Parsnips Anyone?

I just couldn't resist Garrett's and Cheryl's cupcake challenge. They are both master cupcake makers with delicious and original flavor combinations. This particular challenge involved turning traditional flavors on their head. I am a sucker for deconstructed/updated desserts so I wanted to come up with an idea post haste.

A's, my business partner/fake boyfriend, birthday was earlier this month and I wanted to bring a treat to school for his special day. On my home from work, I mentally reviewed what was in my larder and I hit upon the idea of a traditional carrot cake, but mine would be in cupcake form and with parsnips instead. Parsnips are one of my favorite veg and I indulge in them as often as I can during the fall. I tweaked a recipe I found online and while I had to make a lot of adjustments, because I wasn't as well-stocked as I thought, the final product turned out well. The birthday boy liked it and that's what really counts, right?

Parsnip-Apple Cupcakes, adapted from Bon Appetit

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled parsnips
1/4 cup grated apple

4 oz cream cheese, room temp
2 oz neufachatel cheese, room temp
1 TB butter, room temp
1/4 cup powdered sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon, and its juice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cupcake tin with non-stick spray, or use liners. Mix together first 7 ingredients into a medium bowl. Beat together sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients to wet in 2 additions, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in parsnips and apple. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto racks and cool completely.

Using an electric mixer cream together cream cheese through lemon in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Decorate your cupcakes with frosting. I used a pastry bag without a tip to get the large concentric circles in the pic. Enjoy!

Makes 12 cupcakes

SHF #35: It's Fig-a-rific!

The most delicious fig I ever tasted was plucked from a neighborhood tree that we obsessively watch and whose fruit we gently squeeze every time we walk by. The fruit was a deep, deep purple and had a drop of figgy dew on its lips. Perfectly ripe, its sweetness melted onto my tongue, leaving behind the crunchy seeds. I believe that the fact that the fig was "borrowed" adds to its allure. The tree this fantastic piece of fruit came from grows on the side of an apartment complex and looks as if it just magically sprouted one day. During fig season we casually stroll a block up to check on the development of "our" figs. We've met a few neighbors too doing the same thing as us.

When I saw that SHF this month was all about figs, I got very excited. I am a recent convert to the Church of the Fig. I have also had my eye on this recipe for quite a while and am glad that this challenge was the kick in the pants I needed to finally make it. Of course, it comes from Claudia Flemming's inspirational book The Last Course. Unlike many other attempts, this recipe was too simple for me to screw up, nor did it involve every single piece of kitchen equipment I possess.

Dive in!

The result is a lovely puddle of golden green, accented by the dark purple of the figs. The creme fraiche center adds a welcome richness and a hint of tart so the sweetness of the melon and figs isn't overpowering. It's drop dead gorgeous too.

Chilled Honeydew Soup with Fresh Figs and Orange Blossom-Scented Creme Fraiche

1 small honeydew, about 2 lbs, or any other green melon, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/4 cup sugar
4 figs, cut into eighths
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 tsp orange blossom water

In a bowl, toss together the melon and sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Puree melon. If you wish, you can strain for a smoother texture. Chill until very cold, about 3 hours.

In a bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche and orange blossom water until slightly thickened.

Divide soup into bowls. Drop a spoonful of creme fraiche into the center and garnish with fig wedges. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Risi e Bisi, Risi e Bisi, Risi e Bisi

How much fun is it to say risi e bisi? Go on, say it ten times fast, this can wait.

For those not in the know, it's a traditional Venetian dish of soupy rice with peas. My understanding is that its seen as child-like comfort food, soft, easy to digest, easy to like. However, because it is so simple, all the ingredients must be top-notch.

Having the horrible problem of not being able to follow a recipe, even a traditional one, I tweaked it. Instead of peas, we used fava beans. While in season, we must eat them at least once a week. They're a pain to prep but if you and a partner tag team, its less time consuming. And you can say risi e bisi aloud while you're doing it.

Risi e Bisi (sort of), adapted from the Food of Italy by Claudia Roden

I hesitated posting this because the beans at the market were starting to get too big and starchy, but some new vendors came with young tiny ones. If you can find the small ones, use favas. If not, you can always use peas, fresh or frozen.

2 slices pancetta or bacon , chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 TB olive oil
6 cups stock, if you use fresh peas you can make pea stock
1 cup Arborio rice
chopped parsley
pecorino, if using favas or else use parmesan

Saute pork with onion and olive oil until onion is translucent and soft. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the rice. Season with a good amount of salt and pepper. When rice is almost done about 15-20 minutes, add the favas or peas. Once everything is cooked, stir in the parsley and cheese. Serve.

This is supposed to be a first course, but it could be dinner with a salad or used as a side. Venetian grandmas must be tut-tutting me.

P.S. Anyone out there who can give me some photo hints? When I try to post a vertical photo here, it gets flipped around. I use Picassa for photo editing and I tried using the Blog This function, but it happened anyway. Help, please!

Course the Fifth: Pistachio Cake with Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote and Orange-Blossom Scented Whipped Creme Fraiche

Long title, tasty sweet.

We had this with Kalyra's Gewurztraminer "Sticky Wicket". Yummy.

