Daily Specials

Cornmeal-Cranberry Biscotti

2008-04-23T09:29:00.000-04:00

These biscotti are lucky, or at least they were for me. They're the biscotti that I made for my now-editor when we first met. The recipe is heavily adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook recipe.

makes 20-24 biscotti

3/4 cup hazelnuts
4 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roast the nuts on a small baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until fragrant. In order to peel the nuts, place in a tea or kitchen towel, and rub to remove papery skins. Pick out the nuts. Finely chop 1/4 cup, and coarsely chop remainder. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, barely cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, nuts, baking powder, and salt, tossing to mix well. Add to the butter mixture, and mix. Add the cranberries, stirring to combine.

Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion into a log, approximately 2 inches in diameter. You may need to dust the counter with flour. Make sure the dough is firmly pressed into shape, so the biscotti will not be too crumbly upon cutting. Place on a cookie sheet, and bake until lightly brown and just firm to the touch, 20-25 minutes.

Transfer cookie logs to a cutting board and slice at an angle 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Place biscotti on the same cookie sheet to bake once again for 5 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool completely, and place in an airtight container.

Crisp Potato Cake

2008-02-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

This cake is dense and heavy, but there is just something about all of those potatoes, baked harmoniously with bechamel, Parmesan cheese, and prosciutto, that makes this cake homey and delicious.

8 med. boiling potatoes (about 5 pounds)
salt to taste
4 tablspoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1/4 lb. sliced prosciutto or baked ham, diced
2 tablspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 cup bechamel sauce (recipe below)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them generously with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a long knife, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 400 and butter a 10 in. springform pan and coat the bottom and sides with the bread crumbs.

As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and pass them through a food mill or a potato ricer into a large bowl. (Do not use a food processor to mash the potatoes; it will make them very gummy.) Season with salt.

Melt the butter in a small pan (or microwave) and add to the potatoes. Beat 2 of the eggs in a small bowl and add to the potatoes, along with the ham, flour, parsley, nutmeg, bechamel, cheese, and mix thoroughly.

Put the potato mixture in the prepared pan, shake the pan lightly to distribute it evenly, and smooth the top with a spatula. Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the top of the potatoes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the cake has a crisp brown crust on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean (about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and transfer to serving dish. Serve warm or at room temp.

Bechamel Sauce

1 1/2 cups milk, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoon flour
pinch of salt

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over med low heat. When the butter begins to foam, beat in the flour with a wooden spoon or a whisk and cook, stirring for about 2 min. making sure not to let the flour brown.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the hot milk all at once, whisking energetically to prevent lumps. Put the pan back over low heat, add the salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is med. thick, about 5 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little more milk, too thin, cook it longer.

Crumb Buns

2008-01-30T12:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a rather long, but delicious recipe for crumb buns adapted from Great Coffee Cakes. It does however, make a double recipe for Rich Sour Cream Dough, that can be made into yeasted coffee cakes, sweet rolls, or more crumb buns. The streusel recipe makes a large serving of streusel as well. I only used half of the recipe for streusel as well, and froze the rest for other morning time treats.

Rich Sour Cream Dough

4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add one tablespoon of sugar and warm water to a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the water, do not stir, and cover the bowl with a saucer for 5 minutes. This allows the yeast to proof. Stir briefly, cover again, and let stand an additional 2-3 minutes, or until bubbly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, remaining sugar, and salt, on low speed,. Add the slightly firm butter, and mix until meal-size crumbs form. Using a fork, mix the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and dissolved yeast. Mix on low speed until a rough dough is formed. This is a soft dough.

Place dough in a buttered bowl, lightly butter the top of the dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store overnight in the refrigerator.

Streusel Topping

6-7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Melt butter, and cool to tepid.

Whisk together dry ingredients, add butter. Stir with fork until mixture begins to form crumbs. Gently squeeze mixture with hand, to form larger chunks, then break them apart with with your fingertips. Before using let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Crumb Buns

1/2 recipe Rich Sour Cream Dough
1 recipe (or less) Streusel Topping
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Remove the dough from the refrigerator 1 to 1 1/2 hours before shaping.

Generously butter at 9 inch square pan. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth, 6-10 times. Divide the dough evenly into 9 pieces. Cupping your hand over each piece, continuously roll until a ball is formed. Continue doing with all the pieces.

