I had a great time yesterday at the chili cook-off that Gina Hyams sponsored to celebrate her new "cookbook in a box" project. Jeremy Stanton graciously offered to host it at The Meat Market. For me the big draw of the cook-off was that the proceeds were donated to the Share the Bounty program of Berkshire Grown. It's a wonderful project that makes contributions to CSAs whose shares are then donated to WIC participants or food kitchens.
About 15 (?) of us who competed for "best chili," and I'm sorry to say I didn't make the cut. But what fun it was to be up against such terrific competitors! Most of the entries featured some sort of meat, but there were some meat-free chilis, too.
I dug out a Very Old recipe for Seafood Chili that we used to eat at Hosteria Fiorella on Third Avenue back in the day. It was such a popular dish that eventually the recipe was published in New York magazine. I clipped it out , filed it away, and probably didn't make it in the next 25 years. But when I heard that Gina was doing a chili cook-off, it was the first idea that popped into my mind.
Since I hadn't made it in so long, I prepared a batch a few weeks ago for friends to taste. They pronounced it "the best" and asssured me I'd win the contest. Well, they were wrong. At least about the winning part. Because it is really delicious.
If you want to treat yourself, family and friends to a great dish, here's the recipe:
3 slices pancetta, roughly chopped
10 T evo
1 c finely diced yellow onion
10 cloves garlic, crushed
3 fresh chili peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
3/4 c white wine
Approximately 6 oz each fresh chicken and turkey link sausage, precooked for 7 minuutes, and then cut into 1/2" slices
3 c chopped tomatoes
2 c plus 6 T canned tomato sauce
2 1/2 c canned Great Northern white beans, drained
3/4 lb fish fillet (such as flounder), cut in small cubes
3/4 lb calamari, cut in rings
30 littleneck clams, minced
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 t cumin powder
salt to taste
2 T cracked black pepper
4 T each chopped parsley and basil
6 T chopped cilantro
In large pot, saute pancetta in olive oil until crisp. Add onion, garlic, and chili peppers, and cook until tender. Deglaze pan with wine, then add sausage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beans, and simmer over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes
Add fish, calamari, clams and shrimp. Season with cumin, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring for about 10 minutes. Stir in fresh herbs and cook for 1 minute longer.
Delish!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
It's canning time again
Late August-early September is prime canning time. I've already got two dozen jars of honeyed peaches just waiting for me to give them to a hostess or simply eat them myself. But this year my attention is on trying to perfect my pickling prowess. Last year at the Berkshire Grown Preserve Swap, I got the most sensationally delicious jar of pickled green tomatoes and gobbled them down in less than a week. I don't know who made them, but if you're reading this and you brought them to the Swap, many thanks!
I was so done in by those pickled green tomatoes that I wanted to make my own. So far I've made several batches. The ones I didn't put through a water bath are marvelous--tart and very crispy. The ones I did put through a water bath are extremely disappointing. Much too mushy and no crunch. I hadn't realized that a large part of enjoying pickled green tomatoes was the bite factor. If they're mushy, forget about it!
But I have this fantasy of enjoying crispy pickled green tomatoes all winter long but how to accomplish that? So I did what we all do these days--went to Google. Well, who knew that fresh grape leaves apparently keep enough of the crunch in the vegetable even after the water bath. And lucky me--I just happen to have a beautiful grape arbor with hundreds (or is it thousands) of leaves (not to mention beautiful bunches of grapes that will be ready to eat soonest).
I can't report on the experiment with the grape leaves yet, but I can share with you the recipes I used for dill pickles, rosemary and sage quick pickles, and pickled garlic (who knew that pickled garlic is as versatile as fresh garlic??).
There are probably thousands of recipes for dill pickles. I suspect most of them are good. This is the one I'm using now.
1 c distilled white vinegar
3 c water
1/2 c canning or pickling salt
8-10 medium-size Kirby cukes (ca. 1 lb) scrubbed and left whole (although I sliced them to fit them in the jar)
3 springs fresh dill or 1 1/2 t dill seed
1 red bell pepper, stems and seeds removed, cut into thick strips
In a nonreactive pot, mix together vinegar, water, and salt. Bring to boil, stirring until salt dissolves.
In the meantime, sterilize jars and lids. Pack quart-size jars with cucumbers, and add equal amounts of dill and red peppers to each jar.
Pour boiling brine over cukes leaving about 1" fee at top of jar. Screw lids on and process in hot-water bath for 10-15 minutes to seal.
For flavors to fully develop, store jars in cupboard for about 3 weeks. Once opened, they can be store in the refrigerator for 6 months. Sealed they will keep for a year.
Pickled Garlic (from Food in Jars website)
1 lb fresh garlic, peeled
1 c red wine vinegar
1 c water
1 T pickling or canning salt
Prepare 3 half pint jars and lids in hot water bath.
Combine vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Pack garlic cloves into prepared jars. Pour hot brine over garlic cloves.
Tap jars gently to remove any trapped air bubbles. If necessary, add more brine to return the headspace to within 1/2".
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes (after water returns to boil).
Make sure all lids are sealed. Store jars in cool, dark place. They're ready to eat within 48 hours, and can be kept for up to a year.
Although this is the time of year when canning and pickling gets the most attention, I have a wonderful recipe for rosemary and sage quick pickles that can be made at any time of year since cucumbers are a year-round staple in grocery stores. Susan Johnson, my wonderful gardener, gave me this recipe a few years ago. I treasure it.
Rosemary and Sage Quick Pickles
1 small red or white onion, thinly sliced
2 c sliced cucumber
2-4 sprigs rosemary
4-8 sage leaves
1/3 c cider vinegar
1 T pickling or canning or kosher salt
1 c cold water
Slice cukes into 1/4" rounds. Tightly pack sliced cucumbers and herbs in a 16-oz clean glass jar until about 3/4 full.
Combine vinegar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and gently stir until salt dissolves. Remove from heat.
Add cold water to this mixture and let cool. Pour cooled liquid in jar to cover cucumbrs and herbs. Add more cold water if necessary. Leave room at the top. Refrigerate for about an hour until chilled. Delish!
P.S. I often slice up a red pepper and add to the mix.
I hope to be back at this blog soon with more reports on pickling.
I was so done in by those pickled green tomatoes that I wanted to make my own. So far I've made several batches. The ones I didn't put through a water bath are marvelous--tart and very crispy. The ones I did put through a water bath are extremely disappointing. Much too mushy and no crunch. I hadn't realized that a large part of enjoying pickled green tomatoes was the bite factor. If they're mushy, forget about it!
But I have this fantasy of enjoying crispy pickled green tomatoes all winter long but how to accomplish that? So I did what we all do these days--went to Google. Well, who knew that fresh grape leaves apparently keep enough of the crunch in the vegetable even after the water bath. And lucky me--I just happen to have a beautiful grape arbor with hundreds (or is it thousands) of leaves (not to mention beautiful bunches of grapes that will be ready to eat soonest).
I can't report on the experiment with the grape leaves yet, but I can share with you the recipes I used for dill pickles, rosemary and sage quick pickles, and pickled garlic (who knew that pickled garlic is as versatile as fresh garlic??).
There are probably thousands of recipes for dill pickles. I suspect most of them are good. This is the one I'm using now.
1 c distilled white vinegar
3 c water
1/2 c canning or pickling salt
8-10 medium-size Kirby cukes (ca. 1 lb) scrubbed and left whole (although I sliced them to fit them in the jar)
3 springs fresh dill or 1 1/2 t dill seed
1 red bell pepper, stems and seeds removed, cut into thick strips
In a nonreactive pot, mix together vinegar, water, and salt. Bring to boil, stirring until salt dissolves.
In the meantime, sterilize jars and lids. Pack quart-size jars with cucumbers, and add equal amounts of dill and red peppers to each jar.
Pour boiling brine over cukes leaving about 1" fee at top of jar. Screw lids on and process in hot-water bath for 10-15 minutes to seal.
For flavors to fully develop, store jars in cupboard for about 3 weeks. Once opened, they can be store in the refrigerator for 6 months. Sealed they will keep for a year.
Pickled Garlic (from Food in Jars website)
1 lb fresh garlic, peeled
1 c red wine vinegar
1 c water
1 T pickling or canning salt
Prepare 3 half pint jars and lids in hot water bath.
Combine vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Pack garlic cloves into prepared jars. Pour hot brine over garlic cloves.
Tap jars gently to remove any trapped air bubbles. If necessary, add more brine to return the headspace to within 1/2".
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes (after water returns to boil).
Make sure all lids are sealed. Store jars in cool, dark place. They're ready to eat within 48 hours, and can be kept for up to a year.
Although this is the time of year when canning and pickling gets the most attention, I have a wonderful recipe for rosemary and sage quick pickles that can be made at any time of year since cucumbers are a year-round staple in grocery stores. Susan Johnson, my wonderful gardener, gave me this recipe a few years ago. I treasure it.
Rosemary and Sage Quick Pickles
1 small red or white onion, thinly sliced
2 c sliced cucumber
2-4 sprigs rosemary
4-8 sage leaves
1/3 c cider vinegar
1 T pickling or canning or kosher salt
1 c cold water
Slice cukes into 1/4" rounds. Tightly pack sliced cucumbers and herbs in a 16-oz clean glass jar until about 3/4 full.
