Cook Like Mad

Most of you probably know by now that I have a strong and persuasive sweet tooth, so it will come as no surprise that I was thrilled to see that this month’s daring bakers was another recipe requiring a good amount of sugar- Danish. I decided against the recommended apple filling in favor of this cherry and cream cheese 1-2 punch, and I chose right.

While I do love apples, raw or cooked, when I think of danish, I think of two things: cream cheese danish and croissants. Since this dough is a little too bread-y for croissants, I opted to recreate my love of sweetened cream cheese danishes, but of course, with a twist. I found beautiful, deeply dark, ripe cherries at the Arlington farmer’s market last Saturday, and knew the combo of cherries and cream cheese would pair well with the cardamom and orange-scented danish pastry dough.

The cherry filling is 1 cup pitted cherries, 2-3 tablespoons sugar (depending on the sweetness of your cherries) and 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed then microwaved for 4 minutes. That’s right, microwaved. It’s easier, hands-free, and cools to the perfect viscosity.

The cream cheese filling is 10 oz cream cheese sweetened to taste with approximately 1/3 cup powdered sugar (to taste), and 1 tsp vanilla.

The danish turned out perfectly- the dough was tender and flaky like a croissant, but with a more substantial weight. The filling was balanced, not-too-sweet, and of a gorgeous color. Together, this pastry made a decadent breakfast treat that D and I enjoyed all week. In fact, we made a point to wake up early to ensure there was enough time for us to eat breakfast at home together before work, just so we could start each day off with a few bites of heaven.

Whatever flavor combination you use for the filling- sweet or savory- you’ll surely enjoy this recipe, too! : )

Danish Dough (adapted from Sherry Yard)

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Method

1.a Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

1.b Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

2. For butter block, combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
3. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
5. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Danish Braid
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups filling: cream cheese and/or fruit/jam/preserves (see above)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

-M : )

Bear with me, please. I know this does not look like Opera Cake, and in my opinion, it is not. Essential ingredients in Opera Cake are coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache, both of which are absent here. If it had been my choice, I would have made the original version, with the flavors that made Opera Cake famous. Alas, the Daring Bakers pleaded that we use only “light-colored” ingredients and flavorings, preferably in the yellow realm, like lemon, vanilla, and chamomile, so the original flavors got a swift kick in the butt.

What we’re left with is a layer cake by most people’s definitions, albeit a fancy one. Perhaps to be funny I should have made a beer flavored cake. That’s pretty yellow, no? Mmm…Sam Adams Summer Ale “Opera” Cake… Enough of it and you’ll be singing Gilbert and Sullivan tunes (”I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral…“).

Just kidding.

Anyway, in trying to make the best of what I consider a “situation” (I really like the combination of coffee and chocolate if you were wondering), I decided upon the summer-y flavor combination of Rose and Pistachio. It wouldn’t be yellow but it sure would be tasty. The only problem is, I really can’t force myself to call this ‘Opera Cake.’ How about The Most Delightfully Sweet and Texturally Divine Summertime Layer Cake? Let’s call it Divine Summertime Cake for short. Eat it and weep, my friends.

A Taste of Light: Opéra Cake (a.k.a Divine Summertime Cake)

This recipe is based on Opéra Cake recipes in Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets and Tish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty’s Chocolate Passion.

Yield: 10-12 servings.

For the joconde

(Note: The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperate)

What you’ll need:

•2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans (Note: If you do not have jelly-roll pans this size, do not fear! You can use different-sized jelly-roll pans like 10 x 15-inches.)
•a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
•parchment paper
•a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
•two mixing bowls (you can make do with one but it’s preferable to have two)

Ingredients:

6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds (I used ground pistachios- which you’ll have to grind on your own by pulsing them in a food processor)
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1.Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.

2.Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).

3.Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

4.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.

5.If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.

6.Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).

7.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

8.Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.

9.Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.

10.Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

For the syrup

(Note: The syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.- I used rose extract, which you can find at specialty stores and many middle eastern grocers)

1.Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.

2.Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the buttercream

(Note: The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan
•a candy or instant-read thermometer
•a stand mixer or handheld mixer
•a bowl and a whisk attachment
•rubber spatula

Ingredients:

1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 grams) water
seeds of one vanilla bean (split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract (Note: If you are flavouring your buttercream and do not want to use the vanilla, you do not have to. Vanilla will often enhance other flavours but if you want an intense, one-flavoured buttercream, then by all means leave it out!)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, I used rose again)

1.Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.

2.Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) [*Note: Original recipe indicates a temperature of 255◦F (124◦C), however, when testing the recipe I found that this was too high so we heated to 225◦F and it worked fine] on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.

3.While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

4.When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!

5.Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).

6.While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.

7.With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.

8.At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.

9.Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

For the white chocolate ganache/mousse (this step is optional – please see Assembling the Opéra Cake below)

(Note: The mousse can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan
•a mixer or handheld mixer

Ingredients:

7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice, optional (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.)

1.Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.
2.Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
5.If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.
6.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

For the glaze
(Note: It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.)

What you’ll need:

•a small saucepan or double boiler

Ingredients:

14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)

1.Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.
2.Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.
3.Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Assembling the Opéra Cake

(Note: The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.

Step A (if using buttercream only and not making the ganache/mousse):

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.

Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.

Step B (if making the ganache/mousse):

Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.

Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.

Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.

Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).

Prepare the ganache/mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.

Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.

Serve the cake slightly chilled.

Enjoy!

-M : )

So I am ungodly late for the April Daring Baker’s Challenge (seeing as how it’s May already…), but I figured since I did actually make them, I’d still post, even if it’s very tardy. Not much to say about this recipe. I used Maple Syrup instead of sugar, dark chocolate for coating, and toffee shards to give exterior crunch. Absolutely delicious and many thanks to my fellow Daring Bakers Elle and Deborah for coming up with this great challenge!

Note: feel free to be creative with the recipe below, but be warned, if you use maple syrup as I did, the cheesecake will be slightly more dense than if you use white granulated sugar. Enjoy! : )

Innards!

