The World According to Rachel

Interstate Bar-B-Que (And Foot Massage?)

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 18 May 2011 02:44:00 +0000

I was in Tennessee for some reason (I don't remember why) and I ate at this restaurant and the cover of the menu just cracked me up:

Is it bad that is makes me think of this:

Terrible's Hotel Casino

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 16 May 2011 02:30:00 +0000

I go to Las Vegas for work quite a bit, so I'm starting to get used to the ridiculous, over the top nature of sin city. But my favorite part of Las Vegas is by far the seedy parts, see example below:

Yes, this place is real.

If you want to stay there, they seem to have very reasonable rates: www.terriblescasinos.com

The View Out The Airplane Window

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 14 May 2011 02:28:00 +0000

After a year of being on the road almost 50% of the time, I've earned more frequent flyer miles than I ever thought I would, I've seen a lot of strange things (and heard strange conversations), and looked out of a lot of airplane windows. I thought this would be a good place to document some of my adventures, starting with the views from airplane windows over the past year (all taken on my iPhone):

The Chef de Plunge: Asian Oat Risotto

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:02:00 +0000

Re-posted from my food blog, The Chef de Plunge

Yes, it is risotto made out of oats. We have taken our risotto obsession to a new level of strangeness. First there was Thai risotto, then orzo risotto, we also tried risottos with different kinds of rice and pasta and now... oats! Originally, Tucker was inspired by this recipe in our Food and Wine cookbook, then I saw Cheap Healthy Good's discussion of Mark Bittman's post on savory oatmeal. We decided to combine the two and give it a try. And MAN, was it delicious! Yes, it looks and sounds really strange, but just trust me and try it out, it tastes nothing like oatmeal, and really not quite like risotto either.

Asian Oat Risotto
Adapted from Food and Wine and Mark Bittman

Ingredients
1 cup steel cut rolled oats
3-5 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon scallions for stirring, 1 teaspoon for garnish
A couple shakes of sea salt

Instructions
In a large saucepan, oil. Add onion and ginger cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oats and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the stock and all of soy sauce and simmer over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until nearly absorbed. Continue cooking the oats, adding 1 cup of stock at a time and cooking until the liquid is nearly absorbed between additions. The risotto is done when the oats are chewy-tender and suspended in a thick sauce, about 25 minutes total. Season with salt and white pepper. Stir scallion. Transfer the risotto to bowls, sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve

The Chef de Plunge: Whole Salt-Roasted Snapper with Artichokes and Lemon Allioli

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:58:00 +0000

Re-posted from my food blog, The Chef de Plunge

When Tucker's Uncle Scott came to town, we prepared a small Spanish feast of whole salt-roasted snapper with a lemon alioli, artichokes, and roasted potatoes and cauliflower. This technique of roasting the whole fish in the salt made the fish stay really moist and not get dried out. The salt doesn't actually get into the meat of the fish, so it doesn't get too salty.

**A note on my spelling of allioli: Allioli (or all-i-oli) is a traditional catalan mayonnaise that I fell in love with when I lived in Spain. Most people spell allioli as aïoli, but in Catalan it is spelled allioli, meaning garlic and oil. Don't believe me? Read up on Wikipedia.

Whole Salt-Roasted Snapper with Artichokes and Lemon Allioli
adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
FOR ALLIOLI
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large egg yolks
fresh lemon juice

FOR FISH
12 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 pounds coarse salt
1 cup water
a 2-pound whole red snapper, cleaned, leaving head and tail intact
1 lemon
fine-quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1 shallot peeled and chopped

3 artichokes

Instructions

FOR ALLIOLI: In blender, purée garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, and 2 teaspoons oil until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add yolks and lemon juice and blend until smooth. With motor running, very slowly add remaining 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons oil in thin, steady stream, blending until allioli is thick, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.

FOR FISH:
Preheat oven to 450°F.

In a bowl stir together salt and water until combined well. On a large baking sheet spread half of salt mixture in a rectangle just larger than the red snapper and set fish on top. Halve lemon crosswise and cut 3 slices from 1 half, reserving remaining half. Insert slices into cavity of fish with whole garlic cloves and shallots. Pat remaining salt mixture over fish to cover completely and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes.

Rap all around edge of salt crust with the back of a large spoon to loosen and lift top off. Squeeze juice from reserved lemon half over fish and drizzle with oil.

FOR ARTICHOKES: Steam the artichokes until they are done. Serve whole with the allioli dipping sauce.

The Chef de Plunge: Swordfish with Cucumber Lime Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:56:00 +0000

Re-posted from my food blog, The Chef de Plunge

This recipe may seem out of place for the time of year... it is really a summer or tropical recipe, so what are we doing making it in the middle of winter?! Well, Tucker and I took a long weekend in Florida and that is when we made this dish. That is not to say you shouldn't make it in the dead of winter, it was so simple and super yummy, especially the salsa which had chunks of lime in it!

