THE LITTLE APPLE

Posted in General by sallybr

ONLY ONE WEEK TO MOVING DAY!

Some women might wonder if a college town in the middle of Kansas will have fancy shoe stores, trendy clothing or jewelry. I am a lot more concerned with fresh produce, seafood, and unique flours. After our recent visit to “the other Manhattan”, something tells me we’ll be just fine! After all, as my friend Adele so cleverly stated:

“Happiness is a well stocked grocery store” 😉

Whole crabs, stone crab claws…. CHECK!

Steelhead trout, Alaskan cod? CHECK!

Ultra-marbled rib eye steaks? Premium beef? CHECK!

Veal for ossobuco? CHECK!

Beef bones for stock? CHECK!

Cheeses? CHECK!

We’ll be able to make our own peanut or almond butter…

Tomatoes of all shapes and colors are waiting for us…

Special flours and grains sold in bulk, I can buy just what I need for that very special loaf of bread!

A market with every kind of Oriental noodles known to mankind!

Olives in bulk, including some type of green olives I’d never seen before…

Red Velvet apricots… not sure how good they are, but I love the name and their beautiful color…

Passion fruit, guava, and other exotic fruits. Not politically correct if you are into the local food movement, but… a food blogger’s dream!

Is there a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow? I think so! 😉

Dandelion greens? Not sure what to do with you yet, but…it’s so nice to meet you! 😉

And the icing on the cake: our future home is just 15 minutes away from this spectacular view, right at the outskirts of the Konza Prairie!
We are ready for this adventure!

ONE YEAR AGO: Majestic Sedona

TWO YEARS AGO: Watermelon-Induced Daze (we miss you, Pits…)

9Jun2012

BORDER GRILL MARGARITAS

Posted in Drinks by sallybr

Remember the Two Hot Tamales? I was a huge fan of Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken‘s show back in the good old days of FoodTV Network. When we lived in Los Angeles, I made a point to go to one of their restaurants in town, the “Border Grill”. We chose a perfect day, Cinco de Mayo! The place was packed, but the service was nonetheless outstanding. We had their spicy margaritas with our dinner: a touch of jalapenos swimming in enough booze to make us happily oblivious to the heat. It took me over a year to finally make those drinks at home, but it won’t be long until we make them again. A fitting drink for a summer evening!

CUCUMBER JALAPENO MARGARITA
(adapted from Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken)
Makes: 2 drinks

12 slices peeled cucumber
4 to 6 slices jalapeño (we used Serrano peppers)
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
1 heaping teaspoon superfine sugar
crushed ice
3 ounces silver tequila (we used Herradura)
1 + 1/2 ounce orange liqueur
2 cucumber slice, for garnish

Combine the cucumber, serrano pepper, lime juice, and superfine sugar in a small blender (or a cup suitable to use with an immersion blender). Blend everything together until smooth.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add tequila and orange liqueur, then add the cucumber mixture. Shake gently to combine, pour into a couple of margarita glasses, and garnish each with a cucumber slice. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Our main modification of the recipe was to process the cucumber using an immersion blender. I tried my best to mash the cucumber as they do in the restaurant (according to the recipe in the link), but we were getting nowhere. Cucumber was flying, pepper was flying after it, not exactly the atmosphere we were hoping for our Friday evening. If you have the skill of a seasoned bartender, grab the mortar and pestle. Moi? I was a lot happier with this setting:

But, no matter how you get around to it, make this drink! And play with the amount of pepper. Next time, we’ll be up for a little more heat, just because… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Goodbye L.A.

TWO YEARS AGO: Vermont Sourdough

5Jun2012

IN MY KITCHEN, JUNE 2012

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Following Celia’s tradition at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, I share with you what’s been going on in our kitchen these busy days. It seems like yesterday, but in fact I published my first “In My Kitchen” almost one year ago! Now, 11 months and 5 posts later, a bittersweet moment: this will be the last one to come from our Okie home. A new bewitching kitchen is waiting for us in the “Little Apple“, and I cannot wait to share it with you in the near future!

In my kitchen…
KIND, our favorite cereal bar! We tried it for the first time while living in Los Angeles, and were thrilled to find its many flavors, all delicious, in a special store here in town. They are moist and satisfying, with a perfect combination of flavors. My favorite is the mango-macadamia, super tasty!

