Thanksgiving Baby Shower November 29, 2009

We’ve had an eventful few months in my family.  My sister is pregnant with her second and my aunt discovered that she is pregnant with her first. 

I wanted to host a shower for my aunt, because she’s put up with our brood for the past 7 years, and that deserves some kind of something.  However, they live in Pennsylvania and we’re all the way in the South, so the timing had to be around Thanksgiving, which is when they would be down this way.

Planning a Thanksgiving shower posed some challenges.  I didn’t want this to be lame baby shower complete with ridiculous games, but I wanted it to feel like a baby shower in spirit.  I turned to the season and thought about the colors that I could use and orange and lime green seemed perfect.  My living room has those two colors, so I knew that would work, and they just fit the season. 

Despite some last minute cancellations, the shower was a success.  Mom and Dad were both here and we could not have been happier for them. 

Some photos:

               

    

(My mom had most of my decorations and was running late, hence why there’s hardly anything on the table.)

    

  

My menu consisted of the following:

Potato Parsnip Latkes

Ginger Pineapple Sparkling Punch

Carrot Ginger Layer Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Super Fudgy Brownies

Herbed Yogurt Dip with a vegetable tray

Carrot, Ginger and Honey Soup

Butternut Squash Galette

The food was a big hit.  It all had a lot of color and flavor. 

The shower was on Saturday and I began prepping on Wednesday.  My timeline went like this:

Wednesday

Make ginger syrup

Thursday

Cut vegetables

Make brownies

Make latkes

Friday

Make carrot strips

Make frosting

Make galette crust

Make galette filling

Make dip

Make soup

Saturday

Assemble and bake galette

Make punch

Make and assemble cake

Crisp and top latkes

Warm soup

As you can see, it was definitely manageable when spread out.  The biggest challenge was the cake, but mostly because I’ve never made a non-box mix cake.  It was completely worth it, though…and I don’t even like carrot cake.  Guess I’ll have to make an exception. 

Herbed Yogurt Dip (Hors D’oeuvres, Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashford-Snell)

1 cup parsley, chopped

1 cup basil, chopped

1/2 cup chives, chopped

grated peel of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

6 oz. cream cheese

1 cup whole milk yogurt

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Place everything but salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Season to taste.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Serve chilled.

Carrot, Honey and Ginger Soup Cups (Hors D’oeuvres, Eric Treuille and Victoria Blashford-Snell)

2 tbsp butter

6 cups carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

4 inches fresh ginger, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 quart chicken stock

1 tbsp honey

4 tbsp heavy cream

1 tbsp chopped chives to garnish

Directions

Melt butter in a stockpot over low heat.  Add carrots, ginger, onion, garlic, and celery with a pinch of salt.  Cook, covered, until soft, about 20 minutes.  Add stock and increase to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are very soft, about 15 minutes.  Cool slightly.

Place in a food processor and pulse to a smooth puree.  Rinse out stockpot and place a fine mesh sieve over top.  Press the puree through the sieve.  Discard remainder left behind. 

If needed, add 2 tbsp of water at a time to the puree to adjust thickness.  Soup should have consistency of light cream. 

Heat through over medium heat.  Add honey, cream, salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into cups and sprinkle chives to garnish.  Serve hot.

An unconventional Thanksgiving November 28, 2009

Since we hosted my inlaws last weekend and did a big Thanksgiving dinner then, we decided to forego the traditional fare and just have something new instead.  And by “we” I mean “I”.  My husband usually just goes along with it since he’s not a picky eater in the least. 

I decided on pizza just because I had never made one before.  While this was time-consuming, it was completely worth it.  Well, I guess it’s not really fair to say “time-consuming” since most of the time involved is time spent waiting.  You have to start the dough early enough for it to rise, which takes about 5 1/2 hours total.  I would also double the oil recipe, which I have done in the recipe below, because there wasn’t any left to brush on the crust after the pizza was finished.  I probably added more goat cheese than it required, but it’s really a preference thing.  Finally, I didn’t feel like this recipe as it was had enough salt.  I thought that it would, considering it had lots of cheese, but I wound up sprinkling some on the finished product. 

Overall, though, we were both happy with our nontraditional Thanksgiving.  You could probably play with the toppings.  I added shiitake mushrooms to mine.  The next time that I make a pizza, I’m going to do a variation on this and make a pesto sauce to put on it, as well. 

