In the kitchen
Orange (and chocolate) you glad for s'mores?
September 01, 2010 09:04
After my first go 'round applying peanut butter and jam to s'mores, I tried s’mores with orange marmalade and Trader Joe’s 56% dark chocolate. I lovelovelove orange and chocolate, and on a s’more this combination is almost more exquisite than the blackberry-chocolate pairing. I don't think I'm in a position to choose one over the other just yet. The orange-chocolate combination is elegant, the blackberry-chocolate heavenly.
Orange marmalade is formidable stuff, with shavings of tart--sometimes even bitter--orange peel mixed throughout sweet orange flavored jelly. It's easy to understand why some people wrinkle their noses at it. I grew up with and acquired a taste for orange marmalade, and yes sometimes even paired it with peanut butter! Only when I was desperate for a pbj--it's not very good with peanut butter (and even less appealing with peanut butter on heavy-duty Brownberry Bread), but it's tasty on really good toasted (buttered) bread, and goes well with cream cheese too. I like it because of its sweet-bitter-orangey-ness. And because I'm the only one at home who eats it, I know will last indefinitely.
Unless I keep making these. Whoever thought to combine orange with chocolate was a genius! And whoever thought of throwing in graham crackers and gooey toasted marshmallow was, well ...
This one definitely calls for dark chocolate, because orange goes best with dark (I used one of Trader Joe's darks). I recommend you don't char the marshmallow if you use marmalade--soft and toasty will complement the other bold flavors in this fancy sandwich.
Don't forget the cold glass of milk!
These adventures in campfire snacking have spoiled me a bit -- the traditional s’more might not be quite enough for me from now on.
What say you -- have you tried anything new on your s'mores lately?
Orange marmalade is formidable stuff, with shavings of tart--sometimes even bitter--orange peel mixed throughout sweet orange flavored jelly. It's easy to understand why some people wrinkle their noses at it. I grew up with and acquired a taste for orange marmalade, and yes sometimes even paired it with peanut butter! Only when I was desperate for a pbj--it's not very good with peanut butter (and even less appealing with peanut butter on heavy-duty Brownberry Bread), but it's tasty on really good toasted (buttered) bread, and goes well with cream cheese too. I like it because of its sweet-bitter-orangey-ness. And because I'm the only one at home who eats it, I know will last indefinitely.
Unless I keep making these. Whoever thought to combine orange with chocolate was a genius! And whoever thought of throwing in graham crackers and gooey toasted marshmallow was, well ...
This one definitely calls for dark chocolate, because orange goes best with dark (I used one of Trader Joe's darks). I recommend you don't char the marshmallow if you use marmalade--soft and toasty will complement the other bold flavors in this fancy sandwich.
Don't forget the cold glass of milk!
These adventures in campfire snacking have spoiled me a bit -- the traditional s’more might not be quite enough for me from now on.
What say you -- have you tried anything new on your s'mores lately?
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Some more s'mores.
August 29, 2010 03:49
Were you able to celebrate National S’mores Day on August 10? This festive occasion passed me by! I’ll never let that happen again. I learned about it while preparing to make S’mores Cupcakes, which were a monster hit in the house and definitely a treat I’ll be making again.
The exact history of s’mores is vague, but the history of marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars is not. Apparently a s’mores “recipe” first appeared in the 1927 publication Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. I’m just dying to get my hands on a copy of this vintage handbook. I bet the text and pictures are wonderful.
The classic s’more is snack perfection: gooey toasty marshmallows, melting-but-not-quite-melted Hershey’s milk chocolate (for me the chocolate still has to have some solid toothiness to it), and crispy graham crackers, all in the same messy, crumbly bite. It almost can’t be improved upon. Almost. Yet several years ago a Country Living article showed s’mores oozing over with marshmallow, melting chocolate ... and gorgeous purpley blackberry jam! I was intrigued. I am a (certain kinds of) fruit-and-chocolate kind of gal, so my mind and tastebuds were wide open for trying this.
For the first time in my life I had all the ingredients for ANYthing in the house at the same time. Miraculous!
As I pulled together ingredients, I spied the peanut butter and decided to do a side-by-side comparison of peanut butter and blackberry jam s’mores.
No need to get too fancy. Safeway brand blackberry preserves did just fine for me.
As a peanut-butter-and-chocolate lover (although give me Peanut Butter M&Ms over Reese’s cups any day), I thought I’d go absolutely mad for the peanut butter version.
It was good, really good, but I took just one bite and saved the rest for my son, who proceeded to make several more of the same spread with a thick layer of peanut butter.
The blackberry s’mores, on the other hand, made me positively swoon! Even this store-brand blackberry jam has a depth of flavor that complemented the chocolate elegantly.
A rapidly dwindling blackberry s'more with the requisite cold glass of milk.
Blackberry-and-chocolate is my new favorite fruit/chocolate combination, easily surpassing strawberries and chocolate. I’m imagining these made with dark chocolate next time. (I just happen to have a supply of Trader Joe's Belgian dark chocolate, and still have plenty of marshmallows and grahams.)
This one disappeared quickly!
Let me know if you try these flavored s'mores or come up with your own concoction. Or do you think the classic s'more is too pure to be tampered with?
Stay tuned for another s'mores pairing, this time dark chocolate and ...
To be continued!
The classic s’more is snack perfection: gooey toasty marshmallows, melting-but-not-quite-melted Hershey’s milk chocolate (for me the chocolate still has to have some solid toothiness to it), and crispy graham crackers, all in the same messy, crumbly bite. It almost can’t be improved upon. Almost. Yet several years ago a Country Living article showed s’mores oozing over with marshmallow, melting chocolate ... and gorgeous purpley blackberry jam! I was intrigued. I am a (certain kinds of) fruit-and-chocolate kind of gal, so my mind and tastebuds were wide open for trying this.
For the first time in my life I had all the ingredients for ANYthing in the house at the same time. Miraculous!As I pulled together ingredients, I spied the peanut butter and decided to do a side-by-side comparison of peanut butter and blackberry jam s’mores.
No need to get too fancy. Safeway brand blackberry preserves did just fine for me.As a peanut-butter-and-chocolate lover (although give me Peanut Butter M&Ms over Reese’s cups any day), I thought I’d go absolutely mad for the peanut butter version.
It was good, really good, but I took just one bite and saved the rest for my son, who proceeded to make several more of the same spread with a thick layer of peanut butter.
The blackberry s’mores, on the other hand, made me positively swoon! Even this store-brand blackberry jam has a depth of flavor that complemented the chocolate elegantly.
A rapidly dwindling blackberry s'more with the requisite cold glass of milk.Blackberry-and-chocolate is my new favorite fruit/chocolate combination, easily surpassing strawberries and chocolate. I’m imagining these made with dark chocolate next time. (I just happen to have a supply of Trader Joe's Belgian dark chocolate, and still have plenty of marshmallows and grahams.)
This one disappeared quickly!Let me know if you try these flavored s'mores or come up with your own concoction. Or do you think the classic s'more is too pure to be tampered with?
Stay tuned for another s'mores pairing, this time dark chocolate and ...
To be continued!
Nectarine pie.
August 26, 2010 09:33
Nectarines are the fruit I look forward to each summer, more than cherries, watermelon or plums. Perfectly ripe, slightly toothsome (al dente?), juicy nectarines are like ambrosia to me. Nectarines are basically naked peaches -- they're genetically equivalent, minus the fuzz. Although I always loved ripe juicy peaches, the fuzz gave me the willies. And without fuzz nectarines can show off their pretty peachy rose complexions.
No fuzz on these beauties!
When the price drops to $.99 a pound (if they’re cheaper at your grocery story, farmer's market or fruit stand, I will envy you) I know they’re at their peak and buy them by the sackload. That’s when I pull out my tattered, yellowed nectarine pie recipe.
It looks almost like an antique now.
My copy was cut from the Chicago Tribune’s food section some years ago. It is aged and speckled with the flotsam of pie preparation from days gone by, but is still readable for that once-a-year time when nectarines go one sale and I make my annual pie. (Although last September, after nectarines peaked, I must have made an exception to my on-sale policy so I could make this gorgeous nectarine sorbet.) The Trib site doesn't seem to have the recipe, but Cooks.com has the exact same one.
Usually I’m content to use the Pillsbury pre-made pie crust, which I have found to be both tasty and flaky -- and a big time-saver. I’ve been cheating with it using it for years as a shortcut in the pie making process. This year I was inspired to make my own, which is actually quite easy.
I always feel like a farm wife when I’m working the pastry blender into a bowl full of flour and butter, then rolling chilled circles of dough into thin drapey crusts.
This year the crust had a nice, rustic, cobbled-together look!
