Sweets for the Sweet

Posted on February 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

I normally am a big curmudgeon when it comes to Valentine’s Day. For some reason I’m optimistic about my love life, this year. Though there is no one in the works, I feel that this spring will bring someone wonderful and new. So for the first time since elementary school, I’m celebrating this silly holiday. I’ve been meaning to make these salt caramels for quite some time now; this is the perfect excuse. Funny enough, they where fast and easy to make!

Fleur De Sel Caramels

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, more for garnish
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 lb high quality dark chocolate

Line bottom and sides of a glass loaf plan with parchment paper, then lightly spray it with oil.

Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.

Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248°F on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into pan and cool 2 hours.

Chop the block of chocolate into small pieces using a serrated knife and place them in a metal bowl. Fill a small saucepan with water and heat it on medium-high heat. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and heating water.

Cut the caramel into pieces, you can use a cookie cutter to cut it into small hearts. Lay them out on a large sheet of parchment paper.

Once the chocolate starts to melt, constantly stir it with a sturdy rubber spatula. When you drizzle the chocolate back into the bowl from the spatula, it should sink into the pool of chocolate, this is how you know it is 100% melted. Take the bowl off of the saucepan and place into another bowl containing ice and water. Using the spatula, keep mixing the chocolate so that it doesn’t harden on the edges of the bowl. Keep mixing it till the chocolate, when drizzled back into the bowl, doesn’t sink but piles up on itself.
Dip the caramels into the chocolate, removing the excess dripping chocolate and place on the parchment paper. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt onto the top, a few grains. Let the chocolate harden and dry for two hours before packaging.

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Posted in caramel, chocolate, fleur de sel

Everyone has the flu

Posted on February 7, 2008 | Leave a comment

All of New York City is sick with the flu. Hell I think that all of the East coast is infected. I think that when people are suck, it is important to eat home made chicken stock based soups. The enzymes in chicken broth are a know cure. It is disgusting, but all of that nose blowing made me think of split pea. Don’t let that image gross you out, as this is really delicious.

Split Pea Soup

1 lb slit peas
2 ham hocks
olive oil
1 carrot
1 rib of celery
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
red chilly flakes
thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
½ lb ham, chopped
1 carton of chicken stock

Soak the peas, covered in water on the counter, over night. The peas will plump up and double in size. Drain and set aside. In a large stock pot, cover the ham hocks with water and boil for half and hour to remove some of the salt. Drain and let cool.

Finely chop the veggies. In a large stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the veggies and sauté until soft and the onions are translucent. Add in the spices and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Pull the meat off of the ham hock bones, being careful not to remove the skin or fat. Shred the meat and add that plus the bones and the chopped ham to the pot, stir and cook for several minutes. Add in the peas and the stock. Cover and cook on medium for at least an hour, stirring occasionally and checking to see if you need to add any water. The peas will get tender and most of them will break down to for a smooth puree. Cook until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add salt to taste.

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Posted in ham, ham hock, soup, split pea

Luscious, Light and Elegant

Posted on February 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

Cheesecake is one of the easiest desserts to make. As long as you have enough time to cook it and cool it, it requires hardly any effort.

Lemon Cheesecake

1 cup roasted ground hazelnuts
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
16 oz sour cream
3 – 8oz packages of cream cheese
2 cups sugar
juice and rind of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon extract
5 eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the hazelnuts, graham cracker, powdered sugar and butter in the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan. Once it is all combined so that the butter is evenly distributed, press it into an even layer at the bottom of the ban and about ¼ to ½ inch up the side of the pan.

In a large stand mixer, beat the sour cream. By starting with the sour cream, the cream cheese will not stick. Add in the cream cheese, starting on low then moving til hi till the dairy products are lighter and fluffier and not lumpy. Add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract. Keep beating until it is as smooth as possible. Turn off the beater and add in the eggs. Turn the mixer on to medium and beat just long enough to combine. It is important to only mix the eggs a minimal amount so that the cheesecake won’t crack when baking.

Place the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour, until the top is lightly brown and the cake is puffy. Chill the cake on a rack to room temperature then in the refrigerator over night.

