MONTHLY MINGLE: A TASTE OF YELLOW TO HONOR BARBARA

Posted in General by sallybr

Please visit Cook Sister for a tribute to a dear virtual friend.

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8Aug2012

HEADED TO HAWAII

Posted in General by sallybr

About a year ago, when we had no idea of the major life changes 2012 would bring, we planned a family vacation in one of our favorite spots in the planet: the north shore of Oahu. The trip comes at a tricky time, smacked in the middle of a home and a lab move. In fact, the lab move will happen 18 hours after our returning flight lands in Oklahoma. Crazy, I know… The plan is to charge our batteries during this coming week to be ready for what comes next.

We hope to revisit some of our great times in the past…

Enjoy time with the “kids”, as we did in our trip back in 2007. Unfortunately Alex won’t join us, but it’s for a good reason: he is starting medical school! Good luck, Alex, we’ll be thinking of you while sunbathing at Waiamea Beach… 😉

Go jogging in our favorite route by Sunset Beach…

Some will play golf…

Others will try hard to… 😉

Marvel at the sunset…

But mainly, just relax and enjoy some much needed time off

I’ve got some posts scheduled for publication while we are gone and during the lab move (oh, my.. not looking forward to that one!), but my ability to reply to comments or visit other blogs will be limited for a while… So, for now…

ALOHA!

6Aug2012

ORZO WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATO RELISH

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

I fell in love with heirloom tomatoes this year, and my passion only intensifies the more I use them. Get a bunch of tomatoes, of all colors and shapes you can find. Dice them, keep the skin and the seeds. This is a simple dish. Refreshing, absolutely perfect for a 110 F day (that is 43 C, folks!). Actually, I am not complaining: my Brazilian nature takes the heat with poise, dignity, and uncooked pasta sauces. 😉

ORZO WITH HEIRLOOM TOMATO RELISH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 cup uncooked orzo
3-4 heirloom tomatoes, diced
kalamata olives, pitted, coarsely diced
fresh parsley, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
splash of white balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste
crumbled feta cheese
lemon zest to taste (optional)

Start by making the relish: mix in a bowl the diced tomatoes, olives, season with salt and pepper, add the olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Stir occasionally as you boil the water to cook the orzo.

Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Drain, add it to the fresh tomato mixture, mix the parsley, add the crumble feta on top, and mix gently, no need to try to fully incorporate it. Serve with a nice sprinkle of fresh lemon zest on top, if desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

This dish is all about the contrast between hot orzo and cold relish. I would have added capers if our bottle was not 312 miles away in another kitchen. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of what is where. Often while at a grocery store in Manhattan we are sure to have something already in the fridge, and we sure do, but the fridge in question is in Norman… and vice-versa. The bottom line: if you have capers, add them. Leftovers are great cold too.

And now, for something completely different (great show, BTW)… We are often concerned with the quality of the ingredients we use in our cooking, right? Let me now share with you something equally important: the kind of labor involved in bringing an ingredient to your table. Please jump here for a very informative article published in “Not Without Salt” and learn what may be hiding behind the gorgeous tomatoes you bring home.

ONE YEAR AGO: Headed to Brazil!

TWO YEARS AGO: The Rhubarb Brouhaha: Revelation Compote

THREE YEARS AGO: Love me tender…

3Aug2012

EDAMAME HUMMUS IN CUCUMBER BITES

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

If you’d like to especially please guests who are low-carbing, or simply want to serve something very flavorful but kind to everyone’s waistline, this is a perfect option. I’ve got a recipe for edamame dip already published, but this one knocked my socks off. Another fascinating English expression that made me smile the first time I heard it. No similar phrase exists in Portuguese, I must add, and as far as I searched, its origin is uncertain. Feel free to enlighten me with an explanation in the comments… 😉

The recipe comes from a great blog called “Tess’s Japanese Kitchen”. Tess became a real expert on the subject by working her way through the 250 recipes from this book by Hiroko Shimbo. Pretty amazing! If you are into authentic Japanese cooking, bookmark her blog and get ready to learn a lot from it. And, while you are at it, reserve a bookmark for Ms. Shimbo’s site, Hiroko’s Kitchen.

BRIGHT GREEN EDAMAME DIP IN CUCUMBER BITES
(slightly modified from Tess’s Japanese Kitchen)

for the cucumber “cups’
3 cucumbers

for the dip
1 cup shelled edamame (frozen is fine)
2 ounces feta cheese
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons non-fat yogurt (low or full fat is ok)
1 teaspoons salt
juice of half a lemon
a sprinkle of paprika for color contrast

Make the cucumber “cups” by peeling the cucumbers leaving streaks of unpeeled portions. Cut in 3/4 inch slices, and carefully hollow each slice to form a small cup. Discard the pulp. Reserve the cucumber slices, if they seem too wet place them over paper towels to catch excess liquid.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the edamame until they are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain them in a colander and rinse briefly with cold water to stop the cooking. Let it cool slightly, then add to the bowl of a food processor.

