the way the cookie crumbles

Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Herb Creme Fraiche

2011-04-03T21:33:00.002-04:00

After a wondrous trip to the Petersham Nurseries Cafe just outside of London last summer, I stuffed a couple of cookbooks in my suitcase and headed home with hopes of recreating Skye Gyngell's delicious dishes. I honestly didn't think it would be feasible, because of the incredible gardens she has at her disposal.

But after making about five recipes from the books, I've been able to replicate the flavors to a near tee. From chili crab cakes with a sweet corn puree to chocolate mousse with salted caramel sauce, it seems Skye has left none of her secrets out of the book (unlike almost every other restaurant cookbook I know).

So here lies my slightly altered version of the latest recipe I've tried. Silky eggplant is layered in a homemade tomato sauce and doused in an herb-infused creme fraiche sauce that infiltrates every layer in the casserole dish. It's heavenly.

Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Herb Creme Fraiche
Adapted from A Year in My Kitchen by Skye Gyngell
Serves 6

3 medium eggplants, sliced into 1 cm rounds
Olive oil
5 vine tomatoes, roughly diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 Tb butter
16 oz. creme fraiche
2 Tb fresh chives, finely chopped
2 Tb fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 Tb fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 Tb fresh parsley, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
Parmesan cheese, to top

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. While it's heating, place eggplant rounds in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to degorge the juices from the eggplant. Pat dry.

2. Lay out eggplant rounds on a baking sheet, and lightly coat with olive oil. Bake about 20 minutes, until soft and golden brown (flipping halfway through). To save time, bake on two baking sheets at the same time. Continue until all eggplant are cooked. Set out to drain on paper towels.

3. Cook tomatoes and garlic with butter in medium heat for 15 minutes, or until soft. Set aside.

4. Bring creme fraiche to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Remove from heat, and stir in herbs.

5. In a shallow baking pan, layer eggplant rounds, then tomatoes. Continue until all vegetables are used, finishing with tomatoes on top. Then pour entire creme fraiche mixture over the casserole. Top with a grating of Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Top with remaining fresh parsley to serve.

Shrimp and Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

2011-03-26T18:21:00.003-04:00

I've been dying to eat Southern food lately, thanks to copies of The Blackberry Farm Cookbook and Tupelo Honey Cafe that have recently crossed my desk. But thanks to a case of the winter-long blues, I've been more likely to eat a container of yogurt for dinner than actually pick up a knife and cook real food.

Forcing myself to snap out of it today, I made a new life "to-do" list. Because most of the tasks will take actual work and dedication to achieve, I made sure to include at least one thing I knew I could do: "Make something Southern and eat it."

So, crossing off the easiest item on my list, I present to you: Shrimp and Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. Impossibly easy and flavorful (and derived from Tupelo Honey Cafe), it has introduced to me the concept of Creole Spice (sugar, salt, smoky paprika and black pepper mixed together). I have a feeling I'm going to be sprinkling it on EVERYTHING from now on.

Goat Cheese Grits
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking grits
1 Tb butter
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 Tb cream
3.5 oz. goat cheese

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add grits and 1 Tb butter, and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Add hot sauce and cream, and cook about 5 minutes until creamy. Take off the heat and stir in goat cheese.

Shrimp with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 Tb olive oil
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 Tb minced garlic
1/2 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 Tb cold butter

In a medium to large saute pan, heat olive oil. Add garlic and shrimp, and cook until the shrimp begins to turn pink. Add peppers and spices, and cook a couple minutes more. Add white wine and cook entire mixture until shrimp is completely pink. Remove from heat, swirl in butter, and then serve on top of Goat Cheese Grits.

*Note: Served alongside creamed Swiss chard in photo.

Roasted Ratatouille

2009-07-28T00:15:00.004-04:00

I've been gone for a long, long time. But that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. In fact, I've been cooking more, which is one of the reasons I've had less time to tell you about it.

Getting straight to the point, I'm going to post the recipe that sparked my return to this blog. It's simple and unfussy, just the kind of supper I'm always in the mood for. It's a creamy, velvety ratatouille made with oven-roasted vegetables, their insides silken and tender. And on top, a perfectly poached egg whose runny yolk serves as a blanket of sauce.

Roasted Ratatouille

Serves 4

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2" rounds

2 zucchini, sliced into 1/2" rounds

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

2 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered

1 can diced tomatoes, preferably San Marzano brand

Olive oil

2 Tb fresh thyme

1 tb dried oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste (this takes a lot of salt)

1. Place rounds of eggplant on a large baking sheet. Toss with olive oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400-degree oven for appoximately 30 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Repeat with zucchini rounds and red bell pepper quarters. After eggplant, zucchini, and red pepper have been removed from oven and cooled, dice the cooled pieces.

3. In a skillet, heat 1 Tb olive oil and saute diced onions until soft. Add eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and canned tomatoes to pan. Stir. Add thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, and heat through on very low heat until flavors permeate entire dish. Ratatouille is done when all vegetables are soft and fully flavored.

4. Serve in a dish with a poached egg on top. (To poach egg: Bring a pot of water to a near-simmer. Add a couple drops of vinegar to water. Swirl water in a circle with a large spoon, and gently place cracked egg in swirling water. Cook at a near-simmer for 2-3 minutes, and then quickly dunk in an ice bath to stop the yolk from cooking. Place on a paper towel to pat dry, and serve immediately.)

Egg Creams

2008-06-10T11:58:00.003-04:00

Vanilla Egg Cream

3 Tb vanilla syrup (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract boiled and cooled)
1/2 cup milk (whole is best for this)
1/2 cup cold seltzer

1. Make and cool vanilla syrup.

2. In tall glass, pour vanilla syrup, milk and seltzer, in that order. Stir with a straw until foamy and drink immediately.

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle

2008-06-06T18:10:00.002-04:00

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 pounds short ribs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate (optional)

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic into a fine mince.

Once the short ribs are browned, remove from the pan and drain out excess fat/oil. Add vegetables to pan and soften, but do not brown. Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well. Add thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Lemon Madeleines

2008-06-06T12:09:00.003-04:00

From Martha Stewart's Cookies
Makes 2 dozen large madeleines, or 4 dozen small madeleines

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tb finely grated lemon zest
2 Tb fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

2. Put eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes. Mix in butter. Using a spatula, fold flour mixture into egg mixture. Let batter rest 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter two madeleine pans (not necessary if they are non-stick).

4. Pour batter into prepared pans, filling the molds three-quarters full. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are crisp and golden, 7-8 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly in pans on wire racks. Invert, and unmold. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 day.

Beer-Battered Fish

2008-06-06T11:55:00.003-04:00

Using a leftover trout fillet from my last recipe, I fried up some fluffy beer-battered fish the other night. It's a simple and quick way to use up leftover fish.

Beer batter
1 cup beer
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne (to taste)

Season fish with salt and pepper.

Mix together dry ingredients. Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or 2" in a skillet. When oil is ready, mix the beer with dry ingredients until smooth and lump-free. Dip fish in batter and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from oil, immediately season with salt, and keep warm in oven if necessary.

I served mine with a homemade dill-lemon mayonnaise.

Crusted Trout in Lime-Curry Mussel Broth

2008-06-03T21:20:00.002-04:00

Crusted Trout in Lime-Curry Mussel Broth

Serves 8

For the mussels
2 lb mussels
2 shallots, ciseler
250 mL (1 cup) white wine
1 sprig thyme
1 Tb butter

For curried broth
2 Tb olive oil
100 g carrot, brunoise
1 shallot, ciseler
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30 g ginger, brunoise
1 Tb curry powder (plus more to taste)
2 tomatoes, monder and brunoise
60 mL (2 oz) fresh lime juice
1 Tb (plus more to taste) crème fraiche
Reserved mussel broth
500 mL (2 cups) chicken broth
Salt and pepper

For the trout
8 trout fillets, halved, skin on
3 Tb fresh, finely grated horseradish
1 cup toasted panko crumbs
2 Tb melted butter
Dill fronds
Red pepper, macedoine
Salt and pepper
2 heads baby bok choy

For the mussels
1. Sweat shallots in butter, then add mussels, thyme and white wine.

2. Cover, and shake often until the mussels open. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes.

3. Strain the mussels and reserve the liquid.

4. Shell the mussels and place in a small amount of the mussel liquid, cover with plastic and reserve for service.

For curried broth
1. Heat oil in a sautoir and sweat carrots, shallots, garlic, and ginger until soft and the flavor has developed.

2. Add curry powder and cook briefly.

3. Add tomatoes and cook 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock and reserved mussel broth to the tomato mixture, then cook to combine flavors and reduce by half.

5. Strain out the brunoise and set aside for garnish.

6. Add lime juice to the curry broth and whisk in crème fraiche. Taste for seasoning and froth with an immersion blender for service.

For bok choy
1. Separate baby bok choy into individual leaves. Blanch quickly in salted water. Shock in cold water. Drain.

2. Make knotted bundles made with three leaves. Set aside.

To prepare fish for service
1. Season trout fillets with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a nonstick pan with oil to coat until very hot. Add the trout, skin side down, and crisp the skin for 3-4 minutes.

3. When fish is nearly cooked through, top with mixture of panko and horseradish. Spoon over a little melted butter and place pan in 400F oven until cooked through, 2-3 minutes.

To serve
Place baby bok choy bundle in middle of shallow bowl. Place 5 small spoonfuls of brunoise mixture around plate. Use reserved mussels (out of shells) to sprinkle around bottom of plate. Place a freshly steamed mussel (in shell) in each spoonful, standing up. Crisscross two trout slices in center of plate. Top with dill frond and red pepper dices. Spoon frothed broth around perimeter of bowl.

Avocado and Radish Salad with Onion Tempura

2008-06-03T21:14:00.003-04:00

Avocado and Radish Salad with Onion Tempura

Serves 4
Adapted from Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges

Onion Tempura

1 medium onion, cut into ½” slices crosswise
Coconut milk, 1 can
¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 cups cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
Corn, canola or vegetable oil for frying

Lime-Chile Salt
7 kaffir lime leaves, center ribs removed
1 fresh red Thai chile, seeded and minced
¼ tsp salt

Mustard Sauce
1 ½ tsp Chinese mustard
1 ½ tsp sugar
2 Tb minced fresh ginger
1 ½ Tb peanut oil
1 fresh red Thai chile, seeded and crushed
1 Tb fresh lime juice
1 Tb rice vinegar
½ tsp salt

Citrus Vinaigrette
1 ½ Tb nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
3 Tb fresh grapefruit juice
1 ½ tsp mustard oil
¼ tsp sesame oil
1 ½ Tb fresh lime juice
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 Tb cornstarch

2 avocados, preferably Hass, seeded, peeled, and cut into ½” slices
Salt
½ cup paper-thin slices round red radishes
½ cup paper thin slices breakfast radishes
1 ½ cups watercress

Tempura: Separate the rings of the onion slices from one another and lay them in an even layer in a shallow baking dish. Pour over the coconut milk and salt. Let the onions soak in this mixture for at least 1 hour. Mix the cornstarch and baking powder together in a shallow dish. Drain the onions and dredge them in the dry ingredients.

Heat oil (at least 2 inches deep) to 350 F. Carefully add the onions and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Do not overcrowd; work in batches, if necessary. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt while still hot.

Lime-Chile Salt: Microwave the lime leaves and chile in 10-second intervals until they are dry, about 1 ½ minutes total. The time will vary depending on the strength of your microwave, but you will be able to see when the leaves and chiles have dried out. Cool completely and then grind in a spice grinder to a very fine powder and season with salt. Set aside until ready to use.

Sauce: Put mustard in a blender with sugar, ginger, peanut oil, chile, lime juice, vinegar, and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.

Vinaigrette: Put the nam pla, grapefruit juice, mustard oil, sesame oil, lime juice, and rice vinegar into a medium mixing bowl and whisk well. Let stand for 15 minutes, then transfer 2 Tb of the dressing into a small mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch to the small bowl and whisk til completely dissolved, then pour the cornstarch mixture back into the dressing. Whisk until well incorporated, then set aside until ready to use.

For each serving, put a little pool of mustard sauce in the center of a round serving plate and top with avocado slices. Season the avocado lightly with salt, then top with the radish slices and watercress. Put 3 onion rings on top of the avocado so that the radishes are in the center of the rings. Sprinkle everything lightly with the reserved lime-chile salt and pour the citrus vinaigrette over the whole salad. Serve immediately.

Blueberry-Buttermilk-Blood Orange sorbet stack

2008-06-03T21:06:00.004-04:00

Blueberry-Buttermilk-Blood Orange sorbet stack

In a parchment-lined ring mold or disposable plastic cup, layer three flavors of sorbet and freeze. Unmold right before serving.

Buttermilk Sorbet
Makes 1 ½ quarts
The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook – The Original Classics

1 ¾ cups sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Combine sugar and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely, about 10 minutes. Increase heat, and bring just to a boil. Let cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar syrup with the buttermilk and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container, and place in freezer for at least 1 hour before serving. Store in a plastic container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Blueberry Sorbet
Makes 1 quart

1 ¼ cups simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled and cooled)
1 lb blueberries (fresh or frozen), pureed and strained

1. Mix blueberry puree and simple syrup together, preferably in a food processor.

2. Transfer the mixture to an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container, and place in freezer for at least 1 hour before serving. Store in a plastic container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Blood Orange Sorbet
Makes 1 quart

1 ¼ cups simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled and cooled)
1 cup blood orange juice

1. Mix orange juice and simple syrup together.

The FCI Files: Braised Lamb Shank

2008-01-13T20:48:00.000-05:00

I've been MIA for a long time, I know, but I've been swamped. Guilt has consumed me, so here I am. My friends keep asking me what my favorite recipe from culinary school is, so I'll share it with you here.

If you've been reading my blog at all, you've probably figured out by now that I'm not a big fan of meat. Sugar, yes. Meat, no. But now that I'm learning how to cook meat to [near] perfection, I'm surprising myself a little -- last week I found myself buying and breaking down a whole chicken in my kitchen, with bare hands ... no rubber gloves! This is something I never thought I'd be able to stomach. Anyway ...

The answer to my friends' question is braised lamb shank. I've only had bad experiences with lamb in the past (which my chef explained is caused by the United States' loose specifications on the age of the meat. In the US, meat that often passes by as lamb would be too old to be considered lamb in Europe, where it would instead be sold as mutton, which has a much stronger -- and unpleasant -- taste).

But in this case, the shanks are braised until they're nearly falling off their dinosaur-sized bones. They're coated in a flavor-drenched sauce and served over couscous scented with orange and cranberry. Try this. It's incredible.

Jarret d'Agneau Braise (Braised Lamb Shanks)
Serves 4

2 large (1 1/2 pound) lamb shanks
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tb plus 2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5 1/4 oz. carrots, chopped in large chunks
5 1/4 oz. onions, chopped in large chunks
3 1/4 oz. celery, strings removed, cut into 1" pieces
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 1/4 cups red wine
2 cups plus 2 Tb brown veal stock (replace with beef stock if you can't find this)
5 1/4 oz. very ripe tomatoes (peeled, deseeded and cut into large chunks)

Prepare all ingredients as listed and preheat oven to 300-325F.