Combine vinegar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and gently stir until salt dissolves. Remove from heat.
Add cold water to this mixture and let cool. Pour cooled liquid in jar to cover cucumbrs and herbs. Add more cold water if necessary. Leave room at the top. Refrigerate for about an hour until chilled. Delish!
P.S. I often slice up a red pepper and add to the mix.
I hope to be back at this blog soon with more reports on pickling.
Monday, July 9, 2012
I'm one lucky lady. Why? Because my friends are excellent cooks. In fact, I choose not to be friends with people who don't love to cook. I mean, what's the point? And when the friends who love to cook also grow a lot of their own ingredients, and it's summer, well, who knows what feast awaits us.
So I'll tell you about tonight's amazing dinner. Bobby and Eric, who live (at least sometimes) in Alford, served an 8-course meal, much of which came from right outside their kitchen window. We always have a grand time at dinner, but tonight was super special because the food had just come into the house and couldn't be fresher or more delicious.
Imagine a menu that reads like this: (*means from their garden)
Eric's July 9 Salad of avocado, grapefruit and cucumber* with pine nuts and EVOO (well, okay, avocado and grapefruit aren't local but the cucumbers are)
Bobby's mixed bag Caesar Salad with homegrown red* and romaine* lettuces
Grilled Swordfih with housemade pesto from home grown basil*
Grilled baby zucchini* with zucchini flowers*
Brown rice
Braised kale*
Housemade frozen goat yogurt with homegrown blueberries*
Nasty note--mushy watermelon from Taft Farms - nyet and yuck
As the summer months progress, more and more of our meals will come from the garden and they'll just get better and more copious and everyone will be happy. Particularly me. Just so you know.
I owe you another post about the pickling beets experience through which I just suffered. And the chive infused vinegar I'm giving out as party favors at my next dinner party. But it's late and I'm off to bed so that post will have to wait til morning. G'night.
So I'll tell you about tonight's amazing dinner. Bobby and Eric, who live (at least sometimes) in Alford, served an 8-course meal, much of which came from right outside their kitchen window. We always have a grand time at dinner, but tonight was super special because the food had just come into the house and couldn't be fresher or more delicious.
Imagine a menu that reads like this: (*means from their garden)
Eric's July 9 Salad of avocado, grapefruit and cucumber* with pine nuts and EVOO (well, okay, avocado and grapefruit aren't local but the cucumbers are)
Bobby's mixed bag Caesar Salad with homegrown red* and romaine* lettuces
Grilled Swordfih with housemade pesto from home grown basil*
Grilled baby zucchini* with zucchini flowers*
Brown rice
Braised kale*
Housemade frozen goat yogurt with homegrown blueberries*
Nasty note--mushy watermelon from Taft Farms - nyet and yuck
As the summer months progress, more and more of our meals will come from the garden and they'll just get better and more copious and everyone will be happy. Particularly me. Just so you know.
I owe you another post about the pickling beets experience through which I just suffered. And the chive infused vinegar I'm giving out as party favors at my next dinner party. But it's late and I'm off to bed so that post will have to wait til morning. G'night.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Perfect dishes for Memorial Day weekend pot luck celebrations
My son and his family usually visit on Memorial Day weekend but this year they went to Mexico, leaving me to my own devices. Luckily various of my friends put together pot luck dinners on all three nights of the long weekend so I got to cook (but not too much) and enjoy convivial gatherings.
On Saturday I made what has quickly become a classic, "Momofuko Bo Ssam," from the cookbook by super chef David Chang. It's a pork butt roasted all day until it falls off the bone, served with a variety of condiments redolent of Korean cooking. It's not only simple beyond simple, but after the first bite, everyone in the room is demanding the recipe. It's become my friend Eric's go-to dish for groups over 4 or 5, and now it's mine, too. You gotta try it soonest. Perhaps July 4 weekend will work for you.
Momofuko Bo Ssam
Pork Butt
1 whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham (8-10 lbs)
1 c white sugar
1 c plus 1 T kosher salt
7 T brown sugar
Ginger-Scallion Sauce
2 1/2 c thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
1/2 c peeled, minced fresh ginger
1/4 c neutral oil (like grapeseed)
1 1/2 t light soy sauce
1 scant t sherry vinegar
1/2 t kosher salt, or to taste
Ssam Sauce
2 T fermented bean-and-chili paste (ssamjang, available in many Asian markets and online) (I got something similar at Guido's)
1 T chili paste (kochujang, ditto above)
1/2 c sherry vinegar
1/2 neutral oil (like grapeseed)
Accompaniments
2 c plain white rice, cooked
3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1 dozen or more fresh oysters (optional and I skipped them)
Kimchi (if you can't find kimchi, try sauerkraut)
Place pork in large, shallow bowl. Mix white sugar and 1 c of salt together in another bowl, then rub mixture all over the meat. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
When you're ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove pork from refrigerator and discard any juices. Place pork in roasting pan and set in overn. Cook for approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (After the first hour, baste hourly with pan juices). At this point, you may reove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour. (mine rested a bit longer than that with no ill effects)
Meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. In a large bowl, combine scallions with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and taste, adding salt if needed.
Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine chili pastes with the vinegar nad oil, mix well.
Prepare rice, wash lettuce, and if using, shuck oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.
When your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready to serve the food, turn oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining T of salt with the brown sugar. Rub this mixture all over the cooked pork. Place in oven for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat. Serve hot, with accompaniments.
NB: You'll notice that the bottom of your pan is burnt. A lot. But have no fear. Just soak it overnight, and scrub like hell the next day.
Okay, like I said, this dish evokes squeals of delight. Not only is it a real crowd pleaser, but if you're lucky the crowd isn't too big so you get some serious leftovers to enjoy the next day.
So the Bo Ssam was Saturday night. Sunday night a friend had a pot luck party where she grilled lamb and chicken. She coated the lamb with a mixture of Dijon mustard, chopped anchovies, olive oil, chopped garlic, and rosemary (well, she was supposed to use rosemary but her brother hates it so she used something else but it was still delish).
Years ago when I was taking cooking classes at was then the Peter Kump cooking school, a friend I'd met in class told me about a recipe she'd learned from the first woman to be appointed the chef to the French president. Th chef coated the lamb with Dijon mustard, mixed with olive oil, chopped garlic, and rosemary. Then she laid anchovies across the top on the lamb, so the anchovies melted, making the sauce a heavenly aromatic and taste sensation. I tweaked the recipe a bit by chopping the anchovies and including them in the mixture I rubbed on the lamb.
Okay. So the hostess grilled the lamb and chicken, and made a delicious watermelon and feta salad (such a great combination!), along with a fresh green salad. One of the guests brought phenomenally wonderful peach/strawberry pies. And I made a potato salad I'd just read about on the long-running blog Smitten Kitchen. OMG, it's divine!
Tzaziki Potato Salad
4 lb potatoes (preferably Yukon golds)
1 3/4 c Greek yogurt
1/4 c sour cream
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T minced fresh dill
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 hothouse or English cucumber (1 lb), unpeeled but quartered lengthwise, seeds removed
More ideas for additions: crumbled feta (yes!), chopped green olives (yes!), chopped fresh mint leaves or a minced hot chile
In a medium pot, cover your potatoes with cold water and bring them to boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to med-high and let potatoes simmer until tender enough that they can be pierced easily with a skewer or thin knife. That's roughly 30 minutes, but might be shorter, depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain potatoes and let them cool completely.
Once potatoes are cool, cut tiny ones into quarters or large ones into generous chunks.
In bottom of a large bowl, stir together yogurt, sour cream, lemon juie, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper. Add potatoes.
Grate cucumber on a box grater, and try to remove some of the excess by putting it in a lint-free dish towel. Add to yogurt mixture.
Add any additional ingredients. Adjust seasonings (mine needed more salt). Either eat immediately (yes!) or keep in fridge for up to 3 days.
For the party on the third night of the holiday weekend, I brought a large green salad picked entirely from my garden, and several pounds of the first bing cherries of the season. Yes, folks, summer is here!
My son and his family usually visit on Memorial Day weekend but this year they went to Mexico, leaving me to my own devices. Luckily various of my friends put together pot luck dinners on all three nights of the long weekend so I got to cook (but not too much) and enjoy convivial gatherings.
On Saturday I made what has quickly become a classic, "Momofuko Bo Ssam," from the cookbook by super chef David Chang. It's a pork butt roasted all day until it falls off the bone, served with a variety of condiments redolent of Korean cooking. It's not only simple beyond simple, but after the first bite, everyone in the room is demanding the recipe. It's become my friend Eric's go-to dish for groups over 4 or 5, and now it's mine, too. You gotta try it soonest. Perhaps July 4 weekend will work for you.
