Cook From The Hip

New Location!

2010-12-04T09:26:00.002-05:00

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Lamb Chops and Pesto Orecchiette

2009-06-10T23:55:00.001-04:00

My friend Joe at work is always raving about the orecchiette at Lupa. I decided that I was craving it too and decided to serve it with the delicious lamb chops I got on sale at Fresh Direct.

Lamb chops:
2 lbs 1 ½-inch thick lamb loin chops
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine

Preheat an over to 325 degrees. Heat a skillet with a metal handle on medium high heat and add the olive oil. Season the lamb chops with the salt and pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Brown the lamb chops on one side, flip them over, insert a thermometer into one of the chops and place the pan in the oven until the meat is medium rare. Remove the lamb chops from the pan and set aside to rest. Place the pan back on the heat, add the white wine and deglaze the pan until the white is reduced by half.

Pesto Orecchiette:
1 large bunch of basil leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 lb box of orecchiette

Place the basil leaves, garlic powder, cheese, and pine nuts in a blender. Turn the blender on and stream in olive oil until it all forms a paste but is not too liquidly from too much oil. Taste it and add salt and pepper if needed.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orecchiette according to package directions. Once cooked, drain the excess water and toss in the pesto sauce.

Caramel Chocolate Shortbread

2009-06-10T23:39:00.002-04:00

I’m pretty much obsessed with caramel. I wanted to create a new way to eat it. When I made this I over cooked the caramel and it turned out to be super thick. If this happens to you, add some more cream to the mixture before it is cooled to keep it from becoming a tooth breaking toffee.

Shortbread:
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using a fork, mix all ingredients until the butter is fully incorporated. Press into the bottom of a 8-inch square pan. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until it turns light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Caramel:
1 cup sugar
1 cup cream
½ teaspoon salt

Heat the sugar, in a heavy bottom saucepan on medium heat. As the sugar starts to liquefy, swirl the pan to mix in the un-melted sugar. Once the sugar is a golden brown, add the cream. The mixture may boil and pop so be careful. Add the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until the caramel gets a tad bit thicker. Pour caramel over the shortbread and cool.

Chocolate:
½ lb dark chocolate

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put into a metal bowl. Heat a saucepan filled half way with water on medium heat. Place the metal bowl over the pan and mix the chocolate with a rubber spatula until it is just melted. Pour over the cooled caramel layer and refrigerate the cookies until they are cooled. Cut into squares and serve.

Raspberry Mousse Chocolate Cake

2009-06-10T23:14:00.001-04:00

In preparation for my move, I need to eat everything out of my freezer. I always keep an emergency bag of frozen raspberries as they can be turned into an amazing fast dessert. They made a great filling for a rich chocolate cake. I brought this to work and make everyone’s day.

Chocolate Cake:
3/8 cup cocoa
21cups flour
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
3/8teaspoon salt
1 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
1 extra large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Grease 4 4-inch spring form pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the shortening, egg, milk and vanilla and turn the mixer on low. Once the flour is combined turn the mixer on high and beat for at least 5 minutes so that the batter gets fluffy.

Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for at least 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Cut the cooled cake into two rounds.

Raspberry Mousse Filling:
10 oz bag frozen raspberries
1 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cup heavy cream

Heat the raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Stir until all of the raspberries break down and are heated through. Run the raspberries through a strainer and into a new saucepan. Add the gelatin to the raspberries and heat until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it form soft peaks. Fold the cooled raspberries into the whipped cream.

Divide the filling evenly between the four cakes to make a double layer cake.

Ganache:
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
1 pint fresh raspberries

Place the chocolate and cream in a metal bowl over a pot of water on medium high heat. Stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completed melted. Take the chocolate off of the pot of water and set aside till the chocolate thickens enough to work with it.

Place the cakes on top of the rack and cover with the cooled ganache. Decorate the tops with the raspberries and cool over night before serving.

Scallop Gratin:

2009-06-10T22:58:00.002-04:00

Scallop Gratin is a really rich seafood dish. You could substitute any seafood for the scallops, but I think they are the best option for both price and decadence.

Scallop Gratin:
4 tablespoons butter
2 lb scallops
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Cajon seasoning
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (4 large)
1 cup stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
salt and pepper
1 cup panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the bottom of a large non-stick stock pot. Season the scallops with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and seasoning. Sauté the scallops until they are just about done. Set the scallops aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pot and sauté the chopped leaks until translucent. Toss with the scallops and place in the baking dish.

Combine the stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a saucepan that was used to cook the seafood and leaks. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook the sauce until it is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Pour over the seafood mixture.

Combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley and tarragon. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the crumbs until they're moistened. Spoon the crumbs evenly on top of the seafood. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.

Bacon, Golden Raisin and Pine Nut Quinoa

2009-06-10T22:37:00.001-04:00

Quinoa is such a sexy grain right now. I like to add some middle eastern flavors but plus bacon to make a sweet and savory meal.

Bacon, Golden Raisin and Pine Nut Quinoa

6 slices bacon, chopped
½ large sweet onion, chopped
1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
¼ cup pine nuts
½ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper

In a large pot, cook the bacon until it is golden brown. Add the onions and continue cooking until the onions turn translucent. Add the quinoa, chicken broth, pine nuts, raisins and salt and pepper. Bring everything to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the husk separates from the grain. Add the parsley and check to see if more salt and pepper is needed.

Goat Cheese Tart

2009-06-10T22:32:00.000-04:00

Goat cheese was on sale at the grocery store. But it sat in my fridge for a while before I had time to make something. When I learned that it was going to be Joncy’s last week working the bar at Blue Ribbon, I made this quick easy tart and ended up with two wedding proposals out of the Blue Ribbon staff.

Crust:
3/4 cups flour
1/2 stick of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons sugar
1/8 cup water

In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water, with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball. Roll out the dough on a well flouered surface. And place inside a large tart pan.

Filling:
2 onions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
7-8 oz log of goat cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and cook until they brown and caramelize. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the onion into the bottom of the pastry. Crumble the goat cheese over the onions. Arrange the tomatoes over top of the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and the Italian seasoning. Sprinkle the tart with parmesan and place in the oven. Bake until the tomatoes start to wilt and the parmesan and crust is golden brown.

Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo

2009-06-10T21:53:00.002-04:00

Gumbo seemed like another great food to send over to Frances after the birth of her cute new baby girl. It travels really well and the brown rice is a great source of fiber.

Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo
¼ cup oil
¼ cup flour
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
4 ribs of celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
32 oz chicken broth
1 lb chicken andouille sausage, sliced
1 lb shrimp, shells removed
16 oz package frozen sliced okra
1 tablespoons gumbo file
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
cooked long grain brown rice

In a large heavy pot, on medium low heat, stir together the oil and flour. Keep stirring over the low heat until the mixture turns a dark brown but does not burn. Add the onions, peppers, celery and garlic to the pot. Turn the heat up to medium high and cook, stirring, until the vegetables get soft and translucent. Add the seasoning and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Ass the chicken broth, and sausage, shrimp and okra. Cook the soup, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is fully cooked. Add gumbo file and salt and pepper to taste and to thicken the soup. Before servicing, stir in the fresh parsley. Serve the gumbo with a nice mound of brown rice.

Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto

2009-06-10T21:32:00.001-04:00

When my good friend Frances had her baby, I wanted to bring her tasty meals that she could heat and eat but still feel like she wasn’t missing anything. Farro risotto holds up much better to reheating than does regular rice risotto.

Wild Mushroom Farro Risotto:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
17.6oz package farro
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup dried morrell mushrooms
1 cup water
6 oz mixed wild mushrooms
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
32 oz carton chicken broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot on medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir until the onions turns translucent. Add the farro grain and stir to coat in the oil and cook. Add the white wine and stir till its absorbed.

In a separate pot, heat the dried mushrooms and water until the mushrooms are soft. Add the mushrooms and water to the pot with the farro and stir till the liquid is absorbed. Add the rest of the olive oil to the separate pot and cook the rest of the mushroom and the thryme until browned. Stirring on occasion to make sure they are browned on all sides. Take the mushrooms off of the heat and set aside.

Add a small portion of the chicken broth, about 1/2 cup, to the farro. Keep stirring until liquid is absorbed. Add more broth and stir to absorb until all of the broth is gone. If the farro is still not done enough, repeat this process with addition water until the farro is cooked through but not too mushy. Add the mushrooms, parsley, parmesan and salt and pepper to the main pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Cassolette

2009-06-10T21:23:00.001-04:00

A hearty French Cassolette is the best food to get you through the winter. It requires a bit of work, but you can leave it in the over to finish on its own. This version has a bit extra vegetables with the addition of the baby squash. If you don’t want to use sausage you can use duck legs, chicken legs or thighs or any other meat that will hold up to a braze in the over.

Cassolette:
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 ½ lb pork sausage, cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 10oz packages of mushrooms
2-3 cups chicken broth
½ cup white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 lb baby squash, cut into bite size pieces
10 sprigs of thyme
2 – 15 oz cans of white beans
Salt and pepper

In a large cast iron Dutch oven, over medium high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the sausage and let it brown on one side. Stir and let it brown on the other side. Remove the sausage and set aside with the bacon. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add the onions and garlic to the oil in the pot. Sautee in the oil until clear and translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. Add the chicken broth, wine and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add the squash, thyme and beans and stir. Add back in the sausage and bacon. Mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper and taste the broth to make sure it is salty enough. Put the lid on the pot and cook in the over for 1 hour.

Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Ricotta Gnocchi

2009-06-10T20:53:00.003-04:00

Gnocchi is truly a comfort food. The best thing is that it feels really special but is really fast and easy to make. You can flavor it a million different ways, but when I crave it, the classic mozzarella, tomato and basil takes the cake.

Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Ricotta Gnocchi
2 large eggs
15 oz ricotta, just under 2 cups
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup flour
8 oz can of tomato sauce
½ lb mini mozzarella balls, quartered
1 bunch basil leaves, chiffonade
4 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
salt and pepper

Heat a large pot of lightly salted water, to boil on high heat.

In a metal bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the ricotta, cheese and spices. Mix thoroughly with a fork, make sure to break up all of the cheese clumps. Add in the flour and stir to combine. Generously flour your work surface then finish mixing the dough with your hands, it will be pretty wet. Cut the dough in half and roll it in the flour, to coat the outside. Then roll it out into a long snake, till it is about 1 inch in diameter. Using a small paring knife, cut into 1 inch pieces.

Once the water comes to a boil, drop the first batch of gnocchi into the boiling water, making sure not to over crowd the pan. Let it boil for about 5 minutes till done. It will all rise to the top and the water will start to boil higher. While the first batch is cooking, roll out the other batch and cut it. Remove one piece of gnocchi and run it under cold water and taste it to make sure it is cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, drain the first batch to a colander, rinse quickly in cold water to keep it from sticking. Add more water to the pot and return it to a boil. Once boiling, add in the second batch of gnocchi and cook it till done. Drain the cooked gnocchi.

Heat the can of sauce on medium high heat. Taste it and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the mozzarella, basil, grated cheese and gnocchi into the sauce. Toss everything together and serve immediately.

Butter Pecan Caramel Cupcakes

2009-06-10T20:16:00.003-04:00

For my birthday I invited all of my friends to toast me at the Bourbon bar in Brooklyn. It took me a long time to think of the type of cupcake would go best with Bourbon but then it became crystal clear. Caramel will match the caramel tones in the Bourbon and butter pecan will pair great with the smoky notes.

Vanilla Cake:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter flavored shortening
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla and turn the mixer on low. Once the flour is combined turn the mixer on high and beat for at least 5 minutes so that the batter gets fluffy.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for at least 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, cut a cone into the top of each cake. Cut off the point of the cone to form a cap for the whole in the cakes. Fill each cake with cooled caramel. Place the cap back on top of the caramel to seal. Cover with a mound of icing and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Caramel:
1 cup sugar
½ cup cream
1 teaspoon sea salt

Heat the sugar in a heavy medium size saucepan on medium heat. Swirl the sugar occasionally until it liquefies and turns golden brown. Quickly add the cream and salt and return the mixture to the heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Let it boil to combine about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Butter Pecan Icing:
½ cup egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 sticks butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons butter flavoring
½ cup chopped pecans

Combine the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl. Beat with a balloon whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a pot filled with water and heat on medium heat. Keep beating the eggs to dissolve the sugar and the mixture will start to thicken and turn white. When the grit is gone from the eggs, about 20 minutes later, transfer the egg whites to a stand mixer and beat on high to form soft peaks.

Fold the room temperature butter into the eggs and continue to beat on high. Add the salt, vanilla and butter flavoring and beat one last time to combine.

Southern Biscuits

2009-06-10T19:53:00.002-04:00

When I visit my sister and brother-in-law I always like to cook a big Sunday breakfast. They love it when I make a giant tray of biscuits that they can feast on all week after I’m gone. This are a true southern staple.

Southern Biscuits
2 sticks butter, room temperature
4 cups flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
3 teaspoons salt
1 cup cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Once the butter is fully incorporated into the flour and resembles course meal, add the cream and milk. Quickly mix the liquid into the dry ingredients and turn out onto a floured surface. Squeeze the dough together until it forms a full mound of dough. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to 1-inch thickness. Using a glass or a biscuit cutter cut out biscuits and re-roll the dough after each round of cuts until the dough is all gone. Place the biscuits onto a silpat baking mat on a cookie sheet. The edges of the biscuits should touch. Paint the top of the biscuits with the melted better and a pastry brush. You can sprinkle the biscuits with parmesan cheese, cracked pepper or herbs if you want. Cook the biscuits in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Miso Black Cod and Soba

2009-06-10T19:43:00.002-04:00

My Valentine’s date this year was my best girlfriend Gaby. I went back to DC to give my sister a birthday and Valentine’s night out with her husband. We put my two cute nieces to bed and then I made a nice healthy meal for the two of us. It went great with rose Champaign!

Miso Black Cod
1 ½ lbs Black Cod, scaled and de-boned, skin on
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons yellow miso
¼ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil

Season the cod with the salt and pepper, garlic and ginger. Spread 1 tablespoon miso all over the fish. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium high. Place the fish in the pan skin down and cook until the skin is brown and crispy. Flip the fish and add the chicken broth and remaining tablespoon of miso. Mix the miso into the broth and cook until the fish is just cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Zucchini Soba Noodles
1 small zucchini
1 small sweet onion
1 package buckwheat soba noodles
salt
soy sauce
sesame oil

Cut the zucchini into thin julienne strips. Put a pot of water on to boil for the noodles. Slice the onions very thin to match the zucchini. In a frying pan heat a tiny bit of the sesame oil. Add the veggies and season with a bit of soy sauce. Sautee the veggies until they are cooked but still crisp. Season the boiling water with a bit of salt and cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Immediately drain the noodles and mix in the veggies. Serve immediately as a bed for the cod. Spoon the extra sauce over the noodles.

Beef Tenderloin With Tarragon Sauce, Cauliflower Puree and Haricot Verts and Mushrooms

2009-01-25T22:05:00.001-05:00

I invited Victor, Ryan and Kappy over for dinner on Tuesday after the elections. I wanted to create an all American meal, steak and apple pie. Unfortunately Kappy could not make it. But we had a nice time and it was simple enough to make after work but very impressive none the less.

Beef Tenderloin With Tarragon Sauce, Cauliflower Puree and Haricot Verts and Mushrooms

Beef Tenderloin:
1 3lb beef tenderloin roast
sea salt
garlic powder
black pepper
Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously season the tenderloin with the salt and other seasonings. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Sear the tenderloin for 2 minutes on all 6 sides. Then place an electric thermometer into the tenderloin and place the pan in the oven. Cook the tenderloin until the internal temperature reads 140 degrees, for rare. Let the tenderloin rest outside of the oven and off of the heat for 15 minutes before slicing.

Tarragon Sauce:
1 shallot, minced
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

Sautee the shallots in the same pan that the tenderloin was cooked in, on medium high heat. Deglaze the plan with the wine and cook down for about 5 minutes. Add the tarragon and mustard and stir in. Add the cream and reduce for 5-10 minutes until desired thickness. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Cauliflower Puree:
1 12oz package of cauliflower florets
3 small Yukon gold potatoes, pealed and cubed
4 cloves of garlic
salt
water
3 tablespoons butter

Place the cauliflower, potatoes, garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium pan. Cover the vegetables with water. Place a lid on the pot and boil for at least 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Drain all of the liquid out of the vegetables and transfer them to a food processor. Add the butter to the food processor and place the lid on. Let the vegetables sit for a few minutes until the butter starts to melt. Pulse the food processor until the vegetables form a smooth puree. Transfer the puree back into the pot and check for seasoning. Add salt if necessary. Keep the puree warm on low heat until ready to serve.

Haricot Verts and Mushrooms:
1 8oz package of haricot verts
water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8oz package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
salt and pepper
¼ cup white wine
½ teaspoon dried thyme

In a medium saucepan, place the beans and 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Blanch for 5-10 minutes until the color turns a deep green and the beans are still crunchy. Rinse the beans with cold water and let drain.

