Gourmet Girl

Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

2011-09-26T22:19:00.003-05:00

Too pretty to not share... This is what's going on at work.
I've been using champagne vinegar and a pear infused white balsamic.
Basil is always great with this salad, but so is mint and oregano- even all three together. Ricotta salata is a great alternative for the mozzarella, or even a pepper crusted chevre.
Use a good quality olive oil and coarse sea salt and pepper. Squeezing out the last little bit of summer... I LOVE it! :)

Lemon Currant Scones

2011-09-15T16:37:00.000-05:00

I made currant scones and lemon curd for a baby shower this past weekend. Making scones and finger sandwiches reminded me of my tea room days. About 20 years ago, my former restaurant, The Silver Spoon started out as a gift basket shop with a tea room. I miss afternoon tea, the ritual of it and the dainty delicate food. My tea used to consist of three courses, sandwiches and savories, the scone course which consisted of a scone, tea bread, jam and lemon curd and pastries and chocolate for dessert. Afternoon tea food is perfect for baby and bridal showers. If you are looking for ideas for this type of menu, click over to Facebook under Gourmet Girls- there are a lot of recent shower photos there (there is a link to Facebook in the side bar). Scones were always my favorite, you can find the recipe for these under currant scones in the index. They come together quickly and are a great addition to a baby or bridal shower menu. When I have an early morning event to prepare for, I prepare as much as I can the day before with dishes that either are enhanced by being made ahead or which can be partially made. I made the scone dough and cut out the shapes on Saturday, wrapped and refrigerated them and then brushed them with cream and baked them about an hour before the party on Sunday. Planning party menus in this way always makes entertaining more enjoyable and stress free.

Chocolate Filled Doughnut Muffins

2011-08-30T19:19:00.002-05:00

I have yet to meet someone who claims to dislike a doughnut. For some reason though, (probably the fact they are laden with oil), I just really don't eat them much. I found a recipe similar to this in the last issue of Donna Hay, I find that magazine one of the best food publications. Their styling is absolutely amazing and the recipes are usually easy to make and well written. I had a little epiphany of sorts while making these, I'm almost embarrassed to tell. When I bake I mostly measure by weighing the ingredients. I have been doing this for years, I can easily say that aside from my 12" chef knife that my scale is the one thing I cannot live without in the kitchen.

If you are familiar with using a scale, then you know that to tare is to re-set the scale to zero even when something is on it. For example, if I measure butter I'll set the mixer bowl on the scale, tare it and then add the butter to whatever weight it's supposed to be. I then usually weigh the sugar, but by this time the bowl is already on the mixer with the butter in it so I get yet another bowl and do this process all over again. The point to remember here is that I have been in the food business for oh, almost 20 years and as a result I felt really dumb because it took me this long to figure this out. Just yesterday I realized that I don't have to weigh the sugar (or whatever the next ingredient to be added to the bowl) in a different vessel. I can tare it all over again, with the butter already in it, bringing the scale to zero and weighing the next ingredient. It was like the light came on in my brain, when doing this before I had been adding in my head or sometimes even on a piece of paper to get the right number of ounces and pounds when adding additional ingredients so I would come up with the correct cumulative total- a series of my own little math puzzles- every single day! When weighing in ounces it was always more challenging than grams because they weren't round numbers- I could go on and on about this. So let me tell you what an epiphany this is indeed. While I am quite pleased with myself for figuring this out, I've been also shaking my head at myself for a whole day; wondering if I'm the only one out there that didn't do this.

Anyhow, about the muffins, they have a large crumb and I find they are best eaten while still warm or re-heated for a few seconds in the microwave. When making the second batch, I changed the recipe a bit. The one below has my adjustments, mostly in the way they are mixed. The magazine version had you add the vanilla with the butter and sugar, but I feel that makes them not as light and airy because the sugar and butter don't have a chance to get really fluffy when liquid is added to early. The muffins are cake-like, so the batter should be treated as so.

Chocolate Filled Doughnut Muffins

160 grams butter, at room temperature

165 grams sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

450 grams all-purpose flour, sifted

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing

Chocolate filling:

1/3 cup whipping cream

80 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped

Heat cream in a small saucepan until simmering, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In mixer bowl, combine butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until very light and fluffy.

2. While butter is mixing, sift together the flour and baking powder. I do this over a piece of parchment paper which I then make into a cone to add to the mixture. Set aside.

3. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar, scraping the bowl between additions. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

4. Add half the milks and flour mixture and blend until just combined. Do not over mix.

5. Spoon half of the batter into lightly greased muffin tins. I used a medium sized ice-cream scoop. Then make a small hole in the mixture and divide the chocolate filling among the 12 muffins- it's important to try to keep the filling mostly inside the hole, that way the chocolate doesn't ooze out while baking. Scoop additional dough on top of the chocolate. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

6. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush with melted butter and coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Lemon Pepper Roast Asparagus

2011-08-22T21:18:00.001-05:00

It feels like the beginning of a new season. This is not indicated by the weather (it's still hot as well, hell), but instead by how busy I've been at work. Business slows a little over the summer around here, July would have been the opportune time to satisfy my wonderlust- (noted!). About a week and a half ago, my books started filling up. I went from doing a whole lot of piddling around to non-stop cooking in a matter of days. This was one of last weekends dishes, super easy to make and a standby. No measurements needed, use coarse sea salt and use it generously.

Lemon Pepper Asparagus

Fresh Asparagus, trimmed

grated fresh lemon zest

olive oil

coarse ground black pepper

sal de mer

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place asparagus on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Roast approximately 20 minutes or until barely tender.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

2011-08-09T22:40:00.001-05:00

I have this bad little habit... it's called chocolate. I require it. Every day, around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, then after dinner and on occasion, in the middle of the night. I don't need a lot of it, but it does have to be good quality and as of late of the darker variety. I am actually eating chocolate now as I type, I've had a long day and chocolate has this remarkable ability to make it all better. In addition, I read somewhere that certain polyphenols in cocoa and chocolate are thought to have an anti-oxidant affect, just like the polyphenols in red wine. This of course makes me feel better about eating it, not that I was really needing an excuse. When I don't have truffles lying about I've been eating these great little 100 calorie bars for Bissingers chocolates, they are wonderful. However, I seldom eat just one little bar so I just as soon indulge in what I really want and eat a truffle.

In my effort to have more chocolate lying about, I've been on a truffle making frenzy. I came up with a good base then have been changing the liqueurs I use as flavoring. Today I made Amaretto, Champagne (my very favorite so far), and Framboise. I am no chocolatier, tempering chocolate is something that I have not really mastered and acquiring a tempering machine is nowhere in my near future. As a result my truffles are simple and easy to make, a sort of modified ganache which I then roll in cocoa powder. I'm using Callebaut dark chocolate right now since I just happen to have a 10 pound block of it at work, but any high quality chocolate high in cocoa solids and low in sugar will work fine. I have not tried using milk or white chocolate yet, but have a feeling the cream ratio will be a little different. (I'll keep you posted). As for the flavorings, next on the list is Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Corvousier, and Bailey's. With white chocolate I think limoncello and Calvados are going to be amazing. I also want to make Lavender infused dark chocolate truffles, oh, and sea salt, and chili. Clearly I could go on and on here, the combinations are endless. I would love to hear your combinations!

Dark Chocolate Truffles

21 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1-1/3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup liqueur of your choice (see above)

Cocoa powder, powdered sugar or other desired topping.

1. Combine chocolate and cream in a large heat proof bowl. Set bowl on a bain marie over medium low heat. Whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and combined with the cream.

2. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Once it begins to solidify, place in the refrigerator and chill for at least several hours or overnight. The chocolate should be thick and easily scooped with a small ice cream scoop. (I used a small scoop to keep an even size).

3. Scoop out a ball of chocolate then roll between your palms until perfectly round. Place in on a plate generously filled with the topping of your choice, I used cocoa. Roll the truffle until generously covered.

Roast Tomato Tartine

2011-08-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I would rather eat several little meals than one or two big meals a day. This roast tomato tartine is one of my favorites- a couple of these with a glass of red wine is a perfect dinner for me. I use a cast iron skillet to roast the tomatoes with garlic, rosemary and olives. I like the olives to get a little crunchy and the tomatoes to char a bit. All the flavors come together and the olive oil left in the pot with the little bits of black pepper and salt is amazing to dip bread in. I have made this as an appetizer which in reality is what it is, but when cooking for myself this is my entree. The recipe as I have written it yields about 8 tartines, whatever I have leftover is always delicious the next day as well. If you want to make more, it doubles easily- just be sure to use a large enough pan so that everything touches the bottom of the skillet.

I use French Goat Feta which I purchase at Whole Foods, any mild goat cheese will work very well. The olives are seasoned pitted cerignolas or whatever green seasoned olives I have on hand, use your favorite olives, oil cured olives would be great too. For the bread, I use sourdough slices, but French bread would be great as well. I do not peel the garlic before roasting so it doesn't burn, I squeeze it out of it's shell once cooked and spread it on the bread. Oh, one last thing...you can skip the bread and toss with angel hair pasta- yum!

Roast Tomato Tartine

1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup seasoned green olives
8 garlic gloves (not peeled)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large sprigs fresh Rosemary (fresh Thyme can be substituted)
freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt

4 oz. french Goat Feta
8 thin slices sourdough bread

1. preheat oven to 450 F.

2. In a cast iron skillet, toss tomatoes, olives, garlic and Rosemary with olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees, place bread slices on top rack and bake for 2 minutes, flip bread over and bake 2 minutes more.

4. Spread goat cheese on toasted bread slices. Squeeze one garlic clove on top of goat cheese and top with roasted tomatoes and olives. Garnish with additional rosemary or Thyme.

Chocolate Mocha Cake with Vanilla-Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2011-08-01T17:14:00.002-05:00

I have a new obsession: Swiss Meringue buttercream! I am so utterly pleased with it and don't know why it has taken me this long to discover it. Swiss meringue is nothing new, just a new discovery to me. So much easier and faster to make than Italian Meringue buttercream, which is what I have been using for all my wedding cakes. Most of all I think you will find it is very user friendly, even if you don't really know what you're doing.

The differences between the Swiss buttercream and the Italian version are mostly in the cooking method. The Italian version requires you boil sugar and water to 238 degrees, soft ball stage. While this is not really a problem, it does take considerably longer to make. I found the Italian version is fluffier at the start and has about 20% more butter in it, but in the end I can't imagine the difference being monumental. The Swiss version has a larger egg white to butter ratio and delightfully comes together in 10 minutes or less. Temperature is everything in both versions- they both tend to look curdled while beating and can either be too soft or too stiff, all of which can be easily corrected by continuing to beat. I added instant espresso powder to the basic vanilla version, if you omit it, you can then flavor it with anything you'd like. I have not made a chocolate version, but I am assuming it would work well also. Lastly, make sure the mixer bowl and whip are both clean of any greasy residue before beginning.

2- 9" chocolate cake layers- recipe found here

1 recipe Swiss Vanilla-Espresso Buttercream (makes approximately 5 cups)

Swiss Vanilla-Espresso Buttercream

6 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)

340 grams unsalted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 teaspoons of boiling water

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine sugar and egg whites. Place over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water and whisk until mixture reaches 160 F or without a thermometer until all sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

2. With the whisk attachment beat meringue on medium-high speed until thick and glossy. (tip: after adding sugar to egg whites, you cannot over beat them).

3. Slowly add butter a little at a time until well incorporated. The mixture may look curdled at this point (I promise it will pull back together), continue to whip until light and fluffy. Add flavorings and beat until well combined.

Stuffed Courgettes (Summer Squash) in Chunky Tomato Sauce

2011-07-31T13:39:00.006-05:00

Call me strange, but I am obsessed with globe zucchini. Surely everyone has some sort of food obsession, right? Of course. Stranger though, is the fact that globe zucchini are not what is pictured above. Let me tell you, these are some elusive little darlings around here this summer, particularly when I need them. I saw them at the farmer's market two weeks in a row, but of course last Wednesday they where nowhere to be found. I've been cooking dinner for the no sugar-no flour person and it came up in conversation he likes middle eastern food. (You can read about all the diet restrictions in the meatball post- and lest I forget to tell... he claims I have thrown him under the bus in the foodie world. Nonsense). Anyhow despite his claims and in my effort to please him I made stuffed courgettes for dinner, without the rice of course. I used the recipe my middle eastern grandmother used to make, one of my very favorites. I changed the recipe a bit, watercress would have not made an appearance in hers. I also omitted the rice and did not put whipping cream in the tomato sauce. While it was a bit different from the original it was still delicious and ~~maybe~~ healthier.

Surprisingly to me the rice was not missed in the recipe at all, if you want to add it though, add 1 cup cooked rice to the cooked meat. I left the sauce very chunky to help give substance and was pleased with the result. Any summer squash will work fine as a substitute for the zucchini. Butternut squash would be delicious and hearty in the fall, I would just pre-cook it for a while before filling. Eight ball or Globe zucchini are much smaller, if you are lucky enough to find them you'll need about 8.

Stuffed Courgettes

4 large summer squash

1-1/2 lb. ground veal

1/4 cup diced prosciutto

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

3 garlic cloves, finely diced

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 bunch watercress, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano (loosely packed)

3 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

2 eggs

olive oil, to drizzle over stuffed squash before cooking

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice the tops or sides off the squash, being careful to remove it in one piece- these are the lids.

Carefully scoop out the flesh with a melon baller or grapefruit knife. Reserve some of the flesh (about 1 cup) for the filling. (I try to save flesh from the sections with less seeds). Place hollowed out squash in a baking dish and set aside.

2. In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil and cook onion until translucent, add celery and prosciutto and saute until onions are lightly golden. Add garlic and reserved squash flesh and saute 2 minutes longer. Add veal, breaking any large chunks of meat up gently and cook stirring occasionally until meat is browned. Add watercress, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and cook until watercress has given its water out and wilted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Taste meat and adjust seasonings.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly with a fork. Add meat and mix thoroughly. Stuff the squash with the meat mixture, place a lid on each one and return to the baking dish.

4. Pour the tomato sauce around the stuffed squash in the baking dish. At this point, you can either refrigerate until ready to bake, or place directly in the oven. Bake uncovered, in a 350 F preheated oven for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Chunky Tomato Sauce

3 (28-ounce cans) whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1. In a large stock pot, cook onions in oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, approximately 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.

2. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, salt and black pepper. Simmer sauce, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. Add oregano and taste for salt.

Recipe: Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins with Oat Bran

2011-07-23T16:44:00.002-05:00

As a general rule, I am quite a positive person. But when the heat index outside is over 105 degrees for what seems like forever, I tend to crack. It's just miserably hot everywhere, in the kitchen, in the car, on the porch. I was just sitting outside as I do every evening and even at 10 o'clock at night it is still HOT. How is that possible? Don't answer that- I now how it's possible, it's just exhausting. Not even the beautiful summer vegetables are making the heat wave worth it. (ok, that's not true, but still- I do wish it would cool off, even just a little and for more than an hour). Okay, I'm done whining now. On the bright side, the rain has cooled things off even if it's only while water drips from the sky and it's been a welcome reprieve. As a result, I can turn every oven on at the same time and it's bearable. So you see, there was a purpose to the weather talk. I've been waiting for it to cool off so I could sample batch after batch of muffins to come out with the perfect one and not get heat stroke while I do it. Task complete.

I am by no surprise very particular about my muffins. The perfect muffin criteria: they should be moist, but not soggy, substantial but not dense, only slightly sweet as they are not cupcakes and in this occasion made with whole grains and healthier than usual. I used fresh blueberries since they are still in season, but frozen blueberries will work as well. When baking and using frozen berries, it's always best to leave them in the freezer right up to the moment you need them. I find they defrost quickly and once they do, they have the tendency to become soggy, and turn whatever batter they go into a sort of pink-blue color. I also coat the berries in a little bit of flour before adding to the batter to keep them from sinking to the bottom, this applies to fresh or frozen.

Notes: I use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter in the muffin pan. My scoop holds about 1/3 of a cup. I find this is the easiest way to make uniformed sized muffins. Stir gently, the batter should be a little lumpy. The bananas should be very ripe, and mashed completely so as to give as much moisture as possible. The muffins are not very sweet at all, a nice addition if you like them a little sweeter would be about a tablespoon of honey. I baked them in muffins cups, but I think next time I will just grease the pan, they did stick a little to the papers.

Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins with Oat Bran

1-1/4 cups flour
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 mashed bananas
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Additional sugar for Sprinkling tops of muffins if you wish.

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together.

2. In a separate bowl, mix all remaining ingredients except for the blueberries.

3. Combine wet ingredients with flour mixture and stir just to blend. Add blueberries and mix lightly.
Divide batter evenly in paper lined muffin cups (see note). Sprinkle tops with sugar and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Store at room temperature.

Recipe: Rice Cakes with Chicken Paillard and White Wine Caper Sauce

2011-07-14T21:08:00.003-05:00

Some days at work are just non-stop. I am multi-tasking from the second I walk in the door in the morning with a deadline so closely upon me it sometimes makes my head spin. Because I am a single mom, I don't have the luxury of getting to work at 6 a.m. like most people in my industry. I walk in at 8:30 after carpool and coffee. Yes, I have to have coffee. And yes it has to be from my coffee shop- it's a non-negotiable. Anyhow, you could say it's a bit of a rush to get lunch for 50 out by 10 a.m. in order to be delivered and served by 11. But, I'm not complaining, it does not bother me in the least- I actually like the adrenalin rush I get out of working under pressure. Yes, I know the immense satisfaction I get from this is a little sick. But, I simply love what I do and how I do it. Every single day. If I was to describe my dream job, it's the one I have. I feel blessed to have it. I would not change a single thing.

Today was a little different, my lunch order was only for 12 people and it was not due until 11:15. I can probably cook lunch for 12 people with my eyes closed at this point. I made the order which included herbed rice pilaf and chicken Paillard with a white wine caper sauce, a caprese salad, roast baby squash and cowgirl cookies. I finished so far ahead of schedule I unexpectedly had the rest of the morning to play in the kitchen; I had to sit there and wait for the runner to pick it up anyhow.

I made extra herbed rice so I could make rice cakes. I Then had to also make more chicken, but only because I needed it for the pan drippings. The chicken was only the means to an end for the sauce, the wine must deglaze something in the pan after all. All I really wanted to eat was the rice cake and the luscious creamy sauce. Don't worry, I know you people eat meat and poultry. I included the chicken recipe too since I put it in the photo.

Did I ever tell you how much I love butter? Butter, it makes everything better. Yes, every single thing. I realized just now how indulgent my use of butter was when I had to write the recipe down. If you must, you can omit half the butter in the rice pilaf, but I'm not doing any such thing.

When pounding the chicken breasts to flatten them, I find it cleanest and easiest to put them in a plastic bag, close the bag and pound away. This keeps all that raw chicken stuff from getting everywhere it's not supposed to be. I made the rice this morning and chilled it for about an hour before forming the patties, but you could also do this with leftover rice from the night before. Lastly, what does Paillard mean? It is a French method of cooking in which the meat is flattened, therefore tenderizing and allowing it to cook very quickly.

Chicken Paillard with Herbed Rice Cakes and White Wine Caper Sauce

Rice Cakes

1-1/2 cups Jasmine rice

3 cups water

1/4 lb. butter

salt

1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs such as chives, rosemary, lemon thyme, oregano, basil and mint.

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1. In a medium sauce pan bring the water and half the butter to a boil. Add the rice stir briefly and cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook approximately 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

2. Remove the rice from the heat and allow to cool a few minutes. Mix in the herbs, additional butter and parmesan cheese. Salt to taste and place in the refrigerator to cool.

3. Once the rice is completely cool, form into patties. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or plate. Whisk the egg in a small bowl until slightly foamy and dip each rice patty in the egg mixture then place onto the plate with breadcrumbs and coat both sides well.

4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the rice cakes about 3 minutes on each side. Place on a paper towel lined plate and set aside until the sauce and chicken are ready. You can also place them in a 200 degree oven to keep warm.

Chicken Paillard

4 - 6-7 oz. Chicken breasts, trimmed

1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary, chopped

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Plastic Bag and a Mallet.

1. Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag two at a time and pound to about 1/4" thickness with a mallet. Remove from bag and season with Rosemary, salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet, over high heat, heat olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add chicken breasts and saute about 4 minutes on each side, turning only once until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the skillet, cover and set aside. Do not wash the skillet.

White Wine Sauce

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup capers

1. In the same skillet the chicken was cooked in, over medium-high heat, pour 1 cup of wine. Cook for about 2 minutes, it will boil and cook most of the alcohol out. Scrape the pan with a small whisk while the wine is simmering. Add the butter and capers and whisk to combine. Add cream and whisk in, then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. The sauce will thicken a little once it cools down a bit.

Serve over the rice cake and chicken.

Looking for Meatballs!

2011-07-12T10:56:00.023-05:00

Recently while I was being schooled on the food rules of a special someone, I nearly swallowed my tongue. He says, "no flour, no sugar". What?? How can someone not eat flour or sugar? I'm also thinking he has no idea how many dishes have 'hidden' flour- specially since he doesn't seem to cook. Just ask someone allergic to gluten, it eliminates more dishes than you can imagine. The list of forbidden foods seems endless. Granted, this works quite well for him, but how I'll ever be able to cook under these constraints is beyond me at that point. It's a good thing he could not directly see my face as he informs me of this... I'm sure it wasn't a good look. In the few days that have passed, this is sinking in and I now have a brand new formidable challenge.

