SOPHIE GRIGSON’s PARMESAN CAKE

Posted in Appetizers, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

This year’s Super Bow was low-key for us. We’ve been hard at work, so what we wanted on that quiet Sunday was to recharge our batteries and reload for another busy week. Since it was just the two of us, we kept it simple: Phil made his killer guacamole, and I prepared a recipe from my newest acquisition, the mammoth “Essential New York Times Cookbook.” The way it’s going, our pickup truck may not hold all our belongings (cookbooks!) on the trip home. I’ve bought more cooking literature than I can possibly use here, and this one will add considerable weight to our load! 😉

This savory cake resembles corn bread in its looks and texture, smells terrific while baking, and does not disappoint in taste either warm or at room temperature. We had a couple of slices on Sunday, and enjoyed the rest for lunch in the Gonda-McDonald courtyard at UCLA, on the sunny patio outside our building. In the 75 degree sun it was hard to believe that the rest of the country was battling snowstorms…

Is it Summer yet?

SOPHIE GRIGSON’S PARMESAN CAKE
(from The Essential New York Times Cookbook)

1 cup flour
1+1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 oz parmiggiano cheese, finely grated
1/4 cup semolina flour
freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
3/4 cup whole milk

Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and reserve. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add the grated cheese, semolina flour, and black pepper to your taste. Mix well to combine.

Make a well in the center, pour the butter, egg yolks, and milk, and mix until thoroughly combined. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, then fold delicately into the cheese mixture. Spoon everything in the prepared pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the surface feels firm to the touch. Serve warm or cold, cut in wedges.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: One word about the New York Times book: awesome! I have no idea how anyone could gather the energy and commitment to create such a masterpiece, but I’m sure glad that Amanda Hesser did it. I haven’t yet finished browsing its 932 pages, but I already have a long list of things to make.

Hesser suggests serving this cake in small wedges for cocktail parties with a glass of red wine, or with soup or salad for a light meal. A hot bowl of tomato bisque (with a touch of basil, of course) is another great match. My only problem with the recipe was the name: ‘parmesan’ suggests the use of cheap versions of this excellent cheese, with which I strongly disagree. Instead, buy the best parmiggiano reggiano available, because that’s a taste that you’ll remember.

ONE YEAR AGO: Antibiotics and Food (something I’m very concerned about)

28Dec2010

GOUGERES

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Cover of "Around My French Table: More Th...

Cover via Amazon

The classic amuse-bouche from Burgundy, gougeres, is not very complicated, and even better, it can be prepared in advance and frozen. When it’s time to entertain just heat the oven and bake them straight from the freezer. This recipe from Dorie Greenspan‘s masterpiece, “Around my French Table,” brings fond memories of Paris with every page. Her love for French food and culture echoes my own feelings.

GOUGERES
(adapted from Around my French Table)

1/4 cup water (2 oz)
1/4 cup whole milk (2 oz)
1/2 stick butter (4 T / 2 oz)
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup all purpose flour (2.2 oz)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese (3 ounces)

Heat the oven to 425 F.

Place the water, milk, butter, salt and pepper to a boil in a heavy saucepan. When boiling and the butter is fully dissolved, add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon until the whole mass is homogeneous. Keep over medium heat, stirring often, until you notice a light coating forming on the pan as you move the dough around.

Remove from heat, transfer the dough to a bowl and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Have a hand held mixer ready, and add the first egg to the dough, beating well. Once the egg is incorporated, add the second egg and continue beating until a very smooth dough forms. Add the grated cheese and mix well. Drop tablespoons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a silicone mat), and bake for 12 minutes, reducing the oven temperature to 375 F as soon as you place them in. After 12 minutes, switch the tray position in case of uneven browning, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more, until they are well puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

(makes 18 gougeres)

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The original recipe makes a double batch, with 3 eggs. When I halved the recipe, I tried to use two and a half eggs (admittedly, it is tricky), but the consistency of the dough was too soft. Instead, 2 large eggs will be perfect, so that’s how I wrote it down. Since my dough wasn’t dense enough I used a mini-muffin tin and placed 1 tablespoon of dough in each spot. It worked great: the gougeres baked as nice, well formed balls, airy inside and gooey with melted cheese. Pure heaven!

Because I’m cooking in a small kitchen, I made them early in the morning, froze and baked them right before our Christmas dinner. That’s definitely the way I’ll make them in the future.

Around my French Table goes on my list of all-time favorite cookbooks! Not only do the recipes fit our cooking style, but her presentation, with comments and stories about her time in France, makes this book ultra special. If you’re on the fence about buying it, jump over to the sunny side and GET IT right away! You won’t be disappointed.

ONE YEAR AGO: Pumpernickel Bread

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9Dec2010

PEPPERY CASHEW CRUNCH

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Last weekend I made these spicy nuts for a get-together in our nano-house, to watch the Oklahoma x Nebraska college football game. A nail-biter of a game, fortunately with a happy ending for us OU fans. Anxiety is a lot easier to take if you have something to munch on… 😉

The pepper coating gives this nuts an unusual look, but once you grab the first one, you will be going back for more, deliciously addictive they are. You can substitute almonds, walnuts, in fact the original recipe called for whole, blanched almonds, but they did not have them at the store, I went with cashews instead. Extremely simple to prepare, with just the right balance of salty, hot, and sweet. Great recipe!

BLACK PEPPER CASHEWS
(adapted from Bon Appetit, 1997)

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tsp water
2 cups whole cashews
1 Tbs ground black pepper
2 tsp salt

Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and butter the foil to prevent the nuts from sticking. Heat the oven to 350 F.

Melt the butter in a skillet, add the brown sugar and water, mix until the sugar dissolves. Add the cashews, mix them carefully to coat with the butter/sugar, lower the heat and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes, until the coating thickens slightly. Meanwhile, mix the ground pepper and the salt in a small bowl.

