as a filling for baked Russian pastries called pirozhki.

*For information on making and using caramelized onions and everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores now.

Cornier Cornbread

2012-01-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

My husband loves cornbread. I love the idea of cornbread. But usually it’s a false promise—rarely does it deliver the earthy, corny flavor I crave. So the last time I was whipping up a batch of cornbread to go with some chili, I got to thinking…Certain chili recipes rely on masa harina for thickening…Masa has big flavor, and masa and chiles are the perfect pairing…Why not make a side of cornbread using masa harina instead of cornmeal?

Turns out it works beautifully well. The result is a thoroughly satisfying cornbread, and I may never go back to cornmeal cornbread again.

Cheesy Masa Cornbread
Printable Recipe

2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the baking dish
6 ounces masa harina
4 ounces all-purpose flour
½ ounce sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces milk, at room temperature
6 ounces buttermilk, at room temperature
4 ounces cheddar, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk together the masa harina, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, buttermilk, and butter in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the masa harina mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the cheddar. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges of the cornbread start to shrink away from the baking dish and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, cut into portions, and serve.

Serves 6 to 8. Masa harina for tamales, which has a coarse texture, is best here. This cornbread happily straddles the lines between Southern, Southwestern, and Mexican food, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to a big bowl of Real Texas Chili.

Cheese and Crackers

2012-01-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

If there's one certainty in the world of food, it's that fine cheese must not be served with mediocre crackers. It is a universal truth, and everyone knows it. Yet we serve artisan cheese with store-bought crackers all the time. It’s a shame. It’s a disgrace. It's an injustice against cheese. Why would we spend so much effort (and money—good cheese is expensive) on selecting the perfect cheese, only to debase it with crackers that taste suspiciously like the cardboard box they came in? Crackers ought not be an afterthought—they should be delicious in their own right. The crackers must be worthy of the cheese.

And these are.

Semolina Crackers
Printable Recipe

6 ounces semolina
6 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
6 ounces warm water
1 ½ ounces extra virgin olive oil

Combine the semolina, flour, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl. Add the water and ¾ ounce of the oil and mix until a rough dough forms. Transfer to a work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Cut the dough into quarters and form each portion into a ball. Wrap each portion separately in plastic wrap and let rest for about half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough to an 11×14-inch, 1/32 to 1/16-inch thick rectangle. As you work, transfer the rectangles to parchment-lined baking trays. Lightly brush the rectangles with the remaining ¾ ounce oil and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer crackers to a rack and let cool to room temperature. Break into irregular pieces and enjoy with or without cheese.

Yields about 12 ounces. Crackers keep for about a week in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

For flavored crackers, mix 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, poppy seeds, nigella seeds, or fresh rosemary needles into the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.

Luck for the New Year

2012-01-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, dear reader! How did you bring in 2012? I spent New Year's Eve with my parents at their home in Texas eating Purple Hull peas (along with some blackened snapper and Fried Okra). Why Purple Hull peas? Well, in the South eating Black Eyed peas is a New Year's tradition that's said to bring good luck. As I didn't want dried Black Eyed peas and frozen fresh Black Eyed peas weren't available, I went for the next closest thing—another variety of cowpeas. By the time they're cooked, you can hardly tell the difference anyway.

So have a bowl of Purple Hull peas for luck, and may your 2012 be full of prosperity, happiness, and joy!

Stewed Purple Hull Peas
Printable Recipe

1 slice bacon, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds thawed frozen Purple Hull peas
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
5 cocktail tomatoes, diced
Several drops Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy pot pan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add the bacon and fry, tossing frequently, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until rendered. Add the onion and sauté for 8 to 9 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the peas, cayenne, bay leaf, and enough water to cover by about 1 ½ inches. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming off any scum that rises to the surface, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through. Discard the bay leaf, stir in the tomatoes and Tabasco, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 8 as a side dish. Black Eyed peas can be substituted for the Purple Hull peas. Use fresh peas in the summer when they're in season. The peas will be tender and creamy when they are cooked through. Good served over white rice or cornbread for soaking up the pot liquor.

Peperoncini

2011-12-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

These little devils pack a lot of punch. So I learned when I absentmindedly tossed a bunch into a simmering red sauce. Let's just say the sauce wasn't as angry as it was furious. The next time I carefully counted out the peperoncini—just six of them—to achieve a pleasant warm heat, the perfect level of arrabbiata.