I make meat balls- really, really good meat balls. The kind of meat balls that leave you wondering how my mostly non-meat-eating self pulls this off. Well, it is one of the few meat concoctions I eat and I am Gourmet Girl after all, right? Right. But, Gourmet Girl and all, I am still no magician. (Oh, forgot to tell you- no grains, no rice, no potatoes, no dairy. The only consolation is that butter is allowed- thank God). Somehow meatballs come up in this conversation and he informs that he likes those a lot. I'm thinking well, you must like them really tough and solid as a rock, but I don't say that- I just sit there, listen, smirk and ponder. Then I say my meat balls don't have breadcrumbs, he gets all excited. Then I remember, yes thats because they have cubes of real fresh bread, real bread which is also soaked in real milk. Not so good.

At this point you might be wondering what is this all about, clearly there has not been some epiphany on my part and a recipe to follow. Well, this is about my search for a good meatball recipe which has been made by a real person, which does not come from a "diet" web site, and which most importantly tastes amazing and is juicy and moist but has no bread or milk. I'm desperate here and that leads me to desperate measures... asking you, my dear readers to help me out. You can email me or leave your perfect recipe in the comments, I will share whatever the finished product is. The last time I asked for help with a recipe you came through gloriously- caramel icing. I am absolutely positive there is someone out there with a grain-less, non-dairy, perfect meatball which does not taste like sawdust. I'll be waiting!

P.S.
It did occur to me I could possibly use dehydrated carrots. Anyhow, just a thought.

UPDATE:
I made the meat balls, I just omitted the bread, milk, and cheese. And guess what? They were totally fine, all that stressing out over nothing. Now granted, they were never side by side by the "real" version but good enough. He approved, all's well.
I'll post the recipe this week when I make them again and actually have time to photograph the little darlings. Thank you for all your comments- very helpful, specially the mushrooms- I'm implementing that when I make meat loaf again.

Baby Shower Pastries

2011-07-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

What I made at work today! :)

Recipe: Old Fashioned Southern Pound Cake

2011-07-07T10:07:00.001-05:00

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about cake. Vanilla pound cake to be exact. This happens particularly often around 3 o'clock in the afternoon when I'm in need of a sugar fix. Yes, I am addicted to sugar, I guess the first step is admitting it, I doubt it will go further than that. Usually this affliction only occurs in the afternoon. (ok, that was a lie, but a little white one). This ~~thinking~~ obsessing about cake led me to work and tweak this recipe. It is a personal conviction of mine that we all need a simple vanilla cake in our repertoire. I wanted a cake that would stand on it's own, not needing to be iced or topped with anything at all. Although, I will tell you I did stray just a little and only once (so far), and topped it with Amaretto Peaches, more on those later.

True Pound cake is made without leavening, which means it gets it lift from creaming eggs, sugar and butter. This is an easy process, but one you must be patient with. Butter must be at room temperature and must be whipped with the sugar for a minimum of 3 minutes- time it! Creaming the butter and sugar on high speed with turn the mixture from grainy to soft and super fluffy, the color should also lighten a shade or two. Don't rush this process, the more you beat it the better. Once you add the flour though, it's a whole different story- mix as lightly and little as possible so it does not become tough.

A note about measuring ingredients. The original recipe, called for 3-1/2 cups of flour, but when I weighed it, it turns out it's only 3 cups. My point is that with flour in particular, the way you put it in the measuring cup, either by scooping it or spooning it in has a lot to do with the outcome. If you scoop the cup into the flour it packs it in more, spooning it is looser and therefore less flour in the cup. I think this is sometimes the problem when recipes don't turn out the way you expect. Most cookbooks seldom tell you what method is used. My advice is get a scale, if you don't have one then scoop the flour for 3 cups or spoon it to yield 3-1/2 cups. For future reference in any of my recipes when there is no weight given (I will fix that soon), I always scoop.

1 lb. sugar (2 cups)

1 lb. butter, softened (4 sticks)

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 large eggs

1 lb. all-purpose flour (3 cups) See note above.

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Grease and flour a 10" tube pan

All ingredients should be at room temperature

1. In the bowl of a large mixer, cream the sugar, butter and salt until very light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and crapping the bowl between additions.

2. Add the flour to the butter mixture alternating with the cream. Beginning and ending with the flour. Stir until just incorporated, making sure to not over mix. Remove the bowl from mixer and stir in vanilla and nutmeg to combine.

3. Spoon the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour. Rotate the pan and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Unmold and serve either warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Light Tuna Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

2011-07-05T09:28:00.001-05:00

Some days you just want a salad. Particularly on days when the heat index outside is 105 degrees and your Air Conditioner goes kaput. I woke this morning to a somewhat muggy house, only saved from heat stroke by the fact that I had set it to the polar setting before going to bed. But, it was my lucky morning after all, for lots of reasons- one being the A/C repair man was already at my neighbors. Yes, there is a God. Turns out the unit was broken due to user error- Oh, I'm supposed to change the filter EVERY month?! Got it. Anyhow, I left for a while and upon my return it was still mildly hot. Turning on my mammoth stove for any reason whatsoever today was out of the question. Tuna salad day it is.

I usually am not a fan at all of tuna salad... mayonnaise and fish? No, thank you. My version is usually composed of what's on hand and it never ever includes mayonnaise. I had a good trip to the farmer's market this morning which yielded vine ripened Creole tomatoes, small crisp cucumbers and a beautiful array of peppers. I used white Albacore chunk tuna packed in water- it smells and tastes less of cat food. Sherry vinegar is a favorite of mine, milder than balsamic and slightly sweet. Today I used salted capers, normally when cooking with them I rinse them, but since the kitchen shop has been out of my precious salt de mer I tossed them straight in the bowl.

The salad is quite easy to assemble, use whatever vegetables you have on hand, arugula and celery would have complemented it well. The dill in my garden went to seed so I pulled it out last week, it would have also been a very good addition. I found little Creole onions at the market this morning, they are slightly sweet and spicy; red onion is what I normally use. I like this salad a little tart so I used the juice of almost a whole lemon, I suggest you taste as you go.

Tuna Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

1 large can white Albacore chunk tuna, packed in water.
1 lemon
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salted capers, about 1 tablespoon
1 Tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons Creole onion, minced

Tomato
Bell Pepper
cucumber

1. Drain tuna and place in a small mixing bowl, all vinegar, olive oil, parsley, and onion and mix well.
Add capers and freshly ground black pepper taste for flavor and add lemon juice as needed.

2. Slice tomatoes, peppers, and cucumber. Arrange on a plate and drizzle with additional lemon juice or vinegar and season with salt and pepper before placing tuna salad on top.

Recipe: Pimm's Cup

2011-07-02T13:13:00.001-05:00

With the fourth of July holiday right around the corner, I thought I would share my favorite porch drink. There isn't anything else I would rather drink on a hot summer afternoon than a Pimm's cup. When the dog days of summer seem endless... these help get you through. In my mind it is the epitome of the perfect summer drink- next to mint juleps and mojitos, but we'll talk about those another time. Even when there is nothing of substance in my refrigerator, you can count on one thing- I'll always have the makings for these.

Pimm's No. 1 cup is based on gin and tastes subtly of spice and citrus, it mixes very well with lemonade and fruits. I use ginger beer because I'm not a fan of really sweet drinks, but if unavailable you can substitute with ginger ale. You can also make them in a large batch in a pitcher, omit the ice and pour Pimms, ginger beer and lemonade in thirds into the pitcher. Refrigerate until ready to serve and pour over ice.

Pimm's No. 1
Ginger beer
lemonade
cucumber, sliced
lemons
ice

Fill a large tumbler with ice. Add pimm's to the ice until 1/3 of the ice is covered. Add equal parts lemonade and ginger beer. Garnish with cucumber slices and lemon. Stir and serve.

Easy Refrigerator Sweet and Spicy Pickles

2011-06-11T16:21:00.001-05:00

What to do on a Saturday when it's entirely too hot to paddle the lake, I don't have a big party to cook for and the thought of being idle is not a good one? Make pickles! I really have been wanting to make these since last summer, but time just got away and then Kirby cucumbers were out of season. Kirby cucumbers are small and have small seeds, they are great for pickling since they are naturally crisp. I played around with my recipe a little and made both traditional with dill and a south of the border very very spicy version. You could tone down the spiciness by removing the jalapeno all together or just using the flesh without core and seeds.

Refrigerator pickles keep for about a month, covered and chilled. Make sure the jar is clean and dry when you begin. It's best to mix the vinegar in a non-reactive bowl, either plastic or glass. The sugar cuts down on the acidity, adjust to taste. The traditional version, for which the recipe is for are sort of sweet-spicy. I had a lot of cilantro well on its way to seed in the garden so I used it on the second batch. I added cumin, cilantro sprigs, and a ripe red jalapeno, seeds, core and all. HOT!

I made these to serve with sandwiches, particularly pulled pork sandwiches with slaw... coming soon!

Refrigerator Pickles

3 cups vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dill seed
12 whole cloves
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
fresh dill sprigs (optional)
8-9 kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/8" thick

1. Mix vinegar with sugar, salt, peppers, dill seeds, cloves, and bay leaves until sugar dissolves.

2. In a large jar, layer cucumbers, onion and jalapeno. Pour vinegar solution over the cucumbers. Refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight.

Recipe:Zucchini and Pesto Puff Pastry Tart

2011-05-30T15:25:00.005-05:00

Today is the beginning of my official return to blogging! Really, I promise this time. With that in mind, it is also the beginning of summer, fresh vegetables are aplenty and I have a plethora of posts in my head. I made this zucchini tart so I could experiment with store bought puff pastry. And let me tell you, there is a significant difference between ordinary not all butter puff pastry and Dufour puff pastry. I've made puff pastry from scratch, roll, add more butter, fold, roll and repeat- about a hundred times. I did not have my home-made version next to it, but truly- once baked I could not have told the difference. What I figured out was that some of the other brands have additives and are not 100 percent butter, Dufour is nothing but flour, water, butter. I never said it was low fat- but if you're going to make puff pastry, lets do it right please. To make this lower in fat, the zucchini can be placed directly on a lightly greased glass pie pan, layered with the mozzarella and then more zucchini with pesto and herbs on top. Maybe I'll make that another day, (like right before having to hop into my bathing suit!). As for today though, we're going with the yummy all butter version.

Defrost the puff pastry in the refrigerator, its best to keep it somewhat cool at all times. If you want it a little more golden brown, you can add an egg wash right before baking. I used zucchini because it's what's in season, but I think some beautiful heirloom tomatoes or asparagus would work nicely as well.
If I was using tomatoes, I would just slice them thickly and not saute them. For asparagus, I would lightly blanch them if they are thick or saute just a little if pencil thin.

Zucchini and Pesto Puff Pastry Tart

1/2 cup homemade pesto (recipe in index)
2 small zucchini or summer squash, sliced
1 package Dufour puff pastry, defrosted (I found it at Whole Foods)
Olive oil
coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Assorted Herbs (I used thyme, basil, oregano and parsley)
2-3 large balls freshwater mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Roll out puff pastry on a parchment covered baking sheet. With a sharp knife or pastry cutter, score all around the sides of the rectangle, one inch from the edge. This will make the sides puff up higher and give the appearance of a crust.

2. In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil until almost smoking, a couple of minutes.
Place zucchini in pan, season with a little salt and pepper and lightly brown on both sides.

3. Arrange zucchini evenly over pesto on puff pastry shell. Bake for about 15 minutes or until shell is puffed ad very light brown. Remove from the oven and top with freshwater mozzarella slices and about half of the fresh herbs. Continue to bake until cheese has melted and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and top with additional fresh herb chiffonade and drizzle a little more pesto on top if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Easter Ducklings Filled with Strawberry Jam

2011-03-05T07:02:00.000-06:00

This post is from March of 2008, yes- recycling again. I sure have come a long way with yeast, specially after the king cake madness I just put myself through. Visit my Gourmet Girls facebook page for some photos, there's a link in the sidebar.

Easter is probably my favorite holiday, I find it so much more relaxed than Christmas. Jack, my little boy and I have already boiled and colored eggs a few times and have had a great deal of fun doing it, I am not as busy at the restaurant at this time of year so I get to enjoy the holiday. Last week we were in Whole Foods and they had some little bunny shaped breads. They were just precious, but their flavor was lacking- specially for a 6 year old who was expecting something more than just bread. So I set out to make the ducklings, filled them with Strawberry jam and Jack loved them! Next time, I might also add cream cheese to the filling.

One of my cooking goals for this year was to overcome my hesitation (alright-fear) to work with yeast. I have been reading a bit about yeast and have really come to understand it a lot better and as a result had no trouble at all with the yeast in the recipe. I have included the weight measurements as well, because I think most of the trouble I was having with breads in the past had more to do with the amount of flour I added than with the yeast itself. I was producing tough bread, weighing the four has helped that issue out tremendously. A scale has become such an essential tool in my kitchen, I don't know how I ever baked without it. If you don't have a scale, lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup.

I have written then recipe out in more steps than usual, I wanted to make sure anyone could understand it- even me!

Easter Ducklings

1/4 cup sugar (60 g)
1 cup warm milk (110 F)
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
3 1/3 cup all purpose flour (500 g)
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2/3 cup strawberry jam

For Decorations:

A paste made out of 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar and a little lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon) and dried currants. Royal icing flowers or fresh pansies for decorating the ducks- if desired.

1. In a medium bowl, stir 1 teaspoon sugar into milk and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes or until frothy. Stir gently.

2. Sift flour, remaining sugar and salt into a large bowl and set aside.

3. Stir butter into yeast mixture. Lightly beat in one egg.

4. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture, combining to make a dough.

5. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, it should no longer feel to sticky. The should should be fairly soft when the kneading is over.

6. Place dough in a large bowl that has been rubbed with a little vegetable oil and cover with a dish towel. Set in a warm place around 78 F and allow to rise for about an hour or until doubled in volume. (I made these in the restaurant's which is quite warm- the dough doubled in about 35 minutes).

7. Remove dough from bowl, flatten out on a floured surface with your hands then roll out gently with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 10 rounds with a 3" cookie cutter for the bodies. Cut out 5 smaller rounds for the heads and 5 small ovals for the beaks.

8. Place one egg yolk in a small bowl and beat a little. With a small pastry brush, brush egg yolk on the large rounds. Add about 1 teaspoon strawberry jam to 5 of the large circles. Place another large circle on top and pinch the edges to seal together. Making sure to pinch well so the jam does not leak out during baking.

9. With a little egg yolk, glue heads and beaks to the bodies. Place ducklings on a greased cookie sheet and set aside in a warm and draft free place to rest for 15 minutes.

10. Brush all ducklings with egg yolk and place in a 425 F oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

HAPPY EASTER!

Mardi Gras Cream Cheese filled King Cake

2011-01-22T07:48:00.002-06:00

This is a post from 2008... so yes, since I'm not posting right now- I am recycling! I thought it might be of current interest.

Stemming back to the 1700's, King Cakes are the traditional celebratory cake of Mardi Gras. Originally king cakes were served at Mardi Gras Parties and the king cake held a bean inside instead of a plastic baby. When served, the "lucky" person having the bean on their plate was named the king or queen of the party, and was then responsible for holding the next Mardi gras party which would include all the guests present at the party where the bean was found.

Living in South Louisiana, I have eaten more than my fair share of King cake. The bakeries make them in just about every flavor imaginable. The most popular are Praline and cream cheese, which is my favorite. Up until today I had not made my own king cake, but a few days ago I stumbled across this Swedish Ring at Tartelette and knew it would be perfect for my cake. I used the dough portion of her recipe and adapted it to make my king cake, then filled it with cream cheese.

I am not an avid yeast user, so making bread which uses yeast as it's leavening always makes me a little nervous. I followed her directions exactly, but the first batch of dough turned out a bit dry. I made a second batch with less flour and it was perfect. We emailed back and forth and she confirmed it was the flour, she had forgotten to write to add the flour in stages. Since the first I made this I have learned to add flour slowly- you can always add more, but can never take it away.

Cream Cheese filled King Cake

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast or 1 package instant yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter softened (1/2 stick)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon nutmeg
grated zest of one lemon (1 tablespoon)
2 1/2 cups flour

Filling:
10 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
colored sugars (green, purple and yellow)

1. Heat milk to 105-110 degrees in a small saucepan over low heat. Place milk in the bowl of a standing mixer, add yeast and stir to combine. Allow milk mixture to rest for about 10 minutes or until frothy.

2. Beat the egg in a small bowl and add to milk mixture. Then add 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, sugar, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest. With the dough hook on low speed, mix until dough comes together. The dough will be slightly sticky, not too wet. If the dough seems very moist you may add up to 1/2 cup additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time. (having made my dough twice using both amounts of flour, I found less flour worked best as I incorporated a little extra flour when kneading it by hand).

3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until dough is soft and smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm and draft-free place for about an hour, or until doubled in size. (Since it is quite a cold day today and my house is a little drafty I turned on the oven and sat the bowl on the range).

4. Make filling by beating the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar together with a mixer until fluffy then set aside.

5. Lay dough on lightly floured surface, punch down and roll into a 20" by 10" rectangle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on one half of the dough, then fold other half over to cover. Pinch dough together to seal in cream cheese. Make a ring and pinch ends together, the ring can be a circle or oval. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rose for 45 minutes.

6. In 375 degree oven bake king cake for 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and set a side to cool. I add the bean at this point by making a small slit underneath the cake with a paring knife.

7. Mix icing ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Drizzle icing heavily over king cake, and while still wet, sprinkle with colored sugars.

Happy Mardi Gras!!

Roast Pumpkin Soup

2010-10-09T06:15:00.001-05:00

I used to not be very fond of pumpkin, specially in pies. For me, their purpose was mostly Jack o' lanterns and front porch decorations. But, a few years ago I discovered pumpkin soup and pumpkin risotto and pumpkin ravioli with burnt butter and I was hooked! I usually make Pumpkin soup after the first cold snap, but since it may be January before that happens and the weather is somewhat crisp I have made it now. Really tasty, easy to make, and best of all, makes the whole house smell like fall. (and yes, if you're wondering, that is what 'fall' smells like!)

Any type of pumpkin will work, I usually purchase one of the smaller ones as I think they are a little bit tastier than just a regular field pumpkin. I garnished the soup with a few roasted pumpkin seeds. I get the type that are already shelled and saute them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

4 cups peeled cubed pumpkin
1 large yellow onion, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
4 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon fresh Thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl toss pumpkin with olive oil and and salt and pepper. Cook for 45 minutes until soft, and set aside.

2. In a large heavy-bottomed stock pot melt butter and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf and spices and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Add 4 cups of the chicken stock and 2 cups of cream. Simmer over low heat.

3. Place cooled pumpkin in food processor with reserved chicken stock (2 cups) and puree until smooth.

4. Add pureed pumpkin to the soup, bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

Serves 8-10

Recipe: Lemon Chili Pasta with Arugula and Capers

2010-09-11T14:51:00.005-05:00

Because summer is coming to an end I'm in the mood for heartier, spicier foods. For me crisp weather heralds comfort food, soups, curries, and all together heavier meals. However, the heat index is still in the hundreds here. So I've come up with another pasta dish which can be served hot or at room temperature or cold, my current favorite. These sort of meals will carry me over until I can break out my soup pot.

This lemon chili pasta is one of my favorites. It's zesty, a little peppery, and yet still light and easy. At the end of a work day in the kitchen I don't feel like preparing a complicated meal. Pasta seems to be a recurring theme around here, and it's likely that if the saying "you are what you eat" holds true, I will one day soon turn into a noodle. But, it's a quick vehicle for flavor. So bear with me until this pasta (and arugula) phase passes.

Use fresh red chilies if available. The farmers market did not have any this morning so I substituted chili flakes. Adjust the amount to your preference.

Lemon chili pasta with arugula and capers

1 pound fresh angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes OR 3 long red chilies, seeded and diced

1/3 cup capers (if using salted capers, then wash and rinse them)

3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 cups fresh arugula

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot until al dente. Drain and return to sauce pan and keep warm.

2. Heat the oil in a large sautee pan over medium-high heat. Sautee the chilies and capers until crisp. Add the lemon zest and garlic and cook until golden.

3. Toss with the pasta, arugula, lemon juice and salt and pepper and serve.

Recipe: Easy Banana Bread

2010-09-05T09:13:00.000-05:00

Passing on my love for food, baking and cooking is something I hope to do for my very picky little eater, Jack. I am trying a new approach to get him to try new foods, with the thought that if he gets excited about something we cook together he will then want to also eat it. I figured we would start with something he is sure to please him, banana bread. I also wanted Jack to be able to prepare it from start to finish without much intervention from me, so this was a great easy recipe.

I used to not be a big fan of banana bread, I found them to sometimes be too soggy, heavy and not 'cakey' enough for me. This particular version is still moist, but has a bit more crumb to it than previous versions. I have made this as a cake in 2 - 9" pans and iced it with cream cheese icing, it makes for a nice banana layer cake as well. You can also add in nuts or chocolate chips.

Easy One Bowl Banana Bread

4 cups mashed banana (about 5-6 bananas)

1/4 lb. butter, melted

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2- 9" loaf pans, greased.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees

1. Blend all ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

2. Evenly distribute batter between the loaf pans and bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Recipe: Fresh Fettucini with Basil

2010-08-30T12:14:00.002-05:00

I am very enamored with my basil bush right now. It is August; temperatures are in the upper nineties and heat indexes are topping 100 degrees. Unlike me, basil thrives in this weather. There is just enough rain to keep it moist and because it's in a shady spot it hasn't gone to seed. This is the first time I have actually planted basil directly in the ground and not in a pot; I had no idea what a difference that would make.

With this plethora of basil I was craving something simple and herby. The dish is basically pasta with a rough chop pesto. Instead of emulsifying the basil with oil, cheese, garlic, and pine nuts I rough chop everything and toss it together. To bring out a more intense flavor I always toast pine nuts before adding them in. I also make this with pistachios and walnuts as a substitute.

