tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16194698538803457392024-03-13T13:10:21.746-04:00Vanilla BasilAdventures in the Kitchenuna donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-24596583772540607642011-09-20T22:09:00.002-04:002011-09-20T22:16:26.169-04:00What Does Fall Taste Like? Salted Caramel Apple PieApples & Caramel. Yes! Salt & Caramel. Yes! So why not all 3? Have you been apple picking yet? You should go. Right now. It's not the best thing Bobby Flay ever ate for no reason. Just sayin.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC9d3-yudZBhciVjwfBKtW0kAoFhVqVqi7sa_3IzpYSrXZhHiHJPFW_xu9-rzQgGFTP1BlaAoIujikk-2fdZK1mWFpy-zKDOQMcpk00JsYwWXltr6Sy-W775YcvMNJN93il1O00Vh7Ytb/s1600/Food_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIC9d3-yudZBhciVjwfBKtW0kAoFhVqVqi7sa_3IzpYSrXZhHiHJPFW_xu9-rzQgGFTP1BlaAoIujikk-2fdZK1mWFpy-zKDOQMcpk00JsYwWXltr6Sy-W775YcvMNJN93il1O00Vh7Ytb/s640/Food_10.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Salted Caramel Apple Pie</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Modified from the <a href="http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/four-and-twenty-blackbirds-salted-caramel-apple-pie-recipe/index.html">Four and Twenty Blackbirds Version</a> seen on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6rdrxNabuF4B5NpvIwKkhXVELTcGt9-K1za_SWh6nPpja3Zex7mvY9jlsccDarm4DVhwfEmbp1Afo6moZ4IdyEWeOixC7PL_FDvTTZDwoUrq3H4lMGmomixZ0rqRWZ54WZIX45aHQfUo/s1600/Food_20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6rdrxNabuF4B5NpvIwKkhXVELTcGt9-K1za_SWh6nPpja3Zex7mvY9jlsccDarm4DVhwfEmbp1Afo6moZ4IdyEWeOixC7PL_FDvTTZDwoUrq3H4lMGmomixZ0rqRWZ54WZIX45aHQfUo/s640/Food_20.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div><br />
1 recipe of double crust all butter flaky pie crust - I'm partial to <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/07/flavor-of-summer.html">this one</a><br />
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (if you use the bottled kind I won't tell!)<br />
2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(I didn't have this so I used spiced rum. Not really the same idea but still good)</span><br />
6-8 medium sized apples, cored and peeled - preferably courtland, granny smith and/or macintosh<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
2 Tbsp flour<br />
1/2 tsp Saigon cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp allspice<br />
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg<br />
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice<br />
1/4 tsp ground ginger<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">salted caramel - recipe follows</span></span><br />
1 beaten egg<br />
raw or castor sugar<br />
1 tsp Fleur de Sel<br />
<br />
Line a pie plate with the prepared bottom crust. If you like, cut the top into a lattice, or just leave as a single piece. Place in fridge to rest while making the pie.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice apples thin. A food processor fitted with a slicing blade works perfectly! Toss in lemon juice & bitters.<br />
<br />
Mix sugar, flour and spices together and sift over apples. Toss to distribute evenly.<br />
<br />
Pack 1/3 of apples into prepared crust. Brush with 1/3 of the caramel sauce. Repeat. Top with the final 1/3 of apples. Cover with crust and crimp to seal edges. Brush crust with a thin layer of caramel and egg wash. Reserve remaining caramel for serving. Sprinkle with castor sugar and salt.<br />
<br />
Place pie plate on a sheet pan with sides to prevent the caramel from bubbling over onto the bottom of your over. Bake for 20 minutes on the bottom rack, then reduce the heat to 350 for another 20-30 minutes.<br />
<br />
When golden, bubbly and the apples are just cooked though, remove and let cool. Serve with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sn6M7EfWxFreh8JoLxFawi6anon8wMvyWW9R0zrGOpVZ67k7rLz2Ta92kSCevUmu54ASGtCU1hoi50SGpmhnd8bSQXcKPK1VyurpEzzydIU9mMXLpftFNfRib-OYWVLK0dUDPNNkY5Yo/s1600/Food_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sn6M7EfWxFreh8JoLxFawi6anon8wMvyWW9R0zrGOpVZ67k7rLz2Ta92kSCevUmu54ASGtCU1hoi50SGpmhnd8bSQXcKPK1VyurpEzzydIU9mMXLpftFNfRib-OYWVLK0dUDPNNkY5Yo/s400/Food_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Salted Caramel Sauce</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">fantastic over ice cream or bread pudding</div>1 cup sugar<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)<br />
1/2 cup heavy cream<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/2 tsp sea salt<br />
<br />
Cook the sugar & water together in a tall, heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add butter and bring to a slow boil. Let this happily bubble away until its a deep copper color (Watch it so it doesn't burn! Wisps of smoke mean it's time to start over). <br />
<br />
As soon as you get that lovely roasty toasty brown, remove from heat and add cream and vanilla. Watch it boil up like a witches brew then continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Stir in salt. Let cool.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHquRg1s2gVdHZPLccqRCWMI7S5lMM9CDL4z3mDE2Y2wVVAOgCbMb0Q2JqBsWTGXEpQ1jCf5xdua3BIls7b7GRONqti8XLm6D8sQ2rRLz-oeN7_fw1EJHi_pGsSxQ9fh495mJIrU0fu4JC/s1600/Food_22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHquRg1s2gVdHZPLccqRCWMI7S5lMM9CDL4z3mDE2Y2wVVAOgCbMb0Q2JqBsWTGXEpQ1jCf5xdua3BIls7b7GRONqti8XLm6D8sQ2rRLz-oeN7_fw1EJHi_pGsSxQ9fh495mJIrU0fu4JC/s400/Food_22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-31294089232316028952011-07-31T21:29:00.000-04:002011-07-31T21:29:36.283-04:00Fear Factor - Phobia V: Tacos de Lengua<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WECp2J7s-hsUGaHvcPj4waOuXocrdYDocVfKl1FmWGsZixD7V2dKXK9Z-PL57naDm40XMpkcSXtobyZ4Yy6A7NpaGBnxk45oxIqzTO4Y5blHCbabpeoAIugc5oHZZrLoOMq11HjHz-1j/s1600/Food_1718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WECp2J7s-hsUGaHvcPj4waOuXocrdYDocVfKl1FmWGsZixD7V2dKXK9Z-PL57naDm40XMpkcSXtobyZ4Yy6A7NpaGBnxk45oxIqzTO4Y5blHCbabpeoAIugc5oHZZrLoOMq11HjHz-1j/s640/Food_1718.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Before you turn to your Spanish dictionary for confirmation, yes, these tacos are made from beef tongue. Please don't run away kicking and screaming, you'll really be missing out!<br />
<br />
I pride myself on not being a picky eater. That being said, I have never really eaten or cooked any sort of offal - "the nasty bits" as Anthony Bourdain would say, nose-to-tail, the organs that often get discarded. To be honest, I'm afraid. Very afraid. The smell of liver and onions that would permeate our house once a year as a child still gives me nightmares. I don't like pate, foie gras or any other "delicacy" made from those other cuts. <br />
<br />
But I do want to try new things, grow some cajones, conquer my fears and explore different cultures. Traditionally (and in many places even today), meat was very expensive and these were often the only cuts the average person could afford. They learned how to cook them well, make them delicious, and many of our favorite dishes today were the result of such ingenuity.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jF-f97auVQTyMvCY_JXz0ehXAWnUhFhB3W35t9JtVDB_JRT4XkICVBhyZ-eFvplG2WeFU3r1BTG0e-ZZE2pSN6Kgo-XCaf5N09sN5UEYp331kCKJLlx6GI7syFsLS-HOIXk2xQVOe8Oj/s1600/Food_1710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jF-f97auVQTyMvCY_JXz0ehXAWnUhFhB3W35t9JtVDB_JRT4XkICVBhyZ-eFvplG2WeFU3r1BTG0e-ZZE2pSN6Kgo-XCaf5N09sN5UEYp331kCKJLlx6GI7syFsLS-HOIXk2xQVOe8Oj/s640/Food_1710.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I figured that the best place to start my foray into this whole new world was with a cut that was still a muscle, just like the steak harvested from other parts of the cow. I'd heard good things about beef tongue from everyone who'd tried it and it's almost a religious experience for taco truck obsessives. So when a sign posted at Springfield Farm alerted me to FREE beef tongue (along with livers, kidneys and other, scarier meats), I figured why not. After all, if I didn't like it I could throw it away without the guilt. My philosophy always when trying something new is not to vary too much from the classic preparation. Therefore, I set out to make some beef tongue tacos.<br />
<br />
And I have to say, I'm so glad I did. Cleaning the tongue was the hardest part, with a bit of an ick factor, because there's no doubt what you're dealing with. Most recipes call for boiling the tongue, then peeling back the skin, but I chose to cut the skin off first so that I could sear and braise the meat. Although this was a bit more difficult then cooking it first, I think it allowed me to develop more flavor and quickly disguise the cut for the squeamish. Once braised in a tomato and chile based sauce, it was tender and super flavorful, the essence of what a beef taco should be. At this point, it looked and felt just like pot roast, not scary at all. If you're on the fence, do give it a try. Sandwiched in a corn tortilla with fresh salsa and sharp cheddar, I honestly think these might be the best tacos I've ever had.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tacos de Lengua (Braised Beef Tongue Tacos)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDQXzmAcINykwgJk9eqFhyVs6xYJ19h0zsD59nhxSzlLlAk7jahC6U6SGl7sgO9Ym-bJB1Az9iL0mJW2SJXIWPbbDJuKl2j9e0ABUjVUgkyyDcThcu9PImpuSZEDeGTRf5NdmXt3DgaWE/s1600/Food_1711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDQXzmAcINykwgJk9eqFhyVs6xYJ19h0zsD59nhxSzlLlAk7jahC6U6SGl7sgO9Ym-bJB1Az9iL0mJW2SJXIWPbbDJuKl2j9e0ABUjVUgkyyDcThcu9PImpuSZEDeGTRf5NdmXt3DgaWE/s640/Food_1711.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<i>Note: this makes WAY more sauce then you will use for the amount of meat, but it is necessary to properly braise the meat. The extra freezes well and is a great enchilada sauce or base for a mexican soup or chili.</i><br />
<br />
1 3-4 lb. beef tongue<br />
1 quart tomatoes (alternatively substitute canned stewed tomatoes and skip the skinning step)<br />
<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)<br />
spice rub of your choice<br />
1 large onion<br />
1 chipotle in adobo, minced<br />
2 Tbsp tomato paste<br />
2 tsp chile powder<br />
2 tsp garlic powder<br />
2 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 tsp ancho chile powder<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
1 cup red wine<br />
3-4 cups beef stock<br />
<br />
1 tsp olive oil<br />
6 inch corn tortillas<br />
grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar<br />
fresh (preferably homemade) salsa<br />
other toppings of your choice (ex: sour cream, guacamole, radish, shredded carrots or lettuce, avocado, etc)<br />
<br />
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Slit each tomato with a paring knife. <br />
<br />
When the water is boiling, add the tongue and boil for 5 minutes or so. Emerge in ice bath to cool down. Use a sharp serrated knife to trim away the tongue of all skin and any meat that seems to have an odd texture (such as where the tongue attaches to the mouth of the cow) and discard. Meanwhile, immerse the tomatoes in the boiling water until their skin starts to peel away, then plunge them into an ice bath. After they've cooled, peel and remove any tough cores, then set aside.<br />
<br />
Drain your pot of water, add 1 Tbsp of oil and put over medium high heat. Split the tongue into 2 pieces, preferably similar in size. At this point it should resemble a chuck roast or another normal beef cut. Rub each piece with the spice rub. I used McCormick's Cowboy Rub. Any sort of Mexican, steak or BBQ rub will do. Sear the tongue on each side until well browned. Remove and set aside.<br />
<br />
Add the remaining Tbsp of oil and saute onions until soft. Add chipotle, tomato paste and seasonings. Saute until slightly caramelized and beginning to brown on the bottom of the pan. Add red wine and stir to deglaze. Reintroduce the tomatoes and tongue and transfer to a slow cooker. Add enough stock to almost cover the meat. Cook on the high setting in the slow cooker for 4 hours. <br />
<br />
Remove beef tongue. Puree sauce (I recommend a stick blender for this) and bring it to a boil to reduce. Meanwhile, chop the meat. The sauce should reduce until thickened, a little bit less thick then a marinara. <br />
<br />
When this consistency is reached, heat up a tsp of oil in a small skillet. Fry up the tongue meat (about a cup for every 3 tacos) for a couple of minutes before adding a big spoonful of sauce. Let cook about another minute in the sauce. Meanwhile, spritz tortillas with cooking spray and toast in a large nonstick pan until slightly charred.<br />
<br />
To assemble, sprinkle tortilla with shredded cheese, pile in meat and top with salsa and other toppings of your choosing. Then sit back and enjoy taco nirvana, preferably alongside a cold Corona with lime.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmek_yaqQxb7CLGz13fc7l1TkVD7tDrVJOlQG0GWgPiWiTQm5CAfsLibed3G56oRMS-p17wM2UybAxybxus0XoQwx4WD3y9Jq-76V3U293-zDLfoIiO-rM9tljJs5i0rfBoeqLCq1zDkPR/s1600/Food_1715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmek_yaqQxb7CLGz13fc7l1TkVD7tDrVJOlQG0GWgPiWiTQm5CAfsLibed3G56oRMS-p17wM2UybAxybxus0XoQwx4WD3y9Jq-76V3U293-zDLfoIiO-rM9tljJs5i0rfBoeqLCq1zDkPR/s640/Food_1715.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-867272171369187202011-07-22T19:40:00.002-04:002011-07-22T19:56:51.936-04:00Lobsta Sandwich<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29fIHTuIrxVQyH0rjmfp6CG0tFLe1k3Vuto5jI5GDTxvHDVPKVQ0U-OiP0oweIZ5DYB9S0LFb6tfBsm0-HpoQsuHmMNPcEIrjxDRIy7EgRjMzG8f-jXdQANNfGhBvszIvLHS5SqdEnsa3/s1600/Food_1708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29fIHTuIrxVQyH0rjmfp6CG0tFLe1k3Vuto5jI5GDTxvHDVPKVQ0U-OiP0oweIZ5DYB9S0LFb6tfBsm0-HpoQsuHmMNPcEIrjxDRIy7EgRjMzG8f-jXdQANNfGhBvszIvLHS5SqdEnsa3/s640/Food_1708.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
OK, 3rd seafood post in a row. But it's summer and it's HOT and I want light and fresh and that = seafood. So I figured I might as well complete the trifecto. <br />
<br />
Lobster rolls are a quintessential part of New England summers. They have always been, and will always be, one of my top ten favorite foods of all time. So great that I made appetizer sized rolls for both Christmas celebrations this year. They're something I identify as home and will always link with my father, who has been known to drive all the way to Maine, just for the day, just to have a real lobster roll. <br />
<br />
And while the classic is great, especially when made with homemade mayo and homemade split-top rolls, sometimes I actually prefer a version sometimes referred to as a Connecticut style lobster roll. Instead of cold lobster salad, here the succulent meat is heated briefly in butter. To me this speaks even more to the simple pleasure of letting lobster be the main flavor. I mixed some scallions into mine, although chives would be better and no herbs at all would still be sublime. One of my favorite breads stands in place of the traditional split top bun. I know they say you shouldn't mess with the classics, but when its lobster, its virtually impossible to screw it up!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Warm "Connecticut-Style" Lobster Roll</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5F4t2wytFCiwf05cM31OJzXn7cfMQ4scBJSqKk3ely2nyKkEmvrBHwe5jAvOvhhJaF6KcCAJeEF8n5iLUZ_RXsJAPQ-wu8lR9O3xK8-kuMmuk1KXGN9jQ0GAaVN1q8vBMEyQ_jAWBIsyl/s1600/Food_1700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5F4t2wytFCiwf05cM31OJzXn7cfMQ4scBJSqKk3ely2nyKkEmvrBHwe5jAvOvhhJaF6KcCAJeEF8n5iLUZ_RXsJAPQ-wu8lR9O3xK8-kuMmuk1KXGN9jQ0GAaVN1q8vBMEyQ_jAWBIsyl/s640/Food_1700.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<i>I used a jalapeno cheddar bread from the local Wegman's, but any soft loaf would work well here. Only 2 things to be sure of: (1) the loaf is not too crusty on the outside and (2) it isn't presliced. Buying the lobster precooked saves time, allowing this sandwich to come together in 5 minutes or less.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2N4nEtrF7NHrAR0ekD_7-dieURiQ0montIDhWlWOCdWO97KlWJUGDfhGczQxwxakly1p02DW_dykL4MzoFAoZ1T055PxuPvqdRbAb1Xbq2hHaullAXMcOJqKZTzHkPb5BGyfK9m0YDj1F/s1600/Food_1703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2N4nEtrF7NHrAR0ekD_7-dieURiQ0montIDhWlWOCdWO97KlWJUGDfhGczQxwxakly1p02DW_dykL4MzoFAoZ1T055PxuPvqdRbAb1Xbq2hHaullAXMcOJqKZTzHkPb5BGyfK9m0YDj1F/s640/Food_1703.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><i><br />
</i><br />
<br />
a 1 lb. cooked Maine lobster<br />
1 slice of soft bread, 3 inches thick<br />
2 Tbsp butter<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1 small scallion or a few chives, sliced thin<br />
2-3 slices fresh heirloom tomato<br />
<br />
Remove the lobster meat from the shell and coarsely chop. Preheat a small nonstick pan over medium heat. <br />
<br />
Split the slice of bread partially down the middle, leaving about an inch still connected like a hinge, forming a "mouth" to stuff the lobster into. Spread butter over the exterior of the bread. Griddle the bread in the nonstick skillet until golden brown on each side. Remove and set aside.<br />
<br />
Add the lobster meat and the rest of the butter to the pan. Cook just until warm. Toss with chives or scallion. Salt to taste.<br />
<br />
