Mouth of Wonder: Recent Episodes
Stacy Pearl
My People! Rula is here for you! As always, my surefire tips will make sure your dinner goes off without a hitch:
❯❯❯ Rula Gives Good Bird ❮❮❮
Yes, fellow Pilgrims, these are the same tips I post every year, but isn't it comforting to know that some things never change?
You can also clicky click on Thanksgiving or Fall in the links over there on the left for more great seasonal and holiday recipe ideas!
Stacy's been living on Lon Guyland since 2014 — where have you been? And Mary-Charlotte has long since retired from radio, so there will be no more day-before-Thanksgiving Radio Café appearances. But you can still relive their glory days — there are eight years of Radio Café shows in the archives that feature Stacy's Thanksgiving tips. I guess the internet is good for something besides TikTok dance routines, after all!
Well, my little Green Beans, it's back to Brooklyn for me — I've got spices to rub! Ciao!
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Seasonal Recipe of the WeekThe Altitude
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Today we are going to talk about Jerusalem Artichokes, sometimes called Sunchokes, and sometimes Fartichokes! Let's start with some basic info compliments of The New York Times.
“One of the most abundant, curiously neglected and oddly named foods in America is the Jerusalem artichoke. Since its inception the name has involved a comedy of errors not only in this country but in France. The English name of the vegetable, which I find appealing to the taste and semantically captivating, has nothing deliberately to do with the capital of Israel, and that requires explanation. The Jerusalem artichoke is not an artichoke at all, as we know the more sophisticated globe artichoke. The Jerusalem version is actually related to the sunflower. The sunflower is called girasole in Italian, - it means gyrating or turning to the sun. And, at least according to folk etymology, girasole through some slip of nomenclature turned into Jerusalem. That is even more historically fascinating, considering that the vegetable in question is native to America. It was indigenous to the central United States and Canada and was first taken to France by Samuel de Champlain in 1616, from which moment it began to flourish. After its introduction to France, the easily proliferating root vegetable was first referred to as poires de terre (earth pears) or artichauts de Canada (Canadian artichokes).” — The New York Times 1981
Then there is the “fartichoke” business, which is not just a rumor, trust me! It has to do with the high levels of inulin, a soluble fiber, which gives them their sweetness but passes through your digestive system intact until it reaches the colon where gut bacteria breaks it and releases the gas. There are remedies for this such as slow roasting or soaking them in salt water before simmering them in milk. The addition of caraway or fennel seeds is also said to help, which is great news because those flavors work perfectly together. Other great options are to pickle them, purée them, or use them with potatoes and apples in a soup.
Why discuss this now? Because last week my lovely neighbor "Dan the Fig man" (so-called because he grows hundreds of fig trees in his own personal Garden of Eden ... as well as peaches, he raises chickens, cares for pigeons, and generally is a man at one with nature) called to offer me some Jerusalem artichokes and I was delighted! I tried them 3 ways: a thin sliced marinated salad; a chunky pickle, and roasted herbed slices.
Will report back later about the pickles because they take a while but the other 2 items are fast and delicious. Here are two simple recipes which you can elaborate on and make your own:
Jerusaleum Artichoke saladIngredients
8 ounces Jerusalem artichokes, soaked in cold water for a few minutes then brushed clean with a vegetable brush
3 tablespoons lemon juice (this time of year Meyer lemons are available and extra fragrant and delicious)
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Sea salt to taste
a few grinds of black pepper
1/4 cup of a good quality fruity olive oil
2 scallions, cut into thin slices
Procedure
Once your chokes are free of dirt, slice them very thinly — I recommend using a mandoline slicer. Soak them in some salted water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for 30 minutes, then drain well. If they are too wet, the oil dressing will not stick. Then mix together the remaining lemon juice, oil, orange zest salt and pepper and scallions. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Now eat!
Roast Jerusalem ArtichokesIngredients
8 ounces well-scrubbed Jerusalem artichokes(see above instructions) cut into 1/4 inch slices on the diagonal
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh chopped herbs, I used Rosemary (still growing from my garden), thyme, and tarragon (you can also use dried herbs)
Procedure
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a sheet pan. Toss all the ingredients together and spread out on sheet pan. Roast 20 minutes, or until they are tender in the center and browned on the outside. Adjust salt and pepper and serve.
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
There is something about certain food words that make them extra special. I have gone on for years about how much sexier tangerine is than orange. Drizzle is way more upscale than drip. There is nothing I can do with foam, but put a a savory marmalade on my plate and I am in. I feel this way about marzipan, much cooler than almond paste.
Which brings me to the cake I just pulled from the oven. I was wandering about LIDL, my local weird supermarket which I have a love/hate relationship with. They are a European chain and often have unusual products littered randomly throughout the store. Things I don't really think anyone on Long Island wants or needs, like pickled Greek Octopus salad (rubbery and inedible) to the bar of marzipan I found today which was 40% off, a leftover from Christmas. Fortunately this stuff is almost indestructible.
Recently I had read a Nigella recipe for a marzipan loaf which sounded like it needed trying. Here it is, unchanged from original, though now I'm thinking adding chocolate chips would be divine!
Note: this is a British recipe so it's in grams, get out those scales!
Ingredients
150 grams marzipan
125 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 grams granulated sugar
75 grams all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3 large eggs, room temperature
Procedure
Heat oven to 325. Spray and line a loaf pan with parchment and spray parchment.
Tear up the marzipan into small pieces and put in food processor, then add everything else and run till batter is smooth. Stop twice to scape down sides of the bowl. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden, it springs back, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Freezes well.
My People! Rula is here for you! As always, my surefire tips will make sure your dinner goes off without a hitch:
❯❯❯ Rula Gives Good Bird ❮❮❮
Yes, fellow Pilgrims, these are the same tips I post every year, but isn't it comforting to know that some things never change?
Stacy's been back on Long Island since 2014 — where have you been? And Mary-Charlotte has long since retired from radio, so there will be no more day-before-Thanksgiving Radio Café appearances. But you can still relive their glory days — there are eight years of Radio Café shows in the archives that feature Stacy's Thanksgiving tips. I guess the internet is good for something besides TikTok dance routines, after all!
Well, my little Meat Thermometers, it's back to Brooklyn for me — that gravy won't make itself! Ciao!
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Last weekend we were at the Jersey Shore hanging out with my husband's college buddies. What did we do there? A little beach time, some board walking, lots of eating, drinking and discussing the end of America as we know it, which led to more drinking and eating. Everyone brought food and beverages and our lovely hosts made it all work together seemlessly into a splendid holiday. One of the things I tried for the first time was an orange flavored cake with 5 simple ingredients. It is naturally gluten free due to the inclusion of almond flour. I chose not to use almond flour (because I did not have any) and instead used a combo of 1/2 hazelnut flour and 1/2 grain free paleo flour (Bob's Red Mill). There is also no dairy so it ticks many weird dietary boxes. I switched out the sugar from Erithrol (alternative sweetner sold under the name Swerve) so I can eat it. You can do an optional glaze using lemon or orange juice and confectioners sugar but I think it's intense enough as it is. Perhaps a chocoate drizzle is in order? Other changes I made to original recipe are the inclusion of ground coriander, cinnamon, and mace. The original recipe said to use a springform pan but I opted for a parchment lined square pyrex dish and it cooked perfectly. I left the edges of the parchment paper tall so I could use it to lift the cake. Here is my recipe but please note this can be experimented with and certainly improved. Say...... with the always sexy tangerine, or lemon or lime or grapefruit. Note sugar will need to be adjusted depending on citrus used.Ingredients 5 whole mandarin or clementine oranges (totalling 375 grams)220 grams Swerve granular sugar substitute6 large eggs1 t baking powder125g hazelnut flour125g Paleo grain free flour (Bob's red mill)1/4 t mace1/4 t cinnamon1/4 teaspoon corianderProcedure Put oranges in pot covered with water and bring to a boil partially covered and simmer 2 hours. Keep an eye on it as the water has a tendency to boil out. Drain and let cool. Cut in half and remove any pits. Spray glass dish with pan spray then line with parchment and spray again, set aside. Preheat oven to 375.Place oranges into food processor pulse till you have a puree then add everything else. Scrape batter into pan and bake 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes in pan before lifting out. Better the next day but who can wait! I'm thinking a little salted caramel ice cream on top might be fabulous .