Trim the lamb shanks of excess fat, leaving a thin layer covering the shank. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the lamb shanks and sear, turning frequently, until all sides are nicely browned. Using tongs, remove the shanks from the pan and set aside. Leave the pan on the heat.

Add the garlic, carrots, onions and celery and saute for about 4 minutes or until the vegetables begin to color. Remove from the heat and carefully drain off the fat.

Return the pan to medium heat and stir in the thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary.

Add the wine and stir to deglaze the sucs. Stir in the stock and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and return the reserved shanks to the pan.

Cover, place in the oven, and braise for approximately 2 1/2 hours or until the shanks are very tender but not falling off the bone.

Remove the pan from the oven and uncover. Allow the shanks to rest in the hot liquid for 10 minutes. Using a ladle, carefully skim off and discard the fat that is floating on top of the sauce.

Transfer the shanks to a warm plate. Tent lightly with foil to keep warm.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, continuing to skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until slightly reduced. Taste, and if necessary, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Cut the meat from the shank and place it into the sauce. Serve hot, with couscous.

Orange/Cranberry Scented Couscous
Serves 4

6 1/2 oz. couscous
1 cup white chicken stock
1 Tb plus 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste
Orange zest, to taste
Dried cranberries, to taste

Place couscous and orange zest in a stainless steel bowl.

Place stock in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Immediately pour the hot stock over the couscous and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rest 20 minutes, then add the melted butter and season with salt and pepper to taste, fluffing occasionally, layer by layer, with a fork. Stir in dried cranberries and serve warm.

Sneak preview

2007-12-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

When I get a little free time in the near future, I'll be posting the following recipes from my Thanksgiving feast.

Raisin pie (a different version than the one I posted earlier this year)

Towering apple pie

Pumpkin pie with pecan praline topping

Poached pears with spiced cranberries

The FCI Files: A lesson for Rachael Ray

2007-12-06T20:42:00.000-05:00

I've been overwhelmed with classes, work and volunteering, so I'm a little behind in my blogging.

Here's what you've missed since Lesson 3 from the French Culinary Institute: Sauces, soups, preserving food (and I'm not talking about jam, I'm talking about duck confit and gravlax), emulsified sauces and salads. I've learned so much that it's impossible to digest it all, but I'll post my favorite recipe of all below -- bearnaise sauce.

We also learned a valuable lesson about olive oil. I'd heard this before, and I heard it again today from our chef -- NEVER, ever cook with extra virgin olive oil. I know Rachael Ray uses "E.V.O.O." to cook/fry/sautee/roast everything under the sun, but don't do it! Extra virgin olive oil is called "extra virgin" because it's the result of the first cold press of high-quality olives. It must, by law, have an acidity level of less than 1 percent to be labeled "extra virgin." When it's cooked, it loses its delicate flavor. You might as well use corn oil.

Anyway, here's the classical French recipe for bearnaise. Enjoy! (And please excuse the metric measurements ... in class we must do as the French do. I still have no idea how big a centimeter is, though.)

Sauce Bearnaise
For reduction
80 ml white wine vinegar
40 g shallots, finely minced
5 grams finely crushed black peppercorns
3 grams dried tarragon
150 ml water

For sauce
2 egg yolks
20 ml water
200 ml clarified butter
3 grams tarragon (fresh), finely chopped
3 grams chervil, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Combine the reduction ingredients in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and simmer until reduced by eight-tenths.

2. Place the yolks, water, and half the reduction in a bowl. Whisk them together.

3. Place the bowl over a pot of water at a low simmer, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the simmering water.

4. Using a whisk, whip the egg yolk mixture until it thickens and becomes stiff and airy, and until the whisk leaves streaks on the bottom of the bowl. This mixture, light yet thick, is called a sabayon. Be careful not to overheat it, or the eggs may scramble.

5. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the warm (not hot) clarified butter in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Go slowly at first to start the emulsion; the sauce may break if the butter is added too quickly.

6. If the sauce gets too thick, carefully thin it with warm water to achieve the proper consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

7. Once the butter is added, add the chopped fresh herbs and season to taste.

8. Keep warm for service, but do not allow it to get too hot, or it will break.

The FCI Files: Lesson 3

2007-11-29T22:47:00.000-05:00

Today was "organ day" in another group's class, meaning my class was "treated to" samples of calf kidney, liver, sweetbreads, brain and tongue. This could have been devastating if not for the pistachio souffle pancake with cranberry swirl ice cream and cranberry compote that was later brought to us by the pastry class. The piece of Parmeggiano-Reggiano that came from a $1200 wheel (and brought to us by Mario Batali's executive chef of Del Posto) didn't hurt, either.

My class, however, is building on the fundamentals. We learned how to make the five basic stocks -- fond de veau brun (brown veal stock), fond de volaille blanc (white chicken stock), fumet de poisson (fish stock), marmite (white beef stock with blackened onions) and bouillon de legumes (vegetable stock).

The two simplest and most useful are outlined below -- chicken stock and vegetable stock. Tomorrow we'll be using them in sauces -- hopefully not sauces to spoon over lamb tongue.

Fond de volaille blanc

(White chicken stock)

Makes 5 liters (use these proportions but change amounts as necessary)

3 kg poultry bones
6 liters cold water
250 g onions, cut in mirepoix (pieces the same size as the bones)
250 g carrots, cut in mirepoix
100 g celery, cut in mirepoix
100 g leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped (optional)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Bouquet garni (peppercorns, dry thyme, bay leaves, fresh parsley and one whole clove)

1. Trim bones of fat and skin. Rinse under cold running water, making sure to scrape out blood and viscera.

2. Place bones in a stockpot -- cover with cold water and bring to a boil, skimming.

3. Simmer and skim. Add aromatics, and simmer for two hours, skimming often.

4. Strain and cool in an ice bath to store in refrigerator, unless you're using it right away.

Bouillon de Legumes

(Vegetable stock)

Makes 1 liter

50 g onions
100 g carrots
100 g celery
100 g mushrooms
2 leeks, greens only
100 g plum tomatoes
50 g butter or oil
2 garlic cloves
2 liters cold water
A sprig of fresh thyme and parsley

1. Emincer the vegetables (slice them thinly). Concasser the tomatoes (coarsely chop them).

2. Place veggies in a saucepan and sweat in the butter, without adding color.

3. Add 2 L (8 cups) cold water (important to add cold water in stocks to preserve clarity). Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Add thyme and parsley. Simmer 10 more minutes.

5. Remove from heat. Let steep for 10 minutes, and strain well.

The FCI Files: Lesson 2

2007-11-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

Today was designated primarily to instruct us on food safety -- we'll eventually earn our ServSafe certificates after we're tested. I learned all about botulism and how often human waste makes it into our food, as well as a tidbit about Star Jones throwing up all over my chef instructor when he was her personal chef. There wasn't much good cheer to spread, blog-wise, but I did learn one handy tip that I wish I'd known on Thanksgiving.

A turkey is completely done cooking and safe to serve at 165 degrees F (which means you should actually take the turkey out of the oven before it reaches 165, because it continues to cook after you remove it). However, those little poppers that are inserted in the turkeys aren't designed to pop out until the turkey is 180 degrees, which means you'll have one heck of a dry turkey. So stop waiting for that popper to pop and buy yourself a meat thermometer!

The FCI Files: Lesson 1

2007-11-27T20:02:00.001-05:00

After a long hiatus from blogging, I'm back in the loop, and with good reason -- I actually have knowledge (however little there may be) that I can share with you. Today I started the Classic Culinary Arts program at the French Culinary Institute in New York, and six months from now, I'll have my full Diplome de Cuisine. After spending just one day at school, I've reaffirmed the fact that I never want to work as a chef in a professional kitchen, but I'm hoping to glean some skills and use them in a way better suited to my liking.

We didn't do much today, but we learned a few knife skills. I learned two things: I am horrible at making uniform cuts, and I've never used a proper knife until today. The dollar store knives haven't been cutting it all these years (no pun intended), and I never knew what I was missing.

Don't worry, I'm not going to post a boring video demonstration of my newfound knife skills, but I can share two methods of cooking vegetables that we learned today. Both are simple and tasty.

A l'anglaise
(Used primarily to prepare vegetables in advance of service)
-- Uniformly chop vegetables (carrots, turnips, etc.), preferably into matchsticks
-- Fill a small pot 1/2- 3/4 full with water, and salt heavily (should taste like sea water)
-- Bring water to a rolling boil, add veggies, and cook until a paring knife slices through the vegetable without resistance
-- Put veggies into an ice bath to shock, and remove immediately -- drain
-- When ready to serve, reheat with butter and seasonings

A l'etuvee
("A la minute" -- Prepared at the time of service)
-- Uniformly chop vegetables (carrots, turnips, etc.), preferably into matchsticks
-- Place veggies in saucepan in a single layer on the bottom
-- Add cold water, reaching only halfway up sides of veggies
-- Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and 1/2 tsp butter
-- Cover with a circle of parchment paper fitted to the saucepan, and cut a small hole in the center
-- Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender.
-- Take care not to let the water boil down -- vegetables should NOT caramelize. Veggies should be done when the liquid runs out, but if they cook before the liquid is gone, remove the veggies, glaze the sauce, return veggies to pan, and toss. Serve.

My go-to meal

2007-06-11T16:44:00.001-04:00

When I come home from work at 2 a.m., cranky and exhausted with a huge pit in my stomach, I grab an onion and I get to work.

I caramelize onions with garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper in a frying pan. For the last few minutes of cooking, I add a little tomato paste to add some richness (and lycopene!), and then I toss the whole thing with whole wheat pasta and a little fresh Parmesan. It's comforting and savory, and it's perfect for slurping up the long strands of onion and pasta while watching 3 a.m. repeats of Family Ties.

Go-to Pasta with Onions

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tb oregano
Dash of salt and pepper
1 Tb tomato paste
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 serving whole wheat pasta (I like spaghetti to mimick the shape of the onions)

In a frying pan, saute garlic and onion in olive oil on low heat. Add red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper and slowly cook until onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Boil water (with salt) for pasta. Cook pasta to specified time.

While pasta is boiling, add tomato paste to onion mixture and mix thoroughly.

Drain pasta, and pour over onion mixture in frying pan. Mix until throroughly coated, and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Ba-Nanas (Cake)

2007-06-07T19:48:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to eat cake.

Horrendous times call for giant slabs straight out of the oven, swimming in gooey frosting. And the week I've had calls for lots of it.

Considering the dimensions of my kitchen are approximately that of a shoebox, I had to settle for just one little Banana Caramel Cake.

Caramelized bananas are sandwiched between two layers of banana-bread-like cake, and then covered with a light and airy mascarpone frosting worthy of being praised by a choir of angels. In an attempt to add a semblance of healthfulness to the recipe, I substituted date sugar for granulated sugar, and the change was undetectable.

If my next week is as good as this cake, I just may be OK.

Banana Caramel Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (a sublime gift for enduring my sad week!)

Cake
1 1/2 sticks plus 3 Tb unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed, plus 3 ripe bananas, sliced lengthwise, for filling
1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups plus 1/4 cup sugar (OR 1 1/4 cups plus 3 Tb DATE SUGAR)
4 large eggs

Mascarpone Frosting (recipe below)
Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 9x9" round cake pans and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; set aside.

In the bowl, beat 1 1/2 sticks butter and 1 2/3 cups sugar (1 1/4 cups date sugar) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, beating until combined after each, 2-3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the reserved banana mixture, being careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack. Reinvert cakes, and let them cool completely, top sides up (if you're starving, you don't have to wait for the cakes to cool ... and it's scrumptious).

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar (3 Tb date sugar) into a large skillet; cook over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until sugar is caramelized. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 3 Tb butter until melted. Return pan to medium heat. Add the sliced bananas; cook until slices start to brown, 1-2 minutes. Gently turn the bananas, and cook over medium-high heat until browned, about 2 minutes more.

Place one layer of cake on a cake plate. Arrange caramelized banana slices on top. Place remaining layer on top. Using a large offset spatula, spread Mascarpone Frosting over entire cake, swirling to completely cover. Drizzle Caramel Sauce over top of cake. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Mascarpone Frosting
1 lb mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In a bowl, beat the mascarpone, cream and confectioners' sugar until medium-soft peaks form, 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat. Use immediately.

Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Cook sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it starts to melt around edges; then shake pan to melt remaining sugar. Continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until golden amber, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stirring constantly, add cream in a slow, steady stream. If necessary, return pan to heat for a few seconds, stirring until mixture is smooth. Place caramel in a bowl in the ice bath; let stand until cold, stirring frequently.

"This Is Not a Quiche" Pie

2007-05-29T20:14:00.001-04:00

Anyone who has spent years of his/her life torn over Felicity's decision to be with either Ben Covington or Noel Crane probably feels a gravitational pull toward the movie Waitress. Though Ben and Noel were both inexplicably missing from the film, it was still gripping enough to make me want to do nothing but bake pies every day for the rest of my life.

And thus the inspiration for this recipe.

A crispy hashbrown crust -- my happiest new culinary discovery -- is filled with a mixture of egg, creamy brie and salty pancetta. The result is something you have to taste for yourself -- and taste it fast, before your sous chef's boyfriend hoovers it all.

"This Is Not a Quiche" Pie

Hashbrown crust
2 cups grated/shredded potatoes
1/4 cup grated/shredded onion
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil, for brushing

Preheat oven to 400F. In paper towels or dish towels, soak excess water out of potatoes. Mix with onion, egg, salt and pepper. Press into a 9" pie pan and bake for 20 minutes. Brush with vegetable oil, and bake for 20-25 more minutes, until golden brown.

Filling
3 eggs
1 cup milk/cream
1-1 1/2 cups brie
1/2 lb. pancetta, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat eggs with cream, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Evenly scatter brie and pancetta in hashbrown crust. Pour egg mixture over top, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until throughly baked but still tender.

Apricot Tart with Gingersnap Crust

2007-05-29T19:27:00.001-04:00

My Southern grandmother is the kind of woman who keeps leftover bacon fat in a glass jar on her kitchen countertop. She uses it to fry her pancakes in every morning.

My mother is the kind of woman who, despite a bill of health that would be endorsed by Dr. Oz, rarely eats anything but plain yogurt and fresh fruit.

On Memorial Day weekend, two worlds collided when both women dwelled in the same house. And it was my job to feed them both. Enter: Apricot tart.

Its gingersnap-pecan crust caters to indulgers, its fresh apricot topping lures in the health nuts, and its tart, creamy filling is a compromise between the two.

Both my mother and her mother-in-law were able to eat in peace and total satisfaction.

Apricot cream cheese tart with gingersnap pecan crust
Recipe courtesy of Allysa Torey's At Home with Magnolia

Crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Filling
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup sour cream (do not use reduced-fat sour cream)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced fresh ripe apricots (5-8 apricots, depending on size)
3 Tb apricot preserves

To make the crust: In a medium-size bowl, combine the butter with the gingersnap cumbs and pecans. Press firmly into a buttered 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 hour.

