sophisticated pie

chocolate madelines

2008-07-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

I've written before about the child in us all that persists until the end, my favorite Sandra Cisneros quote summarized what that feels like to me. And in another perspective, K. would say, "Dick Cheney was a baby once too." That's why today's post is a little unravelling of my different layers of age. It's a little sophisticated (hence the website) and it's a little childish (hence the flower shape of the cakes).

The flower came out as an accident, in a way. I wanted to make something with the consistency of a Madeline (you know, that soft but dense perfect bite of cake in the cutest little sea shell form), but I didn't have a Madeline pan. I did, though, have small brioche pans that I bought in Paris and that, regretfully, hadn't been used yet. This, I thought, was the perfect time to break them in. So, I tried a round of Madeline batter in the bottom of the brioche pan and what came out were perfectly baked beautiful little flower cakes! The young girl came out in me, and I was so full of glee that I had to call up my mother and tell her all about them... and I think she will find them even more adorable than do and perfect for her daily tea-time.

These adorable cakes are sure to make anyone smile on a day turned for the bad, who can frown at such delicate little flower cakes? Madeline's are absolutely one of my favorite small desserts, especially in the chocolate form, because I'm of the belief that you can never get enough chocolate. I think they would be a lot of fun to play around with too... the traditional variety of Madeline is vanilla with a bit of lemon, but they're really versatile and you can be creative with what flavor you might choose to add in and make these your own.

PS: I mentioned I would show how I presented the mango semifreddo to my dinner guests, and below is my first shot at thinking about a fun way to plate these little flower cakes along side such a delicate fruit dessert.

chocolate madelines
adapted from epicurious, makes about 20 cakes

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
pinch of salt
4 large eggs
1 c vanilla sugar (I used 1 c sugar, 1 tsp vanilla)
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Butter for greasing pans

Grease madeline pans or brioche pans and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Place eggs an sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until thick and bright yellow. Fold in the flour mixture, then the melted butter. Cool the batter and the pans in the refrigerator at least one hour (optional).

Spoon the batter into the madeline pans (3/4 full) or the brioche pans (about 1-inch filled). Bake until firm and puffed (about 7 minutes for madeline tins and about 14 minutes for brioche pans). Immediately turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Wipe out molds/ pans and let cool before re-filling.

mango lime jalapeno compound butter & mango semifreddo

2008-07-07T17:14:00.008-05:00

july is for mangoes... and specifically, mangoes in dairy. Last week I made dinner for my boyfriend and my roommate and wanted to play a bit with these super fresh mangoes that were on sale at the market. I started thinking about fish and mangoes, and came up with the idea to do a mango and citrus compound butter on simply pan seared tilapia filets. So, that's what I started with and that's the first recipe below.

For the tilapia, I just patted the fish dry and salted each side, then seared the filets in some olive oil over med-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. Once they were done, I placed the filets on top of mounds of coconut jasmine rice and then topped them with a pad or two of the mango lime jalapeno compound butter. Et voila!, a super easy and delicious meal.

In addition to the fish dish, I wanted to do a little something special for dessert, and wanted to play around with plating a bit. I also had never made a semifreddo before, and so the choice was simple, I would do a mango semifreddo.

Semifreddo, means half- or semi- or partly-cold in Italian, and it's essentially an ice cream that doesn't need an ice cream maker. It gets it's smooth texture from folding in whipped cream before freezing, and the air in the whipped cream keeps the semifreddo "semi-freddo" and from becoming a block of ice. The texture of semifreddo is really buttery and smooth and it is a seemingly light frozen dessert, and it's absolutely delicious. So, below, after the butter recipe, you'll see the recipe for the mango semifreddo, and in another post, I'll present how I plated it...

mango lime jalapeno compound butter
see above for how to prepare pan seared tilapia w. the compound butter

4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 tsp mango puree
3/4 tsp lime zest
1/2 medium jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Once combined, place on a piece of plastic wrap, roll and shape into a log. Freeze for a few hours to overnight until solid.

mango semifreddo

4 egg yolks
juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 c water
2/3 c sugar
1 c heavy cream
1 1/2 mangoes

Whisk egg yolks in an electric mixer until pale in color, about 5 minutes. Combine lime juice, water, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes syrupy. Stream sugar mixture into egg yolks, while beating. Continue to beat until the mixture cools to room temperature.

Meanwhile, whip the cream in a large mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Do not over mix.

Peel and roughly dice the mango and puree in a food processor until smooth. Fold whipped cream and mango puree into the egg yolk mixture.

Pour into desired containers and freeze 6 hours to overnight.