Cavatelli with Angry Tomato Sauce
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced
½ small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 dried peperoncini, minced
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Fresh Cavatelli
Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmegiano-Reggiano, for serving

Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the pancetta and fry, tossing frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta to a plate. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and peperoncini and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Return the pancetta to the pan, add the tomatoes (along with their liquid), and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, for about 45 minutes, or until thickened and saucy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook the cavatelli in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the cavatelli when it is al dente. Add the cavatelli to the sauce and toss to coat. Arrange on individual plates, top with plenty of cheese, and serve immediately.

Serves 4. In Italy, chiles are known as peperoncini. Fiery and flavorful dried peperoncini can be found at well-stocked Italian markets. Quality ones are pliable and easy to mince. If they are unavailable, use several pinches of red chile flakes in their place. You can substitute 1 pound store-bought pasta for the Fresh Cavatelli, if you must. A splash of heavy cream is nice addition to the sauce.

Pleasures of Pasta Dough

2011-12-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

Remember the joy of playing with Silly Putty as a kid? It was squishy, mushy, sticky, stretchy, bouncy impossible-to-put-down fun! Almost equally irresistible were Play-Doh, glarch, and that sticky gum-like substance my teachers used for hanging up posters. I loved all that stuff.

And it turns out I never outgrew it. Just yesterday as I was making a big batch of cavatelli for dinner, it dawned on me that the reason I enjoy making pasta by hand is it appeals to the little girl in me who loved playing with Silly Putty. It's the same sensation, only pasta tastes better. How's that for a deep thought?

Homemade cavatelli, by the way, is the current favorite pasta around here. I adore it because it's so much fun to make and each individual piece of pasta scoops up just the right amount of sauce. My husband prefers it for its resilient, satisfying chew. We can't get enough cavatelli!

Fresh Cavatelli
Printable Recipe

16 ounces semolina
7 ½ ounces warm water

Combine the flour and water in a large bowl and mix until a rough dough forms. The dough will seem very dry at this point, but resist the temptation to add more water. Transfer to a work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for about half an hour.

Cut the dough into eighths. Keeping the remaining dough covered as you work, roll 1 portion of dough into a ½-inch thick rope. If the dough springs back as you roll it, cover it with plastic wrap and let it relax for a few minutes before continuing. Using a table knife, cut a ¾-inch piece of the rope. With the side of the knife, press down on the cut side of the piece of dough, dragging it toward you at the same time. Unroll the resulting little cup of dough. Make more cavatelli with the remaining dough in the same manner. As you work, arrange the cavatelli in a single layer on lightly floured parchment-lined baking trays. Let dry for a few hours.

Makes about 1 ¼ pounds, enough for 4 to 6 main-course servings. Cook as you would any other pasta, in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 10 to 12 minutes, or until al dente. Cavatelli can be turned inside out to form orecchiette (watch me make orecchiette in this video).

Lasagna Love

2011-12-01T11:41:00.001-08:00

My pasta kick continues. There's no doubt that making Lasagna Bolognese from scratch is a labor of love, but all the time and effort results in nothing less than a small miracle.

Trust me when I say people will bow down to you in thanks and admiration.

Want to work culinary wonders of your own? Join me in the kitchen to learn how! Registration for fall Clark College classes just opened. I'll be teaching Money Saving Bulk Aisle Cooking, Chocolate Desserts, Island Dreaming, and Potato Gnocchi, and I hope you can come. Current class listings can always be found in the Cooking Classes, Book Signings & Appearances sidebar on the right.

Lasagna Bolognese
Printable Recipe

2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the baking dish
2 ounces all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
½ small yellow onion
1 bay leaf
1 clove
Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Fresh Egg Pasta lasagna
6 cups Ragu Bolognese
6 ounces grated Parmegiano-Reggiano

Heat the butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until it melts, bubbles, and the foam subsides. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it begins to smell toasty. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, add the onion, bay leaf, clove, and nutmeg, and simmer for 20 to 22 minutes, or until thick. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Cook the lasagna in 5 or 6 batches in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it begins to soften. When the lasagna begins to soften, using a wire skimmer, transfer it from the pot to a large bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process, and then drain it thoroughly. Layer the lasagna between clean kitchen towels to dry.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Butter a deep 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread ¾ cup of the ragu in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a single layer of lasagna in the dish, spread evenly with ½ cup of the white sauce and then a heaping ¾ cup of the ragu, and sprinkle evenly with ¼ cup of the Parmegiano. Make more layers with the remaining lasagna, white sauce, ragu, and Parmegiano in the same manner, finishing on a layer of Parmegiano. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Cover with foil to keep warm and allow to rest 20 to 25 minutes before serving.

