Seafood Paella a la Valenciana - Dinner Party

This is the first post of a dinner party series composed both of parties I'll host and cater. I moved into a new house a couple of months ago and this was the first dinner party I hosted. My friend Chris, who also works with me at GG and I put it together. I wanted to make a one dish meal that didn't require a lot of prep at party time.  Chris and I started by gathering ingredients and flowers we needed from the farmer's market. As best I can I try to use both seasonal and local ingredients, we used Louisiana Shrimp from the farmer's market and bought the rest of the seafood at Whole Foods.  We started out by making stock from the lobster and shrimp shells, chopped the vegetables, prepared the seafood and then just put it together after everyone arrived while we had cocktails. We made a composed salad which he plated ahead of time, and set that on the table before everyone arrived. Those steps made everything much easier to serve the meal in courses.  I wasn't sure how the house would make the party flow, but had a pretty good idea people would linger in the kitchen.  I have a pretty large kitchen island so we set a cheese plate there with the wine and cocktails and sure enough, everyone stayed in the kitchen.   

We set the dining room table with white linens and china.  We brightened it up with ranunculus and daffodils which are in season right now and are also some of my favorite flowers.  One of our guests loves to bake so when he asked what he could bring we quickly  said "dessert please!" Unfortunately there are no photos of that, it was a really yummy chocolate babka which was gone in a flash. 

Composed salad with Cara Cara oranges, berries, spring lettuces, lemon infused olive oil and balsamic reduction.

Fruit and cheese display with goat gouda, a French triple creme and aged cheddar.

Orange and pink ranunculus with some bright daffodils.

Bourbon Fig Preserves

I've been patiently waiting for the figs to ripen, stalking might be a more appropriate word. The first week was sheer delight, ate all of those raw.  Ate so many that my mouth was beginning to have blisters, but it was worth it.  I love figs as much as I love tomatoes, and that says a lot! Between yesterday and today I had harvested so many that it became the perfect time to start putting them up. Last year I made 24 quart jars, I ran out about a month ago and its been a long month.  I use these in so many different ways at the shop, from roast pork to sandwiches and of course cheese and pancakes and well, just right out of the jar with a spoon. I got to use my newly acquired antique copper kettle and that made the process all the better, all the pretty things. This particular tree is Texas overbearing, at the shop I have Celeste and LSU gold varieties. This year I might have enough of the LSU Gold to put up, those are milder in flavor but with more of a honey taste. Hopefully between the squirrels and the birds there will be enough for me.

I find that the ratio of 2 to 1, fruit to sugar works well in all my canning.  I seldom use pectin, but instead just cook the jam or preserves down until they thicken. It's a little hard to tell with these because the syrup stays pretty loose.  I find that watching the volume is the best way for me to tell when they're ready. I turn down the heat so the boiling will stop for a few seconds and when reduced by about half, it's ready to go.  As for the tools, the canning ladle, canning rack, canning funnel and tongs I find these items indispensable for canning.  These items make jam making so much easier and I while I usually dislike single purpose kitchen gadgets, I can't do whithout these.  They keep me from getting burned by the water and the scalding sugar syrup, which with my track record it a definite plus.

Bourbon Fig Preserves

6 lb.'s fresh figs
3 lb's superfine sugar
6 oz. lemon juice
1/2 cup bourbon

1. Wash the figs and place them in a large non-reactive pot or copper kettle. Add the sugar, bourbon and lemon juice stir until combined.  Cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil.  Stir a few times with a wooden spoon or heat-proof rubber spatula.  At this point, I mash them a little with the spoon to break them up, but its optional. Continue to cook for 25-30 minutes until reduced by almost half.

2. While the preserves are cooking, sterilize your jars and lids in boiling water. (I also sterilize the paddle and funnel I will later use for filling the jars). I use a canning rack in the bottom of a pot tall enough to hold the jars completely submerged in water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, this usually takes at least 20 minutes which is about the time it takes for the figs to cook.

3. When the figs are ready fill the jars with a canning funnel and ladle up to 1/2" from the rim. Seal the jars and place carefully in the water bath with canning tongs.  Process for 8-10 minutes, remove from water bath and set aside to cool.

