IN MY KITCHEN – APRIL 2018

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Three months have passed since I took you for a walk around the Bewitching Kitchen. Time for another virtual tour. In My Kitchen is a fun tradition started by Celia and now hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Stop by their virtual spots to say hello, but not before you are done walking with me…

As usual, I like to start by sharing the gifts that found their way into our kitchen….

For my Birthday (back in March), from my grandkids:

A gorgeous Bundt pan, and a rectangular tart pan with removable bottom. Can you say happy camper? Getting one year older all of a sudden is a lot less painful…

From Phil, temptation in shape of many truffles….

From Aritri, temptation in a can…

Gulab Jamum is heaven in form of dessert. I fell in love with it the first time I tried, many years ago. You can read all about it here. I’ve flirted with the idea of making it from scratch, but it’s really a very involved process. Little balls with a taste that reminds me of cooked condensed milk, floating in a simple syrup. Yes, very sweet, a little bit will satisfy your cravings…

Since I spoke of Aritri, I take the opportunity to give a little update. Tomorrow, April 2nd, she starts the second cycle of chemo at Sloan-Kettering, New York. We have the gofund still going strong, and thanks to all the generous donations she’s been able to stay in New York and get the best possible treatment. Thank you for all of you who donated or helped in any way with messages, advice, and moral support.

From Ms. S., Aritri’s Mom, home-made temptation on a plate…

Paatisapta, a Bengali dessert. Delicate crepes, traditionally made with rice flour from freshly harvested rice. The filling can vary a lot, sometimes even savory stuff is used. These had a creamy coconut filling, and were very delicious. The crepes were made with a mixture of rice and semolina flour, as they were unable to find the exact kind of rice flour they would have in India. Absolutely lovely!

From my niece Raquel…

Raquel knows of my love for elephants, and sent me this package with two beautiful coffee cups (handmade), pen holders, and elephant and dog clips. They work great to close paper and plastic bags, and also to keep parchment paper collars when you want to make a tall souffle, or something along those lines. Such thoughtful gifts!

From Phil….

As you may have noticed, we do have a little problem with coffee and tea cups. Oh,well. There are worse addictions in life. We are not interested in any type of therapy to get rid of this one. These were all from our favorite UK artist, Mary Rose Young, found on ebay.

In our kitchen…

A baguette-flipper. A wooden board that is perfect to transfer baguettes from their proofing stage into the oven, as the less you mess with them after shaping, the better. I’ve always wanted to have one, and now I do! Stay tuned for a baguette adventure coming up soon.

In our kitchen…

Since we are talking baguettes, might as well share one more item to make them. Diastatic malt powder, often used in bread dough to maximize fermentation. America’s Test Kitchen recommends using it in uses some in their baguette formula.

In our kitchen…

A dough docker. Yes, I realize the tines of a fork do the same job. But this is sexier. So there!

In our kitchen…

A spoon-shaped cutter. I first saw this gadget used to make a super cool bite-size dessert. Take a look at this post. I got in touch with the company, and Mr. Roy shipped it to me from the UK. I intend to put it to use very soon… Adorable, don’t you think? You can also roll out sandwich type bread very thinly, use the spoon cutter to cut them in spoon shape, toast and serve with all sorts of dips, tapenade, cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers… Endless possibilities!

In our kitchen…

A cookbook with very interesting ideas for non-alcoholic drinks. For more info, click here.

In our kitchen…

Cute little platters found at Marshall’s. I see blue macarons in the future…

In our kitchen…

Another Marshall’s gem. As I’ve mentioned many times, I am not too fond of jams. Never spread them on toast, alone or paired with peanut butter. But, they are amazing as components of macaron fillings, so whenever I see a more exotic flavor, I cannot resist bringing it home.

In our kitchen…

A very nice tahini, in fact this is the brand recommended by the one and only Ottolenghi. I ordered it from amazon, as I could not find it in town.

In our kitchen…

This is a silicone piping bulb. I have not tried it yet, but intend to do so in the near future. The reviews on amazon were pretty good, and I think it might come in handy for small piping jobs. It comes with three tips, but it will fit most sizes of tips available in the market.

In our kitchen…

A clay pot. I used to have one many many years ago, but it cracked and after saying goodbye to it, I decided to live without one. Recently, my beloved had a craving for clay pot chicken, and that was all the stimulus I needed to bring it into the Bewitching Kitchen. Stay tuned. Did you know you can use it to bake fantastic loaves of bread too? Ours is glazed inside, which facilitates cleaning.

And now, it’s time for our loyal and goofy four-legged furry friends to say hello… They’ve waited patiently for 3 months and cannot wait to share their own adventures….