Again, professionally written per one serving. Multiply as needed.

Pistachio Cake with Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote and Orange Blossom-Scented Whipped Crème Frâiche

pistachios 2/3 oz shelled
sugar, granulated 1/3 oz
light corn syrup 1/3 tsp
orange 1/8 tsp zest finely grated
orange blossom water 1 drop

sugar, granulated 1 oz
butter, whole 1/3 oz
egg 1/5
sour cream 1/3 oz
vanilla extract 1/12 tsp
orange blossom water 1/12 tsp

flour, all-purpose 1/8 cup
baking powder 1/8 tsp
baking soda 1/12 tsp
salt pinch

rhubarb 2 oz cut into ½-inch pieces
vanilla bean paste 1/8 tsp
sugar, granulated .5 oz
white wine 1 TB
strawberry 1 oz trimmed, small dice

cream, heavy 1 TB
crème frâiche ¾ tsp
orange blossom water 1 drop
orange 1/16 tsp zest finely grated

pistachios 2, whole shelled
sugar, powdered 1/8 tsp
cardamom tiny pinch

Method: Grind pistachios finely in a processor. Heat sugar, corn syrup and 1/8 tsp water to 225F. Slowly pour hot sugar mixture into processor while running to make a smooth paste. Add orange zest and orange blossom water. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 325F. In processor, combine pistachio paste, sugar, room temperature butter, egg and sour cream until smooth. Pour into a bowl. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently add to the pistachio mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into a buttered 6-oz muffin tin cup to fill between 2/3’s and ¾’s full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack and remove cake from cup.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and ¼ tsp water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let turn brown without stirring or burning, about 5 minutes. When brown, add rhubarb, vanilla paste and white wine. Let cook until rhubarb just begins to fall apart and becomes jam-like, about 15 minutes. Let come to room temperature and stir in strawberry.

Whip cream, crème frâiche, orange blossom water and orange zest together until firm peaks form.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl, toss together pistachios, powdered sugar and cardamom. Bake until nuts are toasted and sugar melts, about 10 minutes.

Plating: Place cake on one side of plate. Top with candied pistachios. Spoon compote to make a line through center of plate. On the other side of the compote line, place whipped crème frâiche.

Course the Fourth: Pecorino Custard with Fava Bean-Meyer Lemon Salad

Of all the courses in the menu, I'm most pleased with this one. In Rome, the first of the season's fava beans are eaten raw with chunks of Pecorino. This is an interpretation of that tradition.

Like the previous two courses, this recipe is written in the professional style: all amounts are for one serving only and the cook needs to multiply accordingly.

Pecorino Custard with Fava Bean-Meyer Lemon Salad

Unfortunately, I don't have access to a mini-blow torch so this custard didn't get the brulee treatment. It was still delicious.

Pecorino . 2/3 oz finely grated
milk, whole 1 oz
egg .5
Pecorino .25 oz finely grated
fava beans 2 oz shucked, boiled, peeled
Meyer lemon 1/8 whole lemon quartered, thinly sliced
shallot 1/8 tsp finely minced
extra-virgin olive oil 1 ½ tsp
salt
pepper

Method: Preheat oven to 325F. Combine Pecorino, milk and egg. Pour into a small buttered ramekin and bake in a water bath until custard only slightly jiggles when you move it, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and turn out onto serving dish. Sprinkle with Pecorino and brulée until cheese is lightly browned and crisp.

Combine favas, lemon, shallot, oil, salt and a good grinding of pepper in a small bowl.

Plating: Spoon beans around custard and serve.

Course the Third: Lamb Tagine with Apricots, New Potatoes, Baby Artichokes and Moroccan Butter

More updates below. This is also written in restaurant style. As is, makes for one. Multiply as needed.

Lamb Tagine with Apricots, New Potatoes, Baby Artichokes and Moroccan Butter

We had this with a very tasty Beckman 2004 Grenache.

lamb shoulder 4 oz trimmed, in 1-inch cubes
cinnamon, ground ¼ tsp
coriander, ground ¼ tsp
smoked paprika 1/16 tsp
saffron 1/16 tsp
olive oil 1 tsp
onion 2 oz diced
preserved lemon peel ½ tsp fine mince
dried apricots 2/3 oz rough chop

potatoes, new fingerling 2 oz cut in 1-inch pieces, boiled
artichokes, baby 2 oz trimmed, cut in quarters, boiled

butter 1 TB
cilantro ½ tsp minced
parsley ½ tsp minced
mint ½ tsp minced

smoked paprika 1/16 tsp
cumin, ground 1/8 tsp
salt
pepper
chives 2 fine mince

Toss lamb with cinnamon, coriander, smoked paprika, saffron, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat, when hot add lamb in a single layer. Cook until browned on all sides. Drain off all but 1 tsp of fat. Add onion and stir to combine. Cook until onion is translucent. Cover with water and scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and add preserved lemon peel and apricots. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until lamb is fork-tender.

Combine butter, cilantro, parsley, mint, smoked paprika and cumin in a bowl. Toss mixture with warm potatoes and artichokes. Salt and pepper.