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
It’s finally summer! And now my attention turns to my garden. This year things seem to be growing well—unlike last season's failure. Perhaps it’s due to my online soil research, or maybe it’s my new friendship with the neighbor up the street who is a biologist and a farmer. He tested my soil and recommended specific supplements and it worked! Nitrogen and potassium were low, but now everything is happy. In addition to gardening, I try and get out and try new things. I started bouncing on the rebounder (also known as a mini trampoline) daily. A friend recommended it, and it’s a really fun way to exercise! I started drinking a super green supplement and drinking mushroom tea. Perhaps I am losing my mind, maybe I am trying to maintain what’s left of my youth, but I feel great. What does this have to do with baking cookies? Nothing. Just wanted to update you! What's new with you?
So ... basic butter cookies. This is the cookie you make when you have nothing in the pantry. And then you remember how delish butter, sugar, and flour can be. I always keep extra butter in the freezer, always have eggs, sugar, flour, and vanilla. These cookies are delicious just as is. But with slight modifications, you can take this cookie in many different directions. My Pittsburgh friend gifted me some beautiful smoked salt, which was amazing! But you have so many options: sesame seeds; toasted coconut; almond extract and slivered almonds on top; chocolate drizzle after baking with a shaved chocolate garnish; finely diced fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, or dill) for a savory twist; or you can go old-school and stick an M&M in the center. Get creative!
Ingredients
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (140g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large, room temperature egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (283g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
2 to 4 teaspoons milk
Sprinkling of smoked salt (mine was from the Spice & Tea Exchange in Pittsburgh)
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and salt until combined. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour and mix until crumbly then add in 2 teaspoons of milk, if needed add in another 1 to 2 teaspoons more of the milk for a more pipe-able consistency - add as little as possible for less spreading, though. Transfer to a 16-inch piping bag fitted with a very large open star tip. Make stars or circles onto two ungreased baking sheets. Just to be clear, this might not be easy. The dough is thick. You can add extra water to make it easier to pipe, but the more liquid you add, the more the dough will spread. Sprinkle a few flakes of smoked salt on top of each cookie. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on bottom, about 12 to 16 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, or just eat them all.
Restaurant reviews
Refreshing Beverage of the Week- Shrubs
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I'm BAACCKK! Thanks to Monica the site is alive and I am ready to party!
Apple cider caramels are magic! I have never been a candy maker so I was hesitant at first, but this recipe from King Arthur Flour and Smitten Kitchen works perfectly — if you follow the instructions exactly and make sure your thermometer is accurate. I am including it in all my Christmas baskets this year. You can make them up to 2 weeks in advance, just don't eat them all!
Ingredients
4 cups (945 ml) real unpasturized apple cider
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons smoked flaky Maldon sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream
Neutral spray oil for the knife
Procedure
Boil the apple cider in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over high heat until it is reduced to a dark, thick syrup, between 1/3 and 1/2 cup in volume. This takes about 35 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally and skim off the foam. To be sure you have the correct amount of reduction, measure it into a measuring cup then pour it back into the big pot.
Meanwhile, get your other ingredients in order — it's always best to be prepared, especially when working with sugar! Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with parchment. Set it aside. Stir the cinnamon and flaky salt together in a small dish.
Once you are finished reducing the apple cider, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Return the pot to medium-high heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side, and let it boil until the thermometer reads 252 degrees, only about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it.
Immediately remove caramel from heat, add the cinnamon and salt mixture, and give the caramel several stirs to distribute it evenly. Pour caramel into the prepared pan. Let it sit until cool and firm — about 2 hours, though it goes faster in the fridge. Once caramel is firm, grab your parchment paper to transfer the block to a cutting board. Use a well- oiled knife, oiling it after each cut (trust me!),and cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Wrap each one in a 4-inch square of waxed paper, or buy precut sheets of acetate candy wrappers, twisting the sides to close. Caramels will be somewhat on the soft side at room temperature, and chewy/firm from the fridge.
⚠️ WARNING! ⚠️ Making candy like this at high altitude might be a nightmare. Sugar does weird things sometimes, so no guarantees to my Santa Fe buddies! If you do try it at high altitude and this recipe worked for you (or failed spectacularly), leave a comment and tell us all about it! Or, if you just need these in your life, text me and I will send you some!
Hi everyone! Thanks for your patience while we sorted out a few thing behind the scenes at MoW. Even though we missed posting this year's link to ❯❯❯ Rula Gives Good Bird ❮❮❮we hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and please stay tuned for upcoming holiday treats! xoxo
Monica
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Lately I have been asked to come up with decent-tasting crunchy things to have with cheese and dips. Commercially available gluten-free crackers are not very tasty—and require an excellent set of molars to break them down. I was looking for something a bit more delicate. Enter Ottolengi's chickpea flour crackers. They're an excellent jumping-off point, but too high in carbs for my client, so I started experimenting.
First, I will post the original recipe then share you three variations. Plus, a great seed and nut biscotti! It's a little sweet, and great with some Pernod cream cheese! And finally, a great super easy recipe for gluten free buckwheat Blini. Dont let the name fool you, Buckwheat is not actually wheat.
Ottolenghi’s chickpea crackerIngredients
100 g chickpea flour
50 g corn starch
150 ml water
50 ml olive oil
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
50 g grated parmesan, divided into 30 g and 20 g
1 1/4 teaspoon anise seeds and crushed fennel seeds
Procedure
Heat the oven to 300F. Put the chickpea flour, corn starch and oil in a medium bowl, add 150ml water and three-quarters of a teaspoon of flaked salt. Mix to a smooth slurry, then grate in 30g parmesan and mix until smooth. Spoon on to a sheet pan lined with a silat or parchment that’s big enough to cover the whole baking tray, and use an offset spatula to spread it out as thinly as you can. The paper may acquire a wet look and wrinkle, but don’t worry about that.
Sprinkle with the anise seeds and generously grind some black pepper on top, then scatter over the remaining 20g parmesan and a half-teaspoon of salt and bake for 55 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp. Remove and leave to cool, then store in an airtight container.
So that's the original recipe, and then these happened ...
Variation 1Substitute chickpea flour with hazelnut flour, which is just toasted and skinned hazelnuts ground fine in the food processor with the cornstarch.
Variation 2Substitute chickpea flour with pecan flour, which is just pecans ground fine in the food processor with the cornstarch. Add 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Batter comes out very thin so pour onto a Silpat-lined sheet pan. Make sure pan is flat!
Variation 3Substitute chickpea flour with pistachio flour, which is just shelled pistachios ground fine in the food processor with an extra 20 g cornstarch. Add 2 tablespoons flax seed, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, and 3 tablespoons shredded Italian mixed cheese. This batter is even thinner.