To make filling: In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream and vanilla, continuing to beat at low speed until well combined.

Remove the tart pan from the freezer and spread the filling evenly in the crust with a rubber spatula. Arrange the sliced apricots on top of the filling in a decorative manner. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the apricot preserves, stirring often, for 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and lightly brush the apricots with the warmed preserves. Refrigerate the tart for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to ensure that the filling sets.

Everything brownies

2007-05-29T19:14:00.002-04:00

These need no introduction. Read the title, look at the photo, make them, and eat them.

Cream cheese swirl brownies with Heath Bars and pecans
Recipe courtesy of Allysa Torey's At Home with Magnolia

Cream cheese filling
One 8-oz. package cream cheese, not softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 Tb all-purpose flour

Brownies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 Tb whole milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
2/3 cup chopped Heath Bars (about two 1.4-oz. bars) or any chocolate-covered toffee bar

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and lightly flour a 13x9" baking pan (or line with parchment paper).

To make the cream cheese filling: In a medium-size bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth. Add the egg and flour and beat well. Set aside.

To make the brownies: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl, and allow to cool to lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Stir in half of the pecans and half of the Heath Bars. Reserve 1/2 cup of the brownie batter. Spread the rest of the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Drop the cream cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls over the batter. Next, drop the reserved brownie batter by teaspoonfuls in between the cream cheese filling. Using a small knife, swirl the two batters together, forming a decorative pattern. Sprinkle the remaining pecans and Heath Bars over the top, and using a spatula, gently press into the batter. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the pan comes out with moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake. Allow to cool overnight before cutting and serving.

Raisin Pie

2007-05-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

Time Warner Cable hijacked my internet connection for the last month, so apologies for the gap between posts. I had resolved to post more frequently for the new year, and I've clearly failed.

Most people I know have a love-hate relationship with raisins. Some people have fond memories of eating a miniature box full of SunMaids in front of Slim Goodbody every morning, while others only recall trying to pick the nasty thingsnout of the raisin toast that their mothers force-fed them.

My mother's memories go straight back to her great-grandma, who I've been told (a hundred times) made a mean raisin pie back in the day. I've never had raisin pie, I've never heard of raisin pie, and I've never seen raisin pie. But I'm smart enough to pick up on my mother's hints (even if it does take several blows to the head with a hammer), so I surprised her a raisin pie on Mother's Day.

I fall somewhere in between the raisin lovers and haters, so the idea of raisin pie didn't sound particularly appetizing to me at first. But after sitting on the train for two hours with the sweet, buttery scent of raisin pie wafting through the air and later getting to eat a chilled slice of it, I've become a lover. The plumped raisins taste candied in a brine of sugar and lemon zest, and they're encased in a flaky, buttery shell of a crust.

Raisin Pie

2 cups seedless raisins
2 cups cold water
2 Tb cornstarch
3/4 cups sugar
2 Tb lemon juice or cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tb butter
[Your favorite pie crust recipe]

Combine all filling ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue boiling and stir for about two minutes. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan; cover with top crust and brush top with milk. Bake at 450 F about 25 minutes.

Deep-Fried Mac and Cheese

2007-03-15T18:56:00.001-04:00

The contents of my refrigerator never consist of much more than 7 types of vinegar, a gallon of skim milk, a tub of non-fat yogurt, and about 10 types of fresh produce. I drink 64 ounces of water a day and a whole pot of green tea. I NEVER order takeout. I'm the type of person who shoots a "you should know better" look at her co-worker when he orders a jumbo cheddar burger deluxe with mayo, hold the lettuce and tomato. Or even better, when he orders a "salad" with iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, crispy chicken, croutons, hard-boiled eggs, bacon and extra ranch dressing.

With that said, I probably wouldn't strike you as the type of person who's in love with her Fry Daddy. But in true hypocritical form, I indeed am. And during a Fry Daddy binge with my friend last weekend, we discovered something we think you should know about.

Deep-fried macaroni and cheese.

When we were first introduced to this concept by Paula Deen, we were both a little disgusted. Mac and cheese is already indulgent enough as it is, right? Wrong. After a bit of thought and a read through Paula's recipe, we realized that deep-frying mac and cheese really does make a good thing even better.

I don't know about you, but for me, the best part of macaroni and cheese is the crunchy breaded topping, which is always scarce (and the first bit to go at the dinner table). But by cutting refrigerated mac and cheese into cubes, dipping it in flour, egg and bread crumbs, and dropping it into a fryer, you multiply the surface area of the bread crumbs by SIX. That's right, you get six times more of that crunchy, salty crust. Meanwhile, the cheese inside melts into a creamy mess that's just waiting to get out.

While I wouldn't recommend this for heart patients, they'd at least die happy if they managed to sneak a bite.

Deep-fried macaroni and cheese
Very loosely adapted from Paula Deen

Crisco vegetable shortening
Macaroni and cheese (your favorite recipe)
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1-2 cups bread crumbs

Special equipment: Deep-fat fryer

1. Refrigerate macaroni and cheese in a casserole dish overnight. Cut into squares (whatever size you'd like).

2. Dredge mac and cheese squares in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs.

3. Drop in a deep-fat fryer and let fry for about 1 minute, or until golden brown.

4. Eat warm!

Cinnamon toast ice cream

2007-01-15T15:37:00.001-05:00

No more blue fingers!!!

That's what I thought when I opened my new Krups ice cream maker on Christmas morning. My brother saved me from a certain future of permanent digit paralysis when he made my old-fashioned ice cream maker obsolete. No more are the days when I would crawl on my hands and knees to hammer 5-lb. bags of ice on my kitchen floor. No more are the days when I'd be forced to shovel the ice into my machine with my bare hands. No more are the days of stabbing, icy pain!

I put Mr. Krups to the test with a recipe for Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream. I loved Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal as a kid, so I figured adding ice cream to the cinnamon toast equation would only make it better. Bits of real cinnamon toast are actually strained into the creamy, cinnamony custard, and then toasty bits are mixed throughout. Its magic is in the crunchiness of the cinnamon toast bits, which lasts 2-3 days and adds a nice complexity to the recipe.

A lot of prep work is required, so be patient. But in the end it's totally worth it, especially if you still have full use of all 10 fingers (or eight, if you subscribe to the "thumbs aren't fingers" theory).

Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream
Gourmet, August 2006

2 cups whole milk
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
5 slices firm white sandwich bread
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon molasses
1 cup heavy cream

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer; an ice cream maker

Bring milk and cinnamon sticks to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 30 minutes.

While milk steeps, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.

Cut 3 slices bread into 1/4-inch cubes and transfer to a bowl. Quarter remaining 2 slices and pulse in a food processor to make bread crumbs. Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in another bowl. Drizzle 3 tablespoons butter mixture over bread cubes and stir to lightly coat. Spread in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan.

Add bread crumbs to remaining butter mixture and stir to evenly coat. Spread crumbs evenly in another shallow baking pan.

Bake bread cubes and crumbs, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes total. Cool in pans on racks, then transfer bread crumbs to a bowl.

Return milk to a boil, then pour over bread crumbs and let stand 10 minutes. Pour milk through a fine-mesh sieve into saucepan, pressing hard on solids, then discarding them.

Whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, molasses, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Return milk mixture to a boil and add half to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking until combined well. Add yolk mixture in a slow stream to milk in saucepan, whisking, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and thermometer registers 170 to 175°F (do not let boil).

Remove from heat and immediately stir in cream, then pour custard through fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Quick-chill custard by setting bowl into a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until cold, about 15 minutes. Freeze custard in ice cream maker until almost firm. Fold bread cubes into ice cream, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.

Cooks' note: Though the toast is crunchiest the first 2 days after it's made, the ice cream keeps 1 week. Makes 1 1/4 quarts.

Carrot Soup

2006-12-17T15:03:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season I get too lazy to cook for myself every night. And despite the fact that global warming has given us a balmy New York holiday, it just doesn't seem like Christmas without burning your tongue on hot chocolate or spilling a steaming bowl of soup in your lap (I've had a rather klutzy time lately).

So after opening all the windows in my apartment and turning the fan on full blast, I revved up the stove, played Wham!'s "Last Christmas" on repeat and made an industrial-sized vat of cream of carrot soup that'll last me through at least a week of laziness.

It took minimal effort, and barring an apparent leak in my blender that splattered an orange massacre all over the walls of my kitchen, it went off without much of a hitch. Flavored with fresh ginger and curry, the carrots turn into a creamy broth that's enriched with a little heavy cream. The flavor is both warm and bright, and so is the stain it leaves on your kitchen walls.

So unless you've got a homicidal blender, you should give this one a whirl.

Cream of Carrot Soup
The Joy of Cooking
~ 6 cups

Heat in a soup pot over medium-low heat until the butter is melted:
1/4 cup water or stock
1 Tb unsalted butter (optional)

Add and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 5-10 minutes:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tb minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp curry powder

Stir in:
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 pounds coarsely chopped carrots

Bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Puree the soup, adding 1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer briefly. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve.

Cheesy Date Balls from ... Sandra Lee (sigh)

2006-12-06T13:16:00.002-05:00

If you've ever watched the Food Network's "Semi-homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee," you've been mercilessly dragged along an emotional rollercoaster of confusion, anger, bewilderment, incredulity and temporary blindness from rage.

So you can imagine my shock when, upon preparing the menu for last weekend's Bizarro Christmas Party 2006, my sous chef's mom suggested we cook a Sandra Lee recipe. It was only because of my unprecedented fear of sous chef's mother that I caved and agreed to make it.

To my horror, I actually sort of liked what we made. They were date-and-nut covered cheese balls (whose name elicited laughs), and they were ... sort of good. Sort of really good, actually. Anyway. Let's not talk about this any further. Here's the recipe.

Sort of good cheese and date balls
Loosely adapted from Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee -- ack

4 ounces blue cheese
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups dates, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups pecans, finely chopped
Assorted crackers, for serving

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine blue cheese and cream cheese. Process until smooth and blended. Transfer to air-tight container and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Once chilled, form cheese into even sized balls and roll each blue cheese ball in chopped dates and nuts. Eat with assorted crackers.

Pumpkin Brittle

2006-11-11T13:29:00.001-05:00

I have horrible childhood memories associated with peanut brittle. The old ladies of my church's UMW would go on an annual peanut brittle binge, producing several hundred pounds of the dry, crusty filth to be distributed in cloudy plastic baggies.

And every year at that time, fear was struck deep in the hearts of me and my brothers as we slowly made our way to the church basement for coffee hour after the sermon (this basement, by the way, had a room called the Dorcas Room, which no child could walk past without giggling). We just knew -- from the time of year, from the rustle of plastic, from the suffocating stench -- that there would be bags of the stuff awaiting us at the bottom of the staircase. And we would have to be polite and eat it with painted-on smiles while the old ladies watched.

So I'm not sure why, but I decided to give brittle a try on my on. It turns out the stuff the UMW ladies had so daftly been shellacking onto baking sheets wasn't really brittle at all. It was just a rude look-a-like. What I ended up creating was thin, crispy, caramel-like and completely addicting. I toasted pumpkin seeds from my murdered Halloween pumpkin and mixed them into an unusual brittle base made with brown sugar. [Note: The original recipe called for 1/4 cup honey, but after making two batches -- one with 1/4 cup, one with less -- I found the latter to be much more caramel-like and much less sicky-sweet] And the best part of the recipe is a final sprinkling of course sea salt just before the brittle cools.

Never again, brittle, will you be my nemesis.

Pumpkin seed brittle

Adapted from Oct. 2006 issue of Martha Stewart Living

Serves 4

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheet
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 Tb honey
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds, rinsed well, dried, and toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 11-by-17- inch rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and honey. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is medium amber and a candy thermometer registers 280°, about 6 minutes. Stir in pumpkin seeds. Cook until mixture reaches 300°, about 2 minutes. Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely. Break into pieces.

Special edition: The saddest little happy man you will ever see

2006-10-21T01:51:00.000-04:00

This isn't exactly a recipe, and lord knows I'm not the world's greatest artist, but I figured this was worth posting.

After getting my Mets-fan brother a pair of tickets to Game 7 of the NLCS, and knowing it could be his last chance to bask in the stomach-churning glory of his beloved Amazins for a very long time, I thought I'd throw in a little extra something to pump him up for the big game.

So, casting aside my malevolence for baseball mascots as a Yankees fan, I present: Mr. Met (and a cast of David Wright, Jose Reyes and Los Carlos).

Alas, Mr. Met suffered a quiet death when Carlos Beltran's bat was inexplicably superglued to his shoulder, just 10 hours after the happy little mascot was welcomed into this world.

Stew

2006-10-21T00:56:00.001-04:00

Proving my fear of global warming last week was unwarranted, a slight chill has descended upon New York, sending hysterical city-dwellers scrambling for their parkas and snowshoes in the 50-degree air. I overreacted a little myself -- probably in a bit of posttraumatic stress disorder after the Yankees self-destructed -- and switched into hibernation mode in my kitchen. I got a pot of stew going that brewed my apartment into a toasty antithesis of its brisk natural state, and the leftovers allowed me to hunker down for several days without using anything but my microwave.

I've always been scared to death of lamb, but I decided it was time to face my fears and give it a shot. Stewed in a meld of tomatoey gravy with sweet cippolini onions and chunks of new potatoes, the lamb fell apart into tender bits of goodness. Red wine adds a depth of flavor to the base, and thyme-infused garlic gives an extra kick.

Stew with cipollini onions and potatoes
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' Giada's Family Dinners
Serves 6-8

1/4 cup olive oil
3 pounds boneless lamb, beef or chicken, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tb all-purpose flour
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tb fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
3 1/2 cups beef broth (I used fat-free chicken broth)
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1 Tb tomato paste (I used about 3 Tb)
18 small cipollini onions
12 small red-skinned potatoes, halved
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Toss the lamb with the flour in a large bowl to coat. Working in 2 batches, add the lamb to the pot and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a bowl. Pour off the excess oil.

Add the garlic and thyme to the same pot and saute over medium heat until tender and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes.

Return the lamb to the pot. Stir in the broth, tomatoes with their juices, and tomato paste. Cover partially and simmer over medium-low until the lamb is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook the onions in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel the onions and cut off the root ends. Add the onions, potatoes, and carrots to the stew. Simmer until the lamb and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes longer. Season the stew, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Blackberry Brown Sugar Cake

2006-10-10T19:50:00.001-04:00

Three layers of brown sugar cake -- light and fluffy in the middle and browned and crunchy around the edges -- sandwich thick layers of marshmallowy brown sugar buttercream. The whole shebang is topped with fresh blackberries glistening in blackberry jam. It's light on the palate -- balancing crunch and moistness, sweet and tart -- and you can eat slice after slice after slice ...