In my kitchen…We always have some type of dark chocolate hanging around. Phil loves to nibble on a little piece with his coffee, and his passion for chocolate is highly contagious: I find myself more and more dependent of a small piece before going to bed. This brand, Chocolove, is a new favorite, with a very smooth finish. To make it even better, it is a fair-trade product.

In my kitchen…
A bottle of sorghum molasses. For a few months now, it seems to me that every cooking magazine I open has one or two recipes using sorghum. I finally found it and brought it home. Hopefully, when my life gets a little less frantic, I’ll be able to try one of the recipes in my “sorghum folder”. 😉 If you want to know more about it, click here.

In my kitchen…
A new way to shape a loaf of bread, following a braided method from “How to Make Bread”, from Emmanuel Hadjiandreou. This particular recipe is his multigrain bread, substantial but not too heavy.

In my kitchen… So many gifts!
Two Korean wooden dolls, given to us by a former undergraduate student, they live near our kitchen, and love to watch us cooking. They get along quite well with their Brazilian clay friends, a gift from our friend (and amazing cook) Anita.

In my kitchen….
A very special gift from our graduate student Vy, who was recently in New York and brought back a bag of chocolate disks from Jacques Torres.
Here is what they look like. These babies make fantatic chocolate chip cookies, I promise to post the recipe in the near future. It will be worth the wait… 😉

In my kitchen….

Have you ever seen this amount of saffron? And I mean, great, authentic saffron! Talk about a special gift! I am lucky enough to have a friend who travels to Saudi Arabia once a year, and he surprised me with this incredible load of saffron. When the box arrived, I could smell the saffron through the box and the double wrapping of paper! And, if that wasn’t special enough, he also included in the package a bag of…
Ras El Hanout! One of the few spices I didn’t have in my cabinet! Am I lucky or what? No doubt in my mind I have the most amazing friends!

and finally, in my kitchen….
A very well-behaved dog, who never begs for food, but makes sure his eyes are as sad as he can possibly make them while Phil and I are enjoying a nice dinner… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Goodbye L.A. (one full year,and a new goodbye on our horizon!)

TWO YEARS AGO: 7-6-5 Pork Tenderloin

1Jun2012

BAKED COCONUT & “THE BRAZILIAN KITCHEN”

Posted in Cookbook Reviews, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

Or, you can call it as Brazilians do: Cocada de Forno

I am very excited to share this recipe, because it’s a very traditional Brazilian delicacy, one that brought me fond memories. Full disclosure: as a child, I wasn’t too wild about coconut, the texture and the way the shredded pieces got into my teeth distracted from its flavor. Thankfully I grew out of that phase, and now embrace the fruit’s unique flavor and texture with the appreciation it deserves. Cocada is a popular street food, sold in markets and coffee joints as small pieces wrapped in a paper napkin. You can take a look at them here. This version, from the book “The Brazilian Kitchen“, will produce a softer version, to be spooned out of a baking dish, or – if baked a little longer, as I did – a sort of blondie with intense coconut flavor. Absolutely perfect for a spring or summer day, it might very well bring a blast of sunshine to your deepest winter.

COCADA DE FORNO (BAKED COCONUT)
(published with permission from Chef Leticia Schwartz)

8 Tbs butter (1/2 cup), at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup sweetened, condensed milk
1 Tbs rum (optional)
1 + 1/2 cups grated coconut (unsweetened)
2 Tbs all-purpose flour, sifted

Heat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 24-oz baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

Place the butter and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat them together at medium speed until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix. Scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Add the coconut milk, the condensed milk, and the rum (if using), and continue to mix until well blended (about one more minute). Add the coconut and mix until incorporated. Fold the flour with a rubber spatula, and spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. You can make the batter ahead of time, keeping it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Bake in the 350 F oven until the top looks golden brown, the edges are set, but the center is slightly jiggly, about 20 minutes (or if you prefer a firmer consistency, bake until set, 30 to 35 minutes). Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve with a scoop of lemon sorbet for a magical experience…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

About “The Brazilian Kitchen“: As you may remember, I’ve been on a self-induced cookbook-starvation-diet lately. I bought this book as a gift for a dear friend, and had it at my bedside table for a few days. I knew I had to say goodbye to it, but Leticia’s writing and her recipes were so enticing that I decided to photocopy some (many) pages. Well, I didn’t have to: Phil ordered one for me! So, that explains how a person fully resolved not to buy cookbooks still manages to increase her collection… 😉

I could not be happier with my gift! Leticia covers many of my favorite Brazilian recipes, some of which I’ve featured in the blog: moqueca, chicken soup, black beans, pao de queijo, and brigadeiros. Speaking of brigadeiros, she includes three recipes for them: the traditional chocolate, and two tasty departures from the classic, coconut and pistachio brigadeiros. Dreamy delight…

You will also find recipes for many other Brazilian classics: acaraje‘ (bean fritters), xim xim de galinha (chicken, shrimp, peanut and cashew stew), vatapa‘ (fish puree with coconut milk), quindim (coconut custard cake).