Gluten-Free BiscottiIngredients
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Paleo flour
2 cups well-chopped nut and seed mixture (I used sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, pecans, walnuts, almonds, and pistachios)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon Fleur de Sel
3 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
extra virgin olive oil for brushing
Procedure
Preheat oven to 300. Combine nut and seed mix with flours. In separate bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Mix together and pat into a parchment-lined loaf pan which has also been oiled. Bake until firm, about 55 minutes. Let cool and then slice as thin as possible. Turn oven up to 425. Lay biscotti slices on a parchment-lined sheet pan and brush with olive oil. Bake 5 minutes, or until brown and toasty. Turn over, brush with oil and toast the other side. Careful — it likes to burn, so watch them closely!
Buckwheat BliniIngredients
2 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) buckwheat flour
2 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like Bob's Red Mill paleo flour)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup buttermilk, or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar mixed with 1 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Procedure
Place dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to thoroughly blend. Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk. Add buttermilk and melted butter and whisk. Add dry ingredients and whisk just until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow liquids to absorb into dry ingredients.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly oil pan with oil or butter and make small pancakes. These are great cold with caviar if you are bougie, smoked salmon if you are slightly less bougie, or with peanut butter of you have the munchies!
Hello there, Not sure there is still anyone checking this as I have been so negligent, but I am still cooking and making discoveries every day and I want to share them with you. Unfortunately my busy schedule and my poor work habits have stopped me from updating since Thanksgiving, which is just wrong! As some of you know I have been a private chef to a great family with very specific dietary needs for the past two years and I have learned so much about alternative ingredients in cooking and baking. I love a challenge! So here are three recipes which started as recipes from the NYtimes recipe website which I have modified and I think improved. I love the idea of throwing everything on a sheet pan, popping it into a hot oven and like magic dinner is ready. This is very well suited to chicken recipes. Great in theory but the reality is different ingredients take different amounts of time so better to stagger the items and have them all finish at the same time. That being said, once you have a good understanding of how things cook you can get really creative. BTW could not find my photos of these dishes so I added the tattooed bunny.3 Seasonal Recipe of the Summer Gochujang chickenIngredients 4 tablespoons gochujang (Korean spicy chili paste)3 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)4 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or canola, plus more for drizzling2 pounds squash, such as butternut, acorn or delicata, unpeeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 5 loose cups)1 pound turnips, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 1/2 loose cups)10 scallions, ends trimmed, green and white parts separated, but not choppedKosher salt2 ½ to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs1 bunch radishes (about 10 ounces), trimmed2 tablespoons rice vinegar1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional) Procedure Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, ginger and 3 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl or resealable bag. Add the squash, turnips and scallion whites, toss to coat with glaze, or seal bag and shake to coat. Lightly season with salt and transfer to an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Season the chicken with salt and toss to coat in whatever is left of the glaze in the bowl or bag. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up on another baking sheet. In the original recipe it was all on one sheet but I found the vegetables got soggy followed by mushy so I separated it.Roast until vegetables are tender, chicken is cooked through and the skin crispy and browned in spots, about 40 minutes. Check your chicken and make sure it is done. Skin should get crispy and darkWhile the chicken cooks, thinly slice the scallion greens. Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, cut the radishes into thin rounds. In a small bowl, toss the sliced scallion greens and radishes with the rice vinegar and sesame oil, if using. Season to taste with salt and set aside to lightly pickle.Top the roast chicken and vegetables with the quick-pickled scallion-radish mix and transfer to serving plates. Serve with steamed rice, if desired.Zaatar chicken Ingredients6 garlic cloves, finely grated, pressed, or minced2 lemons, zested1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving2 tablespoons za’atar, plus more for serving1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or marjoram, plus more sprigs for garnish1 ¾ teaspoons salt¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper2 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 lb tiny potatoes cut in half ProcedureIn a large bowl or container, stir together 5 of the grated garlic cloves, half the lemon zest, 1/3 cup yogurt, the cilantro, oil, za’atar, oregano or marjoram, salt and black pepper. Add chicken and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Overnight is way better.When ready to cook, heat your oven to 425. Remove chicken from bowl, shaking off any excess marinade, put on oiled sheet pan along with the potatoes which have a drizzle of olive oil and salt on them. This should take 25-30 minutes. Make sure to mix it a little and check that the potatoes are tender.While the chicken is cooking, place remaining 2/3 cup yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve grated garlic clove and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut one zested lemon in half and set aside for serving (save the other zested lemon for another use).To serve, place chicken and potatoes on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and a large squeeze of the zested lemon. Top with cilantro and oregano or marjoram sprigs and serve with yogurt sauce.Rhubarb Roasted chicken Ingredients 1 ¾ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges5 thyme sprigs3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed8 ounces rhubarb stalks, sliced into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)3 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste½ cup cilantro or mint leaves and tender stems Procedure Heat oven to 425 degrees and line sheet pan with parchment paper. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.Place onion wedges on the prepared sheet pan and lightly season with more salt and pepper. Add chicken and thyme sprigs to the pan and drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over everything. Toss until well coated, then spread chicken and onions in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes.While the chicken is in the oven, combine rhubarb and 3 tablespoons honey in a medium bowl. Lightly drizzle with oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss until rhubarb is well coated.Remove chicken from oven and carefully spoon rhubarb onto the hot pan around the onions and chicken. Continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through, and the rhubarb and onion are tender and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes longer, tossing the rhubarb and onions (not the chicken) once about halfway through.Stir the rhubarb and onions very well, making sure to incorporate all the browned bits and chicken juices from the bottom of the pan (this is the tastiest part). Then sample a piece of rhubarb. If it’s very tart, drizzle with a little more honey, tossing well. Serve chicken with rhubarb-onion mixture garnished with herbs.
My People! Rula is here for you! If you can't decide whether to hole up this Thanksgiving with the pool boy or invite over all your fully vaccinted friends, my surefire tips will make sure your dinner goes off without a hitch:❯❯❯ Rula Gives Good Bird ❮❮❮Yes, fellow Pilgrims, these are the same tips I post every year, but with a certain virus still! hanging around, it's comforting to know that some things never change.
Stacy's sheltering in place on Long Island, and Mary-Charlotte has long since retired from radio, so there will be no more day-before-Thanksgiving Radio Café appearances. But you can still relive their glory days — there are eight years of Radio Café shows in the archives that feature Stacy's Thanksgiving tips. I guess the internet is good for something besides cat videos, after all!
Well, my little Cranberries it's back to Brooklyn for me — I have a bird to baste! Take care, stay safe, and get vaccinated! I expect to see all of you back here next year! Ciao!
Seasonal Recipe of The (maybe soon-to-be-over?) Pandemic
I find that some flourless chocolate cake recipes can be a bit persnickety and the results often disappoint me. They can be too dense or the texture ends up grainy or mushy. This recipe avoids all those pitfalls and I swear it comes out perfectly every time! It's a good jewish holiday recipe as well as a great make-ahead dessert. If you want to WOW your guests, give this one a try. For garnish, I like some berries and a light sprinkle of confectioner's sugar, but some bourbon whipped cream never hurt anyone!
Ingredients
12 ounces 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 large eggs
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup Frangelico
1 cup finely ground hazelnut flour
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder
Procedure
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch diameter springform pan. Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil.
Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk eggs, golden brown sugar, and Frangelico in large bowl to blend. Add chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in ground hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and espresso powder. Transfer batter to prepared pan and tent loosely with foil.
Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up side of the springform. Place in oven and bake until cake is set in the center and the top is dry to touch, about 1 hour to 70 minutes (top of cake will remain shiny). Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil from top and outside of pan. Cool cake in pan on rack. Chill cake until cold, about 3 hours. Remove from springform before serving.
Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Need a way to impress your loved ones? July is peak corn time around here, and this is a really cool way to prepare fresh corn. I learned this recipe during my time at Ottolenghi in London, but I never tried it before. It’s not difficult to do, but takes a sharp knife, a strong arm, and a willingness to deep fry.
