What The Fig?

Kale Salad

2012-02-06T01:22:00.001-05:00

I'm having lots of fun playing around with Capture One, a RAW converter and photo editing software. The image on the left is totally unprocessed while the one on the right has all of the adjustments I made using the software. I love how easy it is to white balance and to make the colors pop!

I don't really have a recipe for this one as I just threw together whatever I had on hand and hoped the flavors melded together. The vinaigrette consisted of some Dijon mustard, freshly squeezed orange juice and salt whipped with olive oil. It made for a surprisingly tasty salad with the addition of nuts, orange slices and some goat gouda. FYI if you're not aware of this--remove kale stems if you're eating them raw. I found out the hard way that that was the bitter part of the plant.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce and Fried Sage

2012-01-23T12:54:00.002-05:00

So I've made this twice already and only realized last night as I was typing up the recipe that I'd misread the ingredients on Gourmet's site! Twice. The recipe calls for a total of two pounds of potatoes, but it was worded in such a confusing way that I ended up using half that. It does explain why the gnocchi were a bit denser than I'd like, though.

I froze some of my gnocchi and they keep well in the freezer. It's definitely nice to keep some on hand for a quick dinner.

Despite using the wrong potato to flour ratio, it still turned out really well. The fried sage leaves takes this dish to another level, and the brown butter perfumes the air with a delicious butterscotch scent.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce and Fried Sage
from Gourmet

Gnocchi
1-1/4 lb russet potato (or any other baking potato)
3/4 lb sweet potato
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan (aged pecorino or goat gouda worked well)
1-1/2 to 2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

Sage
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup sage leaves (from one bunch)

Butter Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

Gnocchi
Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Pierce both potatoes in several places with a fork, then bake until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool potatoes slightly, then peel and force through a potato ricer. I used a pastry knife--just make sure to mash potatoes well. You'll end up with some tiny lumps but it'll be ok. Cool potatoes completely.

Lightly flour 2-3 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Beat together egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper and then mix with cooled potatoes. Turn mixture onto a surface and knead in cheese and 1-1/2 cups flour, adding more flour as necessary until mixture forms smooth but slightly sticky dough. Cut dough into 6 pieces, and roll each piece into a 1/2 inch thick rope on lightly floured surface. Cut rope into 1/2 inch pieces and roll each into ball. Turn fork over and hold at 45 degree angle with tips of tines touching work surface. Roll each gnocchi down fork tines, pressing with thumb, to make ridges on one side. Transfer to baking sheets.

Sage
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry sage leaves in batches, stirring, until they turn a shade lighter and crisp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with salt.

Butter Sauce
Add butter to oil in skillet with salt and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put it all together
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook gnocchi in batches, making sure not to crowd them in the pot. Stir occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom. Cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes, then transfer to skillet with butter sauce. Heat gnocchi up in skillet if necessary. Serve sprinkled with fried sage and grated cheese.

*Note: Uncooked gnocchi can be frozen in one layer up to one month. Do not thaw before cooking.

Want a heartier protein-filled version? Make some Gnocchi with Bison and Mushroom Ragu.

Sugar Spiced Nuts

2012-01-05T22:30:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, you guys! I hope everybody had a fantastic time over the holidays! I had a nice, long visit with my family and completely lost my mind eating cookies, brownies, on sale holiday candies and chocolates. I probably had more rice and noodles in the past two weeks than the last few months combined. I was a woman possessed. Nothing containing a smidgeon of carbs was safe from my bottomless maw, including these sugar spiced nuts. These were so addictive it should be everybody's new year resolution to have a secret stash hidden in some dark kitchen cupboard.

Sugar Spiced Nuts
from Smitten Kitchen

1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
generous pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg white, room temperature
1 tablespoon water
1 pound nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon. Beat egg white with water until frothy but not stiff. Add nuts and stir until coated. Sprinkle in sugar spice mixture and mix until evenly coated. Spread nuts in single layer on a sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and separate nuts as they cool.

David Leite's Rich Fish Soup

2011-12-14T01:54:00.001-05:00

The first taste of this soup was so unexpectedly good that it startled an Mmm! from me. The magic lies in the fish stock--or the lack of it, in my case. Leite states that the fish stock will make or break the soup, so use a very light stock. Anything too salty or overly fishy will overwhelm the other, more delicate flavors of the soup. I never cared for it myself and used chicken broth instead.

And does anyone else get into a dither buying seafood, specifically, fish? I live near Chinatown, and every block has a fish market or three. My trouble is that the fish are all too often unlabeled, and I can tell salmon from flounder, but that's the extent of it. I almost wimped out and bought a bag of frozen cod filets from Whole Foods, but at nearly $12/pound, I told myself to stop being an idiot.

Still, I visited six or seven markets before settling on an unidentified fish, which I got for a dollar and change, praying that it wasn't something with a million tiny bones--Baltic herring from that one memorable lunch in Turku, I'm looking at you. I ended up dropping the whole fish into the soup and cooked one side with the heat still on before flipping it and cooking the rest with the residual heat. It ended up great, but I think I'll still work myself into a lather the next time I visit a fish market.

Rich Fish Soup
from David Leite's The New Portuguese Table

1 pound extra large shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved
salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
3 cups fish or chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 to 1 small medium red hot chile, to taste, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 pound white fish fillets, such as turbot, red snapper, cod; cut into 1-inch chunks
cilantro leaves

Bring 2 cups of water, the reserved shrimp shells, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the shrimp shells.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onions until golden. Add the leek and cook, stirring often, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then stir in the tomatoes. Add the shrimp and fish/chicken stocks and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the chile and paprika and cook for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and fish, and let sit, covered, for 20-30 minutes. The residual heat will cook the fish perfectly. Season with salt and pepper if needed and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Roasted Aubergine with Saffron Yogurt

2011-12-06T14:50:00.001-05:00

This was not an easy dish to photograph. My admiration to the food stylists who can make unwieldy chunks of fruit look palatable. I actually decided to reshoot this a second time since I wasn't happy with the ones I did the previous day, which wasn't a pain at all since I got to eat and enjoy the salad again.

The geniuses at Ottolenghi have included some creative recipes in their cookbook, especially their salads. I made a fennel, feta, and blood orange salad inspired by one of their recipes earlier this year, and this salad is just as bold in flavor. Who would've thought that eggplants, pomegranates, and basil would equal magic? The eggplant develops a rich, complex flavor whilst roasting that goes well with the garlicky yogurt and the explosions of sweet/tart from the pomegranate seeds. The original recipe actually includes pine nuts, but I've decided to omit them because let's be honest: who can afford them these days?

Roasted Aubergine with Saffron Yogurtfrom Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's Ottolenghi

3 medium aubergines, sliced 2cm thick or cut into wedges
olive oil
salt and pepper

handful of pomegranate seeds
basil leaves

Saffron Yogurt:
small pinch of saffron strands
3 tablespoons hot water
180g Greek yogurt (a generous cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Infuse the saffron in the hot water for five minutes, then combine with the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Mix well and season with salt to taste. Chill.

Brush the aubergine generously with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-35 minutes until soft and golden brown. Cool.

Serve aubergine with pomegranate seeds, basil, and saffron yogurt.

*Note: Yogurt and roasted aubergine will keep well in the fridge for up to three days. Let aubergine come to room temperature before serving.

Squash Stuffed with Quinoa & Mushroom

2011-11-30T16:30:00.013-05:00

A bit of work with this one, but it's worth the effort. Nice and filling for those days when you can't be bothered to cook meat.

Squash Stuffed with Quinoa & Mushroom
from Food & Wine magazine, November 2011

Squash
One 3-1/2 pound kabocha squash, halved, seeded, sliced into 6 wedges
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
3 thyme sprigs

Sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 thyme sprigs

Filling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced; plus 2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
4 thyme sprigs
2-1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper
1-1/2 cups quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced
1/3 cup chopped parsley

Squash
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Brush squash with oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay wedges on baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes until lightly browned. Flip and roast for another 20 minutes, until just tender.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and add the sugar, syrup, and thyme. Cook until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove squash from oven and turn skin side down. Brush with maple glaze and roast for 10 more minutes until lightly browned.

Sauce
In a small saucepan--I just used the same one, thyme discarded--whisk the cream with the maple syrup. Add the garlic and thyme and simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup. Discard garlic and thyme and keep warm.

Filling
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the minced shallot and cook until softened. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, then add the quinoa. Cover and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter in the oil. Add the sliced shallots and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned and tender. Stir in the quinoa and parsley and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Arrange squash on plates, fill with quinoa and mushroom stuffing, and drizzle with sauce.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Brownies

2011-08-09T22:11:00.006-04:00

Hey there, folks! Back from the edge of nowhere, me. Things have been hectic lately with family visiting, so I haven't been able to update this blog in what seems like forever.

