Flaky Biscuits

Taken from University of British Columbia FNH 341 Food Theory Applications Manual

I use this recipe as a base, and occasionally replace some of the AP flour with whole wheat. Also, for shortcakes, I brush the biscuits with milk and sprinkle them with coarse sugar before baking.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Stir dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

3. Cut fat into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal (fat pieces should not be larger than split peas). Use a pastry blender or blend in quickly with fingers.

4. Make a well in the flour mixture, then add milk all at once.

5. Stir with a fork until the dough is stiff and there are no more traces of dry flour. Cut through the centre of the dough several times (about 25-30 stirs).

6. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently (10-15 strokes).

7. Roll to 1 cm thickness with a lightly floured rolling pin.

8. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter (I use an overturned drinking glass) and transfer biscuits to an ungreased cookie sheet.

9. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden (check at 10 minutes).

Strawberry Shortcake

• Flakey Biscuits (recipe above
• 2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
• 1/4 cup sugar (more or less, to taste)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp sugar

1. Sprinkle sugar over strawberries and mash gently with a fork. Allow to macerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to a day in advance.

2. Pour cream in a medium size bowl, and whip using electric beaters or a standing mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed and add sugar and vanilla.

3. Split each biscuit in half and place open-faced in individual serving bowls. Top with a generous spoonful of strawberries, and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.

Double-Crust Pie Dough

Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

1. Whisk together the flour, salt and sugar in a very large bowl. Add the chilled butter and cut in using a pastry cutter, two knives, or by quickly working it in using your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Alternatively, freeze a 1-cup block of butter - or two sticks in the U.S.- and then grate it into the flour mixture).

2. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture. Stir the dough together using a wooden spoon, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed to make dough stick together.

3. Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out. (At this point it can be refrigerated for two days, or frozen for two months. Let frozen dough thaw on the counter until soft enough to roll out).

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

The recipe calls for a double-crusted pie, but I made mine with a bottom crust only - as I only had that much frozen.

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (5-6 cups)
• 3/4 cup sugar*
• 1 recipe double-crust pie dough
• 4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 2 tsp lemon juice*
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon sugar, for sprinkling

1. Adjust a oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Roll out bottom pie crust by laying the rested disk of dough between sheets of wax paper on the counter. Roll the dough outward from its center into a 12-inch circle, giving it a quarter-turn every few strokes. Peel off one layer of wax paper, and press the dough into a pie plate. Remove top layer of wax paper.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rhubarb and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has lost most of its liquid but is still firm, about 5 minutes. Spread the cooked rhubarb out over a large plate and refrigerate until cool.

3. Meanwhile, roll out the top crust into a 12-inch circle. Toss the cooled rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice and vanilla together. Sprinkle sugar and cornstarch over the fruit and toss thoroughly. *Taste the fruit and adjust the sugar and lemon juice to your liking. I like it a bit tart, and a total 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar is perfect for me, however, the initial recipe called for 1 to 1 1/4 cup. Spread the fruit in the unbaked pie crust bottom.

4. Lay the top crust over the fruit (peel wax paper off of one side of dough, lay that side on top of fruit then peel off other side of wax paper), seal the edges with your fingers, and cut eight slits in the top to create vents. Brush the crust with egg white, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

5. Place the pie on heated baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature again to 375 degrees and continue to bake until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. (If crust edges are getting to dark, protect them with aluminum foil). Transfer pie to a wire rack and cool before serving. The pie can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in foil, for two days.

