Two sisters, two kitchens, one love of food

Spaghetti and meatballs

2011-12-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

As temperatures drop and sun begins to set earlier, I start craving more time at home. Rather than going out into the cold, the perfect Saturday afternoon is spent reading, maybe sipping a cup of tea or a glass of wine, and then slowly making our way to the kitchen to prepare dinner. During the week, dinners have to be quick and simple, suitable to be consumed between 9pm when I typically get home and 1am when I'm falling asleep. On Saturdays, however, we have the luxury of time to prepare a meal that requires more than two steps, to let sauces simmer, to set a proper table and enjoy the process of cooking.

Spaghetti and meatballs make the perfect meal for a chilly Saturday. It is comforting, involved enough to require a couple of hours, but not too complicated, and makes plenty of leftovers for the week. I've tried many versions of meatballs and a recent favorite is adapted from Williams-Sonoma. These meatballs are savory with prosciutto and Parmesan, yet still feel light. It is important to work the meat gently, flipping it with the whole hand as you mix just until combined rather than mashing it with the fingers to achieve the perfectly uniform mix that would result in tough meatballs. As a side we has sauteed escarole, but broccoli rabe, kale, or even a green salad would all work.

Roman-style meatballs
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs or fresh bread torn into small bits, crusts removed
1/2 cup milk, any fat content will do
4 oz. finely chopped prosciutto
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
6 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil, plus a bit more torn basil for serving
5 garlic cloves, minced finely
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
5 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 can (28 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes with juices, crushed with your hands
1 lb dried spaghetti for serving
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk and let stand for 10 minutes.
In a saucepan large enough to hold the 56 ounces of tomatoes and all the meatballs, over medium heat warm 3 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in 3 Tbs. basil.

In a large bowl, combine the prosciutto, ground beef, pork, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, the remaining 3 Tbs. of the basil, the remaining 3 of the minced garlic cloves, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add the soaked bread crumbs and mix gently until combined. Divide the meat mixture into 1/4-cup portions and roll into balls slightly larger than golf-size. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in 2 batches, brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. I move the browned meatballs directly into the pan with the tomato sauce, but you can also hold on a plate until all meatballs are browned and then all them all together to the sauce.

Simmer the meatballs in the sauce, turning occasionally and basting with the sauce, until cooked through, about 30 minutes. I tend to keep the sauce pan covered at this point. If the sauce is too watery as the meatballs finish cooking, then open the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes.
While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add plenty of salt and cook the spaghetti a minute shy of the al dente time recommended on the package. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Remove the cooked meatballs to a plate and keep warm on the back of the stove. Add the desired amount of sauce to the spaghetti and toss, over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes to allow some of the sauce to get absorbed into the noodles. Twist the spaghetti into warm bowls, top with meatballs, torn fresh basil, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Serves 4 - 6, with some meatballs left over.

Aromatherapy: Lavender cookies

2011-12-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

One of my boyfriend’s complaints is that all of the lotions in the house have a lavender scent. Meanwhile, I envy that Madina discovered L’occitane lavender perfume before me. In short, if I could I would make everything smell like lavender.

There is no better time to enjoy the soothing scent of this humble looking plant than a holiday season. This recipe is an aromatherapy for all the cooks busy baking holiday treats. While many people have been praising lavender ice cream after the release of It’s Complicated, I find that application of butter to lavender (no, no other way around), gives this flower a second chance to blossom.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar

1.5 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms, crushed

2 ounces unsalted butter, softened at the room temperature

2 ounces plain cream cheese

1 cup all-purpose white flour

½ fleur de sel

Mix sugar, 1 tsp of lavender, and lemon zest. Beat butter and cream cheese at a low speed for 1 minute. Add sugar mix to the butter mix beating for another minute or so until pale and fluffy. At a low speed, add flour and mix until the dough comes together. You might need to switch to a spatula and mix it by hand.

Gather the dough into a ball and freeze for 15 minutes.

Shape chilled, firm dough into a 4” log. Cover the log in a plastic wrap and freeze for 5 more minutes. While the dough is chilling, line a baking sheet with a parchment paper or a silpat. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Unwrap the dough and cut it into ¼ inch thick cookies arranging them on a baking sheet at least ½ inch apart. Sprinkle the cookies with fleur de sel and remaining .5 tsp of lavender.

Bake the cookies for 20 minutes or until the edges are golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy with a glass of milk or champaign.

Summer jewels - tomatoes

2011-11-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever… it is not that I stopped cooking, quite the opposite, I have been cooking non-stop from August until last week, because the markets were flourishing with produce. Without a doubt, however, tomato is the jewel of August harvest (perhaps a ruby:))
Beef steak, heirloom, champagne, green, stripped, Roma – each of these varieties is dramatically different from the other. Once, a Brooklyn farmer told me he does not eat tomatoes until there in a full bloom to get the best of the best. So before, you turn into tasteless watery winter grocery store tomatoes, try these recipes to seal the sweet, tangy, meaty, and bright flavors of summer fruits.

Honey roasted tomatoes with basil olive oil

stems from a bunch of basil leaves

2 tbsp. olive oil

Pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp. local honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 250°.
Arrange tomato halves cut side up on an aluminum foil—lined baking sheet. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and then drizzle over tomatoes. Bake until tomatoes are half-dried and concentrated, 3–4 hours.
Serve on top of the pizza, in salads, tossed with pasta.

Fiery tomato sauce

3 ounces rich olive oil

2 garlic cloves

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

10 Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small sauce pan combine olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes. Over a very low fire, heat up the olive oil mixture. Once the oil is hot, turn off the heat and let the oil cool for about 1 hour.

Strain the oil discarding pepper flakes and garlic. Pre-heat the oven to 400. Arrange tomato halves cut side up on an aluminum foil—lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the infused olive oil, sprinkle over with salt and pepper

Roast for 1 hour or until tomatoes “collapse”. Transfer tomatoes and all the juices into a bowl (for immersion blender) or a blender. Blend the tomatoes until the sauce is smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

Crepe with ricotta and fall fruit compote

2011-10-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Crepe can be tricky and tedious to make. They are especially tedious if you are making them for a hungry family of 5 good eaters. The woman patient enough to do it would be our mom. She made the most delicious crepe that were so lacy and practically see-through you coule could wear one as a scarf. It was by far our favorite breakfast. It took at least an hour.   During that hour, my siblings and I stalked around the kitchen, peering into the skillet, and even "stealing" the imperfect crepe, which did not please mom at all. She would send us away, threatening to never make crepe again if we didn't leave her alone, and then call us back once she needed someone to apply melted butter to the edges to keep them soft. Then we would dig in, slathering the already rich crepe with sour cream and honey, rolling them up and dipping in sugar, tearing them into pieces and eating plain. It was quite possibly the least nutritious breakfast we were allowed and we loved every carb-loaded bite.

Every time I make crepe, I travel back to our childhood kitchen. Except now, I want balance in my breakfast, so I fill them with fresh ricotta cheese and top them with sauteed apples and pears sweetened with local honey. Considering that I'm not cooking for a family of 5, I eat leftover crepe throughout the week, often drizzled with honey and a squeeze of lemon or smeared with Justin's chocolate and hazelnut butter.

The point is, although a little demanding, crepe will make you and the people you care about very very happy.   Crepe are best made at home in a non-stick skillet that you easily pick up and turn to evenly distribute the batter.

Crepe with ricotta and fall fruit compote

1. Make the crepe (adapted from Epicurious.com)
1 1/3 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs, whisked
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided to add 3 tablespoons to the batter and using 1 to brush the skillet
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the ingredients together in a blender or whisk in a medium bowl until smooth and let rest for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Warm your favorite non-stick skillet (anywhere between 7 and 10 inches should work) over medium-low heat. Brush the skillet with a bit of melted butter, pour in 1/8 - 1/4 cups (depending on your skillet size) of batter in the middle of the skillet and quickly swirl it around the skillet. In about 1 minute, the crepe will be lightly browned and set on the underside. Flip the crepe with a wide spatula and cook for another 30 - 45 seconds. Remove to a plate. Crepe can be stacked and they won't stick.

2. Make the fruit compote
1 large apple, cored and sliced into 8 wedges
1 large pear, cored and sliced into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Couple dashes of ground cinnamon

Warm the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the apple slices first. Saute, turning occasionally for 2 - 3 minutes until the apples start to soften. Add the pear slices, give it a good stir, and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the maple syrup, the lemon juice, and the cinnamon and let the mixture simmer for another 5 minutes until the apples are soft and the pears start to break down. Turn off the heat and serve warm. This compote is also lovely on pancakes or even plain yogurt.

3. Make the ricotta filling and fill the crepe.
1 cup fresh ricotta, store-bought or homemade
Zest of 1 lemon
2 - 4 tablespoons of good flavorful honey
2 tablespoons of butter

Mix the ingredient together. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the crepe and fold the edges over like a pouch. Repeat until you run out of filling. Warm 1 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat and brown the crepe pouches on both sides. Repeat with more butter until all the crepe pouches are browned.

Serve with fruit compote and honey and lemon for the extra crepe. Mom pouring milky tea is optional.

Turkish stuffed eggplant (Imam Bayildi)

2011-10-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Summer has definitely come to an end in New York, as evidenced by apples at the farmers' markets, rainy runs among the changing leaves in Prospect Park, and my cat jumping into bed in the middle of the night. Fortunately, some remnants of summer are still around, like small eggplants and field-grown tomatoes, and I intend to enjoy them for as long as I can before it is all brassicas and squash (oh, and those wonderful New York apples).

Imam Bayildi is a Turkish dish that combines the lovely small eggplants with tomatoes, caramelized onions, and plenty of rich olive oil. It is usually served at room temperature as a meze (an appetizer), but I think it also tastes great hot as a side to some fish or lamb or just on top of bulgur wheat with yogurt. As much as I love olive oil, Imam Bayildi can be a little heavy, so the recipe here cuts down on the oil and lets the natural flavors of eggplant and tomato show. Stewy and soft, I think this dish makes the perfect bridge between shorts and corduroys, light cardigans and cashmere sweaters.

Imam Bayildi

Adapted from Clifford A Wright

2 small eggplants

1 medium onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced across

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

2 - 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 cup of chopped parsley, divided

3 - 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves pulled off

1/4 teaspoon dried mint

4 tablespoons of good olive oil, divided

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1/4 cup of water

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut off the stem portion of each eggplant, cut it in half lengthwise, slice off a little bit of skin from the side of the eggplant to make sure it sits well in the skillet, and cut a deep slit down the flesh, without cutting all the way through. Generously salt the eggplant and let it sit on a paper towel, flesh side up, for 15 minutes, then flesh side down for another 15 minutes.

Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet. When the oil is almost smoking, pat the eggplant dry and sear, flesh side down, in the skillet. Once the eggplant is well-browned, sear the other side, and remove to a plate.