Swordfish with Cucumber Lime Salsa
adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
For swordfish
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil plus additional for brushing pan
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 (1-inch-thick) swordfish steak (6 ounces)

For salsa
1 lime
1 (1/4-pound) Kirby cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion greens
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh serrano chile (including seeds)
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Marinate swordfish: Stir together lime juice, oil, and cilantro in a shallow dish. Add swordfish, turning to coat, and marinate at room temperature, turning over once, 15 minutes. (Do not marinate longer.)
Make salsa while swordfish marinates: Remove peel, including all white pith, from lime with a sharp paring knife. Cut segments free from membranes and finely chop segments, then combine with remaining salsa ingredients in a bowl.
Cook swordfish: Preheat oven to 450. Heat oven-proof pan with oil on the stove at moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke. Remove swordfish from marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Cook fish for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip the fish over and place pan in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.
Serve topped with salsa.

The Chef de Plunge: Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard, and Cheddar Bread Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:20:00 +0000

Re-posted from my food blog, The Chef de Plunge

Warm, cheesy, comforting, what else could you ask for on a freezing cold night in MA?

Butternut Squash, Swiss Chard, and Cheddar Bread Pudding
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
1 pounds peeled seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 day-old whole wheat bread (ours was homemade, from the Tasajara Bread Book, once again), torn into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
1 bunch Swiss chard (about 1/2 pound), ribs removed, coarsely chopped
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Steam the butternut squash until tender. If you don't have a steamer (we have a rice cooker that can also steam, as recommended by Cooks Illustrated) preheat oven to 400°F and toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; bake until squash is tender, turning with spatula occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add half and half, wine, mustard, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; whisk to blend. Add bread; fold gently into egg mixture. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add Swiss chard; cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and stir until chard is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes (chard will be a bit crunchy).

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Generously butter 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to prepared baking dish, arranging to cover most of dish. Spoon half of chard over bread. Spoon half of squash over bread and chard; sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, chard, squash, and cheese. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread pudding.

Cover bread pudding with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until custard is set and bread feels springy to touch, about 20 minutes longer.

Preheat broiler; broil pudding until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

The Chef de Plunge: Sweet and Spicy Asian Catfish Po-Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:16:00 +0000

Re-posted from my food blog, The Chef de Plunge

I love catfish po-boys. Alot. My favorite place to get one in the area is at the Highland Kitchen. I also love Asian food, especially Asian-fusion, East meets West recipes (see the Thai risotto from earlier). The carrot pickles to go on the sandwich were also perfect. We ended up making our own rolls (whole wheat from The Tassajara Bread Book) but I think a store-bought baguette would also be tasty.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Catfish Po-Boys
Adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients
4 soft baguette rolls (about 7 inches long), split lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1/4 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh ginger
1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
3 garlic cloves, 2 very finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Asian red chile sauce (we made this from scratch with leftover thai chilis, but the bottled kind works as well)
2 large, thick, skinless catfish fillets (about 10 ounces each), halved lengthwise
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Thinly sliced cucumber and cilantro sprigs, for serving

Directions
1. Preheat the broiler and position a rack 6 inches from the heat. Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the butter.
2. In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the honey with the soy sauce, ginger, scallion and chopped garlic. Season the honey glaze lightly with salt and black pepper. In another small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the honey with the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the carrots and toss to combine. In a third small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the chili paste and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of honey; season the chili mayonnaise with salt.
3. Arrange the fish fillets on a baking sheet; brush with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Broil for about 6 minutes, until the fish is just beginning to turn opaque. Brush the fillets very liberally with the honey glaze and broil for 8 minutes longer, until browned and cooked through.
4. Broil the buttered rolls for 1 minute, until they are toasted. Rub the whole garlic clove all over the toasted sides of the rolls and spread with the sambal mayonnaise. Using a slotted spoon, lift the carrots from the pickling liquid and spread them on the toasted rolls. Top with the glazed fish fillets, cucumber slices and cilantro sprigs and close the sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve right away.

The Chef de Plunge: Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnut Ravioli

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:02:00 +0000

These are a lot simpler than they look, I promise! First of all, we cheated and used wonton wrapers (left over from our Asian Wonton Bundles with Curried Chicken, Carrot, and Basil Filling) instead of dealing with homemade pasta dough, that simplifies things a lot. Then, all you have to do is make the filling in the food processor, fill the wrappers and fry in brown butter!

Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnut Ravioli

(adapted from Michael Chiarello via Food Network and Epicurious)

Ingredients
For filling
a 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
3 ounces aged goat cheese, grated (about 2/3)
1/3 cup hazelnuts,toasted lightly and skinned and chopped coarse

60 won ton wrappers, thawed if frozen
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Instructions
Make filling:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut squash in 1/2 and scrape out seeds. Spread 1 tablespoon molasses in the cavity. Season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a roasting pan. Cook in the oven until very soft, about 1 hour.

Let cool to room temperature and scoop out flesh into the work bowl of a food processor.

Puree squash until smooth, then spread on a baking sheet and return to the 375 degree oven to dry, about 10 minutes. The consistency will be like mashed potatoes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl.