Serves 8. The lasagna should be boiled until it begins to soften but not until it is al dente. Undercooking the pasta in this way ensures that it doesn't become too mushy once it's baked.

Ode to the Egg

2011-11-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

It brings me great pleasure to announce that my epic egg poem, which first appeared here and incidentally happens to be a personal favorite piece of mine, has been published in the current issue of The Virginia Culinary Thymes (on pages 4 to 5), an online periodical published by the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends at Virginia Tech. I hope you enjoy reading it (or re-reading it, as the case may be) as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Chestnuts and Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T23:45:00.000-08:00

Are chestnuts a part of your holiday celebrations?

For the first time, they'll be a part of ours. That's because on our last trip to the Hood River Valley the hubby and I discovered a lovely little chestnut orchard.

Bernardo, the orchard owner, was so welcoming and generous I became a fan instantly.

I don't know why we never realized the orchard was there before, and I don't know why I never cooked with chestnuts before, but I guess better late than never…

So I've been experimenting with different ways to roast chestnuts. I've tried open fire, I've tried the oven, and I've even tried the microwave (which until now had been relegated to melting butter and reheating leftovers), all with fine results. And with every batch, I've been noticing that the chestnuts are getting better with age—they've changed from crisp to fluffy and sweet over the two weeks since we got them. Apparently, keeping them in a paper bag in the crisper section of the refrigerator works wonders.

While chestnuts are popular in sweets and desserts, to my taste they're more suited to savories and for snacking. They make me think of sweetened Russet potatoes, so they feel like a natural addition to any number of Thanksgiving side dishes. Hence my combination of chestnuts, Brussels sprouts, and bacon.

Side note: For more Thanksgiving recipe inspiration, check out the cool mosaics on Pasplore. Somewhere in there you'll find a few of my Thanksgiving recipes.

May your Thanksgiving be happy, healthy, and delicious!

Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts, Shallots & Bacon
Printable Recipe

6 ounces chestnuts
3 slices bacon, diced
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
6 small shallots, quartered
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Using a chestnut knife, cut an X in the cheek of each chestnut. Arrange the chestnuts in a single layer on a baking tray and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tender. Let rest for about 5 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle. Peel and dice.

Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add the bacon and fry, tossing frequently, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl. Add the butter to the pan and heat until it melts, bubbles, and the foam subsides. Add the Brussels sprouts, shallots, and chestnuts and toss to coat with the butter. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are tender and golden brown. Toss in the bacon, transfer to a bowl, and serve immediately.

Serves 6. Enjoy in the fall, when both Brussels sprouts and chestnuts are in season. Chestnuts are easiest to peel when they're hot. For the best results, be sure not to overcrowd the pan.

Late Fall in the Hood River Valley

2011-11-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

The yearly fall pilgrimage to the Hood River Valley to stock up on apples. I love it out there this time of year after the fall harvest festivities are over. The visitors go home, and a calm settles over the valley.

You have the fields and orchards all to yourself.

And of course, you have all that fruit to yourself. In addition to the countless varieties of apples, pears, and winter squash, this year there were new crops of walnuts and hazelnuts for inspiration.

Inspiration such as these cinnamon-scented apple muffins with walnut streusel topping…

Apple Crumb Muffins
Printable Recipe

Nonstick pan spray, optional
10 ounces all-purpose flour
8 ounces light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ ounces walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature plus 4 ounces (1 stick), melted
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Braeburn apples, peeled and diced

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Grease a jumbo 6-cup muffin pan with nonstick pan spray or line with paper liners.

Whisk together 2 ounces of the flour, 3 ounces of the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the nuts in a medium bowl. Add the room temperature butter and, using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture holds together in clumps.

Whisk together the remaining 8 ounces of flour, 5 ounces of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the apples. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and spread the nut mixture evenly over the muffins. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the edges of the muffins start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling completely.