The important thing is: these brownies. You must make them pronto! They were surprisingly moist and decadently fudgy, and you definitely can't taste the zucchini at all. I made a chocolate zucchini cake last summer and overbaked it a bit, so it was dry and less than impressive. I'm happy to say I've redeemed myself with this one. They were so good I ended up making a second batch a couple of days after the first one.

That one I kept all to myself.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Brownies
from food + words

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled (or equivalent amount of applesauce or oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour (recipe calls for whole wheat pastry, I used all purpose)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cups shredded zucchini (grate using smallest holes on box grater)
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8" x 8" square pan or 8" cake pan with parchment paper so that it drapes over the sides, then grease the paper.

Whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, butter/applesauce and salt until combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and spices and mix just until the dry ingredients have been incorporated. Fold in the grated zucchini and add the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into pan, rap pan on counter to release any air bubbles, then bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Watermelon Peach Tomato Avocado Salad

2011-07-06T00:13:00.007-04:00

I was in the bookstore the other day leafing through Gerald Hirigoyen's gorgeous Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition when his recipe for Tomato and Watermelon Salad caught my eyes. Tomatoes? With watermelon?! The combination seemed so dissonant and yet logical when I thought about it, and I was determined to make some that night. I didn't remember the recipe in its entirety but I still love the end result. I decided to add peaches to this since I had some on hand, drizzled everything with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkles of salt and pepper.

I tried to emulate the photo from the book, but this is a poor imitation. I didn't have the patience to evenly dice everything out. Go check out the book!

Garlic Scapes

2011-06-29T21:50:00.004-04:00

I love how these things grow...

Spinach Cigars with Tzatziki

2011-06-25T21:11:00.011-04:00

I knew I had to make these spinach cigars when I received the email from Tasting Table. I already had the phyllo languishing in my freezer, purchased weeks ago for the bisteeya that I still haven't gotten around to making. This was the first time I've worked with phyllo, and it wasn't as devilishly hard to handle as I thought it would be. You just have to work fast and not panic, even when the edges of the sheets start tearing. Also make sure the cigars aren't crowded together on the baking sheet. Mine were and the parts that touched each other ended up blistering and sticking to each other. Not pretty! I had to strategically arrange them for this photo.

Spinach Cigars with TzatzikiFrom Maria Hines via Tasting Table

Tzatziki
1-1/2 tablespoons finely diced or grated cucumber, water squeezed out
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic paste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dill fronds, finely chopped
1 tablespoon onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
salt and pepper

Filling
4 cups spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dill fronds, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground sumac
fresh lemon juice

Cigars
4 sheets phyllo
4 tablespoons clarified butter

To make the tzatziki, simply mix all ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the filling, boil a large pot of water and blanch the spinach for ten seconds, then quickly rinse in cold water. Drain the spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, using a clean towel. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in the feta, shallots, garlic, dill, sumac and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Warm the clarified butter over low heat.

Cut the phyllo sheets into 6-1/2 inch wide strips. Keep the sheets covered with a damp towel until ready to use; otherwise, they'll very quickly dry out and tear. Working quickly, remove a sheet and brush lightly with butter. Place a second sheet on top and brush again with butter. Place 1-1/2 tablespoons of the filling on one end, keeping 1/2 inch clear on each side. Roll the phyllo one-third of the way, then fold in the sides and roll the rest of the way. Brush the cigar with butter. Repeat with remaining sheets and filling.

Place the cigars on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Rotate the sheet and bake for 6 minutes more or longer until the cigars are golden brown.

Antep Pistachio Kebabs

2011-04-12T21:27:00.020-04:00

Ok, so these technically aren't kebabs since I am skewer-less and, more importantly, barbecue-less, but I wasn't going to let details like that stop me from making these. I actually wasn't a fan of lamb the first time I tried it--some tough, overcooked piece I nabbed from a friend's dish at a Chinese restaurant--but I decided to give it another go when I had dinner at a Turkish restaurant uptown. I have to admit, it didn't completely win me over at that time either, but something about it appealed to me since some time after that, I decided to pick up a package of ground lamb when I noticed them at Whole Foods and that's it; that's all she wrote.

Antep Pistachio Kebabs
from Greg and Lucy Malouf's turquoise

1 lb ground lamb
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 T salt
1 heaped T Lamb Spice Mix (recipe to follow)
2 oz unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup shredded flat-leaf parsley leaves

Knead lamb with onion, salt, and spice mix for 2-3 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. When ready to cook, knead in the pistachios and parsley.

If you don't have a barbecue or don't want to deal with the fanfare, shape meat into balls and cook in a lightly oiled pan for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

If you're lucky enough to have a barbecue, heat it to its highest setting. Divide meat into four equal portions and mold each around a skewer. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Lamb Spice Mix
from Greg and Lucy Malouf's turquoise

Mix:
2 T ground cumin
2 T sweet paprika
1 T hot paprika
1 T ground nutmeg
1 T ground black pepper

Herb Salad
from Greg and Lucy Malouf's turquoise
1 cup shredded flat-leaf parsley
1 cup shredded mint leaves
1 small red onion, finely sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
olive oil
1/2 t ground sumac
salt + pepper

Toss together parsley, mint, and onion. Whisk lemon juice, glug of olive oil, sumac, and salt + pepper and drizzle over salad.

Oh Fiddlesticks!

2011-04-06T08:38:00.007-04:00

April showers are announcing the arrival of spring (though the weather's been topsy turvy, yeah?), which means the arrival of asparagus, garlic scapes, rhubarb, and these gnarly things. I bought some fiddlehead ferns last year since people seem to go crazy over them; plus, they just look wicked cool, and I have a weakness for novelty items. Then the enthusiasm flew out the window the moment I ate a piece. They weren't bad - but there wasn't anything to merit all the fanfare. I vaguely recall boiling them to get rid of any toxins, then sauteeing some with butter and salt whilst tossing the remainder into a risotto. But all you guys out there can't be wrong, which leads me to the conclusion that I'm just not cooking them the right way.

So, anybody know any great recipes featuring these things?

Lemon Curd Cakes!

2011-03-23T23:32:00.012-04:00

We've surprisingly received some snow here last night--just when we thought spring was here. Why not brighten your day with these gooey, sweet + tart treats? The cake was simple to make, but don't let that fool you: the silky lemon curd and butter gives it a satisfying dense richness. I love the bits where the lemon curd caramelized on the crust.

Lemon Curd Cake
variation of Heidi Swanson's Lilikoi Passionfruit Curd Cake via 101 Cookbooks
7-8 ramekins (or one 4x8 loaf pan or one 9"-10" springform pan)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1-1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 c lemon curd (or curd of choice)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour baking vehicle of choice.

Sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and beat until smooth, about 3 more minutes. Add eggs one by one, beating after each addition and only adding the next one when batter is smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.

Gently fold the flour into the batter until flour just barely disappears. Don't over mix or cakes will be dense and tough! The batter will be pretty thick.

Divide half of the batter amongst the ramekins (or loaf/cake pan). Spread it around till smooth and then add a healthy dollop of lemon curd over the batter, avoiding the sides. Add the rest of the batter over the curd and smooth out the top. Divide the remaining curd on top of the batter and swirl a knife around for a marble effect.

Bake for 25-30 minutes if using ramekins, probably 50-60 minutes if using larger pans, until top of cake bounces back a bit when pushed with a finger. The curd will make it very moist, so trust your instincts.

Roast Chicken Diavolo

2011-03-15T23:54:00.015-04:00

This recipe calls for an insane amount of black pepper--an entire tablespoon of it--but it was surprisingly not overwhelming at all. It gave the chicken a nice kick, and the roasted pepper and onions balanced out the heat with their sweetness.

This is the third roast chicken recipe that I've tried from Mindy Fox's excellent cookbook, and it's as delicious as the other two. I finally couldn't stand the monotony of roasting chicken the same two ways I've been doing since I've started roasting the damn birds, and I had the good fortune to run across the book one weekend. Not only are there interesting recipes for roast chicken, there are the various side dishes and recipes for soups, salads, sandwiches and pasta that you can add your chicken to. This book is fast becoming a favorite--everything looks relatively simple and delicious!

Roast Chicken Diavolo
from Mindy Fox's A Bird in the Oven and then Some

1 4-lb whole chicken, backbone removed, breastbone cracked, legs slashed through the flesh in 3 places
Finely grated zest + 1 T juice from 1 lemon
2 T finely chopped fresh rosemary, marjoram, and/or oregano
1 T freshly grounded black pepper
2 crumbled whole dried arbol chiles or 1/4 t red pepper flakes
Salt
2 T + 1 t olive oil
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2" strips
1 large yellow onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2" wedges
1/2 c dry white wine

Preheat oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly grease an ovenproof skillet or large baking dish with oil. Dry chicken well and place it skin side up in pan of choice.