Fresh Fettucini with Basil

1 pound fresh pasta noodles

3 cups (approximately) fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Boil the pasta and drain. Place pasta in a serving dish and add remaining ingredients. Toss until well combined. Serve hot or cold.

RECIPE: Blueberry Crumb Bars

2010-08-25T18:34:00.012-05:00

This recipe for blueberry bars will hopefully be the solution out of my baking rut. The bars are very easy to make, are a great way to use all those summer berries and are delicious. Blueberries are still showing up at the farmers market here, but I think frozen would work just as well for other times of the year. The bars are best cut once chilled, if you can wait long enough. I did not. You can store them at room temperature for a couple of days, but they will also keep well in the refrigerator.

A few notes: If you use frozen blueberries, decrease the amount of lemon juice by 1 tablespoon. Frozen blueberries tend to have a lot more moisture and we would not want a soggy concoction. I use my hands to cut the butter into the flour/sugar mixture so as to flake the butter in. When pressing the mixture into the pan for both the bottom and top layer, make sure it is evenly distributed and pat it down into the pan and then over the blueberries. If you don't, it will fall apart and the bars will not hold together. Use an off-set cookie spatula to easily remove the bars from the baking pan and make a prettier presentation. After all, we eat with our eyes first. I use a 12" x 12" pan since I bake in bulk, but if you cut the recipe in half an 8" x 8" pan is what you'll need and may be more practical for home baking. The bars are wonderful topped with vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream!

BLUEBERRY BARS

1- 1/2 cups sugar

4- 1/2 cups flour

3/4 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature

1- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

4 cups blueberries

juice of 2 lemons (about 3 tablespoons)

2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Liberally grease a 12" x 12" pan. (see note about making half the recipe)

1. In a large heavy mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt and blend well. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture is a bit crumbly. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until blended and add to flour/butter mixture.

2. Press a little over half of the flour mixture into the pan. Distribute evenly and pat down gently.

3. In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice. (if using frozen blueberries, reduce the amount of juice- see note). Add blueberries and toss gently.

4. Evenly distribute blueberries in pan, they will be in almost a single layer and should cover most of the pan. Place remaining flour mixture over the berries and gently pat down.

5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown. Allow to cool COMPLETELY, then cut into squares.

RECIPE: Goat Cheese and Arugula Ravioli with Pine Nuts

2010-08-22T23:10:00.003-05:00

I am certifiably obsessed! I can't stop making and eating ravioli. I am waking up in the middle of the night and pondering new fillings. Really, there is something wrong with this- but I truly don't care. I will work out extra hard just so I can eat these guilt free to my heart's content. Last night I made arugula and goat cheese ravioli for dinner again, the second time around was considerably easier (not making pasta from scratch obviously makes a big difference). I think they even tasted better, I ditched the original recipe and improvised with pre-made pasta. (As with all non-baking recipes, use the recipe as a guideline).

I was eating dinner with my girlfriends and I was so absurdly happy I sort of laughed to myself. The company was delightful, but the true source of my joy at that moment was the food. Dinner was sort of an impromptu thing, I had spent the better part of the day recouping from the night before. I had a wedding cake to finish and deliver that morning, it had been a very long day. I cancelled dinner plans that evening because I just simply did not think I would make a very good dinner companion in the state I was in. But, after a nap and bath I was surprisingly ready to go again and what I craved as my hang over cure was this concoction. The pre-made pasta sheets are a life saver, making ravioli from scratch is a lovely idea- but I do have other things to attend to, ~~napping~~ so spending 3 hours in the kitchen rolling out pasta was not in the repertoire.

Oh, and almost forgot, for dessert we had a very large dollop of Argentine Cajeta doused with Bailey's Irish cream. Frangelico or Amaretto would have been a better option, but I was out. So so easy and oh my god, it made for three very blissfully happy women.

Okay, so about the ravioli... that is why you're reading this, after all. The pasta sheets are actually labeled lasagna sheets. (yes, whole foods). I remove them from the package and wrap them in a moistened kitchen towel for about 10 minutes. I found that doing this rehydrates them a bit and helps keep them from cracking when folding them over. I cut them into perfect squares and then fold over into a triangle and seal with the tines of a fork. Depending on how moist the pasta sheets are, I will usually wet the edges with my fingers. Soggy ravioli is nasty, so be sure to seal well so water does not leak in while cooking.

I am generous with the filling, place a dollop (about 1.5 - 2 tablespoons) in the center of the square. Then fold over, squeezing out any air pockets as you go. (Another culprit for allowing water to get in- clearly, I dislike it when that happens!) I did not have enough Arugula to make the sauce, so I used the same amount of basil and chopped it into a chiffonade instead.

The filling and ravioli can be made ahead. You can put the ravioli together up to a day ahead of time, just make sure to wrap the pan with a damp towel before refrigerating. From start to finish, the recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

Goat Cheese and Arugula Ravioli

Lasagna Fresh Pasta Sheets (1 package RP pasta)

3 cups fresh arugula

3/4 cup fresh ricotta (preferably whole milk)

1/4 cup softened goat cheese

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons butter

Sauce:

3 cups fresh arugula

1/3 cup pine nuts

4 tablespoons butter

2 thinly sliced garlic cloves

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large heavy skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and cook until all the foam is gone. (this clarifies the butter, removing the water and allows the butter to brown giving it a nutty flavor). Add the pine nuts, garlic and saute until lightly golden, (the pine nuts burn quickly- this is not the time to multi-task). Add the arugula and lemon zest season generously with salt and pepper.

2. In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and ricotta, add the arugula mixture and set aside.

3. Assemble ravioli (instructions above). Set prepared ravioli on a sheet pan and either cover with a towel and refrigerate until ready to use or proceed to step 4.

4. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. While the water comes to a boil, start the sauce. In a large heavy skillet, heat butter until foaming, add pine nuts, garlic and lemon juice. Lightly brown, add arugula and season with salt and pepper. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

5. When water comes to a rolling boil, gently drop ravioli in and cook until they float to the top, about 5-7 minutes. Remove ravioli from water with a strainer or slotted spoon and drop directly into skillet. Gently toss ravioli in sauce and serve. Makes 12 large ravioli.

Recipe: Tortellini Pasta Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil

2010-08-12T12:52:00.009-05:00

I'm not even going to make up excuses to explain my absence, nor say I'm back permanently (I will try though). Thank you for all your kind emails. Thank you for continuing to sign up for the newsletter. No, the subscriber service is not broken, it's the newsletter writer- she took a hiatus- a long one. But, I have so much more to say, still. There are about a dozen unfinished posts in the edit posts section, hopefully I'll get to most of them soon. Be on the lookout for my grandmother's home-made tortellini, it's one of the unfinished posts and my very favorite. I just need a little motivation. A new camera would help- until then, we have Arthur and his camera. Recently, my friend A said to me, "Your blog should not be about food!" She said this in reference to all the shenanigans that go on in my life, maybe I'll incorporate both- it will certainly be much more amusing around here. It's a good thing I have the ability to laugh at myself! For now though, lets focus on food...

Living in south Louisiana with the temperature rising over 110 degrees makes staying cool while cooking a challenge. I moved to a new house not too long ago and my beast of a range does not have an adequate hood system. (Yes, I moved the range with me... we're attached to one another- mostly me). Turning the oven on is not so ideal right now, when it reaches 350- so does the kitchen. Since food is constantly on my mind, being both my livelihood and my hobby, I am constantly thinking up new concoctions. At present, it's any type of salad, cold soup or pretty much anything which does not require turning the oven on. This may not be one of my most creative meals, but it's great hot or cold, I find it is easy to make and the ingredients are typically at hand. When fresh tortellini is not available, dry pappardelle is a great substitute.

Even in this unbearable heat, my garden is bustling with basil. I can't seem to use it fast enough, soon it will be as tall as me (that, not being much of a challenge). I found a great high quality fresh pre-made tortellini at Whole Foods, the brand is RP Pastas. Mostly I like it because it just simply tastes good; when comparing it with other pre-made fresh pastas I think it is exceptional because the individual raviolis or tortellini are well sealed and don't fill up with cooking water while they boil. (it's a pet peeve of mine when the filling leaks out or water gets in, which makes for squishy ricotta inside and dilutes all the flavors).

I like to shave the parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler as opposed to grating it so it remains in larger pieces (have I mentioned how much I love cheese?). When sauteing the garlic and pine nuts, make sure to keep heat moderate so as to not burn either- don't get distracted--I've burnt many a pine nut this way. Sometimes I saute half the basil in with the pine nuts- it fries up and turns crunchy which gives the dish added texture. Adding Boiled shrimp or shredded rotisserie chicken would be an easy way to make the salad a little more substantial.

From start to finish, you can prepare the dish in about 20 minutes or less. Serves 4 side servings or 2 entrees.

Tortellini Pasta Salad with Heirloom tomatoes and Basil

1 large ripe Creole or heirloom tomato, 1" dice

1 cup basil chiffonade

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup shaved Parmegiano Regianno

1/2 lb. container fresh cheese tortellini

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

olive oil

freshly ground black pepper and coarse sea salt

1. Boil pasta until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and cool with running water. Set aside in a serving bowl.

2. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 4 tablespoons olive oil until almost smoking. Add garlic and pine nuts, cook until lightly browned. Remove from heat and toss with pasta. Add tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve.

Recipe: Marinated Grilled Asparagus

2009-06-09T12:14:00.003-05:00

This is my photographer friend Arthur's asparagus recipe. The recipe is very simple to make, easy clean up and super tasty. I actually cooked them in the oven, but they can easily be cooked on the grill.

Wrapping the asparagus in foil keeps them from falling between the grill grates and makes clean up easy. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the asparagus. Pencil thin asparagus are my favorite, but they are not always available. This time around they were rather thick so they took a little longer to cook. I usually trim asparagus about 2" or a little less, depending on how fresh they are, basically you want to go as high on the stalk to the point that you could snap off with your hands- cutting off the dry area. From start to finish the recipe can be prepared in about 25 minutes.

Marinated Grilled Asparagus:

2 bunches fresh asparagus

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 lemon, sliced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1. Trim and wash asparagus and lay on two pieces of overlapped foil (see photo). Pull up the sides of the foil to keep the liquids from running out and sprinkle asparagus with remaining ingredients.

2. Enclose asparagus is foil making sure to seal edges well. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or place package on medium hot grill for the same amount of time.

RECIPE: Peach Glazed Grilled Chicken

2009-05-29T10:36:00.008-05:00

In my life I always find that actions speak much louder than words and apparently this applies to my blog as well. I keep saying I'm back, but then months go by and there's no sign of life around here. Well, I think 2 posts in one week officially means I have returned. This is evident not only in my blog, but in my surroundings and activities as well. I did not realize until this week how deep a hiatus I had taken from myself and my life. I slowly started working in my garden again and there it was- ocd all over again. I think it's been lurking somewhere all along, I had just not engaged in the activities where my desire for perfection so prevalent. Not resting until whatever it is I'm doing is finished is I think more gratifying to me than it probably should be. But, this is the little thing that drives me and makes me who I am, and while I am half way kidding about the ocd thing, rising to a challenge and making something better than it was before gives me immense satisfaction. Cooking, gardening, writing about it... that's what was missing- I'm all good now.

Add to that my new little blue grill and posting becomes barely an effort. In addition, I also have recruited a fellow cook, Arthur. But cooking isn't why I'm introducing him to you, although he has made an asparagus recipe contribution- next post. Arthur is a photographer for the local newspaper, he loves to cook and the bonus is my photos are about to get a whole lot better- he will be taking them. I still get to set everything up and play with the food, which for me is half the fun, but I wont spend an hour on picassa making my tomatoes not look like they glow in the dark!

Yesterday after working in the garden- and I mean WORKING in the garden, I took a little break and read the June issue of Gourmet magazine cover to cover. In it I found a great recipe for BBQ chicken wings with a peach glaze. I am not a fan of wings, so I adapted the recipe to grilled chicken breasts. I actually changed the recipe quite a bit, it really doesn't resemble the original at all. But, it certainly led me to my end result and after all this is the reason my mailbox is always full of cooking magazines- inspiration. If you are a fan of wings, you might want to take a look at the original, it's in the fast cook section of the magazine.

I have been cooking food on the grill for a long time, but only recently have I personally had to actually prepare the grill for cooking. This process has had a bit of a learning curve and this is what I've learned this week: Grills are hot, timing is everything, and the type of coals you use make a big big difference. When I master the process- and I will, I 'll post about that and my many little mishaps.

On to the chicken... oh, and P.S. I did warn about the grill craze.

Peach Glazed Grilled Chicken

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 cup peach jam

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup water

3" piece fresh ginger, peeled

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Place garlic and ginger in the bowl of a food processor, pulse until finely chopped. Add jam, soy sauce, pepper, and water. Process until all ingredients are combined.

2. Wash and pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Place breasts in a small bowl and cover with marinade, leaving some marinade aside to baste chicken while grilling.

3. Prepare grill while chicken marinates, about 30 minutes. Cook over medium hot coals for 10-15 minutes on each side, moving chicken to cooler side of grill once charr marks are made. Brush additional marinade on chicken while cooking.

Recipe: Grilled Pizza with figs, freshwater mozzarella, goat cheese, balsamic onions and Arugula.

2009-05-27T20:52:00.003-05:00

I have come out of my gardening strike in the last week and I'm well on my way to getting my garden back in order. I find it hard to believe I have neglected it for the past year like I have... weeding has consumed the last few days. I have planted tomatoes, peppers and re-vamped the herbs, but my most pleasant discovery was finding figs on my tree. I have a beautiful little fig tree in the backyard, which apparently did not mind the neglect. The tree has done just fine without me- bursting with figs. The challenge now is to harvest before the birds do, since they seem to like them as much or more than I do! The figs I used for the pizza are black mission, but any type or combination of fresh figs will work well. Figs are highly perishable and are best eaten soon after picking. Using them in a grilled pizza works well because they don't get much overhead heat and remain plump and juicy.

I just recently bought a new kitchen toy, one that took numerous trips to the kitchen store and quite an agonizing search for the perfect grill. Only after returning the black model to then buy the same exact grill in blue (yes, color makes all the difference) did I finally make the purchase. Accordingly, I have decided that in order to truly reap the benefits of this painstaking journey, I will enjoy all things grilled for at least the next month or so. First on the agenda, a delectable grilled pizza!

Grilled pizza has always been a favorite of mine. More recently, I stumbled upon a similar recipe in an issue of the Donna Hay magazine and it inspired me to craft my own. FYI - if you don't want to go through the trouble of making pizza dough, a pre-made pizza disk, frozen pizza dough (whole foods carries it), or pita bread are good substitutes.

I used a combination of goat cheese and freshwater mozzarella to start. There is a great cheese maker at my local Farmer's market whose goat cheese with dill caught my eye this latest time around and so far it's my favorite. Mache' would be a great substitute for the arugula (rocket) if unavailable. You can either caramelize your own onions as I did in balsamic vinegar, or use an onion jam.

The dough can be made ahead of time and left in the refrigerator until it's time for the second proofing. The pizza can then be assembled as the coals heat up in the grill.

Grilled Pizza with fresh figs, freshwater mozzarella, goat cheese, Balsamic onions and Arugula.

1 pint fresh figs, stemmed and halved

1/2 pound freshwater mozzarella

1/2 cup goat cheese with herbs

1 red onion thinly sliced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, plus extra for drizzling

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

about 2 cups arugula

Pizza Dough:

2 packets active dried yeast

1 tablespoon honey

1-1/4 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees)

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Place the yeast, honey and water in the bowl on an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 3 cups flour and salt and mix. While mixing slowly add remaining flour (1 cup) until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Knead dough with mixer additional 10 minutes. Remove dough from mixer and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface turning it 1/4 turns each time. When finished the dough should be smooth and elastic. Place in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in volume.

Divide dough into 6 portions, roll each with a rolling piece or pat out by hand into 6-8" rounds. Place on counter or baking sheet, cover with towel, and allow to rest for an additional 10 minutes. (at this point you can refrigerate dough until ready to use- a few hours).

Pre-heat grill to medium heat. Brush with olive oil and chargrill for 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Layer cheese, onions and figs on pizza place back on grill until cheese is just beginning to melt. Remove from grill, add rocket leaves, drizzle with additional balsamic vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

To caramelize onions: In a medium saucepan over med-high heat saute onion slices in olive oil until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper. Add balsamic vinegar and de-glaze pan. Set aside to cool until ready to use.

RECIPE: Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

2009-03-23T17:24:00.002-05:00

I think I am officially back. I know I keep saying that and then disappear for months at a time, but this time I really mean it! My life was turned upside down, but is now back together. Life is good.

This pound cake is one of my favorites. The recipe is easily adjusted to accommodate almost any flavoring you choose. I like the lemon blueberry combination, it is one of my best sellers at a local coffee shop. The cake comes together easily, but it is extremely important all ingredients be at room temperature. When creaming the butter and sugar beat the mixture until very very fluffy, I usually use a timer and set it to five minutes. Once the flour is added, take the bowl out of the mixer stand and fold. After the flour comes in contact with liquids, the gluten starts to form a chemical reaction and if stirred too much the cake will have a tough texture and uneven grain.

LEMON BLUEBERRY POUND CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
3 eggs at room temperature
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries
juice of one lemon
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

12 cup bundt pan, buttered and floured.
preheat oven to 350

1. In bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl between additions. Making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt onto a pice of parchment paper. Add flour to butter mixture alternatively with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Remove bowl from mixer.

3. Fold in blueberries with a spatula. Scrape batter into bundt pan and smooth top.

4. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.Cake should be golden brown. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert onto serving platter.

5. Mix powdered sugar with juice of one lemon until a thick paste is formed. Spread on cake while still warm.

RECIPE: Southern Caramel Cake Icing

2009-03-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Finally- Caramel cake conquered! My last post, yielded a couple of recipes- Thank you! Today I set out to make the cake, I made the icing substituting cream for the half and half. Half and half... not so fond of it- I much prefer heavy whipping cream, sorry I love fat. Proportions were perfect though, I stirred the sugar and cream mixture to 238 degrees- soft ball stage. The icing thickened up perfectly during cooling, it is a little time consuming- an hour's worth of stirring over the stove. But, I will say- worth every single stroke, I licked the spoon and pot clean (yes, I know I have a problem). The icing is perfect- the true test will come when I try to make this mid-summer in 100% humidity, but for now I'm happy and I'll worry about that in June.

Caramel Icing

3 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy pot combine sugar and cream and cook over low heat while stirring occasionally until mixture reaches soft ball stage- 238 degrees. (about 30 minutes)

Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla and stir an additional 20-30 minutes or until thick enough to spread on cake. I used my favorite 2 layer yellow cake, baked it in 8" pans and had just enough icing to cover and fill the cake.

Store cake covered at room temperature.

I'll post a photo soon-

Looking for Caramel Cake Recipe

2008-10-15T19:05:00.007-05:00

I have been looking for a good caramel icing recipe for some time. I purchased a cookbook about Southern cakes, I think caramel cake is the ultimate South Louisiana cake. Well, I made the cake and it was an utter disaster, turns out the Southern book warns the cake should not be made on a humid day?? Umm... Southern Cakes? Southern weather- did they forget? Clearly. Quite a sticky mess, the recipe did not work- go figure in 90% humidity almost year-round. I continued my search as this particular was cake to be made only in the dessert. I gave up for a while until recently when someone brought it up over morning coffee and oh no, the obsession begun all over again.

I ran across a woman who had the recipe of the specific cake I used buy and LOVE- she had received it as a wedding gift. I asked for it, I am pretty generous with my recipes so I was hopeful. She could not share she explained since the lady that gave it to her asked her not to. OK- understood, I get it- she received it as a gift and was told not to share it, I completely respect that. So the search continues...I am a bit more obsessed with it at this point, but I think my OCD has long since been established so I'm not making excuses.

This time around, instead of posting a recipe I am actually asking for one. Specifically what I am looking for is a nice caramel icing made with brown sugar, cream, and butter. I think it usually is brought to soft ball stage then stirred until somewhat set in order to ice the cake. I have a great yellow cake recipe- just need the icing. So if anyone has the recipe proportions I would be elated to have them. Oh, almost forgot- the cake I'm looking for is a two layer cake, not like the caramel cake I have in the index. Possibly found in an old Southern cookbook or in grandmas recipe box. Also, don't waste time on google- done that to no avail already. There is a link to my email in my profile, or maybe someone will be gracious enough to leave it in the comments.

Recipe: Steamed Mussels with Herbs in a White Wine Broth

2008-09-30T23:54:00.004-05:00

I have been craving mussels for the longest time. I actually had them twice in the last several weeks but neither meal satisfied me. The first time was at a very popular restaurant in New Orleans, they were not properly prepared with a rather bland broth- I had high expectations so very very disappointing. The second time was better, but still seriously lacking in flavor. So a couple of weeks ago, having not much on my agenda I set out to make them for myself. Which in the end isn't really so surprising- sometimes with my tendencies towards perfection I have to do things for myself in order to achieve my desired result.

Since my recent change in occupational status, I have been taking lessons on relaxing and being idle- two new teachers, both very amusing and quite entertaining. This is all taking place about five minutes from home in a coffee shop- the one I used to go to before work every morning and on my way home from work in the afternoon. Rather ironic- now I go there for internet access since on day 20 after the hurricane I still did not have cable or internet! (thankfully I do now). But that's only my excuse for being there half the day, not that anyone has asked. It's hard for me to believe that I do this, (just sit around and chat) much less admit it publicly, but it's humorous nonetheless. I will say though, that I have in two week's time changed my attitude and am actually embracing doing nothing much at all, (I have excellent teachers). Relaxing is an art form for these two. It's a good thing that neither knows much about my blog or most importantly how to get here. (they would not think this was too idle!) In reality though, I have worked for the last 24 years, for the last 15 at the restaurant so this last month has given me the opportunity to regroup and figure things out. The interesting thing is, I already had it figured out. Working with food isn't out of my system just yet, all I have to do now is wait until I can make it happen. Slowly and surely.

