you little tarte

What Did You Do Today?

2012-03-07T21:09:00.000-05:00

The cupcakes... before icing and assembly. (Check out my snazzy 2 dozen cup cupcake pans.)

Every night when Ted gets home from work he asks me how my day was. Every day I tell him that my day was fine. Sometimes he'll delve deeper and ask me "What did you do today?" Usually I tell him I did the same old things I do every day. Roughly translated this means that I did laundry, went to the grocery store, and cleaned up all the stuff everyone has left laying on the floor.

So I didn't cure cancer. It's a living.

Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

But today I did something special. It was insane, but it was special.

Kate's birthday is on Saturday and she's turning 17. Yes, my baby is turning 17 and it's killing me. When did this happen? She couldn't possibly be 17 because I'm only 27. Wishful thinking, I know.

The thing I love best about Kate is that Kate is Kate. She knows exactly who she is. On one hand, she's definitely growing up and is a pretty standard issue 17 year old: moody, dramatic, and sometimes difficult. But she is also still my little girl who loves a snuggle and can't leave a room or hang up the phone without without saying "love ya" to me.

If I can have the love ya's, I'll take the drama any day.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

So anyway, back to Kate's birthday. Kate doesn't believe that we should ever actually buy anything at a bakery. She think that I am the bakery. And it being her birthday and all, she decided that it would be nice to bring cupcakes to tennis to celebrate. And, since I was already breaking out the mixer, why not bring some cupcakes to school too. (This is the advantage of going to an all girls school where there are only 43 girls in her grade.) Of course, why bring simple cupcakes when she could bring elaborate cupcakes? No box mixes for Kate. No way, no how.

So today I spent the day making four dozen chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes for tennis and four dozen Oreo cookie cupcakes for school. And I loved it. Every minute of it.

The way I see it is that she is going to be gone from home all too soon and bringing birthday cupcakes to school and tennis will be just a memory. I like the idea that her memory will be of really special cupcakes that I made especially for her birthday.

I'm happy to make Kate cupcakes -- any kind she wants -- if I can have a love ya when she says goodbye.

Originally Posted on You Little Tarte:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

That's A Meatball

2012-03-06T19:03:00.000-05:00

These are giant meatballs!

I've never been much of a meatball maker. In fact, I've never been much of a meatball orderer in restaurants either. It's funny, because I like meatballs. So why the meatball freeze out?

Who knows?

But I'm all about trying to master new things, so I thought I'd give meatballs a go. But first I had to find a recipe.

Rao's is famous for their meatballs, so why not start with the king of Meatball Mountain and make theirs. The recipe is fairly straight forward: meat, bread crumbs, cheese... A little mixing and I had the meatball mixture.

This is where my friends at Rao's lost me. The idea of frying up all those meatballs was totally unappealing to me. First of all, frying schmutzs up my stove and I just wasn't in the mood for the whole degreasing project. Second of all, frying would make the meatballs a little greasier than I thought I would like.

Well, when in doubt, check with Ina. Ina bakes her meatballs. So I baked mine. Done and done.

Following Ina's lead, I cracked open a couple of jars of Rao's Marinara Sauce and we had delicious spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. All compliments of Rao's and Ina.

Recipe: Rao's Meatballs
(Rao's Restaurant, New York City)

* Note: Instead of frying, I baked the meatballs for 30 minutes at 350, turning once after 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs ground beef
½ lb ground veal
½ lb ground pork
4 large garlic cloves (3 minced and 1 reserved for frying)
2 tablespoons parsley
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups water
2 cups pecorino romano cheese , grated
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
2 cups cooking oil or 2 cups olive oil , for frying
Marinara sauce of your choosing (I used Rao's)

Directions:

In a large bowl, place the meat and rub the minced garlic into it. Press the meat in the bowl.
Add in this order: Salt, pepper, parsley, 2 eggs and water. Then sprinkle the cheese over the top as if you are going to cover the water. Finally, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese. Mix from the outside of the bowl to the middle, an inch or two at a time. Do not overmix!

After the ingredients are mixed, start to roll the meatballs in your hands, about 6 ounces per meatball.

After your meatballs are rolled, take a 10 inch frying pan and add your oil and the reserved whole clove of garlic and heat. When the clove starts to brown, the oil is ready.

Fry the meatballs, cooking and flipping until golden brown, about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the meatballs after frying and put on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil. (If you want you can bake the meatballs on a lightly greased tray at 350 degrees-the taste is totally different than frying).

Add the meatballs to your tomato sauce to finish cooking. Let simmer for at least 45-60 minutes. Serve with the sauce.

In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion

2012-03-05T20:40:00.000-05:00

This has not been much of a winter. I'm not complaining, but it's been a pretty wimpy winter. There haven't been very many really cold days and there hasn't been that much snow. Compared to what I've endured in the last nine years, this winter has been easy peasy.

Of course, I could finally be adjusting to living in a colder climate. I remember when I first moved here from Los Angeles, I had to put on a heavy coat, hat, scarf, and gloves to take the garbage out in October. This year, even on the coldest days, all I've worn is a sweater. Did you hear me? A sweater. Maybe my blood is finally thickening up. Or maybe, as I said, it's been a wimpy winter.

But here it is, March 5th and it's snowing. That's just wrong in so many ways. The bulbs are supposed to be starting to come up and spring should be in the air. It's March. Now, I am no expert on March, but the pictures on calendars always indicate the coming of spring so I'm going with that. What those pretty pictures do not indicate is snow and temperatures in the low 20's. No way, no how.

Add this to the stew at the very end.

The old timers around here (meaning anyone who has lived here longer than I have), have told me all about the giant snow storms in March and April. Maybe so, but not on my watch. It's March and spring should be in the air.

But alas, it is not. At least not today. The good news in all of this is that I have two pounds of stew meat in the freezer that I haven't gotten around to using and today seems just perfect. And there are a couple of recipes that I haven't gotten around to trying so maybe it's meant to be. One last blast of winter and one last pot of stew.

Recipe: Bargemen's Beef Stew
(French Slow Cooker, 2012, Michele Scicolone)

Ingredients:

olive oil
4lbs. boneless beef chuck, well trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3T. all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large onions, thinly sliced
6 anchovy fillets
6 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ C. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2T. Dijon mustard
2T. red wine vinegar

Directions:

Oil the insert of a large slow cooker. In a large bowl, toss meat with flour and salt and pepper to taste. Scatter half the onions in the slow cooker. Add half the meat. Add remaining onions and top with remaining meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is very tender.
In a food processor or blender, chop anchovies, garlic and parsley very fine. Add mustard and vinegar and pulse until just blended.
Skim the fat off the stew. Stir in anchovy mixture. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Up to Here

2012-03-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it. I'm a little cranky today. I spent the weekend in Quakertown at a tennis tournament with Kate. That went well, but I just have to tell you that there is nothing going on in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. It's not that it's not a fine place. In fact, I'm sure it's a lovely place to live, but it's hardly a scintillating weekend destination.

Here's the thing about youth tennis tournaments. They are an exercise in hurry up and wait. The fun starts on Friday night and continues, depending on how your kid does, through Sunday. The problem is that there's a lot of downtime at these tournaments, but not quite enough to do anything else. So you spend a lot of time waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more.

Kate played Friday at 4:30 p.m. She did not play again until noon on Saturday and then again at 5:30 p.m. So we had time to kill. We went to the bookstore. We had lunch. We went to the CVS where I spent $61 on adhesive tape, gum, candy, and magazines. We went to the car wash. And then we still had time to kill.

But that's not even what made me cranky. Teenage girls make me cranky. And then there's the five and a half hour drive to and from Quakertown with said teenage girl. That's what made me cranky.

Have you ever noticed that there's no right thing to say to a teenage girl? If I say it's snowing, she will argue until I give in and agree that it's not actually snow coming from the sky. It's flurries. Need I say more?

Have you noticed that I've needed to vent a lot lately. I'm so glad I have the blog because I think Ted is sick of hearing it. Oh no. Maybe you are too.

Ted has offered me dinner out tonight and you know what? I'm going to take him up on his offer and skip the cooking. I deserve it. Maybe it will make me less cranky. That would be nice.

Crazy for Coconut

2012-03-01T18:11:00.000-05:00

My mother in law does not like coconut. I've never understood this because I think coconut is one of the great flavors out there in the giant flavor universe. She likes lots of other things so it's not as though she's a picky eater or anything like that. But still... Coconut is so yummy. How can you not love it?

Make sure to top each muffin with lots of shredded coconut. I used about 1/2 cup instead of the remaining 1/4 cup called for in the recipe.

I am especially excited by virgin coconut oil. This is a wonder ingredient. It adds a subtle coconut flavor and is especially tasty in baked goods. And, coconut oil is becoming much more popular. The first time I bought it I had to track it down at Whole Foods, my go-to source for anything "healthy". Now it's available pretty much everywhere they sell olive oil.

This recipe packs a double coconut punch combining the coconut oil with sweetened shredded coconut. In fact, these little muffins are so dense with coconut flavor and could almost be served as a dessert, if you're into pound cake-y kinds of desserts. The sprinkle of toasted coconut on top of each little muffin, which are really more like little cakes, if you ask me, makes for a really lovely presentation. And I'm all for lovely presentation.

Double Coconut Muffins
(Smitten Kitchen)

* Note: I used 1/2 cup of shredded coconut in the batter and another 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top of each muffin. I like the little "crunch" the toasted coconuts gives when you bite into the muffin. Either way, these are delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup full fat Greek-style yogurt, at room temperature is best
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature is best
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, divided (see note above)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Either grease 10 muffin cups with butter or coconut oil, or line them with papers.

In a small saucepan, warm your coconut oil just until it melts. It should still be on the cool side.

In a medium bowl, whisk together your flours, baking powder and salt. Stir 1/2 cup shredded coconut. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, coconut oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups then sprinkle the top with remaining 1/4 cup coconut, about 1 to 2 teaspoons on each.

Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out batter-free, about 20 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and let cool.

Balancing Act

2012-02-29T20:15:00.000-05:00

Today I'm going to vent. I'm just telling you that up front so you don't go looking for a recipe. In fact, pour yourself a glass of wine and settle in. Here I go.

The junior year in high school is a lot like child birth. You forget how bad it is until you go through it again.

Kate and Charlie are four years apart in school and at the moment I have two juniors. Kate is a junior in high school and Charlie is a junior in college. Back when Charlie was a junior in high school, he was up until all hours of the night doing unending amounts of homework. He slogged his way through SAT's, SAT Subject Tests, AP Tests, and a host of extra curricular activities all designed to make him look like a person who didn't only do homework and take standardized tests. It worked and he got into a good college. That's all great but the junior year almost killed us all.

Now Kate is a junior in high school and we're back on the hamster wheel of more hours of homework in a day than there are actually hours. We are back to the SAT, ACT, AP, and any other initials you care to throw in our direction. In short, it's just as bad and as unpleasant as it was the first time through.

I guess I had forgotten what the junior year was like, or maybe I just blocked it out. But it's bad. Really bad. And I have to wonder why it has to be this way.

It seems to me that balance is a good thing and these days education doesn't seem to be about balance at all. In fact, it appears that it's becoming more and more difficult for our kids to actually achieve a healthy balance between academic achievement and human achievement. The stress to take the "hardest" classes offered at school in order to make the colleges think the kids are "challenging" themselves is ridiculous. The quest to achieve a 4.7 GPA has become commonplace. Come on. Is doing four hours of Latin homework every night actually going to make my daughter a better person or the world a better place? I think not.

Charlie is off at college so I'm not as intimately involved in what he's doing. This is a good thing. I probably wouldn't approve of how he's managing him time anyway. But I will say this: He seems to have achieved a better balance between school and social than he ever had in high school. Maybe it's because he's living at school, but I think it probably more likely because institutionally colleges understand the value of balance better than high schools do.

Shouldn't balance be just as important in high school as it is in college? How do you encourage your child to get involved in things that actually interest them, not those "resume builders", when they barely have enough time to get the six hours of homework they have every night done before 2:00 a.m.?

Time management only goes so far. There are only 24 hours in a day and sleep counts for some of it, although rarely enough of it. The school day never really ends. In fact, school is like the Ever Ready Bunny. It just keeps going and going. Before the kids know it, weeks have passed in a sea of problem sets, history papers, and foreign language translations.

I know that this is a much much bigger discussion than my little rant here on my blog. But I think it's something to think about.

Okay. I've gone on long enough. I feel better now. But the question is, do our kids?

A Southern Classic -- Martha Style

2012-02-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

Martha Stewart Everyday Food, 2008

Have you ever noticed that about once a year Martha Stewart comes out with a new book or magazine? Sometimes it's a cookbook touting cupcakes or cookies. Sometimes it's a new magazine with 100 quick and easy roast chicken recipes. Sometimes it's a book is about "homekeeping", Martha-speak for housekeeping. There are zillions of handy little tips for living just like Martha. There's only one problem. Most of the tips are, shall we say, not for the masses. Most of us don't have to square footage to have an entire room designated for crafting.

But every once in a while, in one of those thousands of recipes Martha Stewart writes, she actually comes up with a recipe I want to try. This doesn't happen often because I've sort of gotten over the whole Martha Stewart thing. She makes me feel inadequate and I am a parent so I feel inadequate a lot of the time. I don't need a stranger to do it to me too.

Back to the recipe. The other day Martha was on the Today Show touting her quick and healthy recipes. Quick? Martha's recipes are usually only quick if you have followed her detailed instructions for properly stocking your pantry. Otherwise, it takes a little longer than "quick" because you have to factor in specialty grocery shopping time.

But this recipe for Saucy Shrimp and Grits did look pretty quick. With the exception of the shrimp, I had everything I needed in the house. I even had grits, which for those of you not in the know, polenta is a fancy name for grits. Score one for my pantry!

The recipe came together fairly quickly. The grits have to cook for about 30 minutes, but you can do the rest of the prep while that's happening. Once the grits are going, the shrimp cooks quickly and before you know it, you have a souther classic -- Martha style.

Recipe: Saucy Shrimp and Grits
(Martha Stewart, Everyday Food, 2008)

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup coarse grits (not quick-cooking)
2 tablespoons butter
2 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
1 pound large (31 to 35) peeled and deveined frozen shrimp, thawed
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil over high; season with salt and pepper. Whisk in grits; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook, whisking occasionally, until grits are creamy and tender, about 30 minutes; stir in butter.
After grits have cooked for 15 minutes, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add onion and garlic to fat in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
To skillet, add tomatoes (with their juice) and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; cook, stirring, until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in hot sauce. Serve over grits, sprinkled with bacon.

It's A Date

2012-02-27T20:22:00.001-05:00

A couple of months ago I was at the farm stand and they had these beautiful dates. At the time, I figured that we would just snack on them and that would be that.

Well, as is often the case around here, the dates sat. And sat. And nobody snacked on them. Not even once.

So, here I was with some really lovely dates and no one wanted them. What to do? What to do?

Well, when life gives you dates, soak them in rum. You know what I always say? Everything tastes better soaked in rum.

Dates soaked in rum. What could be bad?

So now I had a container filled with rum soaked dates. They developed a really nice syrup and were just begging to be made into something spectacular. Something that would let those dates sing.

Ready for the oven.

Enter Date Bars. These are not complicated and required very few ingredients. In fact, even if you don't have dates that have been soaking away for weeks (or months), never fear. Just toss a tablespoon of rum in with the dates and let them sit for a couple of hours. It won't be quite the same as my completely booze infused dates but it'll be good just the same. Toast up some pecans and you'll be well on your way to pure bliss.

What I really like about these date bars is that they're more like a snack cake. Nothing fancy but completely versatile. They're nice to snack on but you could dress them up with a little ice cream or whip cream (Paula Deen style) and serve them for a more serious dessert. Or you could serve them with a cheese course. The possibilities are endless.

All that from a little date.

Recipe: Date Bars
(Adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook (Hyperion) by Lisa Fain)

Ingredients:

8 ounces (1 1/2 cups) diced pitted dates
1 tablespoon rum
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon melted butter, salted or unsalted
1 tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Directions:

Toss the dates in the rum and let them sit for a few hours.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan with foil and coat the inside with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, and eggs until smooth. Mix in the butter, hot water, and vanilla, then stir in the flour mixture. Use a spatula to stir in the dates (and any liquid) and the pecans.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let date bars cool, then lift out the bars. Peel away the foil and cut into squares.

Storage: The bars will keep for up to four days at room temperature, or can be frozen for up to two months.

Nesting

2012-02-26T17:50:00.000-05:00

When I think of nesting, I think of that blissful time just before my kids were born. It was a time when I felt that the world was filled with possibilities. It was a time when I actually thought that puttering around my house would actually culminate with my getting something accomplished.

I'm wiser now.

Now when I think of nesting, I think of my new, really cool thermostats. You laugh, but we just got the world's coolest (or warmest, depending on the weather) thermostats. They're called The Nest.

Here's a picture.

They even come in cool packaging. Take a look. Nice, huh? And who said packaging didn't count?

The Nest was designed by Tony Fadell, who was part of the team that brought us the iPod. Need I say more? The Nest is very attractive and incredibly user friendly, which is a nice switch from our old thermostats, which were both ugly and difficult to read for those of us who can't see a thing unless it's lit in a way that would be visible from outer space.

There's a touch wheel that controls the temperature. To engage the main button, all you do is press on the face. From there it's very easy to tell it what you want it to do. You've just got to love those Apple-type people. User friendly on steroids.