Makes 6 jumbo muffins. Can also be made in a standard 12-cup muffin pan—just adjust the baking time accordingly. Any variety of cooking apple may be used instead of the Braeburns. Muffins keep well and stay moist for 2 to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Inspired by Hawaii

2011-11-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

The worst thing about traveling is coming home and not being able to find the one ingredient that you were inspired to cook with. Since our trip to Hawaii, I've had about a million ideas for playing with passion fruit…passion fruit tarts, passion fruit bars, passion fruit cheesecake, passion fruit gelato, passion fruit curd, the list goes on and on. But all that inspiration is for nothing—it turns out passion fruit is nearly impossible to find around here, and when you do manage to locate the few lifeless lilikoi that are available, you realize all your bright ideas may never materialize because each fruit costs a small fortune.

Time to turn my attention to the trip's second most inspirational ingredient. Thankfully, this one's not so hard to find…Mmm, coconut!

Chocolate-Coconut Muffins
Printable Recipe

Nonstick pan spray, optional
8 ounces all-purpose flour
5 ounces sugar
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces coconut milk
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup shredded coconut, optional

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick pan spray or line with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, sugar, chocolate, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and sprinkle the muffins with the coconut, if desired. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the edges of the muffins start to shrink away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and finish cooling completely.

Makes 1 dozen muffins. They keep well and stay moist for 2 to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.

Ono

2011-11-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

It's Hawaiian for delicious. Isn't it a fun word?

Hubby and I just had our tenth anniversary, and we celebrated in ono style with a trip to Maui. During our short seven days there, we toured almost every part of the island and managed to consume more tropical fruit than we had had during the entirety our marriage.

In a macadamia nutshell, the food on Maui is pork, beef, and fresh fish—especially mahi-mahi and ahi tuna—with Asian flavors and lots of tropical fruit. Steamed rice and creamy but bland macaroni salad (possibly heavier on the mayo than the macaroni) seem to accompany every meal, including breakfast. A selection of noodle dishes appears on most menus. The fruity adult beverages are to die for. Oh, and Spam is ubiquitous, but we didn't feel the need to delve quite that deep into the culture.

Our first meal, at the local favorite Da Kitchen, was an enormous traditional Hawaiian "plate lunch" consisting of succulent and salty shredded kalua pig, pork lau lau, lomi-lomi salmon (more fun words!), brothy ginger-scented chicken long rice, and two scoops of rice.

We also tried a plate lunch with kalbi short ribs at Aloha Mixed Plate as we eavesdropped on the luau next door. By the way, I gather this sort of combination is referred to as a plate lunch even if it's eaten for dinner. We never did get around to tasting the poi, though we did see a number of taro ponds. As tasty as the plate lunches were, when you plan on spending the majority of your waking hours in a bathing suit, it seems prudent to partake in lighter fare…

And so, this was the first vacation the hubby and I actually spent more time on activities other than fooding.

We floated in the waves and snorkeled with the colorful fish and the graceful, curious sea turtles. We bird watched, and we were endlessly amused by the riot of birds in constant motion around the fragrant guava tree behind our hotel room. We explored the black sand beach.

And the surrounding cliffs, with their curious vegetation.

We drove the winding road through lush tropical jungle to Hana.

And marveled along the way at the beauty of the eucalyptus trees.

We pulled over to the side of the road to feel the texture of their rainbow bark.

To prove to ourselves they were for real.

We watched the expert surfers, wind surfers, and kite boarders from the beach (as we enjoyed an ahi poke picnic), but we thought the waves would be bigger.

We took in the views from above the clouds on the moon-like summit of Haleakala.

We daydreamed about the freedom of sailing the high seas.

We gazed at the sunset.

We gazed…

And we gazed…

And we gazed…

Still, being that we are who we are, we must seek out edible activities for our travels not to feel incomplete. Every farmers market—apparently a single roadside fruit stand constitutes a "farmers market" on Maui—warranted a visit, no matter how tiny or out of the way.

We picked up macadamia nuts still in the shell, yellow-skinned lilikoi—that's passion fruit and yet another fun-to-say Hawaiian word—for the bargain price of four for $1, mangoes sweeter than honey, and a juicy, just this side of cloying pineapple.

Three-bite, complexly flavored apple bananas were the norm.

In fact, I don't remember seeing a single "regular" banana while we were there. Coconuts were whacked open to order.

Cups of coconut water were free for the asking.

Addictive coconut chips, sold as coconut candy, were available in either sweet or spicy varieties at the quirky stand on the road to Hana.

The loaded coconut trees everywhere prompted my husband, with his ever inquisitive mind, to ask, "How many people die from coconut strikes each year?" There was also a small amount of foraging, as we passed wild guava and avocado trees in the jungle. Hubby wondered if they were growing wild or wildly growing. There was trespassing too as I tried to get a glimpse of the pineapple fields.