Pizza Bianca with Goat Cheese and Greens (adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2002)

Crust

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)

1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
Seasoned oil

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Topping

1 bunch Swiss chard (about 10 ounces), white ribs cut away

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 large garlic clove, minced

Directions

Make crust:

Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl.  Sprinkle yeast on top.  Stir to blend.  Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast.  Add oil and salt, then 1 1/2 cups flour.  Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky).  Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft).

Shape dough into ball; place in large, oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel.  Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down and shape into ball.  Return to bowl.  Cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile make seasoned oil:

Mix oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

For toppings:

Cook swiss chard in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain. Rinse under cold water.  Drain again and squeeze dry.  Coarsely chop.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in small skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.  Add chard and stir 1 minute. Season to taste with salt.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Punch down dough. Form into ball and place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel and let rest 30 minutes.

Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal.  Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella over dough, leaving 1-inch border. Scatter chard and mushrooms over mozzarella. Top with goat cheese. Brush crust edge with some of seasoned oil.  Reserve 2 teaspoons seasoned oil to brush on crust.  Drizzle remaining oil over pizza.

Bake pizza until crust is brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush edge with seasoned oil and serve.

Food Induced Coma November 22, 2009

It’s that time of year again.  Time for me to eat myself into a stupor.  You wouldn’t think that someone my size was a big eater, but I tend to gorge myself at Thanksgiving…and I love every second of it.

I’ve only ever cooked Thanksgiving dinner once.  My husband and I lived in DC and couldn’t get home, so I made dinner for the two of us.  This year, my inlaws came up the week before and I did a big, traditional dinner.  It was ambitious, but with some planning, it’s not overwhelming. 

For this menu, make the pastry cream, raspberry puree and meringues ahead of time.  Assemble 2-3 hours before ready to serve, so that you have time to freeze it.  The turkey should ideally be brined 24 hours in advance, but I just did mine overnight and, since it was just the four of us, I only did a turkey breast.  The original recipe includes a recipe for gravy, but I left that out since I didn’t prepare it (yeah, yeah, I know).  The macaroni can be cooked and assembled the day before, just refrigerate until ready to bake.  I think that the stuffing was the only thing that couldn’t be done in advance to some degree. 

I apologize for the photos.  I forgot to take the pictures before we got into the food.

Perfect Roasted Turkey (Martha Stewart Living, November 2005)

3 cups coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

5 cups sugar

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 dried bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, plus freshly ground pepper

1 fresh turkey breast

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay

Directions

Put salt, sugar, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and 10 cups water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.

Add turkey, breast first, to the brine. Cover; refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.

Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl. Reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2 1/2 hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly.  For a moist turkey, cook to 165, making sure to check the turkey at various parts.  The USDA recommends 180, but 165 is perfectly safe.

Discard cheesecloth.  Let turkey stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.

Brown Butter, Sage and Mushroom Stuffing (Martha Stewart Show, November 2008)

3 teaspoons plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups low-sodium store-bought chicken broth

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup sliced bacon, about 2 ounces

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 pound shiitake or button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

French or Italian-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter a 9-by-9-inch square baking dish or a 10-by-6 1/2-inch oval baking dish with 2 teaspoons butter. Cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the dish and line with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper with 1 teaspoon butter. Set prepared dish, foil, and parchment aside until ready to bake.

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, egg, and egg yolk; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add bacon and cook for 1 minute. Add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 4 minutes more. Increase heat to high and add mushrooms, stirring to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes; stir in garlic. Remove skillet from heat and add parsley and sage. Transfer mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and add breadcrumbs, stirring carefully to combine; season with salt and cayenne pepper. Add chicken broth and egg mixture to stuffing, stirring until well combined. Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat until bubbling and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Drizzle brown butter over stuffing and cover with prepared foil. Set baking dish on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 25 minutes, uncover, and continue baking 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stuffing cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Beverly Jones’ (my great aunt) Macaroni and Cheese (courtesy of Nana)

2 cups cooked macaroni noodles
8 to 12 ounces grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 large can evaporated milk
3 eggs
A little butter for the top

Directions

In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer macaroni and cheese, alternating until all macaroni and cheese have been used and ending on a cheese layer. 

In a large mixing bowl beat 3 eggs and 1 large can of evaporated milk plus 1 milk can of water together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour over the casserole add a little butter on top.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until the center is set.