You can flavor these in a variety of wild ways or keep them classic with butter and salt. I chose to do a Mexican-street-food thing and tossed the corn in a lime-chipotle aioli, grated Parmesan cheese and cilantro. You didn't know Parmesan was Mexican? Okay, okay, I took a little liberty. The most important thing is to be careful when cutting, and make sure to first cut a flat surface on each end so the cob stands straight. No ingredients listed becasue it’s all about the corn!
Procedure
Remove the husk and silk from the corn, rinse and dry. Cut a flat surface on each end so they stand tall and straight. With a sharp knife, cut through the center of the cob (I used a slight rocking motion to help the knife cut through the tough cob). Then place the flat side down on your cutting board and cut each half again so you now have corn cob quarters. That’s it, you’ve done the hard part!
Put a pot of oil on high heat, or turn on a deep fat fryer, and get your oil to 350 degrees. Fry about 6 pieces at a time for 3-4 minutes or until the corn lightly browns and curls. Don’t crowd them in the oil! Remove and drain briefly on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. While still hot, toss with flavorings.
Some flavoring ideas
Sauces: lime-chipotle aioli, hot sauce, lemon-garlic mayo, sauce verte.
Cheeses: Parmesan, feta, cotija, herbed goat.
Fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, tarragon, dill.
Make sure to supply lots of napkins, these can be a bit messy, as it’s finger food. And please don’t eat the cobs!
Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Lately, I find more people are looking for non-alcoholic options at cocktail hour. There are many options out there which include alcohol-free spirits as well as vegetable and fruit mixers. Most of them are simply awful, so I started making my own. I work with a client who has to monitor her glucose intake, so most fruit concoctions are out. Which leaves delicious vegetables and citrus! I have 2 recipes to share which are great mixed with tonic, ginger ale, or plain old seltzer. And if you aren't avoiding booze, I suggest hitting them with vodka, tequila, or gin.
Cucumber-Lime-Mint ElixirIngredients
2 3-inch pieces lemongrass, crushed with a hammer or meat pounder (or a squeeze of lemongrass paste)
2 large English cucumbers, rinsed
2 large bunches mint, leaves only
2 whole limes, rinsed
7-10 large basil leaves
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute like Swerve)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Procedure
Cut up cucumber and limes (skin and all) and throw into blender along with everything else. Purée till smooth and then strain. Mix with ginger ale, tonic or lemon lime mixer over ice.
Tarragon-Meyer Lemon SyrupIngredients
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1 small bunch tarragon, plus some for garnish
1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 cup sparkling or still water, divided
Procedure
Combine the sugar, water, vanilla, honey, and thyme into a pot and stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Strain to remove tarragon and allow to cool. Stir in lemon juice. Pour the syrup and lemon mixture into a glass with ice and top with 1/4 cup soda water. Garnish with a sprig of tarragon.
What's your favorite mocktal?
Seasonal Diet of the Pandemic
Controlling my weight as a chef and a baker — and basically someone who just loves all food — has always been a challenge. My usual procedure is work really hard on some kind of quick weight loss plan (never lasts) or a plan like Weight Watchers (the best, most sustainable program out there), lose the 20 pounds, keep it off for about 2 years, and then get bored of all the accountability, lose the plot, and then before I know it I'm eating chocolate chip cookies and I am doomed. Sugar is my crack and almost as addictive.
I have learned I am better with a plan that has strict rules and suggested menus to follow. I love a challenge, and I like to develop recipes to meet whatever crazy palette of ingredients I am currently allowed. So the keto diet has been my pandemic challenge. It's not easy to follow. To do it right, I have to monitor the macros of everything I eat (I use the free version of My Fitness Pal) to get the right percentage of fat (massive amounts of fat), protein, and carbs (the new enemy) as well as testing my blood and glucose to see if I have successfully reached ketosis — which is when your body burns fat and weight starts to disappear. Fat is now my friend, which is so weird!
If you are interested, there is a huge amount of info on the web as well as some great books I'll list at the end of this post.
After almost 4 months, I am down 15 pounds and at my goal weight. Anyone who has ever had a weight issue knows the really hard work is keeping it off. But I am going to keep my expectations realistic and not beat myself up. One of my favorite parts of this challenge has been all the discoveries that taught me new ways to use ingredients to create some of the foods I no longer eat — like bread!
I would like to share 3 recipes which are delicious, nutritious and kind of cool: hearts of palm bread (GF); celery root, butternut squash, and bacon rösti; and mocha mousse. They are all Keto, so remember they are high in fat and calories but low in protein and carbs. The orgiginal recipe sources are linked, but I've made a number of changes in some of these recipes.
Celery Root, Butternut Squash, Bacon and Parmesan RöstiAdapted from Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan
Ingredients
2 slices sugar-free bacon, cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded raw celery root
1/2 cup shredded raw butternut squash
1 shallot
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove fresh crushed garlic
1 egg
Procedure
In a 10 inch sauté pan, cook the bacon until mostly crisp. Remove bacon and save the fat. While the bacon cooks, combine the shredded celery root, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and egg and mix well. Put 2 tablespoons bacon fat back into the sauté pan. Add the celeriac mixture to the pan with the cooked bacon in it and stir well. With the back of a large spoon, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a round cake.
Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the bottom is dark golden brown and crisp, and the top is softened. Put into 375 oven for 15 minutes. Carefully place a serving plate over your pan and flip the cake onto it crispy side up. Serve it hot, garnished with more parsley if you like.
Hearts of Palm BreadAdapted from I Breathe I'm Hungry by Mellissa Sevigny
Ingredients
1 (14 ounce) can of hearts of palm, well drained (equals about 8 ounces drained weight, or 1 1/2 cups sliced)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups super-fine blanched almond flour
2/3 cup coconut flour
3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt (sea salt or Himalayan salt preferred)
Procedure Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Combine the hearts of palm, eggs, olive oil, and water in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder and salt.
Mix with a dough hook on low to medium for 1 to 2 minutes or until a dough is formed. If you don’t have a stand mixer, mix by hand with a sturdy spoon for several minutes, then knead by hand for a minute or two, until you have a well-blended and uniform-looking dough.
Form into a loaf about 8 inches long by 3 inches wide and 3 inches high, and place in the parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake for 70 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bread has risen by about 1 inch.
Remove from the oven and carefully lift the loaf out of the pan by the edges of the parchment paper. Place the loaf (without the parchment paper) on a wire rack too cool. This will keep it from getting soggy on the bottom, and will allow any moisture to evaporate as steam. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Store the bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Note: most forms of Psyllium husk will turn your bread a slight purple grey. This does not affect flavor, but the recipe creator recommends Healthworks brand because it never turns her baked goods purple.
Mocha MousseAdapted from from Ruled.Me
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated Swerve
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated Swerve
Procedure
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Next, blend in the vanilla extract, Swerve, cocoa powder, and coffee powder until incorporated and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add Swerve and beat a bit more. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Be sure to not deflate the bubbles. Fold in the remaining 2/3 of the mixture until the whipped cream is evenly incorporated.
Transfer the mousse into 6 8-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until set, then just eat it all.
some more keto resources: The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners by Amy Ramos * The Keto Diet by Leanne Vogel * Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan * Sweet and Savory Fat Bombs* by Martina Slajerova * All Day I Dream About Food * KetoConnect * Ruled.me
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
I know I am late to this game, but I have recently discovered there is more to cauliflower rice than just small bits of tasteless cauliflower. I was introduced to the cauliflower rice thing by friends who were going Paleo and I thought, well I guess if you really need a filler, this will work. But now I understand more of the possibilities. I have been doing lots of experimenting and have come up with some pretty great options. It's like tofu in that it will accept any flavor profile so you can even turn it into something that resembles risotto! Here are a few recipes to get you started, then just go crazy! Sorry about the boring photo!
