I Like To Eat

Message spécial à nos nouveaux (et vieille) amis français (or, the Rebirth of Food)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 May 2011 03:24:00 +0000

Well, it finally came to this. Leah has a new job that officially bars blogging, and so the IL2E torch has been passed to a slightly older generation, one conveniently sheltered under the same roof and on whose postings she can exercise immediate and compelling influence. But really, this is all me now. No need to worry that this is a front or some devious way of circumventing written company policy. Just put your collective uni-mind at ease.

Today's edition is a special shout-out (or cri-dehors) to our new (and old) French friends with whom we shared a lovely weekend in Nantoux, a tiny sun-dappled village in Burgundy wine country. Leah whipped up a batch of these special cocoa brownies, prompting requests for a French-language recipe. And thus, I Like to Eat takes the first step toward its future as a multinational media empire. Et alors, sans plus de cérémonie (and with apologies for the awful French translations)....

LES MEILLEURS BROWNIES AU CACAO DU MONDE

(or, The World's Best Cocoa Brownies)

Courtesy Smitten Kitchen, with addition by Leah

Ce recette donnera 16 brownies plutôt grands ou 25 petits [Makes 16 biggish or 25 smallish brownies]

141 grammes de beurre sans sel [10 tablespoons unsalted butter]
280 grammes de sucre [1 1/4 cups sugar]
****82 grammes de cacao non-sucré en poudre (Dutch-process/solubilisé/alcalin) [3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process)****]
~1.5 grammes de sel [1/4 teaspoon salt]
2 ml d'extrait de vanille [1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract]
2 grands oeufs, froids [2 large eggs, still cold]
66 grammes de farine de blé pour tout usage (ou pain/patîsseries) [1/2 cup all-purpose flour]
40-60 grammes de noix ou noix de pécan, si désirés [2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)]

**** Le cacao normale en poudre solubilisé suffira ici, mais si vous pouvez le trouver (et on peut le trouver à La Grande Épicerie à Paris, par exemple), substituez deux cuillères à soupe de cacao noir en poudre (i.e. cacao très alcalin) à la même mesure du cacao normale. Cela donnera une richesse plutôt fumée. ****

Positionner une grille dans le tiers inférieur du four et préchauffer le four à 169 ° C. Graisser ou beurrer le fond et les côtés d'un moule de 20 x 20 cm carré.

Mélanger le beurre, le sucre, le cacao [et le cacao noir si vous en avez] et le sel dans un bol moyen résistant à la chaleur et placez le bol dans une poêle large de l'eau frémissante. Remuer de temps en temps jusqu'à ce que le beurre soit fondu et le mélange est lisse et assez chaude pour que vous souhaitez supprimer votre doigt assez rapidement après l'avoir trempée dans de tester. Retirer le bol de la poêle et mettre de côté quelques instants jusqu'à ce le mélange est seulement tiède, pas chaude. Il semble assez rudes à ce point, mais ne vous inquiétez pas - il lisse les fois que les œufs et la farine sont ajoutés.

Incorporer la vanille avec une cuillère en bois. Ajouter les oeufs un à la fois, en agitant vigoureusement après chacun. Quand la pâte semble épaisse, brillante, et bien mélanger, ajouter la farine et remuer jusqu'à ce que vous ne pouvez pas le voir plus longtemps, puis battre vigoureusement pendant 40 coups à la cuillère en bois ou une spatule en caoutchouc. Incorporer les noix, si vous utilisez. Étendre uniformément dans le moule chemisé.

Cuire jusqu'à ce qu'un cure-dent plongé au centre ressort légèrement humide avec de la pâte, de 20 à 25 minutes, c'est la suggestion Medrich, mais il m'a fallu au moins 10 minutes de plus pour les configurer. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille. (je vais plus loin et lancer des mines dans le réfrigérateur ou le congélateur pendant un certain temps, c'est la seule façon je peux les couper avec des lignes épurées.)

Soulever les extrémités de la chemise de parchemin ou d'aluminium, et de transférer les brownies une planche à découper. Couper en 16 ou 25 carrés.

OR, in English:

**** This recipe works fine with normal Dutch-process cocoa, but if you can find black cocoa powder (sold by King Arthur Flour in the U.S.), substitute two tablespoons of that for the same amount of the regular cocoa. It adds a rich, smoky chocolate flavor reminiscent of Oreos. ****

Set the oven rack in the lower half of the oven and preheat to 325° F. Grease or butter the bottom and sides of an 8" x 8" baking pan.

Put some water in the bottom half of a double boiler and bring to a gentle boil. In the top half of the boiler, mix the butter, sugar, cocoa [and black cocoa if you have it] and salt. (if you don't have a double boiler, put the water in a large skillet and mix the ingredients in a medium heat-resistant bowl.) Stir until the butter melts and the mixture is just barely hot enough to touch. It will be very grainy; that's OK.

Stir the vanilla in with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at at time, stirring quickly to prevent cooking. The batter should begin to smooth out and look shiny. Add the flour and stir until it is completely incorporated, then stir for 40 strokes. Add the nuts now if you want.

Bake for 25-30 minutes (we agree with SK that it's closer to 30 minutes than the minimum 20 called for in the original recipe). Near the end of cooking, test by inserting a toothpick or thin-bladed knife into the center. Bake until it comes out just a bit moist with a little batter on it, then remove and let cool completely on a rack. Then pop it out of the pan and cut into squares (or whatever you want to cut it into; they're your brownies).

Enjoy with milk, vanilla ice cream, and/or red wine.

Kale Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 20:04:00 +0000

IE - the only good way to eat kale.

If you're not up on your dark green, leafy vegetables, kale is the one with curly ridges on its leaves. I'm pretty sure I never would have tried kale if CCO hadn't made me. It tastes like you'd expect a dark green, leafy vegetable to taste -- slightly bitter with an aftertaste. I would have happily never eaten it again -- because of the curly leaves, kale can be hard to clean, and it's more bitter than some of it's equally-healthy cousins like chard or collards. But our CSA gives it to us frequently and I always feel guilty letting perfectly good vegetables go to waste, even if I prefer their cousins.

Eat Rating: Good. It really is the best way to eat kale. Crispy, tastes like the outer layer of roasted brussel sprouts.
Difficulty: Easy. Very, very easy.

Recipe courtesy Gregg Keckler

1 bunch kale
Olive oil
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Wash the kale and then tear bite-sized pieces of the leaves off the stalk. Set aside and let dry for a few minutes (or if you want to be fancy, use a salad spinner).