Cheesecake Pops

Makes 30 – 40 Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ cup heavy cream

Boiling water as needed

Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Method

1.Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

2.In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

3.Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

4.Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

5.When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

6.When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety. Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

7.Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

8.Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

-M : )

Image from the Restaurant Eve website

A short while ago, D and I went with a friend to Restaurant Eve for the friend’s birthday. Its a place we’ve been meaning to go to for some time, but as with other Alexandria, VA restaurants, it sometimes just feels too far away. Also as with other Alexandria restaurants, it’s the kind of place where you think you’ll be able to stroll in and get a table (at least in the bistro room), but in fact you’ll need to make a reservation 2 weeks in advance.

And they’ll remind you to be on time for your reservation, if you’re late. Normally, this is nothing unusual, as restaurants depend on diners honoring their reservations, plus or minus fifteen minutes. However, it’s more than unpleasant to be reminded not once, but twice, that your table “is booked for another party at 8:45.” Both when I called from the road, mentioning traffic due to construction, and when we sat down to our table, the hostess let us know this. In fact, she made a point of re-iterating it, stating, “Let me again say that this table is reserved for another party at 8:45. Now we won’t rush you, but expect you to be aware of this schedule.” Excuse me?? I couldn’t help but near-glare at this woman. Not to sound hokey, but we’re paying good money here! Cars run into traffic, things happen. Step down from your pedestal, and take that stick out of your…okay, I’m finished. Well, no, I’m not. One more thing about ‘Customer Service’- the Sommelier looks like a 22 year old frat boy. And us diners are onto you.

Now onto the food, which was scrumptious. The prices, which were often not.

To start, D had lobster and lemon ravioli, our friend had the housemade Charcuterie assortment, and I had the asparagus and crab salad. All utterly delicious, but the hefty price tags ($15-$20, each) made it harder to smile while swallowing. Sure the charcuterie platter was justified, but $20 for 3 small ravioli with god knows how little lobster and $15 for a pile of asparagus topped with 5 small chunks of lump crabmeat seems like a lot, especially when I can get my favorite crab soup at Rays the Steaks, teeming with crabmeat, for $3.75. The bread however, is a free, flavorful delight, and distracts from the prices with its assertive crust and well-proofed interior.

On to the entrees. D had duck breast, our friend had veal sweetbreads, and I had potato-crusted halibut. The halibut’s potato crust was only on the top side of the fish, keeping it crispy, which everyone thought was very smart. The dish felt harmonious, well executed, and light enough to feel healthy, but portioned well enough to be filling. An altogether yummy dish- not dream-worthy, but nice.

The sweetbreads are, however, in a class of their own. First of all, most restaurants shy away from an entree-size portion of these babies, but in fact, this is the perfect way to serve them. So may times you get sweetbreads and they’re overcooked because the chef diced them up into little nuggets for tapas or appetizers. I say, if you’re ordering sweetbreads, go big or go home. Served with morels and perfectly cooked (moist but not iffy- you know), the delicate sweetbreads were the highlight of the evening.

D’s duck was delicious, as were the desserts, namely a light coconut tart that had the best crust I’ve ever had in my life. Chef Armstrong- if you’re out there, I beg you to put this recipe on Eve’s website. The peanut butter and chocolate terrine was also commendably inventive, rich, and satisfying (not so fast- rich does not always equal satisfying, and all the best pastry chefs know and respect this).

One last thing- if it’s your birthday, let the staff know. They’ll toss you a free scone mix and a couple of fancy pats of pure Irish butter as you sign the check. The mix looks like it will produce 1 scone, but once out of the package, the volume of its contents is greater than you’d expect.

Bake them for 15 minutes at 375 and you’ve got yourself a nice slightly sweet treat (see above picture). I must say though, I’d rather have the typical free birthday dessert that most restaurants of this caliber bestow upon their celebrant, rather than a scone mix. Who wants to bake themselves a treat on their birthday? Call me old-fashioned, but I’m a graduate of the home economics school where we were taught that on your birthday, someone else bakes. Regardless, it was a very thoughtful (albeit unexciting) end to a very thoughtful meal.

Atmosphere: B+

Service: B-

Food: A

*Overall Experience: A-

*The Overall Experience is not an average of the first three components of the rating system.

-M

A round up of my food photos this week. Most of these are very simple, so recipes aren’t included in this post. Enjoy : ) -M

L. A. Burdick’s Luxembourgers (very similar to macarons)

Intricate blown candy at the Sakura Matsuri festival in D.C.

A vendor grilling chicken on skewers at the Sakura Matsuri festival

Sunny-side up eggs in the pan

Sunny-side up eggs on baguette, covered in thinned potato leek soup (just try it, trust me!)

Steamed artichoke

and last but not least,

Really devilish eggs

First, let me say that I had no idea how hopping Bethesda, MD is on the weekends. D, his mom, and I went out to dinner this past weekend at Faryab and actually drove through an entire parking garage only to discover at the very top, that it was full. Yikes. We ended up going to another parking garage, only half full at that point, and thankfully got to the restaurant just as they were about to give our table away because all that searching took us 45 minutes and we were quite late. The owner took pity on us and showed us to our table. As we passed others, we saw a great deal of rice dishes- something that surprised me. I think I had imagined more bread than rice as the main starch component of the meal in Afghanistan, but once I saw the rice, with the meat stews, everything made sense. Just as in Indian cuisine, both breads and rice are a feature of Afghan cuisine, and while the bread was lackluster, the rice was moist and a perfect vehicle for the rich stews served with it.

The highlights of the meal were the lamb stew, topped with slow-cooked, skin-on eggplant slices and a to-die-for dish of pumpkin, topped with yogurt and a very thin meat sauce. The earthy spices in the meat sauce, such as cinnamon and cloves, married perfectly with the yogurt and slow-cooked pumpkin, It was toothsome and addictive. We should have ordered more.

The starter of meal pastries was rich yet not overfilling and came with a refreshing , soupy, fresh, green sauce that made me think of thai food. The steamed dumpling with meat filling were presented beautifully and made it seem like someone’s grandmother had been laboring over them all afternoon, folding each one into a purse by hand.

