Crumb Cake

Growing up in NYC had alot of perks. Can you imagine that it wouldn't? Anyway, my dad is entirely German, with a teeny touch of Swiss thrown in. His family has always lived in predominantly German areas of Brooklyn and Queens after they immigrated from the Black Forest region of Germany back in the early 1800's. In these areas there are fabulous German bakeries. We even had one 5 blocks from my house on Jamaica Ave - I forget what it was called - and there was Reinwald's over on Braddock. Then there was Glendale Bakery, in, well, Glendale (where my dad spent some time growing up). Maybe the one on Jamaica was called Glendale Bakery too? Anyway, they always made these fabulous crumb cakes (a very German cake, unique to New York City), and forever I've been searching for a great recipe for one. This is probably the closest to the kind I grew up with, although the texture and taste of the cake is a little different than what I am used to. Nevertheless, this recipe from Martha Stewart is pretty freaking good, and of course you give it a good spanking of powdered sugar at the end. My husband says it is better than he has ever had, which were dried out and well, probably not from NYC. Yum!

PS - don't forget the cinnamon in the crumb topping... I did the first time around and had to scrap the whole thing after it was baked.

Vanilla Crescent Cookies

I wanted to give this recipe for Vanilla Crescent Cookies a whirl tonight. In my mind they would come out beautifully, and I would package them prettily for Christmas gifts. I don't know if it is because the air is so dry here in Utah or what, but I just couldn't get the dough to come together. It was just a big mess of nothingness. I guess I need to find a different recipe, but I am feeling rather defeated tonight.

A few new things

Forgive me public, for I have sinned. It has been nearly 8 months since my last blog post...

Anyway, here are a few recipes that were requested, and I apologize for not having pictures for all, but there it is. As always, using real ingredients rather than their cheap and tasteless mass-produced counterparts always, ALWAYS makes a huge difference.

First off, roasted chicken. It's an easy one dish meal that I make regularly, and by regularly I mean once a week. Preheat your oven to 425. On a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan cube yukon gold potatoes, yellow onions, carrots, etc... whatever vegetables suit your fancy, but these are the ones I use. Salt them (use kosher salt). Take your fresh chicken (3-4 lbs), and stuff it with quartered lemons. Slather it with about a stick of (real) butter, and salt it generously. Massage the butter in. Love it. Set the chicken on top of your veggies, and then stick the whole thing into the oven for one hour and fifteen minutes. After you are done with the chicken DON'T THROW IT AWAY! Nicely wrap it in foil and stick it in your freezer for the next step. Or at least, save your carcass and give it to me. I will return it to you in the form of fresh stock.

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Second off, I would like to re-emphasize to Kimmy how easy fresh stock is. It's so easy an infant can do it. All it requires of you is minimal attention. When you've made your first pot, let me know how you like it. You'll never go back to boxed or canned stuff when you see how freaking easy it is. Whenever you are making anything that requires even half a cup of fresh stock you will notice the difference.

The basis of the recipe I like to use is from Lidia Bastianich's "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy". I usually save enough carcasses to fill a 16 qt stock pot, and then double the ingredients because I just go through it that fast, but I will just list the recipe as she has it in her book. 

Put your carcasses into an 8qt pot, and just cover the chicken parts with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for a minute or two and you will see foam rise to the surface. Skim off and discard this foam, lower to a strong simmer, and cook for one hour occasionally skimming the fat and foam off.

Once you have let it simmer for one hour, add in 1 large onion cut in quarters, 3 medium carrots cut into chunks, 1 tbs of tomato paste, 8 cloves of unpeeled garlic, half a bunch of fresh Italian parsley, and 12 whole black peppercorns. I generally don't salt it at this stage - I usually wait until I am using it in my recipe. 

Cook for another 3 hours. Strain your stock through a sieve and discard the rest (saving the meat, if any, for the dogs). What I usually do is take the stock and refrigerate it overnight so that any remaining stock congeals  on the surface, making it super easy to spoon off. I usually store my stock in the freezer in 2 cup increments in ziplock bags. They say you can store it for up to 6 months but it never takes more than a few used to use it up.

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This one is for Aly. You'll have a chance to put your fresh stock to the test with another recipe from Lidia Bastianich's "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy" (It's a fab cook book. Go! Buy!) called Veal Chops with Fontina. I don't ever use Veal Chops though because they are just so expensive. I will just get some thick, center-cut pork chops and make them instead. Make one chop per person. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Cut your chops as if you were going to make them thinner, but don't cut all the way through (so, parallel to the counter). In a separate bowl, mix 8 oz of real Italian fontina cheese and 8 oz of real (Fresh! not from the Green Bottle of Death!) Paremggiano Reggiano. Take a meat mallet, and pound out each half of your chop. Take a generous mound of your cheese mixture and stuff it between your chop halves. "Sew" them closed along all your edges with toothpicks - you want to make sure your cheese doesn't leak out.