Bogey Quit That, over the 18 months he’s been with us, has changed a lot. He seems more adapted to his new routine, and is having a lot more fun patrolling the backyard with his brothers. However, there is no doubt he prefers weekends, when he can be inside with us.

Oscar, as usual has his “issues.”

Your willingness to share with me some of your fancy soup is appreciated, but I don’t think I would like it. Therefore, I won’t even taste it.

Whereas his brothers had a totally different take on it…

Normally a very well-behaved pup, Buck got himself into trouble.

Those were the remains of the cork of a very special balsamic vinegar, a gift from our friends Marijo & Vlad. I must have dropped the cork on the floor and did not even notice until it was too late.

Would you ever forgive me, Mom?
Maybe the fact that I am the cutest dog in town could help?

Oh, pleeeeease… cute is MY middle name!

Methinks you are both in blind denial. My carefully placed spots make me the most handsome dog to ever roam the Earth.

And I’m the only one who matches Mom’s outfits…

You must be joking. I can outmatch you anytime!

Plus, matching outfits is no big deal. I am the only one who meditates with Mom…

But, not all is peace and quiet in the Bewitching Kitchen…

Scary indeed, but nothing compared to Osky, when he accidentally saw some luggage going into the pick up truck.
Luggage = kennel.

He hid in the den, and tried to cover himself with the dog bed. I was not fast enough to get a perfect shot, but his sad eyes convey all the emotion… Still, we always come back to rescue them and shower them with love!

That’s all for now, folks!
We hope you enjoyed the Spring version of In My Kitchen…

ONE YEAR AGO: First Monday Favorite

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

THREE YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

SIX YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

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29Mar2018

CASHEW CHICKEN, MY WAY

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Beware: I am taking a Chinese classic and messing with it. This turned out absolutely delicious, and so quick to put together like it’s the case for stir-fries. Gather all your stuff, turn the heat on, and be ready for dinner in 5 minutes. It did involve about 25 minutes prep ahead, mostly waiting time, which was perfect to cook some rice as a side dish. Efficiency. One of my favorite words. Particularly welcome on a weeknight in which my experiment was a big failure and last thing I needed was to face a complicated dinner preparation.

CASHEW CHICKEN
(adapted from Easy Chinese Recipes – Bee Yinn Low)

for the chicken:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 + 3/4 pound)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
a bunch of snow peas, sliced or cut in half
about 1/3 cup cashews, lightly toasted
salt to taste
for the sauce:
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. Place in a bowl and add the baking soda, mixing to coat all pieces. Leave 15 minutes at room temperature. Rinse the baking soda out using a colander, then place the pieces of meat on kitchen paper to dry.

Marinate the chicken pieces in rice wine and cornstarch for a few minutes. As the meat marinates, mix all ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok until almost smoking. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry until almost cooked through. Remove and reserve.

Heat one more tablespoon of oil, add the grated ginger and the snow peas, stir fry for a few minutes. Add he chicken back to the wok, pour in the sauce and cook until the meat is fully cooked and coated with the sauce. Sprinkle toasted cashews, mix and warm up for a minute or so. Serve right away over steamed rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: What I love about this recipe is the simplified method of “velveting” the meat. Usually the process, very common in Oriental stir-fries, is a lot more involved. The pieces of meat are marinated in a mixture of egg white and cornstarch, then dropped in either simmering water or oil for a brief pre-cooking time. You can find a detailed explanation here. It results in amazing texture, but it is a bit involved, you are left not only with the wok to clean but the large pot used for the pre-cooking time. In this recipe, the meat is simply coated with baking soda, which increases the pH (or in other words, reduces acidity) and affects the way the molecules of protein at the surface of the meat interact with each other. Instead of trying to stick together and resulting in that harsh texture so common in quick stir-fry dishes, they behave with a lot more composure, and interact with the sauce components more efficiently instead. The texture changes so much that it does give the impression of velvet. Try it, and you will be hooked, I guarantee. You can use the exact same approach with other types of protein, seafood, beef, pork. Just add the baking soda, allow it to sit for 15 minutes, rinse it out, dry the meat and proceed with your recipe.

ONE YEAR AGO: Two Deliciously Simple Salads

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

THREE YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

SIX YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

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25Mar2018

GENIUS EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Posted in Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I am so excited about this recipe! I saw Jeff Mauro prepare it during a recent show of The Kitchen, and just knew I had to try it right away. Right away as in same day. That’s what happened. And then I could not wait much longer to share. Eggplant is a tricky veggie. It soaks oil like nobody’s business, I love eggplant parm, but usually avoid the breading and the frying and end up with a very simplified version starting from grilled slices. It is ok, but compared to this method? It doesn’t even seem like the same recipe. Try it and I know you will be amazed.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA
(from Jeff Mauro, as seen in The Kitchen)

1 medium to large eggplant
2 eggs, beaten with a teaspoon of water
salt and pepper
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
tomato sauce
slices of mozzarella cheese

Heat a baking sheet – empty – in a very hot oven, 450 to 500F.