Place the balls in the pan, evenly spaced, 3 across, and 3 down. Flatten balls slightly, they do not have to touch. Cover pan with a cloth, and let rise for an additional 45 minutes.

15 minutes before baking, position the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees.

Gently brush the top of the buns with egg wash. Sprinkle the streusel topping, lightly pressing streusel into the top of the dough. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, placing on a rack to cool.

Raised Donuts

2007-09-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here's another recipe from Marion Cunnigham's, The Breakfast Book, this time the recipe is for a classic, fried, bad-for-you treat, made good through baking. They're light, yeasted and delicious.

Makes about 2 dozen donuts plus holes

2 packages dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (105 degrees)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups all purposed flour, approximately

butter, melted
cinnamon-sugar (1/2 cup sugar, to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
powdered sugar

Sprinkle yeast over water, and let dissolve, about 5 minutes.

Put milk and shortening in a saucepan and heat until shortening is melted. Cool until lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl put yeast, milk mixture, sugar, salt, nutmeg, eggs, and two cups flour. Beat until well blended. Add remaining flour and beat until smooth. Cover the bowl, and let double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Dust board generously with flour, and turn the dough out. The dough will be soft and sticky, but easy to work with the addition of flour. Pat dough out into 1/2 inch thickness. Using a three inch donut or biscuit cutter, cut out donuts (and donut holes) and place on a greased baking sheet, one inch apart. The donuts will continue to rise, though they don't spread much. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and let donuts rest for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Bake about 10 minutes, or a little longer, until they have a touch of golden brown. Remove from the oven. Brush them with melted butter. Roll them in either the cinnamon-sugar, or the powdered sugar, and enjoy while warm.

Bircher Muesli

2007-09-07T10:45:00.000-04:00

Muesli comes from a Swiss word that means mush. And this muesli, coming from Marion Cunningham, is one sweet, delicious mush. Her recipe calls for blackberries as a topping, but you could substitute other fruit as well--raisins, blueberries, or you could do as I did and add some lovely figs.

From The Breakfast Book, this recipe serves one:

1 heaping tablespoon rolled oats
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cream
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 small apple
1 handful blackberries

Soak the oats and water in a small bowl overnight. Just before serving, stir the cream, honey, and lemon juice into the oat mixture. Grate the unpeeled apple and quickly mix into the oats. Add the blackberries. Serve with brown sugar and cream.

Raised Waffles

2007-09-04T08:45:00.000-04:00

Here is the best waffle recipe I have come upon. Crisp, light, and endlessly edible, Marion Cunningham knows what she is talking about. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to make these. Although the recipe is not a difficult or testy one, the batter needs to rise overnight .

From The Breakfast Book, makes about 8 waffles

1/2 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
2 cups milk, warmed
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Use a rather large mixing bowl, as the dough will double in size during the rising process. Put the water in the mixing bowl and stir in the yeast. Let stand and dissolve about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave overnight at room temperature.

The next morning, just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs. Add the baking soda, stirring until well blended. The batter will be very thin. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of batter into a very hot waffle iron. Bake the waffles until crisp and golden.

Any unused batter will keep for several day in the refrigerator.

Stinky Tuna and Egg Salad

2007-06-26T11:07:00.000-04:00

Here is the recipe for a not-too-stinky sandwich filling. The brininess of the capers, the delicate flake of the tuna, and the creaminess of the hard-boiled eggs, make for a perfect combination.

2 hard-boiled eggs (11 minutes in boiling water)
2 tablespoons capers, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can 5 1/2 ounce can tuna, packed in olive oil
1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Fry capers in olive oil until crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Peel eggs and coarsely chop in a mixing bowl. Drain tuna, leaving a bit of oil to coat the fish. Add tuna to the egg, and add the Dijon mustard, and the capers. Mix well. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve on a baguette, with arugula. Enjoy.

Lemon (Lime) Ameretti Cream Pots

2007-04-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

This is an easily substitutable recipe from Nigel Slater's, The Kitchen Diaries. It originally calls for lemon curd, but I had lime instead and it worked out beautifully. Being from the U.K., Nigel also calls for double cream, a thick, rich cream, that may be hard for many to find in the states. I'm sure heavy whipped cream would work out as well.