Being in the midst of starting a new venture after not having had a job for the last 4 weeks has been a month of many many firsts. Some good- some not so good, some professional some personal, but as my friend O says - I'm like a cat... always landing on my feet. It's going to take much more than the hell storm I've been through to put me in a negative place. (If ever!) Life anew- I will forever be an optimist. Which is why I knew that eventually I would get the mussels and they would taste exactly as I was craving them.

So the mussels...

I love the little black ones and have done a little research. A friend asked me the other day which type I liked best and it occurred to me I really didn't know. But of course there is an answer for that, being as particular as I am, I may not know the name, but I do know what I like. Turns out they are called Blue mussels- not black. They are found on the Northern Atlantic coast of North America and in Europe and I find I like them better than the California mussels, they are a little smaller and all around tastier. Blue mussels are most commonly used in French and Italian cuisines.

I prepared them in a light wine broth, with chopped Italian parsley and fresh Thyme. I reduced the broth after they steamed, added a little butter and extra herbs. They were perfect- at least for me, I enjoyed them immensely.

Ok, one last thing- when I say white wine, I mean good white wine. If you won't drink it, please don't cook with it. The end product is only a sum of it's parts, and as I found out today mussels are rather inexpensive (under $5 lb.). So splurge on good wine and just drink the rest, that should not be a difficult task.

2 lb.'s of mussels will serve four people as a starter or two as an entree.

Steamed Mussels in White Wine

2 lb.s Blue Mussels
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves
2 small shallots, minced
a few sprigs fresh Thyme
about 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian Parsley
4 or 5 large fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Smash the garlic with the side of a large knife and cut it into a paste. Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a large pot with a lid, (I used a paella pan ). Saute shallots until almost translucent, then add garlic and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Add chicken broth, wine and fresh thyme sprigs and bring to a boil.

2. Add washed mussels, cover and steam for 6 minutes or until mussels have opened. Remove mussels from pan and set aside. Bring broth back to a boil and reduce for 3 to 5 minutes. Add parsley, basil, tomatoes and butter and cook until butter melts.

3. Return mussels to the pan, stir and serve with hot French bread.

Recipe: Healthy Banana Bran Muffins

2008-08-31T19:47:00.003-05:00

I live in Louisiana and while there are many reasons to make this a great place to live, the climate is not one of them. Specially on this day as we all await the arrival of hurricane Gustav. Yesterday I had lunch with friends- ok...drinks with friends while all the men where at the football game- yes on the eve of this category 5 storm LSU is still playing football at 10 am in the morning (insane!). That's the south for you- sort of the the last hurrah before the storm. We were all talking about what provisions we needed to compile for the weeks ahead since it is pretty much unknown what the effect of the storm will be. The funny thing was that every single one of our provision lists began with wine or beer...I guess we all know we will soon be stranded and having house parties will be our only source of entertainment.

So this morning I set out to get gas, wine, bread and water. The only bread available at the store was raisin bread, water was a plenty and wine was not sold until after 11 am!!! I still don't understand the reasoning behind that law. After spending half the day in a frenzy doing all this- gas was available but gas cans were not...not so good for my generator situation- maybe this is why I should have done all this on Thursday. Anyhow, now I'm home baking...the stress reliever, it's not actually the storm I'm stressed about though. Yesterday I had an abrupt career change- yup am sort of jobless and amazingly enough not too worried about it. I tend to land on my feet and do have the comfort of knowing that things in my life do tend to work themselves out for the best.

Now to the point of the post- the banana muffins. After all this is a food blog. They are the healthy version, quite moist due to the ratio of bananas and full of whole grains and bran. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Banana Bran Muffins

1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1- 3/4 cups mashed banana (about 4-5 small bananas)
1-1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Mix bran, flours, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk to combine.

2. In a medium bowl combine buttermilk, sugar, egg, canola oil, mashed bananas and vanilla. Whisk well until thoroughly combined.

3. Pour buttermilk mixture into bowl with flour and stir with a spoon gently- only to barely combine. Do not over mix- that is what makes muffins tough!

Spoon into muffin tins filling to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Recipe: Seared Tuna Steak with Fresh Basil Pesto

2008-08-20T06:35:00.000-05:00

Grilled tuna is one of my favorite staples- both for a dinner party and a quick weekday meal. I purchase sushi grade tuna frozen in individual vacumm sealed bags, I keep them in the freezer and defrost as I need them.

When tuna gets overcooked, it becomes very dry and flavorless, to make sure that doesn't happen I cook it either in a very hot sautee pan, and indor flat grill or grill it over very hot coals. I cook the tuna until the outside is seared and the inside is still raw, like sushi. The fresh pesto sauce is the perfect accompaniment.

Prepare the pesto first, you can find the recipe either below this post, or here. The tuna can be served warm or at room temperature.

2-3 pounds center cut tuna steaks
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
coarse sea salt

1. heat a sautee pan or grill until very hot over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes. Rub olive oil over tuna and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cook tuna for a ccouple of minutes on each side until seared, the middle should remain pink. Serve with pesto.

Recipe: Making Fresh Basil Pesto

2008-08-04T21:08:00.008-05:00

If you have ever had freshly made pesto, you already know there is no going back to the store bought variety. I am a purist when it comes to pesto- I like to make it by hand, the way my grandmother did. Part of that for me is the fact that I enjoy spending time in the kitchen whisking, chopping, kneading and the like. I get more satisfaction out of cooking if I take the time to prepare things by hand. Granted, sometimes time does not allow such leisure, but whenever possible I take advantage of it.

As with any food, the quality of your ingredients will define your results. Make sure to use freshly grated parmesan cheese and the best extra virgin olive oil you can find. The pesto keeps covered in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but it's best the day it is prepared. Use a mezzaluna or the largest knife you have to do the chopping. I like adding everything in stages which yields little bits and pieces of everything in different sizes, more rustic- instead of a homogenized paste like you would get by using a food processor.

Fresh Basil Pesto

1 bunch basil leaves, approximately 2 cups loosely packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup pine nuts
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled

1. Stack half of the basil leaves together and begin to chop, add some garlic, pine nuts and parmessan, continue chopping while adding a bit more garlic, basil, pine nuts and parmesan. Adding the ingedients in stages will keep the pesto a bit more rustic and chunky.

Chop until a thick chunky paste is formed.

2. Press pesto into a small bowl and cover with a couple of tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Stir before serving.

Recipe: Corn and Potato Chowder with Gorgonzola Dolce

2008-08-03T15:34:00.006-05:00

I'm back. I took a little hiatus- life was overwhelming me. I'll leave it at that. Amazingly enough though, readership has gone up while I've been gone. I wont read too much into that.

My absence makes me a little sad- I've missed most summer foods, which are actually my favorite. Nothing is as good as cooking with freshly picked ruby red tomatoes, but corn will have to do for today. This is one of my favorite soups, specially in the summer when corn is sweet and not so starchy, frozen corn is not a good choice here- it's just never the same. The soup comes together quickly and is composed of pretty basic ingredients I am likely to have in the pantry at any given time. I like Gorgonzola Dolce crumbles as a topping, it melts beautifully and takes the flavor of the soup to a whole other level- if you are not a fan of blue cheeses, substitute a sharp white cheddar.

Corn Chowder with Gorgonzola Dolce

4 strips bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
1-2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock)
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken stock
2 yukon gold potatoes, cubed- unpeeled
4 ears fresh corn
2 cups milk, cream, or half and half (I use whatever I have- obviously cream is best!)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 pound Gorgonzola Dolce

1. In a large heavy stock pot over medium heat, cook bacon with olive oil until crispy- about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside for topping.

2. Add onions and butter and cook until translucent, they should just be beginning to brown around the edges- about 10-15 minutes. Add flour, salt, pepper, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and cook an additional 5 minutes, stiring to make sure mixture does not stick to the sides of the pot.

3. Add chicken stock a little at a time while whisking flour and onion mixture into stock. Add potatoes, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until potaoes are almost all the way cooked- about 10 minutes. Add corn and fresh thyme and cook 5 minutes, add cream, half and half or milk- whichever you are using and bring back to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes, check seasonings then serve hot with gorgonzola dolce and bacon crumbles.

Creole Polenta with Fresh Corn

2008-04-30T17:42:00.004-05:00

Yes, I know...2 weeks since my last post, lets just say things have been a little crazy. But, I think I will amply make-up for it with this little treat. When I make Shrimp creole, I always double the recipe for the sauce and freeze half of it before adding the shrimp. I do this because it freezes beautifully and I have found many ways to use it. Sometimes I heat the sauce and just add fresh shrimp, but this dish is one of my favorites- and oh so very comforting. I am not usually a casserole making type of girl, mostly I think they taste like mush- but this is my one true exception. If you must- it could be made in a casserole dish. I use a springform pan so it's easy to unmold and I get prettier looking pieces. An 8 inch pan will make a taller torte while a 9 inch pan will be just a little flatter- both work well, use what you have.

When adding the second layer of polenta to the pan, be sure to spoon it lightly and evenly so it does not get all mixed into the sauce. If it does- it's OK, it just looks better the other way.

1 ear fresh corn
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 cups polenta
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 t butter
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups Creole sauce- recipe found here

1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until they start to brown. Add fresh corn and dry polenta and cook while stirring for about 20 minutes or until the polenta is toasted.

2. Add chicken stock, fresh thyme and continue to cook while stirring for 20 minutes longer. Add whipping cream and cook 10 minutes longer until bubbly and thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and continue to stir for an additional 5 minutes until slightly cooled and thickened.

3. Grease 8" or 9" springform pan and pour half of the polenta into the pan and spread evenly. Add 2-1/2 cups Creole sauce to the polenta in the pan and spread evenly. Cover with remaining polenta by spooning it evenly over sauce.

4. Sprinkle 1 1/2cups grated parmesan cheese over polenta and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool for 30 minutes before unmolding. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemon and Thyme Baked Ricotta with Marinated Olives

2008-04-15T08:07:00.002-05:00

I think I have expressed my love for cheese and bread, but just in case there is any doubt this recipe should confirm my passion...specially for the cheese portion. One small confession before I go on- I don't eat a lot of meat, no particular reason, not a vegetarian- just can live without it I guess. As a result, my meals aren't really meals in a traditional sort of way, I am completely satisfied eating cheese, olives, and bread. Specially when cooking for only myself which happens more often than not these days, as Jack is perfectly happy eating mac and cheese with a stray vegetable here and there. I bought a container of organic whole-milk ricotta cheese to make ravioli, but for some reason I just haven't been in the mood to make work intensive food lately which led me to the baked ricotta. Last time I was in New York I had baked ricotta as part of an antipasto plate and I fell in love, but when I made it at home it just wasn't the same; that is, until today- it was actually better.

The first time I made the dish, I did not add enough eggs, nor did I whip them so it was a little flat and dense. As a result of that I understood I needed to make more of a souffle out of it. Second time's a charm- it was absolutely yummy, (and I say this from experience- I ate the whole thing and made quite a piglet of myself). I can already tell this is the first of many variations on this little dish- the possibilities are endless. Most any herb would complement the ricotta quite well, next time I might try sun-dried tomatoes with rosemary and possibly add non-pareil capers. As for the olives, I usually buy different varieties and mix them all together. Whole Foods has been a great source for olives since they have a wide variety in their olive bar. My current favorites are Sicilian spiced olives, which are most of what I used this time, they are just a little spicy and quite flavorful. The recipe makes 2 small 8 0z. ricotta cakes, if I was assembling an appetizer for more than four people, I would double the recipe. I don't really care for low-fat or fat-free versions of cheeses (I would rather just eat less if I was so concerned with fat content), but this is one case where low fat ricotta would work.

Baked Ricotta

1 cup whole milk ricotta
2 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
grated zest of one small lemon
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
freshly cracked black pepper and coarse sea salt

Marinated Olives

1 cup mixed olives (jalapeno stuffed, Spiced Sicilian, almond stuffed, green and black Cerignolas, and oil cured olives)
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease 2- 8oz. oven proof ramekins

1. Whip 2 egg whites to soft peaks and set aside.

2. Combine ricotta,parmesan cheese, lemon zest, 2 egg yolks, thyme, salt and pepper until blended. Add about one third of the whipped egg whites and fold gently. Add remaining whipped egg whites and fold until just incorporated.

3. Divide the mixture evenly between the buttered ramekins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a little puffy. (they will deflate a bit as they cool). Baked ricotta is best eaten warm or at room temperature.

4. Combine all the marinated olive ingredients and serve alongside the cheese with sliced French baguette.

Tabouleh Stuffed Tomatoes

2008-04-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

Tabouleh is one of my favorite salads, specially when tomatoes are ripe, fresh and ruby red. I like my tabouleh with a generous amount of flat leaf parsley and fresh mint. Now that the weather has warmed up, the herbs in my garden have just taken off, becoming so robust they provide a generous harvest. The Italian flat-leaf parsley specially, since it did not die down over the winter is bigger than I have ever seen it and I was able to cut off at two big bundles this morning. The bulgur is a great alternative to rice and feels a lot healthier to me when I eat it. Note that the salt quantity is for coarse sea salt, if you are using table salt use half the amount called for; Kosher salt would remain the same.

I prepare tabouleh with a little extra spice, I recently discovered Cavender's all purpose Greek seasoning. I buy the kind without MSG, be sure to read the label...there is just no need to add extra chemicals to a dish like this, but the seasoning blend is flavorful and unique. I went to the Farmer's market this weekend and found the most beautiful tomatoes which I stuffed with the tabouleh, they made a great little lunch along side some pieces of Greek feta with a little olive oil and Kalamata olives. The tabouleh is best after it marinates for a while, but I m not usually that organized to make things very far ahead or most of all patient enough to wait after preparing it. It's great as a side dish with grilled shrimp and chicken, or stuffed into a fresh piece of pita bread with a little Feta cheese.

Tabouleh Stuffed Tomatoes

1 cup bulgur (cracked wheat)
1-1/2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cavender's all purpose Greek seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 medium cucumber
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 garlic clove, minced
1 mounded tablespoon minced shallot

6 medium tomatoes for stuffing

1. In a large bowl, combine bulgur, lemon juice, about 1/2 tablespoon salt, olive oil and boiling water and stir to combine. Allow mixture to rest at room temperature for about an hour or until all liquid is absorbed.

2. Peel cucumber and slice in half (longways), then quarter. You should now have 4 triangle looking pieces with the seeds at the points. Slice seeds off then chop into 1/4" thick pieces. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, and all remaining ingredients to bowl with bulgur. Adjust seasoning to taste, sometimes I add a little extra lemon juice to make the flavors pop.

3. Slice tops off tomatoes and scoop out flesh, then lay on a towel to drain a few minutes. Fill with tabouleh and serve.

Afternoon Tea Sandwiches- Dilled Shrimp and Cucumber, De Puy Lentil and Chevre, Smoked Salmon with Quail Eggs

2008-04-06T11:37:00.004-05:00

This is the second post of a series on afternoon tea sandwiches. It's taken me a little longer than I expected to post about them because I have been insanely busy, but alas here they are. These little dainties are part of an event I catered this week, a Sip and See for a precious little bebe. I had a wonderful client with who requested dainty food for 50 ladies for the afternoon affair. J., my client was wonderful to work for. I realized in the first five minutes of our first meeting, I had met my match when it came to control issues and an overwhelming desire to strive for perfection. This is not something that happens to me very often, most people tend to be a lot more laid back. The party was beautiful and J. was very happy and appreciative with the result which gave me immense satisfaction. Having a client like her made me step up to the plate and do my job better.

When making sandwiches I don't really measure out ingredients, I tend to just make things up as I go along. So instead of writing a recipe, I'll just make a list of what went into everything. The photos are not the best, since taking them was more of an after thought once all the food was plated, but they give a general idea. I vary the shapes and breads I use to make the food more interesting, improvise with whatever breads you like and have available.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Smoked salmon
pumpernickel bread
cream cheese, softened
capers
thinly sliced red onion
boiled quail eggs, peeled and quartered
freshly cracked black pepper

Dilled Shrimp and Cucumber sandwiches

white bread cut into circles with a cookie cutter
thinly sliced English cucumber
the creme fraiche spread recipe can be found here
boiled shrimp, (20-25 count- size) sliced in half
fresh dill for garnish

De Puy Lentil and Chevre Sandwiches

French De Puy lentils boiled in chicken broth seasoned with a little cumin, salt and pepper and cooked until just tender, approximately 15-20 minutes
Softened Chevre
red bell pepper strips
white bread

Key Lime Pie / Tart

2008-04-04T23:01:00.002-05:00

I have successfully been making a version of this pie since I was ten years old, it has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember. When I first started making it I used a pre-made graham cracker crust, but then later discovered how simple graham crusts were to make so I made my own. The pie can be made in a pie or tart pan which makes for a nice presentation when serving it whole. For the restaurant, presentation can be a little trickier since I serve individual pieces so I double the recipe and make it in a springform pan, this makes nice tall pieces which are then individually garnished with lime slices and berries.

The pie is best made a day ahead so it can properly chill and set in the refrigerator. If you are pressed for time though, (which I always seem to be) place it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process. For the crust I use either gingersnaps or graham crackers, they both make a nice crust. I have found Eagle brand condensed milk to be the thickest, some of the other brands can sometimes have a runny consistency and are not as rich. When I was little I could eat it straight out the can with a spoon, I refrain from that little habit these days, but needless to say I like condensed milk a lot!

A note on the key lime juice- I only use Nell and Joe's brand key lime juice, it's available at most major supermarkets and is superior to all the other brands I have tried. When key limes are available, I use freshly squeezed juice. I roll and press the limes on the kitchen counter with the palm of my hand before juicing them to make the juicing process a little easier.

Key Lime Pie

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar

2 - 14oz. cans condensed milk
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon key lime zest
berries and key lime slices for garnishing

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 F

1. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press cookie mixture into a 9 inch pie or tart pan. Pressing firmly all along the sides and making about a 1/4 inch thick crust. Place pie on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. In a large bowl whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, key lime juice and zest until smooth and combined. Pour into pie crust and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and refrigerate until completely cooled. (up to 3 days)

3. Once the pie has completely cooled, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the pie and garnish with key lime slices and fresh berries. Refrigerate pie until ready to serve.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling and Frosting

2008-04-02T19:12:00.007-05:00

I went to a dinner party last night and offered to make dessert. The hostess requested something chocolate, so I made her my moist chocolate cake. If you have not heard of mayonnaise cakes, you might be thinking I have turned into Paula Dean- I have not...I just know that mayonnaise makes this cake super moist and fluffy. I will also tell you that the type of mayonnaise you use matters. Use either Hellmann's or Duke's mayonnaise, they are unquestionably the best in my book. This is an easy cake to make, just be sure to not overcook it. As soon as the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, pull it out of the oven.

I filled and frosted the cake with a dark chocolate ganache and sprinkled it with edible gold powder. It turned out really neat, the spikes I piped onto the cake looked like they were gilded. To apply the gold powder, place some on a small piece of paper and lightly blow it onto the cake. I split the layers and brushed a simple syrup made with cognac on each layer. I filled the cake with a combination of custard and raspberries and sweetened whipped chocolate ganache. I used the custard because creme brulee is a staple at the restaurant so I always have them on hand. I would not have baked creme brulee specifically for this, instead I would have either used the pastry cream recipe found here or the chocolate mousse recipe found here. Raspberry preserves can also be a good addition.

following are the instructions for filling a cake with something other than what the cake will be frosted with. You don't want the filling to ooze from in between the layers, but at the same time you want to add plenty of filling. To remedy this, I put icing (whatever the cake will be frosted with) in a pastry bag with a large plain or fluted tip. Place the first layer on either the cake plate or a cardboard round. Pipe a "trench" all around the perimeter of the cake layer to contain the filling. Depending on the amount of filling you want to add, you may want to pipe a double layer making it about an inch and a half tall. Carefully spread the filling within the perimeter of the "trench" until even and smooth. Top with another layer of cake and repeat process until finished. Ice cake with cooled ganache, if the ganache is hard to spread, re-heat over a double boiler until it smooths out to the desired consistency. I find it easier to work with when it is about the thickness of mayonnaise, if it's too thin set the bowl over ice and whip until it hardens a little more.

Gilded Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Ganache

2-1/2 lb.'s dark chocolate, chopped
1-1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons Cognac

2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cognac

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

2- 8" round cake pans, greased and floured (9" pans can be substituted, the cake will not be as tall though).

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1- 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1-2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mayonnaise
1-1/3 cup water

edible gold powder

Simple Syrup

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cognac
Boil sugar, water and cognac together until sugar dissolves.

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.

2. In large mixer bowl with paddle attachment beat sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy on high speed, about 3-5 minutes. Add mayonnaise, reduce speed to medium and beat a couple of minutes longer.

3. Add flour mixture to batter, alternating with water- starting and ending with flour. Pour batter into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and middle of cake looks set. Leave cake in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Make chocolate ganache:

1. In a large bowl over a double boiler, combine chocolate, cognac and cream. Whisk until chocolate is melted and all ingredients are combined.

2. Place about half the chocolate mixture in the mixer bowl and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. With the whisk attachment, beat on med-high speed gradually adding 2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar and an additional tablespoon cognac. Whip until very light and fluffy. The ganache will have hardened up and should be a spreading consistency. This will serve as the filling. Set aside until ready to assemble cake.