Momofuko Bo Ssam
Pork Butt
1 whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham (8-10 lbs)
1 c white sugar
1 c plus 1 T kosher salt
7 T brown sugar
Ginger-Scallion Sauce
2 1/2 c thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
1/2 c peeled, minced fresh ginger
1/4 c neutral oil (like grapeseed)
1 1/2 t light soy sauce
1 scant t sherry vinegar
1/2 t kosher salt, or to taste
Ssam Sauce
2 T fermented bean-and-chili paste (ssamjang, available in many Asian markets and online) (I got something similar at Guido's)
1 T chili paste (kochujang, ditto above)
1/2 c sherry vinegar
1/2 neutral oil (like grapeseed)
Accompaniments
2 c plain white rice, cooked
3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1 dozen or more fresh oysters (optional and I skipped them)
Kimchi (if you can't find kimchi, try sauerkraut)
Place pork in large, shallow bowl. Mix white sugar and 1 c of salt together in another bowl, then rub mixture all over the meat. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
When you're ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove pork from refrigerator and discard any juices. Place pork in roasting pan and set in overn. Cook for approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (After the first hour, baste hourly with pan juices). At this point, you may reove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour. (mine rested a bit longer than that with no ill effects)
Meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. In a large bowl, combine scallions with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and taste, adding salt if needed.
Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine chili pastes with the vinegar nad oil, mix well.
Prepare rice, wash lettuce, and if using, shuck oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.
When your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready to serve the food, turn oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining T of salt with the brown sugar. Rub this mixture all over the cooked pork. Place in oven for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat. Serve hot, with accompaniments.
NB: You'll notice that the bottom of your pan is burnt. A lot. But have no fear. Just soak it overnight, and scrub like hell the next day.
Okay, like I said, this dish evokes squeals of delight. Not only is it a real crowd pleaser, but if you're lucky the crowd isn't too big so you get some serious leftovers to enjoy the next day.
So the Bo Ssam was Saturday night. Sunday night a friend had a pot luck party where she grilled lamb and chicken. She coated the lamb with a mixture of Dijon mustard, chopped anchovies, olive oil, chopped garlic, and rosemary (well, she was supposed to use rosemary but her brother hates it so she used something else but it was still delish).
Years ago when I was taking cooking classes at was then the Peter Kump cooking school, a friend I'd met in class told me about a recipe she'd learned from the first woman to be appointed the chef to the French president. Th chef coated the lamb with Dijon mustard, mixed with olive oil, chopped garlic, and rosemary. Then she laid anchovies across the top on the lamb, so the anchovies melted, making the sauce a heavenly aromatic and taste sensation. I tweaked the recipe a bit by chopping the anchovies and including them in the mixture I rubbed on the lamb.
Okay. So the hostess grilled the lamb and chicken, and made a delicious watermelon and feta salad (such a great combination!), along with a fresh green salad. One of the guests brought phenomenally wonderful peach/strawberry pies. And I made a potato salad I'd just read about on the long-running blog Smitten Kitchen. OMG, it's divine!
Tzaziki Potato Salad
4 lb potatoes (preferably Yukon golds)
1 3/4 c Greek yogurt
1/4 c sour cream
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T minced fresh dill
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 hothouse or English cucumber (1 lb), unpeeled but quartered lengthwise, seeds removed
More ideas for additions: crumbled feta (yes!), chopped green olives (yes!), chopped fresh mint leaves or a minced hot chile
In a medium pot, cover your potatoes with cold water and bring them to boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to med-high and let potatoes simmer until tender enough that they can be pierced easily with a skewer or thin knife. That's roughly 30 minutes, but might be shorter, depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain potatoes and let them cool completely.
Once potatoes are cool, cut tiny ones into quarters or large ones into generous chunks.
In bottom of a large bowl, stir together yogurt, sour cream, lemon juie, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper. Add potatoes.
Grate cucumber on a box grater, and try to remove some of the excess by putting it in a lint-free dish towel. Add to yogurt mixture.
Add any additional ingredients. Adjust seasonings (mine needed more salt). Either eat immediately (yes!) or keep in fridge for up to 3 days.
For the party on the third night of the holiday weekend, I brought a large green salad picked entirely from my garden, and several pounds of the first bing cherries of the season. Yes, folks, summer is here!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Welcome spring! Asparagus and soft shell crabs
Thursday I cut about a pound of beautiful asparagus growing in my garden. I chopped tthem up coarsely and boiled them in salted water (to cover) until they were tender, about 5-7 minutes. When tender, I removed them from the pot and placed them in a blender, along with some of the water to thin it out. I like salt so I added some, and then about a tablespoon of good olive oil. That's it. Three ingredients, four if you count the water, about 12-13 minutes and voila--you have a bowl of the essence of spring. Inhaling asparagus is invigorating. And eating the soup is a leisurely delight. I heartily recommend it.
By the way, the recipe, such as it is, comes from "The Art of Eating," a splendid newsletter that's been published for 25 years by Ed Behr. It's featured in his new cookbook, "The Best of The Art of Eating."
Then yesterday I picked up some soft shell crabs at Rubiner's and headed to friends' house where we sauteed them. Luckily Matt's crew executes the crabs and cleans them, so fixing them couldn't be easier. I checked out a few cookbooks to see what the pros do, and mostly it's just dipping them into a plate of milk, and then dipping them into some seasoned flour (salt and pepper), and then sauteeing them in a large cast-iron skillet with the right amount of butter and a bit of olive oil. They need about 4-5 minutes per side. And that's it. I mean, what could be easier? And more delicious!
Neither the asparagus nor the soft shell crabs will be around after a few more weeks, so I intend to keep making these dishes frequently to get my fill before they disappear again until next year.
Happily....Laury
By the way, the recipe, such as it is, comes from "The Art of Eating," a splendid newsletter that's been published for 25 years by Ed Behr. It's featured in his new cookbook, "The Best of The Art of Eating."
Then yesterday I picked up some soft shell crabs at Rubiner's and headed to friends' house where we sauteed them. Luckily Matt's crew executes the crabs and cleans them, so fixing them couldn't be easier. I checked out a few cookbooks to see what the pros do, and mostly it's just dipping them into a plate of milk, and then dipping them into some seasoned flour (salt and pepper), and then sauteeing them in a large cast-iron skillet with the right amount of butter and a bit of olive oil. They need about 4-5 minutes per side. And that's it. I mean, what could be easier? And more delicious!
Neither the asparagus nor the soft shell crabs will be around after a few more weeks, so I intend to keep making these dishes frequently to get my fill before they disappear again until next year.
Happily....Laury
Monday, March 12, 2012
Chocolate Espresso Snowflakes
Now that I'm finally over my winter ailments, I'm back to cooking and entertaining. The other night a few friends came to dinner, where I treated them to the delish Braised Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Green Olives (see Dec 4 2011 post for recipe). This goes sensationally over Israeli couscous, and that pretty much covers the entree (well, except for some roasted asparagus).
Dessert featured some of my honeyed peaches I put up last summer. But the star was Amy Rudnick's unbelievably delicious Chocolate Espresso cookies. The espresso flavor is splendid. I insisted on getting the recipe, and plan to make them for this week's festivities. Thank you Amy!
Chocolate Espresso Cookies
Dessert featured some of my honeyed peaches I put up last summer. But the star was Amy Rudnick's unbelievably delicious Chocolate Espresso cookies. The espresso flavor is splendid. I insisted on getting the recipe, and plan to make them for this week's festivities. Thank you Amy!
Chocolate Espresso Cookies
| ½ | c flour |
| ¼ | c unsweetened cocoa powder |
| 4 | t instant espresso |
| 1 | t baking powder |
| ⅛ | t salt |
| 4 | T unsalted butter (softened) |
| ⅔ | c packed light brown sugar |
| 1 | egg |
| 4 | oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled |
| 1 | T milk |
| confectioners sugar, about ½ cup |
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In electric mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Mix in chocolate.
With mixer on low, gradually add in flour mixture. Beat in milk.
Remove dough and flatter into a disk. Wrap in plastic and freeze about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour confectioners sugar into a medium bowl. Shape dough into 1” balls and roll in confectioners sugar, making sure they are entirely coated
Place on baking sheet about 2” apart.
Bake 12 inutes. Cookies will have spread and sugar coating will appear cracked. Cookies will be soft to the touch.
Cool on wire rack.
In electric mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Mix in chocolate.
With mixer on low, gradually add in flour mixture. Beat in milk.
Remove dough and flatter into a disk. Wrap in plastic and freeze about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour confectioners sugar into a medium bowl. Shape dough into 1” balls and roll in confectioners sugar, making sure they are entirely coated
Place on baking sheet about 2” apart.
Bake 12 inutes. Cookies will have spread and sugar coating will appear cracked. Cookies will be soft to the touch.
Cool on wire rack.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Who knew how fast time flies??
This blog has been empty for far too long. Chalk it up to a nasty flu, infection and extraordinarily long recuperation. For weeks I couldn't eat, let alone cook. But life is better, so it's time to share two recipes, one new to me, the other a longstanding favorite.
When I'm at a loss as to what to serve, I always find that Ina Garten always has delicious suggestions. The other night I made her Cape Cod Chopped Salad, which was even better than I thought it would be. See what you think.
Cape Cod Chopped Salad
Salad
8 oz thick-cut bacon, such as Niman Ranch
8 oz baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 c toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1/2 c dried cranberries
6 oz bleu cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
Dressing
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 t grated orange zest
2 T freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 t Dijon mustard
2 T maple syrup
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2/3 c good olive oil
Preheat oven to 400.
Place baking rack on sheet pan and lay bacon slices on the rack. Roast bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.
In large bowl, toss together arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and bleu cheese.
For dressing, whisk together vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 t salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
Chop bacon in large pieces and add to salad. Toss salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 t more salt and toss well.
Serve immediately.