In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic until soft but not brown. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are brown. Add salt and pepper, the wine and the thyme. Cook the mushrooms until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Add the beans to the mushrooms and sauté to heat through. Taste the vegetables and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Apple, Almond and Ginger Tart

2009-01-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

Apples seem to last forever in the refrigerator. Luckily I had some on hand, from over a month ago, but they were the perfect thing to celebrate Obama’s Inauguration. Nothing is more American than apple pie, well apple tart in this case.

Apple, Almond and Ginger Tart

Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
1 stick of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup water

In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball.

Separate the dough into two equal rounds. On a well flowered counter top, roll out each round of dough till it fits into each tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the corners and trim off the top. Set each aside.

Apple and Almond Filling:
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 large pieces of candied ginger (about ¼ cup)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter, divided
¼ teaspoon vanilla
3 large granny smith apples, pealed, cored and sliced into 1/8 inch slices
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons honey
¼ cup water
1 piece of candied ginger, finely chopped
few toasted sliced almonds

Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons sugar then set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a blender puree the almonds, ginger, sugar, egg, ½ stick of butter and vanilla until they form a paste. Spread the almond paste over the bottom of the pastry.

Starting from the outside arrange the apple slices, over lapping to make a rose pattern. There should be no pastry or hazelnut peeking through. Really pack in all of the apples. Dot the remaining ½ stick of butter over the apples. Bake in the over until the apples and crust are golden brown, about 1 hour.

When the tart is close to being finished, heat the honey and water in a small saucepan until melted. Once the tart comes out of the oven brush the honey mixture over the apples, coating lightly, so that they apples are shinny. Sprinkle the tart with the almonds and ginger. Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving with some fresh whipped cream.

Baby Shower

2009-01-19T17:49:00.000-05:00

My great friend Frances is having a baby girl. The crazy thing is that she is due the day after my birthday. So I wanted to make sure that she had a great shower. I designed the invites to match some of the items she is registered for and then did all of the delicious food. It was a great party. My treats combined with all of Frances’ beautiful service wear made for a really impressive table. Everything has sort of a French flair to it, for some reason in my mind all showers should be catered with French foods.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Coconut Butter Cream Icing

2009-01-19T17:44:00.001-05:00

Frances’s favorite dessert flavor is coconut and lemon. This was the flavor of her wedding cake so it was only natural to make cupcakes in the same flavor to mark the birth of her new baby. These are very rich. The icing and cake are super sweet, but the very tart curd really balances out the full package. Eat these with a fork!

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Coconut Butter Cream Icing

Lemon Cake:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter flavored shortening
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon extract
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the shortening, eggs, milk and extracts and turn the mixer on low. Once the flour is combined turn the mixer on high and beat for at least 5 minutes so that the batter gets fluffy. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for at least 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then remove them to a wire rack and cool completely.

Lemon Curd Filling:
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 lemons, juiced and zested
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter

Beat the eggs and sugar in a medium size metal bowl until the mixture gets thicker and a lighter lemon color.

Fill a small saucepan one third of the way full with water. Place on medium high heat and wait till the water starts to bubble and steam rises.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the butter, to the egg mixture and stir. Place the metal bowl over the hot water and keep whisking until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.

Remove the curd from the heat and slowly mix in the butter. Transfer the curd to a plastic container and press the top with plastic wrap. Cool in the refrigerator until needed.

Coconut Cream Icing:
3/4 cup egg whites
1 cup sugar
4 sticks butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons coconut extract
2 tablespoons coconut cream
¼ teaspoon salt
1 7 oz package of organic coconut flakes
2 tablespoons light rum
.1oz vile of gold pearl dust

Combine the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl. Beat with a balloon whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a pot filled with water and heat on medium heat. Keep beating the eggs to dissolve the sugar and the mixture will start to thicken and turn white. When the grit is gone from the eggs, about 20 minutes later, transfer the egg whites to a stand mixer and beat on high to form soft peaks.

Fold the room temperature butter into the eggs and continue to beat on high. Add the salt, extracts and coconut cream and beat one last time to combine. Refrigerate the icing mixture at least 30 minutes so that it starts to harden but doesn’t fully set.

White Chocolate Lavender and Lemon Truffles

2009-01-19T17:39:00.002-05:00

Lavender and lemon are classic French flavors. Moreover, the scent of lavender was found to be an aphrodisiac so it makes it super fitting for a baby shower. The addition of the sugared flowers to the tops of the truffles makes them look 100% professional. They add a nice crunch as well.

White Chocolate Lavender and Lemon Truffles

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
peal of one lemon, only the yellow part
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 ½ pounds white chocolate
1/2 pound semi sweet chocolate
candied flowers, for garnish

In a small heavy bottom sauce pan, heat the cream, lavender an lemon peal. Bring the cream just to scalding. Turn off the heat and let the flavors steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain out the lemon and lavender.

Chop the white chocolate into small chunks. Place it into a large metal bowl. Add the cream, extract and salt. Place the chocolate bowl over a pot filled with water on medium heat. Let the chocolate steam over the water for at least 10 minutes. Using a whisk, once the chocolate is melted, start in the center of the bowl and slowly whisk to combine into a silky ganache. Remove the chocolate from the heat and let to cool to room temperature.

Using two teaspoons, spoon out balls of ganache onto baking trays lined with parchment paper. Roll the balls into globes with your hands. If your hands are super warm like mine are, or if your ganache is still too soft, place the trays in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the confections.

Chop the semi sweet chocolate and place it into a medium size metal bowl. Place it over a pot of water on medium high heat, stirring with a rubber spatula intermittently. Let the chocolate melt completely. Pick up some of the melted chocolate with the spatula; drop it back into the pool of chocolate. If the falling chocolate sinks into the rest of the melted chocolate the temper is broken. If it still piled up on top of the surface, continue to heat the chocolate. Once the chocolate is fully melted, move the medium size bowl into a larger metal bowl that is a quarter full of ice and cold water. Continue to mix the chocolate, paying special attention to mix in the hardening chocolate that is sticking to the sides of the bowl. Test the chocolate to see if the temper has returned, life some of the melted chocolate out of the bowl and drizzle it back into the pool of melted chocolate. Once the temper has returned, the chocolate will stack up on itself as opposed to sinking back into the bowl.

Drop the ganache balls into the melted chocolate. Roll them to coat and extract them using two small spoons. Place the coated truffles onto the parchment paper. Once you have finished dipping the truffles, break up the sugared flowers into nice size petals. Place a small bit of melted chocolate on top of each truffle and use it to affix one petal. Cool the finished truffles in the refrigerator. Store the truffles in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Bacon and Broccoli Mini Quiches

2009-01-19T17:32:00.000-05:00

Mini quiches are a classic part food. They are quintessentially French and really easy to eat. They can be made ahead and reheated quickly on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees. Though it would be very easy to buy these in the freezer section, when you make them yourself they are truly exceptionally. These were a huge hit with the father to be.

Bacon and Broccoli Mini Quiches

Crust:
3 cups flour
2 sticks of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water

In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball. Pull out about 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten into a round, place it into a mini-muffin pan to form a miniature pie shell.

Filling:
6 eggs
¾ cup milk
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 8 oz package shredded cheddar cheese
½ lb thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
10 oz bag broccoli, defrosted, drained and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrease. Beat the eggs, milk, mustard and seasonings with a whisk until well combined.

Fill half of the pastry with broccoli and the other half with cheese. For the broccoli quiches, top them with a bit of the cheese. For the cheese quiches, top them with a bit of the bacon bits. Slowly fill the mini pies with the egg mixture until you can see the egg peaking out of the filling.

Place the molds on top of a baking sheet and bake the pans for 30 minutes or until the tops turn golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Three Canapés: Tuna Nicoise, Balsamic Steak and Mushroom Goat Cheese

2009-01-19T17:27:00.001-05:00

Canapés are always easy to make and look super impressive. I wanted to have a main course that was easy to eat and still had great flavors. These three canapés really invoke the best flavors of France.

Tuna Nicoise Canapés:
2 7oz cans of tuna, drained
½ small onion, minced
1 tablespoon capers, minced
handful of black olives, chopped
handful of haricots verts, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice and zest of ½ lemon
salt and pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon anchovy paste
½ teaspoon dijon mustard
bread rounds
lettuce
grape tomatoes, halved

Using a form, mix the tuna, onion, capers, olives, beans, olive oil, lemon, and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Taste the tuna mixture and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Cover the bread rounds with a piece of lettuce. Put a hefty tablespoon of the tuna mixture over the lettuce. Top the tuna with a half of a cherry tomato and serve.

Balsamic Steak Canapés:
1 lb beef tenderloin
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
bread rounds
lettuce
Parmigiano-Reggiano slices or chunks
Aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrease. Season the beef with the salt, pepper, garlic and Cajun seasoning. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet with a metal handle on medium high heat. Sear the beef on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Insert an electric probe thermometer inter the center of the beef and set the alarm for medium rare. Place the skillet of beef into the oven and cook until the alarm sounds.

Let the cooked beef rest for at least 15 minutes so that the juices redistribute. Slice the beef, against the grain, into thin bite sized piece.

To assemble, cover a piece of bread with a piece of lettuce. Place a piece of beef and Parmigiano on top of the lettuce and drizzle with the balsamic.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Canapés:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ medium onion, chopped
1 4oz package of mixed “wild” mushrooms, chopped
1 8oz package of sliced baby bella mushrooms, chopped
½ tablespoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon bourbon or other brown liquor like cognac
melba toasts
1 8oz log of goat cheese
fresh thyme leaves

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a skillet on medium heat. Before the garlic browns add the minced onion and cook until it turns clear. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook until browned and soft. Once all of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are soft and browned add the salt and pepper and liquor. Keep stirring the mushrooms until the liquor is almost evaporated. Taste the mixture and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon a hefty tablespoon of mushroom onto the toasts. Add a slice of goat cheese and fresh thyme leaves to the top of the mushrooms and serve.

Cheddar Broccoli Chicken and Rice

2009-01-03T16:38:00.002-05:00

It has been really cold outside here in NYC. So that means comfort casserole time. I normally default to mac and cheese when I’m having these sorts of cravings, but I wanted to produce a healthier version. This has all of the warmth and comfort but with the addition of veggies and protein.

Cheddar Broccoli Chicken and Rice

3 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 ½ pound chicken thighs, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 pound bag of frozen broccoli, thawed
½ cup ricotta
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 12oz bag shredded cheddar
½ cup milk
½ cup parmesan
olive oil

Place the rice and the butter in a large pot. Melt the butter and toast the rice grains. Add the water, salt, garlic and bouillon. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn the heat down to medium low and place the lid on the pot. Cook for 30 minutes.

Transfer the rice to the final casserole dish. In the same large pot, heat the oil, chicken, and seasoning on medium high, stirring occasionally. Keep cooking the chicken until it is done and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the broccoli to the chicken and cover to steam and heat through. Remove the cover and allow the rest of the liquid to evaporate.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Return the rice to the pot and add the cheeses and milk, except for the final amount of parmesan. Mix the rice mixture to fully combine. The cheese will melt as you mix. Transfer the rice mixture back to the casserole dish. Smooth the top of the rice mixture and spread out the remaining parmesan cheese over the top. Spray or drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil over the parmesan cheese.

Bake the casserole in the oven for 45 minutes or until the cheese on the top forms a nice crusty brown. You can also switch the oven to boil to finish the browning process.

Bacon Truffles

2009-01-02T16:15:00.002-05:00

I’ve always been a fan of salty sweet things. First it started with salty caramel then salt and chocolate. Last year something really interesting appeared at my local Vosges chocolate shop here in Soho: bacon and chocolate. It was good, but not amazing. I knew it could be better. So for this holiday season, instead of buying gifts, I decided to make a NYC delicacy and bring it back to DC for my family and friends, bacon truffles. It is important to get smoky bacon; it adds a much better depth of flavor. I choose a hickory smoked bacon but you could use apple wood smoked bacon as well. I also buy my chocolate in blocks from the specialty section of WholeFoods. High quality chocolate is what makes truffles so luxurious.

Bacon Truffles
2 12oz packages of hickory smoked bacon
2 ½ pounds great quality semi sweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound semi sweet chocolate

The first step is to render the fat off of the bacon and make it into bacon bits for the final garnish. Chop the bacon into very fine pieces and cook it in a heavy pan on medium high heat. Stir the bacon intermittently to make sure that it browns and crisps easily. Once the bacon starts to get close to a dark red color and looks crispy, remove it to a dish lined with several paper towels. The bacon will continue to cook once it is removed, so make sure you remove it early enough so that it doesn’t burn as it cools. Set aside 1/3 cup of the bacon fat, without any bacon bits.

Chop the chocolate into small chunks. Place it into a large metal bowl. Add the cream, fat and salt. Place the chocolate bowl over a pot filled with water on medium heat. Let the chocolate steam over the water for at least 10 minutes. Using a whisk, once the chocolate is melted, start in the center of the bowl and slowly whisk to combine into a silky ganache. Remove the chocolate from the heat and let to cool to room temperature.

Using two teaspoons, spoon out balls of ganache onto baking trays lined with parchment paper. Roll the balls into globes with your hands. If your hands are super warm like mine are, or if your ganache is still too soft, place the trays in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the confections.

Chop the last block of chocolate and place it into a medium size metal bowl. Place it over a pot of water on medium high heat, stirring with a rubber spatula intermittently. Let the chocolate melt completely. Pick up some of the melted chocolate with the spatula; drop it back into the pool of chocolate. If the falling chocolate sinks into the rest of the melted chocolate the temper is broken. If it still piled up on top of the surface, continue to heat the chocolate. Once the chocolate is fully melted, move the medium size bowl into a larger metal bowl that is a quarter full of ice and cold water. Continue to mix the chocolate, paying special attention to mix in the hardening chocolate that is sticking to the sides of the bowl. Test the chocolate to see if the temper has returned, life some of the melted chocolate out of the bowl and drizzle it back into the pool of melted chocolate. Once the temper has returned, the chocolate will stack up on itself as opposed to sinking back into the bowl.

Drop the ganache balls into the melted chocolate. Roll them to coat and extract them using two small spoons. Place the coated truffles onto the parchment paper and sprinkle with a healthy amount of the bacon pits. If you really love bacon, roll the chocolates into the bacon to coat completely. Cool the finished truffles in the refrigerator. Store the truffles in an air tight container until ready to serve.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

2008-12-15T11:46:00.003-05:00

A co-worker was so kind to give me cool new non-stick baking molds. I had to think of the stickiest cake to try them out. So I made these sticky toffee puddings for our holiday party. There was a tiny but of sticking on the very bottom, little piece of dates. But over all I was very impressed.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Cake:
10 oz dates
1 ¾ cup water, boiling
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tablespoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Chop the dates in a food processor until fine. Place the dates and the baking soda into a large bowl. Add the boiling water and stir to combine and break up all of the dates. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until well incorporated. Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Ass the baking powder and flour and beat on a low speed to form a thick dough. Scrap down the bowl again with a rubber spatula. Slowly add the date mixture and beat on low speed till fully combined.

Spray small molds with cooking oil spray and align them on a cookie sheet. Fill each cup half way full. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cakes are a dark golden brown and a tooth pick some out mostly clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack before removing from the molds.

Toffee Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup corn syrup
Pinch of salt

Place all items into a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat on medium heat. Once the butter is fully melted, stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook until the mixture comes to a low boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and boil for 3-5 more minutes. Let the sauce cool somewhat before serving. It is best served warm. You can either heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds or on the stove top.

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all items together with an electric mixer to form stiff peaks.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cupcakes

2008-12-13T12:02:00.001-05:00

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cupcakes

This year since the market is so bad, we have a “self funded” holiday party at work. The theme was a dessert potluck. I knew I needed to come up with something really amazing to prove to my work that I rein supreme. My cupcakes were the first item to go on a table of 30 desserts. And apparently, people are still talking about them later throughout the week.

Chocolate Cupcakes:
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter flavored shortening
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ tablespoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add all ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix with a spoon to combine. Whip the mixture on high for 5 minutes until the batter is lighter in color, fully incorporated and fluffy.

Place cupcake liners into muffin tins and fill each liner to just under halfway full. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.

Move to a wire rack to cool.

Peppermint Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Mix all of the ingredients in a sand mixer to form stiff peaks.

White Chocolate Butter Cream Icing:
3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips

Place the egg whites and sugar in the metal bowl from a stand mixer. Place over a pan of water on medium heat. Beat the egg whites with a whisk over the water as it gets warmer. The egg whites will turn white and the sugar will dissolve. Keep beating over the heat until the mixture is warm and the sugar is fully dissolved.

Place the chocolate into a small metal bowl and place it over the warm pan of water. Mix with a rubber spatula until the chocolate if fully dissolved.

While the chocolate is melting, move the egg whites to the stand mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Add the soften butter and vanilla and beat for another 3-5 minutes.

Let the chocolate cool slightly. Add it to the icing base and beat on high for another minute or two, till its combined.

Assembly:
Chocolate Cupcakes
Peppermint Whipped Cream
White Chocolate Icing
Crushed Peppermint Candies

Cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake using a small pairing knife. Trim the pointy part of the cone off to leave just a thin cap. Scoop out more of the interior of the cupcake to make a pocket for the cream filling.

Using a small spoon, fill each cupcake with the peppermint whipped cream and place the cap back on top to seal in the filling.

