Chez Mégane

Chocolate Guinness Cake

2011-02-19T12:04:00.018-05:00

I made this cake last year for Saint Patrick's Day and I stumbled across the photo of it recently in my archives. As this is my first post in quite a long time, I figured I should post something REALLY good.

This may be my favorite cake. I don't bake very often, as I don't generally crave desserts. This attitude is a little something I brought back with me from my Paris years. (Why bake when you can buy an exquisite dessert from any number of 'boulangeries' a block from your house?!) However, this cake is actually something to crave and it's easy enough to make that there's no need to fuss. Not for even one minute. It's only one layer, you make it in a springform pan, the frosting is a breeze...and everyone will love it. If you have an aversion to Guinness, feel free to use any Stout you like. I used Brooklyn Brewery's delicious Black Chocolate Stout.

Nigella Lawson aptly describes it's chocolatey velvet crumb as "damp", which is nearly the perfect adjective for it. Although it's a dense cake, it is incredibly rich and moist, with a nice complexity and subtle coffee flavor, much the way a perfect Stout beer tastes on draft. The cream cheese frosting is glossy and smooth, making it the perfect compliment to this cake. To quote Ina Garten, "how bad can that be?"

Make it now and make it often.

Lastly, a big thank you to all of you who have stopped by my blog recently and left such kind compliments. I wish I had more time to detail all the great recipes I've discovered over the past few years. Here's to hoping for more time to blog!

Nigella's Chocolate Stout (or "Guinness") Cake

For the cake:

1 cup Guinness, or any other Stout you prefer

1 stick plus 2 Tbsp butter (i.e. 10 Tbsp total)

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

2 cups sugar

¾ cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar

½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. (Cut a circle of parchment to fully cover the bottom of the pan).

Add the stout to a medium sized saucepan (something fairly wide since you’ll be stirring all the ingredients in this). Over low to medium heat, add the butter in small chunks until melted. Once all the butter is melted into the beer, whisk in the cocoa and sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat once this mixture is well combined.

In a separate bowl, beat together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add this to the slightly cooled Guiness mixture and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the flour and baking soda until completely smooth once again.

Pour this cake batter into the springform pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or up to one hour. When a tester comes out clean, remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan completely.

For the frosting, add the confectioners’ sugar to the bowl of a food processor. “Pulse” the sugar for a few beats to remove any lumps. Add the softened cream cheese and mix together until smooth. Add the cream a little bit at a time and mix until it becomes a nice spreadable consistency.

Frost the top of the cake while you enjoy the rest of the bottle of that stout.

Key Lime Pie

2009-02-10T15:49:00.004-05:00

I recently got back from a fabulous trip to Key West, FL. I ate a ton of great seafood, as you can imagine. This trip also allowed me to devour key lime pie...every day. This is a picture of the key lime pie from Blue Heaven...mile-high meringue!!I was a fan of key lime pie way before I actually made it to Key West, but it was a joy to try the real deal. Here's my version that I've served a several dinner parties and always is a hit. I love how easy it is to put together. The most time consuming part of this recipe is juicing the limes. I've posted this recipe before, but here's a refresher!
Lime Tart with Gingersnap Crust
(recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated, The Best Recipe)

1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs, ground in a food processor from gingersnap cookies
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted
dash of cinnamon

Pulse the gingersnaps in a food processor until uniformly ground. Add the sugar and cinnamon. Pulse a few more times to incorporate. Remove the gingersnap crumbs to a mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a buttered tart pan. Using plastic wrap helps prevents the crumbs sticking to your fingers.

Bake the crust at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. You don't want to pour the filling into a piping hot crust.

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, strained
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp grated lime zest

Whisk together the egg yolks and lime zest in a medium bowl for several minutes. (Cook's Illustrated says this turns the yolks a pale green, but I didn't find this to be true.) Whisk in the condensed milk and then the lime juice. Let this mixture rest just a few minutes to thicken.

Once the crust has mostly cooled, pour the filling into the crust. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-17 minutes or until the filling is almost set, but still wobbly in the center. Cool again until the tart is at room temperature, then refrigerate for about 3 hours until well chilled.

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp confectioner's sugar

Beat the heavy cream on medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until smooth and stiffer peaks form. Using a pastry bag with a small star tip, pipe the whipped cream over the tart in whatever way your technique allows! OR when I don't have much time to put it together, I skip the pastry bag and decorate the top with fruit.

Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie...

2009-01-11T11:02:00.004-05:00

I was searching through my digital photos this morning and realized almost everything I make, or at least take pictures of, is comfort food. I’m really good at making comforting, rich dishes. I’m really NOT good at making salads. I’m OK at preparing vegetables. I think as the New Year begins, it’s natural to sort of take stock of the kitchen and your cooking personality. I haven’t really said it out-loud until now, but I might as well face facts. I’m mashed potatoes and gravy. My husband is a salad with blue cheese and pears. Hopefully, together we make a great dinner. And because we're all making resolutions, I hope to become a little more salad and less gravy this year.

All this brings us to this post, which is about how I make a really great Shepherd’s Pie. I’ve actually learned from Gordon Ramsey’s F Word TV Show that what I make is actually called “Cottage Pie” since I use ground beef. In the past, I have used all ground lamb, half ground lamb and ground beef, and all beef. No reason you can’t use whichever you prefer in this recipe. I don’t eat very much lamb, so its rich taste is a little much for me in this dish, but its up to you.

As you could probably guess, I think it is essential that there be gravy to bind the meat and vegetables together. I’ve seen and tried recipes that just call for a bit of broth, but then you have the ground beef swimming in bland liquid. Imagine tuna noodle casserole with just broth and not cream-of-whatever soup?! Ghastly!

A few tips I’ve learned over my many attempts at Shepherd’s/Cottage Pie:

1. Basically formed of 4 components (mashed potato, ground meat, vegetables, sauce), season each one well!
2. Make stiff mashed potatoes. Add a bit of milk and butter, but just a little milk at a time. These should be stiffer potatoes than you might want to eat alone. Loose mashed potatoes turn into soup in the oven…this one I learned the hard way.
3. Cook the vegetables to their desired doneness before you assemble the casserole and bake.
4. Lots of fresh herbs are key – don’t skip these. It brightens up the flavor.

Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie

1.5 lb ground beef; or ½ lb ground lamb + 1 lb ground beef
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup frozen green peas
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup Dry Sherry, or white wine
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt/pepper

2 lbs potatoes, Russet or Yukon Gold, diced into 2-inch cubes
splash of milk
2 Tbsp butter
salt/pepper

Mashed Potatoes:
Place the diced potatoes into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cooking 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and put potatoes back into the hot saucepan. With the heat off, let the dry out in the pan a few minutes. Add the butter and a splash of milk and mash. Add a little more milk as needed, but keep them stiff.

Shepherd’s Pie filling:
Heat a Tbsp of olive oil in a large stainless steal sauté pan, preferably with sides, over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and carrots are tender but not falling apart. Add salt and pepper halfway through cooking. Remove vegetables to a plate.

In the same pan, add the ground meat. Cook over medium high heat, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon into small chunks. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. When cooked through, remove to a plate.

In the same pan, make the gravy. All those meat and vegetable browned bits are on the bottom of the pan and will help enrich the sauce. Add 2 Tbsp of butter to the pan over medium-low heat. Once melted, sprinkle in 2 Tbsp of flour. Cook the flour until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the Sherry or white wine, stirring to deglaze the pan. Slowly add the beef broth and whisk vigorously to incorporate the flour. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Add the fresh and dried herbs to the gravy.

Add the cooked ground meat and vegetables back into this pan with the gravy. Stir in the frozen peas.Pour this mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with large spoonfuls of the mashed potato. Smooth out evenly to cover the entire dish. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until bubbling hot and potatoes have slightly browned on top.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

2008-08-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

Obviously, I don't get around to writing about food these days as much as I'd like. My only promise is that when you do come by, you'll find completely satisfying and reliably delicious food. Enough on that.

This recipe was mentioned in this previous post, so I figured I better come through. We've become absolutely obsessed with one cookbook. What is this manifestation of latin food-heaven on earth? Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday. I can't remember the last time I bought a cookbook and actually made more than say, one recipe (if that!) out of it. Can you? I have many beautiful, inspired and ambitious cookbooks that I dream of tackling, yet never really have the time. However, I dove into these recipes and they really rewarded me. The recipes are perfectly balanced - both utterly delicious and very homemade, yet easy enough to tackle on a weekday and completely unpretentious. The tag lines under the title of the cookbook really say it all: Easy. Full-Flavored. Tradition-packed.

Some of the bounty we've sampled (recipes that will hopefully make it to this blog eventually) are: roasted chipotle salsa; roasted tomatillo green chile salsa; adobo marinade; spinach and mushroom green chile enchiladas; Crusty chorizo and black bean subs; a glorious skillet-pineapple upside down cake.

These tacos are a spin-off of ideas from this cookbook. We marinate the chicken in chipotle chiles (yes, this is SPICY), charcoal-grill them and place them with caramalized onions, cilantro and avocado within corn tortillas. Not just any corn tortillas, though. A corn tortilla quesadilla-of-sorts, where we sandwich cheddar cheese between the tortillas and grill until the cheese melts and the tortillas are a bit crispy, but can still be folded. This may lead you to ask - is this taking things too far? Rather indulgent, isn't it? Well...yes. And if you don't like it, you're free to warm up a boring ol' plain corn tortilla for your taco. Or, fry your own tortillas to make homemade crispy taco shells.

So, this is more of a method than a recipe, but here you go!

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

1 can chipotle chiles in adobo
2 Tbsp water
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 yellow onion
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 avocados, chopped
black or refried beans, optional

For EACH taco:
2 Tbsp cheese, shredded
(cheddar, monterey jack, queso fresco or goat cheese)
2 corn tortillas

1. Puree the chipotle chiles with their adobo sauce, plus the 1-2 Tbsp water in a food processor until smooth. Place the chicken in a ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight. I've kept this in the fridge for over 24 hours and it was fine.

2. Grill the chicken until just cooked through and still juicy. Let the chicken cool to room temperature. Thinly slice or chop for use in the tacos. Warning! Chicken is spicy =) Can be made a few days ahead.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan. Add the sliced onions and cook over medium-low heat until the onions sweat, turn translucent and just begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper and turn the heat up to medium. Stir fairly often to prevent scorching and to brown all the onions evenly. This will take around 15 minutes.

4. Chop the avocado, prepare some salsa if you have time, wash the cilantro - get all of your toppings/accompaniments ready.

5. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a wide, nonstick skillet. Turn 2 corn tortillas in the oil and let saute for a few seconds to heat that side. Flip the tortillas over and sprinkle with cheese. Place another tortilla on top of each one, pressing down on the top of each one. Once the bottom side is slightly browned and crisped, flip the tortillas over to brown the other side. Once the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden, remove from the pan. Repeat for each taco.

6. Assemble your tacos. One each tortilla, pile some of the ultra-spicy chicken, onions, avocado, cilantro and a dollop of salsa or sour cream. YUM!

Fast Pizza Dough...revised!

2008-08-16T15:26:00.004-05:00

I wanted to revise the previous pizza dough recipe to include the following options in case you do not have a food processor. Maybe using a standing mixer or just doing it by hand will be your preferred method. Either way, don't let it stop you from making this for dinner - TONIGHT!

Pizza Dough - the fast way!

(2 baking-sheet sized pizzas, each serving 3-4)
from The Best Recipe, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees F)
1 packet Rapid Rise yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups bread (or all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 Tbsp salt

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and then TURN OFF.

1. Food Processor Method:
Pulse water, yeast and sugar in a food processor, 2 times is sufficient. Add oil, flour and salt. Pulse until dough forms a fairly smooth ball, or basically comes together. It will be a bit tacky, but shouldn't be so sticky that it pulls apart, getting stuck on your fingers. Add more flour (or water, if too thick) by the Tbsp and pulse until desired consistency is achieved.

2. Stand Mixer Method:
Measure the water into a small bowl. Add the yeast and sugar and mix to combine. Next, add the oil to the yeast mixture. In the bowl of a standing mixer, place the flour and salt. Using the paddle hook, turn on low speed for a short time, just to combine. Add the liquid ingredients slowly to incorporate. Once a mass of dough forms, remove the paddle hook and replace with the dough hook. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed just briefly until a smooth ball forms.

3. Bowl Method – no appliances!
Measure the water into a small bowl. Add the yeast and sugar and mix to combine. Next, add the oil to the yeast mixture. Combine the salt and about ¾ of the flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour and mix until combined with a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula. Stir in the rest of the flour until a mass of dough forms. Place dough out on a floured cutting board and knead until smooth, about 5-7 minutes. Don’t knead in too much extra flour, just enough to keep it from sticking.

Next:
Place dough in a well-oiled bowl (I mean really well-oiled!), cover with plastic wrap and place in the oven for 40 minutes. Make sure the oven is turned off.

Remove and divide dough in half. Usually the dough is pretty soft and pliable; easy to spread out. (If it's too sticky, dip your fingers in olive oil and pat the dough out that way. Don't add too much extra flour to a sticky dough as this makes it tough, in my experience).

To Bake:
1. In a 450 degree oven, Bake crust, topped only with sauce, for 10 minutes
2. Remove crust and add toppings, including cheese on top
3. Bake another 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted

This method results in a crisp crust and cheese that is just melted, but not overly browned. If you pile all the toppings on the dough at the beginning, the crust never cooks through and is soggy in the middle.

Back from Vacation

2008-07-13T08:36:00.005-05:00

Just spent a week in Canada at the family's lakehouse. This idyllic setting provides R&R like no where else I know. You leave your car at the landing, take a boat for 20 minutes to the island, take all your groceries for the week, and most importantly, bring 3 good books and leave your cell phone behind. It's heaven. No TV, no email, no distractions.

Since we vacationed with Paul's family, we split cooking responsibilities between couples and each made 2 meals during the week. Meal one was marinated flank steak, garlic bread and salad. Meal two was homemade pizza. Other highlights throughout the week were spicy Kung Pao Chicken, Chipotle Chicken Tacos (w/Paul's righteous guacamole, of course!) and this Chicken Curry with Cashews, which remains one of my favorite meals.

I'm sure you'll agree with me that everything tastes better on vacation, even a simple ham & cheese sandwich, ketchup chips, an apple and a beer, which was mostly what my lunch consisted of each day! Funny how the prospect of eating this at the office (minus the beer, of course) is a rather depressing thought. Kind of a boring lunch, really, but sitting on a rock in the sun, looking out at the shimmering, calm water, knowing all you've got to do that day is swim, lay in the hot sun and drink a Gin & Tonic as soon as the clock strikes 5, is pretty damn satisfying.

Sigh...but back to the task at hand. Paul and I make this pizza more often than I'd like to admit because it's so easy and delicious. The dough recipe comes from The Best Recipe cookbook, by Cooks Illustrated. They provide many different crust options and this is their "fastest" pizza dough. You can have homemade pizza ready to eat in 1 hour. Fastest Pizza Dough
(makes 2 baking-sheet sized pizzas)

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees F)
1 packet Rapid Rise yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups bread (or all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 Tbsp salt

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and then TURN OFF.

Pulse water, yeast and sugar in a food processor, 2 times is sufficient. Add oil, flour and salt. Pulse until dough forms a fairly smooth ball, or basically comes together. It will be a bit tacky, but shouldn't be so sticky that it pulls apart, getting stuck on your fingers. Add more flour (or water, if too thick) by the Tbsp and pulse until desired consistency is achieved.

Place in a well-oiled bowl (I mean really well-oiled!), cover with plastic wrap and place in the oven for 40 minutes. Make sure the oven is turned off.

Remove and divide dough in half. Usually the dough is pretty soft and pliable; easy to spread out.

-If it's too sticky, dip your fingers in olive oil and pat the dough out that way.
-Don't add too much extra flour to a sticky dough as this makes it tough, in my experience.

Here's where we've mastered our technique:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Top your crust with pizza sauce (or bottled marinara sauce works well) and bake, without other toppings, for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, add your toppings and cheese, and bake another 9-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. This method results in a crisp crust and cheese that is just melted, but not overly browned. If you pile all the toppings on the dough at the beginning, the crust never cooks through and is a little soggy.

Hope you enjoy our favorite pizza as much as we do!

The standard:
quality hot italian (or chorizo) turkey sausage
thinly sliced yellow onions (placed on the pizza raw, they get cooked just enough)
thinly sliced red peppers (sauteed for a few minutes to soften)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced. (It's a mess to try and grate it). There is no substitute here for fresh.
grated parmeggiano-reggiano
dried oregano, sprinkled on with the other toppings.

Extras we swap in or out:
sliced and sauteed cremini mushrooms
black olives

I'm drooling already.

Summer (Salad) Lovin'

2008-06-14T11:31:00.005-05:00

Although my job leaves me generally “helping” with dinner instead of shopping, planning or instigating, I still have the same passion for good food as when I was able to spend hours relishing its preparation. Life has changed a lot in that respect this past year or so, but I’m still able to get cookin’ on the weekends.

Summer is in full swing here in DC, with highs in the upper 90’s this past week. We both leapt onto the grill this season – chile rubbed steaks, grilled plantains, burgers, corn on the cob, and the usual bbq fare. I dare to say it all tastes better enjoyed on our new deck, too. We are reveling in home ownership – perhaps a bit too much.

Summer also brings in the season of salads at our house. Throughout the year, I frown on salad. I can’t help but sigh at the thought of preparing or eating it. It’s a flaw, I know. How un-girl-like of me? I either leave most of the salad on my plate or devour it first so I can eat the good food afterward.

Maybe I’m a little harsh on myself. There are salads out there that I do really like, yet somehow it’s ingrained in me that salads do not equal satisfying. Well, I’ve finally found one that meets all my comfort food needs: Bread Salad. It has at least 2 things going for it. It has bread. It has cheese.

What I love about this salad (in addition to the 2 above highlights of life!) is that it’s so well balanced between strong flavors and summer freshness. This and a glass of wine is all I need for dinner. Please let me know if there’s another salad I could say that about? I may be a salad-hater, but I’m willing to be converted.

This salad stands up to many changes – swap ingredients as you see fit. Keep the bread, cheese and tomatoes but change up the greens, add artichoke hearts, grilled corn, or other vegetables. Olives are a must for me. Add grilled or roasted chicken (check the Zuni Café Cookbook!). Go wild.

We found these great heirloom grape tomatoes at a farmer's market.

Our Summer Staple: Bread Salad, or Panzanella
Serves 3-4

½ baguette, cut into cubes
Drizzle olive oil
Drizzle balsamic vinegar
2 large handfuls salad greens, baby spinach or arugula
½ pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half if too large
1 8-oz ball fresh mozzarella, diced
¼ cup sliced kalamata olives, or other briny black olives
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion, or scallions

Dressing:
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay the bread cubes out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (go lightly on the vinegar), and toss gently. Make the sure the bread is in one layer and place in the oven for approximately 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted. This is to your preference, but we prefer them just toasted on the outside, not hard throughout like croutons.

In a large salad bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and red onion. Toss to combine. Add the salad greens and cooled bread cubes and toss again. Serve immediately.

New Year's Eve!

2008-01-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

We had a very fun New Year's Eve soiree last week complete with massive quantities of food and drink. Which no one ate. Oh, everyone drank, though. I know this much because of the dance party that ensued until 3:30 am.

Anyway, I am quite confident that the food was not the problem because everything was delicious. We started the party at 9 pm, which is a little late for eating a huge plate of hors d'oeuvres. I didn't even eat as much as I thought I would. Anyway, we gave away some leftovers and have been feasting on the rest ourselves. I'm actually quite proud of all the homemade goodness I put out and I would replicate this spread in the future whenever possible. I never get tired of looking for appetizer recipes, so if you have favorites of your own, please pass them my way!!

The Menu... Mediterranean Layer Dip served w/pita

Mushroom Croustades

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip w/crudite

Various Cheeses w/baguettes, crackers, etc.

Spiral Sliced Glazed Ham, served w/dijon mustard and cornichons

Sliced Fresh Pineapple

Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Brownies

Store-bought supplements:
Cashews
Chex Mix
Sweet Potato Chips

So, yeah, I guess that's a lot. Well, we live and we learn. Abundance should be our middle name. I don't feel at all bashful admitting that I loved everything I made. It may seem an odd assortment, but I love that feeling of not knowing where to start!

I added the pineapple last minute and it was devoured. The cheeses were brought by our good friends who scored some amazing finds from the Cowgirl Creamery that just opened downtown. We had an incredible aged cheddar that was really flavorful, salty, dry and almost crumbly, a great blue and a triple creme brie named fleur de lis. My personal favorite hors d'oeuvre were the Mushroom Croustades. Another amazing Junior League cookbook recipe! These were seriously good. You'll feel like a professional caterer when you pull these out. I'll save the recipe for another day since I also have to get this yummy dip on the page. Mediterranean Layer Dip
Essentially hummus topped with olive tapenade and a fresh tomato/cucumber/mint salad. Refreshing and light but deep in flavor and easy to prepare. Of course, buying the hummus is a time-saver.

Hummus, recipe to follow
Olive Tapenade, recipe to follow
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 seedless cucumber, diced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
4-5 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup diced feta cheese, or chevre
pita bread

Prepare hummus and olive tapenade up to 3 days in advance. Refrigerate until needed.

Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil in a mixing bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature. Drain off the excess liquid.