While squash is roasting, in a skillet cook onion and sage in butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, 5 minutes, or until onion is golden brown. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Meanwhile toast hazelnuts lightly and chop finely.

Cool onion mixture slightly and add to squash. Add goat cheese and finely chopped hazelnuts and stir to combine well.

Put 1 won ton wrapper on a lightly floured surface, keeping remaining wrappers in plastic wrap, and mound 1 tablespoon filling in center. Lightly brush edges of wrapper with water and put a second wrapper over first, pressing down around filling to force out air and seal edges well. If desired, trim excess dough with a round cutter or sharp knife. Transfer ravioli to a dry kitchen towel. Make more ravioli with remaining wrappers and filling in same manner, transferring as formed to towel and turning occasionally to dry slightly.

In skillet cook butter and sage over moderate heat until butter begins to brown, then sautee raviolis until browned. Serve in brown butter with parmesan cheese.

The Chef de Plunge: Chicken Bouillabaisse

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:01:00 +0000

On New Years Eve this year, Tucker whipped up an amazing feast for us and a few friends. I recently received The French Chef cookbook as a gift and I was inspired by Julia's Bouillabaisse, which is something I've never tried before, but I've always wanted to! We decided however, to go with a chicken bouillabaisse recipe because we had non-seafood lovers coming over, so we ended up using a Cooks Illustrated recipe (which came out so delicious, especially the rouille), but next time it will be Julia's!

I really wish I had a better picture of this because it was lovely. Sadly, I think the iPhone isn't going to cut it anymore for my pictures... sigh, I guess I'll switch to a real camera.

Chicken Bouillabaisse
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
FOR THE BOUILLABAISSE
3.5-4 pound whole chicken, broken down and trimmed of excess fat
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed, and sliced thin (about 1 cup)
1 small fennel bulb , halved lengthwise, cored, and sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 strip orange zest (from 1 orange), removed with vegetable peeler, about 3 inches long, cleaned of white pith
3/4 pound Yukon Gold potato (1 large or 2 small), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves or parsley leaves

FOR ROUILLE AND CROUTON
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 baguette (ok, we didn't actually use a baguette, which is the traditional bread for bouillabaisse, but we used a homemade wheat bread from the Tassajara Bread Book... I'll post the recipe for that soon)
4 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 small cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

FOR THE BOUILLABAISSE: Adjust oven racks to middle and lower positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken pieces, skin-side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and brown other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate.
Add leek and fennel; cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften and turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add saffron, cayenne, flour, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, wine, broth, orange zest, and potatoes; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes.
Nestle chicken thighs and drumsticks into simmering liquid with skin above surface of liquid; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Nestle breast pieces into simmering liquid, adjusting pieces as necessary to ensure skin stays above surface of liquid. Bake on middle rack, uncovered, until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 145 degrees for breasts and 160 for drumsticks and thighs, 10 to 20 minutes.
FOR THE ROUILLE: While chicken cooks, microwave water and saffron in medium microwave-safe bowl on high power until water is steaming, 10 to 20 seconds. Allow to sit 5 minutes. Cut 3-inch piece off of baguette; remove and discard crust. Tear crustless bread into 1-inch chunks (you should have about 1 cup). Stir bread pieces and lemon juice into saffron-infused water; soak 5 minutes. Using whisk, mash soaked bread mixture until uniform paste forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in mustard, egg yolk, cayenne, and garlic until smooth, about 15 seconds. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in vegetable oil in steady stream until smooth mayonnaise-like consistency is reached, scraping down bowl as necessary. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil in steady stream until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.FOR THE CROUTONS: Cut remaining baguette into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake on lower rack until light golden brown (can be toasted while bouillabaisse is in oven), 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove bouillabaisse and croutons from oven and set oven to broil. Once heated, return bouillabaisse to oven and cook until chicken skin is crisp and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees for breasts and 175 for drumsticks and thighs, 5 to 10 minutes (smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces; remove individual pieces as they reach temperature).
Transfer chicken pieces to large plate. Skim excess fat from broth. Stir tarragon into broth and season with salt and pepper. Transfer broth and potatoes to large shallow serving bowls and top with chicken pieces. Drizzle 1 tablespoon rouille over each portion and spread 1 teaspoon rouille on each crouton. Serve, floating 2 croutons in each bowl and passing remaining croutons and rouille separately.

And for dessert we had chocolate mousse with candied orange peel! I'll post that next.

The Chef de Plunge: One Skillet Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice and Broccoli

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:52:00 +0000

I'm a fan of one-pan dishes, especially because my main job in the kitchen is washing the dishes! This looks fancy, but was actually super easy. We got this recipe from Epicurious and adapted it by marinating the salmon and using broccoli instead of broccolini, which we like better. Enjoy!