Apparently pineapple thieves are a big problem on Maui. Hubby yelled at me, insisting I obey the signs, but as you can see, I took my chances in order to watch the harvest.

One of the highlights of the trip was our visit to the isolated Ono Organic Farms. We were greeted by a lovely spread and the even lovelier news that it would be a private tour.

We did a tasting of all of the fruits that were in season, and we strolled the farm until a tropical deluge forced us back under the cover of the porch.

Between the farm itself and their roadside stand in Hana, we tasted fibrous mamey sapote, low acid pineapple, star fruit, star apple, white and strawberry guavas, both wild and sweet lilikoi, strawberry papaya, a new-to-me variety of juicy avocado, rambutan, longan, dragon fruit, pink and white pomelo, Apple banana (to our extreme disappointment, the Ice Cream bananas were not yet ripe), macadamia nuts, sour cucumber-shaped bilimbi, spicy Surinam cherries, peanut butter fruit, which tastes just like the name implies, and ripe coffee berries.

The guava was a revelation. We couldn't get enough of the lilikoi, but the star fruit was disappointing as I'd had better before.

I couldn't bring myself to like the papaya even though it was by far the best quality specimen I'd ever tasted.

Strangely, it smelled a lot like funky cheese to me.

On the tour, we saw many of the things we had experienced during the tasting and then some. We discovered that papayas grow in a very orderly columnar fashion and that, though they are easy to confuse from a distance, guava is a tree and lilikoi is a vine. Banana flowers and "hands" of bananas were quite sight.

Who knew sugar cane was so colorful?

We saw jackfruit (from which Juicy Fruit gum gets its flavor) as big as watermelons and softball-size breadfruit on the tree. If falling coconuts are a problem, imagine what a risk jackfruit and breadfruit strikes must be! We admired the broad, deeply veined leaves of a turmeric plant. Then our tour guide had us take a whiff of one particularly nondescript looking tree and guess what it was. I said cinnamon, and she exclaimed that I was the first ever to correctly identify it. I bet she says that to everyone because the aroma was unmistakable. We saw macadamia nuts and cashews growing and learned that macs must be dried in the sun before they can be extricated from their shells and cashews are poisonous unless heat-processed correctly. Most fascinating were the cacao pods, which mature from brown to pale blue-green to yellow and sprout directly from the trunk and branches of the tree.

Unfortunately I couldn't convince our tour guide to break into a cacao pod or even sell me one for less than $40—that's about $1 per seed, but we did get to try previously cleaned raw cacao seeds, which tasted remarkably like chocolate. It was fascinating, and if I ever find myself in Maui again, I'm going back to Ono.

In case you're wondering, the lighter fare that I spoke of we found at the small, out-of-the-way Star Noodle. The homemade ramen at this modern Asian-inspired restaurant hit the spot so well that we returned there for two more meals to sample the other offerings: tempura colossal prawns, steamed pork buns, sous vide rib-eye, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and kimchee puree, garlic noodles, malasadas, and the outrageously ono tropical fruit saketinis. The best part was that only locals and in-the-know tourists would ever find this place.

Also memorable and definitely worthy of mention were the guri guri, a frozen novelty in pineapple and strawberry flavors with a texture that's somewhere between that of sherbet and shaved ice, at Tasaka Guri Guri (70 E Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului, 808-871-4513), the refreshing shaved ice with homemade fruit syrups—made right, not grainy and crunchy like a snow cone—at Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice, the truly ono tropical fruit sorbets at Ono Gelato, and the locally made furikake potato chips I picked up at TJ's Warehouse Outlet.

We returned home a little tanner, a little more relaxed, and a carved wood tiki salt and pepper shaker set heavier. And though we're suffering from tropical fruit withdrawal (going from four lilikoi to zero per day is a severe shock to the system), we are full of ono memories of our time in Maui and looking forward to the adventures the next ten years together will bring.

First Chanterelles of the Season

2011-10-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

My husband has developed what can only be described as a sixth sense for mushrooms. Somehow, he knows exactly when and where to look. He said it was time to go hunting. But the weather seemed too warm, and the fog hadn't set in yet. I was certain that the sun was too direct, I was convinced that the ground was too dry. I questioned him. I second-guessed him. I doubted him. Until he led me right to them.

