tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18715398194932998352024-03-14T02:06:50.611-07:00Sweet and Savory EatsRamblings of a frugal foodie who likes to eat real foodSweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-1418310191321142222009-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-06T00:10:31.743-08:00Back in the Saddle AgainIt's been many months since I've paid attention to my poor little blog. Unfortunately, I have experienced some personal circumstances recently that have left me unable to cook or bake, and therefore blog. It looks like things are settling down now and I am happy to be back, and ready to give my blog some TLC.<br /><br />If you've been patiently waiting, I thank you. If you are new to my blog, stay tuned. I'm no master chef, but I have been told that I am one wicked home cook... I'll take that.Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-54152898964170288342008-10-05T11:05:00.001-07:002008-10-05T11:59:41.768-07:00Dare to Eclair!I was out of commission for the past month—and subsequently out of the kitchen—because I tore some ligaments in my foot at the very beginning of September. It's a very stupid story, so let's just pretend I fell while skiing in Vail or something exciting like that.<br /><br />With time and some physical therapy under my belt, I'm on the mend now. That's all fine and good, but I've barely been in the kitchen this month and really only out of necessity to keep my family fed. (Shhhh, don't tell, but we ordered more than our share of take-out pizza this past month.) Not only have I not been in the kitchen, my poor little blog has bore the brunt of my injuries and has been <em>postless</em> for too long.<br /><br />So, I am playing a little catch-up with the <a href="http://daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/"><strong>Daring Bakers</strong></a>, who baked some gorgeous eclairs back at the end of August. I actually baked mine back then too, but wasn't able to post on time and then had my spill, and well ... you know. So, better late than never, here are the fruits of my eclair labor.<br /><br />First, a big thank you (albeit very belated) to Meeta K of <a href="http://whatsforlunchhoney.blogspot.com/"><strong>What's for Lunch, Honey?</strong></a> and Tony from <a href="http://www.antoniotahhan.com/blog/"><strong>Olive Juice</strong></a> for hosting the August challenge. The very premise of Daring Bakers is to challenge yourself to try something new and out of your comfort zone. I definitely would not have tried to make eclairs had it not been for their selection, so I was pleased to try something new.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253744339094832482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SOkMpBB3hWI/AAAAAAAABKI/qm7cTN5oKp8/s400/misc+pic+download+157.jpg" border="0" />Eclairs consist of three elements:<br /><div><div><div><div><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choux_pastry/" minmax_bound="true"><strong>Pâte à choux</strong></a>, also known as choux pastry or cream puff dough</li><li>Pastry cream</li><li>Chocolate glaze</li></ul>Unlike many past challenges, Meeta and Tony gave us quite a bit of culinary freedom. The guidelines simply stated that we were required to use the pâte à choux recipe provided for the eclair dough and we had to keep at least one chocolate element provided: chocolate glaze or chocolate pastry cream. Umm, yes please. I'll take both. And because I wanted to make the project my own, I piped some peanut butter down the center as well. It didn't pipe as well as I would have liked and was a little flat compared to the full-bodied pastry cream, but it tasted just like a peanut butter cup.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253745539321874898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SOkNu4OSydI/AAAAAAAABKQ/eVnql1VWMkc/s320/misc+pic+download+162.jpg" border="0" />For the <a href="http://whatsforlunchhoney.blogspot.com/2008/08/c-bon-chocolate-eclairs.html"><strong>complete recipe</strong></a>, visit Meeta's blog.<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253743032126334674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SOkLc8MS5tI/AAAAAAAABJ4/h5LP1D879YY/s320/pink_db.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-57223534685900550852008-08-01T07:20:00.000-07:002008-08-01T13:08:16.116-07:00Fennel Gets its Due<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJNruQc5ZHI/AAAAAAAAA3E/oRdtSO7Sjy4/s1600-h/Carmel+and+Misc+061.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229642034741601394" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJNruQc5ZHI/AAAAAAAAA3E/oRdtSO7Sjy4/s400/Carmel+and+Misc+061.jpg" border="0" /></a>One vegetable that all to often gets the proverbial diss is fennel.<br /><br />People are always asking me what they can possibly do with it and how they can mask the strong taste.<br /><br />If you're unfamiliar with fennel, it is a type of plant with an edible bulb, which resembles pale celery—only shorter and fatter. The taste is similar to a very mild black licorice. Rich in fiber and antioxidants, fennel is a versatile addition to cooking often found in soups and salads.<br /><br />As a fan of fennel, I prefer to make it the star of a dish, rather than try to cover it up with other flavors. With just a handful of ingrendients, most of which I have onhand at any given time, I threw together some quick pan-fried fennel a la Martha Stewart. I had saved a recipe for Green Garlic Dip a while ago and have been trying to figure out how I could include it in or with a dish.<br /><br />The two went together great and made a perfect summer appetizer. Everyone tried some and I didn't get one complaint (and my group doesn't mince words). The fennel had a nice crunch that paired nicely with the bread crumb coating and the fresh, subtle flavor of the green garlic.<br /><br /><strong>Pan-Fried Fennel<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=f16ff9b97e8f3110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&rsc=header_10&autonomy_kw=fennel"><strong>Martha Stewart</strong><br /></a></span><br />2 medium fennel bulbs<br />1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging<br />1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs, for dredging<br />2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning<br />3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning<br />3 large eggs<br />1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, just enough to yield about 1/4 inch in the pan<br /><del>2 lemons, cut into wedges</del> <span style="color:#33cc00;">One recipe Green Garlic Dip</span><br /><br />Remove tops and fronds from fennel bulbs. Slice each bulb in half widthwise. Cut each half into slices about 1/8 inch thick.<br /><br />Pour flour into a medium bowl and bread crumbs into another. Season with the salt and pepper. Crack eggs into a third bowl; whisk until frothy. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge fennel lightly in flour, then in egg, and then in bread crumbs, shaking off excess after each step.<br /><br />Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Check to make sure the oil is hot enough by tossing a pinch of flour into the pan. If the flour sizzles, the oil is ready.<br /><br />Fry fennel slices until golden brown on each side, about 30 seconds per side, working in batches so as not to crowd pan. Drain on paper towels; season with salt. Serve hot with Green Garlic Dip (recipe follows).<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229571750882453506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJMrzMrEKAI/AAAAAAAAA2s/MUhE7t3XmHk/s400/Carmel+and+Misc+052.jpg" border="0" /><strong>Green Garlic Dip</strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">from </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/magazine/18food-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin&oref=slogin"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Daniel Patterson</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">, chef and owner of </span><a href="http://www.coirestaurant.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Coi</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong> </strong>in San Francisco</span> </p><p>¾ cup minced green garlic, white and light green parts only<br />1 egg<br />2 teaspoons sherry vinegar<br />1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar<br />6 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil<br />½ cup pure olive oil<br />Salt<br /><br />In a blender, purée the egg, vinegars and cooled green garlic on medium-high. With the blender running, add the oils in a slow, steady stream to emulsify. Season with salt. </p>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-45930791791113861412008-07-30T13:29:00.000-07:002008-07-30T10:34:02.385-07:00Praline Dreams<p><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz7UPtuAAI/AAAAAAAAA0U/qT0y-jdIvvA/s1600-h/IMG_1255.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227829592704548866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz7UPtuAAI/AAAAAAAAA0U/qT0y-jdIvvA/s400/IMG_1255.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hang on to your knickers! Today is posting day for the month of July for the <a href="http://www.daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/"><strong>Daring Bakers</strong></a>.<br /></p><p>Get ready for some serious sinful eating with more Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream than your mouth can handle.</p><p>Chris from <a href="http://melecotte.blogspot.com/"><strong>Mele Cotte</strong></a>, selected this month's challenge. At first blush, this one seemed like it would be time-consuming than challenging. Oh, how naive of this particular Daring Baker. For the most part, things went well. But, that was short-lived when it came time to glaze with the chocolate. I knew the layers had to be pretty even in order to create a smooth finished product. I thought I would even out my slightly uneven layers by smoothing some leftover buttercream into the seams on the sides. "How clever am I?" I thought. What I didn't take into consideration is that hot chocolate glaze poured over buttercream would melt the buttercream. Duh!? It seems so obvious now, but I had to act quickly and patch up my mess. For the most part, I was able to save the cake, but there were some obvious patches of tan where the buttercream and chocolate melted together. Not too big of a disaster, but a lesson learned on my part.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227828369140210146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz6NBlP2eI/AAAAAAAAAz8/EhcK6kub2XU/s400/IMG_1258.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Daring Baker challenge turned birthday cake</em></span></p><p align="left">The recipe calls for a large amount of skinned and toasted hazelnuts. All I could find were hazelnuts in the skin, so I wondered how the heck I was going to skin all these little buggers. Neha from <a href="http://www.literateliberalfoodie.blogspot.com/"><strong>The Literate and Liberal Foodie</strong></a> came across this <a href="http://www.chowhound.com/topics/504535"><strong>great tip for removing hazelnut skins</strong></a> and shared it with the rest of the group. If you follow the tip, make sure you use a very large stock pot. I used my smaller one at first and the baking soda bubbled up and over the sides all over my stove. I quickly poured everything into my big-daddy stock pot and had a heck of a mess on my stove to clean after.</p></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227835554016636306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SI0AvPVRrZI/AAAAAAAAA00/C7KJj2KCBQk/s400/IMG_1207.jpg" border="0" />For the most part, I followed the recipe as written. However, I did make a few minor modifications just to use up some ingredients I happened to already have in the house: </p><ul><li><a href="http://www.chambordonline.com/"><strong>Chambord</strong></a> (black raspberry liqueur) everywhere the recipe called for rum or Grand Marnier</li><li>Raspberry preserves in the glaze instead of apricot</li></ul><p>And I did overlook accidentally the requirement that said we had to use buttercream as part of the garnish. I thought it was optional and I like drama, so made these candied hazelnuts instead.</p><p><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz05CGAAiI/AAAAAAAAAz0/YYsSS04Qimo/s1600-h/IMG_1263.jpg"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227832439640071122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz959YCm9I/AAAAAAAAA0k/GIZQZl5cpXk/s400/IMG_1239.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227832429688953778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz95YTgm7I/AAAAAAAAA0c/qEfIVn3m9ts/s400/IMG_1235.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227832443539414306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz96L5t3SI/AAAAAAAAA0s/iPzBP-KBXh4/s400/IMG_1241.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><strong>Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">From <em>Great Cakes</em> by Carol Walter</span></div><div><br /><p>1 Filbert Genoise<br />1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum<br />1 recipe Praline Buttercream<br />½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks<br />1 recipe Apricot Glaze<br />1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using<br />3 tablespoons filberts, toasted and coarsely chopped</p><p><em>For the Filbert Genoise<br /></em>Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.</p><p>1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted/skinned<br />2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted<br />2 Tbsp. cornstarch<br />7 large egg yolks<br />1 cup sugar, divided ¼ & ¾ cups<br />1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />½ tsp. grated lemon rind<br />5 lg. egg whites<br />¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)</p><p>Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan.</p><p>Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.</p><p>Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.</p><p>Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another ½ minute. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.</p><p>Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.* Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.</p><p>With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon. **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking.</p><p>Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cool the cake completely.</p></div><div>*If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.</div><div></div><div><em>For the Sugar Syrup</em><br />Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers</div><div></div><div>1 cup water</div><div>¼ cup sugar</div><div>2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur</div><div></div><div></div><div>In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. *Can be made in advance.</div><div></div><div></div><div><em>For the Praline Buttercream</em></div><div>1 recipe Swiss Buttercream</div><div>1/3 cup praline paste</div><div>1 ½ - 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)</div><div></div><div></div><div>Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.</div><div></div><div></div><div><em>For the Swiss Buttercream</em></div><div>4 lg. egg whites</div><div>¾ cup sugar</div><div>1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm</div><div>1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice</div><div>1 tsp. vanilla</div><div></div><div></div><div>Place the egg whites in a large bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.</div><div></div><div></div><div>*On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.</div><div></div><div>Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.</div><div></div><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">Wait!