The recipe calls for toasted almonds, almond extract and nutmeg, along with flour, sugars and lemon juice. I've learned over the years that nutmeg is not a favorite flavor of the kiddies (at least mine, anyway), so in deference to them (I want everyone to enjoy this pie) I leave out the nutmeg. I've also learned that children don't have the same appreciation as I do for a variety of textures in food, such as the contrast between soft, juicy-sweet nectarines and crunchy, toasted almond slivers. So, alas, I've been leaving out the almonds as well. But they are an excellent and tasty addition to the pie, so if your family will eat them, put them in. And please do leave out the almond extract! I've never used it in this pie and I have to believe the true taste of the nectarines shines through, instead of an artificial taste of almonds.
No almonds or nutmeg this year. And never any almond extract.
Flour helps thicken the pretty rose-colored juices nicely while the pie cooks.
Mound that fruit high in the crust.
I used a small bumblebee cookie cutter to make shapes with the excess crust. Some egg white and water brushed on the top -- along with a sprinkling of sugar -- glaze, brown and sweeten the crust while baking.
Ready for the oven! Bzzzzzz.....
Looks like the crust wasn't tightly sealed before baking and it split open. Do you think anyone will mind?
It's heavenly served warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
But no one will blame you for having cold nectarine pie for breakfast or a snack!
I recently discovered I'm not the only one who adores nectarines. Check out Nectarine Scene for all kinds of information on this luscious fruit, including knockout recipes like the white nectarine pavlova recently featured. Oh I'm drooling! I'm making that next.
No fuzz on these beauties!When the price drops to $.99 a pound (if they’re cheaper at your grocery story, farmer's market or fruit stand, I will envy you) I know they’re at their peak and buy them by the sackload. That’s when I pull out my tattered, yellowed nectarine pie recipe.
It looks almost like an antique now.My copy was cut from the Chicago Tribune’s food section some years ago. It is aged and speckled with the flotsam of pie preparation from days gone by, but is still readable for that once-a-year time when nectarines go one sale and I make my annual pie. (Although last September, after nectarines peaked, I must have made an exception to my on-sale policy so I could make this gorgeous nectarine sorbet.) The Trib site doesn't seem to have the recipe, but Cooks.com has the exact same one.
Usually I’m content to use the Pillsbury pre-made pie crust, which I have found to be both tasty and flaky -- and a big time-saver. I’ve been cheating with it using it for years as a shortcut in the pie making process. This year I was inspired to make my own, which is actually quite easy.
I always feel like a farm wife when I’m working the pastry blender into a bowl full of flour and butter, then rolling chilled circles of dough into thin drapey crusts.
This year the crust had a nice, rustic, cobbled-together look!
The recipe calls for toasted almonds, almond extract and nutmeg, along with flour, sugars and lemon juice. I've learned over the years that nutmeg is not a favorite flavor of the kiddies (at least mine, anyway), so in deference to them (I want everyone to enjoy this pie) I leave out the nutmeg. I've also learned that children don't have the same appreciation as I do for a variety of textures in food, such as the contrast between soft, juicy-sweet nectarines and crunchy, toasted almond slivers. So, alas, I've been leaving out the almonds as well. But they are an excellent and tasty addition to the pie, so if your family will eat them, put them in. And please do leave out the almond extract! I've never used it in this pie and I have to believe the true taste of the nectarines shines through, instead of an artificial taste of almonds.
No almonds or nutmeg this year. And never any almond extract.Flour helps thicken the pretty rose-colored juices nicely while the pie cooks.Mound that fruit high in the crust.I used a small bumblebee cookie cutter to make shapes with the excess crust. Some egg white and water brushed on the top -- along with a sprinkling of sugar -- glaze, brown and sweeten the crust while baking.
Ready for the oven! Bzzzzzz.....Looks like the crust wasn't tightly sealed before baking and it split open. Do you think anyone will mind?
It's heavenly served warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
But no one will blame you for having cold nectarine pie for breakfast or a snack!
I recently discovered I'm not the only one who adores nectarines. Check out Nectarine Scene for all kinds of information on this luscious fruit, including knockout recipes like the white nectarine pavlova recently featured. Oh I'm drooling! I'm making that next.
S'mores Cupcakes.
August 20, 2010 10:42
I personally invented S’mores Cupcakes a few weeks ago when I was munching Trader Joe’s dark chocolate with graham crackers, which reminded me of s’mores minus the marshmallows. (I was at work, so it would have been too messy, not to mention dangerous and dismissal-worthy, to add a campfire and toasted marshmallows to this mid-afternoon snack at my desk.)
This was my vision!
I envisioned a graham crackery cupcake spread with a layer of chocolate ganache and crowned by marshmallow frosting. I'd never seen a recipe for graham cracker cake before. I Googled.
Which is when I discovered that, indeed, I had not invented the S’mores Cupcake. But while I found a number of nice sounding recipes, I didn’t find my S’mores Cupcake -- with a simple graham cracker cupcake base and the chocolate ganache layer. Many of the recipes sounded too fussy, with chocolate chips (too provincial) and mini marshmallows (too sticky!) or frostings with a dozen ingredients (too MUCH). So I pulled together several recipes and DID, sort of, invent my own version of this s’moresy confection.
I found a nice Graham Cracker Cupcakes recipe at the Gigi Cakes blog, who used the original recipe from Nabisco. If you've got one, use a food processor -- or better, a mini chopper -- to make grinding up the graham crackers easy and a little less messy. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not a fan of graham crumbs flying hither and yon all over the kitchen.
These cupcakes don’t puff up like regular cake, so you can fill the paper liners 3/4 full. They rise but cook flat, all the better for spreading chocolate ganache on top! I refrigerated the plain cupcakes overnight, partly to break up the preparation process and partly to keep the ganache layer and marshmallow frosting from melting on warm, freshly baked cakes. I’m confident these would freeze nicely too, tucked into a ziploc bag. And they are perfectly delicious unadorned accompanied by coffee or tea. Next up: the ganache!
Chocolate Ganache Recipe
3 oz. sweetened dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe’s)
1/8 cup whipping cream or evaporated milk
Put both ingredients into a heavy bottomed pan over low heat.
When chocolate starts to melt, stir ingredients together until chocolate
is fully melted and incorporated with the cream or evaporated milk.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
I spread about two teaspoons (but feel free to use more) of chocolate ganache on top of each cupcake and let it set for a few minutes. The recipe above should top 16 cupcakes with some leftover for dipping your finger into.
While there are plenty of marshmallow frosting recipes, including some that use marshmallow fluff as an ingredient (plus additional sugar and/or corn syrup -- yikes, that's got to be sweet!), Martha Stewart’s Marshmallow Frosting (technically belonging to Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle) has only four ingredients and is super easy to make.
Frosting prep action shot. Note the pink Cook for the Cure Komen Foundation handmixer
, in honor of my sister Mary Jane.
I halved Martha's frosting recipe, and quartered the vanilla extract. It tasted perfect! Just the right marshmallow flavor, spreadable, and not too sticky. And even at half the amount there was plenty of frosting for 16 cupcakes, with lots left over.
Look at those perfect peaks! It only took about five minutes to whip up this frosting.
I used a small plastic spatula to spread and shape the frosting, instead of a pastry bag. Even if you want a fancy, fluted tower of frosting, as shown on Martha’s site, half the recipe should still be enough. I refrigerated the leftover frosting in a plastic container, and a week later it’s still holding up well in the fridge. It will make for great peanut butter and fluff sandwiches! Oh boy, yum.
Once the wee cakes were ganached and marshmallow frosted, I broiled them for exactly a minute -- just enough to brown the tops without burning them. I kept them in the cupcake pan to make sliding them in and out of the oven easier. And I kept a watchful eye on them! I tested one cupcake first, to gauge the broiling time and temperature.
Broiling took place in my electric oven, which I’m not terribly fond of. I grew up cooking with real flames, on the stove top and in the oven. This oven is small and narrow -- it just barely held the turkey we cooked for 15 people a few years back, and cookie sheets have to be shimmied in and out. Plus, we have to set the temperature high by at least 20-25 degrees to get anything to cook within the suggested time on the recipe. One of the few positives about this odd oven is that broiling takes place on the top rack and with the door open, so monitoring food under the broiler is much easier than with a gas oven whose broiler is at floor level. Anyway, watch these pretties carefully when you’re broiling the tops. Just a minute or so should do (and maybe less under a real flame). Or if you’re truly fancy, use a creme brulee torch
!
Oh my, look at those lovely cupcakes. They turned out quite nicely, if I say so myself.
But of course, the true test is the taste.
Come to me, o vision come true!
Mmmmmmmmmm, they are delish. If I humbly say so myself. A perfect combination of graham, chocolate, and marshmallow.
Careful--it takes only a few seconds to eat one of these things.
They refrigerate well in a plastic container and the frosting stays put. When you’re ready to eat, leave them out at room temperature for a few minutes and dig in. Or, skip the waiting and just dig in!