We didn’t have dessert, but the baklava looked spectacular and was drawing moans from the next table. Go on a weeknight, as the weekend parking in Bethesda is outrageous, but mostly, just go.

Atmosphere: B

Service: B+

Food: A-

Overall Experience: B+

Faryab

4917 Cordell Ave.

Bethesda, MD 20814

301-951-3484

-M : )

On our trip to North Carolina earlier this year, D and I learned many things about Southern food culture, some we expected, some we did not. I knew NC barbecue sauce was vinegary and it nearly always covered meat from a pig, but I was surprised-happily, of course- to see the number of ways Southerns cook cornmeal. D and I found between our teeth corn pone, cornbread, hush puppies both short and long, and cornmeal-coated everything. I had eaten hush puppies and cornbread up North, but not like this. I was used to dry, bland cornbread and hush puppies, made with instant mixes and the hush puppies fried so long they looked like lumps of coal. I needed this corn education in the South to show me how cornmeal could be made into tasty, craveable food.

My first lesson came at Speedy’s BBQ in Lexington, NC. D and I had heard that there was great barbecue to be had just south of Winston-Salem, so we made the 20 mile drive to Lexington to see what the fuss was about. Upon first glance we thought we’d be taken for fools- there was a gas station, a few hardware stores, and a surprisingly cute downtown area including a candy “shoppe” that looked straight out of the 1920s, but no Speedy’s. To be fair, we had passed another barbecue joint whose name I can’t recall, on the way into town, and it was pretty packed, but it wasn’t the place we had heard of online (thank god for the iPhone in times of barbecue need…), and we had our hearts set on finding our destination food stop. A few turns later and about to go back to the first barbecue place we happened upon, we found ourselves at Speedy’s, and the smell and sight of the smoker out back immediately assured us that we were in for a treat. Our waitress, totally emotionless and disinterested in our eagerness, at us down at a booth by the window and asked us for our drink order. D got a sweet tea, I got a coke, and what she brought to us were two pitchers of each. Ok, so even before the barbecue came out, I knew I liked this place- a pitcher meant, “even though we’re serving good food fast, if you want to linger, you’re more than welcome to.”

Soon our food came out, hush puppies, fries, and pork sandwiches- chopped and coarsely chopped, for D and me, respectively. The not-too-sweet, vinegary, thin sauce was light in color (demonstrating a lack of molasses) and heavy on flavor. The tang of the sauce went perfectly with the chopped pork, slightly fatty, mostly lean, and the soft bun could barely contain it. I asked for my sandwich with slaw on the side, and the odd, nearly pulverized cabbage mix that the waitress brought out was not was I expected, but delicious. I added it to my sandwich, and it rounded the flavors out nicely. (Side note: one of my favorite dishes is Choucroute Garnie, an Alsatian dish that involves braising various pork products in sauerkraut, so you can understand my enthusiasm for this American South flavor combination.) The hush puppies were wonderful as well- moist, deep golden brown (but not too brown!) and they had a slightly sweet n’ salty thing going on that I quite liked. Being too full to check out that old time candy shoppe in the middle of town, D and I bought Speedy’s BBQ t-shirts as souvenirs and hit the road.

My second lesson on cornmeal and its culinary applications in the south came at Mama Dips’ Kitchen in Chapel Hill, NC. God, this place made me wish I went to UNC, Chapel Hill… From the time we walked in the front door, we knew we’d set foot in an institution. The first thing you see when you walk in is the restaurant’s gift shop posing as a reservation desk. Here you can buy Mama Dip’s t-shirts, her signature barbecue sauce, her cookbooks (yes, she’s published more than one, and yes, I bought one), and numerous other goodies, all of which you will see as essential items to stock up on once you taste her food. Soon, we pass into the main dining room, unable to ignore the seemingly endless hallway of framed recognitions to our right.

Once we’re seated, our waitress quickly comes with the menus and takes our drink order- another sweet tea and another coke, please. We look at the menu and immediately panic as any good foodie does in a place you know you won’t be able to come back to for a while. There were too many choices. I mean way too many choices, like three panels of 9-point font, single-spaced lists of menu items. Needless to say, D and I took a deep breath and ordered. And with our order came the most incredible corn muffins and biscuits. Delicate, moist, and addictive, D and I dipped them in our gravy, our collard greens, and our squash casserole, savoring the harmony of flavors those dips created.

That that trip to North Carolina was a few months ago, but my interest in cooking with cornmeal is as strong as it was the day we came home. I suppose it’s taken me a few months to recover from the food of that trip (it was heavy, meat-centric, and pretty high in fat, to be honest) and to get up the courage to recreate my new favorite dishes at home. Would I be able to pull it off? D had started to crave those southern foods more than ever, partly due to another more recent trip to South Carolina and Georgia, and I wasn’t sure I could live up to both his and my expectations. So I researched a few dishes, and thought, how hard can it really be? I would make catfish and fried okra and hush puppies- all safe, tasty bets. In the end, the catfish and hush puppies were A-game dishes, but the okra (in my opinion, since D and our guests liked them) was sub-par. So below, find the recipes for hush puppies and fried catfish- two very Southern dishes, the former from North Carolina (but originally from New Orleans) and the latter from South Carolina. These recipes represent two out of the infinite number of preparations that are possible with a sack of cornmeal, and showcase the delicious flavor this ingredient adds to any dish. Enjoy! : )

Fried Catfish (adapted from Chitterlings.com)

Serves 4

4 catfish fillets, skinned.
1 cup Yellow Corn Meal
2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (or just plain salt)
4 cups vegetable cooking oil (Enough to cover the catfish)

Method
1. Preheat oil to 325 degrees. Rinse the fillets thoroughly and then pat dry with a paper towel. Pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Roll the fresh, catfish fillets in a mixture of corn meal and Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. If you cannot find Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, then your favorite seasoned salt will have to do. It’s just that Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is a southern favorite. A quick way to coat the fish in the corn meal and season mixture is to place it in a plastic bag and just shake it.