Using a star tip and a Ziploc bag, pipe a tall swirl of icing onto each cupcake.

Sprinkle each cupcake with the crushed candies and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Roast Sirloin of Beef with Cilantro Sauce

2008-12-13T11:31:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the holidays, I got together with some friends from business school for a great dinner over at the Chubb’s apartment. Zach and Laura have the best kitchen and a great convection oven which I love using. This dish is super easy but really impressive.

Cilantro Sauce:
1 bunch cilantro, washed
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 pinches red chili flakes
½ teaspoon sugar

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Turn it on and chop until it creates a cohesive sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt, sugar, chili and vinegar till it tastes good.

Roast:
1 5 lb sirloin roast, fat on
sea salt
pepper
olive oil

Place the roast into a large metal bowl. Sprinkle it generously with lots of sea salt on all sides and some pepper. Rub in olive oil and a few tablespoons of the sauce. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the over to 475 degrees. Place the roast onto a rack in a large roasting pan, fat side up. Insert a probe thermometer into the roast so that it reaches the middle. Roast the beef in the oven for 15 minutes at 475. You should hear the fat cooking and the top will start to brown. Reduce the temperature to 350 and cook the roast until the probe thermometer tells you that it has reach rare. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes, covered in foil, to lock in the juices. Heat the sauce in a small saucepan on medium low until it is warm and the sharp taste of raw onions is gone.

Slice the roast against the grain and serve with the sauce.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-13T11:06:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love all of the flavors of fall and the gluttony. I decided to stay in NYC this year so that I could spend it with some of my best friends and I got to make what I want. I cooked for 2 days straight but it was worth it for the great turducken and all of the delicious mini desserts. See the next three posts to see how to make everything. Brian was gracious enough to open his apartment and everyone contributed amazing slides. It was my best Thanksgiving to date!

Thanksgiving Turducken

2008-12-13T10:48:00.002-05:00

I have been obsessed with turducken for quite some time. I have only had it once before. My old boss, Mary K had ordered one a few years back during the holidays. Though the butcher thought I was crazy for trying to sew this together myself, it actually was pretty easy. I made a 30 lb bird total and it took 6 hours to cook in my busted oven, but it was worth every second. It came out juicy, flavorful and was a breeze to carve. Needless to say, my friends were very impressed. I think I will attempt to make a smaller version next time that is just all breasts. At that point, you can have it on non-special occasions.

Stuffing:
1 ¼ lb chorizo, casing removed
1 ¼ lb pork sage sausage, casing removed
1 ½ cup minced onions
1 cup minced celery
4 slices of wheat bread, shredded or copped in the food processor
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
½ cup chicken broth

Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Using your hands, mix to combine.

Turducken:
1 10-15 lb organic turkey, de-boned
1 6 lb organic duck, de-boned
1 4 lb organic chicken, de-boned
Salt
Garlic powder
Cajun seasoning
Olive oil
Butcher’s twine and needle

Have the butcher de-bone all of the birds and brine the meats over night. You could do both of these steps yourself but they are both very time and space consuming as well as REALLY messy.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. On a large cutting board, sprinkle both sides of the turkey with a generous amount of the seasonings. Place the turkey skin side down and put about a third of the stuffing on the turkey meat. Push the stuffing around to make an even layer.

Coat the duck on both sides with the seasonings and place it on top of the turkey, skin side down. Try to stagger the layers of dark and white meat. If the dark meat in the turkey is close to you, place the dark meat side of the duck far away from you. Cover the duck with a third of the stuffing and press it into an even layer.

Coat the chicken with the seasonings on both sides and place it on top of the duck. Fill it with the rest of the stuffing.

Thread the needle with the string. Fold the turkey together and starting as the tail end, and brign it closest to you, sew up the turkey. You can tighten the stitches, like tightening your shoe. Make sure that all open parts of the birds are completely sewn together.

Transfer the birds to a rack in a large roasting pan, sewn side down. Sprinkle the sin with olive oil, and the seasonings. Insert an ovenproof probe thermometer into the middle of the bird. Cover the bird with foil and roast in the oven for several hours.

Once the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, remove the foil and keep roasting until the bird reaches 160 degrees. Let the bird rest for 15 minutes, and carve and serve.

Gravy:
All of the bones from the turkey duck and chicken
1 package of fresh poultry herbs: sage, thyme and rosemary
olive oil
water
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
¼ - ½ cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Please all of the bones and herbs into a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for two hours.

Transfer all of the bones to a large stockpot. Cover with water and boil for one hour. Remove all of the bones and herbs and refrigerate over night.

Skim the fat off of the top of the gravy and discard. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Taste the broth and adjust by adding more salt and pepper. Depending on the amount of liquid in the pot, mix more or less flour with water to form a smooth slurry.

Turn the heat down to medium low and whisk the slurry into the broth. Keep whisking until the mixture returns to a low boil. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Thanksgiving Morrells and Haricot Vert

2008-12-13T08:58:00.001-05:00

I hate green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. It is too mushy and the flavors are never bold enough. I took the same main ingredients and made this great gourmet alternative. Thanks to my dad for the never ending stash of morrells.

Morrells and Haricot Vert

1 cup dried morrells
½ rose wine
water
1 cup diced pancetta
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz sliced baby bella or button mushrooms
1 teaspoon thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
haricort vert or green beans
salt and pepper
truffle oil

Cook the morrells and a pinch of salt in the wine and enough water to cover on medium heat until the liquid is basically evaporated.

In a large pan, cool the pancetta in the olive oil on medium high heat until the pancetta is golden brown. Add the sliced mushrooms, thyme, garlic and salt and pepper. Sautee until the mushrooms caramelize and there is no liquid in the pan. Add the morrells and stir to combine.

Boil a large pot of salted water and blanch the beans for about 5 minutes until they turn a bright green but don’t get soft. Add the drained beans to the mushrooms, drizzle with the truffle oil and more salt and pepper. Sautee the vegetables for just a few minutes on medium heat. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as necessary.

Thanksgiving Mini Desserts

2008-12-13T08:45:00.004-05:00

By the time I get to dessert at Thanksgiving I’m always stuffed. I want to try everything but it seems impossible since there isn’t any room in my tummy. This year I got smart and made everything as miniature bite-size desserts. Each of these deserts uses the same mini muffin tin for a consistent size. We had a sea of mini pastries, simply delicious.

Mini Stout Gingerbread  Cupcakes

Gingerbead:
1 cup Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap) 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
3 large eggs 
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
3/4 cup vegetable oil 

Boil the beer and molasses in a large pot. Then remove it from the heat and add in the baking soda. Whip the mixture and let it sit to cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the eggs, sugar and oil. Then add the flour, baking powder and the rest of the spices. Pour in the beer mixture and mix to combine.

Fill cupcake liners to half way and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks. Make these cupcakes one day in advance and let them sit overnight at room temperature before frosting. The cake gets better after a day.

Caramel Butter Cream Icing:
1 cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 1/2 sticks butter
3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla Extract

Heat the cup of sugar on medium high heat in a heavy bottom pan. When the edge starts to turn brown and bubble, swirl the pan and keep heating to make an even caramel. The sugar will met totally and caramelize, take the sugar off of the heat and swirl the pan to make sure that all crystals dissolve and that the sugar doesn’t get too dark or burn.

Pour the cup of cream into the sugar and let it continue to cook. After 10 minutes, stir to pull the sugar off of the bottom of the pan and continue to cook so that the mixture thickens. Take it off the heat and set it aside to cool.

Beat the butter and margarine together on high, till fluffy, with an electric mixer, set aside.

In a heat proof metal bowl, over simmering water, like a double boiler, wisk the egg whites and remaining sugar. The sugar crystals will dissolve and the mixture will get thick and turn white. Be careful not to cook the eggs.

Wisk the vanilla into the egg whites using an electric mixer. The egg whites will thicken and form soft peaks. Add the egg whites and the caramel to the butter mixture. Beat on high until well combined and fluffy.

Using a star tip and a zip lock bag, pipe the icing onto the top of the cupcakes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Mini Carrot Cupcakes

Carrot Cake:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots (4 carrots)
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs in a large metal bowl. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Fold in the carrots. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and whisk to form a smooth batter. Fill cupcake liners to half way and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks to room temperature before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 package of powdered sugar (1 lb)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat the cream cheese and butter on high in an electric mixer until fluffy and combined. Slowly add the powdered sugar, stirring on low speed after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat it on high again for about 3 minutes till fluffy. Using a plain tip and a zip lock bag, ice the cupcakes. Store the finished cakes in the refrigerator before serving.

Mini Poached Ginger Pear and Chocolate Tarts

Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
1 stick of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup water

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball. Pull out about 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten into a round, place it into a mini-muffin pan to form a miniature pie shell. Fill your pans and cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Poached Pear:
½ cup rose wine
1 cup sugar
¼ piece of fresh ginger, pealed
½ cinnamon stick
3 cloves
water
1 ripe pear, pealed, seeded and cut in half
caramelized ginger

In a medium heavy pot, mix the wine and sugar and a little water to dissolve. Add the spices and pear. Add enough water to cover the pear, place a small plate over the pear to keep it submerged. Cook the mixture on medium heat for 30 minutes to cook the pear until tender. Cool to room temperature. Drain the pear on a paper towel. Cut the pear and ginger into small chunks.

Ganache:
1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 heavy cream

Place a small metal bowl over a small pan of water on medium heat. Heat the chocolate and cream until the chocolate melts. Remove the chocolate from the heat. Whisk, starting in the center of the bowl till it forms a silky ganache.

Fill the tart shells with a spoon full of the chocolate ganache. Place one chunk of pear and ginger in each tart. Serve at room temperature.

Mini Pumpkin Pie

Crust:
3 cups flour
2 sticks of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
2 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup water

In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball. Pull out about 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten into a round, place it into a mini-muffin pan to form a miniature pie shell.

Pumpkin filling:
1 15oz can of pumpkin puree
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 5 oz can evaporated milk
¼ cup sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Fill the mini pie shells 2/3 of the way full and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature.

Mini Pecan Pie

Crust:
1/2 cups flour
1 sticks of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup water

In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball. Pull out about 1 tablespoon of dough and flatten into a round, place it into a mini-muffin pan to form a miniature pie shell.

Pecan Filling:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
8 oz chopped pecans

Pre-heat the over to 350 degrees. Add all of the ingredients, except the pecans to bowl and beat with a whisk until combined. Fill the tart shells with the chopped pecans. Cover with a spoonful of the sugar minter. Bake for 30 minutes until the pies are golden brown and crisp. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce

2008-11-23T21:05:00.003-05:00

Once a week I eat at the sushi place in my office building. They have tiny shots of panna cotta and one serving never seems to be enough. So for this week’s lunch gathering I supplied the dessert.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce

2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 ¾ cup cream
2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin (1/4 ounce envelopes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
splash of almond extract
1 ½ cup frozen raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon flour
water

Mix the milk and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Pour the cream into a small bowl and sprinkle it with the gelatin. Whisk the milk over the heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cream mixture and the salt to the pot and continue whisking over the heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved, at least 10 minutes. Be careful and make sure that the milk doesn’t boil.

Pull the milk off of the heat and let it cool a bit, for at least 10 minutes. Add the extract and them carefully spoon it into 12 muffin tins to form nice molds. Refrigerate over night to set.

Heat the frozen raspberries, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the raspberries are completely thawed, stir the mixture to break up the berries. In a small bowl mix the flour with water to form a slurry, make sure there are no lumps. Add the flour mixture to the raspberries. Cook for just a few more minutes to thicken the mixture. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

Fill the sink with hot water. Submerge the back of the muffin tin and let it sit in the hot water until the pudding gets a litter loose. Inver over a cookie sheet and tap the backs of the tin if needed.

Quickly move the individual desserts to plates, add a spoon of raspberry sauce and serve.

Elixir of Health: Vietnamese Chicken and Rice Soup

2008-11-11T22:33:00.002-05:00

This soup is magic. It cures colds, the flu and any sort of weird bug that is ailing you. I suspect it’s a mixture of good chicken enzymes and black pepper, but it cured my classmates in college when a really bad flu broke out. You can make it in advance and freeze it to have it on hand for when you might some down with something.

Vietnamese Rice Soup

½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup jasmine rice
1 cup chicken broth
water
bunch of scallions, chopped
salt and pepper
fried onion, optional

Place the chicken, rice and broth n a large pot. Cover with water to form a decent amount of broth. Heat the soup on medium high for at least 30 minutes. The chicken will be fully cooked and the rice will bloom. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Add the scallions, salt and pepper to taste and more water to the pot, lower the heat to low and simmer. Once the chicken is cool enough, tear it into bite-sized pieces and add it back to the pot. Fill a bowl and garnish with the fried onions to serve.

Fall Festival

2008-11-01T19:50:00.002-04:00

My co-worker Karen went apple picking the other weekend. She was kind enough to bring back a ton of fresh apples and I turned them into this delicious and decedent pie.

Caramel Toffee Apple Pie

Caramel:
1 cup sugar
½ cup cream
1 teaspoon sea salt

Heat the sugar in a heavy medium size saucepan on medium heat. Swirl the sugar occasionally until it liquefies and turns golden brown. Quickly add the cream and salt and return the mixture to the heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Let it boil to combine about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
1 stick of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup water

In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball. Separate into two balls and set aside.

Filling:
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 granny smith apples, pealed

Mix the sugars, flour, spices and lemon juice in a large bowl. Slice the apples very thinly on a mandolin. After each apple is sliced, add it to the sugar mixture and coat to toss.

Streusel Topping:
5 toffee bars, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
½ stick of butter
¼ cup milk chocolate chips

Mix all of the ingredients till combined and the butter is evenly distributed. Set aside.

Assembly:
Preheat the over to 450 degrees.

On a well-flowered counter top, roll out the first round and place it in the bottom of a 10 inch glass pie pan. Roll out the second half and leave on the counter until after the pie is filled.

Drizzle the bottom of the pan with some of the caramel mixture. Then fill the pie with all of the apples. Drizzle the tops of the apples with more caramel sauce. (You will most likely have caramel sauce left over, save it for a dip for apple slices.) Then pack the stop with the streusel topping.

Place the second crust over the top of the apples Fold the top crust over the bottom and then crimp the edges so that the juices do not escape. Place on a baking sheet and put into the middle over.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees then reduce the oven temperature to 350. Cook for another 30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Wine Tasting Party

2008-10-04T10:31:00.002-04:00

My friends Josh and Jamie are having a cool wine tasting party tonight. I missed their last party because I was sick. I gave them a giant bottle of wine, after the fact, which they still have. So I’ve been forbidden from bringing another bottle of wine. With that said, I can’t show up to a party empty handed. So I decided to make a great dish that will pair well with the wine. In addition I had some left over bread in my freezer, and cream and eggs that I had to use up. So it was an easy and cheap solution.

Savory Mushroom and Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

1 tablespoon butter
2 slices bacon, chopped
¼ large onion, chopped
1 10 oz package of sliced baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cognac
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 cups of cubed brioche or other egg bread (1/2 loaf)
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the butter and bacon in a skillet on medium heat. Stir occasionally until the bacon is crisp and brown. Add the onions. Keep cooking and occasionally stirring till the onions brown and caramelize. Add the mushrooms, thyme and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium high. Keep cooking until the mushroom brown and the water is evaporated. Add the parsley and salt. Cook for another few minutes to wilt the parsley. Turn the heat back down to medium. Add the cognac. Keep stirring until the cognac is evaporated and turn the heat off. Spread the mushrooms in an even layer in the pan and let it sit aside while you make the rest of the dish.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degreases.

Beat the eggs in a large metal bowl with a balloon whisk. Add the cream and keep beating. Add the spices and sugar and beat to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cubed bread. Make sure that all bits of bread are saturate with the egg mixture but there is not a pool of egg at the bottom of the bowl. The pudding some come together in a very dense ball in the bowl. You can add a tiny bit more cream, milk or even water if the mixture seems too dry. Fold in the goat cheese and mushrooms, scrapping all the flavor out of the pan.

Spoon the mixture into mini muffin tins lined with mini muffin cups. You will have enough for 3 tins. Sprinkle a tiny bit of Parmesan cheese over the top of each muffin and bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and fluffy. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

New Orleans Feast

2008-09-28T22:19:00.003-04:00

With a raining weekend and a stormier political race and economy, I really want comfort food. My favorite is anything from New Orleans. Everything is rich and hyper-flavorful. I trekked out into the rain and had to go to 3 different stores before I found everything I needed, but it was worth it. You could add some rice or some mac and cheese to increase the healing powers of carbs, if you like.

Crawfish Etouffee

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ a large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Cajon seasoning
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds frozen crawfish tails, thawed
chopped green onions and parsley, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large stew pot on medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper. Sweat the vegetables until they are soft and transparent. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, seasoning and salt and pepper. Keep cooking so that the tomatoes cook down. Add the Worcestershire and crawfish and cook on medium heat for at least 15 minutes. Garnish with the chopped onions and parsley.