In a 10-12" oven-proof sautee pan that has pre-heated on medium-high, put two tablespoons of (real!) butter and a turn of extra virgin olive oil, and then when the butter melts, add the chops to your pan (only one layer though, so if you are making more than four you will need to do another batch). Quickly add 12 sage leaves between your chops. Turn your chops once or twice in the next 5 minutes that you are cooking them. 

After 5 minutes, clear a space in the middle of your pan and drop in 1 tbs of tomato paste. Pour two cups of white wine over the tomato paste, and stir it together, shaking the pan gently to distribute the yummy goodness. Bring to a boil, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add another 2 tbs of (real!) butter, turn your chops over again, and add in 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cover your pan, and put in the oven for 15 minutes. If you remove your pan at this time, your sauce will be thinner which is how I like it (wherein I make fresh spaetzle and serve it over the spaetzle), but you can thicken your sauce by taking the cover off and letting it cook off for another 10 minutes in the oven. 

Serve immediately so the cheese is oozing out. Yummm!!

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Fresh Spaetzle is so easy. Again. You'll kick yourself for ever buying the boxed stuff from the grocery store for $4 when you can make this for really, only about $1. I highly recommend investing in a $12 spaetzle maker before you ever make this so you don't have to spend three hours pushing it though a sieve. I speak from experience when I say that if you try to use a colander or sieve to push it through you will never want to make it again.

Whisk three eggs, and 3/4 cup of milk (any fat percentage will do), and salt to taste. After this has combined, add in 2 cups of flour and stir 'til combined. Let your dough rest 10 minutes. Maybe it's obvious, but it should be said that your spaetzle maker should be set over a pot of boiling, generously salted water. As soon as the dumplings pop to the top they are done. I use a spider to transfer them directly to the sautee pan with the sauce above, after the chops are done and removed.

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Last but not least. Gingerbread cupcakes with Orange Icing. I saw this recipe on Barefoot Contessa the other week, and they looked so good that I thought I would make them for Thanksgiving. They were everything I hoped they would be, albeit a tad rich. For the record I didn't use the crystallized ginger that the recipe calls for. I thought it was great without it. Click the picture for a link to the Food Network site where they have the recipe.

A fresh food rant.

I was just reading Michael Ruhlman's post about Americans being too stupid to cook, which is a reflection of this article from the NY Times about appliances that are appearing with one touch buttons (ie; expanding the idea of the "popcorn" button on microwaves to other kinds of foods). Michael implies that it is insulting to the average American for appliance people to put these features into play.

Sadly, I have to say that more and more I am confronted with people who don't even possess basic cooking skills like emulsifying a basic salad dressing, or making a properly cooked piece of meat. Baking cookies from scratch seems to be a passe activity anymore with the plague of cut and bake, preservative laden dough in the supermarkets. Personally, I am appalled, and until I started throwing dinner parties, thought that everyone at least possessed basic skills. One touch appliances are hardly surprising, albeit completely disheartening.

Unfortunately society at large is consumed with fast foods, both outside and inside the home. Now, I won't lie and say that I never ever grab fast food, but 95% of the time I cook at home and fast food is never as satisfying as the experience of "real" food. So many times I see people's idea of cooking as how many cans and boxes of whatever they can combine to make a thing, using ingredients that keep food shelf stable and come in mass quantities, consistently forgoing quality for quantity. There is a total disconnect between where the food comes from and how it gets to your table. Most times people don't know where the food was even farmed, or the quality of life your meat had before it landed in your shopping cart. I've seen sad situations where I have offered a delicious, from scratch meal with real terroir to someone, and had it turned down in favor of boxed, canned, high-preservative food. It is saddening to know that pasteurized, dumbed down, canned, and boxed "no-think" food is more popular than cooking from scratch in this country. Frankly, when you taste the difference between freshly grated Parmesan, and the stuff in the green container, it really makes you wonder how you could not put in a touch of extra effort to grate the real stuff for yourself instead. The list goes on.

This is a crime.

Forget about health care reforms. Let's go back to our roots, so to speak. Ditch the boxes, the cans, and the injected meat. Take funding away from the meat factories, and give it to the local farmers. Spend money teaching people how to eat and cook real food. Forget cooking with one finger, and learn to cook for real.

My first 2010 Finish!

This is the Grateful Heart Band Sampler from Jan-Apr 2009 Just Cross Stitch, stitched on 28 count hand dyed Jobelan "Clay" and worked with Gentle Art Sampler Threads and Gentle Art Simply Shaker Threads.

Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb and Chicken Roll Ups

I think it has been a while since I last blogged. I've started a new part time job, and now I am sick,  and well... you know... life just happens right?

I don't know about anyone else out there, but we are being teased with spring here. I'm so done with the lack of available tasty produce. I definitely prefer a warm weather diet... I like light and bright flavors in my food, so this whole cruciferous and root veggies are starting to irritate me. I'm ready for new flavors!! Most of all I wish we weren't land locked because I prefer fish to meat. :-(

So in the last few weeks, I've made a couple of spring and warmer-weather inspired dishes. The first, a leg of lamb, is a classic spring meat, and is traditionally served on Easter (at least in the North East where I am from)(and this is a one dish meal so you have fewer things to clean up). Yum! The second was thrown together on a whim - chicken roll ups. I needed something fast and I used what was on hand. No pictures because the food disappeared to fast to take a picture of it!!

Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb

Recipe Courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten)

• 12 large unpeeled garlic cloves, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 (6-pound) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and tied
• 4 to 5 pounds small unpeeled potatoes (16 to 20 potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven so the lamb will sit in the middle of the oven.

Peel 6 of the cloves of garlic and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and butter. Process until the garlic and rosemary are finely minced. Thoroughly coat the top and sides of the lamb with the rosemary mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Toss the potatoes and remaining unpeeled garlic in a bowl with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the lamb on top of the potatoes and roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the lamb is 135 degrees (rare) or 145 degrees (medium). Remove from the oven and put the lamb on a platter; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow the lamb to rest for about 20 minutes. Slice and serve with the potatoes.

Chicken Roll Ups

This is an incredibly easy dish. You can make substitutions to this dish, but since I just threw this one together I'm really thrilled with how the flavors balanced. If you do make substitutions, you will want to make sure that you don't have one ingredient that will overpower the others.

You'll need one boneless skinless chicken breast per person

1/2 lb of thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma (Harmon's has started to import directly from Italy and it's so good I almost ate the whole thing without saving some for dinner!!)

Baby Arugula

Freshly grated Parmeggiano Reggiano

2 cups of chicken stock

Juice of two lemons

First, set a 10-12" sautee pan on a medium high heat, adding 2 tbs of butter and 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil to your pan.

Beat your chicken breasts to about 1/4" thickness between two pieces of wax paper. On each breast, put two layers of Prosciutto, a layer of arugula, and then a thick layer of Parmeggiano (the more the better with the cheese so that it stands up in taste to the Parma and the arugula, both of which have strong tastes.

Once  you have assembled your layers, roll your chicken breast up tightly, and secure with kitchen twine. Salt and Pepper the outside of your roll, and then brown your rolls in the pan on all sides. Once all sides are thoroughly browned, remove from the pan, and set aside. 

To your pan, add 2 cups of chicken broth and the juice of two lemons (three if they aren't very juicy), and then scrape the fond (the brown bits) from the pan. Bring your liquids to a boil, and then add your rolls back into the pan. Cover and let simmer until your roll is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. 

Serve with pan juices, and enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken

 

Another recipe from the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten).

This was delicious, and I used arugula instead of the mesclun mix that Ina's recipe called for. I would also urge you to definitely beat your chicken breasts, because it does affect your cooking time. Since you are coating the meat, it will burn if you cook it as long as you need to cook it through without beating it.

• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
• 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

nocoupons

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

This is a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). I can't eat mushrooms, but my husband's reaction was "WOW". Also, you will need a solid 2 hours to make this soup, although it definitely makes for leftovers.

• 5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

 

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Cinnamon Buns with Mascarpone Cheese frosting

This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Giada DiLaurentiis. We always enjoy these in our home! 

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (1-pound) loaf purchased frozen white bread dough, thawed in the fridge
• 1.5 cup powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoon buttermilk

Brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. (I didn't use nuts as I don't prefer them, but you would put in 1/3 cup of nuts here if you like) Mix the brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll out the thawed dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush 1 tablespoon of butter over the dough. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the top and bottom sides. Starting at 1 long side, roll up the dough jelly-roll style, forming a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut the log into equal pieces. Arrange the rolls, cut side down, in the prepared baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm draft-free area until puffed, about 45 minutes.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.

Bake the cinnamon rolls uncovered until the tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese, and buttermilk in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.

Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over the baked cinnamon rolls and then drizzle the cheese mixture over top. Serve warm.

Days 1 and 2 of the Great Week of Eating In

I was a bit too tired to post anything about my lack of exciting cooking yesterday (but really... who can say that they make all out meals every day?), but yesterday was grocery shopping day and it was exhausting as it usually is. On top of that, we live in a third floor walkup, and had already brought up a gratuitous number of non-perishables from Sam's Club the previous day (Relay style. It took an hour!)

Since I did the shopping, uncomplicated was on the menu for the day. I made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch with this awesome roasted tomato and olive DaVinci Gouda on a fresh French boule. OK... Honestly? I just can't get enough of that cheese. It's creamy, it's delicious, it's versatile. I think it would make a great fondue, but I have yet to experiment with that.

Dinner found a corned beef and cabbage in the pot. This can't be an easier dish to make, and you only see the corned beef seasonally in the store so I snatched one up while I was there. Into the pot with the water and seasonings, then the cabbage goes in for the last 30 minutes. Can it get any easier?

Today for  lunch I made myself Smoked Salmon Pinwheels. I created this recipe as a variation on a favorite from my teenage years, again, from Yura's. They make them with different ingredients, and I came up with these one year for a cocktail party. They are so easy and so delicious - there are so many layers of flavor here. Recipe after the picture.

