My best tarte tatin

Tarte tatin is one of my favorite things to bake - I love the way in which simple ingredients (apples, butter, sugar) get transformed into a show-stopping desert via an ingenious technique. I bake tartes tatin all through the Fall and Winter and yes, have not felt like I perfect this technique...at least until now. This may not be impressive to professionals, it is probably not a big deal to many of you, but for me, this is my best tarte tatin.

To give credit where its due, I based this method on many wonderful sources of knowledge, including Smitten Kitchen, Food52, and The New York Times. I adjusted based on what made sense to me and what works in my kitchen. The big takeaways are:

• Slice the apples crosswise (as if along the apple's equator) to create a flat, stable base
• Do not skimp on the salt
• A cast iron skillet is the best baking dish in this case as it helps prevent burning and still facilitates good browning
• Do not cover the baked tarte until it is fully cooled so that the crust stays crisp (trust me, you want this)

Ingredients and method for pie crust:

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter, well-chilled and cut into small-ish pieces. I like to cut a stick of butter from the fridge on a plate and then stick the plate into the freezer while I pull together the rest of the ingredients
• 1 and 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour. You can actually substitute up to a third of this with white whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/4 cup of sour cream or yogurt (I saw no observable difference in the result)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (about 1/4 of a juicy lemon)
• 1/4 cup of ice water  

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the chunks of butter and with a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the butter is well-distributed and is about the size of a chickpeas. Add the sour cream and the lemon juice (I often whisk them together first) and stir quickly with a fork. Drizzle in the ice water (without the ice) bit by bit, stirring with a fork until the dough starts to come together in larger clumps. Take the clumps out of the bowl and on to a lightly-floured surface and continue dribbling in the water until most of the dough comes together. Dump whatever is left in the bowl with the rest of it and quickly pat the dough together. Don't worry, it won't be smooth or even stick together perfectly. Pat the dough into a circle about 1-inch thick, wrap in plastic, and let it chill in the back for the fridge for 30 - 45 minutes. When you take it out, you'll notice the dough is much more together now. On the surface that's already dirty with flour (why bother cleaning it up in between), roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Dust lightly with flour as needed. Fold into thirds lengthwise and then thirds across and roll into a rectangle again. Fold again, wrap in plastic and put back in the fridge for another 30 - 45 minutes.

Ingredients and method for the apples and assembling the tarte

• 4 large firm apples, such as Mutsu or Granny Smith
• 1/2 cup of sugar, divided
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400F. Peel the apples and cut them in half crosswise (along the "equator"). Cut each half into quarters and remove the bits of the core. Toss the apple chunks with the lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of sugar. While you work on the apples, melt the butter and 1/4 cup of sugar in a 10-inch  cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar starts to turn light brown on the edges. Reduce the heat to low and start setting the apples in the caramel, putting them very snugly against each other. Cook over low heat for another 5 minutes. As the apples cook, then will start shrinking a bit and you should be able to wedge in a few more apple pieces. This will help make sure your tarte doesn't have any sad, apple-free spots.

While the apples cook, roll out the dough into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Drape the dough over the apples and tuck in the edges all around them (careful, the pan is hot and so is the apple caramel!). Slide the skillet into the oven and bake for 30 - 45 minutes until the crust is well-browned and the apples are soft. I like to slide a small knife or a cake tester into the apples just to make sure. 

Take the baked tarte out of oven and let cook for 10 minutes or so. Place a serving plate over the skillet, wrap a thick towel around it, and carefully invert. Behold the beauty of your work! Let the tarte cool and serve with ice cream or creme fraiche.

Challah with Fig Filling /Домашние Булочки Хала Инжирной Начинкой

This challah recipe developed by the Smitten Kitchen, stands out for its subtle sweet flavor, which comes from the dried fig filling and the ease with which it can be made. In her cookbook, Smitten Kitchen offers only one way of braiding this bread, but if you don’t plan to share this with your hungry office mates as I did, feel free to make smaller buns simply by twisting the bread into a knot.

The recipe in English is available at http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/09/fig-olive-oil-and-sea-salt-challah-book-tour/

Этот рецепт халы от Smitten Kitchen, выделяется своим тонким сладким ароматом и вкусной начинкой из высушенного инжира. В своей книге, автор этого рецепта описывает только один способ плетения халы, но сделала несколько разных форм. Булочки поменьше скрученные в узлы достались мне, а хлеб в форме косы моим коллегам.

Хлеб

7 грамм сухих дрожжей

85 грамм плюс 1 чайная ложка меда

80 мл оливкового масла , плюс больше для чашки

2 больших яйца

2 чайные ложки крупной морской соли или 1 1/2 чайной ложки столовой соли

4 чашки ( 500 г ) муки

Начинка

155 грамм крупно порезанного сушеного инжира или фиников

1/8 чайной ложки апельсиновой цедры

60 мл апельсинового сока

1/8 чайной ложки морской соли

Молотый черный перец

Помадка

1 большое яйцо

Крупная морская соль

В большой чашке, смешайте 180 мл теплой воды и мед. Посыпьте дрожжи сверху. Через 5 минут масса на поверхности должна образоваться пенка, если этого не произошло значит дрожжи не актины и продеться повторит этот шаг.