Stir together the lemon zest and juice, herbs, black pepper, and chiles, then spread the mixture over the chicken and under the skin of the breast. Season with salt and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Throw the chopped pepper and onions onto the baking sheet lined with parchment, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken in the upper rack and the vegetables in the middle rack for 20 minutes. Add the wine to the chicken and continue roasting for 10 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the pepper and onions to the pan with the chicken. Roast until chicken is cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

Maple Crème Caramel

2011-03-08T23:59:00.013-05:00

If you have a serious sweet tooth, you'll love this recipe. I'm not gonna lie, this was deliciously smooth and I enjoyed every bite, but seriously, it could have used a lot less sugar. I'd recommend lowering the amount of maple syrup for the custard and eliminating the sugar altogether; however, I'm not sure if this will affect the texture of the custard. It could have done without the caramel as well.

Maple Crème Caramel
from Kate Zuckerman's The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle
makes 8 4-oz ramekins

Caramel Molds
2/3 cup sugar
3 T water
pinch of cream of tartar

Custard
3/4 cup plus 1 T maple syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
1 egg
1 T sugar

Caramel Molds
Combine sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a small saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. After a minute of rapid boiling, remove the cover and cook further until the sugar caramelizes and turns a light golden brown. This will take about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and when the caramel is a deep golden brown, thinly coat the bottom of each ramekin.

Custard
Boil the maple syrup until it reaches 240ºF in a saucepan large enough to hold the cream and milk. If you don't have a thermometer, test the syrup after it has boiled, foamed, and reduced a bit. Dip a fork into the syrup and let a drop of it fall onto your counter. It is ready if it dries into a mound, scrapes off cleanly with your fingernail, and is a bit pliable and gummy between your fingers.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Add the cream to the maple syrup, then the milk and salt. Bring everything to just under a boil and remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar for a minute. Slowly whisk a bit of the hot maple cream into the eggs until it is the same temperature, then combine the two components. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer (I was lazy and skipped this step--the custard came out fine).

Fill each ramekin 4/5 of the way up with the custard and place in a baking dish. Add enough hot water to the baking dish to reach 2/3 of the way up the outside of the ramekins. Cover the dish and ramekins with aluminum foil, adding some ventilation holes with a knife to let steam escape.

Bake until the custards are set and have a uniform jiggle, about 40-45 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and uncover, and take out the ramekins once they are cool enough to handle. Cover and chill for at least 12 hours.

To remove the custard from the ramekins, fill a small bowl with very hot water and set the ramekins in for 30 seconds. Dip a paring knife in the water and run it around the edge of the custard. Cover with a plate, turn upside down, and the custard should fall out.

Tomato Fennel Soup with Fennel Orange Gremolata

2011-02-28T23:04:00.011-05:00

For those living in the cold corners of the world, this post is for you. Spring has been flirting with us here in NYC, random warm days coyly flitting about here and there between periods of brutal cold. This soup is the perfect antidote, especially when served with a grilled cheese brioche sandwich. It's also easily thrown together and ready within the hour.

Tomato Fennel Soup with Fennel Orange Gremolata
from Food & Wine magazine, March 2011

Tomato Fennel Soup
1/4 cup + 2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
4 sprigs of thyme
3 T tomato paste
salt + pepper
4 cups water
2 - 28 oz cans peeled Italian tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion, fennel, and thyme, and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the water and the tomatoes with their juices, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by about a third. This will take about 30 minutes.

Remove the thyme and puree half of the soup in a blender. If you're lazy like me and have a hand held blender, puree the soup partially in the pot.

Serve with the fennel orange gremolata and a warm, gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

Fennel Orange Gremolata
1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 t orange zest
1 T olive oil
salt

Mix all ingredients. Easy peasy.

Fennel, Feta, Blood Orange Salad

2011-02-22T23:26:00.011-05:00

I'm a bit ashamed that I've sadly neglected this blog for almost a year! I hope to redeem myself this year: I recently bought several cookbooks to inject some inspiration in the kitchen. Here's one of the dishes I made based on a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's Ottolenghi.

The original recipe calls for pomegranate seeds, but pomegranate season seems to have passed me by. I substituted blood oranges since they work so well with fennel. And there we go.

I'll give you guys the original recipe since I used it more as a guideline and I haven't a clue how much of each ingredient I actually used. Adjust to taste!

Fennel and feta with pomegranate seeds and sumac
from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's Ottolenghi
1-1/2 T olive oil
2 t sumac, plus extra to garnish
juice of 1 lemon
4 T tarragon leaves
2 T parsley, roughly chopped
salt and black pepper
2 fennel heads, thinly sliced
seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
70 g Greek feta cheese, sliced

Mix the olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, tarragon, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Toss in the fennel and taste for seasoning. Sprinkle the feta and pomegranate seeds over the fennel, and add more sumac if you'd like.

Gnocchi with Bison and Mushroom Ragu

2010-04-24T22:55:00.021-04:00

For the longest time, I had wanted to make fresh pasta but had been too intimidated to try, but when I saw a recipe for gnocchi with pork ragu in Bon Appetit, I knew it was time to get down to it. I then promptly berated myself for waiting so long: it was fun, satisfying, and delicious! The dish was so addictive that I had to make it again a few nights later. A girl's gotta make up for lost time, right?

I decided to use ground bison instead of pork since it was more convenient, and I'd wanted to cook with bison meat for a while. Two birds, one stone: that's how we roll at WTF. I was also doubtful whether the gnocchi would turn out well as the blocks of dough plopped and sunk into the boiling water, but lo and behold, they miraculously floated up after a minute. Success!

Potato Gnocchi
from Bon Appetit, February 2010
6-8 servings

1-1/2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup (or more) all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400º. Pierce the potatoes in several places with a fork and bake until soft, about 1 hour. Cool slightly and cut in half. Scoop out the hot flesh and mash the potatoes--I used a pastry knife, but definitely use a potato ricer or food mill if you have one (even wielding a pastry knife with judicious menace didn't get rid of all the lumps). Spread out the mashed potatoes and cool.

Transfer cool potatoes to a large bowl and add 1 cup flour. Toss to coat, then form a well in the center of the mixture. Drop in the egg yolk, salt, and nutmeg. Stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until it comes together, dusting with flour very lightly only if dough is very sticky. Form dough into a ball and divide into quarters. Roll each piece into 3/4" thick rope and cut into 3/4" pieces.

Cook gnocchi (in batches) in a large pot of boiling salted water until they rise to the surface. Let them simmer until cooked through and tender, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. Remove one gnocco and cut in half to make sure the pasta is cooked all the way through. If so, remove from heat, drain, and drizzle with olive oil to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Potato Gnocchi with Bison and Mushroom Ragu
adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2010
6-8 servings

1 ounce dried mushrooms (I used a medley, original recipe called for porcini)
1-1/2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb ground bison
2 ounces coppa or prosciutto, chopped
6 ounces fresh mild Italian sausages, casings removed (about 2 links)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cups crushed tomatoes
3-1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
2 bay leaves
8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
potato gnocchi
1 cup grated Parmesan

Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms, cover, and let stand until soft, about 30-45 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Reserve the soaking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle bison with salt and pepper and saute until browned in some spots. Transfer to a bowl, reduce heat to medium, and add coppa or prosciutto. Stir 1 minute and add sausages until brown, breaking up into small pieces, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cover pot and cook vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add 2 cups stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add tomatoes, 1 cup broth, bay leaves, bison, re-hydrated mushrooms, and reserved mushroom soaking liquid (just leave any sediments behind). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until bison is cooked through and some of the liquid has evaporated. (Comparing the cooking times from the first and second times I made this, the first try was more flavorful as I had simmered the ragu longer. I think it was 30 minutes compared to 15.) Add more broth if the ragu becomes too dry.

When the ragu is almost done, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crimini mushrooms and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup stock and simmer until the crimini are soft, about 4 minutes. Stir into ragu and season with salt and pepper. Stir in basil and add gnocchi. Sprinkle with parmesan, serve, and enjoy!

Beef Stew with Craig's Beer Bread

2010-03-08T23:01:00.008-05:00

So I was immediately intrigued when Craig happened to mention he had a wicked beer bread recipe at work one day. I've heard rumors of people roasting chickens or turkeys with beer, but never in bread, though it's rather logical when you think about it. Craig mentioned that his last batch made with a can of Bud came out really well, and I was all gung-ho to do the same, except I then found a forgotten bottle of Heineken in the kitchen. And really, if I don't have to buy an extra ingredient, so much the better. I thought I'd get a nice-ish bottle (we're only so classy here at WTF) of French wine for the beef stew to make up for the Bud, but then I found a small bottle of questionable wine that my grandmother had picked up as a party favor at a wedding. It contained exactly one cup of wine. Perfecto.

The beer bread ended up tasting like banana bread. Go figure. And the beef stew was great back when the weather was freezing. I might add more cumin next time, though.

Beef Stew with Craig's Beer Bread

Beef Stew:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb boneless beef chuck, cubed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, cut into coins
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup wine
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large pot and add the beef when hot, searing the meat on all sides. Remove from pot and add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are soft. Add the carrots, potatoes, and cumin, and cook for about five minutes.