Pistachio and Raspberry Dacquoise (Martha Stewart’s Holiday Sweets)

1 cup (4 ounces) shelled, roasted, salted pistachios

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

6 large egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch cream of tartar

2 cups (about 9 ounces) raspberries

Pastry Cream (recipe below)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 with racks in upper and lower positions.  Rub nuts in a towel to remove skins.  Coarsley chop nuts and transfer to a fine mesh sieve.  Gently shake over a paper towel and reserve powder for garnish. 

Draw 3 8-inch circles on two pieces of parchment paper.  Place marked sides down on two large baking sheets.  Set aside.

Stir the nuts and confectioners’ sugar together in a small bowl.

In a heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water, combine granulated sugar, egg whites, salt and cream of tartar.  Whisk until sugar has dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, about 3 minutes.  Remove bowl from heat.

With an electric mixer on medium, whisk until soft peaks form.  Increase speed to high and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. 

Gently fold in pistachio mixture.  With an offset spatula, spread 1/3 of mixture onto each parchment circle.

Bake for 1 hour, rotating sheets halfway through. 

Lower temperature to 175.  Bake for 45 minutes, rotate sheets and continue baking for another 45 to 75 minutes, or until meringues are dry and crisp and can be easily lifted from the parchment paper but are still white. 

Turn oven off and let meringues cool in oven for 45 minutes before removing.  Let cool completely on sheets. 

*The meringues can be made 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Puree 2/3 cup raspberries in a food processor.  Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.  Discard seeds.  Puree can be refrigerated up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container.

With an electric mixer, beat pastry cream until smooth. 

Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with clean mixer to soft peaks.  Gently fold into pastry cream.

Reserve several berries for garnish.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Put one meringue on sheet.  Spread half of pastry cream mixture on top.  Spoon 4-5 tablespoons of raspberry puree onto cream.  Swirl with a knife.  Top with another meringue.  Spread remaining cream on top, leaving a 1.5 inch border. 

Spoon remaining puree in a spiral over pastry cream and swirl with knife.  Top with last meringue.  Gently press to spread filling almost to the edges.  Freeze until filling is solid but not completely frozen, 2-3 hours.

With an electric mixer, beat remaining 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Top dacquoise with whipped cream, garnish with reserved berries and pistachio powder, if desired.  Cut with a serrated knife to serve, wiping between slices.

Pastry Cream

1/2 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups milk

Directions

Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, the yolks and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk in cornstarch 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Bring milk and remaining sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk a little milk mixture into the yolk mixture.  Whisking continuously, gradually add remaining milk mixture.  Pour mixture into saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.

Cook, whisking until very thick, 2-3 minutes.  Pass through a fine-mesh sieve, discard solids.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto surface to keep a skin from forming.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Odds and Ends November 15, 2009

Knife cuts are one of the most critical concepts to grasp for culinary students.  All of the chefs that have taught me have advocated buying a bag of potatoes and onions to practice cutting.

However, that leaves me with lots and lots of onions and potatoes. 

Having a husband who is training for the SEALs means having a human garbage disposal.  It’s really tough keeping him fed.  He ate everything in the house and we were up the creek without a paddle for breakfast this morning, so I turned to my horde of onions and potatoes.

I also had half of a butternut squash that was going to go bad if I left it sitting too much longer.  I decided to toss all of it together for a roasted home-fry-esque meal. 

This was really easy and a great way to just use things that would otherwise just sit there.  I can’t wait for my husband to get home with the eggs that he promised he’d go buy so that we can finally eat! 

I’ve been nibbling on it and I’m quite pleased with my little experiment.  This made a ton, so it would be really good if you’re having people over for brunch.

Butternut Squash and Yukon Gold Potato Home Fries

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

1/2 white onion, diced

1 bunch chives, finely chopped

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, mix all ingredients.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, tossing halfway to ensure even baking.

Quick Dinner November 9, 2009

Things have been pretty busy here lately.  I’ve had four exams in the past two weeks and my husband has been traveling a lot for work. 

This weekend was our first opportunity to breathe.  We had some friends over on Friday and didn’t even leave the apartment on Saturday.  I felt like I needed to be quasi-productive today, so I made dinner.

I had two sources of inspiration.  For our wedding tasting, one of the salads served was a pear and gorgonzola on baby spinach with an apple butter vinaigrette.  I’m a sucker for a good pear, so this was right up my alley.  I’ve been experimenting with the vinaigrette for a while now and feel like I have it.