Warm another tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet and saute the onion and the garlic over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to help onions turn golden and make sure you don't burn the garlic. Combine the caramelized onions, the diced tomatoes, most of the parsley (reserve the rest for garnish), the thyme leaves, the dried mint in a small bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Pour the last tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet, put in the eggplant, flesh side up, and sprinkle the eggplant with the lemon juice. Fill with the eggplant with the onion and tomato mixture and pour the remaining filling into the skillet. Add the water, bring the boil and simmer on low heat for 45 - 50 minutes until the eggplant is soft. Check the skillet occasionally and add more water if it seems dry. Serve hot or let cool. As with most stewy dishes, this one also tastes great in a day or so.

David meets Jenny at the Walker Jones Farm

2011-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I started volunteering at the Walker Jones Farm. The Farm at Walker Jones is an emerging urban farm based on Walker Jones Education Campus, a DC Public School. I discovered the farm during a bike ride and was stunned by the diversity of the crops grown on such a small plot of land. Here, you can pick tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins right from the vine. The freshness of vegetables beats the traditional farmer’s market produce. So if you want to get the freshest vegetables in DC or simply help the team of talented farmers and dedicated volunteers, stop by on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 6PM and on Sundays from noon to 4PM.

Before heading to the farm last weekend, I was flipping through the August issue of Saveur and almost jumped off my chair when I saw the recipe of Jenny’s Splendid Ice Cream. Ok, let me tell you this ice cream is soooo good that I am willing to go to Columbus just to have some fresh Jenny’s (by the way of you are in let me know, we can totally make this happen). Immediately, I scratched the plan to make scones in the evening to test Jenny’s ice cream recipe.

Few hours later, while taking a break from harvesting spaghetti squash, I noticed a beautiful bush of mint, and the ice cream idea started to come together. The final recipe combines David Lebovitz’ chocolate chip technique and Jenny’s eggless ice cream base resulting in an airy ice cream with a fresh mint flavor and a dark chocolate crunch.

Fresh mint chocolate chip ice cream
2cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
¼ kosher salt
2 cups fresh mint

¼ cup whole milk
4 tsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. cream cheese

6 oz. dark chocolate

Mix heavy cream, 1 cup of milk, sugar, corn syrup, salt, and mint in a large pot. Cover and bring to boil. Boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat. With the lid closed infuse the mixture for 2 hours.

Strain the liquid into a large bowl and press the mint through a chinois/fine mesh strainer to extract the mint flavor. Discard mint and pour the liquid back into the pot. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil.

While the mint liquid is getting warm, mix cornstarch and remaining milk until the mixture is well combined. Stir the liquid into the pot and cook until the mixture thickens for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat.

Place cream cheese in a bowl and pour in ¼ cup of hot mixture, whisk until smooth. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pot and stir the base for a minute. The ice cream base is almost finished.

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Pour the ice cream base into a large Ziploc bag. Place a closed bag into the ice water. This will allow the base to cool just in 10 minutes.

Once the base is cool, transfer it into the ice cream maker and follow manufacturing instructions.

Several minutes before the ice cream is ready and your ice cream machine starts to sound like an old Soviet train, melt the chocolate in a microwave or a water bath. Turn off the ice cream maker.

Drizzle the bottom and the sides of a large plastic container with melted chocolate and top with a layer of ice cream. Drizzle more chocolate over the ice cream and top with another layer of ice cream. Using a dining knife, break frozen chocolate into small chips. Continue layering chocolate and ice cream breaking the chocolate every 1 or 2 layers.

Freeze the ice cream for at least 2 hours and enjoy on a hot summer day after few hours of farming.

Summer pizza with prosciutto, nectarines, and arugula

2011-08-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

People, I am asking you to turn on your ovens. I know, it sounds nearly insane given the recent East Coast heat wave, but that seems to be abating and the 15 minutes that your oven will run are totally worth it. You will be rewarded with an awesome light supper of crispy pizza that combines salty funky prosciutto with caramelized nectarines and peppery arugula. The only dish I can think more seasonally appropriate is a salad of tomatoes and mozzarella, but I've been eating it practically daily and could use a break.

I have to admit that I am generally very skeptical about adding fruit to savory dishes. I know that its weird and I know that I generally love the results, but something about it still doesn't feel right. However, when a recent trip to the market resulted in lots of juicy Jersey nectarines and a big bag of arugula, my only thought was to add prosciutto and a little dough. I made a quick pizza dough using a slightly augmented recipe from the Silver Spoon cookbook, and then improvised my way around. I also went to an excellent class on Greek wines that afternoon and the Moraitis 2010 Assyriko from Santorini was just right. I struggled for a minute with drinking a Greek wine with a pseudo-Italian meal, but quickly got over it and thoroughly enjoyed this floral, peachy, minerally wine that has a good touch of salinity.

Summer pizza with prosciutto, nectarines, and arugula

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the toppings:
4 ounces prosciutto
1 large nectarine, ripe but still firm, halved, pitted, and sliced into thin segments
1 - 2 cups arugula, depending on how much you want on top of your pizza, washed and dried
Juice of 1/2 lemon
A few shavings of Parmesan
2 -3 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

First, make the dough by mixing the flour, salt, and yeast in one large bowl and the water and the olive oil in another small bowl or a measuring cup. Add water and olive oil to the flour mixture, stirring as you go until the mass comes together into a semi-coherent dough. Add more flour if it feels wet or a bit more water if it feels dry. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 4 -5 minutes until the dough is elastic and soft. Lightly oil the large bowl and turn the dough around in the bowl to cover all sides with the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours until doubled in size. If you prefer, you can make the dough the night before and slowly let it rise in the fridge for 12 - 24 hours. Do not bother cleaning up the flour, you'll need the counter soon enough. Move the risen dough onto your still-floured surface and press down gently. Shape into a ball again and let it rise for another 20 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to its top temperature (mine goes upt to a measly 500F). Sprinkle a hot baking sheet with corn meal or millet, if you are me and that is all you have. Roll out the dough as thin as you like and top it with slightly overlapping slices of prosciutto, slices of nectarines and Parmesan shavings. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until lightly blistered and you can't resist the smells of salty pork and caramelized fruit in your house. Meanwhile, toss the arugula with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, You want it flavorful but not soggy, so go easy here. Take the pizza out of the oven and heap on the arugula however you like. You can always eat the leftover arugula in a salad, maybe with some radishes and tomatoes. Serve immediately. This made 2 meals for me, but can easily be multiplied for those with more robust appetites.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

2011-07-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

To spend a month abroad means eating out every day, not knowing where your food came from, who handled it, was the cook in a good mood that day or not. A whole month abroad also means shopping in foreign bazaars, smelling unknown spices, eating tropical fruit, and drafting new recipes. The idea for this dish came to me over a cup of Indonesian coffee with Dutch pastries.

During the colonization of the 19th century, the Dutch introduced classic European pastries to Indonesia. Since then, Indonesian cooks have been applying European baking techniques to local ingredients to make guava filled danish, avocado chocolate tort, and melon cheesecake. To make this pulled pork sandwich, I used a mix of Jamaican spices for the dry rub, mango for the BBQ sauce, and Smitten Kitchen light brioche buns. This dish should be served at the next European, Caribbean and South East Asian summit :)

Pulled pork

1 2-pound cured ham steak

½ tsp of the follow dry spices: pimento, ginger, red pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cumin, brown sugar
2 tbsp of salt
Mix the spices and salt. Rub the spice mix into the steak and refrigerate for 2 hours. Wash off the rub with cold water and pat dry the steak.

While the meat is marinating make the BBQ sauce.

BBQ sauce
4 large ripe red tomatoes
1 freshno pepper
1 medium size red onion
1 ripe yellow mango
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt

Preheat the grill to 400F.
Cut tomatoes in a half. Cut onions into thick rings. Place tomatoes (cut side down), onions, and peppers on the grill. Grill the vegetables until they are well charred. Lower the grill temperature

Using a blender or a food processor, puree vegetables with remaining ingredients into a smooth sauce. Adjust salt and pepper.

Lower the grill to 250F. Place the steak on the grill and cook for at least 2 hours. The internal temperature of the meat should be at least170F. Remove the meat from the grill. Let it cool.

Warm the BBQ sauce in a large skillet. Shred the meat or cut it into fine pieces. Mix the meat with the sauce letting it absorb the juices for at least 10 minutes.

Slice the bun in a half and stuff it with meat. Enjoy with few pickles, fries, and a good beer.

Mussels with bacon and a green bean salad

2011-07-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of those wonderful Friday meals. I love socializing as much as the next gal, but so often my perfect Friday is a great homemade meal, fantastic company (that will be missed for the next couple of months), maybe a good movie/documentary, maybe a little reading in bed. Last Friday definitely fit the bill, with mussels steamed in wine with smoky bacon and a few vegetables, oven-fries make with duck fat instead of olive oil (we are all about indulgence around here), and a crisp seasonal salad.
Sometimes the best recipes are inspired by a completely different idea. I saw a stew of fresh corn, bacon and clams that sounded a little heavy, but I really loved the idea of bacon, tomatoes, and shell fish. Taking that inspiration to a more classic approach to steamed mussels, I added shallots and fennel, a healthy pour of wine, and lots of parsley. I also quickly realized that Friday was right after Bastille Day, so applying a French theme to the salad made lots of sense, resulting in a mix of slender green beans, thinly sliced radishes and fennel, all dressed with a tangy vinaigrette. My wine guys at the favorite Brooklyn Wine Exchange did not disappoint with a suggestion of round and lush La Dilettante, a 2009 Vouvray from Domaine Breton. It managed to offer freshness and minerality to the seafood, while standing up to smoky bacon.

Steamed mussels with bacon
2 large shallots, diced finely
1/2 medium fennel head, diced finely
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1/4 pound of your favorite bacon
2 pounds mussels, beards removed and scrubbed, for 2 people
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3/4 cups of white wine
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fennel fronds, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallots, garlic, and fennel and saute until softened and starting to take on a bit of color. Add the bacon, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Add the mussels, the tomato, the wine and stir well. Cover the pot and cook, stirring or shaking every couple of minutes, for 5 - 10 minutes, until the mussels are open. Taste the sauce in pot and season with salt and pepper, as you like. Stir in the parsley and the fennel fronds. Serve immediately with french fries and good bread for soaking in the juice.

Green beans, radishes, fennel salad

1 pound of slender green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1/4 pound radishes, halved and sliced thinly
1/2 medium fennel head (leftover from the mussels), sliced thinly
1 medium shallot, diced finely
1/4 cup of sherry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of good mustard
1/3 - 1/2 cup of good olive oil, depending on how acidic you like your dressing
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
1/4 cup of fennel fronds, chopped
Plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to the boil, add plenty of salt (as if cooking pasta), and dump in the green beans. Cook for 2 -3 minutes until a bit tender but still crisp. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the shallots, the vinegar, the mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix or shake well.
Drain the green beans in a colander and cool them quickly, either by submerging in ice water or running cold water over them. Shake off excess water and combine, in a medium bowl with the radishes, the fennels, the herbs, a bit of salt and more pepper, and the dressing. You may have dressing left over and it will keep fine in the fridge for a week and taste delicious on any green salad. Serve with the mussels and feel you arteries get a good, tasty scrub.