Lay the kale pieces out on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt to taste over the chips.

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool. The chips will be crispy and can be stored in a bag for a day or two at room temperature.

Pears Poached in Reisling

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:32:00 +0000

When we were getting ready for our wedding in February, CCO and I decided we'd buy all the wine and beer. It would be cheaper that way, we reasoned, since the caterer would be charging a flat fee per person regardless of whether they had anything to drink. And it was cheaper -- even though in a last moment dash, my dear CCO went out and bought several more cases "just in case."

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) he also forgot to keep the receipt. So after the wedding, we had to keep something like six cases of wine. I'm not really complaining. But there are only so many days you want a super sweet riesling. Unless of course, you also have pears. Then it's quite great that you still have two cases of riesling hidden behind the couch.

Eat Rating: Delicious. Not overly sweet, but a nice end to dinner -- especially if you serve with a square of dark chocolate.
Difficulty: Easy. Requires a vegetable peeler and a melon baller (you could use a spoon)

Adapted from the Food Network

4 pears, any variety
1 750 ml bottle of riesling
2 cups sugar
water

Add the bottle of wine and the sugar to a medium-sized saucepan and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel a pear all the way up to the stem. Take the melon baller (or a spoon) and starting at the bottom, spoon out the core until all the seeds are gone. Place the peeled, cored pear in the saucepan to keep from browning while you work on the other pears.

[LN: the recipe calls for you to take a round of parchment paper and place it over the pears to ensure they are submerged. You could also use a small plate for this.]

Once all the pears are in the wine, check to make sure the liquid is high enough to cover them completely. If it's not, add a little water until they are fully covered.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. The pears are done when you can easily insert a knife into the fruit.

Serve immediately or let come to room temperature. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a square of dark chocolate.

Pears can refrigerated in the poaching liquid for 4-5 days.

Foolproof Gazpacho

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:34:00 +0000

You shall have to make do with this picture of tomatoes, dear reader. The soup was devoured before pictures could be snapped.

On days when it's wicked hot, I often can't bring myself to turn on the oven. I turn to cereal or -- if I happen to have some good heirloom tomatoes from the market -- to delicious, cold gazpacho. The soup is best made with heirloom tomatoes, those ugly, weirdly colored tomatoes you used to be afraid of as a kid. I often like to use the yellow heirlooms for gazpacho -- they're a little sweeter than the red or purple kind. But really any of them will do.

This soup can be eaten right away, but it's best if you can make it about 2 hours ahead of time and let it chill in the refrigerator. Don't be afraid to make a big batch -- the soup is actually at its best on the second day.

Eat Rating: Awesome. I have a whole new appreciation for really good tomatoes.
Difficulty: Easy. Requires a blender or food processor.

CCO's recipe

2 lbs yellow heirloom tomatoes (or any kind of heirlooms)
1 large cucumber (You can peel and seed if you want. I like to use the whole thing)
1 purple onion
1-2 jalapenos
Handful of parsley or cilantro
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Using a knife, cut around the core on the top of the tomato and pull it out. Roughly chop about 2/3 of the tomato and put in a blender.

Cut 2/3 of the cucumber in large pieces and place in the blender.

Cut the onion in half. Roughly chop one half and throw in the blender.

Cut off the top of one jalapeno, slice down the side and remove the seeds. (You should probably wear gloves while doing this). Toss in the blender.

Blend the vegetables to make a rough puree. Pour into a bowl.

Dice the remaining tomato, cucumber, jalapeno and onion into small pieces. You want it large enough to give the soup a nice crunch, but not so large that you have to spend an inordinate amount of time chewing. Add the diced vegetables to the puree, then mix in the water and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chill at least two hours before serving with a dollop of sour cream or croutons.

Rainier Cherry Sorbet

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:03:00 +0000

Cherries -- glistening happy orbs of deliciousness. I love cherries, all kinds. But if I had to pick a favorite, it might be Ranier Cherries, with their skin a soft, pale yellow with a hint of pink, like they're blushing. They're the sweetest of the cherries, great for eating on their own.

A few weeks ago at the farmer's market in Mt. Pleasant, one of the sellers had a few quarts of Rainiers. I bought one, planning on eating the entire quart on my own as soon as I got home.

When I got home, though, I decided to look around and just see if anyone had any good recipes for desserts with Rainier Cherries. The answer is no, not really. Almost all recipes are for Bing Cherries, the deep red kind. This was a problem I could fix.

It was hot out, so I decided some kind of ice cream or sorbet would be perfect. I started with David Leibovitz's recipe for Cherry Sorbet and adjusted it, lessening the sugar to make up for the sweetness of the cherries and scaling it down for the one quart of cherries. The result? Pink, light and perfectly sweet.

Adapted from David Leibovitz, The Perfect Scoop (LN: I highly recommend this book, BTW)

1 quart Rainier Cherries, stems and pits removed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp kirsch or a few drops of almond extract

Place the cherries, water, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the cherries are soft. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Using a stick blender, puree the cherry mixture. (LN: Alternatively, you could place it in a blender to chop up.) You can either puree all the way or puree and leave a few chunks of cherry in there, as I did.

Pour into a glass bowl and refrigerate until well chilled. Place in ice cream maker and use as directed. (If you don't have an ice cream maker, see this post about how to make ice cream without one.)

Eat immediately -- it will be soft like frozen yogurt -- or freeze for 2-3 hours until hardened some and serve.

Red Currant Jelly

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:06:00 +0000

For the past several weeks, they've had currants at the Farmer's Market -- little red, white and pink berries of tart goodness. I had never tried canning with them before. Generally, I stay away from berries with seeds because you have to strain them. But I recently acquired a sieve (it's amazing the amount of random kitchen gear people give you when you get married), so I figured this would be a good first test for jelly.

The difference between jam and jelly -- if you don't already know -- is that jam is made from the whole fruit, while jelly is made just from the juice. So with jam, you throw the fruit in with the sugar and boil until it's ready to jar. With jelly, you place the fruit in a saucepan with water and boil until the fruit has released all it's juice. Then you proceed like you would with jam, adding sugar and pectin to the juice.

Currant jelly is certainly delicious (it's apparently insanely popular in France) -- tart, but a little sweeter than raspberry. I definitely recommend it.

For more on canning, see here.