Makes 72 ounces of Preserves.

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Lump Crabmeat

Before I even write another word, I'll confess- I am currently addicted to tomatoes. I just cannot seem to get enough, and right now they are everywhere.  I buy them even when I don't really need them,  solely because they're pretty sometimes, it's become a good problem to have.  A few weeks ago I went to a produce sale at the LSU Ag-Center- 15 minutes later I was loading my car with about thirty pounds of the most beautiful heirlooms. Yes, thirty! I know that is a LOT of tomatoes, but I had the best time choosing them and later making Gazpacho, beautiful salads, and the most wonderful preserves.  I made a tomato marmalade with saffron, which if I say so myself was out of this world- I'll be using it at work in my catering business, Gourmet Girls.  

At home for dinner, we had Jumbo lump Crabmeat Gazpacho.  This is my favorite type of dinner in the summer.  Cooking seasonally by utilizing foods which are in their prime makes eating and preparing meals a joyful experience for me.  I think most of us eat with our eyes first,  what I came across labeled as Paleo on Pinterest and other venues was sometimes not too appetizing to me. While the food might have tasted good, it certainly was not inspiring me to run and cook it for dinner.  I need pretty in my life, with food in particular.  I hope through this blog I can inspire others to prepare meals in a healthy manner; cooking seasonally from farm to table, using locally grown and organic ingredients.

While I am not a fan of storing tomatoes in the refrigerator, I was surprised to find that the leftover Gazpacho was actually really good a day later.  I would not recommend making it more than several hours early, just make sure to add the crabmeat right before serving.  I made this a few weeks ago, and after looking at the photos again, I cannot wait to make it again.  I hope you like it as much as I did!

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat

6 ripe heirloom tomatoes, diced (reserve all the seeds and juices)

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded and cut into 1/4" slices

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4" cubes

2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4" cubes

1 jalapeno pepper, cored, veined, seeded, and finely minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste (I like spicy)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. fresh Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, lightly picked for shells.

1. In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the tomatoes and their juices, onion, cucumber, and peppers.  Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and tabasco.  

2. With a couple of forks squish the vegetables into a juicy soup, making sure to leave plenty of big pieces.  Add salt, cumin and black pepper tasting as you go.  Add cilantro then refrigerate the soup for at least an hour before serving.

3. Ladle the Gazpacho into soup bowls, add crabmeat and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Making Fresh Ricotta

I love cheese, and it all starts there. Ricotta is one of my favorites, it's so versatile and when you make it at home it is absolutely divine. I particularly like serving it with with peaches, berries or tomatoes.  I made grilled peaches with a honey glaze and lemon-thyme for the food truck and they flew out the window.  The food truck has been such a great adventure, I am having so much fun creating menus with what is in season and fresh every day.  I don't think I've repeated myself yet, there's just so much I want to make and this is giving me the opportunity to do so.  It is certainly a lot more work than setting a menu and repeating it, and I'm sure more cost effective too.  But that's not what this is about for me right now.  I am reveling in having to be creative enough to come up with three inventive quality menus every week.  I guess at some point I'll have to pick my favorites and go with those, but it seems that by the time that happens, it will be a whole new season with a whole different crop of fruits and veggies to work with.  Lets just say I am not likely to become bored with it, boredom is my greatest enemy.  I hate to admit it, but I'd rather do things the hard way in order to produce something I am excited about.  

You won't need any fancy cheese making ingredients to make this, but you will need a good candy making thermometer and some cheesecloth.  I used whole milk and buttermilk for this recipe, next time I will experiment by adding cream for a silkier and richer consistency.  With what I had leftover, I made roast tomato and ricotta tartines- pretty scrumptious!  The cheese will keep for about a week in the refrigerator, obviously mine didn't make it that long. 

Home-Made Ricotta

Cheesecloth

Deep-Fry or Candy thermometer

Stainless steel pot

8 cups whole milk

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Stack several squares of cheesecloth in a colander and set the colander over a large bowl.