Place vegetables and tagine side by side. Sprinkle with chives.

Course the Second: Halibut on a Bed of Sauteed Asparagus, Wild Mushrooms, and Pea Vines with Saffron Aioli

This recipe is written like a real honest-to-goodness restaurant recipe. The ingredient, amount and what to do with it all on the same line and then the instructions below. As is, it only makes one serving. I'm sure that you can multiply, if necessary.

If anyone makes any of these recipes, I would be most grateful if you could let me know what you thought of them. Thanks!

Sauteed Pacific Halibut on a Bed of Asparagus, Wild Mushrooms, Pea Vines and Saffron Aioli

I call for halibut, but any mild, white fish would be lovely.

white wine 1 tsp
saffron 1/16 tsp
garlic 1/16 tsp finely minced
fresh mayo 1 TB
halibut 3 oz skinned, boned
olive oil 1 tsp

butter 2 tsp
oyster mushrooms 1 oz trimmed, rough chop
asparagus 1 oz trimmed, in 1-inch pieces
pea vines .5 oz trimmed, rough chop

pea vine flower (from vines) 1
salt
ground pepper

Heat wine in a saute pan and add saffron. Set aside for 10 minutes. Stir mixture into mayonnaise with garlic. Pour into squeeze bottle.

Salt and pepper halibut on both sides. Heat olive oil in a saute pan. When hot, add fish. Cook 4-5 minutes, or until fish is slightly browned, then turn. Cook another 1-2 minutes or until fish is cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, melt butter. Add mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms until slightly browned. Add asparagus and cook until stalks turn bright green, about 4 minutes. Add shoots and stir until slightly wilted.

Place vegetables in center of plate and put fish on top. Decorate with aioli and pea flower.

Amuse Bouche: Deviled Egg with Smoked Salmon, Wasabi and Caviar

My practice run went swimmingly last night. Much thanks to A and M. Pants for their heroic clean-up efforts after I was too tired to move.

Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Wasabi and Caviar

We served this with Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut, my favorite sparkling wine. I'm trying to keep my menu mostly local and I've heard talk of Laetitia having some good bubbly. Obviously more research is needed.

4 large cage-free eggs
1/4 -1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 oz smoked salmon, finely diced
1 1/2 TB dill, finely snipped
1 1/2 TB chives, finely snipped
1 small shallot, finely minced
1 1/2 tsp dry wasabi
1/4 oz sturgeon roe

Place eggs in a medium sauce pot. Add enough cold water to cover and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. As soon as water begins to simmer, cover pot and take off heat. Let eggs sit in pot for ten minutes. After the time has elapsed, drain eggs. Crack the wider end of the eggs but do not remove the shells. Return the cracked eggs to the pot and cover with cold water and a few ice cubes. Let stand until cool, then peel.

Gently cut eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the yolks and place in a bowl. Set aside the whites. With a fork, mash the yolks until smooth. Add the smaller amount of mayo and all remaining ingredients, except for the roe. Combine well. If mixture is too thick, add more mayo until easily spoonable. Fill egg white crater with enough of the filling so it has a slightly rounded dome. If not serving immediately, gently cover and chill until needed.

Right before serving, add a dollop of caviar to each egg half and garnish with a tiny dill sprig or more finely minced chives.

Serves 8

What I Learned Today

My hands have gotten quite a beating over the last few weeks. I grated a knuckle, sliced a finger on something mysterious and sharp (and never discovered) in the kitchen sink while doing dishes, and today was quite a doozy. Onto the lazy bloggers' favorite type of post:

1) I'm getting pretty good at sharpening my knife.
2) Under no circumstances should I lose track of my fingers as I dice canned tomatoes (Maybe I should have gone with my original plan of using the pre-diced ones).
3) I'm not as squeamish as I thought.
4) I really ought to look into health insurance plans because if I needed to go to the E.R., I would be in huge financial trouble (Reminder that the health care options in this country are deplorable).
5) Animal-based sources of iron are called heme, veg sources are non-heme.
6) Non-heme iron is absorbed more easily by the body if it is consumed with Vitamin C or white wine.



Lentil Soup with Spinach and Lemon

We had this with whole-wheat (more iron) mustard-cheese toasts and Au Bon Climat 70% Pinot Gris 30% Pinot Blanc 2005. Not only is this crisp, bright wine delicious, it's also super affordable considering its from an excellent winery. If I had the space, I would buy a case of it.

2 TB olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups stock
1.5 cups brown lentils, rinsed
lots of spinach
3 TB chopped parsley
3 TB chopped cilantro
1 TB chopped mint
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add garlic, Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock and lentils. Bring soup to a simmer and lower the heat. Let cook until lentils are soft, about 25 minutes. Add spinach and stir until spinach begins to wilt. Right before serving, stir in herbs, zest and juice. Taste for salt, pepper and acid. Serve with white wine.

Serves 4 generously

Transitioning: Vegetable Ragout

The space between the seasons is most interesting to me. I love the nature of being inbetween. My favorite time of day is at dusk, the moment right before or after a rainstorm, the sensation of being just waking but still dreamy, or slipping off into sleep...