The other source of inspiration was a recipe that we’ve been using in class.  It’s as simple as simple gets, but packs a lot of flavor.  This was my interpretation of it. 

The toughest part was breaking down the entire chicken.  I bought it that way versus just the pieces because I was trying to save a little money in doing it myself.  If you go that route, here is a how-to and a few tips:

1. Lay the chicken breast side up and with the bottom facing you.  Cut out the backbone first, making sure not to cut into the breast meat.  Your cut should be no wider than the chicken’s tail. 

2.  Spin the chicken around and cut through the wishbone to split the chicken in half.

3.  Cut the piece of fat at the bottom’s opening.

4.  Find the space between the chicken’s breast and the top of its thigh by moving the skin around.  Place your cut there.

5.  Envision a chicken leg.  Place your knife on the downward curve of that imaginary chicken leg.  You should be able to slice through fairly easily since that’s a joint.  If your knife sticks, try moving to the right or the left until you find the joint.

6.   Cut the membrane and skin between the leg and the thigh.

7.  Find the place where the wing joins the breast.  Move your knife slightly inward on the breast and cut.  Again, you should be at a joint, so if you get stuck, try moving around.

8.  Cut the breast in half cross-wise. 

Generally speaking, you should choke up on your knife and make downward jabs with your knife.  You’ll be there all day if you try to saw through it.  Be careful with where you place your fingers and make sure that your knife is sharp.  Save the backbone to make stock.

Give it a shot.  If nothing else, it’s educational.

Pear and Bleu Cheese Salad on Baby Arugula with Apple Butter Vinaigrette

Serves:  2

1/2 ripe pear, sliced thinly on a mandoline

2 cups baby arugula, washed and stems removed

1/2 cup bleu cheese (gorgonzola is best, but Danish isn’t bad, either)

Apple Butter Vinaigrette to taste (recipe below)

Directions

Toss cheese and greens with dressing.  Place pear slices on top.

Apple Butter Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp apple butter

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

Place apple butter in a bowl.  Add oil, stirring to incorporate.  Continue to stir while adding vinegar. 

Baked Chicken with Herbs

1 whole chicken, broken into 10 pieces

2 Tbsp rosemary, chopped

2 Tbsp thyme, chopped

2 Tbsp sage, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bowl, mix oil, herbs and garlic.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place chicken on baking sheet and place in oven for 35 minutes. 

Rotate halfway through baking time.  When the timer has 10 minutes left, increase the heat to 400.  When the timer has 3 minutes left, increase the temperature to 500.  Chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 for 15 seconds.

*Be careful during the final temperature shift because parchment paper might not tolerate it.  Increasing the heat gets more color on the chicken, but if your chicken has a good deal of color, there’s no need to increase the temp. 

Good Chefs Don’t Burn, They Caramelize October 31, 2009

I cannot believe how quickly culinary school is flying by.  I’m now in my second cooking class.  The first one was a “blink and you’ll miss it” type deal.  It was Nutrition and I initially felt like a fish out of water.

It’s really difficult to cook in that type of environment, not because of the material, really, but because you’re in a class with 22 other people and you’re all vying for the same 8 burners and 3 stoves.  

For our final exam in Nutrition, we all had to prepare a protein, vegetable, starch and sauce.  The protein choices were pork tenderloin, chicken or salmon.  I picked the pork tenderloin because I felt it was too easy to screw up salmon and chicken, given the above-stated reasons.  However, I had never cooked a pork tenderloin, so I was definitely nervous about my choice. 

I only had a day to plan.  At first, I thought that I would do a sweet pork with apples, raisins and cinnamon.  I was able to find the raisins and cinnamon, but the apples were elusive and Chef said that we weren’t getting any in the next day.  So…plan B.

I went on a hunt for a recipe that was more savory than sweet and that had a minimum of ingredients.  Everyone else had already claimed just about everything in our fridge, and there were no guaranties that they’d be willing to share.  I was able to find one on epicurious.com that fit my criteria.  It had a handful of ingredients and included a recipe for a sauce.

On exam day, I started to gather my mise en place and then came to the realization that there was no rosemary.  The only herb that would have worked in its place was sage, so I made the swap.  Everything was great up until I made my sauce.  We also had to display knife cuts.  It had been taking everyone about 30 seconds to show Chef their cuts, so I didn’t think that I would be any exception.  But when it came to be my turn, another chef walked in and they proceeded to carry on a 5 minute conversation.  I couldn’t really just turn around and leave since it was right up on the deadline, so I stood there, fidgeting and hoping that she would hurry.  While I was waiting on Chef to get to me, I heard a guy in my class say, “Uh oh.”  I looked over towards the stove and saw that my pan was black. 

