tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2313818385054591752024-02-20T01:36:01.221-08:00Bouncing In The KitchenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-88974018949718302732013-01-06T11:00:00.000-08:002016-12-06T21:34:06.132-08:00Station 1Since our going out requires a bit more advanced planning nowadays, a second visit to the same restaurant within the space of 2 months is high praise indeed. Mihai and I returned to <a href="https://foursquare.com/v/station-1-restaurant/4cabfca536fa6dcba3f9da78">Station 1</a> for an early New Year's celebration last week, based on a delightful meal and warm service we enjoyed there in November. Station 1 is just down the street from what seems like <a href="http://www.thevillagepub.net/">a more well-known Woodside restaurant</a>; having not yet been able to score a reservation to the latter (despite the aforementioned advance planning), I cannot speak to whether its fame is well-deserved. However, I cannot say enough good things about Station 1, and am actually somewhat glad it seems to hide in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, as I only have so much patience for tracking down hard-to-get reservations.
<br>
<br>
Station 1 serves a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111027005902/http://station1restaurant.com/files/dinner_menu.pdf">3-course prix-fixe menu</a> for a reasonable price. Here's a brief run-through our most recent meal (please forgive the quality of the iPhone pictures):
<br>
<p>
<table style="border-spacing: 0; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr> <td style="padding: 0 2px 0 0"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qvWztIogdI0/UOkTZscsoTI/AAAAAAAABOY/HFUe7pOdu5M/s800/IMG_1168.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> <td style="padding: 0 0 0 2px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AsaWqDVJV8I/UOkTZfNYAPI/AAAAAAAABOk/EyDcUxf4g8Q/s800/IMG_1165.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> </tr>
</table>
Drinks: Woodpecker (left), Scofflaw (right).
</p>
The Scofflaw was one of the reasons I was eager to return to Station 1 - what a delicious combination of rye, vermouth, lemon, and grenadine. And I love the oversized cube of ice that melts slowly but effectively to make the drink a bit less strong over time. Mihai got the Woodpecker, which had the grenadine in common with my drink - a magic ingredient to make all drinks better? I would highly recommend both choices, except apparently the drinks menu was due to change in the new month (though our very kind waitress confided that the bartender could probably be persuaded to make off-menu drinks in the future as well, as long as we remembered what we wanted).
<br>
<p>
<table style="border-spacing: 0; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr> <td style="padding: 0 2px 0 0"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AIYetKAK7is/UOkTaBUYJsI/AAAAAAAABQI/2xqi82UcmCY/s800/IMG_1171.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> <td style="padding: 0 0 0 2px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G1lcX8KScXI/UOkTaT0eRtI/AAAAAAAABQM/kWPl_aZArT4/s800/IMG_1173.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> </tr>
</table>
Appetizers: Celery root soup with pickled apple (left), Garganelli with Manila clams (right).
</p>
The pictures don't really do these appetizers (or the main course below) justice. Both appetizers were perfect wintry dishes, without being too heavy. The celery root soup was super smooth, and the pasta was swimming in a light creamy sauce, with the tiny clams adding some interesting bites to the dish.
<br>
<p>
<table style="border-spacing: 0; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr> <td style="padding: 0 2px 0 0"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m--7Hu_8kiM/UOkTayYMndI/AAAAAAAABQQ/wsIaDY3pkDQ/s800/IMG_1174.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> <td style="padding: 0 0 0 2px"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4ctNxfmeIUQ/UOkTbvoAuzI/AAAAAAAABQU/DeD_5zNRbp4/s800/IMG_1178.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> </tr>
</table>
Main Course: Cauliflower risotto with a chard chip (left), Wagyu bavette steak with rutabaga, arugula, and oyster mushrooms (right).
</p>
After we placed our orders, the waitress asked Mihai if he was vegetarian; we had coordinated our choices without realizing that he was ordering all of the (seemingly) meatless dishes, whereas both of mine contained obvious proteins. My guess is she was asking because the risotto used a non-vegetable broth, but that's just speculation. In any case, given the location of the restaurant and the quality of the service, I have no doubt that they are happy to accommodate true vegetarians. I was glad I wasn't really one that evening, however, as that steak was amazing. Mihai's risotto was good as well, but I was really happy with my choice - I don't eat meat all that much (because many cuts/preparations disappoint me), so it's always nice to get a steak that's as good as it should be.
<br>
<p>
<table style="border-spacing: 0; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr> <td style="padding: 0 2px 0 0"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0HXlV4bJDSc/UOkTZ2uBe5I/AAAAAAAABOU/SbiRs847RhU/s800/IMG_1169.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> <td style="padding: 0 0 0 2px"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a9UZaFUJSpY/UOkTbzr6ZqI/AAAAAAAABQY/sKR5X3oQ_bQ/s800/IMG_1181.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> </tr>
</table>
Extras: Sesame Parker House rolls with an amuse-bouche of marble potato and gouda blue cheese foam (left), White chocolate lemon cream with pistachio crumble (right).
</p>
We had to ask the waitress to stop bringing out the Parker House rolls after we ate the second plate of them before the appetizers even arrived, and this is only meant as a comment on the rolls' taste, not on the length of time it took for us to get the appetizers (entirely reasonable). Serving an amuse-bouche in the beginning of the meal is always such a nice touch, because who doesn't like getting something "extra" and unexpected? Of course it helps when the amuse-bouche is as tasty as this one, since it heightens the anticipation of a good meal. And I am definitely a chocolate snob and don't appreciate white chocolate normally, but the palate cleanser cream served after our main course was also very well done.
<br>
<p>
<table style="border-spacing: 0; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr> <td style="padding: 0 2px 0 0"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J5qxZMZr9x8/UOkTcukWHVI/AAAAAAAABQo/beqrN4ntiVw/s800/IMG_1185.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> <td style="padding: 0 0 0 2px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KVkZfvKs0rw/UOkTcZhaIOI/AAAAAAAABQc/RpIdHEfV4sk/s800/IMG_1184.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> </tr>
</table>
Dessert: Almond cake with pear, quince sauce, and honey ice cream (left), Chocolate mousse (right).
</p>
Mihai was rewarded for his more daring choice, because while my chocolate mousse was very, very good, I'd say his almond cake (and everything it came with) was even better. That's what I get for my mixed feelings about almond desserts (for my taste they can hit both very high highs and very low lows).
<br>
<p>
<table style="border-spacing: 0; border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr> <td style="padding: 0 2px 0 0"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1Q_-ooevomE/UOkTdZagv0I/AAAAAAAABPg/d7JfOHLkQOk/s800/IMG_1187.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> <td style="padding: 0 0 0 2px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9NKuT-A1Ah4/UOkTdE6fGtI/AAAAAAAABRo/al2-Fn5VQK0/s800/IMG_1186.JPG" width="248" height="331"></td> </tr>
</table>
Coffee and Tea (with almond mignardises).
</p>
We went all out and got coffee (French press, not shown) and Earl Grey tea. Just like the amuse-bouche, the mignardises are a great "extra" addition to the meal because they are a surprise (even though we'd been to the restaurant before). Chances are they don't cost the restaurant much, but they do add to the special-ness factor.