Fold cream and man

oh so mouth watering caramel frosting

2008-06-30T21:55:00.008-05:00

"caramel frosting" you might be thinking? well, i've learned a few things this weekend, and the absolute power of this caramel frosting is one of those things, and it sure didn't take long to figure it out. i've learned that caramel frosting can keep you from working, sleeping, writing, shopping... shopping?!? well, that's a bit (just a bit) of an exaggeration, but I do think that this caramel frosting deserves a bit of a shout out... that and the whole grain chocolate pound cake I attempted wasn't as good as I thought it would be (un peu dry). this post was supposed to be for an "inside out 'snickers' cake", but in stead, the frosting will reign supreme.

what else have i learned this weekend?
- there are way too many people at Taste of Chicago and even Stevie Wonder wasn't enough to keep me there (how can this be?- I'm still asking myself that question)
- selling your belongings is very cathartic (amazon is wonderful for selling old textbooks)
- i'll be in Hong Kong in less than 2 weeks!
- i like Joni Mitchell's album "Shine" more than I thought I did
- black peppercorn infused olive oil sure is delicious (see picture below)
- i sure am glad Abbie came back from Greece (and BONUS- she came back with greek vases, greek honey, and greek olives!!)

now on to the show...

oh-so-mouth-watering caramel frosting
yields 3 cups

1 stick unsalted butter
1 c dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
milk or extra cream (as necessary) to adjust consistency

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and salt, and heat until the mixture is boiling, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Stir in the cream and return to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cool to lukewarm. Stir in the vanilla, and gradually stir in sifted confectioners' sugar. Adjust consistency with milk or cream, as necessary.

Summer Grilled Vegetable Sandwich and S'mores Pie

2008-06-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

Summer, in my mind, is one of the best food seasons of all. Fresh sweet vegetables and fruit are available in all of the stores, and you can make beautiful dishes of a dozen colors by just using the simple fresh ingredients from the produce section. Fruit stands out the most to me at this time of year... the fresh berries that just can't taste the same other times of the year... and tomatoes. oooh fresh tomatoes.... I wish I could have had a few tomato plants out on my deck this year; I would be eating fresh sweet tomatoes for every meal.

A food memory: I always thought that tomatoes were not for me when I was young. They were just mushy not so flavorful salad toppings. That was, until I ate dinner with a friend and her family down the street. Being a well-behaved child, at least in neighbor's homes, I ate what was in front of me, and what was in front of me was home grown fresh summer tomatoes, sliced. Sliced tomatoes??, I thought. Well, I quickly learned that with a pinch of salt and a smidgen of pepper, these beauties were fantastic... so, I've been eating them that way ever since.

I did, recently, throw them in this summer grilled vegetable sandwich that doesn't really require a recipe at all... but, I'll write something here for good measure, and then go ahead and mention this out of this world delicious Chocolate S'mores Pie that I found on the Smitten Kitchen website, but that comes from Gourmet Magazine (recipe here). It's a graham cracker crust (yum!) filled with basically a chocolate ganache filling, and homemade marshmellow on top. Before serving, you brown it in the broiler for a few minutes, but watch out, mine caught on fire! (Though it did make for a really nice caramelized crust).

Summer Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

An array of your favorite vegetables, sliced
(like roasted peppers, onions, eggplant, zucchini, etc)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Baguette
Basil pesto
Fresh mozzarella
Tomatoes, sliced
Basil Leaves

Rub sliced vegetables (except roasted peppers) with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. On a hot grill/ grill-pan, grill vegetables in batches 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Remove from pan and let cool.

Slice baguette lenghtwise, and spread pesto over both cut sides. Arrange mozzarella and tomato slices on the bottom. Salt and pepper the sandwich, then layer with grilled vegetables and top with basil leaves. Top with the other half of the baguette, and cut into individual portions.

a month in review

2008-06-12T14:33:00.007-05:00

Wow. It's been over a month since my last entry. There are so many reasons for that, so many, in fact, that this page would be full if I were to list them all. Full of excuses, perhaps, but I guess that doesn't matter. There have been some exciting kitchen adventures over the past month, which I will mention here for a quick "month in review."

First, on my mind anyway, is a gorgeous graduation cake I made for K. It was 3 layers, 2 of pistachio and 1 (in the middle) vanilla [see: green, white, green], filled with a mocha pastry cream and topped with a Swiss meringue buttercream. mmm. The recipe for this one is long and involved (this is not to say it was extraordinarily difficult, just involved, at least for writing it down), so I won't put it here...at least for now. I do, anyway, want to try again and make some changes and see if I can make it even a little better... Also, with this recipe, there was a lot of leftover vanilla batter, so I made some pretty little cupcakes, filled them with the leftover pastry cream, and the cute little last minute treat can be seen above.

The other major adventure of the past month has been my (and K.'s) first adventure at making sushi, and what a delight it was! I thought the result would be mediocre, but no way, man, these rolls were good :-). I was proud of us! What did we make: some cute small vegetable rolls (carrots, cucumbers, red peppers), spicy tuna rolls (with a home-made spicy aioli... for that I just used a normal aioli recipe and added in some ground ancho chili pepper, ground cayenne, and some adobo sauce), and some shrimp tempura rolls (cream cheese and all). We got too excited, were a little later than we thought (meaning guests arrived), so we forgot to take pictures of the end result, but believe me, they looked like sushi rolls, and boy did they taste like delicious maki rolls.