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

4 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
½ a large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 bag frozen cut okra, thawed
½ cup water
salt and pepper

Heat the bacon in a saucepan on medium high heat. Once the bacon starts to crisp, add the onions and garlic. Keep stirring over the heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the okra, and stir occasionally while cooking. Add the water and keep cooking for at least 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Barbara’s Cajon Black-Eyed Peas

¼ cup butter
½ medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound kielbasa, finely chopped
¼ pound ham, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 cans black-eyes peas
1 cup water
salt and pepper
chopped green onions and parsley, optional

Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Stir the aromatics on the heat until they are soft and transparent. Add the kielbasa, ham, bay leaf and basil. Cook the mixture for at least 10 minutes. Add the peas, water and salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook on medium for at least 20 minutes. Garnish with the green onions and parsley.

Better Than Store Bought

2008-09-27T15:41:00.001-04:00

When Victor asked me to make a birthday cake for his best friend Ryan, I figured it would be a chance to show off my professional skills. Victor of course didn’t help me choose the flavor, so I went with my all time favorite, chocolate and raspberry.

Chocolate Raspberry Celebration Cake

Chocolate Cake:
¾ cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter flavored shortening
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Grease a 13 by 9 inch rectangle cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla and turn the mixer on low. Once the flour is combined turn the mixer on high and beat for at least 5 minutes so that the batter gets fluffy.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for at least 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Vanilla Cake:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter flavored shortening
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Grease a 13 by 9 inch rectangle cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla and turn the mixer on low. Once the flour is combined turn the mixer on high and beat for at least 5 minutes so that the batter gets fluffy.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for at least 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Filling:
½ cup egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 sticks butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup thawed frozen raspberries
1 jar of raspberry jam

Combine the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl. Beat with a balloon whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a pot filled with water and heat on medium heat. Keep beating the eggs to dissolve the sugar and the mixture will start to thicken and turn white. When the grit is gone from the eggs, about 20 minutes later, transfer the egg whites to a stand mixer and beat on high to form soft peaks.

Fold the room temperature butter into the eggs and continue to beat on high. Add the salt, vanilla and raspberries and beat one last time to combine.

Ganache:
1 16 oz bag semisweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream
2 pints fresh raspberries

Place the chocolate and cream in a metal bowl over a pot of water on medium high heat. Stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completed melted.

Take the chocolate off of the pot of water and set aside till the chocolate thickens enough to work with it.

Assembly:
Cut each cake in half to make four pieces, each 6 ½ inches by 9 inches. Cute each of the 4 cake pieces in half vertically so that you have two thinner layers from each piece. You will have 4 pieces of vanilla and 4 pieces of chocolate cake.
On a wire rack, alternate layers of vanilla and chocolate cake with the raspberry butter cream and the raspberry jam. This makes enough for 1 five layer and 1 3 layer cake or 1 giant 8 layer cake.

While still on the wire rack, ice the cake with the chocolate ganache. Gently transfer the cake to a cardboard cake square and finish decorating with the extra ganache and fresh raspberries. Refrigerate the cake overnight to set. Let the cake sit out for at least one hour before serving.

In Tough Times: Forage

2008-09-27T13:30:00.001-04:00

Wall Street is in the toilet. Since I work in financial services I’m slightly worried about the long-term health of my career. In tough times we are supposed to cut back and give up on some of life’s luxuries. As I’m sure you have all guessed, food is my favorite thing, and I don’t plan to give up on the finer parts of eating anytime soon. Luckily I don’t need to pay a fortune for exotic wild mushrooms because my dad forages for them in the woods. Two years ago he actually found 80 pounds of Chanterelles. This season wasn’t as fruitful, but I still got a good 3 pounds out of his horde.

Chicken Stuffed with Chanterelles and Goat Cheese

2 tablespoon olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 pound chanterelles, chopped
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon cognac or bourbon
salt and pepper
1 pound boneless chicken breast
4 oz goat cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Sautee the onions and garlic until soft. Add the mushrooms, thyme and salt and pepper and sauté until caramelized. Add the cognac and cook until evaporated. Set the mushrooms aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pound the chicken breast until thin. Season them with salt and pepper on both sides and spread them with goat cheese. Divide the mushrooms between each breast and roll them up. Secure them with a toothpick.

Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken back into the pan and brown on one side. After 5 minutes, and one side is brown, carefully flip the chicken breasts.

Slide the pan in the oven and cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until done.

Squidy Goodness

2008-09-27T13:10:00.001-04:00

Squid is one of my favorite foods. However, I try to order it for takeout in my hood and it is always sub par. I ordered this once from the Italian takeout joint around the corner and it was so lack luster that I had to make it better myself.

Sautéed Calamari

5 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1 pound squid, cut into rings
10 black olives, chopped
½ lemon

Heat the bacon in a large skillet on medium high eat. Sautee until its crispy and golden brown. Drain off most of the fat and add the onions and garlic. Keep stirring and cooking until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the tomatoes, seasoning and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes turn into a sauce. Add the squid and olives and keep cooking, for about 5 minutes, until the squid looks done. Squeeze the lemon over the squid and serve.

Suburban Farming

2008-09-27T12:21:00.002-04:00

I was just in DC to visit my family and excited to raid my mom’s garden. Every summer their suburban yard transforms into a farm. They grow tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions, herbs, strawberries, lettuce and whatever else meats their fancy. I took home a horde of tomatoes and zucchini and had no idea what to do with them. So I made strata. It is very similar to lasagna, but instead of using noodles, you use slices of zucchini.

Italian Zucchini Strata

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 links of fresh sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
4 links of fresh hot Italian sausage, casing removed
½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
9 tomatoes
15 ounces ricotta
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Sautee until they are soft and translucent. Add the sausages and Italian seasoning. Break up the sausage with the back of your wooden spoon. Chop 4 of the tomatoes and add to the sausage. Stir and cook to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Using a mandolin or really good knife skills, slice the zucchini lengthwise to make thin flat strips.

To assemble the strata, put down a layer of the tomato sausage mixture. Layer with the zucchini, making sure that the zucchini fits together tight and there is no sausage exposed. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Then spread half of the ricotta over the zucchini and then cover with the sausage and repeat the layering process.

Slice the remaining tomatoes and place them in one layer on top of the last layer of sausage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the mozzarella cheese and bake in the oven for an hour until it is cooked through and the cheese is golden brown.

Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Being very careful, tip the lasagna over the sink and drain out all of the excess fat and liquid from the zucchini. Cut into squares and serve.

Summertime Refreshment

2008-09-27T11:58:00.002-04:00

I think that lime is one of the best flavors. When you bite into these cookies they are both sweet rich and refreshing. I made them up for a work event. I think that some people where turned off by the combination of lime and white chocolate, but I can assure you that they are amazing.

White Chocolate Lime-wiches

Cookies:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 lime, juice and zest

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the lime juice and zest and beat to combine. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets.   BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Filling:
1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
juice and zest of 2 limes

Put the butter and shortening in a mixing bowl and, at low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and limes, until blended. Turn the mixer up to high and beat for 5 minutes more, until fluffy.

Coating:
1 pound white chocolate, chopped or morsels

Place the chocolate into a metal bowl and place over a pot filled with water on medium heat. Mix the chocolate with a rubber spatula every few minutes to help melt. Keep heating the chocolate until it is melted; be careful not to burn it.
Place the same bowl into a larger bowl that contains ice. Keep mixing the chocolate to fold in the cooling parts until the chocolate is well tempered.

Assembly:
Arrange all fo the cookies in pairs, so that each cookie pair is about the same size.

Place about 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of one of the cookies. Add another cookie on top and gently squeeze to evenly distribute the filling. Fill and assemble all of the cookie pairs.

Dip half of the sandwich cookie into the tempered white chocolate and either place on a wire rack, or a large piece of parchment paper to dry completely.

The Way to a Co-Worker’s Heart is Through the Stomach

2008-08-10T11:18:00.001-04:00

Last summer I was known at my job for being a baker. I would make cookies and cupcakes. Now that I’m back, but on a different team, I wanted to endear myself to my new co-workers. At the same time I was hoping that being nice would help me get a computer faster and relieve my boredom! You can make this into little 1 inch pies or do a larger mini tart using a 4 inch spring form pan or pie dish.

Mini Peach and Blackberry Tarts

Crust:
3 cups flour
2 stick of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup water

Mix the flour, butter, salt and sugar in a mental bowl with a fork. Mash in the butter until it forms course meal. Gradually add in the water, you may not need all of it. Mix the dough together till it forms a ball. Pinch off 1-inch balls of the dough and press it out into a flat layer with your hands. Fill mini muffin tins with the dough, fluting the edges to make mini pie shells.

Filling:
2 bags frozen peaches, thawed
1 bag frozen blackberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon
1/2 cup flour

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the peaches into chunks, about the same size as the blackberries. Mix all of ingredients in a large bowl. Using a spoon, being careful to not pick up too much liquid, fill the pie shells with 3 pieces of peach and 1 blackberry.

Cook the pies for about an hour. Once the shells are golden brown, remove from the oven. Let them cool in the tins for 5 minutes then move them to a rack and cool completely.

Eating Whole Lemons

2008-08-10T11:05:00.001-04:00

I was watching the food network and saw Tyler Florence make a similar chicken cacciatore. I was intrigued by his use of lemons in the sauce. They are an amazing addition. After reducing the sauce you don’t see the lemons anymore, however they surprise your mouth and create a fresh burst of flavor in every bight. Serve this with fresh Parmesan shavings over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Chicken Cacciatore

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
salt and pepper
garlic powder
flour
oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
16 oz crushed tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
parsley
3 anchovies
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon sugar

Cut the chicken into thin cutlets. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Lightly dust the chicken with the flour so that it is all just coated. Knock off the excess. In a large non-stick pot, heat a layer of oil on medium high heat. Fry the chicken in batches so that it is brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate and wet aside.

Sautee the onion and garlic in the same pan and oil. Once the onions are browned and soft add in rest of the ingredients and stir. Simmer the sauce for at least one hour till it is reduced. When the sauce is a thick consistency and has a rich flavor, add back in the chicken and cook thoroughly.

Southern Comfort

2008-08-10T02:11:00.002-04:00

I had some buttermilk left over from another project. As far as I’m concerned there are two preferred uses for buttermilk: fried chicken or biscuits. I love biscuits. They are super easy and a crowd favorite.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cup flour
½ cup dry powdered milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup melted butter, divided in half

In a large bowl, with a fork, mix the flour, powdered milk, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper and cream of tartar till the pepper looks evenly distributed. Add the shortening and mash it into flour mixture. Keep mixing in the shortening until the flour gets an even course meal texture and it all looks slightly yellow.

Preheat the over to 450 degrease.

Stir in half of the melted butter and then the buttermilk. Switch to mixing with your hands. The mixture will be sticky. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then turn onto a floured surface and need the dough till smooth. Roll out the dough to a ½ inch thickness and cut into biscuits with a glass or round cookie cutter. Place the biscuits onto a silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown. Brush with the remaining melted butter.

Sausage and White Gravy

1 package frozen breakfast sausage links, thawed
2 cups milk
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sage
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons milk

Cook the sausage in a large skillet. Make sure you brown each side of the link. Remove the sausage to a plate. Add the milk to the same pan, deglazing the pan. Season the milk with salt, pepper, garlic powder and sage. Cook the mixture until boiling.

Mix the flour with the remaining milk and whisk it into the hot milk mixture. Keep stirring to thicken. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Honing My Skills

2008-07-23T22:47:00.004-04:00

There are certain things in the kitchen that scare me to death. Homemade gnocchi tops the list. I can never seem to get it right even when I use pre-made gnocchi. However I was poking around and saw a few posts on the ease of ricotta gnocchi. This came out perfect. Its so simple and clean and most of all satisfying.

Sage and Brown Butter Ricotta Gnocchi

2 large eggs
15 oz ricotta, just under 2 cups
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup flour
½ stick unsalted butter
20 fresh sage leaves
Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated for garnish

Heat a large pot of lightly salted water, to boil on high heat.

In a metal bowl, beat the eggs. Add in the ricotta, cheese and spices. Mix thoroughly with a fork, make sure to break up all of the cheese clumps. Add in the flour and stir to combine. Generously flour your work surface then finish mixing the dough with your hands, it will be pretty wet. Cut the dough in half and roll it in the flour, to coat the outside. Then roll it out into a long snake, till it is about 1 inch in diameter. Using a small paring knife, cut into 1 inch pieces.

Once the water comes to a boil, drop the first batch of gnocchi into the boiling water, making sure not to over crowd the pan. Let it boil for about 5 minutes till done. It will all rise to the top and the water will start to boil higher. While the first batch is cooking, roll out the other batch and cut it. Remove one piece of gnocchi and run it under cold water and taste it to make sure it is cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, drain the first batch to a colander, rinse quickly in cold water to keep it from sticking. Add more water to the pot and return it to a boil. Once boiling, add in the second batch of gnocchi and cook it till done. Drain the cooked gnocchi.

In a large skillet, start to melt the butter. Once the butter is completely melted, add in the sage leaves and stir. Once the leaves look like they are getting crisp and the butter is starting to turn a light brown, add the cooked gnocchi to the pan. Quickly toss to coat in the butter then let it sit for 1 minute to brown. Gently toss the gnocchi again and leave to brown for another minute.

Serve the gnocchi in a bowl, including some of the sage leaves and sprinkle with the freshly grated cheese.

Waste Not, Want Not

2008-07-23T22:43:00.003-04:00

I think I learned it from my mom, but I hate to throw things away. After a dinner with Sean, Sabrina and Dave there was leftover rice that was destined for the trash. I rescued it and gave it an elegant new life.

Rice Pudding

3 cups cooked rice
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup coconut
1 cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Crushed pistachio nuts

Put all of the ingredients, except the vanilla and nuts, into a medium size pot on medium high height. Stir the mixture and cook until boiling. Reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the mixture reduces and absorbs most of the milk. Taste the pudding and check for consistency. You do not want it to be too stiff. It will get thicker as it cools. Turn off the heat and add in the vanilla. You can either serve it hot or cold, sprinkled with the nuts.

Mustache King

2008-07-23T22:39:00.002-04:00

My best friend David is in a weird kayaking contest where he has to grow a silly mustache. It is so sleazy. But despite how he looks right now, he is still quite sophisticated. Several years back he devised a killer pasta dish with shrimp and Portobello mushrooms. Here is my simplified version that still packs all of the flavor.

Shrimp and Portobello Linguine

1 lb linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 lbs pealed shrimp
6 Portobello mushroom caps
1 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Set a large pot of salted water to boil.

In another large non-stick pot, heat the olive oil on medium high. Smash and chop the garlic. Add it to the hot oil and turn the heat off. While the garlic is getting soft and just a little golden brown, prepare the shrimp by washing them, removing the tales and de-veining if needed. Turn the heat back on and add the shrimp and salt and pepper. Stir to coat with the oil. Using a spoon, remove the gills from the mushrooms and coarsely chop the mushroom. The shrimp will turn pink and when it is close to getting done, add the mushrooms. You may need to add more olive oil if the pot is very dry. Once the water started to boil, add the pasta and stir. If it is whole-wheat pasta, it will take about 10 minutes to cook so you should add the pasta half way through cooking the shrimp. Once the pasta is cook and the mushrooms and dark and soft, add the drained pasta to the large pot with the sauce. Sprinkle the pasta with the cheese, toss and serve.

Birthday Wishes

2008-07-23T22:37:00.001-04:00

This weekend was Sean’s birthday. He requested peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes. I knew I had the prefect plan. After a killer BBQ on his and Sabrina’s roof, these where a the perfect sweet ending.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes:

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
1-1/2 c unbleached white flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c brewed coffee
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

2. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl.

3. In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure and mix the oil, water (or coffee), and vanilla. Slowly and gently pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl and mix the batter with a whisk.

4. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls (and some bubbling) in the batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter (the color becomes more consistent throughout).

5. Pour batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes--testing with a toothpick. Remove to a cooling rack.

Peanut Butter Mousse
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
1 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt

In a large stand mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Ass the peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Stir in the powdered sugar and salt and continue beating. Add the cream and whip the mixture until its fluffy.

Chocolate Butter Cream Icing
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

In a double boiler, heat the chocolate and cream. Stirring with a whisk to melt. Once the chocolate is all melted and there are no visible bits of chocolate. Place to top pan in a bowl of ice water. Using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate to cool.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter. Once the butter is fluffy, add the sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Add the cooled chocolate to the creamed butter and stir until fluffy. This should take at least 5 minutes. If the mixture is too loose, transfer into a large plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes before frosting.

To assemble to cupcakes, cut a cone out of the top of the cakes using a paring knife. Remove the piece and cut off most of the point of the cone so that you just have a thin cap. Using the knife, dig out extra cake from the cake to create a larger pocket. Set all cake aside for a different use. Using a small spoon, fill the cake with the peanut butter and replace the cap on top of the filling. Frost the cakes and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Sugar Trade

2008-07-16T22:38:00.002-04:00

I really enjoy hanging out at the bar around the corner. The guys that work Sunday and Monday nights are so much fun. In addition, I get to see the crazy characters the come through the ‘hood. Every once in a while I bake them treats to reward them for all of their entertainment.

Chocolate Chip Macaroons

4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
5 cups sweetened flake coconut
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Line two large sheet pans with Silpat mats.