3. Whisk remaining ganache (what was left in the double boiler bowl) occasionally until it hardens up a bit. Set aside until the cake has completely cooled.

Assembling Cake:

Before you begin, make sure cake is completely cool- if you rush this process, everything will melt and you will have a gooey mess. (take my word for it- I've done it both ways!)

1. With a large serrated knife, split layers in half and set on a piece of parchment paper. Place the first layer on a plate at least 3 inches wider than the cake. Place about 1 cup of the whipped ganache in a pastry bag, set aside. Brush each layer generously with simple syrup as you add them to the stack.

2. The first layer will have whipped ganache as filling so spread about a 1/4" layer on. Top with the next layer of cake. Pipe a 1-1/2" tall "trench" of ganache along the perimeter of the second layer. Add custard or pastry cream making sure to contain it within the "trench" of ganache. Add fresh raspberries if desired. Top with third layer and spread with additional whipped ganache about 1/4" thick- the same as the first layer. Place top layer on cake and press slightly to seal cake. You are now done using the whipped ganache. To clarify- All ganache referred to now will be what was left in the double boiler bowl which was not sweetened.

3. Place about 1 cup ganache over cake and spread on top pushing all excess down the sides of the cake, this is the crumb coat. Any crumbs which come off the cake and stick to the icing will be covered up with the next coat. Place cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until icing is set. (do not rush this part- it's so much easier to do it the right way!)

4. remove cake from refrigerator, add additional ganache to top of cake spreading with the spatula until cake is covered and smooth. By this time, ganache should be fairly stiff- place some in a pastry bag and pipe decoratively on cake.

5. Place a small amount of gold dust on your hand or small piece of paper. Blow the powder onto the cake until desired effect is achieved. Cakes filled with custard or pastry cream must be refrigerated.

Recipe: Lemon-Blueberry Shortcakes with Whipped Cream

2008-03-26T17:32:00.010-05:00

This is what I do when I am stressed- I bake. I bake a lot. It relaxes me and keeps my mind off all the things which tend to stress me out since I must concentrate on the task at hand, everything must be perfectly measured and precise. I get to totally control the result- which of course gives me a great deal of satisfaction, I express a little creativity and I get a yummy sugar fix along the way- what more could I want? (actually, a great deal but I wont bore you with that today).

So enough about that- let's move on to the lemon-blueberry shortcakes. I adjusted my biscuit dough a bit by adding a little sugar to it, but they are as flaky as ever. The blueberry compote was quickly put together with a little lemon juice and sugar. I used a pint of blueberries, cooked 1/2 of them in the sauce then added the rest after the removing it from the heat. I added the berries in two additions in order to have more texture, while I wanted a sauce, I also wanted the flavor and texture of fresh berries. I always cut my biscuits with a small cutter, but you may make these as large as you wold like. I think it's hard to tell in the photo, but they are only 2" in a diameter, quite a bit smaller than usual- this of course is to justify eating more than one!

Shortcakes

2 -1/4 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling tops
1/4 lb. butter (1 stick) cold and cut into 1/4" pieces
1- 1/4 cups buttermilk

Blueberry Compote

1 pint fresh blueberries/ divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 cup heavy whipping cream (very cold)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 450 F

Compote:

1. In a small non-reactive pot, combine 1/2 pint blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice. Cook over medium heat stirring, just until sugar is completely melted. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and add remaining berries mix and set aside.

Shortcakes

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and mix in with a pastry blender until the butter resembles the size of small peas. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. Add buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with a fork until just combined. Scoop dough out of bowl and lay on a floured surface. (it will be quite sticky)

3. With floured hands pat dough into a 1" thick rectangle. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and fold over from short end three times. Repeat this process three times. Cut out biscuits with a floured cutter and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle shortcakes generously with sugar and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Whipped Cream:

1. In a large bowl, whisk cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form.

Assemble shortcakes by splitting in half, spooning blueberry compote and topping with whipped cream. Garnish with additional lemon zest curls if desired.

Blackberry Hand Pies

2008-03-16T16:43:00.006-05:00

There just has not been enough dessert around here lately! Which also means I have not had enough dessert- life gets crazy sometimes. We all know what a priority sweet stuff is to me so today we are back on track with these little blackberry hand pies. I know it's not quite summer yet- actually it even isn't quite spring yet, but in 80 degree weather blackberries seem quite seasonal. A friend gave me a basket of berries and I knew exactly what I would do with them as soon as I tasted one. The recipe was inspired by one I had spied in an old Gourmet magazine, I remember thinking what a great idea the addition of grated apple was. The pastry recipe is a good one- it allows for re-rolling of the dough, it is one of the flakiest pie doughs I've had. Let the dough rest a little while before the second roll so it wont be too elastic and want to shrink back. Allow the filling to cool well before assembling the hand pies, this will keep the butter in the pastry from melting before they go in the oven. Parchment paper is a must-have for this recipe, the filling sometimes runs out of the pies making a big sticky mess. The recipe yields 8 hand pies and can be easily doubled.

Blackberry Hand Pies

1 cup fresh blackberries (1/2 pint)
1/2 cup grated apple
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
milk for brushing tops
additional sugar for sprinkling tops

1. In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat cook blackberries, apple, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Hand Pie Pastry Dough

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold, cut in small cubes
2 tablespoons shortening
pinch salt
3-4 tablespoons ice water

1. In food processor or by hand, blend flour, butter, shortening and salt until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and has some pea sized pieces of butter left in it.

2. While pulsing add water a little at a time until dough comes together when pinched in your hand. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 1 day.

Assembling Hand Pies:

1. Roll chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Cut 5 inch squares or circles with pastry wheel. Place the circle in your hand and fill with about a mounded tablespoon of filling. Seal shut pressing the edges well with your fingers. Fold edges over in a decorative shape or seal with the tines of a fork. Re-roll dough scraps to make up to eight circles or squares, allowing it to rest about 10 minutes between rolling.

2. Place hand pie on parchment lined cookie sheet. When all the pies are on the cookie sheet brush with a little milk and generously sprinkle with sugar.

3. bake about 20-25 minutes until golden brown, rotating cookie sheet half way through baking. Store at room temperature.

Spring Greens Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette and Gorgonzola Dolce

2008-03-13T14:58:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed I like small meals, specially when I can make them in a small amount of time and still get something interesting and flavorful. I eat a salad almost every day, at the restaurant it is definitely my go to meal for lunch- it's a good thing to balance out all the desserts and chocolate I enjoy so much. I made this spring greens and herb salad after finding a beautiful bag of Mache' greens at the farmers market. I also added herbs from my very early spring garden. Nasturtium leaves which are quite peppery, fresh Thyme and some Greek Oregano. The Greek oregano is doing so well in it's new spot in the garden, I am having to prune it just to keep it from taking over- it's amazing. I made a Sherry vinaigrette which I love, added Thyme and garlic to it and a little honey to cut down on the acidity, then topped the salad off with some yummy Gorgonzola Dolce. The vinaigrette and the gorgonzola Dolce are also quite good with roasted or blanched asparagus.

Ingredients

For the salad use your favorite baby greens and herbs, here are some ideas: Mache', Frisse', Red Oak, Green Oak, baby Romaine, baby Spinach, Radicchio, Clover, and Dandelion greens. For herbs I like to add Nasturtium leaves and flowers, Oregano, Mint, Flat leaf parsley, and my all-time favorite- Thyme.

I added tomatoes and avocado because it's what I had on hand, but bell peppers, carrots, radishes, and cucumber would be great additions as well.

4 oz. Gorgonzola Dolce, crumbled

Sherry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh Thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons honey
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients together in a small jar with a lid (I use a jelly jar). Shake well until emulsified. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. (about 1 teaspoon sea salt and 3 turns of the pepper mill) Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Drizzle lightly over greens top with Gorgonzola Dolce and serve.

Cucumber Sandwiches with Dill and Creme Fraiche

2008-03-08T15:12:00.005-06:00

The Silver Spoon, began as a tea room and gourmet food shop 15 years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago, when I used to wake every morning and make dainty sandwiches, pastries and scones. I have many fond memories of the tea room, mostly having to do with the great little sandwiches we used to make. When the restaurant outgrew the location we were in and we moved, tea service was no longer the focus and was eventually phased out. This did not exactly break my heart, preparing for afternoon tea day in and day out had become a chore. But, I've had enough of a break from it to start missing it. Well, let me clarify- I don't miss serving tea, I just miss the food; specifically the tea sandwiches. I was talking to my friend Sharman last week about the tea room days, when she suggested I post about the tea sandwiches- (what a wonderful idea!) So in light of that, I will start a tea sandwich series, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

It seems fitting the for the tea sandwich series to begin with the most classic tea sandwich of all- the cucumber sandwich. This is by far one of my favorites and I have been known to consume them in mass quantities. Like every other food I really like, it has it's rules: I like my cucumbers seedless and sliced velum paper thin. The bread must be white, soft and crust-less and the spread must be flavorful and savory. This is a sandwich I eat fairly regularly- with or without tea. The tea-less version I make for lunch is stacked with cucumbers and bread, while the Tea version is dainty and cut into shapes. My most common use for cucumber sandwiches these days are for wedding and baby showers- just the right thing when I am looking for dainty food. When my roses are blooming I either garnish the platter or sandwiches with fresh rose petals. Tea sandwiches tend to dry out quickly, they are best eaten on the day they are prepared. I sometimes cut the bread and store it in a plastic bag until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Cucumber Sandwiches

1 Loaf white sandwich bread
fresh Dill for garnishing sandwiches
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
about 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Dill
1 medium seedless cucumber, sliced thinly

1. Remove crust from bread with a sharp knife and cut into shapes,triangles, squares, rectangles, hearts, or circles with cookie cutters.

2. Place creme fraiche, garlic powder, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon dill in a small bowl- stir to combine. Spread lightly on bread, top with cucumbers and garnish with fresh dill sprigs. (Can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator).

3. Cover with a damp paper towel until ready to serve to keep the sandwiches from drying out.

Citrus Cakeletes

2008-03-05T22:09:00.005-06:00

I haven't been doing much posting lately as a result of a short little trip to Virginia to visit my dear friend Sharman. But, I am back, totally energized and full of ideas for the blog and work. I came up with citrus cakelet idea after looking through one of Sharman's Martha Stewart cookbooks which I fell in love with. She was sweet enough to send the book home with me, so today I set out to make the cakes. The recipe originally called for Strawberry jam, I substituted orange marmalade and added the zest of a beautiful bright orange tangelo I found at the market. For the icing, I used the juice of a couple of tangelos mixed with some powdered sugar.

Citrus Cakeletes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1- 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated tangelo, mandarin, or orange zest
6 tablespoons Orange marmalade or preserves of your choice

6 tablespoons Tangelo or Orange juice
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes.

2. Add egg yolks, one at a time, blending well between each one; beat until incorporated.

3. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour and milk to butter mixture and beat until incorporated.

4. Transfer the batter to a large bowl, wash the mixer bowl, then in the same mixer bowl beat egg whites until fluffy at medium high speed.

5. Fold a little bit of the egg whites into the batter at a time until incorporated. Grease and flour a jumbo muffin tin (6). divide half of the batter evenly in the tin, add a tablespoon of preserves or marmalade then cover with additional batter. Make sure the preserves are completely enclosed in the batter so it does not leak out.

6. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool on a rack. When muffins are completely cooled through, combine sugar and tangelo juice and spread on tops.

Daring Baker Challenge: Julia Child's French Bread

2008-02-29T07:06:00.005-06:00

This month the Daring Baker's challenge was Julia Child's French bread. I joined this baking group for one reason- to challenge my baking skills and learn in the process. Well, I sure did both of those things this month. Being not so fond of baking bread (as a result of my numerous less than perfect results) it forced me to dive into one of the most difficult breads of all- French Bread. The recipe was a little overwhelming at first sight- 16 pages, but after reading it a few times I found that it really was not all that complicated (ha-or so I thought). I set out to make my bread last Sunday, everything seemed to be working fine and even my husband who has made plenty of bread in his time helped a little. So we prepared the oven, got it all nice and steamy and put the bread in- The result was a crunchy crusty brick! I had to laugh, because after working on this recipe for most of the day (8 hours), I expected my bread to be gloriously good and what I created was far from it.

I think I may have established this before, but just in case I have not- I am a perfectionist. A French brick just is not going to do, so I started all over again. After trying to figure out the error of my bread making ways, I gathered it was the amount of flour and the time allowed for rising. "One cannot be a slave to the clock in making bread" Julia Child says. But when one has no idea what to look for- that seems like the logical solution and I can tell you, the lady is right- my method did not work so well. The 16 page recipe did explain what to look for- but I must have a yeast impairment (yes, that's my valid excuse).

Batch number two- pictured above was much better, I do realize I do still have a lot to learn though. I changed several things between the two batches. The fist batch was made in the mixer, I have a powerful 450 watt Kitchenaid so I thought it could handle it; the recipe cautioned about mixers overheating and I knew that would not be an issue. But then, I learned this has nothing to do with power, it's all about how the dough feels and I had a hard time figuring that out when it wasn't in my hands. The first baguette was tough, looked anemic and could actually be used as a weapon it was so hard. So for now, I will leave the mixer out of the bread making.

Batch number two I made by hand- much better, I was careful with the flour additions (paranoid to be exact) and allowed the dough to rise for a much longer period of time. The bread is far from perfect but a marked improvement from the first batch. I made a baguette, a Boule, and pan d'epi - the cuts could have been much better, I found using a razor blade and making a smooth cut to be harder than I expected. But, I am going to try really hard to not get OCD about this, I will instead read up on bread making and yeast, the more I understand the chemical reactions in the process the better off I will be. If you have any good suggestions for a book from where I might gain this knowledge- please leave me a note in the comments. The bread turned out pretty well, having a decent crumb and crust. This was a great challenge, it pushed me to learn by doing things which were out of my comfort zone.

Up until now bread has been more of a vehicle to carry all sorts of yummy toppings- (mostly butter laced with fluer de sel), not the main attraction itself, but hopefully as I become a more experienced bread baker that will change. The recipe can be found here.

Italian Country Rice Flan / Torta di Risso

2008-02-25T17:50:00.002-06:00

This is another of my Italian favorites and also known as Torta di Risso. I have been working on this recipe for some time, I finally feel like it's good enough to share. Good quality Citron is sometimes very hard to find, but King Arthur Flour has it available on their web site. Do not use the candied fruit they sell at the grocery store that is traditionally used for fruit cakes. If you cannot find good quality citron, then just add some extra lemon rind in it's place.

The ratio of rice to milk may seem a little odd, but the finished product produces a rich custard like flan. After simmering at a slow boil for an hour the rice plumps up and most of the milk is absorbed. I keep the heat on medium-low and stir occasionally, scraping the side of the pot. If the rice mixture is not thick enough after cooking for an hour, continue to cook until it becomes thick like rice pudding.(it's more about how it looks rather than how long it takes to get there). I make the pastry by hand, you can use a food processor if you like. The pastry seems a little dry at first, but after all the ingredients are incorporated and while the dough is still in the bowl; I knead it lightly until it comes together into a ball. (I leave the dough in the bowl to knead so I don't have to add additional flour as a result of kneading it on the counter). For the topping, you may use lattice work or lay horizontal pieces of dough like I did (see photo). The recipe calls for an 8" spring-form pan, you could substitute a 9" pan which is a more common size. The only difference if you use a larger pan is it will be a little flatter and will cook for a shorter period of time.

Italian Country Rice Flan / Torta di Risso

Pastry:

2 cups (300 grams) all- purpose flour
200 grams butter (3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Filling:

3 3/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup arborio or other short grain rice
4 eggs
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup chopped citron
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of one orange
powdered sugar mixed with a little cinnamon for topping for sprinkling on top if desired

1. Sift flour into a very large bowl, then using a pastry blender, cut in butter evenly. Lightly mix in sugar and egg to make a dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, sugar and butter to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 hour. Stirring occasionally until mixture is thick and creamy, (the milk should be almost all the way absorbed, the mixture should be very thick). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, cream cheese, citron, lemon and orange zest and cinnamon to combine. Gradually stir into rice mixture and allow to cool.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out two thirds of the dough to fit an 8" spring-form pan. Cover the sides and bottom of the pan. Pour rice mixture into pan.

5. with the remaining dough, make a lattice over the rice. Bake 45-50 minutes, covering with foil if starts becoming too brown. Do not unmold until completely set. Sift cinnamon laced powdered sugar on top if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Cannellini Spread / White Bean Dip

2008-02-24T19:18:00.007-06:00

I don't know about you, but I love the versatility of good quality canned beans. Not all canned beans are alike though, and I also find that I like different brands for for different beans. For garbanzo beans I like Progreso, but for Cannellini beans I like Eden Organic which I buy at Whole Foods. I like them not only because they are organic, but also because the beans are consistently whole, perfectly cooked (not crunchy), and don't have that slimy liquid usually found in canned beans. I wanted a spread bread which would come together quickly and this fit the bill perfectly. I usually make pita bread when I make this for a party, but time did not allow for that today. Soon I will post my pita recipe- it is super easy and fun to make.

I added a variety of herbs to enhance the flavor and lemon juice for a little acidity and to make the flavors pop. I used two 15 oz cans, but only processed 1-1/2 cans in the food processor- I added the reserved beans to the dip once it was ready to give it a little texture and garnish with. When I have roasted garlic on hand, I add a clove or two- roasting the garlic makes it sweet and mellow. The recipe makes 2 cups, it keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week- but I find we usually eat within a day or two- it's quite good.

Cannellini Spread / White Bean Dip

2 15 oz cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (Fleur de sel)- or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh Thyme

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with sliced French baguettes or grilled pita bread.

Asian Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce

2008-02-20T17:22:00.002-06:00

I have been craving this salad for some time now. I have seen various versions of it in cookbooks, but the peanut dressing recipes I have seen have not appealed to me. I finally got my peanut sauce down and could not wait to make the noodle salad. I like linguini for this recipe, but regular spaghetti or fettuccini noodles would work fine as well. In the summer, I would probably replace the baby corn with fresh corn, but canned baby corn works fine in the winter. I made a generous chiffonade of mint and cilantro and basil, I needed lots of green in my salad. To make a chiffonade, roll your herbs as if you were rolling a cigar then with a sharp knife slice the "cigar".

Toss a little sesame or vegetable oil (a teaspoon or less), into the noodles after they drain, it will keep them from clumping together. Shredded rotisserie chicken would be a great addition to add some protein. I also seasoned them at the table with Siracha sauce- I like spicy. When thinning the peanut sauce for the noodles, add the water a little at a time until it's the consistency of honey.

This past weekend I went to the farmers market and found the most beautiful purple carrots, I used them here. Almost any vegetable will work well in this salad, other good additions are celery, zuchinni, squash, broccoli and spinach. I like slicing the vegetables in different shapes to add texture.

Asian Noodle Salad with Spicy peanut Sauce

1 lb. linguini, cooked al dente in salted water
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
2 carrots (I used orange and purple), julienned
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
1 cup canned baby corn
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup mixed herbs (basil, cilantro, and mint) chopped (read about chiffonade above)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 recipe peanut sauce found here
1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts for sprinkling on top

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk 2 cups peanut sauce with up to 3 tablespoons of water to thin it out a little bit. Add peanut sauce to noodles and vegetables and toss together until evenly coated. Garnish with chopped peanuts and herbs. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

Peanut Sauce / Dressing

2008-02-19T14:09:00.004-06:00

I have been wanting to make a peanut sauce and dressing for a while now. I made my first batch yesterday and wow- nasty. I quickly found out it was, I purchased some Mae Ploy which the recipe called for at the Vietnamese market, maybe it was the brand or variety I used, but oh my goodness my finished product was umm...nasty! I think it is the first thing I have ever made that even I would not eat. Scary. This made me a little more skeptical of ingredients I am not all that familiar with, so I then decided if I did not like the ingredient outside of the sauce- it would not go in it.

I started over by mixing the ingredients I knew would work- peanut butter, light soy, dark sesame oil, and a little red curry paste. That was my base and from there I added the rest of the ingredients a little at a time until I had the right combination. I liked my finished product and my goal now is to learn more about Asian ingredients.

The Vietnamese market I shop at has a wonderful selection of sauces and noodles, the problem is the language barrier- I don't speak Vietnamese and the proprietor does not speak very much English. He has led me to some good finds though, Three Crab brand fish sauce and Kikoman Special Soy Sauce which to my surprise were both light and not as salty as others I've had. Slowly I'll figure it out- my likes and dislikes. Mae Ploy is definetely in the dislike column at the moment, but I will make an effort to find out more about it. (The Three Crab fish sauce is very good- I highly recommend it).

I made the peanut sauce for a Noodle dish I've been craving, I will post about it over the next few days. The sauce got better the next day as the flavors started to come together. Adjust the heat to taste with the curry paste, but take note- it tasted spicier the following day after the flavors came together. The peanut sauce would be great as a salad dressing or dipping sauce also.

Peanut Sauce

1 1/2 cups chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup mild soy sauce
1/3 cup Kecap Manis (medium sweet soy sauce)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food precessor and blend until smooth.
Store covered in the refrigerator.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2008-02-18T07:04:00.001-06:00

After making frilly cookies for the last couple of weeks, I was craving something chunky and easy. These white chocolate macadamia cookies are crunchy, if softer cookies are more your style, underbake them by a minute or two and remove them from the cookie sheet soon after they come out of the oven. I took these to a crawfish boil today and they were a hit- everyone wants something sweet after eating lots of salty crawfish. (specially me)

Softened butter contributes to the crunchyness of the cookie, microwave the butter for 10 seconds intervals if it's coming straight out of the refrigerator. After adding the egg and vanilla, reduce the speed of the mixer so the dough does not get over mixed. Cashews are a good substitution for macadamia nuts if you prefer. Use the best quality white chocolate available, I use Callebeut and cut it into chunks with a sharp knife. Toasting the nuts at 350 F for 10 minutes heightens their flavor, just be sure to let them cool before adding them to the dough. Bake six cookies at a time on the middle rack of the oven, make sure to put cookies on a cool pan for each batch. The recipe makes 15-16 very large cookies.