</span></strong> My buttercream won’t come together! Reheat the buttercream briefly over simmering water for about 5 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful and do not overbeat. The mixture will look broken with some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium speed just until the cream comes back together.</div><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#33cc00;">Wait!</span></strong> My buttercream is too soft! Chill the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and rewhip. If that doesn’t work, cream an additional 2-4 Tbsp. of butter in a small bowl– making sure the butter is not as soft as the original amount, so make sure is cool and smooth. On low speed, quickly add the creamed butter to the buttercream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 16-oz. plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.</div><div></div><div><em></em></div><div><em>For the Praline Paste</em></div><div>1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless</div><div>2/3 cup sugar</div><div></div><div></div><div>Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly. When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. **Remember – extremely hot mixture.** Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place. Do not refrigerate.</div><div></div><div></div><div><em>For the Apricot Glaze</em></div><div>Good for one 10-inch cake</div><div></div><div></div><div>2/3 cup thick apricot preserves</div><div>1 Tbsp. water</div><div></div><div></div><div>In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.</div><div></div><div>Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.</div><div></div><div></div><div><em>For the Ganache Glaze</em></div><div>Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake </div><div></div><div>**Ganache can take on many forms. While warm – great fudge sauce. While cool or lukewarm – semisweet glaze. Slightly chilled – can be whipped into a filling/frosting. Cold & solid – the base of candied chocolate truffles.</div><div></div><div></div><div>6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt</div><div>6 oz. (¾ cup) heavy cream</div><div>1 tbsp. light corn syrup</div><div>1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or dark Jamaican rum (optional)</div><div>¾ tsp. vanilla</div><div>½ - 1 tsp. hot water, if needed</div><div></div><div></div><div>Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227822507988250514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz033Fub5I/AAAAAAAAAzU/uIjUPQV3mMo/s400/IMG_1266.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><em>Assembling the Cake</em></div><div>Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.</div><div></div><div>Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.</div><div></div><div>Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.</div><div></div><div>Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-inch blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.</div><div></div><div>Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.</div><div></div><div>To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting. Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake.</div><div></div><div>Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.</div><div></div><div>Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227822521822025186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIz04qn9FeI/AAAAAAAAAzk/RttTly8em0s/s400/IMG_1265.jpg" border="0" />Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-75720750788517776452008-07-30T07:43:00.000-07:002008-07-30T08:11:08.465-07:00What's-in-the-box Wednesday 7/30/08<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJCDkMQdilI/AAAAAAAAA2E/KG33HhgI1Dc/s1600-h/20080730+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228823825165945426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJCDkMQdilI/AAAAAAAAA2E/KG33HhgI1Dc/s400/20080730+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>I'm back with my weekly update on what's in my <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/"><strong>CSA</strong></a> box. I skipped a couple weeks because a few weeks ago, my <a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/07/whats-in-box-wednesday-7908.html"><strong>box went missing</strong></a> and last week, I totally spaced on taking pictures before the week got away from me. This week's harvest box is probably my favorite so far this season, as I love everything in it. It's probably not too ambitious to say that I think most of it will be gone by the weekend.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>This week we found the following in our box:</div><ul><li>Chard<br /></li><li>Bell peppers<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228820308162613810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJCAXeZhkjI/AAAAAAAAA1k/QPVvwpX3n20/s400/20080730+015.jpg" border="0" /></li><br /><li>Tomatoes<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228819997469821474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJCAFY-lyiI/AAAAAAAAA1E/sG24p5rk38Q/s400/20080730+001.jpg" border="0" /></li><br /><li>Yukon Gold potatoes<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228820022425057938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJCAG18YepI/AAAAAAAAA1c/K1vroREmTlo/s400/20080730+010.jpg" border="0" /></li><br /><li>Cucumbers<br /></li><li>Red onions<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228820008834933474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJCAGDUPouI/AAAAAAAAA1U/C5QwtUbe4oQ/s400/20080730+006.jpg" border="0" /></li><br /><li>Sweet corn </li></ul><p>Now, I know you're not supposed to play with your food, but I was fooling around with all the produce and this just made me laugh. It's my own personal produce man.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228824276868932450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SJCD-e-2I2I/AAAAAAAAA2M/tiRRBQgs6Ig/s400/20080730+021.jpg" border="0" /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-66601198480344446462008-07-24T08:43:00.000-07:002008-07-24T11:20:17.720-07:00Salmon for the Rest of Us<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIi9x7GoA0I/AAAAAAAAAzM/ANrcJRWUw-M/s1600-h/20080713+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226636032940180290" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIi9x7GoA0I/AAAAAAAAAzM/ANrcJRWUw-M/s400/20080713+011.jpg" border="0" /></a>When you have a food allergy, eating out or even going to a friend's for dinner can feel a little intimidating. I'm allergic to fish and seafood, and multiple trips to the emergency room over the years have taught me that if something has gills or fins, swims or just plain lives in the water, I am to stay away from it.<br /><div></div><br /><div>For today's <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/"><strong>Barefoot Bloggers</strong></a> assignment, our hostess—Ashley of <a href="http://spicyskillet.wordpress.com/"><strong>The Spicy Skillet</strong></a>— selected Smoked Salmon Spread. Obviously, a recipe with the words "smoked salmon" in the title is likely to scare the bejeezus out of someone like me. I had a brief oh-crap moment and then started brainstorming as to how I could stay as true as possible to the original recipe (without having to visit my friendly neighborhood ER doc yet again). I simply substituted chicken for the salmon. And, I cut back on the cream cheese and sour cream. One, because I wanted it to have the consistency of traditional chicken salad and not a spread; and two, to reduce the fat and calories. </div><div></div><div><br />The modifications worked out great. The dill and chicken complemented one another nicely and the combination made for a cool, crisp summer sandwich.</div><br /><div></div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIik7iwT55I/AAAAAAAAAy8/A3MDrlig5zE/s1600-h/20080713+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226608710412134290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIik7iwT55I/AAAAAAAAAy8/A3MDrlig5zE/s400/20080713+021.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Dill Chicken Salad Sandwiches<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">adapted from Ina Garten's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/smoked-salmon-spread-recipe3/index.html">Smoked Salmon Spread</a></span><br /><div><br /></div><p>1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature<br />1/4 cup sour cream<br />1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />1 tablespoon minced fresh dill<br />1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained<br />1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br />1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper </p><p>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.</p><p>Arrange chicken in a glass baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and bake for another 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear.<br /><br />Once the chicken cools, cut into small cubes and set aside in a large bowl. Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add to the cooked, cubed and cooled chicken and mix well. Chill for at least an hour before serving.</p><p>To assemble your sandwiches, use any combination of breads and vegetables that appeals to you. I used pumpernickel bread and the following veggies: red onions, sprouts, cucumbers and tomatoes.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226608704523622386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SIik7M0YV_I/AAAAAAAAAys/i2H0vYXaI6M/s400/20080713+001.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>I've also made Ina's:</div><div><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/06/be-elegant-be-earthy.html"><strong>Pesto, Pasta and Peas</strong></a><br /></div><div><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/07/salsa-conspiracy.html"><strong>Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread</strong></a></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-23691054491911231532008-07-10T18:32:00.001-07:002008-07-17T12:34:53.474-07:00The Salsa Conspiracy<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SH-Spw4lcYI/AAAAAAAAAyk/7gFea4SCDJg/s1600-h/20080710+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224055338967593346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SH-Spw4lcYI/AAAAAAAAAyk/7gFea4SCDJg/s400/20080710+024.jpg" border="0" /></a>First it was tomatoes.<br /><br />Then jalapeños.<br /><br />Now cilantro has been added to the list of possible sources of the salmonella poisoning striking more than 1000 Americans in recent months.<br /><br />So, what I want to know is:<br /><br /><em>Who has it out for our dear, spicy friend salsa?</em><br /><br />It's a little coincidental that all these ingredients on "the list" somehow all appear in salsa. I mean what's next, onions?<br /><br />Of course, this is all in jest and is my weak way of trying to bring a little bit of humor to a bummer situation. As a consumer, it is scary to know if what you are eating is safe. But, the group hurt most is the farming community. Many farmers are taking a big hit during this salmonella scare, even if their produce is just fine. Hopefully, the true source will be identified soon and we can all go back to our chips and salsa without worrying about it wreaking havoc on our intestines.<br /><br />So, what does any of this have to do with my blog anyway? Well, for the latest installment of the <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/"><strong>Barefoot Bloggers</strong></a> (for which I am a week late posting), Sabrina and Alexander from <a href="http://www.cookingwiththekids.blogspot.com/"><strong>Cooking with the Kids</strong></a> charged the group with making Ina Garten's delicious Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread. There was some group discussion as to whether or not it would be safe to use jalapenos as called for in Ina's recipe. Many decided against it and either omitted it or substituted for something else. I'm lucky to live in an area where local produce abounds and you can buy directly from many farmers. I was able to get my hands on some locally grown jalapenos and, therefore, include them in my cornbread. While it's certainly never without risk when you're eating food grown by someone else, I feel good knowing I was able to continue supporting those whose livelihoods depend on the farming industry.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224031430122961362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SH986Ff0edI/AAAAAAAAAxc/iMRth43bbM8/s400/20080710+011.jpg" border="0" /><br />I never knew until doing a little research on the subject, but it turns out cornbread is a pretty contentious issue, with many clamoring to have their recipe earn the distinction of "the best cornbread ever." Really, I like pretty much any kind of cornbread out there just fine and have yet to come across one that knocked my socks off. Ina's recipe included. It was tasty and easy to make. That's about it. I'd make it again, but I don't know that I would personally hang on to this recipe as the end-all, be-all in cornbread recipes.<br /><div><div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224033235775428450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SH9-jME6l2I/AAAAAAAAAyE/oUOmLhsWFOs/s400/20080710+019.jpg" border="0" /> <strong>Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread</strong><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">from <em><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jalapeno-cheddar-cornbread-recipe/index.html"><strong>Barefoot Contessa at Home</strong></a></em></span></div><br /><div>3 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 cup yellow cornmeal<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />2 tablespoons baking powder<br />2 teaspoons kosher salt<br />2 cups milk<br />3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten<br />1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan<br />8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided<br />1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions<br />3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeño peppers<br /></div><br /><div>Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapeños, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.</div><br /><div>Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.</div><br /><div>Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.</div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224031405180972546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SH984olL7gI/AAAAAAAAAxU/9NXPWiNJ8io/s400/20080710+005.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>I've also made Ina's:</div><div><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/06/be-elegant-be-earthy.html"><strong>Pesto, Pasta and Peas</strong></a></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-36744201788656046772008-07-09T19:57:00.000-07:002008-07-09T20:08:40.578-07:00What's-in-the-Box Wednesday 7/9/08What's in the box this week?<br /><br />Absolutely nothing.<br /><br />I'm totally disappointed. We went to get our weekly harvest box at our regular location, a local juice bar, and were told by the <del>clearly uninterested</del> teenage employee that somebody else already came to pick up our box. I explained that was impossible since my husband specifically called me earlier in the day to say he wouldn't make it in time and could I please pick it up for him instead. Again, I asked the young man to check the fridge one more time just to make sure it didn't get misplaced accidentally. He did and came up empty handed.<br /><br />I emailed the farm, letting them know of the situation and asking how they handle boxes of produce that grow legs. They seem really flexible, so I am hoping they will just double up the quantity in our box next week. Haven't heard back yet, but will report back.