Strawberry cake

2011-07-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

First, I want to apologize to Liz's sister, who has been asking for this recipe for a while. My crazy travels to Indonesia, Russia, and Kazakhstan have kept me busy and away from my kitchen. A post about the food cultures in these countries is coming up soon. And now, let’s get to the cake business.

About a year ago, I discovered a 7-minute frosting that can be described as a heavy cream marshmallow sugar cloud goodness :). This frosting has a light taste, but a firm body, which makes it perfect for the strawberry cake featured in the May edition of the Saveur magazine.

The original cake recipe calls for 16 Tbsp of butter, 8 oz. of cream cheese, 1 cup of canola oil, and ... a pack of cholesterol medicine. Despite that, the Saveur recipe became the inspiration for a flavorful, yet light cake with strawberries covered in the clouds of frosting.

Cake
3 cups of cake flour, plus 2 tbsp for the pans
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of purred strawberries pressed through a chinois
2 tbsp of beet food coloring from 1 graded and squeezed beet (you can use conventional food coloring if you insist)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9″ round cake pans.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk together milk, strawberry pure, and 2 tbs. of food coloring.
Beat sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs on the medium-high speed until pale and smooth, 2–3 minutes.
In 3 additions add dry and wet ingredients to the sugar mixture beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
Cool the cakes for15 minutes, unmold, then cool for another 15 minutes until the cakes are at the room temperature.

Frosting

5 tbsp of the room temperature water

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup of sugar

2 large egg whites at the room temperature

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Whisk all ingredients except the vanilla, in a large glass bowl.
Fill a wide skilled with water (1 inch) and bring the water to simmer.

Set the bowl in the skillet making sure that the water level is at least as high as the depth of the egg whites.

Beat the mixture on the low speed until it reaches 140F. Don't stop beating when the bowl is in the skillet. You can take the bowl out of the skilled to check the temperature.

Once the frosting reaches 140F, switch the mixer to high and beat the frosting for another five minutes.
Remove the bowl from the skillet and add the vanilla. Beat the frosting on high for two more minutes until it becomes room temperature.
Refridgerate for at least 15 minutes before using.

Assembling
1/2 cup of hulled strawberries cut vertically into 3 pieces

Flip one cake upside down and spread 1/3 cup of the frosting on top. Arrange the strawberries in one layer and top with ¼ cup of the frosting.
Place the second layer of the cake, top side up. Frost the top and the sides with 1/2 cup of the frosting. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cover the cake with the rest of the frosting and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Serve at the room temperature.

Summer risotto with zucchini and mushrooms

2011-06-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite habits is bringing my own lunch. It helps that I love leftovers. Sometimes, it is a simple vegetable salad, like roasted beets and fennel, a bit of local mozzarella with a piece of bread from my favorite Orwashers bakery. Other weeks, its leftovers from weekend cooking or something I prepared for the week on Sunday. Almost always, it is better than anything I could buy in one of may "cafeterias" with salad and sushi bars right next to each other (does anybody else find it odd?). Granted, there are many days when I don't bring lunch, but this week I'm looking forward to a lovely risotto with local zucchini, mushrooms, herbs, finished with freshly grated Parmesan.

Now, I know that we are all very busy and the idea of packing a lunch may seem overwhelming. Not to channel Jamie Oliver, but I want food that helps me get through a very busy day. So next Sunday, I urge you to hit the farmers' market (or your local grocer), pull out a skillet, dump some rice, sip on a summer white and stir yourself some lunch. It is a 45 minute effort (think of it as 9 minutes per workday, which is faster than standing in line at Europe cafe) that will reward you every day of the week.

Risotto with zucchini and mushrooms

1 large or 2 medium zucchini, rinsed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 pound of cremini mushrooms, scrubbed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 medium onion (I used the bulb and the greens of a mild spring onion), diced

3 cloves of garlic or 1 head of spring garlic, chopped

The leaves of 6 6 sprigs of thyme

1 sprig of rosemary or savory (I used dried savory from Keith's Farm)

6 - 8 cups of chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 cup of white wine (no need to be fancy, but use something you would drink)

2 cups of risotto rice, such as Arborio

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan

8 sprigs of parsley, chopped

A dozen basil leaves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium pan, bring the chicken stock to the boil and then reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Warm a large saute pan over medium-high heat with one tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the zucchini, stirring occasionally and salting at the end, until yielding and slightly browned. Move to a bowl. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and cook the mushrooms over high heat, stirring once in a while until well-browned. Do not disturb the mushrooms for the first 3 - 4 minutes in the pan. They will release a lot of water and you want that water to evaporate so that the mushrooms can brown nicely. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and move them to the bowl with zucchini.

Wipe or rinse the pan, then heat the remaining 1 tablespoons of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter over low-medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and rosemary or savory, and cook until softened and fragrant, but not browning. Add the rice and stir for 2 -3 minutes to coat the rice with the fat in the pan. Pour in the wine and stir until most of the wine is absorbed or evaporated. Now add the hot stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring frequently, until the rice is plump with a slightly chewy center and the "sauce" leaves traces on the bottom of the pan. You don't want rice soup but you also don't want rice pilaf. Think of the desired texture as that of rice pudding, but with stock instead of milk. This usually takes me at least 20 minutes. Before you add the last ladleful, fold in the zucchini and the mushrooms. Add the last of the stock and stir for a bit to let the flavors combine. Turn off the heat and stir in Parmesan, the last tablespoon of butter, the parsley, the basil, and some pepper. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Serve immediately and garnish with more Parmesan, if you like to spoil yourself like that. Pat yourself on the back for making a delicious and healthy lunch that is a lot better than a turkey club sandwich.

Strawberry-rhubarb ice cream

2011-06-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

So, my sister is a total morning person. When I visit her, by the time I wake up, she has cleaned the house, done yoga, finished her weekly grocery shopping, and made us a coffee. I, on the other hand, crankily get out of bed around 11, searching for that coffee and don't really get going till 1 or so. In my defense, I am writing this post at 2am. See, we all have our special skills.
Ok, back from the sleeping tangent (it is 2am, after all). Our wake-up preferences affect when we shop at the farmers' market. She is usually there just in time for the opening. I am usually rushing before the stands close at 3pm or so. Both approaches have their advantage - she gets the pick of the best stuff, while I get the end-of-day bargains. I am going to argue that my strategy works really well for produce that is in season and plentiful. To prove my point, I bought $10 worth of strawberries at about 3:35pm last Saturday that will easily last me for the entire week. I would have paid $15 for the same berries if I showed up earlier.
Now, I looooove strawberries, but even I have my limits. It was clearly time for ice cream. I had some rhubarb at home and thought the classic combo would work really well with cream and frozen. I was right; the flavors work great. What I did not realize until later was that rhubarb is high in pectin and adds a particularly luscious quality to the ice cream. Err, I am eating this stuff out of the tub as I type.

The recipe is based on Jenni Britton's formula that uses cornstarch instead of egg yolks. I find that absence of yolks leads to a cleaner tasting base that is particularly suitable for fruity ice creams. I also swapped 1 cup of milk with the fruit.

Strawberry-rhubarb ice cream
5 stalks of ripe rhubarb, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 pound of good local strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (that's 4 teaspoons if you don't want to dirty two spoons)
11/4 cups of heavy cream
2/3 cups of sugar for the ice cream base plus 1/2 cup of sugar for the strawberries and rhubarb
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of cream cheese, softened
1/8 teaspoon of salt

First, cook the rhubarb and 1/2 cup of sugar over medium-low heat until the the mixture comes to a boil and the rhubarb starts breaking down. Add the strawberries, bring to a boil once more, and turn off the heat. You don't want to make jam here. Let the mixture hang out and cool a bit while you make the ice cream base.
Mix well the 2 tablespoons (also known as a bit) of milk with the cornstarch in a small container. Heat up the rest of the milk, the cream, and the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Turn the heat back on to medium-low and cook, whisking frequently, until the milk mixture coats the back of a spoon and a trail is left if you drag your finger across it. Fold in 11/4 cup of the strawberry-rhubarb mixture and cook for another minute. Off the heat, whisk in the vanilla, the cream cheese, and the salt. Set the pot with the ice cream base in an ice bath and cool, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or so. Don't worry, there are no egg yolks to curdle here, so you don't have to cool it very fast.
Refrigerate the base until cold. Churn in your ice cream maker per directions. Try not to eat it off the spoon. Once churned, move it to another container and freeze for at least a couple of hours to allow the ice cream to "mature". Have a date. Eat. Drink a nice sparkling desert wine (there are strawberries involved, after all).

Perfect brunch - dandelion greens salad with bacon, spring garlic, and soft-boiled egg

2011-06-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite restaurants is al di la in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I love the perfectly shabby, cozy dining room with its big window, pressed tin ceiling and an old chandelier. I would eat their calf liver weekly, if allowed, and I have friends obsessed with their roast chicken. I've never met anybody who didn't like the place. Perhaps if I did, I would not be friends with them. Last time there, my dear friend Assel and I shared a warm dandelion greens salad, which immediately sprang to mind when I spotted the greens at my Sunday market. I also spotted spring garlic, odds and ends pieces of local bacon (great deal if your farmer sells it, because it is usually cheaper than sliced bacon), and eggs. Suddenly, I was looking at an excellent Sunday brunch - bitter dandelions wilted with sharp bacony dressing, mellow bites of garlic and rich egg yolk caught in the leaves, a hunk of Orwasher's excellent ale bread to sop it all up. I used about 1/3 a large bunch of greens with 1/4 pound of bacon and 1 egg (well, I added a couple quail eggs given to me at the market as well). This was a very generous lunch for one, but would also serve two, if you are people with normal appetites or have something else to eat. I would boil another egg, though; you don't want to fight over egg yolk first thing on a lovely Sunday afternoon. Follow with a coffee and some local strawberries, as if you needed another reminder that summer is awesome.

Warm dandelion greens salad with bacon, spring garlic, and egg

Ingredients:
1/3 bunch dandelion greens, torn into 2 -3 inch pieces, washed and dried well
Parsley leaves, picked off a few sprigs (optional, but tasty)
1/4 pound of applewood smoked bacon, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 sprig of spring garlic, sliced
1 - 2 fresh eggs, depending if you are sharing or being selfish
1 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil, adjusted to your bacon's fattiness
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 -3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste. I would suggest adding salt to the salad after you dress it, if necessary, because bacon can be salty.