While the baking sheet is heating, peel the eggplant, cut crosswise in 1/2 inch slices. Reserve.

Put the eggs, water, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano cheese in another bowl next to it. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg wash, but allow just one side to get wet with the mixture. Dip it in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to coat, and carefully place on a rack with the crumb side up.

Make sure you have the tomato sauce warmed up and ready to go, and the cheese slices also nearby. Remove the baking sheet (careful, it’s going to be very hot) and drizzle the olive oil to coat the hot surface. Working quickly, add the eggplant slices with the crumb down. It will stick to the oil and start to get pretty hot right away. Add the tomato sauce on top, cover with cheese, and place in the oven, reducing the temperature to 375 F.

Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. I added a little extra tomato sauce on top after 10 minutes. When the cheese is starting to get golden brown at the edges, the eggplant will be done. Serve right away with your favorite side dish.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I hope I made myself clear about how much we loved this recipe. Eggplant without excessive oil? Check. Eggplant with a delicate crunchy component? Check. Eggplant cooked to perfection, not a slight hint of mush? Check. Melted cheese with a bonus of browned up edges to nibble on? Check.

I doubt I’ll ever make it any other way. For the two of us, one-quarter sheet pan held 6 slices of eggplant, perfect for our meal with two slices leftover for a light lunch next day. That was exactly one eggplant. I used store-bought tomato sauce this time (Rao is a brand I like very much), and provolone cheese instead of the more traditional mozzarella.

I do hope you try it and let me know if it will make you do an extended version of a Happy Dance. Now, when you make it, please skip the exotic maneuver I used. When I was about to crack the second egg for the egg wash, it slipped and headed at 9.8 meters per second squared to the floor. With lightning fast reflexes (I am very proud of that, actually), I grabbed it between my knees, but that cracked the egg. There’s only so much luck a person can have. Egg yolk miraculously stayed put inside the broken shell, but egg white made a truly epic mess in my pants. There was intense profanity going around, and a husband pretty much folded in two laughing. Thankfully, no pictures. But you can use your imagination, in case you need a good laugh, like some humans apparently do.

Never a dull moment, folks… never a dull moment…

ONE YEAR AGO: Rose, Cardamon and Coffee Squares

TWO YEARS AGO: When Side Dishes Steal the Show

THREE YEARS AGO: Venting on Vaccines

FOUR YEARS AGO: Prime Rib Roast, Mexican Style

FIVE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Dates

SIX YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Pork Tenderloin and Blue Cheese

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21Mar2018

TRES LECHES CAKE: THREE TIMES A WINNER!

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

I baked this cake three times in the same month.
I shall now pause briefly so you can recover from the shock.

Breathe in…. Breathe out….
(image from Wikimedia)

Allow me to explain. I had never paid much attention to this cake, until a scientist from our department who joined another university in Kansas, mentioned that he would travel all the way back to our town if he knew I would be baking a Tres Leches. His all-time favorite cake. I filed that information in my neuronal system, and a few months later guess what happened? He needed to do some experiments with bacterial membranes and joined our group for the duration of the work. I decided to bake that cake for his first day in our lab, which, quite conveniently, fell on a Monday. And that’s when my best laid plans degenerated. He texted me to say he would be driving to the lab in a few minutes, and I assumed he was already in town since the evening before. Nope. He was not. What he was about to start was a 90 minute drive to our lab. When he arrived, not even a crumb of the cake was left. Can you feel his pain, and my pain when I found out about this harsh outcome? Undeterred, I made another Tres Leches on Thursday. And you know what? The second turned out better than the first… Sweet mission finally accomplished!

TRES LECHES CAKE
(slightly modified from The Pioneer Woman)

for the cake and soaking:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 whole eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used Mexican vanilla)
1/3 cup milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened, condensed milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

for the icing:
1 pint heavy cream
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high-speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high-speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1/3 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. I actually allowed it to sit in the fridge overnight, lightly covered with aluminum foil. To ice the cake, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until thick and spreadable.