3. Drop fillets two at a time into deep fryer. Fry until it turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on double layered paper towels and serve immediately while hot.

Hush Puppies (from Chitterlings.com)

Makes 6 servings

2 cups yellow corn meal
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (you can also use plain milk in a pinch, but nothing compares to buttermilk)
3/4 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt (or just plain salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 teaspoon baking soda (if using regular milk, substitute baking powder here)
1/8 cup bacon grease. (This is another big key to the flavor. You can use other types of cooking oil, but bacon is my favorite)
Vegetable oil for frying (peanut oil is great too, but make sure no one you’re cooking for is allergic to peanuts!!)

Method

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add your eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Stir it all up until the flavors are thoroughly blended.

2. Turn your cooker on medium-high heat. When it’s hot you can drop your hush puppies in using a table spoon. Allow them to brown on all sides. They should begin floating when done, but if they don’t, don’t overcook them.

You can also store this mixture in the refrigerator for a day prior to frying. Before cooking let the mixture reach near room temperature.

-M : )

Very early on in this blog’s life I posted a recipe for turkey meatballs, which I called “Pimm’s Polpette.” It’s a bit of an unconventional recipe for meatballs, using Pimm’s for the liquid component and adding orange zest for tang. Last night I made more traditional turkey meatballs (what you’d call a “trusty, stand-by” recipe) and folded them into a pasta dish with asparagus, swiss chard, and a light white wine sauce.

What I love about this dish is that the variations are endless. You can use virtually any ground meat or poultry to make the meatballs, any mix of fresh vegetables and your favorite shape of pasta, short or long. I like to add red pepper flakes for a hint of spice, but it’s up to you. So here’s a great weeknight dinner recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes. Fully flavored yet light, soft and crunchy, spicy but soothing, this dinner is one for kids, boyfriends, or just nights alone with a good book. Enjoy! : )

Turkey Meatballs with Farfalle, Swiss Chard, and Asparagus

Makes 4 Servings

For the Turkey Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano, dried

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, minced

1/2 tsp coriander, dried

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

canola oil, for cooking

2 cups farfalle

1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 packed cup fresh swiss chard (frozen can be substituted)

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup butter, diced into small pieces

juice of 1/2 lemon

pinch hot red pepper flakes

salt, to taste

Method

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat with enough canola oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Mix all ingredients for meatballs together and form mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Once the oil is hot, place 1/2 the meatballs in the pan, cook for 5 minutes, or until fully cooked inside, transfer to a plate lined with a double layer of paper towels and repeat this process with the rest of the meatballs. Set aside while you assemble the rest of the dish.

2. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the pasta in abundant amounts of salted, boiling water. Drain the pasta but reserve 1/4 cup pasta water in a separate dish. Do not rise pasta or coat pasta with oil!

3. Add white wine to the saute pan you cooked the meatballs in and add the asparagus and swiss chard. Once vegetables are just barely cooked and the wine is reduced by half, add butter, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, reserved pasta water and a pinch of salt to the pan. Swirl and stir the ingredients over medium heat until combined and the butter is melted. Add pasta and meatballs to the pan and fold ingredients together to warm and evenly coat with the sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve immediately and enjoy!

-M : )

It’s not the best picture, but it’s the picture of the best chicken piccata recipe you’ve ever tasted. Served with sauteed sugar snap peas and sun-dried tomato rice, this chicken piccata will satisfy gourmands and picky children alike. Just as some people swear they hate anchovies but greedily dig into plates of caesar salad, guests claiming to hate capers will lick their plates clean after eating this dish. When I’m entertaining, I ask the friends I’m having over if there are foods they don’t or won’t eat. Generally, this results in answers like, “Cheese makes me sick,” or “No red meat,” or “No shellfish,” and rarely answers as specific as “No capers.” Yet, if you ask a group of people if they like certain foods like capers, mushrooms, or eggplant, you’re guaranteed to get some Nos. What’s the deal? I think many people avoid certain foods (proteins notwithstanding) because they think they don’t like them, or have had a bad experience with them served in a less-than-tasty preparation. Of course, some people have food allergies, but for those who don’t, my take is that many caper-haters and mushroom-avoiders just need to try capers and mushrooms in a tasty preparation.

There’s something to be said for the earthiness mushrooms add to a stew and the brininess capers add to a rich sauce. Without them, the balance in flavor is lost, and so is the quality of your resulting dish. In this recipe for chicken piccata, capers are a mandatory ingredient, not only for maintaining authenticity, but also for brightening the flavor of the pan sauce that elevates this dish to a level beyond simple, breaded, sauteed chicken. Serving it with sugar snap peas and rice cooked with sun-dried tomatoes elevates this dish to a meal elegant enough for any dinner party. Last week, I made this on Wednesday night to eat while watching Top Chef- an homage to one Italian contestant who didn’t know how to make chicken piccata despite growing up in the restaurant biz… It shocked the judges- and I would assume nearly every Italian-American watching- so I decided to show those contestants (in spirit, perhaps) how it’s done. Below, find my recipe for chicken piccata: one that begs to be served with a glass of dry Italian white wine and an episode of your favorite food show. Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata

Serves 4

For the Chicken

4 small chicken breasts, boned, skinned (if chicken breasts are the large supermarket variety, buy 2 big ones & slice them in half)

1 cup all-purpose flour, mixed with 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp paprika

2 eggs, mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice

salt

canola oil, for cooking

For the Sauce

1/2 cup dry white white

1 cup chicken stock or water (if using water, stir 1 tsp cornstarch into it before adding to the pan, so the sauce thickens)

2 tsp capers

2 tbsp butter, cold, diced into small pieces

2 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste

1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

salt

Rice, steamed with minced Sun-Dried Tomatoes, to serve (follow package directions and add tomatoes with the water)

Sugar Snap Peas, sauteed in a pan with olive oil, 1 small squeeze of lemon juice, and salt)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Pound chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer or mallet, to 1/4 to no more than 1/2 inch thickness.