This was my vision!I envisioned a graham crackery cupcake spread with a layer of chocolate ganache and crowned by marshmallow frosting. I'd never seen a recipe for graham cracker cake before. I Googled.
Which is when I discovered that, indeed, I had not invented the S’mores Cupcake. But while I found a number of nice sounding recipes, I didn’t find my S’mores Cupcake -- with a simple graham cracker cupcake base and the chocolate ganache layer. Many of the recipes sounded too fussy, with chocolate chips (too provincial) and mini marshmallows (too sticky!) or frostings with a dozen ingredients (too MUCH). So I pulled together several recipes and DID, sort of, invent my own version of this s’moresy confection.
I found a nice Graham Cracker Cupcakes recipe at the Gigi Cakes blog, who used the original recipe from Nabisco. If you've got one, use a food processor -- or better, a mini chopper -- to make grinding up the graham crackers easy and a little less messy. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not a fan of graham crumbs flying hither and yon all over the kitchen.
These cupcakes don’t puff up like regular cake, so you can fill the paper liners 3/4 full. They rise but cook flat, all the better for spreading chocolate ganache on top! I refrigerated the plain cupcakes overnight, partly to break up the preparation process and partly to keep the ganache layer and marshmallow frosting from melting on warm, freshly baked cakes. I’m confident these would freeze nicely too, tucked into a ziploc bag. And they are perfectly delicious unadorned accompanied by coffee or tea. Next up: the ganache!
Chocolate Ganache Recipe
3 oz. sweetened dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe’s)
1/8 cup whipping cream or evaporated milk
Put both ingredients into a heavy bottomed pan over low heat.
When chocolate starts to melt, stir ingredients together until chocolate
is fully melted and incorporated with the cream or evaporated milk.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
I spread about two teaspoons (but feel free to use more) of chocolate ganache on top of each cupcake and let it set for a few minutes. The recipe above should top 16 cupcakes with some leftover for dipping your finger into.
While there are plenty of marshmallow frosting recipes, including some that use marshmallow fluff as an ingredient (plus additional sugar and/or corn syrup -- yikes, that's got to be sweet!), Martha Stewart’s Marshmallow Frosting (technically belonging to Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle) has only four ingredients and is super easy to make.
Frosting prep action shot. Note the pink Cook for the Cure Komen Foundation handmixer, in honor of my sister Mary Jane.I halved Martha's frosting recipe, and quartered the vanilla extract. It tasted perfect! Just the right marshmallow flavor, spreadable, and not too sticky. And even at half the amount there was plenty of frosting for 16 cupcakes, with lots left over.
Look at those perfect peaks! It only took about five minutes to whip up this frosting.I used a small plastic spatula to spread and shape the frosting, instead of a pastry bag. Even if you want a fancy, fluted tower of frosting, as shown on Martha’s site, half the recipe should still be enough. I refrigerated the leftover frosting in a plastic container, and a week later it’s still holding up well in the fridge. It will make for great peanut butter and fluff sandwiches! Oh boy, yum.
Once the wee cakes were ganached and marshmallow frosted, I broiled them for exactly a minute -- just enough to brown the tops without burning them. I kept them in the cupcake pan to make sliding them in and out of the oven easier. And I kept a watchful eye on them! I tested one cupcake first, to gauge the broiling time and temperature.
Broiling took place in my electric oven, which I’m not terribly fond of. I grew up cooking with real flames, on the stove top and in the oven. This oven is small and narrow -- it just barely held the turkey we cooked for 15 people a few years back, and cookie sheets have to be shimmied in and out. Plus, we have to set the temperature high by at least 20-25 degrees to get anything to cook within the suggested time on the recipe. One of the few positives about this odd oven is that broiling takes place on the top rack and with the door open, so monitoring food under the broiler is much easier than with a gas oven whose broiler is at floor level. Anyway, watch these pretties carefully when you’re broiling the tops. Just a minute or so should do (and maybe less under a real flame). Or if you’re truly fancy, use a creme brulee torch
! Oh my, look at those lovely cupcakes. They turned out quite nicely, if I say so myself.
But of course, the true test is the taste.
Come to me, o vision come true!Mmmmmmmmmm, they are delish. If I humbly say so myself. A perfect combination of graham, chocolate, and marshmallow.
Careful--it takes only a few seconds to eat one of these things.They refrigerate well in a plastic container and the frosting stays put. When you’re ready to eat, leave them out at room temperature for a few minutes and dig in. Or, skip the waiting and just dig in!
Christmas in July.
July 23, 2010 03:58
Purchased for $6 at a sidewalk sale, in 95 degree heat under the blazing sun. It's never too early -- or too late -- to acquire Christmas paraphernalia.
I cannot tell a lie ...
July 05, 2010 02:07
... I like cherry pie. And cherry cobbler. Especially on July 4th.
While listening to Ray Raphael debunk U.S. history “founding myths" on NPR, I was hatching a plan to make an easy cherry pie for Independence Day dessert.
Since laziness was still on the agenda, there would be no pitting and stewing of cherries, nor mixing/kneading/rolling of homemade pastry, a thing to which I am no stranger but which seems more sensible on a chilly autumn day.
I opted instead to make mini cherry cobblers with (gasp!) canned cherry filling. The stuff is SO easy to use, and makes sense when it's sweltering outside (even if it is considerably cooler inside): 1) remove can opener from drawer; 2) run opener around edges of cherry filling can; 3) pour filling into ramekins; 4) bake. This amount of work barely registered on my lazyometer.
I consulted the timeless and reliable Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook for a cobbler recipe, which was also as easy as ... well, easier than pie. And tasty too. Took just a few minutes to stir that together.
Four white ramekins were enlisted to hold cherries and cobbler batter.
Bake at 410 degrees (thank you, central air conditioning! it did get up to around 92 oppressive degrees on the 4th) for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, pose by window with natural lighting for photos. Oh my, that stuff really IS red, isn't it?
These were enjoyed after an indoor (it was bloody H-O-T outdoors during the parade! we give frequent thanks and praise to the chlorofluorocarbon gods) picnic of grilled glazed stuffed burgers and savory marinated pork chops, accompanied by refreshingly cold Bell’s Oberon Ale, one of only two beers on this planet I can actually drink (almost) an entire bottle of.
What culinary delights did you indulge in this holiday weekend?
While listening to Ray Raphael debunk U.S. history “founding myths" on NPR, I was hatching a plan to make an easy cherry pie for Independence Day dessert.
Since laziness was still on the agenda, there would be no pitting and stewing of cherries, nor mixing/kneading/rolling of homemade pastry, a thing to which I am no stranger but which seems more sensible on a chilly autumn day.
I opted instead to make mini cherry cobblers with (gasp!) canned cherry filling. The stuff is SO easy to use, and makes sense when it's sweltering outside (even if it is considerably cooler inside): 1) remove can opener from drawer; 2) run opener around edges of cherry filling can; 3) pour filling into ramekins; 4) bake. This amount of work barely registered on my lazyometer.
I consulted the timeless and reliable Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook for a cobbler recipe, which was also as easy as ... well, easier than pie. And tasty too. Took just a few minutes to stir that together.
Four white ramekins were enlisted to hold cherries and cobbler batter.
Bake at 410 degrees (thank you, central air conditioning! it did get up to around 92 oppressive degrees on the 4th) for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, pose by window with natural lighting for photos. Oh my, that stuff really IS red, isn't it?
These were enjoyed after an indoor (it was bloody H-O-T outdoors during the parade! we give frequent thanks and praise to the chlorofluorocarbon gods) picnic of grilled glazed stuffed burgers and savory marinated pork chops, accompanied by refreshingly cold Bell’s Oberon Ale, one of only two beers on this planet I can actually drink (almost) an entire bottle of.
What culinary delights did you indulge in this holiday weekend?
It's Pumpkin season!
October 10, 2009 06:33
Brrrrrrrr, it’s chilly out there! Whether the sun is shining or the skies are gray and blustery, the weather is wonderfully autumnal now. And when October gets cold and windy, my appetite for all things pumpkin is piqued. After a good long walk outside in the chilly air enjoying the fall color (and sometimes even without it), I'm ready to start cooking some of the numerous pumpkin recipes I’ve collected over the years. Pumpkin is a quintessential fall food, and there are so many sweet and savory ways to use it beyond pumpkin pies (not that there’s anything wrong with pies). I've got recipes for pumpkin bread, rolls, macaroni and cheese, stews, polenta, and salad, as well as pies, tarts, cakes, flan, pudding, gingerbread, ice cream and pancakes, to name but a few. The season isn't long enough to make them all, and I don't know where to begin! But we have to start somewhere, so let's start with brownies.
Oh how I love butter melting into dark chocolate!