Begin assembly by choosing a beautiful platter. I think a cake stand would look elegant or just a large white plate would work. Spread all of the hummus down on the platter. Top this with the olive tapenade, leaving about an inch border of hummus showing. Next, spoon the tomato salad mixture evenly over the tapenade. Sprinkle with feta, green onions and additional black olives, if desired. Sprinkle extra parsley over the top and around the platter. Serve with pita bread. Soften bread by wrapping in foil and placing in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Hummus:
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup tahini
6-8 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt pepper
couple dashes hot sauce

This recipe is to taste. I don't have a large food processor, so I did this in 2 batches. Start by chopping the garlic alone in the processor. Add the chickpeas and other ingredients and puree until smooth. Add more lemon juice and/or spices, if desired. I added a few tbsps of water to help the consistency, but you can add oil instead. Taste and season...taste and season... Makes about 3 cups.

Olive Tapenade:
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup green olives stuffed w/pimento
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, sliced
2 Tbsp fresh basil, torn
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (dried is ok)
1 Tbsp capers, drained
1 Tbsp olive oil
ground black pepper

Pulse the herbs together in the food processor until chopped. Add the other ingredients. Pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed. Makes about 1 cup.

Okay, okay, stop twisting my arm. Here's one more freebie. The easiest dessert that I pulled out of nowhere and everyone complimented me on...the brownies!!! Don't worry, they are very subtly flavored with peppermint...think candy-cane.

I box brownie mix (for 8x8 pan)
1/2 pkg white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Stir in white chocolate chips and mint extract. Bake according to directions. Slice, serve and get ready for rave reviews. Note how the mint sprig garnish signals the mint in the brownies...oh la la! =)

Thanksgiving in NYC

2007-11-25T19:19:00.000-05:00

We spent this Thanksgiving in NYC and our appetites were more than satisfied during this trip. While most of you were feasting on turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, we were slurping up soup dumplings and folding over large slices of pizza.

We spent a glorious Thanksgiving lunch at Joe Shanghai's in Chinatown, which is known all over the city for their soup dumplings. As a soup dumpling virgin, I had no idea these things were so good. They were truly awesome - warm, incredibly savory and actually fun to eat. They are steamed dumplings with a little pork meatball and savory broth in the center. You have to poke a small hole in the dumpling, pour in a teaspoonful of flavored soy-ginger sauce, slurp out the soup and proceed to eat the rest of the dumpling without burning your mouth. We also had amazing Orange Beef, Homemade Fried Shanghai noodles, and Kung Pao Chicken, all of which were incredibly good.

It was just a few short hours of walking around the city and seeing a movie before we could eat again. After striking out on a few of our favorite places in the West Village, we stumbled across a cute cafe called the Bus Stop. They had homey food that was perfect for the chilly evening and our tired feet. I got my roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. While not as good as our usual family feast, it hit the spot. Some earthy red wine and a slice of dark syrupy pecan pie rounded out the meal perfectly!

The next day we sought out one of the best coffee bars in NYC. Cafe Grumpy was reviewed in the New York Times and being the coffee lovers that we are, we had to make the trek. I had an amazing cappucino, and my other half said the espresso "changed his life." Their set up was incredible and it's hard to describe the care they took when pulling the shots of espresso and the precision with which they executed each step in the process. Definitely recommended if you're a coffee geek in any stretch of the imagination.

We waited in the cold outside Jon's Pizzeria for what has to be the best pizza in town. Then it was across the street to the Blind Tiger for some cask ale in front of a warm fireplace. Shopping ensued for much of the afternoon and then when more eating was in store, we had a marvelous dinner at Pastis in the meatpacking district.

I actually don't think there is anywhere I'd rather eat than a French bistro or brasserie. Just reading the menu and seeing things like Tripes or Carre d'Agneau melts my heart. I don't even eat tripe or skate or boar pate, but when I see it on a menu, it's like I'm back in France. I know that I will find good inexpensive red wine, good bread, braised meats that melt in your mouth and warm chocolate cakes or creme brulee. I feel nourished, fulfilled and jovial in a way that just going down the local burrito joint will never ever do for me. At Pastis, I had a warm goat cheese salad, braised beef with carrots (in the richest meaty sauce you can imagine) with french fries to soak up that sauce. Between our party of 4, we shared a warm chocolate cake, an Île flottante, and a creme brulee. Does life get any better?!

Well, that was my two days of fabulous eating in NYC this Thanksgiving. Hope your Thanksgiving was just as fulfilling!

It's November already!?!

2007-11-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello, hello...
Is anybody out there?

Testing, one...two...three...(clear throat)...Let's try this again, huh? Hmm...what's been going on since mid-September?

New Job - check
In process of buying first home - check
Cooking more frequently - check
trying many new restaurants - check
feelin' good - check

I'm also giddy that it's my favorite-ist month - November! The season of pigging out on Turkey and all the fixin's is upon us. I'm an unabashed Thanksgiving food lover. Surprisingly, I've met quite a few people who are ambivalent or even (gasp!) reviled by Thanksgiving dinner. This I do not understand.

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans all drowning in gravy with just a dollop of cranberry sauce (you know, to completely offset all that fat) pretty much makes my eyes light up. Every component delicious and completely necessary. Add red wine and pumpkin pie and it's any wonder we don't all weep onto our plates in gratitude of our great heaping piles of bounty. It's the holiday for hedonists and strikes a deep personal divide between those that will completely let go, devour more than they ought and those that will not budge for one meal from their deep conviction that fat is evil. If they feel they must portray that we are what we eat, please do not do so for my benefit. We are what we eat, there's no doubt. I'm perfectly comfortable knowing that I am Gravy.

As I write this, I'm of course at once sure of myself and confused. I do not wish to vilify healthy eaters, because we all must be most of the time, but at the same time I am disturbed by the lack of passion when it comes to this one day in November when we can shed our reservations, become passionate food whores, drink too much and laugh at/with our family members.

All this being said, I'm going to NYC for Thanksgiving to eat Chinese food. I'm starting to feel a little bit of pain (my taste buds) when thinking about this. But, the good news is, I'm quite confident that I can create a beautiful Thanksgiving spread any day of the year so don't worry, I'll get mine!

This week, I'll be making these tasty Pumpkin Bars for my employer's Thanksgiving potluck.
Happy Turkey month!

Sunday Dinners 2

2007-09-17T20:00:00.000-05:00

Wow - summer is coming to an end. Labor day weekend has come and gone, and August has flown by. I feel the urge to get this grilling triumph down on the page before the summer comes to a close. We had some friends over for another Sunday dinner and made an amazing smoked brisket on the grill, twice-baked potatoes, a green salad with apples, candied pecans and shaved parmesan, and a small gratin of spinach artichoke dip for an appetizer.

You'll have to wait for the brisket since it requires much consultation with the grill-master for the exact recipe, but the rest of the meal was just as worthy. You can see our humble dining room above, just waiting for the onslaught of food and wine.

First, the appetizer...
The recipe for this Spinach-Artichoke dip can be found here. I make this often and it never disappoints. This is a picture before it bakes in the oven until bubbly. I think it tastes best on warmed pita bread or baguette slices. This can be made well in advance.

Next, the sides...
Twice Baked Potatoes

4 Russet baking potatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup sour cream
milk, maybe 1/2 cup
1 stick butter
fresh ground black pepper
kosher salt
2/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese

I found this combo to be really, really good. Of course, you can use whatever kind of cheese or cream cheese, etc, that you think makes a great mashed potato. I think the more herbs the better. Throw some blanched broccoli in with the mashed potatoes before baking, add a salad and this could be a hearty vegetarian meal.

Wash the potatoes and poke a few holes all over them with a knife. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides to a large bowl, leaving a small amount behind to keep a nice shell to hold the mashed potatoes. Add the butter, milk, sour cream, herbs and seasoning to the cooked potato and mash thoroughly. Stir in the shredded cheese; taste and re-season.

Scoop some of the mashed potatoes into each potato skin and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese. These can be made up to this point well in advance, just bring to room temperature before continuing. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot. Mixed Greens with Candied Pecans, Apples and Shaved Parmesan

3 cups washed lettuces (spring mix or baby lettuces)
1/2 cup whole pecan halves
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp butter
1 apple, fuji or something similar
large shavings of Parmeggiano Reggiano (or blue cheese if you prefer)

Dressing:
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp shallots, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
fresh ground black pepper

First, toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the butter and brown sugar and cook another 1-2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the pecans are evenly coated. Stir often for another minute and then remove to a piece of waxed paper or greased piece of foil, spreading them out so they cool separately.

Mix the dressing ingredients (amounts are approx.) in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Season to taste. Add the chopped apple to the dressing, place the lettuces on top of this, then the cooled pecans and finally the shavings of parmesan. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Do not make more than 1 hour in advance. Toss gently before serving.

A breakfast trial run.

2007-09-11T21:49:00.000-05:00

No matter where we've lived, we've found our breakfast place. Ideally not just a diner, but not an upscale restaurant either. Most seem to have wooden benches or chairs that are slightly sticky. Most of the time the coffee is strong and the service somewhere between too slow and just right, and most Sundays, there are lines out the door.

We have found our breakfast place in Luna Grill and Diner. With a sort of small town vibe and homestyle food, it hits all the right notes. As our 10 years together could account for, we predictably order 2 coffees and 2 plates of eggs benedict, both with a side of fruit substituted for the potatoes. Since I feel everything is improved with cream sauce, eggs benedict is pretty much the most satisfying thing I can think of to eat at 10 am on a Sunday morning. Nevermind that Hollandaise sauce is not a cream sauce, merely a creamy sauce. It still sneaks in under the radar as the magical reason a poached egg perched on grilled ham that sits on a toasted english muffin is as close to a transcendent experience as one can get. Pretty pale looking at first, but full of sunshine once you burst that runny yellow egg yolk.
In a righteous attempt at creating this at home, I found new appreciation for the breakfast line cook. Indeed, I made a beautiful and decent tasting E.B. but the hollandaise was tricky. It came together and didn't break, but mine was too buttery and perhaps too lemony. It should be rich yet subtle and mine bragged too loudly of its fat content.

Still, we managed to choke it down and after the hour of prep time and the mountain of dishes accrued, we decided that next week we'd happily go back to Luna.

Anyone with a tried and true Hollandaise recipe is welcome to share it here!

Key Lime Tart

2007-09-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

Alas...lots of cooking and very little writing do not a food blog make! I'm here to remedy this, finally. I think I have a few recipes that are worth sharing - and eating.

To start, my first attempt at using a pastry bag. Not overly impressive. But if you keep in mind it was completely without research or practiced technique, I think it looks cute enough. Plus, piping whipped cream doesn't hold it's shape quite as well as a buttercream frosting.

This whipped cream topped a creamy lime custard tart with a spicy gingersnap crust. Resembling key lime pie, but without real key limes, I admit it's only a Lime Tart. But, as a defense, Cook's Illustrated says that using Persian limes (supermarket limes) are both much easier to juice, as they're larger, and the taste difference is negligible. I don't know if I truly buy that these limes are interchangeable. I've had real key lime pie and it is superb, after all. But, this plain old Persian lime tart was easy and tasted fabulous!

Lime Tart with Gingersnap Crust
(recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated, The Best Recipe)

1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs, ground in a food processor from gingersnap cookies
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted
dash of cinnamon

Pulse the gingersnaps in a food processor until uniformly ground. Add the sugar and cinnamon. Pulse a few more times to incorporate. Remove the gingersnap crumbs to a mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a buttered tart pan. Using plastic wrap helps prevents the crumbs sticking to your fingers.

Bake the crust at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. You don't want to pour the filling into a piping hot crust.

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, strained
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp grated lime zest

Whisk together the egg yolks and lime zest in a medium bowl for several minutes. (Cook's Illustrated says this turns the yolks a pale green, but I didn't find this to be true.) Whisk in the condensed milk and then the lime juice. Let this mixture rest just a few minutes to thicken.

Once the crust has mostly cooled, pour the filling into the crust. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-17 minutes or until the filling is almost set, but still wobbly in the center. Cool again until the tart is at room temperature, then refrigerate for about 3 hours until well chilled.

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp confectioner's sugar

Beat the heavy cream on medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until smooth and stiffer peaks form. Using a pastry bag with a small star tip, pipe the whipped cream over the tart in whatever way your technique allows!

Sunday Dinner

2007-08-12T09:45:00.000-05:00

I recently uploaded quite a few pictures from my camera and, to my surprise, I have been doing some cooking these past few weeks! Such a wonderful realization. Cooking has definitely taken a backseat lately, but the last few weekends, we've really done it well.

I officially started a new job that I really like. I point this out because I think the only reason I'm able to cook at all after a long day is because it's become much more of a joint effort - Paul either cooks most of the time, or definitely is in the kitchen with me when I'm tackling it. Doing it together really helps make it fun. The question, "what should we have for dinner?" is much less daunting with his help. (I'll spare you the part about my guilt over not being able to "do it all." If I'm honest, it was fleeting anyway. Letting go of it has made me much happier and if I can make something new, interesting or just satisfying a few times a week, that's good enough for me. It's not so much a lowering of my standards as a lowering of the frequency of my output.)

Anyway, on Sundays, we've been making a big dinner. A few weekends ago we made a meal inspired by Nigella Lawson. I've owned Feast for a long time, but this was the first attempt to use her recipes. We made an outstanding roast chicken and her smashed potato gratin. I can't squeal enough with delight over these potatoes. Good Lawd, they're good!

The gratin is a cross between Gratin Dauphinois and mashed potatoes. If I'm honest, it's a recipe that I might have overlooked, especially since I have an extremely biased opinion that Gratin Dauphinois cannot possibly be improved upon. I'm so glad we tried these, though, because these potatoes are delicious, slightly healthier (although no less rich) and even easier to make than a traditional gratin made of thinly sliced potatoes baked in heavy cream. Don't skip the onions or celery in here - they add a deep vegetal flavor that is hard to describe but extremely delicious.

Smashed Potato Gratin
(recipe adapted from Feast, by Nigella Lawson)

2 lbs potatoes, peeled
3 cups milk
2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 stick of celery, whole
4 green onions, trimmed
black or white pepper
about 1 stick butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

*One important note to remember is that this has many similarities to making mashed potatoes. You don't necessary measure the milk, but instead use as much as you feel you need once you start mashing the potatoes. This recipe is different in that you cook the potatoes in the seasoned milk. Just keep in mind that you should remove the cooked potatoes from the milk, start mashing and add as much milk as you need.

This is about the consistency you're going for...

1. Butter your gratin dishes or one large baking dish.

2. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Place them in a saucepan with the milk, whole green onions, celery, salt, pepper and 3/4 of the stick of butter. Bring this mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer about 20-25 minutes. 3. Removed the celery and green onion pieces from the milk. Removed the potatoes to a medium bowl, start smashing them with a fork or potato masher, but do not completely mash, you want some chunks. This mixture should be more liquidy than normal mashed potatoes because the liquid will cook off in the oven.

4. Pour into your gratin dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes. The top should be nice and brown and the contents bubbling. Serves 4 of us, maybe 6 less gluttonous people.

The finished gratin with most of the liquid absorbed.

I had to include this picture because it makes me laugh.

If you're still reading, the roasted chicken we made was also inspired by Nigella. We stuffed it full of celery, onions and herbs, and slathered it with a mixture from her St. Tropez Chicken. This included olive oil, honey, Herbes de Provence, garlic and lemon juice. Roasted at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, it turned out to be really damn good. Sprinkle Herbes de Provence on chicken and you can't really go wrong!
Here's to Sunday dinners!

Presto Pasta!

2007-07-26T11:44:00.000-05:00

I bet you can get a pretty good idea from this blog that I enjoy pasta. I enjoy it even more when it's dressed in a rich creamy sauce. We made this weeks ago and wished we could eat it for days on end. This recipe is based on a Rachael Ray recipe called Peasant Pasta. Her recipe is plainly rich tomato cream sauce and I've make ours a little spicy, which I think is a little more fun.

We cook together spicy sausage with garlic, cayenne pepper, a dash of chili powder, crushed tomatoes and cream. Peas and a handful of fresh basil are stirred into the sauce and tossed with penne pasta. So, if you don't like sausage, I'm sorry. You're really missing out. We used turkey sausage this time with great success, but chicken would also be great in this. I would increase the spices though, since the recipe calls for hot Italian sausage. This isn't really that spicy of a dish, it just balances out the richness of the cream. I believe I ate my portion in total silence until I was practically licking the plate - it's that good.

This recipe makes a ton, so I like to freeze half the sauce (before adding the cream or basil) to use another time. We toss the remaining half with about 1/2 lb of pasta and still have plenty for lunch the next day!

Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce with Sausage and Peas

1 lb hot Italian sausage or turkey sausage links, casings removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or more
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup cream
20 fresh basil leaves, torn
parmesan cheese
3/4 lb penne or other tubular pasta

Cook the sausage in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, breaking it up into bite size chunks. Cook all the way through, drain off any grease and return to heat. Add the garlic, cayenne, chili powder, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes.

Bring to a boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Salt the water and cook penne 10-12 minutes. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth, scraping the pan and letting the broth reduce. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Taste and add more cayenne or black pepper if it isn't spicy enough. Stir in the cream, peas and torn basil. Taste once more for seasoning. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce and serve with grated parmesan cheese. Serves 6.I'm submitting this to Ruth's Presto Pasta Night gathering over at Once Upon a Feast since it is pasta and a quick dish at that. Enjoy the meal ideas over there each Friday!

Lasagna of a different sort.

2007-07-22T15:58:00.000-05:00

I posted this recipe about a year ago but came across it again recently. I think it's definitely a keeper. I love taking recipes for familiar, comforting foods and just twisting them a bit into something new. This lasagna might sound a little odd, but we love it. Many of the key Italian flavors are replaced by Mexican ones - cilantro instead of basil, black beans instead of meat, and a tomato sauce gets spiked with salsa.

If you can find fresh pasta sheets, definitely use those, otherwise normal lasagna noodles or the no-boil ones work really well. Of all the lasagna I've made, the ones that turn out the best include whole-milk ricotta, good quality aged parmigiano-reggiano and plenty of fresh herbs. You really can't go wrong if you use high quality cheese, especially the ricotta. A few months ago I made a lasagna with skim-milk ricotta and it was pretty awful - tasteless and dry instead of rich and creamy. This recipe is like most though and substitutions abound. Spicy sausage or ground meat would be a nice alternative, as would adding mixed roasted vegetables. This recipe makes a 9x13 pan so there's plenty to freeze for later!

Black Bean and Spinach Lasagna

12 no-boil lasagna noodles, or 9 long lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 (28 oz) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 (16 oz) jar medium chunky salsa
salt and pepper
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) container whole milk ricotta
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded monterey jack

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and bell pepper, cook until onions are quite soft. Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and salsa, cover and simmer on low heat for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, and parmigiano. Add a little milk or cream to loosen the mixture a bit, so that it spreads easily. Season with black pepper. Drain the set aside both the black beans and the spinach. Taste the tomato sauce, adding salt, pepper or more spice, if needed. The sauce can taste a little acidic but it will balance out once combined with the pasta and cheeses. Stir in the cilantro and turn off the heat.

Put a ladle full of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Put down a layer of lasagna noodles, then half the ricotta mixture. Next, sprinkle on half the black beans and spinach, some shredded mozzarella and monterey jack and top with a small amount of tomato sauce. Repeat by layering the noodles, ricotta, beans and spinach, shredded cheese and sauce. Top with final lasagna noodles, the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with a generous covering of cheese.

Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil/cover and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until browned and bubbling. Serves 8.

Gettin' Outta Town

2007-07-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

My apologies for the delay in posting! I lost my camera cord for a while and refuse to post without pictures. More to come soon!

Downtown Charlottesville

Last weekend we went to see our good friends who live in Charlottesville, Virginia. We had passed through only once on our way to see Monticello a few months ago, so we were glad to see more of the town. It's a great college town in the way it has everything you want - great restaurants, a pedestrian mall with a pavilion that regularly welcomes quite famous bands, nice people, and a sense of community. Music plays and the outdoor seating at restaurants is packed with happy, boisterous people.

One of the highlights of the pedestrian mall was the gelateria that served some of the most delicious and authentic gelato I've had outside of Italy. It came really close to the real stuff! We had a sinful combo of pistachio, coconut and tiramisu, although I may have sampled the amaretto, honey and chipotle chocolate, too.

I could tell you in detail about our visits to a couple wineries in the area, but besides being a fun way to spend an afternoon, the wines aren't anything to rave about. The setting is beautiful and some of the whites are decent and I think it's enough to keep it at that. If you are visiting Virginia, it's a wonderful thing to do, don't get me wrong. Buy a glass, bring a picnic and take in the scenery.

Besides getting my gelato fix, one of the more amazing moments of the evening was when our host, Matthew, opened his liquor cabinet. We met these amazing friends of ours in Paris, so we have many grand memories and shared loves. I usually think Paul has the reputation of having an odd but beautiful assortment of alcohols, but Matthew takes it to another level. You can see in the picture the wonderful representation. He doesn't have anything close to what you would call normal. I'm pretty sure more than a few aren't even legal to have here, which is especially fun.
First we were shown the Absinthe, then the Grappa, the a few tequilas, one bottle encased in leather. There were a few mini-bottles from Budapest and farther which tasted of pine needles and had an unattractive brown color. There was definitely a kind of tequila with a worm in it, and Havana Club brought back from Cuba, but the pièce de resistance, and the only one we tried, was a French Calvados of unknown age. But rest assured, it was old. You can see by the picture the layers of furry mold covering the label. It was an assertive but smooth apple brandy and it tasted refined. It was definitely a pleasure to taste and a sight to see.

The other significant event of the weekend was my husband eating grilled Alaskan salmon and loving it! I think it was because he trusted the source - Matthew grew up in Alaska, fishing and eating wild salmon the way the rest of us grew up eating hamburger or Kraft dinner. It was grilled to perfection with a little jerk seasoning and I think we have a new favorite!