One Skillet Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice and Broccoli
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large)
1 1/2 cups brown rice (we use a Japanese short-grain brown rice by Kagayaki)
3 1/4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
4 5-to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
1 bunch broccoli, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary

Instructions
Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and soy sauce in small bowl; pour over salmon to marinate for 45 minutes (ok ok, we didn't actually marinate it this long, but this is the ideal amount of time). Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skilletor casserole (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and broccoli and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Remove broccoli and stir in rice, then 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid; place in oven and bake 10 minutes (rice will be almost cooked through and most of broth will be absorbed; mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry).

Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and arrange on rice, pressing in lightly, then pour the marinade over the fish. Tuck broccoli in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Cover skillet tightly and return to oven; bake until salmon is just opaque in center and broccolini is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet.

The Chef de Plunge: Coconut Thai Risotto With Seared Scallops

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:49:00 +0000

Tucker and I have been making alternative risottos for a while now, often cooking the rice in coconut milk in addition to chicken broth. This one was a little different because we had some thai chilis we wanted to use up, so those went in the risotto! This came out spicy and delicious!

Coconut Thai Risotto With Seared Scallops

Ingredients
7 thai chilis
5 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 cup arborio rice
1 can coconut milk
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
Scallions to garnish
The juice of 2 limes
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 scallops

Instructions

FOR THE SCALLOPS: Make a spice rub with 1 thai chili, 2 cloves garlic, salt and pepper (chopped finely or ground in a spice grinder).
Rub the spice mixture on the scallops and drizzle the juice of a half a lime on top. Sear the scallops in a hot pan with oil until they have a caramel crust.
FOR THE RISOTTO: Cook shallots in a large pan with oil for a few minutes until brown, add rest of the Thai chilis and garlic and saute for a few more minutes.
Add arborio rice and cook until it starts to look transparent on the edges.
Deglaze with some chicken broth, then add a can of coconut milk, some more chicken broth, fish sauce, 1/4 cup lime juice, cilantro
Continue to add broth occasionally and stir until rice is cooked the way you would with any risotto.
Garnish with chopped scallions, serve scallops over risotto.

The Chef de Plunge: Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:44:00 +0000

This tart is a like a classier, more delicious (if possible) chocolate pecan pie, which is one of my favorite pies. There is a pecan crust followed by a layer of caramel and pecans topped with chocolate. We put candied pecans on top and served it with whipped cream. I wish I had a better picture of the tart because it was so beautiful, but it was eaten so quickly (this was the Christmas dessert we brought to Tucker's family's house), I barely got a chance to take a picture, by the time I realized it was being eaten, several of the delicious caramel pecans had been stolen! Just imagine them in an artful pattern on top of the tart.

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart
(adapted from Cooks Illustrated, originally with walnuts)

Ingredients
Crust
1 large egg , separated
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted pecans (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (2 ounces)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Caramel-Pecan Filling and Garnish
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
16-18 pecan halves , plus 1 cup (5 ounces) toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Chocolate Filling
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup whole milk
5 ounces semisweet chocolate , chopped fine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST: Beat egg white in bowl with fork until frothy; remove 1 tablespoon egg white to second bowl and whisk in yolk and vanilla. Process nuts and sugar in food processor until finely ground, 8 to 10 seconds. Add flour and salt and pulse to combine. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg yolk mixture and process until dough forms ball, about 20 seconds. Transfer dough to large sheet plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk; wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm but malleable, about 30 minutes.
Roll out dough between 2 large sheets lightly floured plastic wrap to 13-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick (if at any point dough becomes too soft and sticky to work with, slip dough onto baking sheet and freeze or refrigerate until workable). Place dough round on baking sheet and freeze until stiff and cold, about 15 minutes (or refrigerate about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, evenly spray 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray.
Remove dough from freezer; discard top sheet plastic wrap but keep dough on baking sheet. Following illustrations 1 through 6 below, line tart pan with dough. Freeze dough-lined tart pan until firm, about 30 minutes. (Can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen up to 1 month.)
Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet. Spray 12-inch square foil with nonstick cooking spray and press foil inside chilled tart shell; fill with pie weights. Bake until light golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack about 5 minutes, then brush hot crust with reserved egg white. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

FOR CARAMEL-PECAN FILLING AND GARNISH: While crust is cooling; pour water into medium heavy-bottomed saucepan; add sugar to center of pot to keep granules from adhering to sides of pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat; covered; swirling pan once or twice to dissolve sugar. Uncover pot and continue to boil without stirring; until sugar is deep amber begins to smoke and registers about 375 degrees on instant-read or candy thermometer 5 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Carefully add about half of cream; mixture will sputter and steam. Add remaining cream and let bubbling subside. Return pan to low heat and stir with heatproof rubber spatula until caramel is smooth. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove pan from heat; stir in vanilla; lemon juice; and salt.
Add pecan halves to caramel and stir to coat; let stand until caramel is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon and allowing excess caramel to drain back into saucepan, transfer pecans to wire rack set over baking sheet; set aside. Stir chopped pecans into caramel, then pour mixture evenly into tart shell. Refrigerate, uncovered, on baking sheet until caramel is firm and does not slip when pan is tilted, about 20 minutes.
FOR CHOCOLATE FILLING: Whisk yolks and 1 tablespoon cream in small bowl. Bring milk and remaining 1/3 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan; off heat, add chocolate and butter. Cover pan and let stand until chocolate is mostly melted, about 2 minutes. Using spatula, stir mixture until smooth; stir in yolk mixture. (Chocolate should be thin and pourable; if too thick to pour evenly, set saucepan over low heat to warm mixture.) Pour filling into caramel-filled tart shell, tilting tart pan as necessary to evenly distribute chocolate to edges of tart. Bake on baking sheet in 300-degree oven until tiny bubbles are visible on surface and chocolate layer is just set (if pan is gently shaken, filling will appear very wobbly because caramel layer is warm), about 25 minutes. Set baking sheet with tart on wire rack; arrange caramel-coated pecan halves on surface of tart, around perimeter. Cool tart until just warm, about 30 minutes, then refrigerate, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