Coconut Ginger Cauliflower RiceIngredients
1/2 head of a large cauliflower
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Procedure
Cut cauliflower into small florets and pulse in a large food processor until the cauliflower is transformed in to small, rice-like pieces. This should yield around 4 cups. Pour the cauliflower rice into a medium pot and add the coconut milk, minced ginger, salt, and scallions. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium/high heat for around 10 minutes, until cauliflower is slightly soft and flavors have combined. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to reheat later.
Cauliflower Fried RiceIngredients
1 small head of cauliflower, riced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sriracha
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 red pepper cut into thin strips
1/2 cup peas
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
2 scallions, sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Procedure
Remove core and leaves from cauliflower. Cut into florets and place into food processor. Pulse until it has a rice-like texture, set aside in large bowl. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil, onion, and peppers and sauté until fragrant. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper, then add sriracha and half of soy sauce. Then add broccoli and water to pan and cover. Allow to steam for about 5-7 minutes, until broccoli begins to soften. Add cauliflower rice to pan, sprinkle with a little salt and remaining soy sauce. Gently stir to coat cauliflower rice.
Continue cooking for about 10 minutes until broccoli is fork tender and cauliflower rice is soft. Push the cauliflower rice and veggies to the edges of the pan, leaving a space in the center. Crack the egg open in the center of the pan. Let it fry, breaking the yolk apart with a fork. Once the egg is completely cooked, gently mix it in with the cauliflower rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Cauliflower RisottoIngredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sliced shallot (about 1 large)
4 cups cauliflower rice
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley or basil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons goat cheese
Procedure
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add cauliflower rice, pepper and salt; cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 3 to 6 minutes.
Whisk broth, wine and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is creamy and thick, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan, herbs and butter. Lastly, stir in the goat cheese and serve.
My People! Rula is here for you! I know, I know, this crazy year has been all kinds of stressful. That's why you should go check out my surefire hints to improve the evening's meal:❯❯❯ Rula Gives Good Bird ❮❮❮Yes, fellow Pilgrims, these are the same tips I post every year, but in These Unprecendented Times, it's comforting that some things never change.
Stacy's sheltering in place on Long Island, and Mary-Charlotte has long since retired from radio, so there will be no more day-before-Thanksgiving Radio Café appearances. But you can still relive their glory days — there are eight years of Radio Café podcast archives that feature Stacy's Thanksgiving tips. I guess the internet is good for something besides herbal COVID cures after all!
Well, my little Mashed Potatoes, it's back to Brooklyn for me — I have to teach the pool boy how to Zoom! Take care, stay safe, and stay home! I expect to see all of you back here next year! Ciao!
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
Here is a very cool and unusual recipe I found online and adapted to make it even better. It's very easy but looks very complex. If you follow the directions exactly it will be JLP (just like the picture). A great one to bring to a party if you want to impress. Or make one for yourself and have it with some prosciutto and a nice glass of wine.
Ingredients
1 14-ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed
6 leeks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
1/4 cup aged sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 ounces Asiago cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
flaky sea salt and black pepper
Procedure
Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12" square. (If you have 2 sheets of pastry, stack tham and gently roll out to stick them together.) Using a 10" cast-iron skillet turned upside down as your guide, trace a circle with a sharp knife around circumference of skillet. Reserve scraps for another use. Prick pastry round all over with a fork. Roll dough onto rolling pin, then unfurl onto a rimmed baking sheet and chill until ready to use.
Trim the root ends and dark green parts off the leeks. Then cut them in half lengthwise and run under cold water while fanning out the layers to remove any sand. Toss leeks, oil, kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper on another rimmed baking sheet. Arrange leeks cut sides down and roast until tender and lightly browned in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Remove tough, leathery outer layer, then transfer leeks to a cutting board.
Meanwhile, bring vinegar to a simmer in 10" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add butter, sugar, and 1 teaspoon thyme and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Arrange leeks cut sides down and side by side in rows in vinegar mixture, trimming as needed so they all fit snugly in skillet. Fill any holes with small pieces. You may have a leek or two left, so just eat them. Brush leeks with mustard. Sprinkle with the Asiago and Parmesan cheeses. Drape chilled pastry over leeks, tucking edges inside skillet with a spoon. Cut three 3-inch slits into pastry (be sure to cut all the way through) to let steam escape—this will help the pastry cook more evenly. Bake tart until pastry is deeply golden brown and puffed, 35–45 minutes.
Let tart cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Carefully place a large plate on top of skillet. Using towels, invert tart onto plate. If some of the leeks get left behind in skillet, use a butter knife or offset spatula to release and nestle them back into tart. Garnish with the extra thyme, sea salt, and pepper then pour me a glass of wine!
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
Are you sick of staying at home? Are you tired of eating the same stuff—which you have to make yourself? Is your partner and your "pod" driving you crazy? Well then, I say it's time to eat chocolate! These are super easy to make and even easier to eat. This recipe makes a lot of truffles (about 30) you can share them, or freeze some, or to hell with it, eat them all!
Note: this recipe is mostly in grams, I am trying to do all my baking and candy-making by weight as much as possible now. It's so much more accurate. If you don't already have one, get yourself a digital kitchen scale. You can find good ones on Amazon for like $20, add one to your next order! You will thank me later, I hope.
Ingredients for truffles
90 grams light cream
300 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
100g store-bought pretzels, crushed in food processor
1/4 teaspoon Maldon salt flakes
40 ml bourbon
Ingredients for bourbon sugar
1/2 cup Demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar)
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Procedure
Place the cream and chocolate in a small bowl over simmering water and stir until melted. Then add bourbon, salt and pretzels and mix well to combine. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then refrigerate for 2–3 hours or until set.
While the mixture is cooling, make the bourbon sugar. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking tray with parchment or a Silpat. Place the sugar and bourbon in a small bowl and mix to combine. Spread in an even layer on the tray and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely before crushing into fine crumbs, then add cocoa powder.
Scoop the truffle mixture into 1-teaspoon balls and toss in the bourbon cocoa sugar to coat. Place the truffles on the tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Bring to room temperature before devouring!
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
I have a fantastic job cooking for a wonderful family and the Mom has quite a few restrictions on what she can eat, but loves food and trying new things. This keeps me on my toes and constantly experimenting. I am now working with a new palette of ingredients which include alternative sugars, dairy substitutes, no legumes, and gluten-free options. Learning how they interact and trying to make things taste good while staying within my new framework is a fun problem. Breads and baked sweets are particularly challenging. We have all had plenty of heavy, gummy or super dry and gritty desserts! This breakfast bread is a winner and I am currently working on variations which I will list at the bottom of the recipe.
Ingredients
3 eggs
3/4 cup almond butter
6 tablespoons agave syrup
1/2 cup non-dairy sour cream
3 drops Boyajian's orange oil
3 Tablespoons Earth first butter (non-soy)
1 Tablespoon Yuzu or lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup arrowroot
2 teaspoons baking powder
Procedure
Put everything but the arrowroot and baking powder in blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend 30 seconds. Then add dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure everything mixes. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes in a spray-greased loaf pan. Test with a toothpick to see if it's done. Notes
I use the Vitamix because I don't have a stand mixer at work, but a mixer would be great. I am now experimenting with other nut butters like hazelnut chocolate butter (Nutella basically, but with more body) tahini, peanut butter, and cashew butter. Extracts like coffee, maple, and mint are also a great way to alter the flavor. Boyajian oils are fun to play with because they add an intense pure shot of citrus without thinning the batter. You can also fold in nuts or fresh berries or dried fruit.