The best thing about The Nest, and the part that sold Ted (who is not as much of a sucker for fancy packaging as I am), is that it "learns" your heating and cooling preferences and adjusts itself automatically. This means that it will save money by not heating or cooling when there's no one home. You can also control The Nest from your iPhone or iPad or from any computer. Ted loved the whole iPad thing. He finally has a reason to schlep that thing around with him. (Although truthfully, I doubt he'll ever adjust the thermostat "from the field".)

Now, I realize that not everyone is going to get all excited about new thermostats. I get that. But here's the thing. It looks good and it saves money. Finally, nesting that accomplishes something.

Is Curry Ever Simple?

2012-02-23T20:33:00.000-05:00

When I think of curry, I do not think of simple. What I think of is a lot of chopping, and a ton of ingredients, most of which I don't have in the house and that once I buy them I'll never use again. That is, unless I make another curry dish.

So when I think of curry, I think of a whole lot of effort.

But I do love curry dishes. I love the subtlety of the spices and in my mind, anything that's served over a mound of rice is a sure winner. Nonetheless, curry is usually something I enjoy in the comfort of a restaurant where someone else can do all the leg work.

But I'm a trooper so when I saw this recipe in The New York Times yesterday, I figured I'd give it a try. This decision was aided by the fact that with the exception of the lamb, the mint, and the black mustard seed, I had most everything I needed to make this already in the house. Score one for my well stocked pantry!

Despite being called Simple Lamb Curry, to say this was simple would be an overstatement. But it wasn't hard. What it was was time consuming but that's not a big deal. Fortunately, I read through the instructions before I started making it so I knew that the lamb had to marinate. Don't laugh. More than once I've gone into the kitchen at 6:00 p.m. to make dinner only to realize that what I was planning to make required overnight marinating. Once the lamb is marinated, it simmers for about an hour on the stove so make sure to leave yourself enough time.

Marinate the meat overnight/

The really nice thing about this dish, aside from how delicious it is, is that your house will smell heavenly. All those toasted spices add not only a unique flavor to the curry, they're better an any kitchen candle you could ever purchase.

Put a dollop of raita on top of the curry.

So while this isn't a throw together quick dinner, it's well worth the effort because the end result is far from simple.

Recipe: Simple Lamb Curry with Carrot Raita
(David Tanis, The New York Tines, February 22, 2012)

Ingredients:

For the Lamb:

2 pounds lean lamb shoulder cut in 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons grated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt
2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
2 red onions, sliced thick, 1 pound
6 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 inch-long piece cinnamon stick

For the Raita:

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrot
Pinch of cayenne
Salt
1 tablespoon each chopped mint, chives and cilantro.

Directions:

1. Put the lamb in a bowl with the ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix well. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes, or up to several hours refrigerated (even overnight is fine).

2. Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the seasoned meat. Lightly brown the meat and onions, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes or so. Add the cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick, then add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and turn heat to gentle simmer. Cook for about an hour, or until the meat is fork-tender. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste. Raise the heat and let the sauce reduce a bit, if desired. (May be prepared ahead to this point and reheated before serving.)

3. To make the raita, put the yogurt in a bowl. Heat the ghee or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cumin, let them pop a bit — be careful — then stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, till barely golden. Carefully stir the hot contents of the skillet into the yogurt. Add the grated carrot, cayenne and salt, to taste. Let the raita sit at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle. Just before serving, stir in the mint, chives and cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings.

Feed Me!

2012-02-22T20:42:00.000-05:00

I love Wednesdays because that's the day dinner is easy. On Wednesdays Melissa Clark often helps me decide what to make. Sometimes I'll get really lucky and David Tanis will help me out with his column City Kitchen and Thursday's dinner is taken care of too. They makes life a lot easier.

Here's the thing. You Little Tarte is a lot like that giant plant in Little Shop of Horrors. FEED ME! That's what the blog is like. Most people make the same things over and over. If it was a crowd pleaser once then it'll go over well again. I feel that way too, but no one would be very excited if I posted the recipe for Crusty Beef Casserole once a month.

So I have to constantly be on the lookout for new and interesting recipes. That's why the Wednesday food section of The New York Times is required reading for me. It gives me lots of new recipes to try out and tell you about. Other people live for the weekend. I live for Wednesdays.

Ready to roll.

Now I'm not complaining. The blog has made me a better and more adventurous cook. Before the blog, I would never have considered fennel a go-to vegetable. I would never have made my own preserved lemons. Instead, I would have searched out preserved lemons in an ethnic market and then felt like a real gourmet cook for having found them. And I would never have made half of the things I've now mastered.

Thank you. And Ted and Kate thank you too. Because as good as Crusty Beef Casserole is, they like the variety that feeding the blog brings.

Recipe: Sautéed Chicken With Meyer Lemon and Rosemary
(A Good Appetite, New York Times, February 22, 2012)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced rosemary
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 Meyer lemons
2 tablespoons sugar
2 leeks, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Directions:

Toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Trim the ends from 1 lemon, quarter lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice quarters crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the lemon slices, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain under cold running water. Rinse out the pot and refill it with 1 cup water, the sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil. Drop in the blanched lemon slices and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain under cold running water, pat dry.

Heat a skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil. It should start to shimmer immediately; add the lemon slices and stir-fry quickly until golden. Stir in the leeks and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook until leeks are soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Push the leek mixture to one side of the skillet; stir in the chicken mixture and sear, without moving, about 4 minutes. Mix in the leeks and continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink, about 3 to 6 minutes more. Drizzle with juice from the remaining lemon half, to taste.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Geno's or Pat's?

2012-02-21T17:45:00.000-05:00

This weekend we were in Philadelphia, home of the Philly cheese steak. Kate is a big fan so off we went to South Philly, home of two of the most famous cheese steaks, Geno's and Pat's.

I have to start by saying that I am not quite as enthusiastic about cheese steaks as Kate is. They're good but I always feel like I need a shower after I eat one. They're a little on the, shall we say, greasy side. I opt for provolone cheese, but Ted and Kate like their cheesesteaks with Cheese Wiz, a Philly classic. Topped off with grilled onions, the Philly cheese steak is a heart attack waiting to happen.

Geno's and Pat's are the two most famous cheese steaks in Philly. I'm sure there are some that are better, but Geno and Pat own the town when it comes to the classic. Everyone has a favorite -- either Geno's or Pat's -- but I've only been to Pat's a couple of times and never to Geno's so I'll go out on a limb and say that Pat's is the best.

There funny thing is that Geno's and Pat's are across the street from one another on the corners of 9th and Passyunk Avenue. Pat's came first in 1930 and then Geno's moved in in 1966 to steal away business from Pat's. It's been war ever since.

How to Order a Steak @ Pats

Both are open around the clock and both always have lines. I suspect that while some people actually have a favorite, often the decision on where to eat is predicated on which line is shorter. Geno's is flashy, with so much lighting that I am convinced it would be visible from space. Pat is a little more low key, with its most notable feature being a sign detailing how to properly order a cheese steak.

For me, it's always been Pat's. But who knows? Next time the line could be shorter at Geno's and I could give those sandwiches a try.

Let the Games Begin

2012-02-20T20:35:00.000-05:00

I feel so old. My baby is a junior in high school and has started the college process. When did this happen? I can't possibly be old enough to have my youngest child thinking about colleges. Ugh.

Over the long weekend we visited Swarthmore College. We did the tour and the information session. We learned why Swarthmore is special. We also learned that every plant and tree on campus is labeled with its latin name because besides being a college campus, Swarthmore is also an arboretum.

And then we did the obligatory swing through the college bookstore to acquire a t-shirt. Since Kate has two dozen schools on her list, I've had to put the kibosh on sweatpants and sweatshirts. We just don't have closet space for any more sweat gear. At least t-shirts fold up small. And besides, past experience with Charlie indicates that once they actually apply to and are accepted into college, all those gym shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants (and at least one pair of flip flops) with college names other than the one they are actually attending, gather dust and never see the light of day again. Apparently wearing a t-shirt from one school when you are attending another is simply not done. It is especially not done if you've applied to and were turned down by a school. Then I think that burning said logoed gear is probably in order.

We have a big swing through New York and Connecticut scheduled for spring break. And then a driving odyssey through New England over the summer. Oh, and a little jaunt out to the west coast. And a stop in the midwest. And maybe a few more stops that I've forgotten.

Let the games begin.

Live A Little

2012-02-16T19:41:00.000-05:00

Here's the thing. I'm all for healthy eating and being trim and slim. These are all good things. But what worries me is that we've forgotten what eating well means. Well I haven't, but some people have.

I was chatting with my good friend Deborah earlier today and we were talking about all these crazy eating schemes our friends are engaging in. Deborah and I, we're cut from the same cloth. We are believers in three meals a day and no substitutions. We both agree that eating a cookie won't kill you. In fact, eating an occasional cookie might actually be good for you. Imagine that.

I'm not advocating stuffing your face with cookies and forgoing all leafy greens. What I am suggesting is that it seems as though the simple act of eating and enjoying food has been forgotten in favor of cutting calories and carbs. Life is just too short.

I am a firm believer in balance and portion control. I use heavy cream when I cook and I cook chicken with the skin on. Why? Because it tastes better. And you know what? I'll bet that eating the tastiest version of whatever it is you're eating actually allows you to eat less. I've never done any controlled research on this but I know myself. I'm much happier eating one delicious cookie than I am eating a box of low-cal, no fat, low-carb crunchy things. I'm much happier allowing myself to enjoy life. And eating delicious food, believe or not, is in my humble opinion, one of the things that makes life worth living.

So go ahead and eat a cookie. Or have a slice of that olive bread you've been eyeing. You know what it is you really want. Go ahead. Live a little.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe came about as I was talking with Deborah. I was thinking about making some peanut butter cookies and hit on the idea of these.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Nutella
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars, scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and combine. Add the Nutella and the peanut butter and combine. Add the chocolate chips and combine until they are well distributed in the dough.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto the lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. (You should have six cookies per sheet.) Flatten out the cookies slightly and use a fork to make a crisscross patter.

Bake for 20 minutes (these are big cookies) rotating once after 10 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.

Makes approximately 24 (very) large cookies.

Stone Soup

2012-02-15T19:36:00.000-05:00

I have been having a bit of a cooking block. I just haven't been having an easy time coming up with things I want to make. It happens, especially when you cook as much as I do. Sometimes I just want to order a pizza and call it a day.

As much as I might like to do that, there's something about take out on a "school night" that seems wrong to me. I'm not judging those of you who do it. It's just not for me. But I've got to tell you, pizza has been looking mighty appealing lately.

Sausage makes everything taste better.

But I digress. I was trying to come up with something to make for dinner tonight that would be (1) really easy, and (2) that I had everything in the house I needed to make it. This is a tall order despite the fact that Kate insists that all we have are "ingredients". I knew that chicken was out because I didn't have any. Ditto for a whole bunch of other options. But I did have two ham hocks (why?) and a pound of andouille sausage. And a pound of lentils. It was a start.

The great thing about soup is that you can really make it with whatever you have around. Do you know the old story Stone Soup? Well, call this Stone Soup with Lentils and Sausage.

Recipe: Lentil and Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 tablespoon olive oil (as needed)

2 carrots, small dice

2 stalks celery, small dice

1 onion, small dice

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 pound lentils, picked over and rinsed

2 ham hocks (optional)

8 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large, heavy pot over medium high heat, cook the sausage slices until they are browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the oil (if needed), and add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the same pot and saute until the vegetables are softened. Add the lentils, stock, and ham hocks, if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and discard the ham hocks.

Pour half of the soup into a food processor or blender and process. Return to the pot. Add the sausage, parsley, and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

More Than Just Jello

2012-02-14T20:57:00.000-05:00

A week or two ago I was reading the food section in The New York Times. There was a great article about Mormon cuisine that caught my attention.

Frankly, I had no idea that the Mormon's actually had a cuisine. I have to admit, when I think of Mormon cooking, I think of Jello and bunkers filled with non-perishables. Who knew that there's a whole new generation of Mormon cooks who have taken some of the classic Sunday-after-church recipes and updated them. Some of these recipes are pretty appealing in a comfort foodie kind of way. Who knew?

In the article there was a recipe for the unfortunately named Funeral Potatoes. After I got past the name, which is a little unappealing if you ask me, I saw that these potatoes definitely had potential. First they would need a little overhaul. There is no food in the world that needs both a cup and a half of sour cream and two and a half cups of cheese for six servings. And that's a real statement coming from me.

So, I played around with Funeral Potatoes and came up with my version, which is a tad more shall we say, figure friendly. It's certainly not low cal, but at least it won't kill you.

I haven't come up with a name for my version of Funeral Potatoes but maybe you can. Email me at youlittletarte@gmail.com with suggestions.

Recipe: Unnamed Potatoes
(Adapted from The New York Times, 1/25/12 and ourbestbites.com)

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup gruyere cheese, divided
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut potatoes into like size pieces and put in a large pot. Cover to potatoes with cold water and then bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain.

Using a ricer, rice the cooked potatoes into a large bowl. Add the sour cream, chives, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the gruyere. Combine well.

Spray a 8 inch square casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the potato mixture to the casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly. Top with chopped parsley.

There's a Right Way to Do It

2012-02-13T17:10:00.000-05:00

I don't usually make steaks in the winter. If I'm really in the mood for one, we go out. There are so many good steak restaurants, even here in the 'burgh, that I'd rather let someone else do it.

It's a different story in the summer. I think grilled steaks are one of the truly great foods. They just epitomize summer and since Ted is a master griller, I'm happy to let him take the credit. He can grill a steak like nobody's business. It's a gift.

But the other day I called my own bluff. Mark the Butcher had some beautiful Delmonico steaks and I found myself tempted to give broiled steaks another try. In theory I knew how to broil a steak. I mean, come on. How hard could it be? It's a broiled steak.

Well, it turns out that there's a right way and a wrong way to properly broil a steak. Suffice it to say, I have been doing it the wrong way all these years. No wonder I never thought broiled steaks weren't all that great. I'm not going to go into my former method but suffice it to say, throwing the seasoned steaks on the broiler pan and sticking them under the broiler for a couple of minutes does not a perfect steak make.

The right way, or at least the way that my google research indicates makes the best steak, involves not only a really hot broiler, but also a really hot cast iron skillet. And some really thick oven mitts.

Start with gorgeous steaks.

But here's the thing. If you don't have a gorgeous steak to start out with, all the technique in the world won't help you. Find yourself a good butcher. Get to know him. And then broil away.

Recipe: Perfect Broiled Steaks
(Adapted from The Kitchen)

Position the top rack four to five inches from the top of the oven. Take the steak out of the refrigerator as you pre-heat the broiler to its highest possible temperature (Our broiler reaches to 550 degrees). Open a window just in case. Things might get a little smoky.

While the broiler warms, pre-heat an empty cast-iron skillet on high heat on the stove for about five minutes. If you're using a premium cut of aged meat and a well-seasoned pan, you won't need to add any oil to the pan. The screaming hot pan might just start to smoke a bit. Be careful and be sure to use a thick oven mitt.

Once both the broiler and the pan are pre-heated, sprinkle the steak with salt and put it in the pan (We don't put black pepper on until after it comes out of the broiler because we think it can burn, but others differ with us on this). Place the pan on the top rack, under the broiler.

Let the steak broil for four minutes and then carefully flip it to the other side for another four minutes.

After the steaks have broiled on each side, pull the pan out of the broiler. Use a paring knife to make a small cut in the center of the the thickest part of the steak to see if the meat is done to your liking. Remember, the steak will keep cooking a bit even after it is out of the broiler. (Don't feel too bad about cutting into the steak. Yes, you will let some of the juice out of the steak, but losing some juice is better than over-cooking the steak.) If you'd like the steak more well done, return it to the broiler, checking it again after another minute.

Move the steak from the pan to the platter and serve immediately.

No Cook Sunday

2012-02-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

Monday is the day. It's colonoscopy day and that means that tonight I'm not cooking. My general view is that if I can't eat it then I'm not cooking it. Ted and Kate are going out for dinner and I'll be home "prepping" and perhaps enjoying some delicious "clear liquids". Oh joy.

Of course, whenever you can't have something all you do is think about having it. I'm starving and Gatorade isn't going to do the job. I need to think of this as (1) something that's good for me, and (2) weight loss. There's the silver lining.

Well, at least there's tomorrow and the promise of solid foods.

Muffin Top

2012-02-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I made the most delicious cranberry muffins for breakfast. Ted and I loved them. Kate was unimpressed. In fact, her only comment was "why didn't you make chocolate chip?"

I have been making my friend Mona's chocolate chip muffins for years and frankly, I felt like I was in a little bit of a muffin rut. I needed to break the mold and do something different. So sue me.

But Kate does love her chocolate chip muffins so when I saw this recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine, I thought I would go for the gold and make them for Kate. Sorry for mixing metaphors, but I hit it out of the ballpark with these. In fact, they were so good that (1) on Sunday, Kate brought four for Frank, and (2) she brought the rest to school on Monday. Bingo. One for Ted. One for me. One for Kate. And the rest were out the door.

Add caption

These muffins have lots of good things in them, including sour cream which, in my opinion makes everything better. They baked up with a nice high dome and the muffin top has a nice crunch. I skipped the glaze, which was optional in the recipe, because I thought the chocolate chips provided enough sweetness. It's really just your personal preference.

This is a nice base recipe for adding other things like berries or other chips and nuts. The recipe said that it made 12 large muffins but I ended up with almost twice as many and they were nicely sized as well with plenty of muffin top. On the muffin, this is.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Muffins
(Fine Cooking Magazine Chocolate, Winter 2012)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350. Lightly oil to top of a standard 12-cup muffin tin and then line with paper or foil baking cups.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla until well combined, Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened; the batter will be lumpy, and there should still be quite a few streaks of dry flour. Fold in the chocolate chips, and the nuts, if using, until just combined. Don't overmix; the batter will still be lumpy.