So, it's been a long month, but I'm still here and thinking of this blog... I've got some good treats in the works, so I should be posting those as they come up.

PS: if you want to make something delicious for dinner, try this recipe for crispy pork cutlets with capers, lemon, arugula and eggs from Bon Appetit. The flavor combination in this dish is fantastic!

simple guacamole

2008-05-07T19:27:00.000-05:00

well, it's official... I have decided to take my master's and head for the door. what a long drawn out process this has been, full of uncertainties and confusions. i've finally made up my mind to leave behind my PhD for better things... what those things are are t.b.d. :-) (but what fun would it be if I had all the answers, right??).

Having finally told my advisor I'll be heading out for good in a few months, I think it's time to celebrate. Good thing Spring is here (or almost here, or working on being here, or something of that sort), because who doesn't feel ready to celebrate in the spring? Hopefully (and I still do mean hopefully), the cold is gone for good, the grills are moving outdoors, brats are being purchased, and the coolers and being packed full of good beer (lucky for me, my roommate is from Belgium, so you'll find no Miller Lite in these parts).

I have started my "spring/ graduating soon/ starting fun new adventures" celebration in a littler calmer tone that I might like to, but at any rate, I have, and that's by planting up a little potted herb garden and making some delicious food, woo! Below you'll find pictures of my pots of herbs and a recipe for a super easy, really nice guacamole. I've used lemon in it in stead of lime... well, because that's what I had at the time, but I really think that I might like it even better that way... crazy, I know.

Now, I'm off to make myself work a little bit more on my thesis, so I can actually get out of here and still have time for lots of fun this summer (I just can't give up summer vacations!) Enjoy the guacamole, and if you know me- which, if you're reading this, you most likely do- come over soon for some fresh herb dishes (or drinks - I've got mint for mojitos!!)

simple guacamole

I've noticed in making guacamole, that if you think it's missing something, it's probably not salt. Other than a good pinch of salt, I add acid until it tastes just right. As you see, I've included lemon in stead of lime, but either work perfectly, though lime is more traditional

1 ripe avacado, diced
1/4 large white onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
juice of 1/2-3/4 lemon
1-2 Tbsp cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl, and stir to combine. I prefer a balance between chunky and smooth guacamole, so stir and mash the avacao pieces to the side of the bowl until you reach the consistency you prefer.

celebrations & a lemon-raspberry cake

2008-04-29T13:38:00.007-05:00

It's been a slow month. I'm not sure why that is, really, but it's starting to pick up. Over the past week, I've made not one, but two cakes for big celebrations. The first, a not incredibly successful chocolate raspberry cake, was for a birthday. With disappointment in the taste and texture, I was still happy with the decorating results, so I thought I would at least share that with you. I do feel that I should say that the cake itself wasn't that bad, it just isn't one to make again, or even mention the recipe here. Well, I was happy (pre- 3 hour traveling in a hot car) by the chocolate leaves I made, so here are some pictures and the super easy method I used to make them (pre- over the top delicious lemon-raspberry cake recipe).

To make these leaves, I first cleaned off rose leaves, fresh off the stem, and let them dry. I melted the chocolate in a double boiler, and pulled the leaves through the melted chocolate, making sure they are thickly coated. You could paint on the chocolate here too, if you'd like, but what fun is it if you don't get a little messy when you're baking? Then, I just let the chocolate dry overnight, and very easily peeled off the real leaves from the chocolate, leaving behind the shape and indentations of the real rose leaf. For something a little extra, when the chocolate was still wet, I painted on a white chocolate stripe down the middle, to look like the vein of the leaf. Fun!

I'm not sure why I've included a picture of the cake here. Perhaps, because I still want it to be the best cake I'd ever made, even though it just wasn't. Or maybe to inspire me to try again, making some changes, and see if I can make it really delicious (because doesn't it just look rich and over the top?)

Well the real winner of the week (in my mind) was this perfect lemon-raspberry cake I made for a graduation celebration. The recipe comes, once again, from the King Arthur Flour Company's "Whole Grain Baking" book, that I just absolutely love. I can't get enough of the idea of making delicious pastries and cakes with whole grain flour... it just makes me feel a little bit better about eating so many sweets.

Since this was a celebration, and one where we were feeding a larger crowd, I make the cake into a sheet cake (actually baked 2 sheet cakes), and cut them horizontally in half, to make layers. Once assembled, and before icing the top and sides, I cut the cakes so they worked together in a perfect rectangle, looking like one big sheet cake. (please ignore the dorky science decoration :-) ).