I made this as a birthday cake for a friend who eats like a bird, so I cut the recipe in half and used smaller pans (but used the same baking times and temperature) so she could eat the whole cake before it started to dry out... so know that this is an option.

Brown Sugar Blackberry Cake
Adapted from September 2006 issue of Gourmet

For cake
2/3 cup walnuts (2 oz)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs

For buttercream
3 large egg whites at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup water
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

For assembling cake
1 lb blackberries (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup blackberry jam

Special equipment: 3 (8-inch) round cake pans; a candy thermometer

Make cake:Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse walnuts with 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Generously butter cake pans and put a rounded 1/3 cup nut mixture into each pan. Tilt each pan to coat bottom and sides with nut mixture, letting excess remain in bottom of pan.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk, orange zest and juice, and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat together butter (2 sticks), brown sugar, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing just until batter is smooth.

Divide batter among cake pans. Bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in centers of cakes comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of each pan. Invert racks over pans, then flip cakes onto racks to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make buttercream: Put egg whites and salt in cleaned bowl of mixer. Bring brown sugar and water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and washing down side of pan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in water. When sugar syrup reaches a boil, start beating egg whites with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until whites just hold soft peaks. (Do not beat again until sugar syrup is ready.)

Meanwhile, put thermometer into sugar syrup and continue boiling until syrup reaches 238 to 242°F (soft ball stage). Immediately remove from heat and, with mixer at high speed, slowly pour hot syrup down side of bowl into egg whites (avoid beaters), beating constantly. Continue to beat meringue, scraping down bowl once or twice with a rubber spatula, until meringue is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. (It is important that meringue is properly cooled before proceeding.)

With mixer at medium speed, gradually add butter to meringue 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition and until incorporated. (If meringue is too warm and buttercream looks soupy after some of butter is added, briefly chill bottom of bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water for a few seconds before continuing to beat in remaining butter.) Continue beating until buttercream is smooth. (Mixture may look curdled before all of butter is added, but will come back together as beating continues.) Add vanilla and beat 1 minute more.

Assemble cake: Put 1 cake layer, nut side up, on a cake plate or platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream on top but not side, then top with another cake layer, nut side up. Spread top with 1 1/2 cups buttercream, then top with remaining layer, nut side up.

Gently toss whole blackberries with jam in a large bowl. Arrange blackberries, stemmed sides down, on top of cake.

Cooks' notes:
• Cake layers can be baked 2 days ahead and kept, wrapped in plastic, at room temperature.
• Buttercream can be made ahead and chilled, covered, 1 week or frozen 1 month. Bring to room temperature (do not use a microwave) and beat with electric mixer until smooth before using.
• Assembled cake keeps, loosely covered, at room temperature 1 day. Makes 10 servings.

Spiced Popcorn

2006-10-05T13:48:00.001-04:00

With the advent of postseason baseball, I'll inevitably be driven into my annual jam-making frenzy to distract myself from the stresses of Alex Rodriguez's two-out, bases-loaded strikeouts (which he JUST did about 30 seconds ago). Yet while the playoffs mean 13-hour workdays and premature aging for me, I cling to the final moments of the baseball season with a deep sentimental attachment for one big reason -- with the end of baseball comes the beginning of football. And I hate football with every fiber of my being.

But being surrounded by family, friends and coworkers who talk about nothing but tight ends until the first week in February, there is no escape. So, for me, the only way to cope with the burgeoning football season is by placing the focus on food.

Because I have cable tv, I find myself the hostess of dreaded football-watching parties. So, instead of immersing myself in the game, I immerse myself in the kitchen. While my guests were watching the Packers-Eagles game this week, I was in the kitchen baking homemade pizzas and serving up floats made with homemade mascarpone gelato and either Stewart's root beer or orange soda. And to keep my guests busy snacking while I was in the kitchen, I paid homage to The Green Table by making an unbelievably easy and addictive bowl of seasoned popcorn.

There's really no recipe involved, because the seasoning is to taste. Pop up your favorite kind of popcorn and while it's still warm, drizzle it with the tiniest amount of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, chili powder and dried orange zest (usually available in stores, but if not, just dry out some orange zest in the oven).

It won't make the obnoxious announcers any more bearable, but the crunching might drown them out a little.

Sweet and Spicy Scallop Stew

2006-09-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

In what can only be described as a miracle of the ages, my parents have managed to peacefully coexist for 35 years despite belonging to two diametrically opposed species – my mom being a near herbivore, my dad a ravenous carnivore.

This makes trips home difficult to orchestrate, when it comes to making dinner. Dad would be happy with a big slab of dinosaur ribs and a bib, but all Mom wants is celery root and half a lemon.

But thanks to a little experimentation with the spice rack, I’ve found a way to trick my dad’s taste buds. So what is this panacea?

Fennel.

Combining my favorite elements from about five different recipes, I concocted a stew of fresh green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes and scallops in a tomato base, flavored with saffron, garlic, hot red pepper flakes and fennel. Dried currents are added to sweeten up the already spicy stew, rounding out the veggie-packed recipe. But what was my dad’s reaction upon his first taste?

“Mmmm … this has sausage in it!!!”

The fennel, which is apparently what my dad associates with his favorite sausage, fooled him into eating two bowls full. And my mom, who was enamoured with the balance of sweet and spicy and the abundance of fresh veggies, is thrilled with the prospect of bamboozling my dad into eating vegetables for 35 more years.

Sweet and spicy scallop stew
Serves 6

3 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp saffron threads
2 28-oz. cans of whole peeled tomatoes
2 sweet potatoes
Several large handfuls of fresh green beans, trimmed
4 carrots, sliced into large chunks
1 ½ lbs bay scallops
1/3 c. dried currants
¼ c. sliced almonds
Baguette, for serving
Salt and pepper

With a fork, punch holes in sweet potatoes. Place in microwave on 50% power for 4 minutes. Peel and cube.

In a steamer, steam green beans and carrots until crisp-tender.

Heat oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and saffron. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add tomatoes, and crush with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes.

Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add scallops and currants to tomato mixture. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Gently stir scallops and add sweet potatoes, green beans and carrots; cover, and cook until opaque, 8 minutes more. Divide among serving bowls. Sprinkle with almonds, and serve with baguette.

Custard Cornbread

2006-09-19T22:47:00.001-04:00

(It's difficult to see, but there's a thick layer of custard right in the middle)

Creamy, dreamy custard cornbread. Slices of crumbly, salty cake filled with warm, heavenly custard. It renders butter useless and puts everything else on the table to shame.

Thanks to one of my most dependable friends, Martha Stewart Living, I have been introduced to one of the great new loves of my life. My 30 relatives at a recent family reunion, who devoured the stuff, have also become acquainted. And now, it’s your turn.

Custard-filled Cornbread
From Martha Stewart Living, July 2006
Serves 12-16

3 Tb unsalted butter, melted
2 c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ tsp salt
2 c. whole milk (2% also works)
1 Tb plus 1 ½ tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 c. fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x2” round baking pan, and place in the oven to preheat. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk eggs and butter in a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, salt, milk and vinegar. Add flour mixture, and whisk until just smooth. Stir in corn kernels.

Transfer batter to heated pan. Pour cream into center of batter; do not stir. Bake until pale golden brown and set, about 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold (optional), and serve warm.

Sugar-Free Gingerbread Pear Cake

2006-08-02T21:45:00.001-04:00

FI have an ill-tempered reaction to Splenda, aspartame, and anything of the like. I have always believed that sugar is something to be enjoyed in its full glory, without substitution – in moderation, of course (although there are times I’ve gone straight at a jar of jam with nothing but a spoon and a bit of shame).

I have, however, recently had to go to that dark place. I think I inadvertently tortured a diabetic who has fallen under the care of my mom when I absentmindedly made gooey chocolate pudding pots for dessert during my last visit. The next day, my guilt got the better of me and I took a look at the American Diabetes Association home page and found some recipes made with Splenda. With a little alteration, I decided to try to make something edible, and by golly, it worked.

I chose a rich gingerbread cake and turned it into a layer cake with a creamy stripe of cream cheese frosting sandwiched in the middle. To lighten it up even further and add a little freshness, I embedded sliced pears in the top of each layer. It came out sticky and moist, and the strong flavor of the gingerbread made the presence of a certain fake sugar completely undetectable.

Sugar-Free Gingerbread Layer Cake with Pears
Feeds 10-12

2 cups unsweetened applesauce
¾ cup molasses
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups Splenda granular
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
1-2 pears, sliced thinly

Frosting
1 8 oz pkg low-fat cream cheese
1 ½ c. Splenda (powdered)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two 8" round cake pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

Pour applesauce, molasses and vegetable oil into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs. Stir well.

Blend remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients to the applesauce mixture. Stir well.

Pour cake batter into prepared cake pans. Fan out sliced pears on the top of each layer. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for ~40 minutes (check constantly … moist nature of cake bakes differently in different ovens). Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool cake in the pan, on a wire rack, about 20 minutes. Invert one cake on a serving plate.

Mix frosting ingredients together well, until creamy. Spread frosting between two layers (but not on top of top layer). Place second cake on top, and serve.

Blueberry Ice Cream

2006-07-12T21:09:00.001-04:00

Check out my entry on blueberry ice cream at Clean Plate Club. Mmmm.

Lasagna Bolognese

2006-06-23T21:43:00.001-04:00

I know, I know, it’s been a long time. But when your kidney screams bloody mercy and you’re left on a steady diet of Saltines and extra-strength Vicodin for two weeks, writing about oozing layers of hot, pancetta-laced lasagna is the last thing you want to do. On second thought, *eating* oozing layers of hot, pancetta-laced lasagna is the last thing you want to do.

But now I'm back on my feet. And after countless hours logged on my sofa with various issues of Gourmet to keep me sane, I found myself drawn like a magnet to the cover of the April 2006 issue, which featured a slice of lasagna labeled “the world’s best lasagna.” Obviously, I had my doubts and felt obligated to challenge this declaration.

Carrots, onions, celery and garlic are sautéed with ground meat in a stew of milk, white wine and tomato paste to form a thick and flavorful ragu. A creamy béchamel sauce alternates with the ragu and salty parmesan cheese between layers of pasta, and is baked to perfection before serving up. The aroma that filled my apartment made my neighbors knock on my door to ask what I was cooking, and its unorthodox texture intrigued everyone who tasted it. The pancetta lends a sweet and salty flavor to the meat, which is surprisingly tender and delicate, the vegetables lighten and brighten the dish, and the béchamel binds everything together with a comforting creaminess.

Lasagne Bolognese
Adapted from Enoteca La Capannina and Mario Batali
Serves 8 generously (main course)

For ragu
5 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tb unsalted butter
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
¼ lb. sliced pancetta, cut into quarters
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground pork
¼ c. tomato paste
1 cup milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

For béchamel
5 Tb unsalted butter
¼ c. all-purpose flour
3 c. milk
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

For assembling lasagna
2 Tb salt
2 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
9 Tb finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat oil and butter in a wide 6-to-8 quart heavy pot over moderate heat until butter is melted, then cook carrot, onion, celery and garlic, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 10-15 minutes.

While vegetables cook, pulse pancetta in a food processor until finely chopped.

When vegetables are tender, increase heat to high and stir in veal, pork and pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any lumps, until meat is starting to brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, milk and wine and gently simmer, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until almost all liquid has evaporated but ragu is still moist, 1 – 1 ½ hours. Stir in salt and pepper and remove from heat.

For bechamel:
Melt butter in a 2-to-3 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth, then cook, whisking frequently until pale golden brown, 4-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk separately in a 1-to-1 ½ quart saucepan until just about to boil. Add milk one cup at a time to butter mixture, whisking constantly until very smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking, then cook, whisking, 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in salt and nutmeg. Cover with a buttered round of wax paper (buttered side down) and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375 F.

Boil pasta sheets until al dente, drain and cool. Spread one cup of ragu into bottom of lasagna pan. Ragu will barely cover the bottom. Sprinkle with 2 Tb Parmigiano-Reggiano, then cover with cooked pasta (pieces can overlap slightly). Spread ½ cup béchamel over pasta (layer will be thin). Layer in same sequence four more times (ragu, cheese, pasta, béchamel) and finish with a layer of béchamel (final layer will be 1 cup). Sprinkle top with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake lasagna, uncovered, until top is pale golden in spots and sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Freezes very well.

Meatless Easter Feast

2006-04-21T15:54:00.001-04:00

On a hot summer day about eight years ago, a single burger changed the course of my big brother's life.

Starving and exhausted from a day spent playing stickball and swimming in the pool, we drove to the local Burger King and ordered a Triple Hercules Burger for each of us. Back at home, we peeled back the sopping wet wrappers and sank our teeth into three slimy layers of coagulated beef and cheese, feeling each bite slide down our throats and land in our stomachs with a thud.

That was it for my brother. He hasn't eaten meat since. (I, though thoroughly grossed out by the Triple Herc Burger experience, don't have the willpower to give it up entirely.)

So cooking substantial meals for my family sans meat, especially on holidays, is a rather difficult task. Most recipes for special occasions call for meat, and most of my favorite vegetable recipes manage to involve bacon, in one way or another. But this year I conjured up an Easter miracle, and a meatless feast arose from the tomb that is my mother's upstate kitchen.

Butternut squash lasagna is tender and cheesy, layered thick with sweet pureed squash and basil-infused cream sauce. Three veggie dishes were offered to counter the richness of the lasagna: string beans with tomatoes and basil, grilled marinated zucchini and summer squash, and pan-browned Brussels sprouts with pine nuts (which even my brother, who warned me he wouldn't like them, had three helpings of).

And for dessert, the lightest, moistest cake layered with passion fruit-lemon curd and fresh whipped cream and fluffy meringue.

And best of all, none of this will indefinitely halt your digestive tract, so you can still enjoy the rest of your day after eating it.

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Giada's Family Dinners
Serves 8-10

1 Tb olive oil
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
5-6 amaretti cookies, crumbled
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet, then cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree to taste with more salt and pepper.

Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking often, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare a 13 x 9 x 2" glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange three of the lasagna noodles atop the sauce (the noodles will expand as they bake). Pour a third of the squash puree over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/2 cup o the mozzarella. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the sauce over the mozzarella. Repeat layering the noodles, squash puree, and cheese two more times. Top with the remaining three noodles. Drizzle with remaining sauce.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover the lasagna and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and the Parmesan. Continue baking, uncovered, until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Basil
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Giada's Family Dinners
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
2 Tb unsalted butter
1 Tb olive oil
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
2 Tb thinly sliced fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans, then rinse with cold water. Drain again very well and set the beans aside.

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the beans and cook until the juices evaporate and the beans are almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil. Simmer 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon to discard excess liquid and serve.

Grilled Marinated Zucchini and Summer Squash
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Giada's Family Dinners
Serves 6

4 Tb fresh lemon juice
4 Tb rice vinegar
2 Tb minced garlic
4 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound zucchini (about 3 large), trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1 pound summer squash (about 3), trimmed and quartered lengthwise

In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and thyme to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the marinade to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon 3 Tb of the marinade into a small bowl to drizzle over at the end. Add the zucchini and yellow squash to a large ziplock bag, add remaining marinade, and toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat. Grill the squash pieces, turning occasionally, until they are crisp-tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer them to a plate. Drizzle the reserved marinade on top and serve hot or at room temperature.

