Cook Like Mad

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 : )

Scallop Ceviche in Cucumber Cups

So Thursday night I catered a cocktail party for 15 people and let me tell you, it took me all of yesterday to recover. The cooking itself was not particularly difficult, but combined with the menu planning, the inevitable readjustments, the shopping and the assembly, I had my work cut out for me. I spent all of Wednesday (til 3am…) cooking and baking and then Thursday morning I spent another few hours cooking and prepping garnishes. By the time 3pm rolled around, it was time for me to go to the client’s house and start setting up platters and assembling dishes. It was at this point that I started to realize why there are so few parties catered by a sole individual. This was a lot of work! Not only was I in charge of keeping the polenta triangles, beef, and chicken warm in the oven, but I had to use that same oven to toast the bread. This meant switching back and forth from the broiler to the lowest setting on the oven all night, while simultaneously assembling and refilling platters of appetizers and keeping the garnishes fresh.

Thankfully, the night went perfectly smoothly and everyone was delighted by the food, the atmosphere, and the company. I was very anxious about not having enough food, since 15 adults can be a vague number to cook for. Are they big eaters? Are they just interested in drinking and will nibble on something once in a while? Who knew? Not me at least. In the end, there were a few leftovers, but I calculated well. Those interested in eating balanced out those abstaining, and I never ran out of a dish, nor did I have too much left over. My menu is listed below, as well as a few pictures from the event. Please excuse the picture quality here, since taking well adjusted pictures was the farthest thing from my mind that night. Btw, if you’re ever interested in catering a party yourself, I highly suggesst making up some business cards. They’re no more than $10 on many websites, such as overnightprints.com, vistaprint.com, and 123print.com, and some are even free. The moral of the story? Cook as much as you can ahead of time, including preparing your garnishes, and you’ll be well prepared for a smoothly executed evening. Recipes will be posted tomorrow. Today, I rest. : )

Menu:

Muhammara Spread (on whole grain crackers)

Blue Cheese Mousse (on water crackers, made with Valdeon)

Homemade Blue Cheese and Pecan Crackers

Scallop Ceviche in Cucumber Cups

Crab and Avocado Profiteroles

Roast Beef with Pesto Cream on Homemade Garlic and Herb Focaccia

Rosemary and Lemon Chicken with Black Olives on Thyme-infused Polenta Triangles

Chocolate Meringue Sandwich Cookies

Boysenberry Bars

Coconut and Tropical Fruit Chewy Cookies

Mini Chocolate Rum Balls

Spiced Glazed Nuts

Pics:

blue cheese mousse

scallop ceviche, marinating

crab and avocado profiteroles

-M

Some people who know me for not liking nuts will probably be surprised to find me writing so enthusiastically about these mixed nuts, but the truth is, even though I’m not a nut-lover, these are my new favorite snack. They are at once salty, sweet, earthy and spicy, and there is just the right amount of coating on them- enough to create an intense flavor, but not so much that you feel like calling your dentist after munching through a handful. Now before devising my own recipe, I researched a bit, as I usually do, to find approximate proportions of ingredients to use for the size batch I wanted to make. What surprised me in my search was the predominant use of egg whites in this type of recipe. I guess I thought making mixed nuts with a glaze would just involve sugar, maybe butter, and some corn syrup, as if I was making a less-liquidy version of brittle. What I realized was that egg whites, along with sugar, were the key ingredient to getting that airy, less dense crunch to stick to the exterior of the nuts. I know I’ve written before about the different textural properties that eggs give to a variety of dishes, such as custard, angel food cake, and mayonnaise, but this was a totally new application to me.

So what does a curious cook do in this situation? She looks up why! Now the place to look was not on food websites or cookbooks (well, unless you consider Harold McGee’s books “cookbooks”..), but instead on science websites, or even food manufacturing websites. Why? Because the same properties of the egg whites that give these nuts their sheen, their resilient coating, and their ability to block moisture (therefore preventing them from spoilage longer) are the same properties that food scientists and manufacturers capitalize on to make the gelatin capsules that encase your daily vitamin e pill, the sausage casings that prevent their spoilage, and “candy shells” around loose pieces of gum. Edible protein films such as these protect fresh foods from flavor and nutrient losses, protect dried fruits from moisture loss, and even those that thinly coat apples help to lessen a producer or shipper’s dependency on nonrenewable food packaging materials by offering added protection to the produce. This is due to the protein film’s ability not only to provide a hydrophobic coating, thereby preventing changes in the food’s moisture content and subsequently reducing spoilage, but also its ability to evenly and thoroughly adhere to the given product. Do you see where I’m going with this now?

The use of egg whites in this recipe not only guarantees a crisp crunch and a shiny reflection (thanks in no small part to it’s partner in crime, sugar), but it ensures the sweet and spicy coating covers every nut, fills every crevice, and does so consistently and evenly. Additionally, I was thankful for the egg whites’ adhering abilities as I broke apart pieces of the mixed nuts that had stuck together in brittle fashion and didn’t lose any coating as I separated the clusters.