This cake really is a must make if you like lemon flavor. It's just the perfect celebration cake, in my mind. The icing is quite sweet, but really lemony too, and everything together is just perfection. It would be great without the layers as well (and even without the raspberry) if you want to make something a little bit easier. But really, you should try this.

lemon-raspberry cake w. easy lemon buttercream
for my cake, I made 2 recipes of the cake and 2 recipes of the buttercream

cake:
2 1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
5 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 2 lemons (about 2 Tbsp)
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
3/4 c milk
1/4 - 1/2 c raspberry jam

easy lemon buttercream:

1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c vegetable shortening
1/4 tsp salt
2 - 2 1/2 lbs confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
up to 6 Tbsp milk or cream
1 Tbsp lemon zest

for the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch sheet pan (or 3 8-inch or 2 9-inch rounds).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and baking soda. Cream together the butter, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Stop to scrape the sides of bowl at least once. This should take about 5 minutes, and the butter should go from yellow to white. Add the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Mix in half of the flour mixture at slow speed, then mix in the lemon juice and milk. Add the remaining flour mixture, and mix until the batter is evenly combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are not dry or wet spots in the batter before finishing mixing.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Level the top with a spatula. Bake the cakes as follows; for 8-inch layers - 20-22 minutes, for 9-inch layers - 27-30 minutes, and for the sheet cake - 35-38 minutes. The cake is done when it begins to pull back from the edges of the pan and is an even golden brown color on top. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pay for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, and let completely cool on the rack before frosting.

for the frosting:
Beat together the butter, shortening, and salt in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. Add about half of the sugar, and beat slowly until well blended. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and half the milk, and beat until fluffy. Continue mixing in the remaining sugar and milk alternatively until they are completely incorporated, and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add in lemon zest and very end and mix until incorporated.

To assemble the cake (the way I did it):
When cooled, slice the sheet cakes down the middle, horizontally. Place the tops of the two cakes side by side and top down. Spread the top with a thin layer of the raspberry jam. For ease of spreading the frosting, you can freeze/ cool the cakes with the jam for 15 minutes, or so, but this step is not mandatory. On top of the jam, spread a generous amount of the frosting, and place the second layer on top, bottom side up. Spread with a thin layer of the lemon buttercream, to act as your crumb layer, then frost top and sides generously, with buttercream. Decorate with remaining frosting, if desired.

coconut chocolate chip scones (whole grain)

2008-04-10T23:15:00.001-05:00

It has been a terribly cold and rainy April day here in Chicago, and I am beginning to feel that Spring may never come. The optimist in me knows it is on it's way, but for now, I'm still hibernating and for today, so are my words. Fortunately, the baked goods are still being pumped out and here is a terrific recipe for whole grain coconut chocolate chip scones. Enjoy!

whole grain coconut chocolate chip scones

from, King Aruthur Flour Co.'s "Whole Grain Baking"

2 c white whole wheat flour
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c packed brown sugar (light or dark)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c cold unsalted butter
1 c sweetened shredded coconut
1 large egg
1 1/4 c unsweetened coconut milk, well stirred
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Milk, for brushing
1/4 c sweetened shredded coconut for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with a silpat or parchment paper.

Whisk together the flours, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles bread crumbs. Stir in the coconut.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, coconut milk, and extracts.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently with a fork just until the dough is evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead two or three times. Divide dough in half, and pat each half into a circle about 1/2-inch thick and 6 inches in diameter. Use a knife to divide each circle into 8 wedges.

Transfer the scones to baking sheet. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with the sweetened coconut, pressing in gently. Bake until the scones are puffed and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

brussel sprouts with bacon, cinnamon, and walnuts

2008-04-03T22:05:00.013-05:00

The number of times I've heard my mother say, "you'll understand one day, when you're older" is countless, and the number of times that I've rolled my eyes (most of the time secretly, of course) after hearing that comment is equally countless. When I was a child, this statement typically came out when it was clear that I felt that what life had to offer me was not enough, despite a childhood replete with all of the things any child could want for. It was times when I couldn't have all the toys in the store, when I couldn't take soccer and ballet in the same season, when my mom said no to riding on the upside down roller coaster with me, times when I didn't understand what a privilege it was to have some of the toys in the store, to take ballet class at all, and to just have the opportunity to be at an amusement park.

Now that I am a little older, I have started to see that mom was correct (I think I hear her singing "I told you so, I told you so" all the way from NC right now), and I've begun to understand that my life was filled with happiness and opportunity that I couldn't see when I was younger. This became especially clear about a year ago when, for the first time in my life, my mom served me brussel sprouts. Having not once been served these bitter green balls of food nightmares, I realized upon the first bite what a privilege it was to never have been forced to eat them, in fact to never have eaten them at all. That first bite made it clear to me why the brussel sprout bin at the grocery store is always chock full, seemingly untouched. I have to add here, so you know that I wasn't biased towards hating them, I wanted my mom to make these and I wanted to like them. I wanted to laugh in the face of the rest of the world and feel the power of being the only person I knew who could stand up to the brussel sprout monster, who could in fact befriend him. Alas, my attempt failed, the power dropped down from around me, turning to dust as it hit the ground, and I was again a mere member of the hoi polloi.