Adapted from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving

3 pints red currants
1/2 cup water
2 2/3 cups sugar
5 tsp pectin

Remove currants from their stems and rinse thoroughly in a colander. Place the currants and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil and gently crush the berries against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon. Simmer for 15 minutes until the berries are softened.

Allow to cool slightly, then strain the juice through cheesecloth, squeezing as much juice from the berry mass as possible. You should get about 2 cups of juice from the 3 pints.

Place the juice and the sugar back in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, add the pectin and stir until mixed in. Bring to a full boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and fill jars.

Waterbath process for 5 minutes. The jelly will keep unopened for up to one year. After opening, store jelly in the fridge and use within 2-3 weeks.

Rhubarb Lemonade Spritzer

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:54:00 +0000

I was actually trying to make this Rosemary Lemon Rhubarb spritzer, but my darling CCO forgot to mention that he threw out my stash of rosemary. (In fairness, it was probably shrivelled since I forgot to put it in the fridge)

So I made the recipe without the rosemary and it tastes just fine.

It also makes a nice gin drink -- but then again I think everything makes a pretty nice gin drink.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

1 lb rhubarb, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine rhubarb, water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain out the rhubarb chunks and stir in lemon juice. Chill until cold, then use in drinks.

Rhubarb Lemonade Spritzer: Fill the glass about a quarter of the way with syrup and fill the rest of the way with chilled seltzer water.

Rhubarb Martini: In a shaker of ice, add equal amounts gin and syrup. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

Rhubarb Gin Fizz: In a shaker of ice, add equal amounts gin and syrup. Shake and strain into a highball glass. Fill the rest of the way with seltzer water.

Lentil Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:23:00 +0000

The first time I tried to cook with lentils, they were downright awful. Okay, slight exaggeration. They were just completely tasteless, totally boring. They were nothing like the first time I had ever had lentils -- a delicious veggie and lentil soup I had at a vegan potluck dinner.

I vowed to try again. After all, they are really good for you. I quickly discovered my problem was I was using brown lentils. They're the most difficult to make tasty, absolute flavorsucks. What I needed were red lentils. After a horrified trip to Whole Foods ($7 for a tiny bag?!), I headed to the Indian grocery in Springfield where an enormous 5 lb. bag only cost me something like $4.

And from there, my love of red lentils began. I was somewhat surprised to discover that when cooked they turn a dull yellow. No matter. Throw in some tomato and the color is restored.

This soup is amazing. I mean so incredibly good you can actually forget for a little while that it's good for you.

I recommend serving it warm with a dollop of yogurt. Or take some day old bread, cut into pieces, toss with olive oil and bake for 10 or so minutes to make croutons. Or really what you'll want to do is eat two bowls -- one each way for comparison. It's like a requirement.

A few notes on preparation: the recipe calls for you to toast whole spices and then grind them in a spice grinder. The freshly roasted cumin and coriander do make the soup sing. But if you don't want to mess with whole spices (or don't have a spice grinder), you could sub ground cumin and ground coriander.

Adapted from The New York Times

Eat Rating: Awesome. It's difficult to put the spoon down.
Difficulty: Easy. To make it smooth, you'll need to puree with either a hand blender (or actual blender). If you don't have one, just leave it chunky. It's good that way too.

2 tbsp peanut oil
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
2 tsp curry powder
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
2 1/4 cups red lentils
8 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock (LN: I did half water-half veggie stock)
1 lime, juiced

In a large stockpot, heat the oil. Saute the onion for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the spices, stirring to coat the onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes and their juice, bringing to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes are softened.

Add the lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes. You want the lentils softened. They should be a yellow-ish color and easy to mash.

Puree with a hand blender or in batches in the blender. Right before serving, stir in the lime juice. Garnish with yogurt or croutons.

Korean Seafood Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sat, 22 May 2010 19:10:00 +0000

Really, I don't just copy The Kitchn. I promise!

A couple months ago, my friends Ed & Kari invited CCO and I over for brunch at their place and Kari made delicious Korean seafood pancakes. Being a cooking nerd, I took notes and photos! I had forgotten about it until recently, when I saw The Kitchn blogging on the same thing. I promise mine is better though.

Say hello to Kari. She uses this Asian pancake mix as the base. You can find it at H-Mart. But really it's just flour with some salt mixed in. So you can just substitute flour and a pinch of salt if there's no Asian grocery nearby.

Anyway, combine your pancake mix with 1 egg and the water. You should use an equal amount of pancake mix and liquid to make the batter. Assume the egg, if using, equals about 1/4 cup liquid. So if you're making two pancakes, use 3 cups mix and 2 3/4 cups water.

Once your batter is made, add in the seafood and stir until well mixed. You can use as much or as little as you want. Kari likes hers with a lot of seafood, so she puts in about 2 cups of frozen seafood mix that includes shrimp and squid. You could also use fresh.

The best pan to use for the pancake is a cast iron skillet. That gives it the nice browned crust on the pancake. After you've mixed the batter, preheat your skillet and grease with about 1 tbsp of oil.

Once the skillet is heated, use a spoon to ladle about half the pancake mix into the skillet.

The batter may be a little thick, so use your spoon to spread the batter out to the edge.

Kari likes to add the scallions on top of the pancake. Once it's cooked for about a minute, lay the scallions on top of the pancake and spoon a little of the batter on top.

We break from our regular scheduled programming so Kari can give a hug to her son, who wandered into the kitchen looking for food.

After the pancake has cooked for about 3-5 minutes, it should have browned and firmed up around the edges. You'll be able to see on the top that it's solid. Use a pancake flipper to lift separate the edges of the pancake from the pan, then flip over. Cook the pancake for another five minutes or so until it's cooked all the way through. You can cut into the middle a little with a knife or the edge of the pancake flipper to check.

Flip your cooked pancake out onto a plate and cut into wedges. Serve with the dipping sauce of soy sauce and rice vinegar.

Apple Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 02 May 2010 15:50:00 +0000

Yes, it did take forever to lay the apples out like that.

When it gets to be springtime, I start getting really antsy about fruits and vegetables. I want them to come now! Now! NOW! and become very disappointed when I go to the farmer's market and my only choice is what type of apple to use.

But I decided to make the best of it and have an apple tart for Easter dinner dessert.

It was a good choice. This tart is only lightly sweet. You sprinkle on about a tablespoon of sugar AFTER you've laid the apples out. As a result, the apples themselves start pretty crisp and provide most of the flavor.