The first chanterelles of the season. This time, I was all too happy to admit he was right.

Despite my husband's keen mushroom hunting intuition, chanterelles are still a rare treat for us. So whenever we find some, we pull out all the stops and make something very special with them. This time it was delicate ravioli.

But before I get to the recipe, here's my interview on the Lonely Gourmet in case you missed it. We chatted about my cookbook and the finer points of searing. So much fun!

Chanterelle Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ pound chanterelles, torn into bite-size pieces
1 glove garlic, minced
8 ounces ricotta
1 ½ ounces grated Parmegiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
1 large egg
Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Fresh Egg Pasta dough, cut into sixths
6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, diced
¼ cup fresh sage leaves

Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chanterelles and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool.

Combine the chanterelles, ricotta, Parmegiano, egg, and nutmeg in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sheet and form just 1 or 2 pieces of the pasta dough at a time according to the recipe, sheeting it until the second-to-last narrowest setting of the rollers and using 1 teaspoon of filling per ravioli. As you work, arrange the ravioli in a single layer on lightly floured parchment-lined baking trays.

Heat a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the butter and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until browned. Add the sage and a generous pinch of pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until the sage is crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and dip the bottom into an ice water bath for a second or two.

Meanwhile, cook the ravioli in 2 or 3 batches in a large pot of boiling, salted water, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are al dente. When the ravioli are al dente, using a wire skimmer, transfer them from the pot to a large bowl, drizzle with a bit of the brown butter, and gently toss to coat. Arrange on individual plates, drizzle with the remaining brown butter, top with plenty of Parmegiano, and serve immediately.

Makes approximately 7 dozen 1 ½-inch ravioli, serving 6 as a main course. This was the ravioli plaque used. Speed the cooking time by using two large pots of water for boiling the ravioli. Uncooked ravioli may be frozen in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray and transferred to a zip-top bag when frozen solid. Ravioli keep for several weeks frozen. Add them to boiling water while still frozen—there's no need to thaw them, just increase their cooking time by a couple of minutes. Keep scraps of dough leftover from cutting ravioli to put in soup.

Fresh Egg Pasta

2011-10-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

It's one thing that should be in every cook's repertoire.

Clockwise from top right: garganelli, corzetti, farfalle, spaghetti, linguini, pappardelle.

But before I share the recipe, I'd like to invite you to tune in to my interview on the Lonely Gourmet at 6PM EST on Friday, October 14. Click to listen live.

Fresh Egg Pasta
Printable Recipe

13 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Combine the flour and eggs in a large bowl and mix until a rough dough forms. The dough will seem dry at this point, but resist the temptation to add more liquid. Transfer to a work surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for about half an hour.

Cut the dough into sixths. Flatten 1 portion of dough and pass it through a pasta machine 3 times with the rollers at the widest setting, folding the pasta sheet widthwise into thirds between each pass and feeding the folded pasta into the machine with the folds perpendicular to the rollers. Pass the remaining portions of dough through the pasta machine in the same manner. Close the rollers down 1 notch and pass each pasta sheet through the pasta machine once. Continue passing the pasta sheets through the pasta machine with the rollers at successively narrower settings until the pasta sheets are the desired thickness. As you work, lay the pasta sheets flat in a single layer on a lightly floured surface or clean kitchen towels.

Cut and form the pasta sheets as desired into lasagna, pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccini, linguini, spaghetti, garganelli, corzetti, farfalle, ravioli, tortellini, or other shape.