If you have an ice cream scoop with a sweeper, use it to fill the muffin cups. Otherwise use two spoons to spoon in the batter. The batter should mound high than the rim of the cups by about 3/4 inch or more, especially if using nuts (overfilling givens you those big bakery style muffin tops).

Bake until the muffins are gold brown and spring back lightly when you press the middle, 30-35 minutes. Let the muffin tin cool on the rack for 15-20 minutes. Invert the pan and serve warm.

What Was I Thinking?

2012-02-07T18:36:00.000-05:00

So this week is my birthday and I have done nothing to insure that it will be a fun one. For some reason, completely unknown to me, this has turned out to be a week of annual routine medical appointments. When I was scheduling it completely slipped my mind that this was the week of my birthday and I gave no thought to the fact that I might like to do something of a non-medical nature to celebrate.

Oh well.

At least I'll get everything done. And hopefully I'll get a clean bill of health as I embark on yet another post 50 year.

The mammogram is no big deal. But I have to admit that when my doctor suggested a bone density study, all I could think of was Sally Field and her love of Boniva. Am I going to become a Boniva taker? I'll know in 10 days.

The colonoscopy has me a little on edge. The doctor wrote me a prescription for one last year but I just never got around to doing it. This year I have no excuse. I am not excited.

So, while this isn't the birthday week I envisioned for myself, at least I'll come away (hopefully) with the knowledge that I can do this all again next year -- one week later in February.

I'll Make Lamb

2012-02-07T18:30:00.002-05:00

I loved the movie "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding." It was hysterical. I can still visualize Ian's mother showing up at the big engagement celebration with a bundt cake and the way Lanie Kazan kept saying "It's a bundt?" I guess you had to be there. Or you should see the movie if you haven't.

In the movie, Toula's aunt is going to host this big engagement party for Toula and Ian. Toula tells her that Ian is a vegetarian and the aunt says that it's fine. She'll make lamb. I'm laughing just thinking about it.

You really have to rent this movie.

But I digress. While lamb is decidedly not vegetarian, it is a nice change from beef and chicken. I especially love the use of ground lamb and feta in this recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine for Lamb and Feta Stuffed Cabbage. Who would have thought stuffed cabbage, a staple of my Jewish grandmother's cooking repetoire, could be given a Greek twist.

Stuffed cabbage is a pain in the you-know-what to make. You have to boil the cabbage and then peel the leaves away. Then you have to de-rib the cabbage. You have to make the filling and then you have to stuff and roll. And make the sauce. And cook the whole thing for over an hour. It's not a quickie.

But this Greek inspired stuffed cabbage is really tasty. The filling has all the good Greek things in it: lamb, feta, oregano, and lemon juice. And in the sauce is sambuca or ouzo (your choice) which is guaranteed to give the dish a little Greek flair.

Take your time making this and then, while it's cooking away on the stove, go ahead and treat yourself to "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding". There's nothing quite like dinner and a movie.

Lamb-and-Feta Stuffed Cabbage
(Fine Cooking Magazine, January, 2012)

Ingredients:

1 large head green cabbage (about 3 lb.), outer leaves discarded, cored

1 lb. ground lamb

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large egg

4 oz. (1 cup) crumbled feta

1/2 cup short-grain rice, such as Arborio

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh oregano

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes (about 2 cups)

1 cup lower-salt chicken broth

1/3 cup ouzo or sambuca

Directions:

Fill a tall, 8-quart (or larger) pot with enough water to submerge the whole cabbage and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the cabbage until the outer leaves are bright green and start to pull away, about 4 minutes. Carefully pull them off with tongs and lay them on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Continue boiling the cabbage and removing its leaves in layers as they soften until the entire cabbage is cooked, 15 to 20 minutes total. Let cool.

In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the lamb, onion, egg, feta, rice, parsley, oregano, lemon juice, cumin, fennel, 2-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1ƒ tsp. pepper.

With a paring knife, remove the hard ribs from the cabbage leaves. Cut the larger leaves in half lengthwise.

Coat the bottom of an 8- to 9-quart Dutch oven with the olive oil. Arrange several cabbage leaves on a work surface so they run lengthwise away from you. Working with one leaf, put about 1-1/2 Tbs. of the lamb mixture on the end closest to you. Fold the long sides in toward the lamb, and then roll away from you to enclose the meat. Put the roll in the pot, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining cabbage and filling, arranging the rolls in a snug single layer (if necessary, add a loosely packed second layer).

Combine the tomatoes, broth, and ouzo in a medium bowl and pour the mixture over the rolls. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook, shaking the pot occasionally so the rolls don’t stick, until the rice in the filling is completely tender, 60ƒ to 90 minutes.

Braise Me, Baby

2012-02-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

The other night Ted and I went to a dinner at a new restaurant here in the 'burgh. I'm usually pretty critical of restaurants around here, by E Squared (I'm not sure how to make the little exponent squared on my computer) was good. Not knock your socks off fabulous, but better than average.

For an appetizer I had a salad with fennel, blood oranges, olives, and I think it was Parmesan cheese. It was a nice combination of flavors, which was a good thing because it was enough salad to feed a small army. Now while I realize that the combination of fennel and oranges wasn't unique. it really was tasty and it got me thinking about my new favorite veggie, fennel.

Before braising...

A month or two ago, I recalled seeing a recipe for olive oil braised fennel in Fine Cooking Magazine and I thought why not? So I made it today.

Ready to serve.

Instead of oranges, this recipe calls for lemon, which offers a nice sparkle of flavor in the winter. Just a small amount of olive oil is drizzled over the sliced fennel and then then whole thing is foiled up and cooked in the oven at 375 for about an hour. Another 20 minutes without the foil and it browns nicely. I shaved a little Parmesan over the finished dish and sprinkled a little more salt and freshly ground black pepper. The end result was soft and slightly lemony fennel. Yummy.

Not only was this fennel a nice side dish, the writers at Fine Cooking recommend tossing it with penne and serving it as a main course. Doesn't that sound good? Maybe next time.

Recipe: Olive Oil Braised Fennel with Lemon
(Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, February, 2012)

Ingredients:

3-1/2 lb. fennel (about 2 large bulbs), tops removed, halved and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
3-1/4-inch-thick lemon slices, cut into quarters
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Arrange the fennel wedges in an overlapping single layer in a 10x15-inch baking dish. Nestle the lemon pieces peel side up among the fennel. Drizzle with the olive oil and 1 Tbs. water, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Braise the fennel in the oven until completely tender when pierced with a fork, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Uncover the dish and continue to braise until the fennel is browned at the edges and there is no liquid left in the pan, about 20 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Bucket List

2012-02-05T19:06:00.001-05:00

I have always wanted to make homemade beef stock but I never have. It's funny because I've made chicken stock and vegetable stock. I've even made fish stock but I've never made beef stock. I'm not exactly sure why.

Oxtails... to make the beef stock

Oddly enough I have thought about this. I think it might be because there are a lot of bones involved and making beef stock takes a really long time. It's not that there aren't bones involved in making chicken stock or fish stock, it's just that somehow to me the beef bones sound more unappealing.

But the main reason I've never tackled beef stock before is that it has to cook forever. And I'm not talking about an hour or two. I'm talking about more like three hours. And then there's all the fat to deal with. Overnight refrigeration is a must. So now we're up to a two day project and we haven't even done anything with the stock.

Sweating the veggies for the stock.

Having said all that, my culinary hero, Melissa Clark recently wrote about making French onion soup in her column in The New York Times. I thought to myself that if Melissa can do it, so can I. And besides, while I am sure French onion soup made with beef stock from the box would be good, I am absolutely convinced that making it with real beef stock would be beyond delicious.

I'm not going to lie to you. This was a project. It was messy and greasy and yucky. There was browning, simmering, straining, refrigerating, and defatting involved and that was all before I even made the French onion part of the French onion soup.

But I will tell you this. Homemade stock made this recipe. This was delicious beyond measure. There are just no words to describe how rich and delicious this French onion soup was. So delicious in fact, that if I ever made it again, I would go through all the mess and yuck again.

If you have any interest in really doing it up right, I urge you to add making your own beef stock to your bucket list. And then make it.

Recipe: One-Pot French Onion Soup With Garlic-Gruyère Croutons

Adapted from Philippe Bertineau, Benoit, Manhattan

Note: I made my soup individually because I love the presentation (and I wanted my own blob of melted gruyere). See below for instructions.

Time: 5 hours

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 pounds oxtail or beef shoulder, cut into 1- or 2-inch pieces

Salt

8 medium onions

4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

4 thyme sprigs

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

Black pepper

1 cup port wine

Lemon juice, to taste, optional

6 ounces baguette loaf, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 garlic cloves, halved

8 ounces Gruyère cheese.

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over high heat. Add the oxtail (or beef shoulder) in a single layer (work in batches, if necessary to avoid crowding the pan), and sear until the undersides are brown (do not turn). Season generously with salt and transfer to a plate.

2. Coarsely chop two of the onions; add to the pot, along with the celery, carrots, bay leaves and thyme. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Return the beef to the pot. Pour in 8 cups water. Simmer mixture gently until the meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

3. Transfer beef to a bowl to cool for another use. Strain liquid into a bowl over a fine-mesh sieve; press gently on the solids with the back of a spatula to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the solids; you should have about 10 cups broth (add water if necessary to equal 10 cups).

4. Halve the remaining 6 onions through the root end, then peel and thinly slice them lengthwise. Melt the butter in the bottom of the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, tossing occasionally, until deep golden-brown and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Pour in the port and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer mixture over low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and lemon juice, if desired. (For a smaller group, you could refrigerate some of the soup and reheat it later.)

5. While the broth simmers, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 12 minutes. Rub the garlic halves over the surface of the bread.

6. Heat the broiler and arrange a rack 4 to 6 inches from the flame. Using a cheese slicer, thinly slice 3 ounces of Gruyère. Coarsely grate the remaining cheese. Float the broiled bread over the surface of the hot soup. Layer the cheese slices over the bread; scatter the grated cheese over it. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and broil until cheese is golden and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes (watch to see that it does not burn).

7. To serve, use kitchen shears or scissors to cut the bread and cheese into portions. Ladle soup, bread and cheese into individual bowls.

Yield: 8 servings.

Note: To broil the soup in individual bowls, place 8 ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. Fill with hot soup, top with broiled bread, shaved cheese and grated cheese, and run under the broiler until golden and bubbling. You may need to prepare it in batches.

Health Food

2012-02-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

Today I made peanut butter cookies. I like to think of them as a health food because peanut butter is a good source of protein, isn't it? Never mind that these cookies are clock full of butter and sugar. I used all natural peanut butter so I should at least get some credit for making an effort.

I think everyone should adopt my somewhat relaxed standards for what is and what is not healthy. We would all be happier. A little thicker through the hips but happier nonetheless.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookie cookbooks. Alice Medrich sure has a way with her cookies. Every recipe in Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies calls out to me. In case you are interested, this recipe for peanut butter cookies falls into the category of "melt-in-your-mouth". And they do.

But I must warn you. These cookies are a little fragile which means that (1) you should make sure they're completely baked when you take them out of the oven and (2) you should be very careful when transferring them to a wire rack to completely cool. What do you expect? They're melt-in-your-mouth yummy which means that they're a bit, shall we say, delicate.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies

(Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy Melt-in-You Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich, 2010)

Note: The recipe calls for refrigerating the dough for at least an hour or two before baking. It's a good idea but if you're pressed for time, Medrich suggests using melted butter instead of softened butter and then baking them straight away.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon flaky salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups natural chunky peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flours, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, use a mixer to mix together the sugars and butter until thoroughly combined. Add the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix again until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix again, this time until the ingredients are just combined.

Scoop slightly more than 1 level tablespoonful of cookie dough, and form the dough into balls. Arrange the balls on the lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball with the tines of a fork into a cross hatch pattern.

Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes until they are lightly golden brown in color. Rotate the sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.

Cool the cookies on a baking rack. They will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

Groovin'

2012-02-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you've been able to tell but lately I haven't been all that inspired on the cooking front. I have no idea why but I just haven't been feeling it. It happens. What can I say?

The good news is that I feel like I'm starting to get my groove back in the kitchen. My new cookbooks have brought me some much needed inspiration and I'm back in the kitchen whipping up new recipes left and right. I feel inspired! I feel ready to conquer whatever a recipe throws at me -- except for maybe sous vide, which I just don't get.

Today's recipe is from The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. I have been cooking from her other book, The Italian Slow Cooker, for years and it's a favorite of mine. In fact, I think I may have sent a copy to my friend Janis as a slow-cooker warming gift a couple of years ago. That's how much I love these cookbooks.

This new book, with a French twist, promises to quickly become a favorite of mine as well. The recipes all sound so good and they're pretty easy which is just a bonus, as far as I'm concerned. And let's face it, the slow cooker isn't the most gourmet of appliances but these recipes make it seem as though it just might be.

This recipe for Chicken with Figs is good enough to serve to guests. It's especially nice if you know you're going to have a busy day and you want to look like you slaved away for hours. The fig sauce takes just minutes to make at the very end and makes for a very elegant finish.

Now that I'm back in the cooking mood, I might just give that sous vide cooking a try. Until then, I think I'll stick with my slow cooker.

Recipe: Chicken with Figs
The French Slow Cooker. Michele Scicolone, 2012

Ingredients:

12 bone in chicken thighs, skin removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium shallots, sliced
2 bay leaves
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
12 dried Black Mission Figs

Directions:

Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter half of the shallots in a large slow cooker. Place the chicken in the cooker. Tuck the bay leaves between the chicken pieces. Scatter the remaining shallots and the thyme all over.

Stir together the wine, vinegar, and honey and pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, place the figs in hot water to cover for at least 30 minutes. Drain the figs.

Remove the chicken pieces to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Discard the bay leaves. Pour the cooking juices into a small skillet and add the figs. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook over high heat until reduced and slightly syrupy.

Pour the sauce and figs over the chicken and serve hot.

As Promised

2012-01-31T18:22:00.000-05:00

So even though it was Monday, last night I made a recipe from my new Sunday Roasts cookbook. I just love shaking things up. Don't you?

Also, as it turned out, it was a good night to be ambitious. Kate had a major paper due on Tuesday so she didn't go to tennis. That means that I didn't have to go to tennis either. (As an aside, despite having a driver's license, Kate often "doesn't feel like" driving and so I am drafted.) It was a good night to embark on a long haul cooking project.

I decided that the best approach to this cookbook was to start small with the Old Fashioned Pot Roast and Vegetables with Extra Rich Pan Gravy. It wasn't a difficult recipe, in fact it was pretty simple, but it certainly wasn't something I could have whipped up in half an hour. Did I mention that it had to cook for 2 1/2 hours?

Three hours later, including prep, we had a delicious pot roast with the promised extra rich pan gravy. I made mashed potatoes to go with it and we had a feast. I felt pretty festive, especially for a Monday night.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Pot Roast and Vegetables with Extra Rich Pan Gravy
Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom, 2011

Ingredients:

1 boneless chuck roast, 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 pounds
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups halved and sliced onion
1 cup finely diced carrot
3/4 cup finely diced celery
3 large garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
3 bay leaves, broken in half
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cups reduced sodium beef broth
2 cups red wine
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Arrange the rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350.

Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Combine rosemary, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and rub on all sides of the roast. In a deep-sided, oven proof pot (with a lid) set over medium, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. When hot, add the meat and brown well on all sides, for about 5 minutes. Remove the roast and set aside.

In the same pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until hot over medium heat, and then add the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, broth, wine, and orange juice and bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the meat to the pot; cover and roast in the oven until the meat is fork tender, basting every 30 to 40 minutes with pan juices, about 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the roast to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Skim off any fat and discard. With a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of the vegetables in the pot and puree in a food processor or blender. Return the pureed vegetables to the pot, and place it over high heat. Reduce the liquids by a third.

To serve, cut the roast into slices 1/4 inch thick and serve topped with the pan sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.

Almost as Good as New Shoes

2012-01-30T18:48:00.000-05:00

Well, not quite but I needed a hook. There is nothing quite as much fun as a new pair of shoes though. Preferably a pair that, never in your wildest dreams, did you think you needed until you saw them. A pair of shoes that you can envision wearing with everything. The perfect shoes. That is, until the next pair of perfect wear with everything shoes comes along.

Last weekend, while killing time between tennis matches, Kate and I went to Barnes and Noble. This was exciting for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was thrilling because it was something to do that did not involve a meal. Or a snack. Or a drink. But, more importantly, going to Barnes and Noble was exciting because this was an actual bookstore, not an online bookstore or the book department at Target or Costco. This was a real live bookstore with more than just bestsellers lined up on a couple of shelves.

It makes me so sad that there aren't very many bookstores anymore. I find it very difficult to browse on Amazon. I always feel like I need to have some idea of what I'm looking for before I start. Actual bookstores are different. Everything is right there, just waiting to be examined.

As I was browsing, I came across a number of cookbooks that looked appealing. I showed some self control and came away with just two: Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom and The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. I was already a fan of Michele Scicolone's The Italian Slow Cooker so how could I go wrong?
There was a bonus to this little bookstore trip. Not only did I pick up a couple of cookbooks which will provide me with lots of material for future posts. These new books gave me some much needed reading material for the rest of the tennis tournament. No quite as exciting as new shoes, but not too bad either.

Tomorrow: Old Fashioned Pot Roast and Vegetables with Extra Rich Pan Gravy from Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom.