Merci Beaucoup Matthew and Aniseh!

Who wants dessert?

2007-07-03T20:06:00.000-05:00

I don't know what I'm doing lately. I haven't made this many desserts in quite awhile. The strangest part is that I don't even need much prompting to get in the kitchen and whip it up. What can I say? I'm a sucker for fresh summer fruit and new individual baking dishes. In addition to loving the taste of these strawberry-blueberry crisps, I love my new individual gratin-like dishes that are the perfect vessels with which to carry these raw berries to baked, bubbly perfection.

I'm not all that picky when it comes to crisp topping; I mean, honestly, any combo of brown sugar, nuts, oatmeal or cookies crushed up with butter is going to pretty freaking good. In these crisps, I made a basic crisp topping with ingredients I had right in the pantry: oatmeal, almonds, flour and brown sugar. I love berries this time of year and there's the added bonus: no peeling or chopping, just rinse and toss them in! This recipe serves 2, but you could easily double or triple the recipe for your next picnic!

Happy 4th of July! What are you cooking for The Fourth? Leave your favorite dishes or desserts in the comments section!Berry Crisp
(adapted from Alton Brown)
5 large fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oatmeal (or amaretti or other cookies)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
3 Tbsp butter
vanilla ice cream

Toss the rinsed and drained berries with the sugar (to taste) and flour to coat evenly. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and almonds. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, fork or your fingers until the butter is in small pieces, about the size of a pea.

Butter 2 gratin dishes, small dishes or ramekins and pour the tossed berries in them. Top the berries with a generous amount of the topping. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until the berries are bubbling beneath the browned topping. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serves 2.

Peasant Bread

2007-06-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

This is the delicious bread my husband grew up enjoying: Peasant Bread from the Palo Alto, California Junior League Cookbook. It's a lovely ciabatta-like rustic bread that is brushed with melted butter and baked on a sprinkling of cornmeal for added crunch on the bottom. In addition to being simple to make, it's incredibly delicious! As far as I know, there are two volumes of these cookbooks, and I own one of them. Mine was given to me for my wedding shower from Paul's lovely aunt Pam. I love to have this link with California, especially so close to where my husband was born.This cookbook is just great, too. It's a brief but beautiful book that feels like my own little personal collection; a slice of another sort of life. And since it's true to California, it doesn't contain your average church cookbook casseroles...no, no. It does have some kitchy things like Coconut Mold with Brandied Prunes, Chicken Curry, Ceviche, and something called Gullixson Crab, but it also has rich dishes like 2-day Filet of Beef, a great Pasta Salad, Chicken in Vermouth, and Salmon in Mustard Cream. I'm sure you get the idea. It takes me to another world of women's luncheons and society dinners. "Why, yes, this recipe will be just the thing!"

Hope you make it soon! You'll love it!!

Peasant Bread

1 packet yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Stir these together until the yeast and sugar dissolve. Pour into:

4 cups all-purpose flour

Stir until dough comes together and is quite sticky. Transfer this to a well-oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

Transfer dough to a floured cutting board and divide into 2 rectangular loaves. Place these loaves on a well-oiled sheet pan sprinkled with a generous amount of cornmeal (about 3-4 Tbsp). Let the loaves rise another 45 minutes.Brush the loaves with melted butter. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes. Brush with more melted butter after removing them from the oven; let cool a bit, slice and serve!

Summer Grilling

2007-06-22T16:56:00.000-05:00

Nothing says summertime like firing up the grill and tossing on a few steaks, kabobs, hamburgers or ears of corn on the cob. I started thinking that grilling often ends up with a protein heavy meal - the options are endless, after all. Every carnivore loves a slightly charred steak or pork chop, eh? We have been marinating and grilling our favorite flank steak for a few weeks in a row now, and occasionally, our dinners lack, well, vegetables. The easiest solution? Put the vegetables on the grill, too!

My parents are avid gardeners who've grown everything: peppers, onions, corn, potatoes, asparagus, blueberries, raspberries, green peas, green beans, (gasp for air!) broccoli, cauliflower, squash, melon, and the list goes on and on. I hope everyone can experience the taste of new potatoes cooked the day they are dug out of the ground. Simply brilliant.

For grilled corn on the cob, clean off the silk while leaving the husks on and soak the entire cob in water for about 15 minutes. This will allow the corn to steam inside its husk while on the grill. Place on the grill for 15-20 minutes or until the corn kernels are tender. Slather with butter, salt and pepper and enjoy!
Marinated Flank Steak

For this sweet, flavorful flank steak, marinate the steak overnight (24 hours, but 8 hours would do) in:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 green onion, sliced
ground black pepper
1 flank steak (about 3 lbs), trimmed of fat

Mix together and place in a large ziploc bag. Tenderize the flank steak by going over it with a fork, stabbing it throughout. This also allows the marinade to really be absorbed. Marinate in the fridge overnight. Cook the steak about 5-8 minutes over medium high heat for medium rare. The steaks are quite thin so cook accordingly.

Lemon Tart with Coconut Crust

2007-06-03T14:31:00.000-05:00

These back to back lemon posts display, dear readers, what is the integral theme of my eating habit. It is called a rut. I'm not exactly proud of this but it is true - if I get one craving in my head, I don't let go of it for some time. (Note: making mac 'n cheese 5 days in a row) But, hey, at least it isn't another cake! Lemon and coconut are a fantastic pairing. Lemon tarts were some of my favorite desserts in Paris. Sold at every corner bakery, I adore the smooth and tangy lemon filling with a perfectly light crust.

So, you know it's a sad day when you get a call and the glorious lemon tart with a coconut crust you made the day before was idiotically left on the counter sans couverture and devoured by a resident ant colony. I can only picture what a happy death those ants must have experienced swimming into the perfectly baked (set but not gelatinous) smooth and creamy lemon filling. It was so good, damn it! I was so proud of myself for not over-baking it, too. It had a really simple crust made of only three things - coconut, sugar and egg whites – that spared me a lot of time in preparing the tart and tasted great, too.

I have somehow shed my sadness over this tart-loss and have vowed to bake again. At some point, anyway.

Top this tart with sliced strawberries or fresh blueberries for a delicious fruit tart, or leave it simply lemon fabulous. Or use tiny tartlet pans for individual servings! Lemon Tart with a Coconut Crust

Lemon Filling:
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, strained (about 5-6 lemons)
2 Tbsp lemon zest (about 3 lemons) pinch of salt 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed First, zest 3 lemons and set the zest aside. Juice those lemons first and then 3 others. This is the most time consuming part. Set up a small mesh strainer over a large glass measuring cup and squeeze, using a fork or a fancier tool to help.

Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt in a medium stainless steel saucepan. Add the bits of butter and whisk over medium low heat constantly for about 7-10 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil.

Cook until thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer and set aside. Coconut Crust:
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg whites

Place the coconut and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the coconut is very fine. Add the egg whites and process until thoroughly incorporated. The mixture will be wet and sticky. Using wet fingers, press the coconut evenly on the bottom and sides of a well greased tart pan, or 8 individual tartlet pans. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until golden. Half way through baking, press the crust down with the back of a spoon as the egg whites tend to puff up.

Remove the crust from the oven when golden, and pour in the lemon filling. Return to the 325 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes. Cook until set but not completely. The filling should still shake easily (not wobble like jello) when it's done. Cool completely to serve.

If using small tartlet pans, remove the crust from the pans after baking. Cool them 10 minutes, but remove them while still warm. Place back on a baking sheet and then pour in the lemon filling. This crust becomes quite sticky, so removing them after they're completely cooled would be tricky. However, since I made a large tart, I didn't trust myself to remove the whole thing nicely from the pan, so I just kept it in - up to you.

Pucker Up, Baby!

2007-05-26T17:05:00.000-05:00

Lemons scream Spring to me. Their vibrant yellow color calls for attention whenever I pass them at the market. I bet there are a few of you out there who would agree with me that when confronted with the choice of chocolate or lemon, lemon wins most of the time. Lemon tarts, lemon meringue pie, lemon poppy seed muffins, lemonade, or margaritas bursting with fresh citrus are my favorites.

I remember Martha Stewart saying that lemons were what she missed most while she was stuck in the slammer. I laughed with everyone else when she said it since it was classic Martha, but I know that eating good food directly impacts my own state of well-being, so I don't really hold it against her so much. I don't know that I would say lemons, per say, as I feel it has slightly frigid undertones, but homemade ravioli, aged serrano ham, even ice cream might make my list! Or hell, a glass of red wine!

So, it might not make my prison list, but sometimes I do yearn for a real shot of lemon. Something so tangy it makes my mouth pucker from the initial sourness and then smile as I savor the lingering sweetness. This lemon cake does the trick. This is a yogurt cake, similar to the yogurt cakes I've made in the past, but baked in a loaf pan this time around. This is somewhat like a pound cake, but lighter in texture and slightly moister because of the oil. It's wonderful for breakfast or dessert!
Lemon Yogurt Cake
(recipe adapted from Ina Garten)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt (or low-fat)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 Tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
scant 1/2 cup vegetable oil

glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4-5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Gradually whisk in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until well combined. Finally, whisk in the oil very lightly until it is incorporated. Do not overmix.

Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 55-65 minutes. While the cake is baking, bring the lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar to a simmer over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven when it is done and let it cool about 10-15 minutes. Remove it carefully from the pan and place on a cooling rack or plate. Slowly pour the lemon syrup over the top of the cake so it can soak into the cake giving it a lot of flavor. Cool completely.

If you would like the add the glaze, mix together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pour evenly over the cake. I left the glaze off this time but I would definitely use it if serving for dessert.

Thinking and Blogging? Together?

2007-05-16T06:20:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a while. Excuses go something like this - transitioning from one job to the next while spending a long weekend hosting the parents and seeing all the sights in DC.

Some time between all of that, I was tagged with a Thinking Blogger Award! I'm happy that some part of this blog has resonated with some of you out there, even though, personally, I feel I'm doing more thinking these days than actual blogging! Nevertheless, I'm proud to wear the badge, so thanks to Mooncrazy of Peanut Butter Etouffee for the prize!

Since this is a meme, I'll continue the tradition with my pick of 3 blogs that really make me think, although there are many that come to mind.

David Lebovitz - Having lived in Paris, I feel so close to the topics he chronicles and inspired that he does so in such depth and with such passion for France and all it has to offer. Although I tried my best to devour everything to be found in Paris, David takes it to an entirely different level and I'm transported back there whenever I read his blog. The way he points out the idiosyncrasies of the French language and people truly makes me laugh and cry at the same time.

Tea and Cookies - Tea started her fabulous blog around the time I was starting mine and after having read only a little of her writing, I knew I would be going back again and again. Once I realized she was also a former American Expat, I knew our common experience would link us in a way that few others can understand. Her words and wisdom make me think about this crazy life a little bit differently and her honesty and thoughtfulness make me strive for those qualities in my own writing.

Do I just love cookies? Maybe. But, Milk and Cookies is another blog that I enjoy for quite a few reasons but mostly because of the fantastic photography, yummy recipes and the simple fact that JenJen blogs from Australia, meaning that I can read about cool ice cream treats in the dead of winter and autumn dishes in the spring, transporting me away to another season and another place.

So many more I could mention, but that will do for now. More recipes soon!

Turkey Sausage is the New Black!

2007-05-05T15:31:00.000-05:00

This lasagna was a small triumph for me. I’ve made quite a few pans of lasagna in my time, but this was truly one of the best. The turkey sausage made it nice and spicy, but it wasn’t overloaded with meat the way some lasagna becomes. The sauce I made had a little spice to it, too, and the whole thing was a well balanced combination of richness, spiciness and cheesy goodness without being greasy or heavy.

I was inspired both by Ina Garten’s recipe for Turkey Lasagna and an Epicurious recipe including a spicy tomato sauce. Garten’s lasagna called for goat cheese mixed in with the ricotta but, while I love goat cheese, I didn’t have any on hand. I did have some cream cheese, and since I had tried that before with great results, I stirred some of that in with the ricotta for added creaminess. I find this unnecessary with fresh whole milk ricotta, but supermarket brands are pretty bland, so I like the rich taste that cream cheese gives the filling. Really, what isn’t made better with cream cheese?

I don’t know if all of you out there have an opinion about this or not, but I used frozen spinach in this lasagna, and it’s the second or third time I’ve done so, and I really think it tastes nasty. Most of the time, I don’t mind frozen spinach in baked dishes, but from now on I’m going to cook down fresh spinach. I thought it gave the lasagna almost a bitter flavor, especially when reheated the next day. Any thoughts?

This lasagna reminds of the way I like my drinks – lighter, in the sense that the proportions are kept the same, but in a smaller amount, not weak, in the sense that less alcohol is diluted in the same amount of tonic, for example. Everything in a typical lasagna is here and it is rich tasting, but it’s also lighter than most. So, in my roundabout way, I’m trying to say that this is a meal you can also feel good about eating.

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna with Spicy Tomato Sauce
(adapted from Ina Garten and epicurious.com)

The Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste Cook the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until transluscent. Sweat the onions but don’t let them brown, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and dried herbs. Stir frequently and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, stir to break it up and cook about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and a splash of red wine, if you have some on hand. Let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

The Filling:

1 ¼ lb spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
9 traditional lasagna noodles, or 12 barilla no-cook noodles
1 15-oz container ricotta cheese
3-4 oz cream cheese, about ½ cup
1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed, or 2 cups cooked fresh spinach
1 ¼ c. grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese, grated or thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the sausage in a non-stick pan over medium heat, breaking the links into small chunks with a spatula, until no longer pink. Remove the sausage to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, ¾ cup parmesan cheese and the egg. Season with black pepper.

In a 9x13 baking dish, place about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom. Layer 3 or 4 lasagna noodles on the bottom, depending on their size. Cover the noodles with half of the ricotta mixture and half of the sausage and spinach. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella. Ladle some sauce over the top and make another layer by first placing the noodles down, then the rest of the ricotta, sausage and spinach. Sprinkle with more cheese and ladle on a bit more sauce, reserving plenty of sauce for the top. Add the last of the noodles on top and cover generously with sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is nicely browned and lasagna is bubbling and hot.

Pizza...Obsession or Healthy Devotion?

2007-04-28T17:38:00.000-05:00

So many of the meals we try to make at home come from our desire to imitate delicious restaurant dishes. Eating at fantastic restaurants is fundamental to our understanding and high expectations for the food we eat. When you know how good something can be, how can you go home and eat cereal? Even when that profound experience I'm referring to includes pizza? Oui.

Although everyone says Washington, DC isn’t a pizza town, I have had some pretty good pizza here, although I have found a lack of authenticity. I desperately miss the thin and crispy Italian-style pizza found in Paris, with toppings like Parma ham and arugula, or chorizo with a cracked egg on top, but I am enough of a pizza lover that I’ll take it deep-dished, stuffed, chewy or crispy, as long as it’s done well.

Pizza Parma from Pizzeria Carmine in Paris

So far, there have been a few interesting pizzas that have left an impression on me. The first was at Rustico, in Alexandria, where they have a huge brick oven and generally create good quality thin crust pizzas. I remember loving their chicken, bacon and apple version. Next, we had some really yummy grilled flatbread topped with butternut squash, onions, spinach and feta during happy hour at Old Ebbitt’s downtown. So, it is with these two variations that I offer you the following ideas for some amazingly different and delicious pizza.

First, an easy pizza sauce. This makes much more than you need for one pizza, but I divide it into smaller freezer bags or containers and freeze it for the next time we make pizza. Thaw in the microwave before using. I’m not kidding around with the San Marzano tomatoes, either; their texture is much better than other brands of crushed tomatoes. Pizza making is serious business, right? One of these days, we’re going to get back into making our own pizza dough, which we used to love doing. But, when there isn’t time for that, we love the fresh dough you can buy at Whole Foods and form yourself.

Easy Pizza Sauce

1 28-oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried crushed chili flakes, or to taste
½ tsp salt
pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Combine all the above ingredients in a small bowl until well mixed. No need to cook it! Makes enough for maybe 4 large pizzas.

Chicken, Bacon and Apple Pizza with White Cheddar

1 cup leftover roast chicken
3 slices bacon, diced
1 granny smith or gala apple, diced or thinly sliced
½ onion, thinly sliced
Easy pizza sauce
½ cup grated white cheddar
1 small ball fresh mozzarella
Dried oregano
Your favorite pizza crust

Sauté the bacon in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Wipe out the pan and add a little olive oil. Sauté the onion and apple until slightly softened.

Form the pizza crust as thick or thin as you wish, on a pizza peel, if you have one, or a baking sheet if you don’t. If you have a pizza stone, preheat it in a very hot oven, at least 450 degrees. If using a baking sheet, 425 may be sufficient.

Top the crust with as much sauce as you like, some shredded chicken, some bacon pieces and the apple and onion mixture. Sprinkle with some cheddar, slices of fresh mozzarella, and dried oregano. Bake for 10 minutes, or so, until the crust is crispy and cheese melted.

Pizza with Butternut Squash, Sage and Caramelized Onions

A white pizza that makes an equally divine appetizer when entertaining, or dinner when simply hungry.

¼ whole butternut squash, peeled and diced
6-8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Fresh mozzarella
½ cup aged parmesan, or asiago cheese

Caramelize the onions by heating some olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and cook over medium low heat for 5-7 minutes to sweat the onions until very soft. Season with salt and pepper and turn the heat up to medium high. Sauté, stirring every few minutes, until onions are browned and caramel colored. Remove from heat.

Toss the diced butternut squash pieces with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread on a small baking sheet. Roast at 375 for 15 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.

Brush your pizza crust with some olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic. Top with the cheeses, caramelized onions, sage leaves and diced butternut squash. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting and serving.

One of the most amazing meals I've eaten.

2007-04-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

Herb Gnocchi with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms and Sage Brown Butter

My husband is a man of good ideas. Making homemade gnocchi has been up on the list for awhile now and Paul's discovery of this recipe makes the previous sentence a glaring understatement. He is the idea man when it comes to branching out in the kitchen.

This amazing recipe comes from Thomas Keller and lives up to all the lofty expectations for flavor, appearance and texture one has when attempting a recipe such as this. The 4-page recipe printout has more text than I am normally accustomed to, but despite the narrative quality of the recipe, this is actually a straightforward, simple dish. This is a perfect meal in my mind, and since you can cook all the ingredients separately and ahead of time, this is easy to serve to friends.

Keller, the acclaimed chef and owner of the French Laundry in Napa Valley, throws in just enough history and explanation to excite your taste buds, while the highly detailed instructions give you confidence while you are cooking. I won’t reprint the recipe here since even if I tried, I could never paraphrase or explain the recipe better than the master himself. So, go to epicurious.com for the full recipe, or his cookbook, Bouchon. After savoring every morsel of this meal, I will definitely be purchasing the book.

This tender gnocchi is Gnocchi à la Parisienne. In actuality, this is a pâte à choux, the same dough used for cream puffs, éclairs, gougères and other delicacies. It is a tender, eggy dough that Keller places in a pastry bag and pipes little gnocchi-sized pieces into simmering water. These are then drained, and later sautéed with diced pieces of sweet butternut squash, sautéed mushrooms and shallots in fresh thyme and drizzled with a brown butter sauce flavored with fresh sage and parsley. We realized that what makes this dish go from great to amazing is the subtlety of the flavors, especially the hint of lemon in the brown butter and sage sauce which balances so well with the sweetness of the squash.

This is an herbaceous meal, to say the least, as it requires the purchase of 6 types of herbs. Other than that expense, this bistro dish is actually quite feasible to prepare by the home chef. As we were eating this gnocchi and grinning from ear to ear, we managed to sip down some nice red wine and thought about how we could’ve been sitting at a good Parisian bistro. If someone had only baked a molten chocolate cake for dessert, it would have pretty much been our version of heaven!

We love that this gnocchi recipe makes more than you need for the actual dish, so we have another portion of them waiting for us in the freezer! Oh a joyful day that will be!

My only small complaint about this recipe is the amount of oil and butter used for sautéing the squash, mushrooms and gnocchi. Keep in mind that the gnocchi are drizzled with the brown butter sauce at the end, so I don’t think every component to the dish needs to be covered in so much oil. We also thought the amount of salt in the gnocchi recipe was a little too much. Other than those small things, this was fun and so satisfying to make!

the gnocchi ready to be piped into the simmering water,

just use a knife to cut off 1-inch pieces

the gnocchi simmer for just 2-3 minutes

the cooked gnocchi awaiting their sage butter bath

butternut squash sauteing in olive oil and butter

cremini mushrooms and shallots cooked with thyme
(Keller calls for shiitake mushrooms, which I couldn't find)

the brown butter sauce is accented with fresh parsley, the juice of 1/2 a lemon and chives

A Big Thank You!

2007-04-18T20:11:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy lives to vote for me for Best of Blogs! I got runner-up and I couldn't be happier! Congratulations to Deglazed for winning! I appreciate everyone's support and willingness to stop by and read my blog from time to time. Thanks to everyone for reading!

Congratulations to my friend, Genie, of The Inadvertent Gardner, for placing runner-up in the Hobby Blog category! We continue to have much in common, Genie. =)

Back with more recipes soon!

Glorious Mashed Potatoes

2007-04-15T18:49:00.000-05:00

Emily, my very dear friend, told me about these delicious and creamy mashed potatoes and she became even dearer to me after I tasted them. This is originally a Martha Stewart recipe, but I learned from ze French that Yukon gold potatoes are really the only choice when it comes to une vrai pommes puree. Martha’s recipe calls for russets mashed with caramelized onions and Roquefort cheese. I’m afraid my aversion to blue cheese hasn’t let me try that yet, but I love adding gruyere or parmesan instead. These are rich and creamy potatoes with little jewels of sweet golden onion spread throughout. Once you try these, I’m sure you won’t be making plain mashed potatoes again. Oh la la, I tell you, these are divine!