P.S. This makes a lot more dressing than you're going to use on this salad. My latest treat is chopped grape tomatoes with chopped Armenian cucumbers, so I'm now using the rest of this dressing on them. Delicious!
At a recent dinner party, I had a craving to serve creamed mushrooms, a "recipe" I made up years ago. I suspect it's a variation on some recipe I'd found somewhere, but now I consider it my own. The trick is to get good soy sauce.
Creamed Mushrooms
1 lb shitake and cremini mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
2 T butter
1-2 T olive oil
1 T flour (give or take)
Milk as needed
S&P
Soy sauce
A bit of Worcestshire sauce
Saute mushrooms in butter and olive oil. When mushrooms are tender, add flour and toss with mushrooms. Then add milk, enough that it makes a good sauce but not so much that you drown the mushrooms. As they're finishing, add soy sauce (start with 1 T and add more to taste), a bit of Worcestshire sauce (again to taste), polish off with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Marvelously delicious and can accompany almost any meal.
When I'm at a loss as to what to serve, I always find that Ina Garten always has delicious suggestions. The other night I made her Cape Cod Chopped Salad, which was even better than I thought it would be. See what you think.
Cape Cod Chopped Salad
Salad
8 oz thick-cut bacon, such as Niman Ranch
8 oz baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 c toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1/2 c dried cranberries
6 oz bleu cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
Dressing
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 t grated orange zest
2 T freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 t Dijon mustard
2 T maple syrup
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2/3 c good olive oil
Preheat oven to 400.
Place baking rack on sheet pan and lay bacon slices on the rack. Roast bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.
In large bowl, toss together arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and bleu cheese.
For dressing, whisk together vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 t salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
Chop bacon in large pieces and add to salad. Toss salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 t more salt and toss well.
Serve immediately.
P.S. This makes a lot more dressing than you're going to use on this salad. My latest treat is chopped grape tomatoes with chopped Armenian cucumbers, so I'm now using the rest of this dressing on them. Delicious!
At a recent dinner party, I had a craving to serve creamed mushrooms, a "recipe" I made up years ago. I suspect it's a variation on some recipe I'd found somewhere, but now I consider it my own. The trick is to get good soy sauce.
Creamed Mushrooms
1 lb shitake and cremini mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
2 T butter
1-2 T olive oil
1 T flour (give or take)
Milk as needed
S&P
Soy sauce
A bit of Worcestshire sauce
Saute mushrooms in butter and olive oil. When mushrooms are tender, add flour and toss with mushrooms. Then add milk, enough that it makes a good sauce but not so much that you drown the mushrooms. As they're finishing, add soy sauce (start with 1 T and add more to taste), a bit of Worcestshire sauce (again to taste), polish off with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Marvelously delicious and can accompany almost any meal.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Delicious dishes from the holidays
Although I've been making brisket for almost 50 years, I found a new recipe that may be the best of the bunch. I made it for the first night that all of my family was here for the holidays, and everyone loved it. It was delicious hot at dinner, and delicious cold on sandwiches the next day. That it was mindlessly simple made it all the better.
And although one would think I have enough chicken recipes to feed the world, I found yet another one that hits the spot. It's in a wonderful book by Marion Burros. Actually it's a re-issue of her "Elegant but Easy" cookbook from 1960, the one I used constantly as a young bride. She and her co-author updated it, eliminating the Cheez Whiz, canned onion rings, cream of mushroom soup and other staples of mid-century cookery. But the recipes are still wildly simple and tasty to boot.
So here goes.
Chicken Gloriosa from Marion Burros's "The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook"
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
3 T lime juice
s&p
2 T canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 slices very ripe fresh pineapple,, cut into bite-size wedges (save the juices if you can)
1/2 c coarse bread crumbs
1/4 t or more hot red pepper flakes
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/4 c tomato paste
1/2 c dry sherry
1 c orange juice
2 large or 3 small seedless tangerines, peeled and segmented
Wash and dry chicken; cut breasts into quarters. Sprinkle chicken with 2 T lime juicem s&p, and allow sit sit in refrigerator for 2 hours or more
Drain and reserve the juices. Saute chicken pieces in nonstick pan in hot oil, browning well on both sides. About 30 seconds before removing chicken from pan, add garlic and saute. In a 9 x 11" pan, arrange chicken and garlic.
Stir pineapple wedges and bread crumbs into pan in which chicken was cooked; add remaining 1 T lime juice, any pineapple juice from the cut-up pineapple, hot pepper flakes, cranberries, tomato paste, sherry, and oj. Spoon this mixture over the chicken pieces. Strew tangerine segments around chicken, and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate, if desired.
To serve, preheat oven to 350 and bake chicken for about 1 hour. Serve with saffron rice.
As a side note, I didn't have "coarse" bread crumbs, just the usual ones from a can. They thickened the sauce nicely, almost as if I'd added cornstarch. I served this over my new fave, pearl couscous, instead of saffron rice. For what it's worth, this reheats really well when you can't finish all you made.
Brisket Texas Style (from who knows where)
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Scatter the onions on the bottom of a roasting pan that is just large enough to hold the brisket. Place the brisket on top of the onions with the fat side up. Salt and pepper the brisket.
Place in a roasting pan and roast tightly covered, for 2-½ hours to 3-½ hours depending on the size of the brisket you choose. You want it to come out fork-tender.
Remove roasting pan from oven and transfer brisket to a cutting board. Tent with foil.
Make a gravy by blending the cooked onions and a little of the liquid from the roasting pan. Blend until smooth. Leaving it a little chunky would be tasty too. Set aside.
Slice meat across the grain. Serve with the onion gravy. It's delish.
I made it the day before, mostly to get the fat off easily, and because I've come to believe that you need to cook brisket and pulled pork the day before serving.
Happy and healthy new year!
And although one would think I have enough chicken recipes to feed the world, I found yet another one that hits the spot. It's in a wonderful book by Marion Burros. Actually it's a re-issue of her "Elegant but Easy" cookbook from 1960, the one I used constantly as a young bride. She and her co-author updated it, eliminating the Cheez Whiz, canned onion rings, cream of mushroom soup and other staples of mid-century cookery. But the recipes are still wildly simple and tasty to boot.
So here goes.
Chicken Gloriosa from Marion Burros's "The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook"
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
3 T lime juice
s&p
2 T canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 slices very ripe fresh pineapple,, cut into bite-size wedges (save the juices if you can)
1/2 c coarse bread crumbs
1/4 t or more hot red pepper flakes
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/4 c tomato paste
1/2 c dry sherry
1 c orange juice
2 large or 3 small seedless tangerines, peeled and segmented
Wash and dry chicken; cut breasts into quarters. Sprinkle chicken with 2 T lime juicem s&p, and allow sit sit in refrigerator for 2 hours or more
Drain and reserve the juices. Saute chicken pieces in nonstick pan in hot oil, browning well on both sides. About 30 seconds before removing chicken from pan, add garlic and saute. In a 9 x 11" pan, arrange chicken and garlic.
Stir pineapple wedges and bread crumbs into pan in which chicken was cooked; add remaining 1 T lime juice, any pineapple juice from the cut-up pineapple, hot pepper flakes, cranberries, tomato paste, sherry, and oj. Spoon this mixture over the chicken pieces. Strew tangerine segments around chicken, and cover with aluminum foil. Refrigerate, if desired.
To serve, preheat oven to 350 and bake chicken for about 1 hour. Serve with saffron rice.
As a side note, I didn't have "coarse" bread crumbs, just the usual ones from a can. They thickened the sauce nicely, almost as if I'd added cornstarch. I served this over my new fave, pearl couscous, instead of saffron rice. For what it's worth, this reheats really well when you can't finish all you made.
Brisket Texas Style (from who knows where)
| 2 | large yellow onions, sliced and peeled |
| 2.5 | pound brisket |
| ¼ | cup apple cider vinegar |
| ¼ | cup soy sauce |
| ¼ | cup Worcestershire sauce |
| ¼ | cup strong black coffee |
| ¼ | cup liquid smoke |
| ¼ | cup A1 steak sauce |
| salt and pepper |
Scatter the onions on the bottom of a roasting pan that is just large enough to hold the brisket. Place the brisket on top of the onions with the fat side up. Salt and pepper the brisket.
Place in a roasting pan and roast tightly covered, for 2-½ hours to 3-½ hours depending on the size of the brisket you choose. You want it to come out fork-tender.
Remove roasting pan from oven and transfer brisket to a cutting board. Tent with foil.
Make a gravy by blending the cooked onions and a little of the liquid from the roasting pan. Blend until smooth. Leaving it a little chunky would be tasty too. Set aside.
Slice meat across the grain. Serve with the onion gravy. It's delish.
I made it the day before, mostly to get the fat off easily, and because I've come to believe that you need to cook brisket and pulled pork the day before serving.
Happy and healthy new year!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Yet another fabu Moroccan chicken recipe, this one roasted with vegetables
A little trendlet is in the making, what with two Moroccan chicken recipes in a row. Despite their place names, the dishes themselves are quite different. The Braised Moroccan chicken with preserved lemons and green olives is prettier, but the curried Moroccan chicken and vegetable roast includes vegetables, thereby eliminating the necessity for a separate side dish. So here's what I did.