<br>
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All in all, a wonderful dinner with great drinks and service (and company!) at a pleasant, non-stuffy restaurant. I hope to be back soon.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-37759881049914122862012-11-03T20:12:00.001-07:002012-11-03T20:12:57.793-07:00Grandma Irene's Pancakes<p><i>Mihai is guest blogging this so that he has a digital copy of the recipe, instead of always having to dig up the piece of paper that it's on.</i></p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-biNWiDIeooc/UJXcDaSNASI/AAAAAAAABMg/hP_0IwWyRV0/s800/IMG_1853.jpg" height="375" width="500" /></p>
<b>Wet Ingredients</b>
<br>
½ cup milk<br>
2 tablespoons butter, melted in the microwave<br>
1 egg<br>
1 tablespoon extra-light olive oil<br>
<br>
<b>Dry Ingredients</b><br>
1 cup all-purpose flour<br>
2 teaspoons baking powder<br>
1 tablespoon sugar<br>
½ teaspoon salt<br>
<br>
<br>
1. Put the milk, butter, and egg into a large bowl and beat lightly. Set aside.<br>
<br>
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.<br>
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3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient bowl all at once and mix slightly.<br>
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4. Add the olive oil to the batter and mix a bit more.<br>
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5. Add more milk (about ¼ cup) to the batter until it gets to the consistency of heavy cream. It shouldn't be perfectly smooth, small lumps are OK.<br>
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6. Heat up oil in a frying pan on low-medium heat.<br>
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7. Drop dollops of the batter using a small ladle and cook until bubbles stop popping (usually a couple of minutes).<br>
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8. Flip over with a spatula and cook the other side (usually for another minute).<br>
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9. Instead of maple syrup, accompany with sour cream and jam: mix a tablespoon of each on your plate, and top each pancake with a thin layer.<br>
<p><i>Serves two.</i></p>Mihai Parparitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12343650264888591427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-58189241107905421082012-07-31T21:26:00.000-07:002012-07-31T21:26:14.076-07:00Tart Tuesday<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wc0cNqffb4Q/UAODgnQ5nrI/AAAAAAAABAE/kA6g8e_yB8Y/s800/IMG_8361.JPG" height="334" width="500" /><br>
Ricotta and Plum Tart from (where else?) <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/6114_ricotta_and_plum_tartlets">Food52</a><br> </p>
Substitutions made:<br>
2 teaspoons sugar instead of honey,<br>
turbinado sugar instead of dark brown sugar (per <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/2366_ricotta_and_plum_tartlets">Jenny</a>),<br>
40 minutes of baking instead of 20 (due to using a 9-inch round tart pan since, like <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/2366_ricotta_and_plum_tartlets">Jenny</a>, I do not own 3.5 inch ring molds).<br>
<p>P.S. I blame the Olympics for the lack of a proper post here.</p>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-9184527341799443632012-06-30T21:58:00.000-07:002012-06-30T21:58:27.538-07:00Apricot Crumb Bars<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vJrUihsQXHM/T-_NGStdAlI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/NDGtDjUz3Gc/s800/IMG_8186.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>If you are fan of not-too-sweet-but-delicious fruit desserts, you should make these crumb bars as soon as possible, while apricots are still in season. As you can see in the ingredient list, you'll need quite a few apricots - it was actually my goal to use a bunch, since we sometimes buy more fruit from Costco than we have time to eat - but the large quantity is absolutely worth it. The recipe is really easy and non-fussy, at least the way I made it (<a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Deb</a> had a few additional steps in order to incorporate browned butter, but I simply skipped all that). And while both Mihai and I like the sweetness level as is (the apricots get to shine), you could probably sprinkle a couple tablespoons of sugar on top of the fruit layer before scattering the crumb topping if you prefer your dessert on the sweeter side.
</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nZMVbVxVAKk/T-_NFnUyqdI/AAAAAAAAA_I/JYtW8Mtqe7s/s800/IMG_8059.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<b>Apricot Crumb Bars</b><br>
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/09/peach-shortbread/">Smitten Kitchen</a></i> <br>
<br>
1 cup white sugar<br>
3 cups all-purpose flour<br>
1 teaspoon baking powder<br>
¼ teaspoon salt<br>
¼ teaspoon cinnamon<br>
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br>
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter<br>
1 large egg<br>
10 apricots, pitted and thinly sliced<br>
<br>
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees. Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.<br>
<br>
2. In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg using a whisk.<br>
<br>
3. Using a box grater, grate in the cold butter, mixing with the dry mixture along the way so the small butter pieces are interspersed throughout the bowl (rather than clumped together).<br>
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4. Crack the egg into a small bowl, beat lightly with a fork, and then stir into the flour and butter mixture. After incorporating the egg using a fork, finish mixing the dough with your hands - it should be crumbly.<br>
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5. Spread approximately ¾ of the mixture in the pan. Pat down firmly.<br>
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6. Arrange the slices of apricots on top of the crumbs, and scatter the remaining crumbs on top of the apricots.<br>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JpvvAEg2T3o/T-_NFSXX-cI/AAAAAAAAA_A/FsCNI4VVJLc/s800/IMG_8058.JPG" height="749" width="500" /></p>
7. Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden. Cool completely in pan before cutting into slices (squares or rectangles are easiest).<br>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-smm1R96Utic/T-_NFzLoWMI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/77ybGE28Dkk/s800/IMG_8065.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-10976648543864044982012-05-31T16:53:00.000-07:002012-05-31T16:53:31.803-07:00Roasted Rhubarb<p style="text-align:center"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iT66TAYZp4U/T8U5QXN-RHI/AAAAAAAAA0U/YFAKMXetUKY/s800/IMG_0473.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p><p>For me, one of the many wonderful things about this time of year is the availability of rhubarb in the produce section. The pretty pink stalks can become wonderful dessert quite easily - this roasted rhubarb is a prime example. With 10 minutes (or even less) of prep and 15-20 minutes in the oven, you have something that can be a tart topping for a sweet ice cream (creme fraiche gelato, not pictured) or a (somewhat) more healthy oatmeal with sliced almonds, as shown below.</p><p>(Note: for reasons I don't fully understand, not everyone loves rhubarb as much as I do. I think it's because it is not very common and not everyone is familiar with it. Due to my enthusiasm for it, I tried serving rhubarb at more than one dinner party, more or less successfully depending on the attendees. Just throwing this out there as a warning - if you want a universally crowd-pleasing dessert, this might not be it. Save it for yourself instead.)</p><p style="text-align:center"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mnnDeOhppOM/T8QQyPh1FSI/AAAAAAAAA-k/3uMohT4E_zc/s800/IMG_7662.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p><br />
<b>Roasted Rhubarb</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.doriegreenspan.com/2009/06/-tomorrow-ill-be-going.html">Dorie Greenspan</a></i> <br />
<br />
1 pound rhubarb<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
Grated zest of 1 lemon or ½ orange (I've used one in one batch, the other in the second - both are great)<br />
<br />
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.<br />
<br />
2. Cut the rhubarb into pieces about 1 inch long and toss them into a baking dish that will hold them comfortably. (I used a 9-inch round baking pan.) Sprinkle over the sugar and zest and stir everything around until the rhubarb is covered with sugar. (It will seem like you have too much sugar. You do not - rhubarb is very tart and the ½ cup sugar is just right.) Set aside for about 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
3. Cover the baking dish with foil and roast the rhubarb for 15 minutes. Take a peek and if the sugar isn't almost completely melted, stir the rhubarb, re-cover the pan with the foil and roast a few minutes more. Then remove the foil and let the rhubarb roast for another 5 minutes or so, until the syrup is bubbling.<br />
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4. Remove the pan from the oven and let the rhubarb cool to just warm or to room temperature; chill, if you'd like.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-89293964845063417112012-04-17T15:01:00.000-07:002012-07-31T21:26:50.594-07:00Tartine Tuesday<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Bpsy0B_wAiE/T43Zf3XHhZI/AAAAAAAAAvk/hgLJhbYvzSw/s800/IMG_7340.JPG" height="334" width="500" /><br>