Assemble the sandwich by layering tomato slices and lobster meat inside the "mouth" of the bread. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMC_xj8utZmyT8OeII0m7OrxGGeufsmhDlNdeD4UeLCIZP8sx6pFs58zaMERsisLZUU7SpcPiUCoo4FBw7OZRM7a6KgGqMvUXqGUToHm6L11EFgowrB7qpStcSW9izmL14TNGJ5yJ6oWv/s1600/Food_1701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMC_xj8utZmyT8OeII0m7OrxGGeufsmhDlNdeD4UeLCIZP8sx6pFs58zaMERsisLZUU7SpcPiUCoo4FBw7OZRM7a6KgGqMvUXqGUToHm6L11EFgowrB7qpStcSW9izmL14TNGJ5yJ6oWv/s640/Food_1701.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-80078080998348854062011-07-21T21:49:00.001-04:002011-07-23T22:16:53.741-04:00Orange Saffron Scallops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehim5vr1rseF07NzF9lWfl8iBLyNSnOOdVm6ydr3K-FZJ48a-PZT4RZnt1qc-o83flMmGV5JozMc4NlX99tgSuGTQx4NGWeyvt3UmpqBmaA0XxvnRh8l9UAw3T8o9BU6ARsBGWr3gRh7S/s1600/Scallops01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehim5vr1rseF07NzF9lWfl8iBLyNSnOOdVm6ydr3K-FZJ48a-PZT4RZnt1qc-o83flMmGV5JozMc4NlX99tgSuGTQx4NGWeyvt3UmpqBmaA0XxvnRh8l9UAw3T8o9BU6ARsBGWr3gRh7S/s640/Scallops01.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><br />
I would venture to say I had never had a true scallop experience until I was in college. Although not a true scallop virgin, before that I remember them (usually the tiny frozen bay variety) as rubbery, tasteless little orbs and I was definitely not a fan. (Sorry Mom)<br />
<br />
But all of that was about to change. Thankfully, a veil was lifted from my bivalvian ignorance. There's a <a href="http://wetherlainespub.com/">great little restaurant</a> in my husband's hometown that has always been one of our favorites. As an undergrad, one of these frequent visits involved my companion ordering a simple dish of fried sea scallops. Since I was at that 20-something-and-realizing-how-little-I-know stage I decided to try one when offered and was immediately blown away by the slightly sweet, salty and tender quality. And my love affair with the scallop started then and there.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yXOHYinosniYKyDxPxtJfnOsPzMwJ8rde4B3JpMLd-2gqkKjOlyfthkaL1gXEYEkRZfTLtJzWSI_xnx4BXZ5a_bAjb0N33fn5wtDLV-K9x_8u_AxflM6ln0QvC3JUEH10zuStEboeJiv/s1600/Scallops02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yXOHYinosniYKyDxPxtJfnOsPzMwJ8rde4B3JpMLd-2gqkKjOlyfthkaL1gXEYEkRZfTLtJzWSI_xnx4BXZ5a_bAjb0N33fn5wtDLV-K9x_8u_AxflM6ln0QvC3JUEH10zuStEboeJiv/s640/Scallops02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Since I was currently immersing myself in all things food related, it wasn't long until I came across the preparation that is the holy grail of scallopdom, searing juicy fresh scallops in butter until they're golden brown on each side and just barely cooked through. It quickly skyrocketed to my favorite meal of all time and seems to be the one item on any restaurant menu I cannot resist, even when the other options are more creative and something I might not be able to make myself.<br />
<br />
Ever since my scallop enlightenment, I've indulged myself in a seared scallop dish about once a month. Today that treat involved a rich sauce and some buttery rice (which I've had the oddest craving for) with the Spanish flavors of saffron and orange.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pan Seared Scallops Over Rice with Orange Saffron Sauce</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FnkY18YGeBoJSIaoyYCnjHSAJqVKKueUWc3siKqq84uBzOPgvOGNT8FC0C_lQd5wak569eKQ0CsNILMW7aLUX2HqtuykxURn9BwMbrHIQIRiiSlnKzUFpJT8rEcM2Vu5pslPNxITPu26/s1600/Scallops04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FnkY18YGeBoJSIaoyYCnjHSAJqVKKueUWc3siKqq84uBzOPgvOGNT8FC0C_lQd5wak569eKQ0CsNILMW7aLUX2HqtuykxURn9BwMbrHIQIRiiSlnKzUFpJT8rEcM2Vu5pslPNxITPu26/s640/Scallops04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<i>Be sure to ask for dry scallops that have never been frozen. Other varieties contain too much water and won't sear nicely. Size does matter, so go for sea scallops over the petite bay version, but it's not necessary to shell out the big bucks for U10s (at only 10 per pound they're huge!) and I find that those cook too unevenly anyway. A medium to large scallop about an inch thick is your best bet.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>I don't recommend a nonstick pan for this particular recipe. For even browning and the lovely caramelized bits that make the sauce so tasty you really need a stainless steel or anodized aluminum surface.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Serves 2 with some leftover rice.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Sauce:</i><br />
1 cup chicken stock <i>(homemade is best)</i><br />
1/3 cup heavy cream<br />
pinch of saffron<br />
zest of one orange<br />
1 Tbsp butter<br />
salt and pepper to taste <i>(be sure to wait until the end to season)</i><br />
<br />
<i>Rice:</i><br />
2 cups chicken stock<br />
zest and juice of an orange<br />
pinch of saffron<br />
4 Tbsp butter, divided<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 cup jasmine rice<br />
1 cup mixed fresh or frozen veggies of your choice <i>(I like the sweetness of peas and corn with scallops)</i><br />
3 Tbsp basil leaves, rolled up together and sliced thin (chiffonade)<br />
<br />
<i>Scallops:</i><br />
18 medium-large scallops (about 3/4 lb.)<br />
1 Tbsp butter<br />
1 tsp olive oil<br />
<br />
To get the sauce started, combine chicken stock, cream, saffron and orange zest in a small saucepan (I use one called a butter warmer because it really only needs to hold about 1 1/2 cups). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce to about half the original volume while you cook everything else. When ready, it will coat the back of a metal spoon.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, combine chicken stock, orange juice and zest, saffron, salt and 2 Tbsp of butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover, stirring occasionally to cook according to package instructions. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add the veggies. Add the basil right before serving.<br />
<br />
While your rice cooks and sauce reduces, preheat a skillet over medium high heat with the butter and olive oil to get ready to sear your scallops. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and check to make sure the abductor muscle (a tough little bit) has been removed. When the butter starts to sizzle (but not smoke) place your scallops in the pan with one of the flat sides down. If you've dried the scallops enough and your pan is nice and hot you should hear them sizzle immediately. Cook until golden on one side (usually 2-3 minutes), then flip and repeat. When all of the scallops are golden on both sides and opaque remove them from the pan. (Smaller ones are usually done first so I do this incrementally). <br />
<br />
To finish, deglaze the pan with your reduced sauce. Let it bubble away over medium high heat as you scrape all those caramelized yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. I skipped this step the first time I made this recipe and what a waste that was! When the sauce becomes thick and turns more golden brown than it's original peachy color, it's ready. <br />
<br />
Serve scallops atop a bed of rice with a drizzle of sauce over them. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh9CiwbqOqvEZx4asmCJL9HsvNlX6jUAD0gT8C6pES9oYABjEtD1b06-fnPrL7sPRN23KbXOyHiT8OdFLQCGk6GgIbOXK-K7DW1zdywCNJiPGgtAaSti7Zbd2qqC4jVLYqCQomaEY4KO_/s1600/Scallops09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh9CiwbqOqvEZx4asmCJL9HsvNlX6jUAD0gT8C6pES9oYABjEtD1b06-fnPrL7sPRN23KbXOyHiT8OdFLQCGk6GgIbOXK-K7DW1zdywCNJiPGgtAaSti7Zbd2qqC4jVLYqCQomaEY4KO_/s400/Scallops09.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-43993701106237364382011-07-02T20:33:00.005-04:002011-07-02T22:28:21.375-04:00Rhody Style Clam Cakes<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxKav8CsELpkE6FJ21cCQ80qHLoiB3Btc63Cctd1r5NCRPN2SU55Ol0Yk6eHHl5w6s4ejM40GsVhlLe7B9e-_9d4Tzi8whL22axCf5Nl1I33WLqotQs7vJ_wCn2c6Deew4XB1FhB_gxxC/s1600/Food_1659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxKav8CsELpkE6FJ21cCQ80qHLoiB3Btc63Cctd1r5NCRPN2SU55Ol0Yk6eHHl5w6s4ejM40GsVhlLe7B9e-_9d4Tzi8whL22axCf5Nl1I33WLqotQs7vJ_wCn2c6Deew4XB1FhB_gxxC/s640/Food_1659.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Why hello there! Yes it's been a while. But no time for apologies, no time for explanation, I'm just glad you're still here.<br />
<br />
Let me tell you about something incredible. Something that defines me. Something like Dell's, coffee milk, Rocky Point, Portuguese sweet bread and clam bakes. It's a food so dear to Rhode Islander's hearts that eating it brings back visions of lopsided tables sinking into the sand on a Block Island beach with a Jimmy Buffet tribute band playing in the background. And it's virtually unknown outside of the state! <br />
<br />
Behold the clam cake! More of a fritter than a cake, it's sort of like a hush puppy embedded with salty, sweet & tender clam meat. Light and fluffy inside, with a crisp exterior and little bits of pleasantly chewy clams. They're great alongside a bowl of chowder (white of course! is there any other kind?) or with a squeeze of lemon or dash of hot sauce. This is the flavor of the Narragansett Bay in summertime. Perfect for this Independence day weekend!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f3f3f3;">Clam Cakes</span></span></span></b></div><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adapted from the </span></span></i><a href="http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/10/clam-fritters.html"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Clam Fritter recipe</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> by </span></span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Claiborne"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Craig Claiborne</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> of the </span></span></i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">NYTimes</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> as posted on </span></span></i><i><a href="http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One Perfect Bite</span></span></a></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbojN-sr4t4ypvBTj-gSN29pTeq-R5hc5T_xiQRgQxxIb7i-aBsGB2KEsfoPBKnDcrq67Jf99BKXXtXBEWccJp5Z_1dWj8cN1-6XuZ5PiD98UMMe1RovJdwKlEcy_iJrB9ix3jzbtmL8SW/s1600/Food_1656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbojN-sr4t4ypvBTj-gSN29pTeq-R5hc5T_xiQRgQxxIb7i-aBsGB2KEsfoPBKnDcrq67Jf99BKXXtXBEWccJp5Z_1dWj8cN1-6XuZ5PiD98UMMe1RovJdwKlEcy_iJrB9ix3jzbtmL8SW/s400/Food_1656.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<i>Use a large and flavorful clam for this dish. Since you're chopping them anyway, you don't need to shell out the extra money for tender cherrystones or littlenecks. Furthermore, they won't quite deliver the flavor of the larger clams.</i><br />
<br />
approximately 2 dozen fresh quahog or mahogany clams (should yield about 2 1/2 cups clam meat)<br />
<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />
1/3 cup reserved clam juice<br />
1/4 cup 2% milk<br />
1 Tbsp melted butter<br />
zest of 1/2 a lemon<br />
pinch of cayenne pepper<br />
1 tsp garlic powder<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
3/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley<br />
<br />
vegetable oil<br />
<br />
Rinse the clams under cold water and pile into a stockpot. Add about 1/2 an inch of water to the bottom of the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer only until clams have started to open. Stir to allow more to open and simmer covered briefly until the majority have opened up. Allow to cool slightly<br />
<br />
Remove the clam meat to a cutting board and discard all shells and unopened clams. Coarsely chop the clam meat and set aside. Strain the clam juice through a coffee filter to remove the grit. Some of this will be used later. Don't throw away the rest! It's great in chowders and other soups and it freezes beautifully! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div>Whisk together eggs, lemon juice, 1/3 cup of clam juice, milk, butter, zest and seasonings. Sift in flour, cornmeal, baking soda and baking powder and stir until just combined. Add chopped clams and parsley and stir until well distributed.<br />
<br />
Fill a heavy cast iron skillet<span class="Apple-style-span"> </span>to about a 1/2 inch depth with vegetable oil. Preheat the oil over medium high heat until it is hot but not smoking. At the right temperature the handle of a wooden spoon will bubble when held in the oil. Dollop the batter into the oil about 2 Tbsp at a time, leaving plenty of room in between the cakes. Fry about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp on the outside and light and fluffy inside. <br />
<br />
<br />
Drain on paper towels and season with sea salt while still hot. Serve with lemon slices or hot sauce.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYPl-xcGUWc5njXvM-Ccbq3Mxxw-ZuPbmCJPE1HOSv0InjYrMfRhyphenhyphenOXqID34mjjSPXchBhoVwFWCepHFgB5cpyA_Tn1kPvOPzbwep75RrUBcAYCTs-NDQClltR3A03l-gg802deSAHj1z/s1600/Food_1661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYPl-xcGUWc5njXvM-Ccbq3Mxxw-ZuPbmCJPE1HOSv0InjYrMfRhyphenhyphenOXqID34mjjSPXchBhoVwFWCepHFgB5cpyA_Tn1kPvOPzbwep75RrUBcAYCTs-NDQClltR3A03l-gg802deSAHj1z/s640/Food_1661.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-40430457566127816092010-08-06T20:16:00.003-04:002010-08-06T20:27:22.255-04:00Savory Zucchini Bread & 2 Tomato "Use-Ups"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnx_bQKcC6pGhM5L5pVfSw3T45rtID2-qaWYu3U8p1XlCGV542JC7bxFpiR__d2S-Dw85QrOMgdmY7Ve_w3AAs25RBm6w7z9BD1lfYfY9DM4NMZL0yhQabjxbw0E8t1dfLsObJZfzxui7/s1600/Food_1631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnx_bQKcC6pGhM5L5pVfSw3T45rtID2-qaWYu3U8p1XlCGV542JC7bxFpiR__d2S-Dw85QrOMgdmY7Ve_w3AAs25RBm6w7z9BD1lfYfY9DM4NMZL0yhQabjxbw0E8t1dfLsObJZfzxui7/s640/Food_1631.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Last year when I was (as usual) trying to use up bushels of zucchini, I figured I'd try out a savory version. L was thrilled because it has some of his favorite ingredients and he's not a fan of the typical sweet version. This bread is chock-full of Mediterranean gems and goes great with tomatoes, another bumper crop of the summer. I recommend it aside bowl of homemade tomato soup, topped with slow-roasted tomatoes and mozzarella, or slathered with tomato jam.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE_nN5w3OIEHS161tOfNZ1McbtkzMANoIO_h-YhmB8VFd-AONPn7SiWUb9AAjk_vN6Z2FE7zsulainRexvkstz5d4McuMchdtZw2KTNzJAgJod7s7rHfC43eamWoKOVBRIw6aZChL0p1m/s1600/Food_1649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNE_nN5w3OIEHS161tOfNZ1McbtkzMANoIO_h-YhmB8VFd-AONPn7SiWUb9AAjk_vN6Z2FE7zsulainRexvkstz5d4McuMchdtZw2KTNzJAgJod7s7rHfC43eamWoKOVBRIw6aZChL0p1m/s400/Food_1649.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
One thing I would change about this recipe is to scale it up 1 1/2 times because it results in sort of a short stubby loaf. Next time I make it I will see how that goes and update this recipe with new amounts if it works out well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Savory Zucchini Bread</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZbHWG_Gxnki5xk5H28fpdTgfVFh9e3_pqD85Gxatum11k5iDDNOadyZwbIFCMVQ0HbCNRSdGBSKv5zeraz_bwW_v9rgNDIKc-uKOD1vS0aaoJFcrUOdl8lGc4rvVIgxtkbIz5FSQzxPe/s1600/Food_1638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZbHWG_Gxnki5xk5H28fpdTgfVFh9e3_pqD85Gxatum11k5iDDNOadyZwbIFCMVQ0HbCNRSdGBSKv5zeraz_bwW_v9rgNDIKc-uKOD1vS0aaoJFcrUOdl8lGc4rvVIgxtkbIz5FSQzxPe/s400/Food_1638.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
2 eggs<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar<br />
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (I do this in my food processor)<br />
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>(Substituting 10 cloves of roasted garlic would be delicious)</i></span><br />
2 roasted red peppers, chopped<br />
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped<br />
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped<br />
1/4 cup parmiggiano reggiano, diced into tiny bits <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(This way you get little salty bites now and then)</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i><br />
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning<br />
1 tsp garlic powder<br />
1/2 tsp ground black pepper<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
3/4 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan. <br />
<br />
Beat together the eggs, oil and vinegar. Add the zucchini, garlic, peppers, olives, tomatoes and cheese and stir to coat. Sift flour, seasonings and leavenings into the bowl and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes. <br />
<br />
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and invert to remove from the pan. Finish cooling on a wire rack before cutting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpdmSa2bo0UJlEErtugMqd7g8rtwKVffFdkqKRBl0tNPcegB9xG247pJ5O9hcVfZRg_v9RBUHsufcu4ejY16IkbjEu64AO172aJsUZMc_vhyphenhyphen-YSW_77SJQJdjuk2M0sMukcZRQaicQfr3/s1600/Food_1633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpdmSa2bo0UJlEErtugMqd7g8rtwKVffFdkqKRBl0tNPcegB9xG247pJ5O9hcVfZRg_v9RBUHsufcu4ejY16IkbjEu64AO172aJsUZMc_vhyphenhyphen-YSW_77SJQJdjuk2M0sMukcZRQaicQfr3/s400/Food_1633.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Slow-Roasted Tomatoes</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcugOrR7dM6KmAvIXtjp6M9wfdl_bRWb4ZV4p0KtyegjzbRVdq1QObUwRB0FFAaB6svo8BGs388TuGGL-9v1UYVUWLjvnnUZoJ5fbBi8UcZ60gdN6gfzkMIeFlyqnpr1Fnd9XjixJ4QJ0/s1600/Food_1630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcugOrR7dM6KmAvIXtjp6M9wfdl_bRWb4ZV4p0KtyegjzbRVdq1QObUwRB0FFAaB6svo8BGs388TuGGL-9v1UYVUWLjvnnUZoJ5fbBi8UcZ60gdN6gfzkMIeFlyqnpr1Fnd9XjixJ4QJ0/s320/Food_1630.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The trick to these tomatoes is roasting them as slowly as possible. I put them in the oven in the afternoon and take them out the next morning when I wake up. It's one of those recipes I feel guilty posting because it's barely a recipe.</i></div><br />
10-12 Roma tomatoes or other low-moisture tomatoes, washed and split in half<br />
olive oil<br />
salt, pepper and any other desired seasonings<br />
<br />