The Chef de Plunge: Veggie Stiry Fry With Crispy Noodle Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:23:00 +0000

Ok, I have to admit, we made this a few weeks ago, so I don't remember what exactly was in it. But I have the recipe for the crispy the noodle cake, and let's face it, that is the most exciting part! As I recall, there were red peppers, eggplant and something green (kale?) in the stir fry. The sauce was most likely the fish sauce, rice vinegar and jalapeno sauce we did with chicken a while back. To keep it vegetarian, you could do a soy sauce-based sauce instead.

Crispy Noodle Cake
from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
9 ounces Chinese egg noodles (fresh)
1 teaspoon salt
2 scallions , sliced thin
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the noodles and salt to the boiling water; cook the noodles until tender, 2 to 3 minutes (do not overcook). Drain thoroughly through a colander. Add the scallions to the noodles in the colander and toss to combine; set aside.
To cook the noodle cake, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Spread the noodles evenly across the bottom of the skillet and press with a spatula to flatten into a cake. Cook until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
Slide the noodle cake onto a large plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet; swirl to coat. Invert the noodle cake onto a second plate and slide it, browned side up, back into the skillet. Cook until golden brown on the second side, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Slide the noodle cake onto a cutting board and let sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving. (The noodle cake can be transferred to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and kept warm in a 200-degree oven for up to 20 minutes).
Eat with stir fry on top (or plain)!

The Chef de Plunge: Holiday Cookie Madness!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:52:00 +0000

So, I might have gone a little bit over the top with my Christmas cookies this year. I have three different kinds to post here today, almond and chocolate checkerboard and swirl sables, glazed butter cookies, and cornmeal thumbprint cookies.

Almond And Chocolate Checkerboard and Swirl Sables
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

I'm not going to lie, these cookies were extremely difficult to make. If you want to do these fun patterns (instead of just plain cookie discs) I don't recommend you use the ground almonds in the dough, it made the dough very hard to work with and very crumbly. So either make checkerboard or swirls with regular vanilla dough, or don't try these patterns. Don't say I didn't warn you!! Also, a note: this recipe has a hard-boiled egg yolk in them. Don't question it, just do it. Trust me.

Ingredients
2 large eggs

Almond/Vanilla Dough
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (2 3/4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup finely ground sliced almonds (leave this out if you are making a patterned dough!)

Chocolate Dough
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (2¾ ounces)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 2/3 ounces)
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (1 ounce)

Instructions
1. Place eggs in small saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill small bowl with ice water (or snow, which I did). Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs to ice water bath and let stand 5 minutes. Separate yolks from whites; discard whites. Press 1 yolk through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl; set aside. Repeat with remaining yolk, pressing into separate small bowl (keep yolks separate).

2. For Vanilla Dough: In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 cooked egg yolk on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl and beater with rubber spatula as needed. Turn mixer to low, add almond extract, and mix until incorporated. Stop mixer; add flour and ground almonds and mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, press dough into cohesive mass. Transfer dough to large plate and set aside while preparing chocolate dough.

3. For Chocolate Dough: In now-empty bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, salt, and remaining 1 cooked egg yolk on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl and beater with rubber spatula as needed. Turn mixer to low, add vanilla, and mix until incorporated. Stop mixer; add flour and cocoa; mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, press dough into cohesive mass.

4. To form Checkerboards: Divide vanilla and chocolate doughs in half. Roll each portion (4 pieces total) into 3- by 5-inch rectangle. Place sheets of vanilla dough on top of sheets chocolate dough and gently press to seal. (You should have 2 sandwiched masses of dough.) Chill dough for 30 minutes.

5. To Form Spiral Cookies: 3. Halve each batch of dough. Roll out each portion on parchment paper into 6- by 8-inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Briefly chill dough until firm enough to handle. Using bench scraper, place 1 plain cookie dough rectangle on top of 1 chocolate dough rectangle. Repeat to make 2 double rectangles. Roll out each double rectangle on parchment into 6- by 9-inch rectangle (if too firm, let rest until malleable). Starting at long end, roll each into tight log. Twist ends of parchment to seal and chill logs 1 hour.