My one beef is with the crust. Yes, it was nice and flaky. But boy was it a pain to roll out and get into the dish. The recipe was actually supposed to make enough crust to make this galette style, ie enough crust to fold over on top of the tart. Partly because I loaned out my good rolling pin and partly because I was being impatient and didn't refrigerate the crust long enough, that didn't happen. If I were to make this again, I might fall back on my mainstay crust recipe. Or, as my friend PJ recommended, I might break down and (gasp!) use shortening.

Simplest Apple Tart, adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Eat Rating: Good. Not amazing. But definitely a solid dessert. The low sugar content was good for my relatives who need to monitor their sugar intake too.
Difficulty: Medium to hard, depending on how diligent you are with laying out the apples.

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp sugar
6 tbsp butter, cut into chunks
3-4 tbsp cold water

Filling
2 lbs apples (about 5-6)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp sugar

Place the flour and sugar for the crust in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the chunks of butter and pulse until a course meal forms. Adding water 1 tbsp at a time, continue to pulse just until the dough holds together. (LN: Alternatively, if you don't have a food processor, mix the flour and sugar in a bowl and use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour. Then use a hand mixer to incorporate the water)

Lay out a sheet of waxed paper. Remove the dough from the bowl and mound in the middle of the paper, smashing down to form a rounded disk. Wrap in the waxed paper and place in the fridge for at least a half hour.

While the dough is chilling, peel the apples. Cut in half along the stem. Using a melon baller, remove the core and stem. Laying the apple core-side down, cut the apple into thin pieces from top to bottom. Set cut apples aside.

By now, it should have been about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out. You will be using a 9-inch round tart pan, so you'll want to roll it out large than that by at least 1-1/2 inches (don't forget it has to go up the sides). (LN: You really do want to use a round tart pan. I was stuck because I have a 9-inch square and a 10-inch round. I went with the 9-inch square, and, as you can see above, there wasn't enough dough for the top overhang.)

Once it's rolled out, lay into the bottom of the tart pan, allowing the excess to hang over the sides. Lay out the apples. The easiest way to do this is to take each apple-half and fan it out so each piece overlaps the next a little (LN: This is also much easier to do when you're working with a round pan than when you're working with a square).

After you've laid out all the apples, take your melted butter and lightly brush the apples with it, reserving a little bit for the crust. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp of sugar over the apples. Gently fold the excess dough back over the top of the tart. Brush the crust with remaining butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake for about 45 minutes, making sure to rotate the tart every 10-15 minutes so that it browns evenly.

Remove from oven and cool completely before trying to remove the outer tart pan (LN: I've made that mistake before. Not pretty). To remove the outer pan, place a sturdy can -- like a can of diced tomatoes or pumpkin -- on the counter. Set the tart on top. The tart should sit on top of the can, and the outer layer will fall to the counter.

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature, preferably with vanilla ice cream.

Asparagus Carbonara

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:48:00 +0000

All work and no cooking makes Leah a dull girl.

It also makes her spend way more time/money at Teaism than is healthy for a normal human being.

Often when I get home in the evening at 8 p.m. (or later), I have little desire to cook. One can only make scrambled eggs so many days, though, before a certain CCO begins to protest. Then, one has to get creative with the egg recipes. ;)

In the vein of the Honest ABE, I present to you the Asparagus Carbonara.

Eat Rating: Delicious. Nothing goes better than asparagus and bacon.
Difficulty: Very easy.

1 lb of asparagus, ends trimmed
4 slices of bacon, diced into small pieces
2 eggs
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
3/4 lb of long pasta such as spaghetti or fettuccine

In a skillet, cook the bacon pieces until browned. (LN: Alternatively, you can cook the bacon in whole strips and then chop it. It's quicker with the little pieces, though.) Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Cut the asparagus into 1 - 1 1/2 inch chunks. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until there are 2-3 minutes left on the recommended cooking time. Then add in the asparagus.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the cheese.

Once the pasta/asparagus is done cooking, drain in a colander. Place the pasta and asparagus in a large bowl and add in the bacon pieces. Pour the egg mixture into the hot pasta and toss with two forks or tongs. Serve immediately, topped with parmesan or red pepper flakes if you like.

Leek and Potato Braise

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:33:00 +0000

I never ate a leek until I was 25. That's probably a little bit odd. But my mom never cooked with them when I was a kid and then I once read that book, the one about how French women are so much better than everyone else because they understand portion control. One of her techniques was to make yourself an enormous pot of leek soup -- just leeks, water, salt -- and eat that for entire weekends. The idea of eating nothing but a glorified onion and water for 48 hours straight horrified me. Whenever I went to the grocery store, I could never look at leeks without thinking of them as a dieting aid a la Slim Fast.

So I stayed blissfully ignorant of their true potential until CCO bought them one day and added them to something -- fried rice, I think it was. That was when I discovered they weren't half bad. Not like Slim Fast at all.

A couple months back, one of the bloggers I follow decided she would try a bunch of recipes with leeks. I was intrigued. Perhaps leeks could be not just "not bad" but actually good. So I made this Leek and Potato Braise for one Meatless Monday and I am now a leek convert. This recipe cooks the leeks and the potatoes slowly for nearly 2 hours. At the end you have a creamy deliciousness, with just hints of spiciness for the leeks. I think I've made this about four times in the past three months. The only downside is it takes a while to cook and if you're very hungry, it tempts you horribly by filling up your entire house with a delicious smell of leeks cooking. We've eaten this several times as a main dish. It's also great as a side.

From All About Braising by Molly Stevens Via The Arugula Files

Eat Rating: Awesome.
Difficulty: Easy. It just takes awhile. You'll need some kind of casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid.

3 large leeks, washed and trimmed
2 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes (that's about 5 medium sized ones)
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (LN: or sub in 1/2 tsp dried)
1 1/4 cup stock, chicken or veggie
1/4 cup cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise almost all the way through, then chop into half inch pieces. Set aside.

Peel the potatoes, then chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the leeks and place in the bottom of your casserole dish. Add the thyme and salt and pepper if desired and toss to cover.

Place the stock in a saucepan and heat just until boiling. Pour over the potatoes and leeks. Cover the dish with the lid and place in the oven. Cook for 45 minutes, then remove lid and stir. Replace lid and cook for another 25 minutes.