Maybe you don’t really need a recipe for mashed potatoes, but there are many schools of thought about how to make the “best” puree. If you own a ricer or food mill, feel free to use that, but I am pretty content with my hand masher. I don’t mind a few chunks, anyway. I am of the opinion that adding a lot of cream and butter makes the best tasting mashed potato, (duh) and a bit of sour cream or cream cheese (whichever I have on hand) for even more creaminess goes above and beyond the normal mash. However, as I am growing a little more concerned with my high-fat dairy intake, I have decided to cut back just a little. If I add sour cream, I might use milk instead of heavy cream, so do whatever you like, just don’t skimp on everything.

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Gruyere Cheese

3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
¾ - 1 cup milk or half & half
4 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ cup grated gruyere, parmesan or crumbled Roquefort cheese
Salt and pepper

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

While the potatoes are simmering, finely chop the onion. Heat olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a stainless steel skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until softened and golden. Season with salt and pepper. Leave them alone for a few minutes at a time so they brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them rest while the potatoes finish cooking.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain them and put them back into the pot, letting the water and steam evaporate from them for a few seconds. Add the remaining butter and half the milk or cream. Mash the potatoes well, adding more milk or cream until the desired consistency is reached. Fold in the caramelized onions and season with salt and pepper. Taste and re-season. Taste again and refrain from “tasting” the entire bowl. Cover until it’s time to serve. Serves 8.

If you go see Emily's blog, you can see a picture of us taken in Paris, since she is more courageous than me for posting our picture! =)

Portobello Mushroom Pesto

2007-04-05T22:11:00.000-05:00

I really want to love mushrooms. I love their earthy flavor and I enjoy them mixed into other dishes, I just don’t really love their texture. For instance, I love creamy mushroom soup or mushrooms in a sauce over a nice steak, but it’s hard for me to handle big chunky mushrooms anywhere else. It’s too bad, really, since I love their punch of flavor.

But then I was told about this recipe for mushroom pesto, and I have to admit, it’s my new favorite meal. Talk about a totally delicious dish, whether it’s for a busy weeknight or for entertaining (especially for vegetarian friends - this is one that impresses!) Pair this deliciously rich pasta with a salad, a glass of wine, and a killer dessert and you've got a damn fine meal; just be sure to invite me over, please!

I especially love the pairing of the Portobello mushrooms and sherry. It has a very rich taste, almost as if it has cream in it, but I think that comes from the pureed pine nuts and cheese. We made some generous adjustments to the amounts and were very pleased with the results. The original recipe calls for white button mushrooms, but the portobellos gave it much more flavor, I’m sure. I might like to try some basil next time, not just the parsley, but this was utterly delicious as written. I hope you’ll try it soon – I know I’ll be making again tout de suite. It reheats beautifully, too. I just love it when a recipe surprises me like this one did!

Penne with Mushroom Pesto
(adapted from Epicurious.com)

10-12 oz Portobello or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped in food processor
4 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup medium-dry sherry
1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup parmesan
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup fresh parsley
¾ lb penne rigate pasta, or other tubular pasta

Chop the mushrooms finely in the food processor (or a knife). Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a wide non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, sherry, worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Sauté until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are soft, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to the food processor. Add the garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, parsley and the remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil. Pulse until the pesto comes together and everything is finely minced. Taste and add a pinch of salt, if needed.

The pesto keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week if you cover it with plastic wrap pressed to the surface. Cook ¾ -1 lb pasta (depending on how saucy you like your pasta) until al dente and toss with the pesto and 2/3 cup hot pasta water. Serve with additional parsley and parmesan.

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Night over at Once Upon a Feast. Go check out the other quick pasta dishes for weeknight inspiration!

Best of Blogs? Really?

2007-04-01T17:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone! If you'd like to vote for me, do so before April 13th!
Thanks for reading! I'm amazed and flattered!

In my previous post, I pretty much wrote about how I wasn’t doing much cooking. Well, let me assure you - it doesn’t mean I haven’t been eating! More cooking and recipes will follow, but here are some fabulous restaurants I’ve tried lately!

Oyamel

Jose Andre’s latest installation to open in the district, it serves tapas-style Mexican and Latin food. Paul and I went with another couple and ordered a plethora of amazing dishes. Overall, we were very impressed with the fresh tasting food and unique and modern take on classics like tacos or enchiladas. We really loved the chicken and chorizo taco, a slow roasted pork taco, guacamole (with goat cheese), braised short ribs, salmon and passion fruit ceviche and some pretty decent margaritas. I wouldn’t say the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, but definitely a cool atmosphere and great place to meet for drinks and snacks that are really inventive. 401 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004; (703) 413-8181

Julia’s Empanadas

These are pretty much the ideal thing to stuff in your mouth at midnight after a few too many drinks. These empanadas are baked, not fried, so while they are rich and tasty, there isn’t so much to feel guilty about. My favorites are the Jamaican, stuffed with ground beef, curry and diced potatoes with an ever-so-slightly sweet yellow cornmeal crust and the Chorizo empanada stuffed with spicy chorizo, rice and black beans. Both are pretty spicy and so very, very good. At about $3 per hefty empanada, they are probably also the cheapest take-out near Dupont Circle. 1221 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009

Capital City Brewing Co.

Paul and I have discovered this brewery has a Shirlington location with happy hour every day from 4-7 pm with $3 beers and half price appetizers. I enjoy their Irish Red Ale and Capitol Kolsch, but all of their beers are on happy hour special. With plenty of outdoor seating, I envision us spending many warm evenings there after work. Their menu is predictable brewery fare and nothing to rave about, but the place is always packed. 2700 S. Quincy St. Arlington, VA

Tallula and EatBar

I've mentioned this restaurant before because of their amazing Moscow Mule cocktail. Even though we intended on sitting at the bar, our party of 4 couldn't find seating, so we put our name in at the restaurant. We figured we could still select from the menu of small plates regularly offered at the bar, however, we were told that the Eat Bar is now completely separate from Tallula (despite sharing the space) and that we couldn't even order the cocktails offered at the bar, unless is was a "classic." We were crushed at the thought of going without our Moscow Mules, which was pretty much the reason we went there in the first place, so we practically begged our waiter to ask, even though he assured us they couldn't do it. Well, of course, he came back and said, yes, indeed, they would be happy to meet our request. So, that was a rocky start, but we actually had a fabulous evening. They offer an amuse-yourself menu of about 10 small plates on the dinner menu, in addition to appetizers, salads and main courses, so we ordered a huge platter of those since we were in the mood for snacking. I had an amazing crab stuffed wonton, mini barbecued pork sandwich, fried cheesy risotto fritter, and crostini with goat cheese. They also offer more whimsical plates like the mini-chorizo-corndog and baby burger. Overall, there is a really nice mix of upscale entrees and down to earth classics. Just go to the Eat Bar for snacks (like charcuterie and cheese boards, bacon wrapped figs and fresh oysters) and amazing cocktails, but don't overlook Tallula for a great dinner.

Tallula is owned by the same group as Evening Star Cafe, Rustico and Vermillion in Alexandria. I've been to all of them except Vermillion and highly recommend them. The wonderful thing about these restaurants is that they limit the mark up on wine to about $10 per bottle, meaning that if they sell the wine at their store, Planet Wine, for $15, you won't pay more than $25 for it in the restaurant. This is a rare and beautiful thing, especially in DC, where with all the steakhouses and power-dining, one rarely sees anything on wine lists under $40. Tallula/EatBar 2761 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201; 703-338-5051.

I'm off to devour another dinner of Tyler's Green Chili Enchiladas. Happy Cooking!

A Whole New World

2007-03-27T14:48:00.000-05:00

Sorry I’ve been away so long!

I’ve been awfully busy lately since joining the 9 to 5 club. I’ve found myself wholly unprepared for the abandonment of my blog, cooking, yoga and all the rest of life’s pleasures. I have been mourning each meal left uncooked and been drowning my sorrows (though not completely without joy) in happy hour drinks and appetizers known as the sustenance of the rest of the daily-grinders like myself.

Joining the working class has simultaneously left me depressed and elated. Elated at the prospect of earning money and potentially finding rewarding work, but, ultimately, staring at that turkey sandwich on wheat, baby carrots or banana, and my precious Diet Coke in the face each day for lunch frankly makes me want to drive that letter opener into my chest. Not even singing 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton makes me feel any better.

Thankfully, I have the greatest husband on earth who has a job that allows him to jump into the house-husband role. He makes dinners, cleans our condo and generally makes me feel that I don’t need to lift a finger once I get home. My eventual goal is to get back into cooking and manage my time a bit better than these past weeks. I did want to share one more recipe that Paul makes so incredibly well. Guacamole!

I haven’t included this recipe here yet because there are so many guacamole recipes out there, but I think Paul has tailored ours to perfection, at least for our tastes! The most important ingredient is the avocados, so they absolutely must be ripe. We all know how amazing guac is with the perfect avocados! We don’t include too much onion, garlic, or tomato, but lots of fresh cilantro and lime juice. Some people swear by Serrano chilies, but we discovered, by happy accident, that a few dashes of Tabasco sauce is what we prefer. It was pretty difficult to find fresh chilies while we lived in Paris, so we had to use Tabasco sauce instead, and we love the smooth aromatic heat that comes on the front of your tongue instead of chewing on one bite of chili. The Tabasco will get stirred in evenly giving the guac a cohesive flavor. Try it and you might just change your mind!

Guacamole, by Paul

4 ripe Hass avocados
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ large tomato (on-the-vine)
1 lime, juiced
¼ red onion, optional
Large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Coarse sea salt

Dice the avocados on a large cutting board. Place half of the chunks in a medium bowl. Smash the remaining avocado on the cutting board until fairly creamy. Add this to the bowl. Fold in the chopped onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Squeeze ½ of the lime into the guacamole and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Taste and add more lime juice to taste. Serve with tortilla chips or as a garnish for enchiladas or tacos. Serves about 6 as an appetizer. We usually halve the recipe for the two of us.

Butterscotch Pudding

2007-03-09T16:36:00.000-05:00

I grew up on Jello Cook 'n Serve chocolate pudding. My Grandma kept a large cache of the stuff in a cupboard in her kitchen. When I was a kid, I would often stay over at my grandparent's house when I was "sick." I would inevitably make my way over to that cupboard and pull out a box, sometime between a nap and playing dominoes or Go Fish with Grandpa.

So, I can pretty much go on autopilot whisking and waiting for pudding to thicken. It's in my blood. I love puddings of all flavors but I don't make them from scratch all that often. Since it's such an old fashioned dessert, I think I pass it over for more elegant desserts when having friends over, but now I see that's a huge error. Pudding is just what you want when you have a party! You make it ahead of time, it's really easy and everybody loves it! Stop! Stt-tt-op! Arrête! Don't question it, just make this!

I added the blackberries for a little surprise and touch of refinement, as recommended by my mother-in-law. Top these puddings with a little flavored whipped cream (that amaretto!) and maybe some toffee bits. When I do serve this at my next dinner, I want to try making my own almond brittle to stick in there like big shards of glass. These puddings might not look very dark in color, but I assure they are packed with sweet toffee flavor! Serve this cold or warm. I adore it warm because of the sweeter melted-caramel taste, but served cold, the sweetness is more subtle and balanced out with the cream. Either way, I'm so excited to eat this after dinner tonight!

Do you know anyone who doesn't like pudding?! Butterscotch Pudding with Sunken Blackberries
(slightly adapted from Butter Sugar Flour Eggs by Gale Gand)

1 cup heavy cream
2 1/4 cups whole or 2% fat milk
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Amaretto liquor, or Scotch whisky

Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat immediately and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the brown sugar. Stir and cook 5-7 minutes, until fully melted and bubbling. You will smell that nutty caramel scent when it's ready. Turn off the heat. Whisk the brown sugar caramel into the hot milk mixture, gradually, until all of it is combined and dissolved into the milk. The milk will be a light brown color.

Put the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the pot of hot milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens and just starts to boil. Whisk vigorously.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and Amaretto or Scotch. Divide pudding between 6 small ramekins or other serving dishes. If desired, drop 3 whole blackberries into each ramekin, pouring more pudding over the top to hide them. Chill for at least 2 hours, if serving cold. I actually prefer this warm, though. Serve with whipped cream or toffee bits. Serves 6.

Tyler’s Enchiladas Verdes

2007-03-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

One lazy afternoon Paul and I were lounging around watching the Food Network. There are some shows that really inspire me and then there are shows I just love to hate. If you were lucky enough to read Anthony Bourdain’s hilarious post about the FN over at ruhlman.com, then you know what I mean. Molto Mario’s pasta making is being pushed out by Sandra Lee’s can opening and Ms. Ray’s choreography of hand gestures and what can only be described as extreme facial exercises. Meanwhile, Giada’s cleavage is undermining her skills and all of these “how to eat while on vacation” shows are getting tiresome. And I will never, ever forgive them for the Paula Deen Goes to Paris special. Oiy vey.

Okay, I’m getting off track. The point is that all these crappy shows have destroyed what made the Food Network so great – real chefs with real techniques that helped us non-chefs learn a thing or two and maybe even aspire to greatness. I don’t need to hear tips like, “just buy chicken breasts that are already cut up…it’s more expensive, but will save you so much time!” (Thank you, Robin Miller). If I turn on the FN one more time and hear how cooking is a hassle and how quick meals are all about saving me time and valuable energy I could devote elsewhere (to say, eating donuts and watching more tv) I think I’m going to lose it. Sure, we don’t always have hours to devote to slow roasting a pork loin on a busy Tuesday night, but that doesn’t mean I need to buy every expensive, pre-cut item in the store just so I can throw it in a pan and be done with it! Are people out there so starved for ideas that they need a show to tell them to sauté some chicken for a burrito filling? (I’m sure the FN says yes!) And then watch some woman take a bite and proclaim it heavenly and to-die-for. Really? Because I find it pretty damn sad to die for Old El Paso Taco Seasoning. Who are these mutants?

Okay, all this ranting could be seen as pretty shallow and selfish, I admit. Why isn't the FN catering to ME!?! There are lots of clueless people out there that love fast, sodium-laden food and have no idea how to cook anything, right? For them, there is Sandra Lee. But, c’mon, when Emeril looks like the academic, there is something wrong! There is not enough of Mario anymore, and even The Staggering Dicketry of Bobby Flay has been tempered so that Boy Meets Grill is now one of my favorite shows. Tyler Florence has always been fun to watch, and he too, has been mysteriously absent from FN. He’s the nice, sensitive one who helps distressed women cook like their mother-in-laws on Food 911 and travels around to find the ultimate version of a dish on Tyler’s Ultimate. Even if he does talk with his mouth full at the end of every show after tasting what he made, somehow I believe him when he says it's amazing. When Rachael Ray does it, it's like she has to shove it in her face before the show ends or face damnation. (I know, I know...just stop watching!)

So, despite this love/hate relationship, it was Tyler’s Ultimate Enchiladas that got to us the other day. We adore enchiladas, although I promise this will be the last enchilada post for at least a few months! We had never made enchiladas verdes and were seduced by the idea of roasting our own tomatillos and using fistfuls of cilantro for the salsa.

I roasted a whole chicken for this recipe and, in the end, we felt it was necessary. He recommends buying one at the deli, but I had the time, so I did it myself. Tyler’s use of flour tortillas was interesting – I’m used to enchiladas made with corn tortillas. They turned out really well, but I’d like to try corn tortillas next time, or maybe just smaller flour ones. The burrito sized tortillas were so filling I could only eat one or one and a half and they looked gargantuan on the plate. Anyway, a small point, but looks count for something.

The salsa was fantastic. Bright green with flecks of onion and cilantro, it was definitely the star. Next time, we’ll leave the jalapeños whole when roasting them. We cut out the seeds because we didn’t want intense heat, but it was way too mild. We also made the Mango, Jicama and Cucumber Salad to accompany the enchiladas. While I thought it was good – very bright and refreshing – Paul wasn’t a fan. It didn’t taste like more than the 3 ingredients, frankly, but it definitely had potential. I’m always reminded of how much I like jicama whenever I have it. Next time I might try chopping everything finely so it has more of a salsa consistency.

I guess, in the end, the Food Network isn't all bad if it helps make a dinner like this.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 onion, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic
2 jalapeños
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ lime

Roast the tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeños on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the food processor. Add the cumin, salt and cilantro and puree until well combined but still a little chunky.

Olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
Fresh cilantro
1 (3-4 lb) roasted chicken, meat shredded
Salt and pepper
8-10 large flour tortillas
8 oz Monterey Jack, shredded

Sour Cream and
chopped tomatoes, for garnish

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan. Sauté the onions until very soft. Add the garlic and cumin and cook another 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over this and mix well. Gradually add the chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Simmer over low heat until thickened. Turn off the heat.

Add half of the tomatillo salsa and the shredded chicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Assemble the enchiladas by briefly placing them over the stove top gas flame to warm/char them very slightly. Put some of the chicken filling in each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, roll up and place in a baking dish. Continue with the rest of the tortillas. Spoon the remaining salsa over the top of the tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 4-5.

Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes or guacamole.

Mango, Jicama and Cucumber Salad

2 mangos, peeled
1 medium jicama, peeled
2 cucumbers, seeds removed
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp chili powder
1 lime

Thinly slice the jicama, mangos and cucumbers in roughly the same size strips. Toss together in a salad bowl. Sprinkle with powdered chili, a little salt and lime juice. Toss well. Serve cold.

Vegetable Soup...with Meatballs

2007-03-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

Now that it’s finally warming up outside, let me take this perfect opportunity to tell you about one of my favorite soups! I'm sure it will get cold again before we see Spring, so keep this one in mind! This is such an adaptable recipe - I really adore it. I almost always have the ingredients and it’s one of my feel-good favorites.

Although this soup is a Rachael Ray spin-off, I’ll refrain from calling it delish, or a stoup, or using an insane amount of hand gestures. In a previous post, I confessed my love of kale, which I prefer to the escarole used in many Italian soups, but escarole or spinach would work just fine if you prefer them. This soup combines mini-meatballs simmered in chicken broth with wilted kale, white beans and other vegetables. You could equally use small shell pasta instead of the white beans, or even diced potatoes. I personally love pasta in this, but I never enjoy how it reheats the next day. The pasta absorbs all the liquid and gets soggy and that’s not good.

So, making really flavorful meatballs should be the highest priority in this soup. I like this recipe, but use your favorite meatball recipe, if you have one. I appreciate that this soup is filling without being too heavy; it’s comforting without being a gut-buster as Rachael so eloquently describes some of her meals. This recipe comes together so quickly, I was actually surprised how little effort it took the first time I made it, making it a gift of a weeknight meal.

Mini-Meatball and Vegetable Soup

1 lb ground beef or a mixture of beef and pork
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped or grated
½ onion, minced
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup bread crumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
Black pepper
Fresh parsley or basil, chopped

1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 tsp olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
Few sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 cups fresh kale, washed and chopped
1 (15 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained
Grated parmesan, for topping

In a large mixing bowl, prepare the meatballs by combining the ground meat and the next 10 ingredients. Set aside.

Chop the vegetables while you heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large soup pot. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery until softened, 4-5 minutes. Throw in a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Once the broth is simmering, start forming small meatballs and dropping them in the soup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Simmering gently will help to ensure tender meatballs. Add the chopped kale and white beans. Cover and simmer 5-10 minutes more until the kale is completely wilted.

Serve with some toasted garlic bread and topped with a little grated parmesan.

Bundles of Love

2007-02-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the pressure just gets to me.

Most of the time, I relish in the responsibility and creativity of deciding what we eat on a daily basis. Planning 2-3 meals in advance usually helps keep things just organized enough to take some of the stress off, but not so much that it zaps any last minute creativity from the equation. Often in the 3 meal scheme, just one of them will be something totally new. Sometimes, though, I will have greatly overestimated my capacity for new recipes. Just such a scenario played out a few weeks ago when I just couldn’t bring myself to cook. It was too much. I was tired and stressed. Mix in a little guilt and you’ve got the makings of one fantastic meltdown. The potential loss of a good meal really gets me down.

I forget what I had planned to cook now. It doesn’t even matter. All I know is there was crying and consoling and an agreement that Paul would make dinner. And not in that because-I-have-to way either. In an excited and eager way, like he was almost waiting for the floodgates to open so he could actually cook something without me glaring over his shoulder. He promised me Potstickers, people. While I could only nod through the tears, I retired to the couch with a drink in hand, giddy just thinking about them. He even let me “help” by allowing me to read the ingredient list to him and walk him through it. It was the perfect combination of being the boss and not having to do any of the work. It was a rare and beautiful gift and that’s why he’s a keeper, ladies.

Paul makes the absolute best Potstickers. I find this incredibly impressive, partly because I suck so much at making them. I can never wrap them in a way that gets all of the air pockets out, and mine are always ugly looking. Paul has just the right technique. Despite hardly ever cooking, he has certain recipes that he can pull out and completely blow you away. (Other times he’ll try to make an omelet without greasing the pan, but, you know…a mistake you make only once.) The Potstickers were heavenly and they are a fun appetizer-for-dinner meal that feels really special. We’re addicted to these and I bet you will be, too. And a brief note to non-cooking spouses: never underestimate the breakdown.

These used to be Ku’s pork dumplings, but now they are Paul’s Potstickers.

Potstickers (adapted from American's Test Kitchen)

1 lb ground pork
2 cups napa cabbage, minced finely
4 green onions, sliced
4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger, optional
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh black pepper

dipping sauce:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp water, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
hot stuff: either 1/8 tsp chili paste, a dash of hot sauce, or minced red chilies, to taste

Combine all the ingredients for the filling in the bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, combine all the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside. I like to use both a bit of chili paste and a dash of Tabasco for balanced heat.

