Other People's Food

TwD: Apple Cheddar Scones

2008-07-01T09:26:00.003-04:00

It's been a few weeks since my last Tuesdays with Dorie entry... June was a bit of a busy and stressful month. Not even knowing what this week would hold, I promised myself and my fellow TwDers that I would participate (well, I whispered, so if you guys didn't hear me, that's why!) I couldn't have been more pleased that Karina chose these scones. Don't get me wrong, I love pies and brownies as much as the next baker, but I have a lot of love for everything breakfast food related - and these scones strike a nice balance between sweet and savory... just can't be beat.

These scones are close to drop biscuits, but denser. The dried apple provided a nice, thoughtful chewiness that I found really appealing. Now, I don't normally like cheddar - but it worked really well in the scones. It wasn't the least bit over-powering - and I didn't even notice it in each bite - in fact, I rather liked it. Shocking, I know. The dough was wicked sticky - so be prepared. I didn't want to go with the traditional triangle, so I tried to use a biscuit cutter... it mostly worked (not that you can tell), but it made for a sticky fun experience.

As an added crunch, I substituted polenta for the cornmeal (as I found I didn't have any). The polenta-crunch was certainly different, but enjoyable. I sometimes find store-bought scones to be a little uninspired and boring, and these were neither of those things.

Please see Karina's blog, The Floured Apron, for the recipe, and head on over to Tuesdays with Dorie to see other marvelous ways to make a scone!

Daring Bakers June: Success with Yeast (Finally!!)

2008-06-29T22:24:00.015-04:00

My word. I knew if the Daring Bakers pushed long enough, I would make friends with yeast. (At least, I'd hoped so.) My comfort level rose a bit with this pizza dough (especially since I've made it half a dozen times since), so I went into this challenge confident... at least as far as the yeast was concerned.

I'll be honest, when Kelly and Ben announced this Danish braid, I did shiver in my flip-flops. Laminated dough? Fold and turn, what? O dear. I felt like the potential for disaster was strong. However. This is clearly something I've never done before - and something I've always wanted to try... what better opportunity than with the Daring Bakers? With such a level of support, I knew it would be fun.

The month of June really got away from me. Middle of last week it finally sank in that I HAD to get this challenge done! I did a quick search for fillings and decided on this hybrid of cream cheese/peach filling, and then a second easy one - nutella and chocolate. So Saturday night, I made the dough, chilled it, added the butter and performed all the turns, setting the dough up for a relaxing nap in the fridge overnight.

I wish you could have been there, during all that rolling out. I wanted to make sure it was the right size, so I pulled out my trusty tape measure. Imagine a kitchen in disarray, flour coating most surfaces, sprinkled on the cat, a girl feverishly rolling... only to grab her dusty industrial tape measure and mutter to herself... ah, good times. I even used it for the flap creation... I know, I know, I have a problem. :)

Flapped, filled and folded, my babies got their proof on - and you know what? They actually rose! Hurray! This is usually the part in the story when I have to admit that my yeast defeated me... but not this time! Friendship has been forged! Awesome! Two and a half hours of resting and I popped the braid and little danish rolls into the oven.

Let me tell you, if I could bottle how wonderful my apartment smelled while the danishes baked... Not only would I be like this chick, but I could make a small fortune in sales. Sweet, slightly fruity, warm and cozy... that was my apartment yesterday morning. Before my first bite, I was completely in love with the danishes. While neither Dave nor I could place why, the flavor was familiar to us - the spices involved (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, orange and lemon zest) were heavily reminiscent of Fall, but didn't seem out of place. I don't make coffee at home anymore, but I can't wait to have a slice with my morning tea!!

These Daring Bakers are amazing people. I have learned so much month-to-month and made so many new friends... I can't imagine food blogging any other way! To see this wonderful group in action, check out the other Daring Bakers' wonderful creations!

Daring Bakers June: DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.

2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling.

Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Peach and Cream Cheese Filling
c/o:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BLUEBERRY-CHEESE-DANISH-PASTRIES-10540
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/breakpastry/cream-cheese-croissants-strata.html

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolk
2 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 or 3 ripe fresh peaches, peeled
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a bowl beat together the cream cheese, the sugar, the yolk, the vanilla, the salt, the zests, and the flour until the mixture is smooth and chill the filling, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Slice peaches into a large bowl and sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.

2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.

3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.

2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Poached Eggs with Arugula and Polenta Fingers

2008-06-24T20:36:00.002-04:00

Never been as angry at a dish as I was at this one. (I mean, as angry as you can get making dinner, I guess.) Either I don't know what I'm doing with polenta, or instructions to fry polenta are mean and evil. Polenta explodes... all those little bits of corn pop pop pop in the hot oil, causing much cussing and consternation. I had a dish towel covering the arm of my spatula hand, and a piece of aluminum foil in my other hand as a shield for the rest of me. Add the danger to the fact that the polenta rectangles don't stay in one piece, rendering themselves unpretty plate additions... bah. Hateful.

Other than that, I was pretty happy with dinner. The poached egg oozed dreamily over the lightly-dressed arugula and the polenta blobs provided nice texture and heft. Speaking of the polenta, this was the first time I'd made it with coconut milk and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. The coconut flavor was a nice twist - I wouldn't do it all the time, but it made for a nice change.