<br /><br />So, no farm-fresh produce for us this week.Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-77967595090649652112008-07-06T13:05:00.000-07:002008-07-06T15:06:21.166-07:00A Fistful of Fruit<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SHE9dSmaxQI/AAAAAAAAAxM/OZvnE6Cr-DU/s1600-h/fruitsoup+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220021016517592322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SHE9dSmaxQI/AAAAAAAAAxM/OZvnE6Cr-DU/s400/fruitsoup+007.jpg" border="0" /></a>One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh produce available. No matter if you get your produce at a grocery store, at your local <a href="http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/"><strong>farmers' market</strong></a>, by belonging to a <a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/06/whats-in-box-wednesday-6408.html"><strong>CSA</strong></a> or even ordering online, many fruits and veggies are currently at their prime and flavor abounds.<br /><div></div><div><br />I'm always looking for unique ways to serve all this tasty fruit to my family and friends. Outside of a fruit salad or fruit kabob, how do you get a decent serving of fruit in an unexpected way?</div><div><br />I've done cold fruit soup in the past and, while lovely, it always seems cumbersome for guests unless we are having a sit-down meal. And if we're being honest, we only have formal get-togethers a couple times a year and usually during the fall and winter months. Certainly not during the peak of summer when the mercury tops out in 110s around here.</div><br /><div></div><div>So I took the cold soup idea one step further and came up with the idea of fruit puree "shots". It's quick to make, easy for guests and ensures everyone has plenty of room in their belly to sample all the other items on the menu. By using clear shot glasses, you also get to showcase the gorgeous colors in in their simplest form.</div><br /><div></div><div>You could really use any variation of fruit for this, so be creative and experiment. I like the idea of high-contrast fruits and tossed around these combos:</div><ul><li>Blueberry puree topped with mango puree</li><br /><li>Strawberry puree topped with pineapple puree</li><br /><li>Watermelon puree topped with cucumber puree</li></ul><p>The main thing to consider is that the heavier or denser puree would be better on the bottom to avoid blending of the colors. I think it would be fun to do a variety of flavor combos for large crowds.</p><p>Another variation on this concept would be a shot of tomato gazpacho as a side dish to a vegetable sandwich.<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SHEzO1M39hI/AAAAAAAAAw0/8J0FuQCh8lg/s1600-h/fruitsoup+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220009772991378962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SHEzO1M39hI/AAAAAAAAAw0/8J0FuQCh8lg/s400/fruitsoup+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Summer Fruit Shots<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Adapted from </span><a href="http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP02116/TwoColored-Fruit-Gazpacho.html"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Two-Colored Fruit Gazpacho</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> recipe by Andrew Weil, M.D.</span></p><div><div>3 kiwi fruits, peeled 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice</div><div>2 pints chilled fresh raspberries<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />8 ounces lime-flavored sparkling water<br />2 fresh mint leaves, cut into thin strips,</div><br /><div>12 tall shot glasses</div><div>12 whole fresh mint leaves, for garnish</div><br /><div></div><div>Process the kiwis and the lime juice in the food processor until smooth. </div><br /><div>Process the raspberries and sugar in a food processor until they are smooth. Strain the raspberry puree through a colander to trap the seeds and transfer it to a big bowl. Add the sparkling water and mint and stir.<br /></div><div><br />Pour equal amounts of the kiwi-lime puree into each glass. Pour equal amounts of the raspberry puree on top of the kiwi-lime puree. Garnish each glass with a mint leaf.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220009779090493250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SHEzPL7BD0I/AAAAAAAAAw8/hK2512AoWpU/s400/fruitsoup+025.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-19862504692535142602008-06-30T21:15:00.000-07:002008-07-02T13:24:50.442-07:00Pain Au Choco-Bana: BelatedAlmost any food combination that includes chocolate appeals to me.<br /><br /><em>Chocolate and peanut butter.<br /><br />Chocolate and pistachio.<br /><br />Chocolate and raspberry.<br /><br />... Even chocolate and bacon</em> (if you don't believe me, you need to order a <a href="http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars"><strong>Mo's Bacon Bar</strong></a>. Out-<em>freaking</em>-standing!)<br /><br />You name it, if it includes chocolate, I usually like it. But, one of my all-time favorites is chocolate and banana.<br /><br />For the June Daring Bakers recipe, our hosts—Kelly of <a href="http://sassandveracity.typepad.com/"><strong>Sass & Veracity</strong></a> and Ben of <a href="http://whatscooking.us/"><strong>What's Cooking</strong>?</a>—challenged us to tackle yeasted laminated dough in the form of a danish braid. Huh? I have to be honest that I get a little freaked out every time I have to work with yeast, let alone dough layered with butter. It scares the bejeezus out of me . Will it rise properly? Will the butter actually form layers or just blend in? I'm convinced this is why Julia Child always took a swig of her sherry while she was in the kitchen. Maybe she was just taking the edge off from attempting challenging dishes? . . . I digress.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218499052450784642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGvVPUoKpYI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/tfeAPeOQCRU/s400/20080629+055.jpg" border="0" /><br />The only hard and fast rules for this challenge was that we had to make at least one danish braid using the recipe provided. The suggested filling was apple, but we were given the option to go sweet or savory and use any filling of our choice. Since I'm always looking for excuses to eat chocolate, I knew I wanted to include that in my filling, but certainly didn't want just chocolate. I glanced around my kitchen for inspiration and fixed on the bananas across the room on my counter. Banana pastry cream and chocolate. Lovely combination.<br /><br />While the total time took a while, the actual labor involved in making the dough was fairly easy and straight forward. I had to make the dough twice because I realized I misread the ingredient measurements the first time and added way too much flour. Otherwise, it came together easily for this home chef. The hard part was keeping track of how many times I turned the dough. I tend to multi-task, so kept track of my progress by making hash marks on my printed recipe. If you have a lot going on while making this, mark the dough with your finger (as the recipe suggests) or keep track on paper of how many times you have turned it. I found it to be a simple, yet helpful tip. The braiding came together quickly and I topped with the egg wash and some coarse sugar. The directions instruct you to fold up the ends of the braid, but I lean towards a more rustic look with pastries and rather enjoy seeing the filling peek out a little. So, I skipped that step and left my ends exposed.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218492648123203362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGvPaipe_yI/AAAAAAAAAvw/T6062-eaShU/s400/20080629+048.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218492632352297330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGvPZn5aEXI/AAAAAAAAAvo/N7idhmjeDaQ/s400/20080629+047.jpg" border="0" /><br />As for the taste, I loved, loved, LOVED it! I made modifications to an existing vanilla pastry cream I had, so I was unsure it would come out okay, but I was so thrilled with the outcome. Just the right amount of banana flavor without being obnoxious. And the pairing with semi-sweet chocolate was the perfect balance. I cut it when it was still a little warm, so the chocolate and banana blended together.<br /><br />For more yummy braids, check out the <a href="http://daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/"><strong>Daring Bakers blogroll</strong></a>. I'm a few days late getting my post up, so any Daring Baker regulars are probably overloaded on braids by now. Hopefully, this is at least different than anything you've seen. I haven't had a chance to look yet myself, so can't wait to see how everyone else interpreted the recipe. The opportunities are really endless. Thanks again to Kelly and Ben for a great challenge.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGvVLksuJiI/AAAAAAAAAwA/M6GI2a_7LL8/s1600-h/20080629+051.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218498988045379106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGvVLksuJiI/AAAAAAAAAwA/M6GI2a_7LL8/s400/20080629+051.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Danish Dough</strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">from Sherry Yard's <em>The Secrets of Baking</em><br />Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough (enough for two large braids)<br /></span><br /><em>For the dough (detrempe)<br /></em>1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast<br />1/2 cup whole milk<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />Zest of 1 orange, finely grated<br />3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom<br />1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped<br />2 large eggs, chilled<br />1/4 cup fresh orange juice<br />3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon salt<br /><br /><em>For the butter block (beurrage)</em><br />1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter<br />1/4 cup all-purpose flour<br /><br /><div><p><em>For the filling</em><br />1 cup milk<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />pinch of salt<br />2 egg yolks, slightly beaten<br />1 banana, mashed<br />1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice</p><p>1 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate baking bar<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218498982847980370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGvVLRVkI1I/AAAAAAAAAv4/JjrRbj0HyPo/s400/20080629+050.jpg" border="0" /><em>To make the dough:<br /></em>Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. </p><p>Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky. </p><p><em>To make the butter block:<br /></em>Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.</p><p>After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. </p><p>Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. </p><p>Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217903280076604466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGm3YzlPxDI/AAAAAAAAAuw/d3pZz9Cyg6o/s400/20080629+002.jpg" border="0" /> <em>To make the filling</em><br />Heat milk in saucepan on medium-high until very hot. In a bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Whisk hot milk into bowl with dry ingredients. Pour the mixture back into saucepan. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat a couple minutes, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and smooth. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in yolks and cook for a few minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally.<br /><br /><p>Mash bananas and lemon juice until smooth Add to milk mixture. Cover and refrigerate.<br /><em></em></p><p><em>To assemble the danish braid:<br /></em><br />1 recipe danish dough (see above)<br />1 recipe banana pastry cream, plus chocolate<br />Egg wash (1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk)<br /><br />Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the danish dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet. </p></div><div><p>Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217903624548475474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGm3s21vYlI/AAAAAAAAAu4/hGiDcwyv1nM/s400/20080629+008.jpg" border="0" />Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217904208262237058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGm4O1V8i4I/AAAAAAAAAvA/gZNeG-ANx2M/s400/20080629+013.jpg" border="0" /><em>Egg Wash</em><br />Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.<br /><br /><em>Proofing and Baking<br /></em>Spray cooking oil onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.</p><p>Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.</p><p>Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218486585053385554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SGvJ5n8_k1I/AAAAAAAAAvQ/NHjUhRn4W6E/s400/20080629+022.jpg" border="0" /></p></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-24825021124168078922008-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:002008-06-12T00:03:28.235-07:00Be Elegant, Be Earthy<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SFDC8xAQIkI/AAAAAAAAAsw/jn1XNOLJjw8/s1600-h/IMG_0592.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210879118069998146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SFDC8xAQIkI/AAAAAAAAAsw/jn1XNOLJjw8/s400/IMG_0592.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ina <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Garten</span> is known for her simple, but sophisticated approach to food. Many also know her as the <a href="http://www.barefootcontessa.com/"><strong>Barefoot <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Contessa</span></strong></a>, a moniker she earned from the Hampton's specialty store by the same name, which she used to own.<br /><br /><div><div><div>One of the reasons I admire Ina's cooking is that she always starts with good ingredients. I recently came across a group of other zealous Ina fans, where every two weeks members make the same recipe and post their results on the same day. The group, called Barefoot <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bloggers</span>, is currently about <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/whosturnisit/"><strong>70-members strong</strong></a>. </div></div><br /><div>The first recipe for June is <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_21407,00.html"><strong>Pasta, Pesto and Peas</strong></a>. This was a super easy recipe and I could definitely see making this as a side dish for a summer barbecue. I made two substitutions: swapped the frozen spinach for frozen since I got a supply in my weekly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CSA</span> harvest box, and I used all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">fusilli</span> pasta instead of a combo. As a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">superfan</span> of all things basil, I thought the overall flavor was tasty. However, I could easily have done with about half the mayonnaise, as I am not so much a fan. It was just way too creamy for me, but cutting down the mayo is an easy enough modification.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208275937297834482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEeDXs7aIfI/AAAAAAAAAr4/BKOQWParDpk/s400/IMG_0568.