But, what I like the most about “The Brazilian Kitchen” is that Leticia goes beyond the classics, and brings very creative dishes to the table, like “caipirinha risotto”, a playful take on the great Italian dish, using the ingredients of Brazil’s signature drink: pinga and lime juice.

Want some more teasers? Red pepper and Brazil nut pesto, sole with coconut ginger sauce, tilapia with acai’ sauce, dulce de leche molten cake, Passion fruit cannoli… many wonderful temptations to cook and enjoy!

If you are curious about Brazilian cooking, this book is a must-have, so help the economy with a click... And, if you want to see Chef Leticia in action (she is also a great teacher!) jump here for a demonstration on making cod fritters.

Leticia, thank you for allowing me to publish your recipe, and I look forward to your next cookbook!

ONE YEAR AGO: Two-Stage Risotto

TWO YEARS AGO: Life is a matter of taste (and I still miss you, David Rosengarten!)

28May2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: ASPARAGUS QUICHE

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Secret Recipe Club, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

The last Monday of each month arrives faster and faster, proving that Einstein got it right with his Theory of Relativity of time and space. How else could we explain that I joined the SRC just a little while ago, blinked my eyes twice, and here I am, on my seventh post?

I had a complete blast with this month’s assignment: The Culinary Enthusiast! A catchy blog name, by the way. Kelley lives in Chicago with her husband and a dog-child called Maddy, who gets to enjoy the many treats she cooks. See similarities between our households? 😉 Kelley has very creative recipes, and it took me a few days of “stalking” before I settled on my choice. Asparagus Quiche. Perfect for the season, perfect to remember Paris, perfect for a romantic weekend dinner.

SPRING ASPARAGUS QUICHE
(adapted from The Culinary Enthusiast)

1 recipe for pie crust (I used this one)
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved and thinly sliced
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 bunch (about 1/2 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced
3 asparagus stalks, trimmed and left whole (optional)
4 slices bacon, cut in large dice
4 large eggs
1 + 1/4 cups half-and-half
Ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)

Prepare the crust of your quiche, using the recipe of your choice. Roll it out to cover your pie plate. Prick the surface with a fork a few times, cover the bottom with aluminum foil, and place dried beans to keep the crust down during pre-baking. Bake in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes, carefully remove the foil, place it back in the oven for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and reserve.

Bring the oven temperature down to 325 F, placing a rack in the lowest position. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate, allow it to cool, and crumble into smaller pieces. Reserve bacon grease in pan and add the leeks, cook for a few minutes, until softened. Add the asparagus pieces, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the asparagus is crisp/tender, maximum 6 minutes. Let the mixture cool down.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Place pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with half of the cheese; add the asparagus/leek mixture, top with crumbled bacon. Pour egg mixture on top, add the remainder of the cheese.

If you want to decorate the quiche with asparagus stalks, cook them slightly in a microwave for a minute, then place carefully on top.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

My main modification of the recipe was to pre-bake the crust, because I’ve had problems with the crust getting too soggy when I omitted that step. I also did not use potatoes in the filling, but I know it would be awesome with them too!

As far as quiche goes, Phil and I had the perfect example at a small, unassuming place in Paris, called “Bistrot du Papa”. Don’t go through the trouble of googleing it, it no longer exists. We were in considerable distress when we attempted to go back on our last visit, only to find an Italian restaurant in its place. Ever since enjoying that masterpiece, I tried to make it at home a couple of times, the traditional quiche Lorraine, but my versions had very little to do with the bistrot’s.

I must say this asparagus quiche was by far the best I’ve made! Will I ever hit “Bistrot du Papa” level? Quite unlikely. They have a different type of cream, a different type of bacon, and then there’s the Parisian aura, hard to duplicate at home. Oh, well… We should have stopped there once a week for the duration of that magical sabbatical year!

We’ll always have Paris…
(great scene from Casablanca, 1942)