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
It's hot, it's humid, there are gross bugs crawling on me when I step outside, it's unsafe to go to the beach, or eat out, so basically all that's left to do is eat. I love making sorbets with the season's fresh fruits and any delicious combinations I can come up with. This one uses the great Italian aperitif Campari, plus pink grapefruit juice, how can you go wrong? It's so simple and so refreshing!
Ingredients
3 cups fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice (about 6 grapefruits)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Campari
Procedure
Warm 1 cup of grapefruit juice with the sugar over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then mix in the rest of the juice and the Campari. Chill mixture thoroughly then process in your ice cream machine if you have one. If you don't, freeze mixture in shallow tray till firm, then break it up with a knife, buzz up the chunks in a food processor, and refreeze.
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
My new obsession is finding creative ways to use the miscellaneous leftovers in my fridge, which seem to be piling up at a fast rate. I guess it's because we are eating all our meals at home. Yesterday, I was looking for some ingredients to create a grain side dish and this happened and it was amazing! I got the idea to throw in an egg from my fried rice recipe and it really made it moist and delish. Here's my Mediterranean-inspired version, but get creative with whatever ingredients you have and make it your own. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
2 cups cooked farro (I love the fast-cooking Faro from Trader Joe's, 10 minutes and done!)
1/2 cup full-fat feta, crumbled
1/4 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 roasted red pepper, skin removed
1 tablespoon capers
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Procedure
In a large pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the shallot until translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the faro and dump in everything else except the egg and the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until everything is hot — make sure you give the feta time to melt. Then add the raw egg and stir until it's all coated and the egg sets. Remove form heat, garnish with the scallions, and eat!
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
Every once in a while I come across a recipe with an unusual list of ingredients or an odd procedure and I just have to try it. Such is the case with this bread recipe which has both! Due to the current viral situation, getting certain ingredients (like bread flour) can be difficult which is why I ordered my King Arthur bread flour online from the source. It took 4 weeks to get here, but this morning it arrived along with my dry milk powder so I gave this recipe a go. Honestly it's kind of great and pretty simple to make. I'm thinking killer French toast is in my future. Bernice just slathered it with butter and was in heaven. Makes 6 rolls, two 9 x 5-inch loaves, or 12 split-top buns.
Ingredients
5 1/3 cups King Arthur bread flour, divided, plus more for kneading
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup mild honey
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 large eggs, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Procedure
Cook 1/3 cup flour and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms, about 5 minutes. Add cream and honey and cook, whisking to blend, until honey dissolves. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and add milk powder, yeast, kosher salt, 2 eggs, and 5 remaining cups flour. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Add butter, a piece at a time, fully incorporating into dough before adding the next piece, until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 4 minutes.
Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray and transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
If you're making rolls, lightly coat a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with nonstick spray. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 6 pieces. Divide each piece into 4 smaller pieces (you should have 24 total). They don’t need to be exact; just eyeball it. Place 4 pieces of dough side-by-side in each muffin cup.
If you're making loaves, lightly coat two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 12 pieces. Nestle pieces side-by-side to create 2 rows down length of each pan.
If you're making split-top buns, lightly coat two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape each into a 4-inch long log. Place 6 logs in a row down length of each dish.
Let shaped dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (dough should be just puffing over top of pan), about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375° F. Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl to blend. Brush top of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt, caraway seeds or sesame seeds, this is optional. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until bread is deep golden brown, starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, and is baked through, 25 to 35 minutes for rolls, 50 to 60 minutes for loaf, or 30 to 40 minutes for buns. If making buns, slice each bun down the middle deep enough to create a split-top. Let milk bread cool slightly in pan on a wire rack before turning out, then let cool completely.
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
What birthday gift do you get for the woman (my mother Bernice) who has everything she needs? Chocolate. Not just any chocolate, a legendary dark rich chocolate cake encrusted in moist cake crumbs, filled with chocolate pudding and topped with a bittersweet ganache made richer by the addition of espresso powder. Originally from Ebinger's of Brooklyn, this is a copy at recipe which is floating around online, and — as far as I can remember — it’s spot on.
Ingredients for filling
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
Ingredients for cake
2 cups sugar
2 cups AP flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water
Ingredients for icing
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream
Procedure
You start with the filling because it needs to set up for a few hours — you can evan make it the day before. Place the chocolate chips, salt, sugar, and espresso powder in a food processor fitted with the big blade and pulse until finely ground. Add the egg and pulse just until the mixture is smooth. Heat the cream to just below a boil, with small bubbles forming around the edge of the saucepan. Turn on the processor, and slowly add the cream. Scrape down the sides of the container if necessary. Pour the pudding into a shallow bowl, and refrigerate it until chilled and thickened, 2 hours to overnight.
When you’re ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8" x 2" round cake pans. Line them with 8" parchment circles, and grease the parchment; this step will ensure your cake’s crumble-free turnout from the pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. Stir in the water and mix till smooth. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven, cool for 15 minutes, then turn them out of the pans to cool completely on a rack.
To make the icing, combine the cream and chocolate in a saucepan. Heat until the cream is steaming and showing small bubbles around the edge. Remove the chocolate/cream from the burner, and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture becomes completely smooth. Refrigerate the ganache for 30 minutes. Beat the chilled icing briefly, until it thickens a bit and becomes spreadable.
To assemble the cake, cut the domed tops off both cake layers; these will become your crumb coating. Place one layer on a serving plate. For best presentation, lay strips of parchment around the edge of the plate before putting the cake on top; these will catch the inevitable icing drips, and can be removed once you're done icing the cake. Top the cake with the filling, spreading it evenly to the edges. Center the second layer of cake on top of the filling. Spread the icing over the top and onto the sides of the cake. Crumble the reserved cake, and gently press it onto the top and sides of the assembled cake. Serve immediately, or within a couple of hours. For longer storage, refrigerate. This cake is best served the same day it’s made, or within 24 hours. Freeze, well-wrapped, for longer storage. My mother eats hers with a scoop of Häagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream — hardcore!
Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
Shopping is not what it used to be. The mandatory mask makes my glasses fog up and I now know I have bad breath, or maybe I need to wash my camouflage mask. So why not make something new that doesn't require too many difficult-to-find ingredients (like flour)? This can be made spicy if you like by your choice of Chorizo, which seems in good supply at our local Lidl market. A bit of chopping, open a couple of cans, and let the simmer do its thing. This recipe serves 2 but doubles easily. Don't know about you, but I can't stop eating!
Ingredients
6 ounces Spanish chorizo
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, any color, diced large
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 glass white wine or dry sherry
1/2 bunch parsley or cilantro (or both!), chopped
1/4 cup chopped olives
Procedure
Cut the chorizo into slices and cook gently in a medium-size pan until it renders its oil, in which you now cook the chicken cubes till they get nicely brown. Then add the onion and pepper and cook until soft. Add the garlic and paprika and stir for a minute or two, followed by the tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas, and wine or sherry. Simmer for 20-30 minutes then season well with salt and pepper and garnish with the parsley and/or cilantro. Serve over whatever grain you prefer/can find — we had ours over saffron rice!
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Greetings my fellow shut-ins! Wow, how life has changed since I wrote this post! I forgot about it, ate the jam already, and then just now I was going to write an inspirational post and this popped up in my drafts column. So I will post this now, and I will keep working on my next post which will be full of great ideas for bored, stressed people (my people!), fun DIY projects, and bad humor. Something to look forward to … in the meantime, wash your hands!
And now let's pretend life is normal.