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><strong>Pasta, Pesto and Peas</strong></div><div>3/4 pound <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">fusilli</span> pasta<br />3/4 pound bow tie pasta<br />1/4 cup good olive oil<br />1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below<br />1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry<br />3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice<br />1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise<br />1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan<br />1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted<br />1/3 cup <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">pignolis</span> (pine nuts)<br />3/4 teaspoon kosher salt<br />3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br /></div><div></div><div><br />Cook the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">fusilli</span> and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">al</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">dente</span>. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">pignolis</span>, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.</div><div><br /><em>Pesto:<br /></em>1/4 cup walnuts<br />1/4 cup <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">pignolis</span> (pine nuts)<br />3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)<br />5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed<br />1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />1 1/2 cups good olive oil<br />1 cup freshly grated Parmesan<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Place the walnuts, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">pignolis</span>, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out. </div><div><br />To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.<br /></div><div><br />Yield: 4 cups<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208275940921800418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEeDX6bbduI/AAAAAAAAAsA/cqOPA8w_0lg/s400/IMG_0590.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-74934427451483015892008-06-11T07:35:00.000-07:002008-06-11T07:57:29.885-07:00What's-in-the-Box Wednesday 6/11/08<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SE_jgxwJfcI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/I9aBN8K2AcU/s1600-h/csa+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210633446141558210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SE_jgxwJfcI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/I9aBN8K2AcU/s400/csa+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> This week's CSA harvest box was teeming with goodies:<br /><ul><li>Arugula</li><li>Beets</li><li>Carrots</li><li>Lettuce</li><li>Onions</li><li>Parsley</li><li>Radishes</li></ul><p>We were delighted to discover we also got an extra bunch of greens (not sure which variety) and a bag of cherries. We had cherries in the house from our neighborhood grocery store, so did an impromptu taste test of the two kinds. There was no comparing. The ones from our farm were sweeter and tasted more like a cherry should. The store-bought ones tasted fine, but were a little tart and didn't have that lingering sweet cherry taste.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210633473535127026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SE_jiXzSLfI/AAAAAAAAAso/XhxBf1gRbMA/s400/csa+020.jpg" border="0" />We just got the box yesterday, but the beets are arugula are already gone. Our farm includes a newsletter each week that talks about farm happenings, describes the week's harvest and provides a recipe to help you create meals with your harvest. The recipe this week was for a beet and arugula salad tossed with a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic, garlic, salt and pepper. We topped it with feta crumbles and it made a perfect light dinner.</p><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SE_jhcjIgvI/AAAAAAAAAsY/htG_ReJwPVY/s1600-h/csa+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210633457629692658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SE_jhcjIgvI/AAAAAAAAAsY/htG_ReJwPVY/s400/csa+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SE_jhjNZGvI/AAAAAAAAAsg/sBFSt6-9GnU/s1600-h/csa+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210633459417553650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SE_jhjNZGvI/AAAAAAAAAsg/sBFSt6-9GnU/s400/csa+013.jpg" border="0" /></a>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-29271399685320946942008-06-04T21:22:00.000-07:002008-06-04T22:29:34.428-07:00What's-in-the-Box Wednesday 6/4/08<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdxjJSCM9I/AAAAAAAAArY/hKReZrGYMZ0/s1600-h/IMG_0617.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208256342678189010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdxjJSCM9I/AAAAAAAAArY/hKReZrGYMZ0/s400/IMG_0617.jpg" border="0" /></a>Determined to get more vegetables in our diet, we purchased a CSA share for the 2008 harvest season. Short for <em>community supported agriculture</em>, a CSA is simply a group of community members who commit to support a local farm in exchange for a supply of fresh produce throughout the growing season.<br /><br />CSA programs vary from farm to farm. Mine offers a few different box options: veggie (two sizes), fruit (two sizes), salad and tomatoes. Some also offer flowers, eggs and meat. Since this is our first year, we are keeping it simple and just went with the small veggie box. We are considering adding a fruit share, but are waiting to see how it works for us for a few more weeks before committing to more.<br /><br />Our particular CSA runs May through October and we received our third box this week. The produce is just gorgeous and tastes so good. I've decided to show off my bounty each week in a regular post I'm calling <strong>What's-in-the-Box Wednesday</strong>. Sorry, I didn't take pictures of the first two weeks' boxes. This week, we received:<br /><ul><li>Basil</li><li>Carrots</li><li>Cherry tomatoes</li><li>Chinese cabbage</li><li>Garlic</li><li>Radishes</li><li>Red chidori kale</li></ul>All CSAs offer different varieties and options, so my pictures are only representative of what you can get. But, I really encourage buying from local farmers when possible<br /><div></div><br /><div>If a weekly box of locally grown veggies sound good to you, you may be able to <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/"><strong>find a CSA in your area</strong></a>. If you already belong to a CSA, I'd love to see what you receive each week or hear how it's going for you.</div><div><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqfYtyFqI/AAAAAAAAAqg/KmvixMuvcG0/s1600-h/IMG_0620.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208248581520234146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqfYtyFqI/AAAAAAAAAqg/KmvixMuvcG0/s400/IMG_0620.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqfrNJicI/AAAAAAAAAqo/bwXzPD3N1xE/s1600-h/IMG_0622.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208248586483632578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqfrNJicI/AAAAAAAAAqo/bwXzPD3N1xE/s400/IMG_0622.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208249118577534258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdq-paOJTI/AAAAAAAAArQ/SYIN-87v9Ok/s400/IMG_0632.jpg" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqf9c-ixI/AAAAAAAAAqw/WY6Og0qwctU/s1600-h/IMG_0623.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208248591381859090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqf9c-ixI/AAAAAAAAAqw/WY6Og0qwctU/s400/IMG_0623.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqgOuPQ1I/AAAAAAAAAq4/4xgQC7-jGFI/s1600-h/IMG_0626.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208248596017660754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdqgOuPQ1I/AAAAAAAAAq4/4xgQC7-jGFI/s400/IMG_0626.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208249111343576930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdq-Odgt2I/AAAAAAAAArA/LzqNto9ZWcY/s400/IMG_0627.jpg" border="0" /> <div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208249115819197570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SEdq-fIlRII/AAAAAAAAArI/abIrex1opL8/s400/IMG_0629.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-88761203270019839052008-06-02T18:57:00.000-07:002008-06-02T22:25:25.683-07:00Super Good Superfood<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207473837136004674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SESp3U-hxkI/AAAAAAAAAqI/QOxqsi_S0X0/s400/IMG_0550.jpg" border="0" />Many health experts support the belief that some natural food sources are so rich in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant"><strong>antioxidants</strong></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_nutrient"><strong>essential nutrients</strong></a>, they are deemed <em>superfoods</em>. They're referred to as <em>super</em> because their nutritional properties are supposed to help lower cholesterol, improve mood and even reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.<br /><br />There is no legal or medical definition of what constitutes a <em>superfood</em>, so there is no official list. However, most iterations I've seen include a similar variety of fruits and vegetables, plus walnuts, salmon, green tea and a few others.<br /><br />With zero will power these days, I need as much nudging to eat <em>super</em> as possible. So I wanted to make sure I modified this week's <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/"><strong>Tuesdays with Dorie</strong></a> recipe to include something with good nutritional value. Di of <a href="http://diskitchennotebook.blogspot.com/"><strong>Di's Kitchen Notebook</strong></a> selected French Chocolate Brownies. Some may argue that good chocolate has antioxidant properties, which is probably true if you eat a single brownie. But, I suspect the benefits kind of cancel out if you eat the full plate. (Is it wrong to eat a whole batch in one sitting?)<br /><br />When I went to purchase the raisins for which the recipe calls, I noticed a display of dried blueberries. The packaging called out the antioxidant properties of blueberries and I decided to go that route. One for the nutrition, but (get real; we're making brownies here) two for the unique chocolate-blueberry flavor combination.<br /><br />The prep for this recipe was fairly straight-forward and moved quickly. Others mentioned that the top of the brownies had cracked, so I kept close to the oven and removed the pan as soon as it looked like a crack was forming. I cooked it for 50 minutes and the consistency was perfect. The taste was very rich and chocolaty, but I was a little disappointed with my blueberry experiment as we couldn't really taste a strong blueberry presence. We occasionally got a bite of blueberry here and there, but no consistent blueberry taste.<br /><br />Completing the blueberry theme, I paired the brownies with a scoop of homemade Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream, also from Dorie. The gorgeous blue-purple color popped against the white plate and dark brownie. We could really taste the blueberries in the ice cream, which can probably be attributed to using fresh berries compared to the dried berries in the brownies. All in all, the combination was extremely decadent and delicious. I would definitely make the brownies again, but might try adding fresh strawberries next time.<br /><br />Check out more brownie action <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/"><strong>here</strong></a>.<br /><br /><strong>French Chocolate Brownies</strong><br />makes 16 brownies<br /><br />1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/8 teaspoon salt<br />1/8 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1/3 cup dried blueberries<br />1 1/2 tablespoons water<br />1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum<br />6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped<br />1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 12 pieces<br />3 large eggs, at room temperature<br />1 cup sugar<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207470826363930146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SESnIE-hxiI/AAAAAAAAAp4/SJQLYqaHyq0/s400/IMG_0525.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><em>Getting ready:<br /></em>Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.</div><br /><div>Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon, if you're using it.</div><br /><div>Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum, let it warm for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside until needed.</div><br /><div>Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It's important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you've got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it's better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. Set the chocolate aside for the moment.</div><br /><div>Working with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter, mixing only until it is incorporated—you'll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won't be completely incorporated and that's fine. Finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula, then fold in the raisins along with any liquid remaining in the pan.</div><br /><div>Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.</div><br /><div>Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. With a long-bladed knife, cut the brownies into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.</div><br /><div><em>Serving:<br /></em>The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they're even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good go-alongs are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or even all three!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207472926602937906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SESpCU-hxjI/AAAAAAAAAqA/4gUdBtvmXMs/s400/IMG_0531.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><em>Storing:</em><br />Wrapped well, these can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.<br /></div><div></div><div align="center">... if they last that long!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207475537943053906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SESraU-hxlI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/Rr4JuRckcFE/s400/IMG_0566.jpg" border="0" />More Dorie recipes I've made from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618443363?ie=UTF8&tag=sweandsaveat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618443363"><em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em> </a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/05/check-out-these-buns.html">Pecan Honey Sticky Buns<br /></a><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/05/have-glass-of-key-lime-pie.html">Florida Pie</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/05/chocolate-peanut-butter-bliss.html">Peanut Butter Torte</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/unexpected-elegance.html">Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/celebrating-slice-of-life.html">Bill's Big Carrot Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/taken-with-tangelos.html">Fresh Tangelo Cream Tart</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/check-your-will-power-at-door.html">Gooey Chocolate Cakes</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dare-to-be-perfect.html">Perfect Party Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/clear-out-those-cobwebs.html">Brioche Raisin Snails</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/its-pie-its-cake-its-turnover.html">Russian Grandmothers' Apple Pie-Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dolce-dulce.html">Snickery Squares</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/forgive-forget-and-stuff-your-face.html">Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/let-them-eat-gteau.html">Almost-Fudge Gâteau</a>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-41260501050659361712008-05-26T22:26:00.000-07:002008-05-28T22:55:00.268-07:00Check Out These Buns!