First off, I shamelessly borrowed Amy Rudnick's recipe for the curried Moroccan chicken and vegetable roast. Could it have been simpler? A big fat NO. Could it have been more delicious? Another big fat NO. Could it have been healtheir Yet another big fat NO. Kind of your all-round go-to easy recipe when you're in a hurry but still want to impress.
So here goes.
So now we're fixed for Moroccan chicken recipes for a while. Upward and onward to different menus. Let us hear from you.
First off, I shamelessly borrowed Amy Rudnick's recipe for the curried Moroccan chicken and vegetable roast. Could it have been simpler? A big fat NO. Could it have been more delicious? Another big fat NO. Could it have been healtheir Yet another big fat NO. Kind of your all-round go-to easy recipe when you're in a hurry but still want to impress.
So here goes.
| 1 | lb butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes |
| 1 | lb brussels sprouts, halved |
| 1 | large red onion, cut into thin wedges |
| ½ | cup canola or olive oil, divided |
| ½ | cup plain Greek yogurt |
| 1 | T minced fresh ginger |
| 1 | large garlic clove, minced |
| 1 | + ½ tsp Madras curry powder |
| 6 | skinless, boneless chicken thighs |
Preheat oven to 450.
Toss the squash, brussels sprouts, onions in ¼ cup of oil. Season with S & P.
Spread the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a bowl, combine the yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and remaining ¼ cup of oil. Season with
S & P. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Roast for 40 minutes. Pour off any accumulated liquid and continue roasting for another 10 to 20 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is browned.
Serve with rice or Israeli couscous, which worked brilliantly for me.
For what it's worth, the pan looks pretty with squash offering an orange element, the Brussels Sprouts a green contribution, the red onion thrown in for fun and games, and the chicken getting nice the brown so set off everything appealingly,
People say the dish begs to be served with rice, Heartlessly I ignored the rice and went with Israeli couscous instead. I prefer the couscous. Others may prefer the couscous, Whatever. Won't make a difference so don't worry.
Along with the chicken and vegetables, I served a sweet salad with sliced cherry tomatoes, slicedArenian cukes, and diced celery. A nice vinaigrette perked the veggies up, making the guests smile. Dessert was a mint panna cotta with fruit on top. Pretty darned wonderful, they all said, although I retain a preferece for the basil, which had made the its panna cotta so outstanding. Lesson learned. Don't use mint when basil's so much better.
Toss the squash, brussels sprouts, onions in ¼ cup of oil. Season with S & P.
Spread the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a bowl, combine the yogurt with the ginger, garlic, curry powder and remaining ¼ cup of oil. Season with
S & P. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Roast for 40 minutes. Pour off any accumulated liquid and continue roasting for another 10 to 20 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is browned.
Serve with rice or Israeli couscous, which worked brilliantly for me.
For what it's worth, the pan looks pretty with squash offering an orange element, the Brussels Sprouts a green contribution, the red onion thrown in for fun and games, and the chicken getting nice the brown so set off everything appealingly,
People say the dish begs to be served with rice, Heartlessly I ignored the rice and went with Israeli couscous instead. I prefer the couscous. Others may prefer the couscous, Whatever. Won't make a difference so don't worry.
Along with the chicken and vegetables, I served a sweet salad with sliced cherry tomatoes, slicedArenian cukes, and diced celery. A nice vinaigrette perked the veggies up, making the guests smile. Dessert was a mint panna cotta with fruit on top. Pretty darned wonderful, they all said, although I retain a preferece for the basil, which had made the its panna cotta so outstanding. Lesson learned. Don't use mint when basil's so much better.
So now we're fixed for Moroccan chicken recipes for a while. Upward and onward to different menus. Let us hear from you.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Braised Moroccan chicken with preserved lemon and green olives
Oh dear. I've been absent from this blog for far too long. A tip-off that I haven't spent much time in the kitchen. I was invited out for Thanksgiving, so didn't even have a chance to cook then.
But tonight I attended a winsome potluck dinner party hosted by the parents of Sarah Shatz, the photographer for the wonderful new cookbook from the Food52.com folks. If you haven't already found that website, go to it right now. The premise of the first two years was that each week the authors invited readers to submit a recipe on a particular food--your favorite artichoke dish, or chicken thighs, or chocolate chip cookies, or...well, you get my drift, right?
So this new book, Food52 Cookbook, is a compilation of the weekly winners of the first year. Cleverly organized by season. Sarah's parents put together a menu and then offered about a dozen dishes that guests signed up to bring. As tonight's entry indicates, I chose braised Moroccan chicken and olives.
Like many people, the first time I make a recipe I follow it, well, more or less follow it, omitting ingredients that are not to my taste. But today I followed the recipe slavishly to maintain the spirit of the evening. And I'm very glad I did so because the result was delicious, not to mention very beautiful.
Tonight it was served on couscous prepared by Annette Grant, and they were flavorful. Perfect accompaniment.
So here's the recipe should you be so inclined to go Moroccan some night. And if you get the book, the recipe start on p. 125. Enjoy!
Serves 4
But tonight I attended a winsome potluck dinner party hosted by the parents of Sarah Shatz, the photographer for the wonderful new cookbook from the Food52.com folks. If you haven't already found that website, go to it right now. The premise of the first two years was that each week the authors invited readers to submit a recipe on a particular food--your favorite artichoke dish, or chicken thighs, or chocolate chip cookies, or...well, you get my drift, right?
So this new book, Food52 Cookbook, is a compilation of the weekly winners of the first year. Cleverly organized by season. Sarah's parents put together a menu and then offered about a dozen dishes that guests signed up to bring. As tonight's entry indicates, I chose braised Moroccan chicken and olives.
Like many people, the first time I make a recipe I follow it, well, more or less follow it, omitting ingredients that are not to my taste. But today I followed the recipe slavishly to maintain the spirit of the evening. And I'm very glad I did so because the result was delicious, not to mention very beautiful.
Tonight it was served on couscous prepared by Annette Grant, and they were flavorful. Perfect accompaniment.
So here's the recipe should you be so inclined to go Moroccan some night. And if you get the book, the recipe start on p. 125. Enjoy!
Serves 4
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 2.5 pounds chicken legs and thighs
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 1/2 cup small diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron
- 1/2 cup green olives, rinsed
- 2 preserved lemons, pulp removed; rind cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet or over medium high heat. Dry the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the skillet in batches and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cook until slightly softened. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir together. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet so that 2/3 of the chicken is submerged. Add the saffron and stir to combine. Bring liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet and simmer on medium low heat 20-25 minutes. Add the olives and preserved lemons. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and turn the heat to high. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until sauce reduces slightly. Stir in the cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve chicken on a bed of couscous. Spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Curried Pineapple Ginger Chutney (which is as good as it sounds)
Julia Erickson and Annette Grant at Preserves Swap
I'm pleased to report that the first annual Berkshire Grown Preserves Swap was a huge success. The most fun was to seeing the wide variety of jars and cans that people brought--tall ones, short ones, fat ones and skinny ones, too. Jars filled with bright red or dark green or orange or yellow goodies, some with tags and others with labels. Lots of people showed up, some disappointed because they didn't realize it was a swap, not a sale. There was enough enthusiasm to let us know that this was aptly named "first annual" preserves swap--we'll be back next October so think ahead.
In the run-up to the swap, I was busy making more and more jars to swap, including a most excellent curried pineapple ginger chutney. After making the first batch, there was some leftover, which I poured over Israeli couscous (my latest fad). Wow! Practically inhaled it.
Last night I threw a jar of it into a cast-iron skillet with a pile of seared shrimp and then tossed them with more Israeli couscous. Talk about a winsome combination! Luckily there's some left over so I can eat a delicious lunch.
If you want to try it, here's the recipe. It makes a lot, so I put it into half pint jars which then went into a hot water bath. If you're not going to do that, you might want to cut the recipe in half. Whatever the portion, you'll eat it up quickly.
Curried Pineapple Ginger Chutney (from Salsas, Sambals, Chutney and Chow Chows by Schlesinger and Willoughby)
1/4 c veg oil for sauteeing
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" squares
1 green bell pepper, ditto
1 red onion, peeled, halved, and cut into 1/2" squares
1/4 c minced fresh ginger
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced poblano pepper
3 T good quality curry powder
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" chunks (about 4 cups)
1/2 c raisins
1 1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c oj or pineapple juice
1 c brown sugar
s&p
In 4-qt saucepan, heat oil over med-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add bell peppers and onions, and saute, stirring constantly, until onions start to become translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, poblano, and curry power and saute a minute. Add all remainig ingredients except s&p and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until liquid has thickened slightly. Season w/s&p to taste. Remove from heat and cool to room temp if not putting through hot water bath.
Will keep covered and refrigerated for about 2 weeks. Super duper with rice, couscous and the like. Or probably almost anything else.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The most versatile cake imaginable
I hope you'll like the idea of this cake as much as I do. Its versatility appealed to me immediately, but now that I've made it, it's become a dear friend because it's just so delicious. And easy! Embarrasingly easy. Probably easier than using a cake mix. Really.
My friend Annette Grant, she of the endlessly quirky recipes, passed this on from her friend Natalie Boyce, to whom I am indebted for the favor. This is one of those recipes that can be as varied as your imagination allows. Listed below is the "master" recipe, which should be used as a starting point. And because it uses olive oil, it can remain almsot forever moist.
