combustication

Gather some friends for a weekend at a farmhouse and you get good times, fire, lots of booze and tons of food. A big star was this chocolate cake/brownie concoction that we had for dessert on Saturday night with some vanilla icecream. Have you ever had whipping cream not whip? We went through two containers of heavy whipping cream that was just not feeling it. I think the chocolate saved the dessert, but the (non)whipping cream was just baffling. The recipe for the cake below is from Saveur and I didn’t change a thing. OK, I didn’t have super high quality chocolate or butter, but the thing was still amazing. When searching for “brownie” on Saveur a recipe popped up with this description: “bearing a strong resemblance to a rich, dense, gooey brownie, this dessert takes the cake.” SOLD! A very unfussy and delicious recipe, I highly recommend it as an elegant alternative to brownies.

Fire! Fire! Fire!

Make Yr Own Bloody Mary

The farmhouse was also filled with ladybugs - lucky, right?

Marie José’s Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
14 1/2 tbsp. European-style high-butterfat butter (I used regular salted butter)
3 tbsp. flour
7 oz. quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small
pieces (I used bittersweet baker’s chocolate squares)
3/4 cup sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature, separated

To Do

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″ glass pie dish with 1/2 tbsp. of the butter, dust with 1 tbsp. of the flour, tapping out excess, and set aside. Cut remaining butter into small pieces. Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove bowl from heat and stir in sugar, then the remaining flour, then the egg yolks, stirring until well combined. Set aside to let cool briefly.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 2–3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites at a time into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pie pan.

Bake cake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with some moist crumbs still attached (cake will rise and top will crack as it bakes, then collapse on itself as it cools), 30 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack to let cool briefly. Serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream, if you like. [Ice cream is essential!]

Not sure if you’ve heard the news that U.S. has had a severe bee shortage this year, but it has. There is a study that argues that the villan could be…cellphones! Yes, radiation from cellphones could cause a bee’s navigation system to get messed up. I’m not a fan of bee stings, but I love me some honey and bees play a crucial role in the pollination of crops. Check out this very interesting article for more info.

There is also a neat article about a city girl attempting to practice “bushcraft.” As one who sometimes likes to watch that Survivor Man show when I’m at home, this article hits home - although it has a very Bridget Jones-like tone that’s a bit weird.

One particular creepy, 28 Days Later quote from the article sticks out: “The way we’re going we may all end up needing these skills. It would only take something like London’s water to be contaminated to end civilization as we know it.”

The Park Slope Food Coop gets a bad rap. Some friends make fun of me for being a member of what they think is a “commie” institution. To make it clear for those who do not know about the Coop, you have to work there to shop there – no exceptions (actually, there are some, I think if you’re pregnant you can take a work leave).

I think working for 2 ¾ hours a month is a fair price to pay for cheap organic fruits and vegetables, fresh bread from Amy’s Bread and Terrace Bagels, a bulk section with all the grains, flour, dried beans and granola you want and amazing cheeses. There is more, of course, but those are the main reasons why I like shopping at the Coop. Also, there is the interaction factor of knowing that everyone there has gone through the same crappy/awesome shifts as you in order to shop there and you can freely suggesting getting one brand of something rather than the other without looking like a weirdo. It is sport to make fun of the hippies of the Coop without actually being a member. Or people who have been members complain that the shifts are too long and burdesome, but you know what you’re getting into when you join. Stop hating on good food and a neighborhood institution!

I was thinking about these things as I walked through the new Whole Foods on the Bowery. The antithesis to the Coop in every way (I think the Coop could fit in the prepared food section the WF has), Whole Foods is big, shiny, new and expensive! I know grocery stores in NYC are expensive. I’ve been to Whole Foods before and Fairway, the (nasty) Gristedes, Key Foods, C Town, D’Agostino’s, etc., but for some reason after shopping at the Coop for nearly three years I am particular about my prices. Take lemons for example. Phil and I bought 4 organic lemons at Whole Foods and they came out to be $2.76. 4 organic lemons at the Coop will run you $1.04 (.26 a piece). That’s a lot of money! Think about how many more lemons you can get for lemonade or mixed drinks!