2. Preheat large saute pan with canola oil over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and dredge first in flour, then in egg mixture, coating each piece completely. Immediately place dipped chicken breasts into hot pan, cooking two at a time, a makign sure not to crowd your pan (with a crowded pan, your chicken will steam and not form a golden crust).

3. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook 1-2 minutes on the other side. It will take less time than normal since the chicken has been pounded into thin cutlets. Set cooked chicken on an oven-safe plate, and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the other two pieces of chicken. Set those pieces on the plate in the oven once cooked through, and keep warm while making the pan sauce.

4. Remove any large pieces of breading from the saute pan, but keep the small golden brown bits that have created a “fond”on the bottom of your pan. Place the pan on high heat, add the white wine, and reduce the liquid “a sec,” or until there is only a couple tablespoons of liquid left in the pan.

5. Add the chicken stock or water/cornstarch slurry and capers and cook for 2 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the cold butter, stirring constantly, until fully melted. Stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning. Add salt as needed and serve on top of the chicken, plated with the rice and sugar snap peas. Enjoy!

-M : )

Remember how unenthused I was on Sunday aboutbaking another cake after just having had my fill? Well, here’s the very satisfying, vibrant and rich reason: Red Velvet Cake. After having tasted Two Little Red Hen’s red velvet cupcakes in NYC last year, and experiencing the glorious, moist, and delectable cake that found itself inside my cupcake wrapper, I knew I had to try my hand at recreating this cake. Not only is the batter bright, bright red when it goes into the oven (thanks to a full tablespoon of red food coloring(!)…more on that later…), it’s just as bright when it comes out- something I didn’t expect since cakes tend to slightly brown in the oven and I didn’t want to slice into something the color of that Chinese creation, fruity beef jerky (think: beef jerky glazed with red jam). I didn’t want reddish-brown velvet cake, I wanted red velvet cake. And luckily, that’s exactly what I got. Mixed with the cream cheese icing, this cake, with its hint of cocoa powder, Christmas red color (sorry, Rabbi, it’s what popped into my head…), and strawberries inside that melt into the second cake layer, D and I were in sugar heaven.

Since this was my first (but not last!) foray into red velvet cake baking, I used a highly starred recipe on Epicurious.com, found here. Since I don’t like just copying and pasting recipes, please click the link for the recipe in full. That way you can read some of the comments and see if you’re interested in taking some of the advice some commenters offer. There is a theme of them saying the cake needs more oil and cocoa, but I found the cake perfectly moist after using the original recipe. But it’s your choice- if you want to add extra cocoa (which will result in a less vibrant red color), then you must add more oil, since the addition of cocoa powder will dry out your batter. Also, if you want to make cupcakes, go ahead! Just be sure to raise the oven temp 10 degrees and check them after 15 minutes (they’ll take longer, but check anyway).

out of the oven and looking quite red still… hey- do my cakes match my kitchen towel? Never thought I’d see that happen!

mmm…innards! : )

So the only caveat I have for this whole recipe involves the red food coloring itself. Please, please, please, don’t use that gross food coloring you make sugar cookie icing with. It will tear your stomach apart. I have a weak stomach, D has a strong one, and after eating this cake with the regular food color added, we both felt pretty funky. Not like, violently ill, but off, you know? Yeah, so splurge on the natural, beet colored, food coloring and save yourself from any bodily harm. the only feeling you should get after eating this cake is happy. Enjoy!

Once again, the recipe is here. : )

p.s. I used strawberries instead of the other berries in the original recipe since that’s what looked good at the supermarket. It was a great combination, and next time, I would even add more strawberries by cutting each layer in two, creating four cake layers, and hence, three more places to hide strawberry slices in the cake- yum!

-M : )

This month’s Daring Baker’s challenge involves making Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake, from her outstanding cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours. This is my first Daring Baker’s challenge, and having just made Red Velvet Cake (recipe coming soon) for D’s birthday, I was less than enthusiastic about my debut revolving around another cake. I wanted something I could really get excited about, but after eating cake all of last week (and a heavy cake at that) I was putting off making this cake until the last possible day- yesterday. Evening. I swear I wasn’t procrastinating. It’s not like baking a cake is a daunting task or anything, I just couldn’t bare the thought of more cake. Frankly, neither could D.

Those were my thoughts before I started mixing the cake batter. During the mixing process, my thoughts went gradually from “mmm..this lemon zest smells good, maybe this won’t be so bad,” to “wow, this is a really nice cake batter,” to “god, I love the smell of cake baking in the oven,” to finally D and I scarfing down slices of cake thinking, “this is some of the best cake we’ve ever had!”

What makes this cake excellent is that the batter is flawless, easy, and well-balanced (i.e. not too sweet, not too heavy) and the filling and frosting can be varied in innumerable ways. The original recipe calls for raspberry preserves inside and shredded coconut to be pressed up to a buttercream frosting on the outside of the finished cake, but I had fresh strawberry jam in the fridge, D doesn’t like coconut, and we were not in the mood for such a rich frosting as buttercream, so I made those substitutions. I suppose I could have decorated my cake a little better, garnished it with some fresh strawberries or the like, but my original indifference to the outcome of this cake told me not to buy those “extras” while buying the ingredients I needed at the supermarket. So be it. When I serve the cake I can always add extra berries at that time, but frankly, this cake needs nothing more than a fork to get it into your drooling mouth. This is the first recipe I’ve tested from this cookbook of Dorie’s, but it certainly won’t be the last. Enjoy! : )

mmm…cake innards!

Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake (adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours)

Makes one 9-inch layer cake

For the Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (use buttermilk if you want to intensify the lemon flavor)
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Whipped Cream (double this if you want to cover the whole cake with whipped cream)
1 cup heavy cream, cold
1/8 cup sugar
2 tbsp raw wild flower honey (or another flavorful honey of your choice)

For Finishing
2/3 cup strawberry jam, stirred vigorously to loosen (feel free to use another flavor of jam)

Method

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

4. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl whisk until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

5. Add the butter to the lemony sugar mixture and working with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light and fluffy.