To make them, you will want to start with some pre-made flour tortillas. The larger the better, as they will yield more servings. You'll want one package of smoked salmon/lox (I prefer lox as it is a little saltier than smoked salmon), one 8 oz package of cream cheese, fresh dill, half of a large onion or shallots, finely chopped (I used shallots as I prefer their taste), and half of a lemon, juiced and zested.

Mix half (4oz) of your cream cheese, your lemon ingredients, your shallots or onions, and 4-5 stalks of fresh dill in a mini-prep or by hand until well combined. If you plan on making this by hand, do make sure that your onions or shallots are very finely diced unless you like larger bites of the flavor.  

Once it is combined well, spread your mixture onto one tortilla, making sure to leave a 1/2" border from the edge. Put one layer of salmon on top of your spread, and then roll your tortilla up like a jelly roll. Cut your edges off since they will not have anything in them, but then slice 1-1.5" rolls (as big as you like), serve, and enjoy. 

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Tonight for dinner is a roasted chicken over onions, carrots, and potatoes. I plan on toasting some croutons to serve the chicken over. I am also defrosting a loaf of bread dough with which to make cinnamon rolls with Mascarpone frosting. Yummm!! 

My kitchen favorites

This week is The Week of Eating In influenced by Cathy Erway of "Not Eating Out in New York" who did not eat out for 2 years, and blogged about her experience. The idea is that by not eating out, or at least by eating out less, you are creating less waste, and ultimately spending less money. We're participating, so I'll be blogging about everything we are eating. Honestly, we're pretty broke right now, so eating at home is our only option... so it's a very good thing that I love to cook, and am good at it. I think this week will be largely about making the most of everything we have. Normally there are leftovers that never get eaten in the fridge which eventually go bad because we don't feel like having it again or whatever. It's food that is wasted and I would like to reduce our waste and consume everything (or at least most of) what we purchase.

I thought I would kick off the week by writing about my favorite kitchen tools. These are things that are invaluable to me. They aren't the only things in my kitchen, but I do use them more than any other items.

First off, my knives. I use Global Knives. They were a gift from my husband one Christmas and I adore them. I have one Chef's Knife, one Sanroku, one vegetable knife, and one paring knife. Honestly, I don't think you need any other knives than these. They are sharp as hell, are super light, and have a comfortable handle for a person with small hands.  

I use an Anolon 5 qt sautee skillet and an 8 inch fry pan. I use the sautee pans (I have 2) almost exclusively, so much so that I have almost killed them. I am looking to replace all of my cookware with All Clad, but it's expensive and I don't have that kind of money right now. However, I know that when I do they will last forever.

I use a Le Creuset 5.5 qt enameled Dutch Oven. I LOVE THIS. I plan on buying another. It's such an even cooking surface and you can use it for so many different things.

I use a 16 qt stock pot. Not necessary for everyone, but I make a lot of soup and sauce to freeze and I make it in large batches.

My OXO cooking tongs and whisk.

My spider. 

A set of glass nesting mixing bowls. 

My microplane.

A half-sheet pan.

My kitchenaide stand mixer. (I really want a Cuisinart food processor too!)

And then an assortment of wooden spoons and a cutting board.

It's nice to have other things - I have other pots that I use less frequently (or as needed) and other cooking utensils. I think that without anything else I would be set.

What are your favorite kitchen utensils?

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

 

 This is like Gourmet Mac & Cheese. Definitely comfort food for a cold winter's day. Also this sauce is a great sauce to know how to make - great for using in other combinations. Best part? It couldn't be much easier. This recipe is courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

• 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
• Pinch fresh nutmeg
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned (roll it up as a cigar, and then cut it into slivers)
• 1 pound dry rigatoni
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.

Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce. Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina. Dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Irish Soda Bread

 

Traditionally for St. Patrick's Day my mother would make Corned Beef with Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. So what if St. Patrick's Day is still a month away and I'm not Irish? I was in the mood so I whipped up some Irish Soda Bread. It's easy and delicious. This recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). Oh... mom used to put in Carroway Seeds which I left out because I don't like the flavor of them. (Sorry! But not really!) Feel free to add a handful to your dough if you like a little anise flavoring.

nocoupons

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup dried currants
• 1 handful of Carroway Seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (in my case I used a non-stick sheet pan that I had lightly sprayed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour (your butter should be about pea sized).

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk and egg. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough (this helps the currants to not fall to the bottom of your dough. If you are adding Carroway Seeds, now is the time to do so. Your dough will be very wet.

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Memories of Food/Food of Memories

On Saturday I was watching Lidia Bastianich's show on PBS. Her show this week was on a particular town in Umbria (in Italy) that has an abundance of truffles. This made me think of something my chef friend said to me once, about how there are several factors creating an experience when you use truffles. They are expensive, so they aren't used en masse usually. Sometimes the chef will sprinkle just a little black truffle oil on top of your dish before it gets to you, and the first thing you do when you get that dish is inhale that earthy aroma and you are instantly thrown back to every experience you have ever had with truffles.