So. If you have an outfit made of silicone and gloves on, make this tasty salad for yourself!

Poached Eggs with Arugula and Polenta Fingers
c/o Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2008

From Oliver Maindroult of Urbane.

1 13.5 to 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup water
½ cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
4 large eggs
2 cups arugula
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Fleur de sel

Butter 13x9x2-ince baking pan. Bring coconut milk and ½ water to a boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta; reduce heat and simmer until polenta is very thick and tender, about 7 minutes. Mix in cheese. Pour polenta into half of pan; spread to form 9x6-inch rectangle. Press plastic wrap onto surface of polenta and chill until firm, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Turn polenta out onto cutting board. Cut into 3x1 –inch rectangles. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches, add polenta fingers; cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet; keep warm in oven.

Add enough water to large skillet to reach depth of 2 inches; bring to simmer. Mix in 1 teaspoon coarse salt and white wine vinegar. Crack each egg into separate custard cup. Slide eggs into water and cook until whites are set but centers are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss arugula with ½ tablespoon oil and balsamic vinegar in medium bowl; divide among 4 plates.

Top each salad with poached egg. Break yolks with tip of knife. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve with polenta.

Turkey and Pork Meatballs with Orecchiette Pasta and Spinach-Almond Pesto

2008-06-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

I know this pasta dish looks completely ridiculous. I was in something of hunger-induced hurry to get to the eating part of the evening, and I didn't take the time I should have to photograph what ended up being a wonderful meal.

Dave and I had my lovely new friend Jessi over for dinner a few weeks ago, and if you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that means we had to eat something both New and Interesting. I'd recently brought the Top Chef cookbook home, and Dave promptly picked this recipe. (You can see the second recipe chosen from this book here.)

I am lucky to work across the street from where I live, so I popped home at lunch to mix the meatballs and ball them and make the pesto. I like getting as much as possible done before we have company, makes for easier chatting and whatnot.

The meatballs came together perfectly well. I always find it funny when making balls of things. You try to make them uniform, and you think you are, until you're done and you can see the ball progression.... little by little, they all get bigger and bigger. This leads me to....

Holy Garlic Whoa. Did you see how much garlic is in the pesto? Whoa 12 garlics, whoa. It wasn't too much flavor-wise (at least, I didn't think so), so don't let it scare you. Honestly, you only use enough pesto to coat, and that small amount needs to do the job of flavoring the vegetables and pasta - so it should be strong. But man, 12 garlics is scary. I don't know why we planned to serve our guest so many garlics her first night over, but she's still nice to me, so I guess I'm safe.

I will tell you that the recipe lies. Yes, it was on Top Chef, and they have time limits and all that, but its still television - and television is often fibbing. The mass of vegetables need more than 5 minutes to cook. Maybe more like 20. And while the big carrots are charming, their bigness makes it really difficult to stir the vegetables around with the pasta and meatballs. Just my two cents - these two grievances are easily manageable and don't detract much from the overall experience.

And that overall experience? Very good. This was a nice, wholesome dish. The possible heaviness of the pasta and vegetables is easily brightened by the pesto. The pasta, in fact, provided a nice bite as compared to the vegetables. Lots of steps, sure, but uncomplicated ones, and well worth it.

I am excited to be able to share this pasta with Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. She is the creater of Presto Pasta Nights (check out its new home!!) and one of the nicest people in the blogosphere. She is hosting PPN this week, so make sure to look for her round-up tomorrow!

Turkey and Pork Meatballs with Orecchiette Pasta and Spinach-Almond Pesto
c/o Top Chef: The Cookbook
recipe by Casey and Dale, Season 3, Episode 6

Turkey and pork meatballs:
½ pound ground turkey
½ pound ground pork
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons white wine
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon red pepper chile flakes
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

Vegetables and pasta:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup baby carrots
One 14-ounce jar artichoke hearts, each cut in half
1 packed cup fresh spinach leaves
1 tablespoon white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound orecchiette pasta, cooked al dente

Spinach-Almond Pesto, recipe follows

For the meatballs:
In a large bowl, stir together all the meatball ingredients except the oil and form into meatballs about ¾ inch in diameter.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking and cook the meatballs, in batches, turning them as they cook, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add more oil to the skillet with new batches as necessary. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack to drain. Set aside.

For the vegetables and pasta:
In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, carrots, and artichokes and sauté until softened but al dente, about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, or until just wilted. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the orecchiette and meatballs to the vegetables and stir to combine. Add enough pesto to coat, then heat to warm through. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Spinach-Almond Pesto
10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole, plus 2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
4 ounces fresh spinach, plus more as needed
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the whole garlic and oil to a bare simmer over low heat and poach until softened and lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Combine the cooked garlic along with its cooking oil in a food processor. Add the minced raw garlic, the almonds, spinach, cheese, lemon juice, wine and salt and pepper to taste and puree. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the dish.