In a large box beat the egg whites with a fork. Stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Add in the coconut and chips. Toss with the fork and switch to your hands to evenly distribute the egg throughout the coconut and chocolate. Fill the palm of your hand with coconut, about 2 teaspoons full. Squeeze the cookie dough, so that the coconut is tightly packed. Place on the cookie on the cookie sheet. The dough should be tall, not a flat cookie.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack with a spatula. Finish cooling on the wire rack.

Summer Time, and the Eating is Easy

2008-07-16T18:38:00.001-04:00

I came back from DC and since I cooked up a storm for my sister’s family, I only want to make simple easy things here in my tiny kitchen in NYC. So I made a quick pasta dish that is satisfying and filling yet ready in a flash.

Salmon and Asparagus Spaghetti

½ lb whole-wheat spaghetti
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 large bunch asparagus
8 oz smoked salmon
½ cup cream
garlic powder
parsley
salt and pepper

Heat a pot of salted water for the spaghetti. Cut off the bottoms of the asparagus and cut the rest into 1-inch pieces. Once the pot of water comes to a boil, cook spaghetti according to package directions (probably about 10 minutes). Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the asparagus, garlic powder, parsley and salt and pepper. Stir-fry the asparagus until tender, about 5 minutes. Pull the smoked salmon into tiny bit size pieces and add them to the asparagus with the cream and heat through. With a pasta scoop, transfer the spaghetti to the sauce mixture, draining most of the excess water. Toss the spaghetti immediately to distribute the asparagus and salmon. The cream should be absorbed by all of the pasta and just barely coat it.

Serve the pasta immediately with a fresh sprinkling of fresh ground pepper.

The Incredible, Envious Egg

2008-07-16T18:27:00.002-04:00

WholeFoods has installed an exotic egg bar at the Bowrey location. I’m obsessed with the ostrich eggs. They are beautiful orbs that unfortunately sell for $39.99. They look like they would hold about a ½ dozen regular eggs. I want to buy one and turn it into a beautiful chocolate mousse, served in the shell. I can’t justify the expense, so I used my own half a dozen eggs ($2.00) and made a quiche out of the leftover broccoli gratin.

Broccoli and Bacon Quiche

Crust:
1 ½ cups flour
1 stick of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup water

2 cups broccoli florets, cooked
1 pound bacon, chopped
1/2 pound shredded cheddar
6 eggs
½ cup cream
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
salt and pepper

Mix the flour, butter, salt and sugar in a mental bowl with a fork. Mash in the butter until it forms course meal. Gradually add in the water, you may not need all of it. Mix the dough together till it forms a ball. Divide the mixture in half, save one half for another project. Roll out the other half of the dough and place it in a pie pan. Crimp the edges and trim any excess.

Cook the bacon in a pan until crisp, drain and discard the fat. Pre heat the over to 350 degrees. Fill the pastry with a layer of broccoli, then a layer of bacon and top it with the cheese. Beat the eggs, cream herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl. Slowly pour it over the quiche. The eggs should come to the top of the cheese, but not over flow. If necessary, beat another egg with more cream, or milk, the herbs and salt and pepper and pour into the quiche.

Bake the quiche, uncovered for 1 hour until the top is golden brown.

Hearty American Classics

2008-07-16T17:34:00.003-04:00

In the summer, I get the hankering to pretend its cold outside. I lock myself in the house, crank the air conditioning and eat fall comfort foods.

Roast Chicken with Dijon Broccoli Gratin

1 roasting chicken
olive oil
1 lemon
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Cajun seasoning
Parsley

1 small onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups bread crumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

½ cup light cream
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 pounds broccoli florets
Salt and pepper

Pre head the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken on a rack inside a roasting pan. Drizzle the chicken, in and out, with olive oil. Rub the oil in. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the outside of the chicken. Sprinkle the skin and cavity with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, seasoning and parsley. Stuff the cavity with the lemon. Place a thermometer in the chicken, set the temperate and cook until done.

While the chicken is cooking prepare the broccoli. Heat a large pot of salted water. Melt the butter in a frying pan on medium head. Add the onion and garlic and sauté the vegetables until the onions caramelize and turn brown. Turn off the heat and add in the crumbs, cheese, dried mustard, Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.

Once the water is boiling, add in the broccoli. Blanch the broccoli for about 5 minutes then drain. In a large casserole dish, mix the cream, cheese, mustard and salt and pepper. Add in the broccoli and toss to coat. Cover the broccoli with the breadcrumb mixture. Set aside until the chicken is finished cooking.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest on the counter. Put the broccoli in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. The broccoli will be heated through and the topping will brown.

Crowd Favorite

2008-07-16T16:57:00.002-04:00

I think celebrations must be toasted with sweets. And for my special occasions, I don’t leave anything to chance. (I like to make my own birthday cake.) For my graduation from Stern I made sure that I made the celebration cake. My family was in town and I know what they like: rich and intense fruit mousse cakes. This makes a giant cake and is best when you serve it all at once. There was plenty to give away to the neighbors.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse Celebration Cake

1 bag frozen raspberries
zest of one lime
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs, separated
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1/2 pound fresh savoiardi or pound cake slices
1/3 cup water
½ cup sugar
½ cup framboise, raspberry liquor

¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pint raspberries

In a saucepan on medium head, cook the frozen raspberries, zest and sugar until bubbling. Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry. Quickly stir the slurry into the raspberries, stirring until it turns clear and thick. Set aside to cool.

Beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn a light lemon color, set aside. Melt the chocolate in a pan over another plan filled with one inch of water (or a double boiler). Beat it with a wire whisk while cooking to make sure it is thoroughly melted. Let it sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t turn back to a solid block. Mix the yolks into the cooler chocolate, making sure that the yolks are not scrambling.

Wisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a stand mixer. Mix until the whites form stiff peaks. Slowly fold in the chocolate mixture. Whip the cream, vanilla and salt until stiff peaks form. Fold it into the chocolate and egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate while you finish making the other parts of the cake.

Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the liquor and pop in the refrigerator to cool.

Dip the cake in the sugar and liquor mixture. Line the sides and bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan with the cake. Add in half of the raspberry mixture and smooth. Layer it with one half of the mousse. Dip the rest of the cake in the sugar and liquor and layer on top of the mousse. Continue to layer with the raspberries and then the rest of the mousse. Refrigerate over night, covered.

Just before serving wash and drain the raspberries. Then whip the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Put the whipped cream into a plastic bag. Remove the collar on the cake. Pipe the whipped cream into patterns on the top of the cake and fill in the rest of the area with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.

Now That’s a Spicy-a-Scallop!

2008-06-02T16:51:00.003-04:00

Alex took us on a small excursion to Queens for some classic Italian. Though I had to order the veal as it called to me, the seared scallops looked amazing. So when I saw that scallops where on sale at Whole Foods, I knew exactly how to cook them. This is a great light meal for a warm summer night.

Italian Pan-Seared Scallops

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic
1 lb fresh, large scallops
few pinches of salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
2 cups baby spinach leaves
balsamic vinaigrette

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan on medium high. Coarsely chop the garlic. Sprinkle the scallops with the salt. Add the garlic to the pan and before it gets brown, place the scallops in the pan, flat side down. Don’t over crowd the pan or the scallops won’t sear properly. Sprinkle the scallops with the parsley and chili flakes. Once the first side is brown, flip the scallops over and sear the other side. Toss the spinach lightly with the balsamic vinaigrette and divide it between two plates. Once the scallops are fully cooked, divide them between the two plates and place on top of the spinach. If needed reduce the pan liquids a little bit, and pour the pan drippings over the scallops and spinach.

Latin Lover

2008-05-12T23:59:00.002-04:00

I have lots of friends that are Latin here at school. And I’ve been bragging for the past year about the Tres Leches Cake I used to make for Jules. Once Alex donated a bottle of cajeta to the cause, I finally lived up to my big mouth. Everyone was on a sugar high for days!

Tres Leches Cake

Cake:
3 large eggs, separated
1 cups granulated sugar
1 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Milk topping:
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream

Filling:
1 23-ounce bottle of cajeta (optional)

Icing:
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
or
1 ½ cubs of heavy cream
½ cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10-inch round cake pan.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually with the mixer running and peak to stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after the addition of each.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. (Do this quickly so the batter does not lose volume.) Add the vanilla. Bake until golden, 25 minutes.

To make the milk topping: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream and blend on high speed.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack. After about 15 minutes, run a knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it. Invert it onto the wrack and let cool further. Once the cake is cooled to room temperature, using a serrated knife, cut the cake into two even rounds. Place one cake half back into the baking pan. Place the other into a 10-nch round spring form pan. Pour half of the milk mixture over each half. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours.

After 4 hours, squeeze the cajeta over the cake half that is in the spring form pan. The cajeta should make an even level and cover all of the exposed cake. Quickly invert the other cake half over top of the cajeta. If it breaks, pat it back together. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the icing: Once the cake is completely chilled, in a saucepan combine the water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 to 240 degrees F. Remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. While beating, add the hot syrup in a stream. Beat until all the syrup has been added, the mixture cools, and a glossy icing forms. If this is too complicated, you can beat the whipped cream with the sugar and use it in place of the meringue icing. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spread the icing evenly across the top.

Just before serving, un-mold the cake from the spring form pan. Serve with fresh fruit if desired.

Welcome Home Cake

2008-05-12T23:53:00.002-04:00

My downstairs neighbor Dave isn’t a big fan of sweets. However he likes two things, clean apple tarts and not so sweet Tiramisu. For his homecoming from Switzerland, I had to make it.

Tiramisu

1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup strong brewed espresso coffee
1/4 cup cognac
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 pound mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 pound fresh savoiardi
Cocoa powder for dusting the surface

For the syrup, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, cool and add coffee and cognac.

For the filling, whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold cream into softened mascarpone.

To assemble, dip individual savoiardi, bottom side only, in the syrup. Line the outer collar of a 10-inch spring form pan, top side facing the ring, with vertical savoiardi. Then dipping both sides of the savoiardi in the syrup, line the bottom of the pan. Cover with half of the cream mixture. Cover that layer with more dipped savoiardi and cover with the remaining cream mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving. Immediately before serving, place cocoa in a fine strainer and shake a light coating on surface. Remove the outer ring from the spring form pan.

Single Saturday Night Steak Dinner

2008-05-12T23:50:00.002-04:00

When I want “me” time, the best thing to do is pretend I’m a big shot guy and cook a big steak. This is the best way to make a steak at home, it always come out perfect and doesn’t stink up the house too much.

Steak

1 ½ lbs good steak
salt and pepper
garlic powder
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a cast-iron pan or a nonstick metal handled heavy frying pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Sear the steak on one side. When it is browned and caramelized, flip it over, put in the oven meat thermometer and place it in the over. Cook it till desired doneness.

Let the steak rest for 10 minutes. And then slice it against the grain. Serve with polenta, sautéed mushrooms and a reduced balsamic sauce.

Deadliest Catch

2008-05-12T23:45:00.002-04:00

I watched the weekend long marathon of the Deadliest Catch on The Discovery Channel. I wanted shellfish, in the worst way. This was the most decedent way I could think of to make it.

Seafood Gratin

Butter
1 lb raw halibut filet
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half longwise
1 lb scallops ounces cooked lobster meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Cajon seasoning
1 cups choped leeks, white and light green parts (2 large)
2 small white sweet potatoes, shaved into rounds on a mandolin

1 cup stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cups choped leeks, white and light green parts (2 large)
2 small white sweet potatoes, shaved into rounds on a mandolin
1 cup panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the bottom of a large non-stick stock pot. Season the seafood with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and seasoning. Sear the fit filets, on either side in the pot. Remove to the baking dish and flake into bite size pieces. Add another tablespoon butter to the pot and sauté the shrimp. When cooked, sprinkle them over the fish. Melt one more tablespoon of butter in the pot and sear the scallops on each side.

Melt one tablespoon of butter in the pot and sauté the chopped leaks until translucent. In a separate sauce pan, boil some water and add salt. Quickly blanch the potatoes until cooked but not mushy. Drain the potatoes and add them and the leaks to the seafood, toss to mix.

Combine the stock, cream, 1/2 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a saucepan that was used to cook the seafood and leaks. Bring to a boil, and ontinue to cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 12 minutes. Mash 1 tablespoon of the butter together with the flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the crumbs until they're moistened.

Fold the sauce into the seafood and spoon the crumbs evenly on top. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.

Mexican in Italy

2008-05-12T23:42:00.001-04:00

When I was in Milan, everyone served spicy Mexican chocolate. It was amazing and crave-able. This is the best way to get my fix. Be careful, its ultra rich.

Spicy Mexican Chocolate Mousse

3/4 cup heavy cream
1 stick of cinnamon
1 dried chipotle chili

8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for garnish

Heat the cream, cinnamon and chipotle in a small saucepan until scalding, not boiling. Let the cinnamon and chipotle steep in the cream overnight. Once the cream mixture cool to room temperature, cover and place in the refrigerator. Discard the cinnamon and chipotle.

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing about 1-inch of barely simmering water (or use a double boiler). Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool slightly. Then grab a whisk and beat the egg yolks into the chocolate, 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks.

Now that you've got the elements prepared, put it all together. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Take care not to over work the mousse or it will be heavy. Divide the mousse between 4 individual glasses. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

Is It Summer Yet?

2008-05-12T23:36:00.002-04:00

Sometimes you just get a craving for the fresh and luscious fruits of summer. Thank goodness for the freezer section!

Blueberry and Peach Cobbler

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ cup sugar
1 package of frozen blueberries
2 packages of frozen sliced peaches
2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of one lime
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix the cornstarch with the sugar then add in the fruit, vanilla and zest. Butter a 13 by 9 inch glass dish and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Transfer the fruit mixture to the baking dish. Heat it in the oven until it bubbles, about 20-30 minutes.

In the mean time, make the cobbler topping. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large metal mixing bowl. Using a fork, mix in the butter until the mixture resembles course meal. You will need to smash in the butter and cut it into the flour. Quickly mix in the milk. Do not over mix, but make sure that all of the dry ingredients get wet.

Once the fruit mixture if bubbling, pull it out of the oven and drop the topping mixture onto the fruit via spoonfuls. Try to distribute the dough evenly over the fruit. Sprinkle it with the last tablespoon of sugar.

Bake until the topping is golden brown, for about 35 minutes. Serve the cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream.

Bacon, Eggs and Cheese for Dinner?

2008-04-08T15:22:00.002-04:00

Sometimes the simplest foods are the best foods. This recipe is yet one more way to use that big block of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Also I get to continue my obsession with Italian food. A perfect easy Sunday dinner.

Pasta alla Carbonara

½ pound fresh linguine
1 teaspoon olive oil
about 4 ounces diced pancetta
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
½ grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
¼ cup diced fresh flat leaf parsley
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese curls

Fill a pot with water and set to boil. Heat a different pot on medium high and add the oil and pancetta. Stir the pancetta so that it browns evenly. While the pancetta is browning, hopefully the water has reached a boil. Add salt and the pasta, cook according to package directions. Add the minced garlic. When the garlic softens, turn off the heat. Beat the egg with the grated Parmesan. Drain the cooked pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid and immediately add the wet pasta to the pancetta. Stir in the egg mixture, the parsley and salt and pepper. Toss till the sauce thickens. Add some of the pasta water if necessary if the egg mixture gets too thick.

Serve the pasta in a bowl with the Parmigiano curls.

Think Local, Buy Local

2008-04-08T15:06:00.003-04:00

I decided to have some school friends over for dinner on Saturday night. I still have a ton of that Parmigiano cheese left so this was the perfect dish to top with curles of Parmigiano. Also I wanted to go to the local butcher and cheese maker because it is fun to shop locally and it is better for the environment.

Veal Milanesas with Polenta

1 pint grape tomatoes
handful of fresh parsley leaves
oil and balsamic vinegar
baby arugula
1 quart fat free milk
2 cups water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
3 cups instant polenta
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 bunch fresh parsley, minced and divided
8 veal cutlets, pounded thin
salt and pepper
garlic powder
flour
1 egg
water
Italian style breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese curls
Lemon wedges

Cut the grape tomatoes in quarters and mix them with the parsley leaves and oil and vinegar dressing. Season as necessary. Wash the arugula and set aside to dry.

Start the polenta. In a large stockpot, heat the milk, water, garlic power and salt and pepper. Once the milk mixture is scalding but not boiling, add in the polenta grains. With a large whisk, on medium, continue stirring till the polenta is thick and fully cooked. If the polenta is too thick add a bit more water. Cover and set aside till after the veal is cooked.

Season the veal cutlets with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set up a dredging station. In the first bowl put the flower, in the second bowl make an egg wash with the egg and water and in the third bowl mix the bread crumbs, grated Parmesan and half of the minced parsley.

Heat half olive oil and canola oil on medium high in a large frying pan. Put in enough oil so that it will come up to half of the cutlet height.

Lay a large sheet of parchment paper on the counter. After dipping the veal into the flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs, on each side, lay them in a single layer on the paper. Once the oil is heated, fry the veal 2 to 3 at a time. After it is brown on each side flip it over and brown the other side. Drain the cutlets on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.

While the last cutlets are frying, reheat the polenta, adding water as necessary to achieve a thick consistency. Add in the grated Parmesan cheese and the rest of the parsley.