1 1/4 cups double cream, or heavy whipped cream
1 cup thick plain yoghurt
1- 1 1/4 cups lemon curd, preferably homemade
1/2 cup amaretti biscuits, crushed

Pour the cream into a chilled bowl, and whisk until it begins to thicken. You want soft, billowing folds. Fold in the lemon curd, and the yoghurt gently until well-mixed.

Put the amaretti biscuits in a plastic bag, and bash them carefully with a heavy object-- a rolling pin works well. You need large crumbs and small lumps, like gravel. Fold the amaretti pieces into the cream.

Divide the mixture into 6 bowls, or small ramekins, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, giving the cookies time to soften, and the flavors to marry. Serve chilled.

Biscuit Muffins

2007-03-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

Here is a recipe for a simple and delicious morning bread from Beth Hensperger's Bread for Breakfast. It requires no rolling pin, and relatively few ingredients, perfect for whipping up on a Sunday morning.

Makes 12 muffins

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom or ground nutmeg (I used 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg)
1 teaspoon salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt)
10 tablespoon butter, cold and unsalted, and cut into small pieces
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the cups of a standard muffin tin.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, nutmeg, and salt. Distribute the butter over the flour mixture, and with a fork, or an electric mixer, work in the butter until coarse crumbs are created.

Pour in the buttermilk, and mix using low speed with a mixer, or a fork, until dough forms a sticky mass, about 30 seconds. Do not overmix, you are just letting the dough come together.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Dump the dough out, sprinkle the top with flour, and knead gently, 6-8 times. The dough should remain soft and sticky. Cut the dough into 12 equal portions, and place in greased muffin cups.

Sprinkle with sugar, and bake 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven, and transfer muffins to cooling rack to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Brown Sugar Lightning Cake

2007-03-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

This is one of those basic, versatile, really delicious cakes. The recipe is from The Improvisational Cook, where it is recommended served a variety different ways. I topped it with a combination of creme fraiche and whipped cream, and toasted coconut-- yum.

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bourbon (or other booze, I used cognac)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the inside of a 9 inch cake pan with butter, and dust with a bit of flour.

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Mix to combine, and set aside.

Blend the eggs and the sugar, and mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture using as few strokes as possible. Then whisk in the buttermilk, the melted butter, and the rest of the flavorings.

Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a rack for 5 minutes, then invert and remove from pan. Cool completely before topping with whatever you choose. Enjoy!

Lemon-Poppyseed Pancakes

2007-02-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

These pancakes are a nice change from the standard pancake. They are the perfect treat for a lazy Sunday morning.

Serves 4

1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs separated
1 cup flour
dash salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
zest and juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon poppyseeds

Beat together buttermilk and egg yolks until well-blended. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda into the milk-yolk mixture. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, along with the lemon zest and juice, and the poppyseeds. The egg whites should be blended, but somewhat distinct from the rest of the batter.

On a nonstick griddle, or large pan, lightly greased with butter or oil if necessary and heated to medium, add the batter by 1/2 cup ladlefuls. Cook until lightly brown on the bottom, and bubbles begin to rise to the top, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook until brown on the second side.

Pancakes can remain in a warm oven until ready to serve, but then should be eaten immediately. Sprinkle pancakes with additional poppyseeds if you like, and serve with pure maple syrup.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2007-01-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

I make these cookies with pieces from a bittersweet chocolate bar, but they could be made with semisweet or dark chocolate, if you prefer. I buy a bar, then break off chunks to create a difference in size and shape.

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, browned and cooled
1 ¼ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
4-5 oz. bar semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, broken into chunks

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on low speed until it is smooth and lump free.

Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

On low speed, add the flour mixture in stages. Beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chunks and mix with a wooden spoon until they are just incorporated.

Preheat oven to 350. Adjust racks to lower and upper thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Spoon the dough into golf ball sized portions. Batter should make approximately 12 cookies.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges, turning the sheets front to back and switching racks halfway through. Remove from the oven, and put hot cookies on a cooling rack to let cool and settle.

* To brown the butter, melt butter over medium low heat in a silver, or light colored saucepan. Butter will melt and pop, then begin to change color. Swirl pan, butter will begin to smell nutty, and should be removed from heat when it is caramel in color. About 3-5 minutes. Put brown butter in a large mixing bowl to cool before adding the rest of the ingredients, about 20-30 minutes.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

2007-01-09T10:32:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from the incomparable Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger restaurant The Border Grill, and can be found in their cookbook Mesa Mexicana.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

1 pound tomatillos, husked and washed
6-8 garlic cloves
1-2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded if desired
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Place tomatillos, garlic, and jalapenos in a baking tray. Broil, turning frequently, until evenly charred, 15 minutes. The trick to keeping the garlic from burning is to tuck it under the tomatillos. Remove from broiler and set aside to cool.