<p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204927217780459778" style="DISPLAY: block; FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 1px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SDudukmRCQI/AAAAAAAAAo0/YoJZQVoZQzE/s400/IMG_0462.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>The Sweet and Savory kitchen has been dark more than not the past couple of weeks. Certainly not by choice. Trust me, I'd rather have been whipping up something tasty; however, my "real-life" schedule has been extremely demanding of late and kept me from blogging.</p><p>Things seems to be back on track now and commitments are at a manageable level now (well, less insane anyway). </p><p>This week, Tuesday passed me by like I was standing still and I neglected my weekly baking commitment to <a href="http://www.doriegreenspan.com/">Dorie Greenspan</a> and the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesdays with Dorie</a> bakers. Madam Chow of <a href="http://mzkitchen.com/">Madam Chow's Kitchen</a> hosted this week's recipe and selected Pecan Honey Sticky Buns. </p><p>I'm a little late to the party, but come bearing some yummy brioche dripping in honey loveliness to my readers. I ended up a little torn on whether or not I'd recommend these. Don't get me wrong. They are delicious! The name really says it all. But, I hold issue with the four sticks of butter. Yielding about 15 servings, it equates to about a quarter of a stick per roll. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zoinks</span>! At the end of the day, this is a <em>baking </em>group, after all. And baking usually means butter. So, I guess I should consider the butter an blog-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">upational</span> hazard and just get my <em>buns</em> to the gym more instead of belly-aching about it.</p><p><strong>Pecan Honey Sticky Buns<br /></strong>Makes 15 buns</p><p><em>For the Glaze:</em><br />1 cup (packed) light brown sugar<br />1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces<br />1/4 cup honey<br />1-1/2 cups pecans (whole or pieces)</p><p><em>For the Filling:<br /></em>1/4 cup sugar<br />3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar<br />1 tablespoon ground cinnamon<br />3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature</p><p><em>For the Buns:<br /></em>1/2 recipe dough for Golden Brioche loaves (see below), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating it overnight)</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204928935767378258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SDufSkmRCVI/AAAAAAAAApc/YIJhNQDugsU/s400/IMG_0481.jpg" border="0" />Generously butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan (a Pyrex pan is perfect for this).<br /><p><em>To make the glaze:</em><br />In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and honey to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Pour the glaze into the buttered pan, evening it out as best you can by tilting the pan or spreading the glaze with a heatproof spatula. Sprinkle over the pecans.</p><p><em>To make the filling:<br /></em>Mix the sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl. If necessary, in another bowl, work the butter with a spatula until it is soft, smooth and spreadable.</p><p><em>To shape the buns:</em><br />On a flour-dusted work surface, roll the chilled dough into a 16-inch square. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months . . . . Or, if you want to make just part of the recipe now, you can use as much of the dough as you'd like and freeze the remainder. Reduce the glaze recipe accordingly). </p><p>With a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends of the roll if they're very ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into 1-inch thick buns. (Because you trim the ragged ends of the dough, and you may have lost a little length in the rolling, you will get 15 buns, not 16.) Fit the buns into the pan cut side down, leaving some space between them.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204926363081967842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SDuc80mRCOI/AAAAAAAAAok/DyjZPr80ZgE/s400/IMG_0430.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Lightly cover the pan with a piece of wax paper and set the pan in a warm place until the buns have doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The buns are properly risen when they are puffy, soft, doubled and, in all likelihood, touching one another.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204926354492033234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SDuc8UmRCNI/AAAAAAAAAoc/bh5zbDZm6sU/s400/IMG_0417.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><em>Getting ready to bake:</em><br />When the buns have almost fully risen , center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.</p><p>Remove the sheet of wax paper and put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Bake the sticky buns for about 30 minutes, or until they are puffed and gorgeously golden; the glaze will be bubbling away merrily. Pull the pan from the oven.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204926783988762866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SDudVUmRCPI/AAAAAAAAAos/pmzFJ8kqf7A/s400/IMG_0434.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>The sticky buns must be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">unmolded</span> minutes after they come out of the oven. If you do not have a rimmed platter large enough to hold them, use a baking sheet lined with a silicone mate or buttered foil. Be careful - the glaze is super-hot and super-sticky.</p><p><em>What you'll need for the Golden Brioche dough:<br /></em>2 packets active dry yeast (each packet of yeast contains approx. 2 1/4 teaspoons)<br />1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch water<br />1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk<br />3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 teaspoons salt<br />3 large eggs, at room temperature<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature but still slightly firm.</p><p><em>To Make The Brioche:<br /></em>Put the yeast, water and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt, and fit into the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Toss a kitchen towel over the mixer, covering the bowl as completely as you can-- this will help keep you, the counter and your kitchen floor from being showered in flour. Turn the mixer on and off a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour (yes, you can peek to see how you're doing), then remove the towel, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and mix for a minute or two, just until the flour is moistened. At this point, you'll have a fairly dry, shaggy mess.</p><p>Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, set the mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in 2-tablespoon-size chunks, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. You'll have a dough that is very soft, almost like batter. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.</p><p>Transfer the dough to a clean bowl (or wash out the mixer bowl and use it), cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes, depending upon the warmth of your room.</p><p>Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap to the bowl. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours, then leave the uncovered dough in the refrigerator to chill overnight.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204927518428170514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SDueAEmRCRI/AAAAAAAAAo8/3oumOePUtew/s400/IMG_0466.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204928562105223490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SDue80mRCUI/AAAAAAAAApU/960wsvUrFF8/s400/IMG_0473.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>More Dorie recipes I've made from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618443363?ie=UTF8&tag=sweandsaveat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618443363"><em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em> </a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/05/have-glass-of-key-lime-pie.html">Florida Pie</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/05/chocolate-peanut-butter-bliss.html">Peanut Butter Torte</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/unexpected-elegance.html">Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/celebrating-slice-of-life.html">Bill's Big Carrot Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/taken-with-tangelos.html">Fresh Tangelo Cream Tart</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/check-your-will-power-at-door.html">Gooey Chocolate Cakes</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dare-to-be-perfect.html">Perfect Party Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/clear-out-those-cobwebs.html">Brioche Raisin Snails</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/its-pie-its-cake-its-turnover.html">Russian Grandmothers' Apple Pie-Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dolce-dulce.html">Snickery Squares</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/forgive-forget-and-stuff-your-face.html">Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/let-them-eat-gteau.html">Almost-Fudge Gâteau</a> </p>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-57910341957684480542008-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:002008-05-13T00:00:00.236-07:00Have A Glass of Key Lime Pie<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCe2N9AEkUI/AAAAAAAAAmE/8Hk_YqZCDdU/s1600-h/Picture+161.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199324645651943746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCe2N9AEkUI/AAAAAAAAAmE/8Hk_YqZCDdU/s400/Picture+161.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here on the West Coast, temperatures are heating up. In fact, the forecast says the mercury is going to pass 100 degrees in the next couple of days. In my world, hot weather like that translates into margarita time!<br /><br />This week's <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesdays with Dorie</a> recipe is Florida Pie, selected by <a href="http://www.diannesdishes.com/">Dianne's Dishes</a>. Never really one for meringue, I knew I wanted to modify this week's challenge a bit. What better way than to imbibe a perfectly good citrus dessert with my favorite summer libation. So, I ditched the pie pan for a springform pan, made a crust of crushed graham crackers and salty pretzels, added some tequila and triple sec to the filling, and finished off the pie with a Key lime glaze.<br /><br />The finished product tasted exactly how I would expect. A margarita in a pie. The alcohol flavor was there just to make its presence known, whispering the margarita taste without overpowering the tart Key lime flavor. No disrespect to Dorie's original Florida Pie recipe, but I am very pleased with my modified version and definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good margarita just as much as they do baked goods.<br /><br />I only included directions for my modified version. For Dorie's original Florida Pie recipe, visit <a href="http://www.diannesdishes.com/">Dianne's Dishes</a>. Also, don't forget to <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">check out Florida Pies as Dorie intended</a>.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCevntAEkLI/AAAAAAAAAk8/IhsLKHfbzCg/s1600-h/Picture+139.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199317391452180658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCevntAEkLI/AAAAAAAAAk8/IhsLKHfbzCg/s400/Picture+139.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199321398656667906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCezQ9AEkQI/AAAAAAAAAlk/-S4hd_nF1mA/s400/Picture+190.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><div><strong>Margarita Pie</strong></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Florida Pie</span></div><br /><div><em>For the crust</em></div><div>1 cup finely crushed graham crackers</div><div>1 cup finely crushed pretzels</div><div>1/2 cup sugar</div><div>2/3 cup melted unsalted butter </div><div></div><div><em>For the pie</em></div><div>1 1/3 cups heavy cream</div><div>1 cup shredded sweetened coconut</div><div>4 large egg yolks<br />1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk<br />3 tablespoons good-quality tequila (I use <a href="http://www.patronspirits.com/en/content/spirits/patron_anejo/">Patrón Añejo</a>)<br />2 teaspoons triple sec</div><div>1/2 cup freshly squeezed Key lime juice, strained<br /><br /><em>For the lime glaze<br /></em>3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin<br />7 tablespoons freshly squeezed Key lime juice, strained<br />2 tablespoons sugar<br />1/4 teaspoon cornstarch</div><br /><div>Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.</div><br /><div>Combine the crushed graham crackers and pretzels, sugar and butter. Spread the mixture into the prepared springform. Pack the mixture with the bottom of a drinking glass or flat potato masher. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool until room temperature.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199319414381777090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCexddAEkMI/AAAAAAAAAlE/VLO7t4WDvS8/s400/Picture+146.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Put the cream and coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199320123051380946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCeyGtAEkNI/AAAAAAAAAlM/oh25NTrTQEo/s400/Picture+153.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add the tequila, the triple sec and half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the remaining juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the crust, and pour over the lime filling.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199321093713989874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCey_NAEkPI/AAAAAAAAAlc/yAkuLWchEgo/s400/Picture+173.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199320569727979746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCeygtAEkOI/AAAAAAAAAlU/iG6-c1Qcths/s400/Picture+168.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div></div><div>Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of the juice; let stand until soft, about 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 4 tablespoons juice to a boil. Combine remaining tablespoon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir until dissolved; whisk into boiling lime juice. Remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatin. Cool to lukewarm, and pour over pie.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199322519643132178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCe0SNAEkRI/AAAAAAAAAls/5Iqx6evVXKg/s400/Picture+181.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199323219722801442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCe069AEkSI/AAAAAAAAAl0/jTQ9_tIvpeA/s400/Picture+204.jpg" border="0" /> <p></p><p>More Dorie recipes I've made from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618443363?ie=UTF8&tag=sweandsaveat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618443363"><em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em> </a></p><p><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/05/chocolate-peanut-butter-bliss.html">Peanut Butter Torte</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/unexpected-elegance.html">Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/celebrating-slice-of-life.html">Bill's Big Carrot Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/taken-with-tangelos.html">Fresh Tangelo Cream Tart</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/check-your-will-power-at-door.html">Gooey Chocolate Cakes</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dare-to-be-perfect.html">Perfect Party Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/clear-out-those-cobwebs.html">Brioche Raisin Snails</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/its-pie-its-cake-its-turnover.html">Russian Grandmothers' Apple Pie-Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dolce-dulce.html">Snickery Squares</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/forgive-forget-and-stuff-your-face.html">Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/let-them-eat-gteau.html">Almost-Fudge Gâteau</a> </p>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-50007277122060225692008-05-11T22:19:00.000-07:002008-05-11T23:39:59.420-07:00What's the Dill?