Return the beef to the pot and add the wine and enough water to cover the contents, about 2 cups. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for at least an hour. Stew is ready when beef is tender and falls apart easily.

Craig's Beer Bread
Courtesy of the man himself

2-1/2 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
3 tsp baking powder
3 tablespoons each:
ground flax seed
bran
turbinado sugar
mix of chopped walnuts, seeds, etc.
1 bottle/can of beer

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Combine the dry ingredients and then add the beer. The dough should be just moist, airy, and sticky, but not wet and heavy like a batter. Be prepared to adjust as variables such as brand of flour, humidity, and beer will affect the bread.

Pour the dough into a greased metal loaf pan or foil wrapped glass dish and bake for 45 (or up to 55) minutes. When the top is browned, remove the loaf from the pan and cool before slicing.

Swiss Chard

2010-02-16T22:19:00.010-05:00

This is a cop out as far as updates go, but isn't the Swiss Chard glorious?

I'll have a more substantial post within the next few days, stay tuned...

Curried Winter Squash Soup with Lentils and Clams

2009-12-05T23:40:00.006-05:00

Well, my dears, it's been too wicked long since my last update. I've been a bit busy over the past few weeks, but here's an update now that I have a breather whilst down in the South visiting the family folks.

Winter squash, curry, lentils, and clams. Unlikely bedfellows in the soup pot, but the flavors work perfectly together. It's been eons since I made this, but I think I found the recipe via the lovely La Tartine Gourmande after picking up a pair of red kuri squash at the farmer's market and wondering what the hell to do with them. I imagine nearly any type of squash would work well with this recipe. The proportion of greatness in this soup also rises with the addition of more clams.

Curried Winter Squash Soup with Lentils and Clams
slightly adapted from La Tartine Gourmande

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 celery branch, chopped
2 teaspoons ground curry
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 red kuri squash, seeded and diced
4 small carrots, diced
1 zucchini, diced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dried red lentils
3/4 + 1/8 cups coconut milk
20 clams (or more...)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and saute the onion, leek, and celery until soft but not browned. Add the curry and cumin and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour in the stock and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Add the coconut milk and lower the heat.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils until soft in another pot with 1-1/2 cups water and salt. Most of the water will be absorbed.

Cook the clams in a large covered saucepan with a bit of water until they have opened. Discard any that are still closed.

Add the lentils to the soup. Serve with clams.

Fava Bean Risotto with Pancetta and Kale

2009-09-29T22:26:00.014-04:00

It's been a while since my last visit to the Chelsea Market, so I moseyed on over to see if there was anything new to try. One of my favorite stores in the market is the Manhattan Fruit Exchange, and it did not disappoint: I ended up with a few pounds of fresh fava beans. Another trip to Buon Italia yielded some pancetta. What's a girl to do but make risotto?

Fava Bean Risotto with Pancetta and Kale

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 oz thinly sliced pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
two handfuls thinly sliced kale
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium leek, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
2 cups shelled fresh fava beans
3/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, heat the broth to a bare simmer and keep it at that temperature. Do not let it boil.

Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat and toss in the pancetta, cooking until crisp. Remove from pan and toss in the kale. Add oil and/or water if necessary, and saute kale until wilted and tender. Set aside.

In another saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat and saute the leek, onion, carrots, and garlic until tender. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring constantly until broth has been completely absorbed. Continue adding the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until absorbed before the next addition.

After the last addition of broth, stir in the fava beans, kale, and salt. Sprinkle with pancetta before serving.

Fig, Plum, and Almond Crisps

2009-09-07T20:52:00.008-04:00

Ever had those Rainforest Crisps they sell at Whole Foods? I tried them once when they were giving out free samples, and oh were they good. I couldn't justify the $7.99 price tag though, so I resigned myself to never eating them again. Well, never say never, because I found this recipe at Seven Spoons and they ended up tasting just as good! I love how it's such a very versatile recipe, and you can easily adapt it to add whatever fruit/nut/spice combination you'd like.

I halved the recipe since I didn't have enough dried fruit on hand, but I recommend doubling the recipe to make two loaves, freeze them, and bake only the amount you'd want to eat. Maybe I didn't slice mine thinly enough, but they weren't as crisp the next day. A quick pop in the oven remedied that, but they lost their crispness soon after.

Fig, Plum, and Almond Crisps
adapted from Seven Spoons
makes 1 loaf

1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/8 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup honey
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried figs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried plums
1/8 cup sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease an 8"x4" pan.

Roast almonds and pepitas on a baking sheet, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes until fragrant but with no change in color. Remove from the sheet and let cool.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the buttermilk, brown sugar, and honey. Toss in the roasted nuts and the rest of the ingredients until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden and fluffy, about 45 minutes. The loaf should spring back immediately when touched. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Before re-baking, preheat the oven to 300ºF.

Slice the loaf only when it is completely cooled, or freeze it once it has cooled. Once frozen, slice the loaf as thinly as possible and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for an additional 10 minutes until crisp and deep golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Black Velvet Apricot and Fig Frangipane Tartlets

2009-08-18T20:33:00.007-04:00

You'd think with a name like What the Fig?, something fig-like would've made an appearance by now (or stories of WTF moments in the kitchen at the very least), and after almost a year since I've started this blog (where did the time go??), I give you these Black Velvet Apricot and Fig Frangipane Tartlets.

On my way home a few weeks ago, I walked by a produce stall in Chinatown selling 12 count boxes of fresh figs for $5. Normally, the quality of the produce at this stall is questionable at best, but these figs looked promising enough that I waited in the queue for some time before I got my greedy hands on two boxes of them. I'm sure you'd see the crazy in my eyes if you had seen me that day.

And the Black Velvet apricots! After some hesitation at the price ($3.99/lb at Whole Foods), I caved in and bought some and never regretted it. I do regret not trying them earlier, since I think they're out of season now. At least, I don't see them anymore, but I'm definitely picking up loads next year.

This is one of my favorite desserts I've made so far. The combination of the fruit, the almonds, and the buttery tart shell is pure heaven.

Black Velvet Apricot and Fig Frangipane Tartlets
Crust adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2009
Frangipane cream from Tartelette
makes one 9-inch tart or about 5-6 tartlets

Crust
7 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Frangipane Cream
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup almond flour
seeds from one vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla paste/extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream

fresh figs, black velvet apricots - 3 total, more if making 9-inch tart

Crust:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the salt and flour. Transfer dough to a 9-inch diameter tart pan and press the dough evenly onto the sides and bottom of pan.

Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF.

Frangipane Cream:
Whisk the butter, sugar, almond flour, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Stir in the cream instead of whisking or it will emulsify and rise while baking.

Pour the frangipane into the 9-inch tart shell or spoon into the tartlets, about half full. Slice the figs and/or apricots in half and place them gently on the frangipane. Bake for 35-40 minutes (less for the tartlets), until the frangipane has set.

Red Currant Mini Cakes

2009-07-29T22:09:00.005-04:00

I made these about three weeks ago when I picked up a carton of red currants at the farmer's market. I'd never had any before, and a wary nibble on one made me realize why the woman who sold them to me had warned that they should be cooked first. I'd rather gnaw on a lemon, honestly.

They tasted better in the cakes, though I'm not sure I really like the flavor. But they look very festive, no?

Red Currant Mini Cakes
from La Tartine Gourmande
makes 4

4 tablespoons butter, melted
5/6 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 cup almond flour
3/8 cup flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Red currants
3 egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease four muffin molds/tartlet pans/ramekins/etc.

Mix the sugar, almond flour, flour, and baking powder together. Add the egg whites, mix, and add the melted butter.

Divide the batter into the prepared molds and drop in the currants.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Best eaten on the same day.

Squash Blossoms

2009-07-14T23:21:00.004-04:00

Off to Cackalacky for a week. I hope you all had a fantabulous Bastille Day!

Cioppino

2009-06-25T23:32:00.006-04:00

I had dinner at Bianca about a year ago and made the fateful decision to order their Brodetto di Pesce. Oh! what a heavenly bowl of sublime goodness! The seafood was cooked perfectly, the broth well-seasoned, and the portion more than generous. Then I saw this post on Fat of the Land, and I decided I had to try making it myself.

It didn't even come close.

I predict a trip to Bianca in the very near future...

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

2009-06-21T22:46:00.009-04:00

This cake was essentially a giant muffin, which is quite unfortunate if you, like me, don't like muffins. Something to do with the texture, which is always a deal breaker with me. No matter how good something tastes, if I don't like the texture, I can't eat it.

Personal idiosyncrasies aside, be rest assured that the cake did not go to waste. My grandmother took a liking to it and must've eaten a good quarter of the entire thing. And my 12 year old cousin Eric, whose usual reaction to whatever baked goods I bring over is a straightforward "I don't like your cooking!", had two slices.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
adapted from Gourmet, June 2009

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries (raspberries, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1/3 cup sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the egg.