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

1/4 lb. butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups chopped white chocolate
1 cup toasted macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 325 F

1. Place softened butter in mixer bowl,with paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat at medium-high speed for 3 minutes, scraping the side of the bowl until incorporated.

2. Add egg and vanilla and beat for 2 additional minutes on med-low speed.

3. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl. Add to the butter mixture and beat on low until dough comes together. Add chocolate and nuts and blend well.

4. With clean hands, make balls of dough approximately the size of a golf ball or a little larger. Lay on parchment lined sheets and flatten out to a 2 inch circle. Place six cookies per cookie sheet (3 inches apart) and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies with a large spatula and transfer to a cooling rack. Store cookies in a covered container.

Moist and Light Blueberry Muffins

2008-02-16T16:26:00.016-06:00

What can I make for a Saturday morning breakfast when there is only one lonely egg in the house? Blueberry muffins! These are my most favorite muffins- not too dense, not too sweet and full of fresh plump blueberries. I used almost all the eggs last night for the dogs dinner- yes, I cook for my babies every night. After the dog food scare last year, I just felt uneasy feeding them the store bought stuff. Since then, both the goldens have just blossomed, all the paw licking stopped (usually caused by allergies), their coats are shinnier and all around they seem more energetic and happy. I read up on all the do's and don'ts about dog food and have not looked back since.

Back to the muffins. I use cake flour because I find it makes the muffins lighter. I gave both the weight and measurement for the flour, if you have a scale use it- I find when measuring flour specially, it is essential. I have a small inexpensive one ($30 or less), it is the most used tool in my kitchen when I bake. The scale converts grams into ounces, which comes in quite handy when I make recipes found in European cookbooks or web sites. I coat the blueberries in a little (about a tablespoon) of flour mixture before adding them to the batter, I find that step keeps them all from sinking to the bottom.

When making muffins, do not overbeat the batter, I whisk the ingredients together separately then combine them and stir just a few times to incorporate the dry and wet ingredients together. After adding the dry ingredients to the flour, use a wooden spoon not a whisk to stir together briefly. Finish combining the ingredients once the blueberries are added- and I know I will sound a little nutty by telling you this, but you should not stir more than 15-20 strokes; it is more like folding than beating and doing this will keep the muffins light and moist. I use a topping of large sugar crystals, this makes the tops of the muffins a little crunchy. When I have it, I use vanilla infused sugar (see photo). I have also used regular sugar which has been infused with vanilla. To make vanilla sugar, fill a jar with sugar, insert a vanilla pod and let it infuse for at least a week; it's great for sweetening coffee too.

Blueberry Muffins

12-1/2 ounces cake flour (3 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup sour cream (can be substituted with yogurt)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups blueberries, (1 pint)
1/4 cup vanilla sugar for sprinkling tops
paper liners or buttered muffin tins

Makes 18 muffins

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl toss blueberries with about 1 tablespoon of flour mixture and set aside.

2. Whisk all wet ingredients together and mix well.

3. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just barely combined. add blueberries and mix lightly. Do not over mix.

4. With an ice cream scoop fill muffin pan almost all the way to the top. top with sugar generously and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove muffins from pan as soon as they are cool enough to handle. They will keep for 3-4 days covered at room temperature.

Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Peppers

2008-02-15T08:15:00.002-06:00

This is a great pasta dish, the Italian sausage gives the dish a lot of flavor. The rigatoni is robust and rustic, I finish cooking the pasta in the tomato sauce to impart more flavor to it. The dish is a little spicy, which I love, the heat can be adjusted to your taste by the amount of red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper added.

When sauteing, keep the vegetables moving by stirring and scraping the pot. Undercook the pasta by a couple of minutes and add it to the simmering sauce, it will finish cooking there and take on all the flavors of the dish. This is good dish for a weeknight meal, specially when short on time- it comes togther in 20-30 minutes.

Rigatoni with Italian Turkey Sausage and Peppers

1 lb. box Rigatoni Pasta
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
2 Italian sausage links, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh Basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon pepper)
1/3 cup Marsala
1/4 cup sugar

1. Cook rigatoni in boiling water until almost al dente. ( if you start boiling the water at the time you start the sauce, the pasta will be ready at the same time the sauce is- drain the pasta and place it in the sauce to finish off).

2. In a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, heat olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and bell peppers and saute until onions start to brown around the edges. Add sausage, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, continue cooking and stirring until sausage is lightly browned.

3. Add crushed tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes longer, scraping the sides of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add remaining ingredients and continue to cook over low heat. When pasta is ready, drain and add to the sauce. Turn heat to simmer, and continue to cook for an additonal 5 minutes. Serve with fresh Basil and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Raspberry Linzer Heart Cookies

2008-02-13T07:16:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
For me Valentine's day usually means a very busy restaurant and lots of baking. I probably made more cookies this week, than I did for Christmas (and I made a lot of cookies for Christmas!). I've made heart-shaped cupcakes, chocolate cakes, strawberry cakes, chocolate mousse, sugar cookies, Tiramisu, strawberry tarts and raspberry linzer cookies. Tomorrow I will bake tres leches cake and make sure we have plenty of creme brulee. I made these early in the week since they are a little time consuming, but well worth the effort.

I found the easiest way to decorate these is to melt the raspberry jam and spread a thin layer on the base. Work with one cookie at a time, while the jam is still hot and press the top cookie onto the base. (to glue it together). After all the cookies have been put together, sprinkle with powdered sugar- I use snow sugar since it doesn't melt. Snow sugar can be found at baking suply store or online at King Arthur Flour, they have a great selection of wonderful flours and baking essentials. After the cookies have been sprinkled with sugar, fill the hole with more melted jam. The first time I made these, I did had not yet figured these steps out and I ended up with sticky oozing cookies which were yummy, but were a total mess because I put too much jam between them.

Raspberry Linzer Heart Cookies

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (2- 1/2 sticks or 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 cups ground almonds
2 cups flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
rasberry jam
Powdered sugar or Snow sugar

Preheat oven to 350F

1. In a large mixer bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and conitnue to beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, combine almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Sowly add flour mixture to butter mixture and combine on low speed until incorpoarted and a dough forms.

3. Gather dough, (if dough is a little wet, pull it together with floured hands) then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. On a generously floured surface, roll half of dough out to 1/8" thickness (cookies will be thin since 2 are put together). Cut out an even number of hearts, ( I get 24 tops and 24 bottoms). Place the bottoms on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes.

5. For the tops: place whole hearts on cookie sheet, then cut a small heart out of each. (cutting the small heart after the tops are on the cookie sheet helps them keep their shape- since the dough is a little soft, it's easier to transfer a whole heart than a heart "ring"). Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cookies just be just a little golden, the tops will cook faster than the bottoms so watch them carefully.

6. After cookies have cooled, heat the raspberry jam for about 35 seconds in the microwave. Spread a little jam on the bottoms, then gently press tops on. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then fill the hole with additional jam. Allow the cookies to set for a little while before serving.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Berries and Whipped Cream

2008-02-12T11:09:00.002-06:00

Valentine's day is around the corner, which for me means lots and lots of chocolate. Yes I am sure to get some (hint...hint), but mostly I mean chocolate desserts that I will be making. This flourless cake is one of them. Silky, rich, and very very chocolatey. I serve it with whipped cream and berries to balance the richness out.

Flourless chocolate cake is one of my basics and part of my gearing up for the week ahead. It requires dark chocolate- use the best quality you can find. I use Callebaut and it makes for a deliciously dark chocolate cake. The cake will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered for 1 week.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

24 oz. dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 lb butter (3 sticks)
1/2 cup sugar
8 eggs
1/4 cup Brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 oz. white chocolate, melted after cake cools- for garnish

1. butter a 9" springform pan, line bottom with parchment and butter parchment. Wrap pan in aluminum foil and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Over a bain marie, melt chocolate and butter. whisk together until smooth, then set aside to cool for a bit.

3. In a mixer bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy- about 10 minutes on high speed. Lower speed to low and gradually add chocolate mixture to eggs. Add brandy and vanilla, and mix until just incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer stand, with a rubber spatula lighlty fold batter just to be sure it's homogenized. (sometimes there is chocolate at the bottom of the bowl which has not mixed in).

4. Pour batter into springform, then place pan in a roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with hot water (I use the water use the already warm bain marie water), fill pan to half way up the saide of the springform pan. Carefully place in the oven and bake 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, unmold, drizzle white chocolate on top and serve with whipped cream and berries.

Brandied Apricot Beignets

2008-02-09T14:43:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I noticed Peabody and Tartelette were holding a donut event called- Time to make the Doughnuts. Doughnuts usually have yeast and since yeast and I are not really very well aquainted, (that is one of my resolutions this year though- to end the fear of yeast!), I figured I really did not have much to contribute. But then, the March issue of Bon Apettit arrived and it changed everything. I saw a recipe for Brandied Apricot Beignets- I altered it a little by adding more fruit and brandy, not serving them with chocolate sauce and instead showering the golden little fritters with lots of powdered sugar. They turned out delicious, Jack proclaimed I was the best mom ever- after eating about 5 of them. (yup- ever!)

The beignets are not the traditional French variety- you know, the ones that require yeast; instead they have a choux paste as the base for the dough. They remind me of the Bunuelos of my childhood which were drizzled with an orange flower infused honey syrup. The recipe came together quickly, next time I will probably double it though because it only yielded 12 beignets, half of which were gone before I took the first photo.

If you have a fryer, by all means use it for the frying, I used a heavy pot with a clip-on thermometer and constantly adjusted the heat to keep the temperature where it needed to be. If the oil is too hot the beignets will brown very quickly and not cook all the way through; while if the oil is too cool, the beignets will be greasy. The beignets will start out like a dense little dough ball, then as they cook they will expand and puff. A good beignet should have a hollow inside. I fried one beignet by itself to test things out and I pulled it out too early, it was browned on the outside, but had not puffed and the inside was still doughy and raw. For the rest of them, I watched the thermometer very closely and let them fry until they were puffed and golden brown. Keep a pan lined with paper towels in a warm (200 F) oven to keep the beignets warm. The choux paste can be made ahead of time and kept at room temperature up to 4 hours.

Brandied Apricot Beignets

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy

1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

vegetable oil for frying (at least 4 cups)
powdered sugar

1. Bring apricots, sugar, 1/4 cup water and brandy to a boil in a maduim saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and steep, covered for 30 minutes. Drain the apricots and set aside.

2. In a medium heavy sauce-pan over high heat combine 1/2 cup water, butter and milk and bring to a boil. Stir until the butter melts, then remove from heat. Add flour; stir briskly until dough gathers into a ball. Reduce heat to medium and place pan back on heat. Stir constantly until a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes.

3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat in eggs one at a time. Add apricots and beat to combine.

4. Preheat oven to 200F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.

5. Pour oil in a large deep saucepan to a depth of 1-1/2 inches. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot. Heat oil to 330-340 F. Working in batches, drop 5 rounded spoonfuls of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop). Cook beignets until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain correct temperature.(specially after each addition) Turn the beignets after a couple of minutes, they should fry for about 8 minutes total and be golden and puffed. Using a slotted spoon, trandfer to baking sheet in oven and keep warm while you fry the rest.

6. Serve generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Goat Gouda Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

2008-02-07T15:31:00.000-06:00

I love pimento cheese, not the yellow stuff you buy at the grocery though. I like home-made pimento, made with Goat Gouda and roasted red and yellow bell peppers. When I used to serve afternoon tea, I was constantly having to come up with new recipes and ideas for sandwiches to keep on the menu. This Goat Gouda pimento made it's regular appearances and was always a favorite.

I use bottled roasted red peppers, then dice them and mix them in with the cheese and mayonnaise. As for the mayonnaise, I like to make my own (it's very easy). If you would rather use the store bought variety, Hellman's or Duke's brand mayonnaise are the creamiest.

I like the Goat Gouda, but a smoked or plain cow's milk Gouda work very nicely as well. I used a 14 grain bread, but most any bread would work well- use your favorite. If I am making small tea sandwiches, I sometimes make them ahead of time. I cover the sandwiches with a slightly damp tea towel and refrigerate them until I need them. The towel will keep the sandwiches from drying out, but I never make them more than a couple of hours ahead. If you are using these for a party, you can make the pimento a couple of days ahead, then just assemble the sandwiches on the day you need them. This pimento is also a really good cheese to serve with crackers.

The Goat Gouda pimento also makes the most wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches. Use a sourdough bread (or if you are like my child- use Texas Toast), fry them in a generous amount of butter for a few minutes on each side or until golden. I have also made Crostini with the Pimento, spread on buttered slices of French bread and toast in the oven until melted. They are both a great accompaniment to roasted tomato basil soup which I will make when summer tomatoes are back in season.

Goat Gouda Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

1 cup grated Goat Cheese Gouda
1 jar roasted bell peppers (I use about 1/3 cup, chopped)
1/2 teaspoon fresh Thyme
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
salt to taste (I always use sea salt)
1/3 cup home-made mayonnaise (look for it in the index on the right)

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and season to taste with salt.

2. Assemble sandwiches and cut into quarters with an electric knife if making tea sandwiches, serve cold or at room temperature.

Basic Home-Made Mayonnaise

2008-02-06T16:43:00.001-06:00

There is no comparison between home-made mayonnaise and store bought. Now that doesn't mean I don't ever use the store bought variety, I do- but when I have the time (and the energy) I would rather make my own. By now you may be wondering why I am posting about mayonnaise- well, I am making Goat Gouda Pimento and I am posting about it in parts.

You can flavor the mayonnaise with just about anything you like, this is a basic recipe- like a blank canvas. These are some suggestions: fresh herbs of any kind, roasted garlic, a pinch of dry mustard, a little sherry vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and many many more. This is also my base for making dips for crudites, mixing the mayonnaise, some herbs, capers and lemon with either yogurt or sour cream. My favorite is flavored with a pinch of dry mustard, sea salt and a little fresh Thyme.

I like to make mayonnaise with a good whisk and a bowl. Call me weird, but I actually like the process. I specially like the fact that you start with two egg yolks and end up with fluffy creamy mayonnaise. If you are not inclined to make it by hand, a blender or food processor will work well. Add the oil in a steady slow stream while the motor is running.

Home-Made Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. In a large non-reactive bowl (do not use copper or aluminum because it will discolor the mayonnaise due to the acid), combine egg yolks, salt and lemon juice; whisk until light.

2. While whisking start adding the oil a few drops at a time, when mayonnaise starts to thicken you may add the oil in a steady slow stream. Make sure the oil is getting incorporated as you whisk. Continue to whisk and add oil until all oil is used and mayonnaise is light and very fluffy. After the mayonnaise rests for a bit it will thicken a little more.

3. Mayonnaise will keep covered, in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Triple Chocolate Raspberry Triffle

2008-02-03T12:53:00.000-06:00

I made this triffle for the Culinate Chocolate Contest which was held last week. It was fun entering an online contest and I always love a challenge.

Triple Chocolate Raspberry Triffles- They are mini triffles (ok, not so mini- large enough to be shared by two). The layers start chocolate sponge cake drizzled with Framboise, filled by fresh raspberries topped with white chocolate pastry cream. The fourth layer is a yummy Chocolate Mousse-then cake, raspberries, pastry cream and mousse again topped with white, milk and dark chocololate curls.

All of the parts of the triffle require some folding. The sponge cake does not have any leavening in it, it rises because of the whipped eggs so you must be careful to whip when required and gently fold at the end when combining the ingredients. This is a good explanation I found online to explain folding. ( Just in case someone doesn't have much experience with this technique- I was having a hard time putting it into words!)

Triple Chocolate Raspberry Triffle

Chocolate Sponge Cake

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
4 large eggs, separated (room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1- 9" cake pan or springform pan, buttered and bottom ined with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350F

1. Sift together flour, cornstarch and cocoa onto a piece of parchment paper and set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks and half of the sugar until combined. Whip on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to another large bowl and set aside.

3. In a clean, dry mixer bowl, whip the egg whites and salt on medium speed until they hold a soft peak. Continue to whip while slowly adding the remaining half of the sugar and vanilla. Whip until the whites hold stiff peaks.

4. Gently fold the whites into the yolks. (they do not have to complately incorporate to one another at this point, because you will continue to fold when adding the flour).

5. Sift the flour mixture over the eggs, slowly and gently fold everything together. (the batter should be thick and foamy). Spread batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Set aside to cool.

Chocolate Mousse

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Framboise
3 eggs, separated, (room temperature)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks and chilled.

1. Heat water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a heat proof bowl (or bain marie) combine chocolate, butter and franboise. Stir until melted and combined then remove bowl from heat and set aside.

2. Over the same simmering water, combine egg yolks, 3 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. (I use a copper mixing bowl). Whisk together until pale and fluffy- it should have the consistency of marshmellow cream and should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a the bowl of an electric mixer, whip egg whites until foamy, add 1/4 cup sugar slowly and increase speed to medium high. Whip until stiff peaks appear.

4. Combine egg yolks and choclate mixtures by gently whipping together. Add about half of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently FOLD together, adding the whites in two stages will make them easier to incorporate. Add remaing whipped egg whites and fold again, do not over mix. Add whipped cream and fold together until just incorporated.

White Chocolate Pastry Cream

1/2 lb. white chocolate, chopped
3 cups whole milk
2 vanilla beans, scraped
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsated butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a medium heavy saucepan over medium low heat, bring milk and vanilla beans to a simmer. While milk is heating, whisk together sugar and cornstartch in a small bowl. Add sugar and cornstarch to milk and whisk to combine. Whisk constantly- specially around the edges of the pot so it doesn't start to stick.

2. Put egg yolks in a small bowl and lightly whisk, then temper egg yolks by adding 1/2 cup of milk mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture to milk and whisk constantly. Continue to whisk until boling- after a few bubbles appear, remove from heat.

3. Add chopped white chocolate and butter and stir until the chocolate is melted and all ingredients are combined. Add vanilla, stir to mix well then cover with plastic wrap (lay the plastic directly on the cream to prevent a skin from forming). Set aside to cool.

To assemble the triffle you will need additional Framboise and fresh raspberries.

Cut the sponge cake to fit your triffle bowl, layer cake then drizzle with framboise, layer with berries, white cholate pastry cream, and choclate mousse until you reach the top- ending with mousse and raspberries. Garnish with shaved chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dutch Apple Pancake

2008-02-01T08:22:00.000-06:00

On my last trip to visit my friend Sharman in Virginia, she made this apple pancake for breakfast. She clipped it out of a magazine a long time ago and it's a favorite of her adorable children. Soon after we got home it became a favorite here as well. The pancake is baked in the oven in a cast iron skillet, but a stainless skillet will work fine too. As for the apples, I usually keep Pink Lady's in the fruit bowl, but they are out of season so I used a Granny Smith; whatever apple you prefer will work well. You may mix the batter in a blender or food processor.

I either sprinkle powdered sugar with cinnamon on top after it comes out of the oven or drizzle with honey, she only uses the cinnamon as she thinks sugar is the worst of evils. About two years ago, when her kids were still toddlers and she was at the height of her sugar aversion, she actually sent me home with anti-sugar propaganda. I just smile and humor her. She does make some very good points, but I'm a hard sell, specially since I happen to be addicted to sugar. (Sitting here typing and eating my chocolate truffle for my mid afternoon sugar fix!)

I love it when people share their recipes freely- and this I can always count on Sharman for. Regardless of where the recipe came from- grandmother's favorite or a magazine, she is always happy to share. We have a lot of fun sharing our recipes with one another and talking about food- and everything else you might think girls talk about!

Dutch Apple Pancake

1 large apple, cored, peeled and sliced
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

powdered sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 375 F

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a ten inch skillet with an open proof handle. (I use a cast iron skillet).

2. Saute apple slices in butter in skillet for 3 or 4 minutes, then arrange in a single layer in pan and set aside.

3. Mix eggs, sugar, flour, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and salt in a blender or food processor. Pour over the apples and bake for approximately 15-18 minutes. The pancake should be puffed and golden around the edges.

4. You may either leave the pancake in the pan and cut slices out, or flip it out onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar or drizzle with honey.

Chicken Empanadas with Olives and Raisins

2008-01-30T12:46:00.000-06:00

This is a really easy recipe for Spanish style empanadas which used wonton or gyoza wrappers for the dough. I have a really good recipe for empanada dough that uses beer given to me by my aunt, but it requires some resting time for the dough. (this is what I use when I am in a hurry). The recipe makes about one dozen large empanadas which I then cut in half and served with Arriba brand Chipotle salsa, (that is my favorite store bought salsa- I like spicy!).

I had inadvertently run out of pimento stuffed olives so I used Jalapeno stuffed olives instead. This made the filling a lot spicier- which I loved, but if you aren't a fan of spicy food you might not want to make the substitution. Pretty much every time I make the filling it changes a bit, reflecting what's in the pantry, something I left out this time which I always love is the cubed potato. (cube and boil about 1 cup of potato in salted water and add to filling).

The Wonton wrappers are square so I had to cut them into circles. I stacked about 5 together at a time, placed a small bowl for a guide over them and cut around the bowl with a paring knife. The Gyoza wrappers are usually round so you don't have to cut those and because they are smaller the recipe will yield about 24 empanaditas. While these don't really look like a traditional empanada, they have all the flavors of one without taking all day to prepare. The other thing I thought about doing with them is rolling them into a little egg roll- which would have been fun as well.