2. Combine the milk and buttermilk in a large pot and attach the thermometer to the side.

Place the pot over high heat .  Stir constantly as curds form and when thermometer reaches 175-180 degrees, curds will separate and float.  Turn off the heat.

3.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer curds to prepared colander and sprinkle with salt.  Gather the cheesecloth around the ricotta pressing gently to release some of the liquid.  Let the ricotta rest about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill. 

Fresh Fig Galette with Mascarpone

It's fig season in Louisiana, they start coming in around the beginning of July.  I usually have enough to harvest for about a month and it never seems quite long enough. I took advantage of the bounty and made these little fig happies for the food truck last week.   Oh yes, new project...In a collaboration with another restaurant owner, we opened a food truck called PRONTO.  The truck is parked in front of my shop, I open it as often as I can and let people know by posting the menu on Instagram and Facebook, (@gourmetgirls).  I'm doing most of the cooking so things have been have been extra hectic, but have gone remarkably well.  It's amazing how many familiar faces I've seen from my days at The Silver Spoon.  People have come out of the woodwork, it's been so nice to see so many loyal customers,  I feel really blessed.  The truck has proven to be a lot of fun, I've sold out every day so far which is extremely rewarding since I feel like I'm filling a need for fresh healthy food.  The best part is I get to make the food I love to eat and prepare.  With the truck it's basically whatever is in season, fresh, mostly local and organic if possible. I'm officially in foodie heaven! 

I made the galettes for PRONTO on it's opening day and they've been a hit since, selling out pretty early the days I've had them.  I guess I'm not the only one who likes dessert first! The dough is from my mincemeat pie recipe, it uses whole wheat pastry flour which holds up really well while still being super flaky. I used the food processor since I was (am always) short on time. If the food processor is your method of choice, just be sure to pulse in short bursts and only until the shortening is incorporated.  I added the liquid mixture to the dough in a large bowl and only enough liquid to pull the dough together.  I rolled the dough into a 3" diameter roll, wrapped it and then sliced it into 12 disks to make the galettes.  

Fig Galettes

1 recipe pie dough

2 pints figs, stemmed and sliced in half

1/2 cup fig jam

1- 8oz. container marscapone

1 egg, lightly beaten

granulated sugar for sprinkling tops

Preheat Oven to 375

1. Make pie dough according to direction in link, refrigerate an hour or overnight.  Once the dough is chilled, slice into 3" wide and 1/4" tall disks, (see note above).  

2. On a lightly floured surface roll out disks to about 5" in diameter.  Place about a tablespoon of mascarpone in center and gently spread just in the center of disk an inch from the edges with an off-set spatula.

3. Place a small amount of fig preserves on top of cheese and top with about 6 fig halves.  Gently fold the edges of the tarts toward the center- some will overlap.  Brush some of the beaten egg over dough and sprinkle the whole galette generously with sugar.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Scones

Strawberries and chocolate, I cannot think of a better combination for a scone. Add chocolate to anything and you have my full attention, they're almost like dessert.   These scones come together quickly and easily.  They keep best frozen and then just popped in the toaster or microwave for a bit if you're not planning on eating all of them within a day.  

Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Scones

Yield - 12-16 large scones

3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped

4 3/4 cups flour

1 T baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1/2 cup sugar

9 oz. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

topping: additional cream and sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add the butter and cut in with a pastry blender.  You are finished when the butter is evenly distributed in pea sized lumps.

3. Add the strawberries and chocolate to flour mixture.  Then make a well in the center and add the cream all at once.  Mix with your hands until incorporated.  Depending on the juiciness of your strawberries, the dough might be a little wet and sticky- it's okay.  

                          

4. On a lightly floured surface turn dough out and pat into an evenly distributed square or rectangle.

If the dough is still a little sticky, you can dust both sides with a little additional flour.

cut the rectangle into desired shapes and place on cookie sheet.  Brush scones with a little whipping cream and sprinkle liberally with sugar.  Bake until tops are lightly browned, 25-30 minutes.