Fill a small bowl with water. This will be the glue to seal the dumplings. Take one dumpling wrapper, dip one finger into the water and wet the edges of the wrapper completely. Place a tablespoon of pork filling into the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling in a half moon shape, pressing all of the air out from the middle of the dumpling to the edges. Pleat the edges of the dough firmly to seal it completely. Repeat for each dumpling. You should fill about 30 dumplings with this amount of filling, serving about 3 people as a main course, or 6 as an appetizer.

To make potstickers:
1. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a nonstick pan. Place over medium heat and add enough dumplings in the pan to form a single layer, but without the dumplings touching. Cook 3 minutes or until the bottoms have crisped and browned.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of water in the pan, cover it, and let them cook (without peeking!) on low for 10 minutes, or until all the water is gone. Set a timer!
3. The dumplings should be brown and crisp on the bottom, but if not, let them cook a few minutes more to get crisp again.

Brussels Sprouts Rule...Seriously.

2007-02-21T14:57:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while I cook something that makes my husband go crazy. This almost never involves vegetables. When I announced that I was making brussels sprouts, he was definitely not on board. But, I proved him wrong with this one.

The best part of this recipe is the combination of interesting textures and flavors. There is a lot going on in this recipe and, honestly, what difference does the vegetable make when there are bacon and pine nuts involved? The sprouts are sliced so that they separate into little bits of fringe. Sautéed lightly so they retain their texture, they are utterly delicious.

These are by no means my own creation. If you do some searching, there are many variations for these “hashed” brussels sprouts. I was tempted by a recipe with lemon and parmesan, but ultimately, the pine nuts sitting in the fridge were calling. I think the bacon is great, but it could easily be left out to save a few calories without much loss of flavor.

Now he wants them twice a week. ‘Nough said.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Bacon
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 pound brussels sprouts
2 slices center cut bacon or 1/4 cup sliced pancetta
1 tsp olive oil
2 green onions, sliced
Salt
Pepper
¼ cup pine nuts

Shred the brussels sprouts carefully with a mandolin, or just slice with a knife.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until just barely golden. Remove to a plate. They will continue to toast later when combined with the sprouts.

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Keep the bacon fat in the pan and add a teaspoon of olive oil, if needed. Add the shredded brussel sprouts to the hot pan and stir frequently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the green onions and pine nuts. Sauté until tender but not soggy, about 5 minutes. Crumble the bacon and mix into the brussel sprouts. Serves 4.

Toffee Crazy

2007-02-19T04:37:00.000-05:00

I’m a sucker for toffee. Everybody knows that the chocolate covered caramels in that box of chocolates are the best, right? That burnt sugar crust on a crème brulee is what it’s really all about. So, when I decided to make cookies last week, I combined my favorite things: the old standby oatmeal cookie with some toffee chips and dark chocolate chips. Not exactly adventurous, I know, but will it win my heart? Mais, oui!

Usually I’m quite content to leave any hint of chocolate out of my cookies, since, as I've confessed before, I am not a fan of the standard chocolate chip cookie. I don’t really like the cookie part and I’m not a huge fan of semi-sweet chocolate chips, so I guess it would follow that there’s not much I like in there. I concede that straight from the oven, when there is a bit of crispy sugar around the edges, they are acceptable, but I definitely prefer a cookie with more going on. Oatmeal cookies are my favorite, probably because of their texture. A chewy oatmeal cookie, made with brown sugar and toffee chips, is this girl’s caramelized dream come true. Adding some dark chocolate chips keeps the husband happy, too, because some of us, obviously, need more than caramelized sugar.

I like that this recipe can be easily halved so that making a batch of cookies for two isn’t quite so sinful. This is my offering to this month’s Sugar High Friday hosted by Jasmine, of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict. The theme is sweet seduction so go check out all the other enticing desserts this Friday! While these cookies aren't exactly the ultimate in seduction, they do make us happy! Besides, the French throw around the word seduce a lot more casually than us puritans. If something is seducing, it's pretty much just coyly interesting. There's my excuse!

Chewy Oatmeal Toffee Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup toffee bits
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Cream together the softened butter and sugars using an electric mixer. Beat in one egg at a time until smooth; add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, salt and spices. Whisk lightly to distribute the spices in the flour. Gradually add the flour mixture to the eggs/butter mixture, beating until smooth. Using a spatula, mix in the oatmeal, then the toffee and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should look slightly underdone; crisp around the edges but not completely set in the middle. Remove from the oven but let them rest on the cookie sheet about one minute before transferring to a cooling rack and you should have chewy cookies! Depending on the size, this should make 40-some cookies, but most often I make mine larger and get about 36.

I get by with a little help from my friends....

2007-02-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

When I lived in Paris I did without many kitchen gadgets. I was lucky to have one glass measuring cup with ounces included on the side. I bought a whisk and a heat safe blue spatula that have become essential to me in the kitchen. Other than that, I survived with my own elbow grease and willingness to fling spices around with great approximation.

In many ways, it was liberating and educational. After all, many cooks before me had survived sans KitchenAid. I whipped cream by hand, I chopped everything by hand, and I thinly sliced potatoes for mes tartiflettes, proving that I really could do most cooking with a pot, some heat and a spoon. It gave me confidence about my skills to create.

It also gave me gratitude when I returned. It’s a lot of work to always do everything by hand, which is why I feel there is room for balance in the kitchen. Whipping up a bowl of brownies is easier done by hand than in the mixer and there’s less to clean when you’re done. Although, pesto from the food processor is such a speedy enterprise, why do it by hand? Knowing when to use the old fashioned method is just as important as knowing how to do it. I admit it is nice having options.

So, when I received a mandolin for Christmas this year, I immediately thought of the multitude of potato gratins I could make, and then I thought it looked awfully complicated and sort of like I could lose a finger if I tried to figure it out. I placed it in a drawer in my kitchen and forgot about it until last week, where I brought it out and used it not once, but twice in one meal.

I can proudly say that after the initial 30 seconds of awkwardness, I thinly sliced 5 potatoes in about 3 minutes. I was shocked. No wonder this is considered essential to restaurant chefs! The only downside is that it’s now much easier to make those gratins and that’s not so good for my diet.

But, the good news is that it really is easy and fun to use and I feel my horizon has broadened quite a bit. Now I will be a lot more motivated to make things I’ve shirked off in the past. Cabbage can be easily shredded for coleslaw and vegetables easily julienned. Onions can be sliced paper thin for salads. For those interested, my mandolin is this one. It’s mostly made of plastic so it’s dishwasher safe and it’s very inexpensive. I was actually surprised that it worked so well.

This potato gratin is my version of a Gratin Dauphinois, the prince of scalloped potatoes. The French usually heat the cream, garlic and herbs on the stove before combining it with the potatoes and the results are divine. Use whatever herbs and cheese you like. Here I’ve given a traditional version, although I adore white cheddar and rosemary. Stay tuned for the other side dish I made with the help of my mandolin!

Cheesy Potato Gratin Dauphinois

5 medium yellow potatoes
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, smashed
fresh thyme and/or rosemary
Salt
Pepper (white pepper, if you have it)
Grated nutmeg
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup grated gruyere cheese

1. Wash the potatoes and peel them. Slice them thinly, about ¼ inch thick, with your knife or a mandolin. Thinly slice the onion, as well.

2. In a saucepan, bring the cream, garlic cloves, pinch of nutmeg, about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and, optionally, 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, ½ tsp salt and some pepper to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook 5-10 minutes. Remove the herbs and garlic clove and set aside.

3. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish or small gratin dish. Layer ½ the potatoes on the bottom. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and onion slices. Add ½ the grated cheese over the potatoes. Pour some of the cream over this layer. Place the remaining potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the rest of the cream mixture over the potatoes and top with the rest of the cheese.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, maybe 75 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

An Old Acquaintance and a New Recipe

2007-02-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

It’s been a joy getting to know you again, my friend. I first met you 2 years ago, but then I went away, where, sadly, you could not follow. I may have forgotten about you altogether if you weren’t so good at your job, Monsieur Cuisinart. You make such easy work of so many otherwise grueling tasks. You let me make homemade pesto in a matter of seconds, and for that, you have earned the right to rest in my kitchen among such other valued appliances as the Kitchen Aid mixer and blender.

One of my favorite uses for pesto is to brush it lightly on baguette slices, top with crumbled goat cheese (and maybe sliced tomato) and broil for a few minutes for a quick appetizer. Of course, it’s also fantastic over cheese tortellini.

Basil Pesto
(recipe from The Best Recipe, Cook's Illustrated)

2 cups fresh basil leaves
¼ cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Salt, to taste
7 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet until fragrant and light brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine the garlic slices, a pinch of salt, pine nuts and basil leaves in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until fairly smooth, scraping down the bowl when necessary. Add the olive oil with the motor running until fully incorporated.

Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the cheese and more salt, if needed. Cover the surface of the pesto with a thin layer of oil or plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 5 days. This will cover about ¾ lb of pasta.

Roast Chicken Revisited

2007-02-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

Delicious. Succulent. Juicy. Tender. And all the other adjectives you can think of to describe the perfect roast chicken. I’m not sure there are too many meals that make you feel as much like a domestic goddess as roasting a chicken. Your home fills with the incredible scent of chicken, vegetables, and herbs and you only had to spend about 15 minutes getting it ready.

One thing about such a simple meal is that everyone is constantly coming up with a way to improve it. You can roast it at a high heat for a short time or low heat for a long time. Maybe you cover the pan (which is more like braising, but, it would be juicy…) Do you I turn it over halfway through and what kind of special pan do I need? Do I bake it for 10 minutes at 450 degrees and knock it down to 350 for 45 more minutes and baste it every 10 minutes? You can see that after just 10 minutes of online recipe hunting, my head was foggy with methodology. Even once I decided what I would do, I was worried the whole time that my chosen method would lead me astray. When did this get so complicated?

I decided that I was going to stick with a true roasting method: about an hour at 375 degrees F. You know, I could have sworn I had a roasting pan with a v-rack, but I guess it was lost in the move, so after calming my heart palpitations with a little wine, I ventured on, certain that my plain old baking dish would ruin this chicken. You see, it’s been a few years since I’ve had a kitchen where I could roast a whole chicken – sad, but true.

So, as awkward as I felt going into this venture, I actually had a lot of fun. As naïve as this sounds, I enjoyed washing, seasoning and stuffing the bird because it was, well, so birdlike. I mean, it’s this little chicken body that you could play with and sing the can-can while it does high kicks and you can massage butter under its skin. Okay, now you all think I’m weird. The point is that I thought I would just tolerate dealing with the whole bird because it’s messy or it too much resembled the bird that it was, but it turns out that’s exactly what I enjoyed about it.

My chicken roasted up so nicely, just like all those adjectives listed above. It actually was easy (just like all those recipes tell you) and it doesn’t have to be such a scientific affair. I found a recipe that was really straightforward and produced a lovely chicken. In a nutshell, dress the chicken in any herbs you like, any citrus you like, an onion, and some butter or olive oil. You can’t really go wrong.

A Simple Roasted Chicken

1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken
3 Tbsp softened butter or olive oil
salt
pepper
fresh thyme
1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
1 small onion, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. After removing the packed of giblets, etc, tucked inside the cavity, rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water. Pat dry. Generously salt and pepper the inside cavity of the chicken. Stuff with a few onion and lemon wedges and whole sprigs of thyme.

Now make a choice: make a compound butter, or just do everything separately, it’s completely up to you. For the herb butter, mix some salt, pepper, lemon zest and thyme into the butter. Spread this mixture evenly over the whole bird and, most importantly, under the skin.

Alternately, spread some butter under the skin covering the breast meat, or rub olive oil all over the chicken. Pack a few fresh thyme leaves under the skin as well (don’t worry about being neat). Season all over with salt and pepper, even between the leg and thigh joint and don’t forget the other side of the chicken!

If you have a v-rack and roasting pan, that’s great. If you do not, use a 9x13 baking dish. Layer a few onion wedges on the bottom of the pan and place the chicken breast-side-down on top of them, so they act as a sort of stand. At this point, the chicken will not be in a very flattering position. That’s okay. Make sure there is a good amount of seasoning on the thighs and back.

Roast for 30 minutes and then turn the bird over so that the breast side is up. Return to the oven and roast 30 minutes more, or until a thermometer in the thigh reads 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest 15 minutes before carving. Enjoy!

C'est quoi, ca?!

2007-02-10T02:13:00.000-05:00

I brought this home from the grocery store the other day, to use in a pinch.

Somehow I don’t think this is going to cut it…

Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

2007-02-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

I often forget about stuffed peppers. I always enjoy them so much when I make them and then, somehow, they always get shuffled back into the recesses of the mental recipe book. I like that you can stuff them with just about anything, so the variations are endless. I almost always have red or green peppers around as they are one of the few mutually accepted vegetables in this couple’s house.

It’s pretty easy to make a bland tasting stuffed pepper: simply mix tomato sauce, ground beef, and rice and stuff away. Uhh, no. We want some flava-flav in our peppers. This time I had a few links of spicy chicken sausage that I’d purchased from Whole Foods. I had a few green peppers in the fridge, as well as rice in the pantry, so I felt confident I could pull it together. These are great to make in quantity and freeze a portion for another night. Plus, this is an easy way to feed a big crowd – it’s quite economical and pleasingly colorful! This combo is a keeper, but you could easily add some cooked shrimp for a jambalaya stuffed pepper, or red kidney or black beans, cumin, and chipotle powder for a Mexican style pepper. Serve this with a green salad and garlic bread and I’m a happy eater!

Oh, and if you're looking for something else to stuff with sausage, check out this recipe.

Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 pound spicy chicken or turkey sausage
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp worcestershire sauce (go easy, the sausage is salty)
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
Fresh parsley
Fresh basil
Black pepper
1/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
4 whole green or red bell peppers, cut in half and seeds removed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the bell pepper halves and cover with a lid. Simmer for 5 minutes and not too much longer because then they will be soggy by the time they are baked. We’re just giving them a little head start. Remove peppers to drain and place them in a 9x13 baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the sausage in a wide skillet until cooked through and remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp fat (or add olive oil, if needed) and sauté the onions, carrots and celery until softened. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the diced tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, water, and rice. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Stir in some black pepper, fresh basil and parsley. Taste for seasoning. Mix in a small amount of cheese to bind the mixture.

Spoon the rice and sausage mixture into the 8 pepper halves. Top with remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more. Serves 6-8.

Re-Inventing a Retro Classic

2007-02-05T07:20:00.000-05:00

Oh, oh, oh! Have a got a great new cocktail to share with you!!! Holy crap this is so good! Paul and I don’t usually experiment too much with cocktails. Usually it’s a Gin and Tonic, or a Mojito, if we have mint. It usually doesn’t require fruit juice or a blender.

As a general rule, a good cocktail doesn’t require a lot funky ingredients. Actually, funky or not, three or four ingredients are preferable. A cocktail you make at home shouldn’t be too complicated. Plus, I want to taste the alcohol. Hey, I’m just being honest! It’s not that a cocktail has to be outrageously strong to please me, but I like the flavors that different alcohols impart. I also use good quality booze, so why would I want to cover it up?

So, meet the new addition to our cocktail repertoire: The Moscow Mule. I first had this served as a martini at a place in DC called Russia House, which, as you can guess, had about 50 vodkas to choose from. It was good – very strong but slightly sweet. The martini contained vodka, a splash of ginger ale and a lime wedge. Then, at Tallula, a wine bar in Arlington, I had a completely different Moscow Mule. I was expecting the same slightly sweet flavor but was given something entirely different. Their cocktail contained ginger beer, which made it super spicy and utterly delicious. It was so spicy that on first sip, I was completely taken aback and not quite sure if I could continue. Then a few sips later, the spiciness was almost addictive. Talk about a seriously good cocktail.

After a little research in our favorite cocktail book, “Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21^st Century,” by Paul Harrington and Laura Moorhead, we discovered that The Moscow Mule was conceived as a marketing ploy. In the 1930’s, John Martin, owner of Smirnoff, and Jack Morgan, owner of the Cock ‘n’ Bull restaurant and ginger beer maker, got together and designed a drink to showcase their near-failing products. No, it’s not an extremely complex taste profile in their design, but with a little tweaking, Paul and I made it a bit more interesting.

The trouble was replicating the intense gingery spice in the beloved Tallula version. (If you've ever had ginger tea made from simmering raw ginger in water with a little brown sugar, you'll know what I mean about that gingery bite!) Our first ginger beer purchase really let us down. It was only a bit more flavorful than ginger ale, and that would not do. Our second purchase was a bit better, albeit more expensive.

We were beginning to realize that really spicy ginger beer wasn’t available just anywhere. Since hunting down an artisan product was getting a bit too complicated, we decided to work with what we had. The drink we made of vodka, ginger beer and lime was good, but it still wasn’t zingy. Since we always have gin around, we thought that maybe it would give the drink more bite. Yes, now we were getting somewhere!

In a last ditch effort, Paul sliced up some fresh ginger and floated that in the drink. Wow, okay, well, that did the trick. Yowza, that’s spicy! Although, I’m not sure that fresh ginger is the most attractive addition. Maybe better to steep the fresh ginger in the ginger beer or vodka for a few minutes and strain it out before adding to the drink? Well, maybe that’s a project for the future.

So, here’s what we settled on. Gin? Definitely. The best quality ginger beer you can find? Yes. Enough lime to give it some zing? Check. And I’m telling you this is one crazy good cocktail.

Strange but cute?! A fat piece of knobby ginger riding a tiger.

You are forewarned: If you use ginger ale, you will have a rather bland and sweet drink which requires more lime juice and maybe a dash of bitters, and the same goes if you use a sweeter ginger beer. Use vodka if you want, but gin makes a more balanced, flavorful cocktail. But, I could be prejudiced.

A "Gingery" Moscow Mule

2 oz. Tanqueray Gin
1 oz. lime juice
3-4 oz ginger beer
Fresh peeled ginger, sliced, optional

Stir together the vodka and lime juice in a collins glass (or lowball glass) filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and the already squeezed lime wedges. Stir well. Add slices of fresh peeled ginger for more bite. Serves 1.

By the way, the cocktail book mentioned above is out of print and going for over $100 dollars on Amazon. It is a valuable resource, but... Hopefully they'll find another publisher!

An Early Valentine!

2007-02-02T03:13:00.000-05:00

January has been a month of celebrations for Paul and me. We’ve had many dinners where we thought, “we need to break out that bottle of…” So, lately, my motivation in the kitchen has come from needing to make something good enough to drink with fill-in-the-blank. (Maybe we received too many alcoholic Christmas gifts?!) Either way, it’s been a fun month. New city, new job, (new restaurants to discover!) and a new sense of security – along with the joy that comes with fixing up a home with the knowledge that you just might be there for a while! What better reason could there be to indulge?

I’d been having a craving for one of those delicious molten chocolate cakes we ordered so often when we lived in Paris. Les moelleux au chocolat are supremely decadent. Breaking under the surface of the cake to discover a pool of melted chocolate gushing from the middle is a beautiful thing. The fact that they’re actually easy to make at home never seems to ruin the experience of being served one of these lovelies in a restaurant. What sauce will accompany it? Will there be a big wing of solid chocolate protruding from the middle with spun caramelized sugar cascading down around it? How will the pool of crème anglaise underneath compare with the raspberry coulis from last week?

Fond memories and yet, I wanted to try something different. I have long loved the flavor combination of chocolate and cinnamon. One of the greatest food memories I have started with a sip of the Mexican hot chocolate at Anahuacalli, the best Mexican restaurant in Paris, in my humble opinion. So, I was curious if I could simply add some ground cinnamon to the batter of a standard molten chocolate cake.

It worked pretty well, although since I was mindful that too much cinnamon could add an off-putting taste (i.e. insta-headache) I ended up not adding quite enough. But, I was very happy to have combined two of my favorite things. Since Paul is not a fan of cinnamon in his chocolate, I made half of them the old fashioned way and added the cinnamon to the other half of the batter, so everyone was happy. Two different cakes and two yummy memories combined into one.

So, here’s the recipe for a fabulous oozing chocolate cake – with, or without, cinnamon. This is also my contribution to Meeta's Monthly Mingle and is sure to please your sweetheart this Valentine's Day! Go check out her listing of sweet desserts made by bloggers around the world after February 8th!

Molten Chocolate Cinnamon Cakes
(recipe from Cook's Illustrated, The Best Recipe)

8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter and flour 8 small ramekins or custard cups. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water, instead using the steam to gently and indirectly heat the chocolate. Stir the chocolate occasionally for even melting. Once melted, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Beat the eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until mixture lightens in color and triples in size, about 7-8 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate and the flour (and cinnamon) to the egg mixture and gently fold together without deflating the eggs too much. The batter will be foamy.

Ladle the batter equally into the 8 ramekins. Bake for 12 minutes, until the outside is set and the center is still jiggly. Loosen the cakes by running a knife around the edge and invert it on a plate. Let cool 30 seconds – 1 minute and lift off the ramekin. Serve immediately with whipped cream, ice cream, or a strained fruit puree. Serves 8.

These can be made the day before, refrigerated and baked the next day with decent results, although the same day is preferable.

A Happy Shortcut

2007-01-31T05:57:00.000-05:00

It was a busy night last week when I set out making one of our favorite meals. Pizza? No, our other favorite. Curry? No, no, the other one! Crêpes? No, okay…our fourth favorite!!! Enchiladas?! Ding Ding Ding!!