My personal experience with truffles is nil since I am egregiously allergic to anything in the fungi family. Although there were the experiences of going "Truffle Hunting" during our weekends at the YWJA camp in the Catskills as a kid, the leaders never told us what we were looking for, and they never acted as if they were playing a joke on us. But I digress...

My point is that food creates memories. The process of making it and eating it creates memories. For example, the other day my husband requested a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich because that is something his dad always made for him. Interestingly enough my dad used to make me grilled cheese sandwiches too. I wonder if this is something most dads do...

As I thought of food that held a memory for me, I realized that there really wasn't anything that I eat now that I cannot connect with a memory for me. And you know what? All of those memories involved other people. They were never singular events. I will forever connect Salt and Pepper chips to the first few months I knew my husband, and I will forever connect salami and provolone to picnic lunches under the dining room table and Christmas Antipasto with the family.

For this reason I am convinced that when you invite people to dinner, keep it simple. Enjoy food with friends and family. Build your memories. Food is not only about nourishing your body, but also about nourishing your soul by sharing it with others.

And now for something completely personal.

For those of you who read this, you might look around and say "well there isn't much here". Honestly I've had other blogs before that were cathartic for their purpose, but I feel ran their course so I deleted them and started over. I've also recently been reluctant to share much of anything personal for fear that it will backfire on me once again.

But now I am going to share something personal. It's something I just feel like I need to get "out there" for no one in particular but really just to get off my chest.

For those who don't know me all that well, I used to be a  ballet dancer. It was my life. I gave all of myself emotionally and physically towards this art, to the point that I nearly killed myself (literally) with eating disorders one year (I know it sounds strange since I love cooking and food so much now, but it took quite a while to get here. I love cooking because I get to exert control [YES!] on what I eat) and subsequently had major reconstructive surgery on major joints after the fact.

I never "made it", and frankly by the time I wound up in the hospital dying I was so burned out emotionally that I was ready to stop - I think I had finally relegated myself to " not making it" status anyway. I went through a lot of shit as a dancer. I thought I'd gotten past the emotional trauma, but I just realized last night that I still have a lot of pent up anger and frustration about my experience. I didn't think it was there, but recent economic circumstances made me realize that I share alot of the same emotions and feelings about past and present experiences.

So there. I am still angry.

I'm going to go make cupcakes now. 

Garlic Roast Chicken

Another great way to make chicken. We eat a lot of it in our house since it is locally slaughtered and it isn't expensive. I love this particular recipe because everything is done at once and in one dish. It had a delicate roasted garlic taste to it which was delightful. This recipe is courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa.

Preheat your oven to 425. 
Halve two whole heads of garlic, and quarter one whole lemon. Stuff these into the cavity of your 4-5 lb bird. Place into a roasting pan or on a half sheet as I do, slather with softened or melted butter, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut 2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes each into 8ths, 2-3 large carrots into 2-3 inch pieces, and one small to medium yellow onion into thick slices. Scatter these all around your bird. (See "before" picture, below)

Place the whole thing into the oven when it reaches temperature, and then roast for an hour and fifteen or so until the juices run clear when pricked. You'll know it is done when, if you listen to the cracklings in the oven, you will all of a sudden hear what sounds like a rain storm of splatterings.

When it is done, remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. If your veggies are not done, feel free to put just the veggies back in the oven while the bird rests. Carve and serve. (See "after" picture, below)

Although the veggies have no seasonings directly on them, they do cook in the drippings and butter from the bird. It was delicious! And, of course, it left me with another carcass for a pot of soup or stock. :-)

Step by Step Basic Risotto

I  love Risotto. I really do. There is something so magical about the way simple ingredients transform the way they do. There is also a meditative aspect from the rhythm of stirring the rice as you do. The best part is that you can make it as a side dish, or you can make it as a main dish as I do when I am too lazy to do anything else! Once you know how to make a basic Risotto, you are set. You can add anything else or make any other recipe once you know the technique.

* For this, you will want to bring to a boil 8 cups of chicken broth or stock (and then reduce to a simmer)
* Also, dice one medium onion or two smallish shallots (I love the flavor and aroma of shallots, especially when you use lemon as I did)
* 1.5 cups of Arborio rice

 
In a 12 inch sautée pan (you want one with at least an inch and a half in depth), bring a bit of extra virgin olive oil to a shimmer between medium and medium high. Add your shallot or onion to the pan, and cook until they become less opaque.

One you have cooked your shallot or onion, add your Arborio rice to the pan, and sautée that until the rice also becomes less opaque. With these two steps you want to work fairly quickly because you don't want anything to burn. You will also want to make sure you are dedicated to this dish, attention-wise, because it needs to be constantly stirred until it is done from here on out.