6. Beat in the lemon extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.

7. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk-egg mixture, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

8. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.

9. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber or offset spatula.

10. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, take them out of the pans, and peel off the parchment paper. Invert the cakes so they are right side up and cool to room temperature. The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months.

11. While the cakes are cooling, whip heavy cream to soft peaks, then add sugar, slowly, continuing to whip. Once sugar is incorporated, add honey in a slow stream to the mixture. Make sure the honey gets incorporated by scraping the bottom of your bowl well, as the honey will sink to the bottom. Whip cream to stiff peaks and set in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the cake.

12. Once the cake layers are cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Top that layer with the strawberry jam. On top of the jam, spread 1/3 of the whipped cream. Place the second cake layer on top of the whipped cream and top that with the remaining whipped cream. Enjoy!

-M : )

My second- and hopefully last- post without a picture. This one is on Salmon, again, as promised, but this time with a Thai flair, courtesy of Jamie Oliver and his new book, Cook With Jamie: My Guide To Making You A Better Cook. Let me first say that this new cookbook is not only Jamie’s best, but one of the best cookbooks to come out in the past ten years. It is organized perfectly, the photos are vibrant without looking overly styled (signature J.O.), the dessert section is treated as a legitimate chapter rather than an afterthought (rare in the cookbook world these days), and most of all, the recipes are to die for and they work! What more could a cook, any cook, ask for? Whether its your first day in the kitchen or your thousandth, you will find many new recipes in this book that enlighten your preexisting notions of good food. Without giving away too many goodies, let me entice you with the names of a few of my favorite recipes from this book: Oozy Egg Ravioli, The Nicest Clam Chowder (Essex Girl Style), Sticky Saucepan Carrots, and A Rather Pleasing Carrot Cake with Lime Mascarpone Icing. Wow, yum. If the recipes don’t get you, the fact that he’s donating every penny to his charity, the Fifteen Foundation (named for his four restaurants that bear the same name) should. The foundation’s focus is on teaching young kids from tough backgrounds how to cook, and judging by the number of glowing, smiling faces inside the book’s covers, it’s improving their lives.

So here is a recipe I’ve adapted from this book. Originally the recipe features sea bass, but since I had salmon in the fridge, that’s what I chose as the star of this dish. The marinade for the salmon is great for meat and poultry too, and it keeps very well in the fridge, so you can use any extra you have throughout the rest of the week on steamed rice, tossed with pasta, heck, I’d pour this stuff on my eggs in the morning it tastes so good. Anyway, enjoy!

Seared Salmon with Thai Coconut Rice (adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Cook With Jamie)

Makes 4 Servings

For Marinade:

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small hot pepper, such as jalapeno, serano, or bird, depending on how hot you want it.

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1 12 oz can coconut milk

Method:

1. Blitz all ingredients listed above (including both the juice and the zest fo the lemon) in a food processor until smooth. Transfer 1 cup of the mixture to a shallow dish and set aside. Place the rest of the mixture in a storage container and set in the fridge.

For Salmon:

4 Salmon fillets, (skinned if you prefer)

1 cup reserved marinade

Method:

1. Place salmon fillets in the shallow dish you reserved the cup of marinade in and set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

For Assembly:

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

3 cups water

the rest of the reserved marinade

1 lb green beans, steamed, to serve

2 tbsp vegetable oil, such as canola

salt, to taste

Method :

1. Place the 3 cups of water in a medium size pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt and add 1 1/2 cups rice. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off, pour in 1 cup reserved marinade, place the lid back on, and steam for 3 minutes to finish cooking. After 3 minutes is up, fluff the rice gently with a fork and pour another 1/2 cup of marinade over the rice. Since the marinade is cold, it will stop the rice from cooking. Taste the rice for salt, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Leave the rice in the pot, with the lid ajar, until serving time.

2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan (or in two smaller saute pans) over medium high heat. Remove the salmon from the marinade, season each side with salt, and place fillets in the hot pan, facing down the side of the fillet that looks more attractive (i.e. the “presentation side” goes down in the pan first). Cook for 3 minutes on the first side, flip, then cook for 2 minutes on the other side, until medium rare in the center. If you prefer your fish cooked more thoroughly, cook another minute on each side.

3. Spoon 1 portion of rice in the center of each of the four plates, and lay 1 cooked fillet over the top. Place a portion of steamed green beans alonside the salmon, then serve. Enjoy!

-M : )

So I was pretty upset when I realized I accidentally deleted the pictures that correspond with my next two posts, but then I thought about the importance of pictures in the first place. Sure I realize that aesthetics are important and appealing photos are meant to convey tastiness, but don’t you already know what Salmon tastes like? Don’t you already have a pretty good idea of what flavors the Strawberry Shortcake, Braised Short Ribs, and Chicken Piccata recipes will yield, without staring at their accompanying pictures? Can’t you trust a recipe without food porn staring you in the face? Why are we taught to think that the quality of a person’s camera is directly related to the quality of his/her food?

While I think we all realize (or at least those of us who actually cook), that photos of food in magazines and on the Food Network rarely resemble the food we turn out for our loved one’s dinners every night, there is a value to these images. We are supposed to think, big budget = nice cameras + well trained staff + many hours of recipe testing = good recipe = tasty food. However, on a cooking show such as PBS, it lends humility to chef, as most programs are clearly not shot with super high end HD cameras. This brings the chef down to earth a bit in the viewers eyes, and shows us that their food looks surprisingly just like ours. I think it makes their recipes seem more accessible and honest.

In terms of food advertisements and magazine photography, it’s another story. I can’t get my food to look like the food shown next to it’s recipe in Gourmet magazine if my life depended on it. I’m not exaggerating. I don’t make my plate up with inedible components, and part of the trickery involved in making food photography look tasty, is using non-food products in pictures. For example, that milk on the cereal box is made to look super white and glossy by substituting the real thing with thinned glue. Sorry readers, I’m not buying and thinning glue for your your drooling pleasure. For most of us food bloggers, photography is meant to add a bit of temptation, a pinch of humility (my pictures are far from professional looking), and in my mind, most importantly, a heaping dose of honesty (proof that we actually made the recipe!).