Spread over the surface of the cake, you might not need all the amount made, but a thick layer of icing should be your goal. Decorate cake with maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a fantastic cake. Period. It is sweet, it is rich, but it does not feel heavy. It is obviously super moist, with a very delicate crumb, and the icing goes perfectly with it. I’ve been baking cookies, cakes, tarts, pies, brownies on a regular basis to share with our departmental colleagues. No other bake got even remotely close to this one in terms of praise. The second time around there was a migration of people to the mail room because they heard that “the best cake ever” was there. I know, I know, it sounds as if I’m bragging. I promise you, I’m not. It’s not my recipe, and as I mentioned, I had no idea what this cake was all about until then.

Tres Leches means “three milks” in Spanish. The name reflects the use of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream to soak the cake. Since there is a little regular milk in the cake, I suppose a more accurate description should be “Cuatro Leches“, but let’s not split hairs. We go with the soaking milk component only, as that is what gives the cake so much flavor and sweetness. My only modification from the original recipe was to increase a little the amount of liquid in the cake (yeah, imagine that!). Ree advises to leave one full cup of the three milks behind. I did it that way on my first time, but on the second cake I left just 1/3 cup behind. I liked the cake better that way, particularly when soaking it overnight. The extended time in the fridge allows the crumb to retain additional moisture. Consider making the cake the day before you intend to serve it.

You might be wondering why the title “Three times a winner?” I actually baked it again just a couple of weeks later, as one a graduate student from another lab asked me if I could make one for his Birthday. It turns out he grew up enjoying Tres Leches baked by his family, and professed mine to be “the best one he’d ever had.” I still carry a permanent internal smile for that. Complete gratitude should be directed to Ree Drummond as I followed her recipe to a T. “T” for Total Winner!

(photo by Dr. P. Sukthankar)

ONE YEAR AGO: The Joys of Grating Squash

TWO YEARS AGO: Auberge-Pecan Walnut Bread

THREE YEARS AGO: Gluten-free and Vegan Raspberry Bars

FOUR YEARS AGO: Lasserre, a French Classic

FIVE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Bread with Walnuts and Dates

SIX YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Apricot Glaze

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Pork Tenderloin and Blue Cheese

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17Mar2018

SOUP SATURDAY: SAY GOODBYE TO WINTER

Posted in Soups by sallybr

Since it’s the third Saturday of the month, it’s time to enjoy the soup event organized by Wendy. This month yours truly is hosting, and I chose as my theme a farewell to the season that tortures me: Winter. My apologies to those who like to shiver, who enjoy having to cover their feet, hands, ears and nose before heading outside, and don’t mind a heating bill in the triple digits at the end of the month.

We still have a few evenings here and there with ungodly cold temperatures, and for those evenings, a soup that warms body and soul is the best thing in the world. So I made it smokin’ hot. Literally. Remember my new toy from last Christmas, the electric smoker? We’ve been using it a lot, I just did not have a chance to blog about it yet, but now it’s the perfect opportunity. I made a smoked tomato soup. Very simple in terms of number of ingredients, but incredibly flavorful due to the subtle applewood smoke component.

SMOKED TOMATO SOUP
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

10 large Roma tomatoes, halved
olive oil spray
salt and pepper
applewood chips for smoker
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 shallot, minced
zest and juice of one blood orange
1 cup of chicken stock
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Turn your smoker to 250 F and place a few applewood chips in the chamber, according to the instructions of your smoker.

Drizzle the tomatoes with a little spray of olive oil, and season lightly with salt. When the smoker reaches the right temperature, place the tomatoes, cut side down, on the tray. Close the chamber and allow them to smoke for 40 minutes. At the end of the smoking time, remove the skin, that should peel off easily.

In a large saucepan, saute the shallot and yellow bell pepper in olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. When soft and fragrant, add the zest of the blood orange add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a potato masher. Simmer in medium heat for 5 minutes, add the chicken stock, cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender, blend until smooth. If you like a very smooth soup, pass through a sieve to remove the tomato seeds. If too thick, add some chicken stock or water. Pour back into the pan, add blood orange juice, heavy cream, simmer a few minutes, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve with a drizzle of blood orange juice on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Talk about flavor! What we’ve learned so far from our adventures with the smoker is that you don’t need that many added spices, in fact, it is best to mellow down the spices, so that the smokiness can shine. Even when tomatoes are far from their peak, the brief encounter with the smoke intensifies their flavor quite a bit. Very nice. If you don’t have a smoker, I suppose grilling the tomatoes could do a good job too. In that case, add some smoked paprika to the soup, while you are sauteing the veggies. If blood oranges are not available where you live (here, let me offer you a hug), you can use regular oranges, and decorate the soup with a drizzle or cream or yogurt.

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be saying goodbye to winter! If you’d like to see what my virtual friends made for our Soup Saturday event, click on the link at the end of the post. Stay warm!