As soon as you have the first two ingredients to the pan, you will start to add your broth to the mix, and you will want to probably bring your temperature up to a full medium-high. Add one ladle (about a 1/2 cup) at a time, letting it become absorbed by the rice. As soon as the liquid is more or less absorbed, add another one, stirring constantly (otherwise it will stick and burn). Proceed this way until you reach the end of your broth (or near it - I use nearly all 8 cups, but not all). You'll know you are nearing completion when it becomes creamier and thicker. Your half-way point looks about like this, although the steam was keeping it from a really clear picture:

When I neared the end, I added in the juice of 2-3 lemons, and 3/4 cup of fresh Parmiggiano Reggiano. When I served it, it looked like this:

 

Enjoy!

Easy and Delicious Pork Loin

I made this as a challenge for my husband. Generally, for one reason or another, my husband has not really been a fan of Pork Loin. I said "I bet that I can make you a fan of this, and if, at the end of dinner, you still don't like it, I will never make it again".

I win.

Since it was just the two of us for dinner, I purchased one package of Pork Loin, containing two loins (appx 2 lbs), which gave us leftovers when all was said and done.

What you will need is the juice of 4-6 lemons to constitute 3/4 - 1 cup of lemon juice, 1/2 of good extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves of garlic, chopped, a few fresh sprigs of Rosemary and Thyme. (NOTE: in all instances here, make sure your ingredients are fresh. It makes a huge difference, since anything in a shelf container generally tastes nothing like the fresh version. The herbs should be stripped from their stems, and minced as much as possible, but don't kill yourself over it.)

Combine all ingredients into a large, sealable Ziplok bag, and then add your pork loins. Seal the bag, and then mush the bag to evenly coat. Refrigerate and turn every so often for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours. I marinated for about 8 hours, and it turned out great.

When you are ready to cook, remove the meat from your bag, but do not wipe it down. Leave whatever clings to the meat. Set your meat into a dish, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Generously salt and pepper all sides of your pork loins while heating an oven-proof pan with a few drags of olive oil in it on medium high heat.

I know you are all confused and like, "are we cooking it on the stove or in the oven?".

Both.

When your pan heats up (generally when the Olive oil starts to shimmer), brown your loins on all sides. When that is done, and your oven has reached temperature, put your pan (with the loins) straight into the oven. This sears the outside of your meat, ensuring a nice juicy and tender interior (as long as you don't overcook it). You will want to leave your meat in the oven until a meat thermometer registers a temperature of around 137. Because it is pork it cooks fairly quickly, and you will find that if you leave it in the oven for any period of time beyond this, it will overcook.

Once it has reached temperature, remove it from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes while you finish your other meal preparations. Like I've said previously, this is really important because it lets the juices settle back into the meat.

Enjoy!

Castles in the Sky Sampler

Here it is, completed through part 8. One third down, two thirds to go!

Chicken, Broccoli, and an Easy, Delicious, Elegant, French Dessert

I'm sure, like me, you all eat quite a bit of chicken, but are always looking for new ways to make it so it doesn't become tiresome. Here are my recipes from last night's dinner, for a new way to serve roast chicken, a new take on broccoli, and then the best part - an uber-simple, ultra-delicious, traditional French country dessert: Pear Clafouti.

The best part is that all of these ingredients are seasonal ingredients so they are fresh. You will see that you can easily adapt the Clafouti recipe for whatever fruit is in season. It's so delicious.

 

Chicken with Croutons

What you want to start with is pre-heating your oven to 425. I actually used a half sheet (aka Jelly Roll pan) to roast my chicken because it gives you a more even browning, and more uniformly crisp skin.

Slice one onion and place it in the pan where the chicken will be roasting.

Pat your 4-5 lb chicken dry (otherwise it won't brown), and then truss it up like a cheap date by tucking the wing tips under it's back, and tying the legs together at the ankle, then set it on top of the sliced onions (the onions will burn but the will lend an amazing taste). Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavity, and then quarter two lemons and stuff them in the cavity. Melt (or use room temperature) 2 tbs of butter (NOT MARGARINE!!) and massage it into the skin. The milk fats in the butter burn, helping to give the skin that nice golden brown crisp skin. Continue by sprinkling additional salt and pepper on the skin. Once your oven has reached temperature, put the bird in for 1 hour and 15 to 1 hour and 30, or until the juices run clear when you prick the space between the drum stick and the body. (I checked mine at 1 hour 15 and it was great, but I think it was not quite 4 lbs).

When the chicken is ready for removal, take it out, and then set it on the counter, and tent it with tin foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. If you carve it right away, the juices will run out and you will have a dry chicken. If you let it rest for 15 minutes, it allows the juices to settle back into the meat so it is juicy. 

While the chicken is resting, you will want to take your cubed baguette (cut your baguette into 3/4" or so cubes), and then saute them in olive oil until golden brown, adding salt and pepper to taste. Once they are done, set them on the platter that you will serve your chicken from. 