Avocado Asparagus Tartine from <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/avocado-asparagus-tartine-recipe.html">101 Cookbooks</a><br> (with pine nuts instead of caraway seeds)</p>
<p>Who says eating at home during during the first weeks of a baby's life has to consist solely of takeout and frozen meals?</p>
<p>P.S. For full disclosure, lunch on all the other days has consisted of toast, cold cuts, cheese and (store-bought) egg salad. Also, Mihai made (and is writing) this.</p>Mihai Parparitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12343650264888591427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-16359983347333786872012-03-31T23:30:00.000-07:002012-03-31T23:30:34.490-07:00Cheesecake Brownies<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gDW_2Fd6Y9A/T3fxlv4cNiI/AAAAAAAAAs0/CZfG_NZOFwg/s800/IMG_7239.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>This week our office held a bake sale for <a href="http://www.teamintraining.org/">a very good cause</a>. Though I am not taking part in the athletic events and training given to the big life change Mihai and I are about to experience, I was happy to at least help out by making something for the bake sale. From everything I've seen of bake sales, they are not the place to whip out anything too exotic, so I decided to go with a classic American staple: the brownie. But, in order to satisfy my need to try out new things, I finally attempted this cheesecake brownie recipe I've had starred in Reader since 2007.</p>
<p>The results of this experiment were mixed, I would say. On the one hand, these brownies sold out, so they must have looked appealing. On the other hand, I would make one or both of the following changes next time around: 1) mix the cheesecake batter with the brownie batter more thoroughly, and 2) try out a different brownie batter. Mihai and I both agreed (we had a small piece each before giving the rest of the pan to the sale) that the brownie batter was a bit dry. However, the cheesecake portion of the brownie was deliciously moist - so perhaps mixing the two together more would be sufficient. But it's also possible that the brownie batter really needs some chocolate chips/chunks in it (not just cocoa) to make it be as rich as I personally like my brownies to be.</p>
<p>All this said, this recipe is still good enough to be posted here - it just might need some tweaking to be a truly successful one.</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BVrFzAW_6Lc/T3fxk4tiYnI/AAAAAAAAAsk/vmRlTJK8r-U/s800/IMG_7231.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br/>
<b>Cheesecake Brownies</b><br/>
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2007/07/15/cheesecake-marbled-brownies-brownies-marbres-au-cheesecake/">La Tartine Gourmande</a></i>
<br/><br/>
For the brownie batter:<br/>
⅔ cups cocoa<br/>
1 stick unsalted butter, diced<br/>
¾ cups sugar<br/>
2 large eggs<br/>
Pinch of salt<br/>
⅔ cups all-purpose flour<br/><br/>
For the cheesecake batter:<br/>
8 oz cream cheese, softened<br/>
1 large egg yolk<br/>
⅓ cups sugar<br/>
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br/>
<br/>
1. Mix all the cheesecake batter ingredients together to obtain a smooth creamy texture. Set aside.<br/><br/>
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.<br/><br/>
3. To prepare the chocolate batter, start by melting the cocoa and butter in the microwave. Let cool slightly.<br/><br/>
4. Beat together the eggs and sugar with a pinch of salt until light and pale in color.<br/><br/>
5. Fold in the chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture first, then the flour. Do not overmix.<br/><br/>
6. Pour the chocolate batter into the pan. Add the cheesecake batter on top and make a swirly design in it using a fork or knife. (See notes above - don't be afraid to intermix the batters more than in my pictures.)<br/><br/>
7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares.<br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-82632192062772595912012-02-28T21:35:00.000-08:002012-02-28T21:35:52.438-08:00Beef Skewers<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lgKW6k3WP-U/T0xt4BH3AfI/AAAAAAAAAqg/rs7W2u13s-M/s800/IMG_7181.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>I've been trying to eat more protein lately, so on a recent weeknight, we made a beef variation of <a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/08/lamb_skewers_with_thyme.php">these lamb skewers</a> that we've made lots of times before.</p>
<p>This is so easy, you hardly need a recipe - just some meat and veggies, as well as a hot oven - but I outlined what we did below just in case.</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NC9VDJNe9gE/T0xt39vTE2I/AAAAAAAAAqU/hJRc1_ZBK9U/s800/IMG_7180.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<b>Beef Skewers</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/08/lamb_skewers_with_thyme.php">Chocolate and Zucchini</a></i>
<br/><br/>
1 lb beef<br/>
1 yellow bell pepper<br/>
1 orange bell pepper<br/>
½ red onion<br/>
2-3 large tomatoes or ~8 campari-sized ones<br/>
salt<br/>
<br/>
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees.<br/><br/>
2. Prep your vegetables: core the bell peppers, slice the onion, remove the innards of the tomatoes. Your end goal are vegetable pieces that have about 1 square inch of surface area so you can easily thread them on the skewers - though the shape definitely doesn't need to be exactly square (that's easier with the peppers than with the tomatoes or onion).<br/><br/>
3. Prep your meat: cut away any extraneous fat, and cut into ~1-inch cubes.<br/><br/>
4. Assemble your skewers: thread a slice of each vegetable, followed by a meat cube. Repeat.<br/><br/>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Yf82LwqJqII/T0xt3spaHbI/AAAAAAAAAqM/GksNjjdUgtc/s800/IMG_7179.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br/>
5. Place your skewers across a oven-proof dish and salt them.<br/><br/>
6. Cook the skewers in the hot oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the desired doneness, rotating the skewers half way through the cooking process.<br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-39597350447153843672012-01-26T21:28:00.000-08:002012-06-30T21:59:36.411-07:00Chocolate Biscotti<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-95R29GbsOuc/TyIxbW9cgLI/AAAAAAAAApE/K6r3qX4H0q0/s800/IMG_7096.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>On the weekends, Mihai makes himself a latte using his (fancy, and getting even fancier soon) espresso machine and has some biscotti with it while reading. I am ashamed to say that the biscotti are usually store bought, though he doesn't seem to mind that too much. But, a couple of weeks ago, I finally managed to do something I'd been meaning to do for a while - actually make some biscotti at home.</p>
<p>I have made biscotti before (even if I haven't blogged about it) - <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/fig-and-walnut-biscotti/">both</a> <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/03/almond-biscotti/">of these</a> were quite good. But the previous versions were sorely lacking in chocolate, and I really wanted to make chocolate biscotti this time. Fortunately, there's been a chocolate biscotti recipe stowed away for ages in my very long list of starred items in Reader, so finding a recipe was easy. My favorite part of biscotti is the "soft stage" of the cookie, after you slice them but before you bake them again. However, these are good even once you've made them into "proper" biscotti - Mihai says he likes them.</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-itSML0IX_V0/TyIxa8-J7xI/AAAAAAAAAo8/_w52yDooF3s/s800/IMG_7094.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<b>Chocolate Biscotti</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/01/chocolate-biscotti/">David Lebovitz</a></i>
<br/><br/>
2 cups flour<br/>
¾ cups top-quality cocoa powder<br/>
1 teaspoon baking soda<br/>
¼ teaspoon salt<br/>
3 large eggs, at room temperature<br/>
1 cup sugar<br/>
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br/>
1 cup almonds, toasted and very coarsely-chopped<br/>
¾ cups chocolate chips<br/>
¼ cup milk<br/>
<br/>
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees.<br/><br/>
2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.<br/><br/>
3. In a large bowl, beat together the 3 eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then mix in the nuts and the chocolate chips until the dough holds together. Note: my dough was much too dry at this point, which is why I added a bit of milk to the original recipe, since there was no way my dough was going to come together otherwise. (If ¼ cup does not seem like enough, feel free to use up to ⅓ cup. You want a dough that holds together but is not too wet, or it will be hard to work with in the next step.)<br/><br/>
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into two logs the length of the baking sheet. Transfer the logs onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-04RlGWO4Z0Y/TyIxaHB5_SI/AAAAAAAAAos/exqH4mTijfc/s800/IMG_7082.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