Another example is honey. A small honey bear at Whole Foods cost $6.99. I don’t even know how much a honey bear would be at the Coop, but I do know that a big jar costs about $4.00 (I’ll get back on this, I’m going food shopping tonight). While a part of me really loved the variety and shininess of the new Whole Foods, I couldn’t help thinking about how it was nice to know exactly where everything was at the Coop and, of course, how much money I save. For someone who loves to cook and bake, the Coop is great and I actually like working my shifts. As a checkout person, I get to see what people are buying and most are eager to talk about what they’re making for dinner. I know I like it when someone asks me what I plan on doing with my fennel, but if I’m not in the mood for chatting, that’s fine too. It’s a far cry from the lackadaisical bleary-eyed stare from a typical checkout person.

The Coop also provides good food options for people with low incomes – they accept EBT. I think that is one of the most important reasons to support ventures like the Coop and not make fun of it as being an elitist Park Slope thing. All kinds of people shop and work at the Coop. You think a mom buying food with EBT stamps can afford organic lemons that cost $2.76 from Whole Foods? Or any other fruit or vegetable for that matter? I know the prices at Whole Foods versus other places are high, but I also know that getting some tomatoes or celery (why is it so expensive?) at Key Foods is extremely pricey for a chain supermarket. This goes back to very good points made by both Marion Nestle and Michael Pollan (great recent NYT’s article) that most of the cheap, calorie filling food in the supermarkets are candy, soda, chips, not the fruits and vegetables that people need. Call me crazy, but I think supporting a place that allows people to shop for healthy, hell, necessary foods, at a low price is a good idea. Check out this blog about a guy who spent a $1 a day on food and see how hard it is to eat anything vegetable-like. Granted, that is an extreme case, but some people have to live like that or close to it in this country.

I know this is rambling, but I have no photos or recipes to post and looking at the lemons on this receipt pisses me off a bit. As does the chiding I get for belonging to a members-only coop. Eat up.

More food pics from family Easter time (remember, I broke my camera, so pictures are at a premium)! This one is of a canolli cookie - a new favorite dessert. I got the recipe from Food & Wine and followed it to the letter when I made it for some friends a couple of months ago. This time, I didn’t have some of the ingredients for the cream and winged it, but they were still great. Making the round tubes of cookie can be annoying without a dowel, but I managed with a wine bottle and a wax-paper lined candlestick. I should just get a dowel already. You could also just make a sandwich with the cookies and cream. The results are still delicious. The vanilla and citrus of the cookie play off each other and the cookie is a delicate counterpart to the rich mascarpone cream filling. You could go crazy with add-ins to the cream. It might be fun to put some cocoa in the cookie dough and make a minty cream filling…project for the future!

I’m putting the recipe from Food & Wine pretty much straight. Note: The recipe is by Gina DePalma who is the pastry chef for Babbo.

My sister is very excited.

Cannoli Cookies with Coffee Cream (with Combustication modifications)

Ingredients

For the cookies:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the cream:
1 cup mascarpone
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure coffee extract (I used a tablespoon of extra strength coffee I brewed up)

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

To Do
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Trace three 4-inch circles (as dark as you can) on each with a pencil; turn the parchment over.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with 1/3 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Add the egg whites and beat until blended. Add the flour, orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla and the salt and beat until smooth.

Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread 1 tablespoon of the batter into each circle (try to make them pretty thin) Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, for 8 to 9 minutes, or until lightly golden and browned around the edges (keep an eye on them and don’t let them get too brown). Immediately roll each cookie around a 1-inch-wide tube or dowel (or other tube-like thing - neck of a wine bottle works) and let cool until crisp. Carefully remove the cannoli from the tubes and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat twice with the remaining batter to make 18 cookies.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone at medium speed with the cream, the coffee extract and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until firm peaks form.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) with the coffee cream. Carefully pipe the mascarpone cream into both ends of the cookies, finishing with a small rosette at each end. Transfer the cannoli to a platter, dust them with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (you can also make the cookie tubes and store them before filling them with the cream). Yum!

Sadly, this post is not about milkshakes, but I really like ‘em. This post is about the rock-n-roll and a show that is going on tomorrow night in a loft somewhere in Brooklyn that is close to the L train. I will be dancing, rapping and causing a spanking ruckus with the members of Dracula Zombie USA EastCoastAnnex and then trying to get my hands on some Bling Kong members. It is going to be an EVENT!

Perfect for celebrating spring, this asparagus risotto is very simple and delicious. Try telling that to my little sister. This past Easter she wanted to help me and my brother cook up a meal for our folks, which turned into a dinner party for 8, and I had her stirring that thing for an hour. Tough love kids, tough love.