For a perfect soft-boiled egg, put an egg in a small pot with room temperature water and bring to the boil. Boil for exactly 4 minutes, transfer to a bowl with room temperature water to let cool. Meanwhile, warm a small skillet with a tablespoon of oil over low-medium heat and cook the bacon to render the fat and let it crisp. With a spoon (ideally, a slotted one), transfer the bacon to a medium mixing bowl leaving the fat behind. To this awesome bacon fat add the spring garlic and saute gently until the garlic is softened and it smells like garlicky cured pork in your kitchen. Turn off the heat and check the amount of fat in the pan. If it looks dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil and whisk in the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and freshly ground pepper. Put the greens and parsley on top of the bacon, dump the warm dressing and toss thoroughly. Let the greens sit, wilt, and relax, while you peel the egg, carefully. Taste the salad and add salt and a bit more vinegar, if needed. Remember, the egg will bring more fat to the party, so you want the salad on the acidic side to start with. Put the salad in a wide, shallow serving bowl and top with the egg that you gently split to expose the runny yolk. Try not to feel like a semi-pro.

Upside-down rhubarb cake

2011-05-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

I love rhubarb not only because it offers a lovely tangy counterpoint to simple sweetness, delivers a pretty pink, but also because it indicates that spring is finally here. A humble vegetable, classified as a fruit (I guess an opposite of a tomato), rhubarb's appearance at farmers' stands means that its time for asparagus, spring peas, with strawberries not far behind. Spring being my favorite time of the year, I appreciate rhubarb's signal.

While rhubarb pie is a classic, I was in no mood to start pie dough at 10pm on a Sunday. I was craving a cake with soft crumb that would let the rhubarb flavor come through, not too sweet for a Monday morning breakfast treat at work, but indulgent enough to have with an afternoon tea. The Gourmet recipe was just about perfect, but I reduced the sugar in the topping to 1/2 cup, replace anise with orange zest, and forgot to add the 1/4 cup of milk with no evidence of harm. My version is below with the link to the original. The batter comes together in a no time and you don't have to lay out the rhubarb cubes as obsessively as I did. Also, baking this in a cast iron skillet reduces clean up. If you don't have an oven proof skillet of the right size, just melt the butter and the brown sugar on the stove top and then pour it into the cake pan.

Upside-down rhubarb cake
(Adapted, slightly, from Gourmet magazine)

For topping

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds trimmed rhubarb

For cake

Zest of 1 orange, ideally organic, because most of the pesticides are on the skin
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Make topping:
In a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet melt butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and reduce heat to low. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly onto bottom of skillet and heat, stirring occasionally, until the brown sugar melts. Remove skillet from heat. Cut enough rhubarb crosswise into 1-inch pieces to measure 3 cups and decoratively arrange, rounded sides down, in one layer over brown sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make cake:
Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in vanilla and orange zest. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed add flour mixture alternately in batches with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just combined (do not overbeat).| Spoon batter over rhubarb in skillet, spreading evenly (be careful not to disturb rhubarb), and bake cake in middle of oven until golden, about 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in skillet on a rack 15 minutes.

Run a thin knife around edge of skillet and invert a plate over skillet. Keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert cake onto plate. Carefully remove skillet and serve cake warm or at room temperature. Feel free to share with colleagues.

Remembering Indonesia over a bowl of gado gado noodles

2011-05-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

DC sunset from my window

About a month ago I was in Indonesia, where I met a group of wonderful Fulbright scholarship recipients, who are teaching English in Malaysia. We watched stunning Bali sunsets, ate at the night market, partied in a 5 floor nightclub, and spent hours at the pool...ah-h-h enjoying DC sunset and a bowl of udon gado gado, Indonesian raw salad, I want to thank people who have made my vacation in Bali truly unforgettable.

This recipe is for you guys and for all Fulbright recipients, Peace Corps volunteer, students, and anyone who is searching for a delicious South East Asian recipe that can be easily prepared in a microwave.

Spicy peanut sauce (1 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts or, if you don't have a food processor, 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed
1 tsp shrimp paste
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1inch ginger finely chopped
1 glove garlic crushed
1 generous pinch of salt
1 tbsp brown sugar/honey/agave
Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth

if you do not have a food processor

Place ginger, jalapeno, and garlic on a chopping board, sprinkle sugar and salt on top. Press sugar and salt into the ingredients with a side of your knife until the mixture turns into a paste.
Mix the paste with the rest of the ingredients.

Noodles (serves 4)
1/2 cup string beans trimmed
2 large carrots cut into 1" sticks
4 eggs
1 lb. udon or other long noodles
1 cup cabbage/ spinach shredded
4 scallion chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup peeled cucumber cubed
1 lb tempeh/extra firm tofu cubed
pinch of salt
Fill a microwave safe bowl with hot water and 1 tbsp salt. Place beans, carrots, and eggs in the bowl. Cook on high for 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Blanch vegetables in ice water leaving eggs in the bowl with hot water. Set vegetables aside.

Add noodles to the bowl. Cook on high for another 7 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through adding more water if needed. Remove eggs from the bowl. While eggs are cooling, strain the noodles. Toss hot noodles with cabbage/spinach, bean sprouts, scallions, and 1 cup of sauce.

Peel and slice eggs. Top with vegetables, eggs, and tempeh/tofu. Poor the remaining sauce on top and enjoy.

2 sisters cooking Mexican!

2011-05-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, I have missed you! Unless you wanted to read recipes for a green salad or grated carrots, I have not had much to contribute to this blog. Fortunately, Saule came to visit and dragged me out of my rut, literally and figuratively! Last Friday, we visited the CIA (the culinary school, not the agency) and she'll tell you about it. I want to share a few recipes we were inspired to cook in a vaguely Mexican vein. How vaguely? Well, there was guacamole with spring onions, rib-eye tacos, quick-pickled vegetables, and roasted asparagus with queso fresco all washed down with the fine Blue Point Toasted lager. It was so nice to cook again and even better to cook together. I also still find it remarkable that my sister manages to leave the kitchen spotless BEFORE we sit down for dinner!

Rib-eye tacos
We used about a pound of Wilklow Orchards grass-fed rib-eye to feed two

1 pound of good quality rib-eye or another favorite steak, sliced across the grain about 1/4 inch thick
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped finely
1 large lime, juiced
1 clove garlic
2-3 sprigs of spring onion or a small red onion, chopped finely
2-3 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds, toasted and crushed in a mortar and pestle or 2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients and let the meat marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat a heavy skillet (we used cast iron) over medium-high heat until a tablespoon of oil shimmers. Sear the meat on both sides, being careful to not overcrowd the skillet until cooked as you desire. Scrape in the rest of the marinade and toss around a bit. Serve with corn tortillas and your favorite taco toppings, such as pickled veggies.

Quick-pickled vegetables
We used radishes, carrots, and a red bell pepper, sliced on a mandoline. Feel free to use cabbage, mild turnips, and even broccoli stems. This volume generously served two, but the vegetables will also keep in the fridge for a few days.
5 -6 radishes, sliced thinly
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon of water
2-3 sprigs of cilantro, chopped

Toss the vegetables in a medium bowl. Mix the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and cumin and bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables, tossing well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, mixing occasionally, and stir in the cilantro before serving.

Gratuitous shot of my thyme plant

Peanut butter bread

2011-04-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

For the past year I have been teaching Russian at the Global Language Network, a DC-based NGO that offers free language courses taught by native language speakers. GLN helped me to understand what a rewarding job teaching is as well as meet wonderful people interested in Russian language and culture. Last semester, my class presented me with a book by Jim Lahey, owner of the Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC and founder of no-knead bread technique. While many food writers and bloggers, including Mark Bittman and Jaden Hair, celebrate the classic no-knead loaf, they overlook other recipes from My Bread. Today, I want to share the share a recipe for ultimate breakfast/snack/dessert bread that turns American classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich into a rustic, rich, and sweet loaf.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread

1 large (about 60 grams) egg, beaten

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp (280 grams) bread flour

2 Tbsp (20 grams) whole wheat flour

3/4 Tsp (4 grams) kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant or other active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (260 grams) cool (55 to 65 degrees F) water
3 tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup (35 grams) unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, whole
1/4 (35 grams) unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

1/3 cup (100 grams) seedless fruit jam of choice

nonstick cooking spray

additional flour for dusting

Reserve 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg for glazing the bread. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, salt, yeast, and the remaining egg. Blend the water and peanut butter in a blender until smooth (some settling will occur if this is left to stand, so blend just before using). Add mixture to the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough without any lumps, about 30 seconds. Stir in the whole peanuts until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, about 12 hours.

When the first rise is complete, sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Lightly flour your hands and gently pat and pull the dough into a rough rectangle about 8 by 12 inches.

Now you're going to make a sort of jelly roll: Position the dough so a long side is in front of you. Spread the jam evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Lift up the far side of the rectangle and fold one third of it over toward the center, then continue rolling up the remainder into a cylinder. With the seam on the bottom, tuck the ends of the roll under to seal them, so the jam doesn't ooze out during baking.

Lightly coat the loaf pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle half of the chopped peanuts into the bottom of the pan. Gently transfer the dough, seam side down, to the loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining chopped peanuts onto the dough. Cover the dough with a towel and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 hour. The dough is ready when it has doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

About 15 minutes before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 450°F, with a rack in the center.

Brush the top of the dough with the reserved beaten egg. Bake until golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the peanuts start to darken, loosely cover the loaf with foil. Use pot holders to invert the pan onto a rack, remove the pan, and turn the bread right side up to cool thoroughly. (Don't dawdle--the bread will get soggy if it cools in the pan.

Birthday pate

2011-03-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

I am terrible about remembering people’s birthdays. It is embarrassing that a good friend of mine reminds me about my parents’ birthday every year. However, in the past year or so, I found a good method of remembering about birthdays and making birthday presents at the same time. The solution is cake. For some unknown reason, I find birthday cake deadlines much more effective than Facebook, Outlook, and other gadgets.

In the past, there was Yasaman’s chocolate roll-cake and Amina’s pear tart, but few months ago I received an unusual request from my friend, colleague, and great cook – Jeremy. He asked for a pate as birthday present.

My conservative and purist views on food eliminated the idea of a cake-shaped pate ala SeriousEats right away and knowing Jeremy’s weakness for duck and pork, I decided to mix the proteins a bit. Roasted pistachios enhance the texture, add natural saltiness, and nutty smokiness to this silky treat. This pate would make a great holiday present, a center piece at a wine party, and a much better snack than a granola bar.

Birthday pate

1 Tbsp butter

.1 pound guanchala (smoked pork fat)

1 medium shallot

5 sage leafs

2 springs of tarragon

1.25 pound chicken liver

.5 pound duck liver

1 duck lung (very well cleaned)

1/3 cup dry red wine

5 Tbsp soft unsalted butter

1/3 cup roasted salted pistachios

salt/pepper

splash of red wine vinegar

Butter "seal"

1 Tbsp butter melted

1Tbps of chopped cup roasted salted pistachios cleaned from the outer skin

2-3 small sage leafs

Melt butter and guanchala in a steal or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add finely chopped shallots, sage, tarragon to the pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add meat to a hot pan and cook for 3 minutes or until livers are just slightly pink in the middle. Add wine, scraping the bottom of the pan reduce the liquid to 3 Tbsp. Turn off the heat and put 4 livers on a side.