Transfer the roasted ingredient to a food processor. Add cilantro and water, and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or the freezer for weeks.

Kouign-Aman

2006-12-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

Although this pastry is listed in the cakes sections of Camille le Foll's, Modern French Classics, it is really more of a sweet bread. It's perfect in the morning with a cup of rich coffee.

1 sachet dried yeast
3/4- 1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups ap flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar

Mix the yeast with 3/4 cup water. Put the flour and salt in a bowl, mix, then make a well, add yeast mixture. Mix and then knead for 10 minutes, this can be done in a electric mixer with a dough hook attachment. Add additional water if needed. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

When dough has doubled in size, place on a floured work surface, and punch down to allow dough to breathe. Shape it roughly into an oval, then roll into a rectangle. Spread 5 ounces of butter, mixed with 1/2 cup sugar, stopping 3/4 inches from the edge. Fold down top 1/3 of dough, then fold the bottom 1/3 on top, making 3 layers. Roll out to rectangle once more. Repeat folding, but do not roll out again. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, roll out again, this time into a circle. Butter a 9 inch, deep pie plate with remain ounce of butter. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar, and place dough in plate. Leave to rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until carmelized and golden brown. Eat when cool.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

2006-11-03T12:22:00.000-05:00

This recipe can be made without the chicken as well. It works out wonderfully as an accompaniment to grilled sausage.

Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side

For the dressing:

2 shallots
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons walnut oil (or any nut oil)
salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and loosely chopped
5 ribs of celery, cut into ½ inch dice
3 medium sized, firm, semi-sweet apples like Braeburn or Jonah Gold, cut into ½ inch
chunk
1-1 1/2 cups shredded, skinless chicken
1 cup maytag or buttermilk blue cheese, crumbled

Thinly slice the shallot and add to a small saucepan with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Whisk over medium heat on the stove until the mixture comes to a boil. When brought to a boil and honey is completely incorporated, shut off heat but leave the dressing in the pan on the stove while you make the rest of the salad.

If using whole walnuts, secure in a ziploc bag and bash with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan. The nuts should be crushed loosely, not pulverized. Put nuts in a pan and toast over medium high heat on the stove. Nuts should begin to smell toasty and take on a darker hue when finshed. When complete, add walnuts to a large mixing bowl.

Chop the celery into ½ inch dice and add to the same mixing bowl. Cut your apple into six or eight equal pieces, core, then cut into ½ inch dice. This step should be done close to serving, so apples do not turn brown and oxidize. Add both the celery and the apples to the bowl with the nuts. Add the chicken, and crumble blue cheese over the mixture and mix together.

Pour warm dressing over salad ingredients and toss together. The heat from the dressing causes the blue cheese to melt adding yet another layer of flavor to the salad. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Risi e Bisi

2006-10-17T10:12:00.000-04:00

This recipe is from Comfort Foods, a compendium of all things homey. I adapted the recipe by first frying up the pancetta, draining, pouring off some of the fat, and then proceeding with the onion. I reintroduced the pancetta in the last five minutes of cooking. This ensured a crisp pancetta, which is the way that I prefer. But listed below is the unadapted recipe.

Serves 4-6

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 oz. pancetta, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 1/2 cups shelled young peas (frozen is fine)
1 cup risotto rice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Put the stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then maintain a simmer. Heat the oil and half of the butter in a large saucepan. Cook onion and pancetta over low heat for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the parsley, peas, and 2 ladlefuls of stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the rice and remaining stock. Simmer until rice is al dente, and most of the stock has been absorbed. About 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining butter and parmesan cheese, season, and serve.

Note: This dish will continue to absorb stock, so any leftovers should be stored separately from a bit of leftover stock, then reheated, and brought back to a soupy consistency.

Malted Oat and Raisin Biscuits

2006-09-25T11:31:00.000-04:00

This recipe for a not-too-sweet, malted milk biscuit, comes from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2.

