deipnosophistic gastronautica

Various Housewarming Party Foods

2011-06-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Some people asked for recipes from this past weekend's housewarming party, so here are some of the dishes:

Israeli Couscous Caprese Salad:

-Make Israeli Couscous according to however you make it: I boil it in lots of water with a splash of olive oil and salt.

-Drain, rinse with cold water to cool temperature, toss in big bowl with a little olive oil so it doesn't get gloopy.

-Add in chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella (I like cherry tomatoes chopped in half for these kinds of salads, but Berkeley Bowl was inexplicably out of any that didn't cost one million dollars)  -Make a dressing consisting of grainy dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and lots of olive oil (this is all by eye, but you want more balsamic than mustard, maybe twice as much).  -toss all together and tweak seasoning!

Balsamic-Marsala Mushrooms

-Throw into a big sautee pan (or pot or dutch oven) an obscenely enormous amount of whole mushrooms (I used smallish brown crimini, regular button would also work).

-Sautee in olive oil, salt, pepper (even crushed red pepper also if you like it spicy), till seasoned.

-Add various measures of balsamic vinegar, marsala wine, and red wine; cover and let mushrooms simmer/boil for a long time.

-At some point in the cooking process add chopped flat-leaf parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

-Keep simmering/boiling covered, occasionally adding balsamic, marsala, or red wine when the liquids get low, according to taste.

-Once mushrooms are tender and cooked through (but not mooshy), turn off heat and let cool. Adjust seasoning.

-Toss one more time with fresh flat-leaf parsley and lemon juice.

-Serve with the juices, with some baguette.

Enormous Roast I Totally Winged:

-Take a 10 lb bottom round roast, score the fat, place in enormous thing

-Add a couple of bottles of red wine, some balsamic vinegar, lots of salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper, several cloves worth of chopped garlic, and olive oil.

-Marinate overnight

-Preheat oven to like 425, put roast in, covered,* with the marinade and everything

-Cook for about an hour, then uncover

-Cook for an hour and a half more, then cut into roast to see if it's not too bloody

-Let rest for a couple of hours (3? ish?)

-Remove from marinade (now a thick meaty sauce) and slice thinly

-Return to marinade/sauce and coat, then serve on platter

-Strain rest of marinade/meaty sauce/jus and serve with the roast

*Disclaimer: I panicked because once I actually read the recipes some of them suggested I should have started cooking this thing 24 hs in advance, which I have never been organized enough to do. One of the recipes suggested 1-2 hs per pound at a low temp, at which rate it would have been ready the day after the party. Another option would be like 20-30 minutes per pound at 350? I decided to ignore everything and blast it at a high temperature to get the outside cooked and the inside pink, and it worked way better than I deserved it to.

Earl Grey Cookies

2009-10-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons Earl Grey tea leaves (= the contents of about six tea bags)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

In food processor pulse together the flour, tea, and salt until the tea is spotted throughout. Add sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Roll into a log about 2.5 inches in diameter. Wrap log in plastic wrap like a sausage and tightly twist the ends. Refrigerate for 30 min.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Slice log into 1/3 inch discs. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake until the edges are just brown (about 12 minutes). Let cool.

Olive Oil Cake with Quince Jam

2009-10-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ben was kind enough to share his cake recipe (to which he added homemade quince jam before baking):

Ingredients:

5 eggs, separated

1/3 c. olive oil

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla, lemon, or orange extract (or scrape a vanilla bean)

zest and juice of one orange

zest and juice of one lemon

2 c. flour

1 tsp baking powder

procedure:

preheat oven to 325; oil and dust with flour a 10" cake pan.

beat egg whites until stiff; set aside

beat sugar and oil until blended (you won't be able to cream them together as with butter). beat in egg yolks, then salt, cinnamon, extract, and citrus peels & juices, until smooth. add flour and baking powder in batches and mix until combined. fold in egg whites. pour into pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until firm, golden, and pulling away from sides.