Quick Chicken Empanadas with olives and raisins

8 oz. chicken breast, diced into 1" cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped pimento or jalapeno stuffed olives
3 tablespoons raisins
1/2 cup white wine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wonton or Gyoza wrappers
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. In a large skillet over medium heat combine olive oil, chicken, onion and bell pepper. Saute a few minutes until onions start to become translucent. Add cumin, salt, pepper, and tomato paste, stir well to combine. Add garlic, cilantro, raisins, and olives and saute 3 minutes longer.

2. Add wine and scrape around edges of pan to de-glaze, (a lot of the good flavors are usually in the sticky stuff on the pan- adding liquid releases it and incorporates it back into the mixture).

Continue to cook stirring occasionally until all of the wine is absorbed. Check for seasoning, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3. When filling has cooled, place about 2 tablespoons of it on wonton wrappers which have been cut into circles. (read above). Brush edges of dough with the egg. Fold in half and crimp with a fork. At this point the empanadas can be refrigerated and fried later.

4. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry empanadas a few at a time, turning them in pan until golden and lightly browned; place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb extra oil. Serve with your favorite salsa and chopped Cilantro.

Banana Tarte Tatin with Rum Whipped Cream and Dulce de Leche Caramel Sauce

2008-01-29T18:11:00.000-06:00

Banana Tarte Tatin is my interpretation of this French Classic. I like drizzling dulce de leche caramel over the top, it makes a great combination with the bananas and rum spiked whipped cream. I have sometimes made caramel for it, but in the interest of time I used some store bought dulce de leche and heated it in the microwave to soften it a bit. The dish comes together in under 40 minutes, including baking.

A note about store bought puff pastry- not all brands are alike. Check the ingredient label and be use to purchase the type made with 100% butter. Some of the puff pastries available commercially, have vegetable oil instead and there is just no comparison, specially in a dessert like this one. The brand I prefer is from Whole Foods, it's a little pricier than others at $10 for a one pound sheet, but well worth the extra dollars because of the remarkable results it yields. I try to use Bananas which are just beginning to speckle, if they are too ripe they will fall apart.

I used a shallow copper 10 inch skillet, but any large skillet with an oven prof handle will work fine. The tatin is best served warm, or at room temperature, it could also be served with dulce de leche ice cream. I have also made it with peaches and caramel sauce- quite yummy for the summer time when peaches are at their best.

Banana Tarte Tatin with Dulce de Leche Caramel Sauce and Rum whipped Cream
5 bananas, sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 lb frozen puff pastry (defrosted in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight)
2 tablespoons melted butter

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 jar dulce de leche caramel

1. In a large skillet, melt butter and mix with 1/2 cup sugar. Remove from heat, spread sugar mixture evenly and layer bananas face down over sugar.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to approximately a 14" square or circle. Transfer dough to skillet, lay over bananas and tuck in ends. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over dough. bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and crispy around the edges. let cool for a few minutes.

3. Whip cream until soft peaks, add sugar, vanilla, and rum. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

4. Flip the tart onto a large cake patter and serve with whipped cream and caramel.

Daring Bakers Lemon Meringue Pie and Tart

2008-01-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

This month the Daring Bakers challenge was Lemon Meringue Pie. The recipe was provided by Jen, from Canadian Baker. After reading all the reviews on the Daring Bakers website, I was a little apprehensive- it seemed like a lot of people had trouble with this recipe. Much to my surprise, I made the pie and tarts without any trouble whatsoever, I found the recipe to be good and well writen. The only part that sort of stumped me a little was the fact that the lemon juice is added to the filling once you remove it from the heat. I have never made lemon meringue pie filling in that manner before. I don't really understand the reasoning behind it, but nevertheless it still set up very nicely. Most people who had trouble with the recipe the filling is where they ran into trouble, for some it did not set. I used the blowtorch to brown the tarts and the broiler to brown the pie, I liked the way the torch browns a little better.

The filling set up well, and had a nice mix of sweet and tartness to it, but the recipe I normally use has a little cream and more butter which gives it a little bit more of a silkier feeling. The pie shell worked just fine, as of this morning it still has some crunch to it and isn't soggy at all- which for this type of pie is a very good thing. The meringue I whipped by hand in a copper bowl, it turned out smooth and shiny. I wanted to drizzle a little raspberry sauce on the plate, but ran out of time. Maybe next time.

Lemon Meringue Pie
Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie ( I made a 9" pie and 2 tarts)

For the Crust:3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

Coconut Macaroons

2008-01-27T09:30:00.000-06:00

I have found most people have a love-hate relationship with coconut. Either they crave it and can't live without it or they want nothing to do with it. I am a coconut lover, when I was little my family used to go to the beach every weekend- and I mean every single weekend. We had coconut trees at our beach house and fresh coconut water consumed through a paper straw was the drink of choice. But, for me the best part was getting a baby coconut, drinking the water, then having it split in half and scooping out the still gelatinous coconut meat inside. In my world of food, there is not much that can top that.

So until we moved to the United States, for me coconuts were always fresh. There is nothing like a fresh coconut, but in baking there isn't that big of a difference. (Well, aside from the coconut candies, but that's a whole other story!) I have recently found unsweetened coconut which is frozen, I like to use it in cakes and custards because it doesn't add extra sweetness- and I don't like my desserts to be too sweet. But for these macaroons, I used the widely available sweetened flaked variety.

Coconut Macaroons with Orange Zest

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 14 oz bag sweetened flaked coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon Orange zest
3 egg whites at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. In a large bowl combine coconut, condensed milk, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix well, then set aside.

2. Beat egg whites with a mixer or by hand until medium stiff peaks.

3. Fold egg whites into coconut mixture until egg whites are almost all the way incorpoarted. Do this gently so as to not completely deflate egg whites. I sometimes do it by hand so I control it a bit better.

4. With a cookie scoop (about 2"in diameter), scoop out spoonfuls of coconut mixture and place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Store covered, at room temperature.

Being sick is no fun!

2008-01-24T17:11:00.000-06:00

This is my other baby, Max...and this is what he has been doing since Monday afternoon. Staring at me with big sweet brown eyes. I have been feeling poorly and confined to my bed with a major upper-respiratory infection. He has been watching over me, not leaving my side, not asking to go outside, just being over all- sweet and cuddly. And of course- taking advantage of the fact I am allowing him to stay on the bed!

This also explains the lack of posts this week, but I have been on the computer pretty much non-stop so I am inspired and ready to make up for it as soon as I feel well. Which I hope is soon as I have a catering this weekend and feeling ick not conducive to great beautiful food!

Sip Snap Savor at The Silver Spoon

2008-01-22T18:42:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, Melissa Schilling from sip snap savor contacted me and asked if I was interested in contributing to her project. She and Philip Wartena are going on tours around the country for the purpose of writing a documentary style cookbook about what people eat at home. In her own words, "sip snap savor is is a road trip project designed to photograph and capture regular people, in their homes preparing and enjoying life's simplest of pleasures. Food."

I hosted them at the restaurant on Monday for lunch. It was a great experience, they are both full of energy and excitement about their project- and rightfully so, as I think it is a wonderful thing. Phil is a professional photographer and she is a wine and cheese instructor soon to become a published writer. We had a lunch of Shrimp Creole, then moved on to the kitchen for a while and waited for the lunch rush to end. Next they go to Austin and I can't wait to see what they discover there. I will certainly be keeping up with their project.

The photo of the spoon above was taken by Phil, he did a wonderful job and I can't wait to see the rest of the photos.

Caribbean Black Bean and Rice Salad

2008-01-20T16:38:00.000-06:00

I am not a very big meat eater, if you have browsed the list of recipes here you may have noticed meat is not one of my main ingredients. I am not a vegetarian, but I would rather eat vegetables, fruits, and grains more so than a big steak. I make this dish fairly regularly, specially on the nights I am cooking for myself. I love to eat this over some crisp greens while still warm or chilled as a salad, specially in the summer time.

The color and flavor the Saffron imparts on the rice is wonderful. The longer the beans and peppers marinate in the dressing, the more flavorful they will become. The dish comes together in under 30 minutes.

Caribbean Black Bean and Rice Salad

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
2 cups water (to cook the rice)
2 pinches saffron threads, about 1/8 teaspoon

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 -1/2 jalapeno pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, sliced for garnish
additional cilantro leaves for garnish

Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder blend
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

1. In a small sauce-pan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add saffron and rice, stir well place lid on pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until water has absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Or, alternatively cook in a rice maker according to directions.

2. Make the vinaigrette by combining vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk until emulsified, set aside. While rice is cooking chop and combine peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, and black beans. Add half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

3. When the rice is cooked, place in a medium bowl and toss with the other half of the vinaigrette while rice is still warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Combine rice and bean mixture and serve garnishing with avocado and additional cilantro.

Mixed Berry Triffle

2008-01-17T18:03:00.000-06:00

I really enjoy eating a good triffle, so pretty to look at yummy to eat. While a large triffle is beautiful to look at, the individual portions don't look all that great. At home, that doesn't matter as much, but at the restaurant it just doesn't work. So when I found these mini triffle bowls, I knew they would be perfect. Since local berries are out and beautiful, I made a berry triffle. I layered with cream cheese pound cake, pastry cream, whipped cream and berries. The triffle came together rather quickly, in under 30 minutes (excluding the making of the pound cake). You could if in a pinch, purchase a good quality store bought pound cake instead. The recipe would work for a large single triffle is you prefer. In the summer, I might add peaches and blueberries as well.

Notes: This pastry cream is very versatile and can be used to fill a cake, fruit tarts, or as I have used it here. It can be flavored with anything you like, this time I used Grand Marnier and vanilla. I have used vanilla beans before when making something delicate, almond extract also works well. Make sure to use a stainless-steel pan, if you use aluminum the cream with turn a grayish-brown color. The cream cheese pound cake can be found here.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier

Whipping Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks with 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar. (depending on how sweet you would like the cream- I don't like it too sweet).

3 pints mixed berries

1. In a heavy stainless steel pot over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cornstarch and sugar together then add to the milk whisking occasionally.

2. In the same bowl, whisk egg yolks and about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Mix together until incorporated then pour egg mixture into the pot. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Making sure to stir well around the corners of the pot so nothing sticks.

3. Once the mixture reaches a boil, cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and mix in butter, vanilla, and Grand Marnier. Once all ingredients are incorporated and butter has melted place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream. (this will keep a skin from forming). Refrigerate cream until ready to use or up to 4 days.

Assemble triffles:
layer cubes of pound cake, pastry cream and berries until full, ending with whipping cream and berries on the top. You may brush a simple syrup on the pound cake while layering.
(1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier. Heat in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then brush over cake).

A large triffle bowl can be used instead of the mini ones, the recipe makes one large or 6 mini.

Cooking With Thyme

2008-01-16T16:27:00.000-06:00

Thyme is one of my favorite herbs, I am able to grow it year round right outside the kitchen door. The only aspect about this wonderful herb I don't particularly care for is picking the tiny leaves off the tiny stems. At the restaurant they use it in such a large quantity, my husband has a simple solution to deal with this time consuming task. (He gets Thyme in 5 lb. bags from the produce purveyor...can you imagine picking 5 lb.'s of Thyme? I can not!) The solution is to freeze it for a at least a few hours, then place the thyme over a piece of parchment to catch all the leaves, shake the stems about and the little leaves just come right off- Genius! You can then store them back in the freezer or the refrigerator in a plastic bag. That's my kitchen tip for the day, I hope it comes in useful!

This is my Mezzaluna knife, I use it when chopping a lot of herbs. Jack helps out with the chopping and with this knife I don't have to worry about his little fingers getting in the way, (they're on the handles)!

Pappardelle with Baby Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Bacon and Parmesan

2008-01-14T07:25:00.000-06:00

This is what comfort food is all about for me. This dish was born out of my craving for these beautiful little baby cauliflower. I spotted them at the market about a week ago and because I was rushed they didn't make it into my cart. I had been thinking about them for a week (yes, I know... it's a sickness), so when I went back to do my shopping today the baby cauliflower quickly made it into my cart. The challenge now was to prepare a dish in which they would not get lost- or mushy. I used dry Pappardelle pasta, but any shape would work fine. I could have left the bacon out, but the thought of frying the pine nuts and cauliflower in the bacon fat was too good to pass up- gotta love that bacon! baby cauliflower are a bit milder and more tender than the mature variety, but those could be easily substituted instead.

I finished the dish off with a nice nutty Parmegiano-Regianno, I love good cheese. This is my favorite kind of food, simple, quick and satisfying, you can prepare this dish in under 30 minutes. For the bread crumbs, make your own by chopping some day old French bread, place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. After the bread toasts I crush it up with my hands, but you could also give it a quick run through the food processor. The recipe is cooked in parts, I keep the cookie sheet used to bake the bread out and put my cooked ingredients on it while they wait to go back in the pan. When everything is cooked I place the pasta in a large heavy pot, combine all ingredients, shave the parmesan with a vegetable peeler and top the dish with the reserved bread crumbs and cheese. I use a large pot instead of the skillet because I like to have plenty off room to toss the ingredients together.

Pappardelle with Baby Cauliflower, Pine Nuts and Bacon

1/2 lb. dry pappardelle pasta
8 baby cauliflower
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 strips of bacon, chopped
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling over pasta
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling on top
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a boil. Drop the cauliflower in and cook for 2 minutes, pull them out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Bring the water back to a boil and drop the pasta in, cook until al dente, drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, over medium high heat fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside. Add onions, season with salt and pepper and saute until they begin to caramelize. Reduce heat to medium, add pine nuts, cauliflower, thyme and garlic to skillet and cook until golden about 5-8 minutes. Place the cooked pasta in a large heavy pot, drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta, just enough to coat it and add half of the bread crumbs, chopped parsley, 1/2 cup grated cheese and bacon and saute over medium-low heat until everything is heated through. Check for seasoning and serve hot, topping with reserved bread crumbs and shaved parmesan cheese.

One last note, this is my favorite Le Creuset pot- I use it almost daily!

Garbanzo Bean Soup with Israeli Cous Cous

2008-01-13T17:08:00.003-06:00

This a light vegetarian soup with lots of vegetables and a nice broth. The weather here has been quite unpredictable, but mostly rainy damp and cold. I was craving a flavorful vegetable soup so I made Garbanzo (chickpeas) bean soup and served it with Israeli cous cous. Israeli cous cous is larger than traditional cous cous and is sometimes also called Marmaon. This soup is an easy weekday meal, it comes together in about 45 min from start to finish.

If you are using dry Garbanzo beans, soak them overnight, drain and cook them for about 45 minutes covered with water. After cooking, drain and rinse the beans and proceed with the recipe as written. I have found the only brand of canned Garbanzo beans I like is Progreso, they can sometimes be found in the Latin American section of the grocery store. The others I have tried, including the organic variety tend to be undercooked and a bit crunchy. If you want to add some meat, shredded chicken or smoked sausage would make a nice combination, you could also substitute chicken broth for the vegetable broth.

When making any soup, it is important all of the dry seasonings go in the pot early in the cooking stage. This allows the onions and other vegetables to absorb the spices, if they are added at the end they will end up just floating around the pot and the soup will not be as flavorful.

This is also my entry in the vegetarian blogging event called No Croutons Required, held by Lisa's Kitchen, you may look at the round-up here.

Garbanzo Bean Soup with Israeli Cous Cous

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used Vidalia Onions)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans Chickpeas (garbanzo Beans) well rinsed and drained or cooked dry garbanzos (see note)
1 14 oz. can Italian tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (depending on how spicy you like your soup)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
sea salt to taste

Cous cous:

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups Israeli cous cous
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onions, carrots, and dry spices and saute until onions are a bit caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add zucchini, tomatoes(with juice), lemon juice, garlic and fresh herbs and continue to cook for about 5 minutes longer. Cut the tomatoes in half with a wooden spoon while the soup continues to cook. If you are adding meat, add it now.

2. Add vegetable broth and Garbanzo beans, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. While the soup is cooking, make cous cous. In a medium sauce pan with a lid, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, add cous cous and lightly brown (about 5 minutes). Add 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until most of the stock has been absorbed. Fluff cous cous up with a fark and add chopped mint right before serving. Serve soup with a scoop of cous cous, garnish with additional herbs if desired.

Strawberry Panna Cotta

2008-01-11T15:36:00.000-06:00

I love Panna Cotta, it's one of those desserts that is light and oh so creamy at the same time. Strawberries are out early this year, since the week of Christmas I have been able to find beautiful local Lousisiana strawberries just about everywhere. I needed to lighten up my dessert menu at the restaurant and Strawberry Panna Cotta will be perfect- or so I hope. I had previously made a plain Panna Cotta, my favorite, with a mixed berry compote on the side and while I loved it, it did not sell very well. I think Panna Cota has since become much more mainstream so I am giving it another try.

Panna Cotta should be very smooth, the strawberries here do give it a little texure, but the flavor completely compensates for the lack of perfect smoothness. If your strawberries are very ripe, you may want to decrease the amount of sugar. When unmolding them dip into hot water for a few seconds, pull it away from the edge a bit if needed then invert onto the serving plate. They will keep covered in the refrigerator for about 5 days, after that I find they no longer taste fresh. This is a great dessert for a dinner party, it comes together quickly. I make it in the morning before work, leave them to chill in the refrigerator all day and unmold right before serving.

To make the compote: slice 1 lb. strawberries and place in a medium bowl. Add about 1 cup superfine sugar and about 3 tablespoons Port. Let the strawberries marinate for about 20 minutes, they will weep a bit and make a beautiful sauce with the port.

Louisiana berries...sweet and ripe (no white tops!)

Strawberry Panna Cotta

1 lb strawberries, (3 cups, sliced) In addition to the strawberries for the compote.
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup sugar
5 gelatin sheets
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. remove stems from strawberries and place in blender, add buttermilk and sugar and blend until completely pureed.

2. Strain mixture using a fine sieve, discard solids. Place 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl. Bring cream to a gentle boil, add to milk, combine with a whisk. Add gelatin sheets and allow to sit for a few minutes. Whisk gelatin mixture until combined then add to strawberry mixture and whisk together.

3. Pour mixture into six 6oz molds. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

4. To unmold, dip mold into hot water a few seconds then invert onto serving plate. Puddle a little strawberry sauce and some fresh strawberries around each Panna Cotta.

Lemon Caper Shrimp Crostini

2008-01-09T14:54:00.001-06:00

I find sometimes small simple meals tend to be the most satisfying. I find myself cooking for only Jack, my 6 year old and I more often than not. Jack unlike me, is unfortunately not a very adventurous eater (he's getting there though), so on these nights I am happy to have little dinners which are simple, but still yield great results. The shrimp crostini is one of them.

The great thing about Shrimp Crostini is it does not require much planning, I usually keep a French Baguette around and Shrimp are always in my freezer; frozen in 1 lb. bags ready to be pulled out and quickly defrost as needed. Basically I toast some bread, make a buerre blanc, add shrimp and maybe grill some asparagus- perfect for a simple weeknight meal.

The size of the shrimp you use doesn't really matter, I like 25/30's for this dish, but any size will work. Maybe I should explain that- Shrimp are graded by size, the numbers mean the number of shrimp per pound. The larger the number the smaller the shrimp; for example jumbo shrimp will be about 10/15 per pound while small shrimp will be 70/90 shrimp per pound. When buying shrimp at the market, be sure they look translucent, if they are head-on they (the heads) should be clear and well attached to the body (not beginning to separate from the body), they should smell like salt water- in other words not very shrimpy! (that rule applies to all seafood). Obviously the larger the shrimp, the pricier they become, there are some recipes where size matters, this is not one of them so buy what best fits your budget, or better yet- what looks best at the market. One last note about shrimp- unless you are purchasing shrimp at a dock, chances are they have been frozen- and that's ok. Fresh Shrimp of course are a treat, but shrimp do not lose much in taste or quality by having been frozen, so don't let that deter you from buying them.

Making the crostini: Slice a French Baguette into 1/2" thick rounds and lay on a baking sheet. Brush a little melted butter on bread and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. (If you really like garlic you can also add some to the butter). At the restaurant, I grill them since the grill is so easily accessible.

The shrimp crostini make for a great entree, starter or hors de ouvre at your next party. I have also tossed the sauce and shrimp with angel hair pasta for a litle bit heavier dinner. The sauce will make you want to lick your fingers!

Lemon Caper Shrimp

1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick)
1/4 cup capers
3 cloves crushed and finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
Coarse sal de mer to taste

1. In a large saute pan melt half the butter over medium heat, add shrimp, garlic, black pepper, paprika and Thyme; cook until the shrimp turn light pink. Add lemon juice, white wine and capers and bring to a boil. Add cream, remove from heat then slowly stir in butter until it melts. Add salt to taste.

2. Serve Shrimp over Crostini drizzling with a generous amount of sauce. The recipe will serve four as a starter or two as a main dish. I sometimes garnish with Caper berries like I did here.

Best Cream Cheese Pound Cake

2008-01-08T07:54:00.000-06:00

As a little girl, I was used to always having a cake or some type of pastry around the house. It was called pan dulce, at my Grandparent's it was kept in a Tupperware box in the dining room- I was quite familiar with that box. The box always had something yummy in it and I became accustomed to ending every meal on something sweet. This is where my love of baking comes in particularly handy- to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I make this pound cake often because it keeps well for at least a week under a cake dome in the kitchen. I found the recipe in a Bon Apettit magazine a long time ago, I have made it many times since. I changed nothing about the recipe, even the baking times- which I know seem a bit odd, but I promise if you follow the directions you will not be disappointed. The grain is fine, the cake is not dense, the crust has sort a crunchy feel, it is quite versatile, and best of all it keeps well. I like it with a simple Confectioner's sugar icing and seasonal fresh fruit. I do not exaggerate when I tell you this is the best pound cake I have ever had- if you were looking for a good pound cake-look no further.