Cool the meat. Add the meat (with all pan juices), pistachios, butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 tsp black pepper, and a splash of red wine vinegar to a blender or a food processor. Whiz the mixture until it is smooth. Move the pate into a large bowl.

Chop reserved livers and gently fold chopped livers into the pate. Fill up sterilized ramekin or jar with pate leaving 1/3 inch of space on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Pour 1 Tbsp of melted butter over the pate to seal it. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Sprinkle chopped pistachios over the butter and garnish with fresh sage. Serve with toasted bread.

Good foods and good company

2011-03-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

I like to host parties, which explains my love for all sorts of holidays. I treat Thansksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, etc. as perfect excuses to invite a few friends, plan a menu and cook. This makes the long stretch of winter after January 1st and before, well, before its warm enough to walk around with bare legs, rather difficult. Recently though, I realized that I don't need a formal reason for a party and that the fact that its a long winter is reason enough. So, on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon a couple weeks ago I had a few girlfriends over for cocktails, a chat, and a few bites. We drank lovely cocktails of Aperol, fresh grapefruit juice and cava, a bubbly variation on Pamplemousse - just bitter enough to not feel like brunch. We ate hearty slices of braised beef with its sauce reduced and rich, a sort of tomato and meat jam, seared square of polenta topped with soft mushrooms and sharp cheese, some cheese and olives, including the wonderful Humboldt Fog, and gushy squishy Whoopie pies. The food was hearty, as I don't believe in the notion of "girlie" food, the drinks cool and refreshing, the conversation flowed and we all enjoyed as the afternoon winter sun faded into the evening. Maybe I can manage until it is warm enough for bare legs after all.

The polenta squares are really easy, especially if you use the oven method of cooking the polenta. I would recommend making it the evening before, so that it has time to set overnight. Another way to serve this would be to top the hot, soft polenta with the mushroom ragu, to which I would add about a cup of tomato sauce or a 14 oz. can of tomatoes. The most difficult part of Whoopie pies was finding marshmallow fluff, which I have never bought before and which was oddly sold out in my local Key Foods. I used Gourmet's very good recipe, but did not bother measuring the fluff (have you seen how sticky it is!), and added an extra 1/2 stick of butter. I also scaled back on the confectioners sugar to 1 cup.

Polenta squares with mushroom ragu
For polenta
2 cups of polenta, grits, or medium-grind corn (same thing, sometimes differently priced)
8 cups of water
2 tablespoons of olive oil to cook the polenta and another 4 for frying
2 teaspoons of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the polenta, water, and 2 tablespoons of oil in a 9 x 13 baking dish or a medium pot. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 2 minutes. Stir in the salt and taste. If the polenta is still a bit tough, add water if it looks dry and not all creamy, return to the oven for another 10 - 20 minutes. At this point, you can either serve the polenta hot with the ragu or let it set and fry it.

Let the polenta cool fully and refrigerate for at least 6 - 8 hours or until firm. Cut into 15 squares. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and fry the polenta squares for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crusty. By then the inside will warm through and get gushy and soft. You may need to fry polenta in batches and keep the fried pieces warm in the oven.

For mushroom ragu
2 pounds of mixed mushrooms, such as creminis and shiitakes, rinsed, de-stemmed and caps sliced across
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed well
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons mixed herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, savory, or whatever you have
1/4 cup of wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2-3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the porcini in 1 cup of water or stock until soft, about 15 - 20 minutes. Chop the soft porcini finely and strain the liquid to remove any sediment. Warm up a large skillet on medium heat and melt 1 - 2 tablespoons of butter and a bit of olive oil, then saute the mushrooms in 1 layer. You may need to saute in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and ending up with a soggy heap of steamed mushrooms. Let them cook well and brown on each side, then flip. Once all the mushrooms are sauteed, melt the remaining butter with another splash of olive oil and saute the onion until lightly golden. Add the garlic, the herbs, the tomato paste and a healthy pinch of salt, and cook for a few more minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and simmer until the wine almost evaporates, then add back the sauteed mushrooms, the porcini and their soaking liquid. Bring to the boil, turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the ragu has a soft, spoonable consistency, but holds its shape. If you plan to serve it over soft polenta, add the tomatoes along with the porcini soaking liquid and simmer for 30 minutes. Let the ragu cool slightly, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley.

Spoon a generous tablespoon of ragu on to each polenta square and garnish with shaved parmesan.

Enjoy with a lovely pink cocktail and good company.

Roasted mahi-mahi with lentils and braised carrots and leeks

2011-02-15T22:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy busy few weeks, but I won't bore all of you with the details. Let's just say that finding myself at home last Friday with enough energy to cook a nice meal, just for myself, was a much-desired treat. I think that a fish fillet is particularly suitable for dinners for one, so on a quiet evening I seasoned Le Puy lentils with mustard and creme fraiche, slowly braised carrots and leeks in olive oil and listened to fish skin crackling in the oven. A glass of Hanging Vine Chardonnay, the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy on the laptop, and a proper dinner were the perfect reminders that sometimes bliss is in slowing down for a few hours every few weeks.

Oven-roasted Mahi-mahi with Le Puy lentils and braised carrots and leeks

For the fish:
1 fillet of Mahi-mahi
Olive oil, salt, pepper

For the lentils:
1/2 cup of Le Puy lentils
2 teaspoons good mustard
2 tablespoons creme fraiche

For the vegetables:
3 medium carrots, cut across into 1/4 inch coins
1 leek, halved, rinsed well, and sliced into 1/4 inch semi-circles
1 small onion, cut in half and sliced
2 cloves of garlic
3 - 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, rinsed
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees for the fish, along with the skillet you plan to cook the fish in.

Rinse the lentils in cold water to remove any debris, then cover with 1 cup of water, bring to the boil, add a healthy pinch of salt, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 20 - 30 minutes until tender, but still toothsome.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute onions and leeks over medium heat until they begin to caramelize. Don't rush it; a lot of the flavor is developed here. Add the garlic, carrots, and thyme and another 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Reduce the heat to low and braise the vegetables, covered, for 20 minutes until soft, but not mushy. Turn off the heat and add a good drizzle of balsamic or sherry wine vinegar to give the vegetables a bit of brightness.

Meanwhile, pour about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the hot skillet, season the fish with salt, and place it in the skillet skin side down. Roast in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes or until the fillet is opaque and flaky, but still moist.

The lentils should be done now. Mix the mustard and the creme fraiche and taste to see if they need more salt. Spoon the lentils onto a plate, place the fish on the lentils and top with braised vegetables. Add a few grinds of fresh black pepper if you would like. Remember how much you enjoy cooking and eating a proper meal.

Boozy challah bread pudding

2011-01-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

weekly menu notes

There are two issues with challah that despite all of my attempts I could not resolve for a while. The recipe yields 2 large bread loafs and despite the fact that I always give some of it away, I still end up with at least ½ extra loaf. Challah also does not age or freeze well. The bread dries out just in couple days and becomes too chewy when frozen.

Today morning, when flipping through an old issue of Food&Wine, I spotted a recipe for a rhubarb bread pudding… then I lifted my gaze and say half a loaf of stale challah. My mind and stomach started working. First, there are very few fruits still available at the market. Apples would be great, but I am a bit tired from apple desserts after the holiday season, so I went with the second option- pears. Then, my craving for chocolate and a hint of sweet tanginess, in this case golden raisins, kicked in. Brandy came last to adding depth and woodiness to this rich dessert that solve this issue of stale challah.

Boozy bread pudding 12 cups 1 inch cubes of stale challah, crust removed

¼ cup brandy

¼ cup golden raisins
½ cup agave
3 large eggs
2.5 cups half&half
pinch of salt
½ cup shaved unsweetened dark chocolate
2 thinly sliced bosc pears
¼ cup sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 375F. Set aside a cake pan that fits into a larger skillet for the water bath.
Arrange challah cubes in one layer and bake for 10-12 minutes until the bread is slightly toasted. Move the bread into a large bowl. Keep the oven on.
Run raisins under hot water until soft. Place raisins a small bowl with brandy.
Whisk agave, eggs, half&half, salt, chocolate, and raisins. Gently fold in the mixture making sure all pieces of bread are covered . Soak for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the skillet over moderate heat. Sprinkle sugar on the skillet and add pears. Caramelize pears for 2-3 minutes on each side. Pour brandy from soaked raisins over the pears and cook until brandy is completely evaporated. Turn off the heat.

Move pears to the cake pan arranging them in a single payer.

Instead of trying to scrape of the caramel from the bottom of the skillet, fill up the pan half-way with water.

Spoon the bread mixture and any remaining liquid over the pears. Place the cake pan into the skilled filled with water. Bake for 1 hour.

Remove the cake pan from the water

bath and place on a wire rack to cool.

*if you want to get the tart-like design as shown below, line the pears evenly on the bottom of the cake pan. When the pudding is cool, run a spatula around the edge of the pan and invert the pudding carefully.

Challah – challah - challah

2011-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

In the early 90s back in Kazakhstan, we lived across the hallway from a Jewish grandmother, who I adored for her kindness and … her amazing challah. Every time I smelled sweet, fluffy, buttery odor of freshly baked challah, I found an excuse to stop by the neighbor’s apartment. Many years passed since then, we changed half a dozen apartments, and I moved overseas, but the weakness for challah remained.

About a year ago, I spotted a loaf of challah at the Firehook bakery, DC native bread producer. The $8 loaf looked like a yellow painted brick of dough (result of yellow food coloring often added by commercial bakers for a rich look). While the Firehook challah did not make my mouth water, it pushed me to pursue a recipe that resembled the challah of my childhood.

It took 20+ loafs and about a year of research to find a perfect challah in the recipe book of my friend’s mother. Elliot and his brothers assembled the recipe book in memory of their mother. The book contains over eighty Jewish, Asian, Moroccan, and American recipes dated back to 1966. I am honored to own a copy of the book and share this recipe with you.

Challah

1 Tbsp dry yeast

¼ cup lukewarm warm

1 cup boiling water

2 tsp honey

1 tsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp mild oil (nut oil or sunflower oil)

4 ¼ cups white flour (1/4 more for kneading)

3 eggs (instead of yellow food coloring (yaks), I use fresh farm eggs that have deep golden yolks as result of the grass-based diet of chickens)

Dissolve dry yeast in the lukewarm water.

Dissolve honey, salt, and oil in the boiling water. Cool the mixture until it is lukewarm.

Sift flour in a large bowl. Make an indention in the center, with a wooden spoon mix-in 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, water and yeast mixture. If the dough does not come together into a ball after 3 minutes of mixing, add a bit more flour. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until it is smooth and soft adding flour to prevent sticking.