To serve, place a mound of polenta in the corner of the plate. Lean two cutlets up against the polenta. Toss the tomatoes with the arugula and place a large mound over the cutlets. Sprinkle with the Parmesan curls and sprinkle with a tiny bit of lemon.

Berries with Mascarpone Cream and Balsamic Sauce

1 pint Strawberries
½ pint blueberries
½ pint black berries
4 chewy lime butter cookies
1 small container mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch of salt
Balsamic Vinegar

To reduce the balsamic vinegar, heat on medium high until it gets thicker and sweeter. (This can be easy to burn and will make your house stink, so I like to buy reduced balsamic vinegar sauce from WholeFoods, to make my life easier.)

Wash and dry all of the berries. Quarter the strawberries and set aside.

Mix the cheese, honey and salt to form a sweet cream.

To plate the desert, place a cookie each plate and divide the cheese between the four plates. Pile the plate with the betties and drizzle the balsamic sauce over to for a pretty pattern. Use the Balsamic sparingly.

Behold the Power of Cheese

2008-04-08T14:19:00.004-04:00

I brought back over 1 kilo of Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy. It is such a beautiful thing, a giant wheel of cheese. Probably my favorite part of Italy was aparativo. Basically aparativo is happy hour, but in a much better way than we do it here in the US. You buy one glass of wine and then there is a large free antipasto buffet. Delicious!

Parmigiano Antipasto Platter

Parmigiano-Reggiano, flaked into bite size pieces
Assorted dried meats and sausage: prochutto, ham, salami etc
Olives
Marinated and roasted vegetables: roasted red peppers, mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes
Crusty Italian bread
Dark Italian Pine Honey

Cut all of the ingredients into bit size pieces and arrange them rustically across the table. The honey with the bread and cheese is divine!

Sausage Fest

2008-04-08T13:16:00.000-04:00

Normally when I come back from traveling I want to eat the opposite foods. However though I had a lot of sushi, I still crave Italian food. Also I brought back more than 1 kilo of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Broccolini Sausage

2 lbs Spicy Italian Pork Sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon capers, drained
12 pitted Nicoise olives
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper
2 bunches Broccolini
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Cut the sausage into bit size pieces. Add then to a large non-stick pan or pot on medium high heat. Let the sausage sit on the heat for at least 5 minutes, until it starts to brown, turn all of the sausage over and let the other side brown again. Add the garlic and sauté. Add the tomato paste, capers, olives and seasoning. Stir. Put the lid on and let the mixture cook for at least 10 minutes to meld all of the flavors and cook the sausage through. Once the sausage is fully cooked, add the broccolini, cut into bit size pieces. Stir it into the tomato sauce and cover again. Let the broccolini cook and steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper to taste and add the Parmesan cheese. Serve with bread or pasta or a salad.

Jet Lagged

2008-03-27T09:28:00.000-04:00

It is really hard to get your appetite on board when you are jet lagged. It isn’t just about a sleep problem. I made this quick and easy dish, which reheats really well. Get some protein and the combo of salty sweet to match all of your cravings.

Shrimp, Bacon and Peas
1 package bacon, regular or turkey
Olive Oil
1 lb shrimp
1 tablespoon parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 package of frozen sweet peas, thawed
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 can of drained chickpeas
or
1 lb fettuccini pasta, cooked according to directions

Cut the bacon into chunks and heat on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy and brown. If you are using turnkey bacon, you may need to add a tiny bit of olive oil to the pan. If you are using regular bacon, drain the pan of most of the oil. Add the shrimp and seasonings. Stir until the shrimp is almost cooked. Add the peas and toss to heat. Add the cheese and either the chickpeas or pasta. Toss to heat and evenly coat.

Comfort Cake

2008-03-27T09:27:00.001-04:00

Crab cakes are so easy to make and are so luxurious. I made these to kick off my weeklong b-day celebration. Crab cakes remind me of home (Washington, DC) and always impress a crowd. If you are on a low-carb diet, you can leave out the bread, but it really helps with the texture. If you want you can pan or deep fry these, but broiling is the easiest approach.

Crab Cakes
1 can of pasteurized crabmeat
1 small onion, finely minced
1 red bell pepper, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 egg
¼ cup mayo
2 tablespoons honey mustard
2 slices of bread, crumbled
1 teaspoon Cajon seasoning
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to broil. Mix all ingredients in a large metal bowl. Spray a foil lined baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Shape the crab mixture into palm size patties. Place on the sheet with about a quarter of an inch between each cake. Broil until the cakes are browned and crusty.

Rain, Rain Go Away

2008-03-08T20:28:00.001-05:00

It is raining buckets here in NY today. So I’ve shut myself in and I want to warm myself with a nice bowl of hearty chili. Sometimes I like to make a Texas chili and sometimes I prefer a Cincinnati chili. But my best friend David loves it when I make a Cuban Picadillo. When I make it for him, we serve it over rice with a side of black beans and fried sweet plantains. Since I’m on this dies, lets add the beans to the pot to make a chili and hold the rice and plantains, maybe we’ll sprinkle it with some graded cheese instead.

Cuban Chili

1 medium or ½ of one large sweet onion
1 green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground cilantro
½ teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon ancho chili
4-5 plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup water
1 can black beans, preferably Cuban style
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
salt and pepper

Finely chop the onion, green pepper and garlic. In a large pot, heat a tiny bit of olive oil on medium high. Sautee the chopped veggies until soft. Add in the ground beef and spices and stir to break up the meat into fine piece. Brown the meat. While the meat is cooking chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and water to the pot and sir. Cover the pot and simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Once the chili is reduced and thick add in the black beans. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with the sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

Luxury, First Thing in the Morning

2008-03-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Ok I’m working my butt off. Non-stop papers, contract design work and of course my love of volunteering to make wedding invites. I’m over committed. But sometimes I have fleeting moments to catch my breath. Enjoying a gourmet breakfast, made in just a few seconds, is the best example. If you transfer the finished omelet to a nice place, garnish with a sprig of chives and fresh fruit, eating this in bed is just like a weekend at the Ritz.

Roasted Chicken and Goat Cheese Omelet

½ cup pulled roasted chicken (leftovers from a rotisserie chicken)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard soy mayo
½ tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons herbed goat cheese

In a microwave safe plastic bowl (I like to use those black rectangle take out container bottoms), heat the chicken in the microwave for 1 minute.

Add the eggs, mayo, chives and salt and pepper and beat with a fork, folding to coat each piece of chicken. Crumble the cheese over the top of the egg mixture. Microwave between 4 and minutes, oh high, checking to make sure that the center is set but not over cooked.

A Big and Easy Meal

2008-02-20T18:12:00.000-05:00

I’m stressed. I have schoolwork, contract work and volunteer work. To make it all worse I also started the South Beach diet yesterday. Yes I am going no carb for two weeks. I’m being ambitious and cutting out sugar and all alcohol for a month. Yes I can make a month, and my birthday cake and champagne on the 18th are going to be even sweeter. So long story short, I’m stressed and hungry.

I find that the food of New Orleans always feels so decadent to me. However, it doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Moreover I know I can omit the rice and have it fit into this diet. And as long as you are a wiz at chopping or have a food processor, it cooks on the stove and doesn’t require a lot of effort.

Creole White Beans, Shrimp and Crawfish

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Onion
2 ribs of celery
1 red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Cajon seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
½ cup water
6 oz ham, chopped
2 -15 oz cans of white beans
1 lb shrimp
1 lb crawfish tails

Finely chop the vegetables. Sauté them with the olive oil in a large pot on medium high heat. Add the seasoning, tomatoes water and chopped ham. Put the lid on the pot and cook until all of the vegetables are soft and a nice sauce has formed.

Add the beans and seafood. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the seafood is cooked through. Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Sugar High

2008-02-15T16:56:00.001-05:00

I didn’t get any chocolates yesterday. This is probably a good thing as I’m feeling really sick today. So I want something sweet to help me feel better and give me energy. I want to taste springtime so I made this cheerful lemon pound cake. It goes great with a cup of soothing tea.

Iced Lemon Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
juice and zest of 3 lemons
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use the wrappers from the butter to butter a loaf pan.

Beat the butter at high speed in a stand mixer till fluffy. Add the sugar and continue creaming the mixture. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, the salt and the baking powder.

Fold in the flour and the zest, making sure the scrape down the bown. Beat the mixture on high speed until light and fluffy and fully incorporated. Mix in the juice of one of the lemons.

Bake the loaf for 65 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. In the mean time mix the 1/3 cup of sugar with the juice of 1 ½ of the lemons. Set aside.

Cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove it and cool on a rack over a pan. Baste the cake with the lemon sugar mixture, until all of the syrup is soaked up, including the syrup that falls off of the cake.

Mix the remaining juice of ½ a lemon with the 2 cups of powdered sugar to form an icing. Drizzle this icing over the top of the cake. Once the cake is fully cooled, slice and serve or store in the refrigerator.

Valentine’s in New York

2008-02-14T14:16:00.003-05:00

Today is Valentine’s Day. It is freezing out. The streets are lined with roses spilling out of the Korean bodegas and everyone seems to be in a couple but me. Therefore I’m going into hibernation mode. Glorious warm hibernation. This dish was inspired by the need to clean out my fridge and cabinets but I think the results turned out so much better than I expected. Serve it with a crisp green salad to convince yourself that you are eating healthy. Also pop a good bottle of wine or bubbly and forget that it is a marketing holiday.

To make regular mac and cheese, omit the Bolognese and seasonings, and substitute elbow pasta for the shells and cheddar for the mozzarella.

Italian Mac and Cheese

1 lb package of whole wheat Conchigliette (shell) pasta
1 stick butter, reserve 1 tablespoon for the topping
1 cup flour
1 quart milk
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley
3 cups Bolognese sauce
8oz grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons French friend onions

Boil the pasta according to package directions. Sit it aside in a colander to drain. Preheat the oven to 350 degrease.

In the same large pot that you cooked the pasta, melt the stick of butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the flour, whisking to combine. Slowing whisk in the milk so that no lump forms. Add all of the seasonings and continue whisking as the mixture thickens. Add in the Bolognese sauce and whisk to combine. Add in the cheese and continue whisking so that nothing sticks to the bottom. Taste the sauce to check for seasoning. Once the cheese has started to melt, fold in the pasta and transfer everything to a large glass ovenproof dish. Melt the reserved butter and mix with the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and friend onions. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole, trying to seal to the edge.

Bake the casserole for about an hour till the mixture is hot and bubbly and the topping is nice and golden brown and crispy.

Sweets for the Sweet

2008-02-12T18:34:00.000-05:00

I normally am a big curmudgeon when it comes to Valentine’s Day. For some reason I’m optimistic about my love life, this year. Though there is no one in the works, I feel that this spring will bring someone wonderful and new. So for the first time since elementary school, I’m celebrating this silly holiday. I’ve been meaning to make these salt caramels for quite some time now; this is the perfect excuse. Funny enough, they where fast and easy to make!

Fleur De Sel Caramels

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, more for garnish
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 lb high quality dark chocolate

Line bottom and sides of a glass loaf plan with parchment paper, then lightly spray it with oil.

Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.

Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248°F on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into pan and cool 2 hours.

Chop the block of chocolate into small pieces using a serrated knife and place them in a metal bowl. Fill a small saucepan with water and heat it on medium-high heat. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and heating water.

Cut the caramel into pieces, you can use a cookie cutter to cut it into small hearts. Lay them out on a large sheet of parchment paper.

Once the chocolate starts to melt, constantly stir it with a sturdy rubber spatula. When you drizzle the chocolate back into the bowl from the spatula, it should sink into the pool of chocolate, this is how you know it is 100% melted. Take the bowl off of the saucepan and place into another bowl containing ice and water. Using the spatula, keep mixing the chocolate so that it doesn’t harden on the edges of the bowl. Keep mixing it till the chocolate, when drizzled back into the bowl, doesn’t sink but piles up on itself.
Dip the caramels into the chocolate, removing the excess dripping chocolate and place on the parchment paper. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt onto the top, a few grains. Let the chocolate harden and dry for two hours before packaging.

Everyone has the flu

2008-02-07T17:39:00.000-05:00

All of New York City is sick with the flu. Hell I think that all of the East coast is infected. I think that when people are suck, it is important to eat home made chicken stock based soups. The enzymes in chicken broth are a know cure. It is disgusting, but all of that nose blowing made me think of split pea. Don’t let that image gross you out, as this is really delicious.

Split Pea Soup

1 lb slit peas
2 ham hocks
olive oil
1 carrot
1 rib of celery
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
red chilly flakes
thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
½ lb ham, chopped
1 carton of chicken stock

Soak the peas, covered in water on the counter, over night. The peas will plump up and double in size. Drain and set aside. In a large stock pot, cover the ham hocks with water and boil for half and hour to remove some of the salt. Drain and let cool.

Finely chop the veggies. In a large stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the veggies and sauté until soft and the onions are translucent. Add in the spices and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Pull the meat off of the ham hock bones, being careful not to remove the skin or fat. Shred the meat and add that plus the bones and the chopped ham to the pot, stir and cook for several minutes. Add in the peas and the stock. Cover and cook on medium for at least an hour, stirring occasionally and checking to see if you need to add any water. The peas will get tender and most of them will break down to for a smooth puree. Cook until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add salt to taste.

Luscious, Light and Elegant

2008-02-02T13:19:00.000-05:00

Cheesecake is one of the easiest desserts to make. As long as you have enough time to cook it and cool it, it requires hardly any effort.

Lemon Cheesecake

1 cup roasted ground hazelnuts
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
16 oz sour cream
3 – 8oz packages of cream cheese
2 cups sugar
juice and rind of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon extract
5 eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the hazelnuts, graham cracker, powdered sugar and butter in the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan. Once it is all combined so that the butter is evenly distributed, press it into an even layer at the bottom of the ban and about ¼ to ½ inch up the side of the pan.

In a large stand mixer, beat the sour cream. By starting with the sour cream, the cream cheese will not stick. Add in the cream cheese, starting on low then moving til hi till the dairy products are lighter and fluffier and not lumpy. Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract. Keep beating until it is as smooth as possible. Turn off the beater and add in the eggs. Turn the mixer on to medium and beat just long enough to combine. It is important to only mix the eggs a minimal amount so that the cheesecake won’t crack when baking.

Place the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour, until the top is lightly brown and the cake is puffy. Chill the cake on a rack to room temperature then in the refrigerator over night.

Savory Pastry Comfort

2008-02-02T13:17:00.000-05:00

Watching Jamie Oliver’s new TV show inspired this dish. Strangely, the recipe for his beef, cheese and Guinness pie was never posted on the Food Network, so I have to improvise. This is the perfect food for a cold winter night.

Beef Pot Pie

2 sweet onions, sliced in thin rounds
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 carrots, finely diced
3 ribs of celery, finely diced
3 packages of sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
3-5 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
2 lbs brisket, cut into bit size pieces
1 carbon beef stock
1-2 cups old red wine
olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
1 sheet puff pastry
Frozen organic sweet peas

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium high in a heavy bottom large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until they turn soft and start to brown. Add the carrots and celery and sauté them for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and spices and continue to cook. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Add the beef, wine and stock and cover the pot with the lid. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally for several hours until most of the liquid is evaporated. Cool over night in the oven so that the flavors bloom.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the pot of beef back on the stove to a low boil. Mix in a small hang full of cheese, reserving the majority of the cheese. Fill a glass-baking dish with the beef mixture, covering the top with the majority of the cheese. Cover the dish with the puff pastry and back in the oven till the pastry is golden brown and puffy.

Cool the pie on the stovetop while you heat the peas in a small saucepan with a sprinkle of salt. Serve a chunk of the beef and pastry with a good hearty serving of peas.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

2008-01-26T15:35:00.000-05:00

I’ve always loved quiche. It’s the perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or late night snack. You can practically make anything into a quiche: salmon and asparagus, mushrooms and goat cheese, sausage and peppers.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

¾ cup flour
½ stick butter
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 cold water
1/2 package bacon, I prefer the thick slab kind
frozen spinach, drained
shredded cheddar cheese
9 eggs
½ cup milk
salt
pepper

Mix the flour, butter and salt in a metal mixing bowl until the butter is 100% incorporated and the mixture resembles course meal. Slowly add in the water, a little bit at a time and pull the dough tougher, being careful that it isn’t too wet. Roll it out so that it fills a 10-inch pie pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the bacon into chunks and cook in a pan on medium, till crispy and brown. Drain on a paper towel. Layer the pastry first with the spinach, then the bacon and then the cheese.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, milk and salt and pepper till it is smooth. Pour the eggs, gently, over the filling. It should be just at the top of the filling.

Bake the quiche for 1 to 1.5 hours until it is golden brown and puffed up. Let it cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Subzero Hibernation

2008-01-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

It’s cold, really cold, in New York. I’m held up in my infinitesimally small studio apartment avoiding the elements. The only thing I want to eat is something starchy, creamy and rich. This doesn’t require a lot of effort and always hits the spot.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 butternut squash, pealed, cleaned and cubed into bit size pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 ½ cups short grain rice
1/2 cup white wine
1 quart chicken stock
parmesan cheese
fresh thyme, sage or parsley

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

On a large baking pan, toss the squash pieces in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, turning 40 minutes into the cooking time

In a large pan, on medium high heat, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons butter and some olive oil till clear. Add the rice, stirring and cooking till the edges also turn clear. Season the rice lightly with salt.