Then came last Monday. I had no plans for a meal and I walked the aisles of the produce section looking for inspiration. Artichokes, I thought at first, but out of the corner of my eye, these preciously tiny, brilliantly green orbs shone their countenance upon me and whispered to me to take them home. Call me self deprecating or even just vitamin deficient, but at the time, they looked so lovely lying there in their large bin, lonely, passed over by the other shoppers, tiny heads of cabbage as proud as they were green, and I knew it was time to face the monster again, to attempt a reconciliation and perhaps another bat at friendship. Boy am I happy I did. These beauties are delicious.

brussel sprouts with bacon, cinnamon, and walnuts

3 c brussel sprouts, cleaned and quartered

1 Tbsp butter

1 oz turkey bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 c chopped walnuts

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp light brown sugar

salt to taste

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook bacon until crispy, 2-3 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, boil brussel sprouts in a large pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes.

Strain brussel sprouts and place into the skillet with the bacon. Add the walnuts, cinnamon, and sugar and saute about 4 minutes, until brussel sprouts are coated with a thin glaze. Salt to taste, and serve warm or at room temperature.

simple southern buttermilk biscuits & corn chowder

2008-03-28T11:52:00.007-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I've written. For about a week I was in North Carolina with my family after the painfully surprising death of my maternal grandmother. Unexpected by me, I was really shaken and being with my most loved ones was exactly what I needed. My grandmother was the definition of a lady. Always dressed in a skirt an flats with her hair permed, she greeted everyone she knew with a smile of true kindness and love, and greeted my family and I with a "woohoo back here," if she was back in her room dressing or doing a crossword or watching Emeril. When I was young, she would be sitting by the front window smoking her Basic cigarettes and watching us pull into the driveway of their home, waiting for something in the oven to be done. My grandmother was an immensely talented and artistic woman. She painted, did needle point, crocheted, made me dresses when I was very young, my mother tells me she made me 13 dresses before I was even born, and the list goes on with many other talents that end with the capstone, my grandmother cooked like no one else.

I have such strong memories of eating at her dinner table with the kitchen smelling of hot oil and either rolls or buttermilk biscuits in the oven. My grandmother was always the last to be seated, always running around the kitchen exclaiming that we should go ahead and eat, to not wait for her. When she finally did sit down to eat, she ate just about as slow as a snail moves, and before she was even finished with her meal, my brother and I would already be done with dessert, wiggling to get out of our seats and get up from the table. The best food she served was always southern, fried chicken, green beans cooked in fat back, brown rice casserole, thin crunchy buttermilk biscuits, pecan pie (pronounced pee-can pie), butter beans an corn, and the list goes on, but I must stop before I get too hungry.

Like most grandparents' homes, my grandparents' home was, in my mind, a scaled-up version of a treasure box with furniture inside. I loved to open each and every single door, drawer, box, or whatever else I could find to see what treasures lay within. Most of the time what I found was of little significance, half completed needle point patterns abandoned for another project, cashmere sweaters, old coins and post cards, boring stuff to a pre-teen. Sometimes though, I would come across real treasure, her jewelry box filled with shiny trinkets from her past, paper clippings of my mother's accomplishments, old photographs of old friends and vacations. These pictures were my favorite things to find. It was such a dream to me to think of my grandparents as young, as people who were part of the world, who traveled to exotic places, who laughed and poked fun of the town "Intercourse, PA," who were babies once, who grew up to make mistakes and live life as it should be lived, with adventure, hard work, family, southern food and southern culture. I know I'm painting a glossy picture here, and as is true of all families, not all things were this glossy. My grandfather yelled a lot; I was always a little scared and intimidated by him, even though I knew he loved me to death. He was always somewhat apart from the goings on around him, sitting in his chair with large earphones on listening to jazz tapes or sitting at the kitchen table with his grapefruit, grapenuts cereal, coffee, and the paper, all prepared for him by my grandmother. And after breakfast, he would leave to go to the club to play cards or pool, or drive east to get some good NC barbeque or country ham, or sausages. Looking back, I really only think fondly of the many days I spent at my grandparents' house, and even though I want to and could go on continuously describing these tiny memories, I'll save them for something else, another time perhaps.

To get to the last and final point, my grandmother, being the great cook that she was, hardly used recipes, an when you asked her how to make something, her answer was something to the effect of "oh I don't know, I just do it," or "you add a little of this and then a little of that, I don't know how much, until it's right." So, her fabulous little crunchy buttermilk biscuit recipe is half-way lost, the ingredients are known, and that's it. I've made a first pass, which I've included below. Maybe my mom can follow this recipe and see what she thinks, I have a feeling her memory is more accurate than mine. I think these are a bit lighter than I remember, but I cut them larger than she did, and perhaps baked them for too short of a time? At any rate, they are still delicious and quite easy to make, and go with just about everything (at least in a southern home they do). Also included below is a woooonderful corn chowder recipe that I adapted from "50 Chowders: One pot meals - clam, corn & beyond." My recipe is quite a bit lighter and healthier than the original version, as well as a little easier to make. You should really try it, the flavor is superb.