So, forgive my error in erasing the photos of the recipes that illustrate the tastiness of my next two posts, and try them based on my word alone. I dare you. I don’t have hours to test recipes, nor a great camera, but I can assure you both of these recipes are as delicious as any you’ll find within the pages of Gourmet, Bon Appetit, or Saveur. Both are based on Salmon (great for raising HDL cholesterol, softening skin, and increasing blood circulation), with the first less refined, but equally as delicious as the second. If you trust me and cook one or both of these recipes, and they turn out well, as always, please let me know. Inevitably, if you like a recipe, mine or anyone’s, you’re going to make it again because it tasted good, not because it looked good on the plate. The latter is an added bonus, but not the be all and end all of good food. To you bloggers, who like me, can’t afford a fancy camera (or simply don’t care about buying one), don’t be intimidated by those who can. Let your food speak for itself. Enjoy : )

Salmon Burgers with Orange and Beet Salad

For Salmon Burgers:

2 small cans Pink Salmon (or 1 large one, if you wish), drained (skin removed, if included; bones mashed, if included)

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp dried dill

dash Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp vegetable oil, like canola

2 burger buns, or 4 slices of bread, your choice

1/4 lb smoked gouda, sliced

lettuce, tomato, red onion, and/or cooked bacon, to top your burgers with (optional)

Method:

1. Mash together the salmon, mustard, dill, worchestershire, salt, and pepper, in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning, readjust, then incorporate the egg into the mixture. Chill for 30 minutes.

2. Form two patties out of the salmon mixture and heat the oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Place salmon patties into the pan, and cook for 3 minutes on the first side to get a nice dark brown sear on them. Flip, then cook for 1 minute on the second side.

3. Meanwhile, toast your burger buns or bread, and slice your burger garnishes.

4. Once the salmon burgers have been flipped, top them with 2-3 slices of smoked gouda and place the pan under the broiler in your oven until the cheese is melted. Alternatively, you can place a lid on your pan and steam the cheese until it melts. Place the Salmon Burgers on the buns/toast and serve with garnishes and the Orange and Beet Salad.

For Orange and Beet Salad:

2 beets, golden or red

1 seedless orange, like Cara Cara, peeled and sliced into segments

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (found in the baking aisle of certain grocery stores, like Whole Foods)

1 tsp honey

1 lime, juiced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt, to taste

Method:

1. Place beets in a small pot and cover with cold water, bring to a boil over high heat and boil covered, until you can poke the tip of a paring knife into the center and it comes out without resistance, about 45 minutes.

2. Cool beets by submerging them in cold water and peel the skin off with a paring knife, or by pushing the skin off with your fingers. It will be very easy to remove the skin if the beets are cooked through.

3. Slice beets in segments similar to the size of your orange segments, at most about 1/2 inch thick. Toss beet segments with oranges, and the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl, and let marinate, covered, in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

4. Serve alongside Salmon Burgers, in a separate dish, since the salad will be very moist. Keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Enjoy!

-M

I don’t know when or where I ate my first molasses cookie, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve loved them. I am forever on the quest for that perfect recipe which yields the chewy, moist, intense cookies I’ve come to crave. Most recipes I’ve tried call for either very little molasses, too much sugar, or too fluffy a batter, yielding hard, dry, and cloying cookies, but this one is the best I’ve found yet. I still believe there is a chewier recipe out there (I have this love for very chewy foods…taffy, caramel, bagels (especially Murray’s near Union Square!)…you name it), but this one has a great balance between depth of flavor and delicateness that makes you crave them more, rather than giving you a stomachache after one.

There was a recommendation on allrecipes.com, where this recipe originated, to dunk these in pumpkin dip, a recipe also found on that site. I’m guessing you don’t really need a recipe for that though, since it’s probably just a combination of pumpkin mash and marshmallow fluff, but search around if you want precise measurements. To me, the combination sounds scrumptious, and is eerily reminiscent of this recipe I posted a while back. No wonder it sounds good to me! Anyway, if you’re as big a fan as I am of these treats, you’ll be delighted to find such a foolproof, fast, and satisfying recipe as the one I’ve posted below. Feel free to experiment with oil instead of butter, all molasses instead of part molasses and part sugar, and a different combination of spices. All I ask is that if it turns out well, you let me know the changes you made so I can continue on my quest for the perfect recipe. Enjoy!

Note: I love these cookies with chocolate chunks, nuts, and other add-ins incorporated to the cookie dough. In this batch alone I was able to try out white chocolate chunks, dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and coarse sugar for rolling them in, and each turned out great, with it’s own unique personality. All I’m saying is, go wild; these cookies can handle the challenge as they accept a wide variety of additional flavors very well.

Molasses Cookies (adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe)

Makes 60 small cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup white sugar, for rolling

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

2. Combine butter, oil, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and using beaters, a whisk or a stand mixer, mix ingredients for 5 minutes, until mixture lightens in color.

3. Add egg, mix until combined, then add molasses. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a separate small bowl and add slowly to wet mixture until fully incorporated. Place mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

4. Place 1/2 cup white sugar in a small shallow bowl and using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, gather about a tablespoon of dough in your hands, roll in a ball, and toss in the sugar to coat. Place on lined baking sheet, and repeat with the rest of the dough. Place cookies about 1 inch apar, as they spread quite a bit. Press down on cookies with a flat bottomed drinking glass, so they are about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 6-8 minutes until slightly firmer but still a little soft. There should be little change in their color, so you don’t really want them to brown. Store in an airtight container for 1 week or in the freezer, up to 3 months. Enjoy!