So far the official start of spring brought us cloudy gray skies and a few showers. With the last of the Brussels sprouts and the first of the asparagus, a vegetable ragout for the transitioning seasons was made. We welcome the spring.

Vegetable Ragout with Herbed Dumplings, adapted from Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison

The original is more of a wintery dish, but I springified it here with leeks, green garlic, asparagus and chives.

2 TB butter
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 green garlic bulb, sliced thinly
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 TB chopped parsley
juice of half of a lemon
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
4 oz asparagus, in 1-inch lengths

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm milk
3 TB melted butter
1 egg
3 TB chopped parsley
3 TB snipped chives

Melt butter in a large saute pan with a lid over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, saute leek until soft. Add mushrooms, green garlic and parsley. Cook until mushrooms begin to brown, then add lemon juice, stock and wine. Salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer then add Brussels sprouts. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine milk, butter, egg and herbs. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined. You will have more dumpling batter than you need.

To the ragout, add the asparagus stalks, but not the tips. Using a spoon, drop dumpling batter over the ragout, leaving space for expansion. You'll probably use about 3/4 of the batter, depending on the size of your pan, or make about 12 dumplings. Cover and cook for 12 minutes. When there are two minutes remaining, add the asparagus tips. Serve, giving each person about 3-4 dumplings.

Serves 4

P.S. I am currently working on a top secret project and I have my first test run tomorrow. Hopefully, all will be successful and I shall share soon!

It's Spring! It's Spring! (Boing! Boing!)

I cannot tell you what a boost it is to see things growing and blooming right now. At the market on Saturday, it seemed like everyone was in great cheer and I'm sure the extra sunshine had a lot to do with it. I love these first few tentative steps into springtime. There were the first of the season peas, strawberries and favas. The strawberries still need a few more weeks of warmth but the peas and favas are (were) great. We were also pleasantly surprised to see Barbara with her tomato plants and we spent about 20 minutes at her stand trying to pick out which lucky ones were going to go home with us. In the end, we chose Aunt Ruby's German Green, Royal Chico and a Sweet 100. Yesterday afternoon was spent in the garden, planting our new acquisitions which also included some more herbs and flowers for the rose bed.

Last night, we had a celebration of the changing of the seasons on the table. While my love affair with Bon Appetit is dwindling, they still manage to publish a few interesting recipes in an issue and I had my eye on the grapefruit-avocado salad. So there was that, as well as tagliatelle with favas, homemade ricotta and spring herbs then a meyer lemon-buttermilk sorbet. I was disappointed with the sorbet. It was almost overwhelmingly tart and the elderflower syrup that I snuck into it was totally lost, as was the meyer lemon. Ah well, they can't all be winners. We cracked open a bottle of bubbly some friends gave us and toasted the season. Hurray!

Grapefruit-Avocado Salad with Cassis Dressing, adapted from Bon Appetit

The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar, but we were out, so I subbed in the grapefruit vinegar from TJ's. Any mild vinegar would be fine here, champagne, perhaps, if you have it handy. A Kir Royal is an excellent accompaniment.

1 TB fresh ginger, finely minced
1 TB shallot, fine dice
1 1/2 TB olive oil
1 1/2 TB mild vinegar
1 1/2 TB cassis, black currant liqueur

1 pink grapefruit
1 avocado, sliced into eighths
1 small head of lettuce, or equivalent

Combine ginger through cassis in a bowl. Taste for salt and pepper.

Using a paring knife and working over a bowl, carefully remove all of the rind and pith from the grapefruit. Cut between the membranes of the fruit to loosen the segments. Set aside.

Line plates with lettuce. decorate with grapefruit segments and avocado. Taste the dressing again, if it's too sweet, you can add some of the grapefruit juice. Whisk dressing to reincorporate and drizzle over salad. Salt and pepper

Serves 2

Tagliatelle with Ricotta, Fava Beans and Fresh Herbs

If you decide to make your own ricotta, and I hope you do, you can have the leftover cheese drizzled with honey for breakfast the next day. It's what I eating right now, actually. The picture is what the dish looks like when everything is combined and tossed. The directions below make for a much nicer presentation.

2 lbs favas in pods, shucked, parboiled and peeled, you'll end up with 1 1/2 cups beans
8 oz tagliatelle, cooked, 1 cup cooking water reserved
fresh spring herbs, we used chives and green garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cups fresh ricotta (we use Heidi's recipe)
pecorino romano

Toss hot pasta with favas, herbs, zest, juice and enough reserved pasta water to help evenly distribute. Salt and pepper. Divide on plates. Dollop each portion with ricotta. Serve, passing pecorino.

Kir Royal

Special bonus recipe! You didn't think that I would hold out on you, did you?

sparkling wine
cassis

Method 1: Place 2 tsps cassis in the bottom of a champagne flute. Gently pour wine into flute.
Method 2: (My favorite) Gently pour wine into flute. Drop 2 tsps cassis into wine. Watch cassis sink to bottom.