Cool for 10-15 minutes

Marjoram-Citrus Chicken

2009-09-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

This recipes is an adaptation of something I saw the lovely ample-bosomed Giada di Laurentiis make on tv:

-1 whole chicken

-about 1/2 head garlic

-1 orange

-1 Meyer lemon

-1/3 cup lemon juice

-1/3 cup orange juice

-1/8 cup lime juice

-1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken stock

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 bunch of fresh marjoram

Place the chicken in a roasting pan and salt and pepper the cavity; squeeze the orange and lemon over the chicken and stuff the smooshed pieces into the cavity, alternating citrus pieces with whole sprigs of marjoram (using maybe 1/3 of the bunch) and garlic cloves. Salt and pepper the skin over the juice, tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and roast at 425º for about 45 minutes, occasionally pouring the stock into the pan to keep the drippings from burning, and basting the chicken once or twice with the accumulated juices.

Meanwhile, mix together the orange, lime, and lemon juices, olive oil, the rest of the garlic chopped very finely, and another 1/3 of the marjoram bunch (2-3 Tbsp), chopped. Season with tons of fresh-ground pepper.

After the 45 mins cooking time, start basting the chicken with the marjoram-citrus sauce every 10 minutes or so. Roast until the internal temp is about 170º, about 1/2 hour longer.

When the chicken is done and crispy and brown and pretty, remove from the pan and let it rest before carving. Scrape the drippings and accumulated pan juices into a saucepan, and add the remaining citrus-juice mixture. Bring to a slow boil and reduce over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, down to a bit more than half.

Strain the sauce into a small serving bowl and discard the solids. After skimming the fat off the top, stir in the remaining 1/3 bunch fresh marjoram, chopped coarsely, and adjust for salt and pepper. Pour some of the glaze over the chicken and pass the rest around table.

Basil Cupcakes with Mango Filling

2009-07-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

Makes 12.

For the cupcakes

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs

For the icing

8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
Several basil leaves, minced
Basil syrup (see below)

For the mango filling

1 large mango, diced small
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Several basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons basil syrup (see below)

For the candied basil garnish

several basil leaves
1 egg white
superfine sugar

For the basil syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 large bunch basil

To make the cupcakes:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together; stir the vanilla into the buttermilk. Set both mixtures aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar until very light and fluffy, several minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. On low speed, add a third of the dry ingredients, mixing just until fully combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add half the liquid ingredients, another third of the dry ingredients, the other half of the liquid ingredients, and the remaining third of the dry ingredients.

Fill twelve lined cupcake tins halfway, and bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes or until done.

Let the cupcakes cool for 2 minutes, then use a toothpick to poke several holes in each and brush lightly with the basil syrup.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely, then stuff with the mango filling. Ice the cupcakes and garnish with sugared basil.

To make the icing:

Beat the butter and cream cheese together for several minutes. Add the icing, mixing at low speed to combine, then beat at high speed until icing is light and fluffy. Stir in minced basil and incorporate as much of the basil syrup as the icing will hold without becoming runny. Use plastic wrap to form an airtight seal over the surface of the icing, and chill overnight (if it tightens, loosen it back up with a whisk before piping).

To make the filling:

Combine ingredients and chill overnight. Strain before using.

To make the garnish:

Brush each leaf lightly with egg white and dredge in sugar. Set on parchment paper to dry overnight.

To make the syrup:

Simmer water and sugar over high heat for a few minutes. Remove from heat, and steep a good handful basil for several minutes. Let cool, and strain the liquid into a blender or food processor, pack with fresh basil, and blend until smooth. Let sit for an hour or two, strain again, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pork and Leeks and Apples

2009-07-16T01:11:00.000-07:00

Dinner was primarily this recipe (thank you, epicurious!); I made a few changes to suit my available ingredients and laziness levels:

Feeds 8ish

LEEKS:

6 GIGANTOR leeks, what they have at Monterey Market right now. Seriously Gigantic, like 8ish normal-sized ones?

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 c heavy cream

Lots of sea salt and pepper

Slice leeks thinly, wash thoroughly. Heat butter until melty, add leeks, season with salt and pepper, sautee at high heat until much of the liquid is evaporated. Add the cream, reduce until thick and creamy and awesome, adjust salt and pepper.