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Posted in cheesecake, cream cheese, eggs, lemon, sugar

Savory Pastry Comfort

Posted on February 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

Watching Jamie Oliver’s new TV show inspired this dish. Strangely, the recipe for his beef, cheese and Guinness pie was never posted on the Food Network, so I have to improvise. This is the perfect food for a cold winter night.

Beef Pot Pie

2 sweet onions, sliced in thin rounds
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 carrots, finely diced
3 ribs of celery, finely diced
3 packages of sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
3-5 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
2 lbs brisket, cut into bit size pieces
1 carbon beef stock
1-2 cups old red wine
olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
1 sheet puff pastry
Frozen organic sweet peas

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium high in a heavy bottom large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until they turn soft and start to brown. Add the carrots and celery and sauté them for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and spices and continue to cook. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Add the beef, wine and stock and cover the pot with the lid. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally for several hours until most of the liquid is evaporated. Cool over night in the oven so that the flavors bloom.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the pot of beef back on the stove to a low boil. Mix in a small hang full of cheese, reserving the majority of the cheese. Fill a glass-baking dish with the beef mixture, covering the top with the majority of the cheese. Cover the dish with the puff pastry and back in the oven till the pastry is golden brown and puffy.

Cool the pie on the stovetop while you heat the peas in a small saucepan with a sprinkle of salt. Serve a chunk of the beef and pastry with a good hearty serving of peas.

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Posted in beef, mushrooms, pot pie, puff pastry, red wine

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Posted on January 26, 2008 | Leave a comment

I’ve always loved quiche. It’s the perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or late night snack. You can practically make anything into a quiche: salmon and asparagus, mushrooms and goat cheese, sausage and peppers.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

¾ cup flour
½ stick butter
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 cold water
1/2 package bacon, I prefer the thick slab kind
frozen spinach, drained
shredded cheddar cheese
9 eggs
½ cup milk
salt
pepper

Mix the flour, butter and salt in a metal mixing bowl until the butter is 100% incorporated and the mixture resembles course meal. Slowly add in the water, a little bit at a time and pull the dough tougher, being careful that it isn’t too wet. Roll it out so that it fills a 10-inch pie pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the bacon into chunks and cook in a pan on medium, till crispy and brown. Drain on a paper towel. Layer the pastry first with the spinach, then the bacon and then the cheese.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, milk and salt and pepper till it is smooth. Pour the eggs, gently, over the filling. It should be just at the top of the filling.

Bake the quiche for 1 to 1.5 hours until it is golden brown and puffed up. Let it cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Posted in bacon, cheddar cheese, eggs, quiche, spinach

Subzero Hibernation

Posted on January 22, 2008 | Leave a comment

It’s cold, really cold, in New York. I’m held up in my infinitesimally small studio apartment avoiding the elements. The only thing I want to eat is something starchy, creamy and rich. This doesn’t require a lot of effort and always hits the spot.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 butternut squash, pealed, cleaned and cubed into bit size pieces
olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 ½ cups short grain rice
1/2 cup white wine
1 quart chicken stock
parmesan cheese
fresh thyme, sage or parsley

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

On a large baking pan, toss the squash pieces in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, turning 40 minutes into the cooking time

In a large pan, on medium high heat, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons butter and some olive oil till clear. Add the rice, stirring and cooking till the edges also turn clear. Season the rice lightly with salt.

Add the wine. Stir until it is absorbed into the rice. Slowly add the stock, one ladle at a time, stirring the rice till it is absorbed. Do this until the rice is almost done, maybe 30 minutes? You want to rice to be done but not mushy. It should have the typical creamy risotto texture.

Fold the roasted squash, Parmesan cheese, remaining butter and fresh herbs into the rice. Check for seasoning and serve immediately.

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Posted in butternut squash, Italian, rice, risotto

Emergency Sustenance

Posted on January 20, 2008 | Leave a comment

I threw my back out. And of course I had to do this on a long holiday weekend. Since I live on the 3rd floor of a building with out and elevator nor a real working buzzer, it is easier for me to walk, hunched over to the kitchen, lean on the counter and cook something than it is to navigate the stairs and out to the street to get something delivered. What’s the fastest thing to make out of my freezer, fajitas! I always buy London broil or other cuts of lean steak when it goes on sale and fill my freezer with it to be frugal. Thank god.