Simple Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

2 c self rising flour

1/2 c shortening

3/4 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut shortening into flour with tips of fingers or a pastry cutter, until shortening is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in buttermilk. Mix with hands just until dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat out or roll until dough reaches 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with circle shaped cookie cutter. Pull together and re-pat out dough to cut more biscuits.

Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned on top.

Corn Chowder

1 Tbsp butter

1 oz turkey bacon, diced 1/4-inch

2 c frozen corn

1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp tumeric

1 large yukon gold potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice

3 c chicken stock

3/4 c milk

3 Tbsp half-and-half

Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy. Add onion, bell pepper, thyme, cumin, and tumeric. Saute, stirring occasionally until onion and pepper are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add corn, potato, and chicken stock. Turn heat to high, cover, and boil vigorously about 10 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash some bits of corn and potato against the side of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium an season with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the milk and half-and-half. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Let chowder sit at room temperature for up to an hour, for flavors to meld. Reheat chowder over low heat, making sure it doesn't boil, when ready to serve.

mexican hot chocolate cake

2008-03-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

My fabulous friend Abbie and her passion for Mexican/ Tex-Mex cuisine are who and what inspired me to bake this cake. In case there are any doubts, I want to make it clear that her passion for this food does not lie in the canned refried beans and packaged rice that are so prevalent at Mexican restaurants throughout the U.S., it relies on her eternal crush on both Rick Bayless and Bobby Flay. Sorry Mike! I can’t be too sorry though, Mike did score major points early in their relationship by taking Abbie to Bayless’ restaurant Topolobampo... that’s when I said she should probably keep him around. In all seriousness, Abbie’s love for this cuisine comes from the flavors, and what she really likes to cook and eat includes impressive dishes like steak with a very spicy chili and espresso rub, pork shoulder in tomatillo sauce, lobster with chipotle chilis, enchiladas verdes (her specialty!), ceviche,... the list goes on.

We are really fortunate in Chicago, as it is the home city of Rick Bayless, an innovative chef (come entrepreneur), who finds all his culinary inspiration during trips south of the border. Once a year he takes his entire restaurant staff to Mexico, a different region every time, so that they can taste the food and experience the culture from which his restaurants are built. I once read that people tend to ask him something to the effect of “you’re a professionally trained chef with immense talent, why in the world would you waste that on Mexican food?” This statement is clearly crazy-speak. There is a lot of room for creativity using ingredients indigenous to Mexican cuisine. Look at the menu for Topolobampo and you’ll see that the food he prepares is interesting and different from what you can find anywhere else. As a final note in this story, Bayless is a devotee of using local ingredients and a supporter of “urban agriculture,” he even utilizes the roof space of his building (yes- in windy and cold Chicago) as a water-efficient and sustainable garden for tomato and herb plants that are used in the food at his restaurant. For more information about this, click here.

While I really love the flavors included in Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, I don’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen with them... don’t know my way around a tomatillo or a chipotle chili like Abbie does. So, I asked myself how I can contribute to her fantastic meals, whenever I’m lucky enough to be invited to eat, and other than margaritas (my all time favorite cocktail), desserts seemed like the most appropriate option. Serendipitously, I came across this recipe for Cinnamon Cake with Chili Chocolate Buttercream in the March edition of Food and Wine Magazine, and I realized that this is my opportunity to impress Abbie with a little Mexican inspired cake. I’ve cut the recipe in half and made the large layer cake into small individual layer cakes, but beyond that I stayed true to the original recipe. Also, even when halved, the icing makes about double the amount you need, so don’t be too deterred by the amount of butter in there. What you end up with is a moist cinnamon scented sponge cake with a hint of soft buttery chocolate and just a small note of smoke and heat from the ancho chile powder and the cayenne (if you really like heat in your food, the icing could take a bit more cayenne). I am most definitely left with flavors reminiscent of Mexican hot chocolate (though not as richly chocolate flavored, of course); flavors that would be a wonderful end to a fabulous Mexican inspired meal. Ahem- Abbie, if you’re reading this, I am not shameful to say that this is indeed a plea to make that tomatillo pork shoulder with the pickled jalapenos.

mexican hot chocolate cake
(makes 5-6 small cakes)

cake can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Icing can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept refrigerated.

for the cake:
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pans
3/4 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 c cake flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 egg white, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c sour cream

for the frosting:
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 lb confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 1/2 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 5-6 7 oz. ramekins and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg white, and vanilla until incorporated. In 2 alternating additions, add the dry ingredients and sour cream, scraping down the side of the bowl between additions.

Spoon the batter evenly into prepared ramekins placed on a cookie sheet. Bake in the center of the oven about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cakes should be golden and springy and the edges should pull away from the sides a bit. Transfer ramekins to wire rack to cool completely. Pull a small knife around the edge of the ramekin to loosen cooled cakes. With a serrated knife, cut cakes in half, moving cakes and leaving the knife still, to get a straight cut.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. At low speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, scraping down the sides, about 2 minutes longer. At low speed, beat in the cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ancho chile powder, an cayenne, then gradually beat in the bittersweet and white chocolate. Scrape down the side of the bowl and paddle, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, about 3 minutes longer. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat the buttercream for 30 seconds to deflate any air bubbles.