APPLES:

4 large Fuji apples

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup peppercorns

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

1/4 c cognac

1/3-1/2 c chicken broth

Sea salt and pepper

Slice apples thinly, heat butter until melty, add apples, season with salt and pepper, add peppercorns. When much of the liquid has reduced, sprinkle with brown sugar and caramelize. Add thyme, toss, and add cognac. When liquid has reduced, add broth and simmer until most of the liquid has disappeared.

PORK:

2-3 lbs pork loin roast

Sea salt and pepper

Sprigs of fresh thyme

Pre-heat oven to 400º. Slice loin in 2 lengthwise (I did this bc of time constraints), sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and tuck sprigs of thyme under and on top of pork, put in oven. Roast for approximately 3o minutes (if using, meat thermometer should register 160ish--the meat will continue cooking once out of the oven), adjusting temperature if cooking too quickly.

Plate with a layer of leeks. three thin slices of pork, topped with apple slices.

Chicken Salad

2009-05-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

These proportions are just an approximation, of course you can combine to suit your tastes!

-2 chicken breast halves, cooked (we like to roast a whole chicken and eat the legs the night of, and save the breast for this recipe)

-1 bunch scallions

-3-5 celery stalks

-1-2 lbs asparagus

2-3 cups dried cranberries

-2-3 cups roasted cashews (either pre-roasted, or roast with a little salt and olive oil--allow time to cool off before adding to salad)

-Slice the asparagus into bite-sized portions; boil briefly until bright green and barely tender; drain and rinse under cold water

-Chop up and combine other ingredients!

-Season with salt and pepper

-Make a dressing with the following:

-Honey

-Champagne (or white wine) vinegar

-Grainy dijon mustard

-A dab of mayo

-A little bit of white wine (optional)

-Salt and pepper

-Shake vigorously w olive oil until emulsified

Toss all together, chill if desired!

Cream of Asparagus Soup with Thyme Croutons

2009-04-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

I started with this very simple Cream of Asparagus Soup, courtesy of Martha Stewart, and added the asparagus-and-crouton topping to vary up the textures:

Serves 8:

-3 Tbs butter

-1 1/2 c shallots (about 6 large)

-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

-3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

-3 lbs asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces. Reserve the asparagus tips.

-coarse salt

-1/3 c heavy cream

-2 to 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

-Sautee the shallots and thyme in the butter until soft and golden; add flour and stir constantly until incorporated.

-Add asparagus and 6 cups water, season generously w salt; cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 2-4 minutes, until asparagus is bright green.

-Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

-Return to the pot, stir in cream and lemon juice, and adjust for salt (and white pepper if desired)

For the topping, in the meantime:

-Chop 1/2ish an old baguette into very small cubes, season with TONS of olive oil, thyme, sea salt, and pepper.

-Toast in a 375º oven until golden (7-10 minutes?)

-Heat a couple of Tbs olive oil in a skillet until very hot, add the asparagus tips, season with salt and pepper, and sautee/fry until tender and slightly charred on the outside.

-Combine the croutons and asparagus tips, and serve alongside the soup as a topping.

Turkey-Mushroom Stroganoff

2009-02-28T01:39:00.000-08:00

5-6 medium shallots

7-10 cloves of garlic (oh yes)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs mushrooms, coarsely sliced or chopped

3 teaspoons thyme

3/4 cup dry white wine*

2 lbs ground turkey

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 to 3/4 cup broth (mushroom or beef are good options)

1 container (1 lb?) sour cream

-Sautee shallots and garlic (in olive oil or butter, whatever your preference) until soft.