Gourmet Girls King Cake Cupcakes

I have a new invention.... and we are very excited!  When I was making king cakes on Monday I had some extra dough, and never for a second did I think what has happened over the course of the last 4 days would.  Instead of throwing out the extra dough, as I typically would, I placed it in a jumbo muffin pan, baked and iced it like a king cake and soon had our king cake cupcake.  I posted it on the Gourmet Girls facebook page and voila, our King Cake cupcakes went viral.  I have to say I post a lot of food on facebook, and seldom does something get this much attention.  Since Tuesday we have had to shift our baking from traditional king cakes to king cake cupcakes.  We are having so much fun making them and can barely keep up. They are the perfect solution for those of us who will eat a whole king cake just because it's there, and it looks good and it tastes divine.... now you can have your own individual little portion! :)

We start shipping early next week, email us for more information at gourmetgirlsbr@yahoo.com.

This is our blackboard, when it's out we have king cakes and cupcakes ready for pick up. Stop by!

Gourmet Girls King Cake

It's king cake time! We started making king cakes at the shop Saturday, it's the beginning of a very long Mardi Gras season.  Last year we made and shipped over 500, and for an operation the size of mine- that's a lot of king cakes made from scratch in a two week period.  Every day was ground hog day... Go into work,  start a batch of dough, wait 30 minutes, start another one and on and on and on. Every year I swear I don't really want to do it ever again once it's over.  Every year, I forget and start it all over again. 

In order to get ahead, we started a large batch of Brioche Friday afternoon so I could walk in Saturday morning and not have to wait on the first rise.  We put it to bed in the refrigerator in a gigantic bowl, and left for the day in hopes of having dough ready to go in the morning.  Saturday morning I returned to find the very large bowl of dough upright on the floor in front of the refrigerator, and the refrigerator door ajar.  I was the last one to leave and the first to arrive, no one touched the dough.  Clearly it didn't jump out of the refrigerator by itself, right? Well actually, it did.  Unfortunately it took me an entire day  to figure this out.  To J's amazement as I told him about this over dinner, I was more concerned with the fact that the dough looked about the same size as the previous day thinking the yeast was dead, than with how exactly the dough got itself out of the refrigerator and onto the floor.  I was going on and on about how I thought it was the yeast was not active and so on and he kept going back to the bowl on the floor.  Men! (I loathe it when he's right). Had I told him in the morning, I'm sure I would have figured it out then because he would have started with the whole your kitchen is haunted thing and I would have had to prove him wrong.  Unfortunately, I wasted a lot of yeast and flour only to figure out my little mystery at the end of the day.  Suddenly it came to me... the dough rose so much in the refrigerator overnight, the bowl shifted, pressed open the door, and fell on the ground.  When it fell on the ground, from about 4 feet up, it punched itself down and deflated. So in fact, the dough was just fine, it was still cold so it must have occurred shortly before I arrived.  Lesson learned- yeast is a powerful thing!  Hopefully this means I have worked out all the kinks and this will be a trouble free king cake season.  May the king cake gods be with us!

Goat Cheese with Edible Flowers

You may have noticed it's been a little quiet around here.  Well, I've been a a bit busy with work to say the least.  Posting in an of itself would not be the issue, it's really more about documenting everything I do with (beautiful and perfect) photographs that becomes troublesome. I am happy to announce though,  I have resolved to stop being such a freak and just post something I've made at least a few times a week.  I'll try to put recipes up when time allows, at very least I hope to provide some inspiration with the photographs. I made these little goat cheese balls and garnished them with edible flowers for a cocktail party a while back.  They're perfect to serve with crackers or crostini... I hope you like them!

Recipe: Israeli Cous Cous Salad with Roast Golden Beets, Zucchini, and Goat Cheese

I live in south Louisiana, and it's hot.  The only time it's not hot is when it rains; then after the rain it's a steam bath.  On the upside of this dreary weather, my skin is not dry and the produce at the market is amazing.  I live for the farmers market! I get the pleasure of shopping for my business and hand picking all my fruits and vegetables. At home in the evening, after cooking in the shop all day, I hardly want to turn the oven on.  This type of salad is great to make ahead of time.  I roast the beets and keep them in the refrigerator.  The salad comes together fairly quickly and is a great vegetarian main dish or can serve as a side.  I've been trying to eat pasta only on the weekends, eating mostly seafood and vegetables during the week.  I'm working on a new blog which will chronicle the way I eat at home a bit more accurately.  Gourmet Girl will remain and I will post all the yummy things I make at work in my business, Gourmet Girls.  I'll update the new website, Gourmet Girl - Healthy Every Day soon... stay posted!