My Weekend in a Bubble

2012-01-29T19:54:00.004-05:00

It's finally happened. I find myself without a recipe to post today. The truth is, I haven't cooked since Wednesday night for as couple of reasons. Here goes....

On Wednesday night I came down with a most unfortunate case of either food poisoning or flu. Who knows. Who cares. All I know is that I felt awful and just looking at food on Thursday made everything worse. I'm not sure what was wrong but suffice it to say, something was very wrong.

One of the bubbles at The Atlantic Club. Picture this with snow on the ground.

You really haven't lived until you've spent a couple of hours inside a tennis bubble with tennis parents. It's truly frightening.

Fortunately, by Friday I was was feeling better. This was good because I had agreed to take Kate and a tennis friend to a tournament in New Jersey. Yes, you heard me right. New Jersey. And not just New Jersey. The Jersey Shore. In January. At least the weather was fairly nice but it's January so it was hardly beachy. Besides, I spent the whole weekend holed up in a tennis bubble at The Atlantic Club in Manasquan anyway.

Kate did well and played well, and those two things are not always mutually exclusive, so at least the six and a half hour drive each way was worthwhile. But it was the Jersey Shore in January. Bummer.

We returned home late this afternoon and I made a unilateral decision that we were going out to dinner. All that driving and then cooking dinner? I think not.

So, that's why I don't have a recipe to post today. The short excuse would have been that I had a busy weekend but the long excuse is so much more fun.

See you tomorrow.

The Chewy

2012-01-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

The Chewy. It doesn't look chewy but it is. Trust me.

Do you know have jeans have names? There's the Paige Skyline. And the AG Stilt. And the Joe's Curvy. Well, apparently chocolate chip cookies have names too. Let me introduce you to The Chewy.

My sister Jill told me about The Chewy. It's an Alton Brown recipe and the cookies are, as advertised, very chewy. There's a slight crunch around the edges and then the middle is deliciously chewy. The ingredients aren't all that different from the millions of other chocolate chip cookies out there. This recipe, like the Cook's Illustrated recipe, calls for melted butter and one egg and one more egg yolk. But, unlike other recipes I've tried, instead of all purpose flour, The Chewy is made with bread flour. Could that be the difference? Who knows.

So here's the thing. The Chewy cookie is addictive. Make these at your own risk. Too many of these babies you you'll be checking to see if Paige makes a Mom Jean.

Recipe: The Chewy
(Alton Brown)

Ingredients:

8 ounces unsalted butter
12 ounces bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces granulated sugar
8 ounces light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ounce whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda onto a paper plate. Pour the butter into your stand mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Using the paper plate as a slide, gradually integrate the dry ingredients, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the flour is worked in, drop the speed to "stir" and add the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven.

Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-ounce portions onto parchment-lined half sheet pans, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake 2 sheets at a time for 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven, slide the parchment with the cookies onto a cooling rack and wait at least 5 minutes before devouring.

Hibernation Time

2012-01-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

Cooking Light, January, 2012

I hate this time of the year. The novelty of cashmere and turtlenecks has worn off. The stores are all featuring "cruise wear" and that just depresses me. It's winter and there's just nothing that will make me happy.

I have to admit that starting in about November I give up on the pedicures. I mean, come on? What's the point? No one's going to see my feet except for Ted and I'm not even sure he takes all that much notice of them anyway. So, all those sandals in the stores? Forget it. I cannot consider trying them on for at least another couple of months.

Leaving aside the whole sandal thing, I barely want to leave my house. I hate feeling cold so I just hunker down and wait out the big chill.

This leaves me with a lot of time to putter around my house. I wish I could report that I get all kinds of things done. I wish I could tell you that my cabinets are all perfectly organized and that I'm always up to date on the laundry and ironing. Nope. I spend all my time in the kitchen, cooking up a storm. When I'm not cooking, I'm browsing cookbooks and magazine for something new to make.

Lately I'm really been into my new issue of Cooking Light. On Monday night I made the Chicken and Chorizo Stew and tonight I made the Maple Mustard Glazed Chicken. I have to tell you, for something so light on the fat and calories, it really was scrumptious. And it was a quickie too. It took just a few minutes to prepare.

So what's my excuse today? It took me just minutes to make a gourmet looking dinner and I never did get around to organizing those cabinets.

Recipe: Maple Mustard Glazed Chicken
(Cooking Light, January, 2012)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Add chicken to pan; sauté 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add broth, syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and mustard; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan, and spoon mustard mixture over chicken. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Place pan over medium heat; cook mustard mixture 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy, stirring frequently. Serve with chicken.

Tootie Clafluti

2012-01-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

Today was a crazy day. My crazy day actually started last night, around 1:40 a.m. when I woke up only to realize that the light was still on in Kate's room. This is never a good thing. I had been asleep for hours and she was still toiling away on her homework.

Why do schools give so much homework? Why is 11th grade so awful?

But I digress. I went in to see what was going on and Kate informed me that she would be wrapping things up shortly. (Shortly, as it turned out, was another hour.) So I went back to bed. And there I was, wide awake, until 4:30 this morning. I must have fallen asleep sometime around then because 4:30 was the last time I checked the clock. I was definitely sleeping (soundly) at 5:45 a.m. when my alarm went off.

Oh, and did I mention that Ted slept straight through the night, snoring so loudly that our neighbors surely could hear him. (One of my friends made a recording of her husband snoring and then left him a voice mail message with the audio. What an inspired idea!)

Anyway, I managed to get Kate out of bed at around 6:50 this morning at which time she informed me that she was too tired to drive and could I drop her off at school and then take her to tennis. Sure.

Normally this would not be a problem except that I was expecting dinner guests tonight and I had to make and serve dinner. This called for a change of plans.

So, we went from a complicated menu to one more suited to a busy Tuesday night: panko breaded salmon, warm French lentils, a celery salad, pear clafluti, and a cheese board. Simple, delicious, and easy to prepare ahead of time.

I had never made a clafluti before but it looked easy enough. And low and behold, it was. A couple of ingredients into the mixer, some sliced pears into a baking dish, and just like magic, I had a dessert that looked like I had slaved for hours. And it was good too.

Dinner was a big success. I even had a second wind and managed not to yawn my way through the cheese. Kate opted out of dinner with our guests in favor of dinner at her desk. At least maybe she'll get to bed a little earlier tonight.

Recipe: Pear Clafouti
(Barefoot in Paris, 2004)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons pear brandy (recommended: Poire William)
2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.

Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Cooking Light

2012-01-23T20:04:00.001-05:00

Cooking Light, January, 2012
Their picture was just so much better than mine.

I try. I really do. I try to chose the healthy option but all too often it just doesn't sound (or taste) as good. It's not that I have anything against whole grains or gluten free because I don't. It's just that I'm a slave to my taste buds. What can I say?

So, it will come as no great surprise to you that I do not subscribe to Cooking Light Magazine. Occasionally the cover of the magazine will catch my eye at the check out at the grocery store but usually I reach for Fine Cooking or Saveur, the full fat cousins of Cooking Light.

I'm not proud of this. I should be concerned about what I'm putting into my body. I should be thinking about cutting calories, or cutting carbs, or cutting out whatever it is that we're all supposed to be cutting out these days. But instead, I think about what tastes good and just eat a little less. So sue me.

But here's the thing. I'm happy to indulge in healthy options too -- as long as they taste good. So imagine my surprise when today at the checkout I felt compelled to toss a copy of Cooking Light into my shopping cart. The cover got to me. There it was: a delicious chicken and plum dish calling out to me. Choose me! Make me for dinner tonight!

Once I got home, a closer look at the magazine revealed lots of chicken recipes that sounded good. And they sounded appealing not because they were low in calories or low in fat. They sounded good because they would be tasty coming from any cookbook or magazine.

I didn't make the chicken and plum recipe tonight. Instead I went with a chicken and smoked chorizo stew from the same issue. It was really flavorful and surprising rich for something so light.

You learn something new every day. Today I learned that cooking light can be just as yummy as cooking not so light. And I can have a bigger serving.

Recipe: Chicken and Chorizo Stew

(Cooking Light Magazine, January, 2012)

Ingredients:

2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 garlic cloves

1 onion, quartered

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

6 ounces chopped Spanish chorizo

3 cups cubed red potato

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 14 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving cooking liquid; cool. Shred chicken. Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.

Wipe pan with paper towels. Sauté sausage over medium-high heat 2 minutes. Add potato, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients (through saffron); sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add reserved cooking liquid; bring to a simmer. Simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shredded chicken; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Ladle about 1 cup stew into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with parsley.

Cleaning Out the Pantry

2012-01-22T19:55:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been coming across a lot of recipes that call for a lot of ingredients. Usually I find ingredient heavy recipes to be well, a lot of work. But these days I'm all about the ingredients because I'm all about using up what's in my pantry.

The thing about my pantry is that while it isn't very big, it's a lot bigger than it used to be. As you may recall, about a year ago, I converted a coat closet into a pantry. At the time I felt as though I had unlimited space. But the new pantry has slowly reached capacity and now it doesn't feel quite so large.

Kate was still asleep on Saturday morning when Ted I were deciding what to have for breakfast. I had some time to burn, since "princess" had informed me on Friday night that she was sleeping until at least 10:30 a.m. While Ted and I certainly weren't waiting for her for breakfast, I didn't feel too rushed either. So, I got out this recipe for Cranberry Harvest Muffins and set to work.

I had been eyeing this recipe for some time but on Saturday the stars aligned and I actually had all of the ingredients in my somewhat over stuffed pantry. I even had hazelnuts, although I have no recollection why I bought them in the first place. Same goes for the dried figs. I told you. The pantry was on serious overload.

The muffins were easy enough to make and they were so yummy that I was glad I made the effort. The toasted hazelnuts gave them a nice little crunch, and I'm all for a nice little crunch.

And as an added bonus, I cleared out a few precious inches of shelf space. Who knows how long that will last.

Recipe: Cranberry Harvest Muffins
(Recipe courtesy Open House Cookbook by Sarah Chase, and as reprinted in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, 1999)

Makes 18 large muffins

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 extra-large eggs
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup medium-diced Calimyrna figs
3/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir quickly just to combine. Add the cranberries, figs, hazelnuts, and both sugars and stir just to distribute the fruits, nuts, and sugar evenly throughout the batter.

Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Vanilla Update

2012-01-19T20:57:00.000-05:00

Before... September, 2011

A few months back I began the process of making my own vanilla (YLT 9/12/11). What I really liked about this particular project was that it required almost no effort. After submerging the vanilla beans in vodka, all I had to do was wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

But now, four months into my project, the vodka is starting to actually resemble vanilla. It looks like vanilla and it smells like vanilla. A little taste test reveals that it's actually starting to taste like vanilla. It still has a little way to go, but I'm on the road to having a quart of homemade vanilla. This is thrilling.

From all that I have read, homemade vanilla is a lot like a sourdough starter. You can keep it going forever. I think I'll use a little for myself, give some away to a couple of my baking friends, and then "feed" my vanilla "starter". Who knows, maybe I could start a little cottage industry with my artisan vanilla. Well... maybe not.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of The Great Vanilla Experiment. You just never know where this might lead.

During... January, 2012

What Do Carrots and Sweatshirts Have In Common?

2012-01-18T20:35:00.000-05:00

Years ago, when Charlie was very little, we had an Australian nanny named Mary Rose. Mary Rose was the ultimate in nannies. She read "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" to Charlie at least a thousand times. She took him to the park every afternoon. She played with Charlie endlessly while Ted and I were off at work. She really was wonderful and Charlie loved her.

Because of the kind of job Mary Rose had, she didn't dress up. Usually she wore jeans and a gray sweatshirt. Occasionally she would wear a black sweatshirt but she always wore dark colors, probably to camouflage the evidence of hanging out with a two year old all day.

So, imagine my surprise when one morning Mary Rose came into the kitchen wearing a bright pink sweatshirt. It was like a breath of fresh air, although I had never really noticed that she always wore dark colors until that exact moment. The brightness of the sweatshirt made me realize how dark all her other clothes were.

I feel the same way about carrots. In the winter months I always forget how drab everything is until I see the splash of color that are carrots. The orange is so bright and cheerful, a lot like Mary Rose's pink sweatshirt was. When I see carrots, I instantly feel the winter doldrums lifting.

Imagine that. Not only are carrots a mood enhancer, they're good for you too. You couldn't ask for more.

Recipe: Olive-Oil-Braised Carrots with Warm Spices
(Fine Cooking Magazine, December 29, 2011)

1-1/2 lb. carrots (about 10 small), peeled and halved lengthwise (if large, quartered lengthwise)
3 medium cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cayenne
Kosher salt
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Fit the carrots in a snug single layer in a shallow 9x13-inch baking dish. Nestle the garlic slices among the carrots.

In a small bowl, whisk the broth, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp. salt and drizzle over the carrots. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Braise the carrots in the oven until completely tender and easy to pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Uncover the dish and continue to braise until the spices on top have toasted and are mahogany-brown and the carrots look a little shiny, about 15 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink... Times Three

2012-01-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the phrase "everything but the kitchen sink". My mother always used it to describe recipes that called for lots of ingredients. When I am cooking and a recipe is, shall we say, ingredient heavy, that phrase always comes to mind for me as well. The apple, it seems, doesn't fall far from the tree.

In looking back over past blogs, I found that I have posted two entries entitled "Everything but the Kitchen Sink". One was for meatloaf and the other was for cookies. Obviously the phrase has worked its way into the blog as well.

So the other day when I was perusing The Wall Street Journal Saturday edition (yes, I peruse the WSJ), and I happened on a recipe for "Garbage Pail Pasta", my first though was that this recipe called for everything but the kitchen sink. I was hooked. I had to make it for Ted and Kate.

The sauce.

This is a great recipe to make on a night you have no idea what to make for dinner and it's 5:00 p.m. It's also a great recipe to use as a guide. If you don't have hazelnuts in the house, no problem. Substitute a like amount of another nut. If you're not excited about capers, use the same amount of another salty item. The key to success with this recipe is balance. Try and keep the balance between earthy, salty, and sweet the same as in the original recipe and you'll have success.

I am a firm believer in making something out of nothing and this recipe achieves just that. It's really just a hodge podge of ingredients all tossed together with a little pasta to create a very satisfying (and easy) dinner.

Recipe: Arthur Schwartz's Garbage Pail Pasta
Wall Street Journal, 1/14/12
Total Time: 15 minutes Serves: 2 or 3

This recipe comes from a restaurant that is famous for this dish, as well as the fact that it was founded by brother midgets known as I Corti ("the little people" in Italian). Besides three kinds of nuts, the pasta's sauce has several other typical Neapolitan condiments, such as capers and golden raisins. Garbage pail can be loosely translated as the kitchen sink, or one could read the name to mean literal siftings from the garbage pail. Choose the meaning that amuses you the most.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon finely chopped hazelnuts
1 rounded tablespoon whole pine nuts
2 tablespoons raisins (preferably golden)
1 rounded tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped if very large
¼ cup diced fresh cherry or grape tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
6 small black olives (preferably Gaeta), pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
8 ounces thick spaghetti (spaghettoni) or regular spaghetti

Directions:

In a 9- to 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add nuts and sauté until pine nuts become lightly colored. Add raisins, capers and tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add oregano, parsley and olives. Stir well. Cook 1 minute longer. Salt to taste. Set aside.

Boil spaghetti in at least 3 quarts of water with a heaping tablespoon of salt. When cooked, drain well.

Toss pasta with seasonings over medium heat until well amalgamated. If desired, serve with grated pecorino.

Not Everything Works

2012-01-16T19:39:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I thought I would make some oatmeal raisin cookies. I love oatmeal raisin cookies. My family does not. But you know what? Sometimes I get to make the kind of cookies I like and I like oatmeal cookies.

The truth is that I'm not exactly sure what went wrong with my cookies but the end result was not a batch of chewy oatmeal cookies. Instead what I ended up with were somewhat gooey and crumbly (yes, they were both gooey and crumbly) cookies. I think it might have been that I used the oats I had in the house, which were not Quaker Old Fashioned Oats. Instead I used Mc Cann's five minute oats. Who knew the oats would make a difference?

Actually, I probably should have known but I got swept up in making oatmeal cookies. Ingredients, and using the right ones, really matter, especially in baking. If you don't use the right kind of oats in oatmeal cookies you get gooey and crumbly not crispy on the outside and chewy on the side.

Live and learn.

It'll Be Our Little Secret

2012-01-15T19:01:00.000-05:00

Stews usually take time but this one takes an hour, start to finish.

As you know, I am a big lover of stew. I love them all: beef, chicken, lamb, and anything else you can make into a stew. To me, stews just epitomize winter and the hearty food that just sticks to your ribs (and your derriere). But you know what? It's cold outside and it's not as though any of us are going toe donning a bikini anytime soon, or at all.

Here's the thing about stews. You have to have time. Since they're usually made with, shall we say, a thriftier cut of meat, slow cooking is essential. After all, who wants to eat tough stew meat. Not me. So you have to plan ahead and make sure you have at least a couple of hours to cook the stew over a low, slow heat.

But life is busy and sometimes the day just gets away from me. I generally start out thinking that I'll fit everything in, but so often as the day winds down, I find that I've added more things to my to-do list than I've taken off. And dinner is just hanging out there like a flag waving in the wind. It's there but it's all too often forgotten.

What is so great about this recipe from Food & Wine is that it takes just about an hour start to finish. That's it. And it tastes as though it's been braising away for hours. Just think about how you can fake your family out with this stick to your ribs delicious stew. They'll think you slaved away for hours. Take credit. I won't tell if you don't.