-Add mushrooms, season with salt, pepper, and thyme

-Once the mushrooms soften, release their liquid and start to reduce, add the wine and cook until reduced by half

-Add the ground turkey with some salt and pepper, and brown; stir in the tomato paste and paprika

-Once the turkey is browned and the spices incorporated, stir in the Dijon mustard, add the broth and simmer until the meat is cooked through and tender, and most of the liquid reduced

-Stir in the sour cream and let simmer until heated through and the desired consistency is achieved. Adjust the salt and pepper, and serve over egg noodles or rice.

*The last time I made this it had excess liquid, so here I have reduced the amounts of wine and broth.

Meat and Potatoes!

2009-02-22T22:40:00.000-08:00

London Broil: David Crane introduced me to this cut of meat; I eyeball about 1/4 lb or slightly less per person, since it's a dense, filling meat--so a little goes a long way, making it awesome for big gatherings. Marinate in a ziploc bag for as long as possible (overnight/all day in the fridge, or a few hours out of the fridge) with:

balsamic vinegar (at least 1 1/2 cups)

dijon mustard

smashed garlic

salt and pepper

(other possibilities I've used are soy sauce, worcestershire, ketchup, red wine, any sort of dried herbs or spices--just make sure you have plenty of acid in the mixture)

Broil for 5-7 minutes per side, let rest for 10ish minutes, and slice very thinly on the diagonal against the grain.

Potatoes: I'm not a gigant0rz fan of mashed potatoes, but I really like this approach. These measures are approximate, and will feed maybe 12ish people:

Boil until tender in salted water:

8ish medium red potatoes (washed and scrubbed clean but not peeled)

4 garlic cloves

Drain and return to pot; mash! (The garlic will be soft and sweet and easily mashable.)

While you mash, add in approximately:

1, um, regular-size container of sour cream (I think it's 16 oz)

1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk

4 scallions, sliced thinly (white and green parts)

salt and pepper to taste

Macaroni and Cheese

2009-02-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

For Marilyn, a pretty damn good macaroni and cheese recipe from the March 2008 issue of Fine Cooking. The author gives the serrano chiles and the crushed red pepper additions as separate suggested variations (along with pancetta, something I might try next time), but I liked it enough with both that I wouldn't consider leaving them out.

kosher salt
6 tbs unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
a few fresh serrano chiles, minced (~3 tbs)
6 tbs flour
1 tbs dijon mustard
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 quart whole milk, heated
1 large sprig fresh thyme, plus 1 tsp chopped thyme leaves [I suggest more thyme]
1 bay leaf
8 oz (2 packed cups) grated extra-sharp white cheddar (sharpest you can find)
4 0z (1 packed cup) grated Monterey Jack
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tobasco sauce
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb elbow macaroni [I used penne because it was what we had]
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil; more for the baking dish
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs [do make your own breadcrumbs; this is crucial]
1 1/2 oz (1/2 lightly packed cup) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat the oven to 400 F and put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil over high heat. Brush a 9x13 inch baking pan lightly with olive oil.

Melt the butter over high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion, serranos, and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until slightly darker, 1-2 min. Stir in the mustard and crushed red pepper flakes. Switch to a whisk and gradually add the milk, whisking constantly.

When all the milk is in, switch back to the spoon and stir in the thyme sprig, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Let come to a bare simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes to meld the flavors (reduce the heat to medium low or low as needed to maintain the bare simmer).

Discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf. Add the cheddar and jack cheese, stirring until melted, and then add the Worcestershire and Tabasco. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm, stirring occasionally. [better yet, time the sauce to finish at the same time the pasta is ready]

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente [the chewy side of al dente, in my opinion, since you're going to bake it in cheese sauce]. Drain well and add to cheese sauce, stirring. Generously season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta into baking dish.

In a medium bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the Parmigiano, olive oil, chopped thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Scatter evenly over pasta and bake until top is golden, about 15 minutes. Let rest 5-10 min before serving.

Apple bars

2009-02-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

For Nandini, another recipe from the amazing Dorie Greenspan.