Add all other ingredients, except the paprika. Process to make a smooth paste, scraping the sides of the bowl midway through processing. Taste, adjust seasoning, and spoon small portions of the dip inside the hollowed cucumber slices. Serve any additional dip with crackers or crudites.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

If you want to go real fancy, take a Zen breath and try your hands at this beautiful preparation of cucumber cups, yet another courtesy of Tess. I imagine the dip would look pretty awesome in the center of those little flowers…

When I brought this platter to a departmental get-together, most people were puzzled, trying to figure out where the green color was coming from.

“Avocado? could it be avocado?”

“No, I don’t think so…. I taste some cheese, but no avocado”…

“What is in it?”

Mysterious or not, everyone loved it! The feta contributes a nice salty bite, the yogurt mellows it down, and the edamame closes the deal with its umami aura, very special. My slight modification was to reduce the amount of olive oil (the original had 6 tablespoons instead of 3), use non-fat yogurt instead or regular, and add lemon juice because I am a lemon freak. Sounds a bit wicked, but… such is life. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Headed to Brazil!

TWO YEARS AGO: Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffle

THREE YEARS AGO: Golly Moses: She’s a Muffin!

30Jul2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: MASCARPONE BROWNIES

Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

The last Monday of the month is here again, and with it comes the much anticipated reveal day for the members of Group D in The Secret Recipe Club. For those who don’t know, each month we are assigned (in secret) a blog to cook from. We “stalk” the blog, pick a recipe, cook it, write a blog about it, and set it to go live at exactly the same time on reveal day. This month my blog was Sweetly Serendipity, hosted by the beautiful Taryn, a baking goddess who lives in Boston and dreams of opening her own bakery some day. Yeap, that’s how serious she is. Once I started browsing her site and noticing the profusion of cakes, some extremely involved, I felt a bit uneasy. For instance, I was smitten by this cake, but it will have to wait for a less chaotic time in my life. I kept on browsing her recipes, until I got to “mascarpone brownies”. Simply scrumptious. This is what she had to say about them:

It’s kind of like eating a dense chocolate souffle — their texture is light and airy, but the flavors are deep and delicious. They satisfy every feeling, and shower your mouth with a tantalizing array of sensations. They are smooth and creamy and absolutely perfect.

I had to bake a batch! 😉

MASCARPONE BROWNIES
(from Sweetly Serendipity)

for the brownies
1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (sifted)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 large eggs, at room-temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the ganache
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325F and cover a 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper.

In glass mixing bowl melt butter in microwave on full power. Stir in chocolate and mix until combined. If the chocolate doesn’t fully melt, place it in the microwave again for a few seconds at a time.

Add sugar to the chocolate/butter mixture and mix until combined. Heat for an additional 30 seconds on high, remove and stir until it looks shiny. Don’t worry if it still seems a bit grainy. Add marscarpone cheese, vanilla, eggs and mix until smooth.

Sift flour, salt and cocoa into the chocolate mixture and stir just until combined, making sure to scrape all sides of the bowl. The batter will be rather light in texture, instead of dense and heavy like many brownie batters.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth top to ensure even baking. Bake for 40-50 minutes until tester comes out clean. If the surface seems uneven, use the flat end of a potato masher to lightly tamp down the surface of the brownies while they are still warm. This will help the ganache coat evenly. Leave in pan and set on wire rack to cool.

While brownies are cooling, make the ganache to pour over the top, a step you should do before the brownies are cold. Heat butter and cream on medium power (taking care not to boil) in the microwave and add chocolate. Stir until all lumps disappear. Immediately pour over brownies. Let cool completely. It is a good idea to place the pan in the fridge to allow the ganache to set. Once chilled a knife will cut through the brownies quite cleanly. Make sure to clean your blade for each cut for a more polished look.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

These brownies were simply spectacular! I never had a brownie with ganache on top, but it’s never too late to find new forms of decadence in life. One piece of brownie will satisfy your chocolate craving for a while, so be the best person you can be and share! 😉
Taryn’s description for these brownies was perfect, I’ve got nothing to add! They will be a hit at any party you take them to, and they are very easy to make, ganache included. I actually made them in our almost completely bare kitchen in Oklahoma, using a couple of bowls, a baking dish, and a cheap whisk (bought for the occasion, as mine was 312 miles away, in Manhattan).