I found Pumpkin Swirl Brownies at the Everything-Pumpkin blog. Pumpkin and chocolate are a surprisingly tasty combination, which I discovered as a teenager on my birthday when mom made my favorite devil’s food cake with dark chocolate icing, and bought a quart of pumpkin ice cream from Baskin Robbins. I’ve been hooked on chocolate/pumpkin ever since, and in these brownies the pairing is every bit as good. You make a plain vanilla batter, divide it in half, then add pumpkin and spices to one half and melted dark chocolate to the other.
Layer and swirl them together in the pan, and bake. Delish! I skipped the cayenne and nuts, and substituted allspice for the nutmeg. Also, in my 9x9 inch pan these brownies were very thick and took quite a while to cook. Next time I’ll use my oddball 8x11 glass pan.
They were so very good -- the moist pumpkin swirl tasted just like pumpkin pie, and complemented the rich dark chocolate swirl beautifully. They freeze well and can be warmed up nicely in the microwave. Perfect with a cold glass of milk, a steaming cup of coffee, or a simple pot of tea.
Just a few days later we woke up on a cool, sunny Sunday morning and decided to make Pumpkin Ginger Waffles from the October 2009 issue of Country Living magazine. I usually find waffles too heavy or crispy, but this recipe made light, moist, flavorful waffles that filled the kitchen with the cozy fragrance of pumpkin and ginger while they cooked in our heart-shaped waffle maker. I omitted the crystallized ginger, thinking it might have made the ginger flavor a little too intense, and increased the cinnamon to a teaspoon.
We served them butter, naturally, and real maple syrup, which we hide in the back of the fridge and then discreetly pour into a small ceramic pitcher before serving ourselves, to keep our kids (whom we love very much) from flooding their plates with it ($$$!!) and then dumping half of it into the sink with their unfinished breakfasts (which would break our hearts mightily -- they get the Log Cabin or Mrs. Butterworth's, until they're older). The only thing that might have made these better would be slices of warm Canadian bacon. Oh what a way to begin a fall day!
On a more savory note, I have been eyeing the Autumn Bisque recipe in a 2008 issue of Victoria Magazine for an entire year now, and decided to make it recently on a brisk Saturday afternoon. It was creamy and delicious, especially topped with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan and black pepper, and accompanied by a warm grainy baguette (with butter melting all over it, of course!). The color is gorgeous and so well-suited to a chilly fall night.
Kenny grates fresh parmesan into our bowls of bisque. Mmmmm!
The original recipe (which is not posted online) calls for mushrooms, onions, and red pepper flakes. I skipped the mushrooms, whose earthy richness might have competed with, not complemented, the mild pumpkin. I also left out the red pepper flakes, so we could enjoy a nice comforting soup without the spicy challenge to our tastebuds. My only regret was using the 1-1/2 cups of onion called for in the recipe, as well as the sliced sauteed leek. I’m not a big fan of onion, and generally either reduce or leave it out completely. I thought the onion overpowered the mellow pumpkin flavor, so I’ve modified the recipe to include more garlic and zero onion. Light coconut milk adds creaminess and just a hint of coconut flavor that doesn’t distract from the main player ... pumpkin! Because pumpkin is what it’s all about right now.
Thankfully, Kenny isn’t tired of pumpkin. Yet. I made pumpkin macaroni and cheese last week, and Curried Scallops on Pumpkin Polenta is in the cue. Oh it’s going to be a delicious fall!
Autumn Pumpkin Bisque
Original recipe in Victoria Magazine, September/October 2008
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (depending on how much you love garlic!)
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cups canned pumpkin puree (or fresh, if desired)
1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh chopped type, or 1/4 tsp dried
toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the olive oil and butter. Add the garlic, carrots and celery, and sautee until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15-20 minutes. Pour broth mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pot. Over medium heat add remaining broth, pumpkin puree, and coconut milk and heat through. Stir in the salt, lemon juice and thyme and simmer for about 10 minutes. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, if using.
Oh how I love butter melting into dark chocolate!
I found Pumpkin Swirl Brownies at the Everything-Pumpkin blog. Pumpkin and chocolate are a surprisingly tasty combination, which I discovered as a teenager on my birthday when mom made my favorite devil’s food cake with dark chocolate icing, and bought a quart of pumpkin ice cream from Baskin Robbins. I’ve been hooked on chocolate/pumpkin ever since, and in these brownies the pairing is every bit as good. You make a plain vanilla batter, divide it in half, then add pumpkin and spices to one half and melted dark chocolate to the other.
Layer and swirl them together in the pan, and bake. Delish! I skipped the cayenne and nuts, and substituted allspice for the nutmeg. Also, in my 9x9 inch pan these brownies were very thick and took quite a while to cook. Next time I’ll use my oddball 8x11 glass pan.
They were so very good -- the moist pumpkin swirl tasted just like pumpkin pie, and complemented the rich dark chocolate swirl beautifully. They freeze well and can be warmed up nicely in the microwave. Perfect with a cold glass of milk, a steaming cup of coffee, or a simple pot of tea.
Just a few days later we woke up on a cool, sunny Sunday morning and decided to make Pumpkin Ginger Waffles from the October 2009 issue of Country Living magazine. I usually find waffles too heavy or crispy, but this recipe made light, moist, flavorful waffles that filled the kitchen with the cozy fragrance of pumpkin and ginger while they cooked in our heart-shaped waffle maker. I omitted the crystallized ginger, thinking it might have made the ginger flavor a little too intense, and increased the cinnamon to a teaspoon.
We served them butter, naturally, and real maple syrup, which we hide in the back of the fridge and then discreetly pour into a small ceramic pitcher before serving ourselves, to keep our kids (whom we love very much) from flooding their plates with it ($$$!!) and then dumping half of it into the sink with their unfinished breakfasts (which would break our hearts mightily -- they get the Log Cabin or Mrs. Butterworth's, until they're older). The only thing that might have made these better would be slices of warm Canadian bacon. Oh what a way to begin a fall day!
On a more savory note, I have been eyeing the Autumn Bisque recipe in a 2008 issue of Victoria Magazine for an entire year now, and decided to make it recently on a brisk Saturday afternoon. It was creamy and delicious, especially topped with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan and black pepper, and accompanied by a warm grainy baguette (with butter melting all over it, of course!). The color is gorgeous and so well-suited to a chilly fall night.
Kenny grates fresh parmesan into our bowls of bisque. Mmmmm!
The original recipe (which is not posted online) calls for mushrooms, onions, and red pepper flakes. I skipped the mushrooms, whose earthy richness might have competed with, not complemented, the mild pumpkin. I also left out the red pepper flakes, so we could enjoy a nice comforting soup without the spicy challenge to our tastebuds. My only regret was using the 1-1/2 cups of onion called for in the recipe, as well as the sliced sauteed leek. I’m not a big fan of onion, and generally either reduce or leave it out completely. I thought the onion overpowered the mellow pumpkin flavor, so I’ve modified the recipe to include more garlic and zero onion. Light coconut milk adds creaminess and just a hint of coconut flavor that doesn’t distract from the main player ... pumpkin! Because pumpkin is what it’s all about right now.
Thankfully, Kenny isn’t tired of pumpkin. Yet. I made pumpkin macaroni and cheese last week, and Curried Scallops on Pumpkin Polenta is in the cue. Oh it’s going to be a delicious fall!
Autumn Pumpkin Bisque
Original recipe in Victoria Magazine, September/October 2008
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (depending on how much you love garlic!)
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cups canned pumpkin puree (or fresh, if desired)
1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh chopped type, or 1/4 tsp dried
toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt the olive oil and butter. Add the garlic, carrots and celery, and sautee until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15-20 minutes. Pour broth mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pot. Over medium heat add remaining broth, pumpkin puree, and coconut milk and heat through. Stir in the salt, lemon juice and thyme and simmer for about 10 minutes. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, if using.
A sort of Ambrosia.
September 20, 2009 01:29
After David Lebovitz inspired me to make salted butter caramel ice cream -- which, if I say so myself, is like manna from heaven AND the nectar of the gods -- I discovered a more decadent (almost) treat on his site: Chocolate-Covered Salted Peanut Caramel Cups (as always, he includes the recipe). There was no way I wasn’t going to make these! I already had a full container of lovely fleur-de-sel, and a supply of Trader Joe's dark chocolate ... might as well put them both to good use.
The peanut caramel comes together pretty easily, although mine didn’t set quite thick enough so I cooked it a second time for a wee bit -- that caramelized it just enough to let me make manageable blobs for plopping onto chocolate filled paper cups, which I found in the cooking aisle at Tom Thumb.
David’s method of putting melted chocolate into the cup and then “painting” it up the sides was a bit too painstaking for me. After a few attempts, I decided instead to pour a thin-ish layer of chocolate into the bottom of each cup, cool the cups for about ten minutes, put a blob of cooled peanut-caramel on top of the hardened chocolate, then pour more chocolate around the sides and enough to cover the top. This felt more efficient for this short-cut-loving girl. It’s not that I’m entirely impatient or unwilling to put time and effort into producing good food, but when something starts to feel tedious I absolutely must figure out an alternative. This one worked beautifully.