6. Slice each sandwiched dough lengthwise into 4 equal strips. Turn one strip onto its side, so vanilla and chocolate is side by side. Turn second strip over and place on top of first strip, creating a checkerboard pattern; press gently to adhere. Wrap gently in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Repeat with remaining strips (you should have 4 logs total).

7. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using sharp chef’s knife, cut 2 dough logs into ¼-inch thick slices, rotating dough so it won’t become misshapen from weight of knife. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets.

8. Bake until center of cookies are pale golden brown, with edges slightly darker, about 15 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with remaining 2 logs of dough. Store cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in airtight container for up to 1 week

Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Jams or craisins for filling

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all purpose flour, cornmeal, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat unsalted butter and brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients.

Form dough into 1-inch balls. Arrange on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Make depression in center of each using thumb or handle of wooden spoon. Fill depressions with jelly. I tried apricot jam, raspberry jam, maraschino cherries, and craisins. The apricot jam ones were by far the best, even though that is my least favorite jam. The craisins were also very good. I don't recommend the cherries, they were way too sweet.

Continue baking until bottoms of cookies are brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container.)

Glazed Butter Cookies
from Cooks Illustrated

I'm not going to repeat the recipe here because I really didn't change it, and Cooks is giving it away for free right now. Honestly, I was skeptical of these cookies, but I read Chris Kimball's long article about his quest for the perfect cookie, so I tried it. And they were really delicious... but.... I chose to go back to my old standby Joan Nathan recipe from the Jewish The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen cookbook that I have been using forever (literally, I got it as a gift when I was 8). The main reason? I couldn't find super-fine sugar at the supermarket and I didn't feel like pulsing regular sugar in the Cuisinart. I also thought they were slightly harder to roll out, although they were definitely less brittle and didn't break as easily.

However, I made another batch of the Joan Nathan recipe today for Christmas cookies this time, but I substituted one tablespoon of butter for a tablespoon of cream cheese, so we'll see how that turns out!

The Chef de Plunge: Quinoa Pilaf with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and Turkey Bacon

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:49:00 +0000

This recipe originally called for real bacon, but since I don't eat that, we substituted in turkey bacon, which we crisped in the microwave. This would also be easily a fantastic vegetarian dish if you just skipped the bacon part all together!

Quinoa Pilaf with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and Bacon
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients
2 to 4 slices of bacon, diced
1/4 large onion, cut in half and sliced thin
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 medium sweet potato (about 10 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 small bunch kale (about 8 ounces), chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin, for garnish

Procedure

In a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid, sauté the onions olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and kale and toss until coated with the oil and the grains are slightly toasted, about 2 minutes more. Add the water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, bring to a boil, stir once, cover, reduce to low and let cook undisturbed until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, steam the sweet potatoes until they are tender. If you don't have a steamer (we have a rice cooker that can also steam, as recommended by Cooks Illustrated) toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and salt and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 475 until the potatoes begin to brown in places and the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Microwave the turkey bacon until crispy, crumble it.
When the quinoa is cooked, stir in the potatoes and turkey bacon. Top with fresh scallion slice.

The Chef de Plunge: Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Yum! There were so easy and really yummy. Thanks Alton!

We had a hard time finding chipotle at first (being in MA) and eventually found it at Market Basket (just a hint for those who live near us)

Alton Brown's Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes
From Food Network

Ingredients
* 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 whole canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
* 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of peppers
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Put cubed potatoes into steamer basket and place steamer into a large pot of simmering water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of basket. Allow to steam for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add butter to potatoes and mash with potato masher. Add peppers, sauce, and salt and continue mashing to combine. Serve immediately.

The Chef de Plunge: Asian Wonton Bundles with Curried Chicken, Carrot, and Basil Filling

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:49:00 +0000

We originally bought the wonton wrappers with the intent of making butternut squash ravioli, but somehow they ended up as chicken wontons. But they were delicious! Maybe the best wontons I've ever had. They were also fried, which always helps :)

Asian Wonton Bundles with Curried Chicken, Carrot, and Basil Filling
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon table salt
1/2 cup minced onion (from 1 small onion)
1/4 cup minced celery (from 1 small celery stalk)
1 small clove garlic , minced, (at least 1/2 teaspoon)
2 medium carrots , shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
6 ounces ground chicken
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves
1 package wonton wrappers, or gyoza wrappers

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions, celery and garlic; sauté until almost softened, about 3 minutes. Add carrots; sauté until vegetables soften, about 2 minutes longer. Add curry paste and coconut milk; cook over medium-high heat, stirring to incorporate curry paste, until most of coconut milk has been absorbed. Transfer vegetables mixture to a bowl; cool to room temperature.

2. Mix in remaining filling ingredients. Let stand about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to make dumplings.

3. To make wanton bundles -- Take one rounded teaspoon of filling and place the spoon slightly off-center on the wrapper. dab water over the edges of the wrapper, and then fold over one side and pinch the wonton closed.