-M : )

There are some recipes that sound great, taste great, but look a bit unappetizing. I generally find the problem is one of color, where the recipe calls for ingredients, that when combined, turn into something brown or gray. Sometimes the dullness is due to a main ingredient’s color, such as is the case in eggplant dips, and in others the color is due to the sheer number of ingredients being combined. In the case of this blue cheese mousse, the culprit is the blue cheese itself. Depending on the amount of blue in your blue cheese, your mousse could turn out off-white, dark blue-gray, or anything in between. Since I chose Valdeon, a rich and creamy cow’s and goat’s milk cheese wrapped in Sycamore leaves, my mousse was on the darker side, honestly reflecting its strong, earthy, salty flavor.

DUN DUN DUN…the dark, heady, and vivacious Valdeon

In a blind taste test, 100% of testers would tell you they love this appetizer, but in a setting where the color is easily seen, I am willing to bet there would be more than a few people whose eyes prevent them from trying this tasty dish. The point of me harping on this point is this: serve this to fans of blue cheese, adventurous eaters, and perhaps an older crowd and leave it out of the menu for your 12 yr old daughter’s party at Lasertron.

If you choose to use a stinky, hearty blue cheese, I think it should only be served piped on a cracker, slice of pear, or other vessel, since its appearance in a bowl, surrounded by dipping vegetables and fruits, resembles wet cement. Not joking, nor trying to discourage you from making this. It’s just a fair warning.

If you choose to use a mild blue cheese, like Saga or even Gorgonzola Dolce, the recipe will be more much appealing (read: lighter in color), but I still think taking the time to pipe it onto crackers is worth it. If you can decorate it with a slice or grape, pear, or even chopped chives, it will be much more inviting, as I hope the above picture illustrates.

Plenty of foods we love aren’t vibrant, many are in fact brown (meat, cake, cookies, muffins, you name it), but rarely are they blue-gray. You’ll be proud of yourself for serving this adventuresome dish at your next party, and at the very least, it will be a conversation piece. Get rid of the dull cheese plate, and put this out instead. Our tastes are changing, and people are becoming more open to new foods, and old foods presented in new ways. For the right crowd, this dish will be a huge success. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Mousse (from Garde Manger: the Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen, by the C.I.A.)

Makes 3 cups

20 oz. blue cheese (I used Valdeon, but pick your favorite, just remember the flavor will be diluted by the cream cheese)

12 oz cream cheese (not the whipped variety)

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 fl oz heavy cream

red grapes, to garnish, sliced into 1/8 in. thick slices (like coins).

table water crackers

Method

1. Using electric beaters, a food processor, or small stand mixer, whip the cream cheese for 1 minute to soften it.

2. Add blue cheese, salt, and black pepper to the cream cheese and continue mixing to fully incorporate. Place in a large bowl.

3. In another clean bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, making sure not to go past this point, or your mousse will not be light and airy. Fold whipped cream into blue cheese mixture and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Using a plastic piping bag and star tip, pipe about 1-2 tbsp of the mixture onto each cracker. Garnish with 1 or two grape slices, according to your preference. Mouse keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge, and tastes better when allowed to age for one day. Enjoy!

-M : )

Scallop Ceviche

Now that D and I are back from our trip down south, we are taking a break from heavy foods by dining on salads, soups, and sandwiches for dinner. We had our fill of yeast rolls and sweet potatoes at Mary Mac’s in Atlanta, cheddar biscuits and fried chicken at The Lady & Sons in Savannah, and whole hog pork barbecue and banana pudding at Sweatman’s, about a hour north of Charleston. Most of the food we had was incredible, but also incredibly heavy. All I wanted once we got back to D.C. was a big salad and some broiled fish. While a lot of the food we had down south was simple, country food, it didn’t feel pure, if you know what I mean. Sure the green beans, butter beans, black eyed peas, and sweet potatoes were cooked with few ingredients, but food that’s cooked for hours on the stove rarely tastes as fresh and healthy as it does in its raw state. Not to mention it all looks brown to me after a while, which is less than appetizing.

So since our meals have been “pure” (read: less than exciting) the past few days (for example, nicoise salads are the most complicated thing I have made since coming home), I am sharing some of my catering recipes I promised not too long ago, instead. The blue cheese and pecan crackers have a delicate, shortbread biscuit-like texture and are wonderful eaten on their own. The scallop ceviche in cucumber cups is always chic, impressive, and easy to make ahead. Both of these recipes will be among your new favorites in your entertaining arsenal. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese and Pecan Crackers (from Garde Manger, by the Culinary Institute of America)

Makes 3 dozen

1/2 cup butter, diced, cold

8 oz crumbled blue cheese (or block blue cheese, like Valdeon)

1 cup flour, plus more for dusting

1 tsp salt

2 oz pecans, finely chopped

Method

1. Add salt to flour. Cut butter into flour with your hands or a pastry cutter, then incorporate blue cheese. Stir in pecans. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and set in fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper. Roll chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to no more than 1/4 inch, and no less than 1/8 inch, thickness. Cut with a 2 inch round cookie cutter, or in another desired small shape and place shapes an inch apart on the lined baking sheets. Re-roll scraps from cutting and cut out more shapes. Repeat until dough is used up. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden and slightly firm. Remove from baking sheets and cool on parchment paper. Store in a tightly-sealed container for up to 1 month. Enjoy!

Scallop Ceviche in Cucumber Cups

Makes about 60 pieces

4 large english cucumbers, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch slices, crosswise

10 large scallops

1 large firm tomato, seeded and diced finely

2 bell peppers, in different colors, diced finely (I like orange and red, since the cucumbers are green)

2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced finely

3 limes, juiced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped finely

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt, to taste (you can add pepper, but I just don’t like to see the black specs in my ceviche)

Method

1. Remove tough muscle on the side of the scallops. Slice scallops across so you get three discs each, then slice into strips. Cut strips into small dice so pieces are about 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch. Place diced scallops into a large bowl and add lime juice, tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, olive oil, and salt. Mix well, cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and set in the fridge overnight.

2. The next day, before serving, use a small melon baller to make the “cup” in one side of the cucumber slices. Make sure not to punch all the way through! When it’s time to serve, spoon 1/2 tsp of ceviche into each cup. Enjoy!

-M : )