It was one of those nights where I really wanted to get done with it! And it occurred to me that my-source-of-all-things-excellent (i.e. Paul’s Mom) made a layered casserole out of the last few tortillas, chicken and onion that are inevitably leftover when making enchiladas. So, why not try it?

It turned out to be much easier and really tasty. If you’re crunched for time, or feel like a little Mexican lasagna, make it this way. In addition to the simple ingredients that usually fill my enchiladas – shredded chicken, red onion, and cheese – I added a layer of sour cream in the middle to add some richness and subdue some of the spiciness of the enchilada sauce. Black olives seemed like the perfect topper! This is a really basic version but you can obviously go crazy with the fillings. Beans, roasted chilis, jalepeno, or cilantro would be wonderful.

I like to serve these spiced up black beans on the side instead of rice or traditional refried beans. Simply sauté about ¼ cup chopped onion, ¼ cup chopped bell pepper in a tsp of olive oil. Sprinkle on a bit of chili powder and ground cinnamon. Stir in 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans, 2 Tbsp salsa and 1 tsp chopped chipotle chili (in adobo), if you like it spicy. Stir until warmed through and serve!

Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cooked and shredded
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, or a mixture of cheddar, monterey jack or other cheese
12 corn tortillas
2 (10-oz) cans red enchilada sauce
½ bottle beer (Negro Modelo or another amber or brown beer)
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup black olives

So, easy enough, right? Stir together the enchilada sauce and beer in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat and set aside.

Pour a ladle full of enchilada sauce in the bottom of square 8x8 baking dish. Place 4 tortillas in approximately one layer in the dish. They will overlap in the middle – that’s okay. Top with half the shredded chicken, half the onion, and 1/3 cup cheese. Ladle more enchilada sauce over this.

Layer 4 more tortillas in the dish. Spread the sour cream over the tortillas. Top with the other half of shredded chicken and onion and 1/3 cup cheese. Ladle more enchilada sauce over the dish and top with the remaining 4 tortillas. Ladle enough enchilada sauce over the entire casserole to evenly cover the tortillas (so there are no dry spots).

Sprinkle the olives and remaining 1/3 cup cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time. Serve with guacamole or sliced avocado and black beans. Serves 4.

What is that?!? Just trust me on this one...

2007-01-29T09:10:00.000-05:00

You know, I don’t enjoy taking bad pictures. I really don’t. Especially when I need them to communicate that something actually tastes good. But, it happens, and it happened with this dish.

Casseroles are not easy to photograph. I’m sure most of you food bloggers have run into this. You simply cannot will a creamy sauce into a desired shape. (Granted, I haven’t been spending that much time on photos lately…isn’t it enough effort just to cook the damn food?!) I usually only put photos on this blog that are, at the least, minimally appetizing and, at best, drool inducing, so it pains me a little to present this and expect you to trust me when I say it’s delicious.

But, this is the sad state you find me in today. In case you are wondering what the hell is under that white shroud of custard, let me fill you in. Moussaka, a Greek dish, is usually a layered casserole of eggplant, ground lamb, and other vegetables in a tomato sauce spiced with cinnamon, allspice and sometimes cloves. This version is vegetarian, although it’s still quite substantial. Serving basmati rice on the side is a nice addition.

I really enjoyed this recipe from Epicurious. It could use a bit more depth of flavor in the sauce, but that could be easily remedied. I hope, despite the picture, you will try this! I enjoy the fact that this can be a main dish or a side dish, and you can make it a day ahead.

Vegetable Moussaka

3½ pounds eggplant
½ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. Portobello mushrooms, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
about 1 cup parmesan cheese

6 Tbsp butter
7 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 ½ cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks

Prepare the eggplant

Slice the unpeeled eggplant into ½ inch rounds. Cover 2 baking sheets with paper towels. Salt both sides of the eggplant slices and place on the baking sheets for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the eggplant rounds dry and oil the same baking sheets. Place the eggplant in a single layer and brush with ¼ cup of olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes; turn the eggplant and bake for 15 more minutes. Eggplant should be very tender.
Reduce oven temp. to 350 degrees. Heat other ¼ cup of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 10 minutes or until very tender. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and sauté over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, or until the water from the mushrooms evaporates.
Stir in the oregano, cinnamon and allspice. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Oil a 9x13 baking dish and layer half the eggplant slices in the bottom of the dish. Ladle half the tomato sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp of the parmesan cheese over the sauce. Repeat by layering the remaining eggplant in the dish and topping it with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with another few tablespoons of cheese.

Make the Béchamel

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the flour to make a roux.
After 3 minutes, gradually whisk in the milk. Whisk over medium heat until sauce is just brought to a boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in ½ cup of parmesan.
Whisk together the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually add ¼ cup of béchamel sauce at a time to the egg yolks, whisking vigorously so you don’t scramble the eggs. After about 1 cup of béchamel, you can usually add the rest without fear of scrambling.
Pour this custard over the vegetables and sprinkle with extra cheese. Bake for 45 minutes, or until custard is set on top and lightly browned. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8 generously.

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots with Thyme

2007-01-26T03:20:00.000-05:00

So, to prove that I really do know what a parsnip looks like, I roasted some the other night. It was Genie who got me thinking about them again when she made the same mistake I almost did, by buying diakon radishes instead of parsnips. How parsnips and daikon radishes can bring such self-awareness and tolerance, I’ll never cease to be amazed. I mean, they make great vegetables, but counselors? I had my doubts.

Turns out parsnips are pretty good listeners. Daikon are too, although, I find Daikon, with their brilliant white exterior, to be a bit condescending. I mean, it listens, but is it judging? Daikon seem to be a bit superficial for my taste; the way they use their good looks to lure you away from other, say, tastier root vegetables, while the brownish, well-worn exterior of the parsnip shows life experience and tolerance, if you will. Sure, it’s kind of fugly, in that “my-cousin-was-born-with-an-antler” kind of way, but it’s a veg you can bring home to Mom and Dad.

So, now that you will be able to tell these two albino-looking carrots apart, what do you do with them? I’d only used parsnips once, in this delicious crepe filling. I was really impressed with this “new to me” vegetable since:

1) They are surprisingly sweet tasting
2) They are similar to (yet somehow better than) carrots
3) They are unexpected
4) They are pleasing to my husband, unlike most vegetables.

This could be one of my favorite side dishes and I will surely make it again and again! Parsnips roast up so well – they caramelize and taste so yummy! I didn’t know how adding the carrots would turn out; I thought they might detract or compete with the parsnips, but I was really happy they were there. The glaze is delicious yet subtle; it enhances the flavor of the vegetables instead of just adding sweetness.

Enjoy!

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots with Thyme

2 lbs parsnips, peeled
1 lb baby carrots
5 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
3-4 Tbsp fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to the pan. Stir to combine just until sugar melts. Remove from heat.

Quarter the peeled parsnips lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces, roughly the size of the carrots. Place the carrots and parsnips on a baking sheet and drizzle with the buttery glaze. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss the vegetables until evenly coated with the butter.

Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the thyme over the vegetables, stir to combine, and return them to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. The parsnips should be caramelized and tender. Serve warm. Serves 4 generously.

Curried Chicken Salad

2007-01-23T04:02:00.000-05:00

I love a good chicken salad and a little curry here goes a long way to help make a tired mayo dressing perky again. I have to concede that the best curried chicken salad sandwich I’ve ever had was sold in Paris at the boulangerie on the corner of rue Poncelet and rue Laugier in the 17^th arrondissement. It had the most delicious curry flavored mayonnaise I've ever tasted. If you're in the neighborhood to take in the large open market, make sure you check it out.

This is a great sandwich filling, but I also like it on salad greens, or as an hors d’oeuvres on toasted baguette slices or on individual endive leaves, as Paul’s mom served recently for a luncheon. When making dressings like this one, keep in mind that it may taste too pungent when tasted by itself, but once it coats the chicken and other ingredients, it won’t taste nearly as strong, so don’t be shy with the seasoning. Although, taste as you go and don’t be afraid to tweak the amounts to suit your taste.

Curried Chicken Salad
(recipe adapted from Food Network)

1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
½ cup green or red seedless grapes, roughly chopped
¼ cup chopped toasted almonds, optional
½ cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp plain low-fat yogurt
2-3 tsp curry powder
2 tsp lemon or lime juice
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

Poach the chicken breasts in simmering water, covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove once the chicken is cooked through and let cool. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

Stir together the mayo, yogurt, curry, lemon juice and soy sauce. Taste and adjust to your tastes. Add more curry for a stronger flavor. Mix together the shredded chicken, onion, celery, grapes and almonds. Coat with as much of the dressing as you like. Refrigerate for several hours before serving for the best flavor. Makes about 6 sandwiches.

Butternut Squash Soup

2007-01-19T05:27:00.000-05:00

How about a nice bowl of soup to warm up in this cold weather?

The thing about butternut squash soup is that it’s sort of a blank canvas. Like sweet potatoes, it goes well with spicy chilis and sweeter spices like cinnamon or clove. Usually, I’m one to choose the spicy or more savory versions over the sweet ones. This soup has a little bit of everything. Not too spicy and not too sweet, it also has bacon, which adds a nice smoky flavor that plays off the squash quite well.

Not quite as easy as my Pumpkin Soup, this one isn’t bad. Can’t find butternut squash in your grocery store? No worries since this uses those convenient packages of frozen pureed squash that you can find in your freezer section. As with most soups, the flavors are much more pronounced the next day, so next time I’ll go easier on the cayenne. I also find that this soup becomes quite thick, so I would add another ½ cup of broth, or a bit more cream.

Hope you enjoy it!

Butternut Squash Soup
(recipe from Southern Living Magazine)

6 slices bacon (center cut is nice)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
1 large onion
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (12-oz) pkgs frozen butternut squash, thawed
1 ½ Tbsp honey
2-3 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
¼ cup heavy cream

Cook the bacon in a large soup pot until crisp. Remove the bacon and some of the drippings, leaving about 2 Tbsp. of fat. Crumble the bacon once it has cooled and set aside.

Sauté the onion, carrots and celery in the bacon drippings for 5 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the apple and garlic and sauté 5 more minutes, stirring so that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the thawed butternut squash and chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked through. Puree the soup in a blender, in small batches, as my kitchen walls will tell you, as warm liquids has the tendency to explode. Return the soup to the pot and add the honey, lime juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, cayenne and cream. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Garnish the soup with crumbled bacon and, if desired, sour cream and a sprinkle of cayenne.

A Chicken Pot Pie to Cherish

2007-01-13T05:24:00.000-05:00

This recipe is very special to me. It was this recipe that made me fall in love with chicken pot pie – both eating it and making it! What I love most about this recipe, other than the fact that it tastes damn good, is the method behind it. There are many, many ways to make chicken pot pie, but I find this to be one of the most accessible and straightforward recipes, while still being completely homemade. It’s one of those master recipes that are just really nice to have in your repertoire.

The only short cut this has is to use boneless chicken breasts and canned chicken broth, instead of boiling a whole chicken to have your own stock, as some recipes instruct, so I guess that’s cheating a little. If you want to take 2 days to make this, you could certainly do that the day before. Or, if you’re really on top of things, this would be super easy to throw together if you have homemade stock and pie crusts already in the freezer. In the other direction, you could always use a frozen store-bought puff pastry for the crust if you are short on time.

This recipe came from The Silver Palate Good Times cookbook from 1985. As you can see, it has a horrible cover, but contains good recipes! A few things that make this recipe unique are baking the chicken in the cream, which makes it extremely tender, and the tarragon works nicely here, which you don't see often in pot pie recipes. I love old cookbooks like this one, especially with their introductions for each recipe. “After a long day of work and late shopping, there is nothing more comforting than a chicken pot pie. Prepare it the night before and pop it in the oven to back when you get home.”

Chicken Pot Pie

Pâte Brisée:
(I used all butter to avoid trans fats)

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3-6 Tbsp ice water

1. Cut up the butter into very small pieces and place in the refrigerator or freezer while you work with the other ingredients.

2. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces and pulse until mixture forms coarse small crumbs, about 10 – 15 seconds. Add 3 Tbsp ice water to the mixture and pulse until dough comes together a bit and holds together when you pinch the dough between your fingers.

3. Pour the dough out onto a cutting board and shape into a ball without over working the dough. Divide into 2 pieces and shape each into a flat round disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Chicken Filling:

1 ½ - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup heavy cream
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 small red potatoes, cut in 1-in chunks
(or 1 zucchini, sliced, per original recipe)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
¾ cup frozen green peas
5 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup cognac or dry white wine
1 Tbsp dried tarragon
2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken in a baking dish in a single layer. Pour the cream over the chicken and bake for 25-40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

2. Remove the chicken from the cream, reserving the cream for the sauce. Once the chicken has cooled, cut it into 1 inch pieces.

3. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Bring this to a boil. After 10 minutes, add the carrots and cook 5-10 minutes more until both the potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Drain and set the vegetables aside.

4. Melt the butter in a wide sauté pan, add the onions and cook until translucent. Sprinkle in the flour; stir and cook 5 minutes, but do not brown. Slowly add the broth to the onion mixture, whisking until the sauce smoothes out and thickens. (Which worked really well with my new flat whisk - a great tool!) Add the cream, cognac, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper and cook 5 more minutes.

5. Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots and frozen peas to this sauce and mix gently. Pour mixture into a 2 quart casserole, soufflé dish, or large ramekins for individual pot pies.

6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

7. Roll out the pastry into a large circle and place over the dish or cut the pastry to fit the ramekins. Press down the pastry edges, folding them as necessary. Beat together the egg and water and brush over the top of the pastry to give a nice glossy finish to the crust. Cut a few steam vents in the pastry and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Serves 6.

Teriyaki Flank Steak

2007-01-07T04:00:00.000-05:00

This simple marinade is a favorite of ours. The sweetness of the honey and ginger make this flank steak irresistible. Flank steak is an affordable cut and great for serving a crowd, say, at big family barbecues. (Not to mention that it fulfills one of my New Year’s Resolutions in the kitchen…always have leftovers!)

This steak would go wonderfully with rice or stir fried vegetables, but we also enjoy it with baked potatoes or broccoli. Risotto would also go well with this since the flavors aren’t such that you have to serve it only with other Asian flavors. The key to success is to marinate the steak for at least 24 hours!

Teriyaki Flank Steak

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ red wine or balsamic vinegar
¼ honey
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 green onion, sliced
1 flank steak (about 3 lbs), trimmed of most fat

Combine all marinade ingredients in a gallon size ziploc bag. Stir the honey into the other ingredients until well combined. Add the flank steak to the bag, seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove the flank steak from the marinade and pat dry. Cut the steak (against the grain) into a few pieces if you want to have some rare, medium rare or medium sections for your guests. Broil or cook on a hot grill for 4-5 minutes each side for rare to medium rare and 6-7 minutes for medium. Let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

Well, where to begin? It’s been a long month since I’ve posted on this blog! I’ve moved to a new city, traveled back and forth between Virginia and Iowa three times this month, was out with the flu for a week and spent my first Christmas at home in 3 years. There were many ups and downs this month, but mostly it was a much needed break and a happy holiday season full of family and good times. I hope it was for you and yours!

Another occasion was marked when my blog turned 1 year old in early December! I’ve had such fun corresponding with so many readers, and, of course, cooking so many new things this past year! Thank you to everyone who reads, and all the food bloggers out there for all the inspiration!

So, I’m not the best at coming back with a bang…Usually when I take long breaks from cooking I have to ease back into it. There are times when I crave being back in the kitchen, but I most often have to start with what I know. I make easy meals that have become part of our regular rotation: meatloaf, steaks, pizza, pasta, quesadillas, etc. So, I offer you this simple baked penne. Not exactly helpful if your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier foods, but for a housewarming gift, this really hit the spot.

Baked Penne with Sausage and Ricotta

¾ lb penne, ziti or other pasta
1 jar tomato & basil pasta sauce, or homemade sauce
8 oz ricotta cheese
¼ tsp hot pepper flakes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4-5 large button mushrooms, sliced
3 hot Italian pork (or turkey) sausages, casings removed
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water and cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the jarred sauce, ricotta cheese, hot pepper flakes and ½ the parmesan cheese.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions and green peppers in the olive oil until softened. Remove to a plate. Add a touch more olive oil, if desired and sauté the mushrooms until done to your liking. Remove these from the skillet. Add the sausage and break apart with a spatula. Sauté about 7-8 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to absorb the grease.

Add the onions, bell pepper, mushrooms and sausage to the bowl with the tomato sauce and ricotta cheese. Combine well. Toss the pasta into this mixture and spread half of it in a 2 quart baking dish. Top with half the mozzarella. Spread the remaining pasta in the dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and browned on top!

Brie en Croûte

2006-11-26T15:06:00.000-05:00

This is a wonderful appetizer that I served for Thanksgiving this year. It's extremely easy yet really impressive. So, in other words, it's exactly what you want when you're preparing so much other food for a huge meal!

There are many variations of baked brie. I decided to top mine with fig preserves and sliced almonds before wrapping it in the puff pastry, which was a huge hit. I've also had it with raspberry preserves, which is also amazingly good! There is a traditional French recipe where the wheel of brie is cut in half and cooked mushrooms and shallots are sandwiched in the middle, then wrapped in pastry. I've never had any purely savory variation, but have seen recipes using sundried tomatoes, as well as the mushrooms. As I'm not a huge fan of the baked bries that are topped with lots of nuts and brown sugar, I find this recipe a perfect middle ground; slightly sweet but without overwhelming that expensive round of brie you just bought! Experiment away!

Baked Brie with Sliced Almonds and Fig Preserves

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
about 3 Tbsp fig preserves (or any seedless jam you like)
2-3 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted
1 (13.2 oz) wheel brie (maybe 5-6 in. diameter)
1 egg + 1 tsp water

Thaw the puff pastry sheet by removing from the freezer 30 minutes before you start to assemble the appetizer. Lightly beat the egg with 1 tsp of water to make an egg wash. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Once flexible, unfold the pastry into a square on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the pastry slightly, to about 1/8 in. thick. Spread the preserves in the middle of the pastry in a circle the same size as the wheel of brie. Sprinkle the almonds over the jam and place the cheese on top.

Bring 2 opposite sides of pastry up and over the cheese. Fold in the other sides, trimming any extra, and "glueing" it together with a small amount of egg wash. Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Decorate the top with the scraps of pastry if you like. Using a pastry brush, brush the entire thing with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand at least 30 minutes or up to an hour before serving. Serve with water crackers or toasted baguette slices.

This is equally delicious 2 ways: after just 30 minutes, so that the brie is still hot and oozes out of the pastry, or bake it way ahead of time and let it cool at least an hour so that it can firm up and be easily sliced.

The NY Times' Autumn Crêpes

2006-11-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to see this recipe and article by Celia Barbour in The New York Times. I'd never seen a crêpe recipe like this printed anywhere (except for this glorious recipe given to me by my brother-in-law's Swiss girlfriend). Don’t Buckwheat Crêpes with a Roasted Cauliflower, Parsnip and Leek filling just sound amazing? I know most Americans aren't avid crêpe makers, but it's about time we joined the club. I knew I had to make this recipe so I could once again push my crêpe agenda on all of you!

You know how sometimes cooking is a hassle? And how sometimes you're just too tired and grumpy to get any enjoyment out of it? Well, try making these. Crêpe making can be a form of meditation if you think about it. You whip up the simple batter, heat a pan, pour in a ladle-full, smear it around until you've constructed a nice circle, wait, and flip. Repeat. And repeat and repeat. And each one gets better and prettier and you feel more and more proud of yourself. Oh, and you're sipping wine. And with each minute that passes by, you become more comfortable with your now near perfect crêpes and a lot less preoccupied with whatever you were worrying about before you started this whole process. And you swear it's the happiest you've been all week.

This recipe gave me the opportunity to make buckwheat crêpes, or galettes au sarrasin, for the first time. In France, savory buckwheat crêpes like these are always called galettes and the word crêpe is reserved only for sweet crêpes. This recipe was incredibly tasty, but I would have preferred an even stronger buckwheat flavor. You'll probably agree if you've had crêpes in Brittany, but if you are doubtful about buckwheat, this recipe will be a perfect place to begin. It's like a whole wheat crêpe; slightly nutty but with a delicate texture.

The word delicate sums up this roasted cauliflower, leek and parsnip filling as well. I'd never tasted a parsnip, let alone cooked one, so the flavor was such a pleasant surprise. For all the other root-vegetable-dummies out there, parsnips are shaped like carrots, white in color, and have a more delicate flavor, yet a slightly more fibrous texture. They are wonderful! Who knew? Why aren't we eating more parsnips? I'll spare you my embarrassing episode at The Co-op where I almost bought a huge sack full of Daikon radish. Evidently, I needed some help deciphering my root vegetables.

The title of the filling indicates roasted vegetables, which is true, but the really amazing part of the recipe is the custardy sauce in which those veggies take a bath. Honestly, I know you aren't supposed to rave about your own food, but I couldn't wipe the goofy smile from my face when I was eating this. I could go on and on about how the texture of the buckwheat crêpe works so well with the silky and subtle vegetables, but I'll just say this: Hurry up and make these!Treat someone you love to this luxurious French meal. You can fill and roll the crêpes if you like, or just serve the warm crêpes and filling separately on platters and let guests make their own. A green salad makes a lovely side. I don't know how anyone could resist the love in this dish. It's an elegant meal that is sure to make anyone feel special.

*Note* I doubled this recipe since the leftovers are wonderful. If serving 4 or more, I recommend this. However, I had quite a bit of leftover sauce, so no need to double it, more like 1 1/2 times the recipe would work.

Buckwheat Crêpes

½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose white flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup water
4 Tbsp melted butter

Melt the butter in a small dish in the microwave or in a saucepan. Set aside to cool slightly.