A few sprinkles of fleur-de-sel, a chill in the fridge, and these pretty candies were ready for the real taste test (all the tasting I did during the manufacturing process didn’t really count). Oh my, they were delicious! The tang of salt combined with luscious dark chocolate and creamy peanut caramel -- it's a compelling combination! (Read: dangerously difficult to stop eating.)
Oh goodness yes, I will be making these again!
The peanut caramel comes together pretty easily, although mine didn’t set quite thick enough so I cooked it a second time for a wee bit -- that caramelized it just enough to let me make manageable blobs for plopping onto chocolate filled paper cups, which I found in the cooking aisle at Tom Thumb.
David’s method of putting melted chocolate into the cup and then “painting” it up the sides was a bit too painstaking for me. After a few attempts, I decided instead to pour a thin-ish layer of chocolate into the bottom of each cup, cool the cups for about ten minutes, put a blob of cooled peanut-caramel on top of the hardened chocolate, then pour more chocolate around the sides and enough to cover the top. This felt more efficient for this short-cut-loving girl. It’s not that I’m entirely impatient or unwilling to put time and effort into producing good food, but when something starts to feel tedious I absolutely must figure out an alternative. This one worked beautifully.
A few sprinkles of fleur-de-sel, a chill in the fridge, and these pretty candies were ready for the real taste test (all the tasting I did during the manufacturing process didn’t really count). Oh my, they were delicious! The tang of salt combined with luscious dark chocolate and creamy peanut caramel -- it's a compelling combination! (Read: dangerously difficult to stop eating.)
Oh goodness yes, I will be making these again!
Falling for mushroom ragu.
September 06, 2009 02:52
Autumn is pressing itself upon us. The entire summer has been fantastically (in my humble opinion) mild, and right when school has started starting (schools have been starting around here just about every week for the past month) suddenly it feels downright chilly outside! A few trees have dropped dry golden leaves for several weeks now, and just this morning we saw a scattering of gorgeous red maple leaves on the sidewalk. My favorite season is arriving!
The temperature has to drop but a mere sprinkling of degrees and I’m ready to pull out my stew recipes and stock the pantry with cans of pumpkin. Last weekend was cool enough to warrant the first round of cold weather comfort food, and we were inspired by a Julie-and-Julia-inspired article at the Sasquatch Books Blog which included a recipe for Mushroom Ragu. The recipe, contributed by Alice Waters, is one of 125 included in Cooking with Les Dames d'Escoffier. We can't get enough of earthy, woodsy mushrooms on pizza and in risotto, so we had to try this ragu.
We visited nearby Treasure Island (lookee -- they have an endorsement from Julia herself!) for the assortment of shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms we used in our ragu, as well as a half pound of silky soft, deep plum-colored fresh figs -- which we sliced and paired with sliced fresh mozzarella to snack on while we chopped and sauteed. The earthy (and very sensual) figs were a fitting prelude to those earthy mushrooms.
Naturally, we took at least one shortcut (I am almost notorious for taking liberties with recipes). Most notably, we did not sautee the three types of mushrooms individually (Alice, forgive us! we were eager to get on to the eating part), and we used a small amount of dried italian herbs instead of fresh thyme -- we rarely use fresh herbs quickly enough so usually they end up a swampy little mess in a corner of the vegetable drawer, or hopelessly moldy. We also had prepared chicken broth for the recipe, but ended up using the heavenly broth brought forth while the mushrooms cooked. Oh, the appetizing aromas in our kitchen that evening ... and there wasn’t even any garlic on the menu!
After you get past all the chopping of onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms, there’s just some sauteeing and about 15 minutes of gentle simmering (in real cream) before you can ladle this scrumptious and homely mixure onto a bowl of hot noodles (we used Mrs. Grass egg noodles -- this is a dish for noodles not hoity pasta). Yes, homely -- as absolutely delicious as the ragu is, it’s not the prettiest, nor is it very photogenic. I Googled images of “mushroom ragu” and it seems no one can take a really appetizing photo of it. But don’t let that stop you -- chop, sautee, simmer and enjoy this comforting food as these final days of summer change to russet and gold.
Oh, and dessert? Homemade nectarine sorbet from David Lebovitz's Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
. Nectarines are my favorite summer fruit, and this sorbet is a delicious and easy way to make that taste of summer last. Yum!
The temperature has to drop but a mere sprinkling of degrees and I’m ready to pull out my stew recipes and stock the pantry with cans of pumpkin. Last weekend was cool enough to warrant the first round of cold weather comfort food, and we were inspired by a Julie-and-Julia-inspired article at the Sasquatch Books Blog which included a recipe for Mushroom Ragu. The recipe, contributed by Alice Waters, is one of 125 included in Cooking with Les Dames d'Escoffier. We can't get enough of earthy, woodsy mushrooms on pizza and in risotto, so we had to try this ragu.
We visited nearby Treasure Island (lookee -- they have an endorsement from Julia herself!) for the assortment of shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms we used in our ragu, as well as a half pound of silky soft, deep plum-colored fresh figs -- which we sliced and paired with sliced fresh mozzarella to snack on while we chopped and sauteed. The earthy (and very sensual) figs were a fitting prelude to those earthy mushrooms.
Naturally, we took at least one shortcut (I am almost notorious for taking liberties with recipes). Most notably, we did not sautee the three types of mushrooms individually (Alice, forgive us! we were eager to get on to the eating part), and we used a small amount of dried italian herbs instead of fresh thyme -- we rarely use fresh herbs quickly enough so usually they end up a swampy little mess in a corner of the vegetable drawer, or hopelessly moldy. We also had prepared chicken broth for the recipe, but ended up using the heavenly broth brought forth while the mushrooms cooked. Oh, the appetizing aromas in our kitchen that evening ... and there wasn’t even any garlic on the menu!
After you get past all the chopping of onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms, there’s just some sauteeing and about 15 minutes of gentle simmering (in real cream) before you can ladle this scrumptious and homely mixure onto a bowl of hot noodles (we used Mrs. Grass egg noodles -- this is a dish for noodles not hoity pasta). Yes, homely -- as absolutely delicious as the ragu is, it’s not the prettiest, nor is it very photogenic. I Googled images of “mushroom ragu” and it seems no one can take a really appetizing photo of it. But don’t let that stop you -- chop, sautee, simmer and enjoy this comforting food as these final days of summer change to russet and gold.
Oh, and dessert? Homemade nectarine sorbet from David Lebovitz's Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
. Nectarines are my favorite summer fruit, and this sorbet is a delicious and easy way to make that taste of summer last. Yum!Mmmm, double chocolate mint ice cream.
August 27, 2009 09:50
While the ice cream maker was still cranked (so to speak) after my experiments with salted butter caramel ice cream and chocolate sherbet, I forged ahead with Double Chocolate Mint ice cream from Joanna Farrow’s big beautiful book Ice Cream and Iced Desserts
.
This book is pretty, somewhat oversized, and filled with plenty of recipes and gorgeous photos of ice creams, sherbets, sorbets, granitas, ice cream desserts, and exotic frozen treats like Indian kulfis. I love paging through it and plotting which of them to make next. I’m reasonably sure I got it off a bargain shelf ages ago, so I feel a little smug at having such a lovely book for cheap. The cover alone is worth leaving it on your coffee table, with peachy pink scoops of ice cream snugged together in a transluscent bowl made of ice and rose buds, against a pale aqua background. Beautiful! Someday I’ll make that ice bowl with the real rosebuds.
This recipe called for chopped fresh mint leaves, which I was not inspired to use. Although I love the smell and flavor of fresh mint, and inherited from my mother an appreciation for lovely sprigs of mint in iced tea and lemonade, I am not a fan of chewing and swallowing actual mint leaves. Their roughness gives me the willies, like fingernails on a chalkboard for some people. Plus, I didn’t think the youngsters in the house would appreciate picking mint leaves out of their ice cream. Gummi bears, cookie dough blobs or chocolate chips yes ... mint leaves, no. So I opted for crushed candy canes (yes, leftover from Christmas! and a reasonable substitute for the crushed mints called for in the recipe) and about 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Along with the usual ingredients -- dark chocolate, eggs, milk, whipping cream -- the result was delicious! Smooth and creamy, with just the right balance of chocolate and cool mint. I might be partially responsible for the fact that it didn't last long.
.This book is pretty, somewhat oversized, and filled with plenty of recipes and gorgeous photos of ice creams, sherbets, sorbets, granitas, ice cream desserts, and exotic frozen treats like Indian kulfis. I love paging through it and plotting which of them to make next. I’m reasonably sure I got it off a bargain shelf ages ago, so I feel a little smug at having such a lovely book for cheap. The cover alone is worth leaving it on your coffee table, with peachy pink scoops of ice cream snugged together in a transluscent bowl made of ice and rose buds, against a pale aqua background. Beautiful! Someday I’ll make that ice bowl with the real rosebuds.