Transfer the dough into a large bowl lightly oiled with a vegetable or nut oil. Turn the dough around to cover it evenly with oil. Close the bowl with a plastic wrap or a lid and let the dough rise in a draft free place (72-75F) for 1 hour or until the dough doubles.

Remove the dough into a lightly floured surface. Depending on the design of challah, divide the dough into 1, 4, or 6 pieces. Different braiding techniques are demonstrated in these videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11B8leqk0RY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_guFQR-6dw4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA2mG2neGIc

Braid challah directly on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the loaf rise in a draft free place (72-75F) for 45 minutes until the dough puffs and doubles.

15 minutes before the end of the second rise, pre-heat the oven to 375F. Mix reserved egg white with 1Tbsp of cool water. Brush challah with the egg wash and bake on a middle rack for 45 minutes or until a firm golden crust forms.

Cool on a wire rack until the bread is completely cool (otherwise challah will “sink” and lose it’s airiness)

½ cup of raisins (optional) if you wish to add raisins, soak raisins in a hot water for 5 minutes and roll in a little bit of flour. Mix-in raisins before the first rise.

2 Tbsp poppy or sesame seeds(optional) sprinkle challah with seeds after applying the egg wash.

Roast chicken makes good Friday night company

2011-01-09T20:18:00.000-08:00

Living New York city and Washington, DC, my sister and I have a many entertaining options on any given Friday night. Some weeks, though, a simple supper of roast chicken with perfectly crisp skin, a glass of Austrian Pinot Noir (Johanneshof Reinisch's Vom Steinfeld, 2008) and a movie is all that a girl in a big city wants. Easy to put together, leisurely to enjoy, roast chicken with vegetables for one also results in plenty of delicious lunches that draw sighs of envy from one's colleagues.

I follow Zuni Cafe's approach to roast chicken by picking a smaller bird and cooking it at high temperatures in my favorite 10-inch cast iron skillet. Not being a planner, I often forget to salt the chicken in advance, but seasoning it a half an hour before roasting works pretty well too. The quality of the chicken is particularly important in this simple preparation, so get yours from your favorite local chicken farmer. I like adding vegetables to roast with the chicken. This time, I used baby potatoes and red onions, but winter squash, whole cloves of garlic, carrots, even brussels sprouts would all be good additions. So, if you find yourself lazying around on a Friday evening, perhaps nursing a winter cold, with waning motivation to go outside, make roast chicken and ease into a restful weekend.

Roast chicken with vegetables

1 whole small - medium chicken, about 3 to 3-1/2 pounds

8 tender prigs of thyme, rosemary, marjoram, or sage (mixing the herbs is good, but not necessary)

1/2 lemon

1-1/2 pounds of vegetables for roasting, such as halved baby potatoes, sliced red onions, cubed winter squash, thick coins of carrots, and halved brussels sprouts

2 cloves of garlic

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Plenty of salt and pepper

Salt the chicken generously inside and outside at least 1 hour before roasting and up to 2 days. If salting several days in advance, keep refrigerated until about 1 hour before roasting. Pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees and place a cast iron skilled or another roasting pan inside until well-heated. Meanwhile, carefully loosen the skin over the breast and thighs and slide several sprigs of herbs underneath. Put a few sprigs of herbs and the lemon inside the chicken cavity. There is no need to truss.

Dry the chicken well and place, breast side up, in the skillet/roasting pan. Put the chicken in the oven and keep an eye on it; it should sizzle and start browning within 20 minutes. If it doesn't, gradually increase the temperature by 5 degrees; if it starts blistering, decrease the heat by 25 degrees. Let roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables of your choice by mixing them with chopped garlic, 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Carefully turn the chicken over, so that it is now breast side down, and tuck the vegetables around the chicken. Roast for another 10 - 20 minutes, depending on the size. Flip it over again to let re-crisp the skin on the breast for another 10 -20 minutes.

Take the chicken of the skillet and let it rest of a platter for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, keep your vegetables in the oven so that the chicken juices reduce and the vegetables cook fully. Carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables, squeezing the juice of the roasted lemon all over, grinding fresh pepper and scattering a bit of fresh thyme or parsley over. Serve with an light Pinor Noir, a green salad, while wearing your favorite house slippers. Friday night at home can be so so good.

The story of the fresh hog, fresh cranberry scones, & bonbons au chocolat

2010-12-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

Leigh, the owner of the Bull Run, the farm I receive CSA from, offers a number of specials during the CSA season including opportunities to purchase raw cheese, local honey, and meat. Couple month before Thanksgiving, Leigh sent CSA members an email asking if anyone would be interested in purchasing a whole or a half hog from a local farmer, who raised grass fed hogs. Fear of having to store over 50 pounds of pork in my freezer stopped me from signing up for this deal right away. Within a week, I recruited eight friends with a weakness for good meat to share half a hog. So a day after Thanksgiving, my sister and I hopped on the road to pick up 80 pounds of glorious pork from Fauquier's Finest Country butcher shop, in Virginia. The butcher did an amazing job packing and sorting the meat. All I had to do was to stack the vacuum-sealed meat blocks in my freezer like Tetris.

After making both a grand Thanksgiving meal and cooking at several Artisa events, my cooking motivation level was a bit low. It was very bad timing for that since I planned to make some cookies for the office. As with any food, this “oh not another cup of butter to be whipped” attitude would probably have a negative effect on the cookies and turn the pleasant baking experience into a nightmare.

Instead, I decided to make candy with none of the traditional caramel/toffee mess. The inspiration for the recipe came from store-bought candies that are very popular back home. Based on the reviews I received from my colleagues, these bonbons will soon become popular in the States too.

Dried fruit and nuts bonbons au chocolat
20 dried apricots

20 dried prunes
10 dried figs
20 salted and roasted almonds
20 roasted whole walnuts
20 salted and roasted pistachios
2 tbsp cinnamon
4 lightly crushed cloves
16 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 250F.
Bring three pots of water to simmer. In the first pot, dissolve the spices and add apricots. In the second pot, add figs and prunes. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the fruit “puffs” and softens. Remove the fruits from the liquid, spread on the baking sheep, pat dry, and stick in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the skins are dry. Cool the fruits.
In the third pot, melt the chocolate in a water bath stirring constantly with the spatula. Line a large cutting board with a plastic wrap.
Using kitchen scissors make a small cut in each fruit and insert 1-2 nuts inside (I stuffed apricots with almonds, prunes with walnuts, and dates with pistachios).
With chopsticks or tweezers, dip each stuffed apricot into the chocolate, making sure the entire fruit is well coated with chocolate. Gently shake off excess chocolate and place the bonbon on the cutting board lined with a plastic wrap. Continue with the rest of the fruit. Refrigerate the bonbons until the chocolate is firm for 15-20 minutes.
Compliment the bonbons with a cup of tea or coffee.

2 sisters + 1 kitchen = 1 Thanksgiving dinner or maybe 2

2010-12-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

As you can see, we served an apple pie for Thanksgiving. The applause for the apple pie goes to my sister, not only because she made the pie, but also because she managed to escape the holiday traffic and successfully deliver the frozen pie dough, turkey serving platter, carving set, and couple bottles of Cava.

Honestly this was the most thoroughly planned holiday meal that we have ever made. In the recent months, work at Artisa Kitchen has made me a slightly obsessive kitchen planner. I planned and cooked two Thanksgiving menus: one for David's family and another one for my dinner party. The planning started about two weeks before the holiday. My sister's reply to the question if she had any specific dishes on her mind was something along the lines, "No, not really. Well, I want to spatchcock the turkey and make the double baked apple pie. Oh also, I have this recipe for a very simple gravy." To this I replied, "Yeah I am also not sure about the menu. There is a recipe for mashed potatoes in the Happy in the Kitchen that I want to try. And remember that cranberry sauce you made last time? Well I want to make it with quince. U-u-u and the stuffing that you served in Chicago...ohhh that was good". The menu for my dinner party was born.

busy cooks' lunch of smoked duck breast and sauted beet greens with apples

David's menu was born because of the little food brat who lives inside me. When he told me that he has no idea of what to serve his family on Thanksgiving and most likely it will be something from a can.... no no no! I wanted to make an menu of dishes that can be prepared in advance and require minimum cleanup. Grilling was the safest choice. I salted the spatchcoked turkey and then rubbed it with herb butter. Sides included grilled fingerling potatoes and winter squash, bacon brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and a salad. The meal ended with dolce leche ice cream over a rose poached pairs.

Now back to our table. Let's start with the turkey, shall we, because that is probably what instills the most fear in budding home cooks. Oh, and this is Madina taking over the story. My sister threw around this term, "spatchcock", which is a rather funny word that simply means taking out a bird's backbone and flattening it. This technique helps cook the bird more evenly and faster, with our 13 pounder finished is just a little over an hour. This bird also gave us a good laugh, seeing as it was missing a significant part of its left wing, thus making it our first "right-winged" turkey. The night before Thanksgiving, I mixed kosher salt, chopped herbs (thyme, rosemary, and sage), with black pepper and generously sprinkled the turkey all over. It rested in the oven till the following afternoon, allowing the salt to draw out some juices, let herb flavor penetrate the meat and improving the meat's texture. About two hours before dinner, I took the turkey out of the fridge to take the chill off while the oven pre-heated. Roasted on a flat baking sheet, with some basting, this was one tasty right-winged bird (sorry, couldn't help it!).

With that, and props to my sister for taking her artistic, slightly OCD nature to decorating the apple pie with hand-carved leaves of pie dough, I will wrap up this post. The recipe for apple pie is coming, I promise. I just want to get this out before its Christmas, which will bring cookies and a 3-way duck. I guess we like to have a little fun with our poultry.

apple pie

beet+pea+simple mashed potatoes

Pea mashed potatoes

4 large Yukon golds

1 cup of frozen peas

handful of basil

3 garlic cloves

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 cup of warm whole milk

white pepper/salt

Peel and cut potatoes in even chunks. If you have a steamer, steam potatoes to reduce the amount of gluten that potatoes will produce. Otherwise, cover potatoes with cold water and bring to boil. Cook until a you can easily pears potato with a knife.

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Drop the peas in the boiling water and cook for a minute or two. Strain the peas and immediately put the strainer in the bowl with ice. Place peas, basil, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor or a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

Place potatoes and pea mixture in a double boiler (with a bowl over simmering water). Mash the potatoes adding milk as needed. Adjust salt and pepper.

Beet mashed potatoes

4 large Yukon Golds

2 large beets

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 cup of cream

salt/black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut off the beet greens. Wash and dry the vegetables. Place the beets on a sheet of heavy duty foil, pour the olive olive oil over the beets, and cover with foil tightly. Roast in the over for 45 minutes or until beets are cooked through.

With a paper towel remove the beet skins. Cut beet into chunks, add a little more olive oil and pure in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Follow instructions on cooking potatoes and mixing the vegetables from the recipe for the pea mashed potatoes, substituting cream for milk.