• Don’t be shy with oil - It makes a huge flavour impact, and carries the fat-soluble vitamins so that you can absorb them. I would say about one tablespoon of oil per serving - or for a big, fat bunch of greens, I would probably drizzle 3 tbsp.
• Season well - Salt makes food taste good. Fact. Proper seasoning is one of the main reasons that restaurant meals taste so great! It has a bad rap, but salt added in home cooking is really not a concern. Upwards of 75% of our sodium intake comes from processed foods, so if you are eating mostly whole foods, season away. Of course, if you have hypertension, you may need to be less liberal - but there is no evidence that sodium itself causes hypertension in people with normal blood pressure. Besides, getting some activity has a far greater impact on blood pressure than the salt shaker. So shake away. Your greens will thank you. But add the salt at the end of cooking, as leafy veggies are mostly water - so if you season before they wilt, they might be too salty once the liquid evaporates.
• Don’t overcook - The vibrant colour is your indication that the greens are cooked. Overdo it, and they turn an unappealing olive colour and become mushy.
• Blanch the bitter - Really bitter veggies like escarole, rapini and gai lan can be relieved of their strong aftertaste by giving them a dip in boiling water for a few minutes before cooking them as you intend (3-4 for lighter greens like escarole, 5 for sturdier greens like broccoli rabe).
• Nix the stems - The tough stalks of kale, rapini, escarole, and even romaine should be cut out before using. They are stringy and hard, and take much longer to cook than the leaf portion. They add much to the perceived unpleasantness of greens. Cut out the stems using a sharp knife, making a V-shape into the leaf.



• Add flavour - Before you add the greens, saute some thinly sliced shallots in oil until crisp and golden. Add some minced garlic. Once the greens begin wilting, throw in a generous pinch of crushed chili. Experiment with grated ginger, honey, chili paste (like sambal oelek), tahini, different oils (like sesame, walnut, or chili oil) and/or vinegars (rice, white wine, balsamic, or apple cider vinegar), and/or soy sauce. Chopped green onions are delicious if you add them toward the very end of cooking. Try finishing with some chopped, toasted nuts or seeds (almonds, sesame seeds, walnuts - all delicious). Try to contain your veggie excitement and not use all of the above at once… But do play around. There are lots of delicious combinations. Just add flavours in small doses at first and progressively add more as you taste.

Artisan Bread

Adapted from ”Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day,” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François

• 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 3 cups water
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough (*you can replace about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of white flour with any whole grain flour with great results).
• Cornmeal

1. In a large bowl, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups warm water. Add flour, and stir to combine completely. Let dough rise in a warm place for at least two hours, until it rises and collapses (up to 5 hours - or even overnight won’t hurt it). The dough may be baked at this point, or refrigerated for later use.

2. Cover dough, but make sure it is not airtight - gases need to escape - and place in fridge. When you are ready to use it, throw a small fistful of flour on the surface and use a serrated knife to cut off a piece of the size you desire. (The authors recommend a 1 pound loaf - which means cutting off grapefruit-sized piece of dough). Turning the dough in your hands, stretch the surface of the dough and tuck in under. The surface will be smooth, and the bottom with be bunched.

3. Dust a pizza peel (or any flat surface - I use a rimless cookie sheet) with cornmeal. (This prevents sticking, and adds a nice, rustic crunch. You can use flour instead, but you’ll need to use a very generous dusting). Allow dough to rest in a warm place for 40 minutes - longer (up to an hour and a half) if you use some whole wheat flour in place of the white, or if you make a larger loaf.

4. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees with baking stone (or overturned baking sheet) inside on the middle rack, plus a shallow pan on the top rack. Throw a small fistful of flour over the dough, slash it 2-4 times with a serrated knife (in a cross, a tic-tac-toe, or a fan), and slide it into the oven, onto the baking stone. Throw 1-2 cups of tap water into the shallow pan, and quickly shut the oven door to trap steam inside. Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is well browned and bread sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Salty Almonds and Gooey Marshmallows

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate, chopped (I used Cadbury milk chocolate with almonds)
• 1/2 cup salted, roasted almonds, chopped
• 1 cup chopped marshmallows, or mini marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk ogether flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butter, and corn syrup on medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks, chopped almonds and marshmallows.
3. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes, just until no longer shiny. Let cool for 2 minutes on pans before transferring to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Adarsh’s Chicken 65 Curry

• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 chicken thighs
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup dried curry leaves (use fresh leaves instead, if you can find them)
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup chicken broth

1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet (I use cast iron) over medium-high heat. Pat chicken thighs with paper towel to dry before adding to skillet. Brown on both sides, flipping only once. Set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low and add chopped onions to skillet. Cook for 10 minutes, until soft and golden. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add cayenne and curry leaves, and saute for 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet, and add ketchup and chicken broth. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or more, until chicken is cooked and tender, and sauce has thickened.