The risotto was gobbled up and enjoyed by everyone and Amanda gets many props for suffering over that hot stove to make one of the creamiest risottos I have ever tasted. Also, thanks to “Charla” who helped out with some stirring action.

According to the recipe that I got it from, the risotto is actually supposed to made with pearl barley (which cuts down on cooking time), but since it was Passover, I decided to use arborio rice so that Phil could eat it. I also changed the stock part, but am excited to try the original recipe sometime.

Risotto with Asparagus and Hazelnuts

Ingredients

2 pounds medium asparagus, trimmed
10 cups water
4 bouillon cubes or 2 tablespoons of “Better than Bouillon”
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup) plus additional for serving
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

To Do

Trim about an inch off the ends of the asparagus. Cut top third of each asparagus stalk into 1/2 inch rounds, reserving tips and slices together. Coarsely chop the remainder for stock making. Bring the water to boil and add 1/2 teaspoon in a pot, then add the roughly chopped asparagus and cook, uncovered, until very tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a food processor and process with the garlic cloves and lemon zest. Set aside for later.

Add reserved asparagus tips and slices to boiling water and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to a sieve and rinse asparagus under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and save for later. Add the bouillon to the asparagus water and keep at a simmer next to a big pot that will house the risotto.

Sauté the onions in the olive oil until softened in the big risotto pot, 5 to 7 minutes and add a bit of the pepper. Add the arborio rice and stir until the grains are covered with the oil and onions. Add wine and boil, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute.

Now the fun part (I am sorry Amanda). Turn the heat down to a medium simmer on the risotto pot and add about a cup of the stock you just made and stir until the rice has absorbed all the water. Repeat until all of the stock has been used up. It could take a while. You don’t really have to stand over the pot stirring like a lunatic, but it will create strong arm muscles and a very creamy risotto.

Once all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, stir in asparagus purée, asparagus-tip mixture, and enough additional water to thin to desired consistency and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Stir in cheese, then season with salt and pepper. Plate and sprinkle with hazelnuts and serve parmesan on the side. Eat up!

Easter Bread is a big deal in my house. After losing my grandmother’s recipe, my mom has been unable to replicate the perfect loaves that we would gobble up at all hours of the day. The sweet bread is almost like a Challah, but not as fluffy. It’s a heartier bread that is dense and thick and perfect with a piece of cheese. I started making it last year and was told by my family that the bread was damn near perfect. I gave the recipe to my mom and she made some this year, but it didn’t rise well and she was frustrated. Together we made a new batch that was amazing. You can make your own too! It’s not just for Easter. The bread goes well with something a little salty because it’s a bit sweet, but can also be used as a good base for french toast or a bread pudding. The traditional way to shape the bread is by rolling it by hand into a rough circle and then folding it only about 3/4 of the way up. I think the picture gives a better idea of how to do it properly.

Christina’s No Fail Portuguese Easter Bread

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1/4 cup water, warm (115F, use thermometer!!)
1 cup sugar, take out a tablespoon and put it aside
1/2 cup peeled, boiled and mashed up potatoes (any type of starchy kind)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup milk, warm (110F)
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs (at room temp)
1/4 cup butter (at room temp)
4-6 cups all purpose flour (varies)

To Do

Note: This bread really requires a mixer. You can do it with very strong arms, but the dough gets pretty tough. I mean, my grandma can do it with her bare hands, but she’s a superlady.

In the bowl of a stand mixer place warm water, yeast (I forgot to mention this important point), 1 tablespoon of sugar and the mashed potatoes. Let stand for 5-7 minutes, until bubbly. Add remaining sugar, lemon juice, milk, salt, and eggs (mix one at a time!) and 2 cups of flour, mixing very thoroughly with the paddle attachment of the mixer. Once all mixed up, switch to dough hook and add 1 3/4 cups more flour and butter, cut into small pieces. Mix on low speed until smooth, then add remaining flour a few tablespoons at a time until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook. This could mean almost 6 cups total of flour or 4. I don’t know why (probably humidity and other mysterious things), but I usually make it with 5 and at my mom’s place we only needed 4. It helps also to touch the dough while in the mixer - if it clings to the dough hook and is springy when you touch it, proceed to the next step.

Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 3-5 more minutes to ensure smoothness- you want a nice, elastic dough. Place dough in a large bowl that has been oiled (tablespoon of olive oil should do it) and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, 2-3 hours in a warm place.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes and divide dough in half. The dough can be shaped into two loaves as desired or shaped into rectangles and placed in two greased loaf pans. Place free form loaves on a parchment-lined (important to use parchment paper) baking sheet. Cover dough with a clean dish towel and let rise for 45 minutes. While waiting, preheat the oven to 350F.