5. Gently flatten the tops of the logs. Bake for 25 minutes, until the dough feels firm to the touch.
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--NS6D6lRu8A/TyIxahYQhXI/AAAAAAAAAo0/LxxZSH-AprA/s800/IMG_7086.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
6. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and cool 15 minutes. On a cutting board, use a serrated bread knife to diagonally cut the cookies into ½ inch slices. (I struggled with the "diagonally" instruction, but they biscotti turned out OK anyway.) Lay the cookies cut side down on baking sheets and return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies feel mostly firm.<br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-33571954357659482162011-12-31T19:53:00.000-08:002011-12-31T19:53:33.221-08:00Hungarian Danishes<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bWppeVuSZxM/TvkkkSR4qcI/AAAAAAAAAn4/9JYaqrtCfM0/s800/IMG_7065.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>First off, I want to say that I am completely aware of how silly the name of this treat sounds. I realize that if it's a Danish, it should be from Denmark, not Hungary. By way of explanation, this is a baked good that I've only had in Russia and at home here. More specifically, I've only seen it made by my mom, though the Russian Internet proves that the treat and its name, 'венгерские ватрушки', are not isolated to her. And in Russian, the word for 'Danish' has no associations with Denmark, so if we are translating literally, we arrive at the slightly nonsensical 'Hungarian Danishes'. I've even run this dilemma by my stepfather, who is much better at translating between the two languages than I am, and he confirmed that this is, indeed, the correct translation - especially since cheese is part of the recipe.</p>
<p>Translation semantics aside, I am glad that I am finally posting this here - both because it means we got to enjoy this treat for Christmas (and for a few days afterwards), and because now the recipe will be "in the cloud", and not just handwritten on a piece of paper I am bound to lose at some point. I took advantage of my mom's visit here to have her help me make two of my childhood favorite baked goods: these 'Danishes' and <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2009/12/lemon-pie.html">my favorite lemon pie</a>. Not that either is particularly difficult, but both require the rolling out of dough, which I am not nearly as good at as my mom (especially with our tiled counters). However, this rolling-out effort is definitely worth it, as these are an extremely tasty accompaniment to tea, milk, or pretty much any beverage (they are quite sweet). I am pretty sure this was Mihai's first time having these (as I write this, I am feeling very guilty for my baking negligence all these years), and he thoroughly approved.</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--kwQZP7f70M/Tvkkk7C-nDI/AAAAAAAAAoA/4Jm3WPSlCqE/s800/IMG_7069.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br/>
<b>Hungarian Danishes</b><br/><br/>
For the dough:<br/>
2 cups flour (300g)<br/>
1¾ sticks cold unsalted butter (200g)<br/>
200g farmer's cheese (or very fine, drained cottage cheese)<br/>
2 egg yolks<br/>
3 tablespoons sugar<br/>
½ teaspoon salt<br/><br/>
For the filling:<br/>
2 egg whites<br/>
¾ cups sugar<br/>
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)<br/>
<br/>
1. Grate the cold butter into the flour, mixing the grated bits of butter with the flour along the way.<br/><br/>
2. Combine the farmer's cheese with the egg yolks, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Mix well.<br/><br/>
3. Mix the flour and cheese mixture together quickly, separate in two equal portions, and form 2 cylinders of dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.<br/><br/>
4. When the dough is thoroughly chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with a mixer. Gradually add the sugar and cinnamon. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.<br/><br/>
5. Roll out one of the dough cylinders into a rectangle (~12 x 5 inches). Spread half of the egg white mixture on the rectangle (leave a 1-inch border around one of the long edges), and roll the dough into a log length-wise (you'll want the 1-inch border on the "outside" edge, so as to not push out the egg white mixture outside the roll). Cut the rolled log into ~2 inch slices, stand them up vertically on a (buttered or lined with parchment paper) cookie sheet, and bake for ~30 minutes.<br/><br/>
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-REWRdvrlPCE/TvkkkFXZ4BI/AAAAAAAAAnw/ahQgJiC5otw/s800/IMG_7060.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br/>
6. If you have a convection oven, you can repeat step #5 with the other dough cylinder and remaining half of the egg whites immediately and place the two cookie sheets in the oven together (one above the other). However, with a regular oven, it's probably best to place the remaining dough and egg white mixture into the fridge while the first batch is baking, and repeat step #5 only when you've taken out the first batch and can place the second batch into the oven. (In that case, I suggest re-beating the egg whites a bit before you spread them out on the second dough half.)<br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-83766110943553176902011-11-30T22:27:00.000-08:002011-11-30T22:29:40.795-08:00Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pwjIi4TbWkk/TtXRuX2VnzI/AAAAAAAAAmc/wyUu7Vpc3SA/s800/IMG_6743.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>Another seasonal recipe - this would have been good for Thanksgiving, but will be equally good for any upcoming holiday parties or open houses. Given that the key ingredients are butternut squash and onions, with a healthy amount of cheese thrown in for good measure, this galette can be a reliable stand-by for the rest of the winter.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, this recipe is NOT from <a href="http://www.food52.com">Food52</a> (gasp!) but from another <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">favorite of mine</a>. Deb has a number of good <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/recipes/#TartsQuiche">galette/tart recipes</a> on her site, so it's definitely worth checking out if you are looking to make something that's hearty enough to hold its own for a weeknight dinner for two and also appropriate as a starter when you are expecting company.</p>
<p>Two main notes about this recipe. One - it does require some prep (peel, chop up, and roast the squash, slice and caramelize the onions) - but as Deb points out, you can do that ahead of time and then the assembly time for the galette itself close to the guests' arrival is minimal. (Though it does help when you have <a href="http://persistent.info">a very nice helper</a> for doing some of this peeling/chopping.) Two - if you are like me and the idea of making the galette dough, with all of its advance planning (one hour in the freezer, another hour in the fridge), stresses you out (you also have to do the squash and onions!), just don't do it. I used Pepperidge Farm's puff pastry, and didn't think the final result at all suffered from this stress-relieving shortcut.</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7siXaMmVyog/TtXRvfU_AMI/AAAAAAAAAmw/cRbk4a9_zZY/s800/IMG_6751.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br/>
<b>Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/10/butternut-squash-and-caramelized-onion-galette/">Smitten Kitchen</a></i>
<br/><br/>
For the pastry:<br/>
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry<br/><br/>
For the filling:<br/>
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)*<br/>
2 tablespoons olive oil<br/>
1 to 2 tablespoons butter<br/>
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons<br/>
1 teaspoon salt<br/>
Pinch of sugar<br/>
¾ cup fontina cheese (about 2½ ounces), grated or cut into small bits**<br/>
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves<br/>
<br/>
*Don't worry if yours is bigger - any leftover squash/onion/cheese mixture that doesn't fit into the galette is delicious on its own later.<br/>
**We happened to use smoked fontina (regular was nowhere to be found), which gave the galette a suspiciously delicious bacon-y taste.<br/><br/>
1. Thaw one sheet of puff pastry according to the directions on the package.<br/><br/>
2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a ½-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil-lined sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.<br/><br/>
3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes.<br/><br/>
4. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.<br/><br/>
5. Assemble galette: On a floured surface, roll out the thawed sheet of puff pastry (don't make it unreasonably thin). Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1½-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, folding the corner edges over each other. The center will be open.<br/><br/>
6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.<br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-65657675825077060022011-10-31T22:24:00.000-07:002011-10-31T22:24:56.155-07:00Yogurt Cake with Apples and Chocolate<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0DDx_LR-lq8/Tq-B0qxQWJI/AAAAAAAAAmA/ofpDnpCpGb0/s800/IMG_6732.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>I made this cake just yesterday, so it's very seasonal - and will remain so for the next 4 months at least. It was inspired by yet another <a href="http://www.food52.com/">Food52</a> recipe, except I swapped out the original pears for apples, since my mom and I share the belief that apples are superior to pears on almost all occasions. (Also, because per my request, my mom sent me some Connecticut grown Macoun apples - a special treat for NorCal - and there's now quite a number of them at home here!)</p>
<p>Other than that, this pretty much follows the standard French yogurt cake guidelines: nothing to beat, plain whole-milk yogurt (only difficulty is finding it in the supermarket in small containers), so easy that <a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/10/yogurt_cake.php">it's the first cake French kids learn how to make</a>. There's one substitution that I would advise against making, and it is to substitute olive oil (especially extra virgin) for the canola oil. It's taken me a few previous yogurt cakes to learn to stick to the recipe on this point.</p>
<b>Yogurt Cake with Apples and Chocolate</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/9463_yogurt_cake_with_pear_and_dark_chocolate">Food52</a></i>
<br/><br/>
1½ cup all purpose flour<br/>
2 teaspoons baking powder<br/>
¼ teaspoon salt<br/>
1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt<br/>
1 cup sugar<br/>
3 large eggs<br/>
½ teaspoon vanilla extract<br/>
½ cup canola oil<br/>
1 large apple, cored and cut into small pieces (leave the skin on)<br/>
½ cup bittersweet dark chocolate chunks<br/>
<br/>
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch loaf pan with butter. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in the yogurt. Then, stir in the dry ingredients, a bit at a time, until well blended. Finally, use a rubber spatula to fold the oil into the batter until it is fully incorporated.<br/><br/>
2. Pour about one-third of the batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle two thirds of the apple pieces and the chocolate chunks all over the batter. Then, scrape the rest of the batter on top of this and gently spread it smooth. Sprinkle the rest of the apple and chocolate over the top of the loaf and gently press all the pieces down into the batter to partially submerge them.<br/><br/>
3. Bake in the middle of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean - 55-60 minutes. Then, take the cake out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Carefully turn the cake out of the pan, and then put it upright on a cooling rack (or regular plate) to cool the rest of the way.