At low speed, mix in the flour in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, mixing till just combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top. Scatter blueberries over the top and sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

Bake cake until it is golden and wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool.

The Toaster Oven

2009-06-13T00:31:00.007-04:00

It's like staring into the gaping maws of Hell...

The exposed heating elements of this oven makes it impossible to clean. Said heating elements also have a tendency to set my towels on fire if I'm not careful taking a pan out.

I've resigned myself to the puddles of chicken grease oozing from the door whenever I turn the oven on. If you squint and look carefully, you'll see a mini grease stalactite waiting to drip down the top left-ish of the oven.

I've also accepted that the door will not close with a 10-inch pie plate inside. But that's OK--there's nothing a sheet of aluminum foil covering the opening will not solve.

Despite all this, it is the one kitchen equipment I cannot live without. I dub thee Pip.

Raspberry Rhubarb Vanilla Custard Tarts

2009-06-08T15:11:00.011-04:00

These tarts are so dangerously addictive I feel obligated to post a warning on behalf of your waistlines: make a batch of these with friends over lest you gobble all of them up. Even then it might be an exercise in self control.

So I can't remember how much puff pastry I used for this recipe. It was probably a third of the puff pastry I made a few weeks ago using Tartelette's recipe. And I fudged the measurements for most of the ingredients since the original recipe was in grams and milliliters, and honestly, the conversions were doing my head in.

Raspberry Rhubarb Vanilla Custard Tarts
adapted from Delicious Days

Puff pastry

Raspberry Rhubarb
3 stalks rhubarb
5 tablespoons raspberry puree
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar

Vanilla Custard
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out
1/8 cup sugar
pinch salt
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 egg yolks

Roll out the puff pastry into a thin rectangle, and then, starting from the shorter side, tightly roll into a log, wrap it in foil, and chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Do not let it freeze. Cut the puff pastry into slices about as thick as your thumb, and form them into little cups. Fit them into a greased muffin pan, ramekins, mini tartlet molds, etc. Cover and chill in fridge while preparing the fillings.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Shave the rhubarb into thin slices and combine in a small saucepan with the raspberry puree, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Taste, and add more sugar if needed.

In another small saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and vanilla pod/seeds to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes. Remove the vanilla pod.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks in a medium bowl and beat till combined. Continue beating very, very slowly while gradually pouring in the hot cream mixture. Return this mixture to the stove and carefully reheat while stirring continuously. Avoid boiling. Remove from heat when the mixture has thickened.

Fill the puff pastry shells with custard, about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Top with rhubarb raspberry puree. Do not overfill or the filling will overflow--puff pastry also tends to shrink a bit in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until pastry is a light golden brown.

Brown Butter and Blueberry Tart

2009-05-17T15:31:00.007-04:00

What I learned from making this tart is that I should always buy berries in Chinatown. I walked by the crowded fruit stand at the corner of Chrystie and Grand and my cursory glance revealed only strawberries, so I continued on to Whole Foods. The raspberries there were a jaw-dropping $4.99 per package, but I had my heart set on making the tart so I went ahead and bought two. Imagine my outrage when I passed by that same stand again and saw, on a box set at knee height, the exact same packages of raspberries for $2 each!

The original recipe calls for raspberries, but this time round I used blueberries. It's delicious both ways. This makes one 9-inch tart or about 8 3-inch tartlets.

Brown Butter and Blueberry Tart
adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2009

Crust
7 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
pinch of salt

Filling
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, diced
2 6-ounce containers blueberries (raspberries, strawberries...)

Crust:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the salt and flour. Transfer dough to a 9-inch diameter tart pan and press the dough evenly onto the sides and bottom of pan.

Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Filling:
Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt, then add flour and vanilla.

In a small saucepan, cook the butter over low heat until dark brown, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Immediately pour the butter into a bowl or glass. Gradually whisk this into the sugar/egg mixture until well blended.

Arrange berries onto the bottom of the tart crust. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the berries. Bake until filling is puffed and golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Spring Greens and Bean Soup

2009-05-04T23:43:00.005-04:00

This is a very simple and flavorful soup. Easy to make and healthy, and what can be better than that?

I substituted cranberry beans for lima beans since they were all I had on hand. Nearly any bean would work with this soup, I think. Go crazy!

Spring Greens and Bean Soup
adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2009
serves 8

1 cup dried beans
2 bunches dandelion greens, Swiss chard, or mustard greens (1-1/2 pounds), tough stems removed, leaves cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
salt

Soak beans in water overnight.

Drain beans and place in a large pot with enough water to cover them by about two inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until beans are just tender, about 45 minutes. Add the greens and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Drain.

Heat the oil in the same pot and toss in the celery, carrots, and onions. Saute them until the onions are translucent, and then add the broth, tomatoes, beans, and greens. Add salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, then cover and let the soup rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Apple Puff Pastries

2009-04-23T00:57:00.008-04:00

Puff pastry is surprisingly easy to make. Doing it myself certainly beats the $13 price tag for a box of them at Whole Foods. They also freeze very well, so I've divided what I've made into several parcels and squirreled them away for emergencies.

I used this recipe I found on Tartelette, and Foodbeam has a charming step-by-step visual on the technique.

I made 8 pastries using probably a third of the puff pastry recipe, along with 2 thinly sliced apples cooked with some butter, sugar, cinnamon, and a couple spritzes of lemon.

Chickpeas, Pumpkin, and Raisins with Couscous

2009-04-16T02:28:00.009-04:00

In the original recipe, this dish is made of two parts--the couscous and the chickpea stew--but since I only had Lebanese couscous (mograbeyeh), I found it more convenient to toss them into the stew instead of serving them separately.

Chickpeas, Pumpkin, and Raisins with Couscous
from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian
serves 4

1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cinnamon stick, about 2 inches
1 medium onion, cut into fine half rings
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups cooked, drained chickpeas
2 heaped cups peeled, seeded pumpkin or butternut squash cut into 1 inch dice
2 tablespoons raisins
3-1/2 cups vegetable stock
salt to taste
1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

You also need
Couscous of your choice
Harissa (Moroccan Chile-Garlic paste) or any hot sauce, thinned with a little liquid from the stew

Combine the ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cinnamon stick and stir for a few seconds. Add the onions, and stir and fry for about 3 minutes, until it is medium brown. Mix in the reserved spices, stir, and quickly add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes have softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the chickpeas, pumpkin/squash, raisins, stock, and salt and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with the point of a knife, 13-15 minutes. Add the zucchini and simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes. If using (cooked) Lebanese couscous, toss in with the zucchini. Add the cilantro and parsley just before serving.

To serve: Put a mound of couscous on each plate. Make a well in the center and put some of the vegetables and beans from the stew in the well. Dampen the couscous generously with some of the sauce. Pass the hot sauce on the side.

Potato and Leek Frittata

2009-04-04T01:50:00.003-04:00

This was a kitchen bits and bobs clearing dish, really, that turned out to be great. I had some potatoes that were starting to sprout, a surfeit of leeks, and some random leftover mushrooms, so I decided to toss them all together and make a frittata. Huzzah.

Spiced Apple and Sour Cream Cake

2009-03-23T16:43:00.006-04:00

Have you ever baked a cake that was so good you had to make it again the next day? This was one of them. I made this a few weeks ago for a Sunday family dinner, and with the exception of this pitiful slice, my grandparents, aunts, and cousins had completely demolished it within five minutes.

The cake was very moist and tender, and I think the freshly ground spices made a big difference. I drastically reduced the amount of sugar since my family isn't fond of overly sweet desserts, so feel free to add more if you desire.

Spiced Apple and Sour Cream Cake
slightly modified from Kate Zuckerman's The Sweet Life

Sauteed Apples
2 tart apples (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar

Cake
12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1-3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon clove
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon raw sugar or granulated sugar

Peel, core, and dice the apples into small cubes. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add apples, and stir for 1 minute. Add the sugar and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn the heat down and continue to cook the apples until soft, 4-5 minutes. Cool and drain if any liquid remains.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease an 8-inch springform pan.

Cream the butter on medium speed for 1 minute and then add the sugar, beating at medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and almost beige in color, 6-8 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and continue to beat until the batter looks smooth and glossy, 1-2 minutes.

Mix together all the remaining dry ingredients except for the raw sugar. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in the sour cream. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. Mix the batter for 1 minute on low speed until thoroughly combined. Fold in the sauteed apples.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread it evenly. Run a knife through the batter in a singular circular motion 1 inch from the edge of the pan to help the cake rise evenly. Sprinkle the raw sugar over the top and bake until the center of the cake is set, 60-70 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Paprika Roast Chicken, Leek and Pea Risotto, and Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

2009-03-20T16:27:00.005-04:00

I love roasting chickens even if it does destroy the interior of my poor toaster oven, now liberally coated with grease from sizzling chicken fat.