A few notes about cake making:
Ingredients should always be at room temperature unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Eggs fluff up much better at room temperature and so does butter. Most cake recipes I use begin by creaming the butter and sugar, in this case the butter, cream cheese and sugar. This is the time to beat- and beat a lot. Before you add any other ingredients the butter, cheese and sugar mixture should be extremely fluffy, this will take about 5 minutes in a stand mixer at med.-high speed. Be sure to time it, as it's much longer than you think. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl and mixing only until incorporated. Once you add the flour take it very gently from there. I usually mix with the mixer a few seconds, then finish by folding it in by hand. Following these "rules" will ensure good results for your cakes.

I don't always make an icing for the pound cake, the cake can stand on it's own. This is the recipe if you want to make one: 3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla or other flavoring. (like Grand Marnier, Bailey's Khalua, almond extract, or lemon juice) Mix together until a paste forms then add additional cream or milk to take it to the desired consistency. I usually cool the cake as directed, then after cooling for 20 minutes on the rack: I place a cookie sheet under it to catch the drippings and spread the thick icing on the cake. The icing will melt slightly and drip down the sides a bit, which looks nice.

Best Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups sifted all purpose flour

One 12 cup bundt pan

In large mixer bowl combine, butter, cream cheese and sugar and beat with paddle attachment on medium speed about 5 minutes or until very fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating just until Incorporated. Add vanilla and beat to combine.

Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until just incorporated- do not over mix.

Pour batter into greased and floured pan and place in a cold oven set at 200 degrees. (yes, turn the oven on as you put the cake in). Bake at 200 for 20 minutes, then increase oven temperature to 250 and bake additional 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 275 and bake for 10 minutes longer. Now increase oven to 300 and bake about an hour, or until tester comes out clean. (I find setting a timer helps a lot with this cake).

Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool. Store at room temperature.

Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream if desired.

Moroccan Carrot and Goat Cheese Sandwich with Green Olive Tapenade

2008-01-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I tend to hold on to my food magazines. This comes as a result of two things: 1. I am part pack-rat and 2. I sometimes don't have time to read them as they arrive so I save them for later. Well, I've been catching up, I found this recipe in the (I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how old) August 2002 issue of Gourmet. Which proves my case in holding on to the plethora of food magazines I own- you never know when I might find something I like in there. I think it would make a great tea sandwich, the tapenade I can eat with a spoon and the carrots are really so yummy, mostly because of the unexpected flavors.I changed the recipe a bit, (I can't help myself) but, it's definitely a keeper.

The carrots are delicious, the secret is to allow them to marinate at least 4 hours, although overnight is best. As with all recipes high quality ingredients will produce better results; use the best quality olives you can find, I like green Cerignolas. I have never found them already pitted, but it is well worth the effort of slicing them off the pit for this recipe, (or any other for that matter- they are delicious). If you don't have a mandolin, thinly slice the carrots by hand or use the slicer attachment to the food processor. When making the tapenade pulse in the food processor just until chunky, it should not be a paste. I have recently found a Goat Feta I love, the recipe called for soft goat cheese, but since I have the feta I used that instead- basically same flavor with a different texture. Both the carrots and the tapenade can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator, the carrots will keep for 3 days and the tapenade for one week.

Moroccan Carrots

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lb.'s carrots

1. Whisk together sugar, lemon juice, spices and olive oil in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves.

2. Slice carrots in half on the diagonal, then using a mandolin slice into 1/16" thick slices. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch carrots for about 45 seconds. Drain into a colander and immediately toss in dressing. Cool to room temperature, then cover a refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. (I tried them at 4 hours, then the next day- the difference was huge. Allow them to marinate as long as possible).

Green Olive Tapenade

1 1/4 cups sliced Cerignola olives
3 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 anchovy fillet
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

goat cheese
whole grain bread

1. In a food processor combine all ingredients and pulse a few times. Drizzle in olive oil while pulsing until the tapenade is finely chopped.

Assemble the sandwich putting goat cheese on bottom layer, add carrots, then tapenade and another layer of bread.

Creamy Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

2008-01-05T16:59:00.000-06:00

I finally feel like my life is getting back to normal after the holidays. Unless I have I catering I don't normally work on Saturdays, I feel my place is at home with my little boy. So today, we did a little shopping in the morning, made dogie treats when we got home and after that I made rice pudding. Jack is not a big fan of rice, I think it stems from my over zealous meals when he was a baby- I gave him cous cous at about 7 months and he projectile spit it all back at me. When he got a little older, he wanted nothing to do with foods that had a grainy type texture. Which is really quite a sad for I feel he misses out on such yummy foods- like this rum raisin rice pudding.

But today he totally surprised me, he was very curious when I was making it and when I finished he actually asked to try it. I tried to retain my composure and not show my shock, he tried it and said "hmmm I think I like it!" Well, needless to say I was thrilled, granted it's more creamy than it is grainy, but it's a start. My point is I think even rice haters would love this dish- it is the epitome of comfort food. Great served warm or ice cold.

Notes: Make sure to not stray too far from it while cooking and stir it often. The vanilla beans are a great addition, but if you don;t have any add a teaspoon of vanilla when you take it off the stove. The rice will continue to congeal and absorb the milk when it's cooling so stop cooking it while there still a little liquid left in the pot. The raisins will do the same so turn the heat off when almost all the rum has been absorbed. I like to use jumbo golden raisins, but if those are not available, use your favorite variety.

I entered this dish in the Comfort Food Monthly Mingle...check out the other posts!

Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups milk
4 sticks cinnamon
1 can condensed milk
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup water
1 cup jumbo golden raisins

1. In a heavy medium sauce pan bring milk and cinnamon sticks to a boil over medium heat. Add rice, return to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. While rice is cooking place the rum, 1/4 cup water and raisins in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to simmer and cook until almost all the liquid is absorbed, (you want some left over to mix into the rice when it's finished). Set aside to cool.

3. Add condensed milk and scrape vanilla bean into the rice. Continue to cook over low heat stirring often for an additional 15 minutes or so or until rice is creamy, but still has some liquid left in the pot. Refer to photo below, it will still seem rather soupy, but in order for it to be very creamy when cool, you remove if from the heat at this stage. The rice pudding will keep for 1 week covered in the refrigerator.

Crostata della Nonna / Italian Jam Crostata

2008-01-03T07:20:00.000-06:00

This is my grandmother's crostata, it's beautiful, tasty and most of all- very easy to make. I had some friends over for dinner and since my menu was of the Italian inclination, it gave me the perfect opportunity to make it, (not that I really needed an excuse). It was sort of a last minute affair so we made a simple one dish meal of Pasta Pepperonata with Italian Sausage, a beautiful arugula and Cannellinni bean salad and for dessert I served the raspberry crostata. This was an easy and very satisfying meal which did not require a whole lot of work. I wish I would have had time to photograph everything, but eating and enjoying the food sort of got in the way! The crostata, I had prepared the day before, so it made it to the blog.

You may use any kind of jam or preserves you like, I have used apricot, strawberry and pineapple before- they all taste really yummy. I also really like that the ingredients are simple are most likely to be in my pantry at any given time. The dough for the crostata is sort of between a cake and a pie dough. The directions may sound a little odd, but this was my grandmother's recipe and I'm not going to change it. The only difference in the preparation from hers and mine is that I use a pastry blender and she used a fork. The measurements for the flour are in grams because that is how she gave them to me, when I make it again I will measure in cups after weighing and update the recipe.

Italian Jam Crostata

300 grams all purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
150 grams cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
zest of one lemon
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons of your favorite jam or preserves

Preheat oven to 400 F

1.Butter a 9" springform pan and set aside.

2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the center and add the eggs. With a pastry blender or fork, start incorporating the eggs into the flour. Add the butter and work into the dough for a couple of minutes. (the dough will be in clumps).

3. Add the sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Continue to work the dough with the fork or pastry blender until is it very crumbly. At this point I start working the dough with my hands until it starts coming together, I do this is the bowl to avoid kneading it on the counter and incorporating too much flour. Once the dough comes together it will be a little sticky.

4. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough a couple of times, then make a ball and cut off one third of it with a knife. (for the lattice)

5. Roll out the larger ball of dough into about a nine inch circle and press into the springform pan. Making sure the dough is evenly distributed in the pan. Prick the dough with a fork, then add the preserves spreading evenly.

6. Make little balls out of the reserved dough and roll each one into a strip- these do not need to be all even and perfect. Place the strips over the jam, pressing lightly at the edges to adhere them to the crust.

7. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. You may serve it warm with some whipped cream or ice cream, or by itself at room temperature. The crostata will keep covered at room temperature for 1 week. (mine never lasts that long!)

Sweet and Savory Chicken Tamales

2008-01-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

It is a tradition in Latin America to eat tamales at Christmas, New Year's, and pretty much any special celebration. I did not have time to make tamales on Christmas eve, but today we did make tamales for New Year's Eve. Making tamales is a daunting task, but I find that if you split the work out throughout the day it makes the process a little more manageable.

This year I made both sweet and savory chicken tamales. The savory are filled with chicken, capers, green olives, potato, and peas. The sweet tamales have sugar added to the masa and are filled with chicken, potato and prunes. The chicken is actually a hen, as they are more flavorful. I took some photos throughout the process, they aren't the best, but I think they will help if you've never made tamales before. The recipe made about 3 dozen large tamales.

Notes: Maseca is the brand of the masa harina, this is the only brand I have used and it's available at most large supermarkets. The Banana leaves impart a delicious flavor to the tamales, they can be either fresh from your yard or store bought. Most Latin American or Vietnamese markets carry them, I used four large leaves for this batch. You can use any type of steamer to steam the tamales, I used a tamale steamer I have and a regular pot with a pasta colander inside, then wrapped the whole thing in foil (I couldn't find the lid). When you place the tamales in the steamer do not crowd them too much, I usually make one layer then put a few more tamales on top.

Tamales
8 cups Maseca, masa harina
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 yellow onion, quartered
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 dried chile mulato
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons salt
1 hen
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 medium tomato
1/3 cup sugar
prunes
capers
green pimento stuffed olives
2 potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled
about 1/2 cup green peas, frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves

1. In a large stock pot, sautee dried chile mulato in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Wash and quarter chicken and add to the pot and season generously with salt and pepper. Brown Hen over medium heat, turning occassionaly.

2. Add the tomato, bell peppers, onion, and jalapeno pepper to the hen. Completely cover with water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. With tongs remove the vegetables and hen and set aside to cool.

3. With a sieve, strain the stock into a bowl. Carefully remove the oil from the top of the stock and discard. Place the vegetables in a food processor, add cilantro and process until smooth, if needed add a little stock.

At this point you will have the hen already cooked, the vegetables into a puree and the stock for the masa. This would be a good place to stop if you want to do this in parts. Everything could be refrigerated and continued the following day.

4. Shred the hen with your hands and set aside.

5. In a large pot over medium heat combine 8 cups Maseca and about 13 cups chicken stock. (if you do not have enough chicken stock add water to make up the difference). Whisk the stock into the flour, the dough should be smooth and about the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add vegetable puree, 2 tablespoons cumin, baking powder and salt. Cook the dough, constantly stirring until it starts to pull away from the sides of the pot- about 15 minutes, then remove from heat.

6. Assemple all the filling ingredients, banana leaves (wash and dry them), and aluminum foil.

7. Cut a piece of foil about ten inches long, lay it in front of you on the counter. Lay a piece of banana leaf about half the size of the foil over it. Place about 1/2 cup dough over the leaf and make a little trench for the filling. Add some chicken, a piece of ptato, some capers, peas and 2 olives. Pull the banana leaves over the dough to enclose the filling in the dough. Wrap with the foil making a little rectangular package. (be sure to not wrap too tightly so the dough can puff a little when steaming. Repeat until 3/4 of the masa has been used, about 24 tamales.

8. Add 1/3 cup sugar to the remaining dough and mix well. Continue to assemble tamales, changing the filling to chicken, potato and a prune in each. Label the sweet tamales with an "S" etched into the foil.

9. Fill steamer 1/3 full with water. Layer tamales in steamer tray or colander and steam over med-low heat for 1 hour. Allow tamales to cool and serve.

Tamales can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Jack requested to have a photo of himself and I quote "posted up with all the food on the web site." So here it is...we wish you a Happy New Year!!! xx

Caramel Cake

2007-12-31T09:47:00.001-06:00

As a result of the restaurant being closed for New Year's, I've had the opportunity to catch up on my food magazines. I just recently received the January issue of Gourmet, it's a nice issue, this month they featured Southern food. Which I find to be comfort food, specially in winter, so after reading the magazine from cover to cover I set out to make the caramel cake. The caramel cake I usually make is a two layer cake filled and frosted with caramel. Quite a production to make and one that cannot be made on a very humid or rainy day because the caramel will never set. When I saw the very simple cake they featured I could not wait to try it. The cake is very light and the caramel has just the right amount of sweetness.

The cake is light and the caramel is just drizzled on top. I followed the recipe almost exactly, this is the link to Epicurious in case you have a recipe box at the site and want to save it. It is definetely a keeper, the only change I made was I continued to drizzle the caramel that runs off the cake as it hardened a bit. I also made holes in the cake with a fork so the caramel would soak in. The cake itself is nice, I will use it again even without the caramel; it baked evenly and has a nice grain.

A little note on measuring flour: The recipe instructs to sift the flour before measuring, make sure you do this. I measured the flour out of the box and sifted it into a bowl, then placed a piece of parchment paper on the counter and measured it into the sifter again, I added the baking powder, soda, and salt and sifted over the paper. Then I make a sort of cone with the parchment and dump the flour into the mixing bowl. The reason I tell you this is because I was surprised at how much flour (about 1/2 cup) was left over after I measured the second time. I would not have expected the difference between 2 sifts and 1 to be that large. The extra flour would have kept the cake from being as light, so be sure to not skip that step.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For caramel glaze

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Butter an 8-inch square cake pan and line with a square of parchment paper, then butter parchment.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture may look curdled). Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.

Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:

Bring cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil until glaze registers 210 to 212°F on thermometer, 12 to 14 minutes, then stir in vanilla.

Put rack with cake in a shallow baking pan and pour hot glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run down sides. ( I continued to spoon the glaze than ran off the sides over the cake). Cool until glaze is set, about 30 minutes

note: Cake (before glazing) can be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese and French Vinaigrette

2007-12-30T15:06:00.000-06:00

It seems like every year after Christmas, I am ready for winter to be over and Spring to begin. Unfortunately, that isn't the way it works and even though it's not exactly freezing outside, it is chilly and damp enough enough to remind me it is still December and we at least have 3 more months of this. This is also the time of year I get more than a little restless and come down with a massive case of wanderlust- the root of this is that I really wish I was at the beach right now. So of course I am craving the foods I eat at the beach- my corn and tomato salad, but neither of the main ingredients is at it's prime right now so I will have to wait not only for the salad, but for the beach as well.

Last night I was looking through all the magazines I haven't had a chance to go through for the last month. My favorite is Australian, Donna Hay, which really isn't helping matters at all since it is Summer in Australia and the magazine reflects it. So, this morning I compromised and decided to make a lentil salad which I drizzled with a French Vinaigrette. After all the rich holiday foods I have been eating and making, this is a nice fresh change. This Lentil salad is also very versatile, I have made chicken to go with it as it is good cold, hot and at room temperature. The vinaigrette is also really tasty on it's own, but the vinegar and oil separate very quickly so I found the best method to make it is by mixing it in a little jar. I saved a pretty little recycled jelly jar for this purpose, I put all the ingredients in, put the lid on and shake away which keeps me from endlessly whisking. I store it in the jar, and just shake it up when I need more. The vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

I love lentils, my favorite are French Puy Lentils, they cook very quickly and have a very earthy flavor. I find that when making salads that is the best variety, although for soup I like green lentils as they are a little creamier when cooked. You may use either variety, the French ones will cook in about 25 minutes while green lentils will cook in about 45 minutes. Check them often while they simmer to make sure they do not overcook.

Lentil Salad
8 oz French Puy Lentils
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Bay leaves
1 sprig fresh Thyme
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs- parsley, thyme, oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken stock
4 oz crumbled goat cheese

French Vinaigrette
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine olive oil, lentils, celery, bell pepper, shallots, garlic, bay leaves, and sprig of thyme, season with salt and pepper; cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add enough chicken stock to cover lentils by a couple of inches, the amount will depend on the size of your pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25-45 minutes depending on the type of lentils used, (see above). When lentils are tender, remove from heat, drain, discard bay leaves and thyme and set aside to cool.

3. Make vinaigrette by either shaking ingredients in a covered jar or by whisking together in a bowl.

4. In a serving bowl combine lentils, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Drizzle with 1/2 cup vinaigrette and taste for salt and pepper. Add goat cheese and garnish with extra herbs, serve cold or at room temperature. If you are making the salad a day ahead add the herbs right before serving.

Alfajores / Caramel Cookies

2007-12-27T14:49:00.000-06:00

Alfajores are my favorite childhood cookies, they are a very crumbly shortbread like cookie filled with caramel, preferably Cajeta (Argentinian milk caramel) then rolled in powdered sugar. I had not had much luck when making alfajores, they just never seemed to turn out right. Recently a friend gave me her recipe, but they they didn't come out like hers, which are very good. I think the problem was in the measurements, the cornstarch was in grams while others ingredients were in cups, sort of the type of recipe you need the original baker to make with you the first time and since I am many countries away from from her I had to figure it out for myself. Once I knew what the problem was, (they had too much cornstarch) I was easily able to fix it. So I made batch number two and I think they are just delightful- if I do say so myself!

Notes: When cutting the cookies out, do it as closely as possible and use as little flour as you can without the dough sticking to the table. You can only re-roll the dough out 1 time before it becomes too dry from the extra flour. The butter must be very soft so the dough will hold together- I cannot stress this enough- microwave it for 15 seconds if you have to- just make sure it's soft! You may substitute the Cognac for Grand Marnier or dark Rum. Bake the cookies until they are just starting to color, they are supposed to be very pale. (they also burn very fast- watch them carefully). Also, the cookies are a little delicate so be careful not to break them when spreading the caramel.

You can purchase Cajeta at most specialty food stores, I Know Sur la Table has it. You may also make your own caramel, but please be very careful if you do this:
(I tell you this from experience as my husband has had a can explode) In a medium pot place an unopened can of condensed milk (not the pull-lid type), cover with water at least 5 inches over the top of the can. Cook over medium heat for 2 hours. NEVER let the water boil down and evaporate- that's when the can explodes, add more water if necessary. Let the caramel cool for at least an hour, then open and spread on the cookies. The caramel will keep in the can unopened for about one moth before it starts to crystallize.

ALFAJORES

1 1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 lb. butter at room temperature (1 stick)
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cognac

Cajeta or home-made caramel (see above)
powdered sugar for sprinkling cookies after they bake

1. In large mixer bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated. Add cognac and mix well.

2. Add flour, cornstarch and baking powder and mix until the dough comes together.

3. Roll out dough over a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut shapes out and place on greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies should be barely brown on the bottom, tops will be pale. Set on cooling rack to cool. Fill with cajeta and cover in powdered sugar. This recipe can be easily doubled.

Buche de Noel / Yule Log

2007-12-25T21:45:00.000-06:00

A little late...but, better than never I suppose. I did not think I would have time to make the Daring Baker's Challenge for December, Buche Noel, but at the last minute I ended up making it on Christmas day morning. We did all the Santa stuff and gift opening really early, as Jack woke at 5:15 AM- (yes, you read that correctly). I had made the meringue mushrooms on Sunday so the cake and icing were quick. I read many of the posts by the other bakers regarding the Swiss Merngue curdling, I think it all depends on the speed of the mixer. I find it does look curdled for a bit- but then you beat it until it cannot be beat anymore and it pulls together again into a smooth satiny cream.

The cake was delicious, I filled it with a white chocolate pastry cream which I made a little loose on purpose so the cake would stay very moist and I added 8 oz melted dark chocolate to the icing at the end. Since I was also serving it to children and I was afraid they would not care for the coffee flavor which is what the recipe called for. Other than that, I followed the Daring Baker's recipe exactly. I also sprinkled the mushrooms with cocoa and powdered sugar- they came out really cute, but I forgot to take a photo of it- maybe next time.

Plain Genoise
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup cake flour - spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off (also known as cake & pastry flour)
¼ cup cornstarch

one (1) 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

1.Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2.Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.

3.Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a thermometer (or test with your finger - it should be warm to the touch).

4.Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.

5.While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.

6.Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.

7.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

8.Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.

9.While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.

10.Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Buttercream

4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons Brandy
8 oz. melted and slightly cooled dark chocolate

1.Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

2.Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Add liquor and beat into the buttercream, add melted chocolate and mix well.

Meringue Mushrooms:
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup (3-1/2 ounces/105 g.) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1-1/3 ounces/40 g.) icing sugarUnsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1.Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a small (no. 6) plain tip. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Continue until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sift the icing sugar over the whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until well blended.

2.Scoop the mixture into the bag. On one baking sheet, pipe 48 stems, each ½ inch (12 mm.) wide at the base and tapering off to a point at the top, ¾ inch (2 cm.) tall, and spaced about ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. On the other sheet, pipe 48 mounds for the tops, each about 1-1/4 inches (3 cm.) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm.) high, also spaced ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Dust with cocoa. Reserve the remaining meringue.

3.Bake until dry and firm enough to lift off the paper, 50-55 minutes. Set the pans on the counter and turn the mounds flat side up. With the tip of a knife, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each mound. Pipe small dabs of the remaining meringue into the holes and insert the stems tip first. Return to the oven until completely dry, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on the sheets.