Stir together the flours and salt. Beat in the eggs and gradually add the milk and water. Whisk the mixture well until completely smooth. Add the butter and whisk until smooth once more. This can also be made in the blender, pulsing for one minute. Refrigerate the batter for one hour. Stir well before using.

Lightly oil or butter a wide skillet or crepe pan and place over high heat. The pan should be almost scorching hot. Lift the skillet from the heat with one hand and pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan with the other, all while tilting the pan so that the batter spreads out into a circle. You will need to spread the batter out with a spatula, which feels awkward at first, but after a few times, you'll be quick about it. Put the pan back on the heat and cook 1-2 minutes until the crêpe dries a bit and easily lifts off the bottom of the pan. Flip it over and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes 12 small crêpes, but I made about 8 large.

Roasted Cauliflower, Parsnip and Leek Filling

2 lbs cauliflower (about 1 medium), cut into small florets
2 large leeks
¾ lb parsnips (about 3 medium), peeled
5 Tbsp melted butter, divided
1/3 cup olive oil
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp heavy or light cream, or whole milk
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 Tbsp flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp melted butter, olive oil, pepper and mustard. (I think 2 Tbsp butter and ¼ cup olive oil is probably plenty, if you’re concerned.) Drizzle about 2/3 of this mixture over the cauliflower florets. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.

Half the leeks lengthwise, almost to root end, leaving in one piece. Cut the parsnips into quarters lengthwise and remove any tough core, although if you have small parsnips, this is unnecessary. Combine the leeks, parsnips and remaining butter/olive oil mixture and remaining 1 tsp salt. Spread out on a separate baking sheet, or add to the cauliflower pan if there is room. Return vegetables to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and roast until golden and tender, another 20-30 minutes.

Transfer leeks and parsnips to a cutting board and chop into ½ inch pieces. You can chop the cauliflower, too, but mine seemed like a fine size already. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and cream. In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. In different saucepan, whisk together the remaining 3 Tbsp melted butter and the flour. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes but do not brown. Gradually whisk in the broth until incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let the sauce thicken.

Take off the heat for a few minutes, then whisk very gradually into the bowl with the egg yolks and cream. Do this slowly so that the egg yolks don’t scramble! Once all the broth mixture is added to the egg yolks, return all of it to the saucepan and keep over medium heat; do not boil. Add the vegetables to this sauce and keep warm.

Assemble the crêpes yourself, or pour the vegetables and sauce onto a deep platter so that guests can make their own. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley to garnish. (If assembling ahead of time, reserve some of the sauce sans vegetables to top the finished crêpes.) Place about 1/3 cup filling into each crêpe and roll up burrito-style. Place the filled crêpes in a baking dish. Cover with a bit of the reserved sauce and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until warmed through.

Tuna Casserole...it's back!

2006-11-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

Even if you never grew up eating Tuna Casserole, you've probably heard the lore. One of the classic cream-of-mushroom-soup casseroles, traditional tuna casserole is even topped with crushed potato chips. Obviously, we can do better.

Many people seem content to use canned soup in cooking. I'm over the fact that it's unhealthy; what really bugs me is that it tastes bad! It really does. If you don't mind the flat taste of such "foods" like Taco Bell, Domino's Pizza or anything from McDonalds, you probably don't mind canned soup, which makes sense. Our palates have become increasingly narrowed and numbed with sodium, hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. I truly believe that the canned soup casseroles were born out of an effort to make comforting food quickly and mindlessly, but the cost (and I'm not talking $$$) is that we've lost interest and knowledge about what the real food is that we're after.

This version of Tuna Casserole is fast, easy, and one thing that the canned soup version is not: delicious. You are worth more than Campbell's has to offer. You deserve whole mushrooms and real cream in your sauce. We deserve to enjoy these favorites without chemicals, trans fats and cheap ingredients that serve the lowest common denominator while corporations get rich. The food industry has done us a huge disservice, but we can take back our food. We can still make our favorites while proving that American food doesn't have to mean processed food in huge quantity. We deserve real food that does more than just make us feel full.

I can't help but get a little preachy when it comes to casseroles. They've gotten a lot of blame for the state of our country's health, as well as the boring American palate. But, with this version, I see light beaming out of this tunnel. Fresh tasting and comforting, it contains real vegetables and a fresh bread crumb topping. White wine perks up the cream sauce so it's not overly rich. I hope you'll enjoy it and feel good about it, too! Not always the biggest fan of tarragon, I really enjoyed it in this recipe and could have used even more. This is also the first Rachael Ray recipe I've tried in quite a while and was very pleasantly surprised!Tuna Casserole with White Wine Tarragon Cream Sauce
(recipe from Rachael Ray)

1 pound medium shell pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup chicken broth
generous 1 cup heavy cream or half & half
salt & pepper
dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce
2 (6-oz) cans (or 1 12-oz pkg) tuna packed in water, drained
1 cup frozen peas
6 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed and chopped
4 slices sandwich bread (wheat or white)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water well and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions, 8 minutes, I believe.

Tear apart the bread slices into small pieces and add to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse lightly until the bread crumb texture is reached. Place in a small bowl and mix with a small amount of olive oil or melted butter. Set aside.

In a wide sauté pan or high-sided skillet, sauté the onions, celery and bell pepper in the olive oil and butter until onion is translucent. Sprinkle with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are fully cooked, sprinkle in the flour. Stir until a paste forms on the veggies and cook 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. Let the wine cook down for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and cream and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add a dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce. Check seasonings. Stir in the flaked tuna, peas and tarragon and heat through. Taste again, adding more tarragon if you like.

Drain the pasta when finished cooking and toss with the tuna mixture. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole and top evenly with the bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees F) for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned on top and heated through.

Last Weekend in D.C.

2006-11-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned quite a while ago, Paul and I are moving to Washington, D.C. soon. I’m very excited for this. Moving is generally a stressful thing, but it is doubled in intensity when it’s to a new city! I flew out there this past weekend to look for a place to live, and let me tell you that life magically worked out once again, despite my fear that it couldn’t possibly. I found a wonderful place in only 2 days. Well, 3 weeks of worrying about it, 2 more weeks of hard online searching and 2 days of physical shopping. Not bad, eh? Technically we’re going to live in Alexandria, Virginia, but still in what they call the metro area, since it is indeed served by the metro, making it very easy to get to The District.

The move will take place in mid-December so until then, I can simply organize and pack with the calm assurance that I do have a place to call home. Honestly, DC seems like a pretty great place. Everyone was incredibly friendly and the city doesn't seem very intimidating, at least to this former-Parisienne. Although, I wonder if it's just because everyone speaks English...hmm. I was actually a little nervous to visit since, you know, I better like it since that's where we're living! One often hears about the hectic D.C. traffic and busy pace, but I found it to be actually a lot less crazy than Paris. Oh, no one parks on the sidewalks? Why isn't everyone lining up as close as they can possibly get to the subway doors before they open in order to more easily shove your way onto the train and claim your space? Where's the aggressive city attitude? Why doesn't the metro smell like urine? And more importantly, when shoved by some lady with a large purse, why didn't it feel okay to shove back even harder while maintaining the ambivalent funeral gaze that excuses Parisian women of so much of their naughty behavior? It might be wrong that I miss that side of Paris...

In D.C. we used the metro on a Friday night around 6:30 pm and I could stand comfortably with my own personal space bubble around me. Plenty of room! My French friends would never believe it. "I'm telling you - I could expand my rib cage when I took a breath! It was amazing..." Why wasn't my face in some guy's armpit and somebody's little dog pressed up against my shins, with a purse shoved between my thighs and the only thing to hold on to was the flat glass panel on the door? I didn't know how to handle all that comfort! I'm glad I don't have to put on that face every day anymore, but it certainly made me tough, and I really miss it. Paris was never boring, that is certain!

But back to D.C. The low buildings and colonial architecture make the city incredibly beautiful yet cozy, too. It almost felt like a midwestern city to me - people seemed casually dressed and extremely friendly. I guess in Paris it really is all about fashion! I know that with the political arena out there everyone is working incredibly hard so there is a certain yuppie-vibe to certain areas, but overall, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the city. History was such a rich and intriguing part of living in Paris, so I’m excited to live somewhere with so many monuments and so many stories.

Plus, there are the crab cakes! Oh! (And I can’t believe it’s taken me 4 paragraphs to get to this…) I was there for 3 days and I had crab cakes twice, so I’m feeling as if I can stand to wait another month or so before I get to eat them again. I don’t even think we went to any restaurant that was particularly known for their crab cakes, but it didn’t matter. Compared to what you find in the Midwest, well, there’s no comparison. I’ve gathered that the most common presentation of crab cakes is the crab cake platter. Two lovely cakes were served with coleslaw, fries or onion rings and a delicious remoulade sauce with capers. It struck me as funny that at the much nicer restaurant we dined at the next evening, the platter idea was repeated. I ordered the crab cakes again, which came with a lime aioli, jicama and apple slaw, and yucca fries, of all things. Both were excellent. Do check back here in a few months and I’m sure I’ll be able to tell you where I go for the best crab cakes!

Also, I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reads Chez Mégane now and again. I'm not posting as much as I'd like to right now, but by the time we're settled out there, Chez Mégane hopes to be back to her old pace with much to say about her new home city!

White Bean, Kale and Sausage Soup

2006-11-13T16:53:00.000-05:00

I’ve made this soup many times, but I hadn’t made it in 2 years until last week. I’m sure most of you have made this, or at least, heard of this soup, in one of its many variations. I first made it after it graced the cover of an issue of Bon Appetit in either 2001 or 2002. I love this soup’s simple yet hearty flavors. It’s incredibly easy and really good for you! Plus, I’m always partial to rustic dishes like this – there is something so comforting about it. I’ve also come to learn that I love dark greens. I may not love salads, but I could eat braised kale every night of the week. I’m even going to start adding kale to my vegetable soups. Although, it doesn’t impart much flavor, I love the texture it adds.

Since I could never seem to find kale in Paris, (or the sausage, for that matter!) this recipe was forgotten about. But, it’s wonderfully adaptable and a good reminder of how easy it is to make a comforting soup! I’ve made this before with potatoes or small shell pasta instead of the white beans, and I’m going to try different sausage next time. The smoked variety has a nice flavor, but it’s mild, so a spicy Italian sausage might be more up my alley next time. Chorizo would be excellent, as well, for a Portuguese version. Plus, I’m not really crazy about using the grocery store smoked kielbasa in the first place – meat products like that have all sorts of additives in them that make me nervous.

Check out more information about why kale is so good for us!

White Bean, Kale and Sausage Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 gloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
Generous 2/3 of one large bunch kale, washed
2 (15 oz) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
¾ (16 oz) package smoked sausage, kielbasa, or Italian sausage links, sliced
6-8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Optional - drop a chunk of the rind of your block of parmesan cheese into the soup as it simmers. Remove before serving.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the sausage slices and sauté until nicely browned. If using uncooked sausage in casings, sauté until fully cooked. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pan. Cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

Tear the kale into bite size pieces and set aside. Deglaze the pan by pouring in a small amount of broth and scraping the bottom of the pot. Pour in the rest of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and pepper. Once the broth is simmering, stir in the kale, cover, and simmer 10 minutes until the kale is wilted completely. Stir in the white beans and cook 5 more minutes until heated through. Serve with some crusty bread and grated parmesan. Serves 8.

Pumpkin Bars...Again!

2006-11-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

(No, that empty space wasn't the size of my serving...)

Yes, I've already posted this recipe, but it was almost a year ago, before anyone was actually reading my blog, so I feel okay about re-posting. Plus, these are worth it, and after having made these recently, I feel a renewed excitement about their success.

It's already November! It is time to make these pumpkin bars! What could you possibly be waiting for? Sure, unless you're a family of at least 4, with half of you being sugar-hungry children, you won't possibly finish all of these and have to throw the rest out, but at least you will know a really good recipe. My solution would be to take these to the office party or neighbor's potluck and watch them disappear! These are my favorite way to warm up to the Thanksgiving season. Plus, I don't know about you, but I love that the recipe only uses the 1 cup, 2/3 cup, and 1 teaspoon measuring devices: less to clean, less to fidget with. The 1/4 teaspoon is just a few shakes, anyway, right?

Paul's Pumpkin Bars
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each nutmeg, clove, (and ginger, optional)

Beat together the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin until smooth. Sift together the dry ingredients, including spices, and then slowly mix them into the egg mixture. Once incorporated, pour into a 10x15 jelly roll pan. (As I do not own one of these, I pour 2/3 of the mixture into a 9x13 and the rest into an 8x8.) Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes. Frost bars once cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add sugar in small doses, mixing to incorporate. Mix in vanilla once frosting is smooth. Using an electric hand mixer makes this easy.

My Favorite Beef Stew

2006-10-26T15:22:00.000-05:00

I love the Fall. Warm soups and stews are just begging to be made. Visions of pot pies float through my head. Some of my favorite fall dishes are braised dishes, like Bœuf Bourguignonne, and although the quintessential version that I made last winter is amazing, sometimes it’s a little on the heavy side. Plus, it’s a lot of work with all the separate steps of sautéing the bacon and mushrooms separately, not to mention caramelizing the pearl onions all while simmering the beef in yet another pot.

I wanted to make a beef stew to freeze and give to my Grandparents for their birthdays last week. (In addition to the stew, I made them 6 cute individual chicken pot pies and 2 meatloaves, which I think will help ease the burden of cooking a little bit.) The beef stew, however, was going to be our dinner that night, as well, so while I wanted something traditional that Grandma and Grandpa would like, I still wanted a lot of flavor.

There are many recipes out there for Beef Stew, but I’ve always found that if you don’t marinate the beef before braising it, the stew is almost always utterly flavorless. After having marinated the chunks of beef overnight and simmered the stew about 3-4 hours, the meat truly transforms and becomes incredibly tender. Turns out if you cook it all damn day, it’s pretty good! Actually, despite the long ingredient list, this is a pretty easy dish. Once you make it, you'll never go back to your shortcut stew. For a more elegant dinner, leave out the potatoes and prepare a fancier gratin or mashed potato on the side.

I combined parts of my bœuf bourguignonne recipe with a more traditional stew recipe to make this wonderful version. It’s rich with red wine and beef stock, but has added potatoes and a bit of tomato paste and brown sugar for a bit more depth, but not the salty bacon flavor of the French version. It’s a little boozy, but maybe that’s why it’s so damn good.

My Favorite Beef Stew

3 pounds lean beef stew meat
2 ½ or 3 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup brandy, cognac or dry sherry
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, sliced or smashed
10 whole peppercorns
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice berries, if you have them
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 onion, sliced

Combine all the ingredients in a large ziploc bag that has been placed in a large bowl for support. Combine the marinade well. Place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours. Mine was in the fridge from 8 pm to noon the next day.

½ cup flour
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-in chunks
2 ribs celery, cut into 1-in chunks
3 idaho or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-in dice
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried marjoram
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Fresh parsley, chopped
Additional beef broth, up to 2 cups

Strain the marinade from the meat, reserving all the liquid, but discarding the onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cloves. Set this marinade aside.

Melt the butter into the olive oil in a large dutch oven. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Pour the flour onto a large plate. In batches, lightly coat the chunks of beef with flour and place in the dutch oven. Sear the pieces of beef until well browned on all sides, 4-5 minutes, and remove to a plate. Repeat with all the remaining beef.

Add more olive oil to the pan if needed and sauté the onions, carrots and celery until almost translucent. Stir in the tomato paste. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan by pouring in about 1 cup of the reserved marinade and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the rest of the marinade, add the brown sugar, thyme, marjoram and beef to the pot, and bring it to a simmer. Simmer, covered, on low heat for about 2 hours. (This could alternatively be put in a crock pot and simmered all day on low and finished when you get home.)

After 2 hours, the beef is almost good enough, but we want it to be amazing, so add the potatoes at this point and keep it simmering. Add a bit more beef broth to keep all the vegetables covered and so it doesn’t get too thick. Let the potatoes cook for 30 minutes, then add the sliced mushrooms and frozen peas. Continue to simmer about 10 minutes of until the mushrooms are done to your liking. Stir in the fresh parsley and taste for seasoning. You may need to add salt and pepper, or beef broth for the taste and consistency you like. Of course, it will taste better in 3 days, but who could wait? I actually like the cleaner taste you get on day one. Serves about 9.

Chocoholics Beware!

2006-10-20T12:14:00.000-05:00

One of the nicer parts about returning to Iowa City for a few months has been spending time with my family. Besides having both my parents and Paul's parents in the same town, I'm lucky enough to have my maternal grandparents here, too. They moved to Iowa City the year that I was born, having retired from farming in Illinois. They have been there for me my whole life and it's just now that I'm into adulthood that I realize what a uniquely special gift it is to have had grandparents so close when I was growing up.

My grandfather is turning 95 years old this week and my grandma will turn 94 next week. They are still living at home, still driving, and although their health has deteriorated in the last few years, I'm feeling lucky to have these kinds of genes in my family! Grandma was a good cook. Unfortunately, she hasn't been able to lately because of her health. She never made anything too fancy, but every Sunday we always sat down to a huge table of food. Pot roasts and potatoes were her specialty, so it's no wonder that my life wouldn't seem complete without occasionally gorging myself on mashed potatoes and gravy. Being farmers, even once they retired, they had a huge garden for years. Among their garden and fruit trees, Grandpa had to the most virile cherry tree I have ever seen. I have the fondest memories of being a little girl, picking the darkest red ones I could find and putting them right into my mouth straight from the tree. And I can just picture Grandma with a big bowl of cherries on her lap, pitting each one to go into a fabulous pie.

Chocolate pudding was the dessert Grandpa and I bonded over. Once I was old enough, I knew right where Grandma kept the box. She had almost an entire shelf devoted to Jell-O, most of it chocolate (with some pistachio for those Watergate Salad opportunities). As I got older, I decidedly sorted through the boxes to find the ones with the most current packaging, just to be on the safe side. Anyway, Grandma loves to tell about how whenever they were watching me, mostly when I stayed home sick from school, I would eventually make my way to that cupboard and say, "let's make Grandpa some chocolate pudding!" She always was tickled that I never said it was for me, but always for Grandpa. Grandpa also required large amounts of Cool Whip on top, too.

So, for this special birthday, I was given the task of making a very dark chocolate birthday cake. "Something Grandpa can taste..." said my Mom. I just told you about how I'm not much of a baker, but it seemed like I'd be getting some practice in.

I was looking for something with an intense chocolate flavor, but in normal layer cake form, as opposed to a flourless cake or torte. I found this recipe from Martha Stewart online. I'd love to tell you that it worked perfectly. But, actually, it was a huge mess. The good news is, it tasted fantastic in the end and I think the recipe is a good one, but with one very important flaw. LISTEN UP, MARTHA!

She says to divide the batter between two 8x2 inch round cake pans. It should actually tell you to divide the batter between 3 pans, or at least use 9-inch pans. Trust me; your oven will thank you. Since I was a dutiful recipe follower, my oven got coated with a volcanic explosion of oozing chocolate cake batter that didn't slow down until 30 minutes into the baking time. Finally, the cake sealed itself and I left it to continue cooking, hoping like hell that the whole cake wouldn't smell or taste of burnt chocolate from those hardening masses on the bottom of the oven.

Despite that near catastrophe, I soldiered on and once the cakes were cooled and I removed them from their tiny pans, I cut off the uneven overflow around the top, ate the evidence, and frosted the thing. I frosted the cake with a chocolate buttercream ganache. And it's good. Ooooh, so good! If you love chocolate, you will adore this cake. It was the richest, most chocolaty layer cake I've ever tasted, so I know Grandpa definitely tasted the chocolate! Maybe I should bake more often?

Before frosting the cake, line the bottom edges with strips of wax paper.
Slide them out gently once you have finished for a clean edge.

Grandpa's Chocolate Cake "Ol' 95"
(adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 1/2 cups good unsweetened cocoa powder (like Penzey's),
plus more for dusting
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup strong coffee, still hot

Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter them again. Dust the pans with a few tablespoons of cocoa powder, shaking out the excess. Coat the bottoms and sides completely. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).

Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Place in the bowl for your mixer. Add the sugars to this and mix these dry ingredients together lightly. One at a time, with the mixer going on very low, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, extract and finally the water and coffee. Mix together on low for 2 minutes.

Pour the batter between your 3 pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, but check at 25. An inserted toothpick should come out clean when they cakes are done. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 30 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Frost cake and serve. Mine made 2 very high layers, or 3 layers if you use 3 pans.Chocolate Ganache Buttercream Frosting
(recipe from baking911.com)

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 12-oz bags semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chopped bars of chocolate.
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, stir together the cream, corn syrup and 1 stick of butter over medium low heat until the butter melts and the mixture barely comes to a simmer. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl and pour in the hot cream. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Let this cool.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining stick of butter and powdered sugar. Once this is smooth, beat in the vanilla extract. Once the chocolate ganache is cooled (enough so that it is mildly warm but not hot) pour it into the mixer and whisk on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Do not over mix this as the frosting can become grainy. This frosting is thin, but let it sit for a few minutes and it will thicken up, or place it in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. The frosting will harden if refrigerated too long, but it can be stirred together again before using to loosen the consistency. Makes more than enough for my 2 layer cake, so there will be plenty for the 3 layers in the above recipe.

Blueberry Muffins!

2006-10-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

I rarely bake. I'm really not a very well-rounded foodie. Growing up I was quite the baker, but I lost interest along the way. I love cooking dinners, lunches and breakfasts, even many desserts, but let me tell you, it's been awhile since I've made a muffin. Somewhere in my grown-up world, muffins got cast aside as a heavy, calorie laden food that just wasn't worth those calories. I've been quite content spending my food cash at the Sour Cream Imporium, Bacon Fat-o-Rama, and The Ginasium.