Add the wine. Stir until it is absorbed into the rice. Slowly add the stock, one ladle at a time, stirring the rice till it is absorbed. Do this until the rice is almost done, maybe 30 minutes? You want to rice to be done but not mushy. It should have the typical creamy risotto texture.

Fold the roasted squash, Parmesan cheese, remaining butter and fresh herbs into the rice. Check for seasoning and serve immediately.

Emergency Sustenance

2008-01-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

I threw my back out. And of course I had to do this on a long holiday weekend. Since I live on the 3rd floor of a building with out and elevator nor a real working buzzer, it is easier for me to walk, hunched over to the kitchen, lean on the counter and cook something than it is to navigate the stairs and out to the street to get something delivered. What’s the fastest thing to make out of my freezer, fajitas! I always buy London broil or other cuts of lean steak when it goes on sale and fill my freezer with it to be frugal. Thank god.

Easy Fajitas

2lbs London broil or skirt steak
1 package of frozen pepper strips from Trader Joes or 2 red bell peppers sliced thin
1 large sweet onion, sliced into thin half circles
salt
garlic powder
fajita seasoning ( I by mine at William Sonoma or Whole Foods)
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

On a large sheet pan, mix the peppers and onions. Liberally sprinkle with the salt, garlic powder and fajita seasoning. Throw on a few splashes of olive oil and toss. Spread it all evenly on the pan and place on the middle rack of the oven for about 10 minutes, till the veggies soften. While the veggies are in the oven, thinly slice the steak against the grain. Once the veggies have gotten soft, add the steak and more of the other ingredients if necessary. Toss and place it back in the oven. After 5 minutes, turn the steak and put it all back in the oven until its at your desired doneness.

Serve with a salad or tortillas, salsa, rice, beans and cheese.

For love or chocolate

2008-01-15T17:17:00.001-05:00

I started a new job for the month of January. To win over my co-workers I quickly whipped this up. It worked like a charm. This will melt anyone’s heart.

Raspberry Filled Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes:

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
1-1/2 c unbleached white flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c brewed coffee
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

2. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl.

3. In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure and mix the oil, water (or coffee), and vanilla. Slowly and gently pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl and mix the batter with a whisk.

4. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls (and some bubbling) in the batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter (the color becomes more consistent throughout).

5. Pour batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes--testing with a toothpick. Remove to a cooling rack and frost.

Vegan Vanilla Icing
1 c shorting (transfat free)
3 c powdered sugar
½ T vanilla extract
1/8 c soymilk
4 drops of food coloring

1. Beat all ingredients on low, then high with an electric mixer, until fluffy.

Raspberry Filling
1 frozen bag of raspberries
1 cup of sugar
2 T corn starch
Water

1. Heat raspberries and sugar in a pot on the stove at medium high heat until bubbling.
2. Mix corn starch with just enough water to make a lump free slurry.
3. Add corn starch mixture to raspberries and stir, still on the heat, till the mixture is thick and clear and glossy.

Cupcake Assembly:
1. After cupcakes and raspberries are cooled to room temperature, you can start assembling.

2. Cut a cone shape out of the top of each cupcake. Cut the bottom part off of the cone of the cap, eat or discard.

3. Fill the cupcake with a spoon full of filling, place cap back onto to seal in the filling. This doesn’t have to be perfect.

4. Pipe the icing onto each cupcake

5. Decorate as you like.

Simple Pleasures

2008-01-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

This is the perfect dish for when the snow starts to come down in January. It is healthy but really hearty.

San Francisco Seafood Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 cup drained, diced tomatoes (from a 15-ounce can)
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
3/4 pound skinless snapper fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sourdough toast, for serving

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, clam juice, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
Add the clams, cover and cook just until most of them open, about 5 minutes. Add the snapper and shrimp, cover and simmer until they are cooked through and the remaining clams have opened, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to 4 bowls. Add the butter and parsley and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute, swirling the pan. Spoon the broth over the seafood and serve with sourdough toast.

My fridge smells like Korea

2008-01-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

I was reading a new book, Trail of Crumbs, about a Korean orphan and all I wanted was beef and kimchee. I got some great fresh kimchee from the Union Square green market and saw these short ribs at Whole Foods. So I devised this dish to satisfy my craving.

Korean Short Ribs

6 boneless beef short ribs
Olive oil
½ onion, chopped
sesame oil
garlic powder
soy sauce
rice wine vinegar
Korean bbq marinade

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauté pan with a metal handle, quickly sear each side of the ribs. Sprinkle with all of the ingredients and place in the oven for at least 2 hours until the meat is tender.

Take out the ribs and pour off the fat, leaving the sauce in the pan. On the stove top, further reduce the sauce if necessary.

Serve with brown rice, crispy onions, fresh been sprouts and kimchee.

Health in the New Year

2008-01-15T17:11:00.000-05:00

Farro, Italian wheat berry is a great hearty lunch item. Mixed with a variety of antipasto, it is a yummy savory snack.

Farro Antipasto Salad

1 ½ cups raw farro
3 cups chicken broth
½ tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
zucchini
3 large chicken sausages
olive oil
½ cup marinated mushrooms
2 roasted red peppers
3 large marinated artichoke hearts
6 oven-roasted tomatoes
¼ cup mixed olives
¼ cup marinated fava beans
¼ cup cubed marinated feta
¼ cup marinated boccochini
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley

Bring chicken broth, faro, garlic powder and salt and pepper to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover until tender. Checking to see if the faro needs more liquid.

In a sauté pan, brown bite size piece of zucchini in olive oil, place in a large bowl. In that same pan, sauté the chicken sausage in olive oil. Place in the bowl.

Chop all of the antipasto items into bite size pieces. Finely mince the parsley. Toss all ingredients with the farro. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Serve heated, so the mozzarella just melts.

Perfect for a cold winter's night

2008-01-15T17:10:00.000-05:00

When I first wrote this recipe it was chocked full of cream and butter. Then I gave it to Frances to “make over” for Health Magazine. The original had over 1000 calories in it. I couldn’t bring myself to give up all of the fat, so here is a good, but still decedent, lighter version.

Tipple Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Bread Pudding

Cooking spray
1 loaf challah or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch
4 large eggs
½ cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup bourbon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 white chocolate chip
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup sugar
2 cups cream, divided

Spray 2 muffin tins with the cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, bourbon and salt. Soak the bread in the egg mixture for 1 hour. Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Fold in the chocolate. Fill each individual muffin cup with the brad and chocolate mixture and bake for 1 hour till the pudding puffs up and is golden brown.

While the pudding is cooking, heat the sugar in a saucepan at medium high. Swirling the pan as the sugar melts and caramelizes. Pour 1 cup of cream into the sugar and let it boil to combine. Continue to let the caramel boil to thicken.

Beat the remaining cup of cream to a stiff whip.

Serve the warm bread puddings with the caramel and whipped cream.

Southern Comfort

2008-01-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

I made biscuits for Barbara’s Southern lucky New Year’s dinner party. I was sure to make extra so that I had my own special treat!

Biscuits with Sausage and Gravy

Biscuits
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup cream
Freshly ground pepper
Turkey breakfast sausage
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour

Heat oven 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in butter. Mix in cream. Kneed the dough by folding it over and over and over again to build in layers. Using a glass cut out even shapes. Briefly re-work the scraps into another round of dough and continue to cut out biscuits. Brush with cream and sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

In a large skillet brown the turkey sausage; turn once to brown on multiple sides. Once the sausage is cooked, removed it from the pan and set aside. Add the milk to the pan to deglaze. Add salkt and pepper and scrape all of the sausage bits into the gravy.

In a small bowl mix the flour with just enough water to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the flour mixture into the milk. Constantly stir as the heat thickens the gravy.

Using a fork, cut open each biscuit, serve with the gravy and sausage.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat

2008-01-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

My downstairs neighbor, Dave, is the master of meat. Though he is Jewish we have spent the past two Christmas Eves together. This year, we threw a big dinner and roasted a whole goose. It was glorious. However, that bird produced fat in biblical proportions. So I made potatoes!

Goose Fat Roasted Potatoes

6 russet potatoes
salt and pepper
½ cup rendered goose fat
2 cloves of garlic
1 head of flat leaf parsley

Pre heat your oven to its hottest setting.

Wash and scrub each potato. Cut each into approximately 1 inch, bite size pieces. Try to keep each piece an even size so that they will all cook at the same time. Place the potatoes in a bowl of salted water while you cut up each potato.

Drain the potatoes and place them on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the potatoes generously with salt and pepper and coat them in the goose fat. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes.

Finely mince the garlic and parsley while the potatoes are roasting in the oven

Using tongs, turn the potatoes so that they can crisp on more than one side. Roast for another 30 minutes.

When the potatoes come out of the oven, sprinkle them with the garlic and parsley and more salt and pepper, serve.

Foie the Love of...

2008-01-15T16:57:00.000-05:00

Foie Gras Torchon With Sauternes Fig Compote

1 lobe of foie gras
1 quart of milk
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pink salt (nitrates)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
1 carton chicken broth
1 bottle Sauternes
1 pint of fresh figs
1 loaf of Brioche

Let the lobe site at room temperature for one hour, so it softens up. Using a small sharp knife, separate the lobe into its two halves and carefully pull out the veins. It's ok if pieces fall off. You will be squishing it all back together at another time. Put the foie into a container and cover it with the milk. Put a lid or plastic wrap over it and place it back in the fridge, over night.

Drain the foie and briefly rinse it off. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the foie with the salts, sugar and pepper. Put it back in the container and back in the fridge. Let it cure over night.

The next day, let the foie sit out for at least an hour to soften up. In a large stock pout heat up the chicken broth and sauternes, until it is a light boil. Squish all of the foie together to form a log. Roll it up in cheese cloth and tie the ends. Boil the log in the chicken broth for 2o minutes and immediately submerge it in an ice bath.

Wrap the log in a dish town, tightly, and tie the ends together. Hang the torchon in your fridge at least over night.

Reduce the chicken broth mixture til there is only about a cup or two of liquid. Thinly slice the figs and add them to the reduced liquid. Boil it all down, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the torchon into ½ inch disks. One at a time, in a very hot skillet, quickly sear each side of the torchon. Remove the melted fate between each piece to guarantee a crispy sear.

Serve each piece of foie with a piace of Brioche toast and some of the warm fig compote.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream...

2008-01-15T16:55:00.000-05:00

The most decedent dessert is homemade ice cream. I made this tangy creamy treat to accompany the Apple Hazelnut tart. I think this version was way too eggy. I don’t like the yellow color. But its still yummy.

Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
1 cup half and half
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup sugar 6 large egg yolks 
1 cup crème fraîche

Combine half and half and cream in heavy large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and yolks in large bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in warm cream mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on spoon when finger is drawn across, about 6 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Cool 15 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Whisk in crème fraîche. Cover and chill custard until cold, about 3 hours.

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to covered container. Freeze until firm.

Sweet Tart

2008-01-15T16:54:00.000-05:00

Tarts are a quick solution for that impressive desert. There is something about the arrangement of glossy fruit that make’s people’s mouths water. My crust recipe can be use to make a double crusted pie, so why not make two tarts instead. The more the merrier.

Christmas tarts: Apple Hazelnut and Chocolate Raspberry

Crust
1 ½ cups flour
1 stick of butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup water

In a large metal bowl, mix all ingredients, except the water with a fork or pastry cutter. The goal is to incorporate the butter until it is the texture of course meal. Slowly sprinkle in the water and quickly mix. Making sure not to put in too much water, briefly kneed the pastry so that it forms a cohesive ball.

Separate the dough into two equal rounds. On a well flowered counter top, roll out each round of dough till it fits into each tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the corners and trim off the top. Set each aside.

Apple and Hazelnut Filling
1 cup shelled hazelnuts, toasted
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 stick unsalted butter, divided
¼ teaspoon vanilla
3 large granny smith apples, pealed, cored and sliced into 1/8 inch slices
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
¼ cup water

Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice and set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a blender puree the hazelnuts, sugar, egg, ½ stick of butter and vanilla until they form a paste. Spread the hazelnut paste over the bottom of the pastry.

Starting from the outside arrange the apple slices, over lapping to make a rose pattern. There should be no pastry or hazelnut peeking through. Really pack in all of the apples. Sprinkle the apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and dot the remaining ½ stick of butter over the apple. Back in the over until the apple and crust are golden brown, about 1 hour.

When the tart is close to being finished, heat the jam and water in a small saucepan until melted. Once the tart comes out of the oven brush the jam mixture over the apples, coating lightly, so that they apples are shinny. Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Raspberry Filling

1 lb semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup of cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 pints raspberries
2 tablespoons apricot preserves  
¼ cup water

Fill the tart shell with beans or pie weights. Bake in a 350 degree oven until it is golden brown.

Place the raspberries into a colander and lightly rinse. Cover with paper towels and let dry.

While the tart shell is cooling, place the chopped chocolate into a metal or heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan on medium high until scalding. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and add the vanilla. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes so that the chocolate melts. Using a whisk, submerged vertically in the center of the bowl, whisk in a circular motion until the cream combines with the chocolate to form a silky ganache. Pour the chocolate into the tart shell.

Starting at the outside, arrange the berries, stem side down, in concentric circle till all of the chocolate is covered as much as possible.

Heat the jam and water in a small saucepan until melted. Brush the jam mixture over the berries, coating lightly, so that they are shinny. Let the tart cool so that the chocolate sets, before serving.

I'm dreaming of a chocolate Christmas

2008-01-15T16:52:00.000-05:00

To me, Christmas means desserts. This year I spent Christmas eve in New York City with some of my closest friends. It took two days for me to make this cake and it was worth every second. This is so rich and impressive looking. Unfortunately after just one piece, I was satiated.

Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake

Cake
2 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon dalt
2 cups sugar
¾ cup cocoa
½ cup shortening
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mousse
2 pints strawberries, stems removed
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
4 ounces white chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
6 egg whites
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2 ounce pieces

Garnish
1 cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Pre heat the over to 350 degrees. Heavily grease one 10 inch round cake plan.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a spoon. Put the bowl into the mixer and add all of the wet ingredients. Beat the batter on low with the balloon whisk. Once the ingredients look combined, scrap down the sides with a rubber spatula and then mix the batter on high till it turns a lighter brown color. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and cook for at least 3o minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan, on top of a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and gently tap the bottom of the pan. Lift the pan and let the cake cool completely on the wire rack. Once the cake is cooled, using a serrated knife, cut the cake into two equal rounds.

To prepare the chocolate and strawberry mousse, reserve the 12 best-looking strawberries to decorate the top of the cake. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree 10 strawberries and then strain it, to remove the seeds, so that it yields ½ a cup of puree. Set aside until needed. Refrigerate the remaining berries until needed (that includes the 12 berries for decoration) Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, the white chocolate and the strawberry puree in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Allow to heat for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl, using a rubber spatula to remove all of the melted chocolate mixture. Keep at room temperature until needed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip, whisk the 6 egg whites on high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Continue to whisk on high while gradually adding 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk until stiff but not dry, about 30 seconds. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
Using a hand-held whisk, whip the heavy cream in a well-chilled stainless steel bowl until stiff. Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Now fold in the remaining egg whites. Set aside at room temperature until needed.

Assemble a 10 inch springform pan. Place one layer in the bottom of the pan, trim ever so slightly, if necessary to get it to snuggle fit. Spread 1/2 cup of chocolate strawberry mousse onto the cake layer in the assembled springform pan. Arrange the reserved strawberries (not including the 12 for decoration), stem side down, into the mousse. The berries should be arranged in 2 rings: the first ring being 3/4-inch from the outside edge of the cake, and the second, inside ring, 3/4-inch away from the first. Distribute the rest of the mousse over the berries, being careful to keep the berries in position. Holding the pan by the top rim, gently but firmly tap the bottom of the pan 2 to 3 times on your work surface (this will eliminate air pockets). Position a cake layer on top of the mousse and gently press into position. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours (do not freeze).

Make the ganache. Heat the heavy cream, butter, and sugar in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Remove the sides from the springform pan (do not remove the bottom of the pan from the cake; this will make it easier to handle later). Use a cake spatula to smooth and fill in the sides of the cake with 2 to 3 tablespoons of room-temperature ganache. Evenly spread the remaining amount of this ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.

Whip the heavy cream and vanilla until it is full and thick. Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe rosettes around the edge of the cake and a large one in the center of the cake. Place a strawberry, stem side down, into each whipped cream rosette. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.

Cut the cake with a serrated slicer, heating the blade of the slicer under hot running water before making each slice. Allow the slices to come to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Goodness

2008-01-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I like to make this with cheddar cheese and beer. If you dip apples, kielbasa and broccoli into it, it is truly the all American treat, and goes really will with boring football games. This version uses the classic Swiss cheese and a classic German wine, a Riesling. Serve this with a crisp bib lettuce salad and a mustard vinaigrette.