<br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-86369640841526012342011-09-30T19:24:00.000-07:002011-09-30T19:24:19.144-07:00Cheese Thins<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-G7tzNN2Uz-4/TgF8EU178WI/AAAAAAAAAaI/j-k_BAG2wQA/s800/IMG_5965.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>For certain (bigger) occasions, I feel like it's more appropriate to bring something homemade, rather than a bottle of wine (our more standard offering). In this case, we were asked to bring at most an appetizer, so I went with these cheese thins - they show up in both <a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/">Chocolate and Zucchini</a> and Amanda Hesser's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essential-New-York-Times-Cookbook/dp/0393061035">Essential New York Times Cookbook</a> (if you haven't noticed, <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/08/tender-yellow-cake-with-nectarine-basil.html">I am</a> <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/07/nectarines-poached-with-basil.html">a</a> <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/05/chocolate-bundt-cake.html">big</a> <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/04/fig-and-blue-cheese-savories.html">fan</a> <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/03/absurdly-addictive-asparagus.html">of</a> Amanda Hesser's endeavors).</p>
<p>Amanda Hesser's recipe suggests rolling out the dough and cutting it into strips, however I like Clotilde's method of rolling the dough into logs and slicing them into half-moon crackers (especially since rolling out dough is extra inconvenient with our kitchen's tiled counters). These were cheesy and tasty, a nice way to tide yourself over before the real meal begins.</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xjcS32Kmiy8/TgF8DaLmBVI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/6_5ExXmRWiY/s800/IMG_5953.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br />
<b>Cheese Thins</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2009/08/cheese_thins.php">Chocolate and Zucchini</a></i>
<br/><br/>
6 oz good quality hard cheese, finely grated (e.g. comté)<br/>
4 tablespoons butter, also grated<br/>
¾ cup flour<br/>
¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling<br/>
a dash milk or cream, as needed (see below)<br/>
<br/>
1. Combine the cheese, butter, flour, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the ingredients come together to form a dough. If the mixture seems too dry and crumbly to come together into a ball, add a dash of milk or cream until it does. <br/><br/>
2. Shape the dough into a log or another sliceable shape, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to be easily sliced, about an hour, and up to a day. (Or you can place the dough in the freezer for 20 minutes.)<br/><br/>
3. Preheat the oven to 360°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<br/><br/>
4. Remove the dough from the fridge, slice it thinly, and arrange the slices on the prepared sheet (they will expand a little, so give them just a bit of elbow room). You will need to work in batches; return the dough to the fridge between batches.<br/><br/>
5. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, depending on your oven and the thickness of your slices, until golden. Let the cheese thins rest on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. Taste when cool, and adjust the baking time accordingly for subsequent batches.<br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-31199606461201718672011-08-30T21:46:00.000-07:002011-08-30T21:46:58.231-07:00Tender Yellow Cake with Nectarine-Basil Syrup and Mascarpone<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PUIbsxd13XA/Tl2mMOBDGdI/AAAAAAAAAhg/mY8-ouKpWik/s800/IMG_6242.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>After making <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/07/nectarines-poached-with-basil.html">Nectarines Poached with Basil</a>, I had quite a lot of nectarine-basil syrup left over. So I decided to make <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/2262_tender_yellow_cake">this cake</a>, which seemed like a perfect way to use up the tasty (and quite sweet) syrup.</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xk8EoL2kW9c/Tl2mLpICNrI/AAAAAAAAAhc/xGvktiWK7sg/s800/IMG_6238.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/02/walnut-jam-cake.html">The cakes</a> <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2011/05/chocolate-bundt-cake.html">I tend</a> <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2009/12/cranberry-coffee-cake.html">to make</a> are rarely multilayered, but this was an exception. I baked the two layers per the original recipe, and then I soaked each layer in syrup. I also took about ¾ cup mascarpone, added some syrup to it to give it some flavor (but not so much as to make it runny), and layered the mixture between the 2 cake layers and on the cake top. The result was a very moist (and heavy), delicious cake that required minimal effort, especially for a layer cake!</p>
<br />
<b>Tender Yellow Cake with Nectarine-Basil Syrup and Mascarpone</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/2262_tender_yellow_cake">Food52</a></i>
<br/>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7_Sd0mkf2-k/Tl2mMtEunWI/AAAAAAAAAho/TUulQ_58s-M/s800/IMG_6256.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
3 large eggs, separated and at room temperature<br/>
1½ cups sugar<br/>
2¼ cups all purpose flour<br/>
3 teaspoons baking powder<br/>
1 teaspoon salt<br/>
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br/>
1 cup whole milk (I used skim and it was fine)<br/>
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract<br/>
<br/>
1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
<br/><br/>
2. Beat egg whites until frothy, then add ½ cup of the sugar (reserving the rest) a bit at a time until egg whiles are stiff and glossy. (I did this step in my Kitchenaid stand mixer with the whisk attachment.)
<br/><br/>
3. Mix the flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add all of the oil and all of the vanilla, and ½ cup of the milk. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed - the mixture will be quite thick. (I did this step with a handheld mixer because my stand mixer had the egg whites in it. If you reverse the mixer usage, user the paddle attachment of the stand mixer for this step.)
<br/><br/>
4. Add the egg yolks and remaining milk to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
<br/><br/>
5. Fold in the egg whites and distribute into the baking pans.
<br/><br/>
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 10-20 minutes in the pan then turn out onto cake rack (or plates in my case) to cool completely.
<br/><br/>
7. Spoon nectarine-basil syrup (or jam) over cake layers. You can stack the layers together or have 2 cakes!
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MTNELcdTuQk/Tl2mMbLRVQI/AAAAAAAAAhk/3_Wrw04fN04/s800/IMG_6244.JPG" height="749" width="500" /></p>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-90378109406521333122011-07-31T10:25:00.000-07:002011-07-31T10:25:03.210-07:00Nectarines Poached with Basil<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-mRKQfR8qIPw/ThjvttGxyYI/AAAAAAAAAeU/aP2X5t10JaY/s800/IMG_6194.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>For 4th of July, we hosted a couple of college friends instead of doing a big gathering. Since there was already plenty of "real" food in the works, I didn't want anything heavy (or time-consuming) for dessert. As always, there was a long backlog of <a href="http://reader.google.com">Reader</a>-starred <a href="http://www.food52.com/">Food52</a> recipes to choose from and I decided to go with one of the ones that highlighted already delicious summer fruit. (Side note: while it may seem that I only cook from Food52, that is only 80% true - but as it turns out, other recipes are less frequently so good that they are worth sharing. At least, the salads that I chose to make from a recent issue of an (unnamed) food magazine for the same gathering really didn't turn out well enough to be blog-worthy.)</p>
<p>I got a big box of nectarines from <a href="http://www.costco.com/">one of my favorite stores</a>, so we made this dessert with them instead of the original peaches. ("Even better" said one of our guests to that.) </p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yGJx6W23ljs/Thjvtb0nl-I/AAAAAAAAAeQ/ygGa5Y6tXyg/s800/IMG_6173.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br />
<b>Nectarines Poached with Basil</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/5500_peaches_poached_with_basil">Food52</a></i>
<br/><br/>
1⅓ cup white wine<br/>
2 cups granulated sugar<br/>
2 cups water<br/>
1 large bunch fresh basil<br/>
8 nectarines<br/>
<br/>
1. Place the wine, sugar, and water in a wide-bottomed saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar slightly. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat, leaving the syrup to simmer gently.
<br/><br/>
2. Cut the nectarines in half and remove the pits. Drop half of the basil leaves into the syrup, and then place the nectarine halves cut side down into the syrup. Poach for about 3 minutes and then gently turn over using a slotted spoon. Continue poaching for an additional 3-4 minutes, until soft (cooking time will depend on ripeness of nectarines). Carefully prick the cut side of the nectarines to check for tenderness. The peels should be wrinkling up. You may cook the nectarines in two batches if all the halves will not fit in the pan at once. Side note: I used our widest pan so that I could cook all of them at once:
<br/>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bN5NdBT9EuY/Thjvsn3xaLI/AAAAAAAAAeI/UZGLFURm3pM/s800/IMG_6154.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
3. Remove the nectarines to a (very big) plate (or a big dish) with a slotted spoon. When they are cool enough to handle, gently slide the skins off and discard. Add all but about eight basil leaves to the syrup and bring to a boil; boil until reduced by about half. Pour any juices that have collected in the dish with the nectarines into the syrup pot. Leave to cool to room temperature.