Brush dough with a mixture of one egg and 2 tablespoons of water for a glossy glaze, if desired. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden. Loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Makes 2 large loaves.

I am a big fan of City Bakery’s pretzel croissants and love their cookies too. A couple of months ago, my sister was in town and we visited City Bakery Owner, Maury Rubin’s, “green” bakery called Birdbath. The walls or counter was made up of corrugated cardboard and everything in the shop was pretty much re-used or recycled. The cookies were huge, delicious, organic and simply displayed on brown paper. Loved it, but haven’t been there since. New York Mag’s got a snapshot of a new outpost in Chelsea with info on the super-green business.

What a food-filled weekend! I think I’m still stuffed. There were so many things made and consumed. Me and my brother and sister (Rui and Amanda) made a special meal for our parents, Phil and his dad and Danielle (sis’s friend) on Saturday night before Easter. Let’s just say the creamy asparagus risotto, bruschetta, cannoli cookies with mocha crème and almond biscotti were a big hit. Hopefully, pics to come soon. I broke my camera during a wedding last weekend and had to rely on the help of others to document the food. That means no food porn for a while or at least until I get a new camera.

Easter was a feast of Portuguese Easter Bread, baby roasted potatoes, sautéed garlic shrimp, chicken marsala, filet mignon, asparagus with garlic and a delicious zucchini au gratin. Among me and my cousins we had 5 birthdays to celebrate, so there were three birthday cakes. What a weekend!

The recipe called for “matzo cake flour.” Easy, I thought, tis the season for that sort of things and I remembered selling it to someone at the Food Coop during my last shift. Alas, I had no clue where to get the stuff. The Coop didn’t have it. Key Foods didn’t have it. Pathmark didn’t have it. Neither did the Key Foods in my neighborhood (no matzo at all). So I did what any adventurous baker would do and tried to look up a substitute that was kosher for Passover. The result: grind up regular matzo meal into a fine powder in a food processor. The recipe came off without a hitch and the little lemon cakes were fluffy and light – a perfect ending to a huge meal. A big thanks to Mike and Jeffrey for hosting and making some amazing matzo ball soup, charoset and brisket (which I did not partake it, but since there was none left, I assume it was great) and to Phil for the veggie options of Jeweled Rice and Philkugel. The following recipe is from Epicurious. I altered it to use a 12 cup muffin tin instead of the original 8 portions it called for.

Lemon Cakes With Basil Lemon Syrup

Ingredients

For cakes
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, melted
1 cup + 2 tablespoons matzo cake flour (or finely ground matzo meal) plus additional for dusting
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4.5 large egg yolks
4.5 large egg whites (yes, I know, 4.5?! it’s tricky, just do your best in judging)
The separated eggs should be at room temperature for 30 minutes
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

For syrup
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (4- by 1-inch) strip fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
16 large fresh basil sprigs (the original recipe called for 8, I thought it wasn’t “basil-y” enough)

For whipped cream
1 cup chilled heavy cream, sugar to your liking, 1 tsp vanilla
Garnish: small fresh basil leaves

To Do

Syrup
Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil, covered, in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove lid and boil 10 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool to room temperature. It can also be used as a glaze for veggies or even on some savory crepes. Makes a lot of syrup.

Cakes
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 12 muffin cups with some of melted butter and chill 2 minutes, then butter again and chill 1 minute more. Dust cups with matzo cake flour, knocking out excess.

Beat together softened butter, 1cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with a mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until well blended. Beat in lemon juice and 2 teaspoons zest until combined. Add flour and mix at low speed until just combined. Place in a large bowl.

Clean up the mixer bowl and beater(s) and beat whites with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until they hold soft peaks. Add 3 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, beating, then beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of whites into dough mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Spoon batter into 12 prepared muffin cups.
Blend remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and zest with your fingertips and sprinkle over batter, then bake until cakes are puffed, edges are golden, and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 25-32 minutes. Cool cakes in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then lift out cakes carefully. I kept them in the oven on a warm setting because I thought they would be better warmed up with the syrup.

Cream
Make whipped cream by beating the chilled cream in a chilled mixer bowl with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Assembly
Place a lemon cake on a plate and place some whipped cream on the side. Drizzle with the syrup and garnish with basil leaves. Enjoy!