Placing cakes on serving platter, ice the bottom pieces to cover. Top with cake top and spread icing to cover. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (optional), and bring to room temperature before serving. Garnish with cocoa powder and chiles de arbol.

chocolate ganache tart with red wine poached pears

2008-03-10T21:00:00.006-05:00

I recently realized that I have never mentioned why in the world I started a blog. Honestly, it seems as odd to me now as it did when I first took this up, because I'm generally not a verbose out-spoken person. The motivator behind it all is that I was in major need of an outlet for creativity, a place where I could discuss things I really love to talk and think about. It's also a place where I can write whenever and whatever I want. Writing has always been something I felt passionate about, but for some reason I always seemed to abandon it for other things. So, this blog, this space, is a place for me to get back into a writing habit, to share my thoughts and passions through the keyboard and through my recipes and pictures with whoever chooses to read these pages.

To date, this blog has been somewhat of a savior to me as well. The past two and a half years have been a grueling struggle with a graduate degree I wasn't so sure I wanted. It's a difficult thing for me, to leave behind what was a dream of mine (a PhD, a professorship), even though I know it isn't the right path for me. At any rate, this blog has given me a space to forget about work and my thesis and graduating and focus on things that bring so much joy to my life.

On to the food. This chocolate ganache tart is a celebration of starting this blog and putting my efforts into thinking about, writing about, and photographing food. This recipe is perfectly simple and versatile (through adding in flavored liquors- Grand Marnier, Framboise, Frangelico, etc), and the end product is delicious, seemingly impressive, and did I mention delicious? It is delectably rich with a silky texture that just melts in your mouth. I've presented it here with poached pears, and I think the difference in texture between the pears and the tart make the combination of the two even better than the tart alone. I personally think the pears are really lovely in appearance as well, with the dark red wine tint on the outside that fades to become white in the middle. This recipe is a basic one to know for whenever you need a quick sophisticated dessert.

red wine poached pears

3 bosc pears, slightly under-ripe
2 c light red wine
1 c sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Peel pears, halve lengthwise, and remove the cores. Bring wine, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to a boil in a saucepan. Add the pears and simmer on low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool in the syrup. At this point, pears can be refrigerated and kept for 2-3 days.

chocolate ganache tart

1 pie/ tart crust recipe
1 c heavy cream
1/2 c milk
5 oz bitter sweet chocolate
5 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

To blind bake the crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll chilled dough out to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in tart pan and crimp edges. Allow to chill for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Cover the dough with parchment paper and place dried beans or pie weights on top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

To make the filling & assemble the tart:
Heat heavy cream and milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until slightly simmering around the edges. Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate, stirring until completely melted. Add the sugar and the salt and stir until well incorporated. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the chocolate mixture.

Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour chocolate filling into the cooled tart shell. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is set and the surface is glossy. Cool the tart.

*For this recipe, I have garnished with the poached pears, sliced lengthwise.

oat and herb crackers

2008-03-05T20:12:00.000-06:00

I got some confused and confounded looks when I brought these crackers into a wine class this Tuesday. From the expression on their faces, it appeared that my friends thought I was either nuts or completely out of control with how much I bake, but after grabbing a few crackers, topping them with some manchego cheese, and taking a bite, the looks of disbelief were replaced by looks of understanding. I think I may have fallen under the "you baked your own crackers???" category at one point too, but certainly not anymore. I have found that they can be easy and quick to make, better than boxed crackers, seemingly impressive, and of course tunable to your preferences and what you will be serving them with. I found this recipe in a search for a cracker with rosemary, so that's what is in the original recipe and what I've included here, but many other herbs, I'm thinking thyme especially, would be really great too, or even no herbs and a little parmesan cheese on top. Oh I'm excited to have found this recipe.

One thing to know is that there are a few ways to bake these. First, I followed the original recipe (which comes from Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh) and baked them for about 15 minutes. At this point they were crumbly, a little soft, and only slightly brown. While these crackers are quite tasty and have a nice rustic appearance, I prefer them twice baked, to the point where they are dark and crispy and have a much more robust flavor.

oat and herb crakers

adapted from "Pepper Rosemary Oat Crackers," Dan Smith & Steve McDonagh

These crackers can be made with all types of herbs, more or less pepper than is called for, and added in cheese, depending on how you wish to serve them. These can be made a day or two ahead. You can also split up the two baking steps into multiple days.