Increase temperature to 425 degrees, then add the 1/4 cup of cream and give it a good stir. Cook another 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the tops have begun to brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Southern Chocolate Layer Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:42:00 +0000

It's true. My layer cake looked nothing like the gem that appeared in the New York Times. But, in my defense, that lady has been making them for something ridiculous like 70 years. And even if it wasn't a looker, it sure was delicious.

Since I'm nothing if not ambitious, I knew as soon as I read the NY Times piece on southern layer cakes that I had to try my hand at it. So when my mom asked what we should have for dessert with Christmas dinner, I naturally insisted it should be a 15-layer cake. Naturally.

Sadly, because of operator error (see above) and inexact measurements, I only ended up with a nine-layer cake. But after all, it was just my first attempt.

Eat Rating: Delicious. The thing I liked about this cake is there is plenty of icing the soaks into the layers, but its not overwhelmed by the icing like some cakes are.
Difficulty: Medium to hard. It certainly is a production. Requires three cake pans, sifter, hand mixer (or Kitchenaid) and parchment rounds.

Adapted from The New York Times, Dec. 15, 2009

Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup of shortening (LN: I, stupidly, assumed my mom would have shortening on hand and didn't pick it up at the store. We subbed another 1/3 cup of butter)
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups cake flour (LN: I used all-purpose)
2 tsp baking soda
5 tsp baking powder
2 cups milk

Frosting
5 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 15 oz. can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk (LN: The recipe calls for whole. I subbed 2 percent)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Liberally grease three 9-inch round cake pans, layer with a round of parchment and grease again. (LN: Don't skip the parchment! It really helps because you're going to need to re-use the cake pans and it's much easier than washing them between layers)

Place the butter, shortening and sugar in a bowl and cream with electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add the flour mixture in batches to the cake base, adding 1/2 cup of milk in between each round of flour until fully incorporated.

Beat the cake batter for approximately 5 minutes until it is smooth. Add 3/4 cup of batter to each cake pan and bake for 6-8 minutes until cooked through (LN: in my oven, it was more like 10-12 when I baked all three layers at once).

While the cake is still warm, flip it out onto a paper towel or rack. Re-butter and line your cake pan and stick another set of layers in the oven. You should ultimately do four rounds of layers, end up with 12 total. (LN: Unless you have mess ups like I did, in which case you may only have nine layers).

While the layers are baking, start the icing. Place butter, sugar, cocoa, milk and evaporate milk into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, add vanilla and then cook for an additional 10 minutes. You want the icing to be the consistency of hot fudge sauce. Don't overcook. The icing will firm up some as it cools.

Once the icing is finished, place one layer of the cake on a serving plate. Top with 4-5 tablespoons of icing. Add another layer. Repeat until all the layers have been added. Pour the remaining icing over the top of the cake, allowing to drip down the sides. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Vegetarian Squash Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:05:00 +0000

In anticipation of our honeymoon extravaganza to the Big Easy, CCO and I decided to go vegetarian for a month. Although we've been eating vegetarian once a week for Meatless Monday, doing it all day everyday was a challenge at first. (There are only so many days in a row you can eat eggs before it gets boring...)

So CCO suggested we pick up a copy of The Moosewood Cookbook. When he had been a vegetarian during his college days at Harvard, it was his stand-by. Once I finally found a copy, I could see why. There are tons of suggestions for how to move to vegetarian without eating a salad every night (though there is a great chapter on salad). One section that caught my eye was the one on baked dishes, in particular this squash casserole. It's super easy and most things you'd probably have in your house anyway.

If you want to make this, I'd suggest it as a side dish along with something else. If you want it to be the main feature, serve it with crusty bread or pita, something else that has some texture and substance. My one criticism was that everything was so smooth, it was a little like eating baby food (very delicious baby food, but baby food nonetheless).

Eat Rating: Delicious. The squash complements nicely with the tanginess of the yogurt and feta.
Difficulty: Easy.

Adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen

4 cups cooked squash or pumpkin, mashed or pureed (LN: I used acorn. You could also do this with butternut)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 small bell peppers, any kind, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup yogurt (LN: She recommends using firm Greek yogurt. It worked find with plain Yoplait)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in skillet and saute onions and bell peppers until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic and cook until vegetables completely softened.

Place the mashed squash in a large bowl. Add the onions and peppers, yogurt and feta and mix until well-combined. Spread the casserole into a 9-inch square baking dish (or comparable) and sprinkle the walnuts over the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the casserole is thoroughly heated and bubbling. Serve immediately with some crusty bread or warmed pita.

Wedding Cake Project: Results!

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:17:00 +0000

Wild Blueberry Pie

The Grooms Cake: Guinness Chocolate Cake

Peach Pie

Photos by Laura Luis at Three Lights Photography.

It's a Recession: Homemade Tortilla Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:51:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I seem perenially incapable of finishing an entire bag of corn tortillas. I like to get them to make enchiladas (they taste much better with the corn tortillas than with flour, in my opinion), but a batch for two people only makes a small dent in the bag. The solution? Make tortilla chips.

Eat Rating: Awesome. A nice bit of crunch
Difficulty: Super easy. An 8-year-old could do this (provided she doesn't burn herself putting it in the oven. That was always my problem as a kid...)

5 corn tortillas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper .

Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut each tortillas into six triangles. Place the triangles in a small bowl and drizzle the vegetable oil over them, tossing so each piece is well coated. Lay out the chips on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 25 minutes or until the chips have begun to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Variation: Cinnamon Chips
Omit salt. Mix 3 tbsp sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the chips and follow remaining steps.

Wedding Cake Project: Wild Blueberry Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:18:00 +0000

I know what you're thinking. "Did I read that correctly? It says wedding cake and pie." Yes, you did read it right. In addition to the delicious Guinness Chocolate Cake, we will be serving wedding pie of the homemade variety. I'm not completely crazy. Wedding pie is a thing. And though my love of pie knows no bounds, I did not ask CCO on our first date if we could serve pie at our wedding like this guy. (Though it was one of the conditions I set on having the wedding at all)

CCO's family lives in Maine, so we figured wild blueberry pie was a nice way to celebrate his New England heritage. After a thorough search, I discovered you can buy frozen wild blueberries at Whole Foods. So I bought a bag, whipped out Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything and whipped up a pie.

Nicole, with disaster pie.