Israeli cous cous is a large version of regular cous cous, basically a little grain of wheat which is then rolled around in semolina flour.  What I love in particular about Israeli cous cous in this recipe is that it's cooked in chicken broth and takes on all its flavor.  Instead of starting out with a rather bland noodle, you get a tasty little morsel. It's so hot in south Louisiana right now that salads are what's on my menu.  I will say that I did try this while is was still warm and it was very good.  This is the kind of salad you can keep in the icebox and snack on (on the weekends only, of course).

I mix the goat cheese into the salad while still warm, which melts the cheese and evenly distributes the flavor.  If you prefer the goat cheese in chunks, cool all the ingredients before combining them.  I used a light tasting French vinaigrette and added extra flavor by using fresh lemon-thyme.

Israeli Cous Cous Salad with Roast Golden Beets and Goat Cheese


2 cups Israeli Cous Cous
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon-thyme leaves
2 cups cubed roasted beets
1 cup sliced zucchini
1/2 cup French Vinaigrette, (my recipe is under the watermelon salad post in the index)
4 oz. goat cheese
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1. Place the cous cous and chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated.

2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.

Recipe: Watermelon and Feta Salad with Cucumbers and Mint

I made this salad at work this week and just had to share with you.  I've seen many versions of it, but what remains consistent is the watermelon and cheese combination.  My father says it reminds him of my great uncle, who used to eat feta with watermelon as a snack.  Clearly it's a good combination which has stood the test of time. Pairing fruit with cheese is a favorite of mine too. I made a red wine French vinaigrette for the salad. It's a little tangy with a good helping of Dijon mustard to emulsify the dressing.  I have mint growing in my garden and thought it would complement the feta- refreshing and crisp. 

I've been using watermelon often lately and made these little disks by cutting out a block of melon.  Shave the rind off with a sharp knife, then use a fluted or straight-sided cookie cutter to cut through the melon.  Slice the rounds into disks, about 1/4" thick.  Using the cookie cutter for the melon is also a great idea for making a fruit tray for a children's party using fun shapes, maybe animals or cars.  Baby or wedding showers would be really cute with heart or flower shaped watermelon slices- oh, the possibilities! 

I like using seedless english cucumbers.  If you use regular cucumbers, which are great at this time of year, quarter them lengthwise and seed them before putting in the salad.  The onions are little Creoles, but if those aren't available, a shallot or red onion would be an ideal substitute.  

Watermelon Salad with French Sheep's milk Feta

Watermelon disks (read above)

Cucumbers, seeded and sliced

French Feta Cheese

Fresh Mint

Creole Onion, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

French Vinaigrette:

In a small jelly jar combine:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or red onion

Once all the ingredients are in the jar, tightly screw the lid on and shake until emulsified.

Recipe: Summer Peach and Blackberry Tartines

Summer Peach and Blackberry Tartines with Gorgonzola Dolce, Ricotta and Prosciutto.


Summer is my favorite time of the year in the kitchen.  With so many fruit and vegetables at their prime, cooking is really enjoyable- the possibilities are endless.  The whole concept of cooking seasonally appeals to me both at home and at work. I have been trying to purchase all the produce I use for my catering business, Gourmet Girls, at the local farmer's market.  Purchasing from a wholesale purveyor just really did not work for me.  I was entirely too picky about the way my produce looked and found the only way to truly get every single tomato, apple or head of lettuce to look the way I wanted it to was to hand pick it myself.   I enjoy starting my day by going to the market, seeing what is available and planning my menus from there.  One of the services I provide at Gourmet Girls is dinners for take-out.   I'm lucky enough to have a group of clients who pretty much let me make whatever I choose.  This brings seasonal cooking to a whole new level- whatever I select the mornings I go to the market ends up on their dinner plate.  Peaches are at the peak of their season in South Louisiana right now, and this weekend I am the guest chef at Redstick Farmer's Market - peaches are what's on the menu.