Danish Pork Burgers

2008-06-17T15:54:00.001-04:00

I haven't uploaded any photographs of dinner this last week (and there is one in particular I'd like to share, because it really ticked me off), but I was scrolling through my drafts for something to share. I cannot believe I haven't sung from the mountain-tops about these burgers yet. Let me do so now. Ahem.

Delicious but different. Knock-your-socks-off tasty. Warm and cozy. Easy to prepare. Easily one of my top five favorite burgers. Maybe even top three.

Elise over at Simply Recipes posted about these in February 2007. I don't know when I happened upon them, but I didn't make them until December... which, now that I think about it, is a damn shame. All those months this recipe was available to me and I overlooked it.

You may wonder to yourself, "Do I want a pork burger with saltines in it?" My answer is a resounding YES! The red onion and saltines impart a delicate... something... to the burger that is plain addicting. I can't explain it, but the combination is fantastic. I don't remember how many burgers I ended up with, but between Dave and I, we ate them all. Seriously. All of them in one night. It was crazy. (Which, in retrospect, makes me hope there weren't a lot of them!)

Now, I didn't serve these babies on a bun. It was the middle of winter and I was longing for egg noodles. Once the burgers were done, I poured a little chicken stock into the pan and scraped up the bits. To that I added the mustard, forming a little sauce to go over the burgers and noodles.

Now that it's burger season, I implore you to give these a try.

Danish Pork Burgers
c/o Elise at Simply Recipes
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004289danish_pork_burgers.php

1 pound ground pork
1 red onion, finely diced
16 saltine crackers, crumbled
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for cooking
Dijon mustard for serving

Combine the pork, onion, saltines, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix well together.

Lightly brush a large, nonstick skillet with vegetable oil. Heat on medium high heat. Divide the pork mixture into 8 equal portions. Working in batches, drop them from a spoon into the hot pan, spacing them evenly. Pat down with the back of a spoon to form into patties. Cook each patty, turning once, for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Serve the burgers hot with a dollop of Dijon mustard.

Serves 4.

Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries

2008-06-14T09:19:00.001-04:00

Caution: The breakfast above is hotter than it looks!!

I burnt the inside top of my mouth like nobodies business with my first bite. Admittedly, it was a bite while it was still in the pot, so it was my own silly fault. Take it from me, blow on it first. :)

Now, I didn't have maple sugar, so I used brown and a squirt of maple syrup. I also didn't have soy milk, so I used skim. (Between making it and having leftovers, though, I'd picked up some soy milk - and the leftovers were amazing with some poured on top.)

Earthy. Sweet. Wholesome = three words I use to describe this. "Tastes like camping" is what my husband said. I don't know what that means, but I hope it was a compliment. We are very much bacon and eggs for breakfast people, so this quinoa was a nice change. The dried cranberries plump up and the nuts are a nice contrast, both in flavor and texture. Maybe not the best choice for a summer breakfast, but believe you me, I'll be pulling this recipe out come Fall.

Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries
c/o Vegetarian Times Magazine

Serves 4.

1 ½ cups vanilla soymilk, plus more for serving
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
½ cup dried cranberries
2 Tbs. maple sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground allspice or cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted, for sprinkling

Bring soymilk, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in quinoa and cranberries, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and grains are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in maple sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Serve warm, topped with more soymilk and pecans.

Per 1-cup serving: 362 calories, 10 g protein, 15 g total fat, 50 g carbs, 0 mg cholesterol, 185 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 17 g sugars

Tilapia with Parmesan Crab Sauce

2008-06-13T17:01:00.003-04:00

This will be a funny story, I promise. (Mildly amusing at the least.)

I saw this recipe on 28 Cooks a while back and bookmarked it. We've had frozen tilapia in the freezer (I don't know what possessed me to buy the bag of a million fillets) and this looked like an unusual yet delicious way to use them up. Not to mention, it is specifically mentioned that this recipe will garner compliments, and everyone needs those, right?

Now, as I mentioned, I had the tilapia in hand. In fact, I had all the ingredients I needed, save for the 8 ounces crab. This posed something of a dilemma. 8 ounces is a cup, a half-pound - really, not much. I went to two stores (three if you count checking while at Costco - but you shouldn't, because their products are bulky to begin with) in my search for a humble 8 ounce package of crab. In both places, 16 ounces was the smallest amount available. I wasn't up for finding something to do with the remainder (obviously, I was out of my mind), so I took this is a personal challenge.

While at Wegmans, I asked the clerk at the seafood counter if she could repackage a smaller portion for me. She said no. I stood there and looked sad. Still no. And then I asked the million dollar question:

"Um, well.... what's in your crab cakes?"

You see, each of the prepared crab cakes was 8 ounces. The perfect amount. She stated that they pride themselves on having each cake be 98% crab, minimal filler. While I don't necessarily agree with their 98%-ness, it was still more crab than not, and I rationalized that the filler itself would help the sauce thicken up. Sure, it would be weird and a little trashy to use a crab cake in lieu of normal crab, but I was desperate. All was not lost.

I prepared the sauce otherwise as written and it came together easily. I pulled the crab cake apart and added it to the sauce. Rather than just take it off and serve, I kept it on the heat for a minute or two, just to let the crab cake bits incorporate fully. The sauce was glorious and creamy and well worth the measures I had to take to make it!