It looked good but it was something of a disaster. It tasted delicious, but it was more like soup than pie, with tons of blueberries swimming in juice left in the dish. Now I understand some people love their blueberry pie to be soupy. But when people are dressed in their Sunday best and I'm wearing white, I'm not sure soupy blueberries are the way to go.

The culprit, I discovered, was the cornstarch. If cooked for too long, cornstarch loses its thickening power. Couple that with the extreme juiciness of wild blueberries and you get soup. For round two, I settled on instant clearjel. Like cornstarch, clearjel is made from corn. But it's essentially a higher grade of cornstarch than what you buy at the grocery store and it thickens much better.

Since this is supposed to be a fancy-ish pie, I used Meyer lemon zest. I'm sure regular lemon zest would do just fine if that's what you have on hand.

P.S. Happy blogiversary! Thanks to all my loyal readers. We've come a long way since Raspberry White Chocolate Bars. What has been your favorite recipe of the last year?

Eat Rating: Awesome. Very blueberry with a hint of lemon.
Difficulty: Easy.

One batch of double pie crust (LN: I recommend this one via Smitten Kitchen. You could also try doubling this.)
1 15 oz. bag frozen wild blueberries (LN: You can sub 2 1/2 cups fresh)
Zest of one Meyer lemon
1/4 cup sugar + 1 tbsp for the top
3 tbsp ClearJel
1 egg

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Lay out one pie crust in the bottom of your pie dish.

In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup sugar with the zest of the Meyer lemon. In separate large bowl, mix the blueberries with the sugar and ClearJel. Let stand at least five minutes. (You can start work on your top crust while this is steeping.)

After five minutes, place the blueberries into the pie dish. Top with second crust, either in a lattice (as shown) or place over the top and cut vents.

Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush on top of the top crust (Note: If you're doing a lattice, brush with the egg BEFORE you place on top of the pie. It's much easier that way). Sprinkle the last 1 tbsp of sugar on top of the pie and place the whole pie dish on a cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes. You want the top crust to be browned and the blueberry mixture to be bubbling. Remove from oven and cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

It's a Recession!: Cashew Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:50:00 +0000

Ok, so cashew butter is probably not a household staple. But peanut butter is. And while I love the stuff -- grilled peanut butter shall always be Elvis and my favorite sandwich -- after awhile it gets old. So I decided to switch it up a little and try cashew butter. Cashew butter has a much more subtle taste than PB. It's more mellow and doesn't hit you over the head with its nuttiness. The recipe calls for unsalted cashews. They sell big bags at Trader Joes. But if you can't find unsalted, go ahead and get the salted kind and just rinse them off in a colander.

Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini.

Eat Rating: Awesome.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium. Requires a food processor or blender

2 cups unsalted cashews
Salt, to taste

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the cashews in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake, stirring occassionally, for about 8-10 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant. You want them lightly roasted.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for five minutes. Place the nuts in the food processor and pulse to break up. You'll have, at first, a sort of course meal.

Keep pulsing, stopping ocassionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper. The nuts will continue to break down and eventually begin to form a paste. Taste and add salt if desired.

The paste is somewhat thick and a little more crumbly than traditional peanut butter. Once it reaches desired consistency, place into a jar or plastic container and refrigerate. The butter will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Holiday Treats 2009: Homemade Marshmallows, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:09:00 +0000

CCO is from Boston and apparently in New England they love molasses. He really loves it when I make anadama bread and one time he actually put molasses in his coffee. So when I saw that Eileen Talanian had a recipe for molasses marshmallows, I figured I had to make some.

I'm very glad I did. The molasses marshmallows have a great spicyness to them and taste almost like gingerbread. You coat them in a mix of powdered sugar with ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

From Marshmallows by Eileen Talanian

Eat Rating: Awesome. I'm having a hard time picking whether the plain marshmallow or this version is my favorite.
Difficulty: Medium to Hard.

3 tbsp (or 4 packets) unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup molasses
2/3 cup marshmallow syrup (See this post for how to make marshmallow syrup)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

Coating:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cloves

Grease a 9x13 glass pan with oil and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the 3/4 cup of cold water with the gelatin until all the granules are wet. Set aside.

Place the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid for 2 minutes. After the 2 minutes are over, remove the lid and do not stir the mixture. Insert a thermometer and continue boiling until it reaches 248 degrees. Once it has reached temperature, remove from heat and add the gelatin. The mixture may foam up momentarily. That's ok. Gently stir until all the gelatin is incorporated.

If using a hand mixer, do the next steps right in the pan. If you are using a stand mixer, attach the whisk-head to the mixer. Carefully take the pot over to the mixer and pour the liquid into it. Not a big deal if some clings to the side of your pan. No need to scrape. Be very careful not to get any liquid on yourself because it's super hot. Turn on the mixer to high and beat for 10 to 12 minutes. At first, the liquid will be a dark brown translucent color. As the mixing continues, it will gradually lighten in color and start to get fluffy. It should double or triple in size. Once the mixture is light tan shade and the blades from the mixer leave clear streaks that do not immediately reincorporate themselves, it is done.

Pour the marshmallow batter into your prepared pan. It will need to sit for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

While the marshmallows are cooling, mix together the powdered sugar and cornstarch for the coating. Add the spices and mix until well combined. Set aside until the marshmallows are dry.

Once your marshmallows are ready, set up a workspace. Sprinkle some of the spiced powdered sugar on a cutting board and flip the marshmallow pan onto it. You may need to use your fingers or a knife to separate the marshmallows from the side of the pan. They shouldn't stick to it. Once they are out of the pan, use a pizza cutter or large knife to cut the marshmallows into pieces. Alternatively, you can use cookie cutters (oil them first). Once the marshmallows are cut, roll each piece in the spiced powdered sugar.

Immediately dunk several marshmallows into a hot cup of cocoa.

The marshmallows will keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed plastic container at room temperature.

Holiday Treats 2009: Homemade Marshmallows, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:25:00 +0000

In the winter, CCO loves to make cocoa almost as much as I love to drink it. My only qualm is that I am often so eager to drink it that I burn my mouth (I know. I'm such a child). But if you serve the cocoa at a cooler temperature, it's not warm enough to melt the marshmallow. They just bob around in the liquid until you give up and chomp them.

The best way to solve this problem? Homemade marshmallows. They melt much better than store-bought ones, giving you that delicious layer of foamy goodness on the cocoa that immediately gets all over your face. (I told you I was a child)

A couple notes: first, you really need a thermometer for this. You have to boil the liquid to a particular temperature in order for it to work. But you don't have to go buy a fancy candy thermometer. I actually just use a meat thermometer. You also really need a mixer. A hand mixer will work (though your arm will get tired). A stand mixer is preferable.