Recipe: Provençal Lamb Stew with Basil
(Food & Wine, October, 2011)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
1 cup dry rosé
1/2 cup pitted green olives
3 tablespoons chopped basil

Directions:

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the lamb and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 12 minutes; using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add the shallots, anchovies, rosemary and most of the garlic to the Dutch oven and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallots are softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and cook just until browned in spots, 2 minutes. Add the rosé and cook until nearly evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, 5 minutes. Add the lamb and any accumulated juices, the olives and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the lamb is tender and the potatoes are cooked through, 50 minutes.
In a bowl, mash the remaining minced garlic to a paste. Stir in the chopped basil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the mixture into the stew and serve.

Coffee, Tea, or Nespresso

2012-01-12T20:44:00.000-05:00

Last year for my birthday Ted gave me a refrigerator. I was not thrilled. In fact, I think I may have made it clear to him, and everyone I know now or will ever know in the future, that I was not thrilled. Maybe the refrigerator harkened back to the time my father gave my mother garbage cans for their anniversary. I don't know. But I do know that my mother wasn't thrilled and neither was I.

So when I mentioned that I really wanted a Nespresso coffee maker for Hanukah/Christmas, Ted was understandably gun shy. The last appliance gift was met with a cold stare and a dressing down in the blog, so I get why he was reluctant to dive in, despite what I might have said.

But necessity is the mother of invention, and dive he did. Perhaps it was because he had no other ideas, or maybe he was willing to take a flyer on a minor appliance because it was well, not a refrigerator.

Ted is my hero and I love my Nespresso maker. He bought me the Pixie with the separate frother and it has totally changed my approach to the afternoon pick-me-up cup of coffee. Gone are the tacky to-go cups. That on- the-run coffee has been replaced with a very civilized coffee with a little steamed milk, all in a real coffee cup. It takes just seconds to make and I feel oh so continental.

Sometimes I even share my little coffee pods and make Ted a Nespresso on the weekend. It's a win-win for everyone.

The only problem with all this is that now Ted is totally confused and my birthday is fast approaching. Is it safe to buy an appliance? Or would it be better to go in another direction?

I wish I knew.

Virtue is Overrated

2012-01-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you're just in the mood for something cheesy and delicious. Something that perhaps isn't the best choice from a "I want to eat healthier" standpoint. But you know what I say? I say just go with it. No one ever fell off the earth from eating casserole. In fact, sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered.

I'm in a casseroley mood and I'm not going to apologize for it. I love casserole, especially the really cheesy ones with a little Mexican flair. They're satisfying. They're also great to prepare ahead of time, when you know your day is going to be a little nuts. And lets face it, even though casserole isn't a 10 on the healthy meter, is pizza? Or takeout Chinese? I think not.

So you know what? Throw caution to the wind and make a casserole. You can be virtuous tomorrow.

Recipe: Easy Beefy Cheesy Enchilada Casserole
(Sunny Anderson, 2010)

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup beef broth

For the Beef:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 packet Spanish seasoning blend (recommended: Sazon)
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup beef broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
18 (5-inch) corn tortillas

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the sauce: In a saucepot over medium heat, add the oil, onions, and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the tomato paste at this point and turn the heat up a bit, if needed, to cook the paste. Stir and cook until it deepens in color, and then add the garlic, cumin, and thyme. Stir to blend and cook until fragrant, and then add the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower to a simmer and cover, simmering for 20 minutes more.

For the beef filling: Meanwhile, in a large pan with straight sides, add the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to swirl, add the onions and green and yellow bell peppers. Season with a pinch of salt and saute until the onions and peppers are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes more. Add the beef, onion powder, cumin, thyme, Spanish seasoning, tomatoes, and broth, allowing time between each addition to blend. Season with a pinch of salt and a grind or 2 of pepper (the Spanish seasoning adds salt content, so be careful to not over season). Stir and break down the beef into bits using a spoon or fork. Cook until the beef is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

To assemble the casserole: Toss the shredded cheeses together to blend; set aside. Add 1 cup of the red sauce to a baking dish and spread to coat the bottom evenly. Top with 6 tortillas, overlapping to cover the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer the dish by next adding 1/2 of the beef mixture and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheeses, spreading evenly in the casserole. Next, dunk 6 tortillas, one by one, in the warm red sauce and layer over the cheese and beef, overlapping where needed. Top with the remaining beef, another 1/2 cup of the shredded cheeses, and another layer of tortillas dunked in the red sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top, spread evenly, and finish with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce bubbles, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Layer It On

2012-01-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

Apparently in 2012, cupcakes are out and layer cakes are in. I read this little bit of information in The New York Times so it must be true.

I'm good with this bit of news even through I love cupcakes. They're cute and they're just the right size. That's except for the ones from Crumbs Bakery. Crumbs' cupcakes are huge and look more like a cake for four than a single serving little treat. But I digress. Cupcakes are good but layer cake is way better.

I wish I could say that I was raised on layer cake. But the truth is that I was raised on "tunnel of fudge" bundt cake. Come on. You must remember the tunnel of fudge cake, the middle class precursor to the fancy schmancy hot lava cake.

The truth is that a layer cake is a commitment. It's big. It's splashy. And it usually serves a lot of people. My mother wasn't into big. Or splashy. Or serving a lot of people except on the Jewish holidays and then we just had macaroons. Layer cake makes a statement.

I'm very excited that this is the year of the layer cake and I plan to makes lots of them. I also plan to start exercising so I can eat lot of them. I have my cookbooks out and I'm reading up. I'm selecting recipes and I'm planning my first my first big, beautiful, swirly cake. A layer cake is not something you just jump into. It requires planning and anticipation.

In the meantime, I thought I would close out the cupcake era with one last hurrah. This Nutella cupcake recipe is for Kate, who believes that all things Nutella are perfect. Wait until I make her a Nutella layer cake. Then she'll know just how perfect Nutella can be.

Recipe: Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes
(All Recipes)
Makes 15-16 cupcakes

Ingredients: (Cupcakes)

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with Nutella frosting (recipe below).

Recipe: Nutella Buttercream
(Adapted from 52 Kitchen Adventures)

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, room temperature
1 C Nutella
1 C powdered sugar, sifted
1-2 T milk

Directions:

Beat butter until smooth. Add Nutella and beat together until thoroughly combined. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk or powdered sugar as needed to reach desired consistency.

Snap, Crackle, Pop

2012-01-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

I really enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie, especially one that has a little something extra. Let's face it. There are a lot of crunchy and/or chewy chocolate chip cookies out there so for me to get excited, the cookie has to go beyond the expected.

This recipe didn't really start out as something a little different. It started with a Cook's Illustrated recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I hadn't seen before. To be fair, I thought their old recipe for chocolate chip cookies was delicious so I was curious to see what made this new incarnation so special. Aside from browning the butter on the stove top, the ingredients were all the same and in truth, the final product was just as delicious as the original. Was it better? Who knows. Maybe, maybe not.

But somewhere between the first and second batches to go in the oven, I noticed a box of Rice Krispies in my pantry. Charlie loves Rice Krispies but he's gone back to school so I decided to do the thrifty thing and throw them into the cookie batter.

The cereal added a really nice crunch to the already very chewy cookie. What a nice little addition to the classic chocolate chip cookie. Snap, Crackle, Pop, baby!

Recipe: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, May, 2009)

Ingredients:

1 3/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2teaspoon baking soda
14tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (see note)
1teaspoon table salt
2teaspoons vanilla extract
1large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
3/4cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and Rice Krispies, giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Fennel or Foe

2012-01-08T19:01:00.000-05:00

Fine Cooking Magazine, October, 2011

Who knew? That's all I can say. Who knew that fennel would turn out to be one of my favorite vegetables. Back before I knew how to cook, fennel was one of those ingredients that would have completely turned me me off. It is, after all, a little intimidating to look at with all those fronds. Which part do you eat? And a vegetable that tastes like licorice? I don't know about that.

Live and learn. That's all I can say. I love fennel either raw in salads or braised as in this dish. It's a really nice counterpart to stews and roasts and is perfect for winter. Let's face it. If stewed meats are delicious, stewed veggies are just as good and have the added of bonus of being... vegetables. The orange zest and coriander add a light citrusy touch which is especially nice in the mid of winter.

This braised fennel dish is quick to put together and I promise that it will be a real show stopper.

Recipe: Braised Fennel with Orange
Fine Cooking Magazine, October, 2011)

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium fennel bulbs (about 4 lb. total), stalks trimmed and bulbs cut into quarters (cores left intact), fronds reserved for garnish
2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1/2 cup lower-salt chicken broth
1 medium navel orange
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.

Directions:

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the fennel, cut side down. Cook undisturbed until browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other cut sides.

Arrange the fennel browned sides up in a large (10x14-inch) gratin or shallow baking dish. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining fennel. Lower the heat to medium if any smoking occurs. It’s OK if the wedges are snug in the baking dish; they’ll shrink as they braise.

Add the garlic to the skillet and and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve any browned bits, about 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer to meld the flavors, about 2 minutes. Pour over the fennel.

With a vegetable peeler, remove three 3-inch strips of zest from the orange and then juice the orange. Nestle the pieces of zest in the fennel and pour the juice over. Sprinkle with the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, 1 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and braise in the oven until the fennel has collapsed and a paring knife penetrates the cores with no resistance, about 1-1/4 hours.

Spoon some braising liquid over the fennel, garnish with the reserved fronds, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Up and Running... Kind Of

2012-01-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

Well, at least I have the internet back. What will never recover are the three and half hours I spent on the telephone trying to get the internet back up and running.

You would think that since I write a blog, which is published on the internet, I would be a little more tech savvy than I am. The truth is that the sum total of my knowledge and interest in how the internet actually works extends to the "publish" button at the bottom of the page on Blogger. Other than that, it's all Chinese to me. I don't know anything more and you know what? I don't really care. For me, the internet is a lot like a car. I want to get in, turn it on, and then I just want it to go.

But today I got a crash course in "router reconfiguration" and I cannot say that I enjoyed it. Part of the problem is that our wireless router is located on the second floor of our house and Ted's computer, the "main" one for our "network", is located on the third floor. There was a lot of up and down the stairs, a lot of reattaching the router upstairs, and hours on the phone with my new buddy, Banktar, the technician at Netgear.

Don't you just love it when I talk "tech-nese"?

I have to admit, that I must have been very frustrating to Banktar. Here he is, trying to help and the sheer frustration of not having the slightest idea of what (1) he was telling me to do, and (2) what I was actually doing when he told me to do it, practically brought me to tears. Okay. I'll admit it. I wept and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Well, maybe a little but it was beyond frustrating.

The good news is that we finally have internet again and I have gotten back on Blogger. The bad news is that I'm totally "fermished". I'm going to cook dinner but I have to tell you this. What I could really use is a scotch.

Uh Oh

2012-01-04T21:59:00.001-05:00

I am having Internet problems. Thank goodness for my iPhone. As great as it is, I'm not a good enough thumb typist to do a whole post. Maybe the Internet gods will smile on me overnight and tomorrow will be an online day!

Quick and Dirty Cassoulet

2012-01-03T21:29:00.000-05:00

Years ago, when Ted still cooked occasionally, he embarked on a huge cooking project. Ted made a traditional cassoulet. This may not sound impressive, but believe me, it was. I was there and it was pretty damn impressive. (As I recall, it was also stinky and messy but let's just focus on the impressive part.)

Making the cassoulet was a multi day affair. There was the rendering of the duck fat to prepare the duck confit, then the waiting, the soaking of the beans, and then more waiting. And then finally the cooking. As I said. It's not something you can just whip up if you want to do it right. Ted is nothing if not a stickler for doing it right.

I'm not quite so rigid. This is probably because I have to cook dinner every night and Ted gets to do an occasional "cooking project". He can afford to be a stickler. I have to be efficient.

So when I saw a recipe for a cassoulet like bean and sausage dish I jumped at it. I'm not that big a duck confit fan anyway so I was glad to see that this recipe was a quick and dirty version of the French classic. And I'm all for quick and dirty.

I used French style turkey garlic sausages. They were the perfect balance for the creamy beans. In addition, I made fresh bread crumbs to top the casserole and browned it under the broiler for 2 minutes just to add a little crunch at the end. Either way, while this quick version lacks the complexity of "real cassoulet", it's very satisfying on a cold winter night.

Recipe: Cassoulet-Style Italian Sausages and White Beans
(Posted By smellslikehome On September 27, 2010)

Cassoulet-Style Italian Sausages and White Beans
source: Pam Anderson, Perfect One-Dish Dinners

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs sweet Italian sausage links (I used turkey sausages)
3 pints cherry tomatoes
1 medium-large onion, cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cans (about 16 oz each) white beans (cannellini), undrained
6 slices bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the bread, parsley, and garlic. Set aside.

Mix sausages, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, bay leaves, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper in a large heavy roasting pan. Set pan in oven and roast until sausages are brown and tomatoes have reduced to a thick sauce, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in beans, and continue to roast until casserole has heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Fish out bay leaves.

Sprinkle reserved bread crumbs over the top of the casserole and transfer to the broiler for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Watch it carefully. It will brown quickly.

Serve immediately.

Emily's Magical Brisket

2012-01-02T19:22:00.000-05:00

My friend Emily knows of what she speaks. She is a wonderful cook so when she told me that I had to make brisket her way I knew I had to listen.

Emily's brisket is absolutely delicious. It's not a "potchkey" dish, as my mother would have said. It requires just a couple of ingredients and a couple of hours. The results are meltingly tender and delicious. Served with curly egg noodles (also Emily's suggestion), this is the perfect dinner for a cold winter night.

I like this brisket because it's comforting and kind of old fashioned. No fancy techniques or ingredients. It's just what brisket should be.

Recipe: Emily's Magical Brisket

Ingredients:

1 brisket of beef, whatever size you want
3 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
2 Spanish onions
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
A little vegetable oil

Directions:

Season both sides of the brisket liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine the tomato sauce and onions and process until smooth.

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large dutch oven. Sear the meat well on both sides. Add the tomato sauce and onion mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for three hours or until the meat is very tender when pierced with a fork.

Refrigerate the meat in the sauce overnight. When you are ready to serve, slice the meat against the grain and return to the pot with the sauce. Heat over a low heat until hot.

Serve with curly egg noodles.

Leafy or Lacy

2012-01-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

As you may recall from last year, I'm not big on the resolutions. They never pan out so instead I try to give myself "guidelines", within which there's a lot of ambiguity and wiggle room. Call them anti-resolutions. This year's anti-resolution is to try and incorporate more vegetables into my diet.

I am not a vegetable lover but I do like salads. As you know, I have been conducting a lettuce exploration project. When we left off last year, I had proclaimed my love for both arugula and radicchio. Baby spinach, always a fan favorite was on the list as well. And then there's always my favorite, good old romaine.

Well, add another lettuce to that line up: frisee. Who knew that something that looked so lacy and delicate could pack such a flavor punch. It's a little bitter which I really like, and it makes a really lovely looking salad, which I also really like.

To be fair, I didn't just stroll up to the lettuce and say to myself "I think I'll make a salad with frisee tonight". No, I had a recipe. Sometimes I need a little push in the right the direction and Martha Stewart, who I think is probably a little on the pushy side anyway, nudged me in the right direction.

Paired with red endive, hard boiled eggs, and a really delicious Dijon vinaigrette, the frisee was not only really tasty, it made for quite a snazzy presentation.

And while this salad may not technically count as leafy greens, it does count as a lacy green.

Recipe: Frisee Salad with Hard-Cooked Eggs
(Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, December, 2011)

Ingredients:

For the Vinaigrette

1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad:

2 heads frisee, trimmed, about 8 cups
1 head red endive or radicchio, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
3 tablespoons tarragon leaves
3 large eggs, hard-cooked, peeled, and quartered

Directions:

Make the vinaigrette:

Whisk together shallot, vinegar, and mustard in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Make the salad:

Toss together the frisee, endive, and tarragon in a large bowl. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a platter, and top with the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Sun Kissed Greetings!

2011-12-15T20:56:00.000-05:00

We are doing something this winter that we never do. We are going on a warm weather vacation. You would think that living in a winter climate as cold and desolate as Pittsburgh that we would flee to warmer climes every chance we got. Not so, not so.

Instead we opt for one big blow out vacation every year, usually somewhere exotic and sightseeing heavy. One year we took the kids to Cambodia, Laos, and Bangkok, and another year we went to the Amazon and Machu Picchu. We've done Europe too, and Japan. I always say that when I die I want to come back as one of my kids. They've seen it all.

But the one thing Charlie and Kate have never done is the winter beach vacation. So when some good friends from New York called and suggested a joint family getaway in Puerto Rico over winter break, we jumped at the suggestion and will be joining the throngs of winter weary travelers as we embark on the winter beach getaway.

I'm jazzed. I am already feeling the warm sun on my winter white skin and the sand between my toes. I am not thrilled about the bathing suit aspect of this vacation, but I figure most everyone on the beach will have the same attractive winter pallor that I'm sporting. My friend Emily and I have already discussed, in detail, the various rum cocktails we will be sampling. According to Ted, the Pina Colada was invented at our hotel. Research is in order.

So, the long and short of it is that I am signing off for 2011. We'll be basking in the sun for a week and then I'll have to readjust to the winter. I figure it's the holidays. No one's cooking anyway.

See you in 2012. Until then... Eat, drink, and be merry.

Nadine

What the Heck is Cottage Pie

2011-12-14T20:26:00.001-05:00

Fine Cooking had a much better picture that I took.

Do you know what cottage pie is? Honestly, I had no idea until the other day. I don't think I've ever made it before but I should have. It's just my kind of food.