For the bars:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp dark rum, applejack, or brandy
1 baking apple, peeled, cored and chopped fine
1/2 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

For the glaze:
2 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the inside of the pan with flour.

Make the bars:

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until well blended. Add the applesauce, vanilla, and the brandy, and whisk until incorporated and mixture is smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple, raisins, and nuts. Transfer to baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the bars just start to pull away from the sides of the pan [NB; this didn't happen when I made these] and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer baking pan to a rack to cool while you make the glaze.

Make the glaze:

In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Adjust the heat so that the glaze simmers, and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Turn the bars out onto a rack, remove the paper, and invert onto another rack so they are right side up. Pour on the glaze and spread it evenly with an icing knife. Let the bars cool before cutting.

Meat and Tomatoes!

2008-12-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is long overdue, but I wanted to put up the instructions for the meal we had for the Project Runway season finale, Sirloin Roast with Roasted Tomatoes.

Top Sirloin roast is the first hunk of meat I learned how to prepare, and for good reason: you cook it a little under 30 minute per lb, in a 350º oven.

First, you should stab it all over with a thin knife and stuff a clove of garlic into the pocket (or half, if your garlic cloves are as lusciously gigantic as the recent Monterey Market garlic has been). Next, rub it all over with coarse salt and pepper.

As for the tomatoes, get them started about an hour before you anticipate taking out the roast. Cut up some roma tomatoes into quarters

Arrange them (cut side down) snugly in a roasting pan

Tuck cloves of garlic in between the tomatoes

Drizzle generously with a nice olive oil

Sprinkle with lots of coarse salt and pepper

(you can scatter fresh shredded basil as a final touch if you'd like)

Add the tomatoes to the oven with the meat and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, until the tomatoes and garlic are soft, shriveled, and slightly caramelized.

Apple Pecan Tart

2008-11-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

This is the tart I brought to the pig roast, lifted from the Nov. 12th Dining section of the New York Times. I might try making it in a pie dish next time, since a good portion of the filling ended up leeching out of the tart pan.

1 1/3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk plus 3 large eggs

2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract [I used about a tablespoon]

1 cup heavy cream, whipped, for serving [if you feel like being fancy]

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse to blend. Dice 8 tablespoons butter, place in food processor and give it about 20 quick pulses, until butter is in tiny lumps. Beat egg yolk with 4 tablespoons ice water. Open cover of machine and sprinkle in egg mixture. Pulse briefly. Ingredients should start to clump together to form a dough; do not allow ball of dough to form. If dough is too dry to hold together, add another teaspoon or two of water and pulse again.

2. Transfer dough mixture to lightly floured work surface and gather together to form into a flat, smooth disk. Roll to a circle about 13 inches in diameter and fit into a 10-inch fluted tart pan. Line with foil, weight with pastry weights and bake 10 minutes, until dry-looking. Remove foil and weights, prick bottom of pastry in a few places and bake until golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven.

3. While pastry is baking, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Add apples and saute over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Stir in brown sugar, then add pecans. Saute another minute. Remove from heat and spread in baked pastry. Beat eggs, stir in syrup and vanilla and pour over apples and pecans.

4. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until set and browned on top, about 25 minutes more.

Garrrrlic Bread

2008-11-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

Talk Like a Pirate Day is, unfortunately, several months past but this is what I would eat if it were that day. Or any other day, actually, because this is my absolute favorite bread recipe!

If you want to only make the topping and spread it on a nice loaf of store bought bread it'll still be super tasty. But, if you do the whole nine yards and make the bread too it will be oh so chewy and amazing. The dough can also double as pizza crust and focaccia so use it whenever possible. After all, how often do you get to make pourable bread??

Garlic Topping:

9-10 medium garlic cloves, skins left on(!)

6 TBS unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Ground black pepper

1 loaf bread, sliced in half lengthwise (or see below)

Preheat oven to 500F

Toast garlic cloves in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally until fragrant and the skins darken, about 8 minutes. When cool enough, skin and mince the cloves. Using a dinner fork, mash garlic, butter, cheese, and salt in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.