Toss tomatoes with olive oil to coat. Arrange on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Season as desired.<br />
<br />
Set your oven as low as it will go (mine bottoms out at 170 F). Stick your tomatoes in there and write yourself a little tomato love note so you don't forget about them. Roasting time will depend on your oven but will be at least 12 hours. I usually leave mine in for about 18 hours. You know they're done when they've shriveled to about half their original size but are still moist inside. These freeze very well and make an excellent pasta sauce when roughly chopped. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cherry Tomato Jam</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycjb3Tkd4CB7qjJZlh4NH7xFsCRB70ak8fe-Q7MsDfFIATFZBHD7YohwakLoWr4KW6aDVqeUZ6Qy8ostWbqSGSRjLU9T0WMOCmueUFJRf8UimQWBb_Ta2-IoCI1UmfboLOLCFo62VWj6x/s1600/Food_1646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycjb3Tkd4CB7qjJZlh4NH7xFsCRB70ak8fe-Q7MsDfFIATFZBHD7YohwakLoWr4KW6aDVqeUZ6Qy8ostWbqSGSRjLU9T0WMOCmueUFJRf8UimQWBb_Ta2-IoCI1UmfboLOLCFo62VWj6x/s400/Food_1646.JPG" width="357" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I've seen lots of recipes for this floating around cyberspace and finally had to try it myself. It is the perfect mix of sweet and savory and goes particularly well with salty breads such as the zucchini bread above or any other cheese flavored bread. It's also great as a topping for </i><a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2010/08/sweet-corn-risotto.html"><i>risotto</i></a><i> cakes. It's not necessary to skin the tomatoes but it results in a better texture. This recipe makes about 3 pint size jars.</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NE8p0u2G5conULnSzkYWp0bpvWhWPY6lwX1eoGdJuHQG15Z5jkfiXtMh0ZfskhfeRWt5HR2Bp3F72Dgh9RuUUcd4UItPigKcWHo-tXQUwzsWXu0Ec3cOvs1aIFPda_NHnSJpaHOgHvnm/s1600/Food_1648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NE8p0u2G5conULnSzkYWp0bpvWhWPY6lwX1eoGdJuHQG15Z5jkfiXtMh0ZfskhfeRWt5HR2Bp3F72Dgh9RuUUcd4UItPigKcWHo-tXQUwzsWXu0Ec3cOvs1aIFPda_NHnSJpaHOgHvnm/s400/Food_1648.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
2.5 lbs of cherry, pear or grape tomatoes (about 3 pints)<br />
<br />
1 1/4 cups sugar (brown or white - both work well)<br />
5 tsp balsamic vinegar<br />
3 3/4 Tbsp lemon juice<br />
2 Tbsp italian seasoning<br />
2 tsp garlic powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
pinch of red pepper flakes<br />
<br />
Bring a quart of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Slash the ends of each tomato quickly with a paring knife. Plunge the tomatoes, a pint at a time, into the boiling water for about 30 seconds (you should see the skins start to curl up at your incision), then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice bath. Repeat for other pints. At this point the skins should slide right off. Discard the skins and transfer the "meat" to a large saucepan. Add sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until thick and jammy. <br />
<br />
Transfer to pint jars. This will keep for about 3 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer (use plastic containers if you plan to freeze it). It can also be canned in a boiling water canner. For this method, make sure your canning jars are sterilized and place your lids in a pan of water just below a simmer to soften the adhesive. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace before placing the lid and making the ring fingertip tight. Boil enough water to cover the jars by at least one inch, use canning tongs to place jars in the rack and process for 15 minutes (longer at higher altitudes). If you haven't canned before please don't rely on this explanation alone - visit <a href="http://foodsafety.ifas.ufl.edu/HTML/preserve.htm">the national food safety database</a> or the <a href="http://www.freshpreserving.com/">Ball preserving website</a> first and fully educate yourself on how to can safely.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSz0ugMEEwuVBFL4LTmZ8JniFRIBXANrhdwY5EJIRmQ3byZBdD3jyMOzIgHwQOaPfaWEbCRg0Y22YEhc4asV_80wJ4wFI4xyLEsXnswUih1pBVrwtxDSvcmI54laKWS-MqXuxkq4WbTVYS/s1600/Food_1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSz0ugMEEwuVBFL4LTmZ8JniFRIBXANrhdwY5EJIRmQ3byZBdD3jyMOzIgHwQOaPfaWEbCRg0Y22YEhc4asV_80wJ4wFI4xyLEsXnswUih1pBVrwtxDSvcmI54laKWS-MqXuxkq4WbTVYS/s640/Food_1645.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-90130494330731605222010-08-04T18:57:00.006-04:002010-08-21T16:28:30.765-04:00Chocolate Zucchini Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNsrzfLAuVymS8e6G6ph0ASqQ52XQbhSrYrzpKtqFmXhP6HhQjHtfKWsSkJLml9IAwC_lz4vpIZKnzqRlz201RJq-GENZLEbKKiDvcgYHRHNOfargHgGiNGrzyVO3Vx0zmvz6bMi5hmM6/s1600/Food_1603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNsrzfLAuVymS8e6G6ph0ASqQ52XQbhSrYrzpKtqFmXhP6HhQjHtfKWsSkJLml9IAwC_lz4vpIZKnzqRlz201RJq-GENZLEbKKiDvcgYHRHNOfargHgGiNGrzyVO3Vx0zmvz6bMi5hmM6/s640/Food_1603.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This time of year <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">everyone</span> has extra zucchini threatening to bust out of the produce bin! Although most of our zucchini gets marinated in Italian dressing and grilled, we just can't eat it all. I've already put up 10 cans of zucchini pickles (I most post this some time - they're way better then the cucumber variety), and I have a bag of <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/07/shred-it-up.html">zucchini fritters</a> in the freezer, so it's time to break out the loaf pan and bake up some zucchini bread. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWx5QJTgHvVQC-kcRrp9cdNAHx8fBWHWFUF1glwHdFvWCzGoLlFmuA3wULa_AxzxkKY3ZmuU_QknSVKvkKyA0CyAi_8tMAxw2U6hmzOYEs5x5XoHDqfK_pmz-CScglzwd3hLVXQW2coHL/s1600/Food_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWx5QJTgHvVQC-kcRrp9cdNAHx8fBWHWFUF1glwHdFvWCzGoLlFmuA3wULa_AxzxkKY3ZmuU_QknSVKvkKyA0CyAi_8tMAxw2U6hmzOYEs5x5XoHDqfK_pmz-CScglzwd3hLVXQW2coHL/s640/Food_1592.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
My usual zucchini bread is a savory version, since L is not a fan of sweet stuff. If I can advert any major disasters and manage to photograph it decently I'll be bringing that one to you later. Once in a while, I like to mix it up a little and see the sweeter side. I often find sweet zucchini bread to be too dry or too dense and I often get bored with the obligatory spices that seem to be overused in all baking: cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Although I like to use these as showcase flavors on their own, I feel like they get lost in a generic "baked good" taste. So instead of going the traditional route, why not use an ingredient that is at its best in in rich dense cakes, and pack it full of chocolate! Sounds better already doesn't it?! Then throw in some coffee to pump up the flavor and one unexpected spice to play a star role. Moist and intensely chocolatey - now that's a sweet zucchini bread I can get into!'<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Coffee and Cardamom</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_kkbjjxNymQ3SrMwN0oYWZUJpP27mvIr1Y63WJGCGZJWWa0WZtArtTnsqAZ3mv9pWUNpHEHLzcsjIjuUtkrDeSJHTUezhKFe1-ZTWA7_5kwdATDv0KfgErza2hfEdJs0id4om6mUWD-B/s1600/Food_1625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="505" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_kkbjjxNymQ3SrMwN0oYWZUJpP27mvIr1Y63WJGCGZJWWa0WZtArtTnsqAZ3mv9pWUNpHEHLzcsjIjuUtkrDeSJHTUezhKFe1-ZTWA7_5kwdATDv0KfgErza2hfEdJs0id4om6mUWD-B/s640/Food_1625.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Cardamon is an acquired taste for some, so if it's not your thing I recommend substituting a tablespoon of spicy Saigon cinnamon instead. A dash of cayenne with the cinnamon will make it a delectable Mexican chocolate cake.</i></span><br />
<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup light brown sugar<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp instant espresso granules<br />
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional) <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">**Edit** This amount is appropriate if you freshly grind the cardamom - if not use 1 full tsp</span></i><br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup really good quality cocoa powder <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(I like Scharffen-Berger)</span></i><br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
<br />
1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>(summer squash also works well)</i></span><br />
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks<br />
1/2 cup chopped macademia nuts (optional)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a loaf pan.<br />
<br />
Beat the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the oil, sugars, vanilla, espresso, cardamom and salt and mix well. Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Toss in zucchini, chocolate and nuts and stir to combine. <br />
<br />
Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.<br />
<br />
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert to remove. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVM8cxL1xvKdlxb5nV5Szrr8tOBqx-J9qKHoNcpeNUprRVLtoodPxZEJr1ieXFdO9oDYkIB2qsdgSDwNrujc7sJsdYa8pT9C4eaBMfVA_CNDU7g86-1PTtxHf2qoojpBxutXGBTDWCaiat/s1600/Food_1618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVM8cxL1xvKdlxb5nV5Szrr8tOBqx-J9qKHoNcpeNUprRVLtoodPxZEJr1ieXFdO9oDYkIB2qsdgSDwNrujc7sJsdYa8pT9C4eaBMfVA_CNDU7g86-1PTtxHf2qoojpBxutXGBTDWCaiat/s640/Food_1618.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-2916411812837474002010-08-03T23:37:00.003-04:002010-08-06T20:29:42.940-04:00Sweet Corn Risotto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNi6pe3YeOuyp8rZ0zqhVjEaVpro2YGUz4yH9dBbhJeE1upWx3DU8nb-70qILh1JziYiwVhRoH9EaHjQWdzHsy_ynzRzsU0jo__WobictOZ0HynwMD0u_BjaB-lLrIhNgkg3qE3tO2DEVS/s1600/Food_1619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNi6pe3YeOuyp8rZ0zqhVjEaVpro2YGUz4yH9dBbhJeE1upWx3DU8nb-70qILh1JziYiwVhRoH9EaHjQWdzHsy_ynzRzsU0jo__WobictOZ0HynwMD0u_BjaB-lLrIhNgkg3qE3tO2DEVS/s640/Food_1619.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
The produce this time of year makes me so excited. Every time I pick up my CSA share I feel like I'm unwrapping presents at Christmas time. What in the world could possibly be better than heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelon and peaches? <br />
<br />
With such great produce overflowing out of my fridge, you need some really fantastic dishes to showcase it. Most of these are so simple I don't even post them because it feels like cheating. Is it really a recipe if it takes 5 ingredients or less and involves mostly chopping? <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz73aVwj5wG2DPugd1SLJzFWVTCZEhqwyck5FrCbeBmgujmtkPmsQB4er1qLu2hDBPm9P1KLeymPP3ZypvbiaUAjMJ6CPIvtre9LzBuiIkydAjXrjB0KdkHoWrs_xh9k0W0tq0iI3r40p_/s1600/Food_1621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz73aVwj5wG2DPugd1SLJzFWVTCZEhqwyck5FrCbeBmgujmtkPmsQB4er1qLu2hDBPm9P1KLeymPP3ZypvbiaUAjMJ6CPIvtre9LzBuiIkydAjXrjB0KdkHoWrs_xh9k0W0tq0iI3r40p_/s400/Food_1621.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Risotto on the other hand is to me the definition of the craft. There's something about chopping and sauteing aromatics, toasting rice, meditatively stirring to coax the rice into drinking up the stock and finishing with a flourish of butter and cream that personifies what it is to be a cook. It's a very zen activity for me because the dish is not difficult, but needs consistent nurturing. I guess that's why I've already given you so many versions, from a homey wintery <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/05/risotto-in-two-acts.html">sausage and radicchio</a>, a bright <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/05/cream-of-first-crop-springtime-risotto.html">primavera</a>, and a briny <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2009/01/taste-of-sea.html">seafood</a> version. <br />
<br />
This time around I'm showcasing one of summer's mascots - sweet corn. Some gorgeous tomatoes also made their way in there, providing the acid to counterbalance the corn's sweetness and the richness of the butter and cream. Inspired by a corn chowder, it starts with a little smidge of bacon. Some scallions and basil lend a seasonally herbaceous finish. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Sweet Corn Risotto</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Serves 8 as a first course, 4-6 as an entree depending on how hungry your guests are</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheetRvnNHk9JbDgrP_uhetGsvPa78YO7LpQrbTdLqNxiNZpjg8wvINetGkZgz6V1ei1kq4FnL5V0hBnKlvzFFT9unW3whagqdU3OK8SOddMw2MW1Te-QKIcWEJXQ7n4WaSLen8ve-6Dp-p/s1600/Food_1617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheetRvnNHk9JbDgrP_uhetGsvPa78YO7LpQrbTdLqNxiNZpjg8wvINetGkZgz6V1ei1kq4FnL5V0hBnKlvzFFT9unW3whagqdU3OK8SOddMw2MW1Te-QKIcWEJXQ7n4WaSLen8ve-6Dp-p/s400/Food_1617.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
3 cobs of local sweet corn, husked <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(the local part is imperative to getting the sweetest corn - the sugar converts to starch quite quickly after harvesting)</span></i><br />
5 cups vegetable stock<br />
1 cup milk<br />
<br />
3 slices center cut bacon, diced<br />
1 small sweet onion, diced (about a cup)<br />
1 large clove garlic, minced<br />
1 1/2 cups arborio or other risotto rice<br />
2/3 cup sweet white wine such as Riesling<br />
<br />
2/3 cup heavy cream<br />
1 Tbsp unsalted butter<br />
1/3 cup grated parmiggiano reggiano<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 large heirloom tomato, cored and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3 Tbsp chopped scallions</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil</div><br />
<br />
Remove the kernels from the cob and reserve. <i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love my </span></i><a href="http://www.kuhnrikon.com/products/tools/tools.php3?id=207"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">corn zipper</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for this job, although now they have this nifty </span></i><a href="http://www.kuhnrikon.com/products/tools/tools.php3?id=372"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">new version</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that looks like it might be a little more natural to use and remove more kernels at once, so it might be time for an upgrade - future Christmas gift anybody? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><b>;)</b></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span> Snap the corn cobs in half and add them to a medium saucepan along with the stock and milk. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low.<br />
<br />
In a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium heat, brown the bacon. Once it starts to get crispy add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and the rice and toast until the rice is golden and smells nutty. Deglaze with the sweet wine and add a couple of ladles full of the stock mixture.<br />
<br />
Stir the risotto occasionally with a wooden spoon as it cooks over medium heat. It is time to add a couple more ladle-fulls of stock every time you can push the risotto off the bottom of the pan and no liquid seeps in to fill the line you made. Continue stirring occasionally and adding stock for about 20 minutes, then add the reserved corn kernels and continue as before. When the risotto has gotten quite creamy and is almost al dente, add the cream and cook until done (should be 1-2 minutes at this point). <br />
<br />
Finish the risotto by melting in the butter and parmesan cheese. At this point check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. I don't recommend salting before this point, as the bacon and parmesan both contribute significant salt. Toss in tomatoes and herbs and serve piping hot.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rjxGy8iheFB1xYhX7gKY_yk4i7Fa2fPbnldHLat1HH2Pln-lta_9pGTPvOjXvaZF9mZNdc1Oy5RETdFH8jJUkz-OYaYUEhawCUhd_6Mz2irzI4crPnmx9ociY46DExqgfzJiuVa9LqDa/s1600/Food_1622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rjxGy8iheFB1xYhX7gKY_yk4i7Fa2fPbnldHLat1HH2Pln-lta_9pGTPvOjXvaZF9mZNdc1Oy5RETdFH8jJUkz-OYaYUEhawCUhd_6Mz2irzI4crPnmx9ociY46DExqgfzJiuVa9LqDa/s320/Food_1622.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Leftovers make great arancini or risotto cakes - top them with <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2010/08/savory-zucchini-bread-2-tomato-use-ups.html">tomato jam</a> - assuming you don't lick the pot clean first!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwcwA689OVbFM4LSu0uZe-dU7m8XZ1NOTQrQHOdQk-9qmARs6nWCYhr3y521hXgC1z_0WaRGBiYAjGRjgaIvhqDXtTBLxP5VLf6G1obI2zk97U3qsEBjE-AIP8cCQKN_xHu4Y8G_EiTG0/s1600/Food_1651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwcwA689OVbFM4LSu0uZe-dU7m8XZ1NOTQrQHOdQk-9qmARs6nWCYhr3y521hXgC1z_0WaRGBiYAjGRjgaIvhqDXtTBLxP5VLf6G1obI2zk97U3qsEBjE-AIP8cCQKN_xHu4Y8G_EiTG0/s640/Food_1651.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-67383524904997731472010-07-05T12:15:00.001-04:002010-07-05T12:20:44.884-04:00Bittersweet Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjay9fR_2VZj-oGoXz3p-dWl7REJA_PhW5YdqL8Rq6ahtNX9TBV89DrPQ0LweRd9r8NUdmZbFhEXcKxrn8IucHdt-k9-8wphIBS7oCwwBXNeWJj8yV5yJS7Ag9VXcwm_KDakHaIgJfSjMrE/s1600/Food_1602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjay9fR_2VZj-oGoXz3p-dWl7REJA_PhW5YdqL8Rq6ahtNX9TBV89DrPQ0LweRd9r8NUdmZbFhEXcKxrn8IucHdt-k9-8wphIBS7oCwwBXNeWJj8yV5yJS7Ag9VXcwm_KDakHaIgJfSjMrE/s640/Food_1602.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