Balancing

One of the most useful things I've learned in culinary school is the importance of proper seasoning, or balance. Almost everything one makes should be tasted throughout the cooking process and constantly checked for salt, pepper, etc. Most food can also be punched up with a good hit of acid (no, not that kind), like different vinegars, citrus juices, whatever happens to look interesting in your cupboard...

I've been having some trouble recently, trying to re-balance my life. A few weeks ago, my neighbor told me that her friend was looking for some help for her meal-delivery service. I jumped at the chance and for the last three weeks have been gainfully employed. Being employed is great, if you like what you do. This is the first real job I've had that I genuinely enjoy. Currently, I'm working about 20 hours a week, and going to school full time and trying to be a supportive partner/friend/family member. It is taking me a long time to re-adjust.

I'm slipping on a lot of things. School isn't very interesting right now and my quality of work is pretty sporadic. Yesterday, I got back two quizzes from particularly boring class: perfect score on one and 60% on the other. What a perfect example of how I'm feeling right now, off-kilter. I have this work-thing under control, but everything else feels like it's just out of reach. This corner of the web has been low on content lately too. I'm trying to remedy that. I know that things will get better and that eventually, I will get a good grasp on my straws, it's just taking more time than I had anticipated.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Food from Morocco is all about balancing flavors: spicy, tart, salty, sweet, savory, earthy. All of the quantities in this recipe are variable. Without the couscous, this is gluten-free. Quinoa would make a good substitute.

Olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 lbs trimmed, cubed vegetables, I like a combination of sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, cauliflower, butternut squash, parsnips, rutabaga
1 16 oz can of tomatoes, diced (Muir Glen Fire-Roasted are great!)
1 1/2 TB tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock, or water
Cumin, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste
Ground ginger, to taste
Ground coriander. to taste
Aleppo pepper, or cayenne to taste
Peel of 1 preserved lemon, finely chopped, or zest of one lemon and juice
1 1/2 TB pomegranate molasses, optional
1/2 cup raisins or apricots
1/4-1/2 cup good quality olives, pitted and chopped
1 16 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
toasted almond slivers
chopped cilantro
cooked couscous, or quinoa

Heat enough oil to coat bottom of large skillet with lid. When hot, add onion. Cook until translucent. Add vegetables, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, veg stock and spices. If you have the preserved lemon peel and molasses, add those as well. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat and cover. Cook about 20 minutes, or until vegetables can be easily pierced with knife. Taste for salt and spices, adjust. Add lemon zest, juice, raisins, olives and garbanzo beans. Mix well. Continue to cook until beans are heated through. Serve over cooked grain and garnish with cilantro and almonds.

Serves 4-6

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate

I have been searching for an excellent way to justify spending $6 on the Vosges bars and then Valentine's Day rolled in. I bought two: the Creole bar and the Barcelona. The Creole was slightly disappointing. Super dark chocolate with coffee and chicory mixed in. It was super high quality chocolate, of course, but not that exciting otherwise. The Barcelona bar, however, was (is,I still have a little square left) mind boggling. The salt in the bar is brilliant, making it taste like fanciest Hershey's bar with almonds, but not with the sticky-sweet feeling milk chocolate often leaves in my mouth and a much better quality chocolate. I'm afraid that I have begun an expensive habit.

The one bar that I really wanted to try, and have been trying to get my greedy little hands on for years, is the Black Pearl bar. I can't seem to find it anywhere though, besides the Vosges site, which I cannot recommend enough for a jaw-dropping visit. Not to fear, after some extensive research, I discovered a recipe from Katrina Markoff, the founder/CEO, for a cake version of her Japanese-influenced bar. I, being the tinkerer that I am, decided to morph it into a cupcake recipe. With the helpful cupcake tips of Garrett and Cheryl, I think I did a pretty good job.


Black Pearl Cupcakes, adapted from Bon Apetite

Yes, this seems like an insane amount of work, but you can make the ganache, syrup and cakes the day before and leave the constructing to the day of. And all of your hard work will pay off tenfold. I swear, it's all very straightforward and easier then it appears, just take it step by step.

Ganache
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped or use chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp wasabi powder
2 TB black sesame seeds
1 TB corn syrup
2 TB butter, room temp
a pinch of good salt

Ginger syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 1/2 TB vanilla bean paste

Cake
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup, 3 TB all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup, 2 TB sugar
1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup whipping cream
black sesame seeds

Place chocolate in medium bowl. Combine cream, ginger, and wasabi in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes. Mix sesame seeds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth. Add sesame seeds and salt. Let cool to lukewarm. Stir in butter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.

Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean, or add paste. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend.

Strain syrup into small bowl. Reserve and chop ginger. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover both and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter your cupcake pan well.

Whisk boiling water, cocoa powder, and reserved chopped ginger in a bowl. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide batter among prepared cupcake pans; fill about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. (Cakes can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container.)

Cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake and bush the inside with the reserved sugar syrup. Fill each with a spoonful of ganache and replace lids. Brush the top of the cupcake with more syrup. Let stand until syrup is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip cream with remaining syrup, to taste. Place on cupcakes and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

Makes 12 big cupcakes

By Request: Halloween in February

This is a very belated request from the fantastic and forgiving(I hope?) Miss N.