Makes about 1 ¼ pounds, enough for 4 to 6 main-course servings. Making pasta is all about developing a feel for the dough—the more batches you have under your belt, the easier it becomes. Here's what you need to know to get started…Farm fresh eggs with golden yolks make for the best pasta. The amount of flour needed may vary depending on the brand of the flour, the size of the eggs, and the humidity. It's much easier to add flour to a wet dough than it is to add liquid to a dry dough, so hold back a bit of the flour at first and then add more if the dough feels sticky. The result should be a firm dough that isn't sticky at all, and kneading it is quite a workout. If you or the dough need a break, wrap the dough in plastic wrap or cover with an inverted bowl and let rest for up to 5 minutes. When you just can't knead any more, take heart in the fact that rolling the dough through the pasta machine will continue the kneading process. Keep pieces of dough covered until you're ready to roll them out. Using a pasta machine is easier with an extra set of hands, so bribe someone to do the cranking for you with a fabulous homemade pasta dinner. Lightly flour the pasta sheets if they stick or tear as they go through the pasta machine. Catch the pasta sheets as they come out from between the rollers without pulling or tugging. Sheets of pasta may stick to smooth surfaces such as marble or stainless steel, so keep work surfaces dusted with flour or lay the pasta sheets on clean flour sack kitchen towels. Pasta is less likely to stick to wood surfaces. If the pasta sheets get too long to work with comfortably, feel free to cut them into more manageable lengths. For most shapes, pasta is rolled as thin as the second-to-last or third-to-last narrowest setting of the rollers, but thickness is largely a matter of personal preference. Passing all of the pieces of pasta through each setting of the rollers is more efficient than sheeting 1 piece at a time, and it allows all of the sheets to dry at a more even rate. However, hand-formed shapes such as garganelli, farfalle, ravioli, and tortellini must be made with freshly-rolled pasta that hasn't had a chance to dry and harden, so sheet and form just 1 or 2 pieces of dough at a time. For long cut pasta such as fettuccini and spaghetti, allow sheets of pasta to dry a bit until they just start to feel leathery before cutting them. Strands of pasta cut from sheets that are too moist will stick to each other, and pasta sheets that are too dry will shatter when cut. Dust pasta sheets with flour if there's ever any sign of stickage, but try not to use any more flour than necessary (excess flour can be removed with a pastry brush). To cut sheeted pasta into ribbons or strands, dust it with flour and pass it through pasta machine cutters or fold it up widthwise loosely and slice it lengthwise with a knife. For other shapes, use a straight or fluted pastry wheel or other specialized tool. Cut and form shapes as follows:

Lasagna: cut the sheeted pasta into 9-inch lengths.

Pappardelle: cut the sheeted pasta into ½ to 1-inch wide strands.

Tagliatelle: cut the sheeted pasta into ¼ to ½-inch wide strands.

Fettuccini: cut the sheeted pasta into ¼-inch wide strands.

Linguini: cut the sheeted pasta into 1/8-inch wide strands.

Spaghetti: cut the sheeted pasta into strands that are as wide as they are thick.

Garganelli: cut the sheeted pasta into 1 ½ to 2-inch squares. Roll each pasta square, starting from a corner, around a rolling stick while pressing lightly against a garganelli board, forming ridged tubes with pointed ends. A gnocchi board may be used if a garganelli board is unavailable.

Corzetti: cut the sheeted pasta into circles using a corzetti cutter and press each circle, first making sure that it is well floured, using a corzetti stamp, forming large coins.

Farfalle: cut the sheeted pasta into 1×2-inch rectangles and pinch each rectangle at the center, forming butterflies or bows.

Ravioli: cut the sheeted pasta into pieces slightly longer than a ravioli plaque. Dust a pasta sheet with flour on 1 side only and lay it floured side down on the ravioli plaque. Place a small amount of filling into each depression. Using a fingertip, lightly moisten the pasta around each depression with water. Drape another sheet of pasta over the filled ravioli plaque, eliminating any air pockets as you go. Roll a rolling pin across the ravioli plaque, pressing down hard to cut out the ravioli. To remove the ravioli, invert the plaque onto a lightly floured surface. Make more ravioli with the remaining pasta pieces in the same manner. If a ravioli plaque is unavailable, sandwich evenly spaced bits of filling between sheets of pasta in the same manner, moistening the pasta around the filling with water and eliminating air pockets, and cut ravioli using a cookie cutter, ravioli stamp, or pastry wheel. Size varies.

Tortellini: cut the sheeted pasta into circles using a cookie cutter or ravioli stamp. Place a small amount of filling in the center of a pasta circle. Using a fingertip, lightly moisten the edges of the circle with water. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling, forming a half circle, and eliminating any air pockets, firmly pinch the edges together to seal. Lightly moisten the corners of the wrapper along the straight side of the half circle with water. Fold the two corners together and firmly pinch to seal. Make more tortellini with the remaining pasta circles in the same manner. Sheeted pasta may be cut into squares using a pastry wheel instead of circles. Formed in the same manner as the wontons pictured here. Size varies.

Maltagliati: scraps leftover from cutting other pasta shapes, literally "badly cut". Good for soup.

Arrange short cut pasta in a single layer and dust long cut pasta generously with flour and form loose nests on pasta screens, lightly floured parchment-lined baking trays, or towel-lined baking trays. Alternatively, hang long cut pasta on a pasta rack. Pasta may be left at room temperature like this to dry for up to several hours or cooked immediately. Cook in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Cooking time is usually only 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta and how long it has been left to dry.