4. To Pan-fry Dumplings - Bring 1/2 cup water or chicken broth to simmer in small saucepan. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot and hazy, add dumplings, flat sides down. Fry until bottoms are brown, about 2 minutes. Add simmering water or broth to skillet, pouring around dumplings. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes longer. Uncover and let dumplings fry until bottoms are crisp again, about 1 minute. Serve with dipping sauce (soy sauce, fish sauce, simple syrup, crushed peanuts, ginger).

The Chef de Plunge: Apple Pie With A Cheddar Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:25:00 +0000

I'm really picky about my apple pie. I don't like it to be too sweet, or the apples to be too mushy. I also really love the flavor combination of salty and sweet, so that is why this not-too sweet apple pie with a cheddar cheese crust is perfect! And, if you use the right kind of apples, they won't get mushy.

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust
Adapted from Epicurious

For pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), coarsely grated (2 1/2 cups)
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (trans-fat-free), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons cold vodka
1 tablespoon milk

For filling:
1 1/2 pound Gala apples (3 medium)
1 1/2 pound Granny Smith apples (3 medium)
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Make pastry dough:
Stir together flour, salt, and cheese in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle ice water and vodka evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.

Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make filling and bake pie:
Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. (I used an apple corer/peeler/slicer, very useful!) Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.

Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 11-inch round.

Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk, then cut 5 (1-inch-long) vents.

Bake on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

The Chef de Plunge: Braised Chicken with Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, and Balsamic Vinegar Over Polenta

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:56:00 +0000

Braised Chicken with Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, and Balsamic Vinegar Over Polenta
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
8 bone-in, chicken breasts (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and skin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion , halved and sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
12 ounces Swiss chard , washed and dried
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions
1.Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in nonreactive Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add chicken thighs skin-side down and cook without moving them until skin is crisped and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer; transfer thighs to large plate.

2. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot. Add onion and tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until tomato paste begins to darken, about 4 minutes (if bottom of pot becomes very dark and sticky, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water). Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, and wine, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon. Add red pepper flakes, thyme, and bay. Remove and discard skin from chicken thighs, then submerge chicken bone-side up in liquid, adding any chicken juices accumulated on plate. Increase heat to high, bring to simmer, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook until chicken offers no resistance when poked with tip of paring knife but meat still clings to bone, 40 to 55 minutes.

3. While chicken cooks, trim stems from Swiss chard (Cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces; halve leaves lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set stems and leaves aside separately. Also while chicken cooks, simmer balsamic vinegar in 8-inch nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat until thick, syrupy, and reduced to 1/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes (begin measuring volume when vinegar begins to cling to sides of saucepan). Set vinegar reduction aside.

4. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to plate and tent with foil; discard bay leaf. Bring liquid in Dutch oven to simmer over medium-high heat; add chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add chard greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir about 1/3 cup sauce into balsamic reduction to loosen, then stir mixture into sauce; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Return chicken and accumulated juices to sauce, cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, turning chicken once or twice. Use slotted spoon to transfer chard to serving dish or individual bowls; place chicken thighs on chard, then spoon sauce over. Serve immediately over polenta.

I'm moving my recipes to a separate blog

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:29:00 +0000

So, I decided to make a separate blog for my recipes and cooking posts! I've come up with the witty title of The Chef de Plunge, which is a humorous name for a dishwasher or kitchen scullery because, let's face it, that is my main role in the kitchen. That, and searching for recipes, sometimes chopping things, and blogging the results And tasting.

Anyhow, I'll keep posting my recipes here, but I'll also post them on my new blog. So if you only want the recipes and not the random other crap I post here, you can subscribe separately here. You can also follow the blog on twitter @TheChefdePlunge

The Best Ever Pumpkin Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:18:00 +0000

Ok, so I know that Thanksgiving is over and unless you are like me and will make pumpkin pie any time you get the chance, you probably won't be using this recipe until next year. But file it away! I am very comfortable saying it is the BEST EVER pumpkin pie. Why? Unlike most pumpkin pies, it isn't dense, but it is like and fluffy, almost like a mousse. Also, Tucker and I came up with two really cool ways to top it: a creme brulee top, or a praline top... if you want to add anything at all.

Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Crust
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup vegetable shortening , cold, cut into two pieces
2 tablespoons vodka , cold (it sounds weird, but just trust me)
2 tablespoons cold water

Filling
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can (or regular canned yams if you can't find candied ones)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

1. For the Crust: Process 3/4 cup flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

4. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Using thumb and forefinger, flute edge of dough. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies (I use dry pinto beans, but almost anything works). Bake on rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake 5 to 10 additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove pie plate and baking sheet from oven.

6. For the Filling: While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. This is the most important step, don't skip it even though it is time consuming! This is what makes this pie special. Rewhisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees), 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

THE TOPPINGS
If you want to top your pie at all (this isn't necessary because it is amazing pie all by itself) these are the two toppings we have made:

Praline Topping
Inspired by Cook's Country

Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions
While pie is baking, toss pecans, brown sugar, and salt in bowl. Add corn syrup and vanilla, using fingers to ensure that ingredients are well blended. Bake the pie most of the way -- until it is puffed and cracked around edges and center barely jiggles when pie is shaken. Scatter topping evenly over puffed filling and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until pecans are fragrant and topping is bubbling around edges, about 10 minutes. Cool pie completely on wire rack, at least 2 hours.