If using pre-bought bread: spread cut sides of loaf evenly with garlic butter mixture; season to taste with pepper. Place loaf halves, butter side up, onto baking sheet; bake until surface of bread is golden brown and toasted, 8-10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Just to admit, I don't know if these are the exact right ratios of cheese and butter. I usually add a lot more cheese just because I love it so! Feel free to adjust for your own palette. It gives you an excuse to eat more!

Bread:

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 2/3 cups water, room temperature

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast

1 1/4 tsp sugar

5 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

2 TBS rosemary leaves (optional)

If you can't find instant yeast (as I can't) just warm 1/3 cup of water and bloom a package of active dry yeast with the sugar. Then add only 1 1/3 cups water to make the dough.

Mix flour, water, and salt in bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on low speed until no patches of dry flour remain, 3-4 minutes. Turn off mixer and let dough rest for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over dough. Knead on low speed until fully combined, 1-2 minutes, occasionally scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Increase mixer speed to high and knead until dough is glossy, smooth, and pulls away from sides of bowl, 6-10 minutes (don't worry, the dough will still be gloppy and fall back to the sides of the bowl when not agitated!)

Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 TBS oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl and pour 1 TBS oil over top. Flip dough over once so it is well coated with oil; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature until nearly tripled in volume and large bubbles have formed, 2-2 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 500

Coat rimmed baking sheet with 2 TBS oil. Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto baking sheet along with any oil in bowl. Using finger tips, press dough out toward edges of pan, taking care not to tear it. (Dough will not fit snugly into corners. If it resists stretching, let it rest 5-10 minutes and try again.) Let dough rest in pan 5-10 minutes. Using dinner fork, poke surface of dough 30-40 times and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake until golden brown, 20-30 minutes. If you are putting toppings on, let the bread bake 15-17 minutes, remove from oven, adorn with toppings, and return the bread to the oven.

Serve hot!

Smoky Scalloped Potatoes

2008-11-15T23:12:00.001-08:00

These are the scalloped potatoes I brought to this evening's pig roast. They're from an America's Test Kitchen recipe. I like to add a bit of synthetic hickory smoke, but the potatoes are delicious without it.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup minced onion [I like to use a bit more]
4 garlic cloves, minced [I use 6-8, depending on size]
4 teaspoons powdered mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme [dried thyme works fine, if you don't have fresh on hand - the rule of thumb is 1/3 the fresh quantity, but I use somewhat more...]
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
[1-2 teaspoons liquid hickory smoke flavor]
5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven [any thick-bottomed pot works fine] over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mustard, thyme, salt, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the potatoes, cream, buttermilk, baking soda, and liquid smoke and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and transfer the mixture to a 13 x 9" baking dish.

2. Bake until the cream is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Do ahead option: You can prepare the potatoes through step 1 and refrigerate, covered with foil, for up to 25 hours. Bake covered at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until the top is golden brown, another 30 minutes.

Mojito Cupcakes

2008-10-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the recipe, from Cream Puffs in Venice, for the mojito cupcakes I made for models this Wednesday. I think the recipe is actually pretty fantastic as written, but I might make a few small changes next time.

I halved the batter/syrup recipes and got 12 regular-sized cupcakes, for which the frosting recipe as written was just about right. The cupcakes rose pretty well, so I'd fill the tins closer to 1/2 full than 2/3rds.

I increased the rum in all three parts, and still didn't think the things were quite as boozy as I would have liked, but I'm not sure I could have added a whole lot more without creating runny batter/frosting. Next time I might supplement with a bit of imitation rum extract.

I'd also suggest making just a bit more syrup than the recipe calls for, and poking lots and lots of holes when you soak the cakes. I enjoyed the effect of the syrup, but don't think it soaked into the middle as thoroughly as I would have liked. It's also possible I let the cupcakes cool too much before glazing; five minutes, as the recipe suggests, is almost certainly too long.