Now that your chicken is rested, carve it, setting the pieces on top of the croutons. Make sure that any juices that run out during carving be drizzled on top of the chicken and croutons. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Roasted Broccoli

I'm not sure that this could be any easier. Pre-heat your oven to 375. I took one head of broccoli, cut it down as in the picture, and spread it on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over broccoli, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, and thinly slice two cloves of garlic. Toss with your hands to mix all ingredients together. Shave fresh Parmeggiano on top of the broccoli. DON'T USE THAT CRAP IN THE GREEN CONTAINER!!! If you won't go buy a fresh wedge of real Parmeggiano, then just leave out this ingredient altogether because it makes a huge difference. Anyway, roast your veggies for oh, about 10+ minutes. You will know when they are done. Really, you could do this with whatever veggies are in season.

 

Pear Clafouti

(Recipe Courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa) 

This traditional French country dessert is usually made with cherries, but in the spirit of seasonal living I decided to try the pear version as made by Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa). Really, this was so easy to make, and the results were outstanding, easy, delicious, and elegant!

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons pear brandy (recommended: Poire William) (I didn't have any, and couldn't obtain it at the local DABC store, so I substituted Amaretto liquor in its place which is the closest thing I could think of, and which added a nice taste to)
• 2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
• Confectioners' sugar
• Creme fraiche

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and cinnamon. (I didn't have this exact size so I used a cake pan).

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

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes (I did 40 minutes since I used a cake pan which was deeper than the dish she recommended). Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and creme fraiche.

Chocolate Chip Scones

 

I have a great picture to show you how lovely the scones came out, but for some reason my computer won't recognize the picture on my camera. Le Sigh.

In any event, I was reminiscing about these great Chocolate Chip Scones that I used to get from Yura's, right next door to my ballet studio (many moons ago). And by the way the scones are not the only thing that they make so fabulously - it's a great little gourmet cafe with lots of delicious foods.

ANYWAY.

I was craving some scones and so whipped up a bunch. Here's the recipe. I've adapted it from a recipe in the Bon Appetit Cookbook.

2 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup PLUS 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) of chilled, unsalted butter, cubed
8 oz of chocolate chips (or so)
2/3 cup of chilled Buttermilk (I actually used 2/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt instead of the Buttermilk)
1  large egg yolk
1 tsp of Vanilla extract

Combine all dry ingredients, less chocolate chips, into a large mixing bowl. Mix in butter until the butter is the size of small peas, and your dough looks like coarse meal. Mix in chocolate chips. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolk, and extract and then add it to your dry ingredients, mixing until the ingredients are in moist clumps.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, Fahrenheit.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and gather all dough into a ball, kneading out until it is combined. Flatten to a 3/4 inch thickness. Cut dough using a 2 inch cookie cutter and line on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about an inch apart. Gather scraps and roll out again until you have used all dough.

Sprinkle tops of scones with sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine were done in 15).

Enjoy!!

The Reed Shirtdress

Not too many months ago Anthropologie carried this fabulous shirt dress. It reeks of "Donna Reed", and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, insomuch as that is universally flattering.  Hmm... Ironically (or not so?) it is called the Reed Shirtdress.

I popped over to their site this morning to see their new wares for spring, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but this very same dress - this time in a range of colors to purchase! I wish I had the money to buy another one - it's just such an amazing dress and so comfortable. I've truly enjoyed wearing it.

Dear reader, whoever you are, please go buy one. You won't regret it.

A Martha Stewart Recipe - No Go

As I was recently at my mother in law's house I noticed a few recipes in Martha Stewart Living that I thought I would give a try. The first one, Chicken Paillards with Lemon-Butter Sauce was quite delicious. I could eat this all day long.

Inspired by my first experience, I decided to try the second, Pork Paillards with Sour Cream-Paprika Sauce. The picture looked great (which I suppose is the point of food porn right?) and it looked promising as I cooked it up, but the result was surprisingly disappointing.

I think the first few bites were ok, but after that both husband and I lost interest. Not that great, and I probably won't make this one ever again.

On the up-side, the dogs seemed to enjoy it, but they aren't that discriminating!! :-)

Terry Border

                                                                   (Caribbean Jerk)

I just got an e-mail from Huffington Post this morning highlighting the Bent Art of Terry Border. It's pretty amusing stuff, and I would totally consider buying his book based on what I saw in the slideshow. Take a look!

Unique Items

Does everyone love Anthropologie as much as I do? If I could, I would buy the entire contents of their website (at least all of the home goods) at once! Maybe their items are all made in China (God I hope not!) but they all have such an artisanal, and at times antique-ish quality that I just love. Something that I might find in one of the antique mills in upstate NY. I would love to have these coordinating serve-ware sets off their website: Salad servers and Serving Ladles.

Speaking of artisanal items, I love Beekman 1802. Not only do these gentlemen live organically and seasonally at their home/farm in Sharon Springs, NY, but they have involved the local craftsmen to create a line of fabulous house and bath wares (and yummy Goats Milk cheese!). I really would love to have their Fruit Spoon and their Iron Blocks. 

Things I Love in the Kitchen

As anyone who knows me can attest, I love kitchen things. I love to cook well, and I like to have tools that help my cook. A few Christmases ago, my husband was lovely enough to get me a three-piece Global knife set. They are super sharp and I very much enjoy using them. I would love to expand my knife set at some point, and I would love to do so with some of these lovely Shun knives from Sur La Table. I just adore the wooden handles!