It's Meyer lemon time! They just showed up in my regular old supermarket, so I figured I better get some and do something cool with them. Found this recipe for jam which is made with the whole lemon, pith and all (which sounded good to me). Then I added some great honey and a pinch of salt and ba-da-bing — a condiment with so many possibilities! From glazing grilled chicken, to a fantastic burst of flavor in my vinaigrette, it's even delicious in yogurt and blueberries — give it try!
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Meyer lemons
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups honey
Procedure
Wash the lemons and place them in a saucepan that can hold them in a single layer. Cover lemons with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the lemons for 25 minutes, until the skins are tender but still hold together. Remove the pot from the heat and let the lemons cool completely in the cooking water.
Place the whole lemons in a blender and add two cups of the cooking water. Blend at low speed to break up the lemons. Take care not to purée them entirely smooth.
Pour the lemon mix into a low, wide pan and add two cups of honey and bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to medium-high. Cook, stirring regularly, until the jam thickens and sheets off the back of your spoon or spatula. You can tell it's nearly done when it hisses and spits when you stir. My batch took about 15 minutes, but times will vary.
When jam is finished cooking, remove pot from heat. Put jam into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for ten minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool.
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
At our last festive get-together I planned a dazzling menu of international cuisine. I was planning on serving my new obsession: spicy, non-greasy, super crisy, not-even-messy, Korean wings. Then I thought about it, and realized the best way to eat them is from the fryer straight into your mouth and that would keep me in the kitchen the whole party. So I had a rethink and decided to use similar ingredients, but turn it into a chicken dish that could be eaten over rice or made into lettuce wraps. Korean food is complex and each bite has a great assortment of flavors. This marinade would also be fabulous on shrimp, chicken, beef ... you name it!
Ingredients for marinade
3 green onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 pound chicken (thighs, breasts, or thin strips of chicken)
Ingredients for pickle
2 Lebanese cucumber thinly sliced
1 long red chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
To serve
green onions, thinly sliced
sesame seeds, toasted
brown rice
butter lettuce leaves (if you want to make wraps)
Procedure
For the marinade, place the onions, garlic, soy sauce, hot pepper paste, sugar, honey, sesame oil and the rice wine vinegar in a small food processor. Blend until combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade and set aside. Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and add remaining marinade. Toss to coat and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the cucumber, chili papper, green onions, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Toss to combine and set aside.
Remove chicken from marinade. Heat a lightly oiled, thick-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat and cook chicken for 6 to 8 minutes, turning regularly, or until cooked through. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with the green onion and sesame seeds.
Serve with the cucumber salad, brown rice, lettuce, and reserved marinade.
My people! Rula is here for you! I know, I know, for some of you, cooking for Thanksgiving can be very stressful. That's why you should go check out my surefire hints to improve the evening's meal:❯❯❯ Rula Gives Good Bird ❮❮❮Yes, fellow Pilgrims, these are the same tips I link to every year, but — like me — they never go out of style!
So, since Stacy's all set up at her new digs on Long Island, and Mary-Charlotte has long since retired from radio, there will be no more day-before-Thanksgiving Radio Café appearances. What can you do? Time seems to only stop for me. But fret not! There are still! eight years of Radio Café podcast archives that feature Stacy's Thanksgiving tips. I guess the internet is good for something besides Russian election interference!
Also! You can check out all the other Thanksgiving posts here at Mouth of Wonder by clicking on "Thanksgiving" in that big word jumble down there on the left. I know, it says "Browse by Ingredient" and Thanksgiving isn't an ingredient! Just roll with it, darlings!
Well, my little Candied Yams, it's back to Brooklyn for me — I have to go whip my cream! Ciao!
Autumnal Recipe of the Week
I have a fussy friend who doesn't like many things, but she loves cranberry and orange together! So I have been collecting recipes for her, and I think this one is a winner. I feel like it's more of a breakfast treat then a dessert, but who am I to stop you from eating it all day? Whenever I see a recipe with sour cream in the batter I know it will have a moist and delicious texture, which this does. And the crumb topping is really really yummy. The drizzle is optional but why not, just wait for the cake to cool or it will disappear into the crumble (see photo).
Ingredients for crumb topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3.5 ounces (7 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients for cranberry-orange cake
5 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 eggs room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces full fat sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup dried cranberries soaked in 1/2 cup rum then drained (or just drink it!)
Ingredients for orange glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
Procedure
Crumb topping In a medium-size bowl, mix together flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and mix together with fingers so crumbs form. Set aside.
Cranberry-orange cake Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8-inch pan with non-stick spray then line with parchment paper and lightly spray again. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Add dry ingredients, alternating with sour cream in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in both kinds of cranberries.Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and top with crumb topping. Bake for 55-60 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Cake is done when top is set and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely. Carefully turn out of baking pan onto a platter.
Orange glaze In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange liqueur. You can substitute freah orange juice for the booze. Drizzle over completely cooled cake.
Every year for my lovely sister-in-law's birthday I cook a feast for her and her family at their home on Long Beach Island. This summer I decided to make it a themed buffet of Spanish tapas! It gave me the opportunity to use authentic Spanish ingredients I bought at Despaña in Soho, as well as local island seafood, and produce from my garden. (I made about 12 different tapas for the party and plan to feature all of them in the coming months here on the blog. It was a huge success and we have already agreed on a middle eastern buffet for next summer.) I had planned to do some kind of marinated seafood salad, originally thinking of using Calamari, but when I got to our favorite local fish market and the sign said: "local scallops" I could not resist. Enjoy, and know you can use any kind of seafood you want for this dish.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs scallops, calamari(rinse, dry and cut into rings), or shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small red onion, cut in half, then into very thin slices
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 ribs of celery, finely sliced
1 cup loose packed flat leaf parsley, leaves only
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)
Procedure
Clean the scallops and cut them in half if large and dry them (you cannot sauté them if they are wet). Sauté scallops in a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until the surface shows some small cracks, then remove from pan. If using shrimp or calamari, lightly poach them in some water, white wine, lemon juice, and herbs of your choice and then quickly cool them.
Whisk together the lime, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in onions and let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cooled seafood, olives, tomato, celery and parsley. Toss with dressing and refrigerate 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to combine. If you want extra heat, add some Aleppo pepper to the mix.
When my dear friend requests a birthday cake and then says strawberry shortcake is her favorite, I get to work. There are basically three elements: a great sponge cake or genoise for the layers; a strawberry filling; and stabilized whipped cream. For the cake layers I go to my baking mentor Susan Purdy for a great recipe I'm very familiar with. It's from Pie in the Sky the high-altitude cookbook I helped her with, back when I lived in Santa Fe. (Even though it's mainly for high altitudes, the book also includes a version of every recipe for sea level — that's what I used here.) It's a foolproof recipe which requires carefully following the explicit instructions and using many bowls, but it's totally worth it. The cooked strawberry filling is pretty basic but the inclusion of a little Yuzu juice keeps it very fresh and not too sweet. The whipped cream which frosts the outside is held a bit firmer with the inclusion of folded-in melted and cooled white chocolate with a little heavy cream in it. Then you just put it all together — it's divine! Of course, this would be fabulous with a cooked peach filling and almond scented whipped cream, or cherry filling and a chocolate Genoise. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients for genoise
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sifted cake flour
pinch salt
6 large room temperature eggs separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon grated citrus zest (your choice)
6 tablespoons melted and cooled unsalted butter
Procedure
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two 9 inch cake rounds with non stick spray, line the bottom with parchment, re-spray, flour pans, and tap out excess flour.