<br/>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZZYzlbvMiok/Thjvs4KaFqI/AAAAAAAAAeM/O2Xf_KAlBog/s800/IMG_6156.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
4. The nectarines can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for several hours. When ready to serve, place two nectarine halves on a plate and drizzle with a little basil syrup. Reserve the remaining syrup for another use. (Foreshadowing: this "other use" will be covered in the next post.) Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
<br/><br/>
<i> Serves four to eight, depending on how many nectarine halves each person wants.</i><br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-21730354638731160282011-06-26T22:15:00.000-07:002011-06-26T22:15:06.584-07:00Farro with Fava Beans, Broccoli, and Carrots<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zLOcIjAXNJY/TgF8LGw-ojI/AAAAAAAAAbY/7agAsj1x4hg/s800/IMG_6074.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>Now that it's summer and there is a bit more variety in local produce, we've re-started delivery of <a href="http://www.alberteve.com">our weekly CSA box</a> (technically, it's a big brown paper bag, but "box" does sound more appealing somehow). For me, part of the appeal of the CSA is that it forces me to cook something different than my regular standbys, which is what normally happens when I don't have sufficient time to plan before going grocery shopping for the week. The other mind-expanding part of the CSA is that while there's plenty of food in the "box", there usually isn't enough of any one vegetable to make a dinner dish exclusively with it, so I have to think of how to partner up various components of the box in a way that actually works.</p>
<p>For example, the box from a couple of weeks ago had a small bag of fava beans, which I'd read about but never bought because everyone is always talking about the double-shucking that they require. There was also one head of broccoli and 6 small-ish rainbow carrots (among a few other things). I decided to bite the bullet and double-shuck the favas (Mihai generously helped), used the same boiling water to blanch the broccoli, and sautéed the carrots in a pan. Once we mixed the veggies with some cooked farro, grated ricotta salata, and some olive oil, we had a pretty healthy and colorfully pretty weeknight dish on our hands (leftovers were good for lunch later in the week).</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-p96VUOKB_Ik/TgF8K7rc1PI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/3yfSutRWOkw/s800/IMG_6061.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<br />
<b>Farro with Fava Beans, Broccoli, and Carrots</b><br />
<i>All amounts flexible</i>
<br/><br/>
1 cup uncooked farro<br/>
~15-20 fava bean pods<br/>
1 big broccoli head<br/>
6 medium carrots<br/>
⅓ cup grated ricotta salata<br/>
1-2 tablespoons olive oil <br/>
Salt to taste <br/>
<br/>
1. Cook the 1 cup of farro according to the package instructions. (Ours says: bring 3 cups of lightly salted water to a boil, add the 1 cup farro, and cook for 25-30 minutes.)
<br/><br/>
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, remove the fava beans from their pods, cut up the broccoli into small florets, peel and slice up the carrots.
<br/><br/>
3. When the pot of water is boiling, drop in the shelled fava beans and blanch for 3 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and run some cold water over them to stop the cooking process.
<br/><br/>
4. Drop in the broccoli florets into the same hot water pot and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain the water and run some cold water over the broccoli now to stop the cooking process.
<br/><br/>
5. In a skillet, sauté the carrots with some olive oil. If you have a helper, he/she can remove the outer membranes from the slightly cooled fava beans while you are working on the carrots.
<br/><br/>
6. Toss the cooked farro, twice-shucked fava beans, broccoli, and carrots together in a big bowl or pot with the olive oil. When everything is mixed together well, add the grated ricotta salata and mix gently a couple more times. Add salt to taste.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-22076768737587796112011-05-31T21:19:00.000-07:002011-05-31T21:19:25.916-07:00Chocolate Bundt Cake<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-So7IggjHcWk/TZQAu3quqaI/AAAAAAAAAOM/laf7iOGb4GA/s800/IMG_5829.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>I made this a while back but forgot to post about it. Fortunately, there is no chocolate season (or off-season) in my book, so this is as appropriate now that we are entering summer as it was a couple of months ago. As usual, credit for another great recipe goes to <a href="http://www.food52.com/">Food52</a> - this recipe won the Best Chocolate Cake contest more than a year ago and has been <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/2044_memorial_day_cookout">featured</a> <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/1732_how_food52_does_oscars">in</a> <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/1537_new_years_eve_bash">many</a> <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/1097_labor_day_desserts">Food52</a> <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/778_memorial_day_menu">round-ups</a> (again, probably because chocolate has no season and the recipe is great). I suggest learning from my mistakes and waiting much less than a year to make this chocolatey goodness.</p>
<br />
<b>Chocolate Bundt Cake</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/2835_chocolate_bundt_cake">Food52</a></i>
<br/><br/>
2 cups sugar<br/>
1¾ cup all-purpose flour<br/>
¾ cups Dutch process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting<br/>
½ teaspoon salt<br/>
1 teaspoon baking powder<br/>
2 teaspoons baking soda<br/>
1 cup <a href="http://www.food52.com/foodpickle/4074-a-question-about-a-recipe-chocolate-bundt-cake?rp2fp">sour milk</a><br/>
1 cup freshly brewed strong black coffee<br/>
½ cup vegetable oil<br/>
2 eggs<br/>
1 teaspoon vanilla<br/>
<br/>
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with rack in the middle. Butter a bundt pan and dust the inside with cocoa powder. Set aside.
<br/><br/>
2. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.
<br/><br/>
3. In a mixer on low, add the milk, coffee, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla one at a time. Mix until everything is incorporated. Then, with the mixer still on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients. Once all of the flour mixture is added, mix the batter for a full four minutes on medium speed.
<br/><br/>
4. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-49467002518554608182011-04-30T20:21:00.000-07:002011-04-30T20:21:18.541-07:00Fig and Blue Cheese Savories<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TZqdMX7LTNI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/bduhXx1WnT4/s800/IMG_5876.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>We went to a going-away cocktail party recently (the kind where the hosts are trying to put to good use all of the alcohol they can't/don't feel like moving to their new place), and while we were asked not to bring additional wine/beer, we were invited to bring snacks. I wanted to do something bite-size, non-sweet, and easy, since we were also hosting out-of-town friends that weekend.</p>
<p>The easy part was slightly questionable only because our current kitchen has tiled counters, so rolling any type of dough is always a bit of a challenge. (I ended up doing it on a big bamboo cutting board. Special thanks to Mihai who made the indentations and placed the fig jam filling while I struggled to roll out the dough and cursed whoever came up with the idea of tiled counters.) If you aren't plagued with tiled counters however, this is a great recipe since the dough otherwise comes together very quickly in a food processor.</p>
<p> Word of warning: if you are serving this at a party, it may make sense to create some sort of sign for what this is - Mihai and I thought these were really tasty, as did some of the other party guests, but apparently those who were expecting a sweet cookie were in for a bit of a surprise.</p>
<br />
<b>Fig and Blue Cheese Savories</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/8010_fig_and_blue_cheese_savouries">Food52</a></i>
<br/><br/>
1 cup all-purpose flour<br/>
½ cup butter, room temperature<br/>
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled<br/>
Ground black pepper<br/>
Fig preserves, about 3 tablespoons<br/>
<br/>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TZqdLlltPJI/AAAAAAAAAPI/2xP5jSjEaxg/s800/IMG_5862.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
<br/><br/>
2. Place the flour, butter, blue cheese and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.
<br/><br/>
3. Lay out a couple of sheets of plastic (saran) wrap, so that they overlap and form a large surface. Lightly flour the plastic, dump the dough on top of it, and knead a few times to pull the dough together. Sprinkle some more flour on top of the dough and cover with another sheet (or two) of saran wrap. Now roll the dough under the second surface of plastic wrap with a rolling pin until it's roughly ⅛ inch thick. If you have tiled counters, the plastic wrap method is the only thing that'll keep you from tearing out your hair when you have to roll out dough (thanks, <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/about_amanda">Amanda</a>!). Even if you have nice, smooth counters, I am sure this method is extremely helpful.
<br/><br/>
4. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch cutter (we used a shot glass) and transfer the rounds to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
<br/><br/>
5. Using the non-spoon end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the top of each dough round. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon of fig preserves into each indentation, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentations.
<br/><br/>
6. Bake the savories for 10 – 14 minutes, until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom.
<br/><br/>
7. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, then remove to a plate (or wire rack if you have one) to cool some more.