Paprika Roast Chicken
from Gourmet, February 2009
serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 -1/2 tablespoons paprika
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 whole chicken (about 3-1/2 lbs), cut into serving pieces
1 onion, if you'd like, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 500ºF, or 425ºF if using a toaster oven, and place rack in upper third.

Mix oil and spices in a large bowl, then toss in the chicken and onion to coat. Place chicken and onions onto a pan and bake for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Leek and Pea Risotto
modified from Gourmet, March 2009
serves 4

6-1/4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil, olive oil
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
1-1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated Piave (or Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Bring stock to a bare simmer and keep it that way while you prepare the rice.

Cook leeks in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened but not browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining olive oil and rice to a pot and cook, stirring constantly until rice is coated, about 1 minute. Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Add 1 cup of the stock and let the mixture simmer, stirring constantly, until the stock has been absorbed. Continue with the rest of the stock in this manner, 1 cup at a time, until the last cup. Add peas, leeks, and remaining stock and cook, stirring, until the rice is tender. Stir in the butter and cheese, and remove from heat. (I highly recommend soaking the pot immediately after serving the rice to make cleaning up easier.)

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe
I really don't have much of recipe for this, more like guidelines.

Broccoli rabe, hollow stems removed
Olive oil
Stock
Salt

Fill a pot with enough water to cover the broccoli rabe and bring to a boil. Throw in the greens and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the water and fill the pot with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and gently squeeze the greens to draw out excess water.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the broccoli rabe, about 1 minute. Add the stock and season with salt to taste and saute until liquid has mostly cooked off.

Triple Cream Brie!

2009-03-13T00:32:00.005-04:00

Whole Foods is dangerous not only because they take my whole paycheck but for introducing me to delicious foods I'd never try otherwise. Hence my new favorite snack: a slice of silky triple cream brie on a cracker with some cloudberry jam.

Pâte à Choux: Cream Puff Pastry

2009-03-11T22:30:00.007-04:00

Oh, if only these tasted as good as they looked! I felt like I was chewing on paper, but I think the addition of sugar to the mixture would've definitely improved the taste. It was magical watching them puff up in the oven though.

Pâte à Choux
from Paula Peck's The Art of Fine Baking
makes approximately 90 small puffs or 25 medium sized puffs

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Bring water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Drop in the butter, and once it is melted, turn heat down to very low. Add flour and salt all at once and stir vigorously until a ball forms in the center of the pan, about 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add 3 eggs one by one, beating hard after each addition until completely mixed in. The last egg should be lightly beaten and added gradually. The paste must be just stiff enough to stand in a peak when a spoon is withdrawn; therefore, you need to add slightly more or less than 4 eggs depending on the dryness of the flour and the size of the eggs.

Pipe or drop the pâte à choux by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased pan. Bake at 425ºF until golden brown all over, about 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 325ºF until done, about 30-40 minutes. Turn off the oven, remove the pan, and using the tip of a knife, poke each of the puffs in the side to release steam. Return the pan to the oven for about 10 minutes, then remove and let puffs cool on wire rack.

Fill with pastry cream if you like.

Pastry Cream
slightly modified from Paula Peck's The Art of Fine Baking

2 tablespoons flour
1 cup light cream or milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour and 1/4 cup cream/milk in a small saucepan. Stir until smooth and no lumps remain. Gradually add the remaining cream/milk, whisking continually. Stir in salt and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture thickens considerably.

Stir a spoonful of the cream mixture into the egg yolks, and gradually add about 1/2 cup more, whisking the entire time. This tempers the egg yolks and ensures no scrambled egg bits. Pour the egg yolks into the saucepan, mix, and heat on low for a few minutes to thicken. Be careful not to let it boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Cool as quickly as possible.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-22T04:29:00.012-05:00

I usually don't really like baking cookies since I'm using a toaster oven that fits an 8"x9.5" baking sheet, but I wanted to try this one on my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookies. I shouldn't complain anyway: this is a step up from my Easy Bake Oven days, when cookies were baked one by one.

I haven't reached the Holy Grail of chocolate chip cookies yet, but these were pretty awesome. They were nice and crispy with a lovely salty buttery toffee flavor. The secret is in chilling the dough for at least a day--this allows the flour to absorb the moisture in the mixture.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Jacques Torres via the New York Times
allow at least 24 hours chilling time

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1-2/3 cups bread flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate chips/disks/fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt

In a large bowl, sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla, then add the flour mixture until just combined. Add the chocolate. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours and up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a cookie sheet.

Scoop mounds of dough the size of golf balls onto the sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake for about 15 minutes (it might be more or less depending on your oven) until cookies turn a golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool for a bit. Give into temptation and eat one right out of the oven and burn your tongue.

It'll be worth it.

Unday Ki Kari: Egg Curry, Goan Style

2009-02-07T17:57:00.004-05:00

I had some leftover coconut milk that I needed to use before it spoiled, so I decided to make this egg curry dish. I balked the first time I saw this recipe since it didn't sound too appetizing, but I'm glad I decided to try it! I'm definitely making this again.

Unday Ki Kari

adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

3 plum tomatoes fresh or from a can, chopped

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

15 fresh or dried curry leaves

3/4 cup coconut milk, about half a 14-oz. can

3/4 teaspoons salt

5 hard-boiled eggs, 3-4 long slits cut into the whites and yolk to allow sauce to penetrate

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions when hot, and stir and fry until slightly brown. Throw in the garlic and ginger and stir for about 2 minutes, then add the cumin, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric, stirring for another minute. Mix in the tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring often, and cook until the tomatoes are soft. And 1/4 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the skillet and puree with whatever gadget you have on hand until a paste forms. Shield yourself from splatters if you (like me) thought it was a good idea to puree the mixture in a large bowl with a hand held blender.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet and add the mustard seeds when hot. When they start popping, toss in the curry leaves. Add the paste, the coconut milk, and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the hard-boiled eggs and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with rice or a thick crusty bread and enjoy the goodness.

Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust

2009-01-30T00:26:00.009-05:00

At the risk of blowing up Craig's ego again, I have to say this, "Craig, you were right."

The subject of pie came up one day, and Craig told me that the best thing to eat with apple pie was cheddar cheese. Cheddar cheese. Cheese. With apple pie. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. In my world, there was a line with fruit on one side and cheddar cheese on the other and never the twain shall meet.

So he dared me to make one.

And it really was the best pie I've ever had. (Not that I've had many, but still: this pie is pretty darn good.) How the savoriness of the cheese complements the sweetness of the apples is a mystery, but I'm content now that I'm on the right side of the line with the cheese and apple pies.

Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust

adapted from Epicurious

Crust:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup + 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed

1 cup coarsely grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

4 medium sized tart apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed

Crust:

Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the cheese. Mix in the water one tablespoon at a time until a dough forms--be careful that the dough does not become too wet. Divide the dough in half, form each into disks, cover in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to one day.

Filling:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Toss in the apples and lemon juice and mix.

Roll out the first disk of dough into a 12 inch circle and place in a 9 inch pie pan. Brush the edges with the egg wash. Pour the apple mixture into the pan and dot with butter. Roll out the second disk of dough into a 11 inch circle and place over the filling. Press and seal the bottom and top crusts together; trim overhang to 1/2 inch if necessary. Tuck the overhang under and crimp. Cut several slits on the crust to allow steam to escape, and brush the crust with the egg wash.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cover the crust with foil and reduce the heat to 375ºF. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until filling begins to bubble. Cool on rack.

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

2009-01-26T03:37:00.005-05:00

The first time I tried to make cheesecake must've been when I was 16 or 17. It was such a total and utter disaster that I didn't even contemplate making one until my aunt requested one two weeks ago.

You see, I thought I could get by without using a mixer. Rookie mistake! It was impossible to achieve a smooth batter by hand, and the resulting mixture had blobs of cream cheese floating in raw eggs. I still baked it, and what crawled out of the oven tasted nothing like cheesecake.

I'm happy to say that my second attempt was much more successful. The Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons, and they complement the blueberry sauce very well.

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

Crust:

1 cup finely ground graham crackers

1/8 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake:

2 lbs. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

2-1/2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Sauce:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice

3 teaspoons cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water

Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix the graham crackers and sugar, then stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch cake or springform pan. (I made this with an ordinary cake pan, and other than the first couple of slices, the others came out perfectly.)

Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Cheesecake:

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar until incorporated, and then beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the zest, juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the batter over the crust.

Cover the top of the cheesecake loosely with foil to prevent brown spots. (If using a springform pan, encase the entire pan in foil.) Set the cheesecake pan into a roasting pan and fill the latter up with water until in reaches halfway up the cheesecake pan.

Bake at 350F for 1-1/2 hours or until the cake is set. Remove the cake from the roasting pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Chill overnight or for at least 6 hours in the fridge.

Blueberry Sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the berries, sugar, and lemon juice and mix. Keep on stirring until the berries start to release their juices.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water. Add to the berry mixture and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Chill in fridge.