There are some combinations that just don't seem like they would work, but they're oh-so-good together. Many of these feature chocolate - chocolate and chiles, chocolate and curry, chocolate and orange and so on. But chocolate and pear? Oh yes - it's so good! This recipe was adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/bittersweet-chocolate-and-pear-cake/">Smitten Kitchen</a> and made a great mother's day treat (yes I know I'm a bit behind). It's chock-full of goodies but not super sweet. Browning the butter adds a gorgeous nuttiness along with the richness from toasty pecans and a little tart background note from unsweetened dried cherries.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Brown Butter Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate and Pears</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnI9FFC7BYt5NgjwYjUZyWKkRxx0bZVbC7WHeUV5i6vlgh0rtOkp1OqZ_Zh7CgwIYGHL5PpPctKj7l6YDNB0RbQgRNmaM0KbbG62_Ej2M20PbS4nMZCNPgDNTKj2KD49JpZs59DocWRuM/s1600/Food_1607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnI9FFC7BYt5NgjwYjUZyWKkRxx0bZVbC7WHeUV5i6vlgh0rtOkp1OqZ_Zh7CgwIYGHL5PpPctKj7l6YDNB0RbQgRNmaM0KbbG62_Ej2M20PbS4nMZCNPgDNTKj2KD49JpZs59DocWRuM/s640/Food_1607.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
3 large slightly ripe (but still firm) red pears, peeled, cored and diced<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cherries, coarsely chopped<br />
3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans<br />
3/4 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate<br />
1-2 Tbsp all purpose flour<br />
<br />
5 large eggs at room temperature<br />
6 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter<br />
1/2 cup dark brown sugar<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1 1/2 tsp pecan or almond extract<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
<br />
1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 and butter and flour a bundt pan, large springform pan or other suitable large baking dish. <br />
<br />
Prepare the goodies by mixing the chopped pears, cherries, pecans and chocolate together and tossing with enough flour to coat. The flour will help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake and will absorb some of the moisture from fresh pears.<br />
<br />
In the bowl of a stand mixer, start whipping the eggs on high speed. The goal is to get them very pale and thick so that they fall in a shiny ribbon from the beater. This will take at least 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
While they're whipping, melt the butter in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan. It will foam up and start to brown. Stir it occasionally until it's a golden brown and smells nutty (usually 5-8 minutes on medium heat). Remove from heat and cool.<br />
<br />
In a sifter or mesh strainer, combine remaining flour, salt and baking powder.<br />
<br />
Add the sugars to the eggs and continue to whip until the mixture just starts to lose volume. Then turn the mixer to its lowest speed, sift in one third of the flour mixture, then add half the butter, repeat and then add the remaining flour mixture, stirring until just combined. <br />
<br />
<i>(optional)</i> If you have a cute bundt pan like this sunflower one you can take a little bit of the batter and sift in some cocoa powder until it turns brown. This batter can then be used at the bottom of the pan in sections that can benefit from some pattern. For instance, it's been poured into the center well of the pan here.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyl2pQAKPSCgT39vRl5N5_imLttYcQohRYs1vLGOJRl7NMDIk7ml_yBZ4vd2DKxDHZFN6HxIq-3ecCEeJz28D2cuv0X818MZLEWxhIPQfvvrw48LttrguNeYO45ll8GOCOuk2S8e9wGzY/s1600/Food_1609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyl2pQAKPSCgT39vRl5N5_imLttYcQohRYs1vLGOJRl7NMDIk7ml_yBZ4vd2DKxDHZFN6HxIq-3ecCEeJz28D2cuv0X818MZLEWxhIPQfvvrw48LttrguNeYO45ll8GOCOuk2S8e9wGzY/s400/Food_1609.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the goodies on top. They will sink down a bit as it bakes. Baking times will vary depending on your pan so you'll have to experiment, but a bundt like this one took just about an hour. Start checking after 40 minutes for thinner pans, 50 minutes for deep ones. It's done when golden brown, springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM61Swu-Pvz-QGZWCvwqyAmHZ9PFha1cEv4zYStOOQoX1RSjg7vP9Ch7EfkfMApBEjnW48f_oQycoZWkp0N12LAHCPwmJXRWUuyxcUm4khFXR6A2DfV1DgBXTtGlqtBCZ16kXINqOWox6/s1600/Food_1604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWM61Swu-Pvz-QGZWCvwqyAmHZ9PFha1cEv4zYStOOQoX1RSjg7vP9Ch7EfkfMApBEjnW48f_oQycoZWkp0N12LAHCPwmJXRWUuyxcUm4khFXR6A2DfV1DgBXTtGlqtBCZ16kXINqOWox6/s400/Food_1604.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-44485322356677390022010-06-25T11:03:00.000-04:002010-06-27T11:04:11.467-04:00Pretty Please with a Cherry on Top!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaizIR4NMimLZT08xPJNFjZ3X_ZyxJtaLMgXXrRrmrE6GblS-LeUI2IVWXVYxlwR230xsAVrkHwc7K0P11J7Kngeo9n-Iv8RZBR-j4i3INtvmPIuOwt_cTR4D_T_P7X2zI8bPNDWknkssB/s1600/Food_1611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaizIR4NMimLZT08xPJNFjZ3X_ZyxJtaLMgXXrRrmrE6GblS-LeUI2IVWXVYxlwR230xsAVrkHwc7K0P11J7Kngeo9n-Iv8RZBR-j4i3INtvmPIuOwt_cTR4D_T_P7X2zI8bPNDWknkssB/s640/Food_1611.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
So I know I've been AWOL. I don't have any excuse other than life happens. It's been a rough few months, I've had to say goodbye to many of those dear to my heart, including 2 of my pets. (P.S. - skip to the end of the post for a pic of our new puppy) And since life happens and my physical world will always take precedence over my digital world - I'm making no promises. I will probably post lots of delicious things and then disappear again. I have no lofty goals - I will continue to mostly maintain this site as a recipe database for myself and all of the friends who request the recipe when my treats show up at a barbeque or dinner party or at work. I'd love for you to be part of that circle of friends. So whatdaya say? Will you take me back - please! What if I say pretty please and literally put a cherry on top? <br />
<br />
How bout if it's on top of a black forest cupcake?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6_igN178R6VgV7UDaPWb6jVN7leCIophtmDxs6IiKys7V4uMKrf_MCthYevuFmO8aifIgeXR2yKb1oENoDmer-j-zULX7rktxwJTxMuo-jjKFtDVU4Oa6M3UBVcpq3HI8lEGsm9MNuS-/s1600/Food_1612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6_igN178R6VgV7UDaPWb6jVN7leCIophtmDxs6IiKys7V4uMKrf_MCthYevuFmO8aifIgeXR2yKb1oENoDmer-j-zULX7rktxwJTxMuo-jjKFtDVU4Oa6M3UBVcpq3HI8lEGsm9MNuS-/s400/Food_1612.JPG" width="341" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Ah - I see that got your attention. No one can resist a cupcake. These little beauties are gracing the dessert table at a housewarming/barbeque tomorrow. The chocolate cherry cake is from the original domestic goddess - Nigella herself. Then I douse them in a cherry syrup and swirl on some cherry cream cheese frosting before the final flourish - a ripe, local Bing cherry right on top (pitted of course - right next to the stem so that it's hidden). I used a tripled version of this recipe (and a doubled frosting recipe) to feed lots of hungry folk- but I'm giving you the one that makes a dozen cupcakes (actually maybe two or three more - I got 42 cupcakes when I tripled it). One caution - these will not bake evenly and come out as beautifully if you overfill the cups or try to bake 2 dozen in the oven at once. I learned the hard way!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Black Forest Cupcakes</span></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNTi24_-6Yw3XIXCS6RrAPLoMbjU-FMxUAKp78hNqPhXM6DgrjA2BxV6PD9KIgw-5HpxwdwT_QfSsZFcJsyicg3fYhvyFEv4KWp4nU-w3QnwSVq1AWu8WE8ybHC2tXEEWYErmMtBWjoUm/s1600/Food_1615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNTi24_-6Yw3XIXCS6RrAPLoMbjU-FMxUAKp78hNqPhXM6DgrjA2BxV6PD9KIgw-5HpxwdwT_QfSsZFcJsyicg3fYhvyFEv4KWp4nU-w3QnwSVq1AWu8WE8ybHC2tXEEWYErmMtBWjoUm/s640/Food_1615.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Chocolate Cherry Cake</span></b><br />
1 stick plus one tablespoon unsalted butter<br />
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>- I prefer Scharffen Berger</i></span><br />
1 cup good quality cherry preserves <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>- if you can't find a local version at a farmers market Bonne Maman makes a good one</i></span><br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 tsp almond extract<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 cup (121 g) all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp baking soda<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and paper a 12-cup muffin tin.<br />
<br />
Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Once the butter is melted, stir in the chopped chocolate and stir constantly until it's about 1/2 melted, then remove from heat and stir occasionally until it melts entirely. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix in the preserves while it's still hot so that they melt a little. Add the sugar, salt, extracts and eggs and beat until well combined. Sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda and stir until just combined. <br />
<br />
Use a ice cream scoop with a metal "sweeper" or a small ladle to fill the cupcake papers about 3/4 of the way full. Err on the side of too little rather than overfilling - this batter pushes out, not up once it reaches the top of the cup. <br />
<br />
Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before proceeding.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Cherry Syrup</span></b><br />
3/4 cup cherry wine or 1/4 cup kirsch mixed with 1/2 cup water<br />
2 Tbsp cherry preserves<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
<br />
Combine cherry wine or kirsch mixture and cherry preserves in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and let it reduce down for about 5 minutes, then add sugar and turn off the heat. Leave the syrup on the burner and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature and brush on top of cupcakes.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting</span></b> (makes more than what's needed for a dozen cupcakes)<br />
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1/4 cup cherry preserves<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 tsp almond extract<br />
2-3 cups powdered sugar<br />
<br />
12 cherries with stems, pitted carefully near the stem <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>(the pitter should leave a small almost invisible x on the top - it will leave a big whole on the bottom but that end's in the frosting)</i></span><br />
<br />
Beat together cream cheese, butter, preserves and extracts until well combined and it no longer has a lumpy texture with visible bits of butter and cream cheese. Sift in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly in between, until a firm but spreadable texture is reached. Transfer into a gallon zip-top bag, squeeze out the air, seal, and snip off a corner to use as a piping bag. Pipe onto cupcakes, starting at the outside and spiraling in. Top with a pitted cherry.<br />
<br />
Here's the new baby:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhgFxvpOAlDPHfT14CcafIOOoc1S4I6P4qjcWqpl6Q2CH0tPujeycAm_wsNU9MfwaFdC4CVrxrEJM0oecRamDbgoaXFwPVa_GOWEO6OiyM9jdNIDDxXAp_yTRZpnVsGHBPQjnj2UQcCq8/s1600/Riley6wk_20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhgFxvpOAlDPHfT14CcafIOOoc1S4I6P4qjcWqpl6Q2CH0tPujeycAm_wsNU9MfwaFdC4CVrxrEJM0oecRamDbgoaXFwPVa_GOWEO6OiyM9jdNIDDxXAp_yTRZpnVsGHBPQjnj2UQcCq8/s640/Riley6wk_20.JPG" width="488" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-37097410799416049352010-03-29T17:27:00.000-04:002010-03-29T17:27:13.289-04:00Recipe Review: No-Knead Apple Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ7kcp0Bhvb73jdHfD8OD13vUhudvmjfyr1KZJAU6bxYP9zaU9Y7fINQh6TNX06qUaumNnWXN8vRbwTJLGDOnK9RpCX4yxn9dzxcRvpoLWxEU92hEP8wJONK54vmAyVN2MaSVje8u1SaX/s1600/Food_1559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZ7kcp0Bhvb73jdHfD8OD13vUhudvmjfyr1KZJAU6bxYP9zaU9Y7fINQh6TNX06qUaumNnWXN8vRbwTJLGDOnK9RpCX4yxn9dzxcRvpoLWxEU92hEP8wJONK54vmAyVN2MaSVje8u1SaX/s640/Food_1559.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Jim Lahey's no-knead breads have been the center of a lot of attention in recent years, and I'm convinced that just about everyone has tried one of his no-knead recipes. His basic recipe is <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/05/best-bread-of-all-time.html">my go-to loaf</a>. So when I was killing some time in a bookstore and his new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/My-Bread-Revolutionary-No-Work-No-Knead/dp/0393066304">"My Bread"</a> caught my eye, there was no way I could walk out without it. It's a treasure trove of bread, pizza and sandwiches, so deciding what to make first was a struggle. Luckily, some cider about to waste away at the back of the fridge made the decision for me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6bEeJtn_NmuMXXYDSllC6lzRQCqK26MCqheU7IL6VxlDT0hy7JiyIds3P6OJAfH4UUv-xgZLnxCTEK3zT9bKl_Na3NSg3vPaIaQEtxjQRttd9YJS3-Be1qy99F5cF_Cf-A863O7Xr6te/s1600/Food_1579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6bEeJtn_NmuMXXYDSllC6lzRQCqK26MCqheU7IL6VxlDT0hy7JiyIds3P6OJAfH4UUv-xgZLnxCTEK3zT9bKl_Na3NSg3vPaIaQEtxjQRttd9YJS3-Be1qy99F5cF_Cf-A863O7Xr6te/s640/Food_1579.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It resulted in a crackily crusted beauty of a bread, with a crunchy snap at the surface and a soft but chewy interior speckled with tender chunks of apples. I did notice that 475 was just too hot, resulting in a slight char on some of the edges. Next time I'll reduce the heat to 450 and see how that goes. I'm relaying this recipe by weight, since that's really to only way that proportions can remain the same from one cook to another. If you enjoying baking and haven't yet invested the $20 for a scale I only have one question - why not? No one measures the same way, so for good results - weigh it out!<br />
<br />
This would make a good snack, breakfast or side for a nice pork roast. It doesn't need any butter - it's beautiful on its own. Any stale bread would make an excellent bread pudding.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_g-Y-C5Ojt7JFMXxqgIWjhYRjKvxDaEqXt4ThL_G4PRugw2_gG4ZFzhN_a15ebbcQuxvOKS0Va9qgTTT7_Gw0v3HlRkjbe4lDXLmUWzLHusD65Pbcurxe7fuoUvEKboHy2mbZWxI1LWx/s1600/Food_1571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_g-Y-C5Ojt7JFMXxqgIWjhYRjKvxDaEqXt4ThL_G4PRugw2_gG4ZFzhN_a15ebbcQuxvOKS0Va9qgTTT7_Gw0v3HlRkjbe4lDXLmUWzLHusD65Pbcurxe7fuoUvEKboHy2mbZWxI1LWx/s640/Food_1571.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>No-Knead Apple Bread</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>inspired by and closely based upon Jim Lahey's recipe in "</i><i>My Bread"</i></span></div><br />
1 small apple (I used a pink lady), peeled, cored and chopped into small bits<br />
65 g (~1 cup) of chopped dried apple slices<br />
280 g (~2 cups & 2 Tbsp) bread flour<br />
20 g (~ 2 Tbsp) whole wheat flour<br />
4 g (3/4 tsp) salt<br />
1 g (1/4 tsp) active dry yeast<br />
1 g (1/4 tsp) cinnamon<br />
250 g (1 cup) apple cider<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, stir all ingredients together with a wooden spoon. The dough will be wet and sticky. Cover and let sit overnight (at least 12 hours).<br />
<br />
Dust the dough's surface with some flour. Using well-floured hands, form the dough into a ball by tucking the edges of the dough under the center. Dust a tea towel with flour or wheat bran. (If you like you can lay out an apple slice to crown the loaf.) Gently transfer the dough to the towel, seam side down and wrap the towel around to cover it. Allow to rise for one or two more hours. The dough is ready when it's almost doubled in size and pressing your finger into the dough leaves an indentation that doesn't spring back.<br />
<br />
About 30 minutes before the dough is done rising, put a large cast iron (or ceramic) dutch oven with its lid in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 450 F. <br />
<br />
When everything is preheated, use pot holders to remove the preheated pot from the oven and remove the lid. Quickly and gently invert the dough from the towel into the pot, replace the cover and return to the oven for 45 minutes. <br />
<br />
Remove the lid and continue to cook until the bread turns a chestnut brown color - no more then 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until the bread stops "singing" - making crackling noises - about 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80EGNDtI6ZlET5bJom216hMQFOHkBDcilj24iEkhrbe6xR4Vd4mn9calkzFUYmFiP7RBDlBpxUrvxRQcr5fa9JD7mwsd2wIuEbjqpxs51oXKj1XAuEV1-iYQzjVeHEmdkliTAubdDRWnj/s1600/Food_1577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80EGNDtI6ZlET5bJom216hMQFOHkBDcilj24iEkhrbe6xR4Vd4mn9calkzFUYmFiP7RBDlBpxUrvxRQcr5fa9JD7mwsd2wIuEbjqpxs51oXKj1XAuEV1-iYQzjVeHEmdkliTAubdDRWnj/s640/Food_1577.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-82227027338342381352010-03-28T15:28:00.002-04:002010-03-29T17:28:41.702-04:00Cinnamon Sugar Popovers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqWLcWR9-PN-bCLxkUDKvJcIiO4Hmn9wU6f0yy_GDbIi0T6eBP3bOayXNgeoswaUdoiZv4VuvivHURm9Q7eLWJfbqJPjAPyJPNdYrrX7ljhdMy7AURDmutv4lyc-LlZ7ySC478QfU2fhD/s1600/Food_1562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqWLcWR9-PN-bCLxkUDKvJcIiO4Hmn9wU6f0yy_GDbIi0T6eBP3bOayXNgeoswaUdoiZv4VuvivHURm9Q7eLWJfbqJPjAPyJPNdYrrX7ljhdMy7AURDmutv4lyc-LlZ7ySC478QfU2fhD/s400/Food_1562.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