Pan-Browned Brussels Sprouts
From The Gourmet Cookbook
Serves 3-4

1 1/2 Tb unsalted butter
1 Tb olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2+ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 Tb pine nuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt 1 Tb butter with oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until pale golde, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl.

Reduce heat to low, arrange sprouts cut sides down in skillet in one layer ,and sprinkle with pine nuts and salt to taste. Cook, uncovered, without turning, until sprouts are crisp-tender and undersides are golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Place lid on pan for final 5 minutes. Transfer sprouts, browned sides up, to a plate, leaving pine nuts in pan.

Add remaining 1/2 Tb butter to skillet and cook nuts over moderate heat, stirring, until evenly pale golden, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic, then spoon mixture over sprouts and season with pepper.

Passion Fruit Lemon Meringue Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Feast
Serves 8

1 stick plus 1 Tb very soft unsalted butter
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tb cornstarch
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Zest of 1 lemon
4 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb good quality lemon curd
2 passion fruits

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line and butter two 8" cake pans (lining with wax or parchment paper is very important to help you remove the baked cake from the pan).

Mix the egg yolks, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the butter, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest with electric beaters. Add the lemon juice and milk and mix again.

Divide the mixture between the prepared pans. It will look like there's not enough, but patiently spread the batter and it will cover the bottoms of the pans.

Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form and then slowly whisk in the cup of sugar. Divide the whisked whites between the two pans, spreading the meringue on top of the cake batter. Smooth one flat with a metal spatula, and with the back of a spoon, peak the other and sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over the peaks. Put the pans into the oven for 20-25 minutes.

With a cake tester, pierce the cake with the flat meringue top and make sure it's cooked through. Remove both cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pans.

Mix the pulp and juice of the two passion fruits with the lemon curd. You can either use or discard the seeds. Set aside.

Unmold the flat-topped cake onto a stand or plate, meringue side down. Whisk the heavy cream until thick but not stiff and set aside. Spread the flat sponge surface of the first cake with the passion fruit-lemon curd mixture and then spatula over the cream and top with the remaining cake, bronze-peacked meringue facing upward.

Portobello Sandwich

2006-03-27T20:40:00.001-05:00

Recent obsessions with orchid propagation, faulty XLR adapters for condenser microphones, Dorothy Parker and various other nonsensicals have kept me from you, so I'll have to ease back into this with something simple.

Because of my recent flurry of activity, I've been neglecting my grocery shopping responsibilities. There are a few things, however, that I always keep in my refrigerator. Three of them are 12-grain bread, a block of extra-sharp New York State cheddar, and at least seven types of vinegar.

So one day, when I saw my best friend pour half a bottle of balsamic into a saucepan to make her lunch, it immediately caught my interest. She drowned thin slices of portobellos and red bell peppers in the vinegar, simmered them until they were tender and completely drenched with the caramelizing balsamic, and laid them on two pieces of toast covered with thin slices of cheese, which immediately melted to hold everything together once the two layers were slapped into a sandwich.

It's fast, it's addictive, and it's easy enough for my blog-lethargic self to post about. Baby steps ...

Portobello Pepper Sandwiches
(use common sense for quantities)

Sliced bread
Cheese, thinly sliced (cheddar and goat work best)
Portobello mushrooms, sliced
Red bell peppers, thinly sliced
~1/2 bottle balsamic vinegar

Pour enough vinegar in a saucepan to cover the bottom by about 1/4 inch. Place slices of mushrooms and peppers in pan and, on medium heat, let simmer 5-10 minutes until soft (they should completely absorb the vinegar, which at this point will begin to caramelize).

While waiting for vegetables to cook, toast slices of bread. Thinly slice cheese and arrange on toast, face up. When veggies finish, lay on top of cheese while they're still piping hot (to melt the cheese). Close sandwich, slice in half, and eat.

Mu Shu Chicken

2006-02-27T01:38:00.001-05:00

I've once again been remiss in my blogging duties, but my prolonged absence was due to circumstances beyond my control. First I was called to Miami by a legion of bat-swinging fish, and then to the mountains of Oregon (where I nearly killed myself on a snowboard) by Chris Dudley and my now-married brother. The few spare moments I had were spent in the rapture of Johnny Weir, Shaun White and Apolo Anton Ohno. Numerous sunburns and snowburns later, I finally sit in my cozy Manhattan apartment with a cup of Ceylon and the will to blog.

The best part about leaving the city is always coming back. I often lose sight of how magical New York is until the long cab ride back from the airport, at which point I've been completely removed from the city and can literally see myself becoming a part of it again -- the Empire State Building changes shape along the horizon as highways turn to bridges turn to streets, which start to look strangely familiar, even though it wasn't too long ago that I wandered lost on those very streets.

And the second I step foot inside my apartment, my instinctual welcome-home ritual is to brew something up in the kitchen, consciously rejecting the notion of unpacking. Thanks to a seven-hour flight home, some serious facetime with Gourmet and a hankering for some sentimentally New Yorkish food, I had designs on making a better-than-Ollie's version of mu shu chicken.

Better than Ollie's it was -- tender chicken and cabbage stew in fresh ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce and are wrapped up in a fresh crepe with a dollop of hoisin sauce. Not only does it taste better the next day, but you don't have to wonder if any cats were sacrificed in the making of your meal (and, as Gourmet promises, it doesn't take much longer than 10 minutes to whip up, assuming you can chop as fast as Iron Chef Chen Kenichi).

Mu Shu Chicken
Adapted from Gourmet, Feb. 2006
Serves 4

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil (I used vegetable)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 (16-oz) bag shredded cabbage
1/4 cup water
2 Tb soy sauce
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
3 Tb hoisin sauce
1 bunch scallions, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 - 3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken, without skin
1 recipe basic crepes, below (or tortillas, but crepes are much better)

Heat 1 Tb oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook eggs, stirring, until just cooked through. Transfer scrambled eggs to a plate. Add remaining 3 Tb oil to skillet and heat until hot but not smoking, then cook ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add cabbage mix and 2 Tb water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is wilted, about 5 minutes.

Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 2 Tb water and hoisin sauce in a small bowl. Add to cabbage mixture along with scallions and eggs and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir in. Remove from heat.

To assemble, fill each crepe with mixture and top with dollop of hoisin sauce, then roll up.

Basic Crepes
Makes 14-15

2 Tb vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Dash salt

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Cook on crepe maker or frying pan.

Carbonara

2006-02-02T17:20:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's just me, but I find I'm most productive on days I'm not actually "working." For example, the following is a list of things I did on my two days off from work this week:

Recorded and mixed three songs, sewed the bodice of a dress together with my new sewing machine, reorganized my entire kitchen, made a pot rack to hang in my kitchen window, opened up a CD at the bank, booked a hotel, flight and rental car for a business trip to Miami, read My Friend Leonard, ran several miles, made two trips to the YMCA, did three loads of laundry, did a deep cleaning of my apartment, walked 60 blocks to spend $1.50 on fabric interfacing, mailed my mom's birthday present, paid the bills, and most importantly, watched a ton of television.

With all that action packed into such a small period of time, however, there's something I forgot to do -- eat. One night, after cutting out sewing patterns on my hands and knees for several hours, I found myself paralyzed when I tried to get back up. Every muscle in my body had atrophied. It took me nearly 10 minutes to sit upright, during which I realized it was the first moment I'd had in 48 hours to notice that I was absolutely starving. So after taking 20 minutes to stand up and walk 10 feet to my bookshelf, I found my cure.

I immediately turned to Nigella, whose belief in the powers of comfort food is as strong as my faith in gravity. I decided I'd close my eyes, flip open a page, and make whatever popped up. So ... drumroll ...

Spaghetti alla Carbonara. I'd never even HAD it, much less made it. But now, after making and consuming a great deal of it, I can say I hadn't lived until I ate spaghetti carbonara. Pancetta and vermouth simmer down to a golden, aromatic syrup that coats the pasta, and the final tossing with a Parmesan/egg/cream mixture makes a velvety finish worth slurping up.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Feast
Serves ~4

1 lb spaghetti
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups diced pancetta (or bacon)
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan
4 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper

In a saute pan, add olive oil and pancetta. Cook until pancetta is crisp but not crunchy. Add vermouth and simmer down for a couple minutes until you get a syrupy consistency. Take off heat.

In a saucepan, boil salted water for pasta. Cook pasta until al dente. Before dumping water to drain pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water for later use. Drain pasta.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, Parmesan and a good dash of black pepper.

Dump pasta in saute pan (over heated burner) with pancetta, and coat with the pan juices. Use reserved pasta water, if necessary, for moisture. Quickly pour egg mixture over pasta, turn off burner, and toss thoroughly to coat pasta. The egg mixture will be cooked by the hot pasta. Finish with ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Ribs!

2006-01-30T20:50:00.001-05:00

My vegetarian brother has said that if he's ever lured back to meat-eating, it'd be for my mom's ribs (or rather, her RECIPE for ribs). They're boneless, they're tangy, they're salty, they're sopping wet, and they fall apart on your fork. And the best part is that they take absolutely no effort to make. Throw them in a pot and they'll be ready by dinner after blanketing the house in their aroma.

Barbecued Spare Ribs
Serves ~6
Recipe from my mom

1 pound (approx.) boneless country style ribs (pork)
½ cup chopped onions
1 16 oz. (or 32 oz.) can tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce)
¼ cup water
2 Tb brown sugar
2 Tb lemon juice
1 ½ Tb Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Put all ingredients in heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover and simmer on low heat for at least 3 hours ... preferably 4-5 hours. Can cook all day in crock pot. Add a little water if it gets too thick.

Best if served with mashed potatoes or rice ... there's a lot of extra sauce.

Apple-Pear Pie

2006-01-23T18:55:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow's my birthday, so I've trekked upstate to spend the week with my family. My birthday week is turning out to be very food-centric, as I've already feasted at The Haymaker, the Apple Pie Bakery Cafe at the Culinary Institute of America and Babycakes near Vassar -- this was before I was even halfway home, and still four days before my actual birthday.

After getting out the old snow blower this morning and chugging along for an hour to unbury us from our icy prison, I came inside and wanted something warm. I grew up in apple country, so there's always a barrelful of McIntoshes chilling on the back porch of my parents' house. So I pulled out the apples, got a crust ready, and went to town on an apple pie. But after cutting up the apples, I realized there weren't enough. As I was about to head to the store for more, my eye caught some pears on the countertop. And so begins a new pie experiment.

Apple-Pear Pie

1/2 part apples
1/2 part pears (a good amount of both to really heap up into a towering pie)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract (totally makes a difference!)
1/3 cup sugar
Crust recipe

Bake at 400 for 50 minutes, and voila. So classic, but so different.

Mac and Brie

2006-01-18T00:25:00.001-05:00

At 16 I took a trip to France with my teacher (whose husband was memorably pickpocketed by a gypsy on le Metro) and seven classmates. What did I take away from it? Forget Versailles, le Champs-Elysee, the chateaus of the Loire Valley and the Mona Lisa at le Louvre. What I remember most is the food.

In a wonderfully memorable welcome to France, I took one step off the curb of Charles de Gaulle International Airport and landed in a pile of horse manure. But I eventually found my way to a picnic on the Loire River, where I had my first taste of Brie.

And so began my great love. A good slathering of creamy, sweet and nutty Brie gives a hunk of bread legitimacy. Its beauty is in its simplicity, but of course I decided to mess with that and try its success in one of my favorite comfort food standbys, macaroni and cheese.

It worked. A bit of chili counteracts the sweetness of the Brie, and a shot of Parmesan adds the sharpness that the Brie lacks. I polished off half the casserole dish in one sitting, so that's a strong testament to its success.

Mac and Brie
Serves 4-6

2 Tb butter
2 Tb flour
3-4 cups milk (I use skim)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small wheel Brie
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 box medium-sized pasta shells

In a medium saucepan, boil water and cook pasta until done. Drain in colander.

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and simmer briefly until mixture thickens. Add chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Slowly add milk and simmer until mixture, while whisking, until it reaches the desired consistency. Add Brie and Parmesan, and stir until melted through. Combine sauce and pasta, and pour into oven-safe casserole dish. Sprinkle with panko crumbs (or regular bread crumbs) and bake for 20-30 minutes, until top is golden brown.

Cinnamon-Chili Hot Chocolate with Espresso

2006-01-16T13:45:00.001-05:00

After a Nanook-esque trek to work yesterday, I have sympathy pains for Ted Williams' frozen head. The walk only covers two avenues, but numbing single-digit temperatures and wildly whipping winds nearly tore my face off, and the fact that I was in direct opposition of the gusts resulted in a visual that was something akin to placing a paper doll in front of an industrial fan. I was *this close* to turning around and working from home, but I realized that with the wind at my back, I would have likely sailed all the way to the East Side.

After settling in at my desk and thawing out the frozen tears that had been stuck to my face, I pulled out the contents of my bag and heaved a sigh of exaltation at the sight of my thermos. Lucky for me, I had brought the most powerful antifreeze known to man: Cinnamon-Chili Hot Chocolate with Espresso.

I don't even like coffee. I've always wanted to, because there's something so grown up about a morning newspaper and a cup of coffee. But something about the shot of espresso in this drink brings out the flavor of the chocolate, the cinnamon and the chili pepper all at once.

Cinnamon-Chili Hot Chocolate with Espresso
Serves 3-4

4 cups milk (I use skim to cut the fat, and you'd never know the difference)
2 small dried red chilis (I like it hot)
4 3" cinnamon sticks
1 shot espresso (made in my one-cup stovetop espresso maker pictured below)
3/4 cups confectioners' sugar (thickens skim milk ... use granulated sugar for fuller-fat milk)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
(of course, you can change quantities of most ingredients as desired, to taste)

Pour milk in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add cinnamon sticks and chilis and bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from the heat and let steep for 10-15 minutes. Whisk in the espresso, sugar and cocoa powder. Return to heat and simmer, whisking often. Pour through a strainer to remove cinnamon sticks and chilis (remove sticks and chilis earlier if you like less heat). Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese and Spinach Tart with Caramelized Onions

2006-01-09T21:52:00.001-05:00

Today, despite the fact that there was balmy 57-degree weather in New York (oh dear, global warming ... ), I felt like making a dead-of-winter dinner -- a savory pie. So I hearkened back to last January, when I took a trip to the quaint and sublime Books for Cooks shop in Notting Hill, London. I picked up their book of house favorites, which had a recipe for Blue Cheese and Spinach Tart with Caramelized Onions.

Add this one to the "it's the best thing I've ever eaten" list. Dear lord. It's insanely good. I cannot be objective here, because I'm still reeling from the after-effects. A buttery pie crust, flaky and ethereal, is topped with a thick layer of smoky and sweet caramelized onions, then a layer of fresh spinach, and a crowning layer of mascarpone and Roquefort, puffed and golden after a brief holiday in the oven.