После, добавить соль и муку. Смешайте все вместе деревянной ложкой , пока тесто не начнет формироваться. Выложите тесто на посыпанную мукой поверхность и месите в течение 5 до 10 минут, до того как тесто не станет однородным и эластичным.

Смажьте туже большую чашки оливковым маслом, и поместите в нее тесто миску. Накройте чашки пищевой пленкой, и оставить на 1 час, или до тех пор пока тесто не увеличится в два раза.

Тем временем, сделайте начинку: В небольшой кастрюле смешайте инжир, цедру, 1/2 стакана воды, сок, соль, и щепотку черного перца. Доведите смесь до кипения на среднем огне и варите, помешивая, пока инжир станет мягким, около 10 минут. Добавьте соль и перец по вкусу. Снимите с огня и дайте остыть. Теплую начинку переложите в кухонный комбайн или блендер. Смешивайте пока начинка на приобретет консистенцию густого варенья.

После того как тесто поднимется, выложите его на посыпанную мукой поверхность и разделите его пополам. Раскатайте первую половину теста в широкий прямоугольник. Распределите половину начинки равномерно на тесто, не доходя до краев. Начиная с самой дальней стороны, закатайте тесто в тугую колбаску пряча начинку внутри. Затем аккуратно растяните тесто раскатывая его двумя ладошками в длинную веревку около 1 метра. Соберите тесто в кольцо и повторить с оставшимися тестом и начинкой.

Для индивидуальных маленьких булочек разделите каждый кусок теста на 4 части и завяжите каждый кусочек в узел.

Для булочки в форме косы разделите каждый кусок теста на две части и следуйте вот этим инструкциям:

Перенесите хлеб на противень смазанной маслом или покрытый пергаментной бумагой или силиконовый коврик для выпечки. Взбейте яйцо с солью и нанесите помадку с помощью кулинарной кисточки. Дайте хлебу подниматься еще 1 час. За 15 минут до готовности разогрейте духовку до 200 градусов.

Еще раз смажьте хлеб помадкой и посыпать морской солью. Выпекайте в центре духовки в течение 35-40 минут до образования бронзовой корочки. Если ваш хлеб корочка начнет темнеть слишком быстро, накройте хлеб фольгой для оставшегося времени выпечки . Самый лучший способ для проверки степени готовности это термометр – центр буханки должен достичь 90 градусов.

Gazpacho - Spanish answer to Russian Okroshka / Газпачо − испанский ответ окрошке.

Впервые я попробовала томатный суп в Турции, где многие рестораны и близкие к сердцу выходцев из Советского Союза all inclusive отели предлагают немного острый и наваристый томатный суп−пюре. Традиционно этот суп подается горячим с добавлением небольшого количества красной либо оранжевой чечевицы что придает делает его особенно наваристым. Насколько бы я не любила турецкий вариант томатного супа, сама идея горячего супа в июльскую жару Вашингтона не привлекала. Но все мне хотелось холодного супа, который не  только охлаждает в летнее пекло, но и имеет богатый вкус полон специями. 

 

Газпачо был идеальным решением проблемы. Особенно данный рецепт более популярный в Испанской Андалузии использует такие же специи что и его турецкого кузена. На фотографиях, этот суп подан

 

Рецепт рассчитан на 4 человека.

 

Ингредиенты:

1.5 кг. спелых помидоров

1 небольшой огурец (около 250 гр. )

1 небольшой красный лук (около 200 гр.)

1 небольшой красный болгарский перец (около 200 гр.)

2 головки чеснока

½ чайная ложка черного переца

1 ½ чайные ложки соли

2 кусочка белого (французского или итальянского, например, багет или чабата) хлеба (около 60 гр.)

1 стакан молодого оливкового масла (250 гр.)

2 столовые ложки уксуса шерри

2 столовые ложки мелко нарезанного молодого зеленого лука или зелени чеснока

 

В большой чашке перемешайте овощи порезанные на небольшие кусочки около ½ сантиметра, мелко порубленный чеснок, соль, и перец. Позвольте овощам отпустить сок в течение следующих 30 минут пока вы смотрите очередной эпизод любимого шоу.

 

30 минут спустя, переложите овощи на противень оставляя как можно больше сока в чашке. Поставьте противень в морозильник на 30 минут и положите кусочки хлеба с чашку с овощным соком.

 

 Через пол часа, переложите замороженные овощи в чашку, используя ручной блендер размельчите все овощи постепенно добавляя масло и уксус. Процедите суп через сито используя обратную сторону ложки для того что бы изъять наибольшее количество сока из овощей. Добавьте соль и перец по−вкусу.