There are few things I love more than a popover. Light and eggy - crunchy on the outside, airy and a little flakey like a fresh croissant in the middle. These are perfect with soup, alongside a salad, to sop up the juice of a good roast, and just by themselves. So when I saw <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2010/01/sugar-crusted_popover_recipe.html#more">this recipe</a> for a sweet version, I was all over it. I am of course incapable of baking anything without some almond extract, so that was one of my alterations along with a couple others.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmuhxe2-daTE-cUC-PT1SWYVfVZ1oafaqpc54GnxRjLTPYts13H7vd9vbukIDm7UojdNBUulFUdiuwksBg-QXl2-c_PUT5XEINZcNBGe_vJ8yH7re3_9u4Z44KF8ijiA8ssgTcz3yfgVk/s1600/Food_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmuhxe2-daTE-cUC-PT1SWYVfVZ1oafaqpc54GnxRjLTPYts13H7vd9vbukIDm7UojdNBUulFUdiuwksBg-QXl2-c_PUT5XEINZcNBGe_vJ8yH7re3_9u4Z44KF8ijiA8ssgTcz3yfgVk/s400/Food_1565.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
These are completely addictive so beware. It may or may not be true that in 3 hours, there is only one popover left - zipped up and hidden so that I don't have to admit to eating an entire batch singlehandedly. They make a fantastic breakfast but no doubt would be lovely served almost like a profiterole - stuffed with some good ice cream.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtx5vji-GZa669XmNxj1UKNBv6WXGerFuJfsYq7rtskOBW2O4ynU9nLuWci8m2LVsauNL-3e2_X2sW1sqqfCeQg6rX23ed3oavICj8MtdayjufikxyKzSb2v-PCskj2_EJObyTRkp5pTba/s1600/Food_1561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtx5vji-GZa669XmNxj1UKNBv6WXGerFuJfsYq7rtskOBW2O4ynU9nLuWci8m2LVsauNL-3e2_X2sW1sqqfCeQg6rX23ed3oavICj8MtdayjufikxyKzSb2v-PCskj2_EJObyTRkp5pTba/s640/Food_1561.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Cinnamon Sugar Crusted Popovers</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Makes 6 (in a popover tin) - 9 (in a muffin tin)</span></div><br />
1 cup 2% milk<br />
2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter<br />
2 jumbo (or 3 large) eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 tsp almond extract<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
2 Tbsp melted butter<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 Tbsp Saigon cinnamon<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a popover tin (or muffin tin).<br />
<br />
Combine milk, butter, eggs, extracts, salt, sugar and flour in a blender. Blend until well combined - about 10 seconds.<br />
<br />
Fill each cup of the tin about 1/2 - 2/3 of the way full, dividing the batter evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a container with a lid.<br />
<br />
Let cool about 3 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, brush one with butter then add to the cinnamon sugar container and shake to coat. Repeat with remaining popovers. <br />
<br />
These are best when still warm and crunchy, but can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two. I think. I've never actually had them last that long!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEX7epybtQRTTk6gvqpTkVwPWmpIcvPayDaqC_eSAz2IjuENRsNllAHDkomMwPQLd8XxiWTPizMFyMkhXwtxqG6Q1m7N42y1NWpShU_e8CtUQWlHTFV66L25k2ZcjRszkbyClHqJMNE6f/s1600/Food_1564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEX7epybtQRTTk6gvqpTkVwPWmpIcvPayDaqC_eSAz2IjuENRsNllAHDkomMwPQLd8XxiWTPizMFyMkhXwtxqG6Q1m7N42y1NWpShU_e8CtUQWlHTFV66L25k2ZcjRszkbyClHqJMNE6f/s640/Food_1564.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-50437756656961119712010-03-21T16:55:00.003-04:002010-03-28T14:59:12.517-04:00Creamy, Crunchy, Sour and Sweet: Lemon Brulée Tartlettes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSGepUGEGBX_-DII8KTt5ulgu8RXuQILRZ7jr9G6AhGAUXM-MVCZz5Q7hyphenhypheno54fueLmxpkds34ut0sRFwX2rhhYIBuKPp8h1leANq0_6BX003kP4htdvMfoOiEBHv5mJXC9E3IKHeiYIgX/s1600-h/Food_1555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSGepUGEGBX_-DII8KTt5ulgu8RXuQILRZ7jr9G6AhGAUXM-MVCZz5Q7hyphenhypheno54fueLmxpkds34ut0sRFwX2rhhYIBuKPp8h1leANq0_6BX003kP4htdvMfoOiEBHv5mJXC9E3IKHeiYIgX/s400/Food_1555.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We've had the kind of fabulous, energizing, spring-is-finally-here weekend that comes with balmy breezes, lounge chairs under umbrellas on the deck and conversations with friends around a bonfire under the stars. The dog has transformed from a moping mop of white to a bounding cotton ball on crack now that the snow no longer confines her "walks" to a narrowly shoveled tunnel along the backside of the house. There's a cat in every open window and dinner has that lovely charred flavor that's been missing through all of those months that were decidedly not grill-friendly.<br />
<br />
This blissful weather calls for casual gatherings, with food that hints of summer without blatantly pretending to be something that it's not. Now is not the time for tomato tarts or sweet corn - pushing those too early will only result in utter disappointment. But vaguely sunny preparations of outdoor friendly food like burgers and bacon-ranch potato salad hit the perfect note. What to have for dessert? It's no longer time for über rich cakes and custards, but we're not quite ready for ice cream. The perfect compromise? These lemon-brulée tartlettes. Light shortbread crust filled with puckery lemon filling and finished with the snap of a sugar crust. Everyone gets their own little beauty (no food anxiety for my dear L), tapping away with little spoons like breaking up the ice of the winter and diving into pure lemon sunshine. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQV3ls9xbhYCACFKLeURnfP321dTBdkoTH3uaxvr_QhcwvytGuEzm24Z5O4u3Ya4LsiFfVLmfFXvvkhJNMZ9ZPdDp7b2lIevUavvF5EPRsnADU5j5Nyj-CfuT9fFIvbHf7u8qY80UTt1BR/s1600-h/Food_1548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQV3ls9xbhYCACFKLeURnfP321dTBdkoTH3uaxvr_QhcwvytGuEzm24Z5O4u3Ya4LsiFfVLmfFXvvkhJNMZ9ZPdDp7b2lIevUavvF5EPRsnADU5j5Nyj-CfuT9fFIvbHf7u8qY80UTt1BR/s400/Food_1548.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Lemon Brulée Tartlettes</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Makes 6.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Inspired by a </span><a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/lemon_tart/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">lemon tart</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> from Elise of Simply Recipes</span></div><i>Crust</i><br />
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
zest of one lemon<br />
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch squares<br />
1 jumbo beaten egg<br />
1/4 tsp almond exract<br />
1/4 tsp lemon extract<br />
1 Tbsp lemon juice<br />
<br />
beans for use as pie wieghts<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, sugar and zest until well combined. Add in butter pieces and use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut and smoosh the butter and flour together until it resembles a sandy, flaky mixture of different size crumbs. Don't overdo it - more uniform tends to mean less flakey. Add the remainder of the ingredient and mix around with a spoon or preferably your hands until the dough is uniformly moist and starts to stick together. Form the dough into a ball and squash it into a disc. Wrap in plastic and store in the fridge for at least an hour.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 5 minutes on the countertop. Grease 6 tartlette pans with removable bottoms (these are now quite easy to find - I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond) but I've even seen them at Target on occasion. On a well floured surface, roll out the dough into 6 rounds about an inch larger than the bottoms of the tartlette pans, about 1/3 inch thick. Transfer the rounds to the pans, pressing the dough into the crevices and pressing down on the rim to cut off the excess. Line the inside of each tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. These will keep the crust from shrinking while baking (just don't try to cook them up for dinner afterwards). Transfer all tart shells to a large baking sheet and bake for about 27 minutes. At this point the tart shells will be very pale in color but should be semi-cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing beans, then finish cooling on a wire rack.<br />
<br />
<i>Lemon Curd</i><br />
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter<br />
1 Tbsp shy of 1/4 cup thick Greek yogurt<br />
1 Tbsp heavy cream<br />
juice of 3 lemons (once strained of seeds and pulp should be approximately 3/4 cup<br />
2 jumbo eggs<br />
3 jumbo egg yolks<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
zest of 3 lemons<br />
<br />
In a double boiler, melt butter, yogurt and cream, whisking occasionally to combine. Transfer to another bowl and whisk in lemon juice.<br />
Heat the eggs with the sugar and zest until just warmed. Then whisk in the butter mixture and heat until it slightly thickens. Strain into a heat-proof measuring cup with a spout, then pour into the prepared tartlette shells (which should still be on a baking sheet). I like to fill them most of the way, then get them on the oven rack to fill them all the way to the top without spilling). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until the centers are just slightly jiggly and the crusts are lightly golden. Cool and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving<br />
<br />
<i>Sugar Crust</i><br />
approximately 12 Tbsp sugar<br />
<br />
Sprinkle approximately 2 Tbsp sugar evenly over each tart. With a butane kitchen torch, use quick short back and forth strokes of the flame to liquify and caramelize the sugar. (Alternatively you can do this under a broiler instead, just expect to serve warm lemon tartlettes instead as it really heats up the entire dessert). Let sit for one minute before serving, so that the sugar cools and hardens. Then tap, tap, tap your way to sunny happiness!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgLH-X5IhbtC68KbQEd3mB60epbrlu_9Jla337r4-dfQ08EsLZVnKcxVsiTJcXUDYP47yAF2-EKk8CNiZiT7-dr_wa0RZltVg5A-06axytXqd07BTL-SvhsnA0JVsMz0I2l_NvxxZDqeu/s1600-h/Food_1558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgLH-X5IhbtC68KbQEd3mB60epbrlu_9Jla337r4-dfQ08EsLZVnKcxVsiTJcXUDYP47yAF2-EKk8CNiZiT7-dr_wa0RZltVg5A-06axytXqd07BTL-SvhsnA0JVsMz0I2l_NvxxZDqeu/s400/Food_1558.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-51350556937995651252010-03-14T13:55:00.001-04:002010-03-16T19:56:19.011-04:00Spaghetti Carbonara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FhyFUdkw2Ja4rRuFh-_thi-RVyABPY7NOEGjwwSjmJ-46VqdIHJTIiObs0t9fKX6KS8rC51PDyXB-N2SEcw6pLUpd8Bidqfft-k6N482jeU3kkTTlJkXDTepbblS6bBlwPRacKAp0dUk/s1600-h/Food_1540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FhyFUdkw2Ja4rRuFh-_thi-RVyABPY7NOEGjwwSjmJ-46VqdIHJTIiObs0t9fKX6KS8rC51PDyXB-N2SEcw6pLUpd8Bidqfft-k6N482jeU3kkTTlJkXDTepbblS6bBlwPRacKAp0dUk/s640/Food_1540.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Some foods require planning, prep time, and special ingredients. This is not one of them. I'd be willing to bet that at least 70% of Americans have the basic ingredients for pasta carbonara on hand at any given time - pasta, bacon, eggs, some sort of salty grated cheese and cream or milk. Throw in some veggies of your choice and you've got dinner in the time it takes to boil the pasta. <br />
<br />
Of course, everything is better when made from scratch. So I've used my own homemade spaghetti here, but this is just as satisfying with the store-bought variety. This is also a meal that in a month or two can be completely local (except for the flour in the pasta), since the eggs, cream, bacon and cheese were all from <a href="http://www.ourspringfieldfarm.com/index1.html">Springfield Farm</a> and once late spring rolls around we'll start getting our leeks and spinach from <a href="http://www.onestrawfarm.com/index.html">One Star Farm</a>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pO3ALBFBybVGJLbTk6y1yC5uVZ9gIfED0XAPDJXSbIszSRB7U5UchWmEG81cLJviHD3Or1LjzqIGv0qbaxct0YG3lGVu-eOrslLIWxcIZNAAPXZIc4dOnbt5fS9ErlmJuszz8qEZgIYj/s1600-h/Food_1551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pO3ALBFBybVGJLbTk6y1yC5uVZ9gIfED0XAPDJXSbIszSRB7U5UchWmEG81cLJviHD3Or1LjzqIGv0qbaxct0YG3lGVu-eOrslLIWxcIZNAAPXZIc4dOnbt5fS9ErlmJuszz8qEZgIYj/s400/Food_1551.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Spaghetti Carbonara</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
4-5 slices bacon, cut into thin strips<br />
1 cup cleaned white and light green parts of leeks, sliced into thin half moons<br />
1/2 cup white wine<br />
4 cups baby spinach, washed and dried<br />
<br />
1 lb. fresh spaghetti (or boxed)<br />
<br />
3 jumbo or 4 large eggs<br />
2 Tbsp heavy cream<br />
1/3 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano or other salty hard cheese<br />
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper<br />
<br />
Fill a stockpot with water, salt it generously and place it over high heat for the pasta.<br />
<br />
In a medium saucepan, saute bacon until crisp. Add leeks and saute until slightly tender. Drain some of the bacon fat out of the pan, then deglaze with white wine. Turn off the heat and add spinach, stirring occasionally while the spinach wilts.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, start cooking the pasta. Fresh pasta only takes 1-3 minutes so keep an eye on it. <br />
<br />
While the pasta cooks, combine the eggs with the cream, cheese and black pepper and whisk to combine. Temper the eggs by whisking in some of the hot wine then pouring the egg mixture into the pan, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and comes up to temperature (the heat on the burner should remain turned off, it's just residual heat that cooks it). You don't want to scramble the eggs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Drain the pasta and toss with the eggy bacon and veggie mixture. Serve immediately.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskDHwKVKWXXbV-R3YazGjHxQWE_78xB9ZF8eBu9XAnmdfmhrub7izumfXVmNcCTf6JMa9jAxXpshog4qjjMMJWW47sw-LPXgtpQXMbpyDnGtq8hsQMBDMq0_giay2QHY6EbXvOCuuv72f/s1600-h/Food_1549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskDHwKVKWXXbV-R3YazGjHxQWE_78xB9ZF8eBu9XAnmdfmhrub7izumfXVmNcCTf6JMa9jAxXpshog4qjjMMJWW47sw-LPXgtpQXMbpyDnGtq8hsQMBDMq0_giay2QHY6EbXvOCuuv72f/s400/Food_1549.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-92049440667189977752010-03-13T12:59:00.003-05:002010-03-13T17:41:05.421-05:00Dessert For Breakfast - Tiramisu Pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3z-8FVbBwChZoJ3ZEe83qAiXnEXZotS9yVJllN7RpsYdI_hxXL_-IL4aLsMb5SxRuN9rr7YpH6yyzG-mS0FWiZRv-DuIQxJ9OAiuyqPxklGHTi7ob97n8DBYplYkvAs-m8I0BosEoLPo/s1600-h/Food_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3z-8FVbBwChZoJ3ZEe83qAiXnEXZotS9yVJllN7RpsYdI_hxXL_-IL4aLsMb5SxRuN9rr7YpH6yyzG-mS0FWiZRv-DuIQxJ9OAiuyqPxklGHTi7ob97n8DBYplYkvAs-m8I0BosEoLPo/s640/Food_1447.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Tiramisu winds up on the table at every holiday gathering with family. Everyone from my sweet-tooth-lacking husband to my doesn't-like-to-try-anything-new grandmother loves it, and who couldn't? What's not to love - rum and coffee saturated spongy cookie layers dressed up with a lightly sweetened froth of marscapone and whipped cream. <br />
<br />
Our favorite treat turned up again on Valentine's Day. Of course, I never look at the recipe before I go shopping (that would be too organized and just not my style) - so I've had an extra container of marscapone ever since. It was nearing its expiration date and not wanting it to languish in the fridge, I was searching for a worthy use. Apparently I was not alone in this quest, because the Ivory Hut had just posted <a href="http://ivoryhut.com/2010/03/tiramisu-pancakes/">these pancakes</a> as a solution to the same quandary set forth by Jaden of the <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/7717-tiramisu-pancakes.html">Steamy Kitchen</a>.<br />
<a href="http://steamykitchen.com/7717-tiramisu-pancakes.html"></a><br />
Obviously this was a temptation I could not resist. And believe me, I'm so glad I didn't. Here's my version - buffed up with more marscapone and a hint of the rum that I find so essential to a good tiramisu.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnGUSpteuS_eqSrjUYkWK06XtOotUihsBSYoiUBYIZc6BdmuHZIJxgwEG7r5B0kZVv-XD5SfprnQBeC4dc_0AuKQ466qCVZ69VKl7ZP5r1k5dS9vgOuxYKdrkutwSayevjvhUP6A4DMCL/s1600-h/Food_1546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnGUSpteuS_eqSrjUYkWK06XtOotUihsBSYoiUBYIZc6BdmuHZIJxgwEG7r5B0kZVv-XD5SfprnQBeC4dc_0AuKQ466qCVZ69VKl7ZP5r1k5dS9vgOuxYKdrkutwSayevjvhUP6A4DMCL/s640/Food_1546.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Tiramisu Pancakes</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Makes about 18 pancakes.</span></div><br />
<i>Marscapone Cream</i><br />
8 oz marscapone cheese at room temperature<br />
1 1/4 cup whipping cream<br />
2 Tbsp dark rum - use the best stuff - I like Meyer's dark<br />
2 Tbsp grade B (dark amber) maple syrup<br />
1 Tbsp espresso powder<br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed until medium peaks form. Put in the fridge to chill until the pancakes are ready.<br />
<br />
<i>Mocha Pancakes</i><br />
1 1/2 cups 2% milk<br />
1/2 cup light sour cream<br />
2 Tbsp espresso powder<br />
4 Tbsp melted and cooled unsalted butter<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 tsp chocolate extract (optional - you can substitute another of vanilla or some rum)<br />
<br />
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
3 Tbsp sugar<br />
2 1/2 Tbsp best-quality cocoa powder<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream and espresso powder until smooth and slightly frothy. Whisk in butter, eggs and extracts and beat until well combined. <br />
<br />
Place a large mesh strainer/sifter over the mixing bowl. To this add all of the dry ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix these together with a whisk for about 6 stirs, then switch to a rubber spatula, stirring only until there are no more large lumps of flour. The batter will still be slightly lumpy.<br />
<br />
Let the batter sit as you preheat a griddle or nonstick pan with a little butter in it. I like to start a griddle off on medium-high heat, gradually reducing the heat to medium for the first batch and down to medium-low once that gets too hot. <br />