There wasn’t time to make another batch, so I had to roll with it. 

However, I will say that this pork tenderloin kicks some serious tail.  Chef said that it was perfectly cooked and juicy.  The trick is having a meat thermometer.  Pork needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145, so if it’s at the right temp but still a little pink, don’t worry.  That’s normal and it won’t kill you.  Make sure that you get prosciutto that’s long since you have to wrap it.  I think I wound up using about 8 slices.  Also, unless you like super salty food, I’d forego any extra sodium.  The prosciutto has plenty, so I didn’t add any.  I’ve now made this with both rosemary and sage, and both are great.  Pick whichever works for you. 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2003, Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin)

1 1lb. pork tenderloin

2 tbsp fresh rosemary or sage, chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 cup panko

4-count extra virgin olive oil

Freshly cracked black pepper

8-12 slices of prosciutto

For the sauce

10 0z. baby bella mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl, mix oil, herbs, panko and pepper.  Spoon on top of tenderloin.  Wrap tenderloin tightly with prosciutto, overlapping slightly.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap.  Pan sear wrapped tenderloin in a saute pan until brown on all sides, reserve pan and left-over sediment.  Place tenderloin on a baking sheet and roast until internal temperature of the pork is 145, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, make pan sauce.  Saute mushrooms and garlic in reserved pan until mushrooms are browned.   Add broth and wine and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half.  Spoon over tenderloin prior to serving.

*Note:  My mushrooms were rotten, so the picture above is just the tenderloin.

Fall Cupcakes! October 30, 2009

Cupcakes make me happy.  I think that’s true for most people.  My husband bought me Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes a few months ago, and I had yet to make anything.  There are lots of great ideas in there, but I just hadn’t had time.

This afternoon, I decided to go for it.  I picked the Pumpkin-Brown Butter Cupcakes since they screamed “Fall”. 

These are wonderful!  They’re moist and soft and have a lot of flavor.  These would be great for a brunch or breakfast.  They’re not super sweet, which suited me just fine.

Pumpkin-Brown Butter Cupcakes

3/4 cup (1 1/2) sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins

1 2/3 all-purpose flour, plus more for muffin tins

1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, cut into chiffonade (optional)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large brown eggs

Brown-Butter Icing (recipe below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.  Coat regular-sized muffin tins with butter and flour.  Tap off excess.  Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  If using sage, add and continue to cook, swirling occasionally until butter turns golden-brown.  Skim off foam and remove from heat.  Pour into a bowl to cool, leaving any burned sediment in saucepan. 

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and spices.  In a separate bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs and brown-butter from saucepan.  Add liquid to flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full.  Bake, rotating halfway through, until a fork inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack before removing cupcakes. 

*Up to this point, cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.

Dip top of each cupcake in icing, then turn over quickly and let set.  These are best the day they’re glazed.  Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

 

Brown-Butter Icing

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

Directions

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Swirl pan occasionally until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour into bowl, making sure to leave burned sediment behind.

Add sugar, vanilla and milk to butter.  Stir until smooth.  If necessary, add more milk 2 tablespoons at a time, until icing is spreadable.  Use immediately.

My photo is a little out of focus because of this guy…

Creme Fraiche makes anything better October 26, 2009

I’ve never been a huge fan of mashed potatoes.  Once I progressed past the age of 6 and it was no longer quite as fun to turn them orange by adding ketchup, I lost interest in them.  If they’re served, I’ll have a bite or two, but I never fall all over myself for them.

However, my husband loves them.  I don’t get it, but whatever. 

In my search to find some cold-weather recipes, I ran across this one.  I started thinking about why I don’t adore mashed potatoes and I realized that it’s because of how bland they usually are.  These, however, have loads of flavor.  The creme fraiche gives the potatoes a nice tang and the chives add loads of flavor, as well.  I didn’t have the whole milk when I made this, so I substituted heavy cream.   The flavor was rich and very filling, but it sure beats bland old potatoes.

These are easy enough for weeknights.