Madina's master carving

stuffing stuffed with other food

Michelle Richard's deconstructed egg

The Northern Spy kale salad

2010-11-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite food discoveries is Tuscan kale (also known as Dinosaur kale), raw, sliced thinly, and tossed with a bit of lemon juice, olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese. Well, a couple weeks ago I had an improved version of this salad at a lovely restaurant in New York's Lower East Side called Northern Spy. Ribbons of raw Tuscan kale, roasted acorn squash, almonds and wisps of cheese made for a delicious combination. Turns out, it is easy to make at home with the goodies from the farmer's market. Oh, and I love my new silicon baking sheet liners along with Deb's (over at Smitten Kitchen) method of oiling the sheet, not the vegetables.

Kale salad with acorn squash and almonds

1/2 pound of Tuscan kale

1/2 small-medium acorn squash

1/4 cup whole roasted almonds

Juice of 1/2 small lemon

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino chees

A healthy glug of olive oil

Salt, pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash across into 1/2 inch slices and put them on an oiled baking sheet lined with foil or silicon mats, if you would like. Season gently with salt and roast, flipping over halfway, for about 20-25 minutes until soft and browned. Meanwhile, remove the ribs from the kale and slice across very thinly. Finely dice the shallot and coarsely chop the almonds. Slightly cool the roasted squash and cut it into 3-4 pieces per slice. Toss the kale, squash, shallot, and almonds with the juice of 1/2 lemon, most of the grated cheese, a couple tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper. Pile on a plate and top off with the remaining cheese. Enjoy as a salad or a lovely seasonal side dish.

Baked ricotta rolls - a random name for a really good dish

2010-11-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

Dear friends (well, those who read this blog), I've missed you! I've been away for far too long and out of the many reasons, one really stands out - I've been cooking boring food that I did not deem worth sharing. For me, the boring (but good!) foods are fried ham with eggs, all manners of roasted vegetables (450 degree oven, salt, pepper, olive oil, maybe cumin or paprika, lemon juice to finish), lentil soup. Yeah, I want to fall asleep reading this too. At some point, though, I had to write something, so I give you a dish that is simple, but not boring, easy, yet makes for an impressive dinner and excellent leftovers. It has no good name (feel free to suggest in comments), but I love it nonetheless. This week, especially, as you anticipate swimming in turkey, mashed potatoes, and squash, the baked ricotta rolls maybe a reprieve, a connection to another place and, frankly, an entirely different season. Soft ricotta, fresh herbs, and a little pasta baked in tomato sauce.

These rolls do not follow a seasonal philosophy. They shamelessly use canned tomatoes and I'm sure would be delicious made with fresh tomatoes in the middle of August. However, I accidentally made ricotta by overheating my yogurt mixture last week, so I just pretended that it was the middle of August now. I made this batch with basil, but any soft herb (parsley, chives, even thyme) would be good.

Baked ricotta rolls

2 cups of ricotta cheese

8 dried lasagna sheets

1 28-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed with your hands

3 cloves of garlic

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup of basil or parsley, chopped and divided, plus whole leaves for baking

Salt, pepper, olive oil, nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, put a medium pot of water on heat to bring to the boil, and start heating a large saute pan for the tomato sauce. Peel and lightly crush 2 of the garlic cloves, drop them in the pan to be used for the tomato sauce, and saute them in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When both sides of the garlic have gotten a golden brown color, add the tomatoes (watch for splatter) and let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of basil.

Your pasta water should be boiling by now. Salt it well and add 8 sheets of lasagna pasta, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook for 8-9 minutes, or until cooked enough to be pliable, but not fully cooked. Take the pasta out of water and let rest, separated from each other, on a plate (pasta sheets will want to stick).

Mix ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup of Parmesan, a finely chopped remaining clove of garlic, and remaining basil, salt, pepper, and a few swipes of freshly-grated nutmeg. Position the lasagna sheets a short end in front of you. Put 2-3 tablespoons of filling on one end of the sheet, then roll gently. Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish and nestle the pasta rolls into the sauce. Top the rolls with 1/2 cup of Parmesan and put a basil leaf on each roll, if you would like. Bake, covered for 20-25 minutes. Then uncover and broil for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbling and lightly toasted. Let cool for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy, perhaps with that boring roasted broccoli.

Cook's Illustrated Pissaladière-Onion, Olive & Anchovy Tart

2010-11-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through a pile of old Cook's Illustrated at my sister's. Among other reason that make Cook's Illustrated superior to other culinary publications is the fact that there is always a recipe that you want to make right away. Pissaladière was the one that I ran into. Pissaladière is a simple french staple that can be served for simple dinner, brunch, or a wine paring event. To me it feels that the dish should be accompanied by a vegetable or a green, which, in my case, was a bed of arugula with shaved Pecorino and thin slices of the celery root. Simply blanched green beans or lightly roasted carrots should also compliment the salty and buttery taste of Pissaladière well. A glass of local 2007 Syrah from Delaplane Cellars is was a great pairing.

Dough

2 cups of bread flour and about 1/2 cup for rolling and shaping

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil and another 2 teaspoons of olive oil for brushing and shaping the dough

1/2 cup hot water mixed with 1/2 cup room temperature water

Mix all dry ingredients with oil. Pour in water in three batches mixing gently until the dough forms a ball.

With well floured hands transfer the dough into a floured board and knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth.

Oil a large bowl or a 32 ounce (minimum) tupperware. Place the dough in a bowl/tupperware, roll around once to cover all of the dough with oil, and cover with a plastic wrap/top. Let the dough rise in a draft free place for an hour or leave it overnight in a refrigerator.

Onions

2 tablespoons olive oil from anchovies

4 large Vidalia onions, diced into 1/2 inc pieces (4 cups)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon brandy/cognac

1 tablespoon water

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a non-stick or cast iron pan.

Add onions and salt. Cook for 10 minutes until onions start to brown.

Add brandy/cognac and let the alcohol evaporate. Lower the heat, add water, and cook stirring every 5 minutes for another 20 minutes until onions become golden brown.

the steps of Delaplane Cellars http://www.delaplanecellars.com/

Toppings

1/2 cup black pitted olives, roughly chopped

8 anchovy fillets packed in oil, roughly chopped plus 9-10 additional anchovy fillets

thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Preheat the oven to 500F.

Once the dough doubles, with well oiled hands remove the from the container, and divide into 2 equal parts, leaving one in a container while you are shaping the other.

Shape the dough by pulling and folding the edges of the dough ball in the center. Imagine you are folding chamomile petals.

Flip the dough seam side down and start stretching it by pressing and pulling it with a palm of one hand while holding the other end. Add flour if the dough sticks. Lay on a baking sheet or a pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal or lined with a parchment papper. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Brush the dough with olive oil.
Scatter onions, olives, chopped and anchovies. Layer anchovy fillets.
Bake until edges of the dough become golden brown about 15-17 minutes.
Cool and sprinkle with green onions.

Elements of the weekend: sustainable eating and birthday pear tart

2010-10-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

In the past couple year, I have been increasingly using local seasonal produce from community supported agriculture (CSA) ran by the Bull Run Mountain Farm. Leigh Hauter, the owner of the farm, is one of the most wonderful CSA providers in D.C. area. He always delivers exceptional organic fruits and vegetables along with fresh eggs and honey. Few times a season, shareholders also can order 5-pounds of raw Cheddar or Colby cheese, and visit the Farm for a shareholders party, cider pressing, and gleaning. I could not miss an opportunity to make some fresh cider. Here is the video of me pressing cider and links to the farms' websites.

Information on CSA http://bullrunfarm.com/

Website of the dairy farm http://www.farmsteadfresh.com/

In addition to the traditional apple cider, we made some pear cider, which was absolutely divine. I saved few pears to make an almond pear tart for my dear friend Amina’s birthday.

Almond-pear tart

Tart shell:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup agave

1/4 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons of frozen unsalted butter, cut into small cubes or grated

1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl and mix using 2 forks until the flour mixture mixes with butter forming coarse meal the size of oatmeal. Mix in the yolk until it blends in forming clumps. Turn the dough on the counter and gently form a ball, then knead carefully. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for couple hours.

After the dough chilled for 2 hours move it to well-floured surface. I am lucky to have stone countertop that keeps the dough cool longer. Butter an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Lift the dough to prevent sticking. Roll on half of the dough on the rolling pin and move to the pan. Press the dough carefully intol the pan sealing the edges. If the dough is bigger than a pan press the extra dough into the edges to make them firmer. Generously pierce the crust with fork.

Cover the crust tightly with non-stick aluminum foil and freeze for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake the crust for 25 minutes on the middle rack. Remove the foil and bake the crust for another 5 minutes. Cool the crust on a rack.

Filing:

2 cups dessert wine

½ cup agave

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cut in a half vertically, and cored

1 ½ cup almond meal

2 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 ounce agave

1 ½ stick room temperature butter

2 large eggs

1 teaspoons brandy

1 teaspoon almond extract

Powdered sugar (optional)

Bring wine, agave, and lemon juice to simmer. Add pears and cover the pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until pears look soft and translucent. Cool pears in syrup (reserve the syrup to top vanilla ice cream) Once pears are cool, cut the pear halves into ½ inch thick half rounds keeping the shape of half a pear together.

Mix almond meal, flour, and butter. Slowly mix in agave, eggs, brandy, and almond extract.

Spread the filling evenly in the crust. Carefully lift the pear halves using a large knife as a shelf and place in the filling so the top part of the pear point in the center. Gently press the pear on an angle, so the pieces will fan out.

Bake the tart for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool tart in the pan on rack. Sift powdered sugar the bottom of the shell, and serve.

Indian vegetarian food from a Kazakh kitchen

2010-09-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I had a big aversion to cilantro and its relative, lovage, which is used as cilantro in all of Central Asia. Both herbs tasted like soap and I could not come up with a better way to ruin a dish than to add cilantro or lovage to it. Fortunately, through years of dedicated practice (riiiight), I came to see cilantro for what it is - a lovely way to add brightness to a dish. Now, I can't imagine either Baigan Bharta or Chana Masala in this post without a generous handful of cilantro. It adds freshness to cooked spices, bringing them out of the doldrums and back into life.

The Chana Masala, courtesy of Orangette is a staple in my house, a perfect easy meal pulled together from pantry staples and trusted spices, comfort at the end of the day. The Baigan Bharta has long been an obsession, but I disliked the greasy version often found in take-out. Fortunately, with the eggplant season still in full swing, I've had plenty of time to experiment with multiple recipes and find the one that I liked. My mom especially loves this dish and has been a content Kazakh tucking into Indian vegetarian food.

Baigan Bharta

1 medium - large eggplant

1 medium tomato

2 cloves of garlic

1 medium onion

1/2 inch knob of ginger

1 medium jalapeno or 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne

2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee

1/2 teaspoon of black mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of garam masala

Sale to taste and a generous handful of cilantro to finish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the eggplant and prick it all over with a fork or a tip of a knife. Roast it (I like lining the baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up) for 45 minutes or until it is soft and sort of collapses into itself.