<div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCfkBtAEkbI/AAAAAAAAAm8/tMMmhXDJyoE/s1600-h/IMG_0105.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199375012733424050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCfkBtAEkbI/AAAAAAAAAm8/tMMmhXDJyoE/s320/IMG_0105.jpg" border="0" /></a>My latest kitchen obsession is with canning. I love the idea of preserving food when it's at its peak freshness or when I have an overabundance of produce that I know will otherwise go bad.</div><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCflK9AEkdI/AAAAAAAAAnM/VTdgljA3MAU/s1600-h/june.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199376271158841810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCflK9AEkdI/AAAAAAAAAnM/VTdgljA3MAU/s200/june.jpg" border="0" /></a>To test the canning waters, I wanted to start with something I felt to be fairly benign and thought pickles fit the bill. I turned to my copy of the classic <em>Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook</em>. This was the first cookbook I got when I moved out on my own. With little money and even less cooking skills, this was the perfect catchall for keeping sustenance on my table. Today it sits on my bookshelf, only occasionally referenced, but still revered. With recipes like Spaghetti Pie and Breakfast Casserole, some consider this cookbook a little outdated and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Cleaver">June Cleaver</a>-ish. By all accounts, that is probably a little true, but I still find it a great resource for basic cooking needs, no matter how advanced my cooking skills.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><strong>Dill Pickles</strong> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">from <em>Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook</em></span></div><br /><div>2 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers</div><div>3 3/4 cups water</div><div>3 3/4 cups cider vinegar</div><div>6 tablespoons pickling salt</div><div>12 to 18 heads fresh dill, or 6 to 8 tablespoons dillseed</div><div>6 cloves garlic, halved<br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199369704153846098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCffMtAEkVI/AAAAAAAAAmM/LTzWJamy4Wo/s400/P4150057.JPG" border="0" /> Thoroughly rinse cucumbers. In a large saucepan combine water, vinegar and pickling salt. Bring to a boil.<br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199369712743780706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCffNNAEkWI/AAAAAAAAAmU/WAg5Zyxc-c0/s400/P4150048.JPG" border="0" />Pack cucumbers loosely into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Add 2 to 3 heads of dill and 2 garlic clove halves to each jar. Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumbers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.<br /><br /><div>Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Let stand 1 week.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199369721333715314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCffNtAEkXI/AAAAAAAAAmc/MeFjOSZwqf0/s400/P4150058.JPG" border="0" />These were pretty good, but a little too tart for my taste. Even still, it was a good first attempt and I am more comfortable with the process now. My June 2008 issue of <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/bonappetit/"><em>Bon Appétit</em></a> arrived last week and it just so happens that the At the Market column was devoted to cucumbers and included a recipe <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/242476">Slightly Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles</a>. As the recipe suggests, you can use rice vinegar in place of cider vinegar for a pickle that is less tart. Who knew? So, I will probably give pickles one more try using the BA recipe and then I'll branch out my canning from there.<br /><br /><div>Stay tuned for more canning adventures.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199377121562366434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SCfl8dAEkeI/AAAAAAAAAnU/2x6JAdENv_I/s400/IMG_0114.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-13156725802883094712008-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:002008-05-06T00:11:10.085-07:00Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bliss<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196400749831783026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SB1S80RMAnI/AAAAAAAAAkc/JnSXOWd7eEU/s400/IMG_0038.jpg" border="0" />Elizabeth of <a href="http://www.uggsmellfood.blogspot.com/"><strong>Ugg Smell Food</strong></a> is my new BFF. Okay, ya. I only know her virtually. But she knows what makes me tick.<br /><br />Chocolate.<br /><br />Peanut butter.<br /><br />That's about all it takes to get me jazzed about a recipe.<br /><br />Elizabeth had the daunting responsibility of selecting this week's <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/"><strong>Tuesdays with Dorie</strong></a> recipe, where members bake a recipe from <em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em>. A girl after my own heart, she chose the Peanut Butter Torte. This thing is seriously like a giant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reese"><strong>Reese's Peanut Butter Cup</strong></a>. If you have even a remote aversion to either chocolate or peanuts, this is not the recipe for you. But, if you have ever been so desperate for a chocolate-peanut butter "fix" (like me) that you have dipped chocolate bars straight into the peanut butter jar (also like me), you need to rock this recipe.<br /><br />I tried the mousse with a spoon before assembling and I wasn't impressed. I was a little dissappointed, but I tried to reserve judgment. Once assembled, the flavors blended beautifully. The textures also balanced each other well. Lots of crunchiness and smoothness throughout.<br /><br />You need to plan with this one because it does require a significant amount of refrigeration, but the actual labor of putting it together is pretty minimal.<br /><br />I would probably use about six more Oreos than what is called for in the recipe. I had enough for the crust, but it wasn't as forgiving as I need.<br /><br />I noticed when making the ganache, it took a few moments for the chocolate and the cream to blend. At first I thought I messed up, but it just took a little longer than I expected. Be patient—it will come together.<br /><br />Check out some <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/"><strong>more chocolate-peanut butter eye candy</strong></a>.<br /><br /><strong>Peanut Butter Torte</strong><br /><br />1 ¼ c. finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)<br />2 teaspoons sugar<br />½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)<br />¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg<br />½ c. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)<br />24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender<br />½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br />Small pinch of salt<br />2 ½ c. heavy cream<br />1 ¼ c confectioners’ sugar, sifted<br />12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature<br />1 ½ c salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy)<br />2 tablespoons whole milk<br />4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196402532243210898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SB1UkkRMApI/AAAAAAAAAks/e6KnPlKoNlk/s400/IMG_0027.jpg" border="0" /><em>Getting ready</em><br />Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.<br /><br />Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.<br /><br />Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.<br /><br />Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.<br /><br />Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Crape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.<br /><br />Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.<br /><br />Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.<br /><br />Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.<br /><br /><em>To Finish The Torte</em><br />Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.<br /><br />Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.<br /><br />Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.<br /><br />When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196402240185434754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SB1UTkRMAoI/AAAAAAAAAkk/AK35TERrV4M/s400/IMG_0024.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196403176488305314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SB1VKERMAqI/AAAAAAAAAk0/8GqS-BuLo6M/s400/IMG_0036.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p></p>More Dorie recipes I've made from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618443363?ie=UTF8&tag=sweandsaveat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618443363"><em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em> </a><br /><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/unexpected-elegance.html">Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/celebrating-slice-of-life.html">Bill's Big Carrot Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/taken-with-tangelos.html">Fresh Tangelo Cream Tart</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/check-your-will-power-at-door.html">Gooey Chocolate Cakes</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dare-to-be-perfect.html">Perfect Party Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/clear-out-those-cobwebs.html">Brioche Raisin Snails</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/its-pie-its-cake-its-turnover.html">Russian Grandmothers' Apple Pie-Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dolce-dulce.html">Snickery Squares</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/forgive-forget-and-stuff-your-face.html">Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/let-them-eat-gteau.html">Almost-Fudge Gâteau</a>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-11613351718239195452008-04-29T00:52:00.000-07:002008-04-28T23:06:59.165-07:00Unexpected Elegance<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBaznERMAmI/AAAAAAAAAkU/xZADlDC3spI/s1600-h/P4250054.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194536703960547938" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBaznERMAmI/AAAAAAAAAkU/xZADlDC3spI/s400/P4250054.JPG" border="0" /></a>Sometimes, things have a way of surprising you. Such is the case with the latest installment of <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/"><strong>Tuesdays with Dorie</strong></a>. Caitlin of <a href="http://engineerbaker.blogspot.com/"><strong>Engineer Baker</strong></a> tasked the group with baking Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake this week. I knew I would like the cake. I mean, I luuurve polenta and I rather enjoy figs, so I wasn't worried about not liking it.<br /><div></div><br /><div>What I didn't anticipate was how gorgeous this simple dessert can be. The bold yellow of the polenta served as a nice backdrop for the figs peppered throughout the batter. The edges of the cake browned ever so slightly, showcasing the decorative edge formed by the fluted pan.</div><br /><div>I stayed pretty true to Dorie's recipe, using dried mission figs and plumping them in boiling water for a minute or so. It’s good to do this with any dried fruit when baking, as it keeps the fruit moist. The figs I used weren’t huge, but I did cut most of them in half for a more uniform distributiuon in the pan. Next time, I would consider cutting them into quarters, as my resident taster found the halves to be too overpowering.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194202748778447330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBWD4URMAeI/AAAAAAAAAjU/OTYihKbYhjg/s400/P4250048.JPG" border="0" /> <div>Dorie writes that the butter you add on top in the step before baking will leave light circles when you take it out of the oven. Mine left little divots, almost like someone had repeatedly poked their thumb into the surface. It’s not terrible looking, just not quite what I expected. It actually gave the cake some rustic charm. I'd probably just leave the butter off the top next time, though, to save time. I don't imagine (though I'm no expert) that it would affect the end result all that much.<br /></div><br /><div>For a finished look, I dusted the cake with powdered sugar. Per Dorie's suggestion, I served it with fresh whipped cream lightly sweetened with honey.<br /></div><br /><div>Visually, this cake exudes an unexpected and understated elegance. I think it would be the perfect dessert for a barbecue on a summer's night or an afternoon tea party with girlfriends.</div><div><br />In the future, I think I'd like to experiment with cherries or strawberries instead of figs. Also, the other day in the store, lavender honey caught my eye. It got me thinking that a lavender and raspberry combination could be intriguing. </div><div> </div><div></div><div>Check out more <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/"><strong>polenta cake action</strong></a>.</div><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBWD3kRMAdI/AAAAAAAAAjM/XILeho3LHSo/s1600-h/P4250047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194202735893545426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBWD3kRMAdI/AAAAAAAAAjM/XILeho3LHSo/s400/P4250047.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake<br /></strong><br />About 16 moist, plump dried Mission or Kadota figs, stemmed<br />1 c. medium-grain polenta or yellow cornmeal<br />½ c. all-purpose flour<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 c. ricotta<br />1/3 c. tepid water<br />¾ c. sugar<br />¾ c. honey (if you’re a real honey lover, use a full-flavored honey such as chestnut, pine, or buckwheat)<br />Grated zest of 1 lemon<br />2 large eggs<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194202753073414642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBWD4kRMAfI/AAAAAAAAAjc/g-JqQOZXiqU/s400/P4250052.JPG" border="0" /><em>Getting Ready:<br /></em>Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 ½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.<br /><br /><div>Check that the figs are, indeed, moist and plump. If they are the least bit hard, toss them into a small pan of boiling water and steep for a minute, then drain and pat dry. If the figs are large (bigger than a bite), snip them in half.</div><br /><div>Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt together.</div><br /><div>Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the ricotta and water together on low speed until very smooth. With the mixer at medium speed, add the sugar, honey, and lemon zest and beat until light. Beat in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are fully incorporated. You’ll have a sleek, smooth, pourable batter.</div><br /><div>Pour about one third of the batter into the pan and scatter over the figs. Pour in the rest of the batter, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, if necessary, and dot the batter evenly with the chilled bits of butter.