Briefly, cottage pie is a lot like shepherd's pie. It has a very flavorful filling of beef and veggies with a fluffy potato filling. Shepherd's pie is generally made with lamb so I guess the beef makes it cottage-y as opposed to shepherd-y. What the heck. Why they couldn't call it shepherd's pie with beef is beyond me But these days a lot of things are beyond me.

So, back to the cottage pie. I was perusing, yes I peruse, Fine Cooking, and I came across this recipe for sweet potato topped cottage pie and it sounded good. I have made recipes for far worse reasons than that so I went for it.

And it was good. The filling had lots of nice seasonings in it, like cumin, chili, and cinnamon, so it was incredibly flavorful. I'm all for flavorful. The sweet potato topping was well, really sweet, and quite yummy. And I'm all for yummy.

Ted and the kids liked it too. This was remarkable mostly because Charlie usually gags at the thought of all mashed potato products. This is probably the result of mashed potato overload when we he was little and we had an Australian nanny who was constantly making him mashed potatoes. But I digress. Everyone loved it.

This is a very nice winter dish. It's hearty and rich, although not rich is the heavy cream sense of the word. Just rich and tasty.

And now we all know what cottage pie is.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Cottage Pie
Fine Cooking Magazine, December/January, 2012

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lb. total)
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 oz. (1/4 cup) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and
Freshly ground black pepper
For the filling
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
Kosher salt
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ancho chile powder or other pure chile powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-1/2 lb. ground beef (85% lean)
1 14-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
1/3 cup coarsely chopped raisins or dried cranberries

Prepare the topping:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and set them cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 30 minutes

When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a medium mixing bowl. Add the milk, cheese, butter, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and beat with an electric hand mixer on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Prepare the filling:

Heat the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and 1 tsp. salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, fragrant, and starting to turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beef, season with 2 tsp. salt, and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Tilt the pan and spoon off all but about 1 Tbs. of the fat; return the pan to the heat.

Pour the tomatoes and their juice into a small bowl and crush them with your hands or a fork. Add the tomatoes to the meat and cook, uncovered, until thick, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the olives and raisins and cook for another minute; season to taste with salt.

Assemble and bake the pie:

Tip: You can use another size dish for baking the pie, but keep in mind that the thickness of the meat and sweet potato layers will change, which may affect the baking time.
Transfer the beef mixture to a 9x9-inch baking dish. Spread the sweet potatoes over the top in an even layer. Bake until bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Switch the oven to a high-broil setting and position the rack about 6 inches from the broiler element. Broil the pie until the sweet potatoes are a bit browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Another Fine Cooking Hit

2011-12-13T21:21:00.000-05:00

As I have mentioned in the past, I am a big fan of Fine Cooking Magazine. While Fine Cooking isn't one of those magazines that's brimming over with recipes every month, every recipe is enticing and very well chosen. As far as I'm concerned, if you are going to subscribe to one cooking magazine, this should be it.

One of my favorite features every month is a step by step recipe. It's a guide that describes in detail how to make something and it offers all kinds of options for "add-ins". I love it because it makes me feel creative while at the same time not allowing me to go hog wild and add three cups of olives to a tomato sauce. In other words, it gives you options and proportions which will insure that the end result is delicious.

This month's recipe was for chicken soup. Now, you may ask, why would anyone need a step by step guide to making chicken soup. Normally I would ask that same question but being a veteran of Fine Cooking's step by step instructions, I was game to try this recipe.

Well, I'm glad I did because this chicken soup eclipsed any chicken soup I've made in the past. Not only was the actual broth absolutely delicious, I followed their lead and added swiss chard, oyster mushrooms, and barley to the finished broth. This is not something I would have ever done before since generally I am a chicken noodle soup believer.

I'm not going o lie to you and tell you that the recipes in Fine Cooking are always really easy or that they aren't sometimes a little on the time consuming side. But what I will tell you is that you won't be disappointed that you went to the effort.

Here's the recipe I followed for Chicken Soup with Barley, Mushrooms and Greens. For other recipes for chicken soup and step by step instructions, pick up a copy of the December/January issue of Fine Cooking.

Recipe: Basic Chicken Broth
Fine Cooking, December/January, 2012)

Ingredients:

1 3-lb. chicken
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz.), cut into 1/2-inch wedges
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Tip: Removing the chicken’s skin gives you a less fatty broth that won’t need as much skimming.
Using a small sharp knife and your fingers, remove the skin from the chicken and discard it.

Directions:

Rinse the chicken well and put it in a large (at least 8-quart), heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to submerge the chicken (about 5 quarts). Cover the pot, with the lid slightly ajar. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook, occasionally skimming off any foam that accumulates on the surface, until foam no longer rises, about 30 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, 1-1/2 Tbs. salt, and 2 tsp. pepper and simmer until the vegetables start to soften and the chicken is completely cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Using tongs and a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a large rimmed baking sheet. Let cool for 10 minutes; meanwhile, continue simmering the broth, partially covered. Using your fingers, pull the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-size pieces; discard any gristle or fat. Set aside the shredded chicken.

Return the carcass to the broth and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are completely soft and the flavor has intensified, about 30 minutes more. If at any time the water level drops below the solids, add water to cover and return to a simmer.

Remove the carcass from the broth and discard. Strain the broth through a fine sieve set over another pot or a bowl large enough to hold the broth. Gently press on the solids with a large spoon to squeeze out any remaining broth.

Recipe: Chicken Soup with Barley, Mushrooms and Greens
Fine Cooking, December/January, 2012

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups finely chopped celery
Kosher salt
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
3 quarts Homemade Chicken Broth
3-1/2 to 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
3 cups cooked-until-barely-tender barley
3/4 pound Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 oz. oyster mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 tsp. to 2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large (at least 8-quart), heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and 1/2 Tbs. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned in places, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the reserved shredded chicken, barley, chard, and mushrooms. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until all are tender and the flavors meld, 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in 1 tsp. of the vinegar. Taste, and add more vinegar, 1 tsp. at a time, if needed, up to 2 Tbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish each bowl with a 1 Tbs. of the grated cheese, if you like.

Peppermint Patty

2011-12-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

Kate thinks she lives in a full service bakery. Tomorrow is her friend Emily's birthday so of course Kate wants to being cupcakes. Why not? Mom can make them.

The good news is that Kate and her friends at school and tennis are my test kitchen. I try out all kinds of recipes on the kids (and the coaches) and I get their feedback. I also don't have to eat quite so much myself. It's a win win.

So, for Emily's birthday I made Peppermint Patty Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream. Let me tell you this. I don't need the kids to tell me that these are to die for. They have a rich sour cream cake with a mini York Peppermint Patty nestled inside. The frosting is so rich with just a hint of peppermint. It's not too overpowering. I didn't want it to taste like mouthwash. I tinted the frosting with a little red food coloring to make it a pleasing pink and the end result was swoon worthy.

You need to make these. I don't say that often but you really do. They're perfect for the holidays. I mean come on. When else but during the holidays is the peppermint patty practically a food group.

Recipe: Peppermint Patty Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
(Adapted from Bakingdom)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream

16 to 18 mini peppermint patties (such as York), more for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined. Stir in the vanilla.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Add half of the sour cream, mixing until just combined. Repeat, alternating the remaining flour in 2 more additions with the remaining sour cream in one more addition (ending on flour).

Place 1 tablespoon of batter into each prepared muffin cup. Lay a peppermint patty in each cup and press down gently. Place another tablespoon of batter on top of each patty. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched.

Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb. (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:

To make the frosting: In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter for about 30 seconds. Beat in the sugar and salt until combined. Add 1 tablespoon heavy cream and whisk on high for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add more cream, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Stir in the vanilla and food coloring.

Who Knew?

2011-12-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Shadyside Market where the woman ahead of me in line purchased something I had never heard of before. It was Cope's Toasted Corn. Sold in a sort of old fashioned looking package, it looked like something I should at least have some knowledge of. Not to be outdone by the woman in line, I snagged myself a couple of bags and figured that I would come up with something to do with it later.

Into the pantry the toasted corn went and there it stayed. That is, until Friday when I was digging around looking for something else. I took it as a sign when the corn kept falling off the shelf and landing at my feet. It was definitely time to try out this mystery ingredient.

It turns out that I may have been one of only a few people in the universe who had never heard of, let along cooked something with, Cope's Toasted Corn. The recipes went on for pages. Apparently toasted corn is perfect for so many things, including creamed corn, corn cakes, and corn pudding.

I love corn pudding, at least I did the last time I had it which had to have been 15 years ago at Capon Springs in West Virginia. Capon Springs is a story for another day, but I recall loving the corn pudding they served with "steak on the hill", another story for another day.

Feeling a bit nostalgic for Capon Springs' corn pudding, and wanting not to be left out of the toasted corn revolution, I settled on a recipe for corn pudding from Gourmet Magazine. I figured that the Gourmet recipe would be the gold standard of all corn pudding recipes.

I have to tell you, it was really good. The corn sunk to the bottom, as the recipe said it would, and provided a nice base for the custardy top. The recipe didn't call for nutmeg, but I think just a pinch might have been a nice addition and I'm going to try that the next time I make corn pudding.

I still have one bag of toasted corn lurking in the pantry. You just never know what I'll come up with.

Recipe: Toasted Sweet Corn Pudding
Gourmet, November 2009

In this golden casserole (which you'll find on many Pennsylvania Dutch tables), a buttermilk custard rises to the top while the chewy, toasty corn sinks to the bottom, resulting in a two-layered pudding. The packaged sweet corn—frequently called by its most common brand name, Cope's corn—is slowly dried so that its natural sugars caramelize, a centuries-old Native American preservation method. Recipes usually call for grinding the corn, but the whole kernels impart a coarser texture that we love.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 10 min
Total Time: 1 1/2 hr

1 (7 1/2-ounces) package Cope's corn (toasted dried sweet corn)
4 cups whole milk
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk (not powdered)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in upper third. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
Whisk together all ingredients with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
Transfer to baking dish. Bake until pudding is set, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Toasted-Sweet-Corn-Pudding-356014#ixzz1g337hBdc

A Little Night Music

2011-12-08T18:27:00.000-05:00

I am not cooking tonight. I spent a good part of the day trying to get my arms around the whole holiday gift thing and tonight I am going to Kate's holiday concert. Ted and I are going to have a little àpres concert dinner following the performance.

I am just not on top of the holidays this year. Thankfully, Hanukah comes late because there would be no gifts if it started early in December, as is has in recent years. The Jewish calendar clearly does not take into account my lack of motivation and level of disorganization with regard to the holidays every year. It would be nice if it did. And despite Christmas coming at the same time every year, it always takes me by surprise. Go figure.

Every year I start out with the best intentions of (1) finding the perfect gift for everyone on the list, (2) getting it done early, and (3) working within some kind of budget. Every year the holiday shopping ends up with me (1) settling for anything that could even remotely be something the recipient might like, (2) a frenzied dash through the mall a day or two before the start of either Christmas or Hanukah, and (3) a budgetary free for all.

I have great hopes for this year but it's probably still too soon to tell how the holiday shopping season will shake down. For now, I think I'll sit back and enjoy the concert.

Pass the Salad

2011-12-07T20:48:00.001-05:00

As you may have noticed, I am not a big salad maker. Mostly I just do the romaine, tomatoes, and button mushrooms and call it a day. I am not proud of this but I have learned to embrace my shortcomings.

Nonetheless, every once in a while, a recipe for a salad piques my interest. Usually I get excited if there's some unusual (and by unusual I mean not romaine) lettuce involved or a particularly zippy salad dressing. This recipe for a salad incorporating fennel and radicchio together with a dressing which included both walnuts and manchego was a surefire interest piquer.

Winter is actually not a bad time for salads. The greens tend to be a bit "sturdier" but who needs all that delicate lettuce anyway? The dressings also tend to be a little heavier which suits me just fine. While I enjoy a nice little vinaigrette as much as the next guy, in the winter I crave something a little more substantial, even if it's just a salad dressing. I want a dressing with a little "umph" and this dressing certainly is "umphy" with the addition of both chopped walnuts and one of my favorite cheeses, manchego.

Not only is this salad absolutely delicious, it's a show stopper. The colors are lovely, even festive, and the dressing is really special. You can serve this to your family or to guests and everyone will be asking you to please pass the salad.

Recipe: Winter Salad with Fennel Radicchio, Walnuts, and Manchego
(Cook This Now by Melissa Clark, 2011)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 fat garlic clove, finely shopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound aged manchego or Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
1 large head radicchio, quartered lengthwise and cored
1 large fennel bulb, fronds removed

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Whisk in the oil. Use a Microplane or other grater to finely grate 2 ounces of the cheese (you'll get about 1.2 cup). Whisk the grated cheese and walnuts into the vinaigrette (it should be fairly thick).

Thinly slice each radicchio wedge crosswise and transfer to a large salad bowl. Trim the stems from the fennel and remove the outer layers. Cut the fennel bulb in half from top to bottom. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, shave the fennel into paper thin slices. Add to the salad bowl.

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the remaining 2 ounces of cheese into curls. Toss into the salad. Taste and adjust any seasonings, if necessary.

Buried Treasure

2011-12-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

This morning I was on a hunt for a lentil soup recipe that I remembered cutting out a couple of months ago. I have a very sophisticated recipe filing system so I was sure I could put my hands on it. My filing system consists of a large pile which I just keep adding to. I never get around to organizing said pile so you can image that it's quite tall. Nonetheless, surprisingly enough, I can generally find what I'm looking for.

That was not to be the case today. I did come across a whole bunch of recipes I cannot imagine why I ever cut them out. I also came across this recipe for banana bread which sounded I recall thinking was intriguing. I figured that with the number of rotten bananas we end up with around here, I was sure to have an occasion to make it.

Well, today was the day. Having come across the recipe and having noticed that I had more than enough bananas to make it, I felt like it was kismet so I got to work.

This is not a quick to make recipe. It has a lot of steps but what you end up with is an incredibly banana-y banana bread. I had never before though of straining bananas (although apparently my son attempted straining bananas in order to make banana beer), so I had no idea how much liquid is in a banana. The answer to that is that there is more than you would expect.

This recipe also produces one of the prettiest banana breads I have ever seen. With the sliced bananas and the crystallized sugar on top, it's gift-worthy if you're feeling ambitious. You will certainly make a splash with this loaf.

And if I needed a reason not to organize my recipes, I think I just found one.

Recipe: Ultimate Banana Bread
American's Test Kitchen
From the episode: Coffee Break Sweets

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even black) bananas in this recipe. This recipe can be made using 5 thawed frozen bananas; since they release a lot of liquid naturally, they can bypass the microwaving in step 2 and go directly into the fine-mesh strainer. Do not use a thawed frozen banana in step 4; it will be too soft to slice. Instead, simply sprinkle the top of the loaf with sugar. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness five minutes earlier than advised in the recipe. The texture is best when the loaf is eaten fresh, but it can be stored (cool completely first), covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 large very ripe bananas (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled (see note)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts , toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.

Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid).

Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Pie Anyone?

2011-12-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

I used some of the extra pastry to cut out autumn shapes and then decorated the crust with them. Aren't I just so festive?

To go along with my Turkey Roulade, of course I had to make a pumpkin pie. I mean, come on. What would Thanksgiving be without the pumpkin pie? I know some people prefer apple or pecan pie, but since I was cooking I got to make my favorite Thanksgiving pie. And that pie is pumpkin.

I have made a zillion different pumpkin pies over the years. Each has its merits. Some are light and chiffon-y. Some are denser and more custard like. Some are rich with spices and other are sweeter. There are as many versions of pumpkin pie as there are versions of apple pie and there's an argument for why each is best.

But I have to tell you that I have finally hit on the best pumpkin pie ever. I mean it. This is a pumpkin pie that stands above all others. I played around with a couple of different recipes and came up with this rich, spicy but surprisingly light pie. I have to give credit where credit is due however and give a shout out to everyone's favorite southern gal, Paula Deen. Who else would put cream cheese in a pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cheesecake yes. Pumpkin pie no.

So, with thanks to Paula and to Martha Stewart for my go-to pate brisee, here is my final word on the subject of pumpkin pie.

Recipe: The Best Pumpkin Pie

For the Filling:

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 1 hour, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Recipe: Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee

For the Crust:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Directions:

* Make sure to use very cold butter and icy cold ice water.

Put flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, blender or food processor. Add the pieces of butter and process approximately 10 seconds or until it resembles "coarse meal.".

Add ice water drop by drop while machine is running (or you are mixing)--- just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not mix longer than 30 seconds.
Roll dough out on a piece of plastic wrap. Press down slightly. Chill for at least one hour.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface and then fit into a pie plate. Do not stretch the cough. If it's not large enough, roll it out a little more and then try again. Decoratively crimp edges.

Thanksgiving Wrap-Up

2011-12-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

Well... They came, I cooked, I cleaned up. Last Friday night I cooked a belated Thanksgiving dinner for my family and it was lovely.

I made Ina Garten's stuffed turkey breast, which was delicious. Let me tell you this. There is absolutely something to be said for making just a turkey breast if you have a family (or group) that prefers just the white meat. I had Mark, my much loved butcher, butterfly the breast so that it was an even thickness throughout. It cooked in about two hours and was an absolute breeze to slice and serve. Rolled with the stuffing, it looked really festive. (Of course, I forgot to take pictures so I'm using Ina's.)

Before slicing.

The stuffing, which was full of yummy things like dried figs, dried cranberries, and pine nuts, was easy to make and really tasty -- in or out of the turkey. In fact, the recipe made quite a bit and I ended up with a whole casserole to serve in addition to what was rolled into the breast.