This recipe called for chopped fresh mint leaves, which I was not inspired to use. Although I love the smell and flavor of fresh mint, and inherited from my mother an appreciation for lovely sprigs of mint in iced tea and lemonade, I am not a fan of chewing and swallowing actual mint leaves. Their roughness gives me the willies, like fingernails on a chalkboard for some people. Plus, I didn’t think the youngsters in the house would appreciate picking mint leaves out of their ice cream. Gummi bears, cookie dough blobs or chocolate chips yes ... mint leaves, no. So I opted for crushed candy canes (yes, leftover from Christmas! and a reasonable substitute for the crushed mints called for in the recipe) and about 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Along with the usual ingredients -- dark chocolate, eggs, milk, whipping cream -- the result was delicious! Smooth and creamy, with just the right balance of chocolate and cool mint. I might be partially responsible for the fact that it didn't last long.
Summertime, and the livin' is icey.
August 04, 2009 12:54
I’ve been bitten by a lot of mosquitos this summer, but it’s the ice cream bug that bit me the sweetest. Ever since I froze up a batch of salted butter caramel ice cream, which I discovered at David Lebovitz's internet kitchen in Paris, ice cream has a semi-permanent place on our summer menu, and the ice ceam maker lives next to the fridge instead of collecting dust in the crawl space.
The butter caramel ice cream could be the tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten, but one cannot live by caramelized sugar and fleur de sel alone (although it's tempting!). After the success of that first attempt (success = everyone who ate it went "WOW"), I threw a wrench into my summer fitness plans and forged onward with David’s chocolate sherbet. He is extremely generous in sharing actual recipes on his site, and this one did not disappoint! As usual I tinkered with it slightly, using everyday Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder (instead of the recommended Valrhona or Askinosie, both difficult to find around here without much telephoning and driving longish distances, which I am mostly too lazy to do) and Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, always easily available at the grocery store. Appealing though it sounded, I omitted the shot of coffee liqueur, worried that it might not appeal to the younger palates in the house. ("But," you might understandably argue, "it's good to reserve some treats for the adults exclusively, non?" I heartily concur! But in these early efforts, I can't leave anyone out.)
This one cooks up quickly -- there are no eggs in the recipe and, hence, no need for lengthy cooking and thickening time. Just boil, cool and freeze. A bonus: without eggs, this frozen treat is lower in fat. And remember: when you add darkdark chocolate to anything, you're lengthening your life ... or at least, not shortening it. For real. Just eat, enjoy, and live longer. The liquid chocolate tasted exactly like delicious pudding, and I could have sipped it in large quantities straight from the pan.
Once the milk mixture is boiled, chopped bittersweet chocolate is added. Alas, the Ghirardelli chocolate I used was not the stuff for this job. It added slightly funky flavor and grainy texture that, thankfully, no one detected but me. (I love cooking for my family -- they never notice my mistakes!) I recently bought a number of 70%-ish dark chocolates, including Valrhona and several Trader Joe's varieties. I found that Trader Joe's Swiss dark chocolate was the tastiest of them -- smooth, chocolatey and delish, and not a trace of bitterness or funk. That's what I'll use next time.
Regardless, the chocolate sherbet was gobbled UP by the me and family and given positive reviews, audible to the adult human ear, even by teenagers, who I had previously believed only express their approval non-verbally by eating everything under cover of night and leaving their dirty dishes on the counter as proof of enjoyment. Or at least as proof of consumption. It is gratifying, indeed, to know my efforts are appreciated!
I went ahead and ordered David's book Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments, so between ice cream recipes I had already torn out of magazines, such as lavender and toasted almond, mango lime ice, roasted pistachio, and David's scrumptious sounding concoctions -- Toasted Almond and Candied Cherry, Fresh Fig, Pear Caramel, Roasted Banana, Mocha Sorbet, Milk Chocolate Guinness (you heard me...Guinness and chocolate) -- I'm going to be busy cranking ice cream AND stepping up my workouts. It will be worth it.
The butter caramel ice cream could be the tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten, but one cannot live by caramelized sugar and fleur de sel alone (although it's tempting!). After the success of that first attempt (success = everyone who ate it went "WOW"), I threw a wrench into my summer fitness plans and forged onward with David’s chocolate sherbet. He is extremely generous in sharing actual recipes on his site, and this one did not disappoint! As usual I tinkered with it slightly, using everyday Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder (instead of the recommended Valrhona or Askinosie, both difficult to find around here without much telephoning and driving longish distances, which I am mostly too lazy to do) and Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, always easily available at the grocery store. Appealing though it sounded, I omitted the shot of coffee liqueur, worried that it might not appeal to the younger palates in the house. ("But," you might understandably argue, "it's good to reserve some treats for the adults exclusively, non?" I heartily concur! But in these early efforts, I can't leave anyone out.)
This one cooks up quickly -- there are no eggs in the recipe and, hence, no need for lengthy cooking and thickening time. Just boil, cool and freeze. A bonus: without eggs, this frozen treat is lower in fat. And remember: when you add darkdark chocolate to anything, you're lengthening your life ... or at least, not shortening it. For real. Just eat, enjoy, and live longer. The liquid chocolate tasted exactly like delicious pudding, and I could have sipped it in large quantities straight from the pan.
Once the milk mixture is boiled, chopped bittersweet chocolate is added. Alas, the Ghirardelli chocolate I used was not the stuff for this job. It added slightly funky flavor and grainy texture that, thankfully, no one detected but me. (I love cooking for my family -- they never notice my mistakes!) I recently bought a number of 70%-ish dark chocolates, including Valrhona and several Trader Joe's varieties. I found that Trader Joe's Swiss dark chocolate was the tastiest of them -- smooth, chocolatey and delish, and not a trace of bitterness or funk. That's what I'll use next time.
Regardless, the chocolate sherbet was gobbled UP by the me and family and given positive reviews, audible to the adult human ear, even by teenagers, who I had previously believed only express their approval non-verbally by eating everything under cover of night and leaving their dirty dishes on the counter as proof of enjoyment. Or at least as proof of consumption. It is gratifying, indeed, to know my efforts are appreciated!
I went ahead and ordered David's book Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
, so between ice cream recipes I had already torn out of magazines, such as lavender and toasted almond, mango lime ice, roasted pistachio, and David's scrumptious sounding concoctions -- Toasted Almond and Candied Cherry, Fresh Fig, Pear Caramel, Roasted Banana, Mocha Sorbet, Milk Chocolate Guinness (you heard me...Guinness and chocolate) -- I'm going to be busy cranking ice cream AND stepping up my workouts. It will be worth it.What we're not giving up.
July 29, 2009 01:25
After the initial freakout period, we’ve adjusted to the change in income, and while figuring out where to cut back we have realized a few things: 1) we’re lucky to still have one decent income and we’re keeping apace of our living expenses; 2) we aren't heavy spenders to begin with, so we don't have to “give up” things like extravagant vacations, shoe shopping sprees, or pricey (or even cheap!) restaurant dinners. We haven’t even started taking extravagant vacations, and we rarely eat out, preferring instead to cook together at home, although we still buy the occasional pair of shoes; 3) there are certain things we’re not yet ready to give up -- most notably: food. Especially the treats that create luxurious moments in our everyday lives. Some of these treats could even be considered extravagant, but buying them isn’t sending us into bankruptcy, and giving them up won't help us pay our credit card bills any faster. Sure, there might be less expensive alternatives to our favorite indulgences, but they don’t provide us with the same culinary pleasure as these do.
Really good chocolate. We’re going to give up this superfood reported to be effective in lowering blood pressure, preventing cancer, heart disease, and stroke? Not in a zillion years. Remember that every time you pay a wee bit extra for lovely dark chocolate (look for cacao content of 55% and up), you’re extending your life. ‘nuf said.
Happy Birthday, America!
July 06, 2009 06:47
Buttermilk shortcakes with red strawberries, white whipped cream, and blueberries. A festive and fitting dessert for a fun day!
We watched the Evanston parade in the rain, under our umbrellas, ate fried-then-baked chicken and corn-on-the-cob while listening to Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring", and ended the day marveling at Evanston's fireworks display from the Northwestern campus, under clear skies and an almost-full moon. A perfectly wonderful Independence Day! I hope yours was just as good.
Salted butter caramel ice cream ...
June 30, 2009 10:30
... is in the house. That is, what’s left of it. I made it on Sunday, and it is so incredibly delicious (if I humbly say so myself) it might not last long.