Makes 15-20 biscuits

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
4 oz. softened butter
1 egg
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat the sugars, egg, and butter until light and creamy. Add the rest of ingredients, stirring to combine.

Place by flattened spoonfuls on a baking tray, lined with nonstick paper. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Fig and Chile Tagliatelle

2006-09-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

This is a lovely recipe, utilizing the fresh figs found in the market right now. A delightful combination of sweet and savory, smoothed with a bit of cream, this recipe from Italian Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, is definitely a keeper.

16 oz. egg tagliatelle
8 black skinned figs
2 dried chiles
2 lemons
2 oz. parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream

Cut each fig into 8 pieces. Crumble the chiles. Grate the lemon peel of both lemons, and squeeze the juice of one. Grate the parmesan and reserve all.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the tagliatelle.

While the tagliatelle is cooking, heat a skillet large enough for the figs to lay in one layer. Add the olive oil, and when smoking, carefully place the figs in the pan, turning immediately to carmelize. Season, and add the chiles.

Drain the pasta. Stir the lemon zest and juice into the cream, and mix into the tagliatelle. Add the figs and serve with the parmesan.

Apricot Slice

2006-05-25T14:03:00.000-04:00

This recipe, from Bill's Open Kitchen, is for a delightful, not too sweet, apricot tea cake. Made with fresh apricots, it is a true summer time treat.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 1/2 ounces butter, softened
10-14 apricots, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons additional sugar

Preheat the oven to 315 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13 inch baking pan, and set aside.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Place eggs, milk, and vanilla in another bowl, mix to combine. Pour the egg mixture, and the butter, into the well of dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Push the apricot halves, cut side up, evenly into the batter, in approximately 4 rows of 7. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle additional sugar over cake, and bake for another 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cut into fingers with 2 apricot halves per slices, and serve.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cake

2006-05-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

This is a delicious recipe for a simple, pure cake adapted from Baking by Flavor by Lisa Yockelson. Very ingredient-heavy, this cake tastes of vanilla and butter. It's lovely to have with a cup of tea.

Vanilla Butter and Cream Cake Batter

2 1/2 cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
1 cup bleached cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
seed scrapings from a plump vanilla bean, reserving the pod for glaze
2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
5 large eggs
1 cup cream

Vanilla-Rum Glaze for Brushing over the Warm Baked Cake

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
reserved vanilla bean pod, cut into 2 inch lengths
2 teaspoons dark rum
1 1/2 vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the inside of a plain 10 inch tube pan with shortening. Line the bottom of pan with a circle of parchment paper, cut to fit, and grease the paper. Dust the inside of the pan with flour, and set aside.

Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

Cream the butter and shortening in an electric mixer, on moderate speed, for 4 minutes. Blend in the seed scrapings from the vanilla bean. Add the superfine sugar, in 3 additions, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Blend in the extracts. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 seconds after each egg is added.

On low speed, add the sifted mixture in 3 additions with the cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula to keep the batter even-textured. The batter should be smooth and creamy.

Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan. Gently shake the pan from side to side to even out mixture. Bake the cake for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until cake has risen, set, and a wooden toothpick withdraws clean when inserted.

Let the cake stand in the pan on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Invert the cake, remove pan and paper, and place an additional sheet of waxed paper under the rack to catch any drips of glaze.

To make the Glaze:

Place the sugar, water, and reserved vanilla bean into a small saucepan. Cover the saucepan and set over low heat. When the sugar has dissolved, raise the heat, bring contents of pan to a boil, reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers actively for 3 to 4 minutes. Add rum and simmer for an additional 30 seconds. Remove the vanilla bean pieces. Stir in the extracts. Pour into a bowl and let stand until you are ready to use.

With a soft pastry brush, paint the glaze over the top and sides of the still-warm cake. Cool the cake completely before cutting into slices and serving.

Long Cooked Broccoli

2006-05-15T10:46:00.000-04:00

This recipe, adapted from Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book, is originally a sandwich topper. Served open-faced, on grilled sourdough bread, and topped with soft-scrambled eggs and French Feta cheese, this broccoli is amazing. It is deeply savory, and I think would make a superb side dish, or a smear for crostini also.

1-2 head broccoli, about 1 3/4 pounds
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 whole dried chile

Trim and discard the bottom inch end of broccoli stalk. Peel the remaining stalk, and cut it off, leaving about 1 inch of the stalk still intact on the broccoli florets. Slice the remaining stalk into 1/4 inch by 1 inch pieces. Cut the broccoli into 1 inch florets. Set aside.