So make these mixed nuts for yourself, your friends, or for your next party and revel in their gleaming, hard-shelled goodness. They won’t get spice dust everywhere as some mixed nuts do, thanks to the candy-like coating, but I will warn you, they are addictive. Thankfully, nuts are good for you, so dig in

Note: one other thing I love (what am I up to, number 10, on the “let me count the ways I love these nuts” list??) is the fact that you can blitz them in the food processor and they make a delicious topping for ice cream, pudding, and trifles. Or, try mixing the blitzed bits into brownies, cookies, or pie crusts for added texture and flavor. Heck, I’m thinking of just mixing them in straight chocolate and making a dark mixed nut bark out of them….mmm…stay posted!

Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts

Makes 5 cups- you determine how many servings that is….

2 egg whites

1 tsp water

4 1/2 cups roasted mixed nuts, unsalted (or a single nut, your choice;- you can also buy salted roasted nuts, but then you should omit the salt from the recipe)

1 1/8 cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp allspice

1/2 to 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (or two small ones) with a silpat (if you don’t own a silpat, first, let me recommend buying one for $10 online, and second, let me suggest using a very well greased sheet of parchment paper, instead). Whisk egg whites and water in a large bowl until frothy, about 1 minute, then add the nuts, and stir to coat evenly.

2. Mix together all the other ingredients, and pour the mixture into the bowl with the coated nuts. Mix well to coat and dump the nuts on the lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the nuts look a little dry and there is noticeably less moisture on the baking sheet. Take the nuts out of the oven, cool on the baking sheet, and once completely cool, peel them off the tray and break up any bunches that have formed. Store in an airtight container, or in sealed plastic bags, up to 1 month. Enjoy!

-M

After reading each post I write, D tells me he’s looking forward to coming back home to raid our ever-expanding (or is it ever-contracting?) freezer. I thought, why make him wait? I’ll send him a little care package of edible goodies to munch on, simultaneously filling him tummy with good food and his mind with good thoughts (of me, that is). But when it comes to actually making the goodies, I was unsettled on what to send.

Cookies seem dependable yet predictable, quick breads (i.e. banana bread) get stale too quickly if pre-sliced and are cumbersome if they’re sent whole, and muffins get smooshed easily. Then I thought, why does a care package have to be limited to sweet foods? It doesn’t, and here are two recipes for savory treats that will make your care package recipient the happiest he’s ever been away from home. Enjoy : )

Care package necessity number 1:

Crackers in Two Varieties: Plain and Salsa

Makes 5-6 dozen crackers (depending on size)

3 cups all purpose flour (you can subsitute half this amount for whole wheat or ww pastry flour, if desired)

1 tbsp salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

optional: 1/4 cup salsa (I prefer the finely chopped kind with a medium amount of heat, but it’s your choice).

* If using salsa, reduce water to 3/4 cup)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchments paper. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, then add oil and water (and salsa, if using). Mix well to create a fairly stiff dough, adding a little more water if necessary (depending on climate, humidity, etc, you might need a little more water to make the dough easier to roll out).

2. Cut the dough in 4 even pieces, and wrap in plastic. Let rest on the counter for 15 minutes to fully relax.

3. Taking on piece of dough at a time, roll dough out on a very lightly floured surface, to no more than 1/8th of an inch, and less if possible. If you have a pasta machin, feel free to use it to thin out the dough to less than 1/8th of an inch thickness.

4. Use a small (about 2 inch diameter) round cookie cutter, a knife, or a pastry cutter to cut crackers from the dough. Prick each cracker with a fork to prevent it from rising too much in the oven. (If you don’t care about the crackers looking uniform, you can save time and prick the dough prior to cutting it into shapes.) Place crackers on the baking sheets. Spacing isn’t necessary since they really don’t expand much, just don’t let them touch.

5. Place baking sheets in the oven, rotating them half way, to ensure even cooking, for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a rack and serve, or place in tins or bags to store. They keep for 1 month.

Note: If you like saltier crackers, brush on a thin coat of olive oil once they are on the baking sheets and sprinkle them with coarse salt prior to baking.

Some goat gouda and blackberry jam pair well with the plain variety of these crackers

Care package necessity number 2:

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Makes 6 pretzels

1/8 oz (1 1/2 tsp) rapid rise yeast (1/2 a package- just estimate, you’ll be fine)

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter, cold, cut into small pieces

coarse salt, for sprinkling

oil for greasing baking sheet

Method

1. Grease 1 large baking sheet or two small ones. Add yeast to warm water in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter, using a pastry cutter or rubbing the mixture between your hands, until the butter pieces are no larger than small peas. Pour in yeast mixture and mix well to create a wet dough. Grease a large bowl and dump dough into it, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until nearly double in size.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Flour your rolling surface well and place dough on top of it. Sprinkle more flour over the dough and gently work the dough for just 1 minute, until it is smooth and soft and no longer feels wet to the touch. Cut the dough in half, then cut each half into three even pieces. Place 5 pieces under a towel while you roll the first one into a rope. bring the two ends up to make a “U”, cross the ends, and bring the loop up over the cross and 1 inch below the ends. See picture below for assistance. Place formed pretzel under the towel and repeat with remaining dough pieces. Proof for an additional 20 minutes. When time is about up, bring a pot of salted water to a boil on the stove.

3. Two at a time, drop pretzels into boiling water. Boil for 45 seconds, then remove to a large piece of wax paper and immediately sprinkle with coarse salt. Repeat with other 4 pretzels. Place pretzels on the greased baking sheet(s) and bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden, risen, and cooked through. Enjoy hot, or let cool and rewarm in an oven, toaster oven, or microwave. Enjoy!

-M : )