Meanwhile, heat up a large deep skillet with a couple of tablespoons of oil or ghee over low-medium heat. Chop the onion and tomato into cubes, finely chop garlic, ginger and jalapeno, if using. Drop the onion in the pan and fry until it starts turning golden, then add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno. Fry for another minute or so, until your kitchen starts smelling like the promise of dinner. Add another tablespoon of oil and fry the spices for a minute also, moving them around, so that they do not burn until fragrant. Drop in the tomato, letting it release its juice for a couple of minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of water, cover, and simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes to let flavors become friendly.

Once the eggplant has reached its collapsed state, carefully take it out and let cool, so that you can handle it. Once cooled, split it in half and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon onto a big cutting board. Run your knife through the seedy flesh, further breaking down the fibers. Note how strong eggplant skin is.

Add the eggplant to the pan, mix well and let cook for another 10 minutes under the lid. Season well with salt and stir in plenty of cilantro. If you hate cilantro, try a bit of mint or green onion. Serve with rice and Chana Masala.

Vareniki, granola, and apple bread

2010-09-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Our mom is in the States for 3 months. She spends most of her time in NYC, so I don’t get as many goodies as my sister does. During this week when she was visiting, I tried to squeeze in as many dishes that we wanted to exchange on the menu. One of the things that I miss the most about mom’s cooking, is hand-rolled pasta dough and 10,000 dishes she uses it for. We made a slightly gourmet version of vareniki, traditional Ukrainian ravioli, apple bread, and granola. I made some tweaks to the apple bread recipe from smittenkitchen.com and staple granola recipe substituting sugar for agave.

Apple bread: substitute a cup of oil and sugar for ½ cup of oil and ½ of agave.

Granola:

4 cups of regular oats

generous pinch of salt

1/3 cup of agave

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

3 cups of assorted chopped nuts, seeds, and dry fruits. I used walnuts, sunflower seeds, dried apricots, and raisins.

Bring the oven to 300F. Mix oats, salt, agave, and oil.Spread the mixture evenly on a cookie sheet or non-alumni baking sheet. When using alumni baking sheet cover it with parchment paper, because aluminum might alter the taste of some foods.
Bake for 1 hour. Mix in nut, seed, and fruit mixture and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate in a closed container for up to 2 weeks.

Dough

1.5 – 2 cups of white flour

pinch of salt

1 egg

1 cup (at the most) of tepid water

Mix 1.5 cup of flour and salt. Make an indentation in the flour mixture and add the egg. Mix in the egg breaking it gently. Start adding water a little bit at the time and mix it in. Add enough water to form a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it becomes soft and elastic adding flour and water if needed for about 3-5 minutes. Cover the dough with a bowl or plastic wrap and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

Uncover the dough and knead for another 3-5 minutes. The dough should be very easy to

work with and should not be sticky. Split the dough into 2 balls. Cover one, while you roll out the other into a 1/6 inch thick disk.

Cut into circles of dough using a cookie cutter or a glass. Cover the sheets with a towel to prevent drying out.

Filling

2 medium size yellow squash

2 medium size russet potatoes, skins removed

salt/pepper to taste

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400F. Split squashes in a half forming boats. Brush squash with olive oil, sprinkle salt/pepper, and bake for 30 minutes. Bring a pot of salted water and boil potatoes for 20 minutes.

Scoop out the flesh of squash, strain potatoes, and mash with a little olive oil until smooth. Using immersion blender makes this a little easier. Adjust salt and pepper.
Assembling

Take a dough circle, place about a teaspoon of filling on one side and close the pocket. Place vareniki on a floured surface until you assemble all of them.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and carefully drop vareniki. Boil on high heat until vareniki start floating on surface. Scoop out carefully.

Eat right away with a little butter, pesto, or any other light and herb sauce.

Corn soup for mom

2010-08-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Quick, go out to the market now and get fresh corn before its too late. Yes, yes, I know, there is frozen corn year around, but then you won't be able to extract the wonderful corniness (yes, I consider that a word) out of the cobs. Our mom is visiting now and I really wanted her to try the true essence of the sweet New Jersey corn. Hence, a simple, creamy, soothing corn soup. This soup barely needs anything beyond corn, a knob of butter, a little cream, and a few shallots or small onions, which makes it perfect for warm Wednesday evening after I've been staring at the sun from the office window.

The dinner was complete with crusty bread and a salad of local tomatoes and mozzarella. There is really no good reason to mess with summer market produce.

Fresh corn soup

6 cobs of fresh corn

8 cups of water

2 medium shallots, chopped

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2-3 tablespoons of cream or creme frache

Salt and pepper

Remove the corn husks and cut the kernels of the cobs. Bring the corn cobs and water to the boil in a large pan and simmer for 20-30 minutes to make a quick corn stock. Feel free to scrape the cobs a bit with a spatula to extract some of that corn "milk".

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and saute the shallots over medium-low heat until soft, but not browning. Add the corn kernels and let them toast a bit in the butter with a touch of salt. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for l5-20 minutes until the corn is tender and sweet. The only thing you don't want to do with this soup is overcook the corn, which can become starchy instead of sweet.

Off the heat, puree the soup in a blender or with a hand blender. Please be careful when blending hot liquids; it is best done in batches. Set a strainer over a large bowl and strain 2/3 of the soup, pressing down on the corny solids. I like to keep some of the soup not strained for a bit of texture. Return the soup to low heat, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of cream or creme frache, and season to taste with salt and a bit of pepper. The 30 minutes I spent making the soup were perhaps the most gratifying in my day.

Summer cannelloni stew and smitten hamantaschen cookies

2010-08-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Beans (skip this if using canned beans):

4 cups of dried cannelloni beans

10-12 cups of water

1 TBSP Kosher salt

1 head of garlic, peeled

1 springs of sage

Rinse beans and cover with water. Soak beans for at least 12 hours.

Rinse beans again. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add beans and remaining ingredients.

Simmer beans in a covered pot for 30 minutes. Open the lid and simmer for another 15-30 minutes until beans a soft, but don't fall apart.

Remove beans from the pot reserving 2 cups of bean water and discard sage with garlic.

Stew

1 TBSP olive oil

2 ounces of cubed guanciale or prosciutto or smoked bacon

3 medium or 2 large carrots piled if skin is thick and chopped into small rounds or half rounds

4 cups of cannelloni beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil (I use the same pot that I made beans in) and add meat. Lower the heat to medium low and cover the meat letting the fats melt.

Once the fats melted increase the heat and add carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes until carrots are caramelized.

Mix in the beans and saute for another minute or so.

Add reserved bean water and lower the heat to simmer.

Let the stew simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until the liquid thickens.

If you like heartier stew mash the beans lightly with a potato masher.

Serve with toasted dark bread and good beer.

Recipe for cookies can be found at http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/03/hamantaschen/

Fresh cranberry beans with summer pistou

2010-08-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

I can't pass a farmers' market without buying something. Last week I got lucky and snagged a tangle of fresh cranberry beans, still in their pods, a few quick steps away from dinner. Fresh beans cook in 20 - 25 minutes and certainly don't need soaking. At the same stand, I grabbed some parsley and arugula, thinking a quick pistou would be a lovely foil for the beans. We ate the beans with a big arugula salad and some homemade meatballs that mom made.

Fresh cranberry beans with summer pistou

Serves 2 -4, depending on what else is for dinner

1.5 pounds of fresh cranberry beans to make about 1 pound shelled

A good fistful of parsley

1-2 cups of arugula

1 garlic clove

Hard cheese, like Parmesan, finely grated

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Olive oil, salt, pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to the boil and shell the beans by pulling on the string at one side meanwhile. Salt the water generously and add the beans. Taste them after 20 minutes; drain if tender or let cook for another 5 minutes or so. Meanwhile, make the pistou. I make mine using a mortar and pestle, but you can use a small food processor. If you decide to use a mortar and pestle, chop the parsely and arugula and the garlic finely, then pound in the mortar, adding salt, pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/4 cup of olive oil. If making in the food processor, just let the machine blitz it all together. Either way, taste to make sure you like it.

By now, the beans should be tender but not mushy. Mix the drained beans with the pistou, taste to see if additional cheese, salt, or pepper are needed and serve.

Pickled/preserved lemons

2010-08-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

I ended up with 20 lemons because they were on sale. Almost immediately I started to crave a braised chicken with olives and preserved lemons ( this is actually what I want NOW instead of the salmon that's baking in the oven). Good food required patience. It takes about 2-3 days to pickle lemons, which means for the next couple days I will be thinking about the braised chicken every time I rotate the jar with lemons.

Pickled/preserved lemons

1 tsp of kosher salt per lemon

1 tsp of lightly crushed black paper corns

glass jar with a lid

Wash and put the jar in a 225F oven for about 20 minutes to sterilize it. Meanwhile was and dry lemons.

Cut lemons vertically into 4 equal slices keeping slices attached to each other at the bottom and creating a flower shape. I cut lemons on a plate not to waste lemon juice.

Salt each lemon inside and out. Take the jar out of the oven and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on the bottom of the jar. Pack lemons in the jar and add pepper with reserved lemon juice. Close the lid tightly. If the jar is not at least 3/4 filled with lemon juice add more juice.

Keep the jar at a room temperature and turn on a daily basis coating each lemon with the juice for next 2-3 days.

After opening, lemons stay fresh refrigerated for 3 months.

Aunt Mariam's Orangette

2010-07-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

I never toss away orange and grapefruit peal, because I either make a citrus spice mix for hot chocolates and red wine sauces by drying and grinding the peels or a cut them into thicker slices and freeze to make orangettes. I learned this trick from my aunt Mariam, who adds dried orange peels to her Iranian dishes. Aunt Mariam is also a fan of a small chocolate treat in the afternoon that’s why we both share love for orangettes.

Aunt Mariam’s Orangette

1 cup of 2” orange and/or grapefruit peels

4 cups of boiling water

¾ cup of agave or 1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

32 ounces unsweetened chocolate or 32 ounces of sweetened chocolate of your preference¾ cup of agave (skip if using sweetened chocolate)
½ cup of unsweetened coco powder (optional)

Heat a kettle of water to speed up the process.
Place citrus peels in the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain water and rinse peels. Repeat.
Combine agave and water in a pot and bring the mixture to simmer. Add peels, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Drain agave syrup in a glass container and place peels in a rack to cool and dry for about 15 minutes. Place a baking sheet under the rack for easy clean-up and reserve agave syrup for a ginger lemonade, margaritas, and poached fruit. The syrup stays fresh for about 2 weeks.
While peels are drying, melt the chocolate*.
Using chopsticks dip each peel in melted chocolate and place back on the rack.Orangettes stay fresh refrigerated for about 3 weeks in all-tight container**
Dust orangettes with cocoa powder. Once all peels are covered in chocolate place the rack in the fridge for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is firm.

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSqcHSewi1Y

** make sure to make them for your aunt.