Served with some wild rice and green beans, this was indeed a love-inducing dinner. Thanks to Fiber for sharing it with us!

Tilapia with Parmesan Crab Sauce
c/o Fiber at 28 Cooks
http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/03/tilapia-with-parmesan-crab-sauce-i.html

Serves 4

4 tilapia filets
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
A scant 1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp soy milk
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 c dry white wine
3/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
8 oz fresh crab meat (I use claw)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in milk. Continue whisking and cook until smooth. Add in Worcestershire, white wine, and Parmesan cheese. Add crab, mix well, and remove from heat. Season tilapia filets with salt and pepper. Place in well oiled baking dish. Pour sauce over tilapia. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Peas Salad

2008-06-10T09:20:00.001-04:00

I wish I could say that I've been on some kind of world-tour (or maybe following Bon Jovi around on HIS tour!), and that's why I haven't been blogging. I wish. And not just because it would be cool, but because it is way more interesting than the real answer: I've been lazy. Still cooking, still photographing, even still uploading said photos and recipes into Blogger.... just too lazy to share. I know, right? Silly! I can't promise to be back on track, but I'll certainly try - and this salad is the perfect way to get started.

Why? Because it's wicked H-O-T outside. So hot, I feel like the word "hot" should be a dirty word. Seriously - it's only early June! This is ridiculous! If your heat index is anything like mine (105°), you will love this salad. Now, you will have to use the oven, but not for very long, and you don't need to stand over it, I promise.

Whisk together the dressing, set some aside, and toss the chicken in. Bake it for 20 minutes and you're done with the heat. Chop up the lettuce, cabbage (great color, btw), peas and herbs and toss with the dressing. Top with the chicken. Relax with your tasty, healthy, not hot dinner. Sigh with relief.

Great flavor, this salad has. Usually, I shun lite coconut milk... it isn't as thick or as coconut-y as its full-fat kin. That said, the lite really is perfect for this salad. I think the more flavored regular coconut milk would have been too overwhelming and too thick for a salad dressing.

While I followed the recipe as-was, you may want to increase your chicken to a full pound. Four ounces each didn't seem like very much, especially considering the amount of actual salad. I have every intention of making this again, and I will use more chicken. Your call, really. The salad is great on its own, it doesn't need the chicken, but it makes the salad a bit more substantial and dinner-ready.

Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Peas Salad
Eating Well Magazine, Online Version
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/coconut_chicken_pea_salad.html

Makes 2 servings

1 cup lite coconut milk (see Tips for Two)
¼ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces chicken tenders
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup sliced snow peas
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced red onion

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk coconut milk, lime juice, sugar and salt in an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. Transfer 1/4 cup of the dressing to a large bowl; set aside. Place chicken in the baking dish; bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add lettuce, cabbage, snow peas, cilantro and onion to the large bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Divide between 2 plates.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and thinly slice. Arrange the chicken slices on top of the salads. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the coconut cooking liquid over each of the salads.

The dressing (Step 2) will keep for up to 2 days.

Tips for Two: Refrigerate leftover coconut milk for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Use to make extra Coconut-Lime Dressing; drizzle on sliced fresh fruit; use as some of the liquid for cooking rice; make a Pineapple-Coconut Frappe.

Per serving: 186 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 4 g fiber; 191 mg sodium; 473 mg potassium.

TwD: French Chocolate Brownies

2008-06-03T12:15:00.004-04:00

These are the most amazing, gluttonous chocolate brownies in the History of Ever. And I mean that. You know you are in trouble when you lick the spoon, and then use the spoon to lick the bowl, and you end up needing a tall glass of milk. Trouble that starts with T, that rhymes with B, and you get holy-crap, the best brownies ever!

Di, of Di's Kitchen Notebook, chose for our TwD gustatory pleasure Dorie's French Chocolate Brownies. I don't know what makes them French, but I don't care. These are that good that I don't care about anything other than eating them. Short-sighted, maybe. But make these yourself and you'll understand. I would almost suggest you NOT make these, they are that dangerous. That, and I don't really want to share the world's chocolate resources with you - I want them all to myself so I can make these every day.

Well, not every day. My doctor would probably kick my ass. With 12 tablespoons of butter per pan, I would swiftly turn into a solid. My plan is ruined. I shall come up with another. World domination can come about another way: Dorie for President.

You heard me right. When we go to the polls this November and are given the opportunity to write-in our candidates, rather than vote for Mickey Mouse or Ronald McDonald, we should all vote Dorie into office. She would sooth the leaders of the world, not just with her famous World Peace cookies, but with these brownies. She could fight to lower food prices around the world and lead us all into a Chocolate Age of Happiness. Who's with me?

Before I move on to another topic, these brownies remind me a lot of Orangette's Winning Hearts and Minds cake - and you know how much I loved that cake. I skipped the inclusion of the rum and raisins. We neither care too much for each in our brownies.