In a large pot, boil 8 cups of water. Add 1/4 cup of salt. Cook the cut-up broccoli in the boiling water for 2 minutes, or until bright green. Drain the broccoli, and place in a large bowl of ice water to chill. Drain again when chilled, and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

In a large, heavy-duty skillet, combine the broccoli, garlic, onion, olive oil, chile, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Over very low heat, cook the broccoli, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours, until very soft and tender. Taste for seasoning. Arrange on slices of grilled sourdough bread and squeeze with lemon. Top with softly scrambled eggs, and crumbled Feta cheese.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla-Cream Filling

2006-04-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

These sandwich cookies, as mentioned on Nosheteria, are simple and delicious. From Wayne Harley Brachman's book Retro Desserts, they are the author's take on the tried and true Oreo Cookie. The recipe does call for a bit of shortening, I used the trans-fat free variety to maintain a modicum of health.

Makes 30 sandwich cookies

For the Chocolate Wafers:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room- temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the Vanilla-Cream Filling:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Enjoy!

Pomelo Salad

2006-03-27T13:20:00.000-05:00

This recipe, adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet, originally calls for pomelos, but can be easily adapted with Ruby Red, or Rio Star grapefruits. Served with butter lettuce, it makes a delightful midday meal.

Serves 2-4 depending on sides

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon palm, or brown sugar
1 pomelo, or 2 medium grapefruit
2 tablespoons dry-roasted grated coconut
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/2-1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2-3 bird, Thai, or Serrano chiles, finely chopped, or to taste
Bibb, or butter lettuce, cleaned for garnish

In a small bowl mix together fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Blend until sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside.

Peel the pomelo or grapefruit, then cut out segments of fruit, leaving behind the bitter pith. Place the fruit in a bowl, reserving the juice from the fruit in another bowl.

In a dry skillet, over medium heat, roast both the coconut, and the peanuts until toasty, and light brown in color. Chop the peanuts after roasting if necessary.

Salad should be fully assembled just before serving. Add the roasted peanuts and coconut, the shallots, chiles, mint, and pomelos to a large bowl and toss. Pour the lime dressing over, and continue to toss. Taste and adjust seasoning, if the dressing is too pungent, add a bit of the reserved grapefruit juice.

Serve immediately on a bed of lettuce.

Mashed Fava Beans and Greens

2006-03-16T13:36:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe for a Mediterranean classic inspired by Mark Bittman's tome, How to Cook Everything. This mash can be made simply as a side dish, or as a spread for crostini. Either way it is wonderful, and by using dried fava beans, you can make this dish year round.

1/2 pound dried fava beans
salt and pepper
1 pound greens, such as, dandelion, mustard, chard, collard
large pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover. Turn the heat on to high, and bring to a boil.

Turn the heat down to simmer, and loosely cover pot. It will take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes for the beans to cook, depending on the type of dried favas that you have. Split, and peeled will take less time, whole and unpeeled will take longer. As beans begin to soften, season with salt and pepper. Stir the beans occasionally, adding more water if necessary.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the greens until tender, this again will take more time depending on the green. Drain well, and when cool enough to touch, chop coarsely.

Remove the cooked beans from water, rinse, and remove skins if necessary. Place shucked beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher, or large fork until smooth with some chunks still remaining. Place oil in a large skillet, fry the garlic and red pepper flake until garlic is translucent. Add the greens and sautee to heat through. Add mashed fava beans and continue sauteeing until well combined.

Taste for seasoning, then serve either alone, or with slices of grilled country or Italian bread. Drizzle with high-quality, green olive oil, and serve.

Cherry Tomato and Basil Clafoutis

2006-02-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

This is a delightful first course or light meal for anytime of the day. You can make the clafoutis in small, individual gratin dishes, simply adjust the baking time, but this is a recipe for one large 9 inch pie plate.

butter for greasing
1 pound cherry tomatoes
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup creme fraiche, sour cream, or plain yogurt
4 tablespoons milk
handful of roughly torn, fresh basil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate with butter. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the flour. Add the yogurt and milk, beating until smooth. Stir in the basil and all but 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese.

Spread the tomatoes, evenly over the bottom of the pie plate. Pour the batter over the tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until top is golden brown, and tomato juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.