Ever since M. Pants and I have been sharing accomodations, we have thrown pumpkin carving parties around the time of All Hallows' Eve. The first one was a fluke, but we've continued to carry out the now-tradition ever since. While I have since tweaked the menu a bit, one thing has never changed, the pumpkin black bean soup. Not only are the colors fitting for the holiday and it's ridiculously easy to make, but it's also nice have a little something to warm you up during a late fall afternoon. We made this recently again after looking in our cupboards and finding them a tad bare. It's good to know that the soup is delicious in the winter time too.

Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup

You can vary this however you like. I like to think of it as having a Carribbean flavor, but what I know about Carribbean food couldn't fill an ant's tea cup. You can add more cumin, cinnamon and corriander for a more Mexican flavor or you can add more curry, ginger and some garam masala for a more Indian flair. It's also possible to omit the dry spices all together for some Thai curry paste... For our party, we like to serve the soup with corn bread.

1 16 oz. can pure pumpkin
1 16 oz can light coconut milk
16 oz vegetable stock
curry powder, to taste
ground cumin, to taste
ground ginger, to taste
ground corriander to taste
ground cinnamon to taste
garam masala to taste
2 16 oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained

Garnishes:
chopped cilantro
green onion, sliced thinly
wedges of lime
avocado, diced
sour cream or non-fat plain yogurt (my preference)

Combine all ingredients except beans in a large pot and stir well. Taste for spices, salt and pepper. Add black beans and heat through. Serve and let people garnish their own.

Red Gold

(Full credit for the title of this post goes to the super-fabulous AM, who is my borrowed big sister. I hope you don't mind GG)

Have I told you about my new favorite ingredient? I purchased it at Dean and Deluca when I was in New York and ever since I opened up the tin and took a good whiff, I've been schemeing about how to cook with it. First, I used it in place of the cayenne in this recipe. Then, I tossed it with cauliflower florets, olive oil and salt which makes a deliously spicy, smoky version of cauliflower popcorn. After that, there were the oven fries. Finally, I made Mushroom Paprikash, harkening back to my Hungarian roots. When I first mentioned this particular incarnation though, M. Pants (aka the partner) wrinkled his nose and thought it sounded odd. I made it anyway. And its bloody fantastic. Absolutely perfect for the chilly weather we've been having. I highly encourage you to pick up your very own tin of red gold and start experimenting, then let me know the results. I need to fill my new smoked paprika fix. Perhaps in brownies with toasted almonds and cinnamon?

Smoky Cauliflower Popcorn
1 medium head cauliflower
olive oil
salt
smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut cauliflower into florets and toss in a large bowl with enough olive oil to lightly coat, salt and paprika, to taste. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes then remove from oven and toss gently. Return to oven and roast for about another 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is cooked through and slightly browned. Taste for more salt then devour!


Mushrooms Paprikash, adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 oz dried wild mushrooms
1 lb crimini mushrooms
1 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
1 lb cooked egg noodles

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl. Cover with very hot water. Set aside for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are softened.

Wash and quarter criminis. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Remove tough stems from wild mushrooms and discard. Chop mushrooms.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and oil. When hot, add criminis and cook until lightly browned. Add chopped mushrooms, paprikas and salt. Stir to combine. Pour in 1/4 cup reserved soaking liquid and sour cream. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Add half of chives and stir well. Taste for salt. Serve mushroom mixture over noodles. Sprinkle chives over and serve.

Serves 3

P.S. I switched over to Blogger 2.0. What do you think of the links? Are there any others that would be helpful?

Southern Comfort

I don't know if you've heard or not, but it's been cold in California, really, really cold. When it gets like this, my body goes into hibernation preparation mode and demands warm, filling foods to prepare me for the long winter ahead. (The readers who live where it snows are scoffing at me now, but I'm a Southern Cali girl, I've only been in the snow once. Freezing cold weather is not good for the citrus, avocados or me)

It's traditional in the American South to harvest green tomatoes before the first freeze or even if you have too many growing during the summer. Because we live in sunny, usually freakishly warm California, we have tomatoes almost year round at the Farmers' Market. However, since the frost a lot of people harvested their tomatoes early and brought the remainder of the crops, still green, to sell. It's a hard job, but someone needs to help those farmers make good on a somewhat disappointing crop.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches with Chipotle Spread, adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

While I was making these, I realized that if one, who is of the pork-eating persuasion, added bacon to this it would make a good winter-time BLT.

1/2 cup mayonnaise (if its not homemade, I highly recommend the organic mayo from TJ's)
3/4 cup non-fat yogurt
2 chipotles, finely chopped
juice from 1/2 lime
1 large green tomato, sliced thickly
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
3 TB veg oil
6 slices sourdough bread
lettuce leaves


Combine mayo, yogurt, chipotles and lime juice in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour cornmeal onto a plate. Salt and pepper. Mix well. Using one hand as your clean hand and the other as your messy hand, coat both sides of the tomato slices in cornmeal. Set aside.

Heat veg oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat, when hot, add tomatoes. Fry until lightly browned, about 6 minutes per side. Line a plate with paper towels. When the tomatoes are done cooking, place them on the plate.