 

Подавайте к столу с мелко нарезанным зеленным луком и оливковым маслом.

 

 

Whether in Kazakhstan or in DC, summers are quite brutal. When the temperature lingers in the 90s all day and night, cold soups are fantastic meals. Back home, the only cold soup I ate growing up was a kefir or yogurt based soup mixes with seasonal vegetables such as cucumbers, green onions, and bell peppers. In contract to the creamy okroshka, I find gazpacho more refreshing and flavorful. There are tons of different variations for this Spanish soup, but this Andalusian version is so far my favorite.

Recipe for 4 main courses
 

Ingredients

3 pounds (about 4 large) very ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

1/2 pound (about 1 small) cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

1/3 pound (about 1 small) small red onion, peeled and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

1/3 pound (about 1 medium) green or red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

4 ounces (about 2 slices) white sandwich, French, or Italian bread, crusts removed, torn into rough 1-inch pieces (see note)

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons finely minced chives

Freshly ground black pepper

Procedures

Combine tomatoes, cucumber, onion, pepper, garlic, and salt in a large bowl and toss to coat thoroughly. Let vegetables sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain juices into a large bowl and add the bread. Transfer the drained vegetables to a baking sheet and place in freezer until vegetables are frozen, about 30 minute.

Remove vegetables from freezer until mostly thawed, about 30 minutes. Transfer vegetables and all their juices from the pan to bowl with soaked bread.

Using a hand blender, puree vegetables drizzling olive oil and sherry vinegar. Strain soup through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl pressing all of the juices out. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve, drizzling each bowl with olive oil and chives.

This can be serves with pan seared scallops as shown in the picture for a nice temperature and flavor contrast.

 

Summer lunch - my version of ratatouille

In New York we are quickly approaching that glorious part of summer when everything is local and everything is wonderful! Farmers' market stands are filling up with field tomatoes, and let's admit it, they just taste so much better than their hot-house cousins. There are now all manner of summer squash, all kinds of eggplant, peppers of all sizes and ranges from green to red, and incredibly fragrant basil. I stopped by the market on a recent rainy Thursday morning and came home laden with goodies. When Michael ask how I thought we'd possible eat all of this food, I had just one answer - ratatouille!

Ratatouille is one of my favorite foods and it is a delicious way to showcase all that summer produce. I don't like frying the vegetables or fussing around with complicated layering, but still crave that deep integrated flavor of vegetables that have been cooking together for a while. In this version that is my favorite so far I combined roasting the vegetables with cooking them in a sauce in the stovetop, making this relatively quick and not messy. I also added a generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the end, which is not traditional but really helps the dish shine. I find ratatouille tastes best at room temperature and keep well for a few days worth of lunch. Today I ate it with good local mozzarella and a whole-wheat focaccia the recipe for which I'll post in a few days.

Ratatouille

1 lb eggplant, halved and cut across into 1/2 inch wide pieces - I like to use smaller varieties or baby eggplants that are not bitter

1 lb zucchini, halved and cut across into 1/2 inch wide pieces

1/2 lb sweet peppers, halved, seeds removed and sliced across into 1/4 inch wide pieces

1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thinly across

1/2 lb tomatoes, such as Roma, cored and chopped

1 large onion, halved and sliced thinly across

3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Herbs - 4 thyme sprigs, 2 oregano sprigs, a bit of rosemary, leaves taken off stems and chopped - feel free to pick and choose here

1 cup basil sliced thinly

1/2 olive oil, divided

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 450F, arrange racks in the top and lower thirds of the oven,  and have two larger rimmed baking sheets ready and oil lightly. Put eggplant in 1 layer on 1 half of the first sheet and the peppers on the other half, toss vegetables with a bit more oil and sprinkle with salt. Slide the sheet into the oven and let it get a head start on the other vegetables. Meanwhile, arrange the zucchini and fennel on the other sheet, oil a bit more and sprinkle with salt. Roast the vegetables until they start to brown but are not too soft. You will continue cooking them together on the stove top.

While the vegetables are roasting, get out a large deep pan and warm a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in it. Cook the onion over medium heat until it starts to brown, add garlic and the herbs except for basil and let cook for a couple more minutes. Add the tomatoes and some salt, stir, and let cook over low-medium heat uncovered until tomatoes start break down.

By now, the vegetables should be nearly done. Take out the eggplant and pepper tray and scrape the vegetables into the pan with tomato/onion mixture. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Take out the second tray and scrape zucchini and fennel into the pot. Cover and let cook for another 5 minutes. Over medium heat, add more salt if needed and up to 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar. Stir a couple of times and let cook for a few minutes longer until the juices with vinegar thicken. Turn off the heat, stir in sliced basil and let cool for a bit until ready to serve. This can serve up to 6 people as a side dish or 1 me for a couple of days.