If you're baking in cupcake tins, as I do, I suggest skipping the usual cupcake liners (which I actually never use anyways - what the hell is the point?), as I'd imagine paper liners would tend to absorb the syrup and become soggy. The soaking does make the cakes a bit sticky, but with well-buttered and floured tins, I still had little troubling unmolding.

I loved the lime and rum flavors, but thought the mint got a bit lost. Next time I'll either steep additional mint in the syrup, mincing and then straining rather than using only whole sprigs, or perhaps add a cap-full of peppermint extract to the batter.

I forwent the macademia nut crackle and garnished with mint sprigs and slices of lime. I think they turned out quite pretty.

Blueberry Boy Bait

2008-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

That's right, bring all the boys to the yard with this light, moist, crackly-topped cake. As some designers might say, it's blueberrylicious! (Sorry, yes, those references were somewhat uncalled for) But that's okay, America's Test Kitchen wins again:

Cake
16 Tbs (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
2 cups plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen - if frozen, don't defrost)

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen - if frozen, don't defrost)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 13x9 inch baking pan.
Whisk two cups of flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer, or at least in a different bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until just mixed in. Beat in one third of the flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of the milk. Follow with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the milk, and finally the remainder of the flour mixture. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon of flour, then fold into the batter. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth with a spatula.

For the topping: Scatter the blueberries over the top of the batter. Stir the granulated cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the batter. Bake until your toothpick comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then pop it out and start eating.

I substituted dark brown sugar for the light and sprinkled on some more blueberries, but that seemed to have no ill effects. So start baiting the boys already! (We'll find a cake for luring the ladies too, don't worry)

Éclairs

2008-10-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the recipe for the éclairs I brought to coffee hour on Wednesday, more or less adapted from a cream puff ring recipe in Dorie Greenspan's totally kickass Baking: From My Home to Yours.

For the choux pastry

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons (=1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For the pastry cream

2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into bits
2 tablespoons rum (optional, but delicious)

For the glaze

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Make the éclair shells:

Bring the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour all at once and mix it in with a wooden spoon, then keep stirring until the dough comes together in a shiny mass. Cook for another couple minutes, stirring constantly, than transfer the hot dough to the bowl of a stand mixer or another large bowl.

Beat in 3 of the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl and gradually add enough to form a dough that is shiny and thick.

Working quickly, pipe or spoon the dough into twelve logs on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue baking until the shells are puffed, brown, and firm. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Make the pastry cream (see below for chocolate alternative):

Whisk the yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil and drizzle a small amount into the yolk mixture to temper; add the remaining milk slowly, whisking constantly, to avoid curdling. Put the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency, then remove from the heat.

Add the vanilla extract and the rum if you're using it. Let the cream cool slightly, then add the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth.

Scrape the cream into a bowl, and either cool over an ice bath (if you want to fill the éclairs right away), stirring occasionally, or press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the cream - the seal must be airtight to prevent a skin from forming - and refrigerate until cold. I strongly recommend preparing the pastry cream a day ahead, particularly if you're using the rum, as chilling overnight improves the flavor in my opinion.

The pastry cream keeps up to 3 days in the fridge.

Fill and glaze the éclairs:

To fill the éclairs, you can either poke a hole in each shell and pipe the pastry cream inside, or slice the éclairs in half and fill them like sandwiches. I prefer the sandwich route - it's easier, I can tell exactly how much cream I've piped into each éclair, and they're always filled evenly.

Make the glaze by carefully melting the chocolate with the cream and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Be careful not to overheat the chocolate and separate it.) Spoon, drizzle, or pipe the glaze over the filled éclairs, and toss them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up the ganache.

Makes 12.

Alternate filling - chocolate pastry cream:

2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into small pieces

Whisk the yolks together with the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil and drizzle a small amount into the yolk mixture to temper; add the remaining milk slowly, whisking constantly, to avoid curdling. Put the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency, then remove from the heat.