Bomboloni con Crema di Vaniglia

2008-11-21T00:24:00.010-05:00

Studying abroad in Florence a few years ago introduced me to a myriad of food delights: the fresh produce at Il Mercato Centrale, tomatoes that tasted like tomatoes, juicy blood oranges that I purchased 2 kilos at a time, the panini bollito at Nerbone, good cappuccino, gelato, gnocchi, mozzarrella di bufala... The list just goes on and on.

One of my favorite treats though, was the bomboloni. It just might trump gelato, although just barely. By a smidge. Nothing was better than picking up one on my way to class, sinking my teeth into the tender, soft dough, the rich custard oozing out, brushing the sugar away from my lips. Heaven. (The Florentine version is covered with sugar, but I omitted them from mine because the dough and custard are sweet enough, really.)

I've been nostalgic over the past few weeks and suddenly had a hankering for bomboloni. I absolutely HAD to have some, and in the spirit of DIY that has bitten me lately, I turned to the internet and found a recipe. These didn't taste exactly like the ones I had in Italy, and the custard was too thin to inject into the doughnut, but they were addictive nevertheless.

I highly advise using a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil for frying. I didn't have one and guestimated: the first two sacrificial lambs promptly puffed up and turned black within 5 seconds.

Bomboloni con Crema di Vaniglia
recipe halved, slightly modified, original by Gina DePalma via Leite's Culinaria
I ended up with about 18 doughnuts

Vanilla Custard:
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon sugar, divided
6 egg yolks
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch of salt

Bomboloni:
1/4 cup warm water
2-1/2 teaspoon (1 package) active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon + 1/4 cup sugar, divided
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon milk, warmed
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, softened
oil

Vanilla Custard:
Mix milk, cream, vanilla bean seeds (scraped off pod), vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup sugar into a small saucepan and set over medium heat.

While the milk mixture is heating, place the egg yolks, salt, and remaining sugar into a large bowl and whisk. When the milk mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and slowly pour a small amount into the eggs, whisking the entire time--don't pour too much at once or you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Continue adding the milk mixture into the eggs, whisking, until incorporated. Then pour everything back into the saucepan and set over low heat. Make sure to whisk continually to prevent the custard from scorching. It's delicate.

When the custard has thickened a little, remove from heat and set over an ice bath to chill, whisking occasionally. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in fridge until ready to serve.

Bomboloni:
Dissolve the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar in the warm water. Let the yeast proof until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, spices, and remaining sugar. Add the yeast, warm milk, and eggs, and mix until the dough is smooth. Mix in the butter, then mix until a smooth, soft, and somewhat elastic dough forms, adding additional flour if needed.

Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a slightly damp cloth or plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm place free of drafts and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough until 1/2 inch thick, and using a 1 to 1-1/2 inch cutter, cut out the doughnuts. Place them on a floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let them proof while the oil heats.

Heat oil in a pan to a depth of at least 2 inches to 360°F (182°C). Fry the doughnuts a few at a time, turning them until they are golden brown on both sides.

Drain the doughnuts on paper towels. Roll them in sugar while still warm if you like. Best if served warm with the vanilla custard for dipping.

Persimmon Chai Tarte Tatins

2008-11-16T00:51:00.006-05:00

I never thought about cooking persimmons before, never mind making tarts out of them. We've only enjoyed them raw in my family, so I was intrigued when I saw this recipe on Tartelette. As luck would have it, there were plenty of persimmons lying about the apt. Verdict? Delish: the fruit goes well with the spices, and really, anything is good with some puff pastry thrown on top.

Persimmon Chai Tarte Tatins
slightly modified from Tartelette
serves 2

2 persimmons, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup honey
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
some vanilla seeds, freshly scraped from pod

Puff pastry, homemade or store bought

Melt honey and butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the persimmons and spices; cook until tender. Divide the mixture into 2 mini tart pans. Set the cooking liquid aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roll out dough and cut 2 circles of the same size as your tart pans. Place them over the persimmon mixture and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool about 5 minutes before inverting onto plates. Drizzle the reserved liquid over the tarte tatins.

Seckel Pear Tart with Poire William Cream

2008-11-12T23:23:00.010-05:00

This is a definite winner! Thank you to everybody who enjoyed the tart and said such nice things about it!

I've been seeing Seckel pears all over the Union Square Greenmarket for a while now that I was happy to see this recipe in this month's issue of Gourmet. It's a little bit of work to make this tart, but the beauty is that you can make each part separately a day ahead before assembling everything together. I found the taste of wine and Poire William a bit too overpowering (though it wasn't as strong on the second day), so I recommend lowering the amount if that's not your thing. Otherwise, the tart was absolutely divine.

Seckel Pear Tart with Poire William Cream
slightly modified from Gourmet
serves 8

Tart shell:

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons ice water

Pears:
1 cup dry white wine
2 ripe Bartlett pears (I used Comice pears)
1/2 cup sugar
2 lb Seckel pears

Pastry cream:
3 large egg yolks
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons poire William (pear eau-de-vie)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Glaze:
1 tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz envelope)

Tart shell:

Stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips (or your preferred method) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Stir together egg yolk and 1 1/2 Tbsp water and drizzle evenly over butter mixture. Gently stir with a fork until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add remaining 1/2 Tbsp ice water, stirring until incorporated. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat.

Gather all dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Chill, wrapped, until firm, about 1 hour.

Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin until a little larger than your pan. Transfer to tart pan, gently fitting dough into pan without stretching. Trim overhang to 3/4 inch. Fold overhang inward to reinforce side, then trim flush with edge of pan. Prick bottom of pan with fork and freeze for about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Blind bake tart shell until golden, checking from time to time and pricking any bubbles with a knife, about 30 minutes. Alternatively, use pie weights. Cool completely.

Pears:

Set sieve lined with cheesecloth over a bowl. Grate Comice/Bartlett pears (including skin) into cloth, then bunch up cloth around mixture and squeeze out as much clear juice as possible. Discard solids. If pear juice does not measure out to 1 cup, top with water. Pour into pot with wine and stir in sugar.

Carefully peel Seckel pears, leaving stems intact, then core through bottom to remove seeds. (Careful if using a small knife--I almost took off a finger!)

Bring wine mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then add pears. Simmer, covered, turning occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer pears to a rack set over a sheet pan to drain and cool, standing them upright. Transfer pear syrup to a bowl, adding any juices from sheet pan. You should have 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups syrup; reserve for pastry cream and glaze.

Pastry Cream:

Whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch in a small heavy saucepan, then whisk in 1 cup pear syrup. Add seeds from vanilla bean. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking, then cook, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in poire William and butter. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely, its surface covered.

Glaze:

Stir together water and gelatin in a small bowl and let stand 1 minute.

Bring remaining pear syrup to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan, then boil, if necessary, until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Remove from heat.

Assemble tart:

Whisk cooled pastry cream to loosen, then spread in shell. Stand pears upright on pastry cream.

When glaze has cooled and thickened slightly (to speed cooling, set pan in an ice bath), brush it on pears. If glaze gels in pan, reheat very briefly.

Note:
Tart shell can be baked 1 day ahead and kept (covered once cool) at room temperature.
Seckel pears can be poached 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered.
Pastry cream can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, its surface covered.
Assembled tart can be kept at room temperature 1 hour or chilled 4 hours. (Mine was fine the following day.)

Curried Couscous with Roasted Vegetables and Cilantro Yogurt

2008-11-09T16:11:00.008-05:00

I had high hopes for this dish but it didn't turn out so well. The couscous itself didn't have much flavor but tasted better with the addition of the yogurt sauce. I didn't make the peach chutney--perhaps that was my downfall.

Curried Couscous with Roasted Vegetables and Cilantro Yogurt
slightly modified from epicurious.com
serves 3-4

Cilantro yogurt:
3 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (from 3 large bunches)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup hung yogurt cheese (or sour cream)

Roasted vegetables:
1 large eggplant, unpeeled, cut into cubes
3 tablespoons oil, divided
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut into slices
1 large red bell pepper

Couscous:
1 tablespoon oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup plain couscous
1/2 cup dried currants

For cilantro yogurt:
Coarsely blend cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a processor. Transfer to a bowl and mix in yogurt and yogurt cheese. Cover and chill.

For vegetables:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Mound eggplant cubes on 1 sheet; drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat and spread out evenly. Repeat with zucchini, using remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Roast eggplant and zucchini until golden and tender, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes for zucchini and 30 minutes for eggplant. Transfer vegetables to bowl and cool.

Meanwhile, char pepper directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. (Make sure it's really charred; otherwise it's difficult to peel.) Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes, then peel and seed pepper. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

For couscous:
Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in curry powder; stir 1 minute. Add 1-1/2 cups water and simmer. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer curry water 10 minutes.

Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large pot. Add couscous and stir constantly until color darkens and couscous is toasted, about 3 minutes. Mix in hot curry water. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let stand until couscous is tender and curry water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork to separate grains. Mix in currants and cool completely. Mix in eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

2008-11-08T23:36:00.008-05:00

Not the most photogenic dish, but it was surprisingly good. I wasn't sure at first: butternut squash and spinach? Together? With ricotta?? But I had an excess of all three ingredients that I decided to toss everything together and be done with it. Lasagna was the answer, and it was an easy peasy way to use them up in one go.

I should also get a decent set of flatware. The lasagna looks naked.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
inspired by this recipe on epicurious
serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound spinach

2 cups butternut squash, roasted and mashed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stems discarded

1 15-oz container ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh mozzarella, divided
1 cup pecorino, divided
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, stems discarded
2 eggs

1 package whole wheat no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 cup pine nuts

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Toss in garlic and stir for a few seconds. Mix in spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

Add sage and thyme to skillet and saute for about 30 seconds. Mix in squash and broth and cook for about two minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 3/4 cup pecorino, eggs, thyme and sage. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brush 8x8-inch glass pan with oil. Spread a thin layer of ricotta mixture on the bottom, then arrange 2 noodles on top. Spread another layer of ricotta on top, then add a layer of squash and spinach. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozzarella on top and add 2 more noodles. Repeat with another layer of ricotta, squash, spinach, the remaining mozzarella and 2 more noodles. Pour the rest of the ricotta mixture on top, sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecorino and pine nuts.

Cover pan with foil and bake lasagna for 30 minutes. Uncover pan and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Mushroom and Butternut Squash Empanadas

2008-11-03T00:56:00.011-05:00

These were absolutely brilliant and utterly satisfying. The mushrooms and squash go very well together, and I think I'll increase the amount of squash the next time I make this (and you know I will!). The pastry was light and crisp and melts-in-your-mouth good, as they should be, what with 2 sticks of butter going into the dough! Luckily they're just time consuming enough that I won't be tempted to make them every week.

Mushroom and Butternut Squash Empanadas
recipe halved and slightly modified from Gourmet

For empanada filling:
1/2 cup diced butternut squash
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs discarded, finely chopped
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms (all one kind, not a mixture), trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable broth

For empanada crust:
Café Azul's pastry dough (recipe below)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
coarse sea salt

Cook squash in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes, then drain.

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a large skillet over low heat, stirring, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add jalapeños and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, salt, and broth and simmer, covered, until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in squash and add salt to taste. Cool filling completely.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Divide dough into 7 equal pieces and form each into a ball (that's how many I ended up with, yours might be different). On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 6- to 7-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Spoon about 1/3 cup filling onto the center and brush the edge of the pastry lightly with egg wash. Fold dough in half to enclose the filling and press the edges together to seal. Crimp edge and transfer empanada to a baking sheet. Make more empanadas until the dough or filling run out.

Lightly brush the empanadas all over with the egg wash and sprinkle each with sea salt. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 25 to 30 minutes

Café Azul's Pastry Dough
recipe halved and slightly modified, from Gourmet

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 egg
1/2 tablespoon vinegar
ice water

Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most of the mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Beat egg with vinegar in a 1-cup measure, then add enough ice water to measure 1/2 cup total. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until incorporated.

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently with the heel of your hand just enough to bring the dough together. Form the dough into a rectangle, then fold into thirds like a letter to form a smaller rectangle. Chill the dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour and up to 6 (do not chill longer or dough will discolor).

A Barrage of Butternuts

2008-11-02T00:59:00.008-04:00

Expect lots of dishes featuring the butternut squash in the next few posts. I've never cooked with winter squashes before (or summer ones before this year), but so many just started turning up all at once at the farmer's market that I felt compelled to buy some and experiment.

Incidentally, does anyone know why the colors in the photo are so blah? It looks great in Photoshop, but it's a bit painful to see the difference here...

EDIT: I changed the Profile of the photo to sRGB IEC61966-2.1 and that made the colors of my photos appear more vibrant!

Khadi Dahi: Hung Yogurt Cheese

2008-10-30T21:22:00.007-04:00

I first heard about hung yogurt cheese whilst going through Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. "Hung yogurt?!" I thought. I was instantly intrigued.

Hung yogurt is made by hanging yogurt in a cheesecloth for several hours until all the whey has been drained off. The result is a thick, creamy cheese akin to Greek yogurt. (For all I know, they could be the same thing. What do I know? I've hated cheese until about two years ago.)

According to Sahni, hung yogurt in India is made from a "rich, creamy yogurt that has a distinct aroma," which is, unfortunately, not commercially available in the States. So I just used some Brown Cow plain nonfat yogurt that I had in the fridge. (Yes, I realize that's as far as you can get from "rich" and "creamy.") I tossed some onto a triple layer of cheesecloth and hung it over a bowl for eight hours. The taste? Not bad. I then added some herbs and had it on crackers with some left-over salmon. Delish.

Herb-Laced Yogurt Cheese Spread
adapted from Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking, pg. 129-130

1 cup hung yogurt
1/2 small onion, minced
1 red chili, minced
1 green chili, minced
1/8 cup fresh dill, chopped
Salt, to taste
Lemon juice, to taste

Mix all ingredients, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour to blend the flavors. Store in fridge no longer than 2 days.

Moghlai Chanay: Chickpeas Cooked in a Moghlai Style

2008-10-26T03:11:00.013-04:00

I couldn't decide between these two shots, so here's both of 'em:

Most of the chickpea dishes I've tried have been the ubiquitous Chana Masala and hummus, so it was refreshing to try them cooked in a different way. This recipe is pretty damn good--I love the complex blend of spices, and the cilantro gives the dish a bright piquancy. I'd also recommend removing the bay leaves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks after cooking--chewing on an entire cardamom pod is NOT fun.

Moghlai Chanay: Chickpeas Cooked in a Moghlai Style
from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, pg. 32
serves 8

2 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, picked over, washed and drained
(feel free to use 7 1/2 cups of canned chickpeas, drained)
5 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 bay leaves
2 small cinnamon sticks
6 whole cardamom pods
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 cup plain yogurt
5 tablespoons pureed tomatoes
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons ground amchoor (or substitute 1 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice)
1 tablespoon ground roasted cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Soak the chickpeas overnight in 8 cups of water, then drain. Cook the chickpeas in another 8 cups of water until tender, about 1 1/2 - 3 hours. Cool in cooking liquid.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom. Stir a few times before adding the onions, frying until they turn brown around the edges, about 8-9 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for about 1 minute, then the cumin and coriander, stirring for a few seconds. Stir in the yogurt a tablespoon at a time, ensuring the yogurt is incorporated into the sauce before adding the next.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas with their cooking liquid, 2 cups of water, the salt, garam masala, amchoor/lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the cilantro.

Chilis, ¡ay!

2008-10-18T03:52:00.017-04:00

Normally, I'm not one for chilis, but these were so pretty that I couldn't resist buying them. I had to walk by the stall at the Union Square Greenmarket twice before temptation set in, and at $3.50 for a small pick-and-choose carton, it wasn't that painful of a purchase (though my tongue begs to differ). Luckily, I've been cooking a lot of Indian food lately, and many of the recipes call for a chili or three.

Maple Roasted Parsnips

2008-10-16T01:38:00.010-04:00

I nearly started a fire making this because I didn't pay attention to whether the oven should've been at 200° Fahrenheit or Celsius (Celsius, kids, or 390°F). At 200°F, the parsnips were still a bit tough after 45 minutes, so I cranked the heat up to 400°F...only to run to the kitchen minutes later to the smell of burning maple syrup. Hence the charred bits in the photo. Though making this in a toaster oven instead of a real one probably contributed to the fiasco too!

Maple Roasted Parsnips
from Donna Hay magazine, Issue 33

6 x 5oz parsnips, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Place the parsnips, oil, salt and pepper in a baking dish lined with non-stick baking paper and toss to combine. Roast for 30 minutes, pour over the maple syrup and roast for a further 15 minutes until cooked through and golden.

Senegalese Seafood Stew

2008-10-10T01:38:00.009-04:00

Senegalese Seafood Stew
from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant by The Moosewood Collective
serves 6-8

1t salt
2 green (unripe) bananas, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
-----
4 cups chopped onions
2 garlic gloves, minced or pressed
2 T olive oil
1/2 t cayenne or other ground dried chiles (or to taste)
1/4 t summer savory or thyme
2 potatoes, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 small head of cabbage, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or 3 cups chopped canned tomatoes with juice)
3 cups vegetable stock or water
-----
1 pound fresh shrimp, rinsed, shelled, and deveined
1 pound fresh fish fillets, cut into chunks
salt to taste

Dissolve the salt in enough water to cover the sliced bananas. Soak the banana rounds in the salt water for about 15 minutes and then drain them and set aside.

Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are just translucent. Stir in the cayenne and summer savory or thyme and saute for a couple more minutes. Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, parsley, tomatoes, and stock or water. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the bananas, shrimp, and fish. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and the shrimp are pink. Add more stock, water, or tomato juice if the stew is too thick. Add salt to taste.