Natalie Boyce's Olive Oil Cake as Delivered by Annette Grant
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 t salt
2 T vinegar
1 t vanilla
1 c water
1/3 c olive oil
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a suitable cake pan.
Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix in liquid ingredients.
Bake 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on rack and remove from pan after about 20 minutes. You can drizzle some simple syrup over it or frost it or just leave it as it is.
Now, here's the fun part. If you don't want a chocolate cake, eliminate the cocoa and substitute 1/4 c flour.
Don't bother with the water--use something sexier. I used black cherry juice the first time--whoosh! Pear or peach juice would be fun, too.
Next time I'm going to use a cup of coffee for a mocha cake.
You can add nuts or coconut or dried fruit....you get the idea?
The basic recipe is the blank canvas. The rest is up to you and your imagination.
Have fun!
My friend Annette Grant, she of the endlessly quirky recipes, passed this on from her friend Natalie Boyce, to whom I am indebted for the favor. This is one of those recipes that can be as varied as your imagination allows. Listed below is the "master" recipe, which should be used as a starting point. And because it uses olive oil, it can remain almsot forever moist.
Natalie Boyce's Olive Oil Cake as Delivered by Annette Grant
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 t salt
2 T vinegar
1 t vanilla
1 c water
1/3 c olive oil
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a suitable cake pan.
Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix in liquid ingredients.
Bake 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on rack and remove from pan after about 20 minutes. You can drizzle some simple syrup over it or frost it or just leave it as it is.
Now, here's the fun part. If you don't want a chocolate cake, eliminate the cocoa and substitute 1/4 c flour.
Don't bother with the water--use something sexier. I used black cherry juice the first time--whoosh! Pear or peach juice would be fun, too.
Next time I'm going to use a cup of coffee for a mocha cake.
You can add nuts or coconut or dried fruit....you get the idea?
The basic recipe is the blank canvas. The rest is up to you and your imagination.
Have fun!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Tomatillo sauce and marinated red peppers
I'm feverishly preparing jars of preserved fruits and vegetables to bring to the October 15 Berkshire Grown preserve swap at the GB Farmers Market from 11-1. And am hoping everyone who comes across this post is doing likewise.
Today, even though it's frightfully hot and muggy, I've made tomatillo sauce and marinated red peppers--most of the ingredients, I hasten to note, come from my own garden. Which is quite the thrill.
The book Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone was my inspiration for these recipes. Her instructions are clearly written and her pix are delicious.
One interesting note. She calls for bottled lemon juice, which I was taught to disdain when I attended the Peter Kump cooking school. The instructors forbade us to use bottled salad dressing and bottled lemon juice. The onus on using these things was so strong that I've avoided them completely ever since. Yet Bone asserts that bottled lemon juice is better for preserving because its acidity is more consistent than that of fresh lemon juice. Who knew?
Tomatillo Sauce
2 1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and washed
2 medium mild fresh chiles (e.g., poblano)
1 small jalapeno pepper (optional, which I didn't use cuz I don't like the heat)
2 c chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 c bottle lemon juice
2 t salt
Preheat broiler. Bring medium pot of water to boil.
Blanch tomatillos in boiling water, but don't overdo it. Place blanched tomatillos in food processor and pulse to grind.
Place chiles on baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes, turning as they blister. Remove chiles and when they're cool enough to handle, remove skins, seed pods, and veins. Chop chiles. There should be about 3/4 cup.
Combine tomatillos, chiles, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in medium pot and boil gently for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Have ready 2 scalded pint jars and their lids. Ladle sauce into pint jars, leaving 1//2- 3/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, and set on lids. Screw on bands fingertip tight. Add enough water to cover jars by 3". Process jars in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow jars to rest in water for a few minutes and then remove. Allow to cool untouched for 6-8 hours. Chek seals and store in cool, dark place for up to a year.
Refrigerate after opening.
Marinated red peppers
4 lbs red bell peppers
1 c bottled lemon juice
2 cups white wine vinegar with 5% acidity
1 c evo
2 medium garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2 t salt
Place oven rack 7" from broiler and preheat broiler. Place peppers on baking sheet and char them under broiler, turning often with tongs, so that they blister all over, about 20 minutes. Let peppers stand until cool enough to handle. Remove charred skin, cut peppers in half and remove seed pods.
Combine lemon juice, vinegar, evo, garlic, and salt in saucepan and heat just until boiling over medium heat.
Have ready 3 scalded pint jars ad their bands. Pack peppers into jars and pour marinade all over them. Using a butter knife (or chopstick), pop any air bubbles in the jars. See that garlic slices are distributed evenl. Leave 1/2 - 3/4" headspace in jars. Wipe rims, place on the lids, screw on bands fingertip tight.
Process peppers in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow jars to sit in water for 5 minutes. Then remove jars and let rest for 4-6 hours. Check seals and store in cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
Today, even though it's frightfully hot and muggy, I've made tomatillo sauce and marinated red peppers--most of the ingredients, I hasten to note, come from my own garden. Which is quite the thrill.
The book Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone was my inspiration for these recipes. Her instructions are clearly written and her pix are delicious.
One interesting note. She calls for bottled lemon juice, which I was taught to disdain when I attended the Peter Kump cooking school. The instructors forbade us to use bottled salad dressing and bottled lemon juice. The onus on using these things was so strong that I've avoided them completely ever since. Yet Bone asserts that bottled lemon juice is better for preserving because its acidity is more consistent than that of fresh lemon juice. Who knew?
Tomatillo Sauce
2 1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and washed
2 medium mild fresh chiles (e.g., poblano)
1 small jalapeno pepper (optional, which I didn't use cuz I don't like the heat)
2 c chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 c bottle lemon juice
2 t salt
Preheat broiler. Bring medium pot of water to boil.
Blanch tomatillos in boiling water, but don't overdo it. Place blanched tomatillos in food processor and pulse to grind.
Place chiles on baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes, turning as they blister. Remove chiles and when they're cool enough to handle, remove skins, seed pods, and veins. Chop chiles. There should be about 3/4 cup.
Combine tomatillos, chiles, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in medium pot and boil gently for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Have ready 2 scalded pint jars and their lids. Ladle sauce into pint jars, leaving 1//2- 3/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, and set on lids. Screw on bands fingertip tight. Add enough water to cover jars by 3". Process jars in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow jars to rest in water for a few minutes and then remove. Allow to cool untouched for 6-8 hours. Chek seals and store in cool, dark place for up to a year.
Refrigerate after opening.
Marinated red peppers
4 lbs red bell peppers
1 c bottled lemon juice
2 cups white wine vinegar with 5% acidity
1 c evo
2 medium garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2 t salt
Place oven rack 7" from broiler and preheat broiler. Place peppers on baking sheet and char them under broiler, turning often with tongs, so that they blister all over, about 20 minutes. Let peppers stand until cool enough to handle. Remove charred skin, cut peppers in half and remove seed pods.
Combine lemon juice, vinegar, evo, garlic, and salt in saucepan and heat just until boiling over medium heat.
Have ready 3 scalded pint jars ad their bands. Pack peppers into jars and pour marinade all over them. Using a butter knife (or chopstick), pop any air bubbles in the jars. See that garlic slices are distributed evenl. Leave 1/2 - 3/4" headspace in jars. Wipe rims, place on the lids, screw on bands fingertip tight.
Process peppers in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow jars to sit in water for 5 minutes. Then remove jars and let rest for 4-6 hours. Check seals and store in cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Canning with pictures
Jonathan Hankin, one of the Berkshires' best photographers, came over yesterday to shoot some pix of Julia Erickson, Annette Grant and me doing some canning. Some of them are so splendid I need to share them. I hope you enjoy them.
Fruit butters
When hours and hours of canning seem too much for you, try fruit butters, that make up quickly. Last weekend I made apple butter, banana butter (no kidding), and pear butter. All easy. And relatively quick. At least in canning terms.
All three of these recipes are from "Tart and Sweet" by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler. I was a bit leery about this book after making their recipe for tomato paste that called for 6 lb of tomatoes to make 1 gallon of tomato paste (3 cups doesn't equal 1 gallon in my household). But the proportions for their fruit butters turned out accurately.
My favorite is the banana butter, but all three win the taste test. Have fun.
Banana butter
3 1/2 lb bananas, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/8 t ground caradmom
1/8 t ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
Place ingredients in medium pot and cook over med-high heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching, until bananas resemble a thick butter.
Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe rims, and seal. Process for 10 minutes. Yields 3 pints.
Apple butter
4 lb apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2" wedges
1 c maple sugar
1 c sugar
1-2 ground cinnamon
1 t grated nutmeg
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t ground cloves
2 star anise pods (I didn't use them)
Juice of 1 lemon
Place all ingreds in a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring to simmer over med-high heat, stirring frequently. Lower heat a bit and continue to stir. The apples will begin to break down after 20 minutes, but mashing them with a potato masher speeds that up.
After about 1 1/4 hours, take pot off heat and blend mixture in pot w/immersion blender or food processor. Blend until mixture gets to your preferred consistency (whatever that means -- ed note).
Return mixture to pot, if necessary, and cook over med-low heat for another 20 minutes, or until butter mounds on chilled spoon and is thicker than applesauce.
Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe rims, and seal. Process for 15 minutes. Yields 4-5 pints.