For all the pleasure one can derive from tasting this pie, the aroma is equally delicious. If I have to walk around with my hair smelling like onions and blue cheese all week, it will be well worth it.

Blue Cheese and Spinach Tart with Caramelized Onions
Serves 4-6
Adapted from Books for Cooks Favourite Recipes (from Books 1, 2 &3) and Victoria Alexander and Genevieve Harris' A Taste of Australia -- The Bathers Pavilion Cookbook

4 large onions, finely sliced (preferably white)
3 oz (6 Tb) butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tb brown sugar
4 oz (2 large handfuls) spinach leaves
6 oz blue cheese, crumbled (Roquefort or Gorgonzola)
6 Tb mascarpone
1 organic egg, beaten
9 1/2 inch shortcrust pastry case baked blind (pre-baked) (Honestly, today I was in a bit of a rush, so I used a Pillsbury pre-rolled dough and baked it, and it turned out just as delicious ... therefore I'll nix the recipe for the pastry case, since it's a little labor-intensive. Plus, you can use your own shortcrust recipe if you'd like ... they're all interchangeable.)

Heat the oven to 375F and put in a baking sheet to preheat.

Make the caramelized onions: Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over low heat, stir in the onions, sprinkle with the salt and brown sugar and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until meltingly soft and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, prepare the spinach by stripping the leaves of their stalks, then rolling up the leaves and slicing them into thin strips. Then mix together the blue cheese, mascarpone and egg until fairly smooth.

Now assemble the tart. First spread the caramelized onions in an even layer over the cooled pastry, then press the spinach gently on top, and lastly pour over the mascarpone mixture. Try to spread the mascarpone mixture evenly over the tart so the spinach is well covered and does not scorch. Bake the tart until the mascarpone topping is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Scratch Bean-and-Onion Casserole

2006-01-04T22:00:00.001-05:00

Bean and Onion Casserole has been a fixture at my family's table for as long as I can remember. It's made of the sloppiest, most preservative-laden ingredients known to man -- canned string beans, canned cream of mushroom soup and canned French-fried onions -- but it's irresistable nevertheless. The real allure is the top layer of crunchy onions, which is always stealthily scooped onto plates by greedy diners, leaving only the goopy underpinnings for the unlucky few who are last to the casserole dish.

The laws of supply and demand dictate the need for more onions, in my family's case. That, along with the fact that I have recently been deemed the Mistress of Cooking from Scratch, meant I had to come up with something new this year for the family Christmas feast. So ... with just the tools in my grandma's Tampa-area condominium kitchen and my own two hands, I single-handedly (actually, double-handedly) made what may he hailed as the world's greatest Christmas feast (hailed by the 10 of us who ate it, at least).

Herb-roasted turkey and gravy
Cranberry cornbread stuffing
Garlic roasted mashed potatoes
Mashed roasted squash
Onion-buttermilk pull-apart rolls
Cranberry salad
Apple-cranberry crumble (for dessert)

... and *drumroll* ...

New and improved bean and onion casserole. Sauteed mushrooms are tossed with fresh, par-boiled green beans, covered in a monstrous pile of paper-thin onion rings. The batter on the onion rings is made with semolina flour and ground arborio rice, which makes for an insanely crunchy finish after they're fried. Piled high and majestic, they drew gasps from my family upon their unveiling, and caused many collisions in the frenzy to get seconds before the last bits disappeared.

And NO ONE was left onionless, which may be the greatest Christmas miracle of all.

Bean and Overloaded Onion Casserole
I don't have anyone to credit, although I probably learned the batter recipe from someone else sometime in my lifetime

2 pounds green beans
1 Tb olive oil
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
1 cup vegetable broth (or chicken ... my brother is a vegetarian)
Salt and pepper
(For onion rings)
2 red onions, sliced as thin as possible and separated into rings
Enough peanut oil to fill 1 1/2" high in a skillet
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
2 Tb salt
1 tsp pepper

Pop the green beans in boiling salted water until they're tender but still snappy, 8-10 minutes. Drain them while heating olive oil in a skillet for the mushrooms. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for just a few minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and juicy. Add the broth, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes. The sauce will reduce a little. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Mix together with the green beans and keep warm in the oven while you get the onion rings ready.

Grind arborio rice into a fine powder in a food processor. Combine in a bowl with semolina flour, all-purpose flour, 2 Tb salt and 1 tsp pepper.

Heat the peanut oil in the skillet until an onion ring sizzles when thrown in. Completely coat onion rings in buttermilk, then generously coat the onions in the arborio rice mixture. Fry the onions in small batches until they're crispy. Let them drain on paper towels, and pile high on the casserole dish of beans and mushrooms.

Buttermilk Onion Pull-Apart Rolls

2006-01-03T13:34:00.001-05:00

I made Onion-Buttermilk Pull-Apart Rolls as part of the gigantic Christmas feast I cooked for my family, and in that moment, they were the best thing I had ever eaten. I'm fairly sure they'll be the best thing I've ever eaten the next time I make them, too, and according to the way my family flocked around the pan like vultures when it came time for seconds, I'm confident they could make a strong push for your favorite, too.

The buttery dough is flaky and moist, and it's rolled around a layer of sweet, caramelized onions that lend a characteristic zing that's good enough to make your heart stop. No embellishment is needed, so don't even bother to get out a butter knife. Everything you could possibly want is wrapped up in the bite-sized bundles.

Buttermilk-Onion Pull-Apart Rolls
Makes about 1 dozen
Adapted from marthastewart.com

11 Tb unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks), softened, plus more for bowl, plus 5 tablespoons melted
1 envelope active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
1 Tb sugar
2 Tb warm water (105° to 110°)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 3/4 cups plus 2 Tb all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and pin
2 tsp salt
2 pounds sweet onions (1 1/2 pounds cut into 1/4-inch slices, 1/2 pound finely chopped)
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1. Butter a 9-inch cake pan using 1 tablespoon softened butter. Butter a large bowl; set aside. Stir together yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl; let mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir until dissolved. Stir in buttermilk and egg.

2. Mix 2 3/4 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Make a well in center. Pour in buttermilk mixture; mix to combine. Add 6 tablespoons softened butter; mix on medium-high speed until a soft dough forms, about 10 minutes.

3. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured work surface; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to buttered bowl. Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

4. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons softened butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; raise heat to high, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Stir in nutmeg. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let cool.

5. Punch down dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 17-by-10-inch rectangle, and brush with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Spread onions evenly over dough. Starting on 1 long side, roll dough into a log. Press seam to seal. Cut into about 12 slices, about 1 1/4 inches thick each. Arrange slices, cut sides up, in buttered pan, and brush with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 50 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Immediately invert and unmold rolls onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

Lemon Ricotta Biscuits

2005-12-23T13:46:00.002-05:00

My brother and I are about to stuff ourselves in a car full of presents and luggage and drive 20 hours to Florida ... and these just popped out of the oven! Lemon ricotta biscuits, all lemony and crunchy and delicious for the car ride.

In the car I go ...

Lemon Ricotta Biscuits
Makes 12
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar or more as needed for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1/3 cup thinly sliced almonds

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended (the batter will be thick and fluffy).

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the almonds and then the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar over the muffins. Bake until the muffins just become pale golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Orange Marmalade

2005-12-19T23:12:00.001-05:00

I turn again to jam. This time it's orange marmalade, since it's my grandma's favorite and I'll be filling her stocking with homemade jars of it this Christmas. I'm warning you: it takes hours and it takes dedication. Slicing every single orange rind into a 0.1" x 1.0" sliver is hard labor.

But it just happens to be fantastically delicious slathered all over a buttery piece of whole wheat toast.

Orange Marmalade
(Fills 4 16-oz. jars ... feel free to cut recipe, because this is a lot)

6 sweet oranges (I used Valencia)
1 lemon
10 cups water
8 cups granulated sugar (a little less if the oranges are very sweet)

Halve the lemon and squeeze out the juice to use later.

Put the oranges, lemon peels and water in the pan, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the fruit is soft when pierced with a fork -- probably about 40 minutes. Lift the fruit out and leave to cool in a shallow tray. Don't throw the water away!

Use a sharp knife (serrated is best) to quarter the peels longitudinally, and remove carefully from the flesh -- use your fingers to slip them off. Slice the peel neatly into strips about 1" by 0.1", or as thin as you can possibly cut them.

Pull the orange segments apart and slice each thinly with the serrated knife, putting the seeds in the cloth (don't be lazy about this or you'll have chunky marmalade). Do the same to the lemon. Add the flesh to the peel and keep aside in a bowl.

Tie up the seeds and boil in the water for 20 minutes. Remove and squeeze dry into the pan to extract pectin, then discard. Add the flesh and peel, and any juice or drips in the tray to the water, and the lemon juice.

Pour sugar into the water, stirring gently to dissolve. Then boil hard until it reaches setting point on the thermometer (220 ºF). Stir to disperse any foam, and leave to cool for about 15 minutes. Stir again to distribute the peel.

Bottle following the "seal and store" instructions found here.

Apple-Cranberry Crumble with Cheddar Cheese

2005-12-15T16:56:00.001-05:00

Despite my deep affection for rhubarb crumble, this recipe for Apple-Cranberry Crumble with Cheddar Cheese may have temporarily usurped it. I mean, it's a dessert and it's got cheese in it. Come on. It's tangy, it's sweet, it's salty, it's gooey, it's crunchy, it's everything. It's so beloved by my family that it was unanimously voted in as dessert for the gigantic feast I'm orchestrating on Christmas day (it won out over a pecan croque-em-bouche ring and a chocolate ganache tart, so its powers are obviously infinite).

Apple-Cranberry Crumble with Cheddar Cheese

4 large, sweet, firm apples, such as Braeburn, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 pieces (about 2 pounds)
1 pound fresh cranberries, rinsed well
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I use a little less)
1 1/2 cups grated white cheddar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, cranberries, walnuts, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and toss well to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour the fruit mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until bubbly and the apples are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 6 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Minestrone

2005-12-12T21:00:00.001-05:00

I am finally reaping the benefits of a long-awaited seven-day vacation, and of course -- of course -- I'm sick. I wake up every morning sounding like Tom Waits and I go to bed every night before the lights of the Empire State Building shut off (that's midnight, aka pathetic, to non-New Yorkers).

I decided to turn to a cure more potent than the lethal doses of Ester C and Hall's cherry cough drops I've been downing -- my mom's homemade minestrone. It's loaded with just about every vegetable under the sun, and it's a nice vicissitude from the 'toast, toast, tea and toast' diet I've been on since the pathogen influx.

It's the easiest thing in the world to make, and it's one of those things that tastes better and better every day that it sits in the fridge.

My Mom's Minestrone
(makes a gigantic pot: ~ 8-10 servings)

Saute the following 4 ingredients in a few tablespoons of olive oil until carrots can be pierced with fork:

2 cloves garlic
1 large onion chopped
3 stalks celery sliced
4 large carrots cut in thin strips

Add the following and boil gently for at least one hour:

2 heaping tablespoons dried red and green peppers
2 rounded tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes (cut in half or quarters once in pan)
6 cups water
1 box frozen chopped spinach

Add 1/3 box of tiny shells and cook for 20-25 minutes.
Add: 1 can dark red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can black eyed peas (rinsed and drained)

Cook 5 or 10 more minutes.

Christmas Cookies

2005-12-10T00:37:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm officially an adult (though a reluctant one), I realize I'm expected to send out Christmas cards to my friends. This is a problem, because I'm not a fan of sending out mass generic cards to people I already speak to every day. I've decided to instead hand-bake, package and mail out Christmas cookies. Is this a little overambitious? Yes. But will I feel guilty for treating my friends like nameless, faceless droids? No.

After finding out that my friends all have freakishly diametric tastes in cookies, I sadly deduced that I'd have to stick to a basic sugar cookie recipe to satisfy everyone. But after a pit stop at New York Cake Supplies (56 W. 22nd St. between 5th and 6th Ave.), my eyes were opened to a sugar-coated world of possibilities.

A gigantic bin of gold, silver and copper dragees caught my eye, and I snatched them up as fast as I could. I also found some edible metallic powders to dust over icing. After finding the perfect snowflake cookie cutter and some cranberry-red cellophane for packaging, I was well on my way to my apartment and my dysfunctional oven for a day of sweatshop-like labor.

I recommend using your favorite sugar cookie recipe (mine's nothing special, so I'll spare you). I did, however, use two types of frosting to decorate. For the icing, which I used as a base and dusted with metallic powder, I used a confectioners' sugar/water/lemon juice base. For the decorative and adhesive frosting with which I attached the dragees, I used a royal icing with an egg-white base. (I'll provide the frosting recipes below.)

Sugar Cookie Icing
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 Tb water
1 Tb lemon juice

Sift confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in liquids until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it's too thin, whisk in more sugar. If it's too thick, whisk in more liquid.

Royal Icing
2 large egg whites, or more to thin the icing
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more to thicken icing
Juice of 1 lemon

Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Almond Cake

2005-12-08T20:25:00.001-05:00

It's amazing how much the little things in life really matter. I recently learned how a miniscule metal arm in my hard drive has the power to turn me into a complete wreck by malfunctioning. I also learned that the tiniest blink of an eye can prematurely kill a ping-pong rally with record-shattering potential at just 2,565 consecutive shots (we were going for 3,333, so after an hour of being entranced in a flawless pattern of ponging, it was devastating when I completely whiffed shot No. 2,566).

And when making an almond cake this Christmas, don't take citrus zest for granted. It is the stuff of culinary geniuses, the nectar of the gods, the Laverne to your Shirley.

When almond cake is made correctly, it's light, aromatic, and spongelike in its capacity for soaking up whatever you pour over it. But without a key -- yet often overlooked -- ingredient, it tastes no different from cornbread. What is this secret ingredient?

It's citrus zest. It's a crucial element for the flavor of this cake, and just a small dose of it can take it from zero to 60 in a split-second. Another secret to this recipe is the incorporation of a light meringue throughout the batter to keep the cake light and airy. I cannot stress enough how simple and good this recipe is, and its versatility (you can pair it with almost anything, and it's equally delicious on its own) makes it even that much better.

Almond Cake
Serves ~10
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Feast

8 eggs
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups superfine/granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
3 cups ground almonds (I buy slivered almonds and grind them in a food processor)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan.

Separate eggs, putting the whites into a large grease-free bowl, and the yolks into a separate bowl. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff but not dry and then whisk in 1/2 cup sugar before putting them to one side.

Add the remaining cup sugar and zest to the yolks and beat until the mixture is light and airy, then beat in the ground almonds. This will be very thick and heavy, so lighten it with a good dollop of whisked egg whites before folding the rest of the whites into the mixtures. Combine well without losing air, but don't be overly cautious or there will be pockets of egg whites in the batter.