This recipe definitely had a "Thanksgiving-ish" vibe, but you could get away with serving it at any festive meal. It's absolutely delicious and makes a wonderful statement on any holiday table.

Recipe: Roasted Turkey Roulade
Barefoot Contessa, Back to basics, 2008

Ingredients:

3/4 cup large-diced dried figs, stems removed
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Calvados or brandy
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups diced onions (2 onions)
1 cup (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
3/4 pound pork sausage, casings removed (sweet and hot mixed)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
3 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole (2 halves) turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Place the dried figs and cranberries in a small saucepan and pour in the Calvados and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits with a fork, and saute, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until cooked and browned. Add the figs and cranberries with the liquid, the chopped rosemary, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes. Scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.

Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken stock, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir well. (The stuffing may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan.

Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board. Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. Don't mound the stuffing or the turkey will be difficult to roll. (Place the leftover stuffing in a buttered gratin dish and bake for the last 45 minutes of roasting alongside the turkey.) Starting at 1 end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder.

Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on the rack on the sheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer registers 150 degrees F in the center. (I test in a few places.) Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm with the extra stuffing.

Thanksgiving in December

2011-12-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

This was a strange Thanksgiving for my family. Not strange in a bad way. Just strange in a well, unusual way.

Charlie was finishing up his term abroad in Berlin so Ted went over to meet him. From Berlin, they went to Prague where they had a great time sightseeing, drinking beer, and drinking more beer. (Charlie has been careful to note throughout his time in Berlin that (1) the legal drinking age is 16 and (2) beer is cheaper than water. Apparently the same holds true for Prague.)

Kate and I didn't go because she is a junior in high school this year and just couldn't miss school. But all was not lost for us girls. We hit the road and went up to New York for the long holiday weekend. We had a lovely Thanksgiving with my cousins and then Kate got to spend lots of time with her camp friends. I got to spend lots of time with my good friends Bergdorf Goodman and Barney's. A win for both Kate and I. (Ted would say it was a loss for him as my credit cards went along for the ride.)

The upshot of all this is that Friday night I am cooking a late Thanksgiving for my family now that we are all back together. I'm going to make Ina Garten's Stuffed Turkey Breast, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. I have a full day of preparation ahead of me.

I can't wait. Having all four of us together for Thanksgiving, albeit a late one, is a celebration that will be well worth the wait.

Settling In

2011-11-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

I think we have seen the last of the sun. Oh, maybe we'll get a few glimpses of the sun over the next couple of months, but bright blue skies are just a memory at this point. Winter is coming and it's time to hunker down.

I really love winter food. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good news is that braises and stews and all things rich and heavy are very satisfying, especially when it's cold and nasty outside. The bad news is that I may as well apply all these delectable foods directly to my thighs. My goal this year is simple. I want to emerge from the winter months being able to fit into the same clothes I'm wearing now, in December. I think I can do it.

So, here we are on the edge of winter and what better way to welcome it than with a lamb tagine. I've made lots of tagines in the past but I always like to try something new. I cut this recipe out of the New York Times years ago and never got around to making it. I'm sure what attracted me to it in the first place were the buttered almonds, which were a new and different addition to the traditional tagines I've made in the past. I'm all for the new and different and I have clipped, saved, cooked, and eventually loved recipes for far less substantial reasons than buttered almonds.

You'll want to start this recipe at least a couple of hours before dinner because there's a fair amount of braising time. Or you can make it a day or two ahead if you would prefer and then just heat it up for dinner. Either way it will be rich and delicious.

Recipe: Lamb Tagine With Apricots, Olives and Buttered Almonds
Melissa Clark, New York Times, February 21, 2007

Ingredients:

4 pounds bone-in lamb shoulder or neck, or 2 1/4 pounds boneless lamb stew meat, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
* teaspoon ground cumin
2 large Spanish onions, peeled and quartered
2 cinnamon sticks, each 2 inches long
Large pinch crumbled saffron
1 1/4 cups dried apricots, sliced
1 cup cracked green olives, pitted and sliced if desired
2 to 4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Cooked couscous, for serving
Chopped parsley or cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Trim excess fat off lamb. Put meat in a deep Dutch oven or cast-iron pot with the garlic, salt, black pepper, paprika, ginger and cumin. Rub spices and garlic evenly all over meat.

Thinly slice onions, then mince enough of them to yield 1/2 cup. Add minced onion to pot with lamb; reserve onion slices.

Place pot over high heat and let cook, turning meat on all sides, until spices release their scent, about 3 minutes. You need not brown meat. Add 3 cups water to pot (it should come 3/4 of the way up lamb), along with cinnamon and saffron. Bring to a simmer, then cover pot and transfer to oven. Let braise for 45 minutes.

Turn meat, then top with onion slices. Cover pot and braise for another 45 minutes to an hour, or until lamb is very tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a bowl, leaving broth and onions in pot.

Place pot on stove over high heat and add 3/4 cup apricots and the olives. Simmer broth until it reduces by a third and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to pot and keep warm until serving. (Tagine can be prepared 4 days ahead; chill, then remove fat and reheat before serving.)

To serve, chop remaining 1/2 cup apricot slices. In a small skillet, melt butter. Add almonds and cook until well browned and toasted, about 2 minutes. Put couscous in a serving bowl and top with almonds and butter and chopped apricots. Pile tagine in center of couscous and garnish with herbs.

Yes, Yes, Yes: Part Two

2011-11-29T21:21:00.000-05:00

My view is that if I'm going to eat chili I am going to have some cornbread too. What goes better with chili than cornbread anyway. I generally find cornbread to be on the dry and tasteless side. That is, until I found Melissa Clark's recipe for Whole Wheat Honey Cornbread.

Wet and dry ingredients

Ready for the oven.

This cornbread is like a dessert. It's rich and cakey. The honey gives the cornbread just the right amount of sweetness -- not too much and not too little. It's crumbly but not too crumbly. And, the addition of the whole wheat flour gives the cornbread a rustic earthiness that is just perfect. In short, this is cornbread to die for.

Recipe: Whole Wheat Honey Cornbread
Cook This Now, Melissa Clark, 2011

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup sour cream, well-stirred
½ cup whole milk
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

In a large bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flours, baking powder in salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, milk, honey, eggs, and baking soda until thoroughly combined.

Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Melt the butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet or baking dish (I doubled this recipe and used a large baking dish for the above photograph) and swirl it around to coat the pan. Pour the remaining butter into the batter and mix well. Pour the batter back into the skillet and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean.

Yes, Yes, Yes: Part One

2011-11-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

I have been on a Melissa Clark kick. Her new cookbook Cook This Now is filled with recipes that just call out to me. And I am never one to pass up something calling out to me.

This recipe for Spicy Three Meat Chili had me at hello. Come on. How could I resist a recipe with a name like Spicy Three Meat Chili? It just sounds like something I would love.

And I did love it. Yes, it takes some time to make. And yes, it has about a zillion ingredients. But was it worth it? A resounding yes.

Recipe: Spicy Three Meat Chili
Cook This Now by Melissa Clark, 2011

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground beef or bison
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground veal
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped, to taste
3 tablespoons chili powder, plus additional to taste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, broken up with a fork
3 cups cooked kidney beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up with a fork, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Season the meat with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer the meat to a paper towel–lined platter. Repeat the cooking process twice more with the pork and veal. Season each with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add the tomato paste to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the paste is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the peppers, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and a pinch of salt; cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, beans, 2 cups water, and the remaining salt. Return the meat to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.

Ladle the chili into bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Comfort Classic

2011-11-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

Last year I made a gourmet version of tuna noodle casserole. While it was absolutely delicious and Ted and I loved it, Kate was unenthusiastic. As far as she was concerned, tuna noodle casserole was to be made with Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup and not with a fancy bechamel sauce.

Now I have to tell you that I am not a fan of condensed soups. They're gloppy and for the most part not particularly flavorful. In fact, that's pretty much how I feel about all canned soup. But there is a place for Cream of Mushroom soup and that place is in tuna noodle casserole.

Before baking.

Ted was out of town this week so it was just us girls. I could have been really virtuous and made up a nice little piece of fish for dinner but what fun would that be? I figure that if we had to be home while Ted was living it up in Berlin with Charlie, we should at least get to have casserole. And what better casserole than tuna noodle.

Recipe: Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

6 oz. egg noodles (wide or extra wide), cooked
1 can of water packed albacore tuna, drained and flaked with a fork
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup (or more) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs tossed with 1 tablespoon melted butter
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine noodles, tuna, soup, Worcestershire Sauce, and cheddar cheese.
Transfer mixture into a small greased casserole dish
. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of mixture in casserole dish. Lightly sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the bread crumbs.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until browned and bubbly and serve hot.

What Are You Thankful For?

2011-11-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

It's the time of the year when the subject of thanks takes center stage. It's always seemed a little strange to me that there is a designated day of thankfulness. Nonetheless, I guess putting such a date on the calendar assures that we will all take time out of our busy lives for a little reflection.

I, like most everyone, prefer to think that I am regularly thankful for all that I have been blessed with. I have a loving husband, two wonderful, kind (although not always to each other), accomplished children, and the world's cutest bulldog. I have extended family and lifelong friends. I have multitudes of acquaintances who are important to me as well. Aside from little aches and pains, we are all in good health. We are all lucky.

So often we think of the things we have as being what we should be thankful for. And it is true that I am thankful that I have a lovely home and nice things filling that home. I am thankful that, from time to time, I get to go on nice vacations or out to nice restaurants. But as I am getting older, I am mostly thankful for the people around me; the people who share my day with me, either close by or far away.

This brings me to all of you, the readers of You Little Tarte. Some of you have been with me since the beginning and others of you have just found me. However long we have been together, I am thankful that we have found one another. I hope that I add a little something to your day, either a recipe or maybe just a chuckle. You certainly add to mine and for that I am truly thankful.

You Little Tarte will return on Monday, November, 28th. Enjoy the holiday.

OMG

2011-11-21T19:56:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

I know that I sound like a teenager but that was the only thing that came to mind when I tasted the Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting that I made the other night. They were, quite simply, beyond description. Beyond, beyond, beyond.

The brown butter.

Mixing the cupcakes.

Ready for the oven.

One of my favorite baking blogs is Sprinkle Bakes. The recipes are always so delicious sounding and the photographs so enticing. The recipes just beg to be made.

The cinnamon frosting.

BTW (as long as we're speaking in code today), you may have noticed that lately I've been taking my own pictures. You can tell that I'm taking them because they're not, shall we say, either particularly artistic or professional looking. But, I'm working on it so bear with me please.

But back to the cupcakes. The cupcakes were cupcake-y, not muffin-y. Often cupcakes made from pumpkin or bananas (or zucchini or carrots, for that matter), taste more like muffins. These do not. They taste like cupcakes and the cinnamon frosting adds a whole other dimension and takes them completely over the top.

You have to try these. To hell with the calories. They're worth it and I promise you'll be saying OMG along with me.

Recipe: Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting
(Sprinkle Bakes)
Yield: About 25 cupcakes

For the Cake:

3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with papers.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns golden brown. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not solidified.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and allspice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk 1 ½ cups of pumpkin puree with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and sour cream until well combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Whisk in the browned butter until well blended.

Divide batter between cupcake liners. Fill them about half full.

Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, or until they spring back when pressed in the middle.

Cinnamon Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and heavy cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to chill slightly, and then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

Easy and Elegant

2011-11-20T21:54:00.000-05:00

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This morning I cleaned out the refrigerator. It was my usual weekly clean out and there wasn't anything unidentifiable in there so everything was good. In fact, not only did I come away from my refrigerator explorations with a couple of leftover items from last week's shopping trip, I came away with an idea or two.

Into the oven...

The finished product.

Now mind you, there is no need to call James Beard and tell him to reconsider this year's James Beard Award winners. Nonetheless, I am always in favor to using up what's in the refrigerator so let's just chalk these couple of recipes (if you can call them that because they're foolishly simple and really require no recipe) to dumb luck.

The first is roasted butternut squash. Yes, we have all made roasted butternut squash zillions of times but this time I added cranberries and a couple of tart apples. I topped it off with some toasted pecans and autumn seasonings.

The second recipe is as simple as the first. Roasted brussels sprouts are one of Kate's favorites. A recipe is hardly required. All you need to do is toss the brussels sprouts with olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 35 -40 minutes at 400.

The nice thing about both os these recipes is that they're perfect for this time of year. They're festive enough to serve for Thanksgiving and easy enough to serve to your family with dinner tonight.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples, Cranberries, and Pecans

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, cubed
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl, toss the squash, apples, and cranberries with the olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. When well combined, pour onto a large baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until soft.

In the meantime, in a small skillet, toast the pecans over medium heat until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

To serve, toss the squash mixture with the pecans and adjust the seasonings.

The Apple of My Eye

2011-11-17T21:28:00.000-05:00

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. Here it is just before going into the oven.
The other day I realized that I had a couple of apples that had been languishing in the bowl for far too long. They looked a little less shiny and felt just a little softer than when I had gotten them on my last trip to the farm stand. Clearly these apples were the leftovers destined to shrivel up in the fruit bowl. Upon closer inspection, I saw that there were also a couple of pears also on their last legs.

Well, when you have past their prime apples and pears, the best thing to do with them is to cook them. What could be tastier than some homemade apple pear sauce? I had some cranberries too so I knew I had the makings of something good.

I could have gone the minimalist route and just cook the fruit in water. Good but uninspiring. Or you can do a little doctoring up of the fruit and emerge with applesauce that's it's own food group. You know me. I went with the doctored up version.

The nice thing about applesauce is that while there's a bit of prep work, mostly it's just cooking time. I think of making applesauce as sort of an inactive activity. What could be better? I got all the fruit prepared, popped it in the oven, and then did some laundry. And some more laundry. Nothing like multitasking while I cook.

I'll tell you this, there's nothing better than homemade apple-pear-cranberry sauce. It's especially delicious served warm. You'll love it.

Recipe: Apple Pear Cranberry Sauce
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

zest and juice of 2 large naval orange
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 lbs apples
3 lbs ripe Bosc pears
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Zest and juice the oranges and the lemon. Place the zest and juice in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Peel,
core, and quarter the apples and the pears, placing the chunks in the Dutch oven
. Add the cranberries. Add the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Cover the pot.

Bake for 90 minutes, until the fruit is tender. (The apples will turn to mush on their own.
Use a whisk to mix until you have a smooth sauce with a few chunks. The apples will fall apart, but the pears will break up into small chunk.

Broccoli, Please

2011-11-16T20:31:00.001-05:00

Besides candy, Kate's favorite food is anything green. Yes, despite having a sweet tooth the size of Texas, Kate is a vegetable lover. Thank heavens because otherwise we would definitely be in trouble.

As far as I can tell, the only veggie Kate doesn't like is zucchini, which is kind of funny because it's such an inoffensive vegetable. Other than that, she's on board with the full array of nature's bounty. Among her favorites is broccoli. She loves any and all preparations.

The other day she mentioned that she was in the mood for some broccoli to eat before she played tennis. (Mind you, the broccoli was to go along with a Snickers bar.) I could have steamed it which would have been the quickest way to go but I decided that I would take advantage of the opportunity to try a new recipe.

This recipe for Oven Roasted Broccoli takes broccoli to a whole new level. The toasted panko really sets it apart and given the whole dish a heartiness that would be lacking otherwise. I made it without the parmesan because Kate doesn't usually eat cheese before playing tennis. Even with the missing cheese, it was tasty and delicious. I can only imagine that it would be even better with the inclusion of the parmesan.

I always tell Kate that if she even stopped exercising like she does that should would have to lay off the daily candy bar. Needless to say, the veggies would stay on the menu.

Recipe: Oven Roasted Broccoli
(Alton Brown, 2007)

Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or sharp Cheddar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread the panko into a 13 by 9-inch metal cake pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Return the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

Shortcut Authentic

2011-11-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

I have a couple Greek cookbooks but I have to admit that it always seems like too much of a project to just whip something up for dinner. Most often, when I have a hankering for pastisio or moussaka, we just go out and find it in a restaurant. The problem is that there aren't an abundance of great Greek restaurants in Pittsburgh so the short answer is that we rarely have Greek food. And that's too bad because I like it.

But the other day my Greek food prayers were answered. A somewhat shortened version of moussaka appeared in Melissa Clark's column in the New York Times. In fact, the title of the recipe was Shortcut Moussaka.

Shortcut is a relative term when it comes to Greek food. What "shortcut" cut meant in this case was that instead of it taking all day to make the moussaka, it only took half the day. Let's face it, it took a really long time for Greek civilization to grow and develop, why should their cuisine take less time to prepare.

I love a cooking project so I dove in with enthusiasm. I chopped, sauteed, roasted, stirred, and sniffed. I had a sink full of dirty dishes and a tomato splattered stove. And the time flew because as I said before, I love a cooking project.

The results were well worth the effort. Maybe it wasn't the most authentic moussaka but it sure was good. And it took less time than some of the other recipes I've considered. It was authentic enough for me.

Recipe: Shortcut Moussaka
(Melissa Clark, New York Times, October 26, 2011)

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplant (about 2 pounds), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup grated kefalotiri or Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 pound ground lamb (or beef)
1 very large onion, finely chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons bread crumbs.

Directions:

In a colander, toss the eggplant and 1 teaspoon salt. Drain in the sink for 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 450 degrees Toss the eggplant with the oil and spread on a large baking sheet. Roast, turning occasionally, until golden and tender, about 40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Bring 6 cups water, the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Lower heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes; drain and return potatoes to the warm pot. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and egg yolk. Mash potatoes with milk-egg mixture, 1/2 cup cheese, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

In a very large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the lamb, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Push the meat to one side of the skillet and spoon off all but a thin layer of fat from the skillet. Add the onions and cinnamon sticks to the skillet. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir the lamb back into the onions and add the garlic and ground clove. Cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are soft and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the eggplant.