</div><br /><div>Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be honey brown and pulling away just a little from the sides of the pan, and the butter will have left light-colored circles in the top. Transfer the cake to a rack and remove the sides of the pan after about 5 minutes. Cool to warm, or cool completely.</div><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194203320009097810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBWEZkRMAlI/AAAAAAAAAkM/_BAhJyaFJcU/s400/P4250065.JPG" border="0" /></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-16743968942791252762008-04-27T23:18:00.000-07:002008-04-28T22:48:50.066-07:00There Should be More Foods on Sticks<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBV9c0RMAcI/AAAAAAAAAjE/Y8HfulOK6W8/s1600-h/P4200079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194195679262278082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBV9c0RMAcI/AAAAAAAAAjE/Y8HfulOK6W8/s400/P4200079.JPG" border="0" /></a>Portable food doesn't get enough credit. While it may seem a bit tedious, it is quite smart to offer food on a stick for a number of reasons. Smaller usually means cuter. You can get a sampling <a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBVwmkRMAaI/AAAAAAAAAi0/GoFLakxZUlU/s1600-h/P4200077.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194181553114841506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBVwmkRMAaI/AAAAAAAAAi0/GoFLakxZUlU/s400/P4200077.JPG" border="0" /></a>of something without committing to a traditional serving size. And, you don't need a plate or utensils.<br /><div></div><br /><div>This month's Daring Bakers recipe came from our hosts Elle from <a href="http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/">Feeding My Enthusiasms</a> and Deborah from <a href="http://workingwomanfood.blogspot.com/">Taste and Tell</a>. They challenged us to use a specific cheesecake pop recipe and put our personal stamp on the decorating. It's almost as if we all get the same simple canvas to start and we can create the art that best fits our personality. </div><br /><div>My biggest obstacle was figuring out how to shape the pops without making a mess of them, as well as come up with a creative way to decorate them. I decided to cut these into cubes for a more structural feel. For dipping, I used a combination of dark chocolate and white chocolate that I made light pink. Embellishments included chocolate jimmies, pink large dragees and large confetti sprinkles. My favorite combination was a two-toned version. First, I dipped about 3/4 of the cheesecake in the chocolate. I popped them in the freezer for about 5 minutes, then dipped it about 1/4 of the way into the light pink. I topped it off with chocolate jimmies. The result resembled a whimsical cupcake.</div><div><br />I admit that I probably would never have selected a recipe like this on my own. However, after making this one, I would definitely do it again. It was a lot of fun and allowed for personal expression. Thanks to Elle and Deborah for a challenge that made me feel like a kid again. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div><strong><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBV3oERMAbI/AAAAAAAAAi8/oizs5Zs9crg/s1600-h/P4200062.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194189275466039730" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBV3oERMAbI/AAAAAAAAAi8/oizs5Zs9crg/s400/P4200062.JPG" border="0" /></a>Cheesecake Pops</strong></div><div>from <em>Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey</em> by Jill O'Connor<br /><br /></div><div>Makes 30 – 40 Pops</div></div><br /><div></div><div><div><em>Ingredients</em> </div><div>5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature</div><div>2 cups sugar</div><div>¼ cup all-purpose flour</div><div>¼ teaspoon salt</div><div>5 large eggs</div><div>2 egg yolks</div><div>2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract</div><div>¼ cup heavy cream</div><div>Boiling water as needed<br /></div><div>Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks<br /></div><div>1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionery coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate. White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible) </div><div></div><div>2 tablespoons vegetable shortening</div><div></div><div></div><div>Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional</div><br /><div><br /><em>Instructions</em> </div><div>Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.<br /></div><div>In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.<br /></div><br /><div>Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.</div><br /><div>Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.<br /></div><br /><div>When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194179293962043666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBVujERMARI/AAAAAAAAAhs/A7AcMgEn4XA/s400/P4200047.JPG" border="0" />When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.</div><div></div><br /><div>Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionery chocolate pieces) as needed.</div><div></div><br /><div>Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.</div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194180633991840130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBVvxERMAYI/AAAAAAAAAik/YbaFminJlwA/s400/P4200057.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-38377734668004846262008-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:002008-04-24T08:35:37.341-07:00Celebrating a Slice of LifeToday is my mom's birthday. To help her celebrate, I knew I wanted to make her a cake. What I didn't know is what kind. Well, it just so happened that this week's <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesdays with Dorie</a> recipe ended up being a cake. A big ol' carrot cake, in fact. Lucky for me, my mom loves carrot cake and she was on board with me baking this for her. I took a quick mental inventory and realized that I had never made a carrot cake in my life. So, I trudged forward with no expectations as to how this one would shake out.<br /><br />Part of me loves to experiment with recipes, but others are best left alone. After reading through the ingredients and directions a few times, I decided that this was a cake best prepared as instructed. The only modification I made was with the frosting. I had to double the frosting recipe, which kind of surprised me. I was very careful to use a minimal amount of frosting between the layers. By the time I had frosted and stacked the layers, I had hardly any frosting left. So, I took it apart, made a second batch of frosting and re-frosted—this time being a little more generous in between layers. I'm still a little perplexed because I got the impression that while Dorie didn't frost the sides of her cake, the recipe still yielded enough to cover the whole thing.<br /><br />To garnish, I candied thin strips of carrot until translucent and made a sort of ribbon design. I was going for the same look as a <a href="http://http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/recipefinder/recipe1/cakes_00114_l.jpg">Martha Stewart carrot cake</a> I saw recently. Mine was not quite as impressive (read not even close), but I think I got the hang of it and could do a better job the next time around.<br /><br />As for the taste, this cake was insanely good. The cake itself was flavorful and moist, I'm assuming a result of the 1 cup of oil (gasp). The frosting was rich, rich, rich. It tasted like carrot cake frosting I have had before, but definitely more fresh. Perhaps the lemon juice? One moderate slice of this cake was enough to satiate my sweet tooth.<br /><br />The final verdict came down from the guest of honor and she gave it the big "thumbs up." Kudos to Amanda of <a href="http://slowlikehoney.wordpress.com/">slow like honey</a> for selecting this week's treat. Check out more <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">carrot cakes</a>.<br /><br /><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192650629202051218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBAAPERMAJI/AAAAAAAAAgs/AgoLqn1jMR8/s400/P4220054.JPG" border="0" /></strong><strong>Bill's Big Carrot Cake</strong><br /><br />Yields 10 servings<br /><br /><em>For the cake</em><br />2 cups all purpose flour<br />2 teaspoons baking powder<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />¾ teaspoon salt<br />3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted with a shredding a blade or use a box grater)<br />1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans<br />1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)<br />½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries<br />2 cups sugar<br />1 cup canola oil<br />4 large eggs<br /><br /><em>For the frosting</em><br />8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature<br />1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />1 pound or 3 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted<br />1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract<br />½ cup shredded coconut (optional)<br />Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)<br /><br /><em>Getting ready</em><br />Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.<br /><br /><em>To make the cake</em><br />Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.<br /><br />Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.<br /><br />Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.<br /><br />The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.<br /><br /><em>To make the frosting</em><br />Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.<br /><br />If you'd like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.<br /><br /><em>To assemble the cake</em><br />Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192650607727214722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBAAN0RMAII/AAAAAAAAAgk/X_gV7omypNo/s400/P4220047.JPG" border="0" />Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.<br /><br /><em>Serving</em><br />This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.<br /><em>Storing</em><br />The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it's firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192650663561789634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBAARERMAMI/AAAAAAAAAhE/K-TgXSLannQ/s400/P4220060.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192650637791985826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SBAAPkRMAKI/AAAAAAAAAg0/zrmbUwWTusk/s400/P4220056.JPG" border="0" />Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-29994886007550360382008-04-15T22:47:00.000-07:002008-04-16T00:38:47.913-07:00My Kitchen CarnageMy ego usually gets the better of me when it comes to posting to my blog. I've never posted any recipe that had a less than decent outcome. Today, however, I had a choice to make. This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe and I got into a fight. I'm not sure who won, but it ended ugly. (You'll see what I am talking about in a minute.) In the end, I figured there's no harm in sharing kitchen failures. I have to believe everyone, whether or not they admit it, has had at least one baking debacle. Here's one for the Fail record books.<br /><br />Judy of <a href="http://wandasue22.blogspot.com/">Judy's Gross Eats</a> selected marshmallows from the popular Dorie baking tome, <em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em>, for this week's <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesdays with Dorie</a> recipe. It seemed easy enough and I felt fairly confident that I would be in and out of the kitchen in no time, and snacking on my newly made marshmallows.<br /><br />I'm not sure when the breakdown occurred, but my guess is that it started with the whipping of the egg whites. I must not have been paying attention because I never saw the stiff peaks as indicated in the directions. I stopped whisking because the egg seemed to be separating. I should have left it alone at that point, but wanted to experiment a little and added some macerated strawberries. Enter second breakdown. The mixture seemed to set up, but when I cut into it, it didn't have the consistency of marshmallow. The texture was somewhat spongy and the taste? Eggy. Realizing that these would never make it as marshmallows, I spooned it into a bowl, hopeful that I could repurpose the gelatinous mess into another recipe.<br /><br />In the end, I just tossed it.<br /><br />So, there you are. The marshmallows that would never be.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SAWaCR3M17I/AAAAAAAAAgM/SvtX4c35Cb0/s1600-h/P4130087.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189723509559711666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SAWaCR3M17I/AAAAAAAAAgM/SvtX4c35Cb0/s400/P4130087.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SAWaCh3M18I/AAAAAAAAAgU/fuLOdyTluM4/s1600-h/P4130092.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189723513854678978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SAWaCh3M18I/AAAAAAAAAgU/fuLOdyTluM4/s400/P4130092.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SAWaCx3M19I/AAAAAAAAAgc/6h9MkvttRQY/s1600-h/P4130094.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189723518149646290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SAWaCx3M19I/AAAAAAAAAgc/6h9MkvttRQY/s400/P4130094.JPG" border="0" /></a>I originally planned to give it another go before posting day, but I came down with a nasty cold and I'm just not feeling the culinary love right now. I hope to get back in the marshmallow saddle in the next week or so.<br /><br />I'm optimistic that I can get it right next time, but really ... it can't get any uglier. For now, check out some good-looking marshmallows from the other <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesday with Dorie</a> bakers.<br /><br />Tell me about one of your kitchen blunders so I don't feel so bad.<br /><br />More Dorie recipes I've made from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618443363?ie=UTF8&tag=sweandsaveat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0618443363"><em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em> </a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/04/taken-with-tangelos.html">Fresh Tangelo Cream Tart</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/check-your-will-power-at-door.html">Gooey Chocolate Cakes</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dare-to-be-perfect.html">Perfect Party Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/clear-out-those-cobwebs.html">Brioche Raisin Snails</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/its-pie-its-cake-its-turnover.html">Russian Grandmothers' Apple Pie-Cake</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/03/dolce-dulce.html">Snickery Squares</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/forgive-forget-and-stuff-your-face.html">Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits</a><br /><a href="http://sweetandsavoryeats.blogspot.com/2008/02/let-them-eat-gteau.html">Almost-Fudge Gâteau</a> </p>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-10816666608140863962008-04-11T21:41:00.000-07:002008-04-11T22:29:04.842-07:00A Toast to the Host<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SABB8_uDQuI/AAAAAAAAAgE/bHmx58lpv0g/s1600-h/P3230029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188219286883353314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SABB8_uDQuI/AAAAAAAAAgE/bHmx58lpv0g/s400/P3230029.JPG" border="0" /></a>When having overnight company or hosting a brunch, the last thing I want to do is peel my eyes open at "o'dark thirty" and spend all morning in the kitchen trying to whip together a meal.<br /><br />I recently hosted six for breakfast and my main objective was to keep the prep work to a minimum, but make the meal memorable.