The Final Word on Macaroni and Cheese

2011-10-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Macaroni and cheese used to be a tangle of steaming spaghetti with butter and cheese melting into it and a generous grinding of black pepper on top. All gooey and stringy, that's how my mom would make it when I was a kid. She cooked the pasta beyond al dente until it was tender, and she must've used cheddar or mozzarella or possibly Monterey jack but I can't remember for sure. She was never one for sauces.

Then one day, I had dinner at a friend's house and discovered the joy of macaroni bathed in a cheese sauce. It came in the form of Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I know it seems odd to give Kraft credit for one of my formative food experiences, but I still remember it as the moment that I, an impressionable teenager, tasted a creamy cheese sauce for the very first time.

(For the record, I never ate the stuff in the blue box. For some reason, my little brother was crazy for that crap, but not me.)

So now when I close my eyes and imagine the perfect comfort food macaroni and cheese, the dish the kid in me idealizes, I think of a velvety cheese sauce flavored boldly with real cheddar cheese. And I imagine an effortless recipe that is a cinch to quickly throw together on a whim and can be made with ingredients that are always on hand.

It's elusive, this macaroni and cheese I dream of.

For or a long time I thought it didn't exist at all. Most versions that I have had…that I have myself made don't live up. Macaroni and cheese made with roux-based white sauce doesn't quite do it for me because it tastes more like the white sauce than the cheese, no matter how expert the execution and fine the ingredients. It doesn't have the right creaminess either. Besides all that, why should a dish so humble require at least 45 minutes, the use of both the stovetop and the oven, and the dirtying of two pots, a colander, and a baking dish? Boxed macaroni and cheese and deli versions don't even come close, since they employ processed cheese and various neon orange powders in lieu of real cheese.

Researching stovetop recipes proved fruitless, as most called for evaporated milk, which seemed gross, or thickening the sauce with egg, which seemed out of place, or both.

I got to thinking…Why drain the cooked pasta, losing all its precious starch just to use a different starch to thicken the sauce? Why not take advantage of the pasta's own starch for thickening the sauce? And why not cook macaroni and cheese more like it was risotto, adding only as much liquid as the pasta will absorb? I literally ran into the kitchen and started cooking. It was nothing less than a eureka moment!

Thus, Lucy's Ultimate Mac & Cheese was born. I must say, even if it borders on bragging, that I'm really proud of this recipe. The texture and flavor are exactly what I'd been looking for ever since I was a kid. It requires little more time or effort than the packaged stuff, and the only cleanup is one pot and one spoon. It's a stovetop recipe, so you can make it even in the summertime when it's too hot to turn on the oven. Oh, and leftovers, should there be any, reheat nicely in the microwave. I think you'll agree it really is the ultimate.

Lucy's Ultimate Mac & Cheese
Printable Recipe

1 pound elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
12 ounces, or more, shredded sharp cheddar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the macaroni, milk, butter, mustard, granulated garlic, cayenne, and 3 cups of water in a medium, heavy pot. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring constantly and adding more water as necessary any time the macaroni looks dry, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the macaroni is just tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. The trick to this recipe's seductive creaminess is constant stirring from the time the pot is put on the heat and making sure there's enough water in the pot. There will be plenty of liquid in the beginning. When the mixture comes to a boil, the starch from the pasta will make it thicken, creating a creamy sauce. The sauce will reduce and continue to thicken as it simmers and as the pasta absorbs water. Adjust the heat so that it cooks at a lively bubble. Too slow, and the pasta will take forever to cook. Boil it too fast, and it'll be hard to monitor the level of the liquid. Toward the end of the cooking time, there should still be enough sauce in the pot to just cover the macaroni—if not, or if you like it creamier still, add more water a little at a time, keeping in mind that the cheese will thicken the sauce considerably. It's best to incorporate the cheese off the heat. Do not boil the mixture once the cheddar has been added, or it will have a grainy texture. And speaking of cheddar, why stop at 12 ounces when you can add a whole pound? Or mix it up—consider substituting a portion of the cheddar with provolone, mozzarella, and/or Parmegiano for a different flavor and some stringy action. Top with toasted buttered breadcrumbs or some such crunchy thing if you must, but I prefer to appreciate the creaminess unspoiled.