However, if anyone can inspire me to bake, it's Ms. Cream Puff herself. She proclaimed these the best muffins ever and she's quite adamant that they will kick your muffin's ass into next week. So, I had to try them. I wanted to bring something baked and homey to my friend Kim. She got married this weekend and since she put me up for the entire time, the only thing to do was to be a good houseguest and bring muffins. And wine. Good pairing, eh? You know...something for the morning and something for the evening!

Next time you're a house guest or are having some, bake up a batch of these and they'll be gone before you know it. These, I'm happy to say, are worth every sinful bite. I got many compliments all weekend about these muffins!

I actually find these muffins incredibly light and airy - not at all like those coffee shop versions that weigh 3 pounds each. They really aren't overly sweet, either, which may surprise you, given all the brown sugar. The topping is just perfectly sweet and crusty which goes so well with the very tender crumb of the muffin. Even those of you who normally only like muffin tops will devour the whole thing, I assure you. You can substitute any fruit you like in these, but if you use berries (fresh or frozen) like I did, toss them with just a teaspoon of flour before folding them into the batter. They won't burst (making your muffins blue) and they will hold their place in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom. A good little tip for any muffins, coffeecakes or breads!Blueberry Muffins topped with Pecan Streusel
(adapted from Cream Puffs in Venice
and Adapted from The Best of BetterBaking.com by Marcy Goldman)

Streusel Topping:
1 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
a generous 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

Muffins:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, grated
1 egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract, optional
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup blueberries (or other fruit: apples, peaches, bananas, coarsely chopped)

Cut together the streusel topping in a small bowl with a fork or pastry cutter. It should be coarse and grainy, like sand. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Get out 2 bowls - one for wet ingredients and one for dry.

Mix together the dry ingredients in the bigger bowl (the flour, salt, baking and soda powders). In the other bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, citrus zest and egg. When smooth, whisk in the buttermilk and extracts. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Gently mix together until fully combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the fruit with some care. The batter will be stiff.

Fill the batter equally among the 12 muffin cups all the way to the top. Cap each muffin with a hefty amount of the streusel topping. It will seem like a lot, but use it all. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for another 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for another 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Makes 12 muffins, obviously. Ivonne says they freeze wonderfully, too!

Salmon Cakes

2006-10-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

My friends Adam and Emily made me these yummy salmon cakes for dinner one night while I was visiting them in Bloomington, IN. They eat them often as a simple supper and leftovers are put on a sandwich the next day.

We had some leftover cooked salmon so I decided to whip these up. Very similar to a crab cake, this recipe uses salmon as a convenient substitute. You can fry these or bake them, as I did, at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10-12 minutes.

Salmon Cakes Salad with Spicy Mayo
(adapted from Rachael Ray)

2 large salmon fillets, cooked, or 2 packets or cans cooked wild salmon
1/2 cup bread crumbs, or crushed saltines
1/2 red pepper, minced
1/4 red or green onion, minced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
freshly grated pepper
2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp Tabasco sauce, to taste
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Spicy Mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp medium salsa
few dashes of Tabasco
few tsp dill pickle relish, optional

Salad Greens of your choice
sliced avocado

Mix together the salmon, eggs, herbs, garlic, onions, peppers, zest, and seasonings. Add the bread crumbs and mix gently to combine. Form 8 salmon cakes from this mixture. If frying them, heat 1/2 inch of olive oil in a skillet and fry the cakes 3-4 minutes per side. Drain well on a paper towel lined plate. If baking, mix 1/4 cup extra bread crumbs with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Place the salmon cakes on an oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with the oiled bread crumbs. This will give it some crunch despite the fact that you aren't frying them.

Dress the salad greens with the juice of the lemon you zested. Arrange 2 cakes per person on top of the greens and lay the avocado slices around the salad. Top each cake with a tablespoon of the spicy mayo. Serves 4.

Tomato Basil Soup

2006-10-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

So, I come back to you today, fellow food lovers, after a seemingly long absence and what do I have to offer you? Tomato soup. Granted, it's really good tomato soup, but not exactly the show stopper you might have expected after almost 2 weeks of no posts. (And not even a garnish in sight! How lazy can you get?) Sure, I've been making my smoothies religiously, and fixing up some sandwiches for lunch, and there was this bright spot of chili making, but other than that, I've been on hiatus. I wasn't confit-ing duck legs or making my own cassoulet or canning my five bushels of tomatoes like some people I know.

It wasn't my idea, really. I've been forced out. Living with my parents again has presented a few challenges and a big one is cooking. I've realized that cooking became a passion for me because the kitchen was my space. Or rather, I made it my space. For the past 5 years now Paul and I have lived in a small apartment that didn't lend itself to privacy. Paul had his office area and I had the kitchen, I guess. It worked beautifully. But, now that I'm using my parent's larger kitchen, there is no privacy, plus I have to take into account whether they'll eat what I make or not. Feeling their suspicious eyes lurking to ensure I don't make anything too "spicy" kind of takes the fun out of it. Cooking has morphed from my Zen time of the day (where my worries are pushed aside) into a slightly stressful, "where the hell is a spatula? Do you have garlic that isn't in a jar?" type of experience. I don't mean to say I need solitude to enjoy cooking, but it helps.

They don't have a box grater. I don't like their knives. I'm not sure if real carrots are grown in this country anymore because I have yet to see anything besides those alternately dry or slimy, shaved off stumps called "baby carrots." None of my go-to basic produce or pantry items are stocked. I love my parents, but I did not get many culinary lessons from them.

One might say, "Megan, this isn't hard. Go get your items that make you happy. Carve out your little nook in the cupboard and cook as you wish!" Well, that is true. I can do that, and to some extent, I have. But, this also brings up a point I think a few of you might relate to. Being a food snob is something I don't deny. I have high expectations and I'm generally grumpy when I don't completely enjoy what I'm eating. Which isn't to say I'm picky, but I feel deeply for that wasted meal. But, when cooking for others who are not as interested in food, who don't love richly flavored food, who have odd "no onion" policies and such - or just really dig KFC - what do we do with these people? How do I cook what I want to cook without being elitist? And when did caring about what you put into your mouth become a snobby way to live? Why do I feel guilty for not using that bottled salad dressing or pre-shredded cheese?

As I was making this tomato soup today my Dad passed by the kitchen and said, "oh, you're at work!" and I thought about how usually it's exactly the opposite. It's not work, it's joy.

The secret to a great tomato soup is adding brown sugar. It cuts the acidity of the tomatoes, especially when using the canned variety. Serve with your favorite grilled cheese. I recommend a goat cheese and fresh basil combo if you're sick of cheddar.

Tomato Basil Soup

1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp white wine
2 tsp dried basil, or 2 Tbsp fresh
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 (28-oz) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen)
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar (to taste)
1/4 cup half & half or heavy cream, optional

Sauté the onion, carrots and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. When the onions are tender, pour in the white wine and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the dried herbs and some salt and pepper.

Pour in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more brown sugar if it is too acidic. Add the fresh basil, if using. You can puree the soup in a blender at this point if you would like a smoother texture. Do it in batches; only fill the blender half full when blending hot liquids. Return the soup back to the pot.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. This soup could be simmered for hours to deepen the flavor or made the day before. Add the fresh basil and cream just before serving. Serves 4.

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

2006-09-27T10:43:00.000-05:00

My mom made this festive fall dish the other evening and I wanted to pass it along to all of you. It was really delicious! This dish definately tastes like fall!

I love squash in all forms - pureed in soups, roasted or mashed - and with this recipe you'll get a nice serving of it! Despite containing sausage, this is actually a pretty healthful, well-balanced dish. And with all the super lean sausage available at supermarkets now, you can find really flavorful low-fat options. This stuffed squash is colorful and looks great on the plate, plus, the method of this recipe could be applied to many other flavor combinations should you want to experiment with it.

This recipe comes from Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious magazine. A few years ago I would've been really skeptical about recipes coming from Taste of Home as most often they contain one, if not many, processed ingredients like canned soup, jello or cool whip. But, recently, I've seen less of these items and recipes that seem, at least at a glance, to have more flavor and fresher ingredients. The photography is nice and since there aren't any advertisements, it's pretty pleasing to flip through. It's still a little bit country for me and I doubt I'll ever turn to it for inspiration, but it's not too bad! I think I've also just moved on from needing recipes like most of the ones published. It feels good that I can concoct something like scalloped potatoes, an easy pasta dish, or a vegetable soup without staring down a recipe.

Microwaving the squash speeds up the prep time for this dish and finishing it in the oven browns the top nicely and brings it together. If your squash are really big and you think half of a squash is too big of a portion, I'm sure you could cut the squash into quarters and simply pile the stuffing on them as best you can. Enjoy these fall flavors!

Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 small to medium acorn squash
1 Tbsp butter
1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage (Italian or whatever flavor you like)
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped (use frozen because of this!)
1 1/2 cups soft fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Slice the squash in half (vertically, through the stem). Remove the seeds and place the squash face up in a microwave-safe dish. Season with salt and pepper and dot the inside of each half with butter. Cover and microwave 10-12 minutes, or until tender.

Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a spatula. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. When the sausage is browned nicely, drain as much fat off as possible.

Beat the egg and milk together in a large mixing bowl and add the bread crumbs, dried cranberries, spinach, sausage and onions. Mix well.

Stuff each half with 1/4 of the sausage mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven. Remove when warmed through and slightly browned on top. Serves 4.

Pumpkin Recipes!

2006-09-25T13:53:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I submitted this yummy Pumpkin Soup with Cumin and Cilantro to Meeta, of What's for Lunch, Honey?, for her From My Rasoi event. The theme was pumpkin and well, now there are all kinds of delicious looking recipes posted here that include pumpkin! Go check them out!

I'll be back soon with more recipes and stories!

Turkey Chili

2006-09-20T17:03:00.000-05:00

I made this for my parents tonight after a friend of mine recommended the recipe to me. I was excited for the first chili of the season and it was quite appropriate to make tonight since the temperature hovered around 50 degrees today and got even cooler in the evening. Bring on the chili! You get the oyster crackers and I'll grate the cheese! (Didn’t everyone grow up with oyster crackers in their chili?!?)

It tasted great and was very satisfying, although I must confess that with a title like Turkey Chili with White Beans, the appearance that comes to mind is more of a white chili. But, this more closely resembles a regular ground beef chili with slightly less of a tomatoey sauce. I really enjoyed the heat level in it and there are also a good amount of beans in there, which I love. I used Penzey's medium hot chili powder (actually, all the spices were Penzey's) so I used a bit less than called for, and Penzey's cocoa powder, which is about twice as strong, so I used less of that, too. It was a good reminder to me that you can use less of good quality spices - and must use a lot more with crap supermarket brands - to achieve the same amount of flavor called for. (I could write a whole blog about Penzey's! I'm such a fan - especially their extra fancy Vietnamese cinnamon!)

This one is a keeper for a somewhat healthier chili with lots of depth while still being easy to put together. Leftovers would be great over a plain baked potato!

Turkey Chili with White Beans
(an Epicurious recipe)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (I used a little less)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
3 cups beef broth (low sodium)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
3 15-oz cans small white beans, rinsed, drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
grated cheddar cheese, optional
sour cream, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes until translucent. Add the oregano and cumin; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the ground turkey to the pan and break apart with a spatula. Brown and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, bay leaves, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Let these spices cook for about 1 minute.

Pour in the canned tomatoes and break them apart a bit. Stir in the tomato sauce and beef broth. Bring this to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the white beans and cilantro and cook 10 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve topped with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Fruit Smoothies!

2006-09-19T02:30:00.000-05:00

Since moving back to the States I’ve struggled with eating a balanced diet while enjoying some of the foods I’ve missed most. We’ve been eating out a lot, which has made me feel rather overloaded and craving simple, good homemade food.

Mostly, it’s been strange to adjust to finding so many packaged foods stocking my family’s shelves. It’s something I’m trying not to be too difficult about, but I am bothered by the amount of “easy” yet illogical shortcuts that so many of us seem to go for when it comes to cooking. Just to see each new and improved something-or-other is enough to numb the mind. I’m just surprised at the amount of advertising there is on every surface that we Americans look at. I see it as amazingly insulting for companies to think that all these eye candy claims of “less fat, more flavor” yada-yada will make us buy their products.

The other night we had some frozen peas that were so proud of themselves because they could be microwaved in their own packaging. I’m so happy to have saved those 10 seconds of opening the bag and putting them in a dish. Damn. Is anybody else thinking about how stupid we all must be if we’ve been conditioned to see this as some huge advantage?

Harrumph! Anyway, other than little spurts of self-righteous mumbling, I’ve been trying to make smart eating choices. And I don’t mean I’m trying to eat only extremely healthy foods, I’m just trying to eat natural foods - foods that haven’t been heavily salted or processed, like raw nuts, breads that don’t contain a ton of preservatives, fresh fruit and veggies, and plenty of protein. And despite that fact that I'm a driver again, I try to walk places occassionally, too!

These fruit smoothies are my new favorite breakfast and I’m on a mission to convert you into a smoothie-maker if you aren’t one already. My in-laws have one every morning and turned me onto the idea. With drinking a large smoothie every morning for breakfast, I get all of my servings of fruit for the day out of the way, plus with the added protein powder and soy yogurt, I’m not starving by the time lunch rolls around. It’s just the best way to start the day! I can’t tell you how good it feels. (If you are hesitant about using protein powder, don't worry about it - it's not just for body building! Protein with each meal is a good idea!)

Maybe you’ve made smoothies before…maybe you’re not that excited by the idea, but let me tell you that this is different. This is the ultimate creamy milkshake. You must try it!
Fresh Fruit Smoothies

1 banana, peeled (or 2 short ones)
½ cup blueberries
½ cup strawberries
2 apples, peaches or pears
¼ cup pomegranate juice
1 to 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy yogurt (I like a lot in mine!)
1 scoop (about 2 Tbsp) soy (or whey) protein powder
about 1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Smoothies are, by nature, variable things, so you may want to play around with the amounts to suit your liking. I can tell you that I like mine light on the ice, which makes the milkshakey texture that I like. The combination of pomegranate juice, blueberries and soy protein is amazingly good for you, too. Play around with your own favorite combos.

Rinse all of the fruit in cold water. Peel the bananas and slice or roughly break apart the larger pieces of fruit. Puree all of the fruit in a blender until smooth, adding the pomegranate juice as needed. Once the fruit is smooth, with the blender running, add in the yogurt, protein powder, and finally, the ice. Blend until smooth and frothy. Makes 2 large, all-you-need for breakfast servings.

Enjoy – with a straw!

P.S. I enjoyed this beautifully colored smoothie this morning and the proportions went like this:

1 cup of my mom's homegrown blueberries, frozen
1/4 cup organic apple juice
1 cup vanilla soy yogurt
2 small peaches
2 short bananas
1 heaping Tbsp soy protein powder
1 cup ice cubes

Having frozen blueberries let me decrease the amount of ice, and I find that I enjoy a lot of yogurt in my smoothie for a really creamy texture and sweet taste - so I could've used more than one cup. Experiment as you see fit!

My 100th Post!

2006-09-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

Oh, Blog, How I've Missed You! After over a week without blogging, I hope to get back into the swing of things soon.

This is my 100th post and I thought I'd mark the occasion by making a list of my favorite posts and some of the recipes that I make most often. I've had some fun reading over some of my old posts and I hope you will too! Here we go!

The Repeat Offenders in my Kitchen are:

Chicken Curry with Cashews is something Paul and I crave.

Chicken Enchiladas are fun to make together and always great to make in quantity to have leftovers to go in the freezer for whenever you need a quick meal!

Taco Salad with Chicken and Black Beans always satisfies on a hot day!

This Boeuf à la Bourguignon was a lot of work, but just about the most amazing stew I've tasted!

Salade au Chèvre Chaud will always bring back memories of Paris to me.

Cool Autumn days will be begging for this Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée.

Roasted Cauliflower has become a staple side dish at Chez Mégane.

Quiche did become a standard for us in Paris...this time Zucchini and Tomato Quiche!

Tina's Vegetable Filled Crêpes are comfort food at their best!

This Strawberry Clafoutis has been one of my favorite desserts this year!

Who couldn't love these Chocolate Brownie Cookies?

Gin & Tonics...but you knew that already!

My Favorite New Recipes Tried Last Year!

Tartiflette was one of the more satisfying things I've made. It's a rich, heavy French dish of the very best kind!

Tzatziki makes the most wonderful appetizer dip.

Black Bean Lasagna was a really really good tasting recipe I concocted one evening. I know it will stick around and make appearances at dinner more often!

What are your staple dishes? What's the best new thing you've tried lately?

Salmon, 2 Ways!

2006-09-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

We were served a wonderful dinner on our 2nd wedding anniversary last Sunday. We're often treated to fantastic Sunday dinners with Paul's family and it has become one of the best parts about coming back to visit. After all, the first time I ever met his family was one Sunday evening 8 years ago.

I remember there being Tater Tots for dinner, among other things, although I'm not sure Paul's Mom would remember it that way. I say that because she is a magnificent cook and the idea of her serving tater tots is so far removed from her normally elegant dinners, it is almost laughable. This dinner last Sunday, however, did not include frozen potatoes, but instead this elegant salmon, mashed red-skinned potatoes, a spinach salad decked out with tomatoes from the garden, kalamata olives and fresh mozzarella, and perfectly seasoned pencil-thin asparagus spears. It was SO good. Isn't there something fantastic about pairing salmon and asparagus?

Paul still had his very rare filet mignon since he's like that, but the rest of us made quick work of devouring this salmon. Paul's mom enjoys it because, "you can't taste the salmon," but I enjoy the taste of salmon and I still think this is great! It's also really simple and healthful.

Roasted Salmon with Macadamia Nut Crust

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1 full salmon fillet, about 2 1/2 pounds, skin on and any bones removed
1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 C). Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add the macadamia nuts. Cook 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Remove them from the heat.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a roasting pan. (Place in the oven for a few minutes). Place the salmon filet in the roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Spread the toasted nuts over the salmon. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.

Transfer the salmon to a serving platter. Sprinkle the cilantro and fresh lime juice over the salmon before serving.

Two days later, my Mom served us this grilled salmon. It's her staple salmon recipe and it's just as delicious as more complex preparations. I'm so happy to finally have the recipe because I always enjoy it so much. I don't have a picture, but it looks great; I promise! There isn't really a dominant flavor, but a nice balance between the soy sauce, basil, lemon and parmesan. This is also nice because the skin on the fish stays on the pan while the filet can be lifted off easily for serving.

Obviously, our moms have perfected the easy-to-fix yet flavorful salmon recipes! Try this one soon!

Grilled Salmon with Herbed Lemon Parmesan Crust

1 pound salmon fillets
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp dried or fresh basil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp soy sauce
3-4 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper

Combine the lemon juice, zest, vinegar, basil, garlic powder and soy sauce in a small cup or bowl. Place the salmon fillets (can be in individual fillets or one big piece...) on a foil lined roasting dish. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Pour the lemon soy sauce evenly over the salmon and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Put the pan on a medium-high grill and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes, or less for smaller fillets. Alternately, roast in a high heat oven (425 degrees F) for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon.

For an expert description of how to perfectly cook fish, look here at Beyond Salmon for this great explanation, and much more info about cooking all types of fish!

I'm sending these recipes over to Kalyn's Kitchen for Weekend Herb Blogging - Go check out all the other herbaceous recipes this Sunday!

Five Things to Eat Before You Die...

2006-09-04T14:39:00.000-05:00

Top 5...top 5. What are the top 5 foods I've eaten in my life? I feel like I eat pretty well most of the time (and you know I enjoy my food!) so this one was tough for me. If you're a reader of The Traveler's Lunchbox (and if you aren't...why not?!?!) you have seen the lists of great ideas on the five things to eat before you die. I was stewing about what mine would be, but left it to simmer while I went about packing and moving over an ocean.

Then Tanna tagged me and it got my mind spinning again with ideas about my favorite foods. This type of list is tough for me. Not being one to ever want to write anything in stone, I had to spin the idea around to be the top 5 things I've had that will let me die a happy woman! It's my nature to remember the classics over the innovators, so I guess nostalgia took over a bit. Plus, isn't location pretty important in this?

1. A cold Gin & Tonic each summer, sitting on the deck of the lake house (which sits secluded on its own island) in Canada. (McGregor Bay area, to be more precise.) True relaxation does not exist for me except this.

2. Sharing un éclair au chocolat with your sweetie in Paris. Perhaps in the Palais Royal gardens or Parc Monceau?

3. Bœuf Bourguignon, ideally from Chez René in the 5eme. They are bit chilly with the welcome, but the food will more than make up for it. (14, blvd Saint Germain, 5e)

4. A homemade Italian family-style feast at an agriturismo in Faenza, Italy. Each evening, an amazing array of raviolis filled with simple cheese and spinach, or speck and radicchio were followed by huge servings of grilled meats and potatoes before we even got to salad or dessert! If only I had known how important the word basta! would be...

5. Sharing a meal of Raclette in the French Alps. A half-moon wheel of raclette about 2 feet wide is placed on a contraption with a burner fitted just over the cut side of the cheese. Fill your plate with mixed charcuterie, boiled potatoes, cornichons and pearl onions. Wait. A few minutes later, slide the cheese wheel out from under the burner and scrape off the bubbling cheese onto your plate. Devour with joy!

Psst! Don't tell!
5.1. A relaxing quiche and salad lunch on the terrace of L'Ete en Pente Douce, a cafe just near the Sacre Coeur in the 18th arr. Don't forget the glass of wine! (23, rue Muller)

There are so many more, but I'll stop there. What are your top 5?