<br />
Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the preheated griddle. Cook until the top is a mosaic of bubbles and the underside is golden brown, then flip and cook another couple of minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm on a rack set into a sheet pan in a very low oven (the lowest yours will go). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFydm2LMumHZbAl4oMMPKiSdt5vxCECMkAFnNHzLOJcN7-ot_dZoZRkzhXdKJNdOwXL4HMJ7OfV0m1t-3aNxNb0VnpUoaLk8CYT_dkp2THkBWwM_UmnseUOLKaLsT5_rjU6Q5JaougOOx/s1600-h/Food_1538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFydm2LMumHZbAl4oMMPKiSdt5vxCECMkAFnNHzLOJcN7-ot_dZoZRkzhXdKJNdOwXL4HMJ7OfV0m1t-3aNxNb0VnpUoaLk8CYT_dkp2THkBWwM_UmnseUOLKaLsT5_rjU6Q5JaougOOx/s400/Food_1538.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>To serve, layer with marscapone cream and dust with confectioners sugar, cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-25752895215917773212010-02-21T19:14:00.003-05:002010-03-13T13:10:50.652-05:00Blueberry Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uJ9Jebb0g-f-dvfCbF1wHFotv5lS1Tj5SJOYxt1ibsoVMcTQoz6kSofB_q0YPvUuoVfbdKmsOVBG0YK2BmpTnWGd9GFOsXE6bJYvixHc0anN3OPDYtgm_tyCOsCv4XvAQC-s9zQqhvFB/s1600-h/Food_1513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uJ9Jebb0g-f-dvfCbF1wHFotv5lS1Tj5SJOYxt1ibsoVMcTQoz6kSofB_q0YPvUuoVfbdKmsOVBG0YK2BmpTnWGd9GFOsXE6bJYvixHc0anN3OPDYtgm_tyCOsCv4XvAQC-s9zQqhvFB/s640/Food_1513.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I guess you could say I grew up in a UPick family. Not just as in UPick up your room - U do your own laundry - UPick up your brother, but also my favorite - UPick your own peas, grape leaves, apples and berries. We spent many a balmy afternoon bent over in various fields and leaning into bushes, trying to avoid the brambles and find the best of what the birds had missed. One of the most memorable of these events took place within 1/2 mile of home - in a generous neighbor's backyard on July 24, 1989. We'd ambled over to pick some blueberries, when all of a sudden my mother told me (a scrappy 6 year old tomboy) that she was going to have a baby. At first I thought she was insulting my intelligence "Yeah mom - that's pretty obvious!" and then she said, no, she meant soon, like today. I don't recall what happened to those berries on the day I became I big sister, but I'm sure if they'd made it home they might've made a darn good pie. Kind of like this one - which is just the thing when there's 4 feet of snow outside and you're trying to pretend it's July!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheMgYELJcBXtNTCp4mpDBB3JQ1w_iQSbIc7C5yIJD1ZbCmFZYoFdt0fsDTnUw4kBHxP2reVxDVS2sTEY9rAvcXg4ohGdkTUOi-1j8x4RIkNNgfFhw0-1QwnKIZzUTkkG4El_LZ8PoOPJX/s1600-h/Food_1531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheMgYELJcBXtNTCp4mpDBB3JQ1w_iQSbIc7C5yIJD1ZbCmFZYoFdt0fsDTnUw4kBHxP2reVxDVS2sTEY9rAvcXg4ohGdkTUOi-1j8x4RIkNNgfFhw0-1QwnKIZzUTkkG4El_LZ8PoOPJX/s640/Food_1531.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Lime-Scented Blueberry Pie</span></i></b><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfgppWk6ucfcXJkldE2RFI3VfbvXIwdMtAn4Kjl90x3lOgYZ8r6fQDXKTVwfs6suZzInYcQ4wCKWvwR115yMsH2PvZ5klAukW-0jYMvOOPZUxar88mAVgj2eAFq6u89kyscLEptI-a_7s/s1600-h/Food_1526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfgppWk6ucfcXJkldE2RFI3VfbvXIwdMtAn4Kjl90x3lOgYZ8r6fQDXKTVwfs6suZzInYcQ4wCKWvwR115yMsH2PvZ5klAukW-0jYMvOOPZUxar88mAVgj2eAFq6u89kyscLEptI-a_7s/s640/Food_1526.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<i>Lime Scented Pie Crust</i><br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 tsp sugar<br />
zest of one lime<br />
chilled juice of the lime and additional ice water as needed (3-6 Tbsp total)<br />
<br />
Combine flour, butter cubes, zest, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a fork, pastry blender or your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles course meal. The butter bits should be slightly even in size but generally pea sized. Add lime juice and knead slightly to see if it comes together into a dough. If its still crumbles, slowly add ice water until it starts to stick together into a ball when you squeeze it in your fist. Form the dough into 2 portions - 2/3 of it into a round disc and the other 1/3 into a rectangle. Plastic wrap each and refrigerate for one hour or overnight. <br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 425 F. On a floured surface, roll out the round disc of dough to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Grease a pie pan (10 inch diameter), then transfer the dough to the pan. There should be a lip of dough peeking out about 1/2 inch past the edge of the pan. <br />
<br />
Roll the remaining dough out into a large rectangle, about the width of the pie pan and the same thickness as the bottom crust. Cut this into 1-inch wide strips with a rotary blade such as a pizza cutter. <br />
<br />
<i>Blueberry Filling</i><br />
8 cups of blueberries (a little less might work - but at least 6 cups)<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
zest and juice of one lime<br />
1/4 cup cornstarch<br />
<br />
Toss together ingredients in a large bowl, then pour them into the prepared pie crust. Use the strips of pie dough to weave a lattice pattern over the top. Simply Recipes has a great <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_a_lattice_top_for_a_pie_crust/">tutorial</a>. <br />
<br />
Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling slightly.<br />
<br />
Let cool for 20-30 minutes before serving. Serve slightly warm with almond scented whipped cream (add some almond extract when you whip it).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC52wMlP62O8xA4wYBrgQw4Cl-c1MGj9kqMraglDW3wT2mHx-F-aji48K0SnR82HDy43Xo2TlV3yorD9nqsNiWRnJhaHLZp0EFv-kBu5BJs2PzS802DXy-a-V0drUZvA20huM7qxbjUr0d/s1600-h/Food_1533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC52wMlP62O8xA4wYBrgQw4Cl-c1MGj9kqMraglDW3wT2mHx-F-aji48K0SnR82HDy43Xo2TlV3yorD9nqsNiWRnJhaHLZp0EFv-kBu5BJs2PzS802DXy-a-V0drUZvA20huM7qxbjUr0d/s640/Food_1533.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-26413483690040472282010-02-10T15:59:00.006-05:002010-03-13T13:12:22.615-05:00English Toffee Bliss<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsfwudsDqdxk-dLxfBNkTsJhvfWIVBpObuEK4mCjrp-cfE8-PJ-5o-mSCibezP5MBudw6kTPznwNIOsPsV9w-w8BH3di0-tcXTott8b1IaetmtMuEZCjoDKSWPLdvFD80ygMGxJrxtg01/s1600-h/Food_1511.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436729151727627986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsfwudsDqdxk-dLxfBNkTsJhvfWIVBpObuEK4mCjrp-cfE8-PJ-5o-mSCibezP5MBudw6kTPznwNIOsPsV9w-w8BH3di0-tcXTott8b1IaetmtMuEZCjoDKSWPLdvFD80ygMGxJrxtg01/s400/Food_1511.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 309px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
The snow just keeps coming down! Another 20 inches in the last 24 hours - and its not done yet. Maryland usually doesn't have February vacation - but we sure got it this year! We're off until Tuesday - and as you've heard before that means one thing to me - baking. But this time around I just wasn't feeling the usual cookies - instead I wanted something just as sweet and rich and buttery - but with more crunch. English toffee fits the bill and it's the easiest candy you'll ever make. It's probably my favorite as well. Almond extract ups the nutty flavor and espresso powder brings out the chocolateyness. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBflXpJw8EbmFCTfTtzIb9fG0VuiAdtLuwLRu6apBYOmh50dJ3wtNz8v3ZuaBXb7Qj4G7DEgJkaQPOJ19Qn_QuW79xGlqfkacTgv_g8aLes_QB0Fnu3-KbhfvYQuNvTSBAIeFdq_QFEF62/s1600-h/Food_1484.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436729164002090146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBflXpJw8EbmFCTfTtzIb9fG0VuiAdtLuwLRu6apBYOmh50dJ3wtNz8v3ZuaBXb7Qj4G7DEgJkaQPOJ19Qn_QuW79xGlqfkacTgv_g8aLes_QB0Fnu3-KbhfvYQuNvTSBAIeFdq_QFEF62/s400/Food_1484.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 340px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">English Butter Toffee</span></span></span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRZAQrDRYp26bPbuAuNHcQm5vOIC3y0OzCgZ9wX3TQ43MKUxsvAGSH8_Nr7gXPp8i_JNYTjPFUAUEtr7qRPyJIOzIaaIHsUKNUAjKElRzq_72UxFtQmozlS95hzXaIyyRoNIdibtM8t67/s1600-h/Food_1522.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436729152949007778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRZAQrDRYp26bPbuAuNHcQm5vOIC3y0OzCgZ9wX3TQ43MKUxsvAGSH8_Nr7gXPp8i_JNYTjPFUAUEtr7qRPyJIOzIaaIHsUKNUAjKElRzq_72UxFtQmozlS95hzXaIyyRoNIdibtM8t67/s400/Food_1522.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
21 Tbsp unsalted butter<br />
1 1/2 cups sugar<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
2 Tbsp water<br />
1 Tbsp almond extract<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (use the good stuff like ghirardelli) <br />
1 tsp instant espresso powder<br />
1 cup almonds, chopped and toasted<br />
<br />
Prepare a sheet pan by buttering it or lining it with a Silpat or other silicone liner.<br />
<br />
In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the butter, sugar, salt, water and extracts to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. (This takes about 10 minutes). Turn the heat down to medium, stop stirring and let cook until the temperature of the mixture is between 300-310 F on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage). <br />
<br />
Remove from the heat and pour out onto the prepared sheet pan. Wait until bubbles and toffee seems to smooth out, then spread chocolate over the toffee slab and sprinkle with espresso powder. Wait about a minute for the chocolate to melt over the hot toffee, then use a spatula to spread it evenly over the toffee. Sprinkle with nuts and press down lightly.<br />
<br />
Cool to room temperature then transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes so the chocolate hardens. Once cool, break into pieces and store in an air-tight container at room temperature. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAf_S7FneP5Mqe5F7oOnU3-q1wzbJeObre3ob-aa88vEOjAARLs34nimTwUOd9jMela0UQa-g5GjlWaYgFwLDMHUPl-uoHFLZslnGuX-I57s4w-6roaDtcSvRB49NjjN6AZ2aSKU17mw5A/s1600-h/Food_1524.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436729139657987698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAf_S7FneP5Mqe5F7oOnU3-q1wzbJeObre3ob-aa88vEOjAARLs34nimTwUOd9jMela0UQa-g5GjlWaYgFwLDMHUPl-uoHFLZslnGuX-I57s4w-6roaDtcSvRB49NjjN6AZ2aSKU17mw5A/s400/Food_1524.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 308px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">A few notes:</span><br />
Get a candy/deep fry thermometer! It's almost impossible to make candy or fry things without one.<br />
The liquid butter/sugar mixture is molten and should be treated like lava - use extreme care! <br />
Make sure the sheet pan is on a heat proof surface when you pour on the toffee. <br />
Be careful when pressing down on the nuts - don't press down enough that you'd accidentally touch the toffee and burn yourself.<br />
Immediately fill the pot with water and let it soak after you pour out the toffee or you'll be scrubbing off a candy coating.<br />
Give away about 1/2 this recipe immediately or be prepared to eat the whole batch - it's addictive!<br />
<br />
Beware of those who want to steal your toffee - apparently humans aren't the only ones who love this stuff!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZnnv8-VbARFJI-L6ardKYrPbCuHW9edFXtMQW8TCPnQwd__7g8WNZv611oqpnf_DWGBr7_PIoO9I17LEYwcvqtvYuhA__NNPApr9RPuLgftbjndJ-79IqKj8kDV565hzxXME_1CW4I3A/s1600-h/Food_1521.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436729140689748098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZnnv8-VbARFJI-L6ardKYrPbCuHW9edFXtMQW8TCPnQwd__7g8WNZv611oqpnf_DWGBr7_PIoO9I17LEYwcvqtvYuhA__NNPApr9RPuLgftbjndJ-79IqKj8kDV565hzxXME_1CW4I3A/s400/Food_1521.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 352px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-62750122759490121862010-02-09T15:32:00.002-05:002010-03-13T13:09:24.911-05:00Palak Paneer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1huophiOqOvdoFZs77hoICU_OLgh6pMD431tNMoBX1P7QiGvIOFFOB0YIan6wRa3np5IKGbsh3oOc4T-Tj8tiL-_S_EGZ7kVcTt2TvHcyha0001GYoeDa4jptckwQogtkRwii65YAHm4/s1600-h/Food_1534.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436721359187355106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1huophiOqOvdoFZs77hoICU_OLgh6pMD431tNMoBX1P7QiGvIOFFOB0YIan6wRa3np5IKGbsh3oOc4T-Tj8tiL-_S_EGZ7kVcTt2TvHcyha0001GYoeDa4jptckwQogtkRwii65YAHm4/s400/Food_1534.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 211px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
If I had to name one favorite Indian dish it would be palak paneer - a none too pretty but unbelievably tasty spinach puree with fresh farmers cheese (paneer) that's lovingly spiced and served over a bed of rice or with a stack of naan. Saag paneer is similar, but can contain other greens beyond spinach. I got to thinking that it couldn't be too hard to make - and as it turns out, it's dead simple and comes out even better than the restaurant variety. <br />
<br />
Although paneer is not hard to make, I happened to have some "bread cheese" already on hand. This is a popular cheese to grill up for an appetizer, as it holds its shape when cooked, becoming soft and gooey but not stringey. I thought at first that the texture would be very different, but it was just a little firmer than paneer and tasted very similar, so it's an easy shortcut if you don't have time to make your own paneer.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Palak Paneer</span></span></span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJOqd4QAE5Le2KJKhdN3OUkXLlnkE_QZYpmwtzU3FBRbzdJS0PUNkZ_KvpHJd6m_fXCxRkjgW2D3OzVFFKJ78XwsptTLSGRrwD7uROm37xenkaW7aiFjP-TNTXw2cpfTdpG1CCdDGOnB1/s1600-h/Food_1528.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436721372182248306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJOqd4QAE5Le2KJKhdN3OUkXLlnkE_QZYpmwtzU3FBRbzdJS0PUNkZ_KvpHJd6m_fXCxRkjgW2D3OzVFFKJ78XwsptTLSGRrwD7uROm37xenkaW7aiFjP-TNTXw2cpfTdpG1CCdDGOnB1/s400/Food_1528.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 297px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
1 Tbsp ground coriander<br />
1 Tbsp ground cumin<br />
1 tsp tumeric<br />
1 tsp garam masala<br />
1/2 tsp paprika<br />
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper<br />
<br />
1 Tbsp butter<br />
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger<br />
1 medium jalapeño, seeded & minced<br />
3 Tbsp tomato paste<br />
2/3 cup water<br />
11 oz spinach, washed and dried<br />
<br />
1/3 cup "bread cheese", cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped<br />
<br />
cooked rice or naan for serving<br />
<br />
Combine spices in a large, deep sided dry saucepan over medium high heat. Toast until spices are fragrant. <br />
<br />
Add butter and onion and saute until onion is soft. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeño and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add water and stir in spinach, reducing the heat to medium low. Put a lid on the pot so the spinach will steam and wilt, stirring occasionally. <br />
<br />
Once spinach has wilted, transfer to a blender or use a stick blender to puree the mixture. Return to the pan, add cheese and cook until the cheese warms and softens. Add cilantro and cook 1 minute.<br />
<br />
Serve over rice or alongside naan.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HHptZdDfoqdYbQ0gnYCz4slK4xMV4SJanHllwyjPpqaP-_pl1tzlUkZF67t4sTNpftRVv6O24n7TkY2knTw01VeoGBK9d_NqtXEqhCABH8ZscBp4qdGC4sZO1UVG4yU1fptSCNvr-MgK/s1600-h/Food_1535.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436721355343678978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HHptZdDfoqdYbQ0gnYCz4slK4xMV4SJanHllwyjPpqaP-_pl1tzlUkZF67t4sTNpftRVv6O24n7TkY2knTw01VeoGBK9d_NqtXEqhCABH8ZscBp4qdGC4sZO1UVG4yU1fptSCNvr-MgK/s400/Food_1535.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-78654554243180691062010-02-07T17:32:00.002-05:002010-03-13T13:11:51.976-05:00Looking Forward to Leftovers...Part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MftW6EAQMCgSthzZOnBXL3q9ORQQ6YOukRKp0rqwgA8zINSxJDEMEgonoQycsxYjcaZBGGqt_R7H_va_PM3_8fJFDLj9NxJ0vYI9y2Ci6hEQr_pExAUtN5lSTafreFOcbUtjun2k1m0f/s1600-h/Bread4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435620550212793122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0MftW6EAQMCgSthzZOnBXL3q9ORQQ6YOukRKp0rqwgA8zINSxJDEMEgonoQycsxYjcaZBGGqt_R7H_va_PM3_8fJFDLj9NxJ0vYI9y2Ci6hEQr_pExAUtN5lSTafreFOcbUtjun2k1m0f/s400/Bread4.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 315px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