Pear butter
6 lb pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 c sugar
Juice of 1 large lemon
Place pears and sugar in large heavy pot and bring to simmer over med-high heat, stirring frequently. Lower heat and continue to stir. Pears will begin to break down after 10 minutes, but using potato masher speeds things up.
After about an hour, remove pot from heat and blend in pot with immersion blender or in food processor. Blend until smooth.
Return mixture to pot, if necessary, and cook over low heat until it reaches a thick consistency. When butter is nice and thick, test for doneness using a chilled spoon.
Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe rims, and seal. Process for 10 minutes. Yields about 7 pints.
I halved both the apple and pear butters, but made all of the banana butter, mostly because it was so intriguing. I've now become a daily devotee.
All three of these recipes are from "Tart and Sweet" by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler. I was a bit leery about this book after making their recipe for tomato paste that called for 6 lb of tomatoes to make 1 gallon of tomato paste (3 cups doesn't equal 1 gallon in my household). But the proportions for their fruit butters turned out accurately.
My favorite is the banana butter, but all three win the taste test. Have fun.
Banana butter
3 1/2 lb bananas, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/8 t ground caradmom
1/8 t ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
Place ingredients in medium pot and cook over med-high heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching, until bananas resemble a thick butter.
Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe rims, and seal. Process for 10 minutes. Yields 3 pints.
Apple butter
4 lb apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2" wedges
1 c maple sugar
1 c sugar
1-2 ground cinnamon
1 t grated nutmeg
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t ground cloves
2 star anise pods (I didn't use them)
Juice of 1 lemon
Place all ingreds in a large heavy-bottomed pot and bring to simmer over med-high heat, stirring frequently. Lower heat a bit and continue to stir. The apples will begin to break down after 20 minutes, but mashing them with a potato masher speeds that up.
After about 1 1/4 hours, take pot off heat and blend mixture in pot w/immersion blender or food processor. Blend until mixture gets to your preferred consistency (whatever that means -- ed note).
Return mixture to pot, if necessary, and cook over med-low heat for another 20 minutes, or until butter mounds on chilled spoon and is thicker than applesauce.
Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe rims, and seal. Process for 15 minutes. Yields 4-5 pints.
Pear butter
6 lb pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 c sugar
Juice of 1 large lemon
Place pears and sugar in large heavy pot and bring to simmer over med-high heat, stirring frequently. Lower heat and continue to stir. Pears will begin to break down after 10 minutes, but using potato masher speeds things up.
After about an hour, remove pot from heat and blend in pot with immersion blender or in food processor. Blend until smooth.
Return mixture to pot, if necessary, and cook over low heat until it reaches a thick consistency. When butter is nice and thick, test for doneness using a chilled spoon.
Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe rims, and seal. Process for 10 minutes. Yields about 7 pints.
I halved both the apple and pear butters, but made all of the banana butter, mostly because it was so intriguing. I've now become a daily devotee.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Peaches peaches everywhere
Last summer I made perhaps 24 quart jars of honeyed peaches, using them as "hostess" gifts when invited to a friend's for dinner, and plying my own guests with them as part of dessert. Peaches were so deliciously plentiful last summer that I also made canned peach salsa. And then turned to canning honeyed pears when the peaches ran out.
So this year I was wildly anticipating a stellar honeyed peach canning season, wanting to make even more than last year to bring to the Berkshire Grown preserve swap on Saturday Oct 15 at the GB farmers market (please mark your calendar now!). And just recently I came across a killer recipe for peach-ginger jam that is most delicious, so I had need of lots of peaches.
Thus, imagine my consternation at not being able to find good peaches after the end of August. Not at Guido's. Not at Taft Farm, not at the farmers market. I've spent a fortune on hard peaches that promised to ripen well, but instead ripened badly. Kind of like sponges. So my cache of honeyed peaches is much smaller than anticipated, but I've got a dozen half-pint jars of utterly divine jam. This has been an expensive lesson in making sure that next year I do the peach canning in mid-late August.
My friend Jane Kasten, probably the most intuitive cook I know, taught me how to can fruits and vegetables with the recipe below for honeyed peaches. I'd always been leery of canning, feeling I'd do it wrong and end up poisoning either myself or guests. Jane persuaded me that canning is basically simple, which it is. Time-consuming, yes, but that's a different issue.
The peach ginger jam comes from food52.com. I made a small batch in early August, and made a lot of friends happy when I gave them a jar. Because you're cooking the peaches down, they don't have to be as perfect as the ones bathed in honey water.
Jane Kasten's honeyed peaches
Ginger peach jam from food52.com
Serves 12 half pint jars plus some for the fridge
Whisk the pectin into 1 c sugar. Add the sugar / pectin and bring the jam back to a boil. Taste it for sweeteness and add more sugar if you need / want. Add in the butter and simmer / stir for another minute or so, then drizzle a bit of jam onto your frozen spoon. Run your finger through it, if the path stays clear your jam is done!
Fill each jar to the first thread - this leaves 1/4 - 1/2 inch head room. Clean and dry the rim, place a dried top on (those were in hot water, right?) and secure them with a ring. Process / boil the jars for 10 minutes then remove them and let them sit undisturbed until completely cool - 12 hours minimum. That's it!
So this year I was wildly anticipating a stellar honeyed peach canning season, wanting to make even more than last year to bring to the Berkshire Grown preserve swap on Saturday Oct 15 at the GB farmers market (please mark your calendar now!). And just recently I came across a killer recipe for peach-ginger jam that is most delicious, so I had need of lots of peaches.
Thus, imagine my consternation at not being able to find good peaches after the end of August. Not at Guido's. Not at Taft Farm, not at the farmers market. I've spent a fortune on hard peaches that promised to ripen well, but instead ripened badly. Kind of like sponges. So my cache of honeyed peaches is much smaller than anticipated, but I've got a dozen half-pint jars of utterly divine jam. This has been an expensive lesson in making sure that next year I do the peach canning in mid-late August.
My friend Jane Kasten, probably the most intuitive cook I know, taught me how to can fruits and vegetables with the recipe below for honeyed peaches. I'd always been leery of canning, feeling I'd do it wrong and end up poisoning either myself or guests. Jane persuaded me that canning is basically simple, which it is. Time-consuming, yes, but that's a different issue.
The peach ginger jam comes from food52.com. I made a small batch in early August, and made a lot of friends happy when I gave them a jar. Because you're cooking the peaches down, they don't have to be as perfect as the ones bathed in honey water.
Jane Kasten's honeyed peaches
| 10 | lbs peaches |
| 1 | ½ qt water (6 c) |
| 1 | ¾ c honey |
With a sharp knife, make an “X” at the bottom of the peaches. Blanch in boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes, then put in colander and run cold water over them.
Peel and pit. Cut into halves or quarters and put into sterilized* jars 1” from top.
Meanwhile, while water is boiling in hot water bath pot, boil the water and honey until latter is dissolved. Pour over peaches to same level.
Put lids on and then rim, but leave rim loose-ish. Place in hot water bath and make sure bottles are covered by about 1” with boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes. The 30 minutes is from the time the water reboils after the bottles have been put in.
When finished, remove from water bath and place on counter. Wait to hear the lids pop. If they do, screw rims on tighter and then store jars for up to one year. If they lid don’t pop, just place in refrigerator and eat within a reasonable time.
*To sterilize jars before filling, wash with soap and water, and dry with towel. Then put in 250 oven for about ½ hour. Or, run through dishwasher.
P.S. Try to make sure that you buy “freestone” peaches. “Cling” peaches do just that to the pits, rendering them quite difficult for canning.
Peel and pit. Cut into halves or quarters and put into sterilized* jars 1” from top.
Meanwhile, while water is boiling in hot water bath pot, boil the water and honey until latter is dissolved. Pour over peaches to same level.
Put lids on and then rim, but leave rim loose-ish. Place in hot water bath and make sure bottles are covered by about 1” with boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes. The 30 minutes is from the time the water reboils after the bottles have been put in.
When finished, remove from water bath and place on counter. Wait to hear the lids pop. If they do, screw rims on tighter and then store jars for up to one year. If they lid don’t pop, just place in refrigerator and eat within a reasonable time.
*To sterilize jars before filling, wash with soap and water, and dry with towel. Then put in 250 oven for about ½ hour. Or, run through dishwasher.
P.S. Try to make sure that you buy “freestone” peaches. “Cling” peaches do just that to the pits, rendering them quite difficult for canning.
Ginger peach jam from food52.com
Serves 12 half pint jars plus some for the fridge
- 12 cups peeled, pitted and chopped peaches
- 2 cups riesling wine
- 1/4 cup minced candied ginger
- 1 tablespoon microplaned fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Vietnamese is best)
- 1 to 2 cup sugar (this is going to depend on how sweet your peaches are)
- 2 - 1.75 ounces NO SUGAR NEEDED pectin
- 1 tablespoon butter
Whisk the pectin into 1 c sugar. Add the sugar / pectin and bring the jam back to a boil. Taste it for sweeteness and add more sugar if you need / want. Add in the butter and simmer / stir for another minute or so, then drizzle a bit of jam onto your frozen spoon. Run your finger through it, if the path stays clear your jam is done!