<br/><br/>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-65466856076665607722011-03-30T21:23:00.000-07:002011-03-30T21:23:39.215-07:00Absurdly Addictive Asparagus<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TZQAxbPrWaI/AAAAAAAAAOk/CyfEfTDbrrY/s800/IMG_5856.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>We just ate this again tonight after making the dish for the first time this season last week, so I figured it was time to post it. The recipe is another one from the treasure trove that is <a href="http://www.food52.com/">Food52</a>. The dish doesn't just look appealingly spring-y, but is also delicious, filling, and easy to make. It can easily withstand substitutions - tonight we didn't have pine nuts or parsley, but it tasted just as good with slivered almonds and dill (and the original recipe called for pancetta, but we've been happy with the plainer bacon).</p>
<br />
<b>Absurdly Addictive Asparagus</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/4023_absurdly_addictive_asparagus">Food52</a></i>
<br/><br/>
4 pieces bacon, cut into ¼ inch dice<br/>
1 tablespoon butter<br/>
1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces on the bias<br/>
½ cup leek, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)<br/>
2 cloves garlic, minced<br/>
Zest of one lemon<br/>
1 teaspoon orange zest<br/>
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts<br/>
1-2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped<br/>
Salt<br/>
<br/>
1. In a large non-stick pan, sauté the bacon, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.
<br/><br/>
2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and leeks and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
<br/><br/>
3. Add garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-4514950668437617932011-02-27T22:38:00.000-08:002011-02-27T22:41:44.780-08:00Walnut Jam Cake<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TVhkB9lpAaI/AAAAAAAAALk/uPpTlWrkcZo/s800/IMG_5778.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>I had a few friends over for dinner recently and wanted to serve a dessert that was homemade and yet would not stress me out. This <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/walnut-jam-cake/">Walnut Jam Cake</a> seemed perfect - <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/about/">Deb</a> classifies it as an "everyday" cake and the dough is made in a food processor. (Though, as someone who has only had a full-size food processor for less than a year, I completely understand that while this direction makes the dough-making very straightforward for those who have a food processor, the recipe immediately becomes more frustrating for those that don't. There is a reason I had only made this <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2009/12/cranberry-coffee-cake.html">Cranberry Coffee Cake</a> at my mom's house in the past.)</p>
<p>Still, I cannot recommend this "everyday" cake highly enough - easy to make, not too sweet (I used less jam than the recipe called for), nutty and delicious. Plus, the topping uses both heavy cream *and* sour cream! It was a hit with the guests and with us as leftovers.</p>
<br />
<b>Walnut Jam Cake</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/walnut-jam-cake/">Smitten Kitchen</a></i>
<br/><br/>
For the dough:<br/><br/>
1¼ cups walnuts, toasted (in a shallow baking pan at 350°F for 10 minutes) and cooled<br/>
⅔ cup sugar<br/>
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces<br/>
4 large eggs<br/>
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br/>
½ cup all-purpose flour<br/>
½ teaspoon baking powder<br/>
½ teaspoon salt<br/>
<br/>
For the topping:<br/><br/>
¼ cup jam (I used plum)<br/>
⅔ cup chilled heavy cream<br/>
¼ cup sour cream<br/>
1 teaspoon sugar<br/>
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br/>
<br/>
1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour an 9-inch round cake pan.
<br/><br/>
2. Pulse cooled (or, in my case, somewhat cooled) walnuts and sugar in a food processor until finely chopped. Add butter and process until combined, then add eggs and vanilla, and process until combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and pulse just until incorporated. Spread batter in cake pan.
<br/><br/>
3. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a rack (or, in my case, a plate) and cool completely.
<br/><br/>
4. Spoon jam over cake.
<br/><br/>
5. Beat heavy cream with sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until it forms soft peaks, then spoon over jam.
<br/><br/>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TVhj_zAL23I/AAAAAAAAALQ/tFseK4FDULM/s800/IMG_5759.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TVhkALr2_GI/AAAAAAAAALU/PIWaag1qxqk/s800/IMG_5760.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TVhkA368GoI/AAAAAAAAALY/YBMB6DKYugQ/s800/IMG_5763.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-65640590420989939882011-01-02T16:38:00.000-08:002011-01-02T16:38:59.972-08:00Calamari Stew<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TR17efahyJI/AAAAAAAAAI4/0W_OPd5pSu0/s800/IMG_5501.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>Apparently it's a Southern Italy tradition to eat seafood on Christmas Eve as part of the <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/feast_of_the_seven_fishes/">Feast of the Seven Fishes</a>. However, I only realized this after I had already decided to make this calamari stew for Christmas Eve this year, so I wasn't really following tradition on purpose. In our case, the reasoning wasn't that we were going to have so many heavy roasts the next day (we actually had fish on Christmas Day as well), but just that this seemed like a tasty dish similar to what we had made once before and enjoyed. There was also the added bonus that calamari is cooked for a long time in this dish, so we wouldn't run into the issue of varying preferred cooking times of meat (I generally prefer my meat cooked medium rare, some other visiting family members prefer theirs very well done).</p>
<p>The <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/calamari_stewed_with_tomatoes/">original recipe</a> calls for Sambuca, an anise flavored liqueur. Since our family isn't big on anise flavor, I decided to leave it out - though I kept the fennel bulb. I also left out the final touches of parsley and fennel fronds, but that was less intentional. We served this stew over polenta and it was appreciated by all (or at least all the grown-ups). </p>
<br />
<b>Calamari Stew</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/calamari_stewed_with_tomatoes/">Simply Recipes</a></i>
<br/><br/>
2 lbs cleaned calamari (squid), tubes sliced into rings and tentacles roughly chopped <br/>
4 tablespoons olive oil <br/>
1 sliced onion <br/>
1 fennel bulb, chopped <br/>
3 garlic cloves, chopped <br/>
2 tablespoons tomato paste <br/>
1 cup red wine <br/>
1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes <br/>
Salt and pepper <br/>
<br/>
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and fennel. Stir to coat with oil and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to color, about 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle some salt over it. Add the garlic cloves and tomato paste and stir well to combine. Cook this for another 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice.
<br/><br/>
2. Add the red wine, stir well, and increase the heat to high. Boil until the liquid is reduced by half.
<br/><br/>
3. Add the crushed tomatoes. Stir in the calamari and bring the pot to a gentle simmer. Simmer for at least 1 hour. After an hour, taste a piece of calamari; it should be tender. If it’s not, keep simmering. Check for tenderness every 15 minutes afterward.
<br/><br/>
4. Once the calamari is tender, taste the stew for salt and pepper, adding if needed. Stir well to combine and serve.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-91089327327317352862010-12-31T15:42:00.000-08:002010-12-31T15:42:07.540-08:00Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake with Chanterelles<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TR17hGVzvZI/AAAAAAAAAJc/lkXJTIJw4pw/s800/IMG_5643.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p>In an attempt to slightly atone for my pretty sparse blogging this year, I am trying to squeeze in one more post before the new year arrives (good thing I am in one of the last few time zones to welcome 2011). We hosted some family for an evening tea a few days ago, so in addition to sweet things (fruit salad and <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2009/12/lemon-pie.html">lemon pie</a>), my mom (who was visiting - yay!) and I thought we should have a savory dish as well. This (non-sweet) cheesecake fit the bill quite well - it's easy to make, doesn't need last minute fussing when the guests arrive, and was a hit with everyone. We adapted the original recipe by adding chanterelles and were rather pleased with the look and taste of the result.</p>
<br />
<b>Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake with Chanterelles</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/zucchini-ricotta-cheesecake-recipe.html">101 Cookbooks</a></i>
<br/><br/>
1 lb mushrooms (chanterelles, shiitake, or some other "pretty" mushroom), cleaned and chopped into small pieces <br/>
1 tablespoon olive oil <br/>
2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated <br/>
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt <br/>
2½ cups ricotta cheese <br/>
½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese <br/>
4 shallots, chopped <br/>
2 cloves garlic, chopped <br/>
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped <br/>
zest of one lemon <br/>
2 large eggs, well beaten <br/>
⅓ cup goat cheese, crumbled <br/>
<br/>
1. Preheat oven to 325°F degrees, racks the middle. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
<br/><br/>
2. Wrap the ricotta in some cheesecloth and allow some of the moisture to drain away. (This step is not strictly necessary but can be helpful, even when your ricotta looks rather non-watery, like ours did - chances are there is still plenty of water to be drained away from it.)
<br/><br/>
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add half of the chopped shallots. Once they've softened a bit, add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until they are cooked through. Set the cooked mushrooms aside.
<br/><br/>
4. In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for (at least) ten minutes. (Ours sat draining for much, much longer, and it was still OK.) Now squeeze and press out as much moisture as you can. Set aside.
<br/><br/>
5. Combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, remaining shallots, garlic, dill and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Now stir in the shredded zucchini.
<br/><br/>
6. Fill the springform pan with the ricotta mixture and place the pan on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes.
<br/><br/>
7. Take out the cheesecake and cover the top with the cooked mushroom/shallot mixture. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the mushrooms. Return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes or until the goat cheese is melted.