Add half of the pepper/salt mixture to the cashews, mix gently. Working quickly, transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, pressing with a spatula to keep them in a single layer. Sprinkle the rest of the black pepper/salt all over, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let it cool over a rack, then break the nuts apart, storing them in an air-proof container (they won’t last very long, they tend to mysteriously disappear).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Folks in the cooking forum Eat.at raved about this recipe, and their enthusiasm was what made me try it. Plus, I tend to like contrasting flavors, so the idea of mixing brown sugar, salt, and pepper immediately perked my interest. I imagine other seasonings could work too: a little hot paprika, ground cumin… definitely worth experimenting.

ONE YEAR AGO: Ossobuco Milanese (one of my favorite dishes!)

3Dec2010

INTO THE LIGHT

Posted in Appetizers by sallybr

Thanksgiving officially marks the beginning of gastronomic over-indulgence. With the end of the year approaching, the celebrations start: departmental parties, lab parties, neighborhood parties, family get-togethers… every one of them loaded with caloric temptations… This Thanksgiving we took a back seat in the kitchen, as we were guests at a fantastic dinner thrown by our dear friends (and neighbors). Our hostess, knowing how much I love to cook, asked if I’d prepare an appetizer for the Thanksgiving party, a question that I answered with the most enthusiastic yes! I opted for something light and refreshing, to provide a counterpoint to the substantial meal ahead, that included a turkey with chestnut dressing that we won’t soon forget!

MEDITERRANEAN SKEWERS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

50 skewers
mozzarella mini-balls (like these)
3 mini-cucumbers
30 grape or cherry tomatoes
30 black Kalamata olives, pitted

for the dressing:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground fennel
salt and pepper to taste

When you are ready to start prepping your ingredients, put some music on and go to work: slice the mini-cucumbers 1/8 inch thick, cut the tomatoes and black olives in half. If some olives are too small, leave them whole. Reserve.

Assemble each skewer starting with one small mozzarella ball, half a black olive, another mozzarella ball, a cucumber slice, and finish with half the tomato. Arrange the skewers on a nice serving platter.

Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle over the skewers half an hour before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The inspiration for this recipe came from two different sources: “Greek Salad Skewers” from Fine Cooking, and a dressing found in “Small Bites,” but I modified them enough to make it “bewitching.” 😉 One of my changes was to use mozzarella instead of feta cheese because feta tends to crumble and I am forced to eat all the cheese that disintegrates as I stab it. If you don’t find mini-cucumbers, use regular ones, but peel them and cut the slices in halves or quarters, depending on the size.

Fennel seed is the secret for the dressing. I like to use ground and let the dressing sit for a while before using, but next time I’ll use whole fennel seeds and warm them up gently to make an infused oil. Might be even better.

These skewers are very colorful, a nice addition to any cocktail party, but particularly great to open a multi-course dinner. Consider making them for your end-of-the-year festivities.

ONE YEAR AGO: Dundee Cake Bake-Along (and great fun was had by all!)

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3Aug2010

TWICE-BAKED GOAT CHEESE SOUFFLE

Posted in Appetizers, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

If you’re intimidated by the prospect of making a souffle, then this recipe is a special gift for you. This double-baking method (oven time separated by hours, if convenient) is great for entertaining: no more guessing about when’s the correct time to put the souffle in the oven; no more anticipating when the guests will be ready to eat the puffed-up, gorgeous masterpiece. Plus, I’ve always felt that individual servings (in this case individual souffles) makes each guest feel special. 😉 The recipe comes from Secrets of Success, one of my favorite cookbooks.

TWICE-BAKED GOAT CHEESE SOUFFLE
(from Michael Bauer’s Secrets of Success, original recipe from Barbara Mulas & Mark Drazek)

butter for greasing ramekins, plus 3 Tbs
1 cup bread crumbs
3 Tbs cake flour
1 cup milk, warmed slightly in a microwave
10 ounces goat cheese, divided
3 large egg yolks
salt and pepper
1 cup egg whites (about 7 large eggs)

Heat the oven to 425F.

Butter 8 ramekins (5 ounce size), and coat them with bread crumbs. Reserve remaining bread crumbs.

Melt the butter in a saute pan, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Whisk in the milk, cook stirring until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Crumble 8 ounces of the goat cheese in a large bowl (you will have 2 ounces left), add the hot milk/flour mixture, stir to combine. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mix well, and season with salt and pepper.

Beat the egg whites by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Delicately mix half the egg whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it a little. Then, fold the rest of the egg whites. Fill the ramekins halfway with the mixture, crumble a little goat cheese on top, and fill the ramekins to the top with the remainder of the souffle mixture. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs.

Place the ramekins in a large baking dish, and fill it halfway up the sides of the ramekins with very hot (or boiling) water. Bake on the center of the oven until golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it sit in the water for about 15 minutes, then carefully unmold them, by running a knife around the edges and inverting the ramekins over a plate. Transfer them to a baking dish. They can be held at room temperature for up to 6 hours.

When you are ready to serve them, bake at 425F until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve used this recipe many times in the past few years, sometimes with feta cheese instead of goat cheese, but always with the same delicious outcome. It is important to coat the ramekins well with butter, so that they easily un-mold. One or two of pieces of bruschetta on the side completes the perfect opening for a special dinner.

The recipe comes from Zax, a now (unfortunately) defunct restaurant in Berkeley. You can find old reviews online praising this dish, and once you try it, you’ll praise it too!

Note to self: try this method with other flavors. According to Bauer, the key to making a twice-baked souffle is the use of cake flour: it gives the final product a more refined texture.

ONE YEAR AGO: Hearts of Palm Pie