Pour into the parchment-lined pan and bake for about 40 minutes, though check at 30 as you don't want the cake to scorch. If the cake is brown enough, while still gooey in the middle, loosely cover with a sheet of foil.

Let the cake cool before removing from sides of pan and serve.

Apple Cider Ice Cream + Chocolate Applesauce Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

2005-12-06T16:33:00.002-05:00

La premiere chose: chocolate applesauce cake with apple cider glaze. This recipe is taken straight from Martha Stewart (except for a few changes in technique), and I can't think of any alterations that could possibly improve it. The cake is dense and sticky from the applesauce (I strongly recommend using homemade applesauce, which is easily made by cutting up apples and popping them in the microwave for 5-10 minutes with a tablespoon or so of water, followed by a bit of mashing), and the smooth chocolate batter is made even more chocolatey with a scattering of chocolate chips.

The cake itself would be more than sufficient on its own, but the apple cider glaze is an unexpected twist that makes the recipe to die for. The cake soaks up the glaze (I made it into more of a syrup than a glaze by not letting it cook down for quite as long) and the tartness of the apple cider cuts the sweetness of the chocolate. It couldn't be more perfect.

La deuxieme chose: apple cider ice cream. I invited my brother and his friend to my place for a spicy Mexican dinner one night, and I served this for dessert. It was cooling and creamy after the hot supper, but it was also death-defyingly delicious and unique. We tried to pinpoint exactly what it tasted like. First we guessed apple pie ... no, not that. Then we guessed applesauce ... not even close. After much guessing, an unlikely answer finally fit the bill ... it tasted like cream cheese frosting (and apple cider, of course). When my brother returned to my place two days later, he asked if I had any left over before he even made it through the door. I'd say that's a good sign.

All I did was take a basic vanilla ice cream recipe and spice it up a little. I made an apple cider reduction with some cinnamon sticks, let it cool, and added it to the mixture. I processed it in an ice cream maker, and voila. (Stick to the basic vanilla recipe that I provide, because it produces an amazingly creamy texture that no other recipe I've tried has been able to produce.)

Chocolate Applesauce Cake with Apple Cider Glaze
Makes one 9 ½-inch cake (in a Bundt pan)
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 ¼ cups superfine sugar
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce, preferably homemade
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tb confectioners’ sugar
2 Tb Calvados or brandy (optional)
Cider glaze (optional, recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9 ½-inch Bundt pan. Coat with ¼ cup superfine sugar; tap out excess sugar, and set mold aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining 2 cups superfine sugar on medium speed, scraping down sides as needed, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, and beat 2-3 minutes more. Fold in applesauce (if you use homemade, make sure to let it cool down first!), being careful not to overmix.

Into a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Fold mixture into applesauce mixture. Add chocolate pieces, Calvados and vanilla; mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a rubber spatula.

Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is springy to the touch, and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before inverting cake onto rack. Reinvert; let cool completely.

Sift confectioners’ sugar over cake. Pour cider glaze over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides.

Cider Glaze

2 cups apple cider, plus more as needed
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 lemons

Combine cider and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Skim surface, removing any cider sediment that rises to top. Reduce heat; simmer until liquid begins to thicken into a glaze, about 30 minutes.

Remove cider glaze from heat; let stand until cool enough to touch.

Return to low heat and allow to reduce until ¾ cup. Whisk remaining 3 cups confectioners’ sugar into glaze. Remove from heat. If glaze is too thin, let it cool slightly. If it is too thick, add a little more cider. Use immediately.

Apple Cider Ice Cream
Makes about 1 1/2 quarts
Loosely adapted from Gourmet (Sept. 1998)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 Tb vanilla extract)
1/2 quart apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks (more or less to taste)

Simmer apple cider and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan until reduced into a syrup, 1-2 hours.

Combine cream and milk in a heavy saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes.

Slowly add cooled custard mixture to pan of apple cider reduction, whisking constantly. Cook mixture over very low heat, whisking, until completely dissolved and mixture is hot. Remove from heat.

Whisk together yolks, sugar and salt in a medium metal bowl. Add custard/reduction mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, sitrring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 F on a thermometer; do not let boil.

Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into cleaned metal bowl and stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Beware the tamarillo!

2005-11-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

The purpose of this blog is to share with you, dear readers, recipes that I love. If just one person makes a batch of cookies or a bowl of stew from my site that warms them through and through with deliciousness and a sense of accomplishment, then I've done my good deed for the day and I'm happy. I don't do many good deeds otherwise, so I'm banking on this for good karma.

What I'm aiming for here is an edited-down, sugar-coated portrayal of the goings-on in my kitchen. If you've ever seen Oprah off-air, walking her dog in sweats and armed with a pooper scooper, you'll understand where I'm coming from. No one wants to see that Oprah. We want to see polished, waist-cinched, shiny-haired TV Oprah, giving away cars and getting ottoman advice from Nate Berkus.

For that reason, I never write about failed recipes. Trust me, there are many, but you don't want to hear tales of underdone chicken or look at photos of charred curry burned to the bottom of a pot. Those blunders are a dark secret between me and my stovetop, and you should never have to know about them.

I do feel a deep responsibility, however, to protect you from making the same mistakes I do. Because of that, I feel obligated to warn you about a new nemesis of mine:

The tamarillo.

I picked up two tamarillos -- one of the red variety, one of the gold variety -- in the market, knowing nothing about them but feeling bold enough to try them. I did a little research and found out they're relatives of the tomato, but they're to be eaten as a fruit, with ice cream and in salsas.

I cut them open one at a time -- gold first, red second. Such breathtaking beauty! The bright orange fruit of the gold tamarillo is reminiscent of an orange plum tomato -- the skin is thin, and small orange seeds are held in a gooey center, which is surrounded by tender and fleshy fruit. Its scent is something of a cross between a kiwi and a mango, which seems very promising. The red variety is the same, except for the colors -- the seeds are black and the fruit is a brilliant peachy hue. It smells like a passion fruit. So ... I bite into each ...

Not so good. They both taste like a tomato at first, but slightly bitter. The seeds are crunchy and get in the way of the whole "tasting experience." And then comes the big problem: the aftertaste. An overwhelming flavor, vile and pungent, floods over me and a sudden realization hits me:

IT TASTES LIKE SOAP.

Because of the unpleasant memories I now associate with the tamarillo, I wouldn't care to speak of this any further. BUT ... if anyone out there is brilliant enough to have found a recipe or magic spell that can turn the tamarillo into something enjoyable, please, by all means, share your knowledge with the rest of us who have been shunned by this deceiving fruit.

Chocolate Cloud Cake

2005-11-07T20:35:00.001-05:00

Nigella Lawson has once again come to my rescue. Flavored with the darkest chocolate and aromatic orange zest, the sunken flourless cake has the appearance of a brownie but the weight of a feather. Light and fluffy around the edges but dense and fudge-like in the middle, it's both delicate and rich at the same time. A cloud-like swoon of whipped cream fills the sunken void -- and whatever other voids you may have.

Chocolate Cloud Cake
(serves 8)
From Nigella Lawson's How to Eat

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
3/4 cup superfine (or granulated) sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
9-inch springform cake pan

For the cream topping:
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of the cake pan with baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of the sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture and orange zest. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but are not too stiff. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly.

Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools. When you are ready to eat, place the still pan-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from its pan. Whip the cream until it's soft and then add the vanilla and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff. Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder pushed through a tea-strainer.

Apple Crostata

2005-11-04T15:12:00.001-05:00

Before I begin, let me introduce you to a species of humans I like to call "Crust People."

Crust People (n. pl.)
1. Picky eaters who remove toppings and fillings from dough-based foods (i.e. pizza, pies, etc.) in order to exclusively consume the crust.
2. Pizza Hut's target sales demographic (i.e. fans of stuffed crust pizza, twisted crust pizza, etc.).

Crust People strip food of its flavor and pulchritude, and I have never understood them. How can you just pull the cheese off a slice of pizza? Cheese, in all its creamy, pungent glory, does not deserve to be ignored. No one puts cheese in a corner.

One of the world's most distinguished Crust People happens to be a friend of mine. Despite being one of the loudest people I know, she has no appreciation for volume. She eats as little as possible, and always leaves a considerable amount of rejected matter on her plate at the end of a meal. Whenever she eats my apple pie, a pile of apples the size of Mount Kilimanjaro is left for the garbage, and I fume. "If only you left out the apples," she says, "it'd be perfect." And then I fume some more, wondering why she's eating my food in the first place.

Enter apple crostata. Apple pie sans apples (for the most part). A crunchy, flaky palette of crust dominates the thinnest layer of baked apples, which nearly disintegrate into the crust for a delicate, Crust Person-approved creation.

Apple Crostata
(serves 6)

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
2 small Golden Delicious apples, peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 Pippin apple, peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 large egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon of water (for egg wash)

To make the crust: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice water and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. (If the dough still crumbles and does not form into a ball, add another tablespoon of ice water.) Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

For the filling: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the apples, 1/4 cup of sugar, and lemon juice in large bowl; toss gently to blend. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour and roll out the dough on the paper to an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough on the parchment paper to a heavy large baking sheet. Spoon the apple mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, leaving the apples exposed in the center. Pleat loosely and pinch the dough to seal any cracks. Brush the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake the crostata until the crust is golden and the apples are tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack; cool for 10 minutes. Slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the crostata from the baking sheet. Cool the crostata to lukewarm and serve.

Candy Apples

2005-10-30T18:12:00.001-05:00

My childhood memories are dominated by food. I can hardly remember days spent with my friends, birthday parties, or the fact that I was apparently afraid of men with glasses for several years, but I can distinctly remember a trip on my sixth birthday to a place called Johnny's in Port St. Lucie, Fla., that had the best lemon meringue pie I've ever had. I can also remember that my brother Rob always asked for Nestle Tollhouse pie for his birthdays, that my brother Jeff asked for barbecued spare ribs and cheesecake for his, and that my friend Lisa had a great obsession with dipping her French fries in cardboard cups full of mayonnaise at the school cafeteria, proceeding to lick the cups empty when she ran out of fries.

So, every time I come home to upstate New York in the fall, I have a strong urge for a candy apple. Not an autumn went by during my childhood that I didn't bite into one, nearly cracking my front teeth and ending up with a red-stained chin.

On my latest trip home, my desire for a candy apple was so strong that I nearly succumbed to the temptation of buying a pre-packaged candy apple mix at the local Great American. But then I imagined the lack of blog-ability that would entail, so I made them from scratch.

Candy Apples
(makes 6 medium-sized apples)
(from Martha Stewart)

Waxed paper
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
6 medium apples

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper, and set aside. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, 3/4 cup water, corn syrup, and food coloring, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-high. Boil until it reaches a hard crack stage and is very thick, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, insert a wooden stick into the top of each apple, pushing about halfway through; set aside. When mixture reaches temperature, immediately remove from heat. Working quickly, dip apples in sugar mixture until completely coated. Transfer to prepared baking sheet; allow to cool.

Baci di Ricotta

2005-10-29T19:00:00.001-04:00

There exists a fried food so delicate, so light, so golden and so airy, that one would think it were fried in pixie dust. It's called Baci di Ricotta, which, in Italian, means ricotta kisses.

Tiny dollops of cinnamon-sugar spiced batter puff up into bite-sized bits of goodness, similar in flavor to a doughnut hole but lighter and creamier in texture inside, thanks to ricotta cheese. The outside, golden and crunchy, is especially perfect with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Serve them warm, and prepare to weep.

Baci di Ricotta
(makes ~25)
(recipe from Nigella Lawson's Feast)

1 cup ricotta
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta and eggs, and mix until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. Mix again to make a smooth batter.

2. Fill a wide, shallow skillet with about 3/8 inch of oil. Place over medium-high heat until a bit of batter sizzles when dropped in. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter into pan, 5 or 6 at a time. When batter puffs and undersides turn golden brown, after about 1 minute, flip kisses and allow to brown again for about 1 more minute. Transfer browned kisses to paper towels to drain, and continue until all batter is used.

3. Pile into a rough pyramid on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Herbed Pasta with Squash

2005-10-11T22:42:00.001-04:00

Some days are just inexorably bad, no matter how many good things are factored into the day.

This morning I slept in, woke up to a room filled with roses and the scent of cupcakes (which I ate for breakfast), strolled through the West Village and dreamily ogled the brownstones I someday hope to live in, took out cookbooks from the library, went for a long run by the Hudson, wrote a song on the piano and watched myriad episodes of Gilmore Girls.

On a normal day, any one of those activities would be enough to send me into hyperbolic bliss. But today was one of those gloomy days. I'm going nowhere in life. I'm out of options. I can't afford that pair of shoes that I want, even though they're on sale. My rent is way too expensive. The Yankees are losers. It's raining. I am going to turn into an old lady with cats, and I don't even like cats.

A spicy squash pasta dish came to my rescue and temporarily made me forget about my future felines. The squash is roasted to a soft, sweet mash and warmed through with herbs in a saute pan until all the flavors are infused. The hollow perciatelli provide a slippery, slurpy contrast to the sticky squash and a generous dollop (or three) of ricotta lends a creamy, cooling, and essential note to the recipe.

After I ate this, I started seeing dogs in my future instead of cats. Much better.

Herbed Perciatelli with Roasted Squash and Ricotta
(serves 4-6)
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

2 lbs. autumn squash (butternut, calabaza, sugar pumpkin)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh sage
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 lb. perciatelli or bucatini
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut squash into medium-size chunks. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes. Flip squash, bake until very tender, 40-50 minutes more. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, a large pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon each thyme, sage and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add squash; cook, stirring and mashing with a fork, until heated through.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add pasta; cook until al dente (about 11 minutes for perciatelli). Drain well.

4. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cooked pasta, parsley, and remaining thyme, sage and rosemary. Season with salt. Toss to combine; cook until heated through.

5. Divide pasta evenly among serving bowls. Top with squash mixture and ricotta, dividing evenly. Serve with Parmesan.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade and Grape Jam

2005-10-06T00:15:00.001-04:00

And so it has come to be ... October has arrived. With the changing of leaves into shades of ruby and persimmon come the inevitable breakouts of hives and fits of savage anger that come with postseason baseball.

Every time Alex Rodriguez bobbles a ground ball or gets thrown out making an ill-advised stolen base attempt (he committed both such crimes several minutes ago), a certain rage boils up within me. For I, in truth, have invested far too much of my life in this franchise and this sport to see my favorite team choke when it counts.

(For those of you who don't know my life story, you'll have to trust me on this one.)

So at times like this, when my nerves are as thin as Joe Torre's hair, I need a distraction. And why not let that distraction be jam? So here goes Jam Experiment Part II: ALDS Style.

1. Meyer lemon marmalade. Meyer lemons have achieved cult status for their juicy, flavorful pulp and incomparable scent. Their pulp has a higher sugar content than regular lemons, with just the right amount of acidity to balance the sweetness.