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TR17gRQLwVI/AAAAAAAAAJU/oPkorSr5d-o/s800/IMG_5631.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-66202968800902541682010-12-08T21:39:00.000-08:002010-12-08T21:39:16.292-08:00Wordless Wednesday Dinner: Carrot, Beet and Avocado Salad<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TQBnO5AG_0I/AAAAAAAAAHg/NoVuctr6hdQ/s800/IMG_5400.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2009/08/cooking-in-cape-coed-2.html#carrot-avocado-salad">previously made</a> <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/roasted-carrot-and-avocado-salad/">carrot and avocado salad</a> combined with (parts of) <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/3302_french_peasant_beets">French "peasant" beets</a> from Food52.</p>Mihai Parparitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12343650264888591427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-4107075330538878692010-11-28T18:35:00.000-08:002010-11-28T18:35:26.377-08:00Thanksgiving Recap<p>Yes, it's been 5.5 months since I last posted here. What can I say - the last few months have been pretty busy. We got back from our honeymoon, packed up our Boston apartment, drove cross-country, moved into a new place in the San Francisco Bay Area, and started our new jobs (well, completely new for me, sort of new for Mihai). Since then, we've been occupied with fully settling in, getting accustomed to our new surroundings, traveling back east for multiple weekends in a row for friends' weddings, etc. In between all that, there has been lots of home cooking - we have an <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-view-farmers-market-mountain-view">amazing farmers' market</a> 5 minutes away from us every Sunday that showcases some of the best that California has to offer (we were <a href="http://twitter.com/mihai/status/19511857169">particularly excited</a> to discover that tomato season lasts much longer around here than what we are used to). I just couldn't find the time to also write about the delicious dishes we were trying. We'll see if I manage to do better from now on. But for now, the Thanksgiving recap (a lot of these can be done for Christmas too, so this doesn't feel too backwards-looking).</p>
<p>Mihai's parents came out to visit us for the first time since we moved, and this was also our first time hosting Thanksgiving. The pressure was on, but we think it turned out OK.</p>
<p>(Part of) The Mise en Place:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TPLt4nVsUpI/AAAAAAAAAF8/AvYVIjFnWfo/s800/IMG_5252.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>We made butternut squash soup to start, with some cabbage pies on the side:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TPLtm8YOU-I/AAAAAAAAAGU/S5Vcqm3wQ10/s800/IMG_5279.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>Since there were only four of us, no one of the four particularly likes turkey, and Mihai's dad particularly likes pork, we decided to try out a new-to-us pork recipe. Here's a beauty shot of the pork mid-way through the cooking:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TPLtysAwOCI/AAAAAAAAAF4/D7bv4jvFNTg/s800/IMG_5260.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>Mihai was in charge of the milk and cream braised pork, and it turned out amazing - not dry at all, just juicy and delicious. He did have a great recipe to start with, one from Gabrielle Hamilton, the chef at <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/prune/">Prune</a>, and written up as a "favorite" in <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/about_amanda">Amanda Hesser's</a> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Mr-Latte-Courtship-Recipes/dp/0393325598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290996378&sr=8-1">Cooking for Mr. Latte</a></i> (and covered online <a href="http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1561764-Milk-Braised-Pork-with-Sage-and-Lemon">here</a> and <a href="http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2007/09/the_milkbraised.html">here</a>).</p>
<p>For sides, we had <a href="http://www.food52.com/recipes/7015_roasted_cauliflower_with_gremolata_bread_crumbs">Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata Bread Crumbs</a>:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TPLtqRaK9nI/AAAAAAAAAGc/RrcEj10vfww/s800/IMG_5290.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>and <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/green_beans_with_almonds_and_thyme/">Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme</a>:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TPLtrx-W2aI/AAAAAAAAAGk/yDAHU1mTlAA/s800/IMG_5292.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>Here's a shot of a full plate:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TPLt-qSktHI/AAAAAAAAAGo/dt7moSLzwGY/s800/IMG_5311.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>For dessert, I wanted something with apple (both because I like apple desserts and because we had a bunch of apples from the <a href="http://www.alberteve.com/">CSA we recently signed up for</a>). Mihai's dad has pretty high standards for apple baked goods, so I went with a safe option - combining <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/2007/06/you-dont-mess-around.html">one of my favorite doughs</a> (I always go with the all flour option rather than the almond and flour combination) with a pinch of cardamom and, on top, apples and cinnamon instead of the traditional plums or apricots. It turned out quite well, if I do say so myself:</p>
<p style="text-align: center"><img height="334" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4NHIKzkPETM/TPLuCzjkUHI/AAAAAAAAAGw/YoAunaG_sAk/s800/IMG_5325.JPG" width="500" /></p>
<p>All in all, a satisfying but not overwhelming Thanksgiving, with a good mix of tried-and-true and new-to-us dishes. The leftovers have been tasty too.</p>Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434297072699457051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231381838505459175.post-14308105813281785512010-06-16T03:00:00.009-07:002010-06-16T03:00:00.475-07:00(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Honeymoon Cooking<p>Mihai and I are in Hawaii for our honeymoon and have opted to stay at rental cottages/apartments so that we would have the option of cooking (two weeks of going out every day did not seem appealing especially since a) we are spending a whole week at each of the two islands we are visiting so renting a place is easy and b) we haven't heard the best things about quality/price ratio at most Hawaiian restaurants).</p>
<p>So here is some of the food we've been enjoying at our temporary homes:</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjicxCoXznvyw6IDBIrEfNTvK9mg0x041HXkU399yejauBk0nfgVXyjcYMasaZ3PeZLy2FVoQ8CwKITGVsX2qNGMAjlCTuBLM1RR-TpRqCKQuiPeHzEVSTyGyR3bNlO1arkb64fINcL8GCz/s800/IMG_3807.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p> Linguini with Shrimp, Parsley, Garlic, and Lemon (adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/817_spaghetti_with_clams_parsley_garlic_and_lemon_x2">Amanda at Food52</a>)</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBdTUecdGf-GBS0dbHvGIDXJHM8RziJ2adD3QFSqnLX5GmVJZAvv8KG34ODMbZ8_rsoMn0BxIHpeIpime3oIXYJwdHjwUVXe3EbQo1uzeDOtZW4eHR9xlnBkQgvkVQOlet5k3E1J2yqKo/s800/IMG_3882.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p> Fish Tacos (adapted from <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/800_fish_tacos_on_the_grill">Merrill at Food52</a>)</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yTxvUBJFG_57OR0_VnLrHo1On762Ka__IJm5vRBh5TNmDE3B6yYGh8kHZzVYkC3hZFEzF-d0DSY0X0XWJPs9lqRE_ItMcxqPJTzCGLt_dQqN1KXzfGDwmdRYIQwO2-QjCWhqcVR4dX26/s800/IMG_4163.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p> Zucchini-Tomato Pasta (adapted from <a href="http://annesfood.blogspot.com/2008/08/zucchini-pasta.html">Anne's Food</a>)</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC5sbXWS0vzm-u-9ZUtVW4oOiFzA83dy8yYroBZWJfdJ1Z8bDf-3w4MT2-wUBICKKLc93KgKmV2oUqI1UutVXpwy98X_HXXbltfLDJVm9Nrjc0yM4UltJiPjMkr6X8BYBxl35idA0ajjC/s800/IMG_4358.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p> Watermelon-Feta Salad (adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/chopped-vegetable-watermelon-and-feta-salad/">Smitten Kitchen</a> and <a href="http://www.bouncinginthekitchen.com/2009/08/cooking-in-cape-coed-2.html#Watermelon-Feta-Salad">previously blogged about</a>)</p>
<p style="text-align:center">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMdC_s_BTeZiv6tFhayqS-HXzhcSNjmtZ0cOyQfk0c2wLkkVSuS9jaWJuqCUgt019_NgJjjQSmYgF_JObqHR2sbUvFmyZqXFniGHc72xbutUxoXU2BwH9Epqt9XfnQ7x1Udcn1l8tq96A/s800/IMG_4497.JPG" height="334" width="500" /></p>
<p> Lemony Green Bean Salad with Feta and Mint (adapted from <a href=http://www.food52.com/recipes/4766_lemony_green_bean_salad_with_feta_red_onion_and_marjoram">Food52</a>)</p>
<p> I must say, cooking while on this vacation has actually added to the relaxation factor, rather than detracted from it. Cooking straightforward (and yet delicious) dishes certainly helps too.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0