I am sure you have all heard of Blake Makes. Blake is charming and hysterical and best of all, he loves giving away free stuff. Not long ago, he had some Amano Chocolate to give away. I wasn't one of the initial winners, but the fabulous folks at Amano decided to graciously send samples to everyone that expressed interest. A short week later, a package with three (three!!!) different chocolate varieties arrived in my hot little hands. Dave and I immediately popped them out of their classy packaging and sampled a tiny bit of each. I've left my notes regarding each at home, but I will update with our thoughts this evening. Overall, the chocolate was amazing. Superb mouth-feel and clean chocolate taste. We marveled at how different each one was from the other. It is so easy to think about how different coffee or wine tastes from different regions, and chocolate is no different. I can't wait to share our thoughts on each with you!

Now, each package was 2 ounces - together totaling 6 was the perfect amount for these brownies. I melted all three to use their chocolatey goodness to Dorie's recipe and the chocolate did not disappoint. The brownies are rich (seriously rich) and moist and fudgy. Make sure you have a gallon if milk on hand, because you will need it.

Remember what I said about this November. :)

French Chocolate Brownies
(adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, pages 92-93)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins (dark or golden)
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet. (I lined the pan with non-stick foil and skipped the butter.)

Whisk the flour, salt and cinnamon together.

Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum and let it warm for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum with a long match. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside. (I had trouble with flaming the raisins--not enough rum? Also, I like to do this quite a while before I make the rest of the recipe to give the raisins lots of time to soak up the rum.)

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring until it melts. It’s important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you’ve got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it’s better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. (I used the microwave.)

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. (I used the hand mixer.) Reduce the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter mixture, mixing only until it is incorporated—you’ll have a thick, creamy batter. (I just used a whisk, not the mixer.) Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won’t be completely incorporated. Then finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. (I used the spatula for all the mixing of the dry ingredients.) Fold in the raisins, along with any liquid remaining in the pan. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.

Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they’re even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good accompaniments are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or, dare I suggest, all three!

Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept a room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Olive Oil-Poached Shrimp

2008-06-02T22:49:00.001-04:00

I cannot tell you how excited I am to share this lovely dish with you as my 200th post! Yay 200th post! I don't always have the best follow-through with things, so it pleases me to not only have been blogging for over a year, but to have actually learned from and shared so much with you - fantastic!

And fantastic is the perfect way to describe these olive oil-poached shrimp. This was a new technique for me, and I'm not entirely sure I would have attempted it, but my fabulous husband (and sous-chef) requested it. I am so glad I did, because Dave and I had an awesome time pulling it together. He peeled and deveined the shrimp, infused the oil, took lots of pictures and did a ton of dishes - and kept me laughing the whole time. Collective cartoon bird-sigh, Everyone - "Awwwww!" Sappy, but true. This was a blast to make.

This recipe has a lot of steps, but don't be discouraged - nothing is tricky. It wasn't even especially time consuming, if you want to get right down to it. The oil infused while I prepared the lime syrup and roasted the poblano. The poblano steamed while I prepared the veg. The tomatoes marinated while we tidied up. Everything was ready to go by the time our friends Jeremy and Liane came over, so we were able to have quality friend time with no worries about our starter!

I did have reservations about the poaching. Would it work? Would the shrimp be oily? Would we like it? In short, it did, they weren't, and OMG, they were delicious!! Next time we make this (because we will be making this again), we'll do way more than 8 shrimp - two per person just wasn't enough! The shrimp were tender and flavored delicately with coriander and red pepper flake - and not the least bit oily!

As much as we loved the shrimp, they weren't the only stars of the show! Neither Dave nor Jeremy particularly care for tomatoes, but the marinade brightened them up to the point they didn't even taste like tomatoes - but in a good way. The cucumber salad was sweet and crunchy, crisp and smoky. The cucumber, lime zest and roasted poblano melded together in a most beautiful way. The brightness in both the tomatoes and cucumber salad was balanced deftly by the sliced avocado and mellow lime syrup. I couldn't possibly give you enough positive adjectives to explain how terrific every part of this plate was singularly, much less blended together. I can just say that it was a symphony of flavors, and each flavor came together beautifully as a whole.

Elegant and delicious, this appetizer was. A blast to create and a joy to share. Thank you for sticking with me for 200 posts. I hope I have 200 more, just as tasty as this one.

Olive Oil-Poached Shrimp
c/o Top Chef: The Cookbook
winning recipe by Lia, Season 3, Episode 4

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
One 750-ml bottle olive oil
1 lime
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
Salt
1/3 English cucumber
1 large poblano chile
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon
Juice of ½ navel orange
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 vine-ripened tomato
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Hass avocados

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, toast the coriander seeds and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the oil. Heat until just hot to the touch, then remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and transfer to a medium saucepan.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of the lime, then trim off any white pith. (Reserve the lime.) Cut the zest into very fine dice, put it in a small saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then immediately drain in a sieve. Return the zest to the pan, cover with cold water again, bring to a boil, then drain. In the saucepan, combine the sugar and ½ cup water. Add the zest and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool.

Pour the syrup through a sieve set over a clean saucepan; set the candied zest aside in a small bowl. Combine the cornstarch and 1 ½ teaspoons water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the syrup and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Let cool.