OK - this is really pathetic - how is it that I took these pictures on October 25, Wrote this Nov 8th and am only now publishing it??! Well - at least this is great for leftovers year round. Whenever I make mashed potatoes, this is really the reason - I want to use the leftovers! P.S. - here's why I have time to post this (finally):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgakVn3FjcG8ZXxSo1pFNvMmQYN-RqqVfEWT3bCPvefuTjT3635WQz_mnsADv3mGA5rPKrA5_clguWB_UL8begFStxdWahC9rM73i2I3hFNG1soOmX5FItyprVREy7raqve-aCMBXi4Czr/s1600-h/Blizzard201038.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435635689623894722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgakVn3FjcG8ZXxSo1pFNvMmQYN-RqqVfEWT3bCPvefuTjT3635WQz_mnsADv3mGA5rPKrA5_clguWB_UL8begFStxdWahC9rM73i2I3hFNG1soOmX5FItyprVREy7raqve-aCMBXi4Czr/s400/Blizzard201038.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 312px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bWNv0S3XFmxtuh1MH2PTOr4M7-4TwOAoYCPwEidG1Uyr3-ruX82ygEls57-FAQqODKOcRP7pSvxvhbbBr_O11xd4ymCTjq2lgDZAsgknyUIt5U5g7pXFGkWRxAXcqm7uu3xEPgAm6FOM/s1600-h/Blizzard201055.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435635701802031730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bWNv0S3XFmxtuh1MH2PTOr4M7-4TwOAoYCPwEidG1Uyr3-ruX82ygEls57-FAQqODKOcRP7pSvxvhbbBr_O11xd4ymCTjq2lgDZAsgknyUIt5U5g7pXFGkWRxAXcqm7uu3xEPgAm6FOM/s400/Blizzard201055.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZUQxy3RY_Ojk12MJ_alHru9oSCJ06xy2MSVAM7usdMH7bPIYBNOCRLmeYm41deu1IhjtNK0tLeIuqIabr2Akw-ee4q4yDlsd61vFJFuOxjRENm9mNe8SQ5gKEK5xD8AiLurL43F3urd6/s1600-h/Blizzard201037.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435635682483180674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZUQxy3RY_Ojk12MJ_alHru9oSCJ06xy2MSVAM7usdMH7bPIYBNOCRLmeYm41deu1IhjtNK0tLeIuqIabr2Akw-ee4q4yDlsd61vFJFuOxjRENm9mNe8SQ5gKEK5xD8AiLurL43F3urd6/s400/Blizzard201037.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4WWd3aQ4QW299ytzJp3pOz4yD_qWefM2dT2Yc7DBiOfnd5G2nqHlKKf4OExNcweifYXt-Z2FDi0uFiUjmUjvIZcrFUCQ5UC0lvscMJh07YexJgmn459OJ1u2bWSZ4vsGRLL3xu8bKIpy/s1600-h/Blizzard201083.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435635671746574898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4WWd3aQ4QW299ytzJp3pOz4yD_qWefM2dT2Yc7DBiOfnd5G2nqHlKKf4OExNcweifYXt-Z2FDi0uFiUjmUjvIZcrFUCQ5UC0lvscMJh07YexJgmn459OJ1u2bWSZ4vsGRLL3xu8bKIpy/s400/Blizzard201083.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCzCyCoFw3GAQWTNCdh4gqSUtffzXmU0m-_7i3TgL7ZFpj4w8a1VrRpNCi5VPPBOBAXXkRIM5kibjAaH2u3VrtXlV_0tJ2ixnhLCdR_1TdaHDFMvI-lUk-YBhsg0iwqhbnAhFuMB9Kt7u/s1600-h/Blizzard201018.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435635700589374306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCzCyCoFw3GAQWTNCdh4gqSUtffzXmU0m-_7i3TgL7ZFpj4w8a1VrRpNCi5VPPBOBAXXkRIM5kibjAaH2u3VrtXlV_0tJ2ixnhLCdR_1TdaHDFMvI-lUk-YBhsg0iwqhbnAhFuMB9Kt7u/s400/Blizzard201018.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEXzUkgdjPsQG-6WO8GtWWAmg7BN57jm_f77M67E26t-L-VdFAiSeH725HXxzKpnHutvA5sP8UYUbeGoGL3zybW8YGfR8u62NoIDgbDzKs_Nx-GFnwmq3ZOR-mrDFzT5k2XJaDEbuQtp8/s1600-h/Blizzard201080.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435620520809791234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEXzUkgdjPsQG-6WO8GtWWAmg7BN57jm_f77M67E26t-L-VdFAiSeH725HXxzKpnHutvA5sP8UYUbeGoGL3zybW8YGfR8u62NoIDgbDzKs_Nx-GFnwmq3ZOR-mrDFzT5k2XJaDEbuQtp8/s400/Blizzard201080.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Every thanksgiving we make what my brother-in-law lovingly refers to as "heart-attack mashed potatoes." Since this holiday comes but once a year, these yukon golds are loaded up with roasted garlic, butter, cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and scallions. Eat them too often and expect to see scary cholesterol levels at your next doctors visit. But boy are they good, and once a year fits most people's definitions of moderation. <br />
<br />
I often find myself with leftover mashed potatoes, usually even more leftovers when it is not the holiday season. Since we are much bigger fans of the mashed potato the first time around, I love this recipe to use up the extras. Any flavors you have in your potatoes will work here, and this bread is just to die for.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfNYicCtSHn9HVQk8Vi7T2RZv-kyAmA6uiqTALAe7paTf2EAZFdPiIcg6VWB3MfU9cFtNiRNH3Br-aAPSVfWhSj27_A40yyMGW-kzpiCHvTRZBO2WireN6Tzw6MKwoUhtuP8yY9S4Zjzm/s1600-h/Bread1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435620523951161298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfNYicCtSHn9HVQk8Vi7T2RZv-kyAmA6uiqTALAe7paTf2EAZFdPiIcg6VWB3MfU9cFtNiRNH3Br-aAPSVfWhSj27_A40yyMGW-kzpiCHvTRZBO2WireN6Tzw6MKwoUhtuP8yY9S4Zjzm/s400/Bread1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 395px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Roasted Garlic Potato Rosemary Bread</span></span></span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAE8QwFoh-h1uGIoHDqe3YwTj2Q6nqor2OAfR3bmJm9HpeuL7rj8d4FakR22aR-C62DXfSRXzJ9r6NmovA8QalA_t-zrPzy7SpLgfEoNSsCSxnhTQskLK6D6HJ1AyKrMx2QU8qN5b6WO4H/s1600-h/Bread2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435620533887863698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAE8QwFoh-h1uGIoHDqe3YwTj2Q6nqor2OAfR3bmJm9HpeuL7rj8d4FakR22aR-C62DXfSRXzJ9r6NmovA8QalA_t-zrPzy7SpLgfEoNSsCSxnhTQskLK6D6HJ1AyKrMx2QU8qN5b6WO4H/s400/Bread2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Starter</span><br />
2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon rapid rise yeast<br />
3/4 - 1 cup of room temp water<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">"Finishers"</span><br />
1 head of garlic<br />
olive oil<br />
<br />
3 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper<br />
1 tsp garlic powder<br />
1 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast<br />
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes<br />
1 Tbsp of roasted garlic olive oil from the previous step<br />
3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary<br />
3/4 cup - 1 cup room temp water<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">To make the starter: </span>Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. Start with 3/4 cup of water and add water if needed to form a slightly tacky dough. Knead in a stand mixer on medium-low speed for 4 minutes or by hand for 8 minutes. Put aside into a well oiled bowl, cover and keep on the counter for 24-48 hours.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">To finish the bread:</span><br />
Preheat an oven (or a toaster oven) to 300 degrees. Slice the top off a head of garlic, so that the cloves are just exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and place face down in a pyrex or ceramic baking dish. Drizzle the outside with olive oil. Roast until golden and fragrant, about an hour. Let cool, then squeeze out cloves and dispose of "garlic paper."<br />
<br />
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together remaining bread flour, salt, pepper, yeast and garlic powder. Cut the starter into ten pieces and add them all separately, alternating with the mashed potatoes, oil, rosemary and 3/4 cups water. Mix on low speed for a minute (with the bread hook attachment). Add more water as needed until the dough comes together into a ball. Knead about 6 minutes on medium speed. At this point you should be able to take a small bit of dough and stretch it thin enough to see light through it without it ripping. <br />
<br />
Flatten the dough into a large rectangle and spread garlic cloves over it. Gather it back into a ball, dust it with flour and knead for a minute by hand. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise 2 hours or until doubled in size. <br />
<br />
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape into 2 round loaves. Let rise on parchment paper or silpat for an additional 1 to 2 hours. <br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush the loaves with olive oil and transfer them (still on the parchment/silpat) to a sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15-25 minutes or until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the middle reads at least 195 F. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV8bwxJF2GRUlrgqbcik9xhlc5MR_AylL30u5mW5uw62lk91z-XqcnUC17dRVJ3CXx1gE7eFtgpibtpiKZr-MGHW2_qfgljOY4cl6dfrS4AmsDDhzgNe5IyoFiQPi9mTGa1sLdF5Y-GyI/s1600-h/Bread3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435620540463744594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV8bwxJF2GRUlrgqbcik9xhlc5MR_AylL30u5mW5uw62lk91z-XqcnUC17dRVJ3CXx1gE7eFtgpibtpiKZr-MGHW2_qfgljOY4cl6dfrS4AmsDDhzgNe5IyoFiQPi9mTGa1sLdF5Y-GyI/s400/Bread3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-35571529763764678132009-11-21T14:26:00.005-05:002010-03-13T13:13:04.687-05:00Looking Forward to Leftovers...Part I<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNAh0sUEwFPiHznbBZYGtqduzM3Pj3EV2BZhXVdzIT11B0GJkbFdb3qv0Se-adzy22ZcOhQ2_eWfXNRxBRX-MGU7a_H4CPSqqq3pKMFlegh3qX8zB-hUHYOrp1aARcDKZcc4t9xnojHLu/s1600-h/Food_1504.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396612200837243634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNAh0sUEwFPiHznbBZYGtqduzM3Pj3EV2BZhXVdzIT11B0GJkbFdb3qv0Se-adzy22ZcOhQ2_eWfXNRxBRX-MGU7a_H4CPSqqq3pKMFlegh3qX8zB-hUHYOrp1aARcDKZcc4t9xnojHLu/s400/Food_1504.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 324px;" /></a><br />
With all of the work that goes into making every Thanksgiving perfect, you deserve to be reaping the benefits for the following week. Yet all too often, leftovers just turn into turkey sandwiches and other monotonous duplicate meals, and after a few days you're sick and tired of reheat and reeat the same old thing, and you're ordering pizza while the leftovers languish and spoil in the back of the fridge. In the spirit of frugalness, in a waste not want not economy, we need to bring these leftovers to an unexpected place, where they will be transformed from the lovely but boring feast day foods into unrecognizable reincarnations. I hope that this series, which I will post throughout the week, will inspire you to think outside the leftover box, and enjoy your post-Thanksgiving time care free.<br />
<br />
These waffles make use of leftover sweet potatoes or squash (both work well). If your leftover sweet potatoes aren't already mashed, just puree them first in a blender or food processor. Don't bother picking out nuts or marshmallows or whatever you like to put in, just puree it all together. Spices, even odd ones, taste great in this recipe so no worries about that either. <br />
<br />
Since I have a full house (literally - no walking room) of guests from afar for most Thanksgivings, breakfast the day after is just as important to plan for as the big meal itself. It's a final send off for my guests and it needs to be filling enough that they can get through the 6-8 hour drive with minimal stops, but not so heavy that they want to fall asleep at the wheel. These waffles, drizzled with dark amber maple syrup and served with a pumpkin spice latte, fit the bill perfectly. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnXC79NRgef1bW3zJDp8my8WVnWrxtbECjzg6Y6w-X2aZXcUY7Ub9Puz0H5LavsDoRlPwUNEbV2H3l43pg4N-u7u9mWR7zzLnsV7My-SkeuL8DQkrx71uy9QOngBL6jCbwzZSCxX2XCJP/s1600-h/Food_1506.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396612198730734674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnXC79NRgef1bW3zJDp8my8WVnWrxtbECjzg6Y6w-X2aZXcUY7Ub9Puz0H5LavsDoRlPwUNEbV2H3l43pg4N-u7u9mWR7zzLnsV7My-SkeuL8DQkrx71uy9QOngBL6jCbwzZSCxX2XCJP/s400/Food_1506.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 216px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Apple, Pecan & Sweet Potato Waffle</span>s</span></span></div><br />
3 large eggs<br />
3/4 cup milk<br />
1/4 cup melted butter<br />
1 cup leftover mashed or pureed sweet potatoes or squash<br />
1 tsp vanilla or pecan extract<br />
3 Tbsp sugar (I like brown or maple sugar for these)<br />
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp backing powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces<br />
1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced into small chunks<br />
<br />
Preheat a waffle iron.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, melted butter, sweet potatoes and extract until well blended. Sift in flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir until mostly mixed. Add pecans and apples and stir until well combined. Add more milk if the batter looks too thick (should be a normal consistency for waffles, a little thicker than pancake batter). <br />
<br />
Prepare waffles according to the directions that came with your waffle iron. Serve with maple syrup and either hot cider or pumpkin spice lattes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpdmFDEcKZeaDm2qDq4bweusvB4Tf9Dl-oIV8EcOmdQAD3Yl-47XDAOu4sjVQAWEanmLiVsKF7OZkcnuRfk3G504NrnrTd8yLz_iHut9WXc1svRMZtHL5aIirFaqlhh4DiE8B5TQV1vLq/s1600-h/Food_1508.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396612192497894082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpdmFDEcKZeaDm2qDq4bweusvB4Tf9Dl-oIV8EcOmdQAD3Yl-47XDAOu4sjVQAWEanmLiVsKF7OZkcnuRfk3G504NrnrTd8yLz_iHut9WXc1svRMZtHL5aIirFaqlhh4DiE8B5TQV1vLq/s400/Food_1508.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-71366350803082936412009-10-25T13:00:00.009-04:002010-03-13T13:13:44.939-05:00A Not-So-Pumpkin Pie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcDJSPtcOUGebAsI1umdVGPA1FoH6ywJJJP6puwR2N4_cqBOYhKkmjwTETL4-vlJyf-GWb5rpntUe6u5sN3Ie5dHGCi-rgul4JVpGN8uS_seFOAHWHW2rR7PqpVx3KIJfWLM_2cKYC6Cp/s1600-h/Food_1444.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396595456367506834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcDJSPtcOUGebAsI1umdVGPA1FoH6ywJJJP6puwR2N4_cqBOYhKkmjwTETL4-vlJyf-GWb5rpntUe6u5sN3Ie5dHGCi-rgul4JVpGN8uS_seFOAHWHW2rR7PqpVx3KIJfWLM_2cKYC6Cp/s400/Food_1444.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
In the search for Thanksgiving desserts, you're looking for something seasonal, traditional enough to put people in their comfort zone, but different enough to avoid being boring. In this quest, I also wanted to get rid of the glut of butternut squash that was building up from the CSA. Enter a pie, reminiscent of the classic pumpkin, but spicier, silkier, and I think tastier. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxhx8mb-o9nREUZKT6uEzBsbCx_5Cr9XOzjxaAm6hlSNNaCDQxJvhemcYiaPNDG2ChHcQHVzCeb-y6HjOj41AI1uzLXFhTdKk2E4eK5wuBxUyGXArFpLg9MhmbNsC4l0sMCGE8Fc2OaIR/s1600-h/Food_1496.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396595475831698770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxhx8mb-o9nREUZKT6uEzBsbCx_5Cr9XOzjxaAm6hlSNNaCDQxJvhemcYiaPNDG2ChHcQHVzCeb-y6HjOj41AI1uzLXFhTdKk2E4eK5wuBxUyGXArFpLg9MhmbNsC4l0sMCGE8Fc2OaIR/s400/Food_1496.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 292px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
I prefer not to roast the halved squash, but cut it into chunks, which caramelize better, lending more depth of flavor to the dish. For a truly amazing, flaky and flavorful crust that doesn't get soggy, use this all butter version, made with no more equipment then a bowl, your fingers and a rolling pin. Although I've always made food processor or pastry cutter crusts, I've recently been converted back to the handmade version, which is infinitely more consistently great.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Gingered Butternut Squash Pie</span></span></span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEpHXkoR7B7-LF2H754veUPJQAxjT8T6aPHrpbIQy8Mr12CAeMdNACYG8AE9g_zGWHhCrB_CYsPIvZAg6MW-1uG_IYwmSFW7X-QuAC9tKA9IhrCLg06IuKHhKBUzUlvNUuKcLr87efIOw/s1600-h/Food_1491.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396595465501131986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEpHXkoR7B7-LF2H754veUPJQAxjT8T6aPHrpbIQy8Mr12CAeMdNACYG8AE9g_zGWHhCrB_CYsPIvZAg6MW-1uG_IYwmSFW7X-QuAC9tKA9IhrCLg06IuKHhKBUzUlvNUuKcLr87efIOw/s400/Food_1491.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
1 9-inch blind baked pie shell, see preparation below<br />
<br />
1 large or 2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large to medium sized chunks (enough for 1 1/2 cups puree)<br />
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar<br />
3 large eggs<br />
3/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp allspice<br />
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
2 Tbsp all purpose flour<br />
1 Tbsp melted butter<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400 F, with the oven rack in the middle. Oil a jelly roll pan and scatter squash pieces across it. Roast until soft and just slightly caramelized. Reduce oven temp to 350 and move rack to the bottom third of oven. Transfer squash to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add all other ingredients and puree for at least 3 minutes, until silky smooth. Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake for 50-60 minutes (check after 30 min to see if you'll need to shield the pie crust with some aluminum foil). The pie is done when you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving (this step is really important because it doesn't fully set until cool). Serve with whipped cream.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmW0npFMt6PIzYhTUg2xMf3-PpG30vDsjOS6nXnjEJ_i04HZvwfKSW9aZMdXUBM3LDFsb4s1vtEyAtyL1VPY5uMBr5h-q2xQkl0icrV_8k9DGclChxbTRxFbgZB_VIIab2KZUp4uMor3M/s1600-h/Food_1493.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396595467928122210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmW0npFMt6PIzYhTUg2xMf3-PpG30vDsjOS6nXnjEJ_i04HZvwfKSW9aZMdXUBM3LDFsb4s1vtEyAtyL1VPY5uMBr5h-q2xQkl0icrV_8k9DGclChxbTRxFbgZB_VIIab2KZUp4uMor3M/s400/Food_1493.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 285px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Tender, Flaky All Butter Pie Crust</span><br />
<br />
6 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 1/3 cups but you really ought to weigh it)<br />
1 tsp sugar<br />
1/3 tsp salt<br />
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />
3 to 4 Tbsp ice water<br />
<br />
Combine flour, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss, then rub the butter bits with your fingertips, slowly smearing the butter into the flour. You want to form small flaky chunks in the mixture. Once all of the butter has been incorporated this way, Sprinkle ice water over the dough and use your hands to push and mix it together, adding more water if necessary, until the dough just sticks together when you press it into a ball. Gather all of the dough into a disk, plastic wrap it and stash it in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight. <br />
<br />