Second, this recipe uses gelatin so it's not vegetarian or kosher. (You'll want one box of Knox Gelatin per recipe. You can usually find it with the Jello at the supermarket). I read online that you can make vegan marshmallows using agar in place of gelatin. I meant to try it, but the only place I could find agar was at the organic market where it costs $14 for a tiny pack. So I decided to leave that for another day.

The recipes I used came out of a book: Marshmallows by Eileen Talanian. (Yes I did actually buy an entire cookbook devoted to marshmallows). The way she structures the book is not conducive to making just one batch -- basically she has you make 1 quart of marshmallow syrup to start and then each recipe uses about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the syrup. I still have a glass jar of marshmallow syrup on my counter even after making about 250 marshmallows, so I'm cutting down her initial syrup recipe here.

Part 1 is a recipe for traditional vanilla marshmallows. It makes about 50-60 medium-sized marshmallows.

Adapted from "Marshmallows: Homemade Gourmet Treats" by Eileen Talanian

Eat Rating: Awesome.
Difficulty: Medium to hard. Requires thermometer, mixer.

Syrup:
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar

Marshmallow:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp vanilla extract (LN: The recipe calls for 1 1/2 tbsp. I ran out of vanilla, so I just used 1 and they taste plenty vanilla to me. Use your judgment)
3 tbsp unflavored gelatin (LN: She wants you to empty the packets and measure it out. I will not blame you if you find this a silly step. 3 tbsp = 4 packets or 1 box)
3/4 cup water
1 1/4 cup marshmallow syrup
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Coating:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1 vanilla bean

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, place the 1 cup water with the sugar for the syrup and the cream of tartar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring as the sugar melts. Once the mixture is boiling, remove the spoon and place a lid on the pot. Allow to boil with the lid on for 2 minutes. This will remove any sugar crystals that may have stuck to the sides of the pot. (LN: Some other recipes you may see suggest using a pastry brush dipped in water to wipe the crystals off the pot. I prefer the boil-with-a-lid method because it's much easier)

After the two minutes, remove the lid. After this point, do not stir the liquid. If you do, crystals may form in the syrup. Place your thermometer in the syrup and continue to boil until it reaches 240 degrees. Once it reaches the temperature, remove from heat and take out your thermometer. (I also suggest you wash your thermometer right away lest the syrup get stuck on there). Let the syrup sit for 15 minutes to cool slightly, then pour into a clean quart-sized jar. Do not scrape the sides of the pot to get more syrup. Just pour.

The syrup can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 months, so this step can be done ahead. To keep it for another recipe, once it has cooled, cover loosely with saran wrap and a rubber band. In the meantime, set it aside.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water with the vanilla extract. Add the gelatin and stir with a fork until all the granules are wet. Set aside.

Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with oil (or if you don't have spray, put a little oil on a paper towel and wipe the inside of the dish. Set aside.

In a large, heavy bottomed pan, add 3/4 cup water. Return to your marshmallow syrup. If you just made it, the syrup should still be viscous enough to pour. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of the syrup and add to the pan. (If you made the syrup ahead of time it will be a solid mass. In a separate saucepan, boil about 1 cup of water and then place the jar into the water for 1-2 minutes. This should heat the syrup enough so you can pour it). Add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to melt the sugar. Once it boils, remove the spoon and place the lid. Continue boiling for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove the lid and do not stir. Place your thermometer in the mixture and continue to boil until it reaches 250 degrees. Once it's at temperature, remove the thermometer and turn off the heat.

Go get your gelatin. At this point, the gelatin will probably be a solid mass and smell pretty awful. Break it up into medium-sized chunks with your fork and then add to the sugar mixture. The sugar mixture will likely bubble up as you add the gelatin. Don't worry, it's just melting. Just your spoon to stir in the gelatin until no large lumps are remaining.

If using a hand mixer, do the next steps right in the pan. If you are using a stand mixer, attach the whisk-head to the mixer. Carefully take the pot over to the mixer and pour the liquid into it. Again, not a big deal if some clings to the side of your pan. No need to scrape. Be very careful not to get any liquid on yourself because it's super hot. Turn on the mixer to high and beat for 10 to 12 minutes. At first, the liquid will be translucent. As the mixing continues, it will turn bright white and start to get fluffy. It should double or triple in size. Once the mixture is bright white and the blades from the mixer leave clear streaks that do not immediately reincorporate themselves, it is done.

Pour the marshmallow batter into your prepared pan. It will need to sit for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

While the marshmallows are resting, combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a sealable plastic container. Using a knife, cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and the vanilla bean to the plastic container and close it. Shake a few times, then let sit until your marshmallows are dry.

Once your marshmallows are ready, set up a workspace. Sprinkle some of the vanilla powdered sugar on a cutting board and flip the marshmallow pan onto it. You may need to use your fingers or a knife to separate the marshmallows from the side of the pan. They shouldn't stick to it. Once they are out of the pan, use a pizza cutter or large knife to cut the marshmallows into pieces. Alternatively, you can use cookie cutters (oil them first). Once the marshmallows are cut, roll each piece in the vanilla powdered sugar.

Immediately dunk several marshmallows into a hot cup of cocoa.

The marshmallows will keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed plastic container at room temperature.

Lemon Dutch Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Last weekend, I ate my first Dutch baby. Jonathan Swift would be proud.

For those who've never heard of them, a dutch baby is half-pancake, half-souffle. You bake it in a warmed cast-iron skillet in the oven, then cover it in lemon and sugar.

Eat Rating: Awesome
Difficulty: Easy.

Adapted from Orangette

2 tbsp butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cream + 1/4 cup skim milk (LN: alternatively, you can use the 1/2 cup half-and-half, like the recipe calls for)
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a cast iron skillet on stovetop and melt the butter, making sure it coats the sides and bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to warm and leave on the burner as you prepare the batter.

In a bowl, beat eggs, flour and milk with a whisk. Once thoroughly combined, pour batter into the skillet and place into the oven. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the sides have puffed up and browned and the middle is set.