Easy Fajitas

2lbs London broil or skirt steak
1 package of frozen pepper strips from Trader Joes or 2 red bell peppers sliced thin
1 large sweet onion, sliced into thin half circles
salt
garlic powder
fajita seasoning ( I by mine at William Sonoma or Whole Foods)
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

On a large sheet pan, mix the peppers and onions. Liberally sprinkle with the salt, garlic powder and fajita seasoning. Throw on a few splashes of olive oil and toss. Spread it all evenly on the pan and place on the middle rack of the oven for about 10 minutes, till the veggies soften. While the veggies are in the oven, thinly slice the steak against the grain. Once the veggies have gotten soft, add the steak and more of the other ingredients if necessary. Toss and place it back in the oven. After 5 minutes, turn the steak and put it all back in the oven until its at your desired doneness.

Serve with a salad or tortillas, salsa, rice, beans and cheese.

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Posted in fajitas, onions, peppers, steak

For love or chocolate

Posted on January 15, 2008 | Leave a comment

I started a new job for the month of January. To win over my co-workers I quickly whipped this up. It worked like a charm. This will melt anyone’s heart.

Raspberry Filled Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes:

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
1-1/2 c unbleached white flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c brewed coffee
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

2. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl.

3. In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure and mix the oil, water (or coffee), and vanilla. Slowly and gently pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl and mix the batter with a whisk.

4. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls (and some bubbling) in the batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter (the color becomes more consistent throughout).

5. Pour batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes–testing with a toothpick. Remove to a cooling rack and frost.

Vegan Vanilla Icing
1 c shorting (transfat free)
3 c powdered sugar
½ T vanilla extract
1/8 c soymilk
4 drops of food coloring

1. Beat all ingredients on low, then high with an electric mixer, until fluffy.

Raspberry Filling
1 frozen bag of raspberries
1 cup of sugar
2 T corn starch
Water

1. Heat raspberries and sugar in a pot on the stove at medium high heat until bubbling.
2. Mix corn starch with just enough water to make a lump free slurry.
3. Add corn starch mixture to raspberries and stir, still on the heat, till the mixture is thick and clear and glossy.

Cupcake Assembly:
1. After cupcakes and raspberries are cooled to room temperature, you can start assembling.

2. Cut a cone shape out of the top of each cupcake. Cut the bottom part off of the cone of the cap, eat or discard.

3. Fill the cupcake with a spoon full of filling, place cap back onto to seal in the filling. This doesn’t have to be perfect.

4. Pipe the icing onto each cupcake

5. Decorate as you like.

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Posted in chocolate, cupcakes, raspberry

Simple Pleasures

Posted on January 15, 2008 | Leave a comment

This is the perfect dish for when the snow starts to come down in January. It is healthy but really hearty.

San Francisco Seafood Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 cup drained, diced tomatoes (from a 15-ounce can)
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
3/4 pound skinless snapper fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sourdough toast, for serving

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, clam juice, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
Add the clams, cover and cook just until most of them open, about 5 minutes. Add the snapper and shrimp, cover and simmer until they are cooked through and the remaining clams have opened, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to 4 bowls. Add the butter and parsley and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute, swirling the pan. Spoon the broth over the seafood and serve with sourdough toast.

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Posted in seafood, stew

My fridge smells like Korea

Posted on January 15, 2008 | Leave a comment

I was reading a new book, Trail of Crumbs, about a Korean orphan and all I wanted was beef and kimchee. I got some great fresh kimchee from the Union Square green market and saw these short ribs at Whole Foods. So I devised this dish to satisfy my craving.

Korean Short Ribs

6 boneless beef short ribs
Olive oil
½ onion, chopped
sesame oil
garlic powder
soy sauce
rice wine vinegar
Korean bbq marinade

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauté pan with a metal handle, quickly sear each side of the ribs. Sprinkle with all of the ingredients and place in the oven for at least 2 hours until the meat is tender.

Take out the ribs and pour off the fat, leaving the sauce in the pan. On the stove top, further reduce the sauce if necessary.

Serve with brown rice, crispy onions, fresh been sprouts and kimchee.

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Posted in Korean, short ribs