2 c old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 c + 2 Tbsp flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp herbs (optional, coarsely chopped if leaves are large)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/4 c + 2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the oats into a food and pulse until finely chopped. Add flour, salt, pepper, herbs, baking powder, and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until the dough forms, about 15 seconds. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into desired shape (1x3-inch rectangles, 1x1-inch squares, etc.). Arrange on a baking sheet about 1-inch apart and bake in the middle of the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly brown on bottom. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

For the second baking step, bake at 350 degrees for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until browned and crispy.

banana crunch muffins

2008-03-02T11:35:00.008-06:00

Another Sunday morning and I'm thinking about breakfast. Apparently, my craving for muffins, pastries, pancakes, scones, cereal, and anything else breakfast cannot be sated. That said, this one's going to be a quick one, because I've got to hop into the kitchen now and whip up another batch of these suckers. This recipe is one to keep and keep making and keep making. I promise you (I can speak from experience) they will somehow disappear even under your watchful eye. So be leery of your friends running to the kitchen for more coffee or water or wine, because when they return, there might be one less muffin in the muffin jar.

These delicious beauties come from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbook, and like I started to say, they are taaaaaasty... soft, sweet, light clouds of muffins, the be-all-end-all when it comes to banana muffins, seriously. So run to the store and buy some bananas, and if they aren't ripe enough, put them in a paper bag for a day or two... if you can wait that long.

banana crunch muffins
from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

3 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
3/4 c milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c mashed riped bananas (2 bananas)
1 c medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 c small-diced walnuts
1 c granola
1 c sweetene shreded coconut
Dried banana chips, granola, or shreded coconut for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add to flour-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well, making sure not to overmix. Fold in the diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut.

Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each to the top of the liner. Top each muffin with the dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from pan, and serve.

prosciutto and ricotta gnudi

2008-02-27T20:34:00.009-06:00

Gnudi may have been the "it" dish of 2007, but in my eyes (and in my kitchen) it's certainly not going anywhere. I happen to think gnudi is great...like reallllly great...like gnocchi, which you know I love, doesn't hold a candle to it great. I must have something for dumplings (and great names). Gnocchi, meaning lumps in Italian, is funny enough, but gnudi, meaning naked, that's great stuff, and the greatest of all is that the name actually makes complete sense. Gnudi, for all purposes, is like eating the inside of ravioli, without the pasta to get in the way...it's naked ravioli! It's cheese. . . a cheese dumpling. Doesn't that just sound divine? This is not to mention that you can incorporate whatever you choose inside these little lumps of deliciousness. In fact, almost whatever you prefer in your ravioli, you can put into gnudi.

I've thrown together a quick and easy version of what can be a much more time and labor intensive dish. The first time I made gnudi, about a year ago, I used a recipe from Bon Appétit that instructed you to drain the ricotta an hour and chill the dough for an hour as well. If you want a really smooth dumpling for purposes of presentation, you might want to go through the dough chilling step, but what I've done here is just as delicious and so much easier. This dish is really really versatile, meaning you can make it more rustic with a quick tomato sauce or take it to the extreme of a really sophisticated dish. Gnudi can hold up to really bold flavors, like truffles, so if you want something really special and don't mind being a bit of an itinerant shopper, you can turn this simple dumpling into something luscious. In all honesty, sauces of all kinds can accompany this dish, and I have prepared the gnudi in two different sauces you'll see below. The first is a really quick (10 minute) tomato sauce and the second a sauce of cinnamon and brown butter.

proscuitto and ricotta gnudi

If you noticed I tagged this as vegetarian, it's because all you have to do (really, all you have to do) is take out the prosciutto from the recipe. And as I said before, you can add any kind of filling that you might like, or just leave it plain. I suggest using whole milk ricotta cheese here, but lighter varieties will work as well. Also, this recipe is for 2 full size portions or 4 small portions, but it can easily be scaled up to make 4 full sized portions, if desired.

1/2 c ricotta cheese
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 egg yolk
pinch of nutmeg
1 oz prosciutto, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c flour, separated

Mix together ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, and egg yolk. Stir in nutmeg, prosciutto, salt, pepper, and 5 Tbsp flour. In the palm of your hand, generously add flour and form mixture into rounded teaspoon-full size dumplings. The dough may be very sticky at this point, but should be workable once dredged in the flour in your hand.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Carefully drop gnudi into boiling water, taking care not to overcrowd the pot and working in batches. Gnudi should float to the top after 4-5 minutes when they are done.

10 minute tomato sauce

This sauce calls for dried basil, oregano, and thyme, but use whichever combination you have available in your pantry. Also, while the cooking time says 5 minutes, this sauce can cook for longer, if needed.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
5 canned plum tomatoes
2 tsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 c beef broth
1/2 c fresh spinach, torn or baby spinach
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Heat saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook 1 minute. Add garlic and cook 2-3 extra minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add in canned tomatoes and crush into pieces with spoon. Add tomato paste, dried herbs, and beef broth, and mix together. Cover and let cook about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and let cook 1 to 2 minutes until spinach wilts. Add in fresh parsley and serve.

cinnamon brown butter sauce

this recipe is written for the portion size of the gnudi above. Butter can be scaled up to account for extra servings.

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste
dark brown sugar, for serving

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add thyme and cinnamon and let cook on medium-low heat about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper). Add in cooked gnudi and saute about 1 minute. Serve generously sprinkled with brown sugar.