Remove from the oven, admire its delicate sponge-y texture and top liberally with lemon juice and powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Turnip Greens

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Spaghetti squash is a delicious and crunchy vegetable. Don't treat it like a low-carb alternative to pasta. That doesn't do it justice. When I was a kid, my mom always served spaghetti squash roasted with butter. That is a delicious way to eat it, but you can only do that so many weeks in a row before it becomes a little bland. So CCO and I tried this morrocan spiced spaghetti squash. Don't do it. For whatever reason, it was really bad. I mean immediately-into-the-trash-and-order-pizza bad. Undetered, I returned to the internet and found this recipe for spaghetti squash with bacon and turnip greens. I'm glad I did. Bacon makes everything better.

Adapted from Cooking by the Seat of My Pants

Eat Rating: Awesome. Just enough bacon for flavor, with a nice crunch from the squash.
Difficulty: Easy.

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 large bunch of turnip greens, ribs removed and chopped (or 1 package frozen chopped turnip greens)
1 small onion, chopped
4 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a fork, place on the cookie sheet and then bake for 1 hour or until tender. Allow to cool.

Once cool, cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Using a fork, pull out the strings of cooked squash and place in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium-sized sautee pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and saute about three minutes, until slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Add the greens and cook for about 8 minutes or until greens have wilted and cooked completely through. Add squash to greens and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in bacon. Serve immediately.

Wedding Cake Project: Chocolate Guinness Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:00:00 +0000

My friend's camera phone takes surprisingly good photos.

I first made this cake last year for an office birthday. Like most office birthdays, we gathered in the conference room, made chit-chat about how old the person was and what she was going to do for her birthday. Then I told everyone there was a secret ingredient in the cake and passed out slips of paper for everyone to guess. The guesses were funny (someone actually guessed "pot") but no one could guess it was Guinness. It's one of those things that you don't actually taste until someone tells you it's there.

My co-worker Anne loved the cake and asked me every time there was a birthday whether I was making it. So for her birthday, of course, I had to make it.

If you click the link to the NYT recipe, you'll note it has some strange measurements (3/8 cup). I tweaked them a little so they work better with American measuring cups. I recommend trying to find European style cocoa, like Droste (King Arthur sells it also). Sometimes you can find Hershey's European Style Cocoa, but some stores don't carry it.

When you make this recipe, you heat the Guinness up in a saucepan to burn a little of the alcohol off, then mix in the chocolate. As it cooks, the Guinness mellows and ends up adding a nice complexity to the chocolate flavor.

The cake itself is very rich and a little fudge-y in the middle. Don't overcook it or it will come out dry. The recipe makes a little too much batter for a regular 9 inch round. You can either make a 9-inch round and then a smaller cake on the side, use a springform pan (since it has taller sides) or use a 10-inch round. The one pictured is a 10-inch round -- what will be the middle layer of the wedding cake.

The recipe also calls for a cream cheese frosting. You're supposed to swirl it on top to make it look like the head of a pint of Guinness. I'm not very good at swirling, though. If you want the cream cheese frosting, don't try to substitute something else for the cream. That gives you frosting that's way too thin. According to Gourmet and the guys at The Bitten Word, it's also lovely with a peanut butter frosting.

The last piece.

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

Cake:
1 cup Guinness Stout (LN: use the can! it's so much better than the bottle.)
10 tbsp. butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour your cake pan (see above for info on what cake pan to use).

In a small saucepan, heat the Guinness and butter until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and add in the cocao and sugar, whisking until well combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a Kitchenaid (or in a medium-sized bowl, using hand mixer), combine the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes or until well combined. Add in the Guinness mixture (if using your Kitchenaid, put on the splash guard so it doesn't get everywhere when you turn on the beaters). Gradually add the flour and baking soda, mixing between each addition until fully incorporated and you have a nice medium-thickness cake batter.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. I recommend baking 45 minutes, then checking every five minutes until a toothpick tester comes out clean. You don't want to overbake or the cake will be dry. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack in the pan.

Once the cake is cool, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a bowl and beat until well combined. Gradually add in the cream, beating until desired consistency.

Remove cake from pan and frost, swirling the frosting on top so it looks like the head on a pint of Guinness. Serve with a tall glass of milk or refrigerate until needed, then remove about 30 minutes before serving.

Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Don't leave out the lemon juice. It adds a nice acidity to the otherwise very heavy cream sauce. (I followed the recipe exactly, so click the link to get it)

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Eat Rating: Delicious. Very heavy though, so prepare to be filled.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium.

Chard Sweet Potato Gratin

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I like to pretend that root vegetables are just as healthy for me even when I slather them in cheese.

The only major change we made was the cheese. Deb calls for using gruyere cheese. I forgot to pick it up at the store, so we were stuck with what was in the fridge. Those choices were parmesan or smoked cheddar that I had picked up from our CSA. We went with the cheddar and it was a brilliant choice. The smokiness added a nice subtlety to the sweetness of the vegetables. We also cut this recipe in half since it feeds 12 and even if we included the dog and his massive appetite separately, we'd still only have four. CCO and I thought this would be lovely as a side at Thanksgiving dinner.

Eat Rating: This is what heaven tastes like.
Difficulty: Medium. It helps if you have a mandoline for slicing the sweet potatoes. Also a whisk for making the bechamel sauce.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 large bunch of swiss chard, leaves cut off the stalks and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup smoked cheddar, grated

Fill a medium-sized pot with water and add the sweet potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. You just want the potatoes parboiled a little.

After ten minutes, drain the potatoes and allow to cool until you can easily handle them. Using a mandoline, slice thinly, about 1/8 inch (Note: you can do this with a knife if you don't have a mandoline. Try to get the slices as thin as possible). Set aside.

In a medium saute pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the chard and cook until the greens have reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the remaining butter (1 1/2 tbsp). Add the garlic and sautee about 1 minute until browned. Using a whisk, add in the flour, constantly stirring until you have a light brown paste. Gradually add the milk to the flour/butter paste about a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly between additions. You want a thick, gravy-like sauce to develop. Once it's sufficiently thick, remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Butter or grease a 8 x 8 square glass dish. Layer some 1/3 of your sweet potatoes on the bottom, then 1/2 of the chard on top. Spoon a few tablespoons of the bechamel sauce on top and sprinkle cheese. Repeat once more, topping with the last 1/3 of sweet potatoes. Top with any remaining bechamel sauce and cheese.

Bake for 1 hour until the cheese on top has browned and the liquid is bubbly. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly and serve immediately with crusty bread for soaking up the leftover sauce.