Swiss Fondue
1 shallot, finely minced
1 clove of garlic, finely minces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups of white wine
3/4 lb Gruyere cheese, grated
½ lb Emmental, grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons Kirsch or water
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste
Bite sized for dipping: bead, seasoned and cooked chicken, cooked sausage, sautéed shrimp, blanched broccoli, blanched asparagus spears, sautéed mushrooms, raw pears

In a large pot on medium high, heat the olive oil and sautée the shallots and garlic until soft but not brown. Add the wine and let it reduce by half. Add the cheese to the pot and melt. Mix the kirsch or water with the cornstarch till smooth. Using a whisk, add the cornstarch to the cheese mixture and continually stir until the fondue resembles a silky shinny dip. Taste the cheese and season with the salt, pepper and maybe a pinch of sugar to taste.

Sever immediately with the items for dipping.

A Late October Fest

2008-01-15T16:50:00.001-05:00

Apple Strudel is an easy version of apple pie. It is lighter and more refreshing and takes no time to make. I made this for our weekly Sunday dinner, served with some fresh whipped cream, and got rave reviews. Feel free to mix up with you put in with the apples. The raisins and walnuts are a tradition approach, but you could always try cranberries, currents or maybe hazelnuts or almonds. I like to slice the apples really thin so that they bake faster.

Apple Strudel

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, meted
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Juice of ½ a lemon
1/2 cup plus 2 table spoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
8 (17x13-inch) sheets phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen

In a large bowl, mix apples, lemon juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon, raisins and walnuts. Set aside.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silpat mat. Transfer 1 large phyllo sheet to baking sheet. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat process with all 8 sheets of phyllo.

Fill the phyllo with the apple mixture, longwise. Fold over each of the short edges and then roll the apples into a log. Position the strudel on the baking sheet, seam side down. Brush the outside with butter and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Cut the strudel into even slices, but not cutting all the way down to the baking sheet. This will make it easier to cut after the strudel is cooked.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake strudel until golden brown, about 60 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut using a serrated knife.

Procrastination

2008-01-15T16:49:00.000-05:00

Ok I admit it, I procrastinate. But it was worth the wait. I have been cooking up a storm, mostly sweet treats, and here they are, for your cooking spender.

Cupcakes A Go Go

2007-12-02T00:23:00.001-05:00

November was super busy and I enjoyed a lovely 10 days in Mexico. It’s finals season so that has contributed to my cooking delinquency. However, the final project in my Social Entrepreneurship class is pitching my organic bakery concept, Patisserie Carbon. So with that in mind, I’ve been making cupcakes, like crazy.

I got these cute little mini muffin tins so that I can feed my whole class on my batch of cupcakes and people can taste both flavors without feeling guilty. I made vegan chocolate cupcakes, with a raspberry jam filling and a fluffy vanilla icing. I also made gingerbread cupcakes with a caramel butter cream icing. Of course everything is made with organic ingredients.

For the chocolate cake I used an old recipe from war times. It amazing me how good this tastes for being vegan, really.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
1-1/2 c unbleached white flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c brewed coffee
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

2. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl.

3. In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure and mix the oil, water (or coffee), and vanilla. Slowly and gently pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl and mix the batter with a whisk.

4. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls (and some bubbling) in the batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter (the color becomes more consistent throughout).

5. Pour batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes--testing with a toothpick. Remove to a cooling rack and frost.

Vegan Vanilla Icing

2 c shorting (transfat free)
6 c powdered sugar
1 T vanilla extract
¼ c soymilk

Beat all ingredients on low, then high with an electric mixer, until fluffy.

Gingerbread Cupcakes (Courtesy of Bobby Flay and The Food Network)
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour  
1 t baking powder  
3/4 t baking soda  
1/4 t salt  
1 T ground ginger  
2 t ground cinnamon  
1/4 t ground cloves  
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted  
3/4 c brown sugar  
2 large eggs  
6 T black strap molasses  
3/4 c water

1. Pre-heat the over to 3:50 degrees.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients and set aside.

3. In an electric mixer, bead the butter, brown sugar, eggs and molasses will well blended.

4. Gradually add the dry ingredients and water, alternating to form a thick batter.

5. Pour the batter into muffin tins with paper liners and bake for at least 20 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick.

6. Cool on a wire rack and frost.

Caramel Butter Cream Icing
1 c sugar
½ c heavy cream
2 sticks butter
2.5 oz margarine
3 large egg whites
1-1/2 c sugar
1 T vanilla Extract

1. Heat the cup of sugar on medium high heat in a heavy bottom pan. The sugar will met and caramelize, take the sugar off of the heat and swirl the pan to make sure that all crystals dissolve and that the sugar doesn’t get too dark or burn.

2. Pour the cup of cream into the sugar and let it continue to cook. After 10 minutes, stir to pull the sugar off of the bottom of the pan and continue to cook so that the mixture thickens. Take it off the heat and set it aside to cool.

3. Beat the butter and margarine together on high, till fluffy, with an electric mixer, set aside.

4. In a heat proof metal bowl, over simmer water, like a double boiler, wish the egg whites and remaining sugar. The sugar crystals will dissolve and the mixture will get thing and turn white. Be careful not to cook the eggs.

5. Wisk the vanilla into the egg whites.

6. Add the egg whites and the caramel to the butter mixture. Beat on high until well combined and fluffy.

7. Put the mixture into the refrigerator to cool. Stir occasionally until it is the right consistency for piping.

French with a Vietnamese Twist

2007-11-05T11:53:00.000-05:00

My friends Sabrina, Sean and Dave and I have a new tradition of cooking Sunday dinner together. We collaborate (guys vs. girls) and take turns taking the lead. This weekend I was in charge. I had 4 duck breasts in my freezer that where begging to be eaten.

I love to cook French. I’m probably the best at making French and Cajon foods. For some reason I really embody the flavor combinations. But lately I’ve been obsessed with Vietnamese. I guess its homesickness, since I have not seen my mom in a while and I miss all of her cooking (yes she is Vietnamese). So I wanted to make a fusion Vietnamese and French duck.

At first I was going to serve the duck over rice with asparagus on the side. But I felt that white rice was just too boring. Plus Sabrina wanted to make rice pudding for desert, so potatoes where the natural choice. Have you ever had the duck confit at Les Hales restaurant? I’ve had it at both the DC location and the downtown NYC location. At the DC location it came with an amazing side of oven roasted cubed potatoes with truffles and frisée, sort of a salad. First heat the oven to 500 degrees. It is essential to have a hot oven for roasting potatoes. I cut about 10 small red potatoes into 1/4in cubes. (Yes this took a long time, about a half an hour but the oven was nice and hot afterwards.) Toss them with salt, pepper, minced garlic, thyme and olive oil. Place them on the middle rack in the oven. Wash your bunch of frisée, tear it into more bit size pieces and leave it to dry. Mix up a quick dressing for the salad. I added two tablespoons of large grain Dijon mustard to a tiny bit of balsamic dressing, but you could easily make the dressing from scratch with olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper. After 30 minutes, give your potatoes a toss and sprinkle them with a few generous tablespoons of truffle oil. Put them back in the oven for 30 minutes. Pull the potatoes out to cool, they will be nice and crispy brown. After letting them sit for 15 minutes, it should be easier to scrape them off of the bottom of the dish. Toss the potatoes with the frisée and the dressing. If you are feeling decadent, shave a black truffle into the mixture before you toss.

The critical aspect was the sauce. I basically combined two classic sauces from both cuisines. Caramelized black pepper pork is a staple Vietnamese dish and the French love a good green peppercorn cream sauce. So I combined both! Go ahead and start to make the sauce when you put the potatoes into the oven.

First off I marinated my duck breasts in a healthy amount of fish sauce. Then I started working on the sauce. Chop up half of a Vidalia onion or else 3 shallots… which ever you have on hand. In a heavy saucepan, put about 1/3 a cup of sugar on medium heat. Just let it sit there, as the sugar will turn a golden brown. If your pan is not heating evenly, you can swirl the unmelted sugar into the browning sugar. Be careful not to get it too dark or let it burn. Pull it off the heat and let it cool a tiny bit. Pour in a few tablespoons of fish sauce, it should bubble in the molten sugar. Ad about a cup of half and half, the shallots and a few tablespoons of green peppercorns (discard the brine if you have jarred peppercorns). Heat this on the stove, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved from the bottom of the pot. Now let the sauce cook on medium till it gets thicker and reduces. Taste the sauce to make sure it tastes rich, not too sweet and is salty enough. It helps to squish the peppercorns with the back of the spoon to release some of their flavor.

Cooking the duck breast is really easy. Heat a heavy non-stick skillet on the stove top, on medium-high. A cast iron skillet works really well. Place the breasts in the pan skin side down. After 7 minutes check to see that the skin is caramelizing nicely. Once the skin is a golden brown, flip the breast (there will be tons of fat in the pan from the melting fat under the skin) and place a thermometer into one of them, at the thickest part, from the side for maximum surface area. Once the breasts hit 150 degrees, turn the heat off and let the breasts slowly reach 165. Once they hit that, move the breasts to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes and then slice them.

Sabrina quickly balanced some asparagus and then tossed them in a quick garlic lemon zest butter.

To plate, heap on a generous portion of the potatoes, neatly lay out some asparagus spears and fan out several pieces of the breast. Spoon two generous tablespoons of the sauce over the breasts and serve with a good French style pinot noir.

Picadillio Tacos

2007-10-29T17:09:00.001-04:00

Its finally cold here in New York and for some reason I now want to eat hot and spicy foods. It doesn’t hurt if they are slow cooked and rich in flavor either.

Finely chop one medium to large sweet white onion. Throw that into a large pot with a few drizzles of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Sautee the onion on medium. Finely chop one large red pepper and several cloves of garlic. Add both to the pot with the onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, till everything is clear and cooked down. Be careful not to burn or brown the veggies. Once the veggies are fully cooked and soft, add in two pounds of ground beef. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, lots of cumin and a bit of cinnamon, cloves and all spice. Stir and break up the meat. Once the meat has totally broken apart, add in one small can of tomato sauce and one medium can of chopped tomatoes. Add in two bay leaves, a dash of sugar and about a half a cup of water and cook on medium till the chili mixture cooks down and turns a much richer deep brown.

Once you have you filling, it is time to make the tacos. With a beef filling I like to fill my tortillas with chopped romaine lettuce, some fresh tomato salsa, avocado, cheddar cheese and some sort of hot sauce. I really like chipotles.

Mediterranean Crab White Lasagna Redux

2007-10-16T22:13:00.001-04:00

Ok so there where some problems with the lasagna. There where too many competing flavors and the crab was too dry. Next time I'd actually mix the crab meat like I would mix up some crab cake balls. Layer that with the noodles, bechemel and cheese and call it a day! Enjoy!

Mediterranean Crab White Lasagna

2007-10-12T11:48:00.001-04:00

I have no idea how it happened but I have 3 boxes of lasagna pasta in my kitchen. I guess I just have a tendency to buy ingredients on the fly in the supermarket without checking what I have in stock. I’m an inspired cook, not really a planner. As you have figured out by now, I don’t follow recipes.

Ok so my white lasagna really has a béchamel sauce base. That is the secret. It is subtle and most people don’t notice it. It is truly an amazing and rich addition and ties it all together.

So there are three basic elements to this dish, the pasta, the sauce and then the fillings. The first thing you want to do is make the ricotta and spinach filling. I love fat free organic ricotta. It makes a rich addition but is still healthy. The ricotta I buy comes in 1 pound containers, so you want to take half of it and mix it with an egg, sat and pepper and Italian seasonings. Sometimes I add a sprinkle of nutmeg just to heighten the flavor. Now take a package of chopped frozen spinach. You should defrost it and wring out ALL of the water, first, before adding it to the ricotta mixture. Now you have a great filling that is cheese, flavorful and chocked full of healthy spinach. Next make the other fillings. Today I’m going to use crabmeat, but I’ve also done this with sautéed chicken chunks. Just lightly season the crabmeat with salt and pepper and garlic. Drain a large jar of roasted red peppers and set that aside. For the final filling, sauté a ton of sliced mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic. Now you have 4 amazing fillings.

On to the sauce! In a large pan melt ½ stick of butter. Add some flour and make a rough. Pour in half a quart of milk, little but little, whisking as you go. Now sprinkle in a ton of garlic powder and parsley (fresh or dried). Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper and some Italian seasoning. As that starts to simmer, you want to keep whisking so that no lumps form. Keep cooking it till it turns into a nice thick sauce. Since we are using crab, and I always put a touch of honey cup mustard in my crab cakes, I’m think it would be a nice tangy addition to this sauce. Whisk in one or two tablespoons to taste. At the end, stir in a bit of parmesan cheese and set this aside.

Now we just need to boil the noodles and assemble. Boil up a small box of lasagna noodles. You can figure out how many it will take to fill one layer of your pan. You are going to need between 3 and 4 layers of pasta.

Ok put a tiny bit of sauce all over the bottom of the dish. Lay down your first level of noodles. Always start with the ricotta filling first. Then you can layer on the crab, mushrooms and peppers and finish with more sauce and mozzarella cheese before you put on the next layer of noodles. Keep doing this till you run out of all ingredients except for sauce and mozzarella cheese. On top of the last layer of noodles you should pack on the leftover sauce and mozzarella cheese. Top that with some grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle with herbs. Now put this all in the over, covered with foil, for at least an hour. At the last minute, you want to remove the foil so that the top can brown. Enjoy!

Soy Rice Pudding

2007-10-05T23:56:00.002-04:00

I live in NYC and I have had a mouse. I'm insanely clean. Bordering on OCD. So really the mouse just runs around looking for food but it is all in vain. Regardless, I'm on a campaign to eat everything I have in the house to make sure there will never been anything to attract these little suckers. I have a bag of organic brown sticky short grain rice. I was going to use it to experiment with brown risotto, but have yet to.

I took about a cup of the rice and I'm now making soy rice pudding out of it. God, why am I compelled to bake? I guess it is ultimately because I have a huge sweet tooth. So I simmered the rice covered with some water just to get it started. Then I added some milk, sugar and cinnamon. Then I simmered the rice mixture till it got thick and absorbed the milk. At the end I finished it off with a splash of vanilla. Fantastic and impossible to screw up!

Soy Rice Pudding
1 cup brown short grain rice
1/2 cup water
2-3 cups soy milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Place the rice and water into a sauce pot and cook on medium heat till the water is boiling. Stir the rice on the heat until the water is absorbed. Add the milk, sugar and cinnamon and keep cooking until the liquid is all absorbed and the pudding is thick. Total cooking time will probably be about 30-45 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat, add the vanilla and salt and stir before serving.

Cookies

2007-10-03T22:37:00.002-04:00

Cookies

Yesterday I had to write a venture idea for my Social Entrepreneurship class. Of course I wrote about a bakery. And to cement that, I baked a batch of cookies, cherry chocolate chip. I discovered that if I slightly modified the base for Nestle Toll House Cookies, that it could be made into anything. The key is to use organic butter and a tiny but more salt and baking soda. So I’ve done this with white chocolate and macadamia nuts, or white chocolate and lemon… I think that the sky’s the limit. The cookies where really well received, the professor alone had 5. I love it when people enjoy the things I make.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions: PREHEAT oven to 375° F.  COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.   BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Easy and Lower Calorie Chicken Marsala

2007-10-01T10:53:00.001-04:00

Normally I take the time to make Chicken Marsala. I slice the chicken breasts thin, dredge them in seasoned flower and pan-fry them to a golden brown. I then remove the chicken from the pan and sauté onions, garlic and mounds of mushrooms. After covering the veggies with chicken broth and some Marsala wine, I ad back in the chicken and cook it all down to a yummy think sauced and moist chicken masterpiece. However today is October 1st and I’m on a diet. That is right, no more high fatty meats, elaborate deserts and limited alcohol. Ugh. In addition school has started up again. So I have countless hours of reading to do. Couple that with 2-hour workouts at the gym and there is just no time. So today I tried a new way of making Chicken Marsala. In a large baking dish I placed chopped onions, garlic and sliced mushrooms. Toss that with salt, pepper and a tiny bit of Italian seasoning. Sprinkle 9 chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Nestle the breasts in the veggie mixture and fill the container up with chicken broth and some Marsala wine. Cover it all with foil, poke some holes for the steam, and throw it in a 350-degree oven. Hopefully it will emerge rich and moist!

A Lamb Supreme

2007-09-30T22:37:00.001-04:00

So I got a 25% off coupon for Fresh Direct over the summer. I filled my freezer with meats. This weekend I defrosted the double cut lamb rib chops. This morning I marinated them in sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil. Tonight I walked them over to Sean’s and Sabrina’s house where we broke in her grill griddle. After a quick sear on either side so that the chops had beautiful color, I slid them into a 350-degree oven for ten minutes. After 5 minutes of resting, they where perfectly done, a nice rare. Since I can’t leave well enough alone, I made a chimichurri emulsion to go with them. Two bunches of cilantro, a few tablespoons of olive oil, one clove of garlic, a few splashes of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, salt and a few red pepper flakes all went into the blender. It whirled into a creamy bright green emulsion. Taste it to make sure it is the right balance. There should be a good mouth of cilantro, not too bitter (adjust salt and sugar to make sure) and there should be just enough heat from the red pepper.

Enjoy.