Toast bread. When cool enough to handle, spread chipotle mixture on toast. Line one side with lettuce and place tomatoes on the other. We all understand the mechanics of making a sandwich, yes?

Makes 3 sandwiches

If you're feeling particularly in need of comfort serve with oven fries.

Oven Fries

3/4 lb potatoes (I like Yukon Golds)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F.

Slice potatoes into fry-like shapes. Toss in a large bowl with as much olive oil as you can in good conscience consume, with salt pepper and/or any other seasoning that strikes your fancy. I like smoked paprika or seasoned salt.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in oven for 15 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is browned to your liking. Very carefully, flip fries over and return to oven for about another 15 minutes. Serve with extra chipotle sauce for dipping.

And The Feasting Continues...

It's nice being able to spend time with the fam and this extended weekend, I got a triple dose. Along with T-day, my newly parental cousins were in town and took the partner and me wine tasting with them. Then last night, I do what I always do for almost any celebration, make dinner. They brought their teeny-tiny one with them and, gosh darn it, she's cute. She is by far, my favorite first cousin, once-removed.

For dinner, we started with smoked trout mixed with creme fraiche, horse radish, shallots, dill and lemon in endive "spoons". There was mystery squash soup with fried sage leaves (mystery because the vendor said it was Mexican squash and just seemed like a butternut with a few bumps and more seeds.). The main was stuffed cabbage, hippie-style and then, believe it or not, I finally made a recipe out of this book that turned out well. I slavishly followed the directions and my prune-Armagnac bread pudding came out so well that all though everyone said they were full, we polished the whole thing off.

This takes a while to make. There are quite a few parts and will dirty perhaps all of your dishes, but if you get somewhat organized and have a fantastic kitchen assistant who makes you laugh and a great martini, you're good to go.

P.S. This can be made vegan, by using egg substitute or 1/3 cup mashed tofu for the egg and by omitting the cheese.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce, adapted from Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison

1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 oz dried mushrooms
2 TB olive oil
2 onions, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
4 TB chopped parsley
4 TB chopped dill
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, more or less
1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 whole head savoy cabbage, 12 leaves separated and removed whole

1 TB olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 TB tomato paste
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup wine, red or white
1 28 oz can of tomatoes
1-2 TB brown sugar, to taste
1-2 TB red wine vinegar to taste

2 TB olive oil
flour, for dredging


For the rolls:

In a medium bowl, combine bulgur and dried mushrooms. Pour 1 cup hot water over and let sit until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prep your veg.

Heat 1 TB oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add onions. Saute just until onions begin to turn brown in spots, about 3-4 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and walnuts. Let cook until mushrooms throw off their liquid and re-absorb it, about 10 minutes. Add tamari/soy and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, combine bulgur mixture, sauteed veg mixture, herbs, egg, cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture resembles ground meat.

In the same large skillet, heat 1 TB oil over medium heat. Add bulgur mixture and pat down into a smooth layer, as much a possible. You're cooking the egg and browning your "meat". Saute a few minutes, until mixture is cooked and browned. Set aside.

Steam cabbage leaves a few minutes, to make pliable. Try not to overcook them or they will have that characteristic cabbage-y smell. Yuck.

Fill the center of each leaf with about 2 TB filling. Roll up carefully, trying not to tear the leaf, and dredge in flour. Set rolls aside.

For the sauce:

In a sauce pot, heat 1 TB oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and tomato paste and mix together. Cook until onion is slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Add allspice, canned tomatoes with juices, wine and brown sugar. Let simmer about 15-20 minutes to meld flavors.

Meanwhile, heat 2 TB oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add rolls, with the seams face down, to the pan. Let cook until slightly brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Back to the tomato sauce, right before serving, stir in the vinegar to taste. To plate, place a few spoonfuls of sauce down and place rolls on top.

Makes 12 rolls, enough for 4-6 people.

Gobble, Gobble

Happy T-Day everyone! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I hope this holiday season brings us all much love, peace and happiness.

Quickie Cranberry Sauce (no picture because I accidently deleted it. It was red and chunky.)

8 oz frozen cranberries
1/2 seedless tangerine, rind and all
sugar, to taste
fresh chili pepper, to taste, I used a manzano but a floral habenero would be good too
1-2 TB Triple Sec

Throw everything in a blender/food processor. Blend until it reaches desired texture; I like mine chunky. Taste for sugar. Serve! A caveat, this doesn't make very good leftovers becase the oil from the tangerine rind starts to take over. This makes enough for about 3-4 servings. Multiply or divide as needed.

Practice Makes Perfect, Thrice Over

Whereas, I have a knife skills exam this day and whereas I had a soup making class in which my instructor wanted us to hone our soup-making skills and whereas I promised to bring something to my cousins' baby-naming lunch and was assigned soup... Do you see where this is going?

After spending 45 minutes practicing dicing, julienning and brunoise-ing carrots and parsnips I had a big pile of differently shaped and not very evenly dissected root vegetables. I didn't really measure anything out so the below is an approximation of what actually happened. A few things: I wanted a more traditional autumn soup but I bet some Indian spices (I'm thinking ginger, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, or even a jarred curry powder or garam masala) would be excellent. Also I think that a bit of reduced cream would round it out very well. As it is, it needs a little something something to make it really pop.