Spiced Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cups cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup Guinness beer, or other draught

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin tins (I did one 12-cup tin and one 24-cup tin for minis) with paper liners. Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and spices.

2. In a separate bowl, blend together eggs, milk, oil, beer, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and beat on medium speed of electric beaters for 2 minutes. Fill cupcake liners to three quarters full. Bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered (icing) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add sugar gradually, continually beating until smooth.

Fresh Pasta

Taken from Williams-Sonoma

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour,
  plus more as needed
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Flour for dusting

Place the 2 1/4 cups flour in a mound on a work surface. Make a well in the center large enough to hold the beaten eggs and pour the eggs into the well. Using a fork, begin gradually incorporating some of the flour from the sides, taking care not to break the flour wall. When the eggs are no longer runny, you can stop worrying about the wall. Continue working in more flour until the dough is no longer wet.

Begin kneading the dough by hand, adding as much additional all-purpose flour as needed until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Dust baking sheets with flour. Divide the dough in half. Keep one half on the work surface, covered with a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying. Set up your pasta machine alongside another work surface. Lightly flour the work surface with some of the reserved sieved flour. Using a rolling pin, flatten the other dough half into a rectangle thin enough to go through the rollers at the widest setting. Pass the dough through the rollers once, then lay the resulting ribbon down on the work surface and flour it lightly. Fold into thirds lengthwise to make a rectangle and flour both sides lightly. Flatten the dough with the rolling pin until it is thin enough to go through the rollers again. With one of the two open edges going first, pass the dough through the rollers nine more times at the widest setting; after each time, flour, fold and flatten the dough as described. After 10 trips through the wide rollers, the dough should be completely smooth and supple.

Now you are ready to thin the dough. Starting at the second-to-widest setting, pass the dough through the rollers repeatedly, setting the rollers one notch narrower each time. When the pasta ribbon gets unwieldy, cut it in half and continue rolling one part at a time until the dough reaches the desired thinness.

Arrange the finished pasta sheets on the prepared baking sheets and cover with kitchen towels to prevent drying. Repeat the entire process with the second half of dough.

Butternut Squash and Mascarpone Ravioli with Hazelnut Brown Butter

• 1 2-lb butternut squash
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh sage leaves, minced
• 4 oz mascarpone
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half, remove seeds, and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place flesh side down on baking sheet, and bake until very soft, about 40 minutes.

2. In a dry pan over medium heat, lightly toast chopped hazelnuts. Set aside. In the same pan, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and cook onion with sage until soft and golden. Scoop flesh from cooked squash, and add to onion mixture and mash together. Allow to cool slightly, then add mascarpone and combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Drop teaspoonfuls of squash mixture about an inch apart the length of a sheet of pasta. Fold pasta over filling, and use dampened fingers to seal the entire length. Press pasta down around all sides of filling to seal. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the pasta into squares of equal size, each with a dollop of filling in the center. Fold the cut edges under, around all four sides of ravioli. Use a fork to crimp and seal. Repeat with remaining pasta sheet. Drop ravioli into a pot of gently boiling water and cook until they are tender, and rise to the surface (about 7 minutes).

4. Heat butter and hazelnuts in a pan over medium heat until butter browns. Add broth, and remove from heat. Drizzle brown butter sauce over ravioli on plate, and top with *shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, if desired.

*A vegetable peeler works great to make shavings and curls.