Fill each jar to the first thread - this leaves 1/4 - 1/2 inch head room. Clean and dry the rim, place a dried top on (those were in hot water, right?) and secure them with a ring. Process / boil the jars for 10 minutes then remove them and let them sit undisturbed until completely cool - 12 hours minimum. That's it!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The best lemon cake I've ever tasted
**Directions updated to include when to add lemon zest and juice before baking
Friends had a Greek-themed pot luck dinner party the other night where the chef grilled lamb to perfection. Luckily all of the guests were excellent cooks so the food was delicious. This being tomato season, I made my own version of a Greek salad: chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, Kalamata olives, and elegant feta made at a farm in nearby NY state. I tossed it with a mustard vinaigrette seasoned with Penzey's Greek seasoning. Delish!
Deb Guhl, a guest with a real talent for baking, brought the best lemon cake I've ever eaten. I got the first piece, but when I went back for seconds, it was all gone! So I had to go home to make my own. Luckily Deb told me the recipe was from The Silver Palate cookbook, one of my all-time favorites, so I didn't need to go far to find it.
Deb's cake was frosted as the recipe recommended. But 1 stick butter and 1 pound confectioner's sugar just for the frosting got me a little nervous (well, the cake itself has 2 sticks butter!), so I skipped that and just made a glaze with about 3 T fresh lemon juice and enough confectioner's sugar to taste good. Perfection!
Like so many cakes and breads, this lemon cake is actually better the second day (although that didn't stop me from slicing a small piece just as it came out of the oven).
Next to the lemon cake recipe is one for an orange cake. Tune in tomorrow to see how this one tastes.
Silver Palate Lemon Cake
½ lb sweet butter at room temperature
2 c granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 c buttermilk
2 tightly packed T grated lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Carefully and thoroughly grease a 10-inch tube pan (or bundt pan).
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well each time.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Stir buttermilk and flour mixture into egg mixture, starting and ending with buttermilk. Then add lemon zest and juice.
Pour the cake batter into the pan making sure to keep it mostly even. Bake for 1 hour and perhaps another 5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan for ten minutes, then put a plate on top (upside down) and invert the pan and plate together so the cake drops neatly onto the plate.
Friends had a Greek-themed pot luck dinner party the other night where the chef grilled lamb to perfection. Luckily all of the guests were excellent cooks so the food was delicious. This being tomato season, I made my own version of a Greek salad: chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, Kalamata olives, and elegant feta made at a farm in nearby NY state. I tossed it with a mustard vinaigrette seasoned with Penzey's Greek seasoning. Delish!
Deb Guhl, a guest with a real talent for baking, brought the best lemon cake I've ever eaten. I got the first piece, but when I went back for seconds, it was all gone! So I had to go home to make my own. Luckily Deb told me the recipe was from The Silver Palate cookbook, one of my all-time favorites, so I didn't need to go far to find it.
Deb's cake was frosted as the recipe recommended. But 1 stick butter and 1 pound confectioner's sugar just for the frosting got me a little nervous (well, the cake itself has 2 sticks butter!), so I skipped that and just made a glaze with about 3 T fresh lemon juice and enough confectioner's sugar to taste good. Perfection!
Like so many cakes and breads, this lemon cake is actually better the second day (although that didn't stop me from slicing a small piece just as it came out of the oven).
Next to the lemon cake recipe is one for an orange cake. Tune in tomorrow to see how this one tastes.
Silver Palate Lemon Cake
½ lb sweet butter at room temperature
2 c granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 c buttermilk
2 tightly packed T grated lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Carefully and thoroughly grease a 10-inch tube pan (or bundt pan).
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well each time.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Stir buttermilk and flour mixture into egg mixture, starting and ending with buttermilk. Then add lemon zest and juice.
Pour the cake batter into the pan making sure to keep it mostly even. Bake for 1 hour and perhaps another 5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan for ten minutes, then put a plate on top (upside down) and invert the pan and plate together so the cake drops neatly onto the plate.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Blueberry heaven
Who doesn't love blueberries? I love them fresh off the bush, baked in a cake or pie or muffin or bread, as a sauce, or in a jam. With or without lemon or vanilla or ice cream. I freeze them to enjoy through the winter. And can't get enough of them right now.
Among my favorite blueberry recipes is the one below, which I got from the website Coconut and Lime a few years ago. I don't know how to make pies, but even if I did, I think this one is probably better because there's not much to take away attention from the blueberries. What there is -- ginger and lemon -- add just the right flavor notes. This couldn't be easier, a real boon in hot weather.
The recipe calls simply for a graham cracker crust. I'm partial to custards so I often make vanilla pudding, chill it, and then pour this over the top. Either way, it sort of stops conversation as people go into a blueberry trance. Try it. You'll see what I mean.
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 c of the blueberries, the ginger, lemon juice and zest and the sugar to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and water, set aside.
After the blueberries come to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook 2 additional minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 c of blueberries and the butter. Pour into the prepared pie shell.
Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours or up to one day before serving.
Among my favorite blueberry recipes is the one below, which I got from the website Coconut and Lime a few years ago. I don't know how to make pies, but even if I did, I think this one is probably better because there's not much to take away attention from the blueberries. What there is -- ginger and lemon -- add just the right flavor notes. This couldn't be easier, a real boon in hot weather.
The recipe calls simply for a graham cracker crust. I'm partial to custards so I often make vanilla pudding, chill it, and then pour this over the top. Either way, it sort of stops conversation as people go into a blueberry trance. Try it. You'll see what I mean.
| 5 c fresh blueberries 1 inch knob fresh ginger, grated juice of 1/2 lemon zest of 1/2 lemon | |
| ½ | c sugar |
| ¼ | c cornstarch |
| ¼ | c water |
| 1 | T butter |
| 1 | 10 inch graham cracker crust |
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 c of the blueberries, the ginger, lemon juice and zest and the sugar to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and water, set aside.
After the blueberries come to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook 2 additional minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 c of blueberries and the butter. Pour into the prepared pie shell.
Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours or up to one day before serving.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Even though it's too hot to bake...
...I want to share a most delicious new quick bread recipe I've made several times to great acclaim. Hosting my writing group every week has turned me into a quick bread baking machine, ever on the prowl for new and different recipes.
The other day, when Nick Malgieri's new baking book, The Modern Baker, arrived, I sat down to read it. He starts out with wonderfully detailed descriptions of frequently used baking ingredients (e.g., ALWAYS use softened butter and room temperature eggs). Following his advice--room temp butter--does cut down on spontaniety, but I understand the principle.
His very first recipe--Fennel Fig and Almond Bread (p. 42)--sounded so delicious that I ran to the store the next morning to get the figs and almonds so I could bake the bread immediately. It's every bit as delicious as its name implies. And so long as you remember to take the butter and eggs out an hour or two before preparation, it's so easy as to be embarrassing.
Here's what you do:
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 t fennel seeds crushed
2/3 c sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c milk
1 1/2 c (8-9 oz) stemmed and diced white or black dried figs
1 c (4 oz) slivered almonds, lightly toasted
One 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, buttered and bottom lined with a rectangle of parchment paper or buttered wax paper cut to fit. (NB: I didn't use paper and it came out just fine)
Set rack in middle level of the oven and preheat to 350.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and fennel seeds in a medium bowl and stir well to mix.
In large bowl, beat butter until smooth, then beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Beat 1/2 flour mixture into butter and egg mixture, then gently beat in milk, about 1/3 at a time. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Use large spatula to fold in figs and almonds.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake bread ntil it is well risen and a toothpick or narrow bladed knifte inserted into the center of the bread emerges clean, about 1 hour
Cool bread in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold it and cool it completely on a rack.
Cut bread into thin slices and serve with butter or cream cheese (or just plain, for God's sakes!).
Freeze if not using within 3-4 days.
This is so winsome that you must drop everything and make it NOW!
The other day, when Nick Malgieri's new baking book, The Modern Baker, arrived, I sat down to read it. He starts out with wonderfully detailed descriptions of frequently used baking ingredients (e.g., ALWAYS use softened butter and room temperature eggs). Following his advice--room temp butter--does cut down on spontaniety, but I understand the principle.
His very first recipe--Fennel Fig and Almond Bread (p. 42)--sounded so delicious that I ran to the store the next morning to get the figs and almonds so I could bake the bread immediately. It's every bit as delicious as its name implies. And so long as you remember to take the butter and eggs out an hour or two before preparation, it's so easy as to be embarrassing.
Here's what you do:
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 t fennel seeds crushed
2/3 c sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c milk
1 1/2 c (8-9 oz) stemmed and diced white or black dried figs
1 c (4 oz) slivered almonds, lightly toasted
One 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, buttered and bottom lined with a rectangle of parchment paper or buttered wax paper cut to fit. (NB: I didn't use paper and it came out just fine)
Set rack in middle level of the oven and preheat to 350.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and fennel seeds in a medium bowl and stir well to mix.
In large bowl, beat butter until smooth, then beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Beat 1/2 flour mixture into butter and egg mixture, then gently beat in milk, about 1/3 at a time. Beat in remaining flour mixture. Use large spatula to fold in figs and almonds.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake bread ntil it is well risen and a toothpick or narrow bladed knifte inserted into the center of the bread emerges clean, about 1 hour
Cool bread in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold it and cool it completely on a rack.
Cut bread into thin slices and serve with butter or cream cheese (or just plain, for God's sakes!).
Freeze if not using within 3-4 days.
This is so winsome that you must drop everything and make it NOW!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)