Whisk in the melted chocolate. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape the cream into a bowl, and cool either over an ice bath (if you want to fill the éclairs right away), stirring occasionally, or press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the cream and refrigerate until cold.

The cream can be kept covered for up to 3 days. If it tightens, use a fork or whisk to whip it back into creamy submission.

Pomegranate-Strawberry Lattice Tart

2008-10-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

For today's Coffee Hour, Sasha had requested "something with lots of berries," so I planned to make this. I got the raspberries a little too far in advance, though, so they were a little... mushy, and unusable.

Instead, I used 1 c. pomegranate seeds (from 1 medium pomegranate), and 1 cup thinly sliced strawberries to make the filling, and added the zest from one small lemon.

Also, because I couldn't help myself, I added a substantial amount of black pepper to the almond filling.

Sun-Dried Tomato Flans

2008-10-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was attempting to make this recipe, but I was sort of missing the key ingredient (store-bought sun-dried tomato paste). HOWEVER, the emendation turned out just fine and, thanks to Rachel P., ended up enhancing the final product.

Instead of the 1/4 cup tomato paste, take:

-1/2 loosely-packed cup of actual sun-dried tomatoes

-place in a coffee mug and add olive oil, just covering tomatoes

-microwave for a minute or two, and let the tomatoes steep in the oil for another five

(perhaps if you are classy you would simmer the tomatoes gently in the olive oil over the stovetop, stirring occasionally. But I find that the microwave works nicely for this sort of thing.)

-blend the tomatoes with the oil in a food processor or blender

-now you have quasi-chunky sun-dried tomato paste! Proceed to use this in the recipe as indicated

-however! When you get to the sieve-stage, reserve the solids (which will be more substantial than what you would have had with the legitimate paste).

After the flans are ready and have been plated over the arugula salad, now you can remedy the only flaw in this delicious recipe: the flans are a tad unattractive and stark sitting all boring-like over the salad. Top them with your fabulous cream-infused sun-dried tomato shreds (thanks Rachel!) for the insta-sexy!

Mustard & Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

2008-10-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well, since it is really fall now, here is my favorite (super easy, thanks Fine Cooking!) recipe for potatoes.
They start out a little gooey, but end up crispy, delicious and even good for leftovers:

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs. dry vermouth or other dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. red-skinned potatoes, cut into 3/4-1 inch cubes

Heat oven to 400F. Whisk together mustard, olive oil, vermouth, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Dump the potatoes onto a large rimmed baking sheet and spread them in a single layer. Roast, tossing with a spatula a few times, until the potatoes are crusty on the outside and tender on the inside (50-55 min.) Serve hot!

I've substituted many different types of liquor for the vermouth (sherry, brandy, etc.) and it always turns out fine. I've also used other kinds of mustard, but Dijon really does taste the best.

Apple Tart with Almond Cream

2008-10-08T20:44:00.001-07:00

FYI, here's recipe for the apple/almond tart for coffee hour today.

I doubled the rum, but in the future I would probably triple or quadruple what they have in the recipe. I think it would add more depth to the flavors; otherwise it's kind of OMG SWEET ALL THE TIME.

Also, I'd use roasted salted almonds (your food processor will make many noises, but it will be worth it). The raw slivered almonds made the filling a little bland.

And finally, I would reduce the granulated sugar in the almond filling by, say, a third. And/or sub in some brown sugar.

Port Roasted Pears

2008-10-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

6 servings

5 red anjou pears

1/2 cup port wine

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 packet thingie of raspberries

1/4 cup port wine

1 Tbsp brown sugar

mint sprigs for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350º. Slice pears into quarters, toss with olive oil, port, sugar, and black pepper. Roast for 40ish minutes, until golden.

Meanwhile, blend raspberries with remaining port and sugar in food processor or blender.

Simmer raspberry sauce at medium heat, until mildly reduced. Stir in butter.

Once pears have finished roasting, spoon 3 slices into each dish, drizzle with heavy cream, top with raspberry sauce, and garnish with mint.