2. Concord grape jam. This is the most delicious grape jam I've ever had. It may seem like a lot of extra, unnecessary work to peel each and every grape by hand, but it is indeed necessary to achieve the proper result. Plus, peeling the grapes is an excellent distraction when Gary Sheffield makes flailing, one-handed basket catches with the bases loaded and two outs in a tie game.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade
(fills one 8 oz. jar)
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

3/4 lb. Meyer lemons
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Equipment: Cheesecloth, kitchen string

Halve lemons crosswise and remove seeds, reserving them (they provide pectin). Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Quarter each lemon half and thinly slice crosswise. Combine lemons with bag of seeds and water in pot and let stand, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours.

Sterilize jars and lids and wash screw bands. Chill two small plates for testing marmalade.

REMOVE CHEESECLOTH FROM LIQUID (I forgot and frantically searched for it after I began cooking the jam.) Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 cups, 20 minutes.

If you don't like the bits of rind in your marmalade (I don't), take a hand blender and quickly work it through the mixture to break up the rind.

Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until marmalade tests done, about 15 minutes. Begin testing for doneness at 10 minutes; remove pot from heat while testing. Drop a spoonful of marmalade onto a chilled plate and refrigerate for 1 minute, then tilt plate; marmalade should remain in a mound and not run.

Ladle hot marmalade into jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at top. Seal and store jars using instructions in Raspberry Jam recipe.

Concord Grape Jam
(fills one 16 oz. jar)
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

2 lb. Concord grapes, stemmed
2 cups sugar
1 Tb fresh lemon juice

Equipment: Food mill

Sterilize jars and chill two plates for testing.

Slip skins from grapes, reserving skins in separate bowl. Puree skins with 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor, then transfer to pot. Stir in lemon juice, grapes and remaining sugar and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Boil, stirring frequently and skimming off foam, for 20 minutes.

Force jam through food mill into a large bowl; discard seeds and solids. Return jam to pot and cook at a slow boil, skimming off foam occasionally and stirring frequently to prevent scorching as jam thickens, until jam tests done, about 30 minutes. Test for doneness. When done, remove from pot and ladle into jars. Seal and store using instructions from Raspberry Jam recipe.

Raspberry Jam

2005-10-02T01:24:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I'm just plain grossed out by the ingredients on a jar of jam. So instead of just griping about it, I decided to do something. I'm taking a stand against potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate!

I found an extremely easy jam recipe that took a minimal amount of effort and only three ingredients. I made it while simultaneously watching a rerun of Gilmore Girls and talking on the phone, so it clearly does not take a professional jamstress to make this delicious concoction.

So gather up some berries and make like your name is Gertrude. Follow my lead and don't fall into the black hole of buying $3 jars of Welch's. Repeat after me: I can make jam. I will make jam.

Raspberry Jam you want to eat
(makes 16 oz. of jam ... adjust amounts accordingly to alter output)
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook and The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea

1 lb. fresh raspberries
1 cup sugar
Juice from 1 lemon

Equipment: canning jars with lids and screw bands

Toss raspberries with sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 1 1/2 hours (it will look like the photo directly above).

Sterilize jars and lids and wash screw bands in boiling water. Let dry completely.

Chill a small plate in the freezer (for testing jam later). Transfer raspberry mixture (sugar will not be completely dissolved) to a pot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Boil, stirring frequently and skimming off foam, for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and cook at a slow boil, skimming occasionally and stirring frequently to prevent scorching as jam thickens, until jam tests done.

To test: Drop a small spoonful of jam on a chilled plate and refrigerate for one minute. Tilt plate. Jam should remain in a mound and not run. If it's runny, continue boiling until it tests out OK.

When jam is done, ladle it into jars, leaving only 1/4" space from the top. Place tops on jars.

To seal and store:
a) If jar is not full, allow jar to cool down and refrigerate immediately.

b) If jar is full, place in a pot on the stove. Fill water 2" high and boil for 10 minutes. Remove jar from water and allow to cool for 12-24 hours. The top of the jar should make a popping noise (either immediately after removal to several hours later), indicating the lid has concaved and sealed. If it doesn't pop, boil the jar again and repeat the process. Press the center of the lid to check that it's concave, then remove the screw band and try to lift off the lid with your fingertips. If you can't, the lid has a good seal. Replace the screw band and store jars in a cool, dark, dry place.

Voila. Jam. Your apartment/house/palace will smell good enough to eat.

Gruyere Straws

2005-10-01T16:36:00.001-04:00

I have long lusted for the cheese straws lingering temptingly on the countertop at Sarabeth's bakery downstairs from my office, but I have never taken the plunge. By the time I've spent $7 on an avocado sandwich, I've already got buyer's remorse.

So instead, I'm taking a cue from Ina Garten and I'm making them myself. By a stroke of extraordinary luck, I found a recipe for cheese straws in her cookbook, Barefoot in Paris. They came out flaky and doughy, infused with a delicate balance of parmesan, gruyere and thyme twisting up each piece like a vine (more bluntly, they taste like a puffier version of goldfish crackers).

These are meant to stimulate your appetite for dinner, not to ruin it. But I dare you to eat just one.

Cheese Straws
Makes 22-24 straws

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
1 extra-large egg
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup finely grated gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly flour board until it's about 10 x 12 inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1/4 cup of the parmesan, 1/2 cup of the gruyere, 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some pepper. With the rolling pin or your hands, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 stripes. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes (the underside will be darker). Don't overbake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature (although I prefer them slightly warm).

Oatmeal Cookies

2005-09-13T15:46:00.001-04:00

I have never been able to bake cookies without waging some sort of war with my oven. I am convinced my oven hates me. It takes about 10 minutes to turn on, it never heats up to the temperature I tell it to, and sometimes, out of nowhere, it just decides it wants to turn off.

I'm a cookie snob. For me to eat a cookie, it has to be just the way I like it -- soft, chewy, browned on top, crispy on the bottom and NOT the least bit cake-like. A fickle oven means life or death for cookies -- there is no margin of error for these little guys, whereas a cake or a pie can survive a temperature crisis. So I only bake cookies when absolutely necessary, and when I have enough time to plant myself firmly on the ground in front of my oven with my ear pressed to its door, making sure I hear signs of life.

Not many people are worthy of this dedication, but my friend Jimmy requested cookies. Jimmy was my saving grace for two years while interning at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He danced to Charlie Brown and fell in love with my mom, so for that I owe him cookies.

I sent two variations -- the first was my standard chocolate chip recipe. I'm not including the recipe here because it's a waste of time -- just use the Tollhouse recipe and double the amount of salt to make my version. The extra salt really makes an amazing difference, making them taste almost peanut-buttery.

The other kind I sent Jimmy was the most decadent oatmeal cookie recipe I own. For those of you afraid of dry, mealy, hippie oatmeal cookies, relax. These are brown-sugary and lick-your-fingers good, and the icing on top almost makes you forget there's anything healthy in them.

Best Oatmeal Cookies
For the cookies (makes about 12 very large cookies):
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 3/4 cups quick-cook oats

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Stir (or gently beat, if using a stand mixer) the flour mixture into the butter mixture until smooth. Stir (or gently beat) in the oats. Do not overmix.Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two cookie sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats. Use a large ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup bowl-shaped measuring scoop to pack the dough into generous domes. Place the domes on one of the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart (roughly 8 cookies per sheet). Return the bowl of dough to the refrigerator. Bake the cookies until they are lightly browned all over and set, about 12 minutes; rotate the sheet halfway through for even browning. Remove the finished sheet to a rack, and let the cookies rest for about 20 minutes, until cool and firm. Transfer them to a rack to cool. Repeat the baking process with the remaining dough, one sheet at a time, remembering to keep the dough chilled between batches.

For the Brown Butter Icing (more than enough to ice the above cookies):
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-2 1/2 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in sifted powdered sugar and vanilla. Don't be afraid if it looks scarily thick ... Stir in enough water to make an icing of drizzling consistency and whisk until smooth. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Frosting

2005-09-05T23:15:00.001-04:00

I am a comfort food junkie if there ever was one. While the rest of the world functions on bars and beers on Saturday nights, I'm perfectly content to hunker down in my apartment with a good tennis match on TV, a cold glass of skim milk in one hand and a warm banana muffin in the other.

I have eaten a lot of food in my lifetime, and these muffins are possibly one of the best things I have ever tasted. The process of making them feels so gritty and organic -- from mashing the bananas to toasting walnuts in their own natural oils to whipping up the simplest frosting you'll ever make -- that you'll feel completely justified when you can't help yourself from eating them all in one sitting.

I know, I know -- they look like cupcakes. But they are far, far better. They're only wearing a cupcake's hat. And they're superior to a cupcake, in that you're allowed to eat them for breakfast.

The tangy sweetness of the bananas, counterbalanced by a tinge of spicy nutmeg and cinnamon, lends an intangible moistness to the batter that is matched by nothing else. And the uh, icing on the cake, is an Italian take on cream cheese frosting, sweet and gooey with a hint of tartness from mascarpone cheese. Topped with the light crunch of toasted walnuts, these will be first on my list should I ever end up on death row (if that happens, it will likely be because I committed homocide for a banana muffin).

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting
(yields 18-24)

Muffins: (important to follow measurements precisely, except for spices)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (1/2 tsp if you like nutmeg, but I err on the side of caution)
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (do NOT use olive oil -- it will overpower the flavor of the bananas)
3 large eggs
1 Tb vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 Tb (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 Tb honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

To frost the cupcakes:
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and then beat in the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

Napoleons

2005-08-29T01:14:00.001-04:00

This is the Napoleon that I made for my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary earlier this month. It was oozing with pastry cream, flaky with buttery layers of pastry and glossy with dark, 70% chocolate on its top layer. In France it's known as "milles feuilles" (thousands of layers), and it's easy to see why. With that said, it looks quite precarious to assemble -- but if I can do it, well ... let's just say I've fallen down a lot of stairs, but I still managed to survive this culinary feat unfettered.

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the Napoleon is its golden, flaky layers of puff pastry. And while my recipe calls for made-from-scratch dough, I opted to cheat and go the Pepperidge Farm route because frankly, I expect these things to be gulped down in a maniacal frenzy, during which no one will notice the difference. The recipe, by the way, is adapted from Martha Stewart (Martha knows how to whip up a pate brisee that's lighter than air. The woman defies laws of chemistry and physics).

Also somewhat terrifying -- to me, at least -- is the idea of pastry cream. Putting milk on the stove (or eggs, for that matter) petrifies me. Visions of bitter, burning milk and curdling eggs give me stage fright in the kitchen, and this recipe combines hot milk and eggs. Gasp. But I did it -- no curdling or burning -- so apparently this recipe isn't too picky.

The recipe was well-received, to say the least. My parents invited our 70-something-year-old neighbor couple over to partake in the gluttony, and although I was afraid the Napoleon might jam the arteries of Mr. Neighbor, who had just recently had a quadruple bypass, he consumed it happily and lived to see the next morning. I count not killing him as one of my greatest successes.

This was an anniversary gift for my parents for two reasons. 1. My dad, under the constant watch of Adolph Eichmann (aka my mom), is on a strict low-cholesterol diet and never gets the pleasure of eating anything that's not made out of cardboard-like substances. 2. My mom is a chocoholic, perhaps the most diseased there is. She's now out-of-the-closet (she admits she used to stash gigantic bags of M&Ms in the freezer that she'd eat while my brothers and I were at school all day, which is why she was never hungry for dinner), so she begs me to make chocolatey confections for her any chance she gets. Her favorite is my chocolate cheesecake, which is silky and fudgesicle-like in texture, but mild in taste like a big frothy class of chocolate milk. I will later divulge the recipe. This is making me hungry. Anyway ...

She had been expressing her disappointment in bakery-made Napoleons for years -- they always seem to be filled with a sicky-sweet, lardy whipped cream filling instead of the smooth, vanilla custard of pastry cream. So ... thanks to Martha and a little tweaking by moi, here is the recipe that made her day. And the one that didn't kill my neighbor.

(But first a little history, thanks to my culinary dictionary. Napoleon:(1) It is believed to have been developed in France during the latter part of the 19th century. The Danish people have been told for generations that a Danish royal pastry chef invented the dessert way back in the 1800s on the occasion of a state visit between the Emperor Napoleon and the King of Denmark, in Copenhagen. Some sources believe that the chocolate lines on the pastry appear to form the letter "N" for Napoleon. (2) A final story or tale is that the dessert was really a French invention after all, and that it was Napoleon's favorite pastry. It is said that he ate so many of them on the eve of Waterloo that he lost the battle.)

Napoleon

(yields two rectangular bars, serves 8-10)

All-purpose flour, for work surface
1 3/4 pounds Puff Pastry dough (two sheets of pre-made dough)
Pastry Cream (recipe below)
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces the darkest chocolate you can find, coarsely chopped (~1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon corn syrup
1/4 ounce white chocolate, coarsely chopped (~1 Tb)

Make puff pastry strips: Lightly flour a clean work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out dough into a 16-by-18-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to press too hard around the edges. Using a rolling pin, roll rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to press too hard around the edges. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut rectangle crosswise into thirds, with each strip 6-by-16 inches. Transfer to a baking sheet; prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Transfer baking sheet to oven; bake until strips are puffed and golden all over, about 14 minutes. Set a baking sheet directly on pastry strips, and continue baking until pastry is cooked through and well browned, about 6 minutes. Remove top baking sheet; bake 4 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, trim each to 4 1/4 by 12 inches.
Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Place dark chocolate in a bowl, and pour hot cream over the chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is combined. Whisk in corn syrup. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl (this part does make a difference, so don't skip the straining).
Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until chocolate is melted; remove from heat. Let cool. (Honestly, I used a microwave)
Using an offset spatula, spread dark chocolate glaze over one side of the flattest puff pastry strip, making sure to coat the entire surface. Place white chocolate in a piping cone (I just put it in a plastic ziplock baggy and cut a tiny hole in the corner to use as a tip). Pipe thin lines 3/4 inch apart across the width of the chocolate-coated strip. To create the distinctive flourish, gently drag the tip of a paring knife lengthwise through both coatings, in lines perpendicular to the white chocolate lines. Begin at one of the short ends, and make each line 3/4 inch apart. Alternate the direction each time.
Place one of the unglazed puff pastry strips on a serving tray. Spread half the pastry cream over the top, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Top with remaining unglazed pastry strip; press down gently, and repeat with remaining pastry cream. Top with glazed pastry strip. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes uncovered. Using a long serrated knife, cut into 4-5 pieces, and serve. (Keep scrolling down for pastry cream recipe)

Pastry Cream
(Be sure to make the pastry cream the same day you plan to use it; otherwise it might become thin and runny)

1/4 cup plus 1 Tb cornstarch
1/4 cup plus 1 Tb all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
4 cups milk
2 Tb chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Prepare an ice bath, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt; stir to mix. In another medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and whisk to combine.
In a medium saucepan, combine milk and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; whisking constantly, slowly pour into egg mixture.
Transfer mixture to a clean saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a large heat-proof bowl. Whisk in butter and vanilla; set bowl in ice bath, stirring occasionally, until completely chilled, 10-12 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.