Creme Fraiche and Chive Mashed Potatoes (adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2009)

3 quarts water

2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt plus additional for seasoning

2 pounds Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch wedges

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup crème fraîche

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Pepper to taste

Directions

Bring 3 quarts water to boil in heavy medium pot. Add 2 tablespoons coarse salt; add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 18 minutes. Drain.  Press potatoes through ricer into large bowl or mash with fork.  Cover bowl with clean towel to keep warm.

Heat cream, crème fraîche, and butter in saucepan over medium heat, until bubbles begin to form at edge.   Stir until butter melts.  Gradually mix hot cream mixture into potatoes.  Fold in chives.  Season with coarse salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Reheat in microwave-safe bowl.

It’s official October 25, 2009

I will never be asked to write for a health-related entity.  Well, unless the article is about how to kill yourself with food.  Then, I might be consulted.

I say that because of my love and close relationship with butter.  The real deal.  The higher the butterfat content, the better.  None of that healthy-ish Smart Balance and definitely none of the butter-flavored wax that Land O Lakes tries to pass off as butter.  No.  Give me the thick, creamy, artery-clogging goodness, please.  Preferably with a side of bacon and/or chocolate, I’m not picky.

It’s a good thing that my husband exercises as much as he does and that, miracle of miracles, I’m naturally thin, because when I saw these, I knew it was a match made in buttery heaven.  I realize that being thin has nothing to do with the condition of my arteries, but, for now, I’m cool with that.  I eat like the French and they seem to be hanging in there. 

I think that I ate two bites of this and didn’t feel like I needed anything else for another 24 hours.  They’re filling, but oh so good.  Because I don’t want to croak from a heart attack at the tender age of 25, however, I had to promise to only make them every 5 years.  Here’s looking forward to 2014!

Halloween Whoopie Pies (Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, October 2008)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned and leveled)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Orange nonpareils or sanding sugar, for decoration (I used sanding sugar to avoid having to go back out to the store)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.  In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and applesauce, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until smooth (do not overmix).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean, 10 to 14 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating until smooth.

Spread bottom of half the cookies with 1 tablespoon filling each; sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently so filling oozes out slightly. Sprinkle exposed filling with nonpareils. Let rest 15 minutes to set. (To store cookies, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.)

 

*Note:  This recipe dirtied up my kitchen like no other.  Fair warning.

The Cooking Continues October 13, 2009

I’ve been quite busy in the kitchen, lately.  I guess that it was the long weekend. 

Our weather has been on the cooler end of things lately, so I was inspired mostly by soups and stews.  The onion soup was wonderful and had the apartment smelling great up until I cooked this one.  I think this one took the cake. 

I had my doubts, initially.  The fennel had such a strong scent that I was afraid of it overpowering the rest of the broth.  I still couldn’t get mussels and I substituted cod for halibut.  When I tasted it after adding the creme fraiche, though, I was quite pleased as to how it all came together.  This is the original recipe.

If you make this, I recommend doing your cutting ahead of time.  For a stew, this doesn’t take that long to cook, so having your mise en place squared away helps tremendously.  Also, have some good bread on hand.  You will want something to dip in this broth.  Enjoy!

Seafood Stew with Fennel and Thyme (Bon Appetit, October 2003)

1 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded

2 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 cup dry white wine

12 parsley sprigs plus 1/2 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 cups finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)

2 cups diced trimmed fennel bulb

4 8-ounce bottles clam juice

4 large fresh thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 3/4 pounds thick halibut fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

10 ounces sea scallops

1 cup crème fraîche*

2 large egg yolks

Directions

Combine mussels, 1 1/4 cups onions, wine, and 8 parsley sprigs in large pot; bring to boil. Cover and cook until mussels open, shaking pot often, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large bowl to cool (discard any mussels that do not open). Strain cooking liquid into large measuring cup; discard vegetables in strainer. Add enough water to cooking liquid to measure 2 cups total. Remove mussels from shells if desired.

Melt butter in same large pot over medium heat. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups onions, leeks, and fennel and sauté until leeks are soft, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add reserved mussel cooking liquid, 4 parsley sprigs, clam juice, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced by 1/3, about 25 minutes. Add halibut and scallops to broth and simmer until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer halibut and scallops to bowl. Discard parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.

Whisk crème fraîche and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in 1/2 cup hot cooking liquid from pot. Gradually stir yolk mixture into stew. Cook over medium heat until liquid thickens slightly, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes (do not allow mixture to boil). Return halibut, scallops, and mussels to pan. Cook until halibut is heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in warmed shallow bowls.