Let the dough soften slightly before rolling by sitting out at room temp for 5-20 minutes (5 if it's been chilling for an hour, 20 if it's been a day or so). You want the dough to be cold and firm but still fairly easy to roll. On a floured countertop, roll the dough out into a 10 or 11 inch round (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a pie plate and crimp the edges (for the wheat inspired crimp seen here, use kitchen shears to snip the folded over edges of the crust in abut 1/2 inch at a 45 degree angle every 1/2 inch or so around the entire edge. Then fold alternating sections in and out to resemble the grain). Prick bottom and sides with a fork and chill for one hour.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 425 F while you allow the crust to warm up a bit from the fridge (not too long - should be moderately cold still). Line the crust with aluminum foil and weight it with dried beans. Bake for 15 min in the middle of the oven, then reduce heat to 375, remove the foil and beans and let bake for 5-7 minutes more. Cool on a rack while you make the filling.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnBZAyAUbcUSDZKUQmiLDHU_CnsjZ6F-3xfQUq5BqugUqn9c_XljvxI06dRQ9dNAgYAmbDeisIpYvsOVSp7AKvmLY6CCgSGwxIaaSZ1xGE3grVttlVWFj1qWPfeOKCb-ivlO9AGSRw-zl/s1600-h/Food_1495.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396595474066512434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnBZAyAUbcUSDZKUQmiLDHU_CnsjZ6F-3xfQUq5BqugUqn9c_XljvxI06dRQ9dNAgYAmbDeisIpYvsOVSp7AKvmLY6CCgSGwxIaaSZ1xGE3grVttlVWFj1qWPfeOKCb-ivlO9AGSRw-zl/s400/Food_1495.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 290px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-27005386483016034712009-09-28T17:59:00.006-04:002010-03-13T13:14:30.888-05:00Fry So Good...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR6hOjIP4E1UQVBIGpR-oJxWZv72Fo-idKDIVwLLSSt8L20zbeFFzX7cIEyAul5MeMDZHvV0U1NyHsOIQie6n1-qj6lLz2QYu6SdmqnO8mNOQPuQNu6ip0kb6vI5Cu-vmM586Tx2NbK-N/s1600-h/Food_1445.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386645169317372354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR6hOjIP4E1UQVBIGpR-oJxWZv72Fo-idKDIVwLLSSt8L20zbeFFzX7cIEyAul5MeMDZHvV0U1NyHsOIQie6n1-qj6lLz2QYu6SdmqnO8mNOQPuQNu6ip0kb6vI5Cu-vmM586Tx2NbK-N/s400/Food_1445.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
Baby eggplants are something that always intrigue me - shiny and cute, I fall for it every time. And then I get them home and I don't have a clue what to do with them. Unfortunately, more than one pint of these mini-aubergines has wasted away in my produce drawer. So when I got a bag in my CSA I was determined not to let them go to waste. After racking my brain, an application finally dawned on me that wouldn't result in small mushy veggies (it's the texture I can't do). A quick peel and a dip in the deep fryer turns these babies into crispy, salty, melting hot fries that I think top the potato variety. These work equally well with a large eggplant cut into matchsticks<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Eggplant Fries</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br />
</i></b></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxWA1F-Wb5YyQjFLKhrSOY-kXHwXZ0iNJ6WphGjnnXMH_v5_y0fSKOUNW0OrSdKkaUxj8kepVa9tn-pzdmBrtVBkrM2aptOSxSgVqPlVghkI5Sql2vlHS4rv9cy2FKAO1Rh8NZgsOaVie/s1600-h/Food_1457.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386645469452978402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxWA1F-Wb5YyQjFLKhrSOY-kXHwXZ0iNJ6WphGjnnXMH_v5_y0fSKOUNW0OrSdKkaUxj8kepVa9tn-pzdmBrtVBkrM2aptOSxSgVqPlVghkI5Sql2vlHS4rv9cy2FKAO1Rh8NZgsOaVie/s400/Food_1457.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
20 baby eggplants<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1 1/2 cup water<br />
Vegetable oil for frying<br />
<br />
Peel and halve or quarter the baby eggplant. Whisk together flour and water to make a light batter. Toss with eggplant. Preheat oil to 375 degrees F in a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan (oil should come about 1/2 way up the sides). Carefully add a small batch of eggplant to the pot. Fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels and salt liberally. Repeat in small batches until done. Eat while hot (although they do reheat well on a baking sheet in a toaster oven).una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-80383547335276908292009-09-22T20:44:00.005-04:002009-10-25T14:25:13.386-04:00Apples & Spice & Everything Nice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxfK7fDEv44QNgAK6D0NGJcnIYb3AIO30ryp8a7o6uoLt4oYYXke0H0-xhvQN4hI3DxZ-YCt2ueX4ujiPv4Y8jN1X1Bst54yF3uw5gVjmn_V5PRg2Y6FSzhOTTVIsDuMgGHeNiKeVundb/s1600-h/Food_1480.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxfK7fDEv44QNgAK6D0NGJcnIYb3AIO30ryp8a7o6uoLt4oYYXke0H0-xhvQN4hI3DxZ-YCt2ueX4ujiPv4Y8jN1X1Bst54yF3uw5gVjmn_V5PRg2Y6FSzhOTTVIsDuMgGHeNiKeVundb/s400/Food_1480.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384473034327558802" /></a><br />I don't need to tell you again how much I love fall, how I smile more in cooler air, how cider sets my heart a flutter, the smell of wood burning stoves gets me out of bed on the most difficult mornings, how the colors in the treetops continue to inspire and drive me. Surely I've said enough about this while extolling the virtues of butternut squash <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/11/autumnal-salad.html">salads</a> and <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/09/snack-of-champions.html">tarts</a>, <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/11/case-of-munchies.html">warm spiced nuts</a>, melt in your mouth <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/11/in-praise-of-good-braise.html">pot roast</a>, and gooey pear laden <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/09/ushering-in-fall.html">pumpkin spice sticky rolls</a>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq-YZ6710yYjkDdJOcOF_y7p6LdltXzyX4cv0sLGMqKjsLUP_4wHaVc_U_I78zkMoeKxOALcK4JgWej9zEox4DXgxP2nnuOE3clXqXMpeAMQx5a6uyqAfTh_MX-QTZp4VURgZvJZQD-EP/s1600-h/Food_1487.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeq-YZ6710yYjkDdJOcOF_y7p6LdltXzyX4cv0sLGMqKjsLUP_4wHaVc_U_I78zkMoeKxOALcK4JgWej9zEox4DXgxP2nnuOE3clXqXMpeAMQx5a6uyqAfTh_MX-QTZp4VURgZvJZQD-EP/s400/Food_1487.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384473051206857186" /></a><br />And as if you haven't gotten enough apples with <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/11/ciderhouse-rules.html">apple crisp and cider donuts</a>, I'm back to overdose you and every friend I can gather on my favorite fruit. This time it comes in the form of a lovely carrot cakesque layer cake, complete with cream cheese frosting. While this is no friend to the calorie counter, it will be a welcome guest at any fall birthday or dinner party, and it's currently auditioning for a role in my annual Thanksgiving line up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Apple Spice Cake</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPedikugtyqwPEiXYhHggZ6zzZlLOlORToSR1GqpJM74u-klWQaKoe5YZdknBz5etLS3fh9XLUf-wwD-EvzaBIaKKmGGXVwxSWfbzgCIG9y550MHQCJu5eoFresUvOKzZnyopFkOEepBKC/s1600-h/Food_1492.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPedikugtyqwPEiXYhHggZ6zzZlLOlORToSR1GqpJM74u-klWQaKoe5YZdknBz5etLS3fh9XLUf-wwD-EvzaBIaKKmGGXVwxSWfbzgCIG9y550MHQCJu5eoFresUvOKzZnyopFkOEepBKC/s400/Food_1492.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384473063042363298" /></a><br />2 medium Gala, Fugi, Braeburn or other sweet firm apple, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch cubes<br />2 Tbsp cognac (you can substitute bourbon or caldavos)<br /><br />2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature<br />1 cup sugar<br />1 cup dark brown sugar<br />3 jumbo eggs<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 tsp pecan extract (if you can't find it use almond or more vanilla)<br />3 cups all purpose flour<br />1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp allspice<br />1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg<br />1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />1/2 tsp freshly ground green cardamom (one of those ingredients that you can leave out, but it will be missing some depth)<br />2 cups toasted pecan halves, divided<br /><br />8 oz cream cheese at room temp<br />1 stick unsalted butter at room temp<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 tsp pecan extract<br />pinch of salt<br />3 cups powdered sugar<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVCbLqFwKmnZ8Q6gUGEqybFfoTKNcbuIktsw-vef1BbmtIFR-N6hyphenhyphenWrYX3PpKU23pCCEVqmTVYK50Npn30jwx8SCI3X_SG5WS_IFaB5QocylZs6DA-bd1B3H5qOUFVG_elkuui6Wyi2yQ/s1600-h/Food_1494.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 338px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVCbLqFwKmnZ8Q6gUGEqybFfoTKNcbuIktsw-vef1BbmtIFR-N6hyphenhyphenWrYX3PpKU23pCCEVqmTVYK50Npn30jwx8SCI3X_SG5WS_IFaB5QocylZs6DA-bd1B3H5qOUFVG_elkuui6Wyi2yQ/s400/Food_1494.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384473062982601138" /></a><br />After dicing the apple, allow it to macerate in the cognac for about an hour (the addition of macerated dried apple is also great in this). <br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft then cream in the sugars. Beat in each egg, one at a time, followed by the extracts. Sift in 1 cup flour and mix, then add 3/4 cup applesauce, mixing again, followed by another cup flour and remaining applesauce. Finish by sifting in the remaining flour with baking powder and soda and spices. Mix until just blended. Crumble in 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans and add macerated apples, then stir to combine. Divide evenly between 2 cake pans and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.<br /><br />To make the frosting, blend cream cheese and butter until creamy and soft. Add extracts and salt, mix thoroughly. Sift powdered sugar into cream cheese mixture and beat until well combined. Apply liberally between and around cake layers. Top with remaining 1/2 cup pecans.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LwyqmZ90Jt2yv5EjcfPjxVXa76ocKDlECWnrLtNkjvH-HNbY_HcQw4Y1B9nn02d1iEHhPriPrlq4p6vDiMOBTJ7wMVMOp2K8MVA7eZMuA7YjWzwDQcOrodrW86_1FU_4p-_seOMD0KmY/s1600-h/Food_1481.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LwyqmZ90Jt2yv5EjcfPjxVXa76ocKDlECWnrLtNkjvH-HNbY_HcQw4Y1B9nn02d1iEHhPriPrlq4p6vDiMOBTJ7wMVMOp2K8MVA7eZMuA7YjWzwDQcOrodrW86_1FU_4p-_seOMD0KmY/s400/Food_1481.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384473043391170850" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-19943161685029672392009-08-24T15:15:00.005-04:002009-08-24T15:15:00.313-04:00You Got Canned (sort of): Episode 2 - Molly, you're a genius!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnWD4EDhfn788dtYiYcFjzcNHMet7hDuA2731BTUIeJqEZy8RvojzEFv3WJ6jQkUlR9m6tIn7s-LJJaXQshmrjxIW0WvQmkTo5Yn462yd_i8_wQ2rHAIzfQX7uhcQ0MMTaDpiPM_TqC0r/s1600-h/Food_1468.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnWD4EDhfn788dtYiYcFjzcNHMet7hDuA2731BTUIeJqEZy8RvojzEFv3WJ6jQkUlR9m6tIn7s-LJJaXQshmrjxIW0WvQmkTo5Yn462yd_i8_wQ2rHAIzfQX7uhcQ0MMTaDpiPM_TqC0r/s400/Food_1468.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372873456263204882" /></a><br /><br />If you've managed to grab a copy of Molly Wizenberg's (the face of <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/">Orangette</a>) new book "A Homemade Life" or you've been paying attention to anything on Tastespotting lately, then you've probably seen this recipe already. But it is too good to pass up. Who would've known that a grape would taste so interesting pickled? Well...um.. apparently Molly would. You've got to be the next to try this recipe - easy pickles in your fridge - no canning skills necessary (Although it's certainly possible to can these if you so desire).<br /><br />Of course I have to modify everything - so I subbed some grape juice for some of the vinegar - it was a bit strong for my taste and changed the spices up a little.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDp_LvT-CSj89qgvkDWb2yAZ1kgagwhIV18VKPEv7Av5AJR0N6eGElFIs-hV8lmsrTa2KTdVo18rW-H2XBP_0ekPQhn0g8gJIC9VcU9Lt32HG3ph67ClHullsUlQFpf6l_zLhTwdCeoyly/s1600-h/Food_1466.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDp_LvT-CSj89qgvkDWb2yAZ1kgagwhIV18VKPEv7Av5AJR0N6eGElFIs-hV8lmsrTa2KTdVo18rW-H2XBP_0ekPQhn0g8gJIC9VcU9Lt32HG3ph67ClHullsUlQFpf6l_zLhTwdCeoyly/s400/Food_1466.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372873451169666066" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Pickled Grapes</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3Qcr_Q_BikmXd60YKebfBbuywGFHfw-Pkp2rN18qiCDJkdILdylor4NQ5XbRXeEbcnSXta5WxT5WNypHQONK75CJYSy56kfN3ZwVooUS_f1EZxrnGH2LSLh0ydhE0TEZeidL3OBsj-nO/s1600-h/Food_1475.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3Qcr_Q_BikmXd60YKebfBbuywGFHfw-Pkp2rN18qiCDJkdILdylor4NQ5XbRXeEbcnSXta5WxT5WNypHQONK75CJYSy56kfN3ZwVooUS_f1EZxrnGH2LSLh0ydhE0TEZeidL3OBsj-nO/s400/Food_1475.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372873469021130258" /></a><br />1 lb. seedless concord grapes<br />3/4 cup white wine vinegar <br />1/4 cup grape juice<br />1 cup granulated sugar<br />2 tsp pickling spice<br />1/2 tsp black peppercorns<br />1 cinnamon stick<br />1 star anise pod<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br />Clean the grapes, then cut the stem end off just a bit, removing the "belly button" to expose some of the flesh to the pickling liquid. Stuff the grapes into a quart sized jar. Heat the remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bringing the mixture to a boil. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHJVgCVta9pFFfeTVR7fIwwv0qLMqhpe3QHouZSwCEL5OppkrKqGUzEXBHwmzpRO9WqESEKDR84EqHdtYeG_WFgVCaF4PeRPKYB8JQrVfURVXlfD565FcaccDOs2NAwQJIZJCqD4IamUe/s1600-h/Food_1469.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHJVgCVta9pFFfeTVR7fIwwv0qLMqhpe3QHouZSwCEL5OppkrKqGUzEXBHwmzpRO9WqESEKDR84EqHdtYeG_WFgVCaF4PeRPKYB8JQrVfURVXlfD565FcaccDOs2NAwQJIZJCqD4IamUe/s400/Food_1469.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372873467427938706" /></a><br /> Pour the hot mixture down over the grapes. Refrigerate for at least two days - they should keep for at least a few weeks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhiv678tPPCw5hB5zZ29anFHvdGNkHInBe5G8J-O9G-h6s5WT-VTQTI3Cq_QvtiyF_o4zRdXL41LvYYGElqVpPa-_YyA1_ySRuRmGbZOZm1Rza4vwT5Ntkq7_hbmxnE8qJ-_tqSbJByFE/s1600-h/Food_1474.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 352px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhiv678tPPCw5hB5zZ29anFHvdGNkHInBe5G8J-O9G-h6s5WT-VTQTI3Cq_QvtiyF_o4zRdXL41LvYYGElqVpPa-_YyA1_ySRuRmGbZOZm1Rza4vwT5Ntkq7_hbmxnE8qJ-_tqSbJByFE/s400/Food_1474.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372873479000112306" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619469853880345739.post-27266317592438079382009-08-23T14:47:00.003-04:002009-08-23T14:47:00.198-04:00Getting Baked...Twice!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B8sGIeQ2nB20H-nvyIONARM_R9sv__W9-LTz-u69BAy8vGvkbLzDkuclQSoxFElw6J5R6Dlf_ZuFpUrw625GQmgoJr3WvVlVguRFK5XpNzYaBDHl9z_hS4Kgoy0ElsWiK91NATIiKvKp/s1600-h/Food_1438.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B8sGIeQ2nB20H-nvyIONARM_R9sv__W9-LTz-u69BAy8vGvkbLzDkuclQSoxFElw6J5R6Dlf_ZuFpUrw625GQmgoJr3WvVlVguRFK5XpNzYaBDHl9z_hS4Kgoy0ElsWiK91NATIiKvKp/s400/Food_1438.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372867965994229106" /></a><br />I've had a glut of scallions and potatoes from the CSA lately. Although normally I would turn to <a href="http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/11/loaded.html">Loaded Potato Soup</a>, it's been approaching 100 degrees in Baltimore and soup is just not an option. So I turned instead to Twice Baked Potatoes - admittedly the oven does get some use, but it's not nearly as bad as standing over a simmering pot. This is classic American - like overstuffed potato skins - a guilty pleasure. They're just so good!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPEK0AVhUG6OwodYU29W5zOIRbx6NyhyphenhyphenyLJqvgndqrsu2Z9Vl4PYpRR7Vvyoui3d9-XPXdI2jJEo8J_kciBG6iXhYmbi_StJEK7fh_Kf5DDW-c3MKWZVkEE3gVCS08glYUsLIknCj_M8d/s1600-h/Food_1437.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPEK0AVhUG6OwodYU29W5zOIRbx6NyhyphenhyphenyLJqvgndqrsu2Z9Vl4PYpRR7Vvyoui3d9-XPXdI2jJEo8J_kciBG6iXhYmbi_StJEK7fh_Kf5DDW-c3MKWZVkEE3gVCS08glYUsLIknCj_M8d/s400/Food_1437.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372867970229369058" /></a><br />4 large or 7 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed clean<br />olive oil<br /><br />1 Tbsp butter<br />2/3 cup light sour cream<br />8 oz. shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese<br />3 large scallions, sliced thin<br />6 slices hickory smoked bacon, cooked until crisp<br />1 tsp garlic powder<br />1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 tsp ancho chile powder<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub potatoes with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Roast until cooked through, about an hour. <br /><br />Using an oven mitt to hold the potato, slice down the middle and scoop the insides into a bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch of potato around the skins. Set aside skins and mash butter and sour cream into potato. Stir in 2/3 of the cheese, all of the scallions, bacon and seasonings. Refill the skins with the potato mixture, pressing it into the skins. Press remaining cheese on top. Bake for another 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcdLIBGTCTOCxrfDsFGEiHQk7WpVqu9SQ3NKMQaNr-E0SPCCMeCLfvDXBDp69aQ5Qp9312paOLBTykSLBtTj7xfe1q5ZKE376MVGb43NyWPGVfURExHUhLhyphenhyphenMnWwIGl10KLSdQBd-JkCt/s1600-h/Food_1432.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 388px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcdLIBGTCTOCxrfDsFGEiHQk7WpVqu9SQ3NKMQaNr-E0SPCCMeCLfvDXBDp69aQ5Qp9312paOLBTykSLBtTj7xfe1q5ZKE376MVGb43NyWPGVfURExHUhLhyphenhyphenMnWwIGl10KLSdQBd-JkCt/s400/Food_1432.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372867971536021010" /></a>una donna dolcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398311719826991493noreply@blogger.com0