Sift flour and sugar into small bowl and set aside. Put egg whites in bowl of electric mixer, add cream of tartar, and whisk until foamy on medium speed. Gradually whip in 1/2 cup granulated sugar increasing mixer speed to high. Whip until stiff peaks form and when you raise up the whisk the egg white peak stands firm and tall and glossy. Carefully, with a rubber spatula, remove the egg whites into a medium size bowl and, without washing the eggy bowl, return to mixer stand and add egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and whip until mixture thickens and lightens in color. Then add the extracts and zest and continue mixing at a high speed until it forms a ribbon as the batter drips off the whisk (which will take between 5-7 minutes, depending on your mixer). Now it's time to combine parts. Start by folding 1 cup of whipped egg whites into the yolks carefully with a good rubber spatula. Then alternately fold the flour mixture and the whites into the yolk mixture. Once everything is combined, remove 1 cup of batter and put into a small bowl. Fold the melted and cooled butter into the batter and then incorporate the batters together with yet more folding.
Using a spatula, divide batter between 2 pans and place on middle rack in oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until top is golden brown and it springs back when touched. Let cool. Can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Ingredients for strawberry filling
2 cups strawberries, cut into quarters
1/4 cup Yuzu (or lemon) juice
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch stirred in 1/4 cup cold water
Procedure
Combine the berries, sugar, and juice in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, or until the berries create a nice bit of juice and get tender. Do not overcook, you want to see the pieces. Then taste for sweetness — you can add more sugar or more juice to your taste. Mix the cornstarch with the water just to make a paste and stir it into the boiling berries. Cook another few minutes so cornstach flavor cooks out. If it's too thick, add a splash of water and then let cool.
Ingredients for whipped cream frosting
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioner's sugar
Procedure
In the top of a small double boiler, melt chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream over low heat, stirring with a rubber spatula. When everything is melted and combined, remove from heat and set aside to cool. In bowl of electric mixer, whip heavy cream until it is soft but thick. Sprinkle in confectioner's sugar and vanilla and whip a bit more. Then add melted white chocolate mixture and mix until thick. Watch closely, as over mixing can cause it to separate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
I like to brush the cake layers with a little simple syrup to keep them moist (this is optional). Simple syrup lives up to its name — it's just equal parts of sugar and water which is boiled a few minutes until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear. You can also add some rum or Grand Marnier if you want to add another layer of flavor ... or even coffee. So place the first cake layer on a flat plate and put some of the whipped cream in a pastry bag and pipe a tube around the edge of the cake to keep the strawberry filling in place then put half the filling on top of first layer and smooth it out. Next top it with the second cake layer. Repeat the edge piping and berries. Then take the whipped cream in a pastry bag with a star tip and make festive little stars in rows up the sides and eat all of it. Happy end of summer!
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I have been working on some great new recipes I want to share. There are some great natural substitutes on the market which enable me to do yummy baking for the vegans in our lives. In particular, egg substitutes, which make baking possible. I also love to use cashews soaked in water overnight to make an amazing cream, add a little sriracha and you have a killer pasta sauce — BAM! But I digress, back to baking. This recipe combines silken tofu, cashew cream, banana, coconut oil, and pineapple to make a super delicious pie, even your carnivore eaters will love. Gotta soak those cashews overnight, so plan ahead! Makes one 8-inch cake.
Ingredients for crust
1 1/4 cup finely ground graham cracker (or any vegan cookies)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons almond milk
Ingredients for filling
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
14 ounces silken tofu, drained
2 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
2/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons fresh pineapple juice
Grated zest of 1 lime
Grilled pineapple slices for garnish
2 tablespoons toasted coconut for garnish
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350° and lightly spray an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
To make the cookie crust, place the cookies in your food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the melted coconut oil and mix well to ensure the crumbs are moist. Pour in the almond milk and stir again to combine all ingredients. You might need to use your hands to blend the mixture to get a crumbly dough. Pour the crust mixture into the springform pan and press very firmly into the sides of the pan first and pat into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes until firm. Remove from oven and place and let the crust cool completely before filling.
To make the filling, drain the soaked cashews and tofu. Add the cashews, mashed banana, tofu, coconut oil, sugar, cornstarch, sea salt, pineapple juice and lime zest to a blender and whizz until completely smooth and there aren't any small bit of cashew. Pour the batter over the crust and tap it lightly on the counter to get rid of any large air bubbles. Bake the cheesecake about 50 minutes, until the edges are golden and the top is lightly puffed and still looks a bit wet. Cool cake completely before adding the topping.
To decorate, cut thin rounds of fresh pineapple, remove center rind with small ring cutter. Grill in a very hot dry pan to get blackened marks. Let cool, then place rings on top of cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Refrigerate cake overnight for best results.
One of my favorite desserts is a simple flan (or crème caramel, if you're French). Yes, you can alter the flavorings, add some citrus, or some herbs (thyme, lavender, lemon verbena, etc.) but how about just leaving it alone and making it perfectly? (Okay, maybe add an edible flower on top.) You can't beat that! This makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup full-fat milk
pinch salt
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise with seeds scraped out and saved
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
3 large eggs
2 large yolks
7 Tablespoons sugar
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 and position rack in the center of the oven. Combine cream, milk and salt in a medium-size sauce pan. Add the vanilla seeds and the scraped vanilla bean pod. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then shut off and let steep for 30 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod.
Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar and the water in a small sauce pan and cook until sugar liquifies and turns a deep amber color. Be careful, if it gets too dark it gets real bitter, which nobody wants! Carefully pour about a tablespoon of this hot caramel into the bottoms of six 3/4-cup ramekins and swirl around to cover bottom. Set ramekins into a large roasting pan (13 × 9 × 2 inches).
Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and 7 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl until blended. Gradually and gently, whisk cream into egg mixture. Strain the egg mixture into a large measuring cup and carefully divide mixture among the ramekins. Open the oven door, pull the rack partially out to make the filling process easier. Now add very hot water into the pan, until the water level is halfway up the ramekins. Be careful not the splash water into the ramekins! Then slowly push the pan onto the rack then into the center of the oven.
Bake until centers are set and are jiggly, about 40 minutes. Remove from water bath and let cool, then refrigerate covered overnight.
To serve, run a small sharp knife around the edge, cover with a plate, give a little shake and turn over. If all is right with the world the flan will fall out onto the plate covered with a nice pool of caramel. And you will be a superstar.
When I was young and had lots of free time, I developed my love of baking and cooking by working with my father in the kitchen. He was an amazing and intuitive cook and could remember flavors like some people remember places. But he did not like the feel of flour and never really got into baking — just eating — so that's when I started doing my own research and development. Clipping recipes from the NY Times, buying cookbooks and just making stuff up. This is also when I started my yearly tradition of making a small gift cookbook for my friends. I did it for many years, some years producing over 70 copies. This was when I was at the mercy of Kinkos! Oh the hours spent waiting and collating. Unfortunately, my busy schedule has prevented me from making these gift books in the past few years, but who knows? maybe this year I will get back to business.
This recipe for a simple — and rather delicious — lemon cake is from my first cookbook home-published in 1975 called Stacy's Occasional Eats which had 10 recipes typed by my mother Bernice and a silk screened cover. I think you can never go wrong with a lemon cake and everything you need to make it is probably in your kitchen right now! So give it a go, and remember the lemon can be exchanged for lime or orange or tangerine with delicious results!
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 lemon
Procedure
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately to sugar butter mixture with milk beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides of bowl throughout the mixing process. Pour into loaf pan and smooth out top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean and top is golden brown.
While cake rests, in small saucepan combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the lemon juice and cook till sugar dissolves. Poke a number of toothpick holes in the cake and pour mixture slowly on top of the cake till it all soaks in. Let it cool completely in pan, then remove.
That's it, super easy. Whipped cream doesn't hurt!