Pork Spare Ribs - Venetian Style

The other day I happened to catch a show on PBS called "Gourmet's Adventures with Ruth", wherein Ruth Riechl of Gourmet Mag fame visited Venice with Dianne Wiest to take some cooking classes with Enrica Rocca. Apparently I am late to the game since this was an episode from Season 1, and I think they are now in Season 3...

BUT ANYWAY!

Being a glutton for Venice since our trip there, I decided to give a try to the spare ribs they made. Here is my adventure, with a few pictures. The link to the actual recipe, HERE.

You need:

2lbs of pork spare ribs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 tbs of fresh rosemary (I used dried, and only had 1 tbs, so I added one tbs of dried Herbes de Provence, which was equally delicious)
3/4 cup of dry white wine (I never use anything I won't drink so I actually used a great Idaho Riesling)
3/4 cup of water

Normally, you are supposed to hack the ribs in half crosswise, but I don't have cleaver so I made them whole.

First you want to heat a large skillet (I used my 12" Le Creuset pot) on medium-high, adding in 1-2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil until the oil shimmers. Brown your ribs as follows in batches (so you don't cool your pan too much, and get an even cooking). After each batch cooks, set it aside on a plate.
After you are done cooking all of your ribs, add them all back to the pot, along with your Rosemary and Garlic.Add your wine and water, and then stir to coat.

Put the lid on your pot/skillet, reduce your heat to medium low and cook for 1-1.25 hours. Mine did well in just over an hour. When it is done you will have a nice flavorful sauce to serve over the ribs.

I made a batch of gluten-free cornbread from Bob's Red Mill when I made chicken soup the other night which, served with the ribs, made this a very simple but exceptionally delicious meal.

Poultry Soup Recipe

I only say "Poultry" soup because typically I make this with whatever bird carcasses (Carcii?) that I have laying around.

Yes, I have bird carcasses stashed in my freezer. Every time I make a chicken, or duck, combined with the turkey carcasses I abscond from my in-laws after Thanksgiving (or Christmas) I wrap them in foil and shove them in the freezer for *just* the right moment. Everyone thinks I am a little strange, but I am the one who winds up with a delicious pot of soup at the end. :-D It's a great way to get even more out of that holiday bird.

Now, I will mention that you can always purchase a few whole chickens at the store to make this if you don't have any frozen birds. Sometimes if I don't have enough carcasses I will get a split chicken or chicken parts at the store to add to the pot. Heresy I know! Also? Don't clean the bird if there are any herbs and spices/onions/etc in the bird since it just adds to the flavor.

Anyway, it's so easy, and the results are so delicious. If you are going to use a turkey carcass, you will either need a pot large enough to accommodate the leftover bird, or you will need to use a cleaver to cut it into pieces large enough to fit into your pot. I use a 16 Qt stock pot that I got cheap at Bed Bath and Beyond. It's sole uses are for making soup of this nature OR for making end-of-summer tomato sauce to put up.

Put your bird in the pot, and then cover the carcass as much as possible with tap water (obviously if your bird exceeds the pot size you will not be able to cover it all the way). And by this I mean if your whole bird fits in the pot, then just cover the bird with water. If your bird sticks out of the pot, just add water up to about an inch and a half from the top of the pot. This makes the soup so flexible. You can do it in a small pot or a large pot. As much or as little as you want.

I usually start this the night before because I make such a large pot of it, and because my birds are generally frozen. I find that the longer I cook this, the more likely it is that the bones will begin to disintegrate, letting the marrow into the broth, and thus adding WAY more flavor.

Bring your pot to a boil, and then as soon as it boils, bring it to a low simmer. Put your lid on as soon as it simmers, and then leave it to simmer. Like I said, because I make such a big pot, and because I like the bones to disintegrate, I will let it simmer overnight, but you do not necessarily need to do so - it just depends on how much you are making. Check on it every so often to make sure that your water is not evaporating or boiling too hard (add more water or chicken broth if you want/need to).

There is no specific time frame for letting it cook. If you are doing a big pot like me, I will generally let it go for almost 24 hours. Depending on how much bird you are using will determine how long it will take you to strain the bird. That is the no fun part. I generally use a spider to just pull out the bones and the meat. You can discard what is left of the bones, making sure to remove all of the useful meat into a separate bowl. After you have strained out your bones and meat, add into the pot as much celery, carrots and chopped onion as you want. This adds more flavor to the pot. They will need to cook through, so make sure you give it enough time.

At this time you will also want to make a pot of pasta (if you want to add any kind of noodles with your soup), but do NOT add it to your soup. Make it on the side, otherwise if you are storing any, the pasta gets nasty and mushy.

Once you have separated out your meat, add it back to the pot, and then as soon as the veggies are cooked to your desired tenderness AND your pasta is done, you are ready to eat!

This freezes well, and is great for all winter long!