I am a chocolate girl, by all accounts. I could (and sometimes do) eat it daily. Whenever dessert is offered, I usually pick chocolate. And sometimes I feel slightly shamed when I am in the presence of friends or family who choose fruit pie, raisin cookies or simple scoops of vanilla ice cream, which always seem more grown-up, respectable and healthy than my slice of chocolate cake, chocolate chip scones, ice cream with chocolate sauce, or chocolate malt.
However, this ice cream, with its toasty caramel flavor, tang of precious fleur de sel and crunchy bits of slightly salty caramel praline, could almost draw me away from the temptation of chocolate. Almost, I say, as I sit here sipping a grande mocha, after having eaten a portion of dark Dove chocolate this afternoon at work. My daily dose.
I don’t remember how I found the recipe for this frozen dreamfood on David Lebovitz’s scrumptious Web site (which is like a culinary field trip through France), but I knew I had to make it and the sooner the better. As usual, I
For the first time in who-knows-how-long I used all the full-fat ingredients that were called for. I did substitute light cream (half-and-half) for heavy cream (the whipping kind). But I used real whole milk, since I could get a two-cup Chug that would leave no leftovers languishing in our fridge. Whole milk is an unknown commodity in our home -- it's skim, 2%, or bust.
I had only three eggs in the house (the recipe calls for four yolks), and was too lazy to go out and get more, so I used three egg yolks and two egg whites. I suspect I could have just thrown the three complete eggs into the mixture and no one would have been the wiser. No need to cheat on the other ingredients, which are as simple as white sugar (carmelized to the brink of a smoking burn), vanilla, and butter -- which melts and bubbles gloriously into the carmelized sugar. Oh the smells in the kitchen! You'll have most of the ingredients on hand already.
This recipe was my excuse to pick up a pricey container of fleur de sel French sea salt.
I’ve wanted to try this fancy stuff ever since I first read about it, so now I have an 8-oz. jar in my cabinet that should last a good long time. If you spill any, don’t bother throwing a pinch over your left shoulder to keep the devil at bay. At $1.50 per ounce, it’s too dear for superstitious rituals!
Ice cream is pretty easy to put together -- it’s like cooking a custard, then freezing it. You mix ingredients, heat them in a heavy saucepan (gotta cook those eggs and thicken things up), cool the mixture, and pour it into your ice cream freezer. David’s recipe calls for measuring the temperature of the cooked custard, straining the mixture through a fine sieve, cooling it in an ice bath, and chilling it for at least 8 hours or overnight before freezing it. I couldn’t wait that long! I wanted it that night, so I skipped the thermometer step, the straining, and the lengthy cooling process. NOTE: I am not an entirely reckless cook -- I usually judge how much I can alter a recipe after I’m completely (or at least pretty darned) sure it won’t negatively affect the outcome. I think, when all is said and done, this ice cream can be made using the same method as other ice creams--omitting the fancier steps--and you’ll still be happy with the results.
After many MANY necessary tastes of the creamy, golden brown caramel custard -- to make sure it had the correct proportions of carmelized sugar to salt -- I poured the cooled mixture into the aluminum freezer can, set it into the maker, nestled ice and rock salt all around, plugged in the machine, and went for a bike ride. I have an old Rival “ice cream and yogurt freezer” that I picked up at Target ages ago. It’s noisy, so I place it in a location where it won’t bother anyone for 45 minutes and let it spin merrily away. I used to stick it in the bathroom and close the door.
You can get a reasonable facsimile
for a decent price. Or if you insist on swank, by all means spend more
.When I came back from my bike ride ... voila! Ice cream. Almost. It is like creamy softserve at that point. I stirred in the salted praline, which I had chopped into small bits, and put it into the freezer until completely firm.
We kept ourselves busy with dinner while it froze, then sat on the porch and tucked into the finished deliciousness while fireflies drifted and glowed around us. Oh my! Heavenly, creamy, toasty, crunchy, divine. Thank you, David! I will definitely make this again.
Still cooking.
June 10, 2009 10:02
As promised last week we opened My French Kitchen
over the weekend and cooked up Warm Tuna and Potato Salad, a very nicoise combination of haricot verts, boiled new potatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes, and tuna tossed with a dijon dressing. The dish is easy, but a wee bit labor intensive -- there’s trimming and boiling the haricot verts (that’s French for “skinny li’l green beans”), cutting up and boiling the potatoes, roasting the cherry tomatoes, mixing up the dijon dressing. None of it is difficult, but we ended up with a kitchen full of pots, pans, and olive oily bowls. (Tip: wipe those bowls clean with slices of good bread!)
The effort was worth it: the resulting warm salad was delicious! And perfect with some toasted pugliese bread. It felt like cold weather comfort food -- much needed because lately all we’ve gotten is RAIN and temps in the 60s.
I love to cook new dishes and try new flavors, but I don’t have the time or patience to drive hither and yon for obscure ingredients, nor do I want to spend a fortune for fancy, organic, imported or otherwise expensive foodstuffs. Instead, I scheme to find inexpensive, lower-fat, easy-to-locate substitutes at my local grocery store. I’ll maybe drive the extra way to Whole Foods, as long as there’s something else I can get at the same time, like my favorite green tea. We also have an excellent “european market” nearby called Treasure Island. Need chestnut pate, tinned duck breast, white truffles, or Italian torrone? They’ve got it.
But I amlazy time conscious, and cheap thrifty, so I try to get everything at Dominick’s. I’ve never seen haricot verts at Dom’s, but luckily there are tons of green beans in their produce department right now. I simply picked out the smallest, slimmest beans and they easily (to the untrained tongue) passed as their sophisticated French cousins. I also plucked up a bag of petite golden potatoes, an 8 oz. carton of grape tomatoes, and a few miniature cans of Genova Italian Tuna. Oddly, our grocery store sells the little 3 oz. cans at a better price per ounce than the 5 oz. cans, so make sure you read those pricing labels!
It is this olive oil-packed tuna that really makes the dish. Once we finally started putting out the extra cash for this imported tuna, we couldn’t go back. There might be better Italian tunas on the market, but if it’s not at my grocery store 3 blocks away, I can’t be bothered. For every day tuna salad with celery and mayo, trusty white (dolphin safe!) tuna is fine, but for a really special tuna flavor, get the Italian sort. Don’t let the fact that it’s swimming in olive oil (or distributed by Chicken of the Sea) put you off -- just drain it good and dive in. You’ll live longer consuming olive and omega 3s anyway, so treat yourself!
The salad was followed by Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert. Not cheesecake as we know it, full of cream cheese, eggs, and baked in a graham cracker crust -- this cheesecake calls for creme fraiche, melted dark and white chocolates, and heavy cream, and it is chilled rather than cooked.
I substituted creme fraiche with sour cream, and heavy cream with a combination of milk and evaporated milk. I used Nestle Toll House Chocolatier dark chocolate, and Ghirardelli white chocolate, both from the baking aisle. The crust is ground up chocolate chip cookies (I used lowfat Chips Ahoy) mixed with melted butter (Lucerne canola oil spread). The crust alone would have suited me just fine! I love just about anything with butter. I wasn’t sure if the mixture would set up properly in the fridge, so I froze it to save time (we wanted to eat dessert as soon as possible). We’ve been eating it in sweet, cold slivers almost like popsicles. It’s truly smooth, chocolatey, and delicious! I am more of a cake/cookie/pastry/straight up chocolate girl, so I probably won’t voluntarily make this cheesecake again. Still, it’s turned out to be a hit with everyone in the house, which is immensely gratifying.
over the weekend and cooked up Warm Tuna and Potato Salad, a very nicoise combination of haricot verts, boiled new potatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes, and tuna tossed with a dijon dressing. The dish is easy, but a wee bit labor intensive -- there’s trimming and boiling the haricot verts (that’s French for “skinny li’l green beans”), cutting up and boiling the potatoes, roasting the cherry tomatoes, mixing up the dijon dressing. None of it is difficult, but we ended up with a kitchen full of pots, pans, and olive oily bowls. (Tip: wipe those bowls clean with slices of good bread!)The effort was worth it: the resulting warm salad was delicious! And perfect with some toasted pugliese bread. It felt like cold weather comfort food -- much needed because lately all we’ve gotten is RAIN and temps in the 60s.
I love to cook new dishes and try new flavors, but I don’t have the time or patience to drive hither and yon for obscure ingredients, nor do I want to spend a fortune for fancy, organic, imported or otherwise expensive foodstuffs. Instead, I scheme to find inexpensive, lower-fat, easy-to-locate substitutes at my local grocery store. I’ll maybe drive the extra way to Whole Foods, as long as there’s something else I can get at the same time, like my favorite green tea. We also have an excellent “european market” nearby called Treasure Island. Need chestnut pate, tinned duck breast, white truffles, or Italian torrone? They’ve got it.