For the uninitiated, parsnips are what carrots who've been good and gone to heaven taste and look like. Though you might be tempted to buy the really big roots, don't if you can avoid it. The cores tend to be very woody. I highly recommend that you try them, if not in this soup, cook them with potatoes and mash with some whole milk (or if you are feeling particularly decadent, a mix of milk and cream), salt and pepper. You won't be sorry.

Fall Carrot and Parsnip Soup, from my brain

2 TB butter (or oil)
1 leek, sliced thinly (and evenly)
2 stalks celery, diced evenly
3/4 lb carrots, peeled and cut evenly, one hopes
3/4 lb parsnips, peeled...
4 cups water
2 pinches ground ginger
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne
salt, to taste

Melt butter in a pot over a medium-high flame. When heated, sweat leek and celery but don't let the veg color, about 4-7 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips and water. Let mixture come to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and let cook until parsnips are soft, about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.

Remove pot from heat, and in batches so that it is never more than half full, puree in a blender until smooth. Return soup to the pot and add the spices and salt. If you choose to add cream, now would be a good time. Gently heat soup until warmed through.

Serves 4?

A Birthday and a Confession

This is what I made for my friend's birthday dinner last night:


C's Birthday Dinner Menu:

Red Butter Lettuce Salad with a Pomegranate Vinegar-Olive Oil Dressing and Pomegranate Seeds and Chevre
Pork Stew with Butternut Squash and Fennel over Soft Polenta
Apple Slices Sauteed in Browned Butter and Brown Sugar over Cinnamon Ice Cream from here
and lots of sparkling wine (Jacob's Creek Chardonnay-Pinot Noir Cuvee NV; which we both enjoyed and highly recommend)

C is gluten-intolerant so we had the stew over polenta instead of noodles as the recipe suggests. I actually preferred it that way. The polenta soaked up the liquid far better than noodles and was heartier. I am looking forward to leftovers today.

Pork Stew with Butternut Squash and Fennel over Soft Polenta, adapted from Bon Appetit

1 1/2 lbs 2-inch pieces trimmed pork shoulder (Boston butt)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup chopped pancetta or bacon (not smoked) about 2 oz
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup broth (I used veg because it was in my cupboard, but the recipe calls for chicken)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 large fresh fennel bulb; cut into 1-inch cubes, reserve fronds
15 1 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash

Place pork in a bowl. Mix next 6 ingredients in small bowl; sprinkle over pork, turning pork to coat evenly. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in oven-proof pot (that has a lid) over medium-high heat. Add pancetta/bacon and saute until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to medium bowl. Add enough pork to pot to just cover in a single layer, you may have to do this a few times; saute until brown, about 8 minutes. COOKING SCHOOL TIP: Do not move or turn meat until you can easily pick it up off the pot. If it sticks to the bottom, it means that the Maillard reaction (browning) has not finished. Wait until it has, your stew will be more flavorful this way. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl with pancetta. Repeat with remaining pork. Add onions and garlic to pot, saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, broth, wine, and pork mixture. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits (the fond).

Cover pot; place in oven. Cook 1 hour. Add fennel and squash to stew. Cover and cook in oven until pork and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. At this point, my meat wasn't quite done but the squash was. I ended up fishing out the squash because I didn't want to end up with puree and returned the stew to the oven for another half hour. The I returned the squash to the stew. My stew was a little to thick, so I added a bit more liquid. The original recipe recommends that you thicken the liquid by removing the solids and cooking down the liquid, but I didn't need to. Your results, as always, may vary. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles or polenta. Garnish with reserved chopped fronds.

Serves 4

Easy Slow Cooked Soft Polenta

1 cup coarse cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
5 cups liquid (water, stock, or broth)
3 TB butter
Freshly grated Parmesan, to taste.

Preheat oven to 350F. Or if you are lucky enough to have an oven big enough for both the stew and the polenta cook simultaneously. I am not. Grease oven-safe pot. In pot, stir together cornmeal and liquid until there are no lumps. Add 1 TB butter. Bake in oven for 80 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in remaining butter, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Easy, no? If you prefer your polenta softer, add more liquid. Firmer? Add less.

The Confession: I think I need to give up the ghost and admit I am now firmly re-entrenched in the omnivore category of human diets. The partner is still a pescatarian, so most recipe posts here will continue to be vegetarian and all though I am eating some meat in no way will it be everyday. I prefer a more flexible diet but I can't imagine making meat the center of most meals. Not only is it pretty selfish for humane, environmental and sustainability reasons, it's also boring and I enjoy meatless meals and like the challenge of creating them. For these reasons, any meat I do purchase needs to be humanely raised and organic. Yes, it is more expensive but since it's not something I am going to indulge in too often, it's do-able. And I do believe that meat ought to be an indulgence, not a requirement. What do you think about that? I'm planning on the reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, has anyone out there read it yet? What did you think about it? If you eat meat, how do you explain why? If you don't, why don't you? I'm all ears.