<br /><br />When I came across this recipe for a french toast casserole, I was immediately drawn to the praline topping. I mean, french toast is good, but that topping sounded sinful. What's more, the directions couldn't be easier.<br /><br />I didn't have pecans, so used hazelnuts. It was a fine substitute. Also, there is absolutely no need for the maple syrup, in my opinion. The bread bakes beautifully and the praline topping adds enough sweetness to satisfy even the biggest sugar addict.<br /><br />The only issue I hold with this dish is the amount of butter (two sticks!) in the praline. Butter makes everything better, but it also makes the back side bigger. I have to remind myself that this is a Paula Deen recipe. Anyone who knows her cooking, knows that butter is the cornerstone of many of her recipes. So, I guess I knew that going into it. But, I also don't think I will serve this on a regular basis. My pants are already too tight.<br /><br /><div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup<br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26774,00.html">Food Network</a> courtesy of Paula Deen</span></div><br /><div>6 to 8 servings</div><br /><div>1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)<br />8 large eggs<br />2 cups half-and-half<br />1 cup milk<br />2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />Dash salt<br />Praline Topping, recipe follows<br />Maple syrup<br /><br />Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188218153011987138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SABA6_uDQsI/AAAAAAAAAf0/eMmghAYWUnE/s400/P3230003.JPG" border="0" /> The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.<br /><br />Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188218930401067730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/SABBoPuDQtI/AAAAAAAAAf8/Soi5x3Rwow8/s400/P3230011.JPG" border="0" /><em>Praline Topping:</em><br />1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter<br />1 cup packed light brown sugar<br />1 cup chopped pecans<br />2 tablespoons light corn syrup<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br /><br />Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole. </div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-61896635104491126252008-04-08T21:19:00.000-07:002008-04-09T02:01:11.855-07:00Taken with TangelosMary of <a href="http://startingfromscratch-mary.blogspot.com/">Starting from Scratch</a> chose this week's <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesdays with Dorie</a> recipe. Actually, she deferred the honors to her friend, Teri, who was celebrating a birthday. What a good friend! Being such generous ladies, they gave us a choice between Dorie's Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart or her Fresh Orange Cream Tart.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R_x4XUaAFRI/AAAAAAAAAfE/AD8gJly2ePo/s1600-h/P4060107.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187153212834059538" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R_x4XUaAFRI/AAAAAAAAAfE/AD8gJly2ePo/s400/P4060107.JPG" border="0" /></a>I decided to go for the orange version because I've ogled blood oranges in my grocery store for years. I'd never bought any and really never had a reason to until now. So, I gleefully headed to the store, thinking how exciting it would be to <em>finally</em> add blood oranges to the list of ingredients with which I have baked. As luck—or the lack thereof—would have it, my favorite store was all out of blood oranges. According to the produce guy, they recently got a shipment, but the quality was not their standards. I appreciate the effort, but hey, Produce Guy, "Boooo. Hissss."<br /><br />Unsure of my next move at that point, something near the oranges caught my eye. Deep red-orange orbs, emitting a subtle citrus scent into the air. Minneola tangelos ... okay, this might just work.<br /><br />And work it did. A cross between a sweet tangerine and a tart grapefruit, the Minneola produces a super juicy nectar. The perfect foundation for a citrus tart.<br /><br />While I consider this baking adventure an ultimate victory, it didn't come without its challenges. I was never able to get the cream to 180 degrees F while stirring over heat. The directions indicate that the process would take about 10 minutes. After laboriously whisking for more than 30 minutes, my cream never reached more that 150-ish. I later found out from some fellow TWDers that I might've had better luck had I used a metal bowl instead of a glass one. That's lesson #1. Lesson #2 came from Julius at <a href="http://occasionalbaker.blogspot.com/">Occasional Baker</a>, who shared a great tip he learned. Over-zealous whisking can prohibit one's cream from reaching the desired temperature. It turns out that stirring with a spatula is the preferred method and allows the cream to heat up more quickly.<br /><br />I got zero pictures of an individual slice, so I unfortunately can't share a cross-section. This tart plated terribly for me, and looked just plain sloppy. The fault doesn't lie within the tart, though, but in my lack of grace when it comes to slicing baked goods. I've never done this well in the past and my efforts with this tart were no exception.<br /><br />Would I make it again? Probably. The cream was very smooth and rich, it was almost too rich. Between the crust and the cream, this tart boasts 17 tablespoons of butter. I'm a superfan of all things decadent, but even I have my limits. I'd like to experiment with the recipe and see if I could reduce the amount of butter and still procure a decent cream.<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187152946546087154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R_x4H0aAFPI/AAAAAAAAAe0/ItC4YztTMBE/s400/P4060098.JPG" border="0" /><br /><strong>Fresh Tangelo Creme Tart</strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">slightly modified from Dorie Greenspan's original recipe for Fresh Orange Cream Tart</span></p><p><em>For the custard filling</em><br />1 cup sugar<br />Grated zest of 3 tangelos<br />Grated zest of 1 lemon<br />4 large eggs<br />Scant 3/4 cup fresh tangelo juice<br />3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice<br />1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin<br />1 tablespoon cold water<br />2 3/4 sticks (11 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces, at cool room temperature<br /><br />1 9-inch Spiced Tart Dough shell, fully baked and cooled (see below)<br /><br />orange slices and zest spirals, for decoration<br /><br /><em>For the crust</em><br />1 cup ground hazelnuts<br />1 cup all-purpose flour<br />1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />Pinch of ground cloves<br />1 large egg yolk<br />1 tablespoon water<br />3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />6 tablespoons sugar<br /><br /><em>Getting ready</em><br />Have an instant-read thermometer, a strainer and a blender (first choice) or food processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.<br /><br /><em>To make the cream<br /></em>Put the sugar and tangelo and lemon zest in a large heatproof bowl that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and zests together between your fingertips until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the tangelo and lemon juice.<br /><br />Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch. You want to cook the cream until it reaches 180 degrees F. As you whisk—you must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling—you'll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger and then, as it gets closer to 180 degrees F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point—the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience—depending on how much heat you're giving the cream, getting to temp can take as long as 10 minutes.<br /><br />As soon as it reaches 180 degrees F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the blender (or food processor); discard the zest.<br /><br />Soften the gelatin in the cold water, then dissolve it by heating it for 15 seconds in a microwave oven (or do this in a saucepan over extremely low heat). Add the gelatin to the filling and pulse once just to blend, then let filling cool to 140 degrees, about 10 minutes.<br /><br />Turn the blender to high (or turn on the processor) and, with the machine going, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed as you incorporate the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going—to get the perfect light, airy texture, you must continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes. If your machine protests and gets a bit too hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats.<br /><br />Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (The cream can be refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.)<br /><br />When you are ready to construct the tart, whisk the cream vigorously to loosen it. Spread the cream evenly in the crust. Arrange the orange slices and zest spiral in the center of the tart. Serve now or refrigerate the tart until needed.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187153049625302274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R_x4N0aAFQI/AAAAAAAAAe8/7OvYDAyxgr4/s400/P4060101.JPG" border="0" /><br /><em>To make the crust</em><br />Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.<br /><br />Whisk together the ground nuts, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and cloves. With a fork, stir the egg yolk and water together in a cup.<br /><br />Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the egg and water and beat for 1 minute more. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Don't work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. If the dough comes together but some dry crumbs remain at the bottom of the bowl, stop the mixer and finish blending the ingredients with a rubber spatula or your hands.<br /><br />With your hands, flatten the dough into a disk, then grab a rolling pin and roll the dough, turning it over frequently, until you have a round that is about 11 inches in diameter.<br /><br />Carefully turn the dough into the buttered tart pan. Very gently fit the dough into the pan, lightly pressing it over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Don't be concerned if the dough breaks, as it may—just gently press the tears together with your fingers. Chill the dough, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours. </p><div><div><div>Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.</div><div></div><br /><div>Remove the plastic wrap and, using a small sharp knife, trim the excess dough flush with the edges of the pan. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil, fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust and fill with dried beans or rice or pie weights.</div><br /><div></div><div>Place the tart pan on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake the crust for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is browned, dry and firm. Transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.</div></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871539819493299835.post-89930370127682933922008-04-05T23:43:00.000-07:002008-04-04T01:46:26.361-07:00There's A Fungus Among Us<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R_XmVUaAFBI/AAAAAAAAAdE/hTTBP9jOMkA/s1600-h/P3130277.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185303799916401682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R_XmVUaAFBI/AAAAAAAAAdE/hTTBP9jOMkA/s400/P3130277.JPG" border="0" /></a>It is said that ancient Egyptians believed mushrooms to be the plant of immortality, decreeing mushrooms only for royalty. Commoners, no fungus for you! Other historical accounts explain that many believed mushrooms to have properties that could produce super-human strength, help in finding lost objects and lead the soul to the realm of the gods. This, all according to the <a href="http://www.mushroomcouncil.com/aboutmushrooms/history.html">Mushroom Council</a>, may be mushroom folklore, but it would be kind of cool if it were true. I could use some help finding all sorts of lost objects. One thing is for sure. Mushrooms are t-a-s-t-y. Their meaty texture and flavor make them a perfect filling substitute for beef or chicken. For those nights you want something substantial, but you don't have the stomach for a heavy meaty meal, choose mushrooms. I found this great vegetarian ravioli. Swimming in a pool of green pea <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">purée</span>, these pillows of mushroom are the perfect foundation to a spring dinner.<br /><div><div><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R94XgayKA9I/AAAAAAAAAW4/S55n25IFmJA/s1600-h/P3130277.JPG"></a><strong>Mushroom Ravioli with Green Pea <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Purée</span><br /></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">from </span><a href="http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10335"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Vegetarian Times</em></span></a><br /><br /><p><em>Mushroom Ravioli</em><br />2 Tbs. olive oil<br />1/2 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)<br />1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)<br />1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme<br />8 oz. wild mushroom mix or assorted mushrooms, chopped (3 cups)<br />2 Tbs. sherry<br />24 won ton wrappers</p><p><em>Green Pea <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Purée</span></em><br />2 cups frozen peas, thawed<br />3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth<br />2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish, if desired <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178602424285922242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R94Xd6yKA8I/AAAAAAAAAWw/mSMgzsvukOo/s400/P3130276.JPG" border="0" /></p><ol><br /><li><em>To make Mushroom Ravioli:</em> Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until translucent and starting to brown. Stir in garlic and thyme, and cook 1 minute more. Add mushrooms, and increase heat to high. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sauté</span> mushrooms 7 minutes, or until all liquid has evaporated. Add sherry to pan and cook 1 minute, or until sherry has evaporated. Transfer to bowl, and cool 20 minutes.</li><br /><li>Place 1 won ton wrapper on work surface. Brush edges with water. Spoon 1 tsp. mushroom mixture in center of wrapper and fold into triangle, pressing edges to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mushroom mixture.</li><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178602475825529826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R94Xg6yKA-I/AAAAAAAAAXA/U-GgBf7i2A4/s400/P3130278.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178602480120497138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R94XhKyKA_I/AAAAAAAAAXI/szncGL_o_S8/s400/P3130280.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178602488710431746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R94XhqyKBAI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/0idjIzT9Uno/s400/P3130284.JPG" border="0" /><br /><li><em>To make Green Pea <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Purée</span>:</em> Blend peas, broth, and cheese in blender until smooth. Transfer to saucepan, and warm over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.</li><br /><li>Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain. Spoon pea <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">purée</span> onto plates, and top with ravioli. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178604395675911186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_4snTsHswAXg/R94ZQqyKBBI/AAAAAAAAAXY/f7k_-SKXcD8/s400/P3130287.JPG" border="0" /></li></ol></div></div>Sweet and Savory Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02826088205876833265noreply@blogger.com11