Spoon into a 9-inch baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the lamb. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until top is golden brown and slightly crusty, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings.

Smoky-Dokey

2011-11-14T19:59:00.000-05:00

Liquid Smoke Brisket

I have been making brisket more or less the same way for as long as I can remember. Sure, I've tried new recipes but like many other things in life, they're pretty much different versions of the same old thing.

Well seasoned...

and ready for the oven.

But low and behold, the other day my friend Deborah mentioned a new twist on a brisket recipe that she got from her friend Vicky. Vicky is from somewhere in the south where Liquid Smoke is an pantry staple. Liquid Smoke? Yes, you heard me right.

I had seen Liquid Smoke in the grocery store but I'd never though of buying it. If I wanted meat to taste smoky then I would just throw it on the grill. Not so in the south apparently. The recipe sounded intriguing so I decided to buy myself a bottle of Liquid Smoke and give it a try.

Now here's the thing. There's not really a recipe for Liquid Smoke brisket. It's just a bunch of seasonings (and nothing too esoteric) and then the smoke. Cooked for 3 hours at 350, the end result is one very tender brisket. Let's just say that your Jewish grandmother would not recognize this as brisket but it's very tasty nonetheless.

The next time you're rolling down the aisle with the barbecue sauce, pick up a bottle of Liquid Smoke. Buy yourself a brisket and give this a try. It's a whole new take on brisket.

Recipe: Liquid Smoke Brisket

Ingredients:

1 brisket (mine was about 4 pounds)
1 bottle Liquid Smoke
Season salt
Black peppercorns
White pepper
Hickory seasoning
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup beef broth

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Season both sides of the brisket with the season salt, white pepper, black peppercorns, and hickory seasoning. Make sure to use enough seasoning so that the brisket is covered.

Place the brisket fat side up in a large dutch oven. Place the slices onions on top of the brisket in the pot.

Combine 1 bottle Liquid Smoke (1/2 cup) with 1 cup of water. Pour into the pot with the brisket. Add 1 cup beef stock.

Cover the brisket with a sheet of aluminum foil and then put the lid on the pot.

Cook for 3 hours or until fork tender.

Slice and serve hot with braising liquid.

It's All in the Vinaigrette

2011-11-13T20:42:00.000-05:00

Let's face it. To some extent salad is just salad. No matter how fancy you get with the lettuce, it's still just lettuce. I've tried them all and to a great or lesser extent none of them really excite me. Except for maybe arugula, which I really love. What really makes a salad spin is the dressing.

As you know, I've recently been cooking from Melissa Clark's Cook This Now. I've been having a lot of fun trying new dishes that focus on what's seasonally available. When I saw this recipe for spinach salad I knew I had to try it and not because of the spinach. I was excited because of the vinaigrette.

So off I went to Whole Foods the other day in search of "mature" spinach with which to make this spinach salad. You would imagine that Whole Foods would have something a little more imaginative than baby spinach in a bag but they did not. So, rather than go that route, I took Melissa Clark's advice and substituted in arugula. I like arugula better anyway. I picked up some plump dried cranberries too. I was all set.

A mortar and pestle is perfect for combining the garlic and anchovy.

Like most salads, this one was quick and easy to put together. It took just seconds, including pine nut toasting time. Now it was time to make the vinaigrette.

I have to confess that the reason I was so excited about this vinaigrette was because in it was an anchovy. I love the salty taste of anchovies. The salty bite of the fish against the peppery crunch of the arugula sounded too delicious to pass up.

And delicious this salad was.

Recipe: Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts
(Melissa Clark, Cook This Now, 2011)

Note: You can substitute the same amount of arugula for the spinach.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 anchovy fillet, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces spinach leaves, trimmed about 8 cups
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat until they turn golden and smell toasty, about 3 minutes, Pour them onto a plate to cool.

Place the garlic, anchovy, a pinch of salt and black pepper in a mortar and pestle. Crush to form a paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, then slowly whisk in the oil.

Place the green in a large bowl; add the vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Add the nuts and cranberries. Toss once more and serve.

Fill 'Er Up!

2011-11-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

The perfect peanut butter cookie

One of the most obvious victims of the kitchen construction was the cookie jar. There's no baking if there's no oven and as a result, for the last couple of weeks we've had to resort to store bought cookies around here. Kate has been unhappy. I have been unhappy. Ted doesn't care because he's not really a cookie person.

But we are back online as it were and I can fire up the oven and get down to some serious baking. Or not so serious, depending on how you feel about peanut butter cookies.

I love a good peanut butter cookie. To me, peanut butter cookie perfection is soft and chewy with just a little crispness around the edges. I have tried a million different recipes, some better than others, but I believe I have finally hit peanut butter cookie pay dirt with this recipe from my current favorite cookbook Cook This Now.

The log rolled in Demerara sugar

Ready to be baked

Perfection

At first glance this is just a standard peanut butter cookie. But look closer and you'll see that instead of all purpose flour, this recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour. The whole wheat flour gives the cookie an earthier taste that blends well with the peanut butter. The recipe also calls for Demerara or raw sugar which adds just the slightest crunch to the cookie. The cookie dough is rolled into a log, refrigerated, and then rolled in more Demerara sugar just for good measure. Those simple little changes to the standard peanut butter cookie recipe make a huge difference in the final product.

So now the cookie jar is full but I'm not sure for how long. I just may have to make another batch.

Recipe: Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Sandies
( Melissa Clark, Cook This Now, 2011)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup natural salted peanut butter
1 cup Demerara or raw sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Beat in the peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat well. Beat in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated. Stop and scrape down the bowl. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients.

Transfer the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Shape the dough into a 12-inch-long log. Wrap the dough in the plastic, using the wrap to help form the most uniform-size log possible. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill at least two hours.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and transfer them to an ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies until lightly colored and semi-firm, about 15 minutes; rotate the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you can’t get salted peanut butter (and I feel sorry for you if you can’t, because unsalted peanut butter tastes like paste), use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt, or even 3/4 teaspoon salt, in these cookies. They need the salt.

If you can’t get coarse raw sugar, use regular brown sugar here. The texture of the cookie will be slightly denser and chewier but still highly delectable.

For added texture and sugar content, roll the logs in more Demerara sugar before slicing and baking.

I’ve never done it, but I’ll bet almond butter would make a great substitute for the peanut butter here. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

Greens and Beans

2011-11-09T20:40:00.000-05:00

Greens and Beans

Before I moved to Pittsburgh I had never tasted greens and beans. Maybe it's a regional thing, or maybe it was available in Los Angeles but I overlooked it. Who knows? All I know is that greens and beans is everywhere in Pittsburgh and everyone loves it.

Isn't kale pretty?

Now here's the thing. I am not a lover of either greens or beans but the idea of them being braised together makes the combination sound appealing. Come on. What could be bad? Kale is tasty enough and so are cannellini beans. Greens and beans is also very easy to make which makes the dish all the more tempting.

Make sure to rinse the beans.

Ted has been out of town this week so I decided to make greens and beans for Kate and I tonight. Kate loves kale so I knew she would like this. What I did not count on is that she would love greens and beans. A lot.

And here's the really good news. There's really nothing in greens and beans that's not good for you. Aside from a little olive oil and whatever fat is in your chicken stock, this is a very low-cal dish. I used homemade chicken stock but you could use fat free chicken stock in the box. Or to make it totally vegetarian, you could use vegetable stock. It's a win-win.

Ted sure missed out.

Recipe: Greens and Beans

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups kale, washed, stems trimmed and chopped
1 (15- ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
3/4 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven.

Add onion and garlic slices. Saute until tender about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper; stir until fragrant. Add the kale and let saute until it cooks down slightly. Add the beans and the chicken stock.

Cover and let cook for 10 minutes.

Autumn Jewels

2011-11-08T20:42:00.000-05:00

Roasted garnet yams just scream autumn.

One of the things I love best about the fall is the arrival of garnet yams. Not only are they absolutely delicious, as an added bonus they're good for you. It's not often that something so good for you tastes so decadent.

I have to admit that for years the only time I ever ate yams was at Thanksgiving. And, given how sticky and sweet the Thanksgiving preparation was, honestly it wouldn't have mattered if it was a yam lurking under the marshmallows or a russet potato. The yams were mostly the vehicle for all the sweet, sticky toppings.

But if left to shine on their own, shine they will. Like little jewels. Garnet yams are absolutely delicious roasted with just the simplest preparations. Melissa Clark's recipe for Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Garlic really showcases all that is truly special about a yam.

Ready for the oven.

Now don't get me wrong. I suppose if I were a better, more disciplined person, I would serve a simple preparation like this one for Thanksgiving but I'm not. There's a time and a place for marshmallows and brown sugar. But there is also a time to let the yam shine on its own.

Recipe: Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Garlic
(Melissa Clark, Cook this Now, 2011)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, preferably garnet yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 unpeeled garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 thyme branches
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Put all the ingredients in a baking pan and toss to combine, then spread out in an even layer.

Roast until the potatoes are tender and browned, 25 to 45 minutes. Serve hot or warm, along with the garlic cloves.

Getting Back On Track

2011-11-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

I have been over-indulging lately. A trip to my bathroom scale this morning revealed that it is sheer luck that the dial hasn't moved up because I have been having myself a great old time eating everything that isn't nailed down. It's time to get back to the basics of good eating.

With the holidays coming, I need to get on track. For me, getting on track doesn't mean a steady diet of salad and protein. It means a nice balance of foods, just a bit lighter, say without the heavy cream and the apres dinner ice cream. Desserts are even admissible in moderation. I always find I can watch what I'm eating much more easily if I don't feel deprived.

Before the oven. Look how fresh and delicious everything looks.

I recently bought Melissa Clark's newest cookbook, Cook This Now. It's filled with delicious sounding recipes that focus on seasonably available ingredients. As I was flipping through the October and November sections I couldn't believe how many of the recipes sounded like something I had to make now. For dinner. Tonight.

Tonight for dinner I made this absolutely delicious roasted blackfish dish. Not to worry if you can't find blackfish. I couldn't either so I made it with sea bass and it was perfect. This would be a winner even if I wasn't paying attention to what I'm eating. Make this. Now. It's a winner and if you're already on track, dishes like this one will help you stay there.

Recipe: Roasted Blackfish with Olives and Sage
(Melissa Clark, Cook This Now, 2011)

* As noted above, if you can't find Blackfish (also called tautog), use striped bass, sea bass, or mackerel.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (1-pound) skin-on blackfish fillets, patted dry
Kosher salt, for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
1 small bunch fresh sage
1/2 cup pitted kalamata or other olives
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
Urfa or Aleppo red pepper, for seasoning
Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil into the bottom of a baking sheet. Arrange the fish fillets, skin-side down, in the pan. Season the fish generously with salt and pepper. Tear the sage leaves into small pieces and sprinkle over the fish. Scatter the olives on top and around the fish. Drizzle the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the fish is just opaque. 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish and dust the fillet with Turkish (Urfa) or Aleppo pepper. Finish with a light drizzle of good oil, if desired.

Another Crazy Cooking Challenge: Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-07T11:58:00.000-05:00

It's time for another Crazy Cooking Challenge. This month's challenge was to find a blog that had an interesting mashed potato recipe. Easy, you say. I say that you would be wrong.

There are a million mashed potato recipes out there, not all of them particularly interesting. A good mashed potato recipe needs to have a little something something to make it interesting because let's face it. potatoes are not an intrinsically a sexy food. They're big and white and for those of us in the "know", they represent everything bad in a carbohydrate. But I love them and so should you.

The thing about mashed potatoes is that they tread a fine line between sublime and wallpaper paste. The good ones are deliciously earth moving and the bad ones can make you feel as though you're having a heart attack. A good mashed potato is hard to find.

Garlic...

Potatoes...

Mashed Potatoes

This recipe form Steamy Kitchen is all a mashed potato should be and so much more. It's got lots of roasted garlic in it and a fair amount of either milk or cream (your choice). It can be made to be chunky and full of texture or smooth and creamy, each of which has it's merits.

I am usually a fan of smooth and creamy mashed potatoes but I decided that since this was a cooking challenge that I would challenge myself and go the chunky route. They were absolutely delicious although with all that yummy roasted garlic, they would divine either way -- creamy or chunky.

Give these mashed potatoes a try and take a peek at Steamy Kitchen as well as all the other great blogs participating in this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge.

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(Steamy Kitchen)

Note: If you're roasting garlic, you might as well roast more than one head...you can use the rest for other recipes (it will store in the refrigerator for a few days) or just spread the soft, warm, mellow garlic over toasted baguette.

Ingredients:

1 head garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 medium russet potatoes, skin-on scrubbed (for creamy mashed potatoes, peel the potatoes)
3-4 tablespoons butter
1/4-1/2 cup milk or heavy cream (or more)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoon table salt)
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut off the top 1/2-inch of the garlic off. Lay garlic on piece of tin foil, drizzle olive oil over garlic cloves and close tin foil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the garlic has softened completely and is very tender. Let cool and squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves. Coarsely chop.

2. In the meantime, place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Cover and bring to boil and cook for 20-25 minutes over medium heat, until you can easily pierce the potato with a fork with very little resistance. Drain potatoes.

3. For Hearty, Skin-On Mashed Potatoes: Return the potatoes to the pot over low heat, add 3 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup milk, salt and roasted garlic. Use garlic masher to mash. Do not over mix or the mashed potatoes will turn gummy. Taste and season with additional salt or milk if needed. Stir in chives.

4. For Creamy and Smooth Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes: In the pot, add 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, salt and roasted garlic and turn the heat to low. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes into the pot. [TIP: If you find that the potatoes need a little more cooking, just put them in the microwave for an additional 2 minutes]. Stir the potatoes. Do not over mix or the mashed potatoes will n gummy. Taste and season with additional salt or milk if needed. Stir in chives.

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(Steamy Kitchen Blog)

* Note: If you're roasting garlic, you might as well roast more than one head...you can use the rest for other recipes (it will store in the refrigerator for a few days) or just spread the soft, warm, mellow garlic over toasted baguette.

Ingredients:

1 head garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 medium russet potatoes, skin-on scrubbed (for creamy mashed potatoes, peel the potatoes)
3-4 tablespoons butter
1/4-1/2 cup milk or heavy cream (or more)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoon table salt)
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut off the top 1/2-inch of the garlic off. Lay garlic on piece of tin foil, drizzle olive oil over garlic cloves and close tin foil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the garlic has softened completely and is very tender. Let cool and squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves. Coarsely chop.

2. In the meantime, place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Cover and bring to boil and cook for 20-25 minutes over medium heat, until you can easily pierce the potato with a fork with very little resistance. Drain potatoes.

3. For Hearty, Skin-On Mashed Potatoes: Return the potatoes to the pot over low heat, add 3 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup milk, salt and roasted garlic. Use garlic masher to mash. Do not over mix or the mashed potatoes will turn gummy. Taste and season with additional salt or milk if needed. Stir in chives.

4. For Creamy and Smooth Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes: In the pot, add 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, salt and roasted garlic and turn the heat to low. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes into the pot. [TIP: If you find that the potatoes need a little more cooking, just put them in the microwave for an additional 2 minutes]. Stir the potatoes. Do not over mix or the mashed potatoes will turn gummy. Taste and season with additional salt or milk if needed. Stir in chives.

Be There or Be Square

2011-11-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

Monday is Crazy Cooking Challenge Day!

Be sure to check back on Monday after 12:00 p.m. for my second foray into the Crazy Cooking Challenge. I promise there will recipes aplenty all encompassing this month's theme. (I'm going to keep it a secret because I know how you all love the anticipation of what's coming next...)

Be prepared to swoon! Be prepared to be inspired! And be prepared to be inspired to click on links to lots of wonderful food blogs!

Goodreads Review: New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel

2011-11-03T22:13:00.000-04:00

Take a look at Goodreads

This falls into the category of sometimes your kids really surprise you.

The other day Ted called me from the office to share an interesting little tidbit about our son Charlie. Charlie, who is a voracious reader, apparently posts book reviews on a site called Goodreads. I'm not talking about an occasional review. He has reviewed close to 200 books over the last year and a half or so. Some of the reviews are for books he's read for classes and some really reflect what he likes to read in his free time -- that is if you can call Ralph Ellison leisurely reading. He's even been reviewing books he's reading in German while in Berlin although the reviews are all in English. What can I say? He's far more erudite than I am.

Anyway, once Ted told me about this I started surfing around Goodreads, not only to read Charlie's reviews, but to see what else was on the site.

Well, it turns out that there's a section dedicated to reviewing cookbooks. It practically had my name written all over it. If there's one thing I like doing more than cooking, it's reading cookbooks. Cover to cover. And fantasizing about actually cooking everything in a cookbook. In order. A la Julie and Julia.

As you know, I have hundreds of cookbooks and I have something to say about each one. Who am I to deny to cookbook reading public my opinion?

New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have a litmus test for all cookbooks. If, in the bookstore, I open the book to at least three recipes that I want to make, I buy the book. New Classic Family Dinners passed the test and has turned out to be one of my current favorite cookbooks. While I doubt that I will ever make every recipe in the book, the recipes for Tuna Noodle Casserole and Stuffed Shells made this a worthwhile cookbook purchase.

Mr. Peel's attention to technique and quality of ingredients is what really sets this cookbook apart. New Classic Family Dinners is a great addition to any kitchen library.

View all my reviews