Creme Brulee Topping
Cook the pie and let it cool completely. Shortly before serving, sprinkle white sugar over the top of the pie and then lightly toast with a culinary torch, being careful not to burn the crust. Let cool, serve. NOTE: we tried this with other kinds of sugar and it seems that only plain white sugar will work (others will burn).

Arepas With Black Bean Or Chicken Carnitas Filling

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:50:00 +0000

We first learned about arepas when Venezuelan baseball player Miguel Cabrera came back from the off-season quite a bit heavier than when he left the major leagues. Supposedly the problem was that he went partying too much and ate too many arepas, Venezuelan street food. All we knew is that they were cheesy, fried, and made with cornmeal. That was enough for me, I wanted to try it! We've made them twice now, and they are super delicious and actually really easy!

Arepas
(adapted from Epicurious)

Ingredients
1 cup arepa flour (precooked cornmeal, we found this at Market Basket without much trouble)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup water

2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions
Toss together arepa flour, cheese, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then stir in water and milk until incorporated. Let stand until enough water is absorbed for a soft dough to form, 1 to 2 minutes (dough will continue to stiffen).

Form 3 level tablespoons dough into 1 ball and flatten between your palms, gently pressing to form a 1/4-inch-thick patty (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inches wide), then gently press around side to eliminate cracks. Transfer to a wax-paper-lined surface. Form more disks with remaining dough in same manner, transferring to wax-paper-lined surface.

Heat oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then fry arepas in 2 batches, turning over once, until deep golden in patches, 8 to 10 minutes total per batch. Drain on paper towels.

Slice the arepas in half and scoop out the soft middle. Fill with a filling of your choice, we did carnitas one time and black beans another time (sorry the recipes are cryptic, they are from Tucker and he doesn't remember exactly how he did them).

Chicken carnitas filling

Put a 2 lb package of skinless chicken thighs in a crock pot with two halved limes, a couple Tbs of salt, a couple Tsps of pepper, a cup of water, and a couple Tsps of cumin. Let it cook on low for 6 hours.

Black bean filling
Saute onions, black beans, garlic, spinach or kale and chili peppers, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Orzo Goat Cheese Risotto With Confit Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Orzo Goat Cheese Risotto With Confit Tomatoes
from The Food & Wine Annual Cookbook, 2009

Ingredients
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for poaching
3 plum tomatoes—peeled, quartered and seeded
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt
1/2 pound whole wheat orzo (1 1/2 cups)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 cup soft fresh goat cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup tightly packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2 1/2 ounces), plus more for serving
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons snipped chives
2 tablespoons finely shredded basil leaves

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil with the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and half of the garlic and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat until the tomatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme and bay leaf. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a work surface and coarsely chop them; reserve the olive oil for another use. Put the tomatoes in oil with thyme and bay leaf in an 8 inch square pan in a 300 degree oven for 90 minutes. Peel the tomatoes after they are cooked. The tomatoes can be kept at room temperature in the oil for up to a week.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until golden in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining garlic; cook for 1 minute.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock to the pasta and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until it is nearly absorbed between additions. The pasta is done when it is al dente and suspended in a lightly thickened sauce, about 17 minutes total.
4. Stir the tomatoes into the pasta. Off the heat, add the goat cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the chives and basil and serve right away, passing additional Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

UPDATE: Tucker didn't use the confit process that was in the original recipe like I thought he did, see above for updated text on how to REALLY confit a tomato.

Cod with Coconut, Lime, and Curry Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:01:00 +0000

This was a really yummy and pretty unique dish. The original recipe had lemongrass, which we didn't have, so Tucker improvised a bit. He served the cod over bok choy, red peppers, and brown rice.

Cod with Coconut, Lime, and Curry Sauce
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
The Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1-inch knob ginger, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Madras curry
3 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup fresh coconut milk, or canned
4 cilantro sprigs
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

The Cod:
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 7-ounce cod fillets, 1 1/2-inches thick
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper to taste

Directions
To make the broth, melt the butter in a small sauté pan or wok over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and curry and sweat until tender and with no color, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat simmer for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cilantro, and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine chinois and set aside.

Divide the 2 tablespoons of canola oil between the skillets. Place over high heat until oil is just smoking. Season the cod on both sides with salt and pepper. Put 2 pieces of cod in each skillet and sauté until golden brown and crusted on the bottom, about 2 1/2 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side for 30 seconds. Put the pans in the oven and roast until a metal skewer can be easily inserted into the fish and, when left in the fish for 5 seconds, feels hot when touched to your lip, about 6 to 7 minutes.

To serve, reheat the sauce and finish with the lime juice. In each of 4 bowls, place a piece of cod. Pour the sauce over the cod and serve immediately.