Cut the cucumber in half and scrape out the seeds. Cut the cucumber, peel included, into very fine dice and put in the bowl with the candied zest.

Roast the chile directly over a gas flame, turning with tongs until add sides are lightly charred. Place the chile in a heat-proof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 20 minutes. Remove the blackened skin, seeds, and stems. Cut the bright green parts into very fine dice, to make 2 tablespoons. Add to the cucumber mixture, along with the juice of half the reserved lime (reserve the remaining lime for another use), ½ teaspoon of the infused oil, the cilantro, and salt to taste. Set the salad aside.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, orange juice, vinegar, and salt to taste. Slice the tomato into 8 thin wedges and add to the marinade. Set aside.

Warm the remaining infused oil over low heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and add them to the oil – it should not be hot enough to sputter. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until firm. Transfer the shrimp to paper towels to drain.

Peel and thinly slice the avocados. Lightly brush some of the lime syrup onto each of 8 serving plates. Place a shrimp on one side of the brushstroke. Place avocado slices next to the shrimp. Put 1 wedge of marinated tomato between the shrimp and avocado. Using a slotted spoon to drain the excess liquid from the cucumber salad, place a small line of the salad next to the avocado. Serve immediately.

The Daring Bakers Go Out for Some Culture!

2008-05-28T11:50:00.008-04:00

[Quick shout-out: Happy Birthday, Mom!!]

Growing up, that is what my friends and I used to call going to museums or the theater: getting culture. We'd go, we'd appreciate the arts or learn some history and come away smarter (or so we thought.) This cake certainly made ME smarter, and while it doesn't look the way it should, it was quite the learning experience. This is why I love being a Daring Baker.

Our darling, daring creators Lis and Ivonne, accompanied by members Fran and Shea, chose for us the dramatic Opera Cake. For those of you that don't know, the Opera Cake is a classic chocolate-coffee cake, thought to be served at a French-American Opera reception in the 1930s. It is usually a coffee-syrup soaked almond cake layered with chocolate. The sides of the cake are left bare to better showcase the layered effect. That said, our hostesses asked that we keep our cakes light in color in flavor, preferably yellow or white, in honor of our friend Barbara and her unwavering support of LiveSTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. While the recipe called for almond meal to make the jaconde, we were allowed to deviate, so I chose pistachio. I cannot tell you how long it took me to shell all those nuts, but it was well worth it. And I had help, so I can't complain. ;)

Why pistachio? You see, my husband and I have a new favorite dessert, found at Michel Richard's Citronelle in Georgetown, DC. It is this lovely layered dessert, much like an Opera Cake, with a cookie layer, a cheesecake layer, a pistachio cake layer, with blueberries and raspberry tuile on top. I wanted to try to get as close to that cake as possible. This seemed like the perfect first step. We were also allowed to customize the syrup and buttercream flavors - so I went with a basic vanilla syrup and used cream cheese instead of butter in my buttercream.

Now, I don't know enough about making buttercream to know what I did wrong, but man, was it a runny mess. A seriously runny mess. I was crunched for time - my mom was due over in a few short hours, so I couldn't go out and get more ingredients for a re-do. What I did do, and I imagine it probably counts as rule-breaking (but know that I wasn't happy about it), is I mixed unflavored gelatin with some heavy cream and mixed it into the runny cheesecake buttercream. 90 minutes in the fridge and the buttercream thickened up slightly. Not as much as I'd hoped, but enough. No crisp edges here, but close enough, right?

This cake was exactly what I had hoped for flavor-wise. The pistachio jaconde was light and tender and flavored perfectly. The cream cheese buttercream was delicate and smooth and brought the pistachios and blueberries together in a fresh way, almost as though they were made to go together. My mom commented that it was too sweet, and I tend to agree with her - but it wasn't anything that a slightly smaller slice and a glass of cold milk wouldn't solve!

Thank you, ladies, for a wonderful learning experience! This is definitely a dessert I wouldn't have tried on my own, but I am so glad to have made!

Please check out what the other Daring Baker's have created - I marvel at their creativity!

The Daring Bakers’ Opéra Cake
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets and Tish Boyle’s and Timothy Moriarty’s Chocolate Passion.

For the joconde:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).

Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.
If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.
Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.
Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.

Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.
Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

For the soaking syrup:
½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.)

Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the buttercream (The recipe for the buttercream that is listed here is based on the original. When testing the buttercream, we tested a slightly modified version that had 2 cups sugar, ½ cup water and 1¾ cups butter. The eggs remained the same. We ended up with a very creamy buttercream. But we don’t want anyone to be afraid of our modified version so you have the option of using the original above or the quantities we’ve listed here in this note):
1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar (Used to say 2 cups but should be 1 cup)
¼ cup (60 grams) water (Used to say ½ cup but should say ¼ cup)
seeds of one vanilla bean (split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (Used to say 1¾ cups of butter but it should be 1¾ sticks).
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, a few tablespoons of melted white chocolate, citrus zest, etc.)

Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.

Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) (Note: The original recipe instructs to heat the syrup to 255◦F (124◦C). We heated it to 225◦F and it worked just fine. However, if you are concerned, then by all means heat your syrup to 255◦F.) on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.

While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!
Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).