I am making a dessert, Tres Leches cake with peaches which is then topped with billowy meringue for the farmer's market demonstration.  I also wanted to make a savory dish with peaches, and since tartines are a favorite of mine, I came up with a few ideas.  I used ricotta and gorgonzola dolce as the spread, layered with prosciutto or serrano ham, a little honey drizzle, freshly cracked black pepper, fresh thyme and basil and topped with ripe blackberries and peaches.  Last week I made them with fresh figs, goat cheese, lemon thyme and drizzled them with a balsamic vinegar reduction- delicious! Below I've listed a few ideas for inspiration, I hope you enjoy the tartines as much as I do.

Prepare the bread by baking or grilling semi-thin slices of bread drizzled with a little olive or walnut oil.  I love using a boule for large tartines and a baguette for smaller bite size tartines. The large ones are best served on a plate with a fork and knife, while tartines made with a French baguette are the perfect bite size food for your next cocktail party.

I seasonally change the tartine toppings. Right now peaches, cherries, figs and berries are perfect.  When I make peach tartines at work and they won't be served for a while after preparing them, I soak the peach slices in a little lemon juice.  The lemon juice keeps the peaches from discoloring and turning brown.

For the spread, I've used goat cheese, ricotta, gorgonzola dulce, farmhouse cheddar, Brillat Savarin, Camembert, and brie or any triple creme cheese.

Drizzle with honey, champagne vinegar, or a balsamic vinegar reduction.

I love using fresh herbs and try to match those to the fruit.  My favorites right now are lemon thyme, French thyme, basil and rosemary. Lavender blossoms make a great pairing with cherries also.

I season the tartines with freshly cracked black pepper and sometimes sea salt if I think it will enhance the flavors.

RECIPE: Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I have a new obsession... it's name is Pinterest.  I am a bulletin board sort person, and while I have many methods of organizing my life like computers, iphones, iclouds and ipads I choose the old fashioned pen and paper sort of way.  This is not to say I don't use my calendar functions, but at work where EVERYTHING I do has to be meticulously organized and at a glance, my bulletin boards are the only way to go. In light of my affinity to bulletin boards, I think Pinterest is one of the most genius inventions in quite some time. Pretty, categorized, online bulletin boards which take my OCD to whole new levels- frankly, it does not get better than that!  My baking board probably has the most pins and is where this delightful little bar came from.  I changed a couple of things in the recipe though (I can't help it!). The recipe I found had ready-made milkmaid caramels in it; I made my own caramel. I tried it with the candies the first time around and decided that I'd rather not have all that artificial stuff in my sugar fix. I also found that when the bars set, those little caramels get a little hard which makes the bars a little messy looking and difficult to cut into perfect little squares. I will post the fleur the sel caramel recipe next, it's super easy to make and eat.... a bit too easy for my own good.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars


4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (3 sticks)
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups chocolate chips
2 cups caramel with fleur de sel (1 recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

12" x 12" square pan, greased well.

In large mixer bowl, combine the butter and sugars.  Mix at medium speed until fluffy and incorporated.  Add eggs and yolks one at a time, then vanilla and mix until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the flour mixture to dough and mix on low speed until incorporated.  Add chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Press half cookie mixture evenly in pan, making sure you cannot see the bottom of the pan.  It's more important to completely cover the bottom of the pan than to only use half of the dough. 

Spread caramel in small clumps keeping it away from the sides of the pan a little. (This makes getting the bars out of the pan a LOT easier). Top with additional cookie dough spreading lightly. It's okay if its not completely covering the caramel.

Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  

Cool the bars completely, at least 2 hours.  Slice into desired size rectangles or squares. 

The recipe may be halved- use a 9" square pan. 

Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

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

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

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

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

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

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.