But I am
It is this olive oil-packed tuna that really makes the dish. Once we finally started putting out the extra cash for this imported tuna, we couldn’t go back. There might be better Italian tunas on the market, but if it’s not at my grocery store 3 blocks away, I can’t be bothered. For every day tuna salad with celery and mayo, trusty white (dolphin safe!) tuna is fine, but for a really special tuna flavor, get the Italian sort. Don’t let the fact that it’s swimming in olive oil (or distributed by Chicken of the Sea) put you off -- just drain it good and dive in. You’ll live longer consuming olive and omega 3s anyway, so treat yourself!
The salad was followed by Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert. Not cheesecake as we know it, full of cream cheese, eggs, and baked in a graham cracker crust -- this cheesecake calls for creme fraiche, melted dark and white chocolates, and heavy cream, and it is chilled rather than cooked.
I substituted creme fraiche with sour cream, and heavy cream with a combination of milk and evaporated milk. I used Nestle Toll House Chocolatier dark chocolate, and Ghirardelli white chocolate, both from the baking aisle. The crust is ground up chocolate chip cookies (I used lowfat Chips Ahoy) mixed with melted butter (Lucerne canola oil spread). The crust alone would have suited me just fine! I love just about anything with butter. I wasn’t sure if the mixture would set up properly in the fridge, so I froze it to save time (we wanted to eat dessert as soon as possible). We’ve been eating it in sweet, cold slivers almost like popsicles. It’s truly smooth, chocolatey, and delicious! I am more of a cake/cookie/pastry/straight up chocolate girl, so I probably won’t voluntarily make this cheesecake again. Still, it’s turned out to be a hit with everyone in the house, which is immensely gratifying.
Tomato, toMAHto, tart.
June 04, 2009 09:38
How about some Roasted Tomato Tart from My French Kitchen:
Sliced tomatoes on a base of dijon mustard and creme fraiche, topped with fresh oregano and marjoram, goat cheese and a wee sprinkling of fresh parmesan, baked until the tomatoes bubble and the goat cheese turns slightly golden. With white wine to sip and a simple green salad, it was heavenly! And so easy.
My French Kitchen is a charming cookbook with dreamy photos of French food, gardens, marketplaces, cobblestone streets, bicycles, balconies, baguettes, colorful signage, seasides, and Citroen Deux Chevaux that make me feel like I'm stepping directly into my very romantic fantasy of French life and cooking. It was co-written by Joanne Harris, who wrote the book that was made into one of my all-time favorite movies, Chocolat
. That is a movie I can watch again and again. Juliette Binoche is perfectly beautiful in those ultra feminine skirts and body hugging cardigans, and she makes tempering chocolate look absolutely sexy and breezy. Last winter I listened to the unabridged audiobook version of the original novel (which I got free from the library and ripped into my iPod), and after that I checked out every chocolate cookbook I could lay my hands on -- determined to quit my job and open a chocolaterie. I have yet to teach myself to temper chocolate (but I will!), so instead I'm escaping to the French countryside through this cookbook as often as possible.
Tonight we're opening My French Kitchen again so we can make Warm Tuna and Potato Salad that will be followed by Chocolate Cheesecake (actually a swirl of coffee flavored chocolate and white chocolate creams on a crushed chocolate chip crust) for dessert. DROOL. Bon apetit!
:Sliced tomatoes on a base of dijon mustard and creme fraiche, topped with fresh oregano and marjoram, goat cheese and a wee sprinkling of fresh parmesan, baked until the tomatoes bubble and the goat cheese turns slightly golden. With white wine to sip and a simple green salad, it was heavenly! And so easy.
My French Kitchen is a charming cookbook with dreamy photos of French food, gardens, marketplaces, cobblestone streets, bicycles, balconies, baguettes, colorful signage, seasides, and Citroen Deux Chevaux that make me feel like I'm stepping directly into my very romantic fantasy of French life and cooking. It was co-written by Joanne Harris, who wrote the book that was made into one of my all-time favorite movies, Chocolat
. That is a movie I can watch again and again. Juliette Binoche is perfectly beautiful in those ultra feminine skirts and body hugging cardigans, and she makes tempering chocolate look absolutely sexy and breezy. Last winter I listened to the unabridged audiobook version of the original novel (which I got free from the library and ripped into my iPod), and after that I checked out every chocolate cookbook I could lay my hands on -- determined to quit my job and open a chocolaterie. I have yet to teach myself to temper chocolate (but I will!), so instead I'm escaping to the French countryside through this cookbook as often as possible.Tonight we're opening My French Kitchen again so we can make Warm Tuna and Potato Salad that will be followed by Chocolate Cheesecake (actually a swirl of coffee flavored chocolate and white chocolate creams on a crushed chocolate chip crust) for dessert. DROOL. Bon apetit!
Chocolate cake for no reason.
May 30, 2009 05:23
While flipping through recipes the other day, I came across a chocolate buttermilk cake recipe torn from a 1999 issue of Cooking Light magazine. Instead of waiting for some event, I decided our inaugural screening of "Bolt" was good enough. So I made the cake.
I made a wee mistake -- added too much baking powder or baking soda, I can’t remember which. To counter that slight extra saltiness, I added an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder (or two, perhaps?) and about half a cup of chopped up chocolate chips. If I humbly say so myself ... my mistake was the making of this cake! It was chocolatey and moist and a big hit with everyone. Although I won’t be adding too much of whatever-it-was next time, I’m noting the additions of extra chocolate for future cakes. Yum!
By the way, Bolt is a sweet and very fun movie. It's fun to think that's Vinnie Barbarino doing the voice of the innocent superdog. Rhino the Hamster is my favorite -- such a silly hamster!
I made a wee mistake -- added too much baking powder or baking soda, I can’t remember which. To counter that slight extra saltiness, I added an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder (or two, perhaps?) and about half a cup of chopped up chocolate chips. If I humbly say so myself ... my mistake was the making of this cake! It was chocolatey and moist and a big hit with everyone. Although I won’t be adding too much of whatever-it-was next time, I’m noting the additions of extra chocolate for future cakes. Yum!
By the way, Bolt is a sweet and very fun movie. It's fun to think that's Vinnie Barbarino doing the voice of the innocent superdog. Rhino the Hamster is my favorite -- such a silly hamster!
When life gives you blackberries.
May 25, 2009 09:34
Blackberries were on sale for $1 a carton last week, so ...
... blackberry shortcakes! Victoria Magazine has a scrumptious recipe in this month's issue. Sadly, I can't link to it because it's not up on their site yet. Make your favorite shortbread recipe (this one called for buttermilk, and each was sprinkled with turbinado sugar), stir blackberries with some Smucker's blackberry syrup (we used boysenberry -- no blackberry at our supermarket), spoon over sliced shortbreads, top with whipped cream, and enjoy! We definitely did.
By the way, the shortbreads are delicious if lightly toasted first. And these shortcakes were so rich -- more like scones -- we ended up using just one slice. A much better use for a blackberry than sending text messages! No disrespect to President Obama.
... blackberry shortcakes! Victoria Magazine has a scrumptious recipe in this month's issue. Sadly, I can't link to it because it's not up on their site yet. Make your favorite shortbread recipe (this one called for buttermilk, and each was sprinkled with turbinado sugar), stir blackberries with some Smucker's blackberry syrup (we used boysenberry -- no blackberry at our supermarket), spoon over sliced shortbreads, top with whipped cream, and enjoy! We definitely did.
By the way, the shortbreads are delicious if lightly toasted first. And these shortcakes were so rich -- more like scones -- we ended up using just one slice. A much better use for a blackberry than sending text messages! No disrespect to President Obama.
Nightcap at noon.
April 25, 2009 05:37
The sherry sipping came on the heels of some mid-morning scone baking, inspired by the promise of a visit by my friend and knitting buddy Wendy. I made “classic scones” cut into heart shapes, and cheddar scones, except I used dill havarti cheese and some parmesan. And I didn’t have chives so I put in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and some dried parsley. Both recipes are from the “Taste of Scotland” edition of Bon Apetit magazine. I love to browse through this issue (and the Ireland issue) and dream about the day we take our honeymoon to Scotland.
I couldn’t fit all the cheddar scones into the pan and didn’t feel like cooking two batches, so I plopped blobs of excess dough on the top of each one, like mini brioche. Kenny pronounced them delicious!
Happy Earth Day!
April 21, 2009 10:54
Since we’re not yet ready to build a compost heap in the back yard, install solar panels on the roof, buy a new hybrid car, or start collecting rain water to feed the garden, we’re going to celebrate by ... digging into some dirt cups! Yummy chocolate pudding (instant) mixed with whipped cream (from a tub) and crushed Oreos (low-fat), plopped into pretty recycled glass juice glasses (environmentally friendly), and topped with gummy worms and more crushed Oreo "dirt." Fast, easy, delish. What better way is there to honor our precious Earth AND make our tummies happy? Make some, eat and enjoy. Then go outside and hug a tree!