While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.

With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.
At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.

Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

For the ganache/mousse:
7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.)
Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.

Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.

If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.

If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

For the glaze:
14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)

Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.

Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.

Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Enjoy!

TwD: Pecan Honey Sticky Buns

2008-05-27T16:58:00.003-04:00

I didn't participate in Tuesdays with Dorie this week - too much going on this holiday weekend, but please pop over to the site to check out what the other members made, Pecan Honey Sticky Buns, courtesy of Madam Chow's Kitchen.

Enjoy!

Taste & Create: Tasty, Tasty Biscuits

2008-05-24T21:31:00.006-04:00

In my house, we call these "crater biscuits." It comes from my husband's family. It is cutely appropriate, don't you think?

I know what you're thinking, all of Arundathi's delicious recipes I could have selected for Taste & Create (and there are PLENTY!!), and I picked biscuits? You see, I love them. I do. And I rarely, if ever, would make them from scratch. I would get those little Betty Crocker bags (or whoever makes them), add water, and go. I loved the idea of making them my very own self. And let me tell you, it gets no easier than this.

I happened to double the recipe, because when I had the dry ingredients in the bowl, it seemed small. Doubled, you'll get 4 biscuits - which is perfect for the two of us! I used Greek yogurt, because it was what I had on hand, and it lent the finished biscuits a tangy almost-buttermilky twist. I omitted the garlic powder and the cheese, because I wanted the option of slathering them with jam.

They baked beautifully - and topped with cheddar, breakfast sausage, and a little scrambled egg - terrific breakfast! It was just what we needed to get our errand-filled day going!!

Thank you, Arundathi, for showing me how to make delicious crater biscuits at home - and a big thank you to Nicole for a great pairing!!

Crater Biscuits
adapted from My Food Blog

12 Tbsps all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp skim milk
3 tsp Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix dry ingredients. Quickly mix in milk and yogurt.

Drop into mounds and bake for 10-13 minutes.

Makes 4 biscuits.

TwD: Ugly but Delicious

2008-05-20T10:57:00.006-04:00

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to see madeleines chosen for this installment of Tuesdays with Dorie. I had a lovely experience making them before, and knew that Dorie's would be just as excellent!

Who cares if they weren't pretty - because they made up for it in the taste department. They were perfectly lemony and sweet without being too much of either. I really like Dorie's direction to blend the sugar and the lemon zest before you start - the fragrance is heavenly. If it weren't weird to do so, I could just eat it with a spoon. I restrained myself and moved forward.

I would like to think it was some kind of rookie mistake... and certainly, I won't let it happen again, but I totally over-filled my pan. The batter was thick (and delicious) and I just spooned these heaping spoonfuls into the molds. That said, I could have ended up with more than just 12. If you don't count all the batter I ate - tested! - this could have netted at least 16 cookies... maybe 18. They didn't suffer for it, but they weren't as adorable and cute as I'd hoped.

All 12 cookies were gone in 12 hours. We had a bunch the night I made them and the rest for breakfast the day after. (Bacon and eggs are over-rated.) I fully intended to make these again over the weekend, and make them properly. Sadly, it just didn't happen. These lovely babies WILL be made again, however. They are too tasty to resist.

My thanks to Tara for a lovely choice! Please go check out the other bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie - their madeleines are MUCH prettier!

Traditional Madelines
c/o Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
http://www.amazon.de/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1209562505&sr=1-1

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don’t worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven’s heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched.

Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies

Serving: Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature, with tea or espresso.

Storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they really are better on day 1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they’ll keep for up to 2 months.

White Cheese Pizza with Spring Onions

2008-05-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

My two confessions for today: I miss the sun and I cannot stop thinking about this pizza. I couldn't decide which was more pressing, so I gave you both. The weather man says we should get a little sun tomorrow morning before we return to cloudy wetness, so I'll try to make the most of it. Reattaining this pizza is easier - and something I have far more control over.

I spent some time last weekend ripping recipes out of magazines and this one stayed top of the pile. I love home made pizza - and I've been itching to use my new pizza stone. It may also have had something to do with my love of white pizza... but who's counting.

I've never had a ramp. The original recipe calls for them. Considering their brief window of availability, the substitution of spring onions is offered. I happened across some of the most beautiful spring onions at the market Sunday morning. They were enormous and had beautiful purple outer skins. I really wish I had taken a picture of them before I prepared them for the pizza. (Considering my plan is to make this again this weekend, I will snap a photo then!)

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was with the dough. I have a really shoddy track record with yeast anything, but despite my misgivings (and my husband's groans), I tried it anyway. It came together with minimal fuss, rose as directed, and tasted divine. Perfect marriage of crisp and chewy, it held up really well to the weight of the onions and all the cheese I piled on top.

My only complaint? I wish there were more of it. The recipe specifically says that it is a 12-inch pizza, and it was, but it was also decently thin. I hadn't planned anything to go with it (a salad would have been nice) but even with an approved pizza side, I would have preferred more pizza. This next go-round, I believe I will be making two.

White Cheese Pizza with Ramps
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, April 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/white-cheese-pizza-with-ramps

The name Chicago comes from the Algonquin word chicagoua, which some historians say means “ramp”—a wild onion with a delicious garlicky flavor. That’s one reason Chicago chefs like Tony Mantuano feel a sentimental attachment to the pungent spring plant. (Scallions are also great substitutes.) To drink with his ramp-topped pizza, Mantuano suggests a Dolcetto d’Alba from Italy’s Piedmont region. It’s light-bodied enough not to overwhelm the pizza’s flavors, yet it has a peppery zip that can match the ramps’ intensity. Marcarini’s floral 2005 Fontanazza is a great choice, as is the plummy 2005 Cogno Vigna del Mandorlo.

Dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

Topping
10 ramps or medium scallions
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 cup coarsely grated fresh mozzarella cheese (4 ounces); see Note
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese

MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, whisk the flour together with the yeast, salt and sugar. Pour in the water and stir well with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Transfer the pizza dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let stand in a warm place until the pizza dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Set a pizza stone on the bottom or on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat to 500° for at least 30 minutes.

MAKE THE TOPPING: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the ramps until they are bright green but still al dente, about 1 minute. Drain, pat dry and cut into 1-inch lengths.

Punch down the pizza dough and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle on the grated mozzarella in an even layer. Scatter the blanched ramps over the mozzarella and season lightly with salt and pepper. Top the pizza with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Slide the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the pizza crust is browned and crisp on the bottom. Transfer the pizza to a work surface, cut into wedges and serve right away.

Make ahead: The pizza dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Notes: For the cheese, Mantuano recommends the Crescenza by Paula Lambert’s Mozzarella Company in Dallas (mozzco.com). You can also use water-packed fresh mozzarella or fiore di latte; drain the cheese well before grating it.

TwD: It's Like Geology!

2008-05-13T14:26:00.003-04:00

I am a brand new member of Tuesdays with Dorie. I'd been watching them for ages (because who doesn't like Dorie!) and I really wanted to get in on the fun!

What is Tuesdays at Dorie, you ask? Well, Laurie of Quirky Cupcake wanted a way to push herself to bake more, and to bake more specifically from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. She realized that there was no better way than to get a group together... because much like working out at the gym, sometimes you just need a push. Each week, a member selects the next recipe and the party starts anew. This week, Dianne chose the Florida Pie.

While I adore both key lime pie and coconut cream pie, I'd never had the two on a spoon at once. I don't know why, but I was a little nervous about the combination. Seriously, what was I thinking?? The tart lime layer combined beautifully with the coconut cream layer! I don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to single-flavor pie again! My favorite part is how it looks sliced in half. You have the older Coconut Cream Period, followed by the creamy Lime Age. We currently live in the Era of Meringue - and if you look closely, you can see teensy little coconut trilobites! Heh.

We are encouraged to make the recipes our own - so I opted to make mini-pies in large cupcake tins. I had a bit of a panic attack trying to get them out again, but suffered no broken pies. Only issue we did have with them miniaturized was that the bottom crust was thick and difficult to cut through. It didn't stop us, but it is worth noting. :)

This recipe isn't difficult in the slightest, but it isn't quick. The pies have to set in the freezer in various stages, so plan this dessert out in advance.

Florida Pie
c/o Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363

1 9-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, separated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:
Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.

Bad Photo Sunday: Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings

2008-05-11T22:07:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

My friend Deborah, at Taste and Tell, has started breaking her weekend blogging silence with something she likes to call Bad Photo Sunday. She explains it perfectly - we strive to share beautiful dishes with the world, so our less-stunning recipes lie fallow. I couldn't agree more that this is a perfect way to ration them out! Sure, we food bloggers have our Daring Bakers, we have our Tuesdays with Dorie, our Weekend Herb Blogging, Presto Pasta Night and our Waiter, there is something in my's, but Bad Photo Sunday? It is a genius way to accept that not everything is perfect, and that we're happy to admit it!

"Goulash" doesn't even sound pretty, does it?

Having learned how delicious chicken thighs were, I was instantly attracted to this recipe. Not to mention the dumplings. I had never dumplinged in this fashion before. My grandpa used to make a fantastic Chicken and Dumplings, and while this is nothing like it, I had their memory as inspiration.

As you can see, my dumplings are a little dark. They aren't burned, exactly, but they are toasty. Even in their state, they were moist and tender and so nice with the saucy goulash. We really enjoyed the heat the Hungarian paprika gave the dish. It had a heat without being hot - and considering we had this in February, it was well received!

Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, March 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-goulash-with-biscuit-dumplings

The chicken stock and sour cream both serve a dual purpose here: They moisten the biscuits and enrich the thick, luscious sauce.

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup sour cream
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 425°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour. In a large, deep skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Pulse in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 1/2 cup of the stock with 1/2 cup of the sour cream and drizzle over the dry ingredients; pulse until a dough forms.

Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet. Stir in the paprika and caraway and cook for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and 1/2 cup of sour cream and stir until smooth. Add the thyme leaves and bring to a boil.

Scoop twelve 3-tablespoon-size mounds of biscuit dough over the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the biscuits are